Emigration papers or a ship passenger list was not found for the Mohelnitzky family.

There are several family stories about the immigration, such as these:

  • "Anton Mohelnitzky came to America with his mother and father and two sisters Mary and Julia. On the way over, the father got sick and died when they got here. The mother married again and put the 3 children into an orphanage (other story--the mother died of a broken heart)."
  • "At the age of 9 he (Anton) and his 2 sisters were sent to an orphanage, Mary and Julia. The 2 girls were adopted and brought to America and he at the age of 19 set out to look for them in America. He found them in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was allowed to see them but forbidden to say he was the brother."
  • "Anton Mohelnitzky came from Bohemia with his mother, to Milwaukee. His father had died previously in Bohemia. The mother got sick and had to go to work. She couldn't keep the children (Anton, Julia, Mary) and put them in an orphanage."
  •  "Anton Mohelnitzky (father of Anton Mohelnitzky) died on the ship on the way to America. He died at sea and was buried at sea."
  •  "...my father was born in the United States. His father was half-Bohemian, and my grandfather on my father’s side, he was an orphan."

  

From a 1930 US Federal Census for Julia Mohelnitzky Klein, a date of 1854 is listed for her immigration. (I wonder what the codes mean in the "Mother Tongue" column - there's codes 13, 16 and a check mark).


Records show that Anton Mohelnitzky was admitted to St. Aemilian Orphan Asylum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in March 1858.


 

 

Reasons for emigration of German-Bohemians in the late 1850's*:

"The primary reason was that the Austrian Empire was being combined with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was raising taxes significantly, and increasing the overall threat of war in the region.

In addition, Bohemia had a comparatively high population density, so many Bohemians were worried about opportunities for their children. 

There were also large divisions in the church, which was a huge part of most Bohemian's lives."




To Do:

Check the 9 volume Leo Baca books of Czech Immigration, specifically these 3 volumes for any Mohelnitzky/Mohelnicky or variations thereof:

Czech Immigration Passenger Lists, Volume I (Revised)

        Galveston 1848-1861, 1865-1871
        New Orleans 1848-1879 

Czech Immigration Passenger Lists, Volume IV(Revised)

        New York 1847-1869
        1525 Czech names added 

 Czech Immigration Passenger Lists, Volume VIII

        Baltimore 1834-1879