The Life and Times of Isaac Metzker

Isaac Metzker lived his entire life in what is now North Woodbury, Pennsylvania. He was born on January 24, 1809 to Christina Hoover, age 30, and John George Metzker, age 38. The Metzker/Metzger family were early settlers of Bedford County, coming to the area from the Old World in the mid-1700s.

Isaac grew up on a farm learning what would become his trade in then Woodbury, Bedford County. Woodbury became a part of Blair County in 1846 when it was formed from parts of Bedford and Huntingdon counties. Isaac’s farm at that time included 80 acres of farmed land producing: 250 bushels of wheat, 150 bushels of corn and oats each, 100 bushels of rye, 15 bushels of potatoes and 10 tons of hay. On October 1, 2015 the Metzker family was added to the First Families of Blair County recognizing them as original residents of the new county.

By 1879 with son Samuel, the Metzker farm had improved another 20 acres adding an apple orchard sweet potatoes and clove seeds to the mix. Corn became the predominate crop selling 700 bushels. 1879 was also a pivotal year for the family as matriarch Anna Lantz Metzger died of catarrh fever, a disease affecting the respiratory organs in November.                  

Anna Lantz Metzker
incorrect headstone

Not much is known about Anna Lantz and what is known is not set in stone. The US Mortality Schedule gives us the information on her death above, while her headstone lists her death as 26 Feb 1881. As she does not appear on the 1880 census and Isaac is listed as a widower, it appears the headstone is incorrect. Anna was born 8 Aug 1814 in Pennsylvania; who her people were are currently a mystery. She married Isaac about 1832. The couple had 10 children: William, Rebecca, Catherine, Nancy, John, Virginia, Eliza, Samuel, Anna, and Elizabeth in 21 years. Anna was a homemaker and a member of the German Baptist Brethren Church. After her death, widowed daughter Eliza Hudson moved home with her children to help care for Isaac.

Isaac Metzker(Metzger) Farm
Mennonite Cemetery is between 147 and 141

Isaac led a productive life for another twelve years with a prosperous farm which while having passed out of the family, is still in existence today. Two of his children; Virginia Metzker Stoner and Samuel passed before Isaac. He spent his last days at the home of his grand-daughter Charlotte Ebersole McGraw and his great-grandsons Earl & Herbert. He died on September 18, 1891, in his hometown, having lived a long life of 82 years, 7 months and 24 days. Isaac, Anna and much of their family are buried down the road from the farm in the Mennonite Cemetery in Martinsburg.

Note: If you have any information on Anna Lantz Metzker’s ancestors please comment below.

Sources:

1. Non-population Census Schedules for Pennsylvania, 1850-1880: Agriculture (62 rolls); Roll 2: 1850 Agriculture: Blair-Carbon counties; Roll 34: 1880 Agriculture: Blair-Bedford counties

2. U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880; http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=usmortality&h=2420442&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

3. Year: 1880; Census Place: North Woodbury, Blair, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1103; Family History Film: 1255103; Page: 445B; Enumeration District: 174; Image: 0449

4. Isaac Metzker Obituary; Altoona Tribune, 22 Sep 1891 pg 4

5. Findagrave.com; http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=MET&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSst=40&GScntry=4&GSsr=4481&GRid=27263514&

Details from Isaac Metzker Farm Censuses of 1850 and 1880

Isaac Metzker's Farm was located in North Woodbury in Blair County, Pennsylvania. The following information came from the Agriculture Censuses in 1850 and 1880 with calculation for today's dollars.

1880 Isaac Metzker Farm

Son Samuel farming land for cut of profit

1879 stats: Total Income $716 which equals $17,047.62 in 2014

Livestock –    Cows: 2 calves born, 1 cow sold, 2 slaughtered, 1 lost; 208lbs of butter sold

                        Sheep: 3 lambs born

                        Chicken: 208 eggs produced

Crops-           Corn: 25 acres of corn produced 700 bushels

                        Oat: 5 acres oats produced 80lbs

                        Rye: 4 acres of rye produced 20lbs

                        Wheat: 24 acres of wheat produced 275lbs

                        Potato: 3/4 acres Irish potatoes produced 50 bushels; 2 bushels sweet potato

                        Orchard: 8 acres with 100 apple trees produced 250 bushels sold for $75

                        Forestry: 25 cords of wood cut and sold for $50

                        Hay: 1 Ton harvested

                        Clover Seed: 3 bushels

Expenses:

                        Building Repair: $15

                        Labor costs: 16 weeks $15

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Value in 1880 = $7732 Farmland $7200, Farm Equipment $75, Livestock $457

Value in 2014 dollars = $179,813.95

Acres: 108 acres improved land, 20 acres of forest and 1 acre of grassland not mowed

Livestock on hand 1 Jun 1880: 6 horses, 4 milk cows, 10 other cows, 9 sheep, 15 pigs, 50 chickens

1880 spring sheering = 9 fleeces weighing 40lbs      

1850 Isaac Metzker Farm

1849 stats:

