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...
Category: Family
The House That Hiram Hagenbuch Built
Ever since first seeing the house on the hill in June of 2015, I have been obsessed. Obsessed in wondering what it was like for my great grandparents and their passel of children to...
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...
Kathryn’s Book
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m in possession of many historical items that belonged to the Hagenbuchs and other related families. Andrew and I continue to collect items. These include: a privy bottle, a fraktur,...
Family Connections Across the Divide
In January of this year, my wife Sara and I traveled to California where we had lived for nearly a decade. Along with seeing some of our old haunts, we looked forward to visiting...
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’...
Seventh Cousins
In late December 2017, Linda and I drove to Freeport, Maine to visit with our daughter, Katie (Hagenbuch) Emig, her husband Nelson, and our granddaughter Hadley. North of there—in Bath, Maine—live Jim and Sally...
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...
