Alt Elft - 1848 Village History
Copyright 1996, Roswita Niessner

FOUNDING OF THE COLONY

In the year 1816 a colony with the name of Michaelsruhm  was founded by 125 families along the west bank of the river Kuegelnik; approximately 80 miles from the area capital city Kishinew and 60 miles from the county seat Akkermann 

NAMING OF THE COLONY

The name Michaelsruhm did not last very long.  The minister in charge of the crown land gave the name Fere Champenoise to commemorate the victorious battle at Fere Champenoise in France (They defeated Napoleon's forces) in which the Russians, allied with the German Nations, fought bravely under the leadership of the Marshals Bluecher and Schwarzenberg, and helped bring to an end the oppressive hardships under which almost all of Europe was suffering.

WHAT KIND OF IMMIGRANTS

The settlers of the colony Fere Champenoise were originally from Southern Prussia and Wuerttemberg, then lived in Greater Poland around Warsaw and Posen, from whence they immigrated at the request of Tzar Alexander. They were quartered for two years on the Dniester with the Moldavians.  (At Sorokoi)  The immigrants had no leaders on the journey, only written documents, which permitted them to receive travel money and lodging.

ARRIVAL

But how did the settlers fare?  It is easy to understand that on this long journey, even though they received travel money, they used up most of their resources.  Sold off their possessions and with all their money gone, arrived at their destination with their earthly goods exhausted.  Director Mueller of the Tarutino Office showed them the places where they could live They found nothing there except some lumber which was in very bad condition because of long exposure to rain and heat.  Because the settlers did not find houses in the colony, they were forced to build huts which they covered with grass and reeds and in which they lived until fall.  Before winter, some built small houses of clay, others mud huts in which they survived until 1818.  Gradually decent houses replaced those pitiful huts to which in later years were added sheds and barns, so that by now each settler owned a respectable farmstead.  As support for the construction of their buildings each settler received 10 rubles.  For the clearing/cultivation of the steppes each family received a wagon, a plow, a spade and a hoe and also other tools like scythe, sickle, ax, hammer etc.

The unworked ground was very hard, and cultivation did not proceed as quickly as-the settlers expected.  Six to eight oxen were needed to pull the plow, forcing neighbors to yoke teams together to, work each others land, since each family was allotted only 2 oxen and 1 cow.  Same of the soil was fertile, but the settlers were limited as to how flush they could plant because  their allotment of seed was small--one and a half bushels of rye and 3/4 bushel of wheat.  Few of the colonists could afford to buy additional seed.

For the first few years the settlers paid only minor tributes (taxes), not the heavier Crown Duty.  They could have prospered more quickly had they been able to plant vineyards and orchards. Fruit trees and grape cuttings were hard to obtain.  As it was, they lived in poverty for a long time.

The area was subject to drought, and the soil was parched and had patches of alkali.  In dry years, this made it difficult to grow grain and vegetables.  Irrigation could have helped, but was not possible because the river dried up and well-water fell to low levels.  Herdsmen, who already pastured their flocks in this area before the colonists came, had a better time of it.

LOCALITY AND POSITION

a) Description of the River. The colony is located in the valley of the Kugelnik, on the western side. This valley is confined by two ridges of hills running parallel from north to south which rise approximately 150 - 200 feet from the valley floor. The valley is 2 miles wide and is carved out in many bends by the steppe river Kugelnik.  It has its source 67 miles from here in the Perin forest west of Kishinew, where the monastery Hershavka was founded. At the German Catholic colony Krasna it is fed by water from springs in the Tarutino valley and meanders back and forth from the west to the east side of the valley.  And so it touches the colony Paris on the east side and after a distance of one and a third miles Fere Champenoise on the west side of the valley.  In the spring, when the snow melts, the river rises so high that it breaks dams and floods almost the whole valley which hampers travel between the two colonies.  Occasionally this even happens in the summer after heavy thunderstorms.

