Frederick Elder Metzger was born on March 29, 1810, in Hanover, Pennsylvania, to Frederick Metzger and Maria Elizabeth Etzier. He married Eliza Ann Emich, and they had at least five children together: Henry Clay, born on February 2, 1839; Catherine, born around 1841; Mary Jane, born around 1845; Ruth Eliza, born around 1847; and George Kosuth, born around 1852. The family lived in Hanover, and Metzger worked as a merchant. In 1850, he reported $2,300 in real estate. A decade later, he described himself as a "Gentleman" and owned about $14,000 in real estate. He served as a tax collector for York County, a manager for the Hanover Branch Railroad Company, and a cashier for the First National Bank of Hanover. In 1870, he was working as a banker, and he owned $40,000 in real estate and $60,000 in personal property. He died on May 3, 1877, and was buried in Hanover.