By Karl Furr

I had understood from my grandmother that our name had originally been spelled Fuhr and that the family was German. It is now rather certain that my Furr family is connected with the Furrs of Northern Virginia.

Over the years however I sought some connection with the Fuhr immigarants to America. Here I will share a little of what I discovered. The first Furr (Fuhr) families entered America in the early 1700's from Germany by way of Hamburg or Rotterdam. Most of them settled in that area of Pennsylvania, where some of the German-Americans still speak the language today and are erroneously known as the "Pennsylvania Dutch."

There is record of a Johann Lehnart Fuhr arriving on September 3, 1742 on the ship Loyal Judith, James Cowie, Master, from Rotterdam, last Cowes. On August 21, 1751 Gerhart Fuhr arrived on the ship Anderson, Hugh Campbell, Captain, from Rotterdam, last Cowes. In the existing ships lists there are perhaps one or two other Fuhrs.