Barbara (Beutler) Ruegsegger (1755 - 1834)

Born 13 Apr 1755 in Bucholterberg, Bern, Switzerland

Ancestors

Wife of Johannes Ruegsegger — married 27 Jul 1772 in Rothenbach, Sw

Descendants

Died 27 Apr 1834 at age 79 in Buchholterberg, Bern, Switzerland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Donna Watkins [send private message]

Biography

Their first ten children were born in Canton Berne, Switzerland, their 11th child was born in LeHarve, France while enroute to America. When Christian and Barbara Ruegsegger left Switzerland in the spring of 1819 to make the journey to America, three of the children stayed in there homeland-Johannes, who was 20, Elizabeth, who was 19 and Susanna who was eleven. Railroads did not exist at that time nor were there any rivers flowing from Switzerland to Le Have that would have enabled them to float dow river on a flat-boat so this couple with their five children put their belongings on a push-cart and walked the distance to LeHarve (about 400 miles) on June 26, 1819. Anna Margaretha Ruegsegger was born. Some time after this event they embarked on a sail ship and, after thirteen weeks on the ocean, they arrived at Baltimore, Maryland. Peter Ruegsegger was fond of telling his children and grandchildren the story that the only English he understood when he arrived in America was "From Harve de grass to Baltimore". It was the custom for the captain of all sailing ships to call out his place of departure and his destination to the captain of all passing vessels.

The family then came across the mountains from Baltimore on the National Pike, the first road built by the new US government as a path to the undeveloped West which had been denied to the settlers while they were English colonies. They built a raft and floated down the Ohio River and settled in Monroe Co., Ohio.

The following is a copy of a letter written by Nicklaus Frankhauser to home folks in Switzerland, after coming to America: Mr. Resperlin of Aargau, who has returned from the United States of North America to come after his parents and relative, brought with him several letters to persons in Bern and vicinity, from their emigrated friends and acquaintances. In May of 1819, this company of our emigrants embarked with many people of Wittenberg, the latter being noted for their poverty and lack of tidiness, also, Prussians, Dutch and French, 200 people

The ship was one of three masts and sailed from Antwerp and the journey across the water was a happy one. The, a few days, after departure, Mr. Frankauser's brother's wife gave birth to a baby boy, the captain and steersmen gave her many presents of provisions and she got as good care as if she had been on land. When the ship came to about the 46th parallel it encountered much rain and snow. The waves went pretty high, however, not as some travelers in Switzerland had reported, like the Gurten or Risen, het they must have been twenty-five or thirty-five feet. One washed across the deck and Mr. Frankhauser was thrown to the floor. He acknowledged that he would not be a sailer for all the wealth in the world, although he would rather cross the ocean twice than sail down the Rhine once. After the travelers had been overtaken by several days of fog, one of the, on the morning of the 20 of July, climbed up into the middle mast and he saw land. It was Mr. Christian Martin of Limpach. It seemed like a small hill that rose out of the sea. All present hurried on deck to see the new land. One hill after the other one out of the waves, and at last they could see tress and the lighthouse of New York. After a tourney of 66 days, they anchored there in the harbor. When the doctors came on board the next day and examined the ship's company, they were very much surprised to find the register had increased by 2 persons; also, that no one was sick and many of them were lively and strong. Frankhauser and his company when to Amboy, 20 mines (6 hours) from new York, where a rich German planter received them and furnished them with the necessities for the continuation of their journey

They bought 4 oxen and 2 wagons, upon one of which they loaded the baggage and upon the other, the women and children. There were altogether 7 families and had 32 children. On the 6th day of August they began their 600 mile journey to the interior. They came through the states of Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio. In Jestown, where there is a long bridge over the Delaware river, they found 2 families of linen weavers from Aargau who had hired out for 2 years and had still 2 months to serve. In the Pennsylvania in the city of Reading, Mr. Frankhauser met Jacob Antene at work on the street. There were in this city, also, several other Swiss families who are making a good living. In Bethlehem, our travelers were received in an extremely friendly and humane way. The good people provided them with star hats in order that they might better withstand the heat, loaded their wagons with potatoes, bacon and ham and presented the children with nick necks so they did not want to eat any more bread. When Franhauswer came into a village or city with the wagon full of children, he was stopped by the people who he could hardly get away and always he had to be on the lookout whether all the little ones were their. It is told that there are here many people who have no children and when they adopt or buy one, it is the law that boys must work for them until 20 years of age. They are, however, sent to school and taught religion. At the completion of they time of service, the boys receive $100, 1 horse, 1 plow, 2 cows and 4 sheep. The girls who have to serve to the 18th year, the same amount of money, stock, 1 bed, kitchen utensils, etc. I have seen no beggar in this land, except when I look into the mirror. On the 19th day of August we came to Lebanon. Here we found a wealthy merchant formerly of Frutigen, by the name of Jacob Rumpf. We camped a mile from the city beside a creek. The people brought us clothes and provisions as if they had expected us. From here we went to Somerset, a nice city with 3 churches, a Bible Society and 2 print shops. Here we found Mr. Krayenbuhl of Trub, who is a brewer and gave me commission, when I would write, to greet the clerk of Lagenau and the honorable congregation of Trub, in his name. A few miles from here there live certain Frankhausers who came from Trub, but who are a good deal richer than their entire village at home.

