John Hildebrand is well known because he was the earliest known settler in the area that became Jefferson County. The "History of Missouri" by Houck states: The oldest American settlement in upper Louisiana was on the Meramec. The name Hildebrand, twisted into Albrane by the Spanish officials, is found in the old archives as early as 1770. The Hildebrands came from Monongahela County, Pennsylvania and were German, according to Mrs. Elizabeth McCourtney. . . "

Jefferson County Missouri in Story and Picture, by Mary Joan Boyer, p. 10 states: "The earliest settlements in Jefferson County were made in the northeastern part in the neighborhood of the Meramec. Improvements appear to have been made there as early as 1773. The earliest settler in regard to whom anything definitely is known, is John Hilterbrand, who resided on Saline Creek, about 3 miles from Fenton. He was living there and engaged in farming as early as 1774 but the time of his arrival in that locality cannot be accurately ascertained. He resided there until 1780.

Page 12: Rock Township: Rock Creek had also a number of early settlers. Where the town of Kimmswick now is, John Hilterbran made a settlement on Saline Creek, about three miles from Fenton on the Meramec River. Salt works were erected, and salt made near Salt Springs in the year 1775. The close vicinity of this part of the county to St. Louis, made it the scene of some of the earliest settlements."

John was pioneering on Saline Creek, a tributary to the Meramec. It was 1775 when salt was produced there. From Draper's notes we learn that salt was made at Gratiot's Lick on the Meramec and at Morgan's Lick. It would bring $3.00 per bushel "and pretty wet at that."

John brought his family into the French and Spanish region and was granted land from the Spanish government there. This concession was not confirmed until 24 Nov 1779.

"We, Don Fernando de Leyba, Captain in the Regiment of Louisiana, Commander in Chief and Lieutenant Governor . .

On the demand of John Albrane, who was represented to us in his petition that he had come over from the American side in order to fix his residence on this side, and become a subject of His Catholic Majesty, provided we receive him as such; that he wished to cultivate the soil and form a permanent establishment, and supplicates us to grant to him a title of concession of 8 arpents of land in width by 40 arpents in length, situated at about 4 leagues from the mouth of the Meramec River on the right side of the said river. Through the said 8 arpents in width passes a bayou or branch, which having run through the land of John Sander, crosses this said tract from one end to the other. The two extremities of said land run north and south and the two sides east and west; and having offered to take the oath of fidelity to His Catholic Majesty, and declaring that he was of the Catholic Apostolic and Roman religion, therefore the said Albrane has sworn to be faithful to the King and to his government, we have granted and do grant to him in fee simple, as well as to his heirs and assigns, the 8 arpents of land in width by 40 arpents in length, in all their extent of length and width, such and according as they are designated in his said petition, which we have returned to him on condition to establish himself thereon and improve the said land in one year from this date under pain to have same reunited to the King's domain and regranted. And the said land to be liable to the public charges and others which may please His Majesty to impose, forbidding any person, of whatever his rank may be, to trouble said John Albrane in his present grant, and cause him any damage under pain of punishment.

The bayou referred to is Saline Creek. Hildebrand sold the land to Thomas Tyler in 1788, who in turn conveyed it to Jacques Clamorgan, deed Sept 17, 1791.

Evidence concerning this tract was given before the board of Land Commissioners in 1808:

"Peter Chouteau, sworn, says that John Hildebrand inhabited and cultivated the land claimed in 1774, that he found him still inhabiting and cultivating the said land in 1780, when deponent, by order of the Lieutenant Governor went out on the premises to warn said Hildebrand to abandon same on account of Indian depredations. This order was obeyed by Hildebrand as well as all the inhabitants of Meramec."

The Hildebrand concession was for 320 arpents (272 acres). The concessions were made without cost to claimants except for surveying, etc.

In 1780 inhabitants of the Meramec Settlement were warned by P. Chouteau to leave their homes on account of Indians. This was a result of an attack on St. Louis May 26, 1780, by English and Indians, during the Revolutionary War. About 1787 the inhabitants again fled their homes in the settlement on account of Indians.
[The above taken from Missouri Historical Review, Vol. I, p. 278. This was researched in 1965]

It was highly unlikely that John Hildebrand was of the Catholic faith. All settlers to the Spanish regime were required to swear allegiance to the king and promise to be good Catholics. The Americans never took this seriously as they promptly requested ministers from their own faiths. The first protestant church estasblished west of the Mississippi was during the Spanish regime. For the most part, the Spanish looked the other way. At one point, under a change of leadership, they decided to enforce the rule but the settlers petitioned and a compromise was worked out. It was agreed that they could have their minister providing he was transported back across the Mississippi before nightfall. (We assisted in the compilation of the BiCentennial history of the Old Bonhomme Church of St. Louis County. J Mc)

John gave testimony in 1812 for Peter Burrell's land claim "that about 33 or 34 years ago Burrell was inhabiting and cultivating this tract of land. [South side of Marameck] Witness purchased corn of said Burrell; he had a considerably large field in cultivation; also, young orchard, beginning to bear fruit. This claimant abandoned this tract, on account of Indian disturbances, soon after. Burrell had a wife and child." (See Polyanthos, Missouri Land Claims, p. 269). This took place about 1778-9.

