Immigration Story
The Fritz family legacy begins in Alsace, an eastern region in the Kingdom of France, with the birth of Henri George Fritz in 1819. Henry Fritz went on to marry Elizabeth Catherine Fritz on April 28, 1840, having their first child Henry Andrew Fritz in 1842. Their second son, and the future patriarch of the Fritz family in the United States, Philip Fritz Sr. was born in 1844. Philip Fritz Sr. married Louise Schaffner in 1867 and had their first son Philip W. Fritz the following year, along with welcoming the birth of their second son George C. Fritz in 1870 and the birth of their third son Fred Fritz in 1873.
The French Empire declared the War on Germany in 1870. After the Franco-Prussian War, France ceded Alsace and Lorraine to Germany, resulting in the emigration of about 300,000 French-speaking residents. Under the push and pull factors of immigration, many Alsace citizens chose to move to France, Britain, and other European countries. The United States was one of the common destinations for Alsace immigrants. Philip Fritz Sr. immigrated to United States alone in 1873, becoming a carpenter in the hopes of providing comfortable living conditions for his family. Finally, Louise Fritz and their sons arrived at the port of New York along with Henry Andrew Fritz, Philip’s brother, in 1884. Prior to building a new house for the family, the Fritz family were living at 409 Upper Main Street in Los Angeles, moving to Bernard Street in 1886. The Fritz Family occupied the house on 411 and 415 Bernard street, while Philip Fritz built the third house, 417, in May 1892.
