Dec 11

Liberty Township Post Offices

Unlike Black Creek Township, which had only one post office around 1900, Liberty Township, organized in 1841, had six post offices before the turn of the century. These rural Mercer County, Ohio, post offices were often in a small general store that was located in a small village or hamlet.

The six Liberty Township post offices were located in Brehm, Chattanooga, Durbin, Hinton, Skeel’s Cross Roads, and Scudder, some places that are basically unknown today.

The Skeel’s Cross Roads Post office was the earliest post office in the township and was in operation by mid-1850, with Postmaster Sylvester Skeels.

Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio, 1900 map.

The Liberty Township post offices with their appointed postmasters:

Brehm, a hamlet with a post office, established by 1900. I could not find this on a map, so I am not sure where this was located. It may have been on Wabash Road, south of St. Paul Lutheran Church:
Philip Kable, 24 Jul 1890-Oct 1895
Mail sent to Hinton Dec 1897

Chattanooga, an unincorporated village, probably started around 1870:
Philip Hill, 18 Sep 1882
John Schlenker, 31 Aug 1885
William Fender, 8 Sep 1888
Jacob Deitsch, 24 Dec 1889
Henry J Cordier, 9 Jul 1891
Frederick Heffner, 15 Jan 1894
Philip Deitsch, 16 Jul 1895
Andrew Leistner, 10 Apr 1899
George R Hagerman, 30 Nov 1891
Mail sent to Rockford 3 May 1900
Charles F Wagner, 14 Sep 1904

Durbin, a crossroad village with post office, located at Erastus Durbin Road and Mud Pike:
George P. Durbin, 23 May 1892-16 Jul 1898
Albert E. Kanorr, 4 Apr 1899
Mark McDonald, 7 Jun 1901
Albert E Kanorr, 8 Feb 1902
Mail sent to Celina 23 Nov 1904, effective 14 Dec

Durbin, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio, 1900 map.

Hinton, a hamlet with post office, located at Oregon and Erastus Durbin Roads:
John H. Shambaugh, 25 Apr 1890
Wm F. Hinkle, 26 May 1893
Fred Weitz, 20 Nov 1895
John H. Laudahn, 1 Dec 1896
Wm L. Hinton, 22 Mar 1900
John H. Laudahn, 7 Jun 1901
Mail sent to Celina 28 Nov 1904, effective 31 Dec

Hinton, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio, 1900 map.

Scudder, a hamlet with a post office, located at Wabash and Skeels Roads:
Thomas McKee, 19 Oct 1889
Elonzo M Thomas, 11 Nov 1890-2 Oct 1895
Lemul A Thomas, 25 Jan 1896

Skeel’s Cross Roads, a hamlet with a post office by 1888 located at Route 49 and Skeels Road:
Sylvester Skeels, 11 May 1850
Amos Lee, 8 Aug 1853
William H. Skeels, 3 Dec 1868 [?]
John Meyer, 19 Sep 1870
Nicholas Feissel/Feipel, 7 Apr 1884
John Knox, 13 May 1887
John Haller, 25 Jan 1890
Mathias Schritz, 20 Feb 1892-23 Jul 1898-2 Oct 1902
Mail sent to Celina 2 My 1905, effective 31 May

Skeel’s Cross Roads & Scudder, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio, 1900 map.

I don’t believe Burrville ever had a post office but it is listed in Overton’s book as a crossroads on Schaadt Road.

Sources:

Mercer County Chapter OGS, Mercer County, Ohio Combined 1888, 1900 Atlases and 1876 Map of Mercer County, Ohio, (Mt. Vernon, IN : Windmill Publication, Inc., 1999).

Julie Minot Overton, The Ohio Genealogical Society, Ohio Towns and Townships to 1900: A Location Guide, (Mansfield, Ohio : Penobscot Press, 2000).

Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-1971, National Archives, Roll #100, Target 12, Vol. 15 (1843-57) p.320-21, Vol. 25A (1857-73) p.294, Vol. 38 (1873-1891), p.316, & Vol. 79 (1891-1930) p.367-368; digital image, Ancestry.com, viewed 12 Nov 2020.

