The Engelman Family of Philadelphia

From Dutch Soil to American Gold: The Engelman Family Legacy When Daniel Engelman departed Haarlem in 1795 with his wife Francina and their children, he carried more than belongings to Pennsylvania-he brought a legacy that would bloom across generations. Trading his surveyor's instruments for gardening tools, Daniel cultivated both flowers and a sterling reputation along Philadelphia's Arch and Race streets. This remarkable family chronicle traces the Engelman lineage through America's formative years. From Daniel's son Jacob Sr., a politically active merchant and horticultural pioneer whose vegetable cultivation was unrivaled in Philadelphia County, to his adventurous grandson Jacob Jr., who sailed aboard the first ship from New York to California's gold fields in 1849, each generation left its distinctive mark. Beyond genealogy, discover the poignant reunion of Daniel's grandsons after more than six decades apart, and follow the trajectory of great-great-grandson Horace Wilson's career. Richly detailed and meticulously researched, this book illuminates how one Dutch immigrant family's talents-from surveying and gardening to commerce and politics-helped shape American enterprise and community across three transformative centuries. A testament to ambition, adaptation, and enduring family bonds in the New World.