Joseph Millhiser

Joseph Millhiser was born in Hagenbach, Bavaria, on December 24, 1822. He was the fourth six children born to Akiba and Meiline Heller Mühlhäuser—the family name before it was Anglicized—all of whom would settle in Richmond, Virginia, apart from the youngest, Emmanuel, who died as a child. The eldest, Yetta, arrived first, with her fiancé, Abraham Hutzler, in 1839. Three years later, at the age of nineteen, Joseph arrived in Richmond. His sisters Mary and Caroline were there by 1845 and 48, respectively, with Moses, the youngest Millhiser to survive childhood, arriving in 1846.

The Millhiser siblings all became active in the Reform congregation Beth Ahabah. It was there that Joseph married Louisa Rosenthall in 1847, a union that would result in three children, Charles, Amelia and Jeanette.

Joseph went into business—with some success, it seems—but the details of these enterprises remain rather paltry. Most likely, he began as a peddler before opening a dry goods store. About his brother, however, a good deal more is known. Moses too got his start in peddling and followed this with a dry goods shop. He next graduated from retail to wholesale, before opening the Millhiser Manufacturing Company, one of the largest bag manufacturers in the country. He later served as director of the City Bank and the Virginia Trust Company. With these successes, Moses turned increasingly to communal life. He served as president of Beth Ahaba for thirty years and devoted energy and funds to the upkeep and expansion of the Hebrew Cemetery in Richmond.

Both Millhiser brothers served in Civil War. Joseph was a member of Company F, First Regiment of the Reserve Forces of Virginia, though he was relieved of his post after contracting dysentery in 1863.

Joseph Millhiser

1857