Gara History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Irish families began leaving their homeland for North America in the late 18th century. These families were usually modestly well off, but they were looking forward to owning and working on a sizable tract of land of their own. This pattern of emigration continued until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine sparked a major exodus of destitute and desperate Irish people. These people were not leaving for a grant of land in North America because by this time the East Coast had reached its saturation point and free land was scarce. They were merely looking to escape the disease, starvation, and hopelessness that Ireland had fallen into. Although these unfortunate immigrants did not receive a warm welcome by the established populations in the United States and what would become Canada, they were absolutely critical to the rapid development that these two nations enjoyed. They would help populate the western lands and provide the cheap labor required for a rapid industrialization. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many early bearers of the name Gara or one of its variants:

Gara Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

• Peter Gara, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1898
• Olena Gara, who arrived in Canada in 1899

• Les Gara, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Alaska, 2008 3
• Isaac B. Gara, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Erie, Pennsylvania, 1869-76 3