Livestock –    Cows: 150lbs of butter sold

                        Animals Slaughtered for $85

Crops-           Corn: 150 bushels

                        Oat: 150 bushels

                        Rye: 100 bushels

                        Wheat: 250 bushels

                        Potato: 15 bushels

                        Hay: 10 Ton harvested

********************************************************************************************

Value in 1850 = $6451 Farmland $6000, Farm Equipment $100, Livestock $351

Value in 2014 dollars = $195,727.27

120 Acres = 80 Improved, 40 Unimproved

Livestock on hand 1 Jun 1850: 5 horses, 4 milk cows, 5 other cows, 10 sheep, 8 pigs

1850 spring sheering = 20lbs

Source:

Nonpopulation Census Schedules for Pennsylvania, 1850-1880: Agriculture(62 rolls);.

Roll 2: 1850 Agriculture: Blair-Carbon counties; Roll 34: 1880 Agriculture: Blair-Bedford counties

Tax Assessment Genealogy Style

Old Tax Assessment and Census lists are coveted by genealogists. They are a great way to mine information about our ancestors. US Censuses from 1850 to date are pretty easy to follow, all the family is listed with information of interest to the government for that particular decade. Before 1850, the information provided takes a bit more sleuthing to decipher what was collected. This is why I'm SO excited about a website I just stumbled upon Mother Bedford's Tax Assessment Returns. 


First off, Mother Bedford refers to Bedford County Pennsylvania. Bedford County was once a huge mother of a county, but as time has gone by, several other counties have be formed from towns that originally were a part of Bedford. Pretty much all of my ancestral lines spent at least some time in Mother Bedford so it is particularly helpful that this site shares such useful information. 

While I have been doing my genealogy for a few years, I am in no way an expert. I knew enough to collect early american tax records when I found them, but I haven't quite figured out what all the information means. Tax Assessments include names and value of property. Individuals were listed on the early tax assessment returns in one of four categories: Resident, Freeman, Inmate, and Non-Resident. (Women rarely own property. Upon their husband's death, his property transferred to his oldest son. Occasionally you may find a Resident listing a Widow Smith., indicating there was no male to leave the property too.)

• Resident: Married man who owns property and resides on property
• Freeman: Single man who owns property and resides on property 
• Inmate: Any man who rents property he resides on   
• Non-Resident: Any property owner who does not reside on said property

Thank You Mother Bedford! The definition of Freeman helped me narrow down the marriage window of my 2nd great-grandparents Mary Shoenfelt & John Ritts. Taylor Twp was formed in 1856. At that time a list was published of all land owners. John Ritts is listed as a Freeman, while his father Thomas was a Resident. John therefore was married sometime after June 1856 and before September 1857. 

And Mother explained the inmate code! It's nice to know my ancestor wasn't a criminal. Now if I could remember which ancestor had this notation on their tax record I'd be totally psyched. Since I don't and I don't want to forget the definition when I finally find him, I've written this blog.

Wednesday's Child a Mother's Story

Genealogy bloggers tend to reserve Wednesday for stories about children who past to soon.  Today I'm expanding it a bit to include a mother, Mary Burket, and her children. Life was tough in rural Pennsylvania in the late 1800s. Hopewell, Pennsylvania  was primarily a farming community. Early to bed, early to rise; few of the modern day farm conveniences existed then. Families literally lived and died with the crops.

Life expectancy at that time was only about 45 years old. Unfortunately, children dying young was not uncommon. Two of Mary's siblings (Leonard & Hannah) died before she was 10 and one, Daniel, died before she was born. In 1855, John & Elizabeth Brown Burket (my 3rd great-grandparents) welcomed their 12th child into the world. According to the census in 1870 she was the only child living at home, while going to school. That census record shows at 14, she could not write. The 1880 census does not show her inability to write. Whether the question was asked or assumed, the census taker believed Mary had learned to write. Her father had by 1870 retired and had turned the farming duties over to her brother Samuel (my 2nd great-grandpa) who had set up his own house on the farmstead. In 1871, John T Burket passed away at the ripe old age of 64 after tasking Samuel to take care of mother and 15 year old sister. 

Mary married a local boy, Walter Cessna and they set about raising a family in Hopewell as well. August 1874 brought their first child, Elizabeth. By the 1880 census, Elizabeth had a brother and sister to keep her company. Mary and Walter had two more children who lived well into adulthood; David and Earnie May. With the joy came sorrow as well. Mary gave birth to stillborn twins 1886. The Cessna's last child, Glenn, was born on April 30, 1895. It was a difficult birth for both mother and child. Mary lingered 15 days after giving birth, before passing away on May 15th at age 39. Her son Glenn didn't live to see his 3 month birthday. Unlike today with 24/7 social media it is difficult to track the happy and joyous events in an ancestors life. I'm sure Mary had many happy events, but the recorded memories are of loss and a life cut short. Mary and her young children are buried in the Cessna Piper Road Cemetery.