Herschbach Place Names

This page is a collection of places in the United States where the name Herschbach can be found affixed to a building, street sign, or some other physical location. I'll present some history or details about the site if I know it. If you have any additional information on any of these sites, or know of other sites, please contact me at steve@herschbach.com

The Herschbach Building - Chester, Illinois

H. Herschbach & Sons 1898

The Herschbach Building was built by Henry Herschbach, son of Gerhard and Anna Herschbach. Henry established a wagon factory in Chester in 1872. The wagons were very popular in the area, and the business thrived. The wagons had the word "Chester" prominently displayed on their sides.

The building is the second on the site. The original was a wood frame structure. The current building actually has three levels. It is built on a steep hillside, and from the rear there is a lower garage level. The front entry is actually the second level, and the third level upstairs. The building not only housed the wagon building business, but also tractor and farm machinery repair. An large elevator was employed to lift machinery up from the lower level.

The building later housed Chester's first car dealership. The upstairs offices were converted to apartments, and Henry's son John Herschbach lived there at one time. The building finally passed from the family hands and currently houses an Ace Hardware store.

Finally, on my visit to Chester in 1999 I found that the "H" in Herschbach had fallen off the building! The picture above was taken on a prior visit. I brought this up to my father, and mentioned that I would like to see the "H" restored, and would be willing to help fund the effort. He seemed to like that idea, so we stopped by and talked to the owner this April on my latest visit.

The front of the building has had problems, and the upper brick trim along the top edge of the building has now been removed. Bricks were falling off and creating a hazard to people below. The owner indicated the Herschbach sign was in poor condition, and that the H had blown off in a windstorm. It has been partly replaced. The letters are made of painted metal bolted to the building. The owner indicated he was having someone look at reconditioning the front of the building this summer. He promised to contact us about the possibility of making sure that this portion of the family history, and the history of Chester, is preserved for the future.

Herschbach Drive - Granite City, Illinois

Note from Paul Dean Koopman - "Herschbach Drive was named in honor of David Herschbach. It at one time was part of an Army support center in Granite City. Many of the streets at the Army Depot were named for fallen veterans in Vietnam."

Herschbach Road - Lyle, Washington

Lyle, Washington is on the border of Washington and Oregon northeast of The Dalles. Herschbach Road is northeast out of Lyle off the Centerville Highway. My best guess at this time is that the road is related to Burton Dell Herschbach.

This from The Goldendale Sentinel, Goldendale, WA., January 30, 1997, page 5:

Burton Dell Herschbach, 74, of High Prairie, passed away Jan. 18, 1997 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, of heart failure.
He was born Aug. 5, 1922, in San Jose, Calif., to Robert and Dell Herschbach.
Burton came to Oregon in 1948, where he married Lillian Eileen Bucher in 1952. They raised their family in Cascade Locks, Ore., where he was a self-employed carpenter and owner of Dry Creek Wood Products, a family owned business.
He and his family moved to Lyle in 1980 and built a home on High Prairie.
Burton enjoyed hunting, fishing, hiking and spending time at the coast with his family.

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