Out of

    the Past

        . . . into the present 

"I've been writing my life history  .   .   .   I find endless topics to write about, most based on my government career, many others on living on the farm  .   .   .  it's been a fun project."

- Byron Eisner

Fading Heritage

Excerpt By Russell Clemings

The Fresno Bee

Few ethnic groups have played a bigger role in San Joaquin Valley history than Germans from Russia.

Having emigrated from Germany to southern Russia in the late 18th century at the invitation of Catherine the Great, herself Prussian, the "Volga Germans" and their Black Sea brethren were made unwelcome in the century that followed.  

In time, many made their way to the San Joaquin Valley, establishing "Rooshian Town" on Fresno's old west side and giving the city a distinctive meat pie called beerock.

Then they had children, who had more children, who had more children, who gradually began to forget their heritage.

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-Conrad Steinhauer