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THE 


HISTOEY 


OF 


WYANDOT  COUNTS' 


J 


OHIO 


CONTAINING 


A  History  of  the  County;   its.  Townships.   Towns,   Churches 

Schools,  etc.;   General  and  Local  Statistics;  Military 

Record;  Portraits  of  Early  Settlers  and  Prominent 

Men;  History  of  the  Northwest  Territory; 

History  of  Ohio;  Miscellaneous 

Matters,  etc.,  etc. 


ili_.tjst:e^j^teid. 


CHICAGO: 

LEGGETT,    CON  AWAY    &    CO 

1884. 


\ 


4^ 


JOHN  MORRIS    SUCCESSOR  to 


PREFACE. 


TO  rescufi  from  a  fast  engulfing  oblivion  the  authentic  events  which 
have  transpired  in  this  region  during  a  period  of  more  than  one  hundred 
years,  to  preserve  and  to  do  honor  to  the  memory  of  those  who  first  dwelt 
within  its  boundaries,  and  to  present  an  historical  view  of  the  institutions 
and  industries  of  town  and  hamlet  and  township,  is  the  object  we  have  had 
in  purpose  in  the  preparation  of  this  work.  It  has  been  our  endeavor  to 
glean  the  facts  thoroughly,  to  present  them  simply  and  plainly. 

As  the  table  of  contents  indicates,  the  work  is  divided  into  four  parts. 
Parts  First  and  Second  treat  briefly  the  history  of  the  Northwest  Territory 
and  the  State  of  Ohio.  Parts  Third  and  Fourth  are  chiefly  devoted  to 
Wyandot  County.  'The  twelve  chapters  embraced  by  Part  Third,  as  well  as 
l/the  history  of  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  found  in  Part  Fourth,  have  been 
prepared  by  Capt.  John  S.  Schenckj  a  gentleman  of  wide  experience  in  thej 
compilation  of  local  annals.  The  remainder  of  Part  Fourth,  mainly  bio- 
graphical in  its  contents,  has  been  arranged  by  a  staff  of  competent,  pains- 
taking writers,  and  possesses  additional  value  from  the  fact  that  each  bio- 
graphical sketch  has  been  submitted  for  correction  and  approval  before  going 
to  press.  This  department  of  the  work  was  largely  prepared  by  C.  G.  Har- 
raman.  Part  Third  contains  the  general  history  of  the  county,  and  inci- 
dentally some  fragments  of  the  history  of  Northwestern  Ohio.  In  Part 
Fourth,  which  is  supplementary  to  Part  Third,  those  minor  details  are  pre- 
served in  connection  with  the  township  histories,  which  could  not  well  be 
given  place  in  the  chapters  upon  a  broader  class  of  subjects.  In  these  will 
be  found  carefully  made  records  of  the  early  settlements,  accounts  of 
churches,  schools,  etc.,  and  much  of  incident  illustrative  of  the  men  and 
manners  of  early  days. 

Returning  to  the  general  history,  or  Part  Third,  we  will  remark  that 
within  the  first  pages  the  effort  is  frequeiitly  made,  not  only  to  chronicle 
facts,  but  to  show  their  relation  as  causes  and  effects  in  the  great  chain  of 
events  by  which  a  portion  of  the  American  wilderness  was  reclaimed  and 
added  to  the  mighty  realm  of  civilization.  In  the  first  few  chapters  of  this 
part,  succeeding  Chapter  I,  a  chronological  order  of  arrangement  is  main- 
tained, as  nearly  as  may  be,  while  in  the  later  ones  the  topical  form  is  re- 
sorted to  as  more  practical  and  appropriate,  and  for  other  reasons  which 
should  be  obvious  to  the  reader. 

Chapter  I  describes  the  location,  extent,  and  natural  features  of  the 
county.  Then  follows  three  large  chapters  which  tell  the  story  of  the  Wyan- 
dot Indians,  and  of  other  Ohio  tribes,  from  time  immemorial  to  1843.  Under 
the  title  "Early  Settlements."  etc.,  is  given  a  brief  history  of  the  settlement  of 
the  county,  with  a  few  remarks  showing  the  retarding  effects  caused  by  the 
Wyandot  Reserve  being  located  within  its  borders.  Many  of  the  trials  of  pio- 
neer life  are  also  dwelt  upon  in  the  same  chapter,  and  the  building  of  the 


iv  PREFACE. 

log  cabin,  the  dress,  customs,  and  occupations  of  the  first  settlers  are 
minutely  described.  A  separate  chapter  is  devoted  to  the  civil  history  of  the 
county,  and  outlines  its  formation  and  organization,  the  establishment  of 
its  courts,  refers  to  notable  public  transactions,  the  erecfion  of  the  county 
buildings,  township  divisions,  and  the  results  of  elections,  including  also 
a  valuable  reference  list  of  county  officials,  and  the  representatives  of 
the  county  in  the  State  and  Federal  Government.  The  Bench  and  Bar,  the 
Medical  Profession,  the  Newspaper  Press  and  Educational  Interests  like- 
wise have  each  separate  ]^laces  in  the  volume.  The  chapter  styled  "Mate- 
rial Progress  "  embraces  a  variety  of  topics,  articles  upon  population,  the 
more  important  county  societies,  post  offices,  productions,  etc.,  and  the  pub- 
lic improvements  in  the  county,  from  the  days  when  the  "  mud  road  "  was 
the  only  means  of  communication  and  travel  down  to  and  including  the  era 
of  railroad  development.  The  county  in  the  dark  days  of  the  rebellion  re- 
sponded to  the  call  for  troops  in  a  manner  of  which  her  people  may  ever  be 
proud.  For  that  reason  the  soldiers*  record  is  given  the  large  space  which 
its  importance  demands  and  thus  occupies  a  large  chapter. 

In  conclusion,  we  add  that  this  work  contains  the  essence  of  many  vol- 
umes of  pertinent  Federal,  State,  County  and  Township  Archives,  of  al- 
most complete  newspaper  tiles,  and  the  invaluable  recollections  of  the  best- 
informed  people  of  the  county.  Especial  acknowledgments  are  also  due  to 
the  editors  and  publishers  of  newspapers,  to  the  pastors  of  churches,  to 
county,  village  and  township  officials,  the  members  of  the  bar  and  medical 
profession,  the  olficers  of  public  institutions,  and  the  members  of  various 
secret  orders,  all  of  whom,  without  a  single  exception,  have  responded  prompt- 
ly and  most  courteously  to  requests  for  data.  AVe  are  especially  indebted 
to  Hon.  John  D.  Sears,  for  his  able  articles  on  the  Newspapers  of  Upper 
Sandusky  to  1871,  and  on  the  "Early  Poets  and  Poetry  "  of  the  county,  as 
well  as  for  valuable  assistance  in  other  departments  of  the  work.  To  El.  D. 
Dumm,  Esq.,  we  are  under  many  obligations  for  his  well- written  Rem- 
iniscences, and  for  his  able  and  earnest  co-operation  in  each  and  every  de- 
partment of  the  history;  and  lastly  we  acknowledge  iu  a  general  manner, 
for  their  generous  assistance,  our  obligations  to  Hon.  L.  A.  Brunner,  Pietro 
Cuneo,  Hon.  Robert  McKelly,  Hon.  Chester  R.  Mott,  Col.  Moses  H.  Kirby, 
Hon.  D.  D.  Hare,  Hon.  George  W.  Beery,  J.  G.  Roberts,  Thomas  E.  Beery, 
George  Harper,  and  many  others  who  aided  materially  in  the  preparation  of 
the  History. 

As  completed,  the  work  is  now  presented  to  its  patrons.  That  some  ei-roi-s 
will  be  found  in  the  spelling  of  proper  names,  and  in  an  occasional  date 
furnished  from  memory,  is  not  improbable.  That  such  can  be  avoided,  how- 
ever, is  equally  as  impossible,  from  the  fact  that  the  persons  mentioned 
aggregate  many  thousands,  traces  of  whom  have  been  obtained,  largely, 
from  written  records,  prepared  very  frequently  by  those  who  were,  seem- 
ingly, not  particular  whether  they  wrote  legibly  or  spelled  the  proper 
names  correctly  or  not.  Yet,  firmly  believing  that  the  History  of  Wyandot 
County  will  prove  eminently  satisfactory  after  a  careful  perusal  and 
investigation,  it  is  without  further  remark  or  explanation  respectfully 
submitted. 

LEGGETT,  CONAWAY  &  CO. 
Chicago,  August,  18S4. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 


PAGE. 

Geographical  Position 19 

Early  Explorations 20 

Discoverj'  of  Ohio 32 

English  Explorations  and  Settlements 34 


PAGE. 

American  Settleiuunts 59 

Division  of  the  Northwest  Territory 65 

Tecumseh  and  the  Warof  1812 69 

Black  Hawk  and  the  Black  Hawk  War 73 


PART   II. 
HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  OHIO. 


History  of  Ohio 93 

French  Historv 96 

Ordinance  of  1787,  No.  32 105 

The  War  of  1812 122 

Banking 126 

The  Canal  System 128 

Ohio  Land  Tracts 129 

Improvements 132 

State  Boundaries 136 

Organization  of  Counties 137 

Description  of  Counties 1.37 

Early  Events 137 


Governors  of  Ohio 160 

Ancient  W^orks 174 

Some  Genera';  Characteristics 177 

Outline  Geology  of  Ohio 179 

Ohio's  Rank  During  the  War 182 

A  Brief  Mention  of  Prominent  Ohio  Generals...  191 

Some  Discussed  Subjects 196 

Conclusion 200 

Comments  upon  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  from  the 

Statutes  of  C)hio.     Edited   by  Salmon    P. 

Chase,  and  Published  in  the  year  1833 204 


PART   III. 
HISTORY   OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  I.— Geology 215 

Location  and  Extent 215 

Natural  Features 215 

Geological  Structure 216 

CHAPTER  II.— Indian  Occupancy  (from  time 

immemorial  to  1782) 224 

Legendary  Accounts  Concerning  the  Dela- 
ware and  Iroquois  Indians 224 

TheShawanese  and  Eries 230 

The  Hurons  or  Wyandots 231 

CHAPTER  III. — Indian  Occupancy  Continued 

(Events  from  1782  to  1818) : 240 

The  Equipment  of  Col.    Crawford's   Com- 
mand   241 

The  Expedition  to  Upper  Sandusky 242 

The  Battle  and  Defeat 246 

Col.  Crawford's  Capture 247 

Dr.  Knight's  Narrative  of  the  March,  Battle, 

Capture  and  Death  of  Col.  Crawford 247 

Treaty  of  1785 258 

Treaty  of  Greenville,  1795 263 

Treaty  of  1805 264 

Treaty  of  1808 264 

Treaty  of  1817 205 


CHAPTER  IV.— Indian  Occupanc(^'  Continued 

(from  1816-18  to  1843) 274 

The  Wyandots  in  181G 274 

John  Stewart,  the  Colored  Preacher 274 

Rev.  James  B.  Finley  Appointed  to  the  Wy- 
andot Mission 278 

The  Mission  School 285 

The  Delawares  Cede  Their    Lands  to  the 

United  States 290 

The  Wyandots  Cede  Their  Reservation  to 

the  United  States 295 

Their  Departure  for  Kansas 299 

CHAPTER  v.— Early  Settlements— Picture  of 

Pioneer  Life 302 

First  Settlers  in  the  Several  Townships 303 

A  Picture  of  Pioneer  Life 304 

CHAPTER  VI.— Civil  History 312 

A  Glance  at  This  Region  Prior  to  the  For- 
mation of  Wyandot  County 312 

Formation,  Organization,  etc.,  of  Wyandot 

County 313 

Copy  of  the  Act  of  Congress 317 

Public  Sale  of  Town   Lots  at  Upper  San- 
dusky  319 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

Townships 323 

Public  Buildings,  etc 325 

A  Few  Notable  Proceedings  of  Courts 326 

Election  Returns  Since  the  Organization  of 

the  County 331 

Representiitives  in  Congress 348 

Slate  Senators 348 

State  Representatives 348 

County  Officers 348 

CHAPTER  VII.— The  Bench  and  Bar 353 

Introductory 353 

The  Bench 354 

Supreme  Courts .3.59 

District  Courts 359 

Court  of  Common  Pleas 360 

Some  of  the  Associate  Judges 361 

The  Bar 364 

CHAPTER  VIII.— The  Medical  Profession 374 

Physicians  of  the  County  in  1845 375 

Biographical  Sketches  of  Some  of  the  Early 
Physicians 376 

CHAPTER  IX.— The  Press 378 

Upper  Sandusky's  Journals  and  Journalists.  378 

The  Wyandott ''Telegraph  " 376 

The  "Pioneer" 381 

The  "Tribune" 383 

The  "Vindicator" 385 

The  "Herald" 385 

The  "Union" 385 


PAGE. 

The   "Pioneer"  Changed  to  the   "Repub- 
lican " 386 

The  "Chief" 386 

Biographical 386 

Carey  Publications 399 

The  Carey  "Blade" 399 

The  Carey  "  Weekly  Times  " 399 

The  Nevada  "Enterprise" .399 

The  Sycamore  "News" 400 

CHAPTER  X— Educational  Interests— Clerical 

Profession — Early  Poets  and  Poetry 402 

Educational  Interests 402 

Clerical 408 

Early  Modes  of  Religious  Worship 408 

Early  Ministers  of  the  Gospel 409 

Early  Poets  and  Poetry 410 

CHAPTER  XI.— Material  Progress 419 

Pojiulatiou 419 

The  Standing  of  Townships  in  1845 420 

Transportation  Facilities „ 421 

Post  Offices 430 

County  Agricultural  Society 435 

CHAPTER  XII  —The  County's  Military  Record  438 

Early  Wars 438 

The  Revolution 438 

The  War  of  1812-15 438 

The  Mexican  War 439 

The  War  of  the  Rebellion 439 

Regimental  Histories  and  Soldiers'  Roster....  443 


PART   IV. 
TOWNSHIP    HISTORIES. 


CuAPTER  I.— Town  of  Upper  Sandusky 483 

Location 483 

Original  Plan  of  the  Town  as  Surveyed 483 

The  Streets  and  Lots 484 

Early  White  Inhabitants 485 

Incorporation  of  the  Town 487 

R.  D.  Dumm's  Reminiscences 488 

Corporate  Hi-story 528 

Officers  of  the  Town  since  1857 529 

Banks  and  Bankers 533 

Manufacturing  Interests 534 

Church  Organizations 537 

The  Wyandot  County  Bible  Society 543 

Wyandot  Sabbath  School  Union 544 

Oak  Hill  Cemetery 54,', 

Secret  Associations 546 

The  Public  Schools 551 

Crane  Township 553 

Biographical  Sketches 355 

Chaptek  II.— Antrim  Township 673 

Biographical  Sketches 692 

Chapter  III.— Crawford  Township 737 

Biographical  Sketches 764 

Chapter  IV.— Eden  Township 811 

Biographical  Sketches 815 


Chapter  V.— Jackson  Township 832 

Biographical  Sketches ,  838 

Chapter  VI.— Marseilles  Township 852 

Biographical  Sketches 860 

Chapter  VII.— Mifflin  Township 883 

Biographical  Sketches 888 

Chapter  VIIL— Pitt  Township 897 

Biographical  Sketches 904 

Chapter  IX. — Richland  Township 932 

Biographical  Sketches 939 

Chapter  X. — Ridge  Township 962 

Biographical  Sketches 966 

Chapter  XI. — Salem  Township 974 

Biographical  Sketches 980 

Chapter  XII.— Sycamore  Township 992 

Biographical  Sketches 1000 

Chapter  XIII.— Tymochtee  Township 1029 

Biographical  Sketches 1040 


PORTRAITS. 


Altstaetter,  Henry 4G0 

Between-the-logs  (Indian) 261 

Bravton,  William 688 

Briukerhoff,  A.  W 169 

Bruuner,  Hon.  L.  A 333 

Carey,  Mcl>.  M 513 

Dumm,  R.  D .388 

Kn^el,  John  K 477 

Ewing,  Samuel,  Sr 6.53 

Harpster,  David 212 

Lee,  B.  F 620 

McConnell,  Dr.  James 316 

McKelly,  Hon.  Robert 369 


McKelvy,  Robert 496 

Mononcue  (Indian) 280 

Peters,  Henry 405 

Rieser,  J.  F 441 

Sears,  Hon.  John  I) 352 

Seider,  John 424 

Straw,  David 188 

.straw,  Lewis 532 

Van  Gundy.  William 549 

Walton,  L.  R 585 

Walton,  William 568 

Wood,  John , 721 


CONTENTS. 


ILLUSTBATIONS. 


PAGE. 

■Source  of  the  Mississippi 22 

I.a  Salle  Landing  on  the  Shores  of  Green  Bay....  24 

Buffalo  Hunt 26 

Trapping 2S 

Mouth  of  the  Mississippi '-il 

High  Bridge 33 

Pontiac,  the  Ottawa  Chieftain 42 

Indians  Attacking  Frontiersmen 55 


PAGE. 

Present  Site  Lake  Street  Bridge,  Chicago,  in  1833  .58 

A  Pioneer  Dwelling 60 

Lake  Bluff. 62 

Tecumseh,  the  Shawnee  rhieftain 68 

Indians  Attacking  a  Stockade 71 

Black  Hawk,  the  Sac  Chieftain 73 

Perry's  Monument,  Cleveland 91 

Niagara  Falls 92 


MISCELIiANEOUS. 


Biographical  Sketches,  Index  to ix 

Map  of  Wyandot  County 14-15 

Constitution  of  the  United  States 79 

Area  of  the  United  States 203 

Wyandot  County  Court  House,  Lithograph 279 


Wyandot  Mission  Church,  Lithograph 243 

Indian  Jail,  Lithograph 225 

Population  of  Principal  Countries  in  the  World  203 

Population  of  Ohio  by  Counties 203 

Population  of  Wyandot  County 419 


INDEX. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 


PAGE. 

Agerter,  John 555 

Ahlefeld,  Samuel 939 

Allen,  Archibald 5.56 

Allien,  Jacob 764 

Allis,  Justin..  939 

Alter,  David 838 

Alter,  Jeremiah  M 839 

Alter,  John 839 

Alter,  J.  R 939 

Althouse,  Christian 556 

Althouse,  .Samuel 815 

Altstaetter,  Henry  557 

Altvater,  Frederick 980 

Anderson,  James 692 

^  Armstrong,  George 816 

I    Armstrong,  Samuel 816 

^Arnold,  Elias 981 

Arter,  Jacob  P 557 

Aspinall,  William 76-1 

Ayres,  David 557 

Babcock,  Peter  L 10-10 

Bachtell,  Emmet  E 692 

Bachtell,  Joseph 692 

Bachtell,  Samuel 693 

Bachtell,  Uriah  L 817 

Bacon,  Irvin 693 

Badger,  George 1040 

Badger,  Jesse 1040 

Baker,  David  L 940 

Baker,  Jacob 940 

Raker,  Job 1000 

Baker  John 764 

Baker,  Samuel 840 

Baker,  William 940 

Baldwin,  George  W 904 

Balliet,  Leonard 817 

Bare,  Dr.  Hiram 1001 

Barick,  J.  L 558 

Barr,  Dr.  James  D 860 

Barth,  Christian 904 

Bartram,  Ezra  G 861 

Baughman,  Daniel 941 

Baughman.  Ebenezer 966 

Baum,  Peter 1041 

Beam,  Mrs.  Mary 558 

Bechler,  8everin 559 

Bechtel,  Daniel 765 

Bechtel,  Orren  M 941 

Bechtel,  Samuel 941 

Beebe,  Buell  S 766 

Beer,  J.  Adam 818 

Beer,  Hon.  Thomas 364 

Beery,  Brooks 5.59 

*^Beery,  Hon.  George  W 560 

v'Beery,  Frank 563 

VBeery,  Isaac  H 563 

W^eery,  Thomas  E 564 

Beidler,  Peter  B 565 

Bender,  Andrew  F 1001 

Bender,  Jacob 905 

Benner,  John 566 

Berg,  Frederick 566 


PAGE. 

Berlien.  J.  P 840 

Berlien,  Reuben 840 

Berry,  Jr.,  Hon.  Curtis 569 

Berrv,  Hon.  John 569 

Bertsch,  William 981 

Betz,  Michael  D 1002 

Between-the-Logs  (Indian) 264 

Betzer,  William 1002 

Betzer,  William  W 1003 

Bever,  Samuel 694 

Bies,  Charles 767 

Billhardt,  Dr.  A 570 

Binau,  John 981 

Binau,  Peter,  Jr 981 

Blair,  Theodore  F 1003 

Blair,  William  L 694 

Bloom,  Jacob 967 

Blow,  Joseph 861 

Blue,  Abraham 1041 

Blue,  Chester  C 1042 

Bope,  Conrad 1042 

Bowen,  Hon.  Ozias 362 

Bower,  Henry  S 841 

Bower,  .Jefferson  D 841 

Bower,  Michael 861 

Bowers,  John  S 570 

Bowlby,  D.  W 905 

Bowlby,  Emanuel 695 

Bowlby,  James 767 

Bowman,  Thomas  M 905 

Bowman,  Dr.  Isaac  N 571 

Bowsher,  Clinton 571 

Bowsher,  Jesse 571 

Bowsher,  William  E 572 

Brashares,  Plenry .'...1045 

Brashares,  Perry 942 

Brashares,  Truman 1045 

Brauns,  Edward  A 572 

Brauns,  Ewald 572 

Brayton,  Dr.  Asa 767 

Brayton,  Oliver 768 

Brayton,  William 768 

Breese,  John  E 1004 

Bretz,  Andrew  J 1004 

Bretz,  David  S 906 

Brewer,  Jacob  A 906 

Bricher,  C.  P 888 

Brinkerhoff,  A.  W 573 

Brinkerhoff,  M.  H 576 

Bristoll,  William 942 

Brown,  Abraham 696 

Brown,  Asa 1004 

Brown,  Henry 818 

Brown,  Henry  P 769 

Brown,  Johu'X 943 

Brown,  Joseph 982 

Brown,  .Joseph  A 696 

Brown,  Wilber 1005 

Brown,  William 576 

Brunner,  Hon.  Louis  A 393 

Bryant,  Benjamin  F G97 

Buckles,  S.B "0 


INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Bunn,  Alva 1005 

Burbaugh,  Samuel 697 

Burke,  Charles  W 698 

Huruett,  Samuel  M 842 

Burnside,  James 698 

Buser,  John 577 

Byron,  Dr.  D.  W 577 

Bvron,  Dr.  W.  K 578 

Caldwell,  Rev.  David  S 699 

Caldwell,  Martha 819 

Carey,  Hon.  John 770 

Carey,  McD.  M 773 

Carey,  Robert 578 

Carothers,  Wilson 770 

Carr,  Daniel 769 

Carter.  Richard 907 

Case,  Myron  B 819 

Castanien,  David 908 

Castauieu,  Frank  P 907 

Casvanien,  John 907 

Caughey,  William  A 1006 

Chamberlin,  James  M 1044 

Chance,  James  P 699 

Chatlain,  Frederick  H 821 

Clabaugh,  Henry  J 1044 

Clark,  Dr.  S.  L 943 

Clayton,  D.  D 578 

Clinger,  Daniel 888 

Close,  James  T 579 

Coates,  Sylvanus  R 944 

Cole,  Barnet 820 

Cole,  Isaac  H 944 

Cole,  Lewis  A 945 

Cole,  William  H 820 

Consteiu,  William 580 

Cook,  L  Hopkins 908 

Cook,  James  L 700 

Cook,  Simeon  B 862 

Cook,  Stephen  R 908 

Coons,  Daniel 908 

Copley,  William  H 770 

Corfman,  Jacob 1045 

Corfman,  William 1007 

Courtad,  Martin 580 

Courtad,  Peter 581 

Cramer,  David 581 

Cramer,  Francis  M 582 

Craner,  Louis 701 

Crawford,  James 582 

Crawford,  Col.  William 254 

Crites,  Jonas 945 

Cross,  Henry  C 821 

Cummins,  James  S 821 

Cummings,  William 822 

Cuueo,  Pietro 396 

Curlis,  David  A 1045 

Dahmer,  Henry  H 909 

Daniels,  Myer 583 

Davis,  Alfred  K 774 

Davis,  Ephraim  W 701 

Davis,  Dr.  Jacob  W 583 

Dean,  Hamilton 889 

De  Bolt,  Silas 584 

Demarest,  Peter  L 863 

Dickerson,  W.  T 774 

Dirmeyer,  John 587 

Dotts,  Andrew 701 

Dotts,  William  H 702 

Downev,  Solomon  F 1007 

Duffield,  W.  W 945 

Dumm,  Robert  D 394 

Dunlap,  Daniel 1008 

Dunlap,  Fayette 1008 

Durenberger,  Arnold 842 

Dustman,  Rev.  J.  M 774 

Dye,  Andrew 702 

Kdgington,  Jesse 822 

Ekleberry,  Alice 1009 

Ekleberry,  Levi 1046 

Ekleberry,  Nathan 822 

Emptage,  William 863 

Enders,  Abner  E 983 

Engel,  Christian 587 

Engel,  John  K 588 

England,  Daniel 775 

England,  John 775 

Ewart,  Oliver  C 703 


.  PAGE. 

Ewing,  John  M 982 

Ewing,  Samuel,  .Sr 982 

Eyestone,  Edmond  K 1008 

Eyestone,  George  W 1009 

Faul,  Henry 775 

Fehl,  Frederick 863 

Feichter,  Charles 909 

Fernbaugh,  Henry 843 

Fernbaugh,  William 588 

Fetter,  Ileury 776 

Flickinger,  Andrew  H 703 

Flock,  Daniel 703 

Forney,  J.  H 844 

Fowler,  Dr.  Stephen 376 

Fowler,  C.  Rush 909 

Fowler,  Scott  M 910 

Fowler,  Stephen  P 911 

Fox,  Cieorge  W ;.  864 

Frater,  William  H 911 

Frazier,  David 589 

Frederick,  Mrs.  Barbara 589 

Freet,  George  W 590 

Fulk,  Abraham 946 

Gamel,  Thomas  J 983 

Gangwer,  John 704 

Gantz,  George  W 983 

Garfield,  Joseph  E 590 

Gaster,  John  J 844 

Gates,  Horatio  S... 864 

Gault,  Jordan 1046 

Gault,  .Jordan  S 1009 

Gaver,  Ephraim 823 

Gear,  Eugene  M 776 

Geiger,  Madison  P 1010 

Gibbs,  Addison  E 776 

Gibbs,  Dr.  Isaiah  B 1010 

Gibbs,  William 1011 

Gibson,  Isaiah 823 

Gibson,  James : 889 

Gibson,  Joel  W 590 

Gier,  W.  Scott 1047 

Giles,  W.  T 386 

Gilliland,  Jacob 1047 

Gilliland,  William 824 

Gipson  William  A 591 

Gintert,  John 777 

Goetz,  ^iicholas  F 592 

Goodbread,  James  N 705 

Goodbread,  William  F 704 

Goodman,  David 1012 

Gordon,  Capt.  E.  A 592 

Gottier,  .Tacob 983 

Gray,  Lauren 706 

Gregg,  George  W 705 

Greek,  Alexander  J 946 

Greek,  George 967 

Greek,  Jacob 593 

Greek,  John 967 

Greek,  William 968 

Greer,  John 777 

Griffith,  Cyrus 1011 

Griffith,  Harvey 1011 

Grubb,  Leuis 1048 

Grummel,  Peter 594 

Grundtisch,  Henry 593 

Gump,  Jonathan i 594 

Haas,  John  J 595 

Hale,  Daniel 595 

Hale,  Capt.  George  W 595 

Hall,  Edward 706 

Hall,  (ieorge  W 596 

Hall,  Goodwin 707 

Hall,  Jude 364 

Hall,  Judge  Lawrence  W 361 

Handchy,  Henry 866 

Haner,  John 89u 

Hardy,  Dr.  Neil 597 

Hare,  Curtis  B 597 

Hare,  Hon.  D.  D 597 

Hare,  John  K 778 

Harman,  Samuel 912 

Harmon,  Henry 600 

Harper,  George 598 

Harpster,  David  (Pitt  Township) 912 

Harpster,  David  (Crawford  Township) 779 

Harris,  L.  B 599 

Harris,  Z.  W 947 


INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Hart,  .Tacob  P 600 

Hart,  John  D 778 

Hart,  Silas  S 913 

Hartle,  Adam  M 86.5 

Hartle,  Socrates 86.5 

Hartsough,  Capt.  Daniel 600 

Hayman,  Jacob 1049 

Healy,  J.  E 890 

Hedges,  Wesley 601 

Hehr,  Jacob 602 

Heilman,  Eli 1049 

Heistand,  George 1012 

Heller,  Philip 844 

Henderson,  Avery  603 

Henderson,  Dr.  R.  A 602 

Hendrickson,  Russell  B 890 

Henige,  Valentine 779 

Herring,  Henry 914 

Hershberger,  Aaron  C 1013 

Hesseldenz,  George 845 

Hetzel,  George 1050 

Hetzel,  Michael 10.50 

Hewlitt,  Thomas 866 

Hibbins,  James 984 

Hickel,  Jacob 780 

Hildreth,  David  B 867 

Hildreth,  Stephen 867 

Hile,  Levi 780 

Hill,  Jonathan 1013 

Hill,  Samuel  P 867 

Hines,  George  H 845 

^Hitchcock,  \V.  B 604 

Hite,  lienjamin 707 

V  Hite,  John 707 

v/tlite,  Simon 708 

Hofftuan,  Daniel 604 

Hohwald,  (^'asper 605 

Hoke,  George  1 915 

Hollanshead,  Jacob 891 

Hollanshead,  Milton  M 891 

Holmes,  Frank 400 

Honsberger,  Abraham 1013 

Hopp,  Benjamin 708 

Hornby,  Charles 916 

Hostler,  Charles  W 947 

Hough,  Alvin  M 605 

Hough,  Frank  B 605 

Hough,  Milton  B 606 

Houk,  I^aul  and  Anna 781 

Houston,  John  M 606 

Howe.  Philip  M 709 

Hoyt,  Charles 781 

Huffman,  Simon 607 

Hughes,  Burnet 914 

Hughes,  James  Lindsey 914 

Humbert,  William  K 782 

Hunt,  Ambrose  C 915 

Hunt,  Col.  S  H 607 

Hunt,  William  S  915 

Hunter,  James  A 968 

Hunter,  Thomas 782 

Hutter,  Joseph 608 

Illig,  Dr.  Edward 783 

Illig,  Dr.  Gus.  F 783 

Inman,  Harkless  K 984 

Irmer,  Earnest  R 709 

Jackson,  Jacob 969 

Jaqueth,  B.  F 1014 

Jaros,  Charles 609 

Johnson,  Isaac. 868 

Johnson,  Dr.  J.  D 948 

Johnson,  Miles  C 1051 

Jonas,  Frank 609 

Jones,  Dr  Charles  P 709 

Jump,  Virgil 1014 

Jury,  Henry  C 916 

Jury,  JohnR 710 

Juvinall,  Jacob 609 

Kail,  Andrew  J 891 

Kail,  Samuel  P 892 

Kail,  William  D 610 

Karg,  Jacob  P 610 

Karr,  Charles  M 784 

Karr,  Henry  W 784 

Karr,  Nathan 785 

Kauble,  David 948 

Kear,  Byron 1051 


PAGE. 

Kear,  Doctor 1052 

Kear,  Henry 984 

Kear,  James 985 

Kear,  Milton 985 

Kear,  Moses 985 

Kear,  Nathan 986 

Keller,  Henry 611 

Keller,  Jacob 711 

Keller,  John 711 

Keller,  Levi  W 611 

Kelly,  A.  P 785 

Kelly,  David  R 612 

Kemmerly,  John 786 

Kemp,  Dr.  G.  W 868 

Kenan,  Alvin 612 

Kenan,  Franklin  P 613 

Kenan,  George 613 

Kenan,  Samuel 613 

Kendall,  Thomas 710 

Kennard.  tieorge  G 614 

Kennedy,  B.  F 869 

Kennedy,  John  W 869 

Kenttield,  David  L 786 

Kerr,  James 614 

Kerr,  Johnston  916 

Kerr,  Robert 712 

Kerr,  Robert  E 614 

Kime,  Henry 949 

Kimmel,  Joseph 949 

King,  Peter  C 1052 

Kiniey,  Frederick 824 

Kinley,  William 1015 

Kirby,  Gen.  Isaac  M 616 

Kirby,  Col.  Moses  H 615 

Kitchen,  William  B 1015 

Klingler,  John  M 713 

Kneasal,  Jacob 787 

Konkle,  Jehiel  T 1016 

Koontz,  John  A 986 

Kotterman,  Michael 917 

Kotterman,  Solomon 917 

Krabill,  John  W 969 

Kramer,  George 917 

Kramer,  G.  G 617 

Krisher,  Lemuel 870 

Kromer,  Frederick 618 

Kuenzli,  Henry 618 

Kuenzli,  Samuel 618 

Kuenzli,  Samuel  E 621 

Kurtz,  H.  B 787 

Lambright,  Michael 825 

Landon,  L.  E 846 

Laudenschlager,  George 621 

Lautinslager,  Jacob 846 

Lawrence,  Hon.  William 363 

Layman,  Joseph  H 713 

Lea,  Henry  G 714 

Lease,  Jacob 1016 

Lee,  Benjamin  F 871 

Lee,  Joanna 1016 

Lear,  Chauncey  M 870 

Leith,  Hiram 714 

Leith,  James  S 715 

Leslie  Harmon  R 892 

Leslie,  John 871 

Lewis,  Miles  S 918 

Lewis,  Sumner  E 918 

Lidle,  finest 716 

Liles,  Isaiah 949 

Lile^  J.  A 846 

Lime,  John 621 

Lindsey,  Robert 872 

Lininger,  Cxodfred 918 

Lohr,  Conrad  716 

Long,  Henry 1053 

Long,  Maj.  Hugh 873 

Long,  James 986 

Long,  John  R 986 

Loubert,  John 847 

Loudermilch,  William  J 623 

Lowery,  Robert 783 

Lowmaster,  Reuben 825 

Lowry,  Josiah  J 622 

Lupton,  Lewis 1053 

Lyle,  Col.  Aaron 367 

Mackey,  Abraham 825 

Maddux,  Henry 367 


INDEX. 


PAGK. 

Maffett,  Gibson  A 623 

-Mann,  George 623 

Maun,  Isaac 62-t 

Mann,  Job  G 624 

Mann,  John 987 

March,  John  II 847 

Margraf,  William 025 

Martin,  B.  W yi8 

Maskey,  Dr  George  0 625 

Maskey,  William  M 716 

Mason,  Hugh 893 

Matteson,  Job 987 

Mawer,  John 919 

Maxwell,  Joseph  A 625 

McBeth,  John 717 

Mclieth,  Thomas  (' 717 

McHeth,  William 718 

McClaiu,  Abraham 626 

McClain,  Archibald  II 627 

McClaiu,  Thomas 919 

McCleary,  John 873 

McClelland,  David 950 

McClelland,  William 950 

McCleary,  John  W 893 

McClure,  Russell 788 

McClure,  T.  W 788 

JlcConnell,  Dr.  David  W 874 

McConnell,  Dr.  James 627 

MeConnell,  Dr.  R.  N 629 

McCutchen,  Hon.  Joseph 1053 

McFarland,  Nelson 630 

McKelly,  Hon.  Robert 630 

McKelly,  Robert  A 631 

McKelvy,  Robert 631 

JlcKelvy,  William  J 632 

McLaughlin,  James 826 

McPeek,  Elias 848 

Miller,  Dr.  A.  F 789 

Miller,  Clay 91<i 

Miller,  George  W 826 

Miller,  Capt.  Henry.  632 

Miller,  Isaac 718 

Miller,  John  R '.'.'"".'.  789 

Miller,  Reuben ."  719 

Milligan,  John  W .".'  826 

Milligan,  William  A ......1017 

Milum,  Joel 1055 

Mitchell,  George  A '„,[  G33 

Mitscb,  John ..'".'.  634 

Mitten,  Miles  A , ."!!l055 

Mohr,  Isaac [".'..  951 

Moody,  Lyman  C 987 

Moody,  T.  Y ;;;".  6.36 

Mouser,  David  D 920 

Mouser,  William 920 

Mo-noneue  (Indian) 277 

Montee,  William ".".'  720 

Montgomery,  John  F !.lol7 

Morris,  Benjamin 827 

Mott,  Hon.  Chester  R .....'.'.'.'.  636 

Musgrave,  Joseph "  951 

Myers,  Dr.  A.  II '. ...'.'.'."'.  790 

Myers,  Benjamin  B ..,,,  720 

Myers,  John  F 634 

Myers,  Jr.,  John  F 635 

Myers,  Levi  T \",  635 

Myers,  M.  Baker 921 

Myers,  Michael ,„',  635 

Nagel,  William 987 

Neally,  James ; 723 

Nelson,  James  N 637 

New  hard,  Jay '.'.'.".'.'.'...  791 

Newhard,  Jacob 790 

Newman,  Joseph .......'  827 

Nichols,  Daniel  W 988 

Niel)el,  Abraham  A .'...".1056 

Niederhauser,  Christian 921 

Niederhauser,  John 921 

Nigh,  Aaron ........'..'.".'.  791 

Nigh,  George  A 791 

Noll,  Henry 792 

Nutter,  Isaac .......'.  921 

Nye,  David  S 799 

Nye,  H.  H .■...".;:■.;;■.;■.■.  792 

Odenbaugh,  Dr.  J 957 

O'Donnell,  Michael 638 

Pahl,  Francis 793 


I'AGE. 

Pahl,  Joseph 793 

Palmer,  John  E 723 

Parker,  Henry 1057 

Parker,  William 922 

Pease,  James  C 10I8 

Pease,  Loren  A 724 

Peifer,  Peter 638 

PenniDgton,  Levi 1U18 

Pennington,  Levi  M 10I8 

Pennington,  I^eter 1019 

Peters,  Henry.... 638 

Peters,  Henry  W 639 

Peterson,  David  S 640 

Pickett,  Dr.  Samuel 952 

Pierson,  Mrs.  Delilah 640 

Pittsford,  John  A 794 

Plants,  Hon.  Josiah  S 363 

Phillips,  Samuel 875 

Pool,  James  B §75 

Pool,  James  M 641 

Pool,  Robert  W S27 

Pool,  William  F 642 

Pontius,  Andrew 1057 

Powell,  Daniel 794 

Price,  George  B 828 

Quail,  Asa 893 

Quail,  Henry 876 

Quail,  John 894 

Ragou,  John 642 

Rauck,  Jacob 724 

Ranger,  Luther  G 795 

Ratz,  Nicholas 725 

Reisterer,  Joseph 988 

Rex,  Caroline 725 

Reynolds,  A.  S 952 

Reynolds,  John  G 795 

Rieser,  George 894 

Rieser,  John  F 643 

Ritterspach,  Henry 726 

Ritterspach,  Jacob  W 726 

Ritterspach,  Simon 726 

Roberts,  James  G 643 

Rogers,  Denton  V 1019 

Rogers,  Rev.  L.  D 953 

Rogers,  Thomas 1019 

Ronk,  Soloman 1058 

Rood,  George 727 

Roppold,  G.  H 644 

Rosenbury,  A.  F 954 

Rowland,  Marquis  L S94 

Rowse,  Walter  R 922 

Royer,  Dr.  J.  A 796 

Rummell,  Riner  V 954 

Russell,  John 727 

Saltz,  William 797 

Saltsman,  William  R 645 

Sampson,  Dr.  George  W 377 

Sanfurd,  Walter S48 

Sankey,  James'E 828 

Savidge,  Foster  W 989 

Savidge,  George  W 797 

Schriver,  Henry 849 

Schuetz,  William 1058 

Schug,  John  T 922 

Scott,  James  B 989 

Sears,  Col.  Cyrus 923 

Sears,  Hon.  John  D 645 

Seider,  John 647 

Seiger,  Joseph '. 728 

Seligman,  Lewis  A 877 

Seligman,  William ^.. 876 

Senseny,  Rev.  .John  yy/.. 647 

Shafler,  Isaac X. 989 

Sheaffer,  Peter  K 1021 

Shatt'ner,  Joseph  W 1058 

Shealey,  John 648 

Shellhouse,  Albert  J 955 

Shellhouse,  Edward  S 797 

Shellhouse,  Perry  M 989 

Shoemaker,  Joseph 990 

Shoup,  Samuel 970 

Shoup,  SaxtonC 970 

Shuler,  Jacob  C 798 

Shultz,  Henry 648 

Shuman,  Frederick 799 

Shuman,  Joseph 799 

Shuman,  Sylvester 799 


INDEX. 


PAOE. 

Siddall,  James  R 8U0 

Simpson,  Samuel 877 

Smalley.  Allen 649 

Smalley,  Dr.  Jacob  W 649 

Smalley,  James 650 

Smallev,  Jesse 650 

Smallev,  M.  A 800 

^mith,  Clinton 800 

^mith,  David  (Pitt  Township) 924 

_gniith,  r>avid  (Crawford  Township) 801 

^mith,  John  H 925 

-Smith,  John  M 970 

-Smith,  Joseph  M Gol 

-ismith,  Landline 652 

Smith,  M.  B 801 

Smith,  Philip 1022 

-^Smith,  William  F 894 

-Smith,  Zachariah  T 924 

'*6nodgrass,  James  F 1022 

Snyder,  Jesse 652 

Snyder,  John  W 925 

Spencer,  Samuel 1022 

Spoon.  Daniel 956 

Spoon;  David  F 9.56 

Spoon,  Solomon 956 

Stafford,  Andrew 1023 

Stalter,  Hiram 925 

Starr,  F.  M 803 

Starr,  Hiram  J 802 

Starr,  William  B 1023 

Staum.  Jacob 1020 

Stecher,  George  J 655 

Stetler,  Amos .» 803 

Sterling,  John 9.55 

Sterner.  John  D 6.55 

Sterner,  Michael 6-55 

Stevens,  William  C 1024 

Stevenson,  George  B 656 

Stevenson,  James  M 657 

Stewart,  James  A 728 

Stewart,  Dr.  Robert  M 729 

Stinchcomb,  John  W 1020 

Stiner,  Michael 804 

Stockton,  Dr.  James  A 657 

Siokely,  Lewis  M 1059 

Ptokley,  Reverdy 1024 

Stoker,  John  L 658 

Stoll,  Jacob  F 805 

StoU,  John  J 658 

Stoll,  Ludwig K05 

Stonfeburner,  Noah 926 

Straser,  John 659 

Straw,  David 805 

Straw,  D.  H 807 

Straw,  Lewis 926 

Straw,  Orrin  F 895 

Strebv,  Wintield  J 6,59 

Studebaker,  John  0 877 

Stury,  Christian 928 

Swank,  Casper  S 829 

Swann,  James 659 

Swartz,  Jacob 660 

Swerlein,  John 10.59 

Swerline,  Albert 1060 

Swihart,  Jeremiah  J 927 

Swihart,  Peter  M 927 

Swinehart,  Jacob 927 

Swinehart,  Joseph  P 928 

Taft,  Hiram 957 

Tallman,  George  H 399 

Tarhe  (Indian) 272 

Taylor,  George , 1025 

Tavlor,  James 829 

Thiel,  George.!'. 895 

Thomas,  Enoch 878 

Thompson,  William  M 660 

Tilton,  Charles  O 661 

Tilton,  John 662 

Tivens,  Patrick 729 

Tobias,  Elizabeth  J 662 

Tracht,  H.  A 398 

Tracht,  Philip 663 

Tracy,  H.  P 662 

Traxler,  Daniel 730 

Traxler,  Daniel  C 730 

Traxler,  Peter 829 

Tripp,  Sr.,   Frank 663 


PAGE. 

Tripp,  Frank  T 398 

Trish,  Henry 731 

Troup,  Henry 928 

T.schauen,  Christian 664 

Tschanen,  (jeorge  W 665 

Tschaneu,  William  T 665 

Turney,  Dr.  .loseph 731 

Ulrich,  John  H 9D0 

Uncapher,  Andrew 878 

Uncapher,  Philip 879 

Updegraff,  Ann  E 971 

Updegraff,  John  M.... 972 

Updegraff,  Ner  L 971 

Van  Buren,  Ezra  II 957 

Van  Buren,  Martin 958 

Van  Gundy,  George 1025 

Van  Gundy,  William 1026 

Vanorsdall,  Abraham  H 849 

Vanorsdall,  Jonathan  0 895 

Van  Pool,  George 1060 

Veith,  Jr.,  Charles  F 666 

Veith,  Sr.,  Carl  F 665 

Veith,  Casper 666 

Vogel.  Frank 667 

Von  Stein,  John  H 666 

Von  Stein,  Dr,  Leonard 667 

Wagner,  John  S 1060 

W^alborn,  Jonathan  Z 990 

Walborn,  William  A 807 

Walter,  Dr  L.  P 668 

Walton,  Lemar 830 

Walton,  L.  R 1061 

Walton,  William 1062 

AVallermlre,  M.  H 850 

Ward,  James  P 9.58 

AVaters,  Henry 668 

AVatson,  David  G 1026 

Wear,  William  K 367 

Webber,  A.  Royal 879 

Webber,  William  E 880 

Welch,  Frank  M 830 

Welch,  James  A 732 

W'elch,  William 732 

Welsh,  Henry  M 732 

Welsh,  Manington 733 

Wentz,  ,Iohn... 959 

Whaley,  W.  W 896 

White,  Daniel 991 

White,  Dr.  James  W 669 

W'hittaker,  James 928 

Wickiser,  Albert 9.59 

Wickiser.  J.  D 959 

AViest,  Christopher 929 

Wilcox,  Joseph  M 400 

Wilkin,  David 880 

Williams,  Benjamin 929 

Williams,  D.  B 960 

Williams,  Saxton  C 807 

Williams,  D.  H.  S 669 

Williams,  Edegar  R 7.34 

Williams,  Evan  T 1027 

AVillson,  Edwin  S 1062 

Wilson,  George  C 1027 

Wilson,  A.  Z 1027 

Wilson,  William  T 467 

Wininger,  Charles  L 1062 

Wininger,  George  L 1063 

Wininger,  Joel 1063 

Wininger,  John 1064 

Winslow,  Philip 881 

Wirick,  Samuel  J 670 

Wise,  Jacob 960 

Wise,   Jerome 961 

Witzel,  William 069 

Witzel,  W^illiam 699 

Wright,  Catharine 991 

Woessner,  John 7;J4 

Worthington,  Joseph  C 881 

Worth,  Hon.  S.  M 071 

Wohlgamuth,  Isaac 972 

Wohlgemuth,  Jonas 972 

Wolf,  David  B 734 

Wood,  John 930 

Wood,  Jr.,  John 9.30 

Wood,  Lester 1064 

Wood,  Reuben 930 

Wood,  Reuben  S 931 


INDEX. 


PAfiE. 

Wonder,  Andrew  J 808 

Wonder,  David  H 808 

Wonder,  Fred  H 809 

Wonder,  Mai  bias 809 

Woolsey,  William  B 735 

Worallo,  Francis  J 810 

Worley,  Jacob  G 931 

Yambert,  William 10G5 

Yark,  Reuben 831 


PAGE. 

Young,  George  W 961 

Young,  Hezekiah 850 

Young,  John  R 735 

Zellner,  Tilghman 1028 

Zimmerman,  Elizabeth 671 

Zimmerman,  JohnF 810 

Zimmerman,  Peter 851 

Zimmerman,  Simon 851 

Zulauf,  Samuel 736. 


PART  I. 


THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY. 


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N   I  a    hi    V     H 


V'^  H 


The    Northwest    Territory. 


GEOGRAPHICAL    POSITION.    . 

When  the  Northwestern  Territory  was  ceded  to  the  United  States 
by  Virginia  in  1784,  it  embraced  only  the  territory  lying  between  the 
Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  Rivers,  and  north  to  the  northern  limits  of  the 
United  States.  It  coincided  with  the  area  now  embraced  in  the  States 
of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Michigan,  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  and  that  portion  of 
Minnesota  lying  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  River.  The  United 
States  itself  at  that  period  extended  no  farther  west  than  the  Mississippi 
River ;  but  by  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  in  1803,  the  western  boundary 
of  the  United  States  was  extended  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the 
Northern  Pacific  Ocean.  The  new  territory  thus  added  to  the  National 
domain,  and  subsequently  opened  to  settlement,  has  been  called  the 
''New  Northwest,"  in  contradistinction  from  the  old  "Northwestern 
Territory. " 

In  comparison  with  the  old  Northwest  this  is  a  territory  of  vast 
magnitude.  It  includes  an  area  of  1,887,850  square  miles  ;  being  greater 
in  extent  than  the  united  areas  of  all  the  Middle  and  Southern  States, 
including  Texas.  Out  of  this  magnificent  territory  have  been  erected 
eleven  sovereign  States  and  eight  Territories,  with  an  aggregate  popula- 
tion, at  the  present  time,  of  13,000,000  inhabitants,  or  nearly  one  third  of 
the  entire  population  of  the  United  States. 

Its  lakes  are  fresh-water  seas,  and  the  larger  rivers  of  the  continent 
flow  for  a  thousand  miles  through  its  rich  alluvial  valleys  and  far- 
stretching  prairies,  more  acres  of  which  are  arable  and  productive  of  the 
highest  percentage  of  the  cereals  than  of  any  other  area  of  like  extent 
on  the  globe. 

^or  the  last  twenty  years  the  increase  of  population  in  the  North- 
west has  been  about  as  three  to  one  in  any  other  portion  of  the  United 
States. 

(19) 


20  TELE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 


EARLY    EXPLORATIONS. 

In  the  year  1541,  DeSoto  first  saw  the  Great  West  in  the  New 
World.  He,  however,  penetrated  no  farther  north  than  the  35th  parallel 
of  latitude.  The  expedition  resulted  in  his  death  and  that  of  more  than 
half  his  army,  the  remainder  of  whom  found  their  way  to  Cuba,  thence 
to  Spain,  in  a  famished  and  demoralized  condition.  DeSoto  founded  no 
settlements,  produced  no  results,  and  left  no  traces,  unless  it  were  that 
he  awakened  the  hostility  of  the  red  man  against  the  white  man,  and 
disheartened  such  as  might  desire  to  follow  up  the  career  of  discovery 
for  better  purposes.  The  French  nation  were  eager  and  ready  to  seize 
upon  any  news  from  this  extensive  domain,  and  were  the  first  to  profit  by 
DeSoto's  defeat.  Yet  it  was  more  than  a  century  before  any  adventurer 
took  advantage  of  these  discoveries. 

In  1616,  four  years  before  the  pilgrims  "  moored  their  bark  on  the 
wild  New  England  shore,"  Le  Caron,  a  French  Franciscan,  had  pene- 
trated through  the  Iroquois  and  Wyandots  (Hurons)  to  the  streams  which 
run  into  Lake  Huron  ;  and  in  1634,  two  Jesuit  missionaries  founded  the 
first  mission  among  the  lake  tribes.  It  was  just  one  hundred  years  from 
the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi  by  DeSoto  (1541)  until  the  Canadian 
envoys  met  the  savage  nations  of  the  Northwest  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Mary, 
below  the  outlet  of  Lake  Superior.  This  visit  led  to  no  permanent 
result ;  yet  it  was  not  until  1659  that  any  of  the  adventurous  fur  traders 
attempted  to  spend  a  Winter  in  the  frozen  wilds  about  the  great  lakes, 
nor  was  it  until  1660  that  a  station  was  established  upon  their  borders  by 
Mesnard,  who  perished  in  the  woods  a  few  months  after.  In  1665,  Claude 
Allouez  built  the  earliest  lasting  habitation  of  the  white  man  among  the 
Indians  of  the  Northwest.  In  1668,  Claude  Dablon  and  James  Marquette 
founded  the  mission  of  Sault  Ste.  Marie  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Mary,  and  two 
years  afterward,  Nicholas  Perrot,  as  agent  for  M.  Talon,  Governor  Gen- 
eral of  Canada,  explored  Lake  Illinois  (Michigan)  as  far  south  as  the 
present  City  of  Chicago,  and  invited  the  Indian  nations  to  meet  him  at  a 
grand  council  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie  the  following  Spring,  where  they  were 
taken  under  the  protection  of  the  king,  and  formal  possession  was  taken 
of  the  Northwest.  This  same  year  Marquette  established  a  mission  at 
Point  St.  Ignatius,  where  was  founded  the  old  town  of  Michillimackinac. 

During  M.  Talon's  explorations  and  Marquette's  residence  at  St. 
Ignatius,  they  learned  of  a  great  river  away  to  the  west,  and  fancied 
— as  all  others  did  then — that  upon  its  fertile  banks  whole  tribes  of  God's 
children  resided,  to  whom  the  sound  of  the  Gospel  had  never  come. 
Filled  with  a  wish  to  go  and  preach  to  them,  and  in  compliance  with  a 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITOfiY.  21 

request  of  M.  Talon,  who  earnestly  desired  to  extend  the  domain  of  his 
king,  and  to  ascertain  whether  the  river  flowed  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
or  the  Pacific  Ocean,  Marquette  with  Joliet,  as  commander  of  the  expe- 
dition, prepared  for  the  undertaking. 

On  the  13th  of  May,  1673,  the  explorers,  accompanied  by  five  assist- 
ant French  Canadians,  set  out  from  Mackinaw  on  their  daring  voyage  of 
discovery.  The  Indians,  who  gathered  to  witness  their  departure,  were 
astonished  at  the  boldness  of  the  undertaking,  and  endeavored  to  dissuade 
them  from  their  purpose  by  representing  the  tribes  on  the  Mississippi  as 
exceedingly  savage  and  cruel,  and  the  river  itself  as  full  of  all  sorts  of 
frightful  monsters  ready  to  swallow  them  and  their  canoes  together.  But, 
nothing  daunted  by  these  terrific  descriptions,  Marquette  told  them  he 
was  willing  not  only  to  encounter  all  the  perils  of  the  unknown  region 
they  were  about  to  explore,  but  to  lay  down  his  life  in  a  cause  in  which 
the  salvation  of  souls  was  involved  ;  and  having  prayed  together  they 
separated.  Coasting  along  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  the 
adventurers  entered  Green  Bay,  and  passed  thence  up  the  Fox  River  and 
Lake  Winnebago  to  a  village  of  the  Miamis  and  Kickapoos.  Here  Mar- 
quette was  delighted  to  find  a  beautiful  cross  planted  in  the  middle  of  the 
town  ornamented  with  white  skins,  red  girdles  and  bows  and  arrows, 
which  these  good  people  had  offered  to  the  Great  Manitou,  or  God,  to 
thank  him  for  the  pity  he  had  bestowed  on  them  during  the  Winter  in 
giving  them  an  abundant  "  chase."  This  was  the  farthest  outpost  to 
which  Dablon  and  Allouez  had  extended  their  missionary  labors  the 
year  previous.  Here  Marquette  drank  mineral  waters  and  was  instructed 
in  the  secret  of  a  root  which  cures  the  bite  of  the  venomous  rattlesnake. 
He  assembled  the  chiefs  and  old  men  of  the  village,  and,  pointing  to 
Joliet,  said:  "  My  friend  is  an  envoy  of  France,  to  discover  new  coun- 
tries, and  I  am  an  ambassador  from  God  to  enlighten  them  with  the  truths 
of  the  Gospel."  Two  Miami  guides  were  here  furnished  to  conduct 
them  to  the  Wisconsin  River,  and  they  set  out  from  the  Indian  village  on 
the  10th  of  June,  amidst  a  great  crowd  of  natives  who  had  assembled  to 
witness  their  departure  into  a  region  where  no  white  man  had  ever  yet 
ventured.  The  guides,  having  conducted  them  across  the  portage, 
returned.  The  explorers  launched  their  canoes  upon  the  Wisconsin, 
which  they  descended  to  the  Mississippi  and  proceeded  down  its  unknown 
waters.  What  emotions  must  have  swelled  their  breasts  as  they  struck 
out  into  the  broadening  current  and  became  conscious  that  they  were 
now  upon  the  bosom  of  th3  Father  of  Waters.  The  mystery  was  about 
to  be  lifted  from  the  long-sought  river.  The  scenery  in  that  locality  is 
beautiful,  and  on  that  delightful  seventeenth  of  June  must  have  been 
clad  in  all  its  primeval  loveliness  as  it  had  been  adorned  by  the  hand  of 


22 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 


Nature.  Drifting  rapidly,  it  is  said  that  the  bold  blufifs  on  either  hand 
"  reminded  them  of  the  castled  shores  of  their  own  beautiful  rivers  of 
France."  By-and-by,  as  they  drifted  along,  great  herds  of  buffalo  appeared 
on  the  banks.  On  going  to  the  heads  of  the  valley  they  could  see  a 
country  of  the  greatest  beauty  and  fertility,  apparently  destitute  of  inhab- 
itants yet  presenting  the  appearance  of  extensive  manors,  under  the  fas- 
tidious cultivation  of  lordly  proprietors. 


SOURCE    or   THE    MISSISSIPPI. 


On  June  25,  they  went  ashore  and  found  some  fresh  traces  of  men  upon 
the  sand,  and  a  path  which  led  to  the  prairie.  The  men  remained  in  the 
boat,  and  Marquette  and  Joliet  followed  the  path  till  they  discovered  a 
village  on  the  banks  of  a  river,  and  two  other  villages  on  a  hill,  within  a 
half  league  of  the  first,  inhabited  by  Indians.  They  were  received  most 
hospitably  by  these  natives,  who  had  never  before  seen  a  white  person. 
After  remaining  a  few  days  they  re-embarked  and  descended  the  river  to 
about  latitude  33°,  where  they  found  a  village  of  the  Arkansas,  and  being 
satisfied  that  the  river  flowed  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  turned  their  course 


THE    NORTHWKST    TERRITORY.  23 

up  the  river,  and  ascending  tlie  stream  to  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois, 
rowed  up  that  stream  to  its  source,  and  procured  guides  from  that  point 
to  the  lakes.  "  Nowhere  on  this  journey,"  says  Marquette,  •'  did  we  see 
such  grounds,  meadows,  woods,  stags,  buffaloes,  deer,  wildcats,  bustards, 
swans,  ducks,  parroquets,  and  even  beavers,  as  on  the  Illinois  River." 
The  party,  without  loss  or  injury,  reached  Green  Bay  in  September,  and 
reported  their  discovery — one  of  the  most  important  of  the  age,  but  of 
which  no  record  was  preserved  save  Marquette's,  Joliet  losing  his  by 
the  upsetting  of  his  canoe  on  his  way  to  Quebec.  Afterward  Marquette 
returned  to  the  Illinois  Indians  by  their  request,  and  ministered  to  them 
until  1675.  On  the  18th  of  May,  in  that  year,  as  he  was  passing  the 
mouth  of  a  stream — going  with  his  boatmen  up  Lake  Michigan — he  asked 
to  land  at  its  mouth  and  celebrate  Mass.  Leaving  his  men  with  the  canoe, 
he  retired  a  short  distance  and  began  his  devotions.  As  much  time 
passed  and  he  did  not  return,  his  men  went  in  search  of  him,  and  found 
him  upon  his  knees,  dead.  He  had  peacefully  passed  away  while  at 
prayer.  He  was  buried  at  this  spot.  Charlevoix,  who  visited  the  place 
fifty  years  after,  found  the  waters  had  retreated  from  the  grave,  leaving 
the  beloved  missionary  to  repose  in  peace.  The  river  has  since  been 
called  Marquette. 

While  Marquette  and  his  companions  were  pursuing  their  labors  in 
the  West,  two  men,  diifering  widely  from  him  and  each  other,  were  pre- 
paring to  follow  in  his  footsteps  and  perfect  the  discoveries  so  well  begun 
by  him.     These  were  Robert  de  La  Salle  and  Louis  Hennepin. 

After  La  Salle's  return  from  the  discovery  of  the  Ohio  River  (see 
the  narrative  elsewhere),  he  established  himself  again  among  the  French 
trading  posts  in  Canada.  Here  he  mused  long  upon  the  pet  project  of 
those  ages — a  short  way  to  China  and  the  East,  and  was  busily  planning  an. 
expedition  up  the  great  lakes,  and  so  across  the  continent  to  the  Pacific, 
when  Marquette  returned  from  the  Mississippi.  At  once  the  vigorous  mind 
of  LaSalle  received  from  his  and  his  companions'  stories  the  idea  that  by  fol- 
lowing the  Great  River  northward,  or  by  turning  up  some  of  the  numerous 
western  tributaries,  the  object  could  easily  be  gained.  He  applied  to 
Frontenac,  Governor  General  of  Canada,  and  laid  before  him  the  plan, 
dim  but  gigantic.  Frontenac  entered  warmly  into  his  plans,  and  saw  that 
LaSalle's  idea  to  connect  the  great  lakes  by  a  chain  of  forts  with  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  would  bind  the  country  so  wonderfully  together,  give  un- 
measured power  to  France,  and  glory  to  himself,  under  whose  adminis- 
tration he  earnestly  hoped  all  would  be  realized. 

LaSalle  now  repaired  to  France,  laid  his  plans  before  the  King,  who 
warmly  approved  of  them,  and  made  hiin  a  Chevalier.  He  also  received 
from  all  the  noblemen  the  warmest  wishes  for  his  success.     The  Chev- 


24 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 


alier  returned  to  Canada,  and  busily  entered  upon  his  work.  He  at 
once  rebuilt  Fort  Frontenac  and  constructed  the  first  ship  to  sail  on 
these  fresh-water  seas.  On  the  7th  of  August,  1679,  having  been  joined 
by  Hennepin,  he  began  his  voyage  in  the  Griffin  up  Lake  Erie.  He 
passed  over  this  lake,  through  the  straits  beyond,  up  Lake  St.  Clair  and 
into  Huron.  In  this  lake  they  encountered  heavy  storms.  They  were 
some  time  at  Michillimackinac,  where  LaSalle  founded  a  fort,  and  passed 
on  to  Green  Bay,  the  "  Bale  des  Puans  ''  of  the  French,  where  he  found 
a  large  quantity  of  furs  collected  for  him.  He  loaded  the  Griffin  with 
these,  and    placing  her  under  the    care  of  a  pilot  and   fourteen    sailors, 


LA  SALLE  LANDING  ON  THE  SHORE  OF  GREEN  BAY. 

started  her  on  her  return  voyage.  The  vessel  was  never  afterward  heard 
of.  He  remained  about  these  parts  until  early  in  the  Winter,  when,  hear- 
ing nothing  from  the  Griffin,  he  collected  all  the  men — thirty  working 
men  and  three  monks — and  started  again  upon  his  great  undertaking. 

By  a  short  portage  they  passed  to  the  Illinois  or  Kankakee,  called  by 
the  Indians,  "-Thcakeke,"  ivoJf,  because  of  the  tribes  of  Indians  called 
by  that  name,  commonly  known  as  the  INIahingans,  dwelling  there.  The 
French  pronounced  it  Kiahiki,  which  became  corrupted  to  Kankakee. 
"Falling  down  the  said  river  by  easy  journeys,  the  better  to  observe  the 
country,"  about  the  last  of  December  they  reached  a  village  of  the  Illi- 
nois   Indians,    containing   some   five   hundred    cabins,    but   at   that    moment 


THE   NORTHWEST  TERRITORY.  25 

no  inhabitants.  The  Seur  de  LaSalle  being  in  want  of  some  breadstufPs, 
took  advantage  of  the  absence  of  the  Indians  to  help  himself  to  a  suffi- 
ciency of  maize,  large  quantities  of  which  he  found  concealed  in  holes 
under  the  wigwams.  This  village  was  situated  near  the  present  village 
of  Utica  in  LaSalle  County,  Illinois.  The  corn  being  securely  stored, 
the  voyagers  again  betook  themselves  to  the  stream,  and  toward  evening, 
on  the  4th  day  of  January,  1680,  they  came  into  a  lake  which  must  have 
been  the  lake  of  Peoria.  This  was  called  by  the  Indians  Pim-i-te-wi,  that 
is,  a  place  where  there  are  many  fat  beasts.  Here  the  natives  were  met 
with  in  large  numbers,  but  they  were  gentle  and  kind,  and  having  spent 
some  time  with  them,  LaSalle  determined  to  erect  another  fort  in  that 
place,  for  he  had  heard  rumors  that  some  of  the  adjoining  tribes  were 
trying  to  disturb  the  good  feeling  which  existed,  and  some  of  his  men 
were  disposed  to  complain,  owing  to  the  hardships  and  perils  of  the  travel. 
He  called  this  fort  "  Crevecoeur'"'  (broken-heart),  a  name  expressive  of  the 
very  natural  sorrow  and  anxiety  which  the  pretty  certain  loss  of  his  ship, 
Griffin,  and  his  consequent  impoverishment,  the  danger  of  hostility  on  the 
part  of  the  Indians,  and  of  mutiny  among  his  own  men,  might  well  cause 
him.  His  fears  were  not  entirely  groundless.  At  one  time  poison  was 
placed  in  his  food,  but  fortunately  was  discovered. 

While  building  this  fort,  the  Winter  wore  away,  the  prairies  began  to 
look  green,  and  LaSalle,  despairing  of  any  reinforcements,  concluded  to 
return  to  Canada,  raise  new  means  and  new  men,  and  embark  anew  in 
the  enterprise.  For  this  purpose  he  made  Hennepin  the  leader  of  a  party 
to  explore  the  head  waters  of  the  Mississippi,  and  he  set  out  on  his  jour- 
ney. This  journey  was  accomplished  with  the  aid  of  a  few  persons,  and 
was  successfully  made,  though  over  an  almost  unknown  route,  and  in  a 
bad  season  of  the  year.  He  safely  reached  Canada,  and  set  out  again  for 
the  object  of  his  search. 

Hennepin  and  his  party  left  Fort  Crevecceur  on  the  last  of  February, 
1680.  When  LaSalle  reached  this  place  on  his  return  expedition,  he 
found  the  fort  entirely  deserted,  and  he  was  obliged  to  return  again  to 
Canada.  He  embarked  the  third  time,  and  succeeded.  Seven  days  after 
leaving  the  fort,  Hennepin  reached  the  Mississippi,  and  paddling  up  th« 
icy  stream  as  best  he  could,  reached  no  higher  than  the  Wisconsin  River 
by  the  11th  of  April.  Here  he  and  his  followers  were  taken  prisoners  by  a 
band  of  Northern  Indians,  who  treated  them  with  great  kindness.  Hen- 
nepin's comrades  were  Anthony  Auguel  and  Michael  Ako.  On  this  voy- 
age they  found  several  beautiful  lakes,  and  "  saw  some  charming  prairies." 
Their  captors  were  the  Isaute  or  Sauteurs,  Chippewas,  a  tribe  of  the  Sioux 
nation,  who  took  them  up  the  river  until  about  the  first  of  May,  when 
they  reached  some  falls,  which  Hennepin  christened  Falls  of  St.  Anthony 


26 


THE   NORTHWEST  TERRITORY. 


in  honor  of  his  patron  saint.  Here  they  took  the  land,  and  traveling 
nearly  two  hundred  miles  to  the  northwest,  brought  them  to  their  villages. 
Here  they  were  kept  about  three  months,  were  treated  kindly  by  their 
captors,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time,  were  met  by  a  band  of  Frenchmen, 


BUFFALO    HUNT. 


headed  by  one  Seur  de  Luth,  who,  in  pursuit  of  trade  and  game,  had  pene- 
trated thus  far  by  the  route  of  Lake  Superior ;  and  with  these  fellow- 
countrymen  Hennepin  and  his  companions  were  allowed  to  return  to  the 
borders  of  civilized  life  in  November,  1680,  just  after  LaSalle  had 
returned  to  the  wilderness  on  his  second  trip.  Hennepin  soon  after  went 
to  France,  where  he  published  an  account  of  his  adventures. 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY.  27 

The  Mississippi  was  first  discovered  by  De  Soto  in  April,  1541,  in  his 
vain  endeavor  to  find  gold  and  precious  gems.  In  the  following  Spring, 
De  Soto,  weary  with  hope  long  deferred,  and  worn  out  with  his  wander- 
ings, fell  a  victim  to  disease,  and  on  the  21st  of  May  died.  His  followers, 
reduced  by  fatigue  and  disease  to  less  than  three  hundred  men,  wandered 
about  the  country  nearly  a  year,  in  the  vain  endeavor  to  rescue  them- 
selves by  land,  and  finally  constructed  seven  small  vessels,  called  brig- 
antines,  in  which  they  embarked,  and  descending  the  river,  supposing  it 
would  lead  them  to  the  sea,  in  July  they  came  to  the  sea  (Gulf  of 
Mexico),  and  by  September  reached  the  Island  of  Cuba. 

They  were  the  first  to  see  the  great  outlet  of  the  Mississippi ;  but, 
being  so  weary  and  discouraged,  made  no  attempt  to  claim  the  country, 
and  hardly  had  an  intelligent  idea  of  what  they  had  passed  through. 

To  La  Salle,  the  intrepid  explorer,  belongs  the  honor  of  giving  the 
first  account  of  the  mouths  of  the  river.  His  great  desire  was  to  possess 
this  entire  country  for  his  king,  and  in  January,  1682,  he  and  his  band  of 
explorers  left  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan  on  their  third  attempt,  crossed 
the  Portage,  passed  down  the  Illinois  River,  and  on  the  6th  of  February 
reached  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi. 

On  the  13th  they  commenced  their  downward  course,  which  they 
pursued  with  but  one  interruption,  until  upon  the  6th  of  March  they  dis- 
covered the  three  great  passages  by  which  the  river  discharges  its  waters 
into  the  gulf.     La  Salle  thus  narrates  the  event : 

"  We  landed  on  the  bank  of  the  most  western  channel,  about  three 
leagues  (nine  miles)  from  its  mouth.  On  the  seventh,  M.  de  La  Salle 
went  to  reconnoiter  the  shores  of  the  neighboring  sea,  and  M.  de  Tonti 
meanwhile  examined  the  great  middle  channel.  They  found  the  main 
outlets  beautiful,  large  and  deep.  On  the  eighth  we  reascended  the  river, 
a  little  above  its  confluence  with  the  sea,  to  find  a  dry  place  beyond  the 
reach  of  inundations.  The  elevation  of  the  North  Pole  was  here  about 
twenty-seven  degrees.  Here  we  prepared  a  column  and  a  cross,  and  to 
the  column  were  affixed  the  arms  of  France  with  this  inscription : 

"  Louis  Le  Grand,  Roi  de  France  et  de  Navarre,  regne ;  Le  neuvieme  April,  1682." 

The  whole  party,  under  arms,  chanted  the  Te  Deum^  and  then,  after 
a  salute  and  cries  of  "  Vive  le  Roi,''  the  column  was  erected  by  M.  de 
La  Salle,  who,  standing  near  it,  proclaimed  in  a  loud  voice  the  authority  of 
the  King  of  France.  La  Salle  returned  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi settlements  in  Illinois ;  thence  he  proceeded  to  France,  where 
another  expedition  was  fitted  out,  of  which  he  was  commander,  and  in  two 
succeeding  voyages  failed  to  find  the  outlet  of  the  river  by  sailing  along 
the  shore  of  the  gulf.     On  the  third  voyage  he  was  killed,  through  the 


28 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 


treachery  of  his  followers,  and  the  object  of  his  expeditions  was  not 
accomplished  until  1699,  when  D'Iberville,  under  the  authority  of  the 
crown,  discovered,  on  the  second  of  ]\Iarch,  by  way  of  the  sea,  the  mouth 
of  the  "  Hidden  River."  This  majestic  stream  was  called  by  the  natives 
*''•  Malhouchia,'"    and  by  the  Spaniards,  "  Za  Palissade,'"  from  the  great 


^f^^tk^^'-^'/./^ 


^^.^^^ 


TRAPPING. 


number  of  trees  about  its  mouth.  After  traversing  the  several  outlets, 
and  satisfying  himself  as  to  its  certainty,  he  erected  a  fort  near  its  western 
outlet,  and  returned  to  France. 

An  avenue  of  trade  was  now  opened  out  which  was  fully  improved. 
In  1718,  New  Orleans  was  laid  out  and  settled  by  some  European  colo- 
nists. In  1762,  the  colony  was  made  over  to  Spain,  to  be  regained  by 
France  under  the  consulate  of  Napoleon.     In  1803,  it  was   purchased   by 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORT.  29 

the  United  States  for  the  sum  of  fifteen  million  dollars,  and  the  territory 
of  Louisiana  and  commerce  of   the    Mississippi  River  came  under  the 
charge  of  the  United  States.     Although  LaSalle's  labors  ended  in  defeat 
and  death,  he  had  not  worked  and  suffered  in  vain.     He   had  thrown 
open  to  France  and  the  world  an  immense  and  most  valuable  country ; 
had  established  several  ports,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  more  than  one 
settlement  there.     "  Peoria,  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia,  are  to  this  day  monu- 
ments of  LaSalle's  labors ;  for,  though  he  had  founded  neither  of  them 
(unless  Peoria,  which  was  built  nearly  upon  the  site  of  Fort  Crevecceur,) 
it  was  by  those  whom  he    led  into  the  West  that  these  places  were 
peopled  and  civilized.     He  was,  if  not  the  discoverer,  the  first  settler  of 
the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  as  such  deserves  to  be  known  and  honored." 
The  French  early  improved  the  opening  made  for  them.     Before  the 
year  1698,  the  Rev.  Father  Gravier  began  a  mission  among  the  Illinois, 
and  founded  Kaskaskia.     For  some  time  this  was  merely  a  missionary 
station,  where  none  but  natives  resided,  it  being  one  of  three  such  vil- 
lages, the  other  two  being    Cahokia  and  Peoria.     What  is  known  of 
these  missions  is  learned  from  a  letter  written  by  Father  Gabriel  Marest, 
dated  "  Aux  Cascaskias,  autrement  dit  de  I'lmmaculate  Conception  de 
la  Sainte  Vierge,  le  9  Novembre,  1712."      Soon  after  the  founding  of 
Kaskaskia,  the  missionary,  Pinet,  gathered  a  flock  at  Cahokia,   while 
Peoria  arose  near  the  ruins  of  Fort  Crevecceur.     This  must  have  been 
about  the  year  1700.      The  post  at  Vincennes  on  the   Oubache  river, 
(pronounced  WS-ba,  meaning  summer  cloud  moving  swiftly^  was  estab- 
lished in  1702,  according  to  the  best  authorities.*     It  is  altogether  prob- 
able that  on  LaSalle's  last  trip  he  established  the  stations  at  Kaskaskia 
and   Cahokia.      In  July,   1701,  the   foundations  of  Fort    Ponchartrain 
were  laid   by  De  la  Motte  Cadillac  on  the  Detroit  River.     These  sta- 
tions, with  those  established  further  north,  were  the  earliest  attempts  to 
occupy  the  Northwest  Territory.     At  the  same  time  efforts  were  being 
made   to  occupy  the  Southwest,  which  finally  culminated  in  the  settle- 
ment and  founding  of  the  City  of  New  Orleans  by  a  colony  from  England 
in  1718.      This  was  mainly  accomplished  through    the   efforts   of  the 
famous  Mississippi  Company,  established  by  the  notorious   John   Law, 
who    so  quickly  arose  into  prominence  in   France,  and  who  with  his 
scheme  so  quickly  and  so  ignominiously  passed  away. 

From  the  time  of  the  founding  of  these  stations  for  fifty  years  the 
French  nation  were  engrossed  with  the  settlement  of  the  lower  Missis- 
sippi, and  the  war  with  the  Chicasaws,  who  had,  in  revenge  for  repeated 

*  There  Is  considerable  dispute  about  this  date,  some  asserting  it  was  founded  as  late  as  1742.  When 
the  new  court  house  at  Vincennes  was  erected,  all  authorities  on  the  subject  were  carefully  examined,  and 
1702  fixed  upon  as  the  correct  date.    It  was  accordingly  engraved  on  the  corner-stone  of  the  court  house. 


30  THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

injuries,  cut  off  the  entire  colony  at  Natchez.  Although  the  company- 
did  little  for  Louisiana,  as  the  entire  West  was  then  called,  yet  it  opened 
the  trade  through  the  Mississippi  River,  and  started  the  raising  of  grains 
indigenous  to  that  climate.  Until  the  year  1750,  but  little  is  known  of 
the  settlements  in  the  Northwest,  as  it  was  not  until  this  time  that  the 
attention  of  the  English  was  called  to  the  occupation  of  this  portion  of  the 
New  World,  which  they  then  supposed  they  owned.  Vivier,  a  missionary 
among  the  Illinois,  writing  from  "  Aux  Illinois,"  six  leagues  from  Fort 
Chartres,  June  8,  1750,  says:  "We  have  here  whites,  negroes  and 
Indians,  to  say  nothing  of  cross-breeds.  There  are  five  French  villages, 
and  three  villages  of  the  natives,  within  a  space  of  twenty-one  leagues 
situated  between  the  Mississippi  and  another  river  called  the  Karkadaid 
(Kaskaskias).  In  the  five  French  villages  are,  perhaps,  eleven  hundred 
whites,  three  hundred  blacks  and  some  sixty  red  slaves  or  savages.  The 
three  Illinois  towns  do  not  contain  more  than  eight  hundred  souls  all 
Id.  Most  of  the  French  till  the  soil;  they  raise  wheat,  cattle,  pigs  and 
horses,  and  live  like  princes.  Three  times  as  much  is  produced  as  can 
be  consumed ;  and  great  quantities  of  grain  and  flour  are  sent  to  New 
Orleans."  This  city  was  now  the  seaport  town  of  the  Northwest,  and 
save  in  the  extreme  northern  part,  where  only  furs  and  copper  ore  were 
found,  almost  all  the  products  of  the  country  found  their  way  to  France 
by  the  mouth  of  the  Father  of  Waters.  In  another  letter,  dated  Novem- 
ber 7,  1750,  this  same  priest  says :  "  For  fifteen  leagues  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Mississippi  one  sees  no  dwellings,  the  ground  being  too  low 
to  be  habitable.  Thence  to  New  Orleans,  the  lands  are  only  partially 
occupied.  New  Orleans  contains  black,  white  and  red,  not  more,  I 
think,  than  twelve  hundred  persons.  To  this  point  come  all  lumber, 
bricks,  salt-beef,  tallow,  tar,  skins  and  bear's  grease  ;  and  above  all,  pork 
and  flour  from  the  Illinois.  These  things  create  some  commerce,  as  forty 
vessels  and  more  have  come  hither  this  year.  Above  New  Orleans, 
plantations  are  again  met  with ;  the  most  considerable  is  a  colony  of 
Germans,  some  ten  leagues  up  the  river.  At  Point  Coupee,  thirty-five 
leagues  above  the  German  settlement,  is  a  fort.  Along  here,  within  five 
or  six  leagues,  are  not  less  than  sixty  habitations.  Fifty  leagues  farther 
up  is  the  Natchez  post,  where  we  have  a  garrison,  who  are  kept  prisoners 
through  fear  of  the  Chickasaws.  Here  and  at  Point  Coupee,  they  raise 
excellent  tobacco.  Another  hundred  leagues  brings  us  to  the  Arkansas, 
where  we  have  also  a  fort  and  a  garrison  for  the  benefit  of  the  river 
traders.  *  *  *  From  the  Arkansas  to  the  Illinois,  nearly  five  hundred 
leagues,  there  is  not  a  settlement.  There  should  be,  however,  a  fort  at 
the  Oubache  (Ohio),  the  only  path  by  which  the  English  can  reach  the 
Mississippi.     In  the  Illinois  country  are  numberless  mines,  but  no  one  to 


THE    NORTHWEST    TERRITORY. 


31 


work  them  as  they  deserve."  Father  Marest,  writing  from  the  post  at 
Vincennesin  1812,  makes  the  same  observation.  Vivier  also  says  :  "  Some 
individuals  dig  lead  near  the  surface  and  supply  the  Indians  and  Canada. 
Two  Spaniards  now  here,  who  claim  to  be  adepts,  say  that  our  mines  are 
like  those  of  Mexico,  and  that  if  we  would  dig  deeper,  we  should  find 
silver  under  the  lead  ;  and  at  any  rate  the  lead  is  excellent.  There  is  also 
in  this  country,  beyond  doubt,  copper  ore,  as  from  time  to  time  large 
pieces  are  found  in  the  streams." 


MOUTH   OP   THE   MISSISSIPPI. 


At  the  close  of  the  year  1760,  the  French  occupied,  in  addition  to  the 
lower  Mississippi  posts  and  those  in  Illinois,  one  at  Du  Quesne,  one  at 
the  Maumee  in  the  country  of  the  Miamis,  and  one  at  Sandusky  in  what 
may  be  termed  the  Ohio  Valley.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  Northwest 
they  had  stations  at  St.  Joseph's  on  the  St.  Joseph's  of  Lake  Michigan, 
at  Fort  Ponchartrain  (Detroit),  at  Michillimackanac  or  Massillimacanac, 
Fox  River  of  Green  Bay,  and  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie.  The  fondest  dreams  of 
LaSalle  were  now  fully  realized.  The  French  alone  were  possessors  of 
this  vast  realm,  basing  their  claim  on  discovery  and  settlement.  Another 
nation,  however,  was  now  turning  its  attention  to  this  extensive  country, 


32  THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

and  hearing  of  its  wealth,  began  to  lay  plans  for  occupying  it  and  for 
securing  the  great  profits  arising  therefrom. 

The  French,  however,  had  another  claim  to  this  country,  namely,  the 


DISCOVERY   OF   THE   OHIO. 

This  "  Beautiful "  river  was  discovered  by  Robert  Cavalier  de  La- 
Salle  in  1669,  four  years  before  the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi  by  Joliet 
and  Marquette. 

While  LaSalle  was  at  his  trading  post  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  he  found 
leisure  to  study  nine  Indian  dialects,  the  chief  of  which  was  the  Iroquois. 
He  not  only  desired  to  facilitate  his  intercourse  in  trade,  but  he  longed 
to  travel  and  explore  the  unknown  regions  of  the  West.  An  incident 
soon  occurred  which  decided  him   to  fit  out  an  exploring  expedition. 

While  conversing  with  some  Senecas,  he  learned  of  a  river  called  the 
Ohio,  which  rose  in  their  country  and  flowed  to  the  sea,  but  at  such  a 
distance  that  it  required  eight  months  to  reach  its  mouth.  In  this  state- 
ment the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries  were  considered  as  one  stream. 
LaSalle  believing,  as  most  of  the  French  at  that  period  did,  that  the  great 
rivers  flowing  west  emptied  into  the  Sea  of  California,  was  anxious  to 
embark  in  the  enterprise  of  discovering  a  route  across  the  continent  to 
the  commerce  of  China  and  Japan. 

He  repaired  at  once  to  Quebec  to  obtain  the  approval  of  the  Gov- 
ernor. His  eloquent  appeal  prevailed.  The  Governor  and  the  Intendant, 
Talon,  issued  letters  patent  authorizing  the  enterprise,  but  made  no  pro- 
vision to  defray  the  expenses.  At  this  juncture  the  seminary  of  St.  Sul- 
pice  decided  to  send  out  missionaries  in  connection  with  the  expedition, 
and  LaSalle  offering  to  sell  his  improvements  at  LaChine  to  raise  money, 
the  offer  was  accepted  by  the  Superior,  and  two  thousand  eight  hundred 
dollars  were  raised,  with  which  LaSalle  purchased  four  canoes  and  the 
necessary  supplies  for  the  outfit. 

On  the  6th  of  July,  1669,  the  party,  numbering  twenty-four  persons, 
embarked  in  seven  canoes  on  the  St.  Lawrence ;  two  additional  canoes 
carried  the  Indian  guides.  In  three  days  they  were  gliding  over  the 
bosom  of  Lake  Ontario.  Their  guides  conducted  them  directly  to  the 
Seneca  village  on  the  bank  of  the  Genesee,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  present 
City  of  Rochester,  New  York.  Here  they  expected  to  procure  guides  to 
conduct  them  to  the  Ohio,  but  in  this  they  were  disappointed. 

The  Indians  seemed  unfriendly  to  the  enterprise.  LaSalle  suspected 
that  the  Jesuits  had  prejudiced  their  minds  against  his  plans.  After 
waiting  a  month  in  the  hope  of  gaining  their  object,  they  met  an  Indian 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 


33 


from  the  Iroquois  colony  at  the  head  of  Lake  Ontario,  who  assured  them 
that  they  could  there  find  guides,  and  offered  to  conduct  them  thence. 

On  their  way  they  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Niagara  River,  when  they 
heard  for  the  first  time  the  distant  thunder  of  the  cataract.     Arriving 


\  ^, 


HIGH  BRIDGE,  LAKE  BLTjrF,  LAKE  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


among  the  Iroquois,  they  met  with  a  friendly  reception,  and  learned 
from  a  Shawanee  prisoner  that  they  could  reach  the  Ohio  in  six  weeks. 
Delighted  with  the  unexpected  good  fortune,  they  made  ready  to  resume 
their  journey ;  but  just  as  they  were  about  to  start  they  heard  of  the 
arrival  of  two  Frenchmen  in  a  neighboring  village.  One  of  them  proved 
to  be  Louis  Joliet,  afterwards  famous  as  an  explorer  in  the  West.     He 


34  THE  NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

had  been  sent  by  the  Canadian  Government  to  explore  the  copper  mines 
on  Lake  Superior,  but  had  failed,  and  was  on  his  way  back  to  Quebec. 
He  gave  the  missionaries  a  map  of  the  country  he  had  explored  in  the 
lake  region,  together  with  an  account  of  the  condition  of  the  Indians  in 
that  quarter.  This  induced  the  priests  to  determine  on  leaving  the 
expedition  and  going  to  Lake  Superior.  LaSalle  warned  them  that  the 
Jesuits  were  probably  occupying  that  field,  and  that  they  would  meet 
with  a  cold  reception.  Nevertheless  they  persisted  in  their  purpose,  and 
after  worship  on  the  lake  shore,  parted  from  LaSalle.  On  arriving  at 
Lake  Superior,  they  found,  as  LaSalle  had  predicted,  the  Jesuit  Fathers, 
Marquette  and  Dablon,  occupying  the  field. 

These  zealous  disciples  of  Loyola  informed  them  that  they  wanted 
no  assistance  from  St.  Sulpice,  nor  from  those  who  made  him  their  patron 
saint ;  and  thus  repulsed,  they  returned  to  Montreal  the  following  June 
without  having  made  a  single  discovery  or  converted  a  single  Indian. 

After  parting  with  the  priests,  LaSalle  went  to  the  chief  Iroquois 
village  at  Onondaga,  where  he  obtained  guides,  and  passing  thence  to  a 
tributary  of  the  Ohio  south  of  Lake  Erie,  he  descended  the  latter  as  far 
as  the  falls  at  Louisville.  Thus  was  the  Ohio  discovered  by  LaSalle,  the 
persevering  and  successful  French  explorer  of  the  West,  in  1669. 

The  account  of  the  latter  part  of  his  journey  is  found  in  an  anony- 
mous paper,  which  purports  to  have  been  taken  from  the  lips  of  LaSalle 
himself  during  a  subsequent  visit  to  Paris.  In  a  letter  written  to  Count 
Frontenac  in  1667,  shortly  after  the  discovery,  he  himself  says  that  he 
discovered  the  Ohio  and  descended  it  to  the  falls.  This  was  regarded  as 
an  indisputable  fact  by  the  French  authorities,  who  claimed  the  Ohio 
Valley  upon  another  ground.  When  Washington  was  sent  by  the  colony 
of  Virginia  in  1753,  to  demand  of  Gordeur  de  St.  Pierre  why  the  French 
had  built  a  fort  on  the  Monongahela,  the  haughty  commandant  at  Quebec 
replied :  "  We  claim  the  country  on  the  Ohio  by  virtue  of  the  discoveries 
of  LaSalle,  and  will  not  give  it  up  to  the  English.  Our  orders  are  to 
make  prisoners  of  every  Englishman  found  trading  in  the  Ohio  Valley." 


ENGLISH  EXPLORATIONS  AND  SETTLEMENTS. 

When  the  new  year  of  1750  broke  in  upon  the  Father  of  Waters 
and  the  Great  Northwest,  all  was  still  wild  save  at  the  French  posts 
already  described.  In  1749,  when  the  English  first  began  to  think  seri- 
ously about  sending  men  into  the  West,  the  greater  portion  of  the  States 
of  Indiana,  Ohio,  Illinois,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and  Minnesota  were  yet 
under  the  dominion  of  the  red  men.    The  English  knew,  however,  pretty 


THE   NORTHWEST    TEEKTTORY.  35 

conclusively  of  the  nature  of  the  wealth  of  these  wilds.  As  early  as 
1710,  Governor  Spotswood,  of  Virginia,  had  commenced  movements  to 
secure  the  country  west  of  the  Alleghenies  to  the  English  crown.  In 
Pennsylvania,  Governor  Keitli  and  James  Logan,  secretary  of  the  prov- 
ince, from  1719  to  1731,  represented  to  the  powers  of  England  the  neces- 
sity of  securing  the  Western  lands.  Nothing  was  done,  however,  by  that 
power  save  to  take  some  diplomatic  steps  to  secure  the  claims  of  Britain 
to  this  unexplored  wilderness. 

England  had  from  the  outset  claimed  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific, 
on  the  ground  that  the  discovery  of  the  seacoast  and  its  possession  was  a 
discovery  and  possession  of  the  country,  and,  as  is  well  known,  her  grants 
to  the  colonies  extended  "  from  sea  to  sea."  This, was  not  all  her  claim. 
She  had  purchased  from  the  Indian  tribes  large  tracts  of  land.  This  lat- 
ter was  also  a  strong  argument.  As  early  as  1684,  Lord  H  oward.  Gov- 
ernor of  Virginia,  held  a  treaty  with  the  six  nations.  These  were  the 
great  Northern  Confederacy,  and  comprised  at  first  the  Mohawks,  Onei- 
das,  Onondagas,  Cayugas,  and  Senecas.  Afterward  the  Tuscaroras  were 
taken  into  the  confederacy,  and  it  became  known  as  the  Six  Nations. 
They  came  under  the  protection  of  the  mother  country,  and  again  in. 
1701,  they  repeated  the  agreement,  and  in  September,  1726,  a  formal  deed, 
was  drawn  up  and  signed  by  the  chiefs.  The  validity  of  this  claim  has 
often  been  disputed,  but  never  successfully.  In  1744,  a  purchase  was 
made  at  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  of  certain  lands  within  the  "  Colony  of 
Virginia,"  for  which  the  Indians  received  .£200  in  gold  and  a  like  sum  in 
goods,  with  a  promise  that,  as  settlements  increased,  more  should  be  paid. 
The  Commissioners  from  Virginia  were  Colonel  Thomas  Lee  and  Colonel 
William  Beverly.  As  settlements  extended,  the  promise  of  more  pay  was 
called  to  mind,  and  Mr.  Conrad  Weiser  was  sent  across  the  mountains  with, 
presents  to  appease  the  savages.  Col.  Lee,  and  some  Virginians  accompa- 
nied him  with  the  intention  of  sounding  the  Indians  upon  their  feelings 
regarding  the  English.  They  were  not  satisfied  with  their  treatment, 
and  plainly  told  the  Commissioners  why.  The  English  did  not  desire  the 
cultivation  of  the  country,  but  the  monopoly  of  the  Indian  trade.  In 
1748,  the  Ohio  Company  was  formed,  and  petitioned  the  king  for  a  grant 
of  land  beyond  the  Alleghenies.  This  was  granted,  and  the  government 
of  Virginia  was  ordered  to  grant  to  them  a  half  million  acres,  two  hun- 
dred thousand  of  which  were  to  be  located  at  once.  Upon  the  12th  of 
June,  1749,  800,000  acres  from  the  line  of  Canada  north  and  west  was 
made  to  the  Loyal  Company,  and  on  the  29th  of  October,  1751,  100,000 
acres  were  given  to  the  Greenbriar  Company.  All  this  time  the  French 
were  not  idle.  They  saw  that,  should  the  British  gain  a  foothold  in  the 
West,  especially  upon  the  Ohio,  they  might  not  only  prevent  the  French 


36  THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

settling  upon  it,  but  in  time  would  come  to  the  lower  posts  and  so  gain 
possession  of  the  whole  country.  Upon  the  10th  of  May,  1774,  Vaud- 
reuil,  Governor  of  Canada  and  the  French  possessions,  well  knowing  the 
consequences  that  must  arise  from  allowing  the  English  to  build  trading 
posts  in  the  Northwest,  seized  some  of  their  frontier  posts,  and  to  further 
secure  the  claim  of  the  French  to  the  West,  he,  in  1749,  sent  Louis  Cel- 
eron with  a  party  of  soldiers  to  plant  along  the  Ohio  River,  in  the  mounds 
and  at  the  mouths  of  its  principal  tributaries,  plates  of  lead,  on  which 
were  inscribed  the  claims  of  France.  These  were  heard  of  in  1752,  and 
within  the  memory  of  residents  now  living  along  the  "  Oyo,"  as  the 
beautiful  river  was  called  by  the  French.  One  of  these  plates  was  found 
with  the  inscription  partly  defaced.  It  bears  date  August  16,  1749,  and 
a  copy  of  the  inscription  with  particular  account  of  the  discovery  of  the 
plate,  was  sent  by  DeWitt  Clinton  to  the  American  Antiquarian  Society, 
among  whose  journals  it  may  now  be  found.*  These  measures  did  not, 
however,  deter  the  English  from  going  on  with  their  explorations,  and 
though  neither  party  resorted  to  arms,  yet  the  conflict  was  gathering,  and 
it  was  only  a  question  of  time  when  the  storm  would  burst  upon  the 
frontier  settlements.  In  1750,  Christopher  Gist  was  sent  by  the  Ohio 
Company  to  examine  its  lands.  He  went  to  a  village  of  the  Twigtwees, 
on  the  Miami,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  above  its  mouth.  He 
afterward  spoke  of  it  as  very  populous.  From  there  he  went  down 
the  Ohio  River  nearly  to  the  falls  at  the  present  City  of  Louisville, 
and  in  November  he  commenced  a  survey  of  the  Company's  lands.  Dur- 
ing the  Winter,  General  Andrew  Lewis  performed  a  similar  work  for  the 
Greenbriar  Company.  Meanwhile  the  French  were  busy  in  preparing 
their  forts  for  defense,  and  in  opening  roads,  and  also  sent  a  small  party 
of  soldiers  to  keep  the  Ohio  clear.  This  party,  having  heard  of  the  Eng- 
lish post  on  the  Miami  River,  early  in  1652,  assisted  by  the  Ottawas  and 
Chippewas,  attacked  it,  and,  after  a  severe  battle,  in  which  fourteen  of 
the  natives  were  killed  and  others  wounded,  captured  the  garrison. 
(They  were  probably  garrisoned  in  a  block  house).  The  traders  were 
carried  away  to  Canada,  and  one  account  says  several  were  burned.  This 
fort  or  post  was  called  by  the  English  Pickawillany.  A  memorial  of  the 
king's  ministers  refers  to  it  as  "  Pickawillanes,  in  the  center  of  the  terri- 
tory between  the  Ohio  and  the  Wabash.  The  name  is  probably  some 
variation  of  Pickaway  or  Picqua  in  1773,  written  by  Rev.  David  Jones 
Pickaweke." 

*  The  following  is  a  translation  of  the  inscription  on  the  plate:  "In  the  year  1749.  reign  of  Louis  3tV., 
King  of  France,  we.  Celeron,  coinmanclant  of  a  detachment  by  Monsieur  the  Marquis  of  Gallisoniere,  com- 
mander-in-chief of  New  France,  to  establish  tranquility  in  certain  Indian  villages  of  these  cantons,  have 
buried  this  plate  at  the  confluence  of  the  Toradakoin,  this  twenty- ninth  of  July,  near  the  river  Ohio,  otherwise 
Beautiful  River,  as  a  monument  of  renewal  of  possession  which  we  have  taken  of  the  said  river,  and  all  its 
tributaries;  inasmuch  as  the  preceding  Kings  of  France  have  enjoyed  it,  and  maintained  it  by  their  arms  and 
treaties;  especially  by  those  of  Kyswick,  Utrecht,  and  Aix  La  Chapelle." 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY.  37 

This  was  the  first  blood  shed  between  the  French  and  English,  and 
occurred  near  the  present  City  of  Piqua,  Ohio,  or  at  least  at  a  point  about 
forty-seven  miles  north  of  Dayton.  Each  nation  became  now  more  inter- 
ested in  the  progress  of  events  in  the  Northwest.  The  English  deter- 
mined to  purchase  from  the  Indians  a  title  to  the  lands  they  wished  to 
occupy,  and  Messrs.  Fry  (afterward  Commander-in-chief  over  Washing- 
ton at  the  commencement  of  the  French  War  of  1775-1763),  Lomax  and 
Patton  were  sent  in  the  Spring  of  1752  to  hold  a  conference  with  the 
natives  at  Logstown  to  learn  what  they  objected  to  in  the  treaty  of  Lan- 
caster already  noticed,  and  to  settle  all  difficulties.  On  the  9th  of  June, 
these  Commissioners  met  the  red  men  at  Logstown,  a  little  village  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Ohio,  about  seventeen  miles  below  the  site  of  Pitts- 
burgh. Here  had  been  a  trading  point  for  many  years,  but  it  was  aban- 
doned by  the  Indians  in  1750.  At  first  the  Indians  declined  to  recognize 
the  treaty  of  Lancaster,  but,  the  Commissioners  taking  aside  Montour, 
the  interpreter,  who  was  a  son  of  the  famous  Catharine  Montour,  and  a 
chief  among  the  six  nations,  induced  him  to  use  his  influence  in  their 
favor.  This  he  did,  and  upon  the  13th  of  June  they  all  united  in  signing 
a  deed,  confirming  the  Lancaster  treaty  in  its  full  extent,  consenting  to  a 
settlement  of  the  southeast  of  the  Ohio,  and  guaranteeing  that  it  should 
not  be  disturbed  by  them.  These  were  the  means  used  to  obtain  the  first 
treaty  with  the  Indians  in  the  Ohio  Valley. 

Meanwhile  the  powers  beyond  the  sea  were  trying  to  out-manceuvre 
each  other,  and  were  professing  to  be  at  peace.  The  English  generally 
outwitted  the  Indians,  and  failed  in  many  instances  to  fulfill  their  con- 
tracts. They  thereby  gained  the  ill-will  of  the  red  men,  and  further 
increased  the  feeling  by  failing  to  provide  them  with  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion. Said  an  old  chief,  at  Easton,  in  1758  :  "  The  Indians  on  the  Ohio 
left  you  because  of  your  own  fault.  When  we  heard  the  French  were 
coming,  we  asked  you  for  help  and  arms,  but  we  did  not  get  them.  The 
French  came,  they  treated  us  kindly,  and  gained  our  affections.  The 
Governor  of  Virginia  settled  on  our  lands  for  his  own  benefit,  and,  when 
we  wanted  help,  forsook  us." 

At  the  beginning  of  1653,  the  English  thought  they  had  secured  by 
title  the  lands  in  the  West,  but  the  French  had  quietly  gathered  cannon 
and  military  stores  to  be  in  readiness  for  the  expected  blow.  The  Eng- 
lish made  other  attempts  to  ratify  these  existing  treaties,  but  not  until 
the  Summer  could  the  Indians  be  gathered  together  to  discuss  the  plans 
of  the  French.  They  had  sent  messages  to  the  French,  warning  them 
away  ;  but  they  replied  that  they  intended  to  complete  the  chain  of  forts 
already  begun,  and  would  not  abandon  the  field. 

Soon  after  this,  no  satisfaction  being  obtained  from  the  Ohio  regard- 


38  THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

ing  the  positions  and  purposes  of  the  French,  Governor  Dinwiddie  of 
Virginia  determined  to  send  to  them  another  messenger  and  learn  from 
them,  if  possible,  their  intentions.  For  this  purpose  he  selected  a  young 
man,  a  surveyor,  who,  at  the  early  age  of  nineteen,  had  received  the  rank 
of  major,  and  who  was  thoroughly  posted  regarding  frontier  life.  This 
personage  was  no  other  than  the  illustrious  George  Washington,  who  then 
held  considerable  interest  in  Western  lands.  He  was  at  this  time  just 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  Taking  Gist  as  his  guide,  the  two,  accompanied 
by  four  servitors,  set  out  on  their  perilous  march.  They  left  Will's 
Creek  on  the  10th  of  November,  1753,  and  on  the  22d  reached  the  Monon- 
gahela,  about  ten  miles  above  the  fork.  From  there  they  went  to 
Logstown,  where  Washington  had  a  long  conference  with  the  chiefs  of 
the  Six  Nations.  From  them  he  learned  the  condition  of  the  French,  and 
also  heard  of  their  determination  not  to  come  down  the  river  till  the  fol- 
lowing Spring.  The  Indians  were  non-committal,  as  they  were  afraid  to 
turn  either  way,  and,  as  far  as  they  could,  desired  to  remain  neutral. 
Washington,  finding  nothing  could  be  done  with  them,  went  on  to 
Venango,  an  old  Indian  town  at  the  mouth  of  French  Creek.  Here  the 
French  had  a  fort,  called  Fort  Machault.  Through  the  rum  and  flattery 
of  the  Frencli,  he  nearly  lost  all  his  Indian  followers.  Finding  nothing 
of  importance  here,  he  pursued  his  way  amid  great  privations,  and  on  the 
11th  of  December  reached  the  fort  at  the  head  of  French  Creek.  Here 
he  delivered  Governor  Dinwiddle's  letter,  received  his  answer,  took  his 
observations,  and  on  the  16th  set  out  upon  his  return  journey  with  no  one 
but  Gist,  his  guide,  and  a  few  Indians  who  still  remained  true  to  him, 
notwithstanding  the  endeavors  of  the  French  to  retain  them.  Their 
homeward  journey  was  one  of  great  peril  and  suffering  from  the  cold,  yet 
they  reached  home  in  safety  on  the  6th  of  January,  1754. 

From  the  letter  of  St.  Pierre,  commander  of  the  French  fort,  sent  by 
Washington  to  Governor  Dinwiddie,  it  was  learned  that  the  French  would 
not  give  up  without  a  struggle.  Active  preparations  were  at  once  made 
in  all  the  English  colonies  for  the  coming  conflict,  while  the  French 
finished  the  fort  at  Venango  and  strengthened  their  lines  of  fortifications, 
and  gathered  their  forces  to  be  in  readiness. 

The  Old  Dominion  was  all  alive.  Virginia  was  the  center  of  great 
activities  ;  volunteers  were  called  for,  and  from  all  the  neighboring 
colonies  men  rallied  to  the  conflict,  and  everywhere  along  the  Potomac 
men  were  enlisting  under  the  Governor's  proclamation — which  promised 
two  hundred  thousand  acres  on  the  Ohio.  Along  this  river  they  were 
gathering  as  far  as  Will's  Creek,  and  far  beyond  this  point,  whither  Trent 
had  come  for  assistance  for  his  little  band  of  forty-one  men,  who  were 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY,  39 

working  away  in  hunger  and  want,  to  fortify  that  point  at  the  fork  of 
the  Ohio,  to  which  both  parties  were  looking  with  deep  interest. 

"  The  first  birds  of  Spring  filled  the  air  with  their  song ;  the  swift 
river  rolled  by  the  Allegheny  hillsides,  swollen  by  the  melting  snows  of 
Spring  and  the  April  showers.  The  leaves  were  appearing  ;  a  few  Indian 
scouts  were  seen,  but  no  enemy  seemed  near  at  hand  ;  and  all  was  so  quiet, 
that  Frazier,  an  old  Indian  scout  and  trader,  who  had  been  left  by  Trent 
in  command,  ventured  to  his  home  at  the  mouth  of  Turtle  Creek,  ten 
miles  up  the  Moiiongahela.  But,  though  all  was  so  quiet  in  that  wilder- 
ness, keen  eyes  had  seen  the  low  intrenchment  rising  at  the  fork,  and 
swift  feet  had  borne  the  news  of  it  up  the  river ;  and  upon  the  morning 
of  the  17th  of  April,  Ensign  Ward,  who  then  had  charge  of  it,  saw 
upon  the  Allegheny  a  sight  that  made  his  heart  sink — sixty  batteaux  and 
three  hundred  canoes  filled  with  men,  and  laden  deep  with  cannon  and 
stores.  *  *  *  That  evening  he  supped  with  his  captor,  Contrecoeur, 
and  the  next  day  he  was  bowed  off  by  the  Frenchman,  and  with  his  men 
and  tools,  marched  up  the  Monongahela." 

The  French  and  Indian  war  had  begun.  The  treaty  of  Aix  la 
Chapelle,  in  1748,  had  left  the  boundaries  between  the  French  and 
English  possessions  unsettled,  and  the  events  already  narrated  show  the 
French  were  determined  to  hold  the  country  watered  by  the  Mississippi 
and  its  tributaries  ;  while  the  English  laid  claims  to  the  country  by  virtue 
of  the  discoveries  of  the  Cabots,  and  claimed  all  the  country  from  New- 
foundland to  Florida,  extending  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  The 
first  decisive  blow  had  now  been  struck,  and  the  first  attempt  of  the 
English,  through  the  Ohio  Company,  to  occupy  these  lands,  had  resulted 
disastrously  to  them.  The  French  and  Indians  immediately  completed 
the  fortifications  begun  at  the  Fork,  which  they  had  so  easily  captured, 
and  when  completed  gave  to  the  fort  the  name  of  DuQuesne.  Washing- 
ton was  at  Will's  Creek  when  the  news  of  the  capture  of  the  fort  arrived. 
He  at  once  departed  to  recapture  it.  On  his  way  he  entrenched  him- 
self at  a  place  called  the  ^  Meadows,"  where  he  erected  a  fort  called 
by  him  Fort  Necessity.  From  there  he  surprised  and  captured  a  force  of 
French  and  Indians  marching  against  him,  but  was  soon  after  attacked 
in  his  fort  by  a  much  superior  force,  and  was  obliged  to  yield  on  the 
morning  of  July  4th.     He  was  allowed  to  return  to  Virginia. 

The  English  Government  immediately  planned  four  campaigns  ;  one 
against  Fort  DuQuesne ;  one  against  Nova  Scotia ;  one  against  Fort 
Niagara,  and  one  against  Crown  Point.  These  occurred  during  1755-6, 
and  were  not  successful  in  driving  the  French  from  their  possessions. 
The  expedition  against  Fort  DuQuesne  was  led  by  the  famous  General 
Braddock,  who,  refusing  to  listen  to  the  advice  of  Washington  and  those 


40  'i'HI^   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

acquainted  with  Indian  warfare,  suffered  such  an  inglorious  defeat.  This 
occurred  on  the  morning  of  July  9th,  and  is  generally  known  as  the  battle 
of  Monongahela,  or  "  Braddock's  Defeat."  The  war  continued  with 
various  vicissitudes  through  the  years  1756-7  ;  when,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  1758,  in  accordance  with  the  plans  of  William  Pitt,  then  Secre- 
tary of  State,  afterwards  Lord  Chatham,  active  preparations  were  made  to 
carry  on  the  war.  Three  expeditions  were  planned  for  this  year :  one, 
under  General  Amherst,  against  Louisburg  ;  another,  under  Abercrombie, 
against  Fort  Ticonderoga  ;  and  a  third,  under  General  Forbes,  against 
Fort  DuQuesne.  On  the  26th  of  July,  Louisburg  surrendered  after  a 
desperate  resistance  of  more  than  forty  days,  and  the  eastern  part  of  the 
Canadian  possessions  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British.  Abercrombie 
captured  Fort  Frontenac,  and  when  the  expedition  against  Fort  DaQiiesne, 
of  which  Washington  had  the  active  command,  arrived  there,  it  Avas 
found  in  flames  and  deserted.  The  English  at  once  took  possession, 
rebuilt  the  fort,  and  in  honor  of  their  illustrious  statesman,  changed  the 
name  to  Fort  Pitt. 

The  great  object  of  the  campaign  of  1759,  was  the  reduction  of 
Canada.  General  Wolfe  was  to  lay  siege  to  Quebec  ;  Amherst  was  to 
reduce  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point,  and  General  Prideaux  was  to 
capture  Niagara.  This  latter  place  was  taken  in  July,  but  the  gallant 
Prideaux  lost  his  life  in  the  attempt.  Amherst  captured  Ticonderoga 
and  Crown  Point  without  a  blow  ;  and  Wolfe,  after  making  the  memor- 
able ascent  to  the  Plains  of  Abraham,  on  September  13th,  defeated 
Montcalm,  and  on  the  18th,  the  city  capitulated.  In  this  engagement 
Montcolm  and  Wolfe  both  lost  their  lives.  De  Levi,  Montcalm's  successor, 
marched  to  Sillery,  three  miles  above  the  city,  with  the  purpose  of 
defeating  the  English,  and  there,  on  the  28th  of  the  following  April,  was 
fought  one  of  the  bloodiest  battles  of  the  French  and  Indian  War.  It 
resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  French,  and  the  fall  of  the  City  of  Montreal. 
The  Governor  signed  a  capitulation  by  which  the  whole  of  Canada  was 
surrendered  to  the  English.  This  practically  concluded  the  war,  but  it 
was  not  until  1763  that  the  treaties  of  peace  between  France  and  England 
were  signed.  This  was  done  on  the  10th  of  February  of  that  year,  and 
under  its  provisions  all  the  country  east  of  the  Mississippi  and  north  of 
the  Iberville  River,  in  Louisiana,  were  ceded  to  England.  At  the  same 
time  Spain  ceded  Florida  to  Great  Britain. 

On  the  13th  of  September,  1760,  Major  Robert  Rogers  was  sent 
from  Montreal  to  take  charge  of  Detroit,  the  only  remaining  French  post 
in  the  territory.  He  arrived  there  on  the  19th  of  November,  and  sum- 
moned the  place  to  surrender.  At  first  the  commander  of  the  post, 
Beletre,  refused,  but  on  the  29th,  hearing  of  the  continued  defeat  of  the 


THE   NORTHWEST    TERRITORY.  41 

French  arms,  surrendered.  Rogers  remained  there  until  December  23d 
under  the  personal  protection  of  the  celebrated  chief,  Pontiac,  to  whom, 
no  doubt,  he  owed  his  safety.  Pontiac  had  come  here  to  inquire  the 
purposes  of  the  English  in  taking  possession  of  the  country.  He  was 
assured  that  they  came  simply  to  trade  with  the  natives,  and  did  not 
desire  their  country.  This  answer  conciliated  the  savages,  and  did  much 
to  insure  the  safety  of  Rogers  and  his  party  during  their  stay,  and  while 
on  their  journey  home. 

Rogers  set  out  for  Fort  Pitt  on  December  23,  and  was  just  one 
month  on  the  way.  His  route  was  from  Detroit  to  Maumee,  thence 
across  the  present  State  of  Ohio  directly  to  the  fort.  This  was  the  com- 
mon trail  of  the  Indians  in  their  journeys  from  Sandusky  to  the  fork  of 
the  Ohio.  It  went  from  Fort  Sandusky,  where  Sandusky  City  now  is, 
crossed  the  Huron  river,  then  called  Bald  Eagle  Creek,  to  "  Mohickon 
John's  Town "  on  Mohickon  Creek,  the  northern  branch  of  White 
Woman's  River,  and  thence  crossed  to  Beaver's  Town,  a  Delaware  town 
on  what  is  now  Sandy  Creek.  At  Beaver's  Town  were  probably  one 
hundred  and  fifty  warriors,  and  not  less  than  three  thousand  acres  of 
cleared  land.  From  there  the  track  went  up  Sandy  Creek  to  and  across 
Big  Beaver,  and  up  the  Ohio  to  Logstown,  thence  on  to  the  fork. 

The  Northwest  Territory  was  now  entirely  under  the  English  rule. 
New  settlements  began  to  be  rapidly  made,  and  the  promise  of  a  large 
trade  was  speedily  manifested.  Had  the  British  carried  out  their  promises 
with  the  natives  none  of  those  savage  butcheries  would  have  been  perpe- 
trated, and  the  country  would  have  been  spared  their  recital. 

The  renowned  chief,  Pontiac,  was  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  these 
atrocities.  We  will  now  pause  in  our  narrative,  and  notice  the  leading 
events  in  his  life.  The  earliest  authentic  information  regarding  this 
noted  Indian  chief  is  learned  from  an  account  of  an  Indian  trader  named 
Alexander  Henry,  who,  in  the  Spring  of  1761,  penetrated  his  domains  as 
far  as  Missillimacnacl  Pontiac  was  then  a  great  friend  of  the  French, 
but  a  bitter  foe  of  the  English,  whom  he  considered  as  encroaching  on  his 
hunting  grounds.  Henry  was  obliged  to  disguise  himself  as  a  Canadian 
to  insure  safety,  but  was  discovered  by  Pontiac,  who  bitterly  reproached 
him  and  the  English  for  their  attempted  subjugation  of  the  West.  He 
declared  that  no  treaty  had  been  made  with  them ;  no  presents  sent 
them,  and  that  he  would  resent  any  possession  of  the  West  by  that  nation. 
He  was  at  the  time  about  fifty  years  of  age,  tall  and  dignified,  and  was 
civil  and  military  ruler  of  the  Ottawas,  Ojibwas  and  Pottawatamies. 

The  Indians,  from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  borders  of  North  Carolina, 
were  united  in  this  feeling,  and  at  the  time  of  the  treaty  of  Paris,  ratified 
February  10,  1763,  a   general  conspiracy  was  formed  to  fall  suddenly 


42 


THE   NOKTHWEST   TEllKITOEy. 


PONTIAC,  THE  OTTAWA  CHIEFTAIN. 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY.  43 

upon  the  frontier  British  posts,  and  with  one  blow  strike  every  man  dead. 
Poutiac  was  the  marked  leader  in  all  this,  and  was  the  commander 
of  the  Chippewas,  Ottawas,  Wyandots,  Miamis,  Shawanese,  Delawares 
and  Mingoes,  who  had,  for  the  time,  laid  aside  their  local  quarrels  to  unit& 
in  this  enterprise. 

The  blow  came,  as  near  as  can  now  be  ascertained,  on  May  7,  176^, 
Nine  British  posts  fell,  and  the  Indians  drank,  "  scooped  up  in  the  hollow 
of  joined  hands,"  the  blood  of  many  a  Briton. 

Pontiac's  immediate  field  of  action  was  the  garrison  at  Detroit. 
Here,  however,  the  plans  were  frustrated  by  an  Indian  woman  disclosing 
the  plot  the  evening  previous  to  his  arrival.  Everything  was  carried  out, 
however,  according  to  Pontiac's  plans  until  the  moment  of  action,  when 
Major  Gladwyn,  the  commander  of  the  post,  stepping  to  one  of  the  Indian 
chiefs,  suddenly  drew  aside  his  blanket  and  disclosed  the  concealed 
musket.  Pontiac,  though  a  brave  man,  turned  pale  and  trembled.  He 
saw  his  plan  was  known,  and  that  the  garrison  were  prepared.  He 
endeavored  to  exculpate  himself  from  any  such  intentions ;  but  the  guilt 
was  evident,  and  he  and  his  followers  were  dismissed  with  a  severe 
reprimand,  and  warned  never  to  again  enter  the  walls  of  the  post. 

Pontiac  at  once  laid  siege  to  the  fort,  and  until  the  treaty  of  peace 
between  the  British  and  the  Western  Indians,  concluded  in  August,  1764, 
continued  to  harass  and  besiege  the  fortress.  He  organized  a  regular 
commissariat  department,  issued  bills  of  credit  written  out  on  bark, 
which,  to  his  credit,  it  may  be  stated,  were  punctually  redeemed.  At 
the  conclusion  of  the  treaty,  in  which  it  seems  he  took  no  part,  he  went 
further  south,  living  many  yeass  among  the  Illinois. 

He  had  given  up  all  hope  of  saving  his  country  and  race.  After  a 
time  he  endeavored  to  unite  the  Illinois  tribe  and  those  about  St.  Louis 
in  a  war  with  the  whites.  His  efforts  were  fruitless,  and  only  ended  in  a 
quarrel  between  himself  and  some  Kaskaskia  Indians,  one  of  whom  soon 
afterwards  killed  him.  His  death  was,  however,  avenged  by  the  northern 
Indians,  who  nearly  exterminated  the  Illinois  in  the  wars  which  followed. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  treachery  of  a  few  of  his  followers,  his  plan 
for  the  extermination  of  the  whites,  a  masterly  one,  would  undoubtedly 
have  been  carried  out. 

It  was  in  the  Spring  of  the  year  following  Rogers'  visit  that  Alex- 
ander Henry  went  to  Missillimacnac,  and  everywhere  found  the  strongest 
feelings  against  the  English,  who  had  not  carried  out  their  promises,  and 
were  doing  nothing  to  conciliate  the  natives.  Here  he  met  the  chief, 
Pontiac,  who,  after  conveying  to  him  in  a  speech  the  idea  that  their 
French  father  would  awake  soon  and  utterly  destroy  his  enemies,  said : 
"  Englishman,  although  you  have  conquered  the  French,  you  have  not 


44  THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

yet  conquered  us  !  We  are  not  your  slaves!  These  lakes,  these  woods, 
these  mountains,  were  left  us  by  our  ancestors.  They  are  our  inheritance, 
and  we  will  part  with  them  to  none.  Your  nation  supposes  that  we,  like 
the  white  people,  can  not  live  without  bread  and  pork  and  beef.  But  you 
ought  to  know  that  He,  the  Great  Spirit  and  Master  of  Life,  has  provided 
food  for  us  upon  these  broad  lakes  and  in  these  mountains." 

He  then  spoke  of  the  fact  that  no  treaty  had  been  made  with  them, 
no  presents  sent  them,  and  that  he  and  his  people  were  yet  for  war. 
Such  were  the  feelings  of  the  Northwestern  Indians  immediately  after 
the  English  took  possession  of  their  country.  These  feelings  were  no 
doubt  encouraged  by  the  Canadians  and  French,  who  hoped  that  yet  the 
French  arms  might  prevail.  The  treaty  of  Paris,  however,  gave  to  the 
English  the  right  to  this  vast  domain,  and  active  preparations  were  going 
on  to  occupy  it  and  enjoy  its  trade  and  emoluments. 

In  1762,  France,  by  a  secret  treaty,  ceded  Louisiana  to  Spain,  to  pre- 
vent it  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  English,  who  were  becoming  masters 
of  the  entire  West.  The  next  year  the  treaty  of  Paris,  signed  at  Fon- 
tainbleau,  gave  to  the  English  the  domain  of  the  country  in  question. 
Twenty  years  after,  by  the  treaty  of  peace  between  the  United  States 
and  England,  that  part  of  Canada  lying  south  and  west  of  the  Great 
Lakes,  comprehending  a  large  territory  which  is  the  subject  of  these 
sketches,  was  acknowledged  to  be  a  portion  of  the  United  States  ;  and 
twenty  years  still  later,  in  1803,  Louisiana  was  ceded  by  Spain  back  to 
France,  and  by  France  sold  to  the  United  States. 

In  the  half  century,  from  the  building  of  the  Fort  of  Crevecoeur  by 
LaSalle,  in  1680,  up  to  the  erection  of  Fort  Chartres,  many  French  set- 
tlements had  been  made  in  that  quarter.  These  have  already  been 
noticed,  being  those  at  St.  Vincent  (Vincennes),  Kohokia  or  Cahokia, 
Kaskaskia  and  Prairie  du  Rocher,  on  the  American  Bottom,  a  large  tract 
of  rich  alluvial  soil  in  Illinois,  on  the  Mississippi,  opposite  the  site  of  St. 
Louis. 

By  the  treaty  of  Paris,  the  regions  east  of  the  Mississippi,  including 
ail  these  and  other  towns  of  the  Northwest,  were  given  over  to  England ; 
but  they  do  not  appear  to  have  been  taken  possession  of  until  1765,  when 
Captain  Stirling,  in  the  name  of  the  Majesty  of  England,  established  him- 
self at  Fort  Chartres  bearing  with  him  the  proclamation  of  General  Gage, 
dated  December  30,  1764,  which  promised  religious  freedom  to  all  Cath- 
olics who  worshiped  here,  and  a  right  to  leave  the  country  with  their 
effects  if  they  wished,  or  to  remain  with  the  privileges  of  Englishmen. 
It  was  shortly  after  the  occupancy  of  the  West  by  the  British  that  the 
war  with  Pontiac  opened.  It  is  already  noticed  in  the  sketch  of  that 
chieftain.     By  it  many  a  Briton  lost  his  life,  and  many  a  frontier  settle- 


THE    NORT^^VEST    TERRTTORY.  45 

ment  in  its  infancy  ceased  to  exist.  This  was  not  ended  until  the  year 
1764,  when,  failing  to  capture  Detroit,  Niagara  and  Fort  Pitt,  his  confed- 
eracy became  disheartened,  and,  receiving  no  aid  from  the  French,  Pon- 
tiac  abandoned  the  enterprise  and  departed  to  the  Illinois,  among  whom 
he  afterward  lost  his  life. 

As  soon  as  these  difficulties  were  definitely  settled,  settlers  began 
rapidly  to  survey  the  country  and  prepare  for  occupation.  During  the 
year  1770,  a  number  of  persons  from  Virginia  and  other  British  provinces 
explored  and  marked  out  nearly  all  the  valuable  lands  on  the  Mononga- 
hela  and  along  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  as  far  as  the  Little  Kanawha.  This 
was  followed  by  another  exploring  expedition,  in  which  George  Washing- 
ton was  a  party.  The  latter,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Craik,  Capt.  Crawford 
and  others,  on  the  20th  of  October,  1770,  descended  the  Ohio  from  Pitts- 
burgh to  the  mouth  of  the  Kanawha  ;  ascended  that  stream  about  fourteen 
miles,  marked  out  several  large  tracts  of  land,  shot  several  buffalo,  which 
were  then  abundant  in  the  Ohio  Valley,  and  returned  to  the  fort. 

Pittsburgh  was  at  this  time  a  trading  post,  about  which  was  clus- 
tered a  village  of  some  twenty  houses,  inhabited  by  Indian  traders.  This 
same  year,  Capt.  Pittman  visited  Kaskaskia  and  its  neighboring  villages. 
He  found  there  about  sixty -five  resident  families,  and  at  Cahokia  only 
forty-five  dwellings.  At  Fort  Chartres  was  another  small  settlement,  and 
at  Detroit  the  garrison  were  quite  prosperous  and  strong.  For  a  year 
or  two  settlers  continued  to  locate  near  some  of  these  posts,  generally 
Fort  Pitt  or  Detroit,  owing  to  the  fears  of  the  Indians,  who  still  main- 
tained some  feelings  of  hatred  to  the  English.  The  trade  from  the  posts 
was  quite  good,  and  from  those  in  Illinois  large  quantities  of  pork  and 
flour  found  their  way  to  the  New  Orleans  market.  At  this  time  the 
policy  of  the  British  Government  was  strongly  opposed  to  the  extension 
of  the  colonies  west.  In  1763,  the  King  of  England  forbade,  by  royal 
proclamation,  his  colonial  subjects  from  making  a  settlement  beyond  the 
sources  of  the  rivers  which  fall  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  At  the  instance 
of  the  Board  of  Trade,  measures  were  taken  to  prevent  the  settlement 
without  the  limits  prescribed,  and  to  retain  the  commerce  within  easy 
reach  of  Great  Britain. 

The  commander-in-chief  of  the  king's  forces  wrote  in  1769  :  "  In  the 
course  of  a  few  years  necessity  will  compel  the  colonists,  should  they 
extend  their  settlements  west,  to  provide  manufactures  of  some  kind  for 
themselves,  and  when  all  connection  upheld  by  commerce  with  the  mother 
country  ceases,  an  independency  in  their  government  will  soon  follow.  ' 

In  accordance  with  this  policy.  Gov.  Gage  issued  a  proclamation 
in  1772,  commanding  the  inhabitants  of  Vincennes  to  abandon  their  set- 
tlements  and  join  some  of  the  Eastern  English  colonies.     To  this  they 


46  THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

strenuously  objected,  giving  good  reasons  therefor,  and  were  allowed  to 
remain.  The  strong  opposition  to  this  policy  of  Great  Britain  led  to  its 
change,  and  to  such  a  course  as  to  gain  the  attachment  of  the  French 
population.  In  December,  1773,  influential  citizens  of  Quebec  petitioned 
the  king  for  an  extension  of  the  boundary  lines  of  that  province,  which 
was  granted,  and  Parliament  passed  an  act  on  June  2,  1774,  extend- 
ing the  boundary  so  as  to  include  the  territory  lying  within  the  present 
States  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Michigan. 

In  consequence  of  the  liberal  policy  pursued  by  the  British  Govern- 
ment toward  the  French  settlers  in  the  West,  they  were  disposed  to  favor 
that  nation  in  the  war  which  soon  followed  with  the  colonies  ;  but  the 
early  alliance  between  France  and  America  soon  brought  them  to  the  side 
of  the  war  for  independence. 

In  1774,  Gov.  Dunmore,  of  Virginia,  began  to  encourage  emigration 
to  the  Western  lands.  He  appointed  magistrates  at  Fort  Pitt  under  the 
pretense  that  the  fort  was  under  the  government  of  that  commonwealth. 
One  of  these  justices,  John  Connelly,  who  possessed  a  tract  of  land  in  the 
Ohio  Valley,  gathered  a  force  of  men  and  garrisoned  the  fort,  calling  it 
Fort  Dunmore.  This  and  other  parties  were  formed  to  select  sites  for 
settlements,  and  often  came  in  conflict  with  the  Indians,  who  yet  claimed 
portions  of  the  valley,  and  several  battles  followed.  These  ended  in  the 
famous  battle  of  Kanawha  in  July,  where  the  Indians  were  defeated  and 
driven  across  the  Ohio. 

During  the  years  1775  and  1776,  by  the  operations  of  land  companies 
and  the  perseveranceof  individuals,  several  settlements  were  firmly  estab- 
lished between  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Ohio  River,  and  western  land 
speculators  were  busy  in  Illinois  and  on  the  Wabash.  At  a  council  held 
in  Kaskaskia  on  July  5,  1773,  an  association  of  English  traders,  calling 
themselves  the  "Illinois  Land  Company,"  obtained  from  ten  chiefs  of  the 
Kaskaskia,  Cahokia  and  Peoria  tribes  two  large  tracts  of  land  lying  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  River  south  of  the  Illinois.  In  1775,  a  mer- 
chant from  the  Illinois  Country,  named  Viviat,  came  to  Post  Vincennes 
as  the  agent  of  the  association  called  the  "  Wabash  Land  Company."  On 
the  8th  of  October  he  obtained  from  eleven  Piankeshaw  chiefs,  a  deed  for 
37,497,600  acres  of  land.  This  deed  was  signed  by  the  grantors,  attested 
by  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  Vincennes,  and  afterward  recorded  in 
the  office  of  a  notary  public  at  Kaskaskia.  This  and  other  land  com=- 
panies  had  extensive  schemes  for  the  colonization  of  the  West ;  but  all 
were  frustrated  by  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution.  On  the  20th  of 
April,  1780,  the  two  companies  named  consolidated  under  the  name  of  the 
"  United  Illinois  and  Wabash  Land  Company."     They  afterward  madf 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY.  47 

strenuous  efforts  to  have  these  grants  sanctioned  by  Congress,  but  all 
signally  failed. 

When  the  War  of  the  Revolution  commenced,  Kentucky  was  an  unor- 
ganized country,  though  there  were  several  settlements  within  her  borders. 

In  Hutchins'  Topography  of  Virginia,  it  is  stated  that  at  that  time 
*'  Kaskaskia  contained  80  houses,  and  nearly  1,000  white  and  black  in- 
habitants—  the  whites  being  a  little  the  more  numerous.  Cahokia  con- 
tains 50  houses  and  300  white  inhabitants,  and  80  negroes.  There  were 
east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  about  the  j^ear  1771  " — when  these  observa- 
tions were  made  — "  300  white  men  capable  of  bearing  arms,  and  230 
negroes." 

From  1775  until  the  expedition  of  Clark,  nothing  is  recorded  and 
nothing  known  of  these  settlements,  save  what  is  contained  in  a  report 
made  by  a  committee  to  Congress  in  June,  1778.  From  it  the  following 
extract  is  made  : 

"Near  the  mouth  of  the  River  Kaskaskia,  there  is  a  village  which 
appears  to  have  contained  nearly  eighty  families  from  the  beginning  of 
the  late  revolution.  There  are  twelve  families  in  a  small  village  at  la 
Prairie  du  Rochers,  and  near  fifty  families  at  the  Kahokia  Village.  There 
are  also  four  or  five  families  at  Fort  Chartres  and  St.  Philips,  which  is  five 
miles  further  up  the  river." 

St.  Louis  had  been  settled  in  February,  1764,  and  at  this  time  con- 
tained, including  its  neighboring  towns,  over  six  hundred  whites  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty  negroes.  It  must  be  remembered  that  all  the  country 
west  of  the  Mississippi  was  now  under  French  rule,  and  remained  so  until 
ceded  again  to  Spain,  its  original  owner,  who  afterwards  sold  it  and  the 
country  including  New  Orleans  to  the  United  States.  At  Detroit  there 
were,  according  to  Capt.  Carver,  who  was  in  the  Northwest  from  1766  to 
1768,  more  than  one  hundred  houses,  and  the  river  was  settled  for  more 
than  twenty  miles,  although  poorly  cultivated — the  people  being  engaged 
in  the  Indian  trade.  This  old  town  has  a  history,  which  we  will  here 
relate. 

It  is  the  oldest  town  in  the  Northwest,  having  been  founded  by 
Antoine  de  Lamotte  Cadillac,  in  1701.  It  was  laid  out  in  the  form  of  an 
oblong  square,  of  two  acres  in  length,  and  an  acre  and  a  half  in  width. 
As  described  by  A.  D.  Frazer,  who  first  visited  it  and  became  a  permanent 
resident  of  the  place,  in  1778,  it.  comprised  within  its  limits  that  space 
between  Mr.  Palmer's  store  (Conant  Block)  and  Capt.  Perkins'  house 
(near  the  Arsenal  building),  and  extended  back  as  far  as  the  public  barn, 
and  was  bordered  in  front  by  the  Detroit  Riv«r.  It  was  surrounded  by 
oak  and  cedar  pickets,  about  fifteen  feet  long,  set  in  the  ground,  and  had 
four  gates  —  east,  west,  north  and  south.     Over  the  first  three  of  these 


48  THE  NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

gates  were  block  houses  provided  with  four  guns  apiece,  each  a  six- 
pounder.  Two  six-gun  batteries  were  planted  fronting  the  river  and  in  a 
parallel  direction  with  the  block  houses.  There  were  four  streets  running 
east  and  west,  the  main  street  being  twenty  feet  wide  and  the  rest  fifteen 
feet,  while  the  four  streets  crossing  these  at  right  angles  were  from  ten 
to  fifteen  feet  in  width. 

At  the  date  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Frazer,  there  was  no  fort  within  the 
enclosure,  but  a  citadel  on  the  ground  corresponding  to  the  present 
northwest  corner  of  Jefferson  Avenue  and  Wayne  Street.  The  citadel  was 
inclosed  by  pickets,  and  within  it  were  erected  barracks  of  wood,  two 
stories  high,  sufficient  to  contain  ten  officers,  and  also  barracks  sufficient 
to  contain  four  hundred  men,  and  a  provision  store  built  of  brick.  The 
citadel  also  contained  a  hospital  and  guard-house.  The  old  town  of 
Detroit,  in  1778,  contained  about  sixty  houses,  most  of  them  one  story, 
with  a  few  a  story  and  a  half  in  height.  They  were  all  of  logs,  some 
hewn  and  some  round.  There  was  one  building  of  splendid  appearance, 
called  the  "  King's  Palace,"  two  stories  high,  which  stood  near  the  east 
gate.  It  was  built  for  Governor  Hamilton,  the  first  governor  commissioned 
by  the  British,  There  were  two  guard-houses,  one  near  the  west  gate  and 
the  other  near  the  Government  House.  Each  of  the  guards  consisted  of 
twenty-four  men  and  a  subaltern,  who  mounted  regularly  every  morning 
between  nine  and  ten  o'clock.  Each  furnished  four  sentinels,  who  were 
relieved  every  two  hours.  There  was  also  an  officer  of  the  day,  who  per- 
formed strict  duty.  Each  of  the  gates  was  shut  regularly  at  sunset, 
even  wicket  gates  were  shut  at  nine  o'clock,  and  all  the  keys  were 
delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  commanding  officer.  They  were  opened 
in  the  morning  at  sunrise.  No  Indian  or  squaw  was  permitted  to  enter 
town  with  any  weapon,  such  as  a  tomahawk  or  a  knife.  It  was  a  stand- 
ing order  that  the  Indians  should  deliver  their  arms  and  instruments  of 
every  kind  before  they  were  permitted  to  pass  the  sentinel,  and  they  were 
restored  to  them  on  their  return.  No  more  than  twenty-five  Indians  were 
allowed  to  enter  the  town  at  any  one  time,  and  they  were  admitted  only 
at  the  east  and  west  gates.  At  sundown  the  drums  beat,  and  all  the 
Indians  were  required  to  leave  town  instantly.  There  was  a  council  house 
near  the  water  side  for  the  purpose  of  holding  council  with  the  Indians. 
The  population  of  the  town  was  about  sixty  families,  in  all  about  two 
hundred  males  and  one  hundred  females.  This  town  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  all  except  one  dwelling,  in  1805.  After  which  the  present  "  new  " 
town  was  laid  out. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution,  the  British  held  every  post  of 
importance  in  the  West.  Kentucky  was  formed  as  a  component  part  of 
Virginia,  and  the  sturdy  pioneers  of  the  West,  alive  to  their  interests, 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY.  4|> 

and  recognizing  the  great  benefits  of  obtaining  the  control  of  the  trade  in 
this  part  of  the  New  World,  held  steadily  to  their  purposes,  and  those 
within  the  commonwealth  of  Kentucky  proceeded  to  exercise  their 
civil  privileges,  by  electing  John  Todd  and  Richard  Gallaway^ 
burgesses  to  represent  them  in  the  Assembly  of  the  parent  state. 
Early  in  September  of  that  year  (1777)  the  first  court  was  held 
in  Harrodsburg,  and  Col.  Bowman,  afterwards  major,  who  had  arrived 
in  August,  was  made  the  commander  of  a  militia  organization  which 
had  been  commenced  the  March  previous.  Thus  the  tree  of  loyalty 
was  growing.  The  chief  spirit  in  this  far-out  colony,  who  had  represented 
her  the  year  previous  east  of  the  mountains,  was  now  meditating  a  move 
unequaled  in  its  boldness.  He  had  been  watching  the  movements  of  the 
British  throughout  the  Northwest,  and  understood  their  whole  plan.  He, 
saw  it  was  through  their  possession  of  the  posts  at  Detroit,  Vincennes, 
Kaskaskia,  and  other  places,  which  would  give  them  constant  and  easy 
access  to  the  various  Indian  tribes  in  the  Northwest,  that  the  British 
intended  to  penetrate  the  country  from  the  north  and  soutn,  ana  annihi- 
late the  frontier  fortresses.  This  moving,  energetic  man  was  Colonel, 
afterwards  General,  George  Rogers  Clark.  He  knew  the  Indians  were  not 
unanimously  in  accord  with  the  English,  and  he  was  convinced  that,  could 
the  British  be  defeated  and  expelled  from  the  Northwest,  the  natives 
might  be  easily  awed  into  neutrality  ;  and  by  spies  sent  for  the  purpose, 
he  satisfied  himself  that  the  enterprise  against  the  Illinois  settlements 
might  easily  succeed.  Having  convinced  himself  of  the  certainty  of  the 
project,  he  repaired  to  the  Capital  of  Virginia,  which  place  he  reached  on 
November  5th.  While  he  was  on  his  way,  fortunately,  on  October  17th, 
Burgoyne  had  been  defeated,  and  the  spirits  of  the  colonists  greatly 
encouraged  thereby.  Patrick  Henry  was  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  at 
once  entered  heartily  into  Clark's  plans.  The  same  plan  had  before  been 
agitated  in  the  Colonial  Assemblies,  but  there  was  no  one  until  Clark 
came  who  was  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  condition  of  affairs  at  the 
scene  of  action  to  be  able  to  guide  them. 

Clark,  having  satisfied  the  Vii-ginia  leaders  of  the  feasibility  of  his 
plan,  received,  on  the  2d  of  January,  two  sets  of  instructions — one  secret, 
the  other  open  —  the  latter  authorized  him  to  j)roceed  to  enlist  seven 
companies  to  go  to  Kentucky,  subject  to  his  orders,  and  to  serve  three 
months  from  their  arrival  in  the  West.  The  secret  order  authorized  him 
to  arm  these  troops,  to  procure  his  powder  and  lead  of  General  Hand 
at  Pittsburgh,  and  to  proceed  at  once  to  subjugate  the  country. 

With  these  instructions  Clark  repaired  to  Pittsburgh,  choosing  rather 
to  raise  his  men  west  of  the  mountains,  as  he  well  knew  all  were  needed 
in  the  colonies  in  the  conflict  there.     He  sent  Col.  W.  B.  Smith  to  Hoi- 


50  THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

ston  for  the  same  purpose,  but  neither  succeeded  in  raising  the  required 
number  of  men.  Tlie  settlers  in  these  parts  were  afraid  to  leave  their 
own  firesides  exposed  to  a  vigilant  foe,  and  but  few  could  be  induced  to 
join  the  proposed  expedition.  With  three  companies  and  several  private 
volunteers,  Clark  at  length  commenced  his  descent  of  the  Ohio,  which  he 
navigated  as  far  as  the  Falls,  where  he  took  possession  of  and  fortified 
Corn  Island,  a  small  island  between  the  present  Cities  of  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  and  New  Albany,  Indiana.  Remains  of  this  fortification  may 
yet  be  found.  At  this  place  he  appointed  Col.  Bowman  to  meet  him 
with  such  recruits  as  had  reached  Kentucky  by  the  southern  route,  and 
as  many  as  could  be  spared  from  the  station.  Here  he  announced  to 
the  men  their  real  destination.  Having  completed  his  arrangements, 
and  chosen  his  party,  he  left  a  small  garrison  upon  the  island,  and  on  the 
24th  of  June,  during  a  total  eclipse  of  the  sun,  which  to  them  augured 
no  good,  and  which  fixes  beyond  dispute  the  date  of  starting,  he  with 
his  chosen  band,  fell  down  the  river.  His  plan  was  to  go  by  water  as 
far  as  Fort  Massac  or  Massacre,  and  thence  march  direct  to  Kaskaskia. 
Here  he  intended  to  surprise  the  garrison,  and  after  its  capture  go  to 
Cahokia,  then  to  Vincennes,  and  lastly  to  Detroit.  Should  he  fail,  he 
intended  to  march  directly  to  the  Mississippi  River  and  cross  it  into  the 
Spanish  country.  Before  his  start  he  received  two  good  items  of  infor- 
mation :  one  that  the  alliance  had  been  formed  between  France  and  the 
United  States ;  and  the  other  that  the  Indians  throughout  the  Illinois 
country  and  the  inhabitants,  at  the  various  frontier  posts,  had  been  led  to 
believe  by-the  British  that  the  "  Long  Knives"  or  Virginians,  were  the 
most  fierce,  bloodthirsty  and  cruel  savages  that  ever  scalped  a  foe.  Witli 
this  impression  on  their  minds,  Clark  saw  that  proper  management  would 
cause  them  to  submit  at  once  from  fear,  if  surprised,  and  then  from  grati- 
tude would  become  friendly  if  treated  with  unexpected  leniency. 

The  march  to  Kaskaskia  was  accomplished  through  a  hot  July  sun, 
and  the  town  reached  on  the  evening  of  July  4.  He  captured  the  fort 
near  the  village,  and  soon  after  the  village  itself  by  surprise,  and  without 
the  loss  of  a  single  man  or  bj^  killing  any  of  the  enemy.  After  sufficiently 
working  upon  the  fears  of  the  natives,  Clark  told  them  they  were  at  per- 
fect liberty  to  worship  as  they  pleased,  and  to  take  whichever  side  of  the 
great  conflict  they  would,  also  he  would  protect  them  from  any  barbarity 
from  British  or  Indian  foe.  This  had  the  desired  effect,  and  the  inhab- 
itants, so  unexpectedly  and  so  gratefully  surprised  by  the  unlooked 
for  turn  of  affairs,  at  once  swore  allegiance  to  the  American  arms,  and 
when  Clark  desired  to  go  to  Cahokia  on  the  6th  of  July,  they  accom- 
panied him,  and  through  their  influence  the  inhabitants  of  the  place 
surrendered,  and  gladly  placed  themselves  under  his  protection.     Thus 


THE    NORTHWEST    TERRITORY.  51 

the  two  important  posts  in  Illinois  passed  from  the  hands  of  the  English 
into  the  possession  of  Virginia. 

In  the  person  of  the  priest  at  Kaskaskia,  M.  Gibault,  Clark  found  a 
powerful  ally  and  generous  friend.  Clark  saw  that,  to  retain  possession 
of  the  Northwest  and  treat  successfully  with  the  Indians  within  its  boun- 
daries, he  must  establish  a  government  for  the  eolonies  he  had  taken. 
St.  Vincent,  the  next  important  post  to  Detroit, remained  yet  to  be  taken 
before  the  Mississippi  Valley  was  conquered.  M.  Gibault  told  him  that 
he  would  alone,  by  persuasion,  lead  Vincennes  to  throw  off  its  connection 
with  England.  Clark  gladly  accepted  his  offer,  and  on  the  14th  of  July, 
in  company  with  a  fellow-townsman,  M.  Gibault  started  on  his  mission  of 
peace,  and  on  the  1st  of  August  returned  with  the  cheerful  intelligence 
that  the  post  on  the  "  Oubache  "  had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  Old  Dominion.  During  this  interval,  Clark  established  his  courts, 
placed  garrisons  at  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia,  successfully  re-enlisted  his 
men,  sent  word  to  have  a  fort,  which  proved  the  germ  of  Louisville, 
erected  at  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio,  and  dispatched  Mr.  Rocheblave,  who 
had  been  commander  at  Kaskaskia,  as  a  prisoner  of  war  to  Richmond. 
In  October  the  County  of  Illinois  was  established  by  the  Legislature 
of  Virginia,  John  Todd  appointed  Lieutenant  Colonel  and  Civil  Governor, 
and  in  November  General  Clark  and  his  men  received  the  thanks  of 
the  Old  Dominion  through  their  Legislature. 

In  a  speech  a  few  days  afterward,  Clark  made  known  fully  to  the 
natives  his  plans,  and  at  its  close  all  came  forward  and  swore  alle- 
giance to  the  Long  Knives.  While  he  was  doing  this  Governor  Hamilton, 
having  made  his  various  arrangements,  had  left  Detroit  and  moved  down 
the  Wabash  to  Vincennes  intending  to  operate  from  that  point  in  reducing 
the  Illinois  posts,  and  then  proceed  on  down  to  Kentucky  and  drive  the 
rebels  from  the  West.  Gen.  Clark  had,  on  the  return  of  M.  Gibault, 
dispatched  Captain  Helm,  of  Fauquier  County,  Virginia,  with  an  attend- 
ant named  Henry,  across  the  Illinois  prairies  to  command  the  fort. 
Hamilton  knew  nothing  of  the  capitulation  of  the  post,  and  was  greatly 
surprised  on  his  arrival  to  be  confronted  by  Capt.  Helm,  who,  standing  at 
the  entrance  of  the  fort  by  a  loaded  cannon  ready  to  fire  upon  his  assail- 
ants, demanded  upon  what  terms  Hamilton  demanded  possession  of  the 
fort.  Being  granted  the  rights  of  a  prisoner  of  war,  he  surrendered  to 
the  British  General,  who  could  scarcely  believe  his  eyes  when  he  saw  the 
force  in  the  garrison. 

Hamilton,  not  realizing  the  character  of  the  men  with  whom  he  was 
contending,  gave  up  his  intended  campaign  for  the  Winter,  sent  his  four 
hundred  Indian  warriors  to  prevent  troops  from  coming  down  the  Ohio, 


52  THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

and  to  annoy  the  Americans  in  all  ways,  and  sat  quietly  down  to  pass  the 
Winter.  Information  of  all  these  proceedings  having  reached  Clark,  he 
saw  that  immediate  and  decisive  action  was  necessary,  and  that  unless 
he  captured  Hamilton,  Hamilton  would  capture  him.  Clark  received  the 
news  on  the  29th  of  January,  1779,  and  on  February  4th,  having  suffi- 
ciently garrisoned  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia,  he  sent  down  the  Mississippi 
a  "  battoe,"  as  Major  Bowman  writes  it,  in  order  to  ascend  the  Ohio  and 
Wabash,  and  operate  with  the  land  forces  gathering  for  the  fray. 

On  the  next  day,  Clark,  with  his  little  force  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  men,  set  out  for  the  post,  and  after  incredible  hard  marching 
through  much  mud,  the  ground  being  thawed  by  the  incessant  spring 
rains,  on  the  22d  reached  the  fort,  and  being  joined  by  his  "  battoe,"  at 
once  commenced  the  attack  on  the  post.  The  aim  of  the  American  back- 
woodsman was  unerring,  and  on  the  24th  the  garrison  surrendered  to  the 
intrepid  boldness  of  Clark.  The  French  were  treated  with  great  kind- 
ness, and  gladly  renewed  their  allegiance  to  Virginia.  Hamilton  was 
sent  as  a  prisoner  to  Virginia,  where  he  was  kept  in  close  confinement. 
During  his  command  of  the  British  frontier  posts,  he  had  offered  prizes 
to  the  Indians  for  all  the  scalps  of  Americans  they  would  bring  to  him, 
and  had  earned  in  consequence  thereof  the  title  "  Hair-buyer  General," 
by  which  he  was  ever  afterward  known. 

Detroit  was  now  without  doubt  within  easy  reach  of  the  enterprising 
Virginian,  could  he  but  raise  the  necessary  force.  Governor  Henry  being 
apprised  of  this,  promised  him  the  needed  reinforcement,  and  Clark  con- 
cluded to  wait  until  he  could  capture  and  sufficiently  garrison  the  posts. 
Had  Clark  failed  in  this  bold  undertaking,  and  Hamilton  succeeded  in 
uniting  the  western  Indians  for  the  next  Spring's  campaign,  the  West 
would  indeed  have  been  swept  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Allegheny 
Mountains,  and  the  great  blow  struck,  which  had  been  contemplated  from 
the  commencement,  by  the  British. 

"  But  for  this  small  army  of  dripping,  but  fearless  Virginians,  the 
union  of  all  the  tribes  from  Georgia  to  Maine  against  the  colonies  might 
have  been  effected,  and  the  whole  current  of  our  history  changed." 

At  this  time  some  fears  were  entertained  by  the  Colonial  Govern- 
ments that  the  Indians  in  the  North  and  Northwest  were  inclining  to  the 
British,  and  under  the  instructions  of  Washington,  now  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  Colonial  army,  and  so  bravely  fighting  for  American  inde- 
pendence, armed  forces  were  sent  against  the  Six  Nations,  and  upon  the 
Ohio  frontier.  Col.  Bowman,  acting  under  the  same  general's  orders, 
marched  against  Indians  within  the  present  limits  of  that  State.  These 
expeditions  were  in  the  main  successful,  and  the  Indians  were  compelled 
to  sue  for  peace. 


THE  NORTHWEST   TERRITORY.  53 

During  this  same  year  (1779)  the  famous  "  Land  Laws"  of  Virginia 
were  passed.  The  passage  of  these  laws  was  of  more  consequence  to  the 
pioneers  of  Kentucky  and  the  Northwest  than  the  gaining  of  a  few  Indian, 
conflicts,  Tliese  laws  confirmed  in  main  all  grants  made,  and  guaranteed 
to  all  actual  settlers  their  rights  and  privileges.  After  providing  for  the 
settlers,  the  laws  provided  for  selling  the  balance  of  the  public  lands  at 
forty  cents  per  acre.  To  carry  the  Land  Laws  into  effect,  the  Legislature 
sent  four  Virginians  westward  lo  attend  to  the  various  claims,  over  many 
of  which  great  confusion  prevailed  concerning  their  validity.  These 
gentlemen  opened  their  court  on  October  13,  1779,  at  St.  Asaphs,  and 
continued  until  April  26,  1780,  when  they  adjourned,  having  decided 
three  thousand  claims.  They  were  succeeded  by  the  surveyor,  who 
came  in  the  person  of  Mr.  George  May,  and  assumed  his  duties  on  the 
10th  day  of  the  month  whose  name  he  bore.  With  the  opening  of  the 
next  year  (1780)  the  troubles  concerning  the  navigation  of  the  Missis- 
sippi commenced.  The  Spanish  Government  exacted  such  measures  in. 
relation  to  its  trade  as  to  cause  the  overtures  made  to  the  United  States 
to  be  rejected.  The  American  Government  considered  they  had  a  right 
to  navigate  its  channel.  To  enforce  their  claims,  a  fort  was  erected  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  on  the  Kentucky  side  of  the  river.  The  settle- 
ments in  Kentucky  were  being  rapidly  filled  by  emigrants.  It  was  dur- 
ing this  year  that  the  first  seminary  of  learning  was  established  in  the 
West  in  this  young  and  enterprising  Commonwealth. 

The  settlers  here  did  not  look  upon  the  building  of  this  fort  in  a 
friendly  manner,  as  it  aroused  the  hostility  of  the  Indians.  Spain  had 
been  friendly  to  the  Colonies  during  their  struggle  for  independence, 
and  though  for  a  while  this  friendship  appeared  in  danger  from  the 
refusal  of  the  free  navigation  of  the  river,  yet  it  was  finally  settled  to  the 
satisfaction  of  both  nations. 

The  Winter  of  1779-80  was  one  of  the  most  unusually  severe  ones 
ever  experienced  in  the  West.  The  Indians  always  referred  to  it  as  the 
"Great  Cold."  Numbers  of  wild  animals  perished,  and  not  a  few 
pioneers  lost  their  lives.  The  following  Summer  a  party  of  Canadians 
and  Indians  attacked  St.  Louis,  and  attempted  to  take  possession  of  it 
in  consequence  of  the  friendly  disposition  of  Spain  to  the  revolting 
colonies.  They  met  with  such  a  determined  resistance  on  the  part  of  the 
inhabitants,  even  the  women  taking  part  in  the  battle,  that  they  were 
compelled  to  abandon  the  contest.  They  also  made  an  attack  on  the 
settlements  in  Kentucky,  but,  becoming  alarmed  in  some  unaccountable 
manner,  they  fled  the  country  in  great  haste. 

About  this  time  arose  the  question  in  the  Colonial  Congress  con- 
cerning the  western  lands  claimed  by  Virginia,  New  York,  Massachusetts 


54  THE  NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

and  Connecticut.  The  agitation  concerning  this  subject  finally  led  New 
York,  on  the  19th  of  February,  1780,  to  pass  a  law  giving  to  the  dele- 
gates of  that  State  in  Congress  the  power  to  cede  her  western  lands  for 
the  benefit  of  the  United  States.  This  law  was  laid  before  Congress 
during  the  next  month,  but  no  steps  were  taken  concerning  it  until  Sep- 
tember 6th,  when  a  resolution  passed  that  body  calling  upon  the  States 
claiming  western  lands  to  release  their  claims  in  favor  of  the  whole  body. 
This  basis  formed  the  union,  and  was  the  first  after  all  of  those  legislative 
measures  which  resulted  in  the  creation  of  the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois,  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota.  In  December  of  the  same 
year,  the  plan  of  conquering  Detroit  again  arose.  The  conquest  might 
have  easily  been  effected  by  Clark  had  the  necessary  aid  been  furnished 
him.  Nothing  decisive  was  done,  yet  the  heads  of  the  Government  knew 
that  the  safety  of  the  Northwest  from  British  invasion  lay  in  the  capture 
and  retention  of  that  important  post.,  the  only  unconquered  one  in  the 
territory. 

Before  the  close  of  the  year,  Kentucky  was  divided  into  the  Coun- 
ties of  Lincoln,  Fayette  and  Jefferson,  and  the  act  establishing  the  Town 
of  Louisville  was  passed.  This  same  year  is  also  noted  in  the  annals  of 
American  history  as  the  year  in  which  occurred  Arnold's  treason  to  the 
United  States. 

Virginia,  in  accordance  with  the  resolution  of  Congress,  on  the  2d 
day  of  January,  1781,  agreed  to  yield  her  western  lands  to  the  United 
States  upon  certain  conditions,  which  Congress  would  not  accede  to,  and 
the  Act  of  Cession,  on  the  part  of  the  Old  Dominion,  failed,  nor  was 
anything  farther  done  until  1783.  During  all  that  time  the  Colonies 
were  busily  engaged  in  the  struggle  with  the  mother  country,  and  in 
consequence  thereof  but  little  heed  was  given  to  the  western  settlements. 
Upon  the  4th  of  July,  1773,  the  first  birth  north  of  the  Ohio  River  of 
American  parentage  occurred,  being  that  of  John  L.  Roth,  son  of  John 
Roth,  one  of  the  Moravian  missionaries,  whose  band  of  Christian  Indians 
suffered  in  after-  years  a  horrible  massacre  by  the  hands  of  the  frontier 
settlers,  who  had  been  exasperated  by  the  murder  of  several  of  their 
neighbors,  and  in  their  rage  committed,  without  regard  to  humanity,  a 
deed  which  forever  afterward  cast  a  shade  of  shame  upon  their  lives. 
For  this  and  kindred  outrages  on  the  part  of  the  whites,  the  Indians 
committed  many  deeds  of  cruelty  which  darken  the  years  of  1771  and 
1772  in  the  history  of  the  Northwest. 

Durino-  the  year  1782  a  number  of  battles  among  the  Indians  and 
frontiersmen  occurred,  and  between  the  Moravia-n  Indians  and  the  Wyan- 
dots.  In  these,  horrible  acts  of  cruelty  were  practised  on  the  captives, 
manv  of  such  dark  deeds  transpiring  under  the  leadership  of  the  notorious 


THE    NORTHWEST    TERRITORY. 


frontier  outlaw,  Simon  Girty,  whose  name,  as  well  as  those  of  his  brothers, 
was  a  terror  to  women  and  children.  These  occurred  chiefly  in  the  Ohio 
valleys.  Cotemporary  with  them  were  several  engagements  in  Kentucky, 
in  which  the  famous  Daniel  Boone  engaged,  and  who,  often  by  his  skill 
and  knowledge  of  Indian  warfare,  saved  the  outposts  from  cruel  destrue- 


INDIANS    ATTACKING    FKONTIEKSMEN. 

tion.  By  the  close  of  the  year  victory  had  perched  upon  the  Americaa 
banner,  and  on  the  30th  of  November,  provisional  articles  of  peace  had 
been  arranged  between  the  Commissioners  of  England  and  her  uncon- 
querable colonies.  Cornwallis  had  been  defeated  on  the  19th  of  October 
preceding,  and  the  liberty  of  America  was  assured.  On  the  19th  of 
April   following,  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Lexington,  peace  was 


56  THE   NORTHWEST    TERRITORY. 

proclaimed  to  the  army  of  the  United  States,  and  on  the  3d  of  the  next 
September,  the  definite  treaty  which  ended  our  revolutionary  struggle 
was  concluded.  By  the  terms  of  that  treaty,  the  boundaries  of  the  West 
were  as  follows :  On  the  north  the  line  was  to  extend  along  the  center  of 
the  Great  Lakes  ;  from  the  western  point  of  Lake  Superior  to  Long  Lake  ; 
thence  to  the  Lake  of  the  Woods ;  thence  to  the  head  of  the  Mississippi 
River ;  down  its  center  to  the  31st  parallel  of  latitude,  then  on  that  line 
east  to  the  head  of  the  Appalachicola  River ;  down  its  center  to  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Flint  ;  thence  straight  to  the  head  of  St.  Mary's  River,  and 
thence  down  along  its  center  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

Following  the  cessation  of  hostilities  with  England,  several  posts 
were  still  occupied  by  the  British  in  the  North  and  West.  Among  these 
was  Detroit,  still  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Numerous  engagements 
with  the  Indians  throughout  Ohio  and  Indiana  occurred,  upon  whose 
lands  adventurous  whites  would  settle  ere  the  title  had  been  acquired  by 
the  proper  treaty. 

To  remedy  this  latter  evil.  Congress  appointed  commissioners  to 
treat  with  the  natives  and  purchase  their  lands,  and  prohibited  the  set- 
tlement of  the  territory  until  this  could  be  done.  Before  the  close  of  the 
year  another  attempt  was  made  to  capture  Detroit,  which  was,  however, 
not  pushed,  and  Virginia,  no  longer  feeling  the  interest  in  the  Northwest 
she  had  formerly  done,  withdrew  her  troops,  having  on  the  20th  of 
December  preceding  authorized  the  whole  of  her  possessions  to  be  deeded 
to  the  United  States.  This  was  done  on  the  1st  of  March  following,  and 
the  Northwest  Territory  passed  from  the  control  of  the  Old  Dominion. 
To  Gen.  Clark  and  his  soldiers,  however,  she  gave  a  tract  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  acres  of  land,  to  be  situated  any  where  north  of  the 
Ohio  wherever  they  chose  to  locate  them.  They  selected  the  region 
opposite  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  where  is  now  the  dilapidated  village  of 
Clarksville,  about  midway  between  the  Cities  of  New  Albany  and  Jeffer- 
sonville,  Indiana. 

While  the  frontier  remained  thus,  and  Gen.  Haldimand  at  Detroit 
refused  to  evacuate  alleging  that  he  had  no  orders  from  his  King  to  do 
so,  settlers  were  rapidly  gathering  about  the  inland  forts.  In  the  Spring 
of  1784,  Pittsburgh  was  regularly  laid  out,  and  from  the  journal  of  Arthur 
Lee,  who  passed  through  the  town  soon  after  on  his  way  to  the  Indian 
council  at  Fort  Mcintosh,  we  suppose  it  was  not  very  prepossessing  in 
appearance.     He  says : 

"  Pittsburgh  is  inhabited  almost  entirely  by  Scots  and  Irish,  who 
live  in  paltry  log  houses,  and  are  as  dirty  as  if  in  the  north  of  Ireland  or 
even  Scotland.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  trade  carried  on,  the  goods  being 
l>ought  at  the  vast  expense  of  forty-five  shillings  per  pound  from  Phila- 


THE   NORTHWEST  TERRITORY.  57 

delphia  and  Baltimore.  They  take  in  the  shops  flour,  wheat,  skins  and 
money.  There  are  in  the  town  four  attorneys,  two  doctors,  and  not  a 
priest  of  any  persuasion,  nor  church  nor  chapel." 

Kentucky  at  this  time  contained  thirty  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
was  beginning  to  discuss  measures  for  a  separation  from  Virginia.  A 
land  office  was  opened  at  Louisville,  and  measures  were  adopted  to  take 
defensive  precaution  against  the  Indians  who  were  yet,  in  some  instances, 
incited  to  deeds  of  violence  by  the  British.  Before  the  close  of  this  year, 
1784,  the  military  claimants  of  land  began  to  occupy  them,  although  no 
entries  were  recorded  until  1787. 

The  Indian  title  to  the  Northwest  was  not  yet  extinguished.  They 
held  large  tracts  of  lands,  and  in  order  to  prevent  bloodshed  Congress 
adopted  means  for  treaties  with  the  original  owners  and  provided  for  the 
surveys  of  the  lands  gained  thereby,  as  well  as  for  those  north  of  the 
Ohio,  now  in  its  possession.  On  January  31,  1786,  a  treaty  was  made 
with  the  Wabash  Indians.  The  treaty  of  Fort  Stanwix  had  been  made 
in  1784.  That  at  Fort  Mcintosh  in  1785,  and  through  these  much  land 
was  gained.  The  Wabash  Indians,  however,  afterward  refused  to  comply 
with  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  made  with  them,  and  in  order  to  compel 
their  adherence  to  its  provisions,  force  was  used.  During  the  year  1786, 
the  free  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  came  up  in  Congress,  and  caused 
various  discussions,  which  resulted  in  no  definite  action,  only  serving  to 
excite  speculation  in  regard  to  the  western  lands.  Congress  had  promised 
bounties  of  land  to  the  soldiers  of  the  Revolution,  but  owing  to  the 
unsettled  condition  of  affairs  along  the  Mississippi  respecting  its  naviga- 
tion, and  the  trade  of  the  Northwest,  that  body  had,  in  1783,  declared 
its  inability  to  fulfill  these  promises  until  a  treaty  could  be  concluded 
between  the  two  Governments.  Before  the  close  of  the  year  1786,  how- 
ever, it  was  able,  through  the  treaties  with  the  Indians,  to  allow  some 
grants  and  the  settlement  thereon,  and  on  the  14th  of  September  Con- 
necticut ceded  to  the  General  Government  the  tract  of  land  known  as 
the  "  Connecticut  Reserve,"  and  before  the  close  of  the  following  year  a 
large  tract  of  land  north  of  the  Ohio  was  sold  to  a  company,  who  at  once 
took  measures  to  settle  it.  By  the  provisions  of  this  grant,  the  company 
were  to  pay  the  United  States  one  dollar  per  acre,  subject  to  a  deduction 
of  one-third  for  bad  lands  and  other  contingencies.  They  received 
750,000  acres,  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Ohio,  on  the  east  by  the 
seventh  range  of  townships,  on  the  west  by  the  sixteenth  range,  and  on 
the  north  by  a  line  so  drawn  as  to  make  the  grant  complete  without 
the  reservations.  In  addition  to  this.  Congress  afterward  granted  100,000 
acres  to  actual  settlers,  and  214,285  acres  as  army  bounties  under  the 
resolutions  of  1789  and  1790. 


58 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 


While  Dr.  Cutler,  one  of  the  agents  of  the  company,  was  pressing 
its  claims  before  C6ngress,  that  body  was  bringing  into  form  an  ordinance 
for  the  political  and  social  organization  of  this  Territory.  When  the 
cession  was  made  by  Virginia,  in  1784,  a  plan  was  offered,  but  rejected. 
A  motion  had  been  made  to  strike  from  the  proposed  plan  the  prohibition 
of  slavery,  which  prevailed.  The  plan  was  then  discussed  and  altered, 
and  finally  passed  unanimously,  with  the  exception  of  South  Carolina. 
'  By  this  proposition,  the  Territory  was  to  have  been  divided  into  states 


PEESEKT    SITE    OF    LAKE    STREET    BKIDGE,    CHICAGO,    1^"    ISoO. 


by  parallels  and  meridian  lines.  This,  it  was  thought,  would  make  ten 
states,  which  were  to  have  been  named  as  follows  —  beginning  at  the 
northwest  corner  and  going  southwardly :  Sylvania,  Michigania,  Cher- 
sonesus,  Assenisipia,  Metropotamia,  Illenoia,  Saratoga,  Washington,  Poly- 
potamia  and  Pelisipia. 

There  was  a  more  serious  objection  to  this  plan  than  its  category  of 
names, —  the  boundaries.  The  root  of  the  difficulty  was  in  the  resolu- 
tion of  Congress  passed  in  October,  1780,  which  fixed  the  boundaries 
of  the  ceded  lands  to  be  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY.  59 

square.  These  resolutions  being  presented  to  the  Legislatures  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Massachusetts,  they  desired  a  change,  and  in  July,  1786,  the 
subject  was  taken  up  in  Congress,  and  changed  to  favor  a  division  into 
not  more  than  five  states,  and  not  less  than  three.  This  was  approved  by 
the  State  Legislature  of  Virginia.  The  subject  of  the  Government  was 
again  taken  up  by  Congress  in  1786,  and  discussed  throughout  that  year 
and  until  July,  1787,  when  the  famous  "Compact  of  1787"  was  passed, 
and  the  foundation  of  the  government  of  the  Northwest  laid.  This  com- 
pact is  fully  discussed  and  explained  in  the  history  of  Illinois  in  this  book, 
and  to  it  the  reader  is  referred. 

The  passage  of  this  act  and  the  grant  to  the  New  England  Company 
was  soon  followed  by  an  application  to  the  Government  by  John  Cleves 
Symmes,  of  New  Jersey,  for  a  grant  of  the  land  between  the  Miamis. 
This  gentleman  had  visited  these  lands  soon  after  the  treaty  of  1786,  and, 
being  greatly  pleased  with  them,  offered  similar  terms  to  those  given  to  the 
New  England  Company.  The  petition  was  referred  to  the  Treasury 
Board  with  power  to  act,  and  a  contract  was  concluded  the  following- 
year.  During  the  Autumn  the  directors  of  the  New  England  Company 
were  preparing  to  occupy  their  grant  the  following  Spring,  and  upon  the 
23d  of  November  made  arrangements  for  a  party  of  forty-seven  men, 
under  the  superintendency  of  Gen.  Rufus  Putnam,  to  set  forward.  Six 
boat-builders  were  to  leave  at  once,  and  on  the  first  of  January  the  sur- 
veyors and  their  assistants,  twenty-six  in  number,  were  to  meet  at  Hart- 
ford and  proceed  on  their  journey  westward  ;  the  remainder  to  follow  as 
soon  as  possible.  Congress,  in  the  meantime,  upon  the  3d  of  October, 
had  ordered  seven  hundred  troops  for  defense  of  the  western  settlers,  and 
to  prevent  unauthorized  intrusions  ;  and  two  days  later  appointed  Arthur 
St.  Clair  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  the  Northwest. 

AMERICAN  SETTLEMENTS. 

The  civil  organization  of  the  Northwest  Territory  was  now  com- 
plete, and  notwithstanding  the  uncertainty  of  Indian  affairs,  settlers  from 
the  East  began  to  come  into  the  country  rapidly.  The  New  England 
Company  sent  their  men  during  the  Winter  of  1787-8  pressing  on  over 
the  Alleghenies  by  the  old  Indian  path  which  had  been  opened  into 
Braddock's  road,  and  which  has  since  been  made  a  national  turnpike 
from  Cumberland  westward.  Through  the  weary  winter  days  they  toiled 
on,  and  by  April  were  all  gathered  on  the  Yohiogany,  where  boats  had 
been  built,  and  at  once  started  for  the  Muskingum.  Here  they  arrived 
on  the  7th  of  that  month,  and  unless  the  Moravian  missionaries  be  regarded 
as  the  pioneers  of  Ohio,  this  little  band  can  justly  claim  that  honor. 


60 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 


Gen.  St.  Clair,  the  appointed  Governor  of  the  Northwest,  not  having 
yet  arrived,  a  set  of  laws  were  passed,  written  out,  and  published  by 
being  nailed  to  a  tree  in  the  embryo  town,  and  Jonathan  Meigs  appointed 
to  administer  them. 

Washington  in  writing  of  this,  the  first  American  settlement  in  the 
Northwest,  said :  "  No  colony  in  America  was  ever  settled  under 
such  favorable  auspices  as  that  which  has  just  commenced  at  Muskingum. 
Information,  property  and  strength  will  be  its  characteristics.  I  know 
many  of  its  settlers  personally,  and  there  never  were  men  better  calcu- 
lated to  promote  the  welfare  of  such  a  community." 


^s^^^^si? 


v^^ 


A    PIONEER    DWELLING. 


On  the  2d  of  July  a  meeting  of  the  directors  and  agents  was  held 
on  the  banks  of  the  Muskingum,  "  for  the  purpose  of  naming  the  new- 
born city  and  its  squares."  As  yet  the  settlement  was  known  as  the 
"Muskingum,"  but  that  was  now  changed  to  the  name  Marietta,  in  honor 
of  Marie  Antoinette.  The  square  upon  which  the  block -houses  stood 
was  called  '•''  Oampus  Martins  ;''  square  number  19,  '•'•  Capitolkim  ;''''  square 
number  61,  '■'•Cecilia ;"'  and  the  great  road  through  the  covert  way,  "•  Sacra 
Via."  Two  days  after,  an  oration  was  delivered  by  James  M.  Varnum, 
who  with  S.  H.  Parsons  and  John  Armstrong  had  been  appointed  to  the 
judicial  bench  of  the  territory  on  the  16th  of  October,  1787.  On  July  9, 
Gov.  St.  Clair  arrived,  and  the  colony  began  to  assume  form.  The  act 
of  1787  provided  two  district  grades  of  government  for  the  Northwest, 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY.  61 

under  the  first  of  which  the  whole  power  was  invested  in  the  hands  of  a 
governor  and  three  district  judges.  This  was  immediately  formed  upon 
the  Governor's  arrival,  and  the  first  laws  of  the  colony  passed  on  the  25th 
of  July.  These  provided  for  the  organization  of  the  militia,  and  on  the 
next  day  appeared  the  Governor's  proclamation,  erecting  all  that  country 
that  had  been  ceded  by  the  Indians  east  of  the  Scioto  River  into  the 
County  of  Washington.  From  that  time  forward,  notwithstanding  the 
doubts  yet  existing  as  to  the  Indians,  all  Marietta  prospered,  and  on  the 
2d  of  September  the  first  court  of  the  territory  was  held  with  imposing 
ceremonies. 

The  emigration  westward  at  this  time  was  very  great.  The  com- 
mander at  Fort  Harmer,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Muskingum,  reported  four 
thousand  five  hundred  persons  as  having  passed  that  post  between  Feb- 
ruary and  June,  1788  —  many  of  whom  would  have  purchased  of  the 
"Associates,"  as  the  New  England  Company  was  called,  had  they  been 
ready  to  receive  them. 

On  the  26th  of  November,  1787,  Symmes  issued  a  pamphlet  stating 
the  terms  of  his  contract  and  the  plan  of  sale  he  intended  to  adopt.  In 
January,  1788,  Matthias  Denman,  of  New  Jersey,  took  an  active  interest 
in  Symmes'  purchase,  and  located  among  other  tracts  the  sections  upon 
which  Cincinnati  has  been  built.  Retaining  one-third  of  this  locality,  he 
sold  the  other  two-thirds  to  Robert  Patterson  and  John  Filson,  and  the 
three,  about  August,  commenced  to  lay  out  a  town  on  the  spot,  which 
was  designated  as  being  opposite  Licking  River,  to  the  mouth  of  which 
they  proposed  to  have  a  road  cut  from  Lexington.  The  naming  of  the 
town  is  thus  narrated  in  the  "Western  Annals  "  : — "  Mr.  Filson,  who  had 
been  a  schoolmaster,  was  appointed  to  name  the  town,  and,  in  respect  to 
its  situation,  and  as  if  with  a  prophetic  perception  of  the  mixed  race  that 
were  to  inhabit  it  in  after  days,  he  named  it  Losantiville,  which,  being 
interpreted,  means  :  ville,  the  town  ;  anti,  against  or  opposite  to  ;  os,  the 
mouth  ;  L.  of  Licking." 

Meanwhile,  in  July,  Symmes  got  thirty  persons  and  eight  four-horse 
teams  under  way  for  the  West.  These  reached  Limestone  (now  Mays- 
ville)  in  September,  where  were  several  persons  from  Redstone.  Here 
Mr.  Symmes  tried  to  found  a  settlement,  but  the  great  freshet  of  1789 
caused  the  "  Point,"  as  it  was  and  is  yet  called,  to  be  fifteen  feet  under 
water,  and  the  settlement  to  be  abandoned.  The  little  band  of  settlers 
removed  to  the  mouth  of  the  Miami.  Before  Symmes  and  his  colony  left 
the  "  Point,"  two  settlements  had  been  made  on  his  purchase.  The  first 
was  by  Mr.  Stiltes,  the  original  projector  of  the  whole  plan,  who,  with  a 
colony  of  Redstone  people,  had  located  at  the  mouth  of  the  Miami, 
whither  Symmes  went  with  his  Maysville  colony.     Here  a  clearing  had 


62 


THE    NORTHWEST    TERRITORY. 


been  made  by  the  Indians  owing  to  the  great  fertility  of  the  soil.  Mr. 
Stiltes  with  his  colony  came  to  this  place  on  the  18th  of  November,  1788, 
with  twenty-six  persons,  and,  building  a  block-house,  prepared  to  remain 
through  the  Winter.  They  named  the  settlement  Columbia.  Here  they 
were  kindly  treated  by  the  Indians,  but  suffered  greatly  from  the  flood 
of  1789. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1789,  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
went  into  operation,  and  on  April  30,  George  Washington  was  inaug- 
urated President  of  the  American  people,  and  during  the  next  Summer, 
an  Indian  war  was  commenced  by  the  tribes  north  of  the  Ohio.  The 
President  at  first  used  pacific  means ;  but  these  failing,  he  sent  General 
Harmer  against  the  hostile  tribes.     He  destroyed  several  villages,  but 


LAICE  BLUFF 
The  frontage  of  Lake  Bluff  Grounds  on  Lake  Michigan,  with  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  of  gradual  ascent. 


was  defeated  in  two  battles,  near  the  present  City  of  Fort  Wayne» 
Indiana.  From  this  time  till  the  close  of  1795,  the  principal  events  were 
the  wars  with  the  various  Indian  tribes.  In  1796,  General  St.  Clair 
was  appointed  in  command,  and  marched  against  the  Indians ;  but  while 
he  was  encamped  on  a  stream,  the  St.  Mary,  a  branch  of  the  Maumee, 
he  was  attacked  and  defeated  with  the  loss  of  six  hundred  men. 

General  Wayne  was  now  sent  against  the  savages.  In  August,  1794, 
he  met  them  near  the  rapids  of  the  Maumee,  and  gained  a  complete 
victory.  This  success,  followed  by  vigorous  measures,  compelled  the 
Indians  to  sue  for  peace,  and  on  the  30th  of  July,  the  following  year,  the 
treaty  of  Greenville  was  signed  by  the  principal  chiefs,  by  which  a  large 
tract  of  country  was  ceded  to  the  United  States. 

Before  proceeding  in  our  narrative,  we  will  pause  to  notice  Fort 
Washington,  erected  in  the  early  part  of  this  war  on  the  site  of  Cincinnati. 
Nearly   all   of   the   great    cities  of   the  Northwest,  and  indeed  of    the 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY.  63 

whole  country,  have  had  their  nuclei  in  those  rude  pioneer  structures, 
known  as  forts  or  stockades.  Thus  Forts  Dearborn,  Washington,  Pon- 
chartrain,  mark  the  original  sites  of  the  now  proud  Cities  of  Chicago, 
Cincinnati  and  Detroit.  So  of  most  of  the  flourishing  cities  east  and  west 
of  the  Mississippi.  Fort  Washington,  erected  by  Doughty  in  1790,  was  a 
rude  but  highly  interesting  structure.  It  was  composed  of  a  number  of 
strongly-built  hewed  log  cabins.  Those  designed  for  soldiers'  barracks 
were  a  story  and  a  half  high,  while  those  composing  the  officers  quarters 
were  more  imposing  and  more  conveniently  arranged  and  furnished. 
The  whole  were  so  placed  as  to  form  a  hollow  square,  enclosing  about  an 
acre  of  ground,  with  a  block  house  at  each  of  the  four  angles. 

The  logs  for  the  construction  of  this  fort  were  cut  from  the  ground 
upon  which  it  was  erected.  It  stood  between  Third  and  Fourth  Streets 
of  the  present  city  (Cincinnati)  extending  east  of  Eastern  Row,  now 
Broadway,  which  was  then  a  narrow  alley,  and  the  eastern  boundar}^  of 
of  the  town  as  it  was  originally  laid  out.  On  the  bank  of  the  river, 
immediately  in  front  of  the  fort,  was  an  appendage  of  the  fort,  called  the 
Artificer's  Yard.  It  contained  about  two  acres  of  ground,  enclosed  by 
small  contiguous  buildings,  occupied  by  workshops  and  quarters  of 
laborers.  Within  this  enclosure  there  was  a  large  two-story  frame  house, 
familiarly  called  the  "  Yellow  House,"  built  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  Quartermaster  General.  For  many  years  this  was  the  best  finished 
and  most  commodious  edifice  in  the  Queen  City.  Fort  Washington  was 
for  some  time  the  headquarters  of  both  the  civil  and  military  governments 
of  the  Northwestern  Territory, 

Following  the  consummation  of  the  treaty  various  gigantic  land  spec- 
ulations were  entered  into  by  different  persons,  who  hoped  to  obtain 
from  the  Indians  in  Michigan  and  northern  Indiana,  large  tracts  of  lands. 
These  were  generally  discovered  in  time  to  prevent  the  outrageous 
schemes  from  being  carried  out,  and  from  involving  the  settlers  in  war. 
On  October  27,  1795,  the  treaty  between  the  United  States  and  Spain 
was  signed,  whereby  the  free  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  was  secured. 

No  sooner  had  the  treaty  of  1795  been  ratified  than  settlements  began 
to  pour  rapidly  into  the  West.  The  great  event  of  the  year  1796  was  the 
occupation  of  that  part  of  the  Northwest  including  Michigan,  which  was 
this  year,  under  the  provisions  of  the  treaty,  evacuated  by  the  British 
forces.  The  United  States,  owing  to  certain  conditions,  did  not  feel 
justified  in  addressing  the  authorities  in  Canada  in  relation  to  Detroit 
and  other  frontier  posts.  When  at  last  the  British  authorities  were 
called  to  give  them  up,  they  at  once  complied,  and  General  Wayne,  who 
had  done  so  much  to  preserve  the  frontier  settlements,  and  who,  before 
the    year's    close,  sickened    and  died  near  Erie,  transferred  his  head- 


54  THE  NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

quarters  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  lakes,  where  a  county  named  after 
him  was  formed,  which  included  the  northwest  of  Ohio,  all  of  Michigan, 
and  the  northeast  of  Indiana.  During  this  same  year  settlements  were 
formed  at  the  present  City  of  Chillicothe,  along  the  Miami  from  Middle- 
town  to  Piqua,  while  in  the  more  distant  West,  settlers  and  speculators 
began  to  appear  in  great  numbers.  In  September,  the  City  of  Cleveland 
was  laid  out,  and  during  the  Summer  and  Autumn,  Samuel  Jackson  and 
Jonathan  Sharpless  erected  the  first  manufactory  of  paper — the  "  Red- 
stone Paper  Mill" — in  the  West.  St.  Louis  contained  some  seventy 
houses,  and  Detroit  over  three  hundred,  and  along  the  river,  contiguous 
to  it,  were  more  than  three  thousand  inhabitants,  mostly  French  Canadians, 
Indians  and  half-breeds,  scarcely  any  Americans  venturing  yet  into  that 
part  of  the  Northwest. 

The  election  of  representatives  for  the  territory  had  taken  place, 
and  on  the  4th  of  February,  1799,  they  convened  at  Losantiville  —  now 
known  as  Cincinnati,  having  been  named  so  by  Gov.  St.  Clair,  and 
considered  the  capital  of  the  Territory — to  nominate  persons  from  whom 
the  members  of  the  Legislature  were  to  be  chosen  in  accordance  with 
a  previous  ordinance.  This  nomination  being  made,  the  Assembly 
adjourned  until  the  16th  of  the  following  September.  From  those  named 
the  President  selected  as  members  of  the  council,  Henry  Vandenburg, 
of  Vincennes,  Robert  Oliver,  of  Marietta,  James  Findlay  and  Jacob 
Burnett,  of  Cincinnati,  and  David  Vance,  of  Vanceville.  On  the  16th 
of  September  the  Territorial  Legislature  met,  and  on  the  24th  the  two 
houses  were  duly  organized,  Henry  Vandenburg  being  elected  President 
of  the  Council. 

The  message  of  Gov.  St.  Clair  was  addressed  to  the  Legislature 
September  20th,  and  on  October  13th  that  body  elected  as  a  delegate  to 
Congress  Gen.  Wm.  Henry  Harrison,  who  received  eleven  of  the  votes 
cast,  being  a  majority  of  one  over  his  opponent,  Arthur  St.  Clair,  son  of 
Gen.  St.  Clair. 

The  whole  number  of  acts  passed  at  this  session,  and  approved  by 
the  Governor,  were  thirty-seven  —  eleven  others  were  passed,  but  received 
his  veto.  The  most  important  of  those  passed  related  to  the  militia,  to 
the  administration,  and  to  taxation.  On  the  19th  of  December  this  pro- 
tracted session  of  the  first  Legislature  in  the  West  was  closed,  and  on  the 
30th  of  December  the  President  nominated  Charles  Willing  Bryd  to  the 
office  of  Secretary  of  the  Territory  vice  Wm.  Henry  Harrison,  elected  to 
Congress.     The  Senate  confirmed  his  nomination  the  next  day. 


THE   NOKTHWEST   TERRITORY.  65 


DIVISION   OF   THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

The  increased  emigration  to  the  Northwest,  the  extent  of  the  domain, 
and  the  inconvenient  modes  of  travel,  made  it  very  difficult  to  conduct 
the  ordinary  operations  of  government,  and  rendered  the  efficient  action 
of  courts  almost  impossible.  To  remedy  this,  it  was  deemed  advisable  to 
divide  the  territory  for  civil  purposes.  Congress,  in  1800,  appointed  a 
committee  to  examine  the  question  and  report  some  means  for  its  solution. 
This  committee,  on  the  3d  of  March,  reported  that : 

"  In  the  three  western  countries  there  has  been  but  one  court  having 
cognizance  of  crimes,  in  five  years,  and  the  immunity  which  offenders 
experience  attracts,  as  to  an  asylum,  the  most  vile  and  abandoned  crim- 
inals, and  at  the  same  time  deters  useful  citizens  from  making  settlements 
in.  such  society.  The  extreme  necessity  of  judiciary  attention  and  assist- 
ance is  experienced  in  civil  as  well  as  in  criminal  cases.  *  *  *  *  Xo 
minister  a  remedy  to  these  and  other  evils,  it  occurs  to  this  committee 
that  it  is  expedient  that  a  division  of  said  territory  into  two  distinct  and 
separate  governments  should  be  made ;  and  that  such  division  be  made 
by  a  line  beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  River,  running 
directly  north  until  it  intersects  the  boundary  between  the  United  States 
and  Canada." 

The  report  was  accepted  by  Congress,  and,  in  accordance  with  its 
suggestions,  that  body  passed  an  Act  extinguishing  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tory, which  Act  was  approved  May  7.     Among  its  provisions  were  these  : 

"  That  from  and  after  July  4  next,  all  that  part  of  the  Territory  of 
the  United  States  northwest  of  the  Ohio  River,  which  lies  to  the  westward 
of  a  line  beginning  at  a  point  on  the  Ohio,  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Kentucky  River,  and  running  thence  to  Fort  Recovery,  and  thence  north 
until  it  shall  intersect  the  territorial  line  between  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  shall,  for  the  purpose  of  temporary  government,  constitute  a 
separate  territory,  and  be  called  the  Indiana  Territor3^" 

After  providing  for  the  exercise  of  the  civil  and  criminal  powers  of 
the  territories,  and  other  provisions,  the  Act  further  provides : 

"  That  until  it  shall  otherwise  be  ordered  by  the  Legislatures  of  the 
said  Territories,  respectively,  Chillicothe  on  the  Scioto  River  shall  be  the 
seat  of  government  of  the  Territory  of  the  United  States  northwest  of  the 
Ohio  River ;  and  that  St.  Vincennes  on  the  Wabash  River  shall  be  the 
seat  of  government  for  the  Indiana  Territory." 

Gen.  Wm.  Henry  Harrison  was  appointed  Governor  of  the  Indiana 
Territory,  and  entered  upon  his  duties  about  a  year  later.  Connecticut 
also  about  this  time  released  her  claims  to  the  reserve,  and  in  March  a  law 


60  THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

was  passed  accepting  this  cession.  Settlements  had  been  made  upon 
thirty-five  of  the  townships  in  the  reserve,  mills  had  been  built,  and  seven 
hundred  miles  of  road  cut  in  various  directions.  On  the  3d  of  November 
the  General  Assembly  met  at  Chillicothe.  Near  the  close  of  the  year, 
the  first  missionary  of  the  Connecticut  Reserve  came,  who  found  no 
township  containing  more  than  eleven  families.  It  was  upon  the  first  of 
October  that  the  secret  treaty  had  been  made  between  Napoleon  and  the 
King  of  Spain,  whereby  the  latter  agreed  to  cede  to  France  the  province 
of  Louisiana. 

In  January,  1802,  the  Assembly  of  the  Northwestern  Territory  char- 
tered the  college  at  Athens.  From  the  earliest  dawn  of  the  western 
colonies,  education  was  promptly  provided  for,  and  as  early  as  1787, 
newspapers  were  issued  from  Pittsburgh  and  Kentucky,  and  largely  read 
throughout  the  frontier  settlements.  Before  the  close  of  this  year,  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  granted  to  the  citizens  of  the  Northwestern 
territory  the  formation  of  a  State  government.  One  of  the  provisions  of 
the  "  compact  of  1787"  provided  that  whenever  the  number  of  inhabit- 
ants within  prescribed  limits  exceeded  45,000,  they  should  be  entitled  to 
a  separate  government.  The  prescribed  limits  of  Ohio  contained,  from  a 
census  taken  to  ascertain  the  legality  of  the  act,  more  than  that  number, 
and  on  the  30th  of  April,  1802,  Congress  passed  the  act  defining  its  limits, 
and  on  the  29th  of  November  the  Constitution  of  the  new  State  of  Ohio, 
so  named  from  the  beautiful  river  forming  its  southern  boundary,  came 
into  existence.  The  exact  limits  of  Lake  Michigan  were  not  then  known, 
but  the  territory  now  included  within  the  State  of  Michigan  was  wholly 
within  the  territory  of  Indiana. 

Gen.  Harrison,  while  residing  at  Vincennes,  made  several  treaties 
with  the  Indians,  thereby  gaining  large  tracts  of  lands.  The  next  year  is 
memorable  in  the  history  of  the  West  for  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  from 
France  by  the  United  States  for  $15,000,000.  Thus  by  a  peaceful  mode, 
the  domain  of  the  United  States  was  extended  over  a  large  tract  of 
country  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  was  for  a  time  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Northwest  government,  and,  as  has  been  mentioned  in  the  early 
part  of  this  narrative,  was  called  the  "New  Northwest."  .The  limits 
of  this  history  will  not  allow  a  description  of  its  territory.  The  same  year 
large  grants  of  land  were  obtained  from  the  Indians,  and  the  House  of 
Representatives  of  the  new  State  of  Ohio  signed  a  bill  respecting  the 
College  Township  in  the  district  of  Cincinnati. 

Before  the  close  of  the  year.  Gen.  Harrison  obtained  additional 
grants  of  lands  from  the  various  Indian  nations  in  Indiana  and  the  present 
limits  of  Illinois,  and  on  the  18th  of  August,  1801,  completed  a  treaty  at 
St.  Louis,  whereby  over  51,000,000  acres  of  lands  were  obtained  from  the 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY.  GV 

aborigines.  Measures  were  also  taken  to  learn  the  condition  of  affairs  in 
and  about  Detroit. 

C.  Jouett,  the  Indian  agent  in  Michigan,  still  a  part  of  Indiana  Terri- 
tory, reported  as  follows  upon  the  condition  of  matters  at  that  post : 

"  The  Town  of  Detroit. — The  charter,  which  is  for  fifteen  miles 
square,  was  granted  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  of  France,  and  is  now, 
from  the  best  information  I  have  been  able  to  get,  at  Quebec.  Of  those 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres,  only  four  are  occupied  by  the  town 
and  Fort  Lenault.  The  remainder  is  a  common,  except  twenty-four 
acres,  which  were  added  twenty  years  ago  to  a  farm  belonging  to  Wm. 
Macomb.  *  *  *  A  stockade  incloses  the  town,  fort  and  citadel.  The 
pickets,  as  well  as  the  public  houses,  are  in  a  state  of  gradual  decay.  The 
streets  are  narrow,  straight  and  regular,  and  intersect  each  other  at  right 
angles.     The  houses  are,  for  the  most  part,  low  and  inelegant." 

During  this  year.  Congress  granted  a  township  of  land  for  the  sup- 
port of  a  college,  and  began  to  offer  inducements  for  settlers  in  these 
wilds,  and  the  country  now  comprising  the  State  of  Michigan  began  to 
fill  rapidly  with  settlers  along  its  southern  borders.  This  same  year,  also, 
a  law  was  passed  organizing  the  Southwest  Territory,  dividing  it  into  two 
portions,  the  Territory  of  New  Orleans,  which  city  was  made  the  seat  of 
government,  and  the  District  of  Louisiana,  which  was  annexed  to  the 
domain  of  Gen.  Harrison. 

On  the  11th  of  January,  1805,  the  Territory  of  Michigan  was  formed, 
Wm.  Hull  was  appointed  governor,  with  headquarters  at  Detroit,  the 
change  to  take  effect  on  June  30.  On  the  11th  of  that  month,  a  fire 
occurred  at  Detroit,  which  destroyed  almost  every  building  in  the  place. 
When  the  officers  of  the  new  territory  reached  the  post,  they  found  it  in 
ruins,  and  the  inhabitants  scattered  throughout  the  country.  Rebuild- 
ing, however,  soon  commenced,  and  ere  long  the  town  contained  more 
houses  than  before  the  fire,  and  many  of  them  much  better  built. 

While  this  was  being  done,  Indiana  had  passed  to  the  second  grade 
of  government,  and  through  her  General  Assembly  had  obtained  large 
tracts  of  land  from  the  Indian  tribes.  To  all  this  the  celebrated  Indian, 
Tecumthe  or  Tecumseh,  vigorously  protested,  and  it  was  the  main  cause 
of  his  attempts  to  unite  the  various  Indian  tribes  in  a  conflict  with  the 
settlers.  To  obtain  a  full  account  of  these  attempts,  the  workings  of  the 
British,  and  the  signal  failure,  culminating  in  the  death  of  Tecumseh  at 
the  battle  of  the  Thames,  and  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812  in  the  Northwest, 
we  will  step  aside  in  our  story,  and  relate  the  principal  events  of  his  life, 
and  his  connection  with  this  conflict. 


6? 


THE  NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 


TECUMSEH,  THE  SHAWANOE  CHIEFTAIN. 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY.  69 


TECUMSEH,  AND  THE  WAR  OF  1812. 

This  famous  Indian  chief  was  born  about  the  year  1768,  not  far  from 
the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Springfield,  Ohio.  His  father,  Puckeshinwa, 
was  a  member  of  the  Kisopok  tribe  of  the  Swanoese  nation,  and  his 
mother,  Methontaske,  was  a  member  of  the  Turtle  tribe  of  the  same 
people.  They  removed  from  Florida  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century 
to  the  birthplace  of  Tecumseh.  In  1774,  his  father,  who  had  risen  to  be 
chief,  was  slain  at  the  battle  of  Point  Pleasant,  and  not  long  after  Tecum- 
seh, by  his  bravery,  became  the  leader  of  his  tribe.  In  1795  he  was 
declared  chief,  and  then  lived  at  Deer  Creek,  near  the  site  of  the 
present  City  of  Urbana.  He  remained  here  about  one  year,  when  he 
returned  to  Piqua,  and  in  1798,  he  went  to  White  River,  Indiana.  In 
1805,  he  and  his  brother,  Laulewasikan  (Open  Door),  who  had  announced 
himself  as  a  prophet,  went  to  a  tract  of  land  on  the  Wabash  River,  given 
them  by  the  Pottawatomies  and  Kickapoos.  From  this  date  the  chief 
comes  into  prominence.  He  was  now  about  thirty-seven  years  of  age, 
was  five  feet  and  ten  inches  in  height,  was  stoutly  built,  and  possessed  of 
enormous  powers  of  endurance.  His  countenance  was  naturally  pleas- 
ing, and  he  was,  in  general,  devoid  of  those  savage  attributes  possessed 
by  most  Indians.  It  is  stated  he  could  read  and  write,  and  had  a  confi- 
dential secretary  and  adviser,  named  Billy  Caldwell,  a  half-breed,  who 
afterward  became  chief  of  the  Pottawatomies.  He  occupied  the  first 
house  built  on  the  site  of  Chicago.  At  this  time,  Tecumseh  entered 
upon  the  great  work  of  his  life.  He  had  long  objected  to  the  grants  of 
land  made  by  the  Indians  to  the  whites,  and  determined  to  unite  all  the 
Indian  tribes  into  a  league,  in  order  that  no  treaties  or  grants  of  land 
could  be  made  save  by  the  consent  of  this  confederation. 

He  traveled  constantly,  going  from  north  to  south  ;  from  the  south 
to  the  north,  everywhere  urging  the  Indians  to  this  step.  He  was  a 
matchless  orator,  and  his  burning  words  had  their  effect. 

Gen.  Harrison,  then  Governor  of  Indiana,  by  watching  the  move- 
ments of  the  Indians,  became  convinced  that  a  grand  conspiracy  was 
forming,  and  made  preparations  to  defend  the  settlements.  Tecumseh's 
plan  was  similar  to  Pontiac's,  elsewhere  described,  and  to  the  cunning 
artifice  of  that  chieftain  was  added  his  own  sagacity. 

During  the  year  1809,  Tecumseh  and  the  prophet  were  actively  pre- 
paring for  the  work.  In  that  year.  Gen.  Harrison  entered  into  a  treaty 
with  the  Delawares,  Kickapoos,  Pottawatomies,  Miamis,  Eel  River  Indians 
and  Weas,  in  which  these  tribes  ceded  to  the  whites  certain  lands  upon 
the  Wabash,  to  all -of  which  Tecumseh  entered  a  bitter  protest,  averring 


70  THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

as  one  principal  reason  that  he  did  not  want  the  Indians  to  give  up  any 
lands  north  and  west  of  the  Ohio  River. 

Tecumseh,  in  August,  1810,  visited  the  General  at  Vincennes  and 
held  a  council  relating  to  the  grievances  of  the  Indians.  Becoming  unduly- 
angry  at  this  conference  he  was  dismissed  from  the  village,  and  soon  after 
departed  to  incite  the  southern  Indian  tribes  to  the  conflict. 

Gen.  Harrison  determined  to  move  upon  the  chiefs  headquarters  at 
Tippecanoe,  and  for  this  purpose  went  about  sixty-five  miles  up  the 
Wabash,  where  he  built  Fort  Harrison.  From  this  place  he  went  to  the 
prophet's  town,  where  he  informed  the  Indians  he  had  no  hostile  inten- 
tions, provided  they  were  true  to  the  existing  treaties.  He  encamped 
near  the  village  early  in  October,  and  on  the  morning  of  November  7,  he 
was  attacked  by  a  large  force  of  the  Indians,  and  the  famous  battle  of 
Tippecanoe  occurred.  The  Indians  were  routed  and  their  town  broken 
up.  Tecumseh  returning  not  long  after,  was  greatly  exasperated  at  his 
brother,  the  prophet,  even  threatening  to  kill  him  for  rashly  precipitating 
the  war,  and  foiling  his  (Tecumseh's)  plans. 

Tecumseh  sent  word  to  Gen.  Harrison  that  he  was  now  returned 
from  the  South,  and  was  ready  to  visit  the  President  as  had  at  one  time 
previously  been  proposed.  Gen.  Harrison  informed  him  he  could  not  go 
as  a  chief,  which  method  Tecumseh  desired,  and  the  visit  was  never 
made. 

In  June  of  the  following  year,  he  visited  the  Indian  agent  at 
Fort  Wayne.  Here  he  disavowed  any  intention  to  make  a  war  against 
the  United  States,  and  reproached  Gen.  Harrison  for  marching  against  his 
people.  The  agent  replied  to  this  ;  Tecumseh  listened  with  a  cold  indif- 
ference, and  after  making  a  few  general  remarks,  with  a  haughty  air  drew 
his  blanket  about  him,  left  the  council  house,  and  departed  for  Fort  Mai- 
den, in  Upper  Canada,  where  he  joined  the  British  standard. 

He  remained  under  this  Government,  doing  effective  work  for  the 
Crown  while  engaged  in  the  war  of  1812  which  now  opened.  He  was, 
however,  always  humane  in  his  treatment  of  the  prisoners,  never  allow- 
ing his  warriors  to  ruthlessly  mutilate  the  bodies  of  those  slain,  or  wan- 
tonly murder  the  captive. 

In  the  Summer  of  1813,  Perry's  victory  on  Lake  Erie  occurred,  and 
shortly  after  active  preparations  were  made  to  capture  Maiden.  On  the 
27th  of  September,  the  American  army,  under  Gen.  Harrison,  set  sail  for 
the  shores  of  Canada,  and  in  a  few  hours  stood  around  the  ruins  of  Mai- 
den, from  which  the  British  army,  under  Proctor,  had  retreated  to  Sand- 
wich, intending  to  make  its  way  to  the  heart  of  Canada  by  the  Valley  of 
the  Thames.  On  the  29th  Gen.  Harrison  was  at  Sandwich,  and  Gen= 
Mc Arthur  took  possession  of  Detroit  and  the  territory  of  Michigan. 


THE  NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 


71 


On  the  2d  of  October,  the  Americans  began  their  pursuit  of  Proctor, 
whom  they  overtook  on  the  5th,  and  the  battle  of  the  Thames  followed. 
Early  in  the  engagement,  Tecumseh  who  was  at  the  head  of  the  column 
of  Indians  was  slain,  and  they,  no  longer  hearing  the  voice  of  their  chief- 
tain, fled.  The  victory  was  decisive,  and  practically  closed  the  war  in 
the  Northwest. 


^iStU.l 


INDIANS   ATTACKING   A    STOCKADE. 


Just  who  killed  the  great  chief  has  been  a  matter  of  much  dispute  ; 
but  the  weight  of  opinion  awards  the  act  to  Col.  Richard  M.  Johnson, 
who  fired  at  him  with  a  pistol,  the  shot  proving  fatal. 

In  1805  occurred  Burr's  Insurrection.  He  took  possession  of  a 
beautiful  island  in  the  Ohio,  after  the  killing  of  Hamilton,  and  is  charged 
by  many  with  attempting  to  set  up  an  independent  government.  His 
plans  were  frustrated  by  the  general  government,  his  property  confiscated 
and  he  was  compelled  to  flee  the  country  for  safety. 


72  THE   NORTHWEST    TERRITORY. 

In  January,  1807,  Governor  Hull,  of  Michigan  Territory,  made  a 
treaty  with  the  Indians,  whereby  all  that  peninsula  was  ceded  to  the 
United  States.  Before  the  close  of  the  year,  a  stockade  was  built  about 
Detroit.  It  was  also  during  this  year  that  Indiana  and  Illinois  endeavored 
to  obtain  the  repeal  of  that  section  of  the  compact  of  1787,  whereby 
slavery  was  excluded  from  the  Northwest  Territory.  These  attempts, 
however,  all  signally  failed. 

In  1809  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  divide  the  Indiana  Territory. 
This  was  done,  and  the  Territory  of  Illinois  was  formed  from  the  western 
part,  the  seat  of  government  being  fixed  at  Kaskaskia.  The  next  year, 
the  intentions  of  Tecumseh  manifested  themselves  in  open  hostilities,  and 
then  began  the  events  already  narrated. 

While  this  war  was  in  progress,  emigration  to  the  "West  went  on  with 
surprising  rapidity.  In  1811,  under  Mr.  Roosevelt  of  New  York,  the 
first  steamboat  trip  was  made  on  the  Ohio,  much  to  the  astonishment  of 
the  natives,  many  of  whom  fled  in  terror  at  the  appearance  of  the 
"  monster."  It  arrived  at  Louisville  on  the  10th  day  of  October.  At  the 
close  of  the  first  week  of  January,  1812,  it  arrived  at  Natchez,  after  being 
nearly  overwhelmed  in  the  great  earthquake  which  occurred  while  on  its 
downward  trip. 

The  battle  of  the  Thames  was  fought  on  October  6,  1813.  It 
effectually  closed  hostilities  in  the  Northwest,  although  peace  was  not 
fully  restored  until  July  22,  1814,  when  a  treaty  was  formed  at  Green- 
ville, under  the  direction  of  General  Harrison,  between  the  United  States 
and  the  Indian  tribes,  in  which  it  was  stipulated  that  the  Indians  should 
cease  hostilities  against  the  Americans  if  the  war  were  continued.  Such, 
happily,  was  not  the  case,  and  on  the  24th  of  December  the  treaty 
of  Ghent  was  signed  by  the  representatives  of  England  and  the  United 
States.  This  treaty  was  followed  the  next  year  by  treaties  with  various 
Indian  tribes  throughout  the  West  and  Northwest,  and  quiet  was  again 
restored  in  this  part  of  the  new  world. 

On  the  18th  of  March,  1816,  Pittsburgh  was  incorporated  as  a  city. 
It  then  had  a  population  of  8,000  people,  and  was  already  noted  for  its 
manufacturing  interests.  On  April  19,  Indiana  Territory  was  allowed 
to  form  a  state  government.  At  that  time  there  were  thirteen  counties 
organized,  containing  about  sixty-three  thousand  inhabitants.  The  first 
election  of  state  officers  was  held  in  August,  when  Jonathan  Jennings 
was  chosen  Governor.  The  officers  were  sworn  in  on  November  7,  and 
on  December  11,  the  State  was  formally  admitted  into  the  Union.  For 
some  time  the  seat  of  government  was  at  Cory  don,  but  a  more  central 
location  being  desirable,  the  present  capital,  Indianapolis  (City  of  Indiana), 
was  laid  out  January  1,  1825. 


THE   NORTHWEST  TERRITORY.  73 

On  the  28th  of  December  the  Bank  of  Illinois,  at  Shawneetown,  was 
chartered,  with  a  capital  of  $300,000.  At  this  period  all  banks  were 
under  the  control  of  the  States,  and  were  allowed  to  establish  branches 
at  different  convenient  points. 

Until  this  time  Chillicothe  and  Cincinnati  had  in  turn  enjoyed  the 
privileges  of  being  the  capital  of  Ohio.  But  the  rapid  settlement  of  the 
northern  and  eastern  portions  of  the  State  demanded,  as  in  Indiana,  a 
more  central  location,  and  before  the  close  of  the  year,  the  site  of  Col- 
umbus was  selected  and  surveyed  as  the  future  capital  of  the  State. 
Banking  had  begun  in  Ohio  as  early  as  1808,  when  the  first  bank  was 
chartered  at  Marietta,  but  here  as  elsewhere  it  did  not  bring  to  the  state 
the  hoped-for  assistance.  It  and  other  banks  were  subsequently  unable 
to  redeem  their  currency,  and  were  obliged  to  suspend. 

In  1818,  Illinois  was  made  a  state,  and  all  the  territory  north  of  her 
northern  limits  was  erected  into  a  separate  territory  and  joined  to  Mich- 
igan for  judicial  purposes.  By  the  following  year,  navigation  of  the  lakes 
was  increasing  with  great  rapidity  and  affording  an  immense  source  of 
revenue  to  the  dwellers  in  the  Northwest,  but  it  was  not  until  1826  that 
the  trade  was  extended  to  Lake  Michigan,  or  that  steamships  began  to 
navigate  the  bosom  of  that  inland  sea. 

Until  the  year  1832,  the  commencement  of  the  Black  Hawk  War, 
but  few  hostilities  were  experienced  with  the  Indians.  Roads  were 
opened,  canals  were  dug,  cities  were  built,  common  schools  were  estab- 
lished, universities  were  founded,  many  of  which,  especially  the  Michigan 
University,  have  achieved  a  world  wide-reputation.  The  people  were 
becoming  wealthy.  The  domains  of  the  United  States  had  been  extended, 
and  had  the  sons  of  the  forest  been  treated  with  honesty  and  justice,  the 
record  of  many  years  would  have  been  that  of  peace  and  continuous  pros- 
perity. 

BLACK  HAWK  AND  THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR. 

This  conflict,  though  confined  to  Illinois,  is  an  important  epoch  in. 
the  Northwestern  history,  being  the  last  war  with  the  Indians  in  this  part 
of  the  United  States. 

Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiah,  or  Black  Hawk,  was  born  in  the  principal 
Sac  village,  about  three  miles  from  the  junction  of  Rock  River  with  the 
Mississippi,  in  the  year  1767.  His  father's  name  was  Py-e-sa  or  Pahaes ; 
his  grandfather's,  Na-na-ma-kee,  or  the  Thunderer.  Black  Hawk  early 
distinguished  himself  as  a  warrior,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  was  permitted 
to  paint  and  was  ranked  among  the  braves.  About  the  year  1783,  he 
went  on  an  expedition  against  the  enemies  of  his  nation,  the  Osages,  one 


74 


THE   NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 


BLACK  HAWK,  THE  SAC  CHIEFTAIN. 


THE   NORTHWEST  TERRITORY.  75 

of  whom  he  killed  and  scalped,  and  for  this  deed  of  Indian  bravery  he  was 
permitted  to  join  in  the  scalp  dance.  Three  or  four  years  after  he,  at  the 
head  of  two  hundred  braves,  went  on  another  expedition  against  the 
Osages,  to  avenge  the  murder  of  some  women  and  children  belonging  to 
his  own  tribe.  Meeting  an  equal  number  of  Osage  warriors,  a  fierce 
battle  ensued,  in  which  the  latter  tribe  lost  one-half  their  number.  The 
Sacs  lost  only  about  nineteen  warriors.  He  next  attacked  the  Cherokees 
for  a  similar  cause.  In  a  severe  battle  with  them,  near  the  present  City 
of  St.  Louis,  his  father  was  slain,  and  Black  Hawk,  taking  possession  of 
the  "  Medicine  Bag,"  at  once  announced  himself  chief  of  the  Sac  nation. 
He  had  now  conquered  the  Cherokees,  and  about  the  year  1800,  at  the 
head  of  five  hundred  Sacs  and  Foxes,  and  a  hundred  lowas,  he  waged 
war  against  the  Osage  nation  and  subdued  it.  For  two  years  he  battled 
successfully  with  other  Indian  tribes,  all  of  whom  he  conquered. 

Black  Hawk  does  not  at  any  time  seem  to  have  been  friendly  to 
the  Americans. .  When  on  a  visit  to  St.  Louis  to  see  his  "  Spanish 
Father,"  he  declined  to  see  any  of  the  Americans,  alleging,  as  a  reason, 
he  did  not  want  two  fathers. 

The  treaty  at  St.  Louis  was  consummated  in  1804.  The  next  year  the 
United  States  Government  erected  a  fort  near  the  head  of  the  Des  Moines 
Rapids,  called  Fort  Edwards.  This  seemed  to  enrage  Black  Hawk,  who 
at  once  determined  to  capture  Fort  Madison,  standing  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Mississippi  above  the  mouth  of  the  Des  Moines  River.  The  fort  was 
garrisoned  by  about  fifty  men.  Here  he  was  defeated.  The  difficulties 
with  the  British  Government  arose  about  this  time,  and  the  War  of  1812 
followed.  That  government,  extending  aid  to  the  Western  Indians,  by 
giving  them  arms  and  ammunition,  induced  them  to  remain  hostile  to  the 
Americans.  In  August,  1812,  Black  Hawk,  at  the  head  of  about  five 
hundred  braves,  started  to  join  the  British  forces  at  Detroit,  passing  on 
his  way  the  site  of  Chicago,  where  the  famous  Fort  Dearborn  Massacre 
had  a  few  days  before  occurred.  Of  his  connection  with  the  British 
Government  but  little  is  known.  In  1813  he  with  his  little  band  descended 
the  Mississippi,  and  attacking  some  United  States  troops  at  Fort  Howard 
was  defeated. 

In  the  early  part  of  1815,  the  Indian  tribes  west  of  the  Mississippi 
were  notified  that  peace  had  been  declared  between  the  United  States 
and  England,  and  nearly  all  hostilities  had  ceased.  Black  Hawk  did  not 
sign  any  treat3%  however,  until  May  of  the  following  year.  He  then  recog- 
nized the  validity  of  the  treaty  at  St.  Louis  in  1804.  From  the  time  of 
signing  this  treaty  in  1816,  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  in  1832,  he 
and  his  band  passed  their  time  in  the  common  pursuits  of  Indian  life. 

Ten  years  before  the  commencement  of  this  war,  the  Sac  and  Fox 


76  THE    NORTHWEST    TERRITORY. 

Indians  were  urged  to  join  the  lowas  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Father  of 
Waters.  All  were  agreed,  save  the  band  known  as  the  British  Band,  of 
which  Black  Hawk  was  leader.  He  strenuously  objected  to  the  removal, 
and  was  induced  to  comply  only  after  being  threatened  with  the  power  of 
the  Government.  This  and  various  actions  on  the  part  of  the  white  set- 
tlers provoked  Black  Hawk  and  his  band  to  attempt  the  capture  of  his 
native  village  now  occupied  by  the  whites.  The  war  followed.  He  and 
his  actions  were  undoubtedly  misunderstood,  and  had  his  wishes  been 
acquiesced  in  at  the  beginning  of  the  struggle,  much  bloodshed  would 
have  been  prevented. 

Black  Hawk  was  chief  now  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  nations,  and  a  noted 
warrior.  He  and  his  tribe  inhabited  a  village  on  Rock  River,  nearly  three 
miles  above  its  confluence  with  the  Mississippi,  where  the  tribe  had  lived 
many  generations.  When  that  portion  of  Illinois  was  reserved  to  them, 
they  remained  in  peaceable  possession  of  their  reservation,  spending  their 
time  in  the  enjoyment  of  Indian  life.  The  fine  situation  of  their  village 
and  the  quality  of  their  lands  incited  the  more  lawless  white  settlers,  who 
from  time  to  time  began  to  encroach  upon  the  red  men's  domain.  From 
one  pretext  to  another,  and  from  one  step  to  another,  the  crafty  white 
men  gained  a  foothold,  until  through  whisky  and  artifice  they  obtained 
deeds  from  many  of  the  Indians  for  their  possessions.  The  Indians  were 
finally  induced  to  cross  over  the  Father  of  Waters  and  locate  among  the 
lowas.  •  Black  Hawk  was  strenuously  opposed  to  all  this,  but  as  the 
authorities  of  Illinois  and  the  United  States  thought  this  the  best  move,  he 
was  forced  to  comply.  Moreover  other  tribes  joined  the  whites  and  urged 
the  removal.  Black  Hawk  would  not  agree  to  the  terms  of  the  treaty 
made  with  his  nation  for  their  lands,  and  as  soon  as  the  military,  called  to 
enforce  his  removal,  had  retired,  he  returned  to  the  Illinois  side  of  the 
river.  A  large  force  was  at  once  raised  and  marched  against  him.  On 
the  evening  of  May  14,  1832,  the  first  engagement  occurred  between  a 
band  from  this  army  and  Black  Hawk's  band,  in  which  the  former  were 
defeated. 

This  attack  and  its  result  aroused  the  whites.  A  large  force  of  men 
was  raised,  and  Gen.  Scott  hastened  from  the  seaboard,  by  way  of  the 
lakes,  with  United  States  troops  and  artillery  to  aid  in  the  subjugation  of 
the  Indians.  On  the  24th  of  June,  Black  Hawk,  with  200  warriors,  was 
repulsed  by  Major  Demont  between  Rock  River  and  Galena.  The  Ameri- 
can army  continued  to  move  up  Rock  Rivei-  toward  the  main  body  of 
the  Indians,  and  on  the  21st  of  July  came  upon  Black  Hawk  and  his  band, 
and  defeated  them  near  the  Blue  Mounds. 

Before  this  action.  Gen.  Henry,  in  command,  sent  word  to  the  main 
army  by  whom  he  was  immediately  rejoined,  and  the  whole  crossed  the 


THE   NOKTHWEST   TERRITORY.  77 

Wisconsin  in  pursuit  of  Black  Hawk  and  his  band  who  were  fleeing  to  the 
Mississippi.  They  were  overtaken  on  the  2d  of  August,  and  in  the  battle 
which  followed  the  power  of  the  Indian  chief  was  completely  broken.  He 
fled,  but  was  seized  by  the  Winnebagoes  and  delivered  to  the  whites. 

On  the  21st  of  September,  1832,  Gen.  Scott  and  Gov.  Reynolds  con- 
cluded a  treaty  with  the  Winnebagoes,  Sacs  and  Foxes  by  which  they 
ceded  to  the  United  States  a  vast  tract  of  country,  and  agreed  to  remain 
peaceable  with  the  whites.  For  the  faithful  performance  of  the  provi- 
sions of  this  treaty  on  the  part  of  the  Indians,  it  was  stipulated  that 
Black  Hawk,  his  two  sons,  the  prophet  Wabokieshiek,  and  six  other  chiefs 
of  the  hostile  bands  should  be  retained  as  hostages  during  the  pleasure 
of  the  President.    They  were  confined  at  Fort  Barracks  and  put  in  irons. 

The  next  Spring,  by  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  they  were  taken 
to  Washington.  From  there  they  were  removed  to  Fortress  Monroe, 
"there  to  remain  until  the  conduct  of  their  nation  was  such  as  to  justify 
their  being  set  at  liberty."  They  were  retained  here  until  the  4th  of 
June,  when  the  authorities  directed  them  to  be  taken  to  the  principal 
cities  so  that  they  might  see  the  folly  of  contending  against  the  white 
people.  Everj'-where  they  were  observed  by  thousands,  the  name  of  the 
old  chief  being  extensively  known.  By  the  middle  of  August  they 
reached  Fort  Armstrong  on  Rock  Island,  where  Black  Hawk  was  soon 
after  released  to  go  to  his  countrymen.  As  he  passed  the  site  of  his  birth- 
place, now  the  home  of  the  white  man,  he  was  deeply  moved.  His  village 
where  he  was  born,  where  he  had  so  happily  lived,  and  where  he  had 
hoped  to  die,  was  now  another's  dwelling  place,  and  he  was  a  wanderer. 

On  the  next  day  after  his  release,  he  went  at  once  to  his  tribe  and 
his  lodge.  His  wife  was  yet  living,  and  with  her  he  passed  the  remainder 
of  his  days.  To  his  credit  it  may  be  said  that  Black  Hawk  always  re- 
mained true  to  his  wife,  and  served  her  with  a  devotion  uncommon  among 
the  Indians,  living  with  her  upward  of  forty  years. 

Black  Hawk  now  passed  his  time  hunting  and  fishing.  A  deep  mel- 
ancholy had  settled  over  him  from  which  he  could  not  be  freed.  At  all 
times  when  he  visited  the  whites  he  was  received  with  marked  atten- 
tion. He  was  an  honored  guest  at  the  old  settlers'  reunion  in  Lee  County, 
Illinois,  at  some  of  their  meetings,  and  received  many  tokens  of  esteem. 
In  September,  1838,  while  on  his  way  to  Rock  Island  to  receive  his 
annuity  from  the  Government,  he  contracted  a  severe  cold  which  resulted 
in  a  fatal  attack  of  bilious  fever  which  terminated  his  life  on  October  3. 
His  faithful  wife,  who  was  devotedly  attached  to  him,  mourned  deeply 
during  his  sickness.  After  his  death  he  was  dressed  in  the  uniform  pre- 
sented to  him  by  the  President  while  in  Washington.  He  was  buried  in 
a  grave  six  feet  in  depth,  situated  upon  a  beautiful  eminence.     "  The 


78  THE   NORTHWEST    TERRITORY. 

body  was  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  grave,  in  a  sitting  posture,  upon  a 
seat  constructed  for  the  purpose.  On  his  left  side,  the  cane,  given  liim 
by  Henry  Clay,  was  placed  upright,  with  his  right  liand  resting  upon  it. 
Many  of  the  old  warrior's  trophies  were  placed  in  the  grave,  and  some 
Indian  garments,  together  with  his  favorite  weapons." 

No  sooner  was  the  Black  Hawk  war  concluded  than  settlers  began 
rapidly  to  pour  into  the  northern  parts  of  Illinois,  and  into  Wisconsin, 
now  free  from  Indian  depredations.  Chicago,  from  a  trading  post,  had 
grown  to  a  commercial  center,  and  was  rapidly  coming  into  prominence. 
In  1835,  the  formation  of  a  State  Government  in  Michigan  was  discussed, 
but  did  not  take  active  form  until  two  years  later,  when  the  State  became 
a  part  of  the  Federal  Union. 

The  main  attraction  to  that  portion  of  the  Northwest  lying  west  of 
Lake  Michigan,  now  included  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  was  its  alluvial 
wealth.  Copper  ore  was  found  about  Lake  Superior.  For  some  time  this 
region  was  attached  to  Michigan  for  judiciary  purposes,  but  in  183()  was 
made  a  territory,  then  including  Minnesota  and  Iowa.  The  latter  State 
was  detached  two  years  later.  In  1848,  Wisconsin  was  admitted  as  a 
State,  Madison  being  made  the  capital.  We  have  now  traced  the  various 
divisions  of  the  Northwest  Territory  (save  a  little  in  Minnesota)  from 
the  time  it  was  a  unit  comprising  this  vast  territory,  until  circumstances 
compelled  its  present  division. 


CONSTITUTION   OF   THE  UNITED   STATES  79 


CONSTITUTION    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES    OF   AMERICA 
AND  ITS  AMENDMENTS. 

We,  the  people  of  the  United  States,  in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect  union^ 
establish  justice,  insure  domestic  tranquillity,  provide  for  the  common 
defense,  promote  the  general  welfare,  and  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty 
to  ourselves  and  our  posterity,  do  ordain  and  establish  this  Constitution 
for  the  United  States  of  America. 

Article  I. 

Section  1.  All  legislative  powers  herein  granted  shall  be  vested  in 
a  Congress  of  the  United  States,  which  shall  consist  of  a  Senate  and 
House  of  Representatives. 

Sec.  2.  The  House  of  Representatives  shall  be  composed  of  mem- 
bers chosen  every  second  year  by  the  people  of  the  several  states,  and  the 
electors  in  each  state  shall  have  the  qualifications  requisite  for  electors  of 
the  most  numerous  branch  of  the  State  Legislature. 

No  person  shall  be  a  representative  who  shall  not  have  attained  to  the 
age  of  twenty-five  years,  and  been  seven  years  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  and  who  shall  not,  when  elected,  be  an  inhabitant  of  that  state  in 
which  he  shall  be  chosen. 

Representatives  and  direct  taxes  shall  be  apportioned  among  the  sev- 
eral states  which  may  be  included  within  this  Union,  according  to  their 
respective  numbers,  which  shall  be  determined  by  adding  to  the  whole 
number  of  free  persons,  including  those  bound  to  service  for  a  term  of 
years,  and  excluding  Indians  not  taxed,  three-fifths  of  all  other  persons. 
The  actual  enumeration  shall  be  made  within  three  years  after  the  first 
meeting  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  within  every  subse- 
quent term  of  ten  years,  in  such  manner  as  they  shall  by  law  direct.  The 
number  of  Representatives  shall  not  exceed  one  for  every  thirty  thousand, 
but  each  state  shall  have  at  least  one  Representative  ;  and  until  such 
enumeration  shall  be  made  the  State  of  New  Hampshire  shall  be  entitled 
to  choose  three,  Massachusetts  eight,  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plan- 
tations one,  Connecticut  five.  New  York  six.  New  Jersey  four,  Pennsylva- 
nia eight,  Delaware  one,  Maryland  six,  Virginia  ten.  North  Carolina  five, 
and  Georgia  three. 

When  vacancies  happen  in  the  representation  from  any  state,  the 
Executive  authority  thereof  shall  issue  writs  of  election  to  fill  such 
vacancies. 

The  House  of  Representatives  shall  choose  their  Speaker  and  other 
officers,  and  shall  have  the  sole  power  of  impeachment. 

Sec.  3.  The  Senate  of  the  United  States  shall  be  composed  of  two 
Senators  from  each  state,  chosen  by  the  Legislature  thereof  for  six  years ; 
and  each  Senator  shall  have  one  vote. 

Immediately  after  they  shall  be  assembled  in  consequence  of  the  first 
election,  they  shall  be  divided  as  equally  as  may  be  into  three  classes. 
The  seats  of  the  Senators  of  the  first  class  shall  be  vacated  at  the  expira- 


80  AND  ITS   AMENDMENTS. 

tion  of  the  second  year,  of  the  second  class  at  the  expiration  of  the  fourth 
year,  and  of  the  third  class  at  the  expiration  of  the  sixth  year,  so  that 
one-third  may  be  chosen  every  second  year;  and  if  vacancies  happen  by 
resignation  or  otherwise,  during  the  recess  of  the  Legislature  of  any  state, 
the  Executive  thereof  may  make  temporary  appointments  until  the  next 
meeting  of  the  Legislature,  which  shall  then  fill  such  vacancies. 

No  person  shall  be  a  Senator  who  shall  not  have  attained  to  the  age 
of  thirty  years  and  been  nine  years  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and 
who  shall  not,  when  elected,  be  an  inhabitant  of  that  state  for  which  he 
shall  be  chosen. 

The  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  shall  be  President  of  the 
Senate,  but  shall  have  no  vote  unless  they  be  equally  divided. 

The  Senate  shall  choose  their  other  officers,  and  also  a  President  fro 
tempore^  in  the  absence  of  the  Vice-President,  or  when  he  shall  exercise 
the  office  of  President  of  the  Unite<l  States. 

The  Senate  shall  have  the  sole  power  to  try  all  impeachments.  When 
sitting  for  that  purpose  they  shall  be  on  oath  or  affirmation.  When  the 
President  of  the  United  States  is  tried  the  Chief  Justice  shall  preside. 
And  no  person  shall  be  convicted  without  the  concurrence  of  two-thirds 
of  the  members  present. 

Judgment,  in  cases  of  impeachment,  shall  not  extend  further  than  to 
removal  from  office,  and  disqualification  to  hold  and  enjoy  any  office  of 
honor,  trust,  or  profit  under  the  United  States;  but  the  party  convicted 
shall  nevertheless  be  liable  and  subject  to  indictment,  trial,  judgment, 
and  punishment  according  to  law. 

Sec.  4.  The  times,  places  and  manner  of  holding  elections  for  Sen- 
ators and  Representatives  shall  be  prescribed  in  each  state  by  the  Legis- 
lature thereof;  but  the  Congress  may  at  any  time  by  law  make  or  alter 
such  regulations,  except  as  to  the  places  of  choosing  Senators. 

The  Congress  shall  assemble  at  least  once  in  every  year,  and  such 
meeting  shall  be  on  the  first  Monday  in  December,  unless  they  shall  by 
law  appoint  a  different  day. 

Sec.  5.  Each  house  shall  be  the  judge  of  the  election,  returns,  and 
qualifications  of  its  own  members,  and  a  majority  of  each  shall  constitute 
a  quorum  to  do  business ;  but  a  smaller  number  may  adjourn  from  day  to 
day,  and  may  be  authorized  to  compel  the  attendance  of  absent  members 
in  such  manner  and  under  such  penalties  as  each  house  may  provide. 

Each  house  may  determine  the  rules  of  its  proceedings,  punish  ita 
members  for  disorderly  behavior,  and,  with  the  concurrence  of  two-thirds, 
expel  a  member. 

Each  house  shall  keep  a  journal  of  its  proceedings,  and  from  time  to 
time  publish  the  same,  excepting  such  parts  as  may,  in  their  judgment, 
require  secrecy  ;  and  the  yeas  and  nays  of  the  members  of  either  house 
on  any  question  shall,  at  the  desire  of  one-fifth  of  those  present,  be  entered 
on  the  journal. 

Neither  house,  during  the  session  of  Congress,  shall,  without  the 
consent  of  the  other,  adjourn  for  more  than  three  days,  nor  to  any  other 
place  than  that  in  which  the  two  houses  shall  be  sitting. 

Sec.  6.  The  Senators  and  Representatives  shall  receive  a  compen- 
sation for  their  services,  to  be  ascertained  by  law,  and  paid  out  of  the 
treasury  of  the  United  States      They  shall  in  all  cases,  except  treason, 


CONSTITUTION  OF   THE   UNITED   STATES 


81 


felony,  and  breach  of  the  peace,  be  privileged  from  arrest  during  their 
attendance  at  the  session  of  their  respective  houses,  and  in  going  to  and 
returning  from  the  same  ;  and  for  any  speech  or  debate  in  either  house 
they  shall  not  be  questioned  in  any  other  place. 

No  Senator  or  Representative  shall,  during  the  time  for  which  he  was 
elected,  be  appointed  to  any  civil  office  under  the  authority  of  the  United 
States,  which  shall  have  been  created,  or  the  emoluments  whereof  shall 
have  been  increased  during  such  time  ;  and  no  person  holding  any  office 
under  the  United  States,  shall  be  a  member  of  either  house  during  his 
continuance  in  office. 

Sec.  7.  All  bills  for  raising  revenue  shall  originate  in  the  House  of 
Representatives ;  but  the  Senate  may  propose  or  concur  with  amendments 
as  on  other  bills. 

Every  bill  which  shall  have  passed  the  House  of  Representatives  and 
the  Senate,  shall,  before  it  becomes  a  law,  be  presented  to  the  President 
of  the  United  States ;  if  he  approve  he  shall  sign  it ;  but  if  not  he  shall 
return  it,  with  his  objections,  to  that  house  in  which  it  shall  have  origi- 
nated, who  shall  enter  the  objections  at  large  on  their  journal,  and 
proceed  to  reconsider  it.  If,  after  such  reconsideration  two-thirds  of  that 
house  shall  agree  to  pass  the  bill,  it  shall  be  sent,  together  with  the  objec- 
tions, to  the  other  house,  by  which  it  shall  likewise  be  reconsidered,  and  if 
approved  by  two-thirds  of  that  house,  it  shall  become  a  law.  But  in  all 
such  cases  the  votes  of  both  houses  shall  be  determined  by  yeas  and  nays, 
and  the  names  of  the  persons  voting  for  and  against  the  bill  shall  be  entered 
on  the  journal  of  each  house  respectively.  If  any  bill  shall  not  be  returned 
by  the  President  within  ten  days  (Sundays  excepted),  after  it  shall  have 
been  presented  to  him,  the  same  shall  be  a  law,  in  like  manner  as  if  he 
had  signed  it,  unless  the  Congress,  by  their  adjournment,  prevent  its 
return,  in  which  case  it  shall  not  be  a  law. 

Every  order,  resolution,  or  vote  to  which  the  concurrence  of  the 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  may  be  necessary  (except  on  a 
question  of  adjournment),  shall  be  presented  to  the  President  of  the 
tjnited  States,  and  before  the  same  shall  take  effect  shall  be  approved  by 
him,  or,  being  disapproved  by  him,  shall  be  re-passed  by  two-thirds  of 
the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives,  according  to  the  rules  and  lim- 
itations prescribed  in  the  case  of  a  bill. 

Sec.  8.     The  Congress  shall  have  power — 

To  lay  and  collect  taxes,  duties,  imposts  and  excises,  to  pay  the  debts, 
and  provide  for  the  comniGii  aefense  and  general  welfare  of  the  United 
States ;  but  all  duties,  imposts,  and  excises  shall  be  uniform  throughout 
the  United  States ; 

To  borrow  money  on  the  credit  of  the  United  States ; 

To  regulate  commerce  with  foreign  nations,  and  among  the  several 
States,  and  with  the  Indian  tribes ; 

To  establish  a  uniform  rule  of  naturalization,  and  uniform  laws  on 
the  subject  of  bankruptcies  throughout  the  United  States ; 

To  coin  money,  regulate  the  value  thereof,  and  of  foreign  coin,  and 
fix  the  standard  of  weights  and  measures ; 

To  provide  for  the  punishment  of  counterfeiting  the  securities  and 
current  coin  of  the  United  States ; 

To  establish  post  offices  and  post  roads ; 


g2  AND   ITS   AMENDMENTS. 

To  promote  the  progress  of  sciences  and  useful  arts,  by  securing, 
for  Umited  times,  to  authors  and  inventors,  the  exclusive  right  to  their 
respective  writings  and  discoveries  ; 

To  constitute  tribunals  inferior  to  the  Supreme  Court ; 

To  define  and  punish  piracies  and  felonies  committed  on  the  high 
seas,  and  offenses  against  the  law  of  nations ; 

To  declare  war,  grant  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal,  and  make  rules 
concerning  captures  on  land  and  water  ; 

To  raise  and  support  armies,  but  no  appropriation  of  money  to  that 
use  shall  be  for  a  longer  term  than  two  years ; 

To  provide  and  maintain  a  navy ; 

To  make  rules  for  the  government  and  regulation  of  the  land  and 
naval  forces ; 

To  provide  for  calling  forth  the  militia  to  execute  the  laws  of  the 
Union,  suppress  insurrections,  and  repel  invasions ; 

To  provide  for  organizing,  arming  and  disciplining  the  militia,  and 
for  governing  such  part  of  them  as  may  be  employed  in  the  service  of  the 
United  States,  reserving  to  the  states  respectively  the  appointment  of  the 
officers,  and  the  authority  of  training  the  militia  according  to  the  disci- 
pline prescribed  by  Congress ; 

To  exercise  legislation  in  all  cases  whatsoever  over  such  district  (not 
exceeding  ten  miles  square)  as  may,  by  cession  of  particular  states,  and  the 
acceptance  of  Congress,  become  the  seat  of  the  government  of  the  United 
States,  and  to  exercise  like  authority  over  all  places  purchased  by  the 
consent  of  the  Legislature  of  the  state  in  which  the  same  shall  be,  for 
the  erection  of  forts,  magazines,  arsenals,  dock  yards,  and  other  needful 
buildings ;  and 

To  make  all  laws  which  shall  be  necessary  and  proper  for  carrying 
into  execution  the  foregoing  powers,  and  all  other  powers  vested  by  this 
Constitution  in  the  government  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  depart- 
ment or  officer  thereof. 

Sec.  9.  The  migration  or  importation  of  such  persons  as  any  of  the 
states  now  existing  shall  think  proper  to  admit,  shall  not  be  prohibited 
by  the  Congress  prior  to  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eight, 
but  a  tax  or  duty  may  be  imposed  on  such  importation,  not  exceeding  ten 
dollars  for  each  person. 

The  privilege  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  shall  not  be  suspended, 
unless  when  in  cases  of  rebellion  or  invasion  the  public  safety  may 
require  it. 

No  bill  of  attainder  or  ex  post  facto  law  shall  be  passed. 

No  capitation  or  other  direct  tax  shall  be  laid,  unless  in  proportion 
to  the  census  or  enumeration  hereinbefore  directed  to  be  taken. 

No  tax  or  duty  shall  be  laid  on  articles  exported  from  any  state. 

No  preference  shall  be  given  by  any  regulation  of  commerce  or  rev- 
enue to  the  ports  of  one  state  over  those  of  another;  nor  shall  vessels 
bound  to  or  from  one  state  be  obliged  to  enter,  clear,  or  pay  duties  in 
another. 

No  money  shall  be  drawn  from  the  Treasury,  but  in  consequence  of 
appropriations  made  by  law ;  and  a  regular  statement  and  account  of 
the  receipts  and  expeditures  of  all  public  money  shall  be  published  from 
time  to  time. 


CONSTITUTION   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES  83 

No  title  of  nobility  shall  be  granted  by  the  United  States :  and  no 
person  holding  any  office  of  profit  or  trust  under  them,  shall,  without  the 
consent  of  the  Congress,  accept  of  any  present,  emolument,  office,  or  title 
of  any  kind  whatever,  from  any  king,  prince,  or  foreign  state. 

Sec.  10.  No  state  shall  enter  into  any  treaty,  alliance,  or  confeder- 
ation ;  grant  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal ;  coin  money ;  emit  bills  of 
credit ;  make  anytliing  but  gold  and  silver  coin  a  tender  in  payment  of 
debts ;  pass  any  bill  of  attainder,  ex  post  facto  law,  or  law  impairing  the 
obligation  of  contracts,  or  grant  any  title  of  nobility. 

No  state  shall,  without  the  consent  of  the  Congress,  lay  any  imposts 
or  duties  on  imports  or  exports,  except  what  may  be  absolutely  necessary 
for  executing  its  inspection  laws,  and  the  net  produce  of  all  duties  and 
imposts  laid  by  any  state  on  imports  or  exports,  shall  be  for  the  use  of  the 
Treasury  of  the  United  States ;  and  all  such  laws  shall  be  subject  to  the 
revision  and  control  of  the  Congress. 

No  state  shall,  without  the  consent  of  Congress,  lay  any  duty  on 
tonnage,  keep  troops  or  ships  of  war  in  time  of  peace,  enter  into  any 
agreement  or  compact  with  another  state,  or  with  a  foreign  power,  or 
engage  in  war,  unless  actually  invaded,  or  in  such  imminent  danger  as  will 
not  admit  of  delay. 

Article  II. 

Section  1.  The  Executive  power  shall  be  vested  in  a  President  of 
the  United  States  of  America.  He  shall  hold  his  office  during  the  term 
of  four  years,  and,  together  with  the  Vice-President  chosen  for  the  same 
term,  be  elected  as  follows : 

Each  state  shall  appoint,  in  such  manner  as  the  Legislature  thereof 
may  direct,  a  number  of  Electors,  equal  to  the  whole  number  of  Senators 
and  Representatives  to  which  the  state  may  be  entitled  in  the  Congress ; 
but  no  Senator  or  Representative,  or  person  holding  an  office  of  trust  or 
profit  under  the  United  States,  shall  be  appointed  an  Elector. 

[  *  The  Electors  shall  meet  in  their  respective  states,  and  vote  by 
ballot  for  two  persons,  of  whom  one  at  least  shall  not  be  an  inhabitant  of 
the  same  state  with  themselves.  And  they  shall  make  a  list  of  all  the 
persons  voted  for,  and  of  the  number  of  votes  for  each  ;  which  list  they 
shall  sign  and  certify,  and  transmit,  sealed,  to  the  seat  of  the  government 
of  the  United  States,  directed  to  the  President  of  the  Senate.  The  Pres- 
ident of  the  Senate  shall,  in  the  presence  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives, open  all  the  certificates,  and  the  votes  shall  then  be  counted. 
The  person  having  the  greatest  number  of  votes  shall  be  the  President, 
if  such  number  be  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of  Electors  appointed ; 
and  if  there  be  more  than  one  who  have  such  majority,  and  have  an  equal 
number  of  votes,  then  the  House  of  Representatives  shall  immediately 
choose  by  ballot  one  of  them  for  President ;  and  if  no  person  have  a  ma- 
jority, then  from  the  five  highest  on  the  list  the  said  House  shall  in  like 
manner  choose  the  President.  But  in  choosing  the  President,  the  vote 
shall  be  taken  by  states,  the  representation  from  each  state  having  one 
vote  ;  a  quorum  for  this  purpose  shall  consist  of  a  member  or  members 
from  two-thirds  of  the  states,  and  a  majority  of  all  the  states  shall  be 
necessary  to  a  choice.     In  every  case,  after  the  choice  of  the  President, 

•This clause  between, brackets  has  been  superseded  and  annulled  by  the  Twelfth  amendment. 


84  AND   ITS  AMENDMENTS. 

the  person  having  the  greatest  number  of  votes  of  the  Electors  shall  be 
the  Vice-President.  But  if  there  should  remain  two  or  more  who  have 
equal  votes,  the  Senate  shall  choose  from  them  by  ballot  the  Vice-Presi- 
dent.] 

The  Congress  may  determine  the  time  of  choosing  the  Electors,  and 
the  day  on  which  they  shall  give  their  votes ;  which  day  shall  be  the  same 
throughout  the  United  States. 

No  person  except  a  natural  born  citizen,  or  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States  at  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution,  shall  be  eligible 
to  the  office  of  President ;  neither  shall  any  person  be  eligible  to  that 
office  who  shall  not  have  attained  the  age  of  thirty-five  years,  and  been 
fourteen  years  a  resident  within  the  United  States. 

In  case  of  the  removal  of  the  President  from  office,  or  of  his  death, 
resignation,  or  inability  to  discharge  the  powers  and  duties  of  the  said 
office,  the  same  shall  devolve  on  the  Vice-Puesident,  and  the  Congress 
may  by  law  provide  for  the  case  of  removal,  death,  resignation,  or  inabil- 
ity, both  of  the  President  and  Vice-President,  declaring  what  officer  shall 
then  act  as  President,  and  such  officer  shall  act  accordingly,  until  the  dis- 
ability be  removed,  or  a  President  shall  be  elected. 

The  President  shall,  at  stated  times,  receive  for  his  services  a  com- 
pensation which  shall  neither  be  increased  nor  diminished  during  the 
period  for  which  he  shall  have  been  elected,  and  he  shall  not  receive 
within  that  period  any  other  emolument  from  the  United  States  or  any  of 
them. 

Before  he  enters  on  the  execution  of  his  office,  he  shall  take  the  fol- 
lowing oath  or  affirmation : 

"  I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm)  that  I  will  faithfully  execute  the 
office  of  President  of  the  United  States,  and  will,  to  the  best  of  my  ability, 
preserve,  protect,  and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States." 

Sec.  2.  The  President  shall  be  commander  in  chief  of  the  army  and 
navy  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  militia  of  the  several  states,  when 
called  into  the  actual  service  of  the  United  States ;  he  may  require  the 
opinion,  in  writing,  of  the  principal  officer  in  each  of  the  executive 
departments,  upon  any  subject  relating  to  the  duties  of  their  respective 
offices,  and  he  shall  have  power  to  grant  reprieves  and  pardon  for  offenses 
against  the  United  States,  exoept  in  cases  of  impeachment. 

He  shall  have  power,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the 
Senate,  to  make  treaties,  provided  two-thirds  of  the  Senators  present  con- 
cur; and  he  shall  nominate,  and  by  and  with  the  advice  of  the  Senate, 
shall  appoint  ambassadors,  other  public  ministers  and  consuls,  judges  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  and  all  other  officers  of  the  United  States  whose 
appointments  are  not  herein  otherwise  provided  for,  and  which  shall  be 
established  by  law ;  but  the  Congress  may  by  law  vest  the  appointment 
of  such  inferior  officers  as  they  think  proper  in  the  President  alone,  in 
the  courts  of  law,  or  in  the  heads  of  departments. 

The  President  shall  have  power  to  fill  up  all  vacancies  that  may 
happen  during  the  recess  of  the  Senate,  by  granting  commissions  which 
shall  expire  at  the  end  of  their  next  session. 

Sec.  3.  He  shall  from  time  to  time  give  to  the  Congress  information 
of  the  state  of  the  Union,  and  recommend  to  their  consideration  such  mea- 
sures as  he  shall  judge  necessary  and  expedient ;  he  may  on  extraordinary 


CONSTITUTION   OF   THE  UNITED   STATES  85 

occasions  convene  both  houses,  or  either  of  them,  and  in  case  of  disagree- 
ment between  them,  with  respect  to  the  time  of  adjournment,  he  may 
adjourn  them  to  such  time  as  he  shall  think  proper ;  he  shall  receive 
ambassadors  and  other  public  ministers ;  he  shall  take  care  that  the  laws  be 
faithfully  executed,  and  shall  commission  all  the  ofiScers  of  the  United 
States. 

Sec.  4.  The  President,  Vice-President,  and  all  civil  officers  of  the 
United  States,  shall  be  removed  from  office  on  impeachment  for,  and  con- 
viction of,  treason,  bribery,  or  other  high  crimes  and  misdemeanors. 

Article  III. 

Section  I.  The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  be  vested 
in  one  Supreme  Court,  and  such  inferior  courts  as  the  Congress  may  from 
time  to  time  ordain  and  establish.  The  Judges,  both  of  the  Supreme  and 
inferior  courts,  shall  hold  their  offices  during  good  behavior,  and  shall,  at 
stated  times,  receive  for  their  services  a  compensation,  which  shall  not  be 
diminished  during  their  continuance  in  office. 

Sec.  2.  The  judicial  power  shall  extend  to  all  cases,  in  law  and 
equity,  arising  under  this  Constitution,  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and 
treaties  made,  or  wdiich  shall  be  made,  under  their  authority;  to  all  cases 
affecting  ambassadors,  other  public  ministers,  and  consuls  ;  to  all  cases  of 
admiralty  and  maritime  jurisdiction  ;  to  controversies  to  which  the  United 
States  shall  be  a  party ;  to  controversies  between  two  or  more  states ; 
between  a  state  and  citizens  of  another  state  ;  between  citizens  of  differ- 
ent states  ;  between  citizens  of  the  same  state  claiming  lands  under  grants 
of  different  states,  and  between  a  state  or  the  citizens  thereof,  and  foreign 
states,  citizens,  or  subjects. 

In  all  cases  affecting  ambassadors,  other  public  ministers,  and  consuls, 
and  those  in  which  a  state  shall  be  a  party,  the  Supreme  Court  shall  have 
original  jurisdiction. 

In  all  the  other  cases  before  mentioned,  the  Supreme  Court  shall 
have  appellate  jurisdiction,  both  as  to  law  and  fact,  with  such  exceptions 
and  under  such  regulations  as  the  Congress  shall  make. 

The  trial  of  all  crimes,  except  in  cases  of  impeachment,  shall  be  by 
jury  ;  and  such  trial  shall  be  held  in  the  state  where  the  said  crimes  shall 
have  been  committed  ;  but  when  not  committed  within  any  state,  the 
trial  shall  be  at  such  place  or  places  as  the  Congress  may  by  law  have 
directed. 

Sec.  3.  Treason  against  the  United  States  shall  consist  only  in  levy- 
iug  war  against  them,  or  in  adhering  to  their  enemies,  giving  them  aid 
and  comfort.  No  person  shall  be  convicted  of  treason  unless  on  the  tes- 
timony of  two  witnesses  to  the  same  overt  act,  or  on  confession  in  open 
court. 

The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  declare  the  punishment  of  treason, 
but  no  attainder  of  treason  shall  work  corruption  of  blood,  or  forfeiture, 
except  during  the  life  of  the  person  attainted. 

Article  IV. 

Section  1.  Full  faith  and  credit  shall  be  given  in  each  state  to  the 
public  acts,  records,  and  judicial  proceedings  of  every  other  state.     And 


86  AND   ITS   AMENDMENTS. 

the  Congress  may,  by  general  laws,  prescribe  the  manner  in  which  sach 
acts,  records,  and  proceedings  shall  be  proved,  and  the  effect  thereof. 

Sec.  2.  The  citizens  of  each  state  shall  be  entitled  to  all  privileges 
and  immunities  of  citizens  in  the  several  states. 

A  person  charged  in  any  state  with  treason,  felony,  or  other  crime, 
who  shall  flee  from  justice  and  be  found  in  another  state,  shall,  on  demand 
of  the  executive  authority  of  the  state  from  which  he  fled,  be  delivered 
up,  to  be  removed  to  the  state  having  jurisdicl'.on  of  the  crime. 

No  person  held  to  service  or  labor  in  one  state,  under  the  laws  thereof 
escaping  into  another,  shall,  in  consequence  of  any  law  or  regulation 
therein,  be  discharged  from  such  service  or  labor,  but  shall  be  delivered 
up  on  the  claim  of  the  party  to  whom  such  service  or  labor  may  be  due. 

Sec.  3.  New  states  may  be  admitted  by  the  Congress  into  this  Union ; 
but  no  new  state  shall  be  formed  or  erected  within  the  jurisdiction  of  any 
other  state  ;  nor  any  state  be  formed  by  the  junction  of  two  or  more  states, 
or  parts  of  states,  without  the  consent  of  the  Legislatures  of  the  states 
concerned,  as  well  as  of  the  Congress. 

The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  dispose  of  and  make  all  needful 
rules  and  regulations  respecting  the  territory  or  other  property  belonging 
to  the  United  States  ;  and  nothing  in  this  Constitution  shall  be  so  construed 
as  to  prejudice  any  claims  of  the  United  States  or  of  any  particular  state. 

Sec.  4.  The  United  States  shall  guarantee  to  every  state  in  this 
Union  a  republican  form  of  government,  and  shall  protect  each  of  them 
against  invasion,  and  on  application  of  the  Legislature,  or  of  the  Execu- 
tive (when  the  Legislature  can  not  be  convened),  against  domestic  vio- 
lence. 

Article  V. 

The  Congress,  whenever  two-thirds  of  both  houses  shall  deem  it 
necessary,  shall  propose  amendments  to  this  Constitution,  or,  on  the  ap- 
plication of  the  Legislatures  of  two-thirds  of  the  several  states,  shall  call 
a  convention  for  proposing  amendments,  which,  in  either  case,  shall  be 
valid  to  all  intents  and  purposes  as  part  of  this  Constitution,  when  rati- 
fied by  the  Legislatures  of  three  fourths  of  the  several  states,  or  by  con- 
ventions in  three-fourths  thereof,  as  the  one  or  the  other  mode  of  ratifi- 
cation may  be  proposed  by  the  Congress.  Provided  that  no  amendment 
which  may  be  made  prior  to  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
eight  shall  in  any  manner  affect  the  first  and  fourth  clauses  in  the  ninth 
section  of  the  first  article ;  and  that  no  state,  without  its  consent,  shall 
be  deprived  of  its  equal  suffrage  in  the  Senate. 

Article  VI. 

All  debts  contracted  and  engagements  entered  into  before  the  adop- 
tion of  this  Constitution  shall  be  as  valid  against  the  United  States  under 
this  Constitution  as  under  the  Confederation. 

This  Constitution,  and  the  laws  of  the  United  States  which  shall  be 
made  in  pursuance  thereof,  and  all  treaties  made,  or  which  shall  be  made, 
under  the  authority  of  the  United  States,  shall  be  the  supreme  law  of  the 
land  ;  and  the  Judges  in  every  state  shall  be  bound  thereby,  anything  in 
the  Constitution  or  laws  of  any  state  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

The  Senators  and  Representatives  before  mentioned,  and  the  mem- 


CONSTITUTION   OF   THE    UNITED   STATES 


87 


bers  of  the  several  state  Legislatures,  and  all  executive  and  judicial  offi- 
cers, both  of  the  United  States  and  of  the  several  states,  shall  be  bound 
by  oath  or  affirmation  to  support  this  Constitution  ;  but  no  religious  test 
shall  ever  be  required  as  a  qualification  to  any  office  or  public  trust  under 
the  United  States. 

Article  VII. 

The  ratification  of  the  Conventions  of  nine  states  shall  be  sufficient 
for  the  establishment  of  this  Constitution  between  the  states  so  ratifying 
the  same. 

Done  in  convention  by  the  unanimous  consent  of  the  states  present,  the 
seventeenth  day  of  September,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  eighty-seven,  and  of  the  independence  of  the 
United  States  of  America  the  twelfth.  In  witness  whereof  we  have 
hereunto  subscribed  our  names. 

GEO.  WASHINGTON, 
President  and  Deputy  from  Virginia. 


New  Hampshire. 
John  Langdon, 
Nicholas  Gilman. 

Massachusetts. 
Nathaniel  Gorham, 
RuFus  King. 

Connecticut. 
Wm.  Sam'l  Johnson, 
Roger  Sherman. 


Delaware. 
Geo.  Read, 
John  Dickinson, 
Jaco.  BroOxVI, 
Gunning  Bedford,  Jr., 
Richard  Bassett. 

Maryland. 
James  M' Henry, 
Danl.  Carroll, 
Dan.  of  St.  Thos.  Jenifer. 


Neio  York. 
Alexander  Hamilton. 

New  Jersey. 
WiL.  Livingston, 
Wm.  Paterson, 
David  Brearley, 
JoNA.  Dayton. 


Virginia. 
John  Blair, 
James  Madison,  Jr. 

North  Carolina. 
Wm.  Blount, 
Hu.  Williamson, 
Rich'd  Dobbs  Spaight. 


Pennsylvania. 
B.  Franklin, 
RoBT.  Morris, 
Thos.  Fitzsimons, 
James  Wilson, 
Thos.  Mifflin, 
Geo.  Clymer, 
Jared  Ingersoll, 
Gouv.  Morris. 


South  Carolina. 
j.  rutledge, 
Charles  Pinckney, 
Chas.  Cotesworth  Pinckney, 
Pierce  Butler. 

Georgia. 
William  Few, 
Abr.  Baldwin. 

WILLIAM  JACKSON,  Secretary. 


ANI>  ITS  AJVIENDMENTS. 


Articles  in  Addition  to  and  Aimendatory  of  the  Constitution^ 
OF  THE  United  States  of  America. 

Proposed  hy  Congress  and  ratified  hy  the  Legislatures  of  the  several  states, 
pursuant  to  the  fifth  article  of  the  original  Constitution. 

Article  I. 

Congress  shall  make  no  law  respecting  an  establishment  cf  religion, 
or  prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof;  or  abridging  the  freedom  of 
speech,  or  of  the  press;  or  the  right  of  the  people  peaceably  to  assemble, 
and  to  petition  the  Government  for  a  redress  of  grievances. 

Article  II. 

A  well  regulated  militia  being  necessary  to  the  security  of  a  free 
state,  the  right  of  the  people  to  keep  and  bear  arms  shall  not  be  infringed. 

Article  III. 

No  soldier  shall,  in  time  of  peace,  be  quartered  in  any  house  without 
the  consent  of  the  owner,  nor  in  time  of  war  but  in  a  manner  to  be  pre- 
scribed by  law. 

Article  IV. 

The  right  of  the  people  to  be  secure  in  their  persons,  houses,  papers, 
and  effects  against  unreasonable  searches  and  seizures,  shall  not  be  vio- 
lated ;  and  no  warrants  shall  issue  but  upon  probable  cause,  supported  by 
oath  or  affirmation,  and  particularly  describing  the  place  to  be  isearched 
and  the  persons  or  things  to  be  seized. 

Article  V. 

No  person  shall  be  held  to  answer  for  a  capital  or  otherwise  infamous 
crime,  unless  on  a  presentment  or  indictment  of  a  Grand  Jury,  except  in 
cases  arising  in  the  land  or  naval  forces,  or  in  the  militia  when  in  actual 
service  in  time  of  war  or  public  danger ;  nor  shall  any  person  be  sul)ject 
for  the  same  offense  to  be  twice  put  in  jeopardy  of  life  or  limb  ;  nor  shall 
be  compelled  in  any  criminal  case  to  be  a  witness  against  himself,  nor  be 
deprived  of  life,  liberty,  or  property,  without  due  process  of  law ;  nor 
chall  private  property  be  taken  for  public  use,  without  just  compensation. 

Article  VI. 

In  all  criminal  prosecutions,  the  accused  shall  enjoy  the  right  to  a 
speedy  and  public  trial,  by  an  impartial  jury  of  the  state  and  district 
wherein  the  crime  shall  have  been  committed,  which  district  shall  have 
been  previously  ascertained  by  law,  and  to  be  informed  of  the  nature  and 
cause  of  the  accusation  ;  to  be  confronted  with  the  witnesses  against  him ; 
to  have  compulsory  process  for  obtaining  witnesses  in  his  favor;  and  to 
have  the  assistance  of  counsel  for  his  defense. 

Article  VII. 

In  suits  at  common  law,  where  the  value  in  controversy  shall  exceed 
twenty  dollars,  the  right  of  trial  by  jury  shall  be  preserved,  and  no  fact 


CONSTITUTION   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES  89 

tried  by  a  jury  shall  be  otherwise  re-examined  in  any  court  of  the  United 
States  than  according  to  the  rules  of  the  common  law. 

Article  VIII. 

Excessive  bail  shall  not  be  required,  nor  excessive  fines  imposed, 
nor  cruel  and  unusual  punishments  inflicted. 

Article  IX. 

The  enumeration,  in  the  Constitution,  of  certain  rights,  shall  not  be 
construed  to  deny  or  disparage  others  retained  by  the  people. 

Article  X. 

The  powers  not  delegated  to  the  United  States  by  the  Constitution, 
nor  prohibited  by  it  to  the  states,  are  reserved  to  the  states  respectively, 
or  to  the  people. 

Article  XI. 

The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  not  be  construed  to 
extend  to  any  suit  in  law  or  equity  commenced  or  prosecuted  against  one 
of  the  United  States  by  citizens  of  another  state,  or  by  citizens  or  sub- 
jects of  any  foreign  state. 

Article  XII. 

The  Electors  shall  meet  in  their  respective  states  and  vote  by  ballot 
for  President  and  Vice-President,  one  of  whom,  at  least,  shall  not  be  an 
inhabitant  of  the  same  state  with  themselves ;  they  shall  name  in  their 
ballots  the  person  to  be  voted  for  as  president,  and  in  distinct  ballots  the 
person  voted  for  as  Vice-President,  and  they  shall  make  distinct  lists  of 
all  persons  voted  for  as  President,  and  of  all  persons  voted  for  as  Vice- 
President,  and  of  the  number  of  votes  for  each,  which  list  they  shall  sign 
and  certify,  and  transmit  sealed  to  the  seat  of  the  government  of  the  United 
States,  directed  to  the  President  of  the  Senate.  The  President  of  the 
Senate  shall,  in  presence  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives, 
open  all  the  certificates,  and  the  votes  shall  then  be  counted.  The  person 
having  the  greatest  number  of  votes  for  President  shall  be  the  President, 
if  such  number  be  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of  Electors  appointed ; 
and  if  no  person  have  such  majority,  then  from  the  persons  having  the 
highest  number  not  exceeding  three  on  the  list  of  those  voted  for  as 
President,  the  House  of  Representatives  shall  choose  immediately,  by 
ballot,  the  President.  But  in  choosing  the  President,  the  votes  shall  be 
taken  by  States,  the  representation  from  each  state  having  one  vote;  a 
quorum  for  this  purpose  shall  consist  of  a  member  or  members  from  two- 
thirds  of  the  states,  and  a  majority  of  all  the  states  shall  be  necessary  to 
a  choice.  And  if  the  House  of  Representatives  shall  not  choose  a  Presi- 
dent whenever  the  right  of  choice  shall  devolve  upon  them,  before  the 
fourth  day  of  March  next  following,  then  the  Vice-President  shall  act  as 
President,  as  in  the  case  of  the  death  or  other  constitutional  disability  of 
the  President.  The  person  having  the  greatest  number  of  votes  as  Vice- 
President,  shall  be  the  Vice-President,  if  such  number  be  the  majority 
of  the  whole  number  of  electors  appointed,  and  if  no  person  have  a  major- 


90  AND  ITS  AMENDMENTS. 

itj;  then  from  the  two  highest  numbers  on  the  list,  the  Senate  shall  choose 
tha  Vice-President ;  a  quorum  for  the  purpose  shall  consist  of  two-thirds 
of  the  whole  number  of  Senators,  and  a  majority  of  the  whole  number 
shall  be  necessary  to  a  choice.  But  no  person  constitutionally  ineligible 
to  the  office  of  President  shall  be  eligible  to  that  of  Vice-President  of  the 
United  States. 

Article  XIII. 

Section  1.  Neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude,  except  as  a 
punishment  for  crime,  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted, 
shall  exist  within  the  United  States,  or  any  place  subject  to  their  juris- 
diction. 

Sec.  2.  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  this  article  by  appro- 
priate legislation. 

Article  XIV. 

Section  1.  All  persons  born  or  naturalized  in  the  United  States  and 
subject  to  the  jurisdiction  thereof,  are  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and 
of  the  state  wherein  they  reside.  No  state  shall  make  or  enforce  any  law 
which  shall  abridge  the  privileges  or  immunities  of  citizens  of  the  United 
States;  nor  shall  any  state  deprive  any  person  of  life,  liberty,  or  property, 
without  due  process  of  law,  nor  deny  to  any  person  within  its  jurisdiction 
the  equal  protection  of  the  laws. 

Sec.  2.  Representatives  shall  be  appointed  among  the  several  states 
according  to  their  respective  numbers,  counting  the  whole  number  of  per- 
sons in  each  state,  excluding  Indians  not  taxed ;  but  when  the  right  to 
vote  at  any  election  for  the  choice  of  Electors  for  President  and  Vice- 
President  of  the  United  States,  Representatives  in  Congress,  the  execu- 
tive and  judicial  officers  of  a  state,  or  the  members  of  the  Legislature 
thereof,  is  denied  to  any  of  the  male  inhabitants  of  such  state,  being 
twenty-one  years  of  age  and  citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  way 
abridged  except  for  participation  in  rebellion  or  other  crimes,  the  basis  of 
representation  therein  shall  be  reduced  in  the  proportion  which  the  num- 
ber of  such  male  citizens  shall  bear  to  the  whole  number  of  male  citizens 
twenty-one  years  of  age  in  such  state. 

Sec.  3.  No  person  shall  be  a  Senator  or  Representative  in  Congress, 
or  Elector  of  President  and  Vice-President,  or  hold  any  office,  civil  or 
military,  under  the  United  States,  or  under  any  state,  who,  having  previ- 
ously taken  an  oath  as  a  Member  of  Congress,  or  as  an  officer  of  the 
United  States,  or  as  a  member  of  any  state  Legislature,  or  as  an  execu- 
tive or  judicial  officer  of  any  state  to  support  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States,  shall  have  engaged  in  insurrection  or  rebellion  against  the 
same,  or  given  aid  or  comfort  to  the  enemies  thereof.  But  Congress  may, 
by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  each  house,  remove  such  disability. 

Sec.  4.  The  validity  of  the  public  debt  of  the  United  States  author- 
ized by  law,  including  debts  incurred  for  payment  of  pensions  and  boun- 
ties for  services  in  suppressing  insurrection  or  rebellion,  shall  not  be  ques- 
tioned. But  neither  the  United  States  nor  any  state  shall  pay  any  debt 
or  obligation  incurred  in  the  aid  of  insurrection  or  rebellion  against  the 
United  States,  or  any  loss  or  emancipation  of  any  slave,  but  such  debts, 
obligations,  and  claims  shall  be  held  illegal  and  void. 


CONSTITUTION   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES. 

Article  XV. 


Section  1.  The  right  of  citizens  of  the  United  States  to  vote  shall  not 
be  denied  or  abridged  by  the  United  States,  or  by  any  State,  on  account  of  race, 
color,  or  previous  condion  of  servitude. 


PERRY'S  MONUMENT.  CLEVELAND.  OHIO. 

On  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern  Railway. 


PART  II. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  OHI 


HISTOEY  OF    OHIO. 


IT  is  not  our  province  in  a  volume  of  this  descrij^tion,  to  delineate  the  chronol- 
ogy of  prehistoric  epochs,  or  to  dwell  at  length  upon  those  topics  pertaining 
to  the  scientific  causes  which  tended  to  the  formation  of  a  continent,  undiscov- 
ered for  centuries,  by  the  wisdom  and  energy  of  those  making  a  history  of  the 
Old  "World,  by  the  advancement  of  enlightenment  in  tae  Eastern  Hemisphere. 

Naturally,  the  geological  formation  of  the  State  of  Ohio  cannot  be  entirely 
separated  from  facts  relative  to  the  strata,  which,  in  remote  ages  accumulated 
one  layer  above  the  other,  and  finally  constituted  a  "built-up"  America,  from 
a  vast  sea.  The  action  of  this  huge  body  of  water  washed  sediment  and  what- 
ever came  in  its  way  upon  primitive  rocks,  which  were  subjected  to  frequent 
and  repeated  submersions,  emerging  as  the  water  subsided,  thus  leaving  a 
stratum  or  layer  to  solidify  and  mark  its  number  in  the  series — a  system  of 
growth  repeated  in  trees  of  the  forest — in  those  descernible  rings  that  count  so 
many  years.  The  southeastern  part  of  North  America  emerging  a  second 
time  from  the  Silurian  Sea,  which  extended  west  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and 
north  to  the  primitive  hills  of  British  America,  a  succession  of  rock-bound, 
salt-water  lakes  remained.  These  covered  a  large  portion  of  the  continent,  and 
their  water  evaporating,  organic  and  mineral  matter  remained  to  solidifyo  This 
thick  stratum  has  been  designated  by  geologists  as  the  water-lime  layer.  This 
constitutes  the  upper  layer  of  rock  in  the  larger  portion  of  the  Avest  half  of 
Ohio.     In  other  sections  it  forms  the  bed  rock. 

Following  the  lime-iock  deposit,  must  have  been  more  frequent  sweeps  of 
the  great  sea,  since  the  layers  are  comparatively  thin,  proving  a  more  speedy 
change.  During  this  scientific  rising  and  falling  of  the  sea,  other  actions  were 
taking  place,  such  as  volcanic  and  other  influences  which  displaced  the  regular- 
ity of  the  strata,  and  occasionally  came  out  in  an  upheaval  or  a  regular  perpen- 
dicular dip.  A  disturbance  of  this  character  formed  the  low  mountain  range 
extending  from  the  highlands  of  Canada  to  the  southern  boundary  of  Tennes- 
see. This  "bulge"  is  supposed  to  be  the  consequence  of  the  cooling  of  the 
earth  and  the  pressure  of  the  oceans  on  either  side  of  the  continent.  Geolo- 
gists designate  this  as  the  Cincinnati  arch.  This  forms  a  separation  between 
the  coal  fields  of  the  Alleghanies  and  those  of  Illinois. 

Passing  over  several  periods,  we  reach  the  glacial,  during  which  the  topog- 
raphy of  the  continent  was  considerably  modified,  and  which  is  among  the 
latest  epochs  of  geology,  though  exceedingly  remote  as  compared  with  human 


94  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

history.  Previously,  a  torrid  heat  prevailed  the  entire  Northern  hemisphere. 
Now  the  temperature  of  the  frigid  zone  crept  southward  until  it  reached  Cincin- 
nati. A  vast  field  of  ice,  perhaps  hundreds  of  feet  thick,  extended  from  the 
north  pole  to  this  point.  As  this  glacial  rigor  came  southward,  the  flow  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  River  was  stopped,  and  the  surplus  water  of  the  great  lake 
basin  was  turned  into  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi.  This  glacial  sea  was  by  no 
means  stationary  even  after  its  southern  limit  had  been  reached.  It  possessed 
the  properties  of  a  solid  and  a  fluid.  Its  action  was  slow  but  powerful,  grind- 
ing mountains  to  powder  and  forming  great  valleys  and  basins.  Separating 
into  two  glacial  portions,  one  moved  toward  the  watershed  north  of  the  Ohio 
River ;  and,  continuing  westerly,  it  hollowed  out  the  basin  of  Lake  Erie  and 
crushed  the  apex  of  the  Cincinnati  arch.  From  this  point,  it  turned  south- 
ward and  swept  with  a  regular  course  through  the  Maumee  and  Miami  Valleys 
to  the  Ohio  River.  The  southern  border  constantly  melting,  and  flowing  toward 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  the  great  field  was  pressed  forward  by  the  accumulations 
of  ice  in  the  northern  latitudes.  Thus  for  ages,  this  powerful  force  was  fitting 
the  earth  for  the  habitation  of  man.  The  surface  was  leveled,  huge  rocks 
broken  and  reduced  to  pebbles,  sand,  clay,  etc.,  other  soil  and  surface-material — 
while  the  debris  was  embedded  at  the  bottom.  In  some  sections,  as  the  ice 
melted  and  freed  the  bowlders  and  rocks,  the  lighter  material  was  swept  away. 
The  glacier  moving  forward,  and  the  forces  proving  an  "  equilibrium,"  the 
edge  of  this  ice-field  Avas  held  in  a  solid  stronghold,  and  the  material  thus  de- 
posited forms  a  ridge,  called  by  geologists  "terminal  moraine,"  first  exemplified 
in  Ohio  by  the  "Black  Swamp,"  in  the  Maumee  Valley. 

The  most  extreme  rigor  of  this  period  beginning  to  wane,  the  ice  of  the 
Maumee  and  Miami  Valleys  began  to  move  slowly  forward,  toward  the  north, 
reaching  the  points  now  termed  Hudson,  Mich.;  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  and  Kenton, 
Ohio — reachino;  somewhat  further  south  than  Lima  and  Van  Wert.  The  edge  of 
the  glacier  was  defined  in  outline  by  the  present  western  border  of  Lake  Erie,  and 
parallel  with  it.  Climatic  influences  "acting  and  counteracting,"  the  glacial 
force  was  concentrated,  the  Maumee  Valley  being  subjected  to  a  grinding  proc- 
ess, and  a  deposit  of  material  going  on,  which  now  forms  the  boundary  of  the 
"Black  Swamp."  As  our  readers  are  aware,  the  waters  of  the  St.  Joseph  and 
St.  Mary's  meet  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  their  united  waters  form  the  Maumee ; 
thence  the  turn  is  northwest,  and,  wearing  an  outlet  through  the  ridge,  it 
reaches  the  head  of  Lake  Erie. 

The  torrid  zone  yet  gaining  the  ascendency,  the  ice-fields  continuing  their 
reverse  motion,  and  retreating  toward  the  north,  the  basin  of  the  great  lakes 
was  formed ;  and  the  blocks  of  ice  melting  therein,  a  vast  sea  of  fresh  water  was 
formed,  which  gradually  overflowed  a  portion  of  Canada  and  Michigan^  But 
the  St.  Lawrence,  that  important  outlet,  was  under  the  restraint  of  an  ice 
blockade,  and  the  surplus  water  of  the  fresh  sea  was  turned  into  the  Ohio  and 
and  Mississippi. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  96 

Later,  mountains  of  ice-float  were  drifted  from  the  north  by  winds  and  cur- 
rents, into  temperate  latitudes,  and  melting,  deposited  rocks,  stones  and  general 
debris.  Following  the  iceberg-drift,  came  the  permanent  elevation  above  the  ocean- 
level.  The  St.  Lawrence  outlet  was  formed.  The  inland  sea  was  assuming  its 
division  into  lakes.  The  united  waters  of  Erie  and  Huron  flowed  through  the 
Wabash  Valley  and  into  the  Ohio,  until,  through  some  agency,  that  section  was 
dry,  and  the  lakes  drained  in  another  direction.  The  action  of  the  glacial 
period  in  the  Erie  basin  vicinity  created  what  is  known  as  the  "  Niagara  lime- 
stone," by  grinding  upper  strata  and  drifting  the  debris  elsewhere.  This  seems 
to  have  occurred  at  intervals,  exposures  being  made  in  Seneca,  Sandusky  and 
Wood  Counties,  and  beneath  the  axis  of  the  Cincinnati  arch.  Oriskany  lime- 
stone is  also  available  in  another  stratum,  which  has  been  brought  to  the  surface. 
Again,  there  is  a  carboniferous  stratum  of  limestone,  and  along  the  Maumee  is 
a  thin  exposure  of  the  Hamilton  limestone  and  shale. 

A  glacier  having  both  fluid  and  solid  properties,  it  will  readily  be  compre- 
hended that  obdurate  projections  of  rock  resisted  its  action,  and  created  currents 
in  other  directions,  for  its  forces.  When  this  specified  epoch  had  ceased  to  be, 
Ohio  was  a  rough,  irregular  and  crude  mixture  of  ridges  and  knobs  and  pinnacles, 
which  were  "  leveled  up  "  and  finished  by  iceberg-drift  and  inland-sea  deposits. 
This  settled  and  accumulated,  and  the  work  of  hundreds  of  years  produced  a 
beautiful  surface,  its  inequalities  overcome,  the  water  having  receded  and  "terra 
firma  "  remaining.  A  deep  bed  of  clay,  sufficiently  compact  to  hold  the  germs 
of  organic  matter,  and  sufficiently  porous  to  absorb  moisture,  was  especially 
adapted  to  encourage  the  growth  of  vegetation.  These  seeds  had  been  brouo-ht 
by  the  winds  and  waves  and  natural  agencies,  and  now  began  to  produce  jilants 
and  shrubs,  which  withered  to  enrich  the  soil,  after  scattering  broadcast  seeds 
that  would  again  perpetuate  verdure.  Worms,  land  crabs  and  burrowing  ani- 
mals assisted  in  the  creation  of  soil,  while  the  buffalo,  deer  and  bear  followed, 
as  soon  as  forestry  appeared.  Decomposed  foliage  and  fallen  timber  aided  in 
the  great  work  of  preparing  the  present  State  of  Ohio  for  the  habitation  of  man. 
Prairie,  marsh,  forest,  rivers  and  lakes  were  formed,  which,  in  turn,  were  modi- 
fied and  prepared  for  a  grand  destiny  by  other  influences. 

In  glancing  over  the  compiled  histories  of  Ohio,  those  containing  details  of 
her  early  struggles,  afilictions  and  triumphs,  we  are  especially  impressed  with 
its  near  and  sympathetic  relation  with  the  great  Northwest,  and  the  republic  of 
the  United  States  of  America.  From  the  early  years  when  white  men  built 
their  rude  cabins  in  the  then  tangled  wilderness,  to  the  opulent  and  magnificent 
present  of  this  united  nation,  Ohio  has  been  stanch,  loyal  and  earnest,  both 
in  action  and  principle. 

We  shall  endeavor  to  trace  the  history  of  the  State  concisely  and  accurately, 
according  to  the  data  given  by  the  most  reliable  historians.  We  are  obliged  to 
glean  the  prominent  events  only,  our  space  being  limited,  compared  with  the 
multitudinous  interests  connected  with  this  important  part  of  the  United  States. 


96  .        HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

FRENCH    HISTORY. 

All  through  early  French  history,  is  the  fact  especially  prominent,  that  in 
their  explorations  and  expeditions,  they  united  piety  and  business.  They  were 
zealous  in  sending  out  their  missionaries,  but  they  were  always  attended  by 
traders  and  those  who  were  as  skilled  in  the  world's  profit  and  loss,  as  their 
companions  were  in  propagating  Christianity. 

Prior  to  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  upon  Plymouth  Rock,  the 
Upper  Lakes  were  visited  by  the  French,  and  records  prove  that  during  the  first 
half  of  the  seventeenth  century,  a  vagabondish  set,  working  in  the  interests  of 
the  fur  company  of  New  France,  understood  the  geographical  position  of  the 
lakes  and  their  tributary  streams.  M.  Perrot,  an  intelligent  explorer,  made 
overtures  of  peace  to  the  Indian  tribes  around  these  bodies  of  water,  and 
effected  a  treaty,  which,  it  is  claimed,  established  the  right  for  the  French,  in 
the  name  of  their  king,  to  hold  the  place  near  St.  Mary's  Falls.  They  further 
assert  that  the  Mississippi  was  discovered  by  the  French  from  Lake  Superior, 
but  this  is  not  authenticated,  and  Father  Marcpiette  and  M.  Joliet  are  accepted 
as  the  first  who  found  this  large  stream,  in  1763.  The  good  missionary  won 
his  way  with  his  patient  and  sympathetic  nature. 

Ohio  was,  like  the  other  portions  of  the  West,  originally  in  the  possession 
of  aborigines  or  Indians.  Of  their  origin,  many  suppositions  are  advanced, 
but  no  certainties  sustained.  From  practical  evidences,  the  Mound-Builders 
were  active  in  Ohio,  and  here  as  elsewhere,  their  work  marked  retrogression 
rather  than  advancement.  The  territory  of  Ohio  was  claimed  by  the  French, 
and  included  in  that  wide  tract  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Rockies,  held 
by  them  under  the  name  of  Louisiana.  Before  the  year  1750,  a  French  trad- 
ing-post was  established  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash,  and  communication  was 
established  between  that  point  and  the  Maumee,  and  Canada.  Between  the 
years  1678  and  1682,  the  intrepid  La  Salle  and  Father  Hennepin,  assisted  by 
Fondi,  an  Italian,  with  a  small  band  of  followers,  inaugurated  a  series  of 
explorations  about  the  great  lakes  and  the  Mississippi,  building  forts  on  their 
way  and  planting  the  French  priority.  In  1680,  La  Salle  erected  a  stockade  at 
the  foot  of  the  rapids  of  the  Maumee,  which  was  a  general  rendezvous  for  mission- 
aries, traders  and  explorers,  besides  constituting  a  primitive  "stock  exchange." 

The  English  colonies  were  at  this  time  feast  of  the  Alleghanies,  wdiile  the 
French  were  establishing  themselves  west  of  this  range,  gaining  an  entrance 
north  and  south,  the  two  portions  separated  by  hostile  and  barbarous  foes. 
La  Salle's  spirit  of  adventure  led  him  into  new  fields,  but  Father  Hennepin 
was  detailed  to  investigate  that  part  of  the  world  now  known  as  the  State  of 
Ohio.  The  records  assert  that  he  published  a  volume  containing  an  account  of 
his  observations  "in  the  country  between  New  Mexico  and  the  frozen  ocean," 
in  1684,  together  with  maps  of  Lakes  Erie,  Huron  and  Michigan,  and  a  plat 
of  the  laro-er  streams  in  Ohio. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  97 

Apparently,  the  French  more  speedily  comprehended  the  value  of  their 
advantages  in  the  New  World  than  the  English,  and  vigorously  inaugurated  and 
sustained  commercial  and  religious  projects.  They  were  essentially  benefited 
by  the  mediation  of  the  Catholic  priests  between  settlers  and  Indians,  this 
really  earnest  class  everywhere  ingratiating  themselves  with  the  savages.  The 
Order  of  Jesuits  were  very  vigorous,  and  representatives  were  stationed  at  every 
trading-post,  village  and  settlement.  The  English  colonists  engaged  mostly  in 
agriculture,  while  the  French  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  fur  trade  with  the 
natives,  probably  from  their  former  settlement  in  Quebec  and  thereabouts,  where 
the  climate  is  advantageous  for  this  business.  This  added  to  the  influence  of 
the  priests,  and  the  natural  assimilation  of  French  and  the  Indians,  through 
the  tact  and  amiability  of  the  former,  the  French  possessions  gained  more 
rapidly  than  the  English  or  Spanish.  They  courted  their  daughters  and 
married  them.  They  engaged  in  feasts  and  trades,  and  took  advantage  of 
those  unimpeded  times  to  extend  their  dominion  with  surprising  celerity.  A 
chain  of  trading,  missionary  and  military  posts  extended  from  New  Orleans  to 
Quebec,  by  way  of  the  Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers,  thence  via  Mackinaw  and 
Detroit  to  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario.  This  route  was  shortened  thereafter  by 
following  the  Ohio  River  to  the  Wabash,  following  the  latter  upward,  and 
down  the  Maumee  to  Lake  Erie. 

About  the  same  time,  and  to  check  the  advancement  of  the  French,  the 
Ohio  Company  was  formed  by  the  English.  This  was  an  outgrowth  of  the 
contest  between  these  two  nations  for  the  ascendency,  whether  empire,  settle- 
ment or  individual.  After  thirty  years'  peace  between  these  two  nations, 
"King  George's  War"  opened  the  campaign  in  1744,  but  terminated  in  1748, 
the  treaty  at  Aix-la-Chapelle  unfortunately  omitting  a  settlement  of  any  division 
of  claims  in  America.  The  English,  French  and  Spanish  were  the  first  to 
enter  America,  and  the  right  of  possession  by  each  monarch  or  empire  was 
held  by  right  of  a  first  discovery.  The  only  right  that  England  could  advance 
regarding  Ohio  was  that  the  portion  of  the  Six  Nations  found  in  the  Ohio 
Valley  had  placed  some  of  their  lands  under  British  jurisdiction,  and  that  other 
portions  had  been  purchased  at  Lancaster,  Penn.,  by  means  of  a  treaty  with 
the  same  nations.  All  this  was  strenuously  denied  and  ignored  by  the  French. 
Thus  several  conflicting  influences  swept  carnage  over  fair  Ohio.  The  Indians  were 
allied  to  one  side  and  the  other,  and  were  against  each  other.  The  Indians  and 
French  would  advance  against  the  English,  and  they,  in  retaliation,  would 
make  a  raid  into  the  Indian  territory  and  overcome  a  French  settlement. 
Whenever  they  could  as  well,  Indians  would  take  the  cause  in  their  own  keep- 
ing and  fight  each  other.  The  wide,  verdant  fields  of  Ohio  were  drenohed 
ghastly  rod  under  a  glowing  sun,  and  the  great  forests  echoed  moans  from  the 
dying  and  distressed.  The  English  colonists  had  partially  overcome  their 
deprivation,  caused  by  a  struggle  for  subsistence,  and  means  to  guard  against 
the  savages — this  distress  augmented  by  campaigns  against  Canada — by  their 


98  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

increased  numbers  and  wealth,  but  were  now  alarmed  by  the  French  rule  in 
America,  which  gained  so  rapidly,  unmolested  as  it  was  by  Indian  raids  and 
other  devastating  circumstances.  A  constant  conflict  was  going  on  between 
Lake  Erie  and  the  Upper  Ohio.  Atrocities  and  massacres  were  committed 
indiscriminately,  which  opened  the  Avay  for  a  desperate  class  of  marauders  and 
villains  from  the  colonies  and  European  States.  These  people  enlisted  with 
the  Indians  on  either  side  for  the  purpose  of  leadership  and  plunder.  Every 
fortification,  trading-post  and  settlement  was  garrisoned  or  deserted,  and  the 
ground  between  the  Alle2;hanies  and  the  Maumee  became  a  conflict  field,  rife 
with  thrilling  deeds,  sacrifice  and  adventures,  the  half  never  having  been 
chronicled,  and  many  heroes  falling  uncrowned  by  even  a  lasting  memory,  since 
during  these  times  the  people  kept  few  annals,  and  cared  less  for  historical 
memories  than  anything  on  earth.  They  were  living,  and  dying,  and  struggling, 
and  that  was  more  than  they  could  carry  through  safely.  The  French  formed 
a  road  from  the  Ohio  River  to  Detroit,  via  the  foot  of  the  Lower  Rapids  of  the 
Maumee,  and  the  foot  of  the  Lower  Rapids  of  the  Sandusky. 

The  Ohio  Company  obtained  a  charter  under  English  views,  from  the 
British  Government,  with  a  grant  of  6,000  acres  of  land  on  the  Ohio.  The 
English  now  reverted  to  the  times  of  the  Cabots,  and  protested  that  by  right 
they  held  the  entire  country  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans,  bounded 
by  those  parallels  of  latitude  defining  their  Atlantic  coast  settlements.  France 
claimed  the  region  drained  by  the  Mississippi  and  tributaries,  the  great  lakes 
and  their  tributaries,  the  area  being  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  Ohio  was  thus 
included  in  the  disputed  tract. 

The  Ohio  Company  was  formed  in  1748,  by  a  number  of  Virginians  and 
Londoners,  two  brothers  of  George  Washington  taking  conspicuous  parts  in  the 
movement ;  Thomas  Lee  Avas  especially  active.  When  the  surveys  were  begun, 
the  Governor  of  Canada  entered  vigorous  protests,  and  indicated  his  displeasure 
by  a  prompt  line  of  posts  from  Erie  to  Pittsburgh,  named  respectively,  Presque 
Isle,  Le  Boeuf,  Vedango,  Kittaning  and  Du  Quesne.  The  latter  was  begun 
by  the  English,  captured  by  the  French,  and  by  them  completed. 

The  first  English  settlement  of  which  we  can  find  traces  was  a  block-house 
at  Piqua,  about  the  year  1752.  It  was  attacked,  and  a  bitter  struggle  ensued, 
resulting  in  the  death  of  fourteen  of  the  assailants.  Those  within  the  garrison 
sufiered  severely,  many  being  burned,  and  the  remainder  captured  and  dis- 
patched to  Canada. 

In  1753,  the  French  and  Indian  war  actively  began.  It  did  not  extend 
beyond  the  American  continent  until  1756,  when  the  home  governments  took 
an  interest  in  its  progress  beyond  encouraging  their  respective  colonists  to  pur- 
sue the  war-path  to  a  direful  finale  for  their  adversaries.  For  four  years,  the 
French  captured  and  conquered,  spreading  terror  wherever  they  went,  and 
they  followed  every  Englishman  that  set  his  foot  on  Ohio  soil  to  the  death. 
We  may  state  that  these  people  had  not  retained  their   civilized  habits,  and 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  99 

constant  association  with  savages  had  embued  them  with  barbarous  methods  of 
warfare  which  were  sickening  and  revolting  to  the  English,  and  to  which  they 
could  not  resort.  It  is  highly  probable  that  French  success  was  vastly  brought 
about  by  these  means,  together  with  the  assistance  of  their  Indian  allies.  In 
1758,  when  the  English  hope  was  almost  exterminated,  the  elder  Pitt  being 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  administration,  a  new  and  energetic  system  was 
inaugurated,  wise  measures  instituted,  and  military  science  triumphed  over 
savase  cunning  and  French  intrigue.  The  first  brilliant  English  achievement 
was  the  conquest  of  Canada.  When  the  home  governments  interfered,  the 
war  assumed  the  character  of  a  French  and  English  conflict,  regardless  of 
Indian  right,  yet  the  tribes  continued  to  participate  in  the  carnage. 

A  certain  Christian,  Frederick  Post,  a  Moravian  missionary,  located  upon 
the  Muskingum,  near  Beavertown.  Heckewelder  consented  to  become  his 
associate.  The  Indians  receiving  them  kindly,  under  conditions  that  Post 
should  serve  as  tutor,  this  missionary  began  clearing  a  field  for  the  purpose  of 
planting  corn  for  sustenance.  This  did  not  accord  with  Indian  logic.  They 
had  stipulated  that  he  teach  and  he  was  planting  corn,  which  to  them  was  a 
signal  of  the  coming  of  other  whites,  the  building  of  a  fort  and  encroachments 
upon  the  Indians.  They  referred  to  the  French  priests,  who  were  in  good 
physical  condition,  did  not  till  land,  but  were  in  charge  of  the  Great  Spirit 
who  provided  for  them,  a  conclusive  proof  to  them  that  when  divine  work  was 
acceptable  to  the  Great  Spirit,  priests  were  somehow  sustained  by  other  than 
the  plans  which  disturbed  their  great  hunting-grounds.  However,  they 
allowed  him  a  small  space,  and  he  remained  with  them,  preaching  and  teaching 
during  the  summer  of  1762,  when,  accompanied  by  one  of  the  principal  chiefs, 
he  returned  to  Lancaster,  Penn.,  where  a  treaty  was  concluded.  On  his  return 
to  his  post,  he  was  met  by  Heckewelder,  who  imparted  the  tidings  that  friendly 
Indians  had  warned  him  that  the  war  was  about  to  sweep  over  their  section, 
and  destruction  awaited  them  if  they  remained.  The  mission  was  accordingly 
abandoned.  This  failure  was  not  so  bitter  as  the  English  effort  to  sustain  their 
trading-post  in  1749,  on  the  Great  Miami,  afterward  called  Laramie's  store. 
It  pursued  a  feeble  existence  until  1752,  when  a  French  raid  upon  the  Twig- 
twees  and  English  colonists  proved  fatal. 

A  European  treaty  now  excluded  the  French  from  any  rights  to  make 
treaties  with  the  Indians,  and  the  English,  in  their  flush  of  victory  after  Pitt's 
succession,  assumed  the  authority  over  Indians  and  lands.  The  savages  did 
not  accept  the  situation  with  anything  resembling  the  gentle  spirit  of  resigna- 
tion, and  the  Ottawa  chief,  Pontiac,  led  the  several  tribes  into  a  general  war 
against  the  intruders.  It  was  no  longer  French  and  English,  but  Indian  and 
English,  the  former  being  instigated  and  assisted  many  times  by  the  French, 
now  desperate  and  unscrupulous  in  a  mad  spirit  for  revenge. 

The  intention  of  the  Indians  was  to  drive  the  whites  east  of  the  mountains, 

destroying  their  numerous  strongholds  in  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  if  they 
LofC. 


100  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

failed  in  their  hope  of  utterly  exterminating  them.  Pontiac  had  effected  a 
consolidation  of  the  tribes  ranging  from  Mackinaw  to  North  Carolina,  thus 
being  enabled  to  swoop  down  upon  all  the  settlements  simultaneously.  A 
deadly  beginning  was  made  in  the  Ohio  Valley,  and  only  two  or  three  English 
traders  escaped  out  of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  located  in  that  vicinity. 
The  forts  at  Presque  Isle,  St.  Joseph  and  Mackinaw,  were  captured  amid  scenes 
of  slaughter  too  terrible  to  perpetuate  in  description.  The  years  1763  and 
1764  were  literally  drenched  in  human  carnage  and  anguish.  Ohio  was  a 
great  field  of  crime,  murder,  pain  and  horror.  The  expeditions  of  Bradstreet 
and  Boucjuet  crushed  the  war  in  1764,  and  Pontiac  with  his  Ottawas  removed 
to  the  Maumee  and  settled.  English  settlement  now  progressed  with  great 
rapidity,  but  this  was  destined  to  be  disturbed  in  1774,  by  the  action  of  Lord 
Dunmore,  who  led  an  expedition  against  the  tribes  of  the  Ohio  country,  termi- 
nated by  his  treaty  on  the  Scioto  plains.  At  this  period,  the  colonists  were  not 
in  strict  harmony  with  England,  and  the  spirit  of  revolution  was  spreading 
every  day. 

When  Lord  Dunmore  made  his  treaty,  the  affirmation  was  made  and  gained 
ground  that  he,  being  a  thorough  loyalist,  had  compromised  under  such  terms 
as  held  the  Indians  British  allies  against  the  settlers.  Directly  following  this 
treaty,  was  the  deliberate  murder  of  a  number  of  Indians,  near  Wheeling, 
including  the  family  of  the  great  chief,  Logan — Avhich  inaugurated  retaliating 
atrocities. 

In  the  year  1773,  July  4,  the  first  white  child  was  born  within  the 
present  limits  of  Ohio,  and  was  christened  John  L.  Roth,  son  of  a  Mora- 
vian missionary.  All  the  settlers  of  these  Moravian  towns  on  the  Muskingum 
were  made  prisoners  in  September  of  the  same  year.  Heckwelder  was  trans- 
ported to  Detroit,  but  English  tyranny  foiled  to  find  any  evidence  against  him 
or  his  colaborers,  and  they  were  reluctantly  released,  and  returned  to  their  fam- 
ilies in  Sandusky.  Poverty  added  to  their  sufferings,  and  in  the  forlorn 
hope  of  finding  a  remnant  of  their  property  at  the  old  settlements,  which  might 
assist  in  mitigating  their  necessities,  they  wearily  went  thitherward.  They 
began  gathering  their  grain,  but  the  Wyandots  attacked  them,  and  many  lives 
were  lost.  Frontiersmen  had  also  grown  jealous  of  them,  and  a  body  of  about 
ninety  marched  out  together,  for  the  fiendish  purpose  of  pillaging,  slaughtering 
and  laying  waste  all  Moravian  towns  and  posts.  With  the  wily  insidiousness  of 
savages,  they  went  about  their  diabolical  plan.  The  Moravians  were  cordial  and 
bade  this  band  welcome,  when  they  reached  their  towns  in  the  guise  of  friend- 
ship. AVilliamson,  the  leader,  and  the  gleaners,  were  called  from  the  fields, 
when,  to  the  dismay  of  these  trusting  and  frank  people,  they  were  all  bound, 
and  only  fifteen  out  of  the  marauding  band  of  ninety  were  in  favor  of  even 
sparing  the  lives  of  these  hapless  men,  women  and  children.  Forty  men, 
twenty-two  women  and  thirty-four  children  were  then  cruelly  and  heartlessly 
murdered,  their  sufferings  laughed  to  scorn,  and  the  last  sound  that  fell  on  their 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  OHIO.  101 

ears  was  exultant  derision.  Succeeding  this  tragic  event  was  the  expedition 
against  the  Indian  towns  upon  the  Sandusky.  The  hostile  Indians  had  been 
making  frequent  incursions  upon  the  settlements  of  Western  Pennsylvania  and 
Virginia,  destroying  both  life  and  property.  There  seemed  to  be  no  bounds 
to  their  bloody  work,  and  it  became  necessary,  for  the  peace  and  safety  of  the 
settlers,  to  take  some  measures  to  prevent  their  outrages.  Accordingly,  in 
May,  1782,  Gen.  William  Irvine,  who  was  then  commander  of  the  Western 
Military  Department,  with  headquarters  at  Fort  Pitt,  called  a  council  of  the 
officers  of  his  department  to  meet  at  Fort  Pitt.  At  this  meeting  it  was  de- 
cided to  form  and  equip  a  body  of  men,  and  make  an  expedition  into  the 
Indian  country.  Upper  Sandusky,  then  the  rendezvous  of  the  hostile  Wyan- 
dots,  Delawares,  Shawanese  and  Mingoes,  was  to  be  the  point  of  attack. 

Col.  William  Crawford  led  the  expedition,  which  counted  480  men.  Warn- 
ing had  in  some  manner  reached  the  towns,  and  the  troops  found  them  de- 
serted. But  the  Indians  were  incensed,  and  their  wrath  had  not  driven  them 
to  hiding-places,  but  to  a  preparation  to  meet  their  foes.  They  fought  desper- 
ately, and  Crawford's  troops  were  defeated  and  scattered,  many  being  capt- 
ured, and  among  them  Col.  Crawford  himself.  It  is  hardly  probable  that 
Crawford  could  justly  expect  much  mercy  at  the  hands  of  his  captors.  Ac- 
counts state  that  Crawford  implored  the  aid  of  Girty,  and  at  last  secured  a 
promise  to  use  his  power  to  obtain  the  Colonel's  pardon.  However,  this  was  of 
no  avail,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  Girty  was  disposed  to  intercede.  The 
prisoners  were  tortured  and  put  to  death,  and  Crawford's  agonies  were  pro- 
tracted as  long  as  possible.  Dr.  Knight  managed  to  disable  the  Indian  who 
had  him  in  charge,  and  made  his  escape  to  the  settlements,  where  he  related 
the  result  of  the  expedition  and  the  tortures  of  the  captured. 

On  October  27,  1784,  a  treaty  was  concluded  at  Fort  Stanwix,  with  the 
sachems  and  warriors  of  the  Mohawks,  Onondagas,  Senecas,  Cayugas,  Onei- 
das  and  Tuscaroras,  and  the  Six  Nations  then  ceded  to  the  Colonial  Govern- 
ment all  claims  to  the  country  west  of  a  line  defined  by  the  western  boundary 
to  the  Ohio — thus  rendering  the  Indian  claim  to  a  large  portion  of  Ohio  lands 
practically  extinct. 

Although  the  French  and  Indian  war  was  a  series  of  heart-rending  events, 
it  was  a  serious  and  remarkable  school  of  discipline  for  the  untrained  troops 
which  soon  engaged  in  the  Revolutionary  struggle.  On  the  fields  of  Ohio,  many 
valuable  officers,  who  earned  distinction  in  the  war  of  independence,  learned 
their  first  lessons  in  intrepid  valor. 

During  the  Revolution,  the  colonial  troops  were  engaged  east  of  the  mount- 
ains, and  western  settlements  and  frontier  people  were  left  alone  to  defend 
themselves  and  their  property  against  encroachments  and  attacks. 

The  Indian  tribes  again  became  belligerent,  and  united  with  the  English 
against  the  "  Americans."  The  latter  held  a  line  of  posts  along  the  Upper 
Ohio,  while  the  British  were  stationed  in  the  old  French  strongholds  on  the 
lakes  and  the  Mississippi.  The  unscrupulous  whites  and  Indians  ranged  at  ran- 
dom between  this  boundary  and  the  Cuyahoga,  thence  southerly  to  the  Ohio, 


102  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

thus  including  the  Scioto  and  Miami  Valleys.  Southeastern  Ohio  constituted 
"the  neutral  ground." 

Gen.  Clarke's  expedition,  although  chiefly  confined  to  Indiana  and  Illinois, 
greatly  influenced  the  settlement  of  Ohio.  His  exploits  and  the  resolution  of 
his  troops  were  chiefly  instrumental  in  holding  the  country  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies,  and  insuring  its  possession  by  the  United  States  during  the  Revolution. 
The  British  had  been  emphatic,  in  the  Paris  treaty,  at  the  time  of  the  settlement 
of  the  French  and  English  difiiculties,  in  demanding  the  Ohio  River  as  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  United  States.  The  American  Commissioners  relied 
upon  Gen.  Clarke's  valor  and  energy  in  holding  the  country  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies,  Avhich  he  had  conquered,  and  the  British  Commissioners  were  compelled 
to  give  their  consent,  under  civil  and  military  measures.  In  1783,  by  the 
treaty  of  Paris,  at  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  the  English  relinquished 
all  rights  to  the  fertile  territory  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Mississippi, 
and  the  United  States  held  undisputed  possession. 

January  10,  1786,  Gens.  Rufus  Putnam  and  Benjamin  Tupper  circulated  a 
pamphlet,  proposing  the  formation  of  a  company  for  the  purpose  of  settling  the 
Ohio  lands,  and  soliciting  the  attention  and  consideration  of  all  those  desiring  a 
future  home  and  prosperity.  A  meeting  was  also  called,  to  assemble  during  the 
following  February,  and  select  delegates  to  represent  each  county  in  Massachu- 
setts. These  dignitaries  should  convene  during  the  month  of  March,  at  the 
"  Bunch  of  Grapes  "  tavern,  in  Boston,  for  the  purpose  of  definitely  forming  the 
association,  and  adopting  such  measures  as  would  benefit  all  directly  interested. 
The  meeting  and  "  convention  "  followed,  and  the  subscription  books  were  opened. 
One  million  dollars,  chiefly  represented  by  Continental  certificates,  was  the 
price  of  the  land.  The  shares  were  valued  at  |1,000  each,  and  there  was  a 
division  of  a  thousand  shares.  The  first  payment  was  to  be  $10  per  share,  this 
money  to  be  set  aside  for  such  expenses  as  might  accrue.  A  year's  interest  was 
to  be  devoted  to  the  establishment  of  the  settlement,  and  those  families  who 
were  unable  to  incur  the  expense  of  moving  were  to  be  assisted.  Those  who 
purchased  shares  to  the  number  of  twenty  were  entitled  to  a  representation  by 
an  agent,  who  was  permitted  to  vote  for  Directors.  This  plan  matured  and  was 
acted  upon  during  the  following  year.  It  may  be  that  the  action  of  Connecti- 
cut, in  ceding  her  territorial  claims  to  the  General  Government,  Avith  few  excep- 
tions, greatly  encouraged  this  new  undertaking.  That  tract  was,  until  recently, 
designated  the  "  Western  Reserve  " — an  extent  170  miles  from  the  western 
boundary  of  Pennsylvania,  and  parallel  thereto,  being  reserved. 

On  October  27,  1787,  a  contract  was  made  between  the  Board  of  the  Treas- 
ury, for  the  United  States,  and  Manasseh  Cutler  and  Winthrop  Sargent,  agents 
for  the  Directors  of  the  New  England  Ohio  Company,  for  the  purchase  of  a  tract 
of  land,  bounded  by  the  Ohio,  and  from  the  mouth  of  the  Scioto  to  the  inter- 
section of  the  western  boundary  of  the  seventh  townships,  then  surveying ; 
thence  by  said  boundary  to  the  northern  boundary  of  the  tenth  township  from 


HISTORY    OF    THJ]    STATE    OF    OHIO.  103 

the  Ohio ;  thence,  by  a  due  west  line,  to  the  Scioto ;  thence,  by  the  Scioto,  to 
the  beginning. 

However  fertile  and  attractive  Ohio  was  known  to  have  been,  settlement  did 
not  gain  rapidly  after  the  close  of  the  war  with  England,  although  the  United 
States  has  gained  her  freedom.  It  was  more  than  six  years  after  Cornwallis 
laid  down  his  sword,  before  a  white  settlement  was  formed  on  the  Ohio  side  of  the 
river.  The  French  and  Indian  war  had  incited  the  English  to  be  jealous  of  her 
colonial  conquests,  and  mistrusting  their  loyalty,  they  had,  so  soon  as  the  French 
claims  were  annulled,  taken  measures  to  crush  all  colonial  claims  also,  and  a 
royal  proclamation  rescinded  all  colonial  land  grants  and  charters,  holding  all 
the  country  west  of  the  sources  of  the  Atlantic  rivers  under  the  protection  and 
sovereignty  of  t!ie  king  of  Great  Britain,  for  the  use  of  the  Indians.  All  white 
persons  were  forbidden  to  remain  or  settle  within  the  prescribed  limits.  Parlia- 
ment then  attached  this  tract  to  Quebec,  and  the  English  Government  felt  assured 
that  the  thirteen  colonies  were  restricted  and  held  secure  east  of  the  Alleghanies. 

The  result  of  the  war  between  the  colonies  and  England  did  not  constitute 
an  Indian  treaty.  Although  England  signed  over  her  title  and  right,  the  sava- 
ges held  the  land  and  ignored  all  white  agreements,  one  way  or  the  other. 
Whenever  an  attempt  at  settlement  was  undertaken,  Indian  depredations  proved 
disastrous.  The  tribes  were  encouraged  by  the  English  fur  traders,  and  the 
English  commandant  at  Detroit  incited  them  to  destroy  all  Americans  who 
attempted  to  usurp  the  rights  of  red  men. 

Added  to  this  serious  difficulty  was  the  unsettled  debate  regarding  State 
claims,  which  rendered  a  title  precarious.  A  treaty,  signed  at  Fort  Mcintosh, 
previous  to  the  war,  and  authenticated,  shows  that  during  the  conflict  the  Dela- 
wares  and  Wyandots  occupied  the  Indian  and  British  frontier,  on  the  southern 
shore  of  Lake  Erie,  from  the  Cuyahoga  to  the  Maumee,  and  from  the  lake  to 
the  sources  of  its  tributaries.  Later,  these  two  tribes  ceded  to  the  United 
States  "the  neutral  ground,"  by  warranty  deed,  and  by  quit-claim,  the  terri- 
tory south  and  west  of  the  described  tract,  set  apart  for  their  use. 

By  special  measures,  the  grant  of  Congress  in  the  matter  of  the  Ohio  Com- 
pany extended  to  nearly  5,000,000  acres,  valued  at  $3,500,000.  The  original 
Ohio  Company  obtained  1,500,000  acres,  the  remaining  being  reserved  by  indi- 
viduals, for  private  speculation. 

The  same  year,  Congress  appointed  Arthur  St.  Clair,  Governor,  and  Win- 
throp  Sargent,  Secretary,  of  the  Territory. 

Fort  Harmar  had  previously  been  built,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Muskingum, 
and  in  1788,  a  New  England  colony  attempted  the  "Muskingum  settlement," 
on  the  opposite  side,  which  was  afterward  named  Marietta.  In  July,  1788,  the 
Territorial  officers  were  received  in  this  village,  and  there  established  the  first 
form  of  civil  government,  as  set  forth  in  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  Three  United 
States  Judges  were  appointed,  and  Courts  of  Common  Pleas,  Probate  and 
Justice  were  established. 


104  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

If  the  stormy  times  were  supposed  to  be  of  the  past,  that  composure  was 
rudely  broken  by  the  utter  disregard  of  the  Shawnee  and  other  Indian  tribes, 
who  soon  induced  the  Delawares  and  Wyandots  to  repudiate  their  consent  in  the 
matter  of  settlement.  The  miseries  of  frontier  horrors  were  repeated.  The 
British  commandant  at  Detroit  instigated  many  of  these  hostilities,  yet  the 
American  Government  took  honorable  action  in  assuring  the  English  represent- 
ative that  American  military  preparations  in  the  West  was  not  an  expedition 
against  Detroit,  or  other  British  possessions,  although  the  possession  of  Detroit 
by  that  nation  was  in  direct  opposition  to  the  treaty  of  1783.  Gov.  St.  Clair, 
to  avert  the  direful  consequences  of  a  border  war,  dispatched  a  Frenchman, 
Gameline,  to  the  principal  Indian  towns  of  the  Wabash  and  Maumee  countries, 
to  request  them  to  meet  the  United  States  agents,  and  make  a  compromise  for 
the  benefit  of  both  parties,  at  the  same  time  reiterating  the  desire  of  the  General 
Government  to  adhere  to  the  Fort  Ilarmar  treaty.  The  Miamis,  Shawnees, 
Ottawas,  Kickapoos  and  Delawares  received  this  representative  kindly,  but 
declined  the  wampum  sent  by  the  Governor,  and  deferred  giving  an  answer 
until  they  had  considered  the  subject  with  the  "  father  at  Detroit." 

Blue  Jacket,  chief  of  the  Shawnees,  informed  the  Frenchman  that  the  Indi- 
ans doubted  the  sincerity  of  the  Americans.  The  new  settlement  on  the  Ohio 
was  a  proof  that  the  whites  intended  to  crowd  further  and  further,  until  the 
Indians  were  again  and  again  robbed  of  their  just  right.  He  then  emphatically 
asserted  that  unless  the  north  side  of  the  river  was  kept  free  from  these  inroads 
there  could  be  no  terms  of  peace  with  the  Shawnees,  and  many  other  tribes. 

Blue  Jacket  was  unusually  intelligent  and  sagacious,  and  expressed  himself 
eloquently.  He  was  persistent  in  his  determination  to  engage  in  the  war  of 
extermination,  should  the  white  settlements  continue  north  of  the  Ohio. 

These  overtures  were  continued,  but  they  foiled  in  producing  any  arrange- 
ment that  permitted  the  whites  to  locate  north  of  the  Ohio. 

Congress  called  upon  Kentucky  and  Pennsylvania  to  lend  the  aid  of  theii' 
militia.  Gen.  Harmar  was  instructed  to  destroy  the  Miami  villages  at  the 
head  of  the  Maumee.     Late  in  the  fall  of  1790,  he  executed  this  order. 

The  Indians  had  stored  a  large  quantity  of  provisions,  in  expectation  of  a 
campaign,  and  this  dependence  was  devastated.  Without  authority,  and  with 
undue  carelessness,  he  divided  his  army  and  attempted  to  achieve  other  victo- 
ries. He  more  than  lost  Avhat  he  had  gained.  Two  raids  upon  the  Wabash  In- 
dians, thereafter,  proved  successful,  but  the  campaign  under  Gov.  St.  Clair  was 
not  calculated  to  establish  peace  or  obtain  power,  and  was  deemed  but  little  less 
than  a  failure. 

The  year  1792  was  a  series  of  skirmishes,  so  far  as  a  settlement  was  con- 
cerned, but  1793  succeeded  well  enough  to  convene  a  meeting  of  United  States 
Commissioners  and  representatives  of  the  hostile  tribes,  at  the  rapids  of  the 
Maumee.  It  is  highly  probable  that  a  satisfactory  treaty  might  have  been 
arranged,  liad  it  not  been  for  the  intervention  and  malicious  influence  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  105 

British  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  Col.  McKee,  his  assistant  Capt. 
Elliott,  and  the  notorious  Capt.  Simon  Girty,  who  instigated  the  savages  to 
deeds  more  horrible  than  their  own  barbarisms. 

It  was  evident  that  a  severe  struggle  must  ensue,  and  Capt.  Wayne,  in 
1792,  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Western  army,  was  called  upon  to  con- 
duct the  campaign.  He  exhibited  his  wisdom  in  the  beginning,  by  preparing 
his  men  in  military  discipline  and  fully  equipping  them  before  marching  to  meet 
a  savage  foe  in  a  wilderness.  Various  causes  detained  the  army,  and  it  was  not 
until  the  fall  of  1793,  that  the  force  marched  from  Fort  Washington  (Cincin- 
nati) to  begin  the  battle. 

It  was  already  late  in  the  season,  and,  before  any  progress  had  been  made, 
the  army  went  into  winter  quarters  at  Greenville,  on  a  branch  of  the  Big 
Miami. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  Ohio  Company  had  not  matured  its  practical  "  settle- 
ment plan,"  although  a  generous  grant  had  been  obtained.  In  1792,  they 
received  a  clear  title  to  750,000  acres  of  land,  for  which  the  full  price  had  pre- 
viously been  paid,  in  Continental  currency.  Congress  set  aside  214,285  acres 
as  army  bounties,  and  100,000  acres  to  actual  settlers.  The  two  latter  appro- 
priations joined  that  of  the  Ohio  Company. 

There  had  been  numerous  conventions,  discussions  and  other  fruitless 
attempts  to  somehow  form  a  plan  for  the  government  of  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tory, but  it  was  not  until  July  13,  1787,  that  an  ordinance  was  passed,  and  that 
was  the  result  of  Dr.  Cutler's  efforts.     Every  State  sustained  its  measures. 

This  ordinance  was  the  foundation  of  the  constitution  of  the  future  State  of 
Ohio,  and  indeed,  permeates  the  entire  Northwestern  creed. 

ORDINANCE, OF  1787.— No.  32. 
An  Ordinance  for  the  Government  of  the  Territory  of  the  United  States,  Northwest  of 
THE  Ohio  River. 

Be  it  ordained  by  the  United  States  in  Congress  assevibled,  That  the  said  Territory,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  government,  be  one  district;  subject,  however,  to  be  divided  into  two  districts,  as  future  cir- 
cumstances may,  in  the  opinion  of  Congress,  make  it  expedient. 

Be  it  ordained  by  the  authority  aforesaid.  That  the  estates  of  both  resident  and  non-resident 
proprietors  in  the  said  Territoi-y,  dying  intestate,  shall  descend  to  and  be  distributed  among  their 
children  and  the  descendants  of  a  deceased  child,  in  equal  parts;  the  descendants  of  a  deceased 
child  or  grandchild  to  take  the  share  of  their  deceased  parent  in  equal  parts  among  them.  And 
when  there  shall  be  no  children  or  descendants,  then  in  equal  parts  to  the  next  of  kin  in  equal . 
degree ;  and  among  collaterals,  the  children  of  a  deceased  brother  or  sister  of  the  intestate  shall 
have,  in  equal  parts  among  them,  their  deceased  parent's  share;  and  there  shall  in  no  case  be  a 
distribution  between  kindred  of  the  whole  and  half  blood,  saving  in  all  cases  to  the  widow  of 
intestate,  her  third  part  of  the  real  estate,  for  life,  and  one-third  part  of  the  personal  estate ;  and 
this  law  relative  to  descents  and  dower,  shall  remain  in  full  force  until  altered  by  the  Legis- 
lature of  the  district.  And  until  the  Governor  and  Judges  shall  adopt  laws  as  hereinafter 
mentioned,  estates  in  said  Territory  may  be  devised  or  bequeathed  by  wills  in  writing,  signed 
and  sealed  by  him  or  her  in  whom  the  estate  may  be  (being  of  full  age),  and  attested  by  three 
witnesses ;  and  real  estate  may  be  conveyed  by  lease  and  release,  or  bargain  and  sale,  signed  and 
sealed,  and  delivered  by  the  person  (being  in  full  age)  in  whom  the  estate  may  be,  and  attested 


106  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

by  two  witnesses,  provided  such  wills  be  duly  proved,  and  such  conveyances  be  acknowledged,  or 
the  execution  thereof  duly  proved  and  be  recorded  within  one  year  after  proper  magistrates, 
courts  and  registers  shall  be  appointed  for  that  purpose.  And  personal  property  may  be  trans- 
ferred by  delivery,  saving,  however,  to  the  French  and  Canadian  inhabitants  and  other  settlers  of 
the  Kaskaskias,  St.  Vincent's  and  the  neighboring  villages,  who  have  heretofore  professed  them- 
selves citizens  of  Virginia,  their  laws  and  customs  now  in  force  among  them,  relative  to  the 
descent  and  conveyance  of  property. 

Be  it  ordained  by  the  authority  aforesaid.  That  there  shall  be  appointed  from  time  to  time,  by 
Congress,  a  Governor  whose  commission  shall  continue  in  force  for  a  term  of  three  years,  unless 
sooner  revoked  by  Congress.  He  shall  reside  in  the  district  and  have  a  freehold  estate  therein, 
of  a  thousand  acres  of  land  while  in  the  exercise  of  his  office. 

There  shall  be  appointed  from  time  to  time  by  Congress,  a  Secretary  whose  commission  shall 
continue  in  force  for  two  years,  unless  sooner  revoked.  He  shall  reside  in  the  district,  and  shall 
have  a  freehold  estate  therein  in  500  acres  of  land,  while  in  the  exercise  of  his  office.  It  shall  be 
his  duty  to  keep  and  preserve  the  acts  and  laws  passed  by  the  Legislature,  and  the  public  records 
of  the  district,  and  the  proceedings  of  the  Governor  in  his  executive  department,  and  transmit 
authentic  copies  of  such  acts  and  proceedings  every  six  months,  to  the  Secretary  of  Congress. 
There  shall  also  be  appointed  a  court  to  consist  of  three  Judges,  any  two  of  whom  to  form  a 
court,  who  shall  have  a  common  law  jurisdiction  and  shall  reside  in  the  district  and  have  each 
therein  a  freehold  estate  in  500  acres  of  land,  while  in  the  exercise  of  their  office,  and  their 
commissions  shall  continue  in  force  during  good  behavior. 

The  Governor  and  Judges,  or  a  majority  of  them,  shall  adopt  and  publish  in  the  district 
such  laws  of  the  original  States,  criminal  and  civil,  as  may  be  necessary  and  best  suited  to  the 
circumstances  of  the  district,  and  report  them  to  Congress  from  time  to  time,  which  laws  shall  be 
in  force  in  the  district  until  the  organization  of  the  General  Assembly  therein,  unless  disapproved 
by  Congress.  But  afterward,  the  Legislature  shall  have  authority  to  alter  them,  as  they  shall 
think  fit. 

The  Governor,  for  the  time  being,  shall  be  commander-in-chief  of  the  militia,  appoint  and 
commission  all  officers  in  the  same,  below  the  rank  of  general  officers.  All  general  officers  shall 
be  appointed  and  commissioned  by  Congress. 

Previous  to  the  organization  of  the  General  Assembly,  the  Governor  shall  appoint  such  mag- 
istrates and  other  civil  officers  in  each  county  or  township,  as  he  shall  find  necessary  for  the 
preservation  of  the  peace  and  good  order  in  the  same.  After  the  General  Assembly  shall  be 
organized,  the  powers  and  duties  of  magistrates  and  other  civil  officers  shall  be  regulated  and 
defined  by  the  said  Assembly,  but  all  magistrates  and  other  civil  officers  not  herein  otherwise 
directed,  shall,  during  the  continuance  of  this  temporary  government,  be  appointed  by  the 
Governor. 

For  the  prevention  of  crimes  and  injuries,  the  laws  to  be  adopted  or  made  shall  have  force 
in  all  parts  of  the  district,  and  for  the  execution  of  process,  criminal  or  civil,  the  Governor  shall 
make  proper  divisions  thereof,  and  he  shall  proceed  from  time  to  time  as  circumstances  may 
require,  to  lay  out  the  parts  of  the  district  in  which  the  Indian  titles  shall  have  been  extin- 
guished, into  counties  and  townships,  subject,  however,  to  such  alterations  as  may  thereafter  be 
made  by  the  Legislature.  So  soon  as  there  shall  be  5,000  free  male  inhabitants  of  full  age  in  the 
district,  upon  giving  proof  thereof  to  the  Governor,  tlmy  shall  receive  authority  with  time  and 
place,  to  elect  representatives  from  their  counties  or  townships,  to  represent  them  in  the  General 
Assembly.  Provided,  That  for  every  500  free  male  inhabitants,  there  shall  be  one  representative, 
and  so  on  progressively  with  the  number  of  free  male  inhabitants,  shall  the  right  of  representa- 
tion increase,  until  the  number  of  representatives  shall  amount  to  twenty-five.  After  which,  the 
number  shall  be  regulated  by  the  Legislature.  Provided,  That  no  person  be  eligible  or  qualified 
to  act  as  a  representative  unless  he  shall  have  been  a  citizen  of  one  of  the  United  States  three 
years,  and  be  a  resident  in  the  district,  or  unless  he  shall  have  resided  in  the  district  three 
years,  and  in  either  case,  shall  likewise  hold  in  his  own  right  in  fee  simple  200  acres  of  land 
within  the  same. 


HISTORY   OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  107 

Provided,  Also,  that  a  freehold  in  50  aci'cs  of  land  in  the  district,  having  been  a  citizen  of 
one  of  the  States,  and  being  a  resident  in  the  district,  or  the  like  freehold  and  two  years'  resi- 
dence in  the  district,  shall  be  necessary  to  qualify  a  man  as  an  elector  of  a  representative. 

The  representatives  thus  elected,  shall  serve  for  the  term  of  two  years.  And  in  case  of  the 
death  of  a  representative  or  removal  from  office,  the  Goveunor  shall  issue  a  writ  to  the  county  or 
township  for  which  he  was  a  member,  to  elect  another  in  his  stead,  to  serve  for  the  residue  of  the 
term. 

The  General  Assembly  or  Legislature  shall  consist  of  the  Governor,  Legislative  Council,  and 
a  House  of  Representatives.  The  Legislative  Council  shall  consist  of  five  members,  to  continue 
in  office  five  years,  unless  sooner  removed  by  Congress ;  any  three  of  whom  to  be  a  quorum. 
And  the  members  of  the  Council  shall  be  nominated  and  appointed  in  the  following  manner,  to  wit : 

As  soon  as  representatives  shall  be  elected,  the  Governor  shall  appoint  a  time  and  place  for 
them  to  meet  together,  and  when  met,  they  shall  nominate  ten  persons,  residents  in  the  district, 
and  each  person  in  a  freehold  in  500  acres  of  land,  and  return  their  names  to  Congress,  five  of 
whom  Congress  shall  appoint  and  commission  as  aforesaid.  And  whenever  a  vacancy  shall  hap- 
pen in  the  Council  by  death  or  removal  from  office,  the  House  of  Representatives  shall  nominate 
two  persons,  qualified  as  aforesaid,  for  each  vacancy,  and  return  their  names  to  Congress,  one  of 
whom  Congress  shall  appoint  and  commission  for  the  residue  of  the  term.  And  every  five  years, 
four  months  at  least  before  the  expiration  of  the  time  of  service  of  the  members  of  the  Council, 
the  said  House  shall  nominate  ten  persons  qualified  as  aforesaid,  and  return  their  names  to 
Congress,  five  of  whom  Congress  shall  appoint  and  commission  to  serve  as  members  of  the 
Council  five  years,  unless  sooner  removed.  And  the  Governor,  Legislative  Council  and  House 
of  Representatives  shall  have  authority  to  make  laws  in  all  cases,  for  the  good  government 
of  the  district,  not  repugnant  to  the  principles  and  articles  in  this  Ordinance,  established  and 
declared. 

And  all  bills  having  passed  by  a  majority  in  the  House,  and  by  a  majority  in  the  Council, 
shall  be  referred  to  the  Governor  for  his  assent.  But  no  bill  or  legislative  act  whatever,  shall  be 
of  any  force  without  his  assent.  The  Governor  shall  have  power  to  convene,  prorogue  and  dis- 
solve the  General  Assembly,  when  in  his  opinion  it  shall  be  expedient. 

The  Governor,  Judges,  Legislative  Council,  Secretary,  and  such  other  officers  as  Congress 
shall  appoint  in  the  district,  shall  take  an  oath  or  affirmation  of  fidelity  and  of  office.  The  Gov- 
ernor before  the  President  of  Congress,  and  all  other  officei's  before  the  Governor. 

As  soon  as  a  Legislature  shall  be  formed  in  the  district,  the  Council  and  House  assembled 
in  one  room,  shall  have  authority  by  joint  ballot  to  elect  a  delegate  to  Congress,  who  shall 
have  a  seat  in  Congress,  with  a  right  of  debating,  but  not  of  voting,  during  this  temporary  gov- 
ernment. 

And  for  extending  the  fundamental  principles  of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  which  forms 
the  basis  whereon  these  republics,  their  laws  and  constitutions,  are  created  ;  to  fix  and  establish 
those  principles  as  the  basis  of  all  laws,  constitutions  and  governments,  Avhicli  forever  hereafter 
shall  be  formed  in  said  Territory.  To  provide  for  the  establishment  of  States,  and  permanent 
governments  therein,  and  for  their  admission  to  a  share  in  the  Federal  Council  on  an  equal  footing 
with  the  original  States,  at  as  early  periods  as  may  be  consistent  with  the  general  interest. 

It  is  hereby  ordained  and  declared  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  That  the  following  articles  shall 
be  considered  as  articles  of  compact  between  the  original  States  and  the  people,  and  States  in 
said  Territory,  and  forever  remain  unaltered  unless  by  common  consent,  to  wit: 

Article  II.  The  inhabitants  of  said  Territory  shall  always  be  entitled  to  the  benefits  of  the 
writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  of  the  trial  by  jury;  of  a  proportionate  representation  of  the  people 
in  the  Legislature,  and  of  judicial  procedure  according  to  the  course  of  common  law.  All  per- 
sons shall  be  bailable,  except  for  capital  otfenses,  where  the  proof  shall  be  evident  or  the  pre- 
sumption great.  All  fines  shall  be  moderate,  and  no  cruel  or  unreasonable  punishment  shall  be 
inflicted.  No  man  shall  be  deprived  of  his  liberty  or  property,  but  by  the  judgment  of  his  peers 
or  the  law  of  the  land.  And  should  the  public  exigencies  make  it  necessary  for  the  common 
preservation,  to  take  any  person's  property,  or  to  demand  his  particular  services,  full  compensation 


108  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

shall  be  made  for  the  same.  And  in  the  just  preservation  of  rights  and  property,  it  is  under- 
stood and  declared  that  no  law  aught  ever  to  be  made  or  have  force  in  the  said  Ten'itory, 
that  shall  in  any  manner  whatever  interfere  with  or  effect  private  contracts  or  engagements  bona 
fide  and  without  fraud,  previously  formed. 

Art.  III.  Religion,  morality  and  knowledge  being  necessary  to  good  government  and  the 
happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the  means  of  education  shall  forever  be  encouraged.  The 
utmost  good  faith  shall  always  be  observed  toward  the  Indians;  their  lands  and  property  shall 
never  be  taken  from  them  without  their  consent ;  and  in  their  property,  rights  and  liberty  they 
shall  never  be  invaded  or  disturbed,  unless  in  just  and  lawful  wars  authorized  by  Congress.  But 
laws  founded  in  justice  and  humanity,  shall  from  time  to  time  be  made  for  preventing  wrongs 
being  done  to  them,  and  for  preserving  peace  and  friendship  with  them. 

Art.  IV.  The  said  Territory  and  the  States  which  may  be  formed  therein,  shall  ever  remain 
a  part  of  the  confederacy  of  the  United  States  of  America,  subject  to  the  articles  of  confedera- 
tion, and  to  such  alterations  therein  as  shall  be  constitutionally  made,  and  to  all  the  acts  and 
ordinances  of  the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled  conformable  thereto.  The  inhabitants  and 
settlers  in  said  Territory  shall  be  subject  to  pay  a  part  of  the  federal  debts  contracted  or  to  be 
contracted,  and  a  proportional  part  of  the  expenses  of  the  Government,  to  be  apportioned  on 
them  ])y  Congress,  according  to  the  same  common  rule  and  measure  by  which  apportionments 
thereof  shall  be  made  on  the  other  States,  and  the  taxes  for  paying  their  proportion  shall  be  laid 
and  levied  by  the  authority  and  directions  of  the  Legislature  of  the  district  or  districts  or  new 
States,  within  the  time  agreed  upon  by  the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled.  The  Legisla- 
tures of  those  districts  or  new  States,  shall  never  interfere  with  the  primary  disposal  of  the  soil 
by  the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled,  nor  with  any  regulations  Congress  may  find  neces- 
sary for  securing  the  title  in  such  soil  to  the  bona-fide  purchasers.  No  tax  shall  be  imposed  on 
lands  the  property  of  the  United  States,  and  in  no  case,  shall  non-residents  be  taxed  higher  than 
residents.  The  navigable  waters  leading  into  the  Mississippi  and  St  Lawrence,  and  the  carry- 
ing places  between  the  same,  shall  be  common  highways,  and  forever  free  as  well  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  said  Territory  as  to  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  and  those  of  any  other  States 
that  may  V)e  admitted  into  the  confederacy,  without  any  tax,  impost  or  duty  therefor. 

