The Great Holzworth Migration
Chapter 1: The Prussian Union & The Dissent
In the 1830s, the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III forced a union between Lutheran and Reformed churches. Those who refused were known as 'Old Lutherans.' John (Johannes) Holzworth, living in Pomerania, was part of this dissent. The decision to leave was not just economic—it was a pilgrimage for religious freedom.
Chapter 2: The 1837 Crossing
Records indicate the Holzworth family arrived in Philadelphia in late 1837. Unlike many who pushed west immediately, they spent nearly seven years in the Pennsylvania/Philadelphia area, likely saving for the costly journey to the Wisconsin Territory. This 'Pennsylvania Gap' is often missed in family charts but is evidenced by early arrival records.
Chapter 3: The Erie Trace to the Territory
By 1844, the family began the arduous journey via the Erie Canal and Great Lakes. They arrived in Milwaukee, then a burgeoning frontier town, and pushed inland by wagon. The landscape of Wisconsin, with its rolling hills and dense timber, reminded many Pomeranians of the Baltic coast they had left behind.
Chapter 4: Farmington Dawn (1845)
In 1845, John Holzworth secured his land patent in Farmington, Jefferson County. The homestead was literal wilderness. Located just 0.2 miles from the modern intersection of HWY B and HWY D, this plot became the foundational pillar for the Holzworth and later Streich lines. The original patent marks the beginning of their official 'Many Morrows' history in the New World.