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Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Strackbein Weitzel
Alexandertal ("Alexander's valley")was named for Czar Alexander I who was beloved by the Germans in Russia.
"The following is a translation of an 1890 Russian report, this copy taken from the AHSGR Journal VI:2 (Summer 1983) pp. 12-13 [parens enclose the translator's notes; square brackets are my own additions ... rak]:
THE SETTLEMENT ALEXANDERTAL
This is situated on a large hill, on the right side of the Astrakhan postal highway, one versta (0.66 mile) from the river Ilavlia. The first settlers came from the village Sosnova, (Schilling), in 1853, and at first settled along the ravine toward the center of the communal land allotted to them. The settlers who arrived after them, however, did not like this spot and they, together with the first settlers, moved to a lower place along the postal highway and there dug out their huts. The next spring, however, in 1854, the high water flooded their dugout huts and forced them to leave that place also to re-settle on higher ground, where the settlement has remained to the present.
Since the settlers, with few exceptions, came from Sosnovka, the settlement is popularly called Novaia Sosnovka (New Sosnovka) by the Russians, and Neu-Schilling by the Germans, because their original home Sosnova was called Schilling by them. Later the new settlement received the official name Alexandertal.
At the tenth census (taken in 1857-58) there were counted in this settlement 189 males and 171 females. At present there are 378 males and 350 females, most of whom are of the Lutheran faith.
The settlement does not have a store or flour mill, but it does have an oil-mill. The allotted community land includes: farmyards, pasture and unproductive land, 1753 desiatinas; arable land, 2525 des.; meadows, 27 des.; forest 78 des.; total: productive land, 2606 des. and unproductive land 1777 des. The school was established in 1854 in a community house and is supported by the settlers in the community. There are 47 boys and 47 girls in this school.
In the summer a few men from the various settlements of Ilavlin county, after finishing their own farm work, go to the Don region and the Novouzensk and Tsarevsk districts to supplement their income by agricultural work, such as cutting hay and grain, threshing grain, constructing dams, etc.
Although this report says the village was established in 1853, its 1858 census lists 3 people who died in 1851 and 1 who died in 1852 so there may have been at least unofficial settlement at least as early as 1851."
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~patrak01/alexandertal.htm
From 1858 Census, family surnames in Alexandertal were: Beisel, Daniel, Haas, Helzer, Hoffmann, Koch, Kraus, Krel, Lekei/Leoppke, Maul, Reil, Satler, Schmidt, Schreiber, Schultz, Sinner, Strackbein, Steher, Vorster/Worster, WeinbergBeisel
More detail is listed about the families in the above link.
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Some old photos of Alexandertal residents.
Partial list of residents and which colonies they came from. http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~patrak01/alexandertal.htm
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~patrak01/alexandertal.htm