Art.  V.  There  shall  be  formed  in  said  Territory  not  less  than  three,  nor  more  than  five, 
States,  and  the  boundaries  of  the  States,  as  soon  as  Virginia  shall  alter  her  act  of  cession  and 
consent  to  the  same,  shall  become  fixed  and  established  as  follows,  to  Avit :  The  western  State  in 
the  said  Territory  shall  be  bounded  by  the  Mississippi,  the  Ohio,  the  Wabash  Rivers ;  a  direct 
line  drawn  from  the  Wabash  and  Post  St.  Vincent,  due  north  to  the  Territorial  line  between  the 
United  States  and  Canada;  and  by  the  said  Territorial  line  to  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  and  Missis- 
sippi. The  middle  State  shall  be  bounded  by  the  said  direct  line,  the  Wabash  from  Post  St.  Vin- 
cent to  the  Ohio,  by  the  Ohio,  by  a  direct  line  drawn  due  north  from  the  mouth  of  the  Great 
Miami  to  the  said  Territorial  line.  The  eastern  State  shall  be  bounded  by  the  last-mentioned 
direct  line,  the  Ohio,  Pennsylvania  and  said  territorial  line.  Provided,  however,  and  it  is  further 
understood  and  declared,  that  the  boundaries  of  those  three  States  shall  be  subject  so  far  to  be 
altered,  that,  if  Congress  shall  hereafter  find  it  expedient,  they  shall  have  authority  to  form  one 
or  two  States  in  that  part  of  the  said  Territory  which  lies  north  of  an  east  and  west  line  drawn 
through  the  southerly  bend  or  extreme  of  Lake  Michigan.  And  wlienever  any  of  the  said  States 
shall  have  60,000  free  inhabitants  therein,  such  State  shall  be  admitted  by  its  delegates  into  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  original  States  in  all  respects  what- 
ever, and  shall  be  at  liberty  to  form  a  permanent  constitution  and  State  government.  Provided, 
The  constitution  and  government  so  to  be  formed,  shall  be  represented,  and  in  conformity  to  the 
principles  contained  in  these  articles ;  and  so  far  as  it  can  be  cojisistent  with  the  general  iiiterest 
of  the  confederacy,  such  admission  shall  be  allowed  at  an  earlier  period,  and  when  there  may  be 
a  less  number  of  free  inhabitants  than  60,000. 

Art.  VI.  There  shall  be  neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  in  the  said  Territory, 
otherwise  than  in  the  punishment  of  crimes  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted. 
Provided  ahvai/s,  That  any  person  escaping  into  the  same  from  whom  labor  or  service  is  lawfully 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  109 

claimed  in  one  of  the  original  States,  each  fugitive  may  be  lawfully  claimed  and  conveyed  to  the 
person  claiming  his  or  her  labor  or  services  as  aforesaid. 

Be  it  ordained  by  the  authority  aforesaid.  That  the  resolutions  of  the  2.3d  of  April,  1784, 
relative  to  the  subject  of  this  ordinance,  be  and  the  same  are  hereby  repealed  and  declared  null 
and  void. 

The  passage  of  this  ordinance,  since  known  as  the  "  Ordinance  of  1787," 
was  immediately  followed  by  an  application  to  the  Government,  by  John  Cleves 
Symmes,  of  New  Jersey,  in  behalf  of  the  country,  between  the  Miamis,  and  a 
contract  was  concluded  the  following  year.  The  Ohio  Company  were  exceed- 
ingly energetic  in  inaugurating  settlements.  Gen.  Putman,  with  a  party  of 
forty-seven  men,  set  out  on  an  exploring  expedition,  accompanied  by  six  boat 
builders.  On  the  1st  of  January,  1788,  twenty-six  surveyors  followed,  from 
Hartford,  Conn.  They  arrived  in  Ohio  on  the  7th  of  Aj^ril,  1788,  and  their 
active  energy  founded  the  permanent  beginning  of  this  great  Western  State- 
When  we  review  the  dangerous  experiments  that  have  been  made,  in  this  land 
west  of  the  Alleghanies,  the  horrors  which  had  overwhelmed  every  attempt,  we 
can  faintly  realize  the  stalwart  courage  that  sent  these  men  on  their  way,  and 
sustained  them  in  their  pioneer  hardships.  With  characteristic  vigor,  they 
began  their  little  town.  Enthusiastic  and  happy,  they  did  not  rest  from  their 
toilsome  march  over  the  old  Indian  roads,  but  kept  busily  at  work  to  estab- 
lish an  oasis  in  this  wide  expanse  of  wilderness,  before  they  should  take  nec- 
essary ease  to  recuperate  their  strength. 

The  wise  men  met  on  the  2d  of  May,  and  the  little  town  was  named 
Marietta.  Situated  as  it  was,  in  the  midst  of  danger,  they  had  used  precaution 
to  build  and  equip  a  fortified  square,  which  was  designated  Campus  Martius  ; 
Square  No.  19  was  Capitolium,  and  Square  No.  61  was  Cecelia,  and  the  main 
street  was  Sacra  Via. 

Marietta  was  especially  fortunate  in  her  actual  "first  families."  Ten  of  the 
forty-eight  men  had  received  a  thorough  college  education ;  the  remaining  were 
individuals  of  sterling  merit,  honorable,  and  several  had  already  attained  reputations 
for  superior  excellence  of  abilities.  Patriotic  and  brave,  the  settlement  certainly 
possessed  a  foundation  that  promised  well  for  the  future.  The  following  4th  of 
July  was  an  auspicious  event,  and  the  Hon.  James  M.  Varnum  was  the  eloquent 
orator  of  the  occason. 

The  opening  of  the  court,  on  the  2d  of  September,  was  a  solemn  ceremonial, 
the  High  Sheriff  leading  with  drawn  sword,  followed  by  citizens,  with  an  escort 
of  officers  from  Fort  Harmar,  the  members  of  the  bar,  the  Governor  and  Clergy- 
men, the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas — Gen.  Rufus  Putman  and 
Benjamin  Tupper — all  these  constituted  an  imposing  spectacle,  as  they  pro- 
gressed over  a  path  which  had  been  cut  through  the  forest  to  Campus  Martius 
Hall,  the  edifice  of  law  and  order. 

The  Judges  took  their  seats,  a  prayer  was  ofiered  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cutler, 
and  immediately  the  Sheriff,  Col.  Ebenezer  Sprout,  proclaimed  the  response, 
and  the  court  of  impartial  justice  was  convened. 


110  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

This  ceremonial  was,  perhaps,  made  all  the  more  impressive  by  the  presence 
of  several  powerful  Indian  chiefs,  who  had  journeyed  to  Marietta  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  a  treaty. 

The  settlement  now  increased  rapidly,  new  cabins  were  erected  constantly. 
On  the  17th  of  December,  a  society  event  occurred,  in  the  form  of  a  grand  ball, 
fifteen  ladies  being  present. 

John  Cleves  Symmes  had  contracted  for  2,000,000  acres  of  land,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  his  grant,  but  circumstances  prevented  him  from  meeting 
his  part  of  the  obligations,  and  the  specification  was  reduced  to  1,000,000. 
After  vain  attempt  to  make  his  payments,  a  settlement  was  finally  efiected  for 
248,540  acres,  and  Symmes  was  prepared  to  dispose  of  clear  titles  to  new-com- 
ers. In  1788,  a  town  was  established  within  the  boundaries  of  his  grant,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  little  Miami,  known  as  Columbia,  and  in  the  early  part  of  1787 
another  was  formed  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Licking  River,  by  name  Losanti- 
ville,  analyzed  by  a  frontier  scholar — ville,  the  town  ;  anti,  opposite  to  ;  os,  the 
mouth  of;  i,  Licking. 

Judge  Symmes  had  projected  building  his  main  town  at  North  Bend.  This 
plan  was  frustrated  by  reason  of  Ensign  Luce — who  had  been  commissioned  by 
Gen.  Harmar  to  erect  a  fort — deciding  that  North  Bend  Avas  not  suitable  for  the 
purpose.  He  selected  Losantiville  for  the  purpose,  and  Fort  Washington  was 
the  result.  In  1790,  Gov.  St.  Clair  was  called  to  inspect  the  settlement,  and 
proceeded  to  organize  Hamilton  County,  at  the  same  time  calling  the  town 
Cincinnati. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Connecticut  ceded  most  of  her  western  lands  to 
General  Government,  retaining,  however,  a  minor  portion.  As  the  settlements 
began  to  increase  on  the  "Virginia  Reserve"  and  between  the  Scioto  and  Miami 
Rivers,  all  those  holding  claims  were  not  disposed  to  part  with  them,  while 
others  were  anxious  to  secure  grants  for  the  purpose  of  speculation,  rather  than 
the  advancement  of  civilization.  The  Scioto  Company  was  a  questionable  ad- 
herent of  the  Ohio  Company,  and  began  operations,  which  resulted  Avell,  what- 
ever their  purpose  may  have  been. 

Gen.  Putnam  cleared  the  land  and  directed  the  building  of  100  dwellings  and 
six  block-houses.  During  1791,  the  colony  arrived,  consisting  of  500  persons. 
Only  ten  of  these  were  tillers  of  the  soil.  Viscount  Malartie  ventured  into  the 
wilderness,  but  instead  of  settling,  joined  Gen.  St.  Clair's  army,  and  was  ulti- 
mately his  aid-de-camp.  Indian  conquests  were  not  to  his  taste,  and  he  soon 
returned  to  France.  This  new  colony  was  essentially  French,  and  its  location 
was  Gallia  County.     The  name  "  Gallipolis  "  was  selected. 

These  settlers,  being  unaccustomed  to  severe  toil,  and  disinclined  to  learn 
its  hard  lesson,  soon  became  demoralized,  through  deprivation  and  absolute 
want.  Congress  came  to  their  aid  Avith  a  land  grant  of  24,000  acres,  but  few 
of  them  cared  to  enter  claims,  and  soon  all  traces  of  the  old  toAvn  were  lost,  and 
its  inhabitants  scattered. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  11] 

Gen,  St.  Clair  having  become  unpopular,  through  repeated  fiiilures  in  Indian 
campaigns,  and  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne  having  wintered  at  Fort  Washington, 
the  spring  of  1793  was  opened  by  a  march  of  the  army,  well  disciplined  and 
led  by  "  Mad  Anthony,"  on  a  campaign  that  must  crush  the  rapidly  increasing 
depredations  of  the  Indians,  notwithstanding  which  these  new  settlements  had 
been  made.  All  winter.  Gen.  Wayne  had  dispatched  scouts,  spies  and  hardy 
frontiersmen  on  errands  of  discovery,  and  his  plans  were,  therefore,  practically 
matured.  His  army  cut  its  way  through  the  forests,  gathering  horses,  provis- 
ions, etc.,  as  they  marched,  and  finally  came  nearly  up  to  the  enemy  before  dis- 
covery. They  again  returned  to  Fort  Washington,  as  the  Commander-in-Chief, 
under  the  order  of  the  Executive,  had  proclaimed  inaction  until  the  Northern 
or  British  Commissioners  and  Indians  should  convene  and  discuss  the  situation 
and  prospects.  Gen.  Wayne,  meantime,  drilled  his  men  at  "  Hobson's  Choice," 
a  place  near  Fort  Washington. 

The  Commissioners  came  from  Detroit,  and  assembled  at  Capt.  Matthew 
Elliot's  house,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Detroit  River. 

A  meeting  was  called  at  Sandusky,  and  twenty  Indian  representatives  were 
present,  to  argue  the  grounds  of  a  treaty.  Simon  Girty  acted  as  interpreter, 
and  has  been  vehemently  accused  of  unfaithfulness  in  this  trust,  since  he  did 
not  advocate  the  adjustment  of  matters  on  any  grounds.  The  Indians  reiterated 
their  rights  and  wrongs,  and  offered  to  receive  the  half  of  the  purchase  money, 
provided  the  actual  settlers  would  accept  it  as  the  price  of  the  land,  move  away, 
and  leave  the  original  owners  the  proud  possessors  of  their  lands.  The  Govern- 
ment would  then  expend  less  money  than  they  would  have  done  in  a  full  Indian 
purchase,  or  a  long  and  cruel  war.  This  being  out  of  the  question  and  rejected, 
a  decided  specification  was  made  that  the  Ohio  boundary  was  to  be  obliterated, 
and  a  new  one  adopted,  that  encompassed  a  mere  fraction  of  territory.  This 
was  also  rejected.  The  Indians  indignantly  bade  the  Americans  to  go  back  to 
their  father,  and  they  would  return  to  their  tribes. 

The  council  was  terminated  in  confusion.  It  is  highly  probable  that  some 
settlement  might  have  been  made,  had  it  not  been  for  English  influence  which 
instigated  the  savages,  in  the  hope  of  ultimately  making  conquests  for  them- 
selves. The  commander  at  Detroit  evinced  great  uneasiness  whenever  there 
was  a  shadow  of  an  opportunity  for  a  peaceful  understanding. 

On  Christmas  Day,  1793,  a  detachment  of  the  army  encamped  on  the 
identical  ground  made  memorable  by  St.  Clair's  horrible  defeat.  A  reward  was 
offered  for  every  human  skull  that  was  found,  and  600  were  gathered.  The 
bones  of  the  victims  were  removed  from  the  spot  where  they  built  Fort  Recovery. 
This  point  was  left  in  charge  of  Alexander  Gibson. 

Early  in  the  year  1794,  Lord  Dorchester  addressed  the  Commissioners  in 
behalf  of  the  English.  Even  at  this  time,  Gen.  Wayne,  to  avoid  the  terrors  of 
a  great  war,  again  made  overtures  of  peace,  dispatching  Freeman,  Trueman  and 
Hardin,  all  initiated  in  savage  tactics,  on  errands  of  mercy — and  the  three  men 


112  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

^iret'e  inhumanly  murdered.  The  English  went  so  far  as  to  order  Gov.  Simcoe 
to  erect  a  fort,  in  April,  1794,  on  the  Rapids  of  the  Maumee,  thus  rousing  the 
Indians  by  a  bold  proof  that  they  had  espoused  their  cause.  In  May,  the 
Spanish,  who  were  ever  jealous  of  colonial  encroachments,  were  willing  to  aid 
in  a  general  raid  ao;ainst  the  Americans. 

In  June,  a  scouting  party  from  Fort  Recovery,  fell  into  an  Indian  ambush 
and  suffered  severely,  their  foes  following  them  to  the  very  entrance.  The  siege 
cor.tinued  for  two  days.  It  was  plainly  evident  that  white  men  augmented  the 
Indian  force ;  ounce  balls  and  buck-shot  surely  came  from  their  rifles.  Again, 
the  Indians  immediately  began  a  search  beneath  the  logs  where  pieces  of  artillery 
were  hidden  during  the  great  battle  of  St.  Clair,  but  fortunately,  Fort  Recovery 
had  the  use  of  them  and  they  accomplished  much. 

On  July  26,  Scott  joined  Wayne  at  Greenville,  with  1,600  mounted 
Kentuckians,  and  on  the  28th,  the  legion  took  up  its  line  of  deadly  march. 
Halting  at  Girty's  Town,  they  built  Fort  Mary's,  later  on  Fort  Adams.  Throw- 
ing the  enemy  off  their  guard  by  feints  and  counter-marching,  the  troops  surprised 
the  Indians,  and  without  the  slightest  resistance  took  possession  of  their  villages 
at  the  confluence  of  the  Auglaize  and  Maumee.  They  found  provision  in 
abundance,  and  tarried  a  week  building  Fort  Defiance. 

Again  Gen.  Wayne  would  have  made  terms  of  peace,  on  the  principle  of  the 
Government  to  arrest  bloodshed,  but  the  Indians  were  rendered  cruelly  intent 
on  war  by  an  addition  of  a  body  of  British  militia  from  Detroit,  and  by  regulars 
stationed  at  a  fort  they  had  built  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  below  the  rapids, 
called  Fort  Miami.  The  "Fallen  Timber"  ground  was  selected  as  the  field 
for  a  battle  by  the  savages,  in  the  expectation  that  the  trees  cast  down  by  a 
tornado  and  there  remaining,  would  seriously  impede  American  progress. 

August  15th,  Wayne  marched  down  the  river,  and  at  Roche  de  Boeuf,  erected 
a  fortification  for  their  stores  and  luggage,  naming  it  "  Fort  Deposit."  On  the 
20th,  the  American  army  began  the  attack.  Maj.  Price  and  Maj.  Gen.  Scott 
were  heroic  in  their  assistance,  and  after  a  sharp,  deadly  conflict,  the  enemy 
was  routed,  fleeing  in  confusion,  and  leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  strewn 
thickly  over  the  field.  The  savages  were  pressed  to  the  front  always,  and  when 
the  carnage  was  painful,  tlie  British  troops  not  engaged  looked  on  coolly  from  the 
fort  and  offered  no  assistance,  aiding  their  own,  however,  when  possible.  Gen. 
Wayne  being  an  ardent  soldier,  was  apt  to  forget  his  position,  and  impetuously 
place  himself  constantly  in  danger.  Lieut.  Harrison  is  reported  to  have 
requested  the  General  not  to  forget  to  give  him  field  orders,  in  his  own  partici- 
pation in  the  battle,  and  to  have  received  the  reply  that  the  standing  order  was 
alivays  to  charge  bayonets. 

Notwithstanding  the  treaty  of  1783,  and  the  fact  that  the  British  were  tres- 
passing, they  encroached  upon  the  Ohio  soil,  and  essayed  to  vindicate  their 
action  by  discarding  American  claims  and  recognizing  the  Indian  rights,  whereby 
they  might  seek  their  own  colonization  and  make  treaties. 


HISTORY  OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  11^ 

Maj.  Campbell  was  in  command  at  Fort  Miami,  and  when  he  saw  the  sava- 
ges being  cut  down  almost  mercilessly,  he  not  only  refrained  from  offering  aid, 
but  when,  in  their  desperate  retreat,  they  attempted  to  enter  the  fort  for  pro- 
tection, he  ordered  the  doors  closed  in  their  faces. 

On  the  following  day,  Campbell  sent  a  message  to  Wayne,  demanding  a 
reason  for  hostile  action,  adding  that  Great  Britain  was  not  now  at  war  with  the 
United  States.     He  received  a  characteristic  reply. 

During  the  Revolution,  Detroit  was  an  important  British  point,  and  the 
Maumee  was  its  outlet.  Therefore,  the  English  clung  tenaciously  to  this  posr 
session,  giving,  as  it  did,  the  advantage  of  the  great  fur  trade.  The  English 
Government  evidently  regretted  ceding  so  much  of  her  territory  in  the  West, 
and  were  searching  for  an  excuse  to  quarrel  and  attempt  to  regain  at  least  a  part 
of  what  they  had  lost.  Their  policy  was  to  sustain  the  bitter  hatred  between 
the  Indians  and  the  Americans. 

The  settlement  of  the  Maumee  Valley  had  been  rapid,  but  the  very  name 
was  an  agony  of  remembrance  of  frightful  massacres  and  atrocities.  Col. 
McKee,  the  British  Indian  agent,  and  his  assistant,  Capt.  Elliott,  were  from 
Pennsylvania,  but  being  Tories,  they  had  assimilated  with  the  Indians.  They 
joined  the  Shawnee  tribe  and  married  Indian  wives,  and  made  their  fortunes 
thereby,  through  British  appointments  to  secure  the  savage  interests.  The 
Indians  were  directly  served  by  McKee  and  Elliott,  Avith  ammunition  and  sup- 
plies, during  the  Wayne  conflict. 

Several  skirmishes  ensued,  but  severe  Aveather  approaching,  the  troops 
moved  for  quarters,  and  on  the  14th  day  of  September,  they  attacked  the  Miami 
villages,  captured  them  with  provisions  and  stores,  and  erected  a  fort,  leaving 
it  in  charge  of  Lieut.  Col.  Hamtramck.  With  cheers  and  rifle-shooting,  this  post 
was  named  Fort  Wayne.  The  main  army  marched  into  Greenville  and  Avent  into 
winter  quarters. 

Wayne  had  achieved  a  brilliant  victory,  but  his  success  did  not  overcome  his 
practical  reasoning,  and  he  was  unAvilling  to  subject  his  men  to  a  severe  Avinter's 
campaign  unless  necessity  was  peremptory. 

Gov.  Simcoe,  Col.  McKee  and  a  few  of  the  most  savage  Indian  chiefs 
attempted  to  rally  the  Indians  for  a  ncAv  attack.  Gov.  Simcoe,  of  Detroit,  was 
aAvare  that  the  mounted  volunteers  under  Wayne  had  been  allowed  to  return 
home,  and  that  the  term  of  service  of  a  portion  of  the  "  Legion  "  was  about  to 
expire. 

The  British  and  Indians  held  a  conference,  but  the  latter  were  weary  with 
fighting  for  the  glory  of  the  Great  Father  at  Detroit,  and  did  not  enter  into  the 
plan.  The  Avinter  proved  most  poverty  stricken  to  them,  the  English  failing  to 
supply  them,  and  their  crops  and  sustenance  having  been  destroyed  by  Wayne. 
They  Avere  then  fully  prepared  to  listen  to  the  faintest  signal  from  Wayne  ta 
conciliate  affairs,  and  the  Wyandots  and  DelaAvares  Avere  the  first  to  confer  Avith 
him  on  the  subject.      Their  position  was  exposed  and  they  had  suffered  severely. 


114  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

They  soon  influenced  other  tribes  to  consider  the  question.  As  a  mass,  they 
were  convinced  of  their  inability  to  overcome  the  Americans,  and  had  become 
impatient  and  disgusted  with  the  duplicity  of  their  British  friends,  who  had  not 
hesitated  to  sacrifice  them  in  every  instance,  and  who  deserted  them  in  their 
hour  of  distress.  United,  they  sued  for  peace.  Terms  were  made,  and  about 
the  1st  of  August,  the  famous  Greenville  treaty  was  ratified  and  established, 
and  the  old  Indian  war  in  Ohio  terminated. 

The  Wyandots,  Delawares,  Shawnees,  Chippewas,  Ottawas,  Pottawatomies, 
Miamis,  Eel  Rivers,  Weas,  Kickapoos,  Piankeshaws  and  Kaskaskias  were  thus 
conciliated.  The  old  Indian  boundary  line,  settled  upon  at  the  Fort  Mcintosh 
treaty,  was  retained,  and  the  southwestern  line  was  prolonged  from  old  Fort 
Recovery,  southwest  of  the  Ohio  River. 

"  The  general  boundary  lines  between  the  lands  of  the  United  States  and 
the  lands  of  the  said  Indian  tribes  shall  begin  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cuyahoga 
River,  and  thence  run  up  the  same  to  the  portage  between  that  and  the  Tus- 
carawas Branch  of  the  Muskingum ;  thence  down  that  branch  to  the  crossing- 
place  above  Fort  Laurens  ;  thence  westerly  to  a  fork  of  that  branch  of  the 
Great  Miami  River  (running  into  the  Ohio),  at  or  near  which  fork  stood  Lar- 
amie's store — Mary's  River,  which  is  a  branch  of  the  Miami  that  runs  into  Lake 
Erie  ;  thence  a  westerly  course  to  Fort  Recovery,  which  stands  on  a  branch  of 
the  Wabash  ;  thence  southwesterly  on  a  direct  line  to  the  Ohio,  so  as  to  inter- 
sect that  river  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky  or  Cuttawa  River." 

This  boundary  line  has,  ever  since  this  memorable  treaty,  been  a  prominent 
landmark,  and  may  now  be  traced  as  the  southern  boundary  line  of  Stark,  Ash- 
land, Richland  and  Marion  Counties,  and  the  northern  line,  in  part,  of  Tuscar- 
awas and  Knox.  Old  Fort  Recovery  was  located  in  Mercer,  near  the  Indiana 
line.     Laramie's  store  was  in  Shelby. 

Within  the  Indian  Reservation,  the  United  States  held  sixteen  distinct  sec- 
tions of  land,  for  the  purpose  of  military  posts,  so  arranged  that  the  Govern- 
ment had  full  right  of  way  north  and  west. 

The  "Joy  treaty  "  between  England  and  the  United  States  was  ratified  early 
in  1796,  and  the  British  were  obliged  to  vacate  Detroit  and  Fort  Miami,  and  recall 
the  fact  that  they  had  no  claim  or  right  to  either  points.  Gen.  Wayne  received 
them,  and  accompanied  by  Gov.  St.  Clair,  proceeded  to  Detroit.  Here  the  lat- 
ter laid  out  a  county,  calling  it  Wayne,  and  designated  Detroit  as  its  seat  of 
justice.  This  was  the  fifth  county  in  the  Northwest  Territory,  north  of  the 
Ohio  River.  Washington  County,  with  Marietta  as  a  seat  of  justice,  was  first 
established ;  next  Hamilton,  with  Cincinnati  as  a  county  seat.  Wayne  County 
was  organized  in  1796,  and  included  about  twenty-six  of  the  present  counties, 
in  the  northwest  part  of  the  State,  covering  about  a  quarter  of  its  area,  besides 
parts  of  Indiana  and  Michigan. 

In  other  parts  of  the  State,  the  population  was  rapidly  increasing.  In  May, 
1795,  the  Legislature  authorized  a  committee  to  institute  measures  for  the 


lUSTOUV    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  117 

disposal  of  their  Western  lands.  The  Virginia  and  Connecticut  Reservations 
required  some  action  on  the  part  of  Government,  inasmuch  as  ceding  a  portion 
and  re-selling  had  in  a  measure  disturbed  free  titles.  Fifty-six  persons  negoti- 
ated and  purchased  lands,  receiving  quit-claim  titles  and  entire  rights.  They 
re-sold  to  John  Morgan  and  John  Caldwell  and  Jonathan  Bruce,  in  trust.  Thus 
3,000,000  acres  were  prepared  for  settlement.  Upon  the  quit-claim  deeds  of 
these  representatives,  the  full  title  of  lands  included  within  the  old  Western 
Reserve  rests. 

Judge  Symmes  began  his  active  operations  in  1796,  and  by  the  close  of 
1797  all  lands  east  of  the  Cuyahoga  were  laid  out  in  townships,  five  miles  square. 
The  agent  of  the  Connecticut  Land  Company  was  Gen.  Moses  Cleveland,  and  in 
his  honor  the  leading  city  in  the  Reserve  was  named.  Some  townships  were 
retained  for  private  sale,  and  others  were  disposed  of  by  lottery,  in  1798. 

Wayne's  treaty  led  to  the  formation  of  Dayton,  and  the  peopling  of  that 
section.  A  difficulty  arose  regarding  the  original  Symmes  grant  and  its  modifi- 
cation. Symmes  had  sold  land  titles,  in  good  faith,  beyond  his  vested  power, 
and  Congress  was  now  called  upon  to  adjust  these  claims  and  titles.  Seventeen 
days  after  the  Wayne  or  Greenville  treaty,  St.  Clair,  Wilkinson,  Dayton  and 
Ludlow  contracted  with  Symmes  for  seven  and  eight  ranges,  between  the  Mad 
and  Little  Miami  Rivers.     November  4,  1795,  Mr.    Ludlow  laid  out  Dayton. 

During  the  years  1790  and  1795,  the  Governor  and  Supreme  Judges  of  the 
Northwest  Territory  had  published  sixty-four  statutes.  Thirty-four  of  these 
were  ratified  at  Cincinnati,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  complete  statutory.  It 
was  termed  the  "  Maxwell  Code." 

Mr.  Nathaniel  Massie  founded  a  town  on  the  Scioto,  which  was  called 
Chillicothe.  The  Iroquois  treaty  had  previously  invited  settlement,  and  embryo 
towns  had  begun  as  early  as  1769,  under  the  protection  of  the  Connecticut 
Company.  A  land  company  was  organized  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  in  1795,  sending 
out  forty-three  surveyors  to  divide  the  townships  of  that  part  of  the  Western 
Reserve,  east  of  the  Cuyahoga,  five  miles  square.  The  first  resident  of  the  town 
of  Cleveland  was  Mr.  Job  Stiles  and  family,  and  Mrs,  Stiles  was  the  mother  of 
the  first  white  child  born  on  the  Reserve.  Some  other  parts  of  the  territory 
progressed  more  rapidly  in  population. 

Along  the  Muskingum,  Scioto  and  Miami,  towns  began  to  spring  up,  which 
might  perhaps  better  be  termed  farming  settlements. 

Cincinnati  was  increasing,  and  in  1796,  had  reached  100  cabins,  15  frame 
houses  and  600  persons,  with  prospects  for  a  firm  future. 

The  Virginia  Military  Land  District  was  between  the  Little  Miami  and 
Scioto,  and  was  rapidly  increasing  in  population. 

Mr.  Massie  was  unceasing  in  his  efforts  to  advance  the  West,  and  laid  out 
Manchester,  offering  inducements  that  could  not  fail  to  attract  settlers. 

Ebenezer  Zane  procured  a  grant  in  consideration  of  opening  a  bridle  path 
from  the  Ohio  River  at  Wheeling,  over  the  country  via  Chillicothe,  to  Limestone, 


118  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

in  Kentucky.      The   year  following,  the  United  States  mail  was  taken  over 
this  route. 

The  comparatively  tranquil  condition  of  the  country  and  the  inducements  it 
had  to  offer  encouraged  a  rapid  settlement  of  the  Territory.  A  prominent 
feature  of  the  early  growth  of  Ohio  was  the  general  prevalence  of  reliable, 
stanch  principle.      The  people  were  of  the  good  colonial  stock. 

In  1800,  Chillicothe  was  denominated  the  seat  of  the  Territorial  govern- 
ment, and  the  first  stone  edifice  in  the  State  was  begun  in  this  town,  soon  after 
this  appointment.  About  this  time,  a  serious  difficulty  suddenly  occurred  to 
those  individuals  who  had  taken  lands  on  the  Western  Reserve  of  Connecticut. 
That  Eastern  power  had,  it  is  true,  ceded  a  part  of  her  claim  to  the  General 
Government,  and  had  stipulated  for  the  sale  of  certain  other  tracts.  At  the 
same  time,  the  State  had  not  signed  away  her  jurisdiction  over  some  sections  of 
her  claim,  and  those  unfortunate  people  in  and  about  Dayton  found  themselves 
without  any  government  upon  which  they  might  depend  in  a  case  of  emergency. 
The  matter  was,  accordingly,  presented  to  the  Territorial  government,  which 
interceded  with  the  Eastern  State,  and,  sanctioned  by  the  Assembly  at  Congress, 
Connecticut  relinquished  her  jurisdiction  in  1800. 

Cleveland  was  an  important  point,  and  was  growing  in  the  mean  time.  How- 
ever, it  had  suffered  exceedingly  from  the  ravages  of  fever  and  ague.  For  a 
period  of  two  months,  there  was  not  an  individual,  but  a  boy  thirteen  years 
of  age,  able  to  procure  food  for  the  others.  Flour  was  out  of  all  rational  con- 
sideration, and  the  meal  upon  which  they  lived  was  pounded  by  hand.  In 
1799,  Williams  and  Myatt  erected  a  grist-mill  at  the  falls,  near  Newbury. 

A  startling  agitation  occurred  in  1801,  which  in  these  days  would  cause  but  a 
ripple  in  the  political  sea,  but  happening  during  a  time  when  legislative  dignity 
and  state  authority  were  regarded  with  reverential  awe,  it  created  the  most 
intense  feeling.       Great  indignation  was  openly  expressed. 

The  Governor  and  several  legislators  felt  that  they  had  been  insulted  in 
the  performance  of  their  respective  duties,  at  Chillicothe,  while  the  Assembly 
was  in  session  in  1801.  No  measures  being  taken  by  the  authorities  at  the 
capital  to  protect  the  Executive,  a  law  was  passed  removing  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment to  Cincinnati. 

This  circumstance  led  to  a  general  consideration  of  the  advantages  of  a 
State  government,  and  a  popular  desire  was  expressed  for  a  change  in  this 
respect.  Gov.  St.  Clair  had  fallen  into  disfavor  through  his  failure  as  a  military 
leader  and  his  failures  in  the  Indian  campaigns,  and  from  his  assuming  powers 
which  were  not  vested  in  him,  especially  the  subdivision  of  counties.  He  was 
also  identified  with  the  Federal  party,  which  was  not  popular  in  Ohio.  The 
opposition  was  strong  in  the  Assembly,  but  was  in  the  minority  in  the  House  of 
Representatives.  The  boundary  question  was  agitated  at  the  same  time.  The 
intention  was  to  thus  effect  the  limits  of  Ohio  that  a,  State  government  would 
.  necessarily  have  to  be  postponed.     Against  this  measure,  Tiffin,  Worthington, 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  119 

Langham,  Darlington,  Massie,  Dunlavy  and  Morrow  strenuously  objected.  After 
considerable  discussion,  Thomas  Worthington  obtained  leave  of  absence  from 
the  session,  and  journeyed  to  Washington  in  behalf  of  a  State  government.  It 
was  obvious  that  the  Territory,  under  the  ordinance,  was  not  entitled  to  a 
change.  Massie  suggested  the  feasibility  of  appointing  a  committee  to  address 
Congress  on  the  subject.     This  the  House  refused  to  pass. 

An  effort  was  then  made  to  take  a  census,  but  any  action  on  this  subject 
was  postponed  until  the  next  session. 

During  all  this  ineffectual  struggle,  Worthington  was  doing  his  best  in  Wash- 
ington, and  succeeded  so  well  that  on  March  "l,  a  report  was  made  to  the  House 
in  favor  of  the  State  government.  This  report  was  made  on  a  basis  that  the 
census,  in  1800,  summed  up  over  45,000  for  Ohio. 

April  30,  C(5ngress  passed  a  law  carrying  into  effect  the  views  expressed  on 
this  subject.  A  convention  met  on  November  1.  Its  members  were  generally 
Jeffersonian  in  their  views.  Gov.  St.  Clair  proposed  to  address  them  as  their 
chief  executive  magistrate.  Several  members  resolutely  opposed  this  action, 
insisting  upon  a  vote,  which,  through  courtesy  and  not  a  sense  of  right,  resulted 
in  permitting  him  to  address  them.  He  advised  the  postponement  of  the  State 
government  until  the  original  eastern  portion  of  the  State  was  sufficiently  pop- 
ulated to  demand  this  right.  Only  one,  out  of  thirty-three,  voted  to  sustain 
the  Governor  in  these  views. 

The  convention  agreed  to  the  views  of  Congress.  November  29,  the  agree- 
ment was  ratified  and  signed,  as  was  the  constitution  of  the  State  of  Ohio. 
The  General  Assembly  was  ordered  to  convene  the  first  Tuesday  of  March,  1803. 

This  was  carried  into  effect.  A  constitution  was  framed  for  the  new  State, 
adhering  to  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  The  rights  and  duties  of  citizens  were 
plainly  set  forth,  and  general  business  was  transacted.  The  new  State  consti- 
tution was  signed  by  : 

Edward  Tiffin,  President  and  Representative  from  Ross  County. 

Adams  County — Joseph  Darlington,  Israel  Donalson,  Thomas  Vinker. 

Belmont  County — James  Caldwell  and  Elijah  Woods. 

Clermont  County — Philip  Gatch  and  James  Sargent. 

Fairfield  County — Henry  Abrams  and  Emanuel  Carpenter. 

Hamilton  County — John  W.  Brown,  Charles  Willing  Byrd,  Francis  Dun- 
lavy, William  Goforth,  John  Gitchel,  Jeremiah  Morrow,  John  Paul,  John  Riley, 
John  Smith  and  John  Wilson. 

Jefferson  County — Rudolph  Blair,  George  Humphry,  John  Milligan,  Nathan 
Updegraff  and  Bezaleel  Wells. 

Ross  County — Michael  Baldwin,  James  Grubb,  Nathaniel  Massie  and  F. 
Worthington. 

Washington  County — Ephraim  Cutler,  Benjamin  Ives  Gilman,  John  Mc- 
Intyre  and  Rufus  Putnam. 

Thomas  Scott,  Secretary. 


120  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

The  first  Legislature  of  the  State,  under  the  new  constitution,  created  eight 
new  counties,  viz.,  Gallia,  Scioto,  Franklin,  Columbiana,  Butler,  Warren, 
Greene  and  Montgomery. 

The  first  State  officers  were  :  Michael  Baldwin,  Speaker  of  the  House  ;  Na- 
thaniel Massie,  President  of  the  Senate ;  William  Creighton,  Secretary  of 
State  ;  Col.  Thomas  Gibson,  Auditor  ;  William  McFarland,  Treasurer  ;  Return 
J.  Meigs,  Jr.,  Samuel  Huntington  and  William  Sprigg,  Judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court ;  Francis  Dunlavy,  Willis  Silliman  and  Calvin  Pease,  Judges  of  the  Dist- 
rict Court. 

The  General  Assembly  held  a  second  session  in  December,  at  which  time 
the  militia  law  was  revised,  also  giving  aliens  equal  proprietary  rights  with  native 
citizens.  The  revenue  system  was  modified  and  improved.  Acts  authorizing 
the  incorporation  of  townships  were  passed,  and  for  the  establishment  of  coun- 
ties. Furthermore,  Jacob  White,  Jeremiah  Morrow  and  William  Ludlow  were 
authorized  to  locate  a  township  for  collegiate  purposes,  according  to  previous 
specified  terms  of  Congress.  The  Symmes  grant  and  the  college  specification 
collided  materially,  but  the  irregularity  of  the  former  was  not  to  create  any 
inconvenience  for  the  latter.  Mr.  Symmes  had  in  good  faith  marked  off  this 
township,  but  circumstances  preventing  the  perfection  of  his  plans,  that  lapsed 
with  the  others,  and  the  original  township  was  now  entered  by  settlers. 

Accordingly,  thirty-six  sections,  west  of  the  Great  Miami,  were  selected, 
and  are  now  held  by  the  Miami  University. 

Gov.  St.  Clair,  notwithstanding  his  unpopularity,  was  re-appointed. 

Ohio  was  under  a  system  of  government  which  guaranteed  the  best  improve- 
ments ;  her  Legislature  being  composed  of  her  best  statesmen,  and  the  laws 
passed  having  the  general  interest  of  the  people  embodied  in  them. 

A  bill  was  passed,  appropriating  the  net  proceeds  of  the  land  lying  within 
said  State,  sold  by  Congress  after  the  20th  day  of  June,  1(S02,  after  deducting 
all  expenses  incident  to  the  same,  to  be  applied  to  the  laying-out  of  roads, 
leading  from  the  navigable  waters  emptying  into  the  Atlantic  to  the  Ohio,  to 
the  said  State,  and  through  the  same  ;  such  roads  to  be  laid  out  under  the 
authority  of  Congress,  with  the  consent  of  the  several  States  through  which  the 
road  shall  pass.  In  conformity  with  these  provisions,  steps  were  taken,  in  1805, 
which  resulted  in  the  making  of  the  Cumberland  or  National  road. 

Burr,  at  this  time,  began  an  organization  for  the  ostensible  purpose  of 
making  a  settlement  on  the  Wachita,  but  his  party  being  armed  and  his  plans 
not  being  frankly  disclosed,  an  investigation  proved  that  his  real  design  was  a 
mutinous  revolt  against  Governmental  powers,  and  to  gratify  his  ambition  by 
founding  his  own  kingdom  in  Mexico,  and  defeating  the  Spanish.  If  success 
crowned  his  efforts,  his  ultimate  victory  Avas  to  rupture  the  Union  by  forcing  the 
Western  States  to  withdraw  from  their  allegiance.  By  gaining  an  influence 
over  the  noble  but  misguided  Blennerhasset,  he  established  his  headquarters  on 
his  island  in  the  Ohio.     The  history  of  Burr's  expedition  is  already  well  known. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  121 

The  final  capture  by  Gov.  Tiffin,  of  ten  boats  loaded  with  stores,  on  the  Mus- 
kinofum,  and  four  near  Marietta,  decided  the  fate  of  this  scheme,  and  Burr  was 
finally  arrested  and  put  on  trial  May  22,  1807. 

The  advancement  of  the  settlement  of  the  State  was  in  no  manner  impeded, 
and  towns  sprang  up,  farms  were  laid  out,  and  all  other  improvements  inaugu- 
rated which  tended  to  a  permanent  prosperity. 

In  1808,  Tecumseh  left  Greenville  to  join  the  Prophet  on  the  banks  of  the 
Tippecanoe,  a  tributary  of  the  Upper  Wabash,  on  a  tract  of  land  granted  herein 
by  the  Pottawatomies. 

The  Indians  were  virtually  by  treaty  allowed  but  a  small  proportion  of  land 
within  the  boundaries  of  the  State,  and  were  maintaining  peaceful  attitudes 
toward  the  whites,  with  exceptional  border  depredations,  which  were  settled  by 
mutual  understanding. 

Although  the  United  States  had  gained  independence,  and  was  treating  with 
England  as  with  other  foreign  powers,  the  British  persisted  in  violating  the 
national  rights  of  the  United  States,  impressing  American  seamen  into  the 
British  service,  seizing  American  vessels  engaged  with  France  in  trade,  and 
otherwise  violating  the  rights  of  an  independent  nation,  at  peace  with  the  Brit- 
ish power. 

The  mission  upon  Avhich  Henry  was  sent  by  the  British,  to  create  disturb- 
ance between  the  States,  and  thus  broken,  to  weaken  the  strength  of  the  Gen- 
eral Government,  added  fuel  to  the  fire,  and  united  indignation  cried  for  war. 

British  agents  again  bargained  with  the  Indians  of  the  Wabash  and  Maumee 
Valleys,  desiring  them  to  inaugurate  another  war  upon  the  western  sections  and 
to  make  a  desperate  attack  upon  the  settlements  south  of  the  lakes.  The  Brit- 
ish agent  at  Maiden  negotiated  in  rifles,  powder,  ball,  merchandise,  .lead,  blank- 
ets and  shirts.  The  Indians  were  inspired  again  with  the  hope  that  the  whites 
would  be  driven  back,  and  that  all  the  country  north  of  the  Ohio  would  again 
revert  to  them. 

The  Canadians  in  league  with  the  English,  gave  the  savages  unlimited 
quantities  of  whisky,  which  naturally  aroused  their  fierce  natures  to  acts  of 
violence  and  blood.  It  is  highly  probable  that  the  use  of  liquor  was  the  main 
cause  of  the  deterioration  of  the  best  traits  of  the  Indian  character,  after  the 
Revolution.  Again,  many  unscrupulous  men  upon  the  frontier  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  commit  the  most  merciless  crimes  against  the  Indians,  such  was  the 
prejudice  against  them,  and  the  courts  invariably  failed  to  indict  them  for  these 
atrocities.  This  error  on  the  part  of  the  Americans  served  to  influence  the 
savages  against  them. 

At  this  time,  the  seats  of  justice  were  distant  over  a  hundred  miles  each 
from  the  other,  uninhabited  tracts  frequently  extending  between  them  Avhich  were 
absolute  wildernesses.     The  routes  were  in  many  cases  difficult  and  circuitous. 

As  early  as  1808,  there  was  a  mail  communication  for  the  people  on  the 
Lower  Maumee,  many  days  elapsing  between  tlie  arrivals  and  departures  of 


122  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

the  same,  however.  Horace  Gunn  was  the  carrier.  Benoni  Adams  brought 
the  news  from  Cleveland  to  the  same  point,  his  trip  requiring  a  fortnight.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  this  journey  was  mostly  made  on  foot.  The  Black 
Swamp  could  not  be  traversed  in  any  other  manner. 

THE    AVAR    OF    1812. 

The  war  of  1812  can  be  called  a  continuation  of  the  Revolution,  with  all 
justice.  Although  rumors  had  reached  Ohio,  that  active  preparations  were 
being  made  for  general  action,  no  official  tidings  had  been  sent  to  Hull,  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  Western  forces. 

The  Secretary  of  War,  instead  of  sending  a  special  messenger  directly  to 
Hull,  communicated  with  the  post  adjacent,  depending  upon  a  continuation  of 
the  news  from  that  point.  At  the  same  time,  advices  were  sent  the  British 
post  at  Maiden  and  Detroit.  Hull  sent  out  a  packet  with  official  papers,  stores, 
etc.,  the  day  previous  to  that  on  which  the  official  intelligence  arrived  that  an 
open  rupture  existed  between  the  two  powers,  and  this  was  of  course  captured. 

The  Western  forces  marched  to  Detroit  and  crossed  over  to  Sandwich,  pre- 
paratory to  attacking  Maiden,  a  post  most  favorable  for  the  transportation  of 
stores,  troops,  etc.  which  Avas  therefore  considered  valuable. 

Peter  Minard  first  gave  the  news  to  the  settlers  of  the  Maumee.  He  had 
heard  from  a  Delaware  chief,  who  assured  him  a  general  massacre  was  to  take 
place  in  the  valley.  Maj.  Spalford  paid  no  heed  to  this  "idle  fear,"  until  a 
few  days  thereafter  a  messenger  came  to  his  quarters,  reporting  a  band  of  fifty 
Pottawatomies  on  the  march  to  join  the  hostile  tribes  near  Maiden.  They  had 
plundered  and  burned  Monclova,  and  had  nearly  reached  the  rapids. 

The  Major,  with  his  family  and  settlers,  immediately  launched  a  barge  on 
the  river  and  were  able  to  reach  old  Fort  INIiami  just  as  the  savages  reached 
Maumee  City.  They  could  plainly  witness  the  flames  that  devoured  their  old 
homes.  They  kept  on  their  way  in  their  miserable  craft,  until  they  reached 
Milan,  where  they  learned  that  the  entire  country  Avas  in  danger. 

Although  the  Indians  were  defeated  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  in  the  fall 
of  1811,  they  plotted  vigorously  with  the  English  for  the  iuA'asion  of  Ohio. 

Gen.  William  Hull  marched  from  the  southwestern  part  of  the  State 
directly  north,  crossing  the  counties  of  Champaign,  Logan,  Hardin,  Hancock 
and  Wood,  establishing  military  posts  along  the  route  and  cutting  a  way 
through  the  Avilderness  of  the  unsettled  portions.  He  crossed  the  Maumee  on 
the  1st  of  July,  and  marched  to  Detroit. 

Hull  was  evidently  actuated  in  his  succeeding  disgraceful  failures  by  tAvo 
fears — lack  of  confidence  in  the  ability  of  his  troops,  and  the  belief  that  they 
might  desert  him  in  action.  He  proclaimed  freedom,  and  a  necessity  of  sub- 
mitting to  the  Canadians  under  existing  circumstances.  He  held  out  induce- 
ments to  the  British  regulars  to  desert  their  cause  and  essayed  to  pacify  the 
savages,  but  he  accomplished  nothing  beyond  jeopardizing  the  American  cause 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  123 

and  disgracing  his  army.  His  men  became  restless.  Col.  Miller  and  Col. 
Cass  were  delighted  when  detailed  on  scouting  expeditions,  and  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  attack  advancing  squads  of  the  enemy.  At  last,  an  attack  was  made  on 
the  Niagara  frontier,  and  Hull  speedily  abandoned  his  project  and  collected  his 
forces  at  Detroit. 

Meantime,  Col.  Proctor  had  reached  Maiden,  and  quickly  perceiving  the 
advantage  of  a  post  at  that  point,  whereby  he  could  cut  off  supplies  and  starve 
Hull  into  subjection,  he  massed  his  forces  about  this  section,  captured  Van 
Horn  and  his  two  hundred  men,  and  withstood  the  attack  of  Miller,  although 
he  gained  nothing  by  so  doing.  Again  Hull  displayed  his  weakness  by  recall- 
ing his  forces  from  further  molestations. 

Gen.  Brock,  however,  reached  Maiden  on  the  13th  of  August,  1812,  and 
began  war  preparations. 

Gen.  Dearborn  placed  a  force  on  the  Niagara  frontier,  but  an  armistice  was 
made  with  the  British.  Hull  dispatched  a  third  party  under  McArthur,  to 
open  communications  to  the  Raisin  River. 

Gen.  Brock  appeared  at  Sandwich  and  began  to  erect  batteries,  which  Hull 
would  not  allow  to  be  molested.  The  result  was,  that  on  the  26th  of  August 
Detroit  was  surrendered  to  the  enemy,  and  not  a  blow  had  been  struck  in  its 
defense. 

By  this  dastardly  act,  1,400  brave  men  who  had  not  been  permitted  to 
make  a  single  effort  to  sustain  the  American  cause,  were  surrendered  to  300 
English  regulars,  400  Canadians  and  their  Indian  allies.  Gen.  Hull  was,  in 
consequence  of  this  series  of  "mistakes,"  accused  of  treason  and  cowardice, 
and  convicted  of  the  latter.  By  the  middle  of  August,  the  British  had  gained 
the  control  over  most  of  the  Northwestern  Territory. 

The  appointment  of  William  Henry  Harrison  to  the  position  of  com- 
mander in  chief  of  the  Western  forces,  was  most  opportune.  He  speedily 
raised  a  vigorous  army,  and  advanced  by  three  routes  to  the  foot  of  the  rapids. 

Gen.  Harrison  commanded  the  right  wing,  and  marched  by  the  way  of  Upper 
Sandusky,  where  he  located  his  depot  of  supplies.  Gen.  Tupper  commanded 
the  center,  Fort  McArthur,  in  Hardin  County,  being  his  base,  while  Gen.  Win- 
chester marched  from  Fort  Defiance  down  the  Maumee  to  the  foot  of  the  rapids. 

A  large  force  of  British  and  Indians  moved  up  the  left  bank  of  the  Mau- 
mee toward  Fort  Wayne,  and  Gen.  Harrison,  to  intercept  them,  marched  to 
the  confluence  of  the  Auorlaize  with  the  Maumee. 

Harrison  was  aware  that  the  enemy  would  be  also  hemmed  in  by  Win- 
chester. The  weather  was  rainy,  and  the  prospects  were  that  a  most  unfortun- 
ate season  was  to  follow  the  expected  engagements.  Harrison  heard  that 
Winchester  had  reached  Fort  Defiance,  and  that  the  Indians  and  British  were 
retreating  down  the  Maumee.  He  followed,  and  marched  to  Winchester's 
camp,  where  he  arrived  in  season  to  quell  a  mutiny  under  command  of  Col. 
Allen,  of  the  Kentucky  troops. 


224  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

In  January,  1813,  Winchester  had  reached  the  rapids,  where  he  received 
tidings  that  Frenchtown  was  menaced  and  exposed.  Without  orders,  he  sent  a 
party  to  the  rescue,  which  defeated  the  enemy.  The  weather  was  intensely 
cold,  and  the  company  lay  within  eighteen  miles  of  Maiden,  where  the  enemy 
was  collected  in  full  force,  consequently  re-enforcements  must  be  dispatched 
immediately  or  the  town  again  left  to  its  fate. 

Winchester  then  marched  with  a  force  of  259  men,  and  upon  arriving  at 
nightfall,  insisted  upon  remaining  on  open  ground,  although  warned  repeatedly 
that  this  would  be  a  most  dangerous  experiment. 

In  the  morning,  he  was  surprised  by  the  enemy,  massed  directly  before 
him,  with  a  battery  within  three  hundred  yards  of  his  camp,  and  a  shower  of 
bombs,  balls  and  grape-shot  falling  among  his  exposed  troops,  and  the  yells  of 
Indians  reminding  him  of  his  fatal  error.  Lewis,  who  led  the  party  out  in  the 
beginning  and  had  apprehended  the  danger,  bravely  defended  himself  behind 
garden  pickets.  Winchester  was  defeated  on  the  22d  of  January,  1813,  and 
the  Indians  were  permitted  to  massacre  the  prisoners  and  the  settlers. 

Harrison  fell  back  to  the  foot  of  the  rapids.  On  the  1st  of  February,  he 
began  the  construction  of  Fort  Meigs.  On  the  27th  of  April,  Proctor  and 
Tecumseh  attacked  this  fort,  and  laid  siege  with  the  full  expectation  of  success. 
The  stipulation  was  that  Gen.  Harrison  was  to  be  delivered  to  Tecumseh. 
While  the  balls  and  bombs  were  making  havoc  with  the  fort,  the  Indians  were 
climbing  trees  and  pouring  a  galling  fire  down  upon  the  troops.  Gen.  Proctor 
invited  Harrison  to  surrender,  which  was  politely  declined,  with  the  assurance 
that  the  British  General  would  have  the  opportunity  to  distinguish  himself  as  a 
soldier  before  such  a  proceeding  was  enacted, 

Gen.  Clay  was  descending  the  Maumee  with  1,200  Kentuckians  in  flat 
boats.  Orders  went  from  Harrison  that  800  men  should  land  on  the  left  bank, 
take  and  spike  the  British  cannon,  and  then  to  enter  the  fort,  from  which 
soldiers  were  to  issue  to  assist  the  re-enforcements. 

Capt.  Hamilton  was  to  pilot  Gen.  Clay  to  the  fort,  cutting  their  way 
through.  All  succeeded,  Col.  Dudley  taking  the  batteries  and  spiking  the 
cannon.  But  his  men,  too  much  elated  by  their  success,  against  orders,  and 
against  the  repeated  expostulations  of  Col.  Dudley,  insisted  on  pursuing  the 
Indians.  Col.  Dudley  would  not  desert  them.  This  act  proved  their  ruin. 
By  a  decoy,  they  were  led  into  a  defile  which  proved  an  ambush,  and  the  men 
found  themselves  surrounded  by  savages,  without  means  of  escape. 

A  most  frightful  massacre  began,  and  every  man  Avould  have  fallen  had  not 
Tecumseh  sternly  forbidden  the  cowardly  carnage.  One  of  his  principal  chiefs 
ignored  this  order,  and  the  next  instant  the  great  warrior  buried  his  hatchet  in 
his  head.     The  brave  Col.  Dudley  was,  however,  tomahawked  and  scalped. 

There  were  no  immediate  signs  that  the  fort  would  be  surrendered,  and  the 
siege  was  raised  on  the  9th  of  May.  It  was  renewed  on  the  20th  of  July,  and 
abandoned  a  few  days  later.    The  enemy  decided  this  stronghold  was  invulnerable. 


HISTORY  OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  125 

On  the  1st  of  August,  the  enemy  proceeded  to  Fort  Stevenson,  at  Lower 
Sandusky,  garrisoned  by  150  men  under  Maj.  Croghan.  The  fort  had  the 
use  of  but  one  piece  of  cannon.  The  enemy  with  Tecumseh's  Indians  num- 
bered 3,300  strong,  with  six  pieces  of  cannon. 

Gen.  Proctor  again  tendered  the  offer  to  surrender,  adding  that  a  refusal 
would  only  bring  about  a  useless  resistance,  and  a  massacre  by  the  Indians. 
The  reply  was,  that  before  the  fort  went  over  to  the  British,  not  an  American 
would  be  left  to  be  massacred,  as  they  should  hold  out  to  the  last  man.  Proc- 
tor opened  fire.  The  first  movement  was  an  assault  upon  the  northwest  angle 
of  the  fort,  as  if  to  make  a  breach  and  thus  carry  the  works.  The  command- 
ant strengthened  that  point  by  bags  of  sand,  and  during  the  night  stealthily 
placing  his  one  cannon  in  a  concealed  position,  he  filled  it  with  slugs. 

The  following  day,  the  fire  again  swept  the  northwest  corner,  and,  evening 
approaching,  a  column  of  850  men  swept  up  within  twenty  yards  of  the  walls. 
They  were  met  by  the  musketry,  Avhich  had  little  effect,  and  the  ditch  was  soon 
filled  with  men.  The  next  instant  the  hidden  cannon,  so  placed  as  to  sweep 
the  ditch,  suddenly  began  action,  and  the  surprised  assailants  quickly  recoiled, 
and  the  fort  was  saved,  with  the  loss  of  only  one  man. 

The  next  morning,  the  enemy  had  disappeared,  evidently  in  haste,  as  guns, 
clothing  and  stores  were  left  behind.  They  had  lost  over  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men  by  this  useless  attempt.  Croghan  had  previously  received  orders  to 
evacuate  the  fort  from  Gen.  Harrison,  and  his  determination  to  hold  the  position 
merited  Harrison's  reprimand  and  remand  of  commission.  Such  was  the  sev- 
erity of  military  law.  However,  the  rank  of  Colonel  was  immediately  conferred 
upon  him  by  the  President,  for  his  gallantry.  The  ladies  of  Chillicothe  pre- 
sented him  with  an  elegant  testimonial  in  the  shape  of  a  sword. 

It  was  decided  to  make  a  naval  warfare  effectual  in  the  recovery  of  the 
Northwestern  Territory,  and  accordingly  vessel-building  began  under  Commo- 
dore Perry's  supervision. 

The  British  looked  upon  this  proceeding  with  derision,  fully  intending  to 
use  these  boats  for  their  own  purpose.     They  publicly  proclaimed  their  intention. 

By  the  1st  of  August,  1813,  Commodore  Perry  set  sail  a  flotilla,  the  Law- 
rence and  the  Niagara,  of  twenty  guns  each,  with  smaller  vessels  following. 
Some  difiiculty  was  encountered  in  launching  the  larger  vessels,  on  account  of 
the  shallowness  of  the  water. 

Perry's  first  destination  was  Put-in-Bay,  thirty  miles  from  Maiden,  Avhere 
the  British  fleet  lay  under  the  guns  of  the  fort.  On  the  10th  of  September, 
the  British  fleet — exceeding  the  American  by  ten  guns — under  Commodore 
Barclay,  appeared  off  Put-in-Bay,  distant  about  ten  miles.  Perry  immediately 
set  sail.     The  wind  shifting,  the  Americans  had  the  advantage. 

Perry  hoisted  the  Union  Jack.  A  general  preparation  was  made  for  the 
conflict.  An  ominous  silence  settled  over  all  as  the  fleets  approached.  A 
bugle  sounded  on  the  enemy's  ship  Detroit,  and  a  furious  fire  was  opened  upon 


126  HISTORY   OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

the  Lawrence.  The  frightful  and  desperate  battle  that  ensued  is  so  familiar 
that  it  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  repeat  its  details.  It  forever  remains  in  his- 
tory as  a  prominent,  desperate  struggle  that  turned  the  tide  most  decisively  in 
favor  of  the  Americans.  Hand  to  hand,  for  three  hours,  this  furious  struggle 
surged,  resulting  in  a  pronounced  victory  for  the  Americans. 

Commodore  Perry  immediately  requested  parole  for  his  severely  wounded 
antagonist.  Commodore  Barclay.  Capt.  Elliott  was  at  this  engagement  highly 
commended  by  Perry  for  his  bravery. 

Gen.  Harrison  now  made  preparations  to  follow  Proctor,  and  reached  Mai- 
den on  the  27th  of  September. 

Proctor  had  retreated  to  Sandwich,  and  thence  Harrison  followed  him, 
overtaking  the  enemy  on  the  9th  of  October,  on  the  bank  of  the  Thames.  An 
engagement  ensued,  which  was  not  particularly  marked  in  its  events,  but  which 
practically  terminated  the  war  in  the  Northwest. 

Tecumseh  fell  during  this  battle,  and  his  death  disheartened  the  savages  to 
such  an  extent  that  they  were  willing  to  make  terms  of  peace.  Accordingly 
a  treaty  was  concluded  on  the  22d  of  July,  1814,  with  the  Wyandots,  Dela- 
wares,  Shawnees,  Senecas  and  Miamis,  the  tribes  engaged  in  hostilities. 

Again  Ohio  was  able  to  turn  her  attention  to  the  improvements  within  her 
own  boundaries.  Weary  and  disabled  though  she  was,  her  ambition  and 
energy  were  unimpaired.  The  struggle  had  been  severe,  but  a  grand  reward 
had  been  won,  and  peace  and  independence  belonged  to  these  sturdy,  earnest, 
pioneers. 

In  1815,  a  town  was  founded  near  Fort  Meigs,  and,  in  1816,  Gen.  John 
E.  Hunt  and  Judge  Robert  A.  Forsythe  located  at  Maumee. 

BANKING. 

Up  to  the  year  1817,  Ohio  had  no  banking  system,  and  on  the  28th  of 
January  of  that  year,  the  United  States  Bank  opened  a  branch  at  Cincinnati, 
and  yet  another  during  the  following  October  at  Chillicothe.  These  branches 
found  a  large  amount  of  business  to  transact,  and  while  being  of  assistance  in 
various  ways  to  the  State,  also  received  a  fine  revenue  themselves.  The  State 
therefore  resolved  upon  a  tax  levy,  and,  in  1819,  the  branches  were  to  pay 
$50,000  each,  and  the  State  Auditor  was  authorized  to  issue  his  warrant  for 
the  collection  of  the  same. 

The  bank  branches  demurred,  but  the  State  was  decided,  and  the  banks 
accordingly  filed  a  bill  in  chancery,  in  the  United  States  Circuit  Court,  setting 
forth  reasons  whereby  their  prayer  that  Ralph  Osborn,  State  Auditor,  should 
be  restrained  from  making  such  collection,  should  be  seriously  considered. 

Osborn  being  counseled  not  to  appear  on  the  day  designated  in  the  writ,  an 
injunction  was  obtained,  with  the  security  given  in  the  shape  of  bonds  from  the 
bank,  to  the  amount  of  $100,000.  On  the  14th  of  September,  the  bank  sent  a 
commissioner  to  Columbus,  who  served  upon  the  Auditor  a  copy  of  the  petition 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  127 

for  the  injunction,  and  a  subpoena  to  make  an  appearance  before  the  court 
on  the  first  Monday  in  the  following  January.  Osborn  submitted  both  the 
petition  and  the  injunction  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  with  his  warrant  for  col- 
lecting the  tax.     Legally,  the  matter  was  somewhat  complicated. 

The  Auditor  desired  the  Secretary  of  State  to  take  legal  advice,  and  if  the 
papers  did  not  actually  amount  to  an  injunction,  to  give  orders  for  the  execu- 
tion of  the  warrant. 

The  decision  was  that  the  papers  did  not  equal  a  valid  injunction.  The  State 
writ  for  collection  was  therefore  given  over  to  John  L,  Harper,  with  directions 
to  enter  the  banking-house  and  demand  the  payment  of  the  tax.  In  case  of  a 
refusal,  the  vault  was  to  be  entered  and  a  levy  made  upon  the  amount  required. 
No  violence  was  to  be  used,  and  if  force  was  used  to  deter  the  act,  the 
same  was  to  be  reported  to  a  proper  magistrate  and  an  affidavit  made  to  that 
fact. 

On  September  17,  Mr.  Harper  went  about  his  errand,  taking  with  him  T. 
Orr  and  J.  MacCollister.  After  securing  access  to  the  vault,  a  demand  was 
made  for  the  payment  of  the  tax.  This  was  promptly  refused,  and  a  notice 
given  of  the  granting  of  the  injunction.  This  was  disregarded,  and  the  officer 
seized  $98,000  in  gold,  silver  and  notes.  This  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
State  Treasurer,  Mr.  H.  M.  Curry. 

The  officers  were  arrested  and  imprisoned  by  the  United  States  Circuit 
Court,  and  the  money  returned  to  the  bank.  The  case  was  reviewed  by 
the  Supreme  Court,  and  the  measures  of  the  Circuit  Court  were  sustained.  The 
State,  therefore,  submitted.  In  the  mean  time,  the  Legislature  had  prepared 
and  passed  a  resolution,  as  follows : 

Resolved,  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  That  in  respect  to  the  powers  of  the 
Governments  of  the  several  States  that  compose  the  American  Union,  and  the  powers  of  the  Fed- 
eral Government,  this  General  Assembly  do  recognize  and  approve  the  doctrines  asserted  by  the 
Legislatures  of  Kentucky  and  Virginia  in  their  resolutions  of  November  and  December,  1798, 
and  .January,  1800,  and  do  consider  their  principles  have  been  recognized  and  adopted  by  a 
majority  of  the  American  people. 

Resolved  further,  That  this  General  Assembly  do  assert  and  will  maintain  by  all  legal  and 
constitutional  means,  the  rights  of  States  to  tax  the  business  and  property  of  any  private  corpo- 
ration of  trade,  incorporated  by  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  located  to  transact  its 
corporate  business  within  any  State. 

Resolved  further.  That  the  bank  of  the  United  States  is  a  private  corporation  of  trade,  the 
capital  and  business  of  which  may  be  legally  taxed  in  any  State  where  they  may  be  found. 

Resolved  further.  That  the  General  Assembly  do  protest  against  the  doctrines  that  the  politi- 
cal rights  of  the  separate  States  that  compose  the  American  Union  and  their  powers  as  sovereign 
States,  may  be  settled  and  determined  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  so  as  to  con- 
clude and  bind  them  in  cases  contrived  between  individuals,  and  where  they  are,  no  one  of  them, 
parties  direct. 

The  bank  was  thus  debarred  from  the  aid  of  State  laws  in  the  collection  of 
its  dues  and  in  the  protection  of  its  rights.  An  attempt  was  made  to  effect  a 
change  in  the  Federal  constitution,  which  would  take  the  case  out  of  the 
United  States  Qourts.     This,  however,  proved  ineffectual. 


128  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

The  banking  system  in  Ohio  has,  by  reason  of  State  surveillance,  not  been 
subjected  to  those  whirlwind  speculations  and  questionable  failures  which  have 
marked  many  Western  States,  in  the  establishment  of  a  firm  basis  upon  which 
a  banking  law  could  be  sustained,  with  mutual  benefit  to  the  institution  and  the 
people. 

THE    CANAL    SYSTEM. 

In  the  first  part  of  1817,  the  Legislature  considered  a  resolution  relating 
to  a  canal  between  Lake  Erie  and  the  Ohio  River.  No  action  was  taken  and 
the  subject  was  not  again  agitated  until  1819.  Gov.  Brown  appointed  three 
commissioners  in  1820,  for  the  purpose  of  employing  an  efiicient  engineer  and 
such  assistants  as  he  deemed  necessary,  for  the  purpose  of  surveying  a  practical 
route  for  this  canal.  The  commissioners  were  restricted  in  their  actions  until 
Congress  should  accept  a  proposition  in  behalf  of  the  State,  for  a  donation  and 
sale  of  the  public  lands  lying  upon  and  near  the  route  of  the  proposed  canal. 
A  delay  Avas  thus  occasioned  for  two  years. 

In  1822,  the  matter  was  referred  to  a  committee  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives. This  committee  approved  and  recommended  the  employment  of  the 
engineer.  They  furthermore  added  illustrations  to  prove  the  feasibility  of  the 
project. 

James  Geddes,  a  skillful  engineer  of  New  York,  was  in  due  time  appointed 
to  the  position  and  instructed  to  make  the  necessary  examinations  and  sur- 
veys. 

The  surveys  were  made,  and  estimates  given  of  the  expenses,  which  docu- 
ments were  laid  before  the  Legislature  at  several  sessions. 

In  1825,  an  act  was  passed  providing  for  the  internal  improvement  of  the 
State  by  navigable  canals.  Directly  thereafter,  the  State  set  vigorously  about 
the  work  of  constructing  two  canals,  one  leading  from  the  Ohio  to  Lake  Erie, 
by  way  of  the  valleys  of  the  Scioto  and  Muskingum,  the  other  from  Cincinnati 
to  Dayton. 

The  first  canal-boat  from  Cincinnati  to  Dayton,  reached  her  destination  in 
1829,  on  the  25th  of  January.  This  outlet  of  communication  was  extended 
to  Lake  Erie,  and  was  completed  in  1845.  The  largest  artificial  lake  now 
known  is  on  the  elevation  between  the  Ohio  and  the  lake,  in  Mercer  County, 
and  supplies  the  St.  Mary's  feeder  of  the  Miami  Canal,  about  three  miles  dis- 
tant, eastwardly.  This  reservoir  is  about  nine  miles  long,  and  from  two  to 
four  broad. 

Two  walls  of  earth,  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  high,  were  formed,  on  the  east 
and  west,  which  united  with  the  elevations  north  and  south,  surrounded  this 
basin.  When  the  water  was  admitted,  whole  farms  were  submerged,  and  the 
"neighbors"  complained  lest  this  overflow  should  tempt  miasma.  So  great 
was  the  excitement,  that  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  residents  of  the  county 
united,  and  with  shovels  and  spades,  made  a  breach  in  the  embankment. 
Many  holding  prominent  positions  in  the  county  were  engaged  in  this  work, 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  129 

and  all  laid  themselves  liable  to  the  State  laws,  which  made  the  despoiling  of 
public  works  a  penitentiary  offense. 

The  matter  was  taken  up  by  the  courts,  but  a  grand  jury  could  not  be 
found  in  Mercer  County  to  find  a  bill  of  indictment. 

The  officers  who  had  charge  of  the  work,  ignored  the  law  requiring  the  cut- 
ing  and  saving  of  the  timber  on  lands  appropriated,  for  canal  reservoirs.  The 
trees  were  ruthlessly  girdled,  and  thousands  of  acres  of  valuable  timber  that 
might  have  been  highly  desirable  in  the  building  of  bridges,  etc.,  were 
destroyed.  However,  an  adjustment  was  finally  effected,  and  the  work  was 
prosecuted  with  the  entire  approbation  of  the  people,  who  were  convinced  that 
convenient  transportation  was  to  be  desired. 

OHIO    LAND    TRACTS. 

A  fter  the  Indians  relinquished  all  claims  against  the  lands  of  those  States 
west  of  the  Alleghanies,  as  they  had  been  obtained  by  conquest,  the  United 
States,  as  a  government,  owned  the  soil.  When  Ohio  vfas  admitted  into  the 
Union,  a  stipulation  was  made  that  the  fee  simple  to  all  the  lands  within  its 
boundaries,  with  the  exception  of  those  previously  sold  or  granted,  should  vest 
in  the  General  Government.  At  the  present  writing,  but  few  tracts  remain 
that  can  be  called  "  public  lands."  In  this,  as  in  other  States,  tracts  are  des- 
ignated by  their  pioneer  signification  or  the  purpose  to  which  they  were  origi- 
nally devoted.     In  Ohio,  these  tracts  are  known  as  : 


1. 

Congress  Lands. 

8. 

Symmes'  Purchase. 

15. 

Maumee  Road. 

2 

United  States  Military. 

9. 

Refugee  Tract, 

16. 

School  Lands. 

3 

Virginia  Military. 

10. 

French  Grant. 

17. 

College  Lands. 

4. 

Western  Reserve. 

11. 

Dohrman's  Grant. 

18. 

Ministerial  Lands. 

5. 

Fire  Lands. 

12. 

Zane's  Grant. 

19. 

Moravian  Lands. 

6. 

Ohio  Company's  Purchase. 

13. 

Canal  Lands. 

20. 

Salt  Sections. 

7. 

Donation  Tract. 

14. 

Turnpike  Lands. 

The  lands  sold  by  the  direct  officers  of  the  Government,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Congress,  according  to  the  laws,  are  known  as  Congress  lands.  They 
are  properly  surveyed,  and  laid  out  in  townships  six  miles  square,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Government,  and  the  expense  incurred  settled  by  Congress. 
These  townships  are  subdivided  into  sections,  containing  640  acres.  One  sec- 
tion is  reserved,  in  every  township,  for  educational  purposes,  to  b^  utilized  in 
any  manner  approved  by  the  State  as  being  the  best  to  aid  the  cause  for  which 
they  arc  assigned. 

The  Western  Reserve  will  be  remembered  as  the  tract  originally  belonging  to 
Connecticut.  It  lies  in  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  State.  A  half-million  acres 
were  donated  by  the  old  Eastern  State,  when  her  claim  was  in  force,  to  sufferers 
from  fire  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  which  created  the  name,  "  fire  lands." 
Many  settled  here  whose  homes  were  destroyed  by  the  British  during  the  war. 

It  will  be  remembered,  that  on  account  of  discoveries  by  subjects  of  empires, 
in  the  New  World,  the  "  Old  World  "  kings  laid  claim  to  different  portions 


130  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

of  the  young  continent.  At  that  period,  European  knowledge  of  American 
geographical  positions  and  limits  was  exceedingly  meager,  which  occasioned 
several  wars  and  more  discussions.  These  Old-World  sovereigns  also  assumed 
the  authority  to  sell  or  present  tracts  of  land  to  their  subjects,  in  those  terri- 
tories they  deemed  their  own. 

King  Charles  II  of  England  granted  to  his  loyal  subjects  the  colony  of 
Connecticut,  in  1662,  placing  with  them  a  charter  of  right  to  all  lands  within 
certain  prescribed  boundaries.  But  these  "  boundaries  "  frequently  conflicted 
with  those  of  others,  and  sometimes  extended  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  or  "  South 
Sea,"  as  it  was  then  termed.  Connecticut,  by  her  original  charter  rights,  held 
all  lands  between  the  forty-first  and  forty-second  parallels  of  north  latitude,  and 
from  Providence  Plantation  on  the  east,  to  Pacific  Ocean  on  the  west,  except- 
ing the  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  colonies.  As  late  as  the  establishment  of 
the  United  States  as  an  independent  government,  those  colliding  claims  fre- 
quently engendered  confusion  and  warm  discussion  between  the  nation  and 
Connecticut,  regarding  the  original  colony  claim.  This  was  compromised  by 
the  national  claims  being  relinquished  in  regard  to  the  territorial  claim  in  Ohio, 
and  Connecticut  holding  the  3,800,000  acres  described  as  the  "  Western  Reser- 
vation."    The  Government  held  the  right  of  jurisdiction. 

In  1796,  Congress  set  aside  a  certain  division  of  land,  to  satisfy  the  claims 
of  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  It  includes  the  2,500,000 
acres  between  the  Greenville  treaty  line  and  the  Congress  and  refugee  lands, 
and  "VII  ranges  of  townships,"  on  the  east,  and  the  Scioto  River,  west.  This 
constitutes  the  "  Military  Tract."  The  "  Virginia  Military  Tract  "  lies  between 
the  Scioto  and  Little  Miami  Rivers,  and  extends  south  to  the  Ohio. 

James  I,  in  his  authorized  charter  to  the  Virginia  colony,  in  the  year 
1609,  made  rather  visionary  boundary  lines,  sw^eeping  over  the  continent,  west 
of  the  Ohio  River,  "  of  the  north  and  south  breadth  of  Virginia."  Virginia 
reconciled  the  matter  by  relinquishing  all  her  claims  northwest  of  the  Ohio 
River,  with  the  exception  of  a  tract  for  the  purpose  of  donating  the  same  to  her 
troops  of  the  Revolution — their  claims  demanding  such  a  return  in  some  section. 
Unfortunately,  this  tract  was  not  regularly  surveyed,  and  conflicting  "  lines  " 
have  given  rise  to  litigation  ever  since  that  stipulation  was  made. 

The  Ohio  Company's  Purchase  has  already  been  described — as  has  the 
Symmes  Purchase. 

The  Refugee  Tract  covers  an  area  of  100,000  acres,  extending  eastwardly 
from  the  Scioto  River  forty-eight  miles,  in  a  strip  of  country  four  and  one-half 
miles  broad,  north  to  south.  Columbus,  the  capital  of  the  State,  is  situated  in 
the  western  portion.  This  land  was  donated  by  Congress  to  those  individuals 
who  left  the  British  dominions  and  rule,  during  the  Revolution,  and  espoused 
the  American  cause. 

The  French  Tract  borders  on  the  Ohio  River,  in  the  southeastern  quarter 
of  Scioto  County.     It  includes  24,000  acres,  and   was  ceded  to  those  French 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  131 

families  tliat  lost  their  claims  at  Gallipolis,  through  invalid  titles  ;  1,200  acres 
were  added,  after  the  above  grant  of  1795. 

Dohrman's  Grant  includes  a  section,  six  miles  square,  in  the  southeastern 
portion  of  Tuscarawas  County.  It  was  granted  to  Arnold  Henry  Dohrman,  a 
Portuguese  merchant,  as  a  token  of  appreciation  of  the  aid  and  shelter  he  ren- 
dered American  cruisers  and  vessels  of  war,  during  the  Revolution, 

The  Moravian  Lands  were  originally  grants  by  the  old  Continental  Con- 
gress, in  1787,  and  confirmed  by  the  act  of  the  Government  Congress,  in  1796, 
to  the  Moravian  Brethren,  of  Bethlehem,  Penn.,  in  sacred  trust,  and  for  the 
use  of  those  Indians  who  embraced  Christianity  and  civilization,  desiring  to  live 
and  settle  thereon.  These  three  tracts  include  4,000  acres  each,  and  are  situ- 
ated in  Tuscarawas  County.  In  18"23,  the  Indians  relinquished  their  rights  to 
the  12,000  acres  in  this  county,  for  24,000  acres,  in  a  territory  designated  by 
the  United  States,  together  with  an  annuity  of  |400. 

Zane's  Tracts  included  a  portion  of  land  on  the  Muskingum,  whereon  Zanes- 
ville  was  built ;  another  at  the  crossing  of  the  Hocking,  on  which  Lancaster  is 
located  ;  and  yet  another  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Scioto  River,  opposite  Chilli- 
cothe.  These  grants  were  made  to  Ebenezer  Zane,  by  Congress,  in  1796, 'as  a 
reward  for  opening  a  road  from  Wheeling,  Va.,  to  Maysville,  Ky.  In  1802, 
Mr.  Zane  received  three  additional  tracts,  one  square  mile  each,  in  considera- 
tion of  being  captured  and  held  a  prisoner,  during  the  Revolutionary  war, 
when  a  boy,  by  the  Indians.  He  lived  with  these  people  most  of  his  life,  secur- 
ing many  benefits  for  the  Americans.  These  tracts  are  located  in  Champaign 
County. 

The  Maumee  Road  Lands  extend  the  length  of  the  road,  from  the  Maumee 
River,  at  Perrysburg,  to  the  western  limits  of  the  Western  Reserve,  a  distance 
of  forty-six  miles — in  a  strip  two  miles  wide.  This  includes  about  60,000 
acres.  These  lands  were  ceded  by  the  Indians,  at  the  treaty  of  Brownstown,  in 
1808.  The  original  intention  of  Congress  was  to  mark  a  highway  through  this 
strip,  but  no  definite  action  was  taken  until  1823,  when  the  land  was  ceded  to 
the  State  of  Ohio,  under  an  obligation  that  the  State  make  and  sustain  the  pro- 
jected road,  within  four  years  after  the  transfer. 

The  Turnpike  Lands  extended  over  31,360  acres  along  the  western  side  of 
the  Columbus  &  Sandusky  Turnpike,  in  the  eastern  parts  of  Seneca,  Craw- 
ford and  Marion  Counties.  They  were  designed  for  the  transportation  of  mail 
stages,  troops  and  other  United  States  property,  free  from  toll.  The  grant  was 
made  in  1827. 

"  The  Ohio  Canal  Lands  "  comprise  about  1,000,000  acres,  set  aside  for  the 
purpose  of  canal  construction. 

When  Ohio  was  admitted  to  the  LTnion,  a  guarantee  was  given  that  the  State 
should  not  tax  Government  lands  until  they  should  have  been  sold  for  five  years. 
That  the  thirty-sixth  part  of  all  territory^  within  the  State  limits  should  be  de- 
voted to  educational  purposes,  for  the  general   benefit  of  the  population.     In 


132  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

order  to  secure  tracts  which  wouki  prove  available,  and  thus  insure  returns, 
they  were  selected  in  small  lots.  No.  16  was  designated  as  the  sectional  portion, 
in  each  township  of  Congress  lands,  the  Ohio  Company's  and  Symmes  Pur- 
chases, the  United  States  Military  Lands,  the  Connecticut  Reserve,  and  a  num- 
ber of  quarter  townships.  These  school  lands  were  selected  by  the  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury. 

The  college  townshij^s  are  thirty-six  miles  square.  A  section,  thirty-six 
miles  square,  in  the  center  of  Jackson  County,  in  the  vicinity  and  containing 
the  Scioto  Salt  Licks,  was  also  reserved  by  Congress,  together  with  a  quarter- 
mile  township  in  Delaware  County.  This  swept  over  27,040  acres.  In  1824, 
Congress  authorized  the  State  to  sell  these  lands.  The  proceeds  were  to  be 
devoted  to  literary  requirements,  such  as  might  be  specified  by  Congress. 

IMPROVEMENTS. 

We  have  heretofore  briefly  alluded  to  the  canal  system  of  Ohio,  which  in 
the  beginning  caused  considerable  anxiety  to  settlers  directly  in  the  course  of 
its  survey.  The  Legislature  passed  the  "  Internal  Improvement  by  Navigable 
Canals  "  act,  in  1825,  and  the  work  was  immediately  inaugurated  and  hastened. 
The  "  Ohio  Canal '"  extends  from  the  lake  to  the  Ohio,  and  the  "  Miami  "  con- 
nects Cincinnati  Avith  Dayton.  The  latter  was  completed  to  Toledo  in  1844,  a 
length  of  493  miles.  Its  total  cost,  including  reservoir  cutting  and  feeders^  was 
17,500,000.     The  Ohio  Canal  was  finished  in  1833. 

During  the  construction  of  these  canals,  the  curiosities  which  have  attracted 
antiquarians  and  scientists,  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  were  found  in  various  places. 
Relics  were  discovered  that  must  have  belonged  to  a  giant  race.  Nearly  3,000 
graves  were  found,  of  the  "  mound  type." 

A  third  canal  was  begun  in  1836,  reaching  from  Walhonding,  in  Coshocton 
County,  to  Roscoe,  its  length  being  twenty-five  miles,  involving  an  expense  of 
1610,000.  This  Avas  completed  in  1842.  The  Hocking  Canal,  between  Car- 
roll, in  Fairfield  County,  and  Athens,  in  Athens  County,  a  distance  of  fifty- 
six  miles,  was  also  cut,  about  the  same  time,  at  a  cost  of  nearly  SI, 000, 000. 

The  Muskingum  improvements  were  also  being  carried  forward.  Locks  and 
dams  were  requisite  for  the  perfection  of  navigation  in  this  water-course,  from 
Dresden  to  Marietta,  a  distance  of  ninety-one  miles.  This  added  an  expense 
of  $1,630,000  to  the  call  for  improvement  appropriations.  To  the  Miami  Canal 
Avas  added  a  feeder,  known  as  the  Warren  County  Canal — extending  from 
Franklin  to  Lebanon,  which  was  not  completed,  although  over  $250,000  were 
expended  in  its  construction  as  far  as  it  Avent. 

Raihvay  transportation  Avas  a  subject  Avhich  engrossed  the  attention  of  those  in- 
terested in  State  perpetuity  and  general  prosperity.  About  the  year  1831,  the  Leg- 
islature received  applications  for  railway  charters.  The  first  one  granted  was  the 
"  Cincinnati,  Sandusky  &  Cle\'eland  Railroad,"  on  June  5, 1832.  The  "  Sandusky, 
Mansfield  &  Newark  Railroad  "  obtained  a  charter  in  1836,  March  11,  followed, 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  135 

three  days  thereafter,  by  the  "■  Cleveland,  Columbus  k  Cincinnati  Railroad." 
The  "  Little  Miami  "  was  begun  in  1837.  NotAvithstanding  these  chartered 
rights,  but  129  miles  were  completed  in  1847,  and  in  operation.  In  1878, 
the  mileage  had  increased  to  6,264.  The  valuation  of  the  operating  roads 
was  estimated  the  same  year,  at  $76,113,500.  Their  taxation  summed  up 
$1,128,116. 

No  State  in  the  Union  has  been  more  zealous  in  her  educational  interests  than 
Ohio.  Public  lands  were  generously  granted  by  Congress,  and  the  State  added 
her  affirmation.  However,  no  practical  and  effectual  system  was  adopted  until 
1825. 

An  act  was  then  passed  to  tax  all  real  property  one-half  mill  per  dollar  for 
the  establishment  of  schools  in  each  township,  and  the  support  of  the  same. 
An  act  of  1829,  increased  the  tax  to  three-fourths  of  a  mill.  Trustees  of 
townships  were  instructed  to  make  divisions  and  locate  convenient  school  dis- 
tricts. Householders  were  to  elect  three  school  directors,  a  clerk  and  treasui-er 
annually.  Privileges  and  restrictions  were  enjoined  in  all  cases.  The  house- 
holders were  allowed  their  discretion,  governed  accordingly,  in  imposing  taxes 
for  the  erection  of  school  buildings.  The  Courts  of  the  Common  Pleas 
appointed  a  committee  to  examine  the  qualifications  of  those  individuals  mak- 
ing application  for  the  position  of  teachers.  The  school  extended  equal  privi- 
leges to  all  white  children.  Those  of  colored  parentage  were  excluded,  and  no 
tax  was  levied  for  school  purposes  upon  colored  parents.  An  amendment  has 
admitted  the  children  of  colored  parents.  The  system  has  continued  the  same, 
with  a  few  amendments.  A  State  Commissioner  of  Common  Schools  is  elected 
every  third  year,  who  has  general  charge  of  the  interests  of  public  schools.  A 
State  Board  of  Examiners,  composed  of  three  persons,  appointed  by  the  State 
Commissioner,  for  two  years'  term,  is  authorized  to  issue  life  certificates  of  high* 
qualifications,  to  such  teachers  as  it  may  find  to  possess  the  requisite  scholarship, 
character,  experience  and  ability.  These  certificates,  signed  by  the  Commis- 
sioner, are  valid  throughout  the  State.  A  County  Board  of  Examiners,  of 
three  members,  is  formed  in  each  county.  Boards  of  education,  for  cities,  are 
made  up  of  one  or  two  members  from  each  ward.  City  Boards  of  Examiners 
are  also  appointed.  Section  4  of  the  law  of  1873,  was  amended  in  1877,  which 
made  the  territory  annexed  to  an  incorporated  village,  at  the  option  of  the 
voters  of  the  village  and  tributary  section,  whether  it  be  included  with  the  vil- 
lage as  one  school  district,  or  left  as  two  school  districts.  Section  56  of  the  law  was 
amended,  in  its  bearing  upon  cities  of  30,000  to  75,000  inhabitants,  by  limiting 
to  five  mills  on  the  dollar  of  taxable  property,  the  levies  in  such  cities  for  con- 
tinuing schools,  for  purchasing  sites  for  schoolhouses,  for  leasing,  purchasing, 
erecting  and  furnishing  school  houses,  and  for  all  school  expenses.  The  public 
funds  are  subject  to  the  discretion  of  voters,  and  boards  are  authorized,  under 
instructions,  to  make  the  best  use  of  such  funds.  Taxation  is  subject  to  the 
discretion  of  the  State,  certain  limits  being  prescribed. 


136  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

In  1878,  the  number  of  youth  of  the  school  age  numbered  1,041,963. 
On  the  rolls,  740,194  names  were  recorded.  In  the  year  1878,  23,391  teach- 
ers were  employed,  receiving  $4,956,514.46  for  their  services. 

Ohio  not  only  sustains  her  public  schools  on  a  broad,  liberal  basis,  but  she 
encourages  educational  pursuits  in  superior  universities  and  colleges  throughout 
the  State.  These  institutions  are  not  aided  by  State  funds,  but  are  sustained  by 
society  influence,  added  to  their  self-supporting  resources.  Ohio  also  possesses 
a  large  number  of  normal  schools,  academies,  seminaries  and  business  colleges. 
These  are  not  entitled  to  the  privileges  of  the  school  fund.  Scientific,  profes- 
sional, theological,  legal  and  medical  instructions  are  in  no  manner  limited  in 
their  facilities.  Industrial  and  reformatory  schools  are  especially  thorough. 
Institutions  for  the  instruction  of  the  deaf  and  dumb,  and  blind,  and  feeble- 
minded, are  under  the  best  discipline. 

We  may  add,  many  female  seminaries  have  been  established  which  are  entirely 
sustained  by  other  than  State  aid.  Ohio  has,  from  its  inception,  been  solid  and 
vigorous  in  whatever  tended  toward  improvement  and  enlightenment. 

We  have  also  referred  to  the  banking  system  of  this  State,  as  being  first 
established  on  a  basis  through  a  contest  between  the  State  and  the  General 
Government.  Authorities  diifer  regarding  the  exact  date  and  location  of  the 
very  first  house  established  in  the  State  for  the  purpose  of  transacting  banking 
business.  It  is  highly  probable  that  Marietta  is  more  directly  associated  Avith 
that  event  than  any  other  town.  There  are  at  present  over  one  hundred  and 
sixty-seven  national  banks,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of  |27, 794,468.  It  also 
has  eighteen  banks  of  deposit,  incorporated  under  the  State  banking  laws  of 
1845,  representing  an  aggregate  capital  of  $539,904.  Twenty-three  savings 
banks,  incorporated  under  the  State  act  of  1875,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of 
$1,277,500.  Of  private  banks  it  has  192,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of 
$5,663,898.  The  State  represents  in  her  banking  capital  over  $36,275,770. 
The  First  National  of  Cincinnati  has  a  capital  stock  of  over  $1,000,000. 
The  others  fall  below  that  sum,  their  capital  diminishing  from  10,000  sliares  of 
$100  each.  The  valuation  for  taxation  is  $850,000 — Merchant's  National  of 
Cincinnati — to  the  valuation  of  a  tax  of  $5,000  on  the  First  National  of 
Beverly. 

BOUNDARY    LINES. 

We  must  not  omit  the  subject  of  the  State  boundaries.  Ohio  was  especially 
the  field  for  most  animated  discussions,  relative  not  only  to  State  limits  but 
county  lines  and  township  rights.  In  1817,  a  severe  controversy  arose,  which 
was  settled  only  after  violent  demonstrations  and  Government  interference. 

In  primitive  times,  the  geographical  position,  extent  and  surface  diversities 
were  but  meagerly  comprehended.  In  truth,  it  may  be  asserted  they  could  not 
have  been  more  at  variance  Avitli  actual  facts  had  they  been  laid  out  "  hap- 
hazard." The  ordinance  of  1787  represented  Lake  Michigan  far  north  of  its 
real  position,  and  even  as  late  as  1812,  its   size   and  location  bid  not  been 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  137 

definitely  ascertained.  During  that  year,  Amos  Spafibrd  addressed  a  clear,  com- 
prehensive letter  to  the  Governor  of  Ohio,  on  this  subject,  relative  to  the 
boundary  lines  of  Ohio.  Several  lines  of  survey  were  laid  out  as  the  first 
course,  but  either  Michigan  or  Ohio  expressed  disapproval  in  every  case.  This 
culminated  in  1835,  when  the  party  beginning  a  "permanent"  survey  began 
at  the  northwest  corner  of  the  State,  and  was  attacked  by  a  force  of  Michigan 
settlers  who  sent  them  away  badly  routed  and  beaten.  No  effort  was  made  to 
return  to  the  work  until  the  State  and  various  parties  had  weighed  the  subject, 
and  finally  the  interposition  of  the  Government  became  necessary. 

A  settlement  resulted  in  Ohio  being  bounded  on  the  north  by  Lake  Erie 
and  the  State  of  Michigan,  on  the  east  by  Pennsylvania  and  West  Virginia,  on 
the  south  by  the  Ohio  River,  and  on  the  west  by  Indiana. 

It  is  situated  between  the  38°  25'  and  42°  north  latitude,  and  84°  50' 
west  longitude  from  Greenwich,  or  3°  30'  and  7°  50'  west  from  Washington. 
From  north  to  south,  it  extends  over  210  miles,  and  from  east  to  west  220 
miles — comprising  39,964  square  miles. 

The  State  is  generally  higher  than  the  Ohio  River.  In  the  southern 
counties,  the  surface  is  greatly  diversified  by  the  inequalities  produced  by  the 
excavating  power  of  the  Ohio  River  and  its  tributaries.  The  greater  portion 
of  the  State  was  originally  covered  with  timber,  although  in  the  central  and 
northwestern  sections  some  prairies  were  found.  The  crest  or  watershed 
between  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie  and  those  of  the  Ohio  is  less  elevated  than 
in  New  York  or  Pennsylvania.  Sailing  upon  the  Ohio  the  country  appears 
to  be  mountainous,  bluffs  rising  to  the  height  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  six 
hundred  feet  above  the  valleys.  Ascending  the  tributaries  of  the  Ohio,  these 
precipitous  hills  gradually  lessen  until  they  are  resolved  into  gentle  undulations, 
and  toward  the  sources  of  the  river  the  land  is  low  and  marshy. 

Although  Ohio  has  no  inland  lakes  of  importance,  she  possesses  a  favorable 
river  system,  which,  aided  by  her  canals,  gives  her  prestige  of  a  convenient 
Avater  transportation.  The  lake  on  her  northern  boundary,  and  the  Ohio 
River  on  her  southern  limit,  afford  most  convenient  outlets  by  water  to  impor- 
tant points.  Her  means  of  communication  and  transportation  are  superior  in 
every  respect,  and  are  constantly  being  increased. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  COUNTIES  AND  EARLY  EVENTS. 

Adams  County  was  named  in  honor  of  John  Adams,  second  President  of 
the  L^nited  States.  Gov.  St.  Clair  proclaimed  it  a  county  on  July  10,  1797. 
The  Virginia  Military  Tract  included  this  section,  and  the  first  settlement  made 
within  its  boundaries  was  in  this  county  in  1790-91,  between  the  Scioto  and  Little 
Miami,  at  Manchester,  by  Gen.  Nathaniel  Massie.  In  this  town  Avas  held  the 
first  court  of  the  county. 

West  Union,  the  present  county  seat,  was  laid  out  by  the  Hon.  Thomas 
Kirker.     It  occupies  the  summit  of  a  high  ridge.     The  surface  of  this  county  is 


138  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

hilly  and  broken,  and  the  eastern  part  is  not  fertile.  It  produces  corn,  wheat,  oats 
and  pork.  Beds  of  iron  are  found  in  the  eastern  part.  Its  hills  are  composed  of 
aluminous  shale.  The  barren  hills  afford  a  range  for  cattle  and  hogs.  A  sort 
of  vagrant  class  derive  a  support  by  collecting  stones,  hoop-poles  and  tanners" 
barks  from  these  hills. 

Ashland  County  is  one  of  the  finest  agricultural  sections.  It  was  formed 
February  26,  1846.  Wheat  comprises  its  principal  crop,  although  large  quan- 
tities of  oats,  corn,  potatoes,  grass  and  fruit  are  raised.  Ashland  is  its  county 
seat,  and  was  laid  out  by  William  Montgomery  in  1816.  It  was  called  Union- 
town  for  several  years.  Daniel  Carter  raised  the  first  cabin  within  the  county 
limits  in  1811. 

Auglaize  County  was  formed  in  February,  1848,  from  Allen  and  Mercer 
Counties.     Wapakoneta  is  its  county  seat. 

Allen  County  was  formed  from  the  Indian  Territory  April  1,  1820.  Lima 
is  its  county  seat. 

Ashtabula  County  was  formed  June  7,  1807,  and  was  organized  January 
22,  1811.  The  surface  is  level  near  the  lake,  while  the  remainder  is  undulat- 
ing. The  soil  is  mostly  clay.  Very  little  wheat  is  raised,  but  considerable 
corn  and  oats.  Butter  and  cheese  are  the  main  marketable  productions.  This 
was  the  first  county  settled  on  the  Western  Reserve,  and  also  the  earliest  in 
Northern  Ohio.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1706,  the  first  surveying  party  arrived 
at  the  mouth  of  Conneaut  Creek.  Judge  James  Kingsbury  was  the  first  who 
wintered  there  with  his  family.  He  was  the  first  man  to  use  a  sickle  in  the 
first  wheat-field  in  the  Western  Reserve.  Their  child  was  the  first  born  on  the 
Western  Reserve,  and  was  starved  to  death.  The  first  regular  settlement  was 
at  Harpersfield,  in  1798. 

Jefferson  is  the  county  seat.  Ashtabula  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  river, 
with  a  fine  harbor  two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  village. 

The  first  church  on  the  Western  Reserve  was  founded  at  Austinburg  in 
1801. 

Athens  County  was  formed  from  Washington  INIarch  1,  1805.  It  produces 
wheat,  corn,  oats  and  tobacco.  The  surface  is  hilly  and  broken,  with  rich  bot- 
tom lands  between.  Coal,  iron  ore  and  salt  add  materially  to  its  commercial 
value.  It  has  the  advantage  of  the  canal,  as  well  as  other  transportation. 
Athens,  its  county  seat,  is  situated  on  the  Hocking  River.  The  Ohio  Uni- 
versity, the  first  college  founded  in  the  State,  is  located  here.  We  have 
mentioned  the  ancient  mounds  found  in  this  county,  heretofore.  Yellow  pine  is 
abundant  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Hocking  Valley. 

Brown  County  was  formed  March  1,  1818,  from  Adams  and  Clermont.  It 
produces  wheat,  corn,  rye,  oats  and  pork.  The  southern  part  is  prolific  in 
grain,  while  the  northern  is  adapted  to  grazing  purposes.  The  surface  is  undu- 
lating, with  the  exception  of  the  Ohio  River  hills.  Over  this  county  Tecumseb 
once  held  sway 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  139 

Georgetown  is  the  county  seat,  and  was  laid  out  in  1819.  Ripley  is  the  larg- 
est business  town  in  the  county. 

Belmont  County  was  announced  by  Gov.  St.  Clair  September  7,  1801.  It 
produces  large  crops  of  wheat,  oats,  corn  and  tobacco,  an  annual  crop  of  over 
2,000,000  pounds  of  the  latter  being  the  average.  It  also  trades  largely  in 
wool  and  coal.  It  is  a  picturesque  tract  of  country,  and  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  the  early  settled  portions. 

In  1790,  Fort  Dillie  was  erected  on  the  west  side  of  the  Ohio.  Baker's 
Fort  was  a  mile  below  the  mouth  of  the  Captina.  Many  desperate  Indian  bat- 
tles were  fought  within  the  limits  of  this  county,  and  the  famous  Indian  scout, 
Lewis  Wetzel,  roamed  over  the  region. 

St.  Clairsville  is  the  county  seat,  situated  on  the  elevation  of  land,  in  a  fer- 
tile district.  Capt.  Kirkwood  and  Elizabeth  Zane,  of  historic  fame,  were  early 
pioneers  here. 

Butler  County  was  formed  in  1803,  from  Hamilton.  It  is  within  the  blue 
limestone  formation,  and  one  of  the  most  fertile  sections  of  Ohio.  It  produces 
more  corn  than  any  other  county  in  the  State,  besides  fine  crops  of  wheat, 
oats  and  large  quantities  of  pork.  Hamilton,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  on  the 
Great  Miami.  Its  hydraulic  works  furnish  superior  water-power.  Rossville, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Miami,  is  a  large  mercantile  town. 

St.  Clair  passed  through  this  county  on  his  Indian  campaigns  in  1791, 
building  Fort  Hamilton  on  the  Miami. 

Champaign  County  was  formed  March  1,  1805,  from  Greene  and  Franklin. 
It  is  drained  by  Mad  River  and  its  tributaries,  which  furnishes  extensive  mill 
privileges.  Nearly  a  half  is  undulating,  a  quarter  rolling,  a  fifth  hilly,  and 
5  per  cent  wet  prairie.  The  soil  is  fertile,  and  produces  wheat,  corn,  oats, 
barley,  hay,  while  beef  and  wool  add  to  the  general  wealth.  Urbana,  the 
county  seat,  was  laid  out  in  1805,  by  Col.  William  Ward.  He  was  chief  owner 
of  the  land  and  donated  many  lots  to  the  county,  under  condition  that  their 
proceeds  be  devoted  to  public  improvements.  Joseph  Vance  and  George 
Fithian  were  the  first  settlers.  The  Methodists  built  the  first  church  in  1807. 
The  main  army  of  Hull  concentrated  at  this  point  before  setting  out  for  Detroit. 
Many  Indian  councils  were  called  here,  and  Tecumseh  was  located  for  a  time 
near  Deer  Creek. 

Carroll  County  was  formed  from  Columbiana  in  1832—33.  It  produces 
wheat,  oats  and  corn,  and  valuable  coal  and  iron.  The  surface  is  hilly.  Car- 
rollton  is  its  county  seat.     At  Harlem  is  a  celebrated  chalybeate  spring. 

Clark  County  was  formed  March  1,  1817,  from  Champaign,  Madison  and 
Greene.  Its  second  settlement  was  at  Kreb's  Station,  in  1796.  It  is  highly  culti- 
vated, well  watered  and  very  fertile.  The  Mad  River,  Buck  and  Beaver  Creeks 
furnish  abundant  water-power.      It  produces  principally  wheat,  corn  and  oats. 

Tecumseh,  the  old  Indian  warrior,  was  born  at  the  ancient  Indian  vil- 
lage of  Piqua,  on  the  Mad  River,  on  the  site  of  New  Boston.     Piqua  was 


140  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

destroyed  by  Gen.  George  Rogers  Clarke.  Skeletons,  beads,  gun  barrels, 
tomahawks,  kettles,  etc.,  have  been  found  in  the  vicinity. 

Springfield,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  on  the  National  road.  It  has  con- 
venient transportation  facilities,  is  handsomely  laid  out,  and  is  noted  for  its 
cultured  citizens.     It  is  near   Mad   River,  and  Buck    Creek  runs   through   it. 

Clinton  County  was  formed  in  1810.  It  produces  chiefly  wheat,  oats, 
wool  and  pork.  Its  surface  is  undulating,  in  some  parts  hilly,  and  the  soil  fer- 
tile. Its  streams  furnish  desirable  water-power.  The  county  was  settled  in 
1798-99.  Wilmington  is  the  county  seat,  and  was  laid  out  in  1810.  The  first 
log  house  was  built  by  William  Hobsin. 

Clermont  County  was  the  eighth  formed  in  the  Northwest  Territory,  by 
proclamation  of  Gov.  St.  Clair,  December  9,  1800.  The  soil  is  exceedingly 
rich,  and  the  surface  is  broken  and,  near  the  Ohio,  hilly.  Wheat,  corn,  oats, 
hay,  potatoes,  tobacco,  barley,  buckwheat  and  rye  form  the  main  crops,  while 
beef,  pork,  flour,  hay  and  whisky  constitute  its  main  exports.  Its  streams 
furnish  good  water-power.  Batavia,  its  county  seat,  is  situated  on  the  Little 
Miami  River,  and  was  laid  out  in  1820,  by  George  Ely. 

Columbiana  County  was  formed  March  25,  1803,  from  Jefferson  and  Wash- 
ington. Its  soil  is  very  fertile,  producing  wheat,  corn,  oats  and  potatoes.  It 
is  wealthy  in  mineral  deposits,  coal,  iron  ore,  lime  and  freestone  being  abun- 
dant. Its  Avater-lime  stone  is  of  superior  (juality.  Salt  water  is  found  on  Yel- 
loAv  and  Beaver  Creeks.  This  is  also  the  great  wool-producing  county  of 
the  State.  It  was  settled  in  1797.  New  Lisbon,  its  county  seat,  is  well 
built. 

The  first  paper-mill  in  Ohio  was  erected  in  this  county,  on  Little  Beaver 
Creek,  by  John  Coulter  and  John  Bever. 

Coshocton  County  was  organized  April  1,  1811.  Its  principal  products  are 
wheat,  corn,  oats  and  wool.  Hills  and  valleys  alternate  along  the  Muskingum 
River.  Abrupt  changes  are  strongly  marked — a  rich  alluvum  being  overhung 
by  a  red  bush  hill,  while  directly  beside  it  may  be  seen  the  poplar  and  sugar 
tree.  Coal  and  iron  ore  add  to  its  general  importance,  while  salt  wells  have 
proven  remunerative. 

Coshocton,  the  county  seat,  is  built  on  four  wide,  natural  terraces,  at  the 
junction  of  the  Tuscarawas  with  the  Walhonding. 

Cuyahoga  County  w^as  formed  June  7,  1807,  from  Geauga.  Near  the  lake, 
the  soil  is  sandy,  while  a  clayey  loam  may  be  found  elsewhere.  The  valleys 
near  the  streams  produce  wheat,  barley  and  hay.  Fruit  is  successfully  grown. 
and  cheese,  butter,  beef  and  wool  are  largely  exported.  Bog  iron  is  found  in 
the  western  part,  and  fine  grindstone  quarries  are  in  operation.  The  sandstone 
from  these  quarries  is  now  an  important  article  of  commerce.  As  early  as 
1775,  there  was  a  French  settlement  within  the  boundaries  of  Cuyahoga.  In 
1786,  a  Moravian  missionary  came  to  the  present  site  of  Cleveland,  and  set- 
tled in   an    abandoned  village    of  the    Ottawas.      Circumstances  prevented  a 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  141 

permanent  settlement,  and  the  British  tacitly  took  possession,  even  remaining 
upon  the  lake  shores  after  the  Revolution. 

The  first  permanent  settlement  was  made  at  Cleveland  in  1796.  Mr.  Job 
V.  Stiles  and  flimily  and  Edward  Paine  passed  the  first  winter  there,  their  log 
cabin  standing  where  the  Commercial  Bank  is  now  located.  Rodolphus 
Edwards  and  Nathaniel  Doane  settled  here.  The  town  was,  in  1813,  a  depot 
of  supplies  and  a  rendezvous  for  troops  engaged  in  the  war. 

Cleveland,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  at  the  northern  termination  of  the 
Ohio  Canal,  on  the  lake  shore.  In  1814,  it  was  incorporated  as  a  village,  and 
in  1836,  as  city.  Its  elevation  is  about  a  hundred  feet  above  the  lake.  It 
is  a  lovely  city,  and  has  one  of  the  best  harbors  on  Lake  Erie. 

Ohio  City  is  another  important  town,  nearly  opposite  Cleveland,  on  the 
Cuyahoga.     It  was  incorporated  in  1836. 

Crawford  County  was  formed  April  1,  1820,  from  the  old  Indian  territory. 
The  entire  county  is  adapted  to  grazing.  The  soil  is  generally  composed  of 
rich  vegetable  loam,  and  in  some  parts  the  subsoil  is  clay  mixed  with  lime. 
Rich  beds  of  shell  marl  have  been  discovered.  It  produces  wheat,  corn,  oats, 
clover,  timothy  seed,  wool  and  cattle.  Fine  limestone  quarries  are  worked  with 
success. 

Bucyrus  is  the  county  seat,  and  was  laid  out  February  11,  1822,  by  Samuel 
Norton  and  James  Kilbourn,  original  owners  of  the  land.  The  first  settler  in 
the  town  proper  was  Samuel  Norton.  A  gas  well  has  been  dug  in  Bucyrus, 
on  the  land  of  R.  W.  Musgrove,  which  burns  in  a  brilliant  light  when  con- 
ducted to  the  surface  by  means  of  pipes.  Crawford's  Sulphur  Springs  are 
located  nine  miles  from  Bucyrus.  The  water  is  impregnated  with  sulphuretted 
hydrogen.  It  deposits  a  reddish-purple  sediment.  In  its  nature  the  water  is  a 
cathartic,  and  is  diuretic  and  diaphoretic  in  its  effects.  A  few  rods  away  is  a 
burning  spring.  The  Annapolis  Sulphur  Spring  is  clear  and  has  gained  consid- 
erable fame  by  its  curative  qualities.  Opposite  Bucyrus  is  a  chalybeate  spring 
of  tonic  qualities. 

There  are  some  beds  of  peat  in  the  county,  the  most  extensive  one  being  a 
wet  prairie  called  Cranberry  Marsh,  containing  nearly  2,000  acres. 

Darke  County  was  organized  in  March,  1817,  from  Miami  County.  It  is 
abundantly  timbered  with  poplar,  walnut,  blue  ash,  hickory,  beech  and  sugar 
maple.  It  yields  superior  wheat,  and  is  well  adapted  to  grazing.  In  this 
county  occurred  the  lamentable  defeat  of  St.  Clair,  and  the  treaty  of  Greenville. 

Greenville  is  the  county  seat,  and  was  laid  out  August  10,  1808,  by  Robert 
Gray  and  John  Dover  In  December,  1793,  Wayne  built  Fort  Greenville  on 
this  spot,  which  covered  about  the  same  extent  as  the  present  town.   . 

Delaware  County  was  formed  February  10,  1808,  from  Franklin.  It  pro- 
duces mainly  wheat,  corn,  oats,  pork  and  wool. 

Delaware  is  the  county  seat,  and  was  laid  out  in  the  spring  of  1808,  by 
Moses  Byxbe.     The  Delaware  Spring  in  the  village  is  of  the  white  sulphur  or 


142  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

cold  hydro-sulphurous  nature,  valuable  for  medicinal  qualities  in  cases  of  bilious 
derangements,  dyspepsia,  scrofulous  affections,  etc. 

Defiance  County  was  inaugurated  March  4,  1845,  from  Williams,  Henry 
and  Paulding.  The  Maumee,  Tiffin  and  Auglaize  flow  through  it.  The  Black 
Swamp  covers  much  of  its  area. 

Defiance,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  on  the  Maumee.  It  was  laid  out  in 
1822,  by  B.  Level  and  H.  Phillips.  A  large  Indian  settlement  occupied  its 
gite  in  very  early  times.  Wayne  arrived  here  August  8,  1794,  captured  the 
place,  finding  about  one  thousand  acres  of  corn,  peach  and  apple  orchards,  and 
vegetables  of  all  varieties.     Here  he  built  Fort  Defiance. 

Erie  County  w^as  formed  in  1838,  from  Huron  and  Sandusky.  The  soil  is 
alluvial,  and  yields  large  crops  of  wheat,  corn,  oats  and  potatoes.  It  possesses 
inexhaustable  quarries  of  limestone  and  freestone.  Immense  quantities  of  bog 
iron  are  also  found.  The  Erie  tribe  is  said  to  have  once  occupied  the  land,  and 
were  extirpated  by  the  Iroquois.  As  early  as  1754,  the  French  had  built  set- 
tlements. In  1764,  the  county  was  besieged.  Pontiac  came  here  with  warlike 
demonstrations,  but  made  peace  with  the  whites.  Erie  was  included  in  the 
"fire  lands"  of  the  Western  Reserve. 

Sandusky  City  is  the  county  seat,  and  was  laid  out  in  1817,  then  termed 
Portland.  At  that  time  it  contained  two  log  huts.  The  town  is  finely  situated,, 
and  is  based  upon  an  inexhaustible  quarry  of  the  finest  limestone.  In  the 
"patriot  war"  with  the  Canadians,  this  city  was  the  rendezvous  for  the 
"patriots." 

Franklin  County  was  formed  April  30,  1803,  from  Ross.  It  contains 
much  low  wet  land,  and  is  better  adapted  to  grazing  than  agricultural  purposes. 
It  was  in  early  times  occupied  by  the  Wyandot  Indians.  Its  first  white  set- 
tlement was  made  in  1797,  by  Robert  Armstrong  and  others.  Franklinton 
was  laid  out  in  1797,  by  Lucas  Sullivan.  Worthington  was  settled  by  the 
Scioto  Company  in  1801.  Col.  Kilbourn,  who  was  interested  in  the  work, 
constructed  the  first  map  of  Ohio  during  his  explorations,  by  uniting  sectional 
diagrams. 

Columbus,  the  capital  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  is  also  the  county  seat  of 
Franklin  County.  After  the  organization  of  a  State  government,  the  capital 
was  "portable"  until  1816.  In  1810,  the  sessions  were  held  at  Chillicothe, 
in  1811  and  1812  at  Zanesville,  removing  again  to  Chillicothe,  and,  in  1816, 
being  located  at  Columbus.  The  town  was  laid  out  during  the  spring  of  1812. 
A  penitentiary  was  erected  in  1813,  and  the  State  House  was  built  in  1814. 
It  was  incorporated  as  "the  borough  of  Columbus,"  February  10,  1816.  The 
city  charter  was  granted  March  3,  1834. 

It  is  beautifully  located  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Scioto.  The  Columbus 
Institute  is  a  classical  institution.  A  female  and  a  theological  seminary  also 
add  to  its  educational  advantages.  The  Ohio  Lunatic  Asylum  is  also  located 
here — also  the  Ohio  Institution  for  the  Education  of  the  Blind.     East  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  143 

State  House  is  the  Ohio  Institution  for  the  Education  of  the  Deaf  and 
Dumb. 

Fairfield  County  was  formed  by  proclamation  of  Gov.  St.  Clair,  December 
9,  1800. 

The  soil  is  varied,  being  in  some  parts  exceedingly  rich,  and  in  others  very 
sterile.  It  produces  principally  wheat,  corn,  rye,  oats,  buckwheat,  barley, 
potatoes  and  tobacco. 

Lancaster  is  the  county  seat,  laid  out  by  Ebenezer  Zane  in  1800.  In  1797, 
he  opened  the  road  known  as  "Zane's  Trace,"  from  Wheeling  to  Limestone — 
now  Maysville.  It  passed  through  Lancaster,  at  a  fording  about  three  hundred 
yards  below  the  present  turnpike  bridge.  Near  the  turn  stands  an  imposing 
eminance  called  "  Standing  Stone."    Parties  of  pleasure  frequently  visit  this  spot. 

Fayette  County  was  formed  from  Ross  and  Highland  in  1810.  Wheat, 
corn,  cattle,  hogs,  sheep  and  wool  comprise  its  main  productions.  "  The  bar- 
rens" are  situated  in  the  northeastern  part.  This  tract  is  covered  by  a  growth 
of  grass. 

Washington  is  its  county  seat,  laid  out  in  1810. 

Col.  Stewart  was  active  in  the  interests  of  this  section,  and  his  memory  is 
sacredly  revered.     Jesse  Milliken  was  prominent  in  public  affairs. 

Fulton  County,  bordering  on  Michigan,  was  organized  in  1850.  It  is 
drained  by  Bean  Creek  and  other  small  affluents  of  the  Maumee  River.  The 
surface  is  nearly  level,  and  a  large  part  of  it  is  covered  with  forests  of  ash, 
beech,  elm,  hickory,  white  oak,  black  walnut,  etc.,  furnishing  excellent  timber. 
The  soil  is  fertile.  Wheat,  corn,  oats  and  hay  are  the  staple  products.  Wau- 
seon  is  the  county  seat. 

Guernsey  County  was  organized  in  March,  1810.  Wool  is  a  staple  prod- 
uct, together  with  beef,  horses  and  swine.     It  produces  wheat,  corn  and  oats. 

Cambridge  is  the  county  seat  and  was  laid  out  in  June,  1806.  Mr. 
Graham  was  the  first  settler  on  the  site  of  the  town,  and  his  was  the  only 
dwelling  between  Lancaster  and  Wheeling. 

The  first  cannel  coal  found  in  the  county  was  discovered  near  Mill's  Creek. 

Greene  County  was  formed  May  1,  1803,  from  Hamilton  and  Ross.  It 
produces  wheat,  corn,  rye,  grass-seed,  oats,  barley,  sheep  and  swine.  The 
streams  furnish  good  water-power.  There  are  five  limestone  quarries,  and  a 
marble  quarry  of  variegated  colors.  The  Shawnee  town  was  on  the  Little 
Miami,  and  was  visited  by  Capt.  Thomas  Bullit  in  1773.  When  Daniel  Boone 
was  captured  in  1778,  he  was  brought  to  this  town,  and  escaped  the  following 
year.     Gen.  Clarke  invaded  this  county  and  the  Indians  reduced  the  town  to  ashes. 

Xenia,  the  county  seat,  was  laid  off  in  the  forest  in  1803,  by  Joseph  C. 
Vance.  The  first  cabin  was  erected  in  April,  1804,  by  John  Marshall.  The 
.Rev.  James  Fowler  built  the  first  hewed-log  cabin.  David  A.  Sanders  built 
the  first  frame  house.  Nine  miles  north  of  the  town,  on  the  Little  Miami 
River,  are  the  Yellow  Springs,  which  are  impregnated  with  sulphur. 


144  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

Geauga  County  was  formed  in  1805  from  Trumbull.  It  exports  sheep, 
cattle,  butter  and  cheese.  It  is  situated  at  the  liead  of  Chargrine,  Cuyahoga  and 
a  part  of  Grand  Rivers,  on  high  ground,  and  is  subjected  to  snowstorms  more 
frequently  than  any  other  part  of  the  Reserve.  Its  first  settlement  was  made 
in  1798,  at  Burton.  Chardon  is  fourteen  miles  from  Lake  Erie,  and  is  GOO 
feet  above  it.     It  was  laid  out  as  the  county  seat  in  1808. 

Gallia  County  was  formed  April  30,  1803,  from  Washington.  Its  princi- 
pal crops  are  wheat,  corn,  oats  and  beans.  The  surface  is  generally  broken. 
Its  first  settlement  was  made  in  1791,  by  a  French  colony,  at  Gallipolis.  This 
colony  was  sent  out  under  the  auspices  of  the  Scioto  Company.  This  town  is 
now  the  county  seat. 

Hamilton  County  was  the  second  established  in  the  Northwestern  Territory 
by  proclamation  of  Gov.  St.  Clair,  January  2,  1790.  Its  surface  is  gen- 
erally rolling.  It  produces  the  ordinary  farm  products,  and  a  great  variety 
of  fruits  and  vegetables  for  the  Cincinnati  market.  Vineyards  thrive  well 
within  its  limits,  and  the  manufacture  of  wine  is  carried  on  to  a  considerable 
extent. 

This  county  was  the  second  settled  in  Ohio,  and  the  first  within  the  Symmes 
purchase.  Settlers  arrived  at  the  spot  now  occupied  by  Cincinnati,  and  three 
or  four  log  cabins  were  erected.  Gen.  Arthur  St.  Clair  arrived  here  in  Janu- 
ary, 1790.  The  army  of  Wayne  encamped  here  later,  at  Fort  Washington. 
Mr.  Maxwell  established  in  1793  the  Sentinel  of  the  Northwestern  Territory, 
the  first  newspaper  printed  north  of  the  Ohio  River.  In  1796,  Edward  Free- 
man became  its  proprietor,  and  changed  the  name  to  Freeman's  Journal. 
January  11,  1794,  two  keel-boats  sailed  from  Cincinnati  to  Pittsburgh,  making 
regular  trips  every  four  weeks.  In  1801,  the  first  sea  vessel  built  at  Mari- 
etta came  down  the  Ohio. 

Cincinnati,  the  county  seat,  was  incorporated  January  2,  1802.  It  was  char- 
tered as  a  city  in  1819.  The  city  is  beautifully  laid  out  and  delightfully  situ- 
ated. Its  public  buildings  are  elegant  and  substantial,  including  the  court 
house  and  many  literary  and  charitable  institutions. 

The  Cincinnati  College  was  founded  in  1819.  It  stands  in  the  center  of 
the  city.  It  is  built  in  Grecian-Doric  style,  with  pilaster  fronts  and  facade  of 
Dayton  marble.     Woodward  College  is  also  popular. 

The  Catholics  have  founded  the  St.  Xavier's  College.  Lane  Seminary,  a 
theological  institution,  is  at  Walnut  Hills,  two  miles  from  the  center  of  the  city. 
It  has  over  10,000  volumes  in  its  libraries.  No  charge  is  made  for  tuition. 
Rooms  are  provided  and  furnished  at  $5  per  year,  and  board  ranges  from  62J 
cents  to  90  cents  a  week.  The  Cincinnati  Law  School  is  connected  with  Cin- 
cinnati College.  The  Mechanics'  Institute  was  chartered  in  1828,  and  is  in  all 
respects  well  supplied  with  apparatus.  A  college  for  teachers  was  established  in 
1831,  its  object  being  to  perfect  those  contemplating  entering  that  profession  in 
their  studies  and  system. 


I 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  145 

The  Cincinnati  Orphan  As^^lum  is  an  elegant  building,  and  has  a  library 
and  well-organized  school  attached.  The  Catholics  of  the  city  have  one  male 
and  female  orphan  asylum.  The  Commercial  Hospital  and  Lunatic  Asylum  of 
Ohio  was  incorporated  in  1821. 

Cincinnati  is  a  large  manufacturing  city,  and  possesses  fine  water-power 
facilities.  It  communicates  with  the  world  by  means  of  its  canal,  river,  turnpikes, 
and  railways.  North  Bend  is  another  prominent  town  in  this  county,  havin^ 
been  the  residence  of  Gen.  William  H.  Harrison,  and  the  site  of  his  burial 
place.  The  town  was  of  considerable  importance  in  the  early  settlement  of  the 
State.  About  thirty  yards  from  Harrison's  tomb  is  the  grave  of  Judge 
Symmes. 

Hancock  County  was  formed  April  1,  1820.  It  produces  wheat,  oats,  corn, 
pork  and  maple  sugar.  The  surface  is  level  and  its  soil  is  fertile.  Blanchard's 
Fork  waters  the  central  and  southern  part  of  tiie  county.  Findlay,  the  county 
seat,  was  laid  out  by  ex-Gov.  Joseph  Vance  and  Elnathan  Corry,  in  1821.  It 
was  relaid  in  1829.  William  Vance  settled  there  in  the  fall  of  1821.  At  the 
south  end  of  the  town,  are  tAVo  gas  wells.  In  the  eastern  part,  is  a  mineral 
spring,  and  west  of  the  bridge,  is  a  chalybeate  spring. 

Hardin  County  was  formed  April  1,  1820,  from  the  old  Indian  Territory. 
It  produces,  principally,  wheat,  corn  and  swine.  A  portion  of  the  surface  is 
level,  and  the  remainder  undulating.  Fort  McArthur  was  built  on  the  Scioto 
River,  but  proved  a  weak  stockade.  Kenton  is  the  county  seat,  situated  on  the 
Scioto  River. 

Harrison  County  was  formed  from  Jefferson  and  Tuscarawas  January  1, 
1814.  The  surface  is  hilly,  abounding  in  coal  and  limestone.  Its  soil  is  clayey. 
It  is  one  of  the  important  wool-growing  counties  in  Ohio.  It  produces  large 
quantities  of  wheat,  corn,  oats  and  hay,  besides  a  considerable  number  of  horses, 
cattle  and  swine. 

In  April,  1799,  Alexander  Henderson  and  family  settled  in  this  county,  and 
at  the  same  time,  Daniel  Peterson  and  his  family  resided  at  the  forks  of  Short 
Creek.  The  early  settlers  were  much  annoyed  by  Indians  and  wild  beasts. 
Cadiz  is  the  county  seat,  and  was  laid  out  in  1803  and  1804,  by  Messrs.  Briggs 
and  Beatty. 

Henry  County  was  formed  from  the  old  Indian  Territory,  April  1,  1820. 
Indian  corn,  oats,  potatoes,  and  maple  sugar  constitute  the  main  products. 
The  county  is  well  supplied  with  running  streams,  and  the  soil  is  unusually  rich. 

The  greater  portion  of  this  county  is  covered  by  the  "  Black  Swamp." 
Throughout  this  swamp  are  ridges  of  limestone,  covered  with  black  walnut,  red 
elm,  butternut  and  maple.  The  soil  is  superior  for  grain.  Fruit  thrives  and 
all  varieties  of  vegetables  are  produced  in  large  quantities.  Simon  Girty,  noto- 
rious for  his  wicked  career,  resided  in  this  county.  Girty  led  the  attack  on 
Fort  Henry,  in  September,  1777.  He  demanded  the  surrender  of  the  fort, 
and  menaced  its  inmates   with  an   Indian  massacre,  in  case  of  refusal.     The 


146  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

action  began,  but  the  fort  gained  the  victory.  He  led  a  ferocious  band  of  Indi- 
ans, and  committed  the  most  fiendish  atrocities. 

Napoleon,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  on  the  Maumee  River. 

Highland  County  was  formed  in  May,  1805,  from  Ross,  Adams  and  Cler- 
mont. It  is  a  wealthy,  productive  county.  Its  wheat  commands  a  high  mar- 
ket price.  The  crops  consist  of  wheat,  corn,  oats,  maple  sugar,  wool,  swine 
and  cattle.  Its  first  settlement  began  in  1801,  at  New  Market,  by  Oliver  Ross, 
Robert  Keeston,  George  W.  Barrere,  Bernard  Weyer  and  others.  Simon  Ken- 
ton made  a  trace  through  this  county  in  early  times.  Hillsboro  is  the 
county  seat,  and  was  laid  out  in  1807,  by  David  Hays,  on  the  land  of  Benja- 
min EUicott.  It  is  situated  on  the  dividing  ridge,  between  the  Miami  and  Sci- 
oto.    The  Hillsboro  Academy  was  founded  in  1827. 

Hocking  County  was  formed  March  1,  1818,  from  Ross,  Athens  and  Fair- 
field. Its  principal  products  are  corn,  wheat,  tobacco  and  maple  sugar.  Its 
surface  is  broken  and  hilly,  but  is  level  and  fertile  beside  the  streams. 

The  Wyandots  once  occupied  this  tract,  and  built  a  large  town  herein.  In 
1798,  a  few  white  families  ventured  to  settle.  Logan  is  its  county  seat,  and  is 
situated  on  the  Hocking  River. 

Holmes  County  was  formed  from  Coshocton,  Tuscarawas  and  Wayne,  Janu- 
ary 20,  1824.  It  produces  wheat,  corn,  oats,  potatoes,  maple  sugar,  swine, 
sheep  and  cattle.  The  southwestern  portion  is  broken.  Thomas  Butler  was 
the  first  settler,  in  1810.  Millersburg  is  the  county  seat,  and  Avas  laid  out  in 
1830. 

Huron  County  was  organized  in  1815.  It  produces  hay,  wheat,  corn,  oats, 
barley,  buckwheat,  flaxseed,  potatoes,  butter,  cheese,  wool  and  swine.  Nor- 
walk  is  the  county  seat. 

Jackson  County  was  organized  March,  1816.  The  country  is  rich  in  min- 
erals and  abounds  in  coal  and  iron  ore.  The  exports  are  cattle,  wool,  swine, 
horses,  lumber,  millstones,  tobacco  and  iron.  Jackson,  the  county  seat,  was 
laid  out  in  1817.  The  old  Scioto  salt-works  were  among  the  first  worked  in 
Ohio  by  the  whites.  Prior  to  this  period,  the  Indians  came  some  distance  to 
this  section  to  make  salt.  When  Daniel  Boone  was  a  prisoner,  he  spent  some 
time  at  these  works. 

Jefferson  County  was  proclaimed  by  Gov.  St.  Clair  July  29,  1797,  and 
was  the  fifth  county  established  in  Ohio.  It  is  one  of  the  most  important 
manufacturing  counties  in  the  State.  Its  resources  in  coal  are  also  extended. 
The  surface  is  hilly  and  the  soil  fertile,  producing  wheat,  corn  and  oats.  The 
old  "Mingo"  town  was  on  the  present  farms  of  Jeremiah  Hallock  and  Mr. 
Daniel  Potter.  The  troops  of  Col.  Williamson  rendezvoused  at  this  point, 
when  they  set  out  in  their  cruel  Moravian  campaign,  and  also  the  troops  of 
Col.  Crawford,  when  they  started  on  the  campaign  against  the  Sandusky 
Indians.  Here  Logan,  the  powerful  and  manly  chief  of  the  Mingo  nation, 
once  resided.     He  took  no  active  part  in  the  old  French  war,  Avhicli  closed  in 


I 


HISTORY  OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  147 

1760,  except  that  of  a  peacemaker.  He  was  a  stanch  friend  of  the  whites 
until  the  abominable  and  unprovoked  murder  of  his  father,  brother  and  sister, 
which  occurred  in  1774,  near  the  Yellow  Creek.  He  then  raised  the  battle 
cry  and  sought  revenge. 

However,  Logan  was  remarkably  magnanimous  toward  prisoners  who  fell 
into  his  hands.  The  year  1793  was  the  last  spent  in  Indian  warfare  in  Jeffer- 
son County. 

Fort  Steuben  was  erected  on  the  present  site  of  Steubenville,  the  county  seat, 
in  1789.  It  was  constructed  of  block-houses,  with  palisade  fences,  and  Avas  dis- 
mantled during  Wayne's  campaign.  Bezaleel  Wells  and  Hon.  James  Ross  laid 
the  town  out  in  1798.  It  was  incorporated  February  14,  1805.  It  is  situated 
upon  an  elevated  plain.  In  1814,  Messrs.  Wells  and  Dickerson  built  a  woolen 
manufactory,  and  introduced  merino  sheep  to  the  county. 

Knox  County  was  formed  March  1,  1808,  from  Fairfield.  It  is  drained  by 
the  Vernon  River.  It  produces  wheat,  corn,  oats,  tobacco,  maple  sugar,  pota- 
toes and  wool.  Mount  Vernon  was  laid  out  in  1805.  The  early  settlers  found 
two  wells  on  the  Vernon  River,  built  of  hammered  stone,  neatly  laid,  and  near 
by  was  a  salt-lick.  Their  direct  origin  remains  a  mystery.  Oilman  Bryant, 
in  1807,  opened  the  first  store  in  Mount  Vernon.  The  court  house  was  built 
in  1810.  The  Indians  came  to  Mount  Vernon  in  large  numbers  for  the  pur- 
pose of  trading  in  furs  and  cranberries.  Each  Saturday,  the  settlers  Avorked 
on  the  streets,  extracting  stumps  and  improving  the  highway.  The  first  settler 
north  of  the  place  was  N.  M.  Young,  who  built  his  cabin  in  1803.  Mount 
Vernon  is  now  the  county  seat,  beautifully  situated  on  Vernon  River.  Kenyon 
College  is  located  at  Gambler.  It  is  richly  endowed  with  8,000  acres,  and  is 
valued  at  $100,000.  This  institution  was  established  under  the  auspices  of 
Bishop  Chase,  in  July,  1826,  in  the  center  of  a  4,000-acre  tract  belonging  to 
Kenyon  College.     It  was  chartered  as  a  theological  seminary. 

Lucas  County  is  of  comparatively  recent  origin.  A  large  portion  is  covered 
by  the  "Black  Swamp."  It  produces  corn,  wheat,  potatoes  and  oats.  This 
county  is  situated  in  the  Maumee  Valley,  which  was  the  great  arena  of  histori- 
cal events.  The  frightful  battle  of  Wayne's  campaign,  where  the  Indians  found 
the  British  to  be  traitors,  was  fought  near  Fort  Miami,  in  this  county.  Maumee 
City,  the  county  seat,  was  laid  out  in  1817,  as  Maumee,  by  Maj.  William  Oliver 
and  others.  It  is  situated  on  the  Maumee,  at  the  head  of  navigation.  The 
surface  is  100  feet  above  the  water  level.  This  town,  with  Perrysburg,  its  neighbor, 
is  exceedingly  picturesque,  and  was  in  early  times  frequented  by  the  Indians. 
The  French  had  a  trading  station  at  this  point,  in  1680,  and  in  1794,  the  Brit- 
ish Fort — Miami — was  built.  Toledo  is  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Maumee,  and 
covers  the  site  of  a  stockade  fort,  known  as  Fort  Industry,  erected  in  1800. 
An  Indian  treaty  was  held  here  July  4,  1805,  by  which  the  Indians  relinquished 
all  rights  to  the  "  fire  lands."  In  1832,  Capt.  Samuel  Allen  gave  an  impetus 
to  the  place,  and  Maj.  Stickney  also  became  interested  in  its  advancement. 


148  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

Speculation  in  lots  began  in  1834.  The  Wabash  &  Erie  Canal  interest  arose  in 
1836.  Mr.  jNIason  and  Edward  Bissel  added  their  energies  to  assist  the  growth 
of  the  town.  It  was  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1836.  It  was  the  center  of  the 
military  operations  in  the  "  Ohio  and  Michigan  war,"  known  as  the  "boundary 
conflict." 

The  Ordinance  of  1787  provided  for  the  division  of  the  Northwestern  Terri- 
tory into  three  or  five  States.  The  three  southern  were  to  be  divided  from  the 
two  northern  by  a  line  drawn  east  and  west  through  the  southern  point  of  Lake 
Michioian,  cxtendino;  eastward  to  the  Territorial  line  in  Lake  Erie.  The  consti- 
tution  of  Ohio  adds  a  provision  that  if  the  line  should  not  go  so  far  north  as  the 
north  cape  of  ^Nlaumee  Bay,  then  the  northern  boundary  of  Ohio  should  be  a 
line  drawn  from  the  southerly  part  of  Lake  Michigan  to  the  north  cape  of  the 
Maumee  Bay. 

The  line  of  the  ordinance  was  impossible,  according  to  its  instructions  and 
the  geography  of  the  country. 

When  Michigan  became  a  Territory,  the  people  living  between  the  "  Fulton  " 
and  '•  Harris  "  lines  found  it  more  to  their  wishes  to  be  attached  to  Michigan. 
They  occupied  disputed  ground,  and  were  thus  beyond  the  limits  of  absolute 
law.  In  1835,  the  subject  was  greatly  agitated,  and  J.  Q.  Adams  made  a  warm 
speech  before  Congress  against  the  Ohio  claim.  The  Legislature  of  Ohio  dis- 
cussed the  matter,  and  an  act  was  passed  to  attach  the  disputed  section  to  Ohio, 
according  to  the  constitutional  decree.  An  active  campaign  opened  between 
Mieliigan  and  Oliio.  Gov.  Lucas  came  out  with  the  Ohio  troops,  in  the  spring 
of  1835,  and  Gov.  Mason,  of  Michigan,  followed  the  example.  He  marched 
into  Toledo,  robbed  melon-patches  and  chicken-houses,  crushed  in  the  front 
door  of  Maj.  Stickney's  house,  and  carried  him  away  prisoner  of  war.  Embas- 
sadors were  sent  from  Washington  to  negotiate  matters — Richard  Rush,  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Col.  Howard,  of  Maryland.  At  the  next  session  of  Congress,  the 
matter  was  settled.  Samuel  Vinton  argued  for  Ohio,  in  the  House,  and  Thomas 
Ewing  in  the  Senate.  Michigan  received  an  equivalent  of  the  large  peninsula 
between  Lakes  Huron,  Michigan  and  Superior.  Ohio  received  the  disputed 
strip,  averaging  eight  miles  in  width.  ^Manhattan,  Waterville  and  Providence 
are  all  flourishing  towns. 

Lorain  County  was  formed  from  Huron,  Cuyahoga  and  Medina,  on  Decem.- 
ber  26,  1822.  The  soil  is  generally  fertile,  and  the  surface  level.  Wheat, 
grass,  oats,  corn,  rye  and  potatoes  constitute  the  principal  crops.  Bog-iron  ore 
is  found  in  large  quantities.  A  curious  relic  has  been  found  in  this  county,  bear- 
ing the  date  of  1533.  Elyria  is  the  county  seat,  and  was  laid  out  in  1817. 
The  first  settler  was  Mr.  Heman  Ely.  Oberlin  is  situated  about  eight  miles 
southwest  of  Elyria.  The  Oberlin  Collegiate  Institute  has  attained  a  wide 
celebrity. 

Logan  County  was  formed  March  1,  1817.  The  surface  is  broken  and  hilly 
near  the  Mad  River,  but  is  generally  level.     The  soil  is    fertile,  producing 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO  149 

wheat,  corn,  rye,  oats,  clover,  flax  and  timothy  seed.  The  Shawnee  Indians 
were  located  here,  and  built  several  villages  on  the  Mad  River.  These  towns 
were  destroyed  in  1786,  by  a  body  of  Kentuckians,  under  Gen.  Benjamin 
Logan.  The  whites  surprised  the  towns.  However,  they  returned  after  the 
work  of  destruction  had  been  completed,  and  for  many  years  frequented  the 
section.  On  the  site  of  Zanes  field  was  a  Wyandot  village.  By  the  treaty  of 
September  29,  1817,  the  Scnecas  and  Shawnees  held  a  reservation  around 
Lewistown.  April  6,  1832,  they  vacated  this  right  and  removed  west.  Isaac 
Zane  was  born  about  the  year  1753,  and  was,  while  a  boy,  captured  and  after- 
ward adopted  by  the  Wyandots.  Attaining  the  age  of  manliood,  he  had  no 
desire  to  return  to  his  people.  He  married  a  Wyandot  woman,  who  was  half 
French.  After  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  he  bought  1,800  acres  on  the  site  of 
Zanesville,  where  he  lived  until  the  year  1816,  when  he  died,  lamented  by  all 
his"  friends. 

Logan  County  was  settled  about  the  year  1806.  During  the  war  of  1812, 
it  was  a  rendezvous  for  friendly  Indians.  Bellefontaine,  the  county  seat,  was 
laid  out  March  18,  1820,  on  land  owned  by  John  Tulles  and  William  Powell. 
Joseph  Gordon  built  a  cabin,  and  Anthony  Ballard  erected  the  first  frame 
dwelling.  ' 

Gen.  Simon  Kenton  is  buried  at  the  head  of  Mad  River,  five  miles  from 
Bellefontaine.  He  died  April  29,  1836,  aged  eighty-one  years  and  twenty-six 
days.  This  remarkable  man  came  West,  to  Kentucky,  in  1771.  He  probably 
encountered  more  thrilling  escapes  than  any  other  man  of  his  time.  In  1778, 
he  was  captured  and  suffered  extreme  cruelties,  and  was  ransomed  by  the  British. 
He  soon  recovered  his  robust  health,  and  escaped  from  Detroit  the  following 
spring.  He  settled  in  Urbana  in  1802.  He  was  elected  Brigadier  General  of 
the  militia,  and  in  the  war  of  1812,  joined  Gen.  Harrison's  army.  In  the  year 
1820,  he  removed  to  Mad  River.  Gen.  Vance  and  Judge  Burnet  secured  him 
a  pension,  of  $20  per  month 

Licking  County  was  formed  from  Fairfield  March  1,  1808.  The  surface  is 
generally  level,  diversified  by  slight  hills  in  the  eastern  portion.  The  soil  is 
fertile,  producing  wheat,  corn,  oats  and  grass.  Coal  and  iron  ore  of  good 
quality  add  to  the  wealth  of  the  county.  Wool  and  dairy  productions  are  also 
staples.  Newark  is  the  county  seat,  and  is  situated  at  the  confluence  of  the 
three  principal  branches  of  the  Licking.  It  was  laid  out  by  Gen.  William  C. 
Schenk,  George  W.  Burnet  and  John  M.  Cummings,  who  owned  this  military 
section  of  4,000  acres,  in  1801.  In  1802,  Samuel  Elliott  and  Samuel  Parr 
built  hewed-log  houses.  The  picturesque  "Narrows  of  the  Licking  "  are  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  which  have  elicited  general  praise  from  scenic 
hunters. 

Lawrence  County  was  organized  March  1,  1816.  There  are  many  high 
and  abrupt  hills  in  this  section,  which  abound  in  sand  or  freestone.  It  is  rich 
in  minerals,  and  the  most  important  section   of   Ohio  for  iron  manufacture. 


150  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

Coal  is  abundant,  and  white  clay  exists  in  the  western  part  suitable  for  pot- 
tery purposes.     Agricultural  productions  are  not  extensive. 

The  county  was  settled  in  1797  by  the  Dutch  and  Irish.  The  iron  region 
extends  through  the  west  part  of  this  county.  Lawrence  County  produces  a 
superior  quality  of  iron,  highly  esteemed  for  castings,  and  is  equal  to  Scotch 
pig  for  furnace  purposes.     Burlington  is  the  county  seat. 

Lake  County  was  formed  from  Geauga  and  Cuyahoga  March  6,  1840,  The 
soil  is  good  and  the  surface  rolling.  It  produces  wheat,  corn,  oats,  buckwheat, 
barley,  hay  and  potatoes.  Dairy  products,  cattle  and  avooI  are  also  staples. 
Its  fruits — apples,  peaches,  pears,  plums  and  grapes  are  highly  prized.  As 
early  as  1799,  a  settlement  was  formed  at  Mentor.  Painesville,  the  county 
seat,  is  situated  on  Grand  River,  in  a  beautiful  valley.  The  Painesville  Acad- 
emy is  a  classical  institution  for  the  education  of  both  sexes.  Near  the  town 
is  the  Geauga  furnace.  Painesville  was  laid  out  by  Henry  Champion  in  1805. 
At  Fairport,  the  first  warehouse  in  this  section,  and  probably  the  first  on  the 
lake,  was  built  by  Abraham  Skinner  in  1803.  This  town  has  a  fine  harbor, 
and  has  a  light-house  and  beacon.  Kirtland,  southwest  from  Painesville,  was. 
in  1834,  the  headquarters  of  the  Mormons.  At  that  time,  they  numbered 
about  three  thousand.  The  old  Mormon  temple  is  of  rough  stone,  plastered 
over,  colored  blue,  and  marked  to  imitate  regular  courses  of  masonry.  As  is 
well  known,  the  Mormons  derive  their  name  from  the  book  of  Mormon,  said  to 
have  been  translated  from  gold  plates  found  in  a  hill  in  Palmyra,  N.  Y. 

Madison  County  was  organized  in  March,  1810.  The  surface  is  generally 
level.  It  produces  grass,  corn,  oats  and  cattle — the  latter  forming  a  cliief 
staple,  while  wool  and  pork  add  to  the  general  wealth. 

Jonathan  Alder  was  much  interested  in  the  settlement  of  the  county.  He, 
like  some  other  whites,  had  lived  with  the  Indians  many  years,  and  had  formed 
a  lasting  aflection  for  them,  and  had  married  a  squaw,  Avith  whom  he  became 
dissatisfied,  Avhich  caused  him  to  desire  finding  his  own  family.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  this  through  the  assistance  of  John  Moore.  He  left  his  wife  and 
joined  his  people. 

This  county  was  first  settled  in  1795.  Benjamin  Springer  made  a  clearing 
and  built  a  cabin.  He  settled  near  Alder,  and  taught  him  the  English  lan- 
guage. Mr.  Joshua  Ewing  brought  four  sheep  to  this  place,  and  the  Indians 
exhibited  great  astonishment  over  these  strange  animals.  When  the  hostilities 
of  1 812  began,  the  British  oflfered  inducements  to  the  Indians  to  join  them,  and 
they  consulted  Alder  regarding  the  best  policy  to  adopt.  He  advised  them  to 
preserve  neutrality  until  a  later  period,  which  they  did,  and  eventually  became 
firm  friends  of  the  Americans. 

London  is  the  county  seat,  and  was  laid  out  in  1810-11,  by  Patrick  McLene. 

Marion  County  was  organized  March  1,  1824.  The  soil  is  fertile,  and  pro- 
duces extensive  farm  crops.  The  Delaware  Indians  once  held  a  reservation 
here,  and  conceded  their  claims   in   1829,  August   3,  and  removed  west  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  153 

Mississippi.  ^  Marion,  the  county  seat,  was  laid  out  in  1821,  by  Eber  Baker 
and  Alexander  Holmes.  Gen.  Harrison  marched  through  this  section  durinsr 
his  campaign. 

Mahoning  County  was  formed  in  1846,  from  Trumbull  and  Columbiana. 
The  surface  is  rolling  and  the  soil  generally  fertile.  The  finer  qualities  of  wood 
are  produced  here.  Bituminous  coal  and  iron  are  found  in  large  quantities. 
Col.  James  Hillman  came  to  the  Western  Reserve  in  1786.  The  settlement 
of  the  county  went  forward.     Canfield  is  the  county  seat. 

Medina  County  was  formed  from  the  Western  Reserve  February  12,  1812. 
The  surface  is  rolling  and  the  soil  is  fertile,  producing  fine  agricultural  prod- 
ucts. The  first  trail  made  through  the  county  was  made  by  George  Poe, 
Joseph  H.  Larwell  and  Roswell  M.  Mason.  The  first  settlement  was  made 
by  Joseph  Harris  in  1811.  He  was  soon  joined  by  the  Burr  brothers.  Me- 
dina is  the  county  seat. 

Meigs  County  was  formed  from  Gallia  and  Athens  April  1,  1819.  The 
general  character  of  the  soil  is  clayey,  producing  large  quantities  of  wheat,  oats, 
corn,  hay  and  potatoes.  Vast  quantities  of  salt  are  made  and  exported.  Pom- 
eroy,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  under  a  lofty  hill,  surrounded  by  picturesque 
scenery.  Mr.  Nathaniel  Clark  was  the  first  settler  of  the  county.  He  arrived  in 
1816.     The  first  coal  mine  opened  in  Pomeroy  was  in  1819,  by  David  Bradshaw. 

Mercer  County  was  formed  from  the  Indian  Territory  in  1820.  The  sur- 
face is  generally  flat,  and  while  covered  with  forests,  inclined  to  be  wet ;  but, 
being  cleared,  it  is  very  fertile,  and  adapted  to  producing  farm  crops.  St. 
Clair's  Battle  was  fought  on  the  boundary  line  between  this  and  Darke  County. 
The  Hon.  Lewis  Cass  and  Duncan  McArthur  made  a  treaty  at  St.  Mary's  with 
the  Wyandots,  Shawnees  and  Ottawas,  in  1818.  The  odious  Simon  Girty  lived 
at  one  time  at  St.  Mary's.  Wayne  built  St.  Mary's  Fort,  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  river.  John  Whistler  was  the  last  commander  of  the  fort.  The  largest 
artificial  lake  in  the  world,  so  it  is  asserted,  is  formed  by  the  reservoir  sup- 
plying the  St.  Mary's  feeder  of  the  Miami  Extension  Canal.  It  is  about  nine 
miles  long,  and  from  two  to  four  broad.     Celina  is  the  county  seat. 

Miami  County  was  formed  January  16,  1807,  from  Montgomery.  It  abounds 
in  excellent  limestone,  and  possesses  remarkable  water-power  facilities.  Its  agri- 
cultural products  rank  highly  in  quality  and  quantity.  John  Knoop  came  into  this 
section  about  the  year  1797,  and  its  first  settlement  began  about  this  time.  Troy, 
the  county  seat,  is  situated  upon  the  Great  Miami.  Piqua  is  another  lovely 
town.     The  Miami  River  aifords  delightful  scenery  at  this  point. 

Monroe  County  was  formed  January  29,  1813,  from  Belmont,  Washington, 
and  Guernsey.  A  portion  of  its  surface  is  abrupt  and  hilly.  Large  quantities 
of  tobacco  are  raised,  and  much  pork  is  exported.  Wheat  and  corn  grow  well 
in  the  western  portion.  Iron  ore  and  coal  abound.  The  valleys  of  the  streams 
are  very  narrow,  bounded  by  rough  hills.  In  some  places  are  natural  rock 
grottoes.     The  first  settlement  was  made  in  1799,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Sunfish. 


154  HISTOllY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

At  this  time,  wolves  were  numerous,  and  caused  much  ahirm.  Yolney  entered 
this  county,  but  was  not  prepossessed  in  its  favor.  One  township  is  settled  by 
the  Swiss,  who  are  educated  and  refined.     Woodsfield  is  the  county  seat. 

Montgomery  County  was  formed  from  Ross  and  Hamilton  May  1,  1803. 
The  soil  is  fertile,  and  its  agricultural  products  are  most  excellent.  Quarries  of 
grayish-white  limestone  are  found  east  of  the  Miami. 

Dayton  is  the  county  seat,  situated  on  the  Great  Miami,  at  the  mouth  of  Mad 
Iliver.  A  company  was  formed  in  1788,  but  Indian  wars  prevented  settlement. 
After  Wayne's  treaty,  in  1795,  a  new  company  was  formed.  It  advanced 
rapidly  between  the  years  1812  and  1820.  The  beginning  of  the  Miami  Canal 
renewed  its  prosperity,  in  1827.  The  first  canal-boat  from  Cincinnati  arrived 
at  Dayton  on  the  25th  of  January,  1829.  The  first  one  arrived  from  Lake 
Erie  in  June,  1845.  Col.  Robert  Patterson  came  to  Dayton  in  1804.  At  one 
time,  he  owned  Lexington,  Ky.,  and  about  one  third  of  Cincinnati. 

Morgan  County  was  organized  in  1818,  March  1.  The  surface  is  hilly  and 
the  soil  strong  and  fertile,  producing  wheat,  corn,  oats  and  tobacco.  Pork  is  a 
prolific  product,  and  considerable  salt  is  made.  The  first  settlement  was  made 
in  1790,  on  the  Muskingum.  McConnelsville  is  the  county  seat.  Mr.  Ayres 
made  the  first  attempt  to  produce  salt,  in  1817.  This  has  developed  into  a 
large  industry. 

Morrow  County  was  organized  in  1848.  It  is  drained  by  the  Vernon 
River,  which  rises  in  it,  by  the  East  Branch  of  the  Olontangy  or  Whetstone 
River,  and  by  Walnut  Creek.  The  surface  is  undulating,  the  soil  fertile. 
The  staple  products  are  corn,  wheat,  oats,  hay,  wool  and  butter.  The  sugar 
maple  abounds  in  the  forests,  and  sandstone  or  freestone  in  the  quarries. 
Blount  Gilead,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  on  the  East  Branch  of  the  Olen- 
tangy  River. 

Muskingum  County  was  formed  from  Washington  and  Fairfield.  The  sur- 
face is  rolling  or  hilly.  It  produces  wheat,  corn,  oats,  potatoes,  tobacco,  wool 
and  pork.  Large  quantities  of  bituminous  coal  are  found.  Pipe  clay,  buhr- 
stone  or  cellular  quartz  are  also  in  some  portions  of  the  State.  Salt  is  made  in 
large  quantities — the  fine  being  obtained  from  a  stratum  of  whitish  sandstone. 
The  Wyandots,  Delawares,  Senecas  and  Shawanoese  Indians  once  inhabited  this 
section.  An  Indian  town  occupied  the  site  of  Duncan's  Falls.  A  large  Shawan- 
oese town  was  located  near  Dresden. 

Zanesville  is  the  county  seat,  situated  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Licking. 
It  was  laid  out  in  1799,  by  Mr.  Zane  and  Mr.  Mclntire.  This  is  one  of  the 
principal  towns  in  the  State,  and  is  surrounded  by  charming  scenery. 

Noble  County,  organized  in  1851,  is  drained  by  Seneca,  Duck  and  Wills 
Creeks.  The  surface  is  undulating,  and  a  large  part  of  it  is  covered  with  for- 
ests. The  soil  is  fertile.  Its  staples  are  corn,  tobacco,  wheat,  hay.  oats  and 
wool.  Among  its  mineral  resources  are  limestone,  coal  and  petroleum.  Near 
Caldwell,  the  county  seat,  are  found  iron  ore,  coal  and  salt. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  155 

Ottawa  County  was  formed  from  Erie,  Sandusky  and  Lucas,  March  6, 1840, 
It  is  mostly  within  the  Black  Swamp,  and  considerable  of  its  land  is  prairie  and 
marsh.  It  was  very  thinly  settled  befere  1830.  Extensive  plaster  beds  exist 
on  the  peninsula,  which  extends  into  Lake  Erie.  It  has  also  large  limestone 
quarries,  which  are  extensively  worked.  The  very  first  trial  at  arms  upon  the 
soil  of  Ohio,  during  the  war  of  1812,  occurred  upon  this  peninsula.  Port  Clin- 
ton, the  county  seat,  was  laid  out  in  1827. 

Perry  County  was  formed  from  Washington,  Fairfield  and  Muskingum, 
March  1,  1817.  Fine  tobacco  is  raised  in  large  quantities.  Wheat,  corn,  oats, 
hay,  cattle,  pork  and  wool  add  to  the  general  wealth.  This  county  was  first  set- 
tled in  1801.  First  settler  was  Christian  Binckley,  who  built  the  first  cabin  in 
the  county,  about  five  miles  west  of  Somerset,  near  the  present  county  line. 
New  Lexington  is  now  the  county  seat. 

Paulding  County  was  formed  from  old  Indian  territory  August  1,  1820, 
It  produces  corn,  Avheat  and  oats.     Paulding  is  the  county  seat. 

Pickaway  County  Avas  formed  from  Fairfield,  Ross  and  Franklin,  January 
12,  1810,  The  county  has  woodland,  barren,  plain  and  prairie.  The  barrens 
were  covered  by  shrub  oaks,  and  when  cleared  are  adapted  to  the  raising  of  corn 
and  oats.  The  Pickaway  plains  are  three  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Circlcville, 
and  this  tract  is  said  to  contain  the  richest  land  in  Ohio.  Here,  in  the  olden 
times,  burned  the  great  council  fires  of  the  red  man.  Here  the  allied  tribes  met 
Gen.  Lewis,  who  fought  the  battle  of  Point  Pleasant.  Dunmore's  campaign 
was  terminated  on  these  plains.  It  was  at  the  Chillicothe  towns,  after  Dun- 
more's treaty,  that  Logan  delivered  his  famous  speech.  Circleville,  the  county 
seat,  is  situated  on  the  Scioto  River  and  the  Ohio  Canal.  It  was  laid  out  in 
1810,  by  Daniel  Dresbach.     It  is  situated  on  the  site  of  ancient  fortifications. 

Portage  County  was  formed  June  7,  1807,  from  Trumbull.  It  is  a  wealthy, 
thriving  section.  Over  a  thousand  tons  of  cheese  are  annually  produced.  It 
also  produces  wheat,  corn,  oats,  barley,  buckAvheat,  rye,  butter  and  avooI. 
Ravenna  is  the  county  seat,  and  was  originally  settled  by  the  Hon.  Benjamin 
Tappen  in  June,  1799.  In  1806,  an  unpleasant  difiiculty  arose  between  the 
settlers  and  a  camp  of  Indians  in  Deerfield,  caused  by  a  horse  trade  betAveen  a 
white  man  and  an  Indian.     David  Daniels  settled  on  the  site  of  Palmyra  in  1799. 

Pike  County  was  organized  in  1815.  The  surface  is  generally  hilly,  which 
abound  with  freestone,  which  is  exported  in  large  quantities  for  building  pur- 
poses. Rich  bottom  lands  extend  along  the  Scioto  and  its  tributaries.  John 
Noland  and  the  three  Chenoweth  brothers  settled  on  the  Pee  Pee  prairie  about 
1796.  Piketown,  the  former  county  seat,  Avas  laid  out  about  1814.  Waverly, 
the  present  county  seat,  is  situated  on  the  Scioto  River. 

Preble  County  Avas  formed  March  1,  1808,  from  Montgomery  and  Butler. 
The  soil  is  varied.     Excellent  water-power  facilities  are  furnished. 

Eaton,  the  county  seat,  Avas  laid  out  in  1806,  by  William  Bruce,  who  owned 
the  land.  An  overfloAving  Avell  of  strong  sulphur  Avater  is  near  the  tOAvn,  Avhile 
directly  beside  it  is  a  limestone  quarry.     Holderman's  quarry   is  about  two 


156  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

miles  distant,  from  -which  is  obtained  a  beautifully  clouded  gray  stone.  Fort  St. 
Clair  was  built  near  Eaton,  in  the  winter  of  1791-92,  Gen.  Harrison  was  an  En- 
sio-n  at  the  time,  and  commanded  a  guard  every  other  night  for  three  weeks,  during 
the  building.  The  severe  battle  of  November  6,  1792,  was  fought  under  its  very 
guns.  Little  Turtle,  a  distinguished  chief  of  the  Miamis,  roamed  over  this  county 
for  a  time.  He  was  witty,  brave  and  earnest,  and,  although  engaged  in  several 
severe  contests  with  the  whites,  he  was  inclined  toward  peace.  But  when  his 
warriors  cried  for  war  he  led  them  bravely. 

Putnam  County  was  formed  April  1,  1820,  from  old  Indian  territory.  The 
soil  is  fertile,  its  principal  productions  being  wheat,  corn,  potatoes  and  oats. 
Laro-e  quantities  of  pork  are  exported.  Kalida,  once  the  county  seat,  was  laid 
out  in  1834.      Ottawa  is  the  county  seat. 

Ross  County  was  formed  August  20,  1798,  by  the  proclamation  of  Gov.  St. 
Clair,  and  was  the  sixth  county  formed  in  the  Northwestern  Territory.  The 
Scioto  River  and  Paint  Creek  run  through  it,  bordered  with  fertile  lands. 
Much  water-power  is  obtained  from  the  many  streams  w-^atering  it.  The  main 
crops  are  wheat,  corn  and  oats.     It  exports  cattle  and  hogs. 

The  Rev.  Robert  W.  Finley,  in  1794,  addressed  a  letter  of  inquiry  to  Col. 
Nathaniel  Massie,  as  many  of  his  associates  had  designed  settling  in  the  new 
State.  This  resulted  in  packing  their  several  effects  and  setting  out.  A  triv- 
ial Indian  encounter  was  the  only  interruption  they  n.  "  with  on  their  way. 
After  Wayne's  treaty.  Col.  Massie  and  many  of  these  early  explorers  met 
aa-ain  and  formed  a  settlement — in  1796 — at  the  mouth  of  Paint  Creek.  In 
August  of  this  year,  Chillicothe  was  laid  out  by  Col.  Massie,  in  a  dense  forest. 
He  donated  lots  to  the  early  settlers.  A  ferry  was  established  over  the  Scioto, 
and  the  opening  of  Zane's  trace  assisted  the  progress  of  settlement. 

Chillicothe,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  on  the  Scioto.  Its  site  is  thirty 
feet  above  the  river.  In  1800,  it  was  the  seat  of  the  Northwestern  Territorial 
Government.  It  was  incorporated  as  a  city  in  January,  1802.  During  the  war 
of  1812,  the  city  was  a  rendezvous  for  the  United  States  troops.  A  large  num- 
ber of  British  were  at  one  time  guarded  here.  Adena  is  a  beautiful  place,  and 
the  seat  of  Gov.  Worthington's  mansion,  which  was  built  in  1806.  Near  this 
is  Fruit  Hill,  the  residence  of  the  late  Gen.  McArthur,  and  latterly  the  home 
of  his  son-in-law,  the  Hon.  William  Allen.  Eleven  miles  from  Chillicothe,  on 
the  road  to  Portsmouth,  is  the  home  of  the  hermit  of  the  Scioto. 

Richland  was  organized  March  1,  1813.  It  produces  wheat,  corn,  oats,  hay, 
potatoes,  rye,  hemp  and  barley.  It  was  settled  about  1809,  on  branches  of  the 
Mohican.  Two  block-houses  were  built  in  1812.  Mansfield,  the  county  seat, 
is  charmingly  situated,  and  was  laid  out  in  1808,  by  Jacob  Newman,  James 
Hedges  and  Joseph  H.  Larwell.  The  county  was  at  that  period  a  vast  wilder- 
ness, destitute  of  roads.     From  this  year,  the  settlement  progressed  rapidly. 

Sandusky  County  was  formed  April  1,  1820,  from  the  old  Indian  Territory. 
The  soil  is  fertile,  and  country  generally  level.     It  mainly  produces  corn,  wheat, 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  157 

oats,  potatoes  and  pork.  The  Indians  were  especially  delighted  with  this  tract. 
Near  Lower  Sandusky  lived  a  band  of  Wyandots,  called  the  Neutral  Nation. 
These  two  cities  never  failed  to  render  refuge  to  any  who  sought  their  protec- 
tion. They  preserved  their  peacemaking  attributes  through  the  Iroquois 
conflicts.  Fremont,  formerly  called  Lower  Sandusky,  the  county  seat,  is 
situated  at  the  head  of  navigation,  on  the  Sandusky,  on  the  site  of  the  old 
reservation  grant  to  the  Indians,  at  the  Greenville  treaty  council.  Fort 
Stephenson  was  erected  in  August,  1813,  and  was  gallantly  defended  by  Col. 
Croffhan. 

Summit  County  was  formed  March  3,  1840,  from  Medina,  Portage  and 
Stark.  The  soil  is  fertile  and  produces  excellent  fruit,  besides  large  crops  of 
corn,  wheat,  hay,  oats  and  potatoes.  Cheese  and  butter  may  be  added  as 
products. 

The  first  settlement  made  in  the  county  was  at  Hudson,  in  1800,  The  old 
Indian  portage-path,  extending  through  this  county,  between  the  Cuyahoga,  and 
Tuscarawas  Branch  of  the  Muskingum.  This  was  a  part  of  the  ancient  boundary 
between  the  Six  Nations  and  the  Western  Indians.  Akron,  the  county  seat,  is 
situated  on  the  portage  summit.  It  was  laid  out  in  1825.  In  1811,  Paul 
Williams  and  Amos  and  Minor  Spicer  settled  in  this  vicinity.  Middlebury  was 
laid  out  in  1818,  by  Norton  &  Hart. 

Stark  County  was  formed  February  13,  1808.  It  is  a  rich  agricultural 
county.  It  has  large  quantities  of  mineral  coal,  iron  ore,  flocks  of  the  finest 
sheep  and  great  water  power.  Limestone  and  extensive  beds  of  lime-marl  exist. 
The  manufacture  of  silk  has  been  extensively  carried  on.  Frederick  Post,  the 
first  Moravian  missionary  in  Ohio,  settled  here  in  1761. 

Canton  is  the  county  seat,  situated  in  the  forks  of  the  Nimishillen,  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  Muskingum.  It  was  laid  out  in  1806,  by  Bezaleel  Wells,  who 
owned  the  land.     Massillon  was  laid  out  in  March,  1826,  by  John  Duncan. 

Shelby  County  was  formed  in  1819,  from  Miami.  The  southern  portion  is 
undulating,  arising  in  some  places  to  hills.  Through  the  north,  it  is  a  flat  table- 
land. It  produces  wheat,  corn,  oats  and  grass.  The  first  point  of  English  set- 
tlement in  Ohio  was  at  the  mouth  of  Laramie's  Creek,  in  this  county,  as  early 
as  1752.  Fort  Laramie  was  built  in  1794,  by  Wayne.  The  first  white  family 
that  settled  in  this  county  was  that  of  James  Thatcher,  in  1804.  Sidney,  the 
county  seat,  was  laid  out  in  1819,  on  the  farm  of  Charles  Starrett. 

Seneca  County  was  formed  April  1,  1820,  from  the  old  Indian  territory. 
Its  principal  products  are  corn,  wheat,  grass,  oats,  potatoes  and  pork. 

Fort  Seneca  was  built  during  the  war  of  1812.  The  Senecas  owned 
40,000  acres  of  land  on  the  Sandusky  River,  mostly  in  Seneca  County. 
Thirty  thousand  acres  of  this  land  was  granted  to  them  in  1817,  at  the  treaty 
held  at  the  foot  of  the  Maumee  Rapids.  The  remaining  10,000  was  granted 
the  following  year.  These  Indians  ceded  this  ti-act,  however,  to  the  Govern- 
ment in  1831.     It  was  asserted  by  an  old  chief,  that  this  band  was  the  remnant 


158  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

of  Logan's  tribe.  Tiffin,  the  county  seat,  was  laid  out  by  Josiah  Hedges  in 
the  year  1821. 

Scioto  County  was  formed  May  1,  1803.  It  is  a  good  .agricultural  section, 
besides  producing  iron  ore,  coal  and  freestone.  It  is  said  that  a  French  fort 
stood  at  the  mouth  of  the  old  Scioto,  as  early  as  1740.  In  1785,  four  families 
settled  where  Portsmouth  now  stands.  Thomas  McDonald  built  the  first  cabin  in 
the  county.  The  "French  grant"  was  located  in  this  section — a  tract  com- 
prising 24,000  acres.  The  grant  was  made  in  March,  1795.  Portsmouth,  the 
county  seat,  is  located  upon  the  Ohio. 

Trumbull  County  was  formed  in  1800.  The  original  Connecticut  Western 
Reserve  was  within  its  limits.  The  county  is  well  cultivated  and  very  wealthy. 
Coal  is  found  in  its  northern  portion.  We  have,  in  our  previous  outline,  given 
a  history  of  this  section,  and  it  is  not,  therefore,  necessary  to  repeat  its  details. 
Warren,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  on  the  Mahoning  River.  It  was  laid  out 
by  Ephraim  Quinby  in  1801.  Mr.  Quinby  owned  the  soil.  His  cabin  was  built 
here  in  1799.  In  August,  1800,  while  Mr.  McMahon  was  away  from  home, 
a  party  of  drunken  Indians  called  at  the  house,  abused  the  family,  struck  a 
child  a  severe  blow  with  a  tomahawk  and  threatened  to  kill  the  fimily.  Mrs. 
McMahon  could  not  send  tidings  .which  could  reach  her  husband  before  noon 
the  following  day.  The  following  Sunday  morning,  fourteen  men  and  two 
boys  armed  themselves  and  went  to  the  Indian  camp  to  settle  the  difficulty. 
Quinby  advanced  alone,  leaving  the  remainder  in  concealment,  as  he  was  better 
acquainted  Avith  these  people,  to  make  inquiries  and  ascertain  their  intentions. 
He  did  not  return  at  once,  and  the  party  set  out,  marched  into  camp,  and  found 
Quinby  arguing  with  Capt.  George,  the  chief.  Capt.  George  snatched  his 
tomahawk  and  declared  war,  rushing  forward  to  kill  McMahon.  But  a  bullet 
from  the  frontierman's  gun  killed  him  instantly,  while  Storey  shot  "  Spotted 
John"  at  the  same  time.  The  Indians  then  fled.  They  joined  the  council  at 
Sandusky.  Quinby  garrisoned  his  house.  Fourteen  days  thereafter,  the 
Indians  returned  with  overtures  of  peace,  which  were,  that  McMahon  and 
Storey  be  taken  to  Sandusky,  tried  by  Indian  laws,  and  if  found  guilty,  pun- 
ished by  them.  This  could  not  be  done.  McMahon  was  tried  by  Gen.  St. 
Clair,  and  the  matter  was  settled.  The  first  missionary  on  the  Reserve  was  the 
Rev.  Joseph  Badger. 

Tuscarawas  County  was  formed  February  15,  1808,  from  Muskingum.  It 
is  well  cultivated  with  abundant  supplies  of  coal  and  iron. 

The  first  white  settlers  were  Moravian  missionaries,  their  first  visits  dating 
back  to  1761.  The  first  permanent  settlement  was  made  in  1798.  Miss  Mary 
Heck ew elder,  the  daughter  of  a  missionary,  was  born  in  this  county  April  16, 
1781.  Fort  Laurens  w^as  built  during  the  Revolution.  It  was  the  scene  of  a 
fearful  carnage.  It  was  established  in  the  fall  of  1778,  and  placed  under  the 
command  of  Gen.  Mcintosh.  New  Philadelphia  is  the  county  seat,  situated  on 
the   Tuscarawas.     It   was  laid   out   in   1804   by  John   Knisely.     A   German 


I 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  159 

colony  settled  in  this  county  in  1817,  driven  from  their  native  land  by  religious 
dictation  they  could  not  espouse.  They  called  themselves  Separatists.  They 
are  a  simple-minded  people,  strictly  moral  and  honest. 

Union  County  was  formed  from  Franklin,  Delaware,  Logan  and  Madison  in 
1820.  It  produces  corn,  grass,  wheat,  oats,  potatoes,  butter  and  cheese. 
Extensive  limestone  quarries  are  also  valuable.  The  Ewing  brothers  made  the 
first  white  settlement  in  1798.  Col.  James  Curry,  a  member  of  the  State  Leg- 
islature, was  the  chief  instigator  in  the  progress  of  this  section.  He  located 
within  its  limits  and  remained  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1834.  Marys- 
ville  is  the  county  seat. 

Van  Wert  County  was  formed  from  the  old  Indian  territory  April  1,  1820. 
A  great  deal  of  timber  is  within  the  limits  of  this  county,  but  the  soil  is  so 
tenacious  that  water  will  not  sink  through  it,  and  crops  are  poor  during  wet 
seasons.  The  main  product  is  corn.  Van  Wert,  the  county  seat,  was  founded 
by  James  W.  Riley  in  1837.  An  Indian  town  had  formerly  occupied  its  site. 
Capt.  Riley  was  the  first  white  man  who  settled  in  the  county,  arriving  in  1821. 
He  founded  Willshire  in  1822. 

Vinton  County  was  organized  in  ]  850.  It  is  drained  by  Raccoon  and  Salt 
Creeks.  The  surface  is  undulating  or  hilly,  and  is  extensively  covered  with 
forests  in  which  the  oak,  buckeye  and  sugar  maple  are  found.  Corn,  hay,  but- 
ter and  wool  are  staple  products.  Bituminous  coal  and  iron  ore  are  found. 
McArthur  is  the  county  seat. 

Washington  County  was  formed  by  proclamation  of  Gov.  St.  Clair  July  27, 
1788,  and  was  the  first  county  founded  within  the  limits  of  Ohio.  The  surface 
is  broken  with  extensive  tracts  of  level,  fertile  land.  It  was  the  first  county 
settled  in  the  State  under  the  auspices  of  the  Ohio  Company.  A  detachment 
of  United  States  troops,  under  command  of  Maj.  John  Doughty,  built  Fort 
Harmar  in  1785,  and  it  was  the  first  military  post  established  in  Ohio  by 
Americans,  with  the  exception  of  Fort  Laurens,  which  was  erected  in  1778. 
It  was  occupied  by  United  States  troops  until  1790,  when  they  were  ordered 
to  Connecticut.  A  company  under  Capt.  Haskell  remained.  In  1785,  the 
Directors  of  the  Ohio  Company  began  practical  operations,  and  settlement 
went  forward  rapidly.  Campus  Martins,  a  stockade  fort,  was  completed  in 
1791.  This  formed  a  sturdy  stronghold  during  the  war.  During  the  Indian 
war  there  was  much  sufiering  in  the  county.  Many  settlers  were  killed  and 
captured. 

Marietta  is  the  county  seat,  and  the  oldest  town  in  Ohio.  Marietta  College 
was  chartered  in  1835.  Herman  Blannerhassett,  whose  unfortunate  association 
with  Aaron  Burr  proved  fatal  to  himself,  was  a  resident  of  Marietta  in  1796. 
About  the  year  1798,  he  began  to  beautify  and  improve  his  island. 

Warren  County  was  formed  May  1,  1803,  from  Hamilton.  The  soil  is 
very  fertile,  and  considerable  water-power  is  furnished  by  its  streams.  Mr. 
Bedell  made  the  first  settlement  in  1795.     Lebanon  is  the  county  seat.     Henry 


160  HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  OHIO. 

Taylor  settled   in   this   vicinity   in    1796.     Union  Village  is  a  settlement  of 
Shakers.     They  came  here  about  1805. 

Wayne  County  was  proclaimed  by  Gov.  St.  Clair  August  15,  1796,  and 
was  the  third  county  in  the  Northwest  Territory.  The  settlement  of  this  sec- 
tion has  already  been  briefly  delineated.  Wooster  is  the  county  seat.  It  was 
laid  out  during  the  fall  of  1808,  by  John  Beaver,  William  Henry  and  Joseph 
H.  Larwell,  owners  of  the  land.  Its  site  is  337  feet  above  Lake  Erie.  The 
fii'st  mill  was  built  by  Joseph  Stibbs,  in  1809,  on  Apple  Creek.  In  1812,  a 
block  house  was  erected  in  Wooster. 

Wood  County  was  formed  from  the  old  Indian  territory  in  1820.  The  soil 
is  rich,  and  large  crops  are  produced.  The  county  is  situated  within  the  Mau- 
mee  Valley.  It  was  the  arena  of  brilliant  military  exploits  diiring  early  times. 
Bowling  Green  is  the  county  seat. 

Williams  County  was  formed  April  1,  1820,  from  the  old  Indian  territory. 
Bryan  is  the  county  seat.     It  was  laid  out  in  1840. 

Wyandot  County  was  formed  February  3,  1845,  from  Marion,  Hardin,  Han- 
cock and  Crawford.  The  surface  is  level,  and  the  soil  exceedingly  fertile. 
The  Wyandot  Indians  occupied  this  section,  especially  the  reservation,  from 
time  immemorial  until  1843.  The  treaty  of  1817,  by  Hon.  Lewis  Cass  and 
Hon.  Duncan  McArthur,  United  States  Commissioners,  granted  to  the  Indians 
a  reservation  twelve  miles  sqiiare,  the  central  point  being  Fort  Ferree,  now 
within  the  corporate  limits  of  Upper  Sandusky.  The  Delaware  Reserve  was 
ceded  to  the  United  States  in  1829.  The  Wyandots  ceded  theirs  March  17, 
1842.  Col.  John  Johnston,  the  United  States  Commissioner,  conducted  the 
negotiations,  and  thus  made  the  Indian  treaty  in  Ohio.  It  was  the  scene  of 
Col.  Crawford's  defeat  and  tragic  death,  June  11,  1782.  The  Wyandots  were 
exceedingly  brave,  and  several  of  their  chiefs  were  distinguished  orators  and 
men  of  exalted  moral  principles. 

Upper  Sandusky  is  the  county  seat,  and  was  laid  out  in  1843.  Gen.  Har- 
rison had  built  Fort  Ferree  on  this  spot  during  the  war  of  1812.  Gov.  Meigs, 
in  1813,  encamped   on  this  river   with  several   thousand  of  the  Ohio  militia. 

The  Indian  village  of  Crane  Town  was  originally  called  Upper  Sandusky. 
The  Indians,  after  the  death  of  Tarhe,  or  "  the  Crane,"  transferred  their  town 
to  Upper  Sandusky. 

GOVERNORS    OF    OHIO. 

The  Territorial  Governors  we  have  already  mentioned  in  the  course  of  our 
brief  review  of  the  prominent  events  of  the  State  of  Ohio.  After  the  Terri- 
tory was  admitted  as  a  State,  in  1802,  Edward  Tiffin  was  elected  to  that  posi- 
tion, and  again  received  the  same  honor  in  1804  and  1806.  In  1807,  circum- 
stances led  him  to  resign,  and  Thomas  Kirker,  Speaker  of  the  House,  acted  as 
Governor  until  the  close  of  the  term. 

Edward  Tiffin  was  born  in  Carlisle,  England,  coming  to  this  country  in 
1784,  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  He  entered  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
applied  himself  to  the  study  of  medicine,  graduating  and  beginning  his  practice 
at  the  age  of  twenty,   in  the  State  of  Virginia.      In   1789,    he  married  Mary, 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  161 

daughter  of  Col.  Worthington,  and  sister  of  Thomas  Worthington,  who  subse- 
quently became  Governor  of  Ohio.  In  his  profession,  Gov.  Tiffin  was  highly 
esteemed,  and  his  public  labors  were  carried  forward  with  a  zealous  earnestness 
which  marked  his  career  as  one  of  usefulness.  He  settled  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio, 
in  1796,  where  he  died,  in  1829. 

Samuel  Huntington,  the  recipient  of  the  honor  of  second  Governor,  was 
inaugurated  in  1808.  He  was  an  American  by  birth,  Norwich,  Conn.^ 
being  his  native  place.  He  was  a  diligent  student  in  Yale  College,  graduating 
in  1785.  He  removed  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1801.  He  attained  a  reputation 
for  integrity,  ability  and  rare  discretion.  As  a  scholar,  he  was  eminently  supe- 
rior.    He  resided  in  Cleveland  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1817. 

Return  Jonathan  IVfeigs  followed  Gov.  Huntington.  He  was  born  in  Mid- 
dletown,  Conn.,  in  1765.  He  was  also  a  student  in  Yale  College,  graduating 
in  1785,  with  the  highest  honors.  He  immediately  entered  the  study  of  law, 
and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  his  twenty-third  year.  He  married  Miss  Sophia 
Wright,  and  settled  in  Marietta,  Ohio,  in  1788.  He  took  his  seat  as  Gover- 
nor in  1810,  and  was  re-elected  in  1812.  In  1813,  President  Madison  appointed 
him  to  the  position  of  Postmaster  General,  which  occasioned  his  resignation  as 
Governor.  Othniel  Looker,  Speaker  of  the  House,  acted  as  Governor  during 
the  remainder  of  the  term.  Mr.  Meigs  died  in  1825,  leaving  as  a  memento  of 
his  usefulness,  a  revered  memory. 

Thomas  Worthington,  the  fourth  Governor,  was  born  in  Jefferson  County, 
Va.,  in  1769.  He  gained  an  education  in  William  and  Mary's  College. 
In  1788,  he  located  at  Chillicothe,  and  was  the  first  Senator  from  the  new 
State.  He  was  also  the  first  man  to  erect  the  first  saw-mill  in  Ohio.  He 
served  two  terms  as  Senator,  from  1803  to  1815,  resigning  in  1814,  to  take  his 
position  as  Governor.  In  1816,  he  was  re-elected.  He  was  exceedingly  active 
in  paving  the  way  for  the  future  prosperity  of  Ohio.  His  measures  were  famous 
for  practical  worth  and- honesty.  Chief  Justice  Chase  designated  him  as  "a 
gentleman  of  distinguished  ability  and  great  influence."     He  died  in  1827. 

Ethan  Allen  Brown  followed  Mr.  Worthington.  His  birthplace  was  on  the 
shore  of  Long  Island  Sound,  in  Fairfield  County,  Conn.,  July  4,  1766.  His 
education  was  derived  under  the  most  judicious  instruction  of  a  private  tutor. 
In  classics,  he  became  proficient.  Directly  he  had  reached  the  required  stand- 
ard in  general  education,  he  began  the  study  of  law,  at  home.  After  becoming 
conversant  with  preliminary  requirements,  he  entered  the  law  ofiice  of  Alex- 
ander Hamilton,  who  at  that  time  was  a  national  pride,  as  a  scholar,  lawyer  and 
statesman.  Opportunities  coming  in  his  way,  Avhich  promised  a  fortune,  he 
abandoned  the  law,  and  achieved  success  and  a  fortune.  He  then  decided  to 
return  to  his  study,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1802.  Thereafter,  he  was 
seized  with  an  exploring  enthusiasm,  and  with  his  cousin  as  a  companion,  set 
out  upon  a  horseback  tour,  following  the  Indian  trails  from  east  to  west,  through 
Pennsylvania,  until  they  reached  Brownsville,  on  the  Monongahela  River.  Here 


162  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

they  purchased  two  flatboats,  and  fully  stocking  them  with  provisions  and 
obtaining  efficient  crews,  started  for  New  Orleans.  Reaching  that  city,  they 
found  they  could  not  dispose  of  their  cargoes  to  any  advantage,  and  shipped  the 
flour  to  Liverpool,  England,  taking  passage  in  the  same  vessel.  They  succeeded 
in  obtaining  good  prices  for  their  stock,  and  set  sail  for  America,  arriving  in  Bal- 
timore nine  months  after  first  leaving  "  home,"  on  this  adventure.  Mr.  Brown's 
father  decided  to  secure  a  large  and  valuable  tract  of  Western  land,  as  a  per- 
manent home,  and  authorized  his  son  to  select  and  purchase  the  same  for  him. 
He  found  what  he  desired,  near  Rising  Sun,  Ind.  After  this,  he  settled  in 
Cincinnati,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law,  speedily  achieving  prominency 
and  distinction.  Financially,  he  was  most  fortunate.  In  1810,  he  was  elected 
Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  which  position  he  filled  with  honor,  until  he  was 
chosen  Governor,  in  1818.  He  Avas  re-elected  in  1820.  In  1821,  he  received 
the  honor  of  Senator,  and  served  one  term,  with  the  highest  distinction,  gain- 
ing emolument  for  himself  and  the  State  he  represented.  In  1880,  he  was 
appointed  Minister  to  Brazil.  He  remained  there  four  years,  and  returning, 
was  appointed  Commissioner  of  Public  Lands,  by  President  Jackson,  holding 
this  position  two  years.  At  this  time,  he  decided  to  retire  from  public  life. 
Since  he  never  married,  he  was  much  with  his  relatives,  at  Rising  Sun,  Ind., 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  life.  His  death  was  sudden  and  unexpected,  occur- 
ring in  February,  1852,  while  attending  a  Democratic  Convention,  at  Indianap- 
olis, Ind.     He  was  interred  near  his  father,  at  Rising  Sun. 

Jeremiah  Morrow,  the  sixth  Governor  of  Ohio,  was  born  at  Gettysburg, 
Penn.,  in  October,  1771.  His  people  were  of  the  "  Scotch-Irish  "  class,  and  his 
early  life  was  one  of  manual  labor  upon  his  father's  farm.  During  the  winter, 
he  had  the  privilege  of  a  private  school.  With  a  view  of  establishing  himself 
and  securing  a  competency,  he  bade  the  old  home  farewell,  in  1795,  and  set  out 
for  the  "  Far  West."  A  flatboat  carried  him  to  a  little  cluster  of  cabins,  known 
by  the  name  of  Columbia,  six  miles  from  Fort  Washington — Cincinnati.  He 
devoted  himself  to  whatever  came  in  his  way,  that  seemed  best  and  most  worthy 
— teaching  school,  surveying  and  working  on  farms  between  times.  Having 
accumulated  a  small  capital,  he  ascended  the  Little  Miami,  as  fir  as  Warren 
County,  and  there  purchased  an  extensive  farm,  and  erected  an  excellent  log 
house.  In  the  spring  of  1799,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Packtrell,  of  Columbia. 
The  young  couple  set  out  upon  pioneer  farming.  Gaining  popularity  as  well  as 
a  desirable  property,  he  was  deputized  to  the  Territorial  Legislature,  which  met 
at  Chillicothe,  at  which  time  measures  were  inaugurated  to  call  a  Constitutional 
Convention,  during  the  following  year,  to  organize  the  State  of  Ohio.  Mr. 
Morrow  was  one  of  the  Delegates  to  this  convention,  and  steadfastly  worked  in  the 
interests  of  those  who  sent  him,  until  its  close  in  1802.  The  following  year, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  Ohio,  and  in  June  of  the  same  year,  he  was 
appointed  the  first  Representative  to  the  United  States  Congress  from  the  new 
State. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  163 

Ohio  was  then  entitled  to  but  one  Representative  in  Congress,  and  could  not 
add  to  that  number  for  ten  years  thereafter.  During  these  years,  Mr.  Morrow 
represented  the  State.  In  1813,  he  was  sent  to  the  United  States  Senate,  and 
in  1822,  was  elected  Governor  of  Ohio,  almost  unanimously,  being  re-elected  in 
1824.  It  was  during  his  administration  that  work  was  begun  on  the  Ohio 
Canal.  Mr.  Morrow  received  the  national  guest.  La  Fayette,  with  an  earnest 
and  touching  emotion,  which  aifected  the  emotions  of  the  generous  Frenchman 
more  profoundly  than  any  of  the  elaborate  receptions  which  paved  his  way 
through  America.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1839,  Gov.  Morrow  was  appointed  to 
lay  the  corner  stone  of  the  new  State  capitol,  at  Columbus,  and  to  deliver  the 
address  on  this  occasion.  Again,  in  1840,  he  was  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, filling  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  resignation  of  Hon.  Thomas  Corwin. 
He  was  elected  for  the  following  term  also.  He  died  at  his  own  homestead,  in 
Warren  County,  March  22,  1853. 

Allen  Trimble  was  a  native  of  Augusta  County,  Va.  The  date  of  his  birth 
was  November  24,  1783.  His  ancestors  were  of  Scotch-Irish  origin,  and  were 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Virginia.  His  father  moved  to  Ohio  in  1804,  pur- 
chasing a  tract  of  land  in  Highland  County.  His  cabin  was  remarkably  spa- 
cious, and  elicited  the  admiration  of  his  neighbors.  He  cleared  six  acres  of 
land  for  an  orchard,  and  brought  the  trees  on  horseback,  from  Kentucky.  Be- 
fore this  new  home  was  completed,  Allen,  then  a  young  man  of  twenty,  took 
possession.  This  was  in  the  year  1805.  Four  years  thereafter,  he  occupied 
the  position  of  Clerk  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  and  Recorder  of  High- 
land County.  He  was  serving  in  the  latter  capacity  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war  of  1812.  Naturally  enthusiastic  and  patriotic,  he  engaged  a  competent 
person  to  perform  his  civil  duties,  while  he  went  into  active  service  as  Colonel 
of  a  regiment  he  had  summoned  and  enlisted.  He  was  always  eager  to  be  in 
the  front,  and  led  his  men  with  such  valor  that  they  were  termed  soldiers  who 
did  not  know  the  art  of  flinching.  His  commanding  General  lavished  praises 
upon  him.  In  1816,  he  was  in  the  State  Senate,  representing  Highland 
County.  He  occupied  the  same  position  for  four  terms,  two  years  each.  In 
1818,  he  was  Speaker  of  the  Senate,  over  Gen.  Robert  Lucas.  He  remained 
in  this  office  until  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused 
by  the  death  of  his  brother.  Col.  William  A.  Trimble.  In  October,  1826,  he 
was  elected  the  seventh  Governor  of  Ohio,  by  an  astonishing  majority.  The 
united  vote  of  his  three  competitors  was  but  one-sixth  of  the  vote  polled.  Gov. 
Trimble  was  an  earnest  Henry  Clay  Whig.  In  1828,  he  was  re-elected, 
although  Jackson  carried  the  State  the  following  November.  Gov.  Trimble 
was  married  in  1806,  to  Miss  Margaret  McDowell.  Tliree  years  thereafter, 
she  died,  leaving  two  children.  He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Rachel 
Woodrow,  and  they  lived  together  sixty  years,  when  he  died,  at  home,  in  Hills- 
boro.  Highland  County,  February  3,  1870.  His  wife  survived  him  but  a  few 
months. 


164  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

Duncan  Mc Arthur,  the  eighth  Governor  of  Ohio,  was  born  in  Dutchess 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  1772.  While  yet  a  chikl,  his  parents  removed  to  the  west- 
ern part  of  Pennsylvania,  where  they  entered  upon  the  hard  life  of  pioneers. 
While  there,  young  Duncan  had  the  meager  advantages  of  a  backwoods  school. 
His  life  was  a  general  routine  until  his  eighteenth  year,  when  he  enlisted  under 
Gen.  Harmer  for  the  Indian  campaign.  His  conduct  and  bravery  won  worthy 
laurels,  and  upon  the  death  of  the  commander  of  his  company,  he  was  elected 
to  that  position,  although  the  youngest  man  in  the  company.  When  his  days 
of  service  had  expired,  he  found  employment  at  salt-making  in  Maysville,  Ky., 
until  he  was  engaged  as  chain-bearer  in  Gen.  Massie's  survey  of  the  Scioto 
Valley.  At  this  time,  Indian  atrocities  alarmed  the  settlers  occasionally,  and 
his  reputation  for  bravery  caused  him  to  be  appointed  one  of  the  three  patrols 
of  the  Kentucky  side  of  the  Ohio,  to  give  the  alarm  to  scattered  cabins  in  case 
of  danger.  This  was  during  the  summer  of  1793.  Gen.  Massie  again  secured 
his  services,  this  time  as  assistant  surveyor.  He  was  thus  engaged  for  several 
years,  during  which  time  ho  assisted  in  platting  Chillicothe.  He  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  land  just  north  of  town,  and  under  his  vigorous  and  practical 
management,  it  became  one  of  the  finest  estates  of  Ohio,  which  reputation  it 
sustains  at  the  present  time.  He  amassed  wealth  rapidly,  his  investments 
always  being  judicious.  In  1805,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature. 
He  was  a  Colonel  of  an  Ohio  regiment,  and  accompanied  Gen.  Hull  to  Detroit 
in  1813.  At  Hull's  surrender  he  was  a  prisoner,  btit  released  on  parole, 
returned  to  Ohio  in  a  state  of  indignation  over  his  commander's  stupidity. 
Soon  thereafter  he  was  sent  to  Congress  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  Soon  there- 
after he  was  released  from  parole  by  exchange,  and,  greatly  rejoiced,  he 
resigned  his  seat,  entered  the  army  as  a  Brigadier  General  under  Gen.  Harri- 
son, and  the  following  year  succeeded  him  as  commander  of  the  Northwestern 
forces.  At  the  termination  of  the  war,  he  was  immediately  returned  to  the 
State  Legislature.  He  occupied  State  offices  until  1822,  when  he  was  again 
sent  to  Congress.  Serving  one  term,  he  declined  re-election.  In  1830,  he 
was  elected  Governor  of  Ohio.  When  his  term  expired,  he  decided  to  enjoy 
life  as  a  citizen  on  his  farm,  "  Fruit  Hill,"  and  lived  there  in  contentment  until 
1840,  when  he  died. 

Robert  Lucas  was  another  Virginian,  having  been  born  in  1781,  in  Jeifer- 
son  County  of  that  State.  While  a  boy,  his  father  liberated  his  slaves,  moving 
to  Chillicothe  as  one  of  the  early  settlers.  He  procured  a  proficient  tutor  for 
his  children.  Robert  became  an  expert  in  mathematics  and  surveying.  Before 
he  reached  his  majority,  he  was  employed  as  surveyor,  earning  liberal  compen- 
sation. At  the  age  of  twenty-three,  he  was  appointed  Surveyor  of  Scioto 
County.  At  twenty-five,  he  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  L^nion  Township, 
Scioto  County.  He  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Brown  in  1810,  who  died  two 
years  thereafter,  leaving  a  young  daughter.  In  1816,  he  married  Miss  Sum- 
ner.    The  same  year  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Legislature-     Tor 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  165 

nineteen  consecutive  years  he  served  in  the  House  or  Senate.  In  1820  and 
1828,  he  was  chosen  one  of  the  Presidential  electors  of  Ohio.  In  1832, 
he  Avas  Chairman  of  the  National  Convention  at  Baltimore,  which  nom- 
inated Gen.  Jackson  as  President  of  the  United  States.  In  1832,  he 
became  Governor  of  Ohio,  and  was  re-elected  in  1834.  He  declined  a  third 
nomination,  and  was  appointed  by  President  Van  Buren  Territorial  Governor 
of  Iowa  and  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs.  On  the  16th  of  August, 
1838,  he  reached  Burlington,  the  seat  of  government.  He  remained  in  Iowa 
until  his  death,  in  1853. 

Joseph  Vance,  the  tenth  Governor  of  Ohio,  was  born  in  Washington 
County,  Penn.,  March  21,  1781.  He  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  and  his 
father  emigrated  to  the  new  Territory  when  Joseph  was  two  years  of  age.  He 
located  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  Ohio,  building  a  solid  block  house.  This 
formed  a  stronghold  for  his  neighbors  in  case  of  danger.  In  1801,  this  pioneer 
decided  to  remove  north  of  the  Ohio  River,  and  eventually  settled  in  Urbana. 
Joseph  had  the  primitive  advantages  of  the  common  schools,  and  became  pro- 
ficient in  handling  those  useful  implements — the  plow,  ax  and  rifle.  The  first 
money  he  earned  he  invested  in  a  yoke  of  oxen.  He  obtained  several  barrels 
of  salt,  and  set  out  on  a  speculative  tour  through  the  settlements.  He  traveled 
through  a  wilderness,  over  swamps,  and  surmounted  serious  difficulties.  At 
night  he  built  a  huge  fire  to  terrify  the  wolves  and  panthers,  and  laid  down  to 
sleep  beside  his  oxen,  frequently  being  obliged  to  stand  guard  to  protect 
them  from  these  ferocious  creatures.  Occasionally  he  found  a  stream  so  swol- 
len that  necessarily  he  waited  hours  and  even  days  in  the  tangled  forest,  before 
he  could  cross.  He  often  suffered  from  hunger,  yet  he  sturdily  persevered  and 
sold  his  salt,  though  a  lad  of  only  fifteen  years.  When  he  attained  his  major- 
ity, he  married  Miss  Mary  Lemen,  of  Urbana.  At  twenty-three,  he  was 
elected  Captain  of  a  rifle  company,  and  frequently  led  his  men  to  the  front  to 
fight  the  Indians  prior  to  the  war  of  1812.  During  that  year,  he  and  his 
brother  piloted  Hull's  army  through  the  dense  forests  to  Fort  Meigs.  In  1817, 
with  Samuel  McCullough  and  Henry  Van  Meter,  he  made  a  contract  to  supply 
the  Northwestern  army  with  provisions.  They  drove  their  cattle  and  hogs 
many  miles,  dead  weight  being  transported  on  sleds  and  in  wagons.  He 
engaged  in  mercantile  business  at  Urbana  and  Fort  Meigs — now  Perrysburg. 

While  thus  employed,  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  and  there  remained 
four  years.  He  then  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  on  Blanchard's  Fork, 
and  laid  out  the  town  of  Findlay.  He  was  sent  to  Congress  in  1821,  and  was 
a  member  of  that  body  for  fifteen  years.  In  1836,  he  was  chosen  Governor  of 
Ohio.  Again  he  was  sent  to  Congress  in  1842.  While  attending  the  Consti- 
tutional Convention  in  1850,  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis,  and  suffered 
extremely  until  1852,  when  he  died  at  his  home  in  Urbana. 

Wilson  Shannon  was  a  native  of  Belmont  County,  Ohio.  He  was  born 
during  1803.     iVt  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  was  sent  to  the  university  at  Athens, 


166  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

where  he  remained  a  year,  and  then  changed  to  the  Transylvania  University, 
at  Lexington,  Ky.  He  continued  his  studies  two  years,  then  returning  home 
and  entering  upon  reading  law.  He  completed  his  course  at  St.  Clairsville, 
Belmont  County,  and  was  admitted  to  practice.  He  was  engaged  in  the  courts 
of  the  county  for  eight  years.  In  1832,  the  Democrats  nominated  him  to  Con- 
gress, but  he  was  not  elected.  He  received  the  position  of  Prosecuting  Attor- 
ney in  1834,  in  which  position  his  abilities  were  so  marked  and  brilliant  that 
he  was  elected  Governor  by  a  majority  of  3,600.  He  was  re- nominated  in 
1 840,  but  Tom  Corwin  won  the  ticket.  Two  years  thereafter,  he  was  again 
nominated  and  elected.  In  1843,  he  was  appointed  Minister  to  Mexico,  by 
President  Tyler,  and  resigned  the  office  of  Governor.  When  Texas  was 
admitted  as  a  State,  Mexico  renounced  all  diplomatic  relations  with  the  United 
States.  ]Mr.  Shannon  returned  home,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  He 
was  sent  to  Congress  in  1852.  President  Pierce  conferred  upon  him  the  posi- 
tion of  Territorial  Governor  of  Kansas,  which  duty 'he  did  not  perform  satis- 
factorily, and  was  superseded  after  fourteen  months  of  service.  He  settled  in 
Lecompton,  Kan.,  and  there  practiced  law  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1877. 

Thomas  Corwin,  the  twelfth  Governor  of  Ohio,  was  born  in  Bourbon 
County,  Ky.,  July  29,  1794.  His  father  settled  at  Lebanon  in  1798.  The 
country  was  crude,  and  advantages  meager.  When  Thomas  was  seventeen 
years  of  age,  the  war  of  1812  was  inaugurated,  and  this  young  man  was 
engaged  to  drive  a  Avagon  through  the  wilderness,  loaded  with  provisions,  to 
Gen.  Harrison's  headquarters.  In  1816,  he  began  the  study  of  law,  and 
achieved  knowledge  so  rapidly  that  in  1S17  he  passed  examination  and  was 
admitted  to  practice.  He  Avas  elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  his  county,  in 
1818,  which  position  he  held  until  1830.  He  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  of 
Ohio  in  1822.  Again,  in  1829,  he  was  a  member  of  the  same  body.  He  was 
sent  to  Congress  in  1830,  and  continued  to  be  re-elected  for  the  space  of  ten 
years.  He  became  Governor  of  Ohio  in  1840.  In  1845,  he  Avas  elected  to 
the  United  States  Senate,  Avhere  he  remained  until  called  to  the  cabinet  of  Mr. 
Fillmore,  as  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  He  was  again  sent  to  Congress  in 
1858,  and  re-elected  in  1860.  He  was  appointed  Minister  to  Mexico,  by  Pres- 
ident Lincoln.  After  his  return,  he  practiced  law  in  Washington,  D.  0  , 
where  he  died  in  1866. 

Mordecai  Bartley  was  born  in  1783,  in  Fayette  County,  Penn.  There  he 
remained,  on  his  father's  farm,  until  he  Avas  tAventy-one  years  of  age.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Wells  in  1804,  and  removed  to  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  where  he 
purchased  a  farm,  near  Cross  Creek.  At  the  opening  of  the  war  of  1812,  he 
enlisted  in  a  company,  and  Avas  elected  its  Captain.  He  entered  the  field  under 
Harrison.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  he  removed  to  Richland  County,  and  opened 
a  clearing  and  set  up  a  cabin,  a  short  distance  from  INIansfield.  He  remained 
on  his  farm  twenty  years,  then  removing  to  Mansfield,  enter<ed  the  mercantile 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  16T 

business.  In  1817,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate.  He  was  sent  to  Con- 
gress in  1823,  and  served  four  terms.  In  1844,  he  became  Governor  of  Ohio, 
on  the  Whig  ticket.  He  declined  a  re-nomination,  preferring  to  retire  to  his 
i  home  in  Mansfield,  where  he  died  in  1870. 

William  Bebb,  the  fourteenth  Governor,  was  from  Hamilton  County,  Ohio. 
He  was  born  in  1804.  His  early  instructions  were  limited,  but  thorough.  He 
opened  a  school  himself,  when  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  at  North  Bend, 
residing  in  the  house  of  Gen.  Harrison.  He  remained  thus  employed  a  year, 
during  which  time  he  married  Shuck.  He  very  soon  began  the  study  of  law, 
continuing  his  school.  He  was  successful  in  his  undertakings,  and  many  pupils 
were  sent  him  from  the  best  families  in  Cincinnati.  In  1831,  he  was  admitted 
to  practice,  and  opened  an  office  in  Hamilton,  Butler  County,  remaining  thus 
engaged  for  fourteen  years.  In  1845,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Ohio.  In 
1847,  he  purchased  5,000  acres  of  land  in  the  Rock  River  country.  111.,  and 
removed  there  three  years  later.  On  the  inauguration  of  President  Lincoln,  he 
was  appointed  Pension  Examiner,  at  Washington,  and  remained  in  that  position 
until  1866,  when  he  returned  to  his  Illinois  farm.  He  died  at  Rockford,  111., 
in  1873. 

Seabury  Ford,  the  fifteenth  Governor  of  Ohio,  was  born  in  the  year  1802, 
at  Cheshire,  Conn.  His  parents  settled  in  Burton  Township.  He  attended 
the  common  schools,  prepared  for  college  at  an  academy  in  Burton,  and  entered 
Yale  College,  in  1821,  graduating  in  1825.  He  then  began  the  study  of  laAV, 
in  the  law  office  of  Samuel  W.  Phelps,  of  Painesville,  completing  his  course 
with  Judge  Hitchcock.  He  began  practice  in  1827,  in  Burton.  He  married 
Miss  Harriet  E.  Cook,  of  Burton,  in  1828.  He  was  elected  by  the  Whigs  to 
the  Legislature,  in  1835,  and  served  six  sessions,  during  one  of  which  he  was. 
Speaker  of  the  House.  He  entered  the  State  Senate  in  1841,  and  there 
remained  until  1844,  when  he  was  again  elected  Representative.  In  1846,  he 
was  appointed  to  the  Senate,  and  in  1848,  he  became  Governor  of  Ohio.  On 
the  first  Sunday  after  his  retirement,  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis,  from  which 
he  never  recovered.     He  died  at  his  home  in  Burton  in  1855. 

Reuben  Wood,  the  sixteenth  Governor,  was  a  Yermonter.  Born  in  1792, 
m  Middleton,  Rutland  County,  he  Avas  a  sturdy  son  of  the  Green  Mountain 
State.  He  was  a  thorough  scholar,  and  obtained  a  classical  education  in  Upjjcr 
Canada.  In  1812.  he  was  drafted  by  the  Canadian  authorities  to  serve  against 
the  Americans,  but  being  determined  not  to  oppose  his  own  land,  he  escaped 
one  stormy  night,  accompanied  by  Bill  Johnson,  who  was  afterward  an  Ameri- 
can spy.  In  a  birchbark  canoe  they  attempted  to  cross  Lake  Ontario.  A 
heavy  storm  of  wind  and  rain  set  in.  The  night  was  intensely  dark,  and  Ihey 
were  in  great  danger.  They  fortunately  found  refuge  on  a  small  island,  where 
they  were  storm-bound  three  days,  suffering  from  hunger  and  exposure.  They 
reached  Sacket's  Harbor  at  last,  in  a  deplorable  condition.  Here  they  were 
arrested  as  spies  by  the  patrol  boats  of  the  American  fleet.     They  were  prisoners 


168  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

four  days,  when  an  uncle  of  Mr.  Wood's,  residing  not  far  distant,  came  to 
their  rescue,  vouched  for  their  loyalty,  and  they  Avere  released.  Mr.  \\  ood 
then  went  to  Woodville,  N.  Y.,  where  he  raised  a  company,  of  which  he  was 
elected  Captain.  They  marched  to  the  northern  frontier.  The  battles  of 
riattsburg  and  Lake  Champlain  were  fought,  the  enemy  defeated,  and  the  com- 
pany returned  to  Woodville  and  was  disbanded. 

Young  Wood  then  entered  the  laAV  office  of  Gen.  Jonas  Clark,  at  Middle- 
bury,  Vt.  He  Avas  married  in  1816,  and  two  years  later,  settled  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio.  When  he  first  established  himself  in  the  village,  he  possessed  his  Avife, 
infant  daughter  and  a  silver  quarter  of  a  dollar.  He  was  elected  to  the  State 
Senate  in  1825,  and  filled  the  office  three  consecutive  terms.  He  was  appointed 
Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  He  was  promoted  to  the  Bench  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  serving  there  fourteen  years,  the  latter  portion  of  the  term  as 
Chief  Justice.  He  was  termed  the  "Cayuga  Chief,"  from  his  tall  form  and 
courtly  bearing.  He  was  elected  Governor  in  1850,  by  a  majority  of  11,000. 
The  new  constitution,  Avliich  went  into  effect  in  March,  1851,  vacated  the  office 
of  Governor,  and  he  Avas  re-elected  by  a  majority  of  26,000.  The  Democrats 
holding  a  national  convention  in  Baltimore  in  1852,  party  division  caused  fifty 
unavailing  votes.  The  Virginia  delegation  offered  the  entire  vote  to  Gov. 
Wood,  if  Ohio  would  bring  him  forward.  The  opposition  of  one  man  pre- 
vented this.  The  offer  was  accepted  by  New  Hampshire,  and  Frank  Pierce 
became  President.  Mr.  Wood  Avas  appointed  Consul  to  Valparaiso,  South 
America,  and  resigned  his  office  of  Governor.  He  resigned  his  consulship  and 
returned  to  his  fine  farm  near  Cleveland,  called  "Evergreen  Place."  He 
expected  to  address  a  Union  meeting  on  the  5th  of  October,  1864,  but  on  the 
1st  he  died,  mourned  by  all  Avho  knew  him. 

William  Medill,  the  seventeenth  Governor,  was  born  in  Ncav  Castle  County, 
Del.,  in  1801.  He  Avas  a  graduate  of  Delaware  College  in  1825.  He  began 
the  study  of  law  under  Judge  Black,  of  Ncav  Castle,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1832.  He  removed  to  Lancaster,  Ohio,  in  1830.  He  Avas  elected  Rep- 
resentative from  Fairfield  County  in  1835.  He  was  elected  to  Congress  in 
1838,  and  Avas  re-elected  in  1840.  He  was  appointed  Assistant  Postmaster 
General  by  President  Polk.  During  the  same  year,  he  Avas  appointed  Com- 
missioner of  Indian  Affairs.  In  1851,  he  was  elected  Lieutenant  GoA^ernor,  and, 
in  1853,  he  became  Governor.  He  occupied  the  position  of  First  Comptroller 
of  the  United  States  Treasury  in  1857,  under  President  Buchanan,  retaining  the 
office  until  1861,  Avhen  he  retired  from  public  life.  His  death  occurred  in 
1865. 

Salmon  P.  Chase  was  a  native  of  Cornish,  N.  H.  He  was  born  in  1803. 
He  entered  Dartmouth  College  in  1822,  graduating  in  1826.  He  was  there- 
after successful  in  establishing  a  classical  school  in  Washington,  but  finan- 
cially it  did  not  succeed.  He  continued  to  teach  the  sons  of  Henry  Clay, 
William  Wirt  and  S.  L.  Southard,  at  the  same  time  reading  laAV  when  not  busy 


IlISTOllV    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  171 

as  tutor.  He  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1829,  and  opened  a  law  office  in  Cin- 
cinnati. He  succeeded  but  moderately,  and  during  his  leisure  hours  prepared 
a  new  edition  of  the  "Statutes  of  Ohio."  He  added  annotations  and  a  well- 
written  sketch  of  the  early  history  of  the  State.  This  was  a  thorough  success, 
and  gave  the  earnest  worker  popularity  and  a  stepping-stone  for  the  future. 
He  was  solicitor  for  the  banks  of  the  United  States  in  1834,  and  soon  there- 
after, for  the  city  banks.  He  achieved  considerable  distinction  in  1837,  in  the 
case  of  a  colored  woman  brought  into  the  State  by  her  master,  and  escaping 
his  possession.  He  was  thus  brought  out  as  an  Abolitionist,  which  was  further 
sustained  by  his  defense  of  James  G.  Birney,  who  had  suffered  indictment  for 
harboring  a  fugitive  slave.  In  1846,  associated  with  William  H.  Seward,  he 
defended  Van  Zandt  before  the  Supreme  Court  of  -the  United  States.  His 
thrilling  denunciations  and  startling  conjectures  alarmed  the  slaveholding 
States,  and  subsequently  led  to  the  enactment  of  the  fugitive-slave  law  of  1850. 
Mr.  Chase  was  a  member  of  the  United  States  Senate  in  1849,  through  the 
coalition  of  the  Democrats  and  Free-Soilers.  In  1855,  he  was  elected  Gover- 
nor of  Ohio  by  the  opponents  of  Pierce's  administration.  He  was  re-elected 
in  1859.  President  Lincoln,  in  1861,  tendered  him  the  position  of  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury.  To  his  ability  and  official  management  we  are  indebted  for 
the  present  national  bank  system.  In  1864,  he  was  appointed  Chief  Justice  of 
the  United  States.  He  died  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1873,  after  a  useful 
career. 

William  Dennison  was  born  in  Cincinnati  in  1815.  He  gained  an  educa- 
tion at  Miami  University,  graduating  in  1835.  He  began  the  study  of  law  in 
the  office  of  the  father  of  George  H.  Pendleton,  and  was  qualified  and  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1840.  The  same  year,  he  married  a  daughter  of  William  Neil, 
of  Columbus.  The  Whigs  of  the  Franklin  and  Delaware  District  sent  him  to 
the  State  Senate,  in  1848.  He  was  President  of  the  Exchange  Bank  in  Cin- 
cinnati, in  1852,  and  was  also  President  of  Columbus  &  Xenia  Railway.  He  was 
elected  the  nineteenth  Governor  of  Ohio  in  1859.  By  his  promptness  and 
activity  at  the  beginning  of  the  rebellion,  Ohio  was  placed  in  the  front  rank  of 
loyalty.  At  the  beginning  of  Lincoln's  second  term,  he  was  appointed  Post- 
master General,  retiring  upon  the  accession  of  Johnson.  He  then  made  his 
home  at  Columbus. 

David  Tod,  the  twentieth  Governor  of  Ohio,  was  born  at  Youngstown,  Ohio, 
in  1805.  His  education  was  principally  obtained  through  his  own  exertions. 
He  set  about  the  study  of  law  most  vigorously,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
1827.  He  soon  acquired  popularity  through  his  ability,  and  consequently  was 
financially  successful.  He  purchased  the  Briar  Hill  homestead.  LTnder  Jack- 
son's administration,  he  was  Postmaster  at  AVarren,  and  held  the  position  until 
1838,  when  he  was  elected  State  Senator  by  the  Whigs  of  Trumbull  District,  by 
the  Democrats.  In  1844,  he  retired  to  Briar  Hill,  and  opened  the  Briar  Hill 
Coal  Mines.     He  was  a  pioneer  in  the  coal  business  of  Ohio.     In  the  Cleveland 


172  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

&  Mahoning  Railroad,  he  was  largely  interested,  and  was  its  President,  after  the 
death  of  Mr.  Perkins.  He  was  nominated,  in  1844,  for  Governor,  by  the  Dem- 
ocrats, but  was  defeated.  In  1847,  he  went  to  Brazil  as  Minister,  where  he 
resided  for  four  and  a  half  years.  The  Emperor  presented  him  with  a  special 
commendation  to  the  President,  as  a  testimonial  of  his  esteem.  He  was  also  the 
recipient  of  an  elegant  silver  tray,  as  a  memorial  from  the  resident  citizens  of 
Rio  Janeiro.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  National  Convention,  which 
met  at  Charleston  in  1860.  He  was  Vice  President  of  this  Convention.  He 
was  an  earnest  advocate  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  When  the  Southern  members 
withdrew,  the  President,  Caleb  Cnshing,  going  with  them,  the  convention 
adjourned  to  Baltimore,  when  INIr.  Tod  assumed  the  chair  and  Douglas  was  nom- 
;nated.  He  was  an  earnest  worker  in  the  cause,  but  not  disheartened  by  its 
defeat.  Wlien  Fort  Sumter  was  fired  upon,  he  was  one  of  the  most  vigorous 
prosecutors  of  the  war,  fiot  relaxing  his  active  earnestness  until  its  close.  He 
donated  full  uniforms  to  Company  B,  of  the  Nineteenth  Regiment,  and  contrib- 
uted largely  to  the  war  fund  of  his  township.  Fifty-five  thousand  majority 
elected  him  Governor  in  1861.  His  term  was  burdened  with  war  duties, 
and  he  carried  them  so  bravely  as  Governor  that  the  President  said  of  him : 
"  Governor  Tod  of  Ohio  aids  me  more  and  troubles  me  less  than  any  other  Gov- 
ernor."    His  death  occurred  at  Briar  Hill  during  the  year  1868. 

John  Brough  was  a  native  of  Marietta,  Ohio.  He  was  born  in  1811.  The  death 
of  his  father  left  him  in  precarious  circumstances,  which  may  have  been  a  discipline 
for  future  usefulness.  He  entered  a  printing  office,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  in 
Marietta,  and  after  serving  a  few  months,  began  his  studies  in  the  Ohio  Uni- 
versity, setting  type  mornings  and  evenings,  to  earn  sufficient  for  support.  He 
occupied  the  leading  position  in  classes,  and  at  the  same  time  excelled  as  a 
type-setter.  He  was  also  admired  for  his  athletic  feats  in  field  amusements. 
He  completed  his  studies  and  began  reading  law,  which  pursuit  was  interrupted 
by  an  opportunity  to  edit  a  paper  in  Petersburg,  Va.  He  returned  to  Marietta 
in  1831,  and  became  editor  and  proprietor  of  a  leading  Democratic  newspaper 
— the  Washington  County  Republican.  He  achieved  distinction  rapidly, 
and  in  1833,  sold  his  interest,  for  the  purpose  of  entering  a  more  extended  field 
of  journalism.  He  purchased  the  Ohio  Eagle,  at  Lancaster,  and  as  its  editor, 
held  a  deep  influence  over  local  and  State  politics.  He  occupied  the  position 
of  Clerk  of  the  Ohio  Senate,  between  the  years  1835  and  1838,  and  relinquished  his 
paper.  He  then  represented  the  counties  of  Fairfield  and  Hocking  in  the  Leg- 
islature. He  was  then  appointed  Auditor  of  State  by  the  General  Assembly, 
in  Avhich  position  he  served  six  years.  He  then  purchased  the  Phoenix  news- 
paper in  Cincinnati,  changed  its  name  to  the  Enquirer,  placing  it  in  the  care 
of  his  brother,  Charles,  while  he  opened  a  law  office  in  the  city.  His  editorials 
in  the  Enquirer,  and  his  activity  in  political  affiiirs,  were  brilliant  and  strong. 
He  retired  from  politics  in  1848,  sold  a  half-interest  in  the  Enquirer  and  carried 
on  a  prosperous  business,  but  was  brought  forward  again  by  leaders  of  both 


HISTORY  OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  173 

political  parties  in  1863,  through  the  Vallandigham  contest,  and  was  elected 
Governor  the  same  year,  by  a  majority  of  101,099  votes  in  a  total  of  471,643. 
He  was  three  times  married.  His  death  occurred  in  1865 — Charles  Anderson 
serving  out  his  term. 

Jacob  Dolson  Cox,  the  twenty-second  Governor,  Avas  born  in  1828,  in  Mon- 
treal, Canada,  where  his  parents  were  temporarily.  He  became  a  student  of 
Oberlin  College,  Ohio,  in  1846,  graduating  in  1851,  and  beginning  the  practice 
of  law  in  Warren  in  1852.  He  was  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  in  1859, 
from  the  Trumbull  and  Mahoning  Districts.  He  was  termed  a  radical.  He 
was  a  commissioned  Brigadier  General  of  Ohio  in  1861,  and,  in  1862,  was  pro- 
moted to  ]\Iajor  General  for  gallantry  in  battle.  While  in  the  service  he  was 
nominated  for  Governor,  and  took  that  position  in  1865.  He  was  a  member  of 
Grant's  Cabinet  as  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  but  resigned.  He  went  to  Con- 
gress in  1875,  from  the  Toledo  District.     His  home  is  in  Cincinnati. 

Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  was  the  nineteenth  President  of  the  United  States, 
the  twenty-third  Governor  of  Ohio,  was  born  at  Delaware,  Ohio,  in  1822.  He 
was  a  graduate  of  Kenyon  College  in  1842.  He  began  the  study  of  law,  and, 
in  1843,  pursued  that  course  in  the  Cambridge  University,  graduating  in  1845. 
He  began  his  practice  at  Fremont.  He  was  married  to  iNIiss  Lucy  Webb  in 
1852,  in  Cincinnati.  He  was  Major  of  the  Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry  in  1861,  and  in  1862,  was  promoted  to  Colonel  on  account  of  bravery 
in  the  field,  and  eventually  became  Major  General.  In  1864,  he  was  elected  to 
Congress,  and  retired  from  the  service.  He  remained  in  Congress  two  terms, 
and  was  Governor  of  Ohio  in  1867,  being  re-elected  in  1869.  He  filled  this 
office  a  third  term,  being  re-elected  in  1875. 

Edward  F.  Noyes  was  born  in  Haverhill,  Mass.,  in  1832.  While  a  lad  of 
fourteen,  he  entered  the  office  of  the  Morning  Star,  published  at  Dover,  N.  H., 
in  order  to  learn  the  business  of  printing.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  entered 
the  academy  at  Kingston,  N.  H.  He  prepared  for  college,  and  entered 
Dartmouth  in  1853,  graduating  with  high  honors  in  1857.  He  had  beiTun  the 
study  of  law,  and  continued  the  course  in  the  Cincinnati  Law  School,  and  be<Tan 
to  practice  in  1858.  He  was  an  enthusiast  at  the  opening  of  the  rebellion  and 
was  interested  in  raising  the  Twentieth  Regiment,  of  Avhich  he  was  made  Major. 
He  was  promoted  to  Colonel  in  186i5.  At  the  conflict  at  Ruff's  Mills,  in 
Georgia,  in  1864,  he  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  lose  a  leg.  At  the  time,  amputa- 
tion was  necessary,  but  was  unskillfully  performed.  He  was  brought  to  Cincin- 
nati, and  the  operation  was  repeated,  which  nearly  cost  him  his  life.  He  reported 
three  months  later,  to  Gen.  Hooker  for  duty,  on  crutches.  He  was  assigned  to 
command  of  Camp  Dennison.  He  was  promoted  to  the  full  rank  of  Brigadier 
General,  and  while  in  discharge  of  his  duty  at  that  place,  he  was  elected  City 
Solicitor  of  Cincinnati.  He  occupied  the  position  until  1871,  when  he  was 
elected  Governor,  by  a  majority  of  20,000.  He  went  to  France  in  1877,  as 
Minister,  appointed  by  President  Hayes. 


174  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

William  Allen,  the  twenty-fifth  Governor  of  Ohio,  was  born  in  1807,  in 
Chowan  County,  N.  C.  While  an  infant,  he  was  left  an  orphan,  and  his  sister 
superintended  his  education.  He  was  placed  in  a  private  school  in  Lynchburg, 
Va.,  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  Two  years  later,  he  joined  his  sister  and  family, 
in  Chillicothe,  and  attended  the  academy  a  year,  when  he  entered  the  law  office 
of  Edward  King,  and  began  a  course  of  study.  In  his  seventeenth  year,  he 
began  practice,  and  through  his  talent  speedily  acquired  fame  and  popu- 
larity. Before  he  was  twenty-five,  he  was  sent  to  Congress  by  a  strong  Whig 
district.  He  was  elected  United  States  Senator  in  1837,  there  remaining; 
until  1849.  In  1845,  he  married  Effie  McArthur,  who  died  soon  after  the 
birth  of  their  daughter.  In  1873,  he  was  elected  Governor.  His  adminis- 
tration gave  general  satisfaction.  He  died,  at  his  home  at  "  Fruit  Hill,"  in 
1879. 

R.  M.  Bishop,  the  twenty-sixth  Governor  of  Ohio,  was  born  Novem- 
ber 4,  1812,  in  Fleming  County,  Ky.  He  began  the  vocation  of  mer- 
chant, and  for  several  years  devoted  himself  to  that  business  in  his  native 
State.  In  1848,  he  engaged  in  the  wholesale  grocery  business,  in  Cincinnati. 
His  three  sons  became  partners,  under  the  firm  name  of  R.  M.  Bishop  &  Sons. 
The  sales  of  this  house  frequently  exceeded  $5,000,000  per  annum.  Mr. 
Bishop  was  a  member  of  the  Council  of  Cincinnati,  and  in  1859  was  its  Mayor, 
holding  that  office  until  1861.  In  1860,  the  Legislatures  of  Indiana  and  Ten- 
nessee visited  Ohio,  to  counsel  each  other  to  stand  by  the  Constitution  and  the 
flag.  At  the  reception  given  at  Pike's  Opera  House,  Mayor  Bishop  delivered 
an  eloquent  address,  which  elicited  admiration  and  praises.  During  the  same 
year,  as  Mayor,  he  received  the  Prince  of  Wales  in  the  most  cordial  manner,  a 
national  credit  as  a  mark  of  I'espect  to  a  distinguished  foreign  guest.  In  1877, 
he  was  elected  Governor  of  Ohio,  by  a  large  majority. 

Charles  Foster,  the  present  and  twenty-seventh  Governor  of  Ohio,  was  born 
in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  April  12,  1828.  He  was  educated  at  the  common 
schools  and  the  academy  at  Norwalk,  Ohio.  Engaged  in  mercantile  and  bank- 
ing business,  and  never  held  any  public  office  until  he  was  elected  to  the  Forty- 
second  Congress ;  was  re-elected  to  the  Forty-third  Congress,  and  again  to  the 
Forty-fourth  Congress,  as  a  Republican-.  In  1879,  he  was  nominated  by  the 
Republicans  and  elected  Governor  of  the  State;  was  re-elected  in  1881. 

In  reviewinof  these  slio-ht  sketches  of  the  Governors  of  this  grand  Western 
State,  one  is  impressed  with  the  active  relationship  they  have  all  sustained,  with 
credit,  with  national  measures.  Their  services  have  been  efficient,  earnest  and 
patriotic,  like  the  State  they  have  represented  and  led. 

ANCIENT    -WORKS. 

Ohio  has  furnished  a  prolific  field  for  antiquarians  and  those  interested  in 
scientific  explorations,  either  for  their  own  amusement  and  knowledge,  or  for 
the  records  of  "  facts  and  formations.*' 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  175 

It  is  well  known  tliat  the  "  ]\Iound  Buildei'S  "  had  a  wide  sweep  through  this 
continent,  but  absolute  facts  regarding  their  era  have  been  most  difficult  to 
obtain.  Numerous  theories  and  suppositions  have  been  advanced,  yet  tliej  are 
emphatic  evidences  that  they  have  traced  the  origin  and  time  of  this  primeval  race. 

However,  they  have  left  their  works  behind  them,  and  no  exercise  of  faith 
is  necessary  to  have  confidence  in  tliat  part  of  the  story.  That  these  works  are 
of  human  origin  is  self-evident.  Temples  and  military  works  have  been  found 
which  required  a  considerable  degree  of  scientific  skill  on  the  part  of  those  early 
architects  and  builders. 

Evidently  the  Indians  had  no  knowledge  of  these  works  of  predecessors, 
which  differed  in  all  respects  from  those  of  the  red  men.  An  ancient  cemetery 
has  been  found,  covering  an  area  of  four  acres,  which  had  evidently  been  laid 
out  into  lots,  from  north  to  south.  Nearly  3,000  graves  have  been  discovered, 
containing  bones  which  at  some  time  must  have  constituted  the  framework  of 
veritable  giants,  while  others  are  of  no  unusual  size.  In  1815,  a  jaw-bone  was 
exhumed,  containing  an  artificial  tooth  of  silver. 

jNIounds  and  fortifications  are  plentiful  in  Athens  County,  some  of  them 
being  of  solid  stone.  One,  differing  in  the  quality  of  stone  from  tlie  others,  is 
supposed  to  be  a  dam  across  the  Hocking.  Over  a  thousand  pieces  of  stone 
were  used  in  its  construction.  Copper  rings,  bracelets  and  ornaments  are 
niynerous.  It  is  also  evident  that  these  people  possessed  the  knowledge  of 
hardening  copper  and  giving  it  an  edge  equal  to  our  steel  of  to-day. 

In  the  branch  formed  by  a  branch  of  tlie  Licking  River  and  Raccoon  Creek, 
in  Licking  County,  ancient  works  extend  over  an  area  of  several  miles.  Again, 
three  miles  northwest  of  this  locality,  near  the  road  between  Newark  and  Gran- 
ville, another  field  of  these  relics  may  be  found.  On  the  summit  of  a  high  hill 
is  a  fortification,  formed  to  represent  an  alligator.  The  head  and  neck  includes 
32  feet ;  the  length  of  the  body  is  73  feet ;  the  tail  was  105  feet ;  from  the  termini  of 
the  fore  feet,  over  the  shoulders,  the  width  is  100  feet ;  from  the  termini  of 
the  hind  feet,  over  the  hips,  is  92  feet ;  its  highest  point  is  7  feet.  It  is  composed 
of  clay,  which  must  have  been  conveyed  hither,  as  it  is  not  similar  to  the  clay 
found  in  the  vicinity. 

Near  Miamisburg,  Montgomery  County,  are  other  specimens.  Near  the 
village  is  a  mound,  equaled  in  size  by  very  few  of  these  antiquities.  It  meas- 
ures 800  feet  around  the  base,  and  rises  to  a  height  of  sixty-seven  feet.  Others 
are  found  in  Miami  County,  while  at  Circleville,  Pickaway  County,  no  traces 
remain. 

Two  forts  have  been  discovered,  one  forming  an  exact  square,  and  the  other 
describing  a  circle.  The  square  is  flanked  by  two  walls,  on  all  sides,  these 
being  divided  by  a  deep  ditch.  The  circle  has  one  wall  and  no  ditch.  This  is 
sixty-nine  rods  in  diameter,  its  walls  being  twenty  feet  high.  The  square  fort 
measures  fifty-five  rods  across,  with  Avails  twelve  feet  high.  Twelve  gateways 
lead  into  the  square  fort,  while  the  circle  has  but  one,  which  led  to  the  other,  at 


116  lllSTO'uY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

the  point  "where  the  walls  of  the  two  came  together.  Before  each  of  these 
entrances  were  mounds  of  earth,  from  four  to  five  feet  high  and  nearly  forty 
feet  in  diameter.  Evidently  these  wxre  designed  for  defenses  for  the  openings, 
in  cases  of  emergency. 

A  short  distance  from  Piketon,  the  turnpike  runs,  for  several  hundred  feet, 
between  two  parallel  artificial  walls  of  earth,  fifteen  feet  high,  and  six  rods 
apart.  In  Scioto  County,  on  both  sides  of  the  Ohio,  are  extensive  ancient 
works. 

"  Fort  Ancient  "  is  near  Lebanon  in  Warren  County.  Its  direct  measure- 
ment is  a  mile,  but  in  tracino;  its  aniiles,  retreating  and  salient,  its  leno-th  would 
be  nearly  six  miles.  Its  site  is  a  level  plain,  240  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
river.  Tlie  interior  wall  varies  in  height  to  conform  with  the  nature  of  the 
ground  without — ranging  from  8  to  10  feet.  On  the  plain  it  reaches  100  feet. 
This  fort  has  58  gateways,  through  one  of  which  the  State  road  runs,  passing 
between  two  mounds  12  feet  high.  Northeast  from  these  mounds,  situated  on 
the  plain,  are  two  roads,  about  a  rod  wide  each,  made  upon  an  elevation  about 
three  feet  high.  They  run  parallel  to  each  other  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile, 
when  they  each  form  a  semicircle  around  a  mound,  joining  in  the  circle.  It  is 
probable  this  was  at  some  time  a  military  defense,  or,  on  the  contrary,  it  may 
have  been  a  general  rendezvous  for  games  and  high  holiday  festivities. 

Near  Marietta,  are  the  celebrated  Muskingum  River  works,  being  a  half- 
mile  from  its  juncture  with  the  Ohio.  They  consist  of  mounds  and  walls  of 
earth  in  cir(;ular  and  square  forms,  also  tracing  direct  lines. 

The  largest  square  fort  covers  an  area  of  40  acres,  and  is  inclosed  by  a  wall 
of  earth;  6  to  10  feet  in  height,  and  from  25  to  30  feet  at  its  base.  On  each 
side  are  three  gateways.  The  center  gateways  exceed  the  others  in  size,  more 
especially  on  the  side  toward  the  Muskingum.  From  this  outlet  runs  a  covered 
means  of  egress,  between  two  parallel  walls  of  earth,  231  feet  distant  from  each 
other,  measuring  from  the  centers.  The  walls  in  the  interior  are  21  feet  high 
at  the  most  elevated  points,  measuring  42  feet  at  the  base,  grading  on  the  exte- 
rior to  about  five  feet  in  heigth.  This  passage-way  is  360  feet  in  length,  lead- 
ing to  the  low  grounds,  which,  at  the  period  of  its  construction,  probably  reached 
the  river. 

At  the  northwest  corner,  within  the  inclosure,  is  a  plateau  188  feet  long, 
132  feet  broad  and  9  feet  high.  Its  sides  are  perpendicular  and  its  surface 
level.  At  the  center  of  each  side  is  a  graded  pathway  leading  to  the  top,  six 
feet  wide.  Another  elevated  square  is  near  the  south  wall,  150x120  feet  squav?,- 
and  8  feet  high,  similar  to  the  other,  with  the  exception  of  the  graded  walk. 
Outside  and  next  the  wall  to  ascend  to  the  top,  it  has  central  holloAv  ways,  10 
feet  wide,  leading  20  feet  toward  the  center,  then  arismg  with  a  gradual  slope  to 
the  top.  A  third  elevated  square  is  situated  at  the  southeast  corner,  108x54 
feet  square,  with  ascents  at  the  ends.  This  is  neither  as  high  or  as  perfect  as 
the  others. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  177 

Another  ancient  work  is  found  to  the  southeast,  covering  an  area  of  20  acres 
with  a  gateway  in  the  center  of  each  side,  and  others  at  the  corners — each  of 
these  having  the  mound  defense. 

On  the  outside  of  the  smaller  fort,  a  mound  resembling  a  sugar  loaf  was 
formed  in  the  shape  of  a  circle  115  feet  in  diameter,  its  height  being  30  feet. 
A  ditch  surrounds  it,  15  feet  wide  and  4  feet  deep.  These  earthworks  have 
contributed  greatly  to  the  satisfactory  results  of  scientific  researches.  Their 
builders  were  evidently  composed  of  large  bands  that  have  succumbed  to  the 
advance  of  enlightened  humanity.  The  relics  found  consists  of  ornaments, 
utensils  and  implements  of  war.  The  bones  left  in  the  numerous  graves  convey 
an  idea  of  a  stalwart,  vigorous  people,  and  the  conquests  which  swept  them  away 
from  the  face  of  the  country  must  have  been  fierce  and  cruel. 

Other  mounds  and  fortifications  are  found  in  different  parts  of  the  State,  of 
which  our  limited  space  will  not  permit  a  description. 

Many  sculptured  rocks  are  found,  and  others  with  plainly  discernible 
tracery  in  emblematical  designs  upon  their  surface.  The  rock  on  which  the 
inscriptions  occur  is  the  grindstone  grit  of  the  Ohio  exports — a  stratum  found 
in  Northern  Ohio.  Arrow-points  of  flint  or  chert  have  been  frequently  found. 
From  all  investigations,  it  is  evident  that  an  extensive  flint  bed  existed  in  Lick- 
ing County,  near  Newark.  The  old  pits  can  now  be  recognized.  They 
extended  over  a  hundred  acres.  They  are  partially  filled  with  water,  and  sur- 
rounded by  piles  of  broken  and  rejected  fragments.  The  flint  is  a  grayish- 
white,  with  cavities  of  a  brilliant  quartz  crystal.  Evidently  these  stones  were 
chipped  into  shape  and  the  material  sorted  on  the  ground.  Only  clear,  homo- 
genous pieces  can  be  wrought  into  arrow-heads  and  spear-points.  Flint  chips 
extend  over  many  acres  of  ground  in  this  vicinity.  Flint  beds  are  also  found 
in  Stark  and  Tuscarawas  Counties.  In  color  it  varies,  being  red,  white,  black 
and  mottled.     The  black  is  found  in  Coshocton  County. 

SOME    GENERAL   CHARACTERISTICS. 

Ohio,  as  a  State,  is  renowned  as  an  agricultural  section.  Its  variety,  quality 
and  quantity  of  productions  cannot  be  surpassed  by  any  State  in  the  Union.  Its 
commercial  importance  ranks  proudly  in  the  galaxy  of  opulent  and  industrious 
States  composing  this  Union.  Her  natural  resources  are  prolific,  and  all  improve- 
ments which  could  be  instituted  by  the  ingenuity  of  mankind  have  been  added. 

From  a  quarter  to  a  third  of  its  area  is  hilly  and  broken.  About  the  head- 
waters of  the  Muskingum  and  Scioto,  and  between  the  Scioto  and  the  two 
Miami  Rivers,  are  wide  prairies ;  some  of  them  are  elevated  and  dry,  with  fertile 
soil,  although  they  are  frequently  termed  ''barrens."  In  other  parts,  they  are 
low  and  marshy,  producing  coarse,  rank  grass,  which  grows  to  a  height  of  five 
feet  in  some  places. 

The  State  is  most  fortunate  in  timber  wealth,  having  large  quantities  of 
black  walnut,  oak  of  different  varieties,  maple,  hickory,  birch,  several  kinds  of 


178  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

beech,  poplar,  sycamore,  papaw,  several  kinds  of  ash,  cherry,  whitewood  and 
buckeye. 

The  summers  are  usually  warm,  and  the  winters  are  mild,  considering  the 
latitude  of  the  State.  Near  Lake  Erie,  the  winters  are  severe,  corresponding 
with  sections  in  a  line  with  that  locality.  Snow  falls  in  sufficient  quantities 
in  the  northern  part  to  aiford  several  weeks  of  fine  sleighing.  In  the  southern 
portion,  the  snowstorms  are  not  frequent,  and  the  fall  rarely  remains  long  on 
the  ground. 

The  climate  is  generally  healthy,  with  the  exception  of  small  tracts  lying 
near  the  marshes  and  stagnant  waters. 

The  Ohio  River  washes  the  southern  border  of  the  State,  and  is  navigable 
for  steamboats  of  a  large  size,  the  entire  length  of  its  course.  From  Pitts- 
burgh to  its  mouth,  measuring  it  meanderings,  it  is  908  miles  long.  Its  current 
is  gentle,  having  no  falls  except  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  the  descent  is  twent^?- 
two  and  a  half  feet  in  two  miles.     A  canal  obviates  this  obstruction. 

The  Muskingum  is  the  largest  river  that  flows  entirely  within  the  State.  It 
is  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Tuscarawas  and  Walhonding  Rivers,  and  enters 
the  Ohio  at  Marietta     One  hundred  miles  of  its  leno-th  is  navigable. 

The  Scioto  is  the  second  river  in  magnitude,  is  about  200  miles  long,  and 
flows  into  the  Ohio  at  Portsmouth.  It  affords  navigation  130  miles  of  its  length. 
The  Great  Miami  is  a  rapid  river,  in  the  western  part  of  the  State,  and  is  100 
miles  long.  The  Little  Miami  is  seventy  miles  in  length,  and  enters  the  Ohio 
seven  miles  from  Cincinnati. 

The  Maumee  rises  in  Indiana,  flows  through  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
State,  and  enters  Lake  Erie  at  Maumee  Bay.  It  affords  navigation  as  far  as 
Perrysburg,  eighteen  miles  from  the  lake,  and  above  the  rapids,  it  is  again  nav- 
igable. 

The  Sandusky  rises  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  is  eighty  miles  long, 
and  floAvs  into  Lake  Erie,  via  Sandusky  Bay. 

Lake  Erie  washes  150  miles  of  the  northern  boundary.  The  State  has  sev- 
eral fine  harbors,  the  Maumee  and  Sandusky  Bays  being  the  largest. 

We  have,  in  tracing  the  record  of  the  earlier  counties,  given  the  educational  inter- 
ests as  exemplified  by  different  institutions.  We  have  also  given  the  canal  system 
of  the  State,  in  previous  pages.  The  Governor  is  elected  every  two  years,  by 
the  people.  The  Senators  are  chosen  biennially,  and  are  apportioned  according 
to  the  male  population  over  twenty-one  years  of  age.  The  Judges  of  the 
Supreme  and  other  courts  are  elected  by  the  joint  ballot  of  the  Legislature,  for 
the  term  of  seven  years. 

During  the  early  settlement  of  Ohio,  perfect  social  equality  existed  among  the 
settlers.  The  line  of  demarkation  that  was  drawn  Avas  a  separation  of  the  goodl 
from  the  bad.  Log-rollings  and  cabin-raisings  were  mutual  affairs.  Their 
sport  usually  consisted  of  shooting,  rowing  and  hunting.  Hunting  shirts  and 
buckskin  pants  were  in  the  fashion,  Avhile  the  women  dressed  in  coarse  material, 


i 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  179 

woven  bj  their  own  bands.  A  common  American  cotton  cbeck  was  con- 
sidered a  magnificent  addition  to  one's  toilet.  In  those  times,  however,  the 
material  was  $1  per  yard,  instead  of  the  shilling  of  to-day.  But  five  yards 
was  then  a  large  "pattern,"  instead  of  the  twenty-five  of  1880,  In  cookino- 
utensils,  the  pot,  pan  and  frying-pan  constituted  an  elegant  outfit.  A  few  plain 
dishes  were  added  for  table  use.  Stools  and  benches  were  the  rule,  although  a 
few  wealthy  families  indulged  in  splint-bottom  chairs.  The  cabin  floors  were 
rough,  and  in  many  cases  the  green  sward  formed  the  carpet.  Goods  were  very 
expensive,  and  flour  was  considered  a  great  luxury.  Goods  were  brought  by 
horses  and  mules  from  Detroit,  or  by  wagon  from  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburgh, 
and  then  down  the  Ohio.  Coarse  calicoes  were  $1  per  yard  ;  tea  $2  to  $3  per 
pound ;  coffee  75  cents  ;  whisky,  from  $1  to  $2  per  gallon,  and  salt,  $5  to  $6 
per  barrel.  In  those  towns  where  Indian  trade  constituted  a  desirable  interest, 
a  bottle  was  set  at  each  end  of  the  counter — a  gratuitous  offering  to  their  red 
friends. 

OUTLINE   GEOLOGY   OF   OHIO. 

Should  we  group  the  rocks  of  Ohio,  according  to  their  lithological  characters, 
we  should  give  five  distinct  divisions.  They  are  marked  by  difference  in  appear- 
ance, hardness,  color  and  composition : 

1 — Limestone. 

2— Black  shale. 

3 — Fine-grained  sandstone. 

4 — Conglomerate. 

5 — Coal  series. 

They  are  all  stratified  and  sedimentary.  They  are  nearly  horizontal.  The 
lowest  one  visible,  in  a  physical  as  well  as  a  geological  sense,  is  "  blue  lime- 
stone." 

The  bed  of  the  Ohio  River  near  Cincinnati  is  133  feet  below  the  level  of 
Lake  Erie.  The  strata  incline  in  all  directions  from  the  southwestern  angle  of 
the  State.  In  Scioto  County  may  be  seen  the  outcropping  edges  of  all  these 
rocks.  They  sink  at  this  point  in  the  direction  south  80|°  east ;  easterly  at  tlie 
rate  of  37^^  feet  per  mile.  The  cliff  limestone,  the  upper  stratum  of  the  lime- 
stone deposit,  is  600  feet  above  the  river  at  Cincinnati ;  at  West  Union,  in 
Adams  County,  it  is  only  350  feet  above  the  same  level. 

The  finely  grained  sandstone  found  on  the  summit  of  the  hills  east  of  Brush 
Creek  and  west  of  the  Scioto  sinks  to  the  base  of  the  hills,  and  appears  beneath 
the  conglomerate,  near  the  Little  Scioto,     Although  the  rock  formations  are  the  ' 
same  in  all  parts  of  the  State,  in  the  same  order,  their  thickness,  mass  and  dip, 
are  quite  different. 

Chillicothe,  Reynoldsburg,  Mansfield,  Newburg,  Waverly  and  Rockville,  are 
situated  near  the  western  border  of  the  "  fine-grained  limestone."  Its  outcrop 
forms  a  continuous  and  crooked  line  from  the  Ohio  River  to  Lake  Erie.  In  the 
southwest  portion  of  the  State  is  the  "blue  limestone,"  occupying  a  circular 


180  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

space  from  West  Union  via  Dayton,  to  the  State  line.  The  conglomerate  is  to 
the  east  of  the  given  towns,  bending  around  from  Cuyahoga  Falls  to  Burton,  in 
Geauga  County,  and  then  eastward  into  Pennsylvania.  Near  this  outcrop  are 
the  coal-bearing  rocks  which  occupy  the  east  and  southeastern  portions  of  Ohio. 
From  Rockville  to  Chillicothe,  the  course  is  north,  about  10°  east,  and  nearly 
corresponds  with  the  line  of  outcrop  of  the  fine-grained  sandstone  for  an  equal 
distance.  The  dip  at  Rockville,  given  by  Charles  Whittlesey,  is  80|°,  almost 
at  a  right  angle,  and  at  the  rate  of  37  feet  per  mile. 

At  Chillicothe,  the  other  end  of  the  line,  the  general  dip  is  south  70°  east, 
30  feet  to  the  mile,  the  line  curving  eastward  and  the  dip  line  to  the  southward. 
This  is  the  universal  law. 

The  northern  boundary  of  the  great  coal  fields  passes  through  Meadville,  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  turning  south  arrives  at  Portage  Summit,  on  the  summit  of 
the  Alleghanies,  2,500  feet  above  the  ocean  level.  It  then  plunges  rapidly  to 
the  westward.  From  the  Alleghanies  to  the  southwest,  through  Pennsylvania, 
Virginia  and  Tennessee,  sweeps  this  great  coal  basin. 

Much  of  the  county  of  Medina  is  conglomerate  upon  the  surface,  but  the 
streams,  especially  the  South  Branch  of  the  Rocky  River,  set  through  this  sur- 
face stratum,  and  reach  the  fine-grained  sandstone.  This  is  the  case  Avith 
Rocky,  Chagrin,  Cuyahoga  and  Grand  Rivers — also  Conneaut  and  Ashtabula 
Creeks.  This  sandstone  and  the  shale  extend  up  the  narrow  valleys  of  these 
streams  and  their  tributaries.  Between  these  strata  is  a  mass  of  coarse-grained 
sandstone,  without  pebbles,  which  furnishes  the  grindstones  for  which  Ohio  is 
noted.  In  Lorain  County,  the  coarse  sandstone  grit  nearly  displaces  the  fine- 
grained sandstone  and  red  shale,  thickening  at  Elyria  to  the  black  shale.  South 
of  this  point,  the  grindstone  grit,  red  shale  and  ash-colored  shale  vary  in  thick- 
ness. The  town  of  Chillicothe,  the  village  of  Newburg,  and  a  point  in  the  west 
line  of  Crawford  County,  are  all  situated  on  the  "black  shale." 

Dr.  Locke  gives  the  dip,  at  Montgomery  and  Miami  Counties,  at  north  14°, 
east,  six  feet  to  the  mile ;  at  Columbus,  Whitelesey  gives  it,  81°  52'  east,  22y^^ 
feet  to  the  mile.  The  fine-grained  sandstone  at  Newburg  is  not  over  eighty 
feet  in  thickness  ;  at  Jacktown  and  Reynoldsburg,  500 ;  at  Waverly  250  to 
800  feet,  and  at  Brush  Creek,  Adams  County,  343  feet.  The  black  shale  is 
251  feet  thick  at  Brush  Creek  ;  at  Alum  Creek,  250  to  300  feet  thick  ;  in  Craw- 
ford County,  about  250  feet  thick.  The  conglomerate  in  Jackson  County  is 
200  feet  thick  ;  at  Cuyahoga  Falls,  100  to  120  feet ;  at  Burton,  Geauga  County, 
300  feet.  The  great  limestone  formation  is  divided  into  several  numbers.  At 
Cincinnati,  at  the  bed  of  the  river,  there  is : 

1 — A  blue  limestone  and  slaty  marlite. 

2 — Dun-colored  marl  and  layers  of  lime  rock. 

3 — Blue  marl  and  layers  of  blue  limestone. 

4 — Marl  and  bands  of  limestone,  with  immense  numbers  of  shells  at  the 
surface. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  181 

In  Adams  County,  the  detailed  section  is  thus: 

1 — Blue  limestone  and  marl. 

2 — Blue  marl. 

3 — Flinty  limestone. 

4 — Blue  marl. 

5 — Cliff  limestone. 

The  coal-fields  of  Ohio  are  composed  of  alternate  beds  of  coarse-grained 
sandstone,  clay  shales,  layers  of  ironstone,  thin  beds  of  limestone  and  numer- 
ous strata  of  coal.  The  coal  region  abounds  in  iron.  From  Jacktown  to  Con- 
cord, in  Muskingum  County,  there  are  eight  beds  of  coal,  and  seven  strata  of 
limestone.  The  distance  between  these  two  points  is  forty-two  miles.  From 
Freedom,  in  Portage  County,  to  Poland,  in  Trumbull  County,  a  distance  of 
thirty-five  miles,  there  are  five  distinct  strata.  Among  them  are  distributed 
thin  beds  of  limestone,  and  many  beds  of  iron  ore.  The  greater  mass  of  coal 
and  iron  measures  is  composed  of  sandstone  and  shale.  The  beds  of  sandstone 
are  from  ten  to  twenty  or  eighty  feet  thick.  Of  shale,  five  to  fifty  feet  thick. 
The  strata  of  coal  and  iron  are  comparatively  thin.  A  stratum  of  coal  three 
feet  thick  can  be  worked  to  advantage.  One  four  feet  thick  is  called  a  good 
mine,  few  of  them  averaging  five.  Coal  strata  are  found  from  six  to  ten  and 
eleven  feet.  There  are  four  beds  of  coal,  and  three  of  limestone,  in  Lawrence 
and  Scioto  Counties.  There  are  also  eight  beds  of  ore,  and  new  ones  are  con- 
stantly being  discovered.  The  ore  is  from  four  to  twelve  inches  thick,  occasion- 
ally being  two  feet.  The  calcareous  ore  rests  upon  the  second  bed  of  limestone, 
from  the  bottom,  and  is  very  rich. 

The  most  prominent  fossils  are  trees,  plants  and  stems  of  the  coal-bearing 
rocks,  shells  and  corals  and  crustaceae  of  the  limestone,  and  the  timber,  leaves 
and  dirt-beds  of  the  "  drift  " — the  earthy  covering  of  the  rocks,  which  varies 
from  nothing  to  200  feet.  Bowlders,  or  "  lost  rocks,"  are  strewn  over  the  State. 
They  are  evidently  transported  from  some  remote  section,  being  fragments  of 
primitive  rock,  granite,  gneiss  and  hornblende  rock,  which  do  not  exist  in 
Ohio,  nor  within  400  miles  of  the  State,  in  any  direction.  In  the  Lake  Supe- 
rior region  we  find  similar  specimens. 

The  superficial  deposits  of  Ohio  are  arranged  into  four  geological  formations : 

1 — The  ancient  drift,  resting  upon  the  rocks  of  the  State. 

2 — The  Lake  Erie  marl  and  sand  deposits. 

3 — The  drift  occupying  the  valleys  of  large  streams,  such  as  the  Great  Miami, 
the  Ohio  and  Scioto. 

4 — The  bowlders. 

The  ancient  drift  of  Ohio  is  meager  in  shell  deposits.  It  is  not,  therefore, 
decided  whether  it  be  of  salt-water  origin  or  fresh  water. 

It  has,  at  the  bottom,  blue  clay,  with  gravel-stones  of  primitive  or  sedimen- 
tary rocks,  containing  carbonate  of  lime.  The  yellow  clay  is  found  second. 
Above  that,  sand  and  gravel,  less  stratified,  containing  more  pebbles  of  the 


182  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

sedimentary  rocks,  such  as  limestone  and  stone,  iron  ore,  coal  and  shale.  The 
lower  layer  contains  logs,  trees,  leaves,  sticks  and  vines. 

The  Lake  Erie  section,  or  "Lake  Erie  deposits,"  may  be  classed  in  the 
following  order  : 

1 — From  the  lake  level  upward,  fine,  blue,  marly  sand — forty-five  to  sixty 
feet. 

2 — Coarse,  gray,  water-washed  sand — ten  to  twenty  feet. 

3 — Coarse  sand  and  gravel,  not  well  stratified,  to  surface — twenty  to  fifty  feet. 

Stratum  first  dissolves  in  water.  It  contains  carbonate  of  lime,  magnesia, 
iron,  alumina,  silex,  sulphur,  and  some  decomposed  leaves,  plants  and  sticks. 
Some  pebbles  are  found.     In  contact  with  the  water,  quicksand  is  formed. 

The  Hickory  Plains,  at  the  forks  of  the  Great  Miami  and  White  Water,  and 
also  between  Kilgore's  Mill  and  New  Richmond,  are  the  results  of  heavy  dilu- 
vial currents. 

In  presenting  these  formations  of  the  State,  we  have  quoted  from  the  experi- 
ence and  conclusions  of  Charles  AVhittlesey,  eminent  as  a  geologist,  and  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Geological  Corps. 

Ohio's  rank  during  the  avar. 

The  patriotism  of  this  State  has  been  stanch,  unswerving  and  bold,  ever 
since  a  first  settlement  laid  its  corner-stone  in  the  great  Western  wilder- 
ness. Its  decisive  measures,  its  earnest  action,  its  noble  constancy,  have  earned 
the  laurels  that  designate  it  "a  watchword  for  the  nation."  In  the  year  1860, 
Ohio  had  a  population  of  2,343,739.  Its  contribution  of  soldiers  to  the  great 
conflict  that  was  soon  to  surge  over  the  land  in  scarlet  terror,  was  apportioned 
310,000  men.  In  less  than  twenty-four  houi^s  after  the  President's  proclama- 
tion and  call  for  troops,  the  Senate  had  matured  and  carried  a  bill  through, 
appropriating  $1,000,000  for  the  purpose  of  placing  the  State  on  a  war  footing. 
The  influences  of  party  sentiments  were  forgotten,  and  united,  the  State 
unfurled  the  flag  of  patriotism.  Before  the  bombardment  of  old  Fort  Sumter 
has  fairly  ceased  its  echoes,  twenty  companies  were  offered  the  Governor  for 
immediate  service.  When  the  surrender  was  verified,  the  excitement  was 
tumultuous.  Militia  officers  telegraphed  their  willingness  to  receive  prompt 
orders,  all  over  the  State.  The  President  of  Kenyon  College — President 
Andrews — tendered  his  services  by  enlisting  in  the  ranks.  Indeed,  three 
months  before  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  he  had  expressed  his  readiness  to  the 
Governor  to  engage  in  service  should  there  be  occasion.  He  was  the  first  citi- 
zen to  make  this  offer. 

The  Cleveland  Grays,  the  Rover  Guards,  the  State  Fencibles,  the  Dayton 
Light  Guards,  the  Governor's  Guards,  the  Columbus  Videttes  and  the  Guthrie 
Grays — the  best  drilled  and  celebrated  militia  in  the  State — telegraphed  to 
Columbus  for  orders.  Chillicothe,  Portsmouth  and  Circleville  offered  money 
and   troops.       Canton,    Xenia,    Lebanon,    Lancaster,   Springfield,  Cincinnati, 


1 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  183 

Dayton,  Cleveland,  Toledo  and  other  towns  urged  their  assistance  upon  the  State. 
Columbus  began  to  look  like  a  great  army  field.  The  troops  were  stationed 
wherever  they  could  find  quarters,  and  food  in  sufficient  quantities  was  hard  to 
procure.  The  Governor  soon  established  a  camp  at  Miamiville,  convenient  to 
Cincinnati.  He  intended  to  appoint  Irvin  McDowell,  of  the  staff  of  Lieut. 
Gen.  Scott,  to  the  leading  command,  but  the  friends  of  Capt.  McClellan  became 
enthusiastic  and  appealed  to  the  Governor,  who  decided  to  investigate  his  case. 
Being  satisfied,  he  desired  Capt.  McClellan  to  come  up  to  Columbus.  But  that 
officer  was  busy  and  sent  Capt.  Pope,  of  the  regular  army,  in  his  stead.  This 
gentleman  did  not  suit  Gov.  Dennison.  The  friends  of  McClellan  again  set 
forth  the  high  qualities  of  this  officer,  and  Gov.  Dennison  sent  an  earnest 
request  for  an  interview,  which  was  granted,  and  resulted  in  the  appointment 
of  the  officer  as  Major  General  of  the  Ohio  militia.  Directly  thereafter,  he 
received  an  invitation  to  take  command  of  the  Pennsylvania  troops,  but  Ohio 
could  not  spare  so  valuable  a  leader. 

For  three-years  troops  were  soon  called  out,  and  their  Generals  were  to  be 
appointed  by  the  President.  Gov.  Dennison  advised  at  once  with  the  War 
Department  at  Washington,  and  McClellan  received  his  appointment  as  Major 
General  in  the  regular  army. 

Cincinnati  and  Louisville  became  alarmed  lest  Kentucky  should  espouse  the 
Confederate  cause,  and  those  cities  thus  be  left  insecure  against  the  inroads  of  a 
cruel  foe.  Four  hundred  and  thirty-six  miles  of  Ohio  bordered  Slave  States. 
Kentucky  and  West  Virginia  were  to  be  kept  in  check,  but  the  Governor  pro- 
claimed that  not  only  should  the  border  of  Ohio  be  protected,  but  even  beyond 
that  would  the  State  press  the  enemy.  Marietta  Avas  garrisoned,  and  other  river 
points  rendered  impregnable.  On  the  20th  of  May,  1861,  official  dispatches 
affirmed  that  troops  were  approaching  Wheeling  under  the  proclamation  of 
Letcher.     Their  intention  was  to  route  the  convention  at  Wheeling. 

Military  orders  were  instantly  given.  Col.  Steedman  and  his  troops  crossed 
at  Marietta  and  crushed  the  disturbance  at  Parkersburg — swept  into  the  country 
along  the  railroad,  built  bridges,  etc.  Col.  L'vine  crossed  at  Wheeling  and 
united  with  a  regiment  of  loyal  Virginians.  At  the  juncture  of  the  two  tracks 
at  Grafton,  the  columns  met,  but  the  rebels  had  retreated  in  mad  haste.  The 
loyal  troops  followed,  and,  at  Philippi,  fought  the  first  little  skirmish  of  the  war. 
The  great  railway  lines  were  secured,  and  the  Wheeling  convention  protected, 
and  West  Virginia  partially  secured  for  the  Union. 

After  preliminary  arrangements,  McClellan's  forces  moved  in  two  columns 
upon  the  enemy  at  Laurel  Hill.  One  remained  in  front,  under  Gen.  Morris, 
while  the  other,  under  his  own  command,  pushed  around  to  Huttonsville,  in 
tlreir  rear.  Gen.  Morris  carried  his  orders  through  promptly,  but  McClellan 
was  late.  Rosecrans  was  left  with  McClellan's  advance  to  fight  the  battle  of 
Rich  Mountain,  unaided.  Garnett  being  alarmed  at  the  defeat  of  his  outpost, 
retreated.     McClellan  was  not  in  time  to  intercept  him,  but  Morris  continued 


184  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

the  chase.  Steedman  overtook  the  rear-guard  of  Garnett's  army  at  Carrick's 
Ford,  -where  a  sharp  skirmish  ensued,  Garnett  himself  falling.  The  scattered 
portions  of  the  rebel  army  escaped,  and  West  Virginia  was  again  free  from 
armed  rebels — and  was  the  gift  of  Ohio  through  her  State  militia  to  the  nation 
at  the  beginning  of  the  war. 

At  this  period,  Gen.  McClellan  was  called  to  Washington.  Gen.  Rose- 
crans  succeeded  him,  and  the  three-years  troops  left  in  the  field  after  the  dis- 
banding of  the  three-months  men,  barely  sufficed  to  hold  the  country.  He 
telegraphed  Gov.  Dennison  to  supply  him  immediately  with  re-enforcements,  the 
request  being  made  on  the  8th  of  August.  Already  had  the  Confederate  lead- 
ers realized  the  loss  they  had  sustained  in  Western  Virginia,  and  had  dispatched 
their  most  valued  General,  Robert  E.  Lee,  to  regain  the  territory.  Rosecrans 
again  wrote:  "If  you.  Governor  of  Indiana  and  Governor  of  Michigan,  will 
lend  your  efforts  to  get  me  quickly  50,000  men,  in  addition  to  my  present 
force,  I  think  a  blow  can  be  struck  which  will  save  fighting  the  rifled-cannon 
batteries  at  Manassas.  Lee  is  certainly  at  Cheat  Mountain.  Send  all  troops 
you  can  to  Grafton."  Five  days  thereafter,  all  the  available  troops  in  the 
West  were  dispatched  to  Fremont,  Mo.,  and  the  plans  of  Rosecrans  were 
foiled. 

Heavy  re-enforcements  had  been  sent  to  the  column  in  Kanawha  Valley 
under  Gen.  Cox.  He  became  alarmed,  and  telegraphed  to  Gov.  Dennison. 
Rosecrans  again  appealed  to  Gov.  Dennison,  that  he  might  be  aided  in  march- 
ing across  the  country  against  Floyd  and  Wise  to  Cox's  relief,  "I  want  to 
catch  Floyd  while  Cox  holds  him  in  front." 

The  response  was  immediate  and  effective.  He  was  enabled  to  employ 
twenty-three  Ohio  regiments  in  clearing  his  department  from  rebels,  securing 
the  country  and  guarding  the  exposed  railroads.  With  this  achievement,  the 
direct  relation  of  the  State  administrations  with  the  conduct  and  methods  of 
campaigns  terminated.  The  General  Government  had  settled  down  to  a  sys- 
tem. Ohio  was  busy  organizing  and  equipping  regiments,  caring  for  the  sick 
and  wounded,  and  sustaining  her  home  strength. 

Gov.  Dennison's  staff  officers  were  tendered  better  positions  in  the  national 
service.  Camps  Dennison  and  Chase,  one  at  Cincinnati  and  the  other  at 
Columbus,  were  controlled  by  the  United  States  authorities.  A  laboratory  was 
established  at  Columbus  for  the  supply  of  ammunition.  During  the  fall  and 
early  winter,  the  Ohio  troops  suffered  in  Western  Virginia.  The  people  of 
their  native  State  responded  with  blankets,  clothing  and  other  supplies. 

In  January,  1862,  David  A.  Tod  entered  upon  the  duties  of  Governor. 
The  first  feature  of  his  administration  was  to  care  for  the  wounded  at  home, 
sent  from  Pittsburg  Landing.  A  regular  system  Avas  inaugurated  to  supply 
stores  and  clothing  to  the  suffering  at  home  and  in  the  field.  Agencies  were 
established,  and  the  great  and  good  work  was  found  to  be  most  efficacious  in 
alleviating  the  wretchedness  consequent  upon  fearful  battles.     A.  B.   Lyman 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  185 

had  charge  of  affairs  in  Cincinnati,  and  Royal  Taylor  held  the  same  position 
in  Louisville.  J.  C.  Wetmore  was  stationed  at  Washington,  F.  W.  Bingham 
at  jNIemphis,  Weston  Flint  at  Cairo  and  St.  Louis.  Thus  the  care  which  Ohio 
extended  over  her  troops  at  home  and  in  the  battle-field,  furnished  a  practical 
example  to  other  States,  and  was  the  foundation  of  that  commendable  system 
all  over  the  Union.  Stonewall  Jackson's  sudden  advent  in  the  valley  created 
the  greatest  consternation  lest  the  safety  of  the  capital  be  jeopardized,  and  the 
War  Department  called  for  more  troops.  Gov.  Tod  immediately  issued  a 
proclamation,  and  the  people,  never  shrinking,  responded  heartily.  At  Cleve- 
land a  large  meeting  was  held,  and  250  men  enlisted,  including  27  out  of  32 
students  attending  the  law  school.  Fire  bells  rang  out  the  alarm  at  Zanesville, 
a  meeting  was  convened  at  10  in  the  morning,  and  by  3  in  the  afternoon,  300 
men  had  enlisted.  Court  was  adjourned  sine  die,  and  the  Judge  announced 
that  he  and  the  lawyers  were  about  to  enter  into  military  ranks.  Only  three 
unmarried  men  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  twenty-three  "were  left  in  the 
town  of  Putnam.  Five  thousand  volunteers  reported  at  Camp  Chase  within 
two  days  after  the  proclamation. 

Again  in  June,  the  President  called  for  troops,  followed  by  yet  another  call. 
Under  these  calls,  Ohio  was  to  raise  74,000  men.  The  draft  system  was 
advised  to  hasten  and  facilitate  filling  regiments.  It  has  always  been  a  repul- 
sive measure.  To  save  sections  from  this  proceeding,  enormous  sums  were 
offered  to  induce  men  to  volunteer,  and  thus  fill  the  quota. 

Counties,  townships,  towns  and  individuals,  all  made  bids  and  urged  the 
rapid  enlistment  of  troops.  The  result  was,  that  the  regiments  were  filled  rap- 
idly, but  not  in  sufficient  numbers  to  prevent  the  draft.  Twenty  thousand  four 
hundred  and  twenty-seven  men  were  yet  lacking,  and  the  draft  was  ordered, 
September  15.  At  the  close  of  the  year,  Ohio  was  ahead  of  her  calls.  Late 
in  the  fall,  the  prospect  was  disheartening.  The  peninsula  campaign  had  failed. 
The  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  had  been  hurled  back  nearly  to  Washington. 
The  rebels  had  invaded  Maryland  ;  Cincinnati  and  Louisville  were  threatened, 
and  the  President  had  declared  his  intention  to  abolish  slavery,  as  a  war  meas- 
ure. During  the  first  part  of  1862,  artillery,  stores  and  supplies  were  carried 
away  mysteriously,  from  the  Ohio  border  ;  then  little  squads  ventured  over  the 
river  to  plunder  more  openly,  or  to  burn  a  bridge  or  two.  The  rebel  bands 
came  swooping  down  upon  isolated  supply  trains,  sending  insolent  roundabout 
messages  regarding  their  next  day's  intentions.  Then  came  invasions  of  our 
lines  near  Nashville,  capture  of  squads  of  guards  within  sight  of  camp,  the  seizure 
of  Gallatin.  After  Mitchell  had  entered  Northern  Alabama,  all  manner  of  depre- 
dations were  committed  before  his  very  eyes.  These  were  attributed  to  John 
Morgan's  Kentucky  cavalry.  He  and  his  men,  by  the  middle  of  1802,  were 
as  active  and  dangerous  as  Lee  or  Beauregard  and  their  troops.  Morgan  was  a 
native  of  Alabama,  but  had  lived  in  Kentucky  since  boyhood.  His  father  was 
large  slave-owner,  who  lived  in  the  center  of  the  "Blue  Grass  Country."     His 


186  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

life  had  been  one  of  wild  dissipation,  adventure  and  recklessness,  although  in 
his  own  family  he  had  the  name  of  being  most  considerate.  The  men  who  fol- 
lowed him  were  accustomed  to  a  dare-devil  life.  They  formed  and  independent 
band,  and  dashed  madly  into  the  conflict,  wherever  and  whenever  inclination 
prompted.  Ohio  had  just  raised  troops  to  send  East,  to  assist  in  the  overthrow 
of  Stonewell  Jackson.  She  had  overcome  her  discouragements  over  failures, 
for  the  prospects  were  brightening.  Beauregard  had  evacuated  Corinth  ;  Mem- 
phis had  fallen ;  Buell  was  moving  toward  Chattanooga ;  Mitchell's  troops  held 
Northern  Tennessee  and  Northern  Alabama  ;  Kentucky  was  virtually  in  the 
keeping  of  the  home  guards  and  State  military  board.  And  now,  here  was 
Morgan,  creating  confusion  in  Kentucky  by  his  furious  raids  !  On  the  11th  of 
July,  the  little  post  of  Tompkinsville  fell.  He  issued  a  call  for  the  Kentuckians 
to  rise  in  a  body.  He  marched  toward  Lexington,  and  the  southern  border  of 
Ohio  was  again  in  danger.  Cincinnati  was  greatly  excited.  Aid  was  sent  to 
Lexington  and  home  guards  were  ready  for  duty.  Morgan  was  not  prominent 
for  a  day  or  so,  but  he  was  not  idle.  By  the  9th  of  July,  he  held  possession  of 
Tompkinsville  and  Glasgow ;  by  the  11th,  of  Lebanon.  On  the  13th,  he 
entered  Harraldsburg ;  Monday  morning  he  was  within  fifteen  miles  of  Frank- 
fort. He  had  marched  nearly  400  miles  in  eight  days.  Going  on,  toward 
Lexington,  he  captured  the  telegraph  operator  at  Midway,  and  his  messages 
also  !  He  was  now  aware  of  the  plans  of  the  Union  armies  at  Lexington, 
Louisville,  Cincinnati  and  Frankfort.  In  the  name  of  the  operator,  he  sent 
word  that  Morgan  was  driving  in  the  pickets  at  Frankfort !  Now  that  he 
had  thrown  his  foes  off  guard,  he  rested  his  men  a  couple  of  days.  He 
decided  to  let  Lexington  alone,  and  swept  down  on  Cynthiana,  routing  a  few 
hundred  loyal  Kentucky  cavalrymen,  capturing  the  gun  and  420  prisoners,  and 
nearly  300  horses.  Then  he  was  off  to  Paris ;  he  marched  through  Winchester, 
Richmond,  Crab  Orchard  and  Somerset,  and  again  crossed  the  Cumberland  River. 
He  started  with  900  men  and  returned  with  1,200,  having  captured  and  paroled 
nearly  as  many,  besides  destroying  all  the  Government  arms  and  stores  in  seven- 
teen towns.  The  excitement  continued  in  Cincinnati.  Two  regiments  were 
hastily  formed,  for  emergencies,*  known  as  Cincinnati  Reserves.  Morgan's  raid 
did  not  reach  the  city,  but  it  demonstrated  to  the  rebel  forces  what  might  be 
accomplished  in  tlie  "  Blue  Grass  "  region.  Jnly  and  August  were  passed  in 
gloom.  Bragg  and  Buell  were  both  watchful,  and  Chattanooga  had  not  been 
taken.  Lexington  was  again  menaced,  a  battle  fought,  and  was  finally  deserted 
because  it  could  not  be  held. 

Louisville  was  now  in  danger.  The  banks  sent  their  specie  away.  Railroad 
companies  added  new  guards. 

September  1,  Gen.  Kirby  Smith  entered  Lexington,  and  dispatched  Heath 
with  about  six  thousand  men  against  Cincinnati  and  Covington.  John  Morgan 
joined  him.  The  rebels  rushed  upon  the  borders  of  Ohio.  The  failure  at  Rich- 
mond only  added  deeper  apprehension.     Soon  Kirby  Smith  and  his  regiments 


HISTORY  OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  189 

occupied  a  position  Avliere  only  a  few  unmanned  siege  guns  and  the  Ohio 
prevented  his  entrance  through  Covington  into  the  Queen  City.  The  city  was 
fully  armed,  and  Lew.  Wallace's  arrival  to  take  command  inspired  all  with 
fresh  courage.  And  before  the  people  were  hardly  aware  that  danger  was  so 
near,  the  city  was  proclaimed  under  strict  martial  law.  "  Citizens  for  labor, 
soldiers  for  battle." 

There  was  no  panic,  because  the  leaders  were  confident.  Back  of  Newport 
and  Covington  breastworks,  riflepits  and  redoubts  had  been  hastily  thrown  up, 
and  pickets  were  thrown  out.  From  Cincinnati  to  Covington  extended  a  pon- 
ton bridge.  Volunteers  marched  into  the  city  and  those  already  in  service 
were  sent  to  the  rescue.  Strict  military  law  was  now  modified,  and  the  city 
being  secured,  some  inconsiderate  ones  expressed  themselves  as  being  outraged 
with  "  much  ado  about  nothing."  But  Gen.  Wallace  did  not  cease  his  vigilance. 
And  Smith's  force  began  to  move  up.  One  or  two  skirmishes  ensued.  The 
city  was  again  excited.  September  11  was  one  of  intense  suspense.  But 
Smith  did  not  attack  in  force.  He  Avas  ordered  to  join  Bragg.  On  the  Mon- 
day following,  the  citizens  of  Cincinnati  returned  to  their  avocations.  In  the 
spring  of  I860,  the  State  was  a  trifle  discouraged.  Her  burdens  had  been 
heavy,  and  she  was  weary.  Vicksburg  was  yet  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
Rosecrans  had  not  moved  since  his  victory  at  Stone  River.  There  had  been 
fearful  slaughter  about  Fredericksburg. 

But  during  July,  1863,  Ohio  was  aroused  again  by  Bragg's  command  to 
INIorgan,  to  raid  Kentucky  and.  capture  Louisville.  On  the  3d  of  July,  he  was 
in  a  position  to  invade  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Kentucky.  He  continued  his  depre- 
dations, bewildering  the  militia  with  his  movements.  His  avowed  intention 
was  to  burn  Indianapolis  and  "  take  Cincinnati  alive."  Morgan's  purposes 
were  never  clear.  It  was  his  audacious  and  sudden  dashes,  here  and  there, 
which  gave  him  success.  Before  Cincinnati  was  aware,  he  was  at  Harrison — 
13th  of  July.  He  expected  to  meet  the  forces  of  Burnside  and  Judah,  and  to 
cut  his  way  through.  His  plans  here,  as  everywhere,  were  indefinable,  and  he 
succeeded  in  deceiving  everybody.  While  printers  in  Cincinnati  were  setting 
up  "  reports  "  as  to  his  whereabouts,  he  was  actually  marching  through  the  sub- 
urbs, near  troops  enough  to  devour  them,  and  yet  not  encountered  by  a  single 
picket !  They  fed  their  horses  within  sight  of  Camp  Dennison.  At  4 
o'clock  that  day,  they  were  within  tAventy-eight  miles  of  Cincinnati — having 
marched  more  than  ninety  miles  in  thirty-five  hours. 

The  greatest  chagrin  was  expressed,  that  Morgan  had  so  easily  eluded  the 
great  military  forces.  A  sudden  dash  was  made  to  follow  him.  There  was  a 
universal  bolting  of  doors,  burying  of  valuables,  hiding  of  horses,  etc.,  all  along 
the  route  of  the  mad  cavalryman  and  his  2,000  mounted  men.  They  plundered 
beyond  all  comparison.  They  made  a  principle  of  it.  On  the  14th  of  July, 
he  was  feeding  his  horses  near  Dennison  ;  he  reached  the  ford  at  Buffington 
Island  on  the  evening  of  the  18th  ;  he  had  encountered  several  little  skirmishes, 


190  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

but  he  had  marched  through  at  his  own  will,  mostly ;  all  the  troops  of  Kentucky 
had  been  outwitted.  The  Indiana  forces  had  been  laughed  to  scorn.  The 
50,000  Ohio  militia  had  been  as  straws  in  his  way.  The  intrepid  band  would 
soon  be  upon  friendly  soil,  leaving  a  blackened  trail  behind.  But  Judah  was 
up  and  marching  after  him,  Hobson  followed  and  Col.  Runkle  was  north  of 
him.  The  local  militia  in  his  advance  began  to  impede  the  way.  Near  Pome- 
roy,  a  stand  was  made.  Morgan  found  militia  posted  everywhere,  but  he  suc- 
ceeded in  running  the  gantlet,  so  far  as  to  reach  Chester.  He  should  have 
hastened  to  cross  the  ford.  Fortunately,  he  paused  to  breathe  his  horses  and 
secure  a  guide.  The  hour  and  a  half  thus  lost  w^as  the  first  mistake  Morgan  is 
known  to  have  made  in  his  military  career.  They  reached  Portland,  and  only 
a  little  earthwork,  guarded  by  about  300  men,  stood  between  him  and  safety. 
His  men  Avere  exhausted,  and  he  feared  to  lead  them  to  a  night  attack  upon  a 
position  not  understood  perfectly ;  he  would  not  abandon  his  wagon  train,  nor 
his  wounded ;  he  would  save  or  lose  all.  As  Morgan  w^as  preparing  next 
morning,  having  found  the  earthworks  deserted  through  the  night,  Judah  came 
up.  He  repulsed  the  attack  at  first,  capturing  Judah's  Adjutant  General,  and 
ordering  him  to  hold  the  force  on  his  front  in  check.  He  was  not  able  to  join 
his  own  company,  until  it  was  in  full  retreat.  Here  Lieut.  O'Neil,  of  the  Fifth 
Indiana,  made  an  impulsive  charge,  the  lines  were  reformed,  and  up  the  Chester 
road  were  Hobson's  gallant  cavalrymen,  who  had  been  galloping  over  three 
States  to  capture  this  very  Morgan  !  And  now  the  tin-clad  gunboats  steamed 
up  and  opened  fire.  The  route  was  complete,  but  Morgan  escaped  with  1,200 
men!  Seven  hundred  men  were  taken  prisoners,  among  them  Morgan's  brother, 
Cols.  Ward,  Duke  and  Huffman.  The  prisoners  were  brought  to  Cincinnati, 
while  the  troops  went  after  the  fugitive.  He  was  surrounded  by  dangers  ;  his 
men  were  exhausted,  hunted  down  ;  skirmishes  and  thrilling  escapes  marked  a 
series  of  methods  to  escape — his  wonderful  sagacity  absolutely  brilliant  to  the 
very  last — which  was  his  capture,  on  the  26th,  with  346  prisoners  and 
400  horses  and  arms.  It  may  be  added,  that  after  several  months  of  con- 
finement, Morgan  and  six  prisoners  escaped,  on  the  27th  of  November.  Again 
was  he  free  to  raid  in  the  "  Blue  Grass  "  country. 

John  Brough  succeeded  Gov.  Tod  January  11,  1864.  His  first  prominent 
work  was  with  the  Sanitary  Commission.  In  February,  of  the  same  year,  the 
President  called  for  more  troops.  The  quota  of  Ohio  was  51,465  men.  The 
call  of  March  added  20,995.  And  in  July  Avas  a  third  demand  for  50,792.  In 
December,  the  State  was  ordered  to  raise  26,027.  The  critical  period  of  the 
war  was  evidently  approaching.  Gov.  Brough  instituted  a  reformation  in  the 
"  promotion  system  "  of  the  Ohio  troops.  He  was,  in  many  cases,  severe  in  his 
measures.  He  ignored  "  local  great  men  "  and  refused  distinction  as  a  bribe. 
The  consequence  was  that  he  had  many  friends  and  some  enemies.  The  acute- 
ness  of  his  policy  was  so  strong,  and  his  policy  so  just,  that,  after  all  his  severe 
administration,  he  was  second  to  no  statesman  in  the  nation  during  the  struggle. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  191 

Ohio  during  the  war  was  most  active  in  her  relief  and  aid  societies.  The  most 
noted  and  extensive  organization  was  the  Cincinnati  Branch  of  the  United 
States  Sanitary  Commission,  The  most  efficient  organization  was  the  Soldiers' 
Aid  Society  of  Northern  Ohio. 

When  the  happy  tidings  swept  over  the  land  that  peace  was  proclaimed,  an 
echo  of  thanksgiving  followed  the  proclamation.  The  brave  sons  of  Ohio 
returned  to  their  own  soil — those  who  escaped  the  carnage.  But  'mid  the 
rejoicing  there  was  deepest  sadness,  for  a  fragment  only  remained  of  that  brave 
army  which  had  set  out  sturdily  inspired  with  patriotism. 

A    BRIEF    MENTION    OF    PROMINENT    OHIO    GENERALS. 

George  Briton  McClellan,  the  first  General  appointed  in  Ohio,  was  born 
December  3,  1826,  in  Philadelphia.  His  father  was  a  physician  of  high  stand- 
ing and  Scottish  descent.  Young  George  was  in  school  in  Philadelphia,  and 
entered  West  Point  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  he  was  a  bre- 
vet Second  Lieutenant,  tracing  lines  of  investment  before  Vera  Cruz,  under  the 
supervision  of  Capt.  R.  E.  Lee,  First  Lieut.  P.  G.  T.  Beauregard,  Second  Lieut. 
G.  W.  Smith.  At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  war,  old  Col.  Totten  reported  in 
favor  of  them  all  to  Winfield  Scott.  He  had  charge  of  an  exploring  expedition 
to  the  mountains  of  Oregon  and  Washington,  beginning  with  the  Cascade  Range. 
This  was  one  of  a  series  of  Pacific  Railway  explorations.  Returning  to  Wash- 
ington, he  was  detailed  to  visit  the  West  Indies  and  secretly  select  a  coaling  sta- 
tion for  the  United  States  Navy.  He  was  dispatched  by  Jefferson  Davis, 
Secretary  of  War,  to  Europe,  with  instructions  to  take  full  reports  of  the  organ- 
ization of  military  forces  connected  with  the  Crimean  war.  This  work  elicited 
entire  satisfaction.  He  returned  in  January,  1857,  resigned  as  regular  army 
officer,  and  was  soon  installed  as  engineer  of  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  In  1860, 
he  was  President  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi.  He  removed  to  Cincinnati,  where 
he  was  at  the  opening  of  the  war. 

William  Starke  Rosecrans  was  born  September  6, 1819,  in  Delaware  County, 
Ohio.  His  people  were  from  Amsterdam.  He  was  educated  at  West  Point. 
When  the  war  opened,  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Union  with  enthusiastic 
zeal,  and  was  appointed  by  McClellan  on  his  staff  as  Engineer.  June  9,  he 
was  Chief  Engineer  of  the  State  under  special  law.  Soon  thereafter,  he  was 
Colonel  of  the  Twenty-third  Ohio,  and  assigned  to  the  command  of  Camp 
Chase,  Columbus.  On  May  16,  his  commission  was  out  as  Brigadier  General 
in  the  United  States  Army.  This  reached  him  and  he  was  speedily  sum- 
moned to  active  service,  under  Gen.  McClellan.  After  the  battle  of  Rich  Moun- 
tain, he  was  promoted  to  the  head  of  the  department. 

In  April,  1862,  he  was  succeeded  by  Fremont,  and  ordered  to  Wash- 
ington to  engage  in  immediate  service  for  the  Secretary  of  War.  About  the 
loth  of  May,  he  was  ordered  to  Gen.  Halleck,  before  Corinth.  He  was 
relieved  from  his  command  December  9,  1864. 


192  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

Ulysses  S.  Grant,  whose  history  we  cannot  attempt  to  give  in  these  pages, 
was  born  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  at  Point  Pleasant,  Clermont  Co.,  Ohio, 
April  27,  1822.     He  entered  West  Point  in  1839. 

"  That  the  son  of  a  tanner,  poor  and  unpretending,  without  influential  friends 
until  his  performance  had  won  them,  ill-used  to  the  world  and  its  ways,  should 
rise — not  suddenly,  in  the  first  blind  worship  of  helpless  ignorance  which  made 
any  one  who  understood  regimental  tactics  illustrious  in  advance  for  what  he 
was  going  to  do,  not  at  all  for  what  he  had  done — but  slowly,  grade  by  grade, 
through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  constant  service  and  mingled  blunders  and  suc- 
cess, till,  at  the  end  of  four  years'  war  he  stood  at  the  head  of  our  armies, 
crowned  by  popular  acclaim  our  greatest  soldier,  is  a  satisfactory  answer  to 
criticism  and  a  sufficient  vindication  of  greatness.     Success  succeeds." 

"  We  may  reason  on  the  man's  career ;  we  may  prove  that  at  few  stages  has 
he  shown  personal  evidence  of  marked  ability ;  we  may  demonstrate  his  mis- 
takes ;  we  may  swell  the  praises  of  his  subordinates.  But  after  all,  the  career 
stands  wonderful,  unique,  worthy  of  study  so  long  as  the  nation  honors  her 
benefactors,  or  the  State  cherishes  the  good  fame  of  the  sons  who  contributed 
most  to  her  honor." 

Lieut.  Gen.  William  Tecumseh  Sherman  was  another  Ohio  contribution  to 
the  great  Union  war.  He  was  born  at  Lancaster  February  8,  1820.  He 
entered  West  Point  in  June,  1836.  His  "  march  to  the  sea  "  has  fully  brought 
out  the  details  of  his  life,  since  they  were  rendered  interesting  to  all,  and  we 
refrain  from  repeating  the  well-known  story. 

Philip  H.  Sheridan  was  born  on  the  6th  of  March,  1831,  in  Somerset, 
Perry  Co.,  Ohio.  He  entered  West  Point  in  1848.  During  the  war,  his 
career  was  brilliant.  His  presence  meant  victory.  Troops  fighting  under  his 
command  were  inspired.  Gen.  Rosecrans  said  of  him,  "He  fights,  he  fights." 
A  staff  officer  once  said,  "  He  is  an  emphatic  human  syllable." 

Maj.  Gen.  James  B.  McPherson  was  born  in  Sandusky  County,  town  of 
Clyde,  November  14,  1828. 

Maj.  Gen.  Q.  A.  Gillmore  was  born  February  28,  1825,  at  Black  River, 
Lorain  Co.,  Ohio. 

Maj.  Gen.  L'vin  McDowell  was  born  at  Franklinton,  Ohio,  October  15, 
1818. 

Maj.  Gen.  Don  Carlos  Buell  was  born  near  Marietta  on  the  23d  of  March, 
1818.  His  grandfather  on  the  maternal  side  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Cincinnati. 

Maj.  Gen.  0.  M.  Mitchell  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  but  a  resident  of 
Ohio  from  the  age  of  four  years. 

Maj.  Gen.  Robert  C.  Schenck  was  born  October  4,  1809,  in  Franklin, 
Warren  Co.,  Ohio. 

Maj.  Gen.  James  A.  Garfield,  was  born  in  Orange,  Cuyahoga  Co.,  Ohio, 
November  19,  1831. 


ISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  193 

Maj.  Gen.  Jacob  D.  Cox  was  born  in  Canada  in  1828,  and  removed  to 
Ohio  in  1846. 

Maj.  Gen.  James  B.  Steedman  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  July  30,  1818, 
and  removed  to  Toledo  in  1861. 

Maj.  Gen.  David  S.  Stanley  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  June  1, 
1828. 

Maj.  Gen.  George  Crook  was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  Septem- 
ber 8,  1828. 

Maj.  Gen.  Mortimer  D.  Leggett  was  born  in  New  York  April  19,  1831, 
and  emigrated  to  Ohio,  in  1847. 

Brevet  Maj.  Gen.  John  C.  Tidball  was  born  in  Virginia,  but  removed  while 
a  mere  lad  to  Ohio  with  his  parents. 

Brevet  Maj.  Gen.  John  W.  Fuller  was  born  in  England  in  1827.  He 
removed  to  Toledo  in  1858. 

Brevet  Maj.  Gen.  Manning  F.  Force  was  born  in  Washington,  D.  C,  on 
the  17th  of  December,  1824.     He  became  a  citizen  of  Cincinnati. 

Brevet  Maj.  Gen.  Henry  B.  Banning  was  born  in  Knox  County,  Ohio, 
November  10,  1834. 

We  add  the  names  of  Brevet  Maj.  Gens.  Erastus  B.  Tyler,  Thomas  H. 
Ewing,  Charles  R.  Woods,  August  V.  Kautz,  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  Charles 
C.  Walcutt,  Kenner  Garrard,  Hugh  Ewing,  Samuel  Beatty,  James  S.  Robinson, 
Joseph  W.  Keifer,  Eli  Long,  William  B.  Woods,  John  W.  Sprague,  Benjamin 
P.  Runkle,  August  Willich,  Charles  Griffin,  Henry  J.  Hunt,  B.  W.  Brice. 

Brig.  Gens.  Robert  L.  McCook,  William  II.  Lytle,  William  Leroy 
Smith,  C.  P.  Buckingham,  Ferdinand  Van  Derveer,  George  P.  Este,  Joel  A. 
Dewey,  Benjamin  F.  Potts,  Jacob  Ammen,  Daniel  McCook,  J.  W.  Forsyth, 
Ralph  P.  Buckland,  William  H.  Powell,  John  G.  Mitchell,  Eliakim  P.  Scam- 
mon,  Charles  G  Harker,  J.  W.  Reilly,  Joshua  W.  Sill,  N.  C.  McLean,  Will- 
iam T.  H.  Brooks,  George  W.  Morgan,  John  Beatty,  William  W.  Burns,  John 
S.  Mason,  S.  S.  Carroll,  Henry  B.  Carrington,  M.  S.  Wade,  John  P.  Slough, 
T.  K.  Smith. 

Brevet  Brig.  Gens.  C.  B.  Ludlow,  Andrew  Hickenlooper,  B.  D. 
Fearing,  Henry  F.  Devol,  Israel  Garrard,  Daniel  McCoy,  W.  P.  Richardson, 
G.  F.  Wiles,  Thomas  M.  Vincent,  J.  S.  Jones,  Stephen  B.  Yeoman,  F.  W. 
Moore,  Thomas  F.  Wilder,  Isaac  Sherwood,  C.  H.  Grosvenor,  Moses  E. 
Walker,  R.  N.  Adams,  E.  B.  Eggleston,  I.  M.  Kirby. 

We  find  numerous  other  names  of  Brevet  Brigadier  Generals,  mostly  of  late 
appointments,  and  not  exercising  commands  in  accordance  with  their  brevet 
rank,  which  we  omit  quoting  through  lack  of  space.  They  are  the  names  of 
men  of  rare  abilities,  and  in  many  cases  of  brilliant  achievements. 

In  looking  over  the  "War  Record  of  Ohio,"  we  find  the  State  a  great 
leader  in  men  of  valor  and  heroic  deeds.  It  was  the  prolific  field  of  military 
geniuses. 


194  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

Ohio  was  draped  with  the  garb  of  mourning  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Her 
human  sacrifice  in  behalf  of  the  nation  had  been  bitter.  There  were  tears  and 
heart-aches  all  over  the  land.  Her  ranks  were  swept  by  a  murderous  fire,  from 
which  they  never  flinched,  and  many  ofiicers  fell. 

Col.  John  H.  Patrick  will  be  remembered  as  opening  the  battle  of  Lookout 
Mountain.  He  fell  mortally  wounded,  during  the  Atlanta  campaign.  May 
15,  1862,  while  actively  engaged.  He  was  struck  by  a  canister  shot,  and 
expired  half  a  hour  thereafter. 

Col.  John  T.  Toland,  in  July,  1863,  was  placed  in  command  of  a  mounted 
brigade,  including  his  regiiuent,  and  was  instructed  to  destroy  the  Virginia  & 
Tennessee  Railroad.  He  reached  Wytheville,  Va.,  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
18th  of  July.  The  rebels  were  safely  intrenched  in  the  house,  and  poured  a 
galling  fire  mto  the  national  troops.  Col.  Toland  was  on  horseback,  at  the 
head  of  his  command.  A  sharpshooter  sent  a  bullet  with  fatal  certainty,  and 
he  fell  on  the  neck  of  his  horse,  but  Avas  instantly  caught  by  his  Orderly 
Sergeant,  who  heard  the  fervent  words  :  "•  My  horse  and  my  sword  to  my 
mother." 

Lieut.  Col.  Barton  S.  Kyle  accompanied  his  regiment  to  the  battle  of  Pitts- 
burg Landing.  The  regiment  was  forced  back,  though  resisting  bravely. 
Lieut.  Col.  Kyle  was  at  his  post  of  duty,  encouraging  his  nien,  when  he  received 
a  bullet  in  his  right  breast.     He  survived  five  hours.  »^ 

Col.  William  G.  Jones  was  engaged  m  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  June, 
1863.  His  regiment,  the  Thirty-sixth  Ohio,  was  included  in  Turchin's  Brigade 
of  the  Fourteenth  Corps.  He  wrote  in  his  pocket  memoranda  :  "  Off  to  the 
left ;  merciful  Father,  have  mercy  on  me  and  my  regiment,  and  protect  us  from 
Injury  and  death  " — at  12  o'clock.  At  5  that  afternoon,  he  was  fatally  wounded 
and  expired  at  7  that  same  evening,  on  the  battle-field  His  remains  were 
taken  by  the  rebels,  but  in  December,  1863,  they  were  exhumed  and  interred 
in  Spring  Grove  Cemetery,  Cincinnati. 

Col.  Fred.  C.  Jones  held  command  of  the  Tenth  Brigade,  in  October,  1862, 
marching  from  Wild  Cat,  Ky.,  to  Nashville,  through  a  perpetual  skirmish. 
During  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  Col.  Jones'  regiment,  the  Twenty-fourth,  was 
on  the  front  and  left  of  the  line.  During  the  afternoon,  when  the  rebel  assault 
upon  the  left  became  furious.  Col.  Jones  ordered  his  men  to  lie  down  and  hold 
fire,  which  was  obeyed.  They  rose  to  pour  a  deadly  volley  into  the  rebel  ranks, 
and  rush  forward  in  a  fierce  charge.  The  capture  of  an  entire  rebel  regiment  was 
thus  effected,  but  Col.  Jones  was  shot  in  the  right  side.  He  was  carried  to  the 
rear.  "  I  know  it ;  I  am  dying  now  ;  pay  no  attention  to  me,  but  look  after 
my  wounded  men."  He  survived  about  ten  hours.  His  remains  are  buried  in 
Spring  Grove,  Cincinnati. 

Col.  Lorin  Andrews  went  with  his  command  to  Western  Virginia,  where 
he  succumbed  to  exposure  and  severe  duty.  He  was  removed  to  his  home, 
Gambler,  Ohio,  where  he  died  surrounded  by  friends  September  18,  1861. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  195 

Col.  Minor  Milliken  was  sent  to  repel  tlie  attacks  of  the  rebels  at  the  rear. 
He  led  a  superb  cavalry  charge  against  the  enemy,  vastly  superior  in  numbers, 
and  was  cut  off  with  a  small  portion  of  his  regiment.  He  disdained  to  sur- 
render, and  ordered  his  men  to  cut  their  way  out.  A  hand-to-hand  conflict 
ensued.  Col.  Milliken,  being  an  expert  swordsman,  was  able  to  protect  himself 
with  his  saber.  While  parrying  the  strokes  of  his  assailant,  another  shot  him. 
The  regiment,  again  charging,  recovered  his  body,  stripped  of  sword,  purse  and 
watch. 

Col.  George  P.  Webster,  with  his  regiment,  the  Ninety-eighth,  left  Steu- 
benville  for  Covington,  Ky.,  August  23,  1862,  marching  from  that  point  to  Lex- 
ington and  Louisville.  _He  was  placed  at  the  command  of  the  Thirty-fourth 
Brigade,  Jackson's  division,  Cooke's  corps.  He  fell  in  the  battle  of  Perryville, 
and  died  on  the  field  of  battle. 

Col.  Leander  Stem  w^as  appointed  Colonel  of  the  One  Hundred  and  First 
Ohio  Infantry  August  30,  1862.  His  premonitions  that  he  should  fall  during 
his  first  regular  engagement  proved  too  true.  As  the  army  was  advancing  on 
Murfreesboro,  the  engagement  of  Knob  Gap  occurred,  when  Col.  Stem's  regi- 
ment charged  and  took  a  rebel  battery,  with  several  prisoners.  The  army 
closed  around  Murfreesboro,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  30th,  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  First  was  engaged  in  demonstrations  against  the  enemy.  Next 
morning,  the  battle  of  Stone  River  began  in  earnest.  When  Col.  Stem's  regi- 
ment began  to  waver,  he  called  out:  "Stand  by  the  flag  now,  for  the  good 
old  State  of  Ohio  !  "  and  instantly  fell,  fatally  wounded. 

Lieut.  Col.  Jonas  D.  Elliott  held  his  position  in  May,  1863.  During  the 
summer  of  1864,  he  commanded  the  left  wing  of  the  regiment  at  Dodsonville, 
Ala.;  in  September,  he  was  sent  after  Wheeler,  and  was  ordered  into  camp  at 
Decatur.  On  the  23d,  he  was  dispatched  to  Athens,  to  participate  in  the  attack 
of  Gen.  Forrest,  of  the  rebels.  Col.  Elliott  was  sent  out,  with  300  men,  and 
being  surrounded  by  Gen.  Forrest,  with  vastly  superior  numbers,  a  forced  resist- 
ance enabled  them  to  sustain  their  own  ground,  until  a  fresh  brigade  of  rebels 
arrived,  under  Gen.  Warren.  This  officer  instructed  one  of  his  men  to  shoot 
Lieut.  Col.  Elliott,  and  a  moment  later  he  fell.     He  lingered  nineteen  days. 

Col.  Joseph  L,  Kirby  Smith  took  command  of  the  Forty-third  Ohio  Regi- 
ment.    He  fell  at  the  battle  of  Corinth,  under  Rosecrans. 

Lieut.  Col.  James  W.  Shane  fell,  June  27,  1864,  in  an  assault  upon  the 
enemy's  works  at  Kenesaw.     He  survived  but  forty  minutes. 

Col.  Augustus  H.  Coleman  displayed  the  abilities  of  a  successful  commander. 
He  was  in  the  first  charge  on  the  bridge  across  Antietam  Creek.  He  was 
fatally  wounded.     His  last  words  were  inquiries  regarding  his  men. 

Col.  J.  W.  Lowe  commanded  the  Twelfth  Ohio,  and  was  ordered  to  assist 
the  Tenth  in  the  battle  of  Carnifex  Ferry.  Cheering  his  men,  in  the  thickest 
of  the  fight,  a  rifle  ball  pierced  his  forehead,  and  he  fell  dead — the  first  field 
officer  from  Ohio  killed  in  battle  in  the  war  for  the  Union. 


196  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

Lieut.  Col.  Moses  F.  Wooster  was  engaged  with  his  regiment,  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  First  Ohio,  at  Perryville.  He  was  mortally  wounded  on  the  31st 
of  December,  1862,  in  the  grand  effort  to  stem  the  tide  of  defeat  at  Stone 
River. 

The  list  of  staff  officers  we  refrain  from  giving,  through  lack  of  space. 

At  the  opening  of  the  war,  William  Dennison  was  Governor  of  Ohio.  David 
Tod  succeeded  him.     John  Brough  was  the  third  War  Governor. 

Secretary  Edwin  M.  Stanton  was  one  of  the  most  popular  war  Ministers. 
He  was  born  in  Steubenville,  Ohio,  in  1815  ;  he  was  engaged  in  the  United 
States  Circuit  Court,  in  1860,  in  a  leading  law  suit,  at  Cincinnati,  known  as  the 
Manny  and  McCormick  reaper  trial ;  on  the  20th  of  January,  1862,  he  was 
appointed  Secretary  of  War  by  Mr.  Lincoln. 

Ex-Secretary  Salmon  P.  Chase's  public  services  in  Ohio  have  already  been 
mentioned  in  these  pages.  In  1861,  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of  the  Treas- 
ury, in  Mr.  Lincoln's  cabinet. 

United  States  Senator  B.  F.  Wade  made  his  reputation  in  Ohio.  This 
Senator  of  the  State  stood  at  the  head  of  the  Committee  on  the  Conduct  of  the 
War  throughout  its  duration. 

United  States  Senator  John  Sherman  was  a  leading  member  of  the  Finance 
Committee,  during  the  war.     For  some  time  he  was  its  Chairman. 

Jay  Cooke  was  the  financial  agent  of  the  Government,  furnishing  money  for 
the  payment  of  the  troops.     He  was  born  in  Portland,  Huron  Co.,  Ohio. 

In  our  brief  review  of  the  war  record  of  Ohio,  we  have  omitted  a  vast 
amount  of  detail  information  that  would  prove  interesting  to  our  readers.  We 
believe  we  have  been  accurate  in  whatever  we  have  given,  taking  as  our  authority, 
that  accepted  "encyclopedia"  of  Ohio  war  facts — Whitelaw  Reid,  who  has  pub- 
lished a  valuable  volume  on  the  subject. 

SOME    DISCUSSED    SUBJECTS. 

It  may  be  well  in  glancing  over  the  achievements  of  Ohio,  her  momentous 
labors  and  grand  successes,  to  refer  to  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  more  minutely 
than  we  have  done,  in  relation  to  many  events,  since  its  inherent  principles  are 
not  only  perpetuated  in  the  laws  of  the  entire  Northwest,  but  have  since  been 
woven  into  the  general  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  It  made  permanent 
the  standard  and  character  of  immigration,  social  culture  and  political  and  edu- 
cational institutions.  It  was  thoroughly  antislavery  and  denounced  involuntary 
servitude,  which  was  sanctioned  in  every  other  State  at  that  time,  with  the 
exception  of  Massachusetts.  It  protected  religion  and  property.  As  late  as 
1862,  Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison,  Governor  of  Indiana,  called  a  convention 
for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  slavery  question,  and  the  feasibility  of  intro- 
ducing the  system  in  the  new  States  and  Territories  being  formed.  There 
was  at  this  time  a  spirited  contest,  and  Illinois,  Indiana  and  possibly  Ohio, 
barely  escaped  a  decision  that  a  full  support  should  be  given  its  introduction 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO  197 

into  these  States.  Its  adoption  was  based  upon  certain  specifications  and 
limits  of  time,  which  upon  a  deeper  consideration  was  deemed  perplexing  and 
impractical. 

An  animated  discussion  arose  not  long  since,  regarding  the  correct  author- 
ship of  this  important  ordinance,  and  its  chief  worker  in  gaining  its  sanction 
by  Congress. 

Mr.  Webster  ascribed  its  authorship  to  Mathew  Dane,  of  Massachusetts, 
which  statement  was  immediately  refuted  by  Mr.  Benton,  of  Mississippi,  who 
laid  claim  to  it  as  the  birthright  of  Thomas  Jefierson,  of  Virginia. 

It  has  been  almost  impossible  to  obtain  accurate  reports  of  the  actions  of  the 
old  Continental  Congress,  from  the  fact  that  its  meetings  were  held  in  secret, 
and  any  reports  either  narrated  or  shown  in  schedules  or  lists,  were  deemed  a 
striking  lack  of  trust  on  the  part  of  the  person  who  furnished  the  information. 
It  was  sufficient  that  its  acts  and  conclusions  be  proclaimed  without  any  prelude 
or  reasoning  process.  Hence  it  has  been  difficult  to  obtain  early  Congressional 
documents.  But  it  has  been  conclusively  proven  that  the  great  motive  power 
in  gaining  the  approbation  of  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  was  neither  Dane  nor 
Jefferson,  but  Dr.  Cutler. 

He  arrived  at  New  York,  July  5  of  that  year,  after  a  journey  from  Ipswich, 
Mass.,  in  his  sulky.  He  obtained  lodgings  at  the  "Plow  and  Harrow,"  and 
saw  that  his  good  horse  was  properly  cared  for  and  fed  at  the  same  place. 
Congress  was  then  in  session,  and  he  had  come  on  a  mission  for  the  Ohio  Com- 
pany, to  negotiate  their  grant  and  its  privileges  in  the  new  Territory  of  Ohio. 
He  remained  in  New  York  three  weeks,  constantly  engaged  in  the  work  vital  to 
the  interests  of  the  future  great  State.  But  he  secured  the  installment  of  the 
principles  deemed  the  corner-stone  of  a  future  powerful  State  constitution.  Mr. 
Poole,  Librarian  of  the  Chicago  Public  Library,  searched  assiduously  for  con- 
clusive proof  of  Dr.  Cutler's  right  to  this  honor,  and  in  the  North  American 
Revieiv,  Xo\.  122,  this  is  emphatically  set  forth  with  substantiating  proof  under 
his  signature.  * 

Other  facts  have  been  discussed  and  proven  at  a  very  recent  date,  relative 
to  the  State  of  Ohio,  Avhich  heretofore  have  been  omitted,  and  nearly  lost  from 
the  historic  thread  which  unites  the  present  with  the  past. 

The  first  settlement  of  the  lands  of  the  Northwest  is  necessarily  surrounded 
with  interest.  But  those  were  exciting,  troublesome  times,  and  a  few  links 
were  passed  over  lightly.  However,  the  years  ara  not  so  far  removed  in  the 
past  but  the  line  may  be  traced. 

Mr.  Francis  ^Y.  Miller,  of  Cincinnati,  has  supplied  some  missing  chapters. 
The  earliest  documentary  trace  extant,  regarding  the  southern  settlement  at 
Cincinnati,  is  an  agreement  of  partnership  between  Denman,  Filson  and  Pat- 
terson, in  the  fractional  section  of  land  to  which  the  city  of  Cincinnati  was 
originally  limited.  It  bears  the  date  August  25,  1788.  This  was  entered  on 
the  records  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  October  6,  1803. 


198  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 

A  letter  from  Jonathan  Dayton  to  the  Hon.  Judge  Symmes,  dated  Septera- 
her  26,  1789,  says:  "You  have  been  selling  your  lands,  I  am  told,  for  two 
shillings  specie,  the  acre.  The  price  at  this  moment  is,  and  seems  to  be,  and 
undoubtedly  is,  a  good  one;  but  as  much  cannot  be  said  of  it  when  you  find 
hereafter  that  in  consequence  of  the  rise  of  certificates,  another  acre,  in  another 
payment,  may  cost  you  in  specie  two  shillings  and  sixpence." 

A  letter  from  John  C.  Symmes  to  Capt.  Dayton,  dated  April  30,  1790, 
says :  "  The  land  in  the  reserved  township  is  held  at  much  too  high  a  price. 
Not  a  foot  of  land  beyond  the  five-acre  lots  will  sell.  Five  shillings,  specie, 
or  two  dollars  in  certificates,  is  the  utmost  they  will  bring,  and  they  will  rarely 
sell  at  that." 

This  state  of  affairs  was  in  a  large  degree  brought  about  by  the  breaking-up 
of  North  Bend  and  a  removal  of  the  town  to  Fort  Washington,  or  Cincinnati, 
later.  A  search  through  the  old  letters  and  other  preserved  documents  prove 
that  North  Bend  was  at  one  time  the  beginning  of  the  great  city  on  the  Ohio, 
rather  than  Cincinnati.  Judge  Symmes  wrote.  May  18,  1789:  "  I  have  not  as 
yet  been  able  to  make  a  decisive  choice  of  a  plat  for  the  city,  though  I  have 
found  two  pieces  of  ground,  both  eligible,  but  not  upon  the  present  plan  of  a 
regular  square.  It  is  a  question  of  no  little  moment  and  difficulty  to  deter- 
mine which  of  these  spots  is  preferable,  in  point  of  local  situation.  I  know 
that  at  first  thought  men  will  decide  in  favor  of  that  on  the  Ohio,  from  the 
supposition  that  the  Ohio  will  command  more  trade  and  business  than  the 
Miami.  *  *  *  g^^  -f  jj.  ^^^^e  built  on  the  Miami,  the  settlers 
throughout  the  purchase  would  find  it  very  convenient." 

Another  of  the  earliest  selections  of  town  sites  was  adjacent  to  the  most 
southerly  point  of  what  is  now  Delhi  Township.  To  this  the  name  of  South 
Bend  was  given.  Judge  Symmes  reports  November  4,  1790,  of  this  place, 
over  forty  framed  and  hewed-log  two-story  houses,  since  the  preceding  spring. 
Ensign  Luce  is  said  to  have  taken  his  troops  to  North  Bend,  but  decided  to 
remove  to  Cincinnati,  on  account  of  the  object  of  his  affections  having  settled 
there — the  wife  of  a  settler.  But  this  story  is  refuted  by  contradictory  evi- 
dence from  Judge  Symmes'  letters,  which  illustrate  the  'fact  that  the  post  of 
North  Bend  was  abandoned  by  Ensign  Luce  and  his  men  in  consequence  of  a 
panic,  caused  by  Indian  attacks.  The  removal  of  the  troops  caused  a  general 
decline  of  the  town.  Again,  history  and  letters  from  the  same  eminent  Judge, 
assert  that  Fort  Washington  was  completed  and  garrisoned  by  Maj.  Doughty 
before  the  close  of  that  same  year,  and  was  begun  by  him  during  the  summer, 
that  Ensign  Luce  must  have  still  been  at  his  post  at  the  bend  at  that  time.  It 
has  been,  therefore,  recently  accepted  that  the  traditional  "black  eyes"  and 
the  "Indian  panic,"  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  founding  of  Cincinnati,  and 
that  the  advantages  of  the  position  gained  the  victory. 

Cincinnati  has  advanced,  not  only  in  prosperity  and  culture,  but  in  national 
significance.     Our  readers  must  have  observed,  in  perusing  these  pages,  that 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  199 

from  this  city  and  the  State  which  it  represents,  have  emanated  some  of  the 
superior  intellects  which  have  used  their  wise  faculties  and  talents,  tempered  by 
a  wise  judgment,  in  behalf  of  the  American  Union. 

The  originality  of  the  Senecas  and  Wyandots  have  been  debated  at  some 
length,  while  others  have  called  the  tribes  the  same,  having  two  branches.  We 
have  searched  the  earlier  records  and  have  found  an  authenticated  account  of 
these  tAvo  tribes. 

The  Indian  tribes  of  Ohio  Avere  originally  bold,  fierce  and  stalwart.  The 
country  watered  by  the  Sandusky  and  its  tributaries  was  frequented  by  the 
"Wyandot  tribe,  who  came  from  the  north  side  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River.  The 
Senecas  were  blood  relatives  of  this  tribe.  Both  tribes  were  numbered  by  the 
thousands.  A  war  originated  between  them,  in  this  manner:  A  "Wyandot 
chief  desired  to  wed  the  object  of  his  affections,  who  laughed  him  to  scorn, 
because  he  had  taken  no  scalps,  and  was  no  warrior  "  to  speak  of."  To  change 
her  opinion,  he  led  out  a  party,  and  falling  upon  a  number  of  Senecas,  slaugh- 
tered them  mercilessly,  that  he  might  hasten  to  the  side  of  his  dusky  belle,  with 
his  trophies.  This  act  inaugurated  hostilities,  which  extended  through  a  century. 
The  Wyandots  began  to  fear  extermination,  and,  gathering  their  entire  effects 
the  natives  escaped  to  Green  Bay,  and  settled  in  several  villages.  But  the  Sen- 
ecas made  up  a  war  party  and  followed  them,  killing  many  Wyandots  and  burn- 
ing some  of  their  villages.  They  then  returned  to  Canada.  Soon  thereafter, 
they  secured  fire-arms  from  the  French.  Again  they  followed  the  Wyandots, 
firing  their  guns  into  their  huts,  and  frightening  them  severely.  They  did  not 
succeed  as  well  as  they  expected.  But  the  third  party  nearly  exterminated  the 
villages,  because  the  young  warriors  Avere  nearly  all  gone  to  Avar  Avith  the  Foxes. 
The  fcAv  at  home  escaping,  promised  to  return  with  the  Ser.ccas,  but  desired 
tAvo  days  for  preparation.  The  Wyandots  sent  word  to  the  two  villages  left 
undisturbed,  and  held  a  consultation.  They  decided  to  go  as  near  the  Senecas 
as  possible,  unobserved,  and  discover  their  real  motive.  They  found  them  feast- 
ing on  two  roasted  Wyandots,  shouting  over  their  victory.  They  danced  nearly 
all  night,  and  then  fell  asleep.  A  little  before  daylight,  the  Wyandots  fell  on 
them,  leaving  not  one  to  carry  back  the  news. 

The  Wyandots  then  procured  guns,  and  began  to  groAV  formidable.  They 
set  out  to  return  to  their  own  country,  and  proceeded  on  their  way  as  far  as 
Detroit,  where  they  met  a  party  of  Senecas,  on  the  lake.  A  fierce  conflict 
ensufd,  and  the  Wyandots  beheld  the  Senecas  fall,  to  the  last  man,  suffering 
fearful  carnage  themselves.  They  soon  settled  in  this  part  of  the  Avorld,  their 
principal  village  being  on  the  Sandusky.  Northwestern  Ohio  Avas  particularly 
dangerous  with  new  Indian  tribes,  and  the  Wyandots  Avere  cruelly  aggressive. 
The  death  of  their  chief,  and  their  total  defeat  by  Harrison,  destroyed  their 
power  forever. 

On  the  29th  of  September,  1817,  a  treaty  was  held,  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids 
of  the  Miami  of   Lake  Erie,  between  Lewis   Cass  and   Duncan  McArthur, 


200  HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO 

Commissioners  of  the  United  States,  and  the  sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the 
Wyandot,  Seneca,  Dehiware,  Shawnee,  Potawattomie,  Ottawa  and  Chippewa 
nations.     All  their  lands  in  Ohio  ivere  ceded  to  the  United  States  forever. 

There  was  really  not  a  Seneca  in  the  Seneca  nation.  They  were  chiefly 
Cayugas,  Mohawks,  Onondagas,  Tuscarawas,  Wyandots  and  Oneidas.  But  the 
Mingoes  were  originally  Cayugas,  and  their  chief  was  the  celebrated  Logan. 
After  the  murder  of  his  fiiniily  by  the  Avhites,  the  Mingoes  were  scattered  over 
the  territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio. 

The  notorious  Simon  Girty  was  adopted  by  the  Senecas.  Girty's  name  was 
a  terror  and  fiendish  horror  for  many  years.  He  not  only  led  the  Indians  in 
their  atrocities,  but  he  added  barbarism  to  their  native  wickedness. 

CONCLUSION. 

When  peace  was  proclaimed,  after  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee  to 
Gen.  U.  S.  Grant,  the  volunteer  troops  disbanded,  and  a  return  to  home  indus- 
tries instituted,  Ohio,  like  many  other  States,  gave  direct  attention  to  the  inter- 
ests of  returned  soldiers.  The  thrift  of  the  State  was  augmented  by  a  spasmodic, 
and  thereafter  recognized  as  a  fictitious,  demand  for  products,  commercial  and 
industrial  pursuits  redoubled  their  forces.  But  the  great  wave  of  stagnation 
swept  over  this  fair  land — the  re-action  of  a  war  excitement.  Laborers  were 
many,  but  wages  were  inadeijuate.  Deeper  and  deeper  settled  this  lethargy — 
called  by  many  "  hard  times" ' — until  the  wheels  of  commercial  life  revolved 
slowly,  and  from  the  workshops  and  the  factories  went  up  the  echoes  of  priva- 
tion and  distress.  There  was  no  famine,  no  "fever,  no  epidemic,  it  was  simply 
exhaustion.  In  the  larger  cities  there  was  much  suffering.  Idle  people  loitered 
about,  barely  seeking  employment,  the  task  seeming  worse  than  hopeless. 

During  the  years  1870,  1871  and  1872,  the  stringent  measures  brought 
about  by  the  depressed  state  of  business  retarded  any  material  advancement  in 
general  matters.  The  years  1873-74  were  marked  by  a  preceptible  improve- 
ment, and  a  few  factories  were  established,  while  larger  numbers  were  employed 
in  those  already  founded.  The  year  1875  was  under  the  direction  of  a  Demo- 
cratic Legislature.  It  was  marked  in  many  respects  by  a  "reverse  motion  "  in 
many  laws  and  regulations. 

The  Legislature  which  convened  in  1876,  January  3,  was  Republican  in  the 
main.  It  repealed  the  "  Geghan  Law  "  passed  by  the  preceding  body.  At 
the  time  of  its  adoption,  there  Avas  the  most  intense  feeling  throughout  the  State, 
the  charo;e  being  made  that  it  was  in  the  interests  of  the  Catholics.  Amono; 
the  general  enactments  were  laws  re-organizing  the  government  of  the  State  insti- 
tutions, which  the  previous  Legislature  had  ordered  according  to  their  own  belief 
to  follow  new  doctrines.  The  office  of  Comptroller  of  the  Treasur}^  was  abolished. 
The  powers  of  municipal  corporations  to  levy  taxes  was  limited,  and  their 
authority  to  incur  debts  was  limited.  Furthermore,  this  body  prohibited  any 
municipal  appropriations,  unless  the  actual  money  was  in  the  Treasury  to  meet 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO.  201 

the  same  in  full.     A  law  was  passed  for  the  protection  of  children  under  fourteen 
years  of  age,  exhibited  in  public  shows. 

The  temperance  cause  received  more  vigorous  and  solid  support  than  was 
ever  rendered  by  the  State  previously.  A  common-sense,  highly  moral  and 
exalted  platform  was  formed  and  supported  by  many  leading  men. 

This  year  witnessed  the  serious  "strikes"  among  the  miners  in  Stark  and 
AVayne  Counties.  The  consequences  were  painful — distress,  riots  and  distruc- 
tion  of  property. 

The  State  Mine  Inspector  reported  300  coal  mines  in  the  State,  with  only 
twenty-five  in  operation.  Not  over  3,000,000  tons  of  coal  were  raised  during 
the  year,  owing  to  the  dullness  of  the  times. 

The  State  charities  reported  the  aggregate  number  under  public  care  to  be 
29,508.  The  taxation  for  the  maintenance  of  these  classes  was  one  and  one 
six-hundredth  of  a  mill  on  each  dollar  of  taxable  property. 

The  reports  given  of  the  year  1877  indicated  a  revival  of  business  interests 
and  prosperity.  The  State  produced  of  wheat,  27,306,566  bushels ;  rye, 
914,106  bushels;  buckwheat,  225,822  bushels;  oats,  29,325,611;  barley, 
1,629,817  bushels ;  corn,  101,884,305  bushels  ;  timothy,  tons  of  hay,  2,160,334  ; 
clover,  tons  of  hay,  286,265;  flax,  pounds  of  fiber,  7,343,294;  potatoes, 
10,504,278  bushels;  sweet  potatoes,  126,3541  bushels;  tobacco,  24,214,950 
pounds;  sorghum,  sugar,  7,507|^  pounds;  syrup,  1,180,255  gallons;  maple 
sugar,  1,625,215  pounds;  maple  syrup,  324,036  gallons;  h,oney,  1,534,902 
pounds. 

The  year  1878  was  marked  by  a  more  vigorous  and  combined  effort  of  the 
people  to  entirely  overcome  the  stagnation  of  business,  the  influence  of  the 
lethargy  yet  combating  the  awakened  interest.  This  energy  was  amply  rewarded 
in  1879,  by  a  general  dawning  of  the  "good  times  "  so  ardently  desired.  New 
enterprises  were  instituted,  manufactories  erected,  improvements  carried  on,  and 
agriculture  was  successful.  Before  the  year  closed,  the  State  was  basking  in 
the  light  of  prosperity,  and  the  year  1880  was  ushered  in  when  the  confidence 
of  the  people  was  again  a  permanent  incentive — confidence  in  the  nation, 
their  State,  each  in  the  other  and  themselves.  The  old-time  crown  of  power, 
influence  and  integrity,  which  Ohio  has  earned,  is  conspicuous  in  this  year  of 
1881.  The  jewels  have  been  reset,  and  we  confidently  doubt  not  that  their 
luster  will  remain  undimmed  intrusted  to  so  faithful  and  so  earnest  a  people. 


202 


HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 


POPULATION  OF  OHIO  BY  COUNTIES. 


COUNTIES 

1820 

1830 

1840 

ISJO 

1860 

1870 

1880 

Tbe  state 

581434 

937903 

1519467 

1980329 

2339511 

2665260 

31980C2 

10406 

12281 
578 

13183 
9079 

18883 
12109 
23813 
28767 
18215 
11338 
34600 
27332 
30789 
17685 
19782 
22178 
30455 
18838 
33621 
25674 
18177 
48099 
20276 

6966 
21817 
l!<5i;8 
30264 
12726 
42909 

7781 
17063 
17827 
21946 
30438 
156844 
16751 

8251 
20157 

3434 
25781 
14119 
20452 
26203 
12719 
29133 
28872 
14654 
15-246 
38846 
19162 
26086 
12363 
10015 
23735 
12618 
24441 
17971 

7712 
24999 
28351 
38218 
28585 
20280 
45049 

20309 
19185 
22951 
31814 
21364 
17187 
36398 
29958 
35840 
15738 
22698 
25300 
33034 
21461 
32836 
25032 
23881 
78033 
26009 
11886 
23902 
24474 
30538 
15935 
50361 
14043 
22043 
15817 
26197 
24474 
216410 
22886 
13570 
19110 
8901 
27773 
17057 
20589 
26616 
17941 
26115 
27735 
15576 
23249 
37011 
20996 
29744 
25831 
13tll5 
25894 
15490 
22517 
26534 
14104 
29959 
25741 
52230 
22119 
20445 
44416 
20751 
7016 
4945 
19678 
23469 
13643 
24208 
218'20 
12808 
31158 
35071 
21429 
24297 
30868 
17493 
42978 
27344 
30656 
32463 
16507 
10238 
13631 
26902 
36268 
32483 
16633 
17886 
15596 

20750 
23623 
21933 
32517 
23768 
20041 
39714 
30802 
39912 
14491 
24188 
32070 
34268 
21914 
38299 
23600 
25556 

132010 
32278 
15719 
25175 
28188 
31138 
17170 
63019 
17789 
25545 
14190 
28038 
23838 

260370 
23847 
18714 
18682 
14028 
29133 
17925 
18177 
28532 
21759 
29188 
26333 
15935 
31380 
35756 
23028 
30308 
46722 
15633 
31001 
16184 
20092 
81465 
17254 
32740 
25779 
64006 
20363 
18583 
44886 
19949 
13364 
8544 
18453 
24875 
15447 
24584 
21809 
170S1 
32516 
37097 
25503 
29302 
30827 
20748 
52508 
34674 
38659 
33840 
18730 
15823 
15027 
26689 
40609 
35116 
20991 
24596 
1S553 

a4005 
31314 
23883 
37139 
28411 
25444 
49638 
32911 
42579 
16416 
27817 
41948 
36713 
24756 
486H2 
266J2 
305S3 

196943 
40496 
22515 
27381 
32640 
34284 
20364 
86797 
21053 
28124 
14251 
31349 
27197 

313374 
27784 
27023 
20456 
20585 
30281 
21126 
20776 

2 

Allen 

7382 
6338 

14584 
9787 

23724 
19109 

8 

Belmont 

Brown 

Butler   

20329 
13356 
21746 

28827 
178(i7 
27142 

30901 
22715 
28173 
18108 
16721 
16882 
23106 
15719 
4037S 
21590 
13152 
26506 
13282 

11 

8479 

9533 
15830 

8085 
22U33 

7086 

12131 
13114 
20466 
11436 
35592 
11161 

4791 
10373 

6204 

1'' 

Clark    

13 

Clermont 

15 
16 

Columbiaua  . .  

17 

18 

6328 
3717 

19 

•'>() 

''1 

7639 

i6633" 
6316 
10292 

11504 

"'24786' 
8182 
14741 

22060 
12599 
31924 
10984 
25049 

22 
23 

?4 

Erie 

•?5 

'^fi 

'?7 

7098 
7791 

10529 
9292 

31764 

9733 

15813 

14801 

18036 

52317 

813 

210 

20916 

262 

16345 

4008 

9135 
13341 

5941 
22489 
17085 

13144 

16297 
17528 
27748 
60145 

9986 

4598 
20099 

2503 
22269 

9r41 
18088 
23933,. 

9743 
25030 
29579 
13719 

9738 
35096 
14015 
18467 

9382 

9025 

•?H 

29 
30 
31 

S' 

SS 

34 

14345 

35 

36 
37 

38 
39 

Highland--- 

Hockini,' 

Holmes  .* 

12308 
2130 

■""6675" 
3746 
18531 
8326 

40 

2:3686 
33018 
27431 
16326 
390(58 

41 
42 

Knox 

44 

3499 
11861 
3181 

5367 
20869 
64J0 
5696 

45 

46 

26267 

17 

35526 
67377 

20129 
42871 
20565 

4S 

49 

4799, 

6190- 

=ji 

6551 
7560 
6158 
1110 
12807 
8768 
24362 
11800 

14765 

18352 
11452 
8277 
19688 
18521 
31938 
20852 

5?. 

3082 
4480 

53 

54 

Meigs  .  

32325 

21808 
361 58 
26496 

55 
56 

Miami  

8851 
4615 
15999 
5297 

5" 

58 

20074 

59 

19072 
49774 

60 

17824 

29334 

38749 

21 138 

6'> 

2248 
1034 
19344 
19725 
7626 
22965 
•  19482 
5189 
44532 
27460 
10182 
11192 
18128 
12154 
34603 
22560 
38107 
25631 
8422 
1577 

3308 
1766 
20775 
21006 
10953 
24419 
21736 
7221 
30879 
32074 
14305 
18428 
27104 
13958 
39878 
27485 
30490 
31761 
12204 
4793 
9353 
25560 
29540 
32981 
8018 
9157 
11194 

63 

161 
13970 
16001 
6024 
18826 
16291 
230 
24006 
240iiS 

1^40 
5159 
:'67l 
26588 

64 

8429 
13149 

4253 
10095 
10237 

28218 

65 

66 

Pike     

17927 

67 

27500 

68 
69 

Preble 

24533 
23713 

70 
71 

7" 

Richland 

Ross 

9i69 

20619 

852 

575U 

36306 
40307 
32057 

73 

33511 

74 

36947 

75 

2UI6 
12406 

24137 

76 

Stark 

64031 

43788 

78 

1554R 
8328 
1996 

26153 

14298 

3192 

49 

44880 

79 

4019S 

SO 

22375 

81 

23028 

S-J 

Vinton    

17223 

83 

1783T 
10425 
11933 

21468 
11731 
23333 
387 
1102 


23141 
20823 
35808 
4465 
5357 

28392 

84 

43244 

85 

4(X)76 

86 

28821 

87 

733 

34022 

88 

Wyandot  .'. . . 

22395 

HISTORY    OF    THE    STATE    OF    OHIO. 
POPULATION    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES. 


203 


STATES  AND 
TERRITORIES. 


STATES. 

Alabama 

Arkansas 

California 

Colorado  

Connecticut 

Delaware 

Florida 

Georgia 

Illinuis 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maine 

Maryland  

Massachusetts.... 

Michigan   

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Nebraska 

Nevada  

New  Hampshire., 

New  Jersey 

New  York 

North  Carolina..., 
Ohio 


AREA  IN 

SQUARE 
MILES. 


50, 
52. 

18S, 


POPULATION. 


1870. 


996,992 
484.471 
560,24 


537,454 

125,015 

187,748 

1,184,109 

2.539,891 

1,680,637 

1,191,792 

364,399 

l,3zl.011 

726,915 

626,915 

7o0,894 

1,457,351 

1,184.059 

4.59,706 

827,922 

1,721,295 

123,993 

42,491 

318,300 

906,096 

4,382,759 

1,071,361 

2,665,260 


mil's 

R.  R. 

1882. 


1,802 
l.Otl 


1,262,505 
8o2,j^o 
864,694  2,266 
194,32712,274 
622,700  958 
146,608 
269,493 

1,542,180 

3,077,871 

1,978,301 

1,624,615 
996,096 

1,648,690  1,714 
9b9,946|  999 
648,93611,021 
934,9431 1,047 

l,783,0S5j  1,934 


STATES  AND 
TERRITORIES. 


278 
793 
2,581 
8,325 
4,764 
6,112 
3,718 


780,773 
1,131,597 
2,168,380 

452,402 
62,26b 

346,991 
1.131,116  1,753 
5,082,87116,278 
1. 399,7501,619 
3,198,062  6,663 


3,390 
1,231 
4,211 
2,310 
890 
1,025 


STATES. 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania  ... 
Rhode  island.... 
South  Carolina. 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Vermont 

Virginia 

West  Virginia... 
Wisconsin 

Total  States  ., 

TERRITORIES. 

Arizona 

Colorada  

Dakota , 

District  of  Columbia 

Idaho  

Montana 

New  Mexico 

Utah 

Washington 

Wyoming 

Total  Territories.. 


Aggregate  of  U.  S...  2,915,203 


AREA  IN 
SQUARE 
MILES. 


95,244 
46,000 
1,306 
29,385 
45,600 
237,504 
10,212 
40,904 
23,000 
53,924 


1,950,171 


113,916 
104,500 
147,490 
60 
90,932 
143,776 
121,201 
80,056 
69,944 
93,10 


965,032 


POPULATION. 


90,923 

3,521,7911 
217,353: 
705,606 

1,258,520| 
818,579 
330,551 1 

1,225,163 
442,014 

1,054,670 


MIL'S 
R.  R. 

1882. 


38,113,253 


9,658 
39,864 
14,181 
131,700 
14,999 
20,595 
91,874 
86,786 
23,955 

9,118 


442,730 


38,555,983 


174, 
4,282, 

276, 

995, 
1,542, 
1,.591, 

332, 
1,512, 

618, 
1,315, 


689 
6,690 

211 
•  1,483 
1,973 
5,344 

915 
2,193 

711 
3,441 


40,440 


557 


265 
231 
975 
908 
479 
533 


50,155,783  . 


