From: Schoembs Monika <schoembsm@gmail.com>
Subject: Katharina Binger nee Heilichenthal
Date: November 13, 2015 9:19:52 AM MST
To: "Schembs James D. (Jim)" <jimschembs@hotmail.com>
Cc: Cramb Jacky <rjcramb@gmail.com>

Hello Jacky and Jim,
some facts and more thoughts about Sebastian Binger’s spouse.
I worried about from which place in Germany Katharina Heilichenthal might have come and if this is really the right spelling of her family name, because Heilichenthal  looks very strange. 
My theory is: the right spelling must be H e i l i g e n t h a l . 
The meaning of the name is: valley (das Tal) of the saints (die Heiligen). The letter „h“ in „…thal“ is an obsolete  spelling. 
The „ch“ instead of „g“ comes into the play if one would speak in Hesse or Palatine dialect for example. The pronunciation of the name then sounds like Heilichenthal as to see in the document of Katharina’s marriage.

With this thoughts I started new researches and discovered many „Heiligenthal“ families in Germany. Mostly in „Baden“ (Baden-Wuerttemberg) but also in „Pfalz“ (Rhineland-Palatine). And there especially in the area of Landau.
To consider that this region was Bavarian Territory at the year of birth (and also later) of Katharina I assume this might be her origin region.
I could not find any record on FamilySearch for her by now but I discovered information about her emigration. Unfortunately not the original passengers list but an index card with date of arrival and the name of the ship. Surprisingly she did not travel alone. She arrived with her sibling I guess. See below.

Kath. Heiligenthal *1848 Bayern; Arrival 16.07.1870 Baltimore
Einzelheiten zu Kath Heiligenthal, „Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists Index, 1820-1897“ — FamilySe…

Eva Heiligenthal *1846 Bayern; Arrival 16.07.1870 Baltimore
Einzelheiten zu Eva Heiligenthal, „Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists Index, 1820-1897“ — FamilySea…

Wm. Heiligenthal *1836 Bayern; Arrival 16.07.1870 Baltimore
Einzelheiten zu Wm Heiligenthal, „Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists Index, 1820-1897“ — FamilySear…

No luck to find more about the three before (in Germany) or after their passage (in USA).
Maybe you can use your sources if we know date and ship.

On with the show!
At the time Katharina arrived in America there are many Heiligenthal families in Michigan and Wisconsin. Thinking about why the marriage of the Bingers happened in Chicago, Illinois I discovered a few persons named „Heiligenthal“ there. It seems none of them were living at this place while the Bingers married here in 1872.

Probably there is a connection between Wisconsin and Illinois after all. But who is the linkage?
I found George Heiligenthal *1861 †1944 who was born in Wisconsin lived in Michigan in 1880 and died in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Could not find out when he moved from Wisconsin to Illinois. 
Einzelheiten zu George Heiligentha, „Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947“ — FamilySearch.org
Note: Father from Switzerland – Mother from Germany
His parents 
Census 1860 Wisconsin
Einzelheiten zu Joseph Hilegenthal, „United States Census, 1860“ — FamilySearch.org
Note: Father from Bavaria – Mother from Switzerland
Census 1870 Wisconsin
Einzelheiten zu Jos Heiligenthal, „United States Census, 1870“ — FamilySearch.org
Note: Father from Bavaria – Mother from Switzerland

In 1880 he lived in the household of Mary Hamacher in Escanaba, Michigan – a family who may match to the family of Katharina’s niece, even you spelt the name „Hammerbacher“.
Einzelheiten zu George Heiligenthal im Haushalt von Mary Hamacher, „United States Census, 1880“ — FamilySearch.org
Note: Father from Switzerland – Mother from Switzerland – Mary Hamacher from Switzerland
As to see some of the elder Hamacher children were born in Wisconsin, so the family must have been there before as to see here:
Einzelheiten zu John Hammaker, „United States Census, 1860“ — FamilySearch.org
Note: Mary Hamacher from Switzerland

A second connection between Heiligenthal und Hamacher is in 1897. I found a record about a marriage in Michigan:
Lena Heiligenthal (Huligenthal) married Charles L. Guy. She was the sister of George Heiligenthal
following the records for his and her mother’s name in the documents of death and marriage.
Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925; pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12398-1055-16
One of the witnesses was Clara Hamacher from Escanaba, Michigan. Clara was 10 years old when George Heiligenthaler lived in the Hamacher Family 1880.

A third connection between Heiligenthal und Hamacher: Magdalena Heiligenthal and  Mary Hamacher must be sisters apparently from Switzerland.
Magdalena Heiligenthal nee Germain in death record of her son George in 1944
Einzelheiten zu George Heiligentha, „Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947“ — FamilySearch.org
Mary Hamacher nee Germain in marriage record of her sons marriage in 1882
Einzelheiten zu John B. Hamacher, „Wisconsin, Marriages, 1836-1930“ — FamilySearch.org
Note: A bit confusing are the different spellings of their maiden name: Germain,Germaine, German, Jermain. Also they have many versions of Magdalena’s first name: Magdalena, Magdalina, Magd, Lena, Helena .

Don‘t know how much time and effort you will invest into this issue? Don’t know if Heiligenthal and Hamacher will match with Hammerbacher… But perhaps with the immigration of Katharina and the two others we can go on to solve the riddle?

Gruss
Monika

PS I will give Reinhold a German version. Perhaps he will be successful spending a thought to Heiligenthal and Rhinelnad-Palatine.
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Monika Schoembs
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