It was written at a time when about 700 people came from Allentown to Tiffin with the Liberty Fire Company. The week was filled with tournaments, contests, parties, and all other things that would go along with a fireman's convention.

Although the city of Tiffin was expecting only about 254 people, they somehow made accommodations for 700. The result was an event which proved to be a raving success.

For our purposes, the most important thing about this article is that it deals specifically with the ongoing emigration from Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, to Seneca County, Ohio, in the old Northwest Territory, during the years that followed the War of 1812. After 1845 many of these people used the railroad, but most continued to travel over the hills of Pennsylvania, and into Ohio on ox drawn carts, which were large enough to carry many of their belongings. Many cherished items, though, had to be left behind for want of space. Of these emigrants, some eventually continued west while many remained in the young Ohio county. Of those who continued west, many returned to Seneca County in future years, as was the case with my ancestor, Reuben Hartzell, and his family. They went west, to Indiana in 1868, only to return in 1875 and live out the remainder of their years in Seneca County, Ohio, the place they had come to call home.

Of the nearly 700 People who left Allentown on Sunday night with the Liberty fire company's excursion to Tiffin, Ohio, there were few who did not have some relative or acquaintance in the Ohio town which with its vicinity was long the destination of all Lehigh County people who went west. Tiffin is a prosperous and growing town in a progressive farming district, where agriculture is carried on with all the improved facilities for money making; the farmers are rich, and, we must admit it, there are some particulars in which they, as Pennsylvania Germans have advanced far ahead of those left behind them when they bid adieu to the Delaware, the Lehigh and the Schuylkill.

It has frequently been remarked with truth that nothing can excel the value of the Pennsylvania German to the country to which he emigrates. Retaining all the inherited industry of his ancestors in a new country, he affords a rare combination of careful thrift regulating a liberal enterprise. He seems to have broken through the conservative hands that restrain him, and to have taken a spirit of progressiveness which send him easily to the front. He builds the schoolhouse, is forward in improvements of all kinds, and while spending money freely for public and private benefits, he pays as he goes in both a public and private capacity.

It is as though a solid, long unused, but accumulating increasing fertility and richness through the passing years had felt the first tickle of tile hoe and had pushed into blossom a variety of energies which it is not supposed to possess. and this figure leads to an explanation of why the same men do not do at home what they accomplish with such signal ability and power in other localities. They are the same heads and hearts and hands, in one place as another. But in the past it has been true that all the splendid natural faculties of the Pennsylvania German at home have been held in obevance by the fact that he spoke a language without grammar or literature of any kind, which concealed from him the channels in which he might compete for the lead among men; and which did not inform him of the methods by which men achieve distinction and power and build up the highest material prosperity.”

Rev. Eli Keller was one of these emigrants, and he wrote the following.

"The movement was not a hasty one, but one matured and carried out after long consideration. It was well understood that there was better land westward, which could be cultivated with more ease and better results; that the use of lime on the land, so peculiarly galling to them, could be dispensed with. It was also understood that in the State of Ohio education, morality, and religion stood on a higher plane."

The date of the first appearance known by me is given.