PRINCIPAL    COUNTRIES    OF    THE  WORLD. 

POPULATION  AND  AREA. 


COUNTRIES. 


China  

British  India 

Russia 

United  States — with  Alaska. 

German  Empire 

Turkey 

Austria  and  Hungary 

France  

.Tapan 

Great  Britain  and  Ireland... 

Italy 

Egypt 

Spain  

Mexico 

Brazil 

Persia 

Sweden  and  Norway 

Belgium 

Roumania 

Portug.al 

Dominion  of  Canada 

Netherlands 

Switzerland 

Peru 

Bolivia 

Chili 

Venezuela 

Greece 

Denmark 

Argentine  Confederation 

Servia  

Guatemala 

Ecuador  

Liberia 

Hayti 

San  Salvador 

Uruguay 

Nicaragua 

Honduras 

San  Domingo 

Costa  Rica 


POPULATION 


627,183 

899,516 

297,407 

442,066 

234,061 

213,400 

786,246 

405,240 

925,313 

262,762 

452,639 

952,000 

625,860 

025,649 

883,622 

653,600 

497,245 

519,844 

290.000 

348,551 

324,810 

114,077 

846,102 

699,945 

300,000 

223,434 

075,245 

979,305 

969,039 

859,685 

700,211 

252,497 

066,137 

050,000 

800,000 

554.785 

4.38,245 

350,000 

350.000  i 

300,000  j 

180,000 


1881 
1881 
1879 
1880 
1880 
1881 
1880 
1881 
1879 
1881 
1881 
1875 
1877 
1881 
1872 
1881 
1881 
1880 
1878 
1878 
1881 
1881 
1880 
1876 


1881 
1881 
1880 
1869 
1880 
1881 
1875 


1878 
1880 


AREA  OF 
SQUARE 
MILES. 


4,413,788 

1,425,723 

8,387,816 

3,602,990 

212,091 

2,396,692 

240,942 

204,092 

148,700 

120.879 

114,296 

1,406,250 

182,750 

743,948 

3,287,963 

610,000 

293,848 

11,373 

48,307 

36,510 

3,470,392 

12,648 

15,992 

503,718 


207,350 

439,120 

25,041 

13,784 

1,204,486 

20,850 

41,830 

248,372 

14,300 

10.204 

7,225 

73,538 

49, ,500 

39,600 

18,045 

26,040 


CAPITALS. 


Pekin , 

Calcutta 

St   Petersburg  (1881) 

Washington 

Berlin 

Constantinople 

Vienna 

Paris 

Yeddo 

London 

Florence  

Cairo 

Madrid 

Mexico 

Rio  de  Janiero 

Teheran 

Stockholm 

Brussels 

Bucharest 

Lisbon 

Ottawa 

Amsterdam 

Geneva 

Lima 

La  Paz  

Santiago 

Caraccas , 

Athens 

Copenhagen  

Buenos  Ayres  (1881) 

Belgrade 

Santiago  de  Guatemala . 

Quito 

Monrovia 

Port  au  Prince 

San  Salvador 

^Montevideo 

Managua  

Tegucigalpa 

San  Domingo 

San  Jose 


POPU- 
LATION. 


,000,000 
500,000 
876,575 
147,293 
,122,360 
800,000 
,103,857 
,269,023 
200,000 
,764,312 
169,000 
250,000 
397,690 
315,996 
274,972 
200,000 
168,775 
350,000 
221,805 
246,343 

27,412 
328,047 

68,320 
101,488 


387,081 

60,000 

63,374 

234,850 

289.925 

27,000 

55,728 

70,000 

13,000 

22,000 

18,500 

73,353 

8,000 

12,000 

10,000 

2,500 


204  HISTORY   OF   THE   STATE   OF   OHIO. 


COMMENTS  UPON  THE  ORDINANCE  OF  1787,  FROM  THE  STATUTES 
OF  OHIO,  EDITED  BY  SALMON  P.  CHASE,  AND  PUB- 
LISHED IN  THE  YEAR  1833. 

[It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  more  comprehensive  review  of  the  founda- 
tions of  our  system  of  laws  than  is  given  in  the  "  Preliminary  Sketch  of  the 
History  of  Ohio,"  by  this  distinguished  representative  of  the  bench  and  the 
bar  of  America.  The  work  is  now  out  of  print,  and  is  not  easily  obtained; 
besides,  its  great  author  has  passed  away;  so  these  extracts  are  made  more 
with  a  view  of  preserving  old  historical  literature,  than  of  introducing  new; 
furthermore,  the  masses  of  the  people  have  never  had  convenient  access  to  the 
volumes,  which,  for  the  most  part,  have  been  in  the  hands  of  professional  men 
only.  The  publication  of  the  work  first  brought  its  compiler  before  the  public, 
and  marked  the  beginning  of  that  career  which,  during  its  course,  shaped  the 
financial  system  of  our  country,  and  ended  upon  the  Supreme  Bench  of  the 
nation.] 

By  the  ordinance  of  1785,  Congress  had  executed  in  part  the  great  national 
trust  confided  to  it,  by  providing  for  the  disposal  of  the  public  lands  for  the 
common  good,  and  by  prescribing  the  manner  and  terms  of  sale.  By  that  of 
1787,  provision  was  made  for  successive  forms  of  Territorial  government, 
adapted  to  successive  steps  of  advancement  in  the  settlement  of  the  Western 
country.  It  comprehended  an  intelligible  system  of  law  on  the  descent  and 
conveyance  of  real  property,  and  the  transfer  of  personal  goods.  It  also  con- 
tained five  articles  of  compact  between  the  original  States,  and  the  people  and 
States  of  the  Territory,  establishing  certain  great  fundamental  principles  of 
governmental  duty  and  pi'ivate  right,  as  the  basis  of  all  future  constitutions  and 
legislation,  unalterable  and  indestructible,  except  by  that  final  and  common 
ruin,  which,  as  it  has  overtaken  all  former  systems  of  human  polity,  may  yet 
overwhelm  our  American  union.  Never,  probably,  in  the  history  of  the  world, 
did  a  measure  of  legislation  so  accurately  fulfill,  and  yet  so  mightily  exceed 
the  anticipations  of  the  legislators.  The  ordinance  has  been  well  described,  as 
having  been  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  of  fire  by  night,  in  the  settlement  and 
government  of  the  Northwestern  States.  When  the  settlers  went  into  the 
wilderness,  they  found  the  law  already  there.  It  was  impressed  upon  the  soil 
itself,  while  it  yet  bore  up  nothing  but  the  forest.  The  purchaser  of  land 
became,  by  that  act,  a  party  to  the  compact,  and  bound  by  its  perpetual  cove- 
nants, so  far  as  its  conditions  did  not  conflict  with  the  terms  of  the  cessions  of 

the  States. 

********* 

This  remarkable  instrument  was  the  last  gift  of  the  Congress  of  the  old 
confederation  to  the  country,  and  it  was  a  fit  consummation  of  their  glorious 


HISTORY   OF   THE   STATE   OF   OHIO.  207 

labors.  At  the  time  of  its  promulgation,  the  Federal  Constitution  was  under 
discussion  in  the  convention ;  and  in  a  few  months,  upon  the  organization  of 
the  new  national  government,  that  Congress  was  dissolved,  never  again  to  re-as- 
semble. Some,  and  indeed  most  of  the  principles  established  by  the  articles  of 
compact  are  to  be  found  in  the  plan  of  1784,  and  in  the  various  English  and 
American  bills  of  rights.  Others,  however,  and  these  not  the  least  important, 
are  original.  Of  this  number  are  the  clauses  in  relation  to  contracts,  to  slavery 
and  to  Indians.  On  the  whole,  these  articles  contain  what  they  profess  to  con- 
tain, the  true  theory  of  American  liberty.  The  great  principles  promulgated 
by  it  are  wholly  and  purely  American.  They  are  indeed  the  genuine  princi- 
ples of  freedom,  unadulterated  by  that  compromise  Avith  circumstances,  the 
effects  of  Avhich  are  visible  in  the  constitution  and  history  of  the  Union. 
********* 

The  first  form  of  civil  government,  provided  by  the  ordinance,  was  now 
formally  established  within  the  Territory.  Under  this  form,  the  people  had  no 
concern  in  the  business  of  government.  The  Governor  and  Judges  derived 
their  appointments  at  first  from  Congress,  and  after  the  adoption  of  the  Fed- 
eral Constitution,  from  the  President.  The  commission  of  the  former  ofiicer 
was  for  the  term  of  three  years,  unless  sooner  revoked ;  those  of  the  latter 
were  during  good  behavior.  It  was  required  that  the  Governor  should  reside 
within  the  Territory,  and  possess  a  freehold  estate  there,  in  one  thousand  acres 
of  land.  He  had  authority  to  appoint  all  ofiicers  of  militia,  below  the  rank  of 
Generals,  and  all  magistrates  and  civil  officers,  except  the  Judges  and  the 
Secretary  of  the  Territory ;  to  establish  convenient  divisions  of  the  whole  dis- 
trict for  the  execution  of  progress,  to  lay  out  those  parts  to  which  the  Indian 
titles  might  be  extinguished  into  counties  and  townships.  The  Judges,  or  any 
two  of  them,  constituted  a  court  with  common  law  jurisdiction.  It  Avas  neces- 
sary that  each  Judge  should  possess  a  freehold  estate  in  the  territory  of  five 
hundred  acres.  The  whole  legislative  power  which,  however,  extended  only  to 
the  adoption  of  such  laws  of  the  original  States  as  might  be  suited  to  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  country,  Avas  vested  in  the  Governor  and  Judges.  The  laws 
adopted  were  to  continue  in  force,  unless  disapproved  by  Congress,  until  re- 
pealed by  the  Legislature,  which  was  afterward  to  be  organized.  It  was  the 
duty  of  the  Secretary  to  preserve  all  acts  and  laws,  public  records  and  executive 
proceedings,  and  to  transmit  authentic  copies  to  the  Secretary  of  Congress 
every  six  months. 

Such  was  the  first  government  devised  for  the  Northwestern  Territory.  It 
is  obvious  that  its  character,  as  beneficent  or  oppressive,  depended  entirely  upon 
the  temper  and  disposition  of  those  who  administrated  it.  All  power,  legisla- 
tive, judicial  and  executive,  was  concentrated  in  the  Governor  and  Judges,  and 
in  its  exercise  they  were  responsible  only  to  the  distant  Federal  head.  The 
expenses  of  the  Government  were  defrayed  in  part  by  the  United  States,  but 
were  principally  drawn  from  the  pockets  of  the  people  in  the  shape  of  fees. 


208  HISTORY   OF   THE   STATE   OF   OHIO. 

This  temporary  system,  however  unfriendly  as  it  seems  to  liberty,  was, 
perhaps,  so  established  upon  sufficient  reasons.  The  Federal  Constitution  had 
not  then  been  adopted,  and  there  were  strong  apprehensions  that  the  people  of 
the  Territory  might  not  be  disposed  to  organize  States  and  apply  for  admission 
into  the  Union.  It  was,  therefore,  a  matter  of  policy  so  to  frame  the  Territorial 
system  as  to  create  some  strong  motives  to  draw  them  into  the  Union,  as  States, 
in  due  time. 

The  first  acts  of  Territorial  legislation  were  passed  at  Marietta,  then  the 
only  American  settlement  northwest  of  the  Ohio.  The  Governor  and  Judges 
did  not  strictly  confine  themselves  within  the  limits  of  their  legislative  author- 
ity, as  prescribed  by  the  ordinance.  When  they  could  not  find  laws  of  the 
original  States  suited  to  the  condition  of  the  country,  they  supplied  the  want 
by  enactments  of  their  own.  The  earliest  laws,  from  1788  to  1795,  were  all 
thus  enacted.  The  laws  of  1788  provided  for  the  organization  of  the  militia; 
for  the  establishment  of  inferior  courts;  for  the  punishment  of  crimes,  and  for 
the  limitations  of  actions;  prescribed  the  duties  of  ministerial  officers;  regu- 
lated marriages,  and  appointed  oaths  of  office.  That  the  Governor  and  Judges 
in  the  enactment  of  these  laws,  exceeded  their  authority,  without  the  slightest 
disposition  to  abuse  it,  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  except  two,  which 
had  been  previously  repealed,  they  were  all  confirmed  by  the  first  Territorial 
Ledslature. 


At  this  period  there  was  no  seat  of  government,  properly  called.  The 
Governor  resided  at  Cincinnati,  but  laws  were  passed  whenever  they  seemed  to 
be  needed,  and  promulgated  at  any  place  where  the  Territorial  legislators  hap- 
pened to  be  assembled.  Before  the  year  of  1795,  no  laws  were,  strictly  speak- 
ing, adopted.  Most  of  them  were  framed  by  the  Governor  and  Judges  to 
answer  particular  public  ends;  while  in  the  enactraant  of  others,  including  all 
the  laws  of  1792,  the  Secretary  of  the  Territory  discharged,  under  the  author- 
ity of  an  act  of  Congress,  the  functions  of  the  Governor.  The  earliest  laws, 
as  has  been  already  stated,  were  published  at  Marietta.  Of  the  remainder,  a 
few  were  published  at  Vincennes,  and  the  rest  at  Cincinnati. 

In  the  year  1789,  the  first  Congress  passed  an  act  recognizing  the  binding 
force  of  the  ordinance  of  1787,  and  adapting  its  provisions  to  the  Federal  Con- 
stitution. This  act  provided  that  the  communications  directed  in  the  ordinance 
to  be  made  to  Congress  or  its  officers,  by  the  Governor,  should  thenceforth  be 
made  to  the  President,  and  that  the  authority  to  appoint  with  the  consent  of 
the  Senate,  and  commission  officers,  before  that  time  appointed  and  commis- 
sioned by  Congress,  should  likewise  be  vested  in  that  officer.  It  also  gave  the 
Territorial  Secretary  the  power  already  mentioned,  of  acting  in  certain  cases, 
in  the  place  of  the  Governor.  In  1792,  Congress  passed  another  act  giving  to 
the  Governor  and  Judges  authority  to  repeal,  at  their  discretion,  the  laws  by 


HISTORY   OF   THE   STATE   OF   OHIO.  209 

them  made;  and  enabling  a  single  Judge  of  the  general  court,  in  the  absence 
of  Ills  brethren,  to  hold  the  terms. 

At  this  time  the  Judges  appointed  by  the  national  Executive  constituted  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  Territory.  They  were  commissioned  during  good 
behavior;  and  their  judicial  jurisdiction  extended  over  the  whole  region  north- 
west of  the  Ohio.  The  court,  thus  constituted,  was  fixed  at  no  certain  place, 
and  its  process,  civil  and  criminal,  was  returnable  wheresoever  it  might  be  in 
the  Territory,  Inferior  to  this  court  were  the  County  Courts  of  Common  Pleas, 
and  the  General  Quarter  Sessions  of  the  Peace.  The  former  consisted  of  any 
number  of  Judges,  not  less  than  three  nor  more  than  seven,  and  had  a  general 
common-law  jurisdiction,  concurrent,  in  the  respective  counties,  with  that  of 
the  Supreme  Court;  the  latter  consisted  of  a  number  of  Justices  for  each 
county,  to  be  determined  by  the  Governor,  who  were  required  to  hold  three 
terms  in  every  year,  and  had  a  limited  criminal  jurisdiction.  Single  Judges  of 
the  Common  Pleas,  and  single  Justices  of  the  Quarter  Sessions,  were  also 
clothed  with  certain  civil  and  criminal  powers  to  be  exercised  out  of  court. 
Besides  these  courts,  each  county  had  a  Judge  of  Probate,  clothed  with  the 
ordinary  jurisdiction  of  a  Probate  Court. 

Such  was  the  original  constitution  of  courts  and  distribution  of  judicial 
power  in  the  Northwestern  Territory.  The  expenses  of  the  system  were  de- 
frayed in  part  by  the  National  Government,  and  in  part  by  assessments  upon 
the  counties,  but  principally  by  fees,  which  were  payable  to  every  officer  con- 
cerned in  the  administration  of  justice,  from  the  Judges  of  the  General  Court- 
downward. 

In  1795,  the  Governor  and  Judges  undertook  to  revise  the  Territorial  lawt. 
and  to  establish  a  complete  system  of  statutory  jurisprudence,  by  adoptions 
from  the  laws  of  the  original  States,  in  strict  conformity  to  the  provisions  of 
the  ordinance.  For  this  purpose  they  assembled  at  Cincinnati,  in  June,  and 
continued  in  session  until  the  latter  part  of  August.  The  judiciary  system  un- 
derwent some  changes.  The  General  Court  was  fixed  at  Cincinnati  and  Marietta, 
and  a  Circuit  Court  was  established  with  power  to  try,  in  the  several  counties, 
issues  in  fact  depending  before  the  superior  tribunal,  where  alone  causes  could 
be  finally  decided.  Orphans'  Courts,  too,  were  established,  with  jurisdiction 
analogous  to  but  more  extensive  than  that  of  a  Judge  of  Probate.  Laws  were 
also  adopted  to  regulate  judgments  and  executions,  for  limitation  of  actions, 
for  the  distribution  of  intestate  estates,  and  for  many  other  general  purposes. 
Finally,  as  if  with  a  view  to  create  some  great  reservoir,  from  which,  whatever 
principles  and  powers  had  been  omitted  in  the  particular  acts,  might  be  drawn 
according  to  the  exigency  of  circumstances,  the  Governor  and  Judges  adopted 
a  law,  providing  that  the  common  law  of  England  and  all  general  statutes  in 
aid  of  the  common  law,  prior  to  the  fourth  year  of  James  I,  should  be  in  full 
force  within  the  Territory.  The  law  thus  adopted  was  an  act  of  the  Virginia 
Legislature,  passed  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  when  Virginia  was 


210  HISTORY   OF   THE   STATE   OF   OHIO. 

yet  a  British  colony,  and  at  the  time  of  its  adoption  had  been  repealed  so  far 
as  it  related  to  the  English  statutes. 

The  other  laws  of  1795  were  principally  derived  from  the  statute  book  of 
Pennsylvania.  The  system  thus  adopted,  was  not  without  many  imperfections 
and  blemishes,  but  it  may  be  doubted  whether  any  colony,  at  so  early  a  period 
after  its  first  establishment,  ever  had  one  so  good. 

And  how  gratifying  is  the  retrospect,  how  cheering  the  prospect  which  even 
this  sketch,  brief  and  partial  as  it  is,  presents!  On  a  surface,  covered  less 
than  half  a  century  ago  by  the  trees  of  the  primeval  forest,  a  State  has  grOwn 
up  from  colonial  infancy  to  freedom,  independence  and  strength.  But  thirty 
years  have  elapsed  since  that  State,  with  hardly  sixty  thousand  inhabitants,  was 
admitted  into  the  American  Union.  Of  the  twenty-four  States  which  form 
that  Union,  she  is  now  the  fourth  in  respect  to  population.  In  other  respects, 
her  rank  is  even  higher.  Already  her  resources  have  been  adequate,  not  only 
to  the  expense  of  government  and  instruction,  but  to  the  construction  of  long 
lines  of  canals.  Her  enterprise  has  realized  the  startling  prediction  of  the 
poet,  who,  in  1787,  when  Ohio  was  yet  a  wilderness,  foretold  the  future  con- 
nection of  the  Hudson  with  the  Ohio. 

And  these  results  are  attributable  mainly  to  her  institutions.  The  spirit  of 
the  ordinance  of  1787  prevades  them  all.  Who  can  estimate  the  benefits 
which  have  flowed  from  the  interdiction  by  that  instrument  of  slavery  and  of 
legislative  interference  with  private  contracts?  One  consequence  is,  that  the 
soil  of  Ohio  bears  up  none  but  freemen ;  another,  that  a  stern  and  honorable 
regard  to  private  rights  and  public  morals  characterizes  her  legislation.  There 
is  hardly  a  page  in  the  statute  book  of  which  her  sons  need  be  ashamed.  The 
great  doctrine  of  equal  rights  is  everywhere  recognized  in  her  constitution  and 
her  laws.  Almost  every  father  of  a  family  in  this  State  has  a  freehold  interest 
in  the  soil,  but  this  interest  is  not  necessary  to  entitle  him  to  a  voice  in  the 
concerns  of  government.  Every  man  may  vote;  every  man  is  eligible  to  any 
office.  And  this  unlimited  extension  of  the  elective  franchise,  so  far  from  pro- 
ducing any  evil,  has  ever  constituted  a  safe  and  sufficient  check  upon  injurious 
legislation.  Other  causes  of  her  prosperity  may  be  found  in  her  fertile  soil,  in 
her  felicitous  position,  and  especially  in  her  connection  Avith  the  union  of  the 
States.  All  these  springs  of  growth  and  advancement  are  permanent,  and 
upon  a  most  gratifying  prospect  of  the  future.  They  promise  an  advance  in 
population,  wealth,  intelligence  and  moral  worth  as  permanent  as  the  existence 
of  the  State  itself.  They  promise  to  the  future  citizens  of  Ohio  the  blessings 
of  good  government,  wise  legislation  and  universal  instruction.  More  than  all, 
they  are  pledges  that  in  all  future,  as  in  all  past  circumstances,  Ohio  will  cleave 
fast  to  the  national  constitution  and  the  national  Union,  and  that  her  growing 
energies  will  on  no  occasion,  be  more  willingly  or  powerfully  put  forth,  than  in 
the  support  and  maintenance  of  both  in  unimpaired  vigor  and  strength. 


/^ 


^ 


V* 


-i4^JS5^9^' 


Q^^i^'^       ^ayh^l±I^ 


PART  III 


HISTORY  OF  WYAND 


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Sir  cronisr  s.  scuEztTOKi. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    I. 

LOCATION  AND  EXTENT— NATURAL  FEATURES. 

Situation— Boundaries — Area  —  Streams  —  Surface —  Soil— Geological 
Structure— Material  Resources. 

location    and  extent. 

BY  reference  to  the  State  maps,  the  reader  will  observe  that  Wyandot 
County  lies  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  nearly  equidis- 
tant from  Lake  Erie  on  the  north,  and  the  Indiana  State  line  on  the  west.  That 
the  counties  bordering  upon  it  are  Seneca  on  the  north;  Crawford  on  the 
east;  Marion  and  Hardin  on  the  south;  Hardin  and  Hancock  on  the  west; 
and  that  its  thirteen  subdivisions,  known  respectively  as  Antrim,  Crane, 
Crawford,  Eden,  Jackson,  Marseilles,  Mifflin,  Pitt,  Richland,  Ridge,  Salem, 
Sycamore  and  Tymochtee  Townships,  contain  eight  square  miles  more  than 
eleven  surveyed  townships,  or  258, 560  acres. 

natural  features. 

Its  Streams. — Lying  near  the  great  water-shed  of  the  State,  just  on  its 
northern  slope,  it  contains  no  large  streams.  Tymochtee  Creek  with  its 
tributaries,  and  the  head-waters  of  the  Sandusky  River,  comprising  the  Lit- 
tle Sandusky  and  the  Broken  Sword  Creeks,  and  the  small  streams  known  as 
Sycamore  Creek,  Tyler's  Run,  Sugar  Run,  Negro  Run  and  Rock  Ran,  are 
the  drainage  system  of  the  county.  Their  general  course  is  due  north,  ex 
cept  that  the  eastern  tributaries  of  the  Sandusky  have  a  direction  westerly 
or  southwesterly,  until  they  descend  upon  the  area  of  the  water-lime,  and 
are  well  within  the  drainage  valley  of  the  Sandusky.  The  Tymochtee 
Creek,  throughout  the  most  of  its  course  in  Wyandot  County,  is  a  slow 
stream  and  has  a  clay  bottom.  Its  valley  is  as  wide  and  its  banks  as  high 
as  those  of  the  Sandusky  itself,  although  less  water  actually  passes  down  its 
channel.  The  Sandusky,  on  the  contrary,  more  frequently  runs  on  a  rock 
bottom,  and  its  current  is  more  rapid.  It  affords  occasional  water-power 
privileges.      The  same  is  true  of  the  small  creeks  entering  it  from  the  east. 

The  Surface. — The  topography  of  the  county  is  quite  simple.  The 
western  half  is  gently  undulating  or  flat.  The  excavated  valley  of  the  Ty- 
mochtee Creek,  which  is  usually  about  a  hundred  rods  wide,  and  rarely 
exceeds  two  hundred  rods,  presents,  in  its  abrupt  descents,  the  most  notice- 
able changes  of  level.  There  ai'e  several  extensive  prairie- like  tracts, 
which  have  a  black  soil  and  were  never  clothed   with  forest.      They  are  in 


216  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  higher  levels,  and  give  rise  to  some  of  the  tributaries  of  Tymochtee 
Creek.  One  is  north  and  west  of  Carey,  extending  largely  into  Seneca  and 
Hancock  Counties,  known  as  Big  Spring  Prairie.  Another  covers  much  of 
the  township  of  Richland,  known  as  Potatoe  Swamp,  and  a  third  occupies 
the  southeastern  part  of  Mifflin  and  the  southwestern  part  of  Pitt  Town- 
ships, extending  also  into  Marion  County.  The  Cranberry  Marsh,  in  Jack- 
son Township,  also  extends  largely  into  Hancock  County.  That  tract  known 
as  Cranberry  Marsh,  in  Crane  Township,  and  the  marshy  tract  in  the  center 
of  Tymochtee  Township,  are  of  less  extent  but  in  every  way  analogous  to 
the  rest.  These  marshes  were  probably,  once  the  sites  of  lakes,  which 
have  become  filled  by  the  slow  accumulation  of  vegetable  matter,  and  the 
washing  in  from  the  adjoining  land  of  the  finer  materials  of  the  drift. 
This  is  particularly  noticeable  about  the  ridges  and  knolls  which  inclose 
Big  Spring  Prairie.  Besides  these  untillable  marshes,  most  of  the  territory 
lying  between  the  Tymochtee  Creek  and  the  Sandusky  River,  has  a  black, 
loamy  soil,  and  was  once,  probably,  subject  to  inundation  by  those  streams, 
although  now  it  is  generally  laid  out  in  fine  farms. 

East  of  the  Sandusky  River  the  surface  is  more  broken,  and  there  is  a 
noticeable  ascent  from  the  area  of  the  water-lime  to  that  of  the  corniferous. 
There  is  a  tract  of  elevated  land,  like  a  fragment  of  a  glacial  moraine,  along 
the  west  side  of  Broken  Sword  Creek,  extending  from  Eden  Township  to 
the  Little  Sandusky  in  Pitt  Township.  Besides  these  undulations  in  the 
original  surface  of  the  drift,  that  part  of  the  county  east  of  the  Sandusky  is 
subject  to  erosions  by  frequent  small  streams,  which  have  worn  channels  in 
the  drift  and  sometimes  in  the  rock  itself. 

Where  the  streams  of  the  county  run  through  level  tracts,  they  present 
the  usual  terrace  and  flood-plain.  The  former  is  the  old  drift  surface,  and 
rises  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  water.  The  latter, 
which  is  constantly  changing  its  position  and  its  contents,  is,  of  course,  de- 
pendent on  the  greatest  freshet  rise  of  the  stream.  Along  the  Tymochtee 
Creek  it  is  sometimes  twelve  feet  or  more  above  the  summer  stage  of  the 
stream. 

The  Soil. — The  prevailing  feature  of  the  soil  is  clay.  This,  however, 
is  variously  modified.  In  the  higher  parts  of  the  county,  it  is  gravelly,  and 
often  contains  stones  and  bowlders.  It  is  compact,  and  almost  entirely 
without  stones  or  even  gravel  in  the  level  tracts,  especially  where  there  has 
been  a  gradual  tilling  up,  with  slow  or  imperfect  drainage.  The  soil  of  the 
prairies,  which  is  black,  consists  very  largely  of  vegetable  matter  in  various 
stages  of  decay.  Drainage  is  especially  needed  in  the  western  part  of  the 
county. 

The  Geological  Structure.* — The  Niagara  limestone  underlies  a  tier  of 
townships  along  the  western  side  of  the  county,  spreading  to  the  east  so  a8 
to  include  the  village  of  JMarseilles.  The  western  boundary  of  the  Lower 
Corniferous  enters  the  county  from  the  north,  about  two  miles  east  of  Mex- 
ico, passes  through  Bellevernon  and  Little  Sandusky,  and  leaves  the  couuty 
in  Section  11,  Pitt  Township.  Hence  the  most  of  the  county,  which  is 
specially  characterized  by  its  flat  surface,  is  underlain  by  the  water- lime 
formation.  It  is  necessaiy  to  say,  however,  that  the  western  central 
portions  of  the  county  are  entirely  without  rocky  outcrops,  and  it  may  be 
that  the  Niagara  underlies  more  area  than  has  been  ascribed  to  it;  also  that 
the  boundary  between  the  water- lime  and  the  corniferous,  as  above  located, 
is  to  a  certain  extent  conjectural. 

♦Compiled  from  the  report  of  N.  H.  Wiuchell,  as  published  by  authority  of  the  State  Legislature,  in 
1873. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  217 

The  Niagara  limestone  has  near  Carey  an  unusual  and  somewhat  re- 
markable exposure  The  surface  of  the  country  for  many  miles  in  every 
direction  is  flat,  without  exposure  of  rock.  At  this  point  the  Niagara 
swells  up  suddenly  in  two  separate  moands  or  ridges,  which  rise  so  obtru- 
sively that  the  drift  has  been  in  many  places  entirely  denuded.  They  rise 
to  the  height  of  forty  to  fifty  feet.  They  are  each  about  five  miles  long, 
and  are  so  situated  toward  each  other,  and  in  relation  to  the  direction  of 
the  natural  drainage,  that  they  inclose  the  marsh  known  as  Big  Spring 
Prairie.  They  are  distinguished  as  the  North  Ridge  and  the  West  Ridge. 
The  included  prairie  is  of  the  shape  of  a  horseshoe,  the  toe  turned  a  little 
east  of  north,  the  West  Ridge  filling  in  the  bow.  It  is  usually  about  a 
mile  wide,  with  a  length  of  ten  miles.  It  is  drained  in  opposite  directions. 
Spring  Run  drains  it  into  the  Sandusky  River,  and  a  stream  known  as  the 
"  Outlet  "  drains  it  into  the  Blanchard.  The  soil  is  so  wet  that  at  present 
it  is  impossible  to  till  it.  Good  progress  has,  however,  been  made  in  drain- 
ing some  portions,  which  now  produce  corn  of  prodigious  growth.  The  de- 
scent to  the  prairie  from  the  north  or  from  the  west,  su  as  nt5t  to  be  inter- 
cepted by  either  of  the  limestone  ridgeg,  is  very  gradual,  even  unobserva- 
ble.  The  soil  changes  imperceptibly  from  a  more  or  less  gravelly  clay  to  a 
fine,  tough  clay;  then  by  the  addition  or  vegetable  matter  the  surface  soil 
becomes  black  and  moist,  and  all  vegetable  growth  disappears  except  grasses 
and  sedges.  Efforts  were  made  to  ascertain  the  thickness  of  this  black 
muck,  but  no  result  was  obtained  other  than  the  fact,  that  wkile  it  exceeds 
eight  feet  in  some  places,  it  is  usually  but  four  or  five.  It  is  thin  about 
the  margin  of  the  marsh,  and  seems  to  be  generally  underlain  by  a  tough, 
blue  clay,  often  so  calcareous  as  to  constitute  a  marl.  This  blue  clay  is 
sometimes  itself  overlain  by  a  bed  of  quicksand.  Within  the  muck  the 
horns  of  elk  are  said  to  have  been  found,  and  logs  several  feet  in  diameter. 
Along  the  south  margin  of  the  prairie,  within  the  bow,  there  is  consider- 
able sand,  as  if  the  deposit  of  a  lake  shore.  Within  the  bow  of  the  prairie 
there  is  also  considerable  flat  land  not  marshy,  the  surface  rising  very  gent- 
ly toward  the  south  for  the  distance  of  nearly  one  mile,  when  the  West  Ridge 
rises  suddenly  to  the  height  of  nearly  fifty  feet.  The  prairie  is  crossed  by 
three  public  roads.  These  are  constructed  by  throwing  together  the  dirt 
from  two  parallel  ditches,  on  which  is  placed  first  corduroy,  and  afterward, 
when  repairs  are  needed,. stone  hauled  from  the  ridges,  giving  the  road  a 
rough  macadamizing.  Many  months  in  the  year  the  prairie  is  covered  with 
water,  and  it  is  only  in  the  driest  months  that  cattle  venture  on  it  for 
grazing.  Within  it  are  sometimes  little  undulations  or  hillocks,  on  which 
grow  bunches  of  shrubs  and  large  herbs. 

The  rock  here  exposed  has  been  found  to  contain  characteristic  Niagara 
fossils  only  in  the  North  Ridge.  There  are  no  perpendicular  sections  of  the 
bedding,  except  in  small  quarries  on  the  slopes  of  the  ridges  near  their 
bases.  In  these  openings  the  stone  appears  very  different  from  that  seen 
in  bare  places  higher  up  the  ridges  and  on  their  summits,  and  the  dip  is 
uniformly  toward  the  low  ground,  whatever  the  position  of  the  quarry. 

The  quarry  of  Mr.  Samuel  Shoup,  situated  on  the  western  slope  of  the 
West  Ridge,  about  three  miles  from  Carey,  shows  the  rock  dipping  about 
fifteen  or  eighteen  degrees  toward  the  southwest;  that  is,  toward  the  near- 
est low  ground.  It  is  in  thin,  fragile  beds,  of  a  light  drab  or  buff  color, 
porous,  and  soft  under  the  hammer,  showing  no  distinguishable  fos.=5ils. 

In  the  quarry  of  Mr.  Thomas  Shepherd,  northeast  quarter  Section  11, 
Ridge  Township,  about  a  mile  northwest  of  Mr.  Shoup's,  the  beds  are  thin 


218  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

and  so  carious  they  can  hardly  be  lifted,  in  even  sheets  of  a  bufif  color, 
sometimes  reduced  to  sand  by  the  weather.  Then  comes  a  bed  three  to 
eight  inches  thick;  vesicular;  of  a  buff  color;  easily  worked.  Then  it  is 
irregularly  bedded;  lenticular  or  massive;  buff  color;  carious;  with  traces 
of  fossils. 

Mr.  F.  J.  Worrello's  quarry,  northeast  quarter  Section  16,  Crawford 
Township,  is  in  the  same  kind  of  stone,  but  it  is  so  far  removed  from  the 
ridge  that  beds  have  not  been  tilted  by  it.  They  lie  horizontal,  or  with  a 
very  slight  inclination  southwest.  The  rock  is  here  very  near  the  surface. 
The  same  is  true  at  Carey,  where  it  is  sometimes  reached  in  digging  post- 
holes  for  fences. 

The  quarry  of  Mr.  Jonas  Huffman  is  in  the  west  slope  of  the  North 
Ridge,  situated  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  4,  Crawford  Township, 
and  shows  the  following  descending  section.  Dip  toward  the  west,  10°. 
The  rock  here  is  overlain  by  about  two  feet  of  drift  and  loose  fragments; 
then  comes  about  two  feet  of  confused  and  lenticular  in  the  bedding,  with 
larger  pores  or  cavities,  sometimes  filled  with  calcite;  fossiliferous,  showing 
two  species  of  bivalves,  cyathophylloids  and  favositoids.  Then  two  feet  of 
hard,  close-grained;  light  drab;  beds  four  to  eight  inches.  The  close- 
grained  has  a  bluish  tint. 

Mr.  Peter  Kibbler's  quarry  at  Springville  affords  a  slight  exposure  of 
the  same  kind  of  stone,  with  a  gentle  dip  west  or  toward  the  prairie.  The 
stone  here  seems  a  little  more  firm,  but  is  generally  porous,  with  fine  cavi- 
ties; fossils  wanting  or  so  absorbed  as  to  be  undistinguishable.  The  color 
is  a  light  drab,  varying  to  buff,  and  also  to  gray,  especially  when  thrown 
in  piles.  The  stone  is  not  handsome,  the  beds  being  uneven  and  contain- 
ing some  white  chert.  At  Mr.  David  Smith's  quarry,  in  the  northeast 
quarter  of  Section  3,  in  Amanda  Township,  Hancock  County,  the  stone  is 
buff,  porous  and  thin,  the  beds  being  only  about  two  inches  thick.  Stone 
thrown  out  from  these  quarries  becomes  a  light  buff,  sometimes  almost  white 
under  the  weather,  and  although  not  of  a  durable  quality,  it  has  been  used 
considerably  in  ordinary  walls  and  foundations. 

In  passing  over  the  ridges  which  are  occupied  by  good  farms,  stones  are 
often  seen  gathered  from  the  fields  and  deposited  in  piles  or  in  the  coi'ners 
of  the  fences,  or  laid  up  in  walls.  They  consist  of  fragments  from  the  un- 
derlying rock,  and  of  northern  bowlders,  the  former  greatly  predominating. 
Along  the  road  the  rock  is  frequently  seen  bare,  and,  as  already  remarked, 
it  is  different,  lithologically,  from  that  seen  in  the  foregoing  quarries.  It 
is  most  frequently  a  dark  drab  or  brown,  hard,  crystalline  rock,  apparently 
in  a  rough,  massive  condition,  containing  cavities  sometimes  two  or  three 
inches  in  diameter.  It  nowhere  appears  in  even  beds.  It  is  rarely  vesicu- 
lar, like  the  stone  seen  in  the  quarries  described,  but  contains  large  cavi- 
ties, irregularly  scattered  through  it.  The  color  is  sometimes  a  bluish  drab, 
and  it  not  unfrequently  shows  obscure  traces  of  fossil  remains.  These  occur 
sometimes  in  rock  otherwise  compact  and  solid,  or  they  may  be  so  numerous 
as  to  make  the  rock  porous  and  loose,  the  interior  shell  being  entirely  want- 
ing. The  fragments  furnishing  these  fossils  are,  however,  more  vesicular 
and  lighter  colored  than  the  stone  usually  seen  scattered  over  the  surface  of 
the  ridges.  They  have  the  lithological  characters  of  that  phase  of  the 
Niagara  seen  in  the  Sandusky  River  at  Tiffin,  Seneca  County,  and  at  Genoa, 
in  Ottawa  County.  In  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  32,  Crawford  Town- 
ship, a  ridge  may  be  seen  of  the  same  kind  of  stone  as  those  north  of  Carey, 
running  north  and  south,  visible  about  one-half  mile,  slightly  exposed  on 
land  of  Joseph  Pahl. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  219 

It  would  seem  a3  if  the  conditions  of  the  ocean's  bed  in  which  the 
Niagara  was  formed  were  not  uniform.  While  regular  strata  were  being 
deposited  in  a  wide  area,  including  portions  of  Seneca  and  Hancock  Coun- 
ties, without  disturbance  or  contortions,  a  concretionary  and  crystallizing 
force  sprang  into  operation  in  the  northwest  corner  of  Wyandot  County, 
which  in  working  from  below,  caused  the  even  beds  of  deposition  to  swell 
upward  or  over  the  growing  mass  or  masses.  In  some  cases,  it  aided  in  the 
preservation  of  fossil  remains;  in  others  it  hastened  th«ir  absorption  into 
the  mass  of  the  rock.  This  is  a  peculiarity  of  the  rock  formation  not  con- 
fined to  the  Niagara,  but  is  displayed  conspicuously  in  the  water-lime  above, 
and  it  has  been  seen  in  the  Lower  Corniferous.  When  the  lapse  of  time 
brings  such  hardened  masses  into  contact  with  the  erosions  of  ice  and  water, 
they  cause  the  prominent  features  of  the  landscape  by  the  removal  of  the 
more  destructible  parts  about  them.  Such  may  be  the  explanation  of  the 
remarkable  ridges  about  Carey,  the  even,  friable  beds  seen  in  the  quarries 
about  their  flanks  having  once  been  continuous  over  the  summits,  but,  un- 
able to  resist  the  forces  of  the  glacial  epoch,  were  denuded  down  to  the 
more  enduring  rock. 

Within  these  ridges  are  several  caves,  the  entrances  to  which  are  small 
and  have  been  accidentally  discovered,  sometimes  by  men  plowing  in  the 
field.  One  particularly,  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Adam  Keller,  northwest  quar- 
tei'  Section  2,  in  Ridge  Township,  is  described  as  having  a  perpendicular 
descent  of  sixty-tive  feet  to  a  stream  of  water  which  is  very  deep  and  sepa- 
rates one  apartment  by  a  narrow  passage  from  another.  The  entrance  is 
about  five  feet  across  and  the  sides  are  of  rock. 

The  Niagara,  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  county,  rises  rapidly  in  the 
same  way  from  below  the  water- lime  which  lies  to  the  north,  the  dip  being 
northeast  and  to  the  amount  of  twenty-five  degrees  along  Sections  18  and 
13  near  the  county  lines.  It  here  appears  as  a  thick-bedded  gray  and 
crystalline  limestone.  It  also  shows  in  the  Tymochtee  Creek,  at  the  village 
of  Marseilles,  in  a  characteristic  surface  exposure.  About  five  feet  of 
thick,  hard  beds  may  be  seen  along  the  creek,  lying  nearly  horizontal,  or 
with  a  very  slight  dip  south -southwest.  It  is  slightly  porous  and  fossilifer- 
ous.  It  is  sometimes  blotched  with  blue  and  drab.  These  are  the  beds 
that  rise  so  rapidly  about  a  mile  further  south,  forming  a  little  ridge  or 
brow  of  prominent  land  facing  north.  On  this  brow  is  situated  the  resi- 
dence of  Mrs.  Socrates  Hartle.  The  rock  is  shown  in  the  excavation  for 
the  cellar  about  the  center  of  Section  13,  in  Marseilles  Township,  also,  in 
a  ditch  by  the  roadside  in  Section  18,  about  sixty  rods  east  of  Mrs.  Hartle' s 
house,  where  the  rapidity  of  the  current  of  water  has  cleaned  ofi'  the 
smoothed  and  striated  rock  in  a  handsome  exposure.  A  little  stream, locally 
known  as  Little  Tymochtee  Creek,  makes  eastward  along  the  north  side  of 
this  brow  of  land,  and  on  Section  13,  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  of 
Mrs.  Hartle's  house,  and  perhaps  thirty  feet  below  the  Niagara  outcrop  near 
it,  the  blue  slaty  beds  of  the  water-lime  may  be  seen  in  the  creek. 

In  the  southeast  quarter  Section  13,  in  Marseilles  Township,  Mr.  Heck- 
athorn  has  a  qviarry  in  the  Niagara.  The  beds  here  are  three  to  six  inches 
in  thickness.  The  stone  is  rather  firm,  though  somewhat  porous.  It  is 
used  for  quicklime  and  for  general  building  purposes.  Southeast  quarter 
Section  11,  in  Marseilles  Township,  D.  Heckathorn  burns  lime  from  the 
Niagara;  dip  north;  beds  about  four  inches.  Within  forty  rods  north  of 
Mr.  H. 's  quarry  the  water-lime  appears  in  the  Little  Tymochtee  Creek.  In 
northeast  quarter  Section  11,  Marseilles  Township,  H.  H.  Cary  burns  lime 


220  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

and  supplies  building  stone  from  the  Niagara;  beds  three  to  five  inches-, 
dip  east  exposed  eighteen  inches.  Near  the  village  of  Marseilles,  in  the 
same  township,  Mr.  Charles  Norris  and  Michael  Keckler  have  small  quarries 
of  Niagara  limestone. 

The  water- lime  formation,  which  in  counties  further  north  presents 
three  distinct,  general  lithological  characters,  in  Wyandot  County,  is 
mainly  reduced  to  one.  That  aspect  of  the  water-lime  designated  "Phase 
No.  -3,"  passes,  with  the  addition  of  much  bituminous  matter,  into  a  thin 
bedded,  even,  slaty  condition,  which,  first  black,  weathers  blue  on  the  sides 
of  the  bedding,  or  lastly  a  chocolate  color,  while  the  fractured  edge  is  a 
very  drab.  Throughout  the  couctry  it  is  known  in  this  condition  as  "blue 
slate."  When  the  bituminous  matter  is  more  evenly  distributed  through 
the  rock,  instead  of  being  confined  to  the  thin  partings,  the  beds  are  thicker 
and  of  a  blue  color. 

The  principal  outcrop  of  the  water-lime  within  the  county  is  along  the 
left  bank  of  the  Tymochtee  Creek,  in  Section  27  and  34,  in  Crawford 
Township.  The  banks  of  the  creek  expose  perpendicular  sections  of  four 
to  eight  feet  of  these  thin  beds.  The  dip  being  continuously  toward  the 
southwest,  a  connected  section  of  eighty- four  feet  ten  inches  may  be  made 
out  in  a  descending  order.  The  beds  are  homogenous,  tough,  thin,  some- 
times having  so  much  bituminous  matter  as  to  appear  like  the  great  black 
slate.  The  thinnest  beds  are.  however,  streaked  with  alternations  of  dark 
drab,  and  a  bituminous  brown.  When  wet  the  brown  is  almost  black,  but 
when  dry  and  weathered  it  sometimes  assumes  a  blue  color,  and  if  long 
weathered  it  becomes  chocolate.  There  are  among  these  occasional  patches 
of  thicker,  even  drab  beds,  which  finally  become  so  pei'sistent  upward  as 
to  require  a  special  designation. 

Mr.  McD.  M.  Carey  has  a  quarry  in  these  thin,  blue  beds  and  on  Section 
27,  which  has  acquired  considerable  notoriety  for  the  large,  smooth  slabs  or 
flagging  it  affords.  Some  of  the  thicker  beds  furnish  also  a  handsome  and 
useful  stone  for  building.  The  dip  is  toward  the  south -southwest  exposure 
abovit  twelve  feet  perpendicular.  The  stone  here  shows  the  charac- 
teristic Leperditia  aitu.  The  quarry  is  in  the  old  river  bank  or  hard-pan 
terrace,  about  forty  rods  from  the  stream.  This  water- lime  is  seen  in  the 
following  places  in  Wyandot  County: 

In  Section  16,  southwest  quarter,  in  Crane  Township,  at  the  old  '  'Indian 
Mill,"  these  blue  flags  have  been  taken  out  of  the  bed  of  the  Sandusky  and 
used  for  foundations  for  the  mill.  But  in  the  construction  of  the  bridge 
at  the  same  place,  the  stone  used  is  said  t,o  have  come  from  Leesville,  Craw- 
ford County. 

In  Section  21,  Crane  Township,  at  Carters  dam,  in  the  Sandusky  River, 
Mr.  John  Strasser  has  opened  the  water-lime.  The  stone  is  in  irregular, 
thick  and  thin  beds.  When  freshly  quari'ied,  it  is  blue-drab,  and  of  a  tine 
grain.  Exposed  a  short  time  to  the  weather,  the  whole  pile  becomes  a  bright 
blue.  The  fracture  of  the  beds,  however,  becomes  a  much  more  ashen  or 
drab-blue  than  the  sides  of  the  bedding.  The  dip  in  W.  Strasser's  bed  is 
about  nine  feet  deep.  About  thirty  rods  east  of  Strasser's  quarry,  in  the 
bed  of  the  Sandusky,  blue  flagging  is  taken  out  like  that  of  Mr.  Carey's 
quarry  on  the  Tymochtee  Creek,  except  that  here  the  blue  color  pervades  the 
white  mass.  Fragments  of  this,  whenever  bituminous  and  jointed,  come 
out  in  long  tapering  pieces.  These  flags  show  a  fossil  which  appears  like 
a  species  of  modiolopsis.  In  Crane  Township,  southwest  quarter,  Section 
22,  in  a  bed  of  Rock  Run,  a  finegrained  blue  stone  is  quarried  and  used  for 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  221 

foundations.  It  weathers  a  drab  color  to  the  depth  of  a  half- inch  or  an 
inch,  all  uver  the  outside.  One  only  of  six  inches  is  exposed.  In  the 
northwest  quarter  of  Section  27,  in  the  same  township,  along  the  bed  of 
Rock  Run  the  water-lime  is  abundantly  exposed,  with  a  general  dip  south- 
east, changing  to  west  at  the  west  end  of  the  outcrop.  Mr.  Peter  Weinandy 
here  burns  lime  and  sells  stone.  This  bed  has  a  depth  of  about  tifty-seven 
feet.  Beds  which  certainly  cannot  have  been  fractured  more  than  a  few 
months,  were  seen  to  have  already  acquired  a  coating  of  drab  one-eighth  to 
one- fourth  of  an  inch  thick  over  the  fractured  surface.  The  layers  them- 
selves, before  quarrying,  are  sometimes  one  half  to  two-thirds  drab,  with  a 
blue  streak  through  the  center.  It  would  seem  as  if  the  drab  were  entirely 
an  acquired  color,  and  that  perhaps  the  whole  water-lime  was  at  first  a  blue 
rock.  The  access  of  air  or  aerated  water  seems  to  cause  the  change.  The 
fact  that  the  lower,  regular  beds  (as  at  this  quariy),  shut  off  the  percola- 
tions of  water  through  the  rock,  may  account  for  the  longer  preservation  of 
the  blue.  Whenever  the  beds  are  lenticular  or  irregular,  or  are  so  situated 
that  the  atmosphere  finds  free  access  to  them,  they  are  drab.  They  are  seen 
to  be  blue  only  when  deep-seated  or  lying  very  true. 

In  Section  28,  east  side  of  Tymochtee  Township,  the  Tymochtee  slate 
is  seen  in  the  bed  of  the  Sandusky,  at  Haymau's  mill.  Handsome  flags, 
about  two  inches  thick,  are  taken  out.  In  Section  22,  Pitt  Township,  Mr. 
James  Anderson's  quarry  shows  the  following  section  in  the  bank  of  the 
Sandusky  :  Bituminous  drab,  ten  inches  ;  very  hard,  flinty,  irregular  beds, 
five  feet. 

There  are  sometimes  bituminous  films  visible  on  the  fractured  edge  ;  no 
fossils.  In  Pitt  Township,  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  Section  10,  Mrs. 
Rebecca  Smith  owns  a  quarry  in  the  Sandusky,  from  which  a  fine-grained, 
even  bedded  blue  stone  is  taken,  which  weathers  an  ashen  color.  Here  are 
some'  handsome  beds,  six  to  eight  inches  thick,  affording  a  fine  building 
material.  Dip  southeast.  At  various  points  in  Pitt  Township,  the  same 
features  of  the  water-lime  may  be  seen.  No  reliable  estimate  can  be  made 
of  the  thickness  exposed,  or  of  their  relative  places  in  the  formation,  the 
outcrops  are  so  isolated,  and  show  so  nearly  the  same  characters.  The 
same  stone  is  quarried  in  the  river  at  Upper  Sandusky  by  Mr.  William 
Frederick.  The  same  stone  is  found  in  Section  17,  in  Crawford  Township, 
on  lands  of  Mr.  George  Mullholand,  and  on  Section  24,  in  the  quarries  uf 
Messrs.  Mitten  and  O'Brien,  in  the  water- lime.  The  stone  from  these  open- 
ings is  in  thick  beds,  much  like  the  gray,  hard  beds  of  the  quarries  at 
Tiffin. 

The  lower  corniferous  may  be  seen  in  interrupted  outcrop  along  the 
Sycamore  Creek,  from  Benton,  in  Crawford  County,  to  Section  18,  in  Syca- 
more Township,  Wyandot  County.  Through  the  whole  of  this  distance  it 
is  so  hid  by  drift  that  no  reliable  section  can  be  obtained.  It  is  of  the 
doarse-grained,  thick-bedded,  harsh  and  magnesian  type  until  just  within 
Section  17,  Sycamore,  the  character  of  the  rock  c'nanges.  It  assumes 
very  much  the  aspect  of  the  drab,  thin- bedded  water- lime.  A  little  further 
down  the  creek  the  soft,  thick  beds  of  the  lower  corniferous  return. 
Further  still,  there  is  another  similar  change  to  a  fine-grained,  compact, 
light-blue  stone,  without  fossils.  This  character  continues  through  the 
most  of  Section  27,  and  some  in  Section  21,  evinced  not  often  by  rock  in 
situ,  but  by  the  angular,  bluish,  fine-grained  pieces  in  the  stream.  This 
member  of  the  lower  corniferous  was  also  seen  near  Melmore,  in  Seneca 
County      No  opportunity  has  been   offered  to  ascertain  its  thickness,  but, 


222  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

judging  from  tho  superficial  expose,  it  may  have  a  thickness  of  thirty  or 
even  forty  feet.  In  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  21,  Sycamore,  about 
eighteen  inches  of  similar  compact  blue  limestone  maybe  seen  in  the  creek, 
underlain  by  a  blue  shale,  which  crumbles  conchoidally  and  shows  spots  of 
darker  blue  or  purple.  It  is  sometimes  quite  rocklike,  yet  when  long 
weathered  it  crumbles.  Its  thickness  cannot  be  stated,  though  there  can- 
not be  less  than  ten  feet,  judging  from  the  distance  it  occupies  the  bed  of 
the  creek.  On  Section  18  of  the  same  township,  a  thick-bedded,  even- 
grained  rock,  harsh,  like  a  sandstone,  is  slightly  exposed.  It  is  gray,  with- 
out visible  fossils,  and  weathers  buff.  It  is  impossible  to  give  its  dip, 
thickness,  or  relation  to  the  shale  just  mentioned.  It  is  probably  below 
that.  Near  the  same  place,  land  of  Andrew  Bretz,  there  are  also  large  frag- 
ments of  a  fragile,  bituminous,  crinoidal  limestone,  seen  in  the  bed  of  the 
creek.  In  Pitt  Township,  southwest  quarter  of  Section  25,  on  the  land  of 
Jacob  Brewer,  the  lower  corniferous  is  slightly  exposed  in  the  upper  bank 
of  the  Sandusky  River.  The  rock  consists  almost  entirely  of  the  coral 
Coenostronia  ynonticulifera  vein.  On  a  thickness  of  about  a  foot  can  be 
in  situ,  but  a  mass  of  two  feet  thickness  is  tilted  up  so  as  to  present  the 
edges  of  the  beds  in  a  perpendicular  position. 

The  Drift. — Wherever  sections  were  observed  throughout  the  county,  the 
drift  shows,  as  in  counties  further  north,  the  two  usual  colors.  The  first  is 
light  brown,  or  ashen,  and  extends  downward  about  twelve  feet.  It  may  be 
stratified  or  entirely  unstratified,  and  forms  the  soil  where  it  has  not  been 
covered  with  alluvial  or  marshy  accumulations.  Its  color  alone  distinguishes 
it  from  the  underlying  blue  or  Erie  clay.  They  both  contain  bowlders  that 
show  glacial  action.  On  Section  24,  Crawford  Township,  the  lower  member 
was  seen  exposed  twenty- seven  feet  four  inches  in  the  bank  of  Tymochtee 
Creek,  embracing  beds  of  gravel  and  sand.  The  upper  overlaying  was 
twelve  feet,  and  entirely  unassorted,  yet  on  Section  18,  Tymochtee  Township, 
both  are  more  or  less  stratified.  No  two  sections  of  this  bank  would  be  the 
same.  The  greatest  uniformity  in  the  order  of  alternation  is  ia  the  upper 
part.  The  blue  hard  pan  sometimes  extends  upward  quite  to  the  brown 
clays  and  sands,  and  in  one  ease  the  whole  bank  consists  of  hard  pan,  the 
upper  portion  having  the  brown  color.  Hence  the  general  character  of  this 
bank,  and  of  the  drift  in  Wyandot  County,  is  as  follows:  Brown  clay  and 
sand,  stratified;  brown  hard  pan;  statified  brown  clay;  stratified  blue  clay 
and  sand;  finer  blue  clay  and  blue  hard  pan;  brown  clay;  blue  clay;  debris, 
bowlders  and  slides.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  creek  this  bank  is  entirely 
wanting.  There  is  a  bank  of  a  trifle  over  twelve  feet,  composed  of  agglu- 
tinated, rusty  sand,  without  gravel  or  bowlders,  at  the  base  of  which,  near 
the  water,  is  a  bed  of  vegetable  remains  containing  some  pretty  large  limbs, 
and  numerous  branches  of  wood.  Such  deposits  are  common  in  the  alluvial 
bottoms  bordering  the  streams.  There  is  a  gradual  ascent  from  the  Jevel  of 
this  bank  to  the  height  of  the  bank  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  attain- 
tain  that  elevation  in  a  distance  of  forty  rods. 

Material  Resources. — The  chief  source  of  material  wealth  in  W^yandot 
County,  as  with  other  counties  in  Northwestern  Ohio,  lies  in  its  rich  and 
exhaustless  soil.  The  streams  are  generally  too  small  or  too  sluggish  to  be 
reliable  for  water-powers.  The  rocks  themselves  are  not  known  to  possess 
any  deposits  of  valuable  minerals.  They  will  serve  for  common  use  in 
building,  and  will  make  an  excellent  quicklime.  There  is  reason  to  believe, 
also,  that  the  water- lime,  when  having  the  characters  seen  in  the  quarry  of 
Mrs.  Smith,  Section  10,  Pitt  Township,  will  afford  a  cement  of  hydraulic 
properties. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


223 


Good  bricK,  of  a  red  color,  are  made  in  different  places  in  the  county 
from  the  surface  of  the  drift.  Such  establishments  are  owned  at  Upper 
Sandusky  by  Jacob  Gottfried  &  Brother,  and  by  Ulrich  &  McAfee-  also 
on  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  11.  Salem,  and  on  the  Infirmary  Farm 
by  Jacob  Ulnch.  Sand  for  mortar  is  easily  obtained  from  the  numerous 
natural  sections  of  the  drift  along  the  drainage  valleys.  A  sand  bank  at 
Upper  Sandusky  was  observed  to  underlie  a  deposit  of  eighty  feet  of  brown 
hard  pan,  and  was  excavated  to  the  depth  of  ten  feet.  The  layers  of  sand 
lay  nearly  horizontal. 


224  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  TL 
INDIAN   OCCUPANCY. 

(from  time  immemorial  to  1782.) 

Introductory  Remarks— Legendary  Accounts  Concerning  the  Dela- 
ware AND  Iroquois  Indians— Their  Wars— The  Iroquois  Finally  Vic- 
torious—The Shawanese— The  Eries— The  Huron-Iroquois,  or  Wyan- 
dots — Cartier  Discovers  The  Latter  on  the  Shores  of  Lake  Huron 
in  1535— Champlain's  Operations— The  French  and  Hurons  Defeat 
THE  Five  Nations— The  Latter  Bide  Their  Time,  and  Finally  Total- 
ly Defeat  and  Disperse  the  Hurons— Under  French  Protection,  the 
Hurons  are  Again  Assembled  Near  Detroit— Their  Characteristics 
IN  A  Savage  State— Their  Wars— They  Occupy  the  Sandusky  Coun- 
try—As Allies  of  the  British,  They  Commit  Many»Atrocities  on  the 
American  Frontier  Settlements— The  Americans  Retaliate  by 
Sending  Various  Expeditions  Into  the  Indian  Country. 

PROBABLY  no  county  in  the  State  of  Ohio  is  richer  in  historical  data 
concerning  its  aboriginal  inhabitants  than  this,  and  to  none  were  left  so 
many  landmarks  indicating  the  life,  habits  and  characteristics  of  its  former 
occupants— the  Indians.  Here,  within  its  borders,  the  brave  but  unfort- 
unate Colonel  Crawford  fought  his  last  battle,  and  suffered  a  death  which 
will  render  his  name  conspicuous  for  all  time  in  American  annals;  and  here 
the  Wyandots  (who  owned  the  land,  who  roamed  at  will  beneath  its  forest 
shades,  who  chased  the  wild  game  through  its  tangled  thickets,  and  who, 
under  the  fostering  care  of  Christian  ministers,  had  made  many  advances 
toward  civilization)  remained  until  within  the  memory  of  many  now 
living — ux^til  they  were  the  last  of  the  Ohio  tribes  to  be  removed  to  new 
homes  beyond  the  Missouri.  For  these  reasons,  therefore,  no  further  apol- 
ogy is  deemed  necessary  in  explanation  of  the  large  amount  of  space  which 
is  here  devoted  to  the  Indians,  and  to  their  occupancy  of  this  and  adjacent 
regions. 

Respecting  the  early  history  of  the  tribes  once  the  claimants  and  occu- 
pants of  these  regions,  the  most  rational  and  lucid  accounts  are  obtained 
from  the  journals  of  the  Jesuit  and  Moravian  Missionaries,  men  who, 
during  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  penetrated  into  this  terri- 
tory far  in  advance  of  the  boldest  hunters  and  trappers.  They  were  in- 
formed by  the  old  men  of  the  Delawares  (the  Lenni  Lenape,  or  original 
people,  as  they  called  themselves)  that  many  centuries  previous,  their  ances- 
tors dwelt  far  away  in  the  western  wilds  of  the  American  Continent,  but 
emigrating  eastwardly,  arrived  after  many  years  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
"Namoesi  Sipu"  (the  Mississippi),  or  river  of  tish,  where  they  fell  in  with 
the  Mengwes  (Iroquois),  who  had  also  emigrated  from  a  distant  country  in 
the  direction  of  the  setting  sun,  and  approached  this  river  somewhat  nearer 
its  source.  The  spies  of  the  Lenape  reported  the  country  on  the  east  of  the 
Mississippi  to  be  inhabited  by  a  powerful  nation,  dwelling  in  large  towns 
erected  upon  the  shores  of  their  principal  streams. 

This  people  bore  the  name  of  Allegewi.  They  were  tall  and  strong, 
some  were  of  gigantic  size,  and  from  them  were  derived  the  names  of   the 


INDIAN    JAIL, 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  227 

Allegheny  Kiver  and  Mountains.  Their  towns  were  defended  by  regular 
fortifications  or  intrenchments  of  earth,  vestiges  of  which  are  yet  seen  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree  of  preservation  throughout  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio 
valleys  and  in  the  regions  of  the  great  lakes.  The  Lenape  requested  per- 
mission to  establish  themselves  in  their  vicinity,  a  request  which  was  re- 
fused, but  leave  was  given  them  to  pass  the  river  and  seek  a  country  farther 
to  the  eastward.  But  while  the  Lenape  were  crossing  the  river,  the  Al- 
legewi,  becoming  alarmed  at  their  number,  assailed  and  destroyed 
many  of  those  who  had  reached  the  eastern  shore,  and  threatened  a  like  fate 
to  others  should  they  attempt  the  passage  of  the  stream.  Frenzied  at  the 
loss  they  had  sustained,  the  Lenape  eagerly  accepted  the  proposition  from 
the  Mengwes,  who  had  hitherto  been  spectators  only  of  their  enterprise,  to 
conquer  and  divide  the  country  of  the  AUegewi.  A  war  of  many  years'  du- 
ration was  waged  by  the  combined  nations,  marked  by  great  havoc  and  loss 
of  life  on  both  sides,  which  Unally  resulted  in  the  conquest  and  expulsion 
of  the  Allegewi,  who  fled  by  the  way  of  the  Mississippi  River,  never  to  re- 
turn. Their  country  was  apportioned  among  the  conquerors — the  Meng- 
wes or  Iroquois  choosing  the  neighborhood  of  the  great  lakes,  and  the  Len- 
nape  or  Delawares  possessing  themselves  of  the  lands  to  the  southward. 

Many  ages  after,  during  which  the  victors  lived  together  in  great 
harmony,  the  enterprising  hunters  of  the  Lenape  tribes  crossed  the  Alleghany 
Mountains  and  discovered  the  Susquehanna  and  Delaware  Rivers  and  the  bays 
into  which  they  flowed.  Exploring  the  Sheyichbi  country  (New  Jersey),  they 
arrived  on  the  Hudson  River,  to  which  they  subsequently  gave  the  name  of 
the  Mohicannittuck.  Returning  to  their  nation  after  a  long  absence,  they 
reported  their  discoveries,  describing  the  country  they  had  visited  as 
abounding  in  game  and  fruits,  fish  and  fowl,  and  destitute  of  inhabitants. 
Concluding  this  to  be  the  country  destined  for  them  by  the  Great  Spirit, 
the  Lenape  proceeded  to  establish  themselves  upon  the  principal  rivers  of 
the  east,  making  the  Delaware,  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of  Lenape — 
Wihittuck  (the  river  of  the  Lenape)  the  center  of  their  possessions. 

All  of  the  Lenape  Nation,  however,  who  crossed  to  the  east  side  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, did  not  move  toward  the  Atlantic  coast,  a  part  remaining  behind  to  as- 
sist that  portion  of  their  people  who,  frightened  by  the  reception  which  the 
Allegewi  had  given  to  their  countrymen,  fled  far  to  the  west  of  the  Namoesi 
Sipu.  Finally  the  Lenape  became  divided  into  three  great  bodies.  The 
larger  half  of  all  settled  on  the  Atlantic  and  the  great  rivers  which 
flow  into  it.  The  other  half  was  separated  into  two  parts;  the  stronger 
continued  beyond  the  Mississippi,  the  other  remained  on  the  eastern  bank. 

Ultimately,  that  part  of  the  Lenape  Nation  who  located  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Mississippi,  became  divided  into  many  small  tribes,  receiving  names 
from  their  places  of  residence,  or  from  some  circumstance  remarkable  at 
the  time  of  its  occurrence.  Thus  originated  the  Delawares,  Shawanese, 
Nanticokes,  Susquehannas,  Nishamines,Conoys,  Minsis,  Abenaquis,  Pequots, 
Narragansetts,  Miamis,  Illinois,  Sauks,  Foxes,  Menomonees,  Chippewas, 
Ottawas.  Pottawatomies,  and  the  Southern  Cherokees  and  Choctaws.  Ac- 
cording to  those  who  have  made  a  special  study  of  Indian  history,  all  of 
the  tribes  above  named  belonged  to  the  great  Algonquin  race,  and  spoke 
dialects  of  the  Algonquin  language,  so  similar  that  the  members  of  any 
tribe  could  communicate  with  those  of  all  others  without  the  aid  of  an  in- 
tei'preter. 

For  some  years  the  Mengwes  (Iroquois),  who,  as  before  stated,  consti- 
tuted a  separate  race,  remained  near  the  Great  Lakes  with  their  canoes,  in 


228  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

readiness  to  fly  should  the  Allegewi  retui'n.  The  latter  failed  to  appear 
again,  however,  and  becoming  emboldened  and  their  numbers  rapidly  in- 
creasing, they  stretched  themselves  eastward  along  the  St.  Lawrence,  and 
finally  locating,  for  the  most  part,  in  the  present  State  of  New  York,  became, 
on  the  north,  immediate  neighbors  of  the  Lenape  or  Algonquin  tribes.  In 
the  course  of  time,  the  Mengwes  and  Lenape  became  enemies,  and,  dread- 
ing the  power  of  the  Lenape,  the  Mengwes  resolved  to  involve  them  in  war 
— one  Lenape  tribe  with  another — to  reduce  their  strength.  They  com- 
mitted murders  upon  the  members  of  one  tribe,  and  induced  the  injured 
party  to  believe  they  were  perpetrated  by  another.  They  stole  into  the 
country  of  the  Delawares,  surprised  and  killed  their  hunters,  and  escaped 
with  the  plunder. 

The  nations  or  tribes  of  that  period  had  each  a  particular  mark  upon 
its  war  clubs,  which,  left  beside  a  murdered  person,  denoted  the  aggressor. 
The  Mengwes  committed  a  murder  in  the  Cherokee  country,  and  left  with 
the  dead  body  a  war-club  bearing  the  insignia  of  the  Lenape.  The  Chero- 
kees  in  revenge  fell  upon  the  lattei",  and  thus  commenced  a  long  and  bloody 
war.  The  treachery  and  cunning  of  the  Mengwes  were  at  length  discovered, 
and  the  Delaware  tribe  of  the  Lenape  turned  upon  them  with  the  determi- 
nation to  utterly  extirpate  them.  They  were  the  more  strongly  induced  to 
take  this  resolution,  as  the  man-eating  propensities  of  the  Mengwes,  accord- 
ing to  Heckewelder,  had  reduced  them  in  the  estimation  of  the  Delawares 
below  the  rank  of  human  beings. 

To  this  time,  each  tribe  of  the  Mengwes  had  acted  uader  the  direction 
of  its  particular  chiefs,  and,  although  the  nation  could  not  control  the  con- 
duct of  its  members,  it  was  made  responsible  for  their  outrages.  Pressed  by 
the  Lenape,  they  resolved  to  form  a  confederation,  which  might  enable 
them  better  to  concentrate  their  forces  in  war,  and  to  regulate  their  affairs 
in  peace.  Thannawage,  an  aged  Mohawk,  was  the  projector  of  this  alliance. 
Under  his  auspices,  five^  nations* — the  Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onondagas,  Ca- 
yugas  and  Senecas — foi'med  a  species  of  republic,  governed  by  the  united 
councils  of  their  aged  and  experienced  chiefs.  The  beneficial  effects  of  this 
confederation  early  displayed  themselves.  The  Lenape  were  checked,  and 
the  Mengwes,  whose  warlike  disposition  soon  familiarized  them  with  fire- 
arms procured  from  the  Dutch  on  the  Hudson  River,  were  enabled  at  the 
same  time  to  contend  with  their  ancient  enemies  and  to  resist  the  French, 
who  now  attempted  the  settlement  of  Canada,  and  the  extension  of  their 
dominion  over  a  large  portion  of  the  country  lying  between  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  and  the  Mississippi  River. 

However,  becoming  hard  pressed  by  the  Europeans,  the  Mengwes,  or 
Five  Nations,  sought  reconciliation  with  their  old  enemies,  the  Lenape;  and 
for  this  purpose,  if  the  traditions  of  the  Delawai'es  be  accredited,  they 
affected  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  strokes  of  policy  which  aboriginal 
history  has  recorded. 

"When  Indian  nations  are  at  war,  the  mediators  between  them  are  the 
women.  However  weary  of  the  contest,  the  men  hold  it  cowardly  and  dis- 
graceful to  seek  reconciliation.  They  deem  it  inconsistent  in  a  warrior  to 
speak  of  peace  with  bloody  weapons  in  his  hands.  He  must  maintain  a  de- 
termined courage,  and  appear  at  all  times  as  ready  and  willing  to  fight  as 
at  the  commencement  of  hostilities.     With  such  dispositions,  Indian  wars 

*To  these  a  sixth  nation,  the  Tuscaroras,  was  added  in  1712.  This  last  tribe  originally  dwelt  in  the 
western  part  of  the  present  State  of  North  Carolina,  but  having  become  involved  in  a  war  with  their 
neighbors,  were  driven  from  their  country  northward,  and  adopted  by  the  Mengwes  or  Iroquois  confederacy. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  229 

would  never  cease  if  the  women  did  not  interfere  and  persuade  the  combat- 
ants to  bury  the  hatchet  and  make  peace  with  each  other.  On  such  occa- 
sions, the  women  would  plead  their  cause  with  much  eloquence.  "  Not  a 
warrior,"  they  would  say,  "  but  laments  the  loss  of  a  father,  a  son,  a  brother 
or  a  friend.  And  mothers,  who  have  borne  with  cheerfulness  the  pangs  of 
childbirth  and  the  anxieties  that  wait  upon  the  infancy  and  adolescence  of 
their  sons,  behold  their  promised  blessings  crushed  in  the  held  of  battle,  or 
perishing  at  the  stake  in  lanutterabie  torments.  In  the  depths  of  their 
grief,  they  curse  their  wretched  existence,  and  shudder  at  the  idea  of  bearing 
children."  They  conjured  the  warriors,  therefore,  by  their  suffering  wives, 
their  helpless  children,  their  homes  and  their  friends,  to  interchange  for- 
giveness, to  cast  away  their  arms,  and,  smoking  together  the  pipe  of  peace, 
to  embrace  as  friends  those  whom  they  had  learned  to  esteem  as  enemies. 

Such  prayers  thus  urged  seldom  failed  of  the  desired  effect.  The  Meng- 
wes  solicited  the  Lenape  to  assume  the  function  of  peacemakers.  "  They 
had  reflected,"  said  the  Mengwes,  "upon  the  state  of  the  Indian  race,  and 
were  convinced  that  no  means  remained  to  preserve  it  unless  some  magnani- 
mous nation  would  assume  the  character  of  the  ivoman.  It  could  not  be 
given  to  a  weak  and  contemptible  tribe;  such  would  not  be  listened  to;  but 
the  Lenape  and  their  allies  would  at  once  possess  influence  and  command 
respect. "  The  facts  upon  which  these  arguments  were  founded  were  known 
to  the  Delawares,  and  in  a  moment  of  blind  confidence  in  the  sincerity  of 
the  Iroquois  they  acceded  to  the  proposition  and  assumed  the  petticoat. 
This  ceremony  was  performed  at  Fort  Orange  (now  Albany,  N.  Y.)  amid 
great  rejoicings  in  1617,  in  the  presence  of  the  Dutch,  whom  the  Lenape 
afterward  charged  with  having  conspired  with  the  Mengwes  for  their  de- 
struction. 

The  Iroquois  now  assumed  the  rights  of  protection  and  command  over 
the  Delawares,  but,  still  di'eading  their  strength,  they  cunningly  involved 
them  again  in  a  war  with  the  Cherokees,  promised  to  fight  their  battles,  led 
them  into  an  ambush  of  their  foes  and  deserted  them.  The  Delawares  at 
length  comprehended  the  treachery  of  their  so-called  friends  of  the  North, 
and  resolved  to  resume  their  arms,  and,  being  still  superior  in  numbers,  to 
crush  them.  It  was  too  late,  however.  The  Europeans  were  now  making 
their  way  into  the  country  in  every  direction,  and  gave  ample  employment 
to  the  astonished  Lenape. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Mengwes  denied  the  story  told  by  the  Lenape. 
They  always  asserted  that  they  had  conquered  the  Delawares  by  force  of 
arms,  and  made  them  a  subject  people.  And  though  it  was  said  they  were 
unable  to  detail  the  circumstance  of  this  conquest,  it  is  more  reasonable  to 
suppose  it  true  than  that  a  numerous  and  warlike  people  should  have  volun- 
tarily suffered  themselves  to  be  disarmed  and  enslaved  by  a  shallow  artifice, 
or  that,  discovering  the  fraud  practiced  upon  them,  they  should  unresist- 
ingly have  submitted  to  its  consequences.  This  conquest  was  not  an  empty 
acquisition  to  the  Mengwes.  They  claimed  dominion  over  all  the  lands  oc- 
cupied by  the  Delawares — from  the  head-waters  of  the  Delaware  and  Susque- 
hanna Rivers  on  the  north,  to  the  Potomac  on  the  south,  and  from  the  At- 
lantic Ocean  westward  to  the  Allegheny  and  Ohio  Rivers — and  their  claims 
were  distinctly  acknowledged  by  the  early  whites  when  treating  for  the  ces- 
sion of  lands.  It  is  also  recorded  in  history  that  from  about  1617,  until  the 
Indian  title  to  the  territory  just  described  was  extinguished,  parties  of  the 
Iroquois  or  Five  Nations  (afterward  known  as  the  Six  Nations)  occupied  and 
wandered  over  the  country  of  the  Delawares   at  pleasure.     True,  the  cow- 


230  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

ardly  Delawares  and  the  perfidious  Sbawanese  always  boldly  claimed  these 
grounds  as  their  own  (except  when  confronted  and  rebuked  by  the  chiefs 
and  head  men  of  the  Six  Nations),  yet  the  proprietaries  wisely  recognized 
the  claim  of  the  Six  Nations,  and  it  was  with  that  great  confederation  of 
red  men  they  treated  when  purchases  of  territory  were  made. 

The  Shawanese  came  from  the  South.  They  were  a  restless,  wandering 
tribe,  and  had  occupied  regions  now  embraced  by  the  States  of  Tennessee, 
Kentucky,  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas,  before  locating  with  their  allies,  the 
Delawares,  in  the  province  of  Pennsylvania.  After  passing  a  few  decades  in 
that  province,  they  migrated,  or  rather  were  driven,  westward,  and  by  the 
middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  entire  tribe  had  settled  on  the  Ohio 
River  and  its  large  tributaries. 

Meanwhile  the  Six  Nations  were  ceding  to  the  Penns  the  lands  occupied 
by  the  Delawares  in  Pennsylvania.  Hence  the  latter  were  gradually  yet 
peaceably  pushed  back  to  the  westward  by  the  constantly  advancing  tide  of 
European  emigration,  until  the  beginning  of  the  "  Old  French  and  Indian 
war"  of  1754-33,  when  they,  together  with  the  Shawanese,  Wyandots  and 
other  tribes  of  the  great  Northwest,  became  the  allies  of  the  French,  and  for 
many  years  thereafter  ravaged  at  frequent  intervals  the  western  frontiers  of 
Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  Virginia.  Immediately  after  their  defeat  at 
Kittanning  by  Col.  Armstrong  in  September,  1756,  the  Delawares  fled  into 
Ohio;  they  refused  to  settle  again  on  the  east  of  Fort  Du  Quesne,  and 
seemed  quite  willing  to  have  that  fortress  and  its  French  garrison  placed 
between  them  and  the  English.  However,  while  extremelv  careful  to  main- 
tain their  old  men,  wives  and  children  far  to  the  westward  of  Fort  Du 
Quesne,  afterward  Fort  Pitt,  the  Delaware  and  Shawanese  warriors  (assisted 
until  1763  by  the  French)  dominated  over  all  of  the  country  (with  the  ex- 
ception of  small  circles  surrounding  Forts  Pitt  and  Ligonier)  lying  imme- 
diately west  of  the  Allegheuies,  until  1764,  when  Gen.  Henry  Boquet,  with 
a  strong  force  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  provincials  marched  into  the 
"Muskingum  country."  He  defeated  the  savages  in  several  encounters,  and 
caused  them  to  sue. for  a  peace  which  continued  until  after  the  beginning 
of  the  war  for  American  independence.  The  British  then  rendered  their 
name  forever  odious  by  marshaling  under  their  banners  the  Delawares, 
Shawanese,  Wyandots,  Pottawatomies  and  other  Northwestern  tribes,  besides 
the  Six  Nations  of  New  York,  whose  warriors,  after  being  fully  supplied 
with  English  munitions  of  war,  were  sent  forward  to  massacre,  irrespective 
of  age,  sex  or  condition,  the  unfortunate  residents  of  American  border  set- 
tlements. 

Having  related  thus  much  of  the  traditional  and  authentic  history  of  the 
Delawares  and  Shawanese — tribes  which  many  years  ago  were  prominent  in 
the  region  now  embracing  Wyandot  County — we  turn  our  attention  to  the 
"Erigas,"or  Eries,  and  the  Huron  Iroquois,  otherwise  known  as  '"  Yendots," 
or  Wyandots. 

Of  the  Eries  but  little  is  known,  and  that  little  consists  mainly  of  a  few 
meager  traditions.  Indeed,  some  writers  doubt  whether  such  a  tribe  ever 
existed  on  the  southern  shores  of  Lake  Erie,  as  claimed.  However  that  may 
be,  it  is  fair  to  presume  that  if  such  a  race  did  once  occupy  the  lake  shore 
described,  they  were  at  the  same  time  occupants  of  the  territory  now  within 
the  limits  of  Wyandot  County,  The  early  French  priests,  or  missionaries, 
are  quoted  as  authority  for  the  statements,  that  about  230  yeai's  ago  a 
powerful  tribe  of  savages,  termed  variously  the  Eries  or  "  Cat  Nation,''  the 
Erigas  or   "Neutral  Nation,"  occupied  a  wide  expanse  of  country  on  the 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  231 

southern  border  of  Lake  Erie,  extending  from  the  Niagara  River  on  the  east 
to  the  Miami  River  on  the  west;  that  they  possessed  fortified  towns,  and 
could  muster  four  thousand  warriors  or  fighting  men,  famed  for  their  ex- 
ploits in  archery.  Finally,  however,  they  became  involved  in  a  war  with 
the  Iroquois  or  Five  Nations,  which  continued  until  the  entire  tribe  of  Fries 
was  either  killed,  adopted  into  the  powerful  confederacy  of  the  Five  Nations, 
or  driven  to  other  regions  far  to  the  westward.  This  misfortune,  we  are 
told,  befell  the  Fries  about  the  year  1656,  and  it  is  supposed  that  from  the 
date  last  mentioned  until  the  coming  of  the  Wyandots  or  Hurou-Iroquoi.s, 
the  territory  lying  immediately  to  the  southward  of  Lake  Erie  remained  as 
abandoned  or  neutral  ground. 

THE    HURONS    OR    WYANDOTS. 

The  first  European  to  make  mention  of  the  tribe  of  Indians,  since  known 
to  history  as  the  Wyandots,  was  the  celebrated  French  navigator  and 
explorer  Jacques  Cartier,  who  in  the  summer  of  1535,  sailed  up  the  St. 
Lawrence  River  to  a  place  called  by  him  Mont  Royal  (afterward  changed 
by  the  English  to  Montreal),  and  formally  took  possession  of  all  the  country 
round  about  (in  the  name  of  King  Francis  the  First),  under  the  title  of 
New  France.  Soon  after,  Cartier  and  his  men  extended  their  explorations 
along  the  Huron  Lake,  where,  on  its  southern  shores,  they  suddenly  dis- 
covered themselves  to  be  intruders  upon  the  territory  of  a  powerful  tribe  of 
savages,  who  called  themselves,  as  did  the  New  York  Iroquois,  Ontwaonwes, 
meaning  "  real  men, "  but  known  in  French  and  English  history  as  the 
Huron -Iroquois,  or  more  commonly  the  Hurons  from  their  proximity  to  the 
lake  of  that  name.  The  immediate  territory  occupied  by  them  (lying  about 
100  miles  south  of  the  mouth  of  the  Ottawa  or  French  River),  was  only 
about  sixty  miles  in  extent,  yet.  according  to  French  writers,  they  then  had 
twenty-fiye  towns,  and  were  about  30,000  in  number. 

The  Hurons,  like  all  untutored  aboriginal  tribes,  were  chiefly  employed 
in  pursuits  of  the  chase  and  warring  with  their  no  less  savage  neighbors. 
Yet  it  cannot  be  said  of  them,  as  of  the  Five  Nations,  that  they  were  par- 
ticularly a  warlike  and  vindictive  people.  However,  they  could  not  for  a 
moment  tolerate  a  tribal  insult.  Though  they  were,  without  a  doubt,  Men- 
gwes  or  Iroquois  Indians,  possessing  many  characteristics  in  common  with 
their  New  York  brethren,  yet  they  were  sworn  enemies,  and  their  tribal  and 
personal  vindictiveness  was  proverbial  among  all  Indians.  As  the  New  York 
Iroquois  was  a  confederation  of  the  Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onondagas,  Cayu- 
gas  and  Senecas,  so  the  Huron-Iroquois  was  a  league  of  the  Hurons  proper, 
and  various  tribes  of  the  Algonquin  race,  and  long  before  Cartier  navigated 
the  waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence  these  leagues  and  confederations  of  red  men 
had  waged  wars  of  extermination  against  each  other.  Cartier  made  some 
attempts  at  colonization  along  the  St.  Lawrence,  but  in  1543  the  few  French 
settlements  had  all  been  abandoned  and  for  more  than  half  a  century  there- 
after, the  disturbed  condition  of  France  entirely  prevented  its  people  from 
utilizing  his  discoveries. 

In  1603,  however,  Samuel  de  Champlain,  another  distinguished  French 
mariner  and  explorer,  led  an  expedition  to  Quebec,  made  a  permanent  set- 
tlement there,  and,  in  fact,  founded  the  colony  of  Canada.  From  Quebec 
and  from  Mont  Royal,  which  was  soon  after  established,  the  adventurous 
French  explorers,  fur  traders,  voyageurs  and  missionaries,  pushed  rapidly 
into  the  Western  wilderness,  and  as  early  as  1615,  Champlain  himself 
visited  the  Hurons  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Manitouline.    Quite  as  early,  too, 


232  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

priests  of  the  R6collet  or  Franciscan  order,  established  missions  in  the 
same  locality. 

As  before  indicated,  the  Hurons  had  been  reared  to  hate  the  very  name 
of  the  Irocj^uois — their  Southern  brethren — and  from  the  remotest  period  of 
their  tribal  existence,  the  defiant  warwhoop,  Bounded  by  either  of  the  bel- 
ligerents, was  sufficient  for  the  commencement  of  another  bloody  chapter  in 
the  unwritten  history  of  their  career.  The  Harons,  therefore,  hailed  the 
arrival  of  Champlain  with  delight.  They  considered  the  brave  bearing, 
and  improved  weapons  of  the  French  soldiery  (added  to  their  numerical 
strength,  and  their  perfect  acquaintance  with  the  nature  of  the  territory  of 
their  mortal  enemies),  would  be  a  force  sufficiently  effective  for  the  annihil- 
ation of  the  vindictive  Iroqvuxis.  Terms  of  alliance  with  the  French  were 
soon  proposed  by  the  Hurons  to  Champlain,  who,  not  willing  that  his  power 
should  be  unknown  and  unfelt  in  tjie  Western  wilds,  and  particularly  that 
his  dusky  neighbors  should  be  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  opposition  to 
his  policy  meant  that  they  had  in  their  own  midst  an  enemy  of  territic  ven- 
geance, whom  it  was  always  better  to  placate  than  offend,  terms  of  alliance 
were  at  once  consummated,  by  which,  either  in  times  of  war  or  peace,  the 
\__JHuron8  and  French  were  to  act  as  one  people. 

Very  naturally  the  Southern  Iroquois,  or  Five  Nations,  looked  upon  the 
French  settlements  on  their  Northern  border  with  deep  aversion.  Already 
the  Dutch  had  established  themselves  at  New  Amsterdam  (New  York)  and 
along  the  Hudson  River,  the  Swedes  were  occupying  the  Lower  Delaware 
Valley,  the  English  were  making  settlements  at  Plymouth  Rock,  and  Salem, 
and  Dorchester  in  New  England,  also  in  Virginia,  and  now  the  French 
encroachments  upon  the  north  aroused  all  their  slumbering  suspicions  as  to 
the  final  result,  if  foreign  peoples  were  permitted  to  invade  their  territory, 
curtail  their  hunting-grounds,  and  thus  trifle  with  their  hitherto  unlimited 
authority.  Therefore,  the  ever  alert  and  fiery  Monawks  soon  found  an 
occasion  for  taking  up  the  tomahawk  against  the  French  and  the  Hurons. 
Their  example  became  infectious,  anrl  soon  the  whole  confederation — the 
Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onundagas,  Cayugas  and  Senecas — took  the  war-path 
against  their  enemies  in  the  North.  Advised  of  the  approach  of  the  Iro- 
quois, Champlain  made  choice  of  his  battle-field  on  the  lake,  which  still 
bears  his  name,  and  with  his  own  ships,  surrounded  by  a  fleet  of  bark 
canoes  bearing  his  Huron  allies,  he  met  the  enemy  in  mid-lake.  Of  course 
the  advantages  were  all  with  the  French,  for  water  is  never  the  selected 
battle-field  of  the  Indian  and  bows  and  arrows  were  no  match  for  musketry, 
and  after  a  short,  though  stubbornly  contested  fight,  the  Iroquois  gave  way, 
and  rowed  their  light,  birch-bark  canoes  almost  with  the  bounding  of  the 
deer  to  the  shore  from  which  they  had  embarked,  hotly  pursued  by  the 
equally  light  canoes  of  the  Hurons.  By  the  time  they  had  reached  the 
shore,  the  panic  was  complete.  The  forest  offered  them  no  encouragement 
to  make  a  stand,  so  on  they  went,  followed  by  the  musketry  of  the  French 
and  the  victorious  whoop  of  the  Hurons,  till  further  pursuit  was  useless, 
and  the  chase  was  abandoned. 

The  defeat  sustained  by  the  Five  Nations  on  Lake  Champlain,  at  the 
hands  of  the  French  and  Hurons,  as  well  as  the  constantly  spreading  out 
of  white  settlements  in  New  England  and  New  York,  caused  the  terrible 
Iroquois  confederates  first  mentioned  to  confine  their  attention  to  matters 
nearer  home,  and  to  remain  comparatively  (though  not  wholly)  peaceable 
for  many  years.  Meanwhile,  or  about  1(325,  there  had  arrived  on  the  shores 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  a  few   Jesuits,  the   vanguard  of  a  host  of  those  fiery 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  233 

/ 
champions  of  the  cross  who  were  destined;  it  appears,  to  crowd  aside  the 
more  peaceful  or  more  inert  Franciscans  throughout  the  whole  river  and 
lake  region  in  the  North,  and  substantially  to  appropriate  that  missionary 
ground  to  themselves.  Their  course  was  generally  across  Canada  by  land 
to  Lake  Manitouline,  and  thence  in  canoes  through  Lakes  Huron,  Michigan 
and  Superior;  for  the  more  convenient  route  by  way  of  the  Niagara  River 
and  Lake  Erie  was  guarded  by  the  ferocious  Iroquois,  whom  Champlain,  by 
his  ill-advised  attack,  had  made  the  implacable  enemy  of  the  French.  Dur- 
ing the  period  referred  to,  the  Jesuit  fathers  were  assiduous  in  their  atten- 
tion to  the  Hurons;  many  of  the  latter  were  willingly  made  converts  of  the 
Catholic  faith,  and  also  showed  a  rapid  advancement  in  the  ways  of  civiliza- 
tion, particularly  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  the  production  of  corn, 
beans,  pumpkins,  squashes,  etc.  A  number  of  schools  and  churches  were 
likewise  established  at  St.  Louis,  St.  Ignatius,  and  other  of  their  chief 
towns,  and  stockades  erected  to  protect  them  from  surprise  by  the  dreaded 
Iroquois/' 

Th^  Iroquois,  however,  were  only  biding  their  time.  For  about  two 
score  years  had  they  smarted  under  the  stigma  of  the  defeat  I'eceived  at  the 
hands  of  Champlain.  Another  generation  of  warriors  had  grown  up  among 
them,  and  the  sons  were  eager  seekers  of  an  opportunity  by  which  the  shame 
of  the  past  might  be  obliterated  in  the  glory  of  the  future.  This  oppor- 
tunity was  afforded  them  as  early  as  1648,  when,  by  a  treaty  with  the  Dutch, 
they  became  well  supplied  with  firearms,  which  previous  to  that  time  had 
been  denied  them  by  the  Dutch  authorities.  The  tireless,  irreconcilable, 
unforgetting  and  unforgiving  Iroquois  were  now  ready  for  the  war-path. 
The  terms  of  the  treaty  above  mentioned  prevented  the  possibility  of  a 
conflict  with  the  Dutch  along  the  Hudson  River,  and  as  a  similar  peaceful 
state  of  affairs  prevailed  between  them  and  the  New  England  colonists,  the 
young  and  restless  warriors  of  the  confederation  turned  to  more  remote 
fields  in  search  of  an  enemy  upon  whom  to  test  the  virtues  of  their  newly 
acquired  implements  of  war.  ^ 

Such  an  enemy  was  soon  found  (if  any  credence  be  given  to  traditional 
narration)  in  the  persons  of  the  Eries.  who  then  inhabited  the  country 
lying  to  the  southward  of  Lake  Erie,  and  as  a  result,  the  latter  were 
vanquished  and  destroyed.  Our  "  Romans  of  America,"  the  confederated 
Iroquois,  then  turned  upon  their  ancient  enemy,  the  Hurons.  This  war  be- 
tween the  Hurons  and  Iroquois  raged  for  several  years,  or  until  about 
1659,  when  the  latter  invaded  the  country  of  the  former  in  great  forces,  de- 
feated them  at  every  point,  massacred  large  numbers,  including  several 
French  priests,  destroyed  their  crops  and  towns,  and  pursued  the  panic- 
stricken  fugitives  to  remote  quarters.  Some  of  the  Hurons  sought  protection 
under  the  walls  of  Quebec;  others  made  their  way  to  the  frozen  borders  of 
Hudson's  Bay;  others  again  reached  in  safety  the  upper  part  of  the  Lower 
Peninsula  of  Michigan;  but  the  greater  portion  fled  to  the  Ojibway,  or  as 
now  termed,  Chippewa  hunting-grounds,  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Su- 
perior. The  implacable  Iroquois  even  followed  the  fugitives  westward  to 
their  new  haunts,  but  the  latter,  by  the  help  of  the  Chippewas,  were  enabled 
to  repulse  their  arrogant  enemies,  who  thenceforth  seldom  sought  a  war- 
path which  led  so  far  to  the  Northwest./ 

For  a  number  of  years  the  Hurons,  the  Ottawawas,  or  Ottawas,  and  the 
Dinondadies  — tribes  which  had  been  driven  from  Canada  by  the  fierce  Iro- 
quois— led  a  restless,  nomadic  life  in  the  Lake  Superior  region.  At  length 
they  were  visited  by  Fathers  Jacques  Marquette  and  Claude  Dablon,  who 


234  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

began  to  organize  the  Hurons.  under  their  various  chiefs,  as  a  permanently- 
established,  self-reliant  people,  and  had  succeeded  in  a  measure,  when  a 
war  with  the  Sioux  compelled  their  removal  to  Michillimacinac,  now  known 
as  Mackinaw.  The  assembling  at  Mackinaw  of  the  Hurons  and  other  tribes 
friendly  to  the  French,  took  place  about  the  year  JUxI.l,  and  there  they  re- 
mained until  1703 ;  when  La  Motte  Cadillac,  who  hadl^een  for  several  years 
the  commandant  at  Mackinaw,  established  a  pei'manent  post  on  the  "  detroit," 
or  strait,  between  Lakes  Erie  and  St.  Clair,  which  was  at  first  known  as 
F(>rt  Ponchartrain,  but  soon  after  received  the  appellation  of  Detroit,  which, 
as  post,  village  and  city  it  has  retained  to  this  day.  Cadillac  immediately 
made  strenuous  efforts  to  induce  all  the  various  tribes  of  the  Northwest  who 
were  friends  of  the  French  to  locate  around  and  near  Fort  Ponchartrain, 
evidently  desirous  to  have  them  well  in  hand,  so  that  the  French  command- 
ers could  more  easily  lead  them  on  warlike  expeditions  against  the  English 
and  Iroquois.  The  Hurons  at  Mackinaw  (as  well  as  various  other  tribes) 
promptly  accepted  his  invitation.  At  Detroit,  they  were  joined  by  quite 
large  bands  of  Hurons  and  Dinondadies  from  Charity  and  Great  Manitouline 
Islands.  Subsequently  new  tribal  compacts  were  perfected,  and  the  re- 
united and  combined  tribes  of  Hurons  and  Dinondadies  then  became  known 
as  the  Wyandots,  meaning  "  Traders  of  the  West." 

The  warriors  of  the  various  tribes  assembled  at  Fort  Ponchartrain 
usually  acted  together  in  their  numerous  warlike  expeditions.  Of  the  con- 
flicts which  they  waged  with  other  savages,  however,  there  is  seldom  any 
record  unless  they  fought  in  connection  with  the  French.  Even  in  that 
case  the  accounts  are  few  and  meager.  It  appears  that  the  Indians  in  Mich- 
igan under  French  control  were  almost  continually  at  war  with  the  Iroquois, 
and,  notwithstanding  the  acknowledged  valor  and  sagacity  of  the  Six  Na- 
tions, the  former  (having  the  support  and  sometimes  the  active  assistance  of 
the  French)  were  able  after  1707  to  hold  their  ground,  and. to  remain  in 
41flaa^ai£!a.,Qtiliilt4?en insular  throughout  the  centjiry. 

Early  in  May,  1712,  when  the  warriors  at  Cadillac's  settlement  at  the 
"  detroit "  were  nearly  all  absent,  hunting,  a  large  body  of  Outagamie 
(Fox)  and  Mascoutin  Indians,  supposed  to  be  in  league  with  the  Iroquois, 
suddenly  appeared  before  Fort  Ponchartrain,  erected  a  breastwork,  and 
made  other  preparations  for  an  assault.  Du  Buisson,  the  commandant, 
who  had  only  about  twenty  men  with  him,  sent  runners  to  call  in  the  hunt- 
ing-parties, and  then  awaited  ihe  assault  of  his  foes.  It  was  made  on  the 
18th  of  May,  and,  though  temporarily  repulsed,  there  was  every  prospect 
that  it  would  be  successful  on  account  of  the  comparatively  large  numbers 
of  the  assailants. 

While  the  fight  was  going  on,  however,  the  Wyandots,  Ottawa,  and  Pot- 
tawatomie  warriors  returned,  and  immediately  attacked  Du  Buisson's 
assailants.  The  latter  were  driven  into  their  own  defenses;  those  defenses 
were  assaulted  by  the  French  and  their  allies,  and  these  in  turn  were  re- 
pulsed by  the  Foxes  and  Mascoutins.  Thus  the  conflict  continued  with 
varying  fortunes  for  no  less  than  nineteen  days,  when  the  invaders  fled. 
Sevei'al  miles  north  of  Detroit  they  halted,  and  built  a  rude  fortification, 
but  the  French  and  their  allies  attacked  them  with  two  small  pieces  of  artil- 
lery, and  routed  them  after  three  days  more  of  fighting,  when  the  Wyan- 
dots, Pottawatomies  and  Ottawas  massacred  eight  hundred  men,  ivomen  and 
children. 

In  fact,  the  Fox  nation  was  reported  completely  destroyed,  but  this  was 
not  the  case.    Some  of  its  warriors  joined  the  Iroquois,  while  the  main  body 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  235 

fled  to  the  west  side  of  Lake  Michigan,  where  they  were  long  distinguished 
for  their  especial  hatred  of  the  French.  On  the  other  hand,  the  friendship 
then  cemented  between  the  French  and  the  'W3'andots,  Pottawatomies  and 
Ottawas,  endured  through  more  than  half  a  century  of  varied  fortunes,  and 
was  scarcely  severed  when,  throughout  Canada  and  the  West,  the  Gallic 
flag  went  down  in  hopeless  defeat  before  the  conqtiering  Britons. 

From  Detroit  the  Wyandots  gradually  extended  their  hunting-grounds 
to  the  southward  (the  strength  of  the  Iroquois,  after  a  thirty  years'  war  with 
the  French,  having  been  much  reduced,  and  their  hostile  incursions  into 
the  Lake  Erie  region  successfully  repelled),  and  as  early  as  1725  were  in 
quiet  possessioQ  of  the  country  about  Saadusky  Bay,  and  also  claimed 
ownership  to  all  the  lands  lying  between  Lake  Erie  and  the  Ohio  River.  In 
1740,  they  consented  to  the  proposition  that  a  considerable  body  of  Dela- 
wares,  who  had  been  driven  out  of  Pennsylvania  by  the  Iroquois,  should  oc- 
cupy the  Mu.skingum  country.  Finally,  the  entire  Delaware  nation,  as  well 
as  the  major  portion  of  the  Shawanese,  became  established  in  the  present 
State  of  Ohio,  and  in  conjunction  with  the  Wya)idots  (all  allies  of  the 
French),  desolated  and  laid  waste  the  border  settlements  of  Pennsylvania, 
Maryland  and  Virginia  for  many  years. 

Our  researches  have  not  led  us  to  believe  that  the  Wyandots  were  any 
worse  or  any  better  than  the  average  North  American  savage.  They  had  the 
usual  characteristics  of  the  Indians,  both  of  the  Algonquin  and  Iroquois 
races,  of  which  races,  indeed,  during  the  later  years,  they  were  a  mixture. 
Less  terrible  in  battle,  less  sagacious  in  council,  than  the  men  of  the  Six 
Nations,  they  were,  nevertheless,  like  the  rest  of  their  red  brethren,  brave, 
hardy  and  skillful  warriors,  astute  managers  so  far  as  their  knowledge  ex- 
tended, generally  faithful  friends,  and  invariably  most  implacable  enemies. 
Their  own  time  they  devoted  to  war,  the  chase  or  idleness,  abandoning  to 
the  women  all  the  labors  which  could  be  imposed  upon  their  weary 
shoulders. 

They  lived  in  the  utmost  freedom  which  it  is  possible  to  imagine,  con- 
sistent with  any  civil  or  military  organization  whatever.  Their  sachems 
exercised  little  authority,  save  to  declare  war  or  make  peace,  to  determine 
on  the  migrations  of  the  tribes,  and  to  give  wise  counsels  allaying  any  ill 
feelings  which  might  exist  among  the  people.  There  was  no  positive  law 
compelling  obedience. 

Even  in  war  there  was  no  way  by  which  the  braves  could  be  forced  to 
take  the  war-path.  Any  chieftain  could  drive  a  stake  into  the  ground,  dance 
the  war  dance  around  it,  strike  the  tomahawk  into  it  with  a  yell  of  de- 
fiance, and  call  for  warriors  to  go  forth  against  the  foe.  If  his  courage  or 
capacity  was  doubted,  he  obtained  but  few  followers.  If  he  was  of  approved 
valor  and  skill,  a  larger  number  would  grasp  their  weapons  in  response  to 
his  appeal;  while  if  he  was  a  chieftain  distinguished  far  and  wide  for  deeds 
of  blood  and  craft,  the  whole  nation  would  spring  to  arms,  and  all  its  vil- 
lages would  resovind  with  the  terrific  notes  of  the  war  song,  chanted  by 
hundreds  of  frenzied  braves.  Even  after  they  had  taken  the  field  (or  more 
properly  speaking,  the  woods)  against  their  enemies,  they  could  not  be  com- 
pelled to  fight,  except  by  the  fear  of  being  called  a  "  squaw,"  which,  however, 
to  the  Indian  mi  ad  was  a  very  terrible  punishment. 

With  the  Indian  method  of  warfare,  the  American  mind  is  pretty  well 
acquainted,  so  that  we  need  not  give  a  detailed  description  of  it  here.  Few 
have  not  read  how.  the  warriors  went  forth  against  their  foes,  clad  chiefly  in 
hideous  paint,  but  aimed  with  tomahawk  and   scalping-knives,  and  those 


236  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

who  have  been  suflScieutly  successful  in  fur-catching,  carrying  also  the  cov- 
eted muskets  of  the  white  man;  how  they  made  their  way  with  the  utmost 
secrecy  through  the  forest  until  they  reached  the  vicinity  of  their  enemies, 
whether  red  or  white;  how,  when  their  unsuspecting  victims  were  wrapped 
in  slumber,  the  whole  crowd  of  painted  demons  would  burst  in  among  them, 
using  musket,  knife  and  tomahawk  with  the  most  furious  zeal;  and  how, 
when  the  torch  had  been  applied,  men,  women  and  children  were  stricken 
down  in  indiscriminate  slaughter  by  the  luried  light  of  their  blazing  homes. 

It  is  well  known,  too,  that  those  who  escaped  immediate  death  were  often 
reiserved  for  a  still  more  horrible  doom;  that  the  fearful  sport  of  running 
the  gauntlet  when  a  hundred  weapons  were  flung  by  malignant  foes  at  the 
naked  fugitive,  was  but  the  preliminary  amusement  before  the  awful  burn- 
ing at  the  stake,  accompanied  by  all  the  refinements  of  torment  which  a 
baleful  ingenuity  could  invent,  yet  supported  with  unsurpassable  fortitude 
by  the  victim,  who  often  shrieked  his  defiant  death  song  amid  the  last  con- 
vulsions of  his  tortured  frame.  Their  religion  was  what  might  have  been 
expected  from  their  practices — a  mass  of  senseless  and  brutal  superstition 
— and  Pere  Marquette,  the  most  zealous  of  missionaries,  after  several  years 
of  labor  among  the  Northwestern  Indians,  could  only  say  that  the  Hurons 
"  retained  a  little  Christianity." 

It  would  be  foreign  to  the  design  of  this  work  to  attempt  to  give  an 
extended  account  of  all  the  wars,  movements,  etc.,  of  the  Wyandot  In- 
dians, subsequent  to  their  occupation  of  the  Sandusky  River  country,  even 
if  such  were  possible.  They  were  simply  in  common  with  all  other  tribes 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  great  lakes,  the  friends  and  allies  of  the 
French,  the  foes  of  the  English  and  Iroquois,  and  until  the  termination  of 
the  French  power  in  America,  had  assisted  the  troops  of  that  nation  to 
fight  many  battles.  Thus  in  1744,  when  war  broke  out  between  France  and 
England,  numerous  bands  of  savages  from  all  the  Northwestern  tribes 
sought  the  service  of  the  French.  Some  of  them  assailed  the  frontiers  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  while  others  made  their  way  to  Montreal,  where 
they  were  furnished  with  arms  and  ammunition,  and  were  sent  forth  against 
the  settlers  of  New  York  and  New  England.  In  1745,  one  of  the  numer- 
ous records  made  by  the  Canadian  ofiicials  states  that  fifty  "Poutewatamies," 
fifteen  "Puans"  and  ten  "Illinois"  came  to  go  to  war.  Another  mentions  the 
arrival  of  thirty-eight  "Outawois, "  seventeen  "Sauternes,"  twenty-four 
Hurons,  and  fourteen  "Poutewatamies."  Similar  official  memoranda  show 
the  sending  out  of  not  less  than  twenty  marauding  expeditions  against  the 
English  colonists  in  one  year,  frequent  mention  being  made  of  the  part 
taken  by  the  Hurons  or  Wyandots  in  these  bloody  raids. 

After  the  close  of  that  war  by  the  treaty  of  Aix-la  Chapelle  in  1748. 
there  was  comparative  quiet  among  the  red  men  of  the  Northwest  until  the 
opening  of  the  great  conflict  known  in  Europe  as  the  seven -years'  war,  but 
in  America  called  the  "  Old  French  and  Indian  War."  This  contest  was 
commenced  in  the  spring  of  1754,  by  a  fight  between  a  body  of  Virginia 
rangers,  under  Lieut.  Col.  George  Washington,  and  a  company  of  French 
sent  out  from  Fort  DuQuesne,  and  continued  until  toward  the  close  of  1762, 
when,  by  a  treaty  of  peace  between  France  and  England,  the  former  power 
gave  up  all  claims  to  the  Northwest  Territory,  and  from  that  date  their 
authority  here  ceased  forevermore. 

Meanwhile,  true  to  their  promises  and  their  friendships,  the  Hurons  or 
Wyandots  had  participated  side  by  side  with  the  French  in  numerous  con- 
flicts.    They  assisted  to  defeat  Braddock  in  front  of  Fort  Du  Quesne.      Sub- 


HISTORY   OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  237 

sequently,  nearly  every  Wyaudot  who  could  lift  a  tooiahawk,  went  forth 
upon  the  war  path  against  the  hapless  inhabitants  of  the  Pennsylvania  and 
Virginia  frontiers.  They  served  under  Montcalm  in  Canada.  Again  were 
they  summoned  to  the  defense  of  Fort  Da  Qaesne  when  it  was  threatened 
by  Gen.  Forbes'  army,  and  the  following  year,  under  D'Aubry,  they  pro- 
ceeded to  the  relief  of  Fort  Niagara.  That  fortress  soon  surrendered  to  the 
English,  however,  and  a  little  later  the  fall  of  Quebec  (at  which  a  large 
body  of  the  Northwestern  Indians  was  present)  virtually  decided  the  fate 
of  Canada  and  the  Northwest.  The  Indians  then  began  to  lose  faith  in  the 
omnipotence  of  their  French  friends,  and  our  Wyandots,  together  with 
other  tribes,  returned  to  their  homes  on  the  shores  of  the  Great  Lakes  and 
rivers  of  the  West,  and  gloomily  awaited  the  results  referred  to  at  the 
close  of  the  preceding  paragraph. 

When,  in  17(33,  Pontiac,  the  renowned  Ottawa  chieftain,  marshaled  un- 
der his  leadership  the  Northwestern  tribes  for  the  purpose  of  overthrowing 
British  supremacy  in  that  region,  the  Wyandots  joined  him.  After  the 
siege  of  Detroit  had  continued  for  several  weeks,  the  Wyandots  and  Potta- 
watomies  made  a  treaty  of  peace  with  Maj.  Gladwyn,  the  besieged  English 
commander,  but  when  Maj.Tlogers  and  Capt.  Dalzell  led  a  party  from  the 
fort  to  attack  Pontiac  in  his  camp,  the  treacherous  Wyandots  and  Pottawat- 
omies  fiercely  assaulted  the  flank  of  the  British  column.  Dalzell  was 
killed,  and  it  was  only  by  the  most  desperate  exertions  that  his  successor, 
Capt.  Grant,  with  the  aid  of  Maj.  Rogers  and  his  American  rangers,  was 
able  to  make  good  his  retreat  to  the  fort,  after  a  fourth  of  his  men  were 
killed  or  wounded. 

The  next  summer,  1864,  Gen.  Bradstreet*  occupied  Detroit  with  a  con- 
siderable force  of  English,  Americans  and  Iroquois,  the  appearance  of 
whom,  together  with  Gen.  Boquet's  successful  campaign  into  the  Muskin- 
gum Country,  doubtless  tended  to  strongly  impress  the  power  of  England  on 
the  hitherto  hostile  tribes.  In  1765,  George  Croghan,  Deputy  Superintend- 
ent of  Indian  A£fairs,  under  the  celebrated  Sir  William  Johnson,  baronet, 
his  Majesty's  sole  agent  and  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs  in  the  North- 
ern Department  of  North  America,  etc., etc.,  etc.,  held  a  grand  council  meet- 
ing at  Fort  Pitt,  and  also  at  Detroit,  with  the  Northwestern  tribes.  They 
had  by  that  time  become  thoroughly  humbled,  and  were  sincerely  desirous 
of  peace  and  the  re-opening  of  the  fur  trade.  After  the  treaties  then  made, 
all  these  tribes  remained  steady  friends  of  the  British,  so  long  as  that  na- 
tion had  any  need  of  their  services. 

Pontiac  himself  gave  in  his  submission  at  another  council  held  in  Au- 
gust of  the  same  year.  This  celebrated  chieftain  was  murdered  by  an  Illi- 
nois Indian  near  St.  Louis,  in  1769.  The  Wyandotts,  the  Ottawas,  and 
other  tribes  which  had  followed  his  lead,  sprang  to  arms  to  avenge  the  mur- 
der, and  almost  exterminated  the  Illinois.  Except  this  and  similar  conflicts 
with  neighboring  savages,  also  a  slight  participation  in  Dunmore's  war,  the 
Wyandotts  remained  at  peace  until  the  out-break  of  the  Revolutionary  war. 

The  British  then  made  strong  and,  as  we  shall  see,  successful  efforts  to 
obtain  their  assistance,  and  in  the  summer  of  1777,  several  hundred  Wyan- 
dots, Ottawas,  Pottawatomies,  Chippewas,  Wiunebagoes  and  others  from 
the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes,  all  under  Charles  de  Langdale,  a  French  and 

*  During  the  same  season,  Gen.  Bradstreet,  with  his  forces,  ascended  the  Sandusky  River  as  far  as  it  was 
navigable  tor  boats,  where  a  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  by  the  chiefs  and  head  men  of  the  Wyandot  na- 
tion. It  is  probable  that  he  penetrated  as  far  inland  as  the  old  Indian  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  which 
stood  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  about  three  miles  above  the  present  town  of  Upper  Sandusky.  Gen. 
Israel  Putnam,  then  a  Major  in  command  of  a  battalion  of  American  provincials,  was  with  Bradstreet. 


238  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Indian  half-breed,  and  another  French  officer,  joined  the  English  Army  of 
Gen.  Bargoyne.  They  accompanied  him  in  his  invasion  of  New  York,  but  ac- 
complished little,  except  to  burn  some  houses  and  slaughter  a  few  families. 
Burgoyne  made  some  efforts  to  restrain  their  ferocity,  which  so  disgusted 
them  that  they  nearly  or  quite  all  returned  home  before  his  surrender  to 
Gen.  Gates.  They  also  complained  that  Burgoyne  did  not  take  good  care 
of  them,  and  that  over  a  hundred  of  their  number  were  needlessly  sacrificed 
at  Bennington,  Vt. 

Although  the  Wyandots  and  their  neighbors — the  Ottawas,  Chippewas, 
and  Pottawattomies  on  the  north,  and  the  Delawares  and  Shawanese  on  the 
south — were  opposed  to  taking  any  further  part  in  the  war  under  the  direct 
command  of  British  officers,  and  as  part  of  a  British  Army,  yet  as  it  appears, 
they  were  not  at  all  avei'se  to  making  war  upon  the  Americans  in  their  own 
way,  and  under  the  lead  of  their  own  chiefs.  Hence,  late  in  the  fall  of 
1777,  the  Wyandot,  Delaware  and  Shawanese  warriors  appeared  in  West- 
moreland County,  Penn.,  where  (many  of  the  arms-bearing  population  being 
absent  as  members  of  Washington's  army)  they  gathered  many  scalps. 
Elated  with  their  success,  they  crossed  the  Alleghanies  and  slaughtered 
many  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  region  now  embraced  by  the  counties  of 
Bedford,  Blair,  Huntingdon  and  Somerset.  Neither  age,  sex  nor  condition 
were  spared  by  the  savages.  Immediately  after  the  French  Government  had 
relinquished  control  of  Canada  and  the  Northwest  Territory,  the  Jesuit  mis- 
sionaries retired  tu  the  Canadian  side  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  river  St. 
Lawrence,  hence  the  Wyandots,  thus  left  without  the  Christianizing  influ- 
ences of  their  former  teachers,  soon  relapsed  to  a  degree  of  barbarity  and 
ferociousness  which  placed  them  upon  an  even  footing  with  their  no  less 
savage  allies,  the  Delawares,  Shawanese,  Mingoes  and  Miamis.  The  Six 
Nations  also  took  the  war-path  in  the  interests  of  the  British,  and  under  the 
lead  of  the  villains  Brant,  Butler  and  various  tories,  committed  many  mur- 
ders in  the  frontier  settlements  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  the  mas- 
sacre of  the  Wyoming  settlers  and  the  destruction  of  Hannastown  being 
among  their  chief  exploits. 

These  forays  and  murdering  expeditions  on  the  part  of  the  savages  un- 
der British  pay  continued  until  the  close  of  the  struggle  for  American  in- 
dependence. Meanwhile,  the  Americans  were  using  all  the  means  at  hand 
in  the  endeavor  to  defend  their  border  settlements  in  the  interior,  while  at 
the  same  time  engaged  in  lighting  the  British  armies,  then  desolating  their 
seaport  towns.  To  this  end,  in  1778,  Gen.  Lachlin  Mcintosh,  commander 
of  the  Western  Military  Department,  with  headquarters  at  Fort  Pitt  (Pitts- 
burgh), marched  forth  with  about  1,000  men.  He  was  vested  with  dis- 
cretionary powers,  but  it  was  purposed  that  he  should  march  his  army  to 
Detroit,  or  at  least  as  far  as  the  Indian  towns  on  the  Sandusky  River,  which 
seemed  to  be  the  general  places  of  rendezvous  for  the  hostile  tribes  of  the 
Northwest.  Gen.  Mcintosh,  however,  lacked  the  qualifications  necessary  to 
conduct  an  Indian  warfare  successfully,  and  only  proceeded  as  far  as  thy 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  present  town  of  Bolivar,  in  Tuscarawas  County, 
Ohio.  He  there  halted,  erected  Fort  Laurens,  garrisoned  it  with  150  men, 
under  the  command  of  Col.  John  Gibson,  returned  to  Fort  Pitt,  and  soon 
after  resigned  his  command  of  the  department. 

Fort  Laurens — named  in  honor  of  the  then  President  of  the  Continental 
Congress,  Henry  Laurens — was  the  first  substantially  built  work  erected 
within  the  present  limits  of  Ohio.  Yet  disasters  attended  it  from  the  be- 
ginning.     The  Indians  stole  the  horses,  and  drew  the  garrison  into  several 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  239 

ambuscades,  killing  fourteen  men  at  one  time  and  eleven  at  another,  besides 
capturing  a  number  of  others.  Eight  hundred  warriors,  among  them  many 
Wyandots,  invested  it  and  kept  up  the  siege  for  six  weeks!  The  provisions 
grew  short,  and  when  supplies  from  Fort  Pitt  had  arrived  within  a  hundred 
yards  of  the  fort,  the  gai'rison,  in  their  joyousness.  tired  a  general  salute 
with  musketry,  which  so  frightened  the  loaded  packhorses  as  to  produce  a 
general  stampede  through  the  woods,  scattering  the  provisions  in  every  di- 
rection, so  that  most  of  the  much-needed  supplies  were  lost.  Although  it 
was  regarded  very  desirable,  for  various  military  reasons,  to  have  a  gar- 
risoned fort  and  depot  of  supplies  at  a  point  about  equidistant  from  the 
forts  on  the  Ohio  River  and  the  hostile  Indians  on  the  Sandusky  Plains, 
yet  so  disastrous  had  been  the  experiences  at  Fort  Laurens  that  it  was 
abandoned  in  August,  1779. 

During  subsequent  years,  other  expeditions  were  organized  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Kentucky  for  the  purpose  of  chastizing  with  powder  and  ball  the 
hostile  Indians  of  Ohio.  Thus  Col.  John  Bowman  took  the  field  with  160 
Kentuckians  in  July,  1779;  Col.  George  Rogers  Clark,  with  about  1,000 
Kentuckians,  in  July,  1780;  Gen.  Daniel  Brodhead,  with  300  men  from 
Fort  Pitt,  in  April,  1781;  and  Col.  Archibald  Lochry,  with  about  100  men 
from  Westmoreland  County,  Penn. ,  in  July,  1781.  These  expeditions  were 
attended  with  varying  success,  but  as  they  had  in  view  the  punishment  of 
the  savages  occupying  the  southern  half  of  the  present  State,  no  special 
significance,  as  regards  the  history  of  Wyandot  County,  can  be  attached  to 
their  movements. 

However,  notwithstanding  the  efforts  put  forth  by  the  Americans,  the 
savages  remained  masters  of  the  field  in  Ohio,  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Great  Lakes,  and  along  the  River  St.  Lawrence.  The  Wyandots  of  the 
Sandusky  Plains  (together  with  large  numbers  of  the  Delawares  and 
Shawanese,  who,  driven  from  haunts  farther  South  by  the  expeditions 
already  mentioned,  had  established  themselves  near  the  Wyandots),  fully 
supplied  with  war  material  from  the  British  post  at  Detroit,  still  continued 
their  massacres  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  frontier  settlements  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  fiendishness  displayed  by  these  savages  in  their  attacks  upon 
isolated  white  settlements  was  unbounded,  and  frequently  every  member  of 
a  family  was  found  slain,  scalped,  their  bodies  otherwise  horribly  mutilated, 
and  their  dwelling  burned  to  ashes.  The  prattling  babe,  as  well  as  the 
tottering  decrepit  grandparents,  all,  all  fell  victims  to  a  ferocity  of  dispo- 
sition and  studied  cruelty  of  purpose  that  is  harrowing  to  contemplate, 
even  after  the  lapse  of  more  than  one  hundred  years.  At  last,  stung  to 
desperation  by  the  loss  of  parents,  brothers,  sisters,  wives  and  children,  at 
the  hands  of  the  savages,  the  sturdy  Scotch-Irish  residents  of  W^estmore- 
land  and  Washington  Counties,  Penn.,  determined  upon  the  organi- 
zation of  a  force,  under  the  authority  of  the  military  commander  of  that 
department,  which  should  proceed  to  the  Sandusky  Plains  (the  rendezvous 
of  all  the  hostile  savages  of  the  Northwest),  and  give  battle  to  the  Indians 
upon  their  own  ground.  This  determination  resulted  in  the  formation  and 
sending  forward  of  a  body  of  men  under  Col.  William  Crawford,  whose 
movements,  battles,  etc.,  will  be  noted  in  the  succeeding  chapter. 


240  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 


CHAPTER   III. 

INDIAN  OCCUPANCY.— Continued. 

(Events  from  1782  to  1818.) 

The  Inception  of  Crawford's  Sandusky  Expedition— The  March— Bat- 
tle— Results — Dr.  Kntgiit's  Narratio.v — Biographical  Sketch  of 
Col.  Crawford  — The  Treaty  of  Fort  McIntosh— Treaty  of  Fort 
Harmar— Sad  Results  Attending  the  ExPEDrrroNs  under  Gens. 
Harmar  and  St.  Clair— "Mad  Anthony"  in  the  Field— He  Defeats 
the  Combined  Savage  Tribes  at  the  "Fallen  Timbers"— Indian  Ac- 
counts OF  THE  Fight— Treaty  of  Greenville— Of  Fort  Industry — 
Of  Broavnstown- The  Wyandots  the  Friends  of  the  Americans  — 
War  of  1812-15— Treaty  of  the  Foot  of  the  Rapids  of  the  Miami 
OF  THE  Lake— Terms— Supplementary  Treaty  Held  at  St.  Mary's — 
The  Wyandots  Finally  Established  on  Reservations,  i.  e.,  Lands 
NOW  Embraced  by  Wyandot  County— Death  of  their  Great  Chief 
Tariie — Attendant  Funeral  Ceremonies — Tribal  Names  of  the  Wy- 
andots—Sketch  OF  Chief  Tariie,  as  Prepared  by  William  Walker,  a 
Quadroon  of  the  Wyandot  Nation. 

AS  ali'eady  indicated,  the  year  1782,  especially  along  the  American 
border  settlements,  was  one  of  war,  bloodshed  and  carnage.  LTrged 
on  by  the  British  officers  at  Detroit,  the  Indians  sought  every  opportunity  of 
wreaking  their  vengeance  upon  the  unprotected  settlers.  The  woods  of 
Western  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  teemed  with  savages  the  most  vindic- 
tive, and  no  one  was  safe  from  attack  unless  protected  by  the  walls  of  a 
fortified  station.  On  the  28th  of  March,  Gen.  William  Irvine,  com- 
mander of  the  Western  Military  Department,  with  headquarters  at  Fort 
Pitt,  issued  a  call  to  the  ofiicers  of  the  militia  of  the  counties  of  West- 
moreland and  Washington  (which  counties  then  comprised  all  that  part 
of  Southwestern  Pennsylvania  lying  west  of  Laurel  Hill,  AVashington 
County,  having  been  erected  from  Westmoreland  in  1781)  to  meet  in  coun- 
cil at  Pittsburgh  on  April  5,  to  take  into  consideration  the  adoption  of 
some  systematic  defense  of  the  exposed  settlements.  The  council  was  large- 
ly attended,  and  the  plan  then  agreed  upon  was  to  divide  the  regular  troops 
equally  between  Forts  Pitt  and  Mcintosh,  and  to  keep  flying  bodies  of 
volunteers  marching  from  place  to  place  along  the  line  of  the  frontier. 

The  county  of  Westmoreland  agreed  to  furnish  sixty-five  men  to  range 
along  the  border  from  the  Allegheny  River  to  Laurel  Hill,  while  Wash- 
ington County  stipulated  to  keep  in  the  field  one  hundred  and  sixty  men  to 
patrol  the  Ohio  River  from  Montour' s  Bottom  to  Wheeling.  It  was  soon  ap- 
parent, however,  that  this  experiment  or  system  of  defense  was  inadequate, 
for  in  spite  of  every  precaution,  and  in  defiance  of  every  expedient  to 
thwart  them,  the  wily  savages  would  frequently  cross  to  the  left  banks  of 
the  Ohio  and  Allegheny  rivers,  fall  suddenly  upon  some  unsuspecting  and 
helpless  settlements,  and  after  completing  their  work  of  murder  and  pillage, 
would  hurriedly  recross  the  rivers,  and  be  far  away  in  the  wettern  wilds  be- 
fore the  patroling  volunteers  were  aware  of  their  presence.  Therefore  it 
was  soon  demonstrated  to  the  entire,  satisfaction  of  the  majority  of  the  en- 
dangered inhabitants  that  the  only  security  for  the  frontier   lay  iri  carrying 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  241 

the  war  into  the  Indian  country,  and  in  accordance  with  this  feelino-  Col. 
Marshall,  the  commandant  at  Fort  Mcintosh,  wrote  to  Gen.  Irvine,  on  the 
2d  of  April,  an  follows  :  "This  is  most  certain,  that  unless  an  expedition 
be  carried  against  some  of  the  principal  Indian  towns  early  this  summer, 
this  country  must  unavoidably  suffer."  Again,  on  the  4th  of  the  same 
month,  he  wrote:  "The  people  in  general  on  the  frontiers  are  waiting 
with  anxious  expectation,  to  know  whether  an  expedition  can  be  carried 
against  Upper  Sandusky  *  early  this  spring  or  not." 

It  is  claimed  that  Gen.  Irvine  was  not  in  favor  of  carrying  the  war  into 
the  Sandusky  country,  but  be  that  as  it  may,  he  soon  after  called  a  council 
of  the  officers  of  his  department  to  meet  at  his  headquarters,  at  Fort  Pitt, 
on  the  7th  of  May,  to  take  the  matter  under  advisement.  A  large  number 
of  officers  were  present,  and  many  others  who  could  not  come  were  repre- 
sented in  writing.  There  was  a  wonderful  unanimity  of  opinion,  at  this 
meeting,  as  to  the  necessity  of  sending  an  expedition  into  the  Indian 
country.  It  was  known  that  most  of  the  scalping  parties  prowling  about 
the  borders  came  from  Upper  Sandusky,  not,  however,  that  all  the  savao-es 
invading  the  settlements  were  Wyandots,  but  that  their  town  was  the  grand 
rallying  point  for  all  the  Northwest  tribes  before  starting  for  the  frontiers. 
Of  the  men  called  together  at  Gen.  Irvine's  headquarters,  none  failed  to  ap- 
preciate the  pressing  necessity  for  the  destruction  of  the  Sandusky  rendez- 
vous. An  expedition  was  determined  upon,  and  Upper  Sandusky,  the  fa- 
vorite point  of  assembling  for  the  hostile  Wyandots,  Delawares,  Shawanese 
and  Mingoes,  was  named  as  the  point  of  attack. 

Mingo  Bottom,  a  point  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ohio  River,  about  two 
and  one-half  miles  below  the  present  town  of  Steubenville,  was  designated 
as  the  place  of  rendezvous,  and  Monday,  May  20,  as  the  time  for  the  assem- 
blage of  those  who  were  to  take  part  in  the  movement.  However,  the  vol- 
unteers did  not  all  report  until  Friday  morning,  May  24,  when  the  last  one 
crossed  to  the  west  side  of  the  river.  The  remainder  of  that  day  was  occupied 
in  the  election  of  regimental  and  company  officers,  and  in  making  prepara 
tions  for  the  march  to  begin  the  following  morning.  Of  the  troops  assem- 
bled, Washington  County.  Penn.,  had  furnished  three  hundred  and  twenty; 
Westmoreland  County,  Penn..  one  hundred  and  thirty;  Ohio  County,  Ya., 
twenty;  and  other  localities  not  known,  ten;  making  a  total  of  four  hundred 
and  eighty  officers  and  men.  In  the  election  which  took  place  for  chief 
commander  of  the  expedition.  Col.  William  Crawford,  of  Westmoreland 
County,  and  Col.  David  Williamson,  of  Washington  County — he  who  had 
commanded  the  expedition  to  the  Tuscarawas  countryf  two  months  before — 
were  the  candidates.  The  vote  stood  two  hundred  and  thirty- live  for  Col. 
Crawford  and  two  hundred  and  thirty  for  Col.  Williamson.  Col.  Crawford 
having  been,  by  a  small  majoi'lty,  placed  at  the  head  of  the  expedition,  his 
competitor,  Col.  Williamson,  was  immedititely  chosen,  by  a  unanimous  vote, 


*  Upper  Sandusky  was  then  the  place  where  the  British  paid  their  Western  Indian  allies  their  annuities. 

fWe  are  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  numbers  of  those  who  have  heretofore  written  concerning  Crawford's 
Sandusky  expedition  have  managed  to  interweave  in  their  narriitinns  something  about  the  wretched  Moravian 
affdir.  The  Delawares  under  the  partial  control  of  the  easy-going  Moravian  roissionarien  may  or  may  not  have 
been  guilty  of  ofTenses  against  the  whiles  ea-ft  of  the  Ohio  River.  It  his  been  claimed  that  Delaware  Indians  who 
spoke  the  German  language,  and  wh'i  claimed  to  belong  to  one  of  the  Moravian  villages,  committed  murders  in  a 
while  settlement  on  the  Pennsylvania  border,  also,  that  Williamson'o  men  found  children's  clothing  in  one  of  the 
Moravian  towns,  which  was  identified  as  having  been  worn  by  little  while  children  when  killed  or  cariied  off'  by 
Indians.  Be  this  as  it  may,  we  consider  an  account  of  the  .Moravian  aflair  as  not  pertinent  to  the  histoiy  of  the 
Wyandot  Indians,  or  of  Wyandot  County,  and,  therefore,  forbear  making  further  mention  of  it.  If,  however,  it 
be  asserted  that  by  reason  of  the  killing  of  tbe  Delaware  Indians,  at  the  Moravian  towns,  the  Delaware  tribes 
were  made  more  bloodthirsty,  and  burned  Col.  Crawford  by  way  ot  retaliation,  we  answer,  that  the  Delaware* 
were  always  bloodthirsty,  vindictive,  treacherous,  cowardly,  and  that  they  burned  many  white  prisoners  at  the 
stake,  both  before  and  after  the  death  of  Crawford. 


242  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

the  Senior  Major,  or  second  officer  in  rank.  The  other  Majors  were  Thomas 
Gaddis,  John  McClelland  and  Maj.  Brinton.  Daniel  Leet  was  elected 
Brigade-major;  Dr.  John  Knight  was  appointed  Surgeon;  and  JohnSlover 
and  Jonathan  Zane  accompanied  the  expedition  as  guides.  The  force  was 
divided  into  eighteen  companies,  some  of  which  were  commanded  by  the 
following  named  captains:  McGeehan,  Hoagland,  Beeson,  Munn,  Boss, 
Ogle,  John  Biggs,  Craig,  Ritchie,  John  Miller,  Joseph  Bean  and  Andrew 
Hood. 

Gen.  Irvine  issued  sealed  orders  directed  to  the  "Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  expedition  against  the  Indian  town  at  or  near  Sandusky,''  in 
which  he  specifically  set  forth  the  object  of  his  command  to  be  "  to  destroy 
with  fire  and  sword  (if  practicable)  the  Indian  town  and  settlement  at  San- 
dusky, by  which  it  was  hoped  to  give  ease  and  safety  to  the  inhabitants  of 
this  country;  but  if  that  should  be  found  impracticable,  to  perform  such 
other  services  in  his  power  as  would,  in  their  consequences,  have  a  tendency 
to  answer  that  great  end."  It  was  also  directed  to  "settle  all  questions  of 
rank  before  leaving  their  rendezvous;  and  to  regulate  their  last  day's  march 
so  as  to  reach  said  town  about  dawn  or  a  little  before,  in  order  to  effect  a 
surprise."  Gen.  Irvine  spoke  of  the  expedition  as  being  composed  of  "dis- 
interested and  virtuous  men,  who  had  the  protection  of  this  country  in  view, 
and  upon  whom  he  enjoined  it  specially  to  act  in  such  a  manner  as  to  re- 
flect honor  on  and  add  reputation  to  the  American  arms."  The  orders  con- 
cluded "  with  the  sincere  wishes  of  the  department  commander  for  their  suc- 
cess." 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  Crawford  expedition  ivas  not,  as  many 
have  thought  and  asserted,  an  unauthorized,  illegal,  ill-considered  or 
murderous  raid — "  a  sudden  and  wild  maraud  "  of  "untamed  bordei'ers" 
— an  organization  put  on  foot  by  lawless  men,  for  the  destruction  of  the 
remnant  of  the  Moravian  Indians  that  had  been,  during  the  previous 
year,  forcibly  removed  from  their  villages  on  the  Tuscarawas,  by  the 
British  and  Delaware  hostiles  to  the  Saadusky  Plains.  The  massacre 
of  innocent,  inoffensive  Indians  was  not  the  purpose  of  the  expedition, 
commanded  by  Col.  Crawford,  to  the  Saudusky  country,  in  1782.  It  was 
to  chastise  hostile  Indian  tribes  who  had  been  and  still  ^were  the  deadly 
enemies  of  the  settlers  on  the  Western  borders — enemies  of  our  civilization 
— enemies  of  our  common  country — enemies  of  the  white  race.  And  all 
those  writers  who  have  maintained  that  Col.  Crawford's  command  was  com- 
posed of  "bandits  and  murderers,"  and  that  their  purpose  was  "to  destroy  the 
remainder  of  the  Moravian  Indians,"  were  undoubtedly  mistaken.  Butter- 
field,  in  his  admirable  history  of  "Crawford's  Sandusky  Campaign,"  says, 
that  "  in  all  examinations  of  the  correspondence  of  those  projecting  the 
expedition  against  Sandusky,  and  of  those  who  took  part  in  it,  as  well  as 
of  papers  and  documents  of  that  period  relating  thereto,  and  of  contempora- 
neous publications,  he  had  not  met  with  a  single  statement  or  word  calcu- 
lated to  awaken  a  suspicion,  even  of  intended  harm,  to  the  Christian  Indians 
upon  the  Sandusky.  Whenever  the  objective  point  of  the  expedition  is 
mentioned,  it  is  invariably  given  as  Sandusky,  or  the  W^yandot  town  or 
towns." 

Early  on  the  morning  of  Saturday,  May  25,  Crawford's  command  began 
its  march  on  horseback  for  the  Sandusky  Plains,  distant  about  ]50  miles. 
They  purposed  making  a  rapid  march,  avoiding,  as  far  as  practicable,  the 
Indian  trails,  so  as  to  reach  the  Sandusky  region  without  the  knowledge  of 
the  Indians,  and  thus  take  them  by  surprise.     The  wily  nature  of  the  sav- 


WYANDOT    MISSION     CHURCH 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  245 

ages,  says  Butterfield,  was  too  well  known  to  give  assurance  of  security 
because  no  enemy  was  visible;  hence  Col.  Crawford  "  took  every  precaution 
to  guard  against  ambuscades  and  surprises."  "  Unceasing  vigilance  was 
the  watchword."  However,  nothing  worthy  of  note  transpired  until  Mon- 
day night,  the  27th,  while  at  the  third  encampment.  Here  a  number  of  the 
men  lost  their  horses,  which  were  hunted  for  the  next  morning  without  sue 
cess.  It  was  then  decided  by  Col.  Crawford  that  these  dismounted  men 
should  return  home,  as  their  crippled  condition  would  contribute  more  to  the 
burden  and  inconvenience  of  the  movement  than  would  their  services  toward 
securing  its  successful  issue.  On  Tuesday,  the  28th,  the  fourth  day  of  the 
march,  the  command  reached  the  Tuscarawas  River,  at  a  point  about  one 
mile  below  the  present  town  of  New  Philadelphia,  the  county  seat  of  Tus- 
carawas County.  During  the  same  evening,  Maj.  Brinton  and  Capt.  Bean, 
while  a  short  distance  from  the  camp,  discovered  two  Indians  lurking  near 
by,  upon  whom  they  immediately  tired,  but  without  effect.  These  escaping 
Indians,  says  Dr.  Knight,  gave  notice  to  the  hostiles  ou  the  Sandusky  of 
the  movements  of  the  Americans.  The  fact  of  the  discovery  while  yet  so 
remote  from  the  objective  point  rendered  the  necessity  greater  for  a  rapid 
march.  Therefore,  on  Wednesday  morning,  the  29th,  the  march  was  re- 
sumed with  a  rapidity  not  before  attempted.  The  guides,  Slover  and  Zane, 
in  the  advance,  led  off  in  a  northwest  course  across  the  Killbuck,  above  the 
present  town  of  Millersburg,  county  seat  of  Holmes  County,  leaving  Woos- 
ter,  the  present  county  seat  of  Wayne  County,  about  ten  miles  to  the  north, 
and  Manstield,  now  the  county  seat  of  Richland  County,  a  few  miles  south, 
and  on  the  evening  of  Saturday,  June  1,  the  entire  command  encamped  at 
a  point  now  known  as  Spring  Mills,  about  eight  miles  east  of  the  present 
town  of  Crestline,  in  Crawford  County.  On  the  following  day,  Sunday, 
June  2,  the  expedition  arrived  at  the  Sandusky  River  near  the  present  vil- 
lage of  Leesville,  having  marched  about  eighty -five  miles  during  the  last 
tive  days.  The  Sandusky  Plains  were  reached  on  Monday,  the  3d  day  of 
June,  and  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Sandusky  on  Tuesday,  the  4th.  Later 
on  the  same  day,  the  troops  reached  the  W^yandot  town,  then  known  as  Up- 
per Sandusky,  which  was  situated  about  three  miles  southeast  of  the  present 
town  of  that  name,  but  to  the  utter  astonishment  of  Crawford  and  his 
men,  not  an  Indian  was  to  be  seen,  and  the  village  appeared  as  if  it  had 
been  deserted  for  some  time.  It  was  now  afternoon.  The  men  and  officers 
dismounted,  and  while  the  horses  leisurely  grazed  upon  the  luxuriant  and 
abundant  pasturage,  and  the  men  drank  from  a  neighboring  spring,  Col. 
Crawford  and  his  officers  consulted  as  to  what  was  best  to  be  done. 

One  of  the  guides  of  the  expedition,  Slover,  had  been  a  prisoner  among 
the  Indians,  and  was  familiar  with  the  localities  in  the  Sandusky  region.  He 
communicated  his  opinion  to  Col.  Crawford,  that  the  Indians  of  the  deserted 
Wyandot  village,  on  hearing  of  his  approach,  had  probably  gone  to  one  of 
their  towns,  situated  about  eight  miles  down  the  river.  It  was  thereupon 
determined  to  move  forward  at  once  in  search  of  them.  A  march  of  three 
miles  brought  them  to  the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Upper  Sandusky. 
After  a,  furthm'  advance  movement  of  about  a  mile,  some  of  the  men  stated 
that  they  were  short  of  supplies,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  retvirn  instead  of 
proceeding  onward.  A  council  of  war  was  then  held,  to  consider  the  ques- 
tion of  the  probability  of  the  concentration  of  the  hostile  Indians  in  their 
front.  Crawford  and  the  guide,  Zane,  were  of  the  opinion  that  there  were 
indications  that  the  Indians  were  bent  on  a  determined  resistance,  and  were 
then,  probably,  collecting  their  warriors.      Zane  advised   an  immediate  re- 


246  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

turn  home.  The  council,  however,  decided  to  continue  the  march  during 
the  remainder  of  that  afternoon,  but  no  longer. 

Col.  Crawford  had  previously  sent  forward  a  small  body  of  men  for  the 
purpose  of  reconnoitering.  This  party  had  gone  but  about  two  miles  when 
they  discovered  the  enemy  in  full  force  rapidly  moving  toward  them.  Im- 
mediately one  of  the  scouts  was  sent  back  to  Col.  Crawford  to  inform  him  of 
the  presence  of  the  enemy.  The  council  had  just  adjourned,  and  the  troops 
were  at  once  formed  for  action.  After  advancing  about  a  mile,  the  enemy 
were  found  moving  toward  a  grove,  evidently  meaning  battle.  Col.  Craw- 
ford ordered  his  men  to  dismount  and  advance  upon  the  Indians.  They 
did  so,  and  ere  the  expiration  of  many  minutes  the  savages  were  dislodged, 
and  the  Americans  in  possession  of  the  grove.  Soon,  the  Delawares,  with 
whom  the  battle  was  opened,  were  reinforced  by  the  Wyandots,  all  being 
under  the  command  of  Capt.  Mathew  Elliott,  an  Irishman  in  the  service  of 
the  British  Government.  Very  soon,  the  action,  which  commenced  aboiit  4 
o'clock  P.  M.,  became  general.  The  infamous  renegade,  Simon  Girty,  was 
with  the  savages  and  acted  a  conspicuous  part.  The  Indians  were  protected, 
in  a  measure,  by  the  tall  prairie  grass,  and  the  Pennsylvanians  were  also 
afforded  some  protection,  too,  by  the  grove,  of  which  they  had,  by  gallant 
fighting,  obtained  possession.  The  fight  at  "  Battle  Island,"  in  what  is  now 
termed  Crane  Township,  Wyandot  County,  continued  with  varying  success 
until  dark,  when  the  Indians  retired  farther  out  into  the  prairie,  and  ceased 
firing.  The  loss  sustained  by  the  Americans  was  four  killed  and  nineteen 
wuunded.  Doubtless  the  Indians  lost  a  greater  number,  but  of  course  it 
was  never  known. 

Crawford  retained  his  position  in  the  grove  during  the  night,  his  men 
meanwhile  suffering  terribly  for  lack  of  water.  At  daylight  on  the  morn- 
ing of  June  5  (Wednesday),  the  firing  was  renewed,  but  in  a  desultory  man- 
ner, and  at  long  range  only,  and  so  continued  throughout  the  day.  Hence 
little  damage  was  done  (the  Americans  having  four  more  men  wounded)  and 
the  relative  position  of  the  opposing  forces  remained  unchanged.  During 
the  day,  however,  the  enemy  was  reinforced  by  a  body  of  white  troops, 
known  as  "  Butler's  Hangers,"  also  by  about  200  Shawanese  Indians.  Sav- 
ages from  other  quarters  also  kept  gathering  in,  so  that  the  Americans  were 
surrounded  and  greatly  out- numbered.  A  council  of  war  was  thereupon 
called,  which  unanimously  decided  upon  a  retreat  that  night.  The  move- 
ment was  to  commence  at  9  o'clock.  Just  as  the  hour  had  arrived  for  the 
retreat  to  begin,  the  enemy  discovered  the  intentions  of  the  Americans  and 
opened  fire  from  various  points.  Confusion  followed,  and  some  in  the  front 
line  hurried  off,  followed  by  many  pushing  forward  from  the  rear.  The  ad- 
vance, under  command  of  Maj.  McClelland,  was  furiously  attacked  by  the 
Delawares  and  Shawanese  and  suffered  severely,  he  being  fatally  wounded. 
The  rear  division  was  also  attacked  and  suffered  considerable  loss.  All 
through  the  night  the  retreat  was  continued,  the  enemy  pursuing  in  consid- 
erable force,  with  more  or  less  vigor  and  efficiency.  The  advance  of  Craw- 
ford's command  arrived  at  the  oldi  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  about  daybreak 
of  Thursday,  June  6,  where,  after  a  short  time,  about  300  of  the  original 
force  were  collected. 

It  was  then  ascertained  that  Col.  Crawford  was  missing.  But  none  knew 
whether  he  was  killed,  captured,  or  was  making  his  escape  on  some  route 
other  than  that  taken  by  the  main  body  of  his  forces.  Dr.  Knight  and 
John  Slover,  one  of  the  pilots,  or  guides,  were  also  among  those  unaccounted 
for.     The  retreating  volunteers  were  now  under  the  command  of  Col.  Will- 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  247 

iamson,  who  is  said  to  have  conducted  the  movement  as  skillfully  and  suc- 
cessfully as  could  have  been  reasonably  expected.  When  well  along  on  the 
open  country  or  "plains,"  a  large  body  of  mounted  Indians  and  British 
cavalry  came  in  sight  of  the  retreating  troops.  The  enemy  pressed  forward 
so  closely  upon  their  flanks  and  rear  that  the  Pennsylvanians  liually  halted, 
formed  their  lines,  and  gave  battle.  This  was  at  2  o'clock  P.  M.,  on  Thurs- 
day, June  6,  near  the  eastern  edge  of  the  plains,  not  far  from  a  small  branch 
of  the  Olentangy  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Scioto,  in  what  is  now  known  as 
Whetstone  Township,  Crawford  County.  The  enemy  attacked  on  front,  left 
flank  and  rear,  but  seemed  glad  to  retire  at  the  expiration  of  an  hour's 
fighting.  In  this  action,  termed  the  "  Battle  of  Olentangy,''  the  Ameri- 
cans lost  three  men  killed  and  eight  wounded.  The  loss  of  the  enemy  was 
much  greater. 

The  retreat  then  continued  in  a  chilly,  drenching  rain,  the  enemy  still 
pursuing  and  occasionally  firing  a  shot  at  a  respectable  distance  in  the  rear. 
At  night  the  opposing  forces  were  encamped  within  a  mile  of  each  other. 
Scarcely  had  the  Americans  formed  their  lines  at  daybreak  of  the  7th,  when 
the  enemy  opened  fire  from  the  rear.  Here  they  captured  tAvo  of  the  Amer- 
icans, and  it  is  supposed  tomahawked  them.  But  the  main  body  was  not 
pursued  further,  the  last  hostile  shot  having  been  fired  near  the  present 
town  of  Crestline,  in  Crawford  County.  On  their  further  retreat  they 
had  frequent  accessions  of  stragglers,  who  had  been  detached  by  various 
means  from  the  main  body  early  in  the  retrograde  movement.  The  home- 
ward march  was  along  the  trail  of  the  troops  when  outward  bound,  as  far 
as  the  Tuscarawas,  which  they  crossed  June  10.  From  that  point  to  the 
Ohio  River,  Williamson's  trail  was  followed.  Mingo  Bottom  was  reached 
on  the  13th,  where,  to  their  gi-eat  joy,  they  found  several  of  their  missing 
comrades,  who  had  arrived  before  them.  But  the  gallant  Crawford  was  not 
among  them,  and  about  100  of  the  480  men  that  started  with  the  expedi- 
tion never  returned.  Among  the  unre turned  heroes  were  William  Harrison, 
son- in-law,  and  William  Crawford,  the  nephew  of  Col.  Crawford.  Harrison 
suffered  death  at  the  stake. 

John  Slover,  the  guide,  was  captured  by  a  band  of  Shawanese  within 
twenty  miles  of  the  Tuscarawas  River,  at  a  point  now  within  the  limits  of 
Wayne  County.  He  was  taken  back  to  the  Sandusky  Plains,  and  from  thence 
to  the  Shawanese  towns  near  Mad  River,  now  in  Logan  County,  where  he  was 
beaten  and  made  to  run  the  gauntlet.  Finally,  he  was  taken  to  Wapatomica, 
an  Indian  village  situated  near  the  site  of  Zanesfield,  in  Logan  County, 
where  a  council  condemned  him  to  die  at  the  stake.  Taken  to  Mack-a- 
chack,  another  Indian  village,  which  stood  near  the  site  of  the  present  town 
oP  West  Liberty,  in  Logan  County,  he  was  bound  to  a  post  and  a  fire  kin- 
dled around  him.  Soon  after  the  fire  began  to  blaze  a  heavy  rainstorm 
came  on  and  extinguished  it.  The  savages  then  postponed  the  burning  un- 
til the  next  day.  During  the  night,  though  bound  with  cords  and  guarded, 
he  escaped,  and  finally  reached  the  settlements,  having  crossed  the  Ohio 
River  at  W'heeling,  July  11,  1782. 

We  now  give  place  to  Dr.  John  Knight's  narrative,  which,  written  by 
him  soon  after  his  escape,  tells  of  the  march,  battle,  capture  and  death  of 
Col.  Crawford.      It  is  as  follows: 

"  About  the  latter  end  of  the  month  of  March  or  the  beginning  of  April, 
of  the  year  1782,  the  Western  Indians  began  to  make  incursions  upon  the 
frontiers  of  Ohio  County,  Va.,  and  Washington  and  Westmoreland  Coun- 
ties, Penn..  which  had  been  their  constant  j^ractice  ever  since  the  commence- 
ment of  the  present  war  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain. 


248  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

"  In  consequence  of  these  predatory  invasions,  the  principal  officers  of  the 
above-mentioned  counties,  named  Cols.  Williamson  and  Marshall,  tried 
every  method  in  their  power  to  set  on  foot  an  expedition  against  the  Wyan- 
dot tow^ns,  which  they  could  effect  in  no  other  way  than  by  giving  all  possi- 
ble encouragement  to  volunteers.  The  plau  proposed  was  as  follows:  Every 
man  furnishing  himself  with  a  horse,  a  gun,  and  one  month's  provision 
should  be  exempt  from  two  tours  of  militia  duty.  Likewise  that  every  one 
who  had  been  plundered  by  the  Indians  should,  if  the  plunder  could  be 
found  at  their  towns,  have  it  again,  proving  it  to  be  his  property;  and  all 
horses  lost  on  the  expedition  by  unavoidable  accidents  were  to  be  replaced 
by  horses  taken  in  the  enemy's  country. 

"The  place  appointed  for  the  rendezvous  or  general  meeting  of  the  vol- 
unteers was  fixed  on  the  west  side  of  the  Ohio  River,  about  forty  miles 
below  Fort  Pitt  by  land,  and,  I  think,  about  seventy-tive  by  water. 

"  Col.  Crawford  was  solicited  by  the  general  voice  of  these  western  coun- 
ties and  districts  to  command  the  expedition.  He  accordingly  set  out  as  a 
volunteer  and  came  to  Fort  Pitt  two  days  before  the  time  appointed  for  the 
assembling  of  the  men.  As  thpre  was  no  surgeon  yet  appointed  to  go  with 
the  expedition.  Col.  Crawford  begged  the  favor  of  Gren.  Irvine  to  permit  me 
to  accompany  him  (my  consent  having  been  previously  asked),  to  which  the 
General  agreed,  provided  Col.  Gibson  did  not  object.  Having  obtained  per- 
mission of  the  Colonel,  I  left  Fort  Pitt  on  Tuesday,  May  21,  and  the  next 
day  about  1  in  the  afternoon  arrived  at  the  Min.o  Bottom.  The  volunteers 
did  not  all  cross  the  river  until  Friday  morning,  the  24th;  they  then  dis- 
tributed themselves  into  eighteen  companies,  choosing  their  Captains  by 
vote.  There  were  chosen  also  one  Colonel  commandant,  four  field  Majors 
and  one  brigade  Major.      There  were  465  who  voted. 

"  We  began  our  march  on  Saturday,  May  25,  making  almost  a  due  west 
course,  and  on  the  fourth  day  reached  the  old  Moravian  town  upon  the  river 
Muskingum,  about  sixty  miles  from  the  river  Ohio.  Some  of  the  men,  hav- 
ing lost  their  horses  on  the  night  preceding,  returned  home.  Tuesday,  the 
28th,  in  the  evening,  Maj.  Brinton  and  Capt.  Bean  went  some  distance 
from  camp  to  reconnoiter;  having  gone  about  one-quarter  of  a  mile,  they 
saw  two  Indians,  upon  whom  they  fired  and  then  returned  to  camp.  This 
was  the  first  place  we  were  discovered,  as  we  understood  afterward.  On 
Tuesday,  the  4th  of  June,  which  was  the  eleventh  day  of  our  march,  about 
1  o'clock,  we  came  to  the  spot  where  the  town  of  Sandusky  formerly  stood; 
the  inhabitants  had  moved  eighteen  miles  lower  down  the  creek  nearer 
Lower  Sandusky;  but  as  neither  our  guides  or  any  who  were  with  us  had 
known  anything  of  their  removal,  we  began  to  conjecture  there  were  no 
Indian  towns  nearer  than  Lower  Sandusky,  which  was  at  least  forty  miles 
distant. 

"  However,  after  refreshing  our  horses,  we  advanced  on  in  search  of  some 
of  their  settlements,  but  had  scarcely  got  the  distance  of  three  or  four  miles 
from  the  old  town,  when  a  number  of  our  men  expressed  their  desire  to 
return,  some  of  them  alleging  that  they  had  only  five  days'  provisions;  upon 
which  the  field  officers  and  Captains  determined  in  council  to  proceed  that 
afternoon  and  no  longer.  Previous  to  the  calling  of  this  council,  a  small 
party  of  light  horse  .had  been  sent  forward  to  reconnoiter.  Just  as  the 
council  had  ended,  an  express  retui'ned  from  the  above-mentioned  party  of 
light  horse  with  the  intelligence  that  they  had  been  about  three  miles  in 
front,  and  had  seen  a  large  body  of  Indians  running  toward  them.  In  a 
short  time   we  saw  the   rest  of  the  light  horse,  who  joined  us,  and  having 


HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY.  249 

gone  one  mile  further  met  a  number  of  Indians  who  had  partly  got  posses- 
sion of  a  piece  of  woods  before  us,  whilst  we  were  in  the  plains,  but  our 
men,  alighting  from  their  horses  and  rushing  into  the  woods,  soon  obliged 
them  to  abandon  that  place. 

"  The  enemy,  being  by  this  time  re-inforced,  flanked  to  the  right  and  a  part 
of  them  coming  in  our  i-ear  quickly  made  the  action  more  serious.  The 
tiring  continued  very  warm  on  both  sides  from  4  o'clock  until  the  dark  of 
the  evening,  each  party  maintaining  their  ground.  And  next  morning  about 
4  o'clock,  some  guns  were  dischai'ged  at  the  distance  of  200  or  300  yards; 
which  continued  till  day,  doing  little  or  no  execution  on  either  side.  The 
lield  officers  then  assembled  and  agreed  as  the  enemy  were  every  moment 
increasing,  and  we  had  already  a  number  wounded,  to  retreat  that  night. 
The  whole  body  was  to  form  into  three  lines,  keeping  the  wounded  in  the 
center.  We  had  four  killed  and  twenty-three  wounded,  of  the  latter  seven 
very  dangerously,  on  which  account  as  many  biers  were  got  ready  to  carry 
them;  most  of  the  rest  were  slightly  wounded  and  none  so  bad  but  they 
could  ride  on  horseback.  After  dark  the  officers  went  on  the  outposts  and 
brought  in  all  the  men  as  expeditiously  as  they  could.  Just  as  the  troops 
were  about  to  form,  several  guns  were  fired  by  the  enemy,  upon  which  some 
of  our  men  spoke  out  and  said  our  intention  was  discovered  by  the  Indians, 
who  were  firing  alarm  guns,  upon  which  some  in  front  hurried  off,  and  the 
rest  immediately  followed,  leaving  the  seven  men  that  were  dangerously 
wovinded,  some  of  whom,  however,  got  off  on  horseback  by  means  of  some 
good  friends,  who  waited  for  and  assisted  them. 

"  We  had  not  got  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  field  of  action,  when  I 
heard  Col.  Crawford  calling  for  his  son,  John  Crawford,  his  son-in-law,  Maj. 
Harrison.  Maj.  Rose,  and  William  Crawford,  his  nephew,  upon  which  I 
came  up  and  told  him  I  believed  they  were  before  us.  He  asked,  '  Is  that 
the  doctor? '  I  answered,  'yes.'  He  then  replied  that  they  were  not  in 
front,  and  begged  of  me  not  to  leave  him.  I  promised  him  I  would  not. 
We  then  waited  and  continued  calling  for  these  men  until  all  of  the  troops 
had  passed  us.  The  Colonel  told  me  that  his  horse  had  almost  given  out, 
that  he  could  not  keep  up  with  the  troops,  and  wished  some  of  his  best 
friends  to  remain  with  him;  presently  there  came  two  men  riding  after  us, 
one  of  them  an  old  man,  the  other  a  lad.  We  inquired  if  they  had  seen 
any  of  the  above  persons,  and  they  answered  they  had  not. 

"By  this  time  there  was  a  very  hot  tiring  before  us,  and,  as  we  judged, 
near  where  our  main  body  must  have  been.  Our  course  was  then  nearly  sovith- 
west,  but,  changing  it,  we  went  north  about  two  miles,  the  two  men  remain- 
ing in  company  with  us.  Judging  ourselves  now  out  of  the  enemy's  lines, 
we  took  a  due  east  course,  taking  care  to  keep  at  the  distance  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  yards  apart,  and  directing  ourselves  by  the  north  star.  The  old 
man  often  lagged  behind,  and  when  this  was  the  case  he  never  failed  to 
call  for  us  to  halt  for  him.  When  we  were  near  the  Sandusky  River,  he 
fell  one  hundred  yards  behind,  and  bawled  out  for  us  to  stop,  as  usual. 
While  we  were  preparing  to  I'eprimand  him  for  making  a  noise,  I  heard  an 
Indian  halloo,  as  I  thought,  150  yards  from  the  man,  and  partly  behind 
him.  After  this  we  did  not  hear  the  man  call  again,  neither  did  he  ever 
come  up  to  us  any  more.  It  was  now  past  midnight,  and  about  daybreak 
Col.  Crawford's  and  the  young  man's  horses  gave  out,  and  they  left 
them.  We  pursued  our  journey  eastward,  and  about  1  o'clock  fell  in  with 
(3apt.  Biggs,  who  had  carried  Lieut.  Ashley  from  the  field  of  action,  who 
had  been  dangerously  wounded. 


250  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

"We  then  went  on  about  the  space  of  an  hour,  when,  a  heavy  rain 
coming  on,  we  concluded  it  was  best  to  encamp,  as  we  were  encumbered  with 
the  wounded  officer.  We  then  barked  four  or  five  trees,  made  an  encamp- 
ment and  a  fire,  and  remained  there  ail  that  night.  Next  morning  we  again 
prosecuted  our  journey,  and  having  gone  about  three  miles,  found  a  deer 
which  had  been  recently  killed.  The  meat  was  sliced  from  the  hams  and 
bundled  in  the  skin,  with  a  tomahawk  lying  by  it.  We  carried  all  with  us, 
and,  in  advancing  about  one  mile  further,  espied  the  smoke  of  a  fire.  We 
then  gave  the  wounded  officer  into  the  charge  of  the  young  man,  desiring 
him  to  stay  behind  whilst  the  Colonel,  the  Captain  and  myself  walked  up 
as  cautiously  as  we  could  toward  the  fire.  When  we  came  to  it  we  con- 
cluded, from  several  circumstances,  some  of  our  people  had  encamped 
there  the  preceding  night.  We  then  went  about  roasting  the  venison,  and, 
when  about  to  march,  we  observed  one  of  our  men  coming  upon  our  tracks. 
He  seemed  at  first  very  shy,  but  having  called  to  him,  he  came  up  and  told 
that  he  was  the  person  that  killed  the  deer,  but,  upon  hearing  us  come  up, 
was  afraid  of  Indians,  hid  in  a  thicket,  and  made  off.  Upon  this  we  gave 
him  some  bread  and  roasted  venison,  proceeded  altogether  upon  oiir 
journey,  and  about  2  o'clock  came  upon  the  paths  by  which  we  had  gone 
out.  Capt.  Biggs  and  myself  did  not  think  it  safe  to  keep  the  road,  but 
the  Colonel  said  the  Indians  would  not  follow  the  troops  further  than  the 
plains,  which  we  were  then  considerably  past.  As  the  wounded  officer  rode 
Capt.  Biggs'  horse,  I  loaned  the  Captain  mine.  The  Colonel  and  myself 
went  about  one  hundred  yards  in  front,  the  Captain  and  wounded  officer  in 
the  center,  and  the  two  young  men  behind.  After  wo  had  traveled  about 
one  mile  and  a  half,  several  Indians  started  up  within  fifteen  or  twenty 
steps  of  the  Colonel  and  me.  As  we  at  first  discovered  only  three,  I  im- 
mediately got  behind  a  large  black  oak,  made  ready  my  piece,  and  I'aised  it 
up  to  take  sight,  when  the  Colonel  called  to  me  twice  not  to  tire;  upon  that, 
one  of  the  Indians  ran  up  to  the  Colonel  and  took  hiin  by  the  hand.  The 
Colonel  then  told  me  to  put  down  ray  gun,  which  I  did.  At  that  instant 
one  of  them  came  up  to  me  whom  I  had  formerly  seen  very  often,  calling 
me  Doctor,  and  took  me  by  the  hand.  They  were  Delaware  Indians  of  the 
Wingenin  tribe.  Capt.  Biggs  fired  amongst  them,  but  did  no  execution. 
They  then  told  us  to  call  these  and  make  them  come  back,  else  they  would 
go  and  kill  them,  which  the  Colonel  did,  but  they  four  got  off  and  escaped 
for  that  time. 

"  The  Colonel  and  I  were  then  taken  to  the  Indian  camp,  which  was  about 
one-half  a  mile  from  the  place  where  we  were  captured.  On  Sunday  even- 
ing five  Delawares,  who  had  posted  themselves  at  some  distance  further  on 
the  road,  brought  back  to  the  camp  where  we  lay  Capt.  Biggs  and  Lieut. 
Ashley's  scalps,  with  an  Indian  scalp,  which  Capt.  Biggs  had  taken  in  the 
field  of  action.  They  also  brought  in  Biggs'  horse  and  mine.  They  told 
us  the  other  two  had  got  away  from  them. 

"  Monday  morning,  the  10th  of  June,  we  were  paraded  to  march  to  San- 
dusky about  thirty-three  miles  distant.  They  had  eleven  prisoners  of  us, 
and  four  scalps,  the  Indians  being  seventeen  in  number.  Col.  Crawford 
was  very  desirous  to  see  a  'certain  Simon  Girty,'  who  lived  among  the  In- 
dians, and  was  on  this  account  permitted  to  go  to  Tarhe  the  same  night, 
with  two  warriors  to  guard  him,  having  orders  at  the  same  time  to  pass  by 
the  place  where  the  Colonel  had  turned  out  his  horse,  that  they  might  if 
possible  find  him.  The  rest  of  us  were  taken  to  the  old  town,  which  was 
within  eifrht  miles  of  the  new. 


HISTORY   OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  251 

"Tuesday  morning,  the  11th,  Col.  Crawford  was  brought  out  to  us 
on  purpose  to  be  marched  in  with  the  prisoners.  I  asked  the  Colonel  if  he 
had  seen  Mr.  Girty;  he  told  me  had,  and  that  Girty  had  promised  to  do 
everything  in  his  power  for  him,  but  that  the  Indians  were  very  much  en- 
raged against  the  prisoners,  particularly  Capt.  Pipe,  one  of  the  chiefs.  He 
likewise  told  me  that  Girty  had  informed  him  that  his  son-in-law,  Maj. 
Harrison,  and  his  nephew,  William  Crawford,  were  made  prisoners  by  the 
Shawanese,  but  had  been  pardoned.  This  Capt.  Pipe  had  come  from  the 
towns  about  an  hour-  before  Col.  Crawford,  and  had  painted  all  the  prison- 
ers' faces  black. 

"  As  he  was  painting  me,  he  told  me  that  I  should  go  to  the  Shawanese 
towns  and  see  my  friends.  When  the  Colonel  arrived  he  painted  him 
black,  also  told  him  he  was  glad  to  see  him,  and  that  he  would  have  him 
shaved  when  he  came  to  see  his  friends  at  the  Wyandot  town.  When  we 
marched  the  Colonel  and  I  were  kept  back  between  Pipe  and  Wingeniu,  the 
two  Delaware  chiefs,  the  other  nine  prisoners  were  sent  forward  with  an- 
other party  of  Indians.  As  we  went  along  we  saw  four  of  the  prisoners 
lying  by  the  path  tomahawked  and  scalped.  Some  of  them  were  at  the  dis- 
tance of  half  a  mile  from  each  other.  When  we  arrived  within  half  a  mile 
of  the  place  where  the  Colonel  was  to  be  executed,  we  overtook  the  five 
prisoners  that  remained  alive.  The  Indians  had  caused  them  to  sit  down 
on  the  ground,  as  they  did,  also,  the  Colonel  and  me  at  some  distance  from 
them.  I  was  then  given  in  charge  of  an  Indian  fellow  to  be  taken  to  the 
Shawanese  towns. 

*'  In  the  place  where  we  were  made  to  sit  down,  there  were  a  number  of 
squaws  and  boys  who  fell  on  the  five  prisoners  and  tomahawked  them. 
There  was  a  certain  John  McKinley  among  the  prisoners,  formerly  an  offi- 
cer in  the  Thirteenth  Virginia  Regiment,  whose  head  an  old  squaw  cut  off, 
and  the  Indians  kicked  it  about  on  the  ground.  The  young  Indian  fel- 
lows came  often  where  the  Colonel  and  I  were,  and  dashed  the  scalps  in 
our  faces.  We  were  then  conducted  along  toward  the  place  where  the  Col- 
onel was  afterward  executed.  When  we  came  within  about  a  half  mile  of 
it,  Simon  Girty  met  ub,  with  several  Indians  on  horseback;  he  spoke  to  the 
Colonel,  but  I  was  about  150  yards  behind,  and  could  not  hear  what  passed 
between  them.  Almost  every  Indian  we  met  struck  us  either  with  sticks  or 
their  fists.  Girty  waited  until  I  was  brought  up,  and  asked  was  that  the 
doctor.     I  told  him  yes,  and  went  toward  him  reaching  out  my  hand,  but 

he  bid  me  be  gone,  and  called  me  a  d d  rascal;  upon  which  the  fellow 

who  had  me  in  chax'ge  pulled  me  along.  Girty  rode  up  after  me  and  told 
me  I  was  to  go  to  the  Shawanese  towns. 

"  When  we  were  come  to  the  fire,  the  Colonel  was  stripped  naked,  ordered 
to  sit  down  by  the  fire,  and  then  they  beat  him  with  sticks  and  their  fists. 
Presently  after,  I  was  treated  in  the  same  manner.  They  then  tied  a  rope 
to  the  foot  of  a  post  about  fifteen  feet  high,  bound  the  Colonel's  hands  be- 
hind his  back,  and  fastened  the  rope  to  the  ligatures  between  his  wrists.  The 
rope  was  long  enough  either  for  him  to  sit  down  or  walk  around  the  post 
once  or  twice  and  return  the  same  way.  The  Colonel  then  called  to  Girty 
and  asked  him  if  they  intended  to  burn  him.  Girty  answered  yes.  The 
Colonel  said  he  would  take  it  all  patiently.  Upon  this  Capt.  Pipe,  the 
Delaware  chief,  made  a  speech  to  the  Indians,  to  about  thirty  or  forty  men, 
sixty  or  seventy  squaws  and  boys.  When  the  speech  was  finished,  they  all 
yelled  a  hideous  and  hearty  assent  to  what  had  been  said.  The  Indian 
men  then  took  their  guns  and  shot  powder  into  the  Colonel's  body,  from  his 


252  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

feet  as  far  up  as  his  neck.  I  think  not  less  than  seventeen  loads  were  dis- 
charged upon  his  naked  body.  They  then  crowded  about  him  and  to  the 
best  of  my  observation  cut  off  his  ears;  when  the  throng  had  dispersed  a 
little,  I  saw  the  blood  running  from  both  sides  of  his  head  in  consequence 
thereof. 

"  The  fire  was  about  six  or  seven  yards  from  the  post  to  which  the  Colonel 
was  tied.  It  was  made  of  small  hickory  poles,  each  about  six  feet  long. 
Three  or  four  Indians,  by  turns,  would  take  up,  individually,  one  of  these 
bm*ning  pieces  of  wood,  and  apply  it  to  his  naked  body,  already  burned 
black  with  the  powder.  These  tormentors  presented  themselves  on  every 
side  of  him  so  that  whichever  way  he  ran  around  the  post  they  met  him 
with  burning  faggots  and  poles.  Some  of  the  squaws  took  wide  boards 
upon  which  they  would  put  a  quantity  of  burning  coals  and  hot  embers,  and 
throw  on  him,  so  that  in  a  short  time  he  had  nothing  but  coals  of  fire  and 
hot  ashes  to  walk  upon.  In  the  midst  of  these  extreme  torments  and  tor- 
tures he  called  to  Simon  Girty,  and  begged  of  him  to  shoot  him,  but  Girty 
making  no  answer,  he  called  to  him  again  Girty  by  way  of  derision  told 
the  Colonel  he  had  no  gun,  at  the  same  time  turning  about  to  an  Indian 
who  was  behind  him,  laughed  heartily,  and  by  all  his  gestures  seemed  de- 
lighted at  the  horrid  scene. 

"  Girty  then  came  up  to  me  and  bade  me  prepare  for  death.  He  said, 
however,  I  was  not  to  die  at  this  place,  but  to  be  burned  at  the  Shawanese 
town.  He  swore  by  G — d,  I  need  not  expect  to  escape  death,  but  should 
suffer  it  in  all  its  extremities.  He  then  observed  that  some  prisoners  had 
given  him  to  understand  that  if  our  people  had  him  they  would  not  hurt 
him;  for  his  part,  he  said,  he  did  not  believe  it,  but  desired  to  know  my 
opinion  of  the  matter.  Being  at  that  time  in  great  anguish  and  distress 
for  the  torments  the  Colonel  was  suffering  before  my  eyes,  as  well  as  the 
expectation  of  underging  the  same  fate  in  two  days.  I  made  little  or  no 
reply.  He  expressed  a  great  deal  of  ill  will  for  Col.  Gibson,  and  said 
he  was  one  of  his  greatest  enemies,  and  more  to  the  same  purpose,  to  all  of 
which  I  paid  very  little  attention.  Col.  Crawford,  at  this  period  of  his 
sufferings,  besought  the  Almighty  to  have  mercy  on  his  soul,  spoke  very 
low,  and  bore  his  torments  with  the  most  manly  fortitude.  He  continued 
in  all  the  extremities  of  pain  for  an  hour  and  three-quarters  or  two  hours,  as 
near  as  I  can  judge,  when  at  last,  being  almost  spent,  he  lay  down  on  his 
belly.  They  then  scalped  him,  and  repeatedly  threw  the  scalp  in  my  face, 
telling  me  'that  was  my  Captain.'  An  old  squaw  (whose  appearance  every 
way  answered  the  idea  the  people  entertain  of  the  devil)  got  a  board,  took  a 
parcel  of  coals  and  ashes,  and  laid  them  on  his  back  and  head  after  he  had 
been  scalped;  he  then  raised  himself  upon  his  feet  and  began  to  walk  around 
the  post;  they  next  put  a  burning  stick  to  him  as  usual,  but  he  seemed 
more  insensible  of  pain  than  before. 

"The  Indian  fellow  who  had  me  in  charge  now  took  mo  away  to  Capt. 
Pipe's  house,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  place  of  the  Colonel's 
execution.  I  was  bound  all  night,  and  thus  prevented  from  seeing  the  last 
of  the  horrid  spectacle.  Next  morning,  being  June  12,  the  Indian  un- 
tied me,  painted  me  black,  and  we  set  off  for  the  Shawanese  town,  which  he 
told  me  was  somewhat  less  than  forty  miles  from  that  place.  We  soon  came 
to  the  spot  where  the  Colonel  had  been  burnt,  as  it  was  partly  in  our  way. 
I  saw  his  bones  lying  among  the  remains  of  the  lire,  almost  bui'nt  to  ashes. 
I  suppose  after  he  Avas  dead  they  had  laid  his  body  on  the  fire. 

The  Indian  told  me  that  was  my    'Big   Captain,'   and  gave  the  scalp- 


HISTORY  OF  WrANDOT  COUNTY.  253 

halloo.  He  was  on  horseback  and  drove  me  befoi'e  him.  I  pretended  to 
this  Indian  I  was  ignorant  ot*  the  death  I  was  to  die  at  the  Shawanese 
town;  affected  as  cheerful  a  countenance  as  possible,  and  asked  him  if  we 
were  not  to  live  together  as  brothers  in  one  house  when  we  should  get  to 
the  town.  He  seemed  well  pleased,  and  said  yes.  He  then  asked  me  if 
I  could  make  wigwams.  I  told  him  I  could;  he  then  seemed  more  friend- 
ly. We  went  that  day,  as  near  as  I  can  judge,  about  twenty-live  miles, 
the  course  partly  southwest.  The  Indian  told  me  we  should  the  next  day 
come  to  the  town,  the  sun  being  in  such  a  direction,  pointing  nearly  south. 
At  night,  when  we  went  to  rest,  I  attempted  very  often  to  untie  myself,  but 
the  Indian  was  extremely  vigilant  and  scarce  ever  shut  his  eyes  that  night. 
About  daybreak,  he  got  up  and  untied  me.  He  next  began  to  mend  the  fire, 
and  as  the  gnats  were  troublesome,  I  asked  him  if  I  could  make  a  smoke 
behind  him.  He  said  yes.  I  then  took  the  end  of  a  dogwood  fork,  which 
had  been  burnt  down  to  about  eighteen  inches  long;  it  was  the  longest 
stick  I  could  find,  yet  too  small  for  the  purpose  I  had  in  view;  then  I 
picked  up  another  smaller  stick,  and  taking  a  coal  of  fire  between  them,  went 
behind  him,  then  turning  suddenly  about,  I*  struck  him  on  the  head  with 
all  the  force  I  was  master  of,  which  so  stunned  him  that  he  fell  forward 
with  both  his  hands  in  the  fire. 

"  Seeing  him  recover  and  get  up,  I  seized  his  gun,  while  he  ran  off  howl- 
ing in  a  most  fearful  manner.  I  followed  him  with  the  determination  to 
shoot  him  down,  but  pulling  back  the  cock  of  the  gun  with  too  great  vio- 
lence, I  believe  I  broke  the  mainspring.  I  pursued  him  about  thirty  yards, 
still  endeavoring  to  fire  the  gun,  but  could  not;  then  going  back  to  the  fire, 
I  took  his  blanket,  a  pair  of  new  moccasins,  his  hatchet,  powder-horn, 
bullet-bag,  together  with  his  gun,  and  marched  off,  directing  my  course  toward 
the  5  o'clock  mark.  About  half  an  hour  before  sunset,  I  came  to  the  plains, 
which  I  think  are  about  sixteen  miles  wide.  I  laid  me  down  in  a  thicket 
till  dark, and  then  by  the  assistance  of  the  north  star  made  my  way  through 
them  and  got  into  the  woods  before  morning.  I  pressed  on  the  next  day, 
and  about  noon  crossed  the  paths  by  which  our  troops  had  gone  out.  These 
paths  were  nearly  east  and  west,  but  I  went  due  north  nearly  all  that  after- 
noon, with  a  view  to  avoid  the  enemy. 

"In  the  evening  I  began  to  be  very  faint,  and  no  wondei*.  I  had  been  six 
days  a  prisoner,  the  two  latter  days  of  which  I  had  eaten  nothing,  and  but 
very  little  the  first  three  or  four.  There  were  wild  gooseberries  in  abun- 
dance in  the  woods,  but  being  unripe  required  mastication,  which  at  that 
time  I  was  not  able  to  perform  on  account  of  a  blow  received  from  an  In- 
dian on  the  jaw  with  the  back  of  a  tomahawk.  There  was  a  weed  that 
grew  in  that  place,  the  juice  of  which  I  knew  to  be  grateful  and  nourish- 
ing. I  gathered  up  a  bundle  of  the  same,  took  up  my  lodging  under  a 
large  spreading  beech  tree,  having  sucked  plentifully  of  the  juice,  and  went 
to  sleep.  Next  day  I  made  a  due  east  course,  which  I  generally  kept  the 
rest  of  my  journey.  I  often  imagined  my  gun  was  only  wood- bound,  and 
tried  every  method  I  could  devise  to  unscrew  the  lock,  but  never  could 
effect  it,  having  no  knife  nor  anything  fitting  for  the  purpose.  I  had  now 
the  satisfaction  to  find  my  jaw  began  to  mend,  and  in  four  or  five  days 
could  chew  any  vegetable  proper  for  nourishment,  but  finding  ray  gun  a 
useless  burden,  left  her  in  the  wilderness.  I  had  no  apparatus  for  making 
fire  to  sleep  by,  so  that  I  could  get  but  little  rest  for  the  gnats  and  mosqui- 
toes.    There  are  likewise  a  great  many  swamps  in  the  beech  ridge,  which 

♦The  Doctor  was  a  small  sized  man. 


254  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

occasioned  me  very  often  to  lie  wet.  This  ridge  through  which  I  traveled 
is  about  twenty  miles  broad;  the  ground  in  general  is  very  level  and  rich, 
free  from  shrubs  and  brush;  there  are,  however,  very  few  springs,  yet  wells 
might  easily  be  dug  in  all  parts  of  the  ridge.  The  timber  on  it  is  very 
lofty,  but  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  make  a  straight  course  through  the  same, 
the  moss  growing  as  high  upon  the  south  side  of  the  trees  as  on  the  north. 

"  There  are  a  great  many  white  oak,  ash  and  hickory  trees  that  grow 
among  the  beech  timber.  There  are  likewise  some  places  on  the  ridge, 
pei'haps  for  three  or  four  continued  miles,  where  there  is  little  or  no  beech, 
and  in  such  spots,  black,  white  oak,  ash  and  hickory  abound;  sugar  trees 
grow  there  also  to  a  very  great  bulk.  The  soil  is  remarkably  good,  the 
ground  a  little  ascending  and  descending  with  some  rivulets  and  a  few 
springs.  When  I  got  out  of  the  beech  ridge  and  near  the  River  Muskin- 
gum, the  land  was  more  broken,  but  equally  rich  with  those  before  men- 
tioned and  abounding  with  brooks  and  springs  of  water.  There  are  also 
several  small  creeks  that  empty  into  that  river,  the  bed  of  which  is  more 
than  a  mile  wide  in  places.  The  wood  consists  of  white  and  black  oaks, 
walnut,  hickory  and  sugar  tree  in  the  greatest  abundance.  In  all  parts  of  the 
country  through  which  I  came,  the  game  was  plenty,  that  is  to  say,  deer, 
turkeys  and  pheasants.  I  likewise  saw  a  great  many  vestiges  of  bears  and 
elks. 

"I  crossed  the  River  Muskingum  about  three  or  four  miles  below  Fort 
Laurens,  and  crossing  all  paths,  aimed  for  the  Ohio  River.  All  this  time 
my  food  was  gooseberries,  young  nettles,  the  juice  of  herbs,  a  few  service 
berries  and  some  May  apples,  likewise  two  young  blackbirds  and  a  terrapin, 
which  I  devoured  raw.  When  my  food  sat  heavy  on  my  stomach,  I  used  to 
eat  a  little  wild  ginger,  which  put  all  to  rights.  I  came  upon  the  Ohio 
River  about  live  miles  below  Fort  Mcintosh,  in  the  evening  of  the  twenty- 
first  day  after  I  had  made  my  escape,  and  on  the  twenty -second,  about  7 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  being  the  4tb  of  July,  arrived  safe,  though  much 
fatigued."  In  1784,  Dr.  Knight  married  Col.  Crawford's  half  sister.  He 
finally  settled  at  Shelbyville,  Ky.,  where  he  died  March  12,  1838. 

As  shown  in  the  foregoing  narration,  the  Delawares,  true  to  their  savage 
and  cowardly  nature  from  time  immemorial,  and  led  on  by  the  chiefs,  Capt. 
Pipe  and  Wingenund,  were  the  guilty  authors  of  this  terrible  act  of  bar- 
barity. This  most  atrocious  deed,  connived  at  by  British  officers,  was 
perpetrated,  it  is  claimed,  in  the  present  township  of  Crawford,  on  the  south- 
east bank  of  Tyraochtee  Ci'eek,  a  short  distance  northeast  from  the  present 
town  of    Crawfordsville,    and  distant  about   seven    miles    northwest  from 

/pper  Sandusky,  county  seat  of  Wyandot  County. 
Col.  William  Crawford,  a  son  of  Scotch-Irish  parents,  was  born  in  the 
region  now  known  as  Berkeley  County.  W.  Va. ,  in  the  year  1732.  When 
about  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  became  acquainted  with  George  Washing- 
ton, who  was  of  the  same  age  with  himself,  and  was  at  that  time  in  ihe 
service  of  Lord  Fairfax  as  surveyor.  Crawford's  early  home  was  in  the 
Fairfax  grant,  in  which  Washington  was  surveying,  being  in  what  was  called 
the  "Northern  Neck  of  Virginia,"  or  the  northern  portion  of  the  since 
famous  Shenandoah  Valley.  Their  acquaintance  soon  ripened  into  warm 
friendship,  which  was  never  impaired  or  broken,  or  suffered  the  slightest  in- 
terruption while  life  lasted.  Crawford's  whole  life  was  passed  upon  the 
frontiers.  Therefore,  his  education  was  limited,  but  his  natural  abilities, 
good  judgment  and  knowledge  of  men  were  very  remarkable.  He  was  gener- 
ous in  disposition,  and  in  common  with  those  of  his  lineage  on  the  Pennsyl- 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  255 

vania  and  Virginia  borders,  possessed  tlie  most  undaunted  courage.  He 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  surveying  from  Washington,  and  made  it  his  busi- 
ness pui'suit  in  part  until  the  openingof  the  "old  French  and  Indian  war," 
when  he  joined  a  company  of  Virginia  Rangers,  and  participated  in  Brad- 
dock's  disastrous  expedition  as  an  Ensign.  For  gallantry  on  the  battle-field, 
he  was  promoted  to  a  lieutenancy.  During  the  subsequent  two  or  three 
years,  he  was  employed  in  garrison  duty,  or  as  a  scout  on  the  frontiers. 
In  1758,  he  was  commissioned  Captain  of  a  company  of  Virginia  Riflemen, 
which  was  attached  to  Col.  George  Washington's  regiment  of  Virginians, 
and  performed  efficient  service  during  Gen.  Forbes'  successful  campaign 
against  Fort  Du  Quesne.  Capt.  Crawford  remained  in  the  service  of  the 
colony  of  Virginia  until  th^  close  of  the  war  mentioned. 

In  1767,  he  moved  to  a  point  then  and  for  years  afterward  known  as 
"Stewart's  Crossing  "  of  the  Youghiogheny,  but  afterward  called  New  Ha- 
ven, a  village  opposite  the  present  town  of  Connellsville,  in  Fayette  County, 
Penn.  Crawford  was  among  the  first  to  settle  in  that  part  of  the  present 
State  of  Pennsylvania,  a  region  which  was  then  claimed  by  the  province  of 
Virginia,  and  of  which  the  Indian  title  was  not  extinguished  until  the  fol- 
lowing year  (1768).  However,  from  Stewart's  Crossing.  Capt.  Crawford 
kept  up  his  correspondence  with  his  old  friend  Washington,  and  to  the  close 
of  bis  life  (Washington  having  purchased  from  the  Virginia  authorities  a 
large  tract  of  land,  lying  in  the  present  southwest  quarter  of  Pennsylvania, 
west  of  Laurel  Hill)  served  him  as  his  land  agent.  In  177U,  Washington 
and  Crawford,  with  other  gentlemen,  voyaged  together  down  the  Ohio 
River,  from  Fort  Pitt  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kanawha,  and  up  that  river,  explor- 
ing with  a  view  to  the  ultimate  location  and  purchase  of  lands. 

By  an  act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania, 
passed  on  Saturday,  March  9,  1771,  Bedford  was  erected  as  the  ninth  county 
of  the  province.  It  embraced  all  of  the  settled  regions  lying  west  of  the 
Tuscarora  Mountain,  or,  in  other  words,  the  entire  southwest  quarter  of  the 
present  State.  On  Monday,  March  11,  of  the  same  year,  John  Fraser,  Bar- 
nard Dougherty,  Arthur  St.  Clair,  W^illiam  Proctor,  Jr.,  Robert  Cluggage, 
Robert  Hanna,  George  Wilson,  George  Woods,  William  Lochry,  William 
Crawford,  Dorsey  Pentecost,  William  McConnell,  Thomas  Gist,  James  Mul- 
ligan and  Alexander  McKee  wei'e  appointed  by  the  same  General  Assembly 
Justices  of  the  Court  of  General  Quarter  Sessions  of  the  Peace,  and  of  the 
County  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  the  new  county.  Nearly  all  of  these 
men  wore  of  Scotch  or  Scotch-Irish  parentage,  and  all  were  stanch  patriots 
during  the  Revolutionary  war  (which  began  four  years  later),  a  majority  of 
them  holding  commissions  high  in  rank. 

The  great  extent  of  Bedford  County,  originally,  the  sparse  and  widely 
scattered  settlements  contained  within  it,  together  with  the  lack  of  high- 
ways other  than  those  constructed  years  before  by  the  armies  of  Braddock 
and  Forbes,  made  it  an  extremely  difficult  matter  to  transact  the  public  bus- 
iness, to  assess  and  collect  taxes,  etc.  Besides,  as  Virginia  claimed  all  that 
part  of  the  province  lying  west  of  Laurel  Hill,  and  northward  to  and  in- 
cluding Fort  Pitt,  and  as  the  authorities  of  that  province  were  issuing  cer- 
tificates for  land  in  the  disputed  region  at  the  rate  of  only  ten  shiiliugs  per 
100  acres,  it  was  but  natural  that  a  majority  of  those  who  had  obtained  their 
homesteads  so  cheaply  should  espouse  the  cause  of  Virginia  (from  which 
province  they  had  recently  removed)  as  against  Pennsylvania,  and  in  conse- 
quence refuse  to  recognize  the  authority  of  the  Bedford  County  officials,  or 
to  pay  the  taxes  levied  upon  them. 


256  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Regarding  these  difficxTlties,  the  following  letters,  written  by  two  of  the 
first  Justices  of  Bedford    County,  will  afford  a  partial  explanation : 

Stewart's  Ckossings,  Augt.  9th,  1771. 

Sir  :  I  understand  by  Capt.  John  Harding,  the  Bearer  of  this,  that  there  is  an 
Agreement  inter'd  into  be  a  Number  of  the  inhabitants  of  Monongahalia  and  Read- 
stone,  iio  has  Entered  into  a  bond  or  Articles  of  an  Agreement  that  Each  man  will 
Joyn  and  Keep  off  all  Officers  belonging  to  the  Law,  and  under  the  Penalty  of  fifty 
pounds  for  to  be  forfeited  by  the  party  refusing  to  Joyn  against  all  Officers  whatsoever. 

I  understand  this  was  set  on  foot  by  a  set  of  People  who  has  maid  a  breach  of  the 
Law  by  Driving  out  a  man  from  his  home,  for  which  there  was  a  King's  warrant  Ishued 
against  them,  together  with  a  notion  Propegated  by  Coll.  Croghan,  that  them  posts 
would  not  fall  into  Pensilvania,  he  told  me  it  was  the  Opinion  of  some  of  the  best 
Judges  that  the  Province  Line  would  not  E.xtend,  by  Considerable,  so  far,  as  it  would 
be  settled  at  48  Miles  to  a  Degree  of  Longetude  which  was  the  distance  of  a  degree  of 
Longitude  allowd  at  the  time  the  Charter  was  granted  to  Mr.  Pen,  and  has  since  told 
those  People  that  they  had  no  right  to  Obay  any  presept  Ishued  from  Pensj^lvania. 

He  has  run  a  Line  from  the  mouth  of  Rackoon  up  the  Ohio  to  Fort  Pitt,  and  from 
thence  up  Monongahalia  Above  Pigeon  Creek,  and  from  thence  Across  till  it  strikes 
Rackoon  Creek,  ten  Miles  up  it,  and  he  Says  he  has  one  more  grant  of  100,000  acres 
more  to  lay  of  in  a  parelele  with  that.  Many  sirways  he  had  cut  to  peaces  and  sold  to 
sundry  People  that  has  bin  returnd  into  your  Office,  some  of  mine  which  is  not  above 
3  or  4  Mile  from  Fort  Pitt;  one  of  mine  he  has  and  many  others;  it  is  a  great  Pity 
there  is  not  a  Stop  put  to  such  Proceedings,  as  it  will  be  attended  with  very  bad  Con- 
sequence. 

I  am  informd  there  is  a  Large  Number  of  Signers  all  redy  to  the  paper,  when  I  see 
it  I  will  give  you  more  Distinkt  Account. 

Sir,  I  am  with  great  respect,  your  most  Huml.  Servant, 

W.  Crawford. 

To  James  Tilgham,  Esqr,  at  Philadelphia. 

Per  Caft.  John  HARDiNCi. 

We  supplement  Col.  (then  known  as  Capt.)  Crawford's  communication 
with  one  written  on  the  same  topic  by  his  colleague,  Col.  Wilson,  not  be- 
cause of  any  pertinency  to  our  subject,  but  by  reason  of  the  courage  shown 
by  the  writer,  and  his  quaint  way  of  expressing  his  ideas. 

My  Dear  Capt:  I  am  Sorey  that  the  first  Letter  I  ever  undertook  to  Write  you 
Should  Contain  a  Detail  of  a  Greivance  so  Disagreeable  to  me;  Wars  of  any  Cind  are 
not  agreable  to  aney  Person  Posesed  of  ye  proper  feelings  of  Humanity,  But  more 
Especially  intestin  Broyls.  I  no  Sooner  Returned  Home  from  Court  than  I  Found  pa- 
pers containing  the  Resolves,  as  they  Called  them,  of  ye  inhabitants  to  ye  Westward 
of  ye  Laurall  hills,  ware  handing  fast  abowt  amongst  ye  people,  in  which  amongst  ye 
rest  Was  one  that  they  Were  Resolved  to  oppose  everey  of  Pens  Laws  as  they  Called 
them.  Except  Felonious  actions  at  ye  Risque  of  Life,  &  under  ye  penelty  of  fiftey  pounds, 
to  be  Recovoured,  or  Leveyed  By  themselves,  off  ye  Estates  of  ye  failure.  The  first  of 
them  I  found  Hardey  anugh  to  offer  it  in  publick,  I  Emeditly  ordered  into  Custodey, 
on  which  a  large  number  Ware  assembled  as  Was  Seposed  to  Resque  the  Prisonar.  I 
indavoured,  By  all  ye  Reason  I  was  Capable  of  to  Convince  them  of  the  ill  Conse- 
quences that  would  of  Consecjuence  attend  such  a  Rebellion,  &  Hapely  Gained  on 
the  People  to  Consent  to  Relinquish  their  Resolves,  &  to  Burn  the  peper  they  had 
Signed.  When  their  forman  saw  that  the  Arms  of  His  Contrie,  that  as  hee  said  Hee 
had  thrown  himself  into  would  not  Resque  him  By  force,  hee  Catched  up  his  Rifle, 
Which  was  Well  Loded,  Jumped  out  of  Dors,  &  swore  if  aney  man  Cam  nigh  him 
hee 'would  put  What  Was  in  his  throo  them;  the  Person  that  Had  him  in  Custody  Called 
for  assistance  in  ye  King's  name,  &  in  pirtickelaur  Commanded  myself.  I  told  him 
I  Was  a  Subject  &  Was  not  fit  to  Command  if  not  Willing  to  obay,  on  which  I 
watched  his  Eye  untill  I  Saw  a  Chance,  Sprang  in  on  him  &  sezed  ye  Rifle  by  ye 
Muzle  and  held  him.  So  as  he  Could  not  Shoot  mee,  until  more  help  got  in  to  my  as- 
sistance, on  which  I  Disarmed  him  &  Broke  his  Rifle  to  peeses.  I  Res'd  a  Sore  Bruze 
on  one  of  my  arms  By  a  punch  of  ye  Gun  in  ye  Strugle.  Then  put  him  under  a  Strong 
Guard,  Told  them  ye  Laws  of  their  Contrie  was  Stronger  then  the  Hardiest  Ruffin 
amongst  them. 

I  found  it  necesery  on  their  Complyance  &  altering  their  Resolves,  &  his  prom- 
ising to  Give  himself  no  more  trouble  in  the  affair,  as  hee  found  that  the  people  Ware 
not  as  hardey  as  hee  Expected  them  to  be,  to  Relece  him  on  his  promise  of  Good  Be- 
havour. 

I  am  affraid  Sum  Who  Have  Been  too  much  Countenanced  By  their  King  &  ye 
province  of  Pensallvania  are  Grate  accesoreys  to  those  factions,  &  God  knows  where 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  257 

they  May  Eind.  I  have,  in  my  Little  time  in  Life,  taken  the  oath  of  Ale^^ence  to  His 
Majestic  seven  times,  &  always  Did  it  with  ye  Consent  of  my  whole  Heart,  &  am 
Determined  in  my  proper  place  to  Seport  the  Contents  thereof  to  ye  outmost  of  my 
power,  as  I  look  on  it  as  my  Duty  to  Let  those  things  be  Known  to  Government  & 
my  acquaintance  at  Philadelphia  is  none.  I  expect  you  will  Commuuicat  those  things 
to  them,  that  the  Wisdom  of  Government  may  provide  Remedies  in  time,  as  there  are 
numbers  in  the  Lowr  parts  of  ower  Settlements  still  incressing  ye  faction. 

It  Givs  mee  Grate  Pleasure  that  my  nighbors  are  Determined  not  to  joyn  in  the 
faction,  &  I  hope  the  Difirant  Majestrits  in  this  side  ye  Mountains  will  use  their  influ- 
ence to  Discorage  it.  I  understand  Grate  thrates  are  made  against  mee  in  partikohiur 
if  possible  to  intimidate  mee  With  fear  &  allso  against  the  Sherifs  &  Constables, 
&  all  Ministers  of  Justice,  But  I  hope  the  Laws,  ye  BuUworks  of  ower  nation,  will  be 
seported  in  Spight  of  those  Low  Lifed  trifling  Raskells. 

Give  my  Complements  to  Mr.  George  Wood,  Mr.  Doherty  &  Mr.  Frazor,  and  Ex- 
cept of  m3'n  to  your  Self, 

Who  am,  with  Respect, 

Your  most  obt  Hble  Sert 

G.  Wilson.* 

Springhill  Township,  Augt  14th,  1771. 
To  Arthor  St.  Clair,  fEsq. 

In  1773,  when  the  county  of  Westmoreland  was  organized  from  Bedford, 
Capt.  William  Crawford  was  the  senior  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  for  that 
reason  became  the  presiding  officer  of  the  courts  of  the  new  county.  At 
the  same  time,  Capt.  Arthur  St.  Clair  was  commissioned  as  the  first  Pro- 
thonotary  Clerk  of  courts,  etc.,  of  the  new  jurisdiction.  The  latter  resided 
at  Fort  Ligonier,  the  former  at  Stewart's  Crossing,  and  both  within  West- 
moreland County  as  then  formed.  In  1774,  Capt.  Crawford  received 
another  Captain's  commission  from  the  Governor  of  Virginia  for  service 
against  the  hostile  Indians.  He  at  once  raised  a  company  and  served 
through  the  campaign  known  as  "Dunmore's  war."  While  the 
main  body  of  the  army  was  lying  at  Camp  Charlotte,  he  was  sent  out  with 
a  force  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  some  Mingo  towns  up  the  Scioto. 
The  object  of  the  expedition  was  successfully  accomplished,  and  a  consider 
able  number  of  Indians  were  captured  and  taken  to  Ft.  Pitt. 

When  the  Revolutionary  war  began,  Virginia  had  not  yet  relinquished 
her  claim  to  the  southwest  part  of  the  present  State  of  Pennsylvania — a 
region  which,  as  before  mentioned,  and  had  been  largely  settled  to  that 
time  by  natives  of  or  immigrants  from  the  Old  Dominion.  Hence, 
when  volunteers  were  called  out  to  defend  their  country  against  British 
arms,  hired  mercenaries  and  Indians;  a  majority  of  the  men  enlisting  from 
the  territory  lying  west  of  Laurel  Hill,  very  naturally  attached  themselves 
to  Virginia  companies  and  regiments.  Thus  did  it  happen  that  in  the 
year  1775,  Col.  William  Crawford  entered  the  American  army  as  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  of  the  Fifth  Regiment  of  the  Virginia  Line.  Soon  after 
he  was  commissioned  Colonel,  and  commanded  his  regiment  in  the  battle 
of  Long  Island,  in  the  retreat  through  New  Jersey,  the  crossing  of  the 
Delaware  River  with  Gen.  Washington  on  Christmas  Day,  1776,  and 
in  the  battle  of  Princeton,  fought  January  3,  1777.  The  next  year  he 
was  in  command  of  the  Continental  troops  and  militia  at  Fort  Pitt.  He 
also,  during  a  part  of  the  year  1778,  commanded  a  Virginia  regiment  in 
service  in  the  Western  Military  Department  under  Gen.  Mcintosh.  At 
the  time  he  assumed  command  of  the  ill-fated  Sandusky  expedition,  it 
appears  that  he  was  not  in  active  service,  but  was  living  in  comparative 
retirement  at  his  home  at   "Stewart's  Crossing." 

*Died  at  Quibbletown.N.  J.,  in  February,  1777,  while  serving  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  Eighth  Reg- 
iment of  the  Pennsylvania  Line. 

+Then  known  as  ('apt.  St.  Clair,  and  serving  as  the  first  Prothonotary,  Clerk  of  court.s,  etc.,  of  the 
county  of  Bedford.  lie  was  afterward  famed  as  Maj.  Gen.  St.  Clair,  Governor  of  the  Northv.est  Territory, 
etc. 


268  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Says  a  recent  writer,  Smucker:  "  Col.  Crawford  was  cool,  brave,  patri- 
otic, and  fitted  by  nature  to  be  a  commander.  He  was  a  man  of  mark,  a 
leader,  a  man  of  courage  and  judgment,  who  rendered  essential  services  to 
his  country,  especially  to  the  West.  He  was  greatly  esteemed  as  a  soldier, 
as  a  civil  officer,  and  as  a  citizen,  and  as  already  remarked,  his  cruel  death 
excited  the  sympathies  of  the  entire  country,  and  Gen.  Washington  was 
deeply  moved  by  the  awful  death  of  the  friend  of  his  early  years.  His 
language  shows  the  intensity  of  his  feelings.  He  wrote:  'It  is  with  the 
greatest  soitow  and  concern  that  I  have  leai'ned  the  melancholy  tidings  of 
Col.  Crawford's  death.  He  was  known  to  me  as  an  officer  of  much  care 
and  prudence;  brave,  experienced  and  active.  The  manner  of  his  death 
was  shocking  to  me.'  And  no  marvel!  We  can  not  fully  estimate,  and  have 
not  language  adequate  to  express,  the  sum  total  of  the  agony  and  suffering 
endured  by  the  noble  Crawford;  and  when  the  terrible  story  of  his  torture 
was  told  in  the  border  settlemei;ts  among  his  kindred  and  friends  who  knew 
him  well  and  esteemed  him  so  highly,  and  when  the  frontiersmen  came 
to  realize  that  the  brave  soldier's  life  was  tortured  out  of  him  by  the 
slow  burning  fires  kindled  by  the  fiendish  savages,  and  that  the  agony-rent 
soul  of  that  pure  patriot- hero,  left  his  fire-crisped,  charred,  blistered  body 
amidst  the  blazing  flames  of  the  stake,  there  was  experienced  such  heart- 
rending anguish  of  soul  as  cannot  be  expressed  in  words.  A  gloom  was 
spread  in  every  countenance.  Sympathy  and  commiseration  went  out  from 
every  heart.  All  keenly  felt  the  tortures  inflicted  upon  the  heroic  patriot 
soldier.  Every  one  sorely  lamented,  with  the  Father  of  his  Country,  the 
melancholy,  sad,  sorrowful  ending  of  the  noble  life  of  the  brave  companion 
in  arms  and  friend  of  Washington.  All  hearts  were  moved  by  the  tender- 
est  sympathy  when  the  announcement  was  made  that  there  was  such  a  sor- 
rowful termination  to  the  valuable  life  of  the  brave  pioneer  of  the  Youghi- 
agheny.'' 
V  At  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  the  treaty  of  peace  gave  to  the 
United  States  the  Northwest  Territory,  which  inchided  the  State  of  Ohio, 
but  English  troops  continued  to  hold  Detroit  and  various  other  posts  for 
years  thereafter,  and,  as  a  natural  result,  the  Wyandots,  with  other  tribes 
of  this  section,  were  still  under  their  baneful  influence. 

However,  on  the  2l8t  of  January,  1785,  a  treaty  was  concluded  at  Fort 
Mcintosh  with  the  Wyandot,  Delaware,  Chippewa  and  Ottawa  Indians,  by 
which  the  boundary  line  between  the  United  States  and  the  Wyandot  and 
Delaware  nations  was  declared  to  begin  "at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Cuya- 
hoga, and  to  extend  up  said  river  to  the  portage,  between  that  and  the  Tus- 
carawas branch  of  the  Muskingum,  thence  down  that  branch  to  the  crossing 
place  above  Fort  Laurens,  thence  westerly  to  the  poi'tage  of  the  Big 
Miami,  which  runs  into  the  Ohio,  at  the  mouth  of  which  branch  the  fort 
stood  which  was  taken  by  the  French  in  1752;  then  along  said  Portage  to 
the  Great  Miami,  or  Omee  River  (now  known  as  the  Maumee),  and  down 
the  south  side  of  the  same  to  its  mouth;  then  along  the  south  shore  of  Lake 
Erie  to  the  mouth  of  the  Cuyahoga  River,  where  it  began."  The  United 
States  Government  allotted  all  the  lands  contained  within  said  lines  (which 
the  reader  will  observe  embraced  the  territory  now  forming  Wyandot 
County)  to  the  Wyandot  and  Delaware  nations,  to  live  and  hunt  on,  and  to 
such  of  the  Ottawa  nation  as  lived  thereon;  saving  and  reserving  for  the 
establishment  of  trading  posts,  six  miles  square  at  the  mouth  of  the  Miami, 
or  Omee  River;  and  the  same  at  the  portage,  on  that  branch  of  the  Big  Miami 
which  now  runs  into  the  Ohio;  and  the  same  on  the  lake  of  Sandusky  where 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  259 

the  fort  formerly  stood,  and  also  two  miles  square  on  each  side  of  the  lower 
rapids  of  Sandusky  River. 

On  the  9th  -Tanuary,  1 789,  another  treaty  was  made  at  Fort  Harmer, 
between  Gov.  Arthur  St.  Clair  and  the  sachems  and  warriors  of  the  Wyan- 
dot, Chippewa,  Pottawatomie,  Sac  and  other  nations,  in  which  the  treaty 
at  Fort  Mcintosh  was  renewed  and  confirmed.  But  it  did  not  produce  the 
favorable  results  anticipated.  The  Ohio  and  Michigan  Indians  still  hated 
the  Americans  who  were  moving  westward  in  a  resistless  column  of  emigra- 
tion, and  were  continually  encouraged  in  this  feeling  by  the  British  officials. 
They  were  also  equipped  with  guns  and  ammunition  obtained  at  the  British 
post  at  Detroit.  Therefore,  as  might  have  been  expected,  the  Indians  the 
same  year  assumed  a  hostile  attitude,  and  again  all  the  horrors  of  a  relent- 
less, savage  warfare  were  re-enacted  along  the  line  of  the  American  border 
settlements.  Block-houses  were  erected  by  the  settlers  in  each  of  the  new 
settlements,  and  in  June,  1789,  Maj.  Doughty,  with  140  men  from  Fort 
Harmer,  commenced  the  building  of  Fort  Washington,  on  a  site  now  within 
the  limits  of  Cincinnati.  A  few  months  afterwax'd  Gen.  Harmer  arrived 
with  300  men,  and  assumed  command  of  the  fort. 

Again  efforts  were  made  to  effect  a  peace  with  the  hostile  tribes,  but  by 
reason  of  British  influence  they  proved  unavailing,  and  as  a  last  resort  Gen. 
Harmer  was  directed  to  attack  and  destroy  their  towns.  He  marched  from 
Fort  Washington  in  September,  1790,  with  1,300  men,  of  whom  about  one- 
fourth  were  regular  troops.  When  near  the  Indian  towns,  on  the  Miami  of 
the  Lake,  in  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.,  an  advanced  de- 
tachment of  210  militia  fell  into  an  ambush  and  was  defeated  with  severe 
loss.  Gen.  Harmer,  however,  succeeded  in  burning  the  Indian  villages, 
and  in  destroying  their  standing  corn.  The  army  then  commenced  its  march 
homeward.  They  had  not  proceeded  far  when  Harmer  received  intelligence 
that  the  Indians  had  returned  to  their  ruined  towns.  He  immediately  de- 
tached about  one-third  of  his  remaining  force,  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Hardin,  with  orders  to  bring  them  to  an  engagement.  Hardin  succeeded 
in  this  eai'ly  the  nest  morning;  the  Indians  fought  with  desperation,  and 
the  militia  and  regular  troops  alike  behaved  with  gallantry.  However,  moro 
than  one  hundred  of  the  militia,  and  all  the  regulars  except  nine  were 
killed,  and  the  rest  were  driven  back  to  the  main  body.  Dispirited  by  this 
misfortune,  Harmer  immediately  marched  to  Fort  Washington  or  Cincin- 
nati. Thus  the  object  of  the  expedition  in  intimidating  the  Indians  was 
wholly  unsuccessful. 

Gaining  increased  confidence  in  their  prowess  and  ability  to  successfully 
contend  with  the  white  troops  of  the  Americans,  by  reason  of  their  victory 
over  a  portion  of  Harmer's  army,  the  Wyandots,  together  with  other  tribes 
composing  the  Miami  league,  continued  hostile.  Therefore,  in  1791,  anew 
army,  superior  to  Harmer's,  was  assembled  at  Cincinnati  under  Major  Gen- 
eral, or  as  then  termed  Gov.  St.  Clair.  The  regular  force  amounted  to 
2,300  men;  the  militia  numbered  about  600.  With  this  army  St.  Clair 
commenced  his  march  toward  the  Indian  towns  on  the  Maumee.  Two  forts, 
Hamilton  and' Jefferson,  were  established  and  garrisoned  on  the  route,  about 
forty  miles  distant  from  each  other,  yet  misfortune  attended  the  expedition 
almost  from  its  commencement.  Soon  after  leaving  Fort  Jefferson,  a  con- 
siderable number  of  the  militia  deserted  in  a  body.  The  first  regiment, 
under  Maj.  Hamtranck,  was  ordered  to  pursue  them  and  secure  the  advanc- 
ing convoys  of  provisions,  which  it  was  feared  they  designed  to  plunder. 
Thus  weakened  by  desertion  and  division,  Gen.  St.  Clair  approached  the  In- 


260  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

dian  villages.  On  the  3d  of  November,  when  at  what  is  now  the  line  of 
Drake  and  Mercer  Counties,  and  within  two  or  three  miles  of  the  Indiana 
State  line,  he  halted,  intending  to  throw  up  some  slight  fortification  for  the 
protection  of  baggage,  and  to  await  the  return  of  the  absent  regiment.  On 
the  following  morning,  however,  about  half  an  hour  before  sunrise,  the 
American  Army  was  attacked  with  great  fury  by  the  whole  disposable  force 
of  the  Northwest  tribes — the  Wyandots,  Delawares,  Shawanese,  Miamis, 
Ottawas,  Chippewas  and  Pottawatomies.  The  Americans  were  totally  de- 
feated. Gen.  Butler  and  more  than  600  subaltern  officers  and  enlisted  men 
were  killed. 

The  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war  for  the  protection  of  the  North- 
west Territory  was  now  urged  by  President  Washington,  but  various  ob- 
stacles retarded  the  organization  of  a  new  army.  In  the  spring  and  sum- 
mer of  1794,  however,  an  American  Army  was  assembled  at  Greenville,  in 
Darke  County,  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne,  a  bold,  ener- 
getic and  experienced  officer  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  force  consisted 
of  about  2,000  regular  troops  and  1,500  mounted  volunteers  from 
Kentucky.  To  oppose  him  the  Indian  tribes  above  mentioned  had  col- 
lected their  whole  force,  amounting  to  more  than  2,000  warriors,  near 
a  British  fort,  erected  since  the  treaty  of  1783,  and  in  violation  of  its 
obligations,  at  the  foot  of  the  Maumee  Rapids.  They  were  well  supplied 
with  arms  and  ammunition,  obtained  at  the  British  posts  at  Detroit  and  on 
the  Maumee,  and  felt  confident  of  defeating  Wayne.  But  "Mad  Anthony" 
was  a  difierent  kind  of  General  from  those  who  had  previously  commanded 
in  the  West,  and  when,  on  the  20th  of  August,  the  hostile  forces  of  red 
men  and  white  men  met  at  the  Maumee  Rapids,  or  "the  battle  of  Fallen 
Timbers,"  the  former  were  completely  routed  and  fled  in  the  utmost  precip- 
itation from  the  field. 

Not  long  afterward  a  trader  met  a  Miami  warrior  who  had  fled  before 
the  terrible  onslaught  of  Wayne's  soldiers,  and  asked  him: 

"Why  did  you  run  away?" 

With  gestures  corresponding  to  his  words,  and  endeavoring  to  represent 
the  effect  of  the  cannon,  he  replied  : 

"Pop!  pop!  pop! — boo,  woo,  woo — whish,  whish,  boo,  woo — kill  twenty 
Indians  one  time — no  good,  by  dam  !  " 

■^  Robinson,  a  young  half-breed  Pottawatomie,  afterward  one  of  the 
principal  war  chiefs  of  that  tribe,  was  present  at  the  battle  with  Wayne, 
and  in  later  years  was  in  the  habit  of  describing  it  very  clearly.  It  appears 
that  the  chiefs  of  the  allied  tribes  had  selected  a  swamp  for  the  battle- 
ground. They  formed  their  line,  however,  half  a  mile  in  front  of  it,  on  the 
summit  of  a  gentle  elevation,  covered  with  an  open  growth  of  timber,  with 
no  underbru.sh,  intending,  when  AVayne  attacked  them,  to  fall  back  slowly, 
thus  inducing  the  Americans  to  follow  them  into  the  swamp,  where  the 
Indians  would  have  every  advantage,  and  where  they  expected  a  certain 
victory.  But  "Mad  Anthony"  soon  broke  up  their  plan.  As  we  have 
shown,  nearly  one-half  of  his  little  army  was  composed  of  mounted  Ken- 
tuckians,  whom  he  formed  in  front  of  his  infantry.  After  a  few  volleys 
from  his  artillery,  always  very  trying  to  the  nerves  of  the  red  men,  hb  or- 
dered the  mounted  men  to  advance.  The  Indians  had  never  seen  men  fight 
on  horseback,  and  supposed  they  would  dismount  before  reaching  the  top  of 
the  ridge.  But  instead  of  that  they  began  to  trot,  then  drew  their  swords — 
those  terrible  "  long  knives,"  which  always  inspired  the  Indians  with  dread 
— then  broke  into  a  gallop,  and  the  next  moment  were  charging  at  the  top  of 


Betv/eej\i-the-Logs 


fiN  INDMn  CHIEF  OF  THE  WYANDOT  TRIBE  AND  A  LICENSED  PREACHER 
OF  THE  /HETflODIST  CHURC/1. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  263 

their  horses'  speed,  "  yelling  like  hell,"  as  Robinson  expressed  it,  swinging 
their  swords,  and  looking  like  demons  of  wrath  to  the  astonished  red  men. 

"Oh,"  said  Robinson,  "you  ought  to  have  seen  the  poor  Indians  run 
then." 

They  gave  but  one  random  fire,  and  fled  as  fast  as  possible  toward  the 
swamp.  But  it  was  too  late.  The  mounted  Kentuckians  burst  through 
them  like  a  whirlwind,  and  then  wheeled  about  to  cut  off  their  retreat, 
while  the  infantry  came  up  on  the  double-quick  and  barred  their  escape  in 
that  direction. 

"Oh,"  the  chieftain  would  continue,  "it  was  awful." 

Robinson  admired  his  conqueror  so  much  that  he  named  one  of  his  sons 
"Anthony  Wayne,"  and  always  expressed  the  most  profound  respect  for 
that  dashing  soldier. 

Wayne's  victory  at  the  "Fallen  Timbers"  did  not  at  once  reduce  the 
savages  to  submission.  Hence  their  country  was  laid  waste,  and  forts  were 
erected  in  the  heart  of  their  territory.  At  length,  however,  they  became 
thoroughly  convinced  of  their  inability  to  resist  in  a  successful  manner  the 
American  troops,  and  sued  for  peace.  A  grand  council  was  therefore  held 
at  Greenville,  in  the  summer  of  1795,  and  on  the  3d  of  August  of  that 
year,  Gen.  Wayne  concluded  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  Wyandots,  Dela- 
wares.  Shawanese,  Ottawas,  Chippewas,  Pottawatomies  and  Miamis,  besides 
some  less  important  tribes.  More  than  one  thousand  Indians  were  present. 
The  principal  chiefs  were  Tarhe,  or  the  Crane,  of  the  Wyandots,  Buckong- 
ehelas,  Black  Hoof,  Blue  Jacket  and  Little  Turtle.  A  majority  of  the 
chiefs  had  been  tampered  with  by  the  British  agents  and  advised  not  to 
make  peace  with  the  Americans,  but  their  people  having  been  reduced  to 
great  extremities  by  the  generalship  of  Wayne,  were  determined  to  make  a 
permanent  peace  with  the  "  Thirteen  Fires "  as  they  termed  the  original 
States  of  the  federal  Union. 

The  basis  of  the  treaty  of  Greenville  was,  that  hostilities  were  to  cease, 
and  all  prisoners  be  restored.  Article  3  defined  the  Indian  boundarv  as 
follows: 

"  The  general  boundary  line  between  the  lands  of  the  United  States  and 
the  lands  of  the  said  Indian  tribes  shall  begin  at  the  mouth  of  Cuyahoga 
River,  and  run  thence  up  the  same  to  the  portage,  between  that  and  the 
Tuscarawas  branch  of  the  Muskingum;  thence  down  that  branch  to  the 
crossing  place  above  Fort  Laurens;  thence  westerly  to  a  fork  of  that  branch 
of  the  Great  Miami  River,  running  into  the  Ohio,  at  or  near  which  fork 
stood  Loromie's  store,  and  where  commences  the  portage  between  the  Miami 
of  the  Ohio  and  St.  Mary's  River,  which  is  a  branch  of  the  Miami  which 
runs  into  Lake  Erie;  thence  a  westerly  course  to  Fort  Recovery  [erected 
upon  the  grounds  where  St.  Clair  was  defeated  in  November,  1 791],  which 
stands  on  a  branch  of  the  Wabash;  thence  southwesterly  in  a  direct  line  to 
the  Ohio,  so  as  to  intersect  that  river  opposite  the  mouth  of  Kentucky  or 
Cuttawa  River." 

By  the  terms  of  the  treaty,  the  Indians  also  ceded  to  the  United  States 
Government  various  small  tracts  of  land  surrounding  military  posts  erected 
and  to  be  erected.  Also,  the  right  to  the  people  of  the  United  States  of  a 
free  passage  by  land  and  water  through  the  territory  still  owned  by  the 
Indians.  The  reader  will  understand  that  the  Indians  relinquished  all 
claims  to  the  lands  lying  eastwardly  and  southwardly  of  the  line  above 
described,  in  consideration  "  of  the  peace  now  established;  of  the  goods 
formerly  received  from  the  United  States;  of  those  now  to  be  delivered;  and 


264  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

of  the  yearly  delivery  of  goods  now  stipulated  to  be  made  hereafter;  and 
to  indemnify  the  United  States  for  the  injuries  and  expenses  they  have  sus- 
tained during  the  war." 

On  the  4th  day  of  Jvily,  1805,  at  a  treaty  made  at  Fort  Industry,  on  the 
Miami  of  the  Lake,  between  the  United  States  of  America  and  the  sachems, 
chiefs  and  Avarriors  of  the  Wyandot,  Ottawa,  Chippewa,  Muncie,  Delaware, 
Shawanese  and  Pottawatomie  nations,  it  was  determined  that  "  the  boundary 
line  between  the  United  States  and  the  nations  aforesaid  shall  in  future  be 
a  meridian  line  drawn  north  and  south  through  a  boundary  to  be  erected 
on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Erie,  120  miles  due  west  of  the  west  boundary 
line  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  extending  north  until  it  intersects  the 
boundary  line  of  the  United  States,  and  extending  south  until  it  intersects 
a  line  heretofore  established  by  the  treaty  of  Greenville."  Thus,  all  the 
lands  lying  east  of  the  above-described  line,  bounded  southerly  and  easterly 
by  the  line  established  by  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  and  northerly  by  the 
northernmost  part  of  the  forty-first  degree  of  north  latitude,  were  ceded  by 
the  Indians  to  the  United  States.  By  Article  4  of  this  treaty,  the  United 
States  delivered  to  the  Wyandot,  Shawanese,  Muncie  and  Delaware  nations 
goods  to  the  value  of  $20,000,  and  stipulated  for  a  perpetual  annuity  of 
$9,500,  payable  in  goods  reckoned  at  first  cost  in  the  city  or  place  in  the 
United  States  where  they  should  be  procured. 

The  Wyandots  were  also  interested  parties  in  the  treaty  of  Detroit, 
which  was  concluded  on  the  17th  day  of  November,  1807;  but  as  the  lands 
ceded  were  for  the  most  part  within  the  limits  of  the  present  State  of  Mich- 
igan, we  refrain  from  further  mention  of  its  provisions,  etc. 

The  treaty  of  Brownstown  was  made  November  25,  1808,  between  Will- 
iam Hull,  Governor  of  Michigan  Territory,  and  the  Chippewa,  Ottawa,  Pot- 
tawatomie, Wyandot  and  Shawanese  nations.  This  treaty  related  mainly  to 
the  cession  of  lands  for  roads  throiTgh  the  territory  still  owned  by  the  Indi- 
ans. Among  the  routes  then  ceded  was  "a  tract  of  land,  for  a  road  only, 
of  120  feet  in  width,  to  run  southwardly  fi'om  what  is  called  Lower  San- 
dusky, to  thn  boundary  line  established  by  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  with 
the  privilege  of  taking  at  all  times  such  timber  and  other  materials  from 
the  adjacent  lands  as  may  be  necessary  for  making  and  keeping  in  repair 
the  said  road,  with  the  bridges  that  may  be  required  along  the  same. "  This, 
probably,  was  the  first  highway  projected  by  the  English-speaking  whites, 
or  Americans,  in  a  direction  which  would  lead  through  the  present  county 
of  Wyandot. 

Meanwhile,  from  the  date  of  the  conclusion  of  the  treaty  of  Greenville 
until  the  beginning  of  the  last  war  with  Great  Britian — 1812-15 — the  Wy- 
andots, true  to  their  treaty  obligations,  remained  at  peace  with  the  Ameri- 
cans. In  1812,  however,  at  a  time  when  the  great  Shawanese  Chieftain, 
Tecumseh,  and  his  brother  the  Prophet,  were  endeavoring  to  array  under 
arms  all  of  the  Northwestern  tribes  against  the  Americans,  a  great  Indian 
council  of  the  Northern  nations  was  held  at  Brownstown  in  the  Michigan 
Territory.  At  that  meeting  Tarhe,  or  "The  Crane"  and  Between-the- 
logs*  were  among  the  chief  representatives  of  the  Wyandots.  The  elo- 
quence of  Tecumseh's  adherents,  and  the  glittering  promises  of  the  British 

*The  distinguished  chief,  Between-the-logs,  whose  portrait  the  reader  will  find  in  this  work,  was 
born  near  Lowt  r  Sandusky  about  the  year  1780.  His  father  was  a  Seneca,  and  his  mother  a  member  of  the 
Bear  tribe  of  the  Wyandot  nation.  When  still  in  his  teens,  he,  with  other  Wyandots,  fought  Gen.  Wayne's 
troops  at  the  battle  of  the  Maumee  Rapids,  or  "f^allen  Timbers."  He  then  lived 'at  Lower  Sandusky.  He 
early  became  prominent  in  his  nation,  and  when  still  a  young  man,  because  of  his  retentive  memory  and 
ability  in  discussion,  was  made  a  chief  and  appointed  chief  speaker  of  his  nation.  When  al)Out  twenty-five 
years  old  he  was  sent  to  fathom  the  doctrines  and  pretensions  of  a  celebrated  Seneca  prophet,  whose  fallacy 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  265 

agents,  proved  to  be  as  nothing  to  them,  and  they  firmly  rejected  all  over- 
tures to  join  in  the  war  against  the  Americans.  True,  a  few  fiery  younw 
warriors  of  the  Wyandot  nation  did  enter  the  British  service.  But  Tarhe, 
Between- the-logs,  Summandewat,  Big  Tree,  and  the  major  portion  of 
the  Wyandots  remained  faithful  to  their  pledges.  These  chiefs  left  the 
Brownstown  council,  returned  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  immediately  joined 
the  American  cause  Fort  Ferree,  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  Fort  Meigs, 
at  Lower  Sandusky,  were  erected^upon  their  lands.  Here  were  concentrated 
large  numbers  of  troops  from  Pennsylvania,  Kentucky  and  Ohio,  under  Gen. 
Harrison,  and  here  were  they  treated  in  the  most  friendly  manner  by  the 
Wyandots.  When  Gen.  Harrison  invaded  Canada,  he  was  accompanied  by 
a  large  party  of  Wyandot  chiefs  and  warriors.  But  the  principal  object  of 
his  Indian  friends  was  to  detach  that  part  of  the  Wyandot  nation  from  the 
British  interest,  who,  by  the  surrounding  Indians,  had  in  a  measure  been 
forced  to  join  the  English.     This  was  effected. 

We  now  come  to  the  consideration  of  an  event  which,  by  its  realization, 
placed  the  Wyandots  upon  a  comparatively  small  tract  of  territory  or  "  res- 
ervation," where  they  remained  until  within  the  memory  of  many  of  the 
present  inhabitants  of  Wyandot  County.  We  allude  to  the  "  treaty  of  the 
Foot  of  the  Rapids,  of  the  Miami  of  the  Lake,"  which  was  concluded  on 
the  29th  day  of  September,  1817,  between  Lewis  Cass  and  Duncan  McAr- 
thur,  Commissioners  of  the  United  States,  and  the  sachems,  chiefs  and  war- 
riors of  the  Wyandot,  Seneca,  Delaware,  Shawanese,  Pottawatomie,  Ottawa 
and  Chippewa  tribes  of  Indians.  The  articles  of  this  treaty  which  have  an 
especial  reference  to  our  topic  are  as  follows: 

"Article  2.  The  Wyandot  tribe  of  Indians,  in  consideration  of  the  stip- 
ulations herein  made  on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  do  hereby  forever 
cede  to  the  United  States  the  lands  comprehended  within  the  following  lines 
and  boundaries:  Beginning  at  a  point  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Erie, 
where  the  present  Indian  boundary  line  intersects  the  same,  between  the 
mouth  of  Sandusky  Bay  and  the  mouth  of  Poi'tage  River:  thence  running 
south  v.'ith  said  line  to  the  line  established  in  the  year  one  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  ninety-five,  by  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  which  runs  from  the 
crossing  place  above  Fort  Laurens  to  Loromie's  store;  thence  westerly  with 
the  last  mentioned  line  to  the  eastern  line  of  the  reserve  at  Loromie's  store; 
thence  with  the  lines  of  said  reserve  north  and  west  to  the  northwest 
corner  thereof;  thence  to  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  reserve  on 
the  River  St.  Mary's,  at  the  head  of  the  navigable  waters  thereof; 
thence  east  to  the  western  bank  of  the  St.  Mary's  River  aforesaid; 
thence  down  on  the  western  bank  of  the  said  river  to  the  reserve  at  Fort 

he  soon  detected.  About  two  years  afterward  he  was  sent  on  a  like  errand  to  a  noted  Shawanese  prophet 
— Tecumseh's  brother^with  whom  he  staid  nearly  a  year,  and  then  returned,  convinced  and  convincing 
others  that  the  Prophet's  pretensions  were  all  delusion  and  destitute  of  truth. 

During  the  war  of  1812-15,  he  was  the  firm  friend  of  the  Americans,  and  he  was  instrumental  in 
detaching  from  the  British  interests  a  number  of  the  young  men  of  the  Wyandot  nation  who  had  been 
misled.  After  that  war  he  settled  permanently  in  the  neighborhood  of  Upper  Sandusky.  He  now,  in  com- 
mon with  many  of  the  Wyandots,  became  addicted  to  habits  of  intemperance,  and  in  a  time  of  debauch  and 
drunkenness  killed  his  wife.  When  he  became  sober,  the  horror  of  this  deed  made  so  deep  an  impression 
un  his  mind  that  from  that  day  he  measurably  abandoned  the  use  of  ardent  spirits.  In  1817,  he  made  him- 
self conspicuous  by  visiting  Washington,  and  securing  advantages  to  the  Wyandots,  as  shown  in  the  text  of 
this  chapter  relating  to  the  treaty  at  St.  Mary's.  When  ,Tohn  Stewart,  the  colored  exhorter,  appeared  among 
the  Wyandots,  hetween-the-logs  became  his  friend,  and  soon  after  embraced  Christianity.  Soon  after 
this,  he  was  regularly  appointed  an  exhorter  in  the  church,  in  which  relation  he  remained  until  his  death, 
a  devoted  friend  and  advocate  of  (iod.  He  also  watched  with  unremitting  diligence  over  the  temporal 
interests  of  the  nation  ;  enduring  the  fatigues  of  business,  and  of  the  longest  journeys,  for  the  welfare  of 
his  people  without  complaint.  lie  was  uniformly  an  attendant  upon  the(Jhio  .\nnual  Conference,  at  which 
he  made  some  of  the  most  rational  and  eloquent  speeches  ever  delivered  by  an  Indian  before  that  body.  He 
always  manifested  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  mission  and  school.  He  was  rather  above  the 
medium  height,  of  slight  build,  but  well  proportioned,  with  an  open  and  manly  countenance.  He  died  of 
consumption  January  1,  1827,  and  was  buried  in  the  grounds  surrounding  the  Mission  Church. 


266  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Wayne;  thence  with  the  lines  of  the  last-mentioned  reserve,  easterly  and 
northerly,  to  the  north  bank  of  the  River  Miami  of  Lake  Erie;  thence  down 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  said  river  to  the  western  line  of  the  land  ceded  to 
the  United  States  by  the  treaty  of  Detroit,  in  the  year  one  thousand,  eight 
hundred  and  seven:  thence  with  the  said  line  south  to  the  middle  of  said 
Miami  River,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Auglaize  River;  thence  down 
the  middle  of  said  Miami  River,  and  easterly  with  the  lines  of  the  tract 
ceded  to  the  United  States  by  the  treaty  of  Detroit  aforesaid,  so  far  that  a 
south  line  will  strike  the  place  of  beginning. 

"Art.  3.  The  Wyandot,  Seneca,  Delaware,  Shawanese,  Pottawatomie, 
Ottawa  and  Chippewa  tribes  of  Indians,  accede  to  the  cessions  mentioned 
in  the  two  preceding  articles. 

"  Art.  6.  The  United  States  agree  to  grant,  by  patent,  in  fee  simple,  to 
Doanquod,  Howoner,  Rontondee,  Tauyau,  Rontayau,  Dawatont,  Manocue, 
Tauyaudautauson  and  Haudauwaugh,  chiefs  of  the  Wyandot  tribe  and  their 
successors  in  office,  chiefs  of  the  said  tribe,  for  the  use  of  the  persons  and 
for  the  purposes  mentioned  in  the  annexed  schedule,  a  tract  of  land  twelve 
miles  square  at  Upper  Sandusky,  the  center  of  which  shall  be  the  place 
whei'e  Fort  Ferree  stands;  and  also  a  tract  of  one  mile  square,  to  be  located 
where  the  chiefs  direct,  on  a  cranberry  swamp,  on  Broken  Sword  Creek,  and 
to  be  held  for  the  use  of  the  tribe.  ******* 

"Art.  7.  And  the  said  chiefs  or  their  successors  may,  at  anytime  they 
may  think  proper,  convey  to  either  of  the  persons  mentioned  in  the  said 
schedule,  or  his  heirs,  the  quantity  secured  thereby  to  him,  or  may  refuse 
to  do  so.  But  the  use  of  the  said  land  shall  be  in  the  said  person;  and 
after  the  share  of  any  person  is  conveyed  by  the  chiefs  to  him,  he  may  con- 
vey the  same  to  any  person  whatever.  And  any  one  entitled  by  the  said 
schedule  to  a  portion  of  the  said  land,  may,  at  any  time,  convey  the  same  to 
any  person,  by  obtaining  the  approbation  of  the  President  of  the  United_ 
States,  or  of  the  person  appointed  by  him  to  give  such  approbation.  And 
the  agent  of  the  United  States  shall  make  an  equitable  partition  of  the  said 
share  when  conveyed. 

'•Art.  8.  At  the  special  request  of  the  said  Indians,  the  United  States 
agree  to  grant,  by  patent,  in  fee  simple,  to  the  persons  hereinafter  men- 
tioned, all  of  whom  are  connected  with  the  said  Indians,  by  blood  or  adop- 
tion, the  tracts  of  land  herein  described: 

"  To  Elizabeth  Whitaker,  who  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Wyandots,  and 
has  ever  since  lived  among  them,  1,280  acres  of  land,  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Sandusky  River,  below  Croghansville,  to  be  laid  off  in  a  square  form,  as 
nearly  as  the  meanders  of  the  said  river  will  admit,  and  to"^un  an  equal  dis- 
tance above  and  below  the  house  in  which  the  said  Elizabeth  Whitaker  now 
lives. 

"  To  Robert  Armstrong,  who  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians,  and  has 
ever  since  lived  among  them,  and  has  married  a  Wyandot  woman,  one  section 
to  contain  640  acres  of  land,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Sandusky  River,  to  begin 
at  the  place  called  Camp  Ball,  and  to  run  up  the  river,  with  the  meanders 
thereof,  160  poles,  and  from  the  beginning  down  the  river,  with  the  mean- 
ders thereof,  160  poles,  and  from  the  extremity  of  these  lines  west  for 
quantity. 

"  To  the  children  of  the  late  William  McCollock,  who  was  killed  in  August, 
1812,  near  Maugaugon,  and   who  are  quarter- blood  Wyandot  Indians,  one 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  267 

section,  to  contain  640  acres  of  land,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Sandusky  River, 
adjoining  the  lower  line  of  tht?  tract  hereby  granted  to  Robert  Armstrong, 
and  extending  in  the  same  manner,  with  and  from  the  said  river. 

"  To  John  Vanmeter,  who  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Wyandots,  and  who 
has  piver  since  lived  among  them,  and  has  married  a  Seneca  woman,  and  to 
his  wife's  three  brothers,  Seuecas,  who  now  reside  on  Honey  Creek,  1,000 
acres  of  land,  to  begin  north,  forty -five  degrees  west,  one  hundred  and  forty 
poles  from  the  house  in  which  the  said  John  Vanmeter  now  lives,  and  to 
run  thence  south  320  poles,  thence  and  from  the  beginning,  east  for  quantity. 

"To  Sarah  Williams,  Joseph  Williams  and  Rachel  Nugent,  late  Rachel 
Williams,  the  said  Sarah  having  been  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians,  and 
has  ever  since  lived  among  them,  and  being  the  widow,  and  the  said  Joseph 
and  Rachel  being  the  children  of  the  late  Isaac  Williams,  a  half-blood  Wy- 
andot, one-quarter  section  of  land,  to  contain  160  acres,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Sandusky  River,  below  Croghansville,  and  to  include  their  improvements 
at  a  place  called  Negro  Point. 

"  To  Catharine  Walker,  a  Wyandot  woman,  and  to  John  R.  Walker,  her 
son,  who  was  wounded  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  at  the  battle  of 
Maugaugon,  in  1812,  a  section  of  640  acres  of  land  each,  to  begin  at  the 
northwestern  corner  of  the  tract  hereby  granted  to  John  Vanmeter  and  his 
wife's  brothers,  and  to  run  with  the  line  thereof  south  320  poles;  thence 
and  from  the  beginning  west  for  quantity. 

"To  William  Spicer,  who  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians,  and  has 
ever  since  lived  among  them  and  has  married  a  Seneca  woman,  a  section  of 
land  to  contain  640  acres,  beginning  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Sandusky 
River,  forty  poles  below  the  lower  corner  of  said  Spicer's  corn-field;  thence 
up  the  river  on  the  east  side,  with  the  meanders  thereof,  one  mile;  thence 
and  from  the  beginning  east  for  quantity. 

7ft  ^  Tf!  7t\  yf^  'I*  't*  ~ 

"  To  Horonu,  or  the  '  Cherokee  Boy,'  a  Wyandot  chief,  a  section  of  land 
to  contain  640  acres,  on  the  Sandusky  River,  to  be  laid  off  in  a  square 
form,  and  to  include  his  improvements. 

"  A.RT.  15.  The  tracts  of  land  herein  granted  to  the  chiefs,  for  the  use  of  the 
Wyandot,  Shawanese,  Seneca  and  Delaware  Indians,  and  the  reserve  for  the 
Ottawa  Indians,  shall  not  be  liable  to  taxes  of  any  kind  so  long  as  such 
lands  continue  the  property  of  said  Indians. 

■^  '1'  fX',  si-  ^'  .■O'  ■'A'.  -■d^  ^ 

y^  vf!  vfz  -ffz  717  Tfz  yf^  ^  ^ 

"Art.  18.  The  Delaware  tribe  of  Indians  in  consideration  of  the  stip- 
ulations herein  made  on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  dohereby  forever  cede  to 
the  United  States  all  the  claim  which  they  have.to  the  thirteen  sections  of  land 
reserved  for  the  use  of  certain  persons  of  their  tribe,  by  the  second  section 
of  the  act  of  Congress,  passed  March  the  third,  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  seven,  providing  for  the  disposal  of  the  land  of  the  United  States  be- 
tween the  United  States  Military  Tract  and  the  Connecticut  Reserve,  and 
the  lands  of  the  United  States  between  the  Cincinnati  and  Vincennes  dis- 
tricts. 

"Art.  19.  The  United  States  agree  to  grant,  by  patent,  in  fee  simple, 
to  Zeeshawan,  or  James  Armstrong,  and  to  Sanondoyourayquaw,  or  Silas 
Armstrong,  chiefs  of  the  Delaware  Indians,  living  on  the  Sandusky  waters, 
and  their  successors  in  office,  chiefs  of  the  said  tribe,  for  the  use  of  the  per- 
sons mentioned  in  the  annexed  schedule,  in  the  same  manner  and  subject  to 
the  same  cc)nditions,  provisions  and  limitations  as  is  hereinbefore  provided 


268  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

for  the  lands  granted  to  the  Wyandot,  Seneca  and  Shawanose  Indians,  a  tract 
of  ]and  to  contain  nine  square  miles,  to  join  the  tract  granted  to  the  Wyan- 
dots  of  twelve  mileS  square,  to  be  laid  oif  as  nearly  in  a  square  form  as 
practicable,  and  to  include  Captain  Pipe's  village.' 

By  this  treaty  the  United  States  stipulated  to  pay  the  Wyandots  a  per- 
petual annuity  of  $4,000  ;  to  the  Senecas,  $500  ;  to  the  Shawanese, 
$2,000  ;  to  the  Pottawatomies,  annually,  for  fifteen  years,  $1,300  ;  to  the 
Ottawas,  annually,  for  fifteen  years,  $1,000;  to  the  Chippewas,  annually, 
for  fifteen  years,  $1,000,  and  to  the  Delawares,  $500,  but  no  annuity.  The 
United  States  also  engaged  to  erect  a  saw  and  grist  mill,  for  the  use  of  the 
Wyandots  ;  and  to  provide  and  maintain  two  blacksmiths  :  one  for  the  use 
of  the  Wyandots  and  Senecas,  the  other  for  the  Indians  at  Hog  Creek. 

The  United  States  further  agreed  to  pay  the  sums  ToITowing  for  prop- 
erty, etc.,  injured  during  the  war  of  1812-15  :  To  the  Wyandots,  $4,819.39; 
to  the  Senecas,  $3,989.24  ;  to  Indians  at  Lewis'  and  Scoutash's  towns, 
$1,227.50  ;  to  the  Delawares,  $3,956.50  ;  to  the  representatives  of  Hembis, 
$348.50  ;  to  the  Shawanese,  $420,  and  to  the  Senecas,  an  additional  sum  of 
$219.  It  was  also  agreed  to  pay  the  Shawanese,  under  the  ti-eaty  of  Fort 
Industry,  $2,500.  By  Article  17,  the  value  of  improvements  abandoned,  was 
to  be  paid  for. 

A  treaty  supplementary  to  the  "Treaty  of  the  Foot  of  the  Rapids  of 
the  Miami  of  the  Lake,"  was  concluded  at  St.  Mary's,  Ohio,  on  the  17th 
day  of  September,  1818,  between  Lewis  Cass  and  Duncan  McArthur,  Com- 
missioners of  the  United  States,  and  the  sachems,  chiefs,  and  warriors  of 
the  Wyandot,  Seneca,  Shawanese  and  Ottawa  tribes  of  Indians.  The  fol- 
lowing are  the  articles  of  the  supplemental  treaty  which  were  of  special 
significance  to  the  Wyandot  nation  : 

"Article  1.  It  is  agi'eed  between  the  United  States  and  the  parties  here- 
unto, that  the  several  tracts  of  land  described  in  the  treaty  to  which  this  is 
supplementary,  and  agreed  thereby  to  be  granted  by  the  United  States  to 
the  chiefs  of  the  respective  tribes  named  therein,  for  the  use  of  the  individ- 
uals of  the  said  tribes,  and  also  the  tract  described  in  the  twentieth*  article 
of  the  said  treaty,  shall  not  be  thus  granted,  but  shall  be  excepted  from  the 
cession  made  by  the  said  tribes  to  the  United  States,  reserved  for  the  use  of 
the  said  Indians,  and  held  by  them  in  the  same  manner  as  Indian  reserva- 
tions have  been  heretofore  held.  But  it  is  further  agreed  that  the  tracts 
thus  reserved  shall  be  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  Indians  named  in  the 
schedule  to  the  said  treaty,  and  held  by  them  and  their  heirs  forever,  unless 
ceded  to  the  United  States. 

"Art.  2.  It  is  also  agreed  that  there  shall  be  reserved  for  the  use  of  the 
Wyandots,  in  addition  to  the  reservations  before  made,  fifty-five  thousand 
six  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land,  to  be  laid  off  in  two  tracts,  the  first 
to  adjoin  the  south  line  of  the  section  of  six  hundi'ed  and  forty  acres  of 
land  heretofore  reserved  for  the  Wyandot  chief,  the  Cherokee  Boy,  and  to 
extend  south  to  the  north  line  of  the  reserve  of  twelve  miles  square,  at 
Upper  Sandusky,  and  the  other  to  join  the  east  line  of  the  reserve  of  twelve 
miles  square,  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  to  extend  east  for  quantity. 

' '  There  shall  also  be  reserved,  for  the  use  of  the  Wyandots  residing  at 
Solomon's  town,  and  on  Blanchard's  Fork,  in  addition  to  the  reservations 
before  made,   sixteen  thousand  acres  of  land,  to  be   laid  off  in  a  square 

*  The  twentieth  article  wholly  related  to  a  reservation  granted  the  Ottawas,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Miami 
of  the  lake. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  269 

form,  on  the  head  of  Blanchard's  Fork,  the  center  of  which  shall  be  at  the 
Big  Spring,  on  the  trace  leading  from  Upper  Sandusky  to  Fort  Findlay  ; 
and  ono  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  for  the  use  of  the  Wyandots,  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Sandusky  River,  adjoining  the  said  river,  and  the  lower 
line  of  two  sections  of  land,  agreed,  by  the  treaty  to  which  this  is  supple- 
mentary, to  be  gi-anted  Elizabeth  Whitaker. 

******* 

"  Art.  3.  It  is  hereby  agreed  that  the  tracts  of  land,  which,  by  the 
eighth  article  of  the  treaty  to  which  this  is  supplementary,  are  to  be  granted 
by  the  United  States  to  the  persons  therein  mentioned,  shall  never  be  con- 
veyed, by  them  or  their  heirs,  without  the  permission  of  the  President  of 
the  United  States." 

By  this  supplement,  an  additional  annuity  was  to  be  given  to  the  Wyan- 
dots of  $500,  forever  ;  to  the  Shawanese,  $1,000  ;  to  the  Senecas,  $500, 
and  to  the  Ottawas,  $],500. 

The  circumstances  which  led  to  the  supplementary  treaty  at  St.  Mary's 
originated  in  the  following  manner:  When  the  United  States  Government 
had  made  arrangements  to  extinguish  the  Indian  title  to  lands  in  the  State 
of  Ohio,  and  after  the  Commissioners,  and  the  sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors 
of  the  various  Indian  nations  had  assembled  at  the  foot  of  the  Maumee 
Rapids,  September  29,  1817,  the  Wyandots  jrefused  to  sell  their  land.  At 
this  juncture,  the  Chippewas,*  Pottawatomies*  and  Ottawas,*  without  any 
right  or  justice  whatever,  laid  claim  to  a  great  part  of  the  lands  owned  and 
occupied  by  the  Wyandots;  and  Gabriel  Godfroy  and  Whitmore  Knaggs, 
agents  for  these  nations,  proposed  in  open  council,  in  behalf  of  the  Chippe- 
was, etc.,  etc.,  to  sell  said  lands.  Cass  and  McArthur,  the  Commissioners, 
then  declared  that  if  the  Wyandots  would  not  sell  their  lands,  they  would 
buy  them  of_the  others — the  Chippewas,  Pottawatomies  and  Ottawas.  The 
Wyandot  chieftain.  Between -the-logs,  firmly  opposed  all  of  these  measures; 
but  however  just  his  cause,  or  manly  and  eloquent  in  his  arguments,  they 
were  lost  upon  men  determined  on  their  course.  The  Wyandots,  finding 
themselves  so  circumstanced,  and  not  being  able  to  help  themselves,  were 
thus  forced  to  sell  on  the  terms  proposed  by  the  Commissioners.  They  did 
the  best  they  could  and  signed  the  treaty;  but  only  from  a  strong  hope  that 
by  representing  to  the  President  and  the  Government  the  true  state  of  things, 
before  the  treaty  was  ratified,  they  should  obtain  some  redress  from  the 
Government.  In  resorting  to  this  course,  Between-the-logs  acted  a  princi- 
pal part.  Accordingly,  he.  with  other  Wyandot  chiefs,  and  a  delegation 
from  the  Delawares  and  Senecas,  immediately  proceeded  to  Washington, 
without  consulting  the  Indian  agents,  or  any  other  officer  of  Government. 
When  they  were  introduced  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  he  remarked  to  them 
that  he  was  surprised  that  he  had  received  no  information  of  their  coming  by 
any  of  the  agents.  Between-the-logs  answered,  with  the  spirit  of  a  free 
man,  "  We  got  up,  and  came  of  ourselves.  We  believed  the  great  road  was 
free  for  us. "  He  so  pleaded  their  cause  before  the  President,  the  Secretary 
of  War  and  Congress,  that  the  Wyandots  obtained  an  enlargement  of  their 
reservations  and  an  increase  of  annuities,  as  shown  in  the  articles  of  the 
supplementary  treaty  held  at  St.  Mary's,  September  17,  1818. 

During  the  same  year,  1818,  a  grand  Indian  council  was  held  at  Upper 

*The  members  then  composing  these  tribes  seem  to  have  been  exceedingly  crafty  and  avaricious  in 
their  nature.  They  jointly  laid  claim  to  the  greater  portion  of  the  Northwest  Territory  as  originally 
formed.  They  were  always  found  present  when  treaties  and  cessions  of  land  were  to  be  made,  and  thus 
never  failed  to  claim  the  "  lion's  share"  when  reservations  were  granted,  or  annuities  and  goods  were  to  be 
distributed. 


270  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Sandusky  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  Tarhe.  or  "  the  Crane, "  the  most 
celebrated  chieftain  the  Wyandot  nation  ever  produced.  Col.  John  John- 
ston, of  Upper  Piqua,  Ohio,  who  for  about  half  a  century  served  as  an 
agent  of  the  United  States  over  the  Indians  of  the  West,  was  present,  and 
in  his  "  Recollections,"  gives  the  following  interesting  account  of  the 
proceedings: 

"  On  the  death  of  the  great  chief  of  the  Wyandot s,  I  was  invited  to 
attend  a  general  council  of  all  the  tribes  of  Ohio,  the  Delawares  of  Indiana, 
and  the  Senecas  of  New  York,  at  Upper  Sandusky.  I  found  on  arriving  at 
the  place  a  very  lai'ge  attendance.  Among  the  chiefs  was  the  noted  leader 
and  orator,  Red  Jacket,  from  Buffalo.  The  first  business  done  was  the 
speaker  of  the  nation  delivering  an  oration  on  the  character  of  the  deceased 
chief.  Then  followed  what  might  be  called  a  monody,  or  ceremony,  of 
mourning  or  lamentation.  Thus  seats  were  arranged  from  end  to  end  of  a 
large  council  house,  about  six  feet  apart.  The  head  men  and  the  aged  took 
their  seats  facing  each  other,  stooping  dOwn,  their  heads  almost  touching. 
In  that  position  they  remained  for  several  hours.  Deep,  heavy  and  long 
continued  groans  would  commence  at  one  end  of  the  row  of  mourners,  and 
80  pass  around  until  all  had  responded,  and  these  repeated  at  intervals  of  a 
few  minutes.  The  Indians  were  all  washed,  and  had  no  paint  or  decora- 
tions of  any  kind  upon  their  persons,  their  countenances  and  general  de- 
portment denoting  the  deepest  mourning.  1  had  never  witnessed  anything 
of  the  kind  before,  and  was  told  this  ceremony  was  not  performed  but  on  the 
decease  of  some  great  man. 

"After  the  period  of  mourning  and  lamentation  was  over,  the  Indians 
proceeded  to  business.  There  were  present  the  Wyandots,  Shawanese, 
Delawares,  Senecas,  Ottawas  and  Mohawks.  The  business  was  entirely 
confined  to  their  own  affairs,  and  the  main  topics  related  to  their  lands  and 
the  claims  of  the  respective  tribes.  It  was  evident,  in  the  course  of  the  dis- 
cus'^ion,  that  the  presence  of  myself  and  people  (there  were  some  white  men 
with  me)  was  not  acceptable  to  some  of  the  parties,  and  allusions  were 
made  so  direct  to  myself  that  I  was  constrained  to  notice  them,  by  saying 
that  I  came  there  as  a  guest  of  the  Wyandots  by  their  special  invitation; 
that  as  the  agent  of  the  United  States,  I  had  a  right  to  be  there  as  any- 
where else  in  the  Indian  country;  and  that  if  any  insult  was  offered  to  my- 
self or  my  people,  it  would  be  resented  and  punished.  Red  Jacket  was 
the  principal  speaker,  and  was  intemperate  and  personal  in  his  remarks. 
Accusations,  pro  and  con,  were  made  by  the  different  parties,  accusing  each 
other  of  being  foremost  in  selling  lands  to  the  United  States.  The 
Shawanese  were  particularly  marked  out  as  more  guilty  than  any  other;  that 
they  were  the  last  coming  into  the  Ohio  country,  and  although  they  had  no 
right  but  by  permission  of  the  other  tribes,  they  were  always  the  foremost 
in  selling  lands.  This  brought  the  Shawanese  out,  who  retorted  through 
their  head  chief,  the  Black  Hoof,  on  the  Senecas  and  Wyandots  with 
pointed  severity. 

"  The  discussion  was  long  continued,  calling  out  some  of  the  ablest 
speakers,  and  was  distinguished  for  ability,  cutting  sarcasm  and  research, 
going  far  back  into  the  history  of  the  natives,  their  wars,  alliances,  nego- 
tiations, migrations,  etc.  I  had  attended  many  councils,  treaties  and  gath- 
erings of  the  Indians,  but  never  in  my  life  did  I  witness  such  an  outpour- 
ing of  native  oratory  and  eloquence,  of  severe  rebuke,  taunting  national  and 
personal  reproaches.  The  council  broke  up  later  in  great  confusion,  and  in 
the    worst   possible  feeling.       A  circumstance  occurred  toward  the    close 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  271 

which  more  than  anything  else  exhibited  the  bad  feeling  prevailing.  In 
handing  round  the  wampum  belt,  the  emblem  of  amity,  peace  and  good 
will,  when  presented  to  one  of  the  chiefs,  he  would  not  touch  it  with  his 
lingers,  but  passed  it  on  a  stick  to  the  person  next  to  him.  A  greater  in- 
dignity, agreeable  to  Indian  etiquette,  could  not  be  otfered. 

"  The  next  day  appeared  to  be  one  of  unusual  anxiety  and  despondency 
among  the  Indians.  They  could  be  seen  in  groups  everywhere  near  the 
council  house  in  deep  consultation.  They  had  acted  foolishly— were  sor- 
ry— but  the  difficulty  was  who  would  tirst  present  the  olive  branch.  The 
council  convened  late  and  was  very  full;  silence  prevailed  for  a  long  time; 
at  last  the  aged  chief  of  the  Shawanese,  the  Black  Hoof,  rose — a  man  of 
great  influence,  and  a  celebrated  warrior.  He  told  the  assembly  they  had 
acted  like  children,  and  not  men  on  yesterday;  that  he  and  his  people  were 
sorry  for  the  words  that  had  been  spoken,  and  which  had  done  so  much 
harm;  that  he  came  into  the  council  by  the  unanimous  desire  of  his  people 
present,  to  recall  those  foolish  words,  and  did  there  take  them  back — hand- 
ing strings  of  wampum,  which  passed  around  and  were  received  by  all  with 
the  greatest  satisfaction.  Several  of  the  principal  chiefs  delivered  speeches 
to  the  same  effect,  handing  round  wampum  in  turn,  and  in  this  manner  the 
whole  difficulty  of  the  preceding  day  was  settled,  and  to  all  appearances  for- 
gotten. The  Indians  are  very  courteous  and  civil  to  each  other,  and  it  is 
a  rare  thing  to  see  their  assemblies  disturbed  by  unwise  or  ill-timed  re- 
marks. I  never  witnessed  it  except  on  the  occasion  here  alluded  to,  and  it 
is  more  than  probable  that  the  presence  of  myself  and  other  white  men  con- 
tributed toward  the  unpleasant  occurrence.  I  could  not  help  but  admire 
the  genuine  philosophy  and  good  sense  displayed  by  men  whom  we  call 
savages,  in  the  translation  of  their  public  business;  and  how  much  we 
might  profit  in  the  halls  of  our  Legislatures,  by  occasionally  taking  for  our 
example  the  proceedings  of  the  great  Indian  council  at  Upper  Sandusky." 

At  the  time  the  events  occurred,  which  have  just  been  related,  the 
Indian  town  known  as  Upper  Sandusky,  was  located  about  four  miles 
northeast  of  the  present  county  seat  (a  point,  it  appears  to  which 
the  Indians  removed  prior  to  1782).  After  the  death  of  Tarhe,  however, 
they  erected  a  council  house  on  the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Upper  San- 
dusky (a  place  which  was  nearer  the  center  of  their  reservation),  gave  it 
this  name — Upper  Sandusky,  and  called  the  old  village  Crane  Town.  The 
old  council  house  mentioned  by  Col.  Johnston,  stood  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  north  of  Crane  Town.  It  was  built  chiefly  of  bark,  and  in  dimensions 
was  about  one  hundred  feet  long  by  fifteen  feet  in  width.  Subsequently 
the  temporary  structure  at  the  new  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  gave  place  to 
a  more  substantial  building.  The  frame  council  house  known  to  early 
residents  for  several  years,  as  the  Wyandot  County  Court  House,  etc. — 
which  was  built  probably  about  the  year  1830,  or  a  few  years  after  the 
completion  of  the  grist  and  saw*  mill,  provided  for  in  the  treaty  of  Septem- 
ber 29,  1817.  at  the  foot  of  the  Maumee  Rapids. 

The  Wyandot  nation  was  subdivided  into  ten  tribes.  These  tribes  were 
kept  up  by  the  mother's  side,  and  all  her  children  belonged  to  her  tribe. 
The  totem  of  each  of  the  ten  tribes  was  as  follows:  The  Deer,  Bear,  Snake, 

*  Rev.  James  B.  Finley,  in  his  "History  of  the  Wyandot  Mission,"  when  speaking  of  building  the 
mission  house,  says,  under  date  of  October,  1821;  "We  hauled  lumber  to  the  saw  mill,  and  sawed  it  our-  . 
selves  into  joists  and  plank  for  the  floor  and  other  purposes."  The  mills  referred  to,  which  were  built  in 
1820  for  the  Indians  by  the  (Government,  were  located  about  three  miles  northeast  of  Upper  Sandusky,  upon 
the  Sandusky  Kiver,  and  supplied  the  wants  of  the  Wyandots,  in  these  particulars — flour,  corn  meal  and 
lumber— until  they  moved  to  Kansas.  The  old  buhrs  and  bolting  chest  are  still  in  use  in  the  present  mill, 
which  was  built  about  twenty-two  years  ago,  some  twenty  rods  north  of  the  site  of  the  old  mill. 


272  HISTOR.Y  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Hawk,  Porcupine,  Wolf,  Beaver,  Bij^  Turtle,  Little  Turtle  and  Terrapin.  Each 
of  these  tribes  had  its  chief,  and  these  chief s  composed  the  grand  council  of 
the  nation.  The  oldest  mau  in  the  tribe  was  generally  the  tribal  chief,  and 
all  the  persons  belonging  to  a  tribe  were  considered  as  one  family— all  near 
akin.  Indeed,  no  law  or  custom  among  them  was  so  scrupulously  regarded 
and  adhered  to  with  so  much  tenacity  as  the  tribe  law  in  this  particular. 
No  person  was  allowed  to  marry  in  his  or  her  own  tribe,  or  to  have  any 
sexual  intercoiirse  with  one  of  his  own  tribe.  It  was  considered  that  no 
crime  could  so  effectually  destroy  their  character  or  disgrace  them  so  much 
as  this.  Nothing  could  ever  restore  to  them  their  lost  reputation.  Murder, 
adultery,  or  fornication  were  not  deemed  half  as  bad  as  a  violation  of  the 
tribe  law;  and  in  some  instances  such  violators  were  put  to  death.  When 
a  man  wished  to  marry  a  woman,  he  first  had  to  obtain  the  consent  of  her 
tribe,  and  most  generally  he  went  to  live  with  his  wife  in  her  tribe,  yet  the 
woman  was  not  bound  to  live  with  him  any  longer  than  she  pleased,  and 
when  she  left  him  would  take  with  her,  her  children  and  property. 

From  time  immemorial  until  "Mad  Anthony's"  decisive  battle  at  the 
foot  of  the  Maumee  Rapids,  to  the  Deer  tribe  belonged  the  sce2:)ter  and 
calumet  of  the  grand  sachems;  but  as  a  result  of  that  battle,  this  tribe  be- 
came so  weak  by  the  loss  of  their  warriors  that  the  nation  deemed  it  best 
to  take  the  burden  off  their  shoulders,  and  placed  it  on  the  Porcupine  tribe. 
According  to  Finley,  the  celebrated  Tarhe,  and  his  immediate  successor, 
De  un  quot,  as  head  chiefs  and  grand  sachems  of  the  Wyandot  nation,  were 
members  of  the  last  mentioned  tribe. 

In  a  brief  biographical  sketch  of  the  great  chief,  Tarhe,  or"  The  Crane," 
which  was  published  m  the  W^yandot  Democratic  Union,  August  13,  1866, 
William  Walkei*,  a  member  of  the  Wyandot  nation,  says:  "Tarhe  was  born 
in  the  year  1742,  near  Detroit,  Mich.,  and  died  near  Upper  Sandusky  in 
November,  1818.  He  belonged  to  the  Porcupine  tribe,  a  clan  or  sub- 
division of  the  Wyandot  nation  *  *  *  j  (>an  think  of  no  man  in  Ohio 
who  in  anywise  resembled  him  in  general  appearance  but  one — the  Hon. 
Benjamin  Ruggles,  who  for  eighteen  consecutive  years  represented  the  State 
of  Ohio  in  the  United  States  Senate.  Between  these  two  there  was  a  strik- 
ing resemblance,  except  that  Tarhe's  nasal  organ  was  aquiline. 

"  When  in  his  prime  he  must  have  been  a  lithe,  withy,  wiry  man,  capa- 
ble of  great  endurance,  as  he  marched  on  foot  at  the  head  of  his  warriors 
through  the  whole  of  Gen.  Harrison's  campaign  into  Canada,  and  was  an 
taetive  participant  in  the  battle  of  the  Thames,  though  then  seventy- 
two  years  of  age.  He  steadily  and  unflinchingly  opposed  Tecumseh's  war 
policy  from  1808,  up  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  1812.  He  main- 
tained inviolate  the  treaty  of  peace  concluded  with  Gen.  Wayne  in  1795. 
This  brought  him  into  conflict  with  that  ambitious  Shawanese,  the  latter  hav- 
ing no  regard  for  the  plighted  faith  of  his  predecessors;  but  Tarhe  deter- 
mined to  maintain  that  of  his,  and  remained  true  to  the  American  cause 
till  the  day  of  his  death.  Gea.  Harrison,  in  comparing  him  with  cotem- 
porary  chiefs  of  other  tribes,  pronounced  him  'The  noblest  Roman  of  them 
all.'  He  was  a  man  of  mild  aspect,  and  gentle  in  his  manners  when  at  re- 
pose, but  when  acting  publicly  exhibited  great  energy,  and  when  address- 
ing his  people,  there  «vas  always  something  that,  to  my  youthful  ear,  sound- 
ed like  stern  command.  He  never  drank  spirits;  never  used  tobacco  in  any 
form. 

"Near  the  close  of  the  war,  Jonathan  Pointer,  a  negro,  who  had  been 
captured    somewhere    in    Western  Virginia  by  a  Wyandot  war  party  in 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  278 

early  times,  resided  in  Tarhe's  family.  Jonathan,  who  was  not  proverbial 
for  honesty,  was  in  the  habit  of  abducting  horses  in  the  night  belonging 
to  teamsters  who  might  chance  to  encamp  in  the  neighborhood,  and  con- 
cealing them.  The  teamsters,  of  course,  were  in  trouble  and  great  per- 
plexity, perhaps  unable  to  proceed  without  the  missing  animals.  Jonathan 
was  sure  to  be  on  hand,  and  offer  to  find  them  for  a  certain  pecuniaiy  re- 
ward. The  old  man  found  out  the  sharp  practice  of  his  protege,  and  took 
him  to  task;  told  him  that  if  he  ever  heard  of  his  playing  any  more  such 
tricks  upon  travelers  he  would  remand  him  back  to  his  master  in  Virginia. 
This  had  the  desired  effect,  and  Jonathan  ceased  to  speculate  in  that  di- 
rection. 

'  •  Many  of  the  old  settlers  of  Wyandot  County  will  remember  '  Aunt 
Sally  Frost,'  a  white  woman,  raised  among  the  Wyandots.  Aunt  Sally  was 
Tarhe's  wife  when  he  died.  He  had  one  son,  but  oh,  how  unlike  the  sire! 
nearly  an  idiot,  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-five. 

"His  Indian  name  is  supposed  to  mean  crane  (the  tall  fowl);  but  this  is 
a  mistake.  Crane  is  mex'elya  soubriquet  bestowed  upon  him  by  the  French, 
thus:  'Le  chef  Grue,'  or  'Monsieur  Grue,'  the  chief  Crane,  or  Mr.  Crane. 
This  nickname  was  bestowed  upon  him  on  account  of  his  height  and  slen- 
der form.  He  had  no  English  name,  but  the  Americans  took  up  and  adopted 
the  French  nickname.  Tarhe  or  Tarhee,  when  critically  analyzed,  means. 
At  him,  the  Tree,  or  At  the  Tree ;  the  tree  personified.  Thus  you  have  in 
this  one  word  a  preposition,  a  personal  pronoun,  a  definite  article,  and  a 
noun.  The  name  of  your  populous  township  should  be  Tarhe,  instead  of 
Crane.      It  is  due  to  the  memory  of  that  great  and  good  man.*  " 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  beginning  of  another  interesting  epoch  in  the 
history  of  the  Wyandot  nation — the  establishment  among  them  of  a  mis- 
sion of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church — the  consideration  of  which 
will  be  reserved  for  another  chapter. 

*Rev.  J.  B.  Finley  also  testifies  to  the  noble  and  generous  character  of  this  chief.  He  says :  "  I  was 
once  traveling  from  Detroit  in  the  year  181)0,  in  company  with  two  others.  We  came  to  the  camp  of  old 
Tarhe,  or  Crane,  head  chief  of  the  Wyandot  nation.  We  had  sold  a  drove  of  cattle,  and  had  money,  which 
we  gave  up  to  the  chief  in  the  evening.  The  next  morning  all  was  forthcoming,  and  never  were  men 
treated  with  more  fervent  kindness." 


274  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

INDIA.N  OCCUPANCY— Continued. 

(From  1816-18,  to  1843.) 

Demoralized  Condition  of  the  Wyandots  in  1816— John  Steavakt,  the 
Colored  Preacher,  Appears  Among  Them— Sketch  of  His  Early 
Life— Coldly  Received,  rut  Finally  Gains  Their  Confidence— .\n 
Account  of  His  Proceedings— Rev.  James  B.  Finley  Appointed  Res- 
ident Missionary— His  Trials  and  Triumphs — Deunquot,  the  Head 
Chief,  Creates  a  .Sensation— Mission  School  Opened— The  Mission 
Farm— Death  of  Stewart— Building  the  Mission  Stone  Chuuch— 
Prosperity— Chiefs  Visit  Eastern  Cities— Finley  Departs  in  1327— 
The  Savage  Delawares  Cede  Their  Reservation  to  the  UnitedStates 
— An  Account  of  Some  of  Them— An  Indian  Execution — The  Wyan- 
DOTs  Sell  Their  Lands— Terms— Their  Final  Departure  for  Regions 
West  of  Missouri— Farewell  Song. 

AT  the  time  of  Gen.  Wayne's  treaty  with  the  Northwestern  tribes,  the 
Wyandots,  under  the  lead  of  Tarhe,  including  men,  women  and 
children,  numbered  about  2,200.  From  that  time,  until  the  date  of  their 
settlement  upon  the  reservation  in  the  present  county  of  Wyandot,  they 
had  lost  but  very  few  men  in  battle,  yet,  by  reason  of  being  on  the  extreme 
borders  of  civilizalion,  and  mixing  with  the  most  abandoned  and  vicious  of 
the  whites,  they  had  sunk  in  the  most  degrading  vices,  many  of  them  be- 
came the  most  debased  and  worthless  of  their  race,  and  drunkenness,  lewd- 
ness and  attendant  diseases,  had  reduced  them  in  twenty  years  nearly  one- 
half  in  numbers.  For  many  years,  they  had  been  under  the  religious  in- 
struction of  priests  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  but,  from  the  state  of 
their  morals,  and  from  the  declarations  of  those  who  professed  to  be  Catho- 
lics, it  seems  that  they  had  derived  but  little  benefit.  "  To  carry  a  silver 
cross,  and  to  count  a  string  of  beads;  to  worship  the  Virgin  Mary;  to  go  to 
church  and  hear  mass  said  in  Latin;  and  be  taught  to  believe  that  for  a 
beaver's  skin,  or  its  value,  they  could  have  all  their  sins  pardoned,  was  the 
amount  of  their  Christianity,  and  served  but  to  encourage  them  in  their 
superstition  and  vice."*  v 

Such  was  their  condition  when,  in  November,  1816,  John  Stewart  first 
visited  them.  From  Mr.  Finley's  "History  of  the  Wyandot  Mission,"  it 
is  learned  that  John  Stewart,  a  free-born  mulatto,  whose  parents  claimed  to 
be  mixed  with  Indian  blood,  was  born  in  Powhatan  County,  Va.  He  became 
disabled  in  early  life.  When  quite  a  youth, his  parents  moved  to  the  State 
of  Tennessee  and  left  him  behind.  Subsequently  he  set  out  to  join  them, 
but  on  his  way  to  Marietta.  Ohio,  was  robbed  of  all  his  money.  Discour- 
aged over  his  losses,  he  remained  at  that  place  for  a  considerable  period, 
and  gave  full  scope  to  habits  of  intemperance,  in  the  drinking  of  strong 
liquors,  to  such  a  degree  that  at  one  time  he  determined  to  put  an  end  to 
his  miserable  existence  by  drowning  himself  in  the  Ohio  River.  Finally 
he  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Marietta,  where,  subse- 
quently, he  engaged  in  his  trade  of  blue-dyeing. 

*J.  B.  Finley. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  275 

In  the  fall  of  1814,  he  became  very  ill,  and  no  one  expected  he  would  re- 
cover. But  he  invoked  the  blessings  of  God,  and  promised  if  he  was  spared 
that  he  would  obey  the  call.  Soon  after  this,  he  went  into  the  fields  to  pray. 
"  It  seemed  to  me,"  said  he,  "  that  I  heard  a  voice,  like  the  voice  of  a  woman 
praising  God;  and  then  another,  as  the  voice  of  a  man,  saying  to  me,  '  You 
must  declare  my  counsel  faithfully.'  These  voices  ran  through  me  power- 
fully. They  seemed  to  come  from  a  northwest  direction.  I  soon  found 
myself  standing  on  my  feet,  and  speaking  as  if  I  were  addressing  a  congre 
gation.  This  circumstance  made  a  strong  impression  upon  my  mind,  and 
seemed  an  indication  to  me  that  the  Lord  had  called  on  me  to  warn  sinners 
to  flee  the  wrath  to  come.  But  I  felt  myself  so  poor  and  ignorant  that  I 
feared  much  to  make  any  attempt,  though  I  was  continually  drawn  to  travel 
toward  the  course  from  whence  the  voices  seemed  to  come.  I  at  length  con- 
cluded that  if  God  would  enable  me  to  pay  my  debts,  which  I  had  con- 
tracted in  the  days  of  my  wickedness  and  folly,  I  would  go.  This  I  was 
soon  enabled  to  do;  and  I  accordingly  took  my  knapsack  and  set  oflf  to  the 
northwest,  not  knowing  whither  I  was  to  go.  When  I  set  off,  my  soul  was 
very  happy,  and  I  steered  my  course,  sometimes  in  the  road,  and  sometimes 
through  the  woods,  until  I  came  to  Goshen,  on  the  Tuscarawas  River.  This 
was  the  old  Moravian  establishment  among  the  Delawares.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Mortimore  was  then  its  pastor."  Here  Stewart  found  a  few  of  the  Dela- 
wares, among  them  the  old  chief  Killbuck  and  his  family.  He  remained  a 
few  days  and  was  kindly  treated  by  all.  And  it  was  here  doubtless  that 
Stewart  learned  something  of  the  Delawares  and  Wyandots  further  to  the 
north;  for  these  Delawares  had  many  friends  and  relations  that  lived  at  a 
point  on  the  Sandusky  River  called  Pipetown,  after  the  chief  who  lived 
there;  and  to  this  place  he  next  proceeded. 

At  Pipetown  was  a  considerable  body  <A  Delawares  under  the  control  of 
Capt.  Pipe,  son  of  the  chief  of  the  same  name,  who  was  prominent  at  the 
burning  of  Col.  Crawford.  At  this  place  Stewart  stopped,  but  as  the  In- 
dians were  preparing  for  a  great  dance  they  paid  but  little  attention  to  him. 
The  proceedings  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  were  all  new  to  Stewart,  and 
for  a  time  their  vociferations  and  actions  alarmed  him  exceedingly,  but  at 
last  they  became  somewhat  quiet,  when  Stewart  took  out  his  hymn  book  and 
began  to  sing.  He,  as  is  usual  with  many  of  his  race,  had  a  most  melodi- 
ous voice,  and  as  a  result  of  his  effort  the  Indians  present  were  charmed 
and  awed  into  perfect  silence.  When  he  ceased.  Johnny-cake  said  in  bi'oken 
English,  ' '  Sing  more. "  He  then  asked  if  there  was  any  person  present  who 
could  interpret  for  him;  when  old  Lyons,  who  called  himself  one  hundred 
and  sixty  years  old  (for  he  counted  the  summer  a  year  and  the  winter  a 
year)  came  forward.  Stewart  talked  to  them  for  some  minutes  and  then  re- 
iire(]  for  the  night.  In  the  morning,  he  almost  determined  to  return  to 
Marietta,  and  from  thence  proceed  to  the  home  of  his  parents  in  Tennessee. 
But  so  strong  were  liis  impressions  that  he  had  not  yet  reached  the  right 
place,  though  he  was  invited  by  the  Delawares  to  remain  with  them,  that 
he  continued  his  course  northwesterly  and  finally  arrived  at  the  house  of 
William  Walker,  Sr.,  at  Upper  Sandusky. 

Mr.  Walker  was  an  interpreter,  and  the  United  States  Indian  sub-agent 
at  this  point.  At  first  he  suspected  Stewart  to  be  a  runaway  slave;  but  the 
latter  accounted  for  his  presence  here  in  such  an  honest,  straightfoward 
manner,  that  all  doubts  or  suspicions  were  at  once  removed.  Mrs.  Walker, 
who  was  a  most  amiable  woman,  of  good  education,  and  half  Wyandot,  also 
became  much  interested  in  Stewart  after  hearing  his  account  of   himself. 


276  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

She  possessed  great  influence  in  the  Wyandot  nation;  and  this  whole  family 
became  his  hospitable  friends,  and  the  untiring  patrons  to  the  mission 
which  was  afterward  established.  Mr.  Walker,  Sr. ,  his  wife  and  his  sons, 
were  all  good  interpreters,  spoke  the  Indian  tongue  fluently,  and  all,  except 
old  Mr.  Walker,  became  members  of  the  church. 

This  family  directed  Stewart  to  a  colored  man  named  Jonathan  Pointer. 
The  latter,  when  a  little  boy,  had  been  captured  by  the  Wyandots  at  Point 
Pleasant,  Va.  His  master  and  himself  were  cultivating  corn  when  the 
Indians  came  upon  them.  They  shot  his  master,  caught  Jonathan,  and 
took  him  home  with  them.  This  man  could  speak  the  Indian  language  as 
well  as  any  of  the  natives.  When  Stewart  called  upon  him,  and  made 
known  his  wishes,  Jonathan  was  very  reluctant,  indeed,  to  interpret  for 
him,  or  to  introduce  him  as  a  preacher.  He  told  Stewart  that  "  it  was 
great  folly  for  him,  a  poor  colored  man,  to  attempt  to  turn  these  Indians 
from  their  old  religion  to  a  new  one."  Bat  Stewart  persevered;  he  believed 
that  God  had  sent  him  here,  and  he  was  unwilling  to  give  up  until  he  had 
made  a  trial. 

Jonathan  was  going  to  a  feast  and  dance  the  next  day,  and  Stewart 
desired  to  go  along,  to  which  he  rather  reluctantly  consented.  Stewart  in- 
duced him  to  introduce  him  to  the  chiefs,  when  he  gave  them  an  exhortation 
and  sung  a  hymn  or  two.  Finally  he  requested  that  all  who  were  willing 
to  hear  him  next  day  at  Pointer's  house  should  come  forward  and  give  him 
their  hand.  This  the  most  of  them  did.  But  he  was  much  disappointed 
the  next  day,  for  none  of  them  came  other  than  one  old  woman,  to  whom 
he  preached.  A  meeting  was  appointed  at  the  same  place  for  the  following 
day.  The  same  old  woman,  and  an  old  chief,  named  Big- Tree,  were  pres- 
ent. To  these  Stewart  again  preached.  The  next  day  being  the  Sabbath, 
he  appointed  to  meet  in  the  cou.ncil  house.  At  that  place  eight  or  ten 
came.  From  this  time  his  congregations  began  to  increase  in  numbers,  and 
it  is  presumed  that  nothing  contributed  more  to  increase  them  and  keep 
them  up  for  awhile  than  his  singing.  This  delighted  the  Indians.  No 
people  are  more  fond  of  music  than  they  are,  and  for  that  reason  Stewart 
mixed  his  prayers  and  exhortations  with  numerous  songs. 

Mr.  Finley  relates  that  many  of  the  Wyandots  had  been  Catholics,  and 
they  began  to  call  up  their  old  Catholic  songs,  and  sing  them,  and  to  pray. 
By  this  means,  some  of  them  got  stirred  up,  and  awakened  to  see  their  lost 
condition.  However,  Stewart  considered  it  to  be  his  duty  when  they  prayed 
to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  used  their  beads  and  crosses  in  prayer,  to  tell  them 
that  it  was  wrong.  He  also  spoke  against  the  foolishness  of  their  feasts  and 
dances,  and  against  their  witchcraft.  These  reproofs  soon  excited  preju- 
dices against  him.  Many  that  had  joined  in  the  meetings  went  away,  and  by 
voice  and  actions  did  all  the  harm  they  could.  Some  even  visited  the 
Catholic  priest  at  Detroit,  related  what  was  going  on,  and  asked  for  in- 
structions. The  priest  told  them,  "that  none  had  the  true  word  of  God, 
or  Bible,  but  the  Catholics;  that  none  but  the  Catholic  priests  could  teach 
them  the  trae  and  right  way  to  heaven;  that  if  they  died  out  of  the  Catholic 
Church  they  must  perish  forever;  and  that  they  could  not  be  saved  in  any 
other  way,  but  must  be  lost  forever."  They  came  home  from  Detroit  in 
high  spirits,  and  soon  it  was  reported  through  every  family  that  Stewart 
did  not  have  the  right  Bible,  and  was  leading  them  wrong.  Some  charged 
him  with  having  a  false  Bible,  but  how  to  test  the  matter  was  the  difficulty. 
Finally,  all  agreed  to  leave  it  to  Mr.  Walker,  Sr.  The  time  was  set  when 
the  parties  were  to  meet,  and  he  was  publicly  to  examine  Stewart's   Bible 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  277 

and  hymn  book.  The  parties  came  together  at  the  time  appointed.  Deep 
interest  was  felt  on  both  sides,  and  all  waited  in  solemn  suspense.  After 
some  time  had  been  spent  iu  the  examination,  Mr.  Walker  said  that  the 
Bible  used  by  Stewart  was  a  true  one,  and  differed  from  the  Catholic  Bible 
only  in  this:  one  was  printed  in  English,  the  other  in  Latin.  He  also  af- 
firmed that  his  (Stewart's)  hymn  book  was  a  good  one,  and  that  the  hymns 
it  contained  were  well  calculated  to  be  sung  in  the  worship  of  God. 

This  decision  was  received  with  joy  by  the  religious  party,  and  in  a 
corresponding  degree  sunk  the  spirits  of  the  other.  It  is  believed,  how- 
ever, that  none  were  so  influential  in  putting  down  the  superstitions  of  the 
Catholics  as  Mrs.  Walker.  She  was  no  ordinary  woman.  Her  mind  was 
well  enlightened,  and  she  could  expose  the  folly  of  their  superstitions  better 
than  any  one  in  the  nation.  As  she  stood  so  high  in  the  estimation  of  all, 
her  words  had  more  weight  than  anyone  else. 

Stewart  continued  his  labors  among  the  Wyandots  from  November,  1816, 
until  early  in  the  following  spring.  His  interpreter,  Pointer,  had  professed 
to  obtain  religion,  and  also  a  considerable  number  of  rather  unimportant 
Indians;  but  the  leading  chiefs  and  head  men  of  the  nation  stood  aloof. 
After  passing  several  months  at  Mariette,  Stewart  returned  to  Upper  San- 
dusky in  August,  1817.  He  found  upcm  his  return  that  but  few  of  his  floek 
had  remained  steadfast.  Most  of  them  had  fallen  back  into  their  former 
habits,  and  one  of  the  most  hopeful  of  the  young  men  had  been  killed  in  a 
drunken  frolic.  At  this  time  Monuncue*  and  Two- logs,  or  Bloody  Eyes 
(the  last  mentioned  chief  being  a  brother  of  Between-the-logs),  raised  a 
powerful  opposition  to  Stewart,  and  represented  in  most  glowing  colors  the 
destruction  that  the  Great  Spirit  would  visit  upon  them  if  they  forsook  their 
old  traditions;  that  the  Great  Spirit  had  denounced  them  as  a  nation,  and 

*  This  renowned  chief  of  the  Wyandot  nation  was  of  medium  stature,  and  remarkably  symmetrical 
in  form.  Mr.  Finley  says  he  was  one  of  the  most  active  men  he  ever  knew,  quick  in  his  motions  as  thought, 
and  fleet  as  the  doe  in  the  chase. 

As  a  speaker,  he  possessed  a  native  eloquence  which  was  truly  wonderful.  Few  could  stand  before 
the  overwhelming  torrent  of  his  eloquence.  He  was  a  son  of  Thunder.  When  inspired  with  his  theme,  he 
could  move  a  large  assembly  with  as  much  ease,  and  rouse  them  to  as  high  a  state  of  excitement,  as  any 
speaker  I  ever  heard.  There  is  a  peculiarity  in  Indian  eloquence  which  it  is  difficult  to  describe.  To  form 
a  correct  idea  of  its  character,  you  must  be  in  the  hearing  and  sight  of  the  son  of  the  forest;  the  tones  of 
his  voice  and  the  flash  of  his  eye  must  fall  upon  you,  and  you  must  see  the  significant  movement  of  his 
body.     As  an  orator,  Mononcue  was  not  surpassed  by  any  chieftian. 

I  will  give  a  specimen  or  two  of  the  eloquence  of  this  gifted  son  of  nature.  Imagine  yourself,  gentle 
reader,  in  the  depths  of  the  forest,  surrounded  by  hundreds  of  chiefs  and  warriors,  all  sunk  in  the  degreda- 
tion  and  darkness  of  paganism.  They  have  been  visited  by  the  missionary,  and  several  converted  chiefs. 
One  after  another  the  chiefs  rise  and  address  the  assembly,  but  with  no  effect.  The  dark  scowl  of  iufidelity 
settles  on  their  brows,  and  the  frequent  mutterings  of  the  excited  auditors  indicate  that  their  speeches  are 
not  acceptable,  and  their  doctrines  not  believed.  At  length  Mononcue  rises  amidst  confusion  and  dis- 
turbance, and  ordering  silence  with  a  commanding  voice,  he  addresses  them  as  follows  : 

"When  you  meet  to  worship  God.  and  to  hear  from  His  word,  shut  up  your  mouths,  and  open  your 
ears  to  hear  what  is  said.  You  have  been  here  several  days  and  nights  worshipping  your  Indian  god,  who 
has  no  existence,  only  in  your  dark  and  beclouded  minds.  You  have  been  burning  your  dogs  and  vension 
for  him  to  smell  What  kind  of  a  god  or  spirit  is  he,  that  he  can  be  delighted  with  the  smell  of  a  burnt 
dog?  Do  you  suppose  the  great  (lod  that  spread  out  the  heavens,  that  hung  up  the  sun  and  moon,  and 
all  the  stars,  to  make  light,  and  spread  out  this  vast  world  of  land  and  water,  and  filled  it  with  men 
and  beasts,  and  everything  that  swims  or  flies,  is  pleased  with  the  smell  of  your  burnt  dog?  I  tell  you  to- 
day, that  His  great  eye  is  on  your  hearts,  and  not  on  your  fires,  to  see  and  smell  what  you  are  burning.  Has 
your  worshipping  here  these  few  days  made  you  any  better?  Do  you  feel  that  you  have  gotton  the  victory 
over  one  evil?  No!  You  have  not  taken  the  first  step  to  do  better,  which  is  to  keep  this  day  holy.  This 
day  was  appointed  by  God  Himself,  a  day  ot  rest  for  all  men,  and  a  day  on  which  men  are  to  worship  Him 
with  pure  hearts,  and  to  come  before  Him  that  He  may  examine  their  hearts,  and  cast  out  all  their  evil. 
This  day  is  appointed  for  His  minister  to  preach  to  us  .Tesus,  and  to  teach  our  dark  and  cloudy  minds,  and 
to  bring  them  to  light."  He  here  spoke  of  the  Savior,  and  His  dying  to  redeem  the  world  ;  that  how  life  and 
salvation  are  freely  ottered  to  all  that  will  forsake  sin  and  turn  to  God  He  adverted  to  the  judgment  day, 
and  the  awful  consequences  of  being  found  in  sin,  and  strangers  to  God.  On  this  subject  he  was  tremend- 
ously awful.  He  burst  into  tears ;  he  caught  the  handkerchief  from  his  head,  and  wiped  them  from  his 
eyes.  Many  in  the  house  sat  as  if  they  were  petrified,  while  others  wept  in  silence.  Many  of  the  females 
drew  their  blankets  over  their  faces  "and  wept.  "  Awful,  awful  day  to  the  wicked  1"  said  this  thundering 
minister.  "  Your  faces  will  look  much  blacker  with  your  shame  and  guilt  than  they  do  now  with  your 
paint."  I  have  no  doubt  but  God  was  with  Mononcue  on  this  occasion,  and  that  many  were  convicted  of  sin 
and  a  judgment  to  come. 

Mononcue  was  of  great  service  to  the  mission  at  Upper  Sandusky  as  a  local  preacher,  and  was  always 
prompt  in  the  discharge  of  every  duty.  He  remained  a  true  Christian  and  friend  of  the  whites  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  some  time  before  the  removal  of  the  Wyandots  west  of  Missouri. 


278  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

would  abandon  them  forever,  if  they  left  His  commandments,  and  exhorted 
the  people  never  to  think  of  turning  aside  from  their  fathers'  religion. 

Late  in  the  year  1818,  Stewart  encountered  other  difficulties.  It  seems  . 
that  certain  missionaries,  traveling  to  the  northward,  passed  through  Upper 
Sandusky,  and  finding  that  Stewart  had  been  somewhat  successful  in  his 
labors  among  the  Wyandots,  wanted  him  to  join  their  church,  saying  that 
they  would  assure  him  a  good  salary.  He  refused  on  the  gi'ound  of  his  ob- 
jections to  the  doctrines  they  held.  They  then  demanded  his  authority  as 
a  Methodist  missionary.  As  he  held  no  other  authority  from  the  church 
than  an  exhorter's  license,  he  frankly  told  them  he  had  none.  Through 
this  means,  it  became  known  that  he  had  no  authority  from  the  church  to 
exercise  the  ministerial  office;  although  he  had  both  solemnized  matrimony 
and  baptized  several  persons,  both  adults  and  children,  believing  that  the 
necessity  of  the  case  justified  it.  This  operated  greatly  to  his  disadvan- 
tage, for  the  missionaries  aforesaid  and  the  traders  asserted  that  he  was 
an  impostor. 

Stewart  now  determined  to  attach  himself  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  at  some  point  nearer  than  Marietta.  The  same  winter  •(1818-19), 
he  visited  a  tribe  of  the  Wyandots  that  lived  at  Solomonstown,  oa  the 
Great  Miami  River.  He  there  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Robert  Arm- 
strong, and  some  Methodist  families  living  near  Bellefontaine.  From  them 
he  learned  that  the  quarterly  meeting,  for  that  circuit,  would  be  held  near 
Urbana.  To  that  place  he  proceeded  (in  company  with  some  of  the  Indi- 
ans), recommended  by  the  converted  chiefs  and  others,  as  a  proper  person  to 
be  licensed  as  a  local  preacher  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In 
March,  1819,  his  case  was  brought  before  the  conference,  and  by  a  unani- 
mous vote  of  that  body,  he  was  duly  licensed.  At  this  meeting,  several  of 
the  local  preachers  present  volunteered  to  go  in  turn  and  assist  Stewart, 
but  it  appears  that  Rev.  Anthony  Banning,  of  Mount  Vernon,  anticipated 
their  action,  and  was  the  first  to  aid  him. 

At  the  annual  confei,-ence,  held  at  Cincinnati  in  August,  1819,  the 
Indian  mission  at  Upper  Sandusky  was  named  as  a  regular  field  of 
labor  in  the  Lebanon  District,  which  then  extended  from  the  Ohio  River 
northward  to  and  including  Michigan  TeiTitory.  At  the  same  time  Rev. 
James  B.  Finley  was  appointed  Presiding  Elder  of  the  district,  and  Rev. 
James  Montgomery,  missionary  to  assist  Stewart.  Subsequently,  Mont- 
gomery was  appointed  by  Col.  John  Johnston,  sub-agent,  over  the  Senecas, 
and  Moses  Henkle  was  employed  to  fill  the  position  vacated  by  Montgomery. 
As  a  result  of  these  proceedings,  Stewart's  prominence  as  a  missionary  among 
the  Indians  began  to  wane,  and  others  proceeded  to  occupy  the  field  which 
he  had  opened. 

Although  Mononcue  and  other  prominent  men  of  the  Wyandots 
opposed  Stewart's  efforts  for  a  time,  they  were,  comparatively  speaking, 
early  converts  to  Methodism  Thus.  Finley  relates  that  the  first  quarterly 
meeting  appointed  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indians  was  held  at  Zanesfield, 
at  the  house  of  Ebenezer  Zane,  a  half-breed,  in  November,  1819.  About 
sixty  Indians  were  present,  among  them  the  chiefs  known  as  Between-the- 
logs,  Mononcue,  John  Hicks,  Peacock,  Squindighty  and  Scuteash.  Robert 
Armstrong  and  Jonathan  Pointer  were  the  interpreters.  All  of  the  chiefs 
mentioned,  besides  several  others,  spoke  to  the  white  men  and  red  men  there 
assembled.     The  address  of  Between-the-logs,  interpreted,  was  as  follows: 

"Will  you  have  patience  to  hear  me,  and  I  will  give  you  a  history 
of  religion  among  the  Indians  for  some  time   back,  and  how  we  have  been 


JVlO-K0J\ICl/E 


JIN  INDIAN  CHIEF  OF  THE  WYANDOT  TRIBE  AND  A  LICENSED  PREACHER 
OF  THE ptETfiODIST  Chd({Cii. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  281 

deceived.  Our  fathoi's  had  a  religion  of  their  own,  by  which  they  served 
God  and  were  happy,  before  any  white  men  came  among  them.  They  used 
to  worship  with  feasts,  sacrifices,  dances  and  rattles;  in  doing  which  they 
thought  they  were  right.  Our  parents  wished  us  to  be  good,  and  they  used 
to  make  us  do  good,  and  would  sometimes  correct  us  for  doing  evil.  But  a 
great  while  ago,  the  French  sent  us  the  good  book  by  a  Koman  priest,  and 
we  listened  to  him.  He  taught  us  that  we  must  confess  our  sins,  and  he 
would  forgive  them;  that  we  must  worship  Lady  Mary,  and  do  penance. 
He  baptized  us  with  spittle  and  salt,  and  many  of  us  did  as  he  told  us. 
Now,  we  thought,  to  be  sure  we  are  right.  He  told  us  to  pray,  and  to  carry 
the  cross  on  our  breasts.  He  told  us,  also,  that  it  was  wrong  to  drink 
whisky.  But  we  found  that  he  would  drink  it  himself,  and  we  followed 
his  steps  and  got  dnink  too.  At  last  our  priest  left  us,  and  this  religion  all 
died  away.  So,  many  of  us  left  off  getting  drunk,  and  we  began  again  to 
do  pretty  well.  Then  the  Seneca  prophet  arose  and  pretended  that  he  had 
talked  to  the  Great  Spirit,  and  that  he  had  told  him  what  the  Indians  ought 
to  do.  So  we  heard  and  followed  him.  It  is  true,  he  told  us  many  good 
things,  and  that  we  ought  not  to  drink  whisky,  but  soon  we  found  that  he 
was  like  the  lioman  priest — he  would  tell  us  we  must  not  do  things,  and 
yet  do  them  himself.  So  here  we  were  deceived  again.  Then,  after  these 
cheats,  we  thought  oui"  fathers'  religion  was  still  the  best,  and  we  would 
take  it  up  again  and  follow  it.  After  some  time  the  great  Shawanese  prophet 
[Tecumseh's  brother]  arose.  Well,  we  heard  him,  and  some  of  us  followed 
him  for  awhile.  But  we  had  now  become  very  jealous,  having  been  deceived 
so  often,  and  we  watched  him  very  closely,  and  soon  found  him  like  all  the 
rest.  Then  we  left  him  also,  and  now  we  were  made  strong  in  the  religion 
of  our  fathers,  and  concluded  to  turn  away  from  it  no  more.  We  made  an- 
other trial  to  establish  it  more  firmly,  and  had  made  some  progress  when  the 
war  broke  out  between  our  father,  the  President,  and  King  George.  Our 
nation  was  for  war  with  the  king,  and  every  man  wanted  to  be  a  big  man. 
Then  we  drank  whisky  and  fought;  and  by  the  time  the  war  was  over  we 
were  all  scattered,  and  many  killed  and  dead. 

"But  the  chiefs  thovight  they  would  gather  the  nation  together  once 
more.  We  had  a  good  many  collected,  and  were  again  establishing  our  In- 
dian religion.  Just  at  this  time,  a  black  man,  Stewart,  onr  brother  here 
(poiuting  to  him),  came  to  us,  and  told  us  he  was  sent  by  the  Great  Spirit 
to  tell  us  the  true  and  good  way.  But  we  thought  that  he  was  like  all  the 
rest,  that  he  wanted  to  cheat  us,  and  get  our  money  and  land  from  us.  He 
told  us  of  all  our  sins;  showed  us  that  drinking  whisky  was  ruining  us; 
that  the  Great  Spirit  was  angry  with  us;  and  that  we  must  leave  ofi"  these 
things.  But  we  treated  him  ill,  and  gave  him  but  little  to  eat,  and  trampled 
on  him,  and  were  jealous  of  him  for  a  whole  year.  We  are  sure  if  the 
Great  Spirit  had  not  sent  him,  he  could  not  have  borne  with  our  treatment. 
About  this  time  our  father,  the  President,  applied  to  us  to  buy  our  lands, 
and  we  had  to  go  to  the  great  city  to  see  him.  When  we  came  home,  our 
old  preacher  was  still  with  us,  telling  us  the  same  things;  and  we  could 
find  no  fault  or  alteration  in  him.  About  this  time  he  talked  about  leaving 
us  to  see  his  friends;  and  our  squaws  told  us  that  we  were  fools  to  let  him 
go,  for  the  Great  God  had  sent  him,  and  we  ought  to  adopt  him.  But  still 
we  wanted  to  hear  longer.  They  then  told  us  what  God  had  done  for  them 
by  this  man.  So  we  attended  his  meeting  in  the  council  house,  and  the 
Great  Spirit  came  upon  us  so  that  some  cried  aloud,  some  clapped  their 
hands,  some  ran  away,  and  some  were  angry.      We   held  our   meeting  all 

5 


282  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

night,  sometimes  singing  and  sometimes  praying.  By  this  time  we  were 
convinced  that  God  had  sent  him  to  us;  and  then  we  adopted  him,  and  gave 
him  mother  and  children.  About  this  time  a  few  of  us  went  to  a  great 
camp-meeting  near  Lebanon,  Warren  County,  Ohio,  and  were  much  blessed 
and  very  happy.  As  soon  as  this  work  was  among  us  at  Sandusky,  almost 
every  week  some  preacher  would  come  and  tell  us  they  loved  us,  and  would 
take  us  and  our  preacher  under  their  care,  and  give  us  schools,  and  do  all 
for  us  that  we  wished.  But  we  thought  if  they  loved  Indians  so,  why  not 
go  to  the  Senecas  and  Mohawks?  They  have  no  preacher;  we  have  ours. 
Some  told  us  that  we  must  be  baptized  all  over  in  the  water,  to  wash  away 
our  sins.  And  now  they  said  they  cared  much  for  us;  but  before  Stewart 
came  they  cared  nothing  for  us.  Now  some  of  us  are  trying  to  do  good, 
and  are  happy.  We  find  no  alteration  in  Stewart.  But  when  others  come, 
and  our  young  men  will  not  sit  still,  they  scold;  and  we  believe  Stewari  is  the 
best  man.  Some  of  the  white  people  that  live  among  us  and  can  talk  our 
language  say,  '  The  Methodists  have  bewitched  you;'  and  that,  'It  is  all 
nothing  but  the  works  of  the  devil;  and  the  whites  want  to  get  you  tamed, 
and  then  kill  you,  as  they  did  the  Moravian  Indians  on  the  Tuscarawas 
River."  I  told  them  that  if  we  were  to  be  killed,  it  was  time  for  us  all  to 
be  praying.  Some  white  people  put  bad  things  in  the  minds  of  our  young 
Indians,  and  make  our  way  rough."  Between-the-logs  concluded  his  ad- 
dress by  telling  of  the  goodness  of  the  Lord,  and  requesting  an  interest  in 
the  prayers  of  his  people. 

In  August,  .1821,  in  accordance  with  the  suggestions  of  the  Methodist 
preachers,  the  chiefs,  Deunquot,  Between-the-logs,  John  Hicks,  Mononcue, 
Andauyouah,  Deandoughso  and  Tahuwaughtarode,  signed  a  petition,  which 
was  drawn  up  and  witnessed  by  William  Walker,  United  States  Interpreter; 
and  Moses  Henkle,  Sr.,  Missionary,  requesting  that  a  missionary  school  be 
established  among  them,  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  for  that  pui-pose  they 
donated  a  section  of  land  at  the  place  called  Camp  Meigs,  where  existed  a  fine 
spring  of  water  and  other  conveniences.  The  Indians  also  requested  of  con- 
ference that  the  teacher  sent  them  should  be  a  preacher,  thus  obviating 
the  necessity  of  a  traveling  misssonary  being  continued  among  them. 
Thereupon  Eev.  James  B.  Finley,  was  appointed  resident  missionary  and 
teacher  at  the  Wyandot  INIission.  He  says  in  his  history  of  the  mission: 
' '  There  was  no  plan  of  operation  furnished  me,  no  provision  made  for  the 
mission  family,  no  house  to  shelter  them,  nor  supplies  for  the  winter; 
and  there  was  only  a  small  sum  of  money,  amounting  to  $20U,  appro- 
priated for  the  benefit  of  the  mission.  However,  I  set  about  the  work 
of  preparation  to  move.  I  had  a  suitable  wagon  made,  bought  a  yoke  of 
oxen,  and  other  things  necessary,  took  my  own  fui'niture  and  household 
goods,  and  by  the  8th  of  October  was  on  my  way.  I  had  hired  two  young 
men,  and  one  young  woman,  and  Sister  Harriet  Stubbs  volunteered  to  ac- 
company us  as  a  teacher.  These,  with  my  wife  and  self,  made  the  whole 
mission  family.  We  were  eight  days  making  our  way  out.  Sixty  miles 
of  the  road  was  almost  as  bad  as  it  could  be.  From  Markley's,  on  the 
Scioto,  to  Upper  Sandusky,  there  were  but  two  or  three  cabins.  But  by  the 
blessing  of  kind  Providence,  we  arrived  safe,  and  were  received  by  all  with 
the  warmest  aflfection.  There  was  no  house  for  us  to  shelter  in  on  the  sec- 
tion of  land  we  were  to  occupy,  but  by  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Lewis,  the  black- 
smith, we  were  permitted  to  occupy  a  new  cabin  he  had  built  for  his  family. 
It  was  without  door,  window  or  chinking.  Here  we  unloaded,  and  set  up 
oiir  Ebenezer.   The  Sabbath  following,  we  held  meeting  in  the  council  house, 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  283 

and  had  a  large  congregation.      Brother  Stewart  was  present,  and  aided  in 
the  exercises.      We  had  a  good  meeting,  and  the  prospect  of  better  times. 

"  We  now  selected  the  place  for  building  our  mission  house.  It  was  on 
the  spot  called  "  Camp  Meigs,'  where  Gov.  Meigs  had  encamped  with  the  Ohio 
Militia  in  time  of  the  last  war.  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Sandusky  River, 
about  a  mile  below  the  post  of  'Upper  Sandusky."  We  commenced  getting 
logs  to  put  us  up  a  shelter  for  the  winter.  The  first  week  one  of  my  hands 
left  me.  A  day  or  two  after,  while  we  were  in  the  woods  cutting  down 
timber,  a  dead  limb  fell  from  the  tree  we  were  chopping  on  the  head  of  the 
other  young  man,  so  that  he  lay  breathless.  I  placed  him  on  the  wa^on, 
drove  home  half  a  mile  or  more,  and  then  bled  him,  before  he  recovered  his 
senses.  I  now  began  to  think  it  would  be  hard  times.  Winter  was  coming 
on,  and  my  family  exposed  in  an  Indian  country,  without  a  house  to  shelter 
in.  For  years  I  had  dont>  but  little  manual  labor.  But  the  Lord  blessed 
me  with  great  peace  in  ray  soul.  My  worthy  friend,  George  Riley,  recov- 
ered from  his  hurt,  and  we  worked  almost  day  and  night,  until  the  skin 
came  off  the  inside  of  my  hands.  I  took  oak  bark,  boiled  it,  and  washed 
my  hands  in  the  decoction,  and  they  soon  got  well  and  became  hard. 
We  built  a  cabin  house,  20x23  feet,  and  without  door,  window,  or 
loft.  On  the  very  day  that  snow*  began  to  fall,  we  moved  into  it.  The 
•winter  soon  became  extremely  cold.  We  repaired  one  of  the  old  block- 
houses, made  a  stable  thereof  for  our  cattle,  and  cut,  hauled  and  hewed 
logs  to  put  up  a  double  house,  forty-eight  feet  long  by  twenty  wide,  a  story 
and  a  half  high.  We  hauled  timber  to  the  saw  mill,  and  sawed  it  ourselves 
into  joists  and  plank,  for  the  floors  and  other  purposes.  I  think  I  can  say 
that  neither  brother  Riley  nor  myself  sat  down  to  eat  one  meal  of  victuals 
that  winter  but  by  candle-light,  except  on  Sabbath  days.  We  always  went 
to  bed  at  9,  and  rose  at  4  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  by  daylight  we  were 
ready  to  go  to  work.  In  addition  to  this,  I  preached  every  Sabbath  and  met 
class,  attended  prayer  meeting  once  every  week,  and  labored  to  rear  up  the 
church.  Brother  Stewart  assisted  when  he  was  able  to  labor,  but  his  pul- 
monary affliction  confined  him  the  most  of  liis  time  to  the  house,  and  I  em- 
ployed him  to  teach  a  small  school  of  ten  or  twelve  Indian  children  at  the 
Big  Spring;  for  these  people  were  so  anxious  to  have  their  children  taught 
that  they  could  not  wait  until  preparations*  were  made  at  the  mission  house, 
and  they  wanted  to  have  a  separate  school  by  themselves.  To  this  I  would 
not  agree;  but  to  accommodate  their  wishes  until  we  were  ready  at  the  mis- 
sion house  to  receive  their  children,  I  consented  that  they  might  be  taught 
at  home." 

Mr.  Finley  remained  with  the  Wyandots  at  Upper  Sandusky  (assisted 
meanwhile,  at  different  periods,  by  Revs.  John  Stewart,  Charles  Elliott, 
Jacob  Hooper,  John  C.  Brooke  and  James  Gilruth),  about  seven  years,  and 
his  published  statements  of  the  proceedings  while  here,  are  quite  inter- 
esting and  complete.  Yet,  except  in  a  few  instances,  the  scope  of  this 
work — the  great  variety  of  topics  to  be  treated — precludes  the  practicability 
of  our  giving  full  accounts  obtained  therefrom,  or  indeed  of  doing  but 
little  more,  while  speaking  further  of  the  Wyandot  Mission,  than  to  merely 
make  mention  of  some  of  the  most  prominent  events. 

While  the  chiefs  and  head  men  known  as  Between-the-logs,  Mononcue, 
John  Hicks,  Squire  Grayeyes,  George  Punch,  Summundewat,  Big-tree, 
Driver,  Washington,  Joseph  Williams.  Two  Logs,  Mathew  Peacock, 
Harrihoot,  Robert  Armstrong,  Scuteash,  Rohnyenness,  Little  Chief,  Big 
River,  Squindatee  and  others  (with  a  following  of  about  one-half   of  those 


284  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

on  the  reservation),  prof  essed  to  have  obtained  religion,  and  were  enrolled  as 
members  of  the  Mission  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Deunquot,  who  be- 
came the  head  chief  of  the  nation  npon  the  death  of  Tarhe,  together  with 
the  other  half  of  the  Indians  under  his  control,  remained  true  to  the 
religion  (if  so  it  maj  be  called)  of  their  fathers.  Finley  speaks  of  an 
occurrence  in  which  Deunquot  prominently  figured  as  follows: 

"  Some  time  after  this  the  head  chief,  Deunquot,  and  his  party  came  one 
Sabbath  to  the  council  house,  where  we  held  our  meetings,  dressed  up  and 
painted  in  real  Indian  style,  with  their  head-bands  tilled  with  silver  bobs, 
their  head-dress  consisting  of  feathers  and  painted  horse  hair.  The  chief 
had  a  half  moon  of  silver  on  his  neck  before  and  several  hanging  on  his 
back.  He  had  nose-jewels  and  ear-rings,  and  many  bands  of  silver 
on  his  arms  and  legs.  Around  his  ankles  hung  many  buck-hoofs,  to 
rattle  when  he  walked.  His  party  were  dressed  in  similar  style.  The  like 
nesses  of  animals  were  painted  on  their  breasts  and  backs,  and  snakes  on 
their  arms.  When  he  came  in  he  addressed  the  congregation  in  Indian 
style,  with  a  polite  compliment,  and  then  taking  his  seat,  struck  lire,  took 
out  his  pipe,  lighted  it  and  commenced  smoking.  Others  of  his  party 
followed  his  example.  I  knew  this  was  done  by  way  of  opposition  and 
designed  as  an  insult.  Soon  after  I  toek  my  text,  John  v,  16,  'Wilt  thou 
be  made  whole?'  etc.;  and  commenced  on  the  diseases  of  man's  soul,  and 
showing  from  history  the  injustice  of  one  nation  to  another;  the  treatment 
of  the  white  people  to  the  natives  of  North  and  South  America;  the 
conduct  of  man  to  his  brother,  and  his  conduct  to  himself,  his  drunkenness 
etc.,  and  all  the  good  we  have  comes  from  God,  to  make  us  happy.  But 
that  we,  from  the  badness  of  our  hearts,  use  these  blessings  to  our  own  hurt; 
and  that  all  evil  proceeds  out  of  the  heart;  therefore,  all  our  hearts  must 
be  evil,  and  that  continually;  that  we  are  proud,  and  of  this  we  have  an  ex- 
ample before  us  in  our  grandfather,  the  head  chief.  Surely  these  things 
can  do  him  no  good,  but  to  feed  a  proud  heart.  They  will  not  warm  his 
body  when  cold,  nor  feed  him  when  hungry. 

"As  soon  as  I  sat  down,  he  arose  with  all  the  dignity  of  an  Indian,  and 
spoke  as  follows:  '  My  friends,  this  is  a  ])retty  day,  and  your  faces  all  look 
pleasantly.  I  thank  the  Great  Spirit  that  He  has  permitted  us  to  meet.  I 
have  listened  to  your  preacher.  He  has  said  some  things  that  are  good,  but 
they  have  nothing  to  do  with  us.  We  are  Indians,  and  belong  to  the  red 
man's  God.  That  book  was  made  by  the  white  man's  God,  and  suits  them. 
They  can  read  it — we  cannot;  and  what  he  has  said  will  do  for  white  men, 
but  with  us  it  has  nothing  to  do.  Once,  in  the  days  of  our  grandfathers, 
many  years  ago,  this  white  man's  God  came  himself  to  this  country  and 
claimed  us.  But  our  God  met  him  somewhere  near  the  great  mountains, 
and  they  disputed  about  the  right  to  this  country.  At  last  they  agreed  to 
settle  this  question  by  trying  their  great  power  to  remove  a  mountain.  The 
white  man's  God  got  down  on  his  knees,  opened  a  big  book,  and  began  to 
pray  and  talk,  but  the  mountain  stood  fast.  Then  then  the  red  man's  God 
took  his  magic  wand,  and  began  to  powwow  and  beat  the  turtle  shell,  and 
the  mountain  trembled,  shook,  and  stood  by  him.  The  white  man's  God 
got  scared  and  ran  off,  and  we  have  not  heard  of  him  since,  unless  he  has 
sent  these  men  to  see  what  they  can  do.'  All  the  time  he  was  speaking, 
the  heathen  party  were  on  tip-toe,  and  often  responded,  saying,  '  Tough 
gondee'' — that  is,  true  or  right;  and  seemed  to  think  they  had  won  the 
victory. 

"As  soon  as  he  sat  down,  I  arose  and  said:      'Our  grandfather  is  a  great 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  285 

man — he  is  an  able  warrior,  a  great,  hunter,  and  a  good  chief  in  many 
things;  and  in  all  this  I  am  his  son.  Bat  when  ifc  comes  to  matters  of  re- 
ligion, he  is  my  son  and  I  am  his  father.  He  has  told  us  a  long  and  queer 
story.  I  wonder  where  he  obtained  it.  He  may  have  dreamed  it,  or  he  has 
heard  some  drunken  Indian  tell  it;  for  you  know  that  drunkards  always  see 
great  sights,  and  have  many  revelations,  which  sober  men  never  have.  (Here 
my  old  friend  Mononcue  said,  '  Tough  gondee/)  But  my  friend,  the  head 
chief,  is  mistaken  about  his  gods;  for  if  it  requires  a  God  for  every  color, 
there  must  be  many  more  gods.  This  man  is  black  (pointing  to  Pointer). 
I  am  white,  and  you  are  red.  Who  made  the  black  man  ?  Where  is  his 
God?  This  book  tells  you  and  me  that  there  is  but  one  God,  and  that  he 
made  all  things,  and  all  nations  of  the  earth  of  one  blood,  to  dwell  together; 
and  a  strong  evidence  is,  that  the  difference  of  color  is  no  obstacle  to  gen- 
eration. God  has  diversified  the  color  of  the  plants.  Go  to  the  plains  and 
see  how  varied  they  are  in  their  appearance.  Look  at  the  beasts;  they  are 
of  all  colors.  So  it  is  with  men.  God  has  given  them  all  shades  of  color, 
from  the  jet  black  to  the  snow  white.  Then  your  being  a  red  man,  and  I 
a  white  man,  is  no  argument  at  all  that  there  are  two  gods.  And  I  again 
say  that  this  book  is  true  in  what  it  states  of  man  having  a  bad  heart,  and 
being  wicked;  and  that  my  friend  has  a  proud  heart  is  evident  from  his 
dress  and  painting  himself.  God  made  me  white  and  that  man  black.  We 
are  contented.  But  my  friend  does  not  think  the  Great  Spirit  has  made 
him  pretty  enough;  he  must  put  on  his  paint  to  make  himself  look  better. 
This  is  a  plain  proof  that  he  is  a  proud  man,  and  has  an  evil  heart.'  Seeing 
that  the  chief  was  angry,  I  said,  'My  grandfather  will  not  get  angry  at  his 
son  for  telling  him  the  truth,  but  he  might  if  I  had  told  him  a  lie.' 

•'He  then  rose,  considerably  excited,  saying:  '1  am  not  angry;  but  you 
cannot  show  in  all  your  book  where  an  Indian  is  forbid  to  paint.  You  may 
find  where  white  people  are  forbid,  but  you  cannot  show  where  an  Indian  is.' 
I  then  arose,  and  read  from  the  third  chapter  of  Isaiah,  at  the  sixteenth 
verse;  and  told  him  that  th^se  people  were  not  white  men,  as  the  Ameri- 
cans, and  yet  were  forbidden  to  use  those  foolish  ornaments.  He  arose 
and  said  I  had  not  read  it  right.  I  then  handed  the  book  to  one  of  the  Mr. 
Walkers,  and  he  read  and  interpreted  it;  so  that  the  old  man  was  at  last 
confounded,  and  said  no  more.''  Nevertheless,  Deunquot  remained  stead- 
fast in  the  belief  of  his  ancestors  until  his  death,  which  occurred  about  a 
year  after  the  affair  in  the  council  house,  just  narrated.  He  was  succeeded 
by  the  chief  termed  Warpole. 

In  the  summer  of  1823,  the  mission  school  was  formally  opened.  It  was 
conducted  according  to  the  manual  labor  system.  The  boys  were  taught 
the  art  of  farming,  and  the  girls,  housework,  sewing,  knitting,  spinning, 
cooking,  etc.  The  boys  were  averse  to  labor  at  first;  but  instead  of  force, 
stratagem  was  brought  into  play.  They  were  divided  into  separate  groups, 
and  each  encouraged  to  excel  the  others.  Sixty  scholars  were  enrolled  in 
the  year  last  mentioned,  among  them  being  a  number  of  children  sent  from 
Canada,  by  members  of  the  Wyandot  nation  there  residing.  Bishop  Mc- 
Kendree  also  visited  the  mission  and  reservation  during  the  same  year.  In 
a  letter  written  by  him  in  August,  1823,  he  said:  "Our  missionary  estab- 
lishment is  at  Upper  Sandusky,  in  the  large  national  reserve  of  the  Wyan- 
dot tribes  of  ludians,  which  contains  one  hundred  and  forty-seven  thousaud 
eight  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land;  being  in  extent  something  more  than 
nineteen  miles  from  east  to  west,  and  twelve  miles  from  north  to  south. 
Throughout  the  whole  extent  of  this  tract,  the  Sandusky  winds  its  course,  re- 


286  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

ceiving  several  beautiful  streams.  This  fine  tract,  with  another  reservation 
of  five  miles  square  at  the  Big  Spring,  head  of  Blanchard's  River,  is  all  the 
soil  that  remains  to  the  Wyandots,  once  the  proprietors  of  an  extensive 
tract  of  country.  The  mission  at  Upper  Sandusky  is  about  sixty- five  or 
seventy  miles  north  of  Columbus,  the  seat  of  government  of  Ohio.  To  the 
old  Indian  boundary  line,  which  is  about  half  way,  the  country  is  pretty 
well  improved.  From  thence  to  the  Wyandot  Reserve,  the  papulation  is 
thinly  scattered,  the  lands  having  been  but  lately  surveyed  and  brought 
into  market." 

During  the  same  year  (1823),  Col.  John  Johnston,  United  States  Indian 
Agent,  likewise  visited  the  Wyandots  on  their  reservations.  He  passed 
several  days  among  them,  and  at  the  close  of  his  visit — August  23 — reported 
as  follows:  "  The  buildings  and  improvements  of  the  establishment  are 
substantial  and  extensive,  and  do  this  gentleman  [meaning  Mr.  Finley] 
great  credit.  The  farm  is  under  excellent  fence,  and  in  fine  order;  com- 
prising about  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  in  pasture,  corn  and  vegetables. 
There  are  about  fifty  acres  in  corn,  which,  from  present  appearances,  will 
yield  3,000  bushels.  It's  by  much  the  finest  crop  I  have  seen  this  year,  has 
been  well  worked,  and  is  clear  of  grass  and  weeds.  There  are  twelve  acres 
in  potatoes,  cabbage,  turnips  and  garden.  Sixty  children  belong  to  the 
school,  of  which  number  fifty-one  are  Indians.  These  children  are  boarded 
and  lodged  at  the  mission  house.  They  are  orderly  and  attentive,  compris- 
ing every  class  from  the  alphabet  to  readers  in  the  Bible.  I  am  told  by  the 
teacher  that  they  are  apt  in  learning,  and  that  he  is  entirely  satisfied  with 
the  progress  they  have  made.  They  attend  with  the  family  regularly  to  the 
duties  of  religion.  The  meeting-house,  on  the  Sabbath,  is  numerously  and 
devoutly  attended.  A  better  congregation  in  behavior  I  have  not  beheld; 
and  I  believe  there  can  be  no  doubt,  that  there  are  very  many  persons,  of 
both  sexes,  in  the  Wyandot  nation,  who  have  experienced  the  saving  effects 
of  the  Gospel  upon  their  minds.  Many  of  the  Indians  are  now  settling  on 
farms,  and  have  comfortable  houses  and  large  fields.  A  spirit  of  order,  in- 
dustry and  improvement  appears  to  prevail  with  that  part  of  the  nation 
which  has  embraced  Christianity,  and  this  constitutes  a  full  half  of  the 
population."  During  the  year  1823,  the  sum  of  $2,254.54  was  expended  at 
the  mission,  which  had  been  gathered  from  various  sources. 

The  same  year  was  also  made  memorable  in  the  history  of  the  mission 
by  reason  of  the  death  of  the  colored  preacher,  Rev.  John  Stewart,  who 
died  of  consumption  December  17,  1823.  It  appears  from  Finley's  account, 
that  in  1820,  conference  appropriated  money  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing 
a  horse  for  Stewart,  and  to  pay  for  clothing  he  had  bought;  besides  which, 
he  received  many  presents  from  friends  in  and  about  Urbana.  Soon  after, 
he  married  a  women  of  his  own  color,  and  wished  to  have  a  place  of  his 
own.  Thereupon  the  venerable  Bishop  McKendree  collected  $100,  with 
which  sixty  acres  of  land  were  purchased  and  patented  in  the  name  of 
Stewart.  It  adjoined  the  Wyandot  Reservation,  and  was  occupied  by  him 
from  the  spring  of  1821  until  his  death.  Afterward  his  wife  and  brother 
sold  the  land  and  appropriated  the  money  to  their  own  use.  Stewart  was 
the  recipient  of  regular  supplies  from  the  mission  to  the  time  of  his  decease; 
although  a  year  or  so  before  that  event  he  had  withdrawn  from  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  and  joined  the  Allenites,  a  sect  of  colored 
Methodists. 

In  the  spring  of  1824,  the  Indians  turned  their  attention  to  the  improve- 
ment of  their  farms,  and  to  the  building  of  comfortable  houses.     A  number 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  287 

of  hewed-log  houses  were  put  up,  with  brick  or  stone  chimneys;  and  great 
exertions  were  made  to  enclose  large  fields,  for  raising  grain  and  grass. 
Many  purchased  sheep,  and  means  were  taken  to  improve  their  breed  of 
cattle  and  hogs.  With  the  means  at  their  command,  they  did  all  they 
could  to  provide  for  the  futuje,  without  following  the  chase,  for  they  clearly 
saw  that  the  white  settlers  would  soon  occupy  all  the  country  around  them, 
and  that  they  must  starve  unless  they  could  procure  the  means  of  living  at 
home.  The  same  year,  too,  was  built  the  mission  church,  now  standing 
in  ruins.  Says  Mr.  Finley:  "  We  were  much  in  want  of  a  place  of  worship, 
as  there  was  no  proper  meeting-house.  Sometimes  we  worshiped  in  the 
old  council  house,  as  the  lai'gest  and  most  roomy.  Tl>is  was  an  old  build- 
ing, made  of  split  slabs,  laid  between  two  posts  stuck  in  the  ground,  and 
covered  with  bark  peeled  from  the  tx-ees.  No  floor  but  the  earth — no  tire- 
place  but  a  hearth  in  the  middle,  and  logs  laid  on  the  ground  on  each  side 
for  seats.  In  the  winter  we  met  in  the  mission  schoolhouse,  which  was 
much  too  small. 

On  my  tour  to  the  East,  I  visited  the  city  of  Washington,  in  company 
with  the  Rev.  David  Young.  Here  I  had  an  interview  with  President 
Monroe,  and  gave  him  such  information  as  he  wished,  as  to  the  state  of  the 
mission  and  Indians  in  general.  I  had  also  an  introduction  to  John  C. 
Calhoun,  Secretaiy  of  War.  This  gentleman  took  a  deep  interest  in  Indian 
afairs,  and  gave  me  much  satisfactory  information  respecting  the  different 
missions  in  progress  among  the  Indians;  the  amount  of  money  expended 
on  each  establishment,  and  the  probable  success.  I  made  an  estimate  of 
the  cost  of  our  buildings,  and  he  gave  me  the  Government's  proportion  of 
the  expense,  which  amounted  to  $1,333.  I  then  asked  him  if  it  would  be 
improper  to  take  that  money,  and  build  a  good  church  for  the  benefit  of 
the  nation.  His  reply  was,  that  I  might  use  it  for  building  a  church;  and 
he  wished  it  made  of  strong  and  durable  materials,  so  that  it  might  remain 
a  house  of  worship  when  both  of  us  were  no  more.  This  work  was  per- 
formed, and  the  house  was  built  out  of  good  limestone,  30x40  feet,  and 
plainly  finished.  So  these  people  have  had  a  comfortable  house  to  wor- 
ship Grod  in  ever  since.  It  will  stand  if  not  torn  down,  for  a  century*  to 
come." 

*  Such  would  have  been  the  case,  doubtless,  if  the  successors  of  the  Wyandots  here — the  white  men — 
had  exhibited  the  least  particle  of  public  spirit,  or  of  pride,  in  the  preservation  of  this,  and  other  priceless 
mementoes  of  a  past  race  and  age.  Under  date  of  May  12,  18S1,  the  very  able  editor  of  the  Wyandot  Dem- 
ocratic t/H tore  speaks  of  this;  "The  Last  Landmark  of  the  Wyandot  Iteservation,"  in  the  following  lucid, 
unmistakable  style:  *  *  *  "We  remember  with  what  interest  we  viewed,  on  our  first  visit  to  the  town 
— shortly  after  these  so-called  wild  men  had  taken  their  departure — the  council  house,  the  block-house, 
many  of  their  cabins,  and  especially  the  church,  which  had  witnessed  so  many  gracious  manifestations  of 
the  presence  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  which  now  is  almost  a  heap  of  ruins.  Then  they  were  considered 
souvenirs  of  the  people  that  for  generations  had  occupied  the  land,  and  whose  untutored  minds  had  formed 
certain  well  defined  laws  much  in  accordance  with  nature  for  their  government;  and  who,  to  enforce  them, 
had  their  officers,  prisons  and  courts  of  justice.  All  these  were  left  as  mementoes  of  the  age  tliat  had  pre- 
ceded ours.  They  should  have  been  protected  by  the  people  who  succeeded  them,  and  guarded  as  legacies 
handed  down  from  those  whose  hands  had  built  them.  But  this  was  not  the  case.  X  different  spirit  act- 
uated those  who  succeeded  them,  although  they  boasted  of  a  higher  order  of  civilization,  that  had  the  Chris- 
tian religion  for  its  corner  stone.  The  tide  of  emigration  that  pressed  into  the  reservation  under  thfi  new 
order  of  things,  had  no  appreciation  for  the  venerable  relics  they  found  standing  everywhere,  as  rnonumeuts 
of  the  genius  of  the  people  who  had  preceded  them,  and  with  the  greed  ever  manifested  by  the  whites  to 
gain  property,  and  to  turn  everything  found  in  their  way  into  a  channel  that  would  lead  to  such  results, 
therefore,  nothing  belonging  to  Indian  mythology  was  deemed  too  sacred  to  be  sacrificed  to  this  unholy 
thirst  for  riches 

"After  the  organization  of  the  county,  the  council  house,  which  liad  witnessed  so  many  grand  scenes 
connected  with  the  primeval  history  of  the  Wyandots,  was  used  for  holding  the  courts  of  justice,  and  by 
sheer  carelessness  in  storing  ashes  in  a  barrel,  it  took  fire  and  was  burned  up.  The  block-house  or  jail  gave 
way  for  a  more  imposing  building,  to  be  used  as  a  dwelling-house.  Other  memorial  stones  that  were  set  up 
as  commemorative  of  Indian  history  were  thrown  down,  and  at  last  the  'Old  Mission  Church,'  the  only 
landmark  remaining,  is  about  to  fall  into  decay.  More  than  this,  the  vandal  hand  was  seen  a  few  years  ago 
in  the  almost  total  obliteration  of  the  marbleslabs  that  marked  the  last  resting-place  of  a  number  of  the 
most  noteworthy  of  the  Indian  chiefs  of  the  Wyandots,  many  of  them  having,  ere  they  died,  gloried  in  the 
power  of  the  new  birth,  and  believed  in  Him  who  is  the  resurrection  and  the  life.  But  nevertheless,  men 
calling  themselves  Christians,  some  of  them  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  with  uplifted  hands,  struck  piece  after 
piece  from  these  grave  marks  of  tlie  noble  dead,  until  there  does  not  remain  a  single  one  to  tell  where  rests 


288  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

For  the  year  ending  September  30,  1826,  the  following  report  of  the 
mission  school,  etc.,  was  rendered  to  the  War  Department  of  the  United 
States:  Name  of  the  site  or  station,  Wyandot  Mission  School,  Upper  San- 
dusky: by  whom  established,  by  the  Bishops  ol  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  with  the  consent  of  the  Ohio  Annual  Conference;  when  established, 
October  16,  1821;  name  of  Superintendent,  J._B^_Finley;  number  of  schol- 
ars, sixty-nine;  number  of  teachers,  one  male  and  one  female  teacher,  prin- 
cipals—  ten  others — in  all,  twelve;  amount  of  funds -received,  including  an- 
nual allowance  of  Government,  $2,454.47i;  amount  of  disbursements, 
12,600;  deficiency,  1145. 52i;  value  of  property  belonging  to  the  establish- 
ment, $10,000.  At  that  time  this  was  the  most  successful  and  prosperous 
Indian  school  and  mission  in  the  United  States.  We  will  also  mention 
here,  that  the  building  known  as  the  mission  school  and  boarding-house  was 
situated  about  half  a  mile  northeast  of  the  church.  It  entirely  disappeared 
many  years  ago.  It  was  commenced  by  Mr.  Finley  in  the  winter  of  1821-22 
See  his  account  as  shown  on  preceding  pages. 

