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.
Published
Thirty-four letters received Franklin Abram Schantz.
Date and Place from: May 24, 1911 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958 Notes: Closing says Frank but written by may be written by Arthur Schantz.
Date and Place from: July 10, 1911 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Oct. 16, 1911 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Jan. 13, 1912 Calgary, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Dec. 17, 1912 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958 Notes: Written on Golden West Hotel letterhead.
Date and Place from: Jan. 12, 1913 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Jan. 24, 1913 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Feb. 16, 1913 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: April 28, 1913 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: June 1, 1898 Atlantic, Iowa To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958 Notes: partial letter, closing missing.
Date and Place from: May 16, 1912 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Dec. 14, 1892 New Dundee, Ont. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Sept. 12, 1898 Chicago, Ill. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958 Notes: Written on P. B. Weare & Co. Grain letterhead.
Date and Place from: July 1, 1899 Hopewell, OR To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958 Attachments: Envelope, no stamp.
Date and Place from: Aug. 3, 1899 Vancouver, B.C. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: May 17, 1911 ? To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Aug. 14, 1911 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Jan. 15, 1912 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: April 24, 1912 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: July 6, 1912 To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Feb. 19, 1913 Didsbury, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Sept. 14, 1913 Westcott To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Oct. 12, 1913 Westcott To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Aug. 22, 1901 Athabaska Landing Trail To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: June 20, 1898 Chicago, Ill. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958 Notes: Written on P. B. Weare & Co. Letterhead.
Date and Place from: Feb. 14, 1915 Westcott, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Mar. 11, 1915 Carstairs, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: May 31, 1915 Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Jan. 17, 1916 Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Feb. 23, 1916 Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Apr. 24, 1916 Big Prairie, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958 Notes: Written on Royal Hotel letterhead.
Date and Place from: Aug. 3, 1916 Big Prairie, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Nov. 21, 1916 Big Prairie, Alta. To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Date and Place from: Oct. 31, 1898 Chicago, IL To Schantz, Franklin Abram, 1874-1962 From Schantz, Arthur Benjamin, 1876-1958.
Donated by Dorothy Russell and Harold Russell in 1995.
Revised by NM in February 2019.