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A History of Jacob Zurbrugg and Family Written by one of their sons – 1909 – Fred Zurbrugg, Alliance, Ohio. (Retyped Dec., 2005 by W. E. Bruetsch) |
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Page 1. Chapter I. I will give a history of our family to the best of my memory, so that our descendants can see in the future when our parents arrived in America. They left the Old Country on the 28th day of June, 1836, and landed in the State of Ohio, at Paris in Stark County in the latter part of September. When they left their native land, they had no friends or acquaintance here. Their intention was to locate in Ohio. At that time, there were no railroads and the journey to the sea was made on a wagon, where they took passage on a sail ship for New York, and after a voyage of 39 days arrived at that place.
From there they went on a steam railroad as far as Albany, New York. I think at that time about the only railroad in this country. From there they mad their way again on wagons to Buffalo, New York, where they took passage on Lake Erie for Cleveland, Ohio. At that time I think Cleveland had a population of some 3,000 people. From there they went south on a canal boat, not knowing where to locate. Father got on deck of the boat and kept looking where it would suit him best to stop. |
Page 2. They came through to Massillon, Ohio and south from there to Bethlehem where they made their stopping place. After looking around they found a small inn, where they got quarters for the night. Their goods were all packed in well made wooden trunks, which consisted of clothing, bedding and cooking utensils. They also brought a large copper kettle which was to be used for making cheese. It is at present owned by our brother-in-law Frank Fryfogle and is still in good condition. We have yet the box in which it was brought here. I also have another trunk which was used in bringing their goods. I use it for a tool chest. The next morning after their arrival on looking around, they found a man that had come from Paris, Ohio with a load of wheat to market. Father told him where they were from and wanted a home. He promised them if they would come with him he could furnish a house to live in and anything they were needing. So they came with him and made their home for the winter in Paris. |
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Page 3. Chapter II. During winter father looked around in different localities and came to North Georgetown, where he found the Dellenbaughs, the Bierys, the Schwartzs, all Swiss, and a number of other of different nationalities, but none that they knew in the Old Country. In the Spring they moved from Paris and located in Knox Township, north of where the town house now stands on the second farm on the west side of the public road. In the Fall Grandfather arrived from the old country. Soon after father bought 40 acres south of where the Bethel Church now stands. Grandfather bought 80 acres on the east side. This land is now owned by Mrs. Theopolis E. Zurbrugg.
Chapter III. After a few years when fairly settled he commenced making Swiss cheese, which was nearly all marketed at Pittsburg, Pa. and was the first of that kind brought in that city. Father was, I think, the first man that made Swiss cheese in Ohio. After a number of years he commenced shipping milk to Pittsburg and was the first man in that business from Beloit and continued at that for seven years. In ’56 he bought the Steam Saw Mill at the Mile Branch School house and went with his sons into the lumber business and bought poplar and black walnut timber and shipped the lumber to Pittsburg. At that time black walnut was used for making fine furniture. It all went to a factory for that purpose.
Chapter IV. Soon after being in this country, father made application for Citizenship and adopted his politics with the Wig Party. His first vote for President was, I think, for Henry Clay and later when the Republican party was formed always voted with that party. He believed in a protective tariff and hated slavery and when the Civil War came was a radical union man and did all he could for our country with some of his sons in the Army.
Chapter V. Our parents were born in Frutigen, Canton Berne, Switzerland and were married in 1830. Father died at the age of 78, Mother died age 70. Father had an uncle, a brother of this mother, that was considered the tallest man in Switzerland in his time. He measured even 7 feet in height. Our family were all members of the German Reformed Church. Grandfather was among the first founders of the Bethel Church and donated the ground where the church now stands. There were in our family 11 children. Two of which died in infancy. |
Page 4.
1. Susan, wife of David Ramsayee, died at age 52 years and had 5 children and at present 3 living with 7 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.
2. John J. of Steuben Co., Indiana has 3 children, 1 grandchild.
3. Rosana, wife of John Smith, had 6 children, 5 living with 22 great grandchildren.
4. Samuel, of Branch A., Michigan, died at age 67 and had adopted a ________ children of their own.
5. Fred, east of Alliance, Ohio on the Stark Electric railroad, had 4 sons, 3 living with 9 grandchildren.
6. Ferdinand, west of Alliance, Ohio, died at age 60 years, had 3 children, with 11 grandchildren.
7. Anthony died age 25. He served during the Civil War.
8. Theopolis E., died at age 54 years, had 3 daughters with 6 grandchildren.
9. Sophia E., wife of Frank Fryfogle, had 13 children, 8 living with 3 grandchildren.
Julius Billeter’s 1917 Information. (Supplied by W.E. Bruetsch from FHL microfilm # 1045411.) (Billeter gave a # to each of the persons he listed.)
