| Notes |
- info from The Meyer Family Tree compiled by John D. Meyer, Tyrone, PA, October 1937
Born at Muhlbach. About the year 1768 moved with his family to Penns Township, now a part of Snyder County, near the present site of Freesburg. Notes say that he had eight children.
From GENEALOGY OF THE Meyer Family BY HENRY MEYER, 1890.
JACOB MEYER(1) (son of the Meyer from Germany) was the second son, and was born at Mühlbach. The date of his birth was not ascertained, nor the date of his decease definitely. There is no tombstone with an inscription, and if there are any positive records anywhere on the subject, T failed to discover them. Letters of administration were granted Samuel and John Haas to settle up his estate, dated Feb. 24, 1808. and it is probable he died only a short time previous to that date. Tradition and some papers in my possession point to about the same period. He was about seventy-five years old, states Maj. John Meyer, a grandson.
1. Note. Or John Jacob. Hon. Jacob G. Meyer states that each of the son's first name was John. But they are not found written thus in old manuscripts. However, it was not an unusual custom at that period to name a whole family of sons John, employing a middle name Henry, George, Jacob or whatever it might be to distinguish them.
Jacob lived at Mühlbach until about the year 1768, when he moved with his family to Penn's township, now part of Snyder County, Pa., and purchased a large tract of land lying west, about three-fourths of a mile from the present Bite of Freeburg, formerly named Straubsburg, after its founder. Peter Straub, and was one of the early settlers in that section. Andrew Moor, a Mr. Glass and Mr. Straub had preceded him. The family suffered the usual hardships incident to frontier life. Their flour was brought from Mühlbach on horseback. Yet there must have been grist-mills more convenient at that date. On one of those trips for supplies Jacob's brother. Christopher, came along to the new country. and while crossing Peter's mountain, north of Harrisburg, the pack saddle-straps gave way, and the packs rolled down the mountain. Then Christopher got out of humor, and berated Jacob for moving into the distant wilderness whence no roads would ever be made ; to which the latter replied that sometime in the future excellent roads would be constructed. And of course Jacob's prophecy came true, for around the end of that same mountain which they crossed along a narrow path there are now a fine carriage road, a canal and a double track for cars, while just across the river there is another railroad track. Probably it was, to resume our narrative, on this trip that a bag was torn open by a brush along the path and the flour spilled on the ground.
Sometime during the Revolutionary War Jacob moved back again with his family to Mühlbach, probably to be more secure from the annoying depreciations of hostile Indians. He was drafted and served in the army, but in what capacity or for what length of time was not ascertained. His oldest son, Philip, as will be stated more fully elsewhere, was also in the army. His son Henry(1) (grandfather) was at the age of sixteen connected with an organization of "home-guards" or scouts to protect the settlement against the Indians, and served at intervals. It appears the family returned from Mühlbach to their home in Penn's township (Freeburg) before the close of the war. Indians sometimes lurked about their home, but never molested them, being afraid, perhaps, of the pack of fierce dogs kept on the place. On one occasion several Indians were observed across the clearing, some distance from the house; the boys and dogs gave chase, but did not overtake them. Several Indian families lived within a short distance of the Meyer home, and his (Mr. Meyer's) children used to play with the Indian children. During the Indian troubles the male members of these Indian families would generally be away from home, and it was suspected they were out on scalping expeditions, though they were on friendly terms with their near white neighbors.
1. Note. Grandfather (Henry), like many others of that period, had made a vow to kill every Indian he would meet. So after all hostilities had subsided, he happened to meet one of his old foes in a tavern somewhere, but the forelorn and piteous aspect of the poor Indian excited grandfather's sympathy rather than his animosity, and, instead of scalping him, he gave him a huge piece of tobacco!
