Hess Family | RemoteMedic.Net

The Hess family were Palatine Germans who came to America in the early 1700s to escape their war torn homeland. They settled first in the Hudson River Valley and, over several generations, worked their way north up the Hudson Valley, the west up the Mohawk River Valley.

Our ancestor Frederick J. Hess married Margaret Gordinier (spelled various ways) and settled in Martinsburg, then the county seat of Lewis County, NY, as early as 1823, though probably earlier. He was a blacksmith. At some point in their sixties, Frederick and Margaret separated and never lived together again, though they are buried together at Loweville Cemetery and share a gravestone.

Frederick J. Hess

Frederick J. Hess b. 11 December 1800 Otsego County, NY, d. 13 March 1883 Cincinnati, OH, m. 16 March 1823 Margaret Gordinier b. 25 February 1802, Fonda, NY, d. 11 July 1888 Watertown, NY. Margaret was the daughter of George and Sarah (Van Vleete) Gordinier. Frederick was the son of John Frederic Hess and Mary Burns.

Children of Frederick J. Hess and Margaret Gordinier:

Sanford J. Hess (1829-1899) m. Hannah Martin.
Abigail Hess (1833-1921) m. Gillette S. Gordon.
Alfred Hess, see below.
Bradford Hess (1839-1925) m. Isadora Pardee.

Gordinier

The Gordiniers were a dutch family that had similarly been in New York for several generations. The estate papers of Margaret’s father George (who married Sarah Van Vleet) show that he, too, was a blacksmith, borrowed lots of money, and drank a lot of brandy.

Alfred Hess

Frederick’s son Alfred was born 21 February 1834 in Martinsburg, NY. His father, descended from a line of Palatine Germans, was a blacksmith. He married Jane Mariah Coates, also of Martinsburg, 12/13/1854 in Martinsburg. First child Helen Eliza was also born there, so they must have remained for a time (though some sources have Helen’s birthplace as IL.) The next two children were born in Winona, Minnesota, so they must have lived there from at least 1857-58. He is said to have been in Jackson, MI, after that and his future son-in-law, Wm. H. McCurdy had been in Jackson during the same period so it was perhaps here that Helen Eliza met McCurdy. Alfred was back in Martinsburg working as a blacksmith in the 1860 census, so apparently farming in MN did not work out so well. It’s hard to imagine Martinsburg needing more than one blacksmith, so he was likely working for his father.

The 1865 NY census says son Edwin was born in Otsego County, NY, so they must have lived there briefly. The same census has Alfred again working as a blacksmith but now in Hamilton, Madison County, NY. His brother Bradford is living with them and also working as a blacksmith.

An article from the Cazenovia Republican May 6th, 1868 says:

“Alfred Hess has exchanged his blacksmith shop in this village with Mr. Eddy, in Lebanon, for the farm known as the Peabody-Mosely place. Mr. H. takes possession this spring. Bradley Hess has rented the shop of Mr. Eddy and will continue the blacksmith business.”

The 1870 U.S. census has him working as a hardware merchant in Hamilton, NY.

An article in the Cazenovia Republican from February 1872 states:

“We learn that Alfred Hess has sold his interest in the hardware establishment which has been conducted by Hess & Royce the past season, to Mr. Grosvener, who has been in the store of Stiles & Wedge. Mr. Grosvener has already taken possession, or will very soon.” It seems he was not in the hardware business long.

A later written tribute states that the family moved to Dayton, OH, in 1872 where he worked as a traveling salesman for the Sheldon Axle Company of Auburn, NY. He moved to Cincinnati in 1879 where he lived until his death in 1915.

In 1880 formed the Cincinnati Spring Company which he sold to Columbus Spring Company in 1892. The next year he and son Elmer bought the Union Axle Company, or Carthage, OH, enlarged production and named it the Hess Spring & Axle Company. He was quite successful in business and gained both respect and wealth as a result thereof.

In 1904 Alfred purchased controlling interest in the First National Bank of Elmwood from Charles Hirsch, and was its president until his death in 1915.

Alfred married Jane Mariah Coates 13 December 1854 in Martinsburg. She was born there 9 September 1834 to Sedgwick and Olivia (Allen) Coates, both of whose families trace back to New England. Jane died 16 June 1917 in Cincinnati.

Children of Alfred and Jane (Coates) Hess.

Helen Eliza Hess (1855-1919) m. William H. McCurdy.
Freddie Sedgwiick Hess (1857-1865).
Elmer J. Hess (1858-1925)
Edwin Burdette Hess (1863-1885)
Martha Lorena Hess (1869-1925) m. Jay Raymond.

Photos from the Alfred and Jane (Coates) Hess Family:

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Sedgwick Coates and Olivia Allen

Jane Mariah Coates was the daughter of Sedgwick Coates and Olivia Allen.

Segwick’s father James Coates (1773-1855) moved to Martinsburg, NY about 1804 with his wile Mary “Polly” Spencer (1875-1810). Both their families go back in New England for 3-4 generations. Both James and Polly Spencer are buried in Martinsburg.

Olivia Allen was the daughter of William Remington Allen (~1782-1848) and Martha Wood (1785-1860). They were from Lanesborough, MA, and came to Martinsburg, NY, sometime between 1808 and 1814. They are both buried at Martinsburg.

Children of Sedgwick and Olivia Allen Coates: