Abraham Hartzell (1771-1842)Brother of Adam Hartzell. The "frontiersman" of our family.Married Eve Houtz in 1796 in Franklin County, Virginia. The Eve Houtz Ohio Connection to Adam Hartzell. The "Ferdenand Hartsell" of my family folklore. Evidence of children, e.g. David A. Hartzell (1802-1868).
By James D. Hartsell, April 11, 2012. Updated 7-9-17: 1812 land sale (This paragraph is directed to descendants of James A. Hartsell.) Since the 1920's, the family has thought that Ferdenand Hartsell was the father of our ancestor David Hartzell. Many, many years were wasted looking for Ferdenand, but he was never found. Ferdenand was a childhood memory of David's daughter Sarah, who was 10 years old when her father died in 1865. She recalled the name Ferdenand some 60 years later, most likely confusing the name Abraham. Abraham, with his Daniel Boone-like early explorations of the West (into Ohio out of Kentucky in 1798 and into Kansas around 1820), would have been like a hero, a frontiersman, and larger than life to the family, and probably much talked about. He most likely guided the Adam Hartzell family to Ohio in 1815. He would have seemed like a grandfather to a child. Sarah also recalled the name Fredrick as David's brother, and David had an uncle Frederick. ABRAHAM SCENARIO: Married in Franklin County Virginia in 1796. In Kentucky before 1798. In Montgomery County Ohio in 1798. Back in Virginia in 1801 (son David A. conceived). In Montgomery County Ohio in 1804 with son David A. Purchased land in Montgomery County Ohio in 1805. Son William born around 1804 in Montgomery County Ohio. Daughter Elizabeth born in 1807 in Montgomery County Ohio. In Butler County Ohio in 1807. In Cincinnati in 1810. Sold 160 acres in Wayne Township, Butler County Ohio in 1812. Probably went back to Franklin County Virginia in 1815 to guide Adam Hartzell family to Ohio. In Cincinnati in 1817, with Eve and family. Had more children. Left family and went to Kansas before 1820. Returned to Ohio around 1840. I believe that in 1820 the households of my ancestor Adam Hartzell, his son John, and his son-in-law Moses Rentfro were located near Bear Creek on the west side of land owned by Michael Moyer/Myers, Section 27, Jefferson Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. Michael Moyer's name is 9 names from Adam Hartzell in the 1820 census. Michael's nephew John Moyer is two names from Adam Hartzell. Michael's nephew Henry Moyer is 4 names from Adam. There is even a John Houts (Houtz). The order of names is: John Houts, -, -, -, -, -, Michael Moyer, -, -, -, Nicolas Moyer, -, -, -, Moses Rentfro, Adam Hartzel, John Hartzel, John Moyer, -, Henry Moyer. Adam Hartzel's neighbor Moses Rentfro was Adam's son-in-law (married to Adam's daughter Elizabeth). Michael Moyer "entered" the entire Section 27 (a square mile), on April 7, 1802. This land was later owned by John Getter, for whom Gettersburg was named, which later became Ellerton. Names and occupations in the 1850 census show that this cluster of homes became the town of Gettersburg. Abraham Hartzell married Eva Houtz in Franklin/Bedford County VA in 1796. It is important to note that the area north of the Blackwater River in Franklin County was Bedford County up to 1785. In Oct. 2010, I found that Eva had a sister named Catherine Houtz, both daughters of Christian Houtz, surety for Abraham's marriage to Eva. Catherine married John Moyer/Myers about 1790 in VA. John Moyer had a brother named Michael Moyer. The name is spelled "Moyer" in the census, but "Myers" in the land records. It is sometimes spelled "Meyer" at the link below.
