I hope this page will serve anyone looking to expand their knoweledge of their Otterbach family heritage. The research for this has been exciting and informative. If anyone would like to add to this page please don't hesitate to email me and I will get it on here. I will be adding information and fun facts so please be sure to come on back for a visit now and again.
-Sheila Kinshofer

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Pictures of Germany

Pictures taken by folks on the Germanna trip
(taken from Germanna.org)


Germanna gallery


This drawing shows the old village of about 1713, the time that three families, the Rectors, Otterbachs, and Fischbachs, left for Virginia.  If you move down from the center at the top (approximately) through the first, smaller building, you will come to the Rector home, which no longer stands.  This location is now used for a farm implement shed.  The Chapel school is near the center, and its outline can be recognized by reference to the photo of it below. 



This is the most famous building in Trupbach, the Chapel School, which was built in the middle of the eighteenth century.  It is now used as a village museum.  In the early eighteenth century, when our people left, there were about 25 houses in the village. 





Trupbach "Wisse" Haus

This house, known as the "Wisse" haus (house), was built about 1650.  In 1707, Johannes Wisse lived there, but he left no heirs.  Next, John Henry Schneider, who married Maria Cath. Otterbach and lived there in 1750.  Their daughter, Elisabeth, married John Eberhard Gudelius, and they lived there in 1780.  The list of inhabitants is known down to the present.  In 1950, the house was subdivided and it now consists of two parts.
This home is typical of the early homes.  The ground floor was for the animals.  The second floor was for the people.  The third floor was for hay.  This cozy arrangement was intended to be just that, cozy and warm for all creatures.  Trupbach was an agricultural village.  Many of the homes have been converted to other arrangements now. 




please visit their site to see tons of photos of the region.


Revolutionary Otterbachs

From what I can find there are two persons bearing the name Otterbach/Utterback that fought in the Revolutionary War.  The links will take you to their pension applications.


Harman Utterback

Family Crest

Here is a family crest I came across.

Family Tree

My particular family tree:

Kinshofer to Otterbach Tree




Helpful Research Sites

Blankenbaker's page on Germanna Colonies


BC Holtzclaw's book, "Ancestry and Descendants of the Nassau-Siegen Immigrants to Virginia 1714-1750 and is available thru the Germanna Foundation

Genealogy writup from a family tree

Amazing website dedicated to all of the German settlers:
http://germanna.org/


A pretty extensive family tree of Original Otterbachs

Germanna story on Wikipedia




Off to America!!


The first Immigrants bearing the Otterbach name that braved to journey to America were Hermann Otterbach (Harmon) and his wife Elizabeth Heimbach.  They brought with them their children Johann Philip, Johannes, Elizabeth, Alice Catherine, Mary Catherine and Anna Catherine.  They were from the area of Trupbach.  They arrived in America in 1714.  The name Otterbach was then translated into Utterback among other versions.  The immigrants from the Seigerland areas settled first at Fort Germanna, then at Germantown which is located in present day Fauquier County, Va.


In 1734 some members of the first colony bought land across from the river from Germantown which was at the forks of the Rappahannock and Hazel Rivers.  This was located in what is now known as Culpeper County.  The latter settlers were known as the Little Fork Group.  Some of the latter settlers were Johann Henrich Otterbach (Utterback) who emigrated with his uncle, Johann Henrich Otterbach (Henry Utterbach of Fauquier Co.) and his aunt, Maria Clara (Otterbach) Noeh and her family. Maria Clara Otterbach is the niece of Hermann and Elizabeth (Heimbach) Otterbach who immigrated in 1714.

When they arrived in America, many of the immigrants went to work for Gov. Alexander Spotswood mining for silver and later for iron.  Spostwood's lack of funding forced the Germans to abandon him and move to Germantown.  The next wave of immigrants set to arrive were hijacked by the governor and made to be indentured servants.  They later move to the Robinson River Valley.


Welcome to the Otterbach Family Page

I hope this page will serve anyone looking to expand their knoweledge of their Otterbach family heritage.  The research for this has been exciting and informative. If anyone would like to add to this page please don't hesitate to email me and I will get it on here.  I will be adding information and fun facts so please be sure to come on back for a visit now and again.