Chacko, Kim, Lin, Maimon, Mucollari

Frank Garcia Hollowbush

Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, has been home to men and women from all
walks of life. Ever since William Penns founding of the city in 1682, Philadelphia has served
as a haven to many immigrants and slaves seeking protection from persecution, and to this day
it is still a sanctuary city. These major influxes of immigration contributed to the industrial
scene in Philadelphia and helped build both Philadelphia and the United States of America.
Moguls and venture capitalists took advantage of the growing economy and speculated on both
stocks and land. Among them was the honorable Frank Garcia Hollowbush, the subject of this
biog raphy paper. Although he was short in stature, 53 to be exact, Frank led a strong, fruitful
life (Document 22).

Jacob Hollowbush was a bookseller by profession (Document 2). Hollowbush first ran
his business by himself in 1858, but in 1866 took on Robert Davis Carey as a partner in
business and became Hollowbush & Carey1. This company sold paper flour sacks, bags,
wrapping, curtain and wallpaper among other things. They were blank book manufacturers and
stationers as well (Document 30). This was right around the strife of slavery issues. This was a
great age of American literature due to social unrest
which stemmed from the slavery conflict2. As a result,
they were able to find capital in exchange for their
services quite easily. Books published by this company
include several almanacs and cookbooks3 4 .
5
Hollowbush and Carey continued to be prosperous
for quite some time, although the Hollowbush
involvement in the business ended with Jacob
Hollowbushs death in 1882, since Frank Garcia opted to
sell his stake in the company (Document 15). From there,
the company became called Carey Bros. and Grevemeyer,
run by brothers Thomas Carey and Robert Davis Carey as
well as a new partner named W. H. Grevemeyer. Carey
Bros. and Grevemeyer, while prosperous, changed hands
again in 1893 to become W. H. Grevemeyer and Co. This
company was described by The American Stationer, a

stationary journal, as the largest jobbing house in the state, and its business extended through
1
Pennsylvania Historical Review
2

These included Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (concerning slavery) and The Scarlet Letter by
Nathaniel Hawthorne (concerning womens rights)
3
Farmer's Almanac. Philadelphia, Hollowbush & Carey. 1873, 1892
4

Westminster Cook-book. Every Recipe Tried and Proved .. Philadelphia: Hollowbush and Carey, 1876. Print.
5
The painting at the left is of Kate Hollowbush less than a year before she died. The dark colors in the
background and the depressed look on her face represent both her sickness and the upcoming American Civil War
 Chacko, Kim, Lin, Maimon, Mucollari

all the towns and cities of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, the Virginias and
the Carolinas.6 This company in turn was replaced by the Charles Christensen Company,
which in 1907 was valued at two hundred thousand dollars. This is equivalent to almost five
million in todays money; this growth would not have been possible without the initiative and
investment of Jacob Hollowbush7.

Frank Hollowbush was born on May 7th, 1854 to Jacob Hollowbush and Adelaide
Garcia Hollowbush. Adelaide Garcia Hollowbush, the mother of Frank, was of at least fifty
percent Cuban descent, and Jacob Hollowbush, the father of Frank, was of Scottish and
German descent 8. Adelaide was born in 1818 and Jacob was born on May 11th, 1809. They
were married on May 20th, 1841 at Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.

Their first child was an unnamed male, who was unfortunately a stillborn. Their second
child, Kate Hollowbush, was born in 1851, and three years later Frank Garcia was born. Ten
years later, on July 9th, 1861, Kate died of laryngitis9 (a viral infection that causes
inflammation of the voice box) (Document 3). Adelaide died only a year later on December
14th, 1862 of an illness, but it was said that she died of a broken heart due to the loss of her
only daughter at such a young age (Document 4; Document 29).

During his childhood, Frank Garcia Hollowbush lived at 414 N 7th St in Philadelphia.
This house is located in what is now called Northern Liberties10 (Document 1). During
Hollowbushs time, it was an affluent, white neighborhood.

He enjoyed an upper class existence during his infant years. But, tragedy struck when
Frank was but a mere lad of the age 7. In a matter of two years, he had lost both his sister and
mother. Both were buried in the Woodlands Cemetery, the first of the Hollowbush family to be
buried there (Document 28). The fact that Frank Garcia was the only one of three children to
survive to adulthood, as well as the fact that his mother died fairly early in his life, meant that
he faced many troubles and times were especially hard for his father. Frank Garcia would grow
up without a sister and his father would never again marry, though there is evidence that
implies he had sexual relations with a maid.