Dec 08

Tombstone Tuesday-Willow Tree Symbol

I am going to change things up a bit for my Tombstone Tuesday posts and feature some tombstone art posts in between my regular Tombstone Tuesday blog posts.

I find the artwork on tombstones very interesting, especially on the older tombstones. What do those intricate carvings mean? Decades ago not everyone could read or write and people conveyed a message, belief, or sentiment on their loved one’s tombstone with beautiful carvings.

Today’s tombstone symbol is the Willow Tree.

Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, 1843 Willow Tree, tombstone of Katherine Hard.

The Willow Tree was a popular tombstone symbol used in the 1830s-1860s. In the colonial states it was one of the first symbols used after the skull and crossbones and the winged death head icons were no longer used. Here in the Midwest, where those early Colonial tombstone motifs were not used, the Willow Tree was one of the very first tombstone symbols used, usually carved on a sandstone or marble marker.

Obviously, the Weeping Willow Tree can symbolize sadness, weeping, and mourning.

But the Willow Trees may also symbolize longevity, immortality, the resurrection of the soul, and life after death. Willows grow rather quickly and are quite hardy. They can sustain damage from storms and can withstand pruning. Cuttings will take root rather easily, even after being on the ground for some time. It is sometimes difficult to rid an area of willow trees and their sprouts.

Willow Tree symbols in Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm:

Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, 1851 Willow Tree, Margaretha Schumm tombstone.

Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, 1846 Willow Tree, Sarah Hartzog tombstone.

This tombstone from Fountain Chapel Cemetery, Mercer County:

Fountain Chapel Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio, 1844 Willow Tree, Solomon Hough tombstone.

A Willow Tree from St. Jacob Cemetery, Botkins, Ohio:

St. Jacob Cemetery, Botkins, Ohio, c1862 Willow Tree, George [?] tombstone.

Willow Tree from Evangelical Protestant Cemetery, Van Wert County:

Evangelical Protestant Cemetery, Van Wert County, c1859 Willow Tree, Phillip Jacob Wendel tombstone.

I hope you enjoy viewing this tombstone art. As you can see, there are many variations of the willow tree symbol.

Dec 04

Black Creek Township’s Lone Post Office

A few weeks ago I wrote about the Chattanooga, Ohio, Post Office and included a list of the postmasters appointed to serve there around the turn of the century.  

There were several other post offices in the area and not all were located in a town or village. Some were located out in the country, in a general store. There may have been a couple other buildings or a house or two near the general store. These little general stores were more prevalent years ago and those with post offices had names that have been long forgotten. Some of these old store structures still stand at country intersections.

It is interesting to learn where these area post offices were and who their postmasters were. The next few weeks I will mention some of them.

I will begin with my home township, Black Creek Township. Black Creek Township is interesting because there are no towns or villages in the township.

But Black Creek Township did have a post office around the turn of the century, Pond Post Office.

Pond Post Office, Black Creek Township, Mercer County, Ohio, 1900 Atlas. [1]

Pond Office was located in the center of the township. It is shown on the 1900 Black Creek plat map. The post office was located at the intersection of Wabash and Manley Roads.

A store was on the southwest corner, a township school was on the northeast corner, and the township house was on the southeast corner. In my younger days, when I lived at home, before I was married, I voted at that township house.  

Pond is described as a “post office and crossroads hamlet at the center of the township.” [2] So Pond was a crossroads hamlet. What an interesting description.

Pond Post Office had two postmasters from 1896-1900. Jefferson Pond was appointed postmaster 1 April 1896. John H. Wiley was appointed postmaster 18 May 1898.

Wiley served until mid-1900, when the mail was sent to Rockford 31 May 1900, effective 15 June 1900. [3]

Finding a Pond postmark would really be something!

Black Creek Township, Mercer County, Ohio, 1900 Atlas. [1]

[1] Mercer County Chapter OGS, Mercer County, Ohio Combined 1888, 1900 Atlases and 1876 Map of Mercer County, Ohio, (Mt. Vernon, IN : Windmill Publication, Inc., 1999), p.7, 1900 Atlas.

[2] Julie Minot Overton, The Ohio Genealogical Society, Ohio Towns and Townships to 1900: A Location Guide, (Mansfield, OH : Penobscot Press, 2000) p.322.

