Shelby Pioneer Page - George Adam Frank Family

The Richland County – Shelby Chapter Of The Ohio Genealogical Society
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The George Adam Frank Family



George Adam Frank was born in Baden, Germany on March 8, 1798. His future
wife, Barbara Weidner was born in Baden on March 8, 1802. Adam and Barbara
were married in Germany when Barbara was about 20 years of age. Their only
son, George was born in Germany June 30, 1824. Two daughters followed,
Elizabeth in about 1826, and Anna on September 15, 1833.

On April 30, 1838, George Adam Frank was issued a passport from
Grossherzogthum, Baden (good for only 1 year), and Adam and his family
immigrated from Darmstadt,Baden, Germany to the United States.
Adam was then described as: 39 years of age, oval face, brown hair,
brown beard, brown eyes, large build, teeth in bad shape, and married.

The 1840 Ohio census shows Adam Frank living in Sharon Twp., Richland
County, close to Joseph Medsker (Metzger) and George West, with 3 females
and 2 males living in the household. The age groups confirm: Anna (5-10),
Elizabeth (10-15),Barbara (30-40), George (15-20), and Adam (40-50).

Soon after arriving and choosing the location of Sharon Twp., Adam purchased
50 acres of land (southern part of N.W. quadrant of section 30) from Thomas Pope
for the sum of 1 dollar. Adam constructed a log cabin for his family on the
property. The property lies on the N. W. corner of Hummel and Settlement
East Roads in southern Sharon Twp.




Adam Frank Family Log Cabin

More than 150 years after its' construction, and after providing shelter for many
generations of his descendants, Adam's log cabin was "uncovered" and restored by
one of those descendants. In 1991, after purchasing the property in 1988, Clint
and Audrey (Weaver) Dotson began their restoration of Adam's original log cabin.


photo 1991
House as it appeared when purchased in 1988.




photo 1991
Adam Frank Log Cabin Restoration
(Clint Dotson and grandsons, Jake and Ben Dotson)




photo 1991
Adam Frank Log Cabin Restored

The Dotson Family celebrated their 1991 Thanksgiving Holiday in the just
finished Adam Frank Cabin. 1




In November of 1840, Adam Frank filed his papers and declared his intent to
become a citizen of the United States. In 1842, a third daughter, Barbara,
was born, to be followed about 2 years later by a fourth daughter, Mary.

February 09, 1846 brought about the marriage of Adam and Barbara's oldest
daughter Elizabeth, to Jacob Beikel / Beckel in Shelby, Ohio. Jacob was a
shoemaker in Shelby.

In April of 1846, Adam Frank appeared in the Richland Co. Common Pleas court,
along with two witnesses to swear to his 5 years of residency in the United States and his high moral character and obtained his citizenship papers.

________________________________________________________________

1850 Ohio Census, Richland County, Sharon Twp.

Adam Frank 54, farmer (Germany), Barbara Frank 49, (Germany), George 26,
(Germany), Ann 16, (Germany), Barbara 9 (Ohio), Mary 6 (Ohio),
Catherine ? ? ? 2, (Ohio). (The last person does not appear in the 1860
census and is assumed to have died in the interim or to have been a
temporary addition to the household.)

Jacob Bickel 30, shoemaker (Germany), Elizabeth Beakle 21 (Germany),
Mary 3 (Ohio), Cristina 1 (Ohio)
________________________________________________________________

On May 06, 1852, Adam's son George 28, married Anna (Solwarder?) Swander
born August 03, 1832 in Switzerland. George and Anna started their lives
together in Sharon Twp., where their first two children (Helen and George
William) were born. Sometime before the birth of their third child (John)
in 1857, George and Anna moved to Allegany County, Michigan.
Another son, Charles was born in Michigan in 1859.

Anna Frank, the second daughter of Adam and Barbara, married Adam Stephan
who was born May 03, 1833, on December 26, 1859 in Shelby, Ohio.

________________________________________________________________

1860 Census

Richland County, Sharon Twp., Ohio - Adam Frank 62, farmer, (Germany),
Barbara 60, (Germany) Barbara 19, (Ohio), Mary 17, (Ohio)

Allegany County, Salem Twp., Michigan - George Frank 28 farmer, (Baden),
Anna 28 (Switzerland), Helen 7, (Ohio), William 5, (Ohio), John 3, (Mich),
Charles 6/12, (Mich).

