Get a Horse!
As mentioned in previous articles, family genealogy is more than names and dates. Family stories, whether they are closer to folklore (Hungry Sam) or nearer to fact (One Silver Dollar), add spice to the...
This Week's Article From the Beech Grove
The Scheitholt: An Early Pennsylvania German Instrument
Before the invention of sound recordings, instruments and the skills to play them were especially valued. As discussed in the previous article, Music of Andreas Hagenbuch’s Time, there are no historical records of the...
Clarence and Hannah Hagenbuch Family
Clarence Hagenbuch was the son of Hiram Hagenbuch (b. 1847) and Mary Ann “Lindner” Hagenbuch (b. 1853); he was a great, great, great grandson of Andreas Hagenbuch. His line is: Andreas (b. 1711), Michael...
The Hagenbuch Opera House, Allentown’s First Theater
Allentown, Pennsylvania’s first major theater opened in 1870 near the corner of 8th and Hamilton Streets. It was known by several names including the Academy of Music and Military Hall. However, most locals referred...
Family Folklore and the Tale of Hungry Sam Miller
Genealogists deal with more than names, places, and dates. They must also attempt to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the ever told family stories. I am always careful who I tell...
“Anna’s Crossing” with Hagenbuchs on the Charming Nancy
If primary sources and historical documents are too dry for you, but you still want to read about ocean travel during the 18th century, give Anna’s Crossing by Suzanne Woods Fisher a try. This...
A Picture’s Worth: Butchering Day Redux
“A picture is worth a thousand words” is an oft-heard phrase first coined in 1911 by newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane. In the article Butchering Day Memories From the Farm – Part 1, I mentioned...
Hagenbuch Coat of Arms
The Hagenbuch family has a unique coat of arms which even now is still used by the town of Hagenbuch in Switzerland. The coat of arms depicts a single beech tree surrounded by a...
A Boy Becomes a Genealogist
Most of my immediate family have heard the story of how I became interested in Hagenbuch genealogy and subsequently collected thousands of names, dates, and artifacts. One certainly has to be interested in history...
Hagenbuchs Face Danger on Pennsylvania’s Frontier
It’s difficult to imagine the hardships faced by Andreas Hagenbuch and his family family upon their arrival in Pennsylvania in 1737. Outside of cities like Philadelphia, there were few amenities or protections. Frontier areas...
