Beginnings
Balser Hess, a cordwainer, tanner and Revolutionary War veteran, was one of the first pioneers to arrive in Clinton Township. Hess came to Ohio with his family and bought 320 acres of land along the west bank of the Olentangy River. His first house, a log structure, was a common stopping place with travelers. Balser died in 1806 and was the first to be buried on the grounds that became Union Cemetery. (Photo courtesy of Terry Miller.)
Tags: First families, Hess family, Union Cemetery
September 24th, 2013 at 2:59 pm
Actually, Balser Hess was not a cobbler (repairer of shoes) but a cordwainer, a maker of high-end leather goods, including shoes. In the war he was a sergeant in the Marechausee, an elite unit of military police that Washington used to enforce discipline on the rag=tag army.
Hess was also my fourth great=grandfather.