New Philadelphia in Vintage Postcards

In 1772, Native Americans granted land in the Tuscarawas Valley to Moravian missionary David Zeisberger, and he established the Christian community of Schoenbrunn Village, which remained until 1777 when members were forced to relocate. Then in late 1804, John Knisely, his family, and other pioneers braved the western frontier and settled on the Tuscarawas River near the Schoenbrunn Village site. On October 23, 1804, John Knisely founded the town of New Philadelphia. He was a great philanthropist, donating land to the city for future public buildings, guaranteeing its selection as the Tuscarawas County Seat. In Schoenbrunn Village, which has been partially excavated and rebuilt as a historic site in New Philadelphia, missionaries lived in harmony with Native Americans, and so it seems fitting that New Philadelphia, through the influence of John Knisely's generosity, has maintained its image as the new "city of brotherly love." Two hundred years later, the city strives to keep Knisely's dream alive with its generous allocation of resources and commitment to those in need.