Letters From the Past: Part 1
A few weeks ago I was in our barn looking for something. The upstairs of the building is storage, and we have a lot of “stuff” stored there. Most of the boxes are marked...
This Week's Article From the Beech Grove
Announcing Beechroots, An Online Genealogy Tool
It’s tough to believe, but over the last three years my father, Mark Hagenbuch, and I have written and shared over 160 articles on Hagenbuch.org. In that sense, the website has been successful at...
The Next Morning, A Conversation with Andreas Hagenbuch: Part 3
Months ago an imaginary visit and conversation with Andreas Hagenbuch was written about in two articles: Part 1 and Part 2. The visitor who interviewed Andreas one night in 1784 was John Smith, a...
Scraps of Paper: Recipe for Bean Chow-Chow
Over the years, this site has featured a number of articles detailing family artifacts and letters. Of particular interest to me are the scraps of paper containing the thoughts and scribbles of our ancestors....
Powwowing: A Pennsylvania Deitsch Tradition
Those who are not from a Deitsch background rarely understand the term powwowing as it is used among Pennsylvanians. When confronted with the term, most people will quip “Sure, I’ve seen American Indian dancers”,...
September, 1893 or Why Genealogy Can Be So Frustrating!
This morning (Monday, Aug. 14) I was awake and up by 4 AM. I had several emails to send out, some regular mail to go through for an elderly lady for whom I serve...
Joseph Hagenbuch, Liberty Township Farmer: Part 2
There are four areas of information that make up what we know about family members: personal details (names, dates, places), photos, ephemera (birth certificates, marriage licenses, letters, diaries, etc.), and family stories. One is...
A Trip Across America: History Around Every Corner
America is a land filled with history. From vast wilderness areas to the most modern cities, some connection to the past can be found – if one cares to look. The first part in...
Joseph Hagenbuch, Liberty Township Farmer: Part 1
There have been several articles written about the Hagenbuch family church, Oak Grove Lutheran, which is located in Liberty Twp., Montour County, a few miles southeast of Washingtonville and Pottsgrove in Pennsylvania. There has...
A Trip Across America: Many Lands, Many Peoples
The United States is a country of varied landscapes populated by many different peoples. The first article in this series explored how migration has been an important part of the American experience, including that...