[3] Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-1971, National Archives, Roll #100, Mercer County, Ohio, Vol. 79 (1891-1930), p.369-370; digital image, Ancestry.com, viewed 3 Dec 2020.

 

 

Dec 01

Tombstone Tuesday-Andrew & Friedericke (Gutheil) Roehm

Andrew & Friedericke (Gutheil) Roehm, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Andrew and Friedericke (Gutheil) Roehm, located in row 8 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Andrew
Roehm
Geb.
Feb. 12, 1814
Gest.
Jan. 4, 1902

Friedericke
Roehm
Geb.
Feb. 24, 1827
Gest.
Sep. 9, 1910

ROEHM

Andrew Roehm, born Feb, 12, 1814, died Jan. 4, 1902. Friedericke Roehm, born Feb. 245, 1827, died Sep 9, 1910. ROEHM

Andreas “Andrew” Roehm was born in the Kingdom of Wuerttemberg on 12 February 1814, born in what looks like Celm, Wuerttemberg, in Zion Lutheran Church Schumm’s records. [Could be Chelm?]  According to the 1900 census Andrew immigrated to America in 1836.

Andrew Roehm married Catharine Bienz (1819-1858) on 16 August 1840 in Van Wert County.

In 1840 Andrew and Catharine lived in Tully Township, Van Wert County. In their household was one male aged 20-30 and one female aged 20-30. One might assume it was Andrew and wife his Catharine, although her name was not given. [1]

According to the census enumerations it appears that Andrew and Catharine had at least 8 children, although enumerations before 1880 do not show family relationships. Their supposed children are listed at the end of this post.

The Andrew Roehm family in 1850: Andrew, 37, Catharine, 31; Mary, 9; John, 7; Elisabeth, 5; Jacob, 3; and Christian, 1. The parents were born in Germany and the children were born in Ohio. Andrew was a farmer. [2]

Catharine (Bienz) Roehm died in 1858 and is buried in northern Van Wert County.

Sometime between 1850 and 1860 Andrew Roehm moved to Willshire Township. He likely moved after his wife’s death since she is buried in northern Van Wert County.

Widower Andrew Roehm in 1860, enumerated with his children in Willshire Township: Andrew, 45; Mary, 18; John, 16; Elizabeth, 14; Jacob, 13; Christian, 11; Christian, 11; Henry, 9; Emanuel, 7; and Anna, 3. [3]

Widower Andrew Roehm married Friedericke Gutheil on 8 November 1860 at Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm. Friedericke used her maiden name Gutheil on their church and county marriage records, but she had been married before.  

Friedericke Gutheil was born in Germany 24 February 1827 and, according to the 1910 census, immigrated to America in 1849. Friedericke married John Rettig on 21 January 1851 in Franklin County, Ohio. [4] It appears they had at least 5 children.

Friedericke’s husband John Rettig was not enumerated in the 1860 census with Friedericke and the family and one might assume that he died before the census was taken. Their youngest child was 2 months old when the census was taken on 23 July 1860. Counting back 9 months, John Rettig likely died between September 1859 and July 1860.

Friedericke (Gutheil) Rettig resided with their [supposed] 5 children in Willshire Township in 1860: Friedericke, 34; Charles, 8; Mary A, 6; John, 3; Frederick, 1; and Catharine, 2 months. This enumeration indicates Friedericke was born on Schrozberg and the children were born in Ohio. It does not indicate if Friedericke was a widow. [5]

The Andrew Roehm family in 1870, with Friedericke’s children from her first marriage: Andrew Roehm, 56; Freidericke Roehm, 43; Jacob Roehm, 23; Henry Roehm, 19; Emanuel Roehm, 16; Anna Roehm, 13; George Roehm, 8; Magdalene Roehm, 6; Susannah Roehm, 4; Rosa Roehm, 1; Charles Reddig, 18; Mary Reddig, 16; John Reddig, 13; Frederick Reddig, 11; and Catherine Reddig, 10. The parents were born in Germany and the father Andrew Roehm was a farmer. [6]

