Conrad Frederick and Ann Brown Frederick of Columbiana County, Ohio

      Conrad Frederick and Ann Brown Frederick are my maternal great great great grandparents.  When I began setting up my genealogy website back in the late 1990's I had somewhat sketchy research.  In 2001 I had to migrate my home page to a new server.  That link is listed below.  As website ownerships change, I am not able to access my homepage to make additions and corrections.  That is a major reason that I decided to blog.  

     Conrad (Conrod/Cunrad) Frederick, the son of Nicholas and Catherine Frederick, was born in Pennsylvania on April 5, 1778. The earliest record for Conrad is a listing in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania as a taxpayer in 1796. Conrad married Ann Brown, who was born between 1780-1790, in Pennsylvania. One account lists Ann as a "native of Ireland." Perhaps her parents were born there.  Using their known oldest child's birth year 1804, I would estimate the year of their marriage as 1802 or 1803. Conrad was a farmer, but it is not known if he, like his father, Nicholas Frederick, brother, Joseph Frederick and son, Joseph Charles Fredrick, was also a cooper by trade.

     In “The History of Columbiana County, Ohio” by Horace Mack, on page 235, it mentions, “Conrad Frederick purchased a part of the north half (of Salem Township) which descended to his son Joseph (Joseph C. Frederick), who sold to Michael Frederick, his cousin.” This land eventually became the town of Washingtonville, Ohio. Conrad is part of the 1800-1810 Ohio Tax List as having property in Columbiana County, Ohio in 1810, although no township is mentioned. 

1820 Ohio Census
Salem Township
Columbiana County
August 20, 1820

  In 1820 he is enumerated in Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio as a person engaged in agriculture. His family consists of three boys and four girls. 

     When Conrad's father, Nicholas Frederick, died on January 27, 1824, he and his older brother, Joseph Frederick, were appointed administrators of the estate.  (Date of death taken from an Internet site.  I have not found any records to substantiate a date other than the year, 1824.)

     I was excited to see a signature for my maternal great great great grandfather and to know he was literate.

     Family members had debts due to the estate and Conrad had also either borrowed money or purchased land from his father using a debt note.  His total due to the estate was $851.60.  

1830 Ohio Census
Salem Township
Columbiana County

     Conrad’s final census report was in 1830 in Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. Three sons and three daughters are living at home.

     Conrad died on December 19, 1831 (the probate records puts this year in question, he probably died in 1830) in Columbiana County, Ohio. His will and probate record is part of the Columbiana County court records.  His eldest son, Joseph C. Frederick, was the administrator of the estate.  Records show that the property was given to Joseph.  

     An accounting of the property was given to the court on February 25, 1831 by Joseph.  This now puts into question, the date of death unless Joseph made an accounting months before his father's death.   Tools, bushels of grain, two sleds, a wagon, plough, numerous livestock, household items, coopers tools and spinning wheel are some of the items listed on the three and a half pages.  The total was 63017.  I do not know if the sum is in US dollars or another type of script.

     From probate records, Andrew Rogers was paid for the coffin on March 11, 1833.  Total 6.00

     From probate records, Ann Frederick, widow, was paid on March 15, 1833.  Total 156.00.  Ann also is listed as purchasing an item from the estate; however, I can't read it.

Photograph from Find A Grave

     Conrad is buried in Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery, Washingtonville, Mahoning County, Ohio.  There is no tombstone and I am unaware of any burial records  His date of death is a question.

Ann Brown Frederick--A Widow

1840 Ohio Census
Washingtonville
Salem Township, Columbiana County
Green Township, Mahoning County

     The boundary of the village of Washingtonville actually crosses into two different counties in Ohio.  A portion is in Salem Township in Columbiana County and the other is in Green Township in Mahoning County.  This census record is incorrectly housed at the end of the 1840 Washington Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.  

     Partially visible along the side of the page is that this record is for the two sections of Washingtonville.  At the bottom is a total for Salem Township and Green Township.  Both Ann and her son, Joseph C. Frederick are enumerated on the page.

    Ann Frederick

    1  one male under age 5--grandchild?

    1  one female age 20  and under 30--possibly daughter Nancy              

    1  one female age 60 and under 70--Ann Brown Frederick

     Ann Brown Frederick died after 1840.  She is buried in Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery, Washingtonville, Mahoning County, Ohio.  The death date on Find A Grave is incorrect.  Ann is mentioned in Conrad's will and the amount of money she received from the sale of goods is listed in the 1833 probate record and enumerated on the 1840 Ohio census.

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  I would like to mention that I have never seen actual records for the deaths of Conrad Frederick or Ann Brown Frederick.  No one has presented a Family Bible or records from the Trinity Lutheran Church or a tombstone.  The dates on this blog I found on Find A Grave and Ancestry.  Where the dates came from is anyone's guess.    

