Ward-Spittler-Metz-Lyon Family Heritage Center: Spittler-Metz Family Narrative

Jacob SPITTLER, Sr., born in Haslach, Baden Germany in 1793 married Catherine RENKERT (1795-?) in 1815 and had 6 children - Jacob, Jr., John, Catherine (1816-?) who married Martin KNOLL, Anna Mae (1817-?) who married ____KARB, Salome (1821-1894) who married Andreas RISSER and Maria Barbara (1824-?) who married Jacob RENKERT.

[NOTE: Several SPITTLER ancestors are noted as being from FREIBURG Germany, near the Swiss border. There is a section of Freiburg called "Haslach" but this was not created until the 20th century. However there is a town called Haslach im Kinzigtal located about 44 km north of Freiburg which is the probable home of our SPITTLER family. More on Haslach]

While still in Germany, Jacob Jr. (1813-1902) married Mary Anne VETTER (1808-1902) and had 3 children - Mary Anne (1840-1900) who married Peter MOHR , George (1841-?) who married Orisa PERRIGO and Kate (1844-?) who married Abe RITTMAN (1836-?). His brother John (1819-1894) married Catherine Remensporger and had a son, (John) George (1844-1935) but Catherine died soon after. In 1846, brothers John and Jacob Spittler sailed to America with their families and onboard ship, Jacob's wife Mary gave birth to a son, Charles.

Upon arriving in America, the two families settled near Water Valley, NY but later moved to Hamburg (about 15 miles south of Buffalo) where Jacob became a shoemaker. Jacob and Mary had 4 more children - William (1847-1887) who married Carrie REPPERT, Frederick (1849-?), Tilda (1852-1890) who married Henry RUSH and Albert (1856-1925) who married Ada BYRON. George and Frederick both moved to California and started drug stores near Santa Cruz, Albert became a butcher and William operated a hotel in North Evans, NY. George and children Charles Frederick (1875-1951) and Ida Flora are buried in Colusa, CA. Olive Spittler (1874-1944), daughter of William and Carrie Reppert Spittler is buried in San Bernadino, CA.

John Spittler (Jacob's brother) married Elizabeth MOHR (1829-1912) from Buffalo and traveled west for a time, but returned to Rock Spring, NY where he purchased a farm and spent the rest of his life. John and Elizabeth had 10 children - Peter, Mary, Jacob, August, Louis, Anna, Lana, Kathryn, Carrie and Frederick (see Spittler Family Tree for more info).

John And Elizabeth Mohr Spittler's graves in Ashford, NY

John George II (the first son of John I) married Catherine SCHNIERLE (1846-1935) and had the following children: Catherine (1871-1960) who married George HILL and lived in Allentown, NY, Benjamin (1874-1967) who moved to Idaho, John George III (1877-1921) who married Florence STONE and Dorothea (1882-1954) who married Fred STONE.

Jacob's son Charles (1846-1901) also became a shoemaker and married Elizabeth PECK (1850-1932) from Angola, NY. The couple settled in North Evans, NY (on the south side of 18 Mile Creek, about 5 miles south of Hamburg-see below) and had 7 children - Ida (1870-?) who married Willard DUZEN, Flora (1874-?) who married Clifford CASWELL, Herbert (1878-1954) who married Lottie COWELL and later Edith HERDLE, Albert, Chester (1886-1970) who married Margaret FARRELL, Everett (1890-1970) and George, the latter born on George Washington's birthday in 1883.

Map of North Evans in 1880 (Charles Spittler's property is labeled "C. Spetlor")

Spittler Photos Census Listing for Charles Spittler Family 1880

METZ FAMILY
Johannes (1790-1858) & Eva Catarina LANG (1793-1859) METZ (MEZ) (the latter, a daughter of an American Indian girl who had been taken to Germany) of Blankenloch, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany brought their family to America in 1835 when their son Jacob was just 3 years old and settled in a crude log cabin in Eden, NY. When that burned down, John built a house on Shadagee Rd. which has been occupied by several Metz descendants. The following children were born in Germany: Christine (1811-?) who married Michel Ernst, Catharine (1813-1872) who married William Glasser, Jacobine Josephine (1815-1875), who married Ernest Lang and moved to Davis, IL, Carl Frederick (1821-1865) who married Caroline Laupe, Margaret (1820-?) who married Jacob Heiler, Godfrey (1824-1885) who married Margaret Phary, Christopher (1825-1849), John (1829-1900) who married Barbary Eckart and Jacob (1832-1925) who married Carolyn Erb. Elizabeth (1836-1905) who married Charles Pfattheigher and Henry (1838-1910) who married Mary Glasser (daughter of William and Catherine Metz Glasser) were born in Eden. View Johannes Metz' tombstone in Evergreen Cemetery, Eden, NY.

Godfrey Metz - the Entrepreneur
Godfrey Metz started a cooperage near his parents' home at the age of 16. In 1846 he moved the shop to a place near the 4 corners of Eden. He employed many coopers and in 1858 installed the first steam engine. Godfrey also built the 1st hotel in Eden in 1848 in front of the cooperage which became a famous Eden landmark. He sold it to his brother John who in turn sold it to William Paxon who sold it to Pemberton in 1864 who sold it to George Roeller in 1876. It has been restored and was once called the Coach Stop Inn. Godfrey also built a house of entertainment called "The Birch Woods" where there were swings for children and a dancing platform for adults. He also built a racetrack where people would picnic.

from http://history.rays-place.com/ny/eden-ny.htm Godfrey Metz' Tombstone in Eden Cemetery

In 1855 when Jacob Metz was 23 he married Caroline ERB (1839-1919) of Buffalo, then only 16. They lived on the Metz Farm on Shadagee Rd. and had 9 children - Elizabeth (1855-?) who married Fred Weimer, Julia+ (1857-1929) who married Herman Smith, Mary (1860-?) who married Louis Foley, Emma (1869-?) who married Fred Schieber, Alfred+ (1870-1955) who married Bertha Schrum, Edwin+ (1875-1971) who married Caroline Wander, Kate+ (1877-?) who married Carl Johnson, Lydia+ (1879-1953) who married Jacob Stadler and Edith - the youngest - born in 1882. ( + indicates family member with no living descendants). View Jacob and Carolyn Erb Metz' tombstone in Evergreen Cemetery, Eden, NY.

Click HERE to view Metz Photos
Map of Baden Bermany in 1800 showing Haslach and Blankenloch
With his brother Chester, George Washington SPITTLER started a grocery store in North Evans, NY around 1900. The building which housed this store still stands today and is used as the town post office. Soon after, in 1904 George married Edith METZ and the couple moved to Lake View, NY (on the north side of 18-Mile Creek).

George started his own slaughter house and meat market which he later expanded into a grocery store ("Spittler's Food Store"- created from a boarding house moved from Idlewood) where he worked (later with his son Charles) until he died in 1958 - over 50 years in business. He had the opportunity of a professional baseball career but his mother would not approve - he pitched for many of the local teams and remained an avid baseball fan his entire life.

George also helped form the Lake View Volunteer Fire Dept. in 1924, and served as its Chief for 23 years. Edith and George Spittler had 5 children - Kenneth (1904-1987), Carolyn (1906-1953), Naomi (1910-1994), Charles (1909-1999 ) and Donald (1918- ). Edith died in 1966. George, Edith and daughter Carolyn are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Eden, NY.