Brief History of German Twp.

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German Township was originally a part of Shelby County, and included the area that is now Jackson Township. In 1832 a company of 33 Germans was organized in Cincinnati for the purpose of locating a town to be colonized by German immigrants. F. H. Schroeder and A. F. Windeler were sent to visit parts of Ohio and Indiana to select a site for the colony. They explored west central Ohio and proceeded into Indiana, but returned to the present site of New Bremen where they purchased 10 acres for settlement at $1 per acre. Soon land was selling for $1.25 per acre. The land was surveyed into 102 lots, 66 x 300 feet. Each member owned one lot, and the remaining lots were offered for $25 each. The town was named Bremen as recorded in Mercer County on June 11, 1833.

Schroeder remained at the site while Windeler returned to Cincinnati, and all made preparation to settle. Schroeder built a 12' x 14' hut to provide shelter for the first arrivals. Moving through forest lands, the first contingent arrived after a 14 day journey. The settlers helped each family build a log hut, covered with boards. These first shelters were so rudely built that it is said deer attempted to eat the straw from the beds through the openings between the logs. A 23-mile journey was required to purchase the first supplies, but the industrious Germans soon established stores, a church and a school to furnish necessities. In 1833 a second contingent of protestant Germans arrived which brought the population to 35 families within a 5-mile radius. In 1835 many of the men went to Indiana to work on the Wabash Canal, leaving the women at home to work the home farms. In this year the first post office was established and the name was changed to New Bremen to distinguish it from another village in Ohio called Bremen.

Work on the Miami-Erie Canal in 1838 gave the village an increase in trade and settlement. In 1840 a warehouse and water mill were built and the community flourished until the outbreak of cholera in 1849. The dreaded disease killed 150 of 700 settlers in the township. The survivors carried on and by the mid 1870s New Bremen had become a center of industry and commerce for the neighboring rural communities.


Early Settlers of German Twp.

The following list is of the first settlers in German Township. Other lists will soon be online listing first settlers for each township. For the time being, we will limit the inclusion of settlers up until about the year 1850. Once we have finished this task, we may extend the time-span. If your ancestor doesn't appear here, check the county and other township lists. If you have information about the settlement of your ancestor, please submit it for inclusion on these lists. Your submission must include reference to a source document (i.e. deed, Bible record, legal document).

Key to Source Abbreviations:

Settler

Origin

Settled

Year
Settled

Source /
Researcher

Notes

Allis, J. D.


ATL80, p. 31 Supervisor of Roads 1839
Althoff, Gerhard Hanover Sec. 6 1836

Link to source

Gerhard (George Henry) Althoff
Barth, John F. Hanover>MD 1836 Sec. 6 1840 ATL80, p. 32
Barth, Wm. b. 1840 German Twp.

ATL80, p. 32 Son of John F. Barth
Benner, Wm.


ATL80, p. 31 Fence Viewer 1839
Boelse, C.


ATL80, p. 31 Recorder 1840
Boesel, Charles, Hon. Bavaria>MD 1833

ATL80, p. 32 b. Feb 1814, Bavaria, Shoemaker & General Store
Borgmann, B. H.


ATL80, p. 31 Supervisor of Roads 1839
Bosche, F. F.


ATL80, p. 31 Town Council 1840
Bosche, J. H. Hanover>Cinn. 1844
1846 ATL80, p. 32 b. Apr 1831
Braun
N. Bremen Summer, 1833 ATL80, p. 31
Carmann, Christian
N. Bremen 1832 ATL80, p. 31 First group of Germans
Catterlin, David


ATL80, p. 31 Twp Trustee 1839
Catterlin, S.


ATL80, p. 31 Supervisor of Roads 1839
Darnold, Gustavus


ATL80, p. 31 Twp Trustee 1839
Dickman
N. Bremen 1832 ATL80, p. 31 First group of Germans
Drees, Jno. W.


ATL80, p. 31 Constable 1839
Dwinger, Henry


ATL80, p. 31 Supervisor of Roads 1839
Epperson, G. M.


ATL80, p. 31 Town Council 1840
Frazier, H.H.


ATL80, p. 31 Twp. Clerk 1838
Fredericks, J. B.


ATL80, p. 31 Overseer of Poor 1839
Gosman, J. H.


ATL80, p. 31 Supervisor of Roads 1839
Hatfield, Wheatley


ATL80, p. 31 Twp. Treasurer 1839
Havemann, Wm. A., Dr. Saxony>St. Louis 1837
1840 ATL80, p. 32 b. 1811, md. Mary Oberwitte 1841
Henderson, Parson


ATL80, p. 31 Overseer of Poor 1839
Klefoth, G.


ATL80, p. 31 Mayor N. Bremen 1840
Knost, J. H.


ATL80, p. 31 Treasurer 1840
Kuening

by 1835 ATL80, p. 31 Established a horse mill 1-1/2 miles north of N. Brem.
Kuenzel, John C. Markleuthen, Bavaria>LA 1838
1838 ATL80, p. 32 b. 05 Sep 1823, Tanner, md. Maria Wunderlich in 1847
Langley, F. L.


ATL80, p. 31 Constable 1839
Lears, Antony


ATL80, p. 31 Supervisor of Roads 1839
Long, H.


ATL80, p. 31 Marshall 1840
Long, W. H.


ATL80, p. 31 Town Council 1840
Maurer
N. Bremen Summer, 1833 ATL80, p. 31
Maurer, F.


ATL80, p. 31 Town Council 1840
Mesloh, J. B.
N. Bremen 1832 ATL80, p. 31 First group of Germans
Mesloh, J. H., Hon. Hanover>Cinn 1830

ATL80, p. 32
Meyer, Hamilton


ATL80, p. 31 Twp. Trustee 1838
Moherer, John


ATL80, p. 31 Fence Viewer 1839
Mohrman
N. Bremen 1832 ATL80, p. 31 First group of Germans
Mohrman, Barnhart H. Hanover>Cinn 1831
1832 ATL80, p. 32 b. 1795, wife d. 1837, md. Eliz. Schrader who d., md. Magdalene Paul
Neimeyer, Jno. H.


ATL80, p. 31 Supervisor of Roads 1839
Neiter, F.
N. Bremen 1832 ATL80, p. 31 First group of Germans
Opdyke, Peter


ATL80, p. 31 Twp. Trustee 1838; Fence Viewer 1839
Paul
N. Bremen Summer, 1833 ATL80, p. 31
Pohlmann, J. L.


ATL80, p. 31 Supervisor of Roads 1839
Reis, Philip
N. Bremen 1832 ATL80, p. 31 First group of Germans
Roap, Jno. W.


ATL80, p. 31 Twp. Trustee 1838
Running, J. H.


ATL80, p. 31 Twp Trustee 1839
Schroeder, F. H.
N. Bremen 1832 ATL80, p. 31 First group of Germans
Steiner, F.
N. Bremen 1832 ATL80, p. 31 First group of Germans
Wehrman, F.


ATL80, p. 31 Judge of Elections & Street Commissioner 1840
Weslah, J.B.


ATL80, p. 31 Twp. Trustee 1838
Wiemeyer, Christopher Hanover

ATL80, p. 32 Brother to Wm.
Wiemeyer, Wm. Hanover>Clarke Co. 1834
1836 ATL80, p. 32 Contractor on Canal
Windeler, A. F.
N. Bremen 1832 ATL80, p. 31 First group of Germans
Zehnkuhl, Albert Hanover>OH 1832 Sec. 8 1832 ATL80, p. 32 Hotelkeeper, wife d. 1879, md. Minnie Ketler



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