Children of Conrad Frederick and Ann Brown:

1. Sarah Frederick born February 16, 1804 in Pennsylvania died August 16, 1829 in Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio married Jacob Bossert.
2.  Joseph Charles Frederick born about 1808 in Pennsylvania, died June 4, 1853 in Columbiana County, Ohio and married Mary Betz.  My maternal great great grandparents.
3. Nancy Frederick born 1810 in Ohio married Benjamin Cochel.
4. Catherine Frederick born 1811 in Ohio married Samuel Woollett.
5. John Frederick born May 11, 1813 in Ohio died August 26, 1839.
6. Mary F. Frederick born August 10, 1815 in Ohio, married Henry Rosen on January 11, 1836 in Columbiana County, Ohio, died August 9, 1904 in Elkhart, Indiana.
7. Isiah Frederick born about 1819 in Ohio married Elizabeth Gucher and had one child, Alumnia, born 1849 in Seneca County, Ohio who married Unknown Scott. He married second, Mary Elizabeth Lindsey, and had four children: Minniel, Beecher, Ernest who married Sadie and Armida. Isiah was a doctor who practiced in Venice Township, Seneca County until about 1860 when he removed to Van Buren County, Iowa.

The Family of Conrad Frederick and Ann Brown--on an old home page of mine.  Last updated in 2001.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2023, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



Joseph Charles Frederick and Mary Betz Frederick of Columbiana County, Ohio

     Joseph Charles Frederick and Mary Betz Frederick are my maternal great great grandparents.  There is not too much written about their lives other then the The Family of Joseph C Frederick and Mary Betz biography I posted on my genealogical website and updated in 2009 (old news).  I have researched and learned additional information since then and fortunately, one of their children, William Jackson Frederick, was a prominent individual.  His biographical information covers history for both the Frederick and Betz families.  

     There were two Frederick Families who were early settlers in Columbiana County, Ohio.  Whether they were brothers or totally separate families, I have never figured out.  Mine descends from Nicholas and Catherine Frederick.  Additionally, many in both lines have the same first names.  Talk about confusing. 😕

     Joseph Charles Frederick, the son of Conrad Fredrick and Ann Brown Frederick, was born on June 4, 1808 in Pennsylvania.  Known records show that the Fredericks had seven children and Joseph was the oldest.  In going through records and documents, it appears that Joseph used his middle initial, Joseph C. Frederick, perhaps to distinguish himself from his paternal uncle, Joseph Frederick. I am also going to let the reader know that I have seen his middle name listed as "Charles" on various sites.  I have no actual proof that this is true.  

     An early Ohio pioneer, Conrad purchased land in the north half of Section 1, Salem Township, Columbiana County Ohio in 1810.  This land eventually became Washingtonville.  (Horace Mack, History of Columbiana County, Ohio, 1879, page 235)

     Conrad was a farmer and young Joseph was engaged with helping his father on the farm.  At some point in his young life he began apprenticing under his paternal grandfather, Nicholas Frederick and paternal uncle and namesake, Joseph Frederick, as a cooper.  He was engaged in a successful coopering business until his death.

     On December 19, 1831, Joseph's father, Conrad Frederick died and willed his land to Joseph.  Joseph was named administrator of the estate when it went to probate.  There are numerous pages covering the extent of the estate and the sale of the personal and farm items.

     I mentioned that Conrad's son Joseph, distinguished himself by including the middle initial "C" to his name.  On one of the probate pages, the "C" looks to have been added after the fact.

     Joseph C. Frederick was literate.  Here is his signature and there are several pages in the probate record where he has listed items for sale.

     On June 27, 1832, Joseph C. Fredrick was paid $130.00 from the estate for his administrative duties.  (I am assuming that the money is in US currency in 1831-1833)

     Joseph purchased numerous items from the estate sale.  Among them are:  1 windmill, 1 tub, 1 saddle, 1 bridle, 1 jack-goat, 1 shovel, 2 goats, 3 cow chairs/ chains?, 3 Hotter chairs/chains?, harness, 20 bushels of rye, 109 bushels of oats, 1 log chain, 2 ploughs, 1 auger, 1 sickle, 1 axe, and 1 draw knife.  There are some that I cannot read.  

     Tax records and the 1840 Ohio census show that Joseph stayed on the land his father willed to him.  It is likely that he sold the land to his cousin Michael Frederick following the death of his mother Ann Brown Frederick.  History books mention that it was Michael Frederick's land that became the town of Washingtonville.

Columbiana County, Ohio Marriage Records,
# 3, Record # 34.

