Essex County NJ Archives Biographies.....Frederick BERG, 1834 - 1908
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 8, 2008, 9:06 pm

Author: Mary Depue Ogden, Editor  (1917)

BERG, Frederick,
Business Man, Civil War Veteran.

  Frederick Berg, son of George and Frederica (Hill) Berg, was born March 1,
1834, in Uberau, in the province of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. This province is
composed of two main parts, separated from each other by a narrow strip of
Prussian territory. The northern part is the province of Uberhessen; the
southern part is nearby the provinces of Stock-enburg and Rheinhessen. This
section of the country is very hilly, yet of no great elevation. And it was here
that Frederick Berg spent the early part of his life.

  When one looks back into the early life of Mr. Berg, we readily see that he
was offered every possible opportunity a boy could have in order to build for
himself a strong, healthy body. His father being a farmer naturally meant that
Mr. Berg spent many hours in the field. The youth's training wcs gained in the
school of experience, where he learned that frugality and ambition are the key
to success. There are very few men to-day who are able to say that they have
remained firm to the teachings of their boyhood. This was not the case with Mr.
Berg. Along with his practical training, this perfect example of sturdy youth
received his schooling in the neighboring "Volke-schule," where in former years
his Grandfather Hill had presided. The time which ordinarily would be allotted
to most boys for play, Mr. Berg spent in hard labor, and it is interesting to
notice that he trained his sons in the same manner.

  It might be worthy to mention that, when only two years of age, his parents
emigrated to Poland, a country—just as our west was—abundant in opportunities
for the farmer. But his parents met with failure in this broad, uncultivated
region and were forced to return to Uberau penniless. Here Mr. Berg's father and
able-bodied brothers toiled night and day to regain that which they lost.

  Frederick Berg was the youngest of a family of nine children. Lizzie, the
oldest, married when quite young and died at the age of ninety-one. Two children
survived her; namely, George and Margaretta. Rebecca, the second child, married
and came to America in 1841. Nothing has been heard of her since. Margaretta,
the third child, married and spent the remainder of her life in Germany. She
also lived to the old age of eighty-one. George, the oldest son, married and
resided in his native land. He lived to be sixty-three years of age. Catherine,
the fifth child, married and remained in Hesse-Darmstadt the remainder of her
life. Marie, the youngest daughter, came to America, where she died at middle
age. Henry, the second oldest son, studied piano manufacture in Vienna, where he
for a time was interested in the same. He likewise got the fever for the new
world to which he came in 1852. Nothing has been heard of him since his arrival
in this country. Philip, the eighth child, spent most of his life in Vienna. He
is said to have been an enthusiastic socialistic worker.

  Upon completion of his studies, Mr. Berg, then only sixteen years of age, gave
up the rural life of his forefathers and journeyed to Vienna to learn a trade.
He apprenticed himself there to a hatter, from whom he learned that trade.
During his stay in Vienna, his brothers, Philip and Henry, were of considerable
assistance to him offering him from time to time that ever welcomed "big
brother" aid. In those days, hat manufacture was not conducted as it is
to-day—in one locality. The people did not have running water—water, which is
the essential thing in the making of the hat—nor did they have modern mechanical
devices, for it was about this time that the steam engine was invented; in fact,
the first railroad of the continent was built from Nurhberg to Furth when Mr.
Berg was an infant. Consequently, one branch of hatting was probably conducted
at a considerable distance from another. Mr. Berg used to speak of the many
trying hours he spent at the side of a nearby stream shrinking felt.

  After becoming what one might call an expert at the trade, having mastered the
business in all its branches, he in 1854 journeyed upon his "Wanderschaft" for
two years, but first of all made a short visit at his home in Uberau. This
journey was experienced by most boys of the time. As its name implies, it was
merely wandering from town to town, stopping a short time in each town to
practice a newly learned trade. This journey as one can see helped to give Mr.
Berg a broad view of the hatting trade and not a narrow one as he probably would
have had, providing he had remained in Vienna. This "Wanderschaft" meant hard
labor and very often despair to a young apprentice, but Mr. Berg had in his
nature that inexhaustible endurance and "stickatitiveness," which meant so much
to him in later life. He wandered in this manner for two years and finally
completed his journey in the city of Dantzig where he remained for almost a year.

  Upon the arrival of his twenty-second birthday he was compelled to go home to
see if he must serve in the army. Every youth was not obligated to serve his
country, and the way in which this was ascertained was by drawing numbers. The
place for this drawal was Dickburg—not very far from his home village—and Mr.
Berg with many other youths assembled to "try their luck." As the case turned
out, he drew a high number, which meant that he was not compelled to serve. An
amusing tale in reference to this big day is told of Mr. Berg. The drawal took
place in the loft of a two-story building, which had a balcony. As soon as he
discovered his luck—I say "luck" because had he drawn a low number, his
opportunities of migrating to America, which affected his life so immensely,
would have been destroyed—he with several other young men leaped from this
balcony to the ground. They all apparently had the same idea in mind, which was
to hire a band and celebrate their freedom, for serving in the army in those
days was by no means an easy mode of life.

