Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Johann Ludwig Kuhn

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Descendants of Johann Ludwig Kuhn

Generation No. 2

2. Christian Frederick² Kuhn (Johann Ludwig¹) was born Jul 27, 1804 in Besigheim, Wurtemberg, Germany, and died Oct 11, 1879 in Wheatstone Twp., OH. He married (1) Helena Sophia Stoll Feb 24, 1829 in Besigheim, Baden, Wurtemburg, Germany, daughter of Johannes Stoll and Dorothy Zoller. She was born Jan 09, 1806 in Heilbronn, Wurtemberg, Germany, and died Jan 27, 1877 in Olentangy Village, near Galion, OH. He married (2) Rosena Stoll Apr 23, 1878 in Crawford Co., OH, daughter of Johannes Stoll and Dorothy Zoller. She was born Aug 11, 1811 in Heilbronn, Wurtemberg, Germany*, and died Dec 10, 1891 in Bucyrus, OH.

Notes for Christian Frederick Kuhn:
John Jacob Kuhn's obit had his father's name as Christian Frederick. Child's obit and cemetery records had Christian A.

Photos: Church Christian served as deacon in Olentangy; Grave stone of Christian and John Kuhn's 2 infants.

According to Mamie Kuhn, granddaughter of John Jacob Kuhn, Christian and Helena Sophia Stoll Kuhn lived in Abstaat Bessingheim (now Besigheim), Germany, until 1832. Then (according to the "History of Elkhart County in an interview with Christian's son John), Christian Kuhn came to America from Wurtemberg, Germany. Bessingheim was located in Wurtemberg. Christian was reared and educated in Germany and served an apprenticeship in the tailor's trade. He worked as a journeyman until 1832 and then with wife and one child set out for America on the ship Brig Malay. The ship arrived from Amsterdam, Holland, at NY on 9/4/1832. It took three months to cross the ocean, and, consequently, because of the delayed voyage, all passengers were placed on short rations. When the Christian Kuhn family's ship docked in New York, Mr. Kuhn had ten cents in his pocket. On the same ship with Christian and his wife Helena Stoll Kuhn, were her parents, her seven siblings, and future brother-in-law Ludwig Assenheimer who married sister Rosena Kuhn.

He quickly found work at his trade and lived in New York City until 1837. He then set out with his family for the West. Going up the Hudson River, at Albany the family took a canal boat to Buffalo, New York, then by lake steamer to Sandusky, Ohio, and from there by wagon and team to Bucyrus, Ohio. Bucyrus was then a village of only 14 buildings, and the surrounding country was practically a wilderness. No railroads had yet been built in Ohio, consequently, there were no established markets, and little money in circulation. More deeply than that, the country was in general financial depression, and Christian Kuhn soon became discouraged with the outlook and decided to return to New York City. Having no money, he started his return journey on foot, and with only a change of clothing in a bundle, he said good bye to his family, promising to send for them as soon as he could earn sufficient money. He had gone but a short distance when he met Mr. Boyer, who told him that if he would return, he would give him work. Mr. Boyer came to the Kuhn home with his three sons, and each was measured for a suit. Soon, Christian had all the work he could do.

(Mamie Kuhn, great granddaughter of Christian, said that Christian walked from NY to OH and brought his family to OH. This account was likely provided to her by a researcher in Mansfield, OH. There was a Christian Kuhn from Wurtemberg (reported in Centennial Biographical History of Richland Co., OH.) who lived in Sandusky Township, who did walk from Pittsburgh, PA to OH and had children of similar names as our Christian Kuhn. Mamie gave Gerald and Maxine the names of our Christian's children and listed some of the names of this Christian Kuhn (Charles, John, Amanda and Lillian in addition to our Christian's other children - so she obviously had been given information on the wrong Christian. We accept the account our Christian's son John gave in the "History of Elkhart County." It is more likely that he took the boat trip to Buffalo and the lake steamer to Sandusky as stated by his son John. There would have been plenty of work for Christian in NY as a tailor and he could have fallen on hard times in a small populated community, like Bucyrus, which had only 14 buildings when he arrived. It is noteworthy that the other Christian was from Wurtemberg, was also a tailor who too became a farmer, was a Lutheran, and relocated in 1828 to Mansfield which is near Bucyrus, OH, where Christian relocated in 1837. It leads us to wonder if our Christian and this Christian may have been related.)