     At the age of twenty-six, Joseph Charles Frederick, on August 31, 1834, married  twenty-three year old Mary "Polly" Betz in Columbiana County, Ohio.  The marriage was performed by Jacob Roller, Justice of the Peace.  Mary was the daughter of Urban Betz and Christina Kieffer.  The Betz Family were also early Ohio pioneers.  Unfortunately there is little information on the Frederick's married life.  They raised nine children, two were twin boys.  One twin was my maternal grandfather, Alfred F. Frederick.

     Joseph and Mary lived on the willed property.  He farmed and had his cooper business there.  The birth records of the children begin listing Franklin Square, a town in Salem Township, as their birthplace beginning in 1839.  Joseph probably decided his business would thrive in a larger town.  

     There is a tax record dated 1838 showing Joseph C. Frederick and his cousin Michael Frederick as property owners in Washingtonville, Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.  

? Lots 30

Out Lots 0

Value 156

State Canal   62 cents 46 ?

County School  78 cents

Roads  31 cents 20 ?

Township  23 cents 40 ?

Poor Tax  15 cents 60 ?

TOTAL  $2. 10 and 60?

1840 Ohio Census
Washingtonville
Salem Township & Green Township

     The boundary of the village of Washingtonville actually crosses into two different counties in Ohio.  A portion is in Salem Township in Columbiana County and the other is in Green Township in Mahoning County.  This census record is incorrectly housed at the end of the 1840 Washington Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.  

     Partially visible along the side of the page is that this record is for the two sections of Washingtonville.  At the bottom is a total for Salem Township and Green Township.  

     Joseph C. Frederick is enumerated in the Salem Township section.  His mother, Ann Brown Frederick is enumerated in the Green Township section.  

    Jos Frederick

    2  males under age 5--Albert and Alfred

    1  male age 30 and under 40--Joseph C. Frederick

    1  female under age 5--Juliette Frederick

    1  female age 5 and under 10--Melvina Frederick

    1  female age 20 and under 30--Mary Betz Frederick

Children of Joseph Charles Frederick and Mary Betz Frederick

1. Melvina Frederick born about 1835 in Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio and died before 1897.
2. Albert Frederick born May 1, 1836 in Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, died at age seventeen, 1853.
3. Alfred F. Frederick born May 1, 1836 in Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, died February 9, 1927 in Highland Park, Lake County, Illinois.  Married Lucinda Bell Orr on October 22, 1868 in Columbiana County, Ohio.  My maternal great grandparents.
4. Juliette E. Frederick born May 20, 1839 in Franklin Square, Salem Township, Columbiana County, died May 28, 1915 in Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.  Married Henry Sheets December 1, 1856 in Columbiana County, Ohio.
5. Isabelle "Belle" Frederick born July 23, 1841 in Franklin Square, Salem Township, Columbiana County, February 28, 1917 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.  Married Jesse Warrington on September 25, 1873 in Columbiana County, Ohio.
6. Isaiah Frederick born 1843, in Franklin Square, Salem Township, Columbiana County, died before 1897.
7. William Jackson Frederick born August 22, 1845 in Franklin Square, Salem Township, Columbiana County, died on October 3, 1910 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.  Married first, Emma Hipkins on November 10, 1872 in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Married second, Mary Mace Paxton on November 17, 1897 in Richland County, Ohio.
8. Mary Ann Frederick born in 1848 in Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, died at age sixteen in 1864.
9. Joseph Charles Frederick, Jr. born April 15, 1853 in Franklin Square, Salem Township, Columbiana County, died on December 31, 1927 in St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida.  Married first, Barbara LaRue Bossert on July 24, 1879 in Columbiana County, Ohio.  Married second, Emma L. Constans in 1921.

This daguerreotype is missing the front of the case. 
The back of the case is leather.

    Who the heck are these people?  I have tried to figure it out for decades.  This daguerreotype was among the personal effects of my maternal grandmother, Martha Marie Frederick Stark, born in 1880 in Columbiana County, Ohio.  I would figure it is a close relation to Teek (my nickname for this grandmother), otherwise why would she keep it for decades.  Originally it probably belonged to her mother or her father.  These daguerreotypes became popular in the 1850's.   It could be Joseph Charles Frederick and Mary Betz Frederick, Teek's paternal grandparents.  Or Teek's maternal grandmother, Nancy Agnes Cannon Orr McCormick and an unknown man.  My grandmother would have known both of her grandmothers since all lived within close proximity of each other in Columbiana County, Ohio.

     My  leap of faith here, is that these could be Joseph Charles Frederick and Mary Betz Frederick.  Joseph died before my grandmother was born.  I guess another question here is, when did Joseph actually die?  There is an accepted date of 1853; however, I have never seen any death record or a tombstone with the information.  My understanding, is that Joseph had a financially successful business and these folks are certainly well dressed.  You will notice that there is actually a bit of blush on the cheeks. 😄  

A Union Case made from sawdust and a glue-like maternal
and pressed into a mold

     Here we go again.  Another daguerreotype, this one in a union case.  The man appears to be the same man as in the other daguerreotype, except with a beard.  Enlarging the photo, both men have a small pinky ring on their right hand.  I did remove the daguerreotype from the case and underneath was the studio.

