Steigerwald

The Steigerwald surname is of German origin, derived from a place name meaning 'steep forest' (steiger = steep/rising, Wald = forest). The Steigerwald is also a forested hill range in Bavaria, Germany. The family traces through the Roy Robert Soergel line of Chuck's ancestors and immigrated to America during the 18th or 19th century.

Johann and Elizabeth likely left their home because the Kingdom of Bavaria (now part of Germany) in the early 1850s was a tough place to make a living. The region was dealing with severe economic hardship, poor harvests, and the fallout from the failed revolutions of 1848. For a young couple, the future looked bleak with rising food prices and a lack of land or jobs. The promise of cheap, fertile land in America and a fresh start was incredibly tempting, and letters from friends or relatives who had already made the trip across the Atlantic probably convinced them to take the leap.

The Voyage

To get to America, they first needed to travel to France. The most likely route would have been took a combination of horse-drawn wagons or river barges to the nearest major French rail line, and then caught a train directly to Le Havre in northern France.

At that point, they boarded their ship, Realm. The voyage was harrowing. As two of the 330+ steerage passengers, Johann and Elizabeth would have spent the voyage packed below deck with their fellow emigrants. It was cramped, dark, and noisy. They had to bring or prepare their own food, deal with seasickness, and hope to avoid the diseases that easily spread in close quarters. Three people died during the 5+ weeks this ship was at sea, the first death was still when they were in port on April 30, 1854.

After a relatively fast 34 to 40 days at sea, Johann and Elizabeth finally saw land. The Realm sailed into New York Harbor and officially docked on June 1, 1854. They stepped off the ship, walked through the Castle Garden landing depot (the predecessor to Ellis Island).

Fortunately, the trek to Pittsburgh was likely a bit easier than an ocean voyage. Just a few months before they landed, in February 1854, the Pennsylvania Railroad finished its continuous "Main Line" track linking the East Coast to Pittsburgh. Railroads specifically ran these cheaper, no-frills passenger trains (Emigrant Trains) for newly arrived immigrants directly out of Philadelphia, and it is presumed this was the method of arrival.

However, if they needed to save money but avoid walking, they could take the older Main Line of Public Works. It was a massive network of canals and towed boats that would have resulted in a week's journey.