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43. Francis Mettler (Married Hannah Mashon (Meshon) (44); date unknown).

Born: 7 November, 1798 [Source: Grave Registration Cards A-Z, Soldiers buried in Ohio from the Revolutionary War to World War II [microfilm] [ca. 1810] - 1967, Ohio Historical Society] in New Jersey of Unknown Father (85) & Unknown Mother. (86)

Died: 6 October 1875 at the age of 78 y, 10 m, 29 days at Salt Creek in Hocking County. [Source: Hocking County Death Records Volume 1 1867-1883 p. 64.] According to this source, Francis was a farmer and died of consumption. In the microfilm of the original document, it states that he was a carpenter and died of dropsy. The next person in the list is described as a farmer who died of consumption. [It is likely that Francis was a farmer and not a carpenter.] The microfilm record spelled his name Fransis Mettler. He had lived in Laurel Township. The Grave Registration Cards A-Z, Soldiers buried in Ohio from the Revolutionary War to World War II [microfilm] [ca. 1810] - 1967, Ohio Historical Society, states that he died 10 6-1875 and is buried in Belleview Cemetery, Colerain Twp, Ross County, Section 2, Grave. 93. According to that source, there is a veterans marker on his grave. On visits to the grave site by Susan Leach Snyder (2) in 2006, there was no veterans marker. (GPS: 39° 28.024' N, 82° 44.617' W)

Miscellaneous: Although Francis' parents are unknown, at some point, the Mettler family originated in Germany.

There is a Francis Mettler listed in the American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI), who was born in 179? and served in the War of 1812. [Source: Records of the Officers and Men of NJ in Wars 1791-1815. Trenton, NJ. 1909. (369 p.):77.] Another reference states that Francis Mettler was in the 2 Reg’t (Seward’s ) New Jersey Militia. He was a private. Roll-Box 143, Roll-Exct 602.

Francis moved from New Jersey to Ohio. He was one of the first settlers in Hocking County. In frontier Ohio, he was a wealthy farmer. He owned the Old Man’s Cave area. Reference for this information is a personal letter from Mike Thatcher (another relative of Francis) to Russell Leach (3) on July 29, 1985.

According to A Standard History of Ross County Ohio Vol. II, 1987, p. 854-855, Ohio Historical Society, “Grandfather Mettler [Francis] in 1838 started with his family and a wagon and team over the western trails for Ohio. At that time the greater part of the southern part of the state was heavily timbered, and the more fertile bottom lands, not having been drained, were fertile sources of malaria and other diseases. In consequence of this condition, Francis Mettler settled on the hills of Hocking County, in the vicinity of Rock House. He devoted his remaining years to clearing and cultivating the soil, and died there at the age of seventy-five. He married a Miss Mashon and they became the parents of a large family of fifteen children.” Two of their sons were Peter (referred to in A Standard History of Ross County Ohio Vol. II) and Andrew (buried at the family site with Francis). One of his daughters was Levina (Alvina (#22). Another daughter was Sarah Mettler, born 4 October 1831, who came to Hocking County at about 9 years of age. She married James R. Bushee (a blacksmith) on 9 November 1851. The source of this information about Sarah is History of Hocking County, Chicago Inter-State Publishing Co. 1883, p. 1113. [Actually, Francis died in 1875 at the age of 78, not 75. He and Hannah were married and had children before moving to Ohio. For example, Levina was born in 1824 in New Jersey. It is not known if she was their first child. Hannah would have been about 21 and Francis 26 when Levina was born.]

[Note: If they had 15 children as stated above, many are unknown to Susan Snyder (webmaster of this site). The known children include: Levina, Peter, Sarah, Mary, Bartlett, Andrew B., Samuel, and Amanda.]

On 29 May 1839, Francis purchased 84.2 acres in Hocking County, Ohio. At the time of his purchase, his residence was in Perry County, Ohio. The location of his land is shown below. The source of this map is Section Maps with Entrymen on Lands in Hocking Co., Ohio Vol. 2 by L. Richard Kocher, 1993. The page is titled, "Lists Sale Date and Residence, Ohio River Survey, Congressional Lands, Range No 18 Township No. 12 Section No 35, Laurel Township, Hocking Co, Ohio.

 

 

 

The map is verified in an Ohio Land Records Search. It states that Francis purchased 84.28 acres from the land office in Chillicothe, Ohio. The date of issue was June 25, 1841. The document # is 11407. The legal land description is Aliquot Parts: 1 SENE, 2NESE, Base Line: Ohio River Survey Township: 12 N, Range: 18 W, Section #: 35.

 

The 1850 Census shows that Francis was a farmer and that he lived next door to his son-in-law, John Thatcher. [Note: Susan Snyder has not located a map showing John's property]. At the time this census was taken, Francis and his wife had seven children living at home.

 

 

On 16 August 1852, Francis purchased 41.1 additional acres. The location of this land is shown at left. The source of this map is Section Maps with Entrymen on Lands in Hocking County, Ohio Vol. 1 by L. R. Kocher. The page is titled, “Ohio River Survey, Congressional Lands, Range No 17 Township No 13 Section 18, Washington Township, Hocking Co, Ohio."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The map below is from Atlas of Hocking Co, Ohio, Titus, Simmons & Titus 1876, Philadelphia. It shows Francis’ land East and Southeast of Big Pine Creek and South and Southwest of Little Black Jack Branch. [The map proves that his land was located near Old Man’s Cave, not Rock House. Also, it is interesting to note that this is an 1876 map. Francis died in 1875.]

There is a Family Bible record of Francis Mettler (Medler) and Hanna Meshon/ [contributed by] Daughters of the American Colonists, Old Trails Chapter (Columbus, Ohio). [198-?) Library: California State Library--Sutro, subject: Mettler family. Call number CSL Sutro F490 B5 v. 8. This bible is in the possession of his great granddaughter Helen F. Mettler.

Below: On a visit to Belleview Cemetery in Adelphi, Ohio by Susan Leach Snyder (2) on 24 June 2006, Francis Mettler's tombstone was located upside down in dirt and weeds under a tree. The stone had been broken in half. After cleaning the top half of the stone and applying blue chalk, part of the stone could be read. It said "Francis Mettler Died Oct.? 1875 Aged 78 Y" The rest of that side of the stone could not be read. The opposite side of the stone read "Hannah Wife of F. Mettler." A third side of the stone said "Our Parents."

On 2 July 2006 on a return trip to the cemetery, Susan and her husband Jim cleared the cemetery plot and removed the bottom half of the stone from the dirt. The bottom inscription is:

"Remember friends as you pass by

As you are now so once was I

As I am now so you will be

Prepare for death and follow me"