john heiss and elizabeth potteiger at leesville and fort recovery, ohio

7/23/2019 John Heiss and Elizabeth Potteiger at Leesville and Fort Recovery, Ohio

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The John and Elizabeth Heiss family

Leesville and Fort Recovery, Ohio

as told by Lora (Thornburg) Heiss

and originally organized and presented by Willard Heiss

Thomas Keesling

Indianapolis, August 2015


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The cover photograph of John Heiss (1826-1919) and his wife Elizabeth Potteiger (1834-1915) is

undated. The house is unidentified as well. They had farmed south of Fort Recovery, Ohio. However,

their daughter-in-law, Lora Thornburg (1880-1965), wrote that she and husband Josiah Calvin Heiss

(1875-1957) bought that farm and moved from Randolph County, Indiana in 1903. She said this move

took place when John and Elizabeth moved to a house in Fort Recovery. The house in this photograph

was probably the Fort Recovery house.

Lora loved to write, but her handwriting later in life was difficult to read. Her son, Willard Heiss (1921-

1988), undertook the task of organizing Loras writings and then typed and printed copies. The work is

untitled and undated and an addendum was printed in 1980. Willards work has been the primary

source of material for this project. As far as I know, Willard added the parenthetical material included

with Loras text. The clarifications and additions in brackets are mine. She wrote two versions of

portions of this story with some details found only in one version or the other. I have corrected a few

typographical and other minor errors to add clarity. Most of the quoted material is indented. I have

summarized other portions of Loras writings and supplemented them with information from other

readily available sources in an effort to clarify her story. However, gaps and questions remain.


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Henry Heiss (1807-1870) and Anna Katherine Beck (1805-1867 or 1868) immigrated to Pennsylvania

from Germany in 1836. One online source identifies the couple as Johannes Heinrich Heuss and Anna

Catherine Beck. Lora said their voyage across the Atlantic lasted five weeks. They were traveling with six

children, John being the oldest at ten years of age. The family settled initially in Pennsylvania before

moving to Leesville in Crawford County, Ohio, north of Columbus. (There is another Leesville in Carroll

County in eastern Ohio.)

We [Lora and Cal] have a yard stick he made from Hickory when in Pennsylvania, before

1846 when they came from near Gratz, Dauphin Co., Lykens Twp. to Ohio.

When Mother Heiss [Elizabeth Potteiger] was 12 yr. old, she rode with Aunt Mollie

[Kissinger], driving a white horse, Kate, to a light wagon moving from Pennsylvania to

Leesville. There was a brother Jacob.Grandfather Potteiger drove the big team and

wagon with the rest of the family and belongings.Mother told about when they were

crossing the Allegheny Mountains, her Fathers big Shaker hat blew off down the

mountainside and floated down the river.

Several years later, John Pap Heiss was working for Joseph Potteiger (1805-1888) on the Potteiger

farm 1 miles north of Leesville, Ohio. Lora described Leesville as a small town built along a road 3

mi. W. of Crestline. The 1873 Illustrated Atlas of Crawford Co., Ohio, (by H. T. Gould and J. W. Starr of

Bucyrus) shows the community about 10 miles east-southeast of Bucyrus with two east-west streets and

one short north-south street.

Joseph was married to Esther Kissinger (1809-1892). They sold their farm to Abraham Holmes at some

point, but Joseph had a blacksmith shop at the farm and he and Esther continued to live there. Pap then

married Josephs second daughter Elizabeth on August 3, 1851, and they stayed at the farm as well.

Elizabeth was born in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania on October 16, 1834. John and

Elizabeths first child, Peter (1852-1852), was born and died while they lived on the Holmes farm.

Pap and Elizabeth later moved to (a farm?) south of Union in Montgomery County, Ohio and Elizabeth

Liz (1855-1928) was born there. Lora said, We saw the stone millhouse or spring house (they lived

overhead), N of John Duebners when we were visiting. Work was scarce and the family returned to

Leesville, initially moving in with Paps parents. Pap worked with his father as a carpenter building barns.

