So to continue to the story of the Schillingers….  Franz Xaver Schillinger, my 3rd great-grandfather, seems to primarily have gone by the name Xaver.  Every record I’ve been able to locate for him in the United States has Xaver listed as his first name (the spelling varies from time to time).

One of my first finds was his naturalization records – a great find indeed!  He came to the United States in 1860 from Baden, Germany (near the boarder with France).  He immigrated to New York, finding himself a little ways upstate in West Point, Orange County.  In 1861 the US Civil War was underway, and many recent immigrants were finding themselves enlisted in the US Army.  Here is an interesting article about German immigrants who served in the war. (more…)