Notes from: A Genealogy of Michael Korns, Sr., from Somerset County, Pennsylvania by Charles Byron Korns, Sr., M.D. (Berlin Publishing Co., Berlin, PA, 1949)
Chapter I
Carl Korn
Carl (Charles) Korn, the original ancestor in this country, came from Wertemburg, Germany. He embarked from Rotterdam in the Ship "Edinburgh", James Russell, Commander, the last of Cowes, England, arriving at the Port of Philadelphia. In the presence of Edward Shippen, Esq., he signed a declaration of allegiance and subjection to the King of Great Britain and of fidelity to the proprietary of the province of Pennsylvania.
Carl Korn evidently came to this country for the same reason as many other German immigrants; looking forward to having homes and farmlands of their own. To enjoy the rights of freedom from religious wars which had been sweeping over the state of Wurtemburg. The date of Carl's birth, place in home of Germany and names of his parents and their station in life, names of any brothers and sisters, whether any members of the family had come over before he did or afterwards, what reasons other than those above, he had in coming to the new world, is unknown.
Sometime after Carl's arrival he married. The given name of his wife was Otilla. The surname is unknown. The couple located in Maxatawney Township, Berks County, PA, about 1754. The records show the name "Carl Korn" and "Charles Corn or Korn." All assessments being on the same piece of property, but in different years. Carl Korn lived in Maxatawney Township from 1754 to 1778. He reared a family of seven children, namely Catherine, Charles, Jr., Michael, Jacob, Daniel, Henry and Magdalena.
Catherine Korn: Who married Christian Hoyman and located in Southampton Township, Somerset County, PA. Parents of four children.
Charles Korn, Jr.: Evidently died in Berks County about the same time as his father, Carl. The asessment made the same day, by the same appraisers who appraised his father's estate. According to the articles that were appraised of Chas. Korn, Jr., he was a shoemaker.
Michael Korn: Married Susan Baker. He moved to Londonderry Township, Bedford County, PA in 1791. He was assessed there in 1791 as a single, freeman.
Daniel Korn: Located in Lehigh County, PA, in Macungie Township. Was a Tax Collector in 1812.
Henry Korn: Located in Allegheny County, Cumberland, Maryland. He married Catherine Baker, dealt in real estate and had a comb factory. They were the parents of several children. Lowdermilk's History of Cumberland County, MD, listed the Korns family as one of the first one hundred families living in Cumberland, 1790-1899.
Magdalena Korn: No residence. Evidently married, but no records found.
Jacob Korn: Located in Bedford County, PA, was first assessed in 1791. Owned property in both Southhampton Township and in Cumberland, MD. He emigrated to Holmes County, Ohio, from the state of Maryland about 1817. He was married to Elizabeth-surname unknown. They were the parents of several children. The first grist mill in Southampton Township was built by Jacob Korns in 1809. He sold the property to George Weller who later named the town Wellersburg.
THE WILL OF CARL KORN
Carl Korn, being ill, made his will 4 April 1777 and evidently died early in 1778 as his will was probated 11 July 1778. He named his wife, Otilla Korns, and Henry Keisser as Executors in his will. The will was sealed and signed by Carl Korn in the presence of Peter Braun and Nicholas Hermany. It appears that Carl Korn did not dispose of all of his real estate in his will as his widow filed a petition with the Orphans Court on the 8th day of February 1781 petitioning the court to sell the whole or part of the real estate for the education and maintainence of her minor children. The petition states that the deceased, Carl Korn, left at issue seven children, five of whom were in minority: Michael, Jacob, Daniel, Henry and Magdelena.
The court issued an order to Otilla Korn, Executrix, to exopose to sale forty acres of the above mentioned land on Saturday, the 3rd day of March, 1781, and that she make a report of the proceedings to the next Orphans Court after said sale. There has been no record found that Otilla Korn complied with the Court Order, nor any record of transfer of land.
WILL
(Copied from the original on May 17, 1933, at the Berks County Court House. Translated from German.)
