Conrad Puhl

Entered 15 April 2010:

Johan Conrad Puhl/Pool was born in 1795 and baptized on May 24, 1795, at Monocacy German Lutheran Church in Frederick County, Maryland. He moved with his parents, John Puhl, II, and Christina (Springer) Puhl, to an area in Viriginia that later became West Virginia. His father, John, apparently died or was killed in Indian wars in West Virginia (then Virginia) or after arriving in Ohio territory before 1803.

This area of West Virginia densely vegetated and quite dangerous. Some claimed that it was "the most treacherous section" of the new country, America. These lands were known as Virginia "Military Lands" or "Indian Lands."

The trail from the Northwest Territory went west from Frederick County, Maryland (Frederick was then all of Montgomery, Washington, and part of Carroll Counties) through the Cumberlands and up to Marietta, Ohio. Christiana's family, the Springers, went north to the Steubenville area then known as Jefferson and Washington Counties. The Puhls went on east to the area now known as Canton, Ohio, which later became the county of Stark.

Conrad Puhl, II, enlisted at Steubenville, Ohio, and fought in the War of 1812. He was only sixteen or seventeen years of age at the time. In those years, if a man were called who had several children or for whom it would be an extreme hardship to serve, he could hire a substitute to go in his place. Conrad was a substitute who served for at least three years. The pay for being a substitute was quite small.

Conrad was listed in the Carroll County census of 1833, the year a portion of Jefferson County was partitioned off as Carroll County.

Conrad married Rachel Dewell at Jefferson County, Ohio, on September 2, 1817. Racher was the daughter of Barbara Springer, who was Christina's sister, and Benjamin Dewell/Duel/Dowell.