Jacob kept a sort of a tavern at Straubsburg (Freeburg), and Col. Samuel Miles used to stop with him on his journeys from his home in Philadelphia to his lands in Penns, Brush and Nittany valleys (now Centre Co.) and back, and it was through the intimate acquaintance thus formed with Col. Miles that grandfather Henry came to purchase a tract of land from him in Brushvalley. It is said Jacob protested against his son's purchasing any land in Brushvalley, for the reason that there would never any roads be opened into it! Jacob and his sons used to hunt in the valley long before any settlers moved into it, and he did not suppose it would ever be any good for anything else! Yet he lived to see his mistake; for in his old age he paid a visit to his sons in the valley about the year 1803-1806, and beheld the wilderness converted into fertile fields, and the desert made to blossom as the rose.
In 1800 Christopher Meyer, son of Campbellstown Christopher, came to Freeburg (then Straubsburg), and in 1801 " Big John," another son of the latter, also settled in that vicinity. (These dates are given by Fred. C. Meyer, Freeburg.) Therefore, in 1801, there were in that place Jacob and several of his sons, and their cousins Christopher and "Big John." Grandfather Henry had then moved to Brushvalley already, and I am not quite certain whether his brother John Jacob had not moved away, also then, to Pine Creek, Lycoming County, Pa. At present there are many descendants about Freeburg of Christopher and John, but not one male descendant of great-grandfather Jacob.
Jacob was married to Miss Susan Zartman, born in Germany, so say uncle John and Reuben Meyer, grandsons. But in an old power of attorney in my possession, given by Jacob Meyer, Sr., to his son Michael, dated 1801, mention is made of Jacob's wife as being Susanna Ream, daughter of Peter Ream, Dauphin County, Pa. The instrument was given to secure the wife's legacy, and seems to be positive evidence as to her maiden name. The paper alludes to her as being then deceased. In a sketch of Michael Meyer in a history of Summit County, Ohio, her maiden name is also given as Susan Ream. One of the Greningers of Sugar Valley, Clinton County, Pa., an early settler there, was married to her sister. Great-grandmother Meyer (Jacob's wife) was not a large woman, but what she lacked in stature was fully compensated for in grit and temper. She used to whip her boys after they were full grown! Some of them were almost giants, and no doubt they could stand up and meekly take a whipping with- out suffering much pain. The boys, of whom there were six, viz.: Philip, John Jacob, John George, Henry, Michael and Christopher, were not allowed to grow up in idleness, but were early put to work. One of their occupations was weaving, ? probably during bad weather, when out-door work could not be done, and as they were rather fond of constructing things with carpenters' tools, they sometimes neglected their work at the loom ; then if their mother would discover the objects on which they were exercising their ingenuity and wasting their time, she would smash them, and pitch the fragments into the fire. The boys were careful not needlessly to expose their handicraft. Father used to say the boys were of a rather hilarious disposition, and attended all the parties and balls within reasonable distance ; they made their own violins, which some could play with considerable skill, and as their mother was opposed to gatherings of the kind, she would demolish their musical instruments without ceremony whenever misfortune would reveal to her their hiding place. It is said that on a certain occasion she dressed in disguise, went to one of the parties where the boys were in attendance, and gave them a whipping then and there. On one occasion when her son Philip had tackled a big Irishman, and got the worst of it, she remarked to him, as she beheld the rainbow tints on his face, "Well, did you get a licking again?" Philip admitted it was so, but said he was going to learn the pugilistic art, if it cost his head. And he did become proficient ! Yet she was a good mother, and labored hard and faithfully to raise her numerous family amid the hardships of frontier life, and her big sons dearly loved her, and would have sacrificed their lives in her defense.
Jacob was not a large man, was of a kindly disposition and not inclined to be quarrelsome, but it is said he seemed rather pleased when he heard that his sons came off victorious in their many pugilistic contests. Both he and his wife are buried in the old cemetery at Freeburg; neither has a tomb- stone with an inscription. Their son John George is buried in the same cemetery; as also another son, Christopher, probably. I visited the cemetery in 1883, and father had visited it a number of years before, but neither was able to locate any of the graves.
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1732 - Abt 1808 (76 years)
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