Christian filed his intent for naturalization on March 16, 1840, in Bucyrus, OH. (Ref. Vol. 2, page 110, Wurtemberg Immigrants).

In 1848 he bought 15 acres of land with a log cabin in Whetstone Township. First thing he did was to plant an orchard. It was necessary to buy fruit trees far away, and he and his older two sons carried the young trees on their shoulders following trail marked by blazed trees. The famed Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) had established and left apple nurseries in Perrysville and Mansfield, OH. Johnny Appleseed left Mansfield for Indiana about 1836 and settled on 214 1/2 acres around Fort Wayne, IN. Christian's apple trees likely came from the Mansfield nursery which had been owned by Johnny Appleseed. Christian's sons helped clear the land and toil the soil. His success as a farmer was as great as his tailoring. At the the of his death on 10/11/1879, he was the owner of a fine 160-acre farm and had considerable money.

Olentangy Village in Whetstone Township where Christian's farm was located was the site of an Indian and Crawford Army (probably named after Crawford Co., OH) encounter in 1782. When the Army entered the township, perhaps a mile below the present village of north Robison (located north of Olentangy on SR 602)); they went across the township bearing to the south, crossing where the Galion Road now is at some point (Christian's land intersected Galion Road) between the Township Hall and Secaiu Park, and left the township a trifle over 3 miles south of Bucyrus. Their return route was the same, and it was when they had crossed where the Galion road now is (Christian's farm was located one farm north of Galion Road), they were compelled to stop to protect their rear and the battle of the Olentangy followed. The battle in the northeast quarter of section 22 (Christian's farm was section 26 and joined section 22 to the north) on the high grown north of where the monument stands. The east half of this section has since been owned by Sarah R. Lust and the west half by J. B. Campbell. Along the higher ground, north of Galion Road (Christian's farm was one farm north of the Galion Road), is where in 1782 the Indian trail was located from Galion to Upper Sandusky, crossing the Sandusky River south of the Mansfield Street bridge, following the high ground through southern Holmes and crossing the Brokensword, about half a mile SW of Oceola. The western section of Whetstone was a part of the Plains which the Indians used for their ring hunts, when they fired the grass and drove the game to a common center, shooting the animals as they endeavored to make their escape through the ring of fire. When the earliest settlers arrived in Olentangy there was an Indian village on the banks of the Whetstone, at or near where Seccaium Park now is, and in this section many Indian relics have been plowed up. Another camp or village of the Indians was between the Stewart graveyard and the river. (The Indian route would have been from Holmes Co. east of Mohican State Park, west through Butler, Belleville, Lexington, Blooming Grove, Galion, north to North Robison, west to Bucyrus, and Oceola, and north to Brokensword. It is known that the battle was within 2 miles of where Christian later purchased his farm.)

The southern part of Whetstone township was designated as the "Green Sea," by John James. In many places there was growth of wild grass, and a species of cane, called maiden cane, sprung up, and were of very luxuriant growth, often growing to a height and thickness as to prevent persons from passing through, except by following beaten paths. (Christian's farm in 1997 was a combination of woods and farm land and located The Olentangy River runs through the farm so it is possible that part of Christian's land could have part of the Green Sea area.)

In 1838 a man named Isaac Dickson entered the land and thought it would never become properly inhabited. He convinced a man named Tobin to take the land and for clearing a few acres, he was to have it rent free, and also have all of the crops. Tobin accepted the offer and the first night Tobin spent in the cabin, a violent wind storm swept through the section (probably a tornado), tearing up trees along its track, hurling timber in every direction, and shaking the cabin to its foundation. The day before the storm the land was tangled forest, much of it covered with water, and the next morning the desolation was still more complete, and Tobin promptly sold his goods except what he could taken in one wagon he had, and started back to Pennsylvania. Tobin reportedly died in Pennsylvania and never had the western fever again.