In the name of God, Amen. I, Carl Korn, residing in Maxethany Township, Berks County, in the state of Pennsylvaina, am dreadfully sick and weak, but thank God, (I) am in sound mind and good power of reflection in good judgement, have seriously considered my last Will and Testament which I make, namely. First, it is my will and desire that all my debts should be faithfully paid after my death; Further, it is my will and desire that after all my debts have been paid and something should remain from my posessions that my wife, Otilla Korn, should exercise power and possession until death so that my small children may be reared therefrom, above this it is my desire that (my possession) over the Blue Mountains (or Hills) which I have in hand, if my heirs gain right to it, shall be sold, or it shall be divided equally and if sold the money shall be divided among them equally after my death; lastly, it is my will and testament that my wife and friend, Henry Keisser shall be executors and guardians over my estate and children, and this Will do, I, Carl Korn, acknowledge as affixing my hand and seal this 4th day of April, anno Domino 1777. Sealed and signed by me, Carl Korn, in the presence of the undersigned witness (Peter Braun & Nicholas Hermany)
ACTION ON THE WILL
Coram me,
Henry Christ, regester
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Chapter II
MICHAEL KORNS, SR.
Michael Korns, Sr., the progenitor of the Korns family in Somerset County,
was born in Berks County in 1760, the son of Carl Korns and Otilla Korns in
Maxatawney Twp., Berks County, PA. He married Susanna Baker in 1781. Michael
Korns was assessed in Berks County as late as 1786. His brother, Jacob Korns,
preceeded him to Londonderry Twp. as he was first assessed there as a single
freeman in 1791. No records are available as to the assessment of Michael Korn
or other Korns' family from the time he was last assessed in Berks County until
he arrived in Londonderry Twp., Bedford County.
The first record that appears in Bedford County, PA, was a land grant by
John Tomlinson to Michael and Jacob Korns, 23 Aug 1796, for 200 acres of land.
This was the first legal transaction where the name was spelled Korns. When
Somerset County was organized in 1795 that part of Bedford County that included
Londonderry Twp., was added to Somerset County and the name changed to Southampton
Township. The reason for migrating to Somerset County is not known. The early
assessments of Southampton Twp. notes many people from Berks County who migrated
there about the same time.
Michael Korns, Sr., was accompanied by his wife and several children. They
settled on a large farm in Southampton where he reared a family of 12 children,
5 sons and 7 daughters. The children grew to man and woman hood and married into
neighboring families.
THE CHILDREN OF MICHAEL AND SUSANNA BAKER KORNS
Daniel Korns: born 1782, married Elizabeth Reiver
Catherine Korns: born 1783, married Jacob Knierien, also spelled Kimerer
(Glenn Kimerer believed the Knierien was a mistake in translation from the German)
Mary Korns: born 1785, married John Beal
John Korns: born 1787, married (1) Rebecca Boucher, (2) Susan Kendall (Candle)
Susanna Korns: born 1789, married John Shaver
Rebecca Korns: born 1791, married John Witt
Charles Korns: born 1793, married Catherine Uhl
Christina Korns: born 1796, married William Troutman, Jr.
Barbara Korns: born 1797, married Charles Uhl
Delila Korns: born 1801, married John Miller
Michael Korns, Jr.: born 1803, married Johanna Lepley
William Korns: born 1806, married Elizabeth Hoyman
The Michael Korns, Sr., farm in Southampton Twp. consisted of several hundred
acres nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. Much of the land
had been cleared and was in good state of cultivation, indicative of hard and
strenuous labor. This home was the pride of that community. The place was
designated by the Court as a voting place in the District, and was formerly the
seat of the government of that township, as it was here that elections were
held, school boards held their meetings, tax collectors and township auditors
met. This home once the pride of our ancestors, is now (1949) in a dilapidated
state due to the ravages of time and carelessness and indifference of various
owners.
The religious life of the Germans of Southampton Twp., Somerset County, was
not overlooked. Nor was the need for a proper place in which to worship, for
the Wellersbur Reformed and Lutheran Church was organized in 1803, among the
first members were: the Korns, Uhls, Hoymans, Witts, Wilhelms, Reichers,
Wingers, and Gaumers. The Reverend Benjamin Knepperhad served the congregation
continually for almost half a century. He conducted his service and delivered
his sermons in German in the early years, later in English.
Susanna Baker Korns died in 1811 and was buried in Cook Cemetery*. Michael
Korns, Sr. remarried in 1817. The given name of his second wife was Magdalena,
last name unknown (Kornks widow). She was probably his housekeeper. Michael
Korns died in 1824 and was buried in Cook Cemetery*, one-half mile south of the
Korns home on the summit of a knoll close to Wellersburg.
