Ft. Amanda's Journalist After the War

Ensign Schillinger's Life After the War

Schillinger passed through the gates of Ft. Amanda for the last time on August 3, 1813. He stayed overnight at St. Marys and the following day, Aug. 4, he continued on to Piqua and spent the night at the Statler family home. The following day, Aug. 5 th, he continued on through Staunton, Dayton, Centerville and spent the night with the Tibble family. The next day, Aug. 6, he rode on to his wife's Uncle's home near Mason, Ohio. He spent a short time there then continued stopping at the White Horse Tavern then continued on to Montgomery, arriving at the home of Lodowick Weller on Cooper St.

Home of the Lodowick Weller Family

7795 Cooper Rd.

Montgomery, Ohio

There's no way of knowing but I like to think Schillinger spent at least a couple minutes talking with the Weller children. After all, he hadn't seen any children for nearly 2 months. Of course, no one had any idea at the time that the Weller's 18 month old son John, would eventually grow up to become the 5th Governor of the State of California. John was also the same age as Schillingers daughter Philomelia. One wonders if Governor Weller ever remembered the day that a soldier stopped at his daddy's house.

Governor John Weller

1858 - 1860

The original plan was for Schillinger to meet Captain Hosbrook and Lt. Davis at the Statler home north of Piqua. Not knowing if he missed them or not Schillinger apparently decided to continue on. Both men would be passing through Montgomery on their way home so he left their baggage with the Wellers. After freshening up a bit, he thanked the family for their hospitality then followed the trail on home, arriving there shortly after sundown.

Homes Of Hosbrook, Schillinger and Davis

Alasanna Armstrong Schillinger

Wife of William Schillinger

Schillinger arrived home shortly after sundown on Aug. 6th. Waiting for him was his wife Alasanna, his two children, 3 year old Nathaniel (named for Alasanna's father) and 18 month old Philamelia (named for his mother who died in New Jersey in 1798 ). His third child, Elizabeth was born April 27, 1814. Yep, 8 1/2 months later.

He makes no mention of it but its probably a safe bet that his in-laws were waiting for him as well. His mother died in 1793 while William was still living in New Jersey and because his obituary states only that "he (William) walked from New Jersey to Plainville, Ohio (Cincinnati area) around 1805" with no mention of his father coming with him, its probably safe to assume that his father remained in New Jersey.

Cincinnati - 1800

Location of the Schillinger home then and now






Entrance to the Great American Ballpark off Joe Nuxall Way

A Very Active and Civic Conscientious Citizen

William and Alasannas family continued to grow. Their children were:
William Schillinger Jr. born Aug. 18, 1816
Frances Schillinger born Aug. 22, 1818
Benjamin Harris Schillinger born Oct. 1, 1820
John Stites Schillinger born July 2, 1823.

Sometime between 1813 and 1820, the Schillinger's moved from Plainville into Ward 3 in Cincinnati. The home was located at the intersection of 2nd and Sycamore. The city directory listed Schillingers occupation as "Cooper" (barrel maker).

In 1820, Schillinger served as Clerk of Courts for Hamilton County. He later
joined the "Protection Society No. 1" and served as it's treasurer before coming it's chief, a position he held for many years. The society was made up of volunteers who rushed to fires alongside the firemen, their job was to prevent people from getting too close to the fires and also to help prevent looting. They wore a special emblem on their hats to identify them. His son William jr. followed in his fathers footsteps. In 1841 he became an officer in the Cincinnati Fire Guards.

William sr. also served in the 24th Ohio State House of Representative and again in the 34th session. The family is recorded as being one of the pioneers of Hamilton County, Ohio. He also served on several community organization boards and rose to the rank of Colonel in the Ohio militia. William was also a member of the first city council convened in Cincinnati.

William's wife Alasanna, died in 1834. He continued to live in the original home until he sold it to his son sometime befoe 1843. The 1843 Cincinnati directory shows that William had moved to Walnut st. between 6th and 7th streets.

Walnut st. between south from 7th street.

Schillinger lived in this block.

Socialite Daughter

Frances Schillinger Hinkle

Daughter of William and Alasanna Schillinger

The Schillinger's 5th child,daughter Frances married Anthony Hinkle, a grocer who owned a business at the corner of Columbia and Vine sts. Anthony Hinkle went on to become a book binder than eventually a book publisher and distributor of book to Cincinnati area schools. The Hinkles became very wealthy and moved to the very prestigious Mt. Auburn section of Cincinnati. Census information givea us a good indication of how the Hinkle family fortune developed over time.

1850 - Hinkle family and a housekeeper
1860 - Hinkle family and a housekeeper, a servant and a butler
1870 - Hinkle family and a housekeeper, 2 servants and a butler
1880 - Hinkle family and a cook, servant, laundress, coachman and a butler.



The Hinkle Household Stood at 2314 Auburn Ave, Cincinnati, an area of Mt. Auburn considered as a premier place to live. The home looked like this.


