Aboard the S.S. Bremen Barth Kosonos, my Great Great Grandfather Charles Nathan, left the port of Bremen, Germany and headed for his new homeland in America: New York City. He arrived on January 9th, 1855 and within days strode into the city, with a new feeling of confidence.

Charles had begun his journey in Prussia and then Germany where he had raised a family. By the time he and his wife, Sarah (Baruch) Nathan had their sixth child, they had come to the conclusion it was time to seek new options in the West. Both had heard the stories, from fellow co-workers of Charles, that America was indeed the land of opportunity. Charles was 36 years old at the time, when he boarded a ship in Bremen for the West. What was written by a clerk in the ship registry, for Charles's profession, was 'Merchant,' would serve him well for the rest of his life in the states. Charles and Sarah would have two more children in America.

Charles would be successful in America, and he and his family did extremely well in those many years of the 19th Century. Generations of Nathan's followed, and off-shoots of the Nathan's continued to flourish through the 20th Century and now into the 21st Century. Images here on the 'Family Archive Project,' attest to those facts.

Charles and Sarah were both born in Prussia in 1822 and respectively 1824. They were the parents of my great grandfather Benjamin Nathan, who was born in Germany, in November of 1845. Benjamin is my grandmother Blanche Rose (Nathan) Hesslein's father. Benjamin owned the firm, the Nathan Novelty Manufacturing Company in New York City. Charles Nathan passed on December 23rd, 1899 and his son Benjamin, passed in February of 1910 in Brooklyn.

Benjamin's siblings and the children of Charles and Sarah Nathan are:

Annie Nathan born in 1844 and passed in 1915
Henry Nathan born in 1844
Mary Nathan born in 1847
Samuel Nathan born in 1847
Charles Nathan born in 1849
Rachel Nathan born in 1858 in New York City
(Rachel married Alexander Lazarus: born in 1850 in England & passed on October 21st, 1898 in New York City. (They changed their name to Lawrence in the 1860s) Emilie Nathan born in 1859 in England.

Appreciation to Julie R. Evans of Yupaica, California for her considerable help on specific history of the Erickson/Nelson/Hesslein/Nathan/Bach families. Julie is my cousin by way of her second cousin, once removed and our Great Aunt Roma M. Wirt (Summers) Nelson. Roma is the wife of Sture Albin Nelson, who is the older brother of my Grandmother Clara Amelia (Nelson) Erickson.