In  explanation  of  the  number  of  white  men  or  partly  white  men  found 
among  the  Wyandots,  it  appears  that  this  nation,  although  never  behind 
other  savage  tribes  during  their  wars  with  the  whites,  were  more  merciful 
than  their  neighbors — the  Delawares,  Shawanese,  Miamis,  Ottawas,  Chippe- 
was,  etc.  They  saved  more  prisoners,  and  purchased  many  fi'om  other  lu- 
dians,  and  adopted  them  into  their  families.  Thus  did  they  become  allied 
with  some  of  the  best  families  in  the  country.  The  Browns,  an  old  Virginia 
family;  the  Zanes,  another  well-known  family;  the  Walkers  of  Tennessee, 
and  the  Williams,  Armstrongs,  McCulloughs  and  Ma^ees  of  Pittsburgh, 
were  all  represented  among  them.  Robert  Armstrong,  one  of  the  best  in- 
terpreters during  Finley's  time,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Wyandots  about 
the  yearl786,  when  a  boy  about  four  years  old.  His  parents  resided  a  few 
miles  above  Pittsburgh,  on  the  banks  of  the  Allegheny  River.  One  Sunday 
morning  a  young  man  of  the  family,  with  little  Robert,  took  a  canoe  and 
crossed  over  to  the  west  side  of  the  river  to  visit  a  camp  of  friendly  Indians 
of  the  Cornplanter  tribe.  This  camp  was  situated  about  four  miles  distant 
from  the  river.  After  they  had  made  their  visit  and  were  returning  home, 
in  passing  a  dense  thicket  through  which  the  path  led,  they  heard  a  noise 
and  stopped  to  look,  and  to  their  great  surprise  and  teri'or,  four  hideously 
painted  Indians  of  the  Wyandot  nation  rose  up  and  ordered  them  to  stop. 

the  sleeping  dust  of  Mononcue,  Sumniundewat,  Between-the-Logs,  Deunquot,  or  any  other  of  the  braves 
whose  remains  had  been  deposited  in  the  ground  around  this  '  Old  Mission  t'hurch.'  It  is  a  record  at  which 
the  Christian  should  blush  with  shame.  It  was  a  vandalism  of  which  the  Goths,  in  their  palmiest  days, 
would  have  blushed  to  have  been  charged  with,  and  yet  in  this  advanced  age,  in  the  light  of  the  sun  shining 
on  us  in  this,  the  nineteenth  century,  there  were  men  wearing  the  livery  of  heaven  that  boldly,  in  open 
daylight,  were  guilty  of  this  crime. 

"But  the  past  cannot  be  recalled.  AVhat  has  been  done  cannot  be  remedied.  But  the  people  of  Upper 
Sandusliy  have  a  sacred  duty  to  perform  in  the  preservation  of  what  remains  of  the  '  Old  Mission  f  hurch  ' 
from  total  obliteration.  Last  winter,  had  there  been  sufficient  enterprise,  the  object  sought  for  might  have 
been  attained.  Through  the  persevering  elforts  of  lion.  K.  B.  Finley,  a  bill  passed  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States,  appropriating  $3,000  for  repairing  tlie  Old  Mission  Church,  and  building  a  suitable  monument  in 
honor  of  the  Wyandot  nation.  Mr.  Finley  notified  our  citizens  of  this  fact,  and  invited  their  co-operation. 
What  was  done  by  our  people'.'  Simply  nothing  I  We  made  an  appeal  to  them  through  the  columns  of  the 
Union.  Our  appeal  had  about  as  much  etlect  as  pouring  water  upon  a  goose's  back.  We  talked  privately  to 
our  business  men,  but  they  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  ;ill  we  said,  and  the  result  was  that  with  the  expiration  of 
the  last  Congress,  the  bill  died  a  horning  in  the  house,  and  the  town  is  out  of  the  §3,000  for  the  fitting-up 
of  the  old  mission  grounds  If  our  citizens  would  have  met  in  public  meeting,  and  taken  steps  to  co-operate 
with  Mr.  Finley,  our  member  of  Congress,  and  sent  a  delegation  to  Washington  to  work  up  the  matter,  the 
bill  could,  we  have  no  doubt,  have  been  passed.  But  as  it  is,  we  see  now  no  liope.  The  church  that  should 
stand  as  a  monument  of  other  days  and  of  another  people  is  going  into  decay,  and  it  will  not  be  long  until 
there  will  be  nothing  left  of  it.  We  are  chargeable  with  its  destruction,  and  the  generations  that  will  come 
after  us,  looking  for  these  mementoes  of  a  pre-historic  race,  will  condemn  us  for  our  want  of  liberality  in 
not  preserving  them.  We  have  now  had  our  say  on  this  subject,  and  we  close  by  reiterating  our  former 
belief,  that  if  our  citizens  had  moved  at  the  proper  time,  Finley's  bill  would  have  passed  the  National  Con- 
gress, and  an  amount  sufficient  would  have  been  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  t>roper  person  to  have  put  in 
repair  this  old  landmark,  and  to  have  erected  a  suitable  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  sleeping  braves 
whose  bodies  have  returned  to  dust  around  it." 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  289 

«.< 

The  young  man  attempted  to  make  his  escape  by  running,  but  had  made  a 
few  steps  only,  when  the  Indians  fired  and  he  fell  dead.  Little  Robert  ran 
a  few  yards,  but  one  of  the  Indians  soon  caught  him  and  picked  him  up. 
Said  he:  "I  was  so  scared  to  see  the  young  man  tomahawked  and  scalped 
that  I  could  hardly  stand,  when  set  on  my  feet,  for  I  expected  it  would  be 
my  lot  next.  One  of  the  men  took  me  on  his  back  and  carried  me  for  sev- 
eral miles  before  he  stopped.  The  company  then  divided.  Two  men  took 
the  scalp,  and  the  other  two  had  charge  of  me.  Iq  the  evening  they  met, 
and  traveled  until  it  was  late  in  the  night,  and  then  stopped  to  rest  and 
sleep.  The  next  morning  I  had  to  take  it  afoot  as  long  as  I  could  travel; 
and  although  they  treated  me  kindly,  yet  I  was  afraid  they  would  kill  me. 
Thus  they  traveled  on  for  several  days,  crossing  some  large  rivers,  until  they 
got  to  an  Indian  town,  as  I  learned  afterward,  on  the  Jerome's  Fork  of  Mo- 
hickan  Creek,  one  of  the  branches  of  Muskingum  River.  Here  they  rested 
awhile,  and  then  went  on  until  they  came  to  Lower  Sandusky." 

Young  Armstrong  was  adopted  into  the  Big  Turtle  tribe  of  Wyandots,. 
and  named  0-no-ran-do-roh.  He  became  an  expert  hunter  and  a  perfect 
Indian  in  his  feelings  and  habits  of  life.  He  married  an  Indian  woman  or 
half-breed,  and  had  so  far  lost  the  knowledge  of  his  mother  tongue  that 
for  years  he  could  speak  or  understand  but  little  of  it.  After  Gen.  Wayne's 
treaty  he  mingled  more  with  the  whites,  conversed  more  in  English,  and 
finally  learned  to  talk  the  language  of  his  fathers  equal  to  any  of  the 
traders  or  settlers.  He  became  an  excellent  interpreter,  and  was  employed 
in  trading  and  interpreting  the  rest  of  his  life.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of 
Ebenezer  Zane — a  half  Indian  woman — and  they  raised  a  family  of  interest- 
ing children.  He  lived  for  some  years  at  Solomonstown.  Afterward  he 
moved  to  Zanesfield,  on  Mad  River,  and  from  thence  to  Upper  Sandusky, 
where  he  died  of  consumption  in  April,  1825.  We  have  thus  briefly 
sketched  the  career  of  Armstrong  for  the  reason  that  it  is  a  fair  illustration, 
probably,  of  the  life  and  experiences  of  many  other  whites  who  had  been 
captured  and  adopted  by  the  Wjandpts. 

In  the  summer  of  1826,  Rev.  J.  B.  Finley,  accompanied  by  the  chiefs 
Mononcue  and  Between-the-logs,  and  Samuel  Brown  as  interpreter,  visited 
the  cities  of  Bu.lfalo,  Albany,  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore  and  Wash- 
ington. At  each  point  great  crowds  gathered  to  see  and  hear  them,  and  all 
expressed  the  utmost  surprise  and  delight  after  listening  to  the  addresses  of 
these  eloquent.  Christianized  sons  of  the  forest.  They  returned  home  at 
the  end  of  three  months. 

In  the  autumn  of  that  year,  Judge  Leib,  an  agent  appointed  by  the  gov- 
ernment to  visit  all  the  Indian  mission  schools  to  which  the  government 
had  made  appropriations  of  money,  reported  to  the  Secretary  of  War  as 
follows:  "On  Tuesday,  the  10th  of  November  last,  I  left  Detroit  for  Upper 
Sandusky,  where  I  arrived  on  the  12th,  and  found  this  establishment  in  the 
most  flourishing  state.  All  was  harmony,  order  and  regularity  under  the 
superintending  care  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Finley.  Too  much  praise  cannot  be 
bestowed  on  this  gentleman.  His  great  good  sense,  his  unaffected  zeal  in 
the  reformation  of  the  Indians,  his  gracious  manners  and  conciliating  dis- 
position fit  him  in  a  peculiar  manner  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  pur- 
pose, and  the  fruits  of  his  labors  are  everywhere  visible;  they  are  to  be 
found  in  every  Indian  and  Indian  habitation.  By  Indian  habitation  here 
is  meant  a  good  comfortable  dwelling,  built  in  the  modern  country  style, 
with  neat  and  well-finished  apartments,  and  furnished  with  chairs,  tables, 
bedsteads  and  beds,  equal  at  least,  in  all  respects  to  the  generality  of  whites 


290  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

around  them.  The  Wyandots  are  a  line  race,  and  I  consider  their  civiliza- 
tion accomplished,  and  little  short  in  their  general  improvement  to  an 
equal  number  of  v^^hites  in  our  frontier  settlements.  They  are  charmingly 
situated  in  a  most  fruitful  country.  They  hunt  more  for  sport  than  for 
subsistence,  for  cattle  seem  to  abound  among  them,  and  their  good  condi- 
tion gives  assurance  of  the  fertility  of  their  soil  and  the  rich  herbage  which 
it  produces,  for  the  land  is  everywhere  covered  with  the  richest  blue  grass. 
"  They  mostly  di-ess  like  their  white  neighbors,  and  seem  as  con- 
tented and  happy  as  any  other  portion  of  people  I  ever  saw.  A 
stranger  would  believe  he  was  passing  through  a  white  population,  if  the 
inhabitants  were  not  seen;  for  besides  the  neatness  of  their  houses,  with 
brick  chimneys  and  glazed  windows,  you  see  horses,  cows,  sheep  and  hogs 
grazing  everywhere,  and  wagons,  harness,  plows,  and  other  implements  of 
husbandry  in  their  proper  places.  In  short,  they  are  the  only  Indians 
within  the  circle  of  my  visits  whom  1  consider  as  entirely  reclaimed,  and 
whom  I  should  consider  it  a  cruelty  to  attemjyf  to  remove.  *  *  *  A  good 
and  handsome  stone  meeting-house,  forty  feet  in  length  by  thirty  in  breadth, 
has  been  erected  since  last  year.  *  *  *  Xhe  mission  farm  is  well  sup- 
plied with  horses,  oxen,  cows  and  swine,  and  all  the  necessary  farming 
utensils.  I  cannot  forbear  mentioning  a  plan  adopted  by  this  tribe,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Superintendent,  which  promises  the  most  salutary  effects. 
A  considerable  store  has  been  fitted  upon  their  reserve,  and  furnished  with 
every  species  of  goods  suited  to  their  wants,  and  purchased  with  their  an- 
nuities. An  account  is  opened  with  each  individual  who  deals  thereat,  and 
a  very  small  profit  acquired.  Mr.  William  Walker,  a  quadroon,  one  of  the 
tribe,  a  trustworthy  man,  and  well  qualified  by  his  habits  and  education  to 
conduct  the  business,  is  their  agent.  The  benefits  resulting  from  this  es- 
tablishment are  obvious.  The  Indians  can,  at  home,  procure  eveiy  necessary 
article  at  a  cheap  rate,  and  avoid  not  only  every  temptation  which'  assailri 
him  when  he  goes  abroad,  but  also  great  imposition.  The  profits  of  the 
store  are  appropriated  to  the  general  benefit.  This  plan,  it  seems  to  me, 
promises  many  advantages.  The  merchandise  with  which  this  store  is  fur- 
nished was  bought  in  New  York  on  good  terms." 

Between-the-logs  died  of  consumption  January  1,  1827.  During  the 
last  part  of  the  same  year,  Rev.  Mr.  Finley  terminated  his  labors  with  the 
Wyandots,  leaving  Rev.  James  Gilruth  in  control.  Among  the  successors 
of  the  latter  were  Messrs.  Thompson,  Shaw,  Allen  and  Wheeler,  ministers 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  the 
mission  attained  its  greatest  degree  of  activity  and  substantial  prosperity 
just  at  the  close  of  Mr.  Finley 's  superintendency. 

By  a  treaty  concluded  at  Little  Sandusky  August  3,  1829,  between  John 
McElvaine,  Commissioner  on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  and  the  chiefs 
and  head  men  of  the  Delawares,  the  latter  ceded  their  reservation  to  the 
United  States  for  the  sum  of  $3,000,  and  removed  west  of  the  Mississippi. 
This  reservation  was  granted  to  the  Delawares  at  the  treaty  of  the  Maumee 
Rapids.  It  contained  nine  square  miles,  and  adjoined  the  Wyandot  Reserve 
on  the  southeast,  thus  embracing  portions  of  the  present  townships  of  An- 
trim and  Pitt,  in  Wyandot  County.  By  permission' of  the  Wyandots,  these 
Indians  made  a  village  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Sandusky  River,  below  the 
mouth  of  Broken  Sword  Creek,  where  a  fine  spring  emerges  from  the  river 
bank.  Capt.  Pipe,  Jr  ,  a  son  of  the  Capt.  Pipe  who  burned  Col.  Crawford 
at  the  stake,  was  with  them,  and  their  village  was  called  Pipetown,  or 
Capt.  Pipe's  village.      Among  those  named   in  the   original   grant   at  the 


HISTORY  OF  WY^ANDOT  COUNTY.  291 

treaty  of  the  Maumee  Rapids  f^several  of  whom  survived  until  after  their 
removal  beyond  the  Mississippi)  were  Capt.  Pipe,  Zeshauau  or  James  Arm- 
strong, Mahautoo  or  John  Armstrong,  Sanoudoyeasquaw  or  Silas  Armstrong, 
Rlack  KaccooD,  Billy  Montour,  Buckwheat,  William  Doudee,  Thomas  Lyons, 
Johnnycake,  Capt.  Wolf,  Isaac  Hill,  John  H411.  Tishatahooms  or  Widow 
Armstrong,  Ayenucere,  Hooraaurou  or  John  Ming  and  Youdorast. 

The  Delawares  were  ever  a  savage,  superstitious,  treacherous  race,  and 
the  whites  of  the  pioneer  days  never  placed  much  dependence  upon  their 
promises.  Buckwheat,  one  of  the  Indians  mentioned  above,  was  part  negro. 
About  the  year  1827  he  was  accused  of  witchcraft,  and  after  having  been 
tried  and  found  guilty  was  sentenced  to  die  by  being  burned  alive.  Maj. 
Anthony  Bowsher,  the  founder  of  Bowsherville.  and  one  of  the  very  few 
surviving  pioneers  of  the  county,  witnessed  the  burning.  From  his  account, 
it  appears  that  Buckwheat  was  first  made  so  drunk  with  whisky  that  he  was 
unable  to  stand:  then  he  was  bound  and  placed  upon  a  blazing  tire  of  brush, 
wood,  etc.,  aad  to  insure  his  remaining  thei'e,  a  heavy  and  long  piece  of 
green  timber  was  placed  upon  his  body,  and  that  kept  in  place  by  Indians 
sitting  upon  both  ends  of  it.  Around  the  victim  circled  and  danced  all  the 
Indians  there  assembled.  All  were  maddened  with  whisky  passed  around 
by  an  old  squaw,  and  the  shouts  and  songs  rendered  were  most  terrifying. 
The  hideous  orgies  continued  for  two  days  and  nights.  Even  Bowsher 
was  made  to  move  ax'ound  the  burning  remains  of  Buckwheat  with  them, 
but  he  states  that  he  refused  to  taste  any  of  the  whisky.  This  affair  took 
place  near  the  bank  of  the  river,  opposite  the  present  town  of  Little  San- 
dusky. 

Thomas  Lyons,  or  "  Old  Tom  Lyons,"  as  he  was  termed  by  the  whites, 
was  another  conspicuous  character  among  this  small  band  of  Delawaros. 
He  claimed  that  Gen.  Wayne  gave  him  his  name  and  a  coat,  likewise  that 
he  was  more  than  one  hundred  and  sixty  years  old.  However,  as  old  Tom 
counted  the  summer  a  year,  and  the  winter  a  year,  his  alleged  great  age  can 
easily  be  accounted  for.  He  it  was  who  interpreted  for  the  colored  man 
Stewart  at  Pipetown.  in  18 16,  when  the  latter  was  traveling  toward  Upper 
Sandusky.  He  had  lived  with  the  Delawares  in  Pennsylvania  before  these 
Indians  were  forced  to  remove  to  Ohio.  He  had  been  a  strong,  powerful 
man,  and  made  many  enemies  among  the  whites,  by  I'eason  of  bis  fondness 
in  boasting  of  his  deeds  of  prowess,  and  in  relating  many  incidents  of  the 
wars  through  which  he  had  passed.  He  seemed  to  take  great  delight  in  as- 
serting that  he  had  killed  and  scalped  ninety-nine  whites,  including  rnen, 
women  and  children,  and  only  desired  to  make  the  number  an  even  one 
hundred  before  being  called  to  the  happy  hunting-grounds.  Various  ac- 
counts have  been  published  concerning  the  time  and  place  of  his  death. 
One  statement  is  that  Samuel  Spurgeon,  who,  in  common  with  many  other 
white  men  of  his  acquaintance,  did  not  enjoy  such  boasting,  met  him  alone 
one  day  in  the  woods  and  offered  Lyons  an  opportunity  to  make  him  the 
hundredth  victim,  but  Lyons  failing  in  his  aim,  Spurgeon  shot  him  dead 
and  If^fthis  body  lying  in  the  forest  as  food  for  wild  animals.  Another  per- 
son claims  that  old  Tom  was  shot  in  his  wigwam,  near  Fort  Ball,  by  two 
white  hunters  from  Delaware  County,  while  others  assert  that  he  died  a 
natural  death  at  Pipestown,  on  the  Delaware  Reservation.  Lyons'  wife  is 
reputed  to  have  been  one  of  the  finest  looking  squaws  in  the  tribe,  being,  in 
fact,  a  queen  of  beaut}'  among  them.  He  was  very  proud  of  her.  and  kept 
her  dressed  in  the  height  of  Indian  fashion,  and  did  not  compel  her  to  per- 
form menial  labor,  as  was  the  custom  among  the  Indians. 


292  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Solomon  Johnycake,  the  husband  of  Sally  Williams,  was  well  known 
to  the  early  settlers  of  the  region  now  known  as  Wyandot  County.  He 
was  a  well-developed,  good-natured,  friendly  hunter,  and  it  was  customary 
for  Sally  and  the  children  to  accompany  him  on  his  hunting  excursions. 
He  usually  constructed  a  neat  bark  wigwam  to  protect  his  squaw  and  chil- 
ch-en  from  the  storms  and  expcTsures  of  the  forest,  while  he  ranged  the  woods 
in  search  of  game.  He  sometimes  exchanged  venison^for  side-pork  with 
the  white  settlers,  and  frequently  parties,  who  had  a  curiosity  to  see  Sally 
(who  was  a  quarter  blood)  and  the  children  visited  his  wigwam.  Sally 
was  regarded  as  a  very  neat  housekeeper,  and  preferred,  as  far  as  possible, 
to  imitate  the  whites.  HeV  mother,  a  white  woman,  by  the  name  of  Castle- 
man,  was  captured  in  girlhood,  upon  the  Pennsylvania  frontier.  Johny- 
cake went  West  with  his  people.  Three  of  his  sons  served  in  a  Kansas 
Indian  company  of  the  Union  army  during  the  war  of  the  rebellion. 

Capt.  Billy  Doudee,  or  Dowdee,  was,  in  point  of  notoriety,  nearly  equal 
to  Old  Tom  Lyons.  Nickels,  his  son-in-law,  was  a  very  bad  Indian,  and 
Dowdee's  son  Tom  was  not  much  better.  Capt.  Beckle)-,  in  his  reminis- 
cences of  pioneer  life,  relates  the  following  incidents,  as  told  by  Benjamin 
Sharroek,  a  former  citizen  of  Marion  County: 

"  About  the  year  1821  or  1822,  there  were  several  Indians  who  fre- 
quently camped  and  hunted  on  the  waters  of  the  West  and  Middle  Forks  of 
the  Whetstone,  to  wit,  Capt.  Dowdee,  his  son  Tom,  and  Capt.  Dowdee's 
son-in-law.  Nickels  (the  bad  Indian),  the  subject  of  this  narrative.  He  was 
regarded  as  a  dangerous  man  among  his  own  companions.  He  had  become 
embittered  against  Benjamin  Sharroek,  his  brother,  Everard  Sharroek,  and 
Jacob  Stateler,  who,  with  his  three  sons,  Andrew,  James  and  John  (the  two 
latter  were  twin  brothers),  lived  in  a  cabin  on  or  near  the  land  now  owned 
by  George  Diegle,  Esq.,  in  Tully  Township.  The  Dowdees  had  frequently 
shared  the  hospitalities  of  our  cabin  and  we  regarded  them  as  peaceable 
and  well-disposed  citizens. 

"  Mr.  Sharroek,  in  relating  his  difficulty  with  this  bad  Indian,  says  : 
"This  Indian,  Nickels,  had  been  skulking  around  and  watching  my  house, 
trying  to  get  a  chance  to  shoot  me.  I  have  seen  him  dodge  from  tree  to 
tree  when  trying  to  get  a  shot  at  me.  He  also  made  threats  of  killing  my 
stock.  About  this  time,  he  and  the  two  Dowdees  were  encamped  on  the 
boundary  north  of  where  Iberia  now  is.  Mr.  Catrell,  my  brother  and  my- 
self held  a  consultation,  whei'eupon  we  resolved  that  this  state  of  things 
should  no  longer  be  tolerated,  and  the  next  morning  was  the  time  agreed 
upon  to  bring  this  matter  to  the  test.  They  were  to  be  at  my  house  fully 
armed  for  any  emergency.  They  were  promptly  on  time,  and  as  Catrell 
had  no  gun,  he  took  my  tomahawk,  sheath  knife,  etc. 

"In this  plight,  we  went  directly  to  their  camp,  called  Tom  Dowdee  out 
and  ordered  him  to  take  those  coon  skins  oiat  of  "them'"  frames.  (They 
are  stretched  in  frames  to  dry  and  keep  them  in  shape. )  We  next  went  to 
the  tent  of  Tom's  father,  old  Capt.  Dowdee,  and  told  him  how  Nickels  had 
been  watching  my  house,  and  that  he  threatened  to  kill  me  and  my  stock. 
I  told  him  to  call  Nickels  out,  but  he  would  not  leave  his  hut.  We  told 
them  we  would  not  endure  such  treatment  any  longer,  and  that  we  had 
come  to  settle  it  right  then  and  there,  and  were  ready  to  fight  it  out.  The 
Dowdees  seemed  to  be  peaceably  inclined,  and  as  Nickels  did  not  show  him- 
self, the  matter  was  dropped  for  a  short  time.  Some  time  after  this, 
as  I  was  retui'ning  from  Wooster,  where  I  had  been  to  enter  a  piece  of 
land,   I  saw  quite  a  niTmber  of  moccasin  tracks  in  the  snow  near  Hosford's. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  293 

1  thought  there  would  be  trouble,  as  it  appeared  from  the  tracks  that  there 
were  about  thirty  persons,  and  by  the  way  they  had  tumbled  about,  con 
eluded  that  they  were  on  a  big  drunk.  I  followed  their  tracks  from  Hop- 
ford's  down  the  road  leading  to  our  cabin.  They  had  not  proceeded  far  before 
they  left  their  tracks  in  the  snow  somewhat  besprinkled  with  blood.  I 
afterward  learned  that  Tom  Dowdee  had  stabbed  another  Indian,  inflicting 
two  dangerous  wounds.  They  were  camped  north  of  my  houpe  on  the 
land  now  owned  by  James  Dunlap.  The  excitement  among  the  settlers 
now  became  intense,  and  soon  a  number  of  us  repaired  to  their  camp,  but 
we  had  not  been  there  long  before  Tom  Dowdee  rushed  upon  me  and  grasped 
me  by  the  collar,  perhaps  intending  to  retaliate  for  the  visit  we  had  made 
to  their  camp  a  few  days  before.  I  was  not  slow  in  returning  the  compli- 
ment by  taking  him  by  the  throat,  and  my  arms  being  the  longest  I  could 
easily  hold  him  at  bay.  At  this  moment  we  saw  an  Indian  boy  loading  a  gun. 
I  told  Dowdee  several  times  to  let  me  alone,  but  he  still  persisted  in  lighting 
me.  I  then  attempted  to  give  him  a  severe  thrust  with  my  gun  barrel;  he 
sprang  and  grasped  the  gun  whichi  the  boy  had  just  loaded,  when  several  of 
the  squaws  also  grasped  it  to  prevent  him  from  shooting  mo.  All  this  time 
I  kept  my  rifle  up  with  a  steady  aim  upon  the  Indian,  ready  to  fire  before  be 
should  be  able  to  fire  at  me.  At  this  crisis  Joel  Loverick  interfered  and 
the  Indians  allowed  him  to  take  possession  of  the  gun,  so  the  quarrel  was  then 
settled  without  bloodshed.  But  what  grieves  me  to  this  day  is  that  Bashford 
and  Loverick  both  knew  that  my  rifle  was  not  primed  all  the  time  I  was 
aiming  it  at  the  Indian,  and  they  did  not  tell  me.  The  next  day  I  was 
out  in  the  woods  with  my  gun,  and  came  upon  Dowdee  before  he  discov- 
ered me.  He  had  no  gun  with  him,  and  he  begged  and  implored  me  not 
to  kill  him,  pr(>mising  over  and  over  that  if  I  would  not  he  would  never 
molest  me,  but  would  be  ray  fast  friend  as  long  as  he  lived.  I  gladly 
agreed  to  his  proposal,  and  to  his  credit  be  it  said  I  never  saw  him  after 
that  time  but  that  he  met  me  with  the  kindest  greetings. ' 

"  About  the  same  time  some  of  the  Indians  told  Stateler,  '  Nickels,  bad 
Indian,  by  and  by  he  go  to  Stony  Creek,  before  he  go  he  say  he  kill  State- 
ler and  two  Sharrocks,  and  we  'fraid  that  big  fight.  We  want  white  man 
to  kill  Nickels,  then  Indians  say  Nickels  gone  to  Stony  Creek.' 

•'  We  never  saw  Nickels  after  about  that  time,  but  did  not  know  at  what 
moment  he  would  come  down  upon  us.  I  often  asked  the  Indians  whether 
they  knew  where  Nickels  was,  and  they  usually  replied  that  he  had  gone  to 
Stony  Creek.  We  had  often  seen  a  gun  in  the  settlement,  first  owned  by 
one,  then  by  another,  that  I  believed  was  Nickels'  gun.  Jake  Stateler  often 
stayed  with  us  several  weeks  at  a  time,  and  many  times  when  we  spoke  about 
those  Indians,  Jake  would  say,  'Nickels  will  never  do  you  any  harm,'  but 
made  no  further  disclosures  until  a  long  while  after;  when  the  subject  again 
came  up,  he  said: 

"  'Ben,  Nickels  will  never  hurt  you  nor  your  brother. 

"  '  How  do  you  know,  Uncle  Jake?' 

"  '  I  know  very  well  how  I  know,  Uncle  Ben. ' 

"  '  Did  you  never  know  what  became  of  Nickels'?' 

'■  *  No,  Jake,  I  never  knew  what  became  of  him  any  more  than  what  the 
Indians  told  me,  that  he  had  gone  to  Stony  Creek.' 

"  '  I  thought  my  boys  had  told  you  long  ago,  as  they  always  thought  so 
much  of  you.  I  will  then  tell  you  how  I  know  what  became  of  Nickels. 
After  he  was  about  ready  to  start  for  Stony  Creek,  he  had  only  one  more  job 
to  do  before  he  could  leave  Pipetown.  and  that  was  to  kill  Stateler  and  you 


294  HISTORY  OF -WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

aod  your  brother,  if  possible.  No  sooner  had  Nickels  left  Pipetown  than 
the  Indians  sent  another  Indian  by  a  different  route  to  give  us  notice  of  his 
coming  and  of  his  intentions,  desiring  us  to  kill  him  and  they  would  say 
he  had  gone  to  Stony  Creek.  The  messenger  arrived  in  time  and  departed. 
I  loaded  my  rifle,  put  it  in  good  order  and  vfent  up  to  Coss'  cabin  to  watch 
the  Pipetown  trail,  on  which  I  expected  him  to  come.  I  did  not  wait  long 
before  I  saw  him  coming,  and  stepping  behind  a  tree,  closely  watched  his 
movements.  After  he  had  come  within  easy  range  of  my  rifle,  he  stopped 
and  commenced  looking  all  around,  which  enabled  me  to  take  a  steady  aim 
at  him;  I  fired,  he  sprang  several  feet  from  the  ground  with  a  terrific  scream 
and  fell  dead,  and  that  was  the  last  of  "Bad  Indian."  We  took  his  gun, 
shot-pouch,  tomahawk,  butcher-knife,  etc.,  and  laid  them  by  a  log,  and 
buried  him  under  the  roots  of  a  large  tree  that  had  been  blown  down  near 
the  foot  of  tlie  blufif  bank  of  the  Whetstone,  nearly  opposite  the  old  Coss 
cabin.  Now,  Uncle  Ben,  that  is  the  reason  why  I  know  Nickels  will  never 
do  you,  or  me,  or  your  brother  any  harm.'  " 

Capt.  Pipe,  Jr.,  son  of  old  Capt.  Pipe,  who  burned  Col.  Crawford,  was 
a  small,  rather  spare  man,  and  taciturn  in  his  disposition.  He  never  mar- 
ried. He  went  West  with  his  tribe  and  died  on  their  reservation  about  1840, 
Among  his  own  people  he  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  great  "medicine 
man."  At  an  early  day,  Reuben  Drake,  who  lived  in  Grand  Prairie  Town- 
ship, Marion  County,  had  two  children  bitten  by  a  rattlesnake,  one  of  whom, 
died.  Having  heard  of  Capt.  Pipe's  reputation,  he  sent  for  him  to  come 
and  cure  the  other  child.  Pipe  is  said  to  have  been  somewhat  under  the 
influence  of  whisky  at  the  time,  and  refused  at  first  to  go;  but  being  strongly 
urged,  finally  visited  the  cabin  of  Mr.  Drake.  Upon  his  arrival  he  looked 
at  the  child,  which  was  in  great  pain,  exclaiming,  "  great  pain,  very  sick." 
He  then  stated  he  could  do  nothing  for  half  an  hour,  and  laid  down  by  the 
cradle  and  snored  soundly  for  some  time,  then  arose  and  called  for  milk, 
which  was  furnished,  when  he  pounded  some  roots,  which  he  had  brought 
with  him,  poured  the  milk  over  them,  gave  the  child  a  poi'tion  to  drink,  ap- 
plied more  of  the  same  in  the  nature  of  a  poultice  to  the  place  bitten,  rocked 
the  child  some  time  in  its  cradle,  when  it  fell  into  a  slumber  and  soon  be- 
gan to  perspire  freely.  Upon  seeing  this  effect  of  his  remedy,  the  Captain 
said,  "It  get  well;''  and  true  enough  the  child  recovered  rapidly. 

TheDelawares  as  well  as  the  Wyaudots,  when  journeying  from  their  res- 
ervations in  search  of  game,  almost  invariably  stopped  at  all  the  houses  of 
the  white  settlers,  and  when  they  came  to  a  white  man's  cabin,  expected  tO' 
receive  the  hospitality  of  its  inmates;  if  they  did  not,  they  were  much  of- 
fended. They  would  say,  "  very  bad  man,  very  bad  man."  They  would 
never  accept  a  bed  to  sleep  upon;  all  that  was  necessary  was  to  have  a  good 
back- log  on,  and  a  few  extra  pieces  of  wood  near  by,  especially  in  cold 
weather,  for  them  to  put  on  the  fire  when  needed.  They  usually  carried 
their  blankets,  and  would  spread  them  upon  the  floor  before  the  fire,  and 
give  no  further  trouble.  Often  they  would  leave  those  who  had  sheltered 
them  a  saddle  of  venison  or  some  other  commodity  which  they  had  to  spare. 
Says  an  early  pioneer:  '*  We  have  seen  as  many  as  twenty  or  thirty  in  a  cara- 
van pass  by  here,  with  their  hunting  material  and  equipments  packed  on 
their  ponies,  all  m  single  file,  on  their  uld  Sandusky  and  Pipetown  trail. 
If  we  would  meet  half  a  dozen  or  more  of  them  together,  it  was  seldom  that 
we  covild  induce  more  than  one  of  them  to  say  one  word  in  English.  One 
of  them  would  do  all  the  talking  or  interpret  for  the  others.  W^hy  they 
did  so  I  could  not  say.     Tommy  Vanhorn  once  related  an  amusing  incident. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  295 

He  had  been  imbibing  a  little,  and  on  his  way  home  met  one  of  those  Indi- 
ans who  could  not  utter  one  word  of  English,  but  used  the  pantomimic  lan- 
guage instead — that  of  gestures  or  motions.  But  it  so  happened  that  while 
they  were  thus  conveying  their  thoughts  to  each  other,  Tommy  stepped 
around  to  windward  of  the  red  man  or  the  red  man  got  to  leeward  of  Tommy, 
.and  his  olfactories  not  being  at  fault,  inhaled  the  odor  of  Tommy's  breath. 
He  straightened  up,  looked  Tommy  square  in  the  face,  and  lo!  Mr.  Indian's 
colloquial  powers  were  now  complete,  saying  in  as  good  English  as  Lord 
Manslield  ever  could  have  uttered:     '  Where  you  get  whiskyf  " 

In  the  fall  of  3830,  a  young  brave  of  one  of  the  Wyandot  tribes  killed 
another  of  the  same  nation.  The  murderer  was  arrested,  tried,  found  guilty 
and  shot.  However,  this  affair  is  best  told  by  the  chief,  Mononcue,  in  a  let- 
ter addressed  to  Mr.  Finley,  as  follows: 

Upper  Sandusky,  October  29.  1830. 
Dear  Sir:  ********* 

One  of  our  young  men  was  killed  by  another  about  two  or  three  vveeks  ago.  The 
murdered  was  John  Barnet's  half-brother,  the  murderer,  Soo-de-nooks,  or  Black  Chiefs, 
son.  The  sentence  of  the  chiefs  was  the  perpetual  banishment  of  the  murderer  and  the 
confiscation  of  all  his  property.  When  the  sentence  was  made  known  to  the  nation, 
there  was  a  general  dissatisfaction;  and  the  sentence  of  the  chiefs  was  set  aside  by  the 
nation.  On  Thursday  morning,  about  daylight,  he  was  arrested  and  brought  before 
the  nation  assembled,  and  his  case  was  tried  by  all  the  men  (that  vote)  over  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  whether  he  should  live  or  die.  The  votes  were  counted,  and  there  were  112 
in  favor  of  his  death,  and  twelve  in  favor  of  his  living.  Sentence  of  death  was  accord- 
ingly passed  against  him,  and  on  the  second  Friday  he  was  shot  by  six  men  chosen  for 
that  purpose — three  from  the  Christian  party  and  three  from  the  heathen  party.  The 
executioners  were  Francis  Cotter,  Lump-on-the-head,  Silas  Armstrong,  .Joe  Enos,  Soo- 
cuh-guess.  and  Saw-yau-wa-hoy.  The  execution  was  conducted  in  Indian  military 
style;  and  we  hope  it  will  be  a  great  warning  to  others,  and  be  the  means  of  prevent- 
ing such  crimes  hereafter.  I  remain,  yours  affectionately, 
Rev.  J.  B.  Finley.  Mononcue. 

After  the  departure  of  their  old  neighbors — ^the  Delawares — for  the 
West,  the  Wyandots  were  the  only  considerable  body  of  Indians  remaining 
in  the  State  of  Ohio.  Meanwhile  the  white  settlers  had  encircled  their 
reservations  at  Upper  Sandusky  and  the  Big  Spring  with  towns  and  cultivated 
lands,  and  each  year  were  asking  Congress  to  purchase  these  reservations, 
and  thus  open  the  way  for  their  occupation  by  the  whites.  Hence,  in  act- 
ing upon  these  unceasing  urgent  petitions,  agents  of  the  General  Govern- 
ment had  endeavored  to  open  negotiations  with  the  Wyandots  for  the  pur- 
chase of  their  lands  as  early  as  1825.  But  they  firmly  resisted  all  blandish- 
ments and  pleadings  to  that  end  for  nearly  twenty  years  thereafter.  How- 
ever, it  seems  that  such  a  condition  of  affairs  could  not  always  exist;  they 
had  sadly  degenerated  from  the  prospeious  state  in  which  they  were  left  by 
Mr.  Finley  in  1827.  A  majority  of  them  had  gone  back  to  their  old  habits 
of  intemperance  and  heathenism,  and  at  last,  when  poor  in  purse  and  cliarac- 
ter,  they  were  induced  to  give  up  their  narrow  possessions  here  in  lieu  of  a 
great  sum  of  money,  and  thousands  of  broad  acres  lying  west  of  Missouri. 
Col.  John  Johnston,  of  Piqua,  Ohio,  conducted  the  negotiations  on  the  part 
of  the  United  States,  and  concluded  the  purchase  at  Upper  Sandusky  on  the 
17th  day  of  March,  1842.  In  speaking  of  this  transaction  and  the  proceed- 
ings which  led  to  it.  Col.  Johnston  has  said: 

"About  1800,  this  tribe  contained  about  2,200  souls;  and  in  March. 
1842,  when,  as  Commissioner  of  the  United  States,  I  concluded  with  them  a 
treaty  of  cession  and  emigration,  they  had  become  reduced  to  less  than  800 
of  all  ages  and  both  sexes.  Before  the  Revolutionary  war,  a  large  portion 
of  the  Wyandots  had  embraced  Christianity  in  the  communion  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church.    In  the  early  part  of  my  agency,  Presbyterians  had  a  mission 


296  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

among  ttiem  at  Lower  Sandusky,  under  the  care  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  Badger. 
The  war  of  1812  broke  up  this  benevolent  enterprise.  When  peace  was  restored, 
the  Methodists  became  the  spiritual  instructors  of  these  Indians,  and  continued 
in  charge  of  them  until  their  final  removal  westward  of  Missouri.  The  mis- 
sion had  once  been  in  a  very  prosperous  condition,  but  of  late  years  had 
greatly  declined,  many  of  the  Indians  having  gone  back  to  habits  of  intern-  . 
perance  and  heathenism;  a  few  continued  steadfast  to  their  Christian  pro- 
fession. Of  this  number  was  Grey  Eyes,  a  regularly  ordained  minister,  of 
pure  Wyandot  blood,  a  holy,  devoted,  and  exemplary  Christian.  This  man 
was  resolutely  opposed  to  the  emigration  of  his  people,  and  was  against  me 
at  every  step  of  a  long  and  protracted  negotiation  of  twelve  months'  con- 
tinuance. I  finally  overcame  all  objections;  on  the  last  vote,  more  than  two- 
thirds  of  the  whole  male  population  were  found  in  favor  of  removal.  The 
preacher  bad  always  asserted  that  under  no  circumstances  would  he  ever  go 
westward.  His  age  was  about  forty-eight  years;  his  character  forbade  any 
approaches  to  tampering  with  him;  and  although  I  felt  very  sensibly  his  in- 
fiuence.  yet  I  never  addressed  myself  to  him  personally  on  the  subject  of  the 
treaty.  But  as  soon  as  the  whoie  nation,  in  open  council,  had  voted  to  leave 
their  country  and  seek  a  new  home  far  in  the  West,  I  sent  an  invitation  to 
the  preacher  to  come  and  dine  with  me  and  spend  an  evening  in  consulta- 
tion; he  came  accordingly."  As  a  result  of  this  interview,  it  appears  that 
Grey  Eyes  changed  his  purpose,  for  he  removed  West  with  his  people. 

By  the  terms  of  tliis  treaty,  it  was  stipulated  that  the  chiefs  should  re- 
move their  people  without  other  expense  to  the  United  States  than  $10,000, 
one-half  payable  when  the  first  detachment  should  start;  the  remainder,  when 
the  whole  nation  should  arrive  at  its  place  of  destination.  Further,  that 
the  Wyandots  should  receive  for  the  lands  ceded  another  tract  of  land  west 
of  the  Mississippi.  It  contained  148,000  acres;  a  permanent  cash  annuity  of 
$17,500;  a  permanent  fund  of  $500  per  annum,  for  educational  purposes, 
and  an  appropriation  of  $23,860  to  pay  the  debts  of  the  tribe.  They  were 
also  to  be  paid  the  full  value  of  their  improvements  in  the  country  ceded, 
and  to  be  provided  in  their  new  home  with  two  blacksmiths  and  a  black- 
smith shop  with  necessary  steel,  iron  and  tools,  and  with  an  agent  and  an 
interpreter.  However,  instead  of  the  148,000  acres  promised,  the  Wyan- 
dots received  by  purchase  from  the  Delaware  Indians  24,9.60  acres,  and  by 
a  subsequent  treaty  (which  will  be  referz'ed  to  in  a  succeeding  paragraph) 
received  in  lieu  of  the  balance  t)f  the  148,000  acres,  $380,000,  in  three  an- 
nual payments. 

In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1843,  in  accordance  with  the  stipulations 
of  the  treaty  concluded  the  previous  year,  the  Wyandots  under  the  lead  of 
Jacques*,  their  head  chietV  completed  their  arrangements  for  the  removal 
to  the  new  reserve  in  the  then  wild  West.  The  parting  scenes  at  Upper 
Sandusky  were  most  affecting.  Consultations  were  held  in  the  council 
house,  and  religious  worship  in  the  church,  almost  constantly  for  days  be- 
fore the  final  departure.  Meanwhile,  the  remains  of  the  chief,  Summunde- 
wat,  who  was  murdered  by  two  white  men  in  Wood  County,  Ohio,  in  the 
fall  of  1841,  also  those  of  the  colored  preacher,  John  Stewart,  were  brought 
hither  and  deposited  in  the  burial  ground  attached  to  their  church.  The 
last  resting-  places  of  other  loved  ones  were  likewise  tenderly  cared  for,  and 

*Aft.er  the  death  of  Deunquot,  some  difficulty  occurred  in  making  choice  of  his  successor,  and  as  a  re- 
sult of  it  the  Wyandots  chanijed  their  form  of  government  and  mode  of  choosing  their  governors.  In- 
stead of  being  obliged  to  take  their  head  chief  out  of  the  royal  tribe,  they  then  agreed  to  have  the  head 
chief  and  eight  counselors  chosen  by  election,  on  New  Year's  Day  of  each  year.  The  first  head  chief 
elected  according  to  the  new  plan  was  Warpole. 


WYANDOT  COUNTY    COURT    HOUSE 

COMPLETEO  A.O,  /<5^S. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  299 

marked  with  stone  or  marble  tablets.  Just  before  their  strange  and  motley 
procession  unwound  its  length  on  the  highway  leading  southerly,  Squire 
Grey-Eyes  bade  an  affectionate  farewell  to  the  large  number  of  whites  pres- 
ent. He  exhorted  them  to  be  good  Christians,  and  to  meet  him  in  heaven. 
In  a  most  sublime  and  pathetic  manner  he  discoursed  upon  all  the  familiar 
objects  of  a  home — no  longer  theirs.  He  bade  adieu  to  the  Sandusky,  on 
whose  waters  they  had  paddled  the  light  bark  canoe,  and  in  whose  pools 
they  had  fished,  laved  and  sported.  He  saluted  in  his  farewell  the  forests 
and  the  plains  of  Sandusky,  where  he  and  his  ancestors  had  hunted,  roved 
and  dwelt  for  many  generations.  He  bade  farewell  to  their  habitations, 
where  they  had  dwelt  for  many  years,  and  where  they  would  still  wish  to 
dwell.  With  mournful  strains  and  plaintiff  voice  he  bade  farewell  to  the 
graves  of  his  ancestors,  which  now  they  were  about  to  leave  forever,  prob- 
ably to  be  encroached  upon,  ere  the  lapse  of  many  years,  by  the  avaricious 
tillage  of  some  irreverent  white  man.  Here,  as  a  savage,  untutored  Indian, 
it  is  probable  Grey-Eyes  would  have  stopped,  but  as  a  Christian  he  closed 
his  valedictory  by  alluding  to  an  object  yet  dearer  to  him:  it  was  the  church 
where  they  had  worshipped,  the  temple  of  God,  constructed  by  the  good 
white  men  for  their  use,  and  within  whose  walls  they  had  so  often  bowed 
down  in  reverence  under  the  ministrations  of  Finley  and  his  co-laborers. 

At  last,  all  being  in  readiness,  all  the  sad  duties  having  been  performed, 
the  train,  consisting  of  horses  and  wagons  hired  from  settlers  living  in  the 
vicinity,  Indian  chiefs  upon  horseback,  and  many  men  and  women  on  foot, 
began  wending  its  slow  way  toward  Cincinnati,  where  boats  were  waiting 
to  take  its  members  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  River.  This  movement  be- 
gan in  the  last  days  of  July,  and  was  participated  in  by  nearly  700  of  the 
Wyandot  nation.  Many  ludicrous  occurrences  took  place  en  route,  but  we 
have  not  space,  in  a  topic  already  largely  drawn  out.  to  recount  them.  The 
end  of  the  first  day's  journey  found  the  Wyandots  at  Grass  Point,  in  Har- 
din County,  the  second,  at  Belief ontaine;  the  third,  atUrbana;  the  fourth, 
at  Springfield;  the  fifth,  at  Clifton;  the  sixth,  within  four  miles  of  Cincin- 
nati, and  the  seventh  at  the  wharf  of  the  latter  city.  The  i-emainder  of  the 
distance  to  the  new  reservation,  as  before  stated,  was  accomplished  by 
steamboats  via  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers.  The  Wyandots 
left  Cincinnati  on  the  eighth  day  after  leaving  Upper  Sandusky.  Among 
their  leading  men  at  that  time  were  Jacques,  Bearskin,  Blue  Jacket,  Big 
Tree,  Black  Sheep,  Big  River,  Bull  Head,  Big  Town,  Curly  Head,  Caryhoe, 
Chop-the-logs,  Lump-ou-the-head,  Peacock,  Porcupine,  Providence,  Split- 
the-log,  Stand-in-the-water,  White  Wing,  Mudeater,  Warpole,  Squire  Grey- 
eyes,  William  Walker,  a  quarter- blood,  who  died  in  1874,  John  Hicks  and 
Washington. 

While  the  main  body  of  the  Wyandots  was  moving  toward  Cincinnati, 
Jacques,  the  head  chief,  accompanied  by  a  few  other  leading  men  of  the  na- 
tion, visited  Gov.  Shannon  at  the  State  capital,  when  very  feeling  and  inter- 
esting parting  addresses  were  delivered  by  the  chief  and  the  Governor. 
Jacques'  address,  as  printed  in  the  Ohio  State  Journal  of  that  date,  was  as 
follows: 

"  We  have  several  objects  in  view  in  visiting  you,  the  Governor  of  the 
State.  First,  it  was  due  him,  as  the  chief  magistrate  of  this  great  State; 
and,  secondly,  it  was  due  to  the  people  of  Ohio,  to  whom,  through  their 
Governor,  we  speak,  and  bid  them  an  affectionate  farewell. 

"We  came  here,  also,  to  ask  for  the  extension  of  executive  clemency  to 


300  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

an  unfortunate  brother  of  our  nation,  and  we  thank  yon  for  granting  oiir 
prayer  in  their  behalf. 

"  We  part  with  the  people  of  Ohio  with  feelings  the  more  kind,  because 
there  has  not  been  any  hostility  between  your  people  and  ours  ever  since 
the  treaty  of  Gen.  Wayne,  at  Greenville.  Almost  fifty  years  of  profound 
peace  between  us  have  passed  away,  and  have  endeared  your  people  to  ours; 
whatever  may  be  our  future  fate  beyond  the  Mississippi — whither  we  are 
bound — we  shall  always  entertain  none  but  feelings  the  most  kind  and 
grateful  toward  the  people  of  Ohio.  Before  Wayne's  treaty  there  had 
been  one  long  war  between  our  fathers  and  your  ancestors.  At  that  treaty 
our  people  promised  peace,  and  they  have  kept  that  promise  faithfully;  we 
will  forever  keep  that  promise  as  long  as  the  sun  shines  and  the  rivers  run. 

"  When  we  arrive  at  the  place  of  our  destination,  surrounded,  as  we 
shall  be,  by  red  men  less  acquainted  with  them  than  we  are  with  white  men, 
we  shall  always  take  great  pleasure  in  telling  the  Indians  of  that  western 
region  how  kind,  how  peaceful,  how  true,  faithful  and  honest  your  people 
have  been  to  our  people.  If,  at  any  future  day,  any  of  our  people  should 
visit  this  State,  we  hope  that  your  people  will  see  that  they  do  not  sufier  for 
food  or  any  of  the  necessaries  of  life;  that,  when  thirsty,  you  will  give  him 
drink;  when  hungry,  you  will  give  him  food;  or  naked,  you  will  give  him 
clothes;  or  sick,  you  will  heal  him.  And  we,  on  our  part,  promise  the  same 
kindnesses  to  any  of  your  people  should  they  visit  us  in  our  far  western  fut- 
ure home.  Our  original  intention  was  to  have  passed  through  Columbus 
as  a  nation  on  our  departing  journey  from  Ohio  to  the  West;  but  for  the 
purpose  of  shortening  our  route  on  so  long  a  journey,  the  principal  part  of 
our  people  have  passed  through  Urbana.  But  although,  for  the  reason 
stated,  our  people  have  passed  through  Ohio  by  the  shortest  route,  yet  they 
could  not  forego  the  pleasurie  of  sending  you  their  chiefs  and  addressing 
you,  and  through  you  the  people  of  Ohio,  in  the  language  of  truth,  friend- 
ship and  sincerity. 

"Our  fathers  have  ranged  this  valley  with  your  fathers  in  peace  and 
friendship,  and  we  wished  your  people  to  know  that  we  have  the  same  kind 
feelings  that  existed  in  times  past,  and  we  wish  you  to  know  that  we  wish 
to  perpetuate  and  keep  alive  the  same  brotherly  feelings.  In  other  States 
and  Territories  the  Indians  have  lived,  surrounded  by  white  men,  with 
whom  they  had  occasional  outbreaks,  wars  and  difficulties;  but  between  us 
and  your  people  the  chain  of  peace  and  friendship  has  always  continued  to 
be  bright,  smooth,  and  free  from  rusty  or  bloody  spots.  You  are  the  rep- 
resentative of  your  people;  therefore  be  so  good  as  to  tell  your  people  what 
we  say  on  this  final  parting  occasion,  and  say  to  them  to  believe  us  to  be  always 
hereafter — what  we  always  have  been — the  friends  of  the  people  of  Ohio." 

From  the  report  of  the  United  States  Commissioner  of  Indian  afifairs 
for  the  year  1843,  we  learn  that  the  number  of  Wyandots  who  removed  to 
their  new  reservation  in  July  and  August  of  that  year,  was  664,  and  that 
50  still  remained  in  Ohio  who  were  expected  to  emigrate  the  next  spring. 
The  following  year  (1844),  the  sub- agent  reported  only  585  W^yandots  on  the 
new  reserve.  During  the  year  1855,  another  treaty  was  concluded  with  that 
nation,  wherein  it  was  stipulated  that  in  lieu  of  the  148,000  acres  (less  the 
24,960  acres  purchased  for  the  Wyandots  from  the  Delawares  in  1842), 
granted  by  the  treaty  of  Upper  Sandusky,  the  Wyandots  were  to  receive  $380,- 
000,  in  three  annual  payments.  By  this  treaty,  also,  all  provisions  of  former 
treaties  guaranteeing  permanent  annuities,  etc.,  were  annulled.      The  Wyan- 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  301 

dots  who  remained  in  tribal  relations  and  were  located  in  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory on  the  1st  day  of  January,  1879,  numbered  260. 

We  conclude  this  chapter,  likewise  our  account  of  the  Indians,  by  add- 
ing the  following  poem,  which,  whatever  its  merits  or  demerits  as  a  literary 
production,  has  been  widely  copied,  frequently  in  works,  where  its  mention 
of  localities  obtained  for  it  no  special  significance.  It  was  written,  we  be- 
lieve, by  a  resident  of  Wyandot  County,  and  was  first  published  in  The 
Democratic  Pioneer,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  under  date  of  October  24,  1845. 

THE  Wyandot's  farewell  song. 
"Adieu  to  the  graves  where  my  fathers  now  rest! 
For  I  must  be  going  afar  to  the  West. 
I've  sold  my  possessions;  my  heart's  filled  with  woe 
To  think  I  must  lose  them.     Alas!  I  must  go. 

"  Farewell,  ye  tall  oaks,  in  whose  pleasant  green  shade 
In  childhood  I  rambled,  in  innocence  played! 
My  dog  and  my  hatchet,  my  arrows  and  bow, 
Are  still  in  remembrance.     Alas!  I  must  go. 

"  Adieu,  ye  loved  scenes,  which  bind  me  like  chains! 
Where  on  my  gay  pony,  I  chased  o'er  the  plains 
The  deer  and  the  turkey  I  tracked  in  the  snow. 
But  now  I  must  leave  them.     Alas!  I  must  go. 

,  "Adieu  to  the  trails,  which  for  many  a  year 

I  have  traveled  to  spy  out  the  turkey  and  deer! 
The  hills,  trees  and  flowers,  that  pleased  me  so, 
I  must  leave  now  forever.     Alas!  I  must  go. 

"  Sandusky,  Tymochtee  and  Broken  Sword  streams. 
Never  more  shall  I  see  you  except  in  my  dreams. 
Adieu  to  the  marshes,  where  the  cranberries  grow; 
O'er  the  great  Mississippi,  alas!  I  must  go. 

"Adieu  to  the  road,  which  for  many  a  year, 
I  travel'd  each  Sabbath,  the  Gospel  to  hear; 
The  news  was  so  joyful,  and  pleased  me  so. 
From  hence  where  I  heard  it,  it  grieves  me  to  go. 

"  Farewell,  my  white  friends,  who  first  taught  me  to  pray. 
And  worship  my  Maker  and  Savior  each  day. 
Pray  for  the  poor  native,  whose  eyes  overflow 
With  tears  at  our  parting.     Alas!  I  must  go." 


302  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  V. 
EARLY  SETTLEMENTS— PICTURE  OF  PIONEER  LIFE. 

Thk  Unusual  Conditions  Attending  the  Settlement  of  the  County — 
Names  of  Early  Pioneers,  and  Date  of  their  Establishment  in  the 
Several  Townships  — Cabin-Building— Cooking  Utensils  and  Ta- 
ble Ware— Food— Habits  of  the  Pioneers— Employment  of  the  men- 
Women's  Work— Dress  of  the  Pioneers— Their  Books— Sense  of  Isola- 
tion—Hospitality— Whisky— Scarcity  of  Money— Of  the  Necessi- 
ties OF  Life— Primitive  Agricultural  Implements— Wild  Hogs- 
Gradual  Improvements. 

early  settlements. 

iN  the  course  of  events,  over  which  those  who  were  to  become  its  pioneers 
exercised  little  or  no  control,  the  region  now  denominated  Wyandot 
County  was  settled  (as  compared  with  most  other  districts)  in  a  manner 
quite  anomalous,  yet  in  a  way  which  is  very  easily  comprehended  when 
once  explained.  As  already  shown,  the  Indians,  at  the  treaty  held  at  the 
foot  of  the  rapids  of  the  Miami  of  the  Lake  in  1817,  ceded  to  the  United 
States  Government  all  the  lands  i-emaining  in  their  possession  in  the  State 
of  Ohio,  except  various  small  reservations  then  and  there  designated.  Hence 
when  it  was  agreed  that  the  principal  reservation  of  the  Wyandots  should 
have  Fort  Ferree  at  Upper  Sandusky  for  its  center,  the  central  and  greater 
portion  of  the  present  county  was  reserved  to  its  aboriginal  owners.  The 
small  Wyandot  reserve  at  the  Big  Spring,  and  the  Delaware  rest-rve  lying 
south  east  of  the  reservation  iirst  mentioned,  also  encroached  upon  the  limits 
of  the  county  as  now  formed,  therefore,  all  of  the  white  settlements  began 
upon  the  outskirts,  so  to  speak — to  the  north,  east,  south  and  west  of  the 
chief  Wyandot  reservation — and  in  either  direction,  distant  seven  to  ten 
miles  from  Fort  Ferree,  the  locality  now  known  as  the  town  of  Upper 
Sandusky. 

In  1819,  Deputy  United  States  Surveyors*  Sylvanus  Burns  and  Thomas 
Worthington  ran  out  the  townships  and  subdivision  lines  of  the  county, 
and  the  following  year  the  lands  not  reserved  to  the"  Indians  were  offered 
for  sale  at  the  usual  Government  price  per  acre.  Prior  to  the  sale  of  any 
of  these  lands,  however,  quite  a  number  of  "squatters"  had  settled  near 
the  reservation  lines,  chiefly  for  the  purpose  of  trading  with  the  Indians 
and  to  gather  in  the  greater  portion  of  annuity  moneys  paid  the  red  men 
in  exchange  for  poor  whisky,  bright  calicoes,  brass  trinkets,  etc.,  etc.  From 
the  date  last  mentioned  until  1842,  the  whites  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  county,  increased  but  slowly  in  numbers,  yet,  on  the  northern 
border — in  the  townships  of  Crawford,  Tymochtee  and  Sycamore — quite 
pojDulous  communities  were  to  be  found,  long  before  the  removal  of  the 
Wyandots.  However,  by  the  purchase  of  the  reservations  of  that  nation, 
and  the  disposal  of  the  same  to  individual  owners,  the  population  at  once 
increased  with  astonishing  rapidity.  This  is  shown  by  the  report  of  Col. 
Huber,  Receiver  of  the  Land  Office  at  Upper  Sandusky,    who   stated  that 

*Samuel  Holmes,  Deputy  Surveyor  General,  performed  much  work  in  the  county  in   1836,  and  William 
Brown  in  1843. 


HISTORY   OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  303 

from  the  1st  of  September,  1845,  to  January  1,  1846,  he  received  for  the 
sale  of  lands  in  Wyandot  County  the  sum  of  $211,057.06. 

Having  thus  briefly  pointed  out  the  rather  unusual  conditions  under 
which  the  county  was  peopled  by  the  whites,  the  following  conclusions  are 
reached:  That  a  few  "  squatters  "  settled  in  the  county,  outside  of  the  Indian 
reservations,  about  the  year  1817;  that  the  first  lawful  settlers  became  estab- 
lished in  the  same  localities  not  earlier  than  1820;  that  the  first  white  set- 
tlements were  not  made  within  the  reservation  lines  until  after  the  year 
1842,  and  but  very  few  in  the  territory  last  referred  to  until  1845. 

The  original  settlers  of  the  county  were  chiefly  of  English  and  German 
origin.  Forty  years  ago,  the  English  element  largely  predominated,  but  at 
the  present  time  it  is  probable  that  those  of  German  birth  or  descent,  as  a 
class,  outnumber  all  others.  The  reader  will  find  sketches  concerning 
many  of  the  past  and  present  residents  of  Wyandot  in  the  township  his- 
tories of  this  work,  hence  it  is  not  purposed  to  enter  into  a  repetition  here; 
yet  a  small  number  of  the  pioneers  are  named  in  tbis  connection,  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  approximaf.ing  the  time  when  each  township  was  first 
occupied  by  the  white  men. 

FIRST  SETTLERS  IN  THE  SEVERAL  TOWNSHIPS. 

Antrim — Jacob,  John  and  Adam  Coon,  John  Heckathorn,  Jacob  Snyder 
and  Valentine  Mutchler,  all  Germans,  who  came  from  Pickaway  County, 
Ohio,  and  squatted  on  the  Delaware  Reserve  in  the  spring  of  1819,  are 
believed  to  have  been  the  first  white  men  to  attempt  a  settlement.  Their 
location  afterward  became  known  as  "  German  town." 

Crawford — Daniel  Hodges,  who  settled  near  the  site  of  the  present  town 
of  Crawfordsville,  in  1821,  was  one  of  the  first  to  locate  in  tbis  township. 
Hon.  John  Carey  became  a  resident  in  1823,  and  he  was' soon  followed  by 
Thomas  Gale,  Jesse  Gale,  Samuel  Ritchie,  Jonathan  Kear,  Asa  Lake, 
Thomas  Wallace,  Curtis  Berry,  Sr. ,  and  a  number  of  others. 

Crane— As  this  township  was  embraced  by  the  Wyandot  Reservation, its 
lands  were  not  offered  for  sale  until  the  latter  part  of  1845.  Prior  to  that 
date,  its  residents  were  all  located  at  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky.  See 
history  of  that  town  for  a  list  of  its  inhabitants  and  lot  owners  in  1845. 

Eden — Judge  George  W.  Leith  settled  in  what  is  now  termed  Eden 
Township  in  1837.  It  had  but  a  sparse  population  for  a  number  of  years, 
but  among  those  who  soon  followed  Mr.  Leith  to  this  then  wild  region  were 
James  Winstead,  David  Kisor,  Z.  P.  Lee,  John  Horrick,  John  Leith,  Solo- 
mon Brundige,  Isa^c  Miller  and  Solomon  York. 

Jackson — Thomas  C.  Beaver  settled  in  the  township  in  1826;  John 
Abbott  upon  Section  3  in  1833,  John  Vanorsdall  in  1834,  John  Flower 
and  Jacob  Dermiger  in  1835,  and  William  Fitch  in  1837. 

Marseilles — It  is  claimed  that  John  Heckathorn,  before  mentioned  as  a 
"squatter"  in  Antrim  Township,  settled  in  the  present  township  of  Mar- 
seilles about  the  year  1828.  Charles  Merriman  located  on  the  site  of  the 
village  about  1830,  and  Hugh  Long  in  the  same  place  in  1832. 

Mifflin — Samuel  M.  Stansberry  and  family  located  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  township  in  1832.  John  Tanner,  Daniel  Straw,  Israel  Straw, 
Abraham  Clark,  Wesley  Davenport,  Jabez  Halstead  and  Martin  Dickens 
were  also  among  the  early  settlers.  Dr.  Cover  was  the  first  resident  physi- 
cian. 

Pitt— Ebenezer  Roseberry,  a  noted  hunter  and  frontier  sportsman,  was 
the  first  to  settle  within  the  limits  of  the  township,  as  now   formed.      An- 


304  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

thony  Bowsher  found  Roseberry  here  in  the  spring  of  1819,  and  informs 
us  that  the  latter  had  already  been  established  two  or  three  years,  at  least  long 
enough  to  have  caught  and  placed  his  private  mark  upon  scores  of  the  wild 
hogs.  During  the  years  1819  and  1820,  Anthony  Bowsher,  Peter  Bowsher, 
William  Morral,  Walter  Woolsey,  John  Wilson,  Jacob  Snyder,  Jacob 
Brewer,  Alexander  Frazier,  Samuel  Morral,  D.  H.  Bargley,  Cornelius  Wil- 
son and  John  Wilson  all  settled  just  south  of  the  reservation  line  in  the 
vicinity  of    Little  Sandusky. 

Richland — Hesoot  Picket,  the  first  settler  of  this  township,  established 
his  residence  on  Section  28,  in  January,  1832.  He  came  from  Athens 
County,  Ohio.  Nathan  Benjamin,  from  the  same  county,  also  settled  here  in 
1832.  The  following  year,  Philip  Cole  and  (Charles  ISmith  became  resi- 
dents. 

Ridge — It  is  claimed  that  Homan  and  Andrew  Bates  became  the  first 
residents  within  the  present  township  about  1833.  John  Salyards,  Daniel 
Spade,  T.  N.  Shepherd,  Isaac  Wohlgamuth,  the  Starrs  and  Grindles  were 
also  early  pioneers. 

Salem — The  first  settler  in  this  township  was  Ezra  Stewart,  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  who  settled  upon  Section  5  in  October,  1831.  He  was  followed 
by  John  Stewart  in  1834,  John  Nichols  and  Arnold  B.  Inman  in  1835, 
Daniel  and  Jacob  Baughman  and  John  B.  Mann,  or  Mason,  in  1836. 

Sycamore — Samuel  Harper  settled  in  the  township  as  now  formed  in 
1821,  and  built  the  first  dwelling — a  log  cabin.  His  sons  who  came  with 
him  were  William,  James,  Samuel  G.  and  George.  Samuel  Harper,  Sr., 
had  served  as  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  was  wounded  at  Bunker  Hill. 
He  died  in  October,  1821.  The  Eyestones,  Luptons,  Kisors,  Betzers,  Pon- 
tius, Grifiiths  and  Van  Gundys  were  also  early  settlers. 

Tymochtee — Henry  Lish,  of  this  township,  and  Ebenezer  Roseberry,  of 
Pitt,  were  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  present  county  of  whom  any  record 
has  been  preserved.  Lish  was  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  it 
is  claimed  that  he  settled  on  the  siie  of  the  village  of  Tymochtee  (where  he 
soon  after  established  a  ferry  over  Tymochtee  Creek)  in  1816  or  1817,  At 
his  house  the  first  election  in  the  county  was  held  on  the  1st  day  of  April, 
1821.  Thomas  Leeper  and  family,  from  Ross  County,  Ohio,  became  resi- 
dents in  1821,  and  soon  after  came  Peter  Baum,  William  Combs,  Levi 
Bunu,  John  Taylor  and  George  Bogart.  At  an  early  day  this  was  the  most 
populous  district  within  the  limits  of  the  present  county.  In  1850,  its  in- 
habitants numbered  1,817. 

« 

A    PICTURE    OF    PIONEER    LIFE. 

The  pioneers  of  Wyandot  as  a  rule,  after  long  and  tedious  journeyings 
over  Indian  trails  or  roads  rudely  improved,  brought  very  little  with  them 
with  which  to  begin  the  battle  of  life  among  new  surroundings.  They  had 
brave  hearts  and  strong  arms,  however,  and  possessed  invincible  determin- 
ations to  hew  out  for  themselves  homes  which  should  in  time  become  the 
abodes  of  happiness  and  plenty.  Sometimes  the  men  came  on  without 
their  families  to  make  a  beginning,  but  more  often  all  came  together.  The 
first  thing  to  be  done,  after  a  rude  temporary  shelter  was  provided,  was  t«j 
prepare  a  little  spot  of  ground  for  the  growth  of  some  kiud  of  crop.  This 
was  done  by  girdling  the  large  trees,  clearing  away  the  underbrush,  and 
sweeping  the  surface  with  tire.  The  ground  was  then  broken  as  thoroughly 
as  possible  with  the  few  rude  implements  which  the  pioneer  possessed. 
Ten,  fifteen,  twenty,  or  even   thirty  acres  of  land   might  be  thus  prepared 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  305 

and  planted  the  first  season.  In  the  autumn,  the  crop  would  be  carefully 
gathered  and  garnered  with  the  least  possible  waste,  for  it  was  the  chief 
food  supply  of  the  pioneer  and  his  family,  and  life  and  comfort  depended 
upon  its  safe  preservation. 

While  the  first  crop  was  maturing,  cabin-building  occupied  much  of  the 
attention  of  the  pioneer.  He  would  need  a  shelter  from  the  storms  and 
cold  of  the  approaching  winter,  and  perhaps  a  protection  from  wild  beasts. 
The  pioneer  who  was  completely  isolated  from  his  fellow-men,  occupied  a 
situation  truly  unenviable,  for  without  assistance  he  could  construct  only  a 
poor  habitation.  In  such  cases  a  small  and  rough  cabin  was  constructed 
of  very  light  logs  or  poles,  or  else  a  three-sided,  sloping-roofed  shanty  was 
improvised.  In  front  of  the  fourth  or  open  side  of  the  shanty  or  "  camp," 
as  it  was  sometimes  called,  a  hugh  fire  of  logs  was  kept  burning,  and  this 
primitive  structure  was  occupied  until  other  settlers  should  come  into  the 
owner's  neighborhood,  by  whose  help  a  more  substantial  dwelling  could  be 
built.  Usually  a  number  of  families  came  into  the  country  together,  and 
located  within  such  distance  of  each  other  that  they  were  enabled  to  per- 
form many  friendly  and  neighborly  offices.  After  the  first  year  or  two 
from  the  time  of  the  primal  settlements,  there  was  no  difficulty  in  cabin- 
building.  Assistance  was  always  readily  given  a  pioneer  by  all  of  the 
scattered  residents  of  the  forest  within  a  radius  of  several  miles. 

The  site  of  the  cabin  home  was  usually  selected  with  reference  to  a  good 
water  supply.  It  was  often  near  a  never-failing  spring,  or  if  such  could 
not  be  found  in  a  location  otherwise  desirable,  it  was  not  uncommon  to  first 
dig  a  well.  If  water  was  reached,  preparations  were  made  for  building 
near  the  well;  if  not,  the  search  for  a  situation  affording  it  was  continued, 
but  there  was  little  trouble  on  this  score  in  the  territory  now  known  as 
Wyandot  County. 

When  the  cabin  was  to  be  built,  the  few  men  in  the  neighborhood 
gathered  at  the  site,  and  first  cut  down,  within  as  close  proximity  as  possi- 
ble, the  requisite  number  of  trees,  as  nearly  of  a  size  as  could  be  found, 
but  varying  often  from  ton  to  fifteen  inches  in  diameter.  Logs,  generally 
from  fourteen  to  sixteen  feet  in  length,  were  chopped  from  these,  and 
rolled  to  the  common  center,  where  they  were  to  be  used  in  building  the 
home  of  the  pioneer  family.  Often  this  preliminary  work  was  performed 
by  the  prospective  occupants  alone.  If  such  was  not  the  case,  it  would  oc- 
cupy the  greater  part  of  the  first  day.  The  entire  labor  of  erecting  a  good 
substantial  cabin,  would  usually  require  two  or  three  days.  After  the 
ground  logs  were  laid,  the  others  were  raised  to  their  places  by  the  use  of 
hand  spikes  and  "  skid  poles,"  and  men  standing  at  the  corners  with  axes, 
notched  them  as  fast  as  they  were  laid  in  position.  The  place  of  "  corner 
man  "  was  one  of  honor  and  distinction,  and  the  persons  chosen  for  these 
positions  were  supposed  to  be  particularly  skillful  in  the  use  of  the  ax. 

Greater  difficulty  attended  the  work  after  the  cabin  was  built  a  few  logs 
high.  It  was  necessary  that  the  logs  in  the  gables  should  be  beveled,  and 
that  each  succeeding  one  should  be  shorter  than  that  on  which  it  rested. 
These  gable  logs  were  held  in  place  by  poles  which  extended  across  the 
cabin  overhead,  serving  also  as  rafters  upon  which  to  lay  the  rived  "  clap- 
board "  roof.  The  so-called  clapboards  were  five  or  six  feet  in  length,  and 
were  split  from  oak  logs,  and  made  as  smooth  as  possible.  They  were  laid 
side  by  side,  and  other  pieces  of  split  stuff  were  laid  over  the  cracks  to  keep 
out  the  rain. 

The  chimney  was  likewise  an  important  part  of  the  structure.      In  some 


306  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

cases  it  was  made  of  stone,  and  in  others  of  logs  and  sticks,  laid  up  in  a 
manner  similar  to  those  which  formed  the  walls  of  the  house,  and  plastered 
with  mud.  It  was  built  outside  of  the  house,  and  at  one  end.  At  its  base 
a  huge  hole  was  cut  through  the  wall  for  a  lire-place.  The  back  and  sides 
of  the  latter  were  formed  of  large  flat  stones,  when  such  could  be  procured, 
otherwise  irregularly  shaped  stones,  held  to  their  place  by  a  slab  wall 
locked  around  them,  and  covered  with  mud,  were  utilized. 

An  opening  was  chopped  or  sawed  in  one  side  of  the  cabin  for  a  door- 
way. Pieces  of  hewn  timber,  three  or  four  inches  thick,  were  fastened  on 
each  side  with  wooden  pins,  or  in  rare  instances  with  heavy  iron  nails,  and 
these  formed  the  frame  on  which  the  door  (if  there  was  one)  was  hung, 
either  by  wooden  or  leather  hinges.  The  door  itself  was  a  clumsy  piece  of 
woodwork.  It  was  made  from  a  plank  rived  from  an  oak  log,  and  held  to- 
gether by  heavy  cross-pieces.  There  was  a  wooden  latch  upon  the  inside, 
raised  from  without  by  a  string  or  thong  of  deer-skin,  which  passed  through 
a  gimlet  hole.  From  this  mode  of  construction  arose  the  old  and  well- 
known  phrase,  indicating  the  hospitality  of  its  inmates,  "You  will  find 
the  latch-string  always  out."  When  on  rare  occasions,  it  was  pulled  in, 
the  door  was  considered  fastened.  Many  of  the  pioneer  cabins  had  no  door 
of  this  kind  until  they  had  been  occupied  for  years.  Instead  of  the  door 
on  hinges,  a  blanket  or  some  old  garment  was  frequently  suspended  before 
the  opening  to  guard  the  occupants  of  the  cabin  from  sun  or  rain. 

The  window  was  a  small  opening  usually  near  the  door,  and  in  most 
cases  devoid  of  frame  or  glass.  In  lieu  of  the  latter,  greased  paper  was 
often  used,  in  rare  instances  thin  deer  skin  well  greased,  and  sometimes  an 
article  of  the  housewife's  limited  wardrobe  constituted  a  cui'tain. 

The  floor  of  the  cabin  was  made  of  puncheons.  These  were  pieces  of 
timber  split  from  trees  about  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  in  diameter,  and 
hewed  smooth  as  possible  with  a  broad-ax.  They  were  usually  half  the 
length  of  the  floor  surface.  Indeed  some  of  the  cabins  earliest  erected  had 
nothing  but  earth  floors.  Occasionally  there  was  one  which  had  a  cellar — 
that  is,  a  small  excavation  under  the  floor —  to  which  access  was  had  by 
removing  a  loose  puncheon.  Very  commonly  the  cabins  were  provided  with 
lofts.  The  loft  was  used  for  various  purposes,  and  among  others  as  the 
"guest  chamber,"  which  pioneer  hospitality  was  offered  to  the  wayfarer  and 
the  stranger.  It  was  reached  by  a  ladder,  the  sides  of  which  were  split 
pieces  of  sapling. 

Although  the  labor  of  building  a  rough  log  cabin  was  usually  performed 
in  two  or  three  days,  the  occupants  were  often  employed  for  months  in 
finishing  aud  furnishing  it.  The  walls  had  to  be  "chinked  and  daubed," 
various  conveniences  furnished,  and  a  few  rude  articles  of  furniture  manu- 
factured. A  forked  stick  set  in  the  floor  and  supporting  the  ends  of  two 
poles,  the  other  extremities  of  which  rested  upon  the  logs  at  the  side  and 
end  of  the  cabin,  formed  the  basis  for  a  bedstead.  A  common  form  of  table 
was  a  split  slab  supported  by  four  rustic  legs,  set  in  auger  holes.  Three- 
legged  stools  were  formed  in  similar  simple  manner.  Pegs  driven  in  auger 
holes  in  the  logs  of  the  wall  supported  shelves,  and  upon  others  were  dis- 
played the  few  articles  of  wearing  apparel  not  in  use.  A  few  other  pegs, 
or  perhaps  a  pair  of  deer  horns,  formed  a  rack  where  hung  the  rifle  and 
powder  horn,  which  no  cabin  was  without.  These,  and  a  few  simple  articles 
in  addition,  formed  the  furniture  and  furnishings  of  the  pioneer's  cabin.  In 
contrast  with  the  rude  furniture  fashioned  by  the  pioneer  with  his  poor 
tools,  there  were  occasionally  a  few  souvenirs  of  "  the  old  home." 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  307 

The  utensils  for  cooking  and  the  dishes  for  table  use  were  few.  The  best 
of  the  latter  were  made  of  pewter,  and  the  careful  housewife  of  the  olden 
time  kept  them  shining  as  brightly  as  the  pretentious  plate  in  our  latter-day 
fine  houses.  Knives  and  forks  were  few,  crockery  vexy  scarce,'  and  tinware 
by  no  means  abundant.  Food  was  simply  cooked  and  served,  but  it  was,  as 
a  rule,  of  the  best  and  most  wholesome  kind.  The  hunter  kept  the  larder 
well  supplied  with  venison,  bear  meat,  squirrels,  wildtuikeys,  and  the  many 
varieties  of  small  game.  Plain  corn  bread,  baked  in  a  kettle  in  the  ashes, 
or  upon  a  board  or  board  chip,  in  front  of  the  great,  open  tii"e-place,  was  a 
staple  article  of  food.  Corn  was  either  pounded  into  coarse  meal,  or  carried 
a  long  distance  to  mill  to  be  ground.  The  wild  fruits  in  their  season  were 
made  use  of,  and  afforded  a  pleasant  variety.  In  the  lofts  of  the  cabins 
was  usually  to  be  found  a  collection  of  articles  making  up  the  pioneer's 
materia  medica — the  herb  medicines  and  spices — catnip,  sage,  tansy,  fennel, 
boneset,  wormwood  and  pennyroyal,  each  gathered  in  its  season;  and  there 
were  also  stores  of  nuts,  strings  of  dried  pumpkin,  with  bags  of  berries  and 
fruit. 

Well  water  was  generally  drawn  up  with  what  is  called  a  "sweep,"  which 
was  a  long,  heavy  pole,  hinged  in  a  fork  at  the  top  of  a  tall  post,  and  a  rope 
or  chain  attached  at  the  end  over  the  well,  with  the  bucket.  Water  could 
be  drawn  more  rapidly  with  this  simple  apparatus  than  with  the  windlass 
or  any  modern  pump. 

The  habits  of  the  pioneers  were  of  a  simplicity  and  purity  which  was  in 
conformance  with  the  character  of  their  surroundings  and  belongings.  The 
days  were  full  of  toil,  both  for  man  and  woman.  The  men  were  engaged 
constantly  in  the  rude  avocations  of  pioneer  life — cutting  away  the  forest, 
logging,  burning  the  brush  and  the  debris,  preparing  the  soil,  planting, 
harvesting,  and  caring  for  the  few  animals  they  brought  with  them  or  soon 
procured.  The  little  openings  around  the  log  cabins  were  constantly  made 
larger  and  the  sunshine  year  after  year  admitted  to  a  larger  area  of  the 
virgin  soil,  which  had  been  growing  rich  for  centuries,  and  only  awaiting 
cultivation  to  give  evidence  of  its  fertility. 

While  the  men  were  engaged  in  the  heavy  work  of  the  field  or  forest, 
their  helpmeets  were  busied  with  a  multiplicity  of  household  duties,  provid- 
ing for  the  day  and  for  the  year;  cooking,  making  or  mending  clothes, 
spinning  and  weaving.  They  were  heroic  in  their  endurance  of  hardship 
and  privation  and  loneliness.  They  were,  as  a  rule,  admirably  fitted  by 
nature  and  experience  to  be  the  consorts  of  the  sturdy,  industrious  men 
who  came  into  the  wilderness  of  Western  Ohio.  Their  cheerful  industry 
was  well  directed  and  unceasing.  Woman's  work,  like  man's,  in  the  years 
when  this  country  was  new,  was  performed  under  many  disadvantages,  which 
have  been  removed  by  modern  skill  and  science,  and  the  growth  of  new 
conditions. 

The  pioneer  woman  had  not  only  to  perform  what  are  now  known  as 
household  duties,  but  many  which  were  removed  in  later  years.  She  not 
only  made  clothing,  but  the  fabric  for  it.  Money  was  scarce,  and  the 
markets  in  which  satisfactory  purchases  could  be  made  were  far  away.  It 
was  the  policy  of  the  pioneer  (^ urged  by  necessity)  to  buy  nothing  which 
could  be  produced  by  home  industry.  And  so  it  happened  that  in  nearly 
all  of  the  cabins  was  to  be  heard  the  drowsy  sound  of  the  softly  whirring 
spinning  wheel,  and  the  rythmic  thud  of  the  loom,  and  that  women  were 
there  engaged  in  those  old,  old  occupations  of  spinning  and  weaving,  which 
have  been  associated  with  her  name   in   all   ages  but  our  own.      They  are- 


308  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

occupations  of  which  the  modern  world  knows  little,  except  what  it  has 
beard  from  the  lips  of  those  who  are  orrandmothers  now.  They  are  occupa- 
tions which  seem  surrounded  with  the  glamour  of  romance  as  we  look  back 
upon  them  through  tradition  and  poetry,  and  they  invariably  conjure  up 
thoughts  of  the  virtues  and  graces  of  the  generations  of  dames  and  damsels 
of  the  olden  time.  The  woman  of  pioneer  time«  was  like  the  woman  of 
whom  Solomon  sang:  "  She  seeketh  wool  and  flax,  and  worketh  willingly 
with  her  hands;  she  layeth  her  hands  to  the  spindle,  and  her  hands  hold  the 
distaff."  Almost  every  article  of  clothing,  all  the  cloth  in  use  in  the  old 
log  cabins,  was  the  product  of  the  patient  woman-weaver's  toil.  She  spun 
the  flax,  and  wove  the  cloth,  for  shirts  and  ti'owsers,  frocks,  sheets  and 
blankets.  The  linen  and  the  wool,  the  "linsey-woolsey"  woven  by  the 
housewife,  formed  nearly  all  of  the  articles  of  clothing  worn  by  men  and 
women. 

These  home  fabrics  were  died  with  walnut  bark,  indigo,  copperas,  etc., 
and  striped  or  checkered  work  was  produced  by  first  dyeing  portions  of  the 
yarn  their  respective  colors  before  it  was  put  into  the  loom. 

Nearly  every  farmer  had  a  patch  of  from  a  quarter  to  half  an  acre  of 
flax,  which  was  manufactured  into  cloth  by  the  family.  Tlie  flax,  before  it 
Tyas  ready  for  spinning,  had  to  be  put  through  the  process  of  "  hackling" 
and  "  scutching,"  and  the  latter  of  these  operations  frequently  furnished 
occasions  for  "  bees,"  at  which  the  people  combined  industry  with  merri- 
ment and  sociability.  Clothes  entirely  of  home  manufacture  were  almost 
universally  worn  during  the  early  years,  and  the  wearing  of  "  store  "  clothes 
was  thought  by  many  to  be  an  evidence  of  excessive  vanity. 

Men  in  the  pioneer  days  commonly  wore  the  hunting- shirt,  a  kind  of 
loose  frock  reaching  half  way  down  the  thighs,  open  before,  and  so  wide 
as  to  lap  over  a  foot  upon  the  chest.  This  generally  had  a  cape,  which  was 
sometimes  fringed  with  a  piece  of  raveled  cloth  of  a  color  different  from 
that  of  the  garment.  The  hunting-shirt  was  always  worn  belted.  The 
bosom  of  the  garment  answered  as  a  pouch  in  which  could  be  carried  the 
various  articles  needed  by  the  hunter  or  woodsman.  The  shirt,  or  more 
properly,  coat,  was  made  of  coarse  linen,  of  linsey  or  deer-skin,  according 
to  the  fancy  of  the  wearer.  Breeches  were  made  of  heavy  cloth  or  of  deer- 
skin, and  were  often  worn  with  leggings  of  the  same  material,  or  of  so  nee 
kind  of  leather.  The  deer-skin  breeches  or  trousers  were  very  comfortable 
when  dry,  but  when  they  became  wet,  were  cold  to  the  limbs,  and  the  next 
time  they  were  put  on,  were  almost  as  stiff  as  if  made  of  boards.  Hats  or 
caps  were  made  of  the  various  native  furs,  in  crude  form,  each  man 
being  his  own  hatter  until,  a  few  years  after  the  first  settlements,  men 
who  followed  hat-making  as  a  trade  came  into  the  country  and  opened  little 
shops,  in  which  they  made  woolen  hats. 

The  pioneer  women  were  clothed  in  linsey  petticoats,  coarse  shoes  and 
stockings,  and  wore  buck-skin  mittens  or  gloves,  when  any  protection  was 
needed  for  the  hands.  To  a  wardrobe  of  this  kind  were  added  a  few  articles 
obtained  from  some  distant  village,  or  brought  from  their  old  homes  in  the 
East.  Nearly  all  of  the  women's  wearing  apparel,  however,  like  that  of 
the  men,  was  of  home  manufacture,  and  was  made  with  a  view  to  being 
comfortable  and  serviceable.  Jewelry  was  very  rarely  seen,  but  occasionally 
ornaments  were  worn  which  likewise  had  been  brought  from   former  homes. 

The  Bible  was  to  be  found  in  the  cabins  of  the  pioneers  almost  as  fre- 
quently as  the  rifle.  In  the  cabins  of  some  families,  a  few  other  books 
were  occasionally  to  l)e    met  with,    such  as  "Pilgrim's  Progress," Baxter's 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  309 

"  Saints' Rest,"  Hervey's  "  Meditatious,"  ^sop's  '^Fables"  and  the  like. 
The  long  winter  evenings  were  spent  in  poring  over  a  few  well-thumbed 
volumes  by  the  light  of  the  great  log  fire,  or  in  knitting,  mending,  caring 
furs,  etc. 

The  pioneers  had  many  discomforts  to  endure,  and  some  dangers  to  en- 
counter. True,  when  Wyandot  County  was  settled,  the  danger  of  Indian 
depredations  had  passed  away  forever,  but  a  vaguely  defined  apprehension 
existed  in  the  minds  of  not  a  few  of  the  first  settlers,  that  they  were  not 
entirely  secure  in  their  forest  homes.  The  larger  wild  beasts  were  a  source 
of  dread,  and  the  smaller  ones  a  source  of  much  annoyance  to  those  who 
first  dwelt  in  this  region.  Added  to  this  was  the  liability  to  sickness,  which 
always  exists  in  a  new  country.  Then,  too,  in  the  midst  of  all  the  loveli- 
ness of  their  surroundings,  there  was  a  sense  of  loneliness  which  could  not 
be  dispelled,  and  this  was  a  far  greater  trial  to  many  men  and  women  on 
the  frontier  of  civilization,  than  is  generally  imagined.  The  deep-seated, 
constantly-recurring  feeling  of  isolation  made  many  stout  hearts  turn  fond- 
ly back  to  remembrance  of  the  older  settlements,  the  abodes  of  comfort,  the 
companionship  and  sociability  they  had  abandoned. 

However,  the  traveler  always  found  a  welcome  at  the  pioneer's  cabin. 
It  was  never  "full."  Although  there  might  be  already  a  guest  for  every 
puncheon,  still  there  was  "room  for  one  more."  If  the  stranger  was  in 
search  of  land,  he  was  doubly  welcome,  and  his  host  would  volunteer  to 
show  him  all  the  first-rate  claims  in  "this  'ere  neck  of  the  woods,"  going 
with  him  for  days,  showing  the  corners  and  advantages  of  every  "Congress 
tract "  or  unclaimed  section  within  a  dozen  miles.  To  his  neighbors,  the 
pioneer  was  equally  liberal.  If  a  deer  was  killed,  the  choicest  bits  were 
sent  to  them — a  half-dozen  miles  away,  perhaps.  When  a  "shoat"  was 
butchered,  the  neighbors  were  also  kindly  remembered.  If  a  new-comer 
came  in  too  late  for  "  cropping,"  the  neighbors  would  supply  his  table  with 
the  same  luxuries  they  themselves  enjoyed,  and  in  as  liberal  quantity,  until 
a  new  crop  could  be  raised.  Often  the  neighbors  would  also  cut  and  hew 
logs,  and  haul  them  to  the  place  of  the  new-comer's  future  residence,  con- 
cluding the  jubilee  task  with  a  grand  house-raising.  The  first  night  after 
completing  the  cabin,  they  would  have  a  '"house-warming"  and  a  dance,  as 
a  sort  of  dedication.  The  very  next  day,  the  new-comer  was  about  as  wealthy 
as  the  oldest  settlers. 

As  the  settlement  increased,  the  sense  of  loneliness  and  isolation  was 
dispelled,  the  asperities  of  life  were  softened,  its  amenities  multiplied. 
Social  gatherings  became  more  numerous  and  more  enjoyable.  The  log- 
rollings, harvesting  and  husking  bees;  the  occasional  rifie  matches  for  the 
men,  and  the  quilting  parties  for  the  women,  furnished  frequent  occasions 
for  social  intercourse.  Hospitality  in  the  olden  time  was  simple,  unaffected 
and  unbounded,  save  by  the  limited  means  of  the  people.  Whisky  was  in 
common  use,  and  was  furnished  on  all  festive  occasions.  Those  of  the  set- 
tlers who  could  aflbrd  it,  had  a  barrel  stored  away,  and  there  were  very  few 
so  poor  that  they  could  not  have  at  least  a  jugful.  The  liquor  at  first  in 
use  was  brought  from  the  Monongahela  country.  It  was  the  good  old  fash- 
ioned whisky  —  "clear  as  amber,  sweet  as  musk,  smooth  as  oil" — that  the 
octogenarians  and  monogenarians  of  to-day  recall  to  memory  with  an  imc- 
tious  gusto,  and  a  smack  of  the  lips,  which  entirely  outdoes  the  descriptive 
power  of  words.  A  few  years  after  the  first  settlements  were  made,  stills 
•were  set  up  in  the  lax-ge  towns  to  supply  the  home  demand,  and  corn  whisky 
was  manufactured,  which, although  not  held  in  as  high  esteem  as  the  "old 
Monongahela,"  was  used  in  large  quantities. 


310  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

Commercial  transactions  were  generally  carried  on  without  money,  that 
is,  by  exchanges  of  commodities,  called  "barter"  in  the  books.  In  this 
system,  sometimes,  considerable  ingenuity  was  displayed.  "When  commod- 
ities were  not  even  in  value,  ci'edit  was  given.  But  for  taxes  and  postage 
neither  the  barter  nor  the  credit  dodge  would  answer,  and  often  letters  were 
suffered  to  remain  a  long  time  in  the  post  office  for  want  of  the  25  cents  in 
money  demanded  by  the  Government.  With  all  this  high  price  on  postage, 
by  the  way,  the  letter  had  not  been  brought  several  hundred  miles  in  a  day 
or  two,  as  now- a- days,  and  delivered  within  a  mile  or  two  of  the  person 
addressed;  but  it  had  been  weeks  on  the  route,  and  delivered,  probably,  at  a 
post  oflSce  five,  ten  or  twenty  miles  distant.  Peltries  came  nearer  being 
money  than  anything  else,  as  it  became  the  custom  to  estimate  values  in 
peltries;  thus  such  and  such  articles  were  worth  so  many  peltries.  Even 
some  Tax  Collectors  and  Postmasters  were  known  to  take  peltries  and  ex- 
change them  for  the  money  required  by  the  Government.  Orders  on  the 
store  were  abundant,  and  served  as  a  kind  of  local  money.  When  a  day's 
work  was  done  by  a  working-man,  his  employer  would  ask:  "Well,  what 
store  do  you  want  your  order  on  V  The  answer  being  given,  the  order 
was  drawn,    which  was  nearly  always  honored. 

When  the  first  settlers  came  into  tbe  wilderness,  they  generally  sup- 
posed that  their  hard  struggle  would  be  principally  over  after  the  first  year; 
but  alas!  they  often  looked  for  "easier  times  next  year"  for  many  years  before 
realizing  them;  and  then  they  came  in  so  gradually  and  obscurely  as  to  be 
almost  imperceptible.  The  sturdy  frontiei'smen  thus  learned  to  bear  hard- 
ships like  soldiers  on  duty.  The  less  heroic  would  sell  out  cheap,  return  to 
their  old  homes  East  and  spread  reports  of  the  hardships  and  privations  on 
the  frontier,  while  the  sterner  class  would  remain  and  also  take  advantage 
of  these  partially  improved  lands  thus  abandoned,  and  in  time  become 
wealthy. 

At  one  time,  tea  retailed  at  $2  to  $3  a  pound;  coffee,  75  cents;  salt, 
from  $5  to  $6  a  bushel  of  fifty  pounds;  the  coarsest  calico,  $1  a  yard,  and 
whisky,  $1  to  $2  a  gallon,  and  all  this  at  a  time,  too,  when  the  poor  pio- 
neers had  no  money  to  buy  with,  except  the  little  they  sometimes  obtained 
for  peltries. 

About  1837.  a  farmer  would  haul  his  wheat  to  Sandusky  City,  over 
swampy  roads,  requiring  six  to  eight  days  to  make  the  trip,  and  sell  his 
grain  for  60  cents  a  bushel.  On  returning,  they  brought  out  merchandise, 
at  the  rate  of  50  cents  a  hundred  weight. 

Flour,  for  some  time,  could  not  be  obtained  nearer  than  Zanesville  or 
Chillicothe.  Store  goods  were  very  high,  and  none  but  the  most  common 
kinds  were  brought  here,  and  had  to  be  packed  on  hoi'ses  or  mules  from 
Detroit,  or  wagoned  from  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburgh,  thence  floated  down 
the  Ohio  River  to  the  mouth  of  the  Scioto,  and  then  packed  or  hauled  up. 
The  freight  was  enormous,  often  costing  |4  a  ton. 

Bread,  the  "staff  of  life,"  was  the  most  difficult  of  all  to  procure,  as 
there  were  no  mills  in  the  country  to  grind  the  grain.  The  use  of  stump 
mortars  and  graters  already  referred  to,  were  tedious  and  tiresome  proc- 
esses. A  grater  was  a  semi-cylindrical  piece  of  thickly  perforated  tin, 
fastened  upon  a  board,  and  operated  upon  as  is  a  nutmeg  grater.  The  corn 
was  taken  in  the  ear,  and  grated  before  it  got  dry  and  hard.  By  and  by  a 
horse  grist  mill  was  put  up  here  and  there,  and  then  water  grist  mills  along 
the  principal  streams;  but  all  these  together  could  not  keep  pace  with  the 
demands    of    the   rapidly  growing   settlements.      When    there  was  water 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  311 

enough  to  run  the  mills,  the  roads  were  too  muddy  and  small  streams  too 
high  for  teaming  and  taking  the  grain  to  the  mills.  Horse  mills  were  tuo 
slow,  and  thus  the  community  had  to  plod  their  weary  way  along  until 
steam  flouring  mills  were  introduced. 

The  implements  used  by  the  first  farmers  in  this  State  would,  in  this 
age  of  improvement,  be  great  curiosities.  The  plow  was  of  the  wooden 
mold-board,  bar-share  pattern,  difficult  to  describe.  The  reapers  were  the 
sickle  and  the  cradle.  Harrows,  with  wooden  teeth,  were  simply  brush 
heaps  dragged  over  the  ground.  Hoes  were  almost  as  heavy  as  grubbing 
hoes.  Threshing  machines  were  flails,  or  the  grain  was  trodden  out  by 
horses  or  oxen.  A  sheet  or  quilt,  with  a  stout  person  at  each  end  to  swing 
it  simultaneously,  sometimes  constituted  the  fanning  mill;  or  sometimes  the 
grain  and  chaff  would  be  dipped  up  with  a  pail,  held  aloft  and  slowly 
poured  out,  while  the  wind  was  blowing.  Handbreaks  were  used  for  break- 
ing flax,  and  hemp. 

When  the  earliest  pioneer  reached  this  Western  wilderness,  game  was 
his  principal  meat,  until  he  had  conquered  a  farm  from  the  forest  or  prairie. 
As  the  country  filled  up  with  inhabitants,  game  grew  correspondingly 
scarce,  and  by  1840-50,  he  who  would  live  by  his  rifle  would  have  had  but 
a  precarious  subsistence  had  it  not  been  for  "wild  hogs."  These  animals 
— the  descendants  of  those  left  by  home- sick  emigrants  who  had  returned 
East — multiplied  and  thrived  in  a  wild  state,  their  subsistence  being  chiefly 
acorns,  nuts,  sedge  stalks,  and  flesh  of  carcasses  and  small  vermin.  The 
second  and  third  immigration  to  the  country  found  these  wild  hogs  an  un- 
failing source  of  meat  supply  for  a  number  of  years.  In  some  sections  of 
the  West,  they  became  altogether  too  numerous  for  comfort,  and  the  citi- 
zens met,  organized  and  adopted  measures  for  their  extermination. 

Meanwhile,  during  all  the  early  years  of  the  settlement,  varied  with  oc- 
casional pleasures  and  excitements,  the  great  work  of  increasing  the  area  of 
tillable  lands  went  steadily  on,  and  true,  the  implements,  as  already  men- 
tioned, were  few  and  of  the  most  primitive  kind,  yet  the  soil  which  held  in 
reserve  the  accumulated  richness  of  unnumbered  centuries,  produced  splen- 
did results.  Although  the  development  of  the  country  and  the  improvement 
of  individual  condition  was  slow,  nevertheless  it  was  sure.  Hence  year 
by  year,  the  log  houses  became  more  nvimerous,  and  the  forest  shrank 
away  before  the  woodman's  as.  The  settlers  brought  stock  into  the  country 
as  they  became  able,  and  each  one  had  his  horses,  oxen,  cows,  sheep  and 
swine.  Among  the  earliest  evidences  of  the  reward  of  patient  toil  were  the 
double  cabins  of  hewed  logs,  which  took  the  places  of  the  earlier  hut  like 
structures.  Then  frame  houses  began  to  appear,  and  hewed-log  barns,  and 
later,  frame  barns  were  built  for  the  protection  of  stock  and  the  housing  of 
the  crops.  Simultaneously  with  the  earliest  indications  of  increasing  thrift, 
society  began  to  form  itself;  the  schoolhouse  and  the  church  appeared,  and 
advancement  was  noticeable  in  a  score  of  ways. 

Still  thex-e  remained  a  vast  work  to  perform,  for  as  yet  only  a  beginning 
had  been  made.  The  brunt  of  the  struggle,  however,  was  past.  The  pio- 
neers had  made  a  way  in  the  wilderness  for  the  advancing  hosts  of  the  army 
of  civilization. 


312  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER   VL 
CIVIL  HISTORY. 

This  Region  Prior  to  1845— Organization,  etc.,  ok  Wyandot  County— Act 
OF  Congress  Relating  thereto— Public  Sale  of  Town  Lots  in  Upper 
Sandusky — Names  ofPurohasers— Townships— Public;  Buildings— No- 
table Proceedings  of  Courts- Results  of  Elections— Officers  Elect- 
ed. 

A    glance    at    this    region    prior    to    the    formation    op    WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

As  already  explained,  the  Wyandot  Indians  were  the  acknowledged  owners 
of  all  this  region  prior  to  September  29,  1817.  They  then  ceded  (with 
the  exception  of  some  small  reservations,  also  heretofore  described)  their  land- 
ed possession  to  the  United  States  Government,  and  agreed  to  retire  to,  and  re  - 
main  within  their  reservations,  with  the  privilege  granted  them,  however,  of 
hunting  over  any  and  all  parts  of  the  broad  domain  so  lately  theirs,  until 
the  same  was  requii'ed  for  actual  occupation,  and  improvement  by  the 
whites.  During  the  two  or  three  years  immediately  succeeding  this  cession 
of  lands,  certain  officials,  styled  Deputy  Surveyor  Generals,  acting  under  the 
orders  of 'the  Surveyor  General  of  the  United  States,  ran  out  the  township 
and  sectional  lines  over  a  large  portion  of  this,  the  new  purchase.  A  region, 
wMch  it  appears,  remained  without  the  limits  of  civil  jurisdiction,  until  by 
an  act  of  the  State  Legislature  passed  February  12,  1820,  to  take  effect  on 
the  Ist  day  of  April  following,  a  number  of  counties  were  erected  from 
the  new  purchase,  or  what  was  then  termed  the  "Old  Indian  Territory." 
Among  them  Crawford,  Hancock,  Hardin,  Marion  and  Seneca.  As  these 
counties  (except  Seneca)  originally  embraced  the  territory  now  known  as 
Wyandot  County,  we  will  glance  at  the  their  original  dimensions. 

Hancock  County,  to  include  Townships  1  and  2  south,  and  1  and  2  north, 
in  Ranges  9,  10,  11  and  12.  Hardin  County  to  include  all  the  last-men- 
tioned ranges,  south  of  said  second  townships,  and  runfiing  south  with  the 
range  lines  to  the  northern  boundaries  of  the  organized  counties.  Craw- 
ford County  to  include  Townships  1,  2  and  8  south,  in  Ranges  13,  14,  15, 
16  and  17,  and  all  that  may  lie  between  the  same  and  the  west  line  of  Rich- 
land County.  Marion  County  to  include  all  of  the  last-mentioned  ranges 
south  of  said  third  townships,  and  to  run  south  with  said  range  lines  to  the 
northern  boundaries  of  the  organized  counties,  and  east  with  the  township 
lines  to  Richland  County  line. 

By  the  provisions  of  the  same  act — the  act  passed  February  12,  1820 — 
Crawford  County  was  attached  to  Delaware  for  judi^'ial  purposes.  The 
former  county  in  part  then  embraced  all  that  portion  of  the  present  county 
of  Wyandot  designated  Townships  1,  2  and  8  south,  in  Ranges  13.  14  and 
15  east,  and  it  was  while  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Delaware  County 
officials,  and  by  virtue  of  an  order  issued  from  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
of  Delaware  County,  directed  to  the  qualitied  voters  of  Crawford  Township, 
in  (^rawford  County,  that  the  tirst  election  was  held  within  the  present  lim- 
its of  Wyandot  County.  Crawford  Township  then  comprised  the  present 
townships  of   Crawford,  Tymochtee   and   Sycamore.     In   pursuance  of   the 


HISTORY  OF  WVANDOT  COUNTY.  31  cJ 

order  of  court,  the  electors  assembled  at  the  house  of  Henry  Lish  (who  then 
operated  a  ferry  over  Tymochtee  Creek  in  the  present  township  of  Tymoch- 
tee),  on  the  1st  day  of  April,  1821.  After  the  appointment  of  a  Chairman, 
and  the  election  viva  voce  of  Ira  Arnold  and  Seth  Crocker  as  Clerks  for  the 
day,  John  Gordon,  James  Richards  and  James  Whitehead  as  Judges,  the 
legal  voters  present,  tliirteen  in  number,  proceeded  to  elect  by  ballot  .the 
following  named  township  officers:  Ira  Arnold,  Clerk;  John  Gordon,  James 
Richards  and  Ichabod  Merriman,  Trustees;  Elijah  Brayton  and  Rufus  Mer- 
riman.  Appraisers;  Elijah  Brayton,  Listor;  Thomas  Leeper,  Treasurer; 
Philip  Peer  and  Henry  Lish,  Supervisors;  Myron  Merriman  and  James 
Whitehead,  Fence  Viewers;  Isaac  Walker,  Constable,  and  Ciprian  Stevens, 
Justice  of  the  Peace. 

The  county  of  Crawford  remained  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Delaware 
until  by  the  passage  of  a  legislative  act  of  date  December  15,  182B,  to  take 
effect  May  1.  1824,  Marion  County  was  organized  and  Crawford  was  ordered 
to  be  attached  to  it  for  judicial  purposes.  During  the  same  session,  how- 
ever, by  an  act  approved  February  17,  1824,  it  was  further  ordered  "  that 
so  much  of  the  county  of  Crawford  as  lies  north  of  the  Wyandot  Reserva- 
tion, including  one  tier  of  townships  lying  east  and  west,  be,  and  the  same 
is  hereby,  from  and  after  the  passage  of  this  act,  attached  to  the  county  of 
Seneca  for  judicial  purposes,  until  the  county  of  Crawford  shall,  be  organ- 
ized." During  subsequent  years  a  few  other  changes  in  jurisdiction  took 
place  from  time  to  time,  but  no  alterations  in  boundary  lines  occurred 
(where  Crawford,  Marion,  Hardin  and  Hancock  Counties  joined  each  other), 
until  the  erection  of  Wyandot  County. 

FORMATION,    ORGANIZATION,    ETC.,    OF    WYANDOT    COUNTY. 

By  the  provisions  of  an  act  of  the  State  Legislature  approved  February 
3,  1845,  entitled  "  An  act  to  erect  the  new  county  of  Wyandott,*  and  alter 
the  boundaries  of  the  county  of  Crawford,"  Wyandot  was  formed  from  parts 
of  Crawford.  Marion,  Hardin  and  Hancock  Counties.  The  sections  of  the 
act  which  have  an  especial  reference  to  this  (Wyandot)  county  read  as  fol- 
lows : 

Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  bj'  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  That 
such  parts  of  the  counties  of  Crawford,  Marion,  Hardin  and  Hancock,  as  are  em- 
braced within  the  boundaries  hereinafter  described,  be,  and  the  same  are  hereby 
erected  into  a  separate  and  distinct  county,  which  shall  be  known  by  the  name  of 
Wyandott,  and  the  seat  of  justice  within  and  for  said  county  shall  be  and  is  hereby 
fixed  and  established  at,  or  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Upper  Sandusky  to  wit:  Be- 
ginning at  the  southeast  corner  of  Section  10,  in  Township  4  south,  in  Range  15,  of  the 
public  survey  of  lands,  in  Marion  County,  and  running  thence  north  on  the  sectional 
lines,  through  Crawford  County,  to  the  north  line  thereof,  between  Sections  2  and  3,  in 
Township  1  south,  in  Range  15,  aforesaid;  which  line  shall  form  the  east  boundary  of 
said  county  of  Wyandott,  and  the  west  line  of  Crawford  County;  thence  west  on  the 
base  line  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  2,  in  Township  1  south,  of  Range  12,  in 
Hancock  County;  thence  south  on  the  sectional  line  to  the  northeast  corner  of  Section 
22,  in  the  township  and  range  last  aforesaid;  thence  west  on  the  sectional  line  to  the 
northwest  corner  of  said  Section  22;  thence  south  on  the  sectional  line  to  the  south  line 
of  said  township  as  originally  surveyed,  between  Sections  33  and  34;  thence  west  on 
said  township  line  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  5  in  Township  2  south,  of  the 
range  last  aforesaid;  thence  south  on  the  sectional  line  through  said  Township  2,  to 
the  south  line  thereof,  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  5,  in  Township  3  south,  of 
the  range  last  aforesaid,  in  the  county  of  Hardin;  thence  east  to  the  northeast  corner 

*  Before  the  organization  of  Wyandot  County  and  the  adoption  of  a  county  seal,  this  term  had  been 
written  and  printed  in  various  ways  as  Wyandot,  Wyandott  and  Wyandotte.  Therefore,  soon  after  the  or- 
ganization, the  qufstion  of  adopting  a  uniform  style  of  spelling  the  county's  title  was  considered  by  the 
first  county  officials,  when  at  the  suggestion  of  John  D.  Sears,  Esq.,  the  form  of  orthography  still  in  use — 
Wyandot — was  approved  and  so  entered  upon  the  records. 


814  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

of  said  Section  5;  thence  soutli  on  the  sectional  line  to  the  southwest  corner  of  Section 
9,  in  Township  4  south,  in  the  range  last  aforesaid;  thence  east,  to  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  Section  13,  in  the  township  and  range  last  aforesaid;  thence  south  to  the  south- 
west corner  of  said  Section  13;  thence  east  on  the  sectional  line  to  the  southeast  corner 
of  Section  13,  in  Township  4  south  of  Range  13;  thence  north  to  the  northeast  corner 
of  said  last-mentioned  Section  13;  thence  east,  on  the  sectional  line  to  the  place  of  be- 
ginning: Provided,  That  the  passage  of  this  act  shall  not  prevent  the  Mad  River  & 
Lake  Erie  Railroad  Company  from  extending  an  arm  from  the  main  track  of  said  rail- 
road to  the  town  of  Fiudlay  in  the  county  of  Hancock,  as  was  secured  to  said  company 
in  the  original  act  of  incorporation. 

*********** 

Sec.  4.  That  all  Justices  of  the  Peace,  within  those  parts  of  the  counties  of  Craw- 
ford, Marion,  Hardin  and  Hancock,  which  by  this  act  are  erected  into  the  county  of 
Wyandott,  and  also  within  those  parts  of  the  counties  of  Richland  and  Marion,  which 
by  this  act,  are  attached  to  the  county  of  Crawford,  shall  continue  to  exercise  the  func- 
tions and  discharge  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices,  until  their  time  of  service  shall 
expire,  and  their  successors  be  elected  and  qualified,  in  the  same  manner  as  if  they  had 
been  commissioned  for  the  counties  of  Wyandott  and  Crawford  respectively.      *     *    * 

Sec.  5.  That  the  legal  voters  residing  within  the  limits  of  the  county  of  Wyandott, 
shall  on  the  1st  Monday  in  April,  in  the  year  1845,  assemble  in  their  respective  town- 
ships, at  the  usual  place  of  holding  elections  (where  the  usual  places  of  holding  elections 
are  within  the  limits  of  the  county  of  Wyandott,  and  in  cases  of  fractional  townships, 
where  the  usual  places  of  holding  elections  are  not  included  within  the  limits  of  the 
county  aforesaid,  the  voters  residing  in  each  of  such  fractional  townships,  shall  assem- 
ble in  the  township  immediatelj^  adjoining  such  fractional  township,  and  lying  toward 
the  center  of  said  county),  and  proceed  to  elect  the  different  county  officers  in  the  man- 
ner prescribed  in  the  act  to  regulate  elections,  who  shall  hold  their  offices  until  the 
next  annual  election,  and  until  their  successors  are  chosen  and  qualified. 

Sec.  6.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Commissioners  of  Wyandott  County  when  elected 
and  qualified,  to  make  the  most  favorable  contract  or  contracts  with  the  Government 
of  the  United  States,  or  with  any  person  or  persons  for  donations  of  land,  town  lots, 
moneys,  or  other  property,  for  the  erection  of  county  buildings,  either  in  the  town  of 
Upper  Sandusky,  or  on  land  adjoining  the  same,  as  they  may  think  most  advantageous 
to  the  county  of  Wyandott;  p7'oz)irfe(7  that  the  county  buildings  of  Wyandott  County 
shall  not  be  erected  at  a  greater  distance  than  one-fourth  of  a  mile  from  the  State  road 
leading  from  Columbus  through  Delaware,  Marion  and  Upper  Sandusky  to  Lower  San- 
duskv  *-»**  ****** 

Sec.  8.  The  Commissioners  of  the  respective  counties  from  which  territory  is  hereby 
taken,  shall  have  power  immediately  upon  the  passage  of  this  act,  to  attach  fractionall 
townships  to  other  townships  in  their  respective  counties,  or  to  organize  such  fractiona 
townships  into  separate  townships,  as  they  may  deem  expedient,  which  power  shall  ex- 
tend to  the  counties  of  Crawford  and  Wyandott,  for  the  purpose  of  disposing  of  frac- 
tions coming  within  the  limits  of  said  counties  made  by  this  act. 

***  ***  ***** 

Thus,  by  a  scrutiny  of  Section  1  of  the  act  just  quoted,  it  is  ascertained 
that  Wyandot  County  was  formed  from  Townships  No.  1,  2  and  3  south,  in 
Ranges  13  and  14  east,  and  the  fractional  or  western  two-thirds  of  Town- 
ships 1,  2  and  3  south,  in  Range  15  east,  of  Crawford  County;  from  frac- 
tional parts  of  Townships  1  and  2  south,  in  Range  12  east,  of  Hancock 
County;  from  fractional  parts  of  Townships  3  and  4  south,  in  the  range  last 
mentioned,  of  Hardin  County,  and  from  fractional  Townships  4  south,  in 
Ranges  13,  14  and  15  east,  of  Marion  County. 

In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Section  5  of  the  act  above  quoted, 
on  Monday,  April  7,  1845,  the  legal  voters  of  the  county  assembled  in  their 
respective  townships,  at  the  several  places  designated  for  holding  elections, 
and  proceeded  to  the  exercise  of  their  rights  as  American  freemen  by  voting 
for  the  various  persons  nominated  to  till  the  county  offices.  In  the  aggre- 
gate, 1,289  ballots  were  deposited,  and  as  a  result  the  following  officers  were 
in  due  time  declared  elected:  William  Griffith,  Stephen  Fowler  and  Ethan 
Terry,  County  Commissioners;  Abner  Jurey,  Treasurer;  Samuel  M.  Worth, 
Auditor;  Lorin  A.  Pease,  Sheriff;  John  A.  Morrison,  Recorder;  Albert 
Bixby,  Coroner;  Azariah  Root,  Survej'or;  and  Chester  R.  Mott,  Prosecuting 
Attorney. 


^a?'* 


'^w!^ 


(7'^^  ??^'^fy^y^--^^  <^^^^^ 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  317 

Concerning  the  political  complexion  of  the  oflScers  first  elected  we  learn 
that  Griffith,  Jurey,  Pease  and  Root  were  Whigs,  while  Fowler,  Terry, 
Worth,  Morrison,  Bixby  and  Mott  were  Democrats.  These  gentlemen  at 
once  attached  their  signatures  to  the  required  oath  of  office,  filed  their 
bonds  uf  indemnity,  etc.,  and  within  two  weeks  after  their  election  were 
prepared  for  the  transaction  of  public  business  in  such  apartments  in  and 
about  the  new  and  straggling  built-up  town  as  were  found  most  convenient. 
In  describing  the  initial  proceedings,  which  took  place  in  their  respective 
departments,  we  turn  to  the  records  for  the  following  items. 

On  the  J  6th  day  of  April,  1845  (nine  days  after  their  election),  Stephen 
Fowler,  William  Griffith  and  Ethan  Terry,  Commissioners- elect  of  the 
County  of  AVyandot  (the  same  having  taken  the  i-equired  oath  of  office 
before  Abner  Jurey,  Esq.),  first  convened  (the  minutes  fail  to  state  where) 
for  the  transaction  of  business.  Thereupon  the  bond  of  Samuel  M.  Worth, 
the  Audi  tor- elect,  was  presented  and  approved,  with  Zuriel  Fowler,  Joseph 
Shorb  and  Guy  C.  Worth  as  his  sureties.  The  Commissioners  then  author- 
ized Guy  C.  Worth  (who  was  then  officiating  as  Clerk  of  the  courts,  by  ap- 
pointment) to  contract  for  the  purchase  of  the  necessary  books  and  station- 
ery for  the  use  of  the  different  county  offices;  also  to  purchase  an  "iron 
press"  for  the  Clerk's  office,  "if,  in  his  opinion,  it  be  advisable  to  obtain  the 
same."  On  the  same  day  the  following  resolutions  were  considered  and 
approved : 

Resolved,  That  the  proposition  of  Moses  H.  Kirby  to  transfer  his  possessory  right 
to  the  Indian  Council  House  at  Upper  Sandusky  to  the  county  of  Wyandot  be  accepted, 
and  the  Auditor  authorized  to  issue  an  order  in  favor  of  Col.  Kirby  for  $30  in  full  pay- 
ment of  his  interest  in  said  house. 

Resolved,  That  the  different  officers  of  Wyandot  County  be  authorized  to  obtain 
the  necessary  cheap  furniture  for  the  use  of  their  respective  oflBces,  and  present  their 
bill  to  the  Board  of  Commissioners  at  the  June  session. 

Resolved,  That  the  Auditor  of  Wyandot,  County  is  hereby  authorized  to  procure 
the  necessary  abstracts  from  the  tax  duplicates  of  Crawford,  Marion,  Hardin  and  Han- 
cock Counties,  and  that  he  procure,  if  need  be,  the  services  of  the  Auditors  of  the  said 
counties  respectively  to  assist  him  in  obtaining  the  same. 

Resolved,  That  the  Auditor  cause  such  repairs  to  be  made  upon  the  upper  part  of 
the  Council  House  as  will  be  required  for  the  accommodation  of  the  county  officers." 

The  Commissioners  then  approved  of  the  bond  of  Abner  Jurey,  Treas- 
urer-elect, with  John  Jurey,  Benjamin  S.  Welch,  Christian  Hoover  and 
Jacob  S.  Staley  as  his  sureties,  and  adjourned  to  meet  in  special  session  on 
the  28rh  day  of  April  following. 

As  determined,  the  Commissioners  again  met  on  Monday,  April  28, 
1845,  when  it  was  ordered  that  the  area  of  Jackson  Township  be  increased, 
and  Marseilles  Township  be  erected.  On  the  following  day,  their  proceed- 
ings were  far  more  important,  and  as  follows: 

Upper  Sandusky,  Wyandot  County,  Ohio,  April  29,  1845. 

The  Commissioners  of  Wyandot  County  this  day  met,  and  after  a  due  considera- 
tion of  the  proposition  for  the  establishment  of  the  seat  of  justice  of  Wyandot  County 
at  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  adopted  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions: 

Whereas  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  by   an  act*  approved  the  26th  day  of 

*  COPY  OF  THE  ACT  OF  CONGRESS. 

Chapter  23.— An  act  vesting  in  the  County  Commissioners  of  the  county  of  Wyandot  the  right  to  cer- 
tain town  lots  and  outlets  in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  in  the  State  of  Ohio. 

Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of  .^^merica 
in  Congress  assembled,  That  the  right  to  one-third  part  of  the  unsold  town  lots  in  the  town  of  Upper  San- 
dusky by  the  act  entitled  "  An  Act  providing  for  the  sale  of  certain  lauds  in  the  States  of  Ohio  and  Mich- 
igan ceded  by  the  Wyandot  tribe  of  Indians,  and  for  other  purposes,"  passed  March  3,  184.3,  directed  to  be 
laid  out  and  surveyed,  and  to  one-third  part  of  the  outlets  of  said  town,  be  and  hereby  is  vested  in  the 
County  Commissioners  of  the  county  of  Wyandot,  in  the  said  State  of  Ohio  ;  on  condition,  nevertheless, 
that  said  Commissioners,  or  other  competent  authorities  of  said  State  of  Ohio,  shall  permanently  locate  and 
fix  the  seat  of  justice  of  the  county  at  said  town,  and  that  the  net  proceeds  of  the  sales  of  said  town  and  out- 


318  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

February,  A.  D.  1845,  have  granted  to  the  Commissioners  of  Wyandot  County,  one- 
third  part  of  the  inlots  and  outlots  of  the  said  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  upon  the  con- 
dition that  the  said  Commissioners  should  permanently  locate  and  fix  the  seat  of  jus- 
tice of  said  county  at  the  said  town  of  Upper  Sandusky. 

Be  it  therefore  Resolved,  That  the  seat  of  justice  of  said  county  of  Wyandot  be  and 
hereby  is  permanently  located  and  fixed  at  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky. 

Resolved,  That  the  Register  and  Receiver  of  the  Land  Office  at  Upper  Sandusky  be 
requested  to  advise  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Wyandot  County  what  lot  or  lots 
in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  embrace  valuable  improvements  made  by  this  Indian 
agency  at  Upper  Sandusky. 

(copy.) 
Land  Office  Upper  Sandusky,  April  29,  1845. 
To  THE  Commissioners  of  Wyandot  County: 

Gentlemen:  The  following  resolutions  passed  by  your  board  have  this  day  been 
duly  placed  in  our  hands,  to  wit:  '-Resolved,  that  tlie  Register  and  Receiver  of  the 
Land  Office  at  Upper  Sandusky  be  requested  to  advise  the  Board  of  Commissioners 
what  lot  or  lots  in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  embrace  valuable  improvements  made 
by  the  Indian  Agency  at  Upper  Sandusky."  In  reply  to  which  we  have  to  state  that 
Outlot  No.  49f ,  embraces  all  the  valuable  improvements  made  at  Upper  Sandusky  for 
the  use  of  the  Indian  Agency.  Very  respectfully, 

Albur  Root,  Register, 
Moses  H.  Kirby,  Receiver. 

Thereupon  the  following  communication  was  prepared  by  the  Commis- 
sioners, and  at  once  sent  forward,  by  mail,  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 

of  the  United  States: 

Upper  Sandusky,  April  29,  1845. 
To  the  Honorable  Secretary  op  the  Treasury  of  the  United  States: 

Sir:  We  herewith  transmit  to  you  official  information  of  the  permanent  location  of 
the  seat  of  justice  for  Wyandot  County  at  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky;  and  we  are 
advised  by  the  acompanying  communication  from  the  Register  and  Receiver  of  the 
Land  Office  at  Upper  Sandusky  that  Outlot  No.  49  is  the  only  one  contained  in  the 
said  town  which  embraces  valuable  improvements  made  by  the  Indian  Agency  at  Upper 
Sandusky.  And  as  it  appears  that  this  lot  would  not  fall  to  the  county  by  a  selection 
of  everv  third  lot  in  alternate  and  progressive  numbers  in  pursuance  of  the  second  sec- 
tion of  "^the  act  of  Congress  of  the  26th  of  February,  A.  D.  1845,  entitled  "  An  act  vest- 
ing in  the  County  Commissioners  of  the  county  of  Wyandot  the  right  to  certain  town 
lots  and  outlots  'in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  no  substitution 
will,  therefore,  have  to  be  made. 

We  would  respectfully  request  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  make 
the  selection  in  pursuance  to  the  said  law  as  soon  as  practicable  and  transmit  the  same 
to  us. 

We  remain  very  respectfully  your  obedient  servants, 

Stephen  Fowler, 
William  Griffith, 
Ethan  Terry, 

Commissioners  of  Wyandot  County. 
Communication  from  the  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office  in  reply  to  the  fore- 
going: 

General  Land  Office,  July  28,  1845. 
I,  James  Shields,  t  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  do  hereby  certify, 
that  the  annexed  is  a  true  and  literal  exemplification  of  the  original  on  file  in  this 
office,  approved  bv  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  on  the  12th  day  of  July,  1845. 

In  testimony  whereof,  I  hereunto  subscribed  my  name  and  caused  the  seal  of  this 
office  to  be  affixed,  at  the  city  of  Washington,  on  the  day  and  year  above  written. 
Ja.mes  Shields,  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office. 

lots  be  applied  by  said  Coiintv  Commissioners,  or  other  proper  authorities,  to  the  erection  of  public  build- 
ings, and  the  improvement  of  public  squares  and  public  grounds  in  said  town. 

Sec  2.  And  be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  town  lots  and  outlots  of  said  town  of  Upper  bandusky,  so 
to  be  granted  and  applied,  shall  be  selected  bv  alternate  and  progressive  numbers  (every  third  town  lot 
and  every  third  outlot  according  to  their  numbers  respectively,  being  granted  and  applied  as  atoresaid) 
under  the  direction  and  subject  to  the  control  of  the  .Secretary  of  the  Treasury  ;  Provided,  that  nothing  here- 
in contained  shall  be  so  construed  as  to  grant  to  and  vest  in  said  County  Commissioners  any  lot  or  lots 
heretofore  appropriated  to  and  used  by  the  Indian  agency  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  upon  which  there  may 
remain  anv  valuable  buildings,  orchard,  or  other  valuable  improvement  belonging  to  the  United  States, 
and  if  any'such  town  lot  or  outlot,  so  bv  its  progressive  number  selected,  should  be  found  to  comprise  and 
include  anv  such  valuable  building,  orchard  or  other  valuable  improvement  then  the  said  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  is  hereby  authorized  and  directed  to  substitute  some  other  lot  or  lots,  of  a  fair  and  proportionate 
value. 

Approved,  February  20.  1845. 

+The  site  of  Fort  Ferree.  ,    ,  ^    ,         ,    „.      >       ^        c-u-  u 

JAfterward  known  (during  the  Mexican  war,  and  the  war  of  the  rebellion)  as  Gen.  Shields. 


HISTORY  OF  WVANDOT  COUNTY.  319 

List  of  town  lots  and  outlots  in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusliy,  Ohio,  selected  under 
the  provisions  of  the  act  of  Congress  entitled  "  An  act  vesting  in  the  Commissioners  of 
the  county  of  Wyandot  the  right  to  certain  town  lots  and  outlots  in  the  town  of  Upper 
Sandusky,  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  approved  36th  of  February,  1845." 

Town  Lots  numbered  3,  6,  9,  12,  15.  18,  31,  24,  27,  30.  33,  36,  39,  42.  45,  48,  51,  54, 
57,  60,  63,  66,  69,  73,  75,  78,  81,  84,  87,  93,  93.  96,  99,  103,  105,  108,  111,  114,  117,  130,  123, 
126,  129,  132,  135,  138,  141,  144,  147,  150,  153,  156,  159,  162,  165,  168,  171,  174,  177,  180, 
188,  186,  189.  193,  195,  198,  201,  204.  207,  210,  213.  216.  219,  223,  235,  228,  231,  234,  237, 
240,  243,  246,  249,  353,  255,  258,  261,  264,  267,  370,  373,  276,  279,  282,  285,  288,  291,  294, 
297,  300,  303,  306,  309,  312,  315,  318,  321.  334,  337,  330,  333,  336,  339,  343,  345.  348,  351, 
354,  357,  360,  363.  366,  369,  373,  375,  378. 

Out  Lots  numbered  3,  6,  9,  13.  15.  18,  31,  34.  37,  30,  33.  36.  39,  42,  45,  48,  51,  54,  57, 
60,  63,  66,  69,  72,  75,  78,  81,  84,  87,  90.  93.  96,  99,  103.  105,  108,  111,  114,  117,  130,  133, 
136,  139,  133,  135,  133.  141.  144.  147;  150.  153,  156.  159,  163,  165,  168,  171,  174,  177,  180, 
183,  186,  189,  193,  195,  193,  201,  204,  207,  210,  213,,216. 

At  a  subsequent  meeting  of  the  County  Commissioners,  held  on  the 
2d  day  of  June,  1845.  the  boundaries  of  Pit  ,  Crane  and  Antrim  Town- 
ships were  defined,  and  Eden,  Ridge,  Richland  and  Sycamore  Townships 
were  organized  as  separate  townships.  During  the  same  session,  it  was 
further  ordered  that  a  tax  of  $1  be  assessed  upon  each  lawyer  and  physician 
practicing  in  the  county.  That  a  tax  of  four  and  one  half  mills  on  a  dollar 
be  levied  for  county  purposes,  also  a  tax  of  one  and  one-half  mills  on  a 
dollar  be  levied  for  road  purposes,  and  that  the  Auditor  "  be  authorized  to 
serve  a  notice  upon  John  Shrenk*  to  leave  the  council  house  forthwith." 

The  Commissioners  again  met  for  the  transaction  of  business  on  Satur- 
day, July  26,  1845,  and  as  the  result  of  their  deliberations,  the  following 
orders,  etc.,  w^ere  made  a  matter  of  recoi'd: 

Ordered,  Tliat  the  lots  vested  in  tlieir  hands  by  the  act  of  Congress,  approved 
February  26,  1845,  be  exposed  at  public  sale  on  the  2oth,  21st  and  22d  days  of  August, 
1845. 

Ordered,  That  200  copies  of  sale  bills  be  printed,  and  that  the  same  be  published 
in  the  Ohio  Statesman,  Ohio  State  Journal  and  Wyandot  Telegraph. 

Ordered.  That  the  Auditor  procure  a  sufficient  number  of  blank  title  bonds  for 
such  sale. 

Ordered,  That  the  lots  be  sold  for  one-fourth  of  the  purchase  money  in  hand, 
one-fourth  in  one  year,  one-fourth  in  two  years,  and  ihe  remaining  one-fourth  in  three 
years;  the  payments  to  be  secured  with  notes  bearing  interest. 

Ordered,  That  Inlot  No.  147  be  reserved  from  sale,  and  that  Lots  No.  145  and 
146  be  procured  for  the  use  of  the  countj^  to  erect  public  buildings  upon. 

Ordered,  That  Mr.  Joseph  McCutchcn  be  authorized  to  engage  the  services  of  Mr. 
Bishop,  of  Seneca  County,  as  crier  on  the  days  of  sale. 

Ordered,  That  Peter  B.  Beidler  be  employed  to  copy  from  the  records  of  the 
counties  from  whicli  Wyandot  County  was  taken,  such  records,  surveys  and  field  notes 
as  may  be  strictly  necessary  to  have  in  this  county,  also  to  make  a  plat  of  the  county 
of  Wyandot. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  "  sale  bill"  above  mentioned: 

PUBLIC   SALE   OF   TOWN   LOTS   AT   UPPER   SANDUSKY. 

The  Commissioners  of  Wyandot  Countj"  will  offer  the  following  valuable  town 
property  for  sale  at  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio,  upon  the  20th,  21st  and  23d  days  of  August 
next,  to  wit:  The  in  and  out  lots  in  the  town  of  LTpper  Sandusky  vested  in  the  said 
Commissioners  by  act  of  Congress  approved  February  36,  1845,  being  eveiy  third  of  the 
in  and  out  lots  selected  by  alternate  and  progressive  numbers,  amounting  to  126  inlots 
and  seventy-two  outlots. 

Upper  Sandusky,  a  town  laid  out  by  the  General  Government,  is  delightfully  situ- 
ated on  the  Sandusky  River,  near  the  center  of  the  Wyandot  Reserve,  and  the  seat  of 
justice  of  the  new  county  of  Wyandot  has  been  permanently  fixed  at  said  town. 

Terms  of  Sale:  One-fourth  of  the  purchase  money  required  in  hand,  the  balance  in 
three  equal  annual  installments,  secured  by  notes  bearing  interest. 

Stephen  Fowler, 
William  Griffith, 
Ethan  Terry, 
[Attest]  Commissioners  of  Wyandot  County. 

Samuel  M.  North,  Auditor. 

*  Shrenk  was  the  publisher  of  the  Wyandot  Telegraph,  the  first  newspaper  published  in  the  county,  and 
had  occupied  the  council  house  as  his  printing  house,  from  the  middle  of  February,  1845. 


320 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


The  Commissioners  then  adjourned  to  the  11th  of  Auc^ust  following,  for 
the  purpose  of  appraising  the  lots.  At  the  time  designated,  Augvist  11, 
1845,  the  members  composing  the  Board  of  Commissioners  met,  and  made 
an  appraisement  of  the  value  of  each  lot,  varying  from  $25  for  the  lowest, 
to  $500  for  the  highest.  They  again  met  on  the  19th  day  of  August,  1845, 
and  agreed  upon  the  following  terms  of  sale  for  the  lots  advertised  to  be 
sold: 

One-fourth  of  the  purchase  money  to  be  paid  in  hand,  the  residue  in  three  equal 
annual  payments,  with  interest,  to  be  secured  by  promissory  notes. 

The  terms  of  sale  to  be  complied  with  on  the  day  thereof.  A  title  bond  to  be 
given,  conditioned  for  the  making  of  a  deed  to  the  purchaser  upon  the  payment  of  the 
notes.  Delinquent  bidders  to  be  held  subject  to  the  liabilities  and  restrictions  usual  in 
such  cases. 

Commissioners  further  order  that  Wyandot  County  orders  and  current  bank  papers 
of  the  Ohio  banks  be  receivable  in  payment  of  the  first  installment. 

That  the  crops  growing  upon  the  outlets  be  reserved  to  the  occupants  putting  them 
in,  who  are  required  to  remove  them  bj'  the  10th  day  of  October  next. 

Chester  R.  Mott,  Et-q.,  was  employed  as  assistant  clerk  during  the  sales, 
and  David  Bishop,  of  Seneca  County,  as  crier.  The  sale  commenced  at 
10:30  o'clock  A.  M.,  on  the  20th  day  of  August,  1845,  and  continued  three 
days.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  lots  sold,  the  names  of  purchasers, 
and  the  amount  paid  for  each  lot: 

[n  Lot  No.  3,  Joseph  McCutchen $  26 

[n  Lot  No.  9,  George  Yenner 30 

[n  Lot  No.  13,  Joseph  Chaffee 37 

[n  Lot  No.  15,  James  McConnell 35 

In  Lot  No.  21,  Stephen  H.  Sherwood 32 

In  Lot  No.  24,  James  McConnell 38 

[n  Lot  No.  30,  Guy  C.  Worth 26 

En  Lot  No.  33.  Guy  C.  Worth 25 

In  Lot  No.  36,  John  N.  Reed 25 

[n  Lot  No.  39,  Jacob  Sell 55 

[n  Lot  No.  42,  Lorin  A.  Pease 54 

[u  Lot  No.  48,  Guy  C.  Worth 43 

InLot  No.  51,  Victor  M.  Griswold 34 

[n  Lot  No,  57,  Samuel  M.  Worth 57 

[n  Lot  No.  60,  Upton  Flenner 141 

[n  Lot  No.  63,  John  Vandenburg 31 

[n  Lot  No.  66,  Christian  Huber 50 

[n  Lot  No.  69,  James  McConnell 48 

[n  Lot  No.  72,  Abner  Jury 30 

[nLot  No.  75,  Sanders  A.  Reed 46 

[n  Lot  No.  78,  DavidLittle 185 

[n  Lot  No.  81.  Upton  Flenner 26 

[n  Lot  No.  84,  Andrew  Dumm 42 

[nLot  No.  87.  Samuel  Miller 100 

[n  Lot  No.  93,  Jaciob  Rouk 60 

[nLot  No.  96,  Purdy  McElvain 202 

[n  Lot  No.  99,  Isaac  C.  Drum 29 

[n  Lot  No.  105,  Isaac  Ayers 125 

[n  Lot  No.  108,  Chester  R.  Mott 35 

[n  Lot  No.  Ill,  John  Mackey 115 

In  Lot  No.  114,  John  Shrenk 67 

[n  Lot  No.  120,  John  W.  Senseny 262 

[nLot  No.  129,  N.  P.  Robbing 550 

[nLot  No.  132,  David  Aj^ers 31 

[n  Lot  No.  138,  Henry  Houpt 48 

[nLot  No.  141,  David  Ayers 200 

[n  Lot  No.  144,  David  Ayers 650 

[n  Lot  No.  150,  David  Ayers 252 

[n  Lot  No.  153,  Joseph  McCutchen 154 

[n  Lot  No.  156,  Joseph  McCutchen 134 

[n  Lot  No.  159,  Jeremiah  Miner 418 

[nLot No.  162,  Jeremiah  Miner 159 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  321 

In  Lot  No.  165,  David  Watson  and  John  D.  Sears 230 

In  Lot  jSTo.  174,  Joseph  McCutchen 300 

In  Lot  No.  180,  David  Epler '..".'."..'.'."..'."."'..'.".'!     61 

In  Lot  No.  186,  James  H.  Drum 32 

In  Lot  No  189,  Henry  Mattocks ...............]....  167 

In  Lot  No.  192,  Lemar  Walton .".".....         64 

In  Lot  No.  195,  Robert  Taggart 95 

In  Lot  No.  198,  Daniel  Tuttle '. 46 

In  Lot  No.  201.  Samuel  Roth .' .' "     33 

In  Lot  No.  204,  Jerusha  West ............"    27 

In  Lot  No.  207.  Anthony  Bowsher 84 

In  Lot  No.  210.  Archibald  Allen '...'.'.'.'.'     76 

In  Lot  No.  216.  Christian  Huber '  oqo 

In  Lot  No.  219, William  Corbin .'...'.'. 113 

In  Lot  No.  228,  Jackson  B.  Detray ' 46 

In  Lot  No.  131,  Henry  Mattocks I.55 

In  Lot  No.  234,  Robert  Taggart .       "  '     39 

In  Lot  No.  237,  Christian  Huber 120 

In  Lot  No.  240,  John  Tripp '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'..'.     26 

In  Lot  No.  243,  Abner  .Jury 93 

In  Lot  No.  246,  Michael  Barnhart ...'....'.. 40 

In  Lot  No.  249,  John  Owens ."    . . .  "  "        52 

In  Lot  No.  252,  Thomas  Hughes 33 

In  Lot  No.  255,  John  W.  Mavis  31 

In  Lot  No.  261,  David  Watson [ 27 

In  Lot  No.  264,  John  Buckingham 21 

In  Lot  No.  267,  John  S.  Rappe 35 

In  Lot  No.  270,  John  S.  Rappe 28 

In  Lot  No.  276,  Robert  Lambert 23 

In  Lot  No.  285,  James  R.  Remington .  25 

In  Lot  No.  288,  William  B.  Stokely  '     44 

In  Lot  No.  291,  John  S.  Rappe ."'".'".'.'." 24 

In  Lot  No.  294,  John  Stewart 20 

In  Lot  No.  300,  George  Hayman 26 

In  liOt  No.  303,  Purdy  and  Andrew  McElvain .'..'.'.'.'.*.'''    32 

In  Lot  No.  306,  A.  M.  Anderson,  J.  B.  Alden  and  G.  C.  Worth. . .     57 

In  Lot  No.  309,  Robert  Cuppals 22 

In  Lot  No.  315,  William  Shaffer "     61 

In  Lot  No.  318,  Purdy  and  Andrew  McElvain ' " '    .24 

In  Lot  No.  330,  William  Hill. . .  ^23 

In  Lot  No.  338,  Enoch  B.  Elkins  . .  31 

In  Lot  No.  336,  John  Tripp *  25 

In  Lot  No.  342,  Daniel  Wright ......[...[..  .1...]. ..[...[     54 

In  Lot  No.  345,  Antoine  Christian. .     .  ...  30 

In  Lot  No.  348,  John  Tripp 27 

In  Lot  No.  251,  Joseph  B.  Eraser 26 

In  Lot  No.  357,  Chester  R.  Mott 20 

In  Lot  No.  360,  Antoine  Christian '  26 

In  Lot  No.  363,  George  Orth 43 

In  Lot  No.  369,  William  Mvers 21 

In  Lot  No.  375,  Robert  Taggart " '       '    24 

In  Lot  No.  378,  William  Ayers '..['.'.'. y. '.'.".'. '.'   '     20 

Out  Lot  No.    3,  Stephen  H.  Sherwood 57 

Out  Lot  No.    6,  James  McConnell B  79 

Out  Lot  No.    9.  James  B.  Alden 134 

Out  Lot  No.  12,  David  Wilson .  306 

Out  Lot  No.  15,  Eli  P.  Quaintance ....'. 200 

Out  Lot  No.  27,  George  Robinson .53 

Out  Lot  No.  30,  Chester  R.  Mott '  .    .       "'58 

Out  Lot  No.  33,  Jeremiah  Miner 63 

Out  Lot  No.  36,  James  McConnell 51 

Out  Lot  No.  39,  Anthonv  Bowsher. . .  12 

Out  Lot  No.  42,  R.  W.  Kinkead .* '. .  *     56 

Out  Lot  No.  45,  David  Avres 50 

Out  Lot  No.  48,  Christian  Huber 115 

Out  Lot  No.  51,  John  S.  Rappe ^  53 

Out  Lot  No.  54,  James  McConnell 56 

Out  Lot  No.  69.  Thomas  B.  Ferguson 52 

Out  Lot  No.  84,  David  Ayers  (forfeited) 


322  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  , 

Out  Lot  No  87,  Jacob  Ronk 37 

Out  Lot  No.  90,  Joseph  McCutchen 32 

Out  Lot  No.  93,  Chester  R.  Mott 35 

Out  Lot  No.  96,  Chester  R.  Mott 36 

Out  Lot  No.  99,  Joseph  McCutchen 43 

Out  Lot  No.  102,  Joseph  E.  Fouke 35 

Out  Lot  No.  105,  William  Bear 37 

Out  Lot  No.  108,  William  Ayers  (forfeited) 

Out  Lot  No.  Ill,  Henry  Kirby 36 

Out  Lot  No.  114,  James  B.  Alden 43 

Out  Lot  No.  129,  Amos  Culver 33 

Out  Lot  No.  156,  David  Epler 30 

Out  Lot  No.  168,  Hiram  Flack 35 

Out  Lot  No.  171,  Purdy  McElvain 105 

Out  Lot  No.  174,  John  Kays 61 

Out  Lot  No.  177,  Anthony  Bowsher 25 

Out  Lot  No.  183,  John  Kays 65 

Out  Lot  No.  186,  Joseph  Mason 116 

Out  Lot  No.  189,  Chester  R.  Mott 30 

Out  Lot  No.  201,  Joseph  Chaffee 30 

Out  Lot  No.  204,  John  W.  Vandenburg 36 

Out  Lot  No.  210,  Prudy  McElvain 75 

Out  Lot  No.  213,  Abraham  Trego 45 

Out  Lot  No.  216,  Joseph  Chaffee 40 

Out  Lot  No.  207,  Andrew  Drum 30 

The  total   value  of  the   lots  sold  during  the  three  days   amounted  to 
),176. 50,  upon  which  cash  or  its  equivalent  was  paid  to  the  amount  of 
$2,626.87i 

On  the  27th  of  August,  1845,  the  Commissioners  again  met,  as  per  ad- 
journment, when  it  was  ordered, ."  That  the  lots  remaining  unsold  shall  be 
open  for  entry  until  the  23d  day  of  September  next,  with  50  per  cent  add- 
ed to  the  appraisement  heretofore  put  upon  them  by  the  Commissioners. 

Ordered,  That  Samuel  M.  Worth  be  authorized  to  receive  applications  and  make 

sales  of  such  lots. 

The  following  bills  were  allowed,  as  expenses  arising  from  the  sales  of  the  town 

lots,  viz. : 

John  Shrenk,  printing $6  31 

David  Bishop,  crier  of  sale 43  00 

Chester  R.  Mott,  clerk  during  sales 12  00 

Stephen  Fowler,  Commissioner 20  00 

William  Griffith,  Commissioner 22  00 

Ethan  Terry,  Commissioner 20  00 

Samuel  M.  Worth,  fees  as  Auditor 30  00 

$153  31 

*********** 

On  Tuesday,  September  23,  1S45  (as  per  order  of  the  Commissioners), 
another  public  sale  of  town  lots  took  place.  The  number  of  the  lots,  the 
names  of  purchasers,  etc.,  being  as  follows: 

In  Lot  No.  6,  Amos  Colver $51  00 

In  Lot  No.  27,  A.  Montee 25  00 

In  Lot  No.  45,  Robert  Bowsher 34  50 

In  Lot  No.  54,  Benjamin  Chambers 30  00 

In  Lot  No.  102,  John  S.  Rappe 63  00 

In  Lot  No.  168,  Jesse  Swan  and  Ezekiel  Ervin 378  00 

In  Lot  No.  177,  William  Axt 131  00 

In  Lot  No.  183,  Peter  Ricker 33  00 

In  Lot  No.  225,  Angelina  Tannehill 26  00 

In  Lot  No.  258,  George  W.  Cox 162  00 

In  Lot  No.  297,  Michael  Vangundy 22  00 

In  Lot  No.  324,  A.  Montee. .  ^ 24  00 

In  Lot  No.  372,  Samuel  W.  McDowell 37  50 

Out  Lot  No.  21,  John  March 32  00 

Out  Lot  No.  81,  Michael  Vangundy 51  00 

Out  Lot  No.  84,  David  Ayers 31  00 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  323 

Out  Lot  No.  108,  Susannah  Berry 33  00 

Out  Lot  No.  117,  Christian  Widman 43  00 

Out  Lot  No.  130,  Hiram  Pool 60  00 

Out  Lot  No.  180,   Henry  Backenstose 32  00 

Out  Lot  No.  192,  Nathaniel  C.  Manley 21  50 

Out  Lot  No.  198,  William  Henry  McKufe 35  50 

On  the  2d  of  October.  1845,  it  was  ordered  by  the  Commissioners  "  that 
four  hundred  and  ten  dollars  be  appropriated  out  of  the  moneys  received 
from  the  sale  of  lots  to  pay  for  In  Lots  numbered  145  and  146,"  which, 
with  Lot  No.  147,  were  set  aside  and  designated  as  the  site  for  the  court 
house  and  county  jail.  The  following  day  (October  3),  additional  lots  were 
sold,  as  follows: 

In  Lot  No.  18,  A.  Montee |25 

In  Lot  No.  126,  Daniel  G.  Weddle  and  A.  Rice 105 

In  Lot  No.  171,  John  Lupfer 280 

In  Lot  No.  222,  William  W.  Bates 229 

In  Lot  No.  273,  Hugh  Robertson 21 

In  Lot  No.  282,  A.  Montee 20 

In  Lot  No.  321,  Alfred  Randall 20 

Out  Lot  No.  18,  Joseph  McCutchen 81 

Out  Lot  No.  24,  Chester  R.  Mott 40 

A  number  of  the  lots  first  sold  were  declared  forfeited  to  the  purchasers 
and  reverted  back  to  the  county  by  reason  of  the  non-payment  of  purchase 
monej  according  to  the  terms  of  sale,  and  were  afterward  resold  to  other 
parties  as  late  as  1853. 

To  June  11,  1853,  the  officials  of  the  county  had  received  in  cash,  for 
lots  sold  in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  the  sum  of  $15,224.24,  or  in  other 
words,  the  Govei'nment  of  the  United  States  had  donated  to  the  county  of 
Wyandot  an  amount  sufficient  to  purchase  sites,  and  to  construct  the  pres- 
ent court  house  and  jail  building. 

TOWNSHIPS. 

Antrim — Was  first  organized  as  a  township  in  Crawford  County  in  1822. 
It  contains  thirty-two  sections,  and  was  formed  as  it  now  exists  June  2, 
1845,  when  the  first  Board  of  Wyandot  County  Commissioners  ordered  that 
the  fraction  (eight  sections)  detached  from  Township  4  south,  of  Range 
15  east,  or  Grand  Prairie,  in  Marion  County,  be  attached  to  it. 

Crawford — Was  organized  as  a  township  in  Crawford  County  in  the  year 
1821  Its  nominal  boundaries  then  included  all,  or  at  least  nearly  all,  of 
that  part  of  the  former  county  now  forming  part  of  the  county  of  Wyandot. 

The  organization  of  Crawford  County  took  place  we  believe,  in  the  year 
1825,  when  Crawford  Township  was  reduced  to  its  present  area — a  full 
surveyed  subdivision  of  thirty -six  sections,  known  otherwise  as  Township 
No.  1  south,  of  Kange  No.  13  east. 

Crane — We  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  when  this  township  was  so 
designated,  though  probably  it  was  just  prior  to  the  formation  of  Wyandot. 
County.  On  the  2d  of  June,  1845,  the  Wyandot  County  Commissioners 
ordered  that  "  the  progressive  numbers  from  Section  1  to  9  inclusive  in 
Pitt  Township  be  attached  to  Crane  Township,"  and  on  the  same  day  they 
likewise  ordered,  that  "Sections  1,  12,  13,  24,  25  and  36  of  the  original 
surveyed  Township  No.  2  south,  of  Eange  14  east  [Crane  Township]  be  at- 
tached to  Township  No.  2  south,  of  Range  15  east."  The  same  boundary 
lines  prevail  to-day,  and  thus  Crane  (it  should  be  Tarhe)  Township  contains 
thirty-nine  sections. 

Eden — The  greater  portion  of  this  township  was  formerly  part  of 
Leith,  a    township    which  was    formed   by  order   of  the  Commissioners  of 


324  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Crawford  County,  in  March,  1838.  On  the  2d  of  June,  1845,  Stephen 
Fowler,  William  Griffith  and  Ethan  Terry,  the  first  Commissioners  of  Wy- 
andot County,  ordered  that  Sections  1,  12,  13,  24,  25  and  36,  of  the  orig- 
inal surveyed  Township  No.  2  south,  of  Range  14  east,  be  attached  to  Town- 
ship No.  2  south,  of  Range  15  east,  and  called  Ecle^i  Township."  The 
same  boundaries  have  continued  to  the  present  time.  It  contains  thirty 
sections. 

Jackson — Was  organized  as  a  township  in  Hardin  County  prior  to  1840. 
By  the  organization  of  Wyandot  County  in  1845,  the  major  part  of  the 
township  became  a  portion  of  the  new  county,  and  for  that  reason,  perhaps, 
it  retained  its  original  name.  At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Commissioners 
of  Wyandot  County,  held  April  28,  1845,  it  was  ordered  "  that  Sections  3, 
4  and  9,  in  Township  No.  4  south,  of  Range  12  east  [Goshen  Township] 
be  attached  to  Jackson  Township."  The  same  boundary  lines  are  still 
maintained,  and  the  township  contains  twenty-seven  sections. 

Marseilles — At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Commissioners  of  Wyandot 
County,  held  on  the  28th  day  of  April,  1845,  it  was  ordered  "  that  Sections 
1,  2,  10,  11,  12  and  13,  in  the  aforesaid  township  and  range  [meaning 
Township  No.  4  south,  of  RaDge  12  east],  be  attached  to  that  portion  of 
Township  No.  4  south,  of  Range  13  east,  taken  from  Grand  Township, 
Marion  County,  and  that  the  two  fractional  townships  hereby  attached  shall 
constitute  one  township,  and  be  called  Marseilles."  It  will  thus  be  observed 
that  the  present  township  consists  of  eighteen  sections,  or  the  northern  half 
of  the  original  township  of  Grand,  Marion  County,  and  six  sections  (1,  2, 
10,  11,  12  and  13)  taken  from  Goshen  Township  in  Hardin  County. 

Mifflin — Although  this  township  lay  mostly  within  the  Wyandot  Reserva- 
tion, it  was  so  named  and  organized  as  a  township  in  Crawford  County 
prior  to  1840.  AVe  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  the  precise  date  of  its 
organization.  It  is  a  full  surveyed  township  of  thirty-six  sections,  and  is 
designated  in  the  United  States  surveys  as  Township  No.  3  south,  of  Range 
No.  13  east. 

Pitt — This  township  also  lay  mostly  within  the  Wyandot  Reservation, 
but  it  was  known  as  a  township  in  Crawford  County  before  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1840.  Soon  after  the  organization  of  Wyandot  County,  or  on 
the  2d  of    June,     1845,    the     County  Commissioners  ordered   "that  the 

fractional  part  of  Salt  Rock  Township  [ Sections  1  to  12  inclusive,  of 

Township  No.  4  south,  of  Range  14  east,  formerly  part  of  Marion  County] 
be  attached  to  Pitt  Township,  and  that  the  progressive  numbers  from  Sec- 
tion 1  up  to  9  inclusive,  in  Pitt  Township,  be  attached  to  Crane  Township. 
These  boundaries  are  still  maintained,  and  the  township  thus  contains 
thirty-nine  sections. 

Richland — Now  comprising  thirty  sections  of  surveyed  Township  No. 
2  south,  of  Range  No.  12  east,  was  organized  as  one  of  the  divisions  of 
Hancock  County  in  1835.  Ten  years  later,  the  same  township,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  western  tier  of  sections,  became  part  of  the  then  new  county 
of  Wyandot.  On  the  2d  of  June,  1845,  the  Commissioners  of  the  last-men- 
tioned county  directed  "  that  Richland  fraction  be  organized  into  a  separate 
township  and  called  Richland.'' 

Ridge — A  fractional  township  of  only  fifteen  sections,  was  detached 
from  Amanda  Township  in  Hancock  County  by  the  erection  of  the  county 
of  Wyandot.  On  the  2d  of  June,  1845,  the  first  Board  of  Wyandot  County 
Commissioners,  ordered  that  "  Amanda  fraction  be  organized  as  a  separate 
township,  and  called  Ridge." 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  325 

Salem — This  township  comprises  thirtv-six  sections,  or  the  whole  of 
surveyed  Township  No.  2  south,  of  Range  13  east.  It  was  largely  embraced 
by  the  Wyandot  Reservation  and  ^probably,  was  not  organized  and  so 
named  until  just  jjrior  to  the  erection  of  Wyandot  County. 

Sycamore — Containing  twenty- four  sections  of  surveyed  Township  No. 
1  south,  of  Range  No.  15  east,  was  organized  as  a  township  in  Crawford 
County  in  1825.  On  the  2d  of  June,  1845,  the  first  Board  of  Wyandot 
County  Commissioners  ordered  "  that  the  fractional  township  of  Sycamore 
be  organized  into  a  separate  township." 

Tymochtee — Embraces  the  whole  of  surveyed  Township  No.  1  south,  of 
Range  No.  14  east.  Formerly  attached  to  Crawford  Township,  it  was  or- 
ganized as  a  township  in  Crawford  County,  1825.  It  was  settled  at  an  early 
day  by  an  enterprising  set  of  pioneers,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  the 
most  populous  district  in  either  Crawford  or  Wyandot  Counties. 

PUBLIC    BUILDINGS,    ETC. 

The  present  court  house  and  jail  of  the  county  stand  upon  grounds  des- 
ignated in  the  original  plat  of  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  as  lots  No. 
145,  146  and  147.  How  these  lots  were  acquired  has  already  been  shown. 
For  several  years  the  Indian  council  house  was  utilized  for  holding  courts, 
etc.,  while  the  small  block- house,  known  as  the  Indian  Jail,  answered  for 
the  incarceration  of  malefactors  awaiting  trial  for  or  convicted  of  minor 
infractions  against  law  and  order. 

However,  early  in  the  autumn  of  1845,  it  was  determined  to  build  a 
county  jail.  Thereupon,  contractors  and  builders, through  the  public  press, 
were  invited  to  send  in  sealed  proposals  for  the  construction  of  the  pro- 
posed building.  On  the  30th  of  October  of  that  year,  the  Commissioners 
met,  opened  and  examined  the  proposals  sent  in.  It  was  then  ascertained 
that  eight  proposals  had  been  made  as  follows:  Adam  Bear,  $3,800; 
Speelman  &  Donnell,  $2,890;  Vincent  G.  Bell,  $4,000;  John  McCurdy, 
$2,740;  Henry  Ebersoll,  $4,475;  Sylvester  Alger,  $3,435;  Kerr,  Rambo  & 
Osborn.  $4,250;  Jacob  Ronk,  $4,150.  As  McCurdy's  bid  was  the  lowest,  the 
contract  was  awarded  to  him  and  he  at  once  entered  into  an  agreement,  by 
which  it  was  stipulated  that  he  should  complete  the  jail  (the  building  still 
in  use)  on  or  before  the  1st  day  of  November,  1846.  It  appears  that  Mc- 
Curdy's contract  was  not  a  very  good  one — for  him;  for  on  the  9th  day  of 
March,  1848,  he  was  allowed,  by  the  Commissioners,  "  $500  over  and  above 
the  contract  price  for  building  the  jail."  On  the  same  day,  too,  that  is, 
March  9,  1848,  the  following  was  made  a  matter  of  record:  "Ordered, 
That  the  north  bed-room  in  the  back  part  of  the  jail,  up-stairs,  be  appro- 
priated for  the  use  of  the  Recorder  for  an  office.  That  the  Auditor  be  au- 
thorized to  purchase  stove  and  pipe  for  the  use  of  the  same,  and  that  he 
engage  Judge  McCurdy  to  finish  the  room  in  a  suitable  manner  for  said 
purpose." 

On  the  4th  day  of  June,  1846,  the  first  step  was  taken  for  the  erection 
of  the  present  court  house.  The  County  Commissioners  then  authorized  the 
Auditor  to  cause  a  notice  to  be  .published  in  the  Democratic  Pioneer.  Ohio 
Statesman,  and  Ohio  State  Journal,  offering  $50  for  the  best  draft  and  speci- 
fications for  a  court  bouse  building,  to  cost  from  $6, 000  to  $9, 000.  ' '  The 
draft  and  specifications  to  be  forwarded  to  the  Commissioners  by  the  first 
Monday  of  August  next,  and  the  contract  for  building  to  be  awarded  on  the 
10th  day  of  September  following."  On  the  11th  day  of  September,  1846, 
an  agreement  was  entered   into  between  the  County  Commissioners    and 


326  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

William  Young,  by  the  terms  of  which  the  latter  agreed  to  build  and  com- 
plete a  court  house,  on  or  before  October  1,  1848  (according,  to  "a  plan 
and  specifications  ")  for  the  sum  of  $7,000.  Young's  sureties  for  the  faith- 
ful performance  of  his  contract  were  Andrew  McElvain,  David  Ayres,  John 
A.  Morrison,  Daniel  Tuttle  and  T.  Baird.  However,  in  July,  1847,  an- 
other agreement  was  made,  relative  to  building  a  court  house,  between  the 
County  Commissioners  and  John  W.  Kennedy  and  John  H.  Junkins,  which, 
after  reciting  that  Young  had  assigned  his  contract  to  his  sureties,  who  in 
turn  had  re-assigned  it  to  Kennedy  &  Junkins,  stipulated  that  Kennedy  & 
Junkins  should  complete  the  structure  according  to  the  original  contract, 
and  for  the  original  consideration  of  $7,000,  less  the  amount  already  paid 
Young.  Notwithstanding  two  separate  agreements  had  already  been  made 
for  the  completion  of  the  court  house,  and  that  nearly  three  years  had 
passed  since  the  work  was  commenced,  the  spring  of  1849  found  the  last- 
named  contractoi's  still  struggling  under  a  non-paying,  disheartening  con- 
tract. The  Commissioners  then  entered  into  a  third  agreement,  and  therein 
agreed  to  pay  John  H.  Junkins  for  the  completion  of  the  building  the 
sum  of  $9,800,  less  the  amount  already  paid  to  Young,  and  Kennedy  & 
Junkins.  It  is  probable  that  the  structure  was  finished  during  the  last 
days  of  1849,  for  on  the  16th  day  of  January,  1850,  the  Commissioners 
authorized  the  Auditor  to  sell  the  Council  House  (which  to  that  time  had 
served  for  holding  courts,  etc.),  "  for  the  sum  of  $250,  and  that  the  same 
time  be  given  on  the  payments  as  other  county  lots."  In  October,  1851, 
John  H.  Junkins  was  allowed  an  extra  compensation  of  $2,200  for  work  on 
the  court  house,  thus  making  the  total  cost  of  the  building,  complete, 
$12,000. 

In  October,  1870,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall,  to  serve  for  three  years;  Tilman 
Balliet,  to  serve  for  two  years,  and  George  Harpei',  to  serve  for  one  year, 
were  elected  as  the  first  Infirmary  Directors  of  the  county  of  Wyandot.  Soon 
afterward,  the  present  Wyandot  County  Infirmary  was  established  on  the 
Carey  road,  four  miles  north  of  Upper  Sandusky.  To  that  time  the  poor 
were  "  farmed  out,"  a  most  wretched  and  heartless  mode  of  procedure,  which 
had  been  abandoned  in  many  localities  for  at  least  half  a  century  before. 
The  farm  consists  of  200  acres,  bfting  in  part  the  property  once  owned  by 
Noah  Eby.  It  occupies  a  beautiful  and  healthful  location,  and  is  amply 
supplied  with  water  by  a  branch  of  the  Tymochtee  Creek.  In  the  rear  of 
the  buildings  are  a  few  laige  apple  trees,  said  to  have  been  planted  by  the 
Wyandot  Indians.  The  principal  building  is  constructed  of  brick,  with  a 
length  of  eighty  feet  and  a  width  of  forty-five  feet.  It  contains  two  large 
halls — one  on  the  first  and  the  other  on  the  second  floor — on  each  side  of 
which  are  the  dormitories  occupied  by  the  inmates.  On  the  first  floor  are 
the  large  and  well-arranged  dining  room  and  kitchen.  Generally  speaking, 
all  of  the  rooms  are  spacious  and  well  lighted,  and  during  the  winter  are 
made  comfortable  by  the  use  of  steam.  In  summer,  cozy  porticos  afford 
pleasant  resting  places  for  those  who  find  here  their  only  home  on  earth. 
Since  its  establishment,  the  infirmary  has  been  well  managed,  and  its  farm 
and  garden  products,  always  of  the  best,  largely  supply  the  wants  of  its  oc- 
cupants. / 

A  FEW  NOTABLE  PROCEEDINGS  OF  COUKTS. 

The  first  court  held  within  the  county  of  Wyandot  was  a  special  term  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  Its  members — Abel  Renick.  William  Brown 
and  George  W.  Leith,  Associate  Judges — convened  at  the  office  of  Moses  H. 
Kirby,  Esq.,  in  Upper  Sandusky,  on  Tuesday,  April  8,  1845,  or  the  day  fol- 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  327 

lowing  the  lirst  election  for  county  officers,  and  after  having  appointed  Guy 
C.  Worth  Clerk  of  Courts,  ijro  tempore,  adjourned  without  day. 

The  same  Judges  again  met  in  special  session  on  the  14th  day  of  the 
same  month  and  year,  when  a  considerable  and  varied  amount  of  business 
was  transacted.  Thus,  the  last  will  and  testament  of  Adam  AVeininger  was 
admitted  to  probate;  Jacob  Smith,  Aaron  Welch  and  Charles  H.  Dewitt 
were  appointed  appraisers  of  the  estate  of  Tobias  Kneagel.  deceased;  Moses 
H.  Kirby,  Esq.,  Dr.  Joseph  Mason  and  John  D.  Sears,  Esq.,  were  appointed 
School  Examiners*  within  and  for  the  county  of  AVyandot,  to  serve  for  the 
term  of  three  years;  the  bonds  of  Lorin  A.  Pease,  Sheriff- elect,  to  the 
amount  of  $3,000,  with  William  Griffith,  Ransom  Wilcox  and  Benjamin 
Knapp  as  his  sureties,  were  approved;  Chester  R.  Mott,  Esq.,  Prosecuting 
Attorney  elect,  was  sworn  into  office,  and  the  bond  of  Albert  Bixby,  Coroner- 
elect,  was  also  approved. 

However,  the  lirst  regular  term  of  the  Court  of  Common  PJeas,  begin- 
ning July  1,  iS-to,  was  held  in  the  old  Indian  council  house,  which  stood 
on  the  grounds  now  occupied  by  the  old  public  school  buildings,  near  the 
bluff,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Upper  Sandusky.  There  was  then  present  as 
officers  of  the  court  Hon.  Ozias  Bowen,  Presiding  Judge;  Abel  Renick, 
William  Brown  and  George  W.  Leith,  Associate  Judges;  Lorin  A.  Pease, 
Sheriff,  and  Guy  C.  Worth,  Clerk,  pro  tempore.  The  court  ordered  that  a 
' '  special  venire  be  issued,  commanding  the  Sheriff  to  summon  forthwith 
fifteen  good,  true  and  lawful  men.  to  serve  the  pi-esent  term  as  grand 
jurors.  Thereupon,  the  Sheriff  returned  into  court  the  following  panel:" 
Orrin  Ferris,  Enoch  Thomas,  Alvin  J.  Russell,  Benjamin  Knapp,  Rodney 
Pool,  John  C.  Dewitt.  George  W.  Sampson,  John  Stokes,  Hugh  W^elch, 
Andrew  M.  Anderson,  H.  Montee,  Joseph  E.  Eouke,  William  J.  Clugston, 
John  Gormley  and  William  Jones.  Subsequently,  Daniel  Tuttle  was 
granted  a  license  as  auctioneer  by  the  payment  of  $8. 

The  first  case  brought  before  this  court  was  entitled  "Peter  B.  Beidler 
vs.  Azariah  Root,  contested  election  of  Surveyor  for  W^yandot  County." 
The  court  decided  that  Beidler  was  entitled  to  the  office,  and  that  the  con- 
testor  should  pay  the  costs.  During  the  same  term,  the  grand  jury  found 
true  bills  against  some  ten  or  twelve  persons  for  keeping  tavern  without 
license,  gaming  houses,  nine-pin  alleys,  assaults,  etc.  Before  final  adjourn- 
ment, Samuel  Kenan,  William  J.  Clugston,  Daniel  Straw,  Moses  H.  Kir- 
by, John  Houck,  Reuben  Savage  and  Andrew  McElvain  were  granted  per- 
mission to  retail  liquors,  etc.,  by  the  payment  of  S2  each. 

Turning  to  the  ■'  Journal  of  the  Supreme  Court  for  the  State  of  Ohio 
and  County  of  Wyandot,"  we  find  the  following  as  the  first  entries: 

The  undersigned  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  do  by  these 
presents  constitute  and  appoint  Guy  C  Worth, f  Esq..  of  Wyandot  County,  Ohio, 
Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court,  for  said  county,  until  the  lirst  daj^  of  the  next  term  of  said 
Supreme  Court,  and  no  longer.  Before  entering  on  the  duties  of  his  office  under  this 
appointment  he  is  required  to  take  the  oath  required  bj'  law,  to  give  bonds  in  the  sura 
of  $10,000,  conditioned  as  the  statute  requires,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  County  Audi 
tor,  with  two  good  and  sufficient  sureties,  and  deposit  the  same  with  the  County  Treas- 
urer and  record  tliis  appointment  on  the  journal  of  said  court. 

Given  under  our  hands  in  open  court  this  30th  day  of  July,  A.  D.  1845.  at  Findlay, 
Hancock  County,  Ohio. 

[Signed.]  Reubex  Wood, 

M.    BiRCHARD. 

It  was  proposed  to  hold  a  term  of  the  Supreme  Court  at  Upper  Sandusky, 

*The  same  gentlemen  served  as  School  Examiners  through  several  terms. 

fWorth  was  re-appointed  Clerk  of  Courts  from  time  to  time,  until  July  22,  1S47,  when  he  was  appoint- 
ed Clerk  for  the  full  constitutional  term  of  seven  vears. 


328  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

commencing  Monday,  July  6,  1846,  but  when  the  time  arrived  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  a  quorum  would  not  be  present.  Thereupon,  the  Clerk  was 
directed  by  Hon.  Matthew  Birchard,  one  of  the  Judges  present,  to  make  an 
entry  of  the  fact  herein  stated,  and  "that  the  said  court  stands  adjourned 
without  day." 

During    the  July  term  in  1847,  the  tirst  case   was   acted  upon   in  this 
court.     It  is  made  a  matter  of  record,  as  follows: 
Elizabeth  Whaley  ) 

vs.  j-  In  Chancery — Petition  for  Divorce. 

Thomas  Whaley.       ) 

On  motion  of  tlie  petitioner  by  Mr.  Mott,  her  solicitor,  the  petition  herein  is  dis- 
missed without  prejudice." 

A  glance  at  the  records  on  file  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  courts  clear- 
ly indicates  that  during  the  nearly  forty  years  which  have  pa.ssed  by  since 
the  county  was  organized,  a  vast  amount  of  business  has  been  performed; 
that  Wyandot  has  possessed  its  full  share  of  those  who  apparently  delight 
to  indulge  in  litigation;  yet  to  their  credit  be  it  said,  the  percentage  of  vio- 
lently vicious  inhabitants  seems  to  have  been  remarkably  small.  But  a 
trivial  number,  comparatively  speaking,  have  been  placed  upon  trial 
charged  with  murder,  mfinslaughter,  or  assault  with  intent  to  kill,  and  its 
residents  have  yet  to  witness  the  tirst  public  execution  within  the  county 
limits. 

Among  those,  however,  whose  trial  for  murder  excited  much  public  in 
terest,  we  cite  the  cases  of  Henry  Gammell,  Mrs.  Bowsher.  and  James 
Wilson.  It  appears  that  during  the  year  1849,  Henry  Gammell  and 
another  man  named  McMullen  (both  of  whom  lived  in  or  near  Crawfords- 
ville),  drank  whisky  and  played  cards  together.  Finally  they  quarreled, 
and  in  the  hand  to  hand  struggle  between  them  which  followed,  McMullen 
received  a  knife  wound  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died.  Gammell  was 
at  once  arrested  and  confined  in  the  county  jail.  His  case  was  continued 
through  several  terms,  but  finally  ho  was  tried  and  acquitted  on  the  plea  of 
self-defense. 

At  the  February  term  in  1868,  Mary  L.  Bowsher,  a  resident  of  Upper 
Sandusky,  was  indicted  for  the  murder  of  William,  Olive  and  Frances 
Bowsher,  her  children.  Upon  being  arraigned,  she  pleaded  not  guilty. 
Thereupon  it  was  ordered  by  the  court  that  Robert  McKelly  and  John 
Berry,  Esqs.,  be  appointed  to  assist  the  Prosecuting  Attorney  in  the  prose- 
cution of  the  case.  During  the  May  term,  she  was  tried  and  acquitted  on 
the  tirst  indictment — charging  her  with  the  murder  of  William  Bowsher; 
but  on  the  second  indictment,  charging  her  with  the  murder  of  Frances 
Bowsher,  she  was  held  to  bail  to  the  amount  of  $4,000,  and  on  the  third 
indictment,  charging  her  with  the  murder  of  Olive  Bowsher,  she  was  also 
held  to  bail  in  the  sum  of  $4,000.  Finally,  however,  at  the  September 
term,  1868,  a  nolle  prosequi  was  entered  respecting  the  last  indictments, 
and  she  was  discharged  "to  go  hence  without  day."  It  was  supposed  that 
she  hastened  the  death  of  her  children  by  administering  poison.  Her  own 
death  occurred  recently. 

The  murder  of  George  W.  Hite  on  the  night  of  August  28,  1879,  and 
the  arrest,  trial,  conviction,  and  suicide  of  his  murderer — Thomas  Mc- 
Nurty,  alias  Patsey  King,  alias  James  Wilson — are  events  yet  vividly  im- 
pressed upon  the  minds  of  all  present  residents  of  the  county.  According 
to  his  confession.  McNurty  (he  was  tried  and  convicted  under  the  name  of 
Wilson),  was  a  fair  representation  of  a  class  so  largely  produced  in  the 
chief  cities  of  our  country — a  class,  usually  direct  descendants  of  foreign- 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  329 

born  citizens,  which  takes  to  petty  thieving,  jockeying,  gambling,  drunk- 
enness, prize-tightiDg,  burglary  and  murder  as  naturally  as  a  duck  takes 
to  water. 

He  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1853.  Ten  years  later,  he  was 
left  to  his  own  resources,  and  then  began  his  career  as  a  vender  of  news- 
papers, oranges,  etc.,  in  the  city  of  his  birth.  His  associations  were  of  the 
vilest  from  the  beginning,  and  it  is  probable  that  he  could  be  termed  a 
thief  from  the  time  he  began  to  perambulate  the  streets  of  the  great  city. 
Next,  he  was  known  as  a  prize-package  boy,  on  the  lines  of  the  Hudson 
River  boats  and  railroad,  then  as  a  jockey  rider  at  races,  a  brakesman  on 
the  New  York  Central  Railroad,  and  a. hack  driver  at  Niagara  Falls.  From 
thence  he  moved  westward.  Failing  to  get  such  positions  as  he  wished, 
yet  always  stealing  and  fighting,  he  passed  up  and  down  the  Mississippi 
Valley;  thence  to  Omaha,  and  in  the  winter  of  1873  and  1874,  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, Cal.  Returning  from  the  las^-named  place  to  Cheyenne,  not  many 
days  elapsed  ere  he  was  at  the  Black  Hills,  and  from  that  time  until  the 
spring  of  1879  his  life  was  passed  on  the  frontier,  or  at  various  points 
from  the  Missouri  River  westward  to  Pike's  Peak,  Leadville,  etc.  Mean- 
while, he  had  continued  his  career  of  thieving  and  fighting,  and  had  assisted 
in  killing  two  or  three  men  for  their  money,  besides  others  out  of  mere 
revenge. 

Early  in  1879,  he  returned  to  Chicago,  and  at  that  place  engaged  to 
work  as  a  laborer  on  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad. 
With  some  others,  he  was  sent  to  Upper  Sandusky,  but,  after  a  few  weeks, 
railroad  work  became  irksome,  and  he  abandoned  it  to  engage  in  farm  work 
for  John  Sell,  who  resided  some  distance  to  the  eastward  of  Upper  San- 
dusky. On  the  morning  of  August  28,  Wilson  and  Sell  effected  a  settle- 
ment. The  farmer  endeavored  to  "drive  a  close  bargain"  with  his  late 
assistant.  The  latter  knew  that  Sell  had  money  in  his  house,  and  out  of 
revenge  determined  to  return  the  same  night  and  secure  it,  even  if  murder 
were  committed.  However,  Wilson  took  the  pittance  due  him,  proceeded 
to  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  with  other  companions  indulged  in 
drinking  whisky  throughout  the  day.  During  that  time,  he  met  George  W. 
Hite,  a  farmer,  who  resided  about  two  miles  south  of  the  town  of  Nevada, 
and  the  two  men  partook  of  refreshments  together.  The  result  of  Wilson's 
visit  to  town  and  his  casual  acquaintance  with  Hite  are  told  in  his  confes- 
sion, as  follows: 

"  I  did  see  Hite  several  times  that  afternoon,  and  ate  some  crackers  and 
cheese  with  him,  when  he  blowed  about  his  wealth.  I  led  him  out  to  talk 
about  his  money,  but  made  up  my  mind  before  we  parted  that  it  was  all 
wind.  I  had  no  intention  of  injuring  Hite  or  attempting  to  find  any  money 
about  him.  I  had  seen  Sell  put  some  money  away  in  his  house,  and  I 
thought  that  there  was  a  pretty  good  roll  of  it,  and  in  the  absence  of  some- 
thing better,  I  concluded  to  call  on  Mr.  Sell  that  night.  I  got  rid  of  Caw- 
thorn  in  the  evening,  and  this  was  as  I  desired.  I  then  went  west  on  the 
railroad  to  see  whether  my  pistol  would  refuse.  The  first  trial  was  a  sac- 
cess,  and  that  one  satisfied  me. 

"  At  Julian's  saloon  I  had  talked  trade,  in  the  hope  that  it  would  enable 
me  to  test  it  then,  but  that  failed.  When  I  came  in  from  trying  my  pistol 
on  the  railroad,  I  stopped  at  O'Donnell's  saloon,  and  I  think  took  a  glass  of 
beer  and  sat  down,  and  while  there  Hite  went  west,  but  I  don't  recollect 
the  talk  related  by  the  Agent  Holdridge.  My  mind  was  engaged  with  John 
Sell,  his  family  and  his  money.      I  thought  that  Sell  and  his  family  would 


330  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

not  refuse  me  shelter  for  the  night,  and  when  once  peaceably  in  the  house, 
I  felt  sure  that  I  could  secure  the  money  quietly  some  time  in  the  night,  but 
if  I  failed  in  this  I  intended  to  crowd  matters,  and  if  necessary,  get  away 
with  the  whole  Sell  family  in  order  to  get  the  money. 

'•  I  wanted  then  to  get  to  Sell  about  9  o'clock,  so  as  to  avoid  suspicion, 
for  I  wanted  them  to  receive  me.  So  I  was  about  O'Donnell's  and  along  the 
railroad  until  about  dark,  when  I  took  a  big  drink  of  whisky  and  went  down 
to  Main  street,  and  when  I  passed  Hunt's  stable  Hite  had  his  horse  out  ready 
to  start,  but  I  paid  very  little  attention  to  this,  and  went  straight  ahead  to 
the  next  street,  on  which  I  turned  east.  My  object  then  in  leaving  Main 
street  was  to  avoid  Cawthoi*n,  or  any  one  else  who  would  likely  want  to  de- 
tain me.  I  got  out  of  town  without  being  noticed,  and  got  somewhere  near 
the  river  bridge  when  Hite  overtook  me,  and  at  once  drew  up  and  com- 
menced his  gab.  I  was  annoyed  at  this,  and  in  view  of  what  might  take 
place  at  Sell's,  I  wanted  no  truck  with  anybody  else  on  the  road.  I  thought 
he  was  riding  a  livery  horse,  and  told  him  so,  and  this  seemed  to  nettle  him, 
and  he  wanted  me  to  understand  that  he  had  a  lot  of  horses,  and  good  ones, 
too.  I  inquired  about  the  size  of  his  farm  and  the  quantity  of  his  stock 
and  of  his  business  generally,  and  he  gave  me  such  good,  square  rich 
answers  that  I  thought  my  first  opinion  of  him  was  wrong.  He  volunteered 
to  tell  me  about  turning  oft"  stock,  I  think  that  day,  and  collecting  bills  that 
day,  so  that  I  made  up  my  mind  soon  after  we  turned  into  the  Nevada  road 
to  investigate  the  matter.  I  walked  along  by  his  side  to  keep  him  company, 
and  tried  to  interest  him,  and  gave  him  my  coat  to  carry  for  me,  because  it 
was  too  warm  to  wear  it  with  comfort,  and  I  knew  that  he  would  not  run 
away  and  leave  me  while  he  had  it.  We  then  talked  no  more  about  money 
matters,  but  confined  our  talk  principally  to  fast  walking,  fast  horses,  etc., 
until  we  got  down  to  the  woods  beyond  Sell's,  when  I  took  his  horse  by  the 
bit  and  stopped  him.  I  presented  my  revolver  and  demanded  his  money. 
He  had  not  dreamed  of  any  trouble,  and  this  sudden  turn  in  aflairs  com- 
pletely unstrung  him. 

' '  We  were  both  pretty  drunk  at  the  time.  He  trembled  so  that  he  could 
hardly  get  out  his  pocket-book,  but  he  made  no  resistance,  but  handed  it 
out  at  once,  and  spoke  not  a  word.  His  purse  was  small,  and  I  could  tell 
from  the  feel  of  it  that  there  was  little  or  nothing  in  it.  I  was  disappointed 
and  vexed.  Still  holding  the  horse,  I  opened  the  purse  to  assure  myself  of 
about  the  amount,  and  when  I  saw  so  small  a  sum  to  reward  me  for  all  this 
trouble,  I  was  mad.  Of  course  this  work  was  all  done  in  a  hurry.  The 
moment  I  looked  into  the  pocket-book,  I  said  to  Hite:  'You  son  of  a  b — h, 
is  this  all  the  money  you've  got?  '  and  he  faintly  said  '  Yes.'  Then  I  said: 
'  You  son  of  a  b — h,  take  that,'  and  fired. 

"  I  held  the  horse  by  the  bridle  when  I  shot.  I  did  not  intend  to  kill 
him,  and  did  not  think  of  trying  to  avoid  killing  him.  I  fired  without 
thinking  of  where  I  would  hit  him,  and  caring  as  little.  I  blame  my 
drunken  condition  for  this  dreadful  \y\ece  of  foolishness.  The  instant  I  shot, 
it  struck  me  that  I  had  hit  him  too  hard.  He  tried  to  speak  after  I  fired, 
and  could  not  or  did  not.  I  slapped  the  horse  under  the  belly  and  started 
him  myself,  and  then  jumped  over  into  the  woods  and  walked  several  rods, 
when  I  recollected  that  I  had  forgot  my  coat.  Hite  was  still  on  the  horse, 
and  I  began  to  hope  that  his  injuries  were  not  serious,  but  I  dare  not  then 
attempt  to  recover  my  coat.  He  was  nearing  a  house,  and  I  withdrew  deeper 
into  the  dense  woods,  and  laid  down.  I  had  got  a  half  pint  of  whisky  in 
the  evening,  I  think  at  Julian's,  and  I  had  about  half  of  this  left,  which  I 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  331 

drank,  and  threw  the  bottle  away.  I  emptied  the  contents  of  the  purse  into 
my  pocket  and  threw  it  away.  I  was  not  in  sight  of  the  house  at  this  time, 
but  I  soon  heard  confusion  over  there,  and  I  concluded  that  it  was  time  to 
pull  out.  So  I  started  I  know  not  in  what  direction,  but  I  reached  an  open 
field  an<l  came  to  the  raih'oad,  where  I  got  the  direction  all  right  again,  and 
started  east  at  a  five-mile  gait.  Before  reaching  the  railroad,  I  heard  a 
farm  bell  ringing  back  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  trouble,  and  took  it  for 
the  alarm.*' 

It  appears  that  Hite  was  shot  through  the  heart,  at  a  point  on  the  Nevada 
road  about  two  miles  east  of  the  Upper  Sandusky.  He  kept  his  seat  in  the 
saddle  until  near  the  residence  of  Henry  Keller,  where,  from  appearances, 
he  fell  to  the  ground  and  at  once  expired.  At  10  o'clock  A.  M.  on  the  fol- 
lowing day — Saturday,  August  29  —  two  suspicious-looking  characters 
were  arrested  in  Nevada,  taken  to  the  county  seat  and  lodged  in  jail.  One 
of  them  proved  to  be  McNulty  alias  Wilson.  At  September  term  of  that 
year,  the  grand  jury  found  a  true  bill  against  him,  charging  him  witli  the 
murder  of  George  W.  Hite.  He  pleaded  not  guilty,  whereupon  Hons.  Chester 
R.  Mott  and  Curtis  Berry,  Jr.,  were  assigned  as  counsel  for  his  defense. 
The  trial  came  on  at  February  term,  1880,  before  Judge  Beer  and  a  jury  of 
twelve  men,  and  at  its  conclusion  Wilson  was  found  guilty  of  murder  in 
the  first  degree.  The  judge  then  delivered  his  sentence,  and  ordered  that 
he  be  hanged  by  the  neck  until  dead,  on  the  18th  of  June  following.  The 
death  warrant  was  duly  issued  by  the  State  Executive,  and  all  preparations 
were  completed  for  the  execution  of  the  decree  of  court.  But  the  con- 
demned prisoner  cheated  the  gallows  and  saved  the  county  a  little  additional 
expense  by  committing  suicide  on  the  night  of  June  2,  1880.  Cyanide  of 
pottassi  was  found  to  have  been  the  poison  used,  and  a  small  vial  contain- 
ing somoi  of  the  drug  was  found  on  the  stand  in  Wilson's  cell.  His  body 
was  buried  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  Old  Mission  Cemetery,  but  ghouls 
—  those  who  delight  in  grave-robbery  on  the  plea  of  science — carried  it 
away  before  the  dawn  of  the  next  day. 

RESULT    OF    ELECTIONS. 

Under  this  head  will  be  found  a  resume  of  nearly  all  general  elections 
which  have  taken  place  in  the  county  since  it  was  organized.  When  the 
county  started  out  upon  a  separate  state  of  existence,  there  were  amoncr  its 
early  inhabitants  many  who  cherished  fond  anticipations  that  it  would  prove 
to  be  a  W^hig  district.  The  first  newspaper — Shrenk's — was  an  able  expo- 
nent of  Whig  principles,  and  the  times  seemed  quite  propitious  for  an 
organization  which  could  boast  of  such  leaders  as  Webster,  Clay,  Corwin 
and  a  brilliant  host  of  others;  but,  as  it  proved,  too  many  of  the  "original" 
inhabitants  had  already  been  rallied  under  the  lead  of  "Old  Hickory;"  they 
were  fresh  from  Democratic  victories  under  Polk  and  Dallas,  a  hickory 
cudgel  was  yet  the  symbol  of  true  Democracy,  and  when  the  smoke  from 
the  first  political  battle-field  in  the  county  uplifted,  young  Wyandot  was 
found  in  alignment  with  the  Democratic  counties  of  the  State.  She  has 
ever  remained  a  Democratic  stronghold,  although  occasionally  a  popular 
candidate  from  the  ranks  of  the  Republican  party  manages  to  secure  an 
election  to  a  county  office. 

Election  Apeil  7,   1845. 
Commissioner — Charles  Merriman,  Whig,   635;  Jonathan  Kear,  Whig, 
638;  William  Griffith.  Whig.  643;  Robert  Stokely,  Democrat,  567;  Stephen 
Fowler,  Democrat,  669;  Ethan  Terry,  Democrat,  678.     Griffith,  Fowler  and 
Terry  were  elected. 


332 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


Treasurer — Abner  Jurey,  Whig,  662;  David  Ellis,  Democrat,  588; 
Jurey's  majority,  74. 

Auditor — Andrew  M.  Anderson,  Whig,  618;  Samuel  M.  Worth,  Demo- 
crat, 668;  Worth's  majority,  50. 

Sheriff — Lorin  A.  Pease,  Whig,  639;  John  Kiser,  Democrat,  629; 
Anthony  Bowsher,  Whig,  9;  Pease's  majority,  10. 

Recorder — Joseph  Chaffee,  Whig,  578;  John  A.  Morrison,  Democrat, 
662;  Samuel  M.  Worth,  Democrat,  1;  Mon-ison's  majority,  84. 

Coroner — Albert  Bixby,  Democrat,  657;  William  Bevington,  Whig,  624; 
John  Ragon,  Whig,  1;  Bixby's  majority,  33. 

Surveyor — Azariah  Root,  Whig,  638;  Peter  B.  Beidler,  Democrat,  616; 
Root's  majority,  22. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — Chester  R.  Mott,  Democrat,  656;  John  D.  Sears, 
Whig,  630;  Peter  B.  Beidler,  Democrat,  1;  Mott's  majority,  26. 

Election  October  14,  1845. 
Commissioner — Silas  Burson,  Whig,  650;    William  Carey,  Whig,   645; 
Jonathan  Kear,  Whig,  650;  Stephen  Fowler,  Democrat,  678;   Ethan  Terry, 
Democrat,  693;  William  Bland,  Democrat,  648.     Terry,  Fowler  and  Kear* 
were  elected. 

Auditor— Moses  H.  Kirby,  Whig,  614;  Samuel  M.  Worth,  Democrat, 
692;  scattering,  14;  Worth's  majority,  78. 

Treasurer — Abner  Jurey,  W^hig,  660;  George  Harper,  Democrat,  678; 
Harper's  majority,  18. 

Sheriff — Lorin  A.  Pease,  Whig,  658;  Thomas  Baird,  Democrat,  660; 
Baird's  majority,  2. 

Recorder — Joseph  E.  Fouke,  Whig,  617;  John  A.  Morrison,  Democrat, 
683;  Joseph  Fouke,  1;  Morrison's  majority,  66. 

Survej^or — William  Kiskadden,  Whig,  640;  Peter  B.  Beidler,  Democrat, 
695;   Beidler's  majority,  55. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — John  D.  Sears,  Whig,  641;  Chester  R.  Mott, 
Democrat,  680;   Mott's  majority,  39. 

Coroner — Peter  Houk,  W^hig,  633;  Albert  Bixby,  Democrat,  693;  Bix- 
by's majority,  60. 

Election  October  13,  1846,  for  Oovernor. 


TOWNSHIPS. 


Crane. . . .f . 
Marseilles. . 

Mifflin 

Pitt 

Antrim 

Eden 

Sycamoref . 
Tymochtee 
Crawford  . . 
Jackson. . . . 

Ridge 

Richland.  . . 
Salem 


William 
Bebb. 


David 
Tod. 


Samuel 
Lewis. 


35 
11 
96 
54 
25 


23 
45 
33 
14 


89 
90 


7 
18 
21 


167 
97 
33 
41 
38 
10 


Totals 446 

Majority  for  Tod 


76 


*  Kear  and  Burson  had  the  highest  and  an  equal  number  of  votes ;  it  was  decided  by  lot  in  favor  of 
Kear. 

tThe  vote  in  this  township  was  not  reported. 


<^ 


-/^. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  335 

Congressman — Ely  Dresbach,  Whig,  428;  Rodolphus  Dickinson,  Demo- 
crat, 516;  Joseph  Jackson,  4;  John  K.  Miller,  7;  Dickinson's  majority,  88. 

Senator — John  L.  Green,  Whig,  238;  Heniy  Cronise,  Democrat,  343; 
Cronise's  majority,  105. 

Representative — James  McCracken,  Whig,  237;  George  Donenwirth, 
Democrat,  247;  John  M.  Mahan,  37;  Donenwirth's  majority,  10. 

Election  October  12,  1847. 

Representative — Joseph  E.  Fouke,  Whig,  696;  Michael  Brackley,  Demo- 
crat, 741;  Emery  D    Potter,  20;  Brackley's  majority,  45. 

Commissioner — Rodney  Poole,  Whig,  684;  John  Welch,  Democrat,  757; 
Welch's  majority,  73. 

Auditor — Abner  Jurey,  AVhig,  660;  Samuel  M.  Worth,  Democrat,  767; 
Worth's  majority,  107. 

Treasurer — John  Ragon,  Whig,  642;  George  Harper,  Democrat,  778; 
Harper's  majority,  136. 

Sheriff — Simeon  E.  Tuttle,  Whig,  661;  Thomas  Baird,  Democrat,    762; 
Baird's  majority,  101. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — Moses  H.  Kirby,  Whig,  664;  Aaron  Lyle,  Demo- 
crat, 767;  scattering,  2;  Lyle's  majority,  103. 

Coroner — Stephen  Whinery,  Democrat,  668;  Albert  Bixby,  Whig,  760; 
Bixby's  majority,  92. 

Election  October  10,  1848. 

Governor — Seabury  Ford,  Whig,  833;  John  B.  Weller,  Democrat,  939; 
Weller's  majority,  106. 

Congressman — Cooper  K.  Watson,  Whig,  832;  Rodolphus  Dickinson, 
Democrat,  934;  Dickinson's  majority,  102. 

Senator — Charles  O'Neal,  Whig,  835;  Joel  W.  Wilson,  Democrat,  933; 
W^ilson's  majority,  98. 

Representative — William  Griffith,  Whig,  824;  Machias  C.  Whitely, 
Democrat,  937;  Whitely's  majority,  113. 

Commissioner — James  M.  Chemberlin,  Whig,  818;  Ethan  Terry,  Demo- 
crat, 951;  Terry's  majority,  133. 

Recorder — Ernest  M.  Krakau,  Whig,  819;  John  A.  Mon-ison,  Democrat, 
943;  Morrison's  majority,  124. 

Surveyor — Azariah  Root,  Whig,  812;  Peter  B.  Beidler,  Democrat,  951; 
Beidler's  majority,  139. 

Election  October  9.  1849. 

Congressman — Amos  E.  Wood,  Democrat,  847;  Daniel  B.  White,  Whig, 
180;  scattering,  43;  Wood's  majority,  667. 

Representative — Silas  Burson,  Whig,  720;  Machias  C.  Whitely,  Demo- 
crat, 828;  Whitely's  majority,  108. 

Commissioner — Rodney  Poole,  Whig,  776;  Isaac  Wohlgamuth,  Demo- 
crat, 823;  Wohlgamuth's  majority,  47. 

Auditor — George  W.  Beery,  Whig,  712;  Chester  R.  Mott,  Democrat, 
864;  Mott's  majority,  152. 

Treasurer — John  Ragon,  Whig,  687;  George  Harper,  Democrat,  904; 
Harper's  majority,  217. 

Sheriflf— William  H.  Renick,  Whig,  678;  Curtis  Berry,  Jr.,  Democrat, 
906;  Berry's  majority,  228. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — Moses  H.  Kirby,  Whig,  792;  S.  R.  McBane, 
Democrat,  783;  Kirby's  majority,  9. 

8 


336  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Coroner — Saunders  A.  Reed,  Whig,  677;  John  N.  Reed,  Democrat,  908; 
Reed's  majority,  231. 

Convention — For.  916;  against,  190;  majority  for,  726. 

Election  Apbil  1,  1850. 

Senatorial  Delegate  to  Convention— John  Ewing,  Democrat,  764. 
Representative  Delegate  to  Convention — John  Carey,   Whig,  809;  Ben- 
jamin P.  Smith,  689;  Peter  B.  Beidler,  8;  Carey's  majority,  120. 

Election  October  8,  1850. 

Governor — William  Johnston,  Whig,  797;  Reuben  Wood,  Demoerafc, 
1,002;  Edward  Smith,  2;  Wood's  majority, . 

Congressman — John  C.  Spink,  W^hig,  566;  Frederick  W.  Green,  Demo- 
crat, 999;  Green's  majority,  233. 

Senator — Abel  Rawson,  W^hig,  553;  Michael  Brackley,  Democrat,  991; 
Brackley's  majority,  438. 

Representative — Wilson  Vance,  Whig,  570;  Henry  Bishop,  Democrat, 
996;  Bishop's  majority.  426. 

Commissioner — Rodney  Poole,  Whig,  576;  John  Welch,  Democrat, 
982;  Welch's  majority,  406. 

ELECTION  ALOPTING  THE  NEW  CONSTITUTION. 

June  17,  1851,  the  State  adopted  the  new  constitution  by  125,564  votes 
against  102,976  in  opposition,  and  at  the  same  time  gave  104,255  votes  for 
license,  and  113,239  against  it.  In  this  contest  Wyandot  County  gave  836 
for  the  constitution,  567  against  it;  and,  958  in  favor  of  license,  and  487 
against  it.  The  aggregate  votes  on  the  new  constitution  do  not  contain 
the  vote  of  Sycamore  Township,  the  poll  books  of  that  township  having 
never  been  returned. 

Election  October  14,  1851. 

Governor — Samuel  F.  Vinton,  Whig,  781;  Reuben  Wood,  Democrat, 
987;  Samuel  Lewis,  Abolitionist,  1;  Wood's  majority,  206. 

Supreme  Judge — Allen  G.  Thurman,  Democrat,  989;  William  B.  Cald- 
well, Whig,  986. 

Common  Pleas  Judge — Cooper  K.  Watson,  Whig,  777;  Lawrence  W. 
Hall,  Democrat.  959;  Hall's  majority,  182. 

Senator — Abel  Rawson,  Whig,  781;  Joel  W.  Wilson,  Democrat,  968; 
Wilson's  majority,  187. 

Representative — Ushler  P.  Leighton,  Whig,  790;  David  Snodgrass, 
Democrat,  979;  Snodgrass's  majority,  189. 

Auditor — John  Vanorsdall,  Whig,  634;  Chester  R.  Mott,  Democrat,  873; 
Joseph  E.  Fouke,  Whig,  209;  Mott's  majority,  239. 

Commissioners — Jonathan  Kear,  Whig,  856;  William  Irvine,  Democrat, 
872;  Irvine's  majority,  16. 

Probate  Judge* — Joseph  Kinney,  Whig,  840;  Robert  McKelly,  Demo- 
crat, 840. 

Sherifif — William  H.  Renick,  Whig,  791;  Curtis  Berry,  Jr.,  Democrat, 
949;  Berry's  majority,  158. 

Treasurer — John  Ragon,  Whig,  566;  George  Harper,  Democrat,  894; 
Joseph  McCutchen,  Democrat,  275;  Harper's  majority,  328. 

*Each  candidate  having  an  equal  number  of  votes,  it  was  decided  by  lot  in  favor  of  Kinney. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  337 

Clerk  of  the  Court— Guy  C.  Worth.  Whig,  895;  John  A.  Morrison, 
Democrat,  810;  Worth's  majority,  85. 

Recorder — Clark  Glenn,  Whig,  659;  William  B.  Hitchcock,  Democrat, 
1,088;  Hitchcock's  majority,  429. 

Surveyor— Ernest  M.  Krakau,  Whig,  797;  James  Williams,  Democrat, 
931;  Williams'  majority,  134. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — Moses  H.  Kirby,  W^hig,  893;  Henry  Maddux, 
Democrat,  796;  Kirby's  majority,  97. 

Coroner — John  W.  Senseney,  Whig,  726;  John  N.  Reed,  Democrat, 
991;  Reed's  majority,  265. 

Election,  October  12,  1852. 

Supreme  Judge — Daniel  A.  Haynes,  Whig,  784;  William  B.  Caldwell, 
Democrat,  917;  Caldwell's  majority,  233. 

Congressman — George  W.  Sampson,  Whig,  768;  Frederick  W.  Green, 
Democrat,  909;  Green's  majority,  141. 

Probate  Judge — Joseph  Kinney,  Whig,  940;  Robert  McKelly,  Demo- 
crat, 753;  Kinney's  majority,  187. 

Commissioner — Jonathan  Kear,  Whig,  979;  David  Miller,  Whig,  988; 
John  Myers,  Democrat,  765;  Clark  R.  Fowler,  Democrat,  651;  Henry- 
Peters,  Whig,  1;  Kear  and  Miller  were  elected. 

Election  October  11,  1853. 

Governor— William  Medill,  Democrat,  1,218;  Nelson  Barrere,  Whig, 
774;  Samuel  Lewis,  Free  Soil,  58;  Medill's  majority,  444. 

Supreme  Judge — Thomas  W.  Bartley,  Democrat,  1,207;  Franklin  T. 
Backus,  Whig,  806;  Reuben  Hitchcock,  Whig,  28;  Bartley' s  majority,  401. 

Senator — Robert  Lee,  Democrat,  1,219;  George  W.  Leith  W'hig,  763; 
B.  Kerr, ,  1;  J.  W\  Vance,  ,  2;  Lee's  majority,  456. 

Representative— Peter  A.  Tyler,  Democrat,  1,019;  John  Carey,  Whig, 
939;  John  Halstead, ,  2;  Tyler's  majority,  80. 

Auditor — James  V.  S.  Hoyt,  Democrat,  1,079;  Joseph  McCutchen, 
Democrat,  738;  John  Vanorsdall,Tndependent  Democrat,  145;  Hoyt's major- 
ity,341. 

Sheriff — George  P.  Nelson,  Democrat,  1,175  ;  Joel  Bland,  Whig,  659  ; 
Thomas  Gatchell,  Whig.  137  ;  Nelson's  majority,  516. 

Clerk  of  Court — Curtis  Berry,  Jr.,  Democrat,  1,082;  James  McLane, 
Whig,  816  ;  Robert  Keed,  Democrat,  116  ;  Berry's  majority,  266. 

Treasurer — William  W.  Bates,  Democrat,  1,099;  Henry  I.  Flack,  Whig, 
805  ;  David  Watson,  Whig,  133;  Bates'  majority,  294. 

Commissioner — John  Welch,  Democrat,  1,086  ;  Isaac  Bryant,  Whig, 
772  ;  John  R.  Lupton,  Whig,  160 ;    Welch's  majority,  314. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — Nelson  W.  Dennison,  Democrat,  1,078  ;  Moses 
H.  Kirby,  Whig,  878  ;  George  W.  Beery,  Whig,  1  ;  Harmon  Bower,  1  ; 
Dennison's  majority,  200. 

Coronei' — Thomas  Baird,  Democrat,  1,068  ;  Jonathan  Hare,  Democrat, 
751  ;  Clark  Glenn,  Whig,  160  ;  Baird's  majority,  317. 

Election  October  10,   1854. 

Supreme  Judge — Shepherd  F.  Norris,  Whig,  724;  Joseph  R.  Swann, 
Democract,  1,101;  Swann's  majority,  377. 

Congrcissman — Josiah  S.  Plants,  Democrat,  694  ;  Cooper  K.  Watson, 
Whig,  1,129  ;  Watson's  majority,  435. 


338  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Clerk  of  Court — Curtis  Berry,  Jr.,  Democrat,  767  ;  Thomas  E.  Grisell, 
Whig,  1,065;  Grissell's  majority,  298. 

Recorder — William  B.  Hitchcock,  Democrat,  814  ;  Henry  J.  Flack, 
Whig,  1,019  ;  Flack's  majority,  205. 

Surveyor — James  H.  Williams,  Democrat,  702  ;  E.  M.  Krakau,  Whig, 
540  ;  Andrew  Reynolds,  Democrat,  9  ;  Williams'  majority,  162. 

Commissioner — Samuel  Kenan,  Whig,  633  ;  Jonathan  Kear,  Democrat, 
1,191  ;  Kear's  majority,  558. 

Election  October  9,   1855. 

Governor — Salmon  P.  Chase,  Republican,  1,143;  William  Medill, 
Democrat,  1,045  ;  Allen  Trimble,  Free  Soil,  61  ;  Chase's  majority,  98. 

Supreme  Judge — (full  term),  Jacob  Brinkerhoflf,  Republican,  1,202  ; 
William  Kennon,  Democrat,  1,048  ;  Brinkerhoff's  majority,  154. 

Senator — James  Lewis,  Republican,  1,188;  Warren  P.  Noble,  Democrat, 
1,047  ;  Lewis'  majority,  147. 

Representative — Elias  G.  Spelman,  Republican,  1,183  ;  Samuel  M. 
Worth,  Democrat,  1,061;  Spelman' s  majority,  122. 

Auditor — Joseph  McCutchen,  Republican,  1,127;  James  V.  S.  Hoyt, 
Democrat,  1,064;  McCutchen's  majority,  63. 

Treasurer — James  C.  Pease,  Republican,  1,097;  William  W.  Bates, 
Democrat,  1,137;    Bates'  majority,  40. 

Probate  Judge — Joseph  Kinney,    Republican.    1,199;  Jonathan  Maffett, 
Democrat,  1,045;  Kinney's  majority,  154. 

Sheriff — Daniel  Hoffman,  Republican,  1,088;  George  P.  Nelson,  Demo- 
crat 1,139;  Nelson's  majority,  51. 

Commissioner — Hiram  H.  Holdredge,  Republican,  1,180;  Clark  R. 
Fowler,  Democrat,  1,056;  Holdredge's  majority,  124. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — Moses  H.  Kirby,  Republican,  1,178;  Nelson  W. 
Dennison,  Democrat,  1,042;  Kirby's  majority,  136. 

Coroner— Albert  Mears,  Republican.  1,178;  D.  S.  McAlmon,  Democrat, 
1,060;  Mear's  majority,  118. 

Election  October  14,  1856. 

Supreme  Judge  (long  term) — Josiah  Scott,  Republican,  1,188;  Rufus 
P.  Ranney,  Democrat,  1,174;  Daniel  Peck,  American,  102;  Scott's  major- 
ity, 14. 

Supreme  Judge  (short  term) — Ozias  Bowen,  Republican,  1,167;  C.  W. 
Searle,  Democrat,  1,175;  Samuel  Brush,  American,  113;  Searle's  major- 
ity,  8. 

Congressman — Cooper  K.  Watson,  Republican,  1,164;  Lawrence  W. 
Hall,  Democrat,  1,176;  W.  T.  Wilson,  American,  113;  Hall's  majority,  12. 

Common  Pleas  Judge — Daniel  W.  Swigart,  Republican,  1,195;  Machias 
C.  Whitely,  Democrat,  1,213;  scattering,  4;  Whitely's  majority,  18. 

Commissioner — Milton  Morral,  Republican,  1,200;  John  Welch,  Dem- 
ocrat, 1,136;  Jacob  Juvinali,  American,  135;  Morral's  majority,  54. 

Bank  Charter — For,  1,114;  against,  418;  neutral,  70;  majority  for,  696. 

Election  October  13,  1857. 

Governor — Salmon  P.  Chase,  Republican,  1,136;  Henry  B.  Payne,  Dem- 
ocrat, 1,257;  P.  Van  Lump,  64;  Payne's  majority,  121. 

Supreme  Judge — Milton  Sutliff,  Republican,  1,127;  Henry  C.  Whit- 
man,  Democrat,  1,264;  John  Davenport,  66;  Whitman's  majority,  137. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  339 

Common  Pleas  Judge — John  C.  Lee,  Republican,  1,141;  George  E. 
Seney,  Democrat,  1,288;  Seney's  majority,  147. 

Senator — George  W.  Sampson,  Republican,  48;  Guy  C.  Worth,  Repub- 
lican, 1,140;  Robert  McKelly,  Democrat,  1,241;  McKelly's  majority,  101. 

Representative — David  Ayres,  Republican,  1,067;  Chester  R.  Mott, 
Democrat,  1,305;  P.  C.  Barlow,  41;  A.  C.Clemens,  2;  Mott's  majority,  238. 

Probate  Judge — William  A.  Knibloe,  Republican,  1,152;  Jonathan 
Maffett,  Democrat,  1,281;  Maffett's  majority,  129. 

Auditor — F.  W.  Martin,  Republican,  1,179;  James  V.  S.  Hoyt,  Dem- 
ocrat, 1,271;  Hoyt's  majority,  92. 

Treasurer — John  Ragon,  Republican,  1,174;  James  H.  Freet,  Democrat, 
1,264;   Freet's  majority,  90. 

Sheriff — Joseph  McCutchen,  Republican,  1,170;  Curtis  Berry,  Sr.,  Dem 
ocrat,  1,212;  Berry's  majority,  42. 

Clerk  of  Court~T.  E.  Grisell,  Republican,  1,140;  Curtis  Berry,  Jr., 
Democrat,  1,294;  Berry's  majority,  154. 

Recorder — Henry  J.  Flack,  Republican,  1,229;  William  B.  Hitchcock, 
Democrat,  1,194;  Flack's  majority,  35. 

Surveyor — Aaron  Bradshaw,  Republican,  1,103;  Peter  B.  Beidler,  Dem- 
ocrat, 1,346;  Beidler's  majority,  243. 

Commissioner — Sheldon  Beebe,  Republican,  1,126;  John  Baker,  Dem- 
ocrat, 1,310:  Baker's  majority,  184. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — Moses  H.  Kirby,  Republican,  1,211;  George 
Crawford,  Democrat,  1,229;  Crawford's  majority,  18. 

Coroner — Albert  Mears,  Republican,  1,178;  Benjamin  Williams,  Dem- 
ocrat, 1,252;  Williams'  majority,  74. 

Election  October  12,  1858. 

Supreme  Judge— W.  V.  Peck,  Republican,  1,288;  T.  W.  Bartley,  Dem- 
ocrat, 1,141:  Peck's  majority,  147. 

Congressman — John  Carey.  Republican,  1,414;  L.  W.  Hall,  Democrat, 
962. 

Common  Pleas  Judge — J.  D.  Sears,  Republican,  1,342;  J.  S.  Plants, 
Democrat,  1,080;  Sears'  majority,  262. 

Probate  Judge — Moses  H.  Kirby,  Republican,  1,369;  Jonathan  Maffett, 
Democrat,  1,044;  Kirby's  majority,  325. 

Commissionei' — H.  H.  Holdridge,  Republican,  1,250;  D.  H.  Curlis,  Dem- 
ocrat, 1,110;  Holdridge's  majority,  140. 

Election  October  13,  1859. 

Governor — Rufus  P.  Ranney,  Democrat,  1,390;  William  Dennison,  Re- 
publican, 1,295;  Ranney's  majority,  95. 

Supreme  Judge Whitman,  Democrat,  1,386;  Gholson,  Repub- 
lican, 1,281;  Whitman's  majority,  105. 

Senator — Thomas  J.  Orr,  Democrat,  1,368;  J.  M.  Stevens,  Republican, 
1,296;  Orr's  majority,  72. 

Representative — J.  M.  White,  Democrat,  1,396;  J.  F.  Henkle,  Repub- 
lican, 1,287;   White's  majority,  109. 

Auditor — Peter  B.  Beidler,  Democrat,  1,344;  Samuel  Kirby,  Repub- 
lican, 1,308;  Beidler's  majority,  36. 

Treasurer — James  H.  Freet,  Democrat,  1,463;  Charles  Norton,  Repub- 
lican, 1,204;  Freet's  majority,  259. 


340  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUxMTY. 

Sheriff — James  Culbertsun,  Jr.,  Independent,  1,401;  Alex  Watson, 
Democrat,  1,243;  Culbertson's  majority,  158. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — Henry  Maddux,  Republican,  1,384;  George  Craw- 
ford, Democrat,  1,279;  Maddux's  majority,  105. 

Commissioner — Milton  Morral,  Republican,  1,394;  John  Kisor,  Demo- 
crat, 1,284;  MorraPs  majority,   112. 

Coroner — Benjamin  Williams,  Democrat,  1,381;  Alex  Shoemaker,  Re- 
publican, 1,283;  Williams'  majority,  98. 

Election  October,  9,  1860. 

Supreme  Judge — Thomas  J.  S.  Smith,  Democrat,  1,624;  Jacob  Brinker- 
hoff,  Republican,  1,569;  Smith's  majority,  55. 

Congressman- -Warren  P.  Noble,  Democrat,  1,461;  John  Carey,  Repub- 
lican, 1,738;  Carey's  majority,  277. 

Clerk  of  Court — Curtis  Berry,  Jr. ,  Democrat,  1,642;  Joseph  A.  Maxwell, 
Republican,  1,544;  Berry's  majority,  98. 

Recorder— Henry  Miller,  Democrat,  1,681;  C  D.  V.  Worley,  Repub- 
lican, 1,504;  Miller's  majority,  177. 

Commissioner— John  Baker,  Democrat,  1,616;  Isaac  Lundy,  Repub- 
lican, 1,570;  Baker's  majority,  46. 

Surveyor — Andrew  Reynolds,  Democrat,  1,635;  Aaron  Bradshaw,  Re- 
publican, 1,550;  Reynolds'  majority,  85. 

Election  November,  6,  1860. 
President — A.  Lincoln,  Republican,  1,531;  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  Demo- 
crat, 1,617;  Douglas'  majority,  86. 

Election  October,  8,   1861. 

Governor — David  Tod,  Republican,  1,384;  Hugh  J.  Jewett,  Democrat, 
crat,  1,562;  Jewett's  majority,  178. 

Supreme  Judge — Josiah  Scott,  Republican,  1,379;  T.  J.  S.  Smith, 
Democrat,  1,568;  Smith's  majority,  189. 

Senator — W.  C.  Parsons,  Republican,  1,364;  William  Lang,  Democrat, 
1,545;  Lang's  majority,  181. 

Representative — F.  F.  Fowler,  Republican,  1,354;  Jonathan  Maffett, 
Democrat,  1,549;  Maffett's  majority,  195. 

Auditor —George  Crawford,  Republican,  1,330;  Peter  B.  Beidler, 
Democrat,  1,607;  Beidler' s  majority,  277. 

Treasurer— J.  L.  Cooke,  Republican,  1,333;  D.  C.  Murray,  Democrat, 
1,588;  Murray's  majority,  255. 

Sheriff— C.  P.  Shurr'  Republican,  1,327;  William  Marlow,  Democrat, 
1,609;  Marlow' s  majority,  282. 

Probate  Judge — M.  H.  Kirby,  Republican,  1,550;  John  A.  Morrison, 
Democrat,  1,345;  Kirby's  majority,  205. 

Prosecuting  Attorney Plarrison,  Republican,  1,349;  John  Berry, 

Democrat,  1,585;  Berry's  majority,   236. 

Commissioner— J,  Edgington,  Republican,  1,361;  C.  R.  Fowler,  Demo- 
crat, 1,586;  Fowler's  majority,  225. 

Coroner — William  Irvine,  Republican,  1,369;  Benjamin  Williams, 
Democrat,  1,559;  William's  majority,  190. 

Election  October  13,  1863. 
Governor— John    Brough,     Republican,    1,666;  C.    L.    Vallandigham, 
Democrat,  1,679;  Vallandigham's  majority,  13. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  341 

Representative — Jonathan  Mafifett,  Democrat,  1,719;  Samuel  H.  White, 
llepublican,  1.651;  Maifett's  majority,  68. 

Auditor — J.  V.  S.  Hoyt,  Democrat,  1,724;  Frank  W.  Martin,  Repub- 
lican, 1,647;  Hoyt's  majority,  77. 

Sheriff — Andrew  W.  Ingerson,  Republican,  1,617  ;  William  Marlow, 
Democrat,  1,742;  Marlow's  majority,  125. 

Commissioner — John  Kisor,  Democrat,  1,730  ;  Jesse  Edgington.  Repub- 
lican, 1,642;  Kisor's  majority,  88. 

Surveyor — Andrew  Reynolds,  Democrat,  1,725  ;  James  L.  Cook,  Repub- 
lican, 1,646;    Reynolds'  majority,  79. 

Treasurer — D.  C.  Murray,  Democrat,  1,741;  Addison  E.  Gibbs,  Repub- 
lican, 1,641;  Murray's  majority,  100. 

Clerk  of  Court — Frederick  Agerter,  Democrat,  1,730  ;  Henry  Miller, 
Republican,  1,644;  Agerter's  majority,  86. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — John  Berry,  Democrat,  1,726;  Thomas  E.  Grisell, 
Republican,  1,641;  Berry's  majority,  85. 

Recorder — Simeon  Inman,  Democrat,  1,730;  James  K.  Agnew,  Repub- 
lican, 1,636;  Inman's  majority,  94. 

Coroner — Benjamin  Williams,  Democrat,  1,718;  John Holloway,  Repub- 
lican, 1,646;  Williams'  majority,  72. 

Election  October  9,  1866. 

Congressman — William  Mungen,  Democrat,  1,925; Walker,  Repub- 
lican, 1,734;  Mungen's  majority,  191. 

Common  Pleas  Judge — C.  R.  Mott,  Democrat,  1,915;  Cooper  K.  Watson, 
Republican,  1,722;  Mott's  majority,  193. 

Clerk  of  Court— Fred  Agerter,  Democrat,  1,932;  S.  S.  Pettit,  Repub- 
lican, 1,720;  Agerter's  majority,  212. 

Commissioner — John  Ki^or,  Demoei-at,  1,927;  Roderick  McKenzie,  Re- 
publican, 1,731;  Kisor's  majority,  196. 

Recorder — Simeon  Inman,  Democrat,  1,943; Thompson,  Repub- 
lican, 1,718;  Inman's  majority,  225. 

Election  October  8,  1867. 

Governor — A.  G.  Thurman,  Democrat,  2,183;  R.  B.  Hayes,  Republican, 
1,609;  Thurman's  majority,  574. 

Senator — C.  Berry,  Jr.,  Democrat,  2,188;  John  C.  Leith,  Republican, 
1,590;  Berry's  majority,  598. 

Representative — Samuel  M.  Worth,  Democrat,  2,190;  M.  C.  Gibson,  Re- 
publican, 1,598;  Worth's  majority,  592. 

Auditor — J(mathau  Maffett,  Democrat,  2,198;  J.  K.  Agnew,  Republican, 
1,590;  Maffett' s  majority,  608. 

Treasurer — W.  F.  Goodbread,  Democrat,  2,187;  L.  R.  Seaman,  Repub- 
lican, 1,596;  Goodbread's  majority,  591. 

Sheriff — William  Michaels,  Democrat,  2,192;  D.  Fishel,  Republican, 
1,600;  Michaels'  majority,  592. 

Probate  Judge— Peter  B.  Beidler,  Democrat,  2,175;  J.  L.  Cook,  Repub- 
lican, 1,617;  Beidler's  majority,  558. 

Commissioner — J.  Hollenshead,  Democrat,  2,185;  Isaac  Mann,  Repub- 
lican, 1,604;  Hollenshead's  majority,  581. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — M.  H.  Kirby,  Democrat,  2,170;  Thomas  E.  Gri- 
sell, Republican,  1,597;  Kirby' s  majority,  573. 

Coroner — L.  Gipson,  Democrat,  2,192;  J.  Holloway,  Republican,  1,597; 
Gipson's  majority,  595. 


342  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Convention  to  Amend  the  Constitution — For,  1,487;  against,  2,258; 
Majority  against,  771. 

Election  October  13,  1868. 

Congressman — William  Mungen,  Democrat,  2,138;  Thomas  E.  Grisell, 
Republican,  1,620;  Mungen's  majority,  518. 

Commissioner — D.  C.  Murray,  Democrat,  2,157;  Isaac  Walton,  Repub- 
lican, 1,609;  Murray's  majority,  548. 

Surveyor — John  Agerter,  Democrat,  2,131.     (No  opposition.) 

Coroner — Levi  Shultz,  Democrat,  2,138;  D.  Fishel,  Republican,  1,630; 
Shultz's  majority,  508. 

Election  October  12,   1869. 

George  H.  Pendleton,  Democrat,  2,069  ;  R.  B.  Hayes,  Republican, 
1,561  ;  Pendleton's  majority,  508. 

Senator — A.  S.  Jenner,  Democrat,  2,060  ;  S.  R,  Harris,  Republican, 
1,572  ;  Jenner's  majority,  488, 

Representative — John  Kisor,  Democrat,  2,002  ;  R.  A.  Henderson, 
Republican,  1,604  ;  Kisor's  majority,  398. 

Clerk  of  Court — William  B.  Hitchcock,  Democrat,  2,060;  — Brown, 
Republican,  1,515  ;  Hitchcock's  majority,  545. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — M.  H.  Kirby,  Democrat,  2,047  ;  Adam  Kail, 
Republican,  1,563  ;  Kirby's  majority,  484. 

Sheriff — Henry  Myers,  Democrat,  2,005  ;  —  Rieser,  Republican,  1,518  ; 
Myers'   majority,  487. 

Auditor — Jonathan  Maffetfc,  Democrat,  2,031;  J.  L.  Cook,  Republican, 
1,583  ;  Maffeti's  majority,  448. 

Treasurer — J.  S.  Hare,  Democrat,  2,059  ;  John  Greer,  Republican, 
1,479  ;  Hare's  majority,  580. 

Recorder — Adam  Stutz,  Democrat,  1,905  ;  —  Pool,  Republican,  1,626  ; 
Stutz's  majoi'ity,  279. 

Commissioner — ^William  Beam,  Democrat,  1,983;  S.  Watson,  Repub- 
can,  1,594;  Beam's  majority,  389. 

Election  October  11,    1870. 

Supreme  Judge — Richard  A.  Harrison,  Democrat,  1,649  ;  George  W. 
McElvaine,  Republican,  1,211  ;  Harrison's  majority,  438. 

Congressman — Charles  N.  Lamison;  Democrat,  1,650  ;  I.  D.  Clark,  Re- 
publican, 1,214  ;  Lamison's  majority,  436. 

Probate  Judge — Peter  B.  Beidler,  Democrat,  1,373  ;  Michael  Brackley, 
lodependent,  1,253  ;  Beidler's  majority,  120. 

Commissioner — Thomas  McClain,  Independent,  1,639  ;  Jacob  Hollens- 
head,  Democrat,  1,180;  McClain's  majority,  459. 

Infirmary  Directors — A.  H.  Vanorsdall  (3  years),  1,638  ;  Tilman  Balliet 
(2  years),  1,636  ;  George  Harper  (1  year),  1,637. 

Coroner — Levi  Shultz,  Democrat,  1,628  ;  Daniel  Fishel,  Independent, 
27. 

Election  October  10,   1871. 

Governor — George  W.  McCook,  Democrat,  1,915  ;  Edward  F.  Noyes, 
Republican,  1,580  ;  McCook' s  majority,  335. 

Senator — A.  S.  Jenner,  Democrat,  1,912 ,  U.  F.  Cramer,  Republican, 
1.576. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  343 

Representative — John  Kisor,  Democrat,  1,893  :  no  opposition. 

Common  Pleas  Judge — C.  R.  Mott,  Democrat,  2,634  ;  A.  M.  Jackson, 
Republican,  762  ;  Mott's  majority,  1,872. 

Sheriff — Henry  Myers,  Democrat,  1,917  ;  John  F.  Rieser,  Republican, 
1, 573  ;  Myers'  majority,  344. 

Commissioner — Henry  Parker,  Republican,  1,671  ;  Milton  Morral, 
Democrat,  1,811  ;  Morral's  majority,  140. 

Surveyor — JohnAgerter,  Democrat,  1,800;  James  K.  Agnew,  Republican, 
1,659  ;  Agerter's  majority,  141. 

Infirmary  Director — Michael  Depler,  Democrat,  1,897  ;  Henry  Davis, 
Sr.,  Republican,  1,562  ;  Depler's  majority,  335. 

Constitutional  Convention* — For,  2,009  ;  against,  1,346  ;  majority  for, 
663. 

Election  October  8,   1872. 

Supreme  Judge — Isaac  B,  Riley,  Democrat,  2,105  ;  Richard  R.  Porter, 
Republican,  1,776  ;   Riley's  majority,  329. 

Common  Pleas  Judge — James  Pillars,  Democrat,  2,101.    No  opposition. 

Auditor — Robert  A.  McKelly,  Democrat,  2,034  ;  Henry  Miller,  Repub- 
lican, 1.841  ;  McKelly's  majority,  193. 

Clerk  of  Court — William  B.  Hitchcock,  Democrat,  2, 130;  Samuel  Lutz, 
Republican,  1,755;  Hitchcock's  majority,  375. 

Recorder — Adam  Stutz,  Democrat,  2,095;  Daniel  Hartsough,  Repub- 
lican, 1,771;  Stutz's  majority,  324. 

Commissioner — William  Beam,  Democrat,  2,096. 

Coroner — Edward  Christen,  Democrat,  2,104;  Moses  Waggoner,  Repub- 
lican, 1,779;  Christen's  majority,  325. 

Infirmary  Director — Tilman  Balliet,  Democrat,  2,099;  John  McBeth, 
Republican,  1,789;  Balliet's majority,  310. 

Election  October  14,  1873. 

Governor — William  Allen,  Democrat,  2,039;  Edward  F.  Noyes,  Repub- 
lican, 1,364;  Allen's  majority,  675. 

Senator — John  Seitz,  Democrat,  2,052;  David  Harpster,  Republican, 
1,345;  Seitz' s  majority,  707. 

Representative — L.  A.  Bruuner,  Democrat,  1,934;  John  Markley,  Re- 
publican, 1,250;  Brunner's  majoi-ity,  684. 

Probate  Judge — Joel  W.  Gibson,  Democrat,  1,985;  William  R.  De 
Jean,  Republican,  1,404;  Gibson's  majority,  581. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — M.  H.  Kirby,  Democrat,  2,071 ;  Henry  Maddux, 
Republican,  1,347;  Kirby's  majority,  724. 

Sheriff — Jacob  Schaefer,  Democrat,  1,934;  H.  P.  Marshall,  Republican, 
1,462;  Schaefer's  majority,  472. 

Treasurer — William  Smalley,  Democrat,  3,261. 

Commissioners — Thomas  McClain,  1,949;  Samuel  M.  Worth,  1,864; 
Benjamin  F.  Kennedy,  1,470;  Michael  Bretz,  1,456;  McClain's  majority 
over  Kennedy,  479;  Worth's  majority  over  Bretz,  408. 

Infirmary  Director — Abram  H.  Vanorsdall,  Democrat,  2,052;  Moses 
Kirby,  Republican,  1,362;  Vanorsdall' s  majority;  690. 

Election  October  13,  1874. 
Congressman — J.  P.  Cowan,   Democrat,  1,687;    W.  Armstrong,   Repub- 
lican, 1,173;  Cowan's  majority,  514, 

*  For  a  full  reconstruction  of  the  Constitution  of  the  State. 


344  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Common  Pleas  Judge — Thomas  Beer,  Democrat,  1,703;  Josiah  Scott, 
Republican,  1,164;  Beer's  majority,  539. 

Auditor— R.  A.  McKellv,  Democrat,  1,732;  J.  D.  Foucht,  Temperance, 
930;  McKelly's  majority,  802. 

Commissioner — J.  Yentzer,  Democrat,  1,359;  R.  Bennett,  Temperance, 
438:  M.  Morral,  Independent,  1,055;  Yentzer's  majority,  304. 

Surveyor — J.  Greek,  Democrat,  1,705;  James  L.  Cook,  Temperance,  959; 
Greek's  majority,  746. 

Coroner— Edward  Christian,  Democrat.  1,704;  D.  L.  Kentfield,  Tem- 
perance, 956;  Christian's  majority,  748. 

Infirmary  Director — R.  McBeth,  Democrat,  1,764;  H.  Peters,  Temper- 
ance, 934;  McBeth' 8  majority,  830, 

Election  Octobek  13,   1875.  ' 

Governor — William  Allen,  Democrat,  2,305;  R.  B.  Hayes,  Republican, 
1,735;  Allen's  majority,  570. 

"  For  the  Commission  " — For,  1,998;  against,  444;     Majority  for.  554. 

Senator— E.  T.  Stickney,  Democrat,  2,287;  William  Monnett,  Repub- 
lican, 1,734;  Stickney's  majority,  553. 

Representative — L.  A.  Brunner,  Democrat,  2,256;  Moses  Gibson,  Re- 
publican, 1,724;  Brunner's  majority,  532. 

Clerk  of  Court— R.  D.  Daram,  Democrat,  2,238;  R.  M.  Stewart,  Repub- 
lican, 1,766;  Dumm's  majority,  473. 

Prosecuting  Attorney— M.H.  Kirby,  Democrat,  2,279;  Adam  Kail,  Re- 
publican, 1,715;  Kirby's  majority,  564. 

Sheriff— Jacob  Schacfer,  Democrat,  2,187; Lime,  Republican, 

1,778;  Schaefer's  majority,  409. 

Treasurer — William  Smalley,  Democrat,  2,306;  J.  R.  Swann,  Repub- 
lican, 1,704;  Smalley's  majority,  602. 

Recorder — Simeon  luman,  Democrat,  2,236;  John  E.  Goodrich,  Repub- 
lican, 1,727;  Inman's  majority,  509. 

Commissioner  -William  Ayres,  Democrat,  2,192;  O.  K.  Brown,  Repub- 
lican, 1.802;  Ayres'  majority,  390. 

Infirmary  Director — Michael  Depler,  Democrat,  2,301;  D.  L.  Kentfield, 
Republican,  1,743;  Depler's  majority,  558. 

Election  October  10,  1876. 

Secretary  of  State — William  Bell,  Jr.,  Democrat,  2,483;  Milton  Barnes, 
Republican,  1,902;  Bell's  majority,  581. 

Supreme  Judge — William  E.  Finck,  Democrat,  2,489;  Washington  W. 
Boynton,  Republican,  1.900;  Finck's  majority,  589. 

Congressman — Ebenezer  B.  Finley,  Democrat,  2,490;  Peter  S.  Gross- 
cup,  Republican,  1,897;.  Finley's  majority,  593. 

Common  Pleas  Judge — Thomas    Beer,  Democrat,  2,491;    no  opposition. 

Probate  Judge — Joel  W.  Gibson,  Democrat,  2,475;  David  Harpster, 
Jr.,  Republican,  1872;  Gibson's  majority,  603. 

Auditor— John  Agerter,  Democrat,  2,332;  Henry  Miller,  Republican, 
2,019;  Agerter's  majority,  313. 

Treasurer — George  W.  Biles,  Democrat,  2,515;  Edwin  A.  Gordon,  Re- 
publican, 1,869;  Biles'  majority,  046. 

Commissioner — Peter  Beam,  Democrat,  2,519;  Quincy  A.  Rowse,  Re- 
publican, 1,841;  Beam's  majority,  678. 

Infirmary  Director — Jacob  Swartz,  Democrat,  2,492;  James  C.  Andrews, 
Republican,  1,907;  Swartz's  majority,  585. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  345 

Coroner — Jacob  Tribolet,  Democrat,  2,459;  Samuel  Shepard,  Repub- 
lican, 1.875;  Tribolet's  majority,  584. 

Election  October  9,  1877. 

Governor — William  H.  West,  Eepublican,  1,722;  Richard  M.  Bishop, 
Democrat,  2,405;  Bishop's  majority,  879. 

Supreme  Judge — William  \V.  Johnson,  Republican,  1,734;  John  W. 
Okey,  Democrat,  2,391;  Okey's  majority,  657. 

Senator — Lovell  B.  Harris,  Republican,  1,711;  John  Seitz,  Demo- 
crat, 2,391;  Seitz's  majority,  680. 

Representative — Isaac  M.  Kirby,  Republican,  1,775;  Willard  D.  Tyler, 
Democrat,  2,350;  Tyler's  majority,  575. 

Common  Pleas  Judge — Jacob  F. ,  Republican,    1,735;  Henry  H. 

Dodge,  Democrat    2.395;  Dodge's  majority,  660. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — Miller  B.  Smith,  Republican,  1,736;  Moses  H. 
Kirby,  Democrat,  2,373;  Kirby' s  majority,  637. 

Sherifl' — John  M.  Houston,  Democrat,  2,125;  Joseph  Hutter,  Repub- 
lican, 1,819;  Houston's  majority,  306. 

Commissioner— Hiram  J.  Starr,  Republican,  1,794  ;  Jacob  Yentzer, 
Democrat,  2,228;  Yentzer' s  majority,  494. 

Surveyor — William  McDowell,  Republican,  1,745;  Jacob  Greek,  Demo- 
crat, 2,383;  Greek's  majority,  638. 

Infirmary  Director — James  H.  Lindsey,  Republican,  1,738;  Robert  Mc- 
Beth.  Democrat,  2,396;  McBeth's  majority,  658. 

Free  Banking  Act — For,  605;    against,  1,826;  majority    against,  1,221. 

Election  October  8,  1878. 

Secretary  of  State — Milton 'Barnes,  Republican,  1,907;  David  R.  Paige, 
Democrat,  2,448;  Paige's  majority,  541. 

Supreme  Judge — William  White,  Republican,  1,903;  Alexander  F. 
Hume,  Democrat,  2,452;  Hume's  majority,  549. 

Congressman — E.  B.  Finley,  Democrat,  2,354;  Charles  Foster,  Repub- 
lican, 1,944;  Finley's  majority,  410. 

Clerk  of  Court — Robert  D.  Dumm,  Democrat,  2,565;  W.  E.  Benton,  Re- 
publican, 1,787;  Dumm's  majority,  778. 

Auditor — John  Agerter,  Democrat,  2,119;  Landline  Smith,  Republican, 
2,201;  Smith's  majority,  82. 

Treasurer — George  W.  Bates,  Democrat,  2,525;  Robert  W.  Pool,  Re- 
publican, 1,831;  Bate's  majority,  694. 

Recorder — Simeon  Inman,  Democrat,  2,581;  John  E.  Goodrich,  Repub- 
lican, 1,766;  Inman's  majority,  815. 

Commissioner — William  Ayres,  Democrat,  2,042;  Benjamin  F.  Ken- 
nedy, Republican,  1,992;  N.  Willoughby,  Independent,  200;  Ayres'  ma- 
jority, 50. 

Infirmary  Director — Elias  Streby,  Democrat,  2,450;  James  H.  Lindsay, 
Republican,  1,899;  Streby's  majority,  551. 

Coroner — Jacob  Tribolet,  Democrat,  2,408;  George  W.  Kenan,  Repub- 
lic, 1,899;  Tribolet's  majority,  509. 

Election  October  14,  1879. 

Governor — Charles  Foster,  Republican,  2,282;  Thomas  Ewing,  Demo- 
crat, 2,812;  Ewing's  majority,  530. 

Supreme  Judge — William  W.  Johnson,  Republican,  2,261;  William  J. 
Gilmore,  Democrat,  2,830;  Gilmore's  majority,  569. 


346  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Senator — Stephen  R.  Harris,  Republican,  2,240;  Moses  H.  Kirby,  Dem- 
ocrat, 2,825;  Kirby's  majority,  585. 

Probate  Judge — William  R.  De  Jean,  Republican,  2,206;  Joel  W.  Gib- 
son, Democrat,  2,849;  Gibson's  majority,  643. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — William  F.  Pool,  Republican,  2,213;  George  G. 
White,  Democrat,  2,860;  White's  majority,  647. 

Sheriff — John  M.  Houston,  Democrat,  2,820;  Henry  Myers,  Repub- 
lican, 2,156;  Myers'  majority,  664. 

Commissioner — Benjamin  F.  Kennedy,  Republican,  2,446;  William  M. 
Baldwin,  Democrat,  2,604;  Baldwin's  majority,  158. 

Infirmary  Director — John  Greer,  Republican,  2,260;  John  Swartz,  Dem- 
ocrat, 2,822;  Swartz's  majority,  562. 

Election  October  12,  1880. 

Secretary  of  State — Charles  Townsend,  Republican,  2,316;  William 
Lang,  Democrat,  2,920;  Lang's  majority,  604. 

Supreme  Judge — George  W.  Mcllvaine,  Republican,  2,316;  Martin  D. 
Follett,  Democrat,  2,921;  Follett's  majority,  605. 

Congressman  —  S.  E.  Fink,  Republican,  2,315:  George  W.  Geddes, 
Democrat,  2,925, 

Commissioner —  John  Greer,  Republican,  2,412;  Abraham  Bope,  Re- 
publican, 2.125;  Henrv  Herring,  Democrat,  2,791;  George  Harper,  Demo- 
crat, 3,012. 

Treasurer — John  L.  Lewis,  Republican,  2,314;  George  W.  Freet,  Dem- 
ocrat, 2,913;  F  reefs  majority,  599. 

Surveyor — Isaac  M.  Kirby,  Republican,  2,568;  Jacob  Greek,  Democrat, 
2,596;  Greek's  majority,  28. 

Infii'mary  Director — David  S.  Bretz,  Republican,  2,306;  Reuben  Low- 
master,  Democrat,  2.865. 

Election  November,  1^80. 

President — James  A.  Garfield,  Republican,  2,398;  Winfield  S.  Hancock, 
Democrat,  2,983*;  Hancock's  majority,  585. 

Election  October  1],  1881. 

Governor  —  Charles  Foster,  Republican,  1,963;  John  W.  Bookwalter, 
Democrat,  2.644;  Abraham  R.  Ludlow,  184;  John  Seitz,  1;  Bookwalter's 
majority,  681. 

Supreme  Judge — Nicholas  Longworth,  Republicao,  1,979;  Edward  F. 
Bingham,  Democrat,  264;  Gideon  T.  Stewart,  174;  Longworth's  majority, 
1,715. 

Senator  —  Moses  H.  Kirby,  Democrat,  2,628;  Martin  Deal,  9;  Kirby's 
majority,  2,619. 

Representative — L.  A.  Brunner.  Democrat,  2,574;  Samuel  Lutz,  Re- 
publican, 2,144;  Brunner's  majority,  430. 

Common  Pleas  Judge — Thomas  Beer,  Democrat,  2,631.     No  opponent. 

Clerk  of  Court — Hiram  H.  Hitchcock,  Democrat,  2,140;  Avery  Hender- 
son, Republican,  2,540;  Henderson's  majority,  400. 

Prosecuting  Attorney — Robert  McKelly,  Democrat,  2,516;  Robert  Carey, 
Republican,  2,149;  McKelly's  majority,  367. 

Sheriff— Charles  F.  Schuler,  Democrat,  2,545;  V.  O.  Tuttle,  Republican 
2,521 ;  Schuler's  majority,  24. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  347 

Auditor — John  Agerter,  Democrat,  2,175;  Landline  Smith,  Republican, 
2,521;  Smith's  majority,  346. 

Recorder — Simeon  Inman,  Democrat,  2,854;  Hazard  P.  Tracy,  Repub- 
lican 1,893;  Inman's  majority,  961. 

Commissioner — John  K.  Hare,  Democrat,  2,623;  Cyrus  Griffith,  Repub- 
lican, 2,096;  Hare's  majority.  527. 

Infirmary  Director — Elias  Streby,  Democrat,  2,627;  David  L.  Kentfield, 
Republican,  2,108;  Streby's  majority,  519. 

Election  October  10,  1882. 

Secretary  of  State — Charles  Townsend,   Republican,  1,850;   James  W. 

Newman,  Democrat,  2,347;  Fred  Schumaker,  ,  20;  George  L.  Hafer, 

.  1;  Newman's  majority,  497. 

Supreme  Judge — John  H.  Doyle,  Republican,  1,844;  John  W.  Okey, 
Democrat,  2,356:  John  W.  Roseborough,  21;  Lloyd  G.  Tuttle,  1;  Okey's 
majority,  512. 

Congressman — Lovell  B.  Harris,  Republican,  1,844;  George  E.  Seney, 
Democrat,  2,336;  scattering,  13;  Seney's  majority,  492. 

Probate  Judge — John  L.  Lewis,  Republican,  1,826;  Darius  D.  Clayton, 
Democrat,  2,356;  Clayton's  majority,  530. 

Treasurer — Henry  Kear,  Republican,  1,821;  George  W.  Freet,  Demo- 
crat, 2,393;  Freet's  majority,  572. 

Commissioner — Isaac  Norton,  Republican,  1,811;  A.  H.  Vanorsdall, 
Democrat,  2,386;  Vanorsdall's  majority,  575. 

Infirmary  Director — Joseph  Ellis,  Republican,  1,849;  Jacob  C.  Wentz, 
Democrat,  2,352;  Wentz' s  majority,  503. 

Coroner— I.  B.  Gibbs,  Republican,  1,844;  James  N.  Nelson,  Democrat, 
2,370;  Nelson's  majority,  526. 

Election  October  9,  1883. 

Governor — Joseph   B.   Foraker,  Republican,    2,241;    George   Hoadley, 

Democrat,   3,056;  Ferdinand   Shumacher, ,  21;  Hoadley's  majority, 

815. 

Supreme  Judge  (short  term) — William  H.  Upson,  Republican,  2,233; 
Martin  D.  Follett,  Democrat,  3,068;  Follett's  majority,  835. 

Supreme  Judge  (long  and  unex])ired  term) — John  H.  Doyle,  Republican, 
2,234;  Selwyn  N.  Owen,  Democrat,  3,068;  Owen's  majority,  834. 

Senator — John  H.  Williston,  Democrat,  3,062.     No  opposition. 

Representative — L.  A.  Brunner,  Democrat,  2,984;  Joseph  A.  Maxwell, 
Republican,  2,290;  Brunner's  majority,  694. 

Sheriff — Charles  F.  Schuler,  Democrat,  3,137;  Irvin  Bacon,  Republican, 
2,139;  Schuler's  majority,  998. 

Commissioner — George  Harper,  Democrat,  2,849;  Benjamin  Morris,  Re- 
publican, 2,416;  Harper's  majority,  433. 

Surveyor — William  C.  Gear,  Democrat,  3,130;  O.  E.  Reynolds,  Repub- 
lican, 2,158;  Gear's  majority,  972. 

Infirmary  Director — Reuben  Lowmaster,  Democrat,  2, 992 ;  Milton  Rear, 
,  2,262;  Lowmaster' 8  majority,  730. 

constitutional  amendments. 
Judicial  Amendment — For,  2,064;  against,  1,357;  majority  for,  707. 
Regulation  and  taxation  of  the  liquor  traffic — For,  771;  against,  2,351; 
majority  against,   1,580. 


348 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


Prohibition  of  intoxicating  liquors — For,  2,674;  against,  1802;  majority 
for,  872. 

The  following  table  shows  the  total  vote  in  each  township  as  cast  at  the 
October  election  of  1883: 


Antrim 135 

Nevada  Village 4'^>'2 

Crane ^^51 

Upper  Sandusky 870 

Crawford ! 581 

Eden 251 

Jackson 460 

Marseilles '/Ol 

Mifflin 2.G 


Pitt 313 

Richlatid 361 

Ridge 127 

Saleni 278 

Sycamore 825 

Tymochtee 386 

Total 5,336 


OFFICERS    ELECTED. 

The  following  is  a  summary   of  those  who  have  represented  Wyandot 
County  as  United  States,  State  and  County  ofiScers. 

CONGRESSMEN. 

John  Carey,  1859-61;  John  Berry,  1873-1875. 


STATE   SENATORS. 


NAMES.  YEARS. 

Amos  E.  Wood 1845-46 

Henry  Cronise 1846-48 

Joel  W.  Wilson 1848-50 

Michael  Brackley 1850-51 

Joel  W.  Wilson 1852-54 

Robert  Lee 1854-56 

James  Lewis 1856-58 

Robert  McKellv 1858-60 

Thomas  J.  Orr^ 1860-63 


NAMES.  YEARS. 

William  Lang  1862-64 

TJiomas  J.  Orr 1864-66 

Curtis  Berry,  Jr 1866-70 

Alexander  E.  Jenner 1870-74 

John  Seitz 1874-76 

E.  T.  Stickney 1876-78 

John  Seitz 1878-80 

Moses  H.  Kirby 1880-84 

John  H.  Williston 1884-86 


NAMES. 

Michael  Brackley 

George  Donnenworth. 

Michael  Brackley 

M.  C.  Whitely 

Henry  Bishop , 

David  Snodgrass 

Peter  A.  Tyler 

Elias  G.  Spelman 

Chester  R.  Mott 


STATE  REPRESENTATIVES. 

YEARS.  NAMES.                                                                         YEARS. 

. . .  1845-46      James  M.  White 1860-63 

.  . .   1846-47      Jonathan  Maffett* 1863-64 

...   1847^8      Parlee  Carlin 1864-66 

. .  .  1848-50      Samuel  M.  Worth 1866-70 

...  1850-51       John  Kisor 1870-74 

...  1852-54      L.  A.  Brunner 1874-78 

. . .  1854-56      Willard  D.  Tyler 1878-83 

.  . .   1656-58      L.  A.  Brunner 1883-86 

...  1858-60 


COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 


NAMES.  YEARS. 

William  Griffith Spring,  1845 

Stephen  Fowler Spring,  1845 

Ethan  Terry Spring.  1845 

Jonathan  Kear Fall,  1845 

Ethan  Terry Fall,  1845 

Stephen  Fowler Fall,  1845 

Isaac  Wohlgamuth 1846 

John  Welch 1847 

Ethan  Terry 1848 

Isaac  Wohlgamuth 1849 

John  Welch 1850 

William  Irvine 1851 

David  Miller 1852 


NAMES.  YEARS. 

Jonathan  Kear 1853 

John  Welch 1853 

Jonathan  Kear 1854 

Hiram  H.  Holdridge 1855 

Milton  Morral 1856 

John  Baker 1857 

H.  H.  Holdridire 1858 

Milton  Morral.^ 1859 

John  Baker 1860 

C.  R.  Fmvler 1861 

John  Kisor 1863 

John  Kisor 1866 

J.  Hollenshead 1867 


*R6-elected  in  1864,  but  was  contested  and  his  seat  given  to  Parlee  Carlin. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  349 

NAMES.  YEARS.  NAMES.  yeaks. 

D.  C.  Murray 1868  Peter  Beam 1876 

William  Beam 1869  Jacob  Yentzer 1877 

Thomas  McClain 1870  William  Avers 1878 

Milton  Morral 1871  William  M.  Baldwin 1879 

William  Beam 1872  Henry  Herring 1880 

Thomas  McChiin 1873  George  Harper 1880 

Samuel  M.  Worth 1873  John  K.  Hare 1881 

J.  Yentzer 1874  A.  H.  Vanorsdall 1883 

William  Ayers 1875  George  Harper 1883 

AUDITOKS. 
NAMES.  YEARS.  NAMES.  years. 

Samuel  M.  Worth 1845-49  J.  V.  S.  Hoyt 1863-65 

Chester  R.  Mott 1849-53  Jonathan  Maflfett 1867-72 

James  V.  S.  Hoyt 1858-55  Robert  A.  McKelly 1872-76 

Joseph  McCutchen 1855-57  John  Agerter 1876-78 

James  V.  S.  Hoyt 1857-59  Landline  Smith 1878-84 

Peter  B.  Beidler 1859-63 

TREASURERS. 
NAMES.  YEARS.  NAMES.  years. 

Abner  Jurey 1845 —  J.  S.  Hare 1869-74 

George  Harper 1845-53  William  Smalley* 1874-76 

William  W.  Bates 1853-57  George  W.  Biles 1876-78 

James  H.  Freet 1857-61  George  W.  Bates 1878-80 

D.  C.  Murray  1861-66  George  W.  Freet 1880-84 

W.  F.  Goodbread 1866-69 

RECORDERS. 

NAMES.  YEARS.  NAMES.  years. 

John  A.  Morrison 1845-51  Simeon  Inman 1864-70 

William  B.  Hitchcock 1851-55  Adam  Stutz 1870-76 

Henry  J.  Flack 1855-61  Simeon  Inman 1876-85 

Henry  Miller 1861-64 

CLERKS   OF   THE    COURTS. 
NAMES.  years.  NAMES.  years. 

Guy  C.  Worth 1845-54  Fred  Agerter 1864-70 

Curtis  Berry,  Jr 1854-55  William  B.  Hitchcock 1870-76 

Thomas  E.  Grisell 1855-58  R.  D.  Dumm 1876-82 

Curtis  Berry,  Jr 1858-64  Avery  Henderson 1882-85 

PROBATE   JUDGES. 
NAMES.  years.  names.  years. 

Joseph  Kinney 1853-58  Peter  B.  Beidler 1868-74 

Jonathan  Maffett 1857-58  Joel  W.  Gibson 1874-82 

Moses  H.  Kirby 1858-68  Darius  D.  Clayton 1882-8e 

SURVEYORS. 
NAMES.  years.  NAMES.  years. 

Azariah  Root 1845-46  J.  H.  Williams 1867-69 

Peter  B.  Beidler 1846-52  John  Agerter 1869-75 

James  Williams 1852-58  Jacob  Greek 1875-83 

Peter  B.  Beidler 1858-61  William  C.  Gear 1883-8& 

Andrew  Reynolds 1861-67 

PROSECUTING  ATTORNEYS. 
NAMES.  years.  NAMES.  years. 

Chester  R.  Mottf 1845-47  Henry  Maddux 1860-62 

Aaron  Lyle 1848-50  John  Berry 1862-68 

Moses  H.  Kirby 1850-54  Moses  H.  Kirby 1868-80 

Nelson  W.  Dennison 1854-58  George  G.  White 1880-83 

George  Crawford 1858-60  Robert  McKelly 1882-84 


*Died  and  was  succeeded  in  oiBce  by  J.  S.  Hale. 
fMoses  H.  Kirby  was  appointed  May  22,  1847,  vice  Mott,  resigned. 


350 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


SHERIFFS. 


NAMES,  YEARS. 

Lorin  A.  Pease 1845-46 

Thomas  Baird 1846-50 

Curtis  Berry  Sr 1850-54 

George  P.  Nelson 1854-58 

Curtis  Berry 1858-60 

James  Culbertson,  Jr 1860-62 


NAMES. 

William  Marlow  . . . 
William  Michaels. . 

Henry  Myers 

Jacob  Schaefer 

John  M.  Houston  . . 
Charles  F.  Schuler. 


NAMES.  YE.4.RS. 

Albert  Bixby 1845-50 

John  N.  Reed 1850-54 

Thomas  Baird 1854-56 

Albert  Mears 1856-58 

Benjamin  Williams 1858-68 

L.  Gipson 1868-72 


CORONERS. 

IRS.  NAMES. 

Levi  Shultz 

Edward  Christen 

Jacob  Tribolet 

Heym 

James  N.  Nelson. 


1862-66 

1866-70 
1870-74 
1874-78 
1878-82 
1882-86 


1868-72 
1872-76 
1876-80 
1880-82 
1882-84 


'Iji'i;;^ 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  353 


CHAPTER  VII. 
THE  BENCH  AND  BAR. 

Introductory — Early  Judicial  Proceedings  in  the  Territory— The 
First  State  Constitution— Article  IV,Constitution  of  1851— Supreme 
Courts— District  Courts— Courts  of  Common  Pleas— The  Judges  of 
THE  Same— Length  of  their  Terms  of  Office— Biographical  Sketches 
— Resident  Members  of  the  Bar— Brief  Mention  of  Many  of  Them. 

introductory. 

THE  part  played  by  law  in  the  organization  of  human  society  is  that  of 
an  everacting  force,  a  force  essential  to  its  very  existence,  and  upon 
which  human  happiness  and  well-being  are  unceasingly  dependent.  With- 
out law,  mankind  would  long  ere  this  have  perished,  as  no  organization  is 
possible  without  it.  Upon  the  wise  interpretation  as  well  as  the  judicious 
framing  of  the  laws,  the  well-being  of  a  community  is  established  as  upon  a 
rock-like  foundation,  whence  it  naturally  flows  as  a  consequence  that  the  his- 
tory of  those  upon  whom  this  duty  devolves  must  form  no  unimportant 
portion  of  a  work  of  this  character.  The  whole  superstructure  of  law  is 
founded  upon  a  few  principles  of  natural  justice,  and,  therefore,  at  its  base, 
in  its  essential  principles,  "in  its  inmost  bosom's  core,"  law  is  the  exponent 
of  right  and  truth  and  justice;  and,  notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  the  cun- 
ning and  unscrupulous,  it  will  still  be  found  that  on  the  whole  law  is  on 
the  side  of  right,  and  the  popular  prejudice  against  lawyers  has  its  basis 
chiefly  in  ignorance  of  the  true  nature  of  a  lawyer's  functions,  which  are,  to 
see  that  every  one  has  the  benefit  of  the  privileges  accorded  him  by  the  laws 
of  the  land,  and  that  the  forms  of  law  are  rigidly  preserved,  as  upon  their 
strict  enforcement  of  these  the  stability  of  society  depends. 

As  the  business  of  the  lawyer  is  to  deal  with  the  daily  affairs  of  men, 
and  as  these  are  becoming  more  and  more  complex  and  artificial,  it  is  clear 
that  where  so  many  complex  interests  and  counter-interests  are  to  be  pro- 
tected and  adjusted,  to  the  Judge  and  the  advocate  are  presented  problems 
that  require  the  deepest  research  and  the  most  trained  intellects.  As  change 
follows  change  in  modern  society,  without  intermission.  It  is  also  evident 
that  the  laws  and  institutions  of  the  past  will  not  answer  the  requirements 
of  the  present.  The  blue  laws  of  Connecticut  would  burst  from  the  limbs 
of  the  modern  Samson  like  the  cords  from  the  hero  of  old,  and  the  gigantic 
Afrites  that  Aladdin  saw  from  his  lamp  could  not  be  returned  to  their  nar- 
row prison  house.  The  discoveries  in  the  arts  and  sciences,  the  invention 
of  new  labor-saving  contrivances,  the  enlargement  of  industrial  pursuits, 
the  unprecedented  development  of  commerce,  the  founding  of  new  commu- 
nities into  cities  and  States,  require  that  the  science  of  law  should  advance 
pari  passu,  in  order  to  subserve  the  wants  and  provide  for  the  necessities 
of  these  new  conditions.  The  true  lawyer  is  the  man  of  the  hour,  and  upon 
his  ability  and  integrity  society  is  largely  dependent.  One  of  the  profession 
has  wisely  said: 

"  In  the  American  State  the  gi*eat  and  good  lawver  must  always  be  promi- 

9 


354  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

nent,  for  he  is  one  of  the  forces  which  move  and  control  society.  Public 
confidence  has  generally  been  reposed  in  the  legal  profession.  It  has  ever 
been  the  defender  of  popular  rights,  the  champion  of  freedom  regulated  by 
law,  the  firm  support  of  good  government.  In  times  of  danger,  it  has  stood 
like  a  rock  and  beaten  the  mad  passions  of  the  hour  and  firmly  resisted 
tumult  and  faction.  No  political  preferment,  no  mere  place  can  add  to  the 
power  or  increase  the  honor  which  belongs  to  the  pure  and  educated  lawyer. 
The  fame  of  Mansfield  and  Marshall  and  Story  can  never  die.  'Time's 
iron  feet  can  print  no  niin  trace  '  upon  their  character.  Their  learning  and 
luminous  expositions  of  our  jurisprudence  will  always  light  our  pathway, 
*  *  *  Lord  Bacon  has  said,  '  Every  man  is  a  debtor  to  his  profession;' 
and  assuredly  this  is  true  of  every  lawyer.  If  worthy,  it  gives  him  an 
honorable  character  and  high  position.  The  lawyer  should  prize  and  honor 
his  profession.  He  should  value  its  past  renown  and  cherish  the  memory 
of  great  men,  whose  gigantic  shadows  walk  by  us  still.  He  should  love  it 
for  the  intrinsic  worth  and  innate  glory  of  the  fundamental  truths  which 
adorn  it." 

The  paucity  of  material  at  the  service  of  the  historian  as  to  those  who 
have  exerted  so  important  an  influence  upon  the  county's  welfare  and  prog- 
ress, is  indeed  a  matter  of  surprise.  We,  however,  present  our  readers 
with  that  which  the  corroding  hand  of  time  has  left  untouched.  The  greater 
portion  of  the  story  might,  however,  be  unlocked  to  him  who  would  pa- 
tiently study  the  strata  of  society,  as  the  geologist  studies  the  stony  records 
of  the  earth's  past  history. 

Before  entering  upon  the  specific  portion  of  our  stox-y,  we  can  truthfully 
premise  that  the  bench  and  bar  of  Wyandot  County  has  ever  been  distin- 
guished, and  has  ever  stood  prominently  forward  in  comparison  with  the 
profession  in  the  sister  counties  of  the  grand  commonwealth  of  Ohio.  Wy- 
andot has  had  names  connected  with  her  bar  which  have  adorned  the  pages 
of  our  country's  history;  names  of  soldiers  who  did  not  shrink  from  taking 
up  the  sword  in  defense  of  their  country;  names  that  have  adorned  the 
halls  of  Legislation  of  the  State;  names  that  have  adorned  men  not  merely 
of  learning  and  culture,  superadded  to  native  ability,  but  which  also  have 
united  with  these  gifts  and  graces  the  proud  title  of  honest  men,  the  noblest 
work  of  God. 

THE    BENCH. 

The  earliest  judicial  government  for  the  territory  now  constituting  Ohio 
was  vested  in  a  general  court  composed  of  three  Judges,  provided  by  the 
ordinance  of  1787.  The  first  Judges  were  Samuel  Holden  Parsons,  James 
Mitchell  Varnum  and  John  Cleves  Symmes,  the  latter  being  appointed  in 
place  of  John  Armstrong,  who  declined  to  serve.  They  were  to  adopt  only 
such  portions  of  the  laws  of  the  original  States  as  were  deemed  suitable  to 
the  condition  and  wants  of  the  people,  and  were  not  empowered  to  enact  new 
laws.  In  the  autumn  of  1787,  the  Governor  and  Judges  Varnum  and  Par- 
sons met  at  Marietta  and  began  the  duty  of  legislating  for  the  Territory, 
continuing  in  session  until  December.  Contrary  to  the  provisions  of  the 
ordinance,  they  enacted  a  number  o'  laws  on  different  subjects  and  submitted 
them  to  Congress,  as  required.  That  body,  however,  did  not  approve  them 
from  their  manifest  illegality  under  the  terms  of  the  ordinance.  After  the 
assembling  of  Congress  in  1789,  vmder  the  new  constitution,  the  appoint- 
ments made  under  the  articles  of  confederation  being  deemed  to  have  ex- 
pired, the  following  new  Judges  were  appointed  for  the  Northwest  Territory. 
Samuel  Holden  Parsons,  John  Cleves  Symmes   and  William  Barton.     The 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  355 

latter  declined  to  serve  and  George  Turner  was  appointed  to  till  the  vacancy. 
Judge  Parsons  soon  afterward  died,  and  in  March,  1790,  Rufus  Putnam  was 
appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  his  death.  Putnam  resigned  in 
1796,  to  enable  him  to  accept  the  oifice  of  Surveyor  General,  and  Joseph 
Gilman,  of  Point  Harmar,  was  chosen  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Judge  Turner 
left  tbe  Territory  in  the  spring  of  1796,  and  during  his  absence  resigned 
his  seat  on  the  bench,  which  was  filled  by  the  appointment  of  Return 
Jonathan  Meigs,  in  February,  1798.  The  Judges  then  in  commission  con- 
tinued to  hold  their  seats  uiitil  the  adoption  of  a  State  Constitution. 

Between  1790  and  1795,  numerous  acts  were  passed  which  did  not  re- 
ceive tbe  sanction  of  Congress,  as  they  were  enacted  rather  than  adopted, 
and  finally  in  the  summer  of  1795,  at  a  legislative  session  held  at  Cincin- 
nati, a  code  of  laws  was  adopted  from  the  statutes  of  the  original  States, 
which  superseded  the  chief  part  of  those  p>-eviously  enacted,  that  had  re- 
mained in  force  in  the  Territory,  regardless  of  their  doubtful  constitution- 
ality. This  code  of  laws  as  adopted  was  printed  at  Cincinnati  in  1795,  by 
William  Maxwell,  and  became  known  as  the  Maxwell  Code;  that  was  the 
first  job  of  printing  executed  in  the  Northwestern  Territory.  But  very 
little  change  was  made  therefrom  uatil  the  first  session  of  tbe  General 
Assembly,  held  under  the  second  grade  of  government,  September  16,  1799. 

"The  ordinance  and  the  compact,"  says  Judge  Burnet,  "which  was  the 
constitution  of  the  Territory,  contained  but  little  specific  legislation.  It 
prescribed  the  rule  of  descents;  the  mode  of  transferring  real  estate,  by 
deed  of  lease  and  release,  and  of  devising  or  bequeathing  it  by  will.  It 
regulated  the  right  of  dower  and  authorized  the  transfer  of  personal  prop- 
erty by  delivery;  saving  always  to  the  French  and  Canadian  inhabitants, 
and  other  settlers  who  had  before  professed  themselves  citizens  of  Virginia, 
their  laws  and  customs  then  in  force  among  them,  relative  to  the  descent 
and  conveyance  of  property.  In  addition  to  these  provisions,  the  compact 
ordained  that  no  pei'son  demeaning  himself  in  a  peaceable  manner  should 
be  molested  on  accoant  of  his  mode  of  worship  or  religious  opinions.  It 
also  secured  to  the  inhabitants  forever  the  benefits  of  the  writ  of  habeas 
corpus,  of  trial  by  jury,  of  a  proportionate  representation  of  the  people  in 
the  Legislatiue,  and  of  jiidicial  proceedings,  according  to  the  course  of  the 
Common  Law." 

The  courts  of  Common  Law  in  the  Territory  assumed  chancery  powers 
as  a  necessity,  as  there  was  no  tribunal  in  said  Territory  vested  with  such 
powers.  Several  necessary  laws  were  passed  at  the  first  session  of  the  Ter- 
ritorial Iiegislature  at  Cincinnati,  but  matters  regarding  courts  and  their 
powers  were  not  satisfactorily  settled  until  the  adoption  of  the  first  State 
Constitution  in  1802.  The  General  Court  provided  for  by  the  ordinance  of 
1787  consisted,  as  before  stated,  of  three  Judges,  "appointed  by  the  Presi- 
dent with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  each  of  whom  received  a 
salary  of  $800  from  the  Treasury  of  the  United  States.  It  was  the  highest 
judicial  tribunal  in  the  Territory,  and  was  vested  with  original  and  appel- 
late jurisdiction  in  all  civil  and  criminal  cases,  and  of  capital  cases;  and 
on  questions  of  divorce  and  alimony  its  jurisdiction  was  exclusive.  It  was, 
however,  a  common  law  court,  merely  without  chancery  powers,  and  it  was 
the  court  of  dernier  ressort.  It  had  power  to  revise  and  reverse  the  de- 
cisions of  all  other  tribunals  in  the  Territory,  yet  its  own  proceedings  could 
not  be  reversed  or  set  aside,  even  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States.  It  was  held  at  Cincinnati  in  March,  at  Marietta  in  October,  at  De- 
troit and  in  the  western  counties  at  such  time  in  each  year  as  the  Judges 
saw  proper  to  designate." 


356  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

The  travels  of  the  Judges  and  members  of  the  bar  in  those  early  years, 
to  and  from  the  places  of  holding  courts — Cincinnati,  Marietta  and  Detroit 
— were  attended  with  difficvilties  of  the  most  serious  nature.  The  distances 
were  always  great,  settlements  were  scarce  and  the  way  was  rough.  Their 
journeys  were  made  on  horseback,  and  it  was  exceedingly  necessary  that 
the  horses  they  rode  should  be  good  swimmers,  for  it  was  in  the  days  before 
bridges  had  been  thought  of,  and  only  the  best  fording  places  along  the 
numerous  streams  were  sought  out  by  the  tired  travelei's.  Judge  Burnet, 
who  knew  from  experience  all  the  trials  of  the  times,  wrote  of  them  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  The  journeys  of  the  court  and  bar  to  those  remote  places  through  a 
country  in  its  primitive  state,  were  unavoidably  attended  with  fatigue  and 
exposure.  They  generally  traveled  with  hve  or  six  in  company,  and  with 
a  pack-horse  to  transport  such  necessaries  as  their  own  horses  could  not 
conveniently  carry,  because  no  dependence  could  be  placed  on  obtaining 
supplies  on  the  route;  although  they  frequently  passed  through  Indian 
camps  and  villages,  it  was  not  safe  to  rely  on  them  for  asssistance.  Occa- 
sionally small  quantities  of  corn  could  be  purchased  for  horse  feed;  but  even 
that  relief  was  precarious  and  not  to  be  relied  on.  In  consequence  of  the 
unimproved  condition  of  the  country,  the  routes  followed  by  travelers  were 
necessarily  circuitous  and  their  progress  slow.  In  passing  from  one  county 
seat  to  another,  they  were  generally  from  six  to  eight,  and  sometimes  ten 
days  in  the  wilderness,  and,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  were  compelled  to 
swim  every  water-course  in  their  way  which  was  too  deep  to  be  forded;  the 
country  being  wholly  destitute  of  bridges  and  ferries,  travelers  had,  there- 
fore, to  rely  on  their  horses  as  the  only  substitute  for  those  conveniences. 
That  fact  made  it  common,  when  purchasing  a  horse,  to  ask  if  he  were  a 
good  swimmer,  which  was  considered  one  of  the  most  valuable  qualities  of 
a  saddle  horse." 

Lynch  law  was  liable  to  be  adopted  by  the  men  of  the  border  settlements, 
and  one  or  two  instances  of  its  execution  in  the  form  of  public  whippings 
are  known  to  have  occurred;  but  in  August,  1788,  a  law  was  published  in 
Marietta,  establishing  a  "General  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions  of  the  Peace, 
and  County  Courts  of  Common  Pleas,"  and  these  superseded  the  Lynch 
code  before  it  had  been  in  operation  a  year.  Mr.  McMillan  was  appointed 
the  Presiding  Judge  of  those  courts  in  the  county  of  Hamilton. 

The  first  Constitution  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  adopted  November  29,  1802, 
contained  in  its  third  article  the  following  provisions  for  the  judicial  gov- 
ernment of  the  State: 

Section  1.  The  judicial  power  of  this  State,  both  as  to  matters  of  law  and  equity, 
shall  be  vested  in  a  Supreme  Court,  in  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  for  each  county,  in 
Justices  of  the  Peace,  and  in  such  other  courts  as  the  Legislature  may  from  time  to 
time  establish. 

Sec.  2.  The  Supreme  Court  shall  consist  of  three  Judges,  any  two  of  whom  shall 
be  a  quorum.  They  shall  have  original  and  appellate  jurisdiction,  both  in  common 
law  and  chancery  in  such  cases  as  shall  be  directed  by  law;  Provided,  That  nothing 
herein  contained  shall  prevent  the  General  Assembly  from  adding  another  Judge  to 
the  Supreme  Court  after  the  term  of  five  years,  in  which  case  the  Judges  may  divide 
the  State  into  two  circuits,  within  which  any  two  of  the  Judges  may  hold  a  court. 

Sec.  3.  The  several  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  shall  consist  of  a  President  and  As- 
sociate Judges.  The  State  shall  be  divided  by  law  into  tliree  circuits;  there  shall  be 
appointed  in  each  circuit  a  President  of  the  Courts,  who,  during  his  continuance  in 
office,  shall  reside  therein.  There  shall  be  appointed  in  each  county  not  more  than 
three  nor  less  than  two  Associate  Judges,  who,  during  their  continuance  in  office,  shall 
reside  therein.  The  President  and  Associate  Judges  in  their  respective  counties,  any 
three  of  whom  shall  be  a  quorum,  shall  compose  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  which 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  357 

court  shall  have  common  law  and  chancery  jurisdiction  in  all  such  cases  as  shall  be 
directed  by  law ;  Prodded,  That  nothing  herein  contained  shall  be  construed  to  pre- 
vent the  Legislature  from  increasing  the  number  of  circuits  and  Presidents  after  the 
term  of  five  years. 

Sec.  4.  The  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  shall 
have  complete  criminal  jurisdiction  in  such  cases  and  in  such  manner  as  maybe  point- 
ed out  by  law. 

Sec.  5.  The  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in  each  county  shall  have  jurisdiction  of  all 
probate  and  testamentary  matters,  granting  administration,  the  appointment  of  guar- 
dians, and  such  other  cases  as  shall  be  prescribed  by  law. 

Sec.  6.  The  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  shall,  within  their  respective 
counties,  have  the  same  powers  with  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  to  issue  writs 
of  certiorari  to  the  Justices  of  the  Peace,  and  to  cause  their  proceedings  to  be  brought 
before  them,  and  the  like  right  and  justice  to  be  done. 

Sec.  7.  The  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  shall,  by  virtue  of  their  offices,  be  con- 
servators of  the  peace  throughout  the  State.  The  Presidents  of  the  Courts  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  shall,  by  virtue  of  their  offices,  be  conservators  of  the  peace  in  their  respect- 
ive circuits;  and  the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  shall,  by  virtue  of  their 
offices,  be  conservators  of  the  peace  in  their  respective  counties. 

Sec.  8.  The  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Courts,  the  Presidents  and  the  Associate 
Judges  of  the  Courtg  of  Common  Pleas,  shall  be  appointed  by  a  joint  ballot  of  both 
Houses  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  shall  hold  their  offices  for  the  term  of  seveu 
years,  if  so  long  they  behave  well.  The  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  the  Presi- 
dents of  the  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  shall,  at  stated  times,  receive  for  their  services 
an  adequate  compensation,  to  be  fixed  by  law,  which  shall  not  be  diminished  during 
their  continuance  in  office:  but  they  shall  receive  no  fees  or  perquisites  of  office,  nor 
hold  any  other  office  of  profit  or  trust  under  the  authority  of  this  State  or  the  United 
States. 

Sec.  9.  Each  court  shall  appoint  its  own  Clerk  for  the  term  of  seven  years;  but 
no  person  shall  be  appointed  Clerk,  except  pro  tempore,  who  shall  not  produce  to  the 
court  appointing  him  a  certificate  from  the  majority  of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court  that  they  judge  him  to  be  well  qualified  to  execute  the  duties  of  the  offloii  of 
Clerk  to  any  court  of  the  same  dignity  with  that  for  which  he  offers  himself.  Tiiey 
shall  be  removable  for  breach  of  good  behavior  at  any  time  by  the  Judges  of  the  re- 
spective courts. 

Sec.  10.  The  Supreme  Court  shall  be  held  once  a  year  in  each  county,  and  the 
Courts  of  Common  Pleas  shall  be  holden  in  each  county  at  such  times  and  places  as 
shall  be  prescribed  hy  law. 

Sec.  11.  A  competent  number  of  Justices  of  the  Peace  shall  be  elected  b}'  the 
qualified  electors  in  each  township  in  the  several  counties,  and  shall  continue  in  office 
three  5'ears,  whose  powers  and  duties  shall,  from  time  to  time,  be  regulated  and  defined 
by  law. 

Sec.  12.  The  st^de  of  all  processes  shall  be  "  The  State  of  Ohio;  "  all  prosecutions 
shall  be  carried  on  in  the  name  and  by  the  authority  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  all  in- 
dictments shall  conclude  against  the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  same. 

The  new  constitutioD  of  Ohio,  adopted  June  17,  1851,  made  various 
changes  in  the  courts,  and  Article  4,  providing  for  judicial  matters  in  the 
State,  is  as  follows: 

Section  1.  The  judicial  power  of  the  State  shall  be  vested  in  a  Supreme  Court, 
in  District  Courts,  Courts  of  Common  Pleas,  Courts  of  Probate,  Justices  of  the  Peace, 
and  in  such  other  courts,  inferior  to  the  Supreme  Court,  as  the  General  Assembly  may 
from  time  to  time  estaljlish. 

Sec.  2.  The  Supreme  Court  shall  consist  of  five  Judges,  a  majority  of  whom  shall 
be  necessary  to  form  a  quorum  or  pronounce  a  decision.  It  .shall  have  original  juris- 
diction in  quo  warranto,  mandamus,  habeas  corpus  and  procedendo,  and  such  appellate 
jurisdiction  as  may  be  provided  by  law.  It  shall  hold  at  least  one  term  in  each  y^ar 
at  the  seat  of  government,  and  such  other  terms  at  the  seat  of  government  or  elsewhere 
as  may  be  provided  by  law.  The  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  shall  be  elected  by  the 
electors  of  the  State  at  large. 

Sec.  3.  The  State  shall  be  divided  into  nine  Common  Pleas  districts,  of  which  the 
county  of  Hamilton  shall  constitute  one,  of  compact  territory  and  bounded  by  county 
lines;  and  each  of  said  districts,  consisting  of  three  or  more  counties,  shall  be  subdi- 
vided into  three  parts  of  compact  territory,  bounded  by  county  lines,  and  as  nearlj' 
equal  in  population  as  practicable,  in  each  of  which  one  Judge  of  Common  Pleas 
for  said  district,  and  residing  therein,  shall  be  elected  by  the  electors  of  said  sub- 
division. Courts  of  Common  Pleas  shall  be  held  by  one  or  more  of  these  Judges  in 
every  county  in  the  district  as  often  as  may  be  provided  by  law;  and  more  than  one 
court  or  sitting  thereof  mav  be  held  at  tlie  same  time  in  each  district. 


358  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Sec.  4.  The  jurisdiction  of  the  C^ourts  of  Common  Pleas  and  of  the  Judges  there- 
of shall  be  tixed  by  law. 

Sec.  5.  District  Courts  shall  be  composed  of  the  Judges  of  the  Courts  of  Common 
Pleas  of  the  respective  districts,  and  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  any 
three  of  whom  shall  be  a  (}Uorum,  and  shall  be  held  in  each  county  therein  at  least 
once  in  each  year;  but  if  it  shall  be  found  inexpedient  to  hold  such  court  annually  in 
each  county  of  any  district,  the  General  Assembly  may,  for  such  district,  provide  that 
said  court  shall  be  holden  at  three  annual  sessions  therein,  in  not  less  than  tluee  places; 
Prodded,  that  the  General  Assembly  may,  b}^  law,  authorize  the  Judges  of  each  dis- 
trict to  fix  the  times  of  holding  the  courts  therein. 

Sec.  6.  The  District  Court  shall  have  like  original  jurisdiction  with  the  Supreme 
Court,  and  such  appellate  jurisdiction  as  may  be  provided  by  law. 

Sec.  7.  There  shall  be  established  in  each  county  a  Probate  Court,  which  shall  be 
a  court  of  record,  open  at  all  times,  and  holden  by  one  Ju  Ige,  elected  by  the  voters  of 
the  county,  who  shall  hold  his  office  for  the  term  of  three  years,  and  shall  receive  such 
compensation,  payable  out  of  the  county  treasury,  or  by  fees,  or  both,  as  shall  be  pro- 
vided by  law. 

Sec.  8.  The  Probate  Court  shall  have  jurisdiction  in  probate  and  testamentary 
matters,  the  appointment  of  administrators  and  guardians,  the  settlement  of  the  ac- 
counts of  executors,  administrators  and  gutirdians,  and  such  jurisdiction  in  habeas 
corpus,  the  issuing  of  marriage  licenses,  and  for  the  sale  of  land  by  executors,  adminis- 
trators and  guardians,  and  such  other  jurisdiction  in  any  county  or  counties  as  may  be 
provided  by  law. 

Sec.  9.  A  competent  number  of  Justices  of  the  Peace  shall  be  elected  by  the  elec- 
tors in  each  township  in  the  several  counties.  Their  term  of  office  shall  be  three  years, 
and  their  powers  and  duties  shall  be  regulated  by  law. 

Sec.  10.  All  Judges  other  than  those  provided  for  in  the  constitution,  shall  be 
elected  by  the  electors'of  the  judicial  district  for  which  they  may  be  created,  but  not 
for  a  longer  term  of  office  than  five  years. 

Sec.  11.  The  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  shall,  immediately  after  the  first  elec- 
tion under  this  constitution,  be  classified  by  lot,  so  that  one  shall  hold  for  the  term  of 
one  year,  one  for  two  years,  one  for  three  years,  one  for  four  years  and  one  for  five 
years ;  and  at  all  subsequent  elections,  the  term  of  each  of  said  Judges  shall  be  for  five 
years. 

Sec.  12.  The  Judges  of  the  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  shall,  while  in  ofllce,  reside 
in  the  district  for  which  they  are  elected;  and  their  term  of  office  shall  be  for  five  years. 

Sec.  13.  In  case  the  office  of  any  Judge  shall  become  vacant  before  the  expiration 
of  the  regular  term  for  which  he  was  elected,  the  vacancy  shall  be  filled  by  appointment 
by  the  Governor,  until  a  successor  is  elected  and  qualified  ;  and  such  successor  shall  be 
elected  for  the  unexpired  term  at  the  first  annual  election  that  occurs  more  than  thirty 
days  after  the  vacancy  shall  have  happened. 

Sec.  14.  The  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
shall,  at  stated  times,  receive  for  their  services  such  compensation  as  may  be  provided 
by  law,  which  shall  not  be  diminished  or  increased  during  their  term  of  office;  but 
they  shall  receive  no  fees  or  perquisites,  nor  hold  any  otiier  office  of  profit  or  trust 
under  the  authority  of  this  Slate  or  the  United  States.  All  votes  for  either  of  them, 
for  any  elective  office,  except  a  judicial  office,  under  the  authority  of  this  State,  given 
by  the  General  Assembly,  or  the  people,  shall  be  void. 

Sec.  15.  The  General  Assembly  may  increase  or  diminish  the  number  of  the 
Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  the  number  of  the  districts  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas,  the  number  of  Judges  in  any  district,  change  the  districts  or  the  subdivisions 
thereof,  or  establish  other  courts,  whenever  two-thirds  of  the  members  el  'Cted  to  each 
House  shall  concur  therein  ;  but  no  change,  addition  or  diminution  shall  vacate  the 
office  of  any  Judge. 

Sec.  16.  There  shall  be  elected  in  each  county,  by  the  electors  thereof,  one  Clerk 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  who  shall  hold  his  office  for  the  term  of  three  years, 
and  until  his  successor  shall  be  elected  and  qualified.  He  shall,  by  virtue  of  his  office, 
be  Clerk  of  all  other  courts  of  record  held  therein  ;  but  the  General  Assembly  may  pro- 
vide bylaw  for  the  election  of  a  Clerk,  with  a  like  term  of  office,  for  each  or  any  other 
of , the  courts  of  record,  and  may  authorize  the  Judge  of  the  Probate  Court  to  perform 
the  duties  of  Clerk  for  his  court,  under  such  regulaiions  as  m  ly  be  directed  bylaw. 
Clerks  of  courts  shall  be  removable  for  such  cause  and  in  such  manner  as  shall  be  pre- 
scribed by  law. 

Sec.  17.  Judges  may  be  removed  from  office  by  concurrent  resolution  of  both 
Houses  of  the  General  Assembly,  if  two-thirds  of  the  members  elected  to  each  House 
concur  therein  ;  f)ut  no  such  removal  shall  be  made  except  upon  complaint,  the  sub- 
stance of  which  shall  be  entered  upon  the  journal,  nor  until  the  party  charged  shall 
have  had  notice  thereof,  and  an  opportunity  to  be  heard. 

Sec.  18.     The  several  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  Common  Pleas  and  of 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  359 

such  other  courts  as  may  be  created,  shall  respectively  have  and  exercise  such  power 
and  jurisdiction,  at  chambers  or  otherwise,  as  maj^  be  directed  by  law. 

Sec.  19.  The  General  Assembly  may  establish  Courts  of  Conciliation,  and  prescribe 
their  powers  and  duties  ;  but  such  courts  shall  not  render  final  judgment  in  any  case, 
except  upon  submi.ssion  by  the  parties,  of  the  matter  in  dispute,  arid  their  agreement  to 
abide  such  judgment. 

Sec.  20.  The  style  of  all  process  shall  be,  "The  State  of  Ohio;"  all  prosecutions 
shall  be  carried  on  in  the  name  and  by  the  authority  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  all  in- 
dictments shall  conclude,  "  against  the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  State  of  Ohio." 

SUPREME    COURTS. 

From  1845,  until  the  close  of  June  term,  1851,  the  higher  courts  held 
at  Upper  Sandusky  were  designated  the  Supi'eme  Courts  of  the  State  of 
Ohio,  and  Judges  Reuben  Wood,  Matthew  Birchard, Edward  A.very,  Nathaniel 
C.  Reed,  Peter  Hitchcock,  William  B.  Caldwell  and  Rufus  P.  Spalding, 
oflSciated  here  at  various  times  in  the  order  named.  Then,  by  a  change  of 
the  organic  law — the  adoption  of  the  State  Constitution  of  1851 — district 
courts  were  established,  and  the  phrase  first  mentioned  (as  applied  in  Sec. 
X.  Art.  3,  of  the  Constitution  of  1802)  was  abandoned. 

DISTRICT  COURTS. 

The  first  District  Court  (a  special  term)  held  in  Wyandot  County,  con- 
vened for  the  first  time  at  Upper  Sandusky,  October  5,  1852.  There  were 
present  Hon.  John  A.  Corwin,  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  Lawrence 
W.  Hall  and  John  M.  Palmer,  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  The 
district  was  then  denominated  the  Third  Common  Pleas  District.  Subse- 
quent terms  of  this  court  have  been  held  at  Upper  Sandusky,  as  follows: 

1853 — August  term,  Allen  G.  Thurman,  Supreme  Judge;  Lawrence  W. 
Hall  and    Benjamin  Metcalf,  Judges  Court  of   Common  Pleas. 

1854 — September  term,  John  A.  Corwin,  Supreme  Judge;  Lawrence  W. 
Hall  and  Benjamin  Metcalf,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1855 — September  term,  Lawrence  W.  Hall,  John  M.  Palmer  and  Benja- 
min Metcalf,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1856 — September  term,   Jacob  Brinkerhoff,  Supreme   Judge;    Benjamin 
Metcalf  and  Lawrence  W.  Hall,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1857 — September  term,  A.  Sankey  Latta,  Machias  C.  Whitely  and  Will- 
iam Lawrence,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1858 — September  term,  T.  W.  Bartley,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court;  A.  S.  Latta  and  William  Lawrence,  Judges  Court  of  Common 
Pleas. 

1859 — Third  Subdivision  of  Tenth  Judicial  District,  August  term,  Milton 
Sutliff,  Supreme  Judge;  Machias  C.  Whitely,  George  E.  Seney  and  Josiah 
S.  Plants,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1860 — Same  division  and  district,  June  term,  William  Y.  Gholson, 
Supreme  Judge;  Machias  C.  Whitely,  George  E.  Seney  and  Josiah  S.  Plants, 
Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1861 — Same  division  and  district,  June  term,  Josiah  S.  Plants,  Machias 
C,  Whitely  and  George  E.  Seney,  Judges  Court  Common  Pleas. 

1862 — Same  division  and  district,  July  term,  Josiah  Scott,  Supreme 
Judge;  Machias  C  Whitely  and  Josiah  S.  Plants,  Judges  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas. 

1863 — Third  Judicial  District,  June  term,  Josiah  S.  Plants,  Benjamin 
Metcalf  and  Machias  C.  Whitely,  Judges  Cotirt  of  Common  Pleas. 

1864 — Same  district,  August  term,  Jacob  Brinkerhoff,  Judge  Supreme 
Court;  William  Lawrence,  A.  S.  Latta  and  Machias  C.  Whitely,  Judges 
Court  of  Common  Pleas. 


360  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

1865 — Same  district,  August  term,  Jacob  Brinkerhoflf,  Judge  Supreme 
Court;  A.  S.  Latta  and  O.  W.  Rose,  Judges  Coui't  of  Common  Pleas. 

1866 — Same  distrist,  August  term,  Jacob  S.  Conklin,  A.  S.  Latta  and 
James  McKenzie,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1867 — Same  district,  August  term,  Josiah  Scott,  Judge  Supreme  Court; 
Jacob  S.  Conklin,  A.  S.  Latta,  James  McKenzie  and  Chester  R.  Mott, 
Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1868 — Same  district,  September  term,  John  Welch,  Judge  Supreme 
Court;  Jacob  S.  Conklin,  James  Pillars  and  Chester  R.  Mott,  Judges  Court 
of  Common  Pleas. 

1869  —Same  district,  September  term,  William  White,  Judge  Supreme 
Court;  Jacob  S.  Conklin,  James  Pillars  and  Chester  R.  Mott,  Judges  Court 
of  Common  Pleas. 

1870 — No  term. 

1871 — Third  Judicial  District,  April  term,  A.  S.  Latta,  James  Pillars 
and  Chester  R.  Mott,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1872— No  term. 

1873 — Third  Judicial  District,  March  term,  James  Pillars,  A.  S.  Latta 
and  Abner  M.  Jackson,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1874 — Same  district,  April  term,  James  Pillars,  A.  S.  Latta  and  Abner 
M.  Jackson,  Judges  Court  Common  Pleas. 

1875 — Same  district,  March  term,  A.  S.  Latta,  James  Pillars  and  Thomas 
Beer,  Judges  Court  of  Common  pleas. 

1876 — Same  district,  April  term,  same  Judges  as  above. 

1877 — Same  district,  April  term,  Thomas  Beer,  James  Pillars  and  Sel- 
wyn  N.  Owen,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1878 — Same  district,  March  term,  same  Judges  as  above. 

1879 — Same  district,  March  term,  same  Judges. 

1880 — Tenth  Judicial  District,  April  term,  John  McCauley,  John  L. 
Porter  and  Henry  H.  Dodge,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1881 — Same  district,  March  term,  Henry  H.  Dodge,  John  McCauley  and 
John  L.  Porter,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1882 — Same  district,  March  term,  Henry  H.  Dodge,  John  L.  Porter  and 
John  McCauley,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1883 — Same  district,  April  term,  Thomas  Beer,  Henry  H.  Dodge  and 
John  McCauley,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

1884 — Same  district,  March  term,  Thomas  Beer,  Henry  H.  Dodge  and 
George  F.  Pendleton,  Judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  ' 

COURT    OF    COMMON    PLEAS. 

Judge  Ozias  Bowens,  of  Marion,  presided  over  the  Common  Pleas  Courts 
of  Wyandot  County  from  July  1,  1845  (the  date  the  tirst  term  of  court 
began),  until  the  close  of  November,  1851,  when,  by  a  change  of  the  organic 
law  of  the  State,  his  services  as  the  presiding  officer  of  the  circuit,  as  then 
formed,  were  brought  to  a  close.  On  the  28th  of  November,  1851,  the  fol- 
lowing proceedings  took  place  at  Upper  Sandusky  at  a  meeting  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  bar  of  the  old  Second  Judicial  Circuit  of  the  State  of  Ohio: 

"This  Jay  Moses  H.  Kirby,  Esq.,  on  behalf  of  the  members  of  the  bar, 
appeared  in  open  court  and  read  the  following  proceedings  of  a  meeting 
held  by  said  members,  which,  on  motion,  is  ordered  to  be  entered  upon  the 
journal  of  the  court,  to  wit: 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  bar  of  the  Second  Judicial  Cir- 
cuit of  the  State  of  Ohio,  in  attendance  upon  the  court  of  Common  Pleas 


HISTORY   OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  3t)l 

of  the  November  term  1851,  sitting  in  Wyandot  County.  On  motion,  I\Ioses 
H.  Kirby  was  chosen  Chairman,  and  R.  G.  Pennington,  Secretary.  On  mo- 
tion of  C.  K.  Watson,  a  committee  of  five  was  appointed  by  the  chair  to 
draft  and  submit  to  the  meeting  resolutions  expressive  of  the  esteem  in 
which  the  members  of  the  bar  of  the  circuit  hold  the  judicial  services  and 
character  of  the  Hon.  Ozias  Bo  wen,  Presiding  Judge  of  said  circuit,  upon 
his  retirement  from  the  bench  which  he  has  occupied  for  the  term  of  four- 
teen years,  and  also  an  expression  toward  the  services  of  the  associates  who 
with  him  occupy  the  bench.  C.  K.  Watson,  J.  P.  Pillars,  J.  Plants,  J.  D. 
Sears  and  R.  McKelly  were  appointed  such  committee,  and  who  reported  to 
the  meeting,  and  which  were  unanimously  adopted,  the  following  preamble 
and  resolutions: 

Whereas,  By  a  change  of  the  organic  law  of  this  State,  the  official  services  and 
duties  of  the  Hon.  Ozias  Bowen,  as  President  .Judge  of  this  judicial  circuit  are  about 
to  close.  Therefore,  for  the  purpose  of  perpetuating  the  estimation  which  his  judicial 
services  have  justly  merited  and  received  for  a  period  of  fourteen  years  from  the  mem- 
bers of  the  bar  of  his  circuit. 

Resolved,  That  in  the  discharge  of  all  his  official  duties,  we  recognize  the  character 
of  an  able,  upright  and  impartial  Judge. 

Rewlccd,  That  upon  a  survey  of  his  judicial  career,  we  find  nothing  to  condemn, 
and  in  reluciantly  parting  Avith  him,  we  indulge  the  hope  that  those  who  succeed  him 
may  successfully  emulate  so  fair  an  example  of  judicial  integrity  and  ability. 

^Resolved,  That  the  Hons.  Abel  Renick,  George  W.  Leith  and  Hugh  Welch,  As- 
sociate Judges  of  this  county,  have  con.scientiously  and  faithfully  discharged  the 
duties  of  an  honorable  office,  and  will  in  their  retirement  bear  with  them  the  assurance 
of  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  community  which  has  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  their 
services. 

Resolved,  That  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting  be  presented  to  the  court  with  the 
request  that  the  same  be  entered  upon  the  journal,  and  also,  that  they  be  published  in 
the  several  papers  in  this  judicial  circuit.  Moses  H.  Kirby, 

Robert  G.  Pennington,  Secretary.  Chairman. 

Judge  Lawrence  W.  Hall,  the  successor  ol  Judge  Bowen,  began  his 
tirst  term  of  court  in  Wyandot  County  March  15,  1852,  and  continuing 
through  a  full  constitutional  term  of  five  years,  terminated  his  labors  here 
as  a  Jitdge  at  the  close  of  November  term,  1856.  Hon.  William  Lawrence, 
of  Bellefontaine,  held  the  next  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  beginning  April 
21,  1857.  Then  came  Hon.  Machias  C.  Whitely,  of  Findlay,  who,  elected 
for  a  term  of  live  years,  in  October,  1850,  presided  over  the  July  session, 
in  1857,  and  thereafter  until  the  close  of  April  term,  1858.  Subsequently, 
during  the  remainder  of  Judge  Whitelys'  term,  Judges  George  E.  Seney 
(the  present  member  of  Congress  from  this  district)  and  Josiah  S.  Plants, 
of  Bucyrus,  alternately  presided  over  courts  held  at  Upper  Sandusky. 
Judge  Plants,  however,  appeal's  to  have  performed  more  work  here  than 
either  Whitely  or  Seney,  and  occupied  the  bench  almost  uninterruptedly 
from  the  latter  part  of  1858,  until  his  death  in  August,  1868,  when  Judge 
Whitely  again  appeared  as  the  presiding  officer,  and  continued  until  the 
close  of   1864.      Then  came  Hon.  Jacob  S.   Conklin,    of  Sidney,   in   May, 

1865,  succeeded  by  Judge  Whitely,  who  presided  for  one  year,  beginning 
with  October  term,  1865. 

Judge  Chester  R.  Mott,  of   Upper  Sandusky,  was  elected  in   Octolier, 

1866,  and  served  a  term  of  five  years.  Meanwhile,  during  the  same  term, 
Judges  James  McKenzie,  James  Pillars  and  E.  M.  Phelps,  also  presided  at 
various  Coiu"ts  of  Common  Pleas  held  at  Upper  Sandusky.  Judge  Mott's 
successor,  Hon.  Abner  M.  Jackson,  of  Bucyrus,  was  elected  in  October,  1871. 
He  served  until  the  summer  of  1874,  when  he  resigned  and  removed  to 
Cleveland,  and  afterward  to  Colorado.  To  fill  out  his  unexpired  term,  the 
Governor  appointed  the  present  incumbent,  Hon.  Thomas  Beer,  also  a  resi- 
dent of  Bucyrus. 


362  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

Of  some  of  the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  mentioned  in  the 
foregoing  paragraphs,  we  append  the  following  biographical  sketches. 

Hon.  Ozias  Bowen,  who  died  September  '26,  1871.  was  one  of  the  giants 
of  the  Marion  County  bar.  Born  July  23,  1805,  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y. ; 
not  much  is  known  of  his  early  cai'eer,  but  sufficient  has  been  preserved  to 
establish  the  fact  that  he  was  reared  amid  a  community  of  outspoken,  heroic, 
high-principled  people,  and  these  early  surroundings  gave  a  permanent 
basis  for  his  moral  character.  When  a  youth  of  eighteen,  he  appeared  in 
Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  where  he  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar, 
and  where  he  also  published  a  weekly  newspaper.  In  1828,  he  became  a 
resident  of  Marion,  Ohio,  and  after  engaging  in  teaching  and  merchandiz- 
ing for  a  brief  period,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession,  rising  to 
the  positions  of  Prosecuting  Attorney,  and  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas,  which  last-named  position  he  held  with  credit  to  himself  and  benefit 
TO  the  commiinity  for  fourteen  years,  his  circuit  extending  at  one  time  as 
far  northward  as  Lake  Erie.  A  seat  on  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Ohio  was  also  awarded  to  him.  In  whatever  tended  to  advance  the  welfare 
of  the  people,  he  took  a  deep  interest;  education  found  in  him  its  warm 
advocate;  all  churches  alike  shared  his  bounty,  although  the  Presbyterian 
community  claimed  him  as  its  especial  member.  The  cause  of  the  slave 
found  in  Judge  Bowen  an  ardent  advocate,  and  his  associations  were  ever 
with  the  Republican  party.  He  was  the  friend  and  coadjutor  of  such  men 
as  Salmon  P.  Chase,  Columbus  Delano  and  the  like.  His  fine  residence  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  town  of  Marion  attested  that  his  labors  had  met 
with  their  due  pecuniary  reward.  In  physiqiie,  he  was  five  feet  and  eleven 
inches  in  height,  while  his  weight  was  nearly  two  hundred  pounds,  thus 
attesting  that  a  vigorous  body  is  ever  the  basis  of  a  vigorous  mind. 

Judge  Bowen's  profession  and  the  practice  of  it  made  him  a  prominent 
and  noticeable  character,  not  only  in  the  town  and  county  where  he  lived, 
but  throughout  the  State,  and  to  him,  as  a  lawyer,  more  attention  should  be 
given  than  to  any  other  phase  of  his  character.  He  was  a  leading  lawyer, 
eminent  and  successful,  the  peer  of  any  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  pro- 
fessionally. He  was  not  a  fluent  or  eloquent  speaker,  and  brought  to  his 
aid  none  of  the  graces  or  tricks  of  voice  or  action  of  the  trained  elocution- 
ist. As  an  advocate  he  was  reasonable,  logical,  plain,  fair,  direct  and  pow- 
erful, and  although  he  could  not  sway  or  control  a  court  or  jury  by  bursts 
of  eloquence,  yet  he  had  immense  influence  as  a  shrewd,  argumentative  rea- 
soner.  He  was  a  good  judge  of  men  and  character,  and  had  what  has  al- 
ways been  the  element  or  secret  of  success  in  every  department  of  man's 
work — a  vast  amount  of  good,  solid  common  sense. 

In  his  practice,  he  was  fair,  bold,  fearless  and  dignified,  always  com- 
manding and  securing  the  attention  and  respect  of  the  court. 

He  was  exceedingly  careful  in  giving  advice  and  counseling  in  litiga- 
tion, always  desiring  to  avoid  and  keep  out  of  bad  cases;  but  when  he  had 
determined  to  go  on  he  entered  upon  the  work  of  the  preparation  and  trial 
of  his  cases  with  the  determination  to  succeed,  and  no  client  could  ever 
charge  him  with  neglect  or  want  of  zeal.  His  many  years  of  practice  and 
his  long  experience  as  a  judge  made  him  exceedingly  familiar  with  the  law 
and  especially  rules  of  court  and  of  practice.  Yet  even  in  his  later  years, 
he  never  went  into  court,  in  even  the  smallest  of  cases,  without  a  brief, 
both  of  facts  and  of  law.  With  good  natural  qualifications  and  long  exper- 
ience, he  put  no  especial  dependence  in  either,  but  did  depend  on  the  re- 
sults of  special  preparation  and  labor  in  every  case.     His  secret  of  success 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  363 

was  indomitable  energy  and  unremitting  labor.  He  kept  a  common-place 
book,  in  which  were  noted  the  results  of  his  investigations,  and  always 
ready  and  at  hand;  he  had  a  brief  when  any  subject  came  before  him  a 
second  time  Every  trial  in  which  he  was  engaged  found  him  with  a  full 
and  especially  prepared  brief,  and  every  one  was  tried  with  a  view  of  tak- 
ing it  to  a  higher  court  if  he  did  not  secure  on  the  first  trial  what  he 
thought  he  ought  to  have,  and  his  cases  will  show  that  even  where  he  was 
beaten  below,  he  was  most  likely  to  be  successful  in  the  end.  He  was  a 
bold,  hard  fighter,  and  like  every  strong,  uncompromising  character,  made 
some  enemies,  but  the  profession  will  always  recognize  him  as  one  of  the 
strongest  men  at  the  bar  in  Northern  Ohio  in  his  day.  His  thoroughness 
was  remarkable  and  his  attention  to  details  equally  so.  His  students  will 
always  remember  one  direction  which  he  gave  as  to  the  conduct  of  trials, 
viz.,  ''  Never  omit  to  make  every  point  in  your  case,  no  matter  how  trifling 
or  small  it  may  seem  to  you,  for  although  it  may  look  trifling,  yet  it  may  be 
the  decisive  point  in  the  mind  of  the  court  or  jury  to  which  you  are  trying 
the  case."  This  notice  of  Judge  Bowen's  professional  character  and  career 
would  not  be  complete  if  we  failed  to  note  one  beautiful  trait  in  that  char- 
acter, and  that  is  his  uniform  kindness  and  courtesy  to  the  young  men  of 
his  profession.  All  who  were  so  fortunate  as  to  practice  with  him  will  re- 
member this.  No  young  man  ever  appealed  to  him  for  professional  assist- 
ance in  vain,  when  he  was  free  and  could  give  it.  He  gave  the  benefit  of 
his  experience  and  counsel  willingly  and  joyfully,  and  always  had  a  kind 
and  eucouraging  word  to  those  who  felt  the  embarrassment  of  inexperience. 
The  young  lawyers  who  were  about  him  remember  him  gratefully.  To  do 
the  life  and  professional  chara-^ter  of  Judge  Bowen  justice,  we  cannot, 
probably,  better  sum  up  the  whole  matter  than  by  saying,  "He  was  a  great 
lawyer. ''  * 

Hon.  William  Lawrence  resided  at  Bellefontaiue,  Logan  County.  He 
was  a  well  read  lawyer,  possessed  remarkable  industry  and  energy,  and  was 
a  satisfactory  Judge.  Morally,  he  was  religious  and  without  blemish.  He 
was  always  pleasant  and  affable,  and  was  popular  both  with  the  people  and 
the  bar.  He  was  a  former  resident  of  Morgan  County,  this  State.  At  the 
opening  of  the  court  in  May,  1861,  when  the  people  were  excited  about  the 
war,  he  ordered  the  Sheriff  to  raise  the  national  flag  over  the  cupola  of  the 
court  house  in  Marion,  which  order  the  Sheriff  refused  to  obey.  The 
latter  was  therefore  brought  into  court  and  fined  for  contempt.  He  then 
hoisted  the  flag  according  to  the  original  order.  In  1862,  Judge  Lawrence 
went  to  the  front  as  Colonel  in  command  of  a  regiment  of  volunteers. 
While  iu  the  service  his  salary  as  Judge  continued,  which  he  drew  and  dis- 
tributed to  the  school  districts  throughout  his  circuit.  In  the  fall  of  1864, 
he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  Congress,  and  resigned  his  position  upon  the 
bench  to  enter  upon  his  new  round  of  duties.  Near  the  close  of  the  term  of 
President  Hayes  he  was  appointed  First  Comptroller  of  the  United  States 
Treasury,  which  position  he  now  occupies. 

Hoa.  Josiah  S.  Plants,  of  Bucyrus,  was  a  gentleman  of  sterling  worth 
and  popular  with  all  classes.  In  August,  1863,  while  hunting  in  Indiana, 
he  was  accidentally  wounded  by  his  own  piece  from  the  effects  of  which  he 
died.  He  was  then  serving  a  second  term  as  Judge  of  the  Common  Pleas 
Court  of  his  district. 

Hon.  Chester  R.  Mott,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  is  mentioned  in  the  article 
entitled  "The  Bar"  of  this  volume,  also  in  the  history  of  the  town  of 
Upper  Sandusky,  to  which  readers  are  referred. 

*  From  an  article  prepured  by  J.  F.  McNeal,  Esq. 


364  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Hon.  Thomas  Beer,  of  Bucyrus,  was  born  in  Wayne  Couoty,  Ohio, 
September  7,  1832.  His  literary  course  of  studies  was  completed  at  the 
Vei-milion  Institute,  Hayesville,  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  and  in  1848  he 
began  teaching  school.  Having  chosen  law  as  a  profession,  he  commenced 
its  study  with  John  C.  Tidball.  Esq.,  of  Coshocton,  in  1851,  teaching  school 
meanwhile  to  defray  expenses,  and  remained  with  him  until  1853.  From 
1854  to  1858,  he  served  as  postmaster  at  Alliance,  Ohio.  In  the  latter 
year  he  became  editor  of  the  Stark  County  Democrat  at  Canton,  Ohio,  and 
in  1862,  editor  of  the  Craivford  County  F'oriim.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1862,  and  began  to  practice  at  Bucyrus,  Ohio.  In  18(53,  he  vras 
elected  to  represent  Crawford  County  in  the  State  Legislature,  and  was  re- 
elected, thus  serving  through  the  sessions  of  1864-66,  1866-68.  He  also 
served  as  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  held  at  Columbus  and 
Cincinnati  in  1873-4.  On  the  15th  of  August,  1874,  he  was  appointed  by 
the  Governor,  Judge  of  the  Common  Pleas  Court,  for  the  Fourth  Subdivision 
of  the  Third  Judicial  District  of  Ohio,  then  comprising  the  counties  of 
Wood,  Hancock,  Seneca,  Wyandot,  Crawford  and  Marion.  In  October, 
1874,  he  was  elected  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  Judge  Jackson,  who 
had  resigned.  In  1876,  he  was  re-elected  for  the  full  term  of  five  years, 
and  in  1881,  was  again  re-elected  to  serve  until  February  9,  1887.  As  a 
practitioner  Judge  Beer  was  fair  and  honorable.  On  the  bench  he  is  not. 
rapid  in  his  decisions,  but  takes  time  to  fortify  himself  with  precedents, 
which  practice  leads  the  people  to  regard  him  as  a  careful,  impartial  and 
iipright  Judge. 

Wyandot  County  is  now,  with  Crawford  and  Manon,  in  the  Second 
Subdivision  of  the  Tenth  Judicial  District  of  the  State. 

Prior  to  the  adoption  of  the  State  Constitution  of  1851,  those  who,  as 
residents  of  Wyandot  County,  sat  on  the  bench  as  Associate  Judges,  were 
Abel  Renick.  William  Brown,  George  W.  Leith,  Joseph  Chaffee,  A.  M. 
Anderson  and  Hugh  Welch,  all  of  whom  were  Whigs. 

THE    BAR. 

Respecting  those  who,  as  resident  attorneys,  have  practiced  at  the 
Wyandot  County  bar  during  the  past  forty  years,  the  results  of  many 
hours  of  labor,  passed  in  patient,  diligent  research,  are  placed  before  the 
reader  as  follows:  It  is  first  explained,  however,  that  the  names  of  those 
now  practicing  in  the  eount}^  are  marked  by  an  asterisk,  and  that  more  extend- 
ed sketches  concerning  many  will  be  found  in  the  biographical  notes  at- 
tached to  the  history  of  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky. 

Jude  Hall,  Esq.,  who  is  mentioned  as  the  first  resident  attorney  at 
Upper  Sandusky,  ebtablished  an  office  here  for  the  transaction  of  legal 
business  as  early  as  the  year  1843,  and  remained  some  three  or  four  years 
thereafter.  He  is  remembered  and  spoken  of  by  the  oldest  inhabitants 
as  a  rather  eccentric  character,  a  hard  worker  in  the  cause  of  his  clients,  a 
ready  debater,  and  could,  when  he  deemed  the  occasion  fitting,  pour  forih 
into  the  ears  of  lenient  Judges,  and  wondering,  almost  awe-stricken  jurors, 
stilted,  grandiloquent  rhetoric  without  stint.  The  following  amusing 
reminiscences  respecting  Mr.  Hall  have  been  fiurnished  us  by  his  early 
cotemporary,  John  D.  Sears,  Esq. 

"  The  reminiscent  first  saw  Jude  Hall  in  1844,  during  a  term  of 
the  Common  Pleas  of  Crawford  County,  where  he  defended  a  client, 
from  the  western  part  of  the  county  who  had  been  indicted  for  perjury 
in   swearing   to    an    answer    in    chancery.      His    principal    ground   of   de- 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  365 

fense.  and  which  was  urged  with  great  vehemence  and  much  itera- 
tion, was,  that  there  had  been  no  intentional  pei'jury,  but  that  the  un- 
lucky falsehood  was  "a  mere  discrepancy  of  the  pen."  The  defendant 
was  acquitted.  At  another  term  of  the  same  court,  hf>ld  in  the  same  year, 
our  learned  advocate  was  trying  an  action  of  trespass  for  hog-stealing, 
brought  into  court  by  appeal  from  Ci-awford  Township.  Among  the  adverse 
witnesses  was  the  pettifogger  who  had  been  pitted  against  Jude  before 
the  Justice,  and  whom,  in  his  argument  to  the  jury,  he  demolished  in  the 
words  and  figures  of  speech  following:  '  Gentlemen  of  the  jury, 
you  may  put  one  foot  upon  Hercules,  and  the  other  upon  Jupiter,  and  lay 
your  telescope,  astraddle  of  the  sun,  and  gaze  over  this  wide  creation,  and 
you  can't  find  as  mean  a  man  as  John  Smith."  At  another  time, 
when  trying  a  case  in  a  Justice's  court  at  Bucyrus,  he  attacked  and 
overwhelmed  the  opposing  counsel,  with  this  pondrous  climax:  ''Why, 
your  honor!  He's  a  mere  circumstance,  a  fabric,  a  ruta  baga."  The 
writer  was  present  at  a  trial  in  the  high  court  of  Osceola,  then  presided 
over  by  Bishop  Tuttle.  when  Hall  was  counsel  for  the  defendant,  and  Col.,  af- 
terward. Judge  Scott,  represented  the  plaintiff.  At  the  close  of  the  plaintiff's 
testimony,  the  usual  motion  for  a  non-suit  was  made  and  argued,  and  Jude 
began  his  closing  speech,  in  this  crushing  and  magniloquent  style:  "  The 
gentleman  may  roar  like  a  salamander,  but  my  positions  are  adamantine, 
and  must  prevail."  With  these  few  specimen  bricks,  we  dismiss^this  erratic 
genius,  whose  stay  with  us  was  as  brief  as  it  was  brilliant.  We  never  shall 
see  his  like  a2ain,  nor  know  we  whence  he  came  or  whither  went.  Peace 
to  his  metaphors,  his  climaxes  and  his  allegories." 

Hon.  Chester  R.  Mott*  was  born  in  Susquehanna  County,  Penn.,  July 
15,  1813.  Having  obtained  an  excellent  common  school  and  academic  ed- 
ucation, he  engaged  for  a  brief  period  in  teaching  at  Erie,  Penn.  Subse- 
quently he  studied  law  under  the  instructions  of  J.  W.  Riddle  and  William 
Lyon,  of  Erie,  and  in  1837  was  admitted  to  practice.  He  continued  at  Erie 
until  the  spring  of  1844,  when  he  removed  to  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky. 
He  assisted  in  the  organization  of  Wyandot  County,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1845,  was  elected  its  Hrst  Prosecuting  Attorney.  He  was  elected  County 
Auditor  in  1849,  and  re-elected  to  the  same  position  in  1851.  In  1857,  he 
was  chosen  to  represent  the  counties  of  Hardin  and  Wyandot  in  the  State 
Legislature.  He  was  again  elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Wyandot  in 
1865.  The  following  year  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  for  the  Fourth  Subdivision  of  the  Third  Judicial  District,  composed  of 
Crawford,  Hancock,  Seneca  and  Wyandot  Counties,  for  the  full  constitu- 
tional term  of  five  years.  He  has  also  served  as  Mayor  of  the  town  of  Up- 
per Sandusky,  and  as  an  efficient  member  of  the  Board  of  Education. 

Hon.  Moses  H.  Kirby,*  who  for  many  years  has  enjoyed  the  distinction 
of  being  the  oldest  member  of  the  Wyandot  County  bar,  was  born  in  Hal- 
ifax County,  Va.,  May  21,  1798.  He  graduated  from  the  University  of 
North  Carolina  in  1820,  and  returning  to  Hilisboro,  Highland  Co.,  Ohio  (to 
which  place  his  widowed  mother  had  removed  from  Virginia,  in  1815),  at 
once  began  the  study  of  law  under  Richard  Collins,  Esq  Three  years 
later  he  was  admitted  to  practice,  and  the  same  year  (1823)  was  appointed 
Prosecuting  Attorney  for  Highland  County,  which  office  he  held  for  seven 
years.  In  1826,  he  was  elected  to  represent  Highland  County  in  the  State 
Legislature,  and  being  reelected  from  time  to  time  served  in  the  same  po- 
sition until  1831,  when  by  a  joint  ballot  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives, he  was  elected  Secretary  of  the  State  for  a  term  of  three  years. 


366  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  term  as  State  Secretary  he  resumed  the  practice  of 
law  at  Cohimbns,  Ohio.  Subsequently  he  was  elected  and  served  as  Prose- 
cuting Attorney  for  Franklin  County,  Ohio.  In  1842,  he  was  appointed  by 
President  Tyler  Receiver  of  the  United  States  Land  Office  at  Lima,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  until  the  summer  of  1843,  when  the  office  was  removed 
to  Upper  Sandusky.  After  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service  as  Land 
Receiver,  he  once  more  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  town 
which  has  since  been  his  continuous  place  of  residence — Upper  Sanduskj. 
He  was  appointed  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Wyandot  County  in  1847,  to  fill 
a  vacancy  caused  by  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Mott,  and,  in  an  alternate  man- 
ner, has  since  served  in  the  same  capacity  for  a  period  of  twenty  years.  In 
1858,  he  was  elected  Pi'obate  Judge,  serving  two  terms,  and  in  1879,  the 
people  of  his  district  chose  him  as  their  Representative  in  the  State  Senate. 
He  was  re-elected  to  the  same  office  in  1881,  and  concluded  the  term  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 

Hon.  John  D.  Sears,*  a  leading  member  of  the  Wyandot  County  bar 
since  the  county's  organization,  was  box-n  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1821.  He  became  a  resident  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  in  1836, 
and  soon  after  entered  the  Ohio  University  at  Athens,  where  his  literary 
studies  as  a  student  were  completed.  Afterward  he  studied  law  at  Bucyrus, 
with  Hon.  Josiah  Scott  (since  Chief  Justice),  and  in  1844  was  admitted  to 
the  bar.  On  the  3d  of  March,  1845,  he  settled  in  the  town  of  Upper  San- 
dusky, then  a  hamlet  of  less  than  a  dozen  buildings  of  all  classes,  and  has  ever 
since  taken  an  active  part  in  promoting  its  prosperity,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
whole  county.  He  has  not  been  an  office-seeker,  but  has  given  his  attention 
to  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  which  he  occupies  a  conspicuous  place, 
being  regarded  as  an  able  and  sound  attorney.  However,  in  1873,  he  was 
elected  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  Third  State  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion which  assembled  at  Columbus,  Ohio.  He  served  on  the  judiciary  and 
other  important  committees,  and  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  and 
most  accomplished  members  of  that  body.  He  has  also  served  as  Mayor, 
and  for  many  years  as  School  Examiner,  member  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion, etc.,  of  the  thriving  town  which  has  entirely  grown  up  under  his  per- 
sonal observation. 

Hon.  Robert  McKelly*  is  another  whose  name  stands  out  conspicuously 
in  the  history  of  Wyandot  County.  He  was  born  in  Lancaster  County, 
Penn.,  April  8,  1815.  He  became  a  resident  of  Ohio  in  1834,  and  after 
reading  law  under  Henry  B.  Curtis,  Esq.,  and  Col.  John  K.  Miller,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1842.  The  same  year,  he  began  to  practice  his  pro- 
fession at  Bucyrus,  where  he  remained  until  the  summer  of  1845,  when  he 
removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  assiimed  the  duties  of  Register  of  the 
United  States  Land  Office,  a  position  to  which  he  had  been  appointed  by 
President  Polk,  and  which  he  held  for  three  years.  He  became  the  first  Pro- 
bate Judge  of  Wyandot  County  under  the  constitution  adopted  in  1851. 
In  1857,  he  was  elected  to  represent  the  Thirty-first  District,  composed  of 
Crawford,  Seneca  and  Wyandot  Counties,  in  the  State  Senate.  He  also 
served  as  Director  and  President  of  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railroad  before  its 
consolidation  with  other  lines,  under  the  title  of  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort 
Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad.  He  is  the  present  Prosecuting  Attorney  of 
this  (Wyandot)  County. 

Capt.  Peter  A.  Tyler  was  a  resident  of  McCutchenville  long  before  the 
organization  of  Wyandot  County.  About  1852,  he  removed  to  Upper  San- 
dusky, where  he  continued  to  reside   until  his  death.      In  April,  1861,  he 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY,  367 

recruited  a  company  of  Wyandot  County  men  and  joined  the  Fifteenth 
Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  serving  with  that  command  as  Cap- 
tain for  a  term  of  three  months.  Subsequently,  he  led  into  the  field  another 
company  of  Wyandot  County  Volunteers.  (See  Military  Record  in  this 
work).  Some  time  after  the  war  he  became  involved  in  a  personal  difficulty 
at  "Bucyrus,  Ohio,  which  resulted  in  his  being  woiinded  by  a  pistol  shot,  of 
which  injury  he  died  soon  after  at  Upper  Sandusky. 

William  K.  Wear,  who  is  mentioned  as  an  attorney  at  Upper  Sandusky 
as  early  as  the  spiing  of  1845,  came  here  from  Highland  County,  Ohio. 
Possessing  neither  transcendent  abilities  nor  good  looks  (he  had  a  stiff 
neck,  carrying  his  head  to  one  side,  and  was  deaf  in  one  ear),  and  prone  to 
indulge  in  transactions  not  altogether  reputable,  he  did  not  prove  to  be  a 
success  in  this  field.  After  tarrying  here  for  a  year  or  so,  he  left  one  day  or 
night  in  a  rather  hurried  manner,  proceeding  southerly,  and  breathing 
maledictions  against  John  D.  Sears,  Esq.,  which  are  best  repeated  by  the 
"Judge"  himself.      Wear  was  last  heard  from  in  California. 

Hon.  George  W.  Beery,  Sr.,  President  of  the  Wyandot  County  Bank, 
was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  July  22,  1822.  In  June,  1847,  he  be- 
came a  resident  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and,  with  Aaron  Lyle  as  a  partner, 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  Jaw  under  the  title  of  Beery  &  Lyle.  This 
partnership  continued  for  two  years,  when  Col.  Lyle  started  for  California, 
dying  en  route.  Mr.  Beery,  however,  kept  on  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion until  the  inauguration  of  the  internal  revenue  system,  during  the  late 
civil  war,  when  he  was  appointed  by  President  Lincoln  Internal  Revenue 
Assessor  for  the  (then)  Fifth  Congressional  District  of  the  State  of  Ohio. 
After  being  relieved  from  the  duties  of  that  office  by  Andrew  Johnson,  he 
organized  the  Wyandot  County  Bank,  of  which  flourishing  institution  he 
has  been  President  since  April  1,  1867,  the  date  of  its  organization.  Mr. 
Beery  has  ever  been  known  as  a  man  of  great  positiveness  and  strength  of 
character — a  most  worthy  and  honorable  citizen,  and  a  public-spirited, 
noble-hearted  gentleman. 

Col.  Aaron  Lyle,  already  mentioned  as  the  law  partner,  for  a  brief 
period,  of  George  W.  Beery,  Esq.,  also  came  to  Upper  Sandusky  from 
Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  in  the  summer  of  1847.  Soon  after,  he  was  elected 
Prosecuting  Attorney,  but  he  did  not  continue  long  in  that  position,  for 
in  April,  1849,  accompanied  by  Col.  A.  McElvain  and  Editor  William  T. 
Giles,  he  started  overland  for  the  California  gold  fields.  He  died  en  route, 
and  was  buried  far  from  the  haunts  of  civilization. 

S.  R.  McBane,  an  attorney  at  law,  came  to  Upper  Sandusky  about  the- 
year  1848,  but  remained  only  a  short  time.  Of  his  subsequent  career  we 
have  derived  no  information. 

Hon.  B.  P.  Smith  was  for  some  years  a  resident  at  Carey.  He  was  an 
able  attorney,  and  during  his  residence  in  this  county  served  as  a  member  of 
the  State  Constitutional  Convention  of  1850-51.  He  removed  from  Carey 
to  Huron  County,  Ohio. 

B.  F.  Ogle  and  A.  F.  Anderson,  attorneys  at  law,  also  resided  at  Carey 
years  ago. 

Henry  Maddux,  a  native  of  Somerset  County,  Md. ,  was  born  July  7, 
1819.  He  became  a  resident  of  Marion  County,  Ohio,  in  the  spring  of 
1836.  In  1846,  he  came  to  Wyandot  County.  Subsequently  he  studied 
law,  and  at  June  term.  1851,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  was  appointed 
School  Examiner  in  1853,  which  position  he  held  until  1868,  when  he 
resigned  and  removed  to   Springfield,   Ohio.     In  the  spring  of  1870,   he 


368  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

returned  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  soon  after  was  elected  Prosecuting  Attor- 
ney. Mr.  Maddux  was  quite  successful  in  the  accumulation  of  worldly 
•wealth,  and  during  the  last  years  of  his  life  served  as  a  Director  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Upper  Sandusky.  His  death  occurred  during  recent 
years. 

Nelson  W.  Dennison,  known  to  early  residents  of  Upper  Sandusky  as 
an  attorney  at  law,  also  as  the  publisher  and  editor  of  the  Democratic 
Vindicator  for  a  brief  period,  removed  to  Boonesboro,  Boone  Co.,  Iowa,  in 
the  summer  of  1857. 

Col.  Cyrus  Sears,  a  brother  of  Hon.  John  D.  Sears,  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  September,  1856.  During  the  late  civil  war  he  rendered  efficient 
service  as  Lieutenant  of  a  battery  of  light  artillery,  and  as  Colonel  of  a  col 
ored  regiment.  (See  his  biography,  also  Chapter  12,  of  this  work).  For 
about  three  years  after  the  close  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion  he  practiced 
law  with  his  brother  before  mentioned.  He  is  now  engaged  in  various 
business  pursuits  in  this  county,  having  abandoned  the  legal  profession. 

Hon.  John  Berry  was  born  in  the  region  now  embraced  by  Wyandot 
County  April  26,  1833.  After  completing  his  literary  studies  at  the  Wes- 
leyan  University,  Delaware,  Ohio,  he  began  the  study  of  law  at  Upper  San - 
dvisky  with  Hon.  Robert  McKelly.  Subsetjuently  he  attended  the  Cincin- 
nati Law  School,  graduated  therefrom  with  honor,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  April,  1857.  He  then  became  identified  with  the  interests  of  Upper 
Sandusky  and  resided  here  until  his  death.  Although  he  was  a  gentleman 
possessed  of  much  ability  and  widely  esteemed,  yet  it  appears  that  he  pre- 
ferred the  practice  of  his  profession  rather  than  office-holding.  However, 
he  served  as  Mayor  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  as  Prosecuting  Attorney  for  the 
county,  and  in  1872  was  elected  to  represent  the  Fourteenth  Ohio  District 
in  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives,  1878-75. 

Hon.  Curtis  Berry,  Jr.,*  a  brother  of  Hon.  John  Berry,  was  also  "to  the 
manor  born,"  a  native  of  the  territory  now  known  as  Wyandot  County. 
Having  completed  his  literary  course  of  studies  at  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  Uni- 
versity, Delawarti,  Ohio,  he  read  law  at  Upper  Sandusky  under  the  instruct- 
ions of  his  talentel  brother,  and  at  June  term,  1860,  of  the  Wyandot  County 
Court,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  has  since  served  three  terms  as  Clerk 
of  Courts  for  Wyandot  County.  He  also  represented  the  Thirty-first  Dis- 
trict, consisting  of  Seneca,  Crawford  and  Wyandot  Counties,  in  the  State 
Senate,  during  the  years  1866-68  and  1868-70.  Mr.  Berry,  now  an  invalid, 
resides  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  on  grounds  ren- 
dered historic,  as  the  place  where  Col.  Crawford's  men  stopped  to  quench 
their  thirst,  at  a  spring,  on  their  outward  march  in  June,  1782;  as  the  site 
of  Fort  Ferree,  war  of  1812-15,  aod  as  the  place  where  William  Walker,  of 
Wyandot  Indian  memory,  resided.  He  has  been  known  as  a  firm  Demo- 
crat, a  good  attorney,  and  a  forcible  speaker. 

D.  A.  Harrison,  who  was  chiefly  employed  while  here  as  Superintendent 
of  the  Public  Schools,  at  Upper  Sandusky,  now  resides  in  the  town  of 
Springfield,  Ohio. 

Henry  A.  Hoyt,  who  was  associated  with  Hon.  Robert  McKelly  for  a 
brief  period,  is  a  present  resident  of  the  State  of  Iowa. 

George  Crawford,  Esq.,  known  years  ago  as  a  young  attorney  at  Upper 
Sandusky,  also  as  a  gallant  soldier  during  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  is  the 
present  publisher  and  editor  of  the  Independent,  at  Marion,  Ohio. 

George  G.  White,*  Esq. ,  now  and  for  a  number  of  years  past  known  as 
a  resident  attornev  in  active  practice,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  August, 
1867. 


r.    Bintl     Pat!    C3 


.,^yt 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  371 

Thomas  E.  GriselJ,*  Esq.,  a  native  of  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  came 
to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1852.  In  1854,  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  Courts  of 
Wyandot  County,  and  served  a  term  of  three  years.  Besides  attending  to 
his  law  practice,  he  has  found  time  to  engage  in  other  business  pursuits, 
which  have  been  conducted  in  a  very  successful  manner.  He  is  an  able 
lawyer  and  highly  respected  as  a  citizen. 

Elza  Carter,*  a  member  of  the  present  Wyandot  County  bar,  is  a  part- 
ner of  the  gentleman  above  mentioned  (Grisell). 

Hon.  Darius  D.  Hare,*  the  present  Mayor  of  the  town  of  Upper  San- 
dusky, was  born  in  Seneca  Couuty,  Ohio,  Januar}'  9,  1843.  He  completed 
his  literary  studies  at  the  Wesley  an  University,  Delaware,  Ohio,  in  1863. 
In  1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  Signal  Corps  of  the  United  States  Army,  in 
which  service  he  continued  till  the  close  of  hostilities.  Subsequently  he 
was  detailed,  in  the  same  service,  as  Clerk  at  the  headquarters  of  Gen. 
Sheridan  at  New  Orleans,  till  discharged  by  Special  Order  of  the  War  De- 
partment in  1866.  He  then  entered  the  Law  Department  of  the  Michigan 
University  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  after  a  thorough  course  of  studies,  was  admit- 
ted to  the  bar  by  the  District  Court  of  Wyandot  Couuty,  in  September, 
1867.  He  practiced  at  Carey  for  a  brief  period,  but  in  1868  located  in 
Upper  Sandusky,  which  has  since  been  his  place  of  residence.  He  has 
served  as  City  Solicitor,  as  Mayor,  and  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  School 
Examiners  for  this  county  through  several  terms.  Although  one  of  the 
youngest  members  of  the  present  bar,  Mr.  Hare  has  built  up  an  extensive 
and  lucrative  practice,  and  is  known  as  one  of  the  ablest  expounders  of  the 
law  in  Wyandot  County. 

Allen  Smalley,*  Esq.,  was  born  December  26,  1841,  in  Ashland  County, 
Ohio.  With  his  father's  family  he  became  a  resident  of  Wyandot  County 
in  1854.  In  the  spring  of  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  Forty-ninth  Ohio  In- 
fantry, in  which  command  he  served  nearly  one  year,  or  until  discharged  for 
disability.  After  recovering  his  health,  he  attended  the  Ohio  Wesleyan 
University  at  Delaware,  through  two  terms.  In  the  spring  of  1864,  he 
again  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States  as  a  member  of  the  Signal 
Corps.  He  was  with  Commodore  Farragut's  fleet  at  Mobile,  Ala.  After  the 
close  of  the  war  he  entered  the  Law  Department  of  the  Michigan  University, 
and  graduated  from  that  institution  in  1868.  Soon  after,  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  at  Olney,  111.,  where  he  practiced  until  1870.  Subsequently  he 
passed  some  months  in  the  South.  Next  he  taught  school  in  Posey  County, 
Ind.,  for  five  months.  Then  he  returned  to  Wyandot  County.  Since  1874, 
besides  practicing  his  profession,  he  has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and 
as  an  active  member  and  oflficer  of  the  County  Agricultural  Society. 

