Friedrich Heppenheimer

Friedrich Heppenheimer was my great-great-grandfather (my grandfather Opa's father's father).

Friedrich Heppenheimer was born in Crumstadt, Germany, on February 26, 1826, and died in Hoboken, NJ on April 20, 1878 at age 58. He moved to the United States as a young man and developed a successful printing company.

The 30-page memorial book of his life that is shown elsewhere on this website has some biographical information, including the following:

He was born on February 26, 1826 at Bruchmühle near Stockstadt, Germany.

[NOTE: A Bruchmühle is a mill in a marshland or flood plain, and probably referred to a particular mill, not a place.  Other records say he was born in Crumstadt.  There are two Stockstadt’s in Germany, Stockstadt am Rhein and Stockstadt am Main (on the Rhine river or the Main river).  Stockstadt am Rhein is very close to Crumstadt, and both are also close to Biebesheim, which also occurs in family records. So he was probably born in Crumstadt or in Stockstadt am Rhein.]

His mother died in childbirth.

At age 12 he entered a business house in Darmstadt, to learn the merchant’s trade. Here he acquired such distinguished knowledge within a short time, that he became an agent of one of the most well-known business houses in Mainz within a few years and traveled all over Europe.”

He came to America in 1847.

He established a lithographic printing business beginning with a hand-operated press.  The business expanded, purchased a neighboring building, added modern equipment and more employees.

He married in 1852.  He and his wife had six sons.

During the Civil War he joined the 5th regiment and served in the field as regiment leader of the Comp. “F”.

He was president of the “Arion” club since its founding and for many years.

He traveled to Europe in 1871 with his wife and several sons, “in search of a cure for his heavy rheumatism.”  (This may be a misunderstanding or mis-translation of the German, because he may have died of a heart attack.)

He served as the director of the Germania Bank for many years.

He served as a member of the Board of Finance and Taxation of Jersey City, NJ.

He died unexpectedly after returning from a horseback ride in Jersey City, NJ on April 20, 1878.

The following is from a wonderfully comprehensive account prepared by Steve Stumpp.  It is copied from pages 6 to 9 of the more complete document on descendents of Hans Heppenheimer available on the photos website.  Many thanks to Steve Stumpp for the enormous amount of work that went into finding and writing up this information.

Friedrich Ludwig (Frederick) HEPPENHEIMER was born on 26 Feb 1826 in Crumstadt, Hessen-Darmstadt. He was christened on 2 Mar 1826 in Crumstadt, Hessen-Darmstadt. He died on 20 Apr 1878 in Jersey City, NJ.1 He was buried on 23 Apr 1878 in Hoboken Cemetery, North Bergen, NJ. He was also known as Opa, Frederick. He was described as 5' 10.5", dark hair, blue eyes. Extract from the Birth Register of the Ev. Parish of Crumstadt

"In the year of Christ eighteen hundred and twenty six, on February twenty sixth, according to a credible report, the first child and first son was born to the local miller Friedrich Ludwig Heppenheimer at the Bruchmühle, and to his second wife Katharina née Diefenbach. He was baptized on March second, and received the name Friedrich Ludwig.

"Godparent was the brother of the child’s father, Johann Heppenheimer, who bestowed his son’s name on the child, Friedrich Ludwig, and who undersigned this record together with the father of the child, and with me, the pastor who performed the baptism.

"Pastor Schober, Johann Heppenheimer, Friedrich Heppenheimer."

According to the Kirchenbuch of the Second German Evangelical Church of New York, under the christening events for four of his children (entries # 32 and 33 for 1858 and entries # 279 and 280 for 1860), he was from Stockstadt am Rhein, Hesse-Darmstadt.

The godparents at the first christening were: August Jockers (125 Goerck St), Carl Schleedorn, Cajetan and Pauline Boller (sister to Christine) and Amalie Armbruster (also possible sister to Christine).

Godparents at the second christening were: Carl Schwalenberg, Carl Schleedon, Christine Rubenacher, William Heppenheimer (125 Goerck) and Amalie Armbruster.

