The following book is meant to fulfill the purpose expressed on its title page. It is not meant to be an historical work in the strictest sense of the word, but rather a combination of history and chronicle. From a purely historic standpoint much would have had to have been left out which, from the standpoint of a chronicle, was extremely interesting and indispensable to an understanding of the local history and conditions.

The history of the German people in Syracuse and Onondaga County forms an interesting chapter in the story of the Germans in the State of New York, as is so in the United States in general. For this reason it seems essential to start at the beginning of German immigration and follow its general course of movement until it arrives at the point of the local history. In this way the reader gains the correct view of the achievements of the Germans in developing this land in general and this area in particular. It is hoped that by this humble memorializing effort a tribute will be established to what German diligence, enterprise, custom, and conviction have achieved by, in just one century, turning a quiet Indian hunting ground into a community equipped with all the attainments of modern culture and a center for trade, industry, science, and art. And that thereby the members of the German community and their posterity will not forget the part the Germans took in the fight to preserve the Union, and how the German churches, clubs, and societies improved and uplifted a large social class. We hope this book may additionally serve to inspire us to be worthy successors of such deserving ancestors, always ready to stand up firmly and manfully for liberty, right, and brotherhood.