Initially believed to have come to the United States from Germany and other parts of northern Europe, the Hile family — spelled in a variety of ways, including Heil and Hiles — initially settled in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the 18th century.
From there, my branch of the family moved westward into the counties surrounding Lexington, Kentucky and eventually into northeast Missouri around Hannibal. My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all claim Hannibal as their birthplace.
My immediate branch of the Hile family came out west to Long Beach, California following the Great Depression and during World War II. A preview of the events that led up to the move can be found in the Westward Bound posts, and there were earlier Hiles in the area.
Of course, not every member of the Hile side of the family carried that surname, so some of the photos may carry the names of Kennedy, Smith, Coppedge, Duke, Dameron, and Christian, to name just a few. Other related-family photos can be found in The Bousman Family Connection as well.
images
Here are a few images of the Hile family. The rest can be found here. Click on a thumbnail below to launch a larger, full-size image and caption. Feel free to comment, as well. Please check back occasionally, as more photos and captions are added.
related posts
There Will Be More …
My DNA testing has conclusively proven that I am not as Korean as I once thought I was.
Westward Bound — Heading South
It was hard to leave the Bay Area but Ella had another destination down the road she had also longed to see. We got a lunch of pie, cakes and milk, and hastened to the train and around four o”clock we were on our way. The view all along the coast line was simply magnificent,…
Westward Bound — Such is the Inconsistency of Women
Ella and family finally see the Pacific Ocean and it seemed to meet her expectations
Westward Bound — I Left My Heart …
“Wandering in a garden of dreams,” she said, “and it also convinced me that after seeing such a wonderland of beauty that there was surely a mistake about there being an ugly sordid side of life.”
Westward Bound — Homecoming!
I’m not exactly sure what the “most thrilling wonderful places” the Hiles would have missed that night were that could top their Royal Gorge experience. But I wasn’t quite prepared for what happened next.
Westward Bound — Warts
As a historian, what do you do with passages that don’t always hold the subject in a good light?
Westward Bound — Family Time
After the emotional rollercoaster of the preceding day, it was time for the more mundane but some weren’t having it …
Westward Bound — The Collision of Beauty and Fate
The Hiles view the grandeur of the landscape but also experience the vagaries of life.