Note: on March 6, 1859, the Heppenheimers were godparents at the christening for Friedrich Schwalenberg, son of Carl and Elisabeth (Stepan) Schwalenberg.

Frederick Heppenheimer also stood witness to the naturalization of the following people: John C Erler (Nov 6, 1852), Benedict Niederreuther (Feb 12, 1853), Jacob Gangnagel (Oct 27, 1853), Henry Schildberger (Dec 6, 1854), Philip Kompff (Sep 25, 1854), Cajetan Boller (Dec 17, 1855), Henry Rubenacker (Apr 14, 1856), Amalia Armbruster (May 4, 1859), Dr Edward Werner (Sept 19, 1861), Adam Domis (Jan 30, 1862), Carl Berchet (Nov 20, 1863), Louis Schafer (June 20, 1868), Louis Wedel (Oct 16, 1869), Moritz J Desshauer (Oct 20, 1870).

Most interestingly, he stood witness for the naturalization of Joseph Ernst, a printer from Baden, in June of 1864, whose address is given as 125 Goerck St, the same as for Frederick. There is also a sworn affidavit (which appears to be part of a passport application) with the date of June 29, 1864, that records his age as 22 years (born in 1842). As it happens, the Önsbach Familienbuch records a Joseph Ernst, born May 31, 1842; a footnote in the Familienbuch says that he went to Amerika in 1857 (see family #583). This would make Joseph Ernst the son of Franz Sales Ernst, son of Bernhard Hyazinth Ernst (family #580), son of Hyazinth Ernst, grandfather of Christine Hofer.

The 24 May 1847 passenger list of the SS Havre, arriving from Le Havre, lists a "Frederick Heppenheimer."

There was a political reform movement going on in Heppenheim and Darmstadt at that time. He may have come for political reasons.

This from "History of the Municipalities of Hudson County, New Jersey, 1630 - 1923", in the section of the biography for his son, Wm C Heppenheimer:

"...Frederick Heppenheimer ... who was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, was one of those forward-looking men who thought ahead of his time, but his endeavors towards transforming the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt were frustrated. In 1848, he fled to America, no less for asylum than to bear a man's share in the development of a free country. Settling in New York along with Franz Sigel and Carl Schurz, and that group of refugees, he engaged in business, and when disruption threatened the Union, he enlisted in its defense."

Naturalized in 1851 in NYC.

Member of the Masons (1860). Lithographer and artist.

Companies:

Hartman and Heppenheimer, 1851 - ? (with Adam Hartman)

F. Heppenheimer in NYC, ?- 1873

Heppenheimer & Maurer. 1873 -1885 (with Louie Maurer)

Served as a Capt in the 5th NY Militia during the Civil War.

In Nov of 2005, a sword of Frederick Heppenheimer was up for auction. The following is from the provenance of that sword.

"... marked as made by 'W. H. Horstmann & Sons, Philadelphia,' is engraved 'Presented to Capt. F. Heppenheimer by Company F. Jefferson Grenadiers 5th Reg. N.Y.L.M. New York, Dec. 29th 1856.

"Friedrich Heppenheimer was commissioned on January 30, 1850, and promoted to Captain in the Fifth Regiment, Second Brigade, First Division on January 26, 1856. On April 19,

1861, at age 36, he enrolled at New York City to serve during the Civil War for three months, mustering into the United States Service on May 1, 1861 as Captain, Company F. A member of the now defunct Fifth Regiment of the Jefferson Guard headquartered in New York City, he took part, with eight other companies under the command of Col. C. Schwarzwaelder, in the May 24, 1861 occupation of Arlington Heights, VA. He mustered out with his Company on August 7, 1861, at New York City."

The 1859 NYC directory lists Frederick as a lithographer, 22 N William St,, home at 125 Goerck. This is also their address per the Kirchenbuch of the 2nd German Evangelical Mission Church of New York. Goerck was located south of Houston Street and two blocks from the East River. The street no longer exists since the area was demolished to make for housing developments in the 1950s.