According to Lora, Henrys was a big family and too much work left to his wife so before [John and

Elizabeths son] Simon was born [in 1857] they moved to a 2 story house W. of crossing [probably

Liberty Street] on S. side of [Main] St. Charlotte [1855-1929??] born there too. John and Elizabeth then

bought and moved into a log house where Esther (1859-1949), Joseph (1861-1863) and John (1863-

1943) were born, but Joseph (Josie) died in 1863, shortly before John was born. This house was at the

west end of town on the north side of Main Street. They sold that house to a man by the name of Volk

(possibly John Volk per the 1873 atlas) and moved into an old schoolhouse that Henry Heiss owned

behind, or at the back of, his own property. That is where Lucy (1868-1943), Neily (1870?-1870?), Mary


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(1872-1945) and Calvin (1875-1957) were born. Separately, Lora mentioned Christian Henry having been

born January 13, 1866, at the schoolhouse as well. Josie and Neily are buried at Dapper Cemetery.

Next, John and Elizabeth bought two lots on the south side of the street near Henrys property.

According to Lora, Grandfathers house was on N. side of st. at East end of Leesville, a 2 story house

with a front door in the middle, opening into a hall and stairs up. John built a house on one of the twolots to use for a workshop and summer kitchen. A second house was built (with a partial basement) on

the other lot for his family to live in.

Alec McKanes shop was across the Alley, East of Paps. He was an undertaker.

Mother said they could tell if there had been a death, a new made coffin would be on

trestles in the alley to dry. He also made furniture. They [undertakers] usually did.

The 1873 atlas shows a J. Heis property near the east end of Main Street on the south side of the street.

Across the alley to the east was a Cabinet Shop. The map shows John Mathies as owner of the lot west

of the Heis lot. Lora described the new house in this manner.

living R., floored with slabs of sandstone from the Quarry near later. [?] 2 small

bedrooms at back and porch between. The front doors from both houses opened onto

the street level. With stairs went down from back porch and they walked level into

basement, where Mother Heiss kept her crocks of milk, a path of the flat stones went to

back of lots where there was a barn for the cow & a pig. 2 pear trees and a garden were

along the path and a big shady apple tree.

The quarry name must have been unreadable. The 1873 atlas included a short business directory for

Leesville. Two stone dealers, Clemens & Co. and B. Heckert, were listed.

In 1875, John moved the family from Leesville to a farm south of Recovery (known today as Fort

Recovery) in Mercer County, Ohio.

Pap (John Heiss) traded his 2 lots and buildings valued at $400. in Leesville, for 2 horses

(Jack and Bill), 8 & 9 yr. old, a wagon, harness and plow, paid what money he had saved

on 52 As, 3 mi. S. of Ft. Recovery. Their farm W. of crossroads. Preacher Mr. Marshall

Way Diggs East, also Bethel Church E. of [crossroads].

Pap Heiss used the $400 they brought with them to pay on the 32 acres he bought of

Joe Landis on the state line a mile W. (1880?)

In another entry, Lora identified the seller of the farm as Mr. Scranton. Pap had taken the train to Union

City and walked 13 miles to Fort Recovery to buy the farm. Their friends, Wally and Seine (?) Shoop had

come to Fort Recovery. (Elsewhere, Lora wrote Wally Shuppe.) The 1888 atlas for Mercer County

shows John Heiss owning a farm (72 acres) in Gibson Township three miles south of Fort Recovery. It

was on the southwest corner at the intersection of the Union City Road and Watkins Road. An

Evangelical Church stood on the southeast corner of the intersection and M. W. Diggs owned 68 acres


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on that corner as well. The map also shows another John Heiss property (24.5 acres) about a mile to the

southwest on the State Line Road, and Fred Heiss (identified as Fred Heiss, Sr. in the 1900 atlas) owned

80 acres straddling the Union City Road south of the larger of the two John Heiss properties. Lora

described the move to Fort Recovery as follows.

