Echos From The Past

Echos From The Past. Uncovering The Story Of The Keifer Cabin. , You are standing at the very spot where John Keifer built a cabin that was more than just a home., This home, built by John around 1824, was a witness to the lives of pioneers and the changing landscape of early America and Clark County., John Keifer (1802-1863), along with his wife Elizabeth Donnel Keifer (1805-1865), the daughter of the renowned surveyor Jonathan Donnel, made this their home until 1830. Imagine the stories these walls could tell! It was here that their daughter Caroline Keifer (1829-1902) was born, adding another layer to the family's rich history., The Keifers were part of a tapestry of settlers weaving their lives into the fabric of this land. Elizabeth's father, hailing from Pennsylvania, may have settled nearby as early as 1795. John's father, George Keifer, originally from Maryland, made his mark here in 1812. This cabin, sitting on a 100-acre plot, was once part of George Keifer's vast farmland, embracing much of the historic Piqua (Picawey) battlefield., After George Keifer's passing in 1845, John and Elizabeth returned to their roots, spending their remaining days on the remnants of the original Keifer farm., John Keifer, a man of many hats, was a farmer, a U.S. Marshal, a Federal census taker, and a cousin of Civil War General Joseph Warren Keifer. His life and roles reflect the dynamic and evolving nature of the early United States., From 1831-1835, the cabin was home to Frederick Mennert and his family, including the birth of his son Frederick Jr. in 1833. Frederick, a former grist mill owner from Pennsylvania, tried his luck here but faced bankruptcy in 1835, leading to a new life in Illinois., The cabin, after changing several hands, fell into disrepair and was eventually abandoned. Its remains - foundation stones and chimney bricks - were likely repurposed in constructing the Hertzler mansion. Today, all that's left of the Keifer cabin is this hearth foundation, uncovered in 2012 through archaeological efforts., As you stand here, let your imagination wander back in time. Think of the lives, dreams, and struggles of those who once called this place home., Their legacy is the foundation upon which our community is built., [Captions:] , An "E. Pluribus Unum" button found during the excavations at the Kiefer cabin site. This metal button was made as a promotion for the 1834 Congressional Campaign., The front of this button is plain, but sometimes these buttons would have the initials of the candidate. This particular button may have been on a shirt owned by Frederick Mennert., Hand-wrought nails found at the Keifer cabin site. These were most likely made by a local blacksmith., Dining utensils found during the excavations included a fork and broken knife blade. Both probably had bone handles., Fragments from an early 1830's transfer-printed saucer found during the Keifer cabin site excavations. This was part of a tea set, probably used by Frederick Mennert and his wife Elizabeth Bachman., Fragments of a hand-painted teacup found at the Keifer cabin site and probably owned by John Kiefer and his wife Elizabeth Donnel., Rim fragments from redware storage jars found during the excavation of the smokehouse, which was located a few yards north of the Keifer cabin., The Keifer cabin and several outbuildings can be seen on the hill to the right in this 1846 drawing of the Piqua (Picawey) Battlefield by Historian Henry Howe., Illustration of a pioneer log cabin from Samuel Miller's 1887 book "Early Settlers and Early Times on Donnels Creek." The Keifer cabin may have looked something like this.