This Week's Article From the Beech Grove

Linen Processing Hinks 1783 Detail 6

Homestead Economics: Flax, Linen, and Other Fibers

In 18th-century America, before cotton was king, flax was the fiber that ruled the fields. Used to weave linen fabric, people depended upon quality flax for a number of textile products—shirts, tablecloths, breeches, sheets,...

Detail of an illustration of an newly cleared American farm by Patrick Campbell, 1793. Credit: Library.yale.edu 2

Homestead Economics: Introduction

How did Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1715, d. 1785), his immediate family, and his descendants make a living in the 18th and early 19th centuries? Today, we develop skills, find jobs, and build careers in...

Wreath Clarence and Hannah (Sechler) Hagenbuch Grave 0

Wreaths of Remembrance

As Christmas approaches, each year for the past several years my wife, Linda, has made evergreen wreaths to give to friends, to hang outside at our abode, and to place on relatives’ gravesites. These...

Ella Jane Hagenbuch on a Farmall tractor, 1976 Detail 1

Hi Jane! I’m Your Cousin Mark!

In 2010, we had to make the difficult decision to have Mom and Dad reside at Elmcroft Assisted Living facility in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Mom had a stroke the year before and could no longer...