Hamburg Area Historical Society

10/06/2026

A little late but a huge thank you to Ben Varner for the excellent program last Thursday night on the stories of the Civil War soldiers buried at St John’s Cemetery in Hamburg. You can find out more about Ben’s organization Walking in Their Shoes: Civil War at their website Witscivilwar.com.

You can watch Ben’s program from Thursday night at this link: https://youtu.be/UaAqiiVapdE

Also, the last day for purchasing tickets for our pulled pork BBQ fundraiser by Smokin’ Runs is this Thursday October 8. All the information needed is on the poster. Thank you in advance for your support!!

Keep preserving our past for the future!

www.hamburgpahistoricalsociety.org

09/30/2026

Good afternoon everyone. The end of September is here already. Where does the time go? 😂

Tomorrow is the first Thursday of October. You know what that means- meeting time. Please join us tomorrow October 1 at 7 PM in the Hamburg Area High School LGI Room. Our speaker is Ben Varner, founder of the Walking In Their Shoes: Civil War, who will tell the remarkable stories of the Civil War soldiers and regiments that shaped the historic legacy of St John’s Cemetery in Hamburg.

St John’s Cemetery preserves a rich and distinctive Civil War heritage that includes daring escapes from the notorious Andersonville Prison to the remarkable story of a man entrusted with a mission to purchase the Dominican Republic for the United States, and the largest concentration of veterans from a single cavalry regiment in any Berks County cemetery.

As always our meetings are free and open to the public.

Tickets will be available for purchase for a 50/50 drawing (cash only). A second ticket will be pulled for a collection of folders of information on Civil War veterans buried in all three Hamburg cemeteries. (Provided generously by our speaker Ben Varner.)

We will also have BBQ fundraiser tickets available for purchase ($12 a ticket). Remember last date to purchase them is October 8.

October also means King Frost is coming soon, and keep preserving our past for the future!!

www.hamburgpahistoricalsociety.org

09/26/2026

Good morning! Four weeks till our fundraiser!

Reminder: The Hamburg Area Historical Society Building Fundraiser featuring Smokin' Rubs pulled pork dinners, is on Sunday, October 18th from 11 am - 2 pm at the Hamburg Middle School cafeteria.

The last day to purchase tickets for our building fundraiser is October 8, 2026.

If interested in tickets , you can purchase tickets at the Oct. 1st monthly meeting at the Hamburg High School LGI starting at 7 pm or at the Historical Society on Sunday, October 4th from 1 - 4 pm, or email: [email protected].

Our meeting October 1 features Ben Varner from Walking In Their Shoes: Civil War. He will be speaking about the lives of the Civil War veterans buried at St John’s Cemetery in Hamburg.

Hope to see you there (and purchase those tickets for the dinner to support our building project)! Thanks!!

Keep preserving our past for the future!!

09/23/2026

Please join us for this program on October 1st at 7 PM!!

Ben Varner does a fantastic job preserving our Civil War past for future generations to connect to!!

From daring escapes from the notorious Andersonville Prison to the remarkable story of a man entrusted with a mission to purchase the Dominican Republic for the United States, and the largest concentration of veterans from a single cavalry regiment in any Berks County cemetery, St. John’s Cemetery preserves a rich and distinctive Civil War heritage.

Join us on October 1 at 7:00 p.m. in the Hamburg Area High School LGI Room to discover the remarkable stories of the soldiers and regiments that shaped this historic cemetery’s legacy.

09/18/2026

Good afternoon everyone. Two items to share with you on this b-e-a-utiful Friday.

First, the Historic Dreibelbis Farm in Virginville hosting a barn dance and open house this Sunday September 20th. All of the details for these events can be found on the photo. It is well worth your time to see this homestead that was founded in 1778 by Jacob B. Dreibelbis, son of the original family immigrant, John Jacob Dreibelbis. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the second oldest continuously owned family farm in Berks County.

Second, the historical society pulled pork BBQ dinner fundraiser by Smokin’ Rubs is Sunday October 18th at the Hamburg Area Middle School. Cost for the dinner is $12. We will have a bake sale that day too. Please support us and a local business by purchasing a dinner or two (or more!). The last day to purchase tickets is Thursday October 8th.

Thank you!!

Keep preserving our past for the future!!

www.hamburgpahistoricalsociety.org

Credit to the dreibelbisfarm.org website for the information.

09/11/2026

25 years later…

We remember

- the 2977 men and women that perished this day, September 11, 2001, at the Twin Towers in NYC, the Pentagon in Washington DC, and aboard Flight 93 near Shanksville, PA.

- the bravery and heroism of the police, firefighters, and first responders who without thought for their own lives ran into harms way to save others, many of whom lost their own life.

- the families of those 2977 men and women who have had to endure 25 years of empty chairs at the table, birthdays and anniversaries missed, and children who were too young to have known their parents. Heartbreaking.

- the men and women who rushed to the site to help clear the debris and look for survivors. Many of these rescuers now deal or have dealt with their own health issues as a result of their Samaritan work.

- finally, the men and women who have served in our armed forces since 9/11 battling terrorism. Some of whom have paid the ultimate sacrifice because freedom is never free.

We remember…

because we can’t afford to forget. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Keep preserving our past for the future!!

09/07/2026

A Happy Labor Day to all on this beautiful first Monday in September!!

