Hills Coffee

Hills brother's coffee

Sunday, 22. January 2006, 01:11

1881

Austin and Reuben Hills buy a retail coffee shop in

San Francisco, beginning the Hills Brothers coffee

empire. By 1900, they lead the industry by packing

their product in newfangled vacuum cans, making it

possible to buy coffee at grocery stores instead of

going to neighborhood roasters.

Photo is from:

The History of Hills Brothers Coffee – 

And The Vacuum Seal Mystery

By Chris Grande

[edit]

(Some claim royalty. I claim coffee.)
I'm not exactly sure how Austin and Reuben Hills fit into my family tree.
Here's my line:  Thomas Hills & Jane Scarborow
                         William Hills & Phyliss Lyman
                         John Hills & Jane Bushnell
                         Samuel Sr. Hills & Phebe Leonard
                         Samuel Jr. Hills & Hannah Turner
                         Eliab Hills & Naomi Woodworth
                         Consider Hills & Parthena Wales
                          Eliab Hills & Lucy Smith
                          Lucien H. Hills & Aura Anna Savage
                          Henry L. Hills & Katharine Ann Meiklejohn
                          Katharine Aura Hills & Ira D. Austin (died 1936) my grandparents
                          Katharine Aura Hills & Harvey D. Austin (the only grandfather I ever knew)
                       

http://chrisgrande.com/2010/07/24/the-history-of-hills-brothers-coffee-and-the-vacuum-seal-mystery/

Medad Hills guns

Hills guns

Sunday, 22. January 2006, 02:07

This is the link to BlackHart Long Arms Company which still produces the Hills Fowler the Revolutionary War rifle made by Benoni, Col Medad and John Hills in Goshen, Conn.

http://pages.cthome.net/black_hart/mhills.htm

These reproductions are still handmade and come up for sale on ebay from time to time. I also have a copy of the American Gunsmith? article on the weapons made by John Hills, gunsmith of Charlotte, Chittenden Co Vermont who was one of Medad's brothers.

In addition to the Hills guns, the family is also connected to the Spencers of the Spencer Rifle factory.

(The above information and link was provided by John Hills)

Hills, Medad (1729-1808)  A son of Benoni Hills.  Medad Hills was born at Durham, Connecticut, 22 April 1729.  Medad was probaly apprenticed to his father after the latter had moved to Goshen in 1741.  By 1776 Hills was involved in contractual arms production with the state.  On 24 February 1776 Col. Charles Burd acknowledged receipt of ten muskets with bayonets and belts made by Hills.  Hills had been involved with the local militia since 1769, and after the outbreak of the war, was elected captain in the Goshen militia.  He was soon promoted to major.  He served actively until the fall of 1779 when his rheumatic condition forced him to resign his commission.  He probably resumed his career as gun manufacturer.  Several of his guns are extant, a few marked "made by Medad Hills at Goshen".

Ref:  

Arms makers of colonial America

 By James B. Whisker