The Houtz-Moyer chart below was derived from From the chart below, Adam Hartzell was living on land owned by his brother Abraham's brother-in-law's family. In other words, Abraham's brother-in-law John Moyer ("Sr.") was a brother of Michael Moyer. Adam Hartzell was living close to Abraham Hartzell's nephews John Moyer ("Jr.") and Henry Moyer. Jim Hartzell of Piqua, Ohio thinks that Eva (Houtz) Hartzell played a role in the Joseph Watson family taking on guardianship of his ancestor George Hartzell in 1827 in Montgomery County, Ohio. This would be hard evidence that Eva was actually in Ohio. This George is the one who was born in 1812 in Ohio, married Margaret Yaughey in 1834 in Montgomery County, Ohio, and is erroneously shown in the Hartzell Ancestral Line as Adam's son. He was born in Ohio before the Adam Hartzell family arrived. Jim Hartzell of Piqua, Ohio reported that Joseph Watson married Nancy Houtz in 1827. RootsWeb shows that Joseph was in Indianapolis in 1850. From what I can find on RootsWeb, for the Ron and Janice (Unruh) Hoffman Family Trees, it looks like Nancy Houtz was the daughter of Eva Houtz's cousin John Houtz. This means Nancy was a 2nd cousin to Eva. John Houtz took his family to Jefferson Township, Montgomery County, Ohio in late 1819/early 1820. In the order of names for 1820 above, the John Houts shown must be the father of Nancy Houtz, since the ages of the family members fit. John Houtz was born in 1779 in Virginia, and died in 1860 in Miami County, Ohio. John Houtz was a son of Henry Houtz, born in 1745. Christian Houtz was born in 1741. Eva Houtz's father and Nancy Houtz's grandfather apparently were brothers. See second chart below. A David A. Hartzell, not my ancestor, first shows up in Montgomery County records in an 1835 Dayton, Ohio court case regarding someone who owed him money. My ancestor David Hartzell was apparently over in Indiana by now, establishing an occupation and courting Barbara Nipp. The court record shows David A. Hartzell in partnership with George Sinks, as "Hartzell & Sinks". Note that Christina Sink was the mother of my ancestor David Hartzell. This is compelling evidence that David A. Hartzell was closely connected to our family. This George Sinks was a son or grandson of the George Sinks whose homeplace in north Montgomery County is where the Adam Hartzell family first headed on arrival in Ohio in 1815. It is thought that this George Sinks "Sr." was an uncle of Adam's wife Christina Sink. Back in 1792, Philip Hartzell and Abraham Sink settled in Franklin County Virgina at the same time and next to each other. Abraham Sink is thought to be a brother of Adam's wife Christina. I believe David A. Hartzell to be a first cousin of my ancestor David Hartzell, and probable son of Adam Hartzell's brother Abraham Hartzell. Nowhere have I seen my ancestor listed with a middle initial, not even on his gravestone.
The 1840 Cincinnati City Directory shows "David A Hartzell". He lived on 3rd, between
Main and Walnut. He was born in Virginia. No occupation is shown.
In a Google Books Result for "William's Cincinnati Directory Volume 4", 1853, page 167 there is The 1860 Census, Storrs Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, shows "D A Hartzell", age 58 (b. 1802), born in Virginia. He was keeper of a boarding house. No wife is shown, but his 1868 Will (below) names his wife Ellen. For the 1835 court case, David A. was about 33 years old. Storrs Township was just west of downtown Cincinnati. Part of it is now Lower Price Hill, and the west part includes the present-day town of Riverside, on the river.
In a Google Books Result for "Cincinnati Pioneer Association"+Hartzell, there is The Cincinnati
Pioneer, by John Day Caldwell. It has
In "Hamilton County Ohio Wills, Surnames F to K",
www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/archives/collections/natdec/documents/hamilton_county_wills_f_to_k.pdf, there is on p. 36:
12/3/2010: Here is the text of the will, with important info in red: I, David A. Hartzell, of Cincinnati, do hereby make this my last will and testament, herby revoking all wills and testaments by me at any time heretofore made. And First I do hereby appoint & constitute my Friend Thomas H. Yeatman the Executor of this my last will, and request the Probate Court not to demand any bonds from him as Executor. Secondly, I request my Executor to pay all my just debts, and funeral expenses. Thirdly All the rest and residue of my Estate both real and personal of which I may die possessed, remaining after the payment of my debts, etc., I do hereby give bequeath and devise to my wife Ellen Hartzel, well knowing that she will use it for the best of herself and of our children. Witness my hand and seal this third day of February A.D. 1868. (Signed) David A. Hartzell Thus, the will says he indeed was married, and had children. His wife had to have died after 1868, but she is not shown in the 1860 Census. He was still alive Feb. 3, 1868, and died before Nov. 10, 1868. Assuming he died after his May 23 birthday, he was 66 years old. He refers to Thomas Yeatman as a friend, not as a brother-in-law. His signature does not match the handwriting of the will. Going back to the 1860 Census, where David A. Hartzell was keeper of a boarding house, Thomas & Elizabeth (Hartzell) Yeatman were also living at that boarding house. The census says Thomas was a vine grower and owned $35,000 worth of real estate. He was age 54 (b.~1806), she was age 52 (b.~1808), both born in Ohio.
