August Feine and sons

The photo above and the text below are reprinted from
Buffalo and Its German Community
Illustrated.  German-American Historical and Biographical Society 1911-12 . Copyright 1912 by Jacob E. Mueller

Mr. August Feine has an outstanding reputation in Buffalo's large iron industry.

He was born on June 9, 1851 in Kölleda, Thuringia. He was the son of honest townfolk. After leaving school he apprenticed in the honorable trade of locksmithing. When he completed his apprenticeship and studies of the trade he commenced his journeymanship. He worked for a while in Berlin, in various citiesin Pommerania, and in Frankfurt on the Mainz. He was employed by masters in the trade for 7 years.

His parents emigrated to the United States in 1879 and settled in Buffalo. Two years later on April 6, 1881 he sailed on the steamship Hapsburg from Bremen to the New World. He arrived in Buffalo on April 22nd.

Here he found employment at Howard's Iron Works, then at the John T. Noye Mill Works. Later he went on to the Niagara Stamping & Tool Works Co. He then worked at the Franks Machine Works.

In 1890 he became self-employed, establishing a workshop at the corner of Oak and Genesee Streets.

His diligence, his hard work, his acute business sense, and his dedication to his trade were manifest from the beginning and led to his success. By 1892 he had to seek a larger facility. He established a shop on Lock Street near Terrace where it was his intention to introduce modern machine methods for the production of ornamental and structural iron works. With time there wasn't enough space so in 1900 Feine acquired a large building at 740 - 756 Terrace at the corner of Erie Street. Approximately 70 men are employed at this huge facility. These are men who know their business. The products of this facility go all over New York State and the rest of the country. Mr. Feine has manufactured beautiful pieces for the Iroquois Hotel, the Hotel Lafayette, and the Hotel Statler. He's produced the elevator shafts for City Hall and other places. It is Mr. Feine's intention, together with that of his 4 truly supportive sons, to expand and build a large subsidiary in South Buffalo in order to produce iron construction materials in mass quantities.

Mr. Feine married Miss Barbara Weber on August 28, 1876. The happy marriage has produced 6 children: August C., George R., Charles F., Ernst B., Mrs. Anna Jung, and Mrs. Katherine Bernhard. Charles F. Feine is currently studying at Renselar [sic] Polytechnical Institute in Troy, N.Y. The 3 other sons are employed in their father's business.

Mr. Feine has remained a true German. Through word and deed he has taken part in German activities. He is a prominent member of the Orpheus, the Sängerbund, the Teutonia Liederkranz, the Concordia Lodge Order of the Free Masons, the Chamber of Commerce, the John T. Noye Benevolent Association, the Builder's Exchange, the Liberty League, and several other associations.

Mr. Feine made a trip back to the old fatherland in 1901 and visited his sister in Berlin. In 1905 he took an extended tour of Europe with his wife. The couple visited Italy, Austria, Hungary, Bavaria, and Saxony. They travelled to Berlin, Frankfurt on the Mainz, Rockhausen in the Rhine Palatinate (homeland of Mrs. Feine), Cologne, Aachen, Brussels, Paris, and Strassburg. They spent a little while in Switzerland and sailed back to the United States from Genoa. They brought back an incredible treasure chest of beautiful memories.

The text below is excerpted from
The History of the Germans in Buffalo and Erie County, Part VII
Published and printed by Reinecke & Zesch. Buffalo, N.Y., U.S.A. 1898

August Feine, about whom this next section deals, is known well beyond the city limits because of his artistry in the creation of ironwork.

In 1881 he emigrated to the United States and settled in Buffalo on April 22nd of the same year. He worked for many years in various machine shops and inally opened his own ornamental metal works shop on July 15, 1891 at Genesee and Oak Streets, which he later relocated to 20 Lock Street.

Mr. Feine, a true artist in his craft, is responsible for the wonderful and pleasing portico on the Main Street side of the Iroquois Hotel, as well as the magnificent and graceful picture frames he presented to the Buffalo Sängerbund in 1898 to celebrate the anniversary of its founding. These provide proof of the number of skilled craftmen in his shop and what he can do with modern machinery to produce the most intricate examples in the field.

From his workshop comes ironwork for all kinds of construction - fire escapes, stairs, landings, etc. but above all else his specialty is ornamental latticework, which evokes the awe of professionals and laymen alike for its fine and artistic execution.

• Since 1882 Mr. Feine has been a member of the Order of the Harugari and the Harugari Men's Choir.
• Since 1891 he has belonged to the Buffalo Sängerbund as an active member. Currently he is its Vice-President.
• Furthermore, he is a member of the Concordia Lodge Order of the Free Masons.

Mr. Feine, who calls the exceedingly comfortable house at 365 Johnson Street his home, has been married to Barbara Weber since August 28, 1876.

Six children, all still living together, have sprung from the generally happy union.

Barbara Feine, nee Weber, was born on May 2, 1832 in Rockenhausen, part of the Rhein Palatinate. She attended the Protestant Congregation school in her home district.

On August 28, 1876 she married Mr. August Feine in Frankfurt on Main. They came to the United States in 1881 and settled in Buffalo on April 22nd of the same year. Mrs. Feine, the mother of 6 children still living together, enjoys the greatest respect of all who are fortunate enough to know her because of her excellent character as a proper German housewife.