This photo shows the Lake Hoskins Settlement Marker in North Dakota, a stone monument built from various engraved fieldstones. The square base rises into a cone-shaped top embedded with small rocks and crowned with a round stone sphere. Several stones on the front bear inscriptions, including dates and names, commemorating the settlers of the area. Set on a grassy shoreline with Lake Hoskins in the background, the marker serves as a historic tribute to early pioneer settlement in the region.

Imagine the journey of the families whose names can still be read here at the Lake Hoskins Historic Settlement Marker. The 17th and 18th centuries in Germany were difficult times. Religious persecution, the Thirty Years’ War from 1618 to 1648, and the Napoleonic Wars from 1804 to 1815 had almost completely devastated parts of Germany. The economic conditions were dire--families faced hunger, disease, and poverty. In an effort to colonize the vast empty parts of Russia, manifestos were written starting in 1763, inviting Germans to come with the promises of a better life. With Germany being overpopulated and with the near impossible task of finding land to make a living, many Germans believed God was opening the vast empire of Russia at just the right time. And for approximately 150 years many Germans enjoyed the privileges that were promised to them in the manifestos; privileges like freedom of religion, certain tax exemptions, free land and cash grants, exemption from military service, and the right to use their own language, and to build their own villages, schools, and churches. Gradually though, many Russians grew jealous of the prosperous German farmers and business people. The Russian government started making Russians out of Germans through a program called Russification, and many of Russia’s previous promises were broken. Persecutions began in the late 1800’s and were growing more and more frequent.

By then America and other parts of the world were publishing their own manifestos and invitations. Many of these German communities in Russia heard about those invitations and came mostly to places like Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota, and here--to North Dakota.

One can imagine the journey here wasn’t easy, and life didn’t get much easier once they arrived. Many families lived under their wagon boxes before they were able to build modest homes out of sod. But ultimately, they did it. They endured and they survived. The etched names you see on the Hoskins Settlement marker before you commemorate that journey, and celebrate all they had to overcome. Thankfully, groups like the Tri-County Alliance and German from Russia Heritage Collection at NDSU find it a worthwhile endeavor to preserve and share that rich history. If you feel inclined to give back, visit www.germanrussiancountry.org to learn how you can get involved or make a donation.