The 1717 Migration of the Lancaster County Swiss-German Mennonites Tricentenary Presentation scheduled for October 22nd
To commemorate the 300th anniversary of the arrival of Jacob Böhm, (the progenitor of the Boehm family) to present day Lancaster County, Darvin L. Martin will discuss the genetic background and the land records of local 1717 Mennonite families. The presentation will begin at 3:00 PM, October 22nd in Boehm's Chapel.
Since 2010, Martin has been exploring the DNA of Swiss-German Mennonite families and has used this data to reconstruct the ethnic origins of local Anabaptist families back into medieval Europe or beyond.
The influx of the seventy 1717 Mennonite families significantly changed the culture and ethnicity of Lancaster County. Martin will discuss where these families settled within the confines of the townships in proximity to Boehm's Chapel.
Among the surnames common to the area are, Baumgardner, Brackbill, Boehm, Brenneman, Eshleman, Good, Harnish, Herr, Hess, Huber, Keagey, Kendig, Kreider, Meili, Stehman, and Witmer.