William Eiden

William and Anna (Thymes) Eiden set out from Germany with their eight or nine children, including baby Mathias who was six months old, in their own sailboat. It took them six weeks to end their journey for twice they saw land, but the wind steered them back out to sea. They came well supplied with food, water, clothes, and their extra space was filled with supplies of all kinds. They brought flower starts, berry bushes, etc., for a new homesite. They came by way of Lake Erie, Black River, searching, searching for a good homesite. They stopped on French Creek, left for two or three days; then came back and settled with the Indians.

The Indians liked them, so they helped the Eidens dig a room out of the river bank, laid stones on three sides, made a roof of cut poles then covered it with grass, leaves and brush. This made a very good shelter for the family until they could build a log cabin located on an old Indian Cemetery.

William only lived six years after this and is buried in the old St. Mary's Cemetery, now Avon, Ohio.

Mathias Eiden, at age fifteen years, and a Zenz boy got into a spat with some Polish boys. There being more Polish than Germans in Lorain, Zenz and Mathias Eiden became scared, and left home, walking the railroad tracks west looking for work all along the way. The railroad ended at Continental, Ohio, so they walked the path north to Defiance, Ohio.

[Photo A, p. 183] Mathias Eiden and 5 of his motherless children in 1886. Standing, left to right: Ida Eiden Rothman, Anna Eiden Hoffman, Ignatius Eiden; front: Theodore who died age 88 in 1974 and Mattie who died at age 15.

They heard that there was work along the canals and rivers with many aquaducts, bridges, etc. to be built. They met up with Mr. Keeterle, the foreman of woodwork, and Mr. Swary, foreman of all stone and mason work. They were hired and were well-liked. Their bosses brought them home with them to New Bavaria over the weekends because they had some daughters.

It took four weeks for Mathias's twenty-one year, older brother, Phillip, and an older Zenz boy to search for the younger boys and to find them in good hands. Phillip and the Zenz boy liked the community and bought land in the area.

A few years later, Mathias Eiden and Mary Ann Swary were married. They had thirteen children. In 1873, Mathias Eiden bought ground from the auditor that was located on Road 14 south of the Pleasant Bend Road; he also owned land on County Road B, Putnam County. On Mondays, Mathias wouldtake his boys on a wagon to Putnam County to work their ground. They would stay all week and return home on Saturday. They had a log house on the farm.

[Photo B, p. 183] Anna (Thymes) Eiden was born in Reuben, Germany, came with her husband, Wm. Eiden and family to U.S. in July, 1843.

[Photo C, p. 183] Mathias and Mary Ann (Swary) Eiden, baby Theodore. Mathias was born in Germany, 1843. Mary Ann died March 2, 1890, age 45.

The entire family were members of Sacred Heart Church. Mary Ann Swary Eiden passed away March 2, 1890.

One of the sons, Ignatius, bought a farm on the same road in 1907. He was a carpenter and married Veronica Schuller in 1911. See the Schuller history.

In 1889, Fred Eiden bought a parcel of land in the same neighborhood; then sold it to Phillip Eiden March 28, 1891.

A check of old records showed that Mathias was one of three or four fellows who laid out many roads in that area of the county.

In those days settlers carried homemade whiskey for many purposes, such as sun strokes, snake-bites, and for pleasure-drinks.

Submitted by the Family