b) Description of the locality.  The colony is positioned length-wise north to south in two rows, consisting of 70 - 84 houses and is about 1 mile long, the street 47 yards wide. There are 63 farmsteads in this colony.  Over a period of years 13 additional families settled here, so that the present population consists of 92 families, 616 souls.   All the houses are built in a simple fashion, having two rooms, a kitchen and an entry hall.  Except for the well-appointed manse, (a clergyman's house and land) which has a tile roof, all houses have thatched roofs, using the reeds gathered by the river. Across from the manse stands the new school built in 1840.  Next to it stands the old school which now serves as the town office.   Somewhat to the side and in back of the manse is the village storehouse.  If the planned chapel or church were already built, it, the manse, the school, and the town office would form a square in the middle of the colony. For some years now the congregation has felt the need for a chapel, because the school, which has been used for worship services, no longer accommodates the membership.  adjacent to the manse garden is the cemetery which is surrounded by a stone wall.

c) Description of the wells.  For lack of springs, the settlers had to dig wells which, either receive water through underground connections with the Kugelnik river, or from underground springs. Since wells did not have to be dug very deep, each settler had his own well and any disputes could be avoided.  The wells dug near the Kugelnik had the better water whereas the ones along the hills had hard alkaline water which cannot be used to cook legumes or tea.

IMPORTANT EVENTS

a) Division of the colony and the land. Since the colony was established on the extreme eastern side of the land allocated to them, and the distance to the western border was 6 miles, the settlers lost much time going back and forth.  In addition the livestock was driven back and forth twice a day which ruined the pasture and hardened the soil and in turn stunted the growth of the new grass.  Therefore a division of the colony and the land was requested and was granted by the government in 1823.  The remaining half was named 1st Fere Champenoise and the other half, removed 4 miles to the west 2nd Fere-Champenoise.

b) Diseases and Deaths.  In 1822 the colony was afflicted with a special disease as a result of a bad harvest.  For the lack of grain the settlers had to use potatoes which had not fully ripened because of the bad weather.  This would not have been so detrimental to their health if they could have alternated with healthy and ripe produce instead of eating the unripe three times a day. The cholera in the years 1830 - 1831, entered Russia from Persia through the Caucasus, made its horrifying appearance in Southern Russia and claimed the lives of 45 souls.

c)  Earthquakes.  There were earthquakes in 1828, 1830 and 1838. The first occurred before midnight in the fall of 1828 and was felt strongly in this colony, that (according to rumor) not only the sober but also the drowsy (drunk) sleepers were roused and frightened, jumped out of bed and ran out of the house.  Also the livestock and fowl filled the dark night with screams. The 1830 earthquake was less noticeable.  The 1838 one however exceeded both previous ones in magnitude.  Not only did the above scenes repeat themselves, but even houses sustained cracks from the strong tremor.

CONDITION OF THE SOIL

The soil consists of a surface layer of black humus on top of a gray clay soils.  If one cut through these two layers, one reaches in the highland a loose rock layer (soft sandstone) with countless shell fossils.  Although it is a loose rock, it is used by the settlers as building stones.  Since there are no quarries in the neighboring colonies, the people here nave the advantage of selling the stones from their own quarries for a decent price. Stones that are needed for thrashing grain were 10 miles from here in the German colony Dennewitz.

OCCUPATIONS OF THE SETTLERS

Agriculture, wine-growing and stock farming occupy all people except for 2 blacksmiths, 1 tailor, and 5 shoemakers (and of course the pastor and the teacher cultivate their special fields; Luke 8:5-8).  In the winter some men take up spinning, but this is left to the women if a man can find other work.  The weaving of the linen and wool is also left to the women, as well as, quite often the dyeing.

Grain farming. The soil is very well suited for grain farming, as long as the blessed rains fall at the right time.  Then the fields yield a rich harvest. On the whole in the passage of time the fields were tended with diligence and eagerness.  In the fall of 1847,  winter grain was sown: 187 bushels of rye and 119 bushels of wheat.  In spring of 1848 the following was planted: 2,249 bushels of grains 55 bushels of corn, 67 bushels of legumes, 99 bushels hemp and flax, also potatoes but only 137 bushels because of the lack of seed potatoes.

