HELENENTHAL

I. In the Spring of 1838, preparations were made to begin staking out lots for the building of houses, in anticipation of the settlement of emigrants.

II. The colony was established near an area of country road centered between Odessa and Nicolajoff on the steppe and river valley of Uroditschiee Balaytschutzky, a distance of 70 werst to either village.  It is bordered by certain noble estates like: Natschel, Sarenke, Knies, Balay, Knjaschewitsch and the colony Neufreudenthal.  The land is almost level and the ground is covered by fertile black earth with an occasional underlying of white to reddish clay beneath.  One finds good rock that is appropriate for building, but no woods.

III. The naming of the colony originated from His Excellency Weiland's suggestion to the leader of the Welfare Committee for settlers in South Russia, General von Insow, to name it Helenenthal.

IV. The families that had originally settled in Helenenthal were from (A) The Liebenthal district: from Grossliebenthal 1 Family, from Petersthal 18, from Freudenthal 2. (B) The Landauer district: from Worms 1 family, from Gueldendorf 1. (C) The Gluecksthaler area: From Bergdorf 2 families. Altogether 25 families, of these were 45 male and 44 female. Helenenthal totaled 89 on the revisions list.  Presently there are 161 people.

 

V. The produced and here attached name index gives information where the above families may have originated from. (see table)

VI. The steppes on which the above were to settle, according to the Welfare committee, was occupied by so-called Tschornohorejers.   There were a total of nineteen houses and semenlanken built from stone.  There were nine wells in this Uroditsche Balyschutzky prairie river valley measuring 2 1/2 to 3 Faden deep.  The wells were not from natural springs; instead they were constructed by hand and contained good drinking water.  Below the village in the river valley, a dam was erected to contain water.  For the entire settlement, the 25 families agreed to compensate the Tschornohorejers a sum of 857 rubel and 15 kopeks in silver.

VII. What little support the colonists acquired for the settlement came from their ancestors in Petersthal and from their own property they brought with them. No support came from the authorities.

VIII. The settlers were not subjected to special happenings nor misfortunes( Thank God) except for cattle epidemics and bad crops.  They lost a lot of livestock due to a harsh winter and shortage of feed.  The loss was 600 silver rubel, not counting the expense for feed.  It would take several good harvests to heal the wounds and bring back decent living conditions.

IX. The community owes their favorable conditions and welfare to the mercy of God.  To the goodness of the emperor, His Majesty Nicoley Paulowitsch for providing the land to grow crops and to graze cattle.  To the efforts of the local Welfare committee for foreigners in South Russia.

The above historical briefing is compiled and signed below by
Colony Helenenthal, 8 June 1848
Teacher Jakob Taxis.

As translated by Elli Wise 6/96
Coordinated with GRHS Village Research Clearing House
Coordinated with AHSGR/GRHS Translation Committee Chairman

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