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Notes for Michael Hassler

HASSLER (HOSTLER) FAMILY
Photo contributed by Leoda Hassler Stuesse, a descendant. glee@@socket.net
From Roots of Roane County, TN by Snyder E. Roberts

In making their niche in Roane history, the Hassler families, over a period of time, ‘cut a wide swath' from Poplar Creek at Oliver Springs, through Hen Valley, Webster Pike, Clinch River to establish themselves on Emery River at Swan Pond. The family name occurs in records with various spellings, but ‘Hassler' was used in naming the well-known mill at Swan Pond, and the road from Harriman to Swan Pond still carries the name Hassler Mill Road.

In 1800, MICHAEL HASSLER II and Michael III bought (Anderson Book A, p 33) 200 acres from Charles McClung. This tract was located at the eastern present city limits of Oliver Springs on Poplar Creek and on the Roane-Anderson counties line. At this location, they were neighbors to Revolutionary War soldiers: WILLIAM and THOMAS BUTLER, ANCIL MANLEY, WILLIAM GRIFFITH, NATHAN SULLINS, THOMAS JONES, DOUGLAS OLIVER, WILLIAM REPETO, and possibly others. The Hasslers obtained adjoining land and mill sites. Anderson County Court Minutes from 1802 show that the Hasslers had a mill on Main Poplar Creek. This meant that the Hasslers had to be highly skilled millwrights and millers in order to build and operate successfully a mill at that location because of the large volume of water and extensive flooding. No doubt, the Hasslers were assisted in their mill building by JOHN SCARBROUGH, the master mill builder.

TO INDIAN CREEK
In 1810, the Hasslers started their trek into Roane by purchasing (Roane E, p 410) 230 acres from Charles McClung. This tract included a mill site on a branch emptying into Indian Creek. This mill on the old Oliver Springs-Harriman Highway operated until in the 1920's. In disposing of the Anderson County tract, Michael Hassler III executed an unusual deed to WILLIAM WRIGHT. The deed (Anderson K, p 174) has Michael III's name signed in German (below the signature, the Clerk signed in English ‘Michael Hossler'.)

TO HEN VALLEY, SWAN POND
The Hasslers acquired considerable acreage in Hen Valley on the western outskirts of present Oliver Springs near their mill. These tracts were later acquired by the BORUM and LILES families. Michael III sold (L, p 299) 25 acres on Crass' Mill Creek between Scandlyn and Orchard View to JACOB CRASS which adjoined the Crass mill dam. There are some indications that the Hasslers were related by marriage to the Crasses. Michael III and his sons, Michael IV and Simeon, bought and sold land and mill sites in the Webster Pike area (segment of old Oliver Springs-Harriman highway). By 1820, Michael III owned 600 acres on Emery River at Swan Pond. It was here that he erected the large mill that bore his name. In 1871, Simeon Hassler was living at Swan Pond and paying taxes on 905 acres and his mill. In 1880, he owned 465 acres bounded by GREEN, KNOBLOUGH, BYRD, and ELLIS.

THE HASSLER (HOSTLER) FAMILY
The key to understanding the Hassler family lines is to know there were four generations of ‘Michael' Hasslers. Michael Hassler I came from ‘Hasli Val' in the Germanic-speaking region of Switzerland to PA where he landed September 28, 1749. He had sons: Michael II, Joseph, Christian, George and Abraham. Of these, George and Abraham were later in Anderson County, but it was Michael II who settled on the Roane-Anderson line in 1801.

MICHAEL II, REVOLUTIONARY WAR
Michael Hassler II was born November 5, 1754 in PA, and died September 4, 1826 in Roane County. He served in the Rev. War for the period 1777-1781. He married (12/1777) in York County, PA, CHRISTIANA GIELSMAN (1758-1847). Christiana applied for a widow's pension in 1841. The pension application included the names and birth dates of their eleven children, all of whom were born in York County, PA.