Jacob & Catherine (Block) Hill - June 1823 Charles, Reuben, James, Wm., Daniel, Christina, Elizabeth & Melinda Hill - c/o Jacob & Catherine - 1823 William & Sarah (Johnson) McEwen - 1923 James Burnside - 1823 George & Mary (McEwen) Saul - 1826 Henry & Hannah (Swander) Hall - 1828  Solomon & Catherine Robenalt - 1828 James & Mary (Brobst) Swander - 1830 Josias "Jesse" & Susanna (Fry) Romig - 1830 George & Anna Elizasbeth Burger - 1830's John & Sarah (Boyer) Burger - 1830's Casper Dick - 1831 John & Mary Barbara (Diehl) Bowerman - 1831 Henry & Christina Neff - 1832 Andrew Martin & Leah (Neff) Meyer - 1832 Sarah German (later Kirschner) - 1832 John & Salome (Kistler) German - 1832 Harriet (German) Kistler - 1832 Michael & Mary (Hoppes) Kistler - 1832 Johann Henrich Kistler - 1832 Thomas & Sarah (Blair) Swander - 1833 Peter & Maria Magdelina (German) Wuchter - 1833-38 Joseph & Mary (Rary) Hilsinger - 1835 Henry & Susanna (Roesser) Moore - 1836 John & Elizabeth (Kopp) Moore - 1836 Jacob Moore - 1836 Henry & Phillipina (Fenstermacher) Bennehoff - 1836 Johannes Peter & Catherine (German) Hensinger - 1837 John Henry & Rebecca (Linebaugh) Briney - 1838 John Shidler - 1838 Jacob Shidler - 1838 Solomon & Anna (Rader) Bennehoff - by1840 Edward H. & Mary (Trexler) Swander - 1840 John Sr. & Elizabeth (Glick) Swander - 1842 Solomon & Salome (Litzenberger) Glick - 1842 Samuel & Lydia (Shellhammer) Pontius - 1842 Francis & Estella (Swander) Trexler - 1842 William & Sarah (Swander) Burkhalter - 1842 William & Mary Ann (Swander) Snyder - 1842 Caroline (Swander) Sohn - 1842 Nathan & Susanna (Meyers) Butz - 1843 Peter & Sarah Elizabeth (Harpster) Bennehoff - by 1844 Edward & Elizabeth (Swander) Knauss - 1844 Phillip Wehr - by 1845 Lucy Ann (Wehr) Schock - by 1845 Nathaniel & Lidia (Swander) Glick - 1845 Augusta & Hanna (Strauss, Benninghoff) Schiffert - 1845 Stephen & Lavina (Kaul) Strauss - 1845 Henry W.  & Hannah (Swander) Kunkle - 1845 Mary Anna (Wuchter) Meyers - 1845 Nathan & Leah (Wagner) Meyers - 1845 John & Elizabeth (Eisenhard) Myers - 1845 Henry Strausbaugh - 1847 John Henry (Henrich) - 1847 Joseph Henry (Henrich) - 1847 Lewis & Esther Shubert - 1847 Daniel Shubert - 1847 Reuben & Sarah (Schiffert) Hartzell - 1847 James H., Harrison W. & Hiram L. Hartzell - 1847 Solomon & Judith (Cook) Litzenberger - 1847 James & Catherine (Meyer) Hartzell - 1847 Paul & Carolina (Steinberger) Hartzell - 1847 Henry Strauss - 1847 David & Mary (Derr) Strauss - 1847 Jacob & Elmira (Litzenberger) Eisenhart - 1847-48 Isaac & Judah (Stienberger) Strauss - 1848 Edward Wenner - 1848 John H. & Ellenore (Stein) Glick - 1848 Uriah Huber (adopted son of John H. Glick) - 1848

John Joseph & Mary Ann (Acker) Woodring - 1848 Alvin Acker - 1848 Henry and Christina (Glick) Bacher - 1848 Abraham & Mary A (Bacher) Honsberger - 1848 Daniel & Mary Ann Swander - 1848 George Swander - 1848 Isaac & Catherine (Billig) Wannamaker - 1849 Asia & Eliza (Kaull) Rohm - 1849 William Rhoads - bef. 1849 Joseph & Christina A. (Brinkerhoff) Swander - 1849 David & Sarah (Ritter) Bunn - by 1849 David B. & Lydia (Litzenberger) Burger - 1849 James A., Charles & Edward Milton Burger - 1849 Thomas Dixson - by 1850 William & Clarissa Schmoyer - 1852 John & Barbara Hartzell - 1852 Samuel Swander - 1852 Tilghman & Hanna (Lineberger) Litzenberger - 1853 Lavina (Schiffert) Wiese - 1854 Abraham Knappenberger - 1854 Daniel Hartsell - 1855 William H. Glick - 1855 John & Catherine (Swander) Glick - 1855 A. L. Gangwer - ca. 1855 (later to Kansas) Jacob & Mary (Litzenberger) Samsel - 1856 Rev. Eli Keller - 1856 David George - by 1857 Harrison Benjamin & Eliza Amanda (Hiskey) Acker - 1858 Jacob Sell - by 1859 Henry & Henrietta (Strauss) Fatzinger - 1859-61 Martha Fatzinger - 1859-61 Jacob Derr - 1860 Edwin & Sarah Ann (Troxell) Frey - 1863 Charles & Susannah (Frack) Troxell - 1863 Alfred W. Troxell - 1863 Charles D. & Louisa (Gensenlither) Gangwer - 1864 Jonas Romig - 1865 Samuel & Mary A. (Meitzler) Horne - 1865 Benjamin Horne - 1865 Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Meitzler - 1865 Reuben & Elizabeth (Potteiger) Conrad - 1865 William & Mary (Stopp) Wenner - 1867 William & Ellen (Raub) Transue - 1867 John Henry Frey - by 1870 James F. & Polly Ann Focht - 1870 William Wayne Winch - 1870 Francis Frederick Winsch - 1870 John A. Miller - 1870 Emeline (Keisberry) Luman - by 1871 James Seislove - 1871 Albert & Elizabeth (Werner, Schaefer) Goetz - 1875 James Oliver Haines - 1875 Jacob D. & Mary Ann (Zellner) Ehrhardt - 1876 William Henry & Sarah Ann (Kratcher) Bastian - 1876 Alfred W. & Mary (Seiberling) Bastian - 1877 George Hartzell - 1877 Alvin Jacob & Susannah Hartzell - 1877 Edgar Hartzell - 1877 Walter H. Hartzell - 1877 William H. Hartzell - 1877 Dr. B. F. Hittel - 1878 Oscar & Elizabeth Anna (Gachenbach) Groman Obidiah Jacob Gernert - 1881 Barner) Smoykafer - 1881 John Smoykafer - 1881 Stephen Harrison Barner - 1881 Albert T. Lazarus - 1882 Morris Robert Groman - 1883 George Harrison & Mary (Hepp) Kichline - 1899 Ruth S. (Spatz) Mergenthaler - mid 1900's

