We Have Traveled Far: A History of the Elcik Family, 1880s–1940
By Dr. John P. Elcik IV
Every family name begins somewhere.
For the Elcik family, that beginning lies in the small village of Parchovany in eastern Slovakia, where generations lived, worked, and raised their families long before the name appeared in American records.
We Have Traveled Far follows the journey of that family across time and continents. Drawing on parish registers, immigration records, historical context, and family memories, the book traces how one European village family became part of the American story.
The narrative moves from rural Slovakia in the nineteenth century to the immigrant communities of Maine, where Elcik descendants built new lives in an unfamiliar land. Along the way, readers encounter the realities faced by immigrant families: difficult decisions, economic pressures, and the courage required to begin again in a new country.
More than a collection of genealogical records, this book tells the story behind the names. It explores how families migrate, how communities change, and how the choices of one generation shape the lives of those who follow.
For descendants of the Elcik family, the story provides a documented path back to their ancestral village.
For readers interested in genealogy and immigration history, it offers a clear example of how historical evidence can be woven into a narrative that connects the past to the present.
The road from Parchovany began generations ago.
This book follows it home.