Jakob Zurbrügg, b. 6 Jul 1808, # 2784, married Katharina Zurbrügg, b. 3 Jan 1813, # 2755. Children: 1. Susanna K., b. 14 Jan 1833, # 2998. 2. Johann J., b. 12 Jun 1834, # 2999 3. Rosina, b. 4 Dez 1835, # 3000.
Jakob’s father and mother were Peter Zurbrügg, b. 14 Aug 1768, # 2566 and Katharina Bircher, b. 1784, # 2780, married 26 Oct 1804. |
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This is a History of the John Zurbrugg Family Compiled by Flora Zurbrugg and Caroline Bonnell, Great-Granddaughters of John Zurbrugg. (Retyped Dec., 2005 by W. E. Bruetsch.) |
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Page 5. John Zurbrugg and his wife, Elizabeth, and his brother, Jacob and his wife Katharine, left Furtigen, Canton Berne, Switzerland on June 28th, 1836. They made the trip from home to the sea by wagon since there were no trains. After 39 days at sea, they arrived in New York. From there they went by steam railroad to Albany. They then made their way by wagon to Buffalo, where they took passage on Lake Erie to Cleveland, which at that time had a population of 3000 people. From there they went South on a canal boat, not knowing where to settle. They came to Massilon, went South to Bethlehem, where they stopped at an Inn.
Their goods were all packed in well made wooden trunks. Among their possessions was a large copper kettle, to be used in making cheese. The next morning they found a man who had come to sell a load of wheat. He had come from Paris, Ohio. When they told him where they had come from and were trying to find a place to locate, this man promised them if they would come with him, he would furnish them a house and anything they would need. They went with him and stayed at Paris that winter. In the spring they moved to Knox Township. In the fall their father came from Switzerland. The next spring, they bought farm land in Knox Township.
After a few years, they began making Swiss Cheese. With a herd of about 20 cows furnishing the milk, they made a wheel of cheese a day during cheese making season, which was from May 1st to October 31st. The area residents ere skeptical about the cheese so they rolled the cheese onto a wagon and took it to Pittsburg. There the people would only try it before buying any. So, they left the cheese with the hope that the people would like it. Finally they received the money for the cheese with orders for more, and the business began to flourish.
There is no record of when John and Elsbeth (Elizabeth) came to Indiana. (WEB: Before 1874, based on Peter’s Z. son Henry’s birth, age 6 in the 1880 census.) |
Page 6. The following is the history of the John and Elsbeth family: (Then comes 5 pages of genealogy. Only the John Z. info is given here.)
John Zurbrugg, 1807 – 1889 married Elsbeth Zucher, 1809 – 1891. Children: 1. Rosinna 2. Elsbeth (Elsie) 3. John 4. Johanna 5. Elizabeth 6. Margarita 7. Jacob 8. Solomon 9. Godfrey 10. Peter 11. Christopher
Julius Billeter’s 1917 Information (Supplied by W. E. Bruetsch from FHL microfilm # 1045411.) (Billeter gave a # to each of the persons he listed.)
Johannes Zurbrügg, b. 8 Jun 1807, # 2783, married Elsbeth Zürcher, b. 1809, # 2988. Children: 1. Elsbeth, b. 24 Dez 1832, # 2989 2. Johannes, b. 11 Apr 1833, # 2990 3. Peter, b. 20 Mar 1835, # 2991 4. Jakob, b. 24 Jul 1836, # 2992 5. Elisabetha, b. 21 May 1838, # 2993 6. Margaretha, b. 29 Aug 1839, # 2994 7. Susanna, b. 21 Apr 1841, # 2995 8. Christian, b. 23 Oct 1843, # 2996 9. Salomon, b. 4 Oct 1846, # 2997.
Johannes father and mother were Peter Zurbrügg, b. 14 Aug 1768, # 2566 and Katharina Bircher, b. 1784, # 2780, married 26 Oct 1804. |
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