Rootsweb kindly provides this free webspace and is responsible for the banner ads.

McKinley/Sullivan and Related Families

[ Up ] [ Kling ] [ Hook ]

The Philipps Family of Aschbach, Alsace, Bas-Rhin, France/Germany; Buffalo, Erie Co., NY and Dayton, Montgomery Co., OH

Centennial Portrait and Biographical Record of the City of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio (1897) [pages 715-716] - CHARLES PHILIPPS (pictured at right), proprietor of the Riverdale bath and boat house, Dayton, Ohio, was born in Alsace, France, February 22, 1832, and is a son of John and Anna Marie (Fischer) Philipps. These parents were married in Alsace; of their family of two sons and one daughter, Charles is the only survivor. The daughter, named Mary, died in infancy, and Ferdinand, the other son, died near Buffalo, N. Y., at the age of sixty-five years.

Charles Philipps was but five years of age when the family came to America and settled on a farm near Buffalo, N. Y., and here the parents passed the remainder of their days, their remains being interred near the farm.

Ferdinand succeeded to this property, to which he added other lands, and passed his life on the farm, where, beside following agriculture, he was engaged to some extent in mechanical pursuits until his death. At the age of thirteen years Charles was apprenticed to shoemaking, and, having thoroughly learned the trade, was employed for some thirty years at fine work, and during this period visited many of the larger American cities. But the encroachments of improved machinery proved to be seriously detrimental to hand production of shoes and he relinquished his journeyings. He then purchased a place near Buffalo, where he carried on his trade in a small way for a number of years, and afterward became a member of the Buffalo fire department; but by reason of one hand having been crippled by disease, he was at last compelled to abandon both his trade and his position. He then opened a saloon on the Terrace in Buffalo, and this he conducted for about seven years. He then built a floating bath house, which proved a source of profit for about ten years, when the structure was destroyed by a violent storm, entailing upon him a heavy loss. In 1888 he came with an excursion party to Ohio, and desiring to adopt a new location for business, he came to Dayton and established his present bath and boat house. Here, during the season, hundreds of citizens of Dayton, of all ages, come to enjoy the boating and bathing, while every precaution is taken for their safety; it sometimes happens that bathers become over-bold, and Mr. Philipps has, since in business here, saved no less than eighteen persons from drowning. For these brave and valuable services he has received appreciative mention in the local press, and very often more tangible evidence of the gratitude of the rescued.

Mr. Philipps was married, in Buffalo, to Miss Bertha Webber, who was born in Baden, Germany, in 1841, and this marriage has been blessed by the birth of four sons and three daughters. Of these William C. is a harness-maker and dealer in Dayton and is married; Rose is a dressmaker, and resides with her parents; Albert conducts a boating house at Dayton View; Ida is the wife of Aloysius W. Kling, foreman of Walker's lithographic establishment in Dayton; Edward G. is an assistant to his father; Clara and Frankie are attending school. In their religious faith, the family are true Catholics. Mr. Philipps is a modest, unassuming gentleman, courteous and attentive to his many patrons. He well deserves the success which now attends him, and is equally deserving of the high esteem in which he is held by the citizens of Dayton, with many of whom his occupation necessarily brings him into association.
 

Charles Philipps (b. 1833 Aschbach, Alsace, Bas-Rhin, France - d. 1911 Buffalo, Erie Co., New York) sailed on the Ship Baltimore from Le Havre to New York, aged 4 with his parents (John and Anna Maria) and brother 6 (Ferdinand) and sister (Marie Eve) 8 months.  There were other Aschbach/Stundweiller families traveling on the same ship (Dentinger, Philipps and Fischer) who also settled in the Buffalo area (thanks to Brian for this information).  The young John Philipps family settled on a Cheektowaga County (near Buffalo) farm.  The 1840 Census shows John Philipps family includes one male 40-50 (John), two males 5-10 (Ferdinand and Charles) and one female 30-40 (Anna Maria), so the baby daughter Marie Eve must have died.  By the 1850 Census John's farm property has a value of $2,100, the most prosperous in his area.  John is age 50 and a couple named Hoffer (also in their 50's) is living with him.  John's wife Anna Maria Fischer must have died before 1850.  Their son Charles age 14, shoemaker, is found in the 1850 Census living in Buffalo with the George Weis (Hess), shoemaker, family.  Charles, age 26, is still listed living with this family in the 1860 Census, although the 1855 New York State Census also lists John (farmer age 55 widowed, 18 year resident), Ferdinand (farmer age 24) and Charles (shoemaker age 27) living on the Cheektowaga farm.  John Philipps is still shown living on the Cheektowaga farm age 60 in the 1860 Census.  There is a John Philipps, farmer age 30, living with him (not sure who this is).  There is also a large Anthony Philipps family listed on the same page.  John Philipps died 28 Dec 1869.  His will (found by Nancy) was probated by his son Charles in Erie County:  6 Jan 1870 - Erie County Surrogate Court, Buffalo, Erie Co, New York. Petitioner Charles Philips of Buffalo. Probate file does not contain any will, relationships or other details. Includes signatures of Charles Philipps and Ferdinand Philipps (administrator).  File also lists Frederick Philipps, Anthony Andrews, Anthony Lutz of Cheektowaga.  Note in file indicates that Charles sold land in Amherst to Nicholas Werdeman? for $1,000.  The index to surrogates records P-Q film #0915757 lists a probate for John Philipps filed 6 Jan 1870 as case #17387. Nancy's notes indicate that it references Anton Lutz, Ferdinand Philipps, and Sugg.  Case file s/b available through FHC on microfilm.       

