He entered land (320 acres) from the Government as the first white settler in Richland Township. He settled there in March 1817. He was born near Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland on October 5, 1779, died April 5, 1849, and was buried in the Miller Cemetery, east of Beamsville, Ohio (also known as the Hartle Cemetery.)

He was reared as a tiller of the soil and was early inured to the hardships and privations of pioneer life. He received a rudimentary education in the subscription schools of the early times, and during much of his early youth remained in his native state.

In early manhood, however, he went to Franklin County, Pennsylvania, where he met and married Elizabeth Snavely in about 1800. She was born October 18, 1878. They were the parents of three children: Jacob Jr., Mary and Frederick. Her father was Jacob Snavely, a Swiss Mennonite who first settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Franklin County, Antrim Township, where he bought land.

Jacob Hartle, Jr. was born in Pennsylvania August 14, 1802. About 1805, just a few years after Ohio was admitted as a State to the Union, Jacob, Sr. and family moved to Pickaway County, near Circleville, Ohio, where he purchased land and made his home for twelve years. He later sold a portion of this land to Michael Fletcher in 1832, he paying $176.00 in cash for same. He also sold some land to Henry Space and Mr. Lietz, Fletcher and Spade being relatives as his second wife was a Spade.

Darke County at that time was not organized, this entire section of the state being known as the Miami District, the Indians being far more numerous than the white settlers. His first habitation after settling in Darke County was a primitive log cabin, and during its erection the family took refuge in Fort Briar which was built during the War of 1812. The Fort was located on the bank of Stillwater creek, and they remained there from march until May when they moved into their home. Margaret Hartle, their daughter was born in this fort November 17, 1817.

The county in this primitive condition had numerous deer and wild turkeys which he killed in the vicinity of his home. Such primitive agricultural implements, as the sickle, the flail and the old-fashioned four fingered cradle were in use. To further the improvement of the aid of the settlement in building, there was a horse-mill and in connection therewith a still-house. These were operated by Jacob Hartle in 1837 and 1838.

Jacob Hartle was possessed with an energetic and sturdy pioneer spirit, was thrifty and industrious, and successful to a large degree, accumulating land to the extent of five-hundred and sixty acres. He held membership in the German Reformed Church. In politics he was a Democrat, and a great admirer of Andrew Jackson.64 278

270Jacob Hartle, a nephew of the senior Michael, and his wife, Elizabeth, and son, Jacob, Jr., migrated from Bedford County, Pennsylvania to Picaway County, Ohio in 1805, and the family moved on to Darke County in 1817.279

About 1800 Jacob went to Franklin County, Pennsylvania and married Elizabeth Snavely [Sarah V. Larimer, unpublished manuscript, p. 5 (copy in possession of writer)]. I suspect that he may have known her when the family lived in Maryland, as Franklin County is just across the state line, and Jacob was almost seventeen when they moved to Morrison’s cove. Their first two children, Jacob Jr. and Frederick, were born in Pennsylvania [US Census, OH, Darke Co., Adam Twp., p. 342 & Richland Twp., p. 173]. The family then moved to Pickaway County, Ohio around 1805 when Frederick would have been an infant.

Not long after a daughter, Mary, was born Elizabeth died. In 1811 Jacob married Catherine “Caty” Spade [Majorie Smith, ., Ohio Marriages, Extracted from the Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly, (Thomson, IL: heritage House, n.d.), p. 146]. That same year Jacob’s father died. He appointed Jacob Snowberger as his power-of-attorney to represent his interests in the estate [Deed Book H, p. 472, Bedford Co., PA]. In the same year another son, John, was born. Jacob and Caty had two more children, George and Elizabeth, while living in Pickaway county.

In 1817 they moved to Darke County, Ohio where Jacob was the first settler in Richland Township [___, The History of Darke County, Ohio, 1880 (rept. Evansville, IN: Unigraphic Inc., 1976, p. 410]. Their next child, Margaret, was born there at Fort Briar, built on the banks of Stillwater Creek in the War of 1812 [Sarah V. Larimer, unpublished manuscript, 5 (copy in posession of writer)]. Fire more children were born to that union: Sarah, Eve, David, Abraham and Isaac. The last two were twins, one of which, Isaac, died as well as his mother Caty.

The following year jacob married Susannah Cooley. They had one son, Solomon, who served in the Civil War and died at Andersonville Prison. Jacob died on 1 April 1849. More about jacob and his descendants can be found in previous issues of Hartle Heritage [Hartle Heritage, Vol. I, Fall 1998, p. 17 & winter 1998, p. 21].66