This is based on the fact that he left two thousand dollars--a large sum at the time--for
her in his will after he died of general disabilities in 1882 (Document 6). His gift to the maid of
$2,000 is worth over $40,000 today (Document 5). Another possible explanation could simply
be that she was a great worker, but two thousand dollars seems excessive for that cause. Frank

6
Pennsylvania Historical Review: Gazetteer, Post-office, Express and Telegraph Guide: City of Philadelphia:
Leading Merchants and Manufacturers. New York: Historical Pub., 1886. Print.
7
"The Quaker City." The American Stationer 62.1 (1907): 22. Web.
8
Abercrombie, the middle name of Franks son, is Scottish, and the name Hollowbush is German. Garcia is a
Hispanic name and Hollowbush visited Cuba several times.
9
Only 24 females died of laryngitis in 1860 according to the U.S. 1860 Census.
10
Many German immigrants, including the Hollowbushes, settled in Northern Liberties in the 19th century.
Several breweries popped up in the area.
 Chacko, Kim, Lin, Maimon, Mucollari

would continue to live with his father and servants up

through his secondary education.

Jacob Hollowbushs death in 1882 left twenty-eight year

old Frank Garcia with his estate, which was worth at least
$62,000. This is just over $1,000,000 in todays currency
(Document 6). Frank Garcia Hollowbush would not
continue to pursue any further education after high school.
He was listed as a gentlemen during his young adult years.
Later, he would purchase a house with Virginia Haedrich
and they lived together in that new house at 432 N 32 St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania11 (Document 7). When he was
thirty-one years of age, in June 1885, Frank Garcia
married the love of his life, Virginia Haedrich,12 at the
Trinity Reformed Church in Philadelphia on the corners of
Broad and Venango in North Philadelphia (Document 8).
During these years, he would live off of his inheritance from
his father, and grow his portfolio as a stock investor.

Jennie Hollowbush, the first daughter of both Frank Garcia and Virginia, was born on
March 26th, 1886 and she tragically died the next day due to an imperfect closure of a cleft
palate in her throat (Document 9; Document 28). She was buried in the Woodlands Cemetery
alongside of Jacob, Adelaide, and Kate Hollowbush. The couple hurried to fill the void that was
left by the passing of their daughter, Jennie.

The very next year of 1887, Frank Garcia and Virginia had a son together. His name
was Frank Abercrombie Hollowbush. He grew to be 5 foot 8 inches with a large mouth,
protruding chin, brown hair, brown eyes and dark complexion, which further proves his
familys Cuban roots (Document 23). Three years later, they would give birth to another child,
a daughter this time. She would be named after Frank Garcias mother, Adelaide. In the 1890s,
Frank Garcia began to acquire land to eventually sell at a profit along with continuing to invest
in securities (bonds and stocks).

One of his most successful business ventures occurred in 1891. Frank Garcia
Hollowbush bought the slate quarry of A. F. Creitz and Moses and Benjamin Henry--which is
in Lynn township, Lehigh county--from the sheriff. He then sold it to Joseph Lutz of
Allentown. Joseph Lutz then gave out mortgages on the property to Frank Hollowbush among
other men (Document 10).

11
This was in West Philadelphia.
12
Virginia H Hollowbush was born in 1860.
 Chacko, Kim, Lin, Maimon, Mucollari

Frank Garcia, Virginia, Adelaide, and Frank Abercrombie, lived in Philadelphia until
1900. In this year they lived on 18 S Broad St, which was his last registered year in
Philadelphia (Document 11). The following years until 1907 are up for major speculation.
Philadelphia census records show that the Hollowbushes no longer lived within the city. They
are recorded to have lived in Allenhurst, Monmouth County, New Jersey, from 1907 to 1930
(Document 14). There may not have been records between 1900 and 1907 because Frank
Garcia may have been visiting Cuba on an extremely long hiatus, he may have been running
from the law, or he lived in Allenhurst without completing legal documents signifying his
residence (Document 18).

Frank Abercrombie Hollowbush (not to be confused with Frank Garcia Hollowbush)

began his postsecondary education at Princeton University, fairly
close to his home in Allenhurst. However, for reasons unknown,
he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania13 in 1907 for his
junior and senior years (Document 12; Document 13). Here, he
was the Master of Archives of the Zelosophic Society, a debate
and literature club that rivaled the Philadelic Society of the
University of Pennsylvania. Documentation also exists that he
applied to become Corresponding Secretary of the Society14.
Frank Abercrombie also became President of the Mosquito
Society, another literary club, as well as founder, secretary, and
treasurer of the De Lancey School Club. He joined the fraternity
Sigma Phi Epsilon, which is one of the largest fraternities in the
United States based on undergraduate membership. It is clear
that although he entered the University later than others, he still
became a prominent figure in the University (Document 13).
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of Pennsylvania, he enrolled in a graduate course at Cornell University, which he
attended from 1911 to 191215.