  It is a question just as to what induced Mr. Berg to come to America. The
conditions in the Fatherland then were in a most unsatisfactory state to a young
man of a freedom-loving and ambitious disposition. Germany at that time was
composed of a new democracy and the old aristocracy. A conflict naturally ensued
which turned out in an actual victory for the former, and it was either because
of hopelessness for the future, or the popular longing for the new world, which
induced Mr. Berg to make the then tedious journey of sixty-three days to America.

  His arrival in this country in the year 1856 marks the turning point of his
life. His journey to this country so far as we know passed uneventful, except
for the one acquaintance which he made in the person of a Mr. Carl Croll. This
gentleman remained a lifelong friend of Mr. Berg, and it was death only which
severed their mutual friendship. It seems strange that both of these gentlemen
should interest themselves in the hatting trade, although Mr. Croll's business
differed slightly in that he manufactured caps. This gentleman located himself
in Brooklyn, New York.

  Mr. Berg, upon leaving Mr. Croll, headed directly for Orange, New Jersey, to
which place he had been directed. Upon his arrival in Orange he called upon a
Mr. Henry W. Egner, who at that time owned a jewelry store on Main street of the
aforesaid city. Mr. Egner was Mr. Berg's first acquaintance in this country and
remained in close contact with him during the remainder of his life.

  In 1857 Mr. Berg married Anna Nickel, daughter of Kajeden Nickel, of Orange.
This family came from Bavaria only a few years previous. Mrs. Berg might be
considered an ideal wife. She encouraged and helped her husband in every way
possible, even going so far as to work in her husband's factory after he had
established himself in business.

  In 1862 Mr. Berg voluntarily enlisted in the army. Previous to his enlisting
he was an employee in a hat factory owned by a Mr. Stocker. It is said that for
fear his wife might object to his enlisting, he did so without consulting her.
He enlisted in Company H. Twenty-sixth Regiment, New Jersey Infantry, and served
in several momentous battles, the principal one being the capture of
Fredericksburg Heights.

  After nine months of faithful and unerring service in the army, he returned
home, and in 1864 he was in command of sufficient capital to begin business for
himself and finally established the firm of F. Berg & Company. His first attempt
in business for himself proved to be of great success. He, during the early part
of his career as a hat manufacturer, changed partners several times. By degrees
he widened the scope of his activities until a large modernly equipped plant was
in constant operation, supplying the demands of his many customers. Too much
emphasis cannot be laid upon the fact that he possessed extremely sound judgment
and remarkable foresight. Integrity might be called the keynote upon which his
character as a manufacturer and as a citizen rested. As his sons became of age
they were taken in as members of the firm and served their father as true sons
should, and at present they compose the firm. After they obtained a firm hand of
the business, Mr. Berg withdrew and in 1889 established himself in the coal and
wood business. He continued to be active in this business until a few years
before his death, which was on February 20, 1908.

  Mr. Berg had children: Mary, died in infancy; George, died in infancy; Fred.
born in 1860, unmarried, now senior member of F. Berg & Company; Charles, born
1861. married Lucy May Miller and their son is Charles Frederic, their daughter,
Anna Janet, died at the age of fourteen; Emma, born 1863, married Williard J.
Nixon, their son is Frederick W.; Henry, born 1S65, married Anna E. Leimer.
their sons are William H. and Henry; Amelia, born 1870, married Paul G.
Woodruff, who died in 1912, their son is Frederick P.; and George Christian,
born 1873, married Alice Archer.

  Mr. Berg made three trips to his Fatherland. The first was in 1883. He merely
visited his relatives, and met his old teacher, Professor Russler. The meeting
was a very touching one, for Professor Russler was so highly pleased with seeing
Mr. Berg that the former wept. Mr. Berg's second visit took place some years
after his former one. He did not go alone on this trip as he did on his first;
but rather his wife and daughter Emma accompanied him. A third visit was made
some years after his second one. This last visit was a very short one.

  Mr. Berg had other interests of importance and was closely identified with the
Second National Bank of Orange. He was an austere Republican, but had little
inclination for public office, answering, however, every demand made upon him,
if in the line of his duty as a citizen. For five years he served as assessment
commissioner and aided in civic betterment to the utmost of his power. He was
loyal to the Lutheran church and never failed in his duty to mankind.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

MEMORIAL CYCLOPEDIA OF NEW JERSEY

UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF MARY DEPUE OGDEN

VOLUME III
MEMORIAL HISTORY COMPANY NEWARK,  NEW JERSEY
1917


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