I remember the excitement that I felt shortly after purchasing this photograph. I had flipped the photograph over to the reverse side and found an inscription which identified the three subjects in the photograph. The three names were “Harry E. Hershey, Dora E. Hershey” and “Frances Mayer Hershey”. The photograph was dated “1907”. Seeing the “Hershey” name, and noting that the photograph was from a studio in Lancaster, Pennsylvania made me think that the subjects of this photograph could be quite interesting. The Hershey family is quite important in the history of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Think Hershey Chocolate! I knew that the founder of Hershey Chocolate was Milton Hershey but I thought perhaps that Harry E. Hershey may have been an integral part of the business, or in some of the family’s other enterprises. Research found no such connection between Harry or Milton. The 1880 census found Harry Elmer Hershey (1863-1911) at age 16 living with four older siblings and his parents (Jacob and Annie Hershey) in East Hempfield, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The 1900 census listed the 36 year old Harry as married to 30 year old Dora Elizabeth Mayer Hershey (1870-1924). They were newlyweds having been married just three months. Harry, Dora, and both sets of their parents were all born in Pennsylvania. Harry was listed as working as a treasurer of a hardware company. A number of business directories between 1888 and 1907 reveal that he worked in this position for many years. The 1910 United States census adds 8 year old daughter Frances Mayer Hershey (1902-1994) to the family unit. The 1920 census indicates that 17 year old Frances and her mother lived together and both were unemployed. Harry had been dead for nine years. This Hershey family portrait features a well dressed family. Harry and Dora are both smiling, and cute little five year-old Frances’s body language seems to be saying, “Hey, don’t forget about me”. The photographer is the Miesse studio in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. D. Walter Miesse (1878-1964) had a studio at 24 West King Street in Lancaster between 1894 and 1940.
Reblogged this on chaotiqual.
The Hershey house is for sale. Here is the link.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2104-Marietta-Ave-Lancaster-PA-17603/9718226_zpid/
I found this blog when researching a book I acquired recently. It’s a Grimm’s Fairy Tales from the early 1900s. It’s inscribed Frances Mayer Hershey
Roberstown, Pa
December 25, 1912 from mama
I think these folks in the picture owned my book. Did you have anymore information on them? Have you done any more researching?
Sorry. I have no further information on this family beyond what is in the blog. I am sure if you do the reserch, you will find a lot more information. Enjoy. bruce
Was doing some research on my family and found this blog.
Really happy about that as I had never seen this picture before. Frances was my grandmother. Also moved by the fact that John has a children’s book that used to belong to Frances.
As you found out, there is no connection between these Hersheys and the Hershey chocolate family.
If you are still curious about the story of this Hershey family and still connect to this blog, here is some info:
Frances was an only child. Her parents died at a relatively early age.
In the early 1930s, she left for Algeria with her first husband (who worked for an oil Company). While over there, she met a Frenchman who was to become her second husband and father of her two children (a boy and a girl). I am her daughter’s daughter.
After my grandfather died in 1962, Frances came back to Rohrerstown, PA, where she had grown up. She owned some land and a farm in Lancaster County, although she did not live on it.
Her own children have passed now, and her three remaining grandchildren (approaching 60) and her 8 great-grandchildren are French and live in France; except for one who actually lives in Switzerland – the country from which the Hersheys originate from !
Thanks for sharing your research. It could be very helpful to someone in the future doing their own family research.