In the 1850s, in the midst of Wisconsin's lumber boom, a large group of Germans from Pomerania, a former Prussian province in present-day northern Germany and Poland, helped settle Marathon Lincoln Counties. Immigration continued for the next several decades, with the largest movement occurring in the 1860s. These settlers brought with them a strong work ethic and firm religious convictions. They were farmers, lumberjacks, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs. Pomeranians spoke Platt Deutsch, also known as Low German, and established several Lutheran churches. Members of today's Pommerscher Verein (Pomeranian Society) of Central Wisconsin work to preserve the language and traditions that helped shape the culture of this region.