William Schillinger's Last Home Mt. Auburn area of Cincinnati

Schillinge's Neighbor

This Hinkle home no longer exists but the home shown above was standing when the Hinkle home was built. No doubt it would have been out of my price point.

In addition to the Hinkles being very wealthy they were also philanthropists who contributed large amounts of money to many organizations in Hamilton County. They are too numerous to mention here but a quick internet search will show readers the ways this family contributed to Hamilton County.

NOTE: The average income the year the Schillingers granddaughter was married was $430 a year. Her wedding dress cost $600 ($2500 in today's value)or the equivalent to year and a half wages for the average person. Put into perspective, with today's average year wage of $42,000, the dress would cost over $60,000 dollars. It must have been a beauty.

William Schillingers Death

William moved in with his daughter and her family sometime before 1860, his wife Alasanna having died in 1834. Finally on March 17, 1871, after a short illness, William Schillinger died at the age of 90.

One obituary in a Cincinnati paper reads:

                DEATH OF COL. SCHILLINGER

On yesterday afternoon at the residence of his son-in-law A. H. Hinkle, Esq., on Mount Auburn, one of our oldest citizens – Col. Wm. SCHILLINGER – departed this life at the advanced age of 89 years. Col. SCHILLINGER was born on Cape Island, New Jersey in 1782 and emigrated to the West in 1802, having walked the whole distance from Philadelphia to this city. Shortly after locating here, he removed to the settlement at Plainville, and while there married to Miss ALASANNA ARMSTRONG, of that place. In 1812 he again took up his residence in Cincinnati, and remained here until the hour of his death. During the whole of his residence in Cincinnati, COL. SCHILLINGER has been closely identified with its history. In his early manhood, and for beyond his middle life, he was “part and parcel” of the municipal government of the city, and was a member of the first City Council convened. In the very early times, when it was necessary to look after the Indians on our immediate borders, 

COL. SCHILLINGER volunteered as a member of Capt. D. Hosbrocck’s company, of Gen. Wm. H. Harrison’s command and performed a tour of duty against the Indians of the Maumee river. On the return of this expedition on the formation of the militia (which in those days meant active duty), COL. SCHILLINGER was elected successively, Ensign, Captain, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel, and commissioned by Governors Huntington, Worthington and Ethan Allen Brown.

Most of our old citizens will recollect a society identified with our Fire Department called “Protection Society No. 1,” whose members comprised the very best of our citizens. Of this COL. SCHILLINGER was for years Chief. Of this trust he was very proud. The duty of the company was to protect property at fires. They wore white badges on their hats, inscribed “Protection,” and usually took possession of the immediate vicinity of the fire, keeping the people from crowding the firemen at their work. Among the Colonel’s papers, carefully preserved, was found a list of members of this early organization. As a reminder of those days, we give the names:

COL. SCHILLINGER was early identified with the church, and was an Elder for many years of the Rev. Joshua Wilson’s First Presbyterian Church, and was one of the corporators of Lane Seminary. He was ever a consistent Christian, and was rewarded by a long life. He passed away peacefully and without pain and has, without doubt, gone to the reward promised to those who are “faithful unto the end.”

Schillinger – On Friday March 17, at 2 o’clock, after a short illness, Col. Wm. Schillinger, in the 90th year of his age.Funeral on Monday, March 20th at 2 P.M., residence of his son-in-law, A.H. Hinkle, Mt. Auburn. Friends of the deceased and members of the Pioneer Association are invited to attend. Carriages will leave the office of the Undertaker, Mr. Estep, corner of Seventh and Central Avenue, at half-past 

Internment: Burial in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Oh
Record No. 22018
Public notice of death Mar 20, 1871
Disease: Old age
Interment Apr. 1, 1871 - 2 PM
Lot owner: Cones, Schillinger & Asjcraft (Ashcraft?)
Parents name: William & ? Schillinger
Size and kind of grave: Plain 6.10 x 28 in.
Undertaker: Estep & Meyer
T. B. Estep and A. H. Hinkle

Charges; Vt (vault) $1, Grave $4 rent $1

Next time you're in Cincinnati, if you get a chance stop by Spring Grove Cemetery. It's just off I75 and the cemetery is like entering the Roman Forum. It is one of the most beautiful cemeteries you'll ever see.. William and his family are buried in LN Garden Section 52, lot 196.

As a young man, William would have had no way of knowing how important his writings would be to readers two centuries after he wrote them. He gave us the key that unlocked the gates of Ft. Amanda so we could go inside. In doing so, he introduced us to ordinary people, heros in their own ways who never made the history books and who history forgot. If readers of the blogs this past 24 weeks have learned anything it's this. Next time you find yourself having to dispose of belongings of a deceased relative, when you get to the old, undated, unlabled,bent and crumpled photos and letters, and think, "I don't know any of these people so why would I want to keep them," treat them as treasurers. They were kept for a reason and in they're in that condition because they were very special to someone who probably looked at and read them many many times during their lives. "So, Dave, just how long am I supposed to keep them?" Forever.

David Johnson