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WCU - Horace Kephart

Calvin I. Kephart to Judge John W. Kephart, Walter D. Kephart, Horace Kephart, and Sara W. Capehart, February 26, 1924

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  • In a letter to Judge John W. Kephart, Walter D. Kephart, Horace Kephart, and Sara W. Capehart on February 26, 1924, Calvin I. Kephart writes to family members regarding progress with research on the Gebhardt family lineage in Europe. Mr. Kephart states Samuel A. Kephart in Paris and the State Archives in Bern both continue research on family in Köniz, Switzerland. He explains George Gebhardt of Köniz traveled and settled in New Bern, North Carolina in 1710, and this development will be considered further at Bern.
  • 2131 y St. f,*., Washington, B.C. f««ruary 26, 1934. Judge John W.Kephart, Sbensburg, Fa. Mr. Walter D. Xephart, Boa Angeles, Calif. Mr. Horace Kephart,' Bryson City, I.C. Mrs. Sara W. Capehart, lashing ton, B.C. Ladies and Gentlement The inclosed copy of communication received yesterday from Mr. Herman Oebhard, Spplngsn, Baden, Germany, indicates that we have at last gotten onto .son* real live trails' in the Gsbhardt family search in Jurope. Since Col. Samuel A. Kephart, now in Paris, has become interested In this work, I have sen t him a copy of this letter, with various other information, suggestions, etc., and believe he will soon show substantial results. This 8©h©pfh»lm family, whose ancestor cms from Xenia, near Born, Switnerland,.seems particularly worth investigating, thru the booklet rstferrfd 'to at .Freiburg, and he has been asked to look into this phase of toe matter. It may give various clues worth following up. I have sis© written to Born, State Archives, for data concerning the antecedents of this rather numerous family of Gebhardt of 1800 at Kenia. Th® thought follows wheth&r or no* this stock had common origin with the Basel family of Gebhardt, which dates back to 1406, and I have mode this inquiry. I incline to sard th© vie« that the whole crowd originated in ancient times in the vicinity ©f Bern, and that msmfcsrs began to move northward very early, one or more having settled at Basel .about 1400, while ©there remained at the original source, and others later, -either from the Basel or Komia branches, also migrated into &®Aamt scattering at various points, some at fUehen, where H,Oebhard's ancestor® settled and where the church records sewn to hara burned, while ours went farther north, into the Breuberg dletrict of the Odenwald, where at least two are known to resided at the time they came to Assrlea in 1754. Col. Kephart will doubtless® follow up these dues in Baden. I thought you all ®i#*t be interested in these develop* stents. It indicates that I have been heading in th© right direction. It also shows that the ancestor of the forth Carolina Capeharts was George Geohardt, of Konia, who joined at Born, nearby, the expedition" of Baron von Graffinried which settled at Hew Bern, l.C, about 1710; at least strongly point® that way. I have made an inquiry concerning this individual it Bern, sine® these southern people are also interested in the matter. Their problem seems simpler than ours. Sincerely yours,

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Horace Kephart

Background and Early Career Horace Kephart was born in 1862 in Pennsylvania, but spent much of his youth in Iowa. He went on to achieve success in two careers. Trained as a...

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