In 1780 John Hildebrand left the area temporarily. This was the year that Fort Jefferson was built. His brother, Peter, arrived with Clark in April of 1780. Perhaps John joined them at the fort. (See: Hold the Fort) We know that a John Hildebrand was awarded a land grant in Illinois for service under Clark (Reynolds: History of Illinois). He had settled land on the east side of the Kaskaskia River and had cultivated land prior to 1788. In 1782 the Indian attacks had become so severe that most settlers and soldiers were driven out. 47

John took his family to North Carolina in an area that became Tennessee where a son, Jonathan was born in 1783. We are left to wonder if this indicates a connection to the Hildebrands of N.C. When the Americans abandoned Fort Jefferson they were destitute. Soldiers were still defending the forts in Kentucky so it appears that John took his family a little further away from the battles. Clark had recruited men from the Holston Broad country so it is possible that friends took them home with them. It is also possible that he joined relatives in the NC/TN area.

Later, John went to Kentucky and had a daughter married at or near Louisville in 1793. Also before 1800 he had daughters who were married in Natchez (testimony of Elizabeth McCourtney). The rivers were the highways in those days. If anyone from Tennessee or Kentucky had goods to sell from trapping or farming, they loaded it on flatboats and took it down the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans to be sold for shipment out of that port. The farmers would simply cut loose the logs and journey home by foot.

This was not a time of free trade as the pioneers were constantly on guard against the Indians. Most of the people who left the Meramec settlement probably went to French settlements that were fortified. John may have had relatives back in Louisville for him to go back there. We have no record of him coming back to Missouri before 1799, although he may have.

We know that John and his family left Mo ca 1780. A Jonathan was born 1783 in North Carolina (later Tennessee), then Ann was md 1793 in Jefferson Co., KY, then they returned to Jefferson Co., MO. The period from 1780 to 1799 is largely undocumented for the life of this family. Almost twenty years represents another generation.

We note that in Houck's Spanish Regime in Missosuri (MHS) that early land records or tax lists show an Abraham Hildebrand on Negro Fork (Big River) in 1780 and David Hildebrand in 1785 at the same general location. This was the location settled by Peter Hildebrand about 1782. When John moved back into the area he also took up land on Negro Fork. (See maps) This was 400 arpents granted by Zeno Trudo in 1799 and sold to his son, Jonathan in 1807:

Know all men by these presents that we, John Hildebrand and Margaret his wife, of Upper Louisiana, have for and in consideration of the sum of $400 to us in hand paid, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged before the selling and delivering of these presents, granted bargained and sold, and by these presents, do grant, bargain and sell, unto Jonathan Hildebrand of the aforesaid place, and all of the district of St. Louis, to him, his heirs and assigns, all the rights title, claim, demand, or interest which we jointly or separately have in and to a certain tract of land, containing 400 arpens, granted by Zeno Trudo in the year 1799, and surveyed by William Russell, the 23rd of January 1806, and situated as follows, viz.: Beginning at a huckleberry and elm on the north east branch of the Negro Fork of the Meramec River, running thence due north 162 poles to an elm and mulberry then east 210 poles to an ash and black oak, passing through a small lake in 80 rising hill in 120, thence south 181 poles to a chinkapin oak and cedar on crossing a small branch in 155, thence down on the Negro Fork of the Meramec River to the beginning which tract of parcel of land as above described, we do hereby warrant, and defend from all manner of person or persons unto the said Jonathan Hildebrand to him, his heirs and assigns forever.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hand and affixed our seals this 11th day of July 1807.

We have an interesting insight into the life of this family from the probate record of John (Jefferson County file #237). On 1 Aug 1814 was paid out of the estate $7.50 to Marshal Jones for breaking one yoke of oxen. John also had a pair of shoes made 20 Oct 1813 by Philip Felton.

"Inventory of the goods and chattels belonging to John Hillibran, deceased late of the Township Joachim and County of St. Louis appraised on Monday the 14th November one thousand eight hundred and fourteen by John Pyatt, Abraham Hellebran and Michael Null:

County of St. Louis Township of Joachim personally came John Pyatt, Michael Null and Abraham Halderbrand before me a justice of the peace in and for the County & township aforesaid who was sworn agreed by law as appraisers of the Estate of the late deceased." It is interesting that Christian Hildebrand paid $4 to the estate. For other estate papers, see Appendix.

The dates we have for John Hildebrand are: born in 1733 and died in 1814 which would have made him 81 years old. We have no proof of this early date

His wife, Margaret, and son Jonathan are co-administrators of the estate. From the probate papers we get no indication that there were any other sons as heirs. Ann and her daughters, Sarah, and Jane are named as heirs. Securities for Administrators Bond: Peter Sullens, John McCourtney, and Isaac Herrington. Former securities were John Wideman and William Russell of St. Louis Co., Territory of Missouri. Russell was formerly bound unto Mary P. Ledue, clerk of the Court of Commons in St. Louis, sworn to 14 Dec 1814. The final settlement of this estate was advertised in the Missouri Republic on 2nd Monday of Sept 1826 to release Margaret and Jonathan Heldebrand as admr. and admx. In 1823 a Samuel "Hillibran" signed as a testator for William Drenen, heir in estate of John Hillibran. This is the only place we have seen this name.

The cemetery where John was buried is located on the land that Jonathan sold to T. H. Maddox (excepting the cemetery) where he built the Maddox Mill. (Deed I378) A descendant told Anna Sartori they had discovered this old private cemetery on the banks of the Big River. It had been partly washed away over the years as the river changed its course. In the 1900s, when people were building their homes on this land, they excavated for a cistern and unearthed a very old coffin. The coffin had laid there for many years as practically all the remains of the body had gone, and only a few ornaments from the clothing were left. The people inquired of the older citizens and were told it was an old Hildebrand cemetery. Anna believed it was the burying ground for old John and some of the earliest family members. There are no markers extant that we know of. 7

The Hildebrand Database provides the original documentation to this work as well as for many Hildebrand lineages in the U.S.