This region of France is where several of our grandparents came from, including the grandmother of Clara Proton Vallier.  However, when you look at the different US Census forms where she is listed, some say she was born in Belgium, some say France, and some say Switzerland.

From what some of the older (more mature 😉 cousins have told me, Grandma Clara always said her family was from Switzerland.  Turns out, her claims are correct, depending on what year you are talking about. The Alsace region is in an area that is central to Belgium, France, and Switzerland, and the border has changed many times throughout history.

It’s so gorgeous I just can’t help wondering why they would want to leave it.  But then I read the history of the area and it makes sense.  Some of our ancestors from there left at a time when there was widespread poverty and hunger when “royals” had everything and the greater populace were assured only of hard work for little reward.  They also had to deal with religious persecution if they were Protestant (or Huguenots).

Around the time many were leaving France and heading across the Atlantic Ocean, control of Alsace transferred to Belgium, which was controlled by Germany, and the people had to either move or swear loyalty to Germany.  I’m sure they thought to emigrate to New France would solve that problem.

Unfortunately, not terribly long after they settled in Acadia, at the southeast shores of Nova Scotia, the British started invading to take over New France.  And those who settled in areas along the shores of the Saint Lawrence River had to deal with Iroquois raiding, too, because the Iroquois hated the Hurons and Ojibway, and they were friends of the French-Canadians!

I found and joined this Facebook group called GetAlsaced.com that seemed fun and a way to learn about the area. If you go to the website there is a lot of information about Alsace history that’s very interesting.  And it’s run by a woman who gives insider tours if you are ever lucky enough to go there and enjoy the wine they are famous for.

So, I’ve added another place to my travel bucket list and learned a little world and family history.  Hope you have the chance to check it out, too.   If you have been there (or are from there), leave a comment and tell us all about it and share your pictures.  Is their wine really as good as it sounds?  (Tom Vallier’s wine was excellent this year (I had the strawberry, rhubarb, berry one) so they have some tough competition.