NORTHERN NEW YORK
Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people and the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation.
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. 1910.



HIRSCHEY



Transcribed by Coralynn Brown


The first member of the family here under consideration of whom we have definite information was John Hirschey, born at Huisuig, France, 1789, married Barbara Guirich, a native of Braudenfingen, France, who bore him seven children, three of whom died before attaining maturity.
Children:
Joseph, born Dec. 10, 1810.
John, Jan. 3, 1812.
Christian, April 3, 1814, see forward.
Michael, Dec. 27, 1815.
Anna, Sept. 6, 1817.
John, Aug. 20, 1819.
Peter, 1821.

(II) Christian, son of John and Barbara (Gurich) Hirschey, the founder of the family in America, was born in France, April 3, 1814. When a youth he emigrated to America, and being favorably impressed with the country and its possibilities, returned to his native land for his bride, Mary Farney, whom he married in France, he at the age of nineteen and she at age of fifteen. In 1833 they returned to this county and established a home in what was then a new country, northern New York, settling in that part known in France as the Castorland, which was then a wilderness, but is now the town of New Bremen, and they cleared the farm on Beach Hill, now (1910) occupied by Nathan J. Hirschey, a son, and here they reared a family of six sons and four daughters, of whom five sons and two daughters are now living. (1910). There they laid the foundation for lives of usefullness, thrift and enterprise. They built wisely and well, for the name of Hirschey is a synonym of honesty, integrity, progressiveness and good citizenship. The privations of those early days are well known to those familiar with the early history of northern New York, yet these young people overcame all obstacles and developed into successful farmers, which vocation their descendants have continued and in which they have achieved similar success.
The town of Bremen was formed from the towns of Croghan and Watson, March 31, 1848, fifteen years after Mr. and Mrs. Hirschey founded their home on Beach Hill. The town of Croghan was founded in 1841; the town of Watson was taken from Leyden, March 30, 1821, embracing all of Lewis county on the east side of Black river. When this town was organized there were forty-four families in all that territory, and only four hundred and eighty-one acres of improved land, one hundred and fifteen head of cattle, eighteen horses and one hundred and seven sheep within its borders.
Mr. Hirschey died in 1898 and his wife in 1895.
Children:
1. John, born March 4, 1836; married, Feb. 10, 1867, Margaret Schloof.
2. Jacob, April 1, 1838, died Jan. 21, 1865.
3. Christian, see forward.
4. Jonathan, May 28, 1844; married, Aug. 17, 1873, Anna Virkler, cousin of the wife of his brother Joseph.
5. Kate, May 20, 1846; died April 23, 1902; married a Mr. Breham.
6. Joseph, June 28, 1848; married March 5, 1876, Anna Virkler.
7. Rachel, Aug. 5, 1854; married, Dec. 22, 1878, Joseph Virkler.
8. Maria A., April 15, 1857; married Aug. 13, 1885, Christopher Schantz.
9. Barbara, Sept. 5, 1859, died Jan. 13, 1885; married Christopher Schantz as his first wife.
10. Nathan J., Aug. 25, 1861; married, Oct. 1, 1885, Louise Schwendy.

(III) Christian (2), son of Christian (1) and Mary (Farney) Hirschey, was born in New Bremen, N.Y., June 10, 1842. He was educated in the common schools, and upon attaining manhood engaged in farming, which occupation he followed for about sixteen years. He then disposed of his farm and engaged in the manufacture of cheese at Beaver Falls, N.Y., which line of work he followed successfully until 1909, when he disposed of his factories and retired from active business. He is a man of integrity and honor, upright and honest in all his dealings, and his active career was well worthy of emulation. He is a consistent member of the Evangelical Baptist church, in the work of which he has taken an active part.
He married, at Croghan, N.Y., 1872, Wilhelmina, born in Prussia, May 22, 1843, daughter of Karl F. Bachman, who, accompanied by his wife and infant daughter, Wilhelmina, three months old, came to America from his native land, Prussia. Mr. and Mrs. Bachman had six children: Wilhelmina, above mentioned; Charles F., Frederick Egbert, Gottleib F., Sarah F., Nancy, deceased.
Children of Mr. & Mrs. Hirschey:
1. Samuel L., see forward.
2. Sarah B., born May 1, 1876.
3. Minnie M., Dec. 18, 1877.
4. Urban C., April 17, 1881.
Mrs. Hirschey died in 1907.

(IV) Samuel L., son of Christian (2) and Wilhelmina (Bachman) Hirschey, was born at Beaver Falls, N.Y., July 16, 1874. He attended the common schools of his native town, and upon the completion of his studies, assisted his father in the manufacture of cheese, remaining thus employed for a short period of time. He then worked for a short time in the paper mill at Beaver Falls, but not being favorably impressed with that occupation, resigned his position and once more engaged in the cheese business, operating factories and having charge of milk stations for a period of about nine years. In his early manhood, Mr. Hirschey was deeply interested in what was then a novel way of hatching eggs; he built an incubator, never having seen anything of the kind, but felt that a more practical and convenient way was necessary. The first incubator was rather a crude affair, but since then he has remodeled and improved upon it, and now his ideas are perfected. In the years 1901-02 patents were granted in the U. S. and Canada, and machines were exhibited at the Pan-American Exhibition at Buffalo in the summer of 1901. Mr. Hirschey personally attended the exhibition and made demonstrations of what his machines would do, and was much gratified that the highest award of merit was placed on his machine. Mr. Hirschey's ingenuity was further recognized when the great Industrial Exhibition that was held at Toronto, Canada, 1902, awarded him first prize. For several years his chicken machinery, known as the "Climax," has secured the highest award in the competitions and they are indorsed by experimental colleges. Both "Incubators" and "Brodders" when stamped with "Climax" are known from coast to coast, having patrons in every state of the Union, as well as Canada. In 1904 the Climax Incubator & Brooder Company was organized by Mr. Hirschey; a large building was erected and properly equipped with the special machinery necessary, at Castorland, N.Y. The business was a success from the start, and it has continued to prosper with each succeeding year. In connection with the incubator and brooder industry the company has now a large force of employees at work in their factory making folding pasteboard boxes, used as florist, millinery and hat boxes, and this branch of the business has been very successful. In all his enterprises Mr. Hirschey has met with a large degree of success, this being due to his ingenious nature, coupled with a bright, active mind, inherent honesty, and a courteous, friendly manner, which draws men to him.
Mr. Hirschey married (first) Oct. 21, 1898, Carrie A., born at Croghan, N.Y., Feb. 22, 1869, died May 26, 1902, daughter of Darius and Elizabeth (Snell) Bent, of Castorland, N.Y. They had one child who died in infancy.
Mrs. Hirschey died May 26, 1902.
He married (second) Sept. 28, 1905, at Manburgh, Anna L., born Nov. 1, 1881, daughter of Henry E. and Anna (Farney) Einbeck.
Children:
1. Naomi Wilhelmina, born Jan. 31, 1907.
2. Malcolm E., April 4, 1909.
[Transcriber's note: This material was published in 1910, ergo any subsequent children this couple may have had are not on the list.]

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