He came to the United States in 1839 and settled in New York City, where he first worked in a tassel factory, then moved to Pennsylvania, where he began a small general store.

[1][2][3] From there he went to Alabama, where he was naturalized in 1848 as a U.S. citizen and, in partnership with two brothers, he started in business, opening three stores along the Tombigbee River.

In 1849, after gold was discovered in California, he and a brother went west, to Sacramento, where they founded a business, which was burned out twice in the fires which swept the city.

In that year, he was described in a voting register as five feet five and one half inches tall, with blue eyes and white hair.

[9][10] Hamburger died of a cerebral hemorrhage on December 1, 1897, in the family home on McAllister Street, leaving his widow, Hanna, four sons and a daughter.