This page is dedicated to my maternal JAHNKE lineage. Albert F. Jahnke, Sr., an immigrant from Prussia, came to the Richmond, VA area ca. 1852. Here he started a jewelry business in downtown Richmond. From Prussia, he brought jeweler and watchmaking skills. By the close of the 19th century, this jewelry business had developed into the premier jewelry store in the area, possibly the best in the state. Besides work in gold, silver, gems, and watchmaking, the Jahnke family added optical services. Through the continued care of Albert's children, the Richmond store lasted for 100 years, closing finally in 1952, with the retirement of the last of Albert's children from the family business. He passed his skills on to four sons, two daughters, one daughter-in-law, and one granddaughter. Their various jewelry businesses spanned over 140 years of service in three different states, the last store closing in Gonzales, TX in the early 1990's. Even Albert's younger brother immigrated to Virginia where he likewise was a jeweler.

      The most prominent of the Jahnke jewelry stores was located at 912 Main Street in Richmond, just a stones throw from the Virginia State Capitol steps. On the sidewalk at the entrance to the store, there stood on a pedestal, a large horizontal clock or chronometer about 2 feet across. Local citizens would come by to check the time and set their pocket watches to the correct time. The store was noted for carrying the finest Swiss made watches. Albert Sr. made wedding bands for many, if not most of the local citizens of Richmond for several decades. The Jahnke home or farm, Shady Echo, was located just to the southwest of Richmond in Chesterfield Co. The farm was often the center of the social activity in the 1890's. The family was strongly religious, with nine members of the family being among the 13 founding members of the Bon Air Presbyterian Church. Today, Jahnke Road, named in honor of Richmond's Premier Jeweler, runs from southwest Richmond into Chesterfield Co. past the old Shady Echo farm. These pages reflect the lineage of this remarkable family of jewelers.

      Also included in these pages is a transcription of Bertha Jahnke's detailed travel diary to Germany, Prussia, Holland, and Switzerland in 1894. These pages give an insight into travel in the 'Gay Nineties' of an upper middle class craftsman family as they visit their roots. While part of the diary deals with family matters, a good portion of it contains observations of everyday life in northern Europe. We experience with her the ocean voyage, the travel by train, the everyday walks, and the dining. The diary goes into descriptions of local customs, churches, lodging, shopping, and dress. Of interest, Bertha is initially thrilled at the culture differences, but after several months of travel, she tires of the travel, gets more cynical of her daily activities, and longs for the familiar surroundings of the quiet life of suburban Richmond. Make note of the speed of international mail service as it existed in the 1890's. The current US Postal Service should be envious of such surface mail service (no airmail service).

      The links to the left are to items of interest in my family. I hope you enjoy this site. Comments and corrections are invited.