HOLMES, BOOTH AND HAYDENS'

DAGUERROTYPE,

PHOTOGRAPHIC

AND

Ambrotype Goods

Of every description.

   

1850 Ohio Census
Salem Township, Columbiana County
September 19, 1850

     Joseph C. Frederick, age 42, male, cooper, born in Pennsylvania, can read and write.

   Mary Frederick, age 40, female, born in Ohio, cannot read or write.

     Malvenia Frederick, age 16, female, born in Ohio, attended school within the year.

     Albert Frederick, age 15, male, cooper, born in Ohio, attended school within the year.

     Alfred Frederick, age 15, male, cooper, born in Ohio, attended school within the year

     Juletta Frederick, age 12, female, born in Ohio, attended school within the year.

     Isabel Frederick, age 9, female, born in Ohio, attended school within the year.

     Isiah Frederick, age 7, male, born in Ohio, attended school within the year.

    William Frederick, age 5, male, born in Ohio, attended school within the year.

    Mary A. Frederick, age 3, female, born in Ohio.

Photograph from Find A Grave

     

     It seems to be an accepted fact that on June 3, 1853, at the age of forty-five, Joseph Charles Frederick died at Franklin Square, Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.  To date I have not found any death record.  He was buried in the cemetery outside Trinity Lutheran Church, Washingtonville, Mahoning County, Ohio.  Joseph's parents and grandparents are also buried in the cemetery.  Unfortunately, many of the older grave markers were destroyed, Joseph's was one of them.

     Also, in 1853, Albert Frederick, son of Joseph C. and Mary Betz Frederick died at age seventeen.  The date and place of burial are unknown.  

Life as a Widow

     Mary age forty-one, now a widow, had a month and a half year old baby son, as well as the other children still living at home.  Fortunately, her older daughters were at home to assist her.  

     My maternal great grandfather, Alfred Frederick, may have continued to run the family business following his father's death.  Whether his younger brother's apprenticed as coopers is unknown.  By 1860, Alfred had moved to Attica, Ohio.

     Daughter, Juliette married Henry Sheets on December 18, 1856.  The Sheets stayed in Columbiana County.  

Mary Betz Frederick continued to make her home in Franklin Square.

1860 Ohio Census
Franklin Square, Salem Township
Columbiana County
July 30, 1860

       Mary Frederick, age 47, female, born on Pennsylvania.

     Isabel Frederick, age 18, female, born in Ohio.

     Mary A. Frederick, age 13, female, born in Ohio, attending school.

     William Frederick, age 15, male, born in Ohio, attending school.

     Joseph Frederick, age 9, male, born in Ohio, attending school.

      Like so many mothers, Mary had a son, William Jackson Frederick, who served in the Civil War from 1861 to 1864.      

     A second child, Mary Ann Frederick, died on November 20, 1864 in Columbia County, Ohio.  She was sixteen.  Her cause of death and place of burial is unknown.  

     My maternal great grandfather, Alfred Frederick, age thirty-two married Lucinda Bell Orr, age twenty-four on October 22, 1868 in Columbiana County, Ohio.

     Two children, Melvina Frederick and Isiah Frederick, are not listed on the census.  Either they have died, married or moved to another location.  There are some researchers who do not believe that Melvina was the daughter of Joseph and Mary.  Perhaps a niece who was enumerated with the family in 1850.

 

1870 Ohio Census
Franklin Square, Salem Township
Columbiana County
July 5, 1870

     Isabel Frederick, age 28, female, white, keeping house, born in Ohio.

     Mary Fredrick, age 59, female, white, value of real estate $800.00,                 born in Pennsylvania.    

     Joseph Frederick, age 17, male, white, laborer, born in Ohio.

     In 1860 Mary is living in the Fredrick home with two adult children.  Son Joseph is supporting the family.

     During the decade three of her children married.

     William Jackson Frederick married Emma Hipkins on November 10, 1872 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

     Isabelle Frederick married Jesse Warrington on September 5, 1873 in Columbiana County.

     Joseph Charles Frederick, Jr. married second cousin, Barbara LeRue Bossert July 24, 1879 Columbiana County.

1880 Ohio Census
Centre Township, Columbiana County
June 4 & 5, 1880

     Once all the children married and left the family home, Mary moved to the farm of her daughter and son-in-law in Centre Township.  

    Henry Sheets, white, male, age 45, married, fam laborer, cannot read or write, born in Ohio, both parents born in New Jersey

    Julia Sheets, white, female, age 40, married, keeping house, born in Ohio, both parents born in Ohio.

