Philip had been working in Milliner’s planing mill, learning the trad of patternmaker.  John and I got jobs at the Dilworth Rolling Mill, packing railroad spikes.  Our work was in a basement, near a large boiler which furnished steam for the large spike machines on the floor above.  It was nice work and we each […]

Inn 1852, Henry began blowing glass at the Ihmsen Glass Company and he was also a teacher in a night school.  That meant brighter days for Mother, and in 1854 we moved out of the smoke row into a better house on Eleventh Street up town.  It was the first time we ever lived in […]

From 1850 to ’54, Philip and I went to German school.  We had to pay fifty cents a month.  Mother had four places to wash – Mrs. Waveham’s, Mrs. Ihmsen’s, Mrs. Brook’s, in town, and Mrs. Millinger’s on Mt. Washington and only got fifty cents a day.  She did Mrs. Waveham’s washing at home and […]

One day in the summer of 1850 or ’51 Mother took me with her to the canal market in Pittsburgh.  When we reached the canal, we saw a large parade, the bands were playing, and we were told that the Pennsylvania Railroad officials were coming from Philadelphia to drive the golden spike at the end […]

In the winter of 1847 Father took sick and was not able to work.  We had to move to one of the smaller Ihmsen houses – two rooms and a little kitchen.  From that time on, Mother had a hard time.  With Father sick for about two years, the doctor and drug store got all […]

In 1844 Father was employed by the Ihmsen Glass Company to take charge of one six-horse and two four-horse teams.  Then Mother had to move, for the Company furnished the house for the boss teamster.  About this time, Mr. Hedrick’s son Philip, who was a school-teacher and musician, took charge of our Henry’s education.  Henry […]

That night [first night in Pittsburgh] they stayed at Mr. Hedrick’s home and the next day Father found a three-roomed house and a job.  Mrs. Hedirck, Mrs. Carroll and Mother went out to purchase household goods.  Mr. Hedrick secured the job for Father hauling coal for Mr. Port, who had a coal mine.  He hauled […]

I was very much interested in Mother’s story of that canal trip of two weeks – the hot weather; the moonlight nights, when they sat on the deck because it was too hot to go down in the cabin to sleep; hearing the horses tramp on the tow path, the frogs croaking, and the captain’s […]

My father and mother emigrated from their home in Germany about the year 1840.  After eight or nine weeks of a stormy voyage, they landed at New York with their little boy, Henry, who was about four years old.  They found a great many emigrants in New York and some of the directed my Father […]