Prottsman / Protzman Origin
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Prottsman / Protzman Origin
| Leo S. Prottsman (View posts) | Posted: 10 Jul 2000 1:44PM GMT |
Prottsman is a family of the Protzman line which has its origins in the village of Witgenborn, in the old German principality of Hesse-Nassau. The first member of the family came to America in 1743. This was Lorenz Protzmann. He originally settled in York county, Pennsylvania. His older brother, Johann Ludwig Protzmann, came to America in 1750. He also settled in York county. Both brothers and their families moved to Frederick county, Maryland prior to the War of Independence and became members of the Moravian community of Graceham (about 12 miles north of Frederick). It is the descendents of the older brother that eventually settled in Iowa after the Civil War and changed the spelling of the family name to Prottsman from Protsman. It had been changed from Protzman to Protsman when the family moved from Maryland to Virginia, about 1793 and then to Washington county, Ohio about 1811-12.
William Protsman, son of Lawrence Protzman and grandson of John Ludwig Protzmann, married in 1825 and relocated to Champaign county, Ohio about 1830. His son, John Wesley Protsman, relocated to Iowa immediately after the Civil War, settling in Henry county. He begain spelling his name Prottsman, even though his brother and five sisters continued to use Protsman. Hence, the Prottsman name is unique to the family line and primarily still centered in Henry county, Iowa with the exception of a group in western Nebraska and one in Oregon, both descendents of John Wesley's grandson, Joseph Wesley "Irl" Prottsman (1895-1980).
Lawrence Protsman (1751-1823) was born in York county, Pennsylvania, the son of John Ludwig Protzmann and Anna maria Heilman. Lawrence served as a sergeant in the Maryland militia from Frederick county during the the American Revolution. He was an active land speculator and tavern owner. He laid out the town of Hopewell, Kentucky, later named Paris. He owned and operated a tavern in Harrisonburg, Virginia and later moved to Marietta, Ohio, where he died in 1823.
The descendents of Lorenz Protzmann have a large family population centered around Dayton, Ohio. The still hold an annual family reunion picnic the fourth Sunday in August every year. The current reunion secretary is David Protzman of Lewisburg, Ohio.
William Protsman, son of Lawrence Protzman and grandson of John Ludwig Protzmann, married in 1825 and relocated to Champaign county, Ohio about 1830. His son, John Wesley Protsman, relocated to Iowa immediately after the Civil War, settling in Henry county. He begain spelling his name Prottsman, even though his brother and five sisters continued to use Protsman. Hence, the Prottsman name is unique to the family line and primarily still centered in Henry county, Iowa with the exception of a group in western Nebraska and one in Oregon, both descendents of John Wesley's grandson, Joseph Wesley "Irl" Prottsman (1895-1980).
Lawrence Protsman (1751-1823) was born in York county, Pennsylvania, the son of John Ludwig Protzmann and Anna maria Heilman. Lawrence served as a sergeant in the Maryland militia from Frederick county during the the American Revolution. He was an active land speculator and tavern owner. He laid out the town of Hopewell, Kentucky, later named Paris. He owned and operated a tavern in Harrisonburg, Virginia and later moved to Marietta, Ohio, where he died in 1823.
The descendents of Lorenz Protzmann have a large family population centered around Dayton, Ohio. The still hold an annual family reunion picnic the fourth Sunday in August every year. The current reunion secretary is David Protzman of Lewisburg, Ohio.