Unidentified Haish pins

I've been working my way through the Haish-related archives at the Joiner History Room, and have come across two unidentified pins that simply read "Haish." 

With no additional documentation, one can only make educated guesses about the history of these pins. Perhaps a Haish family member ran for public office? Who knows.

Below are photos of the pins, along with the only identifying information.

"1 inch triangle, red on one side and white on the other. Gold bar down center with 'Haish.'"

"1/2 inch button: red & white 'Haish'"

EVENT: Haish New Research Roundtable at Glidden Homestead

Jessi Haish LaRue Hosts Jacob Haish New Research Roundtable at Glidden Homestead

DEKALB, IL – New research and artifacts on Jacob Haish’s barbed wire and other business ventures are turning up in local archival research.

At Glidden Homestead at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 21, 2021, Jessi Haish LaRue will host an interactive, hands-on experience looking at and talking about new research on Jacob and Sophia Haish found locally. Attendees will be able to handle and closely examine copies of recent important historical items.

Also, noon-4, visit and tour the home where Joseph Glidden and his family lived when he created his most famous invention, see a working onsite blacksmith shop, and walk where Glidden walked. Programs at Glidden Homestead are made possible in part by the Mary E. Stevens Concert and Lecture Fund.

LaRue, a Haish family descendant, is a writer who blogs regularly about Jacob Haish at JacobHaishStory.com. The blog shares photos, interviews and news articles which relate to Haish's life. LaRue has been documenting her 4th great uncle's story since early 2016 in an attempt to spread the story of the "underdog of barbed wire."

“Jessi, with her deep understanding of Haish, has recently turned her attention to locally archived documents and records,” says Rob Glover, executive director of Glidden Homestead. “Even though she’s only in the earliest stages of this line of her research, what she’s already uncovered here is truly remarkable and is something to be seen.”

Haish is renowned for his “S barb” patented in 1875. Jacob Haish was born March 9, 1827, in Germany and came to America in 1835 when he was nine years old. In his youth, he learned the carpentry trade from his father and “possessed natural mechanical ingenuity and displayed ready aptitude in the use of tools.” At 19, he moved to Illinois and then to DeKalb in 1853 where he entered the lumber business. He built many of the city’s most notable buildings, past and present, including the Glidden Homestead.

Haish’s first barbed wire patent is dated January 20, 1874. His “S barb” was patented August 31, 1875. He followed these with many later designs for wire and other innovative devices.

This year’s theme at Glidden Homestead is “A Treasure at 160.” 2021 marks the 160th anniversary of Joseph Glidden’s 1861 home. A National Register of Historic Place site, it is the home where Glidden lived when he invented barbed wire. The home was extensively remodeled in 1910 by a prominent architect and continued as a Glidden Family residence until it became a museum in 1998.

A full season of programs highlighting “A Treasure at 160” wraps in December at the Glidden Homestead in 2021. A program listing can be found at http://www.gliddenhomestead.org/events.html. The Glidden Homestead, located at 921 W Lincoln Hwy, is now taking reservations for tours. Admission is $4 per adult and free for children younger than 14. For more information, visit www.gliddenhomestead.org or e-mail info@gliddenhomestead.org or call (815) 756-7904.

Image of young Sophia Haish

Local historian Steve Bigolin provided this image of a young Sophia Haish, Jacob's wife. Steve recalls that it was printed as part of a publication by the First United Methodist Church of DeKalb. Sophia's age or the date of the image is unknown.

A young Sophia Haish | Image provided by Stephen Bigolin

Obituary for Jacob's father

Below is the obituary for Christian Haish, Jacob's father, as printed in the Feb. 13, 1891, edition of the Bucyrus Journal.

Christian Haish lived much of his life in the Bucyrus, Ohio area. Clearly displayed in this document was Christian's generosity, a trait that he surely passed on to his son Jacob.

I have researched the "Haishtown" that is mentioned below and have even worked with the Bucyrus Historical Society, but no information has been uncovered regarding this area.

Click the photo to enlarge or read the text below the image.

Christian Haish obituary

"Christian Haish died at his home on Cemetery Street, Monday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. of infirmities incident to old age, in his eighty-eighth year. The funeral [taking] place Wednesday at 2 p.m. provided the friends from a distance who may desire to be present shall have arrived at that time.

Mr. Haish was born in Baden [Germany] and spent his early life there. He emigrated with his family to this country about sixty years ago, and has been a resident of this place most of the time since, though in the interval having lived a few years in Illinois. He was twice married and twice widowed. Seventeen children were born to him, ten of whom, so far as is known, are living. His only children here at present are his son John and daughter Mrs. A. Holm. A number of them are living in the Western States, one of whom, at least, is a prominent and wealthy manufacturer, holding some of the most valuable patents on barbed fencing wire. Besides these some of the grand-children are prominent in their respective professions.

Mr. Haish has accumulated considerable property here, which, however, because of the old gentleman's compassionate nature, has not been very remunerative. He was the proprietor of that part of Cemetery Street known as Haishtown, where he owned a number of houses; and when a family became too poor or too indolent to pay rent they naturally drifted in that direction, and his houses were always filled up, but in some cases he did not receive a dollar in the way of rent on a house for years. When expostulated by members of the family for enduring this condition of things his reply always was 'Well, they must live, even if they can't pay in rent.' Aside from the immediate relatives, the loss of this class of people will be most severely felt.

During his last illness, of a week's duration, he has been tenderly ministered to by Mrs. Holm, while sympathizing neighbors have assisted his son John in looking after the comfort of the kind hearted old man, in such ways as they could."

Another photo of the Haish mansion

Can you ever really have too many images of the beautiful (and long gone) Jacob Haish mansion? I was so happy to see this one this week. Enjoy!

Photograph of the Jacob Haish mansion, year unknown. | Courtesy of the DeKalb County History Center Archives

To see stories and photos related to the Haish mansion, click here