Saginaw began as a thriving timber town that became an industrial metropolis in the 20th Century.
Volga German immigrants who settled in Saginaw beginning in 1902 came from the following colonies:
Beideck
Dreispitz
Erlenbach
Holstein
Krasnoyar
Kukkus
Norka
Oberdorf
Paulskaya
Rosenberg
Schilling
Schulz
Shcherbakovka
Stahl am Tarlyk
They were attracted to the area by the sugar beet industry that was being developed in the Saginaw Valley.
Volga German immigrants who first settled in Reese, Michigan, came from Huck and Stahl am Tarlyk.
Most of Reese is located in Tuscola County, but a small part of it is located in Saginaw County.
Volga German immigrants who settled in Port Huron, Michigan, came from Paulskaya and Katharinenstadt. They were joined by settlers from Kind and Susannental.
Nearly all of Port Huron’s Volga Germans had their start in Sanilac County as beet laborers. By 1915 many of Sanilac’s resident Volga Germans had resettled to Port Huron where they transitioned into factory work such as Mueller Brass Company. For several years these families would continue summer beet work or weekend harvest work.
Volga German immigrants who settled in Peck, Michigan, came from Paulskaya.
Many Volga Germans moved to the Owosso, Michigan, area to work in the sugar beet industry. The Owosso Sugar Company factory was constructed in 1902.
In May 1901, German Russians from Nebraska were brought to Owendale to work in the sugar beet fields.
Volga German immigrants settled in Munger.
Volga German immigrants who settled in McGregor came from Susannental, Paulskaya, and Kind.
Early Volga German immigrants who settled in Mayville came from Rosenberg.
Volga German immigrants settled in Glendora. Here they were living among ethnic Germans from Russian Volhynia.