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The Klingensmiths family is traced back to Germany. They were a family of bell makers (or smiths) thus the name Klingensmith came about.
The following information comes from "Klingensmith Ancestry," written by Carmella Corcetti Shirley.
She tells us that the name of Klingensmith was given to hardworking Joseph was born in 1635, and married Elizabeth Reichart of Lorraine in 1659. They were the parents of Katherine, Elizabeth, Adlier, Mary, Andrew and Joseph Jr., born in 1662. Three of the children, Katherine, Adlier and Mary were blood victims of the religious crusade in 1670.
Joseph Jr., and his remaining family evaded soldiers, carried knives and various weapons and left behind most of their clothing and possessions, knowing they would probably never return to their homeland. Members of the Klingensmith and Reichert families along with others walked 300 miles, slept in fields, living off the land.
They made their way to Philadelphia in 1670, giving thanks to God, settling on the river's (Delaware) West bank, eventually moving to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.