Clarion County PA Archives Biographies.....Zagst, John 1820 - 1896 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Claire White cwhite727@yahoo.com and Joe Zagst JBZagst@yahoo.com Author: Gerald L. Zagst with update by Joe Zagst ZAGST in America 1850 - 1980 by Gerald L. Zagst with update by Joe Zagst In the period between 1840 and 1860, William the first was king of Wurttemberg, which is now a part of west Germany near the Swiss/Austrian borders. There in the small town of Blauberian lived the Zagst family. (Map in the booklet). Several reasons may have caused the Zagst family to want to immigrate to the United States. Crop failures of the late 1840s, early 1850s or the Industrial Revolution caused high unemployment. The government encouraged emmigration because of the failure of the Republic of Germany at that time. Immigration of Germans to America surpassed all other nations. The first brother to arrive was Andrew Zagst but he did not arrive in Clarion County until around 1847. He first lived in Farmington, PA where his brother John soon arrived. John and Kinegunda Zagst along with their two children, Kinegunda and Andreas (Andrew) left Germany on the ship Liverpool on the 24th day of February 1851. One month prior to their departure they were saddened with the death of their son Xavar on the 24th of Jan. 1851. The third of their children to die since their marriage in 1845. As if they hadn't suffered enough, they were to lose Andreas on ship on their way to a new life in America. Andreas died on the 11th day of March 1851 and was buried at sea. The only surviving child Kinegunda, landed in Newark, New Jersey with her parents on the 2nd day of April 1851. They proceeded to John's brother Andrew's home in Farmington, PA and arrived there on the 14th day of June 1851. They were to have five more children in America, all of which (but one) lived to have their own children. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 2.3 Kb