Dreisbach-Dresbach Family Association

2023 Dreisbach Dresbach Reunion - Chillicothe, OH

August 18, 19 & 20 - Hampton Inn, Chillicothe

The theme of Our reunion: HonorING Our Veterans

Many thanks to Matt Dresbach for coordinating the reunion, to Jennifer Dresbach for her assistance, and to Sharon Driscoll for coordinating the dedication of Magdalena Buchs Dreisbach’s new tombstone on Sunday!

REUNION Events

Friday, August 18, evening Tecumseh Outdoor Drama, with back stage tour was enjoyed by several attendees.

Saturday, August 19th:

10:00 am: Hopewell Culture National Historic Park “Mound City” - Self-guided tour of earthworks and burial mounds from the Hopewell culture, indigenous peoples who flourished from about 200 BC to AD 500. This site was nominated by the Department of the Interior and will soon receive World Heritage Site designation.

At 2:00 pm a crowd of 35 Dreisbach and Dresbach descendants gathered to learn more about members of the early Dreisbach families.

Saturday’s Program:

The Dreisbach Gunsmiths presentation made by Gary Ludwig was just superb! Gary’s research and thorough explanation of the differences in the regional “Schools” of gun making, and those found in the Buffalo Valley long rifle styles was very informative. Additionally, he pointed out specific unique characteristics of guns made by John Dreisbach Sr. (son of Martin Sr.) and his sons, John Dreisbach, Jr. and Samuel Dresbach. His presentation was greatly appreciated by Dreisbach / Dresbach cousins! Samuel Dresbach moved from the Buffalo Valley to Circleville, Ohio by 1842, where he carried on the gun-making trade in his gun shop on the corner of East Main Street and Washington Street.

Gary referenced several publications, but two that are of interest are “Thoughts of the Kentucky Rifle of the Golden Age,” by Joe Kindig, Jr., and “Pennsylvania Long Rifles of Note,” by George Shumway.

Three of Samuel Dresbach’s guns were loaned for display at the reunion by the Pickaway County Historical Society and Hugh Dresbach. These guns are signed by Samuel Dresbach on the top of the barrel in the script “S D” shown above.

Hugh B. Dresbach shared two other Dresbach artifacts that have been collected by his father through the years. The item on the left is the bottom of one of the dresser drawers of a dresser discovered in Texas and offered to Pickaway County Dresbach descendants to preserve it. The other two pictures are of a sampler stitched by one or two daughters of Daniel Dreisbach / Dresbach, who was the first Circleville Director and Pickaway County Recorder. Daniel sold Circleville lots originally in the circle layout, and then was instrumental in “squaring the circle” in his long life of service to Pickaway County. (Maria Louisa was born on August 28, 1818 and Catharine Elizabeth was born on February 11, 1827.) The lettering says:

Maria Louisa Dresbach
Circleville Ohio Dec 1829
Catharine Elizabeth Dresbach W
as Bonfo Feb 11 1827

The next portion of the program was titled The Dreisbach Family Settles in Ohio and was presented by Rachel Meyer. During the Covid isolation months, Rachel began looking up early deed entries on FamilySearch.org in the three counties where Dreisbach and Dresbach families settled in Ohio - Pickaway, Fairfield and Ross. Her goal was to determine which Dreisbach families came to Ohio and when they made their first purchases. By tracing the sales of properties when estates were settled, she was able to identify each family group. The research soon expanded to other counties as well. Next she mapped the purchases in each particular Section, Township and Range. The result was a book tracing these purchases by each of the original settlers with maps to help you drive to the property where your Dresbach ancestor settled. The book is available in pdf format on our web site or for purchase on lulu.com. (See details here.)

This year we paused to honor all our veterans who served their country. Matt Dresbach related the story of the brother of his great grandfather (Lyman J. Dresbach): Irwin Harvey Dresbach served in Co. H, 166 Inf. 42 Div in World War I, and was decorated for conspicuios bravery with American Distinguished Service Cross and French Croixde Gierre.

Date of Action: October 14, 1918
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Irvin H. Dresbach, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Sommerance, France, October 14, 1918. Taking command of the platoon and also the advance patrol, when both their leaders had become casualties, and despite the fact that he was so severely gassed that he could hardly speak, Sergeant Dresbach pushed vigorously forward, compelling the enemy to run in confusion and causing them to surrender to a nearby division.
General Orders No. 35, W.D., 1919
Home Town: Hallsville, OH

From the time of the Revolutionary War, through the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War - Desert Storm, the War in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in peace time, members of the Dreisbach / Dresbach / Dresback family have served with honor.

Sunday, August 20th: Dedication of the new tombstone for Magdalena Buchs Dreisbach

We gathered at the Dresbach Church on Tarlton Road, near Circleville, Ohio, for the 10:45 service, led by Pastor Dan Shepard. This church building was erected in 1828 (or 1832, according to the brick, marked 1832, recovered from the existing walls) on land donated by the Dresbach brothers, Jonathan and George, who lived on adjoining farms. The farms were separated only by the county line between Fairfield and Pickaway counties. Each brother gave one-half of the land for a church and cemetery. The church building is located in the center of the plot, so that the county line runs directly down the center aisle of the church. Magdalena died on the 15th of February 1836 and was laid to rest in the cemetery of Dresbach Church. Her tombstone has been broken for many years, and the top of the stone is missing.

Sharon Driscoll led the dedication with emphasis on God, Home and Country. She explained that these are the priorities of the Daughters of the American Revolution and are demonstrated in the lives of Jacob and Magdalena. She cited the wording of Jacob’s Will as an example of their strong faith in Jesus, and his desire to provide for his wife and 13 children. The DAR approved the wording on Magdalena’s tombstone, which includes the emblem of the DAR, to honor the service of her husband as a Frontier Ranger in Northumberland County, PA. Rachel Meyer gave some background information about Magdalena’s family, who moved into the Buffalo Valley in 1774, and lived about 1 mile south of the Dreisbach Church at Lewisburg, PA. In the years following Jacob’s death in 1804, plans began to form to move into the new western territory of Ohio. In 1811 a large contingent of the family headed west, including Magdalena and her young, unmarried children. The 12 living children of Jacob and Magdalena settled in Pickaway, Fairfield and Ross County.

At the end of the service a lunch was served in the social room.