Jacob Hetzler was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and married there near the close of the eighteenth century, and shortly afterwards started for the West. At Pittsburgh they put their effects on a flat boat, and floated down the Ohio River, and landed at Cincinnati. That city at that time only contained a few houses. When Mr. H. started for the West, he took with him a barrel of apples. From the seeds of these apples some of the first orchards in Ohio were started. Some of the trees grown from these seeds are still standing and bearing fruit [1883]. Mr. Hetzler raised a family of nine children, seven boys and two girls. They located on a farm in Hamilton County, where they spent the rest of their days. Mr. and Mrs. Hetzler both died here about the same time, aged ninety-three years, and were buried on the farm on which they first settled.
About the year 1811 or 1812 Mr. Hetzler had come to the territory of Miami and Shelby counties and entered five eighty-acre lots of land adjoining each other. Three of them were in Shelby and two in Miami. These lands he gave to his five sons, John, Peter, Jacob, George, and Baltzer. Jacob, George, and Baltzer located in Shelby, the other two in Miami. John, the eldest of these boys, served in the war of 1812, and was a soldier under Gen. Harrison. George, the forth son, was born in Hamilton County in 1800. He lived at home with his parents until 1823, when he married Nancy Freeman. In 1827 he came with his wife and two children to Shelby County. Like all the early settlers they had nothing to commence with, except strong and willing hands; but by devoting his whole time and attention to the improvement of his land, he soon made of it a model farm, beside adding to it until he had nearly five hundred acres. They raised a family of six children, viz., Moses, Christopher, John F., Hannah, Elizabeth, and Sarah. Mr. Hetzler died in 1875. His widow is still living on the old homestead with her daughter, Mrs. Shell.
Robert Packman was born in Canada in 1857, came to Shelby County in 1878, married Margaret B. Hetzler, a daughter of Moses Hetzler, in 1879. Have have born to them one child, Charles F. They reside on the home with Mrs. George Hetzler, the grandmother of Mrs. Packman.
