WITMER, Tobias
1816 - 1897 (80 years)-
Name WITMER, Tobias Birth 8 Oct 1816 Witmer Homestead, Town of Niagara, Niagara County, NY 
Gender Male Death 14 Aug 1897 Amherst, Erie County, NY Burial WIlliamsville Cemetery, Williamsville, Erie County, NY Person ID I10202 Laur from Germany Last Modified 1 Oct 2016
Father WITMER, Abraham, b. Sep 1771, Manor Township, Lancaster County, PA d. 4 Sep 1851, Witmer Homestead, Town of Niagara, Niagara County, NY (Age ~ 79 years) Mother HABECKER, Barbara, b. 23 Oct 1782, Manor Township, Lancaster County, PA d. 6 Jul 1859, Witmer Homestead, Town of Niagara, Niagara County, NY (Age 76 years) Marriage 8 Oct 1804 Columbia, Lancaster County, PA Family ID F4239 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family FRICK, Anna Long, b. 18 May 1819, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. 14 Sep 1908, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY (Age 89 years) Marriage 24 Nov 1837 Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY Notes - Niagara Gazette - 9/13/1882
Married.
On Tuesday, September 5, 1882, a t the
home of the bride's parents, in Amherst,
Erie county, N. Y Rev. Edgar A. Pardee,
pastor of the Christian Church, in
Williamsville, N. Y.. with Miss May E.
Wilmer, daughter of Tobias Witmer,,
Esq., and Anna Frick Witmer.
The ceremony was performed by Rev.
G. L. Wharton, late pastor of the Christian
Church at Buffalo, on the evening of
his departure for India as Christian missionary
to the heathen.
There were present on this happy occasion
tho bridegroom's parents; the bride's
parents; her grandfather and grand-
mother on t h e mother's side; her uncle
Eiias Witmer.twin brother of her father;
besides nieces and nephews " t o numerous
to mention," with a friendly delegation
of "cousins," all enjoying the fes-
tivities of that bright September day,
long to be remembered in the family
circle.
After dinner the party were escorted,
amid ....... showers of salt, hoes, etc.
to the station, just in time to take the
train, and some of the young folk
wishes they might "go too," but feared
to launch away. May joy to and return
with them. W.
Children 1. WITMER, Esther Elizabeth, b. 9 Sep 1838, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. 17 Feb 1919, Liberty, Chemung County, NY (Age 80 years)2. WITMER, Christian Frick, b. 11 Apr 1840, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. 23 Feb 1939, Williamsville, Erie County, NY (Age 98 years)3. WITMER, Anna Barbara, b. 14 Oct 1842, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. 11 Feb 1917, Seattle, King County, WA (Age 74 years)4. WITMER, Anna, b. 7 Feb 1844, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. Yes, date unknown5. WITMER, Tobias, b. 7 Feb 1844, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. 26 Dec 1898, Buffalo, Erie County, NY (Age 54 years)6. WITMER, Elvira M, b. 27 Nov 1848, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. 1931 (Age 82 years)7. WITMER, Catherine Amelia, b. 25 Nov 1850, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. 17 Jun 1899, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY (Age 48 years)8. WITMER, Marie Emmaline, b. 27 Mar 1852, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. Between 1920 and 1946 (Age 67 years)9. WITMER, Ella W, b. 20 Sep 1853, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. 14 Aug 1947 (Age 93 years)10. WITMER, Abraham L, b. 18 Jun 1855, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. 1928 (Age 72 years)11. WITMER, Emily Ann, b. 25 Oct 1857, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. 21 Aug 1950 (Age 92 years)12. WITMER, Joseph F, b. 25 Nov 1859, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. Yes, date unknown13. WITMER, Victor Martin, b. 9 Sep 1861, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. Abt 1945, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI (Age 83 years)14. WITMER, Clara Fredricka, b. 11 Dec 1862, Eggertsville, Erie County, NY d. 27 Oct 1949, Ithaca, Tompkins County, NY (Age 86 years)15. WITMER, Alice Vinne, b. 8 Oct 1867, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY d. 13 Jul 1887, Skinnersville, Town of Amherst, Erie County, NY (Age 19 years)Family ID F4679 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 16 Nov 2024
- Niagara Gazette - 9/13/1882
-
Notes - Born Oct. 08, 1816 in Niagara, NY, he worked on his fathers several hundred acre farm, attended the district school, and took a course of study at the Lewiston Academy. He next engaged to teach district school in what is now (1923) as the Synder District in Amherst, Erie County, NY. While teaching there he met, wooed and won his bride Anna FRICK daughter of Christian FRICK and Elizabeth LONG, who resided in a farm near by opposite the school house.