________________________________________________________________

George Adam Frank died in Sharon Twp. Richland County, Ohio on March 18,
1861. He was laid to rest in the German Reformed Church Cemetery. The
church burned long ago and it is now known as the (Nazor - Schwartz)
Cemetery. It is located on the S. E. corner of Hummel and Settlement East
roads, diagonally across this intersection from Adam Frank's original
property and the log cabin he had lived in for 23 years.

On September 19, 1861, Barbara, the third daughter of Adam and Babara Frank
married Adam Huber (born about 1840) in Shelby, Ohio. The new couple would
lose their first child (born June 18, 1862) on July 26, 1862. The infant is buried
at the Nazor - Schwartz Cemetery.

Anna Swander Frank died in Michigan on September 13, 1862. There is a marker
for her in the Nazor - Schwartz Cemetery, however, family tradition says she was
buried in Michigan. George Frank and the 4 children returned to Ohio shortly
after Anna's death, and on April 2, 1864, he purchased 74 acres of land on
the western 1/2 of the S. W. quarter of section 30 in Sharon Twp. from John
Deardorf. This land was just west of the farm of Abraham Duncan, who was the
original purchaser in 1831, of both properties. The Duncan's lived across the
road from the original Frank farm and so George's farm was within sight
of the cabin where he was raised.

Henry J. Wirtz II (born March 1844 in Sharon Twp.) married Adam and
Barbara's fourth daughter Mary, in Shelby, Ohio, September 08, 1864. Henry
was the oldest son of Henry and Mary Mariah Wirtz, who immigrated from
Baden, Germany prior to 1840. (Could the Frank and Wirtz families have
immigrated from Germany together?) Henry Sr. & Mariah Wirtz and two of
their daughters are buried at the Nazor - Schwartz Cemetery.

Henry Wirtz II was to become a Sharon Twp. trustee for many years. His farm
home was located on the south side of Settlement East Road at the corner of
Horning Road, just a bit west of the Adam Frank property. In 1865, Henry
and Mary Wirtz's first child, John Henry was born. Henry and Mary would
have at least 9 children.

________________________________________________________________

1870 Ohio Census

Richland Co., Sharon Twp., Barbara Franks 68, Keeping house, (Baden)

Richland Co., Sharon Twp., George Frank 45, Farmer, (Baden), William 15, (Ohio),
John 13, (Ohio), Charles 10, (Ohio), Catherine Artz 70, Housekeeper, (Baden)

Morrow Co., North Bloomfield Twp., Adam Stephan 37, Farmer, (Germany),
Ann 37, keeping house, (Germany), Franklin 9, (Ohio), George 8, (Ohio),
Charlie 6, (Ohio), John 3, (Ohio), Amanda 3/12, (Ohio)

Crawford Co., Crestline, Adam Huber, Barbara

Richland Co., Sharon Twp., Henry Wirtz Jr. 26, Farmer, (Ohio), Mary 24,
keeping house, (Ohio), John H. 5, (Ohio), Lewis P. 4, (Ohio), George A. 2, (Ohio)

________________________________________________________________

On April 08, 1873, George Frank married Eliza Bernhisel born August 31, 1842
in Stark Co., Ohio. Eliza was a daughter of George Bernhisel and was living
with her sisters in Springfield Twp prior to her marriage. George and Eliza's first
child, George, was born June 27, 1874 and died September 04, 1874. This child
is buried in the Nazor - Schwartz Cemetery. George and Eliza were to have 4
more children (all daughters) that survivied to adulthood.

Barbara Frank aged 77 years, died on December 11, 1879. She was buried
beside her husband in the Nazor - Schwartz Cemetery.




photo 2000

View from Adam & Barbara's Gravestone
(overlooking their farm and log cabin in the distance)



At the time of her death, Barbara's children were living in the following locations:

1. George and Eliza Frank were living across the road from the original Frank Home.
2. Elizabeth, wife of Jacob Beckel, had died.
3. Adam and Anna Frank Stephan, were living in Crestline, Ohio.
4. Adam and Barbara Frank Huber were living in Crestline, Ohio.
5. Henry and Mary Frank Wirtz were living down the road to the west of George Frank.

(to be continued)



photo 2000

164 years after he constructed it, the Adam Frank Log Cabin is still a symbol
of "home" for many of his descendants. In the summer of 2001, over 140
members of his "family" congregated here for the most recent Frank reunion.
2001 Frank Reunion



1 The idea for this photo sequence was provided by Maxine Thomas who previously used the same photos (provided by Clint and Audrey Weaver / Dotson) to illustrate the same event.



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