Tagged: Berks County

Fastnachts Store Bought 0

Shrove Tuesday, Fastnacht Day

Although this day was celebrated last week, the following article will give some insight into this very Pennsylvania Deitsch tradition. This article appeared in the March, 1984 Beech Grove newsletter. Literally translated from the German,...

Jacob Hagenbuch Inventory 1842 0

Inventory of Jacob Hagenbuch’s Estate

Jacob Hagenbuch died in 1842 in Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. He was born in 1777 and inherited the family homestead from his father, Michael Hagenbuch (b. 1746, d. 1809), who had received the...

Anna Elizabeth Hagenbuch Fraktur Taufschein Front 0

Update on Anna Elizabeth Hagenbuch’s Fraktur

It’s been over four months since we announced the discovery of Anna Elizabeth Hagenbuch’s birth and baptismal Fraktur. What began as a serendipitous find on eBay, has since yielded important information – as well...

Hagenbuch Homestead Site B Detail 2

Searching for Andreas Hagenbuch’s House: Part 3

In 1741, Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1711, d. 1785) acquired 150 acres of land in Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. For decades, it was assumed that the original homestead on the site was located close...

Oak Grove Lutheran Church c1900 0

A Hagenbuch Church

We know that our early Hagenbuch ancestors were of the Lutheran persuasion. In fact, our immigrant forefather Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1711) was versed in the Lutheran pietism of Johann Arndt, as evidenced by his...

Enoch Hagenbuch Handwriting 0

Thoughts on Timothy Hagenbuch’s 1851 Letter

Timothy Hagenbuch’s 1851 letter to his brother, Enoch, is an important piece of history. Besides providing insights into family relationships, the letter reveals reasons why some Hagenbuchs picked up and headed west. When the...

Hagenbuch Homestead Outbuilding Detail 0

Searching for Andreas Hagenbuch’s House: Part 1

Does Andreas Hagenbuch’s house still exist? In short, probably not. Unfortunately, it is rare today to find frontier log homes from the 1700s standing. Unlike stone, which is a much more durable building material,...