My Genealogy Hound

JOHN SPITLER, farmer; P. O. Potsdam; is another of the old and prominent settlers of this township; he was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, April 10, 1814, and is a son of John and Barbara Spitler; his father was born in Virginia in 1785, and departed this life in 1875; his mother was born in the State of Pennsylvania in the year 1788, and departed this life in 1872; they were married in 1807, and were the first couple married in Clay Township, Montgomery Co. His mother’s parents removed from their native State to Kentucky in an early day, in which State they lived some years, and, in about 1800, settled in Montgomery Co., and at that time his mother was the only white girl on the west side of the Miami River; his father, John, came with his sister Elizabeth to Ohio, first settling in Warren Co. in 1805, making the trip from Virginia on horseback; to his parents eleven children were born, who all lived to be married; now only seven are living Mary, Jacob, Joseph, John, Andy, Hannah and Solomon; the deceased are Susana, Elizabeth, Barbara and Samuel. The early life of these pioneers was spent in a pleasant way, having plenty of everything to subsist on—all kinds of vegetables and grain growing in profusion. Mr. Spitler informs us that, when the Dayton and Greenville road was surveyed, his father was one of the party; as a means of defense, as well as for the purpose of striking fire, the party had two guns, which, from some cause, were lost; night coming on while they were in the heavy woods of Darke Co., they were without the means to start a fire; rubbing sticks together was indulged in for a long time, but without success; no flame blessed their effort, and, as it was in the dead of winter, the party, ax in hand, chopped all night to keep from freezing, clearing or felling over an acre of heavy timber. His grandmother, Mary Roher, was the first person baptized in the German Baptist Church in Miami Valley; at the time of the Revolutionary war, a company of Tories made a raid on her father’s stock and provender, when the heroic girl, ax in hand, disputed the liberty they were taking and made them beat a hasty retreat. His great-grandfather, John Spitler, was killed by the Indians about the time of Braddock’s inglorious defeat; he, with his wife and children, were in the field, when they were suddenly attacked by the wily red men; his wife and children made their escape, while he, in clambering over a fence, was precipitated, by the breaking of a rail, into a dense undergrowth, and was overtaken and instantly killed. His father, John Spitler, attended the funeral of Washington and listened to the preaching of the sermon; in 1810, he purchased 160 acres of land on the Stillwater, near Covington, on which he had paid $80; the war breaking out, he was pressed into the service and was unable to meet his obligations, in consequence of which he lost his land; after the war, by proclamation of President Adams, all who held certificates of payment to the Government for land were allowed to pay $20 extra, and choose any other land belonging to the General Government; he was present at the great treaty in Greenville, which was probably the largest congregation of Indians ever witnessed on the soil of Ohio. Our subject was reared on the farm, on which he labored for his father till he was 21 years old; in 1835, his father sent him to Elkhart Co., Ind., to buy land; he traveled there on foot, with $6 in his pocket to bear expenses; young John faithfully performed the duty assigned, and afterward made three more trips in the same manner. In 1839, he was married to Esther Warner, by whom he had fourteen children, eleven of whom are living— Oliver, Barbara, Elizabeth, Susanna, William, Hannah, Lydia, Frank, Ephraim, Flory and Charley; the deceased are John, Solomon and Mary; Solomon was a member of the 63d O. V. I.; he was wounded at Decatur, Ga., from the effects of which he died Aug. 9, 1864—eighteen days afterward—aged 20 years 7 months and 23 days. Mr. Spitler settled on the farm now occupied by his son-in-law, Jacob Kreider, in March, 1841, on which he remained till 1877; then removed and built a fine dwelling on the opposite side of the road, where he now resides; he owns 160 acres of land, which is all in a good state of cultivation and handsomely improved. He has held the offices of Trustee, Supervisor and School Director, and has also been a member of the Board of Education. He and his amiable wife are members of the German Baptist Church, with which she has been connected for thirty-four years, and he for a period of fifteen years; his daughters Barbara and Hannah are members of the same church. They have had thirty-nine grandchildren, thirty-two of whom are living. Mrs. S. is a daughter of Jacob and Rose A. Warner, who were born in Pennsylvania; they came to Ohio in 1808, settling in Montgomery Co., in which they lived till their decease—her father at the age of 61, her mother at the age of 46 years; they were the parents of thirteen children, of whom only three are living— Jacob, Nancy and Esther; the deceased are Barbara, Abraham, Susanna, Elizabeth, John, Mary, Rose A., George, Henry and Catherine. Mrs. S. was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, in the year 1820.