History of Pickaway County
Source:  History of Franklin & Pickaway Counties, Ohio
Illustrations and Biographical Sketches
Published by Williams Bros. 1880
 

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
 

WASHINGTON
* SETTLEMENT
* THE FIRST ROAD
* EARLY SCHOOLS
* RELIGIOUS INTERESTS
* RURAL PLACES
* BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

BIOGRAPHIES
 

  JACOB HITLER, who died at his residence in Washington township, Pickaway county, Ohio, Aug. 11, 1879, had resided in the territory now constituting Pickaway county, for a period of eighty consecutive years.  His parents, George and Susannah HITLER, were among the earliest pioneers of the county.  His father was a native of Maryland, and was born May 15, 1763.  When a boy, he came with his parents to Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and there subsequently found his wife in the person of Susanna GAY, daughter of John GAY, of London, England.  He removed with his family, then consisting of his wife and two small children, to Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and located in what was called "the glades."  In April, 1799, he emigrated to Ohio.  The mother and four children, with the household goods, came down the Ohio river on a flat-boat, to the mouth of the Scioto, where they were met by the father, who came through by land with a large number of horses.  From Portsmouth the journey was made to his county by team and wagon, the goods being sent up the Scioto in a keel-boat.  Mr. HITLER's first location was on the lower plains, in Pickaway township.  In 1804, he entered one hundred and sixty acres in the west part of section thirty-three, Washington township, erecting his house in the southwest part, where he resided until his death, April 2, 1818.  His wife survived him thirty years, dying Sept. 16, 1848, at the age of nearly seventy-six.
     Jacob was the third child, and was born during the residence of his parents in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, Dec. 5, 1796.  His boyhood was spent, like that of most of the sons of the pioneers, in the hard work upon the farm, incident to a new country.  Shortly after his father's death, he and his brother, George, bought of William GOUGAR a quarter section of land, adjoining on the north the farm now owned by Mrs. Abraham HITLER, for which they paid twenty-three dollars per acre.  He there made the beginning of his successful and busy life.  Wheat was then worth seventy-five cents per bushel, but it soon after commenced to decline in price, and went down to twenty-five cents.  Having but a few hundred dollars apiece, the brothers found it impossible to pay for their farm by raising grain and selling it at the then current price, and so they concluded to manufacture it into flour and ship it to New Orleans.
     Then commenced their flat-boating experience to that city, which continued for eleven years, the first trip being made by Jacob HITLER, in 1819.  The enterprise proved a success, the flour bringing a price which amounted for the grain to more than double what it would have sold for at home.  The boats were constructed to carry from four to five hundred barrels of flour.  They cost about one hundred and twenty dollars apiece, and where disposed of at New Orleans for whatever they would bring - sometimes only a few dollars.  Mr. HITLER made five trips to New Orleans, the first two in 1819 and 1820, and after that, alternating with his brother,  George.  The first trip he returned from New Orleans to this county on foot, making the journey in twenty-two days, the same time required for a steamboat to come from New Orleans to Louisville.  Mr. HITLER's prominent characteristics were strict integrity, unusual soundness of judgment and foresight, great industry and a fixedness of purpose which rendered successful everything he undertook.  He acquired a fine property owning at the time of his decease nearly two thousand acres of land, all of it lying in Pickaway county.  He was elected a commissioner of this county in October, 1858, and served for the term of three years,  He had, however, but little inclination for public office.  In 1825  he was united in marriage to Sarah GOUGAR, who came to Pickaway county with her parents, in 1806.  Mrs. HITLER died several years ago.  To them were born the following children:  George, Sept. 28, 1825; Daniel, Nov. 7, 1827; Susan, Apr., 1830; Nelson, Jan. 24, 1833; Caroline, June 17, 1836; Jacob, no record; Ellen, Feb.4, 1843.  George and Nelson occupy the homestead; Daniel lives in Pickaway township, this county; Susan is the wife of Lewis LUTZ, and resides in Kansas; Caroline died young, and Jacob in infancy; Ellen is the wife of Evan PHILLIPS, of Pickaway township.
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    EDWARD DRESBACH, of Washington township, Pickaway county, Ohio, is the second son and eighth descendent of Henry DRESBACH and his wife, Mary STAUFFER, who were, respectively, of Northumberland (now Union) and Berks counties, Pennsylvania.  Henry DREISBACH was born Nov. 22, 1794, and was a son of Jacob DRESBACH and his wife Magdalene BUCHS.  Tracing the family farther back we see Jacob was the eldest son of Martin DRESBACH, who was born in 1717 in the earldom of Witgenstein, Germany, and marrying Anna Eve HOFFMAN, emigrated to this country and settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1746.
     Henry DRESBACH, the father of the subject of this sketch, came to Ohio in 1811, and after living one year in Ross county, removed to Salt Creek township, where he resided for a time with his brother George.  At an early date he took up the farm in Washington township, where his son Edward now resides, and there remained until his death.  He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and after his return from service entered actively into the labor incident to the life of a pioneer, cleared up his farm, and made upon it many valuable improvements.  He began with little, had few advantages, but accomplished much.  He was industrious, energetic, frugal, and, as a natural result, was successful.  He farming was profitable, and his business affairs generally resulted favorably so that although not becoming a rich man he yet accumulated more than a competency.  Politically, he was a Democrat.
     Henry DRESBACH was a man of sterling moral worth, and one of those citizens who, by labors and example, benefited the neighborhood in which he passed his life.  He was a religious man, too, in practice as well as in theory.  In his earlier years he was a member of the church of the United Brethren, but afterwards became connected with the Evangelical Association.
     Mr. DRESBACH and his wife, Mary STAUFFER, were born in wedlock Mar. 30, 1817.  The wife was born in 1796, and died in 1850.  The husband survived her twenty-five yeas, and died June 9, 1875, upon the farm where he had resided three score years.  These pioneers were teh parents of eight daughters and two sons, viz.: Estehr, born Jan.13, 1818, now the wife of Joseph MEISSE, of Fairfield county; Henry, born July 12, 1819, died July 13, the same year; Eliza, born Dec. 25, 1820, died Nov. 29, 1832; Mary, born Mar. 23, 1829, married Abraham MIESSE, and, afterward, Mr. RAUDABAUGH; died Sept. 11, 1862; Elizabeth, born Nov. 10, 1824, died Aug. 29, 1850; Angeline (Mrs. Daniel MIESSE), born Dec. 19, 1826, died June 9, 1878; Josephine (wife of Dr. J. WEIST, of Jay county, Indiana), born Feb. 9, 1828; Edward, born Sept. 17, 1829; Louisa, born May 29, 1833, wife of John SWITZER, of Fairfield county; JOANNAH, born May 6, 1837, died Feb. 11, 1840.
     Edward DRESBACH was brought up as a farmer, and had the limited advantages of the home schools.  He is one of the representative men and substantial citizens of Washington township.  On the twenty-eighth of Feb., 1852, he was married to Eliza Ann, daughter of David and Lydia (BEAR) HEFFNER, of Washington township, born, respectively, Nov. 3, 1807, and July 11, 1810.  Mrs. DRESBACH was born April 19, 1832.  Her grand-parents, Abraham and Catharine HEFFNER, came from Berks county, Pennsylvania, to Salt Creek township at an early date.  Both she and Dr. DRESBACH are members of the Evangelical Association, the wife having joined in 1849, and the husband in 1857.
* Page 305 - PORTRAITS of Henry and Elizabeth DRESBACH available.