The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-06-21
AN ABLE PAPER
Read by Mr.. Joseph Essig, of
Sidney, Neb.,
Atthe Essig Family Reunion-The Speak
er a Former Resident of Canton,
and He Handles His Subject
in a Pleasing Manner.

and He Handles His Subject
in a Pleasing Manner.
The Essig reunion took place last week
at the residence of Mr.. Lewis Essig,
lust two miles north Of Canton. The
Essig reunion is an organized body, and
ALWAYS meets on the second Thursday
in June. There were over 200 people
present Yesterday, and after they had
partaken of the sumptuous repaSt
which had been prepared for them by
the ladies, the meeting was called to
order by the President, w. H. Essig.
Mr.. Scott Wyke, of Illinois, who was
last yea elected orator for the occasion,
could not be present, and his letter of
regret was read by the Secretary. The
address was then delivered by Mr.. Jo-
seph Essig, of Sidney, Nebraska. Re-
marks were also made by Rev. j. M.
Fahs, of Canton; Michael Spangler, of
Elkhart, Ind; A. McGregor, Deputy
Probate Judge Aungst and OF Canton,
Rev. Schue, of Navarro.
The Oldest member present was
grandmother Pontius, the mother of
Squire Pontius, of Plain township, She
is in her SD year, and is the last of the
twelve children Of Simon Essig, who
came to Stark county in 1903 and set
tied on the old Herbruck farm about a
mile north of the fair grounds,
The next reunion will take place at
the residence of MI. John Pontius on
the Harrisburg road about two miles
northeast of the city. The following
officers were elected yesterday to take
charge: President, W. II. Essig; Sec
rotary, John A.. Essig. The President
then appointed NJ. E. AungsJ orator for
the next meeting, and G. c. Pontius
alternate. After the officers were
elected, they began to depart for their
homes, all being well pleased with their
days enjoyment.
MR.. ESSIG'S ADDRESS.
DEAR FRIENDS AND FELLOW CITI-
zENs: This day marks another chap
ter the life and character of theSimon
Essig family, and their descendants at
the head of which stands the name of
Wendell Essig, the great head Of the
present generation, and the first person
known by that name in this county.
And a we are here to commemorate
the eventful career of the noble arces-
tiers, we must not be unmindful of the
duties we owe to our posterity, as to
the way it may reflect upon their stand
ing after we have passed from among
them. Let us then celebrate the day in
a way becoming the descendants of a
noble race, and in doing so we need not
hesitate to refer in commemorate terms
to the early lives of those we prefer to
honor by such extensive preparations
as we see before us today.
1t is with feelings of mingled pleas
ure that l am permitted to be with you
on this happy day, and as this is my
first participation in the festivities of
a family reunion, l shall endeavor to
deport myself in a way worthy of the
cause for which we have assembled;
and if in my remarks l shall repeat
what has been said before, you will be
charitable enoughto pardon me With
many of you these annual social gath
erings are not unfamiliar, and you
know, from former observations, just
what to say and do to make them a
success, and have every one feel that it
is good to be here.
4 half century ago a reunion of
the Simon Essig family and their de-
scendants would have been a small af-
fair, and a journey of a few hours on a
common farm vehicle would land the
most remote under the shadow of the
parental roof.
/ well remember when l was a school
boy, and took my first lessons in Eng
lish literature within the crude walls
of a primitive log school house known
as the Center school, in Plain township,
in this county. The school was com
posed principally of members of the
Esssig families then residing in the dis
trict; and this, no doubt, more than any
other incident, vouches for the unusual
progressive spirit prevalent in that
school from that time to the present
date. Near the site where the old
school house stood, stands today, in all
its native glory, an elm tree, whose
majestic form reaches high up into the
azure vaults. For many years storms
and tempests have dashed its branches
into fury and hurled their mighty fore
es against it, but it stands today un-
scathed by the fierce elements, the
proud monarch of the forest. This tree
is also noted for the prominent position
it occupies as a geographical center,
standing as it does in the center of
Plain township, in the center of a pub
lie highway, in the center of one of the
richest agricultural districts in the
great State of Ohio, and beyond contro-
Versy in the center of "this boundless
universe of ours" l can well remem
Der when that tree was a slender sap
ling, and was easily swayed to and fro
by the mischievous school boy, but now
it overshadoWs all its competitors, and
in the language of Lord Selkirk can
say,
am monarch OF all l survey,
My right there is none to dispute.
The Simon Essig family, like this
elm tree, has grown great, and consti-
tutes an important element in the
growth and development of this coun-
try. The social and progressive spirit
predominant in the family is a subject
worthy of the highest commentator,
and the influence of their character
will live long after this generation shall
have passed away, and the name and
remembrance of Simon Essig will be
forgotten and lost in the dim vista of
the ages.
Here we must not be misunder-
stood when we refer to
the Simon Essig family, that we
mean only to those bearing that name.
There are others belonging to the
household Of different names, who are
full heirs to all that is great in the emf
nent ancestry, and without them the
genealogy would be incomplete. There
are the Wilkes, the Bechers, the John
Trumps, the Jacob and Peter Pontius'
and the Jacob Troxel and Henry Miller
families. All are full sharers in the