The Hyphen Family Lineage

["Shaffer family" article from The County of Highland: A History of Highland County, Ohio, pp471-473.]

The Shaffer family, one of the oldest, had also long been one of the most numerous and influential, social connections in the county of Highland. Its members have been prominently identified with the political, military and industrial history of the county since its organization, nearly one hundred years ago. Many of them have achieved distinction both in war and peace, filled various offices of trust and profit, and in all relations of life displayed the qualities of good citizenship. The founders of this family in America were Theobald and Catharine (Kissinger) Shaffer, who came from Germany in the first half of the eighteenth century and settled in Maryland, on Antietam creek, near where, over a hundred years later, the terrible battle was fought between the Union and Confederate forces. This German couple had twelve children, and among them Andrew Shaffer, who was born at the Maryland home about 1757, and served in the Continental army, being wounded in the battles of Bunker Hill and Brandywine. In 1780 he was married to Martha Stroup, whose brothers, Anthony and Michael, afterward figured so conspicuously in the early settlement of that part of Highland county included in New Market township. During the twenty-five years succeeding their marriage, Andrew and Martha Shaffer had eleven children, two of whom died in infancy, and the surviving nine came with their parents to Ohio in 1805. Owing to the fact that the brothers of Mrs. Shaffer had located in Highland county, the family were induced to also make their investments in that part of Ohio, and after a tedious journey of five weeks arrived at New Market in the early part of October. The names of the nine Shaffer children in this party were Andrew, Adam, Susie, Jacob, George, John, Daniel, Jonas, Nancy, and another son, Samuel, was born after the emigration to Highland county. With the Shaffers came Adam Arnold and family, making a colony of twenty persons, and the newness of the county at that time may be realized when is is stated that the incoming Marylanders were obliged to cut their way between Chillicothe and New Market through the woods. After remaining in New Market nearly a year, Andrew Shaffer settled in the eastern edge of what is now Hamer township, where he had bought two hundred and fifty acres of land. Here he died in 1855 at the age of ninety-four years. George Shaffer, fifth of his above mentioned children, became quite prominent in the affairs of Highland county, being especially conspicuous in military affairs as colonel of a rifle corps. He was born near Hagerstown, Maryland, June 17, 1792, and in 1815, ten years after his arrival in Ohio, was married to Elizabeth Mason, whose parents were substantial people from Virginia, who settled first in Ross and later came to Highland county. Colonel George Shaffer and his brother Jacob started a distillery in 1813, and for a while were quite prosperous from the business of fattening hogs and making bacon. It is related that on one occasion the elder brother to a cargo of their bacon to the Kanawha region, exchanged it for salt and on his return sold the latter for a thousand dollars. Adam Shaffer, another of these brothers and second in age of the nine children who came from Maryland, married Catherine Roush, by whom he had fourteen children, including eleven boys and three girls. Henry Shaffer, one of the sons os the last mentioned couple, was born in Highland county, Ohio, August 30, 1824. In early manhood he sought to better his fortunes by becoming a citizen of Kansas, but this venture proving a disappointment he returned to his native county and purchased a farm of 100 acres in Dodson township. In addition to his farm work he embarked in the manufacture of tile and continued in business until 1901, when he sold all but ten acres of his land and retired from active agricultural pursuits. January 11, 1846, Mr. Shaffer was married to Lydia, daughter of Solomon Sprinkle, a pioneer of Brush Creek township, who proved a most faithful and affectionate wife during the many years they lived together. In after life, Mr. Shaffer used to enjoy telling of the rough experiences which followed their wedding; how they started to open a new home in the unbroken forest and camped out the first night under the friendly limbs of a giant oak. The twelve children of of Henry and Lydia Shaffer are thus recorded: Alexander, the first born, died in Illinois of the milk sickness at the age of twenty-two; Noah is farming in Dodson towsnhip; Elmira married L.G. Roads of Van Buren, Indiana; A. Pierce is a mechanic at Allensburg; Clinton, a brickmaker, resides with his father; Samuel S. and Jerome are farming near Jadden, Indiana; George W. is a resident of Hillsboro; Cyrus and Alvin C. both own good farms in Dodson township; Alice is the wife of R.A. Davidson, of Columbus, and Albert died in Kansas at the age of six years. George W. Shaffer, eighth of the above mentioned children, was born on the family homestead in Highland county, Ohio, October 16, 1863, and as he grew up was trained to all sorts of work on the farm. Being bright and ambitious he was assiduous in his studies while attending the district schools and subsequently took a course in the excellent high school in Hillsboro. After leaving the latter institution Mr. Shaffer devoted his time to teaching during fourteen consecutive winters, finding occupation in the summer seasons by making brick and doing contract work. In the fall of 1898 he was elected auditor of Highland county and discharged the duties of his office so satisfactorily that he was reawrded in 1901 by re-election for a second term of three years. December 29, 1898, Mr. Shaffer was married to Callie, daughter of Frank Shaffer, of Clinton county, who, though bearing the same name as that of her husband, is of an entirely distinct family.