Gottlieb F. Wittich
Wittich was the name of the celebrated son of the blacksmith Wieland in the old heroic tradition, who, on account of his origin, wore a hammer and tongs in his coat of arms and a serpent on his helmet. He was the hero of the King Ermenrich and Dietrichs Von Bern. The old heroic traditions have contributed much to the diffusion of certain names, and there is no doubt that those who first adopted the name Wittich as a family name, did so in honor of the famous hero. The name is derived from "Wite"—the old High German "Witu"—meaning "woods, or forest." Hence, Wittich means man of the forest.
The oldest ancestor of our subject of whom we have any knowledge was Johannes Wittich, who was born in 1670. He was a Commissioner, or Superintendent, of Forestry in the service of the Prussian Government, being stationed near the border of Bohemia. From there he was called to fill an engagement in the same capacity in the Dukedom of Wurtemberg, where he served until his death, which occurred about 1730. Probably the family seal or escutcheon, which is still used by some of its members, was adopted by him, for it represents a deer leaping out of a shield, with the initials of the respective member of the family using it. There is little doubt but that Johannes Wittich was the first one of that name in Wurtemberg, for even at this time the name is not represented very numerously.
The paternal grandfather of our subject, George Jacob Wittich, was born in 1710 and was a Lutheran minister and the son of Johannes Wittich, mentioned above. His first charge was in Durnau in tlie Dukedom of Wurtemberg. In 1743, he was married to Maria Dorothea, daughter of the Rev. V. L. Neuffer. To them six children were born, only one of whom grew to maturity. Mrs. Maria Wittich died in 1754, and the succeeding year, the grandfather was married to Christiana Fredricks, daugliter of the Rev. J. J. Neubich, of Wurtemberg. Six of the twelve children born of that union attained to old age. Of these, our subject's father died July 2, 1839, when sixty-eiglit years of age. Mrs. Wittich departed this life November 3, 1775. In 1757, George J. Wittich took charge of the Lutheran congregation in Liebenzell. In 1771, he was appointed to the charge of Wittershausen, where he died about 1785, in the seventy-fifth year of his age.
Emanuel Frederick Wittich, the father of our subject, was born in Liebenzell. After finishing his studies in the public schools, his father intended to have him enter one of the professions, but when out horseback riding, he was thrown from his horse, and, falling on a stone, received serious injury to his breast, which deprived him of speech for some time. On recovering from the accident, although regaining his speech, he was left with an impediment sufficient to prevent him from becoming a public speaker. He was then advised by his father to choose a trade, which he did by apprenticing himself to learn the business of a book-binder. In 1801, he established in business for himself in Ebingen, Wurtemberg, a manufacturing town of about four thousand or five thousand people.
November 18, 1802, the father of our subject married Miss Maria Catherina, daughter of Johannes Wolfer. She was born in 1782, and departed this life in Circleville in 1841. Mr. Wittich continued in the book-binder's business, to which he added a stock of school and hymn books for sale, until 1836, at which time he set sail for the New World. Locating in Circleville, he engaged in his trade, taking in as his partner his son, Ferdinand F., and continued thus until his death, in April, 1839. The three children born to him were Ferdinand F., who died in 1861; Sophia, Mrs. Hartmeyer, who departed this life in Circleville when in her seventy-eighth year; and our subject.
The original of this sketch was born in Ebingen, Wurtemberg, Germany, November 28, 1819. He began going to school when in his sixth year, and four years later, having had some instruction in vocal music, was invited to sing in a choir. About that time, he entered the High School, which was then called the Latin School, where he studied Latin, drawing and French, in addition to his other general studies. He was confirmed in 1838, and at that time, his brother Ferdinand F. having come to America, he learned the book-binder's trade under his father, with whom he worked until receiving an urgent request from his brother to come to the New World. They left home June 20, 1836, going to Havre, France, via Strasburg and Paris, their party consisting of father, mother and sister's husband and child. They boarded the sailing-vessel, "Poland," which was commanded by Capt. Anthony, on the 1st of July, and after a tedious voyage of thirty-five days, landed at Castle Garden. They immediately came by way of boat to Circleville, where they were met by Ferdinand F., he having secured a position as book-binder in the office of the Religious Telescope.
Gottlieb F. Wittich, on arriving at his new home, assisted his father and brother in binding seven thousand hymn books which they had contracted for. In May, 1837, as there was not enough work at their trade to keep them all busy, his brother secured him a position with Joseph P. Mayer, at Cincinnati, with whom he learned the confectionery business, receiving as remuneration for his services $4 per month for the first year and $6 per month the second year.
In August, 1839, our subject came to Circleville, and, in partnership with his brother, started in the confectionery busmess, which connection lasted for eight years, during which time they were very successful. Mr. Wittich has ever since been engaged in the manufacture and wholesaling of confectionery and ice-cream. In 1855, he erected the brick block where he carries on his business, and which contains two stores, with a frontage of forty-three feet of ground. It at that time was two stories in height, but in 1882 he added a story, which with the second story is used for offices. He occupies one store and rents the adjoining room. He is the owner of a handsome residence, located on Court Street. Mr. Wittich also owns considerable other real estate in the city and in Port Townsend and Tacoma, Wash., and in Chicago. He has the finest confectionery store in the city, in addition to which business he has added a stock of toys. He is the oldest mercliant in the place, and now ranks among the wealthy and progressive citizens of the county, having been the architect of his own fortune. He is a fine scholar, as well as draftsman and penman, and has in his possession the only original copy of a bird's-eye-view of Circleville as it was in 1836, when it was really in a circle.
In October, 1841, Mr. Wittich was married to Miss Henrietta, daughter of Col. Valentine Keffer, of Pennsylvania, who came to this county in 1805, and located near Circleville, on a farm, where he became one of the prominent and wealthy farmers. The grandfather of Mrs. Wittich was Jacob Keffer, who was born in Zeselberg, Germany, in 1734. Col. Keffer owned a portion of the original site of the city of Circleville, and during the War of 1812 served as Major under Gen. Joseph Renick. At the close of hostilities, he was mustered out with the commission of Colonel. He was very prominent in this locality and for ten years was a member of the Ohio State Legislature, his popularity being such that he very seldom had an opposing candidate. In 1840, he was Presidential Elector on Jackson's ticket. His wife was Catherina, daughter of Jacob Zieger, a pioneer of Circleville, and he departed this life March 9, 1852.
Mrs. Wittich died in October, 1871, having become the mother of nine children, eight of whom grew to mature years. Albert is a fine musician and is located at St. Louis, Mo., where he is sole agent for the Estey & Camp Music Company; Melancthon is in business in Chicago; Theophilus is a Professor of Music at San Francisco, Cal.; Rosa married S. C. Gamble, who is a prominent attorney in Circleville; Willis is a graduate of West Point and is Captain in the Twenty-first United States Infantry, stationed at Ft. Randall, S. Dak., and participated in the campaign against the Indians in Dakota; Ella is the wife of Dr. E. A. Mearns, Surgeon in the United States army at Ft. Snelling, Minn.; Edward is in the employ of his father and is a fine musician; Frank is engaged in the boot and shoe business at St. Louis, Mo. Our subject has been a Township Trustee for two years and a member of the School Board for a period of thirty years, being the oldest member on the Board. In religious matters, he is a Lutheran, and votes the Democratic ticket.
From PORTRAIT & BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF FAYETTE, PICKAWAY AND MADISON COUNTIES, OHIO - Chapman Bros. [Chicago, 1892]