My Genealogy Hound

HARRY C. MESSINGER, one of the best-known business men of Conshohocken, is the son of Henry and Katharine (Yeager) Messinger. He was born at Conshohocken, July 31, 1856.

Henry Messinger (father) was a native of Saerbrueck, Germany, where he was born in 1822. He was well educated, attending first the ordinary neighborhood schools and afterwards a more pretentious pay school where he acquired a knowledge of the higher branches of learning. He then became an apprentice at the trade of a gunsmith and locksmith, at that time regarded as a very lucrative business. He continued at this occupation until the year 1852, when he decided to come to America. He landed at Philadelphia, but being unable to speak the English language so as to be understood he found that he would have some difficulty in obtaining employment. He therefore proceeded to Phoenixville, where by the merest accident he succeeded in making known his capability and secured profitable employment. At one of the ironworking establishments into which he had drifted in the hope of finding work, he was watching some workmen who were endeavoring to temper a piece of machinery which they were using. After they had made several failures in the undertaking, in his broken English, he asked them to allow him to temper the piece of steel. After laughing at him for a time, they concluded that there might be something in the foreigner. The manner in which he performed the work was so satisfactory, his experience as a gunsmith enabling him to do anything of this kind readily, that he was at once given a position. He rose steadily until he held a responsible position with the Phoenix Iron Company of that place. Later he went to Philadelphia, and secured employment with the firm of Leibrandt & McDowell, remaining for some time, and removing in 1854 to Conshohocken. Mr. Messinger opened a store in that borough, which he conducted until his death. He did a large business in conjunction with his sons. February 22, 1854, Mr. Messinger married Miss Katharine, daughter of Peter Yeager, of Phoenixville. The couple had the following children: Anna, Morris, Charles, Mary, Frank, Catherine and Harry C. The mother, Katharine (Yeager) Messinger, died January 6, 1896. Mr. Messinger died February 22, 1898. He was thoroughly honest and upright, very attentive to business, highly respected by all who knew him, and was a man of influence in his community.

Harry C. Messinger was born at Conshohocken, July 31, 1856, and was educated in the public schools of that village. On reaching manhood he entered his father’s stove and hardware establishment on Fayette street, where a large business was done. He remained with his father until his death, when he and his brother Frank succeeded to the business which they still conduct, being among the most successful business men in that borough. Harry C. Messinger married, December 24, 1884, Miss Fannie L. Fretz, daughter of Aaron and Sarah (Longacre) Fretz, of Jeffersonville, Montgomery county. They have no children. Mr. Messinger is independent in politics, but has never sought or held office, preferring, as did his father, to remain out of politics, and give strict attention to business. He and his family attend the Presbyterian church.