I’ll Be Home For Christmas
Lately, we’ve heard the advice to “stay home for the holidays” and help prevent the spread of Covid-19. While many bemoan being stuck in their houses this year, let’s remember that for some being...
Author: Andrew Hagenbuch
What Caspar Wistar’s Story Tells Us About Our Own
Today we know substantially more about our common ancestor, Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1715, d. 1785), than was understood even a decade ago. Below are a few articles that capture some of this knowledge. Yet,...
Mangoes and Molasses, Or Maybe Not!
Here is a riddle: When is a mango not a mango and a bottle of molasses something else entirely? Earlier this month, I was on a video call with my good friend, Clint Shearer,...
Family Politics
Like many Americans, politics has been on my mind recently. This led me to wonder: How did our Hagenbuch ancestors participate in the politics of their time? After a bit of digging, I stumbled...
Seeing Ghosts
Ghost (noun): an apparition of a dead person which is believed to appear or become manifest to the living, typically as a nebulous image. As genealogists, my father and I see a lot of...
Six Years On
In the late 1970s, historian James Burke hosted a documentary television program called Connections. In each episode, he traced the history of a modern scientific marvel from its humble beginning to fruition. For instance,...
Lithographs: Decorating Homes in the 19th Century
It’s easy to take for granted the reasonably-priced, high-quality art prints available today. Prior to the 20th century, our ancestors had limited options for decorating the walls of their homes, especially with color artwork....
Drawing Lines to Christian Hagenbuch
Genealogy can be tough, as we trace family lines from the people of the present to those of the past. And, there is no guarantee of success either. Sometimes documents are missing and information...
Making a Hagenbuch Grave Ornament and Finishing Forty-Nine Beans
Along with being an important genealogy resource, cemeteries enable us to remember and connect with those who those from previous generations. In my family, we enjoy visiting the graves of loved ones and picnicking...
Thoughts on Timothy Hagenbuch’s 1841 Letter to Daniel
In September of 1841, Timothy Hagenbuch (b. 1804) of Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania mailed a letter to his brother, Daniel (b. 1816), who was living in Delaware County, Indiana. This letter and another...
