My Genealogy Hound

PHILIP HARTZELL, carpenter and millwright; P. O. Covington. Mr. Hartzell, one of the old residents, is a son of Philip Hartzell, Sr., who was a native of Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio when a young man with his father, Adam Hartzell. Adam located in Montgomery Co., about 1800, and resided in that county until his decease. Philip, Sr., married Elizabeth Miller, came to this county and settled on Greenville Creek, either just before or immediately after the war of 1812; his decease occurred in Covington, he being in the 68th year of his age. The subject of this sketch was born in 1824, and grew to manhood here in the pioneer days of Newberry Township; went to school in the first house built for school purposes, on Greenville Creek; Mr. Hartzell’s life has been varied with success and reverses; he remained on the farm with his father until he arrived at his majority, worked at millwrighting about one year, then worked at bridge building, first as a hand, and later he became a contractor; for several years was the principal contractor in the county, and built nearly all the bridges in Miami Co.; while repairing an old bridge, the old timbers suddenly gave way, and he fell on the stony ground some twenty feet beneath; some of the timbers falling on him and crushing the frontal bone, required the removal of a portion and the placing of a silver plate instead, which he now carries, the only mark or reminder of his fearful accident being the ugly scar and sunken spot on his forehead, underneath which is silver plate instead of bone; in 1860, he was an equal partner in the Covington flour-mill, and had a large investment in property in Covington, but, being some in debt, the pressure of 1861 compelled him to sacrifice heavily; he soon recovered sufficiently to buy a mill at Casstown, but in 1868, a fire swept away the labor of years and left him with almost nothing; he managed to trade into a coal mining company in the Hocking Valley, and in two years had an interest worth $6,500, which he exchanged for a mill at Sidney that he sold for $9,000; in 1872, he bought the Burket mill property, in Union Township, which he improved considerably, and when he had it nicely fixed it took fire and burned; there being no insurance, he was unable to re-build, but still owns the site, including 60 acres of land; since the last misfortune, Mr. Hartzell has resumed his trade. He was married in 1846, to Elizabeth Swisher, daughter of Jacob Swisher, who was an early resident of this county, and resided in the same neighborhood with the Hartzells, but at the time of her marriage she was a resident of Darke Co; they have seven children.