The Fry Family

 

Little is known of the early history of the Fry family in America. The first Frys were native to Germany; and emigrated to America before 1790. Whether they came first to Pennsylvania, or to one of the other ports of entry, is not now known; but they eventually settled in Pennsylvania.

Second Generation

John, our earliest known ancestor, was born about 1790 in Pennsylvania. Given his German heritage, his name at birth may have been Johannes, and it is possible that his parents surname was in the German form, Frey or Frei, rather than an Anglicized Fry.

James Smith Fry, in his biographical record (see below), tells us that his grandfather served in the War of 1812; and there is a record of a John Fry on a payroll submitted by Lt. Joseph Dreibelbies, in the Regiment of Lt. Col. George Weirick, for October, 1814.

We can surmise that John Fry brought his wife, Anna, and family to Stark County, Ohio around 1815 (his son, Wyerman, is said to have been born in Stark County, Ohio, in December, 1816). About 1826, he acquired a farm of 100 acres in Suffield Township, Portage County, Ohio. The original farm and acreage can still be seen today on Pontius Road, just east of the Summit County line.

John was a farmer and shoemaker. His known children are Wierman Fry, Oliver Perry Fry and J. Porter Fry. More needs to be done to find the descendents of Oliver Perry and J. Porter Fry.