First German Villages

There were three original German Villages on the "German Coast" on the west bank of the Mississippi River.It was settled approximately 275 years ago, some 80 years before the Stars and Stripes were first raised at Place de Arms in New Orleans in 1803.
These first settlements began 25 miles above New Orleans and extended 40 miles up the river on the west bank. The first furthest upriver was Hoffen. There were two settlers over the current St. Charles Parish Line in St.John Parish. Lambert, then Frederick. Beginning at the Parish line and coming down-river were Troxler, Bock, Ziriac, Callander, Kistenmach, Wagner, Magdolff, Schants, Betz, Matern, Toups, Heidel, Ritter, Vogel, Funck, and Horn. This village ends approximately where the Waterford Nuceler Power Plant is today. This site was originally called Karlstein after the Commandant Charles Friedrich d'Arensburg who in June 1721 led a group of 250 Germans immigrating to Louisiana. The present Oxy Chem plant is where the first church was located. Then the Bourgeois and Waguesbach families before the present Union Carbide plant.
Each family claim was along the river which was used as the main source of travel. Most of the claims were were 10 arpents along the river by 40 arpents long.