In 1914, Virginia and Frank Garcia Hollowbush and their daughter Adelaide went on
what was presumably a vacation to Cuba, the land of Franks ancestors16 (Document 19). This
would not be the last time that Frank Garcia would visit that particular land, it would be the last
time, however, that he would visit there in the company of his beloved wife. Virginia
Hollowbush would pass on two years later in 1916 due to heart complications and old age. In
1920, he would visit Cuba yet again (Document 20).

Frank Garcia and Frank Abercrombie moved to New York City together in 1917 for a
year. They moved to 97 Central Park West, which was a wealthy area with a view into the

13
Ironically, Frank Abercrombie was educated in close proximity to where his father is buried.
14
"Zelosophic Society Meeting." The Pennsylvanian [Philadelphia] 9 Jan. 1909: 2. Print.
15
Cornell University is in Ithaca, New York, near where his father owned some property.
16
Cubans began immigrating to the United States of America after the Louisiana Purchase in 1804.
 Chacko, Kim, Lin, Maimon, Mucollari

grand park. This move coincided with the United States entering the Great War,17 and it was
likely to look after their investments on Wall Street while the world economy faced turmoil.
Frank Abercrombie had to fill out a draft registration form since he was eligible as a thirty year
old healthy man. He filled out in the form that he was nearsighted, which could have been true
or could have been a tactic to evade the draft (Document 16).18 We also know Frank
Abercrombie was an avid film enthusiast, hosting an exhibition of several films in San Diego,
California. 19

The following year in 1918, Frank Garcia again lost a precious gem in his life. Adelaide
Hollowbush died of pulmonary issues in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We infer that this came
from the worldwide influenza pandemic of 1918, when even the wealthy had to take steps to
avoid the disease. Adelaide was still a resident of Allenhurst, New Jersey, but many wealthy
people were able to send their sick relatives to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for the fresher
air (Sherlock)20 . In the end, the fresher air did not save his
daughter, and she ended up dying at the age of 28.

Adelaide Hollowbushs will only had two beneficiaries: her

father, Frank Garcia Hollowbush and her brother, Frank
Abercrombie Hollowbush. She had followed in her fathers
footsteps and owned both stocks and land, including some in
West Virginia, which is why her will is located there
(Document 17). To her father, she left all 21 of her shares in
the Philadelphia Company for Insurance. To her brother, she
left her estate and took steps to make sure it would go to his
children if he were to die. Her real estate left was three
thousand dollars, or fifty-three thousand dollars in todays
money, and her personal possessions including investments
were worth twenty-seven thousand dollars, or four hundred
and seventy-six thousand dollars in todays money. She also
had a kind soul. In the event of the deaths of Frank Garcia and
Frank Abercrombie Hollowbush, her inheritance would have been given to the Childrens Aid
Society of Pennsylvania22 (Document 17).

In 1918, Frank Garcia Hollowbush was offered a deduction on his property taxes if he
sold part of his land in Buffalo to the city. This proves that he owned land in Buffalo and he
was also late on paying taxes which feeds into the speculation that he traveled so much in order

17
Now known as World War I
18
We were not able to confirm these suspicions.
19
Williams, Jesse Lynch, and Edwin Mark Norris. Princeton Alumni Weekly, Volume 15. Vol. 15. Princeton:
Princeton U, 1914. Print.
20
Sherlock, Tom. Colorado's Healthcare Heritage: A Chronology of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Volume One - 1800-1899. Vol. 1. N.p.: IUniverse, 2013. Print.
21
This picture is from Frank Garcia Hollowbushs 1921 passport
22
It is still around today and it currently works with foster families and orphans.
 Chacko, Kim, Lin, Maimon, Mucollari

to evade paying taxes. In 1920 he continued his legacy of selling property for a profit, as he
sold his old house at 432 N 32nd Street in Philadelphia, which he last occupied at least 15 years
ago. He rented the house out for those years until the value of the house went up to the point
where he could make a significant profit by selling it (Document 21).

In 1920, Frank Garcia boarded for Costa Rica, Panama and Cuba on the S.S Balomones.
During 1921, Frank Garcia visited Cuba again on the S.S. Santa Marta, as well as the British
West Indies, and Venezuela (Document 23). Frank Garcia then voyaged to Kingston, Jamaica23
during the year of 1922 (Document 24). He took the S.S Empress of Britain in this voyage
throughout the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. It was one of his last recorded leaves for
pleasure. By this time, he was sixty-eight years old and on the latter legs of his life and had
already travelled far more than the average man does in a lifetime.

