Brief History of German Twp. |
Go to Early Settlers Go to Auglaize History Page
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:
ATL80 = 1880 Atlas of Auglaize County, compiled by H. G. Howland, published 1880 by Robert Sutton
AUH = History of Auglaize County
C = Census
D = Deed Volume/Page Number
Settler |
Origin |
Settled |
Year |
Source / |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allis, J. D. | ATL80, p. 31 | Supervisor of Roads 1839 | |||
Althoff, Gerhard | Hanover | Sec. 6 | 1836 | 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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