Accession GA91 - Schantz Russell family fonds.

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Schantz Russell family fonds.

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  • Source of title proper: Title chosen by donors.

Level of description

Accession

Reference code

SCA118-GA91

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Physical description area

Physical description

2.52 m of textual records
70 photographs : b&w, some sepia ; 51 x 56 or smaller
1 photograph : tintype ; hand col. ; 25 x 18 cm
32 prints : multiple processes ; 42 x 23 cm or smaller
4 paintings : multiple processes ; 20 x 26 cm or smaller
1 drawing : 22 x 17 cm
60 maps : 125 x 59 cm or smaller
1 wallet
3 cloths : suede
1 slate : 20 x 29 cm
1 pencil
4 ribbons
1 clipboard : wood and metal ; 37 x 23 cm

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Archival description area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The Schantz Family in North America is large and widespread; alternative spellings of the last name includes variations such as Tschantz, Shantz, Shonts, and Schanz. The family descended from Jacob Schanz (June 12, 1710-February 5, 1781) who emigrated to the United States of America in 1737 and settled in Pennsylvania. In 1810 Jacob’s son Christian Shantz (1769-1857) came to Waterloo County and settled at Freeport on the Grand River.

Christian’s son Benjamin Shantz (1811-1868) was an early Waterloo County inhabitant and one of the founders of Port Elgin, Ontario where he settled in 1854 and established a grist and flour mill. Benjamin married Lydia Kolb (1814-1862) on April 10, 1842 and together they had ten children; Josiah K. Schantz (1834-1913), Catharine Schantz (May 17, 1836-February 28, 1917), Hannah Schantz (April 1, 1838-August 20, 1841), Christian Schantz (January 20, 1840-?), Tobias Schantz (1842-1925), Abraham K. Schantz (September 20, 1844-?), Benjamin K. Schantz (December 5, 1846), Menno K. Schantz (January 31, 1849-July 6, 1888), Lydia K. Schantz (August 17, 1851-July 16, 1900), Sarah K. Schantz (April 1, 1854-April 10, 1878), and Enoch K. Schantz (October 7, 1856-May 25, 1888).

When Lydia died in 1862, Benjamin remarried his housekeeper, Margaret Swinton. Benjamin and Margaret left Port Elgin, Ontario and settled in Dallas County, Missouri. Correspondence in the collection between Benjamin and his son Tobias recount Benjamin’s settler experiences in Dallas County, Missouri.

The Schantz Russell Family Papers centre around Tobias Schantz, his wife Mary Schantz and their descendants, drawing together primary sources relating to several early white settler families of Waterloo County, primarily the Schantz, Moyer/Meyer and Bowman families, and material relating to descendants of the Moyer settlers of Lincoln County, Ontario.

Custodial history

Scope and content

Material created or accumulated by members of the Schantz Russell family including correspondence, photographs, ephemera, maps, artifacts and more.

The records document the education, interests and activities of members of the Schantz Russell family. In particular, the correspondence files notably detail the lives of the Schantz women who were well-educated, and travelled. Their letters record details of domestic activities, local and national affairs. The photographs add to the known body of work of local photographers, most notably Denton, and include some images of important local events, such as the visit of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. The many very early local maps and plans provide significant insight for area research.

The records, originally stored in the attic of the Schantz Russell family home at 43 Schneider Avenue in Kitchener, were kept in trunks, boxes and desks, some belonging to individuals, and some containing general family papers. The arrangement of the fonds has been determined largely by the way the material was stored.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Donated by Dorothy Russell and Harold Russell in 1995.

Arrangement

Arranged in series as follows:

  • 1. Schantz, Florence Annie Catherine.
  • 2. Schantz, Franklin Abram.
  • 3. Schantz, Mary.
  • 4. Schantz, Tobias Kolb.
  • 5. Tobias and Mary Schantz family.
  • 6. Schantz family reunion.
  • 7. Correspondence.
  • 8. Photographs.
  • 9. Maps and plans.
  • 10. Artifacts.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Location of originals

Availability of other formats

Restrictions on access

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Copyright University of Waterloo Library.

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General note

General note

"Schantz/Russell Family Papers Donated to the Doris Lewis Rare Book Room" about the initial donation of the Schantz Russell family fonds appeared in the May 1996 edition of the University of Waterloo Library Newsletter (v.27, n.1).

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Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Described in 1995.
Revised by NM in February 2019.

Language of description

  • English

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