Transcribed by Sally Haigh in 1970's, scanned 12/8/01 by Maureen Whited [This is a true and accurate copy of a faded sepia-tone photocopy of a typewritten transcript of the following document] ACCOUNT OF THE ESSIG REUNION, JUNE, 1884. The Essig reunion was held yesterday pursuant to announcement, at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob E. Essig, near the Warstler church, six miles north-east of Canton, and the attendance was large, numbering about three hundred, old and young. Dinner was served in the orchard on two long tables that would seat two hundred or so. Of course the tables were loaded with rich abundance and much was left after all were fed. Reverend Peter Herbruck occupied the head of the table and addressed the throne of grace. Near him sat the two old widows Pontius who were Essigs, the oldest of the name present. In the front room hung the picture of the Essig genealogical tree, nicely framed, over three feet long and some twenty inches wide. This was an object of interest and investigation. The root of the tree shows the name of their German ancestor, Wendell Essig, who came to America about 1750, and who, with his family, was murdered by the Indians before the revolution, the only one saved being Simon, a youth, absent on an errand at the time. The trunk of the tree is Simon who with his family settled in Stark county in 1808. He served with Washington in the Revolution and was at Princeton and Trenton. Simon died in 1852 and his remains are buried in the Warstler church yard and in sight of the meeting yesterday. He and his good wife raised a dozen of sons and daughters, two of the latter being present. Three of the sons, Adam, Jacob, and George, were out in the war of 1812, and participated in the battle of Lake Erie. George was wounded in a fight with the Indians near Put-in-Bay. The tree represents numerous large branches, the offspring of Simon, two branches directly opposite representing twins. The numerous limbs and twigs represent shoots and all have the proper names up to December 31st, 1883, and numbering 1773, plain and easily read. The artistic landscape at the foot shows the mountains of Switzerland in the far distance, where Wendell was born; the ocean interven[e]s and a ship is seen; on the left are seen Indians, a log cabin, the modern reaper and a railway train. This was the work of Mr. Frank Holl of our city, and the names were put on by Mr. Henry Holl of New Berlin. The whole was designed by I. R. Essig of Jackson town-ship, who has labored for years, and corresponded extensively to get the names of the connections. Near 2 P. M., the assemblage in the yard was called to order by the president of the day, Mr. Lewis Essig; 0. A. Essig acting as secretary, chosen as such a year ago. Vocal and instrumental music enlivened the occasion from time to time. The president made some happy introductory remarks and announced the program. Excongressman, Scott Wyck, of Illinois, whose mother [sic] was an Essig, was expected to be present and deliver the address, but circumstances prevented. Mr. A. McGregor and wife were present by invitation, and the former was called on for some remakrs [sic]. Mr. McGregor referred to the Essig tree, to wonderful changes that have taken place since Wendell Essig, their Swiss ancestor, landed in America. Mrs. Sanford of Lorain, Ohio, an Essig, read a beautiful poem suitable for the occasion. Remarks were made by A. Pontius, esg., Dr. Alonzo Douds and others. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob E. Essig, the host and hostess. A committee was appointed to get subscribers to procure a lithograph of the Essig genealogical tree, and on motion George Leshers, was fixed on for the next reunion on the second Thursday of June, 1885. The meeting adjourned by singing the long meter doxology. The following is the reading on the bottom of the chart showing the Essig early history: Wendell Essig, the earliest known person by the name of Essig, was born in Switzerland in 1700, in the canton of Berne, where he spent his youth, but while yet quite a boy he spent some time in mining in Rhine Phals in Germany. He served seven years in the Prussian army, being one of the imperial body guards, and was present at the coronation of Frederick the Great in 1740. In 1750 he left Europe and sought a home in the new world, landing in Baltimore, Maryland. He took as partner in life Miss Anne Eve Matte and had a family of several childern [sic], of whom Simon Essig, the