THE VOLGA GERMANS IN PORTLAND
  • Home
    • About This Website
    • Reviews
  • History
    • Historical Timeline
    • Migration to Russia
    • Emigration from Russia
    • Settlement in America
    • Migration to Portland
    • Little Russia
    • A Short History of Albina
    • World War I
    • The Volga Relief Society >
      • Portland Volga Relief Society Subscribers 1921
    • World War II
    • Assimilation and Dispersion
  • Beliefs
    • Churches >
      • Albina Seventh-day Adventist Church
      • First United Mennonite Baptist Church
      • Ebenezer German Congregational Church
      • Free Evangelical Brethren Church >
        • German Evangelical Congregational Brethren Church
      • Second German Baptist Church
      • St. Pauls Evangelical and Reformed Church
      • Second German Congregational Church >
        • Evangelical Congregational Church
      • Zion German Congregational Church >
        • Rivercrest Community Church
    • Pastors
    • The Brethren
    • Denominations >
      • German Reformed Church
      • German Evangelical Synod of North America
      • Evangelical and Reformed Church
      • German Congregational Church
      • Seventh-day Adventists
      • United Church of Christ
  • People
    • Our People
    • Notables
    • Pioneers 1881-1892
    • Stories
    • Photographs
    • Help Identify These People
  • Community
    • Characteristics
    • Businesses >
      • Bakeries Retailers and Services
      • Garbage Haulers
      • Grocery and Meat Markets
      • Restaurants >
        • Helsers on Alberta
        • McCormick & Schmicks
        • Wildwood
      • Saloons and Taverns
      • Suppliers and Manufacturers
    • Employers
    • Education
    • Sports
    • Maps
    • Documentary
  • Traditions
    • Foods
    • Folk Medicine
    • Expressions
    • Weddings
    • Holidays
    • Folk Music
    • Funerals and Burial Sites
  • Resources
    • Family Research
    • Books and Video
    • Works Cited
People > Pioneers

Pioneers

The earliest Volga German pioneers arrived in Oregon between 1881 and 1892. Some were among the very first Volga Germans to arrive in North America in 1875. These immigrants initially settled in the Midwest and within a few years decided to migrate to the Pacific Northwest. Many had been members of the Brethren movement in Russia, which was viewed as a threat by the Lutheran church and was ultimately banned by the Czarist government in 1888.

A significant number of the early pioneers were from the Volga German colony of Norka, Russia, whose pastor, Wilhelm Stärkel, was tolerant and understanding of the Brethren. Having lived in the Unites States for several years during the 1860s, Pastor Stärkel encouraged many to leave Russia. These people shared many family ties and friendships. A large group of these settlers sailed from Bremen, Germany and arrived in New York aboard the steamship EMS on June 4, 1887.

Historian Emma Schwabenland Haynes describes the early Portland settlers in her unpublished manuscript titled My Mother's People.
Volga German family in Portland, Oregon
Photograph of a Volga German family in the Albina area of Portland, Oregon taken about 1905 (Bruno Art Studio was founded in Portland that year). Photograph courtesy of Stacy Hahn.
"When Grandfather Miller arrived in Portland on October 27, 1890 he found about twenty Volga German families living east of the Willamette River between Tillamook and Knott Streets. Technically this area was not part of Portland, because until 1891 Albina and East Portland were incorporated as independent communities with their own mayor, town hall, banks, jail, etc... Most of them were from the colony of Norka, and it is probably due to their influence that so many other people from that village eventually settled here. The names of the earliest pioneers include the following individuals:  John Schnell, Conrad Schnell, George Betz, Ludwig Spady, Peter George, Constantin Brill, Henry Maier, Conrad Schwartz, Peter Gerloch, Adam Schwartz, Peter Wolf, Adam and David Schwindt, and a Frühauf family, all of whom had come before 1889."

The term "pioneer" was defined by the Albina Pioneer Association to include anyone living in the district prior to 1893. Using that definition, the following list of Volga German households was extracted from the Albina and Portland City Directories (1881-1892), the Ebenezer German Congregational Church family register (1892-1908), and other historical sources.

The people listed below are single or married adults who headed a household between 1881 and 1892. For married couples, known family members are listed in each article.

