THE ZAHNISERS. —One of the prominent
families in the development of Mercer County is the Zahnisers.
Valentine Zahniser, the progenitor of all these, lived in Germany.
Being in poor health, his physician advised an ocean voyage. He
concluded to come to America with his family, which consisted of his
wife—Julia Ann Clemens—and two children, Matthias (born in 1749) and
the other unnamed. The father and the nameless child died on board the
ship, but the mother and Matthias came to America, landing at
Philadelphia in 1753, and thence going to Lancaster. Matthias was then
four years of age. Mrs. Zahniser married in Lancaster a man named Henry
Stout. In 1789 she (a widow a second time) removed to Allegheny County
with Matthias, who had married, in 1774, Mary Lint; in 1797 she landed
in Mercer County. Matthias arrived in the summer of that year, and made
an improvement, consisting of the clearing of live acres. This was on
the farm (250 acres) now owned and occupied by William A. and John Ira
Zahniser. At the time of his arrival, in the spring of 1797, the only
neighbors were John McMillan, John McDonald, George Myers, Daniel
Harper, James Rice, Joseph Alexander, Thomas McClain Benjamin Stokely
(came in 1796), Francis Huey, Thomas and Charles McBride, Andrew and
Robert McClure, Thomas and Jabez Coulson, William Wilson, Peter Wilson,
William Parker, Thomas and William McMillan. These all settled within a
radius of four or five miles of the site occupied by Zahniser. Stokely
was the only one that came in 1796, the others arriving in 1797 and
perhaps in 1798. Matthias Zahniser had seven sons and one daughter that
came to Mercer County: Matthias, Michael, John, Valentine, William,
Jacob, David and Mary. They all lived in Mercer County, and reared
families, except John, who died about 1800. Matthias, Michael and John
settled farms in what is now Lake and Jackson Townships. Matthias lived
in Jefferson Township after 1807 (prior to that time in Jackson). His
family consisted of his wife Dorothy (Fry) Zahniser and these children:
John, Matthias, Michael, Mary, Henry, David, Samuel, Julia, Ann and
Susan. Michael married Mary Mourer April 29, 1800. Their children were:
Jacob, born May 28, 1807; Mary, born December 24, 1808; William, born
January 26, 1811; John, born May 25, 1813; David, born August 1, 1815;
Catherine, born October 28, 1821. Valentine married Elizabeth White in
1806. Children: May, John W., Sarah, James, Jacob N., Rebecca, Andrew
Shulze and Mary. William married Eleanor Stopler in 1814. Children:
John L., Andrew J., Michael, William North, Catherine, Valentine,
Bythinia and Richard M. J. Jacob married Catherine Wright in 1816.
Children:
Margaret, William, George W., Jacob, Michael and Mary. David married
Nancy Coulson in 1818. Children: Matthias, Lint, Jacob W., Eleanor,
Aaron, Thomas, Mary and David B. P. Mary married Joshua McCracken April
1, 1817. Children: Alexander, Mary, Isabella and David.
Source: History of Mercer County, 1888, page 1018
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