George Hitler, son of George and Susannah (Gay) Hitler, was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, September 27, 1798. His father was a native of Maryland, but removed with his parents to Franklin county, Pennsylvania when young; and in 1793, having then a family of wife and two children, settled in Somerset county, in the same State, where the subject of our sketch was born, as already stated. In April, 1799, Mr. Hitler sr., emigrated to Ohio. His family made the journey down the Ohio river to the mouth of the Scioto, on a flat-boat, Mr. hitler himself bringing through a number of horses for himself and others. From the mouth of the Scioto the journey was with team and wagon, the wagon being said to have been the second that ever came up the Scioto valley.

At this time there were but two log houses in Chillicothe, and the country was almost a complete wilderness.

Mr. Hitler, sr., settled on the lower plains, in Pickaway township, but subsequently located on Scippo creek, on land then owned by Benjamin Duncan. In 1804 he bought and settled in Washington township, section thirty-three, where he died, April 2, 1818, and his wife, September 16, 1848.

In 1819 George hitler, in connection with his brother Jacob, purchased a quarter section of land in the south part of Washington township, which land is now owned by his son, Thomas L. Hitler. Upon this farm they raised wheat, which they manufactured into flour and shipped on flat-boats to New Orleans. This they found far more remunerative than to sell the grain at home, which brought at one time only twenty-five cents per bushel. The first trip was made by Jacob, in 1819, and each of the brother subsequently made five separate trips, covering a period of ten years. George Hitler, on one occasion, was fifty days in going from Boggsville to New Orleans. He returned on a steamer and was about three months in making the round trip.

Mr. Hitler was married June 14, 1829, to Hannah Ludwig, daughter of Thomas and Catharine Ludwig. He settled on his first purchase, and resided there until 1838, when he located where he now lives.

Mr. Hitler's occupation has been that of a farmer, and his career has been a very successful one, owning at this time about one thousand acres of land. While practicing a wise economy in the expenditure of his means, he has always been liberal in his support of every object which he considered worth of it.

Mr. Hitler has reached the good old age of eighty-one, and few, if any, of the inhabitants of Pickaway county can date, as he can, their first residence here back to 1799. Save a little rheumatism, his health is almost as good as it ever was. He is a man of energy, of character, and of strict integrity.

His wife died July 3, 1863. They had seven children, as follows: Eliza, born July 4, 1830--died August 21, 1831; Mary, born October 30, 1831--married Daniel Hosler, and is now deceased; Catharine, born December 16, 1835--became the wife of Amos Hoffman, and died November 25, 1858; Eleanor, born November 22, 1833--died January 21, 1837; Susannah, born March 29, 1840, is the wife of Alexander Ross, and resides in Indiana; Thomas L., born April 4, 1842--married December 14, 1876, Martha A. Lindsey, and lives in Washington township; George W. married, February 21, 1878, Ida Lutz, and occupies the home farm.