When Johann
Weiser returned from England in 1723 he found that the Schoharie Palatines were
a much divided community and many felt that Schoharie was not the Promised Land
of which they had dreamt. Among those
disenchanted with their lives in Schoharie was Johann’s son, Conrad. Several families left and began new
settlements along the Mohawk River in areas known as German Flats and Stone
Arabia. In 1729 Conrad Weiser and his
family joined at least 33 other Schoharie Palatine families who had resettled
in Tulpehocken, Pennsylvania. Johann
Weiser, who spearheaded the move to Schoharie and spent much of his life defending
the Palatines’ right to be there, died in 1746 in Tulpehocken, Pennsylvania.
Not all the
Palatines left Schoharie. Those who
remained either purchased or leased their land from the Seven Partners. My ancestors, the Schaeffers, chose to stay. As a tenth generation descendant, I am ever
grateful for the decision they made. Their
tenacity inspires me, and I am encouraged as I witness the eleventh and twelfth
generations begin to show interest in their Palatine heritage as well.
This will be
the final post for this blog, and please forgive the delay in making it. I had been struggling with how to wrap this
up, because the Palatines’ story doesn’t end here. It doesn’t end at all. At the Palatine House Museum in Schoharie we
are often visited by other descendants of the original Palatines. We share our knowledge of those forefathers
and make lasting friendships. The
Palatine roots create ties that bind.
References:
“Becoming
German” by Phillip Otterness
