The History and Genealogy Of the First Settlers of Petit Jean Mountain By Sam Koenig
A compilation of the history and genealogy of the original settlers of Petit Jean Mountain, Arkansas. It includes the origins, settlement and family history of the first settlers and includes three... More > generations of genealogical information for those families. Mountain legends and lore are differentiated from fact. The author is a resident of the mountain who is fascinated by its history.< Less
Johann Samuel Koenig By Sam Koenig
Samuel was born illegitimate in Mehlis, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Germany in 1815 to a mother from a family of gunsmiths extending back to the 16th century. It was a time of increasing inflation,... More > joblessnes and famine. Even after his mother married before his 10th birthday, Samuel's lot in life did not improve much. Like his family before him, he learned the gunsmithing and engraving trade before setting out on his journeyman travels that extended all the way to St. Petersburg. On returning home he married, had children and like others, struggled to get by. His town of Zella was so poor the town council made the decision to "forcibly" emigrate some of the poorer citizens to America in order to relieve the strain on the town budget. Samuel jumped at the chance to leave Germany with his family at the state's expense. The family arrived in Baltimore December 23, 1854 eventually moving to Hartford, Connecticut where Samuel worked for the Colt Armory before his untimely death at age 48.< Less
Gustav Erdman Koenig A History of His Civil War Years By Sam Koenig
During the Civil War, 15 year old E. G. Koenig wrote a series of letters to his mother describing his experiences and feelings. Koenig was a German immigrant who enlisted as a volunteer substitute... More > enlistee. The appendices contain original copies of his letters, an analysis of his acquiring an American identity through his signatures, and a listing of his family and descendants. The book is liberally filled with old photos and etchings. A classic Civil War narrative through the eyes of a young German immigrant.< Less
E. G. Koenig's Sons By Sam Koenig
This is the story of a historic Newark sports emporium and its proprietors. E.G. Koenig's Sons was one of Newark, New Jersey's premier retail establishments in the late 19th and 20th century. It was... More > the first sporting goods store in Newark and in its early years had a branch store in the Benedict Building in New York City. It was located on the site of Aaron Burr's birth and the founding site of Princeton University. All those interested in Newark history, sports memorabilia collecting, merchandising history, or the history of American immigrants will find this book interesting.< Less