First, a huge shoutout and thanks to Stoltzfus from the Stoltzfus Homestead who presented an outstanding program Thursday 9/3 on the Amish settlers in our area in the 1700s. He also donated his latest book Amish Family Records Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Fraktur and Needlework 1800-1900 for our library. It can be purchased at https://bookstore.masthof.com/collections/new-books/products/amish-family-records-of-lancaster-county-pennsylvania.

Second, thanks to all who stopped by our stand at the Taste of Hamburg-er Festival on Saturday 9/5. We sold numerous books and lots of jewelry. Overall, it was a terrific day in the ‘burg with lots of good food and plenty of people.

Finally, in reference to Labor Day, we have been blessed with donations of numerous company photos of the men and women who worked in our local factories and foundries over the years. Each person in those pictures represent a unique story.

And as you labor today or tomorrow, keep preserving our past for the future!!

www.hamburgpahistoricalsociety.org

09/03/2026

Tonight is the night! Please join us for our first meeting of the fall tonight at 7 PM in the Large Group Instruction Room of the Hamburg Area High School. Our program for the evening is Amish Settlements in the Hamburg area presented by Elam Stoltzfus. As always our meetings are free and open to the public.

An Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, producer, and historian, Elam Stoltzfus, serves as the Executive Director of the Nicholas Stoltzfus Homestead Preservation Committee, where he bridges Amish heritage and contemporary media. Through historical preservation, filmmaking, and educational programs, Stoltzfus has collaborated with historians to document his lineage back to 1624—a heritage shared by 80 percent of Lancaster County Amish.

It will be an eye opening program to learn about the number of Amish settlers in our area. Hope to see you there!

As with all of our programs, we keep preserving our past for the future!!

www.hamburgpahistoricalsociety.org

09/01/2026

Good morning. As preparation for our meeting this Thursday September 3rd at 7 PM with Elam Stoltzfus who will speak on Amish Settlements in the Hamburg Area, here are 10 basic facts about Amish immigration to Pennsylvania in the 1700s. (And Shady Maple isn’t one of them 😊.)

1. The Amish came to Pennsylvania seeking religious freedom.

2. The Amish migration was part of a much larger German-speaking migration.

3. The exact date of the first Amish arrival is uncertain. Some Amish families may have arrived as early as the 1710s or 1720s, but the first well-documented group of Amish immigrants arrived in 1737.

4. In 1737, the ship Charming Nancy brought 21 Amish families from Europe to Pennsylvania. Over the following three decades, approximately 100 Amish families would make the Atlantic crossing.

5. Their first major Pennsylvania settlement was in what became Berks County around Northkill Creek.

6. Lancaster County became another major center of Amish settlement.

7. The Amish were attracted not only by religious liberty but also by Pennsylvania’s abundant, relatively inexpensive farmland.

8. The Amish did not generally build traditional churches, instead conducted worship in private homes, rather than dedicated church buildings.

9. During the 1750s, warfare along the Pennsylvania frontier created serious problems for Amish settlers, particularly around Northkill.

10. By the end of the 1700s, the Pennsylvania Amish were firmly established—but still relatively small.

Please join us Thursday night as Elam Stoltzfus expands on these basic facts to tell the story of Amish settlements in our area. Hope to see you there!

One last thing, attached is our poster for our BBQ fundraiser in October. All information needed to help us through the purchasing of delicious pork BBQ dinners from Smokin’ Rubs BBQ can be found on the poster. If you would also like to help us with our bake sale, we will have more information on that in the weeks to follow.

Keep preserving our past for the future!

www.hamburgpahistoricalsociety.org

PS- make sure when you bring your buns to Hamburg for the Taste of Hamburg-er Festival this Saturday to stop by our stand in front of the library. We will have games for the kids, and books and costume jewelry for sale.

08/28/2026

Good morning!! Thank you for all the anniversary wishes and comments! We appreciate all of them and invite you to be part of our next 25 years.

Speaking of invitations, please join us for our first meeting of the fall on Thursday September 3 at 7 PM in the Large Group Instruction Room of the Hamburg Area High School. Our program for the evening is Amish Settlements in the Hamburg area presented by Elam Stoltzfus. As always our meetings are free and open to the public.

An Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, producer, and historian, Elam Stoltzfus, serves as the Executive Director of the Nicholas Stoltzfus Homestead Preservation Committee, where he bridges Amish heritage and contemporary media. Through historical preservation, filmmaking, and educational programs, Stoltzfus has collaborated with historians to document his lineage back to 1624—a heritage shared by 80 percent of Lancaster County Amish.

He is a direct descendant of Nicholas Stoltzfus—the first family member to immigrate from Germany in 1766. His deep genealogical research has led to collaborative family publications, including the history book "German Lutherans to Pennsylvania Amish", effectively bridging his celebrated storytelling career with a profound commitment to local cultural preservation.

Elam will bring to the program the large map in photo #3 of this post to show the 60 plus Amish land grants in Berks County in the 1700s. You may remember that the first Amish bishop lived at the corner of Pine Road and Old 22 in Tilden Township and is buried in a small cemetery behind the house. But what surprised many of us on our tour this June at the Nicholas Stoltzfus Homestead in Wyomissing was the sheer amount of Amish settlers in our area.

Join us Thursday September 3rd and be surprised too!

By the way, to raise more funds for the museum we will hold a 50/50 drawing at each meeting. Bring some Washington’s,
Lincoln’s, Hamilton’s, or Jackson’s and take a chance.

Also look for a post this weekend announcing the date for our October BBQ fundraiser.

Thanks for your support!

Keep preserving our past for the future!!

www.hamburgpahistoricalsociety.org