Shearer Road joins Christian's farm and it was in that area that Mary Elizabeth Shearer (later the wife of John Jacob Kuhn, son of Christian Kuhn) was born. Mary Elizabeth and her parents moved to Scott Township in Kosciusko Co., IN, but she returned to near Galion, OH, after she married Christian's son John. Many Shearers/Sherers in the Bucyrus, Galion, Mansfield, Dayton areas are related to the Christian and Helena Sophia Stoll Kuhn's descendants via Mary Elizabeth Shearer.

In 1849 quite a number of German Lutheran people had located in the vicinity of Olentangy Village, as well as Reformed. Religion was a matter of the heart with those people and they did not forget the needs of their sons and their confirmation vows when they came to Crawford County. Longing for a place where they and their children could worship, these pioneer people came together in August, 1850 and organized the Emanuel congregation. The German Evangelical Lutheran congregation of the unaltered Augsburg Confession was the faith of Christian and Helena Sophia Stoll Kuhn. They were charter members of the first church established and built in Olentangy Village (near Galion, OH). John Sherer and his son Adam Sherer (our relatives) were also members. The church had its dedication on November 9 1851. Christian Kuhn was a charter member and a deacon. A sum of $330 was needed to build the church. Four men signed to pay for this church: Heinrich Helfrich, Adam Scherer (Sherer a relative of the Kuhns, and Tobias Kile. Land was donated by Christopher Dinkel. John Sherer (a relative) received his first communion at the dedication.

After 30 years, the congregation decided they needed more room and a more modern church building. Everybody got busy; work was started at once, and on the third Sunday in Advent, 1881, the replacement church was dedicated. The church cost $1700 and was shortly paid in full. The offering at the dedication Sunday was $75. Those members who had held offices of the church when the new church was dedicated were allowed to march ahead of the procession on dedication day. George Mathias Kuhn, a son Christian and Helena) was one of the deacons.

Olentangy had a tavern, blacksmith shop, a general store, school house, and other buildings erected. In 1840, a post office had been established. When the Civil War broke out little was left of the town but the school house and saloon (tavern). (It is not known if there were a battle in that area or if residents simply left the area.) Now the village has crumbled and the then residents are only faintly recalled.

In 1997, the church in Olentangy Village is no longer used and is in disrepair. The cemetery where many of our Kuhn ancestors are buried is well maintained.

On Feb. 15, 1998, Maxine and Gerald Kuhn found the following query posted on the internet site for Crawford Co. Ohio: "Dan Ruth, Thur Mar 27 10:16:53 1997 RUTH, HENRY FRANCIS Know this is a shot in the dark. But, here it goes, I am looking for Parents of Henry Francis Ruth, my g-grandfather, born in 1841 in possibly Bucyrus (?) Twp., Crawford Co., Ohio. He married Martha E. Wonger in 1866. This the basics on Henry F.: Born 1841, supposed on Sandusky Ave., in Bucyrus. His mother was a domestic for Christian Kuhn and wife of Whetstone Twp. Some report his father was English (which I doubt) and his name was Francis. The info is from his death certificate of 1916 and doubt its validity. My grandfather William H. Ruth, late of Whetstone Twp., never knew or told who his grandfather was. Henry F. was in the Civil War Co. E 101st. Died in Whet. Twp 1916. He was baptized at the German Reform Church in Whetstone Twp. in 1857. I have no idea where those church files are now. Not even sure who I might contact. I would give anything to find any substantial lead on his father or mother. Appreciate your time and hope to hear from you. Dan Ruth, pharm@donet.com." Gerald and Maxine Kuhn contacted Dan Ruth and learned that his grandfather was like a brother to George Kuhn (son of Christian) and he had a picture of George Kuhn and sent copies of letters George Kuhn and Johanna Kuhn Birk's child wrote on behalf of his g-grandfather to quality for a Civil War Pension.

