| Notes |
- In 1846, Christian, his wife and their four children left Switzerlandfor the U.S. According to Christian Jr's naturalization papers (onfile in Wartburg in 1848), they were aboard a ship that encountered astorm on the high seas and was driven off course to some place on theGeorgia coast, then on to Charleston, S.C.
Morgan County Tennessee 1850 Federal Census
Surname -- Given Name(s) -- Age -- Gender -- Color -- Occupation --Real Estate -- Birthplace --
Ruffner--Christian------44--m--*--farmer--$250.00--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Cordolia------46--f--*--*--*--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Sun------20--f--*--*--*--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Christian------14--m--*--*--*--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Peter------10--m--*--*--*--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Michael------7--m--*--*--*--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Jacob------1--m--*--*--*--TN--*--*--*--*--*
Morgan County Tennessee 1860 Federal Census
Ruffner--Christian------55--m----farmer----GERMANY
Ruffner--Cordolia------57--f----GERMANY
Ruffner--Peter------20--m----GERMANY
Ruffner--Michael------16--m----GERMANY
Ruffner--Jackson-----10--m---TN
Ruffner--Plena Ann-----9--f---TN
Christian Ruffner, Jr. was a millwright by trade. He settled in thearea of the first district near the waters located on what is nowFairview Road. This area became known as "Ruffner's Switch." Hisfirst mill was located on these waters near the waterfall.
In 1866, Christian Ruffner Jr. gave one acre of land to the schoolcommissioners of the first district of Morgan County, TN. Upon thistract of land a meetinghouse was built. Said deed reads: "Thisparcel of land was conveyed to the Common school commissioners of the1st District of Morgan County, TN to wit: Ezra Russell, John Webster,& William C. Davis and their successors in office for the use of thecommon school and Church house to be free to all Christiandenominations to worship Almighty God.
Signed by:
Christian Ruffner, Jr.
Witnessed by: R.G. Hudson & William H. Davis, on the 23rd day of July1866. Recorded in deed book N, Pg. 620.
"Morgan County News" 13 Feb 1969 -article by Snyder E. Roberts
Christian Ruffner was one of the early Swiss-German colonizingfamilies of Coalfield, TN. The Christian Ruffner, Jr. descendants arenumerous and their activities have made a sizeable impact on thehistory of Coalfield and the 1st Dist. of Morgan County.
Christian Ruffner, Jr. was born March 1807 in the town of Maienfeld,and Canton (state) of Graubunden, Switzerland. His first 4 childrenwere born in Switzerland, and the youngest one in Morgan County. Thedata are authenticated by entries on a family sheet in "The FamilyBook to Community Wartburg" of the German Reformed Church written inGerman by its Pastor, the Rev. Theodore Etter in 1855.
Christian, Jr., his wife and 4 children left Switzerland in 1846,bound for the Wartburg Colony in Morgan County, TN. Judging from thedates given in Christian, Jr.'s naturalization papers which were filedin Wartburg in 1848, Christian, his family, and other colonizers wereaboard the ship that encountered a storm on the high seas and wasdriven off course to someplace on the GA coast before they made theirway to Charleston, SC.
Christian Ruffner, Jr. was a millwright by trade, and probably helpedwith the establishing of Wartburg before he settled some few miles tothe east in present-day 1st District which grew into a community witha Post Office called Rio, and as the Ruffners multiplied, it waslatter called "Ruffner's Switch.", and is the present-day Coalfield.
His first mill was located near the water fall slightly west of theCoalfield High School. As time went on, he and his sons located othersaw and grist mills powered by water, and later by steam.
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1807 - 1880 (72 years)
Siblings
