George Forsyth Eichelberger (1809 – 1851)

George Forsyth Eichelberger, M.D., _{(Phillip, John, George, John)} was born on November 15, 1809 in York County, Pennsylvania and was baptized as Christ Lutheran Church.  He was one of ten children to parents John Eichelberger and Sarah Dinkle.

1809 York, PA – Birth Records for George Forsyth Eichelberger (Pg 2)

On March 20, 1832, George graduated from Washington Medical School in Baltimore, Maryland, in the fifth graduating class of the school.  His graduation announcement was published in the Baltimore Gazette on March 22, 1832.  An 1830′s artist’s depiction of the Maryland Hospital with the Washington Medical School in the background can be seen below. The school was later renamed and is now known as Washington University.

1832 Washington Medical School Graduation Announcement – George Eichelberger

Maryland Hospital and Medical School – 1830s – George Forsyth Eichelberger

On May 11, 1832, George married Maria Gardner Spangler (1813-1890), also of York, Pennsylvania. The marriage was announced in the German Gazette and the York Republican in 1832.

Over the next twenty years, they had eleven children:

• Adolphus Spangler Eichelberger (b. 1833, York, Pennsylvania)
• Albert Peter Eichelberger (b. 1834, York, Pennsylvania)
• George Gardner Eichelberger (b. 1836, York, Pennsylvania – d. 1844, St Louis, Missouri)
• Jessie Amanda Eichelberger (b. 1837, Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Sallie “Sarah” Dinkle Eichelberger (b. 1839, Cincinnati, Ohio)
• John Eichelberger (b. 1840, d. 1841)
• Maria Gordon Eichelberger (b. 1843, Missouri- d. 1924, St Louis, Missouri)
• Ophelia Eichelberger (b. 1844, Missouri – d. 1891)
• Kate Eichelberger (b. 1846, Missouri – d. 1920, St Louis, Missouri)
• Gardner Spangler Eichelberger (b. 1848, St Louis, Missouri – d. 1918, St Louis, Missouri)
• Mattie Eichelberger (b. 1850, St Louis, Missouri)

Based on the births of their children, it appears that the family moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio sometime between 1836-1837 and then from Ohio to St Louis, Missouri between 1839 and 1843.

In 1850, the family is living in Carondelet, Missouri.  George lists his occupation as a physician and the value of his real estate to be $10,000.  This is an amount far surpassing all of his neighbors.

1850 Census – George Forsyth Eichelberger

George died on December 4, 1851 in St Louis, Missouri.  He is buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St Louis, Missouri.

In 1881, during the platting of Carondelet Commons, what had been previously known as Clark Road, named after the Lewis and Clark expedition explorer, William Clark, was renamed Eichelberger Street.  At that point, it is shown stretching from Morganford Road to the River Des Peres.  It was named to honor Dr. Georger Forsyth Eichelberger, a member of Carondelet’s first city council.   In 1946, the platting of the Villa Nova Subdivision extended Eichelberger Street to include it’s current locations.

_Sources:

_{American Civil War Medical and Surgical Antiques, Washington Medical College of Baltimore, 1832.}

_{Baptisms at Christ Lutheran Church, York, York County, Pennsylvania – Historical Society of York, Pennsylvania, Source Pg No. 250.}

_{1850 Federal Census: dwell/fam # 82/89; Carondelet, Missouri; George, Maria, Gard and family Eichelberger}

_{German Gazette: Marriage Announcements – May 18, 1832} 

_{Baltimore Gazette, Washington Medical College Graduation Announcement – 3/22/1832 – George Eichelberger}

_{St Louis Public Library – Lasting Impressions: German Americans in St Louis, German Street Names, 2005}

 

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