October is Archives Month, a time to celebrate the records in archives across the country and recognize the archivists who preserve and share information of lasting value.
The North Dakota State Archives, part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, holds a collection of papers compiled by local WPA workers during the 1930s. These include interviews and gathered histories about people, places, customs, ghost towns, and the ethnic groups that helped shape North Dakota.
One collection organizes personal stories by ethnic background. Two interviews are connected to Luxembourg.
The first is with John Rischard, Sr., of Wahpeton. He was born in Hostraet, Luxembourg, then part of Germany in 1849. His interview reflects on life before and after immigrating to the U.S. He said:
“We left Germany to better our condition financially and to enjoy more freedom. My father sold all of his personal property, which was more than enough to pay for our transportation to America. All we brought was our clothing.”
After marrying an American-born Luxembourger in Minnesota, Rischard moved his family to Wahpeton. He remained there after his wife’s passing in 1927, living with his son.
He emphasized the importance of newspapers:
“We have always spoken German at home until the children started school. I subscribed to Volkzeitung and Wanderer, German newspapers from St. Paul. We also take the Wahpeton Times and Wahpeton Globe. My only recreation at this present time is reading newspapers.”
The second interview is with George Steinmetzer, who lived in Ross. Born in Garneh, Luxembourg, in 1860, his family moved to France before his father settled in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He encouraged George to come too, writing:
“There was lots of work in America and wages were better. He also wrote about homesteads. There were no opportunities to get ahead in France, so we decided America was best.”
Though Steinmetzer didn’t speak English and had no farming experience at first, he later said:
“There isn’t much to comparing this country with any European country. This country is better in every way I can think of.”
Hear more WPA interviews at the North Dakota State Archives during Archives Month.
Dakota Datebook written by Sarah Walker