In the fall of 1875, Callie [Calvin] the baby, 6 mo. old, & Mother Heiss with John, 12 yr,Henry 9, Lucy 7, Mary 3, come on train to Greenville, O. and visited her folks, Pottigers,

sister Hettie and John Phitzer and other relatives. While Pap drove thru with some of

their belongings and the older children, Liz 22 yr, Simon 18, Esther 10 [actually 16] yr.

Charlotte, 20 yr. was working in Mt. Gilead, O. in a hotel. Sam [was a] boarder at the

hotel, & Bro. Bert Warren from Mo. Charlotte married Sam. Left on Esthers birthday

Oct. 26, 1875, got as far West as the County house at Bucyrus (10 mi.) till noon. Pap said

he had paid taxes all these yrs. to keep it up. He had one meal coming to him, and they

eat dinner there. The first N. [night] at a farm house, second N. at a little town. Esther

thot catsup was a spread & spoilt her bread. 3rdnight at a farmhouse. 4thday come up a

big storm (at Coldwater, O.). They saw barn doors standing open, but it was for anexpected threshing machine. They saw barn doors standing open, but it was for a Huxter

Wagon. So they drove up close in the lee of the store building. It thundered & lightened

awful, wind blew, rained hard. Sky all colors, awful electrical storm. They had empty

straw ticks along and filled them to sleep on the 5thNight.

Left Leesville on Esthers birthday, October 26, arrived on Simons Oct. 31st, Monday

night, 4 days.

The next day, Shuppes [or Shoops] and their new neighbors Dan Ulmer (Omar) and Ben

Easterday took their teams and wagons and went to Union City for the goods that cameon the train (no RR at Ft. Recovery).

There was a one room log house with a loft for 8 children & the parents. They nailed

the wagon cover over the fireplace to keep out the cold. They were thankful it was a

mild open winter. Simon & Diggs boys complained there was not even enough snow

(only 4) to track a rabbit. But it give Pap a chance to hew out timbers for a new house

and haul in rock to set it on. He put it up the next spring and they lived in it, had it

plastered before winter. He soon built a nice big barn and built barns all over the

neighborhood. Hewing the timber in the winter and building in summer. But the house

came 1st. For the house they hauled the shingles, windows, doors and weatherboarding

21 [should be 12] mi. from Union City. No R. R. at Ft. Recovery yet. A man on the

Edmondson place E. done the plastering. They kept the horses in a tumbledown log

house at the crossroads. Cal remembered when 5 or 6 apple trees were there.

Pap bought the flour of Rudy Figle, 1 mi S. & East. It was a wet yr. and the wheat was

not dry enough. Ollie was born this spring, April 16, 1876. Been a sorry time.


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Charlotte was living in Toledo in the 1910s and 1920s (as a widow). Esther married George F. Drake of

Monroeville in 1910. The Diggs boys were probably the sons of neighbor and preacher M. W. Diggs.

The reference to the Edmonson place may be referring to the George Edmiston farm located next door

west of the Heiss farm. Also, Rudolph Fiegle owned 79 acres immediately southwest of the larger John

Heiss property. His home was one mile south and west rather than south and east of the Heiss home.

Prior to 1880, Pap rebuilt a log house next to his and Elizabeths house south of Fort Recovery. This was

for the elderly Potteigers who relocated from Leesville. Joseph then died in 1888 and the rebuilt house

was moved and connected to the Heiss house. Ollie was Liz and Gus Kesters (Keisters?) daughter.

Lora wrote the following about husband Cal. These comments come from different places in her writings

and are arranged here chronologically.

J. Calvin Heiss was born April 4, 1875 in the

village of Leesville, Ohio. Died Aug 9, 1957.

He was the twelfth child born to John and

Elizabeth (Potteiger) Heiss. When yr. old,

the family removed to Mercer County, Ohio

and settled just south of Fort Recovery. He

remained there until the summer of 1895.