Hon.  Peter  B.  Beidler,*  was  born  in  Berks  County,  Penn.,  December 
23,  1818.  He  became  a  resident  of  this  region  in  1842,  was  elected  County 
Surveyor  of  Crawford  County  in  1843,  assisted  in  the  oi'ganization  of 
Wyandot  County  in  1845,  and  after  a  close  contest  with  Azariah  Boot,  was 
by  order  of  court  awarded  the  same  position  in  the  new  county  of  Wyan- 
dot. Since  that  time  he  has  served  as  County  Surveyor  through  several 
terms.  Also  as  Probate  Judge  for  nine  consecutive  years,  and  as  Mayor  of 
the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky.     He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1874. 

George  G.  Bowman,  Esq.,  now  a  successful  attorney  in  the  State  of 
Nebraska,  was  a  member  of  the  Wyandot  bar  some  ten  years  ago. 

Adam  Kail,  Esq. ,  a  resident  of  the  county  from  early  boyhood,  and  who 
had  served  as   a  volunteer  during  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  was  also  an 

10 


372  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

attorney  of  considerable  ability.  He  died  of  consumption  in  Florida  in 
December,  1881. 

Hon.  Willard  D.  Tyler,  a  son  of  Capt.  Peter  A.  Tyler,  now  resides  in 
the  State  of  Texas.  He  served  one  term  as  prosecuting  attorney  for  Wyan- 
dot County,  and  represented  the  same  county  in  the  State  Legislature  during 
the  sessions  of  1878-80,  and  1880-82. 

William  F.  Pool,*  Esq.,  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  July  23, 
1848.  Having  obtained  a  good  English  education,  he  began  teaching  at 
the  age  of  nineteen,  and  continued  in  that  occupation  until  1872,  when  he 
began  the  study  of  law  under  the  preceptorship  of  Henry  Maddux,  Esq.,  of 
Upper  Sandusky.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1875,  and  at  once  began 
to  practice  in  the  Wyandot  County  courts.  He  was  for  a  time  associated 
with  George  G.  Bowman,  and  subsequently  with  Adam  Kail  until  the  death 
of  the  latter. 

Judge  Joel  W.  Gibson*  was  born  in  that  part  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio, 
now  known  as  Wyandot,  December  19,  1842.  His  education  was  chiefly 
acquired  in  the  public  schools.  In  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred 
and  Twenty-third  Ohio  Infantry,  and  with  that  gallant  command  partici- 
poted  in  numerous  actions  fought  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia.  He  was  severe- 
ly wounded  in  the  right  leg  in  the  battle  of  Winchester,  June  15,  1863,  and 
fell  into  the  enemy's  hands.  A  few  days  later,  an  amputation  of  the  wound- 
ed member  was  successfully  performed.  He  was  honorably  discharged,  and 
for  a  few  years  was  engaged  in  various  occupations.  He  has  served  as 
Revenue  Collector,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  Probate  Judge.  In  1875,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar.  After  retiring  from  the  office  of  Probate  Judge, 
in  February,  1883,  he  formed  a  partnership  for  the  practice  of  law  with 
Hon.  Robert  McKelly.      This  firm  still  continues. 

Enoch  D.  Bare,*  Esq.,  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  September  16, 
1848.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools,  supplemented  by 
a  course  of  studies  at  the  Northwestern  Normal  School  of  Ohio.  He  began 
teaching  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  continued  that  occupation  during  the 
major  portion  of  his  time  until  1874,  when  he  commenced  the  study  of  law 
in  the  office  of  Hons.  John  and  Curtis  BeiTy,  Jr.,  of  Upper  Sandusky.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  April,  1876,  and  at  once  entered  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  at  Upper  Sandusky,  his  present  place  of  residence. 

Darius  D.  Clayton,*  Esq.,  the  present  Probate  Judge  of  this  county,  was 
born  in  Pitt  Township,  Wyandot  County,  Ohio,  February  19,  1850.  His 
literary  studies  were  completed  in  the  Wesleyan  University  at  Delaware, 
Ohio,  and  the  Oberlin  College  of  same  State.  He  graduated  from  the  last- 
named  institution  in  1876.  In  1877,  he  began  the-study  of  law  under  the 
instruction  of  Darius  D.  Hare,  Esq.,  and  November  8,  1878,  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  at  Columbus,  Ohio.  His  term  as  Probate  Judge  began  February 
12,  1883. 

Robert  Carey,*  Esq.,  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  February  17, 
1845.  Having  completed  his  studies  in  the  Toronto  Provincial  Normal 
School,  he  early  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  teaching,  and  continued  as 
an  instructor  in  Canada  and  the  United  States,  until  1877  when  he  began 
the  study  of  law  with  D.  W.  Brooks,  Esq.,  of  Detroit,  Mich.  Subsequently 
he  attended  the  Law  Department  of  the  Michigan  (Ann  Arbor)  University, 
for  one  year.  Then  returning  to  Upper  Sandusky,  he  still  further  pursued 
his  law  studies,  under  the  instruction  of  Judge  Mott,  until  May  5,  1880, 
when  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  various  courts  of  the  State. 

Milton  B.  Smith  *  and  W.  T.  Dickerson,*  attorneys  at  law,  are  present 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


37S 


residents  of  the  town  of  Cai'ey,  where  they  have  been  established  for  a  num- 
ber of  years. 

James  T.  Close,*  Esq.,  the  youngest  member  of  the  present  Wyandot 
County  bar,  was  born  in  Alexandria  City,  Va.,  October  27,  1856.  He  was 
educated  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  Washington,  D.  C,  and  Whitestown  Seminary, 
N.  Y.  In  1874,  he  began  the  study  of  law  with  Judge  Michael  Thomp- 
son, of  Washington,  D.  C,  at  the  same  time  attending  lectures  at  the 
National  Law  University,  and  concluding  a  three  years'  course  in  the  office 
of  David  L.  Smoot,  of  Alexandria,  Va,  In  1877,  he  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  the  courts  of  Virginia  and  the  District  of  Columbia.  In  1878,  he 
came  to  Wyandot  Cou,nty,  Ohio,  and  opened  a  law  office  in  the  town  of 
Nevada.  Subsequently  he  visited  the  South,  and  was  also  employed  in  the 
War  Department  at  Washington,  D.  C.  In  September,  1882,  he  became  a 
resident  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  in  1883,  was  appointed  official  stenog- 
rapher of  the  county  of  Wyandot  for  a  term  of  three  years. 


374  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 
THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 

A  WuiTJER  Confronted  by  Difficulties— Medical  Makeshifts  of  the 
Early  Settlers— One  of  the  Oldest  Describes  the  Ague— The  Phy- 
sicians OF  the  County  in  1845— Early  and  Present  Physicians  at 
Upper  Sandusky— A  Sketch  of  Dr.  Fowler— Of  Dr.  Sampson,  and  of 
Dr.  McConnell. 

UNDER  this  caption,  it  would  be  a  pleasurable  task  to  luention  the 
names,  locations,  characteristics,  etc.,  of  all  regularly  educated  physi- 
cians who  have  lived  and  practiced  medicine  in  the  region  now  known  as  Wy- 
andot County;  but  from  the  fact  that,  as  a  class,  the  gentlemen  of  the  medi- 
cal profession  lead  a  life  more  nomadic  than  their  brothers  of  legal  accom- 
plishments, that  no  reminiscences  of  Wyandot's  early  medical  practitioners 
have  ever  been  compiled,  and  that  no  medical  association  has  ever  been 
formed  and  perpetuated  in  the  county,  the  work,  at  this  late  day,  of  com- 
piling a  chapter  in  any  respect  complete,  and  within  the  time  placed  at  our 
disposal,  is  wholly  impracticable. 

The  early  settlers  of  this  and  adjoining  counties  were  great  sufferers 
from  "fever  and  ague,"  and,  occasionally,  from  another  form  of  disease 
termed  the  "milk-sickness."  But  few  of  the  people  being  acquainted  with 
the  last-mentioned  disease,  its  effects,  cure,  or  prevention,  and  having  but 
few  physicians  among  them,  and  those  when  they  first  came  here  were 
mostly  unacquainted  with  the  disease,  a  large  percentage  of  these  cases 
proved  fatal.  Some  heads  of  families  would  obtain  from  distant  towns 
supplies  of  jalap,  calomel,  "tartar  mattix,"  etc.,  and  dose  their  families 
and  neighbors;  others  would  boil  a  kettle  full  of  butternut  bark,  and  make  a 
supply  of  butternut  pills,  or  dig  up  a  quantity  of  blue-flag,  culver,  may- 
apple  and  blood-root,  pulverize  and  swallow  them,  or  take  them  in  pills  or 
decoctions,  just  as  might  suit  the  fancy  of  the  prescriber  or  patient.  But, 
as  an  old  resident  has  said,  "We  soon  had  plenty  of  doctors  traversing  the 
highways  and  byways  so  much,  that  any  one  who  wished  to  be  doctored 
could  be  so  treated  to  his  heart's  content." 

Another  early  settler,  in  describing  the  fever  now  termed  malarial, 
writes  as  follows:  "  One  of  the  greatest  obstacles  to  the  early  settlement 
and  prosperity  of  the  West,  was  the  ague,  '  fever  and  ague,'  or  'chills  and 
fever,'  as  it  was  variously  termed.  In  the  fall  almost  everybody  was  afflict- 
ed with  it.  It  was  no  respecter  of  persons.  Everybody  looked  pale  and 
sallow,  as  though  he  were  frost-bitten.  It  was  not  contagious,  but  was  de- 
rived from  impure  water  and  malaria,  such  as  is  abundant  in  a  new  country. 
The  impurities  from  them,  combined  with  those  which  come  from  bad  die- 
tetics, engorged  the  liver  and  deranged  the  whole  vital  machinery.  By  and 
by,  the  shock  would  come,  and  come  in  the  form  of  a  '  shake,'  followed  by 
a  fever.  These  would  be  regular  on  certain  hours  every  alternate  day, 
sometimes  every  day,  or  every  third  day.  When  you  had  the  chill  you 
couldn't  get  warm,  and  when  you  had  the  fever  you  couldn't  get  cool.  It 
was  exceedingly  awkward  in  this  respect,  indeed  it  was!     Nor  would  it  stop 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  375 

for  any  sort  of  contingency;  not  even  a  wedding  in  the  family  would  stop 
it.  It  was  tyranieal.  When  the  appointed  time  came  around,  everything 
else  had  to  be  stopped  to  attend  to  its  demands.  It  didn't  have  even  any 
Sundays  or  holidays." 

After  the  fever  went  down,  you  still  did  not  feel  much  better;  you  felt 
as  though  you  had  gone  through  some  sort  of  collision,  or  threshing  ma- 
chine, or  jarring  machine,  and  came  out,  not  killed,  but  you  some  times  wish 
you  had  loeen.  You  felt  weak,  as  though  you.  had  run  too  far  after  some- 
thing, and  then  didn't  catch  it.  You  felt  languid,  stupid  and  sore,  and 
was  down  in  the  mouth  and  heel,  and  partially  raveled  out.  Your  back 
was  out  of  fix;  your  head  ached,  and  your  appetite  was  crazy.  Your  eyes 
had  too  much  white  in  them;  your  ears,  especially  after  taking  quinine, 
had  too  much  roar  in  them,  and  your  whole  body  and  soul  were  entirely 
woe-begone,  disconsolate,  sad,  poor  and  good-for-nothing.  You  didn't 
think  much  of  yourself,  and  didn't  believe  that  other  people  did,  either  ; 
and  you  didn't  cax'e.  You  didn't  make  up  your  mind  to  commit  suicide, 
but  sometimes  wished  some  accident  would  happen  to  knock  either  the  mal- 
ady or  yourself  out  of  existence.  You  imagined  that  even  the  dogs  looked 
at  you  with  a  kind  of  self-complacency.  You  felt  that  even  the  sun  had  a 
sickly  shine  about  it. 

About  this  time  you  came  to  the  conclusion  that  you  would  not  accept 
the  whole  State  of  Ohio  as  a  gift;  and  if  you  had  the  strength  and  means, 
you  picked  up  Hannah  and  the  baby  and  your  traps  and  went  back  "  yander 
to  Ole  Virginny,"  "  Pennsylvany,"  Mai'yland,  ISew  York  or  the  "Jarseys." 
You  didn't  sing,  but  you  felt  the  following  : 

"And  to-day  the  swallows  flitting 
Round  my  cabin,  see  me  sitting 
Moodily  within  the  sunshine, 
Just  inside  my  silent  door. 

"  Waiting  for  the  '  ager, 'seeming 
Like  a  man  forever  dreaming; 
And  the  sunlight  on  me  streaming 

Throws  no  shadow  on  the  floor; 
For  I'm  too  thin  and  sallow 
To  make  shadows  on  the  floor — 
Nary  shadow  any  more  \" 

The  above  is  not  a  mere  picture  of  the  imagination.  It  is  simply  re- 
counting, in  quaint  phrase,  what  actually  occurred  in  thousands  of  cases. 
Whole  families  would  sometimes  be  sick  at  one  time,  and  not  one  member 
scarcely  able  to  wait  upon  another.  Labor  or  exercise  always  aggravated 
the  malady,  and  it  took  Gen.  Laziness  a  long  time  to  thrash  the  enemy  out. 
And  those  were  the  days  for  swallowing  all  sorts  of  "roots  and  yarbs," 
and  whisky,  etc.,  with  a  faint  hope  of  relief.  And  finally,  when  the  case 
wore  out,  the  last  remedy  taken  got  the  credit  of  the  cure. 

We  have  not  learned  who  could  justly  claim  the  honor  of  being  the  first 
resident  physician  in  the  territory  now  known  as  Wyandot  County,  but  it 
is  altogether  probable  that  Tymochtee  Township  could  boast  of  the  con- 
tinued presence  of  one  of  these  disciples  of  Esculapius  as  early  as  1825. 
In  1845,  however,  when  the  first  Board  of  County  Commissioners  ordered 
that  a  special  tax  of  $1  be  levied  upon  each  attorney  and  physician  in  the 
county,  the  physicians  mentioned  upon  the  tax  lists  were  as  follows  :  Crane 
Township,  Joseph  Mason  and  David  Watson  ;  Ridge  Township,  Noah 
Wilson  ;  Kichland  Township,  David  Adams  ;  Jacksou  Township,  William 
Cope  ;  Marseilles  Township,*  Wells  Chisney  and  Orrin  Ferris;  Crawford 

*  Dr.  Westbrook,  the  first  physician  to  locate  at  Marseilles  Village,  was  there  in  1835,  also  Dr.  Hall. 


376  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Township,  Howard  Clark  and  John  Foster  ;  Tymochtee  Township,  Alvin 
Bingham,  John  Free,  Ziba  A.  Letson,  Erastus  Ranger,  George  W.  Samp- 
son, and  Dr.  Dunn;  Antrim  Township,  Augustus  "W.  Munson  ;  Pitt  Town- 
ship, James  H.  Drum,  Stephen  Fowler  and  James  B.  McGill. 

Among  other  early  physicians  at  Upper  Sandusky,  besides  Joseph 
Mason,  who  died  in  1852,  and  David  Watson,  were  James  McConaell,  who 
eame  in  the  summer  of  1845  ;  Madison  Fletcher,  who  located  here  in  1846  ; 
Orrin  Ferris  and  William  Kiskadden,  druggists  and  physicians,  in  1848, 
and  George  T.  McDonald,  also  in  1848. 

In  the  list  of  later  and  present  physicians,  we  find  the  names  of  R.  A. 
Henderson,*  William  Irwin,  Dr.  Ramsey,  I.  H.  Williams,  J.  VV.  Smalley, 
Dr.  Thompson,  Dr.  Sigler,  Dr.  Kilmer,  J.  W.  Barnes,  J.  W.  White,*  N. 
Hardy,*  F.  J.  Schug,  R.  N,  McConnell,*  D.  W.  Byi-on,*  Rudolph  Heym, 
J.  W.  Rosenberger,  Isaac  N.  Bowman,*  W.  K.  Byron,*  G.  O.  Masky, *  L. 
P.  Walter*  and  J,  W^.  Davis.* 

Dr.  Stephen  Fowler,  one  of  the  first  physicians  to  locate  within  the 
limits  of  the  present  county  of  Wyandot,  and  who  also  servpd  as  one  of 
Wyandot's  first  County  Commissioners,  died  near  Little  Sandusky  December 
26,  1847,  in  the  fifty-ninth  year  of  his  age. 

He  was  born  in  Berkshire  County,  Mass.,  October  4.  1789.  When  quite 
young,  his  father  removed  his  family  to  Rutland  County,  Vt.,  where  the 
sons  were  trained  as  farmers.  After  attaining  his  majority,  Stephen  began 
the  study  of  medicine.  Having  completed  a  thorough  course  of  medical 
studies,  he  first  began  to  practice,  near  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812-15,  in 
a  United  States  army  hospital  at  Burlington,  Vt.  He  there  gained  great 
credit  for  his  skill  and  success  in  treating  patients  suffering  with  an  epi- 
demic fever  then  prevailing. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  the  war  referred  to,  he  determined  to  go  South, 
and,  in  accordance  with  his  plans,  began  a  journey  on  horseback  from  Ver- 
mont toward  New  Orleans  ;  but  when  he  had  reached  a  point  in  Bradford 
County,  Penn.,  he  became  quite  ill.  The  settlers  there,  who  were  chiefly 
natives  of  New  York  and  the  New  England  States,  then  persuaded  him  to 
remain  with  them.  He  there  married  Miss  Leefe  Stevens,  raised  a  large 
family  of  children,  and  obtained  a  large  practice.  Indeed,  it  has  been 
related  that  his  ride  was  so  extensive  in  Pennsylvania  that,  during  the 
prevalence  of  fin  epidemic  disease,  he  was  compelled  to  keep  relays  of 
horses  posted  upon  his  circuit.  In  Pennsylvania,  he  accumulated  quite  a 
handsome  competency,  and  remained  there  until  1827,  when  he  removed  to 
the  "Sandusky  Plains,"  and  purchased  the  beautiful  property  which  he 
occupied  until  his  death. 

He  had  thought  to  abandon  his  profession  when  settling  in  Ohio,  but  he 
found  the  country  new  and  unhealthful,  and,  more  with  the  intention  of 
endeavoring  to  alleviate  the  distress  of  his  neighbors  than  the  hope  of  pecu- 
niary reward,  he  again  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  followed  it 
in  connection  with  farming  with  untiring  energy  until  attacked  by  a  dys- 
peptic disease  which  finally  terminated  his  signally  industrious  and  useful 
life.  He  represented  the  district  composed  of  Crawford,  Marion  and  Union 
Counties  in  the  State  Legfislature  during  the  sessions  of  1837-38  and  1838- 
39.  When  Wyandot  County  was  organized  in  1845,  he  was  elected  as  one 
of  its  first  County  Commissioners,  and  was  re-elected  to  the  same  office  and 
served  until  October,  1847,  when  he  positively  declined  another  nomination. 
Dr.  Fowler  was  ever  courteous,  affable,  and  unassuming  to  all  men,  and 

*  Physicians  now  in  practice. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  377 

was  highly  respected  throughout  this  quarter  of  the  State.     His  widow  still 
survives,  and  now  resides  in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky. 

Dr.  George  W.  Sampson  settled  in  Tymochtee  Township  in  the  spring 
of  1828,  and  at  once  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine.  In  January, 
1830,  he  removed  to  and  settled  at  McCutchenvilJe,  where  he  has  resided 
ever  since.  At  the  time  of  his  arrival,  the  road  from  Upper  Sandusky  to 
Tiffin  was  the  only  one  laid  out  in  this  part  of  the  county.  All  traveling 
was  accomplished  by  following  the  Indian  trails.  His  practice  extended  to 
Melmore  on  the  east,  Little  Sandusky  on  the  south,  ten  miles  beyond  Find 
lay  on  the  west,  and  to  Tiffin  on  the  north.  Owing  to  the  absence  of  bridges, 
he  was  compelled  to  ford  or  swim  all  streams,  and  often  rode  seventy 
and  seventy-tive  miles  in  a  day  and  night  during  the  sickly  seasons.  There 
are  now  more  than  fifty  physicians  in  the  same  territory. 

His  first  patient  was  a  Mr.  Crane,  who  then  lived  upon  lands  now  occu- 
pied by  the  town  of  Carey.  A  son,  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  came  for 
him  on  foot,  bareheaded,  barefooted,  and  with  only  enough  clothing  to 
cover  about  onehalf  of  his  person.  He  led  the  way  to  where  they  lived, 
and  it  required  fast  riding,  the  doctor  says,  to  keep  in  sight  of  him. 

He  practiced  a  great  deal  among  the  Indians,  and  still  has  the  books  on 
which  are  the  accounts  of  Hicks,  Summundewat,  Sarrahos,  Warpole,  Mo- 
noncue,  Squindecta,  Peacock,  Washington  and  Coon,  chiefs  among  the 
Wyandots,  and  Steele,  Wiping-stick,  Half-John  and  Comstock  among  the 
Senecas.  He  had  long  experience  and  great  success  in  treating  "milk 
sickness,"  or  "trembles."  This  disease  prevailed  on  the  prairies  and 
along  the  streams,  but  says  he  never  knew  a  case  below  the  mouth  of  Ty- 
mochtee Creek. 

The  Doctor  is  still  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine,  and  possesses 
considerable  physical  vigor  and  energy,  although  having  performed  bodily 
toil  and  endured  mental  anxiety  sufficient  to  have  worn  out  any  ordinary 
man.* 

Dr.  James  McConnell  was  born  in  Huntingdon  County,  Penn.,  March  8, 
1802.  As  the  name  indicates,  he  was  of  Scoth-Irish  origin,  a  descendant 
of  a  class  of  intelligent,  hardy  pioneers,  who  settled  the  central  counties  of 
Pennsylvania  prior  to  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  During 
that  war  they  were  to  a  man  known  as  stanch  patriots,  and  as  determined, 
successful  Indian  fighters.  After  completing  a  thorough  course  of  literary 
and  medical  studies,  Dr.  McConnell  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at 
Lewistown,  Penn.,  where  he  remained  for  a  number  of  years.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1845,  he  became  a  resident  of  Upper  Sandusky.  Here  he  resumed 
practice,  and  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  centiiry  thereafter,  stood  at  the  head 
of  his  profession.  His  professional  services  were  in  great  demand,  and 
though  known  as  a  genial,  honest,  large  hearted  man,  he  accumulated  a 
handsome  competency.  He  retired  from  the  toils  and  anxieties  of  his  call- 
ing in  1868,  yet  until  within  a  very  recent  period  his  tall,  lithe  form,  was 
daily  one  of  the  most  familiaV  objects  to  be  seen  upon  the  streets  of  Upper 
Sandusky.  Pleasant  in  his  manners  and  a  fluent  conversationalist, he  was  a 
gentleman  well  calculated  to  win  and  retain  the  esteem  of  the  public.  He 
died  Saturday,  April  12,  1884,  after  an  illness  of  but  seven  or  eight  days' 
duration. 

Sketches  of  other  gentlemen  of  the  medical  profession  will  be  found  in 
the  respective  town  and  township  histories  of  this  work. 

*rrom  a  sketch  written  in  1879. 


378  *  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER     IX 

THE  PKESS. 

The  Wyandott  Telegraph— Extracts  from  its  Columns— The  Pioneer- 
Various  Comments  and  Extracts— The  Tribune— The  Vindicator— 
The  Herald— The  Pioneer  Changed  to  the  Republican— The  Chief — 
Biographical— Sketches  of  William  T.  Giles,  Robert  D.  Dumm,  Louis 
A  Brunner,  Pif.tro  Cuneo,  Henry  A.  Tracht,  Frank  T.  Tripp— Carey 
Publications— The  Nevada  Enterprise— The  Sycamore  News. 

UPPER  Sandusky's  journals  and  journalists. 

THE  following  historical  account  of  the  newspapers  of  Upper  Sandusky 
to  1871,  are  copied  almost  verbatim  from  a  series  of  articles  which,  pre- 
pared by  Hon.  John  D.  Sears,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  were  published  in  The 
Wyandot  Democratic  Union  during  the  spring  of  the  year  above  indicated: 

It  is  not  designed  to  make  an  apology  for  the  order  or  want  of  order  in 
these  notes;  yet,  if  an  excuse  is  needed  for  giving  precedence  to  the  subject 
of  this  chapter,  it  may  be  found  in  the  well-known  fact  that  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal objects  of  the  division  of  the  State  into  counties  is  to  afford  an  ade- 
quate supply  of  county  printing.  Our  laws  have  in  effect  taken  care  that 
there  shall  be  no  county  without  its  newspaper. 

The  Act  creating  the  county  of  Wyandot  was  passed  February  3,  1815, 
and  within  two  weeks  thereafter  the  Wyandott  Telegraph,  our  first  news- 
paper, was  established  at  Upper  Sandusky,  the  new  county  seat.  The  date 
of  its  hrst  issue  is  not  known  to  the  writer,  as  his  earliest  copy  is  No.  4, 
Vol.  I,  dated  March  8,  1845.  The  editor  and  proprietor  was  John  Shrenk, 
who  had  previously  published  a  paper  at  Bucyrus,  and  more  recently  at 
Kenton,  from  which  latter  place  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky. 

The  politics  of  this  first  publication  were  Whig.  "  Terms  of  subscrip- 
tion, one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  annum,  if  paid  in  four  weeks  from  the 
time  of  subscription;  otherwise,  two  dollars  will  be  charged."  "Advertise- 
ments will  be  inserted  at  the  following  rates:  One  dollar  for  three  inser- 
tions of  each  square,  of  twelve  lines  or  less,  and  twenty-five  cents  for  each 
subsequent  insertion."  It  was  a  five-column  folio,  size,  20|x27|  inches, 
and  pretty  well  printed. 

Our  earliest  number  of  the  Telegraph  contains  the  proceedings  of  the  first 
Whig  county  convention,  held  at  Upper  Sandusky  on  the  5th  of  March,  1845, 
and  a  call  signed  "Many  Democrats,"  for  a  meeting  of  the  Democracy  on 
the  15th  of  March,  to  make  nominations  for  county  officers.  There  was  also 
an  announcement  of  Maj.  Anthony  Bowsher  as  an  Independent  candidate 
for  Sheriff,  and  a  communication  from  "A  True  Democrat,"  with  some  unfa- 
vorable criticisms  of  the  Major's  qualifications  for  the  office,  in  the  course 
of  which  the  indignant  writer  says:  "  When  such  persons  become  fit  for  office, 
we  may  look  for  the  end  of  time."  Doubtless  we  may  look  for  it,  but  we 
have  elected  many  worse  men,  and  still  Gabriel  forbears  to  blow. 

In  the  editorial  columns  appeared  the  following:  "We  have  just  received 
the  important  news  from  Washington  that  Congress  has  passed  a  law  making 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  379 

a  donation  of  town  lots  to  the  county  of  Wyandot.  *  *  *  *  Jt  donates 
one  third  of  the  iulots  and  one-third  of  the  outlots  to  the  county  of  Wy- 
andot, provided  the  county  seat  is  established  here,  for  the  purpose  of  put- 
ting up  public  buildings,  and  improving  the  streets,  public  squares  and 
public  grounds.  *  *  *  *  The  donation  is  a  noble  one,  and,  if  rightly 
managed  and  justly  appropriated,  our  citizens  will  never  be  subjected  to  an 
onerous  tax  for  public  buildings.  Few  new  counties  have  been  so  highly 
favored  as  Wyandot,  and  we  predict  for  her  an  unexampled  tide  of  pros- 
perity. *  *  *  *  The  number  of  lots  which  the  county  will  get  by  the 
provisions  of  this  law  will  be  126  inlots  and  72  outlots.  The  outlots  contain 
two  acres  each.     *     *     *     " 

The  only  thing  in  this  number  of  the  Telegraph  which  looks  like  a  local 
item,  is  a  line  at  the  foot  of  a  column  in  which  it  is  said.  "  The  Sandusky 
River  is  still  raising" — and  that  was  not  true  according  to  our  recollection. 

The  advertising  portion  fills  a  little  more  than  half  a  column,  and  is 
made  up  of  a  notice  by  Moses  Dudley  &  William  W^.  Norton,  warn- 
ing the  public  against  purchasing  certain  notes  made  by  them,  payable  to 
Thomas  C.  Theaker,  and  which  they  say  they  are  determined  never  to  pay,  as 
they  were  obtained  by  deception  and  fraud;  the  professional  card  of  Benja- 
min M.  Penn,  attorney  at  law,  Kenton,  Ohio;  M.  H.  Kirby,  attorney  at  law, 
Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio:  Chester  R.  Mott,  attorney  at  law,  Upper  Sandusky, 
Ohio;  J.  Lawrence  &  William  K.  Wear,  attorneys  at  law,  Kenton  and 
Upper  Sandusky;  Scott  (Josiah)  &  Sears  (John  D.),  attorneys  at  law, 
Bucyrus  and  Upper  Sandusky,  and  Thomas  Spybey's  advertisement  of 
"Tailoring  at  Kirby's  Hotel,  shop  upstairs."  There  were,  besides,  several 
prospectuses  and  a  complimentary  notice  of  Wistar's  Balsam  of  Wild 
Cherry,  which  in  the  dearth  of  other  matter,  was  duplicated  and  appears 
on  both  outside  and  inside  of  the  paper. 

Among  the  news  is  an  abstract  of  legislative  proceedings  as  late  as 
March  1,  and  a  statement  of  the  manner  in  which  the  new  cabinet  was  to  be 
composed,  information  of  which  was  said  to  have  been  received  by  the 
Baltimore  American,  through  the  magnetic  telegraph. 

Thei-e  is  also  the  following  credited  to  the  Urbana  Citizen:  "The  way 
hungry  expectants  are  crowding  into  Washington  is  a  caution  to  honest  peo- 
ple. On  Wednesday  morning  last,  sixteen  stages,  averaging  nine  passengers 
each,  left  Wheeling  for  the  East,  and  the  Times  says  that  the  number  leav- 
ing daily  for  some  time  past,  has  varied  from  live  to  fifteen,  all  bound  for 
Washington  to  see  Polk  inaugurated  and  gather  up  the  crumbs  that  fall  from 
his  table." 

That  would  not  be  thought  much  of  a  shower  in  these  modern  days, 
when  our  great  railroad  facilities  are  scarce  sufficient  to  accommodate  the 
crusade  of  patriots  seeking  to  serve  the  country  for  pay. 

The  Telegraph  was  published  in  the  Indian  Council  House  until  that 
building  was  taken  possession  of  for  county  purposes,  at  which  time  Shrenk 
moved  to  the  lot  now  occupied  by  the  Methodist  Church,  and  while  his  new 
office  was  getting  ready  for  occupation  worked  off  one  number  of  his  paper 
in  the  open  air  under  an  apple  tree. 

Besides  the  number  already  described,  our  files  contain  No.  11,  for  May 
10,  No.  12,  May  17,  No.  16,  June  14,  No.  28,  August  9,  and  No.  29,  for 
October  10,  1845.      The  missing  numbers  will  probably  never  be  found. 

Numbers  11  and  16  do  not  contain  a  paragraph  of  local  news  or  a  scrap 
of  editorial.  There  is  very  little  original  matter  in  either  of  the  other  num- 
bei-s;  the  last  being  pretty  well  filled  with  that  choice  literature  supposed  to 


380  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

be  so  effective  upon  a  pending  election,  and  which  is  intended  to  remedy  all 
deficiencies  in  the  voter's  qualifications  to  exercise  the  elective  franchise. 
No.  23  contains  an  original  poem,  written  for  the  Telegraph,  by  A.  W.  B. 
However,  excepting  of  course  the  poetry,  the  most  interesting  and  valua- 
ble portions  of  these  old  papers  are  the  advertising  columns. 

On  the  10th  of  May,  there  are  two  road  notices,  an  admiuisti-ator's  no- 
tice, a  Sheriflf's  sale,  on  an  execution  from  Marion  County.  Harvey  & 
Fouke's  advertisement  of  wool-caz*ding  at  Little  Sandusky,  the  card  of  David 
"Watson,  physician  and  surgeon,  and  timely  warning  by  Samuel  M.  Worth, 
Auditor,  of  the  action  taken  by  the  County  Commissioners  in  reference  to  the 
act  to  improve  the  breed  of  sheep.  On  the  17th  of  May,  there  is  a  notice  in 
chancery,  by  Robert  McKelly,  solicitor  for  the  petitioner.  On  the  14th  of 
June,  Alexander  Valentine  calls  attention  to  his  new  establishment  for  the 
manufacture  of  coffins  and  other  cabinet  ware;  Joseph  McCutchen  announces 
that  his  new  store  is  now  opening  in  Upper  Sandusky;  Dr.  A.  W.  Munson 
gives  notice  of  his  permanent  location  at  Wyandot,  for  the  purpose  of  at- 
tending all  calls  in  the  line  of  his  profession;  and  Rowe  &  Tyler  (Peter  A.) 
attorneys  at  law.  Marion  and  McCutchenvillt),  advertise  their  readiness  to 
attend  to  business  iu  Wyandot  and  surrounding  counties. 

On  the  9th  of  August,  John  Rummell  advertises  his  fulling  mill,  in 
Tymochtee  Township,  operated  by  steam  and  water  power.  There  is  an 
estray  notice  from  the  estray  book  of  Abraham  Myers,  J.  P.  of  Crawford 
Township;  an  attachment  notice  from  Richland  Township;  a  tax  notice  by 
Abner  Jurey,  County  Treasurer,  giving  the  levy  for  1845,  in  which  the 
highest  rate  in  any  township  is  19  mills  on  the  dollar  valuation,  and 
a  special  notice  in  reference  to  road  taxes,  from  Samuel  M.  Worth,  County 
Auditor.  This  number  of  the  Telegraph  also  contains  a  notice  by  Stephen 
Fowler,  W^illiam  Griffith  and  Ethan  Terry,  County  Commissioners,  of  a 
public  sale  of  town  lots  at  Upper  Sandusky,  on  the  20th,  21st  and  22d  days 
of  August,  1845,  at  which  time  they  will  oflfer  the  in  and  outlots  in  said 
town,  vested  in  the  said  Commissioners  by  Act  of  Congress  approved  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1845,  being  every  third  of  the  in  and  outlots  selected  by  alter- 
nate and  progressive  numbers,  amounting  to  126  inlots,  and  72  outlots. 
Terms  of  sale,  one-fourth  of  the  purchase  money  required  in  hand,  the  bal- 
ance in  three  annual  installments,  secu.red  by  notes  bearing  interest.  Dan- 
iel Walker  also  announces  to  the  public  that  he  has  commenced  the  tailor- 
ing business  in  Upper  Sandusky,  at  the  hotel  of  Col.  A.  McElvain. 

The  last  number  of  the  Telegraph  contains  another  Sheriff's  sale;  the 
Sheriff's  proclamation  of  the  forthcoming  election;  J.  Duly's  oflfer  of  23 
cents,  and  no  thanks,  for  the  return  of  a  runaway  apprentice;  a  notice 
signed  "Many  Carpenters,"  requesting  the  carpenters  and  joiners  of  Upper 
Sandusky  and  vicinity  to  meet  at  the  court  house,  to  consult  on  matters  of 
importance  to  the  trade,  and  a  notice  from  Samuel  M.  Worth,  Auditor,  that 
sealed  proposals  will  be  received  until  the  30th  of  October,  for  the  erection 
of  a  jail  in  Upper  Sandusky.  The  latter  announcement  affi)rd8  indisputable 
evidence  of  our  rapid  advance  and  great  progress  in  civilization. 

We  linger  lovingly  over  this  number,  and  part  from  it  with  regret,  for 
it  was  the  last  issue  of  the  Wyandott  Telegraph  which  ever  saw  the  light. 
Without  warning,  it  was  cut  off  in  the  flower  of  its  youth.  The  Whigs 
didn't  rally  strong  enough;  the  Democrats  elected  their  entire  county  ticket, 
except  one  County  Commissionei-,  in  the  autumn  of  1845,  and  there  was  no 
hope  of  sustenance  from  the  county  printing.  These  misfortunes  and  the 
effort  of  spelling  Wyandot  with  two  t's  were  too  much  for  it,  and  it  went 
out. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  381 

Shrenk,  the  publisher  and  editor,  was  au  industrious,  energetic  man, 
who  did  most  of  his  own  work.  The  mental  labor,  however,  of  getting  up 
the  paper  was  not  excessive. 

In  the  Democratic  Pioneer  of  November  7,  1845,  we  find  this  paragraph, 
which,  with  a  courtesy  belonging  to  the  country  editor  of  the  old  school, 
refers  to  its  lately  defunct  contemporary,  and  which  we  insert  as  the  obit- 
uary notice  and  epitaph  of  the  Wyandott  Telegraph: 

"The  thing  that  decamped  from  this  place,  and  took  up  his  abode 
in  Napoleon,  Henry  County,  and  is  issuing  a  little  filthy  sheet,  is  said  to  be 
doing  great  service  to  the  Democracy  of  that  county,  and  the  Democrats  are 
returning  their  thanks  to  him.  Good.  We  hope  our  friends  in  those 
regions  will  give  him  plenty  of  rope,  and  the  consequence  will  be  seen." 

The  successful  rival  of  the  Telegraph  was  the  Democratic  Pioneer,  the 
publication  of  which  was  commenced  by  William  T.  Giles  on  the  29th  of 
August,  1815.  This  was  a  six-column  folio,  substantially  of  the  same  size 
as  the  Telegraph,  but  with  narrower  columns  and  less  margin,  printed  an 
type  that  had  seen  much  service,  and  edited  by  its  publisher,  a  journeyman 
printer  recently  out  of  his  apprinticeship.  Giles  was  a  young  man  of  ex- 
cellent habits,  industrious,  persevering  and  frugal;  in  fact,  very  much  like 
the  late  Benjamin  Franklin,  who  made  himself  famous  a  hundred  years 
ago  by  the  exercise  of  qualities  which,  however  common  they  have  since 
become,  were  then  something  of  a  rarity. 

In  mechanical  execution  the  Pioneer  suffered  by  contrast  with  its  prede- 
cessor, and  in  literary  excellence  it  had  nothing  to  boast  of;  yet  its  editorial 
columns,  filled  with  awkward  English  and  bad  grammar,  were  launched 
against  the  enormities  of  Whiggery  with  the  courage  if  not  the  skill  of 
veterans.  There  was,  withal,  a  spice  of  independence  of  party  dictation, 
as  well  as  the  rules  of  grammar,  both  of  which  find  illustration  in  a  single 
paragraph  which  we  quote  literally  from  the  prospectus  for  the  Pioneer  : 

"It  is  the  intention  of  the  editor  to  be  perfectly  free  and  uncontrolled  by 
any  man  or  set  of  men,  and  always  willing  to  receive  the  counsel  of  such 
as  are  desirous  of  promoting  the  good  cause,  for  which  it  is  published  to 
vindicate,  as  the  advice  of  many  is  likely  to  be  more  correct  than  the  few." 

We  wish  also  to  copy  another  short  article  which  is  not  only  a  fair 
specimen  of  the  editorial  style  of  the  early  Pioneer,  but  will  recall  to  our 
older  readex's  a  state  of  things  verv  characteristic  of  Upper  Sandusky  in  the 
fall  of  1845. 

"removing  our  office 

"  While  our  office  is  rolling  along  the  streets  in  Upper  Sandusky  to  its 
future  place  of  destination,  we  are  sticking  up  these  lines.  Hereafter  we 
may  be  found  a  little  west  of  Mr.  McCutchen's  store,  occupying  a  spot  in 
the  orchard,  where  at  all  times  we  will  be  happy  to  see  and  accommodate 
our  friends.  Our  situation  will  be  on  the  Wyandot  avenue,  in  our  opinion 
a  very  beautiful  spot. 

"  We  can,  with  much  truth,  say  Democracy  is  progressing,  for  we  are 
now  progressing  up  street  at  a  pretty  fair  rate.  We  would  be  glad  to  have 
all  the  coons  in  Christendom  here  who  deny  that  Democracy  is  progressing, 
for  certainly  when  they  would  see  us  progressing  they  would  have  to  ad- 
mit the  fact." 

In  the  first  number  of  the  Pioneer,  Robert  McKelly  announces  himself 
as  an  attorney  at  law  and  solicitor  in  chancery,  and  D.  Ayres&Co.  advertise 
their  new  store,  new  goods  and  new  prices,  and  inform  the  public  that 
"their  store  may  be  found  obliquely  opposite  Mr.  Kirby's  hotel."     On  the 


382  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

12th  of  September,  John  Sell  notifies  the  public  of  his  location  in  Upper 
Sandusky,  where  he  will  hereafter  practice  as  an  attorney  at  law  and  solici- 
tor in  chancery,  and  J.  &  J.  Myers  announce  the  opening  of  a  new  grocery 
and  bakery. 

The  Pioneer  continued  under  the  management  of  its  original  proprietor 
until  February,  1849.  On  the  16th  of  that  month,  the  publisher  announced 
the  prospective  winding  up  of  his  connection  with  the  paper,  and  on  the 
23d  he  published  his  valedictory,  and  announced  the  sale  of  the  establish- 
ment to  Josiah  Smith  and  Elijah  Giles.  William  T.  Giles  soon  afterward 
started  for  California,  and  the  Pioneer  was  conducted  by  the  new  publishers, 
under  the  name  of  J.  Smith  &  E.  Giles,  and  with  no  other  very  obvious 
change.  Some  time  in  1850,  Mr.  Smith  withdi-ew  from  the  editorial  chair, 
and  the  paper  remained  under  the  sole  control  of  Elijah  Giles,  until  the 
return  of  William  T.  Giles  from  California  in  1853. 

It  was  during  the  eventful  railroad  campaign  in  the  fall  of  1850  that 
the  memorable  attack  upon  the  liberty  of  the  press  in  the  person  of  the  then 
editor  of  the  Pioneer  occurred.  This  event,  though  discreditable  to  the 
county,  ought  to  be  held  in  remembrance  as  a  warning  to  all  who  may  be 
disposed  to  imitate  the  outrage.  For  that  purpose  we  reproduce,  from  per- 
haps the  only  copy  in  existence,  Mr.  Giles'  own  account  of  the  trans- 
action: 

"  AN    ATTEMPT    TO    MOB    US. 

"  On  the  second  Tuesday  of  October, — that  ever-memorable  day.  when 
Ohioans  exercise  the  rights  of  suffrage — -the  first  and  best  of  all  blessings 
that  freemen  are  endowed  with — gained  and  given  to  us  b}  our  worthy  and 
patriotic  forefathers,  whose  names  have  been  signed  to  the  Declaration  of 
Independence — thus  preserving  to  us  our  liberties  and  the  privileges  that 
the  God  of  Nature  intended  for  us.  On  this  great  day,  many  of  our  fellow - 
citizens  went  to  the  different  polls  in  the  county  ;  and  we  among  the  rest, 
not  dreaming  that  our  country  was  infested  with  a  cowardly  mob  of  villains, 
went  to  Jackson  Township.  While  there,  six  or  seven  bullies  from  Mar- 
seilles came  for  the  purpose  above  named.  One  of  them  was  sent  into  the 
house  to  meet  and  greet  us  as  a  friend,  while  the  others  were  kept  out, 
fearing  mistrust  of  what  was  going  on;  and  he  had  the  audacity  to  carry 
it  out  with  the  impudence  of  old  Satan.  He  approached  us  and  spoke  in 
the  most  friendly  terms — 'How  do  you  do,  friend  Giles?'  We  spoke  in  re- 
turn. He  then  said  he  wanted  Lo  talk  privately,  and  asked  us  to  walk  out 
with  him,  which  we  unhesitatingly  did. 

"  Before  getting  off  the  porch,  he  said  he  had  '  a  crow  to  pick  with  us, 
to  walk  some  distance  with  him;'  all  understood  by  his  companions,  that 
after  getting  us  out  from  the  house,  they  would  surround  us,  so  that  we 
could  not  get  to  the  house  in  such  an  emergency  as  this.  When  we -were  led 
to  the  spot  selected — distant  from  the  house,  so  that  our  friends  could  not 
hear  us  in  the  hour  of  disti'ess,  or  come  to  our  relief — they  all  jumped 
around  us,  as  if  to  say — '  W^e've  got  you  now.' 

"  Their  countenances  boi'e  the  most  corrupt  design;  their  fiendish  eyes 
gave  expression  that  led  us  to  believe  that  their  hearts  were  so  tickled  with 
the  '  old  boy  '  as  to  place  our  life  in  their  brutal  hands.  At  this  moment 
our  heart  was  full  of  agony,  and  almost  bleeding  to  think  there  were  men 
in  the  country  who  would  thus  take  a  lone  stranger,  and  use  him  thus  bar- 
bai'ously. 

"  Directly  after  we  were  surrounded,  the  big  little  bully,  McGavern,  threw 
off  his  coat  and  declared  he  would  whip  us.     What  a  great    little  brave  fel- 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  383 

low  he  was,  when  he  had  live  or  six  bullies  to  back  him — swearing  they 
would  have  a  kick  at  us  as  we  would  fall!  McGavern  struck  us  several 
blows  in  the  breast,  swearing  by  all  that  was  good  and  bad  we  had  weapons, 
for  he  was  told  so  at  Brownstown.  Did  he  suppose,  if  we  had,  that  we 
would  have  stood  and  let  such  insults  be  heaped  upon  us?  If  we  would 
have  had  weapons  he  would  not  have  struck  us  so  often,  for  if  we  ever  in 
our  life  could  have  been  or  was  aggravated  to  use  anything  of  the  kind,  it 
was  at  that  time. 

"  While  we  were  in  this  position,  asking  for  quarter,  one  of  our  very 
special  friends  in  the  house  heard  us,  and  ran  to  our  rescue.  When  he 
found  we  were  being  abused,  he  stepped  between  us  and  the  man  that  was 
striking  us,  and  told  us  to  go  to  the  house.  When  we  started,  up  stepped 
Mr.  Lewis  Merriman  (a  man  of  notoriety,  by  the  way),  begging  of  our 
friend  to  let  us  be  whipped,  as,  he  said,  we  so  richly  deserved  it.  But  our 
friend,  a  true-hearted  man,  would  not  swerve  from  the  integrity  and  friend- 
ship existing  between  us,  but  said:  'Never-  shall  he  be  hurt  as  long  as  I  am 
here.'  A  true  friend  in  the  time  of  need  is  really  a  true  one;  and  his 
name  and  the  names  of  those  that  befriended  us  in  that  houi'  shall  be  sacred 
in  our  bosom  the  longest  day  we  live. 

''  Had  we  been  surrounded  by  Indians  of  the  most  savage  character,  and 
made  the  appeals  that  we  did  to  those  white  savages,  they  would  have 
shrunk  from  the  scene,  and  not  treated  us  half  so  bad.  Could  we  tell  our 
feelings,  or  describe  the  scene  as  it  actually  took  place,  it  would  be  as  an 
imaginary  picture,  untold  of  in  the  history  of  mankind. 

•'It  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  make  a  long  preface  to  this  story  at  this 
time,  as  we  expect  co  be  called  upon  to  notice  it  again,  and  make  the 
names  and  characters  of  the  individuals  conspicuous." 

It  need  not  be  said  that  the  sympathies  of  the  entire  pi'ess  of  the  coun- 
try were  aroused  concerning  this  outrage,  or  that  the  expression  of  them 
was  loud,  frequent,  and  finally  overpowering. 

In  the  spring  of  1858,  William  T.  Giles,  having  returned  from  Cali- 
fornia, resumed  the  control  of  the  Democratic  Pioneer,  and  soon  after 
changed  its  name  to  the  Wyandot  Pioneer. 

Having  thus  hastily  sketched  the  fortunes  of  the  Democratic  Pioneer, 
until  the  return  of  its  founder  and  its  change  of  name,  we  must  now 
retrace  our  steps  to  notice  other  luminaries  which  from  time  to  time  arose 
and  shone  and  went  out. 

On  the  18th  of  July,  1848,  at  Upper  Sandusky,  James  S.  Fouke  &  Co.* 
issued  the  first  number  of  the  Wyandot  Tribune,  a  sheet  of  the  same  size 
as  that  on  which  the  Pioneer  was  printed,  but  with  only  five  columns  to  the 
page.  The  Tribune  was  like  all  other  tribunes  in  those  days — a  Whig 
paper.  It  was  well  printed,  was  conducted  with  moderate  ability,  and  as- 
sisted materially  in  the  election  of  Taylor  and  Fillmore. 

However-,  on  the  17th  of  February,  1849,  Fouke  published  his  vale- 
dictory, in  which,  while  declining  to  enumerate  the  reasons  for  his  with- 
drawal, he  gives  one  which  is  tolerably  satisfactory,  for  he  says:  "The 
patronage  of  the  office  is  not  sufficient  to  meet  our  engagements,  and  hence 
the  necessity  of  our  leaving."  At  the  same  time,  he  announces  the  transfer 
of  the  paper  to  Mr.  A.  C.  Hulburd,  who  is  introduced  as  "  a  young  man  de- 
serving the  encouragement  and  patronage  of  the  Whig  party. " 

On  the  1st  of  December,  1849,  Hulburd  formed  a  partnership  with  M.  R. 

*G.  L.  Wharton  was  Fouke's  partner  when  the  Iribune  was  established.    lie  sold  out  to  the  latter  in 
December,  1S48. 


384  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Gould,  and  the  Tribune  was  thenceforward  conducted  by  Hulburd  &  Gould, 
until  January  25,  1851,  when  it  had  reached  the  twenty-eighth  number 
of  the  second  volume.  At  the  date  last  named,  the  publishers  announced 
that  they  had  found  it  necessary  to  suspend  the  publication  of  their  paper 
for  a  time,  in  order  to  collect  their  outstanding  accounts.  As  might  have 
been  inferred,  this  was  the  last  appearance  of  the  Wyandot  Tribune. 

As  before  stated,  William  T.  Giles,  having  assumed  the  publication  of 
the  Democraiic  Pioneer,  changed  its  name  to  the  Wijayidot  Pioneer,  which 
was  issued  on  the  23d  of  June,  1853,  on  an  enlarged  sheet,  as  a  seven-column, 
paper,  and  printed  on  new  type.  With  his  increased  experience,  Giles  pro- 
duced a  paper  which,  held  a  very  respectable  rank  among  the  country  press, 
and  which,  although  Democratic,  was  at  the  same  time  liberal  and  concilia- 
tory. He  continued  to  publish  it  until  September  2,  1854,  when  he  sold 
out  the  establishment  to  one  William  Appleton,  who  ran  it  about  a  year. 
Under  Appleton's  management  the  paper  was  frequently  referred  to  as  a 
Know-Nothing  organ. 

In  January,  1855,  Giles  brought  suit  for  an  unpaid  balance  of  the  pur- 
chase money  due  for  the  newspaper,  and  swore  out  an  attachment  against 
Appleton  as  a  non-resident.  The  press,  types  and  fixtures  were  attached 
and  appraised  at  $800.  Shoi'tly  afterward,  some  gentlemen  of  this  place 
(Upper  Sandusky)  paid  off  Giles'  judgment,  and  the  Pioneer  passed  under 
the  editorial  control  of  Col.  William  T.  Wilson,  and  became  an  exponent  of 
the  principles  of  the  then  new  Republican  party. 

The  next  change  was  in  Jtily,  1856,  when  the  Pioneer  was  sold  to  George 
W.  Keen  and  Horatio  N.  Lewis,*  who,  the  next  year,  July  2,  1857,  trans- 
ferred the  establishment  to  Charles  G.  Mugg,  who,  to  use  the  language  of 
his  salutatory  in  the  number  for  July  9,  1857,  thenceforth  became  "  editor, 
publisher  and  proprietor  in  his  propria  persona. " 

On  the  29th  of  October,  1857,  Mugg  reduced  the  size  of  the  Pioneer, 
making  it  once  more  a  six-column  paper,  and  on  the  11th  of  February,  1858, 
having  sold  out  to  Col.  Wilson,  he  retired  from  the  "tripod"  with  some- 
thing of  a  flourish.  It  may  be  said  that  nothing  in  his  editorial  career  be- 
came him  like  the  leaving  it,  as  witness  this  specimen  brick  from  his  vale- 
dictory : 

"  Since  we  have  been  in  the  business,  we  have  filled  all  sorts  of  positions 
— we  have  at  the  same  time  been  editor,  foreman,  pressman,  jour,  and  devil 
(by  the  way,  the  devilship  suited  tolerably  well,  as  we  were  somewhat 
devilishly  inclined  before  we  went  into  the  business),  and  have  been  com- 
pelled to  labor  day  and  night  to  get  out  our  paper,  and  if  any  of  our  patrons 
think  they  could  have  done  better  than  we  have  done,  just  let  them 
invest  $800  in  a  '  one-horse '  printing  ofi&ce,  and  try  the  experiment.  There 
are  various  reasons  why  we  have  not  succeeded  any  better  as  a  newspaper 
political  editor;  we  were  too  honest  to  be  a  politician — too  poor  to  be  inde- 
pendent— too  proud  to  beg — worth  too  much  property  to  get  our  work  done 
for  nothing  — drank  too  much  lager  for  a  temperance  man — too  little  '  rot- 
gut'  for  the  'rummies' — too  much  of  a  moral  man  for  the  b'hoys — 
too  much  of  a  rowdy  for  the  pharisaical  part  of  the  community — in  tine, 
we  had  all  the  disadvantages,  and  but  few  of  the  advantages  of  oui'  exalted 
position." 

Again  we  must  go  back  to  gather  up  the  broken  threads  of  our  narrative. 

♦Horatio  N.  Lewis,  then  twenty-five  years  of  age,  died  at  Chicago,  III ,  in  September,  1857,  from  in 
juries  received  on  the  care  of  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad,  near  Alliance,  Ohio,  in  July 
1857. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  385 

By  the  transfer  of  the  Pioneer  to  William  Appleton  in  1854,  the  Demo- 
cratic party  was  left  without  an  organ,  a  tolerable  state  of  affairs,  though 
not  to  be  of  long  continuance,  for  on  the  3d  of  November,  1854,  Robert  D. 
Dumm  commenced  the  publication  of  the  Democratic  Vindicator,  a  hand- 
somely printed  seven-column  folio,  of  the  same  sized  sheet  then  used  by  the 
Pioneer.  About  the  close  of  the  first  volume,  the  new  paper  passed  under 
the  editorial  control  of  N.  W.  Dennison,  who  conducted  it  until  July  3, 
1857,  at  which  date  he  bade  the  public  farewell,  and  informed  them  that  he 
was  about  to  pitch  his  tent  in  the  West.  He  soon  after  went  to  Boonsboro, 
Iowa,  taking  press  and  types  with  him,  and  thus  did  the  Vindicator  cease 
to  vindicate. 

The  gap  was  soon  filled,  however,  for  there  was  no  lack  of  valiant  men 
ready  to  spread  buckets  full  of  printer's  ink  on  the  least  provocation  or 
smallest  chances  of  remuneration,  and  on  the  20th  of  August,  1857,  Nathan 
Jones  and  J.  W.  Wheaton  issued  the  first  number  of  the  Democratic  Union. 
As  early  as  December  24,  following,  Mr.  Jones  had  become  sole  editor  and 
publisher,  and  on  the  18th  of  February,  1858,  he  published  to  the  world  his 
farewell  address,  and  Robert  D.  Dumm  took  control  of  the  Union.  As  first 
issued  by  Jones  &  Wheaton  it  was  a  six-column  folio.  The  office  was  par- 
tially destroyed  by  fire  just  before  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Jones. 

When  Col.  Wilson  took  charge  of  the  Pioneer  the  second  time,  it  was 
conducted  for  awhile  as  a  neutral  paper.  It  soon  manifested  Republican 
proclivities,  and    erelong  became  a  decided  political  and  party  organ. 

Note. — With  the  most  scrupulous  investigation  into  the  lives  and  deaths 
of  the  ephemeral  newspapers  of  Wyandot  County,  we  have  omitted  in  its 
proper  place  to  mention  the  short-lived  Wyandot  Herald.  This  paper  was 
started  after  Elijah  Giles  had  ceased  to  publish  the  Pioneer.  It  was  con- 
ducted by  "Charles  Warner,  editor  and  publisher,"  and  its  first  number  was 
issued  April  19,  3853.  It  survived  long  enough  to  reach  its  sixth  number, 
when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  W^illiam  T.  Giles,  and  No.  7  was  issued 
by  him  on  the  23d  of  June,  1853,  as  the  Wyandot  Pioneer.  It  was  Demo- 
cratic in  politics,  and  not  otherwise  remarkable. 

The  Democratic  Union,  under  the  control  of  Robert  D.  Dumm,*  and 
the  Wyandot  Pioneer,  in  charge  of  Col.  William  T.  Wilson,  were  respec- 
tively the  organs  of  the  Democratic  and  Republican  parties  for  a  number  of 
years,  following  the  party  banners  and  playing  the  party  tunes  with  a 
faithfulness  and  devotion  which,  however  undesirable  in  a  newspaper,  are 
indispensable  qualifications  for  a  party  organ. 

On  the  3d  of  May,  1861,  Colonel,  then  Capt.  AVilliam  T.  Wilson,  left 
for  the  seat  of  war  in  Western  Virginia,  in  command  of  a  company  of 
Wyandot  County  volunteers,  then  known  as  the  "Wyandot  Guards,"  and 
his  estimable  wife,  INTrs.  L.  A.  Wilson,  was  left  in  charge  of  the  Pioneer. 
The  newly-installed  lady  editor  published  three  numbers,  which  were  fully 
equal  to  those  which  preceeded  and  followed  them  uncler  other  manage- 
ment. The  Pioneer  then  passed  into  the  hands  of  Louis  A.  Brunner,  a 
former  resident  of  Maryland.  On  the  16th  of  September,  1864,  Otho  J. 
Powell  became  a  joint  proprietor  of  the  paper,  and  the  Pioneer  was  pub- 
lished by  Brunner  &  Powell  until  August  23,  1865,  when  Mr.  Brunner 
again  became  sole  proprietor.  A  few  months  later,  however,  or  on  the  31st 
of  January,  1866,  the  Pioneer  again  passed  under  the  control  of  Col.  Wil- 
son, who  on  the  27th  of  September,  1866,  was  succeeded  by  Pietro  Cuneo, 

*  In  1865,  Mr  Dumm  introduced  the  first  cylinder  press  run  in  this  part  of  Ohio;  several  years,  indeed,  be- 
fore such  a  press  was  used  in  Titlin,  Lima  or  Mansfield. 


386  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  present  editor  and  proprietor  of  that  paper.     On  the  7th  of  January, 

1869,  Mr.  Cuneo  changed  the  name  of  the  Wyandot  Pioneer,  which  since 
that  time  has  been  known  as  the  "  Wyandot  County  Rejmblicany  He  was 
the  first  Upper  Sandusky  publisher  to  introduce  steam  power. 

On  the  12th  of  November,  1868,  Robert  D.  Dumm  took  leave  of  the 
Union,  and  was  succeeded  by  E.  Zimmerman,  who  on  the  1st  of  November, 

1870,  was  in  turn  succeeded  by  Louis  A.  Brunner.  The  latter  continued 
as  sole  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  paper  until  during  the  month  of  Aug- 
ust, 1873,  when  Mr.  Dumm  (who,  as  the  senior  member  of  the  lirm  of  R.  D. 
Dumm  &  Co.,  had  been  editing  and  publishing  the  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.,  Senti- 
nel, a  daily  and  weekly  newspaper,  from  November,  1868).  returned  and 
purchased  a  one-half  interest  in  the  Union.  The  firm  of  Dumm  &  Brunner 
then  continued  until  October,  1874,  when  they  sold  out  to  Charles  L.  Zahm. 
The  last  named  individual  continued  in  control  until  about  the  1st  of  No- 
vember, 1877,  when  he  transferred  his  interests  to  D.  J.  Stalter  and  R.  D. 
Webster.  The  firm  of  Stalter  &  Webster  only  continued  some  six  or  eight 
months,  when  the  junior  member  retired,  leaving  Mr.  Stalter  in  sole  control 
until  November  27,  1879,  when  the  Union  again  passed  into  the  hands  of 
Messrs.  Dumm  &  Brunner,  its  present  editors  and  proprietors,  who  erected 
for  it  the  building  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Railroad  streets,  and  put  in 
steam  power  to  run  its  presses. 

The  old,  and  it  may  be  added  trite  saying,  that  "tall  oaks  from  little 
acorns  grow,"  is  quite  applicable  when  reference  is  made  to  The  Weekly 
Chief,  Upper  Sandusky's  latest  acquisition  in  the  journalistic  field.  It  ap- 
pears that  in  August,  1876,  H.  A.  Tracht,  then  a  youth  of  but  fourteen 
years  of  age,  purchased  $6  worth  of  material  and  began  printing 
cards.  As  his  business  increased  he  added  more  stock  to  his  oSice,  which 
was  then  located  in  the  back  part  of  his  father's  shoe  store,  and  in  May, 
1878,  began  the  publication  of  a  small  monthly  sheet,  styled  the  Wyandot 
Chief,  which  was  continued  for  one  year.  After  the  discontinuance  of  this 
paper,  the  youthful  editor  again  increased  his  facilities  for  doing  job  work 
and  secured  the  assistance  of  practical  mechanics. 

On  the  16th  of  August,  1879,  he  issued  the  first  number  of  The 
Weekly  Chief,  which  in  size  was  a  folio  of  13x20  inches.  In  January, 
1880,  it  was  made  a  six-column  folio.  Prosperity  rendered  another  en- 
largement necessary,  and  on  the  21st  of  May,  1881,  it  appeared  as  a  seven - 
column  folio,  and  io  April,  1882,  as  an  eight-column  folio.  In  September, 
1883,  it  was  changed  to  its  present  dimensions  and  style — a  well-printed 
six-column  quarto. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

It  is  a  pleasing  task  to  write  of  those  connected  with  the  early  history 
of  Wyandot,  and  certainly  no  one  occupies  a  more  prominent  place  in  the 
recollection  of  our  people  than  William  T.  Giles,  our  first  Democratic 
editor. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  New  Lisbon,  Columbiana  County, 
Ohio,  July  18,  1823.  He  attended  the  schools  of  that  then  quaint 
old  town  until  he  was  about  fifteen  years  old,  when  he  went  into  the  print- 
ing office  of  the  Ohio  Patriot  to  learn  the  business.  The  Patriot  was  then 
owned  by  Hetzell  &  Gregg,  and  young  Giles  remained  with  them  until  the 
office  was  sold  to  William  Duane  Morgan,  brother  of  Gen.  Morgan,  and 
the  last  Democratic  Auditor  of  State,  prior  to  the  election  of  Mr.  Kisse- 
witter  last  October.     He  continued  in  the  office  with  Mr.  Morgan  until  1843, 


V3^v 


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0"-:^. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  389 

when  he  went,  to  Bucyrus,  holding  a  position  on  the  Crawford  County 
Democrat,  then  published  and  edited  by  T.  J.  Orr.  Printing  offices  in 
Bucyrus  those  days  were  not  the  bonanzas  they  are  now,  and  Giles  could 
not  get  enough  money  from  handsome  Tom  Orr  to  pay  his  board, which  was 
$1.25  per  week.  Mr.  Orr  would  rather  sit  on  a  store  box  all  day  than  dun 
a  subscriber,  and  consequently  Tom's  bank  book  was  always  a  few  loads  of 
wood  behind.  Tom  was  an  able  writer,  but  could  do  nothing  with  more 
ease  than  any  other  man  in  America.  The  Craivford  County  Democrat 
was  started  some  time  early  in  1845,  but  in  Orr's  hands  it  was  a  failure,  the 
paper  collapsed,  and  he  urged  Giles,  his  only  employe,  to  buy  the  material 
and  remove  it  to  Upper  Sandusky  and  commence  the  publication  of  a 
Democratic  paper.  Giles  insisted  that  he  neither  had  money  nor  experience 
as  a  writer,  and  did  not  feel  like  embarking  in  the  enterprise.  Orr,  however, 
insisted,  giving  Giles  to  understand  that  unless  some  arrangement  could  be 
made,  he  could  not  pay  him  for  labor  due,  and  that  he  might  be  com- 
pelled to  count  imaginary  railway  ties  on  his  way  back  to  New  Lisbon. 
After  a  good  deal  of  persuasion,  Giles,  in  company  with  a  personal  friend, 
the  late  lamented  William  M.  Scroggs,  visited  Upper  Sandusky,  which  at 
that  time  was  a  vex'y  small  place.  The  Democrats,  Capt.  S.  M.  Worth,  R. 
McKelly,  Col.  A.  McElvain,  Col.  Joseph  McCutchen,  Peter  B.  Beidler,  C. 
R.  Mott,  George  Harper,  and  in  fact,  all  the  Democrats  urged  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Democratic  paper,  while  the  Whigs  put  in  their  words  of  dis- 
couragement, saying  it  could  not  live  in  so  new  a  county;  but  Giles  thought 
it  was  a  case  of  necessity;  he  was  like  the  fellow  after  the  ground  hog — he 
must  have  meat — and  there  was  mighty  little  prospect  of  getting  any  out 
of  Tom  Orr;  so  he  said,  "Sink  or  swim,  survive  or  perish,  here  goes."  He 
returned  to  Bucyrus,  informed  Orr  of  his  decision,  in  case  they  could  agree 
upon  terms.  Orr  wanted  to  know  what  proposition  Giles  had  to  make. 
Giles  said,  "If  you  sell  me  the  material  on  eight  months'  time,  taking  a  note 
for  the  amount  over  what  is  due  me,  and  agree  to  take  the  material  back  in 
case  payment  is  not  made  when  due,  and  will  then  agree  to  pay  me  my 
wages,  deducting  ten  per  cent  for  use  of  materials,  it  is  a  go — otherwise 
not."  Orr  agreed  to  the  proposition.  Col.  Scott,  a  very  fine  lawyer,  drew 
up  the  contract  and  note,  which  were  properly  signed. 

Giles  then  returned  to  Upper  Sandusky  to  seek  shelter  for  his  press  and 
material,  but  could  not  secure  a  place,  without  buying  a  building — a  small 
chair  shop — that  stood  in  the  middle  of  Fourth  street,  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  present  African  Church.  Now  came  the  question,  "  How  can  I  buy?" 
Giles  related  the  condition  of  things  to  some  Democratic  friends,  and  the 
result  was,  the  money  was  raised,  the  house  bought  and  held  for  payment. 
The  next  move  was  to  get  the  material  from  Bucyrus  to  Upper  Sandusky. 
Giles  borrowed  Col.  McKelly's  horse,  took  an  early  morning  start,  rode  over 
to  Bucyrus,  employed  Frederick  Fireing,  loaded  his  wagon,  and  returned 
to  Upper  Sandusky  the  same  day,  without  eating  a  bite  until  arriving  at 
McElvain' s  old  log  hotel,  located  where  the  brewery  now  stands. 

The  publication  of  the  Democratic  Pioneer  was  begun  under  these  embar- 
rassing circumstances,  and  all  the  difficulties  did  not  stop  here.  Giles  had 
to  buy  a  lot  to  put  his  building  on,  as  there  was  some  law  or  restriction 
compelling  the  removal  of  all  houses  from  the  streets.  At  the  time  of  the 
removal  of  the  building  bj  Mr.  Russel,  Giles  stood  at  the  case,  set  up  the 
notice  of  the  removal,  and  headed  it  "Progressive  Democracy,"  as  can  be 
seen  by  reference  to  the  old  files  of  the  Pioneer,  which  have  only  been  fully 
preserved  in  the  county  by  Hon.  J.  D.  Sears. 

1 1 


390  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Pay  day  came,  and  Giles  owed  more  thau  he  did  at  the  start,  so  he  at 
once  wrote  T.  J.  Orr  the  following  lines: 

Upper  Sandusky, ,  1846. 

T.  J.  Orr,  Esq.,  Bucyriis,  Ohio: 

Dear  Sir — Unable  to  make  the  payment — ready  to  comply  with  the  article. 

Respectfully  yours,  W.  T.  Giles. 

Mr.  Orr  was  in  the  same  condition — he  could  not  pay — and  in  a  longf 
letter  urged  Giles  to  go  on  and  pay  when  and  as  he  could.  Giles  took  his 
advice  and  worked  away.  One  evening,  as  Giles  was  passing  Col.  Mc 
Cutchen's  store,  he  heard  his  name  mentioned,  and  naturally  felt  inclined  to 
hear  what  was  being  said,  and  to  see  who  were  in  the  store.  He  quietly 
approached  the  door,  and  in  the  dim  candle  light,  saw  Cols.  Chaflfee,  Mc- 
Cutchen  and  others,  and  heard  them  lamenting  the  condition  of  the  young 
editor.  They  were  "really  sorry  that  the  country  was  so  thinly  settled  and 
the  town  so  small,  that  the  Pio«eer  could  not  survive;  that  Giles  was  indus- 
trious, energetic,  etc.,  but  the  fates  were  against  him."  After  hearing  their 
remarks,  Giles  said,  "By  the  Eternal,  if  I  burst  it  will  not  be  my  fault." 
He  went  home  but  did  not  sleep  much  that  night.  In  the  morning,  he  rose 
and  resolved  to  board  himself,  and  did  for  about  sixteen  months,  on  an 
average  cost  of  48  cents  per  week,  earning  and  saving  sufficient  to  pay  all 
his  debts.  After  free  from  d^bt,  he  boarded  at  Zimmerman's  Blue  Ball 
Hotel  till  1849. 

During  his  struggle  for  existence,  Giles  was  urged  to  "  take  the  post 
office  as  it  would  help  him  to  stem  the  tide."  He  refused  for  a  long  while, 
but  finally  consented.  A  petition  was  put  in  circulation,  and  Col.  McElvain, 
who  was  then  Postmaster,  and  had  urged  Giles  to  take  the  office,  refused  to 
sign  the  petition,  remarking  that  "  Giles  could  not  get  the  office  without  he 
had  other  signers."  This  raised  the  Irish  in  Giles,  and  he  "  made  a  vow 
that  he  would  have  the  office  with  just  those  names  and  none  other,  or  not 
have  it  at  all."  He  then  wrote  to  the  Hon.  Henry  St.  John,  who  was  then 
the  Member  of  Congress  from  this  district,  giving  a  statement  of  facts,  and 
sent  forward  the  petition.  Col.  McElvain  called  upon  Giles  and  wanted 
him  to  call  a  meeting,  and  let  the  meeting  decide  between  them.  Giles  said: 
"No,  I  have  done  everything  I  am  going  to  do  in  this  matter,  and  you  may^ 
call  all  the  meetings  you  want."  No  meeting  was  called,  but  Giles  became 
Postmaster,  but  only  held  the  office  long  enough  to  see  that  it  would  not 
pay  him.  when  he  resigned,  and  had  John  A.  Morrison  appointed  before  any 
one  knew  of  his  resignation,  excepting  Mr.  Morrison  and  a  few  friends. 

During  the  time  Giles  held  the  office,  some  malicious  party  sent  a  re- 
port to  Washington  that  the  mail  matter  wns  turned  upon  the  counter  and 
every  one  who  came  in  was  Postmaster.  This  was  false,  as  Giles  never  had 
a  counter  in  his  office,  and  would  not  let  people  in  while  changing  the  mail. 
A  secret  agent  came  along  one  cool  morning,  jumped  from  the  coach  (for 
this  was  the  time  of  old  stage  coaches),  and  was  going  to  rush  into  the 
office,  when  he  was  informed  by  Giles  "  that  he  couldn't  come  in,"  but  that 
he  could  go  into  the  printing-office. 

The  agent  did  as  ordei*ed,  and  when  the  mail  was  overhauled,  reported 
to  Giles  his  mission,  and  said,  "  I  am  glad  to  find  the  report  about  your 
office  false.  I  will  report  you  all  right  when  I  return."  Giles  said,  "  So 
far  as  the  report  goes,  it  is  all  false,  but  when  you  get  back  to  Washington, 
you  can  tell  them  if  they  do  not  like  the  way  this  office  is  managed,  they 
can  take  it  and  go  to  the  devil  with  it."  What  report  was  made  is  not 
known,  but  Mr.  Giles  kept  the  office  till  he  resigned. 

Giles  often  relates  his  mode  of  living,  and  laughs  over  early  days  at 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  391 

Upper  Sandusky,  and  tells  of  the  time  several  parties  procured  a  license 
for  an  old  couple,  on  conditions  that  they  would  mount  some  boxes  in  fi'ont 
of  a  store,  and  get  married.  Col.  Kirby  was  then  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and 
tied  the  knot. 

The  Democratic  Pioneer,  in  the  face  of  all  trials  and  tribulations,  pros- 
pered in  the  hands  of  W.  T.  Giles  up  and  until  the  spring  of  1849,  when 
he  sold  a  part  of  the  office  to  Josiah  Smith,  and  gave  the  other  half  to  Eli- 
jah Giles,  his  brother.  Mr.  Smith  paid  but  a  small  amount  down,  and  W. 
T.  Giles  gave  the  notes  to  Elijah,  who  bought  Smith's  interest,  paying  him 
with  his  own  notes.  When  Giles  started  for  California  with  Cul.  Lyle,  one 
of  God's  own  noblemen,  Col.  A.  McElvain,  his  sons  William  and  Purdy, 
Messrs.  Jones  and  Walker,  he  left  the  Pioneer  well  supplied  with  ink,  pa- 
per, etc  At  the  time  of  the  departure.  Col.  Lyle  and  Giles  were  in  poor 
health,  and  it  was  not  supposed  that  either  would  live  to  get  to  St.  Joseph, 
Mo.  Their  friends  tried  to  persiaade  them  to  give  up  the  trip,  but  it  was  a 
useless  effort.  We  well  remember  the  morning  they  took  teams  and  started 
for  Carey,  no  railway  running  to  Upper  Sandusky  at  that  time.  At  Carey 
they  took  the  cars  for  Cincinnati,  and  a  steamer  thence  to  St.  Louis,  where 
a  change  of  steamers  had  to  be  made  for  St.  Joseph.  Col.  McElvain  and 
his  son,  Purdy,  took  horses  and  money  and  went  overland  to  St.  Joseph  to 
buy  up  cattle,  with  which  to  cross  the  plains.  They  bought  seven  yokes, 
or  two  teams.  Giles,  having  some  ready  money,  got  more  than  his  share  in 
this  purchase,  but  never  got  it  out  of  the  teams,  for  all  the  cattle  died.  On 
the  way  up  the  Missouri  River,  Mr.  Walker,  father-in-law  of  Henry 
Miller,  took  the  cholera  and  died  at  St.  Joseph,  destitute,  excepting  what  he 
received  from  Giles.  Buck  Kirby,  a  colored  man,  whom  all  the  old  settlers 
well  remember,  concluded  to  go  to  California  with  this  party.  Mr.  Giles 
provided  him  with  boots  aad  some  clothing  for  the  trip,  and  paid  his  bills 
at  St.  Joseph  for  some  weeks  till  the  teams  arrived,  and  just  before  starting 
out  of  this  city  Giles  was  seized  with  cholera,  and  had  to  be  taken  from 
his  horse  and  placed  in  a  wagon.  His  recovery  was  very  doubtful,  but  hav- 
ing lots  of  determination,  had  his  party  hitch  up  the  cattle  and  drive  on, 
saying,  ''If  I  die,  I  will  die  as  far  out  as  I  can  get."  The  result  was  Giles 
got  well,  and  soon  Col.  McElvain  was  taken  with  the  same  disease,  and  all 
thought  would  die,  but  he  also  recovered. 

In  crossing  the  plains  at  that  time  it  was  necessary  to  go  in  large  bodies, 
and  a  train  of  about  thirty  or  forty  teams  formed  a  company  and  elected 
Col.  McElvain  Captain.  The  front  team  had  to  take  the  rear  the  following 
day.  One  day  Buck  Kirby,  as  he  was  called,  was  driving  one  of  the  teams, 
the  last  team  in  the  train.  Buck  crawled  into  the  wagon  and  went  to  sleep. 
One  of  the  oxen  became  unyoked  and  strayed  off,  and  the  train  traveled 
two  or  more  miles  before  the  discovery  was  made,  and  when  Capt.  McEl- 
vain heard  of  the  lost  ox,  it  is  unnecessary  to  tell  those  who  knew  him,  that 
he  swore  a  blue  streak.  He  threatened  to  shoot  Buck  if  he  should  ever  do 
such  a  trick  again.  The  ox  was  found  grazing,  drove  up,  put  in  place,  and 
the  train  moved  on.  Giles  had  been  out  hunting,  and  when  he  returned  to 
the  train  he  found  Buck  greatly  alarmed,  wanting  to  leave  and  go  into  a 
train,  mostly  from  Marion,  Ohio.  Giles  tried  to  persuade  him  out  of  the 
notion,  but  Buck  insisted  on  going  for  fear  that  McElvain  might  shoot  him 
in  the  absence  of  Giles.  It  was  agreed  that  Buck  might  take  the  boots  and 
clothes  bought  for  him  and  go,  which  he  did,  and  it  was  reported  got  through 
to  California  and  died.  No  member  of  the  party  ever  saw  Buck  after  he 
went  into  the  Marion  train. 


392  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

A  sad  event  took  place  at  Fort  Laramie  to  the  party  from  Upper  San- 
dusky. They  arrived  there  and  concluded  to  rest  the  teams  and  sun  their 
clothes.  Here  they  found  Maj.  Sanderson,  of  the  regular  army,  in  com- 
mand. Major  was  an  "Ohio  man,"  and  acquainted  with  Capt.  McElvain, 
who  had  boarded  with  him  in  Columbus,  so  he  invited  McElvain  and  his 
friends  to  dinner.  Col.  Aaron  Lyle  and  Giles  were  great  friends — always 
together  at  home,  and  never  broke  friendshijD  on  the  plains.  They  slept 
together  in  a  wagon.  While  lying  at  the  fort  they  sunned  their  clothes, 
and  that  evening  Colonel  said  he  was  very  hungry,  and  Giles  said,  "  Buck, 
Col.  Lyle  is  hungry;  get  up  a  good  supper."  Colonel  ate  heartily,  but  he 
coughed  severely.  At  night  Giles  had  to  go  out  on  guard  duty  till  1 
o'clock,  and  did  so,  riding  about  two  or  three  miles.  When  he  returned  to 
camp  he  was  surprised  to  find  Col.  Lyle  sitting  up  in  the  wagon.  Colonel 
said,  "  Giles,  will  you  bring  me  a  canteen  of  water?"  The  reply  was, 
'•Yes."  Giles  went  to  the  Laramie  River,  brought  the  water;  Colonel 
drank  and  lay  down;  Giles  got  into  the  wagon — put  down  the  curtains, 
when  Colonel  remarked,  "Please  put  it  up,  it  seems  so  close."  In  the 
morning  when  Giles  was  called,  he  found  the  Colonel  lying  by  his  side 
dead!  The  shock  given  Giles  can  better  be  imagined  than  expressed.  In 
fact,  although  the  death  was  daily  expected,  yet  all  were  surprised.  He 
passed  away  easily,  for  his  arms  were  resting  across  his  breast  as  if  he 
passed  from  earth  without  a  struggle.  After  making  a  coffin,  and  burying 
Col.  Lyle  in  the  burying-ground  belonging  to  the  fort,  the  party  left  for 
California.  They  took  in  Salt  Lake;  heard  Brigham  Young  preach  three 
sermons.  Here  Giles,  McElvain  and  one  or  two  others  boarded  for  several 
days  Avith  a  prophet  who  had  two  wives.  One  of  the  wives  wanted  to  go 
with  the  train  to  California,  but  it  was  not  a  safe  thing  at  that  time  to 
meddle  with  the  wives  of  Mormons.  While  at  this  city,  Giles  traded  horses 
and  bought  one,  and  in  company  with  seven  other  men,  packed  through  to 
California,  leaving  the  teams  with  McElvain  and  son  and  a  Mr.  Jones, 
whom  they  were  taking  through.  Jones  was  a  merchant  in  Upper  San- 
dusky at  an  early  day.  What  became  of  him  after  arriving  in  California, 
the  writer  does  not  know.  Giles,  on  horse,  and  with  his  pack  animal, 
arrived  in  California  several  weeks  before  McElvain  and  son,  for  it  will  be 
remembered  William  McElvain  died  at  Independence,  Mo.,  before  going 
on  the  plains.  Giles  and  his  comrades  who  packed  through  bought  a 
rocker,  and  made  several  hundred  dollars  each  in  the  mines,  in  that  many 
weeks.  They  sold  their  claim  for  a  mule,  for  which  Giles  paid  $85.  This 
claim  panned  out  about  $100,000.  Giles  bought  a  few  more  animals  at 
Sacramento  City,  packed  them  with  provisions,  and  went  up  the  Sacramento 
Valley  to  Lawson's  ranch,  where  he  found  McElvain  and  son,  nearly  destitute. 
After  some  days'  rest,  Giles  got  some  cattle,  and  the  party  hitched  to  a 
wagon  and  worked  their  way  to  Yuba  City,  where  they  opened  a  trading- 
post,  and  soon  another  at  Shasta  City.  Shortly  after  Giles  returned  from 
Shasta  City  he  was  taken  sick;  and  just  at  a  time  it  was  not  certain  whether 
he  would  live  or  die,  McElvain  took  the  money  on  hand  and  left  for  Ohio. 
Giles  recovered,  went  to  work,  put  up  a  large  amount  of  hay,  several  thou- 
sand dollars'  worth,  and  most  of  this  was  set  on  fire  and  burned.  Then  he 
had  two  teams  and  about  $300  in  money  left.  What  was  to  be  done  he  did 
not  know,  but  it  would  not  do  to  sit  down  and  waste  what  little  he  had,  so 
he  loaned  a  mule  to  a  friend  who  had  also  been  a  sufferer  by  fire,  and  the 
two  went  to  the  mountains  to  seek  fortunes,  but  found  nothing  to  suit 
them,  and  after  spending  some  weeks  in  the  mountains,   returned  to  Yuba 


HISTORY  OF  WVANDOT  COUNTY.  393 

City,  and  Giles  went  over  to  Marysville,  and  here  he  found  his  friend, 
Hon.  J,  W.  McCorkle,  the  Member  of  Congress  from  that  district,  and  also 
an  "Ohio  man."  Mac  said  to  Giles,  "Where  have  you  been?  1  sent 
over  to  your  town  for  you,  but  got  no  informatiou  of  your  whereabouts. 
Col.  Kust  was  here — wants  a  partner  to  start  a  Democratic  paper,  and  I 
referred  him  to  you."  Giles  said,  "Send  Rust  word  I  am  here;  come  to 
Marysville,  and  I  will  meet  him."  Mac  did  as  requested,  and  in  a  few 
days  Rust  came  to  Marysville,  and  arrangements  were  made  to  start  the 
paper.  Giles  borrowed  some  money  on  his  teams,  and  with  Rust  went  to 
San  Francisco,  where  they  found  a  Mr.  Gee,  got  him  interested  in  the 
paper,  and  in  a  few  weeks  their  presses  and  types  were  packed  and  shipped 
to  Marysville,  where  on  November  3,  1851,  the  California  Express  came  out, 
published  by  Gee,  Giles  &  Co.,  and  edited  by  Col.  Richard  Rust.  It  was 
not  long  till  Gee  became  discontented,  and  sold  his  third  of  the  office  to  W. 
T.  Giles,  and  the  paper  ran  in  the  firm  name  of  William  T.Giles  &  Co.  until 
about  the  15th  of  July,  1852,  when,  through  Col.  Rust,  Giles  consented  to 
take  in  other  partners,  and  sold  a  portion  of  his  interest,  retaining  one- 
fourth.  Soon  Giles  found  his  mistake,  hired  John  L.  Mitchell  to  run  his 
interest  and  went  to  San  Francisco,  bought  presses  and  types,  and  went  to 
Downieville,  Sierra  County,  Cal.,  where  on  the  10th  day  of  June,  1852,  he 
put  out  the  first  issue  of  the  Mountain  Echo.  He  sold  this  paper  after 
publishing  it  for  some  time,  went  back  to  Marysville,  and  ran  his  own 
interest  for  a  short  time  in  the  California  Express,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1853,  sold  the  entire  interest  in  the  establishment  and  returned  to  Ohio. 

After  looking  about  and  visiting  for  some  time,  Giles  settled  down,  and 
resumed  publication  of  the  Wyandot  County  Pioneer.  Soon  after  taking 
hold  of  the  paper  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  bought  new  types,  press,  etc.,  en- 
larged the  paper,  and  made  it  one  of  the  neatest  as  well  as  one  of  the  best 
country  papers  in  the  state.  Mr.  Giles  felt  disappointed  after  he  started 
this  paper,  for  the  promises  made  to  him  w^re  not  fulfilled  as  he  thought, 
and  he  sold  ovit,  and  in  company  with  Irey  Quaiiitance,  went  to  Iowa, 
bought  land  and  lots,  returned  here  and  wintered  over  1854,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1855  he  bought  some  teams,  took. Elijah  Giles  and  family,  Henry 
Giles  and  another  young  man  to  Newtown,  Jasper  County,  Iowa.  In  the  fall 
of  1855  Irey  Quaintance  and  W.  T.  Giles  returned  to  Upper  Sandusky  and 
wintered.  In  the  spring  both  married,  Mr.  Giles  taking  Miss  Mary  E. 
Scroggs,  and  Mr.  Quaintance  Livonia  Trager.  In  the  spring  of  1856,  the 
four  returned  together  to  Newton,  Iowa,  but  W.  T.  Giles  could  not  remain 
long  out  of  the  editorial  harness.  He  sold-out  in  Iowa;  went  to  Freeport, 
111.,  bought  the  Bulletin  and  published  it  for  many  years.  He  sold  the 
Bulletin  to  his  brother-in-law,  J.  R  Scroggs,  in  1864,  and  in  that  spring 
went  by  team  to  Virginia  City,  Montana  Territory.  Here  he  broke  a  leg, 
and  spent  two  years  and  some  money,  and  returned  to  Illinois;  sold  out 
there  and  removed  his  family  to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  where  he  owned  and 
published  the  Bugle,  and  a  German  paper  for  a  time.  During  the  time 
Giles  was  in  Council  Bluffs,  J.  R.  Scroggs  died  at  Freeport,  111.,  and  this 
left  the  Bulletin  without  an  editor,  and  Giles  returned  and  resumed  charge 
of  the  paper.  In  a  short  time  after  this,  he  started  the  Lee  County  Demo- 
crat at  Dixon,  111. ,  but  soon  sold  that  paper,  and  continued  in  the  Bulletin 
for  a  long  time,  and  sold  it.  Since  then  he  started  the  Illinois  Monitor, 
in  Freeport,  and  published  it  over  three  years.  He  edited  the  Dakota 
Herald,  at  Yankton,  Dakota  Territory,  for  several  months,  and  is  now  pub- 
lishing the  Freeport  Democrat. 


394  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

During  Giles'  early  days  in  Upper  Sandusky,  we  remember  one  incident 
that  occurred  to  him  and  our  friend  J.  G.  Roberts.  It  was  when  Giles  was 
keeping  bachelor's  hall.  A  show  came  along,  and  Giles  being  the  only 
editor  in  this  section,  got  a  family  ticket,  so  Roberts  and  Giles  agreed  to 
go,  and  each  take  two  ladies.  This  was  done;  Giles  sending  all  the  family 
in  tirst,  and  then  passing  the  ticket,  followed.  The  doorkeeper  surprised, 
muttered  out,  "That  fellow  has  a  h — 1  of  a  family  to  keep  bachelor's  hall."* 

Robert  D.  Dumm,  the  senior  member  of  the  tirm  of  Dumm  &  Brunner, 
editors  and  propri^orrf  of  The  Wyandot  Union,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Pittsburgih,  Penn. ,  July  3,  1835,  being  the  fourth  son  of  Andrew  and  Mary 
(Shall)  Dumm.  His  father  served  in  the  American  Army  during  the  war  of 
1812-15,  and  his  paternal  grandfather,  who  was  a  native  of  Baden,  Ger- 
many, served  as  a  soldier  during  the  Revolutionary  struggle.  His  grand- 
parents upon  his  mother's  side  were  of  English  origin.  In  1842,  with  his 
parents,  became  to  this  part  of  Ohio,  and  settled  at  McCutchenville.  Three 
years  later  he  became  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  at 
the  age  of  ten  years  entered  the  Pioneer  printing-office  as  an  apprentice 
under  William  T.  Giles.  He  served  with  Mr.  Giles  four  years,  receiving 
during  that  time  six  months'  schooling  as  per  contract.  During  the  year 
1849,  in  connection  with  J.  Zimmerman,  he  published  the  Pioneer,  with 
Elijah  Giles  as  editor.  In  1852,  he  pu.blished  the  paper  alone,  Elijah 
Giles  still  remaining  as  editor,  and  continued  to  be  employed  in  that  capa- 
city until  1853,  when  he  entered  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University  as  a  student. 
In  1854,  however,  he  was  induced  to  leave  school  and  start  a  new  Demo- 
cratic newspaper  at  Upper  Sandusky,  termed  the  Vindicator,  of  which  he 
was  editor  and  publisher.  This  pvoceding  was  deemed  necessary  on  the 
part  of  the  Democratic  leaders  of  the  county,  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  the 
old  Pioneer  had  degenerated  into  a  Know-Nothing  organ.  Mr.  Dumm 
continued  to  publish  the  Vindicator  about  eisfhteen  months,  when  he  sold 
out  to  N.  V\'.  Dennison,  and  be^an  the  study  of  law  with  Hon.  Chester  R. 
Mott.  In  the  winter  of  1856-57,  he  attended  the  Cincinnati  Law  School, 
where  he  graduated  with  honor  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Soon  after 
he  located  at  Freeport,  111.,  where  he  remained  nearly  one  year.  He  then 
returned  to  Upper  Sandusky,  married,  and  in  February,  1858,  purchased 
the  then  recently  established  Union,  a  journal  wliich  he  conducted  in  a 
very  successful  manner  for  a  period  of  eleven  years.  Having  sold  out  the 
Union  to  E.  Zimmerman,  he  removed  to  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  in  November,  1 868, 
and  during  the  succeeding  five  years  edited  and  published  the  Fort  Wayne 
Sentinel, — a  daily  and  weekly  newspaper — with  unwearied  and,  we  may  add, 
marked  ability.  In  August,  1873,  he  again  returned  to  Upper  Sandusky, 
purchased  a  one-half  interest  in  his  old  paper,  the  Union  (yet  still  retaining 
his  share  in  the  Sentinel),  and  with,  L.  A.  Brunner  as  his  partner,  pub- 
lished the  Union  for  a  little  more  than  one  year,  when  Charles  L.  Zahm,  by 
purchase,  became  the  owner  of  the  Union  office.  Subsequently  Mr.  Dumm 
disposed  of  his  disastrous  investment  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  in  the  fall  of 
1875  was  elected  by  a  very  flattering  majority  to  the  office  of  Clerk 
of  Wyandot  County.  In  1878,  he  was  re-elected  to  the  same  position, 
and  thus  served  for  a  continuous  period  of  six  years.  On  the  27th  of 
November,  1879,  the  Union  again  passed  into  the  hands  of  its  present  pro- 
prietors— Messrs.  Dumm  &  Brunner.  On  the  1st  of  September,  1882,  this 
firm  purchased  one-half  of  the  Marion  Mirror  office,  and  during  the  political 

"Copied  from  an  article  which  was  pul)lished  in  the  Wyandot  Union  in  December,  1883. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  395 

campaign  of  1883  Mr.  Damtn  edited  that  paper  with  a  vigor  aad  ability 
not  easily  surpassed. 

We  have  thus  briefly  outlined  the  active  business  career  of  a  gentleman 
who  has  been  closely  identified  with  the  interests  of  Wyandot  County  since 
its  establishment.  One  who,  although  a  strict  party  man,  and  a  zealous 
worker  for  the  success  of  the  Democratic  party,  has  ever  bean  consistent, 
and  has  so  demeaned  himself  as  to  challenge  the  admiration  of  even  the 
most  bitter  of  his  political  opponents.  His  untiring  efforts  for  the  promo- 
tion of  the  material  interests,  and  the  general  prosperity  of  his  town  and 
county,  have  also  secured  for  him  the  gratitude  and  respect  of  Wyandot 
County  residents  in  general,  and  to-day  none  stand  higher  in  their  estimate 
of  character  and  true  worth  than  Robert  D.  Dumm.  As  already  shown,  he 
has  grown  up,  and  has  been  educated  in  the  printing  office,  and,  probably, 
has  done  more  to  bring  Wyandot  County  journalism  up  to  its  present  proud 
position  than  all  others  combined.  As  an  editoi'ial  writer  he  has  acquired 
a  reputation  truly  enviable,  and  which,  indeed,  is  not  confined  by  State 
limits.  Ever  careful,  vigorous,  versatile,  brilliant  and  facetious,  his  readers 
are  never  disappointed  in  the  perusal  of  an  article  prepared  by  him. 

He  was  married  on  the  29th  day  of  Decembei*,  1857,  to  Miss  Sarah  J., 
only  daughter  of  Dr.  R.  A.  Henderson,  of  Upper  Sandusky.  The  results  of 
this  union  are  two  sons,  both  of  whom  are  young  gentlemen  of  notable 
qualifications — William  (jr.,  the  present  efficient  Deputy  County  Clerk,  and 
Frank  E.,  who  is  now  employed  in  the  Union  office. 

Hon.  Louis  A.  Brunner  is  of  German  ancestry,  and  was  born  in  Fred- 
erick City,  Frederick  Co.,  Md.  He  fully  availed  himself  of  the  advantages 
of  an  elementary  and  classical  education,  and  after  a  thorough  course  of 
theological  study  was  licensed,  in  the  summer  of  1846,  to  preach  at  Colum- 
bus, Ohio.  Su-bsequently,  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  ministry,  and 
served  several  Presbyterian  congregations.  In  the  spring  of  1852,  he  was 
elected  by  the  Presbytery  of  Marion,  Ohio,  Commissioner  to  the  General 
Assembly,  and  attended  the  sittings  of  that  body  in  Philadelphia,  Penn., 
in  May  following.  In  I860,  his  nervous  centers  gave  way,  prostrating  him 
to  such  an  extent  as  to  force  him  to  relinquish  his  chosen  profession.  How- 
ever, having  from  a  young  boy  dabbled  in  printer's  ink,  and  being  com- 
pelled to  labor  for  a  livelihood,  he  purchased  a  printing  office,  and  took 
charge  of  the  editorial  department,  and,  while  not  engaged  in  the  duties  of 
the  tripod,  worked  at  the  case  sticking  type.  He  has  performed  editorial 
work -on  the  Odd  i^'eZ/ow,  published  at  Boonsboro,  Washington  Co.,  Md. ; 
the  Pioneer  and  the  Union  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  the  Ft.  Wayne  Daily 
Sentinel,  an  interest  of  which  he  owned  in  1868  and  1869.  He  has  resided 
in  Wyandot  County  since  1849,  excepting  four  years  passed  in  Maryland, 
from  1856  to  1861.  He  has  served  on  the  Board  of  School  Examiners  of 
Wyandot  County,  as  a  member  of  the  Village  Council,  and  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Sixty-first,  Sixty-second,  Sixty-fifth  and  Sixty-sixth  General 
Assemblies  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  occupying,  during  the  session  of  1883-84, 
the  honored  position  of  Speaker  pro  tem.  In  the  Sixty-fourth  General 
Assembly,  he  served  as  Clerk  of  the  House,  and  his  large  experiences  as  a 
law-maker,  and  his  peculiar  fitness  for  clerical  duties — the  result  of  early 
training — made  him  one  of  the  best  clerks  the  Assembly  ever  had,  and  it 
was  so  acknowledged  by  the  members  of  both  parties.  Hence,  as  a  mark  of 
recognition,  embodying  the  admiration  of  members,  he  was  presented  at 
the  close  of  the  session  with  a  costly  gold  watch  and  chain,  which  he  still 
carries  with  pardonable  pride.      Mr.  Brunner's   first   year  in  the  General 


396  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Assembly  was  marked  with  ability«and  true  statesmanship,  and  although  it 
is  seldom  the  lot  of  a  new  member  to  take  pi-ominence  at  the  beginning, 
his  experience  was  an  exception,  for  before  the  close  of  the  session  he  was 
the  recognized  leader  of  his  side  of  the  House,  and  this  position  he  has 
ably  and  gracefully  maintained  during  every  term  of  his  legislative  career. 
His  superior  qualifications  as  a  presiding  officer  attracted  attention  from  all 
parts  of  the  State,  and  in  the  Sixty-sixth  General  Assembly  he  was  the 
almost  unanimous  choice  of  his  party  for  Speaker,  yet  his  usefulness  upon 
the  floor,  and  his  own  inclinations  for  activity  amid  conflict,  induced  him  to 
decline  the  honor,  and  to  accept  at  the  demands  of  his  party  the  position  of 
Speaker  pro  tem.  He  is  perhaps  the  finest  parliamentarian  in  the  State, 
and  we  cannot  better  expi-ess  this  opinion  than  to  give  an  extract  from  a 
letter  written  by  a  newspaper  correspondent  during  the  session  of  1883-84: 
"The  VV^yandot  Sachem,  Brunner,  as  speaker  pro  tem.,  has  demonstrated 
himself  to  be  a  superior  presiding  ofiicer,  fit  to  have  held  the  gavel  of  the 
Long  Parliament  of  Cromwell's  days,  and  whose  legislative  career  has  given 
his  solid  little  Gibraltar  (Wyandot  County)  a  cameo-like  prominence  in  the 
State's  councils." 

In  1879,  Mr.  Brunner,  in  connection  with  Robert  D.  Dumm,  purchased 
the  Wyandot  Union  of  D.  J.  Stalter,  and  by  their  united  labors  again  made 
the  old  Union  one  of  the  best  county  newspapers  in  the  State.  It  now  en- 
joys a  large  circulation,  and  an  enviable,  widespread  reputation.  As  an 
editor,  Mr.  Brunner  has  few  superiors.  He  is  logical,  clear  and  very  effect- 
ive, and  has  gained  many  admirers  from  his  humorous  touches  of  local  inci- 
dents; but  his  great  force  and  efficiency  is  as  a  campaigner,  filling  his  well- 
rounded  and  emphatic  periods  in  that  direct  and  forcible  manner,  which 
leaves  no  room  for  effective  reply.  While  a  ready,  spicy  and  able  writer, 
he  is  equally  as  ready  and  effective  as  a  speaker,  which  his  prominence  in 
the  House,  on  all  the  important  questions  of  state  policy,  has  fully  made 
clear.  His  polish  as  a  gentleman,  and  his  great  tact  in  winning  and 
retaining  the  admiration  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens  is  due  to  some 
extent  to  his  genial  nature,  thorough  education  and  wide  range  of  informa- 
tion gained  through  the  avenues  of  an  extensive  and  careful  study  of  books 
and  men.  In  September,  1882,  he,  with  his  old  partner,  Mr.  Dumm, 
bought  a  half  interest  in  the  Mirror,  at  Marion,  Ohio,  and  although  it  proved 
to  be  a  profitable  investment,  and  their  connection  with  the  Democracy  of 
Marion  County  highly  acceptable  and  pleasant,  after  eighteen  months  they 
sold  their  interest  to  their  partner.  Col.  J.  H.  Vaughan.  A  part  of  this  time 
Mr.  Brunner  was  editor  of  the  papei',  and  in  the  memorable  campaign  of  1883 
gained  a  host  of  admirers  for  his  efficient  editorial  work. 

Since  the  close  of  the  legislative  session  of  1883-84,  he  has  assumed  a 
controlling  interest  and  editorial  charge  of  the  ^Qnecn.  Advertiser,  one  of  the 
oldest  and  best  newspapers  published  in  Ohio,  and  he  has  fully  made  up  his 
mind  to  make  that  city  his  future  home.  He  still  holds  his  connection  with 
the  Wyandot  Union  with  Mr.  Dumm,  but  undoubtedly  in  the  near  future 
will  sever  that  relation  and  give  his  whole  attention  to  the  Advertiser,  which 
will  advance  under  his  influence  and  enterprise,  and  rapidly  become  the 
leading  county  paper  of  the  State. 

He  was  married  in  1850  to  Miss  Jane  Sherman,  of  Delaware,  Ohio, 
who  was  a  native  of  Watertown,  N.  Y.  Their  three  children  are  Mary, 
now  the  wife  of  John  W.  Geiger,  of  Tiffin,  Ohio;  Addie,  now  Mrs.  B.  W. 
Holman,  of  Washington,  D.  C. ,  and  Grace. 

Pietro  Cuneo,  the  present  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Wyandot  County 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  397 

Republican,  is  a  native  of  Pian  de  Cuni  (a  small  village  in  Italy,  wbicb  is 
situated  about  twenty-five  miles  southeast  of  Genoa,  and  five  miles  east  of 
Chiavari),  where  he  was  born  September  29,  1837.  His  early  life  was  passed 
amid  scenes  common  to  the  peasant  class  of  his  native  coiintry,  and  which 
are  vividly  portrayed  by  himself  in  his  highly  interesting  lecture  entitled, 
"Recollections  of  Italy."  On  the  6th  of  March,  1849,  accompanied  by  his 
father,  he  bade  adieu  to  his  mother,  sisters  and  brother,  and  en  route  to 
America  set  out  on  foot  for  the  seaport  town  of  Genoa.  About  the  lOth  of 
March,  the  ship  upon  which  the  father  and  son  had  secured  passage  sailed, 
and  on  the  lOth  of  May,  1849.  it  safely  landed  its  passengers  at  the  city  of 
New  York. 

''  When  I  arrived  in  New  York,"  says  Mr.  Cuneo,  "I  could  not  under- 
stand a  solitary  word  of  the  English  language,  had  no  trade,  and  could  not 
read  nar  write  ray  own  name  in  any  langiiage.  I  was,  therefore,  compelled 
to  labor  for  very  low  wages,  and  I  soon  abandoned  the  hope  of  amassing  a 
fortune.  In  about  two  years,  in  consequence  of  sickness,  my  father  was 
compelled  to  return  to  Italy,  and  left  me  alone,  with  the  expectation  that  I 
would  also  return  in  about  two  years  more."  After  various  discouraging 
trials  and  vicissitudes,  young  Cuneo  obtained  employment  in  the  fall  of 
1852*  with  Josiah  Starn,  a  farmer,  who  lived  three  miles  from  Camden, 
N.  J.  At  that  time  he  purchased  a  spelling  book  aod  endeavored  to  master 
the  English  alphabet,  but  after  a  few  evenings  he  became  utterly  discour- 
aged and  gave  the  book  away.  However,  during  the  following  winter  he 
effected  an  arrangement  with  John  Hinchman,  who  lived  one  mile  east  of 
Gloster,  N.  J.,  to  woi'k  f<;r  his  board  and  attend  the  district  school.  About 
the  1st  of  December,  1853,  he  started  to  school  aud  took  his  first  lesson  in 
learning  the  alphabet.  "I  tried  hard  to  learn,"  says  he,  "and  the  teacher 
and  pupils  took  particular  pains  to  assist  me.  By  the  1st  of  March,  when  I 
again  commenced  to  work,  I  had  progressed  so  far  as  to  be  able  to  read  and 
wi'ite  a  little." 

The  year  1854  found  him  in  Chester  County,  Penn.,  where,  after  a  long 
search  for  work,  he  met  William  Martin,  who  lived  between  Coatesville 
and  Parkesburg,  and  who  gave  him  employment  through  the  winter  of 
1854-55,  and  an  opportunity  to  attend  the  Rockdale  School.  The  next  win- 
ter he  became  an  inmate  of  William  Hamill's  house,  situated  two  miles  south 
of  Parkesburg,  where  he  also  worked  for  his  board  and  attended  the  public 
school.  In  September,  1856,  he  arrived  at  Canton,  Ohio,  almost  penniless, 
and  after  a  vain  attempt  to  find  work  among  the  farmers  in  that  vicinity, 
by  mere  chance,  C.  Aultman,  of  the  firm  of  Aultman  &  Co.,  hired  him  to 
work  as  a  laborer  at  77  cents  per  day,  board  not  included.  Subse- 
quently he  arranged  to  pass  the  winter  with  Christian  Neisz,  who  resided 
near  Canton,  and  there  worked  for  his  board  and  attended  school.  The  fol- 
lowing spring  he  returned  to  the  shops  of  Messrs.  Aultman  &  Co.,  where  he 
remained  the  major  portion  of  the  time  for  nine  years,  being  promoted  from 
time  to  time  until  his  wages  rose  to  $2.50  per  day.  He  continued  to  study 
and  work,  frequently  fourteen  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four,  and  so  im- 
proved that  in  the  winter  of  1858-59  he  was  able  to  teach  school  where  he 
had  formerly  attended  as  a  pupil. 

In  1865,  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  Medina  (Ohio)  Gazette,  but 
at  the  expiration  of  nine  months  sold  out.  He  then  removed  to  his  present 
home — Upper  Sandusky — where  he  purchased  the  Pioneer.     He  afterward 

*In  the  spring  of  1852,  he  began  to  work  with  .John  Cordray,  near  Milford,  Del.,  at  the  rate  of  S3  per  month 
and  coulinued  with  the  latter  six  months. 


398  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

changed  its  name  to  the  Republican,  and  is  still  its  proprietor  and  editor. 
Appointed  and  re-appointed  by  his  firm,  personal  friend,  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant,* 
he  served  as  Postmaster  at  Upper  Sandusky,  from  May  10,  1869,  to^  July  1, 
1877.  As  may  be  inferred,  Mr.  Cuneo  is  a  stanch  Republican,  a  Stalwart 
among  Stalwarts,  and  a  warm  friend  and  admirer  of  Grant,  Conkling,  and 
their  friends. 

He  was  married,  December  2-4, 1861,  to  Miss  Myra  V.  Miller,  of  Canton, 
Ohio,  who,  born  in  Sandyville,  Ohio,  in  March,  1842,  died  at  Upper  San- 
dusky December  27,  1883.  Of  ten  children  born  to  them,  four  of  whom 
were  twins,  five  are  still  living — Laura  T.,  Sherman  A.,  Edward  Noyes,  Eva 
and  Roscoe  Conkling. 

Henry  Albert  Tracht,  the  founder  and  present  editor  and  proprietor  of 
the  Weekly  Chief,  was  born  in  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio,  August  26,  1862. 
His  parents,  Philip  and  Lucinda  (Keil)  Tracht,  though  of  German  descent, 
were  both  born  in  Crawford  County,  of  this  State.  His  education  was  ac- 
quired in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  at  an  early  period  in 
life  too,  for  when  only  fourteen  years  of  age  he  was  compelled  to  give  up 
his  studies,  by  reason  of  an  annoying  and  painful  affection  of  his  eyes. 
Some  months  later  he  established  a  small  job  printing-office,  which  proved 
to  be  a  successful  business  venture,  and  fro  u  that  modest  beginning  has 
grown  up  by  degrees  the  present  very  creditable  and  successfully  managed 
sheet,  known  throughout  a  wide  region  as  the  Chief.  Mr.  Tracht  is  still 
unmarried,  and  apparently  has  a  bright  future  before  him. 

Frank  T.  Tripp,  eldest  son  of  Franklin  and  Elizabeth  (Bowsher) 
Tripp,  was  born  in  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio,  Septe  nber  26,  1850.  He  ob- 
tained a  common  school  education,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years  began 
learning  the  printing  business  in  the  M'yandot  Pioneer  office,  with  Col.  W. 
T.  Wilson,  who  shortly  after  sold  the  paper  to  Pietro  Cuneo.  He  remained 
with  Mr.  Cuneo  six  years,  assisting  him  in  the  post  office  forthetermof  two 
years.  He  was  married,  October  26,  1871,  to  Miss  Irene  M.  Stevenson, 
youngest  daughter  of  James  N.  and  Susanna  Stevenson,  now  deceased.  By 
this  union  four  children  were  born,  viz.,  Harry  J.,  May  20,  1872;  Susan 
Edith,  April  12,  1874;  Anna  Grace,  November  28,  1880,  and  Sarah  Maria, 
August  2,  1882.  The  first-born,  Harry,  died  April  30,  1879,  and  Anna 
Grace,  August  26,  1881. 

During  the  winter  of  1872-73,  he  purchase!  a  one-third  interest  in  the 
Wyandot  Democratic  Union,  and  was  associated  with  L.  A.  Brunner  and  D. 
F.  Druckemiller.  He  disposed  of  his  interest  three  months  later,  and  re- 
moving to  Carey,  Wyandot  Co.,  Ohio,  established  the  Carey  Weekly  Times. 
He  conducted  the  business  there  for  nearly  four  years,  and  then  sold  the  same 
to  Hon.  L.  A.  Brunnor.  When  he  became  a  resident  of  Carey  he  was 
elected  Corporation  Clerk,  and  served  in  that  capacity  until  his  removal 
back  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  the  fall  of  1876.  He  was  then  emploved  by 
Charles  L.  Zahm,  who  was  then  publishing  the  Union,  as  foreman  and  local 
editor. 

Since  that  time,  Mr.  Tripp  has  been  connected  with  the  press  of  Upper 
Sandusky,  more  or  less,  as  local  editor.  Since  November  27,  1879,  he  has 
been  with  the  Union,  foreman  of  its  job  rooms  and  assistant  editor.  He  is 
a  brilliant  young  journalist,  and  has  a  bright  future  before  him.  As  a  local 
writer  of  inindents  and  happenings  he  has  few  superiors.  His  style  is  fine 
and  effective,  losing  none  of  the  little  details  around  which  throngs  the  in- 

*Some  two  years  ago,  Gen.  Grant  sent  a  large  photograph  of  himself  to  Mr.  Cuneo,  which  is  probably 
one  of  the  best  pictures  of  the  great  General  in  existence. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  399 

terest  of  a  recital.  He  is  always  ready,  and  gifted  with  a  literary  turn  of 
mind  which  frequently  sparkles  in  his  graceful  and  well-rounded  periods.  He 
is  a  young  man,  yet  his  care  and  faithfulness  in  his  profession  has  all  the 
marks  of  experience  and  native  thought.  He  rarely  takes  to  the  humorous, 
but  when  he  does  his  writings  are  sure  to  contain  a  dash  of  the  irresistible. 
His  social  qualities,  though  never  pretentious  nor  obtrusive,  are  none  the 
less  of  a  high  order,  and  few  in  our  midst  have  more  or  warmer  friends. 
Mr.  Tripp  has  been  a  correspoadent  for  the  Cincinnati  and  Eastern  papers 
for  several  years,  and  his  articles  have  attracted  wide  attention. 

CAREY    PUBLICATIONS. 

The  Carey  Blade,  Carey's  first  newspaper,  was  established  by  Franklin 
Dame,  a  young  man  only  fifteen  years  of  age,  in  December,  1872.  It  was 
a  small  four-column  folio.  After  getting  out  four  numbers,  its  publication 
was  suspended,  but  young  Dame  conducted  a  job  printing-office  for  several 
months  thereafter. 

The  Carey  Weekly  Times  was  established  by  Frank  T.  Tripp,  Jr.,  of 
Upper  Sandusky,  now  foreman  of  the  Wyandot  Democratic  Union  office,  on 
the  8th  of  May,  1873.  He  continued  its  publication  until  August.  1876, 
when  it  passed  under  the  control  of  Louis  A.  Brunner,  of  Upper  Sandusky. 
In  1878,  Mr.  Brunner  transferred  his  interests  to  Samuel  M.  Gillingham, 
who  conducted  the  paper  until  January  1, 1880,  when  it  was  purchased  by  its 
present  editors  and  publishers,  George  H.  Tallman  &  Co.,  consisting  of 
George  H.  Tallman  and  A.  H.  Balsley,  editor  of  the  Jeffersonian,  of  Find- 
lay,  Ohio.  This  paper,  known  since  it  passed  under  the  control  of  Gilling- 
ham as  the  Wyandot  County  Times,  is  a  seven-column  folio,  has  a  circula- 
tion of  700  copies,  and  is  neutral  in  political  matters. 

George  H.  Tallman,  the  present  editor  of  the  Wyandot  County  Times, 
was  born  at  Canal  Winchester,  Ohio,  May  2,  1851.  His  parents.  Hinton 
and  Amanda  (Thompson)  Tallman,  were  natives  of  the  State  of  Virginia, 
and  his  maternal  grandfather  was  born  in  Scotland.  When  he  was  ten 
years  of  age,  the  parents  of  George  H.  removed  to  Delaware,  Ohio,  where 
he  remained  ten  years,  meantime  passing  two  years  as  a  student  of  the  Ohio 
Wesleyan  University  at  Delaware.  In  the  spring  of  1871,  he  proceeded  to 
Fremont,  Ohio,  where  he  was  engaged  until  1873,  as  a  salesman  in  a  boot 
and  shoe  store.  In  July  of  that  year  he  became  a  resident  of  Port  Clinton, 
Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  April,  1875,  when  he  located  at  Findlay, 
Ohio,  and  soon  after  entered  the  office  of  A.  H.  Balsley,  editor  of 
the  Findlay  Jeffersonian,  for  the  purpose  of  learning  the  printer's  trade. 
There  he  remained  until  January  1,  1880,  when  he  entered  into  a  partner- 
ship with  his  former  employer,  Mr.  Balsley,  and  with  him  purchased  the 
Wyandot  County  Times,  which  paper  he  has  since  conducted  in  a  very  suc- 
cessful manner. 

His  wife,  Molly,  a  daughter  of  A.  H.  Balsley,  was  born  in  Pittsburgh, 
Penn. ,  October  10,  1853,  and  came  to  Ohio  with  her  parents  when  two  years 
of  age.  They  have  one  daughter,  named  Neta.  Mr.  Tallman  is  a  member 
of  the  organization  known  as  the  Knights  of  Honor. 

THE    NEVADA    ENTERPRISE. 

This  publication,  issued  by  Rev.  A.  B.  Kirtland,  made  its  first  appear. 

,  ance  under  date  of  January  1,    1872.     Mr.    Kirtland  continued  in  contro 

until  May  1,  1876,  when  Messrs   T.  H.  &  J.  H.  Harter  became  its  owners 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1879,  J.  H.  Harter  sold  his  interest  to  J.  M.  Wilcox 


400  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Harter  (T.  H. )  &  Wilcox  then  conducted  the  paper  until  November  1,  1882, 
when  Mr.  Wilcox  purchased  Harters  interest  and  remained  sole  editor  and 
proprietor  until  November  1,  1883,  when  the  present  firm  of  Wilcox  & 
Holmes  was  formed,  by  Frank  Holmes  purchasing  a  one-half  interest.  This 
paper  is  neutral  in  politics,  has  a  circulation  of  eight  hundred  copies,  and 
its  annual  gross  receipts  are  from  $2,500  to  $3,000. 

Joseph  M.  Wilcox,  editor  of  the  Nevada  Enterprise,  was  born  in  Mifflin 
County,  Penn. ,  January  1,  1855.  His  parents  were  Christian  and  Sarah 
(Miller),  Huflfnagle,  but  his  father  dying  when  our  subject  was  a  mere  child 
and  his  mother  soon  after  marrying  H.  S.  Wilcox,  the  latter  name  was 
adopted  and  has  since  been  retained.  His  father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
and  died  in  that  State  January  18,  1861.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Susan  (Dorman)  Miller,  and  was  born  in  Union  County,  Penn., 
in  1823.  Being  left  a  widow  in  1861,  she  moved  to  Ohio  the  same  year  and 
located  at  Bellevue,  where  she  was  married  to  H.  S.  Wilcox  in  1863,  and 
where  she  resided  about  two  and  one-half  years.  She  then  moved  with  her 
husband  to  Tiffin,  and  one  year  later  to  Millmore;  two  years  after  this,  they 
located  at  Benton,  Crawford  County,  and  five  years  later  at  the  present 
point  of  residence,  Nevada.  Our  subject  spent  the  first  nineteen  years  of 
his  life  attending  school,  acquiring  a  good  education.  In  1874,  he  entered 
the  Normal  School  at  Ada,  Ohio,  and  passed  a  thorough  course  in  the  art  of 
book-keepiag,  after  which  he  spent  one  year  in  the  wholesale  millinery 
establishment  of  A.  &  E.  Thompson,  beginning  January  1,  1875.  May 
1,  1876,  he  entered  the  office  of  the  Nevada  Enterprise  to  learn  the  trade 
of  printing,  and  January  1, 1879,  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  office, 
whei-e  he  has  since  been  engaged.  He  is  well  versed  in  the  "  mysteries  " 
of  his  calling,  aud  publishes  a  spicy  and  newsy  country  paper.  Mr.  Wilcox 
was  married,  January  1,  1879,  to  Miss  Celia  Gillan,  who  was  born  in 
Petersburg,  this  county,  December  23,  1856.  Her  parents  are  William  K. 
and  Eliza  (Betzer)  Gillan,  and  both  reside  in  Nevada.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wil- 
cox have  one  child,  Harry,  born  October  8,  1879.  Mr.  Wilcox  is  a  member 
of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  favors  Republicanism  in  things  political.  His  work 
is  performed  with  ability  and  in  all  respects  he  is  highly  esteemed  in  his 
community. 

Frank  Holmes,  a  son  of  Dr.  Samuel  W.  and  Sarah  E.  (Ensminger) 
Holmes,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio,  August  4,  1862. 
Until  seventeen  years  of  age  he  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town.  He  then  worked  one  year  in  the  Union  office,  and  subsequently  was 
engaged  for  six  months  in  the  office  of  the  Marion  Indejjendent.  On  the  29th 
of  May,  1880,  he  assisted  in  getting  out  the  first  number  of  the  Sycamore 
Star,  under  the  firm  name  of  S.  W.  Holmes  &  Son.  He  continued  to  be 
interested  as  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Star  until  May  29,  1883,  when  it 
was  sold  to  the  News  Publishing  Company.  On  the  1st  of  November,  1883, 
he  purchased  a  one-half  interest  in  the  Nevada  Enterprise,  of  which  he  still 
continues  as  part  owner.  He  was  mai'ried,  December  25,  1883,  to  Ella, 
daughter  of  John  and  Ellen  (McGlen)  Turner,  of  Sycamore,  Ohio.  She 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Harrisburg,  Penn.,  August  16,  1866. 

THE    SYCAMORE    NEAVS. 

This  weekly  journal  was  founded  as  the  Sycamore  Star  May  29,  1880, 
by  S.  W.  Holmes  &  Son.  It  started  as  a  five-column  quarto,  and  was  man- 
aged by  its  founders  until  May  29,  1883,  when  the  News  Publishing  Com- 
pany,   consisting    of  William  Corfman  (who  had  been   local  editor  from 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


401 


October  1,  1882),  C.  C.  Clark,  R.  J.  Plummer  and  J.  E.  Goodrich  (with  C.  C. 
Clark  as  raanager,  and  Corfman  and  Plummer  as  editors)  became  its  owners. 
On  the  Ist  of  July,  1883,  Corfman  and  I.  E.  Beery  purchased  the  paper  and 
managed  it  together  until  January  1,  1884,  when  Mr.  Corfman  retired, 
leaving  Mr.  Beery  in  sole  control.  On  the  31st  day  of  January,  1884,  the 
latter  changed  the  size  of  the  paper  to  an  eight-column  folio.  The  present 
title  was  adopted  on  the  29th  day  of  May,  1883.  The  Neivs  is  an  independ- 
ent family  newspaper,  and  has  a  wide  circulation. 


402  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY, 


CHAPTER   X. 
EDUCATIONAL  INTERESTS— CLEEICAL  PROFESSION. 

TiiE  Days  OF  Log  Schooliioises— Olden  Times  Mannek  of  Teachikg— Spell- 
ing Schools— Items  from  the  School  Hepoktof  1882— Present  Examine 
ERs— The  First  Meeting  of  the  \Vyandot  Teachers'  Association — 
Teachers'  Institute  of  1883— Early  Modes  of  Religious  Worship — 
Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  1845  to  1851  Inclusive— Early"  Poets  and 
Poetry. 

educational  interests. 

AS  a  sort  of  prelude  to  a  topic  which,  treated  at  its  best,  possesses  but 
little  interest  for  the  general  readers,we  insert  the  following  pen- picture 
of  the  primitive  log  schoolhouse,  and  the  manner  of  teaching  school 
twenty- five  and  thirty  years  ago  in  this  county,  and,  indeed,  throughout  all 
of  the  northern  portion  of  the  United  States  (with  the  exception  of  the 
large  towns  and  cities),  before  the  advent  of  teachers'  institutes,  the  graded 
school  system,  uniform  text  books,  and  costly  high  school  buildings.  The 
truthfulness  of  this  description  will  be  recognized  by  the  old  and  the 
middle-aged  readers  at  a  glance. 

The  primitive  log  schoolhouse  was  erected  in  every  neighborhood  as 
soon  as  there  were  a  dozen  children  to  attend  school.  The  general  archi- 
tecture of  this  original  academy  of  the  wilderness  was  the  same  as  that 
already  described  for  the  cabin;  the  difference  being  that  the  furniture  of 
the  schoolhouse  consisted  exclusively  of  benches  for  seats  and  a  desk  fas- 
tened to  the  wall  on  two  sides  of  the  room,  behind  the  principal  row  of 
benches,  on  which  the  pupils  did  their  writing  and  laid  articles  not  used 
for  the  time  being.  These  writing  desks  were  simply  rough  slabs,  resting 
upon  pins  driven  inclined  into  the  wall,  and  they  extended  nearly  the 
whole  length  and  width  of  the  building.  The  fire-place  averaged  larger 
than  those  in  dwellings. 

Imagine  such  a  house,  with  the  children  seated  around,  the  teacher  on 
one  end  of  a  bench  or  in  a  chair,  with  no  desk,  and  you  have  a  view  of  the 
whole  scene.  The  "schoolmaster"  has  just  called  "Books!  books!"  at 
the  door,  and  the  scholars  have  just  run  in,  almost  out  of  breath  from 
vigorous  play,  taken  their  seats,  and  are,  for  the  moment,  hurriedly  '  *  say- 
ing over  their  lessons  "  in  a  loud  whisper,  preparatory  to  recitation.  While 
they  are  thus  engaged,  the  teacher  is,  perhaps,  sharpening  a  few  quill  pens 
for  the  pupils,  for  no  other  kind  of  writing  pen  had  been  thought  of  as 
yet.  In  a  few  minutes,  he  calls  up  an  urchin  to  say  his  A  B  C's.  The 
little  boy  stands  beside  the  teacher,  perhaps  leaning  against  him  The 
teacher,  with  his  pen  knife  (urchin  wishes  he  owned  such  a  knife),  points  to 
the  first  letter,  and  asks  what  it  is.  The  little  fellow  remains  silent,  for  he 
does  not  know  what  to  say.  "A,"  says  the  teacher;  "A,"  echoes  the  urchin. 
Teacher  then  points  to  the  next,  when  the  same  programme  is  carried  out, 
and  so  on,  with  three  or  foitr  letters  a  day,  and  day  after  day  until  the  "  boy 
has  got  all  his  ABC's  by  heart."'  At  the  conclusion  of  these  exercises,  the 
teacher  bids  the  "  Major"  to  go  to  his  seat  and  study  his  letters,  and  when 
he  comes  to  a  letter  he  doesn't  know  to  come  to  him  and  he  will  tell   him. 


HISTORY   OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY.  403 

Accordingly,  he  returns  to  his  seat,  looks  on  his  book  a  little  while,  and 
then  goes  trudging  across  the  floor  to  his  master,  pointing  to  a  letter  out- 
side of  his  lesson,  and  holds  it  up  awkwardly  in  front  of  the  teacher's  face. 
He  is  told  that  that  letter  is  not  in  his  lesson,  and  he  needn't  study  it  now, 
and  he  trudges,  sroilingly  as  he  catches  the  eye  of  some  one,  back  to  his 
seat  again;  but  why  he  smiled  he  has  no  definite  idea, 

To  prevent  wearing  the  books  out  at  the  lower  corner,  every  pupil  was 
expected  to  keep  a  "  thumb-paper"  under  his  thumb  as  he  held  the  book  in 
his  hand,  which  was  then  the  custom,  there  being  no  desks  in  front  of  the 
scholars.  Even  then  the  books  were  soiled  and  worn  through  at  this  place 
in  a  few  weeks,  so  that  a  part  of  many  lessons  were  gone.  Consequently, 
the  request  was  often  made,  ' '  Master,  may  I  borrow  Jimmy's  book,  to  git 
my  lesson  in?  Mine  hain't  in  my  book;  it's  tore  out."  It  was  also 
customary  to  use  book  pointers,  to  point  out  the  letters  or  words  in  study 
as  well  as  in  recitation.  The  black  stem  of  the  maiden-hair  fern  was  a 
favorite  material  from  which  pointers  were  made. 

The  a-b,  ab,  scholars  through  with,  perhaps  the  second  or  third  reader 
class  >yoQld  be  called  up,  who  would  stand  in  a  row  in  front  of  the  teacher, 
"toeing  the  mark,"  which  was  actually  a  chalk  or  charcoal  mark,  or  a  crack, 
and,  commencing  at  one  end  of  the  class,  one  would  read  the  first  "verse," 
the  next  the  second,  and  so  on  round  and  round,  Sunday  school  fashion, 
taking  the  paragraphs  in  the  order  they  occur.  Whenever  a  pupil  hesi- 
tated at  a  word,  the  teacher  would  pronounce  it  for  him.  And  this  was  all 
there  was  of  the  reading  exevcise. 

Those  studying  arithmetic  were  but  little  classified,  and  they  were, 
therefore,  generally  called  forward  singly  and  interviewed,  or  the  teacher 
would  visit  them  at  their  seats.  A  lesson,  comprising  several  "sums," 
would  be  given  for  the  next  day  to  those  in  classes,  while  others  would 
press  forward  without  any  regard  to  quantity.  Whenever  the  learner  came 
to  a  "  sum  he  couldn't  do,"  he  would  go  to  the  teacher  with  it — unless  he 
was  a  drone — and  the  teacher  would  do  it  for  him. 

In  geography,  no  wall  maps  were  used,  no  drawing  required,  and  the 
studying  and  recitation  comprised  only  the  '' getting- by- heart "  names  and 
places.  The  recitation  proceeded  like  this  :  "  Where  is  Norfolk?"  "  In 
the  southeastern  part  of  Virginia."  "What  bay  between  Maryland  and 
Virginia?"  "Chesapeake."  "What  is  the  capital  of  Pennsylvania?" 
"  Harrisburg. "  "  Where  does  the  Susquehanna  River  rise?  "  "  In  Now 
York." 

When  the  hour  for  writing  arrived,  the  time  was  announced  by  the 
master,  and  every  pupil  learning  the  art  would  throw  his  feet  over  and 
around  under  the  writing  desk,  facing  the  greased  paper  or  glass  window, 
and  proceed  to  "  follow  copy,"  which  was  invariably  set  by  the  teacher  at 
his  leisure  moments,  not  by  rule,  but  by  as  nice  a  stroke  of  the  pen  as  he 
could  make.  Blue  ink  and  blue  paper  were  both  common,  and  a  "  blue 
time  "  the  learner  often  had  of  it. 

About  half  past  10  o'clock,  the  master  would  announce,  "  School  may 
go  out,"  which  meant,  "little  play-time,"  in  the  children's  parlance,  called 
in  modern  times  "recess"  or  "intermission."  Sometimes  the  boys  and 
girls  were  allowed  to  have  this  intermission  separately.  Between  play- 
times, the  request,  "Master,  may  I  go  out?'"  was  often  iterated,  to  the 
annoyance  of  the  teacher  and  the  disturbance  of  the  school. 

At  about  half  past  11  o'clock,  or  a  little  later,  the  teacher  would  an- 
nounce, "  Scholars  may  now  get  their  spelling  lessons,"  and  then,    in  pros- 


404  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

pect  of  "  big  play-time  "  being  near  at  hand,  they  would,  with  the  charac- 
teristic loud  whisper,  "  say  over"  to  themselves  the  lesson  a  given  number 
of  times.  "Master,  I've  said  my  lesson  over  four  times,"  would  sometimes 
be  heard.  A  few  minutes  before  twelve,  the  "  little  spelling  class  "  would 
recite,  and  then  the  "big  spelling  class.''  The  latter  would  comprise  the 
larger  scholars  and  the  greater  part  of  the  school.  They  would  stand  in  a 
row,  toeing  the  mark  in  the  midst  of  the  floor,  or  standing  with  their  backs 
against  an  unoccupied  portion  of  the  wall.  One  end  of  the  class  was  the 
"  head,"  the  other  the  "foot,"  and  when  the  pupil  spelled  a  missed  word 
correctly  he  would  "go  up,"  "turning  down"  all  those  who  had  missed  it. 
The  recitation  done,  the  class  would  number,  the  head  pupil  numbering  as 
at  the  foot,  where  he  or  she  would  take  station  next  time,  to  have  another 
opp'^rtunity  of  turning  them  all  down.  Before  taking  their  seats,  the 
teacher  would  say,  "School's  dismissed,"  which  was  the  signal  for  every 
child  rushing  for  his  dinner,  and  enjoying  the  "big  play-time."  The 
same  programme  would  also  be  followed  on  closing  school  in  the  afternoon. 

"  Past  the  Pictures."  This  phrase  had  its  origin  in  the  pi'actice  of  pio- 
neer schools  which  used  Webster's  Elementary  Spelling  Book,  toward  the 
back  part  of  which  were  a  few  reading  lessons  illustrated  with  pictures — 
as  the  mastiff,  the  stag,  the  squirrel,  the  boy  stealing  apples,  the  partial 
lawyers,  the  milk-maid's  day  dream,  and  poor  Tray.  Succeeding  this  illus- 
trated portion  of  the  book  were  a  few  more  spelling  exercises,  of  a  peculiar 
kind;  and  when  a  scholar  succeeded  in  reaching  these  he  was  said  to  be 
' '  past  the  pictures,"  and  was  looked  up  to  as  being  smarter  and  more 
learned  than  most  other  youths  expected  to  be.  Hence  the  application  of 
this  phrase  came  to  be  extended  to  other  affairs  in  life,  especially  where 
scholarship  was  involved. 

Spellinsr  and  singing  schools  were  held  at  night,  at  the  schoolhonse, 
when  a  general  frolic  was  had,  and  sometimes  mischief  was  done  by  the 
"rowdies."  On  assembling  for  the  spelling  match,  two  youths  would  vol- 
unteer as  "captains,"  to  "choose  sides"  and  have  a  contest.  Various 
methods  were  adopted,  even  in  the  same  neighborhood,  for  conducting  this 
exciting  exercise.  Sometimes  "tally"  would  be  kept;  at  other  times  a 
system  of  cross-spelling  would  be  followed,  commencing  at  the  head  or  at 
the  foot,  or  they  would  spell  straight  around,  or  have  a  "word-catcher"  ap- 
pointed for  each  side,  or  would  "turn  down,"  etc.  After  an  hour's  contest, 
an  intermission  was  had,  which  was  indeed  a  lively  time  for  conversation. 
After  recess,  the  practice  was  to  have  a  regular  spelling- down,  sometimes 
the  sides  chosen  at  the  first  taking  their  places  so  as  to  carry  on  a  sort  of 
double  contest,  and  sometimes  taking  all  the  assembly  promiscuously.  The 
audience  dismissed,  the  next  thing  was  to  "go  home,"  very  often  by  a 
round-about  way,  "a-sleighing  with  the  girls,"  which,  with  many,  was  the 
most  interesting  part  of  the  evening's  performance. 

The  singing  school  was  of  later  introduction,  but  afforded  equal  advan- 
tage for  a  jubilee.  These  occasions  were  looked  forward  to  with  great  an- 
ticipation, even  by  the  older  folks. 

From  the  published  reports  are  gathered  the  following  items  regarding 
the  educational  interests  of  Wyandot  County,  for  the  year  ending  August 
31,  1882,  the  report  for  1883  having  not  yet  been  made  public : 

Amount  of  school  moneys  received  within  the  vear:  Balance  on  hand 
September  1,  1881,  $49,918.13;  State  tax,  $ll'l75;  irreducible  school 
fund,  $3,681.28;  local  tax  for  school  and  schoolhouse  purposes,  $45,258.73; 
received  on  sale  of  bonds,  $1,745;  fines,  licences,  etc.,  $350.35;  total 
receipts,  $112,128.49. 


i  '1 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  407 

Expenditures:  Paid  primary  teachers,  $29,822.77;  paid  high  school 
teachers,  $2,370.25;  for  managing  and  superintending,  $1,050;  for  sites 
and  buildings,  $22,703.19;  for  interest  on  or  redemption  of  bonds,  $509.11; 
for  fuel  and  other  contingent  expenses,  $6,386.42;  total  expenditures,  $62,- 
841.74:  balance  on  hand  September  1,  1882,  $49,286.75. 

Amount  received  by  the  county  from  the  State  Common  School  Fund, 
$11,175;  amount  paid  by  the  county  into  the  State  Common  School  Fund, 
$10,935,81;  excess  of  receipts  over  payments  from  this  fund,  $239.19;  num- 
ber of  youth  between  six  and  twenty-one  years  of  age  in  the  county,  7,616; 
amount  received  by  the  county  as  interest  from  the  Section  16  school  fund, 
$4,124.53. 

Number  of  unmarried  youth  in  the  county  between  the  ages  of  six  and 
twenty-one  years:  White  boys,  3,991;  white  girls,  3,583;  total,  7,574; 
colored  boys,  25;  colored  girls,  17;  total,  42;  whole  number  between  six 
and  twenty-one  years,  7,616;  number  between  sixteen  and  twenty-one, 
1,937;  population  of  the  county  in  1880,  22,401. 

Number  of  townships  in  the  county,  13;  number  of  subdistricts,  107; 
number  of  separate  districts,  4;  number  of  primary  schoolhouses  erected 
withia  the  year,  5;  cost  of  the  same,  $6,955. 

"Whole  number  of  primary  schoolhouses  in  the  county,  107;  number  of 
primary  schoolhouses  in  separate  districts,  5;  total,  112;  value  of  school- 
houses  and  grounds,  $123,050. 

Number  of  school  rooms,  exclusive  of  rooms  used  only  for  recitation, 
127;  number  of  teachers  necessary  to  supply  the  schools,  133. 

Number  of  different  teachei's  employed:  Gentlemen  in  township  primary 
schools,  95;  ladies  in  township  primary  schools,  113;  gentlemen  in  separate 
district  primary  schools,  4;  ladies  in  separate  district  primary  schools,  16; 
gentlemen  in  high  schools,  5;  ladies  in  high  schools,  1;  grand  total  of 
teachers  employed  for  the  year  ending  August  31,  1882,  234.  Number  of 
teachers  who  taught  the  entire  time  the  schools  were  in  session,  40. 

Average  wages  of  teachers  per  month:  Gentlemen  in  township  primary 
schools,  $35;  ladies,  same,  $22;  gentlemen  in  separate  district  schools, 
$46;  ladies,  same,  $33;  gentlemen  in  high  schools,  $60;  average  number 
of  weeks  the  schools  were  in  session  within  the  year:  Townships,  26;  sepa- 
rate districts,  32;  high  schools,  35;  rate  of  local  tax,  in  townships,  3.6; 
in  separate  districts,  6.5. 

Different  pupils  enrolled:  Boys  in  township  primary  schools,  2,402;  girls 
in  township  primary  schools,  2,019;  boys  in  separate  districts,  602;  girls  in 
separate  districts,  647;  boys  in  high  schools,  42;  girls  in  high  schools,  71; 
grand  total,  5,783.     Average  daily  attendance  in  all  schools,  3,868. 

High  School  Statistics:  Total  receipts  for  school  purposes  within  the 
year,  at  Upper  Sandusky,  $31,014.21;  at  Carey,  $5,210.54;  at  Nevada, 
$6,414.17;  total  expenditui-es  at  Upper  Sandusky,  $15,073.80;  at  Carey, 
$2,358.60;  at  Nevada,  $5,575.13.  Number  of  schoolhouses  at  Upper  San- 
dusky, 3;  at  Carey  1;  at  Nevada,  1.  Number  of  schoolrooms  at  Upper 
Sanduskv,  11;  at  Carey,  4;  at  Nevada.  6  Value  of  school  property  at 
Upper  Sandusky,  $18,000;*  at  Carey,  $7,000;  at  Nevada,  $14,000.  Num- 
ber of  teachers  employed  at  Upper  Sandusky,  gentlemen,  2;  ladies,  10;  at 
Nevada,  gentlemen,  3;  ladies,  4;  at  Carey,  gentlemen,  1;  ladies,  4.  Aver- 
age wages  per  month  paid,  at  Upper  Sandusky,  gentlemen,  $80;  ladies, 
$35;  at  Carey,  gentlemen,  $75;  ladies,  $35;  at  Nevada,  gentlemen,  $57; 
ladies,    $31.     Superintendent  at  Upper  Sandusky,   W.   A.   Baker;  salary, 

*  DoeB  not  include  the  elegant  new  school  building  which,  at  that  time,  was  not  commenced. 

12 


408  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

$900;  Superintendent  at  Carey,  J.  S.  Lewis;  salary,  $750;  Superintendent 
at  Nevada.  D.  E.  Niver;  salary,  $600.  Superintendents  for  the  year 
1882-83,  J.  A.  Pittsford,  at  Carey;  D.  E.  Niver,  at  Nevada,  and  W.  A. 
Baker,  at  Upper  Sandusky. 

Tbe  present  County  Examiners  are  D.  D.  Clayton,  whose  term  expires 
August  31,  1884;  M.  M.  Hollanshead,  whose  term  expires  August  81,  1884, 
and  W.  C.  Gear,  whose  term  expires  August  31,  1885. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Wyandot  Teachers'  Association  was  held  in  the 
court  house  at  Upper  Sandusky — in  the  old  Indian  Council  House — on  Fri- 
day, August  25,  1848.  At  this  meeting,  Rev.  Charles  Thayer  served  as 
Chairman,-  and  C.  P.  Culver  as  Secretary.  After  adopting  various  resolu- 
tions, those  assembled  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  same  place  on  Saturday, 
September  5,  1848,  at  1  o'clock,  P.  M.  Since  that  date  the  teachers  of  the 
county  have  kept  abreast  of  the  times,  and  have  almost  annually  met  at  the 
county  seat,  seeking  by  professional  contact,  to  widen  their  sphere  of  knowl- 
edge and  usefulness. 

At  the  Wyandot  Teachers'  Insr,itute,  held  at  Upper  Sandusky,  for  five 
days,  commencing  August  28,  1882,  eight  lecturers  and  instructors,  and 
seventy  male  and  female  teachers  were  present.  Of  the  $192. 16  received 
from  the  County  Treasurer,  from  members  and  from  other  sources,  to  meet 
the  expenditures  of  the  occasion,  $60  were  paid  lecturers  and  instructors, 
and  $39.35  were  paid  for  other  expenses,  leaving  a  balance  on  hand  of 
$92.81.  The  cost  of  the  institute  per  day  was  $19.87,  and  per  member, 
$1.42.  The  lecturers  and  instructors  present  at  this  session  of  the  institute 
were  W.  A.  Baker,  Robert  Carey  and  D.  D.  Clayton,  of  Upper  Sandusky; 
W.  W.  Hobbs,  of  Nevada;  J.  L.  Lewis,  of  Pitt;  M.  Manley,  of  Gallon;  J. 
A.  Pittsford,  of  Carey,  and  H.  M.  Perkins,  of  Delaware.  Of  the  $60  paid 
to  lecturers,  Manley  received  $50,  and  Perkins 


CLERICAL. 

EARLY  MODES    OF    RELIGIOUS    WORSHIP. 

Although  matters  relating  to  church  organizations — the  date  of  their  es- 
tablishment, building  of  houses  of  worship,  change  of  pastors,  etc. — are 
treated  at  length  in  the  separate  township  histories,  yet  we  cannot  forbear 
adding  a  paragraph  or  two  in  this  connection,  for  the  purpose  of  showing 
the  manner  of  conducting  religious  worship  at  an  early  day,  and  also  to  men- 
tion the  names  of  some  of  the  early  divines  of  the  county. 

Says  a  writer,  in  speaking  of  early  religious  worship  in  this  part  of  Ohio, 
"The  Methodists  were  generally  first  on  the  ground  in  pioneer  settlements, 
and  at  that  early  day  were  more  demonstrative  in  their  devotions  than  at 
the  present  time.  Pulpit  oratory  was  more  full  of  action,  and  fraught  with 
soaring  flights,  while  the  grammatical  dress  was  thought  of  but  little.  Fam- 
ily worship,  especially  among  the  pioneer  Methodists  and  United  Brethren, 
partook  of  the  zealous  fervency  of  their  more  public  devotions.  AVe  then 
had  a  most  emphatic  American  edition  of  that  pious  old  Scotch  practice  so 
eloquently  described  in  Burns'  'Cotter's  Saturday  Night:' 

' '  The  clieerf u'  supper  done,  wi'  serious  f cace 

They  round  the  ingle  formed  a  circle  wide ; 
The  sire  turns  o'er  wi'  patriarchal  grace, 

The  big  ha'  Bible,  once  his  father's  pride. 
His  bonnet  rev'rently  is  laid  aside, 

His  lyart  hafEerts  wearing  thin  and  bare. 
Those  strains  that  ance  did  sweet  in  Zion  glide, 

He  whales  a  portion  wi'  judicious  care, 

And  '  Let  us  worship  God,'  he  says  wi'  solemn  air. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  409 

"They  chant  their  artless  notes  in  simple  guise; 

They  tune  their  hearts — by  far  the  noblest  aim; 
Perhaps  '  Dundee's '  wild  warl)ling  measures  rise, 

Or  plaintive  '  Martyrs,'  worthy  of  the  name; 
Or  noble  '  Elgin '  beats  the  heavenward  flame, 

The  sweetest  far  of  Scotia's  hallowed  lays. 
Compared  wi'  these,  Italian  trills  are  tame; 

The  tickled  ear  nae  heartfelt  raptures  raise; 

Nae  unison  hae  thc3^wi'  our  Creator's  praise. 

"  The  priest-like  father  reads  the  sacred  page — 

How  Abraham  was  the  friend  of  God  on  high,  etc. 

"  Then  kneeling  down  to  Heaven's  Eternal  King, 

The  saint,  the  father  and  the  husband  prays; 
Hope  'springs  exulting  on  triumphant  wing,' 

That  thus  they  a'  shall  meet  in  future  days; 
There  ever  bask  in  uncreated  rays, 

No  more  to  sigh  or  shed  the  bitter  tear. 
Together  hymning  their  Creator's  praise. 

In  such  society,  yet  still  more  dear, 

While  circling  time  moves  round  in  an  eternal  sphere." 

The  familiar  tunes  of  pioneer  worship  were  mostly  in  the  minor  key, 
and  very  pensive  and  solemnly  inspiring,  in  striking  contrast  with  the 
worldly  sound  of  nearly  all  modern  church  music.  As  they  are  named  in 
the  old  "  Missouri  Harmony  "  (who  has  seen  this  music  book  within  the 
last  thirty  years  ?),  the  characteristic  standard  tunes  were  such  as  Bourbon, 
Consolation,  China,  Canaan,  Conquering  Soldier,  Condescension,  DevotioQ, 
Davis,  Fiducia,  Funeral  Thought,  Florida,  Golden  Hill,  Ganges,  Green- 
fields, Greenville,  Idumea,  Imandra,  Kentucky,  Lenox,  Leander,  Mear,  New 
Orleans,  Northfield,  New  Salem,  New  Durham,  Olney,  Primrose,  Pisgah, 
Pleyel's  Hymn,  Rockbridge,  Rockingham,  ReflectioD,  Supplicntion,  Salva- 
tion, St.  Thomas,  Salem,  Tender  Thought,  Windham,  etc.,  besides  a  great 
number  known  only  by  the  first  lines  of  the  words,  as  "  O,  how  happy  are 
they,"  "  Come,  thou  fount  of  every  blessing,"  "  O,  for  a  glance  of  heavenly 
day,"  "  Jesus  my  all,  to  heaven  is  gone,"  etc. 

Ouceor  twice  a  da} — in  the  morning  just  before  or  after  breakfast,  and  in. 
the  evening  just  before  retiring  to  rest — the  head  of  the  family  would  call 
to  order,  read  a  chapter  in  the  Bible,  announce  the  hymn  and  time  by  com- 
mencing to  sing,  when  others  would  join,  then  he  would  deliver  a  most  fer- 
vent prayer.  If  a  pious  guest  was  present,  he  would  be  called  upon  to  take 
the  lead  in  the  religious  exercises;  and  if,  in  those  days,  a  person  who 
prayed  either  in  the  family  or  in  public,  did  not  pray  as  if  it  were  his  very 
last  on  earth,  his  piety  was  thought  to  be  defective. 

Numbers  of  other  orthodox  denominations  also  had  their  family  prayers, 
in  which,  however,  the  phraseology  was  somewhat  different  from  that  of  the 
Methodists,  and  the  voices  kept  low  and  calm. 

EARLY  MINISTERS  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

The  following  list  embraces  the  names,  denominations,  etc.,  of  the  mia- 
isters  of  the  Gospel  who  were  licensed  by  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  dur- 
ing the  years  from  1845  to  1851,  inclusive,  to  solemnize  marriages  in  Wy- 
andot County: 

Benjamin  Sager,  Christian,  April,  1846;  Charles  Thayer,  Presbyterian, 
October,  1846;  Nathan  Evans,  German  Reformed,  October,  1846;  George 
Turk,  Lutheran,  November,  1847;  Silas  DeBolt,  Predestinarian  Baptist, 
May,  1848;  James  Milligan,  Methodist  Episcopal,  November,  1848;  Augus- 
tus Price,  Baptist,  November,  1848;  Jacob  Schaner,  Evangelical  Luthei'an, 


410  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

April,  184:9;  John  Casper  Christian  Voight,  German  Lutheran,  July,  1849; 
Louis  A.  JBrunner,  Presbyterian,  November,  1849;  Eobert  Weeks,  United 
Brethren,  April,  1850;  Philip  Cole,  Methodist  Episcopal,  July,  1850; 
James  B,  Oliver,  Evangelical  Lutheran,  November,  1850;  Frederick  Dol- 
metsk,  Lutheran,  November,  1850;  James  P.  Hastings,  Bible  Christian, 
July,  1851;  Samuel  Kelso,  United  Brethren,  November,  1851. 

EARLY  POETS  AND  POETRY. 

Wyandot  County  is  better  adapted  to  grass  and  corn  than  to  poetry, 
consequently  but  little  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  culture  of  the  Par- 
nassian crop. 

The  only  specimen  of  aboriginal  Wyandot  poetry  known  to  the  writer 
is  a  hymn,  of  which  a  few  verses  are  given,  by  Rev.  James  B.  Finley,  in 
his  "  Life  Among  the  Indians."     The  first  couplet  reads  as  follows: 

"  Yar-ro  tawsa  shre-wan  daros 
Dii-saw  shaw-taw  tra-war-ta." 

The  rest  will  be  forthcoming  when  called  for. 

The  genial  and  simple-hearted  Count  Coffinberry,  in  his  "Forest 
Rangers,"  has  sung  of  the  Sandusky  Plains,  and  told  how — 

"  Crawford  proved  more  fortunate, 
Fiir  he  escaped  the  public  hate 
By  being  captured  tliereaud  dying, 
"When  from  the  field  his  hosts  were  flying." 

He  has  also  portrayed  the  gathering  of  Indian  warriors,  when — 

"  Along  Sandusky's  verdant  shore 
Did  hosts  of  dusky  natives  pour." 

In  a  note  to  the  passage  first  quoted,  he  informs  his  readers  that  the 
locality  of  Col.  Crawford's  torture  is  on  the  Tyamoherty,  about  four 
miles  above  its  junction  with  the  Sandusky  River,  and  probably  about  ten 
miles  in  a  straight  line  from  his  battle-ground  on  the  Sandusky  Plains. 

But  we  are  keeping  our  readers  too  long  from  the  earliest  poem,  which 
is  justly  entitled  to  consideration,  as  a  product  of  Wyandot  County,  and 
which  was  written  during  our  first  summer  for  our  first  newspaper,  and 
published  in  the  Wyandott  Telegraph  on  the  9th  of  August,  1845.  We 
transcribe  carefully  from  the  only  copy  now  known  to  be  in  existence: 


Land  where  the  Indians  love  to  roam — 
Where  true  patriots'  blood  has  flown; 
Where  freedom's  sun  has  brightlj^  shone 

'Tis  thee  I  love. 
There's  beauty  in  thy  naked  soil, 
Bespeaking  smiles  of  love; 
Thy  rocks  and  blooming  wilds  proclaim 
Protection  from  above. 

Land  where  the  Pilgrim  fathers  rest. 
Where  no  foe  from  us  can  freedom  wrest; 
Of  the  bright  and  growing  West 

'Tis  thee  I  love. 
Where  the  eagle  soars  on  pinions  free, 
O'er  the  towering  mountain's  top; 
Thus  proudly  boasting  of  the  liberty 
That  bears  her  onward— up. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  411 

Land  where  the  people's  voice  is  heard; 
Where  on  none  are  kingly  powers  confer'd; 
Where  freedom  is  the  boasted  word; 

'Tis  thee  I  love. 
Here  no  aristocratic  lords 
Have  power  to  bind  us  down, 
But  freedom  grants — that  sacred  word — 
Power  to  each  and  every  one. 

Land  of  the  patriot  Washington; 
Of  the. lamented  Harrison; 
Of  the  Statesman  Jefferson 

'Tis  thee  I  love. 
Thou  art  as  a  brightly  shining  star. 
That  is  from  every  country  seen; 
Whose  rays  shine  brighter  every  year, 
Though  clouded  thou  at  times  hast  been. 

Land  that  is  lashed  by  Atlantic's  wave; 
Where  monarchy  soon  found  a  grave; 
That  our  fathers  fought  to  save; 

Tis  thee  I  love. 
Thy  cities  great  with  crowded  streets. 
Tell  of  a  nation  prosperous,  free! 
Where  every  stranger  kindness  meets, 
While  in  this  land  of  liberty. 

Land  where  the  wrung  soul  may  rest; 
Where  each  may  alike  be  blest; 
Where  the  laborer  is  ne'er  oppressed; 

'Tis  thee  I  love. 
Yes,  thou  art  the  land  I  prize  above 
All  others  known  to  me. 
Thou  art  the  land  so  dearly  loved, 
Sweet  land  of  liberty!  —A.  W.  B. 

McCuTCHENViLLE,  July  26,  1845. 

Of  this  poet  all  the  other  works  have  perished,  and  of  his  name  nothing 
remains  but  the  initials.  The  poem  itself  will  doubtless  suggest  to  some 
of  our  readers  a  rather  clear  imitation  of  an  ode  which  is  sometimes  sung 
in  the  churches. 

Next  in  order  of  time,  is  the  remarkal>le  poem  which  was  published  for 
the  first  and  only  time  in  the  Democratic  Pioneer  for  January  9,  1847,  and 
which,  with  the  editorial  note  that  preceded  it,  we  give  entire. 

The  followiug  lines  some  may  suppose  to  be  borrowed,  but  Mr.  Harris 
informed  us  that  they  are  wholly  original,  no  portion  being  selected.  These 
lines  contain  something  sublime  and  beautiful,  as  every  one  will  admit  upon 
a  perusal.  It  is  altogether  in  the  author's  own  style,  and  without  alteration 
or  amendment: 

THE    PKESENT    AT    PARTIKG. 

Elian  dear,  here  is  a  book, 

To  pick  one  for  you  great  pains  I  took. 

And  if  I  never  do  return, 

My  heart  for  you  will  always  burn. 

Elian  dear,  do  not  take  it  amiss, 

But  take  it  with  a  parting  kiss, 

And  wherever  you  may  be, 

When  you  look  at  this  you  will  think  of  me. 

Elian  dear,  thou  art  a  friend. 
On  whom  a  person  may  depend. 
And  with  you  and  your  good  heart, 
I  am  sorrow  that  I  have  to  part. 


412  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Elian  dear,  I  must  now  go, 

I  bear  good  will  to  friend  and  foe. 

The  time  has  come,  I  now  must  I, 

Bid  you,  my  dear,  a  long  good  by. 

— By  J.  A.  Harris. 
"**  Notwithstanding  the  doubts  suggested  in  the  preliminary  note,  we  un- 
iiesitatingly  pronounce  the  foregoing  poem  to  be  wholly  original.      There 
IS  no  question  but  that  Mr.  Harris  made  it  entirely  out  of  his  own  head, 
and  had  plenty  of  chips  and  blocks  left. 

The  rare  and  authentic  specimen  of  original  indigenous  poetry  appeared 
in  the  Pioneer  of  January  19,  1849.  The  author,  Robert  Taggart,  was  an 
Elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  whose  pious  aversion  to  the  sinful 
amusement  of  dancing  found  or  forced  an  utterance  in  the  following  song. 
The  introductory  note,  and  the  song  itself — with  the  exception  of  one  verse, 
which,  containing  more  truth  than  poetry,  is  especially  liable  to  miscon- 
struction— are  copied  literally. 

"  At  the  request  of  a  friend,  and  in  compliance  with  a  resolution  passed 
by  a  number  of  persons,  we  publish  the  following  lines  as  written  by  Mr. 
Taggart : 

ORIGINAL    SONG. 

You  countries  and  cities,  I  pray  you  draw  uear, 
A  comical  ditty  you  quickly  shall  hear, 
The  boys  about  here  they  think  to  advance, 
By  courting  the  girls  and  learning  to  dance. 
And  its  0  shame  for  them. 

The  boys  about  here  they  think  theirs  the  plan, 
You'll  not  say  one  word  but  you'll  have  it  again  ; 
And  more  they'll  put  to  it,  they  will  if  they  can. 
And  many  a  boy  sits  up  for  a  man. 
And  its  0  shame  lor  them. 

Their  jackets  \<*  short  as  e're  they  can  be, 
And  in  their  bosoms  they'll  wear  a  gold  key  ; 
Their  pantaloons  they  must  have  up  to  their  chin. 
And  they're  buckled  and  strapped  like  a  horse  in  a  sling. 
And  its  0  shame  for  them. 

But  now  we  leave  off  these  sporting  young  lads. 
And  go  to  the  girls,  they're  ten  times  as  bad  ; 
They'll  powder  their  hair  and  rowlers  they'll  wear. 
And  just  like  an  owl  in  the  bufh  they'll  appear, 
And  its  fine  fun  for  them. 

They'll  go  to  the  church  and  down  they  will  sit, 
They'll  laugh  and  they'll  not  know  at  what, 
They'll  laugh  and  they'll  point  and  they'll  think  themselves  wise, 
And  they  can't  get  a  man  if  they  would  lay  down  their  lives, 
And  its  fine  fun  for  them. 

Oh,  when  they  go  there,  their  box  they'll  pull  out ; 
They  Hit  it  a  crack  to  make  you  look  about ; 
They'll  hand  it  to  one,  they'll  hand  it  to  two. 
Saying,  Sir,  won't  you  take  it,  or  Madam  won't  you? 
And  its  fine  fun  for  them. 

With  ribbands  and  lace  they  toss  oft"  their  head, 
And  with  a  gauze  veil  they'll  cover  their  face  ; 
Their  top-locks  and  lug-locks  look  wonderful  ((ueer. 
And  they  hold  up  their  head  like  a  stitt'-bridled  mare. 
And  its  fine  fun  for  them. 

The  following  lines,  which  have  a  somewhat  familiar  sound,  pui'port  to 
have  been  "written  for  the  Wyandot  Tribune,^'  and  were  published  in  that 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  413 

paper  on  June  30,    1849.      That  the  greater  portion  of  them  had  been 
written  before  for  some  other  purpose  is  quite  probable: 

NIGHT. 

I  love  the  dark  and  gloomy  night, 
When  moon  and  stars  are  hid  from  sight ; 
When  deafening  thunders  awful  roll, 
And  lightnings  tiash  from  pole  to  pole. 

When  Nature  rests  in  silent  awe, 
As  if  to  scan  some  secret  tlaw, 
Amid  her  vast  and  ponderous  wheels, 
While  all  creation  trembling  reels. 

Thus  when  the  elements  contend, 

And  lightnings  with  the  darkness  blend, 

I'd  have  some  fair  one  by  me  then. 

To  watch  the  tempest's  gathering  might. 

How  grand  the  scene!    how  blest  the  choice 
Of  such  an  one  in  such  an  hour  ! 
The  dismal  heavens  would  form  our  bower, 
As  blackning  clouds  around  us  lower. 
Upper  Sandi-skt,  June  30,  1849.  — C.  G.  F. 

For  a  few  years  afterward  Wyandot  County  struggled  along  as  best  it 
could,  without  a  sacred  or  other  poet,  until  C.  Gr.  Mugg  took  charge  of  the 
Wyandot  Pioneer,  and  in  the  omnivorous  spirit  which  marked  his  control 
of  thatpapei'.  became  his  own  poet.  As  a  fair  example  of  his  best  style,  we 
give  the  general  reflections  with  which  he  concluded  a  lengthy  poem  on  the 
subject  of  Col.  Crawford's  rather  well-known  mishap,  published  in  the 
Pioneer  of  October  29,  1857,  and  entitled  "Battle  Island."  After  portray- 
ing the  varying  fortunes  and  final  result  of  the  fight,  our  poet  continues: 

Long  years  have  passed,  and  many  a  morn  and  eve, 
Time's  changes  on  the  face  of  nature  weave; 
AVhere  once  the  wigwam  of  the  savage  stood, 
Or  where  unseen  in  pathless  solitude. 
Roamed  the  wild  deer  and  beast  of  prey  alone, 
By  marshy  fen,  by  reeds  and  grass  o'ergrown. 
All  these  have  passed  away  and  in  their  place, 
'  Are  dwellings  of  a  nobler,  better  race. 

Where  once  the  Indian  village  decked  the  plain. 

Bright  summer  shows  her  fields  of  waving  grain. 

Which  in  the  spring  and  early  summer  bloom, 

Blossom  alike  o'er  white  and  red — man's  tomb. 

To  thee,  thou  Battle  Isle,  changes  but  few  have  come. 

Since  erst  the  Wyandot  thy  shade  his  home 

Had  made.     Now  wave  thy  oaks  as  green  as  when 

Thou  shelteredst  in  their  need  brave  Crawford  and  his  men. 

Though  near  an  hundred  years  have  fled, 
Thy  shade  still  reaches  o'er  the  slumbering  dead. 
That  sleep  in  one  huge  grave,  by  midnight  fires 
Dug,  for  our  murdered  Anglo-Sixon  sires. 
God  rest  them  !     May  their  children  ever  keep 
Sacred  the  spot  where  their  foretathers  sleep. 
And  may  they  make  that  mound,  in  years  to  come, 
A  sacred  shrine — a  proud  mausoleum. 

The  same  poet  editor  produced  "  A  Lay  of  the  Heart,"  which  was  given 
to  the  public  in  the  Pioneer  of  January  14,  1858.  The  first  of  the  four 
verses  composing  this  lay  is  quoted  as  a  fair  example  of  its  author's  senti- 
mental  poetry: 


414  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Fairest  of  earth's  bri^^hl-eyeil  ilaughters, 

Milder  tbou  than  breath  of  tr.orn 
Gladsome  as  the  chime  of  waters, 

O'er  the  wold  at  twiliorht  borne. 
List  the  lay  ot  nne  who  loves  thee, 

Vne  but  who  lives  in  thy  smile — 
Dearer  far  to  him  than  any, 

Gem  that  gleams  on  Eastern  isle. 

"The  Upper  Sandusky  Bard,"  whose  lengthy  productions  in  poetry 
were  published  in  several  numbers  of  the  Democratic  Union,  beginning 
with  January,  1858,  was  another  whose  poetic  efforts,  perhaps,  entitle  him 
to  some  recognition  in  these  pages,  but  as  before  intimated,  his  articles  all 
verge  upon  the  extreme  of  prolixity,  and  as  space  and  time  with  us  are 
valuable,  we  will  cordially  delegate  the  task  of  their  reproduction  to  those 
possessing  more  appreciation  and  more  leisure. 

Again  turning  to  the  last  article  contributed  by  Mr.  Sears,  we  find  him 
commenting  upon  the  only  poetess  Wyandot  County  has  produced  as 
follows : 

"Though  we  disclaim  any  credit  for  so  ordinary  an  act  of  politeness,  we 
trust  our  readers  will  not  overlook  the  fact,  that  the  places  of  honor  in  these 
sketches  have  been  reserved  for  our  only  poetess,  the  sweet  and  sentimental 
songtrebs,  who  gave  to  the  world  the  gushiugs  of  her  gentle  heart,  in  a 
small  16mo  volume,  bound  in  muslin  and  modestly  labeled,  '  Lute's  Poems.'  " 

Turning  to  the  title  page,  we  are  introduced  with  somewhat  more  for- 
mality to  "Poems  by  Lute,  respectfully  dedicated  to  M.  C.  H:" 

0  let  us  seek  some  friendly  isle, 

Far  o'er  the  deep  blue  sea, 
Where  none  sive  nature's  own  sweet  smile, 

Will  rest  on  you  and  me  ; 
Where  frowns  we've  met  in  other  years, 

Will  sink  in  Lethe's  streams, 
Where  pa- sing  smiles  and  bitter  tears, 

Will  never  haunt  our  dreams. 

"Printed  for  the  author  at  the  establishment  of  the  United  Brethren, 
at  Dayton,  Ohio,    1858." 

While  the  opening  lines  of  the  dedicatory  strains  above  quoted  remind 
us  somewhat  forcibly  ot  the  fate  of  that  unfortunate  colt  which  was  drowned 
in  attempting  to  cross  the  river  to  get  a  drink,  and  although  there  are  many 
other  passages  in  the  book  where  impulsive  genius  has  set  the  rules  of 
composition  and  grammar  at  defiance;  yet  it  is  our  only  printed  volume  of 
poetry — it  may  be  the  only  one  we  shall  ever  have — and  we  are  determined 
to  make  the  most  of  it.  Consider  for  a  moment,  in  a  proper  spirit  of  thank- 
fulness, and  without  exulting  over  our  less  fortunate  neighbors,  how  few  of 
the  eighty  odd  counties  in  Ohio  have  a  printed  volume  of  their  own  home- 
made poetry. 

"  Lute's  Poems  "  are  the  unassisted  work  of  a  young  lady  who  was  brought 
up  in  Wyandot  County,  whose  intellectual  training  was  the  work  of  our 
common  and  other  schools,  and  whose  heart  here  received  that  education  of 
love,  hope  and  disappointment  which  finds  full  expression  in  the  volume 
before  us. 

Such  selections  as  our  space  permits  will  be  given  for  the  benefit  of  our 
readers,  the  most  of  whom  will  never  see  ought  more  of  the  contents  of  this 
privately  printed  and  already  very  scarce  book.  There  are  many  religious 
poems,  notable  among  which  are  Kedron,  Jesus  Wept,  Jerusalem  and  The 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  415 

Reconciliation.  The  last-named  is  Miltonic,  both  in  style  and  subject,  and 
treats  of  Adam  and  Eve's  criminations,  recriminations  and  final  reconcilia- 
tion after  the  ejectment  from  Eden. 

There  are  many  pieces  devoted  to  the  perpetuation  of  the  very  laudable 
affections  of  the  author  as  a  sister  and  daughter,  some  obituary  feeling  offer- 
ings to  departed  friends,  a  few  fancy  sketches  such  as  The  Fairy^s  Tale  and 
The  Aborigines,  and  also  something  philosophic,  and  didactic  in  reference 
to  Homer  and  Napoleon;  yet,  among  them  all,  we  prefer  those  pieces  which 
treat  of  the  gentle  passion,  those  outpourings  of  the  heart,  whose  intensity 
might  almost  compensate  the  lack  of  genius.  Our  few  extracts,  which  will 
be  confined  to  this  class,  can  have  no  more  fitting  introduction  than  the 
hymn  to  the  god  with  plump  cheeks,  who  with  bow  and  quiver,  and  without 
trowsers,  is  worshiped  openly  or  in  secret,  by  all  sentimental  young  ladies 
under  the  name  of 

CUPID. 

Little,  flying  gleam  of  fancy, 

Little  ray 
Chasing  peace  away, 
Every  day,  and  every  hour, 
Proves  more  absolute  his  )  oveer, — 
Habitant  of  every  nation. 
Handed  down  through  all  creation, 

Here,  there,  everywhere, 
Making  mischief  where  he  can, 
In  the  heart  of  man. 

Little  flying  gleam  of  fancy, 

Little  ray, 
Cbasinsi  peace  away, 
Styled  by  some  a  gift  from  heaven. 
Others  say,  whence  unforgiven — 
Spirits  dwell  in  blackest  night, 
He  has  'scaped  and  come  to  light. 

Loved  by  some,  and  scorned  by  others  ; 
Still  their  hatred  never  smothers 
The  bright  fires  whic&  he  starts, 
On  the  altar  of  our  hearts. 

Another  poem  is  addressed  to  some  faithless  swain,  and  entitled: 

YOU  CANNOT  QUITE  FOKGET  ME. 

You  cannot  quite  forget  me — 

Go  leave  me  if  you  will — 
But  lingering  memories  of  me 

Will  haunt  your  pathway  still. 

The  tears  when  we  have  parted, 

The  smiles  when  we  have  met, 
The  kindly  words  we've  spoken, 

You  never  can  forget. 

You  cannot  quite  forget  me, 

Although  another  shrine 
Mdy  claim  your  priceless  favor. 

You'll  often  think  of  mine. 

The  smiles  from  some  one  fairer, 

Awhile  may  drown  regret. 
But  still  our  sunny  mornings 

You  never  can  forget. 


416  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

And  then  in  a  spirit  of  despondency,  doubtless  caused  by  that  fellow's 
persistent  efiforts  to  forget  her,  the  fair  songstress  declared: 

I'll  never  love  again. 

Yes,  yes,  the  happy  dream  is  past, 

To  retain  it  I  was  fain  ; 
But  'twas  delusion  now  1  know, 

And  I'll  never  love  again. 

0!  may  the  past,  the  dreamy  past, 

As  the  summer  rose  depart; 
And  again  I'll  mingle  with  the  gay, 

But  with  a  heivier  heart. 

For  still  fond  memories  of  the  past, 

I  ever  will  retain, 
Remembering  him  I  used  to  love, 

I'll  never  love  again. 

Yet,  despite  the  disappointment  and  deception,  faithlessness  and  broken 
vows,  true  to  the  promptings  and  the  destiny  of  the  female  heart,  she  con- 
tinues to  love  under  all  disadvantages,  as  evidence  of  which  we  cite  the 
concluding  poem  in  this  volume,  and  with  it  close  our  sketch  of  the  early 
poets  and  poetry  of  Wyandot  County : 


They  tell  me,  love,  tbey  tell  me, 
That  thou  art  sadly  changed. 

That  from  the  one  that  lived  for  thee 
Thy  heart  is  now  estranged. 

They  tell  me  of  thy  baseness. 

To  send  a  sickening  dart, 
In  thoughtless  ease  and  trifling  mood. 

Into  a  trusting  heart. 

But  this  heart  will  never  cherish 

One  twitter  thought  of  you, 
But  live  to  love  thy  memory, 

Of  time  when  thou  was't  true 

Thou  was't  not  false — 0!  no. 

Not  ever  false  as  now. 
Once  truth  was  pictured  in  thine  eye, 

And  stamped  upon  thy  brow. 

And  though  thou'st  proved,  basely  false, 
And  played  a  traitor's  pan, 

Methinks  that  still  an  honor's  gleam 
Must  nestle  in  thine  heart. 

They  tell  me  to  forget  thee. 
And  that  at  pleasure's  shrine 

I  may  lose  in  oblivion, 

The  love  which  still  is  thine. 


The  following  beautiful  and  expressive  poem  was  written  by  Frank  E. 
Dumm,  who  has  gained  considerable  distinction  as  an  elocutionist,  and  a 
very  brilliant  writer  for  one  of  his  years.  He  was  born  in  Upper  Sandusky 
August  22,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  R.  D.  Dumm,  editor  of  the  Wyandot 
Union : 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  417 


LENA  S     MOTHER. 


DECLAMATION. 


Where  is  your  mother?     Come,  Lena  dear, 
Stand  close  by  my  side,  first  wipe  otf  that  tear. 
In  a  land  far  away — beautiful  land — 
A  maiden  there  lived — child,  give  me  your  hand- 
A  blithe,  happy  maid,  who  played  all  day  long. 
So  sweet  was  her  smile  and  bright  was  her  song. 
That  the  boatmen  who  passed  on  the  river  below 
Would  silence  their  oars  e'er  turning  to  go. 
The  easel-bowed  trav'ler  would  slacken  his  pace 
To  gaze  on  the  gems  that  shone  in  her  face ; 
And  turn  as  he  passed  to  imprint  on  his  mind 
The  beauty  and  light  he  was  leaving  behind. 

So  fair  was  this  maiden,  my  Lena,  child. 
So  innocent,  artless,  so  undetiled, 
That  the  country  lads  with  much  emotion. 
Spoke  the  burden  of  their  heart's  devotion  ; 
But  she  loved  one,  and  only  one,  and  he ! 
Well,  Lena,  child,  he  was  somewhat  like  me. 

She  used  to  sing  a  plaintive  song,  so  sweet, 
It  mocked  the  river's  rippling  feet ; 
It  was  a  mellow,  mother's  lullaby  ; 
I'll  sing  it  child,  if  you'll  come  nigh  : 


Slumber  as  sweet  as  the  breath  of  the  roses, 

Close  Lena's  lids,  protect  Lena's  sleep. 
For  mau  never  knows  what  the  morrow  proposes, 
What  snares  on  the  land,  what  rocks  in  the  deep  ; 

Sleep,  Lena,  sleep. 

Angels  will  keep 

Ever  by  thee. 

Ever  nigh  thee. 
And  lead  you  through  dreamland's  beautiful  highways- 
Mansions  and  bowers  and  woodlands  and  by-ways — 

Sleep,  Lena,  sleep. 

DECLAMATION. 

Sweet  lullaby,  how  it  brings  back  to  me 

The  time,  child,  when  you  sat  on  my  knee, 

With  your  soft  white  hands  clasped  closely  in  mine — 

A  look  on  your  face  that  was  half  divine ; 

And  with  tears  in  my  eyes  and  drooping  head, 

I  gazed  on  the  patient  face  of  the  dead. 

How  sweet  to  my  soul  came  that  lullaby, 
And  lightened  the  grief  of  both  you  and  I — 

Sleep,  Lena,  sleep, 

Angels  will  keep 

Ever  nigh  you. 

Ever  by  you ; 
The  smile  on  her  face,  the  light  in  her  eye. 
Spoke  thro'  the  soul  that  ascended  on  high. 

Come,  child,  we'll  sing  your  mother's  lullaby. 
And  softly,  child,  for  her  spirit  is  nigh; 
Sweetly,  too,  and  let  a  tear  dim  the  eye — 
Sweet,  mellow,  Lena's  mother's  lullaby. 

(^Repeat   Lullaby.) 


418  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Heard  you  not,  Lena,  child,  the  voice  that  long 
Has  been  lost  to  oui- joys,  echo  the  song  ? 
Or  heard  you  not  flowers  sighing  to  me 
From  a  grassy  mound,  far  over  the  sea? 
Nor  felt  you  the  dread  of  silence  that  fell 
On  the  mystic  life,  o'er  the  mngic  spell 
That  bears  each  token  of  life's  fitful  ways, 
To  the  souls  that  revel  in  sun-lit  days? 
Heard  you  not  a  step  so  soft  and  light, 
Falling  as  sweetly  as  rays  of  bright 
Golden  sunbeams,  and  then  gliding  away — 
Leaving  a  shadow  'mid  shadows  to  play  ? 
That  was  your  mother,  Lena,  watching  nigh 
So  softly  echoing  our  lullaby. 


Slumber  as  soft  as  the  breath  of  the  roses, 
Close  Lena's  lid's,  protect  Lena's  sleep. 
For  man  never  knows  what  the  morrow  proposes. 
What  snares  on  the  land,  what  rocks  in  the  deep. 

Sleep,  Lena,  sleep, 

Angels  will  keep 

Ever  by  thee. 

Ever  nigh  thee, 
And  lead  you  through  dreamland's  beautiful  highways. 
Mansions  and  bowers  and  woodlands  and  by-ways — 

Sleep,  Lena,  sleep. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


419 


CHAPTER  XI. 

MATERIAL  PROGRESS. 

Population  of  Towns  and  Townships  by  Decades— The  Standing  of 
Townships  IN  1845— Teanspoktation  Facilities— Indian  Trails— Wagon 
Roads— Railroads— Post  Offices  and  Postmasters— Agricultural 
Productions— Statsitics  for  the  Year  1882— County  Agricultural 
Society. 

IN  the  endeavor  to  show  the  gradual  progress  of  the  county  of  Wyandot 
during  the  past  forty  years  (likewise  its  present  resources),  and  for  reasons 
which  should  be  obvious  to  the  general  reader,  we  have  here  arranged  under 
one  general  heading  sundry  topics,  each  of  which,  if  treated  independently, 
would  not  furnish  sufficient  material  to  form  separate  chapters. 

population. 

Wyandot  County  began  its  existence  in  the  spring  of  1845,  with  about 

5,000  white  inhabitants;  that  its  progress  has  been  rapid  with  respect  to 

population,  is  clearly  shown  by  the  following  tabulated  statement,  which 

has  been  compiled  with  much  care  from  the  United  States  census  reports: 


TOWNSHIPS  and  villages. 


Antrim  Township,  including  the  following  villages 

Nevada*  Village  (part  of).     (See  Eden  Township.)  ... 

Wyandot  Village 

Crane  Township,  including  the  following  villages 

Upper  Sandusky  Village 

Mononcue  Village , 

Crawford  Township,  including  the  following  villages 

Carey  Village 

Crawfordsville  Village , 

Eden  Township,  including  the  following  villages.. 

Edenville  Village  

Little  York  Village  

Nevada*  Village  (part  of).  (See  Antrim  Township). 
Jackson  Township,  including  the  village  of  Kirby  , 

Kirby  Village  

Marseilles  Township,  including  the  village  of  Marseilles... 

Marseilles  Village 

MiflBin  Township 

Pitt  Township,  including  the  following  villages  

Fowler  City  Village  


TEARS. 


1880. 


Richland  Township,  including  the  village  of  Wharton  .. 

Wharton  Village 

Ridge  Township 

Salem  Township 

Sycamore  Township,  including  the  following  village... 

Sycamore  Village 

Tymochtee  Township,  including  the  following  villages. 

Belle  Vernon  Village 

McCutchenville  Village 

Mexico  Village  

Tymochtee  Village  


Total  population  by  decades 22401    18553 


1676 
399 
639 

1548 

1058 
272 

1620 

112 

230 

115 

38 


1870. 


1061 


3876 
2564 


1860 
692 


1423 


I860.        1850. 


1245 


2877 
1599 


1626 


1247 


771 


603 
261 
866 
991 


1271 


581 

1103 

850 


1631 


603 


693 


870 
957 


1014 


583 

1070 

937 


1874 


15596 


756 


1544 
783 


1301 
"643 


395 


539 


570 
886 


599 


501 
738 
880 


1817 


11169 


*  Total  population  of  the  village  of  Nevada,  in  1880,  lying  in  Antrim  and  Eden  Townships,  1,036. 


420  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

THE  STANDING  OF  TOWNSHIPS   IN  1845. 

Antrim — Number  of  tax-pay ors  assessed  for  personal  property,  75;  acres 
of  land,  8,603|;  value  of  lands,  including  houses,  mills,  etc.,  $25,995;  value 
of  town  lots,  including  buildings,  $738;  horses,  in  number,  134:  value,  |5,- 
360;  cattle,  in  number,  238;  value,  $1,904:  merchants  capital,  and  money 
at  interest,  $501;  pleasure  carriages,  in  number,  1;  value,  $40;  total  amount 
of  taxable  property,  $33,639;  State  tax,  $335.47;  county  tax,  $218.65;  road 
tax,  $50.45. 

Crane — Number  of  inhabitants  assessed  for  personal  property,  57 ;  horses 
in  number,  85;  value,  $3,400;  cattle,  in  number,  100;  value,  $800;  mer- 
chant's capital,  and  money  at  interest,  $1,950;  pleasure  carriages,  in  num- 
ber, 2;  value,  $100;  total  amount  of  taxable  property,  $6,250;  State  tax, 
$43.75;  county  and  school  tax,  $40.62;  poor  tax,  $31.25;  road  tax,  $9.37; 
total  amount  of  taxes  assessed,  $125. 

Crawford — Number  of    tax- payers  assessed  for  personal  property,  165 
acres  of  land,  17,830;  value  of  lands,  including  houses,  mills,  etc.,  $38,868 
value  of    town  lots,  including  buildings,  $2,288;  horses,   in    number,  252 
value,  $10,080;  cattle,   in  number,  690;  value,  $5,520;    merchant's  capital 
and  money    at    interest,  $2,185;  pleasure    carriages,  in    number,  9;  value, 
$480;  total  amount  of  taxable  property,  $59,421;  State  tax,  $415.94;  coun- 
ty and  school  tax,  $386.23;  road  tax,  $89.13;  total  amount  of  taxes  assessed, 
$891.31. 

Eden — Number  of  tax-payers  assessed  for  pei'sonal  property,  18;  acres 
of  land,  2,704;  value  of  lands,  including  houses,  mills,  etc.,  $8,452; 
horses,  in  number,  26;  value,  $1,040;  cattle,  in  number,  56;  value,  $448; 
pleasure  carriages,  in  number,  2;  value,  $105;  total  amount  of  taxable 
property,  $10,045;  State  tax,  $70.31;  county  and  school  tax,  $65.29;  road 
tax,  $15.06;  total  amount  of  taxes  assessed,  $150.67. 

Jackson — Number  of  inhabitants  assessed  for  personal  property,  48; 
acres  of  land,  15,686;  value  of  lands,  including  houses,  mills,  etc.,  $20,352; 
horses,  in  number,  65;  value  of  same,  $2,600;  cattle,  in  number,  145;  value 
of  same,  $1,160;  total  amount  of  taxable  property,  $24,112;  State  tax, 
$168.78;  county  and  school  tax,  $156,72;  road  tax,  $36.16;  total  amount  of 
taxes  levied,  $361.68. 

Mifflin — Number  of  inhabitants  assessed  for  personal  property,  60;  acres 
of  land,  6,162;  value  of  lands,  including  bouses,  mills,  etc.,  $12,392; 
horses,  in  number,  86;  value,  $3,440;  cattle,  in  number,  169;  value,  $1,352; 
merchant's  capital  and  money  at  interest,  $114;  total  amount  of  taxable 
property,  $17,298;  State  tax,'$121.08;  county  and  school  tax,  $U2.43; 
road  tax,  $25.94. 

Marseilles — Number  of  inhabitants  assessed  for  personal  property,  86; 
acres  of  land,  14,460;  value  of  lands,  including  houses,  mills,  etc.,  $34,- 
496;  value  of  town  lots,  including  buildings,  $2,889;  horses,  in  number, 
126;  value,  $5,040;  cattle,  in  number,  304;  value,  $2,432;  merchants'  cap- 
ital and  money  at  interest,  $7,925;  pleasure  carriages,  in  number,  2;  value, 
$140;  total  amount  of  taxable  property,  $52,522;  State  tax,  $367.65;  coun- 
ty and  school  tax,  $341.39;  road  tax,  $78.78;  total  amount  of  taxes  levied, 
$787.83. 

Fitt. — Number  of  tax  payers  assessed  for  personal  property,  121;  acres 
of  land,  9,936;  value  of  lands,  including  houses,  mills,  etc.,  $28,694;  value 
of  town  lots,  including  buildings,  $2,110;  horses  in  number,  200;  value, 
$8,000;  cattle  in  number,  425;  value,  $3,400;  merchants'  capital  and  money 
at   interest,  $4,490;   pleasure   carriages    in   number,  6;    value,  $450;  total 


HISTORY  OF  WYAiNDOT  COUNTY.  421 

amouat  of    taxable  property,  $47,144;  State  tax,  $300;  county   and  school 
tax,  $306.43;  road  tax,  $70.71;  total  amount  of  taxes  assessed,  $707.16. 

Richland. — Number  of  inhabitants  assessed  for  personal  property,  62; 
acres  of  land,  17,279;  value  of  lands,  including  houses,  mills,  etc.,  $30,959; 
value  of  town  lots,  including  buildings,  $36;  horses  in  number,  79;  value, 
$3,160;  cattle  in  number,  165;  value,  $1,320;  merchants'  capital  and 
money  at  interest,  $139;  total  amount  of  taxable  property,  $35,614;  State 
tax,  $249.29;  county  and  school  tax,  $231.49;  township  tax,  $35.61;  road 
tax,  124.64;  total  amount  of  taxes  levied,  $641.05. 

Ridge. — Number  of  inhabitants  assessed  for  personal  property,  67; 
acres  of  land,  9,678;  value  of  lauds,  including  houses,  mills,  etc.,  $18,328; 
value  of  town  lots,  including  buildings,  $133;  horses  in  number,  107;  value 
of  same,  $4,280;  cattle  in  number,  161;  value  of  same.  $1,288;  pleasure 
carriages  in  number,  1;  value  $40;  total  amount  of  taxable  property,  $24,- 
069;  State  tax,  $168,48;  county  and  school  tax,  $156.44;  road  tax,  $36.10; 
total  amount  of  taxes  levied,  $361.03. 

Salem. — Number  of  inhabitants  assessed  for  personal  property,  34; 
acres  of  land,  5,114;  value  of  lands,  including  houses,  mills,  etc.,  $9,420; 
horses  in  number,  53;  value,  $2,120;  cattle  in  number,  131;  value,  $1,048; 
total  amount  of  taxable  property,  $12,588;  State  tax,  $88.11;  county  and 
school  tax,  $81.82;  road  tax,  $18.88;  total  amount  of  taxes  levied,  $188.82. 

Sycamore. — Number  of  tax  payers  assessed  for  personal  property,  123 
acres  of  land,  13,372;  value  of  lands,  including  houses,  mills,  etc.,  $36,380 
horses  in  number,  230:  value,  $9,200;  cattle  in  number,  446;  value,  $3,568 
merchants'  capital  and  money  at  interest,  $200;  pleasure  carriages  in  num- 
ber, 10;  value,  $535;  total  amount  of  taxable  property,  $49,903;  State  tax, 
$349.32;  county  and  school  tax,  $324.36;  township  tax,  $49.90;  road  tax, 
$74.85;  total  amount  of  taxes  assessed,  $798.44. 

Tymochtee. — Number  of  tax  payers  assessed  for  personal  property,  260 
acres  of  land,  17,180;  value  uf  lands,  including  houses,  mills,  etc.,  $47,518 
value    of   town  lots,  including    buildings,  $8,272;  horses  in    number,  387 
value,   $15,460;  cattle  in  number,  636;    value,  $5,088;  merchants'  capital 
and    money  at    interest.  $7,919;  pleasure   carriages  in  number,  16;  value, 
$^73;  total  amount  of  taxable  property,  $85,150;  State  tax,  $596.05;  county 
and  school  tax,  $553.47;  township  tax,  $42.57;  road  tax,  $127.72;  total  amount 
of  taxes  levied,  $1,319.82^. 

Grand  Summary. — Number  of  inhabitants  assessed  for  personal  prop- 
erty, 1,176;  acres  of  land,  138,005;  value  of  lands,  including  houses, 
mills,  etc.,  $310,954;  value  of  town  lots,*  including  buildings,  $16,- 
066;  horses  in  number,  1,830;  value  of  same,  $73,200;  cattle  in  number, 
3,366;  value  of  same,  $29,328;  merchants'  capital  and  money  at  inter- 
est, $25,444;  pleasure  carriages  in  number,  49;  value  of  same,  $2,763; 
total  amount  of  taxable  property,  $457,755;  State  tax,  $3,204.28^;  county 
and  school  tax,  $2,975.40;  township  tax,  $128.09;  poor  tax,  $31.25;  road  tax, 
$757.86;  total  amount  of  taxes  levied  in  1845,  $7,096. 89f 

TRANSPORTATION    FACILITIES. 

Indian  Trails. — The  first  white  men  to  visit  this  region — the  Indian 
traders,  and  the  equally  adventurous  hunters  and  trappers — found  their 
way  from  stream  to  stream,  from  prairie  to  prairie,  and  from  one  valley 
to  another  by  following  the  trails  or  paths  then  in  use  by  the  Indians. 

*  This  summary  does  not  include  the  town  lots,  etc.,  in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  nor  the  lands  and 
value  thereof  in  Crane  Township,  which  were  not  mentioned  in  the  assessment  of  1845. 


422  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

The  latter  certainly  displayed  much  astuteness,  or,  if  we  may  use  the  term, 
engineering  skill,  in  the  choice  of  their  routes  of  travel,  for  the  same  paths 
were  pursued  by  the  traders  with  their  pack-horse  trains.  Next  they  were 
followed  by  the  rude  military  roads  hewed  out  by  the  axmen  and  pioneers 
attached  to  the  American  armies  under  Gen.  Harrison  and  others  during  the 
war  of  1812-15.  Next  came  the  highways,  constructed  under  State  au- 
thority. Then  followed  the  ordinary  wagon  roads,  and  lastly,  the  railways 
of  the  present  day. 

At  this  late  day,  and  with  no  authentic  evidence  as  a  guide,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  describe  the  route  of  the  various  trails  which  led  through  this  imme- 
diate region  during  its  occupation  by  the  Indians.  It  is  a  well-authenticated 
fact,  however,  that,  from  time  immemorial,  the  Wyandots  and  other  Indians 
used  a  broad  and  well-detined  trail,  which  in  its  course  northward  from  the 
head-waters  of  the  Scioto  River  to  Sandusky  Bay,  led  directly  over  the 
site  of  the  present  town  of  Upper  Sandusky.  Another  favorite  route  with 
the  aborigines,  termed  the  "Old  "War  Trace,"  intersected  the  trail  just 
mentioned  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  thence  led  oflf  in  a  southeasterly  course 
through  the  present  towns  of  Caledonia,  Mount  Gilead,  Fredericktown  and 
Mount  Vernon,  down  Old  Creek  to  "White  Woman  River.  Doubtless  many 
other  minor  trails  crossed  and  led  into  the  broad  paths  above  referred  to, 
but,  as  before  intimated,  it  is  now  an  impracticable  task  to  even  attempt  to 
describe  them. 

Wagon  Roads,  Ferries,  etc. — Without  a  doubt,  the  first  attempt  at  road- 
makinof  by  the  whites  in  the  territory  now  embraced  by  Wyandot  County, 
took  place  during  the  year  1812.  This  route,  called  the  "  Old  War  Road," 
was  cut  out  by  Gen.  Harrison's  soldiers,  and  passed  in  a  nearly  north  and 
south  direction  through  Upper  Sandusky  and  the  central  part  of  the  pres- 
ent county.  Some  years  after  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812-15,  and  by  a 
treaty  stipulation  with  the  Wyandot  Indians,  a  State  road  was  marked  out 
and  somewhat  improved,  which  led  from  Delaware  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and 
thence  on  to  Lake  Erie,  via  the  towns  now  known  as  Tiffin,  Fremont,  etc. 
This  road  became  well  established,  and  for  many  years  was  the  chief  high- 
way leading  into  this  region.  However,  as  the  country  settled  up,  public 
highways  became  indispensable,  and  they  were  slowly  and  gradually  made, 
simultaneously  with  the  building  of  the  log  cabin  residences  and  the 
development  of  farms. 

A  number  of  roads  were  authorized  to  be  laid  out  in  this  region  by  the 
authorities  of  Marion,  Crawford,  Hancock  and  Hardin  Counties  before  the 
organization  of  Wyandot  County.  Since  that  time  a  large  number  of 
others  have  been  opened,  and  a  vast  sum  of  money,  in  the  aggregate,  appro- 
priated to  improve  them.  Yet  the  county  cabnot  yet  boast  of  a  mile  of 
turnpike  or  macadamized  road,  and  as  a  result  of  the  peculiar  character  of 
the  soil,  the  ordinary  highways  during  certain  seasons  of  the  year  are  well- 
nigh  impassable. 

By  turning  to  the  court  records  it  is  ascertained  that  in  1847  Joseph  T. 
Torrey  was  denied  the  right  to  maintain  a  ferry  over  the  Tymochtee  Creek, 
on  the  State  road  leading  from  Upper  to  Lower  Sandusky.  In  July  of  that 
year,  however,  Jacob  Bugh  and  Daniel  F.  Hodge,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Bugh  &  Hodge,  were  granted  the  privilege  of  keeping  and  maintaining  for 
one  year  "  a  ferry  over  the  Sandusky  River  where  the  road  crosses  the  said 
river,  east  of  McCutchenville;"  and  at  November  term,  1848,  Michael  Noel 
and  Cornelius  Shaw  were  granted  a  license  for  one  year  to  keep  and  main- 
tain a  ferry  "  at  a  point  on  the  Tymochtee  Creek,  where  the  road  leading 
from  Upper  Sandusky  to  McCutchenville  crosses  said  creek." 


^ 


'■«^■. 


V  .^ 


t: 


J^A,,   (2^c^ 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  425 

Railroads. — Indianapolis,  Bloomington  &  Western  Railway  Cora- 
pany. — The  corporate  history  and  the  changes  which  have  led  to  this  title, 
are  briefly  stated  as  follows:  By  a  special  charter,  granted  January  5,  1832 
(O.  L.  15),  the  Mad  River  &  Lake  Erii^  Kailroad  Company  was  incorporated 
and  vested  with  the  right  to  construct  a  railway  fi'om  Dayton  via  Spring- 
field, Urbana,  Bellefontaine,  to  or  near  Upper  Sandusky,  Tiffin  and  Lower 
Sandasky,  to  Sandusky,  Huron  County;  also  to  construct  branches  to  the 
seats  of  justice  of  any  county  through  which  the  road  may  be  located. 

Thereafter  the  following  legislation  furthering  the  interests  of  the  cor- 
poration was  had  on  the  several  dates  specified; 

An  act  to  authorize  a  loan  of  credit  of  the  State  of  $200,000  to  the  said 
company,  approved  March  14,  1836  (34  O.  L.,  ,570). 

An  act  to  authorize  the  Commissioners  of  Logan  County  to  subscribe  for 
$25,000of  the  capital  stock  of  the  company,  approved  December  19,  1836 
(35,0.  L.,  7). 

An  act  to  authorize  the  Commissioners  of  Hardin  County  to  subscribe 
$30,000  to  the  capital  stock  of  the  company,  and,  in  case  the  railroad  is  lo- 
cated through  the  town  of  Kenton,  to  make  a  donation  to  the  company  of 
any  lots  owned  by  the  county  in  or  near  Kenton;  approved  March  16,  1839 
(37  O.  L.,  343).  ' 

k.u  act  to  authorize  the  Commissioners  of  Hancock  County  to  subscribe 
to  the  capital  stock  of  the  Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad  Company  the 
sum  of  $60,000,  or  such  sum  as  shall  be  sufficient  to  construct  a  railway  or 
branch  from  the  main  track  of  said  railway  to  the  town  of  Findlay,  and  to 
pay  such  subscription;  authorizes  the  said  Commissioners  to  issue  the  bonds 
of  the  said  county,  bearing  interest  at  not  over  six  per  cent  per  annum,  pay- 
able to  said  railroad  company,  or  any  other  person  or  body  corporate,  no 
bond  so  issued  to  be  for  a  less  sum  than  $1,000;  approved  February  19, 
1845  (43  O.  L.,  109). 

Under  the  last-mentioned  act,  and  the  authority  of  the  charter  of  the 
Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad  Company,  the  Findlay  Branch  Railroad 
was  built  fi'om  Carey,  Wyandot  County,  on  the  main  line,  to  Findlay,  the 
county  seat  of  Hancock  County,  a  distance  of  15.54  miles,  and  has  ever 
since  been  operated  and  held  .as  a  part  of  the  Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Rail- 
road. 

On  the  6th  of  February,  1847  (45  O.  L.,  65),  an  act  was  passed  author- 
izing the  town  of  Springfield  to  subscribe  $20,000  to  the  stock  of  the  com- 
pany, to  be  applied  to  construction  between  Springfield  and  Dayton;  and 
two  days  later  another  act  was  passed  (see  45  O.  L.,  87)  authorizing  the 
Commissioners  of  Clark  County  to  subscribe,  on  behalf  of  said  county,  not 
exceeding  $25,000  to  the  capital  stock  of  the  Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Rail- 
road Company,  payment  therefor  to  be  made  by  transferring  to  it  certifi- 
cates to  an  equal  amount  of  stock  heretofore  subscribed  by  said  Commis- 
sioners in  behalf  of  said  county,  to  the  capital  stock  of  the  Little  Miami 
Railroad  Company. 

In  the  spring  of  1847,  an  effort  was  made  in  Wyandot  County  to  secure 
railway  connections  with  the  Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad.  Thus  on 
the  21st  of  April,  1817,  at  a  railroad  meeting  held  in  Upper  Sandusky,  for 
the  purpose  of  inaugurating  a  movement  looking  to  the  building  of  a  branch 
railroad  from  Upper  Sandusky  to  connect  with  the  railroad  above  mentioned, 
Dr.  James  McConnell  was  elected  President;  David  Ayres,  Vice  President; 
and  Samuel  M.  Worth,  Secretary.  Robert  McKelly,  Esq.,  then  stated  the 
object  of  the  meeting.      Whereupon  Henry  Peters,  Moses  H.  Kirby,  Robert 


426  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

McKelly,  John  McCurdy  and  Samuel  M.  Worth  were  appointed  a  commit- 
tee to  ascertain  the  terras  by  which  a  raih'oad  could  be  constructed  from 
Upper  Sandusky  to  intersect  the  Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad.  How- 
ever, it  appears  that  in  view  of  certain  difficulties  attending  the  construc- 
tion of  the  proposed  branch  railroad,  and  the  fact  that  the  building  of  an 
east  and  west  trunk  line  to  pass  through  Upper  Sandusky  was  already  being 
agitated,  all  further  efforts  regarding  the  branch  road  were  abandoned. 

The  Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Railmad  Company  located  and  constructed 
its  road  from  Tiffin  to  Sandusky  by  way  of  Bellevue.  In  1851,  the  Sandusky 
City  &  Indiana  Railroad  Company,  which  was  chartered  by  act  of  Febru- 
ary 28  of  that  year  (49  O.  L.,  434),  proceeded  to  build  a  road  from  Tiffin 
to  Sandusky  via  Clyde,  and  this  route  being  deemed  more  favorable  than 
the  other,  on  December  1,  1854,  the  last-named  company  leased  this  road  for 
the  term  of  ninety-nine  years,  renewable  forever,  to  the  Mad  River  &  Lake 
Erie  Railroad  Company,  which  has  since  operated  the  same  as  a  part  of  its 
line,  ultimately  abandoning  the  other  route.  The  organization  of  the  San- 
dusky City  &  Indiana  Railroad  Company  is  kept  up  for  the  purpose  of 
perpetuating  the  lease,  the  interest  of  the  companies  being  identical,  and 
the  road  having  been  built  in  the  interest  of  and  with  means  furnished  by 
the  Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Company,  one  person  acting  as  President  of 
both  corporations. 

On  the  Ist  of  June,  1854,  the  company  leased  the  road  of  the  Springfield 
&  Columbus  Railroad  Company  for  the  term  of  fifteen  years,  agreeing  to 
stack  and  run  the  same  out  of  the  proceeds,  paying  first  the  operating  ex- 
penses; second,  the  interest  on  the  $150,000  outstanding  bonds  of  the 
Springfield  &  Columbus  Company,  and  the  balance  to  the  lessor. 

Subsequently,  by  a  decree  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  Erie  County, 
of  date  February  23,  1858,  the  name  of  the  Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Rail- 
road Company  was  changed  to  Sandusky,  Dayton  &  Cincinnati  Railroad 
Company.  See  Record  of  Corporations,  office  of  Secretary  of  State,  No.  1, 
p.  446.  At  that  time  the  road  was  in  full  operation  on  that  part  of  the  line 
passing  through  Wyandot  County. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  1865,  a  bill  was  filed  by  the  trustee  of  one  of 
the  mortgages,  covering  the  entire  property,  in  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
of  Erie  County,  against  the  company  for  foreclosure  of  mortgage  and  sale 
of  the  property ;  and  on  the  13th  of  October  following,  O.  Fol  lett  was  appointed 
Receiver  and  Special  Master  Commissioner  in  the  case,  who  operated  the  road 
under  the  orders  of  the  court. 

While  the  suit  was  pending,  various  parties  interested  entered  into  an 
agreement  for  a  capitalization  of  the  stock  and  debts  of  the  company,  a  sale 
of  the  road,  and  a  re-organization  under  the  proceedings  for  foreclosure;  and 
in  pursuance  of  this  arrangement  an  order  was  issued  by  the  court  to  sell 
the  entire  property,  including  the  rights  and  franchises  of  the  company, 
which,  accordingly,  on  the  5th  of  January,  1866,  was  sold  by  the  Receiver 
and  Master  Commissioner  to  three  Trustees,  who  purchased  the  same  in  trust 
for  the  benefit  of  the  parties  to  the  agreement  of  capitalization,  which  in- 
cluded nearly  all  the  persons  representing  the  stock  and  various  classes  of 
debt. 

On  the  2d  of  July,  1866,  the  certificate  of  re-organization,  under  the 
name  of  the  Sandusky  &  Cincinnati  Railroad  Company,  was  filed  in  the 
office  of  the  Secretary  of  State.     See  Record  of  Corporations  No.  3,  p.  518. 

This  company,  on  the  8th  of  October,  1866,  leased  its  road  and  property 
for  the  term  of  ninety-nine  years,  renewable  forever,    to   the  Cincinnati, 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  427 

Dayton  &  Eastern  Railroad  Company,  but  by  mutual  agreement  of  the  two 
companies,  January  9,  18G8,  the  lease  was  surrendered  to  the  Sandusky  & 
Cincinnati  Railroad  Company. 

Two  days  later,  on  January  11,  1868,  there  was  filed  in  the  office  of  the 
Secretary  of  State  (see  Record  of  Corporation,  No.  4,  p.  64)  a  decree  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  Erie  County,  changing  the  name  of  the  Sandusky 
&  Cincinnati  Railroad  Company  to  the  Cincinnati,  Sandusky  &  Cleveland 
Railroad  Company. 

This  last-named  company,  on  the  2Sth  of  June,  1870,  leased  for  a  period 
of  ninety-nine  years,  from  July  1,  1870,  renewable  forever,  the  road,  prop- 
erty and  rights  of  the  Columbus,  Springfield  &  Cincinnati  Railroad  Com- 
pany (successor  to  the  Springfield  &  Columbus  Railroad  Company,  hereto- 
fore named  as  lessors  to  the  Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Compaay),  the  latter 
agreeing  to  complete  its  line  of  road  from  London  to  Columbus  by  Septem- 
ber 1,  1871,  and  to  keep  and  maintain  its  corporate  existence  and  organiza- 
tion, the  first  party  to  have  the  privilege  of  issuing  coupon  bonds  to  the 
amount  of  $1,100,000,  secured  by  mortgage  or  deed  of  trust  on  the  prop- 
erty, and  agreeing  to  maintain,  use  and  operate  the  road  from  Columbus  to 
Springfield,  making  such  additions,  etc.,  as  the  business  may  require,  pay 
all  running  expenses,  damages  for  loss  or  injury  to  property  or  persons,  all 
taxes,  etc.,  and  to  pay  as  rental,  when  in  possession  of  the  whole  line  be- 
tween Springfield  and  Col  ambus,  in  equal  quarterly  payments,  forty 
per  centum  of  the  gross  earnings  and  income  of  the  road  between  Spring- 
field and  Columbus;  provided  that  when  the  aggregate  thus  to  be  paid  shall  ex- 
ceed the  sum  of  §120,000;  the  first-named  company  shall  pay,  and  the  latter 
be  entitled  to  receive  fifty  per  centum  only  of  such  excess  in  addition,  the 
first  party  guaranteeing  that  the  annual  payment  to  the  Columbus,  Spring- 
field &  Cincinnati  Railroad  Company  shall  not  be  less  than  $80,000  each 
year. 

The  following  in  relation  to  the  above  lease  is  from  the  annual  report  of 
this  company,  June  30,  1872,  to  the  Commissioner:  "  The  lease  has  been 
modified  so  that  this  company,  instead  of  paying  forty  per  cent  of  the  gross 
earnings  of  that  road,  guarantees  the  principal  and  interest  of  the  bonds  of 
the  Columbus.  Springfield  &  Cincinnati  Railroad  Company,  and  its  stock, 
exchanged  for  stock  of  this  company,  share  for  share,  is  owned  and  held  in 
trust  by  the  Cincinnati,  Sandusky  &  Cleveland  Railroad  Company." 

The  company  has  made  a  perpetual  lease  of  that  ]  ortion  of  its  road 
extending  from  Springfield  to  Dayton,  receiving  therefor  thirty-five  per 
cent  of  the  gross  earnings,  to  the  Cincinnati  &  Springfield  Railway  Com- 
pany, by  whom  it  was  transferred,  together  with  a  lease  in  perpetuity  of  its 
own  railway  rights,  privileges  and  franchises,  to  the  Cleveland,  Columbus, 
Cincinnati  &  Indianapolis  Railway  Company. 

On  the  8th  of  March  1881,  this  company,  and  the  Columbus,  Spring- 
field &  Cincinnati  Railroad  Company,  leased  their  roads  to  the  Indianapo- 
lis, Bloomington  &  Western  Raihvay  Company,  for  ninety-nine  years, 
renewable  forever. 

This  road  afifords  excellent  facilities  to  the  residents  of  the  western  part 
of  Wyandot  County,  and  running  in  a  general  northeast  and  southwest 
course,  traverses,  with  sidings,  19.85  miles  within  the  county  limits.  Its 
chief  stations  in  Wyandot  are  Carey  and  Whartonsburg. 

Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railway  Company. — This  company 
was  organized  in  the  summer  of  1856,  by  the  consolidation  of  the  interests 
of  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company   (which   was   incoi'porated 


428  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

February  24,  1848,  by  the  Legislature  of  Ohio,  and  April  11,  1848,  by  the 
Legislature  of  Pennsylvania),  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railroad  Company  (which 
was  incorporated  March  20,  1850,  by  the  Ohio  Legislature,  and  ratified  Jan- 
uary 15,  1851,  by  the  Indiana  Legislature),  and  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago 
Railroad  Corapany,  which  was  incorporated  in  Indiana  September  22,  1852, 
by  tiling  articles  of  association  with  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  in  Illinois 
by  an  act  of  the  State  Legislature  dated  February  5,  1853. 

Turning  to  a  report  (dated  at  Pittsburgh,  Penn.,  May  6,  1856),  addressed 
to  the  stockholders  of  the  three  j-oads  by  George  W.  Cass,  President  of  the 
Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  Robert  McKelly,  President  pro 
tern,  of  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railroad  Company,  and  Joseph  K.  Edgerton, 
President  of  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad  Company,  we  find  the 
following  facts  concerning  the  early  history  of  those  roads. 

The  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company, as  originally  incorporated, 
was  authorized  to  extend  its  road  from  Pittsburgh  to  the  State  line  of  Indi- 
ana, in  the  dii*ection  of  Fort  Wayne.  The  company  did  not,  however,  deem 
it  expedient  to  exercise  the  full  power  of  its  charter,  and  the  present  town 
of  Crestline,  a  point  on  the  Cleveland,  Columbus  &  Cincinnati  Railroad,  187 
miles  west  of  tbe  city  of  Pittsburgh,  was  established  as  the  western  termin- 
us of  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 

It  was  supposed  in  that  early  period  in  the  history  of  the  company,  that 
the  extension  of  the  road  westward  from  Crestline  could  be  better  carried 
on  under  the  auspices  of  another  and  independent  company.  The  road  was, 
therefore,  only  constructed  from  Pittsburgh  to  Crestline,  and  was  opened  for 
business  over  its  whole  length  on  the  11th  day  of  April,  1853. 

Pending  the  progress  of  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  and  with  a 
view  to  its  western  extension  to  Fort  Wayne,  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railroad 
Company  was  chartered  and  organized  under  the  laws  of  Ohio  and  Indi- 
ana, and  empowered  to  construct  its  road  from  Crestline  to  Fort  Wayne. 
Liberal  subscriptions  were  obtained  from  the  counties  aloDg  the  line  of  the 
road,  and  from  private  individuals,  and  in  the  spring  of  1852  the  work  of 
construction  was  commenced.  On  the  1st  of  November,  1854,  the  road  was 
opened  from  Crestline  to  Fort  Wayne,  a  distance  of  131^  miles.  '  The 
Pennsylvania  and  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Companies  had  also 
aided  largely  in  its  construction  by  their  means  and  credit,  and  in  1856 
owned  about  one-fourth  of  the  road,  its  rolling  stock,  etc. 

The  successful  commencement  and  progress  of  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Rail- 
road led  to  the  organization  in  September,  1852,  under  the  general  railroad 
laws  of  Indiana,  of  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad  Company,  with 
power  to  build  a  railroad  from  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  the  western  terminus  of 
the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railroad,  to  the  city  of  Chicago,  111.  This  organiza- 
tion was  strongly  encouraged  by  the  officers  of  the  road  first  mentioned  in 
this  paragraph.  Indeed,  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  and  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Chica- 
go Companies  were  regarded  as  so  strongly  identified  in  interests  that  both 
were  placed  under  the  care  of  the  same  President,  and  obtained  station 
grounds  in  common  at  Fort  Wayne. 

The  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  subscribed  $100,000  of 
the  stock  of  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad,  and  the  Ohio  &  Indiana 
Company  made  a  similar  subscription  to  the  amount  of  $213,550. 

The  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad  was  commenced  in  the  summer  of 
1853,  and  its  completion  by  January,  1854,  was  confidently  expected,  but 
unavoidable  delays,  monetary  depressions,  etc.,  occurred,  and  at  the  time  of 
the  consolidation  of  the  three  roads  in  1856,  as  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  429 

&  Chicago  Railroad,  only  20  miles  of  the  147  miles  from  Fort  Wayne  to 
Chicago  were  finished. 

The  relative  value  of  the  stocks  agreed  upon  at  the  time  of  consolida- 
tion were  as  follows:  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania,  120;  Ohio  &  Indiana,  100; 
Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago,  100. 

Length  of  each  road:  Pittsburgh  to  Crestline,  187  miles;  Crestline  to 
Fort  Wayne,  131  miles;  Fort  Wayne  to  Chicago.  147  miles.  Air  line  dis- 
tances between  the  same  points:  Pittsburgh  to  Crestline,  146  miles;  Crest- 
line to  Fort  Wayne,  12G  miles;  Fort  Wayne  to  Chicago,  136  miles. 

Not  deeming  it  pertinent  to  this  work  to  follow  further  the  history  of 
the  consolidated  organization — to  give  an  account  of  its  litigations,  trans- 
fers, leases,  etc. — we  invite  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  a  few  mat- 
ters of  local  interest  connected,  with  the  history  of  this  grand  avenue  of 
travel  and  commerce,  now  operated  as  a  part  of  the  great  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  system,  which  in  passing  through  the  centi-al  part  of  Wyandot 
from  east  to  west,  having  the  towns  of  Nevada,  Upper  Sandusky  and  Kirby 
as  its  principal  stations,  has  24.44  miles  of  road  bed  in  this  county,  includ- 
ing 4.20  miles  of  sidings. 

The  jfirst  action  taken  by  the  people  of  Upper  Sandusky  to  secure  rail- 
way facilities,  or  rather  the  route  of  the  then  proposed  Ohio  &  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  through  their  town,  resulted  in  a  meeting  being  held  in  the 
court  house  on  the  night  of  December  30,  1848.  At  that  time  Robert  Tag- 
gart  was  elected  President,  and  William  King,  Secretary.  Various  speeches 
were  made,  and  a  number  of  resolutions  were  adopted  to  further  the  end  in 
view,  but  other  details  of  the  doings  of  this  assemblage  have  not  been 
preserved. 

In  complying  with  the  provisions  of  the  thirteenth  section  of  an  act 
entitled  "An  act  to  incorporate  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railroad  Company," 
approved  March  20,  1850,  a  majority  of  the  votes  polled  at  an  election  held 
in  Wyandot  County  on  the  8th  day  of  October,  1850,  were  in  favor  of  the 
proposition  that  the  Commissioners  of  the  coimfy  subscribe  to  the  capital 
stock  of  the  said  company  $50,000.  Two  days  later,  however,  a  writ  was 
issued  from  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  the  county,  which  enjoined  the 
Commissioners  from  subscribing  to  the  capital  stock  of  the  road.  There- 
upon they  (the  Commissioners)  refused  to  proceed  in  the  matter,  and  re- 
tained Messrs.  Berry,  Sears,  McKelly  and  Kirby,  as  attorneys  in  a  suit  in 
chancery  brought  by  John  Carey  and  others  in  the  Common  Pleas  Court  of 
Wyandot  County.  This  case  was  continued  until  March  term,  1854,  when 
(considering  the  fact  that  the  railroad  in  question  was  nearly  completed 
without  aid  from  Wyandot  County*)  the  injunction,  by  the  consent  of  both 
parties  was  made  perpetual. 

The  railroad  buildings  at  Upper  Sandusky  and  the  railroad  bridge  over 
the  river  at  the  same  place  were  built  in  the  summer  of  1853.  On  Friday, 
November  11,  1853,  the  completion  of  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railroad  to 
Upper  Sandusky  was  celebrated  at  the  latter  place  by  the  tiring  of  cannon, 
with  music,  speeches,  etc.,  and  a  grand  supper  at  the  Exchange  Hotel. 
The  first  through  passenger  train  from  Pittsburgh  reached  Upper  Sandusky 
on  Friday,  January  20,  1854.  It  here  made  connection  with  the  Mad  River 
&  Lake  Erie  Railroad,  Avhich  led  to  Sandusky  and  Cincinnati.  Mr.  Mills, 
in  1854,  became  the  first  telegraph  operator  at  Upper  Sandusky.  At  the 
same  time  E.  P.  Copeland  was  known  as  the  first  freight  and   ticket  agent. 

*The  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  subscribed  815,000  to  the  capital  stock  of  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railroad 
Company,  which  was  paid. 


430  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

However,  the  latter  was  succeeded   iu  the  course  of   a  few  weeks  by  Curtis 
Berry. 

Columbus  &  Toledo  Railroad  Comj)any . — This  company  was  incor- 
porated May  28,  1872,  under  the  general  act  of  IMay  1,  1852,  the  corpora- 
tors being  M.  M.  Greene,  P.  W.  Huntington,  B.  E.  Smith,  \\.  G.  Deshler, 
James  A.  Wilcox  and  John  L.  Gill,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  who  were  empow- 
ered to  construct  a  railroad  from  the  city  of  Columbus  to  the  city  of 
Toledo,  through  the  counties  of  Franklin,  Delaware,  Marion,  Wyandot, 
Seneca,  Wood  and  Lucas,  a  distance  of  123.7  miles.  The  capital  stock 
named  in  the  certificate  of  incorporation  is  $2,500,000,  which  by  law  is 
divided  into  shares  of  $50  each.  On  the  1st  of  July,  1872,  subscription 
books  were  opened  in  Columbus  and  Toledo.  During  the  succeeding  three 
months,  $270,000  having  been  duly  subscribed,  the  corporators  called  a  meet- 
ing of  the  stockholders,  which  was  held  in  the  city  of  Columbus  on  the  13th 
day  of  November  following,  and  nine  Directors  were  duly  elected.  On  the 
same  day  the  Directors  met  and  organized  the  company,  by  the  election  of  the 
proper  officers.  One  year  later — October  15,  1873 — the  line  of  the  road  was 
permanently  located  through  the  towns  of  Delaware,  Marion,  Upper  Sandusky, 
Carey  and  Fostoria.  The  bids  for  construction  were  opened  August  4,  1875, 
and  on  the  16th  of  the  same  month  a  contract  was  concluded  with  Miller, 
Smith  &  Co.  They  commenced  work  the  next  day,  and  in  November,  1876, 
the  work  upon  the  line  from  Marion  to  Columbus  was  suflQciently  completed 
to  justify  the  company  in  complying  with  the  urgent  solicitation  of  the 
stockholders  and  business  men  along  the  route  to  commence  running  trains. 
This  was  done  at  considerable  cost  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  business, 
which  was, necessarily,  limited  on  so  short  a  distance  upon  a  new  and  incom- 
plete road. 

On  the  9th  of  November,  1876,  a  contract  was  made  with  the  Pennsyl- 
Tania  Railroad  Comj^any  for  joint  use  of  the  Toledo  &  Woodville  road  from 
Walbridge  to  Toledo,  five  and  one  half  miles,  including  the  bridge  of  that 
road  over  the  Maumee  River  at  Toledo,  and  its  depots  and  other  terminal 
facilities  in  that  Q\tj. 

Early  in  January,  1877,  the  entire  line  was  so  far  completed  that  through 
business  was  commenced,  and  regular  trains  were  run  between  Columbus 
and  Toledo,  under  an  arrangement  with  the  contractors,  who  were,  how- 
ever, occupied  for  some  time  after  that  in  finishing  up  the  road,  so  that  it 
was  not  fully  completed  and  accepted  by  the  company  until  July  following. 
This  road — 118.2  miles — was  constructed,  f  ally  equipped  and  pi'ovided  with 
all  the  necessary  and  proper  terminal  accommodations  in  Columbus*  and 
Toledo,  at  a  cost  of  $3,338,507.54. 

In  July,  1881,  this  road — the  Columbus  &  Toledo  Railroad — was  sold  to 
a  syndicate,  and  the  name  was  thereupon  changed  to  the  Columbus,  Hocking 
Valley  &  Toledo  Railroad. 

In  passing  through  the  central  part  of  Wyandot  County,  in  a  northwest 
and  southeast  course,  24.40  miles  of  road  bed,  including  2.26  miles  of  sid- 
ings are  required.  The  principal  stations  in  the  county  are  Fowler,  Upper 
Sandusky,  where  it  crosses  the  Pittsburgh,  Ft.  W^ayne  &  Chicago  Railway, 
and  Carey  where  it  crosses  the  Indianapolis,  Bloomington  &  Western  Rail- 
way. 

POST    OFFICES. 

Under  this  heading  will  be  found  a  complete  list  of  Wyandot  County's 

*Iu  Columbus,  on  the  22(1  of  February,  1877,  an  arrangement  was  elleted  with  the  Columbus  &  Hock- 
ing Valley  Railroad  Company,  for  the  joint  use  of  its  terminal  property. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  431 

post  offices  and  postmasters,  which,  through  the  courtesy  of  Hon.  George 
E.  Seney,  the  present  Member  of  Congress  from  this  district,  and  Hon. 
Louis  A.  Brunner,  the  present  Speaker  pro  tern,  of  the  Ohio  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives, has  been  procured  especially  for  this  work  from  the  books  of 
the  Post  Office  Department  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

Belle  Vernon — (Late  in  Crawford  County). 
Jacob  Curtis,  May  10,  1842;  Ezekiel  Eckleberry,  Jr.,  September  11, 
1848;  Ashford  Stover,  December  10,  1855;  Seldon  T.  Payne,  May  29,  1861; 
J.  V.  Stevenson,  March  12,  1867;  Jacob  Staum,  December  22,  1870;  David 
Dubre,  October  25,  1871;  Daniel  Pope,  January  2,  1879;  Daniel  Bope, 
January  20,  1879;  Marshal  B.  Snover,  April  2,  1883. 

Big  Turtle, 
Thomas  Wolverton,  May  29.  1854.     Discontinued  December  10,  1855. 

BowsHERViLLE — (Late  in  Crawford  County). 
William  H.  Hunt,  October   31,    1839;  Albert  Mears,  October  17,  1845; 
Barnet  Hughes,  September  19,  1863.     Discontinued  April  17,  1865. 

CRAWFORD^(Late  in  Crawford  County). 
George  Ames,    November   15,    1844;   Abraham   Myers,  July    29,   1845. 
Name  changed  to  "Carey,"  June  5,  1848. 

Carey — (Late  Crawford  P.  0. ). 
Abraham  Myers,  June  5,  1848;  Samuel  B.  Turner,   July  5,  1861;  Ros- 
well  Perry,  December  4,  1865;  David  Jay,  March  2,  1868;  Robert  Gregg, 
February  22,    1869;  James  W.   Herndon,    June  24,  1881.     Re-appointed 
(Pres.)  April  2,  1883;  (President  and  Senate),  December  20,  1883. 

Crawford. 
Joseph  D.  Baxter,  June  5,  1848;  George  linger,  June  27,  1848;  William 
Parker,  June  11,  1849;  Reuben  Savidge,  November  17,  1851;  Solomon 
Hare,  April  6,  1855.  Discontinued  November  12,  1860.  Re-established 
January  15,  1877,  and  McDowell  M.  Carey  appointed.  McDonough  M. 
Carey,  January  31,  1877. 

Deunquot. 

James  Culver,   June  3,  1880. 

KiRBY. 

James  C.  Culbertson,  September  26,  1854;  Franklin  Hilliard,  December 
15,  1855;  Hugh  H.  Long,  May  14,  1857;  James  Warren,  September  27, 
1858;  Perry  Knox,  July  26,  1861;  Franklin  Pope,  E'ebruary  22,  1864;  Or- 
mund  W.  Johnson,  December  11,  1865;  Silas  S.  DeBolt,  October  4,  1869; 
Luzern  E.  Landon,  May  2,  1872. 

Little  Sandusky — (Late  in  Crawford  County). 
Joseph  E.  Fouke,  July  10,  1841;  John  Q.  A.  Worth,  October  9,  1846; 
Joseph  E.  Fouke,  November  8,  1849;  William  E.  Hurxthal,  November  1, 
1850;  Joseph  E.  Fouke,  February  16,  1852;  John  F.  Myers  September  5, 
1853;  Robert  W.  Malone,  March  14,  1855;  John  S.  Fouke,  July  22,  1856; 
Samuel  M.  Worth,  April  25,  1801;  Joseph  Wilmith,  December  31,  1864; 
James  W'hittaker,  November  4,  1880. 


432  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

LOVELL. 

Jonathan  Z.  Walborn,  January  10,  1877;  John  E.  Kirby,  December  28, 
1878;  Jonathan  Z.  Walborn,  June  16,  1879;  Jacob  H.  Foster,  October  30, 
1882. 

McCuTCHENViLLE — (Late  in  Crawford  County). 

Michael  Brackley,  August  8,  1840;  Roswell  Perry,  July  24,  1845;  Henry 
Freet,  February  28,  1849;  James  M.  Chamberlin,  November  13,  1849; 
Henry  V.  Brinkerhoflf,  May  1,  1851;  John  Myers,  July  26,  1853;  George 
W.  Hoffman,  December  9,  1856;  David  Hoffman.  Jr.,  January  26,  1858. 

Marseilles — (Late  in  Marion  County). 
Jasper  Hunt.  August  3,  1844;  William  M.  Chesney,  September  23, 
1845;  James  P.  Maddox,  September  28,  1847;  Charles  Merriman,  February 
8,  1849;  Lewis  Merriman,  December  30,  1851;  John  M.  Chesney,  July  29, 
1853;  Robert  H.  Mitchell,  September  19,  1861;  William  M.  Thompson, 
September  16,  1865;  Charles  W.  Gates,  June  21,  1866;  J.  O.  Studebaker, 
April  3,  1876;  George  W.  Davis,  January  16,  1882;  Josiah  Smith,  July  3, 
1882;  John  W.  Kennedy,  March  30,  1883. 

Mexico— (Late  in  Crawford  County). 

Nicholas  S.  McCullough,  November  14,  1843;  William  Nowell,  April  7, 
1846;  Jacob  H.  Funk,  September  24,  1851;  Jared  M.  Hord,  November  4, 
1853;  Edward  P.  Marble,  January  18,  1856;  Henry  C.  Bogard,  March  29, 
1859;  Adam  R.  Ganter,  May  4,  1863;  B.  A.  Wright.  February  22,  1864; 
John  N.  Biggs,  March  21,  1864;  Henry  M.  Nichols,  June  24,  1867;  William 
Carr,  March  20,  1871;  Levi  Gault,  March  8,  1876;  Levi  F.  Gault.  April  6, 
1876. 

Nevada. 

William  McJunkin,  July  18,  1854;  Robert  Dixon,  June  1,  1857;  Will- 
iam McJunkin,  March  22,  1858;  Emanuel  Aurand,  Janviary  29,  1859; 
Thomas  J.  Hinkle,  August  9,  1860;  William  McJunkin,  October  13,  1862; 
John  Sheehy,  January  10,  1867;  Cyrenus  De  Jean,  April  13,  1869;  Thomas 
C.  De  Jean,  October  19,  1874;  William  B.  Woolsey,  June  20,  1881. 

Pitt. 
Cyrus  Sears,  January  15,  1877. 

Pleasant  Dale — (Late  in  Hardin  County). 
Thomas  Scott,  March  23.  1846.     Discontinued  May  18,  1850. 

Seal. 
James  F.  Wadsworth,  December  26,  1850;  Andrew  Giegg,  October  13, 
1857;  Elkanah  F.  Elliott,  April  16,  1859;  Philip  Perdew,  November  5, 
1864;  Hugh  McKibbin,  April  13,  1866;  Benjamin  Ulrick,  November  22, 
1867;  John  M.  Lee,  May  21,  1869;  Levin  D.  Johnson,  September  6^  1872; 
James  Culver,  November  3,  1873;  Arthur  S.  Andrews,  June  18,  187  /. 

Sycamore — (Late  in  Crawford  County). 

Samuel  Hudson,  October  19,  1831;  Luther  L.  Pease,  November  13,  1849; 

Alexander  W.  Brinkerhoff,  November,  5,  1851;  John  Harper,  January  21, 

1857;  Pemberton  C.  Kitchen,  June  28,  1861;  Abram  N.  Gibbs,  October  13, 

1862;  John  W.  Reynolds,  April    5,  1865;  A.  Saffelt,  November  23,  1870; 


HISTORY  OF  WVANDOT  COUNTY.  433 

Abram  N.  Gibbs,  January  5,  1871;  Frauk  Babcock,  November  9,  1875; 
Francis  M.  Babcock,  November  24,  1875;  Henry  M.  Byers,  June  4,  1877; 
John  E.  Kitchim,  April  23,  1879;  Mrs.  Mary  King,  May  9,  1881. 

Tymochtee — (Late  in  Crawford  County). 
William  Irvine,  May  17,  1844;  Samuel  Kenan,  May  24,  1845;  Spencer 
St.  John,  September  13,  1847;  Samuel  B.  Turner,  April  9,  1850.  Discon- 
tinued September  2(3,  1850.  Re-established  January  23,  1851,  and  James 
H.  Williams  appointed.  Alfred  Enninger,  November  17,  1851;  Ellis  Car- 
ter, June  23,  1854;  John  Ringeisen,  July  24,  1855;  Joseph  Sanders,  Octo- 
ber 3,  1861;  George  W.  Freot,  April  24,'  1865;  John  A.  Roberts,  August  8, 
1866;  George  W.  Freet,  June  26,  1867;  Philip  Enders,  April  18,  1875; 
Levi  W.  Speller,  May  6,  1875;  Henry  Long,  December  3,  1878.  Discon- 
tinued September  20,  1881. 

Upper  Sandusky  (c.  h.) — (Late  in  Crav^ford  County). 
Andrew  McElvain,  October  12,  1844;  Hiram  Flack,  August  12,  1845; 
William  T.  Giles,  January  21,  1846;  John  A.  Morrison.  April  21,  1846; 
Josiah  Smith,  January  12,  1847;  Austin  C.  Hubbard,  June  12,  1849;  James 
W.  Brown,  March  19,  1850;  William  McCandlish,  March  12,  1857;  Lewis 
R.  Seaman,  August  8,  1864;  William  A.  Lovett.  January  24,  1865;  Moses 
H.  Kirby,  August  28,  1866;  William  B.  Hitchcock  (President  and  Senate), 
April  20,  1867;  Pietro  Cuneo,  April  6,  1869.  Re-appointed  (President  and 
Senate),  March  20,  1873;  re-appointed  (President),  May  24, 1877.  William 
M.  Thompson  (President),  June  25,  1877;  (President  and  Senate),  Novem- 
ber 8,  1877  ;  re- appointed  (President  and  Senate),  January  12,  1882;  John 
F.  Rieser,  February  26,  1884. 

WARPOLE. 

Daniel  Straw,  February  25,  1852.  Discontinued  August  2,  1858.  Re- 
established May  15,  1862,  and  Ephraim  Stansberry  appointed.  Discontinued 
December  13,  1870.  Re-established  August  17,  1874,  and  Jeremiah  O'Neal 
appointed.     Discontinued  February  10,  1882. 

WHARTONSBURG. 

James  E.  James,  July  20,  1852;  Ira  Bristoll,  March  3,  1855;  Adam  De 
Brough,  January  31,  1866;  Charles  Hostler,  September  23,  1867;  Hiram 
P.  Marshall,  December  18,  1867;  Adam  B.  Houck,  January  11,  1869;  Syl- 
vanus  R.  Coats,  August  9,  1869.  Name  changed  to  Wharton,  July  21, 
1879,  and  SyJvanus  R.  Coats  re-appointed. 

WYANDOT — (Late  in  Marion  County). 
John  Kirby,  June  10,  1837;  Augustus  W.  Munson,  January  14,  1846; 
Samuel  Kirby,  July  19,  1850;  James  H.  Reicheneker,  September  23,  1850; 
Henry  Flock,  June  3,  1854;  Joseph  Turney,  December  4,  I860;  Henry 
Flock,  March  31,  1864;  Daniel  Flock,  October  31,  1870:  James  G.  Jun- 
kins,  July  31,  1871.  Discontinued  September  23,  1872.  Re-established 
July  11,  1873,  and  Daniel  Flock  appointed. 

AGRICULTURAL    PRODUCTIONS. 

Wyandot  County  has  ever  been  famed  for  the  natural  fertility  of  its 
soil  and  its  varied  agricultural  productions,  yet,  notwithstanding  these  ad- 
vantages, the  cultivation  of  the  ground  and  the  raising  of  live  stock  was  not 


434  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  road  to  wealth  for  the  pioneers  of  this  region.  The  great  embarrass- 
ment under  which  they  labored  was  the  difficulty  of  getting  their  products 
to  market.  Despite  roots  and  stumps,  sprouts  and  bushes,  the  newly- 
cleared  land  brought  forth  bountiful  harvests;  but  the  early  wagon-roads 
were,  at  most  seasons  of  the  year,  in  an  almost  impassable  condition;  canals 
and  railroads  were  entirely  wanting,  and  the  distance  to  large  towns,  and 
consequent  markets  was  so  great,  and  the  route  so  difficult  and  hazardous, 
that  the  pioneer  farmer  had  but  little  encouragement  to  burden  himself  with 
surplus  productions.  However,  the  completion  of  various  railroad  lines 
leading  north,  east,  south  and  west,  has  wrought  a  wonderful  change  during 
the  past  twenty-five  years.  Values  have  I'apidly  increased,  and  many  farmers 
are  now  termed  wealthy. 

The  following  facts  concerning  the  farm  products,  live  stock,  etc.,  of 
Wyandot  County  for  the  year  1882,  have  been  compiled  from  the  reports  of 
the  Ohio  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  published  in  1883: 

Acres  wheat  sown,  34,674;  bushels  wheat  produced  in  1882,  467,841; 
average  yield  per  acre,  13.49;  acres  sown  for  1883,  31,450;  cost  of  commer- 
cial fertilizers  bought  for  crop  of  1883,  $62;  acres  buckwheat  sown,  43; 
bushels  buckwheat  produced,  648;  acres  corn  planted  in  1882,  31,433; 
bushels  corn  produced,  1,314,606;  acres  oats  sown,  6,299;  bushels  oats  pro- 
duced, 193,998;  average  yield  of  same  per  acre,  30.79;  acres  rye  sown,  142; 
bushels  rye  produced,  2,073;  acres  barley  sown,  23;  bushels  barley  pro- 
duced, 472;  acres  of  meadow  lands  cultivated,  14,157;  tons  of  hay  produced, 
17,583;  acres  clover  sown,  9,157;  tons  of  clover  produced,  7,872;  bushels  of 
clover  seed  produced.  4,328;  acres  clover  plowed  under,  1,184;  acres  of  flax 
cultivated,  82;  bushels  of  flax  seed  produced,  429;  acres  of  potatoes  culti- 
vated, 1,104;  bushels  of  potatoes  produced,  92,850;  galloiis  milk  sold  for 
family  use,  56,589;  pounds  butter  made  in  home  dairies,  445,957;  pounds 
butter  made  in  factories  and  creameries,  24,600;  pounds  cheese  made  in 
factories,  77,000;  acres  tobacco  cultivated,  4;  pounds  of  tobacco  produced, 
9,610;  number  hives  of  bees,  1,238;  pounds  of  honey  produced,  22,763; 
acres  sorghum  cultivated,  8;  pounds  sugar  manufactured,  145;  gallons  syrup 
manufactured,  2,800;  pounds  maple  sugar  manufactured,  6,255;  gallons 
maple  syrup  manufactured,  4,477;  dozens  eggs  produced,  363,029;  dozens 
eggs  shipped  beyond  the  State,  107.625;  acres  in  vineyards,  16;  pounds  of 
grapes  gathered,  56,165;  gallons  wine  pressed,  407;  acres  occupied  by  or- 
chards, 3,160;  bushels  apples  produced,  85,156;  bushels  peaches  produced, 
3,823;  bushels  pears  produced,  714;  bushels  cherries  produced,  208;  bushels 
plums  produced,  42;  bushels  sweet  potatoes  produced,  98;  acres  land  culti- 
vated, 119,359;  acres  of  pasture,  52,384;  acres  of  woodland,  49,334;  acres 
lying  waste,  2,430;  total  number  of  acres  owned,  223,507;  pounds  wool 
shorn,  435,217;  milch  cows  owned,  4,769;  stallions  owned,  28;  total  number 
of  dogs,  or  hydrophobic  generators  owned,  1,663;  sheep  killed  by  dogs,  312; 
value  of  sheep  thus  killed,  $1,299;  sheep  injured  by  dogs,  331;  amount  of 
damage  to  same,  $738;  domestic  animals  died  of  disease — hogs,  758;  value 
of  same,  $5,118;  sheep,  1,179;  value  of  same,  $3,820;  cattle,  183;  value  of 
same,  $4,499,  horses,  132;  value  of  same,  $10,672;  losses  by  flood — live 
stock,  value,  $626;  grain,  etc. ,  value.  $2,381;  houses,  etc.,  value,  $170;  fences, 
etc.,  value,  $6,215. 

The  number  of  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  hogs  and  mules  owned  in  Wyan- 
dot County  in  1883.  according  to  the  County  Auditor's  report  to  the  State 
Auditor,  was  as  follows:  Horses,  6,888;  cattle,  13,490;  sheep,  84,244;  hogs, 
23,733;  mules  157. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  435 

The  following  statement  shows  the  inches  of  rainfall  at  Upper  Sandus- 
ky, from  January  1  to  October  1,  1883:  January,  1.14;  February,  7.39; 
March,  .48;  April,  3.29;  May,  6.58;  June,  G.21;  July,  4.94;  August,  1.13; 
September,  1.44.  Total  rainfall  during  the  nine  months  indicated,  32.60 
inches. 

COUNTY  AGRICDLTUKAL  SOCIETY. 

The  Wyandot  County  Agricultural  Society  was  Organized  at  a  meeting 
held  in  the  court  house  at  Upper  Sandusky  on  the  3d  day  of  January,  1852. 
One  hundred  and  twenty-nine  members  wei-e  then  reported,  and  after  the 
adoption  of  a  constitution  and  by-laws,  the  following-named  gentlemen 
were  elected  as  officers  to  serve  for  the  first  term  of  one  year:  President, 
Hugh  Welch;  Vice  President,  Abel  Renick;  Secretary,  John  D.  Sears; 
Treasurer,  Henry  Peters;  Managers,  John  Gormley,  Samuel  M.  Worth, 
John  Kisor,  Francis  Palmer  and  Jonathan  Kear.  Subsequently,  at  a 
meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  society,  held  at  the  Treasurer's  of- 
fice, May  29,  1852,  George  T.  Frees,  Henry  Peters,  A.  J.  Failor,  Orrin 
Ferris  and  Eobert  McKelly,  were  appointed  a  committee  "to  consult  upon 
the  ways  and  means  of  getting  up  an  agricultural  fair,  to  ascertain  whether 
suitable  ground  can  be  procured,  to  recommend  a  list  of  premiums,  and  to 
report  thereon  to  the  next  meeting  of  this  board."  It  was  fui'ther  ordered 
that  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting  be  published  in  the  Democratic 
Pioneer. 

The  next  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  was  held  at  the  coui't  house, 
June  26  following,  when  the  committee  appointed  at  the  last  session  re- 
ported that  Chester  U.  Mott,  Esq.,  had  offered  suitable  grounds  for  the 
society's  exhibition,  and  on  motion  this  offer  was  unanimously  accepted. 
At  the  same  meeting,  a  premium  list  and  various  rules  and  regulations 
were  adopted,  and  September  30  and  October  1  following  were  named  as 
the  days  for  holding  the  first  annual  exhibition. 

As  proposed,  the  first  annual  fair  of  the  Wyandot  County  Agricultural 
Society  was  held  in  the  vicinity  of  the  "old  council  house,"  at  Upper 
Sandusky,  during  the  days  above  mentioned.  It  was  well  attended,  and  af- 
forded an  indication  of  future  success.  The  persons  to  whom  premiums 
were  then  awarded  were  as  follows: 

HORSES. 

Best  blooded  stallion,  S.  P.  Fowler |4  00 

Second  best  blooded  stallion,  Teunis  Ten  Eyck 2  00 

Best  draught  stallion,  John  Felil 4  00 

Best  brood  mare  and  colt,  S.  P.  Fowler 4  00 

Second  best  brood  mare  and  colt,  Isaac  Jaqueth 3  00 

Second  best  draught  stallion,  John  Bope 2  00 

Best  three-year-old  colt,  Barnet  Hughes 2  00 

Second  best  three-year-old  colt,  W.  B.  Hitchcock Diploma 

Best  two-year-old  colt,  Andrew  Clingman 2  00 

Second  best  two-year-old  colt,  Barnet  Hughes Diploma 

Best  yearling  colt,  Scott  M.  Fowler 2  00 

Second  best  yearling  colt,  William  Parker Diploma 

Best  span  of  matched  horses,  Charles  Merriman 2  00 

Second  best  span  of  matched  horses,  Hugh  Welch Diploma 

Best  saddle  horse,  William  E.  Harxthol Diploma 

Best  plow  team,  John  Lupton <. . . .  2  00 

Second  best  plow  team,  D.  H.  Peterson Diploma 

Best  horse  for  business,  Dr.  Orrin  Ferris Diploma 

CATTLE. 

Best  yoke  of  oxen.  Henry  H.  Honer ^3  00 

Best  twoyear-old  bull,  Abel  Renick 3  00 


436  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Second  best  two-year-old  bull,  Henry  Peters 1  00 

Best  yearling  bull,  Howell  Lundy 3  00 

Best  bull  calf,  Henry  Peters 1  00 

Best  cow  and  calf,  Abel  Renick 3  00 

Second  best  cow  and  calf,  Teunis  Ten  Ej'ck Diploma 

Best  two-year-old  heifer,  Henry  Peters 2  ijO 

Best  yearling  heifer.  Henry  Peters 1  00 

Best  fat  cow,  Abel  Renick 2  00 

Best  three-year-old  steer,  Thomas  V.  Reber 2  00 

Best  two-year-old  steer,  Abel  Renick 1  00 

Best  brood  cow,  William  H.  Renick 2  00 

SHEEP. 

Best  short  wool  buck,  Orrin  Ferris $2  00 

Second  best  short  wool  buck,  John  S.  Rappe Diploma 

Best  six  French  Merino  ewes,  Alonzo  Robbins 2  00 

Second  best  six  French  merino  ewes,  Orrin  Ferris Diploma 

Best  French  merino  buck  lambs,  H.  H.  Holdridge 1  00 

Second  best  French  merino  buck  lambs,  Alonzo  Robbins Diploma 

Best  French  merino  ewe  lambs,  H.  H.  Holdridge 1  00 

Second  Best  French  merino  ewe  lambs,  A.  J.  Tailor Diploma 

Best  Leicester  buck,  John  S.  Rappe 2  00 

Second  best  Leicester  buck,  G.  A.  Cover Diploma 

Best  Leicester  buck  lamb,  G.  A.  Cover 1  00 

Second  best  Leicester  buck  lamb,  Robert  McKelly Diploma 

Best  Leicester  ewes,  McKelly  &  Sears 2  00 

Second  best  Leicester  ewes,  John  S.  Rappe Diploma 

Best  Leicester  ewe  lamb,  John  S.  Rappe 1  00 

SWINE. 

Best  boar,  James  G.  Roberts $2  00 

Second  best  boar,  G.  R.  Nelson Diploma 

Best  sow,  Virgil  Kirby 2  00 

Second  best  sow,  Virg'il  Kirby Diploma 

Best  sow  and  four  pigs,  Virgil  Kirljy 2  00 

Best  boar  pig,  James  G.  Roberts Diploma 

GRAIN   AND   FAllJI  PRODUCTS. 

Best  two  acres  of  wheat,  Hugh  Welch $5  00 

Best  bushel  of  wheat,  Hugh  Welch Diploma 

Best  bushel  of  corn,  Thomas  Baird Diploma 

Best  three  squashes,  Joseph  Kemp Diploma 

Best  lot  of  onions,  Joseph  Kemp Diploma 

Best  lot  of  potatoes,  George  T.  Frees Diploma 

FARMING    IMPLEMENTS,    ETC. 

Best  wagon,  John  Kisor $2  00 

Best  buggy,  Charles  Merriman  1  00 

Best  plow"  Gerhart  Shultz 2  00 

Best  cooking  stoves,  Anderson  &  McGill Diploma 

Best  parlor  stoves,  Snyder  &  Waggoner Diploma 

Best  hand  cider  mill,  Solomon  Hare Diploma 

FOWLS. 

Best  lot  of  chickens,  F.  R.  Palmer $1  00 

Second  best  lot  of  chickens,  John  D.  Sears Diploma 

FRUIT. 

Best  and  greatest  variety  of  apples,  Hugh  Welch $2  00 

Second  best  and  greatest  variety  of  apples,  Gerhart  Shultz.. .  1  00 

Best  collection  of  grapes,  Hugh  Welch 1  00 

Best  specimen  of  quinces,  Mrs.  P.  B.  Beidler Diploma 

Second  best  specimen  of  quinces,  Mrs.  H.  Peters Diploma 

DOMESTIC   AND   MISCELLANEOUS. 

Best  worked  quilt,  ^Mrs.  John  Holderman $1  00 

Second  best  worked  quilt,  Mrs.  Solomon  Hare Diploma 

Best  hearth  rug,  Mrs.  Leefe  Fowler 1  00 

Second  best  hearth  rug,  Mrs.  Dr.  McConnell 50 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


437 


Best  pair  fringe  mittens,  Mrs.  Hite 25 

Best  lamp  mat,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Rappe 1  00 

Best  stand  cover,  Mrs.  Leefe  Fowler Diploma 

Best  ottoman  cover,  Mrs.  John  S.  Rappe Diploma 

The  society's  diploma  was  also  awarded  with  each  cash  pi'emiura. 

In  April,  1853,  the  society  leased  lands  for  exhibition  purposes  of  Dr. 
Orrin  Ferris,  which  were  occupied  until  1856,  when  grounds  were  purchased 
from  George  Saltsman  by  a  stock  company,  mainly  composed  of  members 
of  the  society.  In  the  spring  of  1861,  the  original  plat  was  enlarged  by 
the  purchase  of  four  acres  from  Col.  Joseph  McCutchen,  for  which  the  sum 
of  $200  was  paid.  In  the  autumn  of  1875,  the  grounds  were  still  further 
enlarged  by  the  purchase  of  fifteen  acres  from  Peter  B.  Beidler.  At  the 
present  writing  the  lands  owned  by  the  society  (comprising  thirty  acres)  are 
fenced  and  furnished  with  the  necessary  buildings,  etc.,  for  a  successful  ex- 
hibit of  all  articles,  animals,  etc.,  brought  forward.  During  the  late  war, 
when  agricultural  exhibitions  were  of  little  moment  to  a  people  struggling 
to  maintain  the  best  form  of  government  on  earth,  one  or  two  years  passed 
by  without  an  annual  fair  being  held.  Other  than  that,  fairs  have  been 
held  each  year  since  the  organization  of  the  society,  and  usually  have  proved 
fairly  successful.  In  the  fall  of  1883,  the  sum  of  $1,188  was  awarded 
in  premiums.  The  present  members  of  the  society  are  519  in  number.  Its 
Presidents,  Vice  Presidents.  Secretaries  and  Treasurers  are  and  have  been 
as  follows: 


YEARS. 


1852. . 
1853. . 
1854. . 
1855. . 
1856. . 
1857. . 
1858. . 
1859. . 
1860. . 
1861.. 
1862. . 
1863. . 
1864. . 
1865. . 
1866. . 
1867. . 
1868. . 
1869. . 
1870. . 
1871.. 
1872. . 
1873. . 
1874. . 
1875. . 
1876. . 
1877. . 
1878. . 
1879. . 
1880. . 
1881.. 
1882. . 
1883. . 
1884. . 


PRESIDENT. 


Hugh  Welch , 

Henry  Peters. . . , 
George  W.  Leith, 
Henry  Peters*. . . 

Gen.  Myers 

Thomas  V.  Reber. 
Thomas  V.  Reber. 
Thomas  V.  Reber. 
Thomas  V.  Reber. 
Thomas  V.  Reber. 
Thomas  V.  Reber. 
Thomas  V.  Reber. 
Thomas  V.  Reber. 
Thomas  V.  Reber. 
Thomas  V.  Reber. 
ThomasV.  Reber. 
John  S.  Rappe. . . 
John  S.  Rappe. . . 
John  S.  Rappe. . . 


McD. 
J.  S. 
H.J. 
H.J. 
J.  S. 


John 
L.  B. 
L.  B. 


M.  Carey. 

Rappe 

Starr 

Starr 

Hare 

White . . . . 

Harris 

Harris . . . . 
Harris . . . . 
Harris.  .. 
F.  Curlis.. 
Harrisf . . . 
Harris 


VICE  PRESIDENT. 


Abel  Renick 

Abel  Renick 

Findlay  F.  Fowler. 


A.  J.  Taylor 

Findlay  F.  Fowler. 
W.  H.  Renick. . . . 
W.  H.  Renick.... 

H.  J.  Starr 

H.  J.  Starr 

H.  J.  Starr 

H.  J.  Starr 

M.  H.  Gillett 


William  Gibson. . 

J.  Ayres 

Curtis  Berry,  Jr. , 

H.  J.  Starr 

Curtis  Berry,  Jr. . 


SECRETARY. 


Curtis  Berry,  Jr. . . 

S.  H.  White 

S.  H.  White 1 

S.  H.  White I 

G.  W.  Kenan i 

G.  W.  Kenan i 

Adam  Kail ! 

B.  Williams 

B.  Williams 

B.  Williams 

Charles  S.  Bradley. 

L.  P.  Walter 

J.  A.  Van  Gundy. . 


John  D.  Sears 

John  D.  Sears 

A.  J.  Failor 

James  G.  Roberts. 
George  W.  Beery. . 

T.  E.  Grisell 

Curtis  Berry,  Jr. . . 
Curtis  Berry,  Jr. .  . 
Curtis  Berry,  Jr. .  . 
Curtis  Berry,  Jr. .  . 
Curtis  Berry,  Jr. . . 

W.  H.  Jones 

W.  H.  Jones 

W.  H.  Jones 

W.  H.  Jones 

W.  H.  Jones 

H.  A.  Hoyt 

Adam  Kail 

Adam  Kail 

D.  D.  Hare 

D.  D.  Hare 

D.  D.  Hare 

D.  D.  Hare 

Allen  Smalley 

Allen  Smalley 

Curtis  B.  Hare. . . . 
Curtis  B.  Hare. . . . 
Curtis  B.  Hare. . . . 
Curtis  B.  Hare. . . . 

C.  D.  Hare 

C.  D.  Hare 

C.  D.  Hare .' 

C.  D.  Hare 


TREASURER. 


Henrj^  Peters. 
Orrin  Ferris. 
M.  H.  Gillett. 
M.  H.  Gillett. 
M.  H.  Gillett. 
John  D.  Sears. 
A.  J.  Failor. 
A.  J.  Failor. 
A.  J.  Failor. 
A.  J.  Failor. 
A.  J.  Failor. 
Wesley  Hedges. 
Wesley  Hedges. 


J.  A.  Maxwell. 
J.  G.  Roberts. 
J.  A.  Maxwell. 
L.  A.  Brunner. 
L.  A.  Brunner. 
Jacob  Juvinall. 
Jacob  Juvinall. 
Jacob  Juvinall. 
Jacob  Juvinall. 
J.  G.  Roberts. 
J.  G.  Roberts. 
Ed  A.  Gordon. 
Ed  A.  Gordon. 
Ed  A.  Gordon. 
Ed  A.  Gordon. 
Ed  A.  Gordon. 
Ed  A.  Gordon. 
Ed  A.  Gordon. 
Ed  A.  Gordon. 


*  Resigned  in  April,  185S,  and  W.  W.  Bates  elected  to  fill  vacancy. 

t  Mr.  L.  B.  Harris,  for  several  years,  has  been  one  of  the  most  active  members  of  the  State  Board  of 
Agriculture. 


438  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY, 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE  COUNTY'S  MILITARY  RECORD. 

Allusion  to  Early  Waks— War  of  1S12-15— Mexican  War— War  of  the 
Rebellion— .Sketch  of  the  Fifteentic  Infantry — Forty-ninth  Infan- 
try— Fifty-fifth  Infantry— Eighty-first  I nfantry— Eighty-second 
Infantry — One  Hundred  and  First  Infantry— One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-third  Infantry — One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Infantry 
—Eleventh  Ohio  Battery— Mention  of  Many  Soldiers  Belonging  to 
Various  Commands. 

WHILE  it  is  true  that  the  "French  and  Indian  War,"  the  struggle 
for  American  independence,  various  desolating  Indian  wars,  and  the 
war  of  1812-15  had  all  taken  place  long  before  the  settlement,  by  the 
whites,  of  any  portion  of  the  territory  now  designated  Wyandot  County,  yet 
many  of  the  pioneers  who  located  here  were  descendants  of  Revolutionary  sires, 
while  others  among  them  had  been  active  participants  in  wars  of  a  later 
date.  This  region,  too,  had  already  gained  prominence  in  history  as  the 
scene  of  Crawford's  disastrous  engagement  with  the  Indians  and  their 
British  allies  in  1782,  and  as  the  point  of  concentration,  during  the  war  of 
1812-15,  of  a  considerable  body  of  American  riflemen.  Crawford's  expe- 
dition, however,  has  already  been  treated  at  considerable  length  in  another 
place,  hence  this  chapter  begins  with  a  brief  account  of  the  operations 
^,„,jBtUl4jicted  here  during  the  last  war  with  Great  Britain. 

I  In  October  and    November,  1812,  several    battalions    of    Pennsylvania 

'  Militia,  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  for  a  term  of  six 
months,  and  under  the  command  of  Brig.  Gen.  Richard  Crooks,  marched 
from  the  southwestern  counties  of  Pennsylvania — the  region  which  had 
furnished  men  for  Crawford's  expedition  thirty  years  before — towards 
what  was  then  termed  the  "  Northern"  or  "  Canadian  Frontier."  Cutting 
out  roads  through  the  wilderness  for  the  passage  of  their  wagon  trains  and 
artillery,  Gen.  Crooks'  command  moved  forward  fi'om  Pittsburgh  via  the 
sites  of  the  present  towns  of  Canton  and  Manstield  to  a  point  now  occupied 
by  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  intending  to  take  part  with  the  Kentucky 
volunteers  in  the  reduction  of  British  posts  along  the  Great  Lakes;  but  it 
appears  that  this  body  of  Pennsylvanians  proceeded  no  farther  than  this 
point — Upper  Sandusky.  Here  they  erected  a  work  of  defense  termed 
""Fort  Ferree,  and  here  they  remained  through  the  following  winter,  or  until 
their  terms  of  service  had  expired.  The  locality  chosen  had  certain  ad- 
vantages in  a  military  point  of  view,  being  at  the  junction  of  Gen.  Harri- 
son's military  road  leading  southward  to  the  Ohio  River,  and  northward  to 
Lower  Sandusky;  besides,  it  commanded  an  extended  view  of  the  surrounding 
country,  had  a  fine  spring  of  pure  limpid  water  gushing  from  the  foot  of 
the  low  bluff  near  by,  and  was  a  central  place  in  the  country  of  the  friendly 
Wyandots,  whose  principal  town  was  about  four  miles  distant  in  a  north- 
easterly direction. 

'  Fort  Fei'ree  occupied  grounds  on  the  east  side  of  the  present  town, 
or  near  the  bluff  about  fifty  rods  northeast  of  the  court  house. 
It  was    a    square    stockade  work,  inclosed    an  area   of   about   two    acres. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  489 

and  had  very  substantially  constructed  block- houses  at  each  of  the  four 
corners,  one  of  which  was  standing  as  late  as  1850.  The  troops,  while  sta- 
tioned at  this  place,  were  rather  poorly  supplied  with  camp  and  garrison 
equipage,  provisions,  and  medical  stores;  a  wilderness,  hundi'eds  of  miles 
in  extent,  separated  them  from  their  base  of  supplies  and  their  homes,  and 
many  sickened  and  died.  The  bodies  of  those  who  died  here  seem  to  have 
been  buried  where  the  present  public  buildings  stand,  and  for  some  dis- 
tance to  the  westward  of  the  same;  for  street  gradings,  and  various  exca- 
vations made  in  the  vicinity  mentioned,  have  brought  to  the  surface,  bones 
of  the  human  body,  buttons  bearing  the  letters  IT.  S.  stamped  on  their  face, 
and  rosettes  of  leather  with  the  American  eagle  in  brass  tixed  upon  them. 

During  the  same  war,  Gen.  Harrison  made  this  point  his  headquarters 
for  a  brief  period.  At  the  same  time,  a  number  of  companies  of  "  light 
horse"  encamped  on  "Armstrong's  Bottom,"  two  miles  south  of  the  fort. 
One  mile  north  of  Fort  Ferree,  near  the  river,  Gov.  Meigs  encamped  in 
August,  1813,  with  several  thousand  of  the  Ohio  militia,  then  on  their  way 
to  the  relief  of  Fort  Meigs.  The  place  was  called  "The  Grand  Encamp- 
ment," and  subsequently  was  chosen  as  the  "Mission  Farm."  Receiving 
here  the  news  of  the  raising  of  the  siege  of  Fort  Meigs,  and  the  repulse  of 
the  British  at  Fort  Stephenson,  they  prosecuted  their  march  no  farther,/ 
and  were  soon  after  permitted  to  return  to  their  home§.__ -^ 

When  the  Mexican  war  began,  Wyandot,  as  a  county,  had  been  in  existence 
but  a  few  months,  yet  many  more  men  offered  their  services  as  volunteers  than 
could  be  accepted.  Thus,  we  learn,  that  during  the  last  days  of  May,  1S46,  a 
body  of  volunteers  known  as  the  "  Sandusky  Rangers,"  and  commanded  by 
Capt.  John  Caldwell,  marched  from  Upper  Sandusky  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
They  were  stationed  at  "Camp  Washington,"  near  that  city  (where  one  of 
their  number,  W.  L.  Stearns,  died  of  disease),  until  the  19th  of  June  fol- 
lowing, when,  for  some  well-founded  reason,  they  were  mustered  out  of 
service.  Immediately  after  their  discharge,  several  of  the  "  rangers ' '  re- 
enlisted  in  commands  which  were  retained  in  service.  Among  those  who 
thus  joined  the  company  from  Tiffin  were  H.  Miller,  Jr.,  A.  W.  Coleman, 
W.  L.  Beard,  T.  D.  Shue,  A.  Potter,  John  Stouffer,  D.  Nichols  and  C. 
West. 

At  a  war  meeting,  held  in  Upper  Sandusky  June  1,  1846,  another 
company  of  volunteers  was  foi'med.  Its  officers  were  Andrew  McElvain, 
Captain  ;  Moses  H.  Kirby,  First  Lieutenaut ;  Christian  Huber,  Second 
Lieutenant;  Thomas  Officer,  Ensign;  and  Purdy  McElvain,  First  Sergeant. 
But  this  company  also  failed  to  be  accepted  for  a  term  of  service,  and  from 
that  time  all  organized  efforts  to  recruit  volunteers  at  this  point  ceased. 
Subsequently,  Capt.  John  Caldwell  was  apptnnted  Commissary  of  a  regi- 
ment of  Ohio  volunteers,  and  proceeded  to  Mexico  in  August,  1846.  In 
June,  1847,  Lieut.  H.  Miller,  Jr.,  and  other  Wyandot  County  volunteers 
returned  home  from  Mexico. 

•'  Ah  !   never  shall  the  land  forget 

How  gushed  the  life-blood  of  her  brave — 
Gushed,  warm  with  hope  and  courage  yet, 
Upon  the  toil  they  fought  to  save."  * 

Immediately  after  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln  as  President  of  the 
United  States,  the  rebel  leaders  of  the  South  began  making  preparations 

From  Bryant's  "  Battle  Field." 


440  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

for  secession  and  war.  During  the  closing  months  of  Buchanan's  adminis- 
tration, State  after  State  in  the  slave-holding  portion  of  the  Federal  Union 
had  passed  ordinances  of  secession,  officers  were  commissioned,  companies 
and  battalions  were  organized,  and  long  before  Lincoln's  inauguration,  all 
was  in  readiness  to  seize  every  vestige  of  Government  property  in  their 
midst — navy-yards,  forts,  arsenals,  mint,  revenue  cutters,  and  the  thousands 
of  stands  of  arms,  cannon,  ammunition,  etc.,  so  conveniently  placed  at  their 
disposal  by  the  traitor  Floyd.  They  had  erected  batteries  on  Morris  and 
James  Islands,  on  Stono  Inlet  and  Cumming's  Point,  all  looking  to  the 
bombardment  and  capture  of  Fort  Sumter  and  a  repulse  of  all  Federal 
attempts  to  re-enforce  or  retake  it. 

At  last,  after  too  long  pursuing  a  halting  policy,  which  looked  much 
like  connivance  at  treason.  President  Buchanan,  aroused  to  a  sense  of  duty 
by  the  murmur  of  the  loyal  people,  decided  to  re-enforce  and  re-victual  the 
threatened  fort.  Accordingly,  on  the  5th  of  January,  1861,  the  steamer 
Star  of  the  West,  chartered  by  the  Government,  left  the  city  of  New  York 
with  250  troops,  their  ammunition  and  accoutrements,  and  started  for  Fort 
Sumter.  On  the  morning  of  the  9th  of  January,  as  she  slowly  steamed  up 
the  bay,  a  masked  battery  on  Morris  Island,  manned  by  rebels,  opened  lire 
upon  her.  There  and  then  ivas  fired  the  first  gun  in  the  fearful  life  and 
death  struggle  since  known  as  the  war  of  the  rebellion.  The  "  star- 
spangled  bauner"  was  floating  over  the  steamer.  She  continvied  on  her 
course  some  ten  minutes,  the  batteries  belching  forth  their  shot,  flame  and 
smoke,  when  it  was  found  impossible  to  execute  the  order,  as  it  was  neces- 
sary to  pass  close  under  the  guns  of  the  battery  on  the  island  ;  also  near 
Fort  Moultrie,  ere  she  could  make  for  Sumter.  Capt.  McGowan,  the 
officer  in  charge,  turned  her  down  the  channel  and  returned  to  New  York. 
Fort  Sumter  was  doomed. 

Thus  passed  the  hours  until  the  4th  of  March,  1861,  when  the  Nation 
changed  its  rulers.  James  Buchanan  retired  and  Abraham  Lincoln  as- 
sumed the  administration  of  the  National  Government.  The  interest  mani- 
fested by  the  people,  both  North  and  South,  was  painfully  intense.  The 
people  of  the  North  awaited  with  anxious  solicitude  the  publication  of  his 
inaugural  address,  for  in  that  they  were  to  know  the  fate  of  the  nation — 
whether  its  dignity,  its  rights  and  power  would  be  upheld  and  vindicated 
or  the  Southern  oligarchy  be  permitted  to  subjugate  its  power,  humiliate 
its  flag,  and  forever  destroy  the  existence  of  the  great  American  Republic. 

President  Lincoln's  inaugural  was  received  with  joy  by  the  mass  of 
the  people  at  the  North.  At  the  South  it  was  accepted  as  a  declaration  of 
2var,  and  they  rejoiced  that  such  a  shallow  pretense  was  afl'orded  them.  The 
policy  of  both  sections  now  rapidly  assumed  shape,  and  preparations  were 
made  for  war.  The  object  which  was  to  bring  on  the  ii'on  storm  loomed 
up  heavily  in  the  Southern  horizon.  That  object  was  Fort  Sumter.  Every 
day  proved  that  the  rebels  of  South  Carolina  intended  to  capture  the  fort. 
On  the  11th  of  April,  Gen.  Beauregard  demanded  of  Maj.  Anderson 
its  surrender.  The  Major  replied  that  his  sense  of  honor  and  his  obligations 
to  his  country  prevented  his  compliance  with  it.  Other  correspondence 
followed  during  the  night  of  the  11th  of  April,  but  unsatisfactory  to  the 
rebel  authorities.  Maj.  Anderson  remained  loyal  to  the  "  old  flag, '"  and 
evinced  so  strong  a  determination  to  maintain  it,  that  it  was  resolved  to 
reduce  the  fort.  Hardly  had  the  first  gray  of  dawn,  on  the  12th  day  of 
April,  revealed  Sumter,  ere  a  shell  was  thrown  from  a  battery  on  James 
Island,  which  burst  directly  over  the  works.     All  Charleston  people  were 


9^.0^-  ^/€<j^^A^ 


HISTORY   OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY.  443 

out  on  their  housetops  or  high  eminences  to  witness  the  terrible  scene, 
and  one  young  female  rebel,  in  a  letter  written  that  morning  at  Charleston, 
to  her  mother  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  began  as  follows:  "Dear  Mama — 
The  cannons  are  now  whizzing  through  the  air.  Cousin  George  thinks  the 
Yankees  will  soon  all  be  killed,  or  compelled  to  surrender.  All  of  our 
friends  are  out  to  see  the  fun.      It  is  just  grand. "  * 

The  die  was  now  cast.  Civil  war  was  now  inaugurated.  Fort  Sumter 
fell  on  the  13th  of  April,  after  a  terrific  bombardment  of  thirty-four  hours' 
duration.  This  was  the  commencement  of  the  grand  tragedy  speedily  to 
follow.  On  the  15th  of  April,  1861,  President  Lincoln  called  by  procla- 
mation for  seventy-live  thousand  volunteers  to  suppress  the  insurrection. 
He  also  called  an  extra  session  of  the  National  Congress,  to  convene  on  the 
coming  4th  of  July.  The  very  next  day  the  rebel  government  issued  a  call 
for  thirty-two  thousand  volunteers,  which,  with  their  former  force,  equaled 
that  of  the  National  Government.  These  troops  were  rapidly  equipped 
and  put  into  the  field.  Departments  were  organized  and  Generals  commis- 
sioned and  assigned  commands.  Washington  at  once  became  the  rallying 
point  of  the  larger  portion  of  the  Northern  volunteers. 

Nowhere  throughout  the  loyal  North  did  the  President's  proclamation, 
calling  for  seventy-five  thousand  volunteers  to  serve  for  a  period  of  three 
months,  create  more  patriotic  enthusiasm,  or  meet  with  a  more  cordial  re- 
sponse in  the  immediate  tender  of  men  for  service  in  the  armies  of  the  United 
States  than  in  the  county  of  Wyandot.  For  a  brief  period  all  business, 
apparently,  was  suspended,  and  naught  was  seen  or  heard  in  the  streets  of 
her  towns  but  the  display  of  National  colors,  groups  of  excited  men  in 
earnest  discussion,  small  parties  of  volunteers  marching  in  cadence  step, 
or  to  the  drum  beat,  and  the  voices  of  impassioned  orators,  who,  though 
usually  able  and  active  workers — at  home,  were  seldom  to  be  seen  or  heard 
in  the  fore-front  of  battle.  As  a  result,  hardly  had  the  wires  ceased  to 
click  the  call  for  men  ere  three  full  companies  of  Wyandot  County  volunteers, 
under  the  command  of  Capts.  "Wilson,  Kirby  and  Tyler,  were  in  readi- 
ness to  move  forward  where  ordered.  From  that  hour  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  the  loyal  and  patriotic  people  of  the  county  never  lagged  when  called  upon 
for  men,  material,  or  money,  and  her  sons,  sufficient  in  number  to  form  nearly 
two  regiments,  performed  valiant  service  upon  all  the  great  battle  fields  of  the 
rebellion.  As  a  means,  therefore,  of  perpetuating  their  names  and  their  deeds 
to  the  latest  generations,  the  remainder  of  this  chapter  will  be  devoted  to 
brief  accounts  of  the  various  battles,  marches,  etc.,  in  which  they  were 
conspicuous  participants. 

FIFTEENTH    OHIO  INFANTEY. 

This  regiment  was  among  the  first  to  respond  to  the  President's  call  for 
75,000  men  for  three  months'  service,  and  on  the  4th  of  May,  1861,  it  was 
organized  at  Camp  Jackson,  Columbus,  Ohio.  Four  days  later  it  moved 
to  Camp  Goddard,  near  Zanesville,  Ohio.  Here  it  passed  abotit  ten  days 
in  preparing  for  active  duty  in  the  field.  It  was  then  ordered  into  AVest 
Virginia,  and  crossing  the  Ohio  River  at  Bellaire,  it  was  employed  for  some 
time  in  guard  duty  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  advancing  as  far 
as  Grafton.  Subsequently  it  was  engaged  in  the  rout  of  the  rebels  under 
Gen.  Porterfield,  at  Philippi — June  13 — and  afterward  took  part  in  the 
movements  around  Laurel  Hill  and  Carrick's  Ford.  The  Fifteenth  per- 
formed a  large   amount  of    marching  and  guard  duty  and  rendered  valua- 

*  Extract  from  a  letter  picked  up  by  the  writer,  near  a  deserted  mansion,  during  Sherman's  march 
through  the  Caroliuas  in  1865. 

14 


444  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

ble  service  to  the  Government  in  assisting  to  stay  the  progress  of  the  enemy, 
vyho  were  endeavoring  to  carry  the  war  into  the  North.  Having  served  its 
term  of  enlistment,  it  returned  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  was  discharged  about 
the  1st  of  August,  having  lost  but  two  men — one  killed  and  one  died  of  dis- 
ease. Three  of  its  companies  during  the  three  months'  service — C,  G  and  I 
— commanded  respectively  by  Capts.  William  T.  Wilson,  Peter  A.  Tyler 
and  Isaac  M.  Kirby,  were  recruited  in  Wyandot  County. 

Immediately  after  the  disbandment  of  the  three  months'  organization, 
Col.  Moses  R.  Dickey  and  Lieut.  Col.  William  T.  Wilson,  assisted  by  Maj. 
William  Wallace  and  Capts.  Cummings,  McClenaban,  Miller,  Kirby, 
Askew,  Glover,  Dawson,  Cummins,  Gilliland  and  Holloway,  began  the  re- 
organization of  the  regiment  for  the  three  years'  service.  Recruiting  pro- 
gressed rapidly,  many  of  the  original  members  re  enlisted,  and  ere  the  lapse 
of  many  days  at  "Camp  Mordecai  Bartley,"  near  Mansfield,  Ohio,  the  ranks 
of  the  Fifteenth  Regiment  were  again  filled.  Of  its  ten  companies,  D, 
Capt.  Isaac  M.  Kirby  in  command,  represented  Wyandot  County. 

The  regiment  left  Camp  Bartley  for  Camp  Dennison  September  26, 1861, 
and  after  a  few  days  detention  at  the  latter  place,  in  obtaining  arms,  equip- 
ments, etc.,  it  proceeded  to  Lexington,  Ky.  A  few  days  later  it  was  trans- 
ported by  rail  to  Louisville,  and  from  there  to  Nolins  Station,  where  it  was 
assigned  to  the  Sixth  Brigade  (Gen.  R.  W.  Johnson),  Second  Division 
(Gen.  A.  McD.  McCook),  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  then  commanded  by 
Gen.  William  T.  Sherman,  subsequently  by  Gen.  Buell.  It  thereafter  par- 
ticipated in  the  movements  of  Buell's  army,  without  sustaining  any  losses 
worthy  of  mention  until  in  the  second  day's  battle  at  Pittsburg  Landing, 
where  it  lost  six  men  killed  and  sixty-two  wounded.  With  its  division  the 
regiment  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  Corinth,  Miss.,  until  the  middle  of 
June,  when  it  marched  away  with  Buell's  army,  and  after  moving  from 
point  to  point  in  the  States  of  Alabama,  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  arrived 
at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  November  7,  1862,  as  part  of  Gen.  Rosecrans'  command, 
the  latter  having  succeeded  Gen.  Buell  on  the  march  from  Louisville  to 
Nashville. 

In  the  battle  of  Stone  River  the  regiment  was  heavily  engaged,  losing 
eighteen  killed,  and  eighty-nine  wounded.  Subsequently  it  took  part  in 
the  advance  movements  which  resulted  in  the  occupation  of  Chattanooga. 
After  "Crossing  the  Tennessee  River  the  regiment  remained  on  the  extreme 
right  flank  of  the  army  until  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  September,  1863, 
when  it  marched  for  the  battle-field  of  Chickamauga,  a  distance  of  thirteen 
miles,  and  was  engaged  soon  after  its  arrival.  In  that  battle  the  regiment 
lost  one  officer  and  nine  men  killed,  two  officers  and  sixty-nine  men  wounded 
and  forty  men  mi.ssing.  The  regiment  bore  its  share  in  the  arduous  labors 
and  privations  of  the  siege  of  Chattanooga,  and  on  the  25th  of  November 
participated  in  the  brilliant  assault  of  Mission  Ridge,  capturing  a  num- 
ber of  prisoners  and  some  artillery.  On  the  28th  of  November  the  regi- 
ment, then  behmging  to  the  First  Brigade,  Third  Division,  Fourth  Army 
Corps,  marched  with  the  corps  io  the  relief  of  Burnside's  troops  at  Knox- 
ville,  Tenn.,  arriving  on  the  8th  of  December. 

On  the  14th  of  January,  1864,  the  greater  portion  of  the  regiment 
having  reenlisted  for  another  term  of  three  years,  it  started  for 
Columbus,  Ohio,  via  Chattanooga,  for  veteran  furlough.  It  arrived  at 
Columbus  with  350  veterans  on  the  10th  of  February,  and  on  the  14th  of 
March  its  members  re-assembled  at  Camp  Chase  to  return  to  the  field, 
numbering,    with    recruits,    more    than    900  men.     On    returning    to    the 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  445 

front  the  train  conveying  the  regiment  was  thrown  from  the  track  near 
Charleston,  Tenn.,  by  which  accident  twent}'  men  were  more  or  less 
injured.  In  the  Atlanta  campaign,  which  began  the  first  week  in  May 
and  terminated  September  1,  the  Fifteenth  Regiment,  as  part  of  the  Fourth 
Army  Corps,  was  an  active  participant.  At  Rocky  Face  Ridge,  Resaca, 
Dallas,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Chattahoochie  River  and  Atlanta  the  regiment 
won  imperishable  honors. 

When  Hood's  rebel  army  began  its  march  northward,  the  regiment 
formed  a  portion  of  the  army  under  Gen.  Thomas,  which  was  sent  to  thwart 
the  plans  of  the  enemy.  It  did  not  participate  in  the  battle  at  Franklin, 
Tenn.,  but  at  Nashville  the  gallantry  of  its  members  was  conspicuous. 
The  pursuit  of  Hood's  defeated  army  was  continued  into  Northern  Alabama, 
where  the  regiment  remained  until  the  middle  of  March,  1865,  when  it  was 
ordered  to  move  into  East  Tennessee.  After  performing  the  duties  assigned 
it  in  that  region,  the  recjiment  was  ordered  to  Nashville,  and  reached  the 
last-named  point  about  the  Ist  of  May.  On  the  16th  of  June  it  was  ordered 
to  proceed  to  Texas. 

With  a  good  degree  of  cheerfulness  the  men  turned  their  backs  once 
more  upon  their  homes,  went  to  Johnstonville  and  thence  by  boats  to  New 
Orleans.  Moving  down  a  short  distance  below  the  city  they  bivouacked  on 
the  old  Jackson  battle  grounds  until  July  5,  when  they  embarked  for  Texas. 
The  regiment  arrived  at  Indianola  July  9,  disembarked,  and  in  order  to 
obtain  a  sufficient  supply  of  water  marched  the  same  night  to  Green  Lake, 
a  distance  of  about  twenty  miles.  Remaining  there  just  one  month,  on 
the  10th  of  August  it  marched  for  San  Antonio,  a  distance  of  150  miles. 
The  scarcity  of  water,  the  extreme  heat,  the  want  of  suitable  rations,  to- 
gether with  inadequate  transportation,  all  combined,  made  this  one  of  the 
most  severe  marches  the  regiment  ever  endured.  It  reached  the  Salado,  a 
small  stream  near  San  Antonio,  un  the  21st  of  August,  and  remained  at 
that  point  until  October  20,  when  it  was  designated  to  perform  post  duty 
in  the  city,  and  continued  to  act  in  that  capacity  until  November  21,  when 
it  was  mustered  out  of  service  and  ordered  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  for  final  dis- 
charge. The  regiment  left  San  Antonio  on  the  24th  of  November,  and 
marched  to  Indianola,  proceeding  thence  by  way  of  New  Orleans  and 
Cairo,  to  Columbus.  Ohio,  where  it  arrived  December  25,  and  was  finally 
discharged  from  the  United  States  service  December  27,  1865.  Thus,  as  a 
regiment,  the  Fifteenth  had  been  in  service  about  four  years  and  eight 
months.  It  was  among  the  first  to  be  mustered  in  and  one  of  the  last  to  be 
mustered  out. 

Following  are  the  names  of  officers  and  men  who  served  in  the  regiment 
from  Wyandot  County: 

Three  months'  men — Field  and  Staff — Surgeon,  Orrinj^Ferris;  served 
full  term. 

Company  C — Capt.  W^.  T.  Wilson. 

First  Lieut.  F.  W.  Martin. 

Second  Lieut.  H.  C.  Miner. 

Orderly  Sergt.  D.  S.  Brown. 

Privates,  H.  Aneshensley,  I.  L.  Barger,  Paul  Berleen,  D.  P.  Blaser, 
Thomas  Boyle,  J.  W.  Brandenburg,  J.  W.  Brewer,  O.  K.  Brown,  Henry 
Carr,  J.  S.  Chapin,  George  A.  Clark,  Thomas  Clark,  Jacob  dinger,  D. 
Cover,  George  Crawford,  Joseph  DeLong,  Samuel  Dunn,  John  Ebersole, 
Peter  Fernwalt,  R.  B.  Ferris.  Enos  Goodman,  J.jHalstead,  G. 'Hardin,  W. 
Helsel,  W.  Holmes,  J.  Huey,  John    Keller,   J.j;A.^Kerr,*  John]  Keys,  A.  B. 


446  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

Lindsay,  ^\.  P.  Mabon,  J.  G.  McClaiu,  J.  McClaiy,  H.  McLaughlin,  A.  T. 
Mitchell,  Elias  Morris,  G.  C.  Myers,  H.  B.  Nichols,  Nicholas  Ratz,  M. 
Ragon,  W.  Reichman,  O.  Reed,  D.  Reynolds,  Henry  Reynolds,  J.  Reynolds, 
J.  F.  Rose,  John  Sahn,  S.  C.  Sahn,  Henry  Schidigger,  A.  Smith,  J.  A.  Smith, 

C.  Stevens,  F.  A.  Stevens,  B.  E.  Stevpart,  J.  Stevrart,  J.  Stofer,  Noah  Stoker, 
J.  H.  Stoner,  J.  Straw,  D.  Swartz,  J.  H.  Swinehart,  D.  S.  Terry,  A.  P.  Troup, 
H.  D.  Vroman,  J.  Wamus,  J.  A.  White,  J.  D.  Williams,  C.  Wilt,  Levi 
Willoughby,  W.  H.  Woodcock,  H.  Wuscher. 

Company  G — Capt.  P.  A.  Tyler. 

First  Lieut.  William  H.  Kilmer. 

Second  Lieut.  Samuel  Harper. 

Orderly  Sergt.  R.  W.  Morris. 

Privates,  Fred  Agerter,  S.  F.  Anno,  W.  F.  Atherton,  George  Babbitt, 
J.  J.  Basom,  W.  F.  Basom,  Isaac  Blackburn,  Conrad  Bope,  J.  Boyer,  F. 
Brobst,  W.  Bryant,  Henry  Campbell,  Abraham  Conger,  John  Conger,  C. 
Copier,  S.  Cooper,  A.  Covill,  M.  Cowgill,  H.  Demming,  J.  Dipprey,  W.  Dip- 
prey,  J.  L.  Durbin,  R.  J.  Earp,  H.  H.  Eggleston,  E,  Ekleberry,  E.  P.  Em- 
erson, W.  Eyestone,  J.  Frank,  J.  Grunditsch,  O.  Hall,  D.  Hartsough,  G.  W. 
Haw^k,  Lewis  B.  Henry,  G.  Howell,  S.  F.  Hughes,  J.  R.  Ingerson,  A.  J.  King, 
J.  C.  Kitchen, T.  Laux,  M.  B.  Layton,  E.  Longabaugh,  R.  M.  Lundy,  D.  Maloy, 

D.  Mays,  S.  Mays,  H.  McCormick,  Jacob  Mellon,  P.  R.  Moore,  F.  Mvers,  L. 
Peterson,  W.  Picket,  R.  W.  Fool,  J.  E.  Reed,  J.  F.  Reidling,  J.  W.  Reynolds, 
H.  Rinebarger,  J.  G.  Risterpher,  W.  Rummell,  A.  J.  Shaner,  F.  Sneringer, 
S.  Spalding,  E.  Spencer,  William  Spencer,  J.  Spoon,  W.  Spoon,  J.  Surplus, 
H.  Trowbridge,  W.  D.  Tyler,  W.  Vanchoik,  T.  A.  Van  Gundy,  G.  Waggoner, 
D.  Walton,  M.  Walton,  Levi  White,  B.  F.  Willoughby,  M.  Willoughby, 
L  Wood,  H.  Yager,  J.  Yeager. 

Company  I — Capt.  I.  M.  Kirby. 

First  Lieut. — D.  J.  Culbertson. 

Second  Lieut.  — Samuel  Bachtell. 

Orderly  Sergt. -J.  S.  Start. 

Privates,  James  R.  Ahlefeld,  Charles  D.  Allison,  David  Allison,  Moses  Al- 
lison, J.  B.  Bibby,  P.  Bloom,  James  Boroff,  James  Bowers,  Hudson  Breese, 
JohnByers,  A.  J.  Caldwell,  B.  F.  Culver,  Oscar  David,  S.  DeJean,  Martin  A. 
Ditty,  R.  W.  DruckmiJler,  E.  P.  Dumm,  John  Estle,  John  M.  Ewing,  Mat- 
thew Ewing,  Fred  Forney,  Peter  Forney,  Wm.  L.  Foy,  Mathias  Free, 
David  Galbraith,  D.  A.  Geiger,  J.  B.  Getchel,  David  Gilliland,  W.  Goodin, 
R.  T.  Gormam,  A.  M.  Gunder,  H.  D.  Gunder,  Hugh  Guthery,  D.  E.  Hale, 
Leonard  Hartle,  W.  H.  HefHebower,  W.  Hefflefinger.  W.  M.  Hesser,  Rush 
Holloway,  Harrison  Horick,  James  Irvin,  David  James,  Henry  Jaqueth, 
Albert  Jewell,  J.  R.  Jurey,  John  A.  Kerr.  C.  E.  Livenspire,  Marvin  Ijum- 
bard,  W.  H.  Maffett,  W.  H.  Mulford,  E.  S.  Munger,  Stephen  Murphy, 
Michael  Myers,  William  O'Brien,  George  P.  Price,  Hugh,  Reinhard,  J.  S. 
Renshaw,  Lewis  Ridling,  G.  W.  Rockwell,  Marion  Rockwell,  Dr.  C.  J. 
Rodig,  Alonso  N.  Sawyer,  D.  J.  Shay,  Hiram  Storm,  T.  M.  Straw,  John 
Warner,  Harrison  Washburn,  Z.  Welch,  John  Welk,  James  Woller,  W.  H. 
Welsh,  J.  B.  White,  W.  S.  White,  David  Whitmore,  S.  W.  Wolf, 
Ephraim  Yerk. 

Recruits,  W.  H.  Ashbrook,  Edmund  Basely,  E.  Blow,  Peter  Blow,  John 
Burn,  W.  H.  Cone,  J.  H.  Corning,  D.  W.  Doughty,  W.  S.  Dumm,  J.  B. 
Graham,  Richard  Gwin,  D.  Hagerman,  A.  H.  Hazen,  M.  Howell,  Thomas 
Irvine,  Wesley  Kerr,  W.  J.  Kuntz,  West  McClain,  Ellis  Quaintance,  Will- 
iam Roberts,  Benton  Sell,  A.    D.    Snider,  George  Spayth,    John  Spooner, 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  447 

James  Westenholm,  John  Whinnery,  William  AYhipple,  A.  S,  Woi'raley, 
Wood,  William  Young. 

Three  Years'  Men— Field  and  Staff— Lieut.  Col.  William  T.  Wilson, 
commissioned  August  7,  1861;  resigned  August  11,  1862. 

Surgeon,  Orrin  Ferris,  commissioned  October  21,  1861;  resigned  March 
15,  1862. 

Company  C— Corp.  Julius  Straw. 

Privates,  Henry  Carr,  Jerome  Kennedy,  West  McClain,   N.  McFarland, 

C.  Stevens,  George  Spayth. 

Company  D,  First  Term — I.  M.  Kirby,*  Captain;  D.  J.  Culbertson, 
First  Lieutenant:  Samuel  Bachtell,  Second  Lieutenant;  S.  S.  Pettit,  Orderly 
Sergeant;  William  H.  Mulford,  Second  Serg'eant;  Robert  T.  Oorman,  Third 
Sergeant;  T.  M.  Straw,  Fourth  Sergeant;  William  Palmer,  Fifth  Sergeant; 
John  Caldwell,  First  Corporal;  Ambrose  Norton,  Second  Corporal;  Lowry 
Leith,  Third  Corporal;  John  Sheehy,  Fourth  Corporal;  James  Weller,  Fifth 
Corporal;  William  O'Brien,  Sixth  Corporal;  George  Kirby,  Seventh  Cor- 
poral; George  T.  Renshaw,  Eighth  Corporal. 

Privates,  John  S.  Albert,  O.  C.  Brown,?John  Burke,  William  H.  Camp- 
bell, William  Carr,  Francis  A.  Carter,  William  H.  Cavins,  J.  A.  Clark, 
Thomas  Coffaild,  Myron  Conger,  Dennis  Conroy,  William  Conroy,  J.  W. 
Corwine,  John  Crouse,  Oscar  Davis,  Jerry  Driscol,  J.  T.  Duly,  Nelson  Ellis, 
E.  G.  Emptage,  James  M.  Ewing,  John  M.  Ewing,  James  Fowler,  David 
Galbraith,  Christopher  Gay,  James  A.  Gorman,  O.  E.  Gravell,  John  Hahn, 
John  H.  Harder,  Lorenzo  D.  Harkem,  John  Hart,  Leonard  Hartle,  A.  J. 
Hazen,  Fred  Hensel,  John  W.  Hensel,  John  Hesser,  J.  D.  Higginbotham, 
John  Hollowell,  Mathias  Howell,  Charles  H.  Huffman,  John  A.  Inglehart, 
Silas  Jones,  James  O.  Keller,  Newton  Kennedy,  Orville  Kerr,  A.  B.  Keyes, 
Edward  Kightlinger,  Emanuel  Lambright,  Adam  Ijautzenhiser,  Moses  B. 
Layton,  Daniel  Logan,  Marvin  Lumbard,  John  Martin,  Wesley  McCor- 
mick,  A.  S.  Miller,  George  W.  Myers,  Christian  Nafzgar,  John  Osborne, 
Eli  Ragon,  Thomas  Ragon,  Butler  Reamy,  Adam  Reish,  Cornelius  Rex, 
Henry  Schriver,  T.  L.  Shaw,  Royal  Sherman,  Joseph  Sims,  Joseph  Snyder, 
Alexander  Sproat,  E.  H.  Stevens,  George  W.  Tucker,  Daniel  Van  Gundy, 
James  Van  Gundy,  David,  Vroman,  J.  N.  Welsh,  William  R.  White,  Daniel 

D.  Williams,  John  Williams,  C.  W.  Williamson.  Joseph  Wilson,  William 
Wolford,  Jacob  T.  Wood,  Nathan  A.  Worley,  William  W^orley,  Bela  B. 
Zimmerman,  John  W.  Zook. 

Company  D  (at  a  later  period)—  Capts.  David  J.  Culbertson,  commis- 
sion revoked;  Samuel  S.  Pettit,  resigned,  April  28,  1864. 

First  Lieut.  Samuel  Bachtell,  promoted  to  Captain  April  7,  1863;  re- 
signed as  First  Lieutenant  September  1,  1861;  Charles  J.  Rodig,  killed 
September  16,  1864. 

Sergts.  Ambrose  Norton,  John  Sheehy,  E.  H.  Stevens,  Daniel  Williams, 

Corps.  William  H.  Worley,  J.  C.  Rasey,  Daniel  Van  Gundy. 

Privates,  Charles  Baldwin,  J.  A.  Brewer,  Henry  Campbell,  W.  P.  Carr. 
M.  B.  Conger,  Oscar  Davis,  Edward  Davis,  L.  D.  Harkum,  Nelson  Ellis,  J. 
M.  Ewing,  James  M.  Ewing, M.  V.  Ewing,  J.  A.  Inglehart,  Frederick  Hensel, 
John  W.  Hensel,  J.  E.  Hesser,  James  Keller.  Newton  Kennedy,  OrvillKerr, 
A.  B.  Keys,  George  Kirby,  Henry  C.  Nagel,  A.  Lautzenheiser,  William  Mahon, 

E.  Lambright,  Henry  Schnooer,  Marvin  Lumbard,  Ed  Kightlinger,  Adam 
Risby,  John  Osborn,"  A.  E.  Miller,  James  Van  Gundy,  Leonard  Hartle,  T. 
R.  Walker,  Peter  Worley,  Royal  Sherman. 

♦Resigned  May  4,  1862. 


448  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Company  G — Musician,  T.  A.  Van  Gundy. 

Privates,  Conrad  Bope,  William  Cummings,  Jacob  Grunditsch,  J.  C. 
Kitchen,  William  Spencer. 

Company  H — Private,  Thomas  J.  Finnell. 

Company  I — Privates,  Alexander  Ash,  A.  J.  Hazen,  William  Ash,  R. 
M.  Druckemiller,  J.  L.  Gilliland,  Andrew  Larick,  Stephen  Murphy,  Hugh 
Rinehart,  G.  W.  Rockwell. 

Company  K — Privates,  Samuel  Yencer,  Gabriel  Hardin. 

Of  companies  not  reported — Joseph  Henderson,  C.  E.  Livonspire,  Rich- 
ard Loder,  E.  S.  B.  Speucer,  J.  R.  Jurey.  Jessup  Yencer,  J.  A.  Simmons, 
Frank  Simpson,  William  Soon,  Charles  Hoffman,  Peter  Hoffman,  William 
Holden,  E.  P.  Emerson,  William  Emptage. 

FORTY-NINTH   OHIO  INFANTRY. 

The  Forty-ninth  Ohio  Infantry  was  recruited  in  the  counties  of  Craw- 
ford, Hancock,  Seneca,  Sandusky  and  Wyandot  during  the  summer  of  1861. 
The  latter  county  was  represented  in  all  of  its  companies,  but  more  largely 
in  Company  D  than  any  other.  The  regimental  rendezvous  was  estab- 
lished at  Camp  Noble,  near  Tiffin,  Ohio,  where  an  organization  was  com- 
pleted on  the  5th  of  September.  Five  days  later,  the  regiment  left  its  ren- 
dezvous and  arrived  at  CampDennison,  Cincinnati, on  the  11th  of  that  month, 
where  it  received  arms  and  equipments.  On  the  20th  of  September,  it  em- 
barked on  the  cars  for  W^estern  Virginia.  After  waiting  an  hour  or  so,  this 
order  wa.s  countermanded,  and  the  regiment  directed  to  report  to  Gen. 
Robert  Anderson,  at  Louisville,  Ky. ,  where  it  arrived  on  the  21st  of  Sep- 
tember, thuH  gaining  the  proud  distinction  of  being  the  first  Union  Regi- 
ment to  occupy  Kentucky  soil,  other  than  Gen.  Rousseau's  small  command 
of  loyal  Kentnckians,  which  organized  on  the  Indiana  side  of  the  river,  at 
the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  had  marched  though  Louisville  three  days  before,  and 
taken  position  at  Muldraugh's  Hill,  thus  foiling  the  rebel  Buckner  in  his 
plan  to  seize  and  occupy  Louisville. 

The  reception  of  the  Forty-ninth  in  Louisville  was  cordial  in  the  ex- 
treme. It  was  not  known  outside  of  military  headquarters  that  the  regi- 
ment was  on  its  way  from  Ohio.  Hence,  as  the  two  boats  transporting  the 
command,  lashed  together,  neared  the  wharf  (the  regimental  band  perform- 
ing national  airs)  and  as  the  regiment  landed,  the  people  of  the  city — 
wrought  UD  to  a  high  state  of  excitement  by  the  stirring  events  of  the  two 
or  three  days  immediately  preceding — received  it  with  enthusiasm,  formed 
in  its  rear  and  marched  with  it  through  the  principal  streets  to  the  head- 
quarters of  Gen.  Anderson.  The  hero  of  Sumter  appeared  on  the  balcony 
of  the  hotel  and  welcomed  the  regiment  in  a  short  address,  to  which  Col. 
Gibson  responded  in  his  happiest  vein.  These  ceremonies  over,  the  people 
of  Louisville  turned  out  en  masse,  improvised  a  magnificent  dinner  at  the 
Louisville  Hotel,  and  the  men  of  the  regiment  had  a  hilarious  time,  while 
the  officers  dined  with  Gen.  Anderson.  In  the  evening  the  regiment  pro- 
ceeded by  rail  to  Shepardsville,  and  thence  to  the  Rolling  Fork,  where  it 
joined  Gen.  William  T.  Sherman's  command — the  "Louisville  Legion,"  and 
detachments  of  other  troops  under  the  command  of  the  chivalrous  Col.  Lov- 
ell  H.  Rousseau.  The  next  morning  (September  23),  in  company  with 
Rousseau,  the  regiment  moved  forward,  wading  the  Rolling  Fork  waist- 
deep,  drove  a  small  body  of  rebel  troops  from  Elizabethtown,  and  then, 
supperless,  bivouacked  for  the  night.  On  the  11th  of  October,  it  moved  to 
Nolin  Creek,  and  established  Camp  Nevin,  and  in  December  following  was 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  449 

here  assigned  to  the  Sixth  Brigade  (composed  of  the  Fifteenth  Ohio,  Col. 
Moses  R.  Dickey;  Forty-ninth  Ohio,  Col.  William  H.  Gibson;  Thirty-second 
Indiana,  Col.  August  Willich;  and  Thirty-ninth  Indiana,  Col.  Thomas  J. 
Harrison)  in  command  of  Gen.  Richard  W.  Johnson;  Second  Division, 
Gen.  A.  McD.  McCook  in  command.  Army  of  the  Ohio. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  1862,  the  regiment,  with  its  brigade  and  di- 
vision, advanced  toward  Bowling  Green.  After  some  delay  in  crossing  the 
river,  it  marched  in  the  direction  of  Nashville,  reaching  that  city  on  the  3d 
of  March.  On  the  16th  of  the  same  month,  it  marched  with  Buell's  army 
to  join  Grant's  forces  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  arriving  there  in  the  evening 
of  the  first  day's  battle — April  6.  It  participated  in  the  engagement  of 
the  7th  of  April,  and  contributed  its  full  share  of  work  in  driving  the  enemy 
from  the  field.  Thereafter,  as  part  of  Baell's  army,  the  Forty-ninth  en 
gaged  in  all  the  battles,  marches,  reverses,  etc.,  which  characterized  Buell's 
command  during  the  spring,  summer  and  early  autumn  of  1862.  Subse- 
quently it  fought  with  Rosecrans  at  Stone  River,  Liberty  Gap  andChicka- 
mauga;  under  Thomas  at  Missouri  Ridge,  and  with  Sherman  during  the 
Atlanta  campaign. 

"When  Gen.  Rosecrans,  then  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land, commenced  his  movement  on  Murfreesboro  on  the  26th  of  December, 
1862,  the  Forty-ninth  moved  out  of  Nashville  on  the  Nolinsville  Turnpike 
with  the  right  wing  under  Gen.  McCook,  and  after  constant  skirmishing 
iound  itself  in  line  of  battle  on  the  extreme  right  of  the  Union  army  before 
Murfreesboro  on  the  evening  of  the  30th.  At  6  o'clock  the  next  morning. 
Kirk's  brigade,  to  the  left  and  front,  was  furiously  assailed,  and,  giving 
way,  was  thrown  back  on  the  Forty  ninth,  which  at  once  became  engaged, 
and  was  borne  back  by  overwhelming  numbers  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the 
Nashville  Turnpike,  which  it  reached  after  an  incessant  conflict  of  nine 
hours.  On  the  following  morning,  the  regiment  was  sent  to  reconnoiter  on 
the  right  and  rear  of  the  main  army.  Rejoining  its  brigade,  it  operated 
during  the  remainder  of  the  day  on  the  extreme  right  of  the  army,  in  con- 
nection with  Stanley's  cavalry.  On  Friday,  January  2,  1863,  it  was  held 
in  reserve  until  late  in  the  afternoon,  when,  upon  the  repulse  of  Van  Cleve's 
division  on  the  left,  it  was  ordered,  with  its  brigade,  to  retrieve  the  fortunes 
of  the  day  in  that  part  of  the  field.  It  joined  in  a  magnificent  bayonet 
charge,  which  resulted  in  recovering  the  lost  ground  and  a  severe  defeat  to 
the  enemy. 

At  Chickamauga,  the  Forty- ninth  held  a  position  in  the  morning  of  the 
first  day,  on  the  extreme  right  of  the  Union  forces,  forming  part  of  Gen. 
Richard  W.  Johnson's  division.  Before  being  engaged,  however,  the  divi- 
sion was  shifted  to  the  extreme  left  of  the  army  and  joined  Thomas'  corps. 
At  2  o'clock  P.  M.,  the  regiment  became  engaged  with  the  enemy's  right, 
posted  in  a  dense  woods.  A  charge  was  made,  the  enemy  driven,  and  two 
guns  captured  by  the  Forty- ninth.  This  charge  occurred  between  3  and  4 
o'clock  P.  M.  At  dusk,  the  enemy  having  been  re-enforced,  made  a  charge. 
The  enemy  gained  a  point  directly  in  front  of  the  brigade,  delivered  a 
withering  volley,  and  with  their  accustomed  yell  rushed  forward  with  the 
bayonet.  Although  on  the  alert,  the  Union  forces  were  staggered  and  gave 
some  ground.  They  quickly  rallied,  however,  and  repulsed  the  rebels. 
During  the  second  day  at  Chickamauga  the  regiment  was  constantly  engaged 
in  various  parts  of  the  field,  and  with  the  Fifteenth  Ohio  and  Goodspeed's 
battery,  accomplished  a  brilliant  exploit.  The  enemy  had  broken  through 
the  X^nion  left  and  were  exultingly  charging  for  the  center,  when  the  Forty- 


450  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

ninth  faced  to  the  rear  and  poured  into  the  enemy  a  withering  fire.  From 
the  other  side  of  the  circle,  Goodspeed's  battery  and  the  Fifteenth  Ohio 
poured  a  destructive,  unceasing  tire,  and  the  rebels  were  checked  and  sent 
back  flying  to  their  main  body.  The  brigade  of  which  the  Fifteenth  and 
Forty- ninth  Ohio  formed  part,  was  the  last  to  leave  the  field  of  Chicka- 
mauga.  It  halted  at  Rossville  one  day,  aud  the  following  night  retired  to 
Chattanooga. 

By  the  consolidation  of  the  orginal  Twentieth  and  Twenty -first  Army 
Corps  in  October,  1863,  into  the  organization  known  during  the  remainder 
of  the  war  as  the  Fourth  Army  Corps,  the  brigade*  of  which  the  Forty- 
ninih  Ohio  formed  part,  was  transferred  to  the  Third  Division  of  the  Fourth 
Corps.  As  part  of  the  last  mentioned  command,  the  regiment  fought  on 
many  other  fields  and  always  maintained  the  high  reputation  its  gallant 
members  had  attained  from  the  beginning  of  their  service.  At  Mission 
Kidge,  it  was  one  of  the  first  to  plant  its  colors  on  the  summit  of  that 
mountain.  Immediately  after  this  success,  the  regiment  moved  with 
Granger's  corps  to  the  relief  of  Burnside's  forces  at  Knoxville.  This 
campaign  was  one  of  the  most  severe  that  the  regiment  had  ever  been  called 
upon  to  endure.  The  weather  was  intensely  cold,  with  snow  on  the  ground, 
the  men  almost  naked  and  without  shoes,  and  the  rations  exhausted.  The 
march  of  the  relieving  army  over  the  mountains  of  East  Tennessee  was 
literally  marked  by  bloody  foot-prints.  Yet  the  soldiers  of  the  West  did 
not  grumble,  but  were  ever  eager  to  be  led  against  the  foe.  In  the  midst 
of  this  campaign  the  men  of  the  Forty-ninth,  in  common  with  those  of 
all  other  regiments,  were  called  upon  to  re -enlist  for  another  term  of  three 
years;  a  majority  of  them  responded  favorably  to  the  summons,  and  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  march  proceeded  homeward  on  veteran  furlough. 

In  the  Atlanta  campaign  the  regiment  participated  in  the  battles  at 
Rocky  Face  Eidge,  Resaca,  Dallas,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Chattahoochie 
River,  and  the  series  of  engagements  around  Atlanta.  Also  in  the  move- 
ments that  resulted  in  the  battles  at  Jonesboro  and  Lovejoy  Station.  When 
Sherman  began  his  march  to  the  sea,  the  regiment  and  corps  went  back  with 
Gen.  Thomas  to  attend  to  the  rebel  Hood  in  Tennessee.  The  subsequent 
movements  of  the  regiment  are  told  in  the  sketch  relating  to  its  companion 
regiment,  the  Fifteenth  Ohio  Infantry.  It  proceeded  to  Texas  in  June  and 
landed  at  Victoria  early  in  July,  1865.  After  remaining  at  San  Antonio 
for  some  weeks,  it  returned  to  Victoria  where  it  was  mustered  out  of  service 
on  the  30th  day  of  November,  1865. 

The  whole  number  of  names  borne  upon  the  rolls  of  the  regiment 
is  fifteen  hundred  and  fifty-two.  Eight  officers  were  killed  in  battle, 
and  twenty  wounded  (six  mortally).  Of  the  enlisted  men,  one  hvmdred 
and  twenty-seven  were  killed  in  battle,  seventy-one  were  mortally  wounded, 
one  hundred  and  si  sty -five  died  from  disease,  seven  others  died  in  rebel 
prison  pens,  and  six  hundred  and  sixteen  were  discharged  on  account  of 
wounds  or  disability. 

Among  the  Wyandot  County  men  who  served  in  this  regiment,  were  the 
following: 

Company  A — Capt.  Daniel  Hartsough. 

First  Lieut.  John  K.  Gibson,  died  of  wounds. 

Sergts.  John  James,  Cyrug  DeWitt. 

Corps.  J.  Bartison,  D.  H.  Grindle,  J.  S.  Grindle,  Henry  Stevens. 

Privates,  A.  WMllever,    Allen  Wilkins,  C.    K.  Nye,  Jerome    Nye,   James 

♦First  Brigade,  Second  Division,  Twentieth  Army  Corps. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  451 

Thompson,  Gfiorge  W.  Piatt,  L.  Lambert,  M.  B.  Haro,  W.  B.  Leeper,  Wil- 
liam C.  Gear,  John  Greek,  Jacob  Moyer,  John  I.  Grindle,  Dory  Jack- 
man,  P.  Grubb,  S.  T.  Biles,  Alfred  De  Witt,  Salamas  Bowlby,  Solomon 
Bachar. 

Company  B — Second  Lieut.  Sheldon  P.  Hare. 

Corp.  James  Burk, 

Privates,  Theodore  Gibson,  C.  C.  Conaghan,  J.  L.  Bliss,  H.  H.  Anderson, 
Job  Baker,  D.  A.  Bennett,  A.  F.  Conaghan,  A.  P.  Havens,  Samuel  Mays, 
David  Mays,  George  Wagner,  George  Pancoast. 

Company  C — Capt.  John  Green. 

Sergt.  John  Reiger. 

Privates,  John  G.  Markley,  S.  Bland,  Sylvester  Bowlby. 

Company  D — Capts.  James  Ewing,  George  W.  Culver,  George  W.  Pool. 

First  Lieut.  M.  Cowgill,  J.  Mosier. 

Sergts.  Samuel  Bretz,  Silas  Barnhiser,  W.  R.  Bliss,  D.  L.  Kentfield, 
Charles  Ho}t,  Robert  Gregg,  James  W.  Ingle. 

Corps.  Joseph  Battenfield,  N.  D.  Bunn.  S.  S.  Laird,  Robert  Cavit, 
Enos  Goodman. 

Drummers,  W.  H.  Shuler,  Jacob  Funk. 

Privates,  William  Updegraff,  John  Updegrafi",  Edward  Marble,  Martin 
Marble,  Jesse  Rifner,  Henry  Lowmaster,  C.  Morgan,  B.  Jewel,  T.  B.  Haw- 
kins, Kenry  Kestner,  Nathan  Karr,  David  Hitchew.  Fred  W.  Hine,  George 
W.  Greer,  Otis  S.  Goodman,  Anthony  Kestner,  J.  B.  Fox,  Alfred  Hitchew, 
David  Cramer,  John  Bope,  Jac  Allion,  Jr.,  Francis  Beck,  W.  S.  Karr, 
B.  F.  Bunn,  Frank  Babcock,  James  Barnhiser,  S.  W.  Barnhiser, 
Samuel  Burk,  Fleming  Ewing,  Isaac  Burk,  Jacob  Everhart,  S.  A.  Dur- 
boraw,  J.  Enerson,  Jesse  De  Long,  W.  W.  Greer,  H.  L.  Freet,  William 
Hitchew,  Lewis  Corfman,  William  Rice,  William  Burk,  P.  Tracy,  James 
Nye,  Jesse  Paulin,  Levi  Pennington,  William  Fruit,  James  Fruit,  J. 
Young,  Isaac  Fruit,  G.  W.  Mullholand,  F.  Roberson,  Perry  Rice,  Sylvester 
Pontius,  I.  M.  Winters,  J.  B.  Weber,  Charles  Wigloy.  Jerome  Williams, 
Benjamin  Whetsel,  Allen  Smalley,  John  Rock,  C.  Shireman,  E.  S. 
W^illson. 

Company  E-^Private  David  Goodman. 

Company  G — Capt.  Samuel  M.  Harper. 

Sergts.  J.  S.  Gibson,  Walton  Weber,  ^.  J.  Weber,  Lewis  Miller. 

Corps.  John  Caldwell,  P.  C.  Kitchen. 

Wagoner,  J.  C.  Kitchen. 

Privates,  John  Solley,  John  Ingerson,  F.  M.  Babcock,  Seymour  Culver, 
B.  F.  Culver,  M.  G.  Clapsaddle,  J.  R.  Ingerson,  J.  R.  Lowry,  Abner  Will- 
son,  W.  B.  Kitchen,  Ross  Ingerson. 

Company  F — First  Lieut.  J.  F.  Harper. 

Company  H — First  Lieut.  James  J.  Zint. 

Company  I — Second  Lieut.  William  F.  Gibbs. 

Corp.  W.  J.  Louder  milch. 

Privates,  J.  S.  Thompson,  E.  C.  Warner,  John  Stump,  D.  D.  Armstrong, 
D.  D.  Cole,  J.  A.  Bell,  Joseph  A.  Liles,  Thomas  Petty,  J.  A.  Petty. 

Company  K — Privates  David  Jacob,  Rezin  De  Bolt,  H.  Bland,  H.  L. 
Eyestone,  H.  Badger,  George  DeBolt,  Silas  De  Bolt,  William  Cummings,  A. 
J.  Miller,  H.  P.  Jaqueth,  D.  R.  Martin,  Henry  Jacoby,  O.  Lannon,  G.  P. 
Ogg,  C.  AVhittem. 

Attached  to  Companies  not  known — G.  W.  Sherwood,  William  John- 
son, Ezra  Phelps,  Sergeant ;  Frank  Johnson,  James  Stoner,  W.  M.  Thomp- 


452  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

son,  Seth  Kear,  Willson  Long,  William  Cowgill,  Jackson  Carter,  Martin 
Heistand,  Jackson  Anderson,  Conrad  Bope,  William  Boyer,  William 
Emerson,  Bradford  Dunn,  George  Inman,  John  Anderson,  R.  Baun, 
Joseph  Barnhiser. 

FIFTY-FIFTH     OHIO    INFANTRY. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Norwalk,  Ohio,  about  the  middle  of 
October,  1861.  On  the  25th  of  January,  1802,  it  left  Norwalk  for  Western 
Virginia,  and  soon  after  its  arrival  on  the  field  of  action  was  attached  to 
Gen.  Schenck's  brigade.  It  participated  in  many  minor  movements  against 
the  redoubtable  rebel  leader — "  Stonewall"  Jackson — during  the  early  part 
of  that  year,  with  varying  success.  When  the  "  Army  of  Virginia"  was 
organized  in  June,  the  Fifty-fifth  was  brigaded  with  the  Twenty-fifth, 
Seventy-third  and  Seventy-fifth  Ohio  Regiments,  and  attached  to  Gen, 
Schenck's  division. 

On  the  7th  of  July,  the  corps  of  which  the  regiment  formed  part,  began 
a  march  to  Sperryville,  Va.  After  a  few  days'  rest  at  that  point,  it  again 
marched  forward,  and  on  the  1st  of  September,  had  passed  through  the 
various  marches,  skirmishes  and  battles,  which  marked  Gen.  Pope's  brief 
but  disastrous  campaign.  A  re-organization  of  the  army  now  took  place, 
and  in  the  many  changes  made,  the  Fifty-fifth  was  assigned  to  the  Eleventh 
Army  Corps.  Subsequently,  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1862,  it  engaged  in 
the  movement  under  Burnside,  which  was  abruptly  terminated  by  heavy 
rains  and  bad  roads. 

In  the  Chancellorsville  campaign  under  Hooker,  in  May,  1863,  the 
regiment  lost  heavily.  It  (with  the  entire  Eleventh  Corps),  was  driven  in 
confusion  from  the  field,  and  sustained  a  loss  of  153  men  killed,  wounded 
and  missing.  About  the  middle  of  May,  1863,  it  was  attached  to  the  Sec- 
ond Brigade  of  the  Second  Divisi<m,  and  remained  in  the  same  brigade 
during  the  remainder  of  its  term  of  service.  At  Gettysburg,  the  regiment 
lost  in  killed  and  wounded,  about  fifty  men. 

On  the  following  24th  day  of  September,  the  Eleventh  and  Twelfth 
Army  Corps  took  cars  at  Manassas  Junction,  Va. ,  and  moved  over  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  and  through  Columbus,  Indianapolis,  Louis- 
ville and  Nashville  to  Bridgeport,  Ala.,  arriving  on  the  80th.  The  Elev- 
enth Corps  moved  to  Chattanooga  on  the  22d  of  November.  In  the  battle 
of  INIission  Ridge,  the  corps  formed  line  to  the  left  and  front  of  Fort  Hood, 
and  moving  forward  rapidly,  drove  the  rebel  line  beyond  the  East  Tennessee 
Railroad.  Immediately  after  the  termination  of  the  Union  victories  in 
the  vicinity  of  Chattanooga,  the  regiment  entered  on  the  Knoxville  cam- 
paign, and  returned  again  to  Lookout  Valley  on  the  17th  of  December. 
This  campaign  was  made  over  mountain  ranges,  amid  the  frosts  and  snows 
of  winter,  many  men  shoeless,  and  all  without  tents  or  blankets.  On 
the  1st  of  January,  1864,  319  men  of  the  Fifty-fifth  re-enlisted.  They 
started  for  Ohio  on  the  lOth,  and  arrived  at  Norwalk  on  the  20th;  on  the 
22d  of  February,  the  regiment  re-assembled  at  Cleveland,  and  on  the  4th  of 
March  it  was  again  encamped  in  Lookout  Valley,  Ga.  About  this  time 
the  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Army  Corps  were  consolidated,  and  denominated 
the  Twentieth  Corps  (Gen.  Hooker  in  command),  and  the  regiment  was 
attached  to  the  Third  Brigade  of  the  Third  Division. 

During  the  Atlanta  campaign,  the  regiment  participated  in  all  the  move- 
ments, battles,  etc.,  in  which  the  Twentieth  corps  was  engaged.  At  Resaca, 
on  the   15th   of  May,  it  lost   more  than  ninety  men   killed,  wounded  and 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  453 

missing.  It  was  also  engaged  at  Gassville,  Dallas,  New  Hope  Church, 
Kenesaw  Mountain,  and  in  the  series  of  engagements  around  the  city  of 
Atlanta.  It  left  Lookout  Valley  May  2,  1864,  with  about  400  men,  and 
during  the  campaign  of  four  months'  duration  had  lost  over  200. 

On  the  15th  of  November,  the  regiment  and  corps  began  the  march,  with 
Sherman's  armies,  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea.  It  entered  Savannah  on  the 
21st  of  December.  On  the  29th  of  January,  1865,  the  command  got  fairly 
started  from  Savannah  on  the  march  northward  through  the  Carolinas. 
No  incident  worthy  of  particular  notice  occurred  until  the  16th  of  March, 
when  at  the  battle  of  Averysboro,  or  Smith's  Farm,  N.  C. ,  the  Fifty-fifth 
lost  thirty-six  men  killed  and  wounded.  The  regiment  was  again  epgaged 
at  Bentonville,  N.  C,  on  the  19th  of  March,  and  lost  two  killed,  twenty-four 
wounded,  and  seven  men  missing.  ^V'ith  Sherman's  forces,  it  finally  reached 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  paraded  in  the  grand  review  May  24. 

Upon  the  disbanding  of  the  Twentieth  Corps,  the  Ohio  regiments  be- 
longing to  it  were  organized  into  a  Provisional  Brigade,  and  assigned  to  the 
Fourteenth  Corps.  They  proceeded  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  starting  on  the  10th 
of  June,  where,  on  the  11th  of  July,  the  Fifty-fifth  was  uiustered  out  of 
service.  It  was  paid  and  discharged  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  on  the  l9th  of 
July. 

Following  are  the  names  of  ofl&cers  and  men  from  Wyandot  County  who 
served  in  this  regiment: 

Field  and  Staff — Maj.  Rudolphus  Robbins,  killed  at  Resaea,  Ga. ,  May 
15,  1864;  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant  January  20,  1862;  Captain,  De- 
ceoiber  20,  1862;  Major,  May  25,  1863. 

Adjt.  Frank  W.  Martin,  commissioned  June  22,  1862;  promoted  to 
Captain  April  22,  1868;  resigned  June  6,  1863. 

Company  A— Capt.  Robert  W.  Pool,  resigned  August  29,  1864. 

Company  B — Private.  Joseph  Earp. 

Company  C— Capt.  Henry  Miller,  resigned  September  28,  1864. 

Privates,  Philip  Brewer,  W.  A.  Gibson,  George  Hawk,  William  Thomas. 

Company  D — Private,  W.  H.  Brewer. 

Company  F — This  company,  when  first  organized,  was  composed  of  the 
following  members: 

Captain,  David  S.  Brown,  resigned  March  6,  1863. 

First  Lieutenant,  Jacob  Thomas,  resigned  July  17,  1862. 

Second  Lieutenant,  Leander  M.  Craun. 

Sergeants,  Charles  D.  Robbins,  promoted  to  Captain,  resigned  March 
29,  1864;  John  S.  Shaner,  William  H  Ashbrook,  Butler  Case  (who  subse- 
quently became  First  Lieutenant,  and  resigned  as  such  April  10,  1864),  and 
J.  Hallabaiigh. 

Corporals,  J.  R.  Burkhart,  J.  Rumbaugh,  William  Rook,  David  Green, 
J.  B.  Gatchell,  Martin  Thomas,  William  J.  Craun  and  Jacob  Gatchell. 

Drummer,  Urias  Swank. 

Teamster,  P.  McLaughlin. 

Privates,  John  H.  Andrews,  Samuel  Adams,  Anson  Brewer,  George  W. 
Boyd,  Amos  Bowsher,  John  Byers,  Moses  Brown,  J.  W.  Betz,  John  Burk- 
hart. Samuel  Cannon,  Henry  Casper,  William  B.  Craven,  R.  W.  Coots,  E. 
P.  Cole,  William  Clark,  William  Cupp.  Henry  Cowley,  Noah  Doll,  Clark 
Edgington,  William  F.  Edwards,  Samson  B.  Flinchbaugh,  Taylor  Filson, 
Abraham  Fulk,  Abraham  Freeae,  L.  Fulmer,  William  Harley,  J.  Harley, 
Henry  Hoppwood,  John  Henry,  S.  Hackenberger,  George  Hallabaugh,  J.  A. 
Kittle,  James  Kine,  David  Koble,   John    Lambright,  C.  Long,    William  C. 


454  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

Law,  Wesley  Lane,  Isaac  Lambrigbt,  William  Likins,  William  P.  Mahon, 
George  W.  Michael,  Benjamin  Myers,  John  K.  Myers,  Levi  Martin,  J.  Mc- 
Bee,  J.  McPherson,  J.  Malon,  John  O'Brien,  Dorris  Pike,  Jeremiah  Pisel, 
John  Pierce,  J.  Robertson,  Albert  Roberts,  Leander  Riesenberger,  Henry 
Ream,  Andrew  Robenalt,  David  Raymond,  Israel  Spoon,  Adam  J.  Shaner, 
I.  Smith,  J.  Saul,  J.  G.  Sharp,  J.  Shuster,  Michael  Spout,  Jacob  Sprout, 
William  Stoffulmyer,  M.  Tress,  William  C.  Thomas,  J.  H.  Vail,  Hugh  M. 
Van  Wagoner,  William  H.  Waters,  S.  Waggoner.  Subsequently  the  fol- 
loging  additional  names  appeared  upon  the  rolls,  Jacob  Spoon,  Thomas 
Corbin,  Washington  Michaels,  A.  J.  Shannon,  Fredrick  Sipher,  J.  W.  Sul- 
liger  and  Anson  Edgington. 

Company  K — First  Lieut.  J.  F.  Rieser;  Sergts.  Benjamin  Welsh, 
H.  W.  Kramer;  Corps.  George  Rice,  Isaac  Dippy,  Christian  Wise,  W. 
H.  Cole,  Hugh  Guthrie. 

Privates,  John  Brand,  M.  C.  Crass,  Nuss,  Fred  Althauser,  Joseph 

Hoover,  H.  J.  Compton,  W.  H.  Edgington,  Hiram  Gantz,  Jacob  Grunditsch, 
Levi  Kotterman,  Christian  Gottier,  Oscar  Midlam,  Curtis  Hoff,  George  Har- 
nian,  Jacob  Yeager,  William  Winich,  Edward  McFarland,  Henry  Little, 
Aaron  McCoy,  George  Lott,  Peter  Marquart,  H.  Huffman,  Henry  Carr, 
Jacob  Shuler,  Henry  Vaughn,  John  Webb,  George  Wisenbarger,  Henry 
Yeager,  John  Keller,  Adam  Wiswasser. 

Company  H — Sergt.  W.  B.  Conger.  Corp.  G.  W.  Ragon.  Privates, 
Adam  Beer,  James  H.  Cram,  C.  Linn,  Samuel  Stom.  Z.  W.  Ahlefeld, 
J.  G.  Armstrong. 

Company  not  reported — Capts.  Augustus  M.  Wormley,  Jesse  Bowsher; 
First  Lieut.  Pliny  E.  Watson;  Second  Lieut.  James  K.  Agnew;  Privates, 
John  Emerson,  Patrick  Laughrey,  G.   W.  Price,  R.  Rolson,  Isaac  Price. 

EIGHTY-FIRST    OHIO    INFANTRY. 

The  command  first  known  as  '•  Morton's  Independent  Rifle  Regiment," 
but  soon  afterward  designated  the  Eighty-first  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry, 
was  recruited  to  the  number  of  eight  companies  in  the  summer  of  1861. 
The  fourth  Company  (D),  Capt.  Peter  A.  Tyler  in  command,  was  composed 
almost  entirely  of  Wyandot  County  men.  Benton  Barracks,  near  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  was  the  rendezvous  in  which  the  regiment  entered  upon  its  first  mili- 
tary duties. 

The  regiment  marched  out  of  Benton  Barracks  September  24,  1861,  and 
from  that  time  until  about  March  1,  1862,  was  employed  on  the  Northern 
Missouri  Railroad,  and  its  vicinity,  in  keeping  the  region  free  from  bands 
of  cowardly,  yet  murderous  and  destructive  Missouri  guerrillas.  It  was 
then  ordered  to  report  at  St.  Louis.  It  was  armed  with  short  Enfield 
rifles,  was  embarked  on  board  the  steamer  Meteor,  and  about  midnight  of 
the  17th  of  March  it  disembarked  at  Pittsburg  Landing.  A  few  days  later, 
the  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Second  Brigade  (Col.  McArthur  in  com- 
mand) Second  Division  (Gen.  C.  F.  Smith)  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee, 
then  commanded  by  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant. 

During  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  which  was  fought  on  Sunday 
the  6th  and  Monday  the  7th  days  of  April,  1862,  the  Eighty-first  behaved 
most  gallantly.  Its  members  were  ever  ready  to  confront  the  enemy,  many 
rebels  fell  lifeless  before  the  furious  and  unceasing  fire  of  their  Entields,  and 
during  the  second  day,  in  a  wild  and  impetuous  charge,  the  regiment 
captured  many  prisoners  and  a  full  battery  of  artillery.  Until  the  early 
part  of  the  following  October,  the  regiment  performed  the  various   duties 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  455 

assigned  it  in  West  Tennessee  and  Northern  Mississippi;  but,  after  the 
evacuation  of  Corinth  by  the  rebels,  its  actions  were  unimportant.  How 
ever,  in  the  battle  of  Corinth,  fought  October  3  and  4,  the  regiment, 
then  part  of  the  brigade  commanded  by  Gen.  Dick  Oglesby,  and  the  division 
commanded  by  Gen.  Davies,  was  hotly  engaged,  losing  eleven  men  killed, 
fourty-four  wounded  and  three  missing.  This  was  one  of  the  most  fiercely 
contested  fields  of  the  war — one,  where  about  eighteen  or  twenty  thousand 
Union  men,  without  reserves  or  intrenchments,  defeated,  pursued  and 
scattered  more  than  double  their  numbers. 

As  part  of  Gen.  Dodge's  commaad,  the  Eighty-first  continued  to  cam- 
paign in  the  northern  parts  of  Mississippi  and  Alabama,  and  the  middle 
and  western  parts  of  Tennessee,  until  the  latter  part  of  April,  1864.  It 
was  then  moved  forward  to  Northern  Georgia,  and  on  the  5th  of  May  was 
advanced  to  Lee  &  Gordon's  mills,  where,  with  the  great  army  there  assem- 
bled Gen.  Sherman  was  just  beginning  the  Atlanta  campaign.  There- 
after, until  the  final  victory  at  Jonesboro  and  the  occupation  of  Atlanta  by 
the  Union  foi'ces,  the  history  of  Gen.  Dodge's  command  is  the  history  of 
the  regiment.  "  In  the  battle  on  the  22d  of  July  (the  day  McPherson  was 
killed),  the  Eighty-first,  with  three  companies  in  reserve,  was  the  second 
regiment  from  the  rjght  of  Sweeney's  division.  The  command  stood  like  a 
rock,  and  never  was  there  made  a  more  daring  or  more  eifective  resistance. 
At  an  opportune  moment,  the  Eighty-first  Ohio  and  Twelfth  Illinois  moved 
forward  in  a  resistless  charge,  carrying  everything  before  them.  The  Eighty- 
first  captured  a  number  of  prisoners  and  three  battle-flags.  Later  in  the  day, 
Gen.  Logan  called  on  Gen.  Dodge  for  re -enforcements  to  assist  the  Fifteenth 
Corps  in  recovering  its  works.  Mersey's  brigade,  which  included  the 
Eighty-fifth,  was  sent.  It  marched  on  the  double-qviick  nearly  two  miles, 
and  joined  in  a  charge  by  which  the  lost  lines  were  recovered.  The  Eighty- 
first  furnished  a  detail  to  assist  Capt.  De  Gress  in  serving  his  guns  on  the 
retreating  rebels.  Later,  at  night,  Mersey's  brigade  was  moved  to  Bald  Hill, 
and  there  the  Eighty-first  Ohio  and  Twelfth  Illinois  built  a  perfect  labyrinth 
of  works."* 

In  September,  1864,  the  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Fourth  Division 
of  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps.  With  that  command,  it  made  a  march  to 
Savannah,  and  northward  through  the  Carol inas  and  Virginia,  to  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  It  participated  in  the  review  of  Sherman's  army  at  the 
National  capital,  May  24,  1865.  Early  in  June,  it  proceeded  to  Louisville, 
Ky. ,  via  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  to  Parkersburg,  W.  Va.,  and  thence 
by  the  Ohio  River.  The  regiment  remained  at  Louisville  until  July  13, 
when  it  was  mustered  out.  It  immediately  started  for  Camp  Dennison, 
where  its  members  were  paid  in  full  and  discharged  July  21,  1865. 

The  Wyandot  County  men  who  served  in  this  regiment  were  as  follows: 

Company  D — Capts.  Peter  A.  Tyler,  Noah  Stoker. 

First  Lieut.  W\  D.  Tyler. 

Second  Lieut.  J.  W.  Post;  killed  at  Pittsburg   Landing  April  7,  1862. 

Sergts.  Noah  M.  Stoker,  R.  J.  Earp. 

Corps.  Henry  Hardly,  David  Agerter,  David  Hagerman,  Benjamin  Ellis, 
William  D.  Earp,  Charles  H.  Willard. 

Privates,  Patrick  Downey,  James  Anderson,  Samuel  Down,  C.  J.  Fogle, 
Franklin  Kating,  J.  P.  Berry,  Jacob  Albert,  J.  R.  Hagerman,  H.  H.  Haw- 
kins, William  Helsel,  Charles  Caldwell,  John  Bushong,  Henry  Down,  An- 
son   Jones,  Napoleon   Grouse,  David   Dysinger,   George    Devine,  William 

*  Whitelaw  Reid. 


