Hans Jost Hite

Background

Hans Jost Hite was born as Hans Justus Heydt on December 5, 1685, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the son of Anna Magdelena and Johannes Heydt.

Career

In 1709, Hans Hite emigrated to America with his family. They lived in New York State three or four years. The family then moved to Pennsylvania, near Germantown, now part of the city of Philadelphia, where they bought 150 acres on the Skippack River in 1714. Four years later, on 15 November 1718, they purchased 600 acres a few miles up the Perkiomen, for the price of 125 pounds. Here Jost built a grist mill just outside of present day Swenksville.

It would seem that by now the Hite family, in possession of considerable property and comfortably situated in a new two-story house with stone walls two feet thick, would be content with their success in the new world. And perhaps they were, even though an Indian attack, repulsed by the local German farmers, occurred close by. But unknown to them, the actions of a traveling Indian trader from the New York area were shaping their future, and drawing the name of Jost Hite into the history of the development of a rich wilderness area 140 miles to the southwest, in the "Northern Neck" of Virginia.

For a number of years, John VanMeter had traveled among the Indian tribes supplying them with a variety of materials in exchange for furs. He was widely known and readily accepted by a number of tribes, living with them and moving among them with apparent ease. During the late 1720's, it is said that he attached himself to a war party of Delawares and accompanied them on an expedition to the south, up the valley of the Shenandoah River, to attack the Catawbas. He was so well impressed with the lower valley area that upon returning he and his brother Isaac obtained a grant from the Colonial Government at Williamsburg for 40, 000 acres, 17 June 1730, with the condition that they settle one family per thousand acres on the land within two years.

Word of this venture immediately aroused the interest of Jost Hite and he sought out the VanMeters, acquiring the rights to their grant on August 5, 1731. Not satisfied, he and Robert McKay pursued what appeared to be golden opportunity and on October 31 signed papers at Williamsburg for an additional grant of 100, 000 acres, subject to the same conditions of settlement within a two-year period. Then, together with Robert Green and William Duff, they set up land company operations. Just what part McKay played in this enterprise is not entirely clear. Accounts of the settlement of the lower Shenandoah Valley invariably list Hite as the leader of this first permanent settlement west of the Blue Ridge.

Prior to this transaction Jost had disposed of his Pennsylvania property and went with his family to Virginia. They arrived at their destination on Opequon Creek in the fall of 1731. Site locations for the several families, surveying, corner staking and cabin building all had to be done at once. The Hite sons-in-law were permitted to make their own selection of 750 acres each. From the Hite location the Chrismans settled two miles south, the Bowmans about seven, and the Fromans some five miles southwest. Robert McKay, Jr. chose a site at the forks of the river where he set up a saw mill. His father settled about five miles up the south fork of the river. By agreement, a line running from the Shawnee springs to the forks of the river divided the land. McKay was to settle the land east of the line, while Hites' land lay to the west. Hite, as might be expected, set up a grist mill on Opequon Creek a short distance from his house.

When son John was married in 1737, Jost and Anna Maria turned the house and tavern over to him and moved to a site about a mile east of the Bowmans on land that had been set aside for Isaac, a location later known as "Long Meadows. " This is the title chosen by Minnie Hite Moody for her historical novel concerning the family, published in 1941.

Achievements

• Hans Jost Hite was one of the first American settlers in Pennsylvania and then moved to Virginia. In 1734, Jost and his fellow settlers petitioned for formation of a new county, to be called Orange. The county was formed, with Jost as one of the magistrates.

Connections

On 11 November 1704, Jost Hite married Anna Maria Merkle. She was the daughter of a prominent family of the Bonfeld-Wimpfen area. After the death of his wife he married Maria Magdalena.

Father:

Johannes Heydt

Mother:

Anna Magdelena Heydt

Spouse:

Maria Magdalena Hite

Spouse:

Anna Marie (Merckle) Hite

Daughter:

Elizabeth (Hite) Froman

Daughter:

Magdalena (Hite) Chrisman

Daughter:

Mary Elizabeth (Hite) Bowman

Son:

Isaac Hite

Son:

Abraham Hite

References

• German origins of Jost Hite, Virginia pioneer, 1685-1761 (Shenandoah genealogical source book)