The spring Callie [Calvin] was 20 yr. old

(1895) his mother said to his Pap (in

German of course) Martie is old enough

and big enough to do the farm work. So

after putting in a string of tile ditch he

[Calvin] went to Toledo where his sister,

Charlotte and family (husband Sam Warren

and boys Frank and Walt, nearly grown and

Elmer and Bert, littler) lives.

Got a job at bicycle factory. Dad worked in

the repair room. $14. every 2 wks. $7 of

which he paid Charlotte for board. The

factory was on strike so much he became

disgusted. That fall, one night at the supper

table said Im going home. Sam says,

Work for me plastering. Ill give you 17 cts. an hour. Thats better than the factory.

So Cal stayed until Christmas.

After coming home from Toledo, Christmas 1895, the next summer 1896, Cal farmed at

home to finish out his 21 yr. as John did. which Simon and Henry failed [to do]. After

fall work was all done, Ed and Albert Ulmer (Omar) got at him to work in Dos Shumans


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brick yard at Portland [Indiana] with them. He borrowed a bicycle, went over and hired.

Also Will Hull of Ft. Recovery went. They roomed and boarded over there. His job was

bumping molds. 7 brick in a mold and 7 molds. They worked until it got cold enough to

freeze molds.

Cal come to Randolph County, 1897.

March 1st, hired to Obe Stow at $13 a month, board and washing. Lucy, his sister, was

working for their cousin Lizzie, who had married my Uncle Lin Thornburg and lived

across (N.) from No. 8 School. He [Lin] had sent word to Cal he could hire to Obe.

Cal left in October to crib Marts corn on Paps farm so Mart could go to school at

Purdue University, where his brother John was professor. Mart lived at Johns and took

civil engineering, made good at it. (2 yr.) (Later Pap made a sale and rented his fields.)

In the spring of 1898..., Cal bought of Del Mott of Ft. Recovery (that spring) a Union City

buggy, harness, laprobe, duster and whip for $40.. Del Mott quit his mail route and did

not need buggy outfit anymore.

On September 10, 1899 he was married to Lora Thornburg.

Martie was John and Elizabeths youngest child, Martin (1878-1956). Daughter Charlotte had married

Sam Warren and was living in Toledo. Dos Shuman was probably Dawson Suman, a Portland brick

manufacturer listed in a 1907 Jay County directory. Cals sister, Mary (1872-1945), married James Jacob

Jake Reichard. They lived in Portland, Indiana for a while and then moved to St. Marys (Ohio?) and

eventually to Salamonia, Indiana. Obe and Nancy Stow (or Stowe?) lived southwest of Union City in

Wayne Township, Randolph County, Indiana. They lived near Bartonia and were neighbors of LindleyThornburg (1860-1917) and Mary Elizabeth Landis (1868-1935). Mary Elizabeth was Cals cousin. School

No. 8 was on the Greenville Pike southwest of Union City and a short distance northwest of Bartonia.

Elizabeth Potteiger Heiss died in 1915 and Pap Heiss died in 1919. They are buried at Green Mound

Cemetery west of Fort Recovery.

__________________________

Willard Calvin Heiss was an author and lecturer. He was a professional genealogist whose specialty was

Quaker history and genealogy. He had an amazing research library in his home and did a lot of work on

Randolph County where he grew up. He was Chairman of the Family History Section of the IndianaHistorical Society and edited their Genealogypublication. Some of his research and library materials

eventually went to Earlham College where a room dedicated to his work is to be established. Other

materials went to the Fort Wayne Library and to Salt Lake City. He was elected a Fellow of the National

Genealogical Society in 1976. In recognition of the quality of his genealogical work, he was elected a

Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists in 1978. In 2009, the National Genealogical Society

elected Willard to their Hall of Fame.

john heiss and elizabeth potteiger at leesville and fort recovery, ohio

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