Matthias Knepley

One of the thousands who came to America from Europe in the early nineteenth century was a young man named Matthias Knopfley. Matthias had been born in Germany on February 4, 1808. With his brother, Matthias entered the New World at New York. While searching for work, the two brothers were separated and never saw each other again.

Matthias married Mary Christman, who had been born in Germany in 1826, and they settled in what is now Monroe Township, Henry County, Ohio. On December 16, 1848, they purchased 80.72 acres of undeveloped land from the state of Ohio for $81.13. The county tax duplicate of 1851 lists Matthias Knopfley among only seven other property owners in the newly organized Monroe Township. In that year he paid 97 cents in property tax.

During the next two decades, Matthias and Mary improved the farm and raised eight children: Caroline, Andrew, Elizabeth, John, William, David, Jacob, and Samuel. The family surname (found in various documents spelled Knopfley, Knapla, and Nepler) became Anglicized to Knepley. Matthias lived on the farm until his death November 1, 1870. His wife died in 1900.

Of their children, Caroline, John, and Samuel never married. Andrew had four children: Sanford, Ada, Laura, and Ella. William had two sons, Arthur and Ernie and twin daughters. The children of David were Sarah, William D., Ida, Amanda, Oscar, Elnora, and Paul. Jacob Knepley's family is discussed below.