Philip Vasbinder, father of
Charles Vasbinder who was recently killed near Oxford, Michigan, came to
Upper Canada in about the year 1820, with his family from New Jersey, and
settled in Windham Norfolk County.
About the same time a number of
families who were connected with each other and related to him also came
to this Province, namely the Howells, Ogdens, Swazys, Freemans and others.
Philip Vasbinder and the father of the late Dan[iel W]esley Freeman had
married sisters in New Jersey.
Philip Vasbinder was a man of
great energy and business capacity. He acquired a large property in land,
which he successfully cultivated. In addition he established a tannery or
considerable capacity, saddle and harness shops, and boot and shoe shop
and did carriage trimming, and was a large employer of labor.
He took an
active part in the early development of the county and was one of the
Bench of Magistrates. He was also the Quarter Master of the third
battalion of Norfolk Militia, with the brevet rank of Lieut.-Colonel.
His sons, Nelson, Gilbert, and
Charles, as stated in our issue of June 4th, removed to the State of
Michigan. Nelson was a Justice of the Peace for the county and a captain
of the Norfolk Militia. Daniel, another son, graduated in medicine at
Toronto and New York and acquired a large practice in Mexico, where he
died a number of years ago.
The old Vasbinder house near the
Windham church and the Beemer house, about half a mile south, were
probably the two largest and most commodious houses of their time in the
county, having been built about the year 1828. The Vasbinder house was
destroyed in the year 1871 by fire.
