The Voits of Jeffersonville, Indiana

A Voit family immigrated to the Ohio River port town of Jeffersonville, Indiana in the 1850s and still has a presence in the area.

The progenitor of this family, Stephen Voit, was born in 1816 in Bavaria and became a naturalized American citizen in New York City in 1842.  He likely immigrated through the port of New York in the late 1830s and migrated to Jeffersonville about 1853.

Famous Voits: The Voit Rubber Corporation

The most famous Voit family in America is the family of George Ernst Voit who was born in Thuringia about 1806.  George's grandson, William J. Voit, founded the Voit Rubber Corporation.  William J. patented a process of rubber vulcanization which enabled him to manufacture footballs with a separate rubber bladder.  The Voit Rubber Corporation later became the international sporting goods firm AMF-Voit after being purchased by American Machine and Foundry (AMF).