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Wachenbuchen, Hessen, Germany
Wachenbuchen is the place where many of the Meffords lived prior to immigrating
to America. Wachenbuchen is a small Ort a few kilometers northeast
of Frankfurt au Main. Today it is merely a bedroom community of Hanau
and Frankfurt. Middlebuchen is the nearest major town, about 5 klicks
(kilometers) east. According to the residents of Middlebuchen, "wachen"
means to watch or a sentinel, "middle" means middle and a "buchen" is a
large tree. We may be free to conclude that Wachenbuchen contained
or was near to a large tree used as a lookout.
"Hessen County is the Land of the Reinhardwald Forest which surrounds
the Weser River. These dark foreboding forests with their ancient
castles were used by the Grims brothers - Jacob and Wilhelm- in their
famous fairy tales. Two of which are 'The Sleeping Beauty' (Sababurg
Castle) and 'Little Red Riding Hood.' ....Another famous town of Hessen
county is Hamelin, in the northern part. Hamelin was make world renown
by James Howell when he heard Browning tell his tale of "The Piped Piper."
Howell Believed the tale and published it in his "Familiar Letters of 1643."
(The German Mefferts, by Betty Lou Mefford)