Near the city of Strasberg, we came to the Allegheny mountains, a triple chain of mountains which rise one after another, but are not very high. In Bedford, a city something like Burgdorf, we sold our wagons and oxen whose feet had become sore from the long journey, and went to the Ohio via Washington, where we took the boat. 20 miles downstream we found a river as large as the Emme, flowing into the Ohio, and a well improved valley, where we planned to spend the winter. We settled on Congress land (land which belongs to the Federal Government) It was now the end of October and I built a small shack that we might have roof over us, but planned a larger one. We were now 3 families on this land the other 4 went into the valley, where they soon found work. Myself, Jacob Tuscher and Benedict Schneider, also found work, but it did not last long. We received per day, 100 pounds of flour and 10 pounds of bacon. Christian Ruegsegger who had come by the way of France, also arrived at the same time. With the beginning wither, a neighboring landowner, Mr. Spraut, offered to give me 20 acres upon which I could live for 3 years, if I would keep up the fences. Here I found 3 old shacks and a small barn, almost tumbled own, which I built up again. There were 2 acres of volunteer wheat which yielded 20 bushels. I planted potatoes, wheat and hemp and kept enough in pasture so I could feed my cows. 2 days before Christmas, 1820, while I had gone to town in order to buy a spinning wheel, I had the misfortune to lose my house with all belongs through a fire. But my good neighbors fitted me out liberally. I received whole dressed dogs, flour, clothing and beddings and inside of 2 days they had built me 2 small houses. Soon I moved into my new home and worked as before. Put in 4 acres of wheat, 6 of corn, and a little hemp. But we had a very dry summer. All the mills stood still. From the 6th oi June till the 15th of August there was not a drop of rain Things matured early, but there was no yield. But we experienced no scarcity, for here everybody has enough in store for reserve. This year 1822 was so blest that we had not room to store the yield. I had 200 bushels of grain. In stock, I now owned 2 horses, 5 cows and the number of my sheep I do not know for they run in the woods. I and my son Nicolause earned this summer in 3 weeks, 2 cows by building chimneys. The cows are as large as those in Switzerland and give as much milk. My brother, Danie, and I have taken a contract to open a tunnel through a hill in order to run a mill. The job is 80 ft long and we are promised $180 We hop to finish it in 2 months. This labor is to be paid in silver, most other work is paid for in cattle or provisions on account of scarcity of cash. Nearly all trade i done in exchange. Trade boats come up the rivers. Their arrival is announced through messengers and they exchange various merchandise for grain, wheat, butter, feathers, wool, sugar and cloth. Among these boats are many steamboats which are run by fire. I live a mile from the Ohio and see such boats pass most every day. The large grain dealers buy many thousands of bushels of grain and go with it to New Orleans. They pay everything in silver. Land here is so rich that it needs no fertilizer. Trees grow very rapidly. Peach trees bear in the 3 year, apples trees in the 4th and 5th. The country is richly provided with fruit and there is much slide made. Americans are lazy. Hunting and fishing is their most beloved occupations and hunting while bees to rob them of their honey. The woods literally crawl with bees and I can detect no difference between wild and tame honey. I have a great many sugar maple stress, but have not yet made a single pound of sugar from them. We live on milk, cereals, and garden vegetables and are thereby extremely healthy and well. I have 9 children around me and rejoice over them with all my heart. For here, you don't have to hear,"I cannot rent you my dwelling, you have too many children" Nay rather, here, the more children, the richer the man is considered. Land is very cheap. An acre (45,000 ft) for $1.25, for Congress or Government Land. But they will not sell less than one half a quarter of 80 acres. Rental is also cheap at $2 an acre. Or for the 9th bundle or for the 3rd, in which case however, the renter receives all the stock, tools, etc, furnished. Whoever does not want to rent, can settle on Congress land an rent out have of his quarter. He needs but to go to the officials, buy a Patent, which costs $4 for a term of 8 or 10 years and then he is assured of his property and so the land is being settled. In the US there is the same weight, measure and money. A bushel is 2 measures, the pound is a little smaller than a swiss pound, but the foot is an inch longer. A dollar contains 100 cents (Centimes of sous) 36 1/2 batten Bern money. The means of living is very cheap. Laborers are paid half in cash and half in provisions. But artisans wages are high. A well digger received $2.25 a day and board is always included in these wages. A shoemaker asks a half a dollar for a pair of shoes and a tailer charges from 2-5 dollars for a dress. Girl spinners, knitters or seamstresses are also well paid and can earn daily about half a dollar. Work on the farm is not as hard as in Switzerland. A plow weights only 25-30 pounds. A boy can plow more with 1 horse here than with 4 in Switzerland. Grain is tramped out with horses on a threshing floor and winnowed. No hoe is carried into the field. No rake is used in haying and what one does not get with the form is left to rot in the field. Sunday is observed very quietly, although there are as yet no churches. The ministers travel over the country and preach here and there in which they are supported by their congregations. Once in 6 weeks one comes around who baptizes the children, and these are then brought up in the Reformed Church. I think often of the times when the church bells called me from the steeples to divine service and I gave them so little e heed. But now I see how Americans come20-30 miles in order to hear the word of God. An acre is 43,560 sq ft, a township consists of 36 sections-2 square mile, a section is 640 acres, a township is 6 miles square. Bernard Peter Resegger, Engineer The name Ruegsegger comes probably from Ruegsegg. Ruegsegg was a small settlement located, as the name explains, on a little mountain or hill above Rothbach. Ruegsegger is one of the very old names in Switzerland and can be found in the church register of Rothenbach, from the early 1500s.

Born in Bucholterberg, Bern, Switzerland on 13 Apr 1755 to Isaak Beutler and Barbara Kunz. Barbara married Johannes Ruegsegger and had 4 children. Children Johannes Ruegsegger 1773-1846 Elsbeth Ruegsegger 1776-1893 Christian Ruegsegger 1778-1855 Ulrich Ruegsegger 1782-1783 She passed away on 27 Apr 1834 in Buchholterberg, Bern, Switzerland.

Sources

• "Family Genealogy of Christian Marty & Barbara Ruegsegger" by Wilma R. Harshbarger published 1984
• http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/barbara-beutler_30298931