Embarkation--The Hawel Family Migration

It was on this date, 150 years ago, July 1, 1868, that Anna and Josef Hawel and childreny boarded the ship SS Baltimore for the United States.  They were on the penultimate leg of a long, over four month journey, as they traveled from their hamlet of Dolni Chrastany in southern Bohemia, to the town of Jefferson, WI.  Just over three years since the end of the War of Rebellion, the United States was seeing a major increase in immigration from Europe.

The budding empire of the United States was becoming dependent upon immigrant labor to settle the Midwest and West, provide labor for its growing factories, and raise crops to feed a growing population.  The Homestead Act become law only six years earlier, in 1862.  The State of Wisconsin, seeing the need for immigrant labor engaged an immigration commissioner who was active in promoting the state to would be migrants.  Sources indicate that the state advertised in varied European countries, or dominions.

Dolni Chrastany to Bremen Germany
Google maps

While they likely walked, or used a horse cart to get to the Bremen port from their home in southern Bohemia, the most expensive part of their journey was likely the tickets for a ship to cross the Atlantic.  In this case the family choose to leave from Bremen, Germany for Baltimore, Maryland on the ship SS Baltimore.  The SS Baltimore was built for the North German Lloyd line of Bremen in 1868.  It could accommodate 81 first class, and 600 third class passengers.  Constructed of iron at a length of 285 feet, it had one funnel and two masts rigged for sale.  When the Hawel family departed Bremen on 1 July 1868, on the SS Baltimore was just the third trans-Atlantic crossing for this new ship.  Its maiden, non-trial, voyage, took place starting on 3 March 1868.  It appears that the ship made a total of about 21 voyages to the end of 1871.  In 1872 the ship was hit by a Spanish steamer as it made its way back to Bremen from Baltimore.  The recovery of persons was more successful than that of the HMS Titanic, since the 80 seamen, and 130 passengers were all rescued.  The non-human cargo of tobacco, lard and molasses was not so fortunate.

SS Baltimore Illustration

Of the 21 voyages from 1868 through 1871, the number of  passengers  varied from a low of only 28 on 12 January 1870 to 779 passengers on 2 June 1869.  The Hawel family would account for ten of the 774 total passengers on the 1 July 1868 voyage. Since the ship was built to accommodate 681 passengers, it is obvious that at least two voyages well exceeded ship capacity.  Only one other of the 21 voyages (April 4, 1869 with 711) would exceed the ship's person capacity.  A crowded ship would not be a pleasant voyage. One has to think about the trepidation the family experienced in leaving their homeland, and traveling such long distance just to get to Bremen. Then, to top it off, imagine the crowded cabins in the steerage with lack of proper facilities and food.  It was not unusual that lice, typhoid and other maladies could easily spread through the steerage passengers. The smell of humanity in crowded close quarters was probably closer to that experienced in a Roman galley of 2000 years ago than a cruise ship even 50 years after their voyage.  Think of poor Anna with a child who is less than 9 months of age.  While she likely would have had some assistance from her 20 year old daughter to care for a young child, it still would have been difficult.  The oldest son Johann is the last family member listed on the ship manifest.  Mom and Dad in the lead with the oldest child bringing up the rear to make sure all were present.  Tucked in cramped quarters on a rough sea in the bowels of the ship sailing in mid summer with summer storms, its heat and humidity would not have been a simple easy cruise across the Atlantic.

SS Baltimore Passenger Log July 1, 1868
Page with Hawel Family
Source:  WI Historical Library, print from microfilm

The Anna and Josef Hawel family would depart from the shores of Germany and their homeland, moving further distant temporally, geographically, and culturally.  As they stepped on the shores of Baltimore several weeks later they would find a nation in the throes of reconstruction, but desirous of  some immigrant groups to feed its growing needs, and assist in production of its goods.  The journey across the ocean would be long and trying.  But, the family persevered.  One wonders if they ever thought of turning back?