Now, going back to the 1820 Census, there is an interesting entry for Cincinnati
Ward 2 with Eve
Hartsell as head of household. We don't know if this is Abraham's family, but if it is, I added
possible names. Ward 2 is where David A. Hartzell was living in 1840 and 1853. Abraham Hartzell seems to have disappeared by 1820. The "Hartzell Ancestral Line", even though it is fraught with errors for Ohio information, says "This Abraham Hartzell presumably roamed around and came back later to Ellerton to see the other John Hartzell family living there, and he stayed on with them." For Adam Hartzell's son John Hartzell, the 1840 Census does not show anyone Abraham's age in the household. Regarding Franklin vs. Bedford County VA as David A. Hartzell's birthplace, http://djsmith.us/hartzell.htm Abraham Hartzell (son of Johann Philip Hartzell), married Eva Houtz May 23, 1796 in Bedford County. It says Maria Margaret Hartzell (daughter of Johann Philip Hartzell), married Andrew Rowland Jan. 25, 1793 in Bedford County, Virginia. BUT, "Marriage Bonds of Franklin County, Virginia" shows these marriages in Franklin County. Franklin County was formed from Bedford and Henry Counties in 1785. The area in Franklin County where our ancestors lived was formerly Bedford County, that part north of the Blackwater River, with it's mouth at the Staunton River on the east side. Abraham Hartzell bought land in Montgomery County Ohio in 1805. It seems probable that David A. Hartzell was a son of Abraham & Eva Hartzell, born 6 years after their marriage. Perhaps David's middle initial "A" stands for "Abraham". In November of 1812, Abraham and Eve Hartzell sold 160 acres of land that they owned to Samuel Sherard for $400.00. The land was described as being in the northwest quarter (160 acres) of Section 25, Township 3, Range 3, in Wayne Township, Butler County, Ohio about 2 miles northwest of Miltonville, Ohio, which is west of Middletown, Ohio. - from a 7-9-17 email from William (Hand?), on info provided by his sister-in-law.
In promoting the idea that Abraham Hartzell had a family in Cincinnati, he appears in the following
Tax Lists. Butler County is directly south of Montgomery County. Assuming this is our Abraham, he
was in Cincinnati by 1810, and there in 1817. The 1820 Census shows Eve Hartsell as head of
household. I've not found any David A. Hartzell household in the Census with a family. The Franklin County Settlement Map (www.jdhartsell.com/hartsell/SettlementMapVA.html) gives a definition of how Franklin County was formed in 1785: "All that part of the county Bedford lying south of the Staunton River, together with all that part of the county of Henry lying north of a line to be run from the head of Shooting Creek to the west end of Turkey Cock Mountain, thence along the top of the mountain to intersect the dividing line between the counties of Henry and Pittsylvania, thence along that line to the mouth of Blackwater River". See sos.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/D8FB2228-2223-4AC7-91A9-45669A165968/0/HammonVirginiasWesternCounties1780.JPG, showing Bedford and Henry counties before Franklin County was formed.
In a 2002 notice for the city of Cincinnati to appropriate to public use for elimination of slum and blight
there is for Parcel 8 "All the right, title and interest in and to the following described real estate
to wit: that certain tract of land situated in Storrs Township, Hamilton County, Ohio which was conveyed by
a David Z. Sedam and Amanda N. Sedam, his wife, to Jacob Strader by deed dated September 1st,
1836 and recorded in Deed Book 61 page 281 of the records of Hamilton County, Ohio and bounded as follows
to-wit: Commencing at a point where the center of the Cincinnati and Lawrenceburgh River Road intersects
the center of a twenty (20) foot lane laid out by Sedam in a deed to David A. Hartzell
recorded in Book 43, page 310 of Hamilton County Records ..." FYI, the following have been found in the OH 1860 Federal Census Index for Cincinnati.
