Louis (Ostrogovka), a German Catholic colony, was established on the "Wiesenseite"  or "meadow side" of the Volga River on the 14th of June 1766, it is considered one of the Karaman Villages because of it's close vicinity to the Karman River. The colony was founded by LeRoy and Picet.  50 families from Lorraine and Trier settles here.  In 1768 following a decree on the renaming of the German colonies it was named Otrogovka (Louis).  First it was in the Mariental parish, and later in Louis.  In the 1880's there was a Catholic church built of stone and dedicated as the St. Anthony of Padua Church. 

According to the data of the 1920 Russian census, 4315 people lived in Louis at that time.  All the 755 households were German.  Due to the famine of 1921-1922 the population reduced sharply:  In 1922 there were only 1823 living in the village.  The population grew slowly in the following years but reached only 2744 by 1926.

Population of the Village

YEAR	Households	Total	Male	Female
1766	50	237	118	119
1769	50	202	103	99
1773	50	237	118	119
1788
1798	52	314	163	151
1816
1834
1850
1857
1859		2,091
1886
1891
1894
1897
1904
1910
1912		5,393
1922		1823
1926		2,744

The photo above is of my great-grandmother
Catherine (Kessler) Groff)
She left for America on May 8, 1909 on the S.S. Prinzess Alice and arrived at Ellis Island on May 18, 1909.  My grandmother Rosa, was 9 months old when they left Russia,

This photo was taken when I was in Louis, Russia in September 2009.

According to researcher, Dr. Igor Pleve, he lists those first settlers in his book "Einwanderung in das Wolgagebeit, 1764-1767, Band 2" as:

FIRST SETTLERS LIST - HEADS of FAMILIES: Johannes Lick, Matthias Kumpallo, Peter Schaefer, Nicholas Hein, Heinrich Pink, Peter Eckhard [Eckhardt], Lorenz Huber, Nicholas Laurent, Johann Chandelier, Andreas Nuner, Christian Herbion, Ubertus Schuber, Nicolaus Schaminais [Chamine], Jacob Meier, Peter Delvau [Delwa], Leonhard Lang, Philipp Pourquenoit [Burgno], Ulrich Dening, Michael Hein, Melchoir Schwemling, Martin Wickhardt [Vitarde], Franz Mutin, Joseph Kessler, Johann Loewenbrueck, Michael Leichleiter, Maartin Dening, Elisabeth Barbier [Barbie], Michael Obholz, Jacob Hamalka, Michael Ziegelmeier, Anna Hoch, Simon Bauer, Peter Schoenberger, Maria Schmidt, Johannes Wals, Johann Stuermer, Matthias Neuf (Neif), Hubert Marx, Hans Georg Ganseblum, Michael Eltzer, Andreas Kramm, Philipp Faupel, Peter Meier, Anton Auer, Nicholas Meier, Franz Treuling (Dreiling), Gertrude Salzmann, Johann Winker, Joseph Peil, Peter Kindernecht, Peter Hild, Johannes Bauer, Johannes Kinderknecht, Nicolaus Springer, Matthias Schaefer, Elisabeth Schlosser, Kaspar Meier, Johannes Springer, Johannes Rausch, Leonhard Debaptiste, Jacob Quint, Johannes Stein.

1798 HEADS of FAMILIES:  Hein, Schwemling, Kram, Maier, Lorang, Springer, Reichert, Dening, Abholz, Saltmann, Quindt, Leichlander, Spiess, Bauer, Waltz, Eckhardt, Orth, Trumpf, Schaefer, Auer, Barbie, Abt, Bollig, Nikolai, Peter, Tire, Krehfeldinger, Behrens, Berns, Halle, Schoenberger, Walter, Burgno, De Patiste, Wilger, Frank, Jager, Kasper, Delwa, Kessler, Marx

1816/1834 INDEX of SURNAMES from CENSUS: Abt, Auer, Baecker, Barbie, Bard, Bauer, Becker, Beil, Berns Bitdorf, Bollig, Braun, Burgno, Dellos, Delwa, De Pastiste, Ditz, Eberle, Eckhardt, Ernst, Frank, Garion, Genzerblum, Graf, Greifeldinger, Grunewald, Gutien, Halle, Hein, Kenner, Kessler, Kohlmann, Kramm, Kummel, Lechleider, Lechleidner, Lorang, Maier, Markus, Matthias, Meier, Mutier, Neif, Nickolaus, Nussbaum, Opholz, Ort/Orth, Pasqul, Paul, Pink, Quindt, Reichert, Reisch, Saber, Saltzman, Schamber, Scheffer, Schell, Schmidt, Schoenberger, Schwartz, Schwemling, Spies, Springer, Stein, Stolz, Stressler, Suchsdorf, There, Thierry, Thrikole, Trump, Waltz, Weirich, Zesar.

1850 INDEX of SURNAMES from CENSUS: Abt, Bach, Barbie, Bauer, Becker, Beil, Berns, Bittorf, Bollig, Braun, Burgno, Dellos, Delwa, De Patiste, Dietz, Eberle, Eckhardt, Ernst, Frank, Garion, Genzerblum, Graf, Greifeldinger, Grunewald, Gutien, Hein, Kenner, Kessler, Kimmel, Kohlmann, Lechleider, Leichtling, Lorang, Maier, Mutier, Neif, Nikolai, Nussbaum, Obholz, Ort/Orth, Paul, Peter, Pinter, Quindt, Reisch, Saber, Saltzmann, Schaefer, Schamber, Scheffer, Schoenberger, Schwarz, Simeforth, Spies, Springer, Stein, Stolz, Stressler, Suchsdorf, There, Thierry, Trikole, Waltz, Weirich, Wilger.

1857 INDEX of HEADS of FAMILIES from CENSUS: Meier, Braun, Grunewald, Schamber, Debatist, Peter, Kimmel, Spies, Quindt, Springer, Reisch, Burgno, Bekker, Stein, Terre, Muti, Bach, Stolz, Barbie, Paul, Greflinger, Berns, Weirich, Frank, Orth, Wilger, Pink, Nikolai, Eckhard.

1895 INDEX of SURNAMES from FAMILY LIST: Abt, Asselborn, Bach, Baecker, Bauer, Beil, Berns, Bittorf, Bollig, Borgeno, Brant, Braun, Debatist, Delwa, Erberle, Eckardt, Ernst, Frank, Genselbluem, Garion, Geier, Graf, Grefeldinger, Gruenwald, Hein, Kener, Kessler, Lechleiter, Leichtling, Meier, Muti, Neif, Nicolai, Nussbaum, Obholz, Ort, Paul, Peter, Pinar, Pink, Reisch, Ries, Rohleder, Quindt, Salzman, Samsfort, Schamber, Schaemberger, Sucksdorf, Schwarz, Spies, Springer, Stein, Stolz, Stressler, Terre, Weirich.