456  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Davis,  J.  A.  Atkinson,  W.  K.  Heffelfinger,  M.  W.  Kimmell,  Ephraim  Hoy, 
T.  M.  Blake,  H.  T.  Carlisle,  Jacob  Lime,  C.  S.  Keys,  J.  K.  Hagerman, 
Stephen  Healy,  Levi  Keller,  James  Gillin,  J.  C.  Groff,  John  Finau,  J.  W. 
Gillin,  J.  B.  Graham,  Patrick  Kelly,  Martin  Lipp,  Elijah  Longabangh, 
J.  Mankin,  Jared  Mills,  Henry  Miller,  Jacob  Miller,  J.  M.  Nelson,  Jerome 
Kennedy,  Patrick  Mulhauser,  William  Stamford,  W.  A.  Reed,  R.  M.  Reed, 
William  Mankin,  J.  L.  Mills,  J.  H.  Long,  John  Rose,  O.  H.  P.  Reed,  J.  P. 
Rose,  J.  V.  Reidling,  James  Stol,  Benjamin  Stewart,  W.  Quaintance,  M. 
Pendergast,  Elias  Stevens,  James  Surplus,  Henry  Stomb,  J.  F.  Rose,  Law- 
rence Smith,  William  Sanford,  W.  F.  Savidge,  J.  E.  Reed,  Anderson  Sulli- 
van, A.  H.  Tyler,  J.  A.  Yanorsdall,  P.  Whinery,  Robert  Whinnery,  John 
Thompson,  John  Wilson. 

Other  companies. 

B— John  Albert. 

C— William  E.  Reed,  William  Van  Marter. 

Company  not  repoi'ted — Fred  Agerter,  Fii*st  Lieutenant;  Henry  Down- 
ing, W.  C.  Keller. 

EIGHTY- SECOND  OHIO  INFANTRY. 

This  command  was  recruited  during  the  months  of  November  and  De- 
cember, 1861.  It  was  mustered  into  service  at  Kenton,  Ohio,  its  regimental 
rendezvous,  December  31,  and  it  proceeded  toward  Western  Virginia  on  the 
25th  of  January,  1862,  where  it  was  assigned  to  Gen.  Schenck's  brigade. 
Under  Gens.  Fremont  and  Sigel,  the  regiment  performed  arduous  service  and 
considerable  lighting  in  the  region  mentioned.  Subsequently  it  was  attached 
to  Gen.  Milroy's  Independent  brigade  (of  Sigel's  First  Corps),  and  led  by  that 
officer,  performed  many  gallant  deeds.  In  September,  1862,  Sigel's  Corps 
was  denominated  the  Eleventh,  and  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac. Thereafter,  the  Eighty-second  engaged  in  all  the  movements  of  the 
Eleventh  Corps  in  Virginia,  Georgia  and  Tennessee.  Finally,  as  already 
shown,  the  old  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Corps  were  consolidated  as  the  Twen- 
tieth Corps,  and  iinder  Hooker  and  Slocum  campaigned  with  Sherman 
through  Georgia,  the  Carolinas  and  Virginia  to  the  National  capital.  The 
regiment  made  a  brilliant  record  throughout,  and,  mustered  out  of  service 
at  Louisville,  Ky. ,  July  25,  1865,  was  paid  and  discharged  at  Columbus, 
Ohio,  on  the  29th  of  the  same  month. 

Among  its  members  were  the  following  Wyandot  County  men: 

Company  A — Sergt.  Henry  Robinson. 

Privates,  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  J.  Shever,  Robert  Couples,  J.  H.  Robinson. 

Company  B — VV.  H.  Hollinger,  Isaac  P.  Adams,  William  Ginther,  J.  A. 
Hollinger. 

Company  C — Second  Lieut.  TMorgan  Simonson. 

Sergt.  A.  D.  Snyder. 

Privates,  C.  P.  Taylor,  Francis  Taylor.  Thomas  Ash,  Sr.,  J.  B.  Dean, 
Samuel  Garrett,  Matthew  Morrison,  N.  E.  Sibert,  J.  E.  Kirby,  William 
Kii-by,  E.  L.  Ross,  Ephraim  Shever,  Joseph  C.  Snyder,  E.  L.  Ross. 

Company  G — Private.  Philip  Winslow. 

Company  I — Corps.  J.  C.  Chadwick,  John  Holloway. 

Privates,  Charles  Spencer,  W.  F.  Williams. 

Company  K—  Privates,  Isaac  H.  Cole,  Samuel  Brown,  W.  H.  Cole,  Jon- 
athan Harshbarger,  George  Eatherton,  William  Martin,  Henry  Martin. 

Company  not  reported— Alfred  Tracy,  William  Snyder,  John  Williams, 
F.  J.  Studebaker,  Isaiah  Williams,  Caleb  Dougherty,  John  Morrow. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  457 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FIRST  OHIO  INFANTRY. 

This  organization  was  recruited  in  the  counties  of  Erie,  Huron,  Seneca, 
Crawford  and  Wyandot,  in  the  dark  days  of  1862.  Its  companies  rendez- 
voused at  Monroeville,  Ohio,  where  the  regiment  was  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service  on  the  30th  day  of  August.  Capt.  Isaac  M.  Kirby's 
command  in  this  regiment,  afterward  designated  Company  F,  left  Upper 
Sandusky  for  Monroeville,  on  Thursday  morning,  August  21,  1862.  It  was 
then  stated  that  the  company  was  composed  of  the  flower  of  the  young  men 
of  the  county,  with  a  commander  who  had  withstood  the  fiery  ordeal  at 
Pittsburg  Landing.  The  members  of  the  company,  as  then  published,  were 
as  follows: 

Captain,  Isaac  M.  Kirby;  First  Lieutenant,  Franklin  Pope;  Second 
Lieutenant,  Jacob  Newhard;  privates,  Hubert  Bixby,  Theophilus  D. 
Gould,  John  M.  McLaughlin,  C.  J.  Harris,  Edwin  Nye,  David  E. 
Carney,  Aaron  C.  Shinely,  A.  H.  Turner,  Amos  K.  Slade,  Frederick 
Ludwig.  John  H.  Wells,  W.  J.  Carney,  William  Shell,  Edward  W. 
Shaw,  James  M.  Briggs,  Alfred  De.witt,  C.  S.  Vredenberg,  Levi  Shoe- 
maker, Noah  Sterm,  Peter  Sipes,  George  S.  Myers,  William  H.  Wel- 
ter, Michael  Stump,  Amos  Strycker,  Levi  Price,  F.  M.  Sterling,  S.  H. 
Brown,  James  H.  Herndon,  W.  H.  Carothers,  Cornelius  J.  Sibei't,  J.  Lou- 
dermilch,  William  Stevens,  F.  G.  Hill,  James  E.  Barker,  George  Mann, 
John  Liles,  Joseph  Harsh,  William  Swearingen,  Elijah  White,  Thomas  A. 
Clark,  John  Krider,  William  Carmichael,  John  Scott,  Walter  Foyer,  John 
Shepard,  Russel  Shepard,  S.  F.  Troup,  Thomas  Hollanshead,  Josiah  Shoaf- 
stel,  C.  Martin.  Garret  Taylor,  George  GouJdsby,  Thomas  Barry,  Calvin  J. 
Cutler,  George  Lawrence,  J.  W.  Norton,  J.  W.  Smith,  William  H.  Kilmer, 
George  W\  Hale,  David  E.  Hale,  S.  R.  Myers,  S.  S.  Waggoner,  H.  H. 
Lacy,  Samuel  Martin,  John  J.  Gerstenstager,  David  Allison,  James  Stew- 
art, John  Hutter,  A.  A.  Spafford,  G.  F.  Spafford,  J.  D.  Rex,  W.  J.  Law- 
rence, William  Good,  James  Reeves,  Shepley  H.  Link,  John  A.  Kerr,  Will- 
iam Hallowell,  R.  Park,  James  H.  Corning,  H.  H.  Dixon,  Christian  H. 
Glazer,  Andrew  McElwain,  H.  D.  Vroman,  Franklin  Culver,  August  Wise, 
August  Sickfelt,  Daniel  Good,  J.  McAnderson,  William  Nichols,  Oliver  Bo- 
lander,  David  Good,  Levi  Scwartz,  David  Miller,  John  Grossell,  Benjamin 
Ream,  Jacob  H.  Flickinger,  Jacob  Good,  Marcus  L.  Lowell,  John  H. 
Swinehart. 

On  the  4th  of  September,  the  regiment  left  Monroeville  and  was  hurried 
by  rail  to  Cincinnati,  and  thence  to  Covington,  Ky. ,  to  assist  in  repelling  a 
threatened  attack  by  Kirby  Smith.  Remaining  at  Covington  until  Septem- 
ber 24,  it  was  sent  by  rail  to  Louisiville,  Ky.,  and  there  attached  to  Gen. 
William  P.  Carlin's  brigade  of  Gen.  Robert  B.  Mitchell's  division,  Buell's 
army.  When  that  army  again  moved  southward,  the  battle  of  Perry vi lie 
resulted,  and  in  this,  its  first  action,  the  regiment  behaved  handsomely.  At 
Nashville,  Gen.  Jeff  C.  Davis  took  command  of  the  division  (vice  Gen. 
Mitchell  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  post  of  Nashville),  and  on  the  26th 
it  marched  with  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  Gen.  Rosecrans  command- 
ing, to  battle  with  the  rebel  forces  under  Bragg  in  front  of  Murfreesboro. 

The  afternoon  of  the  same  day  (December  26),  the  enemy  was  met  and  a 
line  of  battle  formed.  Gen.  Jeff  C.  Davis'  Second  Brigade,  consisting  of 
the  Twenty-first  (Gen.  Grant's  original  command  in  the  rebellion)  and 
Thirty-eighth  Illinois,  Fifteenth  Wisconsin,  and  One  Hundred  and  First 
Ohio  Regiments  of  infantry  and  the  Second  Minnesota  Battery,  soon  en- 
gaged the  enemy  with  spirit,  sustaining  a  sharp  tire  until  he  was  dislodged. 


458  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Although  the  day  was  fast  drawing  to  a  close,  and  little  was  known  of  the 
precise  nature  of  the  ground  over  which  the  armies  were  moving,  Gen.  Davis 
resolved  to  follow  up  his  advantage.  The  enemy  retreated  about  two  miles 
to  a  rugged  hill,  the  road  passing  through  a  defile  known  as  Knob  Gap. 
Deploying  on  either  side  of  the  road,  with  one  section  of  their  artillery  in 
the  defile  and  other  pieces  on  the  crest  of  the  hill,  they  waited  another  en- 
counter. In  the  short,  sharp  action  which  ensued,  Carlin's  brigade  per- 
formed its  work  most  gallantly.  The  eaemy  was  driven  from  his  position 
and  two  bronze  field  pieces  were  captured  from  him  on  that  part  of  the  line 
covered  by   the  One  Hundred  and  First. 

Four  days  later  (December  30),  Carlin's  brigade  was  the  first  of  the 
Union  army  to  arrive  on  the  battle-field  of  Stone  River  (a  small,  limpid 
stream  named  after  a  Pennsylvanian  named  Stone,  who,  with  a  party  of 
three  or  four  others,  first  discovered  it  about  the  year  1760).  It  at  once 
engaged  the  enemy's  outposts,  and  drove  them  back  on  his  main  line,  and 
just  at  night  became  briskly  engaged.  The  regiment  lay  on  its  arms 
through  the  night,  and  was  fully  prepared  to  receive  the  shock  of  battle 
that  came  with  daylight  on  the  following  morning.  The  brigade  stood 
firm,  repulsing  every  attempt  to  break  it,  until  Johnson's  division  and 
Post's  brigade  of  the  First  Division  on  the  right  being  driven  fi'om  their 
positions,  the  enemy  appeared  on  the  right  flank  and  rear  of  the  brigade, 
when,  in  obedience  to  orders,  it  fell  back  and  took  up  a  new  position,  hold- 
ing tne  enemy  in  check  until  he  again  threw  a  force  on  the  flank  and  rear. 
The  regiment  continued  in  the  hottest  of  the  fight,  taking  up  six  difl'erent 
positions,  and  stubbornly  maintaining  them  during  the  day.  Col.  Leander 
Stem  was  killed,  and  Lieut.  Col.  Wooster  was  mortally  wounded  while  re- 
spectively leading  the  One  Hundred  and  First  on  to  victory.  The  regiment  was 
held  on  the  front  line  on  the  right  of  the  army  until  the  afternoon  of  Janu- 
ary 2,  1803.  When  disaster  was  threatening  the  left  of  the  Union  forces, 
it  was  one  of  many  regiments  transferred  to  that  part  of  the  field,  and  with 
the  bayonet  helped  to  turn  the  tide  of  battle.  During  the  series  of  actions 
termed  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  the  regiment  lost  seven  commissioned 
officers,  and  212  men  killed,  wounded  and  missing. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  winter,  the  regiment  was  constantly  en- 
gaged on  expeditious  through  the  regions  surrounding  Murfreesboro,  suffer- 
ing very  much  from 'fatigue  and  exposure.  "  It  was  no  uncommon  thing," 
says  a  writer,  "  to  see  as  many  as  fifty  men  of  the  regiment  marching  with- 
out shoes  on  their  feet,*  and  so  ragged  as  to  excite  both  the  sympathies  and 
risibilities  of  their  companions.  This  marching  up  and  down  the  country, 
the  purposes  or  utility  of  which  were  oftentimes  wholly'  unknown,  lasted 
until  April,  when  the  regiment  was  allowed  to  go  into  camp  at  Murfreesboro 
for  rest." 

When  the  Tullahoma  campaign  was  inaugurated  during  the  last  days  of 
June,  1863,  the  One  Hundred  and  First  moved  with  that  portion  of  the 
army  that  demonstrated  in  the  direction  of  Liberty  Gap,  and  was  engaged 
with  Cleburne's  rebel  division  for  two  days  at  that  place.  It  followed  the 
fortunes  of  the  army  up  to  Chattanooga,  and  at  the  close  of  that  campaign 
was  with  Davis'  division  at  Winchester,  Tenn.    On  the  17th  of  August,  the 

*We  deem  the  imagination  of  Reid's  informant  too  vivid  in  this  statement.  We  were  there,  and  we 
never  saw  fifty,  nor  even  one  man  marching  without  shoes  at  or  in  the  vicinity  of  Murfreesboro  during  the 
winter  of  1862-63.  True,  some  ragged  men  might  occasionally  be  seen,  or  rather  men  wlio  had  stood  or 
slept  too  near  their  camp  fires  and  thus  scorched  and  burned  their  garments,  but  there  was  no  need  at  that 
time  for  men  to  marcli  without  shoes,  for  the  armv  was  near  its  base  of  supplies,  and  supplies  of  all  kinds 
were  issued  in  abundance.  Besides,  it  is  a  well-known  fact  no  general  oflScer  in  the  Union  army  was  more 
thoughtful  and  zealous  in  seeing  to  it  that  his  men  were  well  supplied  with  food,  clothing  and  equipments 
than  Gen.  Rosecrans. 


lyjjf-^ 


I'Tl'^ 


44l^i^''^^-^ 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  461 

regiment  marched  on  the  Chattanooga  campaign,  crossing  the  Tennessee 
River  at  Caperton's  Ferry.  From  thence  it  marched  over  Sand  and  Look- 
out Mountains  to  near  Alpine,  Ga.  It  then  countermarched  over  Lookout 
Mountain,  up  Will's  Valley,  and  re-ci'ossed  Lookout  Mountain  to  the  field 
of  Chickamauga,  where  it  participated  in  that  battle  on  the  19th  and  20th 
of  September,  displaying  great  coolness  and  gallantry.  During  the  second 
day,  the  l9th,  the  regiment  re-took  a  Union  battery  from  the  enemy,  fight- 
ing over  the  guns  with  clubbed  muskets. 

After  retiring  to  Chattanooga,  the  army  was  re-organized,  and  the  One 
Hundred  and  First  Ohio  became  a  part  of  the  First  Brigade,  First  Division, 
Fourth  Army  Corps.  On  the  28th  of  October,  this  brigade  was  ordered  to 
Bridgeport,  Ala.,  and  thus  missed  taking  part  in  the  fighting  at  Mission 
Ridge  and  Lookout  Mountain. 

On  the  3d  of  May,  1861,  it  marched  with  Gen.  Sherman's  armies  on  the 
Atlanta  campaign,  and  from  that  time  until  the  first  days  of  September 
following  was  almost  constantly  engaged  in  marching  and  fighting.  After 
the  federal  occupation  of  Atlanta,  and  in  the  sudden  change  of  tactics 
adopted  by  the  rebel  Gen.  Hood,  it  was  actively  employed  with  other  Union 
fox'ces  in  pursuing,  fighting,  and  heading  off  the  enemy  in  his  designs  on 
the  railroad  communications  of  the  Union  troops.  It  marched  with  the 
Fourth  Corps  from  Atlanta  to  Pulaski,  Tenn. ,  and  from  there  on  to  Nash- 
ville. At  the  battle  of  Franklin,  which  took  place  during  the  execution  of 
the  last-mentioned  movement,  just  at  nightfall,  the  One  Hundred  and  Fii'st 
was  ordered  to  retake  a  position  held  by  the  enemy,  which  it  did  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet,  and  held  the  position  until  10  o'clock  P.  M. ,  notwithstand- 
ing the  fact  that  the  rebels  were  almost  within  bayonets  reach  during  all 
that  time. 

The  regiment  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Nashville  December  15 
and  16,  and  participated  in  the  assault  on  the  enemy's  center  on  the  15th. 
After  the  battle  and  rout,  it  followed  in  pursuit  of  Hood  to  Lexington,  Ala., 
and  marched  thence  via  Athens  to  Huntsville,  where  it  went  into 
camp.  It  remained  at  that  place  until  June  12,  1865,  when  it  was  mus- 
tered out  of  service.  It  was  sent  home  by  rail  to  Camp  Taylor,  near  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  where  its  members  received  final  pay  and  discharge  papers. 

Among  the  officers  and  men  mentioned  at  the  close  of  the  war  as  havinsr 
served  in  this  regiment  from  Wyandot  County,  were  the  following  : 

Field  and  Staff — Colonel  and  Brevet  Brig.  Gen.  Isaac  M.  Kirby,  who  was 
mustered  out  with  the  regiment. 

Company  F — Capts.  Franklin  Pope,  resigned  January  28,  1863;  William 
H.  Kilmer,  killed  at  battle  of  Chickamauga;  George  W.  Hale,  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

Second  Lieut.,  Jacob  Newhard,  resigned  December  23,  1862. 

Sergts.  F.  G.  Hill,  J.  W.  Herndon,  G.  S.  Myers,  John  Kerr,  William 
Stevens,  Harmon  Lacy,  C.  N.  Martin,  David  E.  Hale,  George  F.  Mann. 

Corps.  Joseph  Lowdermilch.  Andrew  McElwain,  Willam  Hallowell, 
R.  H.  Parks,  John  Scott,  Levi  Price,  Elijah  White,  John  Shepherd,  Alfred 
De  Witt. 

Privates,  W.  I.  Lawrence,  David  Allison,  Oliver  Bolander,  James  N. 
Briggs,  James  M.  Anderson,  S.  H.  Brown,  H.  H.  Dixon,  C.  P.  Cutler, 
William  Carothers,  J.  H.  Corning,  T.  A.  Clark,  Walter  Foyer,  William 
Good,  Herbert  Bixby,  August  Lickfelt,  Samuel  Martin,  David  Good,  John 
Liles,  George  Lawrence,  William  Carmichael,  John  McLaughlin,  John 
Hutter,  John   Krider,  C.    J.   Harris,  Theopholis    Gould,  Joseph    Harsh,  P. 


462  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Heller,  Thomas  HoUanshead,  S.  H.  Lint,  Benjamin  Ream,  Fred  Ludwig,. 
Clandius  Martin,  J.  P.  Gastenslager,  John  W.  Norton,  William  Nichols,  S. 
R.  Myers,  C.  H.  Glasser,  Daniel  Good,  Russell  Shepherd,  George  Quaint- 
ance,  Amos  K.  Slade,  S.  S.  Waggoner,  Levi  Shoemaker,  Levi  Swartz,  F. 
Culver,  William  Shell,  A.  H.  Turner,  A.  Strieker,  A.  A.  Stafford,  F.  M., 
Sterling,  C.  J.  Sibert,  David  Miller,  August  Wise,  W.  H.  Welter,  J.  D, 
Rex,  J.  H.  Flickenger,  H.  G.  Vroman,  John  A.  Wells,  C.  S.  Vredenberg, 
Ellis    Quaintance,    Samuel    F,  Troup,  Peter    Sipes,    J.    A.    Stewart,   Noah 

Stinn,  William  Swearingen,  Josiah  Shaffstall,  Edward  Shaw, Spaf- 

ford. 

Company  A — Privates,  Abel  Thompson,  Thomas  Thompson. 

Company  D — George  Miller. 

Company  E — Sergt.  Enos  B.  Lewis. 

Privates,  J.  Y.  Good,  Michael  Stump. 

Company  H — Private,  H.  C.  Cross. 

Company  I — Corp.  John  Salyers. 

Privates,  D.  Funk,  Joseph  Funk,  Valentine  Wisebaker,  P.  Heckman,. 
Christain  Funk,  S.  P.  Renisderfer. 

Company  K — Private,  M.  W.  Shumaker. 

Company  not  reported — Samuel  Snyder,  J.  L.  Miller. 

Brev.  Brig.  Gen.  Isaac  M.  Kirby,  whose  name  has  already  been  men- 
tioned in  the  foregoing  sketch  of  the  One  Hundred  and  First  Ohio  Infan- 
try, is  a  son  of  Moses  H.  Kirby,  Esq.,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  was  born  at 
Cobumbus  in  3834:.  In  April,  ]861,  he  was  elected  Captain  of  a  company^ 
of  W^yandot  County  volunteers,  and  with  that  command  (afterward  known 
as  Company  I,  of  the  Fifteenth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry)  served 
during  its  term  of  three  months.  When  the  Fifteenth  Ohio  Infantry  was 
reorganized  for  a  three  years'  term,  Capt.  Kirby  again  took  the  field  in 
command  of  Company  D.  He  served  with  that  regiment  in  Western  Vir- 
ginia and  then  in  Buell's  Army  of  the  Ohio.  He  marched  with  it  tO' 
Pittsburg  Landing  and  participated  in  the  second  days'  battle  there,  assist- 
ing Maj.  Wallace  in  commanding  the  regiment.  He  resigned  his  position 
in  the  Fifteenth  Regiment  May  4,  1862.  In  July,  of  the  same  year,  he 
recruited  another  company  of  volunteers  for  the  One  Hundred  and 
First  Ohio  Infantry,  of  which  he  was  (for  the  third  time)  commissioned  Cap- 
tain. The  regiment  soon  after  joined  Buell's  army  in  Kentucky,  and  in 
October,  1862,  Capt.  Kirby  was  promoted  Major  of  that  organization. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  first  day's  fight  at  Stone  River,  Col.  Stem, 
commanding  the  One  Hundred  and  First,  was  killed,  and  Lieut.  Col.  Woos- 
ter,  of  the  same  regiment,  was  mortally  wounded.  Maj.  Kirby  thus  suc- 
ceeded to  the  command  of  the  regiment  during  the  remainder  of  the  battle. 
On  the  27th  of  January,  1863,  he  was  commissioned  Colonel,  to  take  rank 
fi'om  the  date  of  Col.  Stem's  death — December  26,  1862.  He  continued  in 
command  of  the  regiment  until  the  early  part  of  the  movement  against  At- 
lanta, when  he  was  designated  as  the  commander  of  the  First  Brigade, 
First  Division,  Fourth  Army  Corps,  which  he  led  throughout  the  cam- 
paign. Col.  Kirby  was  now  recommended  by  superiors  in  official  reports, 
for  promotion.  He  commanded  the  brigade  during  the  movement  of  Gen. 
Thomas'  army  from  Northern  Georgia  to  Nashville,  and  through  the  battles^ 
of  Franklin  and  Nashville.  In  the  latter,  he  led  the  first  assault  on  the 
enemy's  main  line  of  works.  He  was  now  again  recommended  for  promo- 
tion, and  he  finally  received  a  commission  as  Brevet  Brigadier  General. 

Gen.  Kirby  continued  in  command  of  the  First  Brigade,  First  Division^ 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  463 

Fourth  Array  Corps,  until  the  close  of  hostilities.  He  was  mustered  out 
of  service  with  his  regiment  in  June,  1865.  At  the  present  time,  he  is  en- 
gaged in  the  sale  of  hardware,  etc.,  etc.,  in  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio,  a 
town  which  has  been  his  place  of  residence  during  the  past  forty  years. 

ONE    HUNDRED    AND    TWENTY-THIRD    OHIO    INFANTRY. 

The  military  organization  thus  designated  was  recruited  during  the 
summer  and  early  autumn  of  1862.  Its  place  of  rendezvous  was  Monroe- 
ville,  Ohio.  On  the  16th  of  October,  it  moved  to  Zanesville,  whence  it  was 
.taken  down  the  Muskingum  River  to  Marietta,  thence  by  rail  to  Belpre, 
and  across  the  Ohio  River  to  Parkersburg,  Va.,  thence  by  rail  to  Clarksburg, 
reaching  that  place  October  20.  From  that  time  until  early  in  January 
following,  the  command  was  constantly  engaged  in  marching,  and  skirmish- 
ing with  small  parties  of  the  enemy  in  Western  Virginia. 

On  the  10th  of  January,  1863,  the  regiment  left  Mooretield  for  Romney. 
It  arrived  on  the  12th,  and  remained  about  six  weeks,  engaged  almost  con- 
tinually in  scouting  duty  in  that  vicinity,  protecting  the  line  of  the  Balti- 
more &  Ohio  Railroad.  While  at  this  place,  one  whole  company  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Sixteeath  Ohio,  of  the  brigade,  and  a  small  detail  from  the 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio,  were  captured  by  McNiel's  rebel  cav- 
alry, and  the  train  in  their  charge  burned.  The  men  were  at  once  paroled 
and  sent  back  into  the  Union  lines.  On  the  1st  of  March,  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  Winchester,  Va.,  arriving  at  that  place  on  the  4th.  From  that 
point  it  made  several  raids  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  going  as  far  as  New 
Market. 

Nothing  farther  of  interest  occurred  until  the  13th  of  June,  at  which 
time  Lee's  entire  rebel  army,  then  on  its  March  to  Pennsylvania,  surrounded 
W^inchester.  On  the  after Qoon  of  that  day,  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
Third,  with  its  brigade,  under  Brig.  Gen.  Elliott,  had  an  engagement  with 
Early's  corps,  in  which  it  lost  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing  105  men. 
On  the  14th  the  Union  forces  were  driven  into  their  fortifications  and  hardly 
pressed  by  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  rebel  army.  That  afternoon 
they  were  under  a  severe  artillery  fire  for  two  hours,  during  Avhich  time 
Gen.  Milroy,  the  division  commander,  directed  operations  from  the  Crow's 
nest  of  the  flag  staff  as  coolly  as  if  on  parade.  The  outworks  being  carried 
by  the  enemy,  it  was  then  determined  to  evacuate  the  place.  The  troops 
marched  out  of  the  works  in  silence  at  2  o'clock  in  the  morning,  leaving 
the  heavy  artilleiy  in  position,  but  spiked.  At  a  point  about  four 
miles  out  on  the  Martinsburg  road,  at  4  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  rebels 
were  found  in  position,  and  further  retreat  was  cut  ofif.  In  attempting 
to  cut  their  way  through,  the  regiment  lost  in  killed  and  wounded  about 
50  men.  In  this  affair,  the  regiment  made  three  distinct  charges,  but  to 
little  purpose.  While  it  was  forming  for  a  fourth  charge,  Col.  Ely,  of  the 
Eighteenth  Connecticut,  then  in  command  of  the  brigade,  surrendered  to 
the  enem)',  and  the  whole  brigade,  except  Company  D,  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-third,  were  made  prisoners  and  marched  away  to 
Richmond,  where  the  major  portion  of  the  officers  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-third,  remained  in  Libby  Prison  about  eleven  months. 
Lieut.  W.  A.  Williams  and  Capt.  D.  S.  Caldwell  made  their  escape.  Col. 
William  T.  Wilson  and  Lieut.  Beverton  were  exchanged  and  sent  home. 
The  remainder  of  the  officers,  after  eleven  months'  confinement  in  Libby 
Prison,  were  sent  to  Macon,  Ga.,  thence  to  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  placed 
under  fire— by  their    inhuman  captors — of  the  Union  siege  guns.     Subse- 


464  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

quentiy  they  were  taken  to  Columbia,  S.  C.  From  that  point  several  officers 
made  their  escape,  among  whom  were  Capts.  J.  F.  Randolph,  Alonzo 
Bobbins  and  Oswell  H.  Rosenbaum;  Lieuts.  B.  T.  Blair,  Frank  B.  Col- 
ver,  Thomas  W.  Boyce,  George  D.  A(!ker,  J.  B.  Pumphrev  and  V.  R.  Davis. 
Capt.  Randolph  made  his  escape,  with  a  number  of  the  officers  belonging  to 
other  States,  in  a  wood-scow,  down  the  Congaree  and  Santee  Rivers,  where 
they  boarded  the  Union  gunboat  Neipsic.  The  remaining  officers  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  made  their  way  successfully  to  the  Union 
lines  in  Tennessee.  Col.  Wilson,  Lieut.  Col.  Hunter,  Capt.  Chamberlain, 
Lieuts.  Schuyler,  M.  H.  Smiih,  Frank  A.  Breckenridge  and  Charles 
H.  Sowers  were  exchanged.  Capt.  Charles  H.  Riggs  died  in  Charleston,  S. 
C. ,  on  the  15th  of  September,  1864,  of  disease  contracted  in  prison.  Capt. 
William  H.  Bender  also  died  at  Columbia,  S.  C,  of  yellow  fever.  The 
privates  of  the  regiment  were  exchanged  within  a  few  months,  and  sent  to 
the  parole  camps  at  Annapolis,  Md. ,  and  Camp  Chase,  Ohio. 

Maj.  Kellogg,  who  was  wounded  and  made  his  escape  from  the  enemy 
at  Winchester,  collected  the  stragglers  of  the  regiment  at  Martinsburg,  Va., 
where  the  paroled  men  of  the  regiment,  after  exchange,  joined  him,  about 
the  1st  of  September,  1863.  At  this  place  the  regiment  was  newly  armed 
and  equipped;  but  being  deficient  in  officers,  it  was  engaged  mainly  in 
provost  and  picket  duty  until  March  1,  1864,  when  it  was  distributed  as 
guards  along  the  line  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  between  Harper's 
Ferry  and  Monocacy  Junction. 

About  the  1st  of  March,  however,  the  regiment  was  collected  together 
at  Martinsburg,  and,  with  the  Army  of  West  Virginia,  began  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  campaigns,  without  adequate  results,  performed  during 
the  war  of  the  rebellion.  First  under  Gen.  Sigel,  and  subsequently  under 
Gen  Hunter,  this  army  was  marched  up  and  down  the  valleys,  and  from 
mountain  range  to  mountain  range  throughout  the  northwest  quarter  of  old 
Virginia.  As  pursuers  or  pursued,  they  visited,  en  route,  Winchester,  New 
Market  (on  the  15th  of  May,  where,  in  a  fight  with  Breckinridge,  the  regi- 
ment lost  eighty  men  in  killed  and  wounded),  Woodstock,  Port  Republic, 
Staunton,  Lexington,  Buckhannon,  Liberty,  Lynchburg,  Salem,  Gauley 
Bridge,  Camp  Piatt,  Charleston,  Parkersburg,  Cherry  Run,  Martinsburg, 
Harper's  Ferry,  and  many  other  points.  The  regiment  started  on  the 
Lynchburg  raid  with  Hunter,  with  seven  hundred  men,  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  two  months  and  a  half  it  returned  with  two  hundred  and  fifty  present 
for  duty. 

However,  a  new  era  now  dawned  upon  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  Gen. 
Sheridan  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Union  troops  assembled  on  the 
Upper  Potomac,  and  with  them  he  pressed  forward  to  a  round  of  victories. 
At  Berry ville,  Winchester,  Strasburg,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek,  the 
enemy  were  signally  defeated,  and  ei'e  the  close  of  October,  1864,  the 
Shenandoah  Valley  was  cleared  almost  entirely  of  rebels  in  arms.  This 
had  not  been  accomplished  without  great  loss  of  life,  and  in  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-third  alone  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  brave  spirits  had 
either  been  killed  or  severely  wounded. 

In  December,  the  regiment,  with  other  troops,  was  ordered  to  report  to 
Gen.  Butler,  commanding  on  the  north  side  of  the  James  River  near  Ber- 
muda Hundred,  and  attached  to  the  Twenty-fourth  Army  Corps,  Gen.  Ord 
commanding.  It  arrived  at  Deep  Bottom  on  the  27th  of  December,  1864, 
where  it  remained  until  the  25th  of  March,  1865,  at  which  time  it  broke 
camp  and  moved  to  the  Chickahominy  to  aid  Sheridan  across  that  stream. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  465 

The  Twenty- fourth  Corps  was  then  sent  to  the  sonth  side  of  the  James, ^to 
the  extreme  left  of  the  Union  lines,  on  Hatcher's  Run.  On  the  30th  of 
March,  an  advance  was  made  on  the  rebel  works,  and  skirmishing  continued 
until  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  April,  when  a  general  charge  was  made, 
and  the  rebel  works  wej'e  carried.  The  regiment  during  this  time  was  for 
three  days  and  nights  on  the  skirmish  line,  without  relief,  and  their  rations 
had  to  bo  carried  to  them  by  Regimental  Quartermaster,  Lieut.  Brown — a 
most  dangerous  duty.  The  loss  of  the  regiment  was  quite  severe  while  en- 
gaged in  this  long  skirmish.  It  captured  two  battle-flags  and  a  number  of 
prisoners.  The  rebels  were  followed  toward  Petersburg,  their  forts  on  the 
way  being  captured,  excepting  at  one  or  two  points,  where  a  sturdy  resist- 
ance was  made.  On  the  3d  of  April,  the  whole  Union  army  marched  in 
pursuit  of  Lee's  rebel  army  toward  Danville,  the  regiment  reaching  Burke's 
Junction  in  the  night  of  the  5th,  at  12  o'clock.  At  this  point,  the  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-third  was  included  in  a  force  sent  on  an  expedition 
to  burn  High  Bridge,  fifteen  miles  in  the  advance,  on  the  South  Side  Rail- 
road. Within  half  a  mile  of  the  bridge,  just  as  the  regiment  was  opening 
a  tight  with  a  brigade  of  rebel  home  guards,  the  rebel  cavalry,  in  advance  of 
Lee's  army,  came  on  in  their  rear,  and,  after  a  fight  of  three  or  four  hours, 
duration,  with  heavy  loss  on  both  sides,  the  Union  command,  including  the 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third,  ivas  captured.  Capt.  Randolph,  of  the  reg- 
iment, was  shot  through  the  right  lung  in  this  light,  and  Gen.  Reed,  the 
commander  of  the  expedition,  was  killed.  The  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
third,  being  a  second  time  prisoners  of  war,  was  marched  along  with  Lee's 
army  to  Appomattox  C.  H.  At  that  point,  the  rebel  army  surrendered  to 
the  Union  forces  under  Gen.  Grant,  and  the  prisoners  were  thus  rescued. 

Immediately  after  the  surrender,  the  i-egiment  proceeded  to  City  Point; 
thence  it  embarked  on  transport  for  Annajjolis,  Md.,  and  finally  was  sent  to 
Camp  Chase,  Ohio,  where  its  members  remained  until  June  12,  1865, 
when  they  were  mustered  out  of  service. 

Following  is  an  almost  complete  list  of  the  Wyandot  County  men  who 
served  in  this  regiment: 

Field  and  Staff. — Col.  and  Brevet  Brig.  Gen.  William  T.  Wilson, 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

Maj.  John  W.  Chamberlain,  mustered  out  with  regiment  as  Captain. 

Surgeon  Orrin  Ferris,   resigned  November  10,  1864. 

Assistant  Surgeon   J.  H.  Williams,  resigned  January  25,  1864. 

Chaplain,  Charles  G.   Ferris,  resigned  June  9,  1864. 

Company  A — Capt.  J.  W.  Chamberlain. 

First  Lieut.  J.  B.  Pumphrey. 

Second  Lieut.  A.  P.  Ingerson. 

Sergts.  F.  M.  Anderson,  J.  H.  Boroflf,  William  F.  Basom,  J.  P.  Bear, 
Jac  dinger,  D.  D.  Terry,  Joseph  Roll,  H.  S.  Katey,  John  Wentz. 

Corps.  D.  L.  Baker,  W.  S.  Rifenberrv,  B.  R.  Revnolds,  D.  W.  Nichols, 
S.  A,  McKenzie,  W.  H.  Egeston,  L.  M.'Zeigler,  J.  H.  Ellis,  D.  P.  Demar- 
est,  F.  Egeston,  T.  C.  Thompson. 

Musicians,  John  Emerson,  R.  W.  Lundy;  A.  S.  Thompson,  teamster. 

Privates,  Jacob  Switzer, David  Thompson,  O.  R.  Torrey.E.  H.  Van  Buren, 
John  Thompson,  Byal  Tracy,  W.  Walters,  Silas  Wood,  A.  Davis,  L.  L. 
Wilcox,  George  B.  Smith,  George  W^  Smith,  J.  Suber,  H.  Stansberry, 
McKendree  Smith,  J.  R.  Cross,  L.  L.  Wilson,  Jacob  Teal,  John  Davis,  G. 
W.  Davis,  R.  J.  Craglow,  E.  P.  Cozier,  W.  H.  Crites,  John  Ellis,  William 
Ellis,  W\  M.  Ellis,   R.  J.  Ewart,   Elijah  Emptage,  George  W.  Finnell,  R. 


466  HISTORY  OF  wyandot  county. 

L.  Ewart,  A.  Corwin,  C.  B.  Drum,  D.  E.  Gibson,  Eli  Frost,  A.  Debaugh, 
Albert  Frost,  D.  Gipson.  David  Gibson,  F.  M.  Harris,  James  Haner,  W.  J. 
Hildreth,  H.  Hunter,  Edgar  Haner,  G.  P.  Hoysington,  James  Gregg,  E.  G. 
Emptage,  D.  H.  Inman,  A.  Ingerson,  Welcome  Inman,  J.  W.  Kemp,  I.  B, 
Kemp,  W.  K.  Humbert,  H.  W.  Karr,  J.  O.  Heckathorne.  \V.  Inman,  A. 
Kennedy,  C.  M.  Kinj,^  H.  P.  King,  Frank  Leeper,  S.  C.  Heckathorne, 
Hiram  Long,  J,  W.  Bower,  Coonrod  Hufford,  David  Mincer,  H.M.  McMil- 
lan, Isaac  Michaels,  H.  Perrin,  S.  M.  Parsons.  J.  H.  Niebel,  B.  O.  Neal, 
T.  A.  Miller,  I.  Price,  Henry  Palmer.  John  Parlet,  L.  Rickenbach,  N.  L. 
Eobinson,  E.  S.  Rummell,  E.  V.  Eummell  Jedediah  Sears,  J.  Shannon,  F. 
Robinson,  R.  W.  Smith,  J.  C.  Bear,  Alexander  Carothers,  S.  C.  Gole,  J.  S. 
Anderson,  John  S.  Anderson. 

Company  F — Capts.  Curtis  Berry,  Sr.,  resigned  January  31,  1863; 
Alonzo  Robbins,  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

First  Lieuts.  M.  W.  Willoughby,  mustered  out  with  regiment;  James  H. 
Gilliam,  died  in  service. 

Sergts.  A.  N.  Sawyer,  Eli  Maskey,  M.  F,  Allison,  W.  G.  White,  B.  F. 
Willoughby,  JamuelDunn,  S.  K.  Cook. 

Corps.  F.  Blond,  Thomas  Clark,  W.  R.  Willoughby,  William  K.  Fry, 
John  Keys,  G.  G.  White,  N.  McFarland,  A.  L.  McBride. 

J.  B.  Willoughby,  John  Swinehart,  Eli  Smith,  musicians;  J.  P.  Dry, 
color  bearer;  J.  Gephart,  teamster;  N.  B.  Brisbine,  hospital  steward. 

Privates,  Isaac  Van  Doran,  J.  A.  Smith,  A.  B.  Smith,  N.  D.  Young, 
Ezra  Snyder,  C.  Washburn,  Joseph  Williams,  L.  P.  Willoughby,  J.  Whin- 
nery  Levi  Woodling,  John  Snyder,  N.  Cowgill,  C.  Cooper,  R.  B.  Craig,  J. 
Cook,  E.  L.  Dunn,  D.  W.  Dougherty,  M.  M.  Gipson,  David  Galbreath,  W. 
H.  Fisher,  David  Hall.  W.  A.  Gipson,  Joel  W.  Gibson,  Samuel  Henley, 
W.  H.  Hefflebower,  S.  Hoffman,  A.  D.  Hesser,  Jacob  Hayman,  E.  B.  Holly, 
H.  Hough,  G.  W.  Hufford,   Simon    Huffman,  Robert    Irvin,  C.  H.  Kiehl,  J. 

A.  Hefflebower,  LaFayette  Lee,  Benjamin  Kriechbaum,  Peter  J.  Lott,  John 
Mackey,  W.  L.  Maurice,  Lewis  Corfman,  George  Mackey,  E.  W.  McJenkins, 
R.  N.  McConnell,  M.  O.  McClaiu,  A.  H.  McClain,  David  McClain,  S.  R. 
Cook,  John  H.  Miller,  J.  L.  Milum,  William  Mitchell,  D.  McClain,  J.  G. 
Norton,  Levi  Noll,  A.  P.  Reardon,  H.  B.  Ragon,  C.  E.  M.  Oliver,  J.  B. 
Oliver,  M.  P.  H.  Oberlin,  B.  C.  Rummell,  I.  H.  Cathright,  George  Seager, 
O.  J.  Scott,  J.  S.  Barclay,  H.  L.  Simmons,  Nelson  F.  Bowsher,  R.  Bulun, 
David  Bowsher,  N.  Chambers,  R.  Cathright,  A.  Cay  lor,  Peter  Altvater, 
David  Stalter,  Charles  Bolyard,  Lewis  Blond,  Reuben  Berleen. 

Company  D — Sergt.  Thomas  Parkin. 
Corp.  H.  H.  Pennington;  Elias  Osborn,  musician. 

Privates,  C.  C.  Roberts,  James  Kenan,  Isaac  C.  Stalter,  Pitt  Stevens, 
Peter  Swartz,  Geoi-ge  Hatfield,  B.  Delapline,  J.  A,  Heckman,  B.  L.  Hoover, 

B.  Kinney,  W.  A.  JNEitten,  G.  W,  Naugle,  D.  C.  Moron,  Henry  Reynolds, 
J.  G.  Reynolds,  Gilbert  Richmond,  B,  W.  Moore,  A.  Folkner. 

Company  E — Privates,  LaFayette  Dunn,  John  Halsey,  Calvin  Dunn, 
Isaac  Holden;  John  Loder,  Corporal. 

Company  H — Capt.  V.  R.  Davis,  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
Privates,  James  Culver,  Conrad  Haas,   G.  W.    Eyestoue,  W.  L.  Foy,  J. 

C.  Andrews,  Charles  Hotelling.  Lewis  Foy,  Lewis  Rank. 

Company  K— Privates,  P.  Hennessy,  A.  L.  Ragon,  William  Montee, 
Isaac  Nutter,  G.  R.  Marvin,  Thomas  Irvin,  Benjamin  Spittle,  W.  Costoloe, 
W.  Straub,  Leonard  Zent,  Jacob  Switzer,  C.  Simmon. 

Other  Companies: 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  467 

First  Lieut.  E.  D.  Ferris,  resigned  March  12,  1863;  T.  C.  Burnet. 
:Samuel  Hayman,  William  Hoover,  J.  H.  Dunlap. 

Brevet  Brig.  Gen.  William  T.  Wilson,  who  served  throughout  its  term  of 
service  as  Colonel  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio  Infantry,  was 
one  of  the  most  prominent  residents  of  Upper  Sandusky  during  what  has 
been  mildly  termed  "  the  late  unpleasantness."  He  was  also  known  both 
before  and  subsequent  to  that  period  as  the  publisher  and  editor  of  the 
Wyandot  Pioneer,  a  Republican  newspaper. 

In  April,  1861,  he  was  commissioned  Captain,  and  led  into  the  field  one 
of  the  three  Wyandot  County  companies,  which  served  in  the  Fifteenth  Ohio 
Infantry  during  its  first  term  of  three  months.  Soon  after  its  muster  out, 
the  same  regiment  was  re-organized  to  serve  for  a  period  of  three  years. 
Many  C)f  the  original  members  of  the  old  organization  returned  to  the  front 
with  the  new,  and  among  them  was  the  Upper  Sandusky  editor,  now  the 
second  officer  in  rank  in  the  regiment.  He  was  commissioned  Lieutenant 
Colonel  August  7,  1861,  and  served  with  credit  until  August  11,  1862, 
when  he  resigned  and  returned  home,  Like  his  townsman,  Gen.  Kirby, 
however,  he  could  not  remain  in  the  rear  while  his  country  needed  his  serv- 
ices, and  on  the  26th  day  of  September,  1862,  he  was  appointed  Colonel 
of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty  third  Ohio  Infantry,  with  which  regiment 
he  served  until  it  was  mustered  out  June  12,  1865.  Toward  the  close  of 
his  term  he  was  commissioned  Brevet  Brigadier  General,  to  take  rank  from 
March  13,  1865.     He  now  resides  in  the  city  of  Columbus,  Ohio. 

ONE    HUNDRED    AND    FORTY-FOURTH    OHIO     NATIONAL    GUARDS. 

This  regiment  was  formed  by  the  consolidation  of  the  Nineteenth  Bat- 
talion Ohio  National  Guard,  of  Wyandot  County,  and  the  Sixty -fourth 
Battalion  Ohio  National  Guard,  of  Wood  County,  at  Camp  Chase,  on  the 
11th  of  May,  1864.  The  regiment  was  ordered  to  report  without  delay  to 
General  Wallace,  at  Baltimore,  Md. 

Upon  its  arrival  in  that  city,  Companies  G  and  K  were  detached  for  duty 
in  the  fortifications,  and  the  remainder  of  the  regiment  reported  to  Gen. 
Morris  at  Fort  McHenry.  From  there,  Company  E  was  ordered  to  Wil- 
mington, Del.;  Company  B,  to  Camp  Parole,  near  Annapolis,  Md. ,  and 
Company  I  to  Fort  Dix,  at  the  Kelay  House.  On  the  18th  of  May,  the  reg- 
iment was  relieved  from  duty  at  Fort  McHenry,  and  was  ordered  to  the  Re- 
lay House,  where  it  enjoyed  comparative  quiet  until  the  1st  of  July,  when 
the  rebel  Gen.  Early  came  down  the  Shenandoah,  threatening  Balti- 
more and  Washington.  Companies  B,  G  and  I  were  in  the  engagement  at 
Monocacy  Junction,  and  suffered  severely,  losing  in  killed,  wounded  and 
prisoners  about  fifty  men.  On  the  13th  of  July,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
W^ashington,  D.  C. ,  and  from  there  moved  toward  Winchester,  Va.,  passing 
through  Leesburg.  It  was  halted  at  Snicker's  Gap,  and  after  a  day's  delay 
was  moved  back  toward  Washington;  but  it  was  again  faced  toward  the 
Shenandoah  Valley,  moving  via  Harper's  Ferry,  under  the  command  of 
Maj.  Gen.  Wright. 

At  daylight  on  the  13th  of  August,  a  portion  of  the  regiment,  while 
guarding  a  train  near  Berryville,  Va. ,  was  attacked  by  Moseby's  command, 
with  two  pieces  of  artillery.  Some  confusion  was  caused  by  the  first  fire, 
but  the  men  soon  rallied,  drove  back  the  enemy  and  saved  the  train.  The 
detachment  lost  five  killed,  six  wounded  and  sixty  captured.  The  men  of 
the  One  Hundi-ed  and  Forty- fourth  were  much  fatigued  and  worn  by  the 
arduous  service  performed,  but  they  never  complained. 


468  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

On  the  3]st  of  August,  1864,  the  regiment  was  mustered  out  of  service, 
having  lost  during  its  term  of  a  little  more  than  one  hundred  days,  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  men  killed,  wounded  and  captured.  Many  of 
those  taken  prisoners  were  intentionally  starved  to  death  at  Andorsonville 
and  other  rebel  prison  pens. 

The  Wyandot  County  men  who  served  in  the  regiment  were  as  follows: 

Field  and  Staff— Col.  Samuel  H.  Hunt. 

Adjt.  Jonathan  Aver.-;. 

Chaplain,  J.  G.  Baughman. 

Company  A — Capt.  Henry  H.  Ragon. 

First  Lieuts.  William  McFee,  James  S.  Leith. 

Second  Lieut.  E.  B.  Ragon. 

Sergts.  Levi  Shults,  J.  S.  Bowers,  H.  J.  Pool. 

Corps.  E.  Pool,  Benjamin  Morris. 

Privates,  Fred  Kinley,  William  Kurtz,  Isaac  Blackburn,  John  Black- 
burn, Hugh  Mason,  Isaac  Ayres,  John  Gatchell,  Jesse  Smalley,  H.  J.  Hunt, 
Leonard  Cole,  Charles  Copier,  A.  R.  Hunt,  D.  J.  Hale,  J.  M.  Pool,  Henry 
Brown,  H.  C.  Bowen,  V.  L.  Obenchain,  George  Hayman,  William  Parker, 
E.  Stansbery,  John  Walton. 

Company  C — First  Sergt.  H.  M.  Cunningham. 

Company  D — Capt.  Asa  Brayton. 

First  Lieut.  F.  R.  Bavungardner. 

Second  Lieut.  Amos  Stetler. 

Sergts.  D.  S.  Nye,  A.  E.  Gibbs,  Byron  Kear,  W.  H.  Grindle,  John  W. 
Lime. 

Corps.  Oliver  Brayton,  Amos  Bixby,  Amos  Nye,  David  Lindsay. 

Privates,  W.  Plott,  William  Berry,  John  Battentield,  J.  Barnhiser,  J.  S. 
Foster,  J.  J.  Brunning,  E.  Goodman,  W.  Lowery,  James  McGarvey,  Henry 
Kimmerly,  Harrison  Kimball,  James  Clark,  M,  A.  Clark,  A.  A.  Carothers, 
A.  Carothers,  A.  S.  Gear,  S.  J.  Keeler,  Lewis  Bacher,  J.  A.  J.  Lang,  W. 
Hurd,  W.  B.  Hurd,  J.  W.  Conn,  Thomas  Bliss,  Gibson  Busch,  W.  H.  Davis, 
J.  Duddleson,  John  Deardoff,  Alonzo  Ellison,  James  Myers,  C.  Humphrey, 
H.  H.  Hoysington,  A.  H.  Hoysington,  M.  D.  Grossell,  W.  H.  Karr,  L.  D. 
Karr,  J.  H.  Karr,  J.  C.  Ish,  J.  E.  Jones,  C.  L.  Parker,  J.  W.  Crum,  C.  R. 
McKenzie,  E.  H.  Sage,  James,  Ritchie,  O.  P.  Robinson,  D.  Sipes,  Land- 
line  Smith,  W.  K.  Nye,  L.  E.  Nye,  George  A.  Nye,  A..  Harshberger,  J.  D. 
Shireman,  Elkanah  Sherman,  E.  Sherman,  E.  H.  Shellhouse,  D.  Shell, 
Joseph  Shane,  Wellington  Nesbaum,  S.  C.  Williams,  S.  Y.  Williams,  H. 
Straham,  Luther  Stone,  S.  Harpster,  O.  Whipple,  J.  W.  Harpster,  B.  F. 
Swartz,  W.  H.  Straw,  W.  H.  H.  Williams,  G.  F.  Wonder,  D.  Wonder,  A.  J. 
Wonder,  S.  R.  Wohlgamuth,  S.  Wohlgamuth,  S.  A.  Wisner,   Asa   Wiener. 

Company  E — Private,  E.  Young. 

Company  F — Privates,  Jacob  Baldwin,  Robert  Lindsay,  Miles  Bowsher, 
William  Bowsher,  Andrew  Baldwin. 

Company  G--Capt.  William  Frank. 

First  Lieut.  Howard  Kennedy. 

Second  Lieut.  S.  H.  White. 

Corps.  G.  W.  Clark,  John  Shrank,  Allen  Parker,  R.  L.  Willard, 
bugler. 

Privates,  Thomas  Emptage,  James  Emptage,  S.  B.  Cook,  Irvine  Straw, 

J.  W.  Atkinson,    J.    W.    Bowers,    Theodore  Kellogg, McGha,   Jerry 

O'Neal,  John  J.  Inglehart,  Orrin  Long,  John   Runels,  T.  B.  Mount,   Mar- 
shall Cozier,  S.  D.  Holland,  R.  Pafks,  E.   L.  Parker,   Joseph  Worthington, 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  469 

Jacob  Williams,  Theodore  Uncapher,  D.  H.  Walker,  W.  A.  Butler,  John 
Campbell,  D.  D.  Hildreth,  William  Hildreth,  Robert  Mitchell. 

Company  H — Capt.  James  A.  Gibson. 

Sergts.  Samuel  Phillips,  T.  B.  Armstrong. 

Privates,  Clay  Miller,  John  Milligan,  J.  W.  Little,  A.  C.  Hunt,  J.  W. 
Stinchcomb,  W.  H.  Case,  Alfred  McCauley,  Noble  Emerson,  G.  W.  Horrick, 
George  H.  Heistand,  J.  W.  Shaflfer,  James  Hibbins,  Alva  Bunn,  T.  A,  Van- 
Gundy,  G.  W.  Baldwin,  Lewis  Lupton,  George  Wilson,  Benjamin  Pontius, 
W.  L.  Ciingman,  J.  O.  Welty,   H.  C.  Welty,  T.  C.  Wood,  C.  C.  Pancoast. 

Company  K — Corp.  W.  D.  Cook,  private  Joseph  Seager. 

Company  not  reported — Jeremiah  Kitchen,  Captain;  Aaron  Kennedy, 
Sergeant;  John  Woessner,  P.  B.  Oliver,  Henry  Karr,  J.  F.  Myers,  Ashford 
Nail,  N.  K.  Eyestone,  Vincent  J.  Flack.  Wai-ner  Osborne,  W.  O.  Phillips. 
W.  J.  Wilcox,  P.  P.  Wilcox.  C.  Henry,  William  Hoffman,  T.  J.  Frazer, 
L.  Bloom,  Aaron  Price,  J.  R.  W^illson,  Levi  Willson,  D.  Shafer,  John  Mid- 
lam,  J.  Puffenberger. 

ELEVENTH  OHIO  INDEPENDENT  BATTERY. 

The  men  who  composed  this  battery  were  enlisted  at  Cincinnati,  and 
from  Athens,  Butler,  Hamilton,  Vinton  aad  Wyandot  Counties,  in  August 
and  September,  1861,  and  rendezvoused  at  St.  Louis  Arsenal,  Mo.,  where 
they  were  mustered  into  service  on  the  27th  day  of  October,  1861,  with 
one  hundred  and  fifty-one  men,  rank  and  file. 

The  battery  consisted  of  two  six-pounder  rified  guns;  two  six-pounder 
smooth-bore  guns,  and  two  twelve -pounder  field-howitzers,  with  gun  car- 
riages and  caissons  complete,  and  battery-wagon  and  blacksmith  shop. 
The  uniforms  for  the  men  were  made  to  order,  from  actual  measurement,  of 
the  best  material,  and  each  man  was  furnished  with  a  pair  of  superior  buck 
gauntlets  in  addition  to  the  regular  uniform.  The  non-commissioned  offi- 
cers, in  addition  to  their  regulation  saber,  were  ai'med  with  Beal's  patent 
revolvers,  and  the  privates  with  saber-bayonets. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  the  battery  marched  to  department  headquar- 
ters, and  was  reviewed  by  Maj.  Gen.  Fremont,  then  commanding  the  Western 
Department,  and  was  there  presented  by  Mrs.  Fremont  with  an  elegant 
silk  guidon.  A  few  days  later,  the  battery  proceeded  to  Tipton,  Mo.  Sub- 
sequently it  marched  to  Otterville,  where  a  few  weeks  were  passed;  thence  to 
Boonville  and  St. Charles.  From  there  it  was  taken  on  transports  to  Commei'ce, 
Mo.,  where  it  joined  a  portion  of  Gen.  Pope's  Army  of  the  Mississippi,  then  or- 
ganizing for  operations  against  New  Madrid  and  Island  No.  10.  It  partici- 
pated in  the  Union  victories  at  those  points,  and  then  moved  with  Gen. 
Pope's  command  to  the  I'e-enforcement  of  Grant's  and  Halleck's  forces  in 
front  of  Corinth,  Miss.  During  the  siege,  and  in  the  battles  and  skir- 
mishes resulting  in  the  occupation  of  Corinth  the  battery  bore  its  full  share. 

With  other  troops,  it  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  Corinth  throughout  the 
spring  and  summer  of  1862,  participating  in  the  Ripley  expedition  under 
Gen.  Rosecrans  meanwhile.  It  was  during  this  summer  that  the  following 
incident  occurred  as  narrated  in  a  letter  written  by  Lieut.  Cyrus  Sears  at 
"Camp  three  miles  beyond  Corinth,  Miss.,  July  2,  1862,"  to  his  brother, 
John  D.  Sears,  Esq.,  of  Upper  Sandusky.  "  *  *  *  Early  Saturday 
morning  last,  Charles  Rhodes  and  Robert  Swegle,  privates  of  our  battery, 
were  walking  through  the  abandoned  rebel  camp,  when  having  strayed  in- 
cautiously too  far,  they  suddenly  came  upon  a  couple  of  '  Secesh '  sentinels 
armed  with  loaded  double-barreled  shot  guns.     Our  men  being  unarmed 


470  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

were  very  unceremoniously  taken  prisoners  and  marched  off  toward  the 
enemy's  camp.  Their  captors  proving  very  incautious,  or  mistaking  the 
character  of  their  prisoners,  soon  allowed  them  to  get  close  along  side. 
No  sooner  did  they  do  this,  than  little  Charley  called  out  to  Swegle  to  'go 
in,'  and  suiting  his  actions  to  the  words  he  grappled  the  gun  of  his  man 
with  one  hand  and,  giving  him  a  right-hander  with  the  other,  floored  him. 
Meanwhile,  Swegle,  who  is  a  big  fellow,  served  his  man  in  the  same  style, 
and  disarmed  him  in  shoi't  meter,  and  came  to  the  rescue  of  Charley,  who  was 
having  it  rough  and  tumble,  with  his  customer,  among  the  bushes.  The 
tables  were  now  turned,  and  the  'Butturnuts'  were  marched  into  camp  and 
turned  over  to  Gens.  Buford  and  Hamilton,  who  declared  that  it  was  the 
best  and  bravest  incident  that  had  come  under  their  notice,  and  that  it  should 
be  properly  mentioned.      *     *     *  " 

About  the  1st  of  August,  the  battery  with  Gen.  Hamilton's  division 
moved  to  Jacinto,  Miss.,  where  it  remained  until  3  o'clock  A.  M.,  of  the 
16th  of  September,  when  it  moved  forward  with  the  forces  of  Gen.  Rose- 
crans,  for  the  purpose  of  co-operating  with  Gen.  Grant  against  the  rebel 
Gen.  Price  at  luka.  Gen.  Grant,  with  Ord's  division,  did  not  arrive  in 
time.  As  a  result,  Gen.  Rosecrans'  command  of  about  eight  thousand  men, 
after  a  march  of  nineteen  miles,  met  Price,  who  had  12,000  men 
posted  on  a  densely-wooded  hill  just  southwest  of  the  town  of  luka,  at  4 
o'clock  P.  M.,  of  the  19th  of  September,  and  fought  him  single-handed. 
This  battle,  for  the  numbers  engaged,  was  one  of  the  most  hotly  contested 
and  sanguinary  fought  during  the  war.  The  steady  blaze  and  roar  of  mus- 
ketry, as  the  opposing  forces  struggled  to  obtain  and  hold  the  crest  of  the 
hill,  continued  unceasingly  until  9  o'clock  P.  M.  During  the  remainder 
of  ihe  night,  Rosecrans  was  engaged  making  his  dispositions  to  seize  some 
adjacent  heights  at  daybreak  for  his  artillery,  and  replenishing  his  ammu- 
nition. He  had  the  men  called  to  arms  at  3  o'clock,  and  at  daylight  was 
moving.  But  meantime.  Price  had  learned  of  the  proximity  of  Ord's 
column  of  6,000  men,  and  had  hastily  retreated,  leaving  his  dead  un- 
buried,  and  his  wounded  either  on  the  field  or  in  hotel  buildings, 
churches  and  dwellings  in  the  town.  The  enemy's  loss  in  this  engagement 
was  1,078  prisoners,  dead  and  wounded,  left  on  the  field,  with  350  more 
wounded  estimated  to  have  been  carried  away.  The  Union  loss  was  782 
killed,  wounded  and  missing. 

The  Eleventh  Ohio  Battery  went  into  this  action  102  strong  (three  com- 
missioned officers  and  ninety-nine  enlisted  men),  under  the  command  of 
First  Lieut.  Cyrus  Sears.  During  the  engagement,  it  was  charged  on  three 
different  times,  suffering  a  loss  of  two  officers  and  fifty-five  men  killed  or 
wounded,  eighteen  being  killed  on  the  field  and  others  dying  afterward. 
Not  a  man  flinched,  and  numbers  were  killed  or  wounded  after  the  rebels, 
in  their  .advance,  had  passed  the  muzzles  of  the  guns,  some  of  them  nobly 
dying  in  the  attempt  to  spike  their  pieces.  More  than  sixty  of  the  horses 
belonging  to  the  battery  were  killed  or  disabled  daring  the  action,  with  the 
entire  loss  of  harness  and  equipments.  The  assaulting  rebel  column 
suffered  terribly,  having  received  over  a  hundred  rou.nds  of  canister  and 
other  shot,  while  moving  forward  less  than  a  hundred  yards.  They  (the 
rebels)  made  several  attempts  to  drag  off  the  guns  by  hand,  but  were 
thwarted  each  time  by  the  hot  tire  of  musketry  poured  in  upon  them  by  the 
Union  regiments. 

AUhough  the  battery  suffered  severely  in  the  battle  at  luka,  in  the  loss 
of  men  and  equipments,  it  was,  in  a  very  short  time  again  ready  for  the 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  471 

field,  and  took  a  promiDent  part  in  the  battle  of  Corinth  on  the  third  and 
fourth  days  of  October  following  (a  battle  in  which  eighteen  thousand 
Union  troops,  under  Rosecrans,  signally  defeated  more  than  twice  their 
number  of  rebels)  nobly  maintaining  its  reputation  for  efficiency  and  gal- 
lanty.  On  the_  4th,  after  the  first  line  in  the  center  had  given  way,  and 
when  the  rebels  flushed  with  temporary  success  were  pressing  the  second 
line  with  exultant  shouts,  the  battery  poured  a  destructive  and  continuous 
fire  upon  the  advancing  rebels,  who,  although  coming  within  fifty  yards, 
could  no  longer  withstand  the  murderous  discharge  of  canister  from  scores 
of  Union  guns,  but  broke  and  fled. 

Subsequently  the  battery  participated  in  various  movements  in  Northern 
Mississippi  and  West  Tennessee.  In  January,  1863,  it  was  moved  to  Mem- 
phis, where  its  corps — the  Seventeenth,  under  Maj.  Gen.  James  B.  McPher- 
Hon—  was  preparing  for  the  Vicksburg  campaign.  After  a  futile  effort  to 
reach  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Vicksburg  via  the  Yazoo  Pass,  the  com 
mand  to  which  the  battery  was  attached  steamed  down  the  Mississippi  to 
Milliken's  Bend,  Louisiana,  wbere  it  remained  a  short  time,  and  then 
started  with  the  army,  under  Gen.  Grant  for  the  rear  of  Vicksburg.  In 
the  battles  of  Raymond,  Clinton,  Jackson,  and  Champion  Hills,  the  battery 
bore  a  prominent  part.     Also  throughout  the  siege  of  Vicksburg. 

In  the  many  changes  consequent  upon  the  re-organization  of  the  army 
after  the  capture  of  Vicksburg,  the  battery  was  transferred  from  its  old 
command — Seventh  Division,  Seventeenth  Ax*my  Corps — to  a  provisional 
division,  and  soon  after  moved  with  its  new  command  to  Helena,  Ark. 
Marching  with  Maj.  Gen.  Steele's  command — the  Army  of  Arkansas — from 
Helena,  about  the  middle  of  August,  for  Little  Rock,  the  battery  passed 
through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  a  long  and  tedious  campaign.  In  a  short 
but  decisive  engagement  fought  near  the  capital  of  Arkansas  on  the  9th  of 
September,  1863,  the  battery  expended  about  one  hundred  rounds  of  am- 
munition, and  both  officers  and  men  received  the  commendations  of  the 
General  commanding  for  the  ability  with  which  the  guns  were  handled,  and 
for  accurate  tiring  at  both  long  and  short  range.  With  this  battle  the 
active  campaigning  of  the  battery  may  be  said  to  have  ceased.  It  remained 
at  Little  Rock  until  the  spring  of  1864.  About  the  1st  of  April,  with  other 
troops,  it  proceeded  to  Pine  Bluff,  Ark.,  intending  to  co-operate  with  Banks  in 
the  Red  River  expedition,  but  Banks  was  defeated,  and  a  portion  of  Steele's 
forces  were  halted  at  Pine  Bluff,  where  the  battery  remained  until  its 
departure  for  Ohio,  to  be  mustered  out.  It  arrived  at  Columbus  aboiat  the 
Ist  of  November,  1864,  and  on  the  5th  of  that  month  its  members  were 
mustered  out  of  service. 

Lieut.  Sears,  already  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  sketch,  was,  several 
months  before  the  battery's  term  expired,  appointed  Colonel  of  a  colored 
regiment.  The  men  whom  he  enlisted  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  with  whom 
he  proceeded  to  St.  Louis  in  September,  1861,  joining  "Constable's,"  soon 
afterward  known  as  the  Eleventh  Ohio  Independent  Battery,  were  named 
as  follows  : 

M.  D.  Butler,  H.  C.  Worley,  J.  W.  Bibby,  C.  Miller,  Ira  C.  Swazze, 
M.  N.  Worly,  John  Crocheron,  James  Dewine,  James  B.  Mitchell,  M.  V. 
B.  Hall,  Milo  Allen,  J.  S.  Barger,  John  Ettle,  Jerome  Woolsey,  Lewis 
Ridling,  Henry  McLaughlin,  Oscar  Carpenter.  Sherlock  Stofer,  John  F. 
Hefflebower,  John  Holland,  F.  Welch,  J.  F.  Hoover,  J.  B.  Brooks,  James 
W.  Towers,  J.  B.  Mowry,  S.  D.  Welch,  H.  M.  Welch,  John  R.  Jury,  J.  W. 
Brewer,    Stephen    Trimble,    W.   H.  Woodcock,  AV.   H.   Swazze,    Louis   B. 


472  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Henry,   Elias  Bringman,    John   Bringman,   Amos  B.  Alger,  D.  Baugbman, 
Theodore  Allen,  Matthew  Free,  Jacob  Everhart,  Zachariah  Welch. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Besides  the  companies  and  regiments  of  which  mention  has  already  been 
made,  there  were  many  others  containing  Wyandot  County  men  whose 
record  is  equally  as  brilliant.  But  from  the  fact  that  these  men  served  in 
organizations  in  each  of  which  the  county  had  but  very  few  representatives, 
it  is  an  impracticable  task  to  do  otherwise  than  to  arrange  their  names  in 
classified  lists  as  follows  : 

OHIO  VOLUNTEER  INFANTRY  REGIMENTS. 

Second — Company  F,  John  Pausch. 

Third — Company  I,  J.  K.  Waltermire  ;  Company  — ,  E.  Cowgill 

Fourth — Company  D,  N.  Gr.  Case,  Charles  Case,  Philip  Wickiser;  Com- 
pany H,  Joel  Straub,  Charles  Warner,  William  Burns;  Company  G,  John 
F.  Myers,  A.  W.  Napers. 

Sixth — Company  I,  John  C.  Lynch. 

Eighth — Company  A,  Sergt.  L.  Snover,  D.  G.  Watson,  John  Beatty,  J. 
H.  Nichols,  Hiram  B.  Brown. 

Ninth — Company  A,  Jonas  Wohlgamuth  ;  Company  F,  Buell  D.  Chap- 
man, Corporal  ;  Charles  Moessner,  private  Company  H,  J.  H.  Warner. 

Eleventh — Company  A,  William  Reiber. 

Fourteenth — Company  — ,  Joseph  Snider. 

Sixteenth — Company  G,  Thomas  Hanna. 

Eighteenth— Company  H,  J.  M.  Huflf,  Fifer. 

Twentieth — Company  K,  D.  B.  Einehart,  First  Lieutenant  ;  Company 
A,  R.  B.  Conant,  Sergeant ;  Company  B,  C.  O.  Oldfield  ;  Company  — , 
Henry  Inman. 

Twenty -first — Company  C,  O.  L.  Cleveland;  Company  H,  J.  W.  Daish, 
Corporal. 

Twenty-third — Company  G,  J.  A.  Brown  ;  Company  F,  Robert  Ewart. 

Twenty-fourth — Company  K,  Joseph  Lehman. 

Twenty-fifth — Company  D,  Sergt.  T.  A.  Van  Gundy  ;  Privates,  Jonas 
Kamble,  G.  W.  Long,  W.  H.  Mann,  Joel  Milum,  George  W.  Bogart ;  Com- 
pany G,  Sergt.  G.  W.  Kriling,  Private  J.  K.  Hawk. 

Twenty-sixth — Company  B,  Francis  Dawson,  Barton  Dawson. 

Twenty-seventh — Company  A,  R.  I.  Murphy. 

Thirty-second — Company  I,  Daniel  Stam;  Company  H,  J.  S.  Van  Mar- 
ter.  Second  Lieut. 

Thirty-third — Company  A,  Jacob  Reuter  ;  Company  C,  Jacob  Stam  ; 
Company  D,  Milton  Tong  ;  Company  K,  D.  W.  McConnell. 

Thirty  fourth — Company  E,  Edward  Quaintance,  Corporal;  George  W. 
Rex,  G.  W.  Eckert,  John  Lumberson. 

Thirty-sixth — Company  D,  J.  E.  Goodrich,  Sergeant;  A.  G.   Barger. 

Thirty-seventh — Asst.  Surg.  A.  Billhardt. 

Company  F — First  Lieut.  M.  W.  Blucher. 

Sergt.  Jacob  Schneider. 

Privates,  Henry  Wuscher,  Sebastian  Glamser,  Fred  Fahrni,  Peter 
Fahrni,  John  Michelfetter,  J.  Altenberger,  Jacob  Bastel,  William  Buehrle, 
Fredrick  Waechter. 

Other  companies: 

A— E.  G.  Bates. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  473 

K — Henry  Gerster,  John  Keller,  Oswald  Voegel,  Nicholas  Volker. 

Thirty-eighth— Company  C,  C.  Stury. 

Thirty-ninth — Company  K,  Joel  Cole. 

Forty  fifth — Company  B,  W.  R.  Ramsdell;  Company  I,  William  Earp, 
George  Morrison,  George  H.  Morrison,  J.  W.  Wickiser,  William  Wick- 
iser;  Company  K,  Adam  Lambert,  Jesse  Lambert,  Isaac  N.  Lane,  A.  G. 
Straw. 

Company  D — Nathan  Rovert,  Oliver  Robinson. 

Fifty-first — Company  A,  John  Bart. 

Fifty-third — Company  H,  H.  W.  Gillingham. 

Fifty-fourth — Company  G,  Privates  David  Dysinger,  David  Kauble, 
Samuel  Stalter,  Oregon  Kerr. 

Company  K — Capt.  William  H.  Hunt;  Private  William  Brown. 

Fifty-seventh — Company  F,  Privates,  Lewis  Morehart,  Leander  Tong, 
Isaac  Wohlgamuth,  Lewis  Switzer,  Jerome  Propes,  James  Switzer,  Isaac 
Switzer,  Joseph  Glick,  Joseph  Newel,  Andrew  Amrine,  Marion  Esterly. 

Other  Companies  in  Fifty -seventh: 

B — Sergt.  J.  F.  Kemmel;  Private  Jacob  Rumple. 

C — Private  George  A.  Gibbs. 

D — Capt.  David  Avres,  Jr. 

G— Capt.  E.  A.  Gordon. 

I — Private  Samuel  Gordon. 

Fifty-eight — Company  D,  Christ.  Woessner. 

Sixty-first — Company  K,  Sergts.  A.  Bope,  J.  W.  Brewer;  Corp.  Matthew 
Walton;  Privates  J.  C.  Spencer,  Isaac  Lott,  H.  Keller,  Samuel  Longabaugh, 
Jacob  Greek,  Nicholas  Mott,   P.  H.  Brewer. 

Company  G — Sergt.  Israel  Walterhouse. 

Jac.  Ludwig,  Jacob  Eckleberry. 

Sixty-second — Company  K,  John  Kriechbaum;  Company  A,  Jacob  Ken- 
nedy; Company  D,  Emmanuel  Bowlby. 

Sixty-fourth — Company  A,  Joseph  Haupt;  Company  B,  Joseph  Rich- 
mond, E.  B.  Messenger;  Company  — ,  O.  E.  Fox. 

Sixty- fifth — Company  D,  Privates,  George  W.  Finn  ell,  S.  Perry,  Theo- 
dore Stubbs,  F.  F.  DeTray;  Company  C,  Privates,  J.  C.  Miller,  George 
Zabriska. 

Sixty-sixth — Company  B,  M.  A.  Parlet;  Company  E,  Isaac  Wood; 
Company  H,  S.  H.  Strieker;  Company  K,  John  Burk. 

Sixty-seventh — Compauy  C,  J.  C.   Dutfield. 

Sixty-eighth — Company  K,  H.  C.  Kime. 

Seventy-first — Company  C,  Jacob  McPike;  Company  not  known,  John 
DeBolt,  S.  Barnhiser. 

Seventy-second — Comj^any  C,  A.  P.  Kelley;  Company  D,  Orsin  Bower, 
Corporal. 

Seventy-third — Company  A,  Thomas  Dawson. 

Seventh-sixth — Company  K,  John  McMullen. 

Seventh-eighth — Company  C,  Rush  Hollo  way;  Company  G,  I.  Hart,  N. 
Willoughby,  L.  W.  Scott. 

Eightieth— Company  A,  Peter  D.  Newell. 

Eighty-seventh — Company  G,  Theodore  Dame. 

Ninety-sixth — Company  C,  C.  O.  Oldfield,  First  Lieutenant;  Company 
E,  Thomas  H.  Carter;  Company  F,  J.  E.  Breese. 

One  Hundredth — Company  G,  Patrick  Farley. 

One  Hundred  and  Second — Company  C,  Samuel  Miller;  Company  G, 
Chester  Bowsell;  Company  D,  Samuel  Lutz. 


474  HISTORY.  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

One  Hundred  and  Sixth — Company  I,  F.  Shrank. 

One  Hundred  and  Seventh — Company  D,  John  Russell;  Company  F, 
Frederick  Bush. 

One  Hundred  and  Ninth  — Company  G;  William  Van  Marter. 

One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth — George  W.  Kemp,  Assistant  Surgeon. 

One  Hundred  and  Twentieth — Company  B,  W.  W.  Chew. 

One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first — Company  E,  E.  G.  Bartram;  Company 
G,  Job  Hoffmire. 

One  Hundred  and  Twenty -second — Company  F,  McDonald  Savage. 

One  Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth— Company  A,  Titus  Lowmiller,  John 
Whittaker. 

One  Hiindred  and  Twenty- eighth — Company  C,  M.  M.  Starr,  Sergeant; 
George  \V.  Starr;  Company  D,  F.  M.  Brown. 

One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second — Company  A,  William  Plott. 

One  Hundred  and  Seventy-fourth — Company  H,  W.  E.  Webber,  First 
Lieutenant. 

One  Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth — Company  I,  Sergt.  J.  H.  Plott;  Corp. 
William  Bakery  Privates,  Elias  Wentling,  J.  D.  Wickiser,  David  Spoon, 
Daniel  Spoon,  G.  H.  Carey,  A.  J.  Shellhouse,  W.  H.  Kimmell,  Jesse  Edg- 
ington.  Henry  Cram,  L.  A.  Cole. 

One  Hundred  and  Seventy-sixth — Company  B,  G.  Spitzer. 

One  Hundred  and  Seventy- seventh — Company  B,  S.  B.  Bechtel. 

One  Hundred  and  Seventy- eighth — Company  G,  W.  Lundy;  Company 
F,  James  Williams. 

One  Hundred  and  Seventy -ninth — Peter  Grubb,  Lieutenant  Colonel; 
Company  B,  Privates,  B.  F.  Smith,  T.  C.  De  Jean,  John  Keller,  G.  W. 
Gregg,  G.  S.  Barber,  Joseph  Ralston,  William  Washburn,  W^illiam  Lim- 
berson,  L.  Wilson;  Company  G,  Corp.  E.  Mutchelknaus;  Company  H.  Ja- 
cob Hawdenshield;  Company  I,  Privates,  Uriah  Bechtel,  F.  Caldwell,  F.  H. 
Chatlain. 

One  Hundred  and  Eightieth — Company  C,  Privates,  E.  Reynolds,  Reu- 
ben Inman,  J.  E.  Healey,  Martin  Inman;  Company  E,  Private  Samuel  Bare; 
Company  G,  Corp.  Frederick  Scheufler;  Company  K,  Privates,  Jacob  Opp, 
drummer,  S.  D.  Blue,  Simon  Kachly,  P.  J.  Liles,  W.  H.  Moore,  William 
Robey,   Thomas  M.  White. 

One  Hundred  and  Eighty-second — Company  K,  E.  R.  Earp;    Company 
I,  S.  G.  Liles,  Second  Lieutenant;  Company  — ,  A.  P.  Inman. 
One  Hundred  and  Eighty-seventh — Company  G,  C.  Wilt. 

One  Hundred  and  Eighty-eighth — Company  G,  Alfred  Epley. 

One  Hundred  and  Ninety-second — Privates,  Company  E,  John  J. 
Mayer,  John  Tirey,  J.  L.  Barick,  John  Weaver;  Company  H,  Private  G. 
W.  Halsay;  Company  I,  Privates,  Isaiah  McCleary,  John  Loubert,  Theodore 
Henry,  J.  P.  Berleen. 

One  Hundred  and  Ninety-fifth — Company  B^  Park  Ludwig,  John  Wise, 
A.  Hemrick;  Company  — ,  C.  S.  Sherwood. 

One  Hundred  and  Ninety-seventh —Company  B,  W.  H.  Spore;  Com- 
pany E,  Kosea  Tong. 

One  Hundred  and  Ninty-eighth — Company  A,  Robert  Gerster,  J.  J. 
Gerster. 

OHIO    NATIONAL    GUARDS,  ONE    HUNDRED    DAYs'  SERVICE. 

One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fifth — Company  — ,  Charles  Wooley ;  Compa- 
ny I,  L.  E.  Landon. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  475 

One  Hundred  and  Thirty-sixth — Company  C,  Wilbur  Brown;  Company 
E,  Robert  Seaton. 

One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth — Company  F,  Henry  W.  Peters. 

One  Hundred  and  Sixtieth — Company  G,  L.  Chilcote. 

One  Hundred  and  Sixty  third — Company  C,  Wesley  Cashel,  First  Lieu- 
tenant. 

One  Hundred  and  Sixty-fourth — Company  C,  C.  W.  Longwell,  Corporah 
Company  G,  H.  Dwire. 

Regiment  not  known — Company  E,  John  Freet. 

OHIO  VOLUNTEER  CAVALRY  REGIMENTS. 

Second — Napoleon  B.  Brisbine,  Surgeon;  Company  D,  F.  A.   Sinorer. 

Third— Company  E,  T.  P.  Miller;  Company  G,  A.  J.  Caldwell,°J.  F. 
Gregg;  Company  L.  Perry  Roswell,  Sergeant;  G.  M.  Wisner,  Corporal; 
Ashley  Bixby,  William  Hewing.  E.  A.  Nye,  John  L.  Martin,  Andrew  Nye, 
S.  A.  Shepherd;  Company  M,  J.  S  Chapin,  Firnt  Sergeant;  L.  C.  Chapin, 
John  Lindsey,  Sergeants;  Daniel  Clinger,  C.  H.  Bradley,  John  Warner, 
Reese  Hunter,  Jacob  Payne,  W.  H.  Smith,  Sergeant;  William  Young, 
Sims  Irwin,  G.  B.  Harness,  William  Hollanshead. 

Company  not  known — Nelson  Wilkins,  Albert  Harvey,  Henry  Lear. 

Fourth — Company  A,   Henry  Dodge. 

Fifth— R.    J.  Brennen. 

Eighth — Company  L,  J.  M.  Henry,  First  Lieutenant. 

A.  Fitzgerald,  James  Fitzgerald,  J.  Fitzgerald. 

Ninth — Company  F,  L.  C.  Moody,  Sergeant;  H.  W.  Karr,  John  Karr, 
H.  K.  Inman,  J.  W.  Holloway,  J.  C.  Graham,  Enos  Gatchell,  Jacob  Gat- 
chell,  William  J.  Gatchell,  William  H.  Branyeu;  Company  — ,  Joseph 
McCutchen,  Captain;  George  Sherman. 

Tenth — Company  B,  John  Venter;  Company  H,  Daniel  Dubbs.  Ser- 
geant; Company  L,  S.  T.  Jaqueth,  Corporal. 

Eleventh — Company  H,  Henry  A.  Hoffman. 

Twelfth — Company  A,  Abraham  Conger,  F.  M.  Wert. 

Thirteenth — Company  — ,  S.  A.  Woriey. 

Thirtieth — Company  L,  Frank  Kurtz. 

, — Company  A,  J.  W.  Lilley. 

OHIO    ARTILLERY    COMMANDS,    VOLUNTEERS. 

First  Ohio  Heavy  Artillery — David  Gatchell,  William  Moore. 

Second  Ohio  Heavy  Artillery — Henry  Larick. 

Sixth  Battery,  Light  Artillery — Second  Lieutenant,  Lemuel  Kjisher. 

OTHER  STATES. 
INDIANA. 

Fifth  Infantry Battery,  John  Kennedy,  H.  C.  Woriey. 

Eighth  Infantry — Company  H,  John  Reiger. 


Seventy-seventh  Infantry — Company  B,  J.  A.  Poyers. 
One  Hundred  and  Seventh  Infantry —Company  C,  E.  B.  Norris. 
One  Hundred  and    Twenty-fifth   Infantry — Company  H,  Joseph    Coon> 
Daniel  Williams. 

Ninth  Cavalry — William  W" alters. 


476  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

Eleventh  Cavalry — Company  M,  Irvin  Bacon,  Captain. 
Seventeenth  Cavalry — Company  A,  J.  M.  Walterhouse. 
Fifth  Artillery — Company  B,  John  Andrews. 

NEW    YORK. 

First  Infantry — Company  G,  W.  M.  C.  Durbarow. 
Fifth  Infantry — Company  C,  W.  H.  Spore. 
Ninth  Infantry — Company  I,  A.  J.  Shuler. 
Thirty-second  Infantry — Company  H,  George  W.  Cypher. 
Thirty-fifth  Infantry — Thomas  Shuler. 

Forty-second  Infantry — Company  H,  J.  M.  Crawford,  Sergeant, 
Fifty-eighth  Infantry — Company  E,  G.    W.  Nibloe,   First  Lieutenant. 
One    Hundred    and    Thirty-seventh  Infantry — Company  I,  P.  J.   Van 
Marter. 

Third  Artillery — Company  H,  George  W.  Cypher. 
Thirteenth  Artillery — Company  E,  Christian  Birk,  Sergeant. 
First  Light  Artillery — Company  C,  Edgar  Ingerson. 
Twenty-fourth  Cavalry — Company  A,  James  Morrison. 

IOWA. 

Fourth  Infantry — Company  D,  John  Swinehart. 
Thirty- fourth  Infantry — Company  H,  David  Sheldon. 
Thirty-first  Infantry — Company  D,  Edward  Brown. 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

Twenty-first  Infantry — Company  H,  W.  T.  Durlow. 

Fifty-fifth  Infantry —  Company  E,  I.  W.  Brickney,  Color  Sergeant. 

MICHIGAN. 

First  Infantry — William  High. 

Third  Infantry — Rolando  Freet. 

Eighth  Infantry — Company  D,  Theodore  Freet. 

Second  Cavalry — Company  A,  Alfred  Foy. 

Eleventh  Cavalry — Company  B,  Willis  Baker,  First  Sergeant. 


Twelfth  Infantry — Company  E,  Christian  Birk, 

Second  Cavalry — Company  C,  J.  B.  Pool,  Second  Lieutenant. 


First  Infantry — Company  H,  T.  B.  Armstrong. 
Seventh  Cavalry — Company  A,  George  W.  Kenan. 

CALIFORNIA. 

First  Infantry — Company  A,  A.  F.  Smith,  Captain. 
Third  Infantry — Company  I,  C.  S.  Swank,  Sergeant. 

NEW    JERSEY. 

Second  Cavalry — Company  M,  George  W.  Karr. 

MARYLAND. 

Second  Infantry — Company  F,  E.  Thomas, 


'A 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  479, 

VIRGINIA. 

Infantry — Samuel  Hart. 

LOUISIANA. 

Second  Infantry — Company  A,  Christian  Birk,  Corporal. 

COLORADO. 

First  Infantry — John  E.  Shepherd. 

UNITED    STATES. 

Eighteenth  Infantry — Company  F,  John  Leslie. 

Forty-ninth  Colored  Infantry — Cyrus  Sears,  Colonel. 

Seventh  Cavalry — Edward  Emptage. 

United  States  Signal  Corps — E.  P.  Shepherd,  W.  Sfcrahan,  M.  B. 
Smith,  Allen  Smalley,  J.  W.  McKenzie,  Thomas  C.  McKenzie,  A.  McLeod, 
George  Litle,  J.  L.  Kaley,  Nathan  Jackson,  C.  B.  Hare,  D.  D.  Hare, 
Elijah  Brayton,  Ira  J.  Baker,  John  Carothers,  Fred  Harpster. 

United  States  Engineer  Corps — C.  V.  D.  Woi'ley. 

Hospital  Surgeon — John  A.  Royer. 

James  W.  White,  Surgeon  of  the  United  States. 

Navy— Robert  Bovard,  John  Reilly,  W.  H.  Morris,  R.  S  Mullholland. 

The  following  soldiers  whose  regiments  and  companies  wei'e  not  reported 
were  also  accredited  to  Wyandot  County : 

G.  B.  Kelley,  D.  H.  Walton,  James  F.  Rich,  I.  B.  Cross,  P.  Brashares, 
Page  Blackburn,  Peter  Parsoll,  S.  C  Anderson,  W.  S.  Bowers,  Martin 
Snyder,  J.  A.  Dumm,  William  Sweet,  Frank  Switzer,  Murray  Switzer,  J. 
A.  Ankrum,  J.  O.  Studebaker,  J.  G.  Hanei-,  John  Kerr,  Nathan  Kimball, 
A.  M.  Johns,  D.  H.  Young,  E.  W,  Ekleberry,  George  Bowers,  James  M. 
Beam,  James  Miller. 

We  conclude  this  article  by  addifig  that  Messrs.  J.  G.  Roberts,  Samuel 
H.  Hunt,  John  D.  Sears,  S.  H.  White  and  T.  E.  Grisell,  composed  the 
county  military  committee  during  the  last  years  of  the  war.  That  from 
1861  to  1865  inclusive,  the  county  received  credit  for  one  thousand  live 
hundred  and  forty  five  men,  of  whom  only  nineteen  were  drafted.  That  the 
total  of  all  quotas  called  for  amounted  to  one  thousand  five  hundred  and 
fifty;  thus  a  deficit  of  five  men  was  marked  against  the  county  at  the  close. 
However,  thirty-five  of  the  sixteen  thousand  non-enlisted  "Squirrel  Hunt- 
ers" who  hastened  toward  Cincinnati  in  August  and  September,  1862,  at 
the  time  that  city  was  threatened  by  the  rebel  forces  under  Kirby  Smith — 
were  Wyandot  County  men. 


16 


PAKT  IV. 


TOWNSHIP  HISTORIES. 


TOWNSHIP  HISTORIES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

TOWN  OF  UPPEE  SANDUSKY— CRANE  TOWNSHIP. 

Location— Reference  to  Preceding  Chapters— Original  Plan  of  the 
Town  as  Surveyed— Its  Streets— Lots— Points  of  Interest  in  the 
Indian  Town  of  Upper  Sandusky— Its  First  White  Residents— Made 
THE  County  Seat— The  Residents  of  1845— Early  Festivities— Col. 
McCutchen's  Pen  Picture  of  the  Town  in  1846— Population  at  Dif- 
ferent Periods— Gradual  Progress  to  Date— Reminiscences  of  Early 
Inhabitants — Corporate  History— Banks  and  Bankers— Manufact- 
uring Interests— Secret  Associations,  Etc. — Church  Organizations 
— Wyandot  County  Bible  Society — Wyandot  Sabbath  School  Union 
—Oak  Hill   Cemetery— Early  School  Teachers— Present  Schools. 

XTPPER  SANDUSKY,  a  town  which  has  an  altitude  of  287  feet  above 
J  the  surface  of  Lake  Erie,  and  which  for  the  past  thirty- nine  years 
has  been  known  as  the  seat  of  justice  of  Wyandot  County,  is  pleasantly 
located  on  the  west  or  left  bank  of  the  historic  Sandusky.  Its  wide,  well- 
shaded  avenues,  laid  out  in  the  true  direction  of  the  cardinal  points  of  the 
compass,  are  graced  by  many  handsome  public  buildings,  churches  and 
private  residences,  and  its  inhabitants,  about  4,000  in  number,  are  appar- 
ently in  the  full  enjoyment  of  an  enviable  degree  of  comfort  and  pros- 
perity. 

Respecting  its  early  history,  we  will  state  here,  parenthetically,  that 
throughout  all  of  the  chapters  of  Part  III  of  this  work,  frequent  and 
pertinent  allusions  will  be  found,  especially  in  Chapters  III  to  XI  in- 
clusive. We  have  there  shown  how  and  when  the  lands  upon  which  it  is 
built  came  into  the  possession  of  the  Wyandot  Indians.  That  in  later 
years  it  was  the  grand  rallying  point  of  the  hostile  Northwestern  tribes  during 
their  wars  against  the  Americans;  that  its  site  was  visited  by  Col.  Crawford's 
command  of  Pennsylvanians  in  June,  1782;  that  during  the  war  of  1812- 
15  it  again  became  prominent  in  National  afifairs  and  history,  by  reason  of 
the  assemblage  here  of  large  bodies  of  American  troops  under  Gen.  Harri- 
son and  Gov.  Meigs,  and  as  the  site  of  Fort  Ferree;  that  in  1817  it  was 
made  the  central  point  of  the  chief  Wyandot  Reserve,  and  it  thus  con- 
tinued as  the  seat  of  their  council  house,  church,  store,  jail,  etc.,  until 
181:3,  when  they,  the  Wyandots,  removed,  in  accordance  with  treaty  stipu- 
lations, to  a  region  lying  west  of  the  Missouri  River.  Therefore,  to  avoid 
an  unnecessary  repetition,  we  commence  our  historical  sketch  of  the  town 
of  Upper  Sandusky  with  the  year  1843 — the  date  its  site  was  surveyed  and 
platted  under  the  provisions  of  an  act  of  Congress. 

A  copy  of  the  original  "plan  of   Upper  Sandusky,  surveyed  under  the 


484  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

provisions  of  the  act  of  Congress  of  March  3,  1843,  '  for  the  sale  of  cer- 
tain lands  in  the  States  of  Ohio  and  Michigan,  ceded  by  the  "Wyandot 
tribe  of  Indians,  and  for  other  purposes,'  "  is  before  us.  From  it,  we  learn 
that  the  original  survey  of  this  town  was  made  by  Lewis  Clason,  D.  S. , 
some  time  during  the  year  1843;  that  "the  inlots  fronting  on  Wyandot 
avenue  are  eighty-three  and  one-third  links  front  by  300  links  in  depth. 
All  the  other  inlots  are  100  links  front  by  250  links  in  depth,  and  contain 
one-fourth  of  an  acre.  The  dimensions  and  contents  of  the  outlots  *  are 
inserted  therein.  All  alleys  are  25  links  in  width."  U]3on  this  plan, 
which  is  neatly  drawn  on  a  scale  of  five  chains  to  an  inch,  other  notes  and 
explanations  appear  as  follows:  "The  above  map  of  the  town  of  Upper 
Sandusky,  situated  in  Township  No.  2  south  of  Range  No.  14  east,  First 
Meridian  Ohio,  is  strictly  conformable  to  the  field-notes  of  the  survey  thereof 
on  file  in  this  office,  which  have  been  examined  and  approved.  Surveyor 
General's  Office,  Cincinnati,  January  8,  1844."  "Secretary  of  State's 
Office,  Columbus,  Ohio — correct  copy.  April  10,  1863."  "Received  No- 
vember 23,  and  recorded  December  3,  4,  5  and  6,  1863,  H.  Miller,  Recorder 
of  Wyandot  County,  by  William  B.  Hitchcock,  Deputy,     Fee,  $10." 

Originally,  including  outlots,  the  town  lots  extended  from  the  west  bank 
of  the  Sandusky  River  westward  to  Warpole  street,  and  fi'om  Church  street 
on  the  north  southward  to  the  south  line  of  the  fourth  tier  of  outlots  lying 
south  from  Crawford  street,  or  to  the  point  now  termed  South  street.  The 
inlots,  however,  being  380  in  number,  were  bounded  on  the  north  by  Bige- 
low  street,  on  the  east  by  Front  street  from  Bigelow  to  Walker  street,  and 
by  Spring  street  from  Walker  to  Crawford  street,  on  the  south  by  Crawford 
street,  and  on  the  west  by  Eighth  street. 

According  to  the  plan,  the  original  streets  and  their  width  were  as  fol- 
lows: Streets  running  east  and  west — Church,  100  links;  Elliott,  80  links; 
Gutherie,  100  links;  Bigelow,  125  links;  Finley,  125  links;  Walker,  125 
links;  Wyandot  avenue,  150  links;  Johnston,  125  links;  Hicks,  125  links,, 
and  Crawford,  125  links.  Streets  running  north  and  south — Front,  125 
links;  Second,  125  links;  Third,  125  links;  Spring,  50  links;  Fourth,  125 
links;  Fifth,  125  links;  Sandusky  avenue,  150  links;  Seventh,  125  links; 
Eighth,  125  links;  Hazel  on  the  south,  and  Garrett  on  the  north,  both  be- 
ing  on  the  same  line,  62i  links,  and  Warpole  oq  the  western  border,  also 
62J  links  wide.  Water  street  extended  along  the  bank  of  the  Sandusky, 
from  the  foot  of  Walker  to  the  foot  of  Bigelow  street. 

This  plan  also  indicates  the  exact  location  of  various  points  of  interest 
in  old  Upper  Sandusky,  which,  with  the  exception  of  the  "  graveyard  "  and 
the  William  Walker  house,  which  still  stands  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
Walker  and  Fourth  streets,  have  long  since  entirely  disappeared  from  view. 
Thus  on  Outlot  No.  49, f  which  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Walker  street, 
east  by  Third  street,  south  by  Wyandot  avenue,  and  west  by  an  alley  or  the 
continuation  of  Spring  street,  stood  the  ruins  of  Fort  Ferree.  Upon  the 
same  lot,  and  directly  northeast  from  the  fort,  stood  the  Indian  jail,  which, 
constructed  of  hewn  timbers,  and  standing  upon  the  point  of  the  bluff,  jut- 
ted beyond  the  street  line  into  Third  street.  The  council  house  stood  upon 
Inlot  No.  90.  Directly  north  of  it  is  shown  the  graveyard,  which  occupying 
the  crest  and  slope  of  the  bluff,  and  a  space  equal  to  four  inlots  or  one  acre, 
is  bounded  on  the  west  by  Fourth  street,  north  by  an  alley,  east  by  Spring 

*The  outlots  were  216  in  number,  and  generally  contained  about  two  acres  each. 

fA  house  which  was  occupied,  a  year  or  so  later,  by  those  connected  with  the  laud  office,  etc.,  also 
stood  upon  Outlot  No.  49. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  485 

street  and  south  by  Johnston  street.  The  inclosure  contains  the  remains  of 
members  of  the  Walker,  Garrett,  Williams,  Armstrong,  Clark,  Hicks  and 
Brown  families,  besides  those  of  many  others,  a  majority  of  whom  were 
either  part  or  full-blooded  Wyandot  Indians.  Again  glancing  at  this  map 
of  the  town,  we  find  that  William  Walker's  I'esidence  stood  upon  Inlot  No. 
211,  or  near  the  southwest  corner  of  Walker  and  Fourth  streets.  His  store 
was  south  from  his  house,  and  occupied  a  portion  of  Inlot  No.  193.  Clark's 
house  rested  in  the  center  of  Walker  street,  near  the  west  line  of  Third. 
"Garrett's  tavern,"  which  stood  near  the  northeast  corner  of  W^yandot 
avenue  and  Fourth  street,  occupied  portions  of  Inlots  159  and  160,  as  well 
as  Fourth  street.  Hicks'  habitation*  rested  partly  on  Inlot  No.  70  and 
Fifth  street.  Brown's  cabin  was  directly  south  from  the  council  house,  on 
Inlot  No.  19,  and  Armstrong's  dwelling  stood  near  the  center  of  Outlot 
No.  12.  Other  buildings,  though  probably  they  were  not  of  much  value, 
were  standing  in  ]843,  upon  Inlots  No.  56,  106,  156,  165,  212  and  217,  but 
the  names  of  the  original  owners  or  occupants  are  not  given.  It  will  thus 
be  observed  that  the  first  residents  of  this  locality — the  Indians  and  their 
friends  of  mixed  blood—  chose  the  most  dry  and  picturesque  positions  as 
sites  for  their  council  house,  jail  and  dwellings. 

Having  explained  how,  when  and  by  whom  the  town  was  laid  out,  we 
will  now  glance  a^/^some  of  its  early  white  inhabitants. 

The  Indians  departed  in  July,  1843,  and  their  old  haunts  were  soon 
after  occupied  by  a  number  of  those  who  became  permanent  settlers,  though 
by  reason  of  the  fact  that  these  lands,  or  lots  were  not  placed  upon  the 
market  until  two  years  later,  they  were  for  a  brief  period  only  "  squatters." 
In  October,  1843,  the  United  States  Land  Office  was  removed  from  Lima, 
Ohio,  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  when  at  the  same  time  Col.  Moses  H.  Kirby 
as  Receiver,  and  Abner  Root  as  Register,  came  on  and  established  their 
offices  in  the  old  council  house,  they  found  that  those  who  had  preceded 
them  here  as  residents  were  Andrew  McElvain,  his  brother  Purdy  McEl- 
vain,j  and  Joseph  Chaflfee.  Andrew  McElvain  was  the  proprietor  of  a  log 
tavern,  which,  standing  on  the  grounds  now  occupied  by  the  brewery  had 
but  very  limited  capacities  for  the  entertainment  oi  men  and  beasts.  Col. 
Purdy  McElvain  had  been  here  for  a  number  of  years,  employed  as  United 
States  Indian  Agent,  while  Col.  Chaffee  was  engaged  in  farming  and  land 
speculations.  He  had  a  considerable  portion  of  the  original  town  plat 
sown  to  wheat  in  the  fall  of  1843.  At  the  same  time,  George  Garrett,  whose 
wife  was  one-quarter  Wyandot,  and  who  was  the  father  of  Joel  Garrett, 
kept  the  "  Garrett  Tavern. "  Col.  Kirby  also  remembers  that  the  town  was 
surveyed  by  Lewis  Clason,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  November  or  December, 
1843.  At  that  time  William  Brown  was  engaged  in  surveying  the  reser- 
vation which  had  been  vacated  by  the  Indians  dui'ingthe  preceding  summer. 

Jude  Hall,  Esq.,  Upper  Sandusky's  first  lawyer,  was  numbered  among 
the  residents  in  1844,  also  Chester  R.  Mott,  Esq. ,  Wyandot's  first  Prosecut- 
ing Attorney.  During  that  year,  too,  October  12,  Col.  Andrew  McElvain 
was  commissioned  as  the  first  Postmaster  of  the  town. 

Wyandot  County  was  erected  in  February,  1845,  and  soon  after  Upper 
Sandusky  was  chosen  as  the  county  seat.  Then  began  a  lively  boom  for  the 
new  town.     In  their  anxiety  to  secure  good   locations,  lawyers,  merchants, 

♦Hicks'  house,  William  Walker's  house  and  the  council  house,  were  the  only  frame  buildings  in  the 
town  while  it  was  occupied  by  the  Indians. 

tCol.  Purdy  McElvain,  then  Receiver  of  the  Land  OfiBce,  died  at  Upper  Sandusky  in  April,  1848.  The  follow- 
ing month  the  office  was  removed  to  Defiance,  Ohio. 


486  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

doctors,  artisans,  liotel-keepers,  shop-keepers,  speculators,  etc.,  etc.,  hastened 
here  by  the  score,  and  ere  the  close  of  that  year,  hundreds  of  town  lots  had 
been  sold  (see  Chapter  VI,  Part  III  of  this  work);  the  town  could  boast 
of  two  newspapers,  numerous  stores  and  shops,  and  a  population  of  from 
three  to  four  hundred. 

The  names  of  all  the  tax-payinj^  inhabitants  of  the  town  for  each  year 
since  1845  are  yet  accessible,  hence,  as  a  means  of  pointing  out  those  who 
were  the  first  residents  of  Upper  Sandusky,  we  here  insert  the  names  of  all 
who  were  assessed  for  personal  property  in  Crane  Township  in  the  spring 
or  early  summer  of  1845.  The  names  of  those  who  then  resided  outside  of 
the  village  limits  are  printed  in  italics,  all  others  are  presumed  to  have  been 
residents  of  the  town  proper:  James  B.  Alden,  Andrew  M.  Anderson  (after- 
ward Associate  Judge),  Anthony  Bowsher  (a  merchant),  Saul  Bowsher,  Jesse 
Bowsher,  Robert  Bowsher,  William  Blain,  Susanna  Berry,  James  Boyd 
(colored),  Joseph  Cover,  Hanson  Cover,  Joseph  Chaffee,  James  H.  Freet, 
George  T.  Freet,  George  Garrett  (tavern-keeper),  Michael  Grossell,  Ersin 
Goodman,  David  Goodman,  Jonathan  Gaddis,  David  High,  John  Hamlin, 
John  Johns,  Samuel  Johnson,  Moses  H.  Kirby  (Receiver  of  Land  Office  and 
attorney  at  law),  Moses  Kirby,  George  Larick,  Samuel  Landis,  Andrew  Mc- 
Elvain  (Postmaster  and  inn-keeper),  Dr.  Joseph  Mason  (practicing  physician), 
James  McLain,  John  Mayhee,  James  Morris,  William  Morris,  Joseph  Mc- 
Cutchen  (a  merchant),  Chester  R.  Mott  (attorney  at  law),  George  Orth  (mer- 
chant), Joseph  Parker,  Hiram  Pool,  Michael  Rugh,  John  Rummell,  James 
Rankin  (a  half-breed  Wyandot),  John  D.  Sears  (attorney  at  law),  Samuel 
Smith,  John  W.  Senseny,  Daniel  Stoner,  Jesse  Snyder,  Nathan  Sayre,  Elias 
Sickefoos,  Ezra  Tucker,  Abraham  Trager,  David  Wilson,  Dr  David  Wat- 
son (a  practicing  physician),  William  K.  Wear  (attorney  at  law),  Timothy 
Young,  George  Young,  Lemuel  Young  and  Cornelius  Young. 

In  November,  1845,  David  Ayres  &  Co.  and  Henry  Zimmerman,  having 
had  erected  for  themselves  suitable  buildings,  also  became  identified  with 
the  business  interests  of  the  town  as  merchants.  During  the  same  month 
and  year,  too,  the  Wyandot  chieftains  Greyeyes,  Jaques  and  Washington, 
while  en  route  to  Washington,  D.  C,  to  settle  some  matters  connected 
with  the  transfer  of  this  their  former  reservation,  visited  their  old  home, 
Upper  Sandusky. 

The  townspeople,  especially  the  younger  portion,  now  began  to  assume 
airs  commensurate  with  their  fancied  importance  as  dwellers  of  the  county 
seat,  as  witness  the  following  article  which  was  published  in  the  Democratic 
Pioneer  in  May,  1846: 

' '  For  the  Democratic  Pioneer. 

Mr.  Editor — Please  let  the  people  know  that  the  ladies  and  gentleman  of  our 
town  went  fishing  yesterday,  and,  just  to  "  stop  the  rush,"  tell  thena  the  fish  are  all  be- 
spoken. 

Upper  Sandusky  is  in  its  infancy,  but  if  there  is  a  town  in  Ohio  of  not  more  than 
three  times  its  age  and  size,  which  owns  a  greater  number  of  sweet,  charming  and 
beautiful  girls,  we  think  we  always  went  through  it  in  the  night  time.  All  these 
charmers  went  out,  and  with  them  a  slight  sprinkling  of  the  rougher  sex. 

Armed  with  bean-poles,  pin  hooks  and  twine,  and  loaded  with  bounteous  provis- 
ions of  cake  and  pie,  we  sallied  forth,  and  disregarding  wells,  springs,  and  puddles, 
struck  boldly  for  the  Sandusky.  The  fishing  being  only  ostensible,  was  soon  finished. 
We  rendezvoused  at  the  Big  Sycamore,*  around  which  the  varied  and  fleeting  groups, 
the  diversified  pursuits,  and  strange  commingling  of  sounds,  afforded  excellent  oppor- 
tunities for  the  study  of  Nature's  works,  both  natural  and  artificial. 

The  greensward  was  our  table,  and  never  was  festive  board,  surrounded  with  lighter 
hearts  than  ours.  The  grass  afforded  pleasant  seats;  and  the  attitudes,  as  we  reclined 
around  the  daintily  ordered  feast,  were  purely  classical.     Of  course  there  were  coquet- 

*The  Big  Sycamore  in  1846,  measured  fifty-one  feet  in  circumference. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  487 


will,  per- 


ting,  ogling,  honied  words,  and  tender  glances,  and  those  who  were  hooked, 
chance,  learn  in  future  to  beware  of  the  "fishers  of  men." 

But  don't  stop  the  press  any  longer  than  just  to  say  that  we  relieved  the  anxieties 
of  our  careful  mammas  by  returning  before  dark,  and  the  fish  stories  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding,  didn't  catch  a  single  fish,  cat,  bass,  minnow,  pike  or 

Sucker." 

However,  that  Upper  Sandusky  did  make  rapid  progress  daring  the  first 
eighteen  months  succeeding  the  county's  organization,  is  fully  attested  by 
the  following  extract  from  a  letter  which  was  written  by  Col.  Joseph  Mc- 
Cutchen  tu  his  friend  Hon.  William  Crosby,  United  States   Consul  at  Tal- 

cahuano,  Chili,  on  Christmas  Day,  1846. 

*********** 

In  the  first  place,  in  relation  to  Upper  Sandusky.  It  has  improved  beyond  the 
most  extravagant  calculations.  It  is  but  a  little  over  a  year  ago  since  the  General 
Government  sold  the  town  lots  and  land,  and  now  some  800  inhabitants  reside  here. 
There  are  six  dry  good  stores — three  too  many — about  the  same  number  of  groceries, 
four  hotels,  mechanical  shops  of  various  kinds,  and  the  town  is  still  improving. 

The  county  is  also  settling  with  an  excellent  class  of  farmers.  The  public  build- 
ings are  in  rapid  progress.  The  jail  is  almost  completed;  it  is  by  far  the  best  looking 
jail  I  have  seen;  it  is'made  of  stone  and  brick.  The  brick  is  the  best  specimen  I  have 
ever  seen  in  Ohio.  The  stone  for  the  doors  and  windows  are  beautiful  white  lime- 
stone, brought  from  ilarion  County.  The  builder  is  Judge  McCurdy,  from  Findlay, 
Hancock  County.  Although  he  will  in  a  few  days  have  seen  seventy-four  winters,  he 
is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  men  of  his  age  I  ever  saw.  If  he  is  spared  a  few  weeks 
longer,  the  job  will  be  finished  in  a  masterly  style.  He  gets  by  $500  too  little  for  the 
building. 

The  court  house  has  been  contracted  for  at  $7,000,  by  a  Mr.  Young,  from  Logan 
County.  It  is  to  be  a  magnificent  building.  The  donation  fi"om  the  General  Govern- 
ment, if  judiciously  managed,  will  pay  every  dollar  of  expense  of  the  public  buildings, 
or  nearly  so,  without  taxing  the  people  a  dollar.  I  hope  it  may  do  it,  as  you  are  well 
aware  I  have  labored  three  years  with  Congress,  to  have  the  donation  matter  accom- 
plished. Your  old  friend  in  Congress,  Hon.  Henry  St.  John,  managed  that  matter  well. 
**********  «* 

Here  we  are  reminded  that  nearly  all  residents  and  property  owners  of 
new  and  progressive  towns — especially  of  Western  towns,  and  Upper  San- 
dusky was  considered  a  Western  town  at  that  time — are  prone  to  over  esti- 
mate iheir  population.  That  Mr.  McCutchen  was  led  into  the  same  error 
is  clearly  proven  by  the  accompanying  statement  of  the  number  of  inhab- 
itants of  Upper  Sandusky  in  February,  1847;  that  is,  two  months  later  than 
the  date  of  his  letter.  Taking  Wyandot  and  Sandusky  avenues  as  the 
divisible  lines,  the  population  of  the  town,  at  the  date  above  mentioned, 
was  ascertained  by  actual  enumeration  to  be  as  follows:  Northeast  quarter, 
270;  northwest  quarter,  63;  southeast  quarter,  153;  southwest  quarter,  200. 
Total  number  of  the  inhabitants  in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1847,   686.* 

Early  in  the  year  1848,  after  much  controversy,  and  a  good  deal  of  ill- 
feeling  had  been  engendered,  an  act  was  passed  by  the  State  Legislature, 
which  declared  the  ambitious  little  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  a  body  cor- 
porate, etc.,  etc.     The  act  reads  as  follows: 

An  act  to  incorporate  certain  towns  therein  named.     [See  Vol.  XLVI,  Local  Laws 

of  Ohio,  page  169.] 

*********** 

Section  12.  That  so  much  of  the  townsliip  of  Crane,  in  the  county  of  Wyandot, 
as  is  included  in  the  recorded  plat  of  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  f  or  that  may  here- 
after be  included  in  the  plat  of  said  town,  is  hereby  created  a  town  corporate,  to  be 
known  and  designated  by  the  name  of  the  town  of  IJpper  Sandusky,  and  by  that  name 
shall  be  a  body  corporate  and  politic  with  perpetual  succession. 

****"****** 

*The  town  contained  only  783  inhabitants  in  1850,  1,.599  in  1860,  2,564  in  1870,  and  3,545  in  1880. 
fBy  annexations  made  March  30,  1871,  .July  13, 1877,  and  January  31,  1881,  the  corporate  lines  have 
been  extended  considerably  beyond  the  limits  described  in  1848. 


488  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Sec.  21.     This  act  shall  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  passage. 

Joseph  S.  Hawkins, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
Charles  B.  Goddard, 

Speaker  of  the  Senate. 
February  18,  1848. 

Notwithstanding  it  was  the  county  seat  and  an  incorporated  village,  it  is 
apparent,  by  reason  of  its  sparse  population  and  lack  of  manufactories,  that 
the  town  and  townspeople  moved  along  in  a  slow,  even,  uneventful  way, 
for  a  number  of  years  succeeding  1848.  In  1854,  however,  by  the  energy 
of  George  AV.  Beery,  Esq.,  Robert  McKelly,  Esq.,  and  other  public-spirited 
citizens,  railroad  communication  was  secured  with  the  East  and  West  via 
the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railway,  now  known  as  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne 
&  Chicago  Railroad.  The  benefitB  conferred  by  this  grand  avenue  of  com- 
merce were  at  once  made  manifest.  Many  new  business  houses  were 
opened,  values  rapidly  increased,  and  from  783  inhabitants  in  1850,  the 
number  of  residents  in  the  town  were  augmented  to  1,599  in  1860,  or  an 
increase  of  more  than  one-half  during  the  decade.  Since  the  year  last 
mentioned,  the  increase  in  population  has  been  at  the  rate  of  1,000  per  dec- 
ade. Meanwhile,  and  especially  during  the  past  fifteen  years,  much  has 
been  accomplished  in  the  way  of  beautifying  and  making  healthful  the 
town.  A  vast  amount  of  money,  in  the  aggregate,  has  been  expended,  and 
as  a  result  its  streets  are  well  lighted  and  sewered,  several  are  macadamized, 
and  all  are  supplied  with  good  and  substantial  brick  and  stone  Avalks. 

A  point  has  now  been  reached  in  this  recital  when  it  is  deemed  necessary, 
in  showing  the  town's  gradual  progress,  and  in  speaking  of  its  corporate 
history,  fire  department,  manufacturing  interests,  banks,  social  institutions, 
churches,  etc.,  to  use  separate  headings  for  each  topic.  The  readers,  there- 
fore, will  find  further  and  special  information  respecting  such  subjects,  un- 
der appropriate  captions  in  pages  to  follow.  First,  however,  are  inserted  a 
series  of  highly  interesting  articles  from  the  pen  of  a  well-known  early 
resident. 

REMINISCENCES. 

The  following  entertaining  reminiscences  "of  peculiar  people  and 
events  in  the  early  days  of  Upper  Sandusky,"  first  appeared  in  the  columns 
of  the  Wyandot  Union,  during  the  year  1882.  They  were  written  by 
Robert  D.  Dumm,  the  senior  editor  of  that  journal,  and,  with  his  permis- 
sion, are  here  reproduced. 

OLD    STOEM. 

In  1845  and  1846,  perhaps  extending  into  1847,  there  lived  in  Upper 
Sandusky  a  man  by  the  name  of  Storm.  He  was  a  Frenchman — a  French 
patriot.  Every  fiber  of  his  nature  was  French;  every  feeling  and  impulse 
an  irrepressible  desire  to  once  more  look  upon  the  beauties  and  grandeur  of 
Paris.  He  would  talk  glibly  of  the  Boulevards  and  the  Palais  Royal  "  on 
zee  Rue  Richelieu;"  and  gave  you  plainly  to  understand,  that  more  than 
"  zee  hundred  time,"  had  he  joined  in  the  uproar  of  "  Vive  1'  Empereur!" 

He  was  one  of  Napoleon's  old  guards.  He  saw,  as  well  as  felt,  the  car- 
nage and  destruction  at  Waterloo,  and  was  one  of  the  survivors  of  that  ter- 
rific struggle.  In  his  way  he  was  quite  a  character,  and  knew  just  enough 
of  English  to  make  his  broken  I'reuch  a  jingle  of  quaintness  and  humor. 
A  single  man  was  Storm  through  an  eventful  life,  because  the  old  guard 
"  never  surrendered ;"  and  moreover,  no  thought  nor  care  had  he  taken  of 
the  morrow.      How  he  happened  to  drift  into  Upper  Sandusky  was  never 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  489 

fully  explained,  for  old  Storm  was  only  communicative  when  in  liquor,  and 
the  topic  then  uppermost  in  his  mind  was  Napoleon  and  the  French  Army. 
He  could  think  and  talk  of  nothing  else,  and  when  referring  to  the  Emper- 
or's exile,  would  weep  like  a  child.  His  worship  of  Bonaparte  had  all  the 
feeling  and  fullness  of  adoration,  and  the  music  of  his  pronunciation  in 
uttering  the  name  of  "  Na-po-le-on,"  had  that  sweet  and  peculiar  ripple 
which  forever  lingers  in  the  recollection. 

But  Storm,  away  from  the  shimmer  and  shock  of  battle-fields,  had  to 
make  a  living,  and  he  existed  in  Upper  Sandusky,  by  taking  care  of  the 
horses  and  stables  of  Dr.  Mason,  one  of  our  early  physicians.  Mason,  from 
the  exhaustion  of  a  large  practice  in  this  country,  rough  as  it  was  then,  was 
worn  out,  feeble  in  health  and  sometimes  irritable,  and  old  Storm  used  to 
try  his  patience  terribly.  A  little  incident  we  have  in  mind  will  show 
the  craftiness  of  the  old  guard.  Besides  grooming  the  horses,  a  share  of 
his  business  was  tn  pail  the  cow,  but  as  Storm  never  looked  upon  milking 
as  a  fine  art,  he  failed  to  perform  this  part  of  his  task  with  any  degree  of 
satisfaction.  Time  and  again  the  Doctor  and  old  Storm  would  dispute  over 
the  proclivities  and  disposition  of  the  cow.  To  apologize  for  the  scanty 
supply  of  milk.  Storm  would  insist  that  "zee  dam  short-tail  would  not  let 
zee  milk  down." 

One  day  the  doctor  met  Storm  coming  from  the  stable  with  a  vessel  of 
milk.  The  quantity  did  not  suit  the  doctor,  so  he  took  the  bucket  out  of 
Storm's  hand,  proceeded  to  the  stable  and  re-milked  the  cow  with  very  satis- 
factory results.  This  chagrined  and  puzzled  the  old  guard,  but  he  did  not 
surrender.  The  next  time  when  Storm  went  to  milk,  he  took  tvvo  buckets 
with  him.  After  milking  half  from  the  old  cow  in  the  first  bucket,  he  hid 
it  in  the  straw,  and  then  finished  milking  in  the  other.     He  carried  his 

scanty  supply  of  milk  to  the  doctor,  d ning  "  zee  short-tail,"  with  many 

emphatic  embellishments,  for  holding  up  her  milk.  Here,  the  Doctor,  in  a 
tit  of  passion,  grabbed  the  bucket  and  broke  for  the  cow  to  show  Storm  that 
he  was  "  a  liar  and  a  villain."  After  tugging  away  at  the  old  cow  for  about 
ten  minutes  without  any  sliow  of  milk,  he  felt  like,  and  did  apologize  to 
Storm  for  his  rashness.  But  Storm  was  all  smiles  and  good  humor.  He 
had  convinced  the  doctor  that  the  cow  held  her  milk.  The  old  guard  was 
himself  again  and  on  top. 

A  few  minutes  after,  Storm  came  from  the  stable  with  the  other  bucket 
of  milk,  telling  the  doctor  that  he  had  just  yanked  it  from  the  cow.  Here, 
the  doctor  transformed  his  eye-brows  into  a  tine  pair  of  exclammation  points, 
and  forgave  Storm  for  all  former  delinquencies,  blaming  the  frequent  short 
crops  of  milk  upon  "  zee  dam  cow." 

This  is  one  of  the  many  little  incidents  that  occurred,  bringing  forth  the 
character  of  the  old  guard,  which  a  life  in  the  Fi'ench  Army  had  cultivated. 
Frequently  have  we  seen  old  Storm,  in  a  transport  of  imagination,  living 
over  again  the  scenes  of  his  army  life,  going  through  the  drill  with  a  pitch- 
fork, and  keeping  time  and  step  to  the  low  chant  of  some  patriotic  air. 

But  a  time  came  for  old  Storm  to  pass  in  his  checks,  and  as  the  fever 
racked  his  brain,  he  marched  with  Death  through  the  broken  ranks  of  a 
shattered  army —on — on — into  eternity;  exclaiming  with  his  last  breath, 
"Na-po-le-on — Waterloo!     Zee  old  guard  dies,  but  never  surrenders." 


One  of  the  characters  of  Upper  Sandusky  in  1846,  was  a  rotund,  Punch - 
and- Judy  sort  of  a  fellow  by  the  name  of  Dancer.     He  was  about  as  broad 


490  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

as  long  and  twice  as  natural.  The  fat  boy  in  Pickwick  is  an  excellent  pict- 
ure of  him,  although  he  differed  from  the  Pickwickian  protuberance  in  one 
very  essential  quality.  While  the  Pickwickian  fat  boy  was  always  falling 
asleep,  Dancer  never  knew  what  it  was  to  bob  an  eye  when  old  Huber  was 
around. 

Dancer  was  a  barber;  he  was  the  white  opposition  to  our  old  colored 
friend,  Archie  Allen.  For  those  early  times.  Dancer  was  quite  an  sesthete. 
He  always  appeared  in  immaculate  linen,  and  the  little  bunch  of  hair  on 
the  top  of  his  head  was  a  rosette  of  frizzes,  a  la  mode,  which  not  only  gave 
him  individuality,  but  produced  also,  a  very  stunning  effect. 

Dancer  was  always  anxious  to  please.  He  was  a  model  of  politeness 
and  broken  English,  and  had  good  backing  as  long  as  Huber  had  the  land 
office  in  the  next  room. 

What  made  Dancer  more  popular  than  he  otherwise  would  have  been, 
was  the  fact  that  he  had  a  good  looking  wife,  who  could  smile  equal  to 
Sarah  Bernhardt,  and  had  the  same  inclination  to  make  friends  among  the 
stronger  sex.  A  door  separated  the  barber  shop  from  her  boudoir,  and  when 
Dancer  was  out  taking  a  gentle  glass  of  soda  water,  Mrs.  Dancer  smiled 
upon  his  customers:  and  frequently  men  with  no  beard  at  all  would  drop  in 
to  be  shaved,  but  drop  out  as  suddenly  when  they  saw  Dancer  turning  the 
Bowsher  corner  in  a  ziz-zag  break  for  his  Malinda. 

Another  door  from  Mrs.  Dancer's  boudoir  opened  into  the  land  office  of 
the  U.  S.  A. ,  presided  over  by  a  very  pious  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Huber. 
Mrs.  D.  would  frequently  open  that  door,  and  inquire  of  the  old  Christian 
if  his  head  ached,  and  of  course  it  always  did.  Then  her  enthusiastic  and 
benevolent  soul  would  go  out  for  suffering  humanity,  the  infirmities  of  the 
old  man  were  dispersed,  and  his  life  of  anxiety  for  the  funds  of  the  United 
States  was  interwoven  with  the  bli.ss  of  angels.  The  result  was  that  the 
smiles  of  Dancer  lasted  longer  than  the  treasury,  for  while  Huber  became  a 
defaulter,  the  countenance  of  the  Dancer  was  still  wreathed  in  smiles. 

One  night  Dancer  was  down  at  Anthony  Bowsher's  corner,  drinking 
seltzer  water.  Although  reared  in  a  cou.ntry  where  seltzer  was  an  innocent 
beverage,  it  proved  too  much  for  Dancer;  he  insisted  that  Anthony  Bowsher 
had  two  heads,  and  that  the  old  log  shebang  was  built  of  porcelain  and  pre- 
cious stones.  And  when  Dr.  Hartz  differed  from  him  and  intimated  that  "  zee 
'  parvue '  Dancer  was  zee  demndest  hinatical  in  zee  catagorie,"  Dancer  was 
only  prevented  from  impaling  the  doctor  on  a  razor,  by  "  Red  Thread," 
who  happened  to  be  present  to  take  in  all  the  spare  drinks.  After  Dancer 
got  quieted,  he  broke  for  his  residence  and  barber  shop. 

It  was  very  dark,  was  the  domicil  when  he  approached  it;  he  thought 
he  would  turn  in  quietly  and  not  disturb  his  soul- lit  happy  better-half. 
But  behold  his  surprise  on  entering  the  shop,  where,  without  the  aid  of 
even  star-light,  he  found  Mrs.  Dancer  and  one  of  his  customers  conversing 
on  scripture,  each  insisting  that  there  was  no  hell  this  side  of  Chicago.  As 
Dancer  was  opposed  to  the  discussion  of  religious  subjects  at  the  barber 
shop  in  his  absence,  he  got  up  on  his  ear  and  just  riddled  things.  The 
seltzer  acted  well  in  his  work  of  destruction,  and  the  barber  shop  soon 
looked  like  the  last  rose  of  the  summer  in  a  turnip  patch.  Of  course  this 
raised  considerable  of  a  scandal  in  a  town  of  300  inhabitants,  and  the  cus- 
tomer's family  was  the  first  to  hear  the  glad  tidings.  The  wife  wanted  to 
know  on  what  part  of  the  scriptures  he  and  Mrs.  Dancer  differed,  when  the 
husband,  in  despair,  grabbed  a  rope,  bid  good-bye  to  his  family  and  broke 
for    the   stable;  ho    manipulated   the  rope  over  a  joist   and  adjusted    it  to 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  491 

his  neck,  waiting  in  great  anxiety  for  the  family  to  rush  out  and  roscue  bim, 
but  they  didn't  rescue  worth  a  cent.  Presently,  one  of  his  daughters  went 
out  to  see  how  the  corpse  looked,  when  the  would-be  suicide  suggested  that 
he  couldn't  think  of  it  just  now,  as  "  a  circus  would  be  here  next  week," 
and  he  wanted  to  see  one  more  elephant  before  he  joined  Lazarus  in  Abra- 
ham's bosom. 

Dancer  never  recovered  his  barber  trade,  but  a  small  patrimony  to  his 
wife  established  her  in  his  affection  as  well  as  in  the  grocery  business. 
Huber  was  a  defaulter  and  wiped  out,  and  a  few  months  in  the  grocery  bus- 
iness put  Dancer  on  the  ragged  edge;  and  quietly  all  dropped  out  of  sight, 
leaving  Time,  the  great  avenger  of  events,  to  send  forth  his  stentorian  cry 
of  "  Next !" 

T.   SPYBEY,  TAILOR. 

On  the  site  where  now  stands  the  Catholic  Cathedral,  in  1845,  stood 
the  shell  of  a  new  frame  shanty.  It  had  roof  and  weather-boarding,  but 
lath  and  plaster  were  improvements  to  be  added  when  fortune  rallied  to 
the  aid  of  its  architect  and  builder.  This  improvised  tenement  was  to  fur- 
nish the  subject  of  our  sketch  shelter  from  the  elements,  and  served  as  a 
domicile  and  place  of  business.  It  stood  solitary  and  alone,  gathering 
the  sunbeams  in  summer,  and  bracing  itself  against  the  winds  through 
winter.  A  small  tin  sign  over  the  front  door  read:  "  T.  Spybey,  Tailor;" 
and  all  you  had  to  do  was  to  pull  the  latch  string  and  walk  in.  Like  a 
graceful  Turk  spread  over  the  table  was  Thomas,  and,  without  losing  a 
motion  of  his  needle,  would  give  the  nod  of  recognition  so  sweetly  and  re- 
freshingly, that  you  instantly  lost  sight  of  his  infirmities,  and  felt  only  the 
beneficence  of  his  presence. 

Thomas  was  a  widower  with  a  little  boy  five  years  old.  This  constituted 
his  household  and  family.  He  superintended  every  department  of  his  edi- 
fice from  kitchen  to  "  good  fits  guaranteed."  Where  T.  Spybey  came  from,  or 
where  T.  Spybey,  intended  to  go  to,  when  he  quit  Upper  Sandusky  or  this  life, 
T.  Spybey  perhaps  didn't  know;  nor  is  it  to  be  wondered  at,  whether  or  no, 
T.  Spybey  cared.  T.  Spybey  would  frequently  boast,  however,  that  he  was  a 
full-blooded  American,  and  could  trace  (but  he  never  did)  his  lineage  to 
Plymouth  Rock.  Like  many  other  tailors,  he  inherited  the  intellect  and 
genius  that  seem  indigenous  to  that  calling  as  well  as  its  frailties  and 
misfortune. 

A  great  reader  and  a  fine  conversationalist  was  T.  Spybey,  but  above  all, 
brilliant  in  flashes  of  wit  and  humor;  he  was  remarkable  at  repartee,  and 
would  frequently  punctuate  his  utterances  with  thrusts  that  rolled  and 
bubbled  over  with  satire.  More  than  once  have  we  sat  upon  the  table  with 
T.  Spybey,  Tailor,  and  listened  to  tales  of  adventure,  which,  for  our  then 
young  ears  he  would  sandwich  with  good  advice,  never  forgetting  to  take  a 
stitch  at  the  right  time,  and  in  the  right  place. 

This  was  the  bright  side  of  T.  Spybey,  Tailor.  If  it  had  only  been  this, 
the  angels  would  have  spread  their  white  wings  over  his  home,  and  hung  the 
brightest  flowers  upon  his  little  tin  sign,  wafting  upward  the  inspiration  of 
one  whose  nature  seemed  all  goodness;  but  this  was  not  to  be,  for  T.  Spybey, 
Tailor,  was  human;  and  it  was  human  for  T.  Spybey,  Tailor,  to  get  drunk. 
And  of  all  men  to  revel  at  exercises  bachanalian,  in  the  language  of  A.  (xott- 
fried.  Esq.,  he  was  "  the  boss."  When  he  worked  at  his  trade,  T.  Spybey, 
Tailor,  had  no  communion  with  the  cup,  but  periodical  drunks  he  would 
have,  and  continued  them  sometimes  for  weeks.  It  was  in  these  drunken 
sprees  that  he  became  notoi'ious.     He  never  lost  the  use  of   his  limbs,  but 


492  '  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  ' 

was  always  on  the  go,  calling  on  the  neighborhood  many  times  a  day,  flash- 
ing forth  the  oddities  of  his  humoi'ons  natnre,  reduced  and  distorted  by  the 
bug  juice  of  that  early  period. 

As  we  have  said  before,  the  bright  side  of  T.  Spybey,  Tailor  was  marred 
and  made  singularly  unfortunate  by  an  infirmity  beyond  his  control,  and 
although  he  furnished  amusement  for  the  town,  the  sight  was  a  pitiful  one; 
for  around  and  about  this  drunken  debauch,  he  was  followed  by  his  five- 
year-old  boy,  whose  sunlit  eyes  were  unconscious  of  a  father's  disgrace. 
The  little  fellow  had  never  known  a  mother's  care,  but  the  father's  devotion, 
though  steeped  in  drink,  had  all  the  sanctity  of  parental  love.  He  would 
hug  the  child  to  his  bosom,  and,  with  uplifted  eyes,  utter  a  tender  prayer 
for  its  deliverance  from  all  evil;  the  crowd  around  frequenth^  melting  to 
tears  at  so  grand  an  exhibition  of  fervor  mingled  with  the  misfortunes  of 
humanity.  The  little  boy  never  doubted  the  faihh  or  conduct  of  his  father, 
and  contributed  to  his  pride  of  offspring  in  the  many  playful  antics  so  com- 
mon to  childhood. 

One  Sabbath  evening,  when  T.  Spybey,  Tailor,  was  at  about  90°  Fahren- 
heit, and  spoiling  to  raise  a  racket  of  some  kind,  he  tottei*ed  into  the 
Methodist  Church  and  took  a  seat  in  the  amen  corner.  He  seemed  to  take 
in  the  sermon  with  evident  satisfaction,  for  every  now  and  then  he  would 
elbow  Billy  King  in  a  place  where  he  thought  it  would  do  the  most  good, 
and  smile  and  nod  his  gratification  at  the  speaker's  eloquence.  But  the 
minister  happened  to  drop  the  remark  that  "  no  drunkard  could  enter  the 
kingdom  of  heaven;"  and  that  raised  the  ire  of  T.  Spybey,  Tailor.  He 
immediately  rose  to  his  feet,  shook  his  fist  at  the  pulpit,  "and  informed 
the  preacher  that  he  wanted  him  to  be  more  pointed  in  his  remarks,  as 
some  d — n  fool  in  this  corner  might  think  he  had  reference  to  T.  Spybey, 
Tailor — good  fits  guaranteed."  He  stalked  out  with  injured  dignity,  mut- 
tering to  himself  it  was  all  "  a  d — n  lie,"  and  that  he  could  prove  it  by 
Josephus  or  any  other  tramp  hatter  from  Jerusalem. 

The  next  morning  T.  Spybey,  Tailor,  was  arrested  and  taken  before  Mayor 
Bivens  for  disturbing  a  house  of  worship.  The  mayor,  a  shoe  maker, 
held  his  office  among  the  leather  and  lasts  of  his  establishment,  and  his  seat 
of  justice  was  the  veritable  bench  upon  which  he  mended  and  saved  soles. 
He  ordered  T.  Spybey,  Tailor,  to  stand  up,  when  T.  Spybey,  Tailor,  imme- 
diately sat  down.  T.  Spybey,  Tailor,  had  come  into  court  with  a  bunch  of 
onions  in  each  hand,  pulled  fresh  from  somebody's  garden,  and  was  greedily 
devouring  them;  and  when  the  warrant  was  read  charging  him  with  being 
drunk  and  disorderly,  he  responded  by  assuring  the  Mayor  that  it  was,  "  an- 
other d — n  lie,"  and  if  he  didn't  believe  him  the  head  of  the  Stoga  Ticket 
might  smell  his  breath!  Here  he  filled  his  fly-trap  full  of  onions  and  made 
a  dash  for  the  Mayor.  At  all  this,  and  no  wonder,  the  Mayor  got  mad, 
passed  sentence  upon  the  culprit,  imposing  a  fine,  and  ordering  him  into 
the  custody  of  the  Supervisor.  But  T.  Spybey,  Tailor,  would  have  his  say, 
and  quoted  Scripture  and  the  constitution  to  prove  that  Bivens  was  a  jack- 
ass, with  the  accent  all  on  the  last  syllable;  and  "  what  he  now  wanted  of 
him  was  the  cash  long  promised  for  making  that  brass  coat  with  blue  but- 
tons, which  the  Mayor  used  on  state  occasions;"  then  with  the  dignity  of  a 
martyr,  T.  Spybey,  Tailor,  stepped  out  of  the  shoe  shop  and  broke  for  the 
log  corner  after  another  drink. 

As  the  world  moved  on,  T.  Spybey,  Tailor,  moved  with  it,  out  of  one 
spree  into  another,  sinking  deeper  as  the  waves  gathered,  with  the  faithful 
little  boy  still  clinging  to  the  wreck.     When  sickness  and  hunger  peeped 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  493 

into  the  frame  shanty,  some  relative  or  friend  appeared,  cared  for  the  neg- 
lected child  and  nursed  the  father  back  to  health.  Then  the  little  tin  sign 
of  "  T.  Spybey,  Tailor,"  was  taken  dovvn,  the  house  sold,  and  father,  son 
and  friend  bid  adieu  to  Sandusky,  never  more  to  look  upon  the  place  or  its 
people. 

RUSSEL  BIGELOW,   INGIN. 

In  1845,  there  was  no  one  here  to  mourn  for  Logan  but  Russ.  Bigelow. 
He  was  a  Wyandot  Indian,  and  the  only  one  left  of  a  once  numerous  tribe, 
that  two  years  before,  had  emigrated  to  Kansas;  cr  rather  after  purchase  of 
the  reservation  here,  was  quartered  there  by  the  Government.  Russ.  didn't 
go  with  the  tribe;  not  because  he  had  any  inclination  to  remain  behind,  but 
because  his  presence  in  the  tribe  at  that  time  would  have  been  very  unhealthy 
for  "  big  Ingin." 

As  we  strolled  through  a  sheep  pasture  one  day  with  Doc.  Garrett,  he 
gave  us  the  story  of  Bigelow's  downfall;  and  on  turning  over  some  particles 
of  concentrated  grass,  he  cast  a  smiling  countenance  upon  a  pleasant- faced 
buck,  and  also  informed  us  how  he  acquired  the  sobriquet  of  Doctor;  but 
of  that  no  matter  now,  as  it  may  form  the  subject  of  another  sketch. 

A  short  time  before  arrangements  were  made  with  the  Wyandots  for  sur- 
render of  the  Reservation,  Russ.  got  into  difficulty  with  one  of  his  brother 
warriors  and  committed  a  grave  offense,  which  brought  down  on  him  the 
fury  of  his  race;  and  to  preserve  his  carcass  liquid  proof,  he  sought  safety  in 
Canada,  and  there  remained  until  the  Wyandots  had  settled  in  their  Western 
home. 

Russ.  in  his  young  days  was  good  looking,  and  quite  a  masher  among 
the  squaws.  One  evening,  at  singing  school,  in  the  old  Mission  Church, 
over  which  the  Hon.  Jonathan  Pointer  presided,  Russ.  was  "  luxuriant "  on 
a  dusky  maiden,  who  happened  to  be  the  charmer  of  another  brave  by  the 
name  of  Peacock.*  This  Peacock  couldn't  see  any  fun  at  the  young  squaw 
smiling  so  deliciously  upon  Russ. ;  allowed  the  green  monster  to  overcome 
him,  and  in  the  sweetest  accents  of  the  most  eloquent  "  chocktaw  "  called 
Russel  an  unmitigated  son  of  a  wheelborrow.  This  was  more  than  his  In- 
dian nature  could  stand,  especially  before  the  aristocratic  moccasin-birds 
of  Log  Hollow,  and  at  it  the  two  went.  Now  the  Indian  looks  upon  it  as 
a  disgrace  to  imitate  white  men  in  a  knock-down.  They  never  strike 
from  the  shoulder.  If  it  is  not  scalping-knife  and  tomahawk,  it's  go  in  on  a 
back  hold,  down  and  gouge.  Both  were  powerful  Indians,  but  in  this  strug- 
gle Peacock  proved  the  greater  athlete.  He  had  Russel  down,  and  was  on 
top;  and  a  thought  struck  him  that  he  would  just  go  for  and  pocket  a  couple 
of  eyes,  but  Russel's  optics  were  tough  that  night,  and  would  not  tear  worth 
a  cent.  The  next  bright  poetic  idea  that  Peacock  got  into  his  head  was  to 
feel  in  and  about  Russel's  facial  orifice  for  his  false  teeth,  when  Russel 
clamped  upon  Peacock's  finger  and  yanked  off  a  pleasant  mouthful.  Now, 
an  Indian  is  a  good  deal  like  a  Chinaman:  cut  off  a  Chinaman's  head  and 
he  won't  say  a  word.  He  may  kick  ai'ound  a  little  and  complain  of  the 
weather,  but  he  ain't  going  to  disturb  the  elements;  but  cut  off  his  pig-tail 
and  he'll  boom  and  jerk  around  like  an  exploded  boiler.  It  is  not  death  so 
much  that  an  Indian  or  Chinaman  dreads  as  mutilation:  for  with  them  mu- 
tilation is  disgrace.  They  are  rich  in  the  belief  that  the  Indian  develops 
and  beautifies  in  the  great  hereafter,  and  for  Peacock  to  promenade  over  the 
liappy  hunting  ground  with  a  finger  looking  like  a  piece  of  broken  bologna, 

*This  is  not  the  Peacock  that  our  friends  Capt.  Worth  and  John  S.  Kappe  use  to  dance  with,  and  who  was  a 
Christian  as  well  as  a  fiddler,  but  another  and  quite  a  different  rooster,  hallelujah. 


494  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

was  more  than  be  or  his  tribe  could  stand;  hence  Ruscjel  took  the  first  mule 
for  Canada. 

In  1815,  Russel  returned  to  Upper  Sandusky  very  much  demoralized. 
He  had  punished  all  the  whisky  lying  around  loose  in  Canada,  and  come 
back  to  finish  up  on  the  old  stamping-ground.  For  a  short  time  after  his 
return  he  carried  with  him  a  bow  and  arrow  and  shot  for  "little  dimes,"  as 
he  called  the  small  Mexican  or  Spanish  piece,  then  so  much  in  circulation, 
representing  in  value  65  cents.  These  little  dimes  were  carefully  deposited 
at  the  Log  Corner  in  exchange  for  "  hy-key."  He  would  bet  you  a  little 
dime  that  he  could  put  an  arrow  through  a  little  chip  thrown  into  the  air, 
before  the  aforesaid  little  chip  would  fall  to  the  ground,  and  he  would  do 
it  evei-y  time.  When  he  wasn't  at  this  pleasant  occupation,  he  would  make 
bows  and  arrows  for  the  boys,  and  the  result  was,  that  every  boy  in  town 
who  could,  by  any  manner  of  means,  get  hold  of  a  quarter,  became  a  patron 
of  Russel  Bigelow.  In  those  early  times  the  boys  didn't  attack  the  old  man 
and  make  him  stand  and  deliver,  like  they  do  now.  A  qiaarter  was  a  huge 
pile  of  money  to  the  Upper  Sandusky  youngster  in  those  days;  the  only 
fortunate  exception  was  Cy.  Mason,  who  was  backed  by  the  Hedges'  estate 
and  a  liberal-minded  dad.  That  is  why  the  quarter  bows  became  a  little 
aggravating  when  Cy.  would  splurge  around,  spoiling  the  heads  of  chick- 
ens, with  a  dollar  outfit,  upon  which  Russel  had  expended  all  his  skill  and 
the  genius  of  his  race.  Thus  Russel's  unerring  aim  at  shooting  chips  in 
the  air  and  making  bows  and  arrows  for  the  boys  kept  him  pretty  well  sup- 
plied with  "little  dimes,"  and  as  long  as  they  lasted,  it  was  "heap  whisky 
for  big  Ingin."  His  meals  were  taken  at  everybody's  kitchen,  and  for  lodg- 
ing he  generally  selected  one  of  the  two  blacksmith  shops  then  existing  in 
town.  His  partiality  for  blacksmith  shops  was  on  account  of  those  institu- 
tions yielding  him  assistance  in  furnishing  metal  and  the  facilities  for  mak- 
ing arrow  heads;  and  then,  too,  he  would  frequently  pick  up  a  little  dime 
for  holding  somebody's  horse,  while  the  blacksmith  swore  at  him,  preparatory 
to  nailing  on  a  shoe.  Sometimes  when  the  horse  was  delicate  and  of  good 
family,  and  Abe  Trager  the  artist  to  manipulate  a  pair  of  troublesome  hind 
feet,  he  would  hire  Bigelow  to  take  the  "cussing"  which  Russel  would  bear 
with  Christian  fortitude  for  a  little  dime.  So  the  live  Indian  moved  on, 
always  managing  to  keep  himself  full  of  whisky  or  hy-key,  as  he  called  it. 

When  the  bow  and  arrow  business  played  out,  and  shooting  chips  in  the 
air  lost  its  attraction,  Russel  was  driven,  sometimes,  to  despair,  for  the  lit- 
tle dime  which  was  a  legal  tender  for  hy-key.  He  resorted  to  every  scheme 
and  device  to  raise  the  wind,  never  losing  an  opportunity  to  beg  j^iteously 
from  all  who  came  within  reach.  When  these  failed,  he  became  ugly,  and 
woiild  threaten  all  the  horrors  of  Indian  cruelty  upon  those  who  refused 
him  the  little  dime.  A  few,  through  fear,  would  fork  over;  but  as  a  general 
thing  there  was  little  attention  paid  to  his  savage  threats.  He  finally  be- 
came such  a  nuisance  that  everybody,  who  had  muscle  enough,  was  fre- 
quently compelled  to  exercise  it  in  kicking  the  Indian  out  of  his  way.  At 
last  he  was  induced  to  follow  the  tribe  to  Kansas,  by  assurances  that  Pea- 
cock's vengeance  had  passed  away,  and  that  the  Government  installment 
would  enable  him  to  obtain  hy-key  at  a  low  x'ate  of  interest.  Thereupon 
Russel  bade  adieu  to  Sandusky,  and  joined  the  people  of  his  race  on  the 
banks  of  the  Big  Muddy. 

Russel,  however,  didn't  i-emain  long  with  his  brethren.  The  civil  serv- 
ice reform  man  who  dispensed  Government  annuities  to  the  Wyandots,  com- 
promised with  Russel  on  a  barrel  of  forty-rod,  and  he  soon  sprouted  into  a 


;<%^     ^'^-s 


r*- 


a'^ 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  497 

little  angel.  He  had  traveled  to  the  dark  river  and  crossed  over,  ever  aim- 
ing at  the  chip  in  the  air,  w^hich  still  illumined  with  a  halo  of  promise,  sank 
forever  in  the  great  and  mysterious  hereafter;  or  in  other  words,  Russel  be- 
came a  snake  charmer,  and  died  of  the  jim-jams, 

J.    M'cnRDY,    ARCHITECT  AND  BUILDER. 

About  thirty-eight  years  ago,  an  old  white-headed  man  might  have  been 
seen  kicking  up  a  dust  in  and  around  the  spot  where  now  stands  the  county 
jail.  It  was  J.  McCurdy,  architect  and  builder,  and  the  contractor  who  had 
undertaken  the  work  of  erecting  the  edifice  which  now  stands  on  the  south 
side  of  the  court  house  lot.  McCurdy,  then  as  old  as  Methuselah,  was  active 
as  a  boy,  and  could  get  more  work  out  of  men  without  swearing,  than  any 
other  Christian  within  our  recollection.  He  was  a  sincere  old  fellow  who 
had  a  mind  well  stored  with  information,  with  just  enough  vanity  to  bring 
out  all  his  prominent  traits  of  character,  and  this  he  never  failed  to  do. 

We  distinctly  remember  when  the  ground  was  broken  for  the  jail  build- 
ing; the  enthusiastic  precision  of  the  old  man  in  settling  the  lines,  and  the 
determination  foremost  in  his  disposition  to  throw  out  the  first  shovelfull 
of  dirt,  which  he  did  with  becoming  reverence;  for  the  old  man  no  doubt 
believed  that  good  luck  followed  in  the  van  of  rites  and  ceremomies.  Every 
hour  in  the  day  the  white  head  of  the  architect  and  builder  could  be  seen 
moving  about  the  work,  never  failing  to  lend  assistance  where  it  was  needed 
and  very  frequently  where  it  wasn't  needed,  to  the  annoyance  and  conster- 
nation of  the  workmen.  The  work  proceeded  slowly  and  every  detail  was 
watched  with  that  scrutiny  which  flows  from  a  feeling  of  pride.  J.  Mc- 
Curdy was  proud  of  his  profession,  still  prouder  of  his  skill,  and  rose  to 
the  superlative  over  what  he  considered  and  believed  to  be  his  good  taste 
and  judgment. 

In  the  erection  of  the  jail  he  was  bound  to  immortalize  himself,  and 
with  this  feeling  he  came  to  the  second  story.  Here  the  afflatus  of  a  pent 
up  genius  took  possession  of  him,  and  he  proceeded  to  surround  the  name 
of  McCurdy  in  a  halo  of  glory.  So  to  create  the  envy  of  all  other  archi- 
tects and  builders  as  well  as  to  command  the  admiration  of  generations 
to  follow,  he  put  two  cut  stones  of  the  surface  of  about  one  square  foot  at 
each  end  of  the  front  w^all,  to  show  to  a  dying  world  where  the  first  story 
ended  and  the  second  commenced  its  upward  flight.  These  two  stones  were 
the  joy  and  rapture  of  the  old  man,  and  though  not  down  in  the  contract, 
were  thrown  in  as  extras  regardless  of  expense. 

Often  have  we  seen  the  old  architect  and  builder  walk  backward  to  the 
middle  of  the  road  and  gaze  at  the  efi'ect  of  these  two  stones  with  all  the  de- 
votion of  an  artist  who  had  portrayed  his  dream  love  for  the  eyes  of  his 
darling.  The  old  architect  was  not  content  in  doing  all  the  admiration 
himself.  He  wanted  help.  He  was  suflbcating  for  the  commendation  of 
others  over  the  crowning  excellence  of  his  life.  So  he  called  Dr.  McConnell 
one  day  to  assist  him  in  the  work  of  praise.  The  Doctor  put  on  his  spec- 
tacles, looked  all  over  the  beautiful  facade,  and  inquired  where  the  stones 
were.  This  dampened  the  ardor  of  the  old  architect  somewhat,  but  he  took  a 
ten-foot  pole  and  pointed  them  out  to  the  Doctor.  "Ah,  yes,  Mr.  McCurdy, 
I  see  them  now.  I  thought  the  mortar  had  run  over  at  those  points;  but  I 
see  them  now;  yes,  yes,  there  are  two  of  them,  and  they  do  look  like  stones. 
Very  good,  very  good,  Mac,  but  I  think  they're  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
too  high  for  the  balance  of  the  building."  Here  the  old  man's  head  turned 
a  shade  lightei',   but  revived   immediately  on  the  appearance  of  Col.   Mc- 

17 


498  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Cutchen.  The  Colonel  was  exhorted  to  pass  his  opinion  upon  the  two  stones, 
which  he  did  in  a  flow  of  compliments,  assuring  the  old  architect  that  there 
was  nothing  like  it  since  the  days  of  the  Pyramids,  and  he  would  see  that 
an  extra  appropriation  was  forthcoming,  for  certainly  those  two  stones  de- 
served an  increase  of  salary.  And  many  and  various  were  the  opinions  and 
cl'iticisms  over  the  two  stones,  which  were  usually  declared  ornaments  to  the 
delight  of  the  old  ai'chitect. 

Time,  however,  has  almost  effaced  the  recollection  of  these  occurrences, 
but  the  two  stones  still  remain;  and  we  never  pass  the  jail  but  we  see  them, 
and  they  seem  to  play  hide  and  seek  with  the  memory  of  the  good  old  man 
who  placed  them  there,  to  exalt  his  profession  and  beautify  the  world. 

If  our  good  people  ever  biiild  a  new  jail,  we  want  to  see  these  two  stones 
preserved  in  some  prominent  position  and  marked  "McCurdy's. "  It  will 
not  be  out  of  character,  for  he  was  a  Presbyterian,  the  father  of  a  large 
family,  and  no  relation  to  Elliot  Long. 

The  other  incidents  in  the  career  of  the  old  architect, together  with  his 
trials  and  tribulations  over  a  mischevious  grandson  by  the  name  of  Elisha, 
full  of  amusing  situations,  will  be  given  at  another  time. 

J.  McCurdy,  architect,  was  a  remarkable  man  for  his  age,  with  suflficient 
culture  and  ability  to  make  himself  promient  in  all  circles  of  society.  He 
was  ready  at  an  impromptu  speech,  and  as  a  matter  of  course,  was  put  for- 
ward on  public  occasions.  He  made  the  speech  at  the  laying  of  the  corner 
stone  of  our  present  court  house,  and  did  it  handsomely.  He  welcomed  the 
volunteers  back  from  Mexico,  at  a  public  dinner  given  by  our  citizens,  under 
the  artistic  cuisine  of  Bishop  Tuttle.  The  dinner  was  spread  under  a 
canopy  of  green  boughs  on  a  vacant  piece  of  ground  opposite  the  "Blue 
Ball  Hotel,"  known  in  after  years  as  the  Saltsman  lots.  And  how  well  we 
remember  the  fact  that,  just  about  the  time  the  white  head  of  J.  McCurdy 
bowed  over  the  inviting  feast  to  supplicate  Divine  favor,  a  terrible  wind 
storm,  accompanied  by  a  dashing  rain,  played  havoc  with  that  part  of  the 
entertainment.  The  rain  came  down  in  torrents  for  about  20  minutes,  and 
every  last  son  of  a  patriot  was  foi'cod  to  the  indecorous  extremity  of  grab- 
bing an  armful  and  seeking  shelter  where  best  he  coiild.  But  after  that 
the  sun  came  out  beautifully,  permitting  the  remaining  part  of  the  pro- 
gramme to  be  faithfully  and  pleasantly  fullilled. 

McCurdy  was  a  devout  Presbyterian  of  the  old  school,  and  a  regular 
attendant  at  Charley  Thayer's  Church.  He  would  doze  through  the  sermon 
with  evident  delight,  but  always  wakened  vip  in  time  to  start  the  hymn. 
"Now,  this  starting-the-hymn  business  had  a  good  many  competitors.  It 
was  in  the  days  when  choirs  were  considered  iniquities,  and  organs  an  abom- 
ination not  to  be  tolerated.  There  was  McCurdy,  Jackson,  Taggart  and 
Wilson,  who  all  wanted  to  start  the  hymns  in  Mr.  Thayer's  Church,  and  the 
zeal  exercised  by  these  men  to  get  the  start  of  one  another,  when  Charley 
got  through  reading  the  sacred  stanza,  created  considerable  amusement 
in  the  Christian  mind,  for  we  were  all  Christians  in  those  days  except 
Capt.  Ayres,  who  was  a  Universalist;  and  Charley  Thayer  always  gave  his 
congregation  to  understand  that  no  Universalist  need  apply.  So  the  Cap- 
tain on  a  Sunday  morning  told  Charley  if  he  wouldn't,  he  would,  and  in 
the  neatest  little  announcement  the  Captain  gave  out:  "That  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Sky  Insurer  would  preach  at  the  court  house  in  the  afternoon,  on  the  im- 
mortality of  everybody  going  to  heaven,  or  words  to  that  effect,  and  ex- 
tended a  cordial  invitation  to  all."  Of  course,  we  all  went  to  hear  the  Rev. 
Sky  Insurer  in  the  afternoon,  and,  in  the  most  pleasing  eloquence,  be  soon 
settled  the  brimstone  business. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  499 

We  digress — but  then  we  intend  to — just  as  much  as  we  please  in  writ- 
ing these  sketches,  because  the  digressions  are  the  best  part  of  them. 

Well,  one  Sabbath,  when  Charley  Thayer  was  reading,  to  be  manipu- 
lated by  the  human  voice,  a  new  poem*  entitled,  "  When  I  can  read  my  title 
clear,"  McCurdy,  Jackcon,  Taggart  and  Wilson  squared  themselves  for  the 
start,  each  eyeing  the  preacher  with  breathless  anxiety  to  get  the  advantage. 
By  anticipating  the  minister's  announcement  to  sing,  Father  Taggart 
started  up  with,  "When  I  can  read" — a  full  neck  a  head,  but  McCurdy 
wasn't  to  be  fooled  with  that  kind  of  previousness,  so  he  pitched  a  few 
notes  higher  with  "title  clear,"  compelling  Jackson  and  Wilson  to  chime 
in  or  go  it  alone.  In  those  days  Presbyterians  didn't  play  a  "single 
hand."  Now,  they  can  "  order  it  up,"  "play  it  alone,"  or  bring  about 
a  "Hush,"  and  at  the  same  time  march  on  to  the  New  Jerusalem  as  happy 
as  clams  at  high  tide — so  excellent  are  the  improvements  in  Christianity, 

This  proceeding  was  more  than  Father  Taggart  could  stand.  He  had 
studied  vocal  music  for  forty  years,  and  particularly  the  art  of  starting 
hymns  in  several  different  languages,  and  to  be  deprived  of  this  chosen 
desire  of  his  life  by  an  old  architect,  was  the  hair  that  broke  the  camel's 
back;  so  he  gathered  up  his  hymn-book  and  tuning-fork  and  bid  good-by  to 
foreordination.  He  sought  refuge  in  another  church  where  he  had  full 
sway  in  pitching  the  tune,  much  to  his  own  delight  and  pleasure  of  the  con- 
gregation; for  Taggart  was  a  good  singer,  much  better  than  McCurdy,  but 
lacked  the  dash  and  rapidity  of  the  old  architect.  The  only  thing  the 
architect  lacked  was  a  few  dozen  teeth  which  gave  to  his  baritone  something 
like  a  cross  between  the  dinner  horn  and  a  bass  drum. 

In  politics,  Mr.  McCurdy  was  an  old  Whig,  and  if  there  was  anything 
he  more  desired  to  talk  about  than  the  two  stones  in  the  jail  building,  it  was 
the  principles  of  the  Whig  party  and  his  ideal  of  statesmanship  in  the  per- 
son of  Henry  Clay.  He  would  rattle  it  off  by  the  yard,  with  a  wonderful 
memory  of  events,  never  failing  to  interlard  his  remarks  with  well-pointed 
thrusts  at  his  opponents. 

The  Presbyterian  prayer  meeting  was  very  frequently  held  at  McCurdy's 
house,  and  in  those  days  it  was  quite  common  for  boys  to  attend.  It  is  a 
custom  now  quite  obsolete;  but  never  mind,  some  day  when  j'ou  get  into 
difSculty  and  are  forty  miles  from  water,  you'll  wish  you  had  attended  a 
few  prayer  meetings  in  your  youth.  We  never  failed  to  turn  up  at  these 
meetings.  Charley  Thayer  was  always  there;  the  old  architect  was  always 
there;  so  was  his  grandson  Elisha.  And  it  is  very  possible  that  if  Elisha 
hadn't  been  there,  that  the  divine  influence  would  not  have  had  such  an 
impelling  force  over  the  natures  of  some  other  boy  attendants.  Elisha 
was  a  mild-eyed  boy  "  who  never  did  anything,"  but  his  grandfather  never 
prayed  without  keeping  an  eye  open  for  Elisha.  Elisha,  however,  managed 
to  get  on  the  blind  side  of  the  old  man,  and  while  the  supplication  was  be- 
coming enthusiastic,  would  crawl  aroiind  among  the  audience,  tie  a  string 
to  the  old  man's  slipper,  and  when  "amen"  was  said,  off  would  jump  the 
slipper,  with  considerable  rattle,  into  the  middle  of  the  floor.  The  old 
architect  would  clinch  his  fist,  but  relax  it  immediately  to  raise  a  familiar 
hymn.  The  next  morning,  the  old  architect  would  take  Elisha  into  a  wood- 
shed and  practice  on  him  with  a  hoop-pole,  and  Elisha  would  cross  his 
breast,  and  "hope  lightning  might  strike  him  dead  if  he  did,"  but  the  old 
man  was  deaf  to  these  eloquent  appeals. 

Elisha  also  applied  his  artistic  skill  in  unceremoniously  removing  bon- 
nets and  shawls,  and  in  putting  hickorynut  shells  under  chairs  for  the  wor- 


500  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

shipers  to  kneel  down  upon.  Elishas  tricks  had  become  so  much  a  matter 
of  remark  that  he  was  credited  with  all  the  innocent  depredations  that  oc- 
ciirred  in  town,  and  the  result  was  that  the  old  man  was  frequently  seen 
chasing  Elisha  with  a  war  club  ;  and  yet  there  was  nothing  mean  or  mali- 
cious about  the  boy.  It  was  simply  to  appease  his  passion  for  fun  that  he 
indulged  in  these  capers,  willing  to  take  the  punishment  they  brought  rather 
than  abandon  them. 

While  Elisha  was  a  great  tribulation  to  the  old  architect,  yet  he  was  his 
dead  daughter's  only  child,  and  grandfatherlike,  he  loved  the  boy.  For- 
getful of  his  anger  over  aggravations,  he  would  sometimes  extol  his  virtues 
and  predict  a  bright  future  for  the  youth — "  who  would  tone  down  in  time" 
—  "and  after  all,  Elisha  doesn't  mean  any  harm  in  these  playful  tricks." 
Wonderful,  mysterious  nature!  The  ties  which  thrill  the  heart  can  never 
be  quieted,  but  must  throb  on  through  the  smiles  of  to-day  and  the  tears  of 
the  morrow,  full  of  the  exquisite  touch  which  lends  a  charm  to  humanity. 
So,  while  Elisha  was  a  brick,  he  was  still  the  old  man's  grandson.  In  him 
he  could  see  traces  of  his  buried  darling;  her  infant  prattle  lingered 
through  the  lapse  of  years,  appealing  to  a  heart  still  aching  for  the  loved 
and  lost;  the  angels  whispered,  and  a  white  hand  beckoned  him  toward 
her  child.  No  wonder  then  that  the  old  man  would  stroke  Elisha's  bangs, 
and  call  him  "good  boy." 

Failing  to  secure  a  contract  to  build  the  court  house,  and  feeling  that 
his  occupation  here  was  gone,  the  old  architect  took  Elisha  under  his  wing, 
wrapped  the  drapery  of  his  tent  about  him,  and  quietly  dropped  out  of 
sight. 

BIVENS,  SHOEMAKER  AND    MAYOR. 

In  1848,  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  was  incorporated,  There  was  no 
little  controversy  in  regard  to  this  movement,  and  a  good  deal  of  ill  feeling 
engendered.  At  that  time,  Upper  Sandusky  had  about  500  inhabitants,  and 
at  least  '250,  including  Ales.  Little,  held  up  their  hands  in  holy  horror  at 
this  semblance  of  oppression  in  the  way  of  about  $10  additional  tax  to  secure 
the  ringing  of  the  court  house  bell  every  evening  at  9  o'clock,  so  our  good 
citizens  would  know  when  to  go  to  bed.  By  the  way,  we  had  no  bell  at  that 
time,  but  historians  are  allowed  a  good  deal  of  "filling  in"  for  suitable 
embellishments.  There  are  only  about  six  persons  in  town  who  could  have 
any  show  in  contradicting  the  writer  of  these  sketches,  and  as  their  memory 
is  not  to  be  depended  upon,  we  feel  confident  of  going  on  undisturbed  in 
our  work  of  glory.  We  say  glory,  because  these  sketches,  like  Converse's 
letters  from  the  pyramids,  will  be  published  in  book  form,  with  a  steel  en- 
graving of  the  author,  and  sold  only  to  particular  friends  at  the  small  sum 
of  $10. 

The  first  election  for  corporation  oflScers  took  place  in  1848.  W.  W. 
Bates  was  elected  Mayor,  and  Jacob  Juvinall  Recorder.  Jake  was  one  of 
oar  best-looking  fellows  in  those  days,  and  was  faultless  in  his  dress  and 
manners.  Besides  he  was  as  popular  as  he  was  good  looking.  He  was  the 
only  one  elected  on  the  W^hig  ticket,  defeating  Henry  Miller,  then  fresh 
from  the  Mexican  war,  and  another  handsome  fellow.  W^e  don't  recollect 
who  were  elected  to  the  Council,  nor  does  anybody  else.  This  city  govern- 
ment, during  its  regime,  spent  $45.62,  and  the  people  just  rose  in  their 
majesty  and  smashed  things.  The  Mayor  and  Recorder  maintained  their 
dignity  and  the  confidence  of  the  people.  They  had  nothing  to  do  with 
this  extraordinary  expenditure  of  money.  The  Council  did  it.  It  had  tbe 
audacity  to  pay  Bill  Giles  $1  for  publishing  a  column  ordinance  "to  protect 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  501 

live  fences."  Maj.  Soars  was  then  interested  in  a  live  fence  enterprise,  and 
it  was  thought  that  he  inspired  this  reckless  expenditure  of  a  hundred  cents. 
The  other  $44.62  was  expended  for  the  good  of  the  public  in  quarters  and 
fifty- cent  pieces,  $3.72  going  into  a  mud  hole  in  front  of  the  Mcllvane 
House,  now  Van  Marter's  old  stand. 

This  was  the  state  of  affairs  when  another  election  was  called.  The 
Whigs  tenacious  to  maintain  discipline  and  their  party  organization,  put  a 
full  ticket  in  the  lield,  with for  Mayor.  We  suppress  his  name,  be- 
cause he  is  one  of  the  survivors  and  has  a  whole  battery  of  artillery  at  home, 
including  a  shot-gun  unerring  in  its  aim,  and  we  are  not  in  circuiQstances 
at  present  to  contemplate  a  probable  first-class  funeral. 

The  Locofocos  to  a  large  extent  shared  the  distress  of  the  people  in  con- 
templating the  horrors  of  incorporation,  and  when  it  was  proposed  to  elect 
a  Stoga  ticket,  with  Bivens  as  Mayor,  all  thought  of  reviving  the  hero  of 
New  Orleans  against  the  "Mill  Boy  of  the  Slashes"  was  abandoned,  and  the 
opposition  found  satisfaction  and  a  good  deal  of  amusement  in  rallying  to 
the  support  of  the  Stoga  ticket. 

As  Bivens  could  scarcely  read,  and  had  very  little  idea  of  life  beyond 
the  trade  which  afforded  him  a  living,  he  was  thought  by  many  a  very  proper 
person  to  entrust  the  interests  of  the  city.  He  was  to  be  fortified  with  a 
council,  selected  especially  for  their  skill  and  ingenuity  in  making  their 
marks  (x)  one  day  and  denying  them  the  next.  As  none  of  them  ever  paid 
a  cent  of  tax  in  their  lives,  they  were  terribly  down  on  taxation,  and  they 
promised  their  constituents,  if  elected,  to  serve  the  town  without  charge  and 
give  every  citizen  a  chromo. 

On  a  beautiful  spring  morning  the  contending  parties  met.  The  Whigs 
in  full  war  paint — the  opposition  with  their  hands  full  of  tickets  upon  which 
were  printed  the  picture  of  a  stoga  boot.  When  the  smoke  of  battle  cleared 
away,  it  was  found  the  Stoga  ticket  was  elected  with  the  exception  of  one 
councilman  who  was  defeated  a  few  votes  by  Dr.  Ferris.  Did  Dr.  Ferris 
serve?  Well,  you  can  just  smile  that  he  did'nt.  He  walked  \\p  and  paid 
his  two  dollars  for  the  privilege  of  resigning. 

We  have  witnessed  the  enthusiasm  of  many  campaigns  in  Upper  San- 
dusky, but  none  has  yet  approached  the  wild  tumult  of  joy  over  this 
triumph.  Bivens  was  serenaded  with  the  only  bass  drum  then  existing  in 
town,  and  he  made  a  speech  in  such  high-sounding  English  that  it  had  to 
be  interpreted  into  French  before  it  could  be  appreciated  or  fully  understood. 
It  was  in  this  speech,  however,  that  he  got  off  the  immortal  words,  "  That 
under  Providence  and  our  star- bangled  Constitution,  every  man  was  liable  to 
office."  Each  of  the  successful  Councilmen  was  saluted  with  a  tin  horn  and 
each  assured  his  delighted  fellow-citizens  that  they  would  preserve  the  in- 
tegrity and  enterprise  of  the  noble  red  man  who  had  left  the  imprint  of  his 
genius  upon  our  beautiful  plains. 

Bivens,  overcome  with  joy  at  so  sudden  a  freak  of  good  fortune,  with 
its  privileges  and  attending  honor,  stalked  into  his  shoe  shop,  and  from 
thence  next  door  into  his  parlor,  and  catching  a  glimpse  of  his  graceful 
better  half,  struck  an  attitude:  "Barbara,  behold  your  Bivens!  Look  into 
my  eyes  darling,  and  tell  me,  if  in  the  fondest  dream  of  yonr  life,  you  ever 
expected  to  sleep  with  a  'mare;'  "  for  that  was  the  way  he  always  persisted 
in  spelling  it.  The  good  wife  melted  to  tears  and  assured  Bivens  that  she 
always  thought  some  grand  fortune  would  overtake  them,  but  this  distinc- 
tion and  h(mor  overwhelmed  her.  "Don't  let  us  be  proud  William,  but  let 
us  continue  to  speak  to  common  folks  as  usual.       Let  us  set  an  example  to 


502  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

other  gi'eat  p9ople  of  the  town;  but  William,  I  must  have  a  graud  wardrobe, 
to  reflect  in  part,  the  dazzling  splendor  of  your  white  vest,  on  state  occa- 
sions." 

Very  soon  Bivens  was  surrounded  with  official  authority,  but  he  pegged 
away  all  the  same.  His  tirst  official  act  was  to  draw  up  a  deed  for  himself, 
conveying  his  little  property,  with  the  expectation  of  enlarging  his  sur- 
roundings. He  came  to  the  clause  where  it  stipulates  that  the  wife  must 
be  examined  separate  and  apart  from  her  husband,  before  she  attaches  her 
name  to  the  instrument.  Did  this  puzzle  the  Mayor?  Not  much.  Did  it 
stagger  the  Bivens  in  his  contemplation  of  legal  discrimination?  Well, 
scarcely.  His  mind  rose  to  that  grandeur  which  overcomes  the  frivolous 
technicalties  of  law.  He  told  Barbara  to  go  into  the  other  room.  He  inti- 
mated to  Barbara  that  she  must  sit  near  the  keyhole.  That  she  must  gaze  pleas- 
antly on  some  hopeful  object  and  think  only  of  her  "  mare;"  as  it  was  now 
his  privilege  as  well  as  his  duty  to  examine  her  separate  and  apart  from  her 
husband  through  the  keyhole.  All  of  which  the  Mayor  did  with  that  pleas- 
ing triumph  which  throws  a  spell  of  enchantment  over  greatness,  and  he 
reveled  in  the  beatitude  of  these  graceful  feelings,  until  he  took  his  deed 
to  the  then  Recorder,  John  A.  Morrison,  who  told  Bivens  he  was  "  a  d — n 
fool,  and  that  his  deed  wasn't  worth  a  cent." 

Here  was  consternation  mingled  with  injured  authority  and  great  expec- 
tations. To  be  called  a  d — n  fool  by  a  common  man  was  bad;  to  have  the 
glory  of  his  first  official  act  met  with  derision  was  still  worse,  but  he  would 
have  his  revenge.  Pop-Eye*  should  be  arrested  for  contempt  of  court  at  the 
very  first  opportunity. 

The  Mayor  drifted  from  one  situation  to  another,  until  one  day  he  saw 
a  prominent  at torneyf  shoot  off  his  gun  within  the  limits  of  the  corporation. 
That  settled  it.  He  immediately  scattered  for  the  shoe  shop,  and  told  Bar- 
bara that  the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  city  now,  Atlas-like,  rested  u.pon  his 
shoulders.  He  would  make  an  example  of  the  Major.  He  would  fine  him 
for  contempt  of  court,,  and  then  compel  him  to  surrender  his  gun  to  a  pub- 
lie  procession,  headed  by  the  City  Council.  He  drew  up  a  warrant  which 
read:  "Whereas,  I,  William  Bivens,  Mayor  of  Upper  Sandusky,  ss.,  saw 
John  Dudley  Sears,  did  shoot;  Resolved,  that  said  Johr\  Dudley  Rearrested 
without  benefit  of  clergy,"  and  this  warrant  was  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  Marshal  for  collection. 

The  prisoner  "  was  collected  "  and  taken  to  the  shoe  shop,  where  he  de- 
manded a  trial.  The  IMayor  winked  pleasantly,  and  said  there  would  be  no 
trial — not  if  the  court  knew  itself.  He  saw  the  shooting  with  his  own  lit- 
tle eye,  and  that  was  sufficient.  "Fine — $1  and  costs — cash!  Marshal, 
take  charge  of  the  funds."  But  the  prisoner  at  the  bar,  or  rather  at  the 
shoe  bench,  wasn't  to  be  treated  in  that  summary  manner.  He  demanded 
his  rights  as  an  American  citizen  of  Crawford  County  descent,  and  that 
while  the  Mayor  saw  him  "  did  shoot,"  he  was  there  ready  for  trial  with  an 
array  of  home  talent  who  would  swear  that  they  didn't  see  him  shoot,  and 
that  the  burden  of  proof  was  in  his  favor."  Furthermore,  he  had  McKelly 
to  defend  him,  and  you  all  know  in  those  days  McKelly  had  a  voice,  and  a 
combination  of  aesthetic  adjectives  at  which  the  angels  would  spread  their 
wings  and  fly  away;  but  Bivens  wasn't  an  angel,  and  he  couldn't  spread;  he 
had  to  stay  on  earth  and  struggle  through  the  volley.  At  last  crouching 
under  the  panoply  of  his  ofiice,  he  ordered  Mack  under  arrest  for  contempt 

*John  A.  Morrison  was  called  Pop-Eye  on  account  of  his  large,  protruding  eyes. 
fMaj-  John  D.  Sears. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  503 

of  court.  As  there  was  no  officer  in  the  shoe  shop  big  enough  to  tackle 
Mack,  the  case  rested  until  courts  when  Bivens  shouldered  his  docket, 
walked  in  where  the  blind  girl  was  dangling  her  scales,  spread  his  case  be- 
fore the  Judge,  and  made  an  appeal  for  suffering  humanity;  but  as  Judge 
Bowen  was  not  of  the  kind  who  cared  for  suffering  humanity,  unless  it  took 
the  form  and  shape  of  a  lovely  woman,  Bivens  was  ordered  to  get  out,  and 
make  room  for  Blunderbus  vs.  Hurricane — a  noted  case  that  involved  the 
value  of  a  $2-pig. 

From  that  day  the  star  of  Bivens  was  on  the  decline,  and  he  pegged 
and  blundered  through  the  remainder  of  his  administration,  the  sport  of 
the  time  and  for  many  years  thereafter.  "  Since  the  days  of  Bivens  "  has 
become  an  epoch  in  our  history  to  crown  a  ludicrous  expression  or  bring  to 
memory  some  event  of  pleasing  notoriety. 

Bivens  couldn't  exist  in  Upper  Sandusky  after  his  power  to  arrest  for 
contempt  of  court  had  fled,  so  he  gathered  up  his  effects  and  the  wreck  of 
his  greatness,  and  left  for  other  and  greener  fields. 

TABLER,  THE  REVIVALIST. 

In  the  early  days  of  Upper  Sandusky,  the  principal  church  building 
was  the  Stone  Mission,  now  almost  a  ruin  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
town.  It  was  built  for  the  Indians,  and  for  a  long  time  the  red  man  wor- 
shiped there  his  belief  in  the  Great  Spirit. 

We  shall  not  recount  the  origin  and  growth  of  the  Mission  Church,  be- 
cause it  is  not  within  our  recollection.  This  church,  its  founders  and  wor- 
shipers have  passed  into  history  and  is  well  known  to  the  general  reader. 

Perhaps  the  best  posted  man  in  town  in  regard  to  the  many  incidents 
connected  with  the  Mission  Church,  is  our  esteemed  fellow  citizen,  John 
Owens,  whose  father  built  the  church  in  1832.  We  believe  it  was  in  1832, 
but  ten  or  a  dozen  years  out  of  range  is  not  much  of  a  mistake  for  histo- 
rians to  make.  There  are  discrepancies  of  several  thousand  years  in  the 
legends  of  old  writers,  yet  nobody  gets  up  on  his  ear  over  the  fact.  True, 
a  fellow  by  the  name  of  Bob  Ingersoll  has  had  the  audacity  to  question  the 
integrity  of  the  Bible  because  the  ark  was  a  few  feet  too  narrow,  and  as 
many  feet  too  short,  to  have  carried  safely  over  the  flood,  the  caravan  of  the 
living,  acd  the  provender  to  sustain  it,  but  then  nobody  pays  any  attention 
to  this  meddlesome,  seven-by-eight  Republican. 

Every  Sunday  the  old  Mission  Church  was  crowded.  Although  there 
was  not  a  sidewalk  in  the  town,  and  the  road  to  the  Mission  Church,  in  ugly 
weather,  was  little  less  than  a  swamp,  people  would  go  at  the  risk  of  health 
and  shoe-leather;  and  during  a  revival,  which  usually  lasted  all  winter,  the 
attendants  were  as  anxious  to  get  seats  as  dead  heads  at  a  concert.  Women 
wore  boots  and  men  rubber  diving- suits  to  protect  them  from  the  mud  and 
slush,  but  they  got  there  all  the  same. 

One  winter,  particularly,  the  excitement  was  intense,  and  people  would 
frequently  do  without  their  suppers  to  be  in  time  at  the  church  before  the 
orchestra  chairs  were  all  taken.  It  was  during  this  memorable  revival  that 
the  subject  of  our  sketch,  the  Rev.  Jeremiah  Tabler,  made  his  appearance. 
It  may  be  possible  that  we  are  slightly  mistaken  in  the  christian  name  of 
this  divine,  but  saddest  of  all,  it  might  have  been. 

Tabler  was  a  peciiliar  man;  tall,  spare,  somewhat  cadaverous  in  appear- 
ance, with  hair  black  as  coal,  and  a  pair  of  eyes  so  full  of  expression  that 
they  seem  to  talk  and  tell  you  how  wicked  you  were.  With  these  qualities 
he  had  a  wonderful  voice,  plastic  and  yet  so  thrilling,  that  it  was  no  trick  at 


504  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

all  for  him  to  yank  a  "hallelujah  "  from  any  one  inclined  to  give  way  to 
religious  emotions.  While  perhaps  he  was  the  most  illiterate  man  that  ever 
swung  from  a  pulpit,  there  was  something  so  pleasingly  fascinating  and 
magnetic  about  him  that  he  had  only  to  open  his  mouth  to  become  eloquent. 
With  a  sublime  fervor  he  would  thrill  you  with  the  utterance  of  words  that 
in  themselves  were  meaningless.  His  blunders,  sometimes,  would  choke  you 
with  sympathy,  until  you  could  sufficiently  recover  to  enjoy  a  smile.  If  he 
had  said  the  moon  was  made  of  green  cheese,  you  would  instantly  have  wept 
for  the  poor  moon,  so  wonderful  was  this  man  in  the  gift  of  expressing 
thought  without  regard  to  language.  It  seemed  that  he  could  plume  any 
word  to  express  the  sympathy  of  his  soul,  and  throw  the  same  effect  into  the 
feelings  of  his  audience.  All  his  sentences  ended  in  "  ah,"  and  fre- 
quently many  of  his  words;  but  these  "  ahs  "  shook  you  up  and  held  you 
suspended  by  the  hair;  and  it  was  only  when  you  lost  sight  of  Tabler  that 
you  could  unstring  your  nerves  and  see  the  ridiculousness  of  your  situation. 

In  preaching  his  introductory  sermon,  Tabler,  in  a  flight  of  eloquence, 
told  his  hearers  "  that  he  graduated  at  the  foot  of  Jesus  and  got  his  diploma 
from  heaven.  That  he  was  no  scholar  or  college  graduate,  but  simply  an 
instrument  under  the  influence  of  heaven  to  stir  the  people  up  to  the  magni- 
tude of  their  wickedness,  and  that  every  man  must  work  with  the  tools  he 
has.  The  carpenter  worked  with  his  tools,  ah;  the  blacksmith  with  his  tools, 
ah;  and  thank  God  he  worked  with  the  tools  that  God  gave  him.  He  com- 
pared the  native  and  educated  ministry  with  the  progress  of  the  carpenter 
trade.  He  said  before  the  edu^cated  smoothing-plane  could  be  used  on  the 
wicked  scantling  the  rough  had  to  be  taken  off  with  a  jack-plane,  and  it  was 
called  " —  Here  the  minister  coughed,  and  asked  Sister  B.  if  her  soul  was 
still  rising.  He  appeared  a  little  confused,  but  grasping  at  the  rings  of 
Saturn  exclaimed,  "that  he  was  one  of  heaven's  jack-planes,  and  ahvays  got 
it  off  in  that  way."  This  remark  was  made  with  a  suspicious  look  at  an  old 
bachelor  who  had  succeeded  in  getting  a  front  seat,  and  who  would  have  en- 
joyed better  health  if  he'd  got  married  at  the  right  time. 

Tabler  was  one  of  the  Winebrennarian  order  of  disciples,  and  after  a  suc- 
cessful revival  which  loomed  up  into  encouraging  numbers,  he  established  a 
church  here,  and  for  several  years  included  this  place  in  his  circuit.  He 
was  always  greeted  with  a  full  house.  You  never  could  tell  what  he  said 
after  you  left  the  church,  unless  to  laugh  over  some  blunder  or  ridiculous 
expression,  yet  he  drew  and  interested  you  to  such  an  extent,  that  to  miss 
one  of  his  sermons  was  considered  a  misfortune. 

One  night,  when  the  house  was  jammed,  the  rain  coming  down  in  tor- 
rents, and  the  lightning  and  thunder  stirring  every  one  within  with  feel- 
ings of  alarm,  Tabler  took  occasion  to  mingle  the  fury  of  the  elements  with 
an  appeal  to  the  wicked  in  a  manner  so  electrifying  that  such  a  rush  was 
made  for  the  altar  that  a  placard  had  to  be  put  up  declaring  to  other  sin- 
ners that  there  was  "  standing  room  only."  He  called  up  the  dead  Indians 
from  their  graves  with  that  weird  and  fervent  assurance,  that  each  flash  of 
lightning  as  it  glared  and  glimmered  through  the  windows,  seemed  to  dis- 
close the  spectral  forms  of  the  past,  marching  with  measured  steps  at  his 
call.  The  old  missionaries  who  had  undergone  trials  and  tribulations  in 
the  cause,  frequently  meeting  death  to  reclaim  the  savage,  stalked  in  at  the 
open  door;  and  even  Johnathan  Pointer  could  be  seen  gathering  the  tithes 
for  a  new  collection  of  hymns.  Such  was  the  power  of  this  illiterate  man 
to  thrill  and  enthuse  an  audience.  He  would  mingle  with  a  rattle  of  words 
the  pleasing  ripple  of  running  water,  budding  its  course  with  roses  and  the 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  505 

beauty  of  spi'ing.  Even  in  a  spasmodic  outburst  of  "  hallelujah,"  he  would 
scatter  the  balm  of  a  thousand  flowers  and  bring  some  sister  to  her  feet  with 
"glory  to  God!" 

And  yet  this  Tabler  loved  his  chicken  like  other  ministers,  and  would 
even  growl  if  the  collections  did  not  come  up  to  his  expectation  of  christian 
fortitude.  He  had  a  weakness  for  some  of  the  good  looking  sisters,  so 
Bishop  Tuttle  said,  but  every  body  shook  his  tist  and  called  Bishop  Tuttle  a 
liar.  "Whatever  Tabler  might  have  been  in  the  kitchen  or  a  back  room  is 
nothing  to  us  as  a  truthful  historian.  We  only  know  him  as  a  great  reviv- 
alist, who  could  murder  the  King's  English  and  at  the  same  time  charm 
you  with  its  destruction.  He  was  a  man  who  could  give  thought  and  ex- 
pression to  sound,  and  fasten  it  with  the  holy  wag  of  his  head.  To  the  en- 
thusiastic in  the  faith  he  was  irresistible.  He  could  say  "  come  "  three 
times  with  that  fervor,  feeling  and  solicitude,  that  you  would  feel  yourself 
involuntarily  rising  to  your  feet  with  a  readiness  to  wade  in.  He  could  in- 
stil a  whole  sermon  into  these  three  words  of  invitation,  and  the  result  was 
the  mourner's  bench  was  a  popular  i*esort  for  half  the  congregation.  Many 
souls  were  converted  that  winter  to  thaw  out  in  the  spring,  yet  there  were 
others  who  proved  faithful  to  the  last;  and  one  or  two  are  still  living  here 
who  thank  Tabler  for  pointing  them  to  the  light  that  shines  from  another 
world. 

KAMBAY. 

His  name  was  Ramsay,  and  he  gloried  iu  the  pleasing  ripple  that  these 
six  letters  made  in  weaving  their  music  into  syllables.  He  informed  the 
sketcher  that  it  was  pronounced  Ram-zee,  with  a  trip-hammer  accent  on  the 
ram  part.  The  zee  was  simply  a  beautiful  French  zephyr  to  ornament  be- 
neficent design  in  embellishing  the  individuality  of  an  eminent  people. 
That  Ramsay  was  a  name  of  distinction;  of  Scottish  origin;  of  distinguished 
scholars,  poets,  painters  and  physicians.  That  Ramsay  Alexander  was  au- 
thority on  the  anatomy  of  the  heart,  brain  and  liver.  That  Ramsay  Allan 
was  a  painter  whose  master-pieces  made  the  Raphael  Madonna  look  sick; 
"and  Bob,  the  Greek  Slave  that  Major  Sears  talks  so  much  about, is  nothing 
but  a  hitching-post  in  comparison  to  the  fair  and  lovely  virgin  that  one  of 
my  ancestors  chiseled  out  of  a  common  nigger-head."  That  Chevalier  Ram- 
say wrote  the  "  Travels  of  Cyrus  "  and  the  "  Life  of  Fenelon,"  and  although 
a  Scotchman,  wrote  them  in  French.  That  the  balance  of  foreign  Ramsays 
just  made  the  hemisphere  brilliant  with  the  grandeur  of  their  thought  and 
the  wonder  of  their  achievements,  but  that  he  was  a  hairpin  from  the  cush- 
ion of  David  Ramsay,  an  American  historian  and  physician,  who  was  born 
in  Lancaster,  Penn.,  a  short  time  before  the  American  eagle. 

The  Ramsay  under  discussion  dropped  from,  no  one  knows  where,  upon 
a  forty-acre  tract  of  unimproved  land  in  Antrim  Township,  and  commenced 
life  as  a  farmer.  He  was  a  tall,  good-looking  fellow,  only  remarkable  for 
the  size  of  his  lips,  and  the  critical  glare  that  made  prominent  a  large  pair 
of  blue  eyes.  His  energy  was  only  exceeded  by  his  ambition.  To  battle 
life  in  the  woods  with  convenience  and  economy,  he  married;  but  making 
rails  at  50  cents  a  hundred  didn't  agree  with  young  Ramsay's  diaphragm, 
and,  concluding  that  there  was  an  easier  road  to  fortune,  it  was  not  long  be- 
fore a  man  of  his  indomitable  will  found  and  pursued  it.  In  reading  one 
of  Jayne's  almanacs  and  learning  of  the  fabulous  sums  of  money  made  out 
of  pills  and  cough  syrup,  Ramsay  made  up  his  mind  to  be  a  doctor,  and 
every  spare  moment  from  daily  labor  was  given  to  the  study  of  medicine. 
Lacking  in  education,  the  study  was  a  difficult  one;  for  those  terrible  Latin 


506  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

jawbreakers  would  shake  him  up  and  hold  him  suspended  over  the  picture 
of  a  skeleton,  in  that  doubt  and  despair  which  rattled  through  his  head  in  a 
thousand  aches.  But  he  did  not  surrender — he  wasn't  that  kiad  of  a  Ram- 
say. He  had  the  distinction  of  his  Scotch  lineage  to  brace  him,  ani  what 
he  lacked  in  classics  was  more  than  made  up  by  the  magic  spell  which  sur- 
rounded a  great  name — the  name  of  Ramsay! 

After  a  short  course  of  study  he  scratched  his  name  upon  a  little  tin  sign, 
and,  illuminating  it  with  the  professional  affix,  commenced  practice  in  or 
near  the  village  of  Wyandot.  The  ills  common  to  new  countries  are  the 
agues  and  fevers  which  quinine  and  calomel  knock  in  the  head  without  the 
slightest  provocation,  and  the  Doctor  had  good  success. 

He  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Dr. 
Watson,  killing  and  curing  under  the  firm  name  of  Watson  &  Ramsay.  In 
winters,  these  men  alternated  in  attending  lectures  at  Cleveland,  as  one  hand 
could  generally  run  the  ague  business  during  the  dull  season.  While  Ram- 
say had  the  experience  of  considerable  practice,  he  had  never  whittled  the 
benches  of  a  lectui'e  room;  so  when  it  came  his  turn  to  break  for  Cleveland, 
he  spread  himself  in  the  best  toggeiy  that  could  creep  from  under  the  artis- 
tic fingers  of  Peter  Huffman.  With  his  Dundreary  whiskers,  cane  and  eye- 
glass, he  looked  like  an  Irish-Italian  imjyressario,  but  his  name  was  still 
Ramsay.  When  he  returned  from  Cleveland  he  brought  back  with  him  a 
manikin  and  a  pica  edition  of  Shakspeare.  This  Shakspeare  was  a  second- 
hand paper  copy  that  would  pleasantly  fill  a  wheelbarrow,  and  the  manikin 
occupied  about  the  same  space. 

Ramsay,  through  his  early  struggles  and  disappointments,  had  become 
quite  a  misanthrope.  He  acknowledged  without  decent  hesitancy  that  he 
no  longer  loved  his  wife  nor  cared  for  his  children;  that  his  marriage  was 
the  result  of  ignorance,  and  his  family  a  misfortune.  He  had  an  aversion 
for  the  society  of  men,  and  was  only  in  agreeable  elements  when  he  had  for 
a  companion  some  mild-eyed  boy  who  could  listen  enchanted  at  the  wonders 
of  Ramsay;  and  the  sketcher  was  usually  that  mild-eyed  imitation  of  bifur- 
cated humanity.  He  used  to  say  that  the  success  of  a  young  physician  was 
in  looking  wise  and  feeding  his  patient  on  any  amount  of  harmless  prepa- 
rations, such  as  white  sugar,  flour,  starch,  etc.  He  said  he  gained  his  first 
triumph  by  looking  at  old  Brown's  tongue,  which  was  wrapped  in  about 
four  coats  of  dog-leg  tobacco;  and  the  altisonant  explanation  he  gave  of 
the  color  of  that  tongue,  conducting  it  through  the  realms  of  most  beautiful 
metaphor  to  the  lower  lobe  of  the  old  man's  liver,  met  with  a  pleasing  re- 
sponse. The  old  patient,  full  of  gratitude,  shook  the  Doctor's  hand,  and 
said  he  was  the  only  physician  that  understood  h4s  case.  He  knew  it  was 
his  liver,  but  that  contrary  old  woman  of  his  always  insisted  that  it  was 
nothing  but  dog-leg.  So  Ramsay  put  on  a  wise  look  and  treated  this  man 
for  a  bad  liver.  He  left  him  a  half  peck  of  pulverized  licorice  to  be  taken 
in  small  doses  with  the  regularity  of  clock  work,  spreading  over  all  the 
caution  that  his  patient,  during  the  use  of  this  powerful  medicine,  should 
beware  of  stimulants,  especially  anything  that  had  the  narcotic  effect  of 
garlic  or  tobacco.  He  threw  in  the  garlic  to  pull  the  old  man  off  the  scent. 
The  result  was  that  in  a  few  days  old  Brown  was  himself  again,  sounding 
the  praises  of  Ramsay  all  over  the  neighborhood.  He  only  charged  him 
$50,  which  Brown  thought  was  entirely  too  cheap,  and  in  addition  made 
the  doctor  lug  home  a  spring  calf  and  a  bag  of  potatoes.  He  owed  his  re- 
suscitated liver  to  Ramsay,  and  if  he  wanted  a  barn  raised  or  a  note  in- 
dorsed, all  he  had  to  do  was  to  call  on  his  friend  Brown.     At  this,  Ramsay 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  507 

melted  to  tears,  and  said  he  wouldn't  have  charged  a  cent,  but  that  liver 
medicine  was  so  terribly  expensive.  It  could  be  got  nowhere  nearer  than 
the  Alps;  that  it  was  discovered  by  Bonaparte  while  crossing  the  Red  Sea — 
a  beautiful  brook  of  pure  carmine  which  meanders  through  a  crevice  in  that 
wonderful  peak.  "  History,  Brown,  histoiy,  is  where  the  effulgence  of  this 
beneficent  drug  first  poured  upon  me  its  limpid  light.  No  other  physician 
has  this  wonderful  work  of   '  Bonaparte  after  a  Bad  Liver.'  " 

Tlie  manikin  which  Ramsay  brought  from  Cleveland  looked  very  natural 
in  wax  and  bright  colors,  representing  all  parts  of  the  human  frame  with 
the  skin  off.  He  said  it  was  modeled  after  Alexander  the  Great,  but  as  the 
Alexander  part  was  missing,  he  would  call  it  Susan.  The  pica  copy  of 
Shakespeare  had  its  history  which  the  doctor  rattled  off  with  a  flourish,  then 
both  were  placed  in  a  large  store  box.  One  morning  the  manikin  was  miss- 
ings; burfjlars  had  crawled  through  a  back  window  and  borrowed  it.  The 
doctor  was  in  a  whirl  of  excitement.  All  his  fond  hopes  of  a  summer 
study  had  vanished.  Police!  police!!  Officers  were  notified  of  the  theft, 
and  a  reward  offered.  The  greatest  vigilance  and  the  most  active  search 
availed  nothing.  All  the  doctor  could  do  was  to  mourn  over  his  loss.  "  If 
they  had  only  taken  the  Shakespeare,  but  the  manikin,  my  God!"  A  few 
days  after,  the  lost  was  found  in  the  old  Council  House  with  the  following 
card  tied  to  its  left  ear: 

"  My  dear  Ram — We  are  through  with  the  business,  but  since  your  manikin  has 
been  sleeping  for  the  last  week  with  Russell  Bigelow,  we  consider  its  character  ruin." 

The  burglars  and  the  writer  of  this  note  were  probably  graduates  from 
Brown's  shoe  shop. 

Ramsay  had  a  vain  desire  to  be  gi'eat  or  at  least  rich;  and  conceiving 
the  idea  that  wife  and  family  were  a  hindrance  to  success,  deserted  them — 
leaving  wife  and  two  beautiful  children  forever!  The  poor  woman  was 
heart-broken  over  this  dastardly,  unnatural  act,  for  she  idolized  her  husband. 

Many  years  passed  before  the  whereabouts  of  Ramsay  became  known.  He 
had  gone  to  New  York,  engaged  in  practice  as  a  specialist  in  private  diseases 
and  amassed  a  fortune.  Several  years  ago  he  was  smitten  with  the  charms  of 
a  beautiful  Spanish  lady  who  was  traveling  in  America  with  her  mother.  The 
Doctor,  who  contended  that  love  was  a  humbug,  acknowledged  the  soft  pas- 
sion to  the  Spanish  belle  and  pleaded  for  her  hand.  But  the  belle  hesitated 
with  •'  Si  hay  calculos,  tomense  repetidas  dosis  de  aceite  de  oliva  que  hayan 
pasado;"  which  means  in  English  that  "  the  Ramsay  was  too  entirely  too 
too  d — d  old  for  La  Senora  Ambrosia,"  and  before  her  mother  would  per- 
mit the  surrender  of  her  youthful  beauty  to  the  rich  old  specialist,  he  must 
come  down  with  the  pewter.  An  ante-nuptial  contract  was  made  placing  to 
the  credit  of  the  daughter  $25,000  in  bounds,  with  a  neat  little  clause  in- 
serted, that  on  the  death  of  the  daughter,  bonds  and  their  increase  should 
pass  over  absolutely  into  possession  of  the  mother.  The  marriage  took  place 
and  the  fashionable  watering  places  sparkled  with  their  presence.  It  was 
not  long,  however,  before  the  beautiful  belle  began  to  pine  for  the  sun-lit 
skies  of  her  Spanish  home.  The  bloom  faded  from  her  cheeks,  and  some- 
thing like  a  cough  had  in  it  the  terror  of  a  most  dreaded  disease.  The 
gentle  mother  insisted  that  her  daughter  should  look  upon  her  beloved  Spain 
once  more,  assuring  him  that  it  would  bring  back  the  roses  to  his  bonny 
bride.  Would  he  accompany  them  ?  How  could  he  with  a  practice  on  his 
hands  worth  twenty  thousand  a  year;  so  he  kissed  his  lovely  wife  good-bye 
and  prayed  for  a  speedy  and  safe  return. 

After  a  few  months'  absence  a  telegram  announced  her  death,  and  this 


508  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

was  soon  followed  by  a  fashionably  dressed  corpse,  embalmed  and  hermeti- 
cally sealed  in  an  elegant  and  costly  casket.  The  crystal  front  exposed  a 
profusion  of  flowers  through  which  peeped  the  face  of  a  dead  beauty.  Did 
the  Doctor  recognize  that  loved  and  cherished  face?  Most  assuredly,  al- 
though disease  and  death  had  stripped  it  of  all  its  charms.  His  grief  was 
intense,  and  he  never  recovered  from  it,  iintil  his  Spanish  mother-in-law  de- 
manded her  rights  under  the  marriage  contract — the  $25,000  that  was  set- 
tled upon  her  daughter  with  a  tender  reversion  to  the  mother.  Ramsay 
having  his  suspicions  aroused,  had  the  body  exhumed,  but  as  all  first-class 
Spanish  corpses  look  alike  when  several  months  old  the  examination  was 
everything  but  satisfactory.  Suit  was  commenced  to  establish  a  conspiracy 
and  recover  back  the  money,  and  a  New  York  court  tussled  with  Ramsay 
and  the  mother-in-law  for  several  weeks,  giving  in  at  last  to  the  latter,  who 
pocketed  the  securities  and  left  for  Spain. 

It  was  intimated  that  the  beautiful  La  Belle  I'eturned  from  heaven  by 
way  of  the  Isthmus  as  soon  as  the  125,000  were  secured,  and  is  now  the  wife 
of  a  curled  mustache  who  knows  how  to  handle  the  supple  and  unscrupulous 
stiletto.  Was  the  Doctor  wise?  You  can  smile  that  he  was — vei'y,  very 
wise,  and 'correspondingly  discreet,  in  not  seeking  for  his  wife  in  Spain;  for 
verily,  a  still,  small  voice  became  resonant,  that  it  would  scarcely  be  healthy 
for  Ramsay  to  circulate  in  that  beautiful,  yet  perfidious  Spain,  where  the 
stiletto  secures  what  the  law  oftimes  is  powerless  to  maintain. 

The  wretch  at  last  felt  a  shock  of  the  wrongs  which  shattered  the  hearts 
of  his  little  family  in  Upper  Sandusky;  and  if  full  retribution  has  not 
already  followed,  let  a  fervent  prayer  ascend  that  it  may.  To  conclude  with 
a  benediction,  permit  us  to  add,  that  it  would  cheer  our  way  to  the  tomb, 
and  make  plesant  and  joyful  atrip  up  the  golden  stair,  to  learn  before  start- 
ing, that  the  craven  who  caused  so  much  misery,  was  compelled  to  live  with 
a  heart  full  of  Spanish  holes,  similar  to  the  one  inflicted  by  the  beautiful 
La  Belle. 

TRAGER. 

"Halloo,  Abe,  can  you  shoe  my  horse,  to-day?"  "Well,  don't  know, 
Bill;  Red  Thread  is  here  with  four  turkeys,  which  he  borrowed  from  a  fel- 
low 'cross  the  river,  and  we  are  having  it  red  hot  on  a  raffle  to  see  who  takes 
the  pile.  Come  in.  Bill;  let  your  old  nag  go  a  couple  of  days.  Can't? 
Want  to  go  to  mill?  Out  of  flour?  Well,  get  oif  your  horse  and  take  a 
throw.  I've  got  lots  of  flour,  and  you  can  help  yourself.  And  Tom's  here; 
so  is  Jim,  and  so  is  old  Steve,  drunk  as  a  fiddler's  bycicle.  O,  get  ofif — 
hitch;  what's  the  use  of  being  a  d — n  fool  for  a  little  flour,  when  there's 
bushel's  of  fun  for  five  cents?  Russ.,  you  ugly  old  Ingin,  get  up  and  give 
Bill  a  seat  on  the  anvil."  Allow  the  sketcher  to  introduce  Abe  Trager, 
blacksmith. 

Of  all  the  men  that  ever  lived  in  town,  Abe  Trager  was  the  j oiliest  and 
biggest-hearted.  The  scene  we  introduce  above  has  in  it  an  inference  that 
Trager  was  a  careless  fellow,  more  given  to  trifling  away  his  time  than 
attending  to  the  better  pursuits  of  life,  but  such  was  not  the  case.  While 
Abe  was  full  of  fun,  and  would  sometimes  adjourn  trade  to  join  the  boys 
in  a  harmless  pastime,  no  man  worked  harder  or  had  a  greater  pride  in  look- 
ing after  the  comforts  of  his  family.  His  little  shop  stood  for  years  on 
Main  street,  south  of  the  railroad  half  a  square,  and  on  the  east  side  of  the 
street.  It  was  a  popular  place,  and  few  ever  passed  the  shop  without  hav- 
ing a  word  with  Abe.  He  had  a  call  and  an  answer  for  every  one,  and  if 
you  needed  assistance,  oif  would  go  that  leather  apron  in  an  instant. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  509 

He  was  a  little  uncouth.  You  might  even  have  called  him  rough,  but 
he  had  a  heart  as  tender  as  a  child's.  A  useful  man  was  Trager.  He  was 
at  the  sick  bed  of  every  neighbor,  and  those  large  callous  hands  of  his  were 
offices  of  comfort  in  smoothing  the  pillow  of  restless  heads.  Those  same 
rough  hands,  with  a  tender  touch,  have  closed  the  eyes  of  our  dead  and 
arranged  their  pallid  forms  for  the  last  sad  service. 

Once  at  the  death-bed  of  a  friend,  when  the  poor  wife,  prostrate  with 
grief,  found  relief  in  an  anguish  of  tears,  Trager,  who  was  choking  with 
sobs  and  the  big  tears  running  down  his  cheeks,  said:  "Maggie,  don't  cry 
for  Jim.  I  never  cry.  Now  be  a  man,  Maggie,  and  don't  cry.  See  how 
calm  I  am,  and  I  would  have  bet  my  last  dollar  on  Jim.  The  last  words 
Jim  said,  were:  '  Tell  Maggie  not  to  cry;'  ''  and  here  the  great  heart  broke 
down  entirely  with  the  impulses  of  his  tender  nature.  Recovering  suffi- 
ciently to  look  upon  his  dead  friend,  he  muttered  half  soliloquising,  and 
half  in  the  direction  of  the  bereaved  wife,  to  stimulate  her  with  words  of 
solace:  That  poor  Jim  was  his  best  friend;  that  he  had  pitched  horse-shoes 
with  him  a  thousand  times;  that  Jim  never  would  cheat  nor  go  back  on  a 
saw-off;  and  while  old  Steve  and  Red  Thread,  and  even  young  Frank  would 
try  to  get  the  better  of  him  on  a  side  flip,  Jim  always  toed  the  mark  and  bought 
his  pitcher  of  cider  like  a  little  man.  And.  Maggie,  I  was  talking  to  Jim 
a  short  time  before  he  died,  and  he  said  he  was  going  home,  and  that  death 
had  no  terror,  if  it  wasn't  for  leaving  his  darling  wife;  and  says  he,  "will 
you  look  after  Maggie  some,  when  its  cold,  Abe;  when  the  flour's  low;  and 
if  the  poor  thing  gets  sick,  will  you,  Abe?"  And  then  he  smiled  and  point- 
ing upward,  said:  "Its  there,  Abe;  a  star  is  shining,  oh,  so  bright;  and  a 
little  hand  beckons  me  toward  its  beautiful  light.  Two  little  wings  peep 
from  under  that  star,  and  a  bright,  sweet  face!  It  is  my  child,  Abe;  the 
darling  boy  who  left  us  years  ago!  He's  there,  Abe.  waiting  and  watch- 
ing— waiting  and  watching!  Tell  Maggie  we'll  wait  for  her,  where  there's 
no  death,  and  where  the  star  shines. "  Another  peaceful  smile  and  another 
hand  reaching  for  the  bright  light  and  Jim  was  with  his  child.  This 
glimpse  of  the  immortal  was  a  bow  of  promise  to  the  stricken  wife.  If 
poor  Jim  could  not  stay  with  her,  he  could  clasp  to  his  breast  their  darling 
boy,  and  she  could  go  to  them — to  Jim  and  her  darling — where  there  is  no 
death,  and  where  the  star  shines.  And  old  Abe  was  sitting  astride  a  chair, 
with  his  chin  resting  upon  its  back,  wiping  the  moisture  from  his  eyes,  and 
assuring  Maggie  that  he  never  shed  a  tear  in  his  life,  and  if  she  would 
cheer  up  he  would  tell  her  the  biggest  joke  on  his  old  woman  she  ever  heard. 
"And  Jim  was  with  me,  Maggie,  and  didn't  he  enjoy  it?  He  said  it  was  as 
good  as  getting  married,  and  you  know  he  always  said  that  when  he  was 
extra  pleased.  Ain't  that  so  Jim?  "  In  a  moment  unmindful  of  the  scene 
of  death,  old  Abe  had  turned  to  the  pallid  features  of  his  dead  friend  for 
the  playful  response  that  in  life  was  so  much  a  part  of  his  nature,  and 
again  wiping  the  big  tears  from  his  eyes,  muttered  in  broken  sobs:  "  I  did, 
Maggie,  yes,  I  did — I — I — forgot  poor  Jim  was  dead;  but  don't  cry;  see 
how  calm  I  am,  and  I  loved  Jim  dearer  than  a  brother.  He  was  just  boss 
on  a  chicken  roast,  and  one  Saturday  afternoon,  my  old  woman  killed  two 
lovely  chicks,  fat  as  coons,  filled  'em  with  stuffin'  and  laid  'em  on  the  milk 
house  to  sweat.  She  was  expecting  the  preacher  next  day,  and  when  she 
has  preacher  on  the  brain  for  dinnei',  old  Abe  has  to  go  on  short  allowance; 
so  1  thought  I  would  hold  a  full  hand  on  those  chickens.  I  told  Jim  to 
meet  me  at  Chaffee's  mill,  and  we'd^  roast  'em  at  the  coal  pit,  and  didn't 
we?  You  ought  to  have  seen  Jim  go  for  that  spotted  hen.     He  just  made  it 


510  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

in  ten  minutes  and  was  still  hunofry.  He's  the  last  fellow  I  ever  thought 
would  die,  while  so  many  chickens  were  running  around  loose.  He  said 
he'd  take  the  breast  bone  home  and  try  luck  with  Maggie.  I  didn't  take 
mine  home.  I  knew  there  would  be  no  luck  for  me  if  I  did;  so  I  spent  the 
balance  of  the  day  at  the  coal  pit.  In  the  evening  I  went  home  and  told 
mother  I  never  was  so  hungry  since  I  had  the  measles;  and  if  she  had  a 
piece  of  chicken  left  I  would  take  a  leg  or  two;  and  then  you  ought  to  have 
seen  that  old  gal  git  up  and  dust!  She  just  opened  her  mouth  and  screamed, 
'It  was  yoa  who  stole  my  chickens,  I  know  it  was.  Oh,  Abe,  Abe,  how 
could  you  be  so  cruel?'  'Why  woman  have  you  been  to  the  mourner's 
bench,  that  you've  got  it  so  bad?  What  about  chickens?  I  just  left  old 
Ponder  and  he  was  swearing  about  snakes!  Now  its  chickens!  Never  heard 
that  it  was  chickens  before.  Mother,  that  current  wine  is  entirely  too 
strong,  but  I'd  rather  have  it  chickens  than  snakes;  but  what  about  your 
blamed  poultry  any  how?  Its  a  sad  thing  that  the  father  of  this  family  can't 
have  at  least  a  wing  to  gnaw  at,  after  a  hard  day's  work  at  burning  charcoal. 
Gave  it  all  to  Tabler,  eh?  Well,  all  right,  mother,  dish  up  those  cold  pota- 
toes and  second-hand  onions.  Haven't  touched  a  morsel  since  morning.' 
But  she  kept  on  yelling,  'where's  my  chickens,  you  old  wretch?'  'Well, 
chickens  again',  said  I,  'don't  it  beat  h — 1.  Sis,  go  down  and  tell  Dock 
Mason  to  come  up  and  look  at  your  mother's  tongue,  for  I  don't  like  this 
chicken  business  a  bit;  the  next  thing  we  know  it  will  be  snakes,  then  good- 
bye, Eliza  Jane!  Chickens!  Me  take  your  chickens!  Why,  gorolmighty, 
mother,  did  you  ever  know  a  blacksmith  to  steal  chickens  while  tiring  a  coal 
pit?  Bet  your  life  Russ  Bigelow  has  taken  those  chickens,  and  I'll  go  right 
down  to  the  shop  and  look  after  the  bones.  If  I  can't  find  bones,  I'll  weigh 
the  Ingin,  and  if  he  pulls  down  ten  pounds  more  than  usual,  he's  got  'em,' 
and  I'll  whale  the  whisky  out  of  him.'  'So  it  wasn't  you  then,  Abe?* 
'No,  darling;  I  ain't  that  kind  of  a  shanghai.  I  would't  eat  a  chicken 
at  no  coal  pit;  neither  would  Jim;  and  Frank  Tripp  vrill  cross  his  breast 
and  tell  jou,  that  when  I'm  firing  a  coal  pit,  I  hate  the  sight  of  chickens; 
for  the  Scriptures  say,  when  your  burning  charcoal  on  Sunday,  eat  nothing 
but  old  Chaffee's  roasting  ears. '  " 

In  the  foregoing  is  indicated  the  nature  of  good  old  Abe  Trager,  who 
was  the  life  of  our  town  in  early  days.  Many  of  our  older  citizens  will  re- 
member him  with  emotions  of  pleasure  and  recall  to  mind  the  incidents  we 
have  related;  or  many  so  strikinglv  similar,  that  thev  will  say,  ''yes,  that's 
Abe." 

Our  esteemed  and  respected  fellow-citizen,  Frank  Tripp,  Sr.,  commenced 
learning  his  trade  with  honest  old  Abe,  and  can,  no  doubt,  give  many  en- 
tertaining accounts  of  his  humorous  side.  About  twenty-five  years  ago, 
Trager  and  his  family  removed  to  Iowa,  and  we  understand  he  is  still  liv- 
ing; if  he  is,  he  is  one  of  the  men  we  would  travel  a  hundred  miles  on  foot 
to  see. 

AMIDELPHIAN. 

The  two  Latin  scholars  we  had — an  Irish  schoolmaster  and  an  old  French 
doctor— were  struck  with  the  euphony  of  this  high-sounding  word,  and  flew 
to  Webster's  Unabridged  for  consolation;  but  Squire  Webster  failing  to  an- 
ticipate the  intellectual  grasp  which  made  the  title  of  Amidelphian  possible, 
contented  himself  with  "  Delphian,"  and  left  poor  Ami  out  in  the  cold. 
W^here  Ami  could  have  been  when  Noah  was  getting  up  his  interesting  cat- 
alogue, was  suggested  during  the  controversy  by  one  of  our  literati,  who  said 
he  didn't  know,  but  thought  the  Ami  we  weie  looking  for  might  be  found  in 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  511 

Chicago  picking  rags.  One  or  two  crossed-eyed  imbibers  of  belles-lettres  just 
squatted  on  their  knees  and  held  their  sides,  when  a  flaming  poster  announced 
that  "the  Amidelphian  Society  of  Upper  Sandusky  would  jerk  dramatic  thunder 
from  a  grand  old  English  Tragedy,  which  had  charmed  as  well  as  thrilled  the 
crown-heads  of  three  or  four  dozen  continents,"  or  words  to  that  effect. 
Meantime,  while  the  critics  were  making  merry  over  a  name  that  was  ap- 
parently without  name,  because  lexicographers  had  failed  to  find  fair  Ami 
among  the  Latin  I'oots  and  Greek  derivatives  in  time  for  the  approaching 
exhibition,  the  amateur  histrionic  talent  of  Upper  Sandusky  were  sweating 
at  rehearsal  for  the  gi*and  debut  that  was  to  take  place  in  Ayres'  Big  Brick. 
Capt.  Ayres  had  just  erected  the  brick  block  which  now  stands  opposite  the 
court  house,  and  it  was  in  this  building,  before  completed,  that  the  Amidel- 
phian Society  spread  its  wings  for  fame. 

The  play  selected  was  an  English  standard,  entitled  "Young  Norval," 
and  the  several  characters  were  assumed  by  Miss  Mattie  Ayres,  Miss  Rumina 
Ayres,  Miss  Cal.  Doolittle,  Isaac  Newton  Ayres,  Frank  Hub?r,  Wean  Beals, 
Howell  Morrison,  Charles  Bagley,  Charles  Robins  and  the  Sketcher.  Scenic 
designer  and  toucher-off  of  calcium  lights,  Prof.  Mikado,  on  a  visit  from 
Tiffin.  Music  by  the  band,  which  M^as  composed  of  William  Ayres,  Deacon 
McGill  and  James  G.  Roberts.  And  couldn't  they  play.  We  shall  never 
hear  their  like  again.  Ayres  was  all  melody;  Deacon  came  in  with  his  soul- 
stirring  "  Bear's  Trot,"  and  Roberts  with  that  clarionet  filled  you  with  feel- 
ings that  drew  forth  glimpses  of  the  gates  ajar.  Col.  Jont.  Ayres  lent  his 
able  assistance  in  arranging  the  play,  and  the  programmes  were  printed 
by  an  imp  who  scoured  tails  in  the  old  Pioneer  office. 

On  the  opening  night  the  house  was  packed;  a  dozen  yards  of  calico 
rolled  up  and  the  play  commenced.  The  scene  unfolded  was  one  never  to 
be  forgotten.  It  was  the  grand  audience  room  of  a  King,  in  which  a  flour- 
barrel  painted  yellow  formed  T.he  throne,  and  a  circle  of  tin  the  insignia  of 
royalty.  The  assemblage  was  spell-bound  with  admiration,  and  the  play 
moved  on.  At  last  the  stellar  attraction  waltzed  in,  and  came  very  nearly 
landing  on  his  ear,  but  struck  an  attitude  before  the  King  and  yelled: 

"  Me  name  is  Norvnl,  on  the  Grain-pian  hills 

Me  fa-ther  feeds  his  flock — a  fru-gi-al  swain, 
.     Whose  only  care  was  to  pr  )tect  his  herd, 
And  keep  his  unly  boy.  myself,  at  home, 
To  run  the  peanut  ?tand. 
But  I  had  hi'ard  of  battles,  and  y^  u  bet, 
I  stole  a  doUnr  frou  the  old  man  and  left; 
And  if  you  want  anything  out  of  me,  old  rooster. 
Just  come  down  out  of  that  flour-barrel  " 

Young  Norval,  who  represented  a  Scottish  peasant,  was  in  reality  a 
changeling  and  the  heir  of  a  king;  hence  he  was  dressed  in  a  waist  of  blue 
paper  muslin,  with  pantaloons  to  match.  He  looked  lovely  in  low  neck 
and  short  sleeves,  and  the  brass  ring  borrowed  for  his  left  hand  com- 
pleted the  costume.  He  just  felt  big  enough  to  square  himself  at  Edwin 
Forest,  but  he  didn't.  The  rest  of  the  company  looked  handsome  in  con- 
ventional dramatics,  and  carried  off  the  applause  and  several  baskets  of 
bouquets,  which  were  thrown  upon  the  stage  by  fellows  in  the  pit.  whom 
Col.  Jont.  Ayres  had  hired  for  the  occasion. 

Miss  Mattie  Ayres,  a  very  beautiful  and  accomplished  young  lady,  and 
a  great  favorite  with  our  people,  impersonated  Lady  Montague  with  rare 
ability,  and  won  the  honors  of  the  society. 

Miss  Rumina  Ayres  was  another  brilliant  young  lady,  who  exhibited  re- 


512  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

markable  histrionic  talent.  She  is  now  the  wife  of  Hon.  John  McClure,  of 
Little  Rock,  Ark.,  and  one  of  the  most  accomplished  ladies  in  the  South. 

There's  a  young  man  in  town  who  revels  in  the  tragic  name  of  Frank 
Edwin,  whom  many  of  our  people  have  seen  fit  to  compliment  for  rare  tal- 
ent in  a  dramatic  way,  but  he  "wasn't  a  patching"  to  his  illustrious  sire 
as  the  noble  Young  Norval  of  early  days,  in  low  neck  and  short  sleeves. 

The  Amidelphians  repeated  their  tragedy  to  another  crowded  house,  and 
then  disbanded.  Only  two  of  that  remarkable  society  remain  as  citizens  of 
Upper  Sandusky.  The  others  are  scattered — several  of  them  sleeping  the 
sleep  that  knows  no  waking. 

Of  the  orchestra,  William  Ayres  and  Deacon  McGill  have  passed  over 
the  river,  leaving  behind  the  tenderest  feelings  of  respect.  Mr.  Roberts 
is  still  here,  and  one  of  our  honored  and  amiable  citizens.  Does  he  still 
play  the  clarionet?  Well,  no — he's  entirely  too  healthy.  Years  ago  he  gave 
his  clarionet  to  Maj.  Sears,  and  this  loved  instrument,  together  with  the 
Bible  kissed  by  our  sons  of  Malta,  and  a  Confederate  dollar  bill,  are  resting 
in  the  Major's  museum  as  relics  of  by-gone  glory.  And  Col.  Ayres — grand 
and  glorious  Jont. ;  he  never  gets  an  hour  older,  and  is  still  the  genial  and 
lively  gentleman  he  was  forty  years  ago — always  ready  to  get  up  a  dance, 
or  take  his  place  behind  the  scenes. 

Callie  Doolittle,  a  charming  girl,  is  now  out  West,  happily  married  to 
a  prosperous  Yankee  by  the  name  of  O'Brien,  and  the  mother  of  several 
beautiful  children. 

Isaac  Newton  Ayres,  one  of  the  brightest  young  men  Upper  Sandusky 
ever  produced,  died  in  the  bloom  of  manhood,  when  his  paths  were  full  of 
promise,  and  his  sacred  dust  now  lies  in  a  distant  State,  where  the  troubled 
Missouri,  in  its  onward  flow  to  the  Gulf,  sings  a  requiem  for  the  departed. 

Frank  Huber,  another  brilliant  fellow,  always  sparkling  with  wit 
and  the  life  of  his  young  circle,  met  death  at  an  early  age  and  was  con- 
quered. And  so  of  poor  Howell  Morrison,  who  lived  but  a  short  year  to 
survive  the  glory  of  Amidelphian  honors.  Wean  Beals  always  good-look- 
ing and  the  Beau  Brummel  of  those  times,  is  a  distinguished  politician  in 
Indiana,  making  his  residence  at  Bourbon.  A  Whig  then,  was  Wean;  but 
now  a  Democrat  and  a  prominent  county  official. 

And  Charley  Bagley — good  old-fashioned  Charley  Bagley — with  almost 
the  brains  of  Webster  and  the  genius  of  Franklin,  it  remained  for  him — 
Bagley-  -to  go  through  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  life,  and  to  find  hap- 
piness in  being  much  married  and  the  father  of  a  numerous  family.  He 
went  to  Carlo,  III.,  where  the  rivers  meet,  and  where  mosquitoes  blockade 
that  American  delta  against  the  tide  of  emigration;  but  as  Charley  was 
mosquito-proof,  he  got  fat  on  turtle  soup  and  married  a  widow  with  six 
children.  The  lapse  of  a  single  decade  brought  him  a  half  dozen  more; 
and  then  death  threw  its  pall  over  his  cherished  wife.  In  this  bereavement  we 
can  see  that  great  sympathetic  heart  wrung  almost  to  the  verge  of  suicide, 
but  like  all  other  widowers,  he  waltzed  around  with  a  crape  on  his  hat,  until 
he  found  an  old  maid  who  was  willing  to  mother  a  lot  of  secondhand  chil- 
dren with  the  prospect  of  adding  to  the  stock  as  years  advanced.  This  last 
enterprise  yielded  six  more  Bagleys — my  God!  Charley  still  lives,  and  a 
year  ago,  he  sent  the  sketcher  a  photograph  of  himself  and  family,  and  says 
he,  "  dear  Bob,  I  would  have  sent  this  months  ago,  but  I  was  waiting 
for  the  eighteenth!  Observe  how  sweetly  my  little  Ami  toys  with  her  pet 
alligator,  while  Delphian  is  tugging  at  its  tail;  and  that  two  hundred- 
pounder  on  the  left,  with  the  bronze  jewelry,  is  named   'Mattie,'  in  honor 


a^ 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  515 

of  our  favorite,  the  gifted  and  accomplished  '  Lady  Montague  '  of  our  young- 

©1*  ClRVS. 

Of  the  Amidelphian   Society,  only   two  remain  in    Upper    Sandusky— 
grandmother  and  the  gray-headod  tiddler. 

THE    EXODUS. 

In  1848,  the  news  came  from  the  newly  discovered  El  Dorado,  that 
mountains  of  silver  and  valleys  ot  gold  were  lying  around  loose,  and  that 
anybody  with  a  mule  and  cart  and  a  barrel  of  whisky  could  become  a  mil- 
lionaire in  a  few  days.  All  he  had  to  do  was  to  treat  the  natives,  and  haul 
away  the  metal.  A  few  nuggets  of  gold  were  shown  to  our  citizens  by  a 
fellow  who  strutted  our  streets  with  a  watch  chain  made  of  grizzly  teeth, 
and  that  settled  it.  Bill  Giles  offered  to  sell  or  give  away  his  printinc^ 
office;  old  Andy  Mcllvain  pulled  down  the  blinds  of  the  only  aristocratic 
hotel  we  had;  and  other  of  our  people  refused  their  usual  meals  and  tossed 
their  better  halves  out  of  bed  in  wrestling  with  nightmares  that  were  drop- 
ping down  upon  them  whole  tons  of  precious  gold.  They  had  it  bad,  and 
soon  a  party  was  formed  to  cross  the  plains.  Bill  Giles  loaned  the  Pioneer 
office  to  his  brother,  Lige  and  Josiah  Smith,  and  donned  the  dress  and 
accouterments  of  a  fighting  guerrilla.  He  had  Deacon  McGill  forge  him 
three  or  four  bowie  knives  out  of  rat-tail  files,  and  with  a  revolutionary 
musket  and  a  pocket  cannon  he  announced  his  readiness  to  drive  an  ox-team 
or  do  the  cooking  on  buffalo  chips.  Old  Andy  Mcllvain  wrapped  himself  in 
a  blanket  and  said  he  was  ready  to  ride  in  that  ox- team  and  demolish  the 
provender.  Also  waiting  to  join  the  caravan  were  Col.  Aaron  Lyle,  Will- 
iam Mcllvain,  Swayne  Mcllvain  and  several  others  whose  names  we  cannot 
call  to  mind,  including  a  sprightly  nigger,  named  Buck,  who  had  been  raised 
by  the  Garrets.  This  Buck,  with  the  strength  of  Hercules,  was  active  as  a 
cat,  and  as  saucy  as  he  was  active.  A  short  distance  out  on  the  plains  Buck 
was  found  with  a  hole  through  his  head,  and  consequently  it  was  supposed 
that  he  died  suddenly  for  want  of  breath,  but  as  it  was  only  one  nigger  less 
for  grizzly  feed,  the  party  moved  on.  Before  the  plains  were  overcome, 
poor  Bill  Mcllvain,  and  that  large  generous  hearted  fellow.  Col.  Lyle,  who 
was  seeking  health  instead  of  gold,  surrendered  to  the  pale  horse  and 
his  rider,  and  left  their  bones  on  the  desert  wastes  of  the  Great  West. 

Bill  Mcllvain  was  a  promising  young  man,  about  to  enter  the  law,  but 
a  blighted  love  for  one  who  also  felt  the  bitterness  of  the  shock,  made  him 
reckless  to  do  and  dare,  and  his  sad  fate  was  more  the  result  of  piercintr 
heart-throbs  than  the  wreck  of  health  from  exposure.  ° 

Col.  Lyle  was  a  brilliant  young  lawyer,  who  came  here  from  Lancaster, 
Ohio,  with  the  Beerys;  his  long  and  severe  application  while  a  student  had 
impaired  his  health,  and  the  hectic  flush  that  mingled  with  his  smiles  and 
good  humor,  was  a  warning  which  thrilled  his  friends  with  the  gravest 
apprehensions.  It  was  death  to  remain;  an  overland  trip  might  revive  a 
shattered  constitution,  and  still  make  life  the  dream  of  his  ambition;  but 
hope  m  its  struggle  with  disease  soon  ended  in  the  death  of  that  grand, 
good  fellow,  who  was  loved  and  esteemed  by  all  our  citizens. 

Swayne  Mcllvain,  after  an  experience  of  several  weeks  on  the  plains,  got 
scared  at  a  moccasin  track,  and  took  the  first  balloon  for  Sandusky. 
He  denied  the  soft  impeachment,  giving  as  a  reason  for  his  sudden  re- 
appearance, "that  father  thought  he  had  better  go  home  and  prepare  a  cave 
or  two  for  the  nuggets." 

Of  the  party,  Bill  Giles  and  old  Andy  Mcllvain  drove  their  ox-team  in 


516  .  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

sight  of  the  Pacific,  and  ordered  the  natives  to  bring  out  their  gold  dast  if 
they  wanted  it  panned  out. 

McTlvain,  who  had  never  done  anything  in  his  life  but  bow  ta 
fellow-citizens  from  a  hotel  door,  commencing  at  the  American  in  Colum- 
bus, and  ending  with  a  hoiise  at  Upper  Sandusky,  didn't  believe  in  exer- 
cising the  pick  and  shovel;  but  he  would  go  into  a  hay  speculation  with 
Bill  Giles,  and  he  did.  Andy  got  the  profits,  and  Bill  got  the  hay.  Bill 
has  still  some  of  that  crop  on  hand,  and  will  get  up  on  a  fence  and  swear 
till  the  sulphur  oozes  down  into  his  boots  every  time  he  passes  a  hay  stack. 
After  Bill  had  killed  his  Ingin,  fought  a  grizzly,  and  started  and  published 
two  papers  in  California,  he  returned  to  Upper  Sandusky  and  resumed  pub- 
lication of  the  Pioneer. 

Others,  from  time  to  time,  left  for  the  Golden  State,  among  them  our 
genial  and  popular  friend,  William  Bearinger.  During  the  first  excite- 
ment Mr.  Bearinger  had  no  idea  of  leaving  his  then  prosperous  business 
for  allurements  in  the  apparent  verdure  of  far-off  hills,  but  a  dream  unset- 
tled his  mind.  He  dreamed  that  he  was  in  the  heart  of  the  Rockies,  and 
was  moving  along  gracefully  on  a  pair  of  six-foot  'snow  shoes,  when  all  at 
once  he  came  to  a  very  stylish  and  fashionable  gulch.  He  looked  over  the 
declivity  and  saw  that  he  could  slide  down  with  comparative  ease,  and  he 
did.  At  the  bottom  there  was  a  lump  of  gold  that  he  could  just  raise  a  lit- 
tle by  straining  several  of  his  left  ribs,  and  he  gave  them  a  twist.  To 
carry  it  up  the  incline  on  snow  shoes  was  impossible,  and  in  the  act  of 
shouting  for  help,  he  woke  up.  He  could  still  see,  however,  the  beautiful 
gulch,  the  huge  lump  of  gold  at  its  bottom,  and  the  trees  all  around  which 
he  had  blazed  to  mark  the  spot.  He  goes  to  Dr.  McConnell,  tells  him  his 
dream,  and  asks  for  advice.  "  Go,  by  all  means,  sir,"  said  the  doctor,  "ex- 
amine every  hole  in  the  Rockies;  be  sure  you  don't  miss  a  gulch;  go  sir, 
for  if  you  don't,  that  lump  of  gold  will  haunt  you  forever."  So  William 
started  for  the  golden  shore  by  way  of  the  gulches,  and  found  the  identical 
spot  that  appeared  to  him  in  his  dream.  In  a  year  or  two  he  returned  well 
pleased  over  his  trip,  with  a  sly  wink  that  it  had  been  agreeably  successful. 
Everybody  thought  he  had  that  gold  lump,  and  they  would  examine  his 
left  ribs  to  see  if  they  were  in  a  twist  from  heavy  lifting,  and  would  scratch 
around  his  shop  at  night  to  see  where  he  had  hid  it,  and  would  try  to 
call  William  out  on  heavy  articles;  about  how  miich  a  man  could  lift  you 
know,  without  affecting  the  lower  part  of  his  thorax,  and  how  much  he 
couldn't,  perhaps;  and  one  fellow  would  swfear  that  no  hunk  of  gold  that 
ever  was  born  would  weigh  200  pounds;  and  that  he  would  like  to  see  the 
chunk  of  gold  that  he  couldn't  hold  out  at  arm's  length,  and  he  would  bet 
William  $50  that  California  wasn't  much  of  a  place  for  big  lumps  of  gold 
anyhow,  and  he  never  would  believe  some  of  them  stories  until  he  saw  the 
nuggets."  And  then  William  would  smile  so  aggravatingly,  and  tell  the 
Vjoys  "  to  not  be  in  a  hurry — 'twasn't  late  yet,"  and  then  he  would  go  to  the 
shop  window,  and  look  out  uneasily,  as  if  he  had  something  hid  near  the 
bark  pile,  while  the  boys  would  shy  around  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence 
and  look  for  fresh  dirt.  So  whether  William's  dream  was  ever  realized  is 
not  known  to  this  day.  One  thing  is  certain,  he  has  never  been  out  of 
humor  since  he  returned  from  California,  and  the  sketcher  still  thinks  that 
William  found  that  monster  nugget;  that  he  has  it  hidden  under  some  barn, 
and  as  soon  as  two  or  three  more  of  our  old  fellows  die,  he'll  dig  it  out  and 
buy  the  town. 

[Note. — These  sketches  will  embrace  a  full  expose  of  the  Sons  of  Malta, 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  517 

with  amusing  scenes  connected  with  the  initiation  of  Hon.  R.  McKelly, 
James  G.  Roberts,  Col.  S.  H.  Hunt,  Gen.  Kirby,  Dr.  Henderson,  Dr.  J.  M. 
Rhoads,  William  Marlow,  and  other  prominent  parties,  and  will  particularly 
indicate  at  what  point  in  the  ceremony  these  gentlemen  were  unable  to 
"  hold  their  oats. "  Rich  ?  Well,  you  can  just  bet.  Nothing  but  a  thous- 
and dollar  check  will  prevent  the  calamity.] 

JOHN    N.   EEED. 

A  pleasing  character  of  our  olden  times  was  John  N.  Reed.  He  was  ona 
of  the  men  designed  by  nature  to  be  accommodating.  Nothing  pleased  John 
N.  so  well  as  to  render  his  neighbor  a  service.  He  was  truly  a  good  old 
man,  living  one  day  with  the  hope  of  existing  the  next;  looking  upon  futur- 
ity as  so  much  space  to  enjoy  life,  and  picking  up  what  little  jobs  of  paint- 
ing that  were  strewed  along  his  eventful  pathway.  John  N.  always  wore  a 
smile  upon  his  face,  unless  a  tender  chord  of  sympathy  was  touched,  and 
then  a  tear  would  glisten  in  that  benevolent  eye,  weeping  for  every  misfort- 
une but  his  own.  He  filled  his  circle  of  usefulness  well,  but  gained  little 
beyond  the  pleasure  it  afforded  him.  God  made  this  class  of  men,  and  it 
was  part  of  His  infinite  wisdom. 

At  the  sick  bed  he  was  a  ministering  angel,  rich  in  words  of  encourage- 
ment, with  the  tender  care  of  a  mother's  gentle  hand.  He  sought  no  reward 
in  caring  for  those  who  found  comfort  in  his  presence,  and  when  death  came, 
his  big  heart  would  share  in  the  distress  of  bereaved  friends.  The  world 
may  have  called  John  N.  a  thriftless  fellow,  but  how  barren  it  would  be  of 
kindly  offices  if  such  men  did  not  exist.  It  takes  a  variety  of  people  to  form 
a  world,  and  if  the  John  N.'s  had  never  risen  to  the  surface,  Earth,  with  all 
its  Solomons  and  its  several  Cleopatras,  would  have  been  a  failure. 

John  N.  dropped  into  Upper  Sandusky  from  Columbiana  County,  and 
had  the  honor  of  kicking  out  of  his  paint  shop  Gen.  Morgan  and  Clement 
L.  Vallandigham;  for,  although  John  was  goodness  itself,  he  would  some- 
times get  mad  when  the  little  Morgans  and  Vallandighams  would  steal  his 
putty  to  make  marbles,  sprinkle  sand  in  his  paint,  and  put  a  bur  in  his  pan- 
taloons where  it  would  scratch  the  most  good.  But  notwithstanding  all  this, 
John  N.  would  frequently  say  that  George  and  Val.  were  the  brightest  little 
fellows  he  ever  saw,  always  sleeping  with  one  eye  open  to  study  up  some 
devilment. 

As  John  N.  and  Bill  Giles  were  from  the  same  town,  and  as  Bill  was 
another  of  the  bad  little  boys  who  assisted  George  and  Val.  in  their  depre- 
dations against  the  paint  shop,  the  Pioneer  office  was  John  N.'s  usual  place 
of  resort,  and  he  and  Bill  would  have  it  for  hours  in  discussing  old  times. 
Bill  couldn't  think  of,  speak  of,  or  suggest  anything  about  New  Li.sbon  or 
its  people  that  wasn't  perfectly  familiar  to  John  N.  He  was  right  on  the 
spot  when  all  the  interesting  incidents  occurred,  and  helped  to  lay  out  the 
wounded,  so  to  speak,  if  any  laying  out  were  necessary  as  a  part  of  the  re- 
cital. And  when  Bill  inquired  if  he  remembered  the  time  when  Lafayette 
quartered  his  troops  on  the  common  south  of  town,  John  N.  was  in  raptures. 
"Didn't  he?  Oh,  William,  how  you  do  revive  old  memories!  Can  I  ever 
forget  it!  Did  you  never  hear  of  me  and  Lafe  going  across  the  bridge  to 
old  Kate's,  and  whipping  an  Englishman  with  a  wart  on  his  nose  for  calling 
Gen.  Washington  a  coward?"  "Washington  a  coward,"  says  I,  "  who  fit 
the  battle  of  Waterloo?  And  with  that  I  knocked  the  Englishman  into 
fragments;  and  the  last  I  saw  of  Lafe,  he  was  sweeping  up  the  pieces  for 
dog  feed.      Yes,  William,  I  was  a  pretty    active   young   man — a  good  deal 


518  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

like  my  Jimmie,  when  climbing  for  coons,  or  skirmishing  at  a  primary 
election." 

John  N,  was  at  one  time  our  honored  coroner.  He  presided  with  tlie 
dignity  of  true  Statesmanship;  and  when  a  dead  body  was  found,  with  the 
glamour  of  violence  casting  its  witchery  over  the  ghastly  sight,  John  N. 
was  among  the  stars,  surrounded  by  a  halo  of  hallelujahs,  with  angelic 
wings  sprouting  out  from  all  parts  of  his  body.  Old,  old  was  John,  but  a 
stiff  unknown  in  death,  with  the  mystery  of  terrible  incidents,  threw  over 
him  the  enchanting  spell  of  active  youth,  and  he  was  everywhere  in  a  minute, 
commanding  reverence  and  consideration  in  the  name  of  the  law! 

One  beautiful  Sabbath  morning,  the  news  came  that  a  child  was  found 
in  the  river,  toying  with  the  ripples,  a  ghastly  corpse!  This  intelligence 
illumined  the  serene  countenance  of  the  old  coroner,  and  before  his  toilet 
was  made,  he  was  at  the  banks  of  the  Lower  Ford,  peering  into  its  crystal 
depths  for  the  misery  which  sprinkles  life  with  so  many  sorrowful  accounts. 
He  saw  it — a  dead  babe!  Very  small,  thought  the  Coroner,  yet  large  enough 
to  contain  a  human  soul!  It  had  scarcely  caught  a  gleam  of  the  beautiful 
sunlight,  ere  the  pallor  of  death  unfolded  the  glimpses  of  another  world. 
"  Oh,  a  beautiful  babe,"  said  the  Coroner,  "and  must  I,  must  I,  in  my  old 
age,  d — n  these  careless  girls,  who  steal  into  the  balmy  air  at  night  to  feast 
upon  the  deceptive  watermelon."  He  gloated  over  the  beautiful  lineaments 
of  the  miniature  corpse,  as  it  glinted  in  the  ripples  and  sunbeams,  deplor- 
ing the  depravity  of  human  nature  when  misfortune  overtakes  the  wayward, 
every  now  and  then  casting  a  suspicious  glance  over  the  crowd  of  men  to  see  if 
he  co\ild  detect  a  resemblance.  Presently,  the  dead  remains  were  fished  to 
shore  under  the  artistic  skill  of  the  old  Coroner.  His  delight  was  only  equaled 
by  his  enthusiasm;  and  when  some  one  suggested  that  it  was  hairy  and  very 
like  a  cat,  his  indignation  knew  no  bounds.  You  could  see  by  the  beads  of 
sweat  that  scintillated  with  prismatic  power  from  his  anxious  and  agitated 
brow  that  he  was  suffering  the  pangs  of  a  terrible  disappointment,  but  be- 
fore he  would  give  in,  he  appealed  to  the  boys  to  look  around  among  the 
bushes  for  a  fur-coated  Australian  belle,  who  had  broken  loose  from  a  side- 
show, and  put  in  the  balance  of  the  season  in  fooling  around  a  camp-meet- 
ing. By  this  time,  it  was  very  apparent  that  the  corpse  was  an  unfortunate 
Maltese  of  tender  growth  which  rude  hands  had  cast  into  the  river.  For 
many  days  after,  the  boys  would  mew  at  the  Coroner,  but  the  graceful  old 
man  bore  it  all  with  the  resignation^of  a  martyr,  frequently  inviting  them  to 
the  Blue  Hall  Corner  for  refreshments. 

The  old  man,  however,  never  fully  recovered  from  this  cat-astrophy,  and 
it  was  ever  after  one  of  the  clouds  which  shrouded  his  usual  happy  disposi- 
tion. 

In  addition  to  being  Coroner,  he  held  for  years  the  position  of  court- 
crier,  and  took  a  pleasurable  delight  in  calling  that  body  to  order.  It  was 
generally  in  a  sonorous  voice  of  great  volume:  "Hear  he,  hear  ye,  hear 
ye,  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  is  now  in  session.  Those  who  have  causes 
to  present,  will  now  come  forwai'd  and  present  them,  and  defendants  must 
be  in  readiness  at  the  call  of  the  Judge.  Lawyers  may  try  their  good- 
looking  divorce  cases  in  the  back  room.  At  a  pleasant  wink,  Col.  Kirby 
will  vacate  the  office  and  go  across  the  street  to  see  a  man." 

John  N.  would  do  without  his  meals  most  any  time  to  be  on  hand  to 
open  and  close  the  sessions  of  court.  The  position  seemed  to  exalt  his  na- 
ture, and  to  miss  one  of  these  opportunities  was  to  him  a  source  of  the  deep- 
est distress.     One  afternoon  when   the  old  gentleman  was  enjoying   a  com- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  519 

fortable  snooze,  and  the  court  and  counsel  were  busily  engaged  in  consider- 
ing an  interesting  point  in  evidence,  a  wag  tapped  John  N.  on  the  i^houlder 
and  told  him  it  was  time  to  adjourn  court.  He  immediately  sprang  to  his 
feet,  and  rubbing  his  eyes,  yelled  at  the  top  of  his  voice  "Hear  ye,  hear 
ye,  hear  ye,  the  covirt" — bat  the  balance  of  the  cry  was  lost  in  an  outburst 
of  laughter  in  which  the  court  and  bar  joined  with  a  hearty  zest.  It  was 
the  most  mortifying  blow  that  ever  befell  John  N.,  and  it  took  him  four 
hours  to  explain  to  Judge  Bo  wen  the  cause  of  his  drowsiness  and  at  what 
particular  point  in  his  dream  the  impudent  fellow  tapped  him  u.pon  the 
shoulder.  The  Judge  intimated  that  he  might  go  this  time,  but  if  he  ever 
indulged  in  such  another  disturbance  there  would  be  a  dead  court  crier. 

John  N.  remained  court  crier  until  the  rebellion  broke  out,  when  he 
went  into  the  service  as  body-guard  to  Col.  McCutchen.  He  came  back 
flush  with  honors  and  took  up  his  residence  at  Kirby  where  he  died  a  few 
years  after.  He  was  a  good  old  man  who  had  a  feeling  of  friendship  for 
everybody,  and  against  whom  no  one  ever  uttered  a  harsh  word. 

[Note — Sketch,  No.  211,  by  request,  contains  a  graphic  account  of 
Rappe's  Wagon  Trade  with  the  Indian — "  Maybe  Canton,  maybe  no  Canton 
— heap  black  stripe  on  hub,  dam  lie — fool  Ingin."  McGregor,  of  the  Stark 
County  Democrat,  has  offered  a  thousand  dollars  for  the  exclusive  right  to 
publish  this  sketch,  but  Mack  is  wasting  his  spirit  of  enterprise,  as  this 
''American  Author"  writes  only  for  The  Union.] 

OUR    FIRST    CONSTABLE. 

Faded,  perhaps,  from  the  memory  of  most  of  our  people,  is  the  joviaj 
face  of  one,  who  was  somewhat  conspicuous  here  in  early  days.  lie  was 
dressed  in  the  brief  authority  of  Constable,  and  one  of  the  first  that  hon- 
ored the  township  of  Crane.  He  was  a  small  man,  a  little  stooped  in  the 
shoulders,  with  a  red  face  that  sported  a  sharp  nose,  and  a  pair  of  eyes  that 
winked  continually  an  assumption  of  knowledge  on  all  points  and  phases 
connected  with  his  official  duties.  He  could  write  his  name,  as  a  parrot 
asks  for  a  cracker,  and  further  in  the  routine  of  educational  exploits  he 
could  do  but  little;  what  he  lacked  in  early  advantages  was  more  than  made 
up  in  that  peculiar  cunning  which  follows  the  van  of  adventure,  and  what 
he  did  not  know  he  never  hesitated  to  assume,  trusting  to  luck  and  that 
genius  which  enables  nature  to  overcome  obstacles.  He  was  a  pleasant  fel- 
low, so  gifted  in  his  habits,  that  he  he  could  render  the  asperities  of 
his  authority  with  such  a  degree  of  suavity,  that  you  could  lose  your  last 
cow,  by  the  virtue  and  force  of  a  remorseless  execution,  and  yet  feel  a 
pleasurable  delight  in  his  presence.  When  those  impenetrable  eyes  were 
not  winking,  they  were  weeping,  not  over  the  trials  and  vicissitudes  of  his 
own  life,  but  over  the  unpleasantness  of  his  position  in  being  compelled  to 
oppress  his  neighbor  and  fellow-citizen;  yet,  he  always  made  it  a  point  to 
add  a  score  of  mileage  to  his  costs  to  cover  any  little  discrepancy  his  benev- 
olent nature  may  have  overlooked  in  its  struggle  with  sympathy.  Was  he 
popular?  There  were  few  so  well  and  pleasingly  favored;  and  had  he  re- 
mained here  a  hundred  years,  and  vacillated  to  all  points  of  the  political 
compass,  he  would  still  have  ornamented  our  little  writs  of  process  with  "  S. 
Riggins,  Constable." 

He  was  familiarly  called  "Sam,"  and  seemed  to  relish  this  simple  at- 
tachment to  his  name,  although  his  official  signature  was  never  failing  in 
the  inevitable  "  S."  He  seemed  to  take  peculiar  pride  in  that  twisted  capi- 
tal, which  he  painted  rather  than  wrote,  allowing  the  Riggins  to   take  care 


520  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

of  itself.  His  ambition  in  the  science  of  chirography  commenced  and  ended 
with  the  capital  "S."  The  Riggins  was  a  mere  pastime  of  a  few  hiero- 
glyphics. 

Natiarally,  one  of  Sam's  exultant  disposition  created  in  many  a  desire  to 
put  it  to  the  test.  He  was  knovvn  to  be  alert  in  everything  that  came  under 
his  notice,  or  to  his  knowledge  by  virtue  of  his  official  position,  so  one 
night,  a  messenger,  white  with  excitement,  informed  him,  in  a  voice  choked 
with  consternation,  that  a  murder  had  been  committed  at  Allen  Sane's  gro- 
cery; that  the  ghastly  corpse  was  still  dripping  with  blood,  and  that  the 
murderer  armed  with  a  corn-cutter  was  standing  over  the  inanimate  form, 
defying  arrest.  Did  Samuel  pale  before  this  picture  of  desperation,  and 
complain  of  an  uneasiness  below  his  vest?  Nothing  of  the  kind.  He  im- 
mediately jumped  into  his  boots  and  was  flying  for  the  scene  of  carnage 
before  he  had  arranged  his  toilet.  The  messenger  who  carried  his  coat 
while  Sam  was  fooling  with  his  shirt  collar  abstracted  his  revolver  and  re- 
placed it  with  a  corn-cob.  Sam  threw  on  his  coat  as  he  came  to  Sane's  door, 
and  bursting  in,  saw  a  sight  that  was  calculated  to  freeze  the  blood  of  anv 
ordinary  mortal.  The  x'uffian  with  a  corn-cutter  dripping  with  blood  was 
still  brandishing  it  over  the  prostrate  body  of  his  victim,  and  threatening 
death  to  any  one  who  came  within  reach.  Sam  placed  himself  before  the 
murderer,  and  with  the  power  vested  in  him  by  the  statutes  in  such  case 
made  and  provided,  demanded  a  surrender  in  the  name  of  the  State  of 
Ohio.  "The  State  of  Ohio  be  d — d,"  said  the  murderer,  making  a  bloody 
thrust  at  the  Constable.  At  this  breach  of  respect  for  an  officer  of  the  law, 
Sam  pulled  his  revolver  to  find  it  a  corn-cob!  Here  was  a  predicament  that 
the  Constable  had  not  contemplated.  He  was  defenseless  before  an  in- 
furiated outlaw,  armed  with  a  corn-cutter,  and  with  one  victim  already  dead 
at  his  feet!  Bu.t  Sam  hesitated  at  nothing.  He  flew  at  the  giant,  grasped 
his  sturdy  right  arm,  and  in  a  short  struggle,  wrenched  the  weapon  from 
his  hand.  Sam  was  now  the  victor  and  radiant  with  triumph.  The  mur- 
derer must  strip  and  submit  to  a  search  under  the  uplifted  corn-cutter, 
which  Sam  now  flourished  over  his  head.  To  this  demand,  the  murderer 
quietly  submitted,  when  about  250  pounds  of  Allen  Sane  tumbled  out  of 
the  disguise.  By  this  time.  Red  Thread,  who  was  playing  corpse  on  the 
floor,  got  up  and  made  for  the  long-necked  bottle,  that  served  as  a  kind  of 
free  lunch  during  preparations  for  this  little  drama  which  was  "  to  take  in, 
do  up.  and  demolish  the  Constable. "  In  Sam,  however,  they  had  caught  a 
tartar.  He  had  demonstrated  that  there  was  no  lacking  of  pluck,  even  in  a 
CouRtable;  and  if  it  hadn't  been  for  the  happy  exchange,  in  which  a  corn- 
cob took  the  place  of  Sam's  revolver,  there  might  have  been  a  very  funny 
dead  man  with  a  very  solemn  funeral. 

Allen  was  graceful  enough  to  acknowledge  that  he  was  disappointed, 
alid  that  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  set  it  up  for  the  boys  whenever  Sam  should 
order  it. 

You  see,  gentle  reader,  it  was  all  made  up  to  "scare  Sam  out  of  his 
boots,"  because  Sam,  when  a  little  full,  would  sometimes  boast  of  his 
courage,  and  how  he  brought  this  and  that  fellow  to  time  when  disposed  to 
be  a  little  ugly.  Allen  Sane,  to  have  some  fan  and  to  "take  the  conceit 
out  of  Sam,"  submitted  to  the  decorative  art  and  was  patched  up  to  repre 
sent  a  formidable  specimen  of  the  plug-ugly.  He  induced  Red  Thread  to 
play  the  part  of  a  pleasant  corpse  while  the  fun  was  going  on,  and  also 
called  in  a  number  of  the  boys  to  witness  Sam's  terror  and  complete  over- 
throw when  he  should  fall  into  the  trap.      The  hilarious  Sane  just  doubled 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  521 

up  with  laughter  in  assuring  the  boys  that  he  would  frighten  the  little  devil 
so  he  couldn't  wink  for  a  month.  But  how  transitory  are  all  the  blissful 
dreams  of  life.  Sam  wouldn't  scare  worth  a  cent,  but,  as  the  sequel  shows, 
came  off  with  flying  colors,  and  Allen  never  heard  the  last  of  that  bloody 
murderer  who  was  captured  by  one  little  man,  whose  only  weapon  was  a 
corn  cob. 

[Note — Correspondent — Yes,  we  will  have  a  pleasant  sketch  of  Elliot 
Long,  which  will  consist  of  a  good  deal  of  turtle  soup;  but  we  have  about 
fifteen  years  of  trouble  to  prodiice  before  we  arrive  at  the  charm  of  three. 

One  of  our  best  sketches  is  Aleck  Little's  introduction  of  George  Depler 
to  a  belle  of  Crawfordsville,  at  one  of  the  grand  dances  held  in  that  town 
in  early  days.  At  thin  introduction,  George  got  fighting  mad,  and  threat- 
ened to  annihilate  Aleck,  but  Aleck  told  him  to  not  disturb  his  linen,  as  he 
had  given  him  a  big  send-off,  for  the  ladies  would  now  have  confidence  in 
his  ability. 

Another  sketch  embraces  Aleck's  experience  at  the  Old  Council  House, 
on  one  rainy  afternoon,  when  it  wasn't  a  good  day  for  his  business.] 

THE    LITTLE    FRENCH    DOCTOR. 

A  new  town  is  usually  a  nucleus  around  which  gather  the  curiosities  in 
human  life.  It  is  one  of  earth's  savory  spots  that  attract  moth  as  well  as 
genius  and  enterprise.  The  Mieawbers  are  there  for  something  to  turn  up, 
moving  pleasantly  among  those  stimulated  by  a  laudable  ambition.  Thirty- 
seven  years  ago.  Upper  Sandusky  was  a  new  town,  and,  like  all  other  new 
towns,  its  three  or  four  hundred  inhabitants  was  the  result  of  great  expec- 
tation upon  the  part  of  a  variety  of  people,  including  one  colored  man  who 
still  remains  with  us  in  the  person  of  Uncle  Archy.  The  professions  are 
always  gracefully  represented  in  new  towns.  Where  there  is  an  appearance 
of  law.  there  is  a  profusion  of  lawyers;  then  come  the  physician,  the  un- 
dertaker and  the  politician.  While  Messrs.  Mott,  McKelly,  Sears,  Kirby 
and  a  singular  looking  mixture  of  nature  and  Blackstone  by  the  name  of 
Wier  represented  the  law,  Drs.  McConnell,  Ayres,  Ferris,  Watson  and  Hartz 
gave  their  skill  and  attention  to  the  afflicted.  Valentine  &  DeLong  made  our 
coffins,  and  any  teamster  for  $1  would  haul  out  the  dead.  We  indulged  in  no 
parade  of  hearse  and  plumage,  in  a  force  of  spangled  pall-bearers  and  a 
retinue  of  hired  carriages.*  In  those  days  it  was  an  expensive  luxury  to 
die.  You  could  go  off  with  a  $10  estate,  with  the  quiet  and  beatific  assur- 
ance that  the  boys  would  plant  you  in  handsome  style  But  what  a  change! 
To  die  now  almost  shatters  a  fortune,  leaving  the  bereaved  friends  doubly 
afflicted.  So  expensive  has  this  funeral  business  become  that  three  or  four 
of  our  old  inhabitants  utterly  refuse  to  die,  adding  largely  to  the  gray  hairs 
of  their  prospective  heirs,  who  have  been  waiting  and  watching  so  many 
years  on  the  ragged  edge  of  hope  and  despair.  In  talking  to  an  old  friend 
lately,  he  said:  "Do  you  know,  Bob,  that  it  costs  from  1800  to  a  $1,000 
for  a  fellow  to  die  these  days."  "  So  much!"  exclaimed  the  sketcher. 
"  Yes,  all  of  it,  and  I'll  see  them  d — d  first.     I  would  have  passed  in  my 

*  The  first  hearse  made  its  appearance  in  Upper  Sandusky  some  time  in  the  year  1851.  It  was  the 
enterprise  of  B.  SuUiger,  who  came  after  Valentine  &  DeLong,  to  make  our  resurrection  outfits.  This 
hearse  was  fashioned  a  little  after  John  Gary's  chicken  wagon,  only  the  sides  were  closed  with  a  curtain  of 
black  muslin,  to  give  it  the  appearance  of  a  catafalque,  as  it  were.  We  think  death  was  stripped  of  a  good 
deal  of  its  gloom  after  SuUiger  launched  his  hearse.  It  was  hauled  by  one  horse,  produced,  not  unfre- 
quently,  by  the  party  who  furnished  the  corpse,  and  as  a  usual  thing  nothing  occurred  to  mar  the  harmony 
of  the  occasion.  For  the  times,  the  SuUiger  hearse  served  its  purpose  well,  and  reflected  upon  that  tine  old 
quiet  gentleman  considerable  credit;  but  it  would  be  a  sorrowful  looking  attait  in  contrast  with  the  elegant 
and  costly^  yet  tearful,  equipages  which  now  bear  the  remains  of  loved  ones  to  our  beautiful  city  of  the  dead. 


522  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

checks  several  years  ago,  but  I  really  can't  afford  it.      I  intend  now  to  meet 
Gabriel  on  the  threshold  and  help  him  blow  his  horn." 

Among  the  peculiar  people  of  our  new  town  was  Hartz,  the  little  French 
doctor.  He  was  a  very  small  man,  so  distinctively  French  in  his  nature 
and  appearance  that  he  smelt  of  Paris.  He  was  precise  in  his  dress,  and, 
while  eschewing  everything  American,  was  studious,  even  severe,  in  pre- 
serving all  the  customs  of  his  native  land;  hence  an  immaculate  frilled 
shirt  always  bloomed  beneath  a  beaver  cap,  which  he  wore  winter  and  sum- 
mer, and  when  the  weather  would  permit,  an  elegant  pelisse,  upon  which 
connoisseurs  of  the  art  had  expended  their  taste  and  skill.  It  was  very 
evident  that  the  doctor  had  seen  better  days,  and  that  his  sojourn  in  America, 
if  not  an  experiment,  was  the  result  of  those  social  or  political  upheavals 
so  common  in  France  during  the  unsettled  reign  of  Louis  Philippe.  He 
had  a  beautiful  wife,  and  a  still  more  beautiful  daughter,  who  gave  the  most 
pleasing  indications  of  culture  and  refinement.  In  appearance  they  re- 
flected the  fastidiousness  of  the  husband  and  father,  yet  with  that  delicate 
shading  which  lends  a  charm  to  the  softer  sex. 

Like  other  great  men,  Dr.  Hartz  had  his  failing.  He  would  get  drunk. 
Not  every  day,  but  every  evening,  and  his  favorite  place  of  resort  was  the 
Blue  Ball  Corner.  With  French  enthusiasm  he  always  carried  a  revolver 
and  a  dagger  cane,  which  he  never  exercised  nor  threatened  to  use.  yet  his 
impulsive  nature  was  full  of  dangerous  apprehensions.  At  all  events,  when 
the  boys  played  a  trick  on  the  Doctor  they  were  mindful  of  first  securing  his 
cane  and  fire-arms.  The  Doctor's  greatest  delight  was  to  get  with  a  small 
party  around  a  table,  drink  wine  and  talk  of  his  beloved  France.  He  would 
toy  with  his  wine,  describing  many  graceful  circles  with  the  glass  to  give  a 
pleasing  embellishment  to  his  conversation,  always  mingling  a  flow  of  good 
French  to  get  oflf  a  supply  of  bad  English.  What  he  could  not  clearly 
enunciate  by  a  mixture  of  both  languages  he  would  make  impressive,  or  at 
least  amusing,  by  a  system  of  pantomine  that  was  irresistible. 

One  night,  when  the  Doctor  was  full,  and  in  that  high  state  of  inebria- 
tion where  the  sorrows  and  anxieties  of  earth  roll  on,  and  leave  the  subject 
in  a  grateful  state  of  semi-forgetfulness,  he  was  informed  that  a  patient  at 
the  point  of  death  needed  his  attention.  True  to  his  professional  instinct, 
although  drunk,  he  manifested  a  desire  to  go,  and  was  led  to  the  death  bed 
of  a  fellow  mortal.  The  boys  had  a  fellow  in  bed  to  represent  a  very  sick 
.  man,  and  he  was  tossing  the  clothes  around  with  an  appearance  of  agcmy. 
Drunk  as  the  Doctor  was,  he  took  in  the  situation,  and  with  his  peculiar 
French  dignity,  examined  the  "sufferer"  very  critically,  and  with  apparent 
candor.  The  boys  were  "  tickled  to  death"  at  seeing  the  little  Doctor  so 
terribly  fooled,  and  the  patient  was  several  times  on  the  brink  of  bursting 
into  a  fit  of  laughter.  The  Doctor  took  no  notice  of  this  levity,  but  ordered 
a  huge  mustard  plaster.  The  kind  and  anxious  attendants,  however,  had 
no  idea  of  furnishing  material  for  this  appliance.  When  they  went  into  a 
side  room  apparently  to  consult,  but  in  fact  to  give  vent  to  their  pent-up 
laughter,  they  heard  the  shrill  cry  of  "  murder"  issue  from  the  sick  man's 
room.  Thunderstruck  they  rushed  in  and  behold!  The  Doctor  was  on  the 
bed,  holding  the  patient  down  with  one  hand,  and  snapping  a  lance  at  him 
with  the  other.  When  pulled  off  the  bed,  and  asked  for  an  explanation, 
the  Doctor  said:  "Zee  patient  is  on  zee  verge  of  suppuration,  and  zee  bad 
blood  must  come  out.  It's  zee  worse  case  of  zee  dam  fool,  and  phlebotomee 
in  zee  fool  case  is  triumph  of  zeemee-de-sin  profesh-ong. "  By  this  time,  the 
patient  was  yelling  and  waltzing  around  the  room,  with  his  back  covered 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  523 

with  blood,  oozing  from  a  dozen  punctures  made  by  the  Doctor's  lance.  The 
sellers  were  sold,  and  to  keep  this  intelligence  from  McCoy,  of  the  Blue 
Ball,  they  did  not  dare  to  utter  a  word  of  complaint  against  the  Doctor  for 
his  merciless  use  of  the  lance  upon  their  improvised  patient.  They  cau- 
tioned the  Doctor  to  say  nothing  about  it,  and  he  should  have  a  half  dozen 
of  his  favorite  wine.  So  after  plastering  up  the  back  of  their  patient,  they 
all  went  down  to  the  Blue  Ball  and  ordered  the  wine.  The  Doctor  was 
very  convivial,  and  drank  until  his  little  eyes  lost  their  luster.  When  he 
started  home,  'Lish  McCurdy  was  on  hand  with  his  rope,  which  he  tied 
across  the  pavement  every  half  square  to  trip  up  and  throw  the  Doctor  to 
hear  him  swear  in  broken  French. 

The  Doctor  furnished  a  good  deal  of  auDUsement  for  the  boys,  very  fre- 
quently coming  out  ahead,  as  he  did  in  the  case  related. 

He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  intellect,  well  skilled  in  his  pro- 
fession, and  would  have  been  successful  and  prosperous  had  not  his  beset- 
ting infirmity  overcome  him. 

He  tried  to  become  a  permanent  resident  by  building  the  wide,  pecu- 
liarly-shaped brick  structure,  which  remained  for  years  on  the  site  now  oc- 
cupied by  John  H.  Junkin,  and  which  he  called  his  Cote  de  Par-ee.  Here 
he  lived  with  his  beautiful  wife  and  daughter,  who  suffered  the  mortifica- 
tion of  his  drunken  debauches,  yet  murmured  not  in  any  sign  of  outward 
rebuke.  He  was  always  the  husband  and  father  and  treated  with  the  ten- 
derest  feelings  of  respect.  He  was  all  they  had  of  the  better  days  which 
filled  life  with  emotions  of  pleasure,  and  in  him  they  could  still  see  a  soul 
adorned  amid  the  wreck  and  sorrows  of  human  frailty. 

After  a  few  years'  residence  here  the  Doctor  as  mysteriously  disappeared 
as  he  rose  to  the  surface — another  bubble  on  the  great  ocean  of  life,  "a 
moment  white,  then  lost  forever." 

THE  MAJOR. 

We  tip  our  beaver,  this  week,  to  Maj.  Anthony  Bowsher.  The  old  gen- 
tleman is  still  living,  and  in  good  enough  health  to  not  tolerate  any  foolish- 
ness, consequently  the  sketcher  will  not  permit  his  imagination  to  make  any 
of  its  usual  flights.  The  Major  is  a  gentleman  who  has  dealt  largely  in 
experience,  and  has  had  his  share  of  earth's  pleasures  and  vicissitudes. 
From  early  years  to  comparative  old  age,  he  was  active  and  energetic,  will- 
ing to  do  anything  in  the  line  of  work  or  trade.  He  came  to  this  county 
from  Circleville,  Ohio,  a  short  time  before  Jackson  waH  elected  President, 
and  had  the  honor  of  casting  his  first  vote  for  that  old  hero.  Thrown  upon 
his  own  resources  when  quite  young,  he  had  no  opportunity  to  attend 
school,  and  his  education,  so  far  as  it  concei'ned  books,  was  entirely  neg- 
lected. The  only  part  of  the  alphabet  that  looked  familiar  to  him  was  the 
letter  X,  which  meant  Anthony  Bowsher  when  he  went  bail  on  a  sale  note 
and  got  stuck. 

The  Major  settled  on  the  plains,  south  of  this  city,  at  a  point  which  still 
bears  his  name.  He  labored  hard  until  he  accumulated  sufficient  means  to 
start  a  country  store,  which  contained  everything  you  could  think  of.  in- 
cluding the  post  ofiice  and  a  bar,  where  spirits  could  be  revived  at  three 
cents  a  smile.  The  Major  did  a  good  business,  and  notwithstanding  he 
could  neither  read  nor  write  nor  cipher,  he  had  remarkable  success.  A  good 
deal  of  credit  was  done  in  those  days,  and  it  used  to  perplex  the  Major  con- 
siderably to  keep  run  of  the  things   "got  on  tick."     His  manner  of  book- 


524  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

keeping  was  a  system  of  symbols  which  the  Major  had  reduced  to  almost  a 
science. 

One  day  old  Smith  came  in  "dam  mad"  and  wanted  to  settle.  This 
anxiety  was  caused  by  the  Major  sending  word  a  few  days  before,  "  that  if 
he  didn't  come  in  and  pay  up,  he'd  whale  h — 1  out  of  him."  Smith,  white 
with  rage,  was  on  hand  and  demanded  his  account.  The  Major  reached 
down  into  an  old  boot  and  pulled  out  a  shingle  upon  which  he  kept  the 
score  of  the  much  agitated  Smith.  The  first  charge  was  a  long  mark  with 
two  prongs,  and  Smith  acknowledged  a  pitchfork;  another  attempt  at  design 
convinced  Smith  that  he  had  got  a  pair  of  shoes,  two  drinks  and  a  bottle  of 
paregoric.  They  were  getting  along  well  on  settlement  until  the  shingle 
showed  a  large,  symmetrically-drawn  circle,  which  Major  insisted  was  a 
cheese.  Here  Smith's  venom  bubbled  over,  and  accused  the  Major  of  an 
attempt  to  swindle  him.  He  never  had  a  cheese  in  his  house.  They  never 
ate  cheese.  His  family  would  starve  alongside  a  cheese  factory,  so  great 
was  their  aversion  to  that  article  of  indigestible  food.  The  Major  was 
highly  indignant  that  any  member  of  the  contemptible  Smith  family  would 
dispute  his  books,  or  rather  his  shingle;  and  if  Smith  didn't  shut  his  fly- 
trap he  would  lead  him  out  by  the  eye-brow.  By  the  time  a  crowd  had 
gathered  in  to  prevent  bloodshed,  the  Major  doubled  up  with  laughter. 
"I've  got  it,"  says  he.  "Why,  Smith,  it's  a  grindstone.  I  forgot  to  put 
a  hole  in  it."  Of  course.  Smith  recollected  the  grindstone,  and  was  well 
pleased  that  the  controversy  ended  so  happily.  He  advised  the  Major, 
however,  to  be  more  particular  with  his  "double  entry"  hereafter  when  he 
opened  a  new  set  of  shingles.  In  the  Major's  way  of  keeping  accounts, 
while  a  large  circle  stood  for  cheese,  a  similar  circle  with  a  dot  in  the  cen- 
ter represented  a  grindstone.  In  this  instance  he  had  neglpcted  the  dot, 
and  hence  the  confusion  at  this  settlement.  Smith  also  objected  to  the  cari- 
cature the  Major  had  drawn  to  designate  the  debtor.  He  declared  the  ears 
were  too  long,  and  he'd  be  d — d  if  he  had  a  turned-up  nose  and  a  sore 
heel. 

The  Major,  in  his  day,  was  a  general  favorite,  noted  for  his  benevolence 
as  well  as  for  his  many  sterling  business  qualities.  Nature  had  done  a 
great  deal  for  the  Major,  and  with  ])roper  advantages  he  might  have 
advanced  to  almost  any  position  in  society.  He  was  always  willing  to  pro- 
mote any  good  calling,  or  get  up  a  horse  race,  and  gave  freely  of  his  means 
to  support  chui'ches  and  schoolhonses. 

One  da}-  INIrs.  B.  informed  the  Major  that  a  preacher  would  be  there  for 
dinner;  that  he  should  be  on  his  good  behavior;  talk  nice  and  pious,  and 
above  all  to  keep  from  swearing  in  the  good  man's  presence;  all  of  which 
the  Major  promised  faithfully.  He  said  he  would  just  make  that  preacher 
believe  he  was  a  peddler  from  Jerusalem  with  a  grip-sack  full  of  tracts  and 
holy  water.  "  Bet'yer  life,  mam,  you  won't  be  ashamed  of  your  darling  this 
time."  The  preacher  came,  an  elegant  dinner  was  spread,  and  the  Major, 
with  the  dignity  of  a  statesman,  took  his  seat  at  the  table.  He  was  all 
smiles  and  talked  his  prettiest,  frequently  calling  the  minister  'Squire, 
sometimes  Judge,  and  once  or  twice  he  ornamented  that  follower  of  the 
Lamb  with  the  title  of  Genei'al.  He  was  getting  along  splendidly,  and  his 
good  wife  was  in  raptures.  The  Major  was  pleasingly  congratulating  him- 
self that  his  true  sphere  in  life  was  pious  and  refined  company,  when  the 
minister  asked  him  "if  there  were  any  deer  in  this  part  of  the  country." 
At  last  he  took  the  Major  unawares,  and,  all  excitement,  his  response  was^ 
"Why,  J s  C- 1,  man,  the  woods  are  full  of  them!"     Here  tottered 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  525 

and  fell  the  beautiful  edifice  he  had  ei-ected  for  wife  and  minister.  The 
Major's  chagrin,  the  crushing  disappointment  of  his  wife,  and  the  surprise 
and  consternation  of  the  minister  over  this  little  mishap  formed  a  tableau 
unapproachable  in  its  intensity,  throbbing  and  palpitating  with  those  pecu- 
liar feelings  which  find  a  struggle  between  irresistible  smiles  and  tears. 
But  was  he  to  blame?  In  unguarded  moments  nature  will  break  out,  no 
matter  how  well  fortified  with  good  intentions. 

In  appearance,  the  Major  looked  like  a  hero.  He  had  a  splendid  phy- 
sique, straight  as  an  arrow,  with  a  pair  of  shoulders  that  supported  a  head 
that  might  have  been  mistaken  for  the  author  of  "give  me  liberty  or  give 
me  death,"  but  it  never  was.  Forty  years  ago  the  Major's  person  was  a 
matter  of  remark,  as  it  indicated  considerable  prominence,  and  the  result 
was.  when  abroad,  he  was  sure  to  attract  the  notice  of  strangers.  He  fre- 
quently visited  Columbus  on  business,  making  the  trip  on  an  Indian  pony, 
which  was  the  next  best  thing  to  a  steam  railway.  He  always  stopped  at 
the  Neil,  and  had  picked  up  an  intimate  acquaintace  with  old  Modecai  Bart- 
ley,  then  Governor  of  the  State.  One  day  at  dinner,  while  the  two  were 
waiting  to  be  served,  the  Major  threw  himself  back  in  his  chair  and  spread 
a  newspaper  before  him  with  all  the  grace  and  dignity  of  a  French  savant. 
Any  one  coming  in  at  that  moment  would  certainly  have  taken  him  for  the 
Governor,  but  he  wasn't.  After  a  good  many  guests  had  assembled  around 
the  table,  the  Major,  who  couldn't  read,  had  accidentally  got  his  paper  upside 
down,  and  catching  a  glimpse  of  some  marine  advertisements  embellished 
with  small  cuts  of  steamers,  became  very  much  excited  and  exclaimed: 
"Whew!  By  the  holy  Moses,  there's  been  a  h — 1  of  a  storm  on  the  lake. 
The  ships  are  all  upside  down,  and  the  dam  things  are  leaking.  This 
brought  Mordicai  to  his  feet,  and  looking  over  the  Major's  shoulder  saw  the 
difiiculty. "  He  informed  the  Major  that  he  held  his  paper  wrong  side  up! 
The  Major  dropped  to  it  immediately,  and  with  his  natural  cvinning 
remarked:  "All  in  fun,  Gov'ner;  only  trying  to  get  up  a  little  laugh  for 
that  one-eyed  Senator  at  the  other  end  of  the  table." 

The  Major  lived  many  years  in  this  place,  and  did  business  in  a  little 
log  shanty,  first  opposite  the  old  log  tavern,  and  then  on  the  site  now  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Moody.  For  the  last  thirty  years,  he  has  resided  in  Carey, 
surrounded  by  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends.  He  has  been  a  widower  a 
long  time,  making  home  with  his  daughter.  He  is  still  full  of  the  old 
humor,  and  carries  a  cane,  on  which  is  tied  a  dozen  or  two  specimens  of 
calico;  and  when  interrogated  on  this  point,  smilingly  replies,  that  they 
are  samples  of  the  several  widows  who  of  late  years  have  been  persuasively 
troublesome;  but  he  always  has  room  on  his  cane  for  one  more 

The  Major  is  still  a  very  interesting  old  gentleman  and  delights  in  re- 
hearsing old  times  on  the  plains.  His  account  of  a  fimeral  at  Bowsherville 
strips  death  of  its  solemnity,  but  the  story  doesn't  pan  out  well  unless  the 
Major  relates  it.*     He  often  speaks  of  being  the  architect  of  the  two  richest 

*The  subject  of  this  luneral  was  Abe  Roseberry.  His  wife  preceded  him  to  the  other  shore.  Abe 
put  in  all  his  spare  time  in  drinking  whii-ky,  which  he  drew  from  his  own  barrel  and  drank  out  of  a  tin 
cup.  His  wife  was  an  invalid,  looking  and  hoping  for  death  every  moment;  not  that  she  was  weary  of  life 
or  Abe,  but  of  the  wreck  and  pangs  ot  disease.  Abe  loved  his  wife,  and  hearing  she  was  about  to  die,  grief- 
stricken,  he  grabbed  his  tin,  drew  it  full  of  whisky,  and  rushing  into  the  sick  room,  muttered  in  broken 
sobs:  •' Here,  Debby,  let's  take  one  last  drink  together.  You  have  always  been  kind  to  me,  Debby — 
drink  !  "  The  poor  woman  was  dead,  yet  her  glazed  eyes  seemed  to  have  a  tender  smile  for  him.  Crushed 
in  the  presence  of  death,  the  wild  and  unguarded  nature  gave  way,  and  the  wretched  husband  sank  sense- 
less to  the  floor.  After  the  death  of  his  wile,  Abe  made  a  will,  containing  an  item,  that  a  barrel  of  whisky 
and  a  tub  of  honey  should  be  appropriated  for  his  friends,  and  that  they  should  not  bury  him  until  the 
whisky  and  honey'were  exhausted.  A  short  time  after,  Abe  died;  the  remains  were  laid  out  in  state,  and 
for  three  days  and  nights  his  friends  waked  the  corpse,  striving  to  get  away  ■nith  the  whisky  and  honey  in 
accoidance  with  the  will.  When  the  last  tinful  was  passed  around,  the  remains  were  placed  in  a  wagon, 
and  the  march  to  the  grave  commenced.    The  mourners  were  a  little  top-heavy,  yet  the  pangs  of  grief  were 


526  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

men  in  the  county,  and  that  their  remarkable  advance  to  social  and  financial 
eminence  was  all  due  to  his  Christian  advice  and  example.  Although  the 
Major's  expletives  were  usually  steeped  in  sulphur  and  would  go  oft'  with  the 
fury  of  several  sky-rockets,  he  never  permitted  either  of  the  Davids  to  in- 
dulge in  the  smallest  cuss  word;  and  to  this  day  they  are  shocked  at  the 
slightest  semblance  to  profanity.  Even  mill-dam  was  objectionable  to  one 
of  them,  and  tenants  were  ordered  to  call  it  "water-stop"  when  his  shadow 
rested  upon  the  mill. 

The  Major  is  now  resting  under  the  weight  of  ninety  years,  yet  still  able 
to  move  among  his  friends,  and  has  promised  a  visit  to  Upper  Sandusky  in 
a  few  days.      Let  every  one  give  the  old  gentleman  a  hearty  welcome. 

THE  FIRST  SINGING  SCHOOL. 

There  are  two  professions  which  seem  to  have  a  sympathetic  alliance. 
The  inspiration  of  one  entwines  gracefully  with  the  merits  of  the  other.  It 
is  keeping  race  horses  in  summer  and  teaching  singing  school  in  winter. 
It  i-equires  the  same  degree  of  talent  and  lung  power,  and  the  profits  are 
not  so  much  to  be  considered  as  the  pleasure  and  gratification  of  the  em- 
ployment. 

In  the  fall  of  1846,  a  young  gentleman  visited  the  new  town  of  Upper 
Sandusky,  ornamented  with  a  long  green  bag  which  contained  a  violin, 
vulgarly,  sometimes,  called  a  fiddle.  He  announced  himself  as  Prof.  Van 
Gundy,  and  his  object  in  greeting  the  people  was  to  establish  in  our  midst 
a  singing  school.  Maj.  Sears  was  then  a  young  man  who  had  led  a  choir  or 
two  at  Bucyrus,  and  was  somewhat  noted  for  a  tine  falsetto  voice.  To  him 
the  Professor  was  directed  for  consolation.  As  we  had  just  recovered  from  the 
small  pox,  the  Major  was  a  little  diffident  about  spreading  another  epidemic, 
so  he  called  to  his  assistance,  Col.  McKelly,  Capt.  Ayres,  J.  G.  Roberts  and 
Jacob  Juvinall.  They  held  a  council  of  war  over  Van  Gundy's  fitness  to 
practice  his  winter  profession  with  the  same  degree  of  expertness  that  fol- 
lowed his  alleged  success  during  the  summer.  The  Professor  passed  a  very 
flattering  examination,  and  as  one  of  the  above  gentlemen  remarked,  "  he 
could  chaw  patent  notes  with  any  man  in  America,  living  or  dead,"  and  was 
allowed  to  open  the  old  Council  House  for  business. 

Of  course  the  house  was  jammed,  as  nothing  seemed  to  take  so  well  in  those 
days  as  a  singing  school.  Prof.  Van  Gundy  made  his  appearance;  was  in 
raptures  over  his  enthusiastic  reception,  and,  without  further  ceremony,  un- 
wrapped the  violin  from  its  green  bag,  and  rendered  "Old  Hundred  "  with 
such  fascinating  rhapsody  that  the  Major  called  for  three  cheers.  He  said 
he  had  heard  Paganini's  "  Last  Rose  of  Summer  "  Ole  Bull's  "  Arkansaw 
Traveler,"  and  Deacon  McGill's  "  Bear  Trot,"  but  that  Gundy's  "Star  Span- 
gled Banner  "  beat  them  all  and  was  entitled  to  the  cake.  Of  course  the 
Major  did'nt  like  it  very  well  when  Billy  King  rose  to  a  point  of  order,  and 
insisted  "  that  the  Major  should  not  try  to  palm  off  the  doxology  upon  an 
intelligent  audience  for  one  of  our  national  hymns."  The  Major,  then,  a 
good  deal  like  he  is  now,  appealed  to  the  chair  for  the  correctness  of  his 
musical  judgment,  and  the  chair,  who  was  the  Professor  himself,  "  downed 

none  the  less  evident  When  they  came  to  the  grave  they  found  it  considerably  too  short  and  not  half  wide 
enough  to  admit  the  coffin,  so  they  thought  they  would  take  the  corpse  back  and  have  another  drink  while 
the  grave-digger  was  making  a  larger  hole,  and  they  did.  By  this  time  the  shades  of  night  were  crawling 
upon  them,  but  Abe  had  to  be  buried,  and  a  second  start  was  made.  When  the  wagon  drove  up  to  the 
grave,  and  Maj.  Bowsher  was  clearing  his  throat  to  pass  an  appropriate  eulogy  upon  the  life  and  services  of 
the  deceased,  the  corpse  was  missing !  The  old  wagon  leaked  and  dropped  Abe  somewhere  on  the  way. 
Back  rushed  the  mourners  in  search  of  the  corpse,  which  they  readily  found  ;  and  at  last  Abe  was  planted. 
This  is  the  substance  of  Abe's  wake  and  funeral,  which  the  Major  amplifies  with  so  many  amusing  situa- 
tions, that  you  are  irresistibly  compelled  to  smile  at  death. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  527 

him,"'  exclaiming  that  the  beautiful  aria  he  had  just  executed  was  the  veri- 
table "Old  Hundred"  and  not  the  "'Star  Spangled  Banner"  by  a  blank 
sight.  Still  the  Major  refused  to  be  quieted,  and  called  for  a  division  of 
the  house,  and  while  thirty-nine  voted  for  "Old  Hundred,"  forty  cast  their 
ballots  for  the  "  Star  Spangled  Banner."  Verily,  there  were  a  few  scattering 
votes  for  "Barbara  Allen"  and  "The  Girl  I  Left  Behind  Me,"  but  they 
were  not  counted. 

The  Major  was  victorious,  and,  for  his  musical  discrimination,  elected 
Superintendent  of  the  singing  school.  He  took  the  seat  of  honor  and 
hoped  that  harmony  would  prevail,  and  among  other  things  stated  "  that  to 
prevent  further  confusion  or  controversy  in  regard  to  Prof.  Van  Gundy 's 
violin  solos  executed  at  the  opening  of  these  exercises,  he  would  appoint 
Capt.  Ayres,  Col.  McKelly,  Judge  Beidler  and  Capt.  Worth,  as  connoisseurs, 
to  determine  and  settle  all  questions  that  might  arise  hereafter  in  regard  to 
their  musical  identity."  This  seemed  to  spread  the  white  wings  of  peace 
over  the  audience,  and  all  went  to  work  at  their  buckwheat  notes  with  a  zeal 
and  earnestness  that  made  it  lovely  as  well  as  melodious  in  the  old  Council 
House.     But  this  supreme  state  of  affairs  only  lasted  for  a  short  time. 

Van  Gundy,  like  all  other  impressarios,  was  nervous  and  excitable,  and 
when  some  of  our  then  young  ladies  (who  are  all  forty-nine  now),  arranged 
their  bustles  for  a  flying  leap  among  the  flats  and  sharps  on  Gundy's  black- 
board, and  got  upso  high  that  there  was  great  danger  of  falling  over  on 
the  other  side,  the  Gundy  presented  a  picture  of  desperation,  and  would 
sometimes  insinuate  that  the  audience  before  him  was  worse  than  the  Ingins. 
This  naturally  created  some  little  resentment,  and  before  the  close  of  the 
exercises  it  was  evident  that  the  Council  House  was  entirely  too  large  for  a 
class  in  singing,  on  account  of  the  home  talent  that  gathered  around  an  old 
ash  barrel  in  the  corner.  The  Superintendent  thought  so,  too,  and  resigned 
his  position.  It  was  also  very  evident  that  while  you  could  run  a  prayer 
meeting  at  the  Council  House,  a  singing  school  was  out  of  the  question,  so 
Prof.  Van  Gundy  announced  "that  the  'Sweet  Singers  in  Israel'  " — that 
was  the  name  of  the  society — "  would  meet  hereafter  in  the  parlors  of  the 
Sell's  Hotel,  two  doors  north  of  Abe  Trager's  blacksmith  shop."  On  the 
evening  designated  the  Hotel  Rocky  presented  a  gay  appearance,  and  Law- 
yer Sells,  who  spoke  both  languages  fluently,  was  on  hand  to  usher  in  the 
musical  celebrities  of  our  new  town.  In  a  few  minutes  the  parlors  were  so 
ci'owded  that  Prof.  Van  Gundy  and  his  fiddle  had  to  be  taken  in  through  a 
window.  Upon  his  appearance  there  was  a  loud  yell  for  "  Bonaparte  Cross- 
ing the  Alps,"  which  was  another  of  the  Professor's  solos  that  would  pass 
muster  for  either  the  "  Pretty  Mer-i-maid,"  or  "  Yankee  Doodle." 

It  was  usual,  at  Prof.  Van  Gundy's  singing  school,  for  one  of  the  prom- 
inent members  present  to  sing  a  song,  and  on  the  evening  in  question  Capt. 
Ayres  was  announced  for  the  "  Raging  Canawl,"  then  one  of  the  flowers  in 
the  bouquet  of  altisonant  minstrelsy.  Capt.  Ayres  was  then  one  of  our  hand- 
somest young  men,  who  always  wore  a  ruffled  shirt  and  a  diamond  that  threw 
oft"  scintillations  equal  to  our  present  electric  light.  He  was,  moreover,  the 
impersonation  of  modesty,  and  to  face  that  critical  audience,  with  Rocky 
Sells  standing  at  the  front  door  with  a  club  to  keep  back  the  intruders,  was 
a  little  more  than  the  Captain  could  undergo,  so  he  excused  himself  by  stat- 
ing that,  in  consequence  of  a  large  gum-boil  on  one  of  his  toes,  he  was  not 
in  sufficient  voice  to  do  the  "  Raging  Canawl "  justice;  and  from  the  appear- 
ance of  the  animation  outside,  it  might  be  well  for  the  Professor  to  take  the 
first  mule  for  Sycamore.      By  this  time  the   men   and  boys  outside  held  at 


528  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

bay  by  liocky,  deployed  to  the  rear  of  the  building,  entered  through  the 
kitchen,  and  made  their  appearance  among  the  singers,  and  you  may  know 
their  presence  created  a  cheerful  pandemonium.  Here  it  was  that  the  tall 
and  aged  form  of  the  elder  Sells  made  its  appearance,  and  waving  the  babel 
of  tongues  to  silence,  got  off  the  following  with  a  touch  of  parental  affec- 
tion: 

"  I  wish  to  state  to  this  congregation,"  said  Father  Sells  "  that  there  is 
altogether  too  much  hi  ligi-ty.  I  am  informed  by  my  worthy  son.  Rocky, 
that  there  are  many  here  to-night  who  have  sneaked  in  through  a  hole  in 
the  cellar  for  the  purpose  of  spectating.  Now  I  am  willing  they  shall  spec- 
tate,  but  those  who  come  here  to  spectate  should  spectate,  and  not 
interfere  with  those  who  come  here  to  exercise  their  exercise;  and  those 
who  have  come  here  to  exercise  their  exercise  should  exercise  their 
exercise,  and  not  throw  paper  wads  at  those  who  come  here  to  spectate; 
and  those  who  come  here  to  spectate  should  spectate,  and  not  till  the 
Professor's  fiddle  with  shelled  corn  and  rub  tallow  on  his  bow,  as  it 
makes  the  doxology  look  sick  and  frightens  the  children  in  the  next 
room.  I'm  an  old  man  from  Carroll  County,  but  by  the  holy  Moses,  those 
who  come  here  to  spectate  must  spectate,  and  those  who  come  here  to  exer- 
cise their  exercise  must  exercise  their  exercise,  or  somebody,  will  get  led 
out  by  the  eyebrow." 

This  speech  was  received  with  such  vociferous  applause  that,  before  its 
effect  had  died  away.  Prof.  Van  Gundy  bagged  his  violin,  gathered  up  his 
patent  notes,  slid  out  of  the  back  door  and  was  seen  no  more.  Thus  ended 
the  first  singing  school  in  Upper  Sandusky.  The  above  recital  of  a  true 
occurrence  should  not  indicate  that  there  was  ill-feeling  or  anything  out- 
side the  propriety  of  a  fun -loving  assemblage.  Those  who  went  there  to 
"exercise  their  exercise"  undoubtedly  had  their  tents  pitched  toward  Zion, 
but  the  boys  who  "  got  in  through  the  cellar"  made  it  lively, as  they  always 
do,  and  this  was  done,  not  maliciously, but  to  play  upon  the  sensitive  nature  of 
the  Professor,  who  made  a  ridiculous  exhibition  of  himself  at  every  slight 
annoyance.  In  the  language  of  a  famous  French  author — "  It  was  fun  the 
gamin  wanted,  not  fight. " 

CORPORATE    HISTORY. 

As  already  shown,  the  town  was  incorporated  in  February,  1848,  but  no 
records  are  now  accessible— doubtless  none  are  in  Existence — to  indicate  who 
the  officers  were  from  1848  to  the  spring  of  1857,  or  what  proceedings  took 
place.  Among  those,  however,  who  served  as  Mayor  during  this  interval  of 
time,  unaccounted  for,  were  William  W.  Bates,  who  was  the  first  to  occupy 
that  position;  next  came  Bivens.  the  shoemaker,  and  subsequently  John  D. 
Sears,  Esq.,  who  served  two  terms. 

The  village  officers  in  June,  1857 — the  date  of  the  earliest  minutes  of 
the  proceedings  of  town  council  now  to  be  found — were  Chester  K.  Mott, 
Mayor;  E.  M.  Krakau,  Recorder,  or  as  now  termed  Clerk;  Peter  A.  Tyler, 
John  Stoker,  Peter  B.  Beidler,  James  G.  Roberts  and  B.  SuUinger,  Trustees 
or  Town  Council.  Ernest  M.  Krakau,  the  Recorder,  who  was  also  known  as 
a  Surveyor  and  Civil  Engineer,  he  having  leveled  and  indicated  the  grade 
of  the  principal  streets  of  Upper  Sandusky,  in  September,  1848,  died  in 
September,  1857,  when  John  Berry  was  appointed  Recorder  to  till  va- 
cancy. 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1858,  the  following  was  made  a  matter  of  record: 

"  On  motion,  orders  were  drawn  in  favor  of  P.  A.  Tyler,  P.  B.  Beidler, 


CRANE   TOWNSHIP.  529 

J.  Stoker    and  B.  Sullinger  for  $10  each,  and    an  order  in  favor   of  J.  G. 
Roberts  for  $5  for  services  as  Councilman  for  the  last  two  years.     On  mo 
tion  Council  adjourned  sine  die.''''     To  defray  the  necessary  expenses  of  the 
village  for  the  current  year,  a  tax  of  $500  was  levied  in   1857.      The   prin- 
cipal officers  of  the  town  elected  since  1857  are  shown  as  follows: 

1858 — William  T.  Wilson,  Mayor;  John  Stoker,  R.  A.  Henderson, 
Henry  Miller,  John  D.  Sears  and  Samuel  H.  Hunt,  Trustees;  John  Patter- 
son, Marshal;  James  McCIean,  Recorder. 

1859 — James  G.  Roberts,  Mayor;  John  Stoker,  R.  R.  McKee,  Henry 
Miller,  N.  F.  Goetz  and  William  Ayres,  Councilmen;  John  Patterson,  Mar- 
shal, and  J.  A.  Maxwell,  Recorder. 

I860*— Curtis  Berry,  Sr.,  Mayor;  James  G.  Roberts,  R.  R.  McKee,  Rob- 
ert Hunter,  N.  F.  Goetz  and  Henry  Miller,  Councilmen;  Robert  Crary, 
Marshal;  M.  W.  Blucher,  Recorder. 

1861— Curtis  Berry,  Sr.,  Mayor;  R.  R.  McKee,  Robert  Hunter,  John 
Seider,  N.  F.  Goetz  and  William  Marlow,  Councilmen;  James  G.  Roberts, 
Recorder;  William  Ayres,  Treasurer;  Jesse  Brandenburgh,   Marshal. 

1862— Chester  R.  Mott,  Mayor;  James  H.  Williams,  Recorder;  Michael 
Moran,  James  Griffin,  E.  Zollars,  William  Quaintance  and  Levi  Shultz, 
Councilmen;  William  Ayres,  Treasurer;  Daniel  Fishel,  Marshal. 

1863 — John  Agerter,  Mayor;  William  B.  Hitchcock,  Recorder;  Thomas 
Dolan,  Anthony  Christen,  James  H  Freet,  John  H.  Junkins  and  Lawrence 
Bowman,  Councilmen;  William  Ayres,  Treasurer,  Anton  Koppe,  Mar- 
shal. 

1864 — Peter  A.  Tyler,  Mayor;  William  B.  Hitchcock,  Recorder;  John 
H.  Junkins,  R.  R.  McKee,  C.  R.  Mott,  Thomas  Dolan  and  L.  Bowman, 
Trustees;  Anthony  Christen,  Treasurer;  M.  Thomas,  Marshal.  Mayor 
Tyler  died  in  June,  1864,  when  John  Berry  was  appointed  to  that  office  to 
fill  vacancy. 

1865 — Robert  McKelly,  Mayor;  Henry  Maddux,  Recorder;  Michael  Mo- 
ran, Chester  R.  Mott,  Christian  Engel,  George  W.  Saltsman  and  Louis 
Gottfried,  Councilmen;  Anthony  Christen,  Treasurer. 

1866 — Robert  McKelly,  Mayor;  W\  J.  Hall,  Recorder;  Michael  Moran, 
George  W.  Saltsman,  William  Ayres,  Peter  B.  Beidler  and  Jacob  Schaefer, 
Councilmen;  John  Cramer,  Marshal;  Anthony  Christen,  Treasurer.  An- 
thony Christen  died  in  June,  1866,  when  R.  R.  McKee  was  appointed 
Treasurer  to  till  vacancy. 

1867 — George  W.  Saltzman,  Mayor;  William  M.  Lowther,  Recorder; 
Robert  McKelly,  Treasurer;  Anton  Koppe,  Marshal;  Peter  B.  Beidler, 
William  Ayres,  George  Adair,  Jacob  Schaffer  and  Michael  Moran,  Council- 
men. 

1868 — Henry  A.  Hoyt,  Mayor;  Joel  W.  Gibson,  Recorder;  Michael  Mo- 
ran, George  Adair,  Joseph  Hutter,  John  Seider  and  Peter  B.  Beidler, 
Councilmen;  R.  R.  McKee,  Treasurer;  Anton  Koppe,  Marshal. 

1869 — George  Myers,  Mayor;  Joel  W.  Gibson,  Recorder;  J.  S.  Lowery, 
P.  O'Brien,  Jost  Gloeser,  Peter  B.  Beidler  and  John  Seider,  Councilman; 
Ulrich  Orsinger,  Treasurer;  Anton  Koppe,  Marshal. 

1870— J.  K.  McCracken,  Mayor;  Peter  B.  Beidler,  Patrick  O'Brien,  R. 
A.  Henderson,  Leonard  StJef,  Joseph  Gaa  and  L.  A.  Brunner,  ('ouncil- 
men;  Anton  Koppe,  Marshal;  Ulrich  Orsinger,  Treasurer;  Henry  Wolfnrd, 
Clerk. 

*  In  May,  1860, 100  citizens  presented  a  petition  to  this  Council,  praying  for  this  protection  of  the  "(ireen 
Tree,"  standing  on  Sandusky  avenue,  a  little  north  of  the  front  of  the  jail.  This  was  the  tree  which  was 
cut  down  when  the  street  was  macadamized  in  1S74,  and  under  which  bones  of  soldiers  of  the  war  of 
1812-15  were  found. 


530  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

]871 — Samuel  M.  Worth,  Joseph  Gaa,  Jacob  J.  Stoll,  Couneilmen ; 
Joel  W.  Gibson,  Clerk;  Frederick  Ritter,  Street  Commissioner.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1871,  the  Council  appointed  the  following  gentlemen  as  members  of  the 
first  Board  of  Health  for  the  town,  viz. :  Dr.  R.  N.  McConnell  and  Dr.  A. 
Billhardtto  serve  three  years;  S.  Watson  and  A.  W.  Brinkerhoff  to  serve  two 
years;  T.  E.  Beery  and  John  Agerter  to  serve  one  year. 

1872 — Darius  D.  Hare,  Mayor;  Josiah  Lowery,  W.  A.  Gipson  and 
Peter  Beidler,  Couneilmen;  William  E.  Bowsher,  Treasurer;  Joel  W.  Gib- 
son, Clerk;  Christian  Tschanen,  Marshal. 

1873 — George  Harper,  David  Ayres, Robert  McKelvy,  Couneilmen;  Levi 
Shultz,  Street  Commissioner;  Joel  W.  Gibson,  Clerk. 

1874*— Darius  D.  Hare,  Mayor;  Allen  Snialley,  Clerk;  Jonathan  Maf- 
fett,  J.  S.  Hare  and  John  Seider,  Couneilmen;  George  Sting,  Marshal. 

1875 — W.  A.  Gipson,  David  Ayres  and  Jost  Gloeser,  Couneilmen. 

1876— Peter  B.  Beidler,  Mayor;  Allen  Smalley,  Clerk;  Frank  Keller, 
Treasurer;  Peter  J.  Van  Marter,  Marshal;  W.  B.  Hitchcock,  Councilman 
First  Ward;  John  F.  Myers  and  Jacob  Gottfried,  Couneilmen  Second  Ward. 
The  town  was  divided  into  two  wards  (Sandusky  avenue  serving  as  the  di- 
viding line)  by  an  ordinance  which  was  approved  and  passed  by  the  Town 
Council,  May  18,  1876. 

1877— Ewald  Brauns,  G.  W.  Freet  and  Michael  O'Donnell,  Council- 
men;  Benjamin  Liebenthal  and  John  F.  Myers,  Assessors. 

1878— Darius  D.  Hare,  Mayor;    Peter  J.  Van  Marter,  Marshal;    Frank 
Keller,  Treasurer;    Benjamin  Liebenthal,  Assessor   First    Ward;  Peter  S 
Ludwig,  Councilman  First  Ward;  Cornelius  Stutz,  Assessor  Second  Ward; 
David  Ayres  and  Jacob  Gottfried,  Couneilmen  Second  Ward. 

1879 — P.  W.  O'Brien,  Street   Commissioner;    Ewald  Brauns  and   Jost 
Gloeser,  Couneilmen  First  Ward;  A.  G.  Ringheisen,  Assessor  First  Ward; 
Michael  O'Donnell,  Councilman  Second  Ward;  F.  P.  Kenan,  Assessor  Se'^ 
ond  Ward. 

1880— Darius  D.  Hare.  Mayor;  N.  Grundtiseh,  Marshal;  John  H.  Von 
Stein, f  Clerk;  Frank  Keller,  Treasurer;  P.  S.  Tmdwig,  Councilman  First 
Ward;  Benjamin  Leibenthal,  Assessor  First  Ward;  Frank  Vogel  and  J.  C. 
Drum,  Couneilmen  Second  Ward;  A.  G.  Ringheisen,  Assessor  Second  Ward. 

1881 — Joseph  Keller,  Street  Commissioner;  Henry  Altstaetter  and 
Philip  Gottfried,  Couneilmen  First  Ward;  Anton  Koppe,  Assessor  First 
Ward;  Abel  R.  Hunt,  Councilman  Second  Ward;  Adam  Stutz,  Assessor 
Second  Ward. 

1882— Darius  D.  Hare,  Mayor;  N.  Grundtiseh,  Marshal;  John  H.  Von 
Stein,  Clerk;  Frank  Keller,  Treasurer;  William  G.  Dumm,  Sealer  of 
W^eights  and  Measures;  Jost  Gloeser,  Councilman  First  Ward;  Benjamin 
Liebenthal,  Assessor  First  Ward;  J.  C.  Drum  and  John  Pausch,  Couneil- 
men Second  Ward;  Robert  Paessler,  Assessor  Second  Ward. 

1883 — Joseph  Keller,  Street  Commissioner;  John  Agerter  amd  Philip 
Gottfried,  Couneilmen  First  Ward;  Benjamin  Liebenthal,  Assessor  First 
Ward;  John  F.  Myers,  Councilman  Second  Ward;  Robert  Paessler,  As- 
sessor Second  Ward. 

1884 — Joel  W.  Gibson,  Mayor;  Nicholas  Grundtiseh,  Marshal;  John 
H.Von  Stein, Clerk;  Frank  Keller,  Sr.,  Treasurer;  Samuel  L.  Walters,  Coun- 
cilman First  Ward;  Benjamin  Liebenthal,  Assessor  First  Ward;  Robert  E. 
Kerr  and  David  Cramer,  Couneilmen  Second  Ward;  William  Michaels,  As- 
sessor Second  Ward. 


*Sandusky  avenue  was  macadamized  from  the  railroad  to  Walker  street  in  1874. 
fHad  served  as  Clerk  from  April,  1878,  by  appointment  of  the  Board  of  Couneilmen. 


"  ~^        --Sfe 


r'j  yx^o 


OL^t^ 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  533 

Fire  Department. — Although  in  December,  1857,  Peter  A.  Tyler  and 
Peter  B.  Beidler  were  designated  as  the  Village  Council's  committee  to 
ascertain  the  "probable  cost  of  a  tire  engine,  hooks  and  ladders,"  etc.,  noth- 
ing resulted,  and  the  town  was  without  the  vestige  of  any  fire  apparatus, 
other  than  the  wells  and  buckets  owned  by  individuals,  until  April,  1858, 
when  hooks  and  ladders  were  procured  at  a  cost  of  $75.  A  wagon  for  trans- 
porting the  same  was  purchased  in  May  of  that  year,  and  at  the  same  time 
a  shed  or  temporary  building  was  ordered  to  be  built  for  the  purpose  of 
protecting  the  fire  apparatus.     The  wagon  cost  $55;  the  building  $75. 

In  January,  1860,  many  citizens  petitioned  the  Village  Council  to  pur- 
chase a  certain  fire  engine  from  the  people  of  Findlay,  Ohio,  for  $500,  but 
no  further  action  was  taken.  In  May,  1866,  a  tax  for  the  purpose  of  raising 
money  with  which  to  purchase  a  fire  engine  was  ordered  to  be  levied,  and 
Mayor  McKelly  with  two  Councilmen  of  his  selection  were  instructed  to 
visit  "some  of  the  neighboring  towns  for  the  purpose  of  inspecting  their  fire 
engines,  etc.,  and  their  conveniences  for  supplying  their  towns  with  water." 
Their  expenses  to  be  paid  out  of  the  corporation  funds.  One  year  later — 
May,  1867 — the  "  Wyandot  Chief,"  a  steam  fire  engine,  together  with  hose 
and  hose  cart,  was  purchased  of  the  manufacturer,  H.  C.  Silbby,  for  $8,500. 
SooQ  after  arrangements  were  completed  for  building  an  engine-house,  pro- 
viding cisterns  for  a  water  supply,  and  uniforming, the  engine  company.  Buck- 
ets, ladders  and  an  ax  for  the  hook  and  ladder  company  were  obtained  under 
the  supervision  of  Councilman  P.  O'Brien,  in  August,  1870.     In  February, 

1872,  the  same  gentleman  was  avithorized  to  contract  for  an  additional  hose 
cart,  which  cart  was  delivered  in  July  of  that  yeai\ 

A  building  to  store  fire  apparatus  and  for  "  calaboose"  was  erected  in 

1873,  at  a  cost  of  $1,445.  Soon  after  the  building  was  provided  with  a 
fire  alarm  bell  from  the  West  Troy  (N.  Y.)  Bell  Foundry.  A  Champion 
Chemical  Engine  was  purchased  in  the  fall  of  1879.  It  was  of  one  hun- 
dred gallons  capacity,  and  cost  $850.  Subsequently  a  company  known  as 
the  Babcock  Engine  Company  was  organized.  Prior  to  that  time,  the  town 
had  an  engine  company  (steamer),  hose  company  and  hook  and  ladder 
company. 

In  July,  1880,  the  Village  Council  exchanged  the  first  steam  fire  en- 
gine for  a  new  one,  also  a  Silsby,  paying  besides  the  sum  of  $2,500.  In 
June,  1882,  the  Junior  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  was  admitted  to  the  tire 
department  with  the  same  privileges,  compensation,  etc..  as  other  members; 
the  membership  being  limited  to  sixteen  men,  oflScers  included. 

BANKS    AND     BANKERS. 

Upper  Sandusky's  first  bank  was  established  in  1854,  by  Harper,  Ayres, 
Roberts  &  Co.,  a  firm  which  consisted  of  George  Harper,  David  Ayres,  James 
G.  Roberts,  John  D.  Sears  and  W^illiam  C.  Hedges,  the  latter  of  Tiffin, 
Ohio.  This  was  a  private  institution,  with  a  capital  stock  of  only  $10,000. 
It  ceased  operations  in  1859,  when  the  business  of  the  firm  was  settled  in  a 
satisfactory  manner.  Henry  Davis  succeeded  this  firm,  and  did  a  banking 
business    in  the  same  room — Roberts  &  Groff 's  corner — for  about  one  year. 

In  1860,  Sylvester  Watson  established  the  Exchange  Bank,  a  private  in- 
stitution, which  existed  until  Saturday,  October  31,  1863,  when  it  sus- 
pended. However,  on  Monday,  November  2,  1863,  the  First  National  Bank 
was  organized,  into  which  the  Exchange  Bank  was  merged.  The  National 
was  really  organized  August  15,  1863,  but  did  not  commence  operations 
until  the  time  stated  above.       The  stockholders  and  the  funds  invested  by 

19 


534  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

each  were  as  follows:  Thomas  V.  Reber,  $5,000;  M.  H.  Gillett,  $10,000; 
Sylvester  Watson,  $27,000;  David  Harpster,  $3,000;  John  D.  Sears,  $2,000; 
Milton  Morral,  $1,000;  David  Straw,  $3,000;  McDonough  M.  Carey, 
$1,000;  William  Miller,  !i?2,000;  Daniel  Smith,  $2,000;  F.  F.  Fowler, 
$1,000;  David    Ayres,  $3,000;  and  Mrs.  M.  C.  Wigton,  $1,000. 

The  first  officers  of  the  bank  were  Thomas  V.  Eeber,  President;  Syl- 
vester Watson,  Cashier;  M.  H.  Gillett,  Thomas  V.  Reber,  Sylvester  Watson, 

F.  F.  Fowler,  David  Harpster  and  John  D.  Sears,  Directors.  In  1865,  the 
capital  stock  was  increased  to  $105,000,  in  which  J.  G.  Roberts  in- 
vested $5,000.  He  had  been  Assistant  Cashier  from  the  date  of  the  bank's 
organization.  In  October,  1874,  he  was  chosen  Cashier,  and  at  the  same 
time  Sylvester  Watson  was  elected  President.  The  present  Directors  are 
Sylvester  Watson,   Thomas  V.  Reber,  John  D.  Sears,  David  Straw,  James 

G.  Roberts  and  David  Ayres.  This  bank  has  been  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessfully managed  and  substantial  institutions  in  this  part  of  Ohio.  Its 
losses  will  not  exceed  $2,000,  and  it  now  has  a  surplus  fund  of  $47,000. 

The  Wyandot  County  Bank  was  organized  in  the  early  days  of  1867, 
and  on  the  1st  day  of  April  of  that  year  its  doors  were  opened  for  business. 
The  original  stockholders  were  L.  B.  Harris,  I.  H.  Beery,  T.  E.  Beery,  J. 
A.  Maxwell  and  George  W.  Beery,  each  of  whom  controlled  capital  stock  to 
the  amount  of  $8,000.  George  W.  Beery  has  served  as  President  of  the 
bank  since  its  organization. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  1868,  T.  E.  Beery  sold  his  interest  to  the 
other  stockholders.  Subsequently,  or  April  1,  1869,  Mr.  Maxwell,  the  first 
Cashier,  sold  half  his  interest  to  the  remaining  stockholders,  and  Ed  A. 
Gordon  succeeded  him  as  Cashier.  In  June,  1877,  Mr.  Maxwell  sold  the 
remainder  of  his  stock  to  the  bank.  No  other  changes  or  transfer  of  stock 
have  occurred.  This  bank  has  been  ably  conducted  and  occupies  a  promi- 
nent place  among  the  monetary  institutions  of  this  section  of  the  State. 

Central  Bank. — In  1860,  R.  R.  McKee  established  a  private  banking 
house  in  Upper  Sandusky.  He  was  succeeded  in  the  business  by  R.  R. 
McKee  &  Co.,  and  on  the  3d  of  March,  1873,  the  last  mentioned  firm  were 
succeeded  by  those  composing  the  Central  Bank,  the  latter  being  the  first 
bank  started  under  the  new  State  law.  Ultimately — during  the  early  days 
of  1884 — while  John  S.  Rappe  was  serving  as  President,  and  William  H. 
Frederick  as  Cashier,  the  Central  Bank  failed  with  but  meager  assets, 
thereby  entailing  great  losses,  in  the  aggregate,  upon  many  depositors. 

MANUFACTURING    INTERESTS. 

The  Stevenson  Machine  Works. — In  November,  1865,  Geoi'ge  B.  Steven- 
son removed  from  Canton,  Ohio,  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  purchased  a  small 
foundry,  a  one-story  frame  building,  of  John  Cams.  The  building  stood 
on  the  site  of  the  present  works.  Mr.  Stevenson  was  a  machinist  by  trade, 
and  he  continued,  in  an  unimportant  way,  as  founder  and  machinist  until 
1867,  when  he  invented  the  Wyandot  Chief,  a  direct  acting  circular  saw 
mill,  and  began  the  manufacture  of  them. 

This  mill  was  favorably  received,  and  the  business  of  their  manufactm^e 
increased  so  rapidly  that,  in  1868,  Mr.  Stevenson  erected  the  present  shops. 
The  main  building  is  36x100  feet  and  two-stories  in  height.  The  foundry 
is  36x80  feet,  with  an  L  20x30  feet,  which  is  used  as  a  blacksmith  shop. 
The  material  used  in  their  construction  is  bi'ick. 

In  the  spring  of  1869,  Col.  Cyrus  Sears  was  admitted  as  a  partner,  and 
the  firm   of  Stevenson  &  Sears  continued  until  January  1,  1872,  when  Mr. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  535 

Sears  sold  his  one-half  interest  to  Jacob  Juvinall,  John  R.  Layton,  J.  K. 
McCracken  and  D.  S.  Miller.  The  firm  of  George  B.  Stevenson  &  Co. 
then  existed  until  April  14,  1874,  when  Mr.  Stevenson  purchased  the  half 
interest  owned  by  his  partners,  and  thereafter  conducted  the  business  alone 
until  I  November  1,  1881.  At  that  time  George  W.  Beery,  Roe  Stevenson 
and  John  Agerter  became  partners,  and  under  the  title  of  the  Stevenson 
Machine  Works,  Messrs.  Stevenson,  Agerter  &  Co.,  have  since  operated  as 
proprietors. 

The  buildings  first  erected  cost  $15,000,  and  the  machinery  15,000. 
Since  the  organization  of  the  present  firm,  a  warehouse  30x60  feet,  one  story 
high,  with  slate  roof,  has  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,000.  The  firm  em- 
ploy forty  men,  and  continue  to  manufacture  the  saw  mills  already  men- 
tioned, besides  the  famous  Stevenson  engine.  This  engine  was  invented 
by  Mr.  Stevenson  in  1875.  He  has  since  made  valuable  improvements  upon 
the  same,  which  are  covered  by  three  patents.  In  1883,  the  firm  manufact- 
lU'ed  and  sold  forty-five  engines  and  eleven  saw  mills,  which  represents  an 
annual  business  of  more  than  $100,000.  Their  engines  have  been  shipped 
to  points  extending  from  New  Jersey  to  Nebraska,  and  from  Lake  Superior 
to  Georgia.  The  Stevenson  engine  was  awarded  the  first  premium  at  the 
Ohio  State  Fair.  By  his  enterprise,  Mr.  Stevenson  has  been  the  cause  of 
circulating  more  than  $2,000,000  in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky. 

The  Upper  Sandusky  Straiv  Board  Company  was  organized  December 
29,  1881,  with  S.  H.  Hunt,  S.  H.  White,  Samuel  Lee,  John  Thompson,  R. 
McKelly  and  T,  E.  Beery  as  members,  who  invested  $60,000  in  the  enter- 
prise. The  officers  consist  of  S.  H.  Hunt,  President,  and  S.  H.  White 
Secretary  and  Treasurer,  while  all  the  stockholders  are  recognized  as  Direc- 
tors. 

In  the  summer  of  1882,  the  building  owned  by  the  company  was  erected 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Sandusky  River,  near  the  line  of  the  Pittsburgh, 
Fort  Wayne  «&  Chicago  Railroad.  It  is  of  brick,  roofed  with  slate,  and 
contains  an  engine  room,  125x35  feet,  one  story  high;  a  bleaching  room, 
40x50  feet,  two  stories  in  height;  a  boiler  room,  one  story,  30x45  feet;  a 
machine  room,  one  story,  135x35  feet;  and  a  ware  room,  one  story,  30x40 
feet.  Power  is  derived  from  two  engines  of  120  and  30  horse-power  re- 
spectively. 

The  company  began  operations  September  1,  1882,  with  five  beating  en- 
gines of  700  pounds  capacity  each;  two  rotary  boilers  or  bleachers,  fourteen 
feet  in  diameter,  and  each  having  a  capacity  of  bleaching  four  tons  of  straw 
at  each  filling;  a  No  7  Ross  cutter,  capable  of  cutting  four  tons  of  straw  per 
hour.  In  short,  the  works  have  capacity  for  the  manufacture  of  ten  tons  of 
straw  board  per  day.  They  manufacture  their  own  gas,  and  have  a  steam 
pump  which  takes  1,000  gallons  from  the  Sandusky  River  per  minute. 

The  building  cost  $15,000,  the  machinery  $55,000,  and  the  real  estate, 
twelve  acres,  $5,000.  When  in  operation,  thirtj-two  men,  and  from  ten  to 
fifteen  teams  are  employed.  Twelve  tons  of  straw  are  used  per  day.  The 
products  are  shipped  principally  to  Eastern  cities. 

The  Upper  Sandusky  Mills  were  completed  and  began  operations  about 
September  1,  1858.  They  were  built  by  James  G.  Roberts  and  Joseph  H. 
Groff,  who  owned  and  operated  them  until  1869,  when  Jacob  Purkeypile 
became  the  owner.  Subsequently,  Chester  R.  Mott,  Dallas  C.  Pierson  and 
Michael  Moran  were  part  owners  at  different  periods.  In  1876,  James 
Kerr  and  his  son,  Robert  E.  Kerr,  purchased  a  three-fourths  interest. 
Three  years  later,  they  purchased  the  other  one-fourth,  and  since  that  date 


536  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  millB  have  been  operated  by  Robert  E.  Kerr.  In  1881,  Mr.  Kerr  added 
an  Excelsior  puritier  and  other  iraprovements,  to  the  amount  of  13,000. 
These  mills  have  a  capacity  of  fifty  barrels  of  flour  per  day.  Three  men  are 
steadily  employed,  and  the  products  consist  of  both  ciistom  and  merchants' 
work. 

The  City  Mills  were  built  by  Daniel  Walborn,  and  first  commenced  oper- 
ations on  the  4th  day  of  November,  1875.  In  March,  1876,  Mr.  Walborn 
sold  a  one-third  interest  to  M.  B.  Hough,  and  another  third  to  Ephraim 
Fenner.  The  following  May  he  sold  the  remainder  to  Jacob  Juvinall.  The 
business  was  then  conducted  by  the  above-mentioned  parties  until  1878, 
when  W.  J.  Streby  pui'chased  Hough's  interest.  In  1882,  Mr.  Streby 
bought  of  Charles  Juvinall  the  interest  formerly  owned  by  Jacob  Juvinall, 
and  at  about  the  same  time  W.  D.  Kail  purchased  from  Adam  Stephan  the 
interest  formerly  owned  by  Ephraim  Fenner.  L.  T.  Myers  became  a  rented 
partner  in  1880.  The  building  occupied  is  30x40  feet  in  dimensions,  and 
two  stories  in  height.  At  first  only  two  run  of  buhrs  were  used.  In  1882, 
however,  two  more  buhrs  and  a  double  set  of  Allis'  rolls  were  added,  and 
other  machinery,  to  the  amount  of  $4,000.  The  mills  now  have  a  capacity 
of  thirty-five  barrels  per  day.  Three  men  are  employed,  and  as  is  usual  in 
small  towns,  both  custom  and  merchants'  flour  is  produced. 

Beery^s  Elevator  was  erected  in  1875  by  the  Beery  Brothers,  at  a  cost  of 
$4,000.  It  is  situated  on  the  line  of  the  Columbus  &  Toledo  Railroad,  is 
two  stories  in  height,  and  is  operated  by  hoi'se- power.  The  firm,  still 
known  as  Beery  Bros.,  handle  annually  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  thousand 
bushels  of  wheat,  besides  other  grains.  The  principal  shipments  are  made 
to  New  York  and  Baltimore. 

Hale  d-  White's  Elevator,  which  is  located  on  the  line  of  the  Pittsburgh, 
Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad,  corner  of  Sandusky  avenue  and  Hicks 
street,  was  built  by  Col.  Samuel  H.  Hunt*  in  1876.  Subsequently,  T.  E. 
Beery  acquired  a  one-half  interest.  In  1882,  S.  H.  White  bought  a  half- 
interest,  his  elevator  which  stood  across  the  railroad  from  the  present  build- 
ing having  burned.  On  the  1st  of  July,  1883,  G.  W.  Hale  purchased  T.  E. 
Beery 's  interest,  and  the  business  has  since  been  conducted  under  the  firm 
name  of  White  &  Hale.  Their  annual  transactions,  including  the  handling 
of  wool,  umouDts  to  about  $150,000. 

'^  The  building  occupied  is  in  the  form  of  an  "L,"  each  wing  being  120 
feet  long.  It  has  a  receiving  capacity  of  10,000  bushels  per  day,  storage 
for  30,000  bushels,  and  is  operated  by  steam. 

i^  The  Upi^er  Sandusky  Gas  Light  Company  was  organized  October  22, 
1878,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $20,000.  The  original  subscribers  to  the  stock 
were  William  Smith,  Sylvester  Watson,  James  G.  Roberts,  John  D.  Sears, 
James    M.  Hawes,  Alexander  L.  McKaig  and  Alexander   L.  McKaig  &  Co. 

On  the  3d  of  December,  1878,  Alexander  L.  McKaig,  William  Smith, 
S.  Watson,  James  G.  Roberts  and  John  D.  Sears  were  elected  Directoi's. 
The  Directors  then  elected  S.  Watson  President,  and  Alexander  L.  McKaig 
Secretary.  These  gentlemen  acted  as  President  and  Secretary  until  Octo- 
ber 14,  1881,  when  Mr.  McKaig,  having  disposed  of  his  interest  to  I.  H. 
Beery,  Anthony  Beery  and  T.  E.  Beery,  resigned.  Meanwhile,  John  D. 
Sears  had  disposed  of  his  stock  to  S.  H.  White.  At  this  meeting,  October 
14,  1881,  James  G.  Roberts,  I.  H.  Beery,  A.  Beery,  S.  H.  White  and  T.  E. 
Beery  were  made  Directors.     Mr.  S.  Watson's  resignation  as  President  was 

*  By  utilizing  a  part  of  tlie  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  A  Chicago  Railroad  Depot,  Mr.  Hunt  did  an  exten- 
sive and  profitable  business  in  handling  grain,  long  before  the  first  grain  elevator  was  built  in  Upper  San- 
dusky. 


CRANE  TOWNSHir.  587 

accepted,  and  James  G.  Robertb  was  duly  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy.  At 
the  same  meeting,  I.  H.  Beery  was  elected  Treasurer,  and  T.  E.  Beery  was 
chosen  Secretary.  At  that  time,  there  were  but  eighteen  consumers,  now 
there  are  110  consumers.  The  works  are  situated  on  the  bhiff,  at  the  south 
end  of  Fifth  street. 

CHURCH    ORGANIZATIONS. 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Upper  Sandusky  was  organized  with 
seven  members,  at  a  meeting  held  in  the  old  Mission  Church  in  1845,  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Hutchinson,  of  Bucyrus,  Ohio.  Prior  to  that  time,  however,  a 
Mr.  McCain  had  preached  in  the  same  church  edifice  at  irregular  intervals. 

This  congregation  built  a  small  frame  house  of  worship  in  1847,  which 
was  occupied  for  a  number  of  years.  Their  present  handsome  brick  church 
was  erected  in  1866,  at  a  cost  of  $12,000. 

The  original  members  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodman,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Searls,  Mr.  Taggart,  Mrs.  Letitia  McCutchen  and  Rev.  Mr.  McCain.  The 
present  members  are  180  in  number,  of  whom  Thomas  M.  Bowman,  D.  W. 
Byron,  J.  A.  Stockton  and  John  Ewing  are  Elders. 

Following  are  the  names  of  the  pastors  who  have  had  charge  of  this 
congregation:  Revs.  Messrs.  Charles  Thayer,  McCain,  Baird,  Holliday, 
Bogle,  Lower.  Fry,  Edgar,  Moore,  Colmery,  Copeland  and  Carson. 

The  Methodist  E2nsco2Xil  Church  of  Upper  Sandusky  was  organized  in 
the  autumn  of  1845.  On  the  27th  of  September  of  that  year,  the  following- 
named  gentlemen  were  elected  as  members  of  the  first  Board  of  Trustees: 
Andrew  M.  Anderson,  Guy  C.  Worth,  James  B.  Alden,  Alexander  Armstrong, 
Joseph  Cover,  Alexander  Voluntine  and  William  Myers. 

In  January,  1846,  the  members  of  the  society  were  as  follows:  Andrew 
M.  Anderson,  Susan  Anderson,  Alexander  Armstrong,  James  B.  Alden, 
James  Boyd,  Samuel  Bird,  Margaret  Bird,  Joseph  Cover,  Susan  Cover, 
Adelia  T.  Chafifee,  James  Clark,  Jane  Clark,  Abraham  Coleman,  Casander 
Clark,  Jane  Frees,  Nancy  Garrett,  George  W.  Gould,  Sarah  Hughes,  Polly 
Keeler,  Charles  Kinsler,  Nancy  Kinsier,  Ann  Kinsler,  William  Kiskadden, 
Samuel  Landis,  Hannah  Landis.  Lucinda  Miller.  William  Myei-s,  Susan 
Myers,  Lavina  McElvain,  John  Owens,  Mary  Owens  Julia  Stebbins,  Sarah 
Snyder,  Joseph  Spangler,  Jane  Spangler,  Thomas  Stevenson,  Catharine 
Trager,  Alexander  Voluntine,  Mary  Voluntine,  Guy  C.  Worth.  Aurelia  W. 
Worth  and  Valentine  Plumb. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  held  Juue  25,  1846,  it  was  re- 
solved to  circulate  a  paper  soliciting  subscriptions  to  aid  in  the  erection  of 
a  church  building.  It  was  also  decided  at  this  meeting  to  dispose  of  the 
lot  already  purchased  by  the  society,  which  being  Inlot  No.  306,  and  then 
situated  in  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  and  apply  the  proceeds  to  the  pur- 
chase of  a  lot  more  centrally  located.  Subsequently,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  held  November  11,  1846,  it  was  agreed  to  purchase  Inlot 
No.  114,  situated  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Johnston  and  Seventh  streets. 
The  amount  paid  for  Lot  No.  114,  including  a  building  thereon,  was  §250. 
The  first  payment,  $100,  was  raised  by  a  special  subscription,  except  $6  50, 
which  was  drawn  from  the  building  fund. 

Soon  after,  Andrew  M.  Anderson,  James  B.  Alden  and  Alexander  Vol- 
untine, who  having  been  appointed  a  building  committee,  were  instructed 
to  "  build  a  house  of  worship  24x36  feet,  of  plank,  ten  feet  story,  three 
fifteen  light  windows,  of  10x12  glass,  on  each  side,  and  two  windows  in 
front  with  one  door  in  the  center  of  the  front  end  of  said  building."  This 
house  was  completed,  probably  in  1847.     Prior  to  its  completion,  the  Meth- 


538  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

odists  had  occupied  the  Wyandot  Mission  Church,  which,  owing  to  an  over- 
sight, at  the  time  the  Wyandot  Reservation  was  purchased  by  the  United 
States,  was  not  especially  reserved  to  the  Methodist  society,  and  for  that 
reason,  a  very  good  one,  all  claims  upon  it  as  Methodist  property  were 
abandoned. 

The  frame  house  of  worship  was  used  until  the  spring  of  1854,  when 
the  present  church  edifice  was  commenced.  The  latter  was  not  entirely 
finished,  however,  until  the  summer  of  1859.  It  cost  about  $4,500.  Dur- 
ing subsequent  years,  a  parsonage  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $500. 

The  First  English  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  was  organized  by  Rev. 
Jacob  Schaner,  at  a  meeting  held  at  the  house  of  George  C.  Wolford,  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1849.  Prior  to  that  time,  however,  or  on  the  29th  of  -January, 
1849,  a  meeting  of  the  members  of  this  denomination  had  been  held  at  the 
"old  Indian  council  house,"  when  and  where  Rev.  J.  Schaner  and  D.  Har- 
baugh  officiated. 

Fourteen  members  originally  signed  the  church  constitution,  which 
number  was  soon  increased  to  thirty-five,  among  whom  were  Michael  Mil- 
ler and  wife,  George  C.  AVolford  and  wife,  Samuel  Smith  and  wife,  Benja- 
min Taylor  and  wife,  John  Furlinger  and  wife,  Daniel  Sterner  and  wife,  and 
their  children — Julia,  Michael  and  Emanuel  Sterner — Samuel,  Josiah  and 
Ephraim  Miller,  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Watson. 

