Ghost Stories from Childhood
My eldest son, William, is fascinated with ghosts, and not just because of Halloween. His ghoulish obsession actually began last year when he played with some old Ghostbusters toys, and grew after his great...
Author: Andrew Hagenbuch
Tax Collector, Andreas Hagenbuch, Appointed By Abraham Lincoln
If you are reading the title of this article and feeling a bit confused—good! That means you have realized Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1715, d. 1785) could never have known, let alone been appointed as...
Missing Person: Thomas H. Hagenbuch, Salesman & Telegraph Operator
On Friday, August 15, 1902, The Allentown Morning Call ran the following front page headline: MISSING FROM THEIR HOMES Mysterious Disappearance of T. H. Hagenbuch of This City MANAGER OF THE WESTERN UNION Left...
Discovery: Bible Owned By Daniel Hagenbuch (b. 1803)
Recently, my father, Mark, and I received a message from Patrick Donmoyer notifying us of a German Bible from 1798 that was for sale on eBay. Patrick is the director of the Pennsylvania German...
1950s Summer Vacations at the Shore, Part 2
As with so many family experiences, vacations can create lasting memories that stick with us throughout a lifetime. In the first part of this series, Norma Kay (Penman) Hurter shared photographs from several trips...
1950s Summer Vacations at the Shore, Part 1
Summer vacations have long been popular with American families—and the Hagenbuchs are no exception. At the 75th Hagenbuch Reunion, I had the pleasure of chatting with Norma Kay (Penman) Hurter. Her grandfather is Andrew...
We Are Not Alone (And We Never Were)
We are not alone. It sounds like something out of E.T. or The X Files. Yet, I’ve been thinking a lot about this phrase and how we, as Hagenbuchs, fit into the bigger picture...
Life as a Lady Physician: Dr. Phoebe H. Flagler Hagenbuch
Prior to the 20th century, it was rare to encounter a female medical doctor. In fact, according to the University of Alabama, only about 5.5% of all American physicians were women in the year...
The Wiz at the Hagenbuch Motor Company
A few weeks ago, I noticed an interesting family artifact appear on eBay. It was a cast iron receipt register from the 1920s, branded as “The Wiz.” Inside the device was an old receipt...
A Look to the Future with a Nod to the Past
My father, Mark, and I spend a lot of time thinking about our Hagenbuch family, including its present, living members and the generations of ancestors from the past. That’s genealogy after all, and last...