    Ida M. Sheets, white, female, age 17, daughter, at home, born in Ohio, Father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Ohio.

    Mary Frederick, white, female, age 68, mother-in-law, widowed, retired, born in Ohio, both parents born in Pennsylvania.

     Numerous family stories have a twenty year gap due to the missing 1890 census.  I have not found any newspaper articles to fill in the gaps.  I assume, Mary Betz Frederick remained at her daughter's farmhouse throughout the remainder of her life.  I am certain my maternal grandmother visited her Aunt Julia's often and spent time with her Grandmother Frederick.  

     Trains crisscrossed the nation and additional Frederick family undoubtedly visited the Columbiana County family.  My grandmother lived there until about 1897.  I have old photographs from her estate of her with other same age girls--all unmarked.  Perhaps her Frederick cousins.  

Garrett, Indiana Newspaper
1896

     A very informative newspaper article regarding the family of Mary Betz Frederick gathering for a ten day holiday at Oakwood Park, Lake Wawasee, Indiana on August 27, 1896.  Following the vacation, Mary and her daughter, Juliette Frederick Sheets, went to Mary's son's home in Garrett for several months.

     On September 24, 1898, Mary Betz Fredrick died at age eighty-seven in her home, Salem, Columbiana County, Ohio.  The obituary lists that she will be buried in Washingtonville; however, she was buried in Franklin Square Cemetery, Franklin Square, Salem Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.

     I visited Franklin Square Cemetery in 2008.  Mary has a sizable grave marker.  As you can see the large area is surrounded by a cement brick wall.  The other tombstone belongs to T.A. Martin.  I have no idea who that is.  Mary and Joseph had several of their children die and I have wondered if their remains are buried in this plot without the benefit of a marker.  Or perhaps the markers did not survive over the century.

     As with numerous family blogs I have written, I always seem to have more questions than answers.  I can't remember either of my grandmothers ever sharing any family history.  Research is fine; however adding some personal story or one passed down breathes life into the blog.  

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Acknowledgements are always due when working on genealogy.  It is usually a shared compilation of research.  For my Frederick Family there were two distant cousins who I would like to acknowledge.  Ted Frederick who back in 1997, sent me old hand written Frederick Family charts and and in 2001, Dr. Charles Frederick Abell who shared numerous newspaper articles regarding his paternal great grandfather, William Jackson Frederick.  Many had references to the entire family of Joseph Charles and Mary Betz Fredrick.   And histories of both the Frederick and Betz families.  Also in 1997, Chery Guirreri, a fellow Frederick researcher added additional history for the Columbiana surname.

Updated:  March 21, 2023

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2023, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



Out Junkin' and a Find

     There was a time that I frequented local antique shops, actively engaged in "the hunt".  I playfully called it "out junkin".  Most times this was a singular activity.  Not too many of my friends enjoyed old memorabilia. However, today I had a friend and it was her idea to visit a local resale shop.   I love finding old memories from my childhood and unusual, unique stuff.  

     I am a collector.  I joked that these collections would be my retirement money, reselling them.  Sadly, the joke is on me.  Current generations with any disposable incomes are traveling light.  Simply put, they don't want the old "junk".

     To be fair, I haven't been in an antique store in ages.  I have enough stuff in my home to set up my own shop.  Some purchased, some given to me from friends and older family members as well as items I kept from closing three family estates.  The most precious and valued are antiques previously owned by my maternal and paternal grandparents.  Which leads me to the subject of this blog.

     My mother was an only child.  Consequently, she inherited everything she wanted to keep when her mother died.  Mom loved glass and kept some beautiful old pieces of functional brilliant glass, pressed glass and crystal pieces.  When Mom died, many of the pieces came to me. 😇

     

       When I saw the glass candlesticks in the resale shop (photo at the beginning of the blog), I knew they looked familiar.  And, indeed they are an exact match to ones in a cabinet in my kitchen.  Candlesticks from my maternal grandmother's (Martha Frederick Stark) and Mother's estates.

     The seller at the resale shop listed them as Duncan Miller.  There were no visible markings on the shop's candlesticks, nor are there any on mine.  The Duncan Miller Glass Company went through several incarnations over it's existence.  Formed in 1865, George Duncan purchased a factory on the South Side area of Pittsburgh.  Along with his sons, the company was known as George Duncan & Sons.  In 1877 George Duncan died and his son, James Duncan became the head.  In 1892 the factory on the South Side burned.  James rebuilt in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1893 and the company was renamed George Duncan's Sons & Company.  In 1900, following James Duncan's death, the company became Duncan and Miller Glass Company.  The company ended the production of glass in 1955.  Wikipedia has a very informative article on the Duncan & Son's Company.