stem of the above represented family, was born near Hagerstown, Md., December, 27th, 1754. In 17-- the Indians massacred almost all the whites in Mr. Essig's neighborhood, killing the whole Essig family excepting Simon, who was at some distant settlement on an errand. The body of Wendell Essig was consumed in one of the burning cabins. Simon continued to live among strangers, and learned the blacksmith trade. At the opening of the Revolutionary war he entered the American army as a blacksmith, but served as a volunteer soldier in the battles of Princeton and Trenton. In March 1781, he married Julia Margaret Scharrin [sic). The[y] moved to York county, Pennsylvania, where four children were born:- Polly[,] Elizabeth, John, and Adam. In 1790 they went to Adams county, Pa., wher[e) their children, Jacob, George, Julia, and Sally were born. About 1799 they removed to Cumberland county, Pa., where Samuel, David, Catharine, William, and Rebecca were born. In 1808 they emigrated to Ohio, arriving at what was afterwards known as the Old Essig Home, in Plain Tp., Stark county, Ohio, just north of the Stark county Fair Ground, on May 10th, 1808, where he continued to reside until after his death. Three of his sons served in the war of 1812, Adam, Jacob and George. They served in the no[r)thern frontier, and were in the battle of Lake Erie, George b[e]ing wounded at Put-in-Bay in an engagement with the Indians. During his residence in Plain township, Mr. Essig followed farming and blacksmithing. On August 30th, 1844, his wife died, aged 8e [sic] years, 4 months, and 15 days. Simon Essig died March 18th, 1852, at the advanced age of 97 years, 2 months, and 21 days. In politics he usually called himself a Jackson man, and each of his sons held the same views until their end. He was [an] energetic member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, his wife being a member of the same denomination, as were also all of his children. He was of a mild and obliging disposition, entertaining a strong aversion for all kinds of deception. He was firm in his views of right and justice, yeilding [sic] to neither threat nor bribe. John Essig settled near Elkhart, Ind; Adam in Plain Township; George in Columbia township, Whitley county, Ind.; Julia in Plain township; Samuel in Plain Township; Sally near Canton, 0.; William in Marion township, Allen county, Ind., and David died in infacny [sic] in Pennsylvania. DESCRIPTION OF SECENERY [sic] AND TREE. The red backgroung [sic] on the extreme right represents sunrise. The snowcapped mountains on the right are Switzerland, the native country of Wendell Essig. The purple hills in the rear of the mountains are Prussia, where Wendell Essig served as body guard to Frederick the Great. The green strip of country in front of the mountains is France, through which he passed on his way to America. The water is the Atlantic Ocean, and the town is Baltimore where he landed. The man with the gun is Wendell Essig in the New World. The Indians among the trees represent the country at the time Simon Essig was born. The emigrant wagon on the left, near the tree, represents the manner of their coming to Ohio, and the log cabin their pioneer home in Plain township. The harvest field, self-binder, farm buildings, and railway engine portrays the advanced improvement of the country in 1883. The undulating and mountainous country on the left is emblamatic [sic] of the great west, through out which the Essig family scattered, pursuing their various vocations and increasing their number. The tree--the trunk represents Simon Essig and his wife. The roots of the tree are Wendell Essig and his wife. The limbs represent Simon Essig's children in the order in which they were born. The limbs directly opposite each other indicate twins; the smaller limbs are the grand children, and in like manner the great and great-great-grand children. The broken limbs indicate those who are dead, while the pointed ones are the living. [hand-printed note, probably by Miss Maude Essig: "Mrs. A.L. Albrecht - 514 Howard* Ave, N.E., Massilon, Ohio had the tree in her possession after her father's death - her father was a son of Samuel who was a son of Simon --" * It turns out that the Albrecht family lived on Harvard Avenue, N.E. in Massillon in the 1930s, according to old city directories at the Library of Congress.] ADD INFORMATION ABOUT PRESENT LOCATION OF "TREE" FROM CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE "MUSEUM" IN CANTON