Christian Frederick Kuhn died Sat., Oct. 11, 1879 in Whetstone Township, OH, (near Bucyrus) of apoplexy, at the age of 73 years, 4 months, and 14 days. Born in Wurtemberg, Germany; emigrated to America in 1832, at the age of 28. Lived 5 years in New York City and then in Bucyrus, OH, for 13 (wife's obit had 14) years. He then moved to a farm in Whetstone Township where he lived until his death. He was married twice and left six children: four sons and two daughters, one of whom was the wife of John G. Birk. His second wife Rosina Aggenheimer - correct spelling is Assenheimer - Kuhn) whom he married about a year before his death survived him. Ref. Crawford Co. Forum 10/17/1879. (Frederick was middle name of Christian in his son John's obituary, but other obits had middle name as A. for Adam.) (He was buried at Olentangy with his wife.) When Christian died his obit indicated he was survived then by 2 children one being Mrs. John G. Birk of Bucyrus (we know the survivors were at
least George, Frederick, and John)

Note: According to the Wurtemberg Emigration Book, 800,000 people left Wurtemberg from the 17th Century to WWII for other parts of the world.

Church records for Christian's area are Europe film 555967 and 555968 at LDS library in Salt Lake City, Utah. From he Guide to German Parish Records, the Lutheran Church in Besigheim would have their data in the Morman Microfilm Data Bank. Once the Parish is identified, you may request a copy from the Mormans. The Parish is the Evan-Pugh and records bb covers 1589-1874.

There are many dates floating around as to when Christian and Helena were married. According to German records and the Christian and Helena family Bible, the date is Feb. 24, 1829.

More About Christian Frederick Kuhn:
Burial: Olentangy Village Cem., near Galion, OH
Occupation: Tailor and Farmer

Notes for Helena Sophia Stoll:
1850 census of Whetstone Township, OH listed her named as Ellen L. Kuhn, but all other references list her as Helena. Crawford Co. Cemetery Records listed her death date as 10/27/1877 - this is in error. Obit was in newspaper 2/16/1877. Grave stone is impossible to read. Heilbronn is northeast of Stuttgart. Still checking to see if Helena Sophia Stoll is a sister to Rosena and George Frederick Stoll.

More About Helena Sophia Stoll:
Occupation: Housewife

More About Christian Kuhn and Helena Stoll:
Marriage: Feb 24, 1829, Besigheim, Baden, Wurtemburg, Germany

Notes for Rosena Stoll:
Married first to Ludwig Assenheimer & they had 13 children. He died in 1855. All but 4 of the children died young. Those surviving at the time of her death were: Christian, George, and John L. Assenheim and Mrs. William Donnenwirth with whom she resided for her last 12 years. She was born in Abstadt, Aberampt, Heilbronn, Wurtemberg, Ger., same as her sister Helena Sophie Stoll. After the death of her sister Helena and Rosena's husband Ludwig, she married her brother-in-law Christian Kuhn.

Rosena and her future husband Ludwig Assenheimer were on the same ship (Brig Malay) which sailed from Amsterdam, Holland, and arrived in NY on 9/4/1832. Rosena came with her parents and 7 siblings.

More About Rosena Stoll:
Burial: Oakwood Cem., Bucyrus, OH

More About Christian Kuhn and Rosena Stoll:
Marriage: Apr 23, 1878, Crawford Co., OH

Children of Christian Kuhn and Helena Stoll are:

+	3	i.	Johanna Barbara³ Kuhn, born Jun 06, 1831 in Abstadt, Heilbroun, Wurtemberg, Germany; died Nov 1893 in Another source had Oct. as death date..
+	4	ii.	Lewis Frederick Kuhn, born Oct 17, 1833 in NY; died Apr 23, 1908.
+	5	iii.	Christian Frederick Kuhn, born 1835 in NY; died Apr 25, 1912 in Galion, OH.
	6	iv.	Rosina D. Kuhn, born Jun 03, 1838; died Sep 03, 1850.

Notes for Rosina D. Kuhn:
Was 12 years, 3 months, and 0 days when she died. Obviously named after
Rosina (Rosena) Stoll Kuhn, 2nd wife of Christian and probably sister of his
first wife.

More About Rosina D. Kuhn:
Burial: Crawford Co., OH

+	7	v.	George Mathias Kuhn, born Oct 31, 1844 in OH; died May 18, 1925.
+	8	vi.	John Jacob Kuhn, born May 26, 1847 in Bucyrus, Crawford, OH; died Oct 19, 1919.
+	9	vii.	Matilda Kuhn, born Sep 21, 1849 in Crawford Co., OH; died Jun 12, 1900.

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