1860 census has Fred and Christiana living in NYC. The value of their home is given as $8000 and their other assets are noted as worth $5000, a lot of money for the times.

The publication "The Income Record: a List Giving the Taxable Income for the Year 1863 of Every Resident of New York" (published in 1865), lists the income for F. Heppenheimer as "$2,107." According to the text of the cited publication, this put his family income in the upper 1/8th of the people living in New York at the time.

1869 Jersey City directory lists Heppenheimer Frederick, lithographer, 22 N. William, h N. J. 1870 census has the Heppenheimers living in Jersey City.

Per 1871 passport application, he was 5' 10.5" tall, with dark hair and blue eyes. His birth place is given as Stockstadt, Hesse-Darmstadt. Birth date is listed as February of 1825.

In 23 Oct 1871, the SS Donau arrived from Europe. Aboard was Friedrich, his wife, Marie, and Ernst Heppenheimer. Also aboard was Max Schaefer.

The April 21, 1878, New York Times ran an obituary stating that he had died the day before. Returning from his morning horseback ride, he had been seized by an Apoplectic fit.

New York Times mention from April 24, 1878, notes that over 1000 people attended his funeral, including city officials, members of his old Company F of the 5th Regiment, members of the Arion Society, Masons and the cigar box makers union. He was buried at the Hoboken Cemetery in North Bergen, NJ.

Date of death confirmed by entry in Death Index for Jersey City, Hudson Co., NJ, 1877-1878. DOD = April 20, 1878. Cause of death listed as: " Syncope from cardiac disease (Asthenia)." This reinforces the report of Apoplexy.

The Death Index names his parents as "Friedrich and Elizabeth."

Further, Jersey City Death Index lists his age as: "52 years, 1 mo, 26 days" from April 20, 1878. This would put his birthdate in late February of 1826. The month of February is in agreement with his 1871 passport application. The year 1826 is in agreement with census data and other sources. Per the monument at his grave, he was born Februray 26, 1826.

Index of Wills and Inventories of Hudson County states that his estate was inventoried in Sept 12, 1878. The total value of his estate came to $83,470. In his will, signed in 1871, he acknowledges his "six children" the six sons. This would indicate that the daughter, Christine Amelia, is dead at the writing of his will in 1871. Nicholas Witsch of Reservoir Ave, Jersey City, signed as a witness to the Last Will and Testament of Frederick Heppenheimer in 1871.

From: http://www.cigarhistory.info/Cigar_History/History_1860-1910.html

"1879 Inventory taken at Heppenheimer & Maurer, one of the more important New York City lithographic establishments specializing in cigar labels, showed 25,000 registered lithographic stones, 7,000,000 cigar labels, 725 different cigar box edgings created by 22 on-the-premises artists plus Mr. Maurer himself."

His son Frederick C was a doctor. It was said that in the 1890's he researched the family history and found that the family traced back to von Heppenheim vom Saal (Ger: "from the hall") and changed his name to vom Saal.

Per an obituary, dated April 22, 1878:

"... born on the 26th day of February, 1826, at Stockstadt, in the Grand duchy of Hesse. His parent were not in opulent circumstances and maintained themselves by the profits of a mill which they operated. While still young he removed to Mayence [Mainz] and there engaged in commercial pursuits. His enterprise, sagacity and integrity rapidly obtained for him the respect and esteem of his employers and all others with whom he was brought into contact an there is no doubt but that his success in his native land would have been assured had not his liberal political views which incurred the animadversion of government, together with other considerations induced him to emigrate to this country...

"He was since 1873 President of the Germania Bank, one of the original founders, since its incorporation, one of the Directors of the German American Bank, Director of the North Hudson Railroad company, President of the Arion Society, member of the Atlantic and several other Lodges, honorary Captain of F Co. 5th regiment N.G.S.N.Y. and Commissioner of Finance...

"The most singular circumstance connected with his death is that although he died of heart disease it was never suspected by his physician that he was affected with that malady. They treated him for asthma, from which he suffered acutely, but which was completely removed, for time at least, by a visit to Europe in 1870..."