1883-Hattie's first love and future husband John Zanft was born in New York City

March 15th 1886-A Baby Girl was born to Isaac and Helen Kanengeiser in the Austrian countryside

They named their first born daughter-Henrietta

1891-Henrietta begins to get interested in clothing/hats and wants to follow in her fathers footsteps- Her father was a tailor.

1898-Twelve year old Henrietta drops out of school, along with her older brother to help her poor family. She works cleaning floors and washing dishes.

1900-The Kanengeiser's home burns to the ground. Mr. Kanengeiser, seeing a better future in America, takes his family to New York City. He was informed many jobs for tailors were available. It was around this time, the Kanengeiser's began to look into arranging a future marriage for Henrietta.

1900-Henrietta finds more jobs for housekeeping in America. Her younger siblings go to school and she also finds factory work. Hattie desires to own a clothing shop-for right now it's an assembly line only.

Near the end of 1901-Henrietta goes into Macy's Department Store to look at their clothing and jewelry.  On the advice of a friend, after giving the management some unwanted advice, asks the management for a job.

1901-Macy's hires Henrietta first as a salesgirl. They offer her a free wardrobe if she takes a modeling job. She becomes Macy's young prodigy. They are so impressed by her they advance her a promotion. She is offered free millenary training and taught to create hats.

Henrietta is now called "Hattie" by everyone but her parents.

1901-Mr. and Mrs. Kanengeiser are pleased their daughter obtained such a wonderful job, but her father is not pleased that Henrietta has started dating. This was contrary to her culture. She was also instrumental in starting a new trend-hemlines above the knee.  Around this time, the Kanengeiser's seventh and final child is born in New York's Lower East Side. Hattie chose her name. "Rose".