The 15 families who founded San Miguel came from the Volga German colony of Dehler on the Wiesenseite. They arrived in Argentina aboard the SS Hohenstadt in February 1878 and settled first in Colonia Hinojo. Also aboard this ship were those who eventually established the colony of Nievas. After 3 years, these families acquired property from Peter (Pedro) Kessler in a place called San Jacinto. They moved there on 3 October 1881 to establish the colony of San Miguel, naming it after the first Vorsteher (mayor), Michael (Miguel) Stössel, although it was often called Dehler because of the colony in Russia from which they came.
The following men and their families were the original settlers of San Miguel:
Johann (Juan) Fuhr
Philipp (Felipe) Günther
Heinrich (Enrique) Hammerschmidt
Adam (Adán) Kessler
Peter (Pedro) Kessler
Valentin (Valentín) Kessler
Philipp (Felipe) Klein
Johann (Juan) Martel
Peter (Pedro) Masson
Andreas (Andrés) Ruppel
Johann (Juan) Ruppel
Johann (Juan) Ruppel, Jr.
Georg (Jorge) Staldecker
Michael (Miguel) Stössel
Philipp (Felipe) Stössel
The following Volga German families settled in San Miguel:
Bahl from Semenovka
Fritzler from Stephan
Fuhr from Dehler
Günther from Dehler
Hammerschmidt from Dehler
Kessler from Dehler
Klein from Dehler
Martel from Dehler
Masson from Dehler
Petz from Dehler
Ruppel from Dehler
Staldecker from Dehler
Stössel from Dehler
Colonia San Miguel (Wikipedia) - in Spanish
The church in San Miguel (2007).
Source: Pablo Weimann.
Volga German museum in San Miguel.
Source: Pablo Weimann.
San Miguel steet scene.
Source: Pablo Weimann.