The Andrew Roehm family in 1880: Andrew, 66; Friedericke, 56; Catherine [Rettig], 18; George 17; Magdalena, 15; Susanna, 14; and Rosa, 11. [7] 

By 1900 the Roehm children has left home and Andrew, 86, and his wife Friedericke, 75, were living by themselves. However, they were living very close, if not on the same farm, to their son George Roehm and his family. This enumeration shows that the older couple had been married 39 years, married in 1861 and that Andrew had immigrated in 1836. It also shows that Freidericke had given birth to 10 children and 8 of them were living. It does not show the date of her immigration. [8]

Andrew Roehm died of old age on 4 January 1902 and was buried on the 6th. He was 87 years, 10 months, and 20 days old.

Widow Friedericke Roehm resided with her daughter Mary Anna (Rettig) Grund and her husband George Grund in 1910: Friedericke “Ricki H” Roehm, 83, widow; George Grund, 65, head; and Mary A, 55, wife. This enumeration indicates that Friedericke had 10 children, 6 of whom were living. [9]

Friedericke (Gutheil) Roehm died of old age on 9 September 1910 and was buried on the 12th. She was 83 years, 6 months, and 15 days old. The Zion Schumm’s records indicate that she was survived by 15 children, 14 child relatives through marriage, 29 grandchildren, 4 greatgrandchildren. 

Andrew and Friedericke (Gutheil) Roehm had the following children:
George A Roehm (1863-1901), married Gertrude Heffner
Elizabeth Magdalena “Lena” Roehm (1864-1934), married Joseph Kuhn
Susannah Catharine Roehm (1866-1916), married Louis W Rucklos
Rosina Isabel “Rosa” Roehm (1869-1939), married Henry Peter Reidenbach
John George Roehm (1873-) 

Andrew and Catherine (Bienz) Roehm had the following children:
Mary Roehm (1841-1928), married Karl Neubrecht
John Roehm (1842-1932), married Anna Rosina Schumm
Elizabeth Frances Roehm (1844-1922, married Charles Henderson Street
Jacob F Roehm (1848-1924)
Christian Roehm (1849-1863)
Henry H Roehm (1852-1944), married Katharine Geier
Emanuel Roehm (1854-1891?), married Carrie Butterfield 
Anna Maria Roehm (1857-1901), married Henry Schumm

John and Friedericke (Gutheil) Rettig had the following children:
Charles Rettig (c1852-)
Maria Anna Rettig (1853-1913), married Georg Grund
John Rettig (1857-1877)
Frederick Rettig (1859-1901), married Elizabeth Storm
Leah “Katherine” Rettig (1860-1927), married Leonard Stegmeier

[1] 1840 U.S. Census, Tully, Van Wert, Ohio, p.75, Andrew Rhoam; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8057/ : viewed 30 Nov 2020).

[2] 1850 U.S. Census, Tully, Van Wert, Ohio, p.189a, dwelling 406, family 425, Andrew Reem; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8054/ : viewed 30 Nov 2020).

[3] 1860 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, p. 427, dwelling 1099, family 1093, Andrew Rackin; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7667/ : viewed 30 Nov 2020).

[4] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016,” Franklin, Vol. 5, p.282, John Rettich & Frederika Gutheil, 21 Jan 1851; database with images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-BJSL-4J?i=172&cc=1614804&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AXZV9-NJ5 : viewed 30 Nov 2020).

[5] 1860 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, p.423, dwelling 1045, family 1039, Frederic Redich; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7667/ : viewed 30 Nov 2020).

[6] 1870 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, p.139A, dwelling 132, family 133, Andrew Roehm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7163/ : viewed 23 Nov 2020).

[7] 1880 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 154, p.449B, family 120, Andrew Roehm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6742/ : viewed 23 Nov 2020).

[8] 1900 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 97, p.9, dwelling 177, family 190, Andrew Roehn; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com, (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/ : viewed 30 Nov 2020).

[9] 1910 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 113, p.6A, dwelling 60, family 61, George Grund; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7884/ : viewed 30 Nov 2020).

 

Nov 26

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from Karen’s Chatt!

Sending blessings from our house to yours.

Thanksgiving postcard, postmarked 1910.