Orchards.  Adjacent to every farmstead is either a larger or smaller orchard which refreshes its visitor with the fragrance of the blooming trees and in the summer with tasty fruits, that is if no devastation was caused by frost or insects.  These trees can be found in the local orchards: Apple     4620 Plum      1392 Apricot    549 Walnut      54 Pear       999 Cherry    1872 Peach       50 Mulberry    85     Total 9621 Acacia trees are planted along the street of the village which provide shade for the resting traveler.

Vineyards.  Neither the care nor the benefit of wine growing was familiar to the settlers, it consequently was of little concern to them and was neglected, until they realized that the yield of the vine brought prosperity to those settlers who had engaged in it earlier.  Already in 1828 - 1830 some farmers planted vineyards which entailed a lot of work.  To protect a vineyard from harm, they dug a ditch all around it.  This effort was rewarded in that after 4 - 5 years they were able to taste the sweet grapes and not only enjoy the noble strengthening grape juice but also reap a good profit.  This enticed the rest of the colonists to follow their example so that by now 2,268 acres of land are planted with vineyards.  This land was collectively cultivated and had 155,100 grape vines which produced 56,025 gallons of wine during the 1847 fall harvest   These vineyards here produced a strong dark-red wine which was not suitable for longtime storage.

Vegetables.  All in all, the settlers concerned themselves little with the growing of vegetables, although lately they have put more effort and care into it than before.  Weather permitting vegetables grow abundantly, especially those planted near the water. The most common crops are: potatoes, red and white beets, cabbage, beans, peas, lentils etc.

Livestock.  So far the settlers have limited themselves to native animals.  A few years ago though they attempted to use the so-called Molotschna livestock, but considering the local conditions, like insufficient barns and far-away pastures, it soon proved to be unprofitable.  The native animals seem to be the most adaptable since nature equipped them to tolerate hard-ships.  It would be desirable to replace the native small horses with a better breed, for:  "Low weight has little strength, small horse has little power". There are no other sheep here besides the native Zigei sheep which produce coarse wool.  In addition to the wool the settlers reap another benefit from the sheep - they milk them.  This colony has 200 horses, 869 cattle, 1653 sheep.

Woodlands.  As one approaches the colony from the East one first notices the green pastures along the Kugelnik river which frame the woodlands and the vineyards.  The creation of the woodlands began in 1845 on a peninsula of the Kugelnik river which is connected to the colony by a dam.  13,838 trees have been planted to create these woodlands, including 1629 fruit trees, 5015 willows, 371 elm trees, 2127 acacias, 4644 Poplars, and 41 mulberry trees.

PRESENT CONDITION OF THE COLONISTS.

The colonists of this village have not attained great prosperity. There were many setbacks and mishaps.  Then the colonists tried to concentrate on the raising of livestock in order to improve their condition.  But often diseases decimated the livestock and brought poverty to some owners.  They changed over to grain farming but often had to contend with poor harvests or devastation by locusts.  This not only dashed their hopes but also forced them to buy bread for their families.

The base for future greater prosperity has now been laid by the well meaning high government, through benevolent and repeated regulations, which encouraged the colonists to plant trees and vineyards.  With Patience and perseverance, in spite of years of drought, until they finally conquered mountains of obstacles and can now enjoy the fruit of their labors.

Invigorating hopes quickened the spirits as, after so many adverse years, a beautiful spring arrived.  Trees bloomed white as snowballs, the fields were covered with wild flowers; the potato plants stood 2-3 inches above the ground, the grape vine yielded for the toiling vinter a three and fourfold most hopeful cluster of grapes as reward for his hard work; but God the Almighty, who holds everything in his hands, including the plants, thwarted the hopes of man.  In the night of 25-26 April a heavy frost occurred and covered the beautiful green with a blanket of white.

But praise and thanks be to the Lord that the hope for the hay and grain harvest was not diminished.

Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord (Psalm 31:25)

Colony I Fere Champenoise, 4 May 1848

Mayor's Office: Mayor: M. Ziemann Councilmen: Ch. Funk,  D. Borth Clerk: J. Dieno Church/School Teacher: Daniel Mayer  (Author)

as translated by: Roswita Niessner as Edited by: Ralph and Evelyn Ruff Coordinated with GRHS Village Research Clearing House Coordinated with AHSGR/GRHS Translation Committee Chairman