In The Descendants of Conrad Betzer in America is:
"It would seem that Conrad had preceded his family to Ohio coming towh at is now Chillicothe, OH in the fall of 1796. The Bitzers hadhired a p erson who had explored this area the year before and thenguided them i n 1796."
Local history said ". . . in the autumn of 1796 Conrad Bitzer andwife c ame from Berks, Co., PA, by way of Portsmouth and Chillicother,and pas sed but a single house on their journey up the Scioto River.They lived i n the vicinity of Kingston until 1801, when they locatedon the west ha lf of section eighteen in Colerain Township. Here inthe same year was b orn Elizabeth, probably the first white child bornin the township."
1840 Colerain Twp, Ross Co, OH. The census that year recorded hisnam e as Conrod Betzer. He was 60-70 years old and had living in hishouse : 1 male aged 10-15, 1 female at 5-10, 1 at 10-15, and probablyhis wi fe, also 60-70 years old. Next door was Anthony Betzer in thesame age b racket.
8/19/1850 Same place. The census taker found the aged Conrad andCath erine Betzer there at age 77 and 75 respectively. Living withthem wer e 19 year old Mary A Bolander (who?) and 10 year oldgranddaughter, Mar y M Barnhart. Next door was son Aaron Betzer and afew doors down were t he Haldermans and Mays, relatives.
7/17/1860 Still there, PO Adelphi. The census listed Conrad"Bitzer", 8 7, farmer with a large estate worth $10,000/3000.Granddaughter Mary Ba rnhart, 19, was still there keeping house forhim since his wife was go ne. Next door was William Bitzer, 35, farmlaborer.
Again from the local history:
"Conrad, Bitzer, . . . was born at Buffalo Valley, Pa. . . . He wasone o f the sturdy pioneers of Colerain township, and developed a farmin the h eart of the forest; he died at the age of ninety-two years,retaining a lmost until the very last the remarkable vigor of hisyouth."
Witnesses at Conrad's baptism were Conrad and Margarete Casper, withRe v. Joseph Dallicker, paster presiding. Baptism 26 September 1773;birt h 4 Aug 1773.
"Conrad, Bitzer, . . . was born at Buffalo Valley, Pa. . . . He wason e of the sturdy pioneers of Colerain township, and developed a farmin t he heart of the forest; he died at the age of ninety-two years,retain ing almost until the very last the remarkable vigor of hisyouth."
Witnesses to his baptism were Conrad and Margarethe Caspar.