     I was surprised to learn that the molds and equipment were sold to the US Glass Division in Tiffin, Ohio in what was called their Duncan Division.  That would be the old Tiffin Glass Factory where I would visit and purchase glass in the late 1960's while a student at Heidelberg College.  Small world!

     I have many questions and theories regarding the candlesticks.  If they are pieces of pressed glass from the Duncan factory, they probably are Duncan and Miller circa 1900 and after.  My maternal grandparents married in 1914.  They could have been a wedding present or purchased by them.  Another possibility is that the candlesticks were owned by my maternal great grandmother (Lucinda Orr Frederick) and following her death in 1909, they were given to my grandmother.

     I have blogged about other Duncan glass pieces that my maternal great grandmother, Lucinda Frederick, owned.  She had Three Face glassware which following her death was given to her son, Robert Frederick.  The story I was told was that Robert's wife was not a fan of the glassware and gave it all to the Goodwill or whatever charity organization was in operation in Pittsburgh in the early 1900's. 

     Will I ever get the answers to my questions regarding these candlesticks?  Probably not; however, I do know they are over 100 years old and a precious piece of my family history.

P.S.  I was able to junk today and didn't buy a thing. 😀

 

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2023, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



John Louis Seewald of Tiffin Ohio

   

Clock made by Louis Seewald
In the possession of
The Estate of Betty Smith Bowman

     We spent a lovely visit with Ted's Aunt Betty during the Christmas season, 2021.  She spent her adult years gathering the family genealogy.  Having never seen a Seewald watch or clock, I was thrilled to know she had a Louis Seewald clock hanging on the wall.  Frankly, I have done very little blogging on my husband's family.  The clock became the springboard for the research and this blog.     

     Johann Louis Seewald, the maternal great great granduncle of my husband.  In his home of Tiffin, Ohio, he was known as Louis, Lewis and Lew.  He was the son of Johann Phillip Seewald and Christina Louisa Lang. Louis was born on September 15, 1831 in Sipperfeld, Kirchhein, Bavaria, Germany and the third known child born into the Seewald family.  

     The John Phillip Seewald family arrived in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio in August 16, 1833.  John Phillip, my husband's maternal great great great grandfather, known as Phillip, was a clock and watch maker by trade, a skill he passed on to his three sons.  Phillips brother, Valentine Seewald, arrived in Tiffin on August 18, 1833.  Also arriving in Tiffin on August 16, 1833 were the parents of Christina Louisa Lang Seewald, George Ludwig Henry Lang and Catherine Schuetz Lang with six of their children.  

     Known children of Phillip and Louisa Seewald:

1.  Katherine Seewald (my husbands maternal great great grandmother), 1825-1899, married Jacob Oster.
2.  Philipina Seewald, 1829-1877, married William Zoeller.
3. John Louis Seewald--focus of this blog
4. Sophia Seewald, 1834-1837 
5. William Henry Seewald, 1836-1914, married Mary Josephine Cornelius and Katherine Agnes Finane.
6. Louisa Seewald, 1840-1899, married Henry C. Spindler.
7. John Phillip Seewald, 1842-1929, married Marcella Duryee.  

     Four years after arriving in Tiffin, The Seewald Family suffered the loss of daughter and sibling, Sophia, at age three.  There is no burial marker or further information about Sophia.

    

     On February 8, 1843, Christina Louisa Seewald died in Tiffin Ohio. She left six children, the youngest, John Phillip Seewald, was only eight months old. Louis was eleven. Louisa was buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio.

     Seven years after Louisa's death, on September 28, 1850, Louis' father remarried, Elizabeth Staib.  On September 22, 1858, Sophia Catherine Seewald was born, Louis' step sister.

     From a young age, Louis, along with his brothers, apprenticed in their father's shop in Tiffin slowly honing their skills in making and repairing clocks and watches.  All three were gainfully employed in the jewelry trade as adults.  

       At age twenty-six, Louis married nineteen year old Susan Victoria Orwig on April 5, 1858 in Hancock County, Ohio.  Susan, born on April 29, 1837 in Ohio, was the daughter of Joseph Orwig and Hannah George.  

     I do want to note here that the birth dates of both Louis and Susan are somewhat approximate.  There are various records that show different years of birth.  I am using the years that are on the grave markers.       

     On the 1860 Ohio Census, Louis lists himself as a silver smith.  His real estate is valued at $1,000 and personal estate at $500.  He is listed at age twenty-eight.  

     Eugenia May Seewald, the first born child of Louis and Susan is listed on the 1860 census as age one.  This is a discrepancy as records of an older Eugenia list May 12, 1860 as her date of birth.  According to the 1860 census, taken on July 31, 1860, she would have been born in 1858.