DATE UNKNOWN

Harrison B. Archer Hannah Bacher John W. Bastian Michael Bastian Ferdinand & Elvina (Hoehle) Baumgardner Jonas & Anna Maria (Remaly) Beidelman Matilda Beidelman John Bennehoff Reuben Bennehoff Rebecca Bring Aaron & Anna (Acker) Clouser Mrs. Acker (mother) Henry & Anna Correll Rev. David & Elmira (Weidner) Christman Joseph & Mary Crossley William Crossley Caroline Crouse Allison Deily George & Elizabeth Deily Enoch Dick Eva Dick Joseph & Mary Doerle Albert Duley Aaron Earich David & Catherina (Eisenhart) Eberhard Levi J. B. Ettinger Dr. William H. Focht Franklin Frederica John L. Gahris Peter & Elvina Gahris Benjamin Gambee Solomon Gambee James & Sybilla Gangwer James T. & Euphimia (Seagraves) Gangwer Stephen Gangwer John Garman Lewis Garman Jacob, Elizabeth & Rebecca George Joseph & Sarah (Reimer) George Salinda (Trexler) George Conrad German  John & Sallie Greenwald Joseph Gries Amilia Groman Isaac & Christiana (Fisher) Hall Reuben Harris James Hawk Diah Heilman Willoughby Heilman Reuben B. Hiskey  Moses Houtz James Huber John J. Hunt George Kaul William Kaul Susanna Keller Wilson W. & Miranda I. Keller Abraham Keiber Jacob & Catherine Keiber John A. Kerchner Mathias & Lovina A. (Wannamaker) Kerschner Thomas Keyse Mary (Schaffer) Kirgis Henry & Elizabeth (Mueller) Kistler Johannes & Theresa (German) Kistler

John T. & Eve Kistler John Kistler Solomon Kistler Ephraim Klaiss Mary Ann (Trexler) Klaiss George & Elizabeth (Shoemaker) Kopp Elizabeth Kopp  Moses & Rebecca Kramer Mary Kramer Abbey Kuder Benjamin F. Kuder James S. Kuder Thomas A. Kunkle Enos & Rebecca (Roth) Laros Amos Peter Lentz James Lohrman Benjamin Lutz J. E. Lynn William S. Messer Solomon Meyers Valentine & Catharina (Wolf) Meyer Elizabeth Moore Francis Moore William F. Muler William Nagle Alfred Harrison Neligh John & Lydia Neligh Rev. Madison Clinton Peters Rev. Morgan A. Peters Isaac & Elimina Raub Michael & Sarah Reiter Edwin F. Saylor Nicholas & Elizabeth (Benner) Schaull Andrew Schreiner Caroline (Seiple) Andre Jonas & Anna (Strauss) Seiple Harrison A. Seiple Tilghman Sellner W. M. Shaffer John Andrew & Matilda (Moll) Sechrist William H. & Estella (Ludwig) Sechrist Benjamin & Deborah Seiders Jacob & Hannah Shankweiler Ella Manda (Seiple) Snyder Jane E. (Baumer) Snyder Henry Louis Steckel William & Caroline Steckel William Harry & Etta (Richie) Steckel Anna S. (Baker) Stinchcomb James & Matilda E. (Baker) Stinchcomb Henry Stolzenbach Mary Ann (Baumgardner) Stolzenbach Dewalt J. Swander William Alford Swartz George Thalman John Trexler Charles Troxel Abraham & Mary (Tuttle) Wagner Elizabeth (German) Wehr Nathan & Barbara (Brong) Wehr Rebecca (Schultz) Weidner George Wiess Jacob F. & Alice Elizabeth (Schaefer) Yeager (MOH Winner)