Daniel Hertzell, 12th Ward, Cincinnati, page 140, born in Baden, age 24 (b.~1836),
TIMELINE SUMMARY
=============================================================
THE HARTZELL-HOUTZ-MOYER-LAND CONNECTION.
Philip Hartzell
-------------------+
|ADAM HARTZELL
+------------------+
| |David Hartzell, my ancestor
| +------------------+
| Christina Sink |b.1805 VA
| -----------------+
|
|
|Abraham Hartzell
+------------------+
|b.~1773 |David A. Hartzell?
|In KY 1798. +------------------+
|In OH bef.1805, |b.1802 VA
| Jefferson Twp, |In 1835 Dayton, OH
| Montgomery Co. |court case (Montgomery
| |County). Partnership
-------------------+ |with George Sinks.
m. 1796 VA |
|
|
John Christian Houtz |
-------------------+ |
|EVA HOUTZ |
+------------------+
|b.~1776 PA See chart below for Eva's
| 2nd cousin Nancy Houtz.
|
|Catherine Houtz
+------------------+
|b.~1772 |John Moyer/Myers
|d.1850 +------------------+
Barbara Emmert | |b.~1792 |
-------------------+ |Age 28 in 1820 |
|In 1820 census, |
| age 26-44, |
| 2 names from Adam|
| |
m.~1790 PA | m.1815 VA |
| |
| Elizabeth Britts |
| -----------------+
| b.1798 VA
| d.1833 Ladoga Twp,
| Montgomery Co, IN
|
| Henry Moyer/Myers
+------------------+
| b.1797
| Age 23 in 1820;
John Moyer/Myers | 4 names from Adam
-------------------+ |
|John Moyer/Myers | <-- Abraham's sister-in-law
+------------------+ Catherine Houtz married
|b.1765 d.1842 John Moyer.
|
|
|MICHAEL MOYER/Myers
+------------------+
|b.1761 MD |Martin Moyer/Myers
|d.1838 OH, +------------------+
| Jefferson Twp, |b.1805 OH,
| Montgomery Co. | Jefferson Twp,
|Entered Sect.27, | Montgomery Co.
| Jefferson Twp, |
| Montgomery Co, |
| Apr. 7, 1802 |
| |
| m.~1790 MD |
| |
| Mary Billmeyer |
| -----------------+
| b.1775
| d.1834
Margaret |
-------------------+
b.~1736
d.~1806
=============================================================
RELATIONSHIP OF NANCY HOUTZ (M. JOSEPH WATSON) TO EVA HOUTZ.
TO BE VERIFIED: Philip Lorentz Houtz is the same as Henry Houtz's
father Johann Philip Houtz.
Philip Lorentz Houtz
-------------------+
|John Christian Houtz - also had son John,
+------------------+ b. 1768, d. 1847 VA
|b.1741 |Eva Houtz
| +------------------+
| |b.1780
| |m. Abraham Hartzell
| |
| |Catherine Houtz
| +------------------+
| |b.~1772
| |m. John Moyer,
| |brother of Micheal who was
| Barbara Emmert |Adam Hartzell's "landlord"
| -----------------+
|
|Henry Houtz
?+------------------+
|b.1745 |John Houtz
| +------------------+
| |b.1779 |Nancy Houtz
| |Was in Jefferson +---------------+
| |Twp, Montgomery |b.1805
| |Co. 1819/20. |m. Joseph Watson
| | 1827
|In Adam Hartzell's|Joseph Watson
|vicinty in 1820. |guardian for
| |George Hartzell,
|Had brother |1827.
|named Christian. |
Maria Barbara Dups |
-----------------+ |
|
Eliz. Synder |
-----------------+
Cincinnati in 1812 (click picture for web page).
Below: Cincinnati 1853 Wards map (click map for larger image). North is to the left. |