Charles Philipps birth cert. (at left) was kindly shared by Nancy, who has done most of the great Philipps research.  "Reported to the mayor of Aschbach, district of Wissembourg, the 2nd day of the month of February in 1833 at 9 am - birth of Charles Philipps, born 1 Feb 1833 at 3 pm son of Jean Philipps age 32, profession blacksmith, & Anne Marie Fischer, age 31, living in Aschbach.  Informant: Jean Philipps; Witnesses: Jacques Philipps, age 33, & Bernard Kocher, age 54,  laborers.  Signed by Johannes (Jean) Philipps, the father; Bernhard Kocher, witness; and ??? Walter the mayor."  John (Johannes) Philipps and his son Charles were French-speaking and the censuses list their place of birth as France.  Aschbach is in Alsace, located northeast of Haguenau and Strassbourg, and south of Wissembourg (see Michelin map #242). Aschbach is near the towns of Stundweiller and Oberroedem and there are Philipps in these towns as well.  Alsace origins are in the area of France northeast of Strasbourg, just a few miles from the German border on the north and on the east. The town names are Oberroedern, Hatten, Aschbach, Stundwiller.   The early 1830s in these areas were one of those periods in European history when there was a severe job shortage, and then there was the French "July Revolution" of 1830 with continuing political upheaval.  So lots of people were picking up and leaving for Russia or the U.S. because there was promise of land and jobs in both places at the time.  The Erie Canal (completed about 1821), which connected across the state to the Hudson River in New York City, opened up Western New York state.   

The Philipps family emigrated to Cheektowaga, Erie Co., New York on the Ship Baltimore (pictured at right) sailing from Le Havre to New York City 10 July 1837 (avg. trip on this ship was 36 days).  The family consisted of Johan (age 37, born 1800), Anna Maria (36, born 1801), Fredrick (6, born 1831), Carl (4, born 1833) and Mary Eva (abt 8 mos., born abt Oct, 1836).  To imagine what they might have experienced traveling to Buffalo, a description of travel to Buffalo dated 1846 says:  "Having arrived (transAtlantic) at New York, we were quarantined for 2 days, after which we debarked. We stayed in New York 2 days. We took a steamer to Albany at 7 PM; we arrived at 5 AM, and then embarked on the canal to Buffalo. We were on the canal for 7 days, debarking at Buffalo".  The Erie Canal of New York State was built in 1825. It started in the Albany, NY area and went to Buffalo and Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.  At the time it paralleled the Mohawk River to present day Utica, NY, but most of the Mohawk was unnavigable back then.  The Erie Canal was a very narrow body of water perhaps 25 feet wide and 10 feet deep in which special canal boats were pulled along mile by mile by horse and mule.  In this period of time (before railroads), most passengers let off in New York City, traveled up the Hudson to Albany by boat, then traveled by canal boat west. There were roads along the Hudson, so travel by land was also feasible.  The Erie Canal was only used for a few decades (replaced by railroad), and today the Mohawk River has been canalized and forms the Mohawk River - Barge Canal System that takes barges and boats to the Great Lakes.

