Amanuensis Monday: Across the Ocean -Naturalization of John Hildinger & Family

I've talked before (see here) about the Hildinger line of my husband's family, his paternal great-grandmother's family.  His great-great-great grandfather John Hildinger, along with wife Margaret, daughter Rosana (3) and son John A. (1) all emigrated to United States from Württemberg, Germany in 1833.  I have great respect for anyone brave enough to travel with two toddlers, but to do so nearly two hundred years ago, across the ocean with few belongings and probably little money can only be described as unbelievably courageous!

The Hildingers settled first in Westmoreland County, PA and then next purchased land in Armstrong County, PA.  I have not been able to find to find a port of arrival or the ship they came over; however I was lucky enough to find naturalization records in the keeping of the Prothonotary of Westmoreland County.  Here is my transcription of this record, unfortunately a portion of the far right side was cut off and a few words were lost:

No. 4

John Hildinger

                Westmoreland county ss – Be it remembered that at a Court held at Greenot? said County the 27^th February A.D. 1837.  Personally appeared John Hildinger aged 44 years _____ship a native of Wurtemburgh in Germany and made report of his family Margret his wife age __ his daughter aged 8 years, John his son aged 5 years that they were born subjects to the King of _____ migrated to the United Stated in 1833 that it is bona fide his intention to become a citizen of ______ to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign Prince States Potentates or sovereigns particularly to the King of Wurtemburgh of whom he was before a subject.

                Sworn and Subcribed in open this 28^th Feb. A.D. 1837 before me}                                                                                                   (signed in German)

                                                                                      J. B. Oliver, Prot}

Treasure Chest Thursday - The Duchess's Chest

I just love this story that I came across about my husband's great-great-great grandmother, Margaret Ann (Unknown) Hildinger (1795-1880).  She was married to John Hildinger (1794-1848) and they both came to the United States from Württemberg, Germany in 1833 and settled in Armstrong County, PA.  They were the parents of John A. Hildinger (1831-1887) whose youngest son Charles Clark Hildinger (1876-1931) was to found the very successful Hildinger Amusement business in Trenton and feature some of the first moving pictures in Trenton, NJ.  According to her great-grandson, Charles Sweet, in a story in the Trenton Sunday Times Advertiser in which he was talking about the Hildinger movie enterprise, Margaret Ann was a German duchess.  Here is the excerpt:

Charles Hildinger was a character and so was their mutual great-grandmother according to Charles Sweet.  According to family legend the great-grandmother, a duchess in Württemberg, ran away with the court tailor, a Hildinger.  They came from Germany on a sailing ship before 1830.  The ship had extra long paddles to fend off man-eating sharks during the voyage.  The couple bought a large farm in Armstrong County, Pa. and the ex-duchess took over its supervision.

A strong-willed woman, she had a custom with which she allowed nothing to interfere.  She would return from the fields shortly before 4 in the afternoon, dress in the finery from the trunks she had brought from Europe and have tea served to her in the court tradition.  The trunks and the clothes remained in the family for years.

If the story is true (which I really have my doubts), wouldn't I love to get my hands on that treasure chest!

Source:  Trenton Sunday Times Advertiser 22 Aug 1954

Charles Clark Hildinger

Charles Clark Hildinger, founder of the Hildinger Theaters, and who was known as the "Five Cent King" of Trenton, was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania on 15 Dec 1876, the youngest child of John A. Hildinger and Mary Jane Cochran Hildinger.  His father a farmer and Civil War veteran, came to this country from Wurttemburg, Germany with his parents as a toddler.  His father died when he was eleven and three years later Clark left the farm at the age of fourteen for better opportunities.  He tried several careers before finding success with the movie business.  He first went to Pittsburgh, then to Kittanning, Pa where he worked in a pottery.  Next he went to McKeesport, Pa where he worked as a clerk selling carpets.  Tiring of carpets he went to Trenton and became interested in the newspaper business.  He went to work for the circulation department of the Trenton Times.  After a couple of years, he and his brother-in-law C. C. Cutler bought the circulation of the times and owned it jointly.

Charles made several visit to his former home in Pittsburgh and on one visit became fascinated with a moving picture show.  He counted the people going in and calculated the evening's take.  An idea was born.  He went back to Trenton and created "The Bijou."  He and his brother-in-law created Dream Amusement Company.  Within a few years, he was the sole owner, with Cutler dedicating himself to the newspaper circulation business.  Hildinger added more theaters, The Nicolet, The Royal and five others.  With these successes, he branched out adding The Taylor Opera House. He also had extensive amusement holdings in Belmar and was affiliated with an amusement pier there among others.  In 1927 he became treasurer of the New Jersey Motion Picture Owners' Association.  In 1929, Governor Lawson appointed him to the Mercer County Tax Board.

He was also known for his charitable gestures especially to children of Trenton.  He would often provide provide free showings at his theaters and outings to the shore for the orphans.

On 27 Oct 1915, he married Helen Beatrice Dunn and they had two children, John Clark born in 1916 and Claire Helen born in 1920.  Charles died unexpectedly of a heart attack on 2 Sep 1931 at the age of 54 leaving his family to carry on his legacy.

Mary Elizabeth Hildinger

Mary Elizabeth Hildinger Johnston

Mary Elizabeth Hildinger was born about 1863, probably Cowanshannock, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania to John A. Hildinger and Mary Jane Cochran Hildinger.  She was the fourth child of seven and one of five daughters.  On 23 Jul 1886 in Clearfield County, PA she married David C. Johnston, son of Andrew Jackson Johnston and Elizabeth Mariah London Johnston.  In 1891, she and David were found selling a property in DuBois along with Eliza M. Johnston - they were listed on a deed in Clearfield County( this information from Kathy Myers).  This is the last mention of them I can find until 1910 when they show up in the 1910 census in Allegheny, PA with daughter, Luella.  This 19 year span is quite a mystery and one I am determined to solve.  Luella was their first and only child and was born 17 years after their marriage which seems unusual.  Where did they go for all those years?  Were they separated for some reason? 

By 1914 they were living in Trenton, New Jersey where David went to work for Mary's brother Charles in the movie theater business as a manager of one of his theaters.  In the 1910 census his occupation was listed as Foreman, Dept. Stables.

Their daughter Luella was an accomplished musician and organist and apparently this may have been inherited from her Johnston side.  In notes from Mary Aleta Winslow, http://www.pagenweb.org/~elk/winslowgenealogy/mywinslowburkeancestors.htm Eliza Mariah was supposedly from a musically gifted family.

Mary Elizabeth and David Johnston lived in Trenton until at least 1943, but I have been unable to find any record of their deaths despite numerous searches.

The Hildinger Family

The other side of my husband's family, the Hildinger family, was a great find!  My husband's grandmother, Luella Ruth "Susan" Johnston, mother of Alvin Stackhouse Rogers, Jr. was born in 1903 to David C. Johnston and Mary Elizabeth Hildinger Johnston.  Mary Elizabeth Hildinger came from a large family in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, but her father John A. Hilldinger (1831 - 1887) and his father (John Hildinger (1794 - 1848) came the United States from Wurttemberg, Germany in  1833 and settled in Armstrong, Pennsylvania sometime around 1841 where they took up farming.  Several of the Hildinger children later left the farm and went on to become quite prominent which I will discuss further in later posts.