This  first  church  edifice,  a  brick  structure,    size  35x50,   was  built    in 

1851.  It  stood  upon  Lot  No.  305,  northwest  corner  of  Fifth  and  Findlay 
streets,  and  cost  $1,4(^0.  The  structure  now  in  use  was  built  in  1879,  at  a 
cost  of  15,000.  It  stands  upon  the  northeast  corner  of  Eighth  street  and 
Wyandot  avenue,  is  36x56  feet  in  exterior  dimensions,  and  is  constructed 
of  brick,  trimmed  with  sandstone. 

The  pastors  of  this  church  have  been  as  follows:  Jacob  Schaner,  1848- 
49;  J.  B.  Oliver,  1850-52;  J.  H.  Hofifmau,  1853-54;  J.  G.  Becklev,  1854-55; 
A.  B.  Kirtland,  1857-60;  G.  Hammer,  1861-64;  W.  J.  Sloan,  1866-67; 
and  S.  Fenner,  1872-81.  Rev.  H.  B.  Belmer,  the  present  pastor,  took 
charge  March  1,  1882. 

In  the  Sunday  school,  eighty  scholars  are  enrolled.  The  Ladies'  Aid 
Society  raised  $97  during  the  year  1883,  which  was  expended  on  the 
church  property. 

llie  Church  of  God  of  Upper  Sandusky  was  organized  at  a  meeting 
held  in  the  old  Indian  Mission  Church,  by  Elder  David  Neidtheth,in  Feb- 
ruary, 1851.  The  original  members,  ten  in  number,  were  Christian  Bies- 
tel,  C.  Biestel,  Margaret  Biestel,  J.  W.  Senseny,  A,  R.  Senseny,  A.  Biestel, 
J.  Wilson,  M.  Biestel,  George  Lott  and  L.  Fensel.  Their  house  of  worship 
is  constructed  of  brick.  Among  those  who  have  officiated  as  pastors  were 
David  Neidtheth,  William  Adams,  J.  M.  West,  A>'illiam  Shafer,  William 
McCormick  and  J.  W.  Senseny. 

The   Trinity  Reformed  Church    of    Upper  Sandusky   was  organized  in 

1852.  Respecting  its  early  history,  etc,  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  E.  D.  Miller, 
writes  as  follows:  "This  church  has  a  history.  Rev.  August  Winter  was 
the  first  Reformed  minister  here,  who  stood  in  regular  connection  with  the 
Synod  of  the  Reformed  Church  of  the  United  States,  but  the  exact  date 
when  he  came  is  not  known.  He  must  have  been  born  in  the  year  1850. 
How  long  he  labored,  however,  or  when  he  left,  the  records  fail  to  show. 
After  him  came  Rev.  J.  J.  Brecht,  who  remained  but  a  brief  period.  When 
Mr.  Brecht  withdrew.  Rev.  Peter  Joeris  was  elected  pastor  of  the  charge, 
consisting  of  Upper  Sandusky  and  the  Emanuel's   congregations,  and  com- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  539 

menced  his  work  here  about  the  year  1852.  In  that  year,  he  effected  the 
first  permanent  organization  of  Trinity  Reformed  Church  of  Upper  Sandus- 
ky. Pastor  Joeris  remained  until  about  the  year,  1858  or  1859.  After  he 
left,  the  charge  was  vacant  until  the  year  1862,  when  Rev.  J.  Klingler  came 
as  a  supply  from  Ada,  Ohio,  continuing  so  for  four  years.  Finally,  in 
1865  the  church  was  re- organized,  and  in  1866  the  first  church — an  unpre- 
tending brick  edifice,  26x50  feet — was  built  on  North  Fifth  street,  at  a 
cost  of  $2,500.  From  a  very  humble  beginning,  the  congregation  now 
numbered  about  150  members.  Mr.  Klingler  continued  his  self -defying, 
and,  in  the  main,  successful,  service  until  1875.  a  period  of  about  fourteen 
years.  During  his  ministerial  labors  also,  the  old-time  "Mud  Church,"  in 
Pitt  Township,  was  replaced  by  a  neat  brick  building.  Its  members  are 
about  145  in  number.  These  two  congregations  were  always  served  by 
the  same  pastor." 

Rev.  C.  Wisner  succeeded  Mr.  Klingler,  and  was  shepherd  of  the  flock 
for  about  five  years.  During  this  period,  he  placed  the  finances  of  the 
Upper  Sandusky  congregation  on  a  firm  basis,  paid  an  old  church  debt  and 
procured  a  parsonage.  Rev.  E.  D.  Miller,  the  present  pastor,  succeeded 
Mr.  Wisner  April  1,  1881.  In  the  spirit  of  his  predecessors,  he  is  carrying 
the  work  successfully  forward,  and  under  his  charge  the  church  edifice  was 
rebuilded  and  enlarged  in  the  summer  of  1883.  The  remodeled  building 
was  re-dedicated  December  9, 1883,  which  event  was  noticed  in  the  columns 
of  the  IVeekly  Chief  as  follows: 

"On  last  Sabbath  forenoon  the  exercises  of  re-dedicating  the  Reformed 
Church  on  Fifth  street  took  place.  At  the  allotted  hour,  people  began  gath- 
ering in,  and,  after  the  house  was  filled  to  its  fullest  capacity,  the  exercises 
began  with  an  anthem  by  the  choir.  The  opening  address,  in  English, 
was  made  by  the  former  pastor.  Rev.  J.  Klingler,  giving  the  rise  and  prog- 
ress of  the  congregation."  Then  followed  re-dedicatory  services  in  the  Ger- 
man by  the  pastor.  Rev.  E.  D.  Miller,  and  a  re-dedicatory  sermon  by  Rev. 
Dr.  Rust,  of  Tiffin,  Ohio. 

The  Sabbath  school  in  connection  with  this  church  numbers  four  officers, 
eleven  teachers  and  about  one  hundred  scholars.  Its  exercises  are  conduct- 
ed in  the  German  and  English  languages.  The  present  Superintendent  ib 
Adam  Grundtisch.  There  is  also  a  flourishing  missionary  society  existing 
in  this  church,  which  is  doing  a  good  work  both  for  home  and  foreign  mis- 
sions. Its  present  officers  are  Allen  Smalley,  Esq.,  President ;  E.  F.  Miller, 
Secretary,  and  Miss  Ray  Agerter,  Treasurer. 

The  present  members  of  the  congregation  are  150  in  number,  of  whom 
John  Burkhardt  and  Adam  Grundtisch  are  Elders;  Adam  Beinbreck  and 
Joseph  E.  Altenberger,  Deacons;  Henry  Grundtisch,  John  Ulrich  and  U. 
Schlup,  Trustees. 

St.  Peter''s  Roman  Catholic  Congregation,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  is,  com- 
paratively, a  young  organization,  its  history  dating  back  only  to  the  year 
1857,  when  a  few  Catholic  families,  about  twelve  in  number,  banded  to- 
geiher  under  the  direction  of  the  Sanguinist  Fathers  of  New  Riegel,  Sen- 
eca County,  and  formed  a  small  but  spirited  mission.  Immediately  steps 
were  taken  toward  the  erection  of  a  brick  church  or  chapel,  50x30  feet.  In 
a  short  time  the  building  was  ready  for  use,  and  the  little  congregation  felt 
happy  to  have  a  chui-ch  of  their  own,  small  and  plain  though  it  was.  The 
names  of  the  first  members  who  started  the  congregation  were  John  Gaa, 
Joseph  Gaa,  Frank  Fleck,  Anthony  Christen,  Fi'ank  Keller,  Sr. ,  Frank 
Joseph  Keller,  John  Osiaus,  B.  Vogel,  John  Lauder,  Mathias  Braun,  Frank 


540  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Vogel,  Anthony  Maueb  and  John  Frey,  all  Germans,  also  a  few  Irish  fam- 
ilies soon  joined  the  small  congregation,  among  whom  were  John  Demp- 
sey,  J.  Nolan,  Michael  Moran  and  ,S.  Dolan.  The  church,  when  completed, 
cost  about  $2,600,  of  which  about  $600  was  collected  from  the  citizens  of 
the  town. 

From  1857  until  1865,  St.  Peter's  congregation  was  attended  from  New 
Riegel  by  the  following  fathers  in  the  order  in  which  their  names  are  here 
given,  viz.:  Revs.  Johannes,  Anton^  Niclaus  Gales,  Augustin  Reichert, 
Echardt  Glueek,  Patrick  Henneberry,  Henry  Engelbert,  Mathias  Kreusch, 
Alphons  Laux,  C.  French  and  Henry  Drees.  In  1865,  the  congregation 
had  increased  in  numbers  and  strength  sufficiently  to  be  able  to  support  a 
resident  pastor.  The  first  priest  who  served  them  in  this  capacity  was  the 
Rev.  B.  A.  Quinn,  who,  however,  remained  but  two  months,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  G.  A.  Spierings  in  October,  1865.  He  remained  in 
charge  of  St.  Peter's  congregation  till  April,  1867,  when  Rev.  Joseph  Rein- 
hardt  was  appointed  his  successor.  Father  Reinhardt's  useful  career  was 
suddenly  cut  short  February  22,  1868,  while  on  his  way  to  Bucyrus  to  meet 
Bishop  Rappe,  who  was  giving  confirmation  there.  He  was  rudely  thrown 
from  a  freight  train  which  he  had  boarded,  no  passenger  train  being  avail- 
able by  which  he  could  reach  Bucyrus  in  time  for  the  cei-emony  at  which 
he  intended  to  assist.  Thrown  from  the  train,  he  fell  under  the  cars  and 
was  instantly  killed.  His  mangled  remains  were  gathered  together  and 
conveyed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  where,  after  an  imposing  and  impressive 
burial  service,  attended  by  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Rappe,  many  priests 
and  a  vast  concovirse  of  people,  Catholic  and  Protestant,  they  wei'e  placed 
at  rest  beneath  the  altar  of  the  parish  church.  Father  Reinhardt  was  a 
priest  of  amiable  qualities.  During  his  short  pastorate  here,  he  won  the 
love  and  confidence  of  his  flock  and  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  non- Cath- 
olics of  the  community  with  whom  be  came  in  contact.  His  death  was  a 
severe  blow  to  the  congregation,  who  mourned  for  him  as  for  the  loss  of  a 
father.  Rev.  A.  Girardin  was  appointed  his  successor  in  February,  1868, 
but  only  remained  till  October  of  the  same  year,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  G.  Peter,  who  had  charge  of  the  coQgregation  for  five  years.  Under 
his  energetic  and  zealous  administration,  the  congregation  grew  in  strength 
and  prosperity. 

Rev.  Charles  Braschler,  the  present  pastor,  succeeded  Father  Peter  in 
March,  1873.  By  this  time  the  congregation  had  far  outgrown  its  first 
church.  Father  Peter  had  already  foreseen  the  necessity  of  building  a  new 
and  larger  church,  and  to  this  end  purchased  three  lots  in  the  most  eligible 
part  of  town,  corner  of  Eighth  and  Finley  streets,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  which 
he  succeeded  in  paying  for  in  a  comparatively  short  time,  having  been  gener- 
ously assisted  by  the  greater  part  of  the  congregation.  To  Father  Brasch- 
ler fell  the  ai'duoiis  and  difficiilt  task  of  building  this  much-needed  church. 
Full  of  courage,  and  cheered  by  the  liberal  response  on  the  part  of  his 
people,  he  went  to  work.  In  the  fall  of  1873,  the  foundation  was  begun. 
In  August  of  the  following  year,  Rev.  D.  Hannin  was  commissioned  by  the 
Bishop  to  lay  the  corner  stone.  But  owing  to  the  monetary  panic  of  the 
year  previous,  the  dire  efi"ects  of  which  were  keenly  felt  by  the  entire  coun- 
try, the  building  progressed  but  slowly.  Pastor  and  congregation  struggled 
along  with  their  burden  at  times  almost  disheartened,  yet,  in  spite  of 
financial  difliculties,  they  went  steadily  on  till  April,  1879,  when  the  church 
was  so  far  finished  that  it  could  be  used  for  divine  service.  Much  was 
still  to  be  done,  however,  in  the   way  of   interior  work   and  ornamentation. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  541 

The  building  was  finally  brought  to  completion  in  the  early  fall  of  1880, 
and  on  Sunday,  October  17, 1880,  it  was  dedicated  by  Right  Rev.  R.  Gilmour, 
assisted  by  a  number  of  priests. 

The  church  is  built  of  brick,  ornamented  with  cut  stone.  The  style  of 
architecture  is  Roman-Doric.  The  building  is  140  feet  in  length,  and  60 
feet  in  width;  the  walls  are  42  feet  in  height,  and  the  graceful  spire  200 
feet  high  is  in  keeping  with  the  exceedingly  imposing  appearance  of  the 
church,  which,  owing  to  its  elevated  site,  can  be  seen  for  miles.  The  in- 
terior is  plastered  and  decorated  with  stucco-work,  presenting  a  very  pleas- 
ant appearance.  The  windows  are  of  stained  glass,  each  presenting  the 
picture  of  some  saint,  or  religious  symbol,  and  are  the  gift  of  some  members 
of  the  congregation.  The  pews,  made  of  black  walnut,  are  of  excellent 
workmanship,  and  are,  what  cannot  be  said  of  the  generality  of  church  pews, 
well  adapted  to  the  purpose  for  which  they  are  intended.  The  altar  in  use 
at  present  is  only  temporary,  and  will  be  replaced  by  one  in  harmony  with 
the  church,  as  soon  as  the  congregation  is  able.  In  1881,  two  large  hot-air 
furnaces  were  placed  in  the  basement,  which  heat  up  the  church  comforta- 
bly. In  1882,  a  very  graceful  pulpit  of  black  walnut  was  erected, 
corresponding  with  the  style  of  architecture  of  the  interior,  at  a  cost  of 
$330.  The  church  is  illuminated  by  seventy  gas-jets.  As  it  now  stands,  it 
cost  about  $30,000,  and  though  there  are  a  number  of  churches  in  the  dio- 
cese of  Cleveland  more  expensive  than  St.  Peter's  of  Upper  Sandusky,  there 
are  very  few  excelling  it  in  beauty  of  architecture  or  interior  finish.  St. 
Peter's  congregation  and  their  zealous  pastor,  who  by  his  untiring  zeal 
brought  his  task  to  a  successful  end,  may  well  feel  a  pardonable  pride  in 
having  erected  so  beautiful  a  temple  to  the  worship  of  God. 

To  the  credit  of  the  Catholics  of  Tipper  Sandusky,  be  it  said  that,  from 
the  beginning  of  their  existence  as  a  congregation,  they  supported  a  paro- 
chial school,  at  times  even  at  a  great  sacrifice.  In  the  beginning,  and  for 
many  years,  till  1880,  it  was  managed  by  one  lay  teacher.  Now  it  is  in  a 
flourishing  condition,  under  the  careful  supervision  of  the  pastor  and  the 
able  management  of  two  lay  teachers.  At  first,  it  is  true,  the  accommoda- 
tions for  the  children  were  not  such  as  they  could  find  in  the  public  schools, 
which  their  parents  helped  to  build  and  maintain,  but  on  religious  ground, 
for  conscience'  sake,  cannot  use.  Now,  however,  since  the  new  church  is 
finished,  the  old  church  has  been  neatly  refitted  as  a  schoolhouse,  giving 
ample  room  to  all  the  children  of  the  parish. 

As  soon  as  the  debt  of  the  church — about  one-third  of  its  cost — is  some- 
what reduced,  steps  will  be  taken  toward  the  erection  of  a  suitable  residence 
for  the  pastor,  as  the  one  now  in  use  is  remarkable  only  for  its  age  and 
rickety  appearance. 

The  temporalities  of  the  congregation  are  administered  by  a  body  of 
councilmen.  four  in  number,  under  the  guidance  and  supervision  of  the 
Ordinary  of  the  Diocese  and  the  parish  priest.  The  councilmen  in  1857 
were.  Messrs.  John  Gaa,  Anthony  Christen  and  Frank  Keller.  The  same 
body  in  1883  was  composed  of  Henry  Fleck,  Frank  Vogel,  Peter  Mong  and 
Charles  Rail.  They  are  annually  elected  by  the  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion, from  a  list  of  members  presented  to  them  by  the  pastor. 

Service  is  held  every  Sunday,  in  English  and  German  alternately.  The 
present  number  of  communicants  is  about  four  hundred  and  sixty. 

At  different  times  spiritual  revivals  or  missions  have  been  held.  Thus 
in  1863,  by  the  Redemptorist  Fathers;  in  1871, by  the  same  Fathers;  and  in 
1880,  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers.     Various  religious  societies  are   likewise   at- 


542  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

tached   to  the  congregation,  foi'  married  men  and  women,  for  young   men 
and  young  ladies,  and  for  the  small  and  large  school  children. 

Cemetery  grounds  for  the  sole  use  of  the  congregation  were  purchased 
in  1863. 

St.  Paul's  Congregation  of  the  First  German  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church  of  Upper  Sandusky  was  organized  in  1868  by  Rev.  C.  Wernle. 
Among  the  first  members  were  John  Veith.  Philip  Tracht,  Jacob  Reis, 
Charles  F.  Veith,  Lewis  Krauss  and  Frederick  Ritter. 

A  church  edifice  was  erected  on  the  corner  of  Sandusky  avenue  and 
Bigelow  street  in  1871.  It  is  built  of  brick,  is  45x60  feet  oatside  dimen- 
sions, and  cost  $7,000. 

Rev.  C.  Wernle  served  as  pastor  for  six  years.  Rev.  VV.  F.  Helle,  the 
present  pastor,  has  been  in  charge  of  the  congregation  during  the  past 
eleven  years. 

The  present  members  are  325  in  number.  The  present  church  officers 
are  Frederick  Ritter  and  Mars  Schmidt,  Deacons;  Philip  Tracht  and  Jacob 
Hehr,  Elders;  Charles  F.  Veith,  Frederick  Scheufler  and  J.  Gloeser,  Trus- 
tees, and  William  Schwilk,  Treasurer. 

The  United  Brethren  Church  of  Upper  Sandusky  was  established  in  1850 
by  Rev.  Messrs.  Slaughter  and  Tabler.  The  early  meetings  of  the  society 
were  held  in  the  old  Mission  Church.  In  1858,  its  members  built  a  brick 
church  on  the  corner  of  Finley  and  Sixth  streets.  It  is  30x40  feet  and  in 
a  good  state  of  repair.  Owing  to  slight  dissensions,  etc.,  the  members  of 
this  organization  only  number  about  thirty  at  the  present  time,  among 
whom  are  Messrs.  Marshall,  Hough  and  Harmon,  Trustees. 

Trinity  Chiuxii  of  the  Evangelical  Association,  Upper  Sandusky,  was 
organized  with  fifteen  members  by,  Revs.  John  Hanneker,  C.  M.  Rein- 
hold  and  Elder  Daniel  Strohman,  on  the  15th  day  of  August,  1860.  Prior 
to  that  time,  however,  meetings  had  been  held  at  the  house  of  Christian 
Rief  in  the  fall  of  1858,  and  at  the  Methodist  Church  in  1859,  by  Rev. 
Messrs.  Freck,  Lambert,  Freese  and  Downey.  Only  two  members  of  this 
denomination  lived  in  the  town  in  1858,  four  in  1859,  and  fifteen  in 
August,  1860.  Among  the  last-mentioned  members  were  Christian  Rief, 
Frederick  Rief,  George  Stecker,  Mrs.  Stecker,  Jacob  Burkhardt,  Mrs.  Cath- 
arine Biirkhardt,  Mrs.  Littly,  Frederick  Mosner,  Mrs.  Mosner,  Magdalena 
Marqarth. 

Their  church  edifice  was  built  in  I860.  It  is  of  brick,  stands  upon  In- 
lot  No.  219,  size  35x50  feet,  and  cost,  including  lot,  $2,500. 

The  pastors  have  been  as  follows:  John  Hanneker,  J.  Rosenberg,  Fred- 
rick Zeller,  J.  G.  Theuer,  Charles  Ehrhardt,  C.  Kuntzle,  —  Dick,  — Wise, 
—  Holdeman,  -  Plantz,  W.  H.  Pfiefer,  Samuel  Hippert,  Daniel  Stoll,  C 
Munk,  Daniel  Stoll,  —  McCauley,  D.  H.  Wender  and  Daniel  Strohman. 

The  present  mem.bers  are  fifty  two  in  number,  of  whom  Conrad  Stephan, 
Christian  Rief  and  David  Newmeister  are  Trustees;  David  Newmeister, 
Class  Leader;  John  Senferly,  Exhorter;  Conrad  Stephan,  D.  Newmeister 
and  Dr.  Davis,  Stewards;  Superintendent  of  German  Sunday  School,  Con- 
rad Stephan:  Superintendent  of  English  Sunday  School,  Dr.  Davis.  The 
average  attendance  of  Sunday  school  pupils,  including  classes  in  German 
and  English,  is  about  fifty.  A  Ladies'  Aid  Society  has  been  in  operation 
three  years.  Its  officers  are  Mrs.  C.  Stephan,  President;  Mrs.  J.  W.Davis, 
Secretary,  and  Mrs.  J.  Lowry,  Treasurer. 

The  history  of  The  Universalist  Church  of  Upjoer  Saudusky  only  dates 
back  to  the  early  part  of  the  year  1870,  at  which  time  Mr.  T.  E.  Beery  cir- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  543 

culated  a  subscription  paper  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  money  with  which 
to  purchase  a  lot  upon  which  to  erect  a  church  structure.  Twenty-seven 
names  were  attached  to  the  list.  Those  who  subscribed  $10  and  upwards, 
were:  The  Kenan  family,  $100;  T.  E.  Beery,  $50;  Mrs.  I.  H.  Beery,  $50; 
C.  R.  Fowler,  $50;  Orrin  Ferris,  $25;  J.  M.  Smith,  $25;  John  Smith,  $25; 
Lewis  Straw,  $25;  J.  C.  Groff,  $25;  H.  H.  Smith,  $20;  Henry  Myers,  $10; 
Thomas  McClain,  $10;  W.  McClain,  $10;  Barton  Shoots,  $10. 

This  subscription  was  collected  and  the  lot  upon  which  the  present  neat 
and  beautiful  little  church  edifice  now  stands  was  purchased.  Subsequent- 
ly, at  a  meeting  held  in  Beery 's  Hall,  February  6,  1870,  and  which  was 
presided  over  by  Rev.  George  R.  Brown,  Samuel  Kenan,  C.  R.  Fowler  and 
T.  E.  Beery  were  appointed  Trustees;  Samuel  M.  Worth,  Treasurer;  and 
George  Kenan,  Secretary. 

In  May,  1877,  at  a  meeting  held  in  Beery 's  Hall,  the  association  known 
as  "  The  Universalist  Church  of  Upper  Sandusky "  was  organized  with 
fifty-three  members,  by  Rev.  Benjamin  F.  Eaton,  assisted  by  Rev.  A.  A. 
Thayer  and  George  W.  Arbuckle.  Among  those  mentioned  as  early  mem- 
bers of  this  church  were  Mrs.  Leefe  Fowler,  Samuel  Kenan  and  wife,  Al- 
vin  Kenan  and  wife,  George  Kenan  and  wife,  Mrs.  George  W.  Beery,  Mrs. 
John  Ayres  and  sun  Walter,  Miss  Esther  Eggleston,  Mrs.  S.  M.  Worth,  Mrs. 
I.  H.  Beery,  Scott  M.  Fowler  and  wife,  Samuel  S.  Pettit,  wife  and  daughter, 
Mrs.  Burton,  Mrs.  H.  Waters,  Mrs.  William  Ayres,  George  W.  Beery,  Jr., 
Mrs.  Gordon,  Miss  Anna  Osborn  and  T.  E.  Beery  and  wife. 

The  church  edifice  was  erected  in  the  fall  of  1877,  but  it  was  not  fully  com- 
pleted and  dedicated  until  Sunday,  May  13,  1883.  It  is  neatly  finished  and 
cost  $5,000.  The  present  members  of  the  society  are  sixty  in  number.  The 
pastors  have  been  Revs.  Benjamin  F.  Eaton,  for  one  year;  Mr.  Fitzgerald, 
for  six  months;  and  M.  D.  Shumway  for  two  years.  Various  other  minis- 
ters have  preached  here  at  irregular  intervals. 

W^e  deem  it  proper  to  add  in  this  connection  that  the  friends  of  Univer- 
salism  are  especially  indebted  to  Mr.  T.  E.  Beery  for  his  untiring  efforts  in 
building  up  this  church  and  congregation,  and  to  Mr.  L.  B.  Harris  for  his 
successful  attempt  to  liquidate  the  church  debt. 

THE    WYANDOT    COUNTY    BIBLE    SOCIETY. 

This  society,  an  auxiliary  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  was  organized 
at  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  the  County  of  Wyannot  held  in  the  court 
house — the  old  Indian  council  house— at  Upper  Sandusky,  December  3, 
1845.  It  was  then  j^rovided  that  the  Bibles  and  Testaments  to  be  circulated 
by  the  society  be  printed  in  the  English  and  German  languages,  and  in  the 
version  "  now  in  use."  The  officers  to  consist  of  a  President,  one  or  more 
Vice  Presidents,  a  Secretary,  Treasurer,  Depositary  and  Auditor,  "  who,  to- 
gether, should  constitute  a  Board  of  Managers." 

The  society  began  its  existence  with  107  members,  and  at  the  first  meet- 
ing Rev.  George  Sheldon,  agent  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  served  as 
temporary  Chairman,  and  Rev.  James  R.  Bonner  as  Secretary  jyro  tern. 
Subsequently,  a  permanent  organization  was  effected  by  the  choice  of  the 
following  officers:  Henry  Peters,  President;  Joseph  McCutchen,  Robert 
McKelly,  Rev.  Charles  Thayer,  Rev.  James  R.  Bonner  and  Rev.  Robert  S. 
Kimber,  Vice  Presidents;  Guy  C.  Worth,  Secretary;  Andrew  M.  Anderson, 
Depositary;  John  McCurdy,  Auditor;  and  Robert  Taggai't,  Treasurer. 

Thereupon,  it  was  resolved  to  furnish  each  family  in  the  county  with  a 
Bible.   "  in  which  there  is   none,  on  such   conditions  as  circumstances  may 


544  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

require;  also  to  fiirnish  each  youth  under  sixteen  years  of  age  who  cannot 
read,  and  for  whom  there  is  neither  Bible  or  Testament  in  the  family,  with 
at  least  a  new  Testament,  before  the  close  of  the  present  year."  At  this 
meeting  also  the  board  of  officers  received  from  Rev.  George  Sheldon, 
agent,  etc.,  the  following  bill  of  books: 

300  NoTipareil  Bibles  $  75  00 

600  pocket  Testaments 37  50 

50  German  Bibles 30  00 

100  German  Testaments 13  50 

Transportation  charges  on  same 10  58 

Total  cost $165  58 

At  a  meeting  of  the  society  held  December  29,  1846,  a  report  was  re- 
ceived from  the  Secretary  of  the  Carey  Bible  Society,  which  had  been 
organized  November  26,  1845,  and  on  application  of  the  Secretary  the  Carey 
Society  was  admitted  as  an  auxiliary  of  the  Wyandot  County  Bible  Society. 
The  Carey  Society,  it  appears,  during  its  brief  and  independent  career,  had 
rendered  efficient  service  in  the  distribution  of  Bibles  and  Testaments. 
That  an  early  and  active  interest  was  aroused  throughout  the  county  in 
this  respect  is  shown  by  the  following  statement  of  the  dates  of  organiza- 
tions of  Branch  societies:  Sycamore  Bible  Society,  December  16,  1846;  Wy- 
andot Bible  Society,  December  16,  1846;  Little  Sandusky  Bible  Society, 
December  7,  1846;  Marseilles  Bible  Society,  December  9,  1846;  McCutch- 

enville  Bible   Society,  — ,  1846;  Carey  Bible   Society,    November, 

1846;  Ridge  Bible  Society,  November,  1845;  Richland  Bible  Society,  De- 
cember, 1846. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1848,  the  society  purchased  additional  Bibles  and 
Testaments,  of  the  value  of  $176.07.  These  were  supplemented  on  the 
11th  of  October,  1850,  by  another  lot,  for  which  the  sum  of  $291.35  was 
paid. 

On  the  11th  of  March,  1883.  the  thirty-seventh  anniversary  of  this  soci- 
ety was  held  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Upper  Sandusky.  During  the 
preceding  year,  the  county  was  thoroughly  canvassed,  and  the  following  is 
a  condensed  report  of  the  year's  work:  Families  and  business  places  visited 
during  the  canvass,  3,022;  families  found  destitute,  235;  destitute  families 
supplied,  211;  individuals  supplied,  41;  expense  of  the  canvass,  traveling 
expenses  and  postage,  $11.68;  compensation  earned,  $136.50;  amount  paid 
to  the  Treasurer  by  canvasser,  $73.97;  amount  paid  to  the  depositary, 
$251.08;  donations  from  churches  and  individuals  during  the  year,  $217.99; 
personal  sale  of  books,  $251.08;  from  local  agents  and  collections,  $4.16; 
number  of  books  sold,  938:  value  of  same,  $251.08;  number  of  books 
donated,  158;  value  of  same,  $49.01. 

The  present  officers  of  the  society  are:  Rev.  Mr.  Belmer,  President;  R. 
H.  Tyler,  Secretary;  J.  McCahon,  Treasurer;  and  Robert  Atkinson,  De- 
positary, 

WYANDOT    SABBATH    SCHOOL    UNION. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  house  of  worship,  at 
Upper  Sandusky  on  the  25th  of  June,  1872,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing 
a  County  Sabbath  School  Union,  the  following  church  organizations  were 
represented:  The  Methodist  Episcopal,  Presbyterian,  German  Reformed  and 
English  Lutheran,  of  Upper  Sandusky;  the  Methodist  Episcopal,  Evangel- 
ical and  English  Lutheran,  of  Carey;  the  Methodist  Episcopal,  English 
Lutheran  and  Advent  Christian,  of  Nevada;  the  Presbyterian,  of  Marseilles; 
the  Methodist  Episcopal,  of  Crawfordsville;  the  Union  Sabbath  School,  of 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  545 

Waterlime;  the  Presbyterian, of  Wyacdot;  and  the  German  Reformed,  of 
Pitt  Township. 

Thereupon,  Rev.  D.  S.  Truckenmiller,  of  Carey,  was  chosen  President; 
Heni-y  W.  Peters,  Vice  President;  Rev.  D.  Edgar,  Secretary;  and  Rev.  D. 
A.  Knhn,  Treasurer.  The  following  persons  were  also  chosen  as  Township 
Vice  Presidents:  Antrim,  Dr.  Junkin;  Crane,  D.  D.  Hare;  Crawford,  John 
Conrad;  Eden,  W.  D.  Miller;  Mifflin,  A.  J.  Swartz;  Marseilles,  Dr.  Gates; 
Pitt,  Adam  Pontius;  Sycamore,  Enoch  Eyestone;  Tymochtee,  John  Biggs; 
Ridge,  Isaac  Harpster;  Richland,  J.  S.  Bott;  Salem,  M.  W.  Larkins;  and 
Jackson,  John  F.  Sanford.  This  society,  however,  did  not  survive  long. 
The  first,  last  and  only  annual  convention  was  held  in  June,  1873,  and  soon 
after  it  died  a  natural  death. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1876,  the  present  Wyandot  Sabbath  School  Union 
was  formed  at  a  meeting  held  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Nevada,  by  the 
election  of  the  following  officers:  Temporary  officers — Rev.  R.  C.  Colmery, 
Chairman;  Rev.  D.  A.  Kuhn,  Secretary.  Officers  of  permanent  organiza- 
tion: Rev.  R.  C.  Colmery,  President;  Rev.  S.  Cook,  Secretary;  Rev.  D.  A. 
Kuhn,  Treasurer;  Revs.  C.  Baldwin,  D,  W.  Downing.  D.  McCullough,  S. 
Fenner  and  Robert  Pool,  Executive  Committee;  A.  J.  Flaharty,  of  Antrim; 
Rev.  S.  Fenner,  of  Crane;  Rev.  J.  M.  Dustman,  of  Crawford;  W.  B.  Mil- 
ler, of  Eden;  Joseph  Kingman,  of  Jackson;  J.  S.  Demarest,  of  Mifflin; 
Thomas  Clark,  of  Pitt;  Martin  E.  Kaler,  of  Ridge;  Rev.  S.  H.  Raude- 
baugh,  of  Sycamore;    and  F.  F.  DeTray,  of  Tymochtee,  Vice   Presidents. 

This  organization  retained  Rev.  R.  C.  Colmery  as  its  President  until 
1881,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  J.  W.  Foucht,  who  was  in  turn  succeeded 
by  Dr.  J.  A.  Stockton  in  1883.  Mr.  Cook  served  as  Secretary  until  May  7, 
1879,  then  came  Dr.  J.  A.  Stockton,  who  was  succeeded  by  R.  H.  Tyler  in 
1883. 

From  the  annual  report  made  May  81,  1883,  we  gather  the  following 
information:  Number  of  Sabbath  schools  in  the  county,  63;  number  of 
officers  and  teachers,  748;  number  of  scholars,  4,589:  average  attendance 
of  scholars,  3,370;  whole  number  of  conversions  reported  for  the  year,  329: 
number  of  schools  maintained  during  the  entire  year,  42;  number  of 
schools  which  held  sessions  only  part  of  the  year,  21. 

At  the  annual  meetiug  held  at  Carey  May  6  and  7,  1884,  Dr.  J.  A. 
Stockton  was  elected  President;  Rev.  J.  M.  Dustman,  Vice  President;  R, 
H.  Tyler,  Secretary;  and  Henry  Kuenzli,  Treasurer.  • 

OAK    HILL  CEMETERY. 

The  Oak  Hill  Cemetery  Association  was  organized  and  incorporated  on 
the  26th  day  of  February,  A.  D.  1876,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of 
the  general  laws  of  the  State.  The  members  at  that  time  were  David  Harp- 
ster, S.  "Watson,  S.  H.  Hunt,  John  Thompson,  T.  E.  Grisell,  R.  A.  Hender- 
son, Jacob  Kisor,  Jacob  Stoll,  Cyrus  Sears,  S.  H.  White,  James  G.  Roberts 
and  Gen.  1.  M.  Kirby.  Of  these  members  the  following  were  elected 
officers,  viz.:  T.  E.  Grisell,  President;  James  G.  Roberts,  Clerk  and  Treas- 
urer; David  Harpster,  T.  E.  Grisell  and  Isaac  M.  Kirby,  Trustees. 

For  several  years  prior  to  its  organization,  many  of  the  people  of  Upper 
Sandusky  and  vicinity  had  deeply  felt  the  want  of  a  suitable  place  for  the 
interment  of-the  dead,  and  much  examination  and  inquiry  and  some  effort 
had  from  time  to  time  been  made  to  procure  such  place;  but  no  effective 
measures  were  taken  to  secure  the  end  until  about  the  5th  day  of  August, 
1874,  when  Messrs.  S.  Watson,  D.  Harpster,  S.  H.  Hunt  and  J.  G.  Roberts, 


546  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

with  the  view  of  oi'ganizing  an  association  and  establishing  a  cemetery, 
purchased  of  John  Bnser  the  principal  part  of  the  gi-oiinds  now  occupied. 

After  the  association  became  incorporated,  these  parties  convej'ed  this 
ground  to  the  trustees,  which  with  small  tracts  purchased  of  Messrs.  Hedges 
and  Reber,  making  thirty  acres,  constitute  the  cemetery. 

The  location  is  on  the  Radnor  road,  one  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Upper 
Sandusky.  It  is  situated  upon  a  tract  of  high  table  land  bordering  and 
overlooking  the  Sandusky  Valley.  Its  elevated  position  furnishes  it  per- 
fect drainage,  which  with  a  subsoil  composed  mainly  of  sand  and  gravel 
and  an  undulating  surface  covered  with  an  abundance  of  native  forest  trees, 
highly  qualify  it  as  a  fit  i-esting  place  for  the  dead,  and  make  it  a  most 
picturesque  and  beautiful  place. 

The  grounds  were  surveyed  and  platted  by  William  T.  Harding,  of  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio,  and  were  formally  opened  and  dedicated  on  the  4th  day  of 
October,  1876. 

The  old  Mission  Burying  Ground  had  been  used  as  the  principal  place  of 
interment  before  the  opening  of  Oak  Hill  Cemetery. 

SECRET    ASSOCIATIONS,    ETC. 

Wyandot  Lodge,  No.  110,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  instituted  July  7,  1848, 
under  a  dispensation  issued  by  the  officers  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  of  date  April 
20,  1848.  The  first  officers  and  members  of  this  (Wyandot  Lodge)  were 
John  D.  Sears,  N.  G. ;  Samuel  Henley,  V.  G. ;  Frederick  S.  Anderson,  Sec- 
retary; Josiah  Sigler,  Treasurer;  Samuel  M.  Worth,  Jonathan  Ayres,  John 
Wilson,  Anthony  Christen,  Joel  W.  Garrett,  Josiah  Smith  and  Jacob 
Juvinall, 

The  early  meetings  of  the  lodge  were  held  in  the  upper  part  of  the  pres- 
ent jail  building.  The  present  members  number  twenty-six,  and  regular 
meetings  are  held  in  Odd  Fellows'  Hall  Wednesday  night  of  each  week. 
The  financial  condition  of  the  lodge  is  good. 

Warpole  Lodge,  No.  176,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  organized  in  October,  1850. 
The  first  members  and  officers  were  Joseph  McCutchen,  W.  M. ;  Moses  H. 
Kirby,  S.  W. ;  George  T.  Freese,  J.  W. ;  Michael  Ruch,  J.  D. ;  Dr.  Hartz, 
Treasurer;  John  N.  Reed,  Secretary;  Andrew  Dumm,  Tyler,  and  Abel 
Reuick. 

The  early,  meetings  of  this  lodge  were  also  held  in  the  garret  of  the  jail 
building.  Col.  M.  H.  Kirby  became  the  second  Master  of  the  lodge,  and 
contiuued  to  occupy  that  position  for  a  period  of  twenty  years.  He  is  to- 
day probably  the  oldest  Mason  in  the  State  of  Ohio. 

The  present  members  of  the  lodge  are  fifty-four  in  number,  and  their 
officers  are  J.  F.  Rieser,  W.  M. ;  W.  A.  Gipson,  S.  W. ;  Henry  Reisig,  J. 
W. ;  J.  K.  Engel,  Treasurer;  Jacob  Tribolet,  Secretary;  S.  L.  Walters,  S. 
D. ;  W.  S.  Metz,  J.  D. ;  and  J.  Oppenheimer,  Tyler.  Regular  meetings 
are  held  in  their  own  hall  on  the  first  and  third  Tuesdays  of  each  month. 

Council  No.  271,  Royal  Arcanum,  was  instituted  February  26,  1879,  by 
L.  A.  Entriken  and  William  Shuler,  acting  under  the  authority  of  the 
Grand  Council  of  Ohio.  The  officers  first  elected  were  George  G.  Bowman, 
Regent;  Dr.  F.  J.  Schurg,  Vice  Regent;  Allen  Smalley,  Orator;  D.  D.  Clay- 
ton, Secretary;  D.  D.  Hare,  Past  Regent;  George  W.  Hall,  Collector;  John 
Pausch,  Treasurer;  S.  J.  Wirick,  Chaplain;  William  M.  Kail,  Guide; 
James  Greek,  W^arden;  C.  Oliver,  Sentry;  Henry  Waters,  William  M. 
Thompson  and  J.  J.  Stoll,  Trustees.     Among  others  as  original  members 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  547 

were  G.  W.  Wirick,  J.  H.  Deal,  M.  H.  Brinkerhoflf,  C.  S.  Mathews,  James 
B.  Oliver  and  Lem.  Snover. 

Since  its  organization,  two  members  of  the  council  have  died — Law- 
rence Bowman  and  John  Pausch. 

The  council  now  numbers  twenty- nine  members,  and  the  present  officials 
are  Charles  F.  Shuler,  R.;  J.  M.  Houston,  V.  R;  R.  A.  McKelly,  P.  R. ; 
D.  D.  Hare,  Orator;  J.  W.  Gibson,  Secretary;  Alexander  Little,  Collector; 
D.  D.  Clayton,  Treasurer;  S.  J.  Wirick,  Chaplain;  M.  H.  Brinkerhoff, 
Guide;  Jacob  Von  Blun,  Junior  Warden;  J.  J.  Stoll,  Sentry. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  council  is  good,  and  regular  meetings  are 
held  in  the  Knights  of  Honor  Hall  on  the  second  and  fourth  Tuesday  even- 
ings of  each  month. 

Imperial  Lodge,  No.  671,  Knights  of  Honor,  was  organized  on  the  15th 
of  June,  1877,  by  C.  W.  Fisher,  of  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  Grand  Dictator.  The 
original  members  are  named  as  follows:  Adam  Kail,  D.  D.  Hare,  G.  G. 
Bowman,  John  Pausch,  J.  A.  Stockton,  G.  H.  Henderson,  W.  A.  Gipson, 
Landline  Smith,  C.  H.  Holdridge  and  R.  N.  McConnell. 

Of  these  members,  as  officers  at  the  first  organization.  Adam  Kail  was 
elected  Dictator;  D.  D.  Hare,  Past  Dictator;  G.  G.  Bowman,  Vice  Dictator; 
John  Pausch,  Assistant  Dictator;  J.  A.  Stockton,  Chaplain;  G.  H.  Hender- 
son, Reporter;  W.  A.  Gipson,  Financial  Reporter;  Landline  Smith,  Treas- 
urer; C.  H.  Holdridge,  Guide;  R.  N.  McConnell,  Guardian;  John  Pausch, 
Landline  Smith  and  D.  D.  Hare,  Trustees. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  lodge  is  good.  The  present  members  are 
fifty  in  number,  and  their  officers  are  J.  A.  Stockton,  Dictator;  Henry  W. 
Peters,  Vice  Dictator;  James  A.  Nelson,  Assistant  Dictator;  D.  D.  Hare, 
Chaplain;  F.  J.  Hoffman,  Guide;  E.  A.  Gordon,  Reporter;  John  W.  Hen- 
derson, Financial  Reporter,  and  D.  E.  Hale,  Treasurer. 

Regular  meetings  are  held  every  Friday  evening  at  their  lodge  rooms  in 
the  third  story  of  the  Beery  Block. 

R.  Robbins  Post,  No.  91,  G.  A.  R.,  was  organized  June  20,  1880.  Its 
first  members  were  W.  A.  Gipson,  Allen  Smalley,  William  M.  Thompson, 
M.  C.  Mealey,  J.  F.  Rieser,  Moses  Wagoner,  John  M.  Ewing,  W.  A  Bar- 
inger,  G.  W.  Ragon,  Alonzo  Haven,  J.  S.  Barkley,  E.  B.  Ragon  and  Ed  A. 
Gordon. 

The  officers  first  elected  were  J.  F.  Rieser,  Commander;  E.  B.  Ragon, 
Sr.  Vice  Commander;  Allen  Smalley,  Jr.  Vice  Commander;  John  Pausch, 
Adjutant;  W.  A.  Gipson,  Quartermaster;  A.  Day,  Chaplain;  J.  S.  Barkley, 
Officer  of  the  Day;  John  Healy,  Officer  of  the  Guard. 

The  present  members  number  108,  and  the  officers  now  serving  are  Ed 
A.  Gordon,  C. ;  Allen  Smalley,  S.  V.  C. ;  Daniel  Hartsough,  J.  V.  C. ; 
Henry  Peters,  Chap.;  J.  S.  Barkley,  O.  D. ;  George  Healy,  O.  G. ;  Adolph 
Billhardt,  Surgeon.  Meetings  are  held  every  Monday  evening  in  Knights 
of  Honor  Hall,  Beery  Block. 

Wyandot  Lodge,  No.  174,  Knights  of  Pythias,  was  organized  November 
28,  1883,  by  Walter  B.  Ritchie,  Grand  Chancellor   of  the   State   of  Ohio. 

The  first  members  were  L.  P.  Walter,  E.  A.  Ward,  Avery  Henderson, 
William  G.  Dumm,  Charles  Plumb,  A.  K.  Smalley,  George  Tschanen,  Jo- 
seph Kerr,  J.  W.  Grisell,  F.  J.  Childs,  S.  D.  Buckles,  W.  A.  Baker,  Rob- 
ert Carey,  J.  L.  Van  Marter,  R.  G.  Atkinson,  B.  R.  Young,  Frank  Beery, 
I.  A.  Chew,  J.  Altenberger,  E.  Carter,  F.  P.  Kenan,  John  M.  Frey,  H.  P. 
Tracy,  Charles  Jaros,  H.  M.  Tiarney,  J.  D.  League,  N.  G.  Frazier,  George 
D,  Byron,   E.  C.  Houston  and  J.  A.  Hare.      Of  whom  the  following  were 


548  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

elected  as  officers:  P.  C,  L.  P.  AV alter;  C.  C,  Robert  Carey;  V.  C,  W. 
A.  Baker;  P.,  Frank  Beery;  K.  R.  S.,  William  G.  Dumrn;  M.  F.,  A.  K, 
Smalley;  M.  E.,  Charles  Plumb;  M.  A.,  John  M.  Frey;  O.  G.,  B.  R.  Young; 
I.  (Jr.,  George  D.  Byron. 

Regular  meetings  are  held  on  Tuesday  evening  of  each  week  in  the 
rooms  occupied  by  the  Knights  of  Honor. 

The  Biisi7iess  Men's  Union  of  Upper  Sandusky  was  organized  Novem- 
ber 27,  1883,  in  response  to  a  call  signed  by  100  business  men  of  the  town. 
Its  officers  are:  S.  J.  Wirick,  President;  P.  Cuneo,  Vice  President;  John 
H.  Von  Stein,  Secretary;  David  Moody,  Treasurer;  J.  A.  Maxwell,  G.  W. 
Kenan  and  Frank  Myers,  Board  of  Commissioners.  Regular  meetings  are 
held  in  H.  P.  Tracy's  office  on  the  last  Monday  evening  of  each  month. 
The  objects  of  the  association  are  to  protect  each  other  against  the  class  of 
customers  termed    "dead  beats." 

The  Wyandot  Mutual  Relief  Association  was  organized  in  June,  1874, 
by  a  few  farmers  of  Tymochtee  Township,  who  mutually  agreed  to  protect 
each  other  against  loss  by  fire  and  lightning.  It  is  a  farmers'  organization 
exclusively.  Among  the  original  members  were  L.  S.  Walton,  Peter  Baum, 
Levi  Ekleberry,  William  Corfman,  Joel  W^ininger,  John  Row,  D.  M.  Bope, 
Peter  Benisderfer,  Silas  Baker  and  a  number  of  others.  The  first  officers 
were:  Benjamin  Copley,  President;  William  Corfman,  Seci'etary;  George 
Van  Pool,  Treasurer;  Silas  Baker,  Enoch  Eyestone  and  John  Row,  Direct- 
ors. 

This  association  began  operations  October  13,  1874,  with  fifty  members 
and  with  about  $60,000  worth  of  property  insured.  For  three  years  they 
operated  successfully  upon  the  honor  of  members.  In  1877,  however,  the 
association  was  duly  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Ohio.  At  the  present 
time  the  members  are  nearly  600  in  number,  and  have  about  11,000,000 
%vorth  of  property  insured.  The  present  officers  are:  Benjamin  Morris, 
President;  M.  B.  Case,  Secretary;  Robert  Lowery,  Treasurer;  Irvin  Bacon, 
Noah  Stoneburner  and  John  Young,  Directors.  The  regular  meetings  of 
the  association  are  held  at  Upper  Sandusky  on  the  first  Friday  in  each  year, 
although  special  meetings  are  held  about  once  in  three  months. 

It  should  be  added,  perhaps,  that  great  credit  is  due  to  William  Corf- 
man for  his  efficient  work  in  futhering  the  interests  of  the  association.  He 
served  as  Secretary  nine  successive  years,  and  solicited  the  larger  portion 
of  the  membership. 

The  Wome7i's  Christian  Temperance  Union  of  Upper  Sandusky  was  in- 
stituted December  4,  1882,  by  Col.  George  Woodford,  of  Illinois.  Among 
the  first  members  and  officers  were  Mrs.  Belmer,  D.  R.  Cook,  King,  Byron, 
Craig,  Davis,  Dippery,  Owens,  Beery,  Foucht,  Crise,  Keller,  Fairfax,  Mc- 
Connell,  Clapsaddle  and  Peters.  Regular  meetings  have  been  held  on  the 
first  Monday  of  each  month  since  the  date  of  organization.  The  pres- 
ent members  number  101.      The  financial  condition  of  the  Union  is  good. 

The  Wyandot  Saengerhund,  known  at  the  beginning  as  the  Uj^per  San- 
dusky Maennerchor,  was,  after  a  preliminary  meeting,  held  on  the  22d  of 
July,  1858,  under  the  auspices  of  Dr.  A.  Billhardt,  formally  organized  on 
the  26th  day  of  July,  1858.  The  first  meeting  was  held  in  John  K.  En- 
gel's  residence,  then  situated  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Wyandot  avenue 
and  Eighth  street. 

According  to  the  records  which  are  yet  preserved,  the  by  laws,  etc.,  then 
adopted  were  signed  by  M.  W.  Bliicher,  Friedrich  Agerter,  Friedrich 
Kern,  August    Jahr,  Christoph    Schmidt,    Adam    Katzenmeier,    Frederich 


/Crr)  ^m^iA/M^yni/iij 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  551 

Schneider,  Adolph  Billhardt,  Ewald  Brauns  and  John  K.  Engel.  The  first 
ofificers  elected  were  Friedrich  Agerter,  President;  Dr.  Adolph  Billhardt, 
Musical  Director;  M.  W.  Blucher,  Secretary;  and  August  Jahr,  Treasurer. 
At  a  subsequent  meeting,  Benjamin  Liebenthal,  Casper  Daub,  John  Seider, 
Dr.  Rodig  and  others  joined  the  society. 

Thereafter  the  Saengerbund  had  its  ups  and  downs.  It  gave  concerts, 
balls,  even  theatrical  performances,  and  celebrated  faithfully  the  birthdays 
of  its  respective  members.  During  the  late  war,  however,  which  was  so 
pernicious  to  all  societies,  the  younger  members  seceded,  but  the  old  and 
true  continued  steadfast  in  the  support  of  the  original  society,  and  have 
prospered,  with  but  short  intervals  between  the  meetings,  until  to-day. 

The  most  eventful  periods,  perhaps,  in  the  history  of  the  Bund,  was  the 
participation  of  its  members  in  the  German  Saengerfeste,  held  at  Buffalo, 
N.  Y. ,  in  1860;  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  1865;  at  Louisville,  Ky. ,  in  1866; 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1870;  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1874;  at  Columbus, 
Ohio,  in  1878;  at  Akron,  Ohio,  in  1880;  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  in  1882,  and  at 
Springfield,  Ohio,  in  1884. 

The  present  active  members  are  twelve  in  number,  of  whom  H.  Alt- 
staetler  is  President;  A.  Martin.  Secretary;  John  K.  Engel,  Treasurer,  and 
Adolph  Billhardt,  Musical  Director.  Of  the  original  founders  there  are  at 
present  only  three  active  members  living,  viz..  Dr.  A.  Billhardt,  John  K. 
Engel  and  John  Seider.  Respecting  the  present  and  future  existence  of 
the  Bund,  an  original  member  of  the  society  says:  "  If  chances  had  been 
favorable,  the  Saengerbund  would  have  celebrated,  in  1883,  its  twenty-fifth 
anniversary.  The  financial  condition  of  the  Bund  is  rather  slim,  the  in- 
come hardly  covering  expenses.  The  time  of  meetings  and  rehearsals  is 
Sunday  and  Thursday  evenings,  and  the  objects  of  the  society,  the  culti- 
vation of  vocal  music,  especially  the  German  quartette,  and  enjoyments  in 
their  social  gatherings.  The  prospects  of  this  society  and  all  others  sim- 
ilarly situated,  are  not  bright,  and  the  future  existence  questionable,  on  ac- 
count of  the  insufficient  support  received  from  their  German -American  suc- 
cessors who  will  not  or  cannot  appreciate  the  efforts  and  endeavors  of  their 
German- born  fathers,  in  the  direction  of  this  preservation  of  musical 
gifts  presented  in  the  voice  and  the  offerings  of  real  pleasure  and  joy." 

Other  Organizations. — Among  other  well-known  organizations  existing 
in  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky  are  the  Kirby  Light  Guard,  the  Little  Six 
Cornet  Band  and  the  Wyandot  County  Pioneer  Association.  The  Kirby 
Light  Guard,  or  Company  B,  Second  Regiment,  O.  N.  G.,  is  one  of  the 
best  military  organizations  in  the  State.  During  the  spring  of  1884  it  ren- 
dered efficient  service  in  suppressing  mob  violence  in  the  city  of  Cincin- 
nati, and  at  Ashland,  Ohio.  The  company  is  well  drilled  and  equipped, 
and  can  take  the  field  ready  for  arduous  service  at  thirty  minutes'  notice. 
The  Little  Six  Band,  an  excellent  musical  organization,  frequently  enter- 
tains an  appreciative  public  with  music  almost  perfect  in  its  execution. 
The  Pioneer  Association*  has  performed  one  action  at  least  which  will  per- 
petuate its  name  and  memory  for  many  years — the  erection  and  dedication 
of  the  Crawford  Monument  August  30,  1877.  However,  since  its  most 
active  worker  and  Secretary,  Hon.  Curtis  Berry,  Jr.,  became  an  invalid,  in- 
terest in  the  association  seems  to  have  waned. 

THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 

Among  the  early  teachers  in  Upper  Sandusky  were  Charles  Culver,  John 

*The  records  not  being  in  existence,  it  was  impossible  to  give  a  full  history  of  the  Association. 

20 


552  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

A.  Morrison,  James  V.  S.  Hoyt,  Charles  G.  Ferris,  Adelia  Chaflfee,  Jennie 
Jackson,  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Chambers,  another  by  the  name  of 
Mason  and  a  Miss  Wigton.  For  a  number  of  years  the  old  Council  House 
was  the  chief  and  only  temple  of  learning  in  the  town,  and  it  seems  that 
had  not  the  Wyandots  left  that  building  for  the  use  of  their  white  suc- 
cessors, that  the  latter  must  of  necessity  have  gone  without  courts,  religious 
meetings,  political  meetings,  schools,  etc.,  for  years,  as  the  Indian  Council 
House  was  the  only  resort  for  all  such  purposes,  until  it  was  carelessly 
destroyed  by  fire.  A  little  old  log  shanty,  however,  which  stood  opposite 
Gloeser's  tanyard,  only  a  little  more  to  the  south  of  it,  also  did  duty  at  an 
early  period  as  a  rendezvous  for  master  and  pupils. 

About  the  year  1853,  the  Council  House  was  destroyed  by  tire.  Soon 
after,  a  proposition  to  levy  a  tax  of  $1,000,  with  which  to  build  a  school- 
house,  was  submitted  to  the  people  of  the  town,  but  was  voted  down. 
About  this  time  a  law  was  enacted,  authorizing  the  issue  of  bonds  on  the 
credit  of  the  corporation,  for  school  purposes,  and  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  this  act,  bonds  were  issued  to  the  amount  of  $4,000.  With 
the  money  thus  obtained  a  two-story  brick  structure,  40x50  feet,  with  four 
rooms,  two  above  and  two  below,  was  erected  on  Inlot  No.  108,  near  the 
site  of  the  Council  House,  in  1854  or  1856.  Subsequently  an  addition  was 
made  to  this  building,  and  later  still,  a  separate  building  was  built  to  the 
south,  but  near  the  original  structure,  of  about  the  same  style  and  dimen- 
sions as  the  addition  above  mentioned. 

A  sidewalk  extending  along  Johnston  street,  from  Sandusky  avenue  to 
the  then  new  Union  Schoolhouse,  was  built  by  I.  H.  and  A.  Beery,  in  the 
summer  of  1857,  for  |149.  The  last  building  erected  near  the  site  of  the 
Council  House  is  still  in  use.  A  number  of  years  ago,  the  date  of  which, 
like  those  first  mentioned,  cannot  be  ascertained,  a  brick  schoolhouse,  for 
the  accomodation  of  pupils  residing  in  the  north  part  of  the  town  was 
erected  on  Fifth  street.     It  also  is  still  in  a  good  state  of  repair. 

The  present  elegant  new  school  building,  which  stands  well  out  in  the 
northwest  quarter  of  the  town,  was  built  during  the  years  !1882  and  1883. 
It  has  cost,  including  grounds,  heating  apparatus  and  furniture,  about 
$50,000,  and  is  a  structure  of  which  any  city  in  the  Union  might  feel  proud. 
It  has  twelve  rooms  for  schools,  a  dry,  well-lighted  basement,  spacious  cor- 
ridors, stair  cases  and  cloak  rooms,  and  is  furnished  with  the  latest  and 
most  approved  styles  of  school  furniture. 

The'school  board  of  the  present  is  composed  of  R.  A.  McKelly,  President; 
J.  D.  Drum,  Secretary;  Joseph  Gloeser,  Henry  Grundtisch  and  Jonathan 
Hare.  The  present  enumeration  of  the  school  population  of  the  town  is 
about  thii'teen  hundred,  including  about  120  in  the  Catholic  parochial  schools. 

The  present  Superintendent  and  teachers  are  as  follows:  W.  A. 
Baker,  Superintendent;  Miss  K.  M.  Smith,  high  school;  Mrs.  R.  L.  Jones, 
A  grammar;  Miss  Hattie  McCutchen,  B  grammar;  Mrs.  Maud  Kilbourn, 
C  grammar;  Miss  Ella  Bowman,  D  grammar;  Miss  Agnesse  Adair, 
D  grammar;  Miss  S.  R.  Craig,  A  Primary;  Miss  Bella  Swift,  B  Primary; 
Miss  Maggie  Garwood,  Mrs.  Zanders  and  Miss  Emma  Colmery,  C  Primary; 
Miss  Carrie  Myers  and  Miss  Mame  Wineman,  D  Pi'imary. 

Under  the  efficient  management  of  Prof.  Baker  during  the  past  four 
years  the  interest  in  the  schools  has  largely  inci'eased.  The  attendance  is 
at  least  15  per  cent  greater,  and  the  per  cent  of  absence  and  tardiness  has 
correspondingly  decreased.  A  marked  interest  in  the  literary  culture  of 
the  school-going  population  is  manifested  by  the  parents  generally,  and, 


CRANE   TOWNSHIP.  553 

with  the  continuance  of  Prof.  Baker's  able  policy,  the  Upper  Sandusky 
Schools  are  destined  in  the  near  future  to  take  rank  amonoj  the  first  of  the 
public  schools  of  the  State. 

CKANE  TOWNSHIP. 

This  township,  which  derives  its  name  from  the  Wyandot  Chieftain, 
Tarhe,  or  "The  Crane,"  was  organized  as  now  constituted  in  1845.  It  lies 
wholly  within  the  limits  of  the  Wyandot  Reserve,  and  for  that  reason  its 
lands,  with  the  exception  of  those  embraced  by  the  original  plat  of  the 
town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  were  not  placed  in  market  until  the  autumn  of 
1845.  True,  a  considerable  number  of  men  with  their  families,  who  are 
mentioned  in  the  sketch  of  Upper  Sandusky,  settled  outside  of  the  town 
limits,  before  the  lands  were  ofifered  for  sale,  but,  for  a  few  months  at 
least,  they  were  only  "squatters." 

The  surface  is  of  a  level  character,  and  the  soil  remarkably  fertile.  The 
increase  in  population  has  been  gradual.  Its  inhabitants  in  1880,  outside 
of  the  corporate  limits  of  Upper  Sandusky,  being  1,487  in  number.  Among 
its  points  of  interest,  which  are  frequently  pointed  out  to  strangei's,  are  the 
Indian  Mills  on  the  Sandusky,  Crawford's  Battle  Gi'ound,*  on  Section  17, 
and  the  Indian  Mission  Church,  just  north  of  Upper  Sandusky. 

Although  the  village  of  Upper  Sandusky  was  clothed  with  corporate 
powers  in  the  spring  of  1848,  it  appears  that  no  separate  assessments 
regarding  town  and  township  were  made  until  a  number  of  years  later. 
Nevertheless,  the  tax-paying  inhabitants  of  Crane  Township  in  1848,  includ- 
ing those  of  Upper  Sandusky,  were  as  follows: 

Archibald  Allen,  Ira  Ashley,  D.  &  W.  Ayres,  Frederick  Anderson, 
Andrew  M.  Anderson,  James  B.  Alden,  J.  &  J.  Brown,  Simeon  Buxton, 
William  Bearinger,  David  Boals,  Anthony  Bowsher,  White  &  Bowsher, 
George  W.  Beery  (an  attorney),  William  Beals,  Thomas  Baird,  James  C. 
Boyd,  William  Beam,  William  W.  Bates,  Peter  B.  Beidler,  John  H.  Bar- 
ick,  George  Bogart,  David  Bowsher,  Beery  &  Lyle  (attorneys),  John  J. 
Bear.  Samuel  Bird,  John  Buckingham,  Robert  Bowsher,  Jacob  Buser, 
Daniel  H.  Carlton,  William  Critz,  Henry  Clifford,  Conrad  Curfman,  Elias 
Cline,  Antoine  Christen,  A.  Crozier  &  Co.,  Leonard  Covel,  Joseph  Chaffee, 
Harry  P.  Cutting,  James  L.  Clark,  Joseph  H.  Cover,  James  Cram,  John 
Clinger,  Joseph  Cover,  George  W.  Duddleson,  George  Dobler,  Hiram 
Dumm,  Isaac  Davis,  William  Dixon,  E.  B.  Elkins,  Jacob  Ely,  Alfred  Ens- 
minger,  George  T.  Freese,  Frederick  H.  France,  Dr.  Orrin  Ferris,  Ferris  & 
Kiskadden,  John  Fernbaugh,  Hiram  Flack,  Nancy  Gan-ett.  Benjamin  Gib- 
son, Daniel  Graham,  David  Goodman,  William  T.  Giles,  David  Gipson, 
Jonathan  Gaddis,  Erson  Goodman,  C.  B.  Gillett,  James  Haskins,  George 
Harper,  Dr.  John  J.  Hartz,  Samuel  Hunter,  Anderson  Howell,  William 
Harringer,  Christian  Huber,  Andrew  Harris,  Enos  Heaton,  Charles  Home, 
Samuel  Henry,  Isaac  Hoaglaud,  Casper  Hohwald,  James  Hulet,  William  H. 
Harris,  Sarah  Hamlin,  James  L.  Harper,  Simeon  Holmes,  John  Howell, 
James  Harris,  James  Jackson,  Jacob  Juvinall,  Josiah  Jackson,  Michael 
Kays,  John  Kays,  Jacob  Kays,  Moses  H.  Kirby  (an  attorney),  William 
Kiskadden,  William  King,  Ernest  M.  Krakau,  Jesse  Krakau,  Abraham 
Krakau,  Samuel  Kinsley,  Aaron  Lyle  (an  attorney),  Isaac  Lott,  Lemuel 
Lewis,  Hiram  Lear,  Samuel  Landis.  John  Linegar,  Amos  D.  Long,  David 
Little,  Isaiah  Lowery,  Joseph  Longway,  John  Lockhart,  Dr.  James  McCon- 

*  Near  this  place  are  the  Nine  Oaks  which  are  famed  for  being  the  spot  where  the  Indian  Court  convened 
that  tritd  and  convicted  Col.  Crawford. 


554  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

nell,  Alexander  Miller,  William  McCanlisL.  Chester  R.  Mott  (an  attorney), 
Thomas  Morgan,  Michael  Myers,  Henry  Maddux,  James  McClean,  Robert 
McDermott,  Michael  Miller,  Andrew  McElvain,  Jeremiah  Miner,  James 
MagiJl,  Samnel  Miller  &  Co.,  William  McCurdy,  Robert  McKelly  (an 
attorney),  Levi  Mellen,  Gustavus  Margraf,  John  A.  Morrison,  William 
Myers,  Josiah  Morrison,  Dr.  Joseph  Mason,  S.  R.  McBane  (an  attorney), 
William  Morris,  William  Martin,  Gill  McHenry,  Jacob  Myers,  Joseph 
McCutchen,  James  Morris,  N.  C.  Manley,  A.  J.  Matson,  James  McLees, 
David  Maffett,  John  McCurdy,  Horace  McMurter,  David  Miller,  Frederick 
Nagel,  John  Owens,  Thomas  Officer,  John  Pear,  Irvin  Porter,  Upton  Pow- 
less,  C.  Y.  Pierson,  E.  C.  Philip,  James  Pancoast,  Henry  Peters,  Charles 
Parsons,  Valentine  Pkimb,  Joseph  Parker,  David  Peterson,  Peter  Pomley, 
Ira  Quaintance,  Eli  Quaintance,  Samuel  Riggens,  Eli  Ragon,  John  Ragon, 
George  Robinson,  Matthew  Rogers,  John  N.  Reed,  George  Ruch,  Michael 
Ruch,  N.  P.  Robbins,  John  Robinson,  George  G.  Robinson,  Thomas  V. 
Reber,  David  Smith,  Freeman  Spencer,  Isaac  Smalley,  Charles  Strong, 
John  D.  Sears  (an  attorney),  Amos  Slocum,  Joseph  Spangler,  Stephen  Sny- 
der, Foster  Savidge,  Frederick  Shineberger,  Michael  Simcox,  Levi  Savidge, 
Frederick  Sibolt,  Jesse  Snyder,  John  W.  Senseny,  Allen  Saine,  George  F. 
Stoll,  John  Sohn,  Daniel  Stoner,  Harrison  Sell,  Josiah  Smith,  Green  Til- 
ton,  Daniel  Tultle,  Abraham  Trager,  Merritt  Tygert,  Edward  Thompson, 
Charles  Thayer  (Presbyterian  minister),  John  Tripp,  Robert  Taggart,  Asa 
Thorp,  John  Tinkey,  David  W^ilson,  Solomon  Wilmoth,  Joseph  Wheeler, 
T.  B.  Willoughby,  Jacob  Wagoner,  Guy  C.  Worth,  Jonathan  Wright, 
Daniel  Wright,  David  Watson  (a  physician),  Raymond  Williams,  Walker 
&  Garrett,  Wheeler  &  Garrett,  Milton  B.  Williams,  Samuel  M.  Worth, 
Buckminster  Wood,  William  Watson,  Timothy  Young,  Anthony  Yunker, 
Henry  Zimmerman  and  Elias  Zickafoose. 

TOWNSHIF     OFFICIALS. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  township  officials  since  and  including  the 
year  1860: 

1860 — Trustees,  John  Agerter,  Joseph  Parker,  James  Culbertson. 

1861 — John  Agerter,  William  Beam,  Frank  Cunningham. 

1862 — John  Agerter,  William  Beam,  Peter  Tobias. 

1863 — John  Agerter,  William  Beam,  Peter  Tobias. 

1864— William  Smalley,  John  H.  Barick,  Vight  Goetz. 

1865 — John  H.  Barick,  Joseph  Hutter,  Elias  Streby. 

1866 — John  H.  Barick,  Joseph  Hutter,  Joseph  Parker. 

1867 — John  H.  Barick,  Joseph  Hutter,  Joseph  Parker. 

1868 — William  Beam,  Joseph  Parker,  Elias  Streby. 

1869— Elias  Streby,  G.  G.  Kramer,  N.  F.  Goetz. 

1870— Elias  Streby,  G.  G.  Kramer,  N.  F.  Goetz. 

1871 — James  Swan,  Charles  Parker,  John  Seider. 

1872 — John  Seider,  Peter  Grummel,  William  Smalley. 

1873 — A.  G.  Thatcher,  Conrad  Stephens,  Joseph  Parker. 

1874 — A.  G.  Thatcher,  Conrad  Stephens,  Joseph  Parker. 

1875— Robert  McKelvy,  John  L.  Barick,  George  W.  Stalter. 

1876— Robert  McKelvy,  John  L.  Barick,  George  W.  Stalter. 

1877 — John  Van  Blon,  William  Gibson,  J.  Gloeser. 

1878 — John  Van  Blon,  William  Gibson,  J.  Gloeser. 

1879— George  Adair,  D.  J.  Reely,  John  L.  Barick. 

1880 — George  Adair,  John  L.  Barick,  D.  J.  Reely. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  555 

1881 — George  Adair,  Kasper  Veith,  John  Young. 

1882 — George  Adair,  Kasper  Veith,  John  Young. 

1883 — J.  Gloeser,  George  Adair,  Kasper  Veith. 

Clerks-1860,  Henry  Miller;  1861-63,  Richard  Miner:  1864-66,  Will- 
iam E.  Bowsher;  1867,  William  M.  Lowther;  1868-69,  J.  W.  Gibson; 
1870,  Hem7  Wolfred;  1871-72,  J.  W.  Gibson;  1873,  A.  H.  Grizzle;  1874- 
83,  William  E.  Bowsher. 

Treasurers  -1860-63,  A.  G.  Tribolet;  1864-65,  Curtis  Berry,  Jr.;  1866- 
68,  R.  McKee;  1869-70,  Ulrich  Orsinger;  1870-73,  William  E.  Bowsher; 
1874-75,  G.  G.  Kramer;  1876-77,  Lawrence  Bowman;  1878-79.  John 
Seider;  1880-83,  Jacob  P.   Karg. 

Justices  of  the  Peace  (since  1860) — John  Ragon,  R.  D.  Dumm,  George 
Myers,  Archibald  Chew,  George  Myers,  Joel  W.  Gibson,  Robert  Lowry, 
Allen  Smalley,  Joseph  Mang,  William  Kail,  Samuel  M.  Worth,  H.  P. 
Tracy. 

EELIGIOUS. 

The  Church  of  God  at  Rock  Run,  in  Crane  Township,  was  organized  by 
Rev.  William  Adams  in  the  winter  of  1847  at  a  meeting  held  in  the  dwell- 
ing-house of  John  Fernbaugh.  The  original  members,  five  in  number, 
were  John  Fernbaugh  and  wife,  John  Hart  and  wife,  and  Isaac  Hoaglaud. 

This  house  of  worship,  a  frame  structure  34x40  feet,  was  built  in  i860 
at  a  cost  of  $1,500.     It  was  quite  thoroughly  repaired  in  1883. 

Those  who  have  officiated  as  pastors  of  this  church  were  D.  Shrimer, 
William  Shafer,  David  Nidig,  J.  W.  Senseny,  William  Adams,  William 
McCormick,  James  George,  R.  H.  Bolton,  George  Wilson,  L.  Ensminger, 
J.  H.  Basore,  W.  P.  Small,  T.  Deshire,  J.  Neal,  W.  H.  Oliver,  J.  A.  Smith, 
S.  Tilly,  T.  Koogle  and  J.  V.  Updyke. 

The  present  members  of  this  organization  are  about  fifty  in  number, 
among  whom  are  Daniel  Hale  and  G.  Fernbaugh,  Elders;  William  Fern- 
baugh and  Charles  Hottman,  Deacons;  D.  Hale,  James  Crawford  and  J.  B. 
Fernbaugh,  Trustees. 

A  successfully  conducted  Sunday  school  has  been  maintained  since  the 
church  was  built,  also  a  Home  Missionary  Society. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

JOHN  AGERTER,  of  the  firm  of  Agerter,  Stevenson  &  Co.,  proprietors 
of  the  Stephenson  Engine  Works,  was  born  in  Switzerland  November  29, 
1826.  He  emigrated  to  America  with  his  widowed  mother,  three  brothers 
and  one  sister  in  1851,  reaching  Upper  Sandusky  July  1  of  that  year.  His 
father  died  in  his  native  countiy  in  1846,  aged  about  fifty-four  years;  the 
mother's  death  occui'red  in  Upper  Sandusky  in  1860,  aged  fifty- six  years. 
But  two  of  the  family  remain — John  and  Jacob.  The  former,  on  locating 
in  Upper  Sandusky,  began  work  on  a  brick-yard,  subsequently  pui'suing  the 
carpenter's  trade  twelve  years,  taking  contracts  for  buildings  of  all  descrip- 
tions. In  March,  1865,  Mr.  Agerter  was  appointed  by  the  Commissioners 
of  this  county  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  County  Surveyor  Peter  B.  Beid- 
ler,  and  was  afterward  elected  to  the  same  office  three  successive  terms.  In 
1876,  he  was  elected  County  Auditor,  serving  one  term,  and  October  1, 
1881,  the  firm  of  Agerter,  Stevenson  &  Co.  was  established.  They  do  an 
extensive  business,  their  enterprise  being  the  leading  institution  of 
the  city.  Mr.  Agerter  was  married  in  January,  1859,  to  JDorotha  E.  Hot- 
tie,  and  seven  children  have  resulted  from  this  union,  namely:    William 


556  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Tell,  born  October  16,  1859;  Alice  J.,  July  24,  1881;  Paul  H.,  April  25, 
1864;  Rachel  C,  April  9,  1867;  John  D.,  October  4,  1871;  Arra  R.,  No- 
vember 23,  1874;  Zora  H.,  September  22.  1877.  Mrs.  Agerter  is  a  native 
of  Hardy  County,  Va.,  where  she  was  born  July  8,  1880.  Mr.  Agerter 
served  as  Mayor  of  Upper  Sandusky  two  years,  as  Township  Trustee  five 
years,  and  was  elected  City  Councilman  in  1883.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  since  1856,  and,  with  his  wife,  is  a  member  oE  the  Ger- 
man Lutheran  Church,  to  whose  support  he  is  a  liberal  contributor.  He 
was  one  of  the  principal  agents  in  the  erection  of  the  German  Reform 
Chiu'ch,  and  is  a  highly  respected  and  substantial  citizen. 

ARCHIBALD  ALLEN,  commonly  called  "  Uncle  Archie,"  and  a  rai-e 
representative  of  the  colored  race,  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Va.,  April 
1,  1808,  son  of  Simon  and  Lucy  Allen,  whose  deaths  occurred  in  1833  and 
1818  respectively.  After  the  death  of  his  mother,  Mr.  Allen  resided  till 
his  twentieth  year  with  Samuel  Richardson,  who  gave  him  the  advantage  of 
obtaining  an  education.  In  1828,  he  embarked  in  life  for  himself,  engag- 
ing in  various  kinds  of  labor  at  different  places,  removing  to  Wyandot 
County  May  5,  1834.  He  acquired  the  trade  of  barber  with  Joseph  Ben- 
nett, of  Columbus,  where  he  remained  three  winters,  establishing  a  shop 
in  Upper  Sandusky  in  1845,  where  he  pursiied  his  trade  until  1866.  He 
then  opened  a  feed  store,  and  has  since  engaged  in  that  business.  He  has 
bought  and  sold  town  property  to  a  considerable  extent,  and  his  wealth  is 
now  estimated  at  $15,000.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  the  county  for  half 
a  century,  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  never  married. 

CHRISTIAN  ALTHOUSE  was  born  in  Canton  Berne,  Switzerland, 
August  20,  1821.  He  is  a  son  of  Christian  and  Magdaline  (Gerber)  Alt- 
house,  natives  of  the  same  locality,  his  father  being  a  carpenter  by  trade. 
His  parents  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1834,  and  settled  in  Holmes  Coun- 
ty, where  they  resided  till  1847,  when  they  removed  to  this  county,  where 
his  father  died  in  1875,  his  mother  still  surviving  in  her  eighty-fourth 
year.  Their  children  were  Magdalene,  Christian,  John,  Barbara,  Elizabeth, 
Peter,  Samuel,  Mary  A.  and  Sophia.  The  deceased  are  John  and  Barbara. 
Our  subject.  Christian,  lived  with  his  parents  till  twenty-two  years  old. 
He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Switzerland,  attending  English  schools 
one  month  only.  He  learned  the  wagon  trade,  and  was  engaged  in  the  same 
five  years  in  Stark  County.  In  1852,  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  his  pres- 
ent farm,  now  owning  104  acres,  valued  at  $80  per  acre.  In  1869,  he 
erected  a  good  barn,  costing  $700,  and  in  1873  a  fine  brick  residence,  cost- 
ing $2,000.  In  connection  with  his  farming,  Mr.  Althouse  kept  a  number 
of  cows,  and  did  a  good  business  in  the  dairy  line  for  several  years.  He 
was  married,  March  24,  1851,  to  Anna  Gehring,  who  was  born  in  Switzer- 
land July  8,  1829,  and  daughter  of  William  and  Catharine  (Brandt)  Geh- 
ring, whose  children  were  Barbara,  Catharine,  Mary,  Christian,  Anna, 
William  and  Elizabeth.  Christian  and  William  are  deceased.  The  father 
died  in  1836;  the  mother  in  1861.  They  came  to  this  county  in  1849.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Althouse  have  eleven  children,  namely:  Elizabeth,  December  13, 
1851;  Samuel  W.,  Februarv  21,  1853;  Harriet,  May  21,  1855;  John  F., 
July  21,  1857;  Caroline  C,  June  13,  1861;  Carl  D.,  July  16,  1863;  Mary 
A.,  September  29,  1865;  William  R..  September  15,  1868;  George  A.,  Au- 
gust 9,  1870;  Emily  C,  November  20,  1871;  Alvin  O.,  February  10,  1875. 
Elizabeth  died  October  17,  1852,  and  George  A.  November  3,  1870.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Althouse  is  a  Democrat,  himself  and  wife  being  members  of 
the  German  Reform  Church. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  557 

HENRY  ALTSTAETTER,  of  the  firm  of  Veith  &  Altstaetter,  was  born 
in  Germany  July  9,  1843.  He  is  the  son  of  Frederick  and  Susannah 
Altstaetter,  with  whom  he  emigrated  to  America  in  1851.  They  settled  in 
Allen  County,  Ohio,  purchasing  160  acres  of  land  on  which  they  resided 
till  1863.  They  subsequently  removed  to  Delphos,  Ohio,  where  he  died 
September  3,  1883,  aged  eighty-one  years.  His  wife  still  survives  in  her 
seventy-fifth  year,  a  resident  of  the  above  city.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  seven  now  living — Lewis,  William,  Christina,  Emma,  Henry, 
Mary  and  Augusta.  Henryt  Altstaetter,  our  subject,  was  a  farmer  boy  in 
Allen  County,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  enlisted  in  the  United  States  serv- 
ice. March  23,  1862,  in  Company  K,  Fourteenth  Missouri  Western  Sharp- 
shooters. He  participated  in  the  siege  of  Corinth,  the  battles  of  luka  and 
Corinth;  marched  from  Corinth  to  Pulaski,  thence  to  Chattanooga,  joining 
in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  with  Sherman  in  his  march  to  the  sea.  He 
veteranized  at  Pulaski,  Tenn.,  never  losing  a  day's  duty;  participated  in 
all  battles  the  regiment  was  in,  and  was  discharged  at  Springfield,  HI.,  April 
26,  1865.  He  was  married.  September  21,  1865,  to  Hedwig  Jettinger,  of 
Delphos.  They  have  seven  children — Antonia  H.,  born  September  22, 
1867;  Louisa  F.,  June  18,  1869;  Lena  M.,  August  29,  1871;  Emma  C, 
September  21,  1873;  Frederick  W.,  December  11,  1875;  Hedwig  P.,  April 
24,  1879;  Ida  H.  W.,  August  29,  1881.  Mrs.  Altstaetter  was  born  Decem- 
ber 12,  1844.  After  marriage,  our  subject  engaged  in  the  brewing  business 
at  Delphos,  subsequently  spending  some  time  on  the  farm,  and  removing  to 
Upper  Sandusky  in  1877.  He  then  engaged  in  the  brewing  business  until 
1883,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Charles  F.  Veith,  in  the  grocery 
and  queensware  trade.  In  connection  with  this  establishment  he  operates 
a  spoke  mill,  at  times  employing  from  four  to  five  assistants.  Mr.  Altstaet- 
ter is  the  owner  of  172  acres  of  land  in  Marseilles  Township,  a  residence  on 
Fourth  street,  and  a  half  interest  in  his  stock  of  goods.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  G.  A.  R. ,  and  has  served  one  term  as  City  Councilman. 

JACOB  P.  ARTER  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  March  7,1853. 
His  parents  were  Henry  and  Delilah  (Hattel)  Arter,  the  former  born  in 
Maryland  January  22,  1799,  died  May  30,  1879;  the  latter  born  in  Shen- 
andoah County,  Va. ,  January  14,  1818.  They  were  married  in  Craw- 
ford County,  Ohio,  in  1847,  their  three  children  being  David  M.,  born  Sep- 
tember 28,  1847;  Harriet  J.,  May  29,  1849,  and  Jacob  P.,  our  subject. 
They  came  to  this  county  in  1853,  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on 
which  Jacob  P.  grew  to  manhood.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools, 
and  has  always  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  owns  220  acres,  well 
improved,  and  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  His  annual  farm  product  is  $1,200 
to  $1,500.  Mr.  Arter  was  married,  November  27,  1876,  to  Belinda  Morris, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Eleanor  (Walton)  Morris,  born  in  Eden  Township 
January  26,  1855.  They  have  one  child — OrtanM.,  born  December  2,  1878. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arter  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Chui'ch;  he  is  a 
strong  advocate  of  Republican  principles,  an  energetic  young  farmer,  and  a 
well  respected  citizen. 

DAVID  AYRES,  first  son  of  Dr.  Isaac  and  Eliza  (Coulter)  Ayres,  was 
born  in  Beavertown,  Penn. ,  June  11,  1809.  In  1822,  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Richland  County,  Ohio,  where  they  remained  till  1847.  They 
then  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  where  they  resided  during  the  remainder 
of  their  lives.  The  father  died  in  December,  1848;  the  mother  in  1858. 
They  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom  but  five  are  living — David 
and  Jonathan,  and  three  daughters.     The  former  settled  in  Upper  San- 


558  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

dusky  in  1845,  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade,  pursuing  this  occupa- 
tion a  number  of  years.  Prior  to  his  settlement  in  Upper  Sandusky,  Mr. 
Ayres  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Londonville,  Richland  Coun- 
ty, when  but  twenty  years  of  age,  and  afterward  at  Perrysville,  Richland 
County,  for  a  period  of  two  years.  He  then  disposed  of  his  establishment, 
and  after  a  short  period  of  time  spent  in  agricultural  pursuits,  for  the 
benefit  of  his  health,  again  entered  the  field  of  traffic  at  Kalida,  Ohio.  In 
1839,  he  removed  to  Putnam  County,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  C.  H. 
Rice,  father  of  Gen.  Rice,  handling  a  stock  of  general  merchandise  at  Ka- 
lida, then  the  county  seat  of  Putnam  County.  He  remained  here  two 
years,  traveled  several  months,  and  located  in  Upper  Sandusky  in  1845,  as 
above  stated.  He  continued  in  business  in  Upper  Sandusky  till  1853,  when 
he  retired  with  a  large  amount  of  property.  He  was  married  in  1835  to  Aba- 
gail  Rice,  and  four  children  were  born  to  them.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Ayres 
occurred  in  1840  or  1841,  and  our  subject  was  again  married,  in  1851,  to 
Miss  Octave  Sutherland,  one  child  being  born  to  them.  The  death  of  this 
second  wife  and  child  occurred  in  1852,  and  Mr.  Ayres  was  a  third  time 
married,  in  1861,  to  Nancy  Jackson.  They  have  no  children.  Mr.  Ayres 
has  been  identified  with  many  of  the  leading  improvements  of  the  town. 
He  is  a  man  of  high  sense  of  honor,  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  his 
fellow-Democrats. 

J.  L.  BARICK,  farmer,  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  June  3, 
1836.  He  is  a  son  of  Solomon  and  Susan  (Lechleiter)  Barick,  the  former  a 
native  of  Fairfield  County,  born  December  25,  1811;  the  latter  born  in 
Hampshire  County,  Va. ,  May  5,  1816.  They  were  the  parents  of  four 
children — John  L.,  George  W.,  David  and  May  A.  David  was  born  April 
10,  1840,  died  April  25,  1842;  Marr  A.,  born  April  8,  1842,  died  June  8, 
1842;  George  W.,  born  October  3,  1843,  died  July  3,  1862.  John  L.,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  resided  with  his  parents  in  the  counties  of  Fairfield 
and  Pickaway,  locating  in  Wyandot  in  1849.  His  parents  removed  to  this 
county  in  1851,  and  with  them  he  remained  till  1858,  receiving  the  bene- 
fits of  the  common  schools.  He  was  married,  September  16,  1858,  to 
Maria  Keller,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Hannah  (Buskirk)  Keller,  a  native  of 
Tuscarawas  County,  Obio,  born  November  1,  1839.  They  have  six  children 
— Mahlon  A.,  born  October  13,  1859;  Susan  H.,  May  15,  1862;  Bertha  M., 
March  1,  1865;  Mary  B.,  February  19,  1870;  Emily  M.,  May  2,  1873; 
John  R. ,  February  8,  1881.  After  marriage,  Mr.  Barick  settled  on  his 
present  farm,  and  has  since  devoted  his  attention  to  agriculture  and  stock- 
raising,  making  a  specialty  of  Poland-China  hogs.  He  enlisted  in  the  army, 
Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-second  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, February  14,  1865,  and  was  sent  into  the  Shenandoah  Valley  on 
detached  service  at  Rood's  Hill,  Col.  Butterfield's  headquarters,  till  the 
close  of  the  war,  receiving  his  discharge  at  Columbus  September  7,  1865, 
Mr.  Barick  served  as  Township  Trustee  four  years,  and  was  member  of  the 
Township  Board  of  Education  a  number  of  years.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  alive  to  every  public  interest. 

MRS.  MARY  BEAM,  widow  of  William  Beam,  is  a  native  of  Columbus, 
Ohio,  born  December  8,  1839.  She  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary 
(Seip)  Hofif,  natives  of  Germany,  who  emigrated  about  1838,  settling  first  m 
Columbus,  and,  two  years  later,  near  Carey,  being  one  of  its  first  inhabit- 
ants. He  died  at  his  home  northeast  of  Carey,  in  May,  1877,  aged  seventy- 
four  years;  his  widow  still  resides  on  the  homestead  in  her  sixty-eighth 
year,     Mrs.  Beam  came  to  this  county  when  but  one  year  of  age,  and  had 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  559 

but  meager  opportunities  for  an  education.  She  was  married,  November  4, 
1858,  to  William  Beam,  a  native  of  Knox  County,  Ohio,  born  February  19, 
1823,  and  son  of  Isaac  and  Martha  (Merritt)  Beam,  of  German  and  Irish 
parentage.  lie  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  this  county,  being  elected  Com- 
missioner in  1868.  He  purchased  the  farm  on  which  Mrs.  Beam  now  resides 
in  1865,  and  at  his  death  was  the  owner  of  285  acres,  which  has  since  been 
properly  divided  among  his  surviving  children.  He  died  September  10, 
1873.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beam  had  five  children:  William  H.,  born  August  25, 
1859;  Mary  E.,  April  28,  1861;  Anna  B.,  May  16,  1863;  Ida  F.,  June  3, 
1868;  and  Edward,  May  22,  1870. 

SEVERIN  BECHLER,  brewer,  is  a  native  of  Bezirk,  Baden,  Germany, 
and  son  of  Mathias  and  Katie  (Schueble)  Bechler,  the  former  still  residing 
in  his  native  country  in  which  the  latter's  death  occurred  in  1866.  Severin 
Bechler  emigrated  to  the  United  States  when  twenty-nine  years  of  age, 
landiog  in  New  York  City  October  10,  1868;  he  soon  after  located  in  Day- 
ton, Ohio,  where  he  engaged  six  years  as  foreman  of  a  brewery.  In  1874, 
he  removed  to  Delphos,  remaining  two  years  in  the  same  occupation,  and  in 
1876  to  Upper  Sandusky,  where  he  is  still  extensively  engaged  in  the  bi-ew- 
ing  business.  Mr.  Bechler  was  married  in  Germany,  November  28,  1866, 
to  Theodora  Massbrugger,  and  five  children  have  been  born  to  them — three 
living:  Emma  K.,  born  at  Dayton,  February  18,  1869;  Louis  F. ,  August 
28,  1874;  and  Matilda  L,  born  at  Delphos,  September  26,  1876.  The  de- 
ceased are  Emily,  born  in  Germany,  November  26,  1867,  died  March  19, 
1868;  and  Frank  L.,  born  at  Dayton,  March  6,  1871,  died  in  same  city 
September,  1873.  Mr.  Bechler  is  a  substantial  and  industrious  citizen  and 
has  acquired  considerable  property  as  a  result  of  his  labt^rs. 

BROOKS  BEERY,  son  of  George  and  Catharine  (Cradlebaugh)  Beery, 
was  born  in  Fairfield  County.  Ohio,  February  19,  1820.  "  His  father, 
George  Beery,  was  born  in  Rockingham  County,  Va. ,  in  the  year  1783,  and 
emigrated  to  the  almost  unbroken  wilderness  of  your  county  in  the  year 
1800.  He  was  the  youngest  of  six  brothers  of  his  father's  family,  in  the 
order  here  given:  John,  Isaac,  Abraham,  Jacob,  Henry  and  George.  There 
were  two  half  brothers,  Christopher  and  Joseph,  all  of  whom  were  among 
the  first  and  early  settlers  of  Fairfield  County.  He  came  down  the  Monon- 
gahela  and  Ohio  Rivers  in  a  flat-boat,  and  up  the  Hock-hocking  to  the  falls, 
thence  through  the  woods  on  foot  to  Lancaster,  and  remained  over  winter, 
clearing  land  for  others  by  the  acre.  He  returned  to  Virginia  the  next 
spring,  and  finally  returned  to  Fairfield  County,  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1801, 
and  settled  on  the  Raccoon  Creek,  near  Bremen,  clearing  land  and  working 
for  others,  thus  enabling  him  to  enter  eighty  acres,  which  he  did  in  the  fall 
of  the  year,  1807.  In  1809,  he  married  and  settled  on  this  small  tract  of 
land,  continuing  to  live  thereon,  and  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bremen,  until 
in  the  spring  of  1832,  when  he  moved  to  Little  Raccoon,  five  miles  east  of 
Lancaster,  where  he  died  in  the  year  1856.^  John  Beery,  his  oldest  brother, 
came  to  the  county  in  the  year  1805,  and  the  other  brothers  soon  after,  all 
settling  upon  and  near  the  streams  mentioned  in  Rush  Creek  and  Berne 
Townships.  They  were  a  hardy,  stout  and  industrious  set  of  men,  and  did 
their  full  share  of  clearing  and  improving  that  part  of  the  county.  They 
are  all  dead,  leaving  families  scattered  all  over  the  country.  Their  educa- 
tion being  very  limited,  and  their  habits  sober  and  industrious,  were  con- 
tent with  the  occupation  of  farming,  except  my  father,  who  was  always  fur 
in  advance  of  his  neighbors  in  schools  and  public  improvements.  He  took 
an  active  part  in  the  construction   of  the   canal   from  Carroll  to  Lancaster. 


560  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

Also,  in  building  the  Zanesville  &  Marysville,  and  Haaner  &  Lancaster 
Turnpikes;  was  one  of  the  Commissioners  of  the  county,  I  think,  in  the 
^»ar  1828,  and  assisted  in  locating  and  building  the  County  Infirmary.      In 

,,-'^_34:,  he  laid  out  the  town  of  Bremen,  and,  in  the  next  year,  in  partnership 
with  Mr.  Hedges,  commenced  the  business  of  selling  goods,  an  occupation 
yet  followed  by  several  of  his  children,  who  received  their  first  lessons  un- 
der his  supervision.  In  the  war  of  1812.  he  was  pressed  into  the  service 
with  his  team,  and  while  Maj.  Croghan  was  defending  Fort  Stevenson,  at 
Lower  Sandusky,  with  team  and  provisions  he  was  camped  at  Fort  Ball,  now 
Tiffin,  and  within  hearing  of  the  guns  of  the  fort.  He  was  a  personal 
friend  and  a  great  admirer  of  the  Hon.  T.  Ewing,  claiming  that  he  had  no 
superior  as  a  lawyer  and  a  statesman  in  the  Union.  Sach  was  his  admira- 
tion of  this  truly  great  man,  that  he  called  his  tenth  and  youngest  son 
Thomas  Ewing.  As  a  citizen  he  was  public  spirited;  as  a  neighbor,  kind 
and  benevolent;  as  a  father,  strict  in  his  requirements,  yet  tenderly  devoted 
to  his  children.  His  wife  was  a  Cradlebaugh,  a  daughter  of  a  Revolutionary 
soldier.^ a  German  Reform  minister,  and  a  man  of  considerable  influence  in 
his  day.  He  emigrated  to  Western  Pennsylvania  soon  after  the  war  closed, 
and  in  1810  or  1811,  to  Fairfield  County,  when  he  soon  afterward  died.  She 
was  born  in  Washington  County,  Penn.,  in  the  year  1789,  emigrated  to 
Fairfield  County  in  1806  or  1807,  and  died  in  1870.  She  was  a  woman  of 
more  than  ordinary  force  of  character,  positive  in  her  opinions,  and  free  to 
express  them;  industrious  and  economical,  loving  right  and  hating  wrong; 
prompt  and  practical  in  every  duty,  exercising  a  marked  and  controlling 
influence  over  her  husband  and  family.  A  mother  of  the  old  type  in  every 
sense  of  the  word.  They  had  twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  still  survive: 
four  are  living  here,  one  near  Urbana,  Ohio,  and  the  balance  in  and  near 
the  family  village  of  Bremen."*  Brooks  Beery,  the  subject  proper  of  this 
sketch,  was  employed  on  the  farm  with  his  parents  till  twenty-seven  years 
of  age,  obtaining  only  a  common  school  education.  He  subsequently  en- 
gaged three  years  in  mercantile  pursuits  at  Bremen,  Ohio,  and  was  attended 
by  fair  success.  In  1850,  he  came  to  Upper  Sandusky  and  established  a 
dry  goods  store  in  a  frame  building  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Beery 

^  Block,  where  for  thirty  years  he  cooducted  an  extensive  and  successful 
business,  retiring  in  1880.  He  is  the  principal  owner  of  the  Upper  San- 
dusky Gas  Works;  owns  a  half  interest  in  the  Beery  Block  and  also  in  the 
elevator  located  by  the  C.  H.  V.  &  T.  R.  R.  For  many  years  Mr.  Beery 
has  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  prime  factors  of  the  commercial  and  busi- 
ness interests  of  Upper  Sandusky  and  is  well  known  as  one  of  its  most  en- 
terprising and  substantial  citizens.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  broad  and  liberal 
views  on  all  subjects,  and  is  endowed  with  a  large  and  valuable  business 
experience.  Mr.  Beery  was  married  September  4,  1856,  to  Miss  Jeannette 
Sherman,  their  only  child  being  Frank,  who  was  born  October  20,  1857. 
Mrs.  Beeiy  was  born  in  New  York,  August,  1828,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
Horace  and  Luceppa  (Harris)  Sherman. 

HON.  GEORGE  W.  BEERY.  Conspicuous  among  the  eminent  and 
notable  citizens  who  have  resided  and  still  grace  this  place  with  their  pres- 
ence, is  Hon.  George  W.  Beery,  who  is  now  President  of  one  of  the  princi- 
pal banks  of  Upper  Sandusky.  He  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio 
July  1,  1822.  At  the  age  of  ten  years  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  a 
point  six  miles  east  of  Lancaster,  in  the  same  county,  remaining  thei'e  about 
five  years.     In  the  meantime  his  father  had  laid  out  the  town  of  Bremen 

♦Extract  from  a  letter  writtou  by  G.  W.  Beery,  Esq.,  to  Hon  T.  0.  Edwards,  of  Lancaster,  Ohio. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  561 

and  embarked  in  the  dry  goods  business.  Young  Beery  entered  his  father's 
store,  and  made  himself  useful  and  valuable  as  a  clerk  until  the  year  1841, 
when  he  availed  himself  of  the  advantages  of  a  two  years'  schooling  at  the 
Greenfield  Academy.  In  1843,  he  commencHd  reading  law,  in  the  oflSce, 
and  under  the  instructions  of  Hon.  John  M.  Creed,  a  prominent  lawyer  of 
Lancaster,  and  after  two  and  a  half  years'  study,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar, 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  the  spring  of  1845.  He  immediately  formed  a  part- 
nership with  Charles  Borland  and  opened  a  law  office  at  Lancaster.  In 
1847,  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  and  at  once  took  a  leading  position 
at  the  bar  in  this  and  adjoining  counties,  and  was  noted  for  his  ability  as 
an  able  an  eflfective  speaker.  He  continued  the  practice  of  law  here  until 
1862,  when  he  was  appointed  United  States  Assessor  of  Internal  Revenue 
by  President  Lincoln,  for  the  district  in  which  he  was  located,  and  served 
with  great  credit  to  himself  and  the  appointing  power  until  the  fall  of  1865, 
when  a  change  of  administration,  after  the  assassination  of  Lincoln,  was 
not  sufficient  to  palliate  or  alter  his  political  opinions,  and  refusing  to  in- 
dorse Johnson's  administration  he  gracefully  gave  way  to  a  successor.  After 
his  official  career,  it  was  a  matter  of  regret  that  he  did  not  return  to  the  law; 
and,  although  successful  beyond  the  measure  of  most  men  in  other  pursuits, 
the  law  was  undoubtedly  his  field  of  labor,  and  in  it  he  would  have  contrib- 
uted to  the  honor  and  usefulness  of  the  profession,  and  gained  an  enviable 
state  reputation.  He  was  clear  and  logical,  persuasive  and  earnest,  and 
favored  with  all  those  rare  and  pleasing  accomplishments,  which  are  so 
efi'ective  and  fascinating  in  a  public  speaker.  Few  men  had  these  qualities 
to  a  higher  degree,  and  his  retirement  from  a  profession  which  brought  them 
in  use  was  certainly  a  matter  of  regret.  In  1850,  when  the  prospect  of  a 
railway  agitated  our  people,  and  its  fate,  apparently,  hung  upon  the  action 
of  the  county  in  voting  an  appropriation  of  $50,000,  and  this  made  efi'ective 
only  by  a  vote  of  the  people  and  a  majority  in  its  favor,  Mr.  Beery  was 
the  champion  of  the  cause,  and  his  able,  forcible  and  convincing  speeches 
in  behalf  of  the  measure  at  public  meetings  all  along  the  line  of  the  pro- 
posed road,  from  Salem,  Ohio,  to  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  are  still  matters  of 
pleasurable  reference,  embalmed  in  the  gratitude  of  those  who  still  live  and 
in  that  early  day  had  the  interest  of  Upper  Sandusky  and  the  county  at 
heart.  The  fine  thoroughfare,  which  a  change  of  name  has  made  the  Pitts- 
burgh, Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railway,  is  a  result  of  the  movement,  in 
which  Mr.  Beery  took  so  conspicuous  a  part  and  rendered  such  valuable  serv- 
ices. The  opposition  to  this  project  was  led  by  Hon.  John  Carey,  a  man 
of  natural  force  and  power,  who  saw  in  the  road  through  Upper  Sandusky 
a  contingent  detriment  to  the  new  town  he  had  laid  out  in  the  northwestern 
part  of  the  county,  which  still  bears  his  name.  The  principal  objection  to 
the  then  new  road  was  the  enormous  taxes  it  would  inflict,  and  so  high  ran 
the  opposition,  and  so  earnest  the  interest  in  its  behalf ,  that  political  parties 
dissolved  and  found  their  level  in  local  bearings.  The  high  standing  of  the 
Hon.  John  Carey,  the  fact  that  he  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  terri- 
tory now  known  as  Wyandot  County,  and  these  qualities  fortified  with  a 
disposition  not  to  brook  opposition,  which  heretofore  had  given  him  the 
name  of  "  Old  Invincible,"  was  so  impressive  upon  the  minds  of  the  people 
that  they  looked  with  foreboding  upon  any  project  that  did  not  meet  his 
pleasure,  and  when  his  protest  took  the  prominence  of  a  public  discussion 
against  an  enterprise,  without  which  but  little  could  be  expected  of  our 
then  new  town,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  despondency,  as  no  one  seemed 
willing  to  tilt  a  lance  with  the  old  hero  of  the  Tvmochtee.     Mr.  Carev  was 


562  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

earnest  and  agressive  and  threw  all  his  old-time  vigor  and  dash  into  the 
opposition.  For  a  time  he  seemed  to  have  everything  his  own  way,  and 
his  challenge  for  debate  upon  the  stump  went  unheeded,  until  Mr.  Beery 
(then  but  a  short  time  in  the  county),  finding  that  none  of  the  older  citizens 
would  measure  arms  with  Carey,  took  up  the  gauntlet  in  defense  of  the  new 
railroad.  Five  appointments  were  made  for  joint  discussions,  only  two  of 
which  Carey  attended.  He  found  in  the  young  attorney  a  resistance  he  could 
not  encompass,  and  from  that  hour  the  star  of  Carey  and  his  opposition  to  the 
road  commenced  to  wane.  So  thoroughly  did  Mr.  Beery,  in  his  able  and  ef- 
fective manner,  demolish  the  appeals  and  presentments  of  the  old  hero,  that  he 
soon  retired  from  the  stump,  leaving  Mr.  Beery  the  field  in  trimnph.  This 
caused  an  encouraging  turn  in  favor  of  the  proposed  road;  it  instituted 
hope  and  energy,  and  our  people  were  lavish  in  their  praise  of  the  young 
attorney  who  had  wrought  this  favorable  and  unexpected  change.  The 
effective  canvass  in  Wyandot  County  made  by  Mr.  Beery  attracted  wide  atten- 
tion, and  as  above  mentioned,  he  was  pressed  into  service  to  publicly  present 
the  interests  of  the  road  along  its  line  from  Salem,  Ohio,  to  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind. 
In  giving  a  biographical  sketch  of  this  useful  and  prominent  man,  it  would 
not  be  complete  without  adding  that  to  him,  more  than  to  any  other,  is  due 
the  credit  of  establishing  through  our  covmty  the  magnificent  thoroughfare 
that  has  brought  growth  and  prosperity  to  the  town  of  Upper  Sandusky. 
Without  his  able  assistance  at  the  time,  the  road  would  never  have 
stretched  its  way  from  sea  to  Lake  over  the  line  then  proposed,  and 
to  our  subject  is  truly  due  the  merit  of  being  the  champion  of  our  first 
railway.  Mr.  Beery  also  took  a  prominent  part  in  securing  the  Columbus 
&  Toledo  Railroad,  its  rights  of  way  and  franchises.  He  represented  be- 
fore the  Boards  of  Trade  of  Columbus  and  Toledo  the  interests  of  the  pro- 
posed air-line  route  against  John  C.  Lee,  who  favored  its  construction 
through  Marysville,  Kenton,  Bowling  Green,  etc.  He  labored  earnestly, 
making  speeches  all  along  the  line.  In  all  the  public  enterprises  that  were 
intended  to  benefit  or  enrich  the  community  or  county  Mr.  Beery  has  taken 
an  active  part,  and  no  man  has  done  as  much  to  advance  the  interests  of 
Upper  Sandusky  and  Wyandot  County  as  he.  He  is  an  earnest  advocate 
of  protection  and  in  every  respect  he  has  labored  to  maintain  home  indus- 
tries. In  the  spring  of  1867,  Mr.  Beery  organized  the  W^yandot  County 
Bank,  and  has  served  as  its  President  ever  since.  Aside  from  this  position 
he  has  dealt  largely  in  real  estate,  more,  perhaps,  than  any  other  citizen  in 
the  county,  and  has  reaped  the  reward  of  good  judgment  and  fair  dealing; 
and  it  may  be  said  of  him  in  this  connection  that  his  sales  and  purchases 
were  always  upon  a  basis  of  fairness,  in  which  all  the  parties  were  equally 
benefited.  It  was  in  the  rise  of  real  estate,  or  the  enhancement  of  values 
in  other  respects,  that  Mr.  Beery  made  this  pursuit  a  profitable  business. 
He  owns  a  valuable  farm  of  220  acres  in  Crane  and  Richland  Townships, 
and  for  the  last  six  years  has  been  engaged  in  rearing  Durham  cattle,  which 
he  regularly  exhibits  at  the  annual  fairs.  He,  with  Judge  Renick  organ- 
ized the  County  Agricultural  Society,  which  has  since  become  a  permanent 
and  prosperous  institution.  In  1881,  he  became  a  partner  in  the  Stevenson 
Machine  Works  and  still  retains  an  interest  in  that  industry.  He  owns  a 
fine  residence  on  Eighth  street  and  five  acres  of  land  adjoining.  Mr.  Beery 
was  married  in  October,  1845,  to  Miss  Ann  J.  McDonald,  daughter  of 
W^ alter  McDonald,  for  many  years  a  leading  manfacturer  of  Lancaster,  Ohio. 
Mrs.  Beery  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Ohio  in  September,  1822.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Beery  have  reared   four  children,  three   daughters  and  one  son,  viz. : 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  563 

Julia  C,  wife  of  Capt.  E.  A.Gordon;  Ida,  wife  of  W.  G.  Holdridge;  Emma, 
wife  of  H.  R.  Henderson,  and  George  W.,  Jr.,  Assistant  Cashier  of  tbe  Wy- 
andot County  Bank.  In  political  sentiment,  Mr.  Beery  was  a  Whig  until 
the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  when  he  united  himself  with  it 
and  took  an  active  part  in  all  the  campaigns  till  1880,  being  its  principal 
and  favorite  advocate  upon  the  stump.  His  pleasing  and  effective  style  of 
oratory  attracted  considerable  attention,  and  his  efforts  in  this  direction  were 
not  contiiied  to  his  own  county.  While  forcible  and  argumentative,  he  in- 
clined to  the  humorous,  adorning  and  clinching  his  well-rounded  periods 
with  irresistible  comparisons.  While  Mr.  Beery  was  an  active  and  zealous 
partisan,  he  was  never  bitter  or  uncouth,  and  his  feelings  for  a  friend  never 
investigated  political  identity,  and  many  of  bis  warmest  friends  and  per- 
sonal admirers  were  in  the  opposite  party.  He  was  always  a  man  of  strong 
convictions,  and  his  political  opinions  of  years  ago  no  doubt  took  their  zeal 
from  the  fact  that  he  was  ardently  opposed  to  slavery;  and  since  this  great 
question  of  public  policy  has  been  settled,  he  has  given  to  party  movements 
but  little  of  his  cai-e  or  attention.  Mr.  Beery  is  yet  endowed  with  the  bless- 
ings of  health,  a  vigorous  constitution,  and  is  rarely  absent  from  his  place 
of  business.  He  is  a  gentleman  peculiar  somewhat  in  his  ways,  and  those 
not  thoroughly  acquainted  are  inclined  to  esteem  him  distant  and  unapproach- 
able, elements  which  have  no  place  whatever  in  his  nature.  He  has  a  heart 
full  of  sympathy  for  every  appeal  that  comes  from  the  right  direction,  a 
welcome  for  everything  meritorious,  and  no  one  takes  greater  delight  in  I'e- 
flecting  sunshine  over  a  neighborly  communion,  in  which  he  brings  in  play 
a  rare  and  pleasing  conversational  power  for  which  this  eminent  citizen  is 
so  noted  and  admired. 

FRANK  BEERY,  of  the  iirm  of  S.  F.  Beery  &  Co.,  dry  goods  mer- 
chants, was  born  in  Upper  Sandusky  October  20,  1857.  He  is  the  only  sou 
of  Brooks  and  Jeannette  (Sherman)  Beery,  and  has  always  resided  in  his  na- 
tive city,  obtaining  a  good  education  in  its  ptiblic  schools.  He  finished  his 
studies  at  the  Wesleyan  University  of  Delaware  in  1878,  and  succeeded  his 
father  in  the  dry  goods  business,  which  the  former  established  in  1850. 
The  firm  of  S.  F.  Beery  &  Co.  was  established  inl879,and  is  composed  of  en- 
terprising young  men  with  large  business  capacity  and  experience.  Their 
spacious  room  in  the  Beery  Block  enables  them  to  display  their  large  stock, 
valued  at  $20,000,  and  comprising  a  full  line  of  dry  goods,  carpets,  and 
everything  to  be  found  in  a  city  establishment  of  this  kind.  The  genial 
manners  and  fair  dealing  of  the  respective  members  of  this  firm  have  won 
for  it  an  extensive  patronage.  Mr.  Beery  is  a  charter  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  was  initiated  in  November,  1883. 

ISAAC  H.  BEERY,  deceased,  was  born  in  Bremen,  Fairfield  County, 
Ohio,  February  19,  1820.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Catharine  (Cradle- 
baugh)  Beery,  and  resided  in  the  village  of  his  nativity  till  twelve  years  of 
age,  when  he  moved  with  his  parents  to  a  farm  in  Bern  Township,  where 
the  family  of  eight  sons  and  two  daughters  were  reared.  He  was  there  em- 
ployed in  agricultural  pursuits  till  his  twenty-third  year,  when  he  entered 
into  a  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  John  Ashbaugh,  in  the  mercan- 
tile trade  in  Bremen  in  1843.  Here  he  obtained  his  first  commercial  lessons 
which  he  utilized  to  such  good  advantage  in  after  years,  and  here  he  con- 
tinued his  mercantile  pursuits  till  1850,  his  brother,  Brooks  Beery,  having 
been  admitted  to  the  firm  in  1847.  In  1850,  the  two  brothers  came  to  the 
then  new  town  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  in  September  of  that  year  erected  a 
frame  business  room  on  the  site    now    occupied   by  the   Beery  Block,  and 


564  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

opened  a  general  store  under  the  firm  name  of  I.  H.  &  B.  Beery.  The  es- 
tablishment was  well  founded  and  managed,  and  at  once  grew  into  a  popu- 
larity that  it  has  ever  since  sustained.  It  soon  became  one  of  the  most 
thoroughly-stocked  dry  goods  houses  in  the  county,  and  for  thirty  years  it 
stood  the  test  of  time  with  undiminished  prosperity.  Afterward  the  frame 
building  gave  place  to  the  substantial  brick  structure  which  now  occupies 
its  site,  and  besides  this,  the  grain  elevator,  the  handsome  residences  and 
many  other  buildings  erected  by  them  in  their  resident  town,  mark  the 
steps  of  their  prosperity  and  the  spirit  of  their  enterprise.  The  partner- 
ship of  Mr.  Beery  and  his  brother  continued  its  existence  until  1880,  from 
which  time  to  the  date  of  his  death,  March  21,  1884,  he  was  not  actively 
engaged.  In  1876,  he  became  a  stockholder  in  the  Wyandot  County  Bank, 
to  which  his  chief  business  interests  at  the  time  of  his  demise  were  at- 
tached. He  was  a  thorough,  energetic  business  man  of  the  strictest  integrity, 
and  has  ever  been  one  of  the  foremost  of  the  citizens  of  his  communty  in 
building  up  its  varied  interests,  amid  all  his  trials  and  efforts  "  wearing 
the  white  flower  of  a  blameless  life."  Mr.  Beery  was  married,  September, 
1852,  to  Miss  Leefe  Fowler,  daughter  of  Dr.  Stephen  Fowler,  and  four 
children  were  born  to  them — S.  Fowler,  Leefe,  I.  Foster  and  Minnie.  All 
of  these  are  living,  but  Fowler,  whose  death  occurred  October  15,  1883. 

THOMAS  E  BEERY,  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  twelve  children  and 
the  tenth  son  of  Cireorge  and  Catharine  (Cradlebaugh)  Beery,  was  born  in 
Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  July  6,  1835.  In  his  youth,  he  enjoyed  such 
school  advantages  as  were  offered  by  the  country  district  schools.  Attend- 
ing school  during  the  winter,  and  working  upon  the  farm  sj^ring,  summer 
and  fall,  but  subsequently  spent  some  time  in  the  Lancaster  High  School 
and  Otterbein  Univei'sity,  abandoning  his  school  life  at  the  age  of  twenty. 
In  1855,  he  entered  the  mercantile  trade  in  partnership  with  his  brother 
Simon,  at  Bremen,  a  town  laid  out  and  named  by  his  father.  They  carried 
a  stock  of  general  merchandise,  and  did  a  good  business,  continuing  their 
operations  till  1857,  when  our  subject  retired  from  the  firm  and  removed 
to  Upper  Sandusky,  when  he  entered  into  a  partnership  with  his  brother, 
Anthony  Beery,  in  the  dry  goods  trade,  in  which  business  he  was  engaged 
two  years.  Mr.  Beery  then  disposed  of  his  interest  to  his  brother,  Isaac 
Beery,  and  established  himself  in  a  hardware  store,  with  G.  T.  McDonald, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Beery  &  McDonald,  continuing  this  business  four 
yeai's,  withdrawing  from  the  firm  in  1863.  He  next  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  agricultural  implements,  in  company  with  F.  F.  Fowler,  E.  R. 
Wood  and  A.  W.  Brinkerhoff,  the  firm  being  known  as  F.  F.  Fowler  &  Co. 
In  1865,  this  enterprise  was  abandoned,  and  the  sale  of  the  Brinkerhoff  corn- 
husker  was  engaged  in  for  the  next  three  years  with  admirable  results,  after 
which  Mr.  Beery  assisted  in  the  incorporation  of  the  Wyandot  County  Bank, 
and  became  one  of  its  stock-holders,  retaining  his  interest  in  this  enterprise 
till  1869.  He  then  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  trade,  in  partnership  with  J. 
A.  Maxwell,  purchasing  the  store  room  of  S.  H.  Hunt,  and  the  stock  of 
Hunt  &  Watson.  To  this  they  added  the  grain  business,  purchasing  the 
warehouse  of  Straw  &  Myers  in  1870,  and  continuing  their  operations  till 
1872-73,  when  the  firm  was  dissolved  by  mutual  consent,  Mr.  Beery  con- 
ducting the  grain  trade  till  about  1875.  In  1876,  in  company  with  Samuel 
Walters  and  Jacob  Agerter,  he  was  awarded  the  contract  for  macadamizing 
the  streets  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  in  the  spring  of  1877  he  again 
embarked  in  the  dry  goods  business  as  sole  proprietor  of  his  establishment, 
but  subsequently  admitting  S.  H.  White,  who  was  afterward  succeeded  by 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  565 

John  W.  Geiger.  In  1882,  Mr.  Beery  assisted  in  organizing  the  Straw - 
board  Company,  but  disposed  of  his  interest  in  that  enterprise  in  1883,  and 
became  a  member  of  the  Upper  Sandusky  Gaslight  Company,  with  which 
he  is  at  this  date  connected.  He  has  been  one  of  the  most  useful  of  Upper 
Sandusky's  citizens,  having  been  identified  with  most  of  its  enterprises,  and 
exerted  a  strong  influence  toward  the  promotion  of  its  general  interests. 
He  is  a  man  of  excellent  character,  and  is  one  of  the  first  citizens  of  his 
community,  from  whatever  standpoint  he  may  be  considered.  Mr.  Beery 
was  one  of  the  prime  movers  in  the  establishment  of  the  Universalist  Church 
at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  is  one  of  its  most  prominent  members,  having 
always  contributed  liberally  to  its  support.  He  is  also  associated  with  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  at  present  holding  the  chair  of  Past  Director.  He  was 
married,  October  23,  1855,  to  Emma  E.  Witt,  who  died  in  April,  1858. 
His  marriage  to  Harriet  A.  Osbora  occurred  in  1859,  and  by  this  union 
three  children  were  born,  all  now  deceased.  Two  of  these  died  in  early 
infancy;  Edwin  L.,  born  December  14,  1861,  died  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y., 
April  2,  1882.  This  son  was  a  young  man  of  most  brilliant  promise.  He 
graduated  in  Upper  Sandusky  High  School  in  1879  and  subsequently  took 
a  two  years'  course  at  Buchtel  College,  Akron,  Ohio.  At  the  time  of  his 
decease  he  was  pursuing  his  studies  at  the  Eastman  Business  College,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  He  was  a  young  man  of  good  judgment  and  more 
than  ordinary  intellectual  ability,  and  these  qualities  combined  with  an 
innate  culture  and  spotless  character  placed  his  prospects  for  a  useful  and 
eminent  future  in  a  most  promising  light.  But  alas  for  the  hopes  of 
youth  that  fall  like  the  leaves  in  the  autumn  blast;  in  the  midst  of  their 
sanguine  beauty  the  shadow  touched  him  and  he  was  not. 

PETER  B.  BEIDLEPt,  attorney  at  law,  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in 
Berks  County,  Penn.,  December  23,  1818.  He  is  the  son  of  Henry  and 
Mary  (Beihl)  Beidler,  early  settlers  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Ger- 
man ancestry.  They  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  five  now  living — 
Peter  B,,  Anna  E.,  Harriet,  Charles  and  Lemuel.  The  deceased  are  Henry 
W.,  John,  Franklin  and  James.  From  the  date  of  their  marriage  in  1817, 
the  parents  resided  near  Reading,  Penn.  The  mother  died  in  1857,  aged 
about  sixty  years;  the  father  died  February  22,  1869,  aged  seventy-one 
years.  Peter  B.  Beidler,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  educated  principal- 
ly in  the  common  schools  of  Berks  County,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  one 
engaged  in  teaching  and  surveying,  continuing  in  this  profession  about 
two  years.  In  1842,  he  removed  to  this  county  (formerly  Crawford),  and 
was  elected  County  Surveyor  of  Crawford  County  in  1843.  He  resigned 
this  office  and  removed  to  this  county  in  1845,  and  was  elected  to  the  same 
office  the  same  year.  He  was  re-elected  in  the  fall  of  1848,  his  term  of 
office  expiring  in  1851;  he  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade  from  1851 
to  1857,  when  he  was  again  elected  to  the  office  of  Surveyor,  serving  until 
March  4,  1859,  when  he  resigned  and  was  elected  County  Auditor,  serving 
two  terms.  In  April,  1864,  he  was  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  office 
of  Surveyor,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  was  elected  Probate  Judge, 
serving  in  this  capacity  nine  consecutive  years,  his  third  term  expiring  in 
1874.  Mr.  Beidler  served  as  Mayor  of  Upper  Sandusky  during  the  years 
1850-51,  and  was  again  elected  to  that  office  in  the  spring  of  1875.  In 
1874,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  law  and  has  devoted  liis  attention  to  var- 
ious vocations  since  1877.  He  was  married,  January  8,  1846,  to  Martha  J. 
McCtitchen,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (Watt)  MoCutchen.  Joseph 
McCutchen  came  to  this  county  in  November,  1827,  and  was  the  founder  of 


566  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

McCutchensville,  being  well  known  as  one  of  the  early  pioneers.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Beidler  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  two  living — Frank  M.,  born 
March  2,  1847,  and  Mary  E. ,  born  June  22,  1848.  The  deceased  is  Joseph 
H.,  born  July  4,  1850;  he  died  April  29,  1856.  Mrs.  Beidler  was  born 
October  14,  1824,  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio.  She  came  with  her  parents  to 
this  county  in  1827,  and  has  since  resided  here. 

JOHN  BENNER  was  born  in  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  November  19, 
1827.  He  learned  the  cabinet  trade  in  his  native  country,  and  emigrated 
to  America  in  1845,  locating  at  Sandusky  City  till  1877,  during  which  time 
he  engaged  at  his  trade  and  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  purchased  his 
present  farm  in  1877,  and  has  since  resided  in  this  county,  doing  a  good 
business  in  agriculture  and  stock-raising.  He  was  married  at  Sandusky 
City  November  16,  1851,  to  Mary  M.  Courhart,  daughter  of  John  P.  and 
Mary  (Fry)  Courhart,  natives  of  France,  where  Mrs.  Benner  was  born 
June  2,  1828.  Her  parents  emigrated  to  America  in  1832  or  1833,  settling 
in  Pennsylvania.  In  1834,  they  removed  to  Seneca  County,  where  the  father 
died  in  1844;  the  mother  died  in  Sandusky  City  in  1850.  They  had  twelve 
children  who  removed  from  Pennsylvania  with  their  parents  by  wagons. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benner  had  eleven  children,  eight  still  living,  viz.:  Cathai*- 
ine,  born  May  13.  1855;  Charles  J.,  May  14,  1857;  Elizabeth,  June  22, 
1860;  Louis  A.,  June  23,  1863;  Rosa  V.,  October  31,  1864;  Carolina,  De- 
cember 14,  1865;  Mary  A.,  August  18,  1867,  and  Frank  P.,  March  29, 
1869.  The  deceased  are  Caroline,  Frank  and  Louis.  Mr.  Benner  contri- 
buted about  $800  to  the  late  war;  he  served  as  Intirmary  Director  of  Erie 
County  two  years;  as  Township  Trustee  six  years,  and  as  a  member  of  the 
School  Board  nine  years.  Himself  and  family  are  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  he  being  a  Democrat  in  political  faith.  Margaret  Benner, 
our  subject's  mother,  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1854,  and  resided 
with  her  son  till  her  death,  which  occurred  at  Sandusky  City  November -12, 
1877,  in  her  seventv-eighth  year. 

FREDERICK  'BERG,  of  the  firm  of  Von  Stein  &  Berg,  druggists  and 
book- sellers, Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Mansfield,  Richland  County,  Feb- 
ruary 11, 1851.  He  is  the  son  of  Conrad  and  Rachel  (Von  Stein)  Berg,  natives 
of  Germany.  They  emigrated  to  America  in  1850,  settling  in  Mansfield, 
Ohio,  where  they  resided  till  1869,  at  which  time  they  removed  to  Salem 
Township,  this  county,  purchasing  seventy  acres  of  land,  upon  which  they 
now  reside.  Frederick  Berg,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  Mansfield,  and  removed  with  his  parents  to  this 
county,  remaining  with  them  upon  the  farm  until  1873,  when  he  engaged 
as  clerk  with  his  uncle,  George  P.  Von  Stein,  of  Cincinnati.  He  remained 
in  Cincinnati  until  1877,  when  he  came  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  entered  in- 
to a  partnership  with  John  H.  Von  Stein,  in  the  drug  business,  which  they 
have  since  successfully  conducted.  They  keep  a  full  stock  of  drugs,  paints, 
oils,  wall  paper,  stationery,  fancy  articles,  etc.,  etc.,  carrying  a  stock  $5,000 
to  $6,000  the  year  round.  Mr.  Berg  was  married  September  18, 1877,  to  Eliza- 
beth Ash,  daughter  of  John  Ash,  Sr.,  formerly  a  prominent  resident,  and 
farmer  of  Mifflin  Township.  By  this  marriage,  four  children  have  been 
born,  three  living — Clara  M.,born  June  10,  1878;  Charley,  born,  December 
12,  1879,  and  died  June  24,  1880;  Carl  J.,  born  July  10,  1881;  and  Arthiar, 
born  January  14,  1883.  Mr.  Berg  is  an  energetic  young  business  man.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Pharmaceutical  Association;  member  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum;  Vice  President  of  the  Mutual  Aid  Society;  Treasurer  of  the  Acme 
Lodge,  P.  O.  S.  of  A.,  and  a  Democrat  in  politics.  Himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 


,f^i.-"- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  569 

HON.  CURTIS  BERRY,  Jr.,  for  a  number  of  years  a  prominent  law- 
yer at  the  Wyandot  County  Bar,  was  born  in  Crawford  Township,  this 
county,  April  19,  1831.  He  is  a  son  of  Curtis  and  Sally  (Cavitt)  Berry,  of 
whom  extended  mention  is  made  in  the  history  of  Crawford  Township.  Mr. 
Berry  was  reared  on  the  homestead  until  of  age,  and  enjoyed  only  the 
advantages  of  the  common  schools.  After  attaining  his  majority,  he  attend- 
ed the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University,  at  Delaware,  Ohio,  one  term,  after  which, 
in  the  fall  of  1852,  he  took  a  position  in  the  office  of  the  Treasurer  of  Sen- 
eca County.  The  following  winter  he  taught  school  in  Senaca  County, 
returning  to  Wyandot  County  in  the  spring,  and  the  next  fall  he  was  elected 
Clerk  of  the  courts  to  till  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resignation  of  G. 
C.  Worth.  He  was  re  elected  in  1857,  and  again  elected  in  1860,  serving  in 
all  seven  years  and  four  months.  During  the  interim,  between  his  first  and 
second  election  to  the  above  office,  1854-57,  he  was  Chief  Clerk  in  the  office 
of  the  General  Ticket  Agent  of  the  Pittsburgh,  Ft.  Wayne  &  Chicago  Rail- 
way, at  Pittsburgh  and  Fort  Wayne.  While  serving  as  Clerk  of  the  courts 
he  read  law  under  the  instructions  of  Hon.  Robert  McKelly,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  at  Upper  Sandusky,  in  1858.  He  practiced  his  profession 
alone,  until  in  1865,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  Hon. 
John  Berry.  The  law  firm  of  Berry  &  Berry  soon  took  a  prominent 
place  at  the  bar  of  this,  and  surrounding  counties,  and  were  both  recog- 
nized as  able  and  worthy  lawyers.  In  1866,  Mr.  Berry,  the  subject  of  this 
notice,  was  elected  to  represent  this  district  in  the  State  Senate,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  that  term  was  again  chosen  to  the  same  position.  He  rendered 
efficient  service  as  a  legislator,  introducing  at  the  session  of  1869,  and 
Securing  the  passage  amid  gi'eat  opposition  of  the  Homestead  Law,  and  also 
other  measures  of  no  less  importance.  He  served  as  Vice  President  of  the 
County  Agricultural  Society  three  years,  and  as  Secretary  five  years.  He 
was  instrumental  in  organizing  the  County  Pioneer  Society,  and  was  prom- 
inently connected  with  it  during  its  existence.  Mr.  Berry  has  borne  his 
part  in  all  public  improvements  and  enterprises  of  the  county.  In  securing 
the  Columbus  &  Toledo  Railway,  he  took  an  active  part,  making  the  first 
speech  in  its  favor  at  Marion,  Ohio,  and  with  Hon.  George  W.  Beery 
at  different  points  along  the  line  of  the  road.  He  was  married,  May 
1,  1860,  to  Miss  Emma,  daughter  of  Col.  M.  H.  Kirby,  by  whom  he  had  six 
children,  of  these  five  are  living,  viz. :  Florence,  Frederick,  Anna,  Louise 
and  Fannv.  Robert  died  at  the  age  of  two  vears.  Mrs.  Borrv  departed 
this  life  Julv  31,  1883. 

HON.  JOHN  BERRY  was  born  in  this  county  April  26,  1833.  He 
received  a  good  education  in  the  district  schools,  subsequently  attending  the 
Wesleyan  University  at  Delaware.  In  1855,  he  came  to  Upper  Sandusky 
and  began  the  study  of  law  with  Hon.  Robert  McKelly,  afterward  attending 
the  Cincinnati  Law  School  at  which  he  graduated  with  honor  in  1857.  Be- 
ing admitted  to  the  bar  in  April  of  that  year,  he  at  once  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession,  which  he  continued  with  marked  success  till  his  death. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Berry  took  very  little  interest;  he  was  elected  Mayor  of 
Upper  Sandusky  in  1864;  served  as  Prosecviting  Attorney,  and  in  1872  was 
elected  to  Congi'ess,  being  ranked  among  its  most  worthy  and  respected 
members.  Mr.  Berry  was  max'ried.  May  7,  1862,  to  Matilda  L.  Pierson, 
daughter  of  Christopher  Y.  and  Delilah  (Grofi")  Pierson,  and  two  childi-en 
were  born  to  them,  a  son  and  daughter,  the  former  dying  in  infancy;  the 
latter  is  still  living.  Mr.  Berry  was  a  man  of  great  promise  and  his  death 
was  deeply  regretted  by  a  host  of  friends. 

21 


570  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY, 

ADOLPHUS  BILLHARDT,  M.  D.,  is  a  native  of  Saxony,  Germany, 
and  was  born  January  30,  1833.  He  graduated  at  Leipsic,  and  emigrated 
to  America  in  1858.  He  came  directly  to  this  county,  and  located  in  Upper 
Sandusky,  where  he  immediately  began  the  practice  of  medicine,  teaching 
school  at  intervals,  and  continued  in  this  pursuit  till  June,  1861.  He  then 
enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  F,  Thirty-seventh  Regiment  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  after  a  short  service  as  Hospital  Steward  was  commis- 
sioned First  Assistant  Surgeon,  soon  after  acting  as  Surgeon  of  the  regi- 
ment. On  July  22,  1864,  he  was  captured  at  Atlanta,  and  sent  lirst  to  Ma- 
con, Ga. ,  and  then  to  Charleston,  S.  C. ,  where  he  remained  a  prisoner  three 
months.  He  was  released  in  the  following  October,  but  being  unable  to 
join  his  regiment,  he  tendered  his  resignation  in  the  following  year,  and 
returned  home  to  resume  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1866,  Mr. 
Billhardt  opened  a  drug  store,  and  since  that  date  has  devoted  his  atten- 
tion chiefly  to  that  business.  In  1880,  he  erected  his  handsome  building 
on  the  corner  of  Sandusky  avenue  and  Johnson  street,  at  a  cost  of  $30,000, 
and  since  its  completion  has  been  located  therein.  This  structure  is  the 
finest  in  Upper  Sandusky,  to  the  appearance  and  business  interests  of 
which  it  is  a  most  valuable  addition.  Mr.  Billhardt  has  been  largely  iden- 
tified with  the  business  afi'airs  of  the  city  in  which  he  resides,  and  is  one  of 
its  most  prominent  citizens.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  spirits  of  the  Ger- 
man citizenship,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  its  most  honorable,  energetic 
and  enterprising  factors.  He  holds  the  position  of  agent  of  the  Adams 
Express  Company,  Director  of  the  Wyandot  Dirigent  Saengerbund,  and 
Weather  Observer  for  the  Fifth  Congressional  District.  He  served  as 
Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  six  consecutive  years;  is  Post  Surgeon 
of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  a  prominent  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M. ,  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Blue  Lodge  and  Secretary  of  the  Chapter.  Mr.  Billhardt  was 
married,  August  30,  1860,  to  Rosalie  Fistler,  of  Bufialo,  and  a  native  of 
Prussia,  born  April  27,  1843.  Their  children  are  Adolphus,  born  June  25, 
1861;  Emma,  April  10,  1863;  Edwin,  July  3,  1865;  Oscar,  June  26,  1867; 
and  Ida,  February  17,  1874. 

JOHN  S.  BOWERS,  born  April  4,  1825,  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Martha 
(Pool)  Bowers,  and  a  native  of  Richland  County,  Ohio.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  early  settlers  of 
Richland  County,  having  moved  to  that  locality  before  their  marriage,  and 
when  there  were  but  three  or  four  buildings  in  what  is  now  the  flourishing 
city  of  Mansfield.  His  father  was  a  hatter  by  trade,  but  subsequently 
turned  his  attention  to  farming.  He  closed  his  earthly  career  January  1, 
1874,  his  wife  having  preceded  him  about  twelve  years.  John  S.  Bowers 
grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  county.  He  obtained  a  fair  education  in 
the  district  schools,  and  later  engaged  in  farming  on  his  father's  land,  and 
rented  tracts  till  his  twenty-fifth  year.  In  1849,  he  came  to  this  county, 
and  purchased  fifty  acres  of  his  present  farm  in  the  spring  of  1850.  It 
was  then  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  timber,  which  by  long  years  of 
toil  Mr.  Bowers  has  succeeded  in  clearing  away,  now  having  one  of  the 
most  pleasant,  healthful  and  desirable  locations  in  the  township.  He  has 
added  to  his  original  purchase  till  he  now  owns  140  acres  valued  at  $80  to 
$85  per  acre.  Mr.  Bowers  has  always  been  quite  successful  in  his  farming 
pursuits;  has  dealt  more  or  less  in  stock,  and  usually  keeps  good  grades. 
He  was  married,  April  25,  1850,  to  Mary  Mower,  who  was  born  near  Cham- 
bersburg,  Penn.,  January  4,  1828,  being  a  daughter  of  George  and  Mary 
(Crider)  Mower,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  parentage.     Her 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  571 

father  dying  first;  her  mother  survived  till  January,  18S3,  in  her  ninety- 
second  year,  having  retained  her  faculties  to  a  remarkable  degree.  Mr, 
and  Mrs.  Bowers  have  eight  children — Majs  wife  of  Myron  Case,  of  Eden 
Township;  Lorena,  wife  of  Elzie  Carter,  of  Upper  Sandvisky;  Londes  M., 
a  teacher,  now  pursuing  his  studies  at  the  Normal  School  at  Ada;  Newton 
M.,  an  extensive  farmer  in  Dakota;  Mattie,  a  teacher;  Franz  Sigel,  Virgil 
and  Floy,  at  home.  Mrs.  Bowers  has  established  quite  a  profitable  busi- 
ness in  rearing  tine  blooded  poultry,  keeping  some  extra  qualities  of  bronze 
turkeys,  light  Brahma,  Plymouth  Rock  and  Leghorn  chickens.  She  has 
already  shipped  large  quantities  of  eggs  to  various  parts  of  Ohio,  Indiana 
and  Illinois.     Mr.  Bowers  is  a  strong  adherent  to  Republican  principles. 

ISAAC  N.  BOWMAN,  M.  D.  The  subject  of  this  sketch,  a  son  of 
Thomas  M.  Bowman,  was  born  in  this  county  April  11,  1S55.  He  grew  to 
manhood  on  a  farm,  where  he  was  more  or  less  engaged  till  1877.  He  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  as  early  as  his  sixteenth  year  com- 
menced teaching,  which  prof ession  he  followed  at  intervals  until  his  twenty- 
third  year.  In  the  fall  of  1876,  he  entered  Oberlin  College,  where  he  pros- 
ecuted his  literary  studies,  teaching  occasionally  till  1878.  In  the  autumn 
of  the  following  year,  1879,  Dr.  Bowman  began  the  study  of  medicine  with 
Dr.  R.  N.  McConnell,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  a  prominent  physician  of  the 
State,  and  during  the  winter  of  1880-81  he  attended  lectures  at  the  Star- 
ling Medical  College  of  Columbus,  graduating  in  1882,  with  the  second  hon- 
ors of  the  class.  He  at  once  formed  a  partnership  with  his  preceptor.  Dr. 
McConnell,  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  which  he  has 
since  followed  with  signal  siiccess.  Dr.  Bowman  is  a  genial  gentleman 
of  excellent  character,  and  possesses  the  esteem  of  all  those  with  whom  he 
is  associated. 

CLINTON  BOWSHER,  the  popular  livery  man.  Upper  Sandusky,  was 
born  in  the  above  city  March  4,  1847.  He  is  the  son  of  Robert  and  Ann 
(Clayton)  Bowsher.  natives  of  Ohio  and  of  English  parentage.  They  were 
married  in  Wyandot  County,  and  reared  a  family  of  eleven  children,  all  liv- 
ing at  the  present  time.  The  mother  died  in  1877,  aged  fifty-five  years. 
Clinton  Bowsher  was  reared  in  Upper  Sandusky,  and  has  never  resided  out 
of  this  county.  In  the  spring  of  1866,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  started  a 
hack  line  between  Upper  Sandusky  and  Tiffin,  pursuing  this  occupation  nine 
years.  In  1876,  he  purchased  a  livery  stock  of  D.  S.  Miller,  of  Columbus 
Grove,  and  removed  the  same  to  his  present  location,  where  he  has  since  en- 
gaged in  a  general  livery  business.  He  has  increased  his  stock,  usually 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  horses  and  vehicles,  and  has  the  leading  stable  of  the 
city.  He  was  married,  October  31,  1872,  to  Melissa  Morgan,  daughter  of 
Joseph  Morgan,  of  Upper  Sandusky.  They  have  one  child — Bessie,  born 
March  11,  1876.  Mr.  Bowsher  is  a'  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  a  Re- 
publican in  politics.  He  has  a  comfortable  residence  on  Fifth  street,  and 
is  also  the  owner  of  the  livery  building  and  grounds  which  it  occupies. 

JESSE  BOWSHER  (deceased),  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  in 
August,  1812.  He  is  the  son  of  Peter  and  Elizabeth  (Harpster)  Bowsher, 
both  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the  former  having  been  a  soldier  in  the  war  of 
1812.  He  came  to  this  county  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  settled  in  what 
is  now  Marseilles  Township.  He  was  married,  January  5,  1833,  to  Elizabeth 
Clayton,  and  six  children  have  been  born  to  them,  three  now  living — Russel 
B.,  Nelson  and  Mary,  now  the  wife  of  Joseph  Hutter,  who  was  boi-n  Novem- 
ber 7,  1824.  The  deceased  are  Minerva,  Silas  and  Miles.  The  latter  was 
a  member  of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Regiment  O.  N.  Gr,, 


572  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

having  enlisted  May  2,  1864.  He  was  taken  prisoner  the  following  August 
and  sent  to  Richmond,  where  he  was  paroled  October  9,  his  death  occurring 
October  14,  at  Annapolis,  Md.  His  remains  were  brought  home  and  interred 
in  the  Mission  Cemetery.  Mrs.  Bowsher,  the  wife  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Fairiield  County  May  10,  1814.  She  came  to  this  county  at  the  age  of 
nineteen,  and  was  an  active  worker  at  the  old  mission  farm  at  the  time  of 
tbe  erection  of  the  old  stone  Mission  Church.  Her  death  occurred  January 
29,  1849.     Mr.  Bowsher  departed  this  life  February  12,  1857. 

AVILLIAM  E.  BOWSHER,  proprietor  of  grocery  and  provision  store, 
North  Sandusky  avenue,  was  born  near  Bowsherville  January  1,  1839, 
son  of  Henry  and  Margaret  (Dickens)  Bowsher.  They  removed  to  this  county, 
(then  Crawford),  from  Pickaway  County  in  1823,  engaging  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  becoming  the  parents  of  fifteen  children,  six  now  living — 
Elizabeth,  Mary  E.,  Susannah,  Elmeda,  Sarah  and  William  E.  The  father 
was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county,  settling  here  while  the  Indians  were 
more  numerous  than  the  whites.  He  was  one  of  tbe  victinjs  of  the  terrible 
"milk  sickness"  epidemic  of  1847,  dying  the  7th  of  August  of  that  year. 
He  was  born  in  Pickaway  County  in  1803.  His  wife  survived  him  three 
weeks,  her  death  occurring  September  3,  1847.  They  were  married  in  1825. 
William  E.  Bowsher,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  after  the  death  of  his  par- 
ents, spent  some  time  in  Allen  County,  but  being  disabled  by  disease,  he 
returned  to  Upper  Sandusky  and  attended  the  public  schools,  engaging  in 
teaching  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  After  several  removals  he  located  perma- 
nently at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  in  1864  was  elected  Township  Clerk,  serv- 
ing three  consecutive  years.  In  partnership  with  his  brother  Anthony  he 
opened  a  grocery  store  on  the  Bowsher  Corner,  and  to  that  he  has  since  de- 
voted his  attention,  his  brother  having  died  in  1871.  In  the  same  year  of 
his  brother's  death,  Mr.  Bowsher  was  elected  Township  Treasurer,  and  re- 
elected in  1872,  and  also  elected  Corporation  Treasurer,  serving  in  the  for- 
mer office  three  years,  and  in  the  latter  two  years.  In  1874,  he  was  elected 
Township  Clerk,  and  in  that  capacity  he  is  still  serving.  He  is  the  owner 
of  a  two-story  brick  store  room,  which  he  has  well  filled  with  a  stockof  gro- 
ceries and  provisions.  Mr.  Bowsher  has  never  married.  In  politics,  he  is 
a  Democrat. 

EWALD  BRAUNS,  deceased,  was  born  in  Werther,  Westphalia,  Prus- 
sia, May  25,  1832.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  1850,  and  settled  in  New 
York,  but  after  several  subsequent  removals  located  in  1854  in  Upper  San- 
dusky, where  he  resided  till  his  death,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine.  His  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary  Ruff  occurred  December  25,  1856,  and  ten  children 
crowned  this  union — five  sons  and  five  daughters.  Mr.  Brauns  learned  the 
trade  of  goldsmith  in  his  native  country,  and  on  locating  in  this  county 
opened  a  jeweler's  shop  in  Upper  Sandusky,  continuing  in  this  business 
during  his  entire  life.  Mr.  Brauns  was  a  man  of  generous  impulses  and 
possessed  of  social  qualities  of  the  highest  order,  being  the  life  of  any  cir- 
cle he  chose  to  enter.  He  was  a  natural  musician,  and  the  citizens  of  Upper 
Sandusky  are  largely  indebted  to  him  for  the  tine  instrumental  bands  which 
have  been  the  pride  of  their  city  so  many  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Wyandot  Saengerbund,  and  an  estimable  citizen  in  every  respect.  He  was 
City  Councilman  from  the  First  Ward  two  terms,  and  was  without  a  known 
enemy  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

.^J  EDWARD  A.  BRAUNS,  of  the  firm  of  Brauns  Brothers,  jewelers,  in 
Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  September  24,  1857,  son  of  Ewald  and  Mary 
(Ruff)  Brauns.      He  was  educated  in  the  Upper  Sandusky  Schools,  and  after 


CRANE  TOAVNSHIP.  573 

finishing  his  education  was  engaged  for  some  time  in  the  dry  goods  stores 
of  S.  M.  "Worth  and  Henry  Herman,  beginning  the  watch-making  trade  in 
1S74.  He  remained  at  this  work  with  his  father  six  years,  taking  full 
charge  of  the  store  in  1880.  By  strict  attention  to  business,  he  has  largely 
increased  the  trade  and  thoroughly  established  his  reputation  as  a  business 
man.  In  May,  1883,  a  partnership  was  formed  by  admitting  a  second 
brother,  Paul  F.  Brauns,  into  the  firm,  and  the  business  is  now  conducted 
under  the  firm  name  of  Brauns  Brothers.  They  carry  a  full  stock  of  clocks, 
watches,  plated  ware  and  general  jewelry,  and  are  doing  an  honorable  and 
flourishing  business.  Edward  A.,  our  subject,  was  married  in  Upper  San- 
dusky, December  25,  1878,  to  Maria  Ford,  daughter  of  William  Ford,  of 
New  York.,  and  two  children  have  been  born  to  them — Zoe  M. ,  born  No- 
vember 10,  1879,  and  William  C,  born  December  13.  1881.  Paul  F. 
Brauns, the  junior  member  of  the  firm,  was  the  founder  of  Brauns'  Orchestra, 
and  is  still  its  leader.  In  1883,  this  company  organized  a  brass  band,  con- 
sisting of  eight  members,  entitled  the  ''Little  Six,"  and  this  band,  under 
the  leadership  of  T.  B.  Boyer,  is  becoming  very  popular.  In  1883,  at  the 
Musical  Tournaments  of  Findlay  and  Crestline,they  were  awarded  the  prizes 
over  all  their  competitors. 

A.  W.  BRINKERHOFF  was  born  near  Gettysburg,  Penn.,  xMarch  4, 
1821.  He  is  a  son  of  Hezekiah  Brinkerhoff,  who  was  the  son  of  Henry,  who 
was  the  son  of  James,  who  was  the  son  of  Yoris  (George  in  English)  Brink- 
erhoff, from  whom  sprang  all  the  Brinkerhoffs  in  Western  New  York,  Adams 
CoiTuty,  Penn.,  and  Ohio,  and  who  moved  from  Bergen  County,  N.  J.,  to 
Adams  (then  York)  County,  Penn.,  in  1771.  His — A.  W.  Brinkerhoff' s — 
father  was  born  in  1791.  His  mother,  Jane  Kerr,  was  born  near  Gettysburg, 
Penn.,  in  1796.  They  were  married  in  Adams  County,  Penn.,  in  January, 
1816,  and  resided  there  till  1826,  when  they  moved  to  Baltimore,  Md., 
where  he  kept  "  tavern  "  two  years,  after  which  time  he  returned  to  the 
place  of  his  birth.  In  1834,  he  moved  to  Seneca  T^ounty,  Ohio,  arriving 
at  Upper  Sandusky  May  31,  having  been  nineteen  days  on  the  road,  travel- 
ing by  wagon.  At  Upper  Sandusky,  they  spent  the  night  at  the  old 
"  Walker  Tavern,"  kept  by  an  Indian.  On  the  day  following,  they  went  to 
McCutchenville,  reaching  their  objective  point  at  noon.  Mr.  Brinkerhoff 
purchased  of  Isaac  Beery,  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  eighty  acres  in  Sec- 
tion 22,  Seneca  Township,  Seneca  County,  in  the  Sandusky  Bend,  where 
he  began,  August  5,  to  clear  a  site  for  a  dwelling.  He  erected  a  log  bouse 
there,  tvvo  stories,  18x30,  in  which  the  family  moved  November  l^l.  He 
paid  for  this  forest  farm  $2.50  per  acre,  and  the  following  year  bought  thir- 
ty-five acres,  paying  $350.  Five  years  after  the  first  purchase,  he  bought 
sixty-two  and  one-half  acres,  for  which  he  paid  $960,  this  latter  containing 
some  cleared  land.  In  1844,  he  declined  an  offer  of  $37  per  acre  for  the 
whole  tract.  He  resided  on  this  farm  till  his  death,  October  1,  1847,  after 
an  illness  of  six  days,  his  eldest  daughter,  Mary  A.,  wife  of  Elias  Eyler, 
having  died  four  or  five  days  previous.  Mrs.  Brinkerhoff  died  very  suddenly 
at  the  old  homestead  February  3,  1867.  Their  children  were  Mary  A.,  born 
in  1817,  died  September  25,  1847;  James  H.,  born  March  7, 1819;  Alex  W., 
March  4,  1821;  Eleanor  H.,  born  in  1823,  married  Samuel  Grelle,  and  died 
in  1881;  Sarah  J.,  born  in  1825,  married  J.  B.  Wilson,  and  now  resides  in 
Toledo;  Catharine  E.,  born  in  1828,  died  in  May,  1849;  Nelson  B.,  born  in 
1830,  died  in  March,  1849;  Nancy  M.,  born  in  1832,  married  George 
M.  Bi'own,  and  resides  in  Toledo;  all  the  foregoing  children  having 
been  born  in  Adams  County,  Penn.,  except  Sarah  J.,  who  was  born  in  Bal- 


574  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

timore,  Md.  John  H.  was  born  in  1S35  in  Ohio,  and  now  resides  in  Wau- 
pun,  Wis.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  that  State,  and  is 
Postmaster  of  the  city  in  which  he  resides,  a  position  he  has  held  twenty- 
three  years.  George  F.,  born  in  1887,  is  now  a  resident  of  Bucyrus,  Ohio. 
Dr.  Brinkerhoflf  was  reared  on  the  homestead,  and  was  engaged  in  clearing 
land  till  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  attended  the  subscription  schools  of 
Pennsylvania,  learning  to  "read,  write  and  cipher  to  the  rule  of  three." 
At  the  age  of  thirteen,  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Ohio,  settled  in  the 
woods,  and  there  remained  till  twenty-one  without  a  superior  as  an  axman. 
Then,  with  health  impaired,  he  engaged  with  Holmes  Durboraw,  of  Mc- 
Cutchenville,  to  learn  the  cabinet  trade.  Eighteen  months  later,  his  health 
failed  entirely,  and  one  year  was  spent  in  recuperating.  He  then  engaged 
as  clerk  for  James  M.  Chamberliu,  a  merchant  at  McCatchenville;  spent 
part  of  the  following  winter  visiting  in  Darke  County,  Ohio;  spent  the  sum- 
mer of  1845  as  clerk  for  Mr.  Chamberlin,  and  eugasred  in  the  fall  of  1845 
as  teacher  in  a  district  school  near  McCutchenville.  He  was  examined  by 
J.  D.  Sears  as  to  qualifications;  was  asked  five  questions,  answered  but  two; 
obtained  a  six  months'  certificate,  granted  on  general  principles;  taught  four 
months'  school,  and  succeeded  admirably.  During  the  term  he  boarded  at 
home,  and  took  instructions  from  his  father,  who  was  a  good  mathematician. 
He  entered  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University  April  14,  1846,  but  was  compelled 
to  abandon  his  studies  sixty  days  after,  on  account  of  ill-health.  On  the  3d 
of  the  following  November,  he  began  a  four  months'  term  of  school  at  Syca- 
more, at  $17  per  month,  the  usual  wages  being  but  $15.  He  closed  this 
term  with  credit,  and  secured  the  school  for  a  second  term,  receiving  his 
second  certificate  without  re-examination,  because  of  his  creditable  examina- 
tion in  securing  the  first.  At  the  close  of  the  Sycamore  School,  he  entered 
the  employ  of  Alex  Campbell,  in  McCutchenville,  as  clerk,  and  remained 
two  years,  at  $12  per  month,  preferring  this  work  to  teaching.  In  May, 
1848,  he  married  Martha  E.  Hall,  of  Painesvillo,  Ohio,  with  whom  he  be- 
came acquainted  while  teaching  at  Sycamore.  In  the  following  August,  he 
had  three  successive  attacks  of  bilious  fever,  and  on  recovering  again  en- 
gaged in  his  school  work  at  Sycamore,  during  which  time  he  and  J.  B. 
Wilson,  a  brother  in-law,  purchased  a  stock  of  goods  of  Dr.  L.  L.  Pease,  of 
Sycamore,  and  continued  there  in  the  mercantile  business  until  1856,  when 
he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  engaged  in  selling  his  patented  inven- 
tions. In  1863,  he  engaged  with  F.  F.  Fowler  &  Co.,  consisting  of  F.  F. 
Fowler,  T.  E.  Beery  and  E.  R.  Wood  as  members,  as  a  joint  partner,  he  and 
Mr.  Beery  retiring  from  the  firm  after  two  years  of  very  unsatisfactory  re- 
sults. They  then  began  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  Dr.  Brinkerhoff' s  pat- 
ent corn-husker,  and  this  proved  a  decided  success.  During  his  connection 
with  F.  F.  Fowler  &  Co.,  his  wife  and  second  son  died.  About  one  year 
after  the  dissolution  of  the  old  firm,  the  firm  of  Brinkerhoff  &  Beery  was 
sued  by  Fowler  &  Wicks,  successors  to  Fowler  &  Co.,  asking  for  a  judg- 
ment of  $30,000,  as  damages  for  fraudulent  statements  alleged  to  have  been 
made  at  dissolution  of  partnership.  At  the  urgent  solicitation  of  Fowler  & 
Wicks,  Brinkerhoff  &  Beery  consented  to  submit  the  case  to  Judge  George 
E.  Seney  for  trial,  upon  petition  filed  in  court,  and  after  three  weeks'  in- 
vestigation, said  Judge  decided  in  favor  of  the  latter  firm,  the  former  hav- 
ing to  pay  the  costs.  Fowler  &  Wicks  made  an  assignment  one  year  after 
dissolution  of  old  firm,  and  Brinkerhoff  &  Beery  were  held  on  paper  of 
Fowler  &  Co.  for  $7-, 000,  which  they  were  enabled  to  pay  out  of  receipts  of 
the  patent  husker,  accepting  thereafter  from  Fowler  &  Wicks  seventy  per 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  575 

cent  of  the  amount  in  full  for  their  claim  against  Fowler  &  Wicks.  About 
the  time  of  trial.  November,  1867,  Dr.  Brinkerhoflf  and  his  family  were 
poisoned  by  the  use  of  butter,  the  Doctor  being  prostrated  for  nearly  three 
years,  with  little  hope  of  recovery.  The  great  expense  incident  to  this  ill- 
ness reduced  him  almost  to  penury,  and  during  this  time  the  firm  of  Brink- 
erhoff  &  Beery  was  mutually  dissolved.  After  partial  recovery,  in  1870 
he  and  his  son,  under  the  firm  name  of  Brinkerhoff  &  Son,  engaged  in  the 
sewing  machine  and  organ  business,  adding  queensware  and  cutlery  in  1872. 
At  that  time  they  controlled  the  sale  of  several  leading  organs  and  sewing 
machines  in  the  counties  of  Wyandot,  Crawford,  Seneca  and  Marion,  and 
did  an  extensive  and  profitable  business,  their  annual  sales  amounting  to 
$70,000.  But  from  overwork,  returning  illness,  the  panic  of  1873,  and  the 
shrinkage  of  value  of  goods,  the  firm  was  compelled  to  suspend  business, 
owing  a  debt  of  $16,000.  Bankrupt  in  health  and  fortune,  he  determined 
to  make  one  more  effort  to  retrieve  the  losses  sustained  by  sickness  and  busi- 
ness disasters.  With  poor  health  and  crushed  in  finances,  he  again  went  to 
work  on  the  road  in  efforts  to  cure  piles.  In  this  he  succeeded  beyond  ex- 
pectation, through  the  invention  of  instruments  and  remedies  which  enabled 
him  to  explore  and  examine  the  rectum  and  reach  these  maladies.  After  a 
practice  of  more  than  six  years,  the  performance  of  more  than  80,000  oper- 
ations by  himself,  and  the  adoption  of  the  system  by  many  physicians  in 
nearly  all  the  States  of  the  Union,  he  is  again  "  upon  his  feet."  weighing 
275  pounds,  his  financial  standing  being  no  less  satisfactory.  His  individ- 
ual pi'actice  pays  him  $30  to  $150  per  day,  cash  receipts,  this  being  but  a 
part  of  his  extensive  business,  now  prosecuted  in  company  with  his  sons. 
He  is  the  patentee  of  five  articles,  surgical  instruments  and  remedies  for 
rectal  treatment,  and  from  these  he  receives  a  handsome  income.  The  net 
receipts  of  their  joint  business  from  April  1,  1888,  to  January  1,  1884,  ag- 
gregated $22,000.  This  is  not  the  result  of  college  education,  as  Mr. 
Brinkerhoff  has  never  even  attended  a  common  school,  and  has  received  only 
sixty  days'  instruction  since  he  was  twelve  years  of  age.  Inventive  genius, 
application,  pluck  and  general  business  ability  are  the  elements  of  charac- 
ter that  have  tided  him  over  the  turbulent  sea  of  business  life.  Dr.  Brink- 
erhoff was  married  the  second  time  at  Gettysburg,  Penn.,  December  21, 
1865,  to  Miss  Margaret  Lott,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Magdalene  { Houghtelin) 
Lott,  of  Adams  County,  Penn.  Her  father  died  there  August  3,  1883, 
aged  eighty-nine  years.  Her  mother  died  October  4,  1879,  aged  seventy- 
nine.  Mrs.  Brinkei'hoff  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Penn.,  December  11, 
1828.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  formerly  of  the  United 
Presbyterian.  Dr.  Brinkerhoff  is  Congregational  in  sentiment,  but  in  the 
absence  of  that  denomination  in  his  resident  town  he  united  vpith  the  Pres- 
byterian society.  He  has  been  a  Republican  since  the  organization  of  that 
party;  has  held  no  office,  always  declining  to  be  a  candidate  when  asked. 
He  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen  in  his  resident  town,  Upper  Sandusky, 
where  he  resides  in  an  elegant  residence  on  Eighth  street.  In  another  part 
of  this  work  we  present  to  our  readers  an  excellent  engraving  of  this  distin- 
guished citizen.  He  is  now  sixty-three  years  old,  buoyant  in  spirits;  has 
seen  and  felt  much  of  the  rough  of  life;  has  never  yielded  despairingly  to 
misfortunes;  looked  ahead  and  pressed  on,  and  says  he  would  like  to  see 
1900,  but,  like  others,  must  quit  when  the  Master  calls.  In  connection 
with  Philip  Perdue,  in  1856,  he  took  out  the  first  patent  issued  to  a  citizen 
of  this  county.  Since  then  he  has  taken  out  over  thii'ty  more.  Some,  he 
says,  good,  others  worthless.  He  believes  in  living  to  do,  and  not  to  weary 
or  stop  from  failure — the  rock  on  which  so  many  stick. 


576  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

MILFORD  H.  BRINKERHOFF,  of  the  firm  of  A.  W.  Brinkerhoff  &  Son, 
was  born  in  Tymochtee  Township,  this  county,  February  22, 1849;  he  is  the 
son  of  A.  W.  and  Martha  E.  Brinkerhoff,  and  was  reared  at  Sycamore  till 
seven  years  of  age,  when  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Upper  Sandusky,  ob- 
tained a  high  school  education,  aud  at  the  age  of  eighteen  embarked  in  his 
present  business,  the  sale  of  pianos,  organs  and  sewing  machines.  The  firm 
does  an  extensive  business,  having  sold  over  5,000  sewing  machines,  making  a 
specialty  of  the  "  New  Home."  He  was  married,  October  24,  1876,  to  Mary 
Kiskadden,  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (Williams)  Kiskadden, 
early  settlers  of  the  county,  now  residents  of  Gilman,  111.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Brinkerhoff  are  the  parents  of  three  children — Harry  A.,  born  October  23, 
1 877 ;  Grace  M. ,  born  December  9,  1879 ;  and  Frank,  born  November  26, 
1881.  Mr.  Brinkerhoff  is  a  member  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  Knights  of 
Honor  and  Royal  Arcanum.      Politically,  he  is  a  Republican. 

WILLIAM  BROWN  was  born  in  this  county  December  22,  1842.  He 
is  a  son  of  Abram  and  Frances  (Coon)  Brown,  who  came  to  this  county  in 
an  early  day,  pui'chased  land,  and  reared  a  family  of  eleven  children,  eight 
living  -Henry,  John,  W^illiam,  Jacob,  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Hester  A.  and 
Catharine.  The  mother  died  in  August,  1870;  the  father  in  January,  1880. 
W^illiam,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  engaged  at  home  till  his  twenty-first 
year.  He  became  a  member  of  the  Ohio  National  Guard,  and  enlisted  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1864,  in  Company  K,  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
entered  the  regular  service.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Resaca,  Keno- 
saw  Mountain,  Big  Shanty,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Fort  McAllister,  Jonesboro, 
and  all  the  battles  of  the  Atlanta  campaign,  also  with  Sherman  on  his  march 
to  the  sea,  receiving  his  dischage  at  the  close  of  the  war  at  Little  Rock, 
Ark.  On  returning  home,  Mr.  Brown  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  two 
years,  and  then  farmed;  rented  land  until  1878,  when  he  purchased  his  pres- 
ent farm  of  eighty  acres  to  which  he  has  since  added  sixty  acres  more,  the 
whole  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  He  was  married,  March  3,  1870,  to  Harriet 
Paulin,  who  was  born  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  September  22,  1850; 
her  parents,  John  and  Sarah  (Candle)  Paulin,  came  to  this  county  in  1854, 
and  still  reside  here.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  four  children — Alvin  E., 
born  July  24,  1871;  Bertha  L.,  February  22,  1873;  Alice,  March  25,  1876; 
and  Sarah  M.,  June  4.  1880.  In  politics,  Mr.  Brown  is  a  Republican;  he 
is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H,  G.  A.  R.,  and  is  well  respected  as  a  citizen 
in  his  community. 

SOL  B.  BUCKLES,  proprietor  of  Central  Hotel,  Upper  Sandusky, 
was  born  in  Wells  County,  Ind. ,  November  19,  1858.  He  is  the  son  of 
John  H.  and  Harriet  S.  (Vorhes)  Buckles,  natives  of  Greene  and  Ham- 
ilton County,  Ohio,  respectively.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children, 
namely:  Rhnda,  Elizabeth,  Francis,  Jennie,  Sol  B. ,  William  T.  and 
Charles;  the  latter  is  deceased.  John  H.  Buckles,  the  father  of  our  subject 
removed  from  Indiana  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1880,  and  assumed  control  of 
the  Central  Hotel.  In  1883,  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Sol  B. ,  and 
returned  to  Marion,  Ind.,  taking  charge  of  the  Grand  View  Hotel  of  that 
place  where  he  is  still  engaged.  Mrs.  Buckles  is  deceased,  her  death  occurr- 
ing at  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  May  10,  1875.  Sol  B.,  our  subject,  was  par- 
tially educated  at  Bluffton,  Ind.,  where  he  resided  till  about  thirteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  removed  with  his  pai-ents  to  Fort  Wayne,  completing  his  edu- 
cation in  a  commercial  college  of  that  city  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  In  3880, 
he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  assisted  his  father  in  the  management 
of  the  Central  House,  assuming  full  control   in  October,  1883.      He  has  re- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  577 

paired  and  refitted  the  establishment,  and  made  it  one  of  the  most  pleasant 
stopping  places  in  the  city.  Mr.  Buckles  was  married  at  Upper  Sandusky, 
April  18,  1883,  to  Miss  Emma  J.  Snodgrass,  daughter  of  William  and  Eliza- 
beth Snodgrass,  both  now  deceased.  He  is  increasing  his  patronage, 
both  transient  and  regular,  and  has  a  fair  prospect  for  success  in  the  bus- 
iness for  which  he  is  so  thoroughly  qualified.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Wyandot  Lodge,  No.  174,  a  Republican,  and,  with  his 
wife,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  BUSER,  farmer,  was  born  in  Canton  Basel,  Switzerland,  July  30, 
1827,  to  Jacob  and  Barbara  (Baser)  Buser,who  emigrated  to  America  in  18-15, 
landing  in  New  York  June  1.  They  soon  after  settled  in  Little  Sandusky, 
where  they  purchased  200  acres  at  the  Government  land  sales,  and  where 
they  resided  until  their  decease.  The  mother  died  November  2-t,  1869; 
the  father  December  9,  1874.  The  former  was  born  February,  1801,  and 
the  latter  April  0,  1800.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  three 
living — John,  Barbara  and  Elizabeth.  The  former  obtained  a  fair  educa- 
tion in  his  native  country,  where  he  also  learned  the  trade  of  silk  weaving; 
but  since  his  advent  in  this  country  he  has  devoted  his  entire  attention  to  ag- 
riculture He  was  married, October  20,  1855,  to  Christina  S Lief,  a  native  of 
Baden,  Germany,  born  September  13,  1833.  They  have  three  children  liv- 
ing, viz.:  Elizabeth,  born  November  11,  1856;  Mary,  September  6,  1858; 
Emma  C. ,  January  3,  1872.  The  deceased  was  Catharine,  born  December 
27,  1859,  died  November  12,  1862.  Mr.  Buser  has  resided  on  his  present 
farm  since  1845.  He  has  136  acres,  well  improved,  and  in  his  dooryard 
stands  a  log  cabin  built  by  one  Armstrong,  an  Indian  chief.  Mr.  Buser 
served  one  year  as  School  Director,  and  in  politics  is  a  Democrat. 

DENNIS  W.  BYRON,  M.  D.,  is  a  native  of  Huntingdon  County,  Penn., 
and  was  born  September  19,  1825.  His  father,  John  Byron,  was  a  native 
of  Ireland,  and  emigrated  to  America  about  the  year  1807.  His  mother, 
Mary  (Kerr)  Byron  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  where  she  grew  to  woman- 
hood, her  marriage  to  Mr.  Byron  occurring  in  Adams  County,  of  that  State 
about  1817.  They  became  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  all  of  whom  at- 
tained their  majority,  and  nine  still  living.  Dr.  Byron  removed  with  his 
parents  to  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  in  1833,  and  three  years  later  to  Seneca  County, 
where  he  was  employed  on  a  farm  till  he  began  his  professional  studies. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Bucyrus  and  the  district  schools 
of  Seneca  County,  abandoning  his  literary  studies  at  the  age  of  fifteen. 
He  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Fulton,  of  Bucyrus,  where 
he  remained  eighteen  months,  entering  the  Eclectic  Medical  College  of  Cin- 
cinnati in  1852,  and  graduating  from  that  institution  in  1855.  He  imme- 
diately began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Vandalia,  III.,  where  he  re- 
mained about  two  and  one-half  years,  when  he  returned  to  Ohio  and  located 
about  six  miles  north  of  Bucyrus.  Two  years  later,  May,  1857.  he  located 
in  Upper  Sandusky  where  he  has  since  been  established  and  where  he  has 
built  up  an  extensive  practice,  being  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  the 
city.  By  a  close  attention  to  business  he  has  obtained  a  fine  property  con- 
sisting of  a  handsome  residence  located  on  one  of  the  most  pleasant  parts 
of  Upper  Sandusky.  Since  1857,  his  entire  attention  has  been  devoted  to 
his  profession,  his  long  and  successful  experience  entitling  him  to  a  place 
in  the  front  rank  among  his  fellow-devotees  at  the  shrine  of  J3sculapius. 
He  is  a  citizen  of  excellent  character  and  a  zealous  advocate  of  Republican 
principles.  He  holds  the  position  of  Examining  Physician  of  the  Knights 
of  Honor,  of  which  organization  he  has  been  five  years  a  member,  and  with 


578  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

which  he  has  been  officially  connected  four  years.  Dr.  Byron  was  married 
at  Melmore,  Seneca  County,  February  21,  1852,  to  Mary  A.  Fitzsimmons, 
daughter  of  William  and  Anna  (Holman)  Fitzsimmons,  and  the  children  born 
to  them  are  Galen  F. ,  William  K. ,  George  D.  and  M.  Myrtle — also  two  in- 
fants deceased. 

WILLIAM  K.  BYRON,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Vandalia,  111.,  January 
19,  1855,  son  of  Dennis  W.  and  Mary  A.  (Fitzsimmons)  Byron.  He  was 
educated  in  the  Union  Schools  of  Upper  Sandusky,  leaving  ofif  his  studies 
at  the  age  of  thirteen  to  learn  the  printer's  trade  with  Pietro  Cuneo.  He 
coutinvied  in  this  occupation  seven  years,  working  in  various  States,  and 
began  the  reading  of  medicine  with  his  father  in  1875.  He  studied  two 
years  with  his  father  and  one  year  with  his  uncle,  Dr.  J.  F.  Fitzsimmons, 
of  Bucyrus,  and  entered  the  Wooster  University  at  Cleveland  in  1876.  He 
graduated  February  28,  1879,  and  immediately  began  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  partnership  with  his  father,  meeting  with  remarkable  success. 
He  was  married,  September  4,  1879,  to  Kate  M.  Prinney,  daughter  of  the 
late  Horace  L.  and  Sarah  (Saltsman)  Prinney,  a  prominent  resident  of  Erie, 
Penn. ,  who,  althovigh  a  Democrat,  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  a  Repub- 
lican township  thirty  consecutive  years.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Byron  have  one 
child— Stanley  R.  born  June  3,  1881.  Mrs.  Byron  was  born  May  1,  1855. 
The  Doctor  is  the  Examining  Physician  of  the  P.  0.  S.  of  A.,  and  votes  in 
the  interest  of  Republicanism. 

ROBERT  CAREY,  attorney  at  law,  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Onta- 
rio, Canada,  February  17,  1845,  son  of  Hugh  and  Margaret  (Hamilton) 
Carey,  both  natives  of  Belfast,  Ireland,  and  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry. 
Mr.  Carey  is  one  of  a  family  of  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  are  still  liv- 
ing— Mary,  Archibald,  John,  Robert,  Margaret,  James  and  Hugh.  His 
parents  emigrated  fi'om  Ii-eland  to  Prince  Edward  County,  Canada,  about 
1832.  and  have  since  resided  in  that  locality,  the  father  now  in  his  seventy- 
ninth,  the  mother  in  her  seventy-fourth  year.  Robert  Carey  was  educated 
at  the  Toronto  Provincial  Normal  School,  where  he  obtained  a  life  certificate 
to  teach  in  any  school  in  the  Province  of  Canada.  He  made  teaching  his 
profession  while  in  Canada,  begioning  that  work  when  about  sevent^een  years 
of  age,  and  continued  in  the  same  till  1873,  when  he  removed  to  Upper 
Sandusky.  He  was  employed  as  Superintendent  of  the  Marseilles  Schools 
one  year,  and  the  two  following  years  had  charge  of  the  Union  Schools  of 
Upper  Sandusky.  Giving  up  his  profession  as  teacher,  he  read  law  with  D. 
W.  Brooks,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  and  subsequently  at- 
tended the  Law  Department  of  Ann  Arbor  University  one  year.  From 
November,  1879,  to  May,  1880,  he  studied  under  the  instructions  of  Judge 
Mott,  when  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  all  the  courts.  Since  that  time, 
Mr.  Carey  has  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  his  profession.  He  is  at 
present  one  of  the  Boai-d  of  Examiners  of  the  city  schools  of  Upper  San- 
dusky, and  a  strong  advocate  of  Republican  principles;  is  the  owner  of 
160  acres  of  laud  in  Marseilles  Township,  and  forty  acres  in  Goshen  Town- 
ship, Hardin  County,  dealing  somewhat  in  live  stock,  making  a  specialty  of 
fine  sheep  and  short-horn  cattle.  January  22,  1876,  Mr.  Carey  was  married 
to  Emily  A.  Terry,  daughter  of  Ethan  and  Barbara  (Heckathorn)  Terry, 
early  settlers  of  this  county,  Mr.  Terry  being  one  of  the  three  first  Commia 
sioners.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carey  are  the  parents  of  three  children — Robert  H., 
John  T.  and  Edward. 

DARIUS  D.  CLAYTON,  Probate  Judge,  was  born  in  Pitt  Township 
February  19,  1850.     He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Julia  A.  (Woolsey)  Clay- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  579 

ton,  natives  of  Ohio  and  New  York,  and  of  English  parentage.  The  latter 
came  to  this  county  in  1818,  and  the  former  in  1830.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  eight  children,  five  living — Jeremiah  W.,  John  V.,  Julia  A.,  Amanda 
J.  and  Darius  D.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the  village  schools 
of  Little  Sandusky  till  the  age  of  seventeen,  when  he  commenced  teaching. 
He  entered  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University  at  Delaware,  Ohio,  in  1869,  at- 
tending that  institvition  one  year,  when  he  left  Delaware  to.  attend  Oberlin 
College,  where  he  continued  to  study  for  the  next  live  years,  graduating 
from  that  college  in  the  class  of  1876.  Mr.  Clayton  continued  to  teach 
school  each  winter  during  his  college  course,  thus  obtaining  money  to  pur- 
sue his  studies,  teaching  in  all  thirteen  terms  of  district  school,  and  super- 
intending the  Uuion  Schools  of  Upper  Sandusky  one  year.  He  served  two 
terms  as  a  member  of  the  County  Board  of  School  Examiners,  and  as  a 
member  of  the  Union  School  Board  of  Examiners  of  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio, 
from  1878  till  his  resignation  in  1888.  He  was  married,  at  Oberlin,  Ohio, 
August  27,  1877,  to  Ella  J.  Eastman,  daughter  of  Alvin  and  Henrietta  L. 
(Eastman)  Eastman,  residents  of  Oskaloosa,  Iowa.  Two  children  have  been 
born  to  them — Gertrude  L.,  born  September  2,  1878,  and  Cora  M. ,  born 
July  29,  1880;  Ella,  their  mother,  was  born  near  Oskaloosa,  Iowa,  Novem- 
ber 18,  1853,  and  graduated  from  the  classical  course  of  Oberlin  College, 
in  the  class  of  1877.  Mr.  Clayton  began  the  study  of  law  under  the  in- 
struction of  D.  D.  Hare,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  in  1877,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  by  the  Supreme  Court  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  November  17,  1878.  In 
the  same  year  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  which  he  con- 
tinued till  he  assumed  the  duties  of  the  office  of  Probate  Judge  February 
12,  1883.  He  has  discharged  his  duties  in  his  official  capacity  with  justice 
and  ability,  and  has  the  esteem  which  his  impartial  action  so  richly  merits. 
He  favors  the  Democratic  policy  of  Government,  and  is,  with  Mrs.  Clayton, 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

JAMES  T.  CLOSE,  the  youngest  member  of  the  Wyandot  County  bar, 
was  born  in  Alexandria  City,  Va. ,  October  27,  1856.  His  father,  Col. 
James  T.  Close,  migrated  from  New  York  State  to  the  Old  Dominion  in 
1850,  and  there  married  Anna  E.  Sherman,  daughter  of  Elisha  Sherman, 
formerly  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.  In  1861,  Col.  Close,  a  prominent  resident 
of  Alexandria  City,  a  place  of  12,000  inhabitants,  with  but  thirty-two 
fellow-citizens  voted  viva  voce  against  the  ordinance  of  secession  at  polls 
guarded  by  Confederate  soldiers;  was  a  State  Senator  of  the  restored  Gov- 
ernment at  Wheeling,  which  saved  Western  Virginia  from  the  Confederacy; 
organized,  equipped  and  commanded  the  only  Union  regiment  in  East  Vir- 
ginia, the  Sixteenth  Virginia  Volunteers,  and  was  United  States  Marshal 
for  the  Eastern  District  of  that  State.  His  devotion  to  the  Union  cause 
made  him  a  marked  man,  and  the  rebel  Government  at  Richmond  offered 
$10,000  for  his  capture,  dead  or  alive.  He  died  in  1869,  while  a  member 
of  the  Virginia  Legislature.  Mr.  Close's  boyhood  was  passed  in  Alexan- 
dria, ,  amid  stirring  war  scenes  indelibly  imprinted  upon  his  mind,  and 
there^'eceived  the  rudiments  of  an  academical  education  at  private  schools, 
which  was  finished  at  Gonzaga  College  (S.  J.),  Washington,  D.  C. ,  and  the 
Whitestown  Seminary  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.  He  began  the  study  of  law 
in  1874  with  Judge  Michael  Thompson,  a  leading  lawyer  of  the  District  of 
Columbia;  attended  lectures  at  the  National  Law  University,  concluding  a 
three  years'  course  in  the  office  of  David  L.  Smoot,  of  Alexandria,  since 
Prosecuting  Attorney  of  San  Francisco,  Cal.  In  1877,  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  Virginia  and  the  District  of  Columbia,  he  began  the  practice  of  law 


580  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

in  the  latter  place.  In  1878,  he  came  to  this  county  and  opened  a  law 
office  in  Nevada,  where  he  remained  one  year,  and  then  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  his  old  preceptor,  Judge  Thompson,  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  In  1880, 
he  visited  the  South  and  studied  the  workings  of  the  courts  in  Louisiana 
and  Mississippi,  and  strongly  contemplated  locating  in  the  city  of  Natchez, 
but  stronger  predilections  for  his  adopted  State  and  its  grand  institutions 
drew  him  back  to  this  county.  In  September,  1880,  he  married  an  estima- 
ble young  lady  of  Nevada,  and  during  the  winter  of  1880-81  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  War  Department  at  Washington,  making  an  excellent  record 
in  the  delicate  work  of  digesting  claims  against  the  Government,  and  con- 
tinued at  the  same  time  his  law  studies  in  the  office  of  Col.  Robert  G.  In- 
gersoll.  Returning  to  Nevada  upon  a  furlough,  love  for  his  profession 
caused  him  to  resign  his  position  in  the  War  Department,  and,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1882,  he  formed  a  legal  partnership  with  Senator  M.  H.  Kirby  at 
Upper  Sandusky,  and  in  1883,  upon  the  petition  of  his  brother  attorneys, 
he  was  appointed  official  stenographer  of  the  county  for  a  term  of  three 
years,  with  his  office  in  the  court  house.  Mr.  Close  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  a  Je£fersonian  Democrat  in  politics,  liberal-minded, 
a  fine  convei'sationalist,  slight  in  stature,  and  in  speech  and  accent  sugges- 
tive of  his  Scotch-Irish  blood.  His  pi'actice  steadily  increasing,  possess- 
ing an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  law,  energetic  and  devoted  to  his  clients, 
his  future  promises  to  be  a  useful  and  successful  one. 

WILLIAM  CONSTIEN  was  born  in  Lasfelda,  Kingdom  Hanover,  Ger- 
many, October  19,  1838.  He  is  a  son  of  Adam  and  Frederika  ''Rimrott) 
Constien,  who  were  a,lso  natives  of  Germany,  and  parents  of  six  children, 
namely,  Doretta,  Charles,  Henry,  Julius,  Theodore  and  William.  The 
father  died  in  1844,  but  the  mother  is  still  living.  William,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  landed  in  New  York,  June  8,  1863,  bringing  with  him  his  new- 
made  wife,  Amelia,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  Germany  April  5,  1863. 
They  spent  six  weeks  in  New  York,  after  which  time  they  went  to  Lancaster, 
Penn.,  where  Mr.  Constien  was  engaged  in  the  harness  trade  till  March, 
1871,  when  they  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky.  After  six  years'  work  at  his 
trade  in  the  latter  place,  Mr.  Constien  purchased  his  present  farm  of  twenty- 
two  acres,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  chiefly  in  gardening.  He  cul- 
tivates all  kind  of  table  vegetables,  small  fruits,  strawberries,  raspberries, 
blackberries,  etc.,  supplying  hotels  and  city  markets  and  doing  an  extensive 
business.  His  product  the  present  year  will  perhaps  reach  $800  in  value, 
being  constantly  on  the  increase.  Mrs.  Constien's  parents  were  Christian 
and  Adelinde  (Wurm)  Benecke.  They  were  natives  and  residents  of  Ger- 
many, and  had  seven  children,  namely,  Adolph,  Amelia,  Albert,  Otto,  Bern- 
hart,  Eliza  and  Maria.  The  mother  died  in  1856,  the  father  still  living  in 
his  seventieth  year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Constien  have  had  nine  children,  namely: 
Theodore,  born  July  27,  1864;  Otto,  August  13,  1865;  Emma,  August  5, 
1867;  William,  September  10,  1869;  Albert,  November  16,  1871;  Adolph, 
March  1,  1874;  Bernhart,  December  22,  1877;  Alvin.  September  19,  1880; 
Oscar,  May  14,  1882.  Otto  died  September  24,  1870.  Mr.  Constien  is  an 
Independent  in  politics.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Good  Fellows,  Seven 
Wise  Men,  Red  Men,  and  K.  of  P.,  and  is  now,  with  Mrs.  C,  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church. 

MARTIN  COURTAD  was  born  in  Alsace,  France,  Jane  16,  1819.  His 
parents  were  John  P.  Courtad  and  Mary  A.  Frey,  who  emigrated  to  America 
in  1832.  Martin  Coui'tad  resided  with  his  parents  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
till  he  became  of  age,  and  then  went  to  Galena,  111.,  where  he  graduated  in 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  581 

a  high  school.  Finishing  his  education,  he  followed  carpenter  work  for  a 
time.  In  1848,  he  came  to  Sandusky  City,  Ohio,  and  April  12,  1849,  he 
was  married  to  Eve  Simonis,  daughter  of  John  and  Mai-y  Simonis,  of  Sen- 
eca County,  Ohio.  Mrs.  Courtad  was  born  April  1,  1832.  After  working 
for  several  years  in  Sandusky  City,  he  and  family  went  to  the  Lake  Supe- 
rior copper  mines,  where  he  followed  his  trade  eighteen  months.  He  then 
came  to  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  bought  a  small  farm,  where  he  lived  till 
18(31,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Crane  Township,  and  bought  a  farm 
of  eighty  acres  valued  at  |80  per  aci'e.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Courtad  are  the  par- 
ents of  fourteen  children,  one  deceased.  They  are  as  follows:  Charles, 
born  March  16,  1850;  John  Henry,  April  28,  1852;  Joseph  L.,  born  April 
5,  1854;  Magdalena,  born  May  11,  1856;  Geoi-ge,  born  January  24,  1858; 
Anthony,  born  May  7,  i860;  W.  Frank,  born  December  19,  1861;  Martin, 
born  December  29,  1864;' James,  born  January  20,  1866;  Mary,  born  Jan- 
uary 11,  1868;  Margaret,  born  March  4,  187(3;  Michael,  born  September 
29,  1871;  Elizabeth  K.,  born  November  1,  1875;  Albert,  born  January  6, 
1878.  Martin  died  July  26,  1881.  Mr.  Courtad  has  a  fine  farm,  and  is 
highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen.  He  and  his  family  are  strict  adherents  of  the 
Catholic  faith. 

PETER  COURTAD  was  born  near  Strasbourg,  Alsace,  France,  October 
20,  1811.  He  is  a  son  of  John  Peter  and  Mary  A.  (Frey)  Courtad,  who 
emigrated  to  America  in  1832,  being  sixty-three  days  on  the  ocean,  and  the 
ship  landed  at  Baltimore.  They  located  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio.  They 
removed  to  Iowa  in  1841,  where  they  resided  until  1844,  at  which  date  they 
returned  to  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  where  the  father  died  in  1848,  aged  sixty- 
three  years;  the  mother  died  in  Sandusky  City  about  1853,  aged  sixty- eight 
years.  Peter  Courtad  removed  to  this  county  from  Seneca  in  1864,  and 
settled  on  his  present  farm.  He  owns  ninety-six  acres  near  Upper  Sandusky, 
valued  at  $85  per  acre — earned  by  hard  labor.  He  was  married  in  Seneca 
County,  Ohio,  January  20,  1840,  to  Catharine  Simonis,  four  children  re- 
sulting from  this  marriage,  one  deceased;  they  are  Mary' A.,  born  January 
23,  1842;  Margaret,  February  23,  1845;  Lawrence,  December  23,  1847,  and 
Peter  D.,  October  17,  1849;  the  latter  deceased  since  September  15,  1873. 
The  death  of  Mrs.  Courtad  occurred  December  8,  1852,  and  Mr.  Courtad  was 
again  married  in  Seneca  County  May,  1853,  to  Clementine  Zircher,  daugh- 
ter of  Ignatz  and  Mary  M.  (Lehman)  Zircher,  and  nine  children  were  born 
to  this  union,  seven  living —John,  born  January  4,  1855;  Joseph  A.,  March 
14,  1857;  Francis  A.,  August  7,  1862;  Elizabeth  M.,  February  13,  1864— 
all  born  in  Seneca  County;  August  J.,  March  9,  1866;  Martin  J.,  March  14, 
1868;  Magdalene,  February  6,  1872 — born  in  Wyandot.  John  (an  infant) 
and  Louis  are  deceased.  Mrs.  Courtad  was  born  in  France  December  30, 
1829,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1838  with  her  parents,  who  settled  in 
Shelby  County,  where  the  father  died  in  1868,  the  mother  in  1863.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Courtad  are  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  he  being  a 
Democrat  politically. 

DAVID  CRAMER,  dealer  in  stoves,  tinware,  etc.,  Upper  Sandusky,  was 
born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  May  22,  1839.  He  is  the  son  of  Frederick 
and  Mnry  A.  (Helterbrake)  Cramer,  natives  of  Maryland,  and  of  English 
ancestry.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  Seneca  County,  and 
was  engaged  in  farming  until  August,  1861.  At  that  time  he  enlisted  in 
the  United  States  service,  Company  D,  Forty-ninth  Regiment  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  to  serve  three  years.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Green 
River  and  Pittsbui'g  Landing,  and  was  taken  sick  at  Corinth,  after  which 


582  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

he  was  confined  six  months  in  the  hospitals  of  Evansville  and  Terre  Haute, 
Ind.  He  rejoined  his  regiment  in  November,  18G2,  and  was  wounded  in 
his  right  thigh  in  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro  December  31,  1802,  being  sent 
to  the  hospital  at  Nashville,  and  afterward  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  was  dis- 
charged March  17,  1863,  on  account  of  disability.  He  then  returned  to 
Upper  Sandusky,  and  soon  after  opened  an  ice  cream  parlor  and  restaurant, 
which  he  conducted  over  four  years.  In  1868,  he  established  himself  per- 
manently in  the  stove  and  tinware  business  in  partnership  with  William 
McCormick.  This  connection  existed  two  years,  when  Mr.  Cramer  pur- 
chased his  partner's  interest  and  became  sole  pi'oprietor,  and  has  since  con- 
ducted the  business  as  such.  He  carries  a  large  stock  of  everything  in  his 
line,  and  makes  a  specialty  of  tin  and  slate  rooting.  Mr.  Cramer  was  mar- 
ried. May  8,  1872,  to  Miss  Jennie  Hackadorn,  daughter  of  S.  J.  and  Mar- 
garet (Gray)  Hackadorn,  of  Van  Wert  County.  They  have  three  children, 
namely,  Howard  L.,  born  November  16,  1874;  Maggie,  born  August  3, 
1876;  and  Bonnie  B.,  born  January  25,  1880.  Mrs.  Cramer  was  born  in 
Huntingdon  County,  Penn.,  October  8,  1853.  Mr.  Cramer  is  the  owner  of 
a  valuable  brick  residence  on  Wyandot  avenue,  and  all  of  his  store  room, 
which  he  occupies;  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  the  G.  A.  R., 
and  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

FRANCIS  M.  CRAMER,  machinist,  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
September  19,  1846;  son  of  Frederick  and  Mary  (Helderbrake)  Cramer, 
natives  of  Maryland.  Francis  was  partially  educated  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  county,  removing  to  Upper  Sandusky  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  and  finishing  his  studies  in  the  schools  of  that  place.  He  subse- 
quently engaged  as  brakeman  on  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Rail- 
road for  a  short  period,  and  entered  the  Stevenson  Machine  Works  as  an 
apprentice  in  the  fall  of  1868.  He  is  still  employed  by  this  company,  and 
is  one  of  their  most  faithful  mechanics.  By  industry  and  economy,  Mr. 
Cramer  has  provided  a  comfortable  home  on  West  Walker  street,  where  he 
now  resides.  He  was  a  non-commissioned  officer  of  Company  B,  Ohio 
National  Guards,  in  which  he  faithfully  served  five  years,  receiving  bis  dis- 
charge in  1879.  He  was  married.  May  22,  1872,  to  Mary  Graham,  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  and  Hannah  (Bowsher)  Graham,  of  Upper  Sandusky.  They 
have  two  children  living — Roy  C,  born  July  6,  1876,  and  Earl  D.,  born 
December  28,  1881.  The  deceased  is  Robert  E.,  born  December  5,  1873, 
died  June  25,  1881.  Mrs.  Cramer  was  born  in  Crane  Township  October  19, 
1851. 

JAMES  CRAWFORD  is  a  native  of  Sycamore  Township,  this  county, 
born  April  15,  1836;  son  of  James  and  Mary  (Sparr)  Crawford,  the  former 
a  native  of  Orange  County,  Va.,  born  in  1761,  the  latter  of  Fairfield  County, 
Ohio,  born  November  20,  1802.  Their  children  were  Jacob  V.,  James, 
William  B.,  Peter  L.  and  Emma  E.  They  came  to  this  county  in  1833, 
and  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he  cleared  and  improved,  and  in 
1852  removed  to  Noble  County,  Ind.,  when  he  died  April  19,  1854,  and  she 
in  1872.  James  Crawford  was  reared  and  educated  in  Sycamore  Township, 
and  began  life  for  himself  by  daily  labor  at  $10  per  month.  He  purchased 
his  present  farm,  consisting  of  forty  acres,  in  1875,  and  devotes  his  atten- 
tion to  agriculture  and  the  raising  of  blooded  stock.  He  enlisted  in  the 
war  May  2,  1864,  and  was  on  detached  service  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred 
and  Forty -fourth  Ohio  National  Guards,  during  his  entire  term  spending 
most  of  his  time  at  the  Relay  House,  Maryland,  as  Post  Commissary.  He 
was  discharged  at  Columbus  September  2,  1864.     Mr.  Crawford  was  mar- 


CKANE  TOWNSHIP.  583 

ried,  September  3,  1857,  to  Susauna  Brown,  daughter  of  Abraham  and 
Frances  (Coon)  Brown.  They  had  four  children,  Louisa  C,  born  March 
29,  1S64,  being  the  only  living.  The  deceased  are:  Emanuel  E.,  born  Sep- 
tember 20,  1861,  died  April  30,  1862;  William  S.,  born  September  20, 
1866,  died  April  9,  1873;  and  an  infant.  Mi*s.  Crawford  was  born  Septem- 
ber 15,  1838,  and  died  November  10,  1867.  Mr.  Crawford  was  married, 
December  24,  1868,  to  Eliza  Fernbaugh,  a  native  of  Ashland  County,  Ohio, 
born  July  31,  1835.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Cumberland  County,  Penn., 
and  York  County,  Penn.,  the  father  born  February  13,  1810,  the  mother 
April  15,  1808.  By  this  latter  marriage  three  children  were  born — John  S., 
born  December  26,  1871;  Sarah  L.,  August  10, 1873;  and  Nettie  M.,  March 
28,  1870;  the  latter  is  deceased  since  April  4,  1873.  In  politics,  Mr.  Craw- 
ford is  a  Republican,  and  a  member  of  the  Church  of  God,  of  which  he  is 
also  one  of  the  Trustees.  His  father  was  a  full  cousin  of  the  lamented  Col, 
Crawford,  who  was  burned  at  the  stake  by  the  Indians  near  Upper  Sandusky. 

MYER  DANIELS,  the  popular  clothier  of  the  firm  of  Daniel  Bros., 
was  born  in  Cincinnati  March  14,  1853.  He  is  the  son  of  Michael  and 
Fannie  (Goldsmith)  Daniels,  natives  of  Germany,  who  emigrated  to  America 
before  their  marriage.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  six  now 
living.  The  father  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business  in  an  early  day 
at  Cincinnati,  where  ho  died  in  1855.  The  mother  still  survives,  now  a  res- 
ident of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  aged  about  sixty-eight  years.  Myer  Daniels,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati, 
receiving  some  instruction  from  a  private  tutor  in  Macon,  Ga.  While  at 
the  latter  place,  he  engaged  as  clerk  with  Scheuermans  Bros.,  dry  goods 
merchants,  and  remained  with  this  firm  seven  years.  He  subsequently  en- 
gaged one  year  with  his  brother  Cornelius,  at  Mt.  Vernon,  111. ;  three  years 
with  W.  L.  Yates,  of  Cleveland;  three  years  again  with  his  brother  in 
Howell,  Mich.;  four  months  at  Union  City,  Ind.,  after  which  he  came  to 
Upper  Sandusky  September  29,  1878.  and  in  the  following  month  established 
himself  permanently  in  his  present  business,  usually  employing  two  clerks, 
and  doing  a  flourishing  business — the  leading  clothier  of  the  city.  Mr. 
Daniels  is  an  energetic  young  business  man,  and  a  prominent  member  of 
the  F.  &  A.  M. 

JACOB  W.  DAVIS,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Ohio,  April  15, 
1853;  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Wickerhorn)  Davis,  of  English  parentage. 
He  assisted  his  father  in  agricultural  pursuits,  attending  the  public  schools 
of  his  neighborhood  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  engaged  as  sales- 
man in  a  mercantile  establishment  at  Locust  Grove,  Ohio,  remaining  in 
that  work  two  years.  In  the  fall  of  1873,  he  entered  the  AVe.st  Geneva 
Commercial  College  of  Logan  County,  graduating  in  1874.  He  at  once  be- 
gan the  reading  of  medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr.  J.  L.  Wright,  of  Bellefon- 
taine,  Ohio,  attending  lectures  at  the  Indianapolis  Medical  College,  and 
graduating    from  the  Ohio   Medical   College   at  Cincinnati    February  20, 

1876.  He  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Carey,  this  county,  and 
remained  in  that  locality  one  year.     He   located   at  Johnsville  in  October, 

1877,  where  he  continued  his  practice  until  February,  1881,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Upper  Sandusky.  In  the  latter  place,  he  has  established  a  good 
practice.  Mr.  Davis  was  married,  June  5,  1877,  to  Laura  A.  Meckley, 
daughter  of  Andrew  and  Mary  (Hosier)  Meckley.  She  was  born  in  Morrow 
County  January  16,  1859.  Mr.  Davis'  parents  were  both  natives  of  Adams 
County,  where  they  were  married  by  Rev.  Huston  February  17,  1852.  His 
mother   died  January  22,   1854,  leaving  an   only  child,  our  subject.     His 


584  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

father  was  again  married,  November  18,  1856,  to  Elizabeth  Sharp,  and 
eight  children  were  born  to  them,  seven  living — Edwin  S.,  Sarah  B., 
Rhoda  E.,Mary  A.,  William,  Milton  and  Leonidas;  an  infant,  unchristened, 
is  deceased.  Their  home  lay  in  the  path  of  John  Morgan's  raid  in  1863, 
and  Dr.  Davis,  then  a  lad  of  ten  years,  while  out  plowing  corn  was  ap- 
proached by  three  rebels,  who  demanded  his  horse.  Young  Davis,  not 
wishing  to  be  interrupted,  was  about  to  proceed  when  his  "Get  up,  Joe!'' 
was  responded  to  by  the  three  rebels'  leveling  their  revolvers  upon  him  in  a 
decidedly  suggestive  manner.  Changing  his  mind  with  a  "Whoa,  Joe  !" 
he  permitted  them  to  take  the  horse,  and  this,  with  two  others,  was  never 
recovered.  When  the  father  returned  home  and  found  his  horses  gone,  he 
was  very  indignant,  and,  taking  his  gun,  followed  them  to  his  fathei''s  res- 
idence where  he  was  approached  by  two  of  the  raiders  leading  a  valuable 
gray  horse.  On  being  asked  why  he  had  his  gun,  and  told  to  go  home,  he 
leveled  his  piece  upon  them  when  they  fled  in  great  haste,  leaving  their 
horse;  they  soon  returned  in  increased  numbers,  however,  and  Mr.  Davis 
sought  refuge  in  a  corn-field  near  by,  and  as  he  fled  from  this  field  to  the 
woods;  several  shots  were  fired  at  him,  the  whizzing:  of  the  bullets  beinsr 
distinctly  heard.  He  passed  through  these  woods  just  as  the  main  rebel 
army  moved  along,  being  in  such  close  proximity  to  the  lines  as  to  render  it 
necessary  to  lie  prostrate  upon  the  wet  ground  while  they  passed,  thereby 
saturating  the  loose  powder,  which  he  had  hastily  placed  in  his  pockets 
when  starting  in  pursuit  of  his  property. 

SILAS  DEBOLT,  one  of  the  venerable  pioneers  of  this  county,  was 
born  in  Masontown,  Fayette  Co.  ,Penn.,  February  15,  1807.  He  is  a  son  of 
George  and  Mary  (Rider)  DeBolt,  both  natives  of  the  same  county;  the 
former  born  February  24,  1781,  the  latter  in  1784  or  1785.  His  paternal 
ancestors  were  natives  of  France  and  Germany.  His  grandfather,  Lawrence 
Rider,  came  to  this  country  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  his  brother,  Stofle,  com- 
ing with  him.  His  grandfather,  George  DeBolt  and  brother  Nicholas  were 
both  captured  by  the  Pottawatomies  in  Pennsylvania.  The  latter  was  in 
his  sixth  year  and  never  returned  home.  He  became  chief  of  the  tribe  and 
died  September  28,  1828.  The  former,  George  D,,  was  in  his  eighth  year 
when  captured  and  was  sold  to  the  Senecas  and  was  held  captive  nine  years. 
He  was  also  afterward  a  soldier  under  Washington.  He  was  in  the  battle 
in  which  Braddock  was  defeated,  and  was  subsequently  in  the  employ  of 
the  Government  as  a  scout.  George  DeBolt,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, moved  from  Pennsylvania  to  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  in  1809,  and 
resided  there  till  about  1855,  owning  200  acres  of  land.  In  1855,  he  moved 
to  Jay  County,  Ind. ,  where  he  died  October  1,  1868.  His  wife  died  in 
1852.  He  was  a  prominent  minister  of  the  Old-School  Baptist  Church,  and 
was  the  father  of  twelve  children,  six  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely: 
Silas;  Belinda,  widow  of  C.  Skinner;  Matilda,  widow  of  William  Skinner; 
Miranda,  wife  of  A.  Ashbrook;  Hulda,  wife  of  P.  Rank,  Ogdeu,  Utah; 
and  Rezin  A.,  of  Trenton,  Mo.  The  latter  is  now  a  prominent  lawyer  and 
Judge,  and  was  formerly  a  Congressman.  Silas  DeBolt,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  resided  with  his  parents  until  his  twenty-third  yeax',  and  learned  the 
tanner's  trade  in  Fairfield  County.  He  came  to  this  county  in  1830  and 
located  near  Mexico,  where  he  resided  near  forty  years,  eighteen  of  which 
were  spent  in  the  mercantile  business.  In  1868,  he  moved  to  his  present 
farm  of  260  acres,  purchased  at  the  land  sales  in  1845,  and  has  since  turned 
his  attention  chiefly  to  agricultural  pursuits.  In  connection  with  his  other 
occupations,  Mr.  DeBolt  has  studied  the  nature  of  and  treatedcancers  for 


L.R.Walton  . 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  687 

fifty-six  years.  He  is  in  possession  of  an  Indian  remedy,  known  only  to 
himself  and  family,  and  has  never  failed  to  cure  cases  of  external  cancers 
which  were  subjected  to  his  treatment.  He  has  cured  hundreds  of  cases, 
three  on  his  own  person.  His. remedy  is  unknown  to  physicians.  In  taking 
care  of  his  material  interests,  Mr.  DeBolt  has  not  overlooked  the  spiritual, 
having  been  engaged  in  the  ministry  of  the  Old  School  Baptist  Chm*ch 
more  or  less  since  1840.  Mr.  DeBolt  was  married  July  6,  1827,  to  Eliza- 
beth Parkison,  a  native  of  Somerset,  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  born  April  28,  1812, 
daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Miller)  Parkison,  natives  of  Virginia,  and  of 
Scotch  and  German  parentage.  Her  father  was  born  July  19,  1783;  her 
mother  September  10,  1785.  They  moved  to  Perry  County  in  1800,  Mr. 
Pai'kison's  death  occurring  there  about  1814.  Mrs.  Parkison  was  subse- 
quently mai'ried  to  Thomas  Strawn,  and  died  November  7,  1842.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  DeBolt  are  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  namely:  Mary,  born 
July  11,  1829;  John  P.,  April  10,  1831;  George  E.,  March  4,  1833;  Sarah, 
March  5,  1835;  Margaret,  April  2,  1837;  Elizabeth,  August  27,  1839;  Silas 
S.,  December  15,  1841;  Eezin  S.,  July  29,  1843;  Miranda  A.,  August  2, 
1845;  Nora  R,  October  11,  1847;  William  K.,  December  13,  1849;  "Emma 
P.,  March  14,  1854.  Margaret,  Emma,  William  and  George  are  deceased. 
The  latter  was  captured  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  and  died  in  prison  at 
Danville,  Va.  Mr.  DeBolt  served  in  a  rifle  company  eight  years  in  Fair- 
field County,  and  was  made  Major  in  the  militia  in  this  county.  He  and 
Mrs.  DeBolt  are  members  of  the  Old- School  Baptist  Church.  They  are 
among  the  most  worthy  of  the  pioneers,  and  are  highly  esteemed  as 
citizens. 

JOHN  DIRMEYER,  son  of  John  and  Anna  (Fleah)  Dirmeyer,  was 
born  in  Baden,  Germany,  August  24,  1837.  His  parents  were  also  born  in 
Baden,  and  had  seven  children — Annie,  John,  Andrew,  Simon,  Mary,  Fred 
and  W^illiam;  Annie  and  Fred  are  deceased.  The  father  died  in  1872; 
the  mother  in  1848.  John  Dirmeyer  emigrated  to  America  in  1853,  land- 
ing in  May.  He  came  to  Upper  Sandusky  (after  six  weeks'  stop  on  Staten 
Island),  and  resided  there  till  1863,  when  he  moved  to  his  present  home.  His 
farm  contains  ninety-six  acres,  and  is  in  good  condition.  He  was  married, 
April  9,  1863,  to  Mary  Frederick,  who  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
July  9,  1837.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Catherine  (Witmer)  Fred- 
erick, natives  of  Baden,  Germany,  and  Ohio.  Her  father  came  to  America 
at  the  age  of  ten  years;  was  married  in  Seneca  County  and  reared  a  family 
of  twelve  children,  six  living,  viz.:  William,  Letitia,  Ann  E. ,  Julia,  Ma- 
tilda and  Mary.  The  mother  died  in  1843,  the  father  in  1869.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dirmeyer  have  had  four  children — William  F.,  born  February  10, 
1864;  George  A.,  March  4,  1867;  Anna  M.,  August  29,  1869,  and  John  C, 
July  27,  1873.  Mrs.  Dirmeyer's  father  was  once  captured  by  the  Indians, 
but  made  his  escape.  Mr.  Dirmeyer  is  a  Democrat,  and  a  member  of  the 
German  Lutheran  Church.  Mrs.  Dirmeyer  is  a  member  of  the  Reformed 
Church.     They  are  well  respected  in  their  vicinity. 

CHRISTIAN  ENGEL,  retired  groceryman,  was  born  in  Ostheim,  Ger- 
many, April  17,  1823.  He  is  the  son  of  Christian  G.  and  Maria  E. 
(Streck)  Engel,  both  of  whom  died  in  Germany,  the  former  in  December, 
1872,  aged  seventy-three;  the  latter  November  7,  1873,  aged  seventy  years. 
They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  four  living  at  present — Christian, 
John  K.,  Johanna  L.  and  Ernest.  Christiana  and  Magdalena  are  deceased. 
Christian,  our  subject,  emigrated  with  his  brother  John  K.  to  America  in 
1849.     After  traveling  over  seventeen  States,  he  located  in  Upper  Sandusky 

22 


588  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

in  1853,  and  opened  a  barber-shop  on  the  grounds  now  owned  by  Mrs.  John 
Van  Martyr.  In  1856,  he  opened  a  grocery  store  and  continued  in  this 
business  until  October  10,  1881,  at  which  time  he  disposed  of  his  stock  to 
C.  F.  Veith  and  retired.  He  was  married,  August  24,  1854,  to  Anna  M. 
Hipp,  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Sabina  (Beckbissinger)  Hipp,  and  ten 
children  have  blessed  their  union,  four  living — Johanne  L.  (born  April  1, 
1855),  Caroline  S.  (January  12,  1857),  Rosa  L.  (March  6,  1859),  and  Annie 
M.  (August  24,  1862).  The  deceased  are  five  infants  and  Irena,  born 
April  18,  1874,  died  October  31,  1877.  Anna  M.,  their  mother,  was  born 
in  Germany  June  24,  1832.  One  year  after,  she  emigrated  to  America  with 
her  parents,  who  are  both  now  deceased;  her  father  died  December  1,  1856, 
aged  sixty-three  years;  her  mother  survived  till  January  30,  1872,  aged 
nearly  seventy- six  years. 

JOHN  K.  ENGEL,  retired  merchant,  is  a  native  of  Ostheim,  Saxony, 
Germany,  where  he  was  born  November  19,  1828.  He  is  a  son  of  Christian 
G.  and  Maria  E.  (Streck)  Engel,  a  notice  of  whom  is  given  in  another  sketch. 
John  K.  obtained  a  good  education  in  "the  fatherland,"  and  emigrated  to 
this  country  at  twenty  years  of  age.  In  1849,  he  engaged  as  an  employe 
in  the  bakery  and  confectionery  trade  with  William  Saunderson  in  Upper 
Sandusky.  In  1854,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother  in  the  gro- 
cery aod  provision  business,  and  two  years  later  he  purchased  the  latter's 
interest,  re-selling  it  to  his  brother  in  1858.  He  was  engaged  as  clerk  for 
A.  G.  Tribolet  seven  years,  and  from  1865  to  1877  conducted  a  grocery  and 
provision  store  on  his  own  account,  retiring  from  business  at  the  latter  date. 
Mr.  Engel  was  married,  May  22,  1856,  to  Maria  B.  Retter,  daughter  of 
Frederick  and  Maria  (Sturm)  Retter,  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany,  born 
September  30,  1834.  In  1852,  she  emigrated  with  her  parents  to  this 
county,  where  they  both  died,  the  mother  in  June,  1868,  aged  sixty-five 
years;  the  father  in  November,  1881,  in  his  eighty-first  year.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Engel  have  no  children;  their  adopted  daughter,  Amanda  B.  Engel, 
was  born  in  Germany  March  7,  1861.  Mr.  Engel  has  been  a  member  of  the 
F.  &  A.  M.  since  1856,  and  is  also  associated  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  and 
has  filled  all  the  subordinate  ofiices.  He  is  an  independent  voter.  He 
is  now  enjoying  the  reward  of  his  past  labors.  In  1872,  in  company 
with  his  wife,  he  paid  a  visit  to  his  native  home  in  Germany.  He  has  been 
very  successful  in  his  business  career,  and  in  all  his  dealings  has  preserved 
a  character  worthy  of  the  emulation  of  his  fellow-merchants.  He  is  one  of 
the  leading  German  citizens  of  the  county,  being  noted  for  his  interest  in 
all  public  enterprises  of  importance. 

WILLIAM  FERNBAUGH  was  born  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  Decem- 
ber 21,  1835.  His  parents  were  John  and  Elizabeth  (Brandt)  Fernbaugh, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  who  settled  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  in  1847,  sub- 
sequently removing  to  this  county,  where  they  purchased  120  acres  of  land, 
and  I'eared  a  family  of  nine  children.  The  father  died  in  1878;  the  mother 
resides  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Crawford,  in  this  township.  Our  subject 
enlisted  October  18,  1862,  in  Company  K,  Fifty-fifth  Regiment  Ohio  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  under  Capt.  Robins,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Bull 
Run  2d,  Cross  Keys,  Gettysburg,  Mission  Ridge,  Buzzard' s  Roost,  Chancel- 
lorsville — taken  prisoner,  but  paroled  in  a  few  days — siege  of  Atlanta,  and 
all  through  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  with  Sherman  to  the  sea;  partici- 
pated in  the  grand  review  at  Washington,  and  was  discharged  at  Cleveland 
in  July,  1865.  He  returned  home,  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on 
which  he  resides,  and  was  married,  January  31,    1869,  to  Mary  C.  Tobias, 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  589 

native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  May  11,  1845,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Mary  J. 
(Hale)  Tobias.  Their  children  are  Harry  T. ,  born  April  20,  1870;  Laura, 
January  14,  1872;  Elizabeth  M.,  May  6,  1874.  Laura  is  deceased;  died 
January  30,  1872.  Mr.  Fernbaugh  has  been  a  fai*mer  most  of  his  days, 
and  now  values  his  land  at  $80  per  acre.  Himself  and  family  are  members 
of  the  Church  of  God. 

DAVID  FRAZIER,  groceryman  and  retired  farmer,  was  born  in  Pick- 
away County,  Ohio,  October  2,  1822;  son  of  Jacob  and  Rebecca  (Morris) 
Frazier,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  respectively.  They  were 
the  parents  of  sixteen  children,  eight  of  whom  are  still  living — Jacob,  John, 
David,  Joseph,  William,  George,  Mary  and  Silas.  David  Frazier,  our  sub- 
ject, was  reared  upon  the  farm,  and  attended  the  district  schools,  his  only 
chance  for  an  education.  He  remained  upon  the  farm  with  his  parents  un- 
til sixteen  years  of  age,  and  subsequently  engaged  in  various  callings  until 
his  marriage.  This  event  took  place  August  8,  J  844,  taking  as  his  wife 
Eliza  A.  Bolander,  a  resident  of  Pickaway  County.  They  have  but  one 
child — Noah  G, ,  born  March  31,  1857.  Mrs.  Frazier  was  born  August  29, 
1825.  They  removed  to  Seneca  County  and  engaged  in  farming  seven 
years,  coming  to  Wyandot  County  in  1852,  where  he  purchased  eighty-four 
acres  of  land,  afterward  adding  thirty  more.  He  subsequently  sold  these  re- 
spective lots  at  $75  and  $50  per  acre  (they  having  cost  him  him  $10  and  $23 
per  acre  respectively),  and  in  1879  purchased  127  acres  of  well-improved  land 
of  the  estate  of  C.  Y.  Pierson,  deceased,  paying  for  the  same  $80  per  acre, 
the  land  lying  within  less  than  one  mile  west  of  Upper  Sandusky.  In  1876, 
Mr.  Frazier  abandoned  the  farm  and  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  where, 
with  his  son,  he  is  doing  an  extensive  business  in  the  grocery,  queensware 
and  crockery  trade,  located  on  Sandusky  avenue,  between  Walker  and  Fin- 
ley  sti'eets.  Mr.  Frazier  is  the  owner  of  valuable  town  property;  his  son, 
Noah  G. ,  now  managing  the  grocery  establishment  on  his  own  responsibili- 
ty. In  politics,  he  is  a  thorough  Republican;  himself  and  wife  both  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

BARBARA  FREDERICK,  widow  of  Joseph  Frederick,  was  born  in 
Bavaria,  Germany,  Januaiy  23,  1821.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Adam  and 
Elizabeth  (Miller)  Miller,  who  emigrated  to  America  in  1835,  and  settled  in 
Seneca  County,  where  they  both  died — the  mother  in  1864,  aged  seventy- 
five  years;  the  father  in  1866,  at  the  same  age.  Their  four  children — 
Elizabeth,  Margaret,  Peter  and  Barbara — are  all  living.  The  latter,  our 
subject,  was  fourteen  years  of  age  when  her  parents  came  to  America.  She 
was  married,  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  April  25,  1841,  to  Joseph  Frederick,  a 
native  of  Baden,  Germany,  born  February  22,  1810.  He  emigrated  to  America 
with  his  parents  in  1817,  and  located  in  Philadelphia,  removing  to  this  county 
two  years  later.  Joseph  Frederick  settled  in  this  county  immediately  after 
his  marriage  in  1841,  while  the  Indians  were  still  numerous,  some  of  whom 
were  employed  by  him  as  assistants;  among  these  were  Mrs.  Stanzley, 
Nancy  Wright  Bigelow  and  others,  all  full-blood  Indians.  Mr.  Frederick 
was  an  industrious  and  energetic  citizen,  and  accumulated  a  large  amount 
of  property,  which  he  left  to  his  wife  and  five  children  at  his  death,  which 
occurred  September  14,  1869.  Mrs.  Frederick  still  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead, the  old  "  Mission  farm,"  near  Upper  Sandusky.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fred- 
erick were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  but  five  of  whom  are  now  living, 
viz.,  William  H.,  Leutitia,  Anna  E.,  Julia  and  Matilda.  The  deceased  are 
Adam,  Christian,  Daniel,  Caroline  and  Catharine,  twine. 


590  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY, 

GEORGE  W.  FREET,  Treasurer  Wyandot  County,  was  born  in 
Loudoun  County,  Va.,  February  22,  1835.  He  is  the  son  of  Henry  D.  and 
Lydia  C.  (Clice)  Freet,  of  German  ancestry  and  natives  of  Virginia.  They 
were  married  in  their  native  State,  and  came  to  Ohio  in  1836,  settling  in 
this  county,  where  he  engaged  in  the  blacksmithing  trade  till  his  decease. 
They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  our  subject  being  the  youngest. 
All  attained  their  majority,  but  at  present  only  four  are  living — Amanda 
A.,  Henry  C,  Lydia  C.  and  George  W.  The  latter  was  educated  in  the 
district  schools  of  this  county,  and  learned  the  blacksmithing  trade  of  his 
brother,  following  this  business  till  they  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  and 
began  the  manufacture  of  carriages  and  wagons,  doing  an  extensive  business. 
Mr.  Freet  was  married,  March  5,  1863,  to  Mary  G.  Hussy,  daughter  of 
Stephen  and  Elizabeth  (Plummer)  Hussy.  Six  children  were  born  to  them, 
two  only  surviving:  Ida  A.,born  July  7,  1867;  and  Clara  B.,  born  Novem- 
ber 18,  1877.  The  deceased  are:  an  unchristened  infant,  Mary  E.,  Lilla 
and  Howard.  In  1880.  Mr.  Freet  was  elected  Treasurer  of  the  county,  and 
re-elected  in  1882.  Prior  to  his  removal  to  Upper  Sandusky,  he  served 
three  years  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Tymochtee  Township,  and  six  years 
as  Clerk  of  the  same.     He  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.  and  K.  of  H. 

JOSEPH  E.  GARFIELD,  painter,  is  a  native  of  Chittenden  County, 
Vt.,  born  October  14,  1832,  son  of  Lewis  B.  and  Catharine  A.  (Parks)  Gar- 
field, the  former  a  cousin  of  the  father  of  James  A.  Garfield,  the  martyr. 
They  had  six  children — William  H.,  Joseph  E.,  Marced  M. ,  Lura  A.,  Emma 
A.  and  Lydia  M.  They  settled  in  this  Cuunty  in  1840,  Mr.  Garfield  pur- 
suing the  occupation  of  millwright,  being  the  inventor  of  the  celebrated 
(jarfield  Turbine  water-wheel.  He  died  in  1843.  Mrs.  Garfield  is  still 
living,  a  resident  of  Iowa,  in  her  seventy-sixth  year.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  given  a  common  school  education,  and  has  devoted  his  entire 
life  to  the  chair-making  and  painting  trades,  which  he  acquired  from  his 
uncle.  He  came  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1849,  and  was  married  in  the  same 
city  June  19,  1850,  to  Mary  Little,  daughter  of  David  and  Ann  M.  (Hoke) 
Little,  a  native  of  Canton,  Ohio,  born  August  15,  1825.  They  had  six  chil- 
dren— Genevra  S.,  born  May  4,  1851;  David  E.,  May  5,  1853;  Lewis  B., 
January  19,  1856;  Alexis  W.,  February  4,  1859;  Amanda  M.,  February  26, 
1862;  William  H. ,  born  April  24,  1865.  The  latter  is  deceased,  his  death 
having  occurred  April  24,  1865.  September  19,  1861,  Mr.  Garfield  enlisted 
as  private  in  Company  K,  Fifty-fifth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  to 
serve  three  years.  He  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  McDowell,  Va., 
May  9,  1862,  and  after  several  months  in  the  custody  of  the  enemy  at  dif- 
ferent places,  he  received  his  discharge  by  a  special  order  through  the  in- 
fluence of  Gen.  Garfield,  January  9,  1863,  on  certificate  of  disability.  He 
then  returned  home  and  resumed  his  former  occupation.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Labor  and  owns  a  comfortable  home. 

JOEL  W.  GIBSON,  Ex-Probate  Judge  of  Wyandot  County,  was  born 
in  this  county  (formerly  Crawford)  December  19,  1842.  He  is  the  son  of 
James  and  Mary  (Beam)  Gibson,  natives  of  Ohio  and  Maryland,  and  of 
Irish  and  English  ancestry.  They  were  married  in  Crawford  County,  in 
1839,  and  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  five  survive — Joel 
W.,  Delilah  J.,  wife  of  William  G.  Slye,  residents  of  Barton  County,  Mo.; 
Emma,  wife  of  John  Bowsher,  residing  in  this  county;  Julia,  the  wife  of 
Jacob  C.  Miller,  of  Barton  County,  Mo.;  Cornelius,  also  a  resident  of  this 
county.  Louisa  is  deceased.  The  mother  died  in  1857;  the  father,  James, 
is  still  living  in  his  seventy-sixth  year.     Joel  W.  Gibson,  the  subject  of 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  591 

this  sketch,  was  educated  in  the  country  schools,  taking  a  six  months'  course 
of  study  in  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1864. 
August  21,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
third  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  to  serve  three  years,  participating  in  several 
skirmishes  in  1862  and  1863,  being  severely  wounded  in  the  right  limb  in 
the  battle  of  Winchester,  June  15,  1863,  and  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
rebels,  where  he  was  detained  three  months.  The  amputation  of  the 
wounded  limb  being  found  necessary,  this  operation  was  performed  by 
Federal  surgeons  within  the  rebel  lines  at  Taylor  Hospital,  Winchester,  at 
which  place  he  remained  until  it  was  captured  by  the  Union  forces.  He  was 
honorably  discharged  February  11,  1864.  Mr.  Gibson  was  married  October 
25,  1866,  to  Lucinda  Condray,  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Rachel  (Hodges) 
Condray,  five  childx'en  being  the  result  of  their  union,  one  surviving 
— Virgil  H.,  born  Nov.  20,  1868.  The  deceased  are  James  K,.,  Capa- 
tolia,  Virginia  and  an  infant.  After  Mr.  Gibson's  return  from  the 
war,  he  engaged  in  the  stock  trade  in  partnership  with  Franklin  Slye  until 
appointed  Deputy  Revenue  Collector  for  Wyandot  County,  which  position 
he  held  over  two  years.  In  1869,  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and 
re-elected  in  1872;  and  in  1873  to  the  office  of  Probate  Judge,  being  re- 
elected in  1876,  and  again  in  1879,  his  term  of  office  expiring  February 
12,  1883.  After  retiring  from  office,  Mr.  Gibson  formed  a  partnership  for 
the  practice  of  law  with  Robert  McKelly,  with  whom  he  has  since  been  en- 
gaged. He  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.,  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  affiliates 
with  the  Democratic  party.  He  has  served  as  Township  and  Corporation 
Clerk  of  the  city  of  tipper  Sandusky  for  five  successive  terms. 

WILLIAM  A.  GIPSON,  dealer  in  coal,  ice,  etc.,  was  born  in  Richland 
County,  Ohio,  January  26,  1843;  son  of  Lorenzo  and  Martha  A.  (Fenner) 
Gipson,  natives  of  Vermont  and  Berks  County,  Penn. ,  respectively.  They 
were  married  in  Richland  County ;  parents  of  eight  children,  the  living  named 
as  follows:  William  A.,  Matilda  E.,  wife  of  Adam  Stevens;  Lucy  A.,  wife 
of  J.  M.  Craig;  Alice,  wife  of  William  H.  Cook;  and  Arlon  F.  The  father 
was  accidentally  killed  February  20,  1868,  by  the  falling  of  a  sawlog  from 
a  wagon;  the  mother  is  still  residing  in  Upper  Sandusky.  William  Gipson 
obtained  a  fair  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  county,  and  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1860.  He  learned  the  cooper's  trade 
with  his  father,  and  continued  in  this  vocation  till  the  beginning  of  the  war; 
he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- third  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  September  24,  1862,  and  participated  in  the  following 
engagements:  Morefield.  Winchester  (where the  entire  regiment  was  captured, 
but  exchanged  after  ninety  days),  Newmarket,  Piedmont,  Lynchburg,  Snick- 
er's Ford,  Second  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill,  Strasburg,  Cedar  Creek, 
Hatcher's  Run,  and  the  last  at  High  Bridge,  across  Appomattox  River,  where 
the  entire  regiment  was  captui'ed  a  second  time,  and  sent  to  Camp  Chase, 
receiving  the  news  of  Lincoln's  assassination  while  en  route,  and  detained 
on  guard-duty  over  his  body,  in  state  at  Columbus,  Ohio.  Besides  the 
above-named  battles,  Mr.  Gipson  was  engaged  in  several  skirmishes,  receiv- 
ing an  honorable  discharge  at  Camp  Chase  June  12,  1865.  On  returning, 
he  resumed  his  trade  for  a  number  of  years,  establishing  his  present  busi- 
ness in  coal,  ice,  cement,  sewer  tile,  tii-e-brick,  etc.,  in  1874  to  1880.  He 
was  married  May  12,  1870.  to  Ada  K.  Beistle,  daughter  of  Christian  and 
Elizabeth  (Hock)  Beistle,  and  one  child,  Leora  Blanche,  born  March  19, 
1874,  has  resulted  from  their  union.  Mrs.  Gipson  is  a  native  of  Carlisle 
County,  Penn.,  and  was  born  August  9,  1848.     Mr.  Gipson  is  a  member  of 


592  ■  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  F.  &  A.  M.,  Knights  Templar,  also  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  G.  A.  R. 
and  English  Lutheran  Church.     He  served  in  the  city  council  six  years. 

NICHOLAS  F.  GOETZ,  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth  Goetz,  was  born  in 
Bavaria,  Germany,  November  30,  1826.  His  parents  both  died  in  Germany 
prior  to  his  emigration  to  America.  He  learned  the  baker's  trade  w^hen  a 
mere  boy,  and  spent  several  years  in  traveling  through  his  native  country. 
He  emigrated  to  America  in  184:9,  and  settled  in  Boston,  Mass.  He  soon 
afterward  removed  to  California,  and  engaged  at  his  trade  in  Sacramento 
City,  at  $125  per  month.  Meeting  with  losses  by  tire,  he  returned  to  Boston, 
and  after  his  marriage  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  purchasing  the  prop- 
erty on  the  corner  of  Sandusky  avenue  and  Walker  street,  which  he  still 
owns  and  occupies  as  a  grocery  store  and  bakery.  He  has  accumulated  a 
handsome  property,  owning  forty  three  acres  of  land  within  the  corporation 
of  Upper  Sandusky,  where,  in  1880,  he  erected  a  fine  residence  at  a  cost  of 
$3,000.  He  was  married  October  5,  1854,  to  Miss  Magdalana  Kanzler,  of 
Boston.  She  was  born  in  Wittenburg,  Germany,  September  20,  1830, 
and  gi'aduated  from  one  of  the  best  schools  of  her  native  country.  Six 
children  have  resulted  from  this  union — Katie  D. ,  born  July  9,  1855; 
Matilda  M.,  December  28,  1856;  George  V.,  July  28,  1858;  Louise  E., 
August  27,  1861;  Minnie  C,  February  2,  1863;  and  Frederick  N.,  May  27, 
1865.  Mr.  Goetz  has  traveled  extensively  through  the  various  prov- 
inces of  Germany  and  Austria,  and  has  crossed  the  American  continent, 
visiting  Panama,  Cuba  and  many  other  points  of  interest.  Mr.  Goetz  is 
quite  popular  among  the  citizens  of  this  county,  having  served  as  Township 
Trustee  and  City  Councilman  several  years,  declining  the  candidacy  for 
County  Commissioner.  He  and  his  family  are  membex's  of  the  German 
Lutheran  Church. 

CAPT.  EDWIN  A.  GORDON,  cashier  of  the  Wyandot  County  Bank, 
was  born  in  Putnam  County,  Ohio,  October  4,  1843.  He  is  the  son  of 
William  C.  and  Rebecca  (Wolcott)  Gordon,  natives  of  Ohio  and  New  York. 
The  father  was  born  at  Worthington,  Ohio,  June  19,  1819,  the  mother  in 
New  York  in  1823.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  all  living.  The 
mother  died  at  Maquoketa,  Iowa,  in  1872.  Edwin  A.  Gordon  obtained  a 
good  common  school  education,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  at  the  printer's 
trade.  From  this  occupation  he  enlisted  in  the  late  war  September  2.  1861, 
as  private  in  Company  A,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry. 
He  was  soon  after  promoted  to  Sergeant,  holding  this  position  till  April, 
1862,  when  he  was  promoted  to  Sergeant  Major  of  the  regiment;  December 
29,  1863,  ho  received  his  commission  as  Second  Lieutenant  Company  I;  in 
the  following  year,  August  16,  1864,  he  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant, 
and  June  16,  1865,  he  was  commissioned  Captain  of  Company  G.  He  was 
engaged  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh,  siege  of  Corinth,  Chickasaw  Bayou,  siege 
at  Jackson,  and  others.  The  regiment  spent  the  summer  of  1862  at  Mem- 
phis, and  was  subsequently  engaged  in  a  number  of  skirmishes,  our  subject 
receiving  a  severe  wound  in  the  head  from  a  piece  of  shell  in  the  battle  of 
Chickasaw  Bayou,  and  being  confined  six  months  at  the  Lawson  Hospital 
at  St.  Louis  as  a  result  of  his  injuries.  He  rejoined  his  command  at  Vicks- 
burg  in  July,  1863,  and  was  sent  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  He 
was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Mission  Ridge,  and,  after  the  veteraniza- 
tion  of  his  regiment,  returned  to  the  field,  and  participated  in  all  the  bat- 
tles of  the  Atlanta  campaign,  being  again  wounded  August  3,  1864  in  front 
of  Atlanta,  and  sent  to  tlie  hospital.  He  was  absent  from  his  regiment 
from  August  to  April,  during  which  time  he  was  with  the  provision  depart- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  593 

ment  of  Gen.  Sherman's  army  on  duty  as  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant 
General  under  Col.  Henry,  of  the  Thirty  fifth  New  Jersey.  Capt.  Gordon 
again  joined  his  regiment  at  Raleigh  and  proceeded  to  Washington,  par- 
ticipating in  the  grand  review  at  that  place,  and  thence  by  railroad  to 
Parkersburg  and  by  boat  to  Louisville,  and  from  that  point  to  Little  Rock, 
where  he  was  discharged  August  14,  1865.  Capt.  Gordon  was  married, 
October  24,  1867,  to  Julia  C.  Beery,  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Ann  (Joy) 
Beery,  and  two  children  have  been  born  to  them — Willie  B.,  born  August 
2,  1868,  and  Anna  J.,  born  February  11,  1871.  Capt.  Gordon  is  a  member 
of  the  G.  A.  R.  (Post  Commander  in  1883  and  1884)  and  Knights  of  Honor, 
of  which  he  is  Reporter;  is  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church,  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  has  served  as  cashier  of  the  Wyandot  County  Bank 
over  fifteen  years. 

JACOB  GREEK,  surveyor  and  engineer,  was  born  in  a  portion  of  this 
county,  once  part  of  Hancock  County,  February  13,  1840.  He  is  the  son  of 
George  and  Rebecca  (Harrison)  Greek,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio. 
They  were  united  in  marriage  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  in  1831,  and  re- 
sided in  that  locality  five  years,  removing  to  Hancock  County  (now  Wyan- 
dot) in  1836,  where  they  still  remain.  They  are  the  parents  of  thirteen 
children,  eight  still  surviving.  Jacob  Greek,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  closing  his  educational  pursuits  in  the 
village  school  of  Carey,  Ohio.  He  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Sixty-first  Regi- 
ment Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  March  28,  1862,  to  serve  three  years,  and 
was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Freeman's  Ford,  second  Bull  Run,  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Fredericksburg,  Gettysburg,  Lookout  Mountain,  Mission  Ridge, 
and  through  the  entire  Atlanta  campaign.  He  was  sent  to  raise  the  siege, 
at  Knoxville,  and  was  with  Sherman  in  his  march  to  the  sea.  Mr.  Greek 
was  taken  prisoner  at  Gettysburg  July  2,  1863,  and  was  immediately 
paroled  and  sent  to  West  Chester,  Peun. ,  where  he  was  detained  till 
October  of  the  same  year,  when  he  was  ordered  to  join  his  com- 
mand at  Bridgeport,  Ala.  At  the  expiration  of  three  years,  he  received 
his  discharge  at  Goldsboro,  N.  C,  April  6,  1865,  and  returned  to  his 
former  home  near  Carey,  and  finished  his  education,  teaching  during  the 
winter  season,  and  attending  school  during  the  summer.  He  was  married, 
December  31,  1868,  to  Miss  Dora  Cole,  daughter  of  William  and  Anna 
(Shoup)  Cole,  residents  of  this  county.  They  have  three  children — Ida  L. , 
born  September  8,  1872;  Charley  A.,  born  September  1,  1874;  George  G., 
born  May  29,  1876.  Mrs.  Greek  was  born  July  30,  1853.  Mr.  Greek  was 
elected  County  Surveyor  in  October,  1874,  and  re-elected  in  1877  and  again 
in  1880.  Politically,  Mr.  Greek  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
L  O.  O.  F.,  K.  of  H.  and  Royal  Arcanum,  being  at  present  Deputy  Grand 
Regent  of  the  latter  order,  and  having  passed  all  the  chairs  in  the  K.  of  H. , 
at  present  holding  the  office  of  Past  Dictator. 

HENRY  GRUNDTISCH,  of  the  firm  of  Ahlefeld  &  Grundtisch  Bros., 
Union  Carriage  and  Wagon  Works,  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  January  21, 
1840.  He  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1860. 
He  obtained  a  good  education  in  Germany,  and  acquired  his  trade  in  that 
country.  On  coming  to  Ohio  he  first  settled  at  Carey,  this  county,  follow- 
ing his  trade  in  that  place  till  1862,  when  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky, 
and  soon  after  purchased  from  John  Laux  his  outfit  in  the  carriage  and 
wagon  works,  continuing  in  the  business  four  years.  In  1865,  Mr.  Grund- 
tisch sold  his  interest  in  the  shop  to  Hale  &  Seider,  whom  he  had  admitted 
to  the  firm  a  few  months  previous,   and  engaged  with  them  as  an  employe 


594  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

for  ten  years.  He  subsequently  engaged  with  F.  Tripp  two  years,  and.  in 
1877,  the  firm  of  Ahlefeld  &  Grundtisch  Bros,  was  established.  They  are 
still  doing  business  under  the  above  name,  and  have  an  extensive  patronage. 
Mr.  Grundtisch  was  married.  March  26,  1862,  to  Miss  Fredericka  Dilger  and 
three  children  have  been  born  to  them — Jacob  H..  born  July,  1863;  Libbie 
K.,  November  4,  1865;  and  Elenora,  February  12,  1876.  IVfr.  Grundtisch 
is  a  member  of  the  Union  School  Board,  and  a  Trustee  of  the  German  Re- 
form Church.  He  owns  a  share  of  the  grounds  on  which  his  shops  are 
located,  and  is  highly  respected  as  a  citizen. 

PETER  GRUMMEL,  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  this  township, 
was  born  March  4,  1828.  His  parents,  Adam  and  Susan  (Yeoker)  Grum- 
mel,  came  to  America  in  1854,  and  located  in  this  county,  one  year  later 
moving  to  Tiffin,  where  his  father  died  May  10,  1870;  his  mother  March  18, 
1888,  their  only  children  being  Frederick  and  Peter.  The  latter  emigrated 
in  1847,  and  settled  in  Tiffin,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe 
trade  seven  years.  He  worked  at  his  trade  twelve  years  in  Mexico,  this 
county,  farming  some  in  connection.  In  1848,  he  purchased  forty  acres, 
on  which  he  resided  twenty- two  years,  moving  on  his  present  farm  of  150 
acres  in  1880,  in  which  year  he  erected  an  elegant  residence  at  a  cost  of 
$2,000.  Mr.  Grummel  was  married,  August  6,  1850,  to  Mary  E.  Bloom, 
who  was  born  in  Bavaria  August  21,  1828.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Philip 
and  Margaret  (Von  Blon)  Bloom,  her  mother's  ancestors  being  of  high 
rank  in  their  native  country,  taking  an  active  part  in  the  religious  troubles 
between  the  German  Reformers  and  Catholics  in  early  times.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Grummel  have  had  ten  children — Louis,  born  July  7,  1851;  Frederick, 
March  1,  1853:  Philip,  November  12,  1854;  Mary,  October  8,  1856;  John, 
January  10,  1858;  Elizabeth,  December  6,  1859;  William,  December  11, 
I860;  Louise,  July  21,  1862;  Geoi-ge,  April  1,  1864;  Reuben,  September 
28,  1866.  Elizabeth,  George  and  John  are  deceased,  the  dates  of  their 
deaths  being  January  25,  1860,  May  14,  1864,  and  September  13.  1880. 
Mr.  Grummel  is  a  Democrat;  served  as  Trustee ;  is  a  member  of  the  Grange, 
and  of  the  Reformed  Church.    The  family  is  well  respected  in  the  community. 

JONATHAN  GUMP  was  born  in  Bedford  County,  Penn.,  November  28, 
1823.  He  is  the  son  of  William  and  Sarah  (Rolland)  Gump,  natives  of 
Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  The  former  was  born  January 
19,  1799,  and  died  in  1839;  the  latter  August  18,  1798,  and  died  February 
15,  1882.  After  several  removals  they  settled  permanently  in  Shelby,  Ohio, 
where  they  resided  until  the  father's  death.  They  were  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  five  still  living— Jonathan,  David,  Franklin,  Henry  and  Margaret. 
Mary,  Isaac,  Rosanna  and  George  are  deceased.  His  father  dying  when  his 
son  Jonathan  was  a  mere  boy,  the  latter  spent  most  of  his  time  in  assisting 
his  mother  in  clearing  the  farm,  and  with  her  he  remained  until  his  mar- 
riage. At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  began  to  learn  the  gunsmith  trade  at 
Plymouth,  Ohio,  afterward  engaging  in  that  occupation  in  various  places, 
and  as  fireman  on  the  B.  &  O.  and  C,  C,  C.  &  I.  R.  R.  until  1848,  when 
he  returned  to  Sandusky  City,  and  was  married,  September  7,  to  Nancy  J. 
Taylor;  her  parents  were  natives  of  Washington  County,  Penn.,  she  having 
been  reared  by  an  uncle.  They  have  six  children — Sarah  C. ,  born  June  28, 
1849;  Martha  A.,  September  1,  1850;  Charles  W.,  born  June  4,  1852; 
William  B.,  November  2,  1853;  Eliza  J.,  October  14,  1855;  and  James  P., 
February  3,  1860.  After  marriage,  Mr.  Gump  resided  some  time  in  Mans- 
field and  Plymouth,  and  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1850,  where  he 
worked  three  years  at  his  trade,  and  then  established  a  foundry  in  partner- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  595 

ship  with  Mr.  Bowland;  six  months  after,  Mr.  Bowland  retired,  and  John 
Monger  was  admitted,  this  connection  existing  five  years.  He  then  closed 
out  and  resumed  his  old  trade,  which,  in  connection  with  his  grocery  store, 
he  followed  until  1878.  Since  that  time  he  has  devoted  his  entire  attention 
to  his  trade.  He  owns  a  valuable  residence  on  the  corner  of  Crawford  and 
Seventh  streets;  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  a  Republican  in 
politics. 

JOHN  J.  HAAS  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  December  21,  1832; 
son  of  Philip  and  Catharine  E.  (Soffel)  Haas,  who  emigrated  to  America  in 
1856,  settling  in  Tuscarawas  County,  where  the  mother  died  November  14, 
1862,  the  father  in  August,  1869.  Their  children  were  Philip,  Elizabeth, 
Peter,  John  J.,  Catharine  and  Phillipenia.  John  Haas  emigrated  to  this 
country  in  1850;  worked  in  a  tobacco  factory,  button  factory,  and  as  car- 
riage driver  in  New  York  City  till  1855;  at  the  coopers'  trade  in  Baltimore 
one  year;  at  farming  and  milling  in  Tuscarawas  County  till  1863;  in  Coshoc- 
ton County  fifteen  yeai's;  and  after  several  other  moves  came  to  this  county 
in  1881,  and  pui'chassd  his  present  farm,  consisting  of  ninety-five  acres, 
valued  at  $100  per  a^re.  Mr.  Haas  was  married  in  Tuscarawas  County, 
April  19,  1861,  to  Caroline  Buehl,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Dora  (Thronacher) 
Buehl,  a  native  of  Germany,  born  February  15,  1842,  emigrating  in  1852. 
They  have  three  children — Mary  E.,  January  18,  1862;  Benjamin,  Janu- 
ary 6,  1872,  and  Annie  S.,  June  23,  1875.  Mr.  Haas  is  a  Republican,  and 
with  his  wife  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church,  to  which  he  is  a  liberal 
contributor.  He  is  very  successful  as  a  farmer,  and  at  one  time  owned  160 
acres  in.  Tuscarawas  County,  and  100  near  Gnadenhutten. 

DANIEL  HALE  was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  March  30, 
1831,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Donor)  Hale,  natives  of  Cumberland  and 
Lancaster  Counties,  Penn.,  who  removed  to  this  county  in  1852.  They  had 
ten  children,  eight  now  living.  The  father  was  born  July  5,  1803,  died 
October  29,  1879;  the  mother  was  born  September  13,  1804,  died  April  24, 
188J.  Daniel  Hale  resided  with  his  parents  till  about  1854,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  county.  He  began  life  for  him- 
self by  working  for  his  father  at  62|^  cents  per  day,  and  afterward  lived 
from  rented  lands  till  he  purchased  his  present  farm,  123  acres,  now  worth 
$100  per  acre.  He  usually  markets  from  $500  to  $700  worth  of  products, 
and  is  one  of  the  model  farmers  of  the  locality.  He  was  married  January 
5,  1854,  to  Catharine  Kendig,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Catharine  (Bair) 
Kendig,  natives  of  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  and  of  German  parentage. 
Six  children  resulted  from  this  marriage,  viz.,  Alice  J.,  Barbara  E.,  Cath- 
arine J.,  George  B.,  Annie  M.  and  James  R.  Mrs.  Hale  was  born  in  Cum- 
berland County,  Penn.,  June  21,  1830.  Mr.  Hale  is  a  stanch  Republican 
and  a  member  of  the  Church  of  God,  as  are  also  his  wife  and  children. 

CAPT.  GEORGE  W.  HALE,  of  the  firm  of  White  &  Hale,  wa3  born  in 
Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  March  25,  1833;  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Donor)  Hale,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  ancestry.  They  came 
to  Ohio  in  1852,  and  settled  in  Crane  Township,  this  county,  where  they 
resided  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Hale,  which  occurred  in  1878.  Mrs.  Hale 
survived  her  husband  two  years  and  died  in  1880.  At  the  time  of  their  de 
cease  they  were  each  in  their  seventy-sixth  year.  They  were  the  parents  of 
ten  children,  eight  now  living — Mary  A.,  Daniel,  George  W.,  Samuel  A. 
and  Eliza  J.  (twins),  David  E. ,  Henry  B.  and  Margaret  C.  The  deceased 
were  John  M.  and  Francis  A.  George  W.  Hale  obtained  a  good  education 
in  the  district  schools  of  Pennsylvania;  lived  upon  the  farm  till   eighteen 


596  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

years  of  age;  served  an  apprenticeship  at  the  wagon  trade  in  Leesburg, 
Penn.,  and  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1854,  when  twenty-one  years  of 
age.  He  pursued  his  occupation  in  the  wagon  business  until  August,  1862, 
when  he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  First  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  to  serve  as  private  three  years.  He  was  immediately 
promoted  to  Orderly  Sergeant,  and  participated  in  the  following  battles: 
Knob  Gap,  Stone  River  and  Chickamauga,  being  severely  wounded  in  the 
latter  engagement,  a  ball  passing  entirely  through  both  limbs  near  the  hips. 
As  a  result  of  this  wound  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  held  in  captivity  eight- 
een months,  being  exchanged  in  March,  1865.  During  his  imprisonment  at 
Columbia,  S.  C,  he  escaped  three  times,  in  company  with  a  few  other  com- 
rades, but  each  time  was  recaptured.  Recovering  fi'om  his  injuries,  he 
joined  his  regiment  at  Nashville  and  remained  until  his  term  of  service  ex- 
pired. He  was  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant  in  February,  1863;  to  First 
Lieutenant  in  July,  1863;  was  commissioned  Captain  in  the  fall  of  1864, 
and  mustered  out  of  service  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  at  the  close  of  the  war  in 
June,  1865.  Returning  home,  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  trade  in  Octo- 
ber, 1865,  and  continued  in  this  business  until  1878.  Mr.  Hale  was  mar- 
ried January  24,  1866,  to  Mary  E.  Sockman,  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza- 
beth Sockman,  residents  of  Zanesville,  Ohio.  They  have  three  children — 
Lizzie  R.,  born  February  24,  1867;  Harry  D.,  June  3,  1868,  and  Floy,  born 
August  7,  1871.  In  1878,  Mr.  Hale  disposed  of  his  stock  of  hardware  to 
Isaac  M.  Kirby,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  wagons  and  buggies 
till  1881.  In  1883,  he  entered  into  the  grain  trade  in  partnership  with  S. 
H.  White,  and  still  continues  in  that  business.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor  and  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  of  which  latter  order 
he  is  Adjutant. 

GEORGE  W.  HALL,  dealer  in  furniture,  Upper  Sandusky, was  born  in 
Little  Sandusky,  July  28,  1850;  son  of  David  and  Catharine  (Brewer)  Hall, 
natives  of  New  York,  and  of  English  and  HoUandish  descent.  They  were 
the  parents  of  seven  children — two  living,  namely:  George  W.  and  Clara. 
The  deceased  are  Jane,  Mary,  Cornelius,  Martin  and  Sarah.  The  father 
died  about  1855,  aged  fifty  years;  the  mother  is  still  living  at  Little  San- 
dusky, aged  seventj'-two  years.  George  W.  Hall,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Little  Sandusky,  engaging  as  clerk  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  with  Henry  Simons,  in  whose  employ  he  remained  seven 
years.  In  June,  1872,  Mr.  Hall  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  engaged 
as  clerk  with  Juvinall  &  Foucht,  dealers  in  dry  goods,  remaining  in  their 
employ  nearly  three  years.  In  1875  he  engaged  with  L.  Bowman,  in  whose 
employ  he  remained  until  the  accidental  death  of  Mr.  Bowman,  May  18, 
1881,  when  be  became  a  partner  in  the  establishment.  The  firm  now  car- 
ries a  stock  of  $6,000,  and  is  doing  a  good  business,  being  one  of  the  oldest 
establishments  of  the  kind  in  the  county.  Mr.  Hall  was  married  January 
7,  1874,  to  Emma  R.  Bowman,  daughter  of  Lawrence  and  Matilda  (Burkett) 
Bowman,  both  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hall  are  the  parents  of  four 
children,  namely:  Nina  E.,  boi-n  October  18,  1874;  Jessie  C,  born  August 
14,  1878;  Lawrence  M.,  born  December  21,  1879;  Douglass  L.,  born  July 
19,  1881.  Mrs.  Hall  was  born  in  Upper  Sandusky,  September  7,  1854.  Mr. 
Hall  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  is  Warden  and  also  Trus- 
tee. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and,  with  Mrs.  Hall,  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Martin  Y.  B.  Hall,  an  elder  brother  of 
our  subject,  was  a  member  of  the  Eleventh  Ohio  Battery,  enlisting  early  in 
the  service,  and  engaging  in  many  severe  battles.  He  was  killed  in  the 
battle  of  luka,  Miss.,  in  September,  1862. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  597 

NEIL  HARDY,  M.  D.,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Wayne  County, 
Ohio,  January  20,  1846,  is  a  son  of  Alexander  and  Mary  Hardy,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  of  Scotch  ancestry  Dr.  Hardy  waa  educated  at  Wooster 
High  School,  Canaan  and  Smithville  Academies  and  at  the  University  at 
Wooster.  In  1870,  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  at  Wooster,  under  the 
instructions  of  Prof.  L.  Firestone,  M.  D.,  and  graduated  from  the  medical 
department  of  Wooster  University,  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  February  27,  1873. 
He  began  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Wayne  County,  soon  after  graduating, 
and  continued  the  same  for  five  years,  removing  to  Upper  Sandusky,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  Dr.  Hardy  was  married,  July  10,  1873,  to  Irene 
Smalley,  daughter  of  Mathias  and  Martha  Smalley,  of  Ashland,  Ohio. 
Mrs.  Hardy  completed  a  course  of  study  at  the  Savannah  Academy; 
shortly  after  her  marriage  she  began  the  study  of  medicine,  attending  a 
course  of  lectures  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  winter  of  1877  and  again  in  1880,  at 
the  close  of  which  she  graduated,  and  has  since  been  actively  engaged  with 
her  husband  in  the  practice  of  their  profession. 

CURTIS  B.  HARE,  second  son  of  Levi  and  Jane  (Berry)  Hare,  was 
born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  October  13,  1844.  He  removed  to  Crawford 
Township,  this  county,  with  his  parents,  and  resided  with  them  on  the 
farm  till  his  father's  death,  December  14, 1869.  His  mother's  decease  occurred 
ten  years  previous.  He  obtained  a  common  education  in  the  district 
school,  and  engaged  in  farm  labor  till  March  17,  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in 
the  Signal  Corps,  United  States  Army  service,  continuing  in  the  same  till 
August  25,  1865.  Being  honorably  discharged  at  New  Orleans,  ho  returned, 
to  his  farm  in  Crawford  Township,  finished  his  education,  and  engaged  in 
a  mercantile  establishment  at  Carey,  Ohio,  continuing  in  this  occupation 
two  and  one-half  years.  He  then  purchased  Mr.  Jackson's  interest  in  the 
grocery  store  controlled  by  Smith  &  Jackson,  and  engaged  in  business  with 
the  leading  partner,  under  the  firm  name  of  Smith  &  Hare.  He  remained 
in  this  connection  one  year,  and  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1870, 
remaining  in  the  grocery  trade  until  1878.  He  then  formed  a  partnership 
with  R.  A.  McKelly,  and  embarked  in  the  hardware  business,  this  firm 
still  existing  and  known  as  the  firm  of  Hare  &  McKelly.  They  carry  a 
full  line  of  liardware  and  agricultural  implements,  and  are  doing  a  lively 
business.  Mr.  Hare  was  married  October  23,  1872,  to  Miss  Nettie  J.  Brown, 
daughter  of  Moses  and  Sabina  (Farwell)  Brown,  natives  of  Jefferson  County, 
N.  Y.  They  have  but  two  children  living,  namely,  Ada  C,  born  August 
29,  1874,  and  Levi  B. ,  September  ]  8,  1877.  The  deceased  are  Helen  E. 
(died  aged  fourteen  months),  and  two  infants.  Mr.  Hare  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  a  stanch  Democrat. 

HON.  DARIUS  D.  HARE, one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  this  county,  was 
born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  January  9,  1843.  His  parents,  Levi  and  Jane 
(Berry)  Hare,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively.  Mr. 
Hare  was  a  pupil  in  the  district  schools  during  the  period  of  his  youth,  and 
completed  his  studies  at  the  Ohio  W^esleyan  University  in  1863,  being  then 
twenty  years  of  age.  In  the  same  year  he  taught  a  four  months'  term  of 
school,  enlisting  March  20,  1864,  in  the  Signal  Corps  of  the  United  States 
Army,  in  which  service  he  continued  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  then 
detailed  on  special  duty  as  clerk  in  the  same  service  at  the  headquarters  of 
Gen.  Sheridan,  at  New  Orleans,  where  he  remained  till  discharged  by 
special  orders  of  the  War  Department,  February  16,  1866.  Returning 
home,  Mr.  Hare,  in  the  following  September,  entered  the  law  department 
of  the  University  of  Michigan,  being  admitted  to  the   bar  by   the  District 


598  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Court  of  this  county  in  September,  1867.  He  immediately  entered  upon 
his  practice  at  Carey,  but  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  May,  1808.  In 
January,  1869,  Mr.  Hare  formed  a  partnership  with  John  and  Curtis 
Berry,  doing  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Berry,  Berry  &  Hare,  till  1871, 
when  he  retired  from  that  firm  and  entered  into  a  partnership  with  Henry 
Maddux,  this  connection  being  dissolved  by  mutual  consent  two  years  later, 
since  which  time  he  has  conducted  his  professional  business  independently, 
excepting  that  for  a  little  over  three  years  he  was  a  partner  of  Hon.  R.  Mc- 
Kelly.  In  1872,  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  was  re- 
elected in  1874.  In  1876,  he  was  appointed  City  Solicitor,  serving  in  that 
capacity  two  years.  In  1878,  he  was  again  elected  Mayor,  and  re-elected  in 
1880  and  1882.  He  served  thirteen  successive  years  as  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  School  Examiners  of  this  county,  tendering  his  resignation  in  1881. 
Mr.  Hare  has  established  an  extensive  and  kicrative  practice  in  his  chosen 
profession,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  its  leading  exponents.  He  is  alive 
to  every  interest  of  his  resident  city,  and  has  done,  perhaps,  as  much  as  any 
other  citizen  for  its  general  improvement.  He  is  a  thorough,  energetic 
business  man,  and  for  these  qualities,  as  well  as  for  those  of  asocial  nature, 
he  is  highly  esteemed.  Mr.  Hai'e  was  married  October  28,  1868,  to  Miss 
Elise  Liddelle,  daughter  of  William  and  Aldanah  (Fisher)  Liddelle,  of 
Rochester,  N.  Y.  She  was  born  in  Rochester,  November  23,  1845,  and  was 
educated  at  the  St.  Mary's  Seminary,  Raleigh,  N.  C,  where  she  graduated 
in  1865.     Her  parents  both  died  during  her  childhood. 

GEORGE  HARPER  was  born  in  Northumberland  County,  Penn.,  De- 
cember 18,  1810.  His  parents,  Samuel  and  Catharine  (Grimes)  Harper, 
were  natives  of  Ireland  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  His  father  was  born 
in  1750,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1772.  He  enlisted  in  the  Revolutionary 
war,  and  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  received  a  gunshot  wound  in  the  left 
arm,  breaking  it  below  the  elbow.  On  account  of  this  disability  he  was  dis- 
charged, and  soon  after  settled  in  Northumberland  County,  Penn.,  having 
married  Miss  Catharine  Grimes,  in  Chester  County,  Penn.  In  the  fall  of 
1818,  he  moved  to  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  March  1,  1821,  to  Sycamore 
Township,  this  county,  where  he  died  on  the  3d  of  the  following  October. 
He  was  the  first  white  settler  in  the  above  township,  having  moved  there 
with  a  family  of  eight  children — four  sons  and  four  daughters.  He  entered 
160  acres  on  Section  18,  where  he  resided  till  his  death;  also  owning  160 
acres  in  Section  6.  Mrs.  Harper  lived  on  the  homestead  till  1834,  and  then 
moved  to  Sycamore  Village,  where  she  died  in  1848,  having  reared  all  her 
children  to  maturity.  George  Harper,  our  subject  proper,  was  reared  to  his 
eighteenth  year  on  the  farm  with  his  parents,  obtaining  but  a  limited  edu- 
cation. He  then  learned  the  carding  and  fulling  trade,  to  which  he  devoted 
his  attention  for  about  eight  years.  In  1834  he  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits in  partnership  with  James  L.  Harper,  in  Mexico,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed two  years,  then  disposing  of  his  interest  in  the  establishment  and 
resuming  his  former  occupation,  in  which  he  continued  till  1844.  In  1845, 
Mr.  Harper  was  elected  County  Treasurer,  and  was  re-elected  four  consecu- 
tive terms,  the  last  expiring  in  June,  1854.  In  1855,  he  accepted  a  position 
as  passenger  conductor  on  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railroad,  being  thus 
employed  five  years.  He  assisted  in  incorporating  the  Harper,  Ayres, 
Roberts  &  Co.  Deposit  Bank,  being  one  of  its  stockholders  and  crmnected 
with  its  interests  about  four  years.  He  subsequently  engaged  in  the 
grocery  and  provision  trade  under  the  firm  name  of  Harper  &  Beery,  but 
soon  after   returned   to    agricultural  pursuits,  in   which    he  was    engaged 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  599 

till  he  resumed  the  mercantile  trade  under  the  firm  name  of  Harper, 
McCandlish  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  was  connected  three  years.  In  1880, 
Mr,  Harper  was  elected  County  Commissioner,  and  in  1883  was  re-elected 
to  the  same  office.  He  also  served  as  an  Infirmary  Director  two  years,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  City  Council  eighteen  months,  resigning  both  these 
positions.  He  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  local  politics,  and  in  his 
long  official  career  he  has  honorably  acquitted  himself  as  a  gentleman,  and 
faithfully  served  his  constituents  as  an  officer.  He  is,  perhaps,  the  oldest 
settler  now  living  in  this  county,  was  virtually  its  first  Treasurer,  and  has 
in  many  ways  been  identified  with  its  interests,  his  character  under  all  cir- 
cumstances, either  as  citizen  or  official,  having  been  above  reproach.  Mr. 
Harper  was  married  February  26,  1835,  to  Miss  Lovina  Griffith,  and  three 
children  have  blessed  their  union,  namelv:  Mary  A.,  born  November  26, 
1835;  Hattie,  born  July  8,  1838,  and  William  J.,  born  October  18,  1841. 
Mary  A.  is  deceased,  having  departed  this  life  November  14,  1863. 

LOVELL  B.  HARKIS,  Vice  President  of  the  Wyandot  County  Bank, 
was  born  in  Utica,  N.  Y. ,  March  14,  1821.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Eunice  (Hines)  Harris,  who  were  natives  of  New  Haven,  Conn.,  and  of  Scotch 
parentage.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  the  only  living  at  the 
present  date  being  our  siibjectand  Mary  G. ,  widow  of  Lawson  Lambert.  In 
1837,  Joseph  Harris  moved  with  his  family  from  the  State  of  New  York  to 
Delaware  County,  Ohio,  and  after  a  short  time  located  at  Middietown,  where 
he  died  in  1844,  his  wife  surviving  till  1875,  and  passing  away  in  her 
eighty-third  year.  She  was  an  exemplary  christian  woman  of  exceptional 
qualities.  Lovell  B.  Harris  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  but  abandoned  both  agricultural  and  literary  pursuits  at  the 
age  of  eighteen,  to  engage  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Middietown,  Del- 
aware County,  Ohio.  He  began  business  on  his  own  responsibility  with  a 
borrowed  capital  of  $95,  working  against  a  strong  opposition  by  the  mer- 
chant James  Haines,  and  a  branch  establishment  from  Marion  known  as  the 
"checkered  store,"  both  of  which  he  succeeded  in  driving  from  the 
place  within  eighteen  months.  After  this  extraordinary  success,  Mi-. 
Harris  soon  disposed  of  his  stock  in  trade  at  Middietown  to  A.  D. 
Matthews,  now  of  Marion,  and  removed  to  Mount  Gilead  where  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  J.  D.  Rizor,  with  whom  he  continued  business 
two  years;  he  then  withdrew  from  the  firm,  and  in  1849,  in  company  with 
thirty  others,  over  whom  Mr.  Harris  was  Captain,  went  to  California,  where 
he  remained  one  year.  He  then  returned  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  he  re- 
sumed his  former  business  in  partnership  with  Francis  C  Sessions,  carrying 
on  an  extensive  trade  till  1857,  dealing  in  dry  goods  and  wool.  Disposing 
of  his  interest  to  Mr.  Sessions,  Mr.  Harris  next  removed  to  New  York  City, 
and  entered  the  wholesale  dry  goods  establishment  of  Hulbert  &  Vanvolken- 
burgh  at  a  salary  of  $600  per  year.  He  remained  a  second  year  on  a  salary 
of  $1,500,  refusing  $2,500  for  a  third  year's  work,  and  engaging  with  Hoff- 
man &  Bro.,  dealers  in  straw  goods  at  a  salary  of  $3,333  per  year. 
After  three  years'  service  with  this  firm,  he  was  presented  with  $1,000, 
and  placed  upon  a  salary  of  $10,000  per  year,  refusing  $12,000 
for  a  second  year's  service;  he  then  formed  a  partnership  with  A.  G. 
Williams  and  Col.  Ward  in  the  manufacture  of  straw  goods,  the  firm  being 
known  as  Williams,  Harris  &Co. ,  and  located  at  372  Broadway,  New  York, 
being  with  one  exception  the  largest  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  United 
States.  After  three  years  of  successful  operations  in  the  straw  goods  bus- 
iness, Mr.  Harris  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  New  York  House,  and  re- 


600  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

moved  to  Upper  Sandusky,  where  he  has  engaged  in  the  banking  business 
since  1875;  he  is  a  stock-holder  and  Vice  President  of  the  Wyandot  County- 
Bank,  the  First  National  Bank,  of  Fostoria,  and  formerly  of  the  Crawford 
County  Bank,  of  Bucyrus,  being  Vice  President  of  the  latter  establishment 
five  years,  resigning  in  favor  of  Oliver  Momsett  in  1882;  he  is  President 
of  the  Wyandot  County  Agricultural  Society  and  Treasurer  of  the  State 
Board  of  Agriculture,  serving  his  second  term.  Though  not  a  politician, 
Mr.  Harris  was  a  prominent  candidate  for  Congressman  against  Judge 
Seney,  of  Tiffin,  in  1882,  and  was  nominated  for  State  Senator  in  1879;  his 
sentiments  politically  are  Republican  and  his  record  is  ample  evidence  that 
he  is  one  of  the  most  able  business  men  of  the  county. 

HENRY  HARMON,  a  leading  farmer  of  this  township,  was  born  in  this 
county  November  22,  1832;  he  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Rhoda  (Swift)  Har- 
mon, his  father  being  a  native  of  Virginia.  Their  children  were  Michael, 
Elizabeth  and  Henry.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  when  the  latter 
was  a  mere  child,  and  Mr.  Harmon  was  subsequently  married  to  Jerusha 
Dutcher,  who  died,  leaving  six  children,  namely:  Mary,  Samuel,  Lovina, 
Sallie,  John,  Jacob.  Mr.  Harmon's  third  marriage  was  to  Sarah  (McDon- 
ald) Ada;  he  died  January  15,  1882.  Henry  Harmon,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-one;  he  then  spent  one  year  in 
Illinois,  after  which  time  he  returned,  and  was  employed  in  various  ways 
till  his  twenty-fifth  year,  keeping  a  grocery  store  at  Little  Sandusky  one 
year.  (Closing  out  his  business,  he  farmed  rented  land  till  1864,  when  he 
purchased  120  acres  which  he  afterward  sold,  buying  120  acres  more  three 
years  later.  On  this  farm  he  resided  eight  years,  dealing  in  stock  and  do- 
ing general  farming;  then  moved  to  Upper  Sandusky  where  he  resided  two 
years,  in  the  meantime  re-purchasing  his  first  farm.  In  1877,  he  bought 
200  acres  of  his  present  farm,  adding  200  more  in  1879,  the  whole  being 
one  of  the  finest  tracts  in  the  county.  In  1883,  he  erected  a  handsome 
brick  residence  at  a  cost  of  $4,000.  He  was  married  February  5,  1857,  to 
Susanna  Bowen,  who  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  February  7,  1833. 
Her  parents,  Joseph  and  Margaret  (Harmon)  Bowen,  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia; her  father  died  in  1832,  but  her  mother  is  still  living  in  her  eighty- 
first  year.  They  had  nine  children,  namely:  Harmon,  Eli,  Henry,  Gid 
eon,  William,  Margaret,  Susanna,  John  and  Nancy,  the  last  two  deceased. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harmon  have  three  children — Franklin  E. ,  Lutie  M. ,  and 
Noah  L.  In  politics,  Mr.  H.  is  a  Republican.  He  began  business  a  poor 
boy,  but  by  his  energy,  pluck  and  business  sagacity  has  acquired  a  fortune  of 
most  enviable  rank.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers 
of  the  township,  and  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen. 

JACOB  P.  HART,  son  of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  (Moore)  Hart,  was  born  in 
York  County,  Penn.,  November  7,  1826.  His  parents  were  of  Quaker  per- 
suasion and  of  German  and  Irish  descent.  They  were  farmers  and  were 
married  in  Pennsylvania,  where  they  also  lived  and  died,  the  father  October 
6,  1839,  the  mother  August,  1876.  Their  children  were  Sarah  J.,  John 
M.,  Joseph  K.,  Jacob  P.,  Andrew,  Robert  and  Elizabeth,  the  latter  now 
the  wife  of  David  Stominger.  Sarah  J.  and  Robert  are  now  deceased. 
Jacob  P.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  by  his  grandfather  from  his 
eight  to  fifteenth  year;  he  then  worked  four  years  for  an  uncle,  after  which 
time  he  started  for  Ohio,  coming  by  rail  to  Chambersburg,  on  foot  to  Pitts- 
biu'gh,  by  boat  to  Wellsville,  and  thence  on  foot  to  Bucyrus.  In  1846,  he 
purchased  a  threshing  machine  which  he  operated  eighteen  years,  being  en- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  60.1 

gaged  in  horse-droving  in  the  meantime,  continuing  the  latter  business  till 
1877.  He  also  farmed  rented  land  seven  years,  purchasing  his  present  farm 
of  eighty  acres  in  1862.  Since  that  date  he  was  engaged  six  years  in  the 
vyalnut  lumber  business,  but  chiefly  in  farming  and  stock-raising,  keeping 
good  grades  of  cattle,  exhibiting  at  the  county  fairs  many  years.  Mr.  Hart 
was  married,  January  29,  1852,  to  Mary  E.  Ross,  who  was  born  in  Cumber- 
land County,  Penn.,  November  22,  1829.  Her  parents,  John  and  Hettie 
(Mc Williams)  Ross,  were  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  had  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  Evaline,  Mary  E.,  Anna  and  Alexander  M. ,  the  two  latter 
deceased.  Her  father  died  in  1836,  aged  forty-nine;  her  uiother  at  the 
same  age  in  1845.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hart  have  no  children.  Mr.  Hart  is  a 
member  of  the  Grange,  a  Republican,  and,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 

CAPT.  DANIEL  HARTSOUGH  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio, 
October  4,  1824.  His  parents  were  Isaac  and  Hettie  (Sidle)  Hartsough, 
natives  of  Frederick  County,  Md.,  and  Montgomery  County,  Penn.  They 
were  married  in  the  former  locality  about  1817,  and  removed  to  this  county 
in  1851,  the  father  dying  in  March  4,  1854;  the  mother  io  1874,  September 
18.  Capt.  Hartsough  is  the  only  surviving  member  of  this  family.  He  re- 
sided with  his  parents  in  Seneca  County  from  1828  to  1851,  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  engaged  in  teaching  at  intervals  in  that  locality.  He  enlisted 
in  Company  G,  Fifteenth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  April  20, 
1861,  and  entered  the  war  for  three  months'  service,  spending  most  of  that 
time  as  Third  Sergeant  at  Camp  Jackson,  Columbus,  Ohio;  Camp  Goddard, 
Zanesville,  Ohio.  He  was  afterward  moved  to  Grafton,  Va. ;  thence  to  Web- 
ster W.  Va. ,  and  in  August,  1861,  enlisted  for  three  years  in  Company  G, 
Forty-ninth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry  as  private,  immediately  re- 
ceiving a  commission  as  First  Lieutenant.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  the  skirmishes  before  Corinth,  Stone  River,  Mission  Ridge,  Chicka- 
mauga,  and  all  the  battles  of  the  Atlanta  Campaign,  and  the  battle  of  Nash- 
ville December,  15,  16,  1864.  In  an  action  at  Picket's  Mills,  Ga.,  May  22,. 
1864,  Capt.  Hartsough  entered  with  thirty-six  men  and  came  out  with  but 
ten  muskets.  He  was  promoted  to  Captain,  July  19,  1863,  in  command  of 
Company  A,  serving  until  January  12,  1865,  when  he  resigned  at  Huntsville, 
Ala.,  and  returned  home.  Mr.  Hartsough  was  married.  February  22,  1865, 
to  Eliza  A.  Ragan,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Duddleson)  Ragan.  She 
is  a  native  of  this  county  and  was  born  February  22,  1840.  They  have  one 
child — Fannie  M.,  born  May  10,  1867.  Captain  Hartsough  is  highly  es- 
teemed as  a  citizen,  and  is  at  present  Senior  Vice  Commander  of  Robin's 
Post,  No.  91,  of  Upper  Sandusky. 

WESLEY  HEDGES,  a  prominent  farmer  and  wool -grower,  was  born 
in  Clarke  County,  Ohio,  August  6,  1823.  He  is  a  son  of  Seatoa  E.  and 
Harriet  (Miller)  Hedges,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky,  and  of  English 
and  Scotch  ancestry  respectively.  They  were  the  parents  of  fifteen  children,, 
nine  attaining  their  majority,  eight  now  living — Eliza  M.,  Wesley,  Tabitha 
B.,  Elizabeth,  Samuel  B.,  Mary  E.,  Virginia  and  Fletcher.  The  father 
died  in  1878,  aged  eighty-two  years;  the  mother  in  1853,  aged  fifty-one. 
Wesley  Hedges,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  had  the  advantages  of  the  high 
schools  of  Springfield  where  he  completed  his  studies  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one.  He  engaged  in  teaching  during  the  winter  seasons  till  1845,  when  he 
came  to  the  Sandusky  plains  and  engaged  with  David  Miller  m  farm  labor 
at  $10  per  month.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Miller  eight  years;  the  second 
year  at  $1 2  per  month,  and  the  third  and  succeeding  years  as  a  partner  in 


602  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  stock  business.  In  1856,  he  took  up  his  residence  on  his  present  farm 
where  he  remained  till  1865,  at  which  time  he  removed  to  Pittsburgh  and 
engaged  extensively  in  buying  live  stock  for  the  slaughter  houses  of  New 
York  City.  His  annual  sales  for  six  successive  years  aggregated  400,000 
head,  and  though  his  operations  on  the  whole  were  attended  with  slight  suc- 
cess, he  met  with  some  heavy  losses.  In  1871,  he  returned  to  Upper  San- 
dusky, and  in  1872,  to  his  farm  where  he  has  since  remained.  He  owns 
935  acres  of  good  land  stocked  with  the  best  grades  of  horses,  cattle  and  sheep. 
In  1876,  Mr.  Hedges  lost  the  entire  use  of  his  lower  limbs  by  paralysis, 
though  he  still  has  the  full  management  of  his  farm  and  engages  extensively 
in  agriculture  as  well  as  stock-raising.  His  marriage  to  Rebecca  Peters 
occurred  January  1,  1856,  Miss  Peters  being  the  daughter  of  Gideon  and 
Elizabeth  (Stevenson)  Peters,  of  Fairfield  County,  and  born  October  15,  1835. 
They  have  seven  children — Corrilla  A.,  born  November  4,  1856;  Henry  E., 
October  14,  1858;  Harriet,  February  14,  1861;  Pearl  W.,  April  6,  1864; 
Mary  B.,  February  26,  1866;  Lizzie  6.,  May  16,  1868;  Flora  L.,  July  19, 
1870.  Mr.  Hedges  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  aud  of 
Republican  sentiment  politically.  He  is  an  acknowledged  leader  in  the 
farming  interests  of  this  county,  and  in  all  his  transactions  has  maintained 
a  high  reputation  for  his  spirit  of  justice  and  integrity,  his  superior  merit 
as  a  business  man  being  no  less  marked  in  his  qualities  of  citizenship. 

JACOB  HEHR  was  born  in  Wittemberg,  Germany,  December  19,  1819, 
and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Mary  (Klopf  er)  Hehr,  natives  of  the  same  place. 
His  father  was  a  stone-cutter  and  farmer,  and  was  born  in  1796;  his  mother 
was  born  in  1798.  They  had  four  children — Mary,  Catharine,  Rachel  and 
Jacob.  Their  mother  died  in  1858;  their  father  in  1863.  Jacob  Hehr,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  emigrated  to  America  in  1854,  and  located  in  Bucy- 
rus.  In  1856,  he  came  to  Upper  Sandusky,  whei'e  he  engaged  six  years  in 
a  distillery,  after  which  he  followed  railroading  eight  years,  purchasing  his 
present  farm  of  seventy-two  acres  in  1870,  since  which  time  he  has  engaged 
in  farming.  Mr.  Hehr  was  married,  November  6,  1856,  to  Christina  Yei- 
ter,  who  was  born  in  Germany  December  16,  1831.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  Yeiter,  who  were  also  natives  of  Germany,  and  reared  eight 
children,  namely:  Mary,  Dora,  Catharine,  David,  Caroline,  Christian  and 
Rosa.  Her  father  died  in  1864,  her  mother  in  1865.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hehr 
have  four  children — John  J.  (born  December  26,  1861),  George  J.  (April 
29,  1863),  William  (October  12,  1866),  Emma  (December  12,  1869).  Mr. 
Hehr  is  a  good  farmer,  and  values  his  land  at  $80  per  acre.  He  is  a  Dem. 
ocrat;  both  he  and  Mrs.  Hehr  are  members  of  the  German  Imtheran 
Church.  In  1861,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hehr  visited  their  native  home  in  Ger- 
many, returning  in  1862. 

ROBERT  A.  HENDERSON,  M.  D.,  the  oldest  physician  oE  Upper 
Sandusky,  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Penn.,  October  22,  1813.  He 
is  a  son  of  John  and  Isabella  (Russel)  Henderson,  the  former  born  in 
Chester  County,  Penn.,  July  25,  1769,  the  latter  January  1,  1770.  They 
were  married,  October  1,  1789,  nine  children  resulting  from  their  union,  of 
which  our  subject  is  the  only  surviving  member.  The  mother  died  Decem- 
ber 14,  1831;  the  father  June  8,  1849.  Robert  A.  Henderson  received  the 
usual  training  in  the  district  schools,  closing  his  studies  in  the  high  school 
of  Allegheny  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  He  immediately  began  the  study  of 
medicine  at  the  above-named  city,  under  the  instruction  of  his  brother, 
Ebenezer  Henderson,  in  1831,  remaining  two  years,  after  which  he  contin- 
ued his  studies  with   Drs.  Harmon  and  Wilson,  each  six  months,  at  Cross 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  603 

Creek  Village  and  Hickory,  both  in  Washington  County,  Penn.  He  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Clarkson,  Columbiana  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1833. 
remaining  eighteen  months,  subsequently  moving  to  Mt.  Eaton,  Wayne 
Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  continued  his  practice  till  May,  1854.  In  1852,  he 
started  for  California,  via  the  Isthmus  of  Darien,  but  was  compelled  to  re- 
turn after  an  interval  of  twenty-eight  days  at  the  latter  place,  on  account 
of  the  loss  of  the  steamer  between  San  Juan  and  San  Francisco.     June  4, 

1854,  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  continuing  hie  profession  till  1865, 
when  he  entered  the  Wooster  Medical  College,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  graduating 
in  March,  1866.  He  was  married,  June  26,  1837,  at  Mt.  Eaton,  to  Lucy 
A.  Galbraith,  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  (Vandover)  Galbraith,  natives 
of  Ireland  and  Maryland  respectively.  They  located  in  Wayne  County 
about  1817.  where  the  father  died  September  24,  1834,  and  the  mother 
September  23,  1873;  the  latter,  after  her  husband's  decease,  married 
Kev.  Archibald  Hanna,  D.  D. ,  March  29,  1860.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Henderson 
were  the  parents  of  six  children,  four  still  living — Sarah  J.  (born  August 
11,  1838),  John  W.  (July  14,  1848),  Edward  A.  (December  14,  1850),  and 
Harrv  R.  (October  19,  1853).  The  deceased  are  William  H.  (born  Decem- 
ber, i841,  and  died  April  19,  1843),  Robert  A.  (born  October  9,  1857,  died 
February  6,  1858).  Lucy  A.,  the  wife  of  our  subject,  was  born  July  19, 
1818.  Since  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  the  Doctor  has  devoted  his  entire 
time  to  his  profession.  He  is  among  the  oldest  practitioners  in  the  county, 
and  has  amassed  considerable  property  by  his  large  and  lucrative  practice. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  strong  in  the  faith.  His  father,  John 
Henderson,  is  said  to  have  been  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  Dr.  Hender- 
son is  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  this  county,  and  by  his  strict  relia- 
bility and  thorough  knowledge  of  his  profession  has  won  a  richly-merited 
place  in  the  confidence  of  its  people.  He  is  eminently  popular,  both  as  a 
physician  and  a  citizen. 

AVERY  HENDERSON  was  born  in  Mt.  Eaton,  Ohio,  December  14, 
1850.  He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Robert  A.  and  Lucy  A.  (Galbraith)  Henderson, 
and  was  reared  in  Upper  Sandusky  where  he  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  the 
public  schools.  In  1869,  he  abandoned  his  studies  and  began  an  appren- 
ticeship at  the  tinner's  trade,  under  John  T.  Grose.  In  1873,  he  made  a 
trip  to  California,  combining  business  with  pleasure,  and  returned  the 
same  year.  In  the  spring  of  1874,  he  opened  an  establishment  in  the  stove, 
tinware  and  roofing  trade,  in  which  he  continued  about  eight  years.  In 
1881,  Mr.  Henderson  was  elected  to  the  ofiice  of  Clerk  of  Court  in  this 
county,  beginning  his  duties  in  February,  1882.  Although  a  Republican, 
Mr.  Henderson  received  a  majority  of  400  votes  over  his  opponent — the  vote 
usually  being  about  800  in  favor  of  Democracy.  He  was  married  Septem- 
ber 16,  1875,  to  Emma  S.  Holmes,  who  was  born  in  Carey,  Ohio,   March  22, 

1855.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Dr.  S.  W.  and  Sarah  (Ensminger)  Holmes, 
who  are  now  residents  of  Upper  Sandusky.  One  child  has  blessed  this  un- 
ion, namely,  Luella,  born  May  22,  1877.  Mr.  Henderson  was  instrumen- 
tal in  organizing  Company  B,  Kirby  Light  Guards,  in  January,  1875,  serv- 
ing as  its  Captain  seven  years.  He  was  also  elected  Major  of  the  Twelfth 
Regiment  Ohio  National  Guards,  serving  in  that  capacity  till  the  regiment 
was  disbanded  in  1880.  In  June,  1883,  he  was  commissioned  Lieutenant 
Colonel  of  the  Second  Regiment  Ohio  National  Guards,  and  still  retains 
that  position.  Mr.  Henderson  is  held  in  high  esteem,  socially  as  well  as 
officially,  his  character  always  having  been  such  as  to  entitle  him  to  the 
first  position  in  the  ranks  of  either  sphere. 

23 


604  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

WILLIAM  B.  HITCHCOCK,  the  proprietor  of  the  refreshment  stand, 
corner  of  Sandusky  avenue  and  Johnson  street,  was  born  in  Fisbkill, 
Duchess  County,  N.  Y. ,  March  4,  1828;  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Harsner) 
Hitchcock,  both  natives  of  the  above  county,  and  of  English  and  German 
descent  i-espectively.  They  had  four  children,  three  living — Elizabeth, 
Borden  and  William  B.  The  deceased  was  Chloe,  who  died  in  Upper  San- 
dusky, aged  about  thirty-five  years.  The  parents  removed  from  New  York 
to  this  county  in  1847  or  1848.  The  father  died  August  26,  1854,  aged 
just  sixty-eight  years.  The  mother  is  still  living,  a  resident  of  Upper  San- 
dusky in  her  eighty-eighth  year.  Her  husband,  John  Hitchcock,  was  a 
musician  in  the  war  of  1812.  William  B.,  our  subject,  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  county,  closing  his  school  work  by  instructions 
from  a  private  tutor  at  the  age  of  fifteen.  At  sixteen,  Mr.  Hitchcock  had 
the  misfortune  to  lose  his  left  leg,  which  almost  cost  him  his  life.  He  re- 
covered, however,  and  subsequently  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  in  various  parts  of  this  county  until  1851,  when  he  was  elected 
Recorder,  serving  one  term.  He  then  attended  Bacon's  Commercial  Col- 
lege at  Cincinnati,  securing  a  diploma  and  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe 
business  in  1855.  He  was  afterward  engaged  in  various  branches  of  busi- 
ness until  1867,  when  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Upper  Sandusky, 
serving  two  years,  besides  an  unexpired  term  for  Frederick  Agerter.  He 
was  subsequently  elected  County  Clerk,  serving  two  terms;  assisted  in  the 
erection  of  the  Opera  House  in  1876,  and  was  instrumental  in  the  building 
of  several  other  buildings,  aggregating  a  cost  of  $27,000.  He  has  served 
as  Councilman,  as  a  member  of  the  School  Board,  and  has  always  been  a 
liberal  contributor  to  all  benevolent  purposes.  In  politics,  Mr.  Hitchcock 
is  a  Democrat;  is  opposed  to  sumptuary  laws  and  unequal  taxation  in  any 
form,  and  is  in  favor  of  a  graded  license  system.  In  1852,  he  was  married 
at  Endfield,  N.  Y.,  to  Margaret  Darragh,  who  died  three  years  afterward. 
He  was  again  married  October  25,  1855,  at  Tipton,  Iowa,  to  Lucy  J.  Boyn- 
ton,  daughter  of  Benjamin  L.  and  Mary  Boynton,  and  seven  children  were 
born  to  them,  namely:  Mary  F. ,  William  B.,  Nettie,  Eva  E.,  Harriet,  Ben- 
jamin F.  and  John  L. ;  the  latter  is  deceased,  his  death  occurring  February 
26,  1883,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six. 

DANIEL  HOFFMAN  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  August  14,  1824. 
His  parents  were  John  and  Catharine  (Berl)  Hofiman,  who  both  died  in 
Germany.  Of  a  family  of  thirteen,  but  two,  Catharine  and  Daniel,  are 
living.  Daniel  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1854;  spent  thirteen  years  in 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  removed  to  this  county  in  1867.  He  purchased  his 
present  farm  of  sixty  acres  in  1871,  cleared  and  improved  it  by  buildings 
and  otherwise  and  now  values  it  at  $100  per  acre.  He  has  a  fine  brick 
dwelling,  good  frame  barn,  and  rears  the  best  bloods  of  stock.  Mr.  Hoflf- 
man  was  married  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  to  Maiy  Engel,  May  11,  1855.  She 
was  born  in  Prussia  November  12,  1821,  emigrating  to  America  in  1854. 
Her  parents,  Conrad  and  Catharine  Engel,  had  eight  children,  Mrs.  Hoff- 
man being  the  only  one  living.  Anna,  a  second  daughter,  came  to  America 
in  1864  and  died  in  Pulaski  County,  Ind.,  July  11,  1878.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hoffman  had  three  children — Julia,  wife  of  Jacob  Wilmes,  born  February 
8,  1859,  and  Michael,  born  June  13,  1860.  The  deceased  was  Caroline, 
born  August  10,  1857,  died  Jjinviary  24,  1859.  Mr.  Hoffman  is  a  member 
of  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  and  his  wife  and  daughter  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  he  being  a  Democrat  in  matters  political.  They  have  a  comforta- 
ble home  and  are  well  respected. 


CRANE   TOWNSHIP.  605 

CASPAR  HOHWALD,  retired  shoe-makei',  was  born  in  France,  March 
9,  1820,  son  of  Jacob  and  Catharine  (Wagoner)  Hohwald;  bis  parents  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States  in  1840,  and  located  in  Wayne  Connty,  Ohio, 
where  his  father  died  in  1844,  aged  sixty-three  years;  his  mother*  died  in 
De  Kalb  Co. ,  Ind.,  August  25,  1850,  aged  seventy-one.  Six  children  are 
still  living — Henry  J.,  Elizabeth,  Julia  A.,  Michael,  Caspar  and  John; 
Magdalena  is  deceased.  Our  subject  began  the  trade  of  shoe-maker  at 
Wooster,  Ohio,  in  1840.  In  1846,  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  and  con- 
tinued his  trade  till  1865,  at  which  time  he  abandoned  the  bench  and  removed 
to  his  farm,  now  consisting  of  225  acres,  where  he  has  since  resided.  Mr. 
Hohwald  was  married  at  Wooster,  Ohio,  September,  1844,  to  Mary  Brunnen, 
four  children  being  born  to  them,  two  living — Henry,  born  Septembers,  1847, 
Catharine,  born  May  11,  1851.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Hohwald  occurred  in 
October,  1864,  and  Mr.  Hohwald  was  again  married  November  18,  1865,  to 
Catharine  Meister,  widow  of  H.  L.  Meister,  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio, 
October  16,  1835,  daughter  of  Matthew  and  Hannah  (Ansfahl)  Ackerman. 
Her  former  husband  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war  and  died  at  Nashville, 
leaving  three  children  fatherless — Louisa  A.,  born  December  13,  1859;  John 
G.,  March  10,  1861;  and  Lizzie  M.,  born  July  7,  1863.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hohwald  are  members  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  to  the  support  of 
which  they  are  liberal  contributors.  Mr.  Hohwald  is  a  "  very  independent 
voter,  if  a  voter  at  all."  His  line  farm  was  almost  wholly  earned  by 
"pounding  pegs"  on  the  shoe-maker's  bench. 

ALVIN  j\£.  HOUGH,  of  the  firm  of  Hough  Bros,  and  proprietor  of  the 
stove  and  tinware  department,  was  born  in  Upper  Sandusky,  December  31, 
1855.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Milton  B.  and  Margaret  J.  (Beistel)  Hough, 
and  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  city.  He  served  an  apprentice- 
ship at  the  tinner's  trade  with  Hale  &  Kirby  three  years,  beginning  in  1871, 
and  as  foreman  of  their  establishment  over  two  years.  In  1878,  he  pur- 
chased their  stock  of  stoves  and  tinware,  and  began  business  for  himself  at 
his  present  stand.  In  1881,  William  M.  Hough  was  admitted  to  the  firm 
which  controls  also  one  of  the  largest  furniture  establishments  in  the  city. 
Mr.  Hough  erected  his  present  building  in  1878,  and  has  since  done  a  large 
business,  employing  thj'ee  hands,  and  making  a  specialty  of  tin  and  slate 
rooting.  Besides  his  stock,  he  owns  a  valuable  brick  residence  on  South 
Sandusky  avenue.  He  was  married  in  Reading,  Penn.,  December  12,  1881, 
to  Anna  E.  Beidler,  and  one  child  has  been  born  to  them — Florence  Viola, 
born  October  18,  1882.  Mr.  Hough  is  one  of  the  most  energetic  business 
men  of  the  city  and  merits  the  generous  patronage  which  he  receives. 

FRANK  B.^  HOUGH,  of  the  firm  of  Hough  Bros,  dealers  in  furniture, 
also  stoves  and  tinware,  was  born  March  19,  1858,  a  native  of  Upper  San- 
dasky,  son  of  Milton  and  Margaret  J.  (Beistel)  Hough.  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  engaged 
as  clerk  for  the  firm  of  Foucht  &  King;  at  seventeen,  he  took  a  commercial 
course  of  study  at  Duff's  Business  College,  Pittsburgh;  spent  two  years  in 
the  emploj'^  of  Widman,  the  clothier;  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  learned  the 
tinner's  trade  at  Hayesville  with  H.  J.  Hough,  with  whom  he  remained  two 
years,  returning  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1879.  He  was  next  employed  with 
W.  A.  Widman  until  January,  1880,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  E. 
A.  Henderson  in  the  stove  and  tinware  business.  He  continued  in  this 
business  one  year,  and  about  the  same  length  of  time  in  the  drug  business, 
after  which  he  purchased  a  one- third  interest  in  the  stove  and  tinware  es- 
tablishment, at  the  same  time  opening  a  furniture  store  which  he  now  has 


606  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

under  his  especial  charge.  He  does  an  extensive  business,  having  the  lead- 
ing establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  city.  Mr.  Hough  was  married  June 
15,  1881,  to  Ida  M.  Keller,  daughter  of  Adam  Keller,  a  prominent  farmer 
of  Kidge  Township.      She  was  born  May  12,  1860. 

MILTON  B.  HOUGH,  of  the  firm  of  Hough  Bros.,  dealers  in  furni- 
ture, undertaking,  stoves,  tinware,  etc.,  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Ash- 
land County  February  24,  1830.  He  is  the  son  of  William  and  Leah 
(Shoop)  Hough,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  English  extraction.  There 
were  nine  children  in  this  family,  but  three  now  living — Milton  B.,  Almira 
E.  and  Hiram  J.  The  parents  both  died  in  Crawford  County,  the  father  in 
1867,  aged  fifty-two  years,  the  mother  in  1853,  aged  about  forty-four  years. 
Milton  B.  Hough  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Ashland,  and  subse- 
quently spent  three  years  in  the  cabinet  trade  at  Bueyrus.  He  removed  to 
Upper  Sandusky  December  27,  1851,  and  established  himself  in  the  furni- 
ture and  undertaking  business  in  1854.  In  1860,  he  disposed  of  his  stock 
and  engaged  several  years  in  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and  joiner;  followed 
milling  two  years,  butchering  one  year,  bou.ght  and  shipped  poultry  four 
years,  dealt  in  real  estate  some  time,  and  was  quite  successful  in  all  these 
enterprises.  Mr.  Hough  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  brick  residence  on  Wyandot 
avenue,  valued  at  $5,000,  and  carries  a  stock  of  goods  in  both  his  establish- 
ments, valued  at  110,000.  His  marriage  to  Margaret  J.  Beistel  occurred 
November  12,  1852;  she  is  the  daughter  of  Christian  and  Catharine  (Hank) 
Beistel.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  children,  three  living — Alvin  M., 
Frank  B.  and  W^illiam  M.  The  deceased,  Almira  O.,  died,  aged  one  year, 
three  months  and  fifteen  days.  Mr.  Hough  began  life  without  a  dollar,  and 
all  that  he  now  possesses  has  been  acquired  by  patient  and  incessant  toil. 

JOHN  M.  HOUSTON,  ex-Sherifi"  of  Wyandot  County,  is  a  native  of 
Shelby  County,  Ohio,  born  May  7,  1834,  son  of  David  and  Cynthia  A.  (El- 
lis) Houston,  the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  the  latter  of  Shelby 
County,  Ohio,  where  they  were  married  in  1832.  They  were  the  parents 
of  six  children,  our  subject  being  the  only  living  representative  of  the  fam- 
ily at  the  present  time.  Cynthia  A.,  the  mother,  died  in  Arkansas  July  21, 
1844,  and  David,  the  father,  passed  away  in  February,  1866.  John  Hous- 
ton obtained  his  education  in  the  district  schools  of  the  counties  of  Shelby 
and  Miami,  and  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  with  his  father  and 
on  his  own  account  until  the  time  of  his  enlistment.  May  2,  1864.  He  was 
a  member  of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  Ohio  National 
Guards,  under  Capt.  Ewart,  and  was  immediately  elected  Second  Lieuten- 
ant, serving  as  such  through  his  entire  service;  his  Company  was  on  detached 
service  performing  guard  duty  at  headquarters,  Arlington  Heights,  until 
the  close  of  its  service.  Mr.  Houston  i-eturned  home  in  September,  1864, 
and  removed  with  his  family  in  Ai:)ril,  1865,  to  Marseilles  Township,  this 
county,  where  he  rented  a  large  tract  of  land  and  engaged  in  farming  and 
stock-raising  until  1870,  when  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  and  engaged 
in  buying  and  shipping  stock  till  his  election  to  the  office  of  Sheriff  in 
1877.  Although  a  Republican,  Mr.  Houston  received  a  majority  of  over 
300  at  his  first  election,  and  at  his  second  a  majority  of  over  600,  the  usual 
majority  being  about  700  Democratic.  He  served  two  terms  as  Sheriff  with 
credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  He  was  married  at 
Tippecanoe,  Miami  County,  to  Barbara  G.  Snider,  n^e  Cecil,  November  14, 
1858,  and  one  child,  Edward  C,  has  blessed  this  union.  He  was  born  in 
Miami  County,  Ohio,  May  12,  1860.  Mr.  Houston  is  one  of  the  leading 
farmers  of  Crane  Township;  he  served  as  Trustee  of  Marseilles  Township 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  607 

three  years;  is  an  honored  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  Royal  Arcanum,  and  the  G.  A.  K.  He  owns  one  of  the  most  pleasant 
homesteads  in  the  vicinity  and  is  one  of  its  most  estimable  citizens. 

SIMON  HUFFMAN,' a  native  of  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  was  born  No- 
vember 16,  1841 ,  to  Jacob  and  Eliza  (Swineford)  Huffman,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  parents  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  ten  are  now  living. 
The  parents  removed  to  Richland  County  in  1844,  and  to  this  county  in 
1849,  settling  in  Crane  Township,  where  the  father  died  in  1867,  aged 
sixty-seven  years:  the  mother  is  still  living  in  her  seven ty-lifth  year,  resid- 
ing with  our  subject.  Simon  Huffman  made  his  home  with  Daniel  Hale 
five  years,  and  August  21,  1862,  enlisted  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-third  Regiment,  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry  and  entered  the  war. 
He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Winchester,  Piedmont,  Lynchburg  and  Rich- 
mond. He  was  wounded  at  Winchester,  taken  prisoner,  and  after  thirty 
days  in  Libb}  Prison  and  Belle  Island  was  paroled  and  joined  his  regiment 
at  Winchester;  was  taken  again  at  Lynchburg,  and  lay  three  months  in  the 
hospital  of  that  place  under  care  of  Sisters  of  Charity;  joined  his  regiment 
again  at  Richmond,  and  served  three  years,  being  discharged  at  Columbus, 
June  27,  1865.  Mr.  Huffman  was  married,  August  14,  1867,  to  Ellen  Kel- 
ler, daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Boucher)  Keller,  born  March  81,  1848. 
They  had  seven  children,  six  living,  viz.,  Edward  G.,  born  September  8, 
1869;  Harry  O.,  April  24,  1871;  Estella  G.,  July  7,  1875;  Esworth  S., 
Julv  28,  1877;  Cora  A.,  July  15,  1880;  :Behjamin  F.,  August  28,  1882. 
The  deceased  was  Sadie  E.,  born  July  26,  1879— died  July  7,  1880.  Mr. 
Huffman  now  owns  140  acres  of  land  valued  at  $75  per  acre,  all  earned  by 
industry  and  hard  labor.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  with  his 
wife,  of  the  Church  of  God;  in  politics,  a  live  Republican. 

COL.  S.  H.  HUNT  was  born  near  Worthington,  Ohio,  December  29, 
1829;  he  is  a  son  of  Jasper  and  Mary  A.  (Andrews)  Hunt,  natives  of  Ver- 
mont and  Connecticut  respectively;  his  parents  were  poor,  and  in  1830  re- 
moved to  Bowsherville,  Crawford  County,  where  they  did  a  small  business, 
trading  in  cattle  and  other  stock,  together  with  a  small  stock  of  groceries, 
which  they  sold  to  the  Indians  and  the  few  white  settlers  of  the  vicinity. 
Col.  Hunt  was  early  inured  to  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life,  shoes  or  boots 
being  a  luxury  accorded  only  to  the  wealthy;  his  education  was  limited  by 
his  surroundings,  his  first  teacher  being  Joel  Straw,  father  of  Orrin  Straw 
now  a  resident  of  this  county,  and  subsequent  instructors  being  W.  Y.  Ma- 
gill,  Martin  and  others,  all  well  skilled  in  the  flogging  art,  supposed  to  be 
a  necessary  qualification  in  those  days  of  crude,  pedagogic  ideas.  At  the  age  of 
ten,  Mr.  Hunt  removed  to  Marseilles  with  his  parents,  his  father  there  keep- 
ing a  tavern  about  which  our  subject  was  useful  in  many  ways,  at  the  same 
time  obtaining  further  education  in  the  district  schools.  At  the  age  of  fif- 
teen (1844)  his  father  obtained  for  him  a  situation  as  clerk  in  the  dry  goods 
store  of  L.  J.  Weaver,  of  Columbus,  to  which  place  superbly  togged  in  a 
suit  made  up  of  butternut-colored  jean  coat,  blue  linsey  pants,  brown  mus- 
lin shirt,  cowhide  shoes  and  coonskin  cap,  he  repaired  by  the  first  stage 
coach  from  Marion;  he  was  employed  by  Mr.  Weaver  at  $3  per  month  for 
the  first  year,  with  an  increase  of  salary  promised  for  the  second  year,  and 
in  this  position  he  labored  nearly  six  years.  He  then  returned  to  Marseilles, 
and  began  the  dry  goods  business  with  a  Mr.  Dill,  selling  out  to  a  Mr.  Pot- 
ter for  $400  one  year  later;  he  then  went  to  Cincinnati  and  obtained  a  situ- 
ation in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  house  of  Bowler  &  Ewing,  25  Pearl  street. 
In  less  than  a  year  Mr.  Ewing's  death  occurred,  and  Mr.  H.  obtained  a  sit- 


608  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

uation  with  Messrs.  Stedman  &  Maynard  in  the  same  business,  and  with 
whom  he  remained  one  year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  accepted  a 
partnership  with  his  former  employer,  Mr.  Weaver,  in  a  retail  store  at 
Keynoldsburg,  Franklin  Co.,  Ohio.  Eighteen  months  later,  the  winter 
of  1854-55,  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  where  he  established  a  general 
store,  doing  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Hunt,  Potter  &  Hunt,  making 
an  investment  of  $600.  The  enterprise  proving  unprofitable,  Mr.  Hunt  dis- 
posed of  his  interest  for  $800,  two  years  later,  spent  a  short  time  in  buying 
and  shipping  stock,  and  then  again  embarked  in  the  dry  goods  trade  in 
partnership  with  Mr.  Robbins  to  whom  he  disposed  of  his  interest  two  years 
later.  After  a  short  time  spent  in  Cincinnati,  Mr.  Hunt  again  engaged  in 
the  dry  goods  business  in  Upper  Sandusky  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Hold- 
ridge,  whose  interest  he  purchased  two  years  later.  He  then  purchased  a 
large  stock  direct  from  New  York,  preparatory  to  extending  his  bus- 
iness, when,  being  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  a  battalion  of  five  companies 
of  Ohio  National  Guards  organized  in  this  county,  he  was  called  into 
the  United  States  service  with  orders  to  report  at  Camp  Chase,  Co- 
lumbiis,  Ohio,  within  six  days;  he  then  disposed  of  his  goods  at  a  sacri- 
fice, and  was  made  Colonel  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty- fourth  Ohio 
National  Guards,  ordered  to  Baltimore,  and  thence  to  Fort  McHenry  to  guard 
rebel  prisoners;  he  was  soon  after  replaced  by  Col.  Len  Harris'  Regiment, 
and  his  command  was  divided,  three  companies  being  sent  to  Annapolis  and 
the  Junction,  one  to  Wilmington  and  the  remainder  to  the  Relay  House  to 
guard  the  viaduct  at  that  place,  Mr.  Hunt  having  command  of  the  latter 
division.  A  part  of  his  regiment  subsequently  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Monocacy.  He  did  full  duty  as  soldier  in  the  field,  being  placed  under  the 
command  of  Maj.  Gen.  Wright  of  the  Sixth  Army  Corps.  They  partici- 
pated in  several  skirmishes,  losing  150  of  their  800  men  in  battles,  skir- 
mishes and  hospitals  during  their  hundred-day  service.  Mr.  Hunt  returned 
home  in  September,  1864,  with  health  much  impaired,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1865,  again  opened  a  dry  goods  store  which  he  conducted  with  success  till 
1868;  he  then  embarked  in  the  grain  business  in  which  he  has  since  con- 
tinued, now  enjoying  a  prosperous  trade.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
county  most  of  his  life,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  its  most  energetic  and  re- 
liable business  men,  being  also  highly  esteemed  for  his  social  and  civil 
qualities. 

JOSEPH  HUTTER,  retired  farmer,  is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany, 
born  February  28,  1828.  He  is  a  son  of  John  J.  and  Mary  C.  Hutter,  the 
former  born  in  Germany,  November  12,  1796,  and  the  latter  in  1806. 
They  emigrated  to  America  in  1852.  Joseph  Hutter,  our  subject,  emigrated 
to  the  East  Indies  in  1849,  returning  to  Rhoderdam,  Germany,  at  the  end 
of  eleven  months,  and  then  embarked  for  America.  The  father  settled  in 
Eden  Township,  this  county,  and  resided  there  (with  the  exception  of  five 
years  in  Upper  Sandusky)  until  January,  1877,  his  death  occurring  at  that 
date;  the  mother  died  May  10,  1881.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren of  whom  but  two  survive.  Louisa,  wife  of  Jacob  Kirshner,  Joseph, 
George,  Charles  and  Mary  are  deceased.  Joseph  Hutter  removed  from 
Wooster  to  Mansfield  in  1850,  and  engaged  as  an  overseer  of  a  force  of 
twenty- six  men  on  the  Pittsburg,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad.  About 
one  year  after  this  he  removed  to  this  county,  and  purchased  131  acres  of 
land  in  Eden  Township.  He  subsequently  disposed  of  this,  and  purchased 
160  acres  in  Grand  Township,  eighty-one  of  which  he  still  owns.  He  also 
owns  a  large  amount  of  valuable  town  property,  all  of  which  he  has  ac- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  609 

quired  by  industry  and  good  management.  He  was  married,  February  20, 
1851,  to  Mary  C.  Ahlefeld,  and  two  children  were  born  to  them,  namely, 
Charles  and  Amanda;  the  latter  is  deceased,  her  death  having  occurred 
November  15,  1882,  in  her  twenty-eighth  year.  Mr.  Hutter  was  again 
married,  June  19,  1883,  to  Mrs.  Mary  Young,  widow  of  Cornelius  Young, 
who  died  November  27,  1869.  Charies  Hutter,  brother  of  our  subject,  was 
a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  enlisting  in  Company  K,  Fifty-fifth  Regiment 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  to  serve  three  years.  He  participated  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Bull  Run,  2d,  where  he  was  seriously  wounded,  death  resulting  from  his 
injuries.  He  died  in  the  Methodist  Hospital  at  Alexandria,  and  his  remains 
were  interred  in  the  Methodist  Cemetery  of  that  place. 

CHARLES  JAROS,  of  the  firm  of  Jaros  &  Co.,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Pittsburgh,  Penn.,  April  7,  1860.  He  was  reared  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
and  graduated  at  the  New  York  City  College,  in  1877.  In  1880,  he  re- 
moved to  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  about  one  year,  then  removing 
to  Upper  Sandusky,  where  he  established  himself  in  his  present  business — 
the  sale  of  clothing,  hats,  caps  and  gents'  furnishing  goods.  He  carries  a 
fine  stock  of  goods  valued  at  $13,000  and  does  an  extensive  business,  being 
regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  clothiers  of  Upper  Sandusky.  In  the  few 
years  of  his  business  life  in  this  county,  he  has  established  a  flom-ishing 
trade,  and  has  obtained  a  wide  reputation  for  his  fair  dealing.  His  store 
is  conducted  in  the  best  style  possible,  and  his  stock  is  selected  to  meet  the 
wants  of  all  classes.  He  is,  perhaps,  the  most  extensive  dealer  in  his  line 
in  Upper  Sandusky,  and  is  therefore  best  able  to  give  entire  satisfaction  as 
to  styles  and  prices  to  all  his  customers.  Besides  his  business  qualities 
which  are  of  the  first  order,  Mr.  Jaros  is  also  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
enterprising  of  the  young  men  of  his  place,  and  is  highly  esteemed  for  his 
sociability  and  excellency  of  character. 

FRANK  JONAS,  of  the  firm  of  Frank  Jonas  &  Co.,  cigar  manufactur- 
ers, Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Germany,  June  20,  1842,  son  of  Bar- 
tholomew and  Elizabeth  Jonas,  who  emigrated  to  America  in  1847,  and  set- 
tled in  Cincinnati,  where  our  subject  was  educated,  and  where  he  resided 
until  1867,  except  from  1857  to  1860,  which  time  he  spent  traveling  in  the 
West.  Having  acquired  the  trade  of  cigar-making,  he  engaged  in  that  busi- 
ness a  number  of  years  in  Galion,  removing  to  Upper  Sandusky  October 
15,  1870,  where  he  has  established  an  extensive  trade,  employing  ten  as- 
sistants constantly.  He  was  married  at  Cincinnati  January  7,  1862,  to 
Mary  Vill,  daughter  of  Simon  and  Elizabeth  (Karg)  Vill,  and  four  children 
have  resulted  from  this  union,  as  follows:  Lilly,  born  March  2,  1863;  Jo- 
seph, December  18,  1865;  Frank,  November  21,  1868,  and  Carrie,  Septem- 
ber 24,  1871.  Mrs.  Jonas'  death  occurred  April  30,  1874,  and  her  husband 
was  again  married,  September  28,  1875,  to  Mary  Gutzwiler,  and  five  chil- 
dren have  resulted  from  this  marriage — Rosa  E.  was  born  September  23, 
1876;  Victor  M.,  May  10,  1879;  Oscar  J.,  July  1,  1881;  Willie  O.,  June 
20,  1883.  An  infant  son  is  deceased.  Mr.  Jonas  served  with  the  Ohio 
National  Guaixls,  Company  B,  Eighth  Regiment  a  short  time,  and  with 
Lew  Wallace's  Scouts  in  the  raid  after  Kirby  Smith  in  Kentucky.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  Knights  of  America,  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
and  in  politics  votes  for  the  man  and  not  the  party. 

JACOB  JUVINALL.  This  prominent  farmer  of  Wyandot  was  born  in 
Ross  County,  Ohio,  January  29,  1823.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Hester 
(Meeker)  Juvinall,  of  Scotch  and  Irish  ancestry.  The  former  was  born  in 
Kentucky  in  1792,  and  died  in  May,  1824,  aged  thirty -two  years;  the  lattei 


610  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  in  1792,  and  died  in  August,  1882.  They 
were  the  parents  of  two  children — Anna  M.  and  Jacob.  The  father  died 
when  his  son  was  but  sixteen  months  old,  and  at  the  age  of  ten  he  was 
thrown  upon  his  own  resoui'ces.  He  was  employed  one  year  by  his  uncle, 
Aaron  Meeker,  at  12|  cents  per  day,  and  with  John  Davis,  Jr.,  for  some 
time  at  25  cents  per  day.  He  spent  two  and  one-half  years  with  Uriah 
Chinoweth  attending  school.  In  1837,  he  removed  to  Sharoville,  Pike 
County,  and  engaged  as  clerk  for  his  Uncle,  James  McLees,  in  a  mercantile 
establishment,  where  he  remained  until  1846;  in  the  month  of  May  of  that 
year  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  opened  a  store  in  partnership  with 
his  uncle,  purchasing  the  latter' s  interest  and  selling  the  whole  stock  at 
auction  two  years  later.  He  subsequently  purchased  an  interest  in  a  steam 
propeller  on  Lakes  Erie  and  Michigan,  losing  his  entire  effects,  $3,500,  by 
the  failure  of  the  enterprise.  He  next  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  en- 
tering 124  acres  of  land,  purchasing  204,  turning  his  attention  to  stock- 
raising  and  shipping.  In  1854,  he  removed  to  his  present  home,  one  mile 
north  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  is  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  efforts.  He 
owns  400  acres  of  land,  well  improved,  and  other  property,  unnecessary  to 
mention.  Himself  and  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  Juvinall  was  married,  February  5,  1851,  tb  Emily  Robbins, 
daughter  of  Nathaniel  P.  and  Laura  (Nash)  Kobbins,  natives  of  Massachu- 
setts and  Vermont  respectively.  Seven  children  have  resulted  from  this 
marriage,  aamely:  James  A.,  born  November  24,  1853;  Charles  D. ,  born 
September  23,  1855;  Jacob  H.,  January  25,  1857;  Mary  E.,  August  14, 
1859;  Hester  A.,  November  5,  1864,  and  Martha,  May  27,  1867.  The  de- 
ceased was  Alice,  born  December  25,  1851,  died  August  14,  1853.  Emily, 
the  mother,  was  born  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  June  17,  1829. 

WILLIAM  D.  KAIL,  of  the  firm  of  Streby,  Myers  &  Kail,  millers,  was 
born  in  Mifflin  Township,  this  county,  December  13,  1854,  son  of  Andrew 
J.  and  Julia  V.  (Lindsey)  Kail,  both  natives  of  Ohio,  and  of  German  and 
Irish  ancestry  respectively.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children — Sam- 
uel P.,  William  D.  and  Anna  E.  Julia  Kail,  the  mother,  passed  away  in 
November,  1856;  the  father  departed  this  life  March  5,  1884,  and  was  bur- 
ied from  his  late  residence,  on  his  farm  in  Mifflin  Township,  where  he 
located  thirty  years  ago.  William  D.  Kail,  our  subject,  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  his  native  township,  subsequently  entering  the  Ada  Normal 
School  for  a  few  terms,  and  remained  upon  the  farm,  teaching  at  intervals, 
until  1880.  In  March,  1881,  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  purchased 
a  third  interest  in  the  mill  where  he  is  now  engaged,  since  which  time  the 
business  has  been  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Streby,  Myers  &  Kail. 
They  do  an  extensive  business,  have  a  capacity  of  thirty-five  barrels  per 
day,  and  introduced  the  roller  process  in  1882.  Mr.  Kail's  marriage  to 
Miss  Mattie  E.  Kiser,  occurred  October  19,  1876,  Miss  Kiser  being  the 
daughter  of  Wesley  P.  and  Malinda  (Reed)  Kiser.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren— Harry  E.,  born  April  12,  1878;  Lottie  E.,  November  6,  1879;  Avery 
L.,  December  13,  1881,  and  Mabel  B.,  April  3,  1883. 

JACOB  P.  KARG,  son  of  Philip  and  Margaretta  (Pfeifer)  Karg,  was 
born  in  Salem  Township,  this  county  June  9,  1849.  His  parents  were  na- 
tives of  Hesse  Darmstadt,  Germany,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1847,  settling 
in  Salem  Township,  where  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land,  which  they 
have  increased  by  subsequent  purchases  to  21 3 J.  Philip  Karg  assisted  in 
constructing  the  P.,  Ft.  W.  &  C.  R.  R.  at  50  cents  per  day,  and  reared  a 
family  of  eight  children.     He  began  work  in  America  with  a  "  five  franc  " 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  611 

capital,  and  is  now  the  owner  of  a  farm  worth  over  $20,000.  The  names 
of  the  children  are  as  follows:  Peter,  Jacob  P.,  Margaretta,  Catharine, 
George,  Philip,  Mary  and  Elizabeth.  Both  parents  are  still  living,  the 
father  in  his  sixty-seventh  year,  the  mother  in  her  sixty-first.  Jacob  P., our 
subject,  remained  upon  the  farm  with  his  parents  till  1875,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Upper  Sandusky  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business,  and  in 
which  occupation  he  still  continues.  He  was  married,  July  1,  1875,  to 
Margaret  M.  Streby,  and  live  children  have  resulted  from  this  union — Mary 
M.,  born  May  8,  1876;  Emma  E.,  September  16,  1877;  Edward  F.,  Novem- 
ber 20,  1880;  Elizabeth  E.,  May  20,  1881,  and  Jacob  P.,  December  19, 
1882. 

HENRY  KELLER  was  born  in  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio,  June  30, 
1838.  He  is  the  son  of  Martin  and  Hannah  (Hill,  n6e  Buskirk)  Keller.  His 
mother  being  the  widow  of  Robert  Hill,  deceased.  The  family  consisted  of 
six  children,  of  whom  three  are  living:  Wesley  C,  Henry  and  Maria,  the 
wife  of  John  L.  Barick.  Their  parents  removed  to  this  county  in  1855,  and 
settled  in  Crane  Township,  where  the  father  died  in  August,  1870;  the 
death  of  the  mother  occurring  in  Tuscarawas  County  while  on  a  visit  to 
that  locality  in  the  following  December.  Henry  Keller  obtained  a  fair 
education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  county,  coming  with  his  parents  to 
this  county  in  1855.  In  May,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  war,  joining  Com- 
pany K,  Sixty-first  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry  for  three  years' 
service.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Freeman's  Ford,  Sulphur  Springs, 
Waterloo  Bridge,  Bull  Run  Second,  Wauhatchie,  Mission  Ridge,  Lookout 
Mountain,  Buzzard's  Roost  and  the  skirmish  near  Hagerstown,  Md.  He  was 
taken  prisoner  at  Bull  Run,  but  was  released  after  one  month  on  parole.  His 
regiment  was  sent  to  Knoxville,  and  subsequently  went  into  winter  quarters 
at  Chattanooga  in  1863.  Here  the  regiment  veteranized  and  returned  home 
for  thirty  days  on  furlough,  during  which  time  Mr.  Keller,  in  defending  an 
old  lady  from  the  assaults  of  a  colored  inebriate,  received  injuries  which 
disabled  him  for  further  service;  he  was  therefore  placed  in  the  Invalid 
Corps  and  remained  at  Chicago,  111.,  till  the  close  of  the  war,  receiving  his 
discharge  in  May,  1865.  He  then  returned  to  his  home,  and  has  since  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.  Mr.  Keller  was  married  at  Sulphur  Springs, 
Crawford  Co. ,  Ohio,  by  Rev.  Gideon  Hoover,  October  19,  1865,  to  Susan  B. 
Kotterman,  widow  of  Levi  Kotterman,  who  died  from  the  effects  of  wounds 
received  in  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  Second.  Mrs.  Kotterman  was  a  daughter 
of  Asher  J.  and  Elizabeth  (Hargar)  Reynolds,  and  a  native  of  Stark  County, 
Ohio,  born  July  1,  1836.  She  had  two  children  by  her  first  husband: 
Flora  E.,  born  January  29,  1861;  and  Marion  L.,  born  July  3,  1862.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Keller  had  four  children,  their  names  are  as  follows:  Nora  W., 
born  December  31,  1868;  Amber  M.,  April  2,  1871;  and  Clara  M.,  Decem- 
ber 15,  1872.  Henry  E.,  born  August  9,  1866,  was  drowned  by  falling  into 
a  cellar  partly  filled  with  water,  March  27,  1869.  Mr,  Keller  owns  a  farm 
of  fifty  acres  valued  at  $100  per  acre.  He  votes  for  Republican  principles, 
and  is  an  enterprising  citizen  of  good  repute.  He  voted  the  Prohibition 
ticket  in  1883. 

LEVI  W.  KELLER,  dealer  in  groceries,  provisions,  queensware.  etc., 
Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  January  22,  1824.  He 
is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Christina  Keller,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the 
former  of  Dauphin  County,  and  the  latter  of  Northampton  County.  They 
were  married  in  Piqua  County,  having  removed  there  in  an  early  day,  and 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  namely:  Elizabeth,  Levi  M.,  John  M., 


612  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Mary  A..,  Jacob,  Henry  and  Alfred.  Iq  1823,  they  removed  to  Seneca 
County,  where  they  both  died — the  mother  in  1840,  aged  forty  years;  the 
father,  in  1853,  aged  fifty-six  years.  Levi  W.  Keller,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  reared  upon  the  farm,  and  educated  in  the  common  schools  of 
Seneca  County.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  went  to  Wooster,  Ohio,  and 
learned  the  painter's  trade,  operating  in  Wooster  and  Tiffin  until  twenty- 
eicht  years  of  age.  He  then  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  working  at  his 
trade  about  three  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  his  farm,  formerly  pur- 
chased, and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  1880.  He  then  moved 
back  to  Upper  Sandusky  and  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  butchering 
business  until  1882,  when,  in  partnership  with  his  son,  he  purchased  the 
grocery  store  of  Gr.  G.  Kramer,  in  which  occupation  he  is  still  engaged, 
carrying  a  stock  valued  at  $6,000.  In  1881,  he  disposed  of  his  farm  to  J. 
F.  Myers,  for  a  consideration  of  $11,000.  Mr.  Keller  was  married  December 
17,  1851,  to  Margaret  Schriver,  of  Seneca  County,  and  six  children  have 
blessed  their  union,  namely:  Prudenca  C,  born  September  27,  1852;  Levi, 
F.,  February  18,  1854;  Sarah  A.,  July  8,  1855;  Mary  A.,  November  6, 
1856;  Lewis  H.,  February  24,  1858;  and  Emma  C,  February  14,  1860. 
Mrs.  Keller  was  born  August  4,  1822.  Mr.  Keller  has  amassed  a  large 
amount  of  property,  located  in  diflferent  parts  of  the  county.  He  served  as 
a  public  minister  in  the  Church  of  God  forty  years,  all  his  family  being 
now  connected  with  that  orsranization. 

DAVID  R.  KELLY,  merchant  tailor,  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Iowa, 
December  4,  1854,  son  of  George  B.  and  Sarah  (Blackburn)  Kelly,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  who  removed  to  Iowa  in  1853,  returning  to  Upper  San- 
dusky in  1860.  David  Kelly  obtained  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of 
the  above  city,  completing  his  studies  at  the  age  of  eighteen  and  accepting 
a  clerkship  in  the  dry  goods  store  of  J.  A.  Maxwell,  in  whose  employ  he 
remained  eight  years  with  credit  to  himself  and  profit  to  his  employers.  In 
1880,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  F.  P.  Kenan  in  the  grocery  and  provis- 
ion trade,  and  April  1,  1882,  his  present  tailoring  business  was  established. 
He  enjoys  a  good  trade,  usually  employing  eight  to  ten  workmen.  His 
marriage  to  Clara  Andrews,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  occurred  June  27,  1882. 
Mrs.  Andrews  is  a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Adaline  (Patterson)  Andrews 
and  was  born  April  9,  1858.  They  have  one  child,  Howard,  born  Septem- 
ber 9,  1883.  Mr.  Kelly  is  a  Republican  politically,  and,  with  his  wife,  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

ALVIN  KENAN,  of  the  firm  of  Kenan  Bros. ,  real  estate  dealers,  Up- 
per Sandusky,  was  born  in  Tymochtee  Township,  April  26,  1832.  He  is 
the  eldest  son  of  Samuel  and  Minerva  (Earl)  Kenan,  of  Irish,  German  and 
English  ancestry.  Samuel  Kenan  was  born  in  Ohio  County,  Va. ,  July  6, 
1806.  Alvin  Kenan  was  educated  in  the  Tymochtee  Schools  and  remained 
upon  the  farm  with  his  parents  till  his  twenty- fourth  year.  In  1860,  he 
entered  into  a  partnership  with  his  brother  in  the  shipping  of  live  stock, 
and  continued  in  this  occupation  twelve  years.  In  1875,  he  abandoned  his 
agricultural  and  other  pursuits,  and  established  a  real  estate  office  in  Upper 
Sandusky,  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  George  Kenan,  in  which  occu- 
pation tbey  are  still  engaged,  doing  the  most  extensive  business  in  that  line 
of  any  firm  in  the  county.  Mr.  Kenan  was  married  in  October,  1856,  to 
Miss  Olive  E.  Torey,  daughter  of  Joseph  F.  and  Elizabeth  (Wright)  Torey, 
early  settlers  of  Tymochtee  Township.  They  are  the  parents  of  eight 
children — six  living,  Ernest  E.,  born  October  6,  1857;  Cora  M.,  June  16, 
1862;    Myrtie,  November  18,  1864;  Earl  T.,  January  21,  1868;     Jessie  R., 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  613 

May  30,  1875:  Dudley  D.,  October  19,  1877.  The  deceased  were  twins, 
born  in  1860,  and  died  the  same  year.  Mr.  Kenan  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  and  a  Republican  in  politics.  Himself  and  wife  are 
both  members  of  the  Universalist  Church. 

FRANKLIN  P.  KENAN,  proprietor  of  grocery  store,  Wyandot  avenue, 
Upper  Sankusky,  was  born  in  this  county  September  25,  1850,  He  is  the 
son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Cutting)  Kenan,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Vermont 
respectively.  Franklin  P.  our  subject,  was  educated  in  the  district  schools 
of  Tymochtee  Township,  closing  his  educational  pursuits  in  the  schools  of 
Upper  Sandusky  at  the  age  of  tvventy-one.  He  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  for  a  few  years,  teaching  school  during  the  winter  months,  remov- 
ing to  Upper  Sandusky  and  embarking  in  the  mercantile  business  in  the 
spring  of  J  875.  He  engaged  as  clerk  with  S.  J.  Wirick,  one  and  one-half 
years  and  with  Harper  &  Waters  one  year,  purchasing  their  stock  of  grocer- 
ies in  1880,  and  forming  a  partnership  with  D.  R.  Kelly.  He  subsequently 
purchased  Mr.  Kelly's  interest  and  has  since  conducted  the  business  inde- 
pendently. He  carries  a  $1,500  stock  and  keeps  a  full  line  of  everything 
usually  found  in  a  tirst  class  grocery  store.     He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

GEORGE  KENAN,  of  the  firm  of  Kenan  Bros.,  was  born  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Tymochtee  October  18,  1837.  He  is  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Mi- 
nerva (Earl)  Kenan,  they  being  the  parents  of  six  children,  four  of  whom 
now  survive,  viz.,  Alvin,  Amanda,  George  and  James.  The  deceased  are 
Samuel  and  Joel  The  father  is  still  living,  in  his  seventy-eighth  year; 
the  mother  died  in  1843.  George  Kenan,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
educated  in  the  village  school  at  Tymochtee,  remaining  on  the  farm  with 
his  parents  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  engaged  in  teaching  during 
the  winter  months,  and  farmed  during  the  summers  for  five  years.  In  1860, 
he  began  buying  and  shipping  stock  in  connection  with  his  agricultural 
business,  and  continued  in  this  occupation  twelve  years,  being  the  largest 
shipper  in  the  county.  In  1873,  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Alvin,  he 
opened  a  real  estate  office  in  Upper  Sandusky,  and  is  still  engaged  in  that 
business  on  an  extensive  scale.  He  was  married,  July  22,  1867,  to  Ella 
Ayres,  daughter  of  William  and  Harriet  (Quick)  Ayres,  and  three  children 
have  been  born  to  them — Eva,  born  September  2,  1868;  Grace,  born  May 
20,  1870:  Clara  A.,  born  March  18,  1878.  Mr.  Kenan  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  the  Universalist  Church.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  Republican. 

SAMUEL  KENAN.  This  worthy  and  respected  pioneer  was  burn  in 
Ohio  County,  Va.,  July  6,  1806.  His  parents  were  James  and  Catharine 
(Yhoast)  Kenan,  the  former  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  the  latter  of  New 
Jersey.  They  were  married  in  Virginia,  and  after  several  removals  settled 
in  Wyandot  County  in  1830,  subsequently  migrating  to  Illinois,  but  return- 
ing to  Fremont,  Ohio,  where  he  died,  aged  seventy- four  years;  Catharine, 
his  wife,  survived  him  about  four  years,  her  death  occurring  in  Knox  County, 
111.,  in  her  seventy-fifth  year.  Samuel  Kenan  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and 
educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Virginia.  He  resided  with  his  parents 
till  twenty-four  years  of  age,  making  his  way  to  this  county,  and  settling 
in  Tymochtee  Township  in  1829.  He  was  married  to  Minerva  Earl  May  19, 
1830,  and  six  children  resulted  from  this  union,  four  now  living — Alvin, 
Amanda,  George  and  James.  Samuel  and  Joel  are  deceased.  The  death 
of  Mrs.  Kenan  occurred  in  May,  1844,  and  Mr.  Kenan  was  again  married 
the  following  October  to  Mary  Freet,  whose  death  occurred  in  March,  1845. 
In  August,  1855,  his   marriage  to  Marv  Havens    occuiTed.      She    was    the 


614  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

widow  of  Benjamin  Havens,  and  by  this  marriage  had  four  children,  namely, 
Elizabeth,  Frank  P.,  Hiram  and  Henry,  twins,  deceased;  the  latter  was 
accidentally  killed  by  the  cars  at  Pittsburgh  in  1865;  Hiram  died  at 
the  age  of  seventeen.  Mary  Kenan,  the  third  wife  died  in  May,  1877, 
and  Mr.  Kenan  was  married  May  2,  1883,  to  Lucy  M.  Pool,  widow  of  Ira 
Pool.  He  has  always  devoted  his  attention  to  agriculture  and  has  accumu- 
lated a  large  amount  of  property,  at  one  time  owning  425  acres  of  land. 
He  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen,  having  served  as  Treasurer  of  Tymochtee 
Township  seven  years  and  as  member  of  the  School  Board  twelve  years;  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church,  and  in  political  sentiment  a  Re- 
publican. 

GEORGE  G.  KENNARD,  manufacturer  of  and  dealer  in  harness,  sad- 
dles, trunks,  etc. ,  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1857,  son  of  Gilbert  and  Elizabeth  (Lyon)  Kennard,  natives  of 
Ohio,  and  of  English  and  Scotch  ancestry.  They  iirst  settled  in  Marion 
County,  but  removed  to  this  county  in  1871,  rearing  a  family  of  three  chil- 
dren— George  G. ,  Charles  W.  and  Thomas  J.  George  G.,  our  subject,  was 
educated  principally  in  the  Finley  Schools,  his  parents,  after  several  re- 
movals, locating  at  Finley,  and  later  at  Carey,  this  county.  He  closed  his 
studies  at  Carey,  and  began  the  harness  trade  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  working 
with  his  father  four  years.  In  1876,  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
for  the  benefit  of  his  health,  and  in  1878,  he  opened  a  harness  shop  at 
Carey,  where  he  remained  till  September,  1882,  when  he  removed  to  Upper 
Sandusky.  He  was  married  April  22,  1881,  to  Ada  M.  Paul,  daughter  of 
Rev.  William  S.  and  Hannah  (Norton)  Paul,  now  residents  of  Forest,  Ohio. 
They  have  one  child,  Olive  E. ,  born  April  25,  1882.  Mrs.  Kennard  was 
born  September  9,  1854.  Our  subject  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  F.  & 
A.  M.  at  Carey,  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JAMES  KERR,  retired  house  carpenter,  was  born  near  Belfast,  County 
Antrim,  Ireland,  April  16,  L818,  son  of  Thomas  and  Jane  (Crawford)  Kerr, 
natives  of  the  same  county.  James  Kerr  remained  with  his  parents  on  the 
homestead  until  his  sixteenth  year,  attending  the  schools  of  his  native 
county.  He  then  acquired  the  trade  of  house  carpenter,  and  continued  this 
occupation  until  1877.  He  was  married,  in  Ireland,  January  19,  1845,  to 
Jane  Ellis,  a  native  of  County  Antrim,  born  May  9,  1823.  They  bad  eight 
children,  six  now  living.  Mr.  Kerr  emigrated  April  10,  1847,  and  settled 
in  Upper  Sandusky,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  has  amassed  consider- 
able property,  owning  eight  acres  of  land  adjacent  to  his  residence  on 
Eighth  street,  a  two-thirds  interest  in  the  Upper  Sandusky  Flouring  Mill, 
and  other  town  property.  He  is  well  respected  as  a  citizen,  himself  and 
family  being  associated  with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  to  which  he  is  a 
liberal  contributor. 