     A list of men eligible to serve in the Civil War was taken in Tiffin's 4th Ward during June and July, 1863.  Lewis Seewald, age thirty-one, white, married, a jeweler, born in Germany is part of the registration.  

     On November 27, 1864, The Seewald's welcomed a son, Roscoe Stebbins Seewald to the growing family. 

     

     Posted on May 9, 1867, Louis moved his jewelry store to Market Street in a room in the National Exchange Bank Building.  Up until this time, Louis was working in his father's store.  He and his father had a difference of opinion, Louis wanted to expand the business, his father did not.  Louis succeeded his father in 1867 and moved the Seewald Jewelry operation to a new and larger space.

     Posted in an October 1876, The Tiffin Tribune newspaper, Louis mentions his motto, "Quick sales, small profits."  His store is in the new Nationale Exchange Bank Building on Market Street south of the courthouse.  

   

     This map is from 1887; however, it shows the area of Louis Seewald's first jewelry shop as gleaned from newspaper advertisements and articles.  Numbering of buildings changed over the twenty years as more were added as Tiffin developed.  I do want to mention, as a student of Heidelberg College and short term resident after marriage, I not only remember a bank building on that corner in the mid 1960's to mid 1970's, in fact, my and our accounts were there. 😉

     On October 27, 1867, a second daughter, Cora L. Seewald was born in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio.    

     

The Tiffin Tribune
Friday, October 22, 1869
First mention of a robbery in Louis' jewelry store

The Tiffin Tribune

    

     In November, 1869, Louis added Lazarus & Morris eye glasses to his growing inventory.  He advertises that his is the only store in Tiffin that carries this brand.

     The Seewald family is enumerated in the 1st ward of Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio on the 1870 census.  Louis lists his real estate value at $6,000 and the value of his personal property at $4,000.

The Tiffin Tribune
Thursday, September 14, 1871

     Louis was reimbursed for gold pens and holders for the City Auditor and City Treasurer by the Board of Seneca County Commissioners on September 6, 1871.

The Tiffin Tribune
Thursday March 28, 1872

The Tiffin Tribune
Thursday, July 18, 1872

     

The Tiffin Tribune
Thursday May 2, 1872

     A nice peak into the Seewald business passing from father to son.  Louis had a eye for business, moving to a new, larger location and adding additional stock.  

Tiffin Business Directory 1873

     Louis had an active life as a Councilman in Tiffin.  The online source I was able to use only went to 1879.  My guess is that he remained on the City Council through the 1800's and perhaps until his death.  Many of the council articles were the usual city issues--streets, street lighting, election of city officials, etc.  There were several issues where spirited engagement occurred.  

 

The Tiffin Tribune
March 26, 1874

The Tiffin Tribune
March 26, 1874

The Tiffin Tribune
April 9, 1874

     Several battles found in The Tiffin Tribune during 1874.  From some of the newspaper articles, it appears that Louis had definite opinions and was not afraid to verbally express them.  He was not in favor of the temperance women's loud singing in Tiffin. 

The Tiffin Tribune
March 18, 1875

     Louis Seewald ran for reelection in Ward 4 on the Democratic Party slate.  The Tiffin Tribune appears in this article to not be a supporter of Louis.  Seewald won.

The Tiffin Tribune
June 3, 1875

     He fought against the ringing of the fire bell except when there was a fire and he was not a fan of the Tiffin Fire Chief and managed, politically to have him removed from his post.

The Tiffin Tribune
Thursday, November 11, 1875

     What could have been a fatal accident, Louis' cousin, Judge William Lang, was visiting the jewelry store and was trying to get a cartridge out of an old shot gun and the gun fired.  The bullet went through the wall of the bank next door.  Fortunately, the room was empty.

The Tiffin Tribune
December 9, 1875

     On  November 4, 1875, Louis' sister's husband, Jacob Wilhelm Oster, committed suicided and Louis was appointed administrator of the estate.  Katherine Seewald and Jacob Oster, are my husband's maternal great great grandparents.  

The Tiffin Tribune
May 18, 1876
page 3

     Within my husband's family, there was talk about the Seewald town clock at reunions.  I've taken a deep dive into this and still have questions.  My husband's maternal great great great grandfather, Phillip Seewald, did make and maintain the first town clock.  While Phillip was still alive, his son, Louis Seewald, was commissioned in 1876 to provide a new town clock for the court house steeple.  

     In 1884, a new courthouse was built.  My question is, was the Louis Seewald clock from 1876 added to the steeple, a new Louis Seewald clock, or another clock makers clock?  The answer to this question is probably in the Tiffin newspapers from the time period.  

     Unfortunately for me, newspapers.com only covers from 1856-1879.  Again, as a resident of Tiffin during college and as a newly gal, I remember the "old" court house shown above.   According to an article, In The Tick of a Clock There is a Song by Emily Rinaman, the original 1884 clock was replaced n 1944.

