February 16, 1900: Teenage Girl Elopes with New-found Love

By Margaret Leidy Harner from her book One Day at a Time: A Social History of Boyertown, PA.

February 16, 1900: Katie Weinberger, age 16, has eloped with a “hobo” cigar maker. Employed as a domestic in the family of Edwin Kern, she attended a party last Saturday evening with her “steady” and met the cigar maker, who gave his name as Hillegass.

She must have quickly dumped the “steady” because the next day Katie asked her mistress for the afternoon off and met up with Hillegass. They have disappeared. Miss Weinberger is described as rather handsome but “wayward.” Nothing more has been heard from her.

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