Johann (aka John) Herman was the patriarch of the Herman's earliest ancestoral family to immigrate to the United States. He was born on April 10, 1803 in Bliesmengen, Germany, a small farming town in the modern day German State of Pfalz, close to the larger city of Saarbrucken. He was the son of Peter Herman and Marie Catherine Niederlander. He had at least one other brother, Peter, born December 18, 1811, died June 16, 1892. On January 15, 1833 Johann married Magdalena Bubel, the daughter of Peter Bubel and Christine Schweizthal, in Bliesmengen, Germany. Early documents indicate that Johann Herman was a farmer prior to his departure for America.

Johan Herman and Magdalena Bubel had seven children, all of whom were born while the family was still living in Germany. The couple’s oldest daughter and son, Katherine and Johann, were the first of their immediate family to come to the United States. They departed Le Havre, France aboard the steamship Charles Hill and arrived in New York on June 1, 1853.

The rest of the family (Johann and Magdalena [listed as Madelaine] with their children listed as Anna, Peter, Maria, Margarita and Anna Maria) came to America a few years later. They departed Le Havre in steerage on the steamship Red Rover, captained by W.G. Logan and arrived in New York on January 2, 1857.

Katherine married Samuel R. (aka Simon) Krummenacker on April 15, 1855, prior to the rest of her family's arrival from Germany. They were married in St. Boniface Church.

In 1859, either John Herman the father or Johann Herman the son bought a small farm of five acres that included a narrow strip of land that fronted on Fosters Meadow Road, now Elmont Road, Elmont, NY.  This land was next to the newly built St. Boniface Church. The family lived in the upstairs section of a hotel situated at the corner of Fosters Meadow Road and Central Avenue, now Linden Boulevard.  Over the next one hundred years with few interuptions, the Herman family lived in or maintained the hotel which was know by various names such as the Central Avenue Hotel, Herman's Hotel, and later Herman's Bar & Grill. The remaining children of John Herman and Magdalena Bubel were married in St. Boniface Church (except Margaretha who was married in Most Holy Trinity Church, Williamsburg, Brooklyn) as follows:

Johann Herman to Maria A. Speiser on November 19, 1867. Anna (unknown or possibly to Michael Forthover)

Peter John Herman to Barbara Schneider on March 30, 1869.

Mary Ann Herman to Nickolas Krummenacker (brother of Simon above) on April 10, 1860.

Margaretha K. Herman to John George Kunz on February 21, 1865

Anna Herman (unknown).

Submitted by Steve Herman

Email: Sherman1967@yahoo.com