1827–1906
David August Hilpert
A silk weaver from Prussia whose journey led to a farm on the Skookumchuck River in Washington Territory.
Read David’s story →One family · different journeys
David and his siblings
David, Christel, August, Ernst and Friedrich: get to know them together as brothers and sisters, then follow each person’s story.
Five siblings, a shared beginning
David, Christel (Christina), August, Ernst and Friedrich belonged to the same Hilpert sibling group. Their names are preserved in the family’s account; the letters and other records will help us follow each person’s life.
David August Hilpert was born in Prussia in 1827. Research into his early life points toward the Wiehe–Nordhausen area, although his exact birthplace remains unresolved. We are still piecing together the siblings’ parents, childhood home and birth order.
David’s middle name was August. His brother August was a separate person, whose letters give us a particularly vivid connection to the family’s years in Germany.
Meet the brothers and sisters
David’s sister
Christel (Christina) Hilpert
Remembered in the family as Christel, also named Christina. Letters connect her household with Germany and America, and bring news of Reinhold and Selma.
Read Christel’s story →David’s brother
August Hilpert
Letters from Germany preserve his voice, his family connections and his hopes for the future.
Read August’s story →David’s brother
Ernst Hilpert
A member of David’s family in Germany, with his own story to follow through the family records.
Read Ernst’s story →David’s brother
Friedrich Hilpert
His surviving letter speaks of family losses, his sons and his longing for news from his sister.
Read Friedrich’s story →The order shown here is not an established birth order.
In the family’s own words
A family held together by letters
Follow the complete story of work, separation, migration and family news. Thirteen letter pages bring together the original handwriting, current English readings and preserved historical translations.
Following their paths
- February 20, 1849 · CologneAugust writes about his working life, family and possible travel to America. Read the original and current English translation in the family letters collection.
- January 13, 1850 · BrühlAugust’s letter describes the Landwehr dispute and the difficulties that followed.
- September 29, 1852 · Family correspondenceA surviving letter from August to David provides another connection before David’s departure.
- January 24, 1853 · New YorkCurrent passenger-list research identifies David with an arrival aboard the Amaranth. The original record and full citation remain to be added to his biography.
The stories still taking shape
David’s biography already follows his life into Washington Territory. August’s page begins with his surviving correspondence. Christel’s, Ernst’s and Friedrich’s pages begin with their family relationships and will grow as their records are reviewed.
An early reading of the 1849 letter mentions a brother in Nordhausen. We have not yet established which brother August meant. Mary and Regina, names appearing alongside David in the passenger-list research, also remain unresolved connections.
Records behind this family story
- Sibling names and relationships supplied by the family in September 2026: David, Christel (Christina), August, Ernst and Friedrich.
- UW Archives, family’s “Letter 1” folder: Cologne, February 20, 1849. Eight phone photographs and three library scans reviewed; translation provisional. Full collection, box and folder citation to be added.
- David’s existing biography: August’s January 13, 1850 letter and the Landwehr dispute.
- David’s existing biography: September 29, 1852 correspondence.
- David’s existing biography: proposed 1853 passenger-list identification.
The letters have now been compared with their historical translations. The collection pages record current readings, source copies and remaining uncertainties.