The Grandfather They Never Knew
Recently, there have been several articles written about Hiram Hagenbuch (b. 1847, d. 1897). Dying as he did, at age 50 due to typhoid fever, there has been little information to pass on to...
Tagged: Pennsylvania
The Deaths of a Father and Son
I have been inside the house on the hill twice. It overlooks the Susquehanna River. Both times, as I walked through the first floor rooms, up the two stairways, through the hallways, and into...
Gold Fever: The Journal of J. C. Hagenbuch, Part 1
Jack took the shovel, pick, and pan, and we found a few fine specks of gold. They say we found some “colors.” –J. C. Hagenbuch; Sunday, July 23, 1905 PREFACE In November of 2018,...
Kissin’ Cousins
Well I’ve got a gal, she’s as cute as she can be. She’s a distant cousin but she’s not too distant with me. We’ll kiss all night. I’ll squeeze her tight. But we’re kissin’...
What Was In Christian Hagenbuch’s Lost Cask?
This treasure hunt began with a question: What was in Christian Hagenbuch’s lost cask? On December 11th, 1811, the following classified appeared in Relfs Philadelphia Gazette and Daily Advertiser: Cask of Goods Lost, Marked...
Dueling Frogs: R. D. Hagenbuch’s Trade Card
As discussed in a previous article about Dr. Jayne’s Sanative pills, trade cards were a popular form of advertising during the late 1800s. On the front side of a trade card was printed an...
Dying of Grief: Isaac W. Hagenbuch Sentenced to Prison
In 1884, family historian Enoch Hagenbuch (b. 1814) wrote: The Hagenbuchs are not among the distinguished men and women of our beloved land. They are, nevertheless, almost among our best citizens. I never have...
The Privy Bottle, Part 2
This article is the second part in a series. The first part may be read here. After purchasing the privy bottle on eBay, it was taken to a bottle expert—Harry M.—who has collected thousands...
Henry Hagenbuch’s Bridge Over The Lehigh River
So often in genealogy, researching one family or topic will lead to unintended discoveries. Such was the case when I stumbled upon a mention of Henry Hagenbuch’s venture to build a bridge over the...
The School Christmas Program
In 2014, I wrote about my memories of Christmas at our family church, Oak Grove, when I was a young boy. Though not quite as vivid, I also have some memories of when I...