MICHAEL III (see below), GEORGE (1780), CHATERINA (1781), EVA (1783), MARGARET (1785), ADAM (1787) married Sophia. He fought in the War of 1812, and his family is shown in the Roane 1850 census. In the 1870 Roane census, Adam, 83 is retired, Sophia 70 keeping house. DANIEL (1791) married (1811 in Roane) NANCY NOEL. He also fought in the War of 1812. ELIZABETH (1793) married (1821 in Roane) WILLIAM BOWMAN. CHRISTINA (1795), JOHN (1797) married (1825) ELIZABETH DOW, ABRAHAM (1797) married NANCY____. They are shown in the Anderson County 1850 census with five children.

MICHAEL HASSLER III
Michael Hassler III was born in York County, PA, October 29, 1778, and died in Roane, TN in 1853. He married (probably in Anderson Co) AGNES SCARBROUGH (1788 VA-1863). They are buried in the Swan Pond Methodist Church Cemetery. Michael III and his father, the Rev War soldier, seemed to be closely associated as they moved from place to place in Roane County. It was Michael III who signed his name in German to the deed in Anderson County which indicates that strong ethnic customs and the German language had been handed down through the generations. Michael III and Agnes were outstanding citizens in the Swan Pond community, and their children intermarried with prominent Emery River families. Census records, Michael III's will dated 1853, and other court records give a rather complete story of him and his family. Michael III and Agnes had 12 children as follows:
1. Mary ‘Polly' (1806) m (1821) THEODORICK GREEN (1800) who was a brother to Austin L. Green. In the 1850 census, Mary and Theodorick had the following children: James J., Jonathan, John, J.L., Almeda, Theodorick B, Letha A, Amanda, Avery, Milly.
2. Jane (1829) married SAMUEL K. RICHARDSON
3. Emily married (1830) JACOB FUNK
4. Dicey married (1831) ESAU FUNK
5. William married (1832) LOUISA NICHOLS
6. Nancy married (1833) THOMAS DUGGER
7. Mahala married (1834) WILEY RICHMOND
8. Simeon was born in 1820 and died in 1891. He married ALICE CRUMBLISS (1821-) from a prominent Roane family. He was a Justice of the Peace, a well-to-do farmer and miller and he probably served in the Civil War. It was Simeon who sold the four Hen Valley tracts at Oliver Springs to REV. THOMAS LILES in 1783. Children: Roena Hassler m George G. Byrd, Eliphlet F. Hassler m Harriet Orpha Warner, Armedia Hassler m James R. Crow, Mary E. Hassler m Frances K. Suddath , James Michael Hassler, Simeon Hassler, Jr., Susan Hassler, Henry Hassler, Delia Hassler, Alma E. Hassler.
9. Michael Hassler IV (1825 - ) married (1855) CHESTINA KNOBLOUGH (1835 Germany). Michael IV was a farmer and a miller. In the Roane 1860 census, Michael IV and Chestina had one child, Caroline, 2 years of age, and his mother, Agnes 72 years of age. In 1872, Michael IV was in the state of GA as shown in Roane Deed Book (K, p 444) in which Simeon was settling with his brother Michael IV, for their respective parts to three tracts of land and a mill.
10. Amanda (1830) married (1851) SAMUEL BORUM (1816). In 1841, Samuel Borum bought 234 acres in Hen Valley from his father-in-law to be, and bought other adjoining tracts. He was a prosperous farmer. During the Civil War, he either served in the Confederate Army, or was a southern sympathizer because after the War, he was sued by former Union officers. Samuel deeded much of his land to his brother and other relatives, and in 1866 went to Rock Island, Cook County, IL. His son, SAMUEL McHENRY BORUM, later lived near Gadsden, AL. In the Roane 1860 census, Samuel and Amanda had three children: Mary C., Samuel McHenry, Florence. Another girl, Della, was born later.
11. Lydia married first (1839) MICHAEL LOWER. She married, secondly, PLEASANT BORUM (1814). By 1855, Lydia and Pleasant were living in Scott County, IL.
12. Carolina (1831-1890) married (1847 in Roane) JEHU PHILLIPS (1824-1899), grandson of Clemmon Phillips, RWS. Caroline and Jehu Phillips had children as follows: Monroe, Jerome S, Joseph E, Charles G, Reuben T. married JENNIE COOPER, Virgil L., Ellie, Fannie, Alma C. married JAMES WADE.
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