​Please contact us if you have additional information about the people listed below or if you have other pioneers to add to this list.
  • Heinrich and Katharina Margaretha Albert​
  • Heinrich and Margaretha Aschenbrenner
  • Adam and Catharina Elisabeth Bauer
  • George and Christina Bauer
  • Heinrich and Anna Catharina Bauer
  • Heinrich and Katharina Bauer
  • Johannes and Maria Catharina Bauer
  • Peter and Mara Catharina Bernhardt
  • George and Anna Betz
  • Adam Brill
  • Conrad Brill
  • Constantin and Maria Christina Brill
  • Johannes and Sophia Brill
  • Heinrich and Elisabeth Dick
  • Johannes Dick
  • Carl Jacob and Catharina Früauf​​​​
  • ​John Gerlach
  • Peter and Elizabeth Gerlach
  • Johannes and Catharina Margareta Giebelhaus
  • Johannes and Elisabeth Göbel (Gabel)
  • Caspar and Anna Katharina Göttmann (Gettman)
  • ​Georg Heinrich and Christina Grün
  • Conrad and Catherine Grün
  • Johann Georg and Catharina Sophia Hahn
  • Mary Heimbigner
  • Philipp and Margaretha Hergert
  • Adam and Anna Maria Hergert
  • George and Elizabeth Hinkel
  • Peter and Emma Hohnstein
  • Heinrich and Christina Hölzer
  • Friedrich and Christina Jörg
  • Heinrich and Catharina Maria Jörg (George)
  • Johannes Jörg
  • Johannes and Katharina Jörg
  • Peter Jörg (George)
  • Johann Friedrich and Katharina Jörg (George)
  • Johann Friedrich and Katharina Maria Jörg
  • Johannes and Margaretha Jörg (George)
  • Jacob and Katharina Kilthau
  • Peter Klaus
  • Heinrich and Katharina Kniss
  • Heinrich and Katharina Koch
  • Johannes Koch​
  • Conrad Krieger
  • Johannes and Margaretha Krieger
  • John Sr. and Magdalena Krieger
  • John Jr. and Elisabeth Krieger
  • Johann Georg and Elisabeth Krieger
  • Henry and Anna Litzenberger
  • Johannes and Magdalena Leel (Lehl)
  • William and Mary Lind
  • Heinrich and Eva Maier​
  • George Heinrich and Christina Miller
  • ​John O. and Anna Elisabeth Miller​
  • Elisabeth Repp (née Döring - the widow of Peter Repp)
  • Nicholas and Elizabeth Popp
  • Conrad and Elizabeth Repp​
  • George and Margaretha Repp
  • Heinrich and Margaretha Repp​​
  • Ludwig and Magdalena Sauer
  • Heinrich Peter and Anna Elisabeth Scheidemann​
  • Philipp and Anna Elisabeth Scheidemann
  • Heinrich and Elisabeth Schleicher
  • George Schleiger
  • Heinrich D. Schleicher
  • ​Heinrich and Maria Scheuermann
  • Peter and Magdalena Schmidt
  • Conrad and Anna Maria Schnell
  • ​Johannes and Anna Maria Schnell
  • Henry Schnell
  • John Schnell
  • Peter Schnell
  • Heinrich and Elizabeth Schreiber
  • Heinrich and Sophia Schreiber
  • George and Elizabeth Schreiber
  • Peter and Sophia Schreiber
  • Adam and Emma Schwartz
  • Conrad and Sophia Schwartz
  • Henry Schwartz
  • Adam and Katharina Schwindt
  • David and Katharina Schwindt
  • Heinrich Schwindt
  • Johannes and Christina Schwindt
  • Ludwig and Anna Elisabeth Schwindt​​
  • Conrad and Catharina Elisabeth Sinner
  • Johannes and Louise Sinner
  • Conrad and Anna Spady
  • Ludwig and Anna Elizabeth Spady
  • ​Conrad Trüber (Treber)
  • Johannes and Anna Maria Trüber (Treber)
  • Johann Wilhelm and Elisabeth Trüber​ (Treber)
  • Heinrich and Maria Völker
  • Johannes and Katharina Wagner​
  • Friedrich and Katharina Walters
  • ​Johann Gottlieb and Anna Marie Weber
  • ​Casper and Maria Catharina Weigant
  • ​Peter and Elisabeth Weigandt
  • Peter and Mollie Wolf
  • Heinrich and Margaretha Wolf
  • ​Adam and Katharina Margaretha Yost
  • ​Conrad and Anna Maria Yost
  • Conrad and Elisabeth Yost​​
  • Ludwig and Emma Yost
  • Peter and Elizabeth Yost
The map below shows the residences of some of the earliest Volga Germans that settled in Portland and the surrounding area from 1881 to 1892. Also shown are churches, grocery stores and other historic places.
​Please contact us if you have additional information about the people listed above or if you have other pioneers to add to this list.
Last updated July 31, 2021..
Copyright © 1998-2022 Steven H. Schreiber
  • Home
    • About This Website
    • Reviews
  • History
    • Historical Timeline
    • Migration to Russia
    • Emigration from Russia
    • Settlement in America
    • Migration to Portland
    • Little Russia
    • A Short History of Albina
    • World War I
    • The Volga Relief Society >
      • Portland Volga Relief Society Subscribers 1921
    • World War II
    • Assimilation and Dispersion
  • Beliefs
    • Churches >
      • Albina Seventh-day Adventist Church
      • First United Mennonite Baptist Church
      • Ebenezer German Congregational Church
      • Free Evangelical Brethren Church >
        • German Evangelical Congregational Brethren Church
      • Second German Baptist Church
      • St. Pauls Evangelical and Reformed Church
      • Second German Congregational Church >
        • Evangelical Congregational Church
      • Zion German Congregational Church >
        • Rivercrest Community Church
    • Pastors
    • The Brethren
    • Denominations >
      • German Reformed Church
      • German Evangelical Synod of North America
      • Evangelical and Reformed Church
      • German Congregational Church
      • Seventh-day Adventists
      • United Church of Christ
  • People
    • Our People
    • Notables
    • Pioneers 1881-1892
    • Stories
    • Photographs
    • Help Identify These People
  • Community
    • Characteristics
    • Businesses >
      • Bakeries Retailers and Services
      • Garbage Haulers
      • Grocery and Meat Markets
      • Restaurants >
        • Helsers on Alberta
        • McCormick & Schmicks
        • Wildwood
      • Saloons and Taverns
      • Suppliers and Manufacturers
    • Employers
    • Education
    • Sports
    • Maps
    • Documentary
  • Traditions
    • Foods
    • Folk Medicine
    • Expressions
    • Weddings
    • Holidays
    • Folk Music
    • Funerals and Burial Sites
  • Resources
    • Family Research
    • Books and Video
    • Works Cited