Tobias WITMER was a Surveyor and Civil Engineer. he was the author and publisher of maps of the town of Niagra, city of Tonawanda, Village of Williamsville and Deed Atlas of the County of Erie. etc..
He served for three years as a Sergent in the 50th Regiment of the New York Volunteers (Engineers), and on one occasion was in charge of several companies of the regiment putting in abatis in advance of one of our forts opposite of Petersburg, VA. The emeny observing and not approving of this began cannoning during the war he and his son Christian F. WITMER ( the author of the article) were deatiled to make surveys amont the forts at Washington D.C. and in the vincity of Falmouth VA.
Returning at the close of the War he resumed his former occupation of Land Surveying and took over the Agency of the Agricultural Insurance company, which has been in the family to the present time (1923),
He was active in the Church of Christ, also one of the founders of the Williamsville Classical Institute, and at one time its principal teacher, who finally donated their stock for Public School purposes. It was his ambition to equip each of his children with a good education rather than material wealth, on the theory that riches have wings, but that knowledge is life-long capital. Of his sons and daughters ten have served as teachers. He died in the family home Aug. 14, 1897.
ALSO
Buffalo NY Morning Express - about 1897
Pioneer, Patriot, Genius.
THE LATB TOBIAS WITMER WAS ALL
OF THESE, AND A MAN OF CHRISTIAN
LIFE AND GOOD INFLUENCE-
AN INCIDENT OF THE WAR.
Tobias Witmer, who died at his home near
Willamsville, August 14th, was a man whose
career was so prominently linked with the history
of Western New-York and Buffalo, that
it merits a somewhat detailed record.
He was a genius. There was nothing In
wood or metal that he could not make. He
was an inventor, as the records of the Patent
Office will show. He was the originator of
the bicycle wheel, and the family still have in
their possession a model of this wheel, made
years before the bicycle came into popular
favor In this model the spikes were made
from the wires of an old hoop skirt. Unfortunately
he never applied for a patent. Among
his inventions were a corn-sheller, a railroad
switch (automatic), a pile driver, a pall table
signal tower for use in the army, and a fire-escape,
of which thr presant Hayes ladder is
claimed to be an infringement. Another of
his inventions was a simple contrivance to
teach the transposition of the scale for the use
of music teachers.
He was a writer of considerable ability in
prose and poetry and was equally at home in
English. German, or the dialect of the "Pennsylvania
Dutch." A new system of phonetic
spenning which received the commendation
and endorsement of much high authority as
the late Prof a.0. Haldeman of the University
of Pennsylvania. was his work.
He was a patriot, having enlisted on his 45th
birthday. at which time he had twelve ctilldren.
A daughter was born on the day he
was is the Battle.of Fredericksburg and an
other after his return from the War. The
latter died after reaching her majority and
that was the only death in a family of fourteen children.
Mr Witmer celebrated his golden wedding
November 13, 1887, and had he lived until
November 13th this year. he would have celebrated
the 60th anniversary of his marriage.
His twin brother, Elias Witmer, still lives on
the old homestead east of Suspension Bridge
on which their father settled before the War
of 1812
A remarkable circumstance happened in
connection with Mr. Witmer s departure to
and return from the War. Accompanied by by
eldest son, Christian F., they took the old
Williamsville and Buffalo Octibus (sp?) and found
nine other recruits from Clarence and sur-
rounding towns going to the seat of war. Although
widely dispersed during the three years
of service on their return home after the close
of the War the original eleven men found
themselves traveling on the same omtiibus,
homeward bound.
Mr. Witmer was one of the founders of the
Williamsville Academy, an institution which
at one time had an attendance of 600 students.
He was also the principal of the institution
for a short time.
But his chief work was in the church For
many years he was an elder" in the Christian
Church (Disciples) at Williamsville. He established
numerous Sunday schools in Niagara
County and the towns of Amherst and Cheektow
aga.
His humble efforts in this direction were the
direct cause of the establishment of the Christian
church at Suspension Bridge. Through
the efforts of Mr. Hensler of Tonawanda and
himself. St. James Hall in this city wans rented
and religious meetings were held which finally
required in the establishment of the Christian
Church in Buffalo. At first services were held in
the old French Church at the corner of Tupper
and Ellicott streets Subsequently the Church of Christ (Disciples) on Tichmond Avenue was built and later a branch on Jefferson Street.
An artisan, inventor, civil engineer, author, poet, patriot and preacher, his unassuming superiority endeared him to all.
- Born Oct. 08, 1816 in Niagara, NY, he worked on his fathers several hundred acre farm, attended the district school, and took a course of study at the Lewiston Academy. He next engaged to teach district school in what is now (1923) as the Synder District in Amherst, Erie County, NY. While teaching there he met, wooed and won his bride Anna FRICK daughter of Christian FRICK and Elizabeth LONG, who resided in a farm near by opposite the school house.