Biography/Notes
Philip Johann Falter was born in 1782 in Nack, Grand Duchy of Hessen Darmstadt, Germany. He was christened February 2, 1782 at St. Barthlomew Catholic Church in Erbes Büdesheim, Hessen Darmstadt, Germany. Philip apprenticed as a shoemaker in another village. He married there (1st marriage) and had four daughters. After his wife's death, Philip returned to Nack and married Christina
Village of Erbes Büdesheim and church D
Koerner (Körner) (2nd marriage), of nearby Erbes Büdesheim. Philip and Christina had four children. They, with all eight children, immigrated to America in November of 1831.
From the Port of New York, they took the immigrant road called the "Hudson River Trail" to Albany and then the "Mohawk Trail" to Buffalo where they wintered. In the spring of 1832, they sailed Lake Erie to Huron, Ohio and traveled the final miles to Venice Township, Seneca County in a wagon. On February 22, 1834, Philip entered his claim for 80 acres of land southeast of St. Stephen where they lived until their deaths. He cleared it, built a log cabin, and made its furniture. The cabin stood for over 150 years and was finally torn down in 1994. Philip was also one of the founders of St. Stephen's Catholic Church at St. Stephen, Ohio.
Philip applied for citizenship on June 15, 1840 and became an American citizen on July 15, 1842. He filed for naturalization at the courthouse in Bucyrus, Crawford County rather than Seneca County because "...die Strassen sind besser" (the roads are better).
Philip died in the spring of 1849 while building a house to replace his rough cabin. When Christina and the children moved into the house, a walnut corner cabinet made by Philip was left in the cabin. It was restored by Philip's great grandson Victor Falter and his wife Edna (Scheuler) Falter. Philip was buried about June 1849 in St. Stephen Cemetery, St. Stephen, Ohio.
Information taken from: Seneca County Ohio Biographical History, 1902, pg. 647.
Phillip and Christina (Koerner) Falter were natives of Darmstadt. Phillip had been previously married, the four children born of the first union being all deceased. Philip Falter was a shoemaker by trade and followed this vocation in the fatherland until the fall of 1831, when he emigrated with his family to America, making the voyage on a sailing vessel and being forty-two days on the ocean.
They passed the first winter in Buffalo, New York, and in the spring of 1832 set forth for their new home in the virgin forests of Seneca County, making the trip by the Great Lakes to Huron and thence coming through by wagon to Seneca County. Here Philip Falter entered claim to eighty acres of government land, one half mile north of the present village of Carrothers--the farm now owned by J.C. Wurm. He made a little clearing in the heavily timbered tract and there built one of the log cabins of the primitive frontier type, installed his family in the unpretentious domicile and prepared to literally hew out a farm in the midst of the forest. He vigorously continued his efforts and had made excellent developments prior to his death, which occurred in 1848, his wife surviving until 1862.
Both were folk of the most sterling character and were among the most honored pioneers of this section. They were communicants of the Catholic church and their lives were in harmony with their religious faith and trust. In politics Mr. Falter was a stalwart supporter of the Democratic party.
Article from: Seneca Whig, June 29, 1849, page 3, column 1.
Philip Falter's Estate
Notice is hereby given that the subscriber has been appointed and qualified as Executor of the Estate of Philip Falter, deceased, late of Seneca County, Ohio, Venice Township, June 29, 1849--Martin Bonn.
Grave of Philip Johann Falter
