Figure 1
You can never truly discover who you are until you find out where you came from. I have never been very close to my family, and as I have researched my ancestry, I have discovered that I come from a very hardworking and love driven lineage. In 1737, the Walter and Huffman families fled Germany with about 650,000 others in order to escape religious persecution and came to the American colonies. Figure 1 is a photograph of the type of ship that the two families would have sailed across the Atlantic on. It was extremely cramped, and hygiene was not a priority – especially amongst the steerage passengers.
While on board the ship, a terrible plague spread among the passengers, and Mr. and Mrs. Walter passed before reaching the colonies on American soil. They had three sons: John, Peter, and Jacob. John and Peter were able to receive intern positions and were granted housing so that the brothers could stay together.
John and Peter began their work for Berk’s Co. in Pennsylvania and took on the responsibility of raising Jacob, who was roughly five or six years old. The two became dedicated workers and raised Jacob to become a successful farmer himself. When he came of age to be on his own, Jacob fell in love with Elizabeth Huffman and the two were married in 1752. By this time, Jacob was 21 years old and had pledged full allegiance to the colonies. Once the new territory began to open up, the couple purchased land in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and started a farm together in 1754.
Figure 2
They had 5 children. Figure 2 is a copy from the 1790 Lancaster County census. Jacob’s name is the eleventh one from the top. This census was extremely important because it was the first U.S population census ever taken. The head of house hold was required to go to the town hall and sign his name along with information about how many children he had and how many slaves he owned.
I have always been aware that my family is extremely patriotic, but I had no idea that it all began when Jacob Walter fought in the Revolutionary War from 1777-1780 in the Pennsylvania Continental line under Captain Andrew Porter. Jacob served as part of the Artillery Command, and it was his job to make sure that all the ammunition was properly prepped and loaded. He discharged in 1778 for an injury and rejoined in 1779. Jacob’s middle son, John Walter, continued in his father’s shoes and fought in the War of 1812. When Jacob passed away at the age of 91, he was buried in Venago County, Pennsylvania in the Calvert Riddle cemetery, which was then part of Calvert Township. Figure 3 is a copy of Jacob’s burial verification card. Many of the soldiers who died in the war were never recorded so it’s remarkable that there is an actual verification of burial on file.
Figure 3
As years passed, Jacob and Elizabeth’s children continued to move west until they finally settled down in Kansas and made a living by keeping their farming heritage. My family has resided there ever since. The patriotic obligation has continued to weave in and out and is now being carried on by my father’s younger brother who is a United States Marine. It is fascinating how religious persecution and the location of two families over two hundred years ago have made me into who I am now.