*Overlooking the old Michael Korns farm is the Cook Cemetery where Michael,
Sr. and Susanna Baker Korns are buried. Stone slabs in fair condition with
obituaries clearly descernible, written in high German, mark their resting place.
Many of the Korns descendants are buried there although the cemetery shows much
evidence of neglect (1949).
Michael Korns was considered a wealthy man in his day. His estate amounted
to between $8000 and $10,000. His second wife and heirs caused altercations
and dissentions which prologed the settling of the estate for five years.
THE UHL HOMESTEAD The Uhl brothers came from Wittemburg, Germany with their parents when they
were just a few years of age in the year 1763. The names of the brothers were
Charles, Jacob and Peter. These sturdy people of Germany were prompted, as
were many thousands of others, by a desire to better their conditions. They
came when this country was under the control of King George, and when the
Revolutionary War came on all three brothers took up arms, under the banner of
the Continentals against the red-coats of King George and in this war Peter
lost his life. Charles and Jacob continued to fight until the surrender of
Cornwallis at Yorktown, and victory perched on the banners of the noble
patriots. The two surviving brothers, Charles and Jacob, after the war
settled in Maryland, married and raised large families.
Of the two brothers, Charles and Catherine Close Uhl were the ancestors of
the Uhls of Holmes County. They were married in 1784, and were
the parents of 16 children, raising 13. At the close of the war he was given
the priviledge of going west and taking up government lands, coming as far as
Holmes County, Ohio, traveling by wagon, he chose the few hundred acres which
is still (in 1949) in the hands of the Uhl descendants, paying the government
$1.25 an acre. He returned to his home in Maryland and sent his seven sons and
one daughter to clear and cultivate the new land. Charles Uhl, the fourth son,
with wife and new baby came to Holmes County in 1815, and took charge of part of
the land. Charles and Barbara Korns Uhl spent the remainder of their lives on
this farm and were the parents of a large family of children. A small house was
built in an adjoining yard and as each of the children married they would go
to housekeeping there. This was called the "weening-pen" and is still standing.
The Uhl's are hard working, thrifty, home-loving people and as they grow
to maturity usually take a notion to see a little corner of the world.
Joseph Uhl, Sr. at one time walked to the Mississippi River and back. James
Uhl found his way to New York and taking a boat went to the Panama Canal and
back.
During the early period of clearing and cultivating this farm the people
everywhere came and were in a condition of complete social equity. No aristocratic
distinctions were thought of in this society and the first line of demarcation
drawn was to seperate the very bad from the general mass.
Their parties were for barn raising, log rolling and the labor being furnished,
their sports usually were shooting and gymnastic exercises with the men and
convivial amusements among the women. No puncilious formality nor ignoble
aping the fashions of the licentious Paris, marred their assemblies. All were
happy and enjoyed themselves seeing others do so. The rich and poor dressed alike,
the men usually wearing hunting shirts and buck-skin pants and the women
generally attired in coarse fabrics produced by their own hands. Such was their
common and holiday dress, and if a fair damsel wished a superb dress for her
bridal day, her highest aspiration was to obtain a common American cotton check
which was sold for a shilling a yard and five yards was deemed an ample pattern.
The cabins were furnished in the same style of simplicity. The bedstead was
home-made and often consisted of forked sticks driven into the ground and cross
poles to support the clap boards or the cord and at first green sward or
smoothly leveled earth served the double purpose of floor and carpet. One pot
kettle and frying pan were the only articles considered indespensible, though
some included the teakettle and the cooking was done in the open fire-place, and
a rare occassion it was if the fire went out. When it did happen someone would
have to ride to a neighbors and borrow a little fire. A few plates and dishes
on a shelf in a corner were satisfactory.
The woods furnished abundance of venison and corn-pone supplied the place of
every variety of pastry. Flour for sometime could not be obtained nearer than
Chillicothe and the most common kinds of goods were brought by wagon from
Detroit, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Many people suffered hardships and endured
deprivations that now would seem unsupportable. Many times these pioneers
from their cabins would see bears strolling leisurely over the hills. Before
the establishment of the Uhl family many Indians lived there as can be seen by
many Indian hatchets and darts that are found. The bodies of many of the
ancestors are resting in the little cemetery on top of the hill. ************************
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