     The end of the 1870's saw two deaths in the Seewald family.  Louis' sister, Philipina Seewald Zoeller at age forty-eight in 1877 and his father, Phillip Seewald at age seventy-nine on October 30, 1878.  Both are buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Tiffin, Ohio.

Tiffin City Directory
1884-1885
page 103

     By 1884, Louis had moved his business onto 118 South Washington on the Snyder Block and his residence was south of his store at 202 South Washington.  

     Luckily, there is a Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio image 4 from 1887.  The first illustration shows the location of Louis' first store and the second store located around the corner.  The map for 118 South Washington Street has watches marked for the store.

     Once again turning to the 1887 Sanford Fire Insurance maps, 202 South Washington Street was easily located on map 5. A sizeable residence, I wondered if it was still around today. Again, over the years, the street numbering has changed, no longer 202, but today 236.  The former home of Louis and Susan Seewald does exist today, and like so many large, historical homes, it is currently a funeral home.  The house has been enlarged in the back and I am certain that the large yellow upper front addition was not part of the original house.  

1889
Tiffin Columbian Directory

     Louis was an officer of the Tiffin School Board.  To be honest, I did not check the numerous annuals for the school.  Louis Seewald may have been on the Board a number of years.

     The 1900 Ohio census, shows that Louis owns his home free of mortgage.  Daughter, Cora and widowed daughter, Eugenia Seewald Horton and her two children, Louis W. Horton and Catherine Horton are living in the Seewald home.  Something of interest in this census is that Susan lists four children born and three alive in 1900.  Records that I have found only list three children.

1897 Hubbell's Toledo Blue Book 
1897-1898

The Cincinnati Enquirer
October 13, 1900

     What is described as a daring robbery took place in Louis' jewelry store on October 12, 1900.  According to one newspaper article, grand daughter, Catherine Horton was present in the store during the robbery.  An entire case of diamonds was stolen.  The worth, as described n various newspaper accounts varied from $2,000 to $5,000.  The two men were apprehended.

Children and Louis Seewald and Susan Orwig Seewald:

1.   Eugenia May Seewald, born on May 12, 1860 in Tiffin, Ohio; died on December 28, 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; buried in Greenlawn Cemetery.  Married first Carlton Justice Horton.  Married second Jacob Frederick Bunn.  Two children:  Louis William Horton and Catherine Louise Horton.  Eugenia is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery. Tiffin, Ohio.
2.   Roscoe Stebbins Seewald born on November 27, 1864 in Tiffin, Ohio; died on March 4, 1926 in Oakland, Alameda County, California. Roscoe married Gertrude Gillaum.   One child:  Cora Elizabeth Seewald.  Roscoe is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Tiffin, Ohio.
3.   Cora L. Seewald born on October 26, 1867 in Tiffin, Ohio; died September 1, 1951 in Pennsylvania.  Cora never married.  She was still living in the family home in the 1930's.  Buried n Greenlawn Cemetery, Tiffin, Ohio.

     I apologize that I do not have a copy of Louis Seewald's obituary.  I would be shocked if it was not on the front page of the Advertiser Tribune.  During his life time he was a pioneer of the city, politically active in the community and ran a very successful jewelry business.  Oddly, I have not located his death record.  

         Louis died in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio on April 5, 1904 at the age of seventy-two. He is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery along with numerous family members.

1911 Tiffin City Directory
page 174

     By 1911, there had been a renumbering of South Washington Street and the Seewald home is listed as 236.  Cora lived with her mother until Susan's death.  Also the three Seewalt's listed are actually Seewalds.

     Susan Victoria Orwig Seewald died on January 19, 1915 in Tiffin, Ohio at the age of seventy-five.  She is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery beside her husband.

     On further research looking for the fourth and missing child of Louis and Susan, I happened to see a grave marker, name only, in the Seewald/Horton section of Greenlawn Cemetery.  Oscar Seewald has a Find A Grave listing.  No dates.  No picture.  Could this be Louis and Susan's son?

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Photos of Louis Seewald's Clock and Pocket Watch

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I dedicate this blog to Aunt Betty Smith Bowman.  She spent her adult life gathering her family genealogy and was aways willing to share information and  good story.  The picture above is of Aunt Betty and my husband, her nephew, taken in Tiffin, Ohio.  It was an unusually warm day in January 2009 and we were walking through Greenlawn Cemetery.  She knew the location of every ancestor's grave marker and I had my trusty camera with me. 

Clock photo credit:  Garrett Bevin Hiser

Other Seewald Blogs on Flipside

-SEEWALD COUSINS

-SEEWALD, PHILIP--Jeweler and Clock Maker Extraordinaire

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