This Week's Article From the Beech Grove

The Soldiers Return by Bryant White 3

Andreas Hagenbuch’s Soldier Sons: Part 2

Andreas Hagenbuch acted as an example for his sons by providing military service to early America. Not only did Andreas provide patriotic service during the Revolutionary War, he also had a history of providing...

Night Retreat Detail 0

Andreas Hagenbuch’s Soldier Sons: Part 1

Over the past 40 years I have presented many programs to historical groups such as the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In fact, I am a...

Fastnachts Store Bought 0

Shrove Tuesday, Fastnacht Day

Although this day was celebrated last week, the following article will give some insight into this very Pennsylvania Deitsch tradition. This article appeared in the March, 1984 Beech Grove newsletter. Literally translated from the German,...

Linda Gutshall Hagenbuch & Tinkerbell 0

Pets on the Family Tree

Most people become attached to their pets and treat them as part of the family. Several years ago when I had some graveyard experts to the family plot in Berks County, the one fellow...

Close up Anna Elizabeth Hagenbuch Fraktur 1

Dating Anna Elizabeth Hagenbuch’s Fraktur

Dating historic documents can be challenging. Indeed, from the moment the Taufschein Fraktur of Anna Elizabeth Hagenbuch (b. 1754, d. 1825) was discovered, there were numerous questions about when it was created. On the...

Oma & Nana Afghans Detail 0

More Family Icons & Their Stories

A little over a year ago my father and site co-founder, Mark Hagenbuch, wrote an article examining the importance of “family icons.” These are objects that are prized by families for the stories attached...

William Paul Roat Tractor 1950 Detail 1

Dear Diary

Along with letters, baptismal certificates, newspaper articles, old histories, and other ephemera, diaries can be a very important part of learning about past generations. Knowing this, when I retired in 2008 I purchased a...

Early 19th Century Kitchen Detail 0

Thoughts on Jacob Hagenbuch’s Estate Inventory

Jacob Hagenbuch died in 1842 at the Hagenbuch homestead in Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. He left no will, forcing a local judge to order that his entire estate be inventoried. The contents of...