New Sites

This past summer, I worked on a project to create a genealogy website for each "tribe" of Holzgrafs who immigrated to America. There are five major groups who came over at different times. Each of the five websites is named after the patriarch of the family which came over. Any connection between the families is hypothetical at the moment, but it is my hope that some day we can find a link or two back in Germany. If there are any discrepancies or changes that need to be made, please let me know. The websites are listed below.

The Albert Heinrich Holzgraefe Project
Evansville, Vanderburgh, Indiana
http://albertholzgraefe.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=albertholzgraefe&view=500&rand=193912169


The John William Holzgrafe Project
Havana, Mason, Illinois
http://johnwilliamholzgrafe.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=johnwilliamholzgrafe&view=9&ver=150

The Hermann Heinrich Holzgraefe Project
Quincy, Adams, Illinois
http://hermannheinrichholzgrafe.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=hermannheinrichholzgrafe&view=9&pid=1&randi=83070078&switch=0

The Conrad Holzgrafe Project
Texas
http://conradholzgrafe.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=conradholzgrafe&view=9&randi=923427153


The Johann H. F. Holzgrefe Project
Richmond, Virginia
http://johannholzgrefe.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=johannholzgrefe&view=21&ck=2&rand=660573413

Holzgraf Histories

Please welcome the latest addition to the Holzgraf Genealogy Project blog: Holzgraf Histories. This new feature can be found at the top of the right side menu and features several downloadable documents of the history of the Holzgraf family in several states of the United States. The histories are all written by yours truly and represent the most accurate guess as to what may have happened decades and even centuries ago. The sources from which I have drawn this information mostly come from my research on Ancestry.com, new.familysearch.org, findagrave.com and other valuable websites as well as the priceless records preserved in books and on microfilm. I try to make a trip up to Salt Lake as often as possible and as time and transportation limits permit. There, in the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I continue my research of microfilms, books, indexes, passenger lists and the millions of other resources offered therein. If you happen to have a correction or story to submit please e-mail me or leave a comment on this or any post. Thank you and enjoy the History!

"Holzgrafen"

The following excerpt was taken from The Encyclopedia Americana of 1918 under the word "Count":

"In early times, before the existence of the Latin comites, the Germans had officers chosen, at least in some tribes, by the people. These were a kind of inferior judges. After the Franks became the ruling nation they made a change in their character. The king now appointed them, and they exercised jurisdiction over certain districts in the king's name, with the title of grafen. These ancient officers are perhaps as fairly entitled as the comites to be considered the root of the subsequent counts. The German title graf corresponds to the title "count" in other countries of Europe. These grafen (plural for graf) superintended the administration of justice, the police and the taxes. After the time of the Carlovingian dynasty different classes of counts or grafen were formed; thus pfalzgrafen, or comites Palatii, the judges of the court who decided whether a case should be brought before the king; markgrafen, counts of the frontiers; holzgrafen, counts of the forest, that is inspectors, etc. These royal officers soon usurped power which did not belong to them, and treated the people so badly that the emperors and kings were obliged to go themselves into the provinces and hold courts, or to send particular officers for this purpose, called sendgrafen..."

Holzgraf

Holzgraf is not a very common surname. After many Google searches, I have only come to these few conclusions: The surname is of German origins and is found as far back as the 12th century. The word "Holz" in German is equivalent to the English word "wood". "Graf" refers to a count or European nobleman. Thus, "Holzgraf" is a Count of the woods. "Holzgraf" has an endless array of meanings and spellings.

Here are some other German surnames with similar meanings: Waldrichter=Wood Judge; Vorsitzender in einem Wald=Chairman over a forest; Forstgericht=Forest Court; Waldwärter=Forest Warden; Holzfürst=Wood Prince.

Basically, a Holzgraf was some sort of government official in charge of Forestry.

Other possible spellings are thus: Holtzgraf, Holtzgrafe, Holtzgraffe, Holzgraffe, Holzgraff, Holzgrafe, Holzgraf, Holzgrebe, Holtgreve, Holzgrave.