An American Family History

Sarah Baker Hunt Bilger

Buildings in Clark County, Ohio ranged from simple log cabins to sophisticated Italianate and Gothic Revival structures.

In the Civil War (1861 to 1865) eleven Southern states seceded from the U.S. and formed the Confederate States of America.

The first Europeans settled in the Northwest Territory in 1788. Migrants came from New York and New England. Ohio was admitted to the Union as the 17th state on March 1, 1803.

Sarah Baker Hunt Bilger was called Sally. She was born on January 11, 1813 in the part of Rockingham County, Virginia that is now Page County. Her parents were Philip Baker and Mary Elizabeth Kessler.

She married John Hurt (Hunt, Hart, Heart) on July 15, 1832 in Clark County, Ohio. In 1830 there was a large John Hurt household in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio.

Sarah and John's children included:
Samuel Hurt (1833, married Margaret J. Adams) and
Elizabeth Hurt (1836).

John and Sarah relocated to Shelby County before Elizabeth was born. John died there about 1837.

She married her second husband, Abraham Bilger on March 26, 1839 in Shelby County, Ohio. Abraham was born June 12, 1810 in Pennsylvania. His parents were Ludwig Bilger and Margaret Kolp.

He had been married before to Catherine Korschner. Abraham and Catherine's children were born in Pennsylvania:
Hannah Bilger (1832) and
Henry G. Bilger (1834, married Annie Hemsing).

Abraham and Sarah's children were born in Clay, Auglaize County, Ohio:
Joseph Bilger (1839, married Elizabeth Sponsler),
Sarah Bilger Knoch (1840-1913, married George Wilhelm Knocht),
Catharine Bilger Mauer (1842, married John George Mauer),
Abraham Bilger (1845, married Nancy Jane Taylor and Catherine Barnhardt),
Polly Bilger (1847),
George Bilger (1850, married Rosina Minch),
Susan Bilger (1851), and
William Bilger (1853).

The family appeared in the 1850 census of Auglaize County, Ohio. They were living in Clay Township. The family (Bilgar) consisted of Abraham age 40 who was a farmer, Sarah age 36, Hannah age 18, Henry age 16, Joseph age 11, Sarah age 10, Catherine age 6, Abraham age 4., Polly age 3, ?? (male) age 8 months, Samuel Heart age 17 who was a blacksmith, and Elizabeth Heart age 15. Hannah and Henry were born in Pennsylvania.

During the Civil War, they remained in Auglaize County. They were there for the 1860 censuses. Abraham and Sarah appeared in the 1880 census still living in Clay. Abraham was 70 and a retired farmer. Sarah was 67. They were living with their granddaughter Louisa who was 16 years old.

Abraham died on August 15, 1888. He was buried in Chief Blackhoof Memorial Park in Wapakoneta, Auglaize County Ohio. Sarah died on April 1, 1904 when she was 91 years old.

Clark County, Ohio was formed March 1, 1817, from Champaign, Madison and Greene Counties. The first settlement was in 1796. The inhabitants of German Township were German Lutherans who came from Virginia.

Children of Philip Baker
and Mary Elizabeth Kessler

Elizabeth Baker Branstiter

George B. Baker

Mary M. Baker Rockel

Sarah A. Baker Hunt Bilger

William Baker

James Baker

Susannah Baker Ryman

Jacob Baker

Daniel Baker

Jefferson Baker

From an Ohio newspaper in 1840.

Rockingham County, Virginia was established in 1778 from Augusta County. European settlement began in the 1740s.

Sarah Bilger Knoch

A blacksmith forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil.

Pennsylvania is one of the 13 original states and was originally founded in 1681 as a result of a royal land grant to William Penn, the son of the state's namesake.

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©Roberta Tuller 2023
tuller.roberta@gmail.com
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