Another record shared by Nancy - "25 April 1865 married Charles Philipps son of John Philipps and Anna Maria Fischer to Bertha Weber daughter of Fidelis? Weber and Euphrosina? Harter. Witnesses were Anthony Kaspar, Joseph Schmitt, Catharina Philips and Maria Philipps. The marriage took place at St. Michael's Church, 651 Washington St, Buffalo, New York 14203. Info comes from LDS Film #0928695."  Info on the Weber family of Önsbach, Achern, Baden, Germany comes from RWG's great Weber research.  Bertha was one of 8 children, born abt 1832-1850, to Fidelis Weber and Euphrosina Harter (Agricola, Josef Hermann, Agatha, Luise died as a child, Bertha, Pauline, another Luise, and August).  Of these, it appears that only Josef, Agatha and Bertha came to the U.S.  Per census information, Bertha emigrated about 1862 at about age 21; so far I have no information on what became of her siblings.  Charles Philipps' brother Ferdinand remained in the Buffalo area.  Of Ferdinand's 7 children, eldest son Charles Edward Philipps moved to the mining town of Central City, Gilpin Co, Colorado and his 7 children remained in the West.   

1870 Census, Buffalo, Erie County, NY, 30 July 1870, Charles Philipps, age 39, saloonkeeper, born Germania; Bertha (née Weber) Philipps, age 28, born Germania, keeping house; William, age 4, son, born NY; Rosa, age 2, born NY; Albert, age 2 mos, born May, NY; Catharine Ely 16, born NY, domestic servant. 

1880 U.S. Census, Vol. 21, E.D. 145, Sheet 19, Line 133, 867 Washington St, State of New York, Erie County, City of Buffalo:
Charles Philipps, age 49, husband, keeps bathing house, born Alsace, father and mother born Alsace, therefore born 1831;
Bertha (née Weber) Philipps, age 39, wife, born Baden, father and mother born Baden, therefore born 1841;
William, age 14, son, therefore born 1866; Rosa, age 12, daughter, therefore born 1868; Albert, age 9, son, therefore born 1871;
Ida, age 7, daughter, therefore born 1873; Eddie, age 4, son, therefore born 1876; Clara, age 1, daughter, therefore born 1879

The Dayton, Ohio City Directory for 1888-89 shows Charles Philipps, bath house, east end of E Helena, 903 N Riverdale, Dayton, Ohio, 1889-1900.

1900 census shows the family living in Dayton and says that Charles came to the U.S. in 1834 (therefore age 2) and Bertha came in 1864 (therefore age 23). It shows all their parents as born in Germany and Charles' occupation is boathouse keeper.
1900 U.S. Census, Vol. 112, E.D. 49, Sheet 4, Line 45, State of Ohio, Montgomery County, City of Dayton:
Charles Philipps, age 68, husband, boathouse keeper, born Germany, father and mother born Germany, born Feb, 1832
Bertha (Weber) Philipps, age 59, wife, born Germany, father and mother born Germany, born Feb, 1841, married 35 years, therefore married 1865
Clara L., age 21, daughter, born June, 1878, born New York, father and mother born Germany
Frank J., age 17, son, born April, 1883, born New York, father and mother born Germany

1910 Census 867 Washington St., Buffalo, Erie Co., NY; Charles Philipps age 78 born France, emig. 1837; Bertha Philipps age 69 born Germany, emig. 1862, married once to each other 45 years ago, 7 of 7 children living; Clara Philipps age 31

Erie County Surrogate Court Office (info from Charles Philipps probate also thanks to Nancy).
Charles Philipps - Case #42434 filed 14 April 1911
The petitioner was Albert A of Columbus Ohio. Charles died 12 April 1911in Buffalo. Heirs were listed as: Bertha, widow, Buffalo
William C, son, Dayton Oh.
Rose B Sucher (nee Philipps), daughter, Dayton Oh.
Ida K Kling, daughter, Dayton Oh.
Edward G Philipps, son, Dayton Oh.
Clara L Philipps, daughter, Buffalo
Frank J Philipps, son, Cincinnati Oh.
Albert A (petitioner), son, Columbus Oh.
Property included: House at 867 Washington St., Buffalo - 2 story frame house with 1 story
frame cottage in rear. Lot 29 1/2 feet by 122 feet deep. Valued at $7000.
House at 64 Helena St., Dayton Ohio - 1 1/2 story frame valued at $2000.

Charles Philipps (b. 1833 Aschbach - d. 1911 Buffalo, New York) and his wife Bertha Weber Philipps (b. 1841 Önsbach, Achern, Baden, Germany -d. 1925 Dayton, Ohio) are buried in the Bertha Weber Philipps/Frank Schimpf (don't know if Frank is related) plot at United German & French Catholic cemetery in Buffalo, but do not appear to have grave markers.  Nancy's records show that Charles was buried from St. Louis Church, Buffalo. 

return to home page

  return to top of page

e-mail

Copyright © 1999-2007. All Rights Reserved.