Frank Garcia Hollowbush entered the Galen Hall Sanitarium (an institution for the
elderly and the ill) in Atlantic City in 1930 (Document 25). This was shortly after the stock
market crash of 1929 which sent the country spiraling into depression. Since he was heavily
invested in stocks on the New York City Stock Exchange, the crash may have led to his
physical fatigue. He died the next year in the sanitarium on February 24th, 1931 due to
pneumonia. His burial was on that Friday, the 27th of February, in the Woodlands Cemetery in
West Philadelphia.

His only child, Frank Abercrombie Hollowbush, lived a fairly eventful life in the years
following his fathers death. He inherited his grandfathers taste in printed paper products,
especially those of stamps. He was part of the Philatelic Society of stamp collectors and traders
and documentation exists of several trades he made, all linking back to a Frank A Hollowbush
Collection24. On August 7, 1917, he married his first wife, Florence Lawson. The two went on
to travel many different times, to Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and to Bermuda (Document 24).
These were all for recreation, and often lasted for several months at a time. Unfortunately,
Florence Lawson died of cerebral vascular disease at the age of 50, leaving Frank Abercrombie
in 1937(Document 27). The year after, Frank Abercrombie remarried to Mabel Everhart, from
Dayton, Ohio. It is unclear exactly when they separated, but Mabel Everhart died as a divorcee
and Frank Abercrombie Hollowbush had married Gertrude West in 1940.

Frank Abercrombie went to Hawaii25 three times. Once he went with his first wife,
Florence Lawson, and the other two times, he went with his third wife, Gertrude West
Hollowbush (Document 26). For most of his life up until that point, Frank had lived on the East
Coast, and vacationed on the islands of the East Coast. However, for the later part of his life, he
had moved towards the West Coast and started vacationing in Hawaii.

23
The capital of Jamaica, on the southeastern coast of the island nation.
24
Lyons, Larry. "N.J. LOCAL POSTS: Hackney & Bolte Penny Post, Atlantic City." New Jersey Postal Historical
Society Journal 43.3 (2015): 146-47. Print
25
Hawaii was annexed in 1898 and gained statehood in 1959.
 Chacko, Kim, Lin, Maimon, Mucollari

Gertrude West Hollowbush was the most prominent of Frank Abercrombies three
wives. Her family, originally from Savannah, Georgia had her in Richmond, Virginia. They
moved back to Savannah when Gertrude West was eight years old. She worked as a juvenile
corrections officer at the start of World War I, and soon after moved to Philadelphia, where she
met Frank Abercrombie. Frank Abercrombie passed away first in 1965, after which Gertrude
West Hollowbush moved back to Savannah. Here, Gertrude West was involved greatly in the
Georgia Historical Society26. Her name appears in several different issues of the Georgia
Historical Society Journal27 28 . She was also a prominent figure in the arts community of
Savannah, and even has an award named after her for the Telfair Art Museum volunteer of the
year. In Georgia, Gertrude West Hollowbush donated some of the Hollowbush family
possessions to the Telfair Museum of Art, including the aforementioned painting of Kate
Hollowbush (Document 29). She is described as a multimillion dollar donor who placed the
Telfair on stable financial footing in 1988, the first time since its opening one hundred and two
years earlier . 29

To conclude, Frank Garcia harbored a deep love for his ancestors land, Cuba. He made
a concerted effort to go back there many times through his life, especially in the latter stages. In
Philadelphia, Frank Garcia represented a beacon for the very minor population of Latin
Americans. Besides the death of almost every single love one, Frank Garcia was undeniably
successful in business, real estate and speculation on Wall Street. Also, his son, Frank
Abercrombie travelled extensively throughout his scholarly career and life. That is a huge
success by secular standards. Those in wealthy stances were always give the opportunity to
travel the world. The scholar Ibn Battuta30, for example, was able to travel the far reaches of
Africa and Asia given his high status in Morocco. Ivy League universities during the time of
the Hollowbushes were also restricted to the upper echelon of established American families.
Frank Abercrombie was able to attend three of the eight Ivy Leagues. As far as failures go,
Frank Garcia Hollowbush was not good at making them. The personal estate left to him by his
father allowed little room for actual mistakes. He also became a father, the greatest success a
man can have.

26
Oldest continuously operating historical society in the southern United States.
27
Back Matter. The Georgia Historical Quarterly, vol. 67, no. 1, 1983, www.jstor.org/stable/40581046.
28
GENEALOGICAL QUERY. The Georgia Historical Quarterly, vol. 38, no. 3, 1954, pp. 295295.
www.jstor.org/stable/40577714.
29
Sammons, Tania June. ""A Vital and Integral Part of Society:" Women Patrons of the Arts in the South (1)."
Aurora, The Journal of the History of Art. WAPACC Organization. 2003. HighBeam Research. 29 Jan. 2017
<https://www.highbeam.com>
30
Muslim scholar who lived in the 1300s.