Kreuzer Lane, Napa California, what seems to be the only reminder I have left of my late family members. In the 1890’s a Swiss family, the Kreuzer’s, chose to migrate to America. As a family, we still continue to wonder why they chose to leave Switzerland. The family bought acres of property in Napa, each acre equating to somewhere around a dollar. Kreuzer lane is where the cheese barn still sits, where the dairy farm used to thrive, and now where Caldwell Winery is ow thriving. My quadruple great grandmother was a butter maker, she used to take the ferry boat into San Francisco to sell to all the high end restaurants in the area. My mother and grandmother continue to pass down generations of stories about my family, how they sacrificed everything they had for a better life even through the hardships of farming. The stories of the Kreuzer’s always felt hard to be personal to me. Trying to identifying with the side of me that felt like it had no culture to celebrate seemed impossible for the longest time. It made me realize that family didn’t always have to be celebrated culturally, the hard work they put in and the success that they created became an inspiration. As I continue to learn more and dig in to these late stories, I continue to feel eternally grateful for those who came before me. 

– Hallie Lloyd

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more