ROBERT  E.  KERR,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Upper  Sandusky 
Flouring  Mills,  was  born  in  the  above  city  February  26, 1854.  son  of  James 
and  Jane  (Ellis)  Kerr.  He  was  educated  in  his  native  town.  After  com- 
pleting his  education,  he  engaged  in  teaching,  working  at  the  carpenter's 
trade  during  summer  seasons  till  1876,  when  his  father  purchased  an  interest 
in  the  Upper  Sandusky  Flouring  Mills,  and  placed  him  in  charge.  The 
firm  is  now  composed  of  James  and  Robert  E. ,  the  former  having  had  the 
principal  supervision  of  the  mills  since  1876.  They  do  an  extensive  busi- 
ness, their  mills  having  a  capacity  of  twenty-five  barrels  per  ten  hours;  the 
building  is  a  threo-story  frame,  main  room  30x40  feet.     They  employ  three 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  615 

men,  and  merit  the  large  trade  which  their  careful  attention  to  business  has 
secured  to  them. 

COL.  MOSES  H.  KIRBY.  This  prominent  pioneer  and  lawyer  was 
born  in  Halifax  County,  Va.,  May  21,  1798.  He  is  the  son  of  Obadiah  and 
Ruth  (Hendrick)  Kirby,  natives  of  Virginia  and  of  English  and  German 
parentage  respectively.  His  father  died  in  his  native  State  in  1809,  his 
widow,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  removing  to  Highland  County,  Ohio,  in 
1815,  where  she  resided  three  years.  She  subsequently  removed  to  Marion 
County,  where  she  died  in  1839,  aged  about  sixty-five  years.  They  reared  a 
family  of  four  children,  all  reaching  the  age  of  manhood.  Their  names 
are  as  follows:  John,  Moses  H.,  Jacob  and  Pleasant,  the  second  and  third 
being  twins.  Moses  Kirby,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  obtained  a  classical 
education  in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  graduating  with  honor  in 
1820,  then  being  in  his  twenty-third  year.  To  attend  this  college  Col. 
Kirby  rode  his  own  horse  from  Hillsboro,  Ohio,  a  distance  of  450  miles,  and 
there  sold  it  for  means  to  defray  cu.rrent  expenses.  At  the  end  of  the  term 
he  returned  home,  walking  the  entire  distance.  After  completing  his  col- 
legiate course,  he  returned  to  Hillsboro,  Highland  Co. ,  Ohio,  and  began  the 
study  of  law  under  Richard  Collins,  a  prominent  member  of  the  bar  of  that 
place,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1823.  His  first  case  offered  was  that 
of  a  man  accused  of  mail -robbery.  From  his  client's  statement  he  saw  but 
little  chance  of  his  acquittal,  and  promptly  so  informed  him.  The  client 
said  he  would  pay  him  $100  if  he  "  cleared  him."  The  Colonel  told  him 
that  for  half  that  sum  he  would  do  his  best,  and  when  the  trial  was  had  be- 
fore Judge  Byrd,  of  the  United  States  District  Court,  the  client  was  acquit- 
ted and  the  Colonel  received  $50,  refusing  to  accept  more  from  the  delighted 
client.  That  sum  was  a  big  fee  and  even  stupendous  to  the  young  lawyer. 
The  same  year  (1823),  he  was  appointed  Prosecuting  Attorney  for  Highland 
County,  which  office  he  filled  with  credit  and  ability  for  seven  years.  In 
1826,  while  holding  this  position,  he  was  elected  Representative  of  High- 
land County  by  a  large  majority  of  its  votes.  In  1828,  he  was  re-elected  to 
the  same  office,  serving  till  1830,  when  his  popularity  and  reputation  raised 
him  to  the  more  exalted  position  of  Secretary  of  State.  Acting  in  this  ca- 
pacity three  years,  his  term  of  office  expired  and  he  returned  to  the  practice 
of  law  in  Columbus.  In  the  prominence  of  his  life  at  this  period,  his  good 
nature  made  him  the  prey  of  friendly  indorsements,  which  engulfed  a 
handsome  farm  and  considerable  money — which  losses  he  took  philosophi- 
cally. Being  elected  to  the  office  of  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Franklin 
County  in  1838,  he  performed  the  duties  of  this  office  two  years,  when  he 
was  appointed  Receiver  of  the  Land  Office  of  the  United  States  by  President 
Tyler,  with  headquarters  at  Lima,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  from  October. 
1842,  to  the  summer  of  1843,  the  office  at  the  latter  date  being  removed  to 
Upper  Sandusky.  As  an  illustration  of  the  difference  between  that  and  the 
present  time.  Col.  Kirby  employed  a  wagoner  to  convey  the  public  money,  a 
large  sum  in  coin,  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  this  was  done  in  a  large  two- 
horse  wagon  without  guards,  the  Colonel  not  even  accompanying  the  car- 
rier, and  when  it  reached  its  new  station  it  was  kept  in  an  old  oaken  trunk, 
and  this  unlocked  as  well  as  the  doors  of  the  old  Council  House,  the  new 
office.  After  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service  as  Land  Receiver,  he 
again  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  in 
1845  was  appointed  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Wyandot  County,  serving  in 
that  capacity  at  intervals  as  follows:  1845  to  1852,  1856  to  1858,  1860  to 
1862,  1868  to  1879 — in  all  twenty- two  years.     As  a  public  prosecutor  he 


616  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

never  had  an  indictment  quashed.  In  1858,  he  was  elected  Probate  Judge 
of  this  county,  serving  two  terms,  and  in  1879,  the  people  in  his  senatorial 
district  manifested  their  high  appreciation  of  his  character  and  statesman- 
ship by  choosing  him  State  Senator.  He  was  re-elected  to  this  office  in 
1881,  and  in  this,  as  in  all  other  positions  to  which  he  has  been  elected  or 
appointed,  he  performed  his  duties  with  the  utmost  integrity,  and  in  a  man- 
ner entirely  satisfactory  to  his  constituents.  He  was  at  least  ten  years  the 
senior  of  the  oldest  member  of  the  Senate.  Col.  Kirby  was  married  in 
June,  1832,  to  Miss  Emma  Minor,  daughter  of  Judge  Minor,  of  Columbus, 
one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Franklin  County.  Seven  children 
resulted  from  this  union — live  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  but  two 
survive,  viz. :  Isaac  M.  and  Thomas.  The  deceased  are  George,  William 
and  Henry  (twins  who  died  in  infancy);  Emma,  the  wife  of  Curtis  Berry, 
who  died  July  31,  1883;  Anna,  who  died  on  board  a  steamboat  on  her  way 
from  New  Orleans.  Emma,  the  mother,  departed  this  life  in  October,  1852. 
Col.  Kirby  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  oldest  member  of  the 
fraternity  in  Ohio,  having  been  associated  with  the  order  since  1820.  He 
has  been  a  resident  of  this  county  since  1843,  and  though  now  in  his  eighty- 
seventh  year,  and  as  the  senior  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Kirby  &  Close,  is 
still  well  preserved,  physically  and  mentally.  He  possesses  a  retentive 
memory,  and  is  remarkably  coi'rect  in  all  his  statements  in  regard  to  facts, 
figures  and  dates.  He  is  among  the  last  and  most  worthy  of  the  pioneers 
of  the  county,  and  has  a  record  unstained  in  social,  political  and  official 
life  Col.  Kirby  is  erect  and  tall  in  stature,  with  a  dignified  carriage,  has 
handsome  and  firm  features  softened  by  innate  benevolence,  and  presents  a 
striking  appearance,  and  this  superb  physique,  coupled  with  a  silvery  elo- 
quence, made  him  an  effective  orator  often  likened  to  the  late  Gov. 
William  Allen.  Possessing  the  sterling  qualities  of  probity,  independence 
and  considerate  regard  for  the  feelings  of  others,  he  is  essentially  a  gentle- 
man of  the  old  school.  His  life  among  the  people  of  Upper  Sandusky  and 
Wyandot  County  has  been  one  which  reflects  upon  him  the  highest  honor. 
He  has  lived  not  so  mvich  consulting  his  own  interests,  as  indulging  the 
kindness  of  his  sympathetic  nature  in  behalf  of  others,  and  his  life  is  rich- 
ly freighted  with  neighborly  acts,  and  no  one  ever  appealed  in  vain  to  Col. 
Kirby  for  advice  or  assistance.  In  keeping  with  a  frequently  heard  remark, 
he  has  been  an  indulgent  father  to  all  of  us,  ever  cherishing  as  his  highest 
aspiration  the  doing  of  good  and  the  making  of  life  brighter  and  better 
by  his  existence.  No  man  is  better  known  and  respected  in  the  county  than 
he,  nor  whose  memory  will  be  more  cherished  and  revered. 

GEN.  ISAAC  M.  KIRBY,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  February  10,  1835.  He  is  the  son  of  Col.  Moses  H.  and  Emma 
(Minei")  Kii'by,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Gen.  Kirby 
obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  old  log  schoolhouse  in  the 
Indian  village  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  is  the  only  living  member  in  the 
county  who  attended  the  first  school  in  those  pioneer  days.  He  closed  his 
educational  pursuits  at  the  Hillsboro  Academy  when  in  his  sixteenth  year, 
and  began  the  study  of  civil  engineering,  joining  a  corps  with  which  he 
operated  till  the  beginning  of  the  late  war,  when  he  volunteered  as  a  private 
soldier  in  Company  I,  Fifteenth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  going 
into  active  service  in  West  Virginia.  He  was  soon  after  made  Captain  of 
his  company,  and  at  the  re-enlistment,  at  the  expiration  of  the  three  months' 
service,  was  made  Captain  of  Company  D,  holding  this  command  till  May, 
1862.    He  then  resigned  to  recruit  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  First  Ohio 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  617 

Volunteer  Infantry,  and  remained  in  command  of  this  company  till  Decem- 
ber, 1862,  when  he  was  promoted  to  Major,  by  mutual  agreement,  over  a 
number  of  senior  officers  of  the  regiment.  After  the  deaths  of  Col.  Stem 
and  Lieut.  Col.  Wooster,  in  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  Maj.  Kirby  was  im- 
mediately promoted  to  Colonel  of  the  regiment,  receiving  his  command  in 
January,  1863,  and  retaining  the  same  till  June,  1864,  when  he  took  com- 
mand of  the  First  Brigade,  First  Division,  Fourth  Army  Corps,  holding  this 
position  till  June,  1865.  In  1865,  he  received  his  commission  as  Brigadier 
General  in  January,  1865,  in  which  capacity  he  acted  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
Having  served  from  the  beginning  to  the  close  of  the  war,  he  returned  home  in 
June,  1865,  and  engaged  in  the  hardware  trade  in  partnership  with  G.  W.  Hale, 
and  continued  in  this  business  thirteen  years.  In  1879,  Mr.  Kirby  assumed 
charge  of  the  hardware  exclusively — Mr.  Hale  retiring  from  the  firm  with 
the  stock  of  stoves  and  tinware — and  in  1881  admitted  Adam  Pontius,  the 
business  since  having  been  conducted  under  the  tirm  name  of  Kirby  &  Pon- 
tius. They  are  doing  a  flourishing  business,  and  are  recognized  as  leaders 
in  their  line.  Gen.  Kirby  was  married  June  6,  1867,  to  Miss  Anna  White, 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  J.  W.  and  Anna  (Williams)  White,  residents  of  New- 
ark, now  of  Delaware.  They  have  four  children — John  W.,  born  May  3, 
1868;  Mary  E.,  December  10,  1873;  Anna  C,  January  22,  1879;  Thomas 
M.,  December  4,  1880.  Mr.  Kirby  moved  from  Columbus  to  Upper  San- 
dusky in  1843,  and  has  been  identified  with  its  commercial  interests  and 
enterprises  ever  since.  He  is  an  honored  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  and  F.  & 
A.  M.,  and  a  stanch  Republican  politically. 

GUSTAVUS  G.  KRAMER,  retired  groceryman,  was  born  near  Spring- 
field, Ohio,  March  1,  1841.  He  is  a  son  of  John  W.  and  Maria  T.  (Bosse) 
Kramer,  natives  of  Germany,  in  which  country  they  were  united  in  mar- 
riage. They  emigrated  to  America  in  1833,  and  became  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  six  still  survive —Amelia  F.,  Henry  W.,  Gustavas  G., 
Henrietta  T. ,  Maria  and  Christiana.  The  father  died  in  September,  1880, 
aged  seventy- eight  years;  the  mother  still  survives,  residing  on  the  old 
homestead,  two  miles  east  of  Upper  Sandusky,  in  her  seventy-sixth  year. 
G.  G.  Kramer,  our  subject,  was  reared  on  the  farm  in  Crane  Township,  and 
educated  in  the  district  schools.  His  parents  located  in  the  above  township 
in  1852,  and  with  them  he  remained  till  his  marriage  in  1863.  In  March, 
1864,  Mr.  Kramer  enlisted  in  the  civil  war,  Company  K,  One  Hvindred  and 
Ninety- seventh  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  served  with  his 
regiment  through  Virginia,  but  was  taken  sick  near  Alexandria  and  sent  to 
the  hospital  at  that  place,  from  which  he  was  discharged  June  7,  1865,  on 
account  of  disability.  He  returned  home,  and,  after  five  years  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1872,  and  established  himself 
in  the  grocery  and  provision  trade,  where  he  continued  till  1882,  turning 
his  attention  largely  to  the  buying  and  shipping  of  produce,  poultry,  etc. 
In  1882,  he  disposed  of  his  stock  to  Levi  F.  Keller,  and  retired  from 
business.  In  the  spring  of  1884,  he  again  embarked  in  the  grocery  and 
provision  trade,  doing  a  wholesale  and  retail  business.  Mr.  Kramer  was 
married  November  12,  1863,  to  Maria  Hoffman,  daughter  of  Michael  and 
Rosanna  (Hipp)  Hoffman,  of  Hamilton,  Ohio.  They  have  five  children — 
Charles  W.,  born  October  18,  1864;  Elenora  C,  July  18,  1865;  Ida  P., 
April  14,  1868;  Clara  W.,  January  17,  1870;  and  Gustavus  F.,  November 
19,  1876.  Mr.  Kramer  has  served  as  Township  Trustee,  Township  Treasurer 
and  Corporation  Treasurer,  and  in  politics  is  a  liberal  Democrat. 


618  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

FREDERICK  KROMER  was  bora  in  Baden,  Germany,  February  5, 
1819,  son  of  Fredlen  and  Mary  A.  (Ohm)  Kromer.  who  both  died  in  Ger- 
many. Frederick  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1852;  stopped  in  Bucyrus 
one  year,  and  settled  in  Eden  Township  in  1853.  In  1859,  he  purchased 
his  present  farm  of  forty-three  acres,  which  he  has  since  improved  and  on 
which  he  erected  a  tine  brick  residence  in  1876.  He  was  married  at  Bucy- 
rus,  April  18,  1853,  to  Barbara  Huft,  who  died  in  1864.  They  had  three 
children,  but  one  living — a  daughter,  Caroline,  born  November  8,  1856. 
Two  sons  died  in  infancy.  His  daughter  was  married,  March  27,  1883,  to 
Louis  A.  F.  Margraf,  son  of  William  and  Eugenia  (Kark)  Margraf,  and  he 
is  now  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  on  the  farm  of  his  father-in-law. 
Mr.  Kromer  is  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  and  votes  in  the 
interests  of  Democracy. 

SAMUEL  KUENZLI,  farmer  and  cheese  manufacturer,  was  born  in 
Wyden,  Switzerland,  December  14,  1822.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and 
Elizabeth  (Parmserier)  Kuenzli,  natives  of  Switzerland,  who  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  in  1834,  settling  in  Holmes  County,  Ohio,  where  the 
father  died  in  1864,  and  the  mother  in  1872.  Of  their  twelve  children,  but 
nine  are  living.  The  subject  of  this  notice,  Samuel  Kuenzli,  was  reared 
on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  Holmes  County.  He  re- 
moved to  this  county  on  April  10,  1847,  purchased  lands  at  |2.80  per  acre, 
which  he  has  cleared  and  improved;  he  now  has  160  acres,  valued  at  $75 
per  acre.  Mr.  Kuenzli  was  married  in  Tuscarawas  County,  April  3,  1847, 
to  Mary  Sicrest,  and  nine  children  were  born  to  them,  eight  living — Sam- 
uel E.,  Anna  E.,  Sophia,  Henrietta,  Rosenia,  John  F.,  Christian  H.  and 
William  G.  Mrs.  Kuenzli's  death  occurred  August  9,  1862,  and  he  was  re- 
married October  30,  1862,  to  Angeline  Hefler,  by  whom  he  has  seven  chil- 
dren, viz.,  Martha  J.,  George  F.,  Charles  P.,  Ezra  J.,  Laura  E.,  Ernest  and 
Reuben  H.  Besides  his  farming  interests,  Mr.  Kuenzli  is  a  stockholder  in 
an  extensive  cheese  factory,  manufacturing  30,000  to  40,000  pounds  of 
cheese  per  year.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Evangelical 
Church. 

HENRY  KUENZLI,  farmer,  was  born  in  Holmes  County,  Ohio,  De- 
cember 31,  I8e38.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Parmseier) 
Kuenzli.  He  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  district  schools, 
attending  three  terms  at  the  Greesburg  Seminary,  after  which  he  engaged 
in  teaching  school  at  intervals  for  about  five  years.  He  learned  the  tan- 
ning trade,  which  he  followed  at  intervals  till  1867,  at  which  period  he  re- 
moved to  this  county  and  purchased  120  acres  of  land,  part  of  his  present 
farm,  to  which  he  has  since  added  forty  acres  more;  he  erected  an  elegant 
brick  residence  in  1881  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  and  now  values  his  farm  at 
$100  per  acre.  He  raises  all  ordinary  cereals  and  the  best  grades  of  stock. 
He  was  married,  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  June  7,  1865,  to  Mary  E.  Slutts, 
daughter  of  James  and  Rachel  (Slutter)  Slutts,  natives  of  Maryland  and 
Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  of  German  parentage.  Mrs.  Kuenzli 
was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  October  10,  1845,  and  by  her  marriage 
had  eight  children,  seven  living — Rachel  L.,  born  May  27,  1866;  Sarah  H, 
September  1,  1867;  William  A.,  January  8,  1869;  James  A.,  July  6,  1873; 
Avery  S.,  January  28,  1876;  Minerva  L.,  September  11,  1881;  and  Ora  A., 
November  26,  1883;  an  infant  is  deceased.  Mr.  Kuenzli  was  a  soldier  in 
the  ranks,  acting  as  Orderly  Sergeant  of  his  company  in  camp  at  Mans- 
iield,  Ohio,  but  hired  a  substitute,  and  abandoned  the  army  on  account  of 


B.F.  Lee. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  621 

failing  health.  He  is  a  strong  advocate  of  Republicanism,  a  member  of  the 
Grange,  and,  with  his  wife,  of  the  Evangelical  Church. 

SAMUEL  E.  KUENZLI  was  born  in  Crane  Township  January  30, 
1848.  He  is  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Sichrist)  Kueuzli,  and  was  ed- 
ucated in  his  native  district  school.  He  learned  the  tanner's  trade,  but  dis- 
liking the  business  he  abandoned  it  and  has  since  engaged  in  farming.  He 
was  married,  March  8,  1881,  to  Laura  V.  Chew,  only  daughter  of  Archibald 
and  Elizabeth  (Swann)  Chew,  natives  of  Richland  County,  Ohio.  Her  par- 
ents had  two  children — Laura  V.  and  Irvin  A. ;  the  former  born  December 
13,  1856;  the  latter  June  11,  1861.  Their  father  was  born  January  24, 
1833;  removed  to  this  county  in  1858,  and  died  August  21,  1876;  their 
mother  was  born  June  11,  1836,  and  still  resides  in  Crane  Township.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Kuenzli  have  two  children — Edna,  born  December  28,  1881,  and 
Byron,  born  March  14,  1884.  Mr.  K.  is  the  owner  of  22  acres  of  land;  farms 
110  acres  of  his  wife's  homestead  and  210  acres  of  the  "Dixon"  farm. 
He  does  a  large  business,  usually  employing  three  hands  the  year  round. 
He  rears  stock  of  the  best  blood,  the  total  products  of  his  farm  being  about 
$2,000  annually.  He  is  energetic,  enterprising,  and  strong  in  Republican 
faith. 

GEORGE  LAUDENSCHLAGER  was  born  in  Germany  September  25, 
1844.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Anna  Laudenschlager,  and  was  educated 
in  his  native  country.  He  devoted  his  spare  time  to  various  kinds  of  work, 
and  emigrated  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1859.  He  settled  with  them 
in  Salem  Township,  where  they  remained  about  six  years.  The  mother  died 
in  October,  1865,  her  husband  still  living,  a  resident  of  Wyandot  County,  in 
his  seventy  third  year.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  seven 
now  liviug — John,  Peter,  George,  Jacob,  Henry,  Katie  and  Lizzie.  In 
1862,  our  subject  abandoned  farm  labor  and  acquired  the  baker's  trade  of 
N.  F,  Goetz,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  with  whom  he  was  engaged  four  years. 
From  1866  to  1880,  he  was  engaged  in  various  places,  chief  among  which 
are  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis,  Indianapolis,  Warsaw,  Fort  Wayne  and  Cleveland. 
In  1880,  he  settled  permanently  in  Upper  Sandusky,  where  he  is  at  present 
conducting  a  grocery  store  and  bakery,  and  doing  a  flourishing  business. 
He  is  the  owner  of  a  two-story  brick  building  which  he  now  occupies,  and 
which  he  erected  in  1883,  at  a  cost  of  $4,500.  In  politics,  Mr.  Lauden- 
schlager is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and,  with  his  fam- 
ily, of  the  German  Lutheran  Church.  He  was  marrjed,  at  Ada,  Hardin 
Co.,  Ohio,  in  1869,  to  Bulah  Elberson,  and  two  children  have  been  born  to 
them — George  B.,  born  January  15,  1871;  William,  born  July  11,  1874; 
both  born  in  Ada,  Hardin  Co.,  Ohio.  Mrs.  Laudenschlager  was  born  in 
Starke  County,  Penn.,  January  11,  1850. 

JOHN  LIME,  proprietor  of  the  Hudson  House,  is  a  native  of  Richlaod 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  August  10,  3842.  His  parents,  Jacob 
and  Margaret  (McGuire)  Lime,  were  natives  of  Cumberland  County,  Penn., 
and  removed  to  Richland  County,  Ohio,  before  their  marriage.  They  reared 
a  family  of  three  children — John,  James  and  Lillian  E.  Jacob  Lime  was 
one  of  the  first  five  who  enlisted  in  the  war  from  this  county.  He  was  a 
member  of  Company  — ,  Fifteenth  Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry. 
He  served  three  months  and  re-enlisted  in  Company  D,  Eighty-first  Regi- 
ment Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Capt.  Tyler,  participating  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Corinth,  Pittsburg  Landing  and  others,  and  being  discharged  on 
account  of  disability  resulting  from  sickness.  John  Lime,  our  subject,  was 
reared  to  the  age  of  fourteen  in  Richland  County,  coming  with  his  parents 

24 


622  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

to  Wyandot  County  in  1855.  He  attended  the  schools  of  Upper  Sandusky  two 
years;  was  engaged  two  years  as  clerk  for  Robbins  &  Hunt,  in  the  dry  goods 
busineHs;  was  employed  one  and  one  half  years  by  Jacob  Juvinall;  by  S. 
G.  Worth  until  1861;  by  Straw  &  Bombgartner,  of  Carey,  two  years,  and 
later  with  Col.  S.  H.  Hunt,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  with  whom  he  was  en- 
gaged when  Gov.  Brough  issued  his  call  for  the  "  100-day"  recruits.  Com- 
pany D,  of  Carey,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  was  called  into  active  service 
and  assigned  to  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Begiment,  Ohio  Na- 
tional Guards,  participating  in  the  battles  of  Monocacy  and  Berryville, 
where  the  rebel  Gen.  Mosby  attempted  to  capture  the  provision  and  ammu- 
nition train  and  $110,000  of  Union  money.  The  enemy  having  succeeded 
in  taking  the  latter,  Mr.  Lime  was  one  of  the  ten  who  volunteered  to  re- 
cover it;  he  was  discharged  at  Camp  Chase  and  retiirned  to  Upper  Sandusky 
in  1865;  since  that  time  he  has  been  engaged  as  clerk  in  various  establish- 
ments, besides  doing  a  large  amount  of  business  on  his  own  account.  Mr. 
Lime  was  married,  August  23,  1866,  to  Henrietta  Wiseman,  of  Clarion 
County,  Penn.  They  have  two  children— Balph  H.,  born  September  12, 
1867,  and  Maggie,  born  March  5,  1876.  The  latter  is  a  veritable  musical 
prodigy.  At  the  age  of  three  years  she  could  perform  on  any  instrument 
she  could  manipulate,  and  is  the  youngest  child  living  who  possesses  such 
remarkable  skill;  she  has  received  special  mention  Iq  many  of  the  leading 
papers.  In  1877,  Mr.  Lime  erected  the  Hudson  House,  which  he  is  now 
conducting,  and  he  is  also  lessee  of  the  Upper  Sandusky  Opera  House, 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican. 

JOSIAH  S.  LOWRY,  the  pioneer  miller  of  this  county,  was  born  in 
Allegheny  County,  Penn.,  April  22,  1820.  His  parents  were  Robert  and 
Elizabeth  (Scott)  Lowry,  the  former  born  in  Allegheny  County,  Penn.,  Sep- 
tember 4,  1794,  the  latter  in  Washington  County,  Penn.,  March  28,  1794. 
His  death  occurred  in  Huntington  County,  Ind. ,  September  3,  1854,  hers 
in  this  county  October,  1858.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children, 
five  now  living — Josiah  S.,  our  subject;  Mary  (widow  of  James  White), 
born  February  8,  1819;  Elizabeth,  October  14,  1823;  Robert,  March  18, 
1826;  John  S.,  September  22,  1832.  Josiah  Lowry  acquired  the  miller's 
trade  with  his  father,  with  whom  he  came  to  Richland  County  in  1833, 
where  he  was  employed  fourteen  years.  He  came  to  this  county  in  1846, 
and  settled  in  this  township,  leasing  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  and  con- 
ducting the  old  Indian  Mill  for  several  years.  He  now  owns  ninety- 
nine  and  a  half  acres,  which  he  purchased  in  1874,  and  on  which 
he  erected  a  commodious  brick  residence  in  1877,  and  a  fine 
"bank"  barn  in  1880.  He  was  married,  May  12,  1841,  to  Mary  J. 
Crossen,  five  children  being  born  to  them,  two  now  living — Milton,  born 
September  16,  1845,  and  Robert  S.,  September  30,  1847.  The  deceased  all 
passed  away  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Lowry  died  September  6,  1853,  and  Mr.  L. 
was  married  in  this  county,  November  1,  1855,  to  Barbara  Kalor,  this 
marriage  being  followed  by  five  children,  of  whom  four  are  living — Sarah 
J.,  born  November  16,  1856;  John  R.,  May  6,  1858;  James  A.,  May  31, 
1860;  William  E.,  December  12,  1863.  The  deceased  was  Elizabeth,  born 
January  25,  1862,  died  September  29,  1863.  The  mother  was  born  in 
Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  September  16,  1833.  Mr.  Lowry  is  a  successful 
farmer,  and  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen.  He  has  served  on  the  grand  and 
petit  jury  several  sessions,  was  a  member  of  the  City  Council  while  in 
Upper  Sandusky,  and  was  reared  in  the  Presbyterian  faith. 


CRANE  TOWNSHir.  623 

WILLIAM  J.  LOUDERMILCH  was  born  in  Dauphin  County,  Penn., 
June  28,  1843,  son  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (Lemon)  Loudermilch,  natives  of 
the  same  county.  Their  children  were  William  J.,  Mary  E.,  George  L. 
and  John  A.  The  parents  removed  to  this  county  in  1858,  and  two  years 
later  to  Jones  County,  Iowa,  where  they  now  reside.  William  Loudermilch 
worked  upon  his  father's  farm  till  August,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany — ,  Forty-ninth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  four  years  and 
a  half,  and  participated  in  the  following  battles  and  skirmishes:  Shiloh, 
Surret  Hill,  Liberty  Gap,  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  Knoxville,  Buz- 
zard's Roost,  Dallas,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta,  Love- 
joy  Station,  Nashville,  New  Market  and  Greenville.  In  the  battle  of  Chick- 
amau.ga  he  was  wounded  in  the  stomach  by  a  grape  shot,  which  disabled 
him  several  weeks.  He  joined  his  legiment  at  Chattanooga,  and  veteranized 
at  Knoxville,  receiving  his  discharge  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  December,  1865. 
He  returned  home  and  engaged  in  farming,  purchasing  his  present  farm  in 
1877.  He  was  married,  October  24,  1867,  to  Hattie  H.  Ensminger,  daugh- 
ter of  Rev.  Lyman  and  Debora  (French)  Ensminger,  natives  of  Ohio. 
Their  children  are  Montie  M.,  born  January  4,  1869;  Blanch.  January  23, 
1871,  and  Joseph  L.,  March  19,  1875.  Mrs.  L.  was  born  in  Allen  County, 
Ohio,  August  10,  1848.  Mr.  Loudermilch  served  as  School  Director  several 
years,  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  a  Republican  in  politics.  Joseph 
Loudermilch,  father  of  our  subject,  enlisted  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred 
and  First  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  August,  1862,  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  battle  of  Berryville,  after  which  he  was  on  detached  service 
as  private  guard  until  his  discharge  at  Columbus  in  January,  1864. 

GIBSON  A.  MAFFETT,  farmer,  is  a  native  of  Crane  Township,  born 
March  8,  1851,  sou  of  David  and  Louisiana  (Arnold)  Maffett,  the  former  a 
native  of  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  and  the  latter  of  Ashland  County, 
Ohio.  They  reared  a  family  of  six  children — all  living  at  the  px-esent  time. 
Gibson  Maffett  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  district 
schools,  completing  his  studies  in  the  Northwestern  Normal  school  at  Re- 
public, Ohio,  graduating  from  that  institution  in  the  scientific  class  of  1873. 
He  engaged  in  teaching  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  and  continued  this  work 
at  intervals  in  connection  with  his  agricultural  pursuits  until  1880.  He 
was  married,  Februaiy  12,  1879,  to  Malissa  Gregg,  daughter  of  An- 
drew and  Eliza  (Lemert)  Gregg,  natives  of  Jefferson  and  Coshocton 
Counties  respectively,  and  of  Irish  and  French  parentage.  She  was 
born  in  Tymochtee  Township  August  22,  1851,  and  graduated  from  the 
Normal  School  of  Republic  in  the  same  class  with  her  husband  in  1873. 
She  engaged  in  the  pedagogic  profession  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  con- 
tinued in  the  work  about  eleven  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maffett  have  but  one 
child — Monte  Grace — born  December  10,  1879.  After  his  marriage,  Mr. 
M.  purchased  the  farm  of  115  acres,  where  he  now  resides.  He  has  a 
desirable  location,  and  devotes  his  entire  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
valuing  his  land  at  $90  per  acre. 

GEORGE  MANN  is  a  native  of  Mercer  County,  Penn.,  and  was  born 
December  18,  1832.  He  is  a  son  of  John  B.  and  Hannah  (Willard)  Mann 
(see  sketch  of  Isaac  Mann),  with  whom  he  resided  till  his  twenty-third 
year.  In  1856,  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  near  Kirby,  paying  $30 
cash  and  making  the  following  payments  by  cutting  cordwood  at  90  cents 
per  cord.  He  was  engaged  in  farming  on  this  farm  till  1878,  doing  some 
milling  in  the  meantime,  and  then  purchased  his  present  tract  of  160  acres, 
which  he  now  values  at   $90  per   acre.     He  deals  somewhat  in  stock,  and 


624  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

keeps  good  grades,  some  short-horn  cattle,  merino  sheep  and  Poland-China 
hogs.  Mr.  Mann  served  during  the  war  of  the  rebellion  as  private  and 
Sergeant  of  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  First  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry. 
He  participated  in  five  battles,  viz.,  Pei-ryville,  Liberty  Gap,  Stone  River, 
Hoover's  Gap  and  Chickamauga.  He  was  captured  at  the  last-named  battle 
September  20,  18G3,  and  was  confined  in  the  noted  rebel  prisons,  Belle 
Island,  Libby  at  Richmond,  Va. ,  Danville,  Va.,  Andersonville,  Ga., 
Charleston  and  Florence,  S.  C,  and  was  finally  exchanged  on  the  6th  day 
of  March  1805,  at  Goldsboro,  N.  C.  Mr.  Mann  was  married,  October  22, 
1859,  to  Sarah  E.  Albert,  who  was  born  in  this  county  May  22,  1844.  Her 
parents  were  Jacob  and  Mary  A.  (Cordrey)  Albert,  who  were  early  settlers 
in  this  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mann  have  had  ten  children — John  S. ,  born 
March  6,  1861;  Minor  M.,  July  26,  1866;  Ida  M.,  August  22,  1868;  New- 
ton I.,  October  30,  1870;  Mary  A.,  March  14,  1873;  Myrtie  I.,  May  16, 
1875;  Willis  R.,  June  17,  1878;  Ralph  G.  F.,  September  22,  1881;  Louisa 
E.  Z.  R.,  January  23,  1884.  George  is  deceased;  he  was  born  January  5, 
1863.  Mr.  Mann  is  a  Republican,  and  one  of  the  many  thorough-going 
farmers  of  this  township. 

ISAAC  MANN  was  Wn  in  Armstrong  County,  Penn.,  May  10, 1827,  to 
John  B.  and  Hannah  (Williard)  Mann,  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  Bedford 
County,  Penn.,  respectively,  and  of  English  and  German  parentage.  The 
parents  located  in  this  county  July  6,  1834,  the  father's  death  occurring  in 
1857;  the  mother  passing  away  in  1861.  Their  seven  childi'en  are  all  liv- 
ing— Samuel,  John,  Margaret,  Isaac,  William,  George  and  Williard.  Isaac 
Mann,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  left  the  paternal  roof  at  the  age  of  twenty 
and  learned  the  trades  of  house- carpenter  and  cabinet-maker  in  Butler 
County,  Penn.  He  opened  a  shop  in  Upper  Sandusky  in  1851,  and  in 
1853.  purchased  a  farm  and  has  since  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
His  farm  being  timbered  land,  he  bought  a  saw  mill,  and  by  its  operation 
was  enabled  to  pay  for  both  mill  and  land.  His  present  home  was  pur- 
chased in  1872,  and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  185  acres.  His  home  farm  is 
adorned  by  a  fine  brick  residence  built  in  1874,  and  on  this  tract  the  old 
Indian  Mill  is  located.  Mr.  Mann  was  married,  December  7,  1853,  to  Ru- 
anna  Carr,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Relph)  Carr,  early  settlers  of  Meigs 
County,  Ohio.  They  had  nine  children,  six  surviving — La  Fayette,  born 
May  13,  1855;  Silas  S.,  born  March  4,  1863;  Susanna,  July  29,  1865;  Ru- 
anna,  December  17,  1867;  George  G. ,  July  5,  1870;  Isaac  A.,  January  5, 
1873.  The  deceased  are  Hanna  J.,  born  March  3,  1855,  died  May  28, 
1856;  an  infant,  born  March  3, 1857,  died  March  25,  1857;  Margaret,  born 
November  29,  1860,  died  December  25,  1878.  Mrs.  Mann  was  born  in  Meigs 
County,  Ohio,  November  18,  1834.  In  politics  Mr.  Mann  is  a  Republican. 
He  served  one  year  as  Trustee  of  Mifflin  Township,  and  is  highly  esteemed 
as  a  citizen. 

JOB  G.  MANN,  of  the  firm  of  Mann  &  McCoj-mick,  dealers  in  carriages, 
buggies,  agricultural  implements,  etc.,  was  born  in  Salem  Township,  this 
county,  September  21,  1848.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Su.san  (Mattsou) 
Mann,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Vermont,  and  of  Scotch  and  English 
ancestry.  They  were  married  in  Marion  County,  and  reared  a  family  of 
eight  children.  Job  G.,  our  subject,  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  educated 
in  the  common  schools.  He  engaged  in  various  pursuits  until  1879.  at 
which  time  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  and  entered  into  a  partnership 
with  N.  N.  Breinmyre  in  the  sale  of  agricultural  implements  for  a  short 
period.      January  1,  1880,  the  firm  of  Mann  &  McCormick  was  established, 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  625 

since  which  time  they  have  done  a  flourishing  business.  Mr.  Mann  was 
married,  May  8,  1873.  to  Jennie  T.  AVagoner,  daughter  of  Samue]  and 
Nancy  Wagoner,  and  four  children  have  resulted  from  this  union,  namely, 
Alpha  E.,  Wheeler  H.,  Zella  and  Franklin  R.  In  politics  Mr.  Mann  is 
a  Republican,  himself  and  wife  both  being  members  of  the  Church  of  God. 

WILLIAM  MARGRAF  is  a  native  of  Saxena,  Stadtilm,  Germany, 
born  May  22,  1826.  He  is  a  son  of  Louis  and  Catharine  Margraf,  of  whose 
seven  children,  four  emigrated  to  America — Frederick,  Albert,  Louisa  and 
William.  The  remaining  were  Andrew,  Christian  and  an  infant  daughter. 
The  father  embarked  for  America  in  1851,  but  died  on  the  voyage,  and  was 
buried  at  sea,  aged  seventy-five  years.  William  Margraf  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1848,  and  located  at  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  shoe-making  trade,  previously  learned  in  Germany.  He  came  to  this 
county  in  1854,  and  has  since  engaged  in  farming,  having  bought  and  sold 
several  tracts  of  land,  now  owning  196  acres  valued  at  $100  per  acre.  Mr. 
Margraf  was  married,  at  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  April  20,  1851,  to  Justina  Karg, 
born  Apri)  3,  1826.  Nine  children  were  born  to  them,  seven  now  living — 
Ludwig,  born  January  28.  1852;  Charles,  Mav  23,  1853;  Julia,  September 
4,  1854;  Albert,  February  24,  1858;  Catherina,  January  3.  1863;  Fred- 
erick, January  28,  1866;  Mary,  August  5,  1870.  The  deceased  were  AVill- 
iam,  born  March  9,  1856,  died  January  2.  1859;  and  an  infant,  born  Au- 
gust 14,  1861.  Mr.  Margraf  is  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  the  town- 
ship, being  a  Democrat  in  politics.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
German  Lutheran  Church. 

GEORGE  O.  MASKEY,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Nevada,  this  county,  Feb- 
ruary 7,  1856.  He  is  the  son  of  Benjamin  and  Adaline  (Zook)  Maskey, 
natives  of  Cumberland  County,  Penn..  and  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  respect- 
ively, and  of  German  and  Scotch  parentage.  They  were  married  in  Craw- 
ford County,  and  located  at  Nevada  in  1853.  rearing  a  family  of  three  chil- 
dren, viz.,  George  O.,  William  F.  and  Jacob  A.  William  F.  is  deceased, 
his  death  occuri'ing  July  25,  1882.  George  O.  Maskey,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  came  to  Upper  Sandusky,  with  his  parents  in  1870.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  Nevada  and  Upper  Sandusky,  graduating  at  the  lat- 
ter place  in  1874.  He  entered  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University  in  1875,  and 
remained  at  that  institution  three  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  Upper 
Sandusky,  and  was  engaged  as  Principal  of  the  Union  schools  of  that  place 
during  the  school  year  of  1879-80.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine  under 
the  instruction  of  Robert  A.  Henderson  in  1879,  and  entered  the  Cleveland 
Medical  College  in  1880,  graduating  in  March,  1882.  He  located  imme- 
diately at  Upper  Sandusky,  forming  a  partnership  with  Dr.  R.  A.  Hender- 
son in  1882,  with  whom  he  still  continues  in  the  successful  practice  of  his 
profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  and  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

JOSEPH  A.  MAXWELL,  dry  goods  merchant,  was  born  in  Cumberland 
County,  Penn.,  August  5,  1829.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Mary  (Fulton) 
Maxwell,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry.  They  were 
the  parents  of  eleven  children,  our  subject  being  the  youngest.  The  father 
died  in  his  native  county  and  State  in  1847,  aged  sixty-six  years;  the 
mother  died  in  1853,  aged  sixty-six  years.  Joseph  Maxwell,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  ensfasfed  in  teachincf  school  in  his  native  county  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  years,  and  continued  in  this  pi'ofession  until  1856.  when,  having 
removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  he  was  employed  as  salesman  six  months  with 
Dr.  Orrin   Ferris  in  the  drug  business.     He  subsequently  purchased  Dr. 


626  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Ferris'  interest  in  the  establisliment,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  J.  H. 
Hoi  ton.  Two  years  after,  Mr.  Holton  was  succeeded  by  George  J.  Maxwell, 
and  two  years  from  this  date  J.  A.  Maxwell  purchased  his  brother's  interest 
and  became  sole  proprietor,  continuing  the  business  six  years,  He  disposed 
of  his  stock  of  drugs  in  1866,  and  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the 
Wyandot  County  Bank,  of  which  he  was  cashier  eighteen  months,  and  also 
a  stockholder.  In  September,  1869,  Mr.  Maxwell  entered  into  a  partner- 
ship with  T.  E.  Beery  in  the  dry  goods  trade,  in  connection  with  which 
they  dealt  extensively  in  grain  and  wool,  and  this  business  relation  was 
sustained  three  and  a  half  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  partnership 
was  dissolved  by  mutual  consent,  Mr.  Maxwell  continuing  in  the  dry  goods 
trade.  He  erected  Centennial  block,  a  large  two-story  brick  building  on 
Wyandot  avenue,  the  main  room  being  40x85  feet,  and  the  grocery  room 
20x85  feet  in  dimension.  Mr.  Maxwell  occupies  the  main  room  with  a  large 
stock  of  dry  goods,  carpets,  etc.,  and  owns  a  half  interest  in  the  grocery  store, 
which  is  also  well  stocked.  In  politics,  Mr.  Maxwell  is  a  Republican. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  to  which  he  is  known  as 
a  liberal  contributor.  Mr.  Maxwell  was  married  November  17,  1857,  to 
Miss  Mattie  A.  Edwards,  daughter  of  Hampton  H.  and  Maria  (Bean) 
Edwards,  of  Upper  Sandusky.  Six  children  were  born  to  them,  five  living 
—Mary  M.,  born  June  30,  1859;  Anna  B.,  October  8,  1861;  Ella  J.,  June 
19,  1864;  Joseph  E.,  August  16,  1869;  Lottie  B.,  January  8,  1875.  The 
deceased  is  Charles  A.,  born  May  5,  1868,  died  May  27,  1868.  Mr  Max- 
well is,  perhaps,  the  l<^ading  merchant  of  Upper  Sandusky,  carrying  a  stock 
the  year  round  valued  at  $20,000.  He  is  a  man  of  large  business  experience 
and  ability,  and  is  thoroughly  versed  in  all  the  various  branches  of  his 
vocation.  He  is  also  a  man  of  unquestionable  character  and  gentlemanly 
beai'ing,  and  is  entitled  to  a  position  in  the  front  rank  of  citizenship  not 
only  for  his  superior  ability  as  a  business  agent,  but  also  for  his  inherent 
worth  as  an  individual. 

ABRAHAM  McCLAIN,  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  pioneers  of 
this  county,  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  April  14,  1810.  He  is  a  son 
of  James  and  Mary  (Osborn)  McClain,  who  were  both  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  parents  were  married  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  to  which  locality 
they  both  had  migrated  in  their  early  single  days,  and  where  they  reared  a 
family  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  our  subject  being  as  this  date,  the 
only  surviving  member.  His  father  moved  from  Madison  County  to  Wyan- 
dot in  April,  1846,  and  settled  in  Pitt  Township,  where  he  purchased  a  farm 
on  which  he  died  in  1855,  in  his  eighty-fourth  year;  his  wife,  Mary,  after 
his  death  removing  to  her  son's  home  where  she  died  in  1865,  in  a  log  cabin 
erected  by  John  Bearskin,  a  full-blooded  Indian.  Our  subject  resided 
with  his  parents  till  his  sixth  year  in  his  native  county,  then  removed 
with  tbem  to  Pickaway  County,  and  three  years  later  to  Madison  County, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood.  Living  on  the  frontier  in  those  early  days,  the 
advantages  of  schools  were  almost  entirely  denied  him.  He  was  employed 
on  the  farm  with  his  parents  till  his  marriage  to  Mary  A.  Netf,  November 
15,  1831,  soon  after  which  he  removed  to  what  is  now  this  county,  arriving 
here  in  February,  1834.  This  locality  was  then  an  unbroken  forest  inhab- 
ited chiefly  by  Indians,  with  whom  Mr.  McClain  was  on  quite  familiar 
terms,  being  personally  acquainted  with  the  chiefs  Sumundewat,  Bearskin, 
Peacock,  Matthew  Mudeater,  Dr.  Greyeyes,  James  Rankins  and  Jonathan 
and  Isaac  Zorne.  Amid  these  surroundings  he  began  the  toilsome  task  of 
building  up  a  home,  and  right  manfully  he  has  fought  his  way  through  the 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  627 

years  of  an  industrious  life.  We  find  him  now  the  owner  of  224  acres  of 
valuable  land,  and  comfortably  housed  in  a  substantial  brick  residence,  en- 
joying the  comforts  of  life  in  his  old  age,  though  somewhat  broken  in  health 
by  the  years  of  toil.  His  farm  is  well  stocked  with  the  best  grades  of  cat- 
tle, sheep  and  hogs,  and  he  yet  does  quite  an  extensive  farming  business. 
By  his  first  wife,  who  died  August  9,  1853,  Mr.  McClain  had  nine  children, 
six  of  whom  are  now  living — John  G.,  born  November  15,  1834;  Jane  E., 
August  23,  1838;  Archibald,  March  24,  1841;  Marv  R.,  May  14,  1843; 
David  P.,  April  15,1845,  and  Zachary  T.,  May  6,' 1847.  Mrs.  McClain 
was  born  November  12,  1808.  Mr.  McClain's  second  wife  was  Catharine  A. 
Beriien,  to  whom  he  was  married,  January  29,  1856.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Saloma  (Zimmerman)  Beriien,  and  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
County,  Penn.,  May  12,  1833.  By  this  union  eight  children  have  resulted, 
seven  still  living,  viz.:  Sarah  E.,  born  October 30,  1857;  Abraham  L.,  May 
20,  1860;  Leefe  B.,  February  18,  1862;  Elmore  J.,  November  2,  1863; 
Emma  A.,  June  17,  1865;  Myrtie  E.,  March  25,  1870,  and  Charles  A.,  Au- 
gust 16,  1875.  Saloma,  who  was  born  December  8,  1858,  died  August, 
1859.  Mr.  McClain  is  an  enthusiastic  Republican  and  ii  true  patriot. 
Three  sons  were  soldiers  in  the  late  war  and  his  father,  James  McClain,  was 
a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  began  his  business  life  a  poor  boy,  but 
has  accumulated  a  valuable  property,  and  with  his  garnered  stores,  his  three 
score  years  and  ten  failed  not  to  crown  him  with  gray  hairs  and  honor. 

ARCHIBALD  H.  McCLAIN,  son  of  Abraham  and  Mary  A  (Neff)  Mc- 
Clain, was  born  in  Pitt  Township,  this  county,  March  24,  1841.  He  ob- 
tained a  fair  education  in  the  schools  of  his  neighborhood,  and  remained 
with  his  parents  on  the  farm  until  the  opening  of  the  late  war  when  he  en- 
listed in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, September  24,  1862,  and  participated  in  eleven  severe  battles  promi- 
nent among  which  was  that  of  Winchester  1st,  where  his  company  suffered 
heavy  losses,  himself  being  taken  prisoner,  and  detained  at  Belle  Island 
about  thirty  days,  after  which  time  he  was  paroled  and  returned  home  on  fur- 
lough. He  subsequently  rejoined  his  regiment  and  served  till  the  close  of 
the  war,  being  captured  at  the  battle  of  Richmond,  and  witnessing  the  sur- 
render of  Gen,  Lee's  army  at  Appomattox.  He  was  discharged  at  Columbus, 
Ohio,  as  Hospital  Orderly,  having  been  a  faithful  soldier,  seldom  missing 
an  engagement.  He  returned  to  his  home  in  Crane  Township,  and  in  1866 
was  married  to  Minerva  Waterhouse,  of  St.  Joseph  County,  Ind.  They 
have  four  children — Elmore,  James,  Abraham  and  Earnest.  In  1875,  Mr. 
McClain  removed  to  the  West,  locating  in  Washington  County,  Iowa,  in 
1877.  He  owns  a  farm  of  160  acres  near  Brighton,  Iowa,  and  this  he  has 
well- improved,  valuing  the  same  at  $40  per  acre.  He  has  many  friends  in 
this  county. 

DR.  JAMES  McCONNELL,  whose  portrait  appears  in  this  work,  and 
one  of  the  oldest  physicians  of  this  county,  was  born  in  Huntingdon  County, 
Penn.,  March  8,  1802,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Armitage)  McCon- 
nell.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  pioneer  times,  and  while 
quite  a  youth  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  John 
Henderson.  He  graduated  at  the  Baltimore  Medical  College  and  immedi- 
ately entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Lewiston,  Penn.,  where 
he  remained  till  1845.  He  then  disposed  of  his  property  in  Lewiston,  sur- 
rendered his  practice  in  that  locality  and  removed  to  Upper  Sanduskj',  where 
he  has  since  resided,  and  where  he  established  an  extensive  and  profitable 
practice.     He  was  faithful  to  his  calling  till   the  lapse  of  years  compelled 


628  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

him  to  abandon  it,  which,  with  reluctance,  he  did  in  1868.  Since  that  time 
he  has  been  "  npon  the  retired  list,"  and  his  son,  Dr.  Robert  N.  McConnell, 
has  assumed  his  practice.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  his  profession, 
and  has  accumulated  a  large  amount  of  property,  lands,  lots  and  business 
rooms.  Dr.  McConnell  was  married  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  1842,  to  Mar- 
garetta  Nelson,  daughter  of  Robert  Nelson,  and  live  children  were  born  to 
them,  two  of  whom  are  now  living — Robert  N.  and  John  B.  The  deceased 
are  Martha  S.,  Jane  and  an  infant.  The  Doctor  was  one  of  the  most  highly 
esteemed  of  the  citizens  of  Upper  Sandusky,  having  always  led  an  honora- 
ble life.  His  character  was  of  the  sternest  excellence,  and  his  social  as  well 
as  his  professional  career  has  been  marked  by  the  utmost  sincerity  and  can- 
dor. Both  he  and  Mrs.  McConnell  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  In  politics.  Dr.  McConnell  was  a  stanch  Republican.  His  death 
occurred  April  12,  1884,  at  the  advanced  age  of  nearly  eighty-two  years. 
The  following  notice  of  his  life  and  character  appeared  in  the  Wyandot 
C/mow  of  April  17:  "  Another  venerable  and  esteemed  citizen  has  passed 
away.  He  died  Saturday  morning,  April  12,  at  half  past  9  o'clock.  About 
a  week  preceding  death,  he  took  a  severe  cold,  which  developed  into  con- 
gestion of  the  lungs.  Up  and  until  Ihat  time,  aside  from  the  usual  infirmi- 
ties of  age,  the  Doctor  had  enjoyed  remarkable  health.  A  line  constitution, 
which  he  guarded  with  correct  habits,  extended  to  him  its  results,  and  he 
rarely  sufiei'ed  physical  affliction.  He  was  one  of  our  first  settlers,  coming 
here  during  the  land  sales  in  1845.  He  had  faith  in  the  new  town  and  the 
then  surrounding  country,  and  watched  their  progress  with  no  little  interest. 
He  was  one  of  our  first  physicians,  and  held  in  high  esteem  for  his  skill  and 
usefulness  in  the  profession,  continuing  practice  until  the  year  1868,  when 
the  tendency  of  years  required  a  more  inactive  life,  and  even  then  he  re- 
luctantly retired  from  practice,  but  with  the  proud  satisfaction  of  seeing  the 
mantle  fall  upon  an  able  and  efficient  son.  The  deceased  was  somewhat 
eccentric,  yet  this  phase  in  his  nature  was  a  pleasing  one  which  endeared 
the  Doctor  to  all  our  people.  His  it  was  to  be  enthusiastic  and  positive, 
but  the  silver  lining  to  this  peculiar  quality  was  a  willing  consideration  for 
the  opinion  of  others,  even  when  he  was  almost  sure  to  utter  a  difference. 
He  was  ever  genial  and  kind,  with  a  heart  full  of  sympathy,  taking  a  deep 
interest  in  everything  that  affected  our  people.  He  had  a  strong  attach- 
ment for  neighbors  and  friends,  especially  for  those  connected  with  the 
early  settlement  of  the  town,  which  was  made  quite  manifest  in  his  every- 
day walk  and  conversation.  For  the  past  fifteen  or  twenty  years  the  de- 
ceased contented  himself  in  looking  after  his  valuable  landed  interests  in 
this  city  and  n  ear  it,  which  was  the  result  of  judicious  investments  at  an 
early  day;  and  made  his  life  and  the  life  of  others  agreeable  by  his  friendly 
contact.  Until  age  had  brought  those  infirmities  which  it  seems  humanity 
is  not  permitted  to  escape,  the  Doctor  enjoyed  unusual  health,  and  scarcely 
a  day  passed  but  his  manly  form  was  seen  moving  upon  our  streets.  He 
seemed  to  admire  the  open  day,  and  was  one  of  the  few  men  who  rarely 
found  fault  with  the  weather  or  surrounding  circumstances.  This  pecu- 
liarity he  no  doubt  contracted  by  a  long  and  active  practice  in  his  pro- 
fession. His  many  years  within  our  midst  are  without  a  blemish,  and  al- 
though positive  in  conclusions  and  never  loath  in  asserting  his  convictions 
of  right,  he  had  not  an  enemy;  nor  one  who  did  not  feel  a  degree  of  pleas- 
ure in  his  presence.  His  social  qualities  were  a  little  singular,  yet  not  the 
less  attractive;  and  above  all,  he  enjoyed  a  rehearsal  of  old  times  in  which 
he  would  grow  animated  and  intensely  interesting.      He  never  forgot  his  old 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  629 

State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  seemed  to  cling  to  the  recollection  of  liis  youth 
with  a  pleasurable  pride.  He  was  one  of  our  best  citizens,  pure  and  honest 
in  all  his  actions,  living  with  a  desire  of  seeing  others  live  to  enjoy  life; 
and  never  negligent  in  his  responses  when  a  friend  needed  his  services  or 
advice.  He  was  an  exemplary  citizen — living  a  life  worthy  of  imitation. 
No  one  will  be  more  sadly  missed  that  Dr.  McConnell,  who  has  been  one  of 
us  so  long,  and  whose  very  presence  seemed  to  identify  the  place.  After  ap- 
propriate services  at  his  late  residence,  by  the  Rev.  S.  Fenner,  on  Monday, 
at  3  o'clock,  his  remains  were  interred  in  the  family  lot  at  Oak  Hill  Ceme- 
tery.'" 

ROBERT  N.  McCONNELL,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Lewiston,  Penn., 
April  29,  1843;  son  of  James  and  Margaretta  (Nelson)  McConnell.  He  came 
to  Upper  Sandusky  with  his  parents  when  but  two  years  of  age,  and  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  that  place,  entering  the  Ohio  Weslyan 
University  in  1859,  taking  a  preparatory  course,  and  subsequently  entering 
the  Jefferson  College  at  Canonsburg,  Penn..  with  the  intention  of  taking  a 
classical  course.  This  arrangement  was  thwarted,  however,  by  his  enlist- 
ment in  Septembev,  1862,  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty  third 
Regiment,  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  to  serve  three  years  as  a  private  in  the 
late  war.  He  was  commissioned  as  Hospital  Attendant,  serving  until  the 
battle  of  Winchester,  June  15,  1863,  at  which  engagement  the  entire  regi- 
ment was  taken  prisoners  and  confined  at  Belle  Island.  After  four  weeks 
Dr.  McConnell  was  released  on  parole  and  returned  home  and  during  his 
sojoui-n  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Starling  Medical  College  having 
begun  the  study  of  medicine  while  in  the  service.  He  was  discharged  from 
the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Regiment,  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  by 
special  order  from  the  War  Department  to  accept  a  commission  as  Assistant 
Surgeon  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty  third  Ohio  National  Guards,  in 
the  spring  of  1864,  and  served  with  the  regiment  until  the  expiration  of 
its  term  of  service  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  He  entered  the  medical 
department  of  the  Wooster  University  at  Cleveland,  and  graduated  in  1865, 
in  the  first  class  that  graduated  from  that  institution  Immediately  after 
taking  his  degree  he  was  appointed  Assistant  Surgeon  General  of  the  State 
by  Gov.  Brough,  and  continued  in  this  office  till  it  was  abolished,  a  year 
afterward.  Dr.  McConnell  then  returned  home,  and  during  the  winter  of 
1866-67  attended  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  after  which 
he  opened  up  a  drug  store  in  Upper  Sandusky  in  connection  with  his  prac- 
tice. In  1869,  he  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  drug  establishment  to  L. 
A.  Brunner  and  devoted  his  entire  attention  to  his  profession,  attending  a 
course  of  lectures  during  the  winter  of  1870-71  at  Belleview  Medical  Col- 
lege, New  York  City.  In  order  to  lay  the  foundation  for  more  complete 
success  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  Dr.  McConnell  proceeded  to  Europe 
in  1878,  and  attended  the  Imperial  Medical  XTniversity  at  Vienna,  Austria, 
returning  to  Upper  Sandusky  after  an  absence  of  about  one  year.  He  was 
in  1874,  appointed  Director  of  the  Ohio  Penitentiary  under  Gov.  Allen's 
administration,  serving  in  that  capacity  two  years  with  great  credit  to 
himself  and  to  the  institution.  In  1882,  Dr.  Connell  entered  into  a  part- 
nership with  Isaac  N.  Bowman,  which  connection  still  exists.  He  has 
established  a  lai'ge  practice  and  is  among  the  foremost  of  the  physicians  of 
this  section  of  the  State.  He  is  an  honored  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M. , 
having  attained  the  thirty-second  degree;  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor  and  the  G.  A.  R.  In  politics.  Dr.  McConnell  is  a  thorough  Repub- 
lican. 


630  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

NELSON  McFAKLAND  is  a  native  of  Belford  County,  Penn.,  born 
October  20,  1839.  His  parents  were  of  Scotch-Irish  descent  and  came 
from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio  in  1843.  His  father  w^as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of 
1812,  being  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe.  He  died  in  Illinois  in 
1863;  his  wife's  death  occurred  in  1849.  Of  their  thirteen  children  but 
five  are  living,  namely:  Andrew,  John,  Elizabeth,  Jane  and  Nelson.  The 
latter  came  to  this  State  with  his  parents  and  grew  up  in  the  counties  of 
Belmont  and  Guernsey  in  which  he  attended  school  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  teaming.  He  subsequently  spent  five  years  in  Illinois  returning 
the  first  of  the  year  1860.  In  April,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Fifteenth  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  at  the  close  of  three  months'  service  re-enlisted  in 
the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three 
years.  He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Moorefield,  Winchester,  New  Market, 
Piedmont,  Lynchburg,  Snickersford,  Marti nsburg,  Strawsburg,  Cedar  Creek 
and  several  minor  engagements.  His  regiment  was  captured  at  Winchester; 
was  paroled  and  exchanged,  and  afterward  re-organized  at  Martinsburg  in 
February,  1864.  He  was  subsequently  twice  captured,  the  last  time  three 
days  before  Lee's  surrender.  He  received  his  discharge  in  June,  1865,  and 
returned  home;  farmed  rented  land  a  few  years;  purchased  eighty-five  acres 
on  which  he  resided  eight  years;  and  in  June,  1881,  purchased  his  present 
farm  of  133  acres  valued  at  $70  per  acre.  Mr.  McFarland  was  married, 
October,  1865,  to  Mary  A.  Moody,  who  was  born  in  this  county  October  1, 
1835.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Timothy  and  Susan  (Bower)  Moody,  and  has 
always  resided  in  this  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McFarland  have  no  children; 
their  adopted  son  James  W.,  was  born  October  24,  1875.  Mr.  McFarland 
is  a  Kepublican  and  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  E. ,  and  is  associated  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

HON.  ROBERT  McKELLY  is  a  native  of  Lancaster  County,  Penn., 
and  was  born  April  8,  1815;  he  is  a  son  of  Alexander  and  Mary  (Torrence) 
McKelly,  who  were  natives  of  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  from  whence  they 
emigrated  to  America  in  1800.  They  first  settled  in  Lancaster  County, 
Penn.,  residing  thei'e  till  1823,  then  removing  to  Allegheny  County,  near 
Pittsburgh,  where  Mr.  McKelly  died  in  his  eightieth  year,  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Kelly in  her  sixty-third,  the  death  of  the  latter  occurring  September  22, 
1845.  They  reared  a  family  of  ten  children,  of  whom  but  three  are  now  liv- 
ing, namely:  Martha,  wife  of  James  Orr,  of  Barnesville,  Ohio;  Robert  and 
Elizabeth  H.  Robert  McKelly,  the  subject  proper  of  this  notice,  obtained 
a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  Lancaster  and  Allegheny  Counties,  where 
he  taught  several  tei'ms,  beginning  at  the  age  of  fifteen.  In  1834,  he  came 
to  Ohio,  and  was  employed  in  the  schools  of  Bellville,  Lexington  and  in 
Knox  County;  he  began  the  study  of  law  at  Mt.  Vernon  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Hem-y  B.  Curtis,  in  1838,  and  continued  under  his  regime  one  year. 
He  theu  further  prosecuted  his  studies  with  Col.  John  K.  Miller,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1842,  serving  as  Deputy  Postal  Clerk  in  the  mean- 
time. He  began  the  practice  of  law  at  Bucyrus  in  July,  1842,  removing  to 
Upper  Sandusky  in  June,  1845,  to  assume  the  duties  of  Register  of  the 
United  States  Land  Office,  to  which  he  had  been  appointed  by  President 
Polk.  This  office  having  been  removed  to  Defiance.  Mr.  McKelly  resigned 
in  1848,  and  returned  to  Upper  Sandusky.  In  1851,  he  was  appointed 
Probate  Judge  of  this  county,  by  Gov.  Wood,  the  election  having  resulted 
in  a  tie  vote.  In  1854,  he  was  chosen  Dii-ector  of  the  Ohio  &  Indiana 
Railroad  (now  the  P.,  Ft.  W.  &  Chicago,  Railroad),  and  served  in  this  ca- 
pacity till  about  1870;  he  was  chosen  President  of   the  same  line   prior  to 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  631 

the  consolidation  of  the  three  roads,  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania.  Ohio  &  Indiana 
and  Ft.  Wayne  &  Chicago,  serving  seven  months  and  holding  an  interest  in 
the  road,  till  it  was  leased  by  the  Pennsylvania  Company.  In  1857,  Mr. 
McKelly  vpas  elected  State  Senator  and  creditably  filled  the  duties  of  that 
office  one  term,  since  which  time  he  has  devoted  his  attention  almost  wholly 
to  his  profession.  In  September,  1881,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Court  to 
serve  an  unexpired  term  in  the  office  of  Prosecuting  Attorney,  and  was  elect- 
ed to  the  same  office  in  October,  1881;  he  has  practiced  the  legal  profession 
in  this  county  almost  forty  years,  and  his  labors  have  been  bountifully  re- 
warded both  in  a  financial  and  professional  sense;  he  is  one  of  the  oldest 
members  of  the  Wyandot  bar  and  is  also  recognized  as  one  of  its  ablest  rep- 
resentatives; he  is  a  man  of  great  force  of  character,  and  for  keen  business 
sagacity  is  perhaps  unsurpassed  by  any  of  his  cotemporaries.  Mr.  Mc- 
Kelly was  married  at  Bellville,  Ohio,  to  Kebecca  J.  Ogle,  daughter  of 
Enoch  and  Catharine  Ogle,  and  ten  children  were  born  to  them,  three  of 
whom  are  all  that  are  now  living,  namely:  Robert  A.,  born  May  20,  1843; 
Roberta  A.,  August  13,  1817,  and  James  M.,  May,  13,  1851.  The  mother 
of  these  children  passed  away  June  12,  1863,  and  Mr.  McKelly  was  mar- 
ried December  31,  1870,  to  Isabel,  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Sarah  (Miles) 
Snyder.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party.  As  a  representative  citizen  of  this 
county  we  present  the  portrait  of  Mr.  McKelly  in  this  work. 

ROBERT  A.  McKELLY  was  born  in  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  May  13,  1843;  he 
is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Rebecca  (Ogle)  McKelly,  who  removed  to  Wyandot 
County  in  1845;  he  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Upper  Sandusky, 
afterward  attending  the  Ohio  Weslyan  University  one  year;  he  closed  his 
educational  pursuits  at  the  ago  of  seventeen,  and  engaged  as  clerk  in  the 
Auditor's  office,  under  the  administration  of  Peter  B.  Beidler,  and  subse- 
quently formed  a  partnership  with  Thomas  Shissler  in  the  drug  business. 
This  firm  existed  one  year,  when  Mr.  McKelly  purchased  his  partners  in- 
terest, and  conducted  the  business  independently  until  1865;  he  then  re- 
tired from  business  one  year,  but  subsequently  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  dry 
goods  store  of  S.  M.  Worth  until  appointed  Deputy  Auditor,  under  the 
regime  of  Jonathan  Maffet.  In  1872,  he  was  elected  Auditor,  and  re-elected 
in  1874,  at  the  expiration  of  his  second  term  entering  into  a  partnership 
with  C.  B.  Hare  in  the  hardware  business,  in  which  occupation  he  has  since 
continued,  the  business  being  transacted  under  the  firm  name  of  Hare  &  Mc- 
Kelly. They  have  established  a  good  trade,  and  carry  a  large  stock  of 
goods,  consisting  of  everything  usually  found  in  a  first-class  hardware  store. 
Mr.  McKelly  was  married  May  10,  18*66,  to  Mary  J.  Campbell,  of  Coshoc- 
ton, Ohio,  and  three  children  have  been  born  to  them — Isabel  R. ,  born 
April  27,  1867;  Thomas  M.,  September  23,  1869.  and  Robert  C,  February 
10,  1872.  Mr.  McKelly  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board  for  ten 
years,  and  was  instrumental  in  the  erection  of  the  fine  New  Union  School 
Building  of  Upper  Sandusky,  during  the  year  1883;  he  is  a  distinguished 
member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  advancing  as  far  as  the  Chapter,  also  a  member 
of  the  Royal  Arcanum.     In  political  sentiment,  he  is  a  Democrat. 

ROBERT  McKELVY,  whose  portrait  we  present  in  this  work,  and  who 
is  one  of  the  county's  most  esteemed  pioneers,  was  born  in  County  Antrim, 
Ireland.  February  2,  1819.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  McKelvy,  who 
were  both  natives  of  the  same  county,  where  the  former  died  in  1866:  the 
latter  in  1864.  They  reared  a  family  of  five  children,  three  of  whom — 
Margaret,  Robert    and    Mary — emigrated    to    America.      Robert    McKelvy 


682  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1843,  and  stopped  at  St.  Thomas,  Canada,  where  he 
learned  the  tanner's  trade.  In  1846,  he  came  to  Upper  Sandusky  and 
engaged  in  the  tanning  business  with  William  Trimble  till  1850,  when  the 
latter  retired,  Mr.  McKeIvy  continuing  in  the  business  till  1870,  when  he 
established  a  harness  shop  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Hick  streets,  where 
he  conducted  a  flourishing  business.  Mr.  McKelvy  recently  erected  a  large 
ice  house,  and  this  business  will  claim  a  portion  of  his  attention  in  the 
future.  He  has  been  one  of  the  important  business  factors  of  Upper  San- 
dusky for  nearly  forty  years,  and  is  well  known  to  the  community  for  his 
habits  of  industry  and  perseverance.  In  his  time  he  has  had  a  vast  busi- 
ness experience,  and  his  knowledge  of  the  world  and  its  ways  is  no  less  ex- 
tensive. Born  and  reared  amid  the  brave,  hardy  and  freedom -seeking  sons 
of  Erin,  schooled  among  the  cautious  and  skillful  Canadians  in  the  rules  of 
his  trade,  and  energized  by  business  contact  with  the  shrewd  commercial 
Yankees,  he  is  well  qualified  for  the  strong  position  which  he  occupies  in 
the  business  sphere  of  his  community.  By  hard  labor  and  persevering 
industry  Mr.  McKelvy  has  accumulated  a  handsome  competence  of  this 
world's  goods,  owning  two  acres  where  he  resides,  ten  acres  within  the  cor- 
poration, and  other  town  property  of  value.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  political 
sentiment,  and  though  not  an  office-seeker,  he  served  two  years  as  Township 
Trustee,  and  two  years  in  the  City  Council  of  Upper  Sandusky.  He  and 
his  family  are  associated  with  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  McKelvy  is 
one  of  the  most  thoroughl}'^  respected  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county,  always 
having  sustained  an  unblemished  character,  and  kindly  regarded  by  the  citi- 
zens with  whom  he  is  associated.  He  was  married,  February  14,  1850,  to 
Eliza  Ellis,  Rev.  James  R.  Bonner,  of  the  Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian 
Church,  officiating.  Mrs.  McKelvy  was  a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Sarah 
Ellis,  and  was  born  in  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  March  9,  1826,  emigrating 
to  America  in  1847.  Seven  children  blessed  this  union,  sis  of  whom  are 
now  living— William  J.,  born  March  8,  1854;  Mary  E.,  April  6,  1858;  Hes- 
ter J.,  October  9,  1860;  John  S.,  March  10,  1862;  Robert  E.,  March  14, 
1864;  Margaret  C,  April  7,  1866.  Sarah  A.,  eldest,  who  was  born  Novem- 
ber 19,  1851,  died  February  25,  1881.  She  was  married  to  James  H.  Kerr 
November  19,  1872,  and  was  the  mother  of  one  child,  Robert  Mc.  Kerr,  who, 
since  his  mother's  death,  has  been  adopted  by  his  grandfather,  Mr.  McKelvy. 

WILLIAM  J.  McKELVY,  dealer  in  and  manufacturer  of  harnesses,  sad- 
dles, collars,  etc.,  was  born  in  Upper  Sandusky  March  8,  1854.  He  is  the 
son  of  Robert  and  Eliza  (Ellis)  McKelvy,  and  was  reared  and  educated  in 
the  city  of  his  birth.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  engaged  in  the  harness 
ti'ade  with  his  father,  with  whom  he  remained  five  years.  He  subsequently 
became  a  partner  of  his  father,  doing  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Mc- 
Kelvy &  Son  two  years.  At  the  end  of  this  time  he  purchased  his  father's 
interest,  and  has  since  conducted  the  business  independently.  He  carries  a 
stock  of  $2,500  to  13,000,  employing  three  to  five  hands  constantly.  He 
owns  the  building  which  he  occupies,  the  stock  which  it  contains,  and 
is  doing  a  thriving  business.  He  was  married,  September  30,  1880,  to  Miss 
Rosalind  Engel,  daughter  of  Christian  and  Mary  (Hipp)  Engel,  residents 
of  Upper  Sandusky.  Mrs.  McKelvy  was  born  March  6,  1859.  Mr.  Mc- 
Kelvy is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  Mrs.  McKelvy  of  the 
German  Luthei-an  Church.     In  politics  Mr.  McKelvy  is  Democratic. 

CAPT.  HENRY  MILLER,  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Ziegler)  Miller, 
was  born  in  Union  County,  Penn.,  May  1,  1818.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  were  married  in  that  State  about  1814.      They  removed 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  633 

to  Juniata  County,  Penn.,  in  1820,  and  resided  in  that  locality  until  1845, 
wlien  they  came  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  this  county.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  five  children,  three  living — Samuel,  Henry  and  Sarah.  John,  an 
infant,  is  deceased,  also  Mary,  the  vp^ife  of  Michael  Depler,  who  died  in 
1863.  The  father  died  in  this  count}-  in  1848,  aged  about  fifty-five  years. 
The  mother  survived  her  husband  a  number  of  years  and  died  in  her  seven- 
ty-third year.  Henry  Miller,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  engaged  upon 
a  farm  during  his  earlier  years,  subsequently  serving  an  apprenticeship  at 
the  printer's  trade,  pursuing  this  occupation  five  years,  and  finally  abandon- 
inof  it  on  account  of  failing  health.  In  1845,  he  removed  to  Ohio  and  en- 
gaged  in  the  carpenter's  trade  with  his  father  till  June  3,  1846,  at  which 
time  he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Third  Ohio  Kegiment,  in  the  Mexican  war, 
He  enlisted  as  private,  but  was  commissioned  Brevet  Second  Lieutenant 
about  six  months  afterward,  serving  until  the  close  of  his  term  of  service — 
one  year.  He  was  discharged  in  June,  1847,  and  returned  to  Upper  San- 
dusky, where  he  engaged  in  the  butchering  business  five  years.  In  1854, 
Mr.  Miller  removed  with  his  family  to  Iowa  and  engaged  one  year  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  but  returned  to  Upper  Sandusky  at  the  expiration  of  that 
time  and  engaged  in  various  vocations  until  elected  Recorder  of  the  county 
in  1859.  During  his  term  of  office  Mr.  Miller  enlisted  in  the  late  war, 
Company  K,  Fiftv -fifth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantiy,  for  three  years, 
entering  the  service  in  1861.  He  was  commissioned  First  Lieutenant  and,  in 
1862,  as  Captain,  participating  in  the  following  battles:  Chancellorsville, 
Gettysburg,  Mission  Ridge,  and  the  battles  of  the  entire  Atlanta  campaign. 
In  1864,  he  tendered  his  i-esignation  and  returned  to  his  family  in  Upper 
Sandusky,  engaging  in  the  grocery  and  provision  trade  from  1865  to  1878, 
being  then  appointed  Deputy  Auditor,  in  which  capacity  he  is  now  serving. 
He  held  the  office  of  Township  Clerk  eight  consecutive  years,  and  as  member 
of  the  City  Council  a  number  of  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union  School 
Board,  and  a  Republican  in  politics.  Himself  and  family  are  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Miller  was  married  January  4, 
1849,  to  Ellen  Walker,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Newman)  Walk- 
er, residents  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  ten  children  have  been  born  to  them, 
three  now  living — Virginia  E.,  Delia  E  and  Mary  E.,  wife  of  Frank  Myers, 
residents  of  Upper  Sandusky.  The  deceased  are  Charles  B.,  Henry  Will- 
iam, McCandlish,  Rhoda  I.,  Clara  E.,  Rose  May  and  Harry  E. 

GEORGE  A.  MITCHELL  was  born  in  Knox  County,  Ohio,  May  30, 
1819,  son  of  Joseph  and  Martha  (Carr)  Mitchell,  the  former  a  native  of 
Washington  County,  Penn.,  born  January  1,  1782;  the  latter  of  Bucks 
County,  Penn.,  born  August  22,  1795;  the  latter  died  June  21,  1835;  the 
former  August  23,  1865.  They  were  married  in  Knox  County,  Ohio,  Sep- 
tember 10,  1811,  and  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  three — Nathaniel, 
George  A.  and  James— still  living.  The  family  resided  in  Richland  Coun- 
ty from  1821  till  the  father's  death.  George  Mitchell  came  to  this  county 
in  1846  and  has  since  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  purchased  his 
present  farm  in  1865  at  $40  per  acre;  this  he  has  improved  and  provided 
with  good  buildings,  now  estimating  its  value  at  $100  per  acre.  Mr.  Mitchell 
was  married  November  28,1848,  to  Catharine  L.  Davre,  daughter  of  David 
and  Amanda  (Hawk)  Duvre,  the  former  a  native  of  Philadelphia,  Penn., 
the  latter  of  W^arren  County,  N.  J.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Mitchell  occurred 
October  20,  1849,  and  Mr.  M.  was  again  married  April  6,  1851,  to  Sarah 
M.  Snover,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Hawk)  Snover,  and  one 
child  has  been  born  to  them — Joseph  O. ,  September  1,  1852.   Mrs.  Mitchell 


634  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

was  born  in  New  Jersey  June  19,  1828.  They  have  a  pleasant  home  and 
hold  a  high  position  in  the  esteem  of  their  fellow  citizens. 

JOHN  MITSCH,  farmer,  was  born  near  the  city  of  Worms,  Germany, 
December  23,  1828.  He  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Reyrner) 
Mitsch,  who  emigrated  to  America  in  1841,  and  settled  in  Crawford  County. 
In  1859,  they  removed  to  thi^  county,  and  located  in  Antrim  Township,  where 
the  father  died  in  1864,  aged  sixty-two  years — the  mother,  January  7,  1878, 
in  her  eightieth  year.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  the  living 
being  John,  Catharine  and  Magdalena.  John  Mitsch  spent  six  years  in 
the  schools  of  Germany,  and  subsequently  acquired  some  learning  in 
this  country.  He  resided  with  his  parents  on  the  farm  in  Crawford  County 
till  1852.  when  he  migrated  to  California  in  search  of  the  "yellow  dust," 
his  efforts  being  crowned  with  success.  He  returned  to  the  ''paternal 
roof  "  in  1857,  and  in  the  following  year  purchased  160  acres  of  land  at 
112.50  per  acre  in  this  county,  whei'e  has  since  resided  and  on  which  farm 
he  erected  a  handsome  brick  residence  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  in  1881.  He 
has  since  added  eighty  acres  to  his  original  purchase  and  values  the  whole 
at  $75  per  acre.  He  has  acquired  his  possessions  by  industry  and  good 
management,  inherit! nor  but  a  small  sum  from  his  father's  estate;  he  is  a 
scientific  farmer  and  makes  a  specialty  of  rearing  tine  grades  of  cattle, 
horses  and  hogs.  Mr.  Mitsch  was  married,  February  6,  1859,  to  Rose  A. 
Kipfer,  and  five  children  have  resulted  from  this  union,  four  living — Albert 
H.,  born  June  23,  1860;  George  F.,  May  6.  1864;  Emma  R.  and  Mary  R. 
(twins)  born  January  2,  1866.  An  infant  daughter  is  deceased;  it  was  born 
July  13,  1861,  and  died  in  September  of  the  same  year.  Mrs.  Mitsch's 
death  occurred  January  19,  1866,  and  Mr.  M.  was  again  married,  March, 
1879,  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ritter,  n6e  Kipfer,  sister  of  his  first  wife  and  a 
native  of  Switzerland,  born  March  24,  1824;  they  have  no  children.  Mr. 
Mitsch,  with  his  wife,  is  a  member  of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  to  which 
they  are  liberal  contributors.  He  has  served  as  School  Director  during  the 
greater  part  of  his  residence  in  the  township,  and  favors  the  Democratic 
school  of  politics. 

JOHN  F.  MYERS  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  December  23, 
1827.  He  is  the  son  of  Peter  and  Susannah  (Flickinger)  Myers,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children — Jeremiah  A.  and 
John  F.  The  father's  death  occurred  in  January,  1828;  the  mother 
survived  till  August,  1882.  She  was  born  November  30,  1799.  John  F., 
our  subject,  spent  the  first  thirteen  years  of  his  life  in  Paris,  Starke  County, 
subsequently  removing  to  Canton,  where  he  finished  his  education  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two.  He  engaged  in  the  tailoring  trade  at  Canton  four  years, 
and  after  several  changes  of  place  and  business,  opened  a  grocery  store  in 
Upper  Sandusky  in  1869.  In  this  occupation,  at  the  corner  of  Sandusky 
and  Wyandot  avenues,  he  is  still  engaged.  Mr.  Myers  was  married  at 
Little  Sandusky,  April  18,  1852,  to  Martha  J.  Eggleston,  daughter  of  Da- 
vid and  Elizal3eth  (McCleary)  Eggleston,  natives  of  New  York  and  New 
Hampshire  respectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eggleston  settled  in  this  county 
in  1841-42,  and  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  now 
living — Mary,  Martha  J.,  Charles,  George  A.,  Chloe  E.  The  deceased  was 
Rosena,  who  died  in  Marseilles  Township,  in  1873.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Myers 
are  the  parents  of  ten  children— five  living,  namely:  Fx'ank  E.,  born 
March  27,  1853;  Emma  J.,  September  18.  1854;  Delia  M.,  in  1863; 
George,  August  16,  1868,  and  Edward  S.,  December  6,  1876.  Mr.  Myers 
served  as  Township  Clerk  in  Pitt  Township  two  years;  as  Township  Treas- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  635 

urer  several  years;  was  elected  City  Councilman  in  1874,  and  re-elected  in 
1883.  In  politics,  Mr.  Myers  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  valu- 
able farm  southwest  of  the  city  of  Upper  Sandusky  and  a  comfortable  resi- 
dence on  Seventh  street. 

JOHN  F.  MYERS,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  October 
15.  1844.  He  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Susan  (McClain)  Myers,  the  former 
a  native  of  Hancock  and  the  latter  of  Pickaway  County.  The  parents  set- 
tled ill  this  county  in  1846.  Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  enlisted  in  the  war  in  May,  1863,  joining  Company  A,  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Regiment  Ohio  National  Guard,  Capt.  Regan 
commanding  company;  Col.  Hunt  commanding  regiment.  He  participated  in 
the  skirmishes  at  Berryville  and  Monocacy  Junction,  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at  Columbus,  Ohio.  He  resided  on  the  farm  of  his  wife's  parents 
till  1882,  when  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  110  acres,  paying  for  the 
same  $100  per  acre.  He  has  a  desirable  location,  makes  a  specialty  of 
rearing  good  stock,  and  is  one  of  the  model  farmers  of  the  county.  He  was 
married  September  13,  1868,  to  Frances  Hale,  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza- 
beth (Donor)  Hale.  Their  children  are  Harry  E.,  born  July  24,  1869; 
James  B.,  October  26,  1872;  William  F.,  January  17,  1875;  Elizabeth  E. 
and  Mary  E.  (twins),  born  February  17,  1878;  Ralph  E. ,  September  11, 
1876;  George  F.,  October  29,  1879.  The  latter  two  are  deceased — Ralpk 
E.  dying  August  21,  1877,  and  George  F.,  September  14,  1880.  Mrs. 
Myers  was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  October  27,  1846;  died 
March  16,  1882.  Mr.  Myers  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  God,  the  G.  A. 
R. ,  and  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

LEVI  T.  MYERS,  of  the  firm  of  Streby.  Myers  &  Kail,  city  flouring 
mills,  was  born  in  York  County,  Penn.,  April  11,  1840,  He  is  the  son  of 
Solomon  and  Elizabeth  (Toner)  Myers,  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
who  were  married  in  Carroll  County,  Md.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  namely,  Levi  T.,  Mary  C. ,  Susan,  John  T.  and  Jacob  T.  (twins), 
Ann  M.  and  Elizabeth  M.  Sarah  M.  is  deceased,  her  death  occurring  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two.  Levi  T.,  our  subject,  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Hanover,  Penn.,  and  at  the  age  of  ten  began  his  work  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness, which  he  has  ever  since  engaged  in,  with  the  exception  of  two  years' 
grocery  business  in  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  and  eighteen  months  in  jewelry  in  Penn- 
sylvania. After  operating  in  the  milling  business  for  a  number  of  years  in 
the  various  places  of  Emmittsburg,  Md.,  Milan,  Bucyrus,  Napoleon,  and 
Wooster,  Ohio,  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  October  28,  1878,  and  formed 
a  partnership  with  R.  E.  Kerr  and  Christian  Merrick  in  the  old  Upper  San- 
dusky Mills;  this  partnership  existed  two  years.  In  1880,  he  entered  into 
a  partnership  with  W.  J.  Streby,  and  a  year  later  the  present  firm  of  Streby^ 
Myers  &  Kail  was  formed.  Mr.  Myers  was  married  at  Boiling  Springs, 
Penn.,  October  19,  1869,  to  Matilda  D.  Shaffer.  They  have  one  child  — 
Dustin  S. ,  born  August  6,  1870.  Mrs.  Myers  is  a  native  of  Cumberland 
County,  Penn.,  and  was  born  in  January,  1843.  Mr.  Myers  is  a  member 
of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and,  with  his  wife,  of  the  English  Lutheran  Church. 

MICHAEL  MYERS,  son  of  Michael  and  Mary  M.  (Clore)  Myers,  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania,  was  born  in  Pickaway,  Ohio,  February  24,  1819.  He 
is  one  of  thirteen  children,  six  living — Polly,  Henry,  Sarah,  David,  Hannah 
and  Michael.  Their  parents  were  early  settlers  of  Pickaway,  but  removed 
to  Hancock  County  in  1832,  where  the  mother  died  in  1835,  and  the  father 
in  1853,  the  latter  aged  seventy-seven.  Michael  Myers  was  educated  in  his 
native  county,    and    was  there  married,  February    2,  1843,  to  Susan  Mc- 


636  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Clain,  daughter  of  Zachariah  and  Susan  (Spahr)  McClain,  of  Irish  and  Ger- 
man ancestry.  They  havo  fifteen  children,  eleven  living — John  F.,  born 
October  15,  1844;  George  W.,  October  23,  1846;  William  M.,  February  9. 
1849;  James  M.,  October  5,  1851;  Bertha  E.,  July  28,  1857;  Michael  U., 
October  3,  1859;  Sue  E.,  October  11,  1861;  Dessa  E.  and  Crissa  A.  (twins), 
Aiagust  28,  1866;  Peter  D.,  August  10,  1869,  and  Blanch,  February  12, 
1874.  The  deceased  were  Harriet,  born  September  14,  1853,  died  February 
20,  1857;  Mary  E.,  born  September  2,  1855,  died  April  22,  1857;  Samuel 
E.,  born  October  11,  1863,  died  March  3,  1864;  Henry  E.,  born  December 
30,  1864,  died  in  September,  1865.  Mrs.  Myers  was  born  in  Pickaway 
County,  July  24,  1826.  Mr.  Myers  removed  to  this  county  in  1846,  and 
purchased  government  land  in  Crane  Township  at  |2.50  per  acre,  obtaining 
his  title  from  James  K.  Polk,  President.  His  farm  is  now  valued  at  $80 
per  acre.  Mr.  Myers  is  a  Democrat,  self  and  wife  members  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church. 

T.  Y.  MOODY,  retired  farmer,  was  born  in  Waterbury,  Vt.,  January  2, 
1809.  He  is  a  son  of  David  and  Prisciila  (Cady)  Moody,  natives  of  Massa- 
chusetts. They  settled  in  Vermont  before  marriage,  and  were  the  parents 
of  eleven  children,  of  whom  but  two  are  now  living,  namely,  Timothy  and 
Prisciila.  the  latter  residing  in  Upper  Sandusky,  wife  of  John  Justice.  The 
parents  removed  from  their  native  State  to  Clark  County,  Ohio,  in  1819. 
and  five  years  later  to  Crawford  County  (now  Wyandot),  purchasing  land 
near  Bowsherville,  where  they  resided  until  their  death;  the  father's  decease 
took  place  about  1840,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years;  the  mother  survived  till 
1868,  and  died  in  her  ninety-sixth  year.  With  the  exception  of  eight  years 
in  Indiana,  Mr.  Moody  has  resided  in  Wyandot  County  since  1824.  He 
was  married  near  Bowsherville,  August  27,  1831,  to  Susan  Bowsher,  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  and  Elizabeth  (Harpsteri  Bowshei',  and  eleven  children  have 
blessed  their  union— Eliza,  born  August  7, 1832;  Mary  A.,  October  1,  1835; 
John,  August  2,  1837;  Prisciila,  March  21,  1839;  David,  January  22,  1849; 
Lyman  C,  November  21,  1842;  Maria,  February  23,  1845;  Ellen,  October 
1,  1848.  The  deceased  are  Matthew,  born  November  18,  1833,  died  May 
— ,  1867;  Leeland,  born  August  13,  1850,  died  December  31,  1864,  and 
William  A.,  born  July  13,  1856,  died  March  19,  1871.  These  were  followed 
by  their  mother,  Susan  Bowsher,  July  29,  1880,  her  age  being  sixty- four 
years.  Mr.  Moody  was  married,  December  29,  1881,  to  Orpah  Lloid,  of 
Upper  Sandusky.  They  are  members  of  the  English  Lutheran  Church, 
and  well  respected  as  citizens.  Mr.  Moody  has  accumulated  considerable 
property,  and  is  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  earlier  labors. 

HON.  CHESTER  R.  MOTT,  a  leading  attorney  of  Upper  Sandusky, 
was  born  in  Susquehanna  County,  Penn.,  July  15,  1813.  He  is  the  son  of 
Orange  and  Ruhanna  (Shattuck)  Mott,  natives  of  Connecticut,  and  of 
French  and  English  extraction  respectively.  They  were  married  in  Con- 
necticut, and  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom  eight  are  still 
living,  namely,  Oi'ange,  Julia,  Marilla,  Louis,  William  K.,  Chester  R. , 
Harriet  and  Amasa.  The  mother  died  in  1821,  aged  thirty-nine  years;  the 
father  died  about  1870,  aged  nearly  ninety-nine  years.  Judge  Mott,  as  he 
is  familiarly  known,  obtained  as  good  an  education  as  the  common  schools 
of  the  place  of  his  nativity  afforded.  He  became  a  teacher  in  such  schools 
at  the  age  of  nineteen.  After  teaching  in  his  native  place  for  two  consecu- 
tive winters,  he  pursued  a  course  of  studies  in  a  seminary  endowed  by  the 
Hon.  Gerrit  Smith,  of  Peterboro,  N.  Y.,  and  located  at  Florence,  Oneida 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  under  the  name  of  Florence  Manual  Labor  Institute.      From 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  637 

this  institution  Mr.  Mott  went  directly  to  Erie  County,  Penn.,  where  he 
studied  law;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  several  courts  of  that  State, 
including  the  Supreme  Court  and  the  United  States  District  Court  for  the 
"Western  District  of  Pennsylvania.  Ke  opened  an  office  in  Erie  in  1838,  and 
continued  the  same  until  the'  spring  of  1844,  when  he  removed  directly  to 
Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided.  At  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  new  county  of  "Wyandot,  in  April,  1845,  he  was  elected  Prose- 
cuting Attorney,  and  again  elected  at  the  October  election  in  1845,  for  the 
full  term  of  two  years,  and  after  two  years'  service  he  resigned  his  office, 
and  M..  H.  Kirby  succeeded  thereto  by  appointment.  In  1849,  Mr.  Mott 
was  elected  County  Auditor,  and  re-elected  in  1851;  his  second  term  ex- 
pired in  March,  A.  D.  1854.  In  1857,  he  was  elected  by  the  counties  of 
Hardin  and  "Wyandot  their  representative  in  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
State,  in  which  body  he  served  daring  its  sessions  of  1858  and  1859.  De- 
clining to  be  a  candidate  for  a  second  term,  he  continued  the  practice  of 
his  profession  in  connection  with  his  partner,  Hon.  John  Berry,  now  de- 
ceased, until  1865,  when  he  was  again  elected  to  the  office  of  Prosecuting 
Attorney  of  his  county,  just  twenty  years  after  his  first  election  to  the  same 
office,  but,  before  the  expiration  of  this  latter  term,  he  was  obliged  to  re- 
sign the  same,  to  assume  the  duties  of  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  of  the  Third  Judicial  District  of  the  State,  embracing  twenty  coun- 
ties, being  the  largest  territorial  district  of  the  State,  and  then  embracing 
four  subdivisions.  Judge  Mott  was  elected  in  the  fourth  subdivision,  com- 
posed of  the  counties  of  "Wyandot,  Crawford,  Seneca  and  Hancock,  for  the 
term  of  five  years,  expiring  February  9,  1872,  since  which  time  his  atten- 
tion has  been  turned  to  his  professional  pursuits.  He  was  several  times 
elected  to  the  office  of  Mayor  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  for  several  years 
served  as  Councilman  and  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education.  Mr. 
Mott  was  married  May  17,  1838,  to  Eleanor  Chase,  daughter  of  Briton  and 
Eleanor  (Carr)  Chase,  natives  of  New  Lebanon,  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y. 
They  have  two  married  daughters  now  living — Harriett  E.,  wife  of  James 
M.  Orr,  and  Ella  C,  wife  of  S.  A.  Magruder.  Judge  Mott  has  spent  many 
years  in  the  public  service  and  for  the  public  good,  and  his  long  official 
career  has  been  characterized  by  its  integrity,  intelligence  and  firm  adher- 
ence to  principle  under  all  circumstances. 

JAMES  N.  NELSON,  Coroner,  Upper  Sandusky,  is  a  native  of  Beaver 
County,  Penn.,  born  September  10,  1831,  son  of  William  A.  and  Isabel 
(Patty)  Nelson,  natives  of  Lancaster  Co.,  Penn.  They  had  nine  children,  of 
whom  but  four  are  now  living— Maiy,  George,  Katie  and  James.  The 
father  died  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  April  10,  1844,  aged  tifty-foiu*  years. 
James  Nelson  removed  with  '  his  parents  to  Cleveland,  and  attended 
the  schools  of  that  city.  In  1849,  he  removed  to  Pittsburgh  and  en- 
gaged in  steamboating  till  1856  or  1857,  when  he  located  in  Upper 
Sandusky.  At  the  beginning  of  the  civil  war  he  enlisted  at  the  first 
call  for  volunteers  in  April,  1861,  taking  part  in  several  skirmishes. 
September  1,  1861,  he  re-enlisted  in  Company  D,  Eighty-first  Regiment 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  Capt.  P.  A.  Tyler  in  command  of  company  and 
Col.  Thomas  Morton  commanding  the  regiment.  He  was  engaged  in  the 
battles  of  Shiloh,  Corinth,  luka,  Mission  Ridge,  Lookout  Mountain,  Sec- 
ond Corinth,  and  joined  Sherman's  army  at  the  siege  of  Atlanta.  Being 
seized  by  sickness  at  the  latter  place,  he  was  taken  back  to  Paducah.  trans- 
ferred to  Nashville  and  finally  to  Taylor  Hospital,  Louisville,  where  he  was 
placed  on  a  hospital  boat  and   sent  to  St.  Louis,  where  he   was   discharged 

25 


638  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

September  9,  1864.  He  returned  home  with  health  impaired,  and  has  since 
engaged  in  various  kinds  of  light  labor.  Mr.  Nelson  was  married,  in  Upper 
Sandusky,  January  14,  1858,  to  Amanda  Chambers.  They  have  one  child — 
Lizzie  Belle,  now  the  wife  of  Frank  L.  Cross.  Our  subject  is  at  present 
serving  as  Coroner  of  the  county,  and  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  He 
owns  a  valuable  residence  on  Sandusky  avenue,  and  votes  the  Democratic 
ticket. 

MICHAEL  O'DONNEL,  restaurant  and  saloon  proprietor,  was  born  in 
Ireland  November  18,  1839,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1853,  settling  near 
Newport,  R.  I.  He  engaged  in  farm  labor  in  that  locality  about  two 
years,  removing  to  Clark  County,  Ohio,  in  1855;  engaged  in  farming 
and  teaming  till  1862.  After  spending  some  time  in  various  enterprises,  he 
began  the  restaurant  and  saloon  business  in  Up})er  Sandusky  in  1869,  and 
in  this  he  is  still  engaged.  By  strict  attention  to  business  has  accumulated 
considerable  property.  He  was  married,  February  15,  1869,  to  Catharine 
Haley,  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  Haley,  natives  of  Ireland,  who  came 
to  America  in  1847  and  1848  respectively.  Nine  children  have  resulted 
from  this  marriage,  seven  living — John,  born  February  .12,  1870;  Simeon, 
September  6,  1871;  Margaret,  August  26,  1873;  James  C,  December  27, 
1876;  Michael,  February  2],  1879;  Thomas  A. ,  March  11,  1881,  and  George, 
August  31,  1883.  The  deceased  are  Mary,  born  May  2,  1882,  died  Septem- 
ber 2,  1882;  Michael,  born  January  20,  1876,  died  July,  1876.  Catharine, 
the  mother,  was  born  in  Urbana,  Ohio,  November  9,  1853.  Mr.  O'Donnel 
has  served  four  years  as  city  Councilman  and  manifests  a  great  interest  in 
local  politics,  voting  for  Democratic  principles. 

PETER  FEIFER,  manufacturer  of  and  dealer  in  boots  and  shoes.  North 
Main  street.  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Germany,  July  22,  1835.  He 
emigrated  to  America,  in  1852,  settling  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  learned 
his  trade  and  resided  eighteen  years,  removing  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1870. 
He  was  educated  in  the  German  language  in  Germany.  On  arriving  in 
Upper  Sandusky  he  engaged  with  Michael  Katzenmaier,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained three  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  began  the  boot  and  shoe 
business  in  his  present  location.  He  employs  two  assistants  the  year  around, 
and  carries  a  stock  of  $2,000.  He  was  married  in  Philadelphia,  November 
1,  1862,  to  Mary  Kessler,  her  parents  former  residents  of  the  above  city, 
both  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kessler  have  two  childi-en — Anna  T.,  born 
February  17,  1864,  and  Emma  L.,  born  June  10,  1865.  Mrs.  Peifer  was 
born  in  Germany,  February  6,  1839,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1846. 
Mr.  Peifer  owns  a  valuable  property  on  Seventh  street  where  he  resides. 
Himself  and  family  are  associated  with  the  German  Reform  Church,  to  which 
he  is  a  liberal  contributor.     Politically  Mr.  Peifer  is  a  Democrat. 

HENRY  PETERS,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Stevenson)  Peters,  and  one 
of  the  oldest  and  most  honored  pioneers  of  this  county,  was  born  in  York 
County,  Penn.,  October  1,  1796.  His  father  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
September  27,  1772,  and  died  September  10,  1829.  Mary,  his  wife,  was 
born  in  Baltimore  County,  Md.,  September  28,  1773,  and  died  February  15, 
1861.  They  were  married  in  Maryland,  and  removed  from  that  State  to 
Ohio  April  1,  1812,  locating  in  Fairfield  County.  They  were  the  parents 
of  thirteen  children,  eleven  of  whom  still  sui'vive,  the  youngest  being  in  his 
sixty-seventh  year.  Their  names  are  as  follows:  Henry,  Robinson  J.,  Wesly, 
Rachel,  Stevenson,  Andrew,  Leah,  Mary,  Lewis,  Elizabeth  and  Ebenezer. 
Henry  Peters,  the  eldest  of  the  family  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  ob- 
tained but  a  limited  education,  attending  school  but  three  months  in  Man- 


CRANE   TOWNSHIP.  639 

Chester,  Md.  He  removed  to  Ohio  with  his  parents  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
left  the  paternal  roof  to  engage  in  blacksmithing  at  Zanesville,  Ohio.  He 
was  here  engaged  eighteen  months  with  Phillip  Munch,  after  which  time, 
by  the  assistance  of  his  father,  he  purchased  a  set  of  tools  and  began  work- 
ing at  his  trade  on  his  father's  farm,  in  Fairfield  County.  He  remained 
at  this  point  two  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  had  saved  $107 
and  paid  for  his  outfit.  In  1820,  he  bade  adieu  to  his  parents  and  brothers, 
and,  with  1107  in  money  and  all  his  other  worldly  effects  in  a  small  sack 
strapped  to  his  back,  he  started  for  Upper  Sandusky,  arriving  at  his  desti- 
nation in  April,  1820,  only  to  find  a  reservation  of  Indians.  Changing  his 
plans  he  returned  to  Marion  County,  and  witnessed  the  sale  of  the  land  now 
lying  within  the  corporate  limits  of  Marion.  About  the  same  time  Mr. 
Peters  and  Judge  Ozias  Bowen,  about  1829,  purchased  a  quarter  section  of 
land  which  they  divided,  Mr.  Peters  taking  the  west  part  and  subsequently 
laying  out  what  is  now  the  southern  portion  of  Marion.  He  here  engaged 
in  his  trade  until  1829,  when  he  and  Thomas  Sloan  purchased  forty 
head  of  horses  and  took  them  on  foot  to  Philadelphia,  selling  them  at  a 
profit  of  $1,300.  They  then  purchased  a  stock  of  general  merchandise  at 
a  cost  of  $2,700,  "  wagoned  "  it  over  the  mountains  and  opened  a  store  in 
Marion  on  the  exact  ground  now  occupied  by  T.  P.  Wallace's  bank.  This 
partnership  existed  one  year,  during  which  time  they  dealt  largely  in  horses, 
taking  three  droves  to  Eastern  markets  with  financial  success.  In  1830,  the 
partnership  was  dissolved,  Mr.  Peters  having  accumulated  $3,000  up  to  that 
date.  He  resided  in  Marion  twenty-six  years,  during  which  time  he  col- 
lected $20,000,  and  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1846.  He  purchased 
land  at  the  first  Government  sale  in  1844,  and  at  each  subsequent  sale  until 
the  reservation  was  disposed  of.  800  acres  were  procured  at  a  cost  of 
$2  per  acre.  At  present  Mr.  Peters  is  the  owner  of  500  acres  of  well-im- 
proved land,  valued  at  $100  per  acre;  he  also  owns  valuable  property  in 
Marion  and  Allen  Counties.  He  was  married,  April  12,  1829,  to  Phoebe 
Anderson,  daughter  of  H.  Anderson  of  North  Carolina.  She  was  born 
March  6,  1807.  But  one  child  resulted  from  this  union,  her  name  being 
Corrilla  A.,  born  May  10,  1830;  her  death  occurred  in  May,  1850.  When 
twenty  years  of  age,  Mr.  Peters  declined  the  office  of  Associate  Judge  on 
account  of  extreme  youth,  favoring  Judge  Idleman,  who  was  elected.  He 
has  declined  several  other  prominent  offices,  but  served  as  Coroner  three 
years  in  Marion;  was  a  stock- holder  and  Director  of  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort 
Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad  three  years,  and  has  contributed  largely  to 
the  interests  of  Upper  Sandusky.  He  has  reared  ten  children,  including 
his  only  daughter,  and  all  have  died  at  about  the  age  of  twenty  yeai's  ex- 
cept four.  lu  politics  Mr.  Peters  is  independent,  voting  for  the  principle 
and  not  for  the  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  contributed  $2,200  to  the  erection  of  the  present  church  building  in 
Upper  Sandusky.  As  a  worthy  representative  pioneer  of  the  county,  we 
give  the  portrait  of  Mr.  Peters  on  another  page  of  this  volume. 

HENRY  W.  PETERS,  of  the  firm  of  King  &  Peters,  dry  goods  mer- 
chants, was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  April  25,1840,  son  of  Lewis  S. 
and  Margaret  (Retter)  Peters,  both  natives  of  Ohio,  and  of  English  and 
German  extraction.  They  were  married  in  Pickaway  County,  and  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  four  now  living — Mary,  Henry  W.,  Samuel  R., 
and  Wilson  L.  The  deceased  were  Lucinda,  Francis  and  Mattie.  The 
mother  departed  this  life  in  Pickaway  County  in  1861,  aged  about  forty-two 
years.     The  father,  Lewis  Peters,  still  survives,  residing  at  the  "old  home" 


640  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

in  Pickaway,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  Henry  W.  Peters,  the  subject  of  this 
notice,  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and  shared  the  advantages  of  the  district 
schools  till  his  sixteenth  year,  when  he  entered  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity, taking  a  classical  course  and  graduating  in  1862.  He  subsequently 
devoted  two  years  to  teaching  and  farming,  and  in  May,  1864,  enlisted  as 
private  in  Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth  Eegiment  Ohio  Na- 
tional Guards.  On  the  organization  of  his  company  he  was  made  its  Cap- 
tain, his  regiment  being  mostly  engaged  in  patrol  duty,  stationed  at  Mar- 
tinsburg,  City  Point  and  Norfolk,  Va.  He  was  honorably  discharged  at 
Camp  Deoison,  Ohio,  September  10,  1864,  and  returued  home.  In  April, 
1865,  he  purchased  180  acres  of  land  in  this  county,  aud  in  October  of  the 
same- year  moved  upon  the  same,  engaging  in  agricultural  pursuits  from 
that  time  till  18S3,  when  he  purchased  J.  W.  Foucht's  interest  in  the  dry 
goods  store  of  Foucht  &  King,  and  began  the  mercantile  business  under  the 
firm  name  of  King  &  Peters.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  Peters  to  Mary  M. 
White,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  W.  and  Ann  C.  (Williamn)  White,  oc- 
curred March  22,  1866.  They  have  four  children,  as  follows:  Fred  W., 
born  March  8,  1867;  Earl  H,  August  8,  1869;  Orrin  R.,  February  4,  1871; 
and  Avery  W. ,  May  16,  1877.  Mrs.  Peters  was  born  February  4,  1835,  a 
native  of  Marietta,  Ohio.  Mr.  Peters  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor, 
the  G.  A.  R.  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church — of  the  latter  organiza- 
tion since  his  twelfth  year. 

DAVID  S.  PETERSON,  Supervisor  of  Subdivision  4,  P.,  Ft.  W.  &  C. 
Railroad,  was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  October  4,  1826;  son  of  Will- 
iam and  Jane  (White)  Peterson,  natives  of  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  and 
Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  respectively.  They  ware  married  in  Jeffer- 
son County,  and  were  the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  twelve  attaining  their 
majority.  After  several  changes  in  their  placid  of  residence,  the  family 
located  in  Adams  County,  Ind. ,  where  the  mother  died  in  1875,  aged  seventy- 
five  years;  her  husband,  William,  survived  till  1879,  and  died  at  Ada, 
Hardin  Co.,  Ohio,  aged  eighty-two  years.  David  Peterson,  our  subject, 
was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Carrol  County,  where  he  obtained  a  common  school 
education.  In  1843,  he  removed  to  Indiana  with  his  parents,  and  engaged 
in  farming  and  carpenter's  work  till  1852,  at  which  time  he  became  an  em- 
ploye of  the  Ohio  &  Indiana  Railroad  Company,  with  which  he  has  since 
been  connected,  with  the  exception  of  one  and  one  half  years  on  the  Wabash 
Railroad.  In  1867,  he  received  his  appointment  on  the  P.,  Ft.  W.  &  C. 
Railway,  and  this  position  he  still  holds.  Mr.  Peterson  was  married  August 
20,  1850,  to  Harriet  McDowell,  of  Carroll  County,  Ohio.  They  had  four  chil- 
dren— Hugh,  Sarah  J.,  Laura  A.  and  William  L.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Peter- 
son, the  mother,  occurred,  and  Mr.  Peterson  was  again  married  at  Fort 
Wayne,  Ind.,  to  Amanda  E.  Zook,  of  Wayne  County,  Ohio.  Jay  E.,  their 
only  living  son,  was  born  in  December,  1874;  three  children  under  three 
years  of  age  are  deceased. 

DELILAH  PIERSON,  widow  of  the  late  Christopher  Pierson,  was  born 
in  Frederick  County,  Md.,  October  18,  1807.  She  was  the  second  child  of 
Joseph  and  Magdalene  (Smith)  Groif,  who  were  natives  of  Maryland,  and 
who  reared  a  family  of  eight  children,  five  of  whom  still  survive — Zebulum, 
Delilah.  Hezekiah,  Joseph  and  Mary,  the  latter  now  the  wife  of  James  Rob- 
erts. The  inother,  Magdalene,  departed  this  life  about  1831,  but  the  father, 
Joseph,  survived  till  June  10,  1873,  his  demise  occurring  at  the  house  of  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Pierson,  on  Sandusky  avenue,  Upper  Sandusky.  Mrs.  Pier- 
son  removed  with  her  parents  from  Maryland  to  Seneca   County,  Ohio,  be- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  641 

fore  her  mai'ria^e.  She  began  her  united  life  with  Christopher  Pierson 
September  23,  1833,  their  marriage  occurring  near  Tiffin,  Ohio.  Their 
children  were  Naomi,  born  October  G,  1834;  Tottie,  March  6,  18-10;  Matilda 
L.,  May  15,  1843;  Joseph,  May  20,  1849;  and  Cora  L.,  November  1,  1854, 
all  now  (1884)  living.  Mary  A.  was  boi'n  February  1,  1837,  and  died  Octo- 
ber 30,  1856;  Emeline  was  born  August  24,  1838,  and  died  September  12, 
1841;  Charles  D.,  born  December  25,  1845,  and  died  May  2,  1878.  Their 
father,  Christopher  Y.,  was  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Charity  (Youngs)  Pierson, 
who  were  natives  of  Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  where  he  was  born  in  1809.  He 
was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  native  county,  and  on  arriving  at  that  state  in 
life  he  came  West  and  settled  at  Tiffin.  In  1842,  he  removed  with  his  family 
to  Upper  Sandusky,  where  he  engaged  in  hotel  keeping,  a  business  to  which 
he  was  itost  admirably  adapted.  In  1847,  he  erected  the  brick  building 
known  as  the  Pierson  House,  and  through  all  his  life  was  a  citizen  of  great 
value  to  his  community — always  energetic,  active  and  enterprising.  He 
amassed  a  considerable  fortune,  and  was  perhaps  the  most  widely  known  of 
any  citizen  of  Upper  Sandusky.  He  was  identified  with  most  of  the  business 
and  public  interests  of  his  resident  town  up  to  the  date  of  his  decease,  and 
those  who  shared  his  acquaintance  or  hospitality,  either  as  landlord  or  pri- 
vate citizen,  bear  ample  testimony  as  to  his  genial  and  generous  nature. 
He  died  at  his  home  in  Upper  Sandusky,  December  31,  1876,  aged  sixty- 
seven  years.  Mrs.  Pierson  is  still  living,  and  enjoying  fair  health  for  one 
of  her  years. 

JAMES  M.  POOL,  farmer,  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  January 
11,  1823.  His  parents  are  William  and  Elizabeth  (Harris)  Pool,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey  respectively,  and  of  English  parentage.  They 
were  married  in  Washington  County,  Penn.,  and  had  eleven  children;  the 
four  living  are  Mary,  Annie,  James  M.  and  William  H.  They  removed 
to  Knox  County,  Ohio,  in  1809,  and  to  Richland  in  1811,  where  he  entered 
160  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  resided  till  his  death,  November  30,  1846. 
He  was  born  October  30,  1787;  his  wife  was  born  March  19,  1787  and  died 
in  Mansfield,  Oliio,  June  16,  1863.  James  M.  Pool  grew  up  in  his  native 
county  and  engaged  in  carpentering  and  farming,  removing  to  this  county 
in  1850  and  settling  on  his  present  farm,  paying  $7.50  per  acre.  He  now 
owns  140  acres,  provided  with  excellent  buildings  and  valued  at  |90  per 
acre.  Being  a  member  of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth 
Ohio  National  Guards,  his  company  was  called  into  service  in  May,  1864; 
he  participated  in  the  skirmish  at  Berryville,  Va.,  where  he  was  captured, 
but  made  his  escape  into  the  Union  lines  on  a  Confederate  mule;  he  was 
also  in  several  skirmishes  prior  to  this,  and  was  discharged  September  2, 
1864.  Mr.  Pool  was  married  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  November  4,  1847, 
to  Mary  E.  Hartupee,  daughter  of  William  and  Rachel  (Logan)  Hartupee, 
natives  of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  respectively;  the  latter  born  in 
Washington  County,  Penn.,  April  29,  1799.  She  was  married  to  William 
HartujDee  November  11,  1819,  and  moved  with  him  to  Ohio  in  April,  1822. 
settling  in  Richland  County.  They  had  twelve  children.  Their  son.  Rev. 
G.  H.  Hartupee,  D.D..  is  an  active  and  efficient  member  of  the  Northern 
Ohio  Conference.  Mrs.  Hartupee  died  January  19,  1879.  Her  husband  is 
still  a  resident  of  Richland  County,  in  his  eighty-eighth  year.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pool  have  had  eleven  children,  nine  surviving:  William  F.,  born  July 
23,  1848;  Emma  E.,  October  7,  1850;  Weller  B.,  September  7,  1854;  Al- 
bert H,  November  6,  1856;  Ora  B.,  February  22,  1859;  Elmer  E.,  March 
18,  1861;  James  C,  August  6,  1863;  Frank  L.,  November  5,  1865;  Havley 


642  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

A.,  December  24,  1868,  The  deceased  were  Candace  A.,  born  March  7, 
1855,  died  October  8,  1855,  and  an  infant.  Mrs.  Pool  was  born  in  Rich- 
land County  November  17,  1827. 

WILLIAM  F.  POOL,  son  of  James  M.  and  Mary  E.  Pool,  was  born  in 
Richland  County,  Ohio,  July  23,  1848.  He  came  to  this  county  in  1851, 
and  settled  in  Crane  Township  with  his  parents,  where  they  still  reside. 
Mr.  Pool  obtained  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools,  closing  his  liter- 
ary pursuits  at  the  age  of  twenty-tive.  He  began  teaching  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  and  continued  at  intervals  in  that  profession  for  eight  years.  In 
1872,  he  began  the  study  of  law  under  the  instruction  of  Henry  Maddux,  of 
Upper  Sandusky,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  to  practice  in  Common  Pleas 
Courts  in  1874.  He  was  engaged  one  year  in  the  High  School  of  Upper 
Sandusky,  and  began  the  practice  of  the  legal  profession  in  1875,  which 
occupation  he  has  since  continued  to  pursue.  He  first  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  George  G.  Bowman,  which  existed  eighteen  months,  and  subse- 
quently practiced  one  year  with  Adam  Kail,  this  partnership  being  dissolved 
by  the  death  of  Mr.  Kail  in  December,  1881.  Since  the  above  date  he  has 
continued  his  profession  independently,  and  has  established  a  fair  practice. 
Mr.  Pool  was  married  March  16,  1874,  to  Anna  Eaton,  daughter  of  James 
and  Oresta  Eaton,  and  three  children  have  been  born  to  them:  Barley  E., 
born  February  14,  1876;  James  C,  October  11,  1877;  and  Howard  L., 
July  10,  1880.  Mr.  Pool  is  an  energetic  business  man,  and  in  politics,  a 
stanch  Republican. 

JOHN  RAGON,  one  of  the  oldest  pioneers  of  this  locality,  -was  born  in 
Ross  County,  Ohio,  May  7,  1807.  He  is  a  son  of  Eli  and  Rebecca  (Stew- 
art) Ragon,  the  former  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  the  latter  of  Virginia,  of 
Irish  and  English  parentage.  Of  their  nine  children  but  three  survive — 
John,  Ealey  and  Eli.  The  father  was  born  July  30,  1778,  and  died  in 
Warren  County,  111.,  April  9,  1856;  the  mother  was  born  April  9,  1784, 
and  died  July  30,  1856,  John  Ragon  came  to  this  county  with  his  parents 
in  1827,  and  settled  among  the  Indians  of  Tymochtee  Township,  where  he 
worked  by  the  month  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1842,  he  removed  to  Crane 
Township,  where  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  serving  eighteen 
years.  In  1859,  he  was  elected  Land  Appraiser,  and  in  18 — ,  lacked  but 
seventeen  votes  of  election  as  County  Treasurer.  Mr.  Ragon  owns  100 
acres  of  well- improved  land  valued  at  $75  an  acre,  and  has  been  a  success- 
ful farmer.  Our  subject  was  married  January  22,  1829,  to  Elizabeth  Dud- 
dleson,  a  native  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  born  October  20,  1807,  and 
daughter  of  Ralph  and  Catharine  (Bush)  Duddleson,  the  former  a  native 
of  Maryland,  born  July  24,  1768,  and  died  October  6,  1848;  the  latter  was 
born  in  Virginia,  August  15,  1775,  and  died  May  29,  1833;  both  deaths 
occurring  in  this  county.  Of  twelve  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ragon 
nine  survive— William  M.,  born  March  8,  1830;  Eli  P.,  December  3,  1831; 
Irene,  April  18,  1834;  Henry  H.,  March  8,  1837;  Mary  J.,  September  17, 
1838;  Eliza  A..  February  22,  1840;  Lydia  M.,  April  14,  1841;  George  W., 
March  28,  1843;  and  Harvey  B.,  February  24,  1845.  The  deceased  are 
Julia,  born  June  16,  1833,  died  June  30,  1833;  Rebecca,  born  September 
17,  1835,  died  October,  1836;  Albert,  born  November  2,  1847,  died  Octo- 
ber 1,  1848.  His  four  sons,  Eli,  Henry  H.,  George  W.  and  Harvey,  all 
served  in  the  late  war:  Eli  B,  was  First  Lieutenant  of  Company  A,  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  Henry  H.  was  Lieuten- 
ant of  Company  H,  Fifty-fifth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  two  years. 
He  then  returned  home,  and  in  1864,  raised  a  company  for  the  One  Hun- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  643 

dred  and  Forty-fourth  Regiment,  and  was  subsequently  made  Captain  of 
Company  A,  of  said  regiment.  Harvey  B.  was  taken  prisoner  three  days 
before  Lee's  surrender,  and  was  afterward  compelled  by  hunger  to  eat  raw 
corn  that  had  previously  done  service  as  food  for  the  mules.  Mr.  Ragon's 
father  was  also  a  soldier,  and  served  in  the  war  of  1812. 

JOHN  F.  RIESER  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  December  31,  1837. 
He  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1846,  locating  in  this  county,  where 
his  parents  purchased  lands  on  which  they  resided  till  his  father's  death, 
which  occurred  in  1875.  His  parents,  John  G.  and  Reginia  Rieser,  had 
five  children:  John  G.,  Mary  A.,  Sophia,  Caroline  and  John  F.  The  latter 
enlisted  in  Company  K,  Fifty-fifth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry, 
October  17, 1861,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Cross  Keys,  Cedar  Mount- 
ain, Shenandoah  Valley,  Bull  Run,  second,  Chancel lorsvi  lie,  Gettysburg  and 
several  skirmishes.  He  was  color  bearer  of  his  regiment  during  the  Gettys- 
burg campaign.  He  was  transported  to  the  Western  army,  subsequently 
taking  part  in  the  engagements  at  Lookout  Mountain,  Mission  Ridge;  veter- 
anized in  January,  1864,  taking  part  in  all  the  battles  of  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign and  with  Sherman  to  the  sea,  witnessed  the  Grand  Review  at  Wash- 
ington, and  was  discharged  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  July  20,  1865,  having  served 
nearly  four  years.  Mr.  Rieser  enlisted  as  private,  but  was  soon  after  pro- 
moted to  Fourth  Sergeant,  then  to  First  Sergeant,  latter  to  Commissary  Ser- 
geant, and  finally  commissioned  First  Lieutenant,  April  20,  1865.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  Mr.  Rieser  returned  home  and  has  since  devoted  his  atten- 
tion to  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising  on  the  old  homestead.  He 
was  married,  March  18,  1859,  to  Nancy  Ewing,  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Christina  (Mason)  Ewing.  and  ten  children  were  born  to  them — four  living: 
George  W.,  born  November  9,  1860;  Minnie,  April  18,  1866;  Anna,  Feb- 
ruary, 1868;  and  Harry  S.,  December  11,  1870.  Mr.  Rieser  is  a  Republican. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.  twenty-one  years,  and  is  the  pres- 
ent Worshipful  Master  of  the  lodge  (Warpole  No.  176),  and  has  attained 
the  Knight  Templar  degree.  At  "Marion,  Ohio,  was  the  first  Post  Com- 
mander of  Robins,  Post  No.  91,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Mr.  Rieser  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Upper  Sandusky,  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1884,  and  assumed  the  duties  of  his  office  on  the  1st  of  the  fol- 
lowing April. 

JAMES  G.  ROBERTS  is  a  descendant  of  a  Quaker  gentleman  of  that 
name,  who  came  to  America  with  William  Penn,  in  1682,  and  settled  with 
Penn's  Colony  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia,  Penn.  He  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  land  near  Philadelphia,  which,  in  1876  formed  part  of  the 
Centennial  Grounds.  He  was  an  ardent  Quaker,  as  all  his  descendants 
have  been  excepting  two  families.  The  Roberts  were  prominent  in 
England  and  were  wealthy,  but  it  being  at  a  very  remote  date  the 
American  descendants  have  never  derived  any  benefit  from  that  wealth. 
James  P.  Roberts,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  a  direct 
descendant  of  Penn's  colonist,  above  mentioned,  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
in  1781.  He  was  a  tailor  by  trade,'  and  when  twenty-five  years  of  age  he 
went  to  Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  where  he  married  Miss  Hannah  Bell,  a  mem- 
ber of  a  Scotch-Irish  family,  and  in  1806,  removed  to  New  York  City.  To 
them  were  born  twelve  children,  all  in  New  Jersey,  except  the  eldest,  who 
was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York.  James  P.  Roberts  with  his  wife  and 
eight  younger  children  removed  from  Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  in  1835,  and 
settled  in  Richland  County,  Ohio.  In  1838,  he  removed  to  Knox  County, 
where  he  remained  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1861  or  1862,  at  the 


644  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

age  of  eighty-two  years.  His  wife  died  also  in  Knox  County,  Ohio. 
James  G.  Roberts  was  born  near  Newton,  Sussex  Co.,  N.  J.,  December  3, 
1825.  Until  fifteen  years  old  he  had  attended  the  common  schools  and  the 
Academy  at  Fredericktown.  Ohio.  He  then  became  a  clerk  in  the  store  of 
Messrs.  Struble  &  Roberts,  of  Fredericktown,  and  continued  in  their 
employ  for  five  years,  thus  acquiring  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  mercan- 
tile business.  In  1845,  he  began  portrait  painting,  under  the  instruction 
of  Prof.  Van  Sickle,  and  continued  to  be  so  employed  vintil  1846,  when  on 
the  5th  day  of  June,  of  that  year  he  came  to  Upper  Sandusky.  He  aban- 
doned the  occupation  of  painting  in  March,  1848,  and  assumed  the  duties 
of  Deputy  Auditor,  of  Wyandot  County,  under  Samuel  M.  Worth.  He 
remained  in  the  Auditor's  office  two  years.  He  then  engaged  in  the  drug 
business  with  Joshua  Cross,  under  the  name  of  Cross  &  Roberts.  At  the 
close  of  one  year,  Mr.  Roberts  sold  his  interest  to  Dr.  H.  P.  Roberts,  and 
embarked  in  the  dry  goods  trade  with  George  P.  Nelson,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Roberts  &  Nelson.  One  year  later  he  purchased  Nelson's  interest, 
and  did  business  alone  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  admitted 
Joseph  H.  Groff"  as  a  partner.  The  firm  of  Roberts  &  Groff  continued  as 
one  of  the  leading  dry  goods  firms  in  the  town  until  1859,  when  Mr. 
Roberts,  having  sold  his  interest  in  the  store  to  F.  W.  Martin,  retired  from 
the  mercantile  business.  The  business  of  Roberts  &  Groff  was  conducted 
from  1854,  by  Mr.  Groff  alone,  Mr.  Roberts,  meanwhile  devoting  his  atten- 
tion to  the  banking  interests  of  Harper,  Ayres,  Roberts  &  Co.,  of  which  he 
was  a  partner.  In  1858,  he,  with  Joseph  H.  Groff,  erected  the  Upper  San- 
dusky Steam  Flouring  Mills,  now  owned  by  James  Kerr  &  Son.  Mr.  Rob- 
erts remained  in  the  bank  until  the  fall  of  1859,  when  he  took  charge  of 
the  mills,  and  conducted  them  till  March,  1863.  Soon  after  he  accepted  a 
position  in  the  then  newly-organized  First  National  Bank,  and  subsequently 
was  elected  Cashier,  a  position  he  still  occupies  (see  history  of  Upper  San- 
dusky for  sketch  of  that  bank).  He  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  flouring 
mills,  in  1866.  He  was  also  prominent  in  the  organization  of  the  Wyandot 
County  Agricultural  Society,  and  the  Upper  Sandusky  Gas  Light  Company. 
Never  an  aspirant  for  office,  yet  he  has  served  two  years  as  Mayor,  and  four 
or  five  years  as  Village  Councilman.  He  was  a  Democrat  until  1862,  when 
he  became  a  Republican.  During  the  late  war  he  rendered  effective  service 
as  President  of  the  County  Military  Committee.  The  town  has  almost 
entirely  been  built  up  since  his  advent  here,  and  every  public  enterprise 
and  improvement  has  secured  his  cordial  support.  He  came  here  without 
capital,  and  by  his  excellent  and  honorable  business  management  has 
acquired  a  handsome  competency.  In  1867,  he  erected  an  elegant  two-story 
and  basement  brick  dwelling,  at  the  corner  of  Sandusky  Avenue  and  South 
street,  at  a  cost  of  |16,000.  He  also  owns  much  other  valuable  real  estate 
in  this  town  and  county.  He  was  married  November  16,  1848,  to  Mary 
A.,  daughter  of  Joseph  Groff,  a  pioneer  of  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  and  for- 
merly of  Frederick  County,  Md.  Mrs.  Roberts  was  born  near  Emmittsburgh, 
Frederick  Co.,  Md.  Their  only  child,  Mary  A.,  was  born  June  16,  1850, 
and  died  July  10,  of  the  same  year.  However,  Mr.  Roberts  has  raised 
and  educated  six  foster  children,  all  of  whom  are  married. 

GOTTLEIB  H.  ROPPOLD,  upholsterer  and  manufacturer,  was  born  in 
Wittenburg,  Germany,  November  10,  1838,  son  of  Gottlieb  and  Louisa 
(ShuUe)  Roppold.  natives  of  Germany,  in  which  country  they  were  mar- 
ried. They  emigrated  to  America  in  1839,  settling  in  Lancaster,  Penn., 
and  after  several  removals,  located  in  this  county  in  1848.     They  were  the 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  645 

parents  of  eight  children,  three  only  now  living,  namely;  Leonard,  Rosenna 
and  Gottlieb.  The  latter,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  was  apprenticed 
to  the  baker's  trade,  engaging  in  this  occupation  until  1860,  and  subsequently 
being  employed  as  cook  on  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railway 
one  year.  He  was  engaged  in  the  bakery  and  grocery  business  from  1862  to 
1865;  in  the  hardware  business  four  years,  with  J.  A.  Godfrey  &  Co. ;  returning 
September  19,  1868,  engaged  as  salesman  in  the  hardware  business  three 
years  for  Hale  &  Kirby;  in  1871,  he  opened  up  an  establishment  in  the 
queensware  trade,  continuing  one  year;  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
carriages  and  buggies  six  months  during  the  year  1873.  In  1874,  Mr.  Rop- 
pold  again  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade,  continuing  four  years.  He  began 
the  upholstering  business  in  1877,  in  connection  with  his  grocery,  but  dis 
posed  of  the  latter  in  1878,  since  which  time  he  has  devoted  his  entire  atten- 
tion to  the  u.pholstering  business.  He  has  acquired  considerable  property, 
owning  his  present  business  I'oom  and  lot,  valued  at  $3,400,  and  his  resi- 
dence, valued  at  $3,000.  He  does  an  extensive  business,  employing  five 
workman  during  the  entire  year.  Mr.  Gottlieb  Roppold  was  married  in 
Upper  Sandusky,  to  Miss  Catharine  Veith,  April  1,  1862,  and  seven  children 
have  been  born  to  them — five  living,  viz. :  Ella  M.,  born  October  8,  1862 ; 
William  G.,  March  24,  1866;  John,  January  22,  1868;  Clara  O.,  August 
19,  1869;  Julia,  July  7,  1871.  The  deceased  were  an  infant  and  Minnie 
C,  born  October  26,  1864,  died  August  13,  1882.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Rop- 
pold occurred  February  1,  1873.  In  1875,  May  22,  Mr.  Roppold  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Bertha  Miller,  her  parents  residents  of  Peru,  Ind.  Four  chil- 
dren are  the  result  of  this  marriage,  but  one  living,  Joseph  O.,  born  Sep- 
tember 7,  1878.  The  deceased  were  Anna  I.,  born  July  17,  1876.  died 
September  21,  1880;  Ralph  A.,  born  March  29.  1877,  died  August  10,  1877; 
Jennie  A.,  born  May  22,  1881,  died  October  22,  1882.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rop 
pold  are  both  members  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 

WILLIAM  R.  SALTSMAN  was  born  in  Upper  Sandusky,  August  20, 
1847;  son  of  Geoi-ge  W.  and  Harriet  (Robbins)  Saltsman,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Massachusetts  respectively;  they  were  married  in  Seneca 
County,  Ohio,  and  were  the  parents  of  three  children,  our  subject  being  the 
only  one  surviving.  The  deceased  are  Mary  and  an  infant;  the  former  died 
when  about  four  years  of  age.  George  W.,  the  father,  removed  to  Upper 
Sandusky  prior  to  1845,  and  was  extensively  engaged  at  intervals  in  pack- 
ing pork  for  fifteen  years.  He  was  identilied  with  most  of  the  enterprises 
of  the  city  in  an  early  day,  and  acqu.ired  considerable  property  as  a  result 
of  his  labors.  He  was  an  honored  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.  and  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  in  which  societies  he  took  an  active  interest.  Harriet,  his  wife,  departed 
this  life  in  1852,  he  joined  her  in  "  the  realm  of  shade  "  October  15.  1876, 
aged  sixty  years.  William  R.  Saltsman,  our  subject,  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  town,  supplementing  this  knowledge  by  one 
year's  study  at  Hayesville  College  and  a  commercial  course  in  Cleveland, 
in  1865.  He  subsequently  engaged  in  the  packing  business  with  his  father 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  has  acquired  valuable  town  property  through 
his  efforts.  He  was  married  March  1,  1870,  to  Miss  Letitia  Frederick, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Barbara  Frederick,  and  three  children:  Nellie, 
George  W.  and  Hattie  have  been  born  to  them. 

HON.  JOHN  D.  SEARS,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio,  is  a  direct  descend- 
ant of  one  of  the  Pilgrim  fathers — men  whose  deeds,  and  whose  desperate 
struggle  for   existence,  in  midwinter  on  the  bleak  shores  of  Massachusetts, 


646  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

have  since  been  emblazoned  in  history,  and  made  the  theme  of  many  an 
entertaining  song  and  story.  Thus,  as  early  as  the  year  1632,  Richard  Sears, 
a  native  of  old  England,  and  the  progenitor  of  a  large  majority  of  the  Searses 
of  America,  was  a  tax-paying  inhabitant  of  Plymouth,  Mass.  Subsequently, 
he  became  a  resident  of  Yarmouth,  on  Cape  Cod,  vrhere  he  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days,  and  where  many  of  his  descendants  are  yet  living. 
At  an  early  day,  however,  a  branch  of  the  family  settled  in  Connecticut, 
where  Benjamin  Sears,  the  grandfather  of  John  JD.  Sears,  was  born.  The 
former  married  in  the  State  of  bis  birth,  and  soon  after  removed  to  Greene 
County,  N.  Y.  He  was  the  father  of  seven  children,  of  whom  Elkanab  was 
the  eldest  child  and  son.  While  the  latter  was  quite  young,  Benjamin,  the 
father,  made  another  change  of  residence,  and  settled  in  Delaware  County, 
N.  Y. ,  where  Elkanah  Sears  grew  to  manhood  and  mai'ried  Miss  Desiar 
Phelps,  a  native  of  Connecticut.  To  them  were  born  in  Delaware  County, 
N.  Y.,  four  children — John  D.,  the  subject  of  this  article;  Benjamin,  a 
present  resident  of  Bucyrus,  Ohio;  Ai'minda,  now  Mrs.  Nicholson  of  East 
Rockport,  Ohio,  and  Cyrus,  who  is  also  a  resident  of  Ohio — Wyandot 
County.  Accompanied  by  his  wife  and  the  children  just  named,  Elkanah 
Sears  removed,  in  1836,  from  Meredith,  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  to  Ohio, 
and  early  in  the  next  year  settled  on  a  farm  near  Bucyriis,  where  in  peace 
and  comfort  he  passed  many  years.  His  wife  died  in  1872.  Since  that  time 
he  has  resided  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Nicholson,  at  East  Rockport,  Ohio, 
and  is  now  nearly  ninety  years  of  age. 

John  D.  Sears,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was  born  in  Delaware 
County,  N.  Y. ,  February  2,  1821,  and  thus  was  in  his  sixteenth  year  when 
he  became  a  resident  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio.  In  1838,  he  entered 
the  Ohio  University  at  Athens,  as  a  student,  and  diligently  pursued  his 
studies  in  that  institution,  for  a  period  of  three  years.  Afterward  he  taught 
school  for  one  year  in  the  town  of  McConnellsville,  Ohio.  He  then  returned 
to  Bucyrus,  and  taught  for  several  months,  and  at  the  same  time  began  the 
study  of  law,  under  the  instructions  of  Hon.  Josiah  Scott,  later  a  Judge  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  of  Ohio.  In  1844,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar,  and  began  to  practice  law  with  his  preceptor,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Scott  &  Sears.  Soon  after  the  erection  of  Wyandot  County,  but  before  its 
organization,  Mr.  Sears  deemed  it  advisable  to  establish  an  office  for  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  the  chief  town  of  the  new  county.  Hence,  on 
March  3,  1845,  he  became  a  resident  of  Upper  Sandusky — a  town  which 
has  since  been  his  continuous  place  of  abode.  During  all  these  years  he 
has  ever  taken  an  active  part  in  promoting  the  prosperity  of  the  town,  as 
well  as  that  of  the  whole  county  of  Wyandot.  He  has  not  been  an  office- 
seeker,  but  has  given  his  principal  attention  to  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion, in  which  he  has  been  eminently  successful.  He  is  still  an  active  and 
very  prominent  member  of  the  bar,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
sound  and  able  lawyers  in  Northwestern  Ohio.  Notwithstanding  his  aver- 
sion to  office  holding,  he  served  some  twelve  or  fifteen  years  as  school 
examiner  for  Wyandot  County,  and  two  terms  as  Mayor  of  the  town,  which 
has  entirely  grown  up  under  his  personal  observation.  In  1873,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  third  State  Constitutional  Convention,  which  as- 
sembled at  Columbus,  Ohio,  during  the  summer  of  that  year.  He  served  on 
many  important  committees,  and  was  recognized  as  an  able  and  accomplished 
member  of  that  gifted  body.  Possessing  fine  literary  tastes,  and  a  true  ap- 
preciation of  the  value  of  rare  books,  etc.,  he  has  also  found  time,  during 
an  active   professional  career,  to  gather  an  extensive  library  of   choice  and 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  647 

costly  volumes,  complete  tiles  of  county  newspapers,  and  a  large  and  varied 
assortment  of  archseological  specimens,  in  the  possession  of  which,  as  would 
most  men,,  he  evinces  a  pardonable  pride.  Quiet  and  unassuming  in  his 
manners,  yet  ever  frank  and  genial,  he  has  won  and  retains  the  esteem 
and  respect  of  all  who  know  him.  In  his  domestic  relations  he  is 
most  happy.  He  was  married  in  1847,  to  Miss  Frances  E.  Manley,  of  Up- 
per Sandusky.  Their  only  child,  Clai'a,  is  the  wife  of  Pliny  Watson,  a 
wholesale  grocer  of  Toledo,  Ohio.  Mr.  Sears  was  a  Whig,  until  that  party 
ceased  to  exist.  Since  he  has  been  a  consistent,  but  liberal  and  independ- 
ent member  of  the  Republican  party.  His  elegant  residence,  southwest 
corner  of  Eighth  and  Johnston  streets,  was  built  in  1852.  It  is  surrounded 
by  spacious,  shaded,  well-kept  grounds,  and,  taken  as  a  whole,  affords  a  fair 
index  of  the  gentlemanly  instincts  and  tastes  of  its  owner. 

JOHN  SEIDER,  of  the  firm  of  Seider  &  Ludwig,  carriage  manufac- 
turers, was  born  in  Wittenburg,  Germany,  March  31,  1833.  He  is  the  son 
of  Jacob  and  Catharine  Seider,  the  former  being  accidentally  killed  in  his 
native  country  in  1837.  John  Seider  emigrated  to  America  with  his  mother 
and  six  children  in  1852,  and  located  in  Upper  Sandusky.  He  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  carriage-making  in  Germany,  and  on  settling  in  Upper  San- 
dusky, engaged  with  William  Barringer  at  $6  per  month,  remaining  in  his 
employ  four  years.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he  began  business  for 
himself  on  a  capital  of  $150,  manufacturing  wagons  and  ox  carts.  He 
continued  this  business  nine  years,  forming  a  partnership  with  D.  Hale  in 
1865,  and  conducted  the  business  six  years  under  the  firm  name  of  Seider  & 
Hale.  He  then  pm'chased  Mr.  Hale's  interest,  and  subsequently  admitted 
Frank  Beidler;  in  1880,  Mr.  Beidler  retired  and  the  partnership  of  Seider  & 
Ludwig  was  established,  which  continued  till  the  spring  of  1884,  when  Mr. 
Seidler  became  the  sole  owner  and  proprietor.  He  employs  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  workmen,  and  does  an  extensive  business,  manufacturing  wagons, 
carriages  and  buggies.  Mr.  Seider  estimates  his  property  at  about  $20,000. 
He  was  married  November  22,  1857,  to  Rosina  Agerter,  four  children  result- 
ing from  this  union,  viz.:  Clara  V.,  Minnie  B.  and  Elizabeth.  The  de- 
ceased was  an  infant,  Harry,  who  died  in  1861.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Seider 
occurred  December  23,  1863,  and  Mr.  Seider  was  again  married  January  5, 
1865,  to  Amelia  Meyer,  widow  of  Jacob  Meyer,  by  whom  she  had  one  child, 
Louisa  A.,  born  in  Switzerland,  November  24,  1858.  She  emigrated  to 
America  with  her  mother  in  1861,  then  three  years  of  age.  By  this  second 
marriage  Mr.  Seidler  has  had  five  children — four  living — John  J.,  Edwin, 
Anna  and  Alice.  Mr.  Seidler  has  served  in  nearly  all  the  city  offices,  and 
has  been  a  prominent  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.  since  1872.  He  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  Charch,  and  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  most  successful  business  men  of  the  city.  He  is  a  man  of  excel- 
lent character,  of  generous  impulses,  aiad  though  always  carefully  guarding 
his  own  interests,  has  never  lost  an  opportunity  to  lend  his  aid  in  enhanc- 
ing the  interests  of  the  public  generally. 

REV.  JOHN  W.  SENSENY,  V.  D.  M.,  was  born  in  Carroll  County, 
Md.,  May  12,  1818.  He  is  a  son  of  Christian  and  Ann  (Appier)  Senseny, 
his  mother  being  one  of  the  legal  heirs  to  the  Hyde  Park  estate,  valued  at 
$14,000,000.  The  father  is  a  native  of  Germany,  the  mother  of  Frederick 
County,  Md.  Their  four  children  are  Alexander  H.,  John  W. ,  Angeline 
(wife  of  David  Heltibridle),  and  Col.  William  T. ,  now  of  Parkersburg,  West 
Va.  The  father  died  March  1,  1833;  the  mother  March  5,  1853.  John  W., 
our  subject,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Maryland,  and  while  a 


6i8  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

youth  learned  the  carpenters  trade,  which  he  engaged  in  till  his  removal  to 
this  county,  in  1844.  He  engaged  for  a  time  in  manufacturing  wagons, 
buggies  and  farming  implements,  and  then  opened  up  the  second  dry  goods 
store  in  Upper  Sandusky,  on  Sandusky  avenue,  following  this  occupa- 
tion ten  years.  He  settled  on  his  present  farm  in  1860;  he  owns  thirty 
acres  of  good  land,  and  is  at  present  engaged  in  hatching  chickens  by  in- 
cubation— patent  process.  At  the  organization  of  this  county  Mr.  Senseny 
was  elected  the  first  Justice  of  Crane  Township,  and  from  all  decisions  ren- 
dered by  him,  but  two  appeals  were  made  to  higher  courts,  and  in  these  his 
decisions  were  not  reversed.  He  has  solemnized  many  marriages  and  been 
an  active  worker  in  the  cause  of  morality.  In  1852  he  labored  as  a  local 
minister  in  Marion  and  Wyandot  Counties,  and  su.bsequently  engaged  in 
ministerial  work  in  various  places,  building  a  number  of  Bethels  and  organ- 
izing a  number  of  societies  of  the  Church  of  God.  Mr.  Senseny  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  was  one  of  the  leading  workers  in  the  order  of 
Sons  of  Temperance.  He  was  married  at  Fort  Seneca,  Ohio,  October  17, 
1841,  to  Ann  R.  Bell,  daughter  of  Vincent  and  Rachel  BelJ,  a  native  of 
Berks  County,  Penn.,  born  October  14,  1818.  She  died  July  26,  1864.  Mr. 
Sensney  was  again  married,  February  28,  1869,  to  Lovina  Coltrin,  widow 
of  John  Coltrin,  a  native  of  Lincoln  County,  Me.,  born  September  13, 
1811,  and  now  is  laboring  in  the  holy  evangelistic  work  for  the  salvation  of 
men  and  the  sanctification  of  believers. 

JOHN  SHEALEY,  of  the  firm  of  Stoll  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  sash, 
doors,  blinds,  etc.,  was  born  in  Liberty  Township,  Crawford  County,  Ohio, 
December  27,  1838;  son  of  Philip  A.  and  Elizabeth  (Bry)  Shealy,  natives 
of  Germany,  who  emigrated  to  America  about  1830,  and  settled  in  Crawford 
County,  where  they  both  died,  the  mother  in  1833,  aged  about  twenty-eight 
years,  the  father  in  1874,  aged  eighty-six.  They  were  the  parents  of  four 
children,  three  now  living — Mary,  Christopher  and  John.  The  latter  re- 
mained at  home,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  until  twenty  years  of  age, 
at  which  time  he  began  the  carpenters'  trade  in  Bucyrus  with  Stoll  Broth- 
ers, with  whom  he  has  since  operated  either  as  employe  or  partner.  In 
1868,  he  established  himself  in  Upper  Sandusky,  the  present  firm  of  Stoll  & 
Co.,  comprised  of  J.  Shealey  and  J.  J.  Stoll,  being  formed  in  1881.  Mr. 
Shealey  was  married  at  Sulphur  Springs,  Crawford  County,  April  4,  1861, 
to  Lena  Hi  ley,  her  father  a  native  of  Germany  and  her  mother  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Eight  children  have  been  born  to  them,  namely  :  Frank,  born  March 
1,  1862;  Charles  F.,  February  19,  1864;  William,  September  23,  1866;  John 
Edward,  June  18,  1869;  Emma  E.,  February  13,  18^2;  Christian  O.,  Sep- 
tember 22,  1874;  George  A.,  October  20.  1877,  and  Mary  E.,  February  4, 
1880.  William  died  November  16,  1S68;  Emma  E.  passed  away  March  29, 
1876;  and  the  death  of  George  A.  occurred  March  8,  1882.  Mr.  Shealey  is 
an  independent  voter,  and  with  his  family  is  associated  with  the  German 
Lutheran  Church. 

HENRY  SHULTZ  was  born  in  Perry  County,  Penn.,  April  4,  1840. 
His  parents  were  Henry  and  Mary  (Meek)  Shultz,  of  German  parentage. 
They  had  six  children,  four  now  living — Levi,  George,  Henry  and  Catha- 
rine. The  parents  died  in  Perry  County,  Penn.  Henry  Shultz  resided  with 
his  parents  till  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  then  engaged  in  bridge 
buildiug  and  general  carpenter  work  till  1868.  He  then  began  in  agriculture, 
which  occupation  he  has  since  followed.  He  purchased  his  present  farm  in 
September,  1879,  and  has  made  much  improvement  on  the  same,  now  valuing 
it  at  175  per  acre.     He  was  married  November  29,  1868,  to  Joauna  Crane, 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  649 

daughter  of  James  and  Electa  (Southwick)  Crane,  natives  of  Northumber- 
land, England,  of  English  and  German  ancestry.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crane  were 
tbe  parents  of  five  children — Joanna,  Medora.  John  and  Mary.  The  de 
ceased  was  Arnold,  born  January  22,  1858,  died  January  12,  1881.  Mrs. 
Shultz  was  born  October  31,  1847,  in  the  old  tavern  stand  on  "  Battle 
Island,"  on  the  Killburn  road.  She  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  Crane 
Township.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shultz  are  both  members   of  the  Church  of  God. 

ALLEN  SMALLEY  was  born  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  December  26. 
1841.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Smalley,  also  natives  of 
this  State.  His  father  was  the  parent  of  twenty  children,  seventeen  by  his 
first  marriage.  Of  this  family  those  still  living  are  Allen;  Katie,  now  Mrs. 
Emmersou;  Nan(!y  A.,  widow  of  William  R.  Bliss;  Matthias  A.;  Lily,  wife 
of  Robert  Rosendale;  Mary.  Tracy  and  Benjamin  F.  By  a  second  marriage, 
Jacqb  W.  and  William  were  born.  Elizabeth,  the  mother  of  our  subject, 
died  in  September,  1870;  his  father  still  survives  and  resides  on  his  farm 
in  Crawford  Township.  Allen  Smalley  obtained  a  good  education  in  the 
district  schools,  finishing  his  studies  in  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University. 
March  3,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Forty-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  participated  in  some  of  the  most  spirited  skirmishes  of  the 
times,  but  was  discharged  by  special  order  at  Nashville,  Tenn,,  on  account 
of  temporary  disability.  He  subsequently  returned  home,  taught  a  term  of 
school,  and  in  the  spring  of  1864  enlisted  in  the  Signal  Corps,  United  States 
Army,  and  continued  therein  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  one  of  the 
number  who  participated  in  the  exploits  of  Admiral  Farragut,  and  Capt. 
Leroy,  Commander  of  the  gunboat  "  Ossipe,"  running  the  gantlet  between 
the  confederate  strongholds  of  Fort  Gaines  and  Ft.  Morgan.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  capture  of  the  rebel  ram  "Tennessee."  and  the  reduction  of 
Forts  Powell,  Gaines  and  JMorgan.  He  was  discharged  by  special  order  at 
New  Orleans,  in  November,  1865.  In  1866,  Mr.  Smalley  began  the  study 
of  law  at  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  in  1868,  graduated  at  that  insti- 
tution, being  admitted  to  the  bar  soon  after  at  Olney,  111.,  where  he  opened 
a  law  office  and  did  business  till  1870.  He  then  went  to  the  South  and  en- 
gaged in  the  wood  and  lumber  trade  one  year,  and  after  teaching  a  winter 
school  in  Posey  County,  Ind.,  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky.  He  su])erin- 
tended  the  schools  of  the  latter  place  one  year,  and  subsequently  taught  two 
terms  at  Little  Sandusky.  In  1874,  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  of 
Crane  Township,  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  in  1876,  was  re-elected,  serving 
with  credit  and  ability.  Mr.  Smalley  was  married  September  23,  1868,  to 
Ellen  Burke,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  Burke,  early  settlers  of  this 
county.  Of  nine  children  which  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smalley, 
but  four  are  living,  namely:  Lily  G.,  born  December  29,  1869;  Isaac,  De 
cember  28,  1870;  Lulu,  January  9,  1874,  and  Edwin  M.,  January  26,  1879. 
Mr.  Smalley  takes  an  active  part  in  politics,  being  an  enthusiastic  Demo- 
crat. He  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.&  A.  M.,  the  K.  of  H.,  Royal  Arcanum, 
and  G.  A.  R.,  being  Chaplain  of  the  latter  order.  He  is  a  Secretary  of  the 
Agricultural  Society  and  one  of  its  most  active  members.  He  is  favorably 
known  as  a  man  of  enterprise  and  public  spirit  and  is  held  in  high  esteem 
by  the  citizens  of  the  community.  He  is  rapidly  advancing  in  proficiency 
as  a  lawyer,  and  is  destined  to  take  a  place  among  the  first  of  his  profession 
in  the  near  future. 

JACOB  W.  SMALLEY,  M.  D.,  retired  physician,  was  born  in  Wayne 
County,  Ohio,  August  30,  1822.  He  is  the  son  of  Richard  and  Catharine 
(Emmons)    Smalley,    natives    of    New    Jersey,  and    of    Holland    descent. 


650  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

They  were  the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  all  attaining  their  majority — 
five  living  at  the  present  time,  viz.,  Benjamin,  Richard,  Isaac,  Abraham  and 
Jacob  W.  They  removed  to  Wayne  County  in  1816,  Mr.  Smalley  having 
entered  320  acres  of  land  one  year  previous,  where  they  resided  until  his 
death  in  April,  1845,  aged  seventy-seven  years.  Mrs.  Smalley  died  in  1861, 
aged  eighty-six  years.  Dr.  Smalley,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  brought 
up  on  the  farm,  and  shared  such  advantages  of  education  as  the  district 
schools  afforded.  He  remained  at  home  with  his  parents  until  twenty -one 
years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  entered  college  at  Ashland,  Ohio,  taking  a 
preparatory  course,  and  beginning  the  study  of  medicine  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four,  under  the  instruction  of  Drs.  Cook  &  Maxwell,  at  Berlin, 
Holmes  Co.,  Ohio.  He  graduated  at  the  Western  Reserve  Medical  College, 
Cleveland,  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Shanesville,  Tusca- 
rawas County,  forming  a  partnership  with  Dr.  Strese.  He  removed  to  Fred- 
ericksbui'g,  Wayne  County,  in  1818,  and  in  1862  to  Upper  Sandusky,  where 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  R.  A.  Henderson.  In  1869,  Mr.  Smalley 
withdrew  from  the  partnership,  and  resumed  his  practice  independently, 
continuing  the  same  until  1878,  when  he  retired  from  the  profession.  Dr. 
Smalley  was  married  in  Fredericksburg,  April  15,  1856,  to  Margaret  C. 
Armstrong,  nee  Porter,  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (McNeal)  Porter, 
early  settlers  of  Holmes  County.  Mr.  Porter  was  at  one  time  Representa- 
tive of  Holmes  County;  he  died  about  1839.  Mrs.  Porter  still  survives,  in 
her  eighty-second  year,  and  resides  at  Peru,  Ind.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smalley 
are  the  parents  of  seven  children,  four  now  living — William  P.,  born  June 
8,  1860;  Walter  Mc,  Januarj^  19,  1862;  Charles  E.,  February  21,  1864; 
Richard  E.,  May  10,  1871.  The  deceased  are:  Mary  C,  born  March  13, 
1857,  died  April  6,  1861;  Anna  E.,  September  5,  1858,  died  March  21, 
1861;  Rolla,  June  25,  1867,  died  September  30,  1868.  Mrs.  Smalley  was 
born  June  8,  1832.  Mr.  Smalley  has  been  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M. 
since  1847,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Upper  Sandusky  School  Board  nine 
consecutive  years.      In  politics,  he  is  a  strong  Republican. 

JAMES  SMALLEY  was  born  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  February  23, 
1823,  son  of  Isaac  and  Priscilla  (Scott)  Smalley,  natives  of  New  Jersey  and 
Ohio  respectively.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  three  now  living 
— James,  Richard  and  Henry.  The  parents  both  died  in  Ashland  County 
— the  father  in  1859,  aged  about  one  hundred  years;  the  mother  in  1874, 
at  an  advanced  age.  James  Smalley,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  resided  at 
the  old  homestead  in  Ashland  County  till  his  twenty-first  year,  locating  in 
this  county  in  1843.  He  engaged  in  daily  labor  a  number  of  years,  pur- 
chasing his  present  homestead  of  eighty  acres  in  1846,  since  adding  163 
acres,  now  valued  at  $85  per  acre.  The  first  tract  was  purchased  for  $3.50 
per  acre,  and  with  money  earned  by  days'  labor  at  50  cents  per  day.  Mr. 
Smalley  was  married,  in  Eden  Township  March,  1847,  to  Catharine  Ulrich, 
daughter  of  Peter  C.  and  Catharine  (Bowsher)  Ulrich,  natives  of  Maryland, 
and  of  English  and  German  ancestry.  She  was  born  September  5,  1828. 
This  marriage  was  followed  by  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  living — John 
\V.,  born  March  24,  1852;  Catharine  A.,  December  28,  1855;  James  S. , 
May  15,  1860;  Dencie  A.,  January  29,  1865;  and  Harriet  I.,  December  2, 
1866.  The  deceased  was  Amanda,  born  May  11,  1849,  died  February  23, 
1871.  Mr.  Smalley  votes  in  the  interest  of  Democracy,  and  is  well  esteemed 
as  a  citizen. 

JESSE  SMALLEY,  farmer,  was  born  in  Crane  Township,  this  county, 
October  24, 1846,  son  of  Isaac  and  Margaret  (Snyder)  Smalley,  both  deceased, 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  651 

the  former  during  in  1848,  the  latter  in  1862.  They  were  the  parents  of 
three  children — Jesse,  Isaac  and  Sarah  J.,  who  died  in  1860.  Jesse,  our 
subject,  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  his 
neighborhood.  After  the  death  of  his  father,  he  took  up  his  residence  with 
James  B.  Alden,  with  whom  he  remained  till  his  eightecmth  year,  at  which 
time  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Fourteenth  Regiment  Ohio  National  Guards, 
and  entered  the  war.  He  participated  in  a  spirited  skirmish  with  Morgan's 
cavalry  at  Berryville,  though  his  company  was  stationed  most  of  the  time 
of  its  service  at  Raleigh  on  guard  duty.  He  enlisted  May  2,  and  was  dis- 
charged September  4,  1864.  He  was  married,  in  Upper  Sandusky,  to  Rath 
Cordray,  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Rachel  (Franklin)  Cordray,  December 
29,  1870,  and  two  children  have  been  born  to  them — Robert  Mc. ,  born 
October  8,  1871,  and  Joel  G.,  November  7,  1877.  Mrs.  Smalley  was  born 
in  Salem  Township  July  30,  1849.  Mr.  Smalley  has  always  engaged  in 
agricultural  pui-suits,  and  now  owns  eighty  acres  of  land,  valued  at  $75 
per  acre.      In  politics,  he  favors  the  Republican  school. 

JOSEPH  M.  SMITH,  one  of  the  most  prominent  farmers  of  this  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  December  28,  1832.  He  is  a  so.x 
of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Duddleson)  Smith,  the  former  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
the  latter  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio.  They  came  to  this  locality  in  1822, 
and  i-esided  here  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  There  were  nine  children 
in  the  family,  of  whom  but  four  are  now  living,  namely,  John,  Henry  H., 
Antoinette  (wife  of  Robert  Gier)  and  Joseph  M.  Mr.  Smith  was  one  of  the 
leading  stock-dealers  and  farmers  of  the  county  during  his  life,  at  one 
time  controlling  over  3,000  acres  of  land.  He  died  in  1865,  his  wife  sur- 
viving till  1882.  Joseph  M. ,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was  engaged  on 
the  farm  with  his  father  till  1859,  spending  five  years  as  a  "  cowboy,"  herd- 
ing cattle  on  the  open  land.  He  was  then  tendered  400  acres  of  land,  which 
he  has  since  cultivated  and  improved,  having  cleared  nearly  300  acres  "from 
the  sprout."  Ho  has  dealt  extensively  in  stock,  and  also  conducted  a 
large  agricultural  business,  harvesting  as  many  as  2,000  bushels  of  wheat 
in  one  season.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  agricultural  matters,  general- 
ly exhibiting  stock  at  the  county  fairs,  and  keeping  improved  grades,  with 
some  thoroughbreds.  He  now  owns  525  acres  of  excellent  land,  valued  at 
$75  to  $100  per  acre,  on  which  in  1876-77  he  erected  an  elegant  brick 
mansion  at  a  cost  of  $12,000.  It  is  provided  with  all  the  modern  improve- 
ments— pantries,  closets,  hot  and  cold  water,  baths,  etc.;  is  excellently 
planned,  and,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  finest  farm  houses  in  the  county. 
Mr.  Smith  was  married,  November  6,  1860,  to  Miss  Sallie  M.  Straw,  who 
was  born  in  this  county  July  4,  1839.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Samuel  C. 
and  Christina  (Staily)  Straw,  her  father  being  a  native  of  Vermont,  her 
mother  of  Pickaway  County,  Ohio.  They  had  eleven  children,  six  of  whom 
are  now  living,  namely,  David,  Malachi,  Martin,  Samuel,  Eunice  and  Sallie 
M.  Her  parents  located  in  this  county  about  1830,  and  resided  here  till 
their  respective  deaths,  November  22,  1856,  and  August  11,  1876.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Smith  have  nine  children,  all  living,  namely:  William  S,,  born  Au- 
gust 13,  1861;  Nettie  M.,  August  16,  1863;  Anna  V.,  August  10,  1865; 
Eunice  E., October  16,  1867;  David  S.,  April  15,  1870;  Mary  C,  August 
5,  1873;  Sallie  M.,  November  24,1876;  Joseph  M.,  March  16,  1880;  George 
R.,  September  29,  1882.  Mr.  Smith  is  not  a  politician,  but  favors  Repub- 
licanism. He  is  known  throughout  the  county  as  one  of  its  most  substantial 
and  successful  farmers,  and  is  highly  esteemed,  both  as  a  citizen  and  busi- 
ness man. 


652  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

LANDLINE  SMITH  is  a  native  of  Kichland  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born 
Ma\^  21,  1845.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Teresa  (Coler)  Smith,  who  are  na- 
tives of  Germany.  They  emigrated  to  America  in  1832 — before  their  mar- 
riage— and  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Uichland  County,  Ohio;  resid- 
ing there  till  1867,  when  they  moved  to  this  county,  and  located  in  Carey, 
where  they  resided  about  twelve  years.  In  1879,  they  located  in  Upper 
Sandusky,  where  they  have  since  resided.  Their  children  were  Frank  P., 
John  A.,  Teressa,  Landline  and  Louisa,  now  living;  and  Mathias,  Peter  and 
Mary,  deceased.  Landline  Smith,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  on 
a  fai'm  and  attended  the  district  schools,  abandoning  his  studies  and  the 
"  paternal  roof  "  at  the  age  of  sixteen  to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits,  to 
which  he  devoted  his  attention  two  years.  He  then  embarked  in  the  produce 
and  poultry  trade,  which  occupation  he  has,  at  intervals,  since  continued. 
In  the  fall  of  1878,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Auditor,  and  iu 
1881  he  Avas  re-elected  to  the  same  position,  which  he  still  retains.  Mr. 
Smith  enlisted  May  2,  18G4,  in  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth 
Ohio  National  Guard,  and  entered  the  service.  He  participated  in  several 
skirmishes,  and  was  also  in  the  battle  of  Berryville,  where  two  other  com- 
panies and  a  number  of  his  own  were  captured.  He  was  discharged  at 
Columbus,  Ohio,  September  2,  1864.  He  was  married,  June  18,  1874,  to 
Elzina  A.  Boucher,  who  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  February  27, 
1855,  and  two  children  have  been  born  to  them — Harry  H.,  born  February 
18,  1876;  and  Bernice,  May  29,  1879.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  K. 
of  P.,  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Royal  Arcanum,  and  though  a  Republican  in  politics 
in  this  county  so  largely  Democratic,  he  has  been  twice  elected  to  his  pres- 
ent position,  the  duties  of  which  he  has  honorably  and  efficiently  discharged. 

JESSE  SNYDER,  one  of  the  old  pioneers  of  this  county,  was  born  in 
Chester  County,  Penn. ,  September  17,  1799,  son  of  Henry  and  Margaret 
(Trey)  Snyder,  natives  of  Germany  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  They 
had  nine  children,  our  subject  being  the  only  one  living;  the  deceased  were 
Benjamin,  Samuel,  Thomas,  Henry,  Mary,  Sarah.  Hannah  and  John. 
Their  parents  removed  to  Wayne  County,  where  the  mother  died  about 
1836;  the  father  then  moved  to  Indiana,  where  he  died.  Jesse  Snyder  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Chester  County,  Penn.,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  wagon  making  for  several  years.  He  removed  to 
Wayne  County  in  1830  or  1831,  and  purchased  160  acres  of  land,  on  which 
he  resided  thirteen  years.  He  removed  to  this  county  in  1843,  settling 
among  the  Indians,  at  one  time  occupying  one  end  of  a  cabin  while  an  In- 
dian family  dwelt  in  the  other —living  in  this  way  two  months.  He  was 
familiar  with  many  of  the  chiefs,  and  after  the  Indians'  departure  in  1843, 
he  purchased  560  acres  of  land  at  Government  prices.  He  now  owns  322 
acres,  valued  at  $75  per  acre,  and  much  other  property  gained  by  hard 
labor  and  good  management.  He  was  married  in  Chester  County,  Penn., 
to  Sarah  Mills,  who  was  born  in  1798,  and  died  August  — ,  1874.  They 
had  twelve  children,  four  now  living — Eliza  A.,  born  November  7,  1824; 
Isabella,  wife  of  Robert  McKelly,  born  January  31,  1830;  Jesse,  born  Oc- 
tober 5,  1833;  and  Sarah  A.,  September  27,  1840.  In  politics,  Mr.  Snyder 
votes  for  the  best  man;  in  religion,  he  associates  with  the  United  Brethren 
Church.  He  has  always  been  a  liberal  contributor  to  the  churches,  hav- 
ing subscribed  $2,700  to  the  erection  of  the  Church.  He  is  notable 
for  his  i^ublic  spirit,  always  being  ready  to  assist  in  meritorious  en- 
terprises. He  came  to  this  county  a  poor  man,  but,  by  his  pluck,  energy, 
perseverance  and  business  sagacity,  he  has  wrought  out  an  enviable  fortune. 


^i^^^^^W     -''^' '' 


^a 


^^^-O^I^V^'t^^^ 


C^*ty»J-tyX^\^^f-\rj0* 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  655 

From  the  poor  wagon-maker,  by  the  work  of  his  own  hands — the  sweat  of 
his  own  brow — he  has  risen  to  the  wealthy  landholder:  and  in  the  brilliant 
success  of  his  ripened  years  bears  the  same  spirit  of  kindness  and  gener 
osity  toward  his  fellow-men  that  characterized  his  less  fortunate  days. 

GEORGE  J.  STECHER  is  a  native  of  Ellhofen,  Oberamt  Weinsberg, 
Konigreich  Wiirtemberg,  Germany,  and  was  born  October  29,  1807.  He  is 
a  son  of  Peter  and  Christiana  (Schmalzhoff )  Stecher,  who  were  natives  of 
the  same  locality,  his  father  born  March  31,  1779,  his  mother  November  17, 
1788.  His  father  was  an  office-holder  in  his  county  most  of  his  life,  and 
died  in  1861.  His  mother's  death  occurred  in  1842.  Mr.  Stecher  resided 
on  the  farm  with  his  parents  till  about  thirty- live  years  of  age,  being  chiefly 
engaged  in  vineyard  culture  and  horticulture.  He  was  educated  in  the  Ger- 
man schools,  and  attended  quietly  to  his  pursuits  till  emigrating  to  Amer- 
ica, in  1854.  He  reached  Upper  Sandusky  April  28,  and  since  that  time 
has  been  a  resident  of  the  place.  For  many  years  he  was  engaged  in  horti- 
cultural pursuits,  but  has  now  retired  from  active  labor  and  business,  having 
obtained  a  comfortable  home  as  the  result  of  his  labors.  Mr.  Stecher  was 
married  in  Germany,  November  25,  1844,  to  Miss  Christina  Nollenberger, 
who  was  born  in  Ottmarsheim,  Oberamt  Marabach,  K'  nigreich  "Wiirtemburg, 
October  2,  1822.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  C  and  Christina  (Long) 
Nollenberger,  her  parents  being  natives  of  the  same  place,  her  father  born 
in  1786,  her  mother  in  1790.  Her  father  was  eleven  years  in  the  war  under 
Napoleon,  with  whom  he  made  the  famous  march  to  Moscow,  being  one  of 
thirty-six  survivors  of  a  company  of  300  soldiers  from  his  locality.  During 
the  last  few  years  of  his  service,  he  was  a  commissioned  officer.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Stecher  have  eight  children,  namely:  Hannah,  born  June  27,  1846, 
now  the  wife  of  Michael  Burckhardt;  Charles  F..  born  January  26,  1848; 
Christian  J.,  June  24,  1850;  Frederick  C,  March  29.  1852;  Gottlob  C, 
March  25,  1854;  George  J.,  May  29,  1857;  Caroline  F.,  born  September 
14,  1859,  now  the  wife  of  J.  H.  Kinley;  Mary  C,  October  10,  1864.  Of 
these  children,  the  four  eldest  were  born  in  Germany,  the  fifth  on  the  ocean 
daring  their  voyage  to  America,  and  the  three  latter  in  Upper  Sandusky. 
Mr.  Stecher  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Association,  and  a  devoted 
Christian,  always  having  borne  an  excellent  character. 

MICHAEL  STERNER,  deceased,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born 
August  7,  1820,  son  of  Daniel  and  Esther  (Smith)  Sterner.  He  settled  in 
this  county  with  his  parents  in  1849,  residing  in  Upper  Sandusky  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  April  3,  1882.  He  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  teaming,  and  was  well  respected  as  a  citizen.  May  2,  1871,  he 
had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  left  limb.  He  was  married.  November  20, 
1854,  to  Mary  A.  Hale,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Donor)  Hale,  and 
their  union  was  blessed  by  nine  children,  seven  living,  namely  :  Cyrus  W., 
born  January  26,  1856;  John  D.,  November  27,  1857;  Libbie  S.,  February 
27,  1861;  Margaret  E,  March  1,  1865;  Emmet  S.,  December  9,  1867; 
George  B.,  August  17,  1870;  L-a  H,  born  July  12,  1872.  The  deceased 
were  Mary  J.,  born  September  9,  1859,  died  August  28,  1864,  and  David 
H.,  born  November  23,  1863,  died  July  24,  1865.  Mrs.  Sterner  was  born  in 
Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  September  17,  1828. 

JOHN  D.  STERNER,  of  the  firm  of  Hale  &  Sterner,  manufacturers  of 
wagons,  carriages,  etc..  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  the  before-named  city 
November  27,  1857.  He  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Mary  A.  (Hale)  Sterner, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  parentage.  The  parents  came  to 
this  county  before  their  marriage.      They  had   nine  children,   seven  still 

26 


656  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

living — Cyrus  "W.,  John  D.,  Sarah  E.,  Elma  M. ,  Samuel  E.,  George  B.  and 
Ira  H.  The  deceased  are  Mary  J.  and  David  H.  The  father  departed  this 
life  April  3,  1882,  aged  sixty-one  years,  seven  months  and  twenty- six  days, 
the  mother  still  surviving,  a  resident  of  Upper  Sandusky,  in  her  lifty-sixth 
year.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  above- 
named  city,  and  now  resides  with  his  mother  in  the  house  in  which  he  was 
born.  He  acquired  his  trade  in  the  shop  of  Hale  &  Freet,  with  whom  he 
was  employed  five  years,  purchasing  Mr.  E reefs  interest  and  entering  into 
a  partnership  with  Mr.  Hale  in  August,  1882.  This  partnership  still  exists, 
the  firm  doing  a  thriving  business,  employing  twelve  to  fourteen  workmen 
constantly. 

GEORGE  B.  STEVENSON, the  founder  of  the  Stevenson  Engine  Works, 
of  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  December  25,  1840. 
He  is  a  son  of  James  M.  and  Susan  (Hite)  Stevenson,  natives  of  Westmore- 
land County.  Penn.  His  parents  came  to  Ohio  before  their  marriage  and 
subsequently  reared  a  family  of  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  are  still  liv- 
ing, namely:  Aaron  B.,  Sarah  E. ,  George  B. ,  Candis  V.,  Rand  L.,  Irene 
M. ,  Roe  M.  The  deceased  are  Ada  F.,  and  John  M.  His  father 
moved  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1866,  and  here  his  mother  died  in 
1867,  aged  fifty-three  years.  His  fether  survived  until  December  20, 
1880,  and  died,  aged  seventy.  George  B.  Stevenson  obtained  but  a 
limited  education  in  the  district  schools  of  Stark  County.  At  the  age 
of  sixteen,  he  engaged  as  tow-path  boy  on  the  Ohio  &  Erie  Canal.  Two 
years  later,  he  became  an  apprentice  in  the  machine  shop  of  C.  Aultman  & 
Co.,  of  Canton,  Ohio,  serving  three  years,  remaining  with  the  firm  till  1863. 
During  this  time  he  was  married  to  Sarah  Pearson,  daughter  of  Andrew 
and  Abigail  Pearson,  and  by  this  marriage  five  children  resulted,  of  whom 
but  three  are  living — Mamie  A.,  born  September  13,  1865;  George  B.,  Sep- 
tember 11,  1870;  Blanch  M.,  October  25,  1874.  Florence  I.  was  born  Oc- 
tober 28,  1863,  died  July  15,  1864;  Nellie  I.,  born  January  7,  1868,  died 
May  1,  1871.  Mrs.  Stevenson  is  a  native  of  Stark  County  and  was  born 
November  15,  1842.  Her  marriage  to  Mr.  Stevenson  occurred  August  15, 
1861.  In  1863,  our  subject  went  to  Gallon  in  the  employ  of  the  "  Bee  Line  " 
Railroad  Company  as  engineer  and  machinist,  remaining  in  their  employ 
until  April,  1865,  when  he  returned  to  Aultman  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  was 
engaged  until  November,  the  same  year,  then  locating  in  Upper  Sandusky. 
He  purchased  a  small  concern  of  John  Cams,  the  building  being  located  on 
the  ground  now  occupied  by  the  well-known  Stevenson  Engine  Works, 
which  he  himself  founded.  In  1866,  he  invented  the  celebrated  "Wyandot 
Chief  circular  saw  mill,  which  has  found  a  sale  in  nearly  every  State  of 
the  Union.  In  1868,  Mr.  Stevenson  erected  a  two-story  brick  shop  build- 
ing, 36x100  feet  in  dimension,  main  building,  and  in  1870,  the  foundry 
building  was  erected;  the  latter  also  a  brick  structure  36x75  feet.  The 
firm  was  first  established  as  Stevenson  &  Gump;  two  years  later  Mr.  Gump 
retired  and  Mr.  Stevenson  continued  the  business  as  sole  proprietor  until 
1870,  when  Cyrus  Sears  was  admitted.  The  fii-m  of  Stevenson  &  Sears  con- 
tinued till  1872,  when  the  latter's  interest  was  purchased  by  J.  K.  Mc- 
Cracken,  Wesley  Hedges,  Jacob  Juvinall,  John  R.  Layton  and  D.  S.  Miller, 
the  business  being  conducted  from  that  time  till  April,  1874,  under  the  firm 
name  of  George  Stevenson  &  Co.  Mr.  Stevenson  then  became  sole  proprietor 
and  continued  as  such  till  1881,  when  the  present  firm  was  established,  with 
the  following  members:  George  B.  Stevenson,  George  W.  Bury,  Sr.,  Roe 
M.  Stevenson,  John  Agerter.     The  institution  represents  a  capital  of   $32,- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  657 

000  and  about  thirty  workmen  are  employed,  the  institution  being  Upper 
Sandusky's  most  important  industry.  The  establishment  to  date  has  been 
the  means  of  bringing  over  $2,000,000  into  this  county,  and  is  one  of  which 
the  citizens  may  justly  be  proud.  Great  credit  is  due  Mr.  Stevenson  for 
the  energy  and  enterprise  he  has  displayed  in  giving  to  Upper  Sandusky 
so  valuable  an  acquisition  to  its  business  interests,  the  influence  of  which  can 
scarcely  be  estimated.  Mr.  Stevenson  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  an 
honored  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  is  a  man  of  estimable  char- 
acter, and  his  extensive  operations  in  this  county  are  ample  evidence  of  his 
superior  business  qualities  and  genius. 

JAMES  M.  STEVENSON,  of  the  Stevenson  Engine  Works,  Upper  San- 
dusky, was  born  in  Paris,  Stark  County,  Ohio,  October  1,  1853;  son  of 
James  N.  and  Susanna  (Hite)  Stevenson.  James  M.  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Canton  and  Upper  Sandusky,  having  removed  with  his 
parents  to  the  latter  place  in  his  thirteenth  year,  in  1866.  In  1870  or  1871, 
he  entered  the  machine  shop  of  Stevenson  &  Sears,  and,  with  the  exception 
of  eleven  months'  employment  in  the  Union  Iron  Works,  of  San  Francisco, 
Cal.,  has  remained  in  the  establishment  through  all  its  changes  ever  since. 
In  1881,  he  was  admitted  to  the  firm  as  pai'tner,  which  relation  he  still  sus- 
tains. Mr.  Stevenson  was  married  in  Upper  Sandusky  in  1875,  to  Alice 
L.  Vandenburg,  daughter  of  John  and  Lucia  D.  (Sturtevant)  Vandenburg, 
natives  of  Herkimer  County,  N.  Y.  Four  children  have  blessed  this  mar- 
riage, namely:  Alice  M.,  John  V.,  James  M.  and  Noi-man  S.  Mr.  Steven- 
son has  been  engaged  in  the  engine  works  fourteen  years,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  reliable  and  highly  respected  citizens  of  his  native  city.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  Republican. 

JAMES  A.  STOCKTON,  dentist,  was  born  in  Licking  County,  Ohio, 
March  17,  1846;  son  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  (Rea)  Stockton,  natives  of 
Washington  County,  Penn.,  and  of  Scotch  and  Irish  parentage.  They 
were  married  in  their  native  county  in  January,  1835,  and  had  seven  chil- 
dren, five  living — Joseph  R. ;  Belle  S.,  wife  of  Henry  C.  Adgate,  Lima, 
Ohio;  Robert  G.,  James  A.  and  John  V.  The  deceased  are  Thomas  M.  and 
Mary  A.  The  parents  came  to  Ohio  in  1835  and  settled  in  Licking  Coun- 
ty, when  Newark,  the  county  seat,  contained  but  two  houses.  They  pur- 
chased 320  acres  of  land,  upon  which  they  resided  till  1865,  when  they  re- 
moved to  Allen  County,  having  purchased  280  acres  near  Lima.  They  re- 
sided on  this  farm  till  1872,  when  they  retired  from  active  life  and  removed 
to  Lima,  where  the  father  died  August  27,  1875,  the  mother  in  April,  1879. 
Dr.  Stockton,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  shared 
the  advantages  of  a  common  school  education.  He  entered  the  Vermillion 
Institute  at  Hayesville  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  remaining  one  year.  In 
1868,  he  began  reading  dentistry  under  the  instructions  of  Dr.  C.  N. 
Swisher,  of  Lima,  and  subsequently  with  Drs.  Moon  and  Hall,  remaining 
one  year  with  each,  at  the  same  time  beginning  his  practice.  In  1876,  he 
attended  lectures  at  Cincinnati  and  graduated  in  1879.  He  located  in  Up- 
per Sandusky  March  19,  1872,  and  has  built  iip  an  extensive  practice.  He 
was  married  December  29,  1870,  to  Callie  S.  Hover,  of  Lima,  Ohio,  and 
four  children  have  been  born  to  them,  three  living,  viz.:  Carrie  I.,  Luella 
M.  and  Rea  H.  Leola  Blanche  is  deceased;  she  died  April  30,  1880,  aged 
two  years  and  seven  months.  Dr.  Stockton  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor  and  is  a  Ruling  Elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  In  politics,  he 
is  a  Republican. 


658  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

JOHN  L.  STOKER  is  a  native  of  Rushville,  Fairfield  Co.,  Ohio,  born 
September  1,  1834.  His  parents  were  John  and  Sarah  (Lowmaster)  Stoker, 
the  former  born  in  Frederick  County,  Md. ,  February  15,  1804,  died  in  Up- 
per Sandusky,  October  4,  1877;  the  latter  born  in  York  County,  Penu., 
October  4,  1809 — still  living.  Their  children  were  ]\[elanchthon,  John  L., 
Noah,  Edna,  Anna  aud  Allen,  the  two  latter  deceased.  The  parents  were 
married  in  Fairfield  County,  January  14,  1830,  and  settled  in  this  county 
in  1839.  John  L.  Stoker,  oui*  subject,  resided  with  his  parents  till  1853, 
when  he  learned  the  saddle  and  harness  trade  in  Tiffin,  but  subsequently 
abandoned  that  vocation  on  account  of  failing  health  and  engaged  in  the 
trade  of  house  carpenter,  coatinuing  in  this  work  eight  years.  In  1869,  he, 
with  his  father,  purchased  his  present  farm  and  has  since  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  owns  ninety-five  acres,  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  Mr. 
Stoker's  marriage  to  Rachel  Bowsher  occurred  in  Cai'ey,  March  31,  1857; 
her  parents  being  Henry  and  Margaret  (Dickens)  Bowsher.  Their  children 
were  Melancbthon,  born  July  17,  1858;  Orren  J.,  April  9,  1860;  Noah  A. 
W.,  June  5,  1862;  John,  September  5,  1864.  Mrs.  Stoker  was  born  Octo- 
ber 2,  1835,  and  died  November  22,  1866.  Mr.  Stoker's  second  wife  was 
Sarah  Brown,  their  marriage  taking  place  May  9,  1872.  Her  parents  were 
Abraham  and  Frances  (Coon)  Brown,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the 
former  born  in  Bucks  County,  June  6,  1804,  his  father  losing  his  life  in 
the  war  of  1812.  He  was  married  to  Frances  Coon  in  1825,  and  died  at 
his  son-in-law,  our  subject's,  home,  January  26,  1880.  Mr.  Stoker  being  a 
member  of  the  Home  Guards,  his  company  was  called  into  service  in  May, 
1864,  and  he  participated  in  the  battle  at  Berryville,  with  Mosby's  cavalry. 
He  was  discharged  September  1,  1864.  In  politics,  Mr.  Stoker  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 

JOHN  J.  STOLL,  of  the  firm  of  Stoll  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  sash, 
doors,  blinds,  etc.,  was  born  in  Germany,  May  25,  1827;  son  of  John  and 
Dorothy  (Zoller)  Stoll,  who  emigrated  to  America  in  1832,  settling  in  New 
York,  and  removing  to  Bucyrus  in  1838.  John  Stoll,  the  father,  died  in 
New  York  City  in  1837,  aged  fifty-six  years;  his  wife  survived  until  1868; 
and  died  in  her  eighty-fifth  year.  They  were  the  parents  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren, four  now  living:  Rosanna,  Eva,  John  and  John  J.  The  latter,  with 
whom  this  sketch  deals,  began  the  trade  of  carpenter  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen and  pursued  this  occupation  in  various  places  until  1859,  when  he 
established  himself  in  the  planing  mill  business  in  Bucyrus.  This  was 
continued  till  1868,  at  which  time  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  and 
established  his  present  business.  Several  changes  have  occurred  in  the 
management  at  different  times,  the  present  firm,  comprised  of  J.  J.  Stoll 
and  J.  Shealey,  being  formed  in  1881,  since  which  time  the  business  has 
been  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Stoll  &  Co.  They  do  an  extensive 
business,  usually  employing  fifteen  to  twenty  workmen.  Mr.  Stoll  was 
married  July  1,  1851,  to  Elizabeth  Reiger,  daughter  of  John  P.  and  Cath- 
arine (Peters)  Reiger,  and  eight  children  have  been  born  to  them — four 
living:  Elizabeth  A.,  born  March  21,  1853;  Martha,  born  November  27, 
1857;  Ida  M.,  May  10,  1862;  and  Cora,  June  30,  1868.  The  deceased  are 
Catharine,  born  August  1,  1855,  died  July  2,  1856;  Franklin,  born  Novem- 
ber 25.  1859,  died  February  28,  i860;  Anna  A.,  born  August  31,  1865,  died 
April  10,  1869;  and  an  infant  unnamed.  Mrs.  Stoll  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  Penn.,  July  5,  1833.  Mr.  Stoll  served  two  years  as  City  Council- 
man; is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  Royal  Arcanum,  and  votes  for 
the  best  man  in  political  issues. 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP,  659 

JOHN  STRASER,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Simons)  Straser,  is  a 
native  of  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  born  August  24.  1834     His  parents  were 

natives  of ^  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States   in   1832.      In  1833, 

they  located  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  where  his  father  died  in  1868;  his 
mother  is  still  living  and  resides  with  him  in  this  township.  Seven  of  their 
ten  children  are  living,  viz.,  Catharine,  Peter,  John,  Adam,  Elizabeth, 
Mathias  and  Mary  E.  Our  subject  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  began  to  work  on  the  Mad  River  Railroad,  which  he  continued  a 
number  of  years,  but  subsequently  engaged  in  farming,  and  in  1862  re- 
moved to  this  county,  where  he  now  owns  seventy-eight  and  one-half  acres 
of  laud  well  stocked  and  improved.  Mr.  Straser  was  married  August  19, 
1856,  to  Mary  Stark,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Walker)  Stark,  natives 
of  Germany.  They  emigrated  in  1853,  Mrs.  Stark  dying  the  same  year; 
Mr.  Stark  died  in  Pulaski  County,  Ind.,  December  17,  1881.  They  were 
the  parents  of  ten  children,  six  of  whom  are  living,  viz.,  John,  Mary.  Car- 
oline, Anthony,  Jacob  and  Christena.  Nine  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mi's.  Straser,  seven  living:  Elizabeth,  born  August  31,  1857;  Henry,  born 
February  27,  1860;  Mary  A.,  December  1,  1864;  Anthony,  November  4, 
1867;  Clara,  January  27,  1870;  William  E.,  July  18,  1872;  Frank  A., 
March  26,  1875.  The  deceased  were  John  A.,  born  December  2i,  1862 — 
died  November  1,  1863;  John  P.,  born  July  8,  1879— died  January  9,  1880. 
Mrs.  Straser  was  born  in  Germany,  December  25,  1835.  Mr.  Straser  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  and  the  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

WINFIELD  J.  STREBY,  of  the  firm  of  Streby,  Myers  &  Kail,  City 
Flouring  Mills,  is  a  native  of  Richland  County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born 
October  6,  1848.  His  parents  were  Elias  and  Elizabeth  (Foguelsong) 
Streby,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  York  State  respectively.  They  were 
married  in  Richland  County,  and  reared  a  family  of  five  children,  named 
as  follows:  Winfield  J.,  Maggie,  wife  of  J.  P.  Karg;  Savilla,  Samuel  O. 
and  Almira.  Elizabeth,  a  sixth  child,  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  Win- 
field  J.,  our  subject,  obtained  a  fair  education  in  the  district  schools  of  his 
native  county,  finishing  his  studies  in  the  Union  Schools  of  Upper  Sandus- 
ky. He  remained  on  the  farm  with  his  father,  and  in  1875,  purchased  the 
first  steam  threshing  machine  in  Crane  Township.  He  operated  this  ma- 
chine with  great  success  for  twelve  seasons,  threshing  41,014  bushels  the  first 
year;  the  largest  result  of  one  day's  work  was  obtained  the  second  year, 
consisting  of  1,188  bushels  of  oats  and  188  bushels  of  wheat — in  all  1,376. 
June  1,  1879,  he  purchased  a  one-third  interest  in  the  City  Flouring  Mills 
and  another  third  in  1881,  turning  his  entire  attention  to  the  business. 
He  rented  the  remaining  third  one  year,  and  during  that  time  assumed  full 
control.  In  1880,  the  firm  of  Streby  &  Myers  was  established,  and  in  1881, 
Mr.  W.  D.  Kail  was  admitted  as  a  third  member.  Their  mill  has  been 
provided  with  the  latest  improvements,  and  the  firm  is  doing  an  extensive 
business  under  its  efficient  management.  In  August,  1883,  Mr.  Streby  in- 
troduced the  roller  process  into  the  mills.  He  has  operated  different  kinds 
of  machines  more  than  twelve  seasons. 

JAMES  SWANN,  farmer  and  wool-grower,  was  born  in  Richland  County, 
Ohio,  July  18,  1831;  son  of  Jesse  and  Sarah  (Erwin)  Swann,  natives  of 
Anne  Arundel  County,  Md.,  and  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.  Jesse  Swann 
was  born  October  6,  1795,  settled  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  in  1828,  and 
died  in  Mansfield  December  3,  1876;  his  widow  is  still  living  and  resides 
in  the  same  door-yard  with  her  son  James.  Their  children  were  James, 
George,  Elizabeth,  wife  of  A.  E.  Chew,  William;  Caroline,  wife  of  Norman 


660  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Baker;  Mary  A.,  wife  of  Washington  McBride,  and  Edwin;  the  three  latter 
being  deceased.  James  Swann  resided  in  Richland  County  till  February 
29,  1860,  at  which  time  he  removed  to  this  county  and  settled  in.  Crane 
Township,  on  135  acres  of  land  purchased  at  the  land  sales  of  1845,  by  his 
father.  He  has  since  added  forty-five  acres  and  values  the  whole  ai  $100 
per  acre.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  Atwood  Spanish  Merino  sheep,  having  a 
number  on  hand;  his  favorite  sheep,  known  as  "Jason  "  No.  95 — two  years 
old — is  valued  at  $4,000.  Mr.  Swann  was  married  April  30,  1857,  to  An- 
geline  Robinson,  daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Stansbury)  Robinson, 
(natives  of  Brook  County,  W.  Va.),  born  June  1,  1839.  Her  parents  moved 
to  Richland  County  in  1853,  where  her  father  died  in  1873;  her  mother  is 
still  living.  James  and  Angeline  Swann  have  six  children:  Mary  J.,  born 
September  7,  1858;  William  A.,  January  16,  1860;  Frank,  February  27, 
1866;  Jissie,  June  3,  1871;  Delia,  February  9,  1874,  and  Edna,  March  21, 
1875.  Mr.  Swann  is  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  thecouutv,  andalthouirh 
a  Republican,  he  was  elected  Township  Trustee  in  1874,  in  a  township 
usually  250  Democratic.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  English 
Lutheran  Church. 

JACOB  SWARTZ  is  a  native  of  Schuylkill  County,  Penn.,  born  July 
31,  1837,  son  of  Abraham  and  Christena  (Celmer)  Swartz,  of  German 
descent.  The  surviving  children  are  Daniel,  Anna,  Abraham,  Christena, 
Polly,  Lovina,  Jacob  and  John;  four  others  are  deceased.  The  parents 
came  to  Richland  County,  Ohio,  in  1840,  where  the  father  died  in  1861, 
aged  sixty-seven  years;  the  mother  in  1882,  aged  ninety-three.  Our  subject 
came  to  Wyandot  County  in  1859,  having  been  educated  in  the  district 
schools  of  Richland.  He  erected  the  first  circular  saw  mill  in  the  county, 
and,  in  partnership  with  George  W.  Moon,  continued  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness about  two  years.  He  then  purchased  160  acres  of  land,  which,  in  1882, 
he  sold  to  his  nephew  and  bought  his  present  tract  of  138  acres,  paying  $75 
per  acre.  He  was  married  in  Richland  County  June  19,  1864,  to  Sarah 
Balliet,  daughter  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Williams)  Balliet,  a  native  of 
Richland  County,  born  January  26,  1837.  Mr.  Swartz  is  a  good  fanner, 
selling  annually  $500  to  $800  worth  of  stock.  In  politics,  he  favors  the 
Democratic  school, 

WILLIAM  M.  THOMPSON,  Ex-Postmaster  at  Upper  Sandusky,  was 
born  in  Washington  Co.,  Penn.,  September  6. 1832.  He  is  the  son  of  William 
and  Nancy  (McNary)  Thompson,  of  Irish  and  Scotch  ancestry,  and  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  in  which  State  they  were  married.  They  removed  from 
their  native  county  to  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  and  from  that  jjoint  to  Hancock 
County  in  1848,  where  Mrs.  Thompson  died  in  1850.  Her  husband  is  still 
living,  being  a  resident  of  Findlay,  Ohio,  in  his  seventy-fifth  year.  They 
were  the  parents  of  six  children,  William,  our  subject,  being  the  eldest. 
He  obtained  a  fair  education  in  the  common  schools,  and  embarked  in  life 
upon  his  own  resources  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  He  learned  the  carpen- 
ter's trade  when  a  mere  boy,  and  followed  this  occupation  several  years. 
He  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  enlisting  August  12,  1861,  in  Company 
E,  Forty  ninth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  command  of  Will- 
iam H.  Gibson.  He  enlisted  as  a  private,  and  participated  in  the  following 
battles:  Stone  River,  Liberty  Gap,  Chickamauga  and  Mission  Ridge.  At 
the  battle  of  Chickamaugfa,  he  was  wounded  in  the  right  shoulder,  but  con- 
tinned  with  his  company  until  after  the  battle  of  Mission  Ridge,  where  he 
received  a  wound  in  the  left  arm.  which  rendei'ed  him  iTutit  for  duty.  He 
was  sent  to   the  Nashville  Hospital  for  a  short  period,  and  subsequently  re- 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  661 

moved  to  Evanaville,  Ind.,  where  he  was  discharged  as  Orderly  Sergeant, 
June  27,  1864,  on  account  of  his  wounds.  He  returned  to  Marseilles,  Ohio, 
and  was  commissioned  Postmaster  at  that  place  September  25,  1865,  by 
William  Dennison.  Postmaster  General.  Was  appointed  Assistant  United 
States  Marshal  in  1870.  In  1873,  Mr.  Thompson  removed  to  Upper  San- 
dusky, and  was  appointed  Deputy  Postmaster  at  that  place,  serving  in  that 
capacity  four  years.  July  1,  1877,  he  was  commissioned  Postmaster  by 
President  Hayes,  and  re  commissioned  January  12,  1882,  by  President  Ar- 
thur. He  was  married,  February  17,  1859,  to  Miss  Jennie  Livenspire, 
daughter  of  Levi  and  Jane  (Cochran)  Livenspire,  and  five  children  have  re- 
sulted from  this  union,  tliree  living— Leon,  born  July  13,  1865;  Mary  B., 
February  3,  1872;  Gail,  August  25,  1881.  Josephine  and  Leroy  are  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Thompson  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  the  G.  A.  R. 
CHARLES  O.  TILTON,  one  of  the  foremost  farmers  and  stock-dealers 
of  this  township,  was  born  on  the  old  homestead,  where  he  now  resides,  Jan- 
uary 18,  1850.  He  is  a  son  of  Green  and  Maria  (Smith)  Tilton,  who  were 
natives  of  Hampton  County,  N.  H.,  and  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  respectively. 
His  grandfather  left  New  Hampshire  in  an  early  day  and  went  to  Vermont, 
moving  later  to  New  York,  locating  near  Rochester,  and  purchasing  a  farm 
on  the  "  Genesee  Flats."  Later  in  life  he  came  West,  and  settled  in  San- 
dusky County,  Ohio.  While  a  young  man,  Green  Tilton  was  employed  as 
a  stage  driver  on  the  route  from  Bellevue  to  Perrysburg  five  years,  and, 
later,  running  from  Bellefontaine  to  Zanesville.  He  located  in  this  county 
in  1841,  and  herded  sheep  on  the  Sandusky  Plains,  being  the  second  to  en- 
gage in  that  business.  In  1844,  he  purchased  forty-one  acres  at  the  first 
land  sales,  and  in  1845,  forty-one  acres  more,  increasing  this  number  be- 
fore his  death  to  575  acres.  In  1855,  he  drove  sheep  to  Illinois,  and  herded 
one  year,  and  in  1861,  July  4,  in  company  with  Moses  Kirby,  started  with  a 
second  drove,  being  three  years  gone.  In  this  pursuit  he  lost  his  health, 
and  died  September  26,  1863,  his  wife  following  September  19,  1867. 
Charles  Tilton,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  resided  at  home  till  his  mother's 
death,  overseeing  the  farm  during  his  father's  absence.  At  seventeen,  he 
took  up  his  abode  with  Joseph  M.  Smith,  with  whom  he  lived  two  years. 
He  subsequently  attended  school  one  year  at  Fremont,  Ohio,  and  taught 
two  terms,  farming  in  the  meantime.  In  1872,  he  obtained  100  acres  of 
land  by  inheritance,  going  to  Kansas  in  the  same  year  and  purchasing  160 
acres  of  land,  which  he  has  disposed  of,  and  has  since  resided  on  his  pres- 
ent farm,  which  now  contains  180  acres,  all  thoroughly  drained  by  tile,  and 
valued  at  $125  to  $150  per  acre.  In  1881,  he  erected  a  handsome  frame 
dwelling,  at  a  cost  of  $7,000,  it  being  the  finest  of  the  kind  in  the  vicinity. 
Mr.  Tilton  has  dealt  extensively  in  stock,  and  has  also  done  a  large  farming 
business,  harvesting  2,000  bushels  of  wheat  in  1879,  and  1,500  in  1880.  He 
keeps  a  herd  of  thoroughbred  cattle — short- horn — and  also  a  tine  lot  of 
Poland-China  hogs.  In  the  spring  of  1884,  he  opened  one  of  the  largest 
sugar-camps  in  the  county,  tapping  550  trees,  and  conducting  the  business 
on  the  improved  plan.  Mr.  Tilton  was  married,  September  1,  1872,  to 
Miss  Sarah  C.  Curlis,  who  was  born  in  this  county  March  1,  1852.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  David  and  Charity  (Snover)  Curlis,  who  came  to  this  county 
from  New  Jersey  in  1836.  Three  children  have  blessed  this  union,  namely: 
Cora  B.,  born  October  2,  1873;  Anna  M.,  October  24,  1875;  and  David  G., 
May  30.  1882.  In  politics  Mr.  Tilton  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  keen  business  tact,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  farmers 
of  the  community. 


662  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

JOHN  TILTON,  son  of  Green  Tilton  (see  sketch  of  C.  O.  Tilton),  was 
born  in  this  township  January  27,  1854.  Ho  began  business  for  himself 
independently  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  working  two  years  by  the  month. 
Having  inherited  eighty  acres  of  land,  he  then  began  farming,  and  has,  by 
his  success,  been  able  to  increase  his  possessions  to  191  acres,  valued  at 
$100  per  acre.  In  1877,  he  opened  a  grocery  store  at  Upper  Sandusky, 
conducting  the  business  two  years,  then  returning  to  the  farm,  where  he  has 
since  been  prosperously  engaged.  He  is  a  good  farmer,  and  does  a  thriv- 
ing business,  keeping  considerable  stock  of  the  best  grades — cattle,  sheep 
and  hogs;  the  latter  thoroughbreds.  Mr.  Tilton  was  married,  September 
2,  1877,  to  Laura  A.  Divins,  who  was  born  in  Clarion  County,  Penn.,  April 
18,  1861.  Her  parents  were  David  and  Nancy  E.  (Baird)  Divins;  her 
father  died  in  1864;  her  mother  is  still  living  in  this  county.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Tilton  have  two  children,  namely:  Minnie  B. ,  born  July  14,  1878; 
Virgil  D.,  May  25,  1883.  In  politics,  Mr.  Tilton  is  an  earnest  Republican. 
He  is  an  energetic  and  enterprising  young  farmer,  and  a  citizen  of  excel- 
lent character. 

ELIZABETH  J.  TOBIAS,  widow  of  Peter  Tobias,  deceased,  was  born 
in  Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  January  26,  1819.  Her  parents  were  John 
and  Mary  (Povenmeyer)  Hale,  of  German  ancestry;  they  had  eight  chil- 
dren— Anna,  Johu,  Jacob,  Samuel,  Michael,  Mary  M.  and  Elizabeth  J. ;  one 
child  is  deceased.  The  parents  both  died  in  Cumberland  County,  Penn., 
the  father,  about  1856,  the  mother  in  1860.  The  marriage  of  our  subject  to 
Peter  Tobias,  occurred  at  Newville,  Penn.,  October  19,  1837.  Rev.  D.  P. 
Rosenmiller  officiating.  Peter  Tobias  was  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Mary 
(Snyder)  Tobias,  and  was  born  in  Berks  County,  Penn.,  August  16,  1809. 
He  spent  his  boyhood  in  his  native  county;  he  subsequently  removed  to 
Cumberland  County,  Penn. ,  and  to  this  county  in  1852.  He  pui'chased  the 
farm  on  which  his  widow  resides  in  1859,  and  here  his  death  occurred  April 
24,  1876;  he  was  highly  respected  as  a  citizen;  served  as  Trustee  a  number 
of  years,  and  was  in  political  faith  a  Democrat.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tobias  had 
four  children,  three  living — John  H.,  born  April  26,  1841;  Mary  C.  May 
11,  1845,  and  Rebecca  E.,  June  13,  1848.  The  deceased  was  Sarah  A., 
born  July  16,  1838,  died  December  6,  1876.  Mr.  Tobias  had  amassed  con- 
siderable property,  his  widow  still  holding  eighty  acres,  on  which  she  re- 
cently erected  a  good  frame  dwelling.  She  is  universally  respected  and 
adheres  to  the  English  Lutheran  doctrine,  but  attends  the  Church  of  God. 

HAZARD  P.  TRACY,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born 
in  Hancock  County,  Ohio,  September  27,  1852.  He  is  a  son  of  Bowen  and 
Sarah  (Geddis)  Tracy,  natives  of  Ohio,  and  of  Irish  and  English  parentage. 
They  had  nine  children,  seven  now  living — Mary  A.,  Amanda  E.,  Emily, 
Winfield  S.,  Hazard  P.,  Johnson  G.  and  Almeda.  The  deceased  were  Al- 
fred and  Royl.  The  latter  enlisted  in  the  late  war  early  in  1862,  being  a 
member  of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  died  at  home  October  9,  1862,  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen, of  typhoid  fever  contracted  while  in  the  army.      Alfred  was  a  member 

of  Company ,  Eighty-second  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.      He 

enlisted  in  March,  1864,  and  died  at  Bridgeport,  Ala.,  in  the  following 
April,  aged  about  seventeen  years.  Bowen  Tracy,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
removed  to  Wyandot  County  in  1857,  settling  in  Richland  Township,  pur- 
chasing lands  upon  which'he  resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred  Novem- 
ber 15,  1862,  in  his  fiftieth  year.  His  wife,  Sarah  Tracy,  still  survives, 
residing  at  Carey,  Ohio,  in  her  sixty-seventh   year.     Hazard  P.  Tracy,  the 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  663 

subject  of  this  eketchi,  was  reared  upon  the  farm  and  attended  the  district 
schools,  closing  his  educational  pursuits  by  two  years'  attendance  at  Ober- 
lin  College  in  1873,  taking  only  a  preparatory  course.  He  engaged  in 
teaching  about  nine  years,  during  which  time  he  was  employed  as  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Little  Sandusky  Schools,  the  schools  of  Wharton  and  also  of 
the  Union  Schools  of  Green  Camp,  Marion  County.  In  1881,  he  removed 
to  Upper  Sandusky  and  opened  an  insurance  ofl&ce,  and  in  1883,  was 
elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  on  the  Republican  ticket,  overcoming  his  com- 
petitor by  a  majority  of  sevenfcy-thi'ee,  the  usual  majority  being  about  300 
Democratic.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  the  Legion  of  Honor,  and 
Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Universalist  Church.  Mr.  Tracy 
was  married,  August  17,  1875,  to  Miss  Mariah  Mullholand,  daughter  of  Hugh 
Mullholand,  a  resident  of  Crawford  Township.  Two  children  resulted  from 
this  marriage — Ora  H.,born  July  17,  1877,  and  ZelandG.,  October  1-4,  1879. 
The  death  of  Mrs  Tracy  occurred  October  24,  1879,  and  Mr.  Tracy  was  again 
united  in  marriage,  July  10,  1883,  to  Miss  Laura  B.  Clark,  daughter  of 
George  and  Martha  (Randolph)  Clark.  Mr.  Tracy  is  doing  a  good  biisiness 
in  insurance,  and  is  a  popular  young  Republican. 

PHILIP  TRACHT,  manufacturer  of  and  dealer  in  boots  and  lihoes,  Tip- 
per  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  April  1,  1834.  His 
parents,  Adam  and  Ann  Elizabeth  Tracht,  were  natives  of  Germany  and 
emigrated  to  America  September  17,  1831,  settling  permanently  in  Craw- 
ford County,  where  he  purchased  200  acres  of  land,  upon  a  portion  of  which 
he  resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred  May  14,  1871,  aged  ninety-one 
years  and  four  months.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Tracht  occurred  September  5, 
1862,  her  age  being  about  sixty-five  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  eigh- 
teen children,  eleven  attaining  their  majority,  seven  now  living^ — Eva  E., 
Adam,  Barbara,  Philip,  John,  Ann  M.,  and  Michael  J.  Philip  Tracht,  oiir 
subject,  was  reared  upon  the  farm  and  obtained  his  education  in  the  Craw- 
ford County  schools.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  abandoned  the  farm  and 
served  an  apprenticeship  at  the  shoemaking  trade  with  J.  M.  Schneider,  of 
Mansfield,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  afterward  spent  six 
years  in  Gallon,  a  short  time  in  Cleveland,  and  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky, 
March  7,  1858.  He  immediately  opened  a  boot  and  shoe  store  on  the  old 
"  Yellow  Corner,  No.  2,"  forming  a  partnership  with  Michael  Katzenmeyer. 
In  1863,  this  partnership  was  dissolved  by  mutual  consent,  and  Mr.  Tracht 
began  business  with  his  brother,  Michael  J.,  which  partnership  lasted  three 
years.  They  then  sold  out,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  started  on  his 
individual  account  in  1870,  in  the  "  Old  Yellow  Corner,"  which  place  he 
occupied  till  April  1,  1884,  when  he  moved  to  the  room  occupied  by  the  late 
Central  Bank.  He  employs  from  three  to  five  assistants,  and  carries  a 
stock  valued  at  $2,500  to  $3,000.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  residence  on  the 
corner  of  Finley  and  Fifth  streets,  and  an  adjoining  lot  and  building.  He 
was  married  at  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  October  28,  1858,  to  Lucinda  Kile,  and  five 
children  have  been  born  to  them — W.  A.,  born  April  17,  1860;  H.  A.,  Au- 
gust 26,  1862;  Cora  E.,  August  29,  1867;  Mary^M.,  May  19,  1870,  and 
Emma  S.,  August  31,  1875.  Mrs.  Tracht  was  born  March  20,  1837.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church.  A.dam  Tracht,  father 
of  our  subject,  was  ton  years  a  soldier  under  Napoleon,  serving  in  the  coun- 
tries of  France  and  Spain.  He  participated  in  several  severe  battles  and 
was  twice  captured,  but  each  time  made  his  escape. 

FRANK  TRIPP,  Sr.,  manufacturer  of  carriages,  wagons,  etc..  Upper 
Sandusky,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Penn. ,  May    13,   1823.     His  father, 


664  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

John  Tripp,  was  born  in  Wilmington,  Del.,  January  3,  1789,  and  died  in 
Upper  Sandusky  March  14,  1868;  the  mother,  Catharine  (Hugg)  Tripp, 
was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Penn.,  December  23,  1790,  and  died  in  Upper 
Sandusky,  November  14,  1872.  They  were  married  in  Philadelphia  about 
1815,  and  reared  a  family  of  six  children — Edwin,  Albert,  Mariah,  Frank, 
John  and  Elizabeth;  Catharine  and  an  infant  are  deceased,  the  former  dy- 
ing at  about  the  age  of  six  years.  After  several  removals  they  settled 
permanently  in  Upper  Sandusky  in  1846,  and  resided  in  that  place  until 
their  decease.  Frank  Tripp,  our  subject,  obtained  a  limited  education  in 
the  pioneer  schools;  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  in  Columbiana  County 
when  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  opened  a  shop  in  Upper  Sandusky 
in  the  fall  of  1845.  He  pursued  his  trade  in  this  place,  with  the  exception 
of  one  year's  residence  at  Bowsherville,  until  August,  1861,  when  he  en- 
listed to  serve  three  years  in  Company  M,  Eleventh  Regiment  Pennsylvania 
Cavalry.  He  was  detailed  as  company  blacksmith,  to  which  occupation  he 
devoted  most  of  his  time  during  the  service.  He  witnessed  the  engagement 
between  the  Mefrimac  and  the  Monitor;  was  at  the  battle  of  White  Horse 
Landing,  Va.,  and  was  honorably  discharged  at  Bermuda  Hundreds,  having 
been  in  the  service  three  years  and  eleven  days.  He  returned  to  Upper 
Sandusky  and  resumed  his  trade,  beginning  the  manufacture  of  carriages 
and  wagons  in  1870,  in  which  occupation  he  is  still  engaged.  Mr.  Tripp 
was  married  April  29,  1847,  to  Elizabeth  Bowsher,  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Margaret  (Dickens)  Bowsher,  and  one  of  a  family  of  fifteen  children,  of 
whom  but  six  are  living — Elizabeth  J.,  Mary,  Susan,  William,  Almeda  and 
Sarah.  Mrs.  Tripp  was  born  near  Bowsherville  December  25,  1828.  The 
Indians  were  her  neighbors  and  their  children  were  her  playmates;  she 
taught  in  the  old  mission  schools  under  the  noted  missionary,  Rev.  James 
B.  Finley,  and  was  personally  acquainted  with  the  Indians  Lumpeys,  Half- 
John,  Warpole,  Peacock,  Sumundewat  and  Between-the-logs.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Tripp  are  the  parents  of  seven  children,  five  living — Frank  T.,  born  Sep- 
tember 26,  1850;  Allen  G.,  November  16,  1852;  William  H.,  November  16, 
1859;  Addie  M.,  March  3,  1861;  Lizzie  B.,  November  6,  1866;  George  W., 
born  July  22,  1848,  and  Margaret,  born  August  10,  1855,  are  deceased;  the 
death  of  the  former  occurred  April  11,  1850,  and  the  latter  passed  away  in 
infancy.  During  the  winter  of  1882-83,  Mr.  Tripp  invented  an  arrange- 
ment now  known  as  "Tripp's  Buckeye  wagon-tongue  support,"  on  which 
he  obtained  a  patent,  and  this  appliance  is  now  in  great  demand,  having  an 
extensive  sale  in  Kansas,  Missouri  and  other  Western  States. 

CHRISTIAN  TSCHANEN,  express  agent,  was  born  in  Canton  Berne, 
Switzerland  in  October,  1827,  the  only  son  of  Christian  and  Maria  (Stem- 
phfli)  Tschanen,  who  emigrated  to  America  in  1834,  and  settled  in  Tuscara- 
was County,  Ohio,  where  the  father  died  in  the  same  year,  aged  about 
thirty  years;  Maria,  the  mother,  died  in  1867.  Christian  Tschauen 
spent  his  boyhood  in  Tuscarawas  County,  and  attended  school  in  the 
log  schoolhouses  of  those  times.  In  1846,  he  came  to  this  county  and 
engaged  in  teaching  during  winters,  and  in  various  kinds  of  labor  in  sum- 
mers, until  1850,  at  which  time  he  returned  to  New  Philadelphia  and 
opened  a  grocery  and  provision  store,  which  he  conducted  till  1864.  He 
then  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Eighty- eighth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, for  three  months,  under  Capt.  Weaver.  The  regiment  was  detained 
at  Camp  Chase,  performing  guard  duty  duriug  its  entire  term  of  service, 
at  the  expiration  of  which  Mr.  Tschanen  was  honorably  discharged.  In 
1864,  he  returned  to  Upper  Sandusky,  where  he  has  since  pursued  various 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  665 

occupations.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. — -its  Permanent  Secretary 
for  a  niimber  of  years  —a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  served  two  years  as 
City  Marshal.  He  was  married  in  1850,  to  Elizabeth  Baumgartner, 
of  Salem  Township,  and  nine  children  resulted  from  this  marriage — eight 
living — Emma  C,  Caroline,  William  T. ,  George  W.,  Charles  F. ,  Franklin, 
Edward  and  Hattie  B.  are  deceased. 

GEORGE  W.  TSCHANEN,  druggist,  of  the  firm  of  Tschanen  Brothers, 
was  born  in  New  Philadelphia,  Tuscarawas  Co.,  Ohio,  March  22,  1858,  son 
of  Christian  and  Elizabeth  (Baumgartner)  Tschanen,  natives  of  Canton 
Berne,  Switzerland  (see  sketch).  George  W.  came  to  Upper  Sandusky  with 
his  parents  in  1864,  and  obtained  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  that 
place.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  began  business  as  clerk  in  a  drug  estab- 
lishment, pursuing  this  occupation  eight  years.  He  subsequently  spent  two 
and  one-half  years  traveling  for  his  brother  taking  orders  for  crayon  por- 
traits, and  in  November,  1881,  they  established  their  present  business  in 
partnership.  They  carry  a  large  and  well  selected  stock  of  goods,  and  are 
doing  a  good  business  as  a  result  of  their  low  prices  and  fair  dealing. 
George  W.  is  a  popular  young  business  man,  and  has  the  honor  of  being  a 
charter  member  of  the  Wyandot  Lodge  No.  174,  Knights  of  Pvthias. 

WILLIAM  T.  TSCHANEN,  of  the  firm  of  Tschanen  Brothers,  druggists, 
was  born  at  New  Philadelphia,  Tuscarawas  Co.,  Ohio,  November  18,  1855. 
He  is  a  son  of  Christian  and  Elizabeth  (Baumgartner)  Tschanen,  Canton 
Berne,  Switzerland  (see  sketch).  William  T.  removed  from  his  native  town 
to  Upper  Sandusky  with  his  parents  in  1864,  being  then  in  his  eighth  year. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  the  latter  place  until  sixteen  years  of 
age,  clerking  at  intervals  in  the  drug  store  of  A.  Billhardt,  holding  the  lat- 
ter situation  from  1866  to  1881 — in  all  fifteen  years.  In  November  1,  1881, 
he  with  his  brother,  George  W.,  opened  their  drug  establishment  on  San- 
dusky avenue,  opposite  the  post  office,  where  they  are  now  extensively  en- 
gaged. They  carry  a  large  stock  of  everything  to  be  found  in  a  well  reg- 
ulated drug  store,  with  a  full  line  of  stationery,  wall  paper,  window-shades, 
etc.,  in  addition;  they  are  also  agents  for  the  American  Express  Company. 

CARL  F.  VEITH,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Hesse -Darmstadt,  Germany,  February 
7,  1838.  He  is  a  son  of  John  Veith  and  Mary  (Briehl)  Veith,  who  emi- 
grated to  America  in  1862,  locating  in  Upper  Sandusky,  where  Mrs.  Veith 
died  in  1864,  aged  fifty-six  years;  the  father  was  born  December  15,  1801, 
and  now  resides  with  his  son,  Carl  F.  Veith,  well  preserved  in  body  and 
mind.  Our  subject  came  to  America  in  1860,  and  established  himself  in 
the  boot  and  shoe  business  in  Upper  Sandusky  (having  learned  the  shoe- 
making  trade  in  Germany)  where  he  continued  this  occupation  till  1876, 
at  which  time  he  removed  to  his  present  farm  consisting  of  eighty-two 
acres,  now  valued  at  $85  per  acre,  and  where  he  has  since  resided.  Mr. 
Veith  was  married,  March  12,  1863,  to  Mary  A.  Althouse,  daughter  of 
Christian,  a  native  of  Switzerland,  and  Magdalene  Althouse,  a  native  of 
Holmes  County,  Ohio,  born  September  9,  1840.  Their  children  are  Emma  O., 
born  September  10,  1867:  Ferdinand  C,  July  7,  1869;  Minnie  M.,  February  3, 
1875;  Emil  J.,  September  25,  1876;  Adolph  G.,  Julv  7,  1878;  Carl  W., 
November  29,  1879,  and  Hilda  L.  A.,  November  10,  1881.  The  deceased 
are  Herman  F. ,  born  May  2,  1864,  died  September  23,  1869;  Caroline  C, 
born  February  18,  1866,died  August  8,  1867;  Otto  E.,  born  May  15,  1873, 
died  August  24,  1874.  Mr.  Veith  is  an  enterprising  farmer,  a  Demo- 
crat, and  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 


(^66  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

CRARLES  F.  VEITH,  Jr.,  of  the  firm  of  Veith  &  Altstaetter,  was  bom 
in  Upper  Sandusky,  June  9,  1859.  He  is  the  son  of  Casper  and  Caroline 
Veith,  the  former  a  native  of  Germany,  and  the  latter  of  Holmes  County, 
Ohio.  They  were  married  in  this  county,  and  were  the  parents  of  fifteen 
children,  ten  living — Charles  F.,  William,  Mary,  Robert,  Anna,  Oscar, 
Amanda,  Louisa,  Minnie  and  Reinhold.  Charles  Veith,  our  subject,  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Upper  Sandusky.  In  1871,  he  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Crane  Township,  and  engaged  ten  years  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  subsequently  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Upper 
Sandusky,  where  he  is  now  engaged  with  Mr.  Altstaetter  doing  a  good  busi- 
ness. He  was  married,  September  29,  1881,  to  Caroline  Engel,  daughter 
of  Christian  and  Mary  Eugel,  and  one  child  has  been  born  to  them,  namely, 
Clara  M.,  born  August  11,  1882.  Besides  his  half  interest  in  the  grocery 
store,  Mr.  Veith  is  the  owner  of  a  two-story  brick  building  on  the  corner  of 
Sandusky  avenue  and  Walker  street,  valued  at  $8,500.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  German  Lutheran  Church. 

CASPER  VEITH,  farmer,  is  a  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany, 
born  December  15,  1832,  son  of  John  and  Mary  E.  (Briehl)  Veith.  The 
parents  emigrated  to  America  in  1861,  settling  in  Upper  Sandusky.  The 
father  was  a  shoe-maker,  and  was  engaged  all  his  lifetime  at  that  craft.  He 
was  born  December  15,  1801,  and  is  still  in  good  health.  The  mother  died 
in  1864,  aged  fifty- four  years.  Casper  Veith  emigrated  to  this  country  in 
1852,  and  engaged  two  years  at  shoe-making  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and 
two  years  in  Chicago,  locating  in  Upper  Sandusky  in  1856.  He  obtained  a 
good  education  in  Germany,  and  has  acquired  a  fair  knowledge  of  English 
by  observation,  He  pursued  the  shoe-making  trade  in  Upper  Sandusky  till 
1872,  when  he  removed  to  his  farm  on  which  he  has  since  been  engaged. 
He  owns  120  acres  well  stocked,  and  earned  by  the  work  of  his  own  hands. 
Mr.  Veith  was  married,  October  19,  1857,  to  Caroline  Baumgartner,  by 
whom  he  has  had  fifteen  children,  eleven  still  living — Charles  F.,  born  June 

9,  1859;  Frederick  AVilliam,  June  28,  1801;  Mary  C,  January  31,  1863; 
Herman  R. ,  June  5,  1864;  Anna  J.,  February  6,  1871;  Oscar  F.,  October 
1,  1873;  Amanda  A.,  September  8,  1876;  Louisa  O.,  February  4,  1878; 
Bertha  W.,  July  22,  1879;  John  R.,  September  5,  1881,  and  Alma  F.,born 
November  1,  1883.  Mrs.  Veith  was  born  in  Holmes  County,  Ohio,  Jiily  7, 
1841.  Her  parents,  Nicholas  and  Barbara  Baumgartner,  natives  of  Swit- 
zerland, are  noticed  in  C.  Tschanen's  sketch.  Mr.  Veith  has  been  elected 
Trustee  of  Crane  Township  three  successive  years;  he  contributed  liberally 
to  the  Union  cause  in  the  late  war;  is  an  honest  and  respected  citizen,  and 
with  his  wife,  a  valued  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 

JOHN  H.  VON  STEIN,  senior  partner  of  the  firm  of  Von  Stein  & 
Berg,  druggists.  Upper  Sandusky,  was   born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  January 

10,  1853.  He  is  the  son  of  George  and  Margaret  (Runck)  Von  Stein, 
natives  of  Germany,  who  emigrated  to  America  about  1848,  and  were  mar- 
ried in  Cincinnati  in  1849.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  four 
of  whom  still  survive — John  H. ,  Malinda,  George  P.,  William  C.  and  a 
half-brother,  Frederick  Shaffer.  John  H.  Von  Stein,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  came  to  Upper  Sandusky  with  his  parents  in  1857,  and  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  that  city.  He  completed  his  education  at  the  age 
of  fifteen,  when,  his  father  dying,  he  was  thrown  almost  entirely  upon  his 
own  resources.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  engaged  with  Dr.  Billhardt  as 
clerk  in  his  drug  store,  serving  in  this  capacity  five  years.  In  1877,  Mr. 
Von  Stein  formed  a  partnership  with  Frederick  Berg,  and  this  connection 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  667 

still  exists.  They  do  an  extensive  business,  and  carry  a  large  and  complete 
stock  of  everything  in  their  line,  including  a  fine  assortment  of  wall-paper, 
stationery,  etc.  Mr.  Von  Stein  was  married,  September  14,  1876,  to  Emma 
C.  Stutz,  daughter  of  Adam  and  Caroline  Stutz,  natives  of  Germany,  now 
residents  of  this  county,  Mr.  Stutz  at  one  time  serving  in  the  oUHce  of 
County  Kecorder.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yon  Stein  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
one  living,  viz.:  Edna  C.  M  ,  born  May  4,  1880;  Rudolph,  born  in  June, 
1879,  is  deceased,  dying  in  infancy.  September  2,  1879,  Mr.  Von  Stein 
assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  Ohio  State  Pharmaceutical  Association 
at  Columbus,  Ohio.  The  association  has  grown  from  a  membership  of 
forty-five  to  eight  hundred,  and  is  now  a  permanent  institution  of  the  State. 
He  also  is  Secretary  of  the  Business  Men's  Union,  and  a  member  of  the 
Eoyal  Arcanum.  Mr.  Von  Stein  was  elected  City  Clerk  of  Upper  Sandusky 
three  consecutive  terms,  now  serving  his  sixth  year.  He  is  Treasurer  of 
the  Northwestern  Ohio  Volunteer  Firemen's  Association,  is  one  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  the  Supreme  Lodge  of  P.  O.  of  A.;  also  Deputy  Supreme 
Ruler  and  Past  Ruler.  He  is  the  owner  of  valuable  town  property  on 
Sandusky  avenue,  and,  with  his  wife,  is  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran 
Church.    In  politics  Mr.  Von  Stein  is  a  Democrat. 

LEONARD  VON  STEIN,  M.  D.,  was  born  at  Steinau,  Germany,  Jan- 
uary 17,  1831.  He  emigrated  to  America  September  1,  1849,  and  settled 
in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  in  his  nineteenth  year.  After  spending  some 
time  in  various  occupations,  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  in  Richland 
County,  where  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  from  1861  to  1868.  At 
this  later  date,  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  to  look  after  the  interests  of 
his  deceased  brother's  family,  and  has  since  resided  at  that  city.  He  has 
acquired  considerable  property,  owning  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  a  two-story 
brick  store-room  occupied  by  Von  Stein  &  Berg,  druggists,  and  a  comfort- 
able residence  on  Third  street.  Mr.  Von  Stein  is  a  self-made  physician, 
having  acquired  his  early  training  from  his  father.  He  has  built  up  a  large 
practice,  making  a  specialty  of  chronic  cases,  in  which  he  is  very  successful, 
and  to  which  he  has  devoted  his  attention  for  fifteen  years.  Mr.  Von 
Stein  was  married,  May  11,  1851,  to  Elizabeth  Retig,  her  parents,  natives  of 
Germany,  emigrating  to  America  about  1830.  They  are  the  parents  of  four 
children,  two  now  living — John  P.,  born  April  1,  1855,  and  Minnie  M. , 
November  27,  1859.  The  deceased  are  Elizabeth  C.  born  January  19, 1858, 
died  May  24,  1854;  John  H.,  born  October  18,  1856,  died  October  3,  1858. 
Mrs.  Von  Stein  was  born  in  Germany  June  14,  1816.  Although  Mr.  Von 
Stein  was  not  a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  he  contributed  liberally  to  the  cause. 
He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  German  Lutheran  Reform  Church. 

FRANK  VOGEL  (deceased),  of  the  firm  of  F.  Vogel  &  Sons,  merchant 
tailors,  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  June  28,  1829,  and 
emigrated  to  Amtjrica  in  August,  1853,  first  settling  in  Sandusky  City,  but 
after  six  months  removing  to  Mansfield,  where  he  was  employed  as  sales- 
man four  years.  He  removed  tc  Upper  Sandusky  in  1861,  and  began  busi- 
ness in  merchant  tailoring  on  borrowed  capital,  and  by  strict  attention  to 
business  has  established  a  good  trade.  He  has  replaced  his  borrowed  capi- 
tal, and  in  1879  erected  a  large  two-story  brick  building  at  a  cost  of  §7,000. 
He  carries  a  stock  valued  at  $9,000,  and  owns  a  large  amount  of  valuable 
town  property.  Ho  landed  in  New  York  without  a  penny,  being  compelled 
to  borrow  ten  cents  with  which  to  buy  a  loaf  of  bread  to  i-eliove  his  hunger. 
His  property  is  now  valued  at  $50,000,  the  fruits  of  a  life  of  incessant  toil 
He  was  married  at  Sandusky  City,  three  months  after  his  emigration  to  that 


668  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

place,  to  Miss  Susie  Fleck,  November  7,  1853,  and  twelve  children  are  the 
fruits  of  their  union,  ten  yet  living,  namely,  Frank,  John,  William,  Henry, 
Anthony,  Joseph,  Katie,  August,  Eddie  and  Lena.  The  deceased  are 
Susanah  and  Elizabeth.  The  ten  children  living  are  all  well  educated  in 
both  English  and  German  languages,  the  father  having  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  "  Fatherland." 

LYMAN  P.  WALTER,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio, 
January  24,  1857;  he  is  a  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Jane  (Barrick)  Walter,  na- 
tives of  this  county  and  of  Pennsylvania  respectively.  His  parents  were  mar- 
ried in  Crawford  County,  where  they  still  reside.  Their  children  are  xUice, 
Lyman  P.,  Dora  E.  and  Scott.  Dr.  Walter  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an 
education  at  the  district  school,  subsequently  attending  the  Union  School  at 
Bloomville  and  closing  his  literary  studies  at  the  Otterbein  University,  of 
Westerville,  Ohio.  He  taught  one  term  of  school  at  the  age  of  thirteen, 
and  after  completing  his  collegiate  course  at  Westerville  began  the  study  of 
medicine  with  Dr.  Jerome  Bland,  of  Benton,  Crawford  County.  He  after- 
ward entered  the  Starling  Medical  College,  of  Columbus,  at  which  he  grad- 
uated in  1879;  he  practiced  one  year  as  assistant  surgeon  of  the  St.  Fran- 
cis Hospital,  and  then  located  for  six  months  at  Mexico,  this  county,  mov- 
ing to  Upper  Sandusky  in  November,  1881.  Dr.  Walter  was  married  Jan- 
uary 1,  1879,  to  Miss  May  Van  Gundy;  her  parents,  William  and  Elizabeth 
(Patten)  Van  Gundy,  were  residents  of  this  county,  where  her  mother  died 
in  December,  1882.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Walter  have  one  child.  The  Doctor  is 
achieving  considerable  of  a  reputation  as  a  surgeon,  and  is  meeting  with  ad- 
mirable success  in  his  profession  generally;  he  has  already  established  a 
lucrative  practice  to  which  his  strict  attention  to  the  duties  of  his  profes- 
sion fully  entitles  him;  he  is  the  Examining  Physician  for  the  Royal  Ar- 
canum and  the  Legion  of  Honor;  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P.  and  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  and  is  Vice  President  of  the  Wyandot  County  Agricultural  Society.  He 
possesses  the  elements  of  good  character,  is  industrious,  energetic,  and  com- 
bines the  qualities  of  the  gentleman  with  those  of  the  professional  to  a  most 
creditable  degree. 

HENRY  WATERS,  dealer  in  pine  lumber  and  manufacturer  of  doors, 
sash,  blinds,  etc.,  was  born  in  Green  County,  N.  Y.,  July  10,  1830,  son  of 
William  and  Mary  A.  (Sitcer)  Waters,  natives  of  Canada  and  New  York  re- 
spectively. The  parents  were  married  in  New  York,  and  reared  a  family 
of  ten  children,  six  now  living,  namely,  George  W.,  Arthur,  Henry,  Almeda, 
Charles  and  Charlotte.  The  deceased  are  Louisa,  Grovener,  Harriet  and 
Anninas.  The  father  died  at  Coeymans,  N.  Y.,  in  1881,  aged  sixty-nine; 
the  mother  is  still  living,  a  resident  of  West  Hurby,  N.  Y.  Henry  AVaters, 
our  subject,  was  reared  to  the  age  of  fifteen  in  his  native  county,  educated 
in  the  common  schools,  and  embarked  in  railroad  and  steamboat  work  at 
sixteen,  continuing  in  these  occupations  till  1874.  He  was  engineer  of  the 
first  feri'y  boat  that  crossed  the  Hudson  at  Catskill.  He  resided  with  his 
family  one  year  in  Alliance,  Ohio,  and  seven  years  in  Cleveland,  removing 
with  his  family  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  establishing  his  present  business 
in  1874.  He  also  opened  a  factory  at  Carey,  where  in  1883  he  erected  his 
main  building,  two-stoiy,  40x133  feet.  In  1861,  Mr.  Waters  enlisted  in 
the  civil  war,  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-sixth  New  York  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  as  private,  remaining  with  his  regiment  on  detached  service 
as  Acting  Assistant  Surgeon  at  medical  headquarters  diiring  his  entire  year's 
.service,  receiving  his  discharge  at  Kingston,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Waters  was  first 
married  in  New  York  in  1860,  to  Hannah   Traver,who   died  the  following 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  669 

year.  His  second  marriage  occurred  May  15,  1865,  Mary  E.  Burtone,  of 
New  Philadelphia,  Tuscarawas  County,  becoming  his  wife.  He  had  one 
child  by  his  lirst  marriage,  and  four  by  the  second,  three  of  the  latter  liv- 
ing, namely:  Edward  T. ,  born  September  12,  1868;  Harry  C. ,  Novem- 
ber 7,  1873,  and  Jesse  A.,  October  23,  1878.  Mrs.  Waters  was  born  March 
9,  1840.  Mr.  Waters  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  citizens  of  the  town, 
and  does  a  large  business,  employing  usually  about  fifteen  workmen,  his 
factory  being  provided  with  the  latest  improved  machinery.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  Royal  Arcanum,  and  the  Universalist  Church. 

JAMES  W.  WHITE,  M.  D.,  Upper  Sandusky,  was  born  in  Lancaster, 
Ohio,  October  11,  1842.  He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  James  and  Mariah  (Beecher) 
White,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Cincinnati,  Ohio  respectively.  James 
W.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  remained  at  home  with  his  parents  till  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  and  attended  the  village  schools.  He  afterward  obtained 
a  classical  education  at  the  Denison  University  of  Granville,  Ohio,  and  en- 
tered the  Ohio  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati  in  1859,  graduating  in  1861. 
He  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Lancaster,  but  a  few  months 
after,  passed  a  medical  examination  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  was  appointed 
assistant  Surgeon  on  Gen.  Granger's  staff;  he  served  in  this  capacity  a  few 
months,  and  after  passing  a  second  examination  at  Louisville,  Kv.,  was  pro- 
moted to  Acting  Surgeon,  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  field  hospitals  at 
Huntsville  and  Decatur,  Ala.,  serving  at  these  places  eleven  months.  At 
the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  White  returned  to  Lancaster  for  a  short  period,  and 
subsequently  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky  in  1866.  He  opened  a  drug  store 
in  connection  with  his  practice,  but  disposed  of  his  stock  in  1868,  since 
which  time  he  has  devoted  his  entire  attention  to  his  profession.  He  has 
established  an  extensive  practice,  being  at  present  the  attending  physician 
of  the  Wyandot  County  Infirmary;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Medi- 
cal Association. 

WILLIAM  WITZEL  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  born  October  1,  1827;  his 
parents  were  Gotlieb  and  Theresa  (Byron)  Witzel  who  died  while  he  was 
yet  an  infant;  he  resided  with  his  uncle,  Charley  Brange,  till  fifteen  years 
of  age,  and  then  learned  the  trade  of  house  carpenter,  which  he  followed 
ten  years  in  Germany;  he  came  to  America  in  1853,  and  located  in  Marion 
County;  he  enlisted  in  Company  B,  Sixty-fourth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry,  September  22.  1862,  and  entered  the  war,  participating  in  the 
battles  of  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  siege  of  Knoxville,  Buzzard's  Roost^ 
Resaca,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  and  others.  In  the  engagement  at  Kene- 
saw  Mountain  he  was  wounded  in  the  shoulder  on  accoiint  of  which 
he  was  discharged  at  Columbus,  February  9,  1865.  Mr.  Witzel  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  of  fifty- one  acres  in  April,  1865,  and  has  since 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits;  he  was  married  June  13,  1855,  to 
Frances  A.  Kramer,  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  born  October  3, 
1837.  Eight  children  were  born  to  them,  two  deceased — August  W.,  was 
born  April  5,  1856;  Gustavus  G.,  January  20,  1861;  Anna  M.,  June 
14,  1863;  Maria  A.,  August  2,  1866;  Jacob  H.,  December  26,  1873;  Clara 
P.,  December  27,  1880;  Charley  H..  July  23,  1858.  The  latter  died  No- 
vember 22,  1861,  and  an  infant  is  also  deceased.  In  politics,  Mr.  Witzel 
is  an  Independent,  himself  and  family  being  members  of  the  German  Luth- 
eran Church  at  Upper  Sandusky. 

DARIUS  H.  S.  WILLIAMS  is  a  native  of  Lorain  County,  Ohio,  born 
July  13,  1822,  and  son  of  Dr.  Hiram  S.  and  Julia  (Hays)  Williams,  natives 
of  Berkshire  County,  Mass.,  and  of  English  and  Scotch  ancestry   respective- 


670  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

ly.  They  were  married  in  their  native  county,  and  were  the  parents  of  six 
children,  three  of  these — Darius  H.,  John  Q. ,  and  Charlotte  C — are  still 
living.  Dr.  Williams  removed  from  Massachusetts  to  Lorain  County,  Ohio, 
in  1817,  where,  with  the  exception  of  two  years  in  Chippewa  County,  he  en- 
joyed an  extensive  practice  till  1838,  his  wife's  decease  occurring  in  that 
year.  His  death  took  place,  March  2,  1841,  in  his  forty-eighth  year.  Darius 
Williams,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  spent  his  childhood  and  youth  in  the 
counties  of  Lorain  and  Medina,  removing, to  Wisconsin  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty and  engaging  in  various  callings  in  that  State,  till  his  return  to  Medina 
County  in  1852;  he  resided  in  Medina  County,  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits, till  1871,  at  which  time  he  removed  to  this  count}-,  purchasing  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  Crane  Township.  From  1868  to  1871,  he  was  agent  of  the 
Ohio  Farmer's  Insurance  Company,  and  traveled  over  Wyandot  County.  In 
the  spring  of  1872,  he  was  appointed  Superintendent  of  the  County  Infirmary, 
holding  this  oflSce  five  years,  after  wiiich  he  returned  to  his  farm,  which  he 
sold  in  1881,  subsequently  purchasing  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres, 
where  he  is  now  engaged  in  general  farm  pursuits.  Mr.  Williams  was  mar- 
ried, January  1,  1853,  to  Mary  Parmeter,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in 
1825.  Two  children  were  born  to  them — George  I.,  born  January  22,  1859, 
and  Myrta  M.,  born  May  22,  1867.  Mrs.  Williams'  death  occurred  March 
8.  1869  and  Mr.  W.  was  again  married,  March  22,  1870,  to  Mrs.  Annie  H. 
Ward,  widow  of  Enos  B.  Ward,  deceased.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Cyrus 
F.  and  Mary  (Bidwell)  Beebe,  born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  January  1, 
1840;  her  parents  wei-e  natives  of  Vermont  and  Ohio  respectively,  and  of 
English  ancestry.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  have  but  one  child — Frank  D., 
born  December  23,  1870.  Although  a  Republican,  Mr.  Williams  held  his 
position  as  Superintendent  of  the  Infirmary  five  years,  with  a  full  Dem- 
ocratic Board  of  Directors;  he  Is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  and  a  sub- 
stantial and  well  respected  citizen. 

SAMUEL  J.  WIRICK,  of  the  firm  of  Wirick,  Cook  &  Co.,  was  born 
in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  September  4,  1845,  son  of  Valentine  and  Elizabeth 
(Bowman)  Wirick,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  ancestry.  They 
came  to  Ohio  before  their  marriage,  and  settled  in  Perry  County,  where  they 
reared  a  family  of  eight  children,  all  living  at  the  present  time.  Samuel 
J.  Wirick  was  reared  upon  a  farm,  and  attended  the  district  schools,  clos- 
ing his  literary  pursuits  at  Heidelberg  College,  Tilfin,  Ohio,  at  the  age  of 
nineteen.  He  engaged  in  teaching  during  the  winter  months,  and  worked 
upon  the  farm  in  summer  for  a  few  years,  but  abandoned  his  peda- 
gogic work  at  twenty-three,  turning  his  entire  attention  to  agricul- 
ture for  four  years.  In  1872,  he  began  business  in  the  grocery  trade 
on  the  corner  of  Sandusky  avenue  and  Johnson  street,  and  was  engaged 
in  that  occupation,  with  the  exception  of  two  years,  devoted  exclu- 
sively to  the  nursery  business,  in  which  he  still  engages  to  a  limited 
extent;  he  removed  to  Billhardt's  block  in  1883,  when  he  carried  an 
extensive  stock  of  everything  pertaining  to  their  line,  until  the  spring  of 
1884,  when  he  sold  his  stock  to  G.  G.  Kramer,  and  formed  a  partnership 
with  his-  brother,  J.  Q.  Wirick,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  imple- 
ment trade,  under  the  firm  name  of  Wirick  Bros.  They  make  a  specialty 
of  the  Deering  Twine  Binder,  having  sold  ninety  of  these  machines  during 
the  years  1880-83,  besides  seventeen  of  the  Minneapolis  Binders,  and  a 
large  number  of  smaller  implements.  They  carry  a  stock  of  $8,000  to  |10,- 
000,  and  do  an  annual  business  of  about  $18,000  to  $20,000.  Mr.  Wirick 
was  married  October  10,  1867,  to  Margaret  C.  Hale,  daughter  of  John   and 


CRANE  TOWNSHIP.  671 

Elizabeth  (Donor)  Hale,  early  settlers  of  this  county.  They  are  the  parents 
of  six  children,  five  still  living,  namely:  Carrie  B.,  Lizzie  M.,  Grace  E., 
Mary  V.  and  Myrtle  A.  John  V.  is  deceased,  dying  at  the  age  of  ten  months. 
Mr.  Wirick  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Royal  Arcanum  and  Knights  of 
Honor.      In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat. 

HON.  SAMUEL  M.  WORTH,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  a  time-honored 
pioneer,  was  born  in  Starksboro,  Vt,  May  1,  1814.  He  is  the  son  of  Joseph 
and  Charlotte  (Ellison)  Worth.  Mr.  Worth  learned  the  printer's  trade  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  and  engaged  in  this  craft  about  eight  years,  after  which  time 
he  removed  to  Ohio,  settling  at  Little  Sandusky,  where  he  resided  a  number 
of  years.  In  1845  he  was  elected  County  Auditor,  being  the  first  officer 
chosen  for  that  position  in  this  county,  and  served  in  that  capacity  with 
credit  to  his  constituents  five  years.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office 
he  returned  to  Little  Sandusky,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits 
fifteen  years.  In  1865  he  was  elected  Representative  of  the  county,  and  in 
1867,  re-elected  to  the  same  office,  after  which  he  removed  to  Upper  San- 
dusky, where  he  has  since  resided,  and  where  he  engaged  in  the  dry  goods 
business  several  years.  Mr.  Worth  served  two  years  as  County  Commis- 
sioner, was  one  year  in  the  City  Council,  and  was  elected  Justice  of  t^he 
Peace  in  1882,  in  which  capacity  he  is  now  serving.  He  was  captain  in 
the  militia  in  1837,  and  has  always  been  a  thorough  Democrat.  His  mar- 
riage to  Betsey  A.  Fowler  occurred  April  28,  1846.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Dr.  Stephen  and  Leefe  (Stephens)  Fowler,  the  former  being  one  of  the 
founders  of  Little  Sandusky,  and  among  the  earliest  and  most  distinguished 
pioneers  of  this  section.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Worth  are  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren, five  of  whom  are  living — Charles  F.,  Irene,  Efifa,  Leefe  and  Zilla. 
The  deceased  was  Wayne  W.,  whose  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  four 
years. 

ELIZABETH  ZIMMERMAN  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County, 
Penn.,  March  5,  1808.  She  is  the  widow  of  Henry  Zimmerman  and 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Susan  (Williams)  Steelsmith.  Her  marriage  to 
Henry  Zimmerman,  also  a  native  of  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  occurred 
October  28,  1830,  and  twelve  children  were  born  to  them — eight  now  living; 
their  names  are  as  follows:  Jacob,  Rebecca  L.,  Susan,  Margaret,  Minnie, 
Lydia,  Henry  S.  and  Annie  B.  The  deceased  are  Catharine  A.,  Mary  A. 
and  Zeruiah — all  infants,  and  Bela  B.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight, 
and  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war  in  Company  D,  Fifteenth  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  serving  three  years.  During  the  greater  part  of  this 
time  he  was  engaged  in  the  Signal  Service  on  Lookout  Mountain,  receiving 
an  honorable  discharge  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment.  He  re- 
turned home  and  soon  after  entered  the  Poughkeepsie  Business  College, 
graduating  in  1865,  and  subsequently  engaged  seven  years  as  conductor  on 
the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  W^ayne  &  Chicago  Railroad.  His  health  failed,  and 
after  three  years  as  proprietor  of  the  Zimmerman  House,  at  Greensburg,  Penn., 
he  died  June  29, 1880.  Henry  Zimmerman,  husband  of  our  subject,  removed  to 
Stark  County,  Ohio,  from  Pennsylvania,  in  1840,  and  to  Upper  Sandusky  in. 
1845.  He  was  among  the  first  settlers,  and  was  proprietor  of  the  old  "  Blue 
Ball  Hotel  "  from  J  848  to  November  22,  1866— the  date  of  his  death.  Mrs. 
Zimmerman  is  still  living,  now  in  her  seventy-sixth  year.  Her  second 
daughter,  Rebecca  L.,  who  has  been  for  many  years  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  of  Upper  Sandusky,  was  married  October  31,  1867,  to  William  H. 
Jones,  who  died  March  8,  1870,  aged  forty-nine  years.  He  was  a  promi- 
nent citizen  of  the  county,  having  served  both  as  President  and  Secretary  of 

27 


672 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


tlie  Agricultural  Society,  and  as  member  of  the  Union  School  Board.  Jacob, 
the  eldest  son,  is  a  leading  citizen — Representative  of  his  district — of  Wabash 
County,  111. ,  to  which  place  he  removed  in  1852.  The  first  decade  was  spent  in 
journalism,  editing  at  one  time  the  Illinoisan,  of  Clark  County,  and  sub- 
sequently the  Constitution,  of  TJrbana,  Champaign  County.  Since  then  he 
has  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  but  ever  taking  a  deep  interest 
in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  elevation  of  the  community  at  large. 


ANTRIM  TOWNSHIP.  673 


CHAPTER  II. 
ANTRIM  TOWNSHIP. 

Antrim  Township  Prior  to  1845— Location  and  Physical  Features- 
Early  Settlers— Owners  of  Real  Estate  and  Personal  Property 
IN  THE  Township  in  1845— Schools— Churches— History  of  the  Vil- 
lage OF  Nevada— Hotels — Mercantile  and  Manufacturing  Inter- 
ests—Deposit Bank— Churches  — Cemetery  Association  — Schools- 
Secret  Societies— Village  Officers— Biographical  Sketches. 

PRIOR  to  1845,  the  territory  now  comprised  in  Antrim  Township  was 
included  in  the  counties  of  Marion  and  Crawford.  At  the  organization  of 
this  county  it  assumed  its  present  boundaries — the  east  and  south  by  Craw- 
ford and  Marion  Counties  respectively,  the  west  by  Pitt  and  Crane  Town- 
ships, and  the  north  by  Eden  Township.  Sections  3  to  10  inclusive  of  the 
southern  part  of  this  township  was  detached  from  Grand  Prairie,  of  Marion 
County,  these  divisions  comprising  a  tract  two  miles  wide,  extending  en- 
tirely across  the  township.  The  old  Reservation  line  extends  east  through 
the  northern  part  of  Sections  31,  32  and  33,  to  a  point  near  the  center  of 
the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  34,  from  which  it  extends  directly  north 
through  Sections  27,  22,  15,  10  and  3  respectively. 

Throughout  the  entire  township  the  surface  is  undulating  and  well 
watered  by  the  Sandusky,  its  tributaries  and  several  constant  springs.  The 
Sandusky  River  enters  at  a  point  near  the  center  of  the  eastern  line  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  Section  34,  and  extends  in  a  northwesterly  direction 
through  the  same;  also  through  Section  28,  in  the  same  direction,  converg- 
ing to  a  due  west  course  at  a  point  about  midway  of  the  half-section  line  in 
the  northern  part  of  Section  20;  thence  trending  southwest  from  a  point 
near  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  19,  passing 
out  at  the  southwest  corner  of  the  latter.  Broken  Sword  Creek  enters  the 
township  at  the  north  at  a  point  near  the  northeast  corner  of  Section  5,  and 
flows  in  a  south  and  southwest  direction  through  Sections  4,  8,  17  and  18, 
cutting  the  northeast  and  southwest  corners  of  the  latter  respectively,  and 
entering  the  Sandusky  near  the  center  of  Section  19.  Grass  Run  and  Gray 
Eye  Run  flow  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  township,  form  a  juncture  in  Sec- 
tion 21,  and  empty  into  the  Sandusky  near  the  southwest  corner  of  Section 
20.  The  soil  of  Antrim  Township  is  very  fertile  and  well  adapted  to  wheat 
raising,  as  well  as  to  the  culture  of  oats,  corn  and  other  ordinary  cereals. 
Large  crops  of  corn  from  the  bottom  lands,  and  wheat  from  the  elevated  as 
well  as  the  lower  tracts  are  annually  gathered,  and  the  township  has  the 
honor  of  supporting  some  of  the  most  prominent  farmers  of  the  county. 

THE    early    settlers. 

The  first  white  settler  who  located  in  Antrim  Township  was  John  Kirby. 
He  settled  on  land  in  1819  that  Col.  M.  H.  Kirby  entered  in  1820.  He  was 
born  in  Halifax  County,  Va.,  and  came  to  Highland  County,  Ohio,  in  1814, 
and  from  there  to  this  county,  where  he  died  about  1847  or  1848,  having 
reared  a  large  family  of  children.      Jacob  Coon  also  located  in  this  township 


674  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  He  came  from  Pickaway  County,  and  located 
in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  township  in  1819,  and  resided  on  the  same 
fai'm  sixty  years. 

Zachariah  Welsh  came  to  this  county  in  1821,  and  settled  in  Wyandot 
Village.  He  died  in  1849;  his  wife'b  demise  occurred  in  1857.  Edmund 
R. ,  his  son,  was  born  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  in  1810.  He  came  to  this  county 
with  his  parents  and  died  January  29,  1880,  in  Nevada,  to  which  place  he 
removed  in  1865.     He  came  from  Fairfield  County. 

Jesse  Jurey  came  from  Highland  County  in  1820  or  1822,  and  settled 
west  of  the  village  of  Wyandot,  where  he  lived  and  died.  Walter  Wool- 
sey  came  from  New  York  State  and  settled  in  the  township  in  1820. 

In  1820,  Col.  M.  H.  Kirby  entered  640  acres  where  Wyandot  now  is 
situated.  He  made  additions  to  this  till  he  owned  L200  acres,  on  which  he 
moved  from  Columbus  in  1839,  remaining  till  1843,  when  he  was  appointed 
Receiver  of  the  Northwestern  Land  Office.  Ttiese  were  the  principal  set- 
tlers up  to  the  date  last  mentioned,  and,  in  fact,  to  the  date  of  the  organ- 
ization of  the  county,  1845,  after  which  time  settlements  were  rapidly  made. 

Isaac  Longwell  came  from  Licking  County  in  1821,  and  took  up  his 
abode  in  this  township.  William  T.  Howe  settled  here  about  the  same 
time.  Thomas  Terry  came  soon  after  from  Highland  County,  Ohio.  He 
was  formerly  from  Old  Virginia.  He  died  in  Marseilles  Township.  His 
son-in-law,  Josiah  Robertson,  moved  to  the  township  with  him.  Abner  Jurey 
located  in  Antrim  in  1822.  He  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  was  married  in 
this  county  to  Priscilla  Winslow,  who  now  resides  at  Wyandot.  He  died  in 
1851.  Jacob  Brewer  moved  to  the  township  from  the  Darby  Plains  in  1824. 
Henry  Brown,  born  in  Pennsylvania,  moved  to  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  in 
1818,  and  to  this  township  in  1826. 

Thomas  Thompson  moved  from  New  Philadelphia  to  this  township  in 
1827.  He  was  afterward  a  missionary,  and  was  employed  on  the  Mission 
farm.  He  was  also  a  school  teacher.  He  died  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  in 
1884.  Isaac  Miller  first  settled  here  in  1836.  He  was  born  in  Rockingham 
County,  Va.,  in  1784.  John  Leith  came  from  Fairfield  County  in  1832  or 
1833. 

George  W.  Leith  moved  to  Antrim  in  1837.  In  1845,  he  was  appointed 
Associate  Judge,  serving  seven  years.  He  died  at  Nevada  March  10,  1883. 
Lair,  Isaac  and  Jacob  Miller  were  also  settlers  of  1836-37,  coming  with 
their  parents,  and  being  then  almost  grown  to  manhood.  Jacob  Keller  first 
purchased  land  here  in  1825,  and  still  lives  in  the  township.  He  was  born 
in  Virginia  in  1797.  Benjamin  Hitecame  in  about  1840.  He  was  born  in 
Perry  County  in  1815.  D.  W.  Wilson  was  one  of  the  early  settlers,  as  was 
also  James  Daughmer.     Peter  Brewer  was  born  in  this  Township  in  1825. 

The  first  house,  a  hewed-log  structure,  was  erected  by  John  Kirby,  on 
the  land  entered  by  Col.  Kirby  in  1819.  Isaac  Longwell  and  Sarah  Wins- 
low  were  the  first  who  were  joined  in  marriage  in  the  township,  and  Re- 
becca Welsh,  daughter  of  Zachariah  and  Hannah  (Stein)  Welsh,  was  the  first 
white  child  born  therein,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  1822.  Magdalene 
Hite  was  born  in  1823,  probably  the  second  white  child  born  in  the  town- 
ship. Abner  Jury,  an  infant,  was  the  first  to  pass  away,  the  date  of  his 
death  being  August,  1821.  He  was  buried  in  the  Macedona  Graveyard, 
and  the  little  marble  slab  that  marks  the  spot  is  brown  with  age.  In  1825-26, 
David  Bibler  built  a  grist  mill  east  of  Wyandot  on  the  Sandusky  River, 
the  first  mill  constructed  in  the  township.  He  was  also  the  first  "  tavern- 
keeper  "   in  the  township.     John   Kirby  had  the   honor  of  being  the  first 


ANTRIM  TOWNSHIP.  675 

merchant  of  Antrim,  his  store  being  located  in  the  village  of  Wyandot. 
Most  of  the  settlers,  the  early  settlers,  were  located  within  the  village  of 
Wyandot,  south  and  east  of  the  Reservation  line,  but  at  the  date  of  the 
organization  of  the  county,  or  soon  after,  the  settlement  was  more  general, 
and  quite  extensive,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following  list  of  tax  payers  of 
the  township  in  1845,  and  the  number  of  acres  owned  by  each: 

OWNERS    OF    REAL    ESTATE. 

John  Bibler,  169  acres;  George  Brioker,  90^  acres;  Bain  &  Williams, 
bh  acres;  William  Bain,  62  acres;  Goodlove  Bowman,  160  acres;  John  A. 
Bibler,  92  acres;  Samuel  Bretz,  12  acres;  Michael  Battentield,  SO  aci'es; 
Cox  &  Hampton,  240  acres;  Bank  Clinton,  664^^  acres;  Jacob  Coon,  80  acres; 
John  N.  Cox,  320  acres;  Josiah  Copeland,  80  acres;  Benjamin  Cope,  2  acres; 
Reuben  Drake,  160  acres;  Mary  Drake,  80  acres;  James  Daughmer,  48 
acres;  Joseph  Drake,  27  acres;  Andrew  Eby,  80  acres;  Zurial  Fowler.  220 
acres;  Tira  Garrett,  98  acres;  Charles  B.  Garrett,  312  acres,  also  carding 
machine;  John  Goshorn,  80  acres;  George  Garrett,  159  acres;  Eli  W. 
Groyman,  160  acres;  David  Hite,  35  acres;  Benjamin  Hite,  72  acres;  Will- 
iam T.  Howe,  240  acres;  Jacob  Howenstine,  80  acres;  Abner  Jurey,  80  acres; 
Lewis  Jurey,  200  acres;  John  Ju^rey,  80  acres;  Jacob  King,  365  acres;  Den- 
nis Leninger,  52  acres;  Isaac  Longwell,  157  acres;  George  and  James  H. 
Moore,  320  acres;  John  McElvain,  805  acres;  Neil  & Neiewanger,  840  acres; 
Carson  Porter,  80  acres;  Carson  and  Mary  Porter,  80  acres;  Rodney  Spald- 
ing, 11^  acres;  Thomas  Salmon,  58  acres;  Jacob  Staley,  80  acres,  also  a 
tannery;  Solomon  Sturges,  267  acres;  Gottlieb  Schellhorn,  160  acres; 
Charles  White,  130  acres;  Daniel  Wilson,  160  acres;  John  W.  Winslow,  49 
acres;  Benjamin  Welch,  240  acres;  Samuel  AVinslow,  38  acres;  Abigail 
Winslow,  bi;  acres;  Walter  Woolsey,  108  acres;  Daniel  Wright,  109  acres; 
Wilson,  Butler  &  Baldwin,  641  acres;  James  S.  Reed,  40  acres. 

TOWN    OF    WYANDOT. 

William  Brown,  Inlot  No.  14;  Hiram  Chapman,  Inlots  8,  9,  1,  4,  7; 
Hannah  French,  Inlot  No.  13;  David  Miller,  Inlot  No.  5;  State  of  Ohio, 
Inlots  2,  3,  6,  12,  16,  17,  18,  19,  21,  22,  10,  11;  H.  N.  Wheeler,  Inlot  No. 
15;  Charles  White,  Inlot  No.  20;' Wayne  Rood,  80  acres;  John  A.  Bibler, 
80  acres;  James  S.  Reed,  40  acres. 

TOWN  OF  HALIFAX. 

state  of  Ohio,  Inlots,  1  to  20  inclusive. 

OWNERS  OF  PERSONAL  PROPERTY. 

Zira  Alford,  Frederick  Alford,  William  Anderson,  Joseph  L.  Brooks, 
Thomas  Blunder,  Eli  Bricker.  George  Bricker,  John  Bricker,  Samuel  Burk- 
hart,  Joseph  Bochtel,  Samuel  Beals,  Charles  Beals,  John  Barger,  Benjamin 
Cope,  Hiram  Chapman,  Jacob  Coon,  Thomas  Comstock,  Jacob  Collins, 
James  Corbin,  William  Daily,  David  B.  Drake,  James  Daughmer,  James 
Eldridge,  Noah  Ely,  Noah  French,  Zuriel  Fowler,  James  Fredregill,  Wil- 
liam Ford,  Samuel  Gorman,  John  Gorman,  Christian  Hoover,  William  T, 
Howe,  William  Howe,  Benjamin  Hite,  Elizabeth  Hite,  Jacob  Holderman, 
David  Holderman,  Benjamin  Hawk,  John  Leith,  George  Longwell, 
Lewis  Longwell,  Isaac  Longwell,  Joseph  Mount,  Jason  Miller,  Augus- 
tus  W.    Munson,*    Irum    Porter,    Samuel    Reamy,    Joseph    Remington, 

*A  physician. 


676  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Abner  Jurey,  John  Jm-ey,  Lewis  Jurey,  Reuben  Johns,  Ambrose  King,  Al- 
fred Keller,  Jacob  King,  Jacob  Keller,  John  Kirby,  Virgil  Kirby,  Samuel 
Kirby,  Jacob  Staley,  Abraham  Smith,  John  Shepard,  Orlando  Shepard, 
John  Shields,  Jacob  Schellman,  Asa  Sherwood,  George  I.  Smith,  David 
Wilson,  Hezekiah  Woolsey,  Elizabeth  Winslow,  Daniel  Wright,  Walter 
Woolsey,  Robert  Wolverton,  John  Wilmoth,  Benjamin  S.  Welch. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  early  schools  of  Antrim  were  conducted  under  very  great  difficulties, 
the  neighbors  being  far  apart  and  the  facilities  meager.  According  to  the 
best  iaformation  we  are  able  to  obtain, the  first  schools  of  the  township  were 
held  in  a  log  cabin  in  the  door-yard  of  Thomas  Terry,  Ethan  Terry  being 
the  first  teacher.  It  is  also  stated  that  schools  were  held  in  the  dwellings 
of  Messrs.  Howe  and  Ijongwell,  and  that  Nathan  Howe  was,  perhaps,  the 
first  teacher.  It  is  quite  certain  that  the  first  schoolhouse  was  erected  in 
the  village  of  Wyandot  in  1827-28.  It  was,  of  course,  a  cabin,  and  the 
first  teacher  who  flourished  the  "  rod  of  correction  and  shot  the  young  idea  " 
within  its  walls  was  Thomas  T.  Thompson,  who  subsequently  taught  in  the 
mission  schools.  One  Martin  lays  some  claim  to  the  same  honor,  however. 
William  Brown  was  the  third  teacher  in  this  educational  institution.  The 
schools  of  the  township  at  the  present  time  are  perhaps  as  well  conducted 
as  any  in  the  county,  and  their  interests  are  as  carefully  guarded,  most  of 
the  schoolhouses  being  built  of  brick  and  well  furnished. 

CHUKCHES. 

As  early  as  1820  the  people  of  Wyandot  and  vicinity  began  to  assemble 
occasionally  for  divine  worship.  The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  old 
log  schoolhouse  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  village, and  these  were  continued 
with  more  or  less  regularity  till  1835,  when  an  organization  was  effected. 
The  members  were  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  pei'suasion  and  few  in  num- 
ber, William  Brown  and  his  wife  Margaret  being  the  only  members  from 
the  village.  In  1838,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  building  was  erected 
just  south  of  the  village,  being  the  first  building  of  the  kind  erected  in  the 
township.  It  has  since  been  abandoned  and  is  owned  by  H.  M.  Welsh, 
and  will  be  converted  into  a  township  hall.  In  1858,  the  United  Presby- 
terian denomination  erected  a  frame  building,  40.k()0  feet  in  dimensions, 
and  in  1884,  this  was  purchased  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  a 
cost  of  $300.  The  pastors  who  have  labored  in  this  field  are  Revs.  Pilch- 
ard, Blampede,  Rogers,  Feckley,  Close,  Bruce,  Neal,  Barron  and  perhaps  a 
few  others.  The  present  incumbent  is  George  Zeigler.  The  present  Trus- 
tees are  Noah  Bunnel,  Jacob  Ranch  and  James  Shaffer.  The  society  now 
comprises  seventy-four  members.  The  most  important  revival  was  con- 
ducted by  Rev.  Barron,  in  1880,  resulting  in  about  thirty  members  being 
added  to  the  list.  The  church  has  had  many  trials,  but  the  outlook  for  the 
future  is  promising,  as  the  society  is  in  good  working  order  and  now  has 
the  advantage  of  a  commodious  and  comfortable  building. 

Broken  Sword  Presbyterian  Church. — This  society  was  organized 
in  1850,  at  the  schoolhouse,  which  is  located  on  the  southwest  corner 
of  Section  17;  the  first  meeting  having  been  held  in  the  same  year  at 
the  same  place  under  the  supervision  of  Rev.  Charles  Thayer.  The 
society  then  comprised  six  members,  namely:  Sireno  Burke,  Tirza 
Burke,    Susan    Burke,  Mrs.    McBeth,    Lemon   Armstrong  and   Mrs.    Arm- 


ANTRIM  TOWNSHIP.  677 

strong.  In  1856,  a  church  building  was  erected  on  the  southeast  quarter 
of  Section  8.  It  is  a  frame  structure  26x36  feet,  and  cost  $1,000.  It  is 
now  owned  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  society. 

NEVADA. 

This  beautiful  and  thriving  village  bearing  the  above  title  was  named 
from  the  State  bearing  the  same  name  and  which  was  attracting  considera- 
ble attention  in  the  year  1852. 

The  town  as  originally  laid  out  was  situated  in  the  northwest  fractional 
quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  4,  Range  15  east,  and  contained 
seventy- two  lots,  each  60x180  feet,  making  an  area  of  10,800  square  feet. 
Railway  street  is  100  feet  wide;  Morrison  street,  or  Main  street,  80  feet 
wide;  Ayres  and  Garrett  streets  each  60  feet  wide,  and  situated  east  and 
west  of  Morrison  street  respectively.  All  the  regular  streets  and  alleys 
cross  each  other  at  right  angles,  their  bearing  being  1  °  30'  east.  The  stone 
which  by  law  is  required  to  be  placed  at  the  corner  of  one  of  the  lots  is 
situated  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Lot  18,  the  original  survey  having  been 
made  by  J.  K  Williams,  October  14,  1852. 

The  additions  made  to  the  area  included  in  the  original  plat,  with  the 
names  of  the  persons  who  made  them  are  as  follows:  William  Welch's 
addition,  twenty-four  lots,  was  made  May  16,  1860;  William  F.  Good- 
bread,  twenty  lots,  January  12,  1863;  J.  L.  Cook,  twenty-five  lots,  March 
28,  1863;  Goodbread,  Welch  &  Dombaugh,  seventy-one  inlots,  four  out- 
lots,  February  26,  1866;  Joseph  Braun,  four  lots,  April  20,  1866;  Robert 
Dixon,  sixteen  lots,  March  11,  1864;  George  I.  Miller,  sixteen  lots,  and 
two  outlots,  September  18,  1865;  William  Balliet,  twenty-one  lots  and  four 
out-lots,  April  13,  1866;  W.  S.  Gregg,  ten  lots,  June  21,  1876;  Will- 
iam Fetrey,  four  lots,  February  26,  1877;  William  Welch's  second  addi- 
tion, fifteen  lots,  July  3,  1879;  James  McLaughlin,  twenty  lots,  18 — ;  H. 
D.  Keller,  six  lots,  October  8,  1881;  and  J.  L.  Cook's  Secoad  Addition, 
thirteen  lots,  December  2,  1881. 

The  founders  of  Nevada  were  Jonathan  Ayi'es  and  George  Garrett.  The 
land  on  which  it  is  located  was  purchased  of  the  Government  by  William 
McKibben,  of  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  and  was  purchased  of  him  by  Messrs. 
Ayres  and  Garrett,  who  laid  out  the  town,  consisting  of  seventy- two  lots, 
in  October,  1852.     Garrett  was  of  mixed  blood — Indian  and  white. 

Jonathan  Ayres  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Isaac  and  Eliza  (Coulter)  Ayres,  and 
was  born  in  Beaver  County,  Penn. ,  March  12,  1822.  He  removed  with  his 
parents  to  Richland  County,  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  In  1846, 
he  moved  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  that  city  most  of 
the  time  since.  In  1854,  he  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business  and  con- 
tinued in  this  trade  ten  years.  Being  a  member  of  the  Ohio  National 
Guards,  he  was  called  into  service  in  1864,  and  was  made  Adjutant  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Forty- fourth  Regiment,  participating  in  the  battle  of 
Monocacy  Junction,  and  also  an  engagement  with  Mosby's  Cavalry,  the 
regiment  under  his  command  doing  gallant  service  in  the  latter  action.  He 
was  discharged  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  March  1,  1866,  and  is  now  a  resident 
of  Upper  Sandusky.  He  was  married  in  1856,  to  Miss  Jennie  Harris,  of 
Detroit,  Mich.,  a  daughter  of  Norman  and  Lucy  Harris.  Mr.  Ayres'  father, 
Isaac  Ayres,  was  born  in  York  County,  Penn.,  in  September,  1782. 

When  the  site  for  Nevada  was  first  chosen  by  its  founders,  the  future  for 
the  town  was  not  promising,  or  at  least  not  brilliantly  so.     The  site  had  the 


678  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

advantages  of  an  elevated  location  and  the  proper  distance  from  county 
seats;  but  this  was  the  most  that  could  be  claimed  for  it.  The  land  at  that 
point  was  at  that  time  covered  by  a  dense  growth  of  timber,  and  the  con- 
trast in  surroundings  between  the  future  Nevada  and  the  sleepy,  old  village 
of  Wyandot,  which  was  henceforth  to  be  considered  a  rival,  was  strongly  in 
favor  of  the  latter  town.  But  the  embryo  Nevada  had  within  it  the  "  ele- 
ments of  greatness,"  and  with  the  Pittsburgh  Railroad  to  strengthen  its  spine, 
and  the  rich  farming  country  both  north  and  south  to  supply  it  with  the 
proper  commercial  nourishment,  its  success  was  soon  placed  beyond  ques- 
tion. The  woods  were  rapidly  cleared  away,  the  mercantile  establishments 
began  with  a  vitality  that  was  unquestioned,  and  the  point  was  settled. 
Nevada  was  to  be  a  town  and  have  a  history. 

ORIGINAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 

When  the  survey  for  the  original  plat  of  Nevada  was  made,  the  only 
houses  standing  within  its  limits  were  the  dwellings  of  Lair  Miller,  James 
McLaughlin  and  Samuel  Ellison.  Mr.  Miller's  residence  was  built  about 
1846-47;  Mr.  McLaughlin's  in  1850,  and  Mr.  Ellison's  in  the  same  year 
in  which  the  town  was  laid  out,  1852.  After  that  date  building  proceeded 
quite  rapidly  as  the  success  of  the  village  was  soon  a  pronounced  certainty. 

William  McJunkins  has  the  honor  of  being  Nevada's  pioneer  merchant. 
He  erected  the  first  storeroom  in  the  place  in  1853.  It  was  a  frame  struc- 
ture of  considerable  dimensions  and  was  well  tilled  with  a  stock  of  general 
merchandise  valued  at  not  less  than  $2,000.  Mr.  Me-Iunkins  was  Postmaster 
and  railroad  agent  at  the  same  time  and  did  a  good  business,  continuing  in 
the  place  several  yeai's.  William  Fredregill  had  previously  erected  a  small 
frame  building  18x26  feet,  and  did  a  small  grocery  business  in  front  and  a 
large  saloon  business  behind.  The  building  which  he  occupied  is  now  used 
by  W^illiam  Nye  as  a  dwelling.  The  McJunkins  building  was  destroyed  by 
fire  in  1872. 

The  second  store-room  was  built  by  Jonathan  Ayres  who  sold  the  same 
to  J.  L.  Cook  and  William  F.  Goodbread.  It  was  also  a  frame  structure 
20x40  feet  and  is  still  standing  near  where  it  was  first  erected — on  Main 
street,  east  side,  south  of  the  railroad — vised  for  a  general  storage  room. 
The  store  was  opened  by  the  firm  of  Cook  &  Goodbread  with  a  stock  of 
$4,000  to  $5,000  and  an  extensive  and  profitable  business  was  conducted  by 
this  firm  for  about  three  and  one-half  years  when  they  sold  out  to  William 
Balliet.  Their  stock  consisted  of  general  merchandise  and  in  connection 
with  this  branch  of  their  business  they  erected  the  first  stock  scales  in  the 
town  and  did  an  extensive  business  in  the  purchase  and  sale  of  all  kinds  of 
grain,  live  stock,  etc.  Messrs.  Cook  &  Goodbread  may  also  be  considered 
pioneer  merchants  of  Nevada.  For  complete  sketches  of  their  respective 
lives  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  biographical  notices  given  in  connection 
with  the  history  of  this  township  in  succeeding  pages. 

The  third  store  of  the  village  was  established  by  S.  S.  Miller,  who  died 
a  few  years  afterward  and  his  stock  of  $2,000  in  general  merchandise  was 
sold  out  at  auction.  From  this  time  the  mercantile  interests  went  strongly 
forward  till  at  the  present  date  (1884)  Nevada  is  second  to  but  few  "coun- 
try "  towns  in  Central  Ohio,  being  provided  with  numerous  stores,  a  sub- 
stantial bank,  good  schools  and  churches,  shops,  mills  and  factories. 

MERCANTILE  ESTABLISHMENTS. 

One  of  the  foremost  stores  of  Nevada  at  the  present  date  is  that  of  Cook 


ANTRIM  TOWNSHIP.  6?9 

&  Morris,  Main  street,  east  side,  north  of  railroad.  It  was  first  established 
in  1865  by  J.  S.  Leith  &  Co.,  who,  after  coaducting  it  about  two  years,  sold 
out  to  the  Elliott  Brothers,  who  again  disposed  of  it  to  Hall  &  Cook  in 
1879.  Two  years  later  Mr.  Hall  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Cook  who  con- 
ducted the  business  one  year  alone,  then  admitting  W.  H.  Cook,  the  firm 
afterward  operating  two  years  as  J.  L.  &  W.  H.  Cook.  The  establishment 
was  then  consolidated  with  that  of  George  Benedict,  making  three  depart- 
ments, dry  goods  and  notions,  boots,  shoes  and  clothing,  and  groceries  and 
provisions.  One  year  after  this  change,  De  Jean  purchased  Benedict's  in- 
terest and  the  business  was  conducted  two  years  under  the  firm  name  of 
Cook,  De  Jean  &  Co.  W.  H.  Cook  subsequently  withdrew  and  the  firm  of 
Cook  &  De  Jean  continued  the  trade  till  July  1,  1881,  when  S.  Cook  pur- 
chased De  Jean's  interest  and  the  firm  became  J.  L.  &  S.  Cook,  doing  busi- 
ness as  such  till  January  1,  1883,  when  R.  E.  Morris  purchased  S.  Cook's 
interest  and  the  present  firm  of  Cook  &  Morris  was  established.  They 
carry  a  stock  of  dry  goods,  notions,  carpets,  boots  and  shoes  valued  at  about 
$7,000  and  do  a  large  business.  J.  L.  Cook  the  senior  partner  of  the  firm 
has  been  identified  with  the  mercantile  interests  of  the  town  for  about 
thirty  years. 

Goodbread  &  Son,  druggists  of  considerable  prominence,  are  located  on 
the  west  side  of  Main  street,  north  of  railroad.  The  establishment  was 
first  opened  as  a  branch  store  by  Joseph  A.  Maxwell,  of  Upper  Sandusky, 
with  Lewis  Nichols  as  salesman.  Mr.  Nichols  afterward  purchased  the 
stock,  and  still  later  consolidated  his  store  with  that  of  Dr.  Jones,  the  firm 
doing  business  for  some  time  under  the  title  of  Nichols  &  Jones.  In  1871, 
Mr.  Goodbread  purchased  Mr.  Nichols'  interest,  and  the  business  was  ct)n- 
ducted  till  1879  by  Goodbread  &  Jones,  J.  N.  Goodbread  purchasing  Mr. 
Jones'  interest  at  that  date.  The  firm  has  since  been  known  as  Goodbread 
&  Son.  They  carry  a  full  stock  of  goods  of  all  kinds  peculiar  to  the  trade, 
and  do  a  large  and  profitable  business.  William  F.  Goodbread,  as  will  be 
seen  by  the  preceding  pages,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  merchants  of  the  town, 
and  has  always  been  more  or  less  prominently  identified  with  its  business 
interest. 

D.  B.  Wolf  established  himself  in  his  present  business  at  his  present 
place  in  September,  1872.  He  occupies  the  storeroom  originally  used  by 
Cook  &  Goodbread  in  1853.  It  is  located  just  south  of  railroad,  east  side 
of  Main  street,  and  was  sold  by  the  last-named  firm  to  G.  W.  Balliet,  Mr. 
Goodbread  becoming  a  partner  of  Mr.  Balliet  one  year  later.  The  next 
change  was  effected  by  Mr.  Goodbread  purchasing  the  whole  stock.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Dumbaugh  &  Huffman,  and  they  by  H.  H.  Welsh,  who 
admitted  D.  B.  Wolf,  as  stated  above.  The  firm  was  known  as  Welsh  &  Co. 
till  1877,  when  Mr.  Wolf  purchased  Welsh's  interest,  since  which  time  he 
has  conducted  the  business  independently.  His  stock  is  estimated  at  about 
$4,000,  and  he  enjoys  a  fine  trade.  His  line  is  dry  goods,  notions,  groceries, 
boots,  shoes  and  queensware. 

C.  Pfisterer,  the  only  merchant  tailor  of  Nevada,  first  began  business  in 
the  town  in  April,  1869.  He  opened  up  an  establishment  in  a  frame  build- 
ing which  occupied  the  site  of  the  present  storeroom  of  Cook  &  Morris. 
In  1876,  he  removed  to  the  building  now  occupied  by  D.  B.  Wolf,  and  in 
1879  to  his  present  place  of  business,  the  Pease  building.  Mr.  Pfisterer 
has  always  been  sole  proprietor  of  his  establishment.  He  carries  the  largest 
stock  of  cloths  and  cassimeres  in  the  county,  and  does  a  large  business. 
His  stock  of  readv-made  clothing  is  also  quite  complete,  the  whole  valued 
at  $5,000. 


680  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

Stewart  &  Hall,  prominent  hardware  dealers,  are  located  on  Main  street, 
east  side,  just  north  of  railroad.  The  original  lirm  was  known  as  Stewart  & 
Wallace,  and  was  founded  in  1869,  in  the  staves  and  heading  and  hardware 
business,  at  Edenville.  In  1882,  Mr.  Hall  purchased  Wallace's  hardware,  and 
the  firm  has  since  been  known  as  Stewart  &  Hall.  They  carry  a  stock  valued 
at  $10,000,  and  do  an  immense  business,  their  annual  sales  estimated  at 
$30,000  per  year.  Their  present  storeroom  is  20x186  feet,  and  is  well 
filled  with  a  well- selected  stock  of  hardware,  tinware,  agricultural  imple- 
ments, etc.  The  building  was  erected  by  M.  11.  Hull  in  1876-77,  and  was 
purchased  by  Stewart  &  Wallace  in  the  spring  of  1878,  Mr.  Hull  having 
made  an  assignment. 

E.  R.  Williams,  a  popular  druggist  of  Nevada,  became  identified  with 
the  business  interests  of  the  place  in  1882.  The  store  was  first  put  in 
operation  in  1879  by  R.  M.  Stewart,  J.  A.  Stewart  and  William  B.  Wool- 
sey,  who  conducted  the  establishment  under  the  firm  name  of  Stewart  &  Co. 
until  the  sale  of  J.  A.  Stewart's  interest,  after  which  the  firm  was  known  as 
R.  M.  Stewart  &  Co.  till  September,  1882,  when  the  stock  was  purchased  by 
A.  N.  Williams  &  Son.  The  death  of  the  father  in  September,  1883,  left 
the  stock  in  the  hands  of  the  sou,  E.  R.  Williams,  who  now  has  charge  of 
the  business.  His  stock  is  complete,  consisting  of  a  full  line  of  tine  drugs, 
patent  medicines,  books,  wall-paper,  paints,  oils,  varnishes,  etc.,  and  his 
business  is  carefully  managed.  His  store  is  located  on  Main  street,  east 
side,  north  of  the  railroad. 

W.  M.  Maskey,  grocer.  This  firm  began  business  in  1881,  as  Morris  & 
Maskey,  the  latter  member  of  the  firm  having  purchased  the  interest  of  J. 
W.  Morris,  of  the  firm  of  Morris  &  Son,  who  established  the  business  in 
1880.  He  now  cai-ries  a  stock  valued  at  $1,500  to  $2,000,  and  has  a  fine 
trade,  located  one  door  north  of  Cook  &  Morris'  dry  goods  store. 

Gregg  &  Co.  This  firm  was  established  in  1877,  the  members  being  G, 
W.  Grregg  and  Andrew  Flickinger.  Their  stock  consisted  of  clothing,  hats, 
caps,  boots,  shoes  and  gent's  furnishing  goods.  April  1,  1884,  William 
Scott  purchased  the  stock,  and  soon  after  turned  the  clothing  over  to  the 
Cook  Bros.,  who  are  now  doing  business  in  a  brick  building  opposite  the 
Kerr  House,  purchased  of  W.  Myers. 

T,  P.  Miller,  groceries  and  provisions.  Mr.  Miller  began  business  on 
the  corner  of  Morrison  (Main)  and  Center  streets  in  1879.  In  April,  1884, 
he  purchased  and  moved  into  his  present  building,  a  few  doors  north  of  the 
old  establishment.  The  building  he  now  occupies  was  built  by  Perry  Hopp 
in  1868-69,  and  is  a  two-story  frame  structure,  18x45  feet  in  dimensions.  He 
carries  a  stock  valued  at  $1,000  to  $1,200,  and  enjoys  a  fair  trade. 

B.  Hopp,  dealer  in  furniture,  and  undertaker.  The  firm  was  first  known 
as  Hopp  &  Benedict,  their  stock  of  furniture  being  purchased  of  William 
Windish  in  1873,  The  stock  was  burned  May  15,  1875,  and  Mr.  Hopp 
revived  the  business  soon  after,  and  has  since  conducted  it.  He  established 
the  first  undertaking  in  the  town,  and  does  a  thriving  business.  His  new 
store-room  is  large  and  comfortable,  brick,  with  two  stories  and  a  cellar. 

B.  B.  Myers  &  Co.,  hardware,  stove  and  tinware  merchants.  The  firm 
was  established  in  1875  as  S.  Myers  &  Son.  In  1879,  B.  B.  Myers  purchased 
his  father's  interest,  and  has  since  been  sole  proprietor.  He  occupies  two 
rooms,  each  20x60  feet,  located  just  south  of  railroad,  on  west  side  of  Main 
street.  His  new  brick  building  was  erected  in  1883.  He  carries  a  full  line 
of  shelf  hardware,  stoves,  tinware  and  agricultural  implements,  and  enjoys 
a  flourishinfif  trade. 


ANTRIM  TOWNSHIP.  681 

J.  Koerber  &  Co.  This  firm  began  business  in  Nevada  February  7, 1883, 
operating  on  a  cash  system  from  the  start.  The  store  is  located  on  Morri- 
son (Main)  street,  in  the  Balliet  room,  twenty  by  ninety  feet  in  dimension. 
The  stock  is  valued  at  $8,000,  and  is  well  selected,  consisting  of  dry  goods, 
notions,  groceries,  etc.  The  firm  is  doing  an  excellent  business,  and  thus 
proving  beyond  question  both  the  possibility  and  feasibility  of  the  cash 
system. 

A.  N.  Sawyer,  furniture  and  undertaking.  Main  street.  This  establish- 
ment was  opened  up  in  July,  1882,  in  a  new  frame  building,  18x60  feet, 
erected  in  the  same  year  at  a  cost  of  $1,000.  The  building  was  erected  by 
T.  D.  Keller,  and  purchased  by  Mr.  Sawyer  a  few  months  later.  He  car- 
ries a  stock  of  goods  valued  at  $800  to  $1,000,  and  does  a  fair  business. 

Franklin  James  established  himself  in  the  grocery  and  provision  business 
in  December,  1879,  at  the  place  known  as  Williams'  Corner,  and  in  the  old 
building  erected  by  S.  P.  Shaw  about  1864.  He  carries  a  stock  of  groceries, 
provisions  and  notions,  valued  at  $1,500,  and  enjoys  a  fair  trade. 

William  Balliet,  groceries,  confectionery  and  bar.  This  establishment 
began  business  in  1879,  in  a  frame  building,  which  was  destroyed  by  tire 
February  12,  1883.  The  px'esent  brick  building  occupies  the  same  site,  and 
was  erected  immediately  after  the  destruction  of  the  frame  structure.  Mr. 
Balliet  was  first  engaged  seven  years  in  the  hardware  business;  the  same 
length  of  time  in  the  livery  business,  and  has  been  engaged  five  years  in  his 
present  vocation.     He  has  a  flourishing  trade. 

E.  R.  Irmer,  bakery,  confectionery  and  provisions.  'Mv.  Irmer  began 
business  in  Nevada  in  November,  1875,  in  partnership  with  Philip  Ruhl- 
man.  They  purchased  their  stock  of  groceries  of  John  Good,  and  continued 
their  partnership  till  January,  1876,  when  Mr.  Irmer  purchased  his  partner's 
interest,  since  which  time  he  has  conducted  the  business  alone.  He  owns  and 
occupies  a  brick  building  21x75  feet,  situated  on  Main  street,  second  door 
north  of  railroad,  east  side,  and  has  an  excellent  trade. 

W.  P.  Morris  has  the  only  jewelry  shop  and  store  in  town.  He  has  been 
engaged  at  the  trade  several  years,  but  put  in  his  stock  in  January,  1884. 
He  carries  a  small  but  well-selected  stock  of  goods,  and  does  a  fair  business. 
He  does  all  kinds  of  jewelers'  work — engraving,  clock  and  watch  repairing, 
etc.,  and  is  located  at  present  in  the  post  office  building. 

J.  M.  Kliugler  conducts  an  old-fashioned  shoe  shop  on  South  Main  street. 
He  began  work  in  1860,  and  for  many  years  did  a  thriving  business.  The 
extensive  use  of  factory  goods  has  of  late  reduced  the  demand  for  home- 
made work.  He  makes  all  kinds  of  coarse  and  fine  boots  and  shoes,  and  does 
mending  neatly  and  promptly.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest  bench  workmen  in 
the  town. 

E.  Lidle,  manufacturer  of  and  dealer  in  harness,  saddles,  etc.,  west 
side  Main  street,  north  of  Commercial  Hotel.  Mr.  Lidle  began  business  in 
Nevada  in  1867,  and  has  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  trade.  He  is  the 
owner  of  his  building,  a  two-story  brick,  20x80  feet,  and  has  the  leading 
harness  emporium  of  the  city.  He  keeps  a  full  stock  of  harness,  saddles, 
trunks,  valises  and  furnishing  goods,  and  enjoys  a  liberal  patronage.  He 
learned  his  trade  in  Germany. 

L.  Wilson,  saddler  and  harness  manufacturer,  is  located  on  east  side  of 
Main  street,  one  door  north  of  Sawyer's  furniture  store.  He  began  business 
in  Nevada  in  1873,  moving  to  his  present  room  in  1882.  His  stock — all  his 
own  work — is  valued  at  $600.  He  is  an  excellent  workman  and  deserves  a 
liLeral  patronage. 


682  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Mrs.  S.  M.  Wilcox  established  her  millinery  business  in  Nevada  in  1871. 
In  1874,  she  erected  her  present  business  room,  brick,  20x25  feet,  located  on 
Main  street,  east  side,  south  of  railroad,  where  slie  keeps  a  full  line  of 
millinery  goods  valued  at  about  $1,000.      She  enjoys  a  good  trade. 

Mrs.  Marie  Steiner  conducts  a  millinery  business  on  Main  street,  east 
side,  north  of  the  new  livery.  She  keeps  a  well-selected  stock  and  is  well 
patronized. 

A.  G.  Carr,  proprietor  of  livery  and  feed  stable,  began  operations  in 
January,  1884.  He  occupies  the  new  barn  erected  by  James  Welch  in  1882. 
It  is  a  line  building  38x90  feet,  with  neat  office,  and  cost  about  $2,000,  in- 
cluding lot,  wind  pump,  etc.  The  stock  owned  by  A.  G.  Carr  is  valued  at 
$2,800.  It  is  the  only  livery  of  the  village  and  does  a  good  business.  The 
first  livery  was  established  by  Cart.  Hoxten,  of  Marion.  He  sold  out  two 
years  later.  A.  N.  Sawyer  next  started  the  enterprise  in  1867,  and  in 
1868,  erected  the  first  livery  barn  in  the  place.  He  sold  out  three  years 
later  to  Balliet  &  Welch  and  established  a  second  stable,  conducting  the 
business  up  to  1882,  two  years  excepted.  The  Balliet  firm  continued  with 
various  changes  till  1875.  A  third  stable  was  subsequently  erected  by  Ben- 
jamin Balliet,  and  four  livery  barns  of  Nevada  have  been  destroyed  by  tire; 
one  in  1875,  one  in  1877  and  two  in  1883. 

Myers  &  Lidle  are  now  the  proprietors  of  the  Nevada  meat  market. 
The  business  was  established  in  1863.  In  1869,  Mr.  Myers  opened  a  shop 
in  partnership  with  V.  O.  Tuttle,  which  connection  existed  till  1871,  when 
the  firm  became  Myers  &  Son.  One  year  later  Mr.  Keltner  was  admitted  to 
the  firm,  which  was  known  afterward  as  Myers  &  Keltner  till  the  spring  of 
1884,  when  E.  Lidle  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  business,  since  which 
time  the  firm  has  been  known  as  Myers  &  Lidle.  They  have  the  only  shop 
in  town  and  do  a  good  business. 

HOTELS. 

The  Commercial  Hotel  was  built  by  B.  Hopp  in  1862.  It  is  located 
just  north  of  the  railroad, on  Main  street,  west  side,  the  main  building  being 
36x40  feet  with  a  kitchen  30x30  feet  in  the  rear.  The  house  is  a  frame 
structure,  two  stories,  with  a  roofed  balcony,  and  contains  eighteen  rooms. 
Thomas  J.  Hinkle  was  the  first  landlord  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  De 
Jean,  to  whom  he  sold  the  property.  Jesse  Ritz  purchased  the  house  of 
De  Jean  and  subsequently  sold  it  to  Robert  Kerr,  who  disposed  of  it  to 
William  Montee  in  1879,  who  in  1884  disposed  of  the  property  and  took 
charge  of  the  Kerr  House. 

The  Kerr  House  at  Nevada  was  erected  by  Robert  Kerr  in  1882,  at  a  cost, 
when  furnished,  of  $18,000.  It  is  a  fine  brick  structure, containing  twenty- 
five  good  rooms,  well  lighted  and  ventilated.  The  building  was  opened  for 
business  in  1883,  under  the  management  of  H.  S.  Slough,  who  in  1884  gave 
way  to  William  Montee.  It  is  by  far  the  finest  hotel  property  in  the 
county,  and,  with  the  present  efficient  management,  will  have  an  excellent 
patronage.  The  house  is  well  furnished,  is  in  a  desirable  location — one 
door  north  of  post  office,  west  side  Main  street — and  will  be  a  lasting  testi- 
monial of  the  enterprise  of  its  founder.  Besides  the  spacious  parlors  and 
elegant  sleeping  apartments,  the  house  is  also  provided  with  an  excellent 
bathroom  for  the  accommodation  of  its  guests. 

MILLS    AND    OTHER    INDUSTRIES. 

Nevada  Orist  Mill, — The  first  and  only  grist  mill  of  Nevada  was 
erected  by  a  stock  company  in   1861,  H.  W.  Williams  being  the  principal 


ANTRIM  TOWNSHIP.  683 

stockholder,  chief  instigator  and  millwright.  The  other  members  of  the 
company  were  W.  F.  Goodbread,  J.  L.  Cook,  James  McLaughlin  and  Sam- 
uel Junck.  The  cost  of  the  institution  was  about  $10,500.  Two  run  of 
buhrs  were  at  first  used,  two  more  being  subsequently  added,  making  the 
capacity  of  the  mill  100  barrels  per  day.  In  1884,  under  the  management 
of  L.  Gr.  Russell,  who  is  present  owner  of  the  mill,  the  roller  system  was 
introduced,  and  the  capacity  is  now  125  barrels  per  day.  In  1864,  the  mill 
was  purchased  by  Williams  &  Gregg,  and  in  1866,  Mr.  T.  Daily  purchased 
Mr.  Gregg's  interest,  the  firm  being  known  as  Williams  &  Daily,  until 
1866.  In  the  latter  year  Mr.  A.  B.  Benedict  purchased  Mr.  Williams'  in- 
terest, and  this  firm  existed  till  1872,  when  the  property  became  the  posses- 
sion of  Messrs.  Daily.  Russell  &  Williams.  In  1883,  the  interests  of  the 
other  members  of  the  firm  were  purchased  by  Mr.  L.  G.  Russell,  who  is  now 
sole  proprietor. 

Planing  Mill,  Door  and  Sash  Factory. — The  first  planing  mill  es- 
tablished in  Nevada  was  built  in  1863.  It,  like  the  grist  mill  referred  to 
above,  was  erected  by  a  stock  company — capital,  $6,000.  The  original 
stockholders  were  Homer  and  Nelson  King,  who  put  in  a  patent  bee  hive  at 
a  large  figure,  James  Anderson,  C.  P.  Hopp  and  R.  Dixon.  The  company 
was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  the  patent  bee- hive  referred 
to,  and  was  denominated  the  American  Bee- hive  Company.  A  saw  mill 
was  subsequently  added,  and  for  some  time  quite  an  extensive  business  was 
done,  though  during  the  whole  existence  of  the  institution  the  enterprise  at 
intervals  languished  and  the  stock  depreciated.  By  degrees  the  shares  were 
sold  out,  and  J.  L.  Cook  became  the  chief  stockholder,  and  afterward  sold 
his  interest  to  G.  W.  Leith.  The  establishment  was  next  purchased  by  A. 
Lance,  and  while  in  his  possession  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1872.  In  the 
same  year,  S.  Beaver  purchased  the  lot  made  vacant  by  the  destruction  of 
fire,  and  erected  his  present  mill  and  factory.  For  the  first  nine  months 
the  firm  was  known  as  Beaver  &  Tucker,  the  latter  owning  a  one-third  inter- 
est. In  1878,  a  saw  mill  was  added  and  has  since  been  continued.  The 
establishment  does  an  extensive  business  both  in  the  sawing  of  lumber  and 
the  manufacture  of  doors,  sash,  window- frames,  store-fronts,  etc.  The  main 
building  is  58x65  feet,  with  iron  roof;  the  office  and  stoi'age  room,  20x70 
feet,  and  the  blacksmith  and  storage  room  is  26x40  feet— all  two  stories. 
The  total  value  of  buildings  and  machinery  is  about  $6,000.  Five  to  ten 
workmen  are  usually  employed,  and  the  mill  was  formerly  operated  day  and 
night. 

Brick  and  Tile  Factory. — This  industry  was  begun  in  1873  by  the  pres- 
ent proprietor,  John  Russell.  He  first  began  the  manufacture  of  brick 
only,  and  continued  this  about  five  years,  bringing  the  horse- power  machine 
into  general  use.  In  1878,  he  began  the  manufacture  of  tile  of  various 
diameters,  and  has  conducted  the  business  on  an  extensive  and  gradually 
increasing  scale  since  that  date.  He  employs  from  eight  to  sixteen  work- 
men during  the  working  season. 

Blacksmith  Shoj^s. — McDermot  &  Schwartzkopf  represent  this  inter- 
est in  a  very  able  manner,  their  shop  being  located  just  north  of  the  Advent 
Church,  Main  street.  The  business  was  begun  by  McDermot  in  1879,  and 
Schwartzkopf  was  admitted  as  a  partner  in  1881.  They  occupy  a  substantial 
brick  building,  erected  by  them  at  a  cost  of  $500,  and  do  all  kinds  of  re- 
pairing, horse-shoeing,  etc.,  neatly  and  promptly.  Plow  work  is  made  a 
specialty.      Their  annual  receipts  amount  to  about  $2,000. 

Henry  G.  Lea  began  work  at  blacksmithing  when  quite  young,  and  also 


684  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

spent  some  time  at  the  jeweler's  trade.  He  began  the  former  work  in  Ne- 
vada in  1863,  and  has  since  engaged  in  that  vocation.  He  does  all  kinds 
of  repairing  peculiar  to  the  trade,  his  work  giving  general  satisfaction. 

Carriage  and  Wagon  Works. — J.  F.  Knapp  is  now  the  only  representa- 
tive of  this  industry  in  Nevada.  He  erected  his  shop,  a  frame  building,  two- 
stories,  26x46  feet,  in  1866,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  all  kinds  of  wagons,  carriages,  buggies,  etc.  He  also  does  general  re- 
pairing, having  the  entire  trade  of  the  vicinity  in  that  line.  He  formerly  did 
a  profitable  business  in  manufacturing,  bat  of  late  years  his  trade  has  been 
crippled  by  the  extensive  use  of  factory  work.  His  building  cost  about 
$1,000. 

A  similar  enterprise  was  established  by  John  Harter  in  1866,  and  after 
ten  or  twelve  years  operation  was  sold  to  George  Schwartzkopf,  soon  after 
which  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  It  was  located  south  of  the  i*ailroad,  east 
side  Main  street. 

Nevada  Elevator. — This  enterprise  was  established  by  William  F. 
Goodbread,  Henry  Welsh  and  others — a  joint  stock  company — who  erected 
the  building  in  1873,  and  in  1874  sold  the  same  to  S.  H.  Hunt,  of  Upper 
Sandusky.  The  building  is  a  substantial  frame  structure  with  a  receiving 
capacity  of  3,000  bushels  per  day,  and  a  storage  capacity  of  20,000  bushels. 
After  a  successful  operation  for  some  time,  Mr.  Hunt  sold  the  elevator  to 
William  Blair  and  O.  C.  Ewart,  who  subsequently  sold  it  to  the  present 
owners. 

Nevada  Hook  and  Ladder  Company. — This  protective  institution 
was  organized  April  8,  1872,  the  following  officers  being  elected  at 
that  date:  J.  A.  Brown,  Foreman;  F.  Mollenkopf,  Assistant  Foreman; 
J.  N.  Goodbread,  Secretary;  D.  E.  Jefferson,  Treasurer;  O.  S.  Camp- 
bell, William  Price  and  Stephen  Kerr,  Trustees.  The  company  began 
operations  with  an  outfit  consisting  of  a  chemical  engine,  hook  and 
ladder  trucks  and  fifty  rubber  buckets;  but  the  engine  was  discarded  in 
1876,  and  has  not  since  been  in  use.  The  company  has  been  engaged  in 
several  important  fires  at  home,  and  has  done  excellent  work.  It  is  also 
well  known  throughout  this  section  of  the  State  as  a  sporting  com]:»any, 
having  taken  part  in  many  of  the  tournaments,  and  in  each  instance  carried 
ofi"  a  fair  share  of  the  honors.  In  1878,  it  won  the  second  prize  at  the  Bu- 
cyrus  Tournament  against  the  Norwalk  Company,  which  holds  the  cham- 
pionship of  the  United  States.  The  company  has  also  participated  in 
many  other  contests  of  the  same  nature,  and  has  acquired  a  State  reputa- 
tion for  its  skill  and  fleetness.  The  original  number  of  members  was  about 
fifteen,  but  has  now  reached  sixty,  including  retired  members.  The  present 
officers  are  as  follows:  J.  A.  Brown,  Foreman;  Levi  W^ilson,  Assistant 
Foreman;  W.  A.  Wolf,  Secretary;  W.  M.  Maskey,  Treasurer;  E.  R.  Irmer, 
George  Schwartzkopf  and  A.  Cronice,  Trustees. 

Weaving  Loom. — James  Anderson  is  now  the  sole  representative  of  this 
craft  in  Nevada.  Although  owning  a  good  farm,  he  spends  considerable 
time  in  carpet  weaving,  at  which  business  he  is  quite  an  expert.  He  oper- 
ates one  of  the  old-fashioned  looms,  which  is  almost  a  curiosity  to  the 
present  generation.  The  shuttle  slides  through  and  then  slides  back,  fol- 
lowed up  by  the  "bumper''  che-whack,  che- whack;  and  ere  one  has  woven 
a  twenty-pound  pack  he  is  weak  in  the  knees  and  lame  in  the  back. 

Nevada  Deposit  Bank. — This  institution  was  incorporated  April  10, 
1873,  with  W.  L.  Blair,  President,  W.  F.  Goodbread,  Vice  President,  and 
J.  K.  Agnew,  Cashier;  and  began  business  May  5,  1873,  with  a  capital  stock 


ANTRIM  TOWNSHIP.  685 

of  $52,000.  At  its  organization  the  principal  stockholders  were  Robert 
Kerr  and  W.  L.  Blair,  whose  shares  numbered  200  and  120  respectively. 
Other  stockholders  were  G.  W.  Leith,  W.  F.  Goodbread,  J.  L.  Cook,  Ben- 
jamin Ulrich,  C.  W.  Bnrke,  J.  N.  Goodbread,  Michael  Lambright,  J.  H. 
Hershberger,  J.  S.  Leith,  G.  W.  Balliet,  and  J.  K.  Agnew,  with  shares 
ranging  in  numbers  from  two  to  eighty. 

Soon  after  beginning  operations,  the  stock  of  the  lesser  holders  began 
to  be  bought  in  by  the  principals,  and  on  September  2,  1878,  the  entire 
stock  was  represented  by  Robert  Kerr,  W.  L.  Blair  and  O.  C.  Ewart,  who 
still  conduct  the  business.  In  February,  1878,  the  charter  under  which  the 
bank  was  established,  according  to  the  State  law,  was  surrendered,  and  the 
corporation  was  re-organized  into  a  co  partnership  represented  mainly  by 
the  above  firm,  and  on  this  plan  the  business  has  since  been  carried  for- 
ward. The  bank  was  first  opened  in  the  "old  bank  building"  east  side  of 
Main  street,  south  of  the  railroad,  but,  in  1879,  was  removed  to  the  new 
brick  bank  building  which  was  erected  in  1878-79,  and  which  is  the  finest 
structure  used  for  the  purpose  in  the  county.  It  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  substantial  institutions  of  the  kind  in  this  section  of  the  State;  it  is 
strongly  secured  bj;  real  estate;  is  well  managed;  does  an  excellent  business, 
and  has  the  entire  confidence  of  the  public.  The  present  officers  are  W.  L. 
Blair,  President;  Robert  Kerr,  Vice  President;  O.  C.  Ewart,  Cashier;  and 
J.  A.  Williams,  Assistant  Cashier. 

CHURCHES. 

Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. — The  first  meeting  of  this  society  was 
held  in  a  schoolhouse  one  mile  south  of  Nevada,  Rev.  A.  B.  Kirtland,  offi- 
ciating. In  the  same  year  and  at  the  same  place  by  the  same  minister,  the 
church  was  organized  with  thirty  members,  David  Kreichbaum,  Daniel  Rex 
and  James  Gillam  being  remembered  as  among  the  number.  The  first 
church  building  was  erected  in  April,  1859.  It  was  a  frame  structure,  and 
cost  $1,175.  Rev.  A.  B.  Kirtland  was  the  first  pastor,  and  he  was  suc- 
ceeded in  1861  by  Rev.  Hammer.  Rev.  Hamilton  was  engaged  from  1862 
to  1868;  Rev.  D.  A.  Kuhn  from  1869  to  1877;  Rev.  H.  Nodle,  the  present 
incumbent.  There  are  now  sixty  members  in  the  society.  The  present  offi- 
cers are  Conrad  Lohr,  Samuel  Bell,  Mathias  Maskey,  Tilghman  Balliet  and 
Daniel  Kreichbaum. 

United  Brethren  Church. — The  few  original  members  of  this  organiza- 
tion held  their  first  meeting  in  James  McLaughlin's  barn  in  May,  1857,  Rev. 
Tabler  officiating  on  that  occasion.  In  1860,  an  organization  was  effected 
through  the  efforts  of  Rev.  D.  W.  Downey,  the  meeting  being  held  for  that 
purpose  in  Clave's  hall.  Twenty-eight  members  were  listed  at  that  time, 
James  Hilborne  acting  as  leader  and  Samuel  Miller  as  Class  Steward.  In 
1875,  the  society  erected  their  first  and  present  church  building  on  an  out- 
lot  of  Cook's  Addition  to  Nevada.  It  is  a  frame  structure  of  50x35  feet  in 
dimensions,  and  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  J.  Weaver.  The  cost  of  the 
building  was  $700.  Rev.  J.  Paul  was  engaged  on  this  work  one  year;  Rev. 
J.  P.  Lea,  two  years;  Rev.  W.  Nevill,  one  year;  Rev.  Easterbrook,  one  year; 
Rev.  W.  R.  Leaword,  one  year,  and  Rev.  George  Bender  to  the  present  time. 
The  present  officers  are  J.  Burnside,  George  Rinehart,  Isaac  Kemp  and  H. 
G.  Lea,  Trustees;  H.  G.  Lea,  leader,  and  Mrs.  M.  Fraize,  Class  Steward. 
The  society  now  numbers  ten  members. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  — As  early  as  1859,  meetings  were  held  by 
this  society  one-half  mile  north  of  Nevada,  where  perhaps  the  organization 


686  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

was  efifected.  In  1867,  they  erected  their  present  church  building,  which  is 
a  brick  structure  40x70  feet,  and  which  cost  $1,200.  It  is  located  on  Lot 
No.  9,  McLaughlin's  Addition,  and  is  rather  a  fine  building.  The  list  of 
pastors  with  the  years  they  were  engaged  on  this  charge  is  as  follows:  Rev. 
Jacob  Monsinger,  one  year;  James  Albright,  one  year;  W.  H.  Painter,  two 
years;  B.  A.  Disney,  two  years;  D.  M.  Conant,  two  years;  G.  L.  Hanna- 
walt,  two  years;  C.  H.  Baldwin,  two  years;  George  A.  Marshal,  one  year; 
Charles  Galimore,  one  year;  C.  M.  Gay,  one  year;  Charles  Crawford,  one 
year.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  George  Zeigler.  The  society  now  num- 
bers eighty-nine  members.  The  present  officers  are  L.  A.  Pease;  J.  C.  Rose- 
grant,  W.  A.  White,  Goodwin  Hall  and  J.  E.  Funk. 

Presbyterian  Church.— This  society  was  organized  by  Rev.  J.  P.  Loyd, 
Rev.  George  Graham  and  Mr.  John  Black  at  the  residence  of  James  An- 
derson April  26,  1859.  The  organization  then  consisted  of  ten  members, 
as  follows:  John  Todd,  Francis  Todd,  James  L.  Armstrong,  Jane  Arm- 
strong, Joshua  Cook,  Elizabeth  Cook,  James  Anderson,  Elizabeth  Anderson, 
Henry  Aten  and  John  Aten.  The  society  erected  their  present  brick  build- 
ing which  is  30x110  feet  in  1876,  at  a  cost  of  $4,000.  Rev.  Thomas  Wal- 
lace was  first  placed  in  this  charge,  and  served  about  two  years;  Rev.  J.  P. 
Lower,  eighteen  months;  Rev.  S.  A.  Hummer,  eighteen  months;  Rev.  S. 
Cook,  five  years;  Rev.  R.  J.  Laughlin, one  year;  Rev.  Matur  (?),  one  year; 
Rev.  O.  C.  Colmerry,  one  year.  The  present  church  officers  are  James  An- 
derson, Joshua  Cook  and  W^.  H.  Gay,  Riiling  Elders;  Henry  Aten,  W.  H. 
Cook  and  J.  Gillam,  Trustees.  The  society  has  Sabbath  school  in  opera- 
tion, which  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

Advent  Christian  Church. — This  church  was  organized  February  18,  1867, 
in  the  early  part  of  the  winter  of  which  year  Elder  Jonas  W^endell,  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  Elder  D.  R.  Mansfield  and  wife,  of  Michigan,  came  to  Nevada 
and  conducted  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Lutheran  Church  building,  as  a 
result  of  which  there  was  an  extensive  revival,  and  the  above  named  minis- 
ters assisted  by  Elder  King  effected  an  organization.  Elder  King  was  the 
prime  mover  in  securing  the  services  of  the  clergyman  referred  to,  and  had 
prepared  the  field  for  their  effective  work  by  having  previously  promulgated 
the  doctrines  of  the  Advent  denomination  to  quite  an  extent  throughout  the 
vicinity.  By  his  influence  and  that  of  others  the  services  of  the  able  Dr. 
G.  W.  Stetson,  as  pastor,  were  subsequently  secured.  Prominent  among  the 
original  members  were  H.  A.  King,  Henry  Welty,  Martin  Bacon,  Catharine 
McJuncken,  Rebecca  McJuncken,  Martha  Young,  Cornelius  McLaughlin, 
Benjamin  Hopp,  C.  P.  Hopp,  Mary  A.  Hopp,  R.  M.  Stewart,  Truman  Daily, 
George  Benedict  and  Andrew  Benedict.  The  first  and  present  church  build- 
ing was  erected  in  1869,  and  was  dedicated  in  October  of  the  same  year. 
The  edifice  is  made  of  brick,  and  cost  when  completed  and  furnished  $11,- 
000.  It  is  located  within  Antrim  Township  on  lots  two  and  three,  of  Petrey's 
Addition,  and  is  40x70  feet  in  size.  Elder  H.  G.  McCulloch  was  the  first 
pastor  engaged  and  remained  with  the  chui'ch  about  one  year;  his  brother, 
Elder  Eusebius  McCulloch  was  next  called  and  was  retained  eleven  years; 
Elder  J.  W.  Hobbs,  of  New  York  began  his  pastorate  November  20,  1881, 
and  has  continued  to  the  present  time  (1884).  The  church  has  suffered 
some  by  the  removal  of  many  of  its  members  to  other  parts  of  the  country. 
During  the  pastorate  of  Elder  E.  INEcCulloch,  Elder  Miles  Grant,  a  promi- 
nent Adventist  Evangelist,  of  Boston,  Mass. ,  came  to  Nevada  and  assisted 
in  a  series  of  meetings  in  which  the  church  experienced  quite  a  revival. 

In  1888,  the  ladies  of  the  church  organized  a  "  home  mission  society" 


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ANTRIM  TOWNSHIP.  689 

with  the  following  ofificers:  Mrs.  W.  J.  Hobbs,  President;  Mrs.  Charles 
Young,  Vice  President;  Mrs.  John  Russell,  Secretary;  Mrs.  Joseph  Spon- 
hauer  ( ?),  Treasurer.  The  church  building  has  recently  been  provided  with 
a  bell  and  refurnished.  The  present  officers  of  the  society  are  Dr.  R.  M. 
Stewart,  Benjamin  Hopp,  Truman  Daily,  William  Snyder  and  Hirara  Young, 
Trustees;  John  Russell  and  Cornelius  McLaughlin,  Deacons.  A  Sabbath 
school  is  kept  up  with  considerable  interest  by  the  society,  and  is  now  in  a 
prosperous  condition,  John  Russell,  Superintendent.  The  organization  has 
always  received  liberal  aid  from  those  citizens  of  Nevada  who  are  not  mem- 
bers of  any  denomination. 

EDEN    CEMETERY    ASSOCIATION, 

This  company  came  into  existence  November  19,  1868,  the  original  mem- 
bers being  John  Markley,  John  Kisor,  Josiah  Andreas,  David  Balliet,  Til- 
man  Balliet  and  Cyrus  McCauly.  At  the  time  of  the  organization,  John 
Kisor,  Josiah  Andreas  and  John  Markley  were  elected  Trustees,  David  Bal- 
liet, Treasurer,  and  Tilman  Balliet,  Clerk.  The  association  purchased  a 
tract  of  three  acres  one  mile  north  of  Nevada,  at  a  cost  of  $600,  exclusive 
of  the  expense  of  grading  and  fencing,  and  at  once  proceeded  to  lay  off  the 
ground  in  burial  lots,  selling  the  same  to  those  who  were  able  to  purchase, 
and  donating  to  those  who  were  not.  The  grounds  are  kept  in  good  con- 
dition, and  the  location  is  decidedly  pleasant.  The  first  remains  deposited 
therein  were  those  of  Elizabeth  Balliet,  who  died  September  8,  1866.  Since 
that  time  this  city  of  the  dead  has  made  many  accessions  to  its  numbers. 
The  association  has  been  reduced  by  deaths,  removals,  etc.,  to  two  mem- 
bers— Cyrus  Mc-CaulyandT.  Balliet;  the  former  is  Treasurer,  and  the  latter 
Secretary. 

SCHOOLS. 

For  some  time  after  the  town  of  Nevada  had  been  surveyed,  the  school- 
going  population  was  so  small  as  to  render  a  special  subdistrict  inexpedi- 
ent, and  during  this  time  the  youth  of  the  new  village  were  compelled  to 
"  plod  their  weary  way"  to  the  district  school  one  mile  south  of  town.  By 
the  year  1863,  however,  the  village  had  assumed  metropolitan  airs  to  such  a 
degree  as  to  render  a  village  schoolhouse  necessary,  schools  having  been 
conducted  for  about  three  years  previous  in  a  town  hall  which  was  situated 
on  Lot  No.  20.  The  Nevada  subdistrict  was  created  in  1860,  and 
the  "  special  district"  according  to  law  in  1866.  The  first  building  was 
erected  in  the  northeast  part  of  town  at  a  cost  of  1590.  It  was  a  frame 
structure,  and  was  in  constant  use  up  to  the  time  of  the  completion  of  the 
new  brick  building  in  1876.  The  old  edifice  was  but  one  story  in  height, 
and  contained  two  rooms,  these  being  inadequate  to  accommodate  the  large 
and  increasing  number  of  pupils  for  some  time  before  the  new  building  was 
erected. 

April  5,  1875,  it  was  voted  by  the  people  of  Nevada  to  raise  by  tax 
$8,000  for  the  erection  of  a  new  schoolhouse  according  to  plans  and  specifi- 
cations which  were  duly  set  forth;  but  this  amount  being  insufficient  to  com- 
plete the  edifice,  a  tax  of  $4,000  more  was  voted  April  29,  1876.  In  the 
same  year  the  work  was  completed,  and  the  pupils  systematically  disposed 
in  their  new  quarters,  the  total  cost  of  the  new  building  amounting  to  $14,- 
500.  It  is  one  of  the  neatest  and  most  convenient  school  buildings  in  this 
section  of  the  State,  and  is  the  best  evidence  of  the  intelligence,  culture  and 
enterprise  of  the  people  of  Nevada  that  could  possibly  be  given.      It  con- 

28 


690  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

tains  six  regular  school  rooms,  besides  the  Superintendent's  office  and  class 
room  and  basement.  It  is  heated  by  the  Theobald  steam  heater,  manufact- 
ured at  Canton,  Ohio.  The  class  rooms  are  well  furnished,  and  the  whole 
structure,  interior  and  exterior,  bears  the  marks  of  good  taste  and  judgment 
in  its  construction. 

The  Superintendents  or  high  school  teachers  who  have  had  charge  of 
the  schools  since  the  erection  of  the  frame  building  in  1863,  are  as  follows: 
J.  L.  Cook,  Charles  Williams,  Emily  Servis,  Julia  Moe,  Mrs.  L.  Dumbaugh, 
Mollie  Forbes,  Mr.  Nye,  W.  R.  Crabbs,  W.  F.  Car,  Mr.  Dwire,  M.  E. 
Stearnes  and  D.  E.  Niver.  The  schools  are  in  excellent  condition,  and  are 
managed  by  an  efficient  corps  of  teachers,  headed  by  an  able  Superintend- 
ent, Mr.  Niver,  as  mentioned  above.  The  total  number  of  pupils  is  about 
290.  The  subordinate  teachers  are:  I.  C.  Ginther,  A  Gx'animar  Department; 
Mary  Colby,  B  Grammar;  Ida  McDermot,  Intermediate;  Ida  Peas,  A  Pri- 
mary; Miss  M.  A.  Barr,  B  Primary. 

SOCIETIES. 

F.  &  A.  M.,  Nevada  Lodge,  343. — The  few  members  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  in  the  vicinity  of  Nevada  congregated  at  the  store  of  Cook  & 
Goodbread,  where  they  conducted  their  preliminary  meetings,  which  were 
quite  frequent;  and  by  the  untiring  efforts  of  the  worthy  brothers,  John 
Tudhope,  Benjamin  Eaton,  J.  H.  Crabbs,  W.  F.  Goodbread  and  others, 
jurisdiction  from  adjoining  lodges  was  obtained,  and  application  was  made 
to  the  Grand  Lodge  for  a  charter,  which  was  received  May  12,  A.  L.  5862, 
A.  D.  1862.  The  first  members  under  the  dispensation  were  William  B. 
Miller,  John  Tudhope,  William  F.  Goodbread,  James  H.  Gillam,  Edward 
G.  Steiner,  William  McJunkin,  James  S,  Cummins,  H.  W.  Williams,  Peter 
Doty  and  James  H.  Crabbs. 

November  6,  A.  L.  5862,  the  Most  Worthy  Grand  Master,  by  his  proxy, 
Brother  M.  Smith,  by  authority  conferred  by  a  charter  granted  by  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  of  Ohio  at  its  annual  session  held  at  the  city  of 
Columbus  on  the  21st  day  of  October,  A.  L.  5862,  proceeded  to  install  the 
ofBcers,  assisted  by  Brother  M.  H.  Kirby  as  Deputy  Grand  Master,  and 
Brother  Sands  as  Grand  Marshal.  The  charter  was  then  read  by  the  order 
of  the  Grand  Master,  whereupon  the  Grand  Marshal  proclaimed  Nevada 
Lodge  fully  organized  and  authorized  to  take  rank  and  precedence  as  Ne- 
vada Lodge,  No.  343.  And  it  was  so.  The  names  of  the  officers  under  the 
dispensation  were  as  follows:  William  B.  Miller,  W.  M. ;  John  Tudhope, 
S.  W. ;  William  F.  Goodbread,  J.  W. ;  Peter  Doty,  Secretary;  James  S. 
Cummins,  Treasurer;  Ed.  D.  Steiner,  S.  D. ;  James  H.  Crabbs,  J.  D. ;  James 
H.  Gillam,  Tiler.  The  society  has  prospered  since  its  organization,  and 
now  has  a  membership  of  forty-six,  with  $1,200  in  the  treasury.  The  reg- 
ular time  and  place  of  meeting  is  the  first  Thursday  on  or  before  each  full 
moon,  at  Nevada.  The  present  officers  are  Thaddeus  B.  Armstrong,  W.  M. ; 
George  W.  Gregg,  S.  W. ;  Joseph  M.  Wilcox,  J.  W. ;  James  N.  Goodbread, 
Secretary;  William  F.  Goodbread,  Treasurer;  David  B.  Wolf,  S.  D. ;  John 
A.  Ankrum,  J.  D. ;  A.  B.  Stansell,  Tiler. 

I.  O.  O.  F.,  Nevada  Lodge,  No.  025. — The  dispensation  for  this  society 
was  received  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  of  Ohio  June  2,  1876. 
The  first  members  under  the  dispensation  were  M.  R.  Hull,  J.  D.  Rex,  A.  A. 
Harding,  J.  C.  Rosegrant  and  G.  Hall.  The  officers  installed  under  the 
dispensation  were  M.  R.  Hull,  N.  G. ;  J.  D.  Rex,  V.  G. ;  A.  A.  Harding, 
Secretary;  J.  C.   Rosegrant,  P.   G. ;    G.   Hall,   Treasurer.     The  order  first 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  691 

held  its  meetings  in  the  Hull  Block,  but,  after  two  years,  removed  to  E. 
Lidle's  block,  where  their  meetings  are  still  conducted.  The  present  mem- 
bership is  twenty-five,  and  the  financial  condition  is  good.  The  present 
officers  are  J.  C.  Rosegrant,  N.  G. ;  Benjamin  Hopp,  V.  G. ;  Samuel  Fisher; 
W.  H.  Gay. 

Knights  of  Honor,  Lodge  277. — The  dispensation  granting  a  charter  to 
this  society  was  received  from  the  Grand  Lodge  April  7,  1876,  the  members 
under  the  dispensation  being  A.  J.  Flaherty,  H.  F.  Bemendefer,  Samuel  Be- 
ver,  J.  C.  DeJean,  C.  H.  Denjer,  J.  N.  Good  bread,  B.  F.  Hopp,  C.  P.  Jones, 
Henry  Kurtz,  John  Klingler,  H.  G.  Lea,  John  McMahon,  C.  Pfisterer,  B. 
F.  Smith,  B.  W.  Nye,  A.  N.  Sawyer,  H.  W.  Williams,  W.  B.  Woolsey,  H. 
H.  Welsh  and  D.  B.  Wolf.  At  the  organization,  H.  W.  Williams  was  in- 
stalled as  Dictator;  H.  H.  Welsh,  V.  D. ;  S.  Bever,  Assistant  D.;  A.  J.  Fla- 
herty, Chaplain;  H.  G.  Lea,  Guide;  T.  C.  DeJean,  liep. ;  J.  N.  Goodbread, 
F.  R. ;  A.  N.  Sawyer,  Treasurer;  B.  F.  Smith,  Guardian;  John  Klingler, 
Sentry;  B.  W.  Shay,  W.  B.  Woolsey  and  C.  Pfisterer,  Trustees;  D.  B. 
Wolf,  Post  Dictator.  The  financial  standing  of  the  order  is  reported  good; 
the  number  of  members  is  now  twenty-five.  The  present  officers  are:  John 
Russell,  Dictator;  James  McMahon,  Vice  Dictator;  H.  G.  Lea,  Assistant 
Dictator;  A.  J.  Gillam,  Chaplain;  J.  A.  Brown,  Rep;  A.  N.  Sawyer,  F.  R. ; 
J.  W.  Goodbread,  Treasurer;  H.  L.  Snyder,  Guide;  W.  B.  Woolsey,  Guar- 
dian; A.  Cromer,  Sentry.  The  society  meets  on  Monday  evening  of  each 
week,  in  I.  O.  O.  F.  Hall,  Lidle  building. 

G.  A.  R.,  Leith  Post,  No.  127,  Department  "of  Ohio. — This  post  was  or- 
ganized by  Mustering  Officer  Col.  H.  A.  Brown,  in  1881,  the  charter  being 
received  from  the  headquarters  Department  of  Ohio,  August  24  of  that 
year.  The  charter  members  were  J.  K.  Ankrum,  J.  A.  Brown.  Irvin  Bacon, 
R.  B.  Conaut,  T.  C.  DeJean,  E.  W.  Davis,  G.  W.  Gregg,  Daniel  Good,  John 
Hehr,  M.  N.  Keltner,  J.  S.  Leith,  T.  P.  Miller,  R.  C.  Miller,  William  Mon- 
tee,  C.  O.  Oldfield,  John  Russell,  R.  M.  Stewart,  B.  F.  Smith,  J.  A.  Stew- 
art, A.  N.  Sawyer  and  Levi  Wilson.  At  the  organization  of  the  post,  the 
members  were  commissioned  as  follows:  J.  A.  Stewai't,  P.  C. ;  J.  A.  Brown, 
S.  V.  C. ;  J.  S.  Leith,  J.  V.  C. ;  John  Russell,  Chaplain;  Dr.  R.  M.  Stew- 
art, Surgeon;  A.  B.  Conant,  Adjutant;  T.  P.  Miller,  Quartermaster;  Levi 
Wilson,  O.  D.;  B.  F.  Smith,  S.  M. ;  J.  A.  Ankrum,  Q.  M.  S. ;  R.  C.  Miller, 
O.  G.  Since  its  organization,  the  post  has  held  its  meetings  in  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.  Hall.  The  present  membership  is  forty-one,  and  the  order  is  in  good 
condition  financially.  The  present  officers  are :  Orin  Campbell,  P.  C;  Wes- 
ley Grubb,  S.  V.  C.  •  Amos  Miller,  J.  V.  C. ;  Rev.  D.  S.  Caldwell,  Chaplain; 
Dr.  R.  M.  Stewart;  L  B.  Kemp,  Q.  M.;  J.  A.  Ankrum,  O.  D. ;  Samuel 
Fisher,  O.  G. ;  J.  S.  Leith,  S.  M.;  Eli  Maskey,  Q.  M.  S. 

OFFICIAL. 

At  the  spring  election  of  1866,  the  first  town  officers  of  Nevada  were 
elected.  W.  R.  DeJean  has  the  honor  of  being  the  first  to  occupy  the 
Mayor's  chair,  and  Valentine  Dombaugh  was  elected  first  Recorder.  The 
original  Councilmen,  as  shown  by  the  old  records,  were  E.  R.  Welsh,  Will- 
iam McJunckins,  John  Tudhope,  C.  P.  Hopp  and  C.  F.  Hoftman,  the  sixth 
member  being  unrecorded.  In  the  course  of  events,  the  history  of  these 
officers  has  partially  repeated  itself,  W^.  R.  DeJean  being  re  elected  to  the 
Mayorship  in  the  spring  of  1884.     The  present  Recorder  is  R.  E.  Morris. 


692  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

JAMES  ANDERSON  is  a  native  of  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  born 
September  9,  1813.  His  parents,  Hugh  and  Sarah  (Miller)  AndersoD  were 
natives  of  the  same  county,  were  of  Irish  and  Scotch  descent,  were  married 
there  and  reared  a  family  of  nine  children.  They  removed  to  Washington 
County,  Penn.,  in  1821,  and  to  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  in  1833,  there  pur- 
chasing 160  acres  of  land  on  which  he  resided  until  his  death  which  oc- 
curred about  1819-50,  his  wife's  decease  taking  place  about  one  year  later. 
James  Anderson  resided  with  his  parents  in  the  counties  of  Lancaster, 
Penn.,  and  Ashland,  Ohio,  and  attended  the  schools  afforded  in  those  times. 
He  was  married  in  Ashland  County,  January  25,  1838,  to  Elizabeth  Hill- 
born,  born  December  27,  1819,  daughter  of  Amos  and  Mary  (George)  HUl- 
born,  her  parents  being  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Irish  parantage. 
The  children  resulting  from  this  marriage  wero  Rachel  A.,  born  November 
20,  1841;  May  M.,  September  3,  1813;  Sarah  E.,  May  5,  1845;  James  L., 
May  6,  1847;  Peggy  J.,  May  18,  1850;  Catharine  J.,  August  5,  1852; 
Hannah  M.,  January  13,  1855.  An  infant  and  Joseph  Mc.  are  deceased. 
The  latter  was  born  July  4,  1840.  He  enlisted  in  the  three  months'  service 
under  Capt.  Kirby,  in  April,  1861,  and  at  the  close  of  his  service  enlisted  in 
Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  First  Ohin  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three 
years.  He  was  killed  in  the  battle  at  Rocky  Face  Ridge  May  11,  1864,  and  is 
buried  in  Southern  soil.  In  1846,  our  subject  removed  from  Ashland  to 
this  county  and  purchased  dt  the  sales  eighty  acres  on  Indian  Run.  This 
farm,  purchased  at  $2.65  per  acre,  he  has  cleared  and  improved  and  now 
values  the  same  at  $80  per  acre.  He  has  a  comfortable  home  in  Nevada — 
the  fruit  of  hard  labor,  se^-ved  as  Trustee  several  years;  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Presbyterian  society  at  Nevada,  having  been  an  Elder  over 
forty  years,  and  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen,  favoring  the  Republican 
policy  of  government. 

JOSEPH  BACHTELL,  deceased,  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Penn. , 
September  14,  1805.  His  father.  Christian  Bachtell,  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania February  11,  1772,  and  his  mother,  Catharine  (Smith)  Bachtell  in  the 
same  State  February  17,  1771.  The  children  were  Jacob,  Samuel,  Lanah, 
Susan,  Christian,  Joseph,  Catharine  and  David.  The  father  died  in  Stark 
County,  Ohio,  February  18,  1828;  the  mother  in  this  county  June  11,  1846. 
Joseph  Bachtell  was  married  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  November  5,  1829,  to 
Ann  M.  Moore,  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Gil let)  Moore;  the  former 
born  in  Maryland  in  1778,  the  latter  in  same  State  August  20, 
1778,  their  children  having  been  John,  Ann  M.  and  Elizabeth.  Her  par- 
ents were  married  March  31,  1805,  the  father  dying  in  this  county  in  June, 
1855;  her  mother  in  Stark  County  November  27,  1842.  Joseph  Bachtell 
came  from  Stark  County,  Ohio,  in  1845  and  purchased  100  acres  of  land  in 
Antrim  Township,  which  he  labored  on  till  1875,  when  he  removed  to  Ne- 
vada, where  his  death  occurred  July  30,  1883.  His  wife  previously  depart- 
ed February  9,  1872.  He  was  a  man  of  good  character  and  generous  im- 
pulses. His  children  were  Susan,  born  August  29,  1830;  Samuel,  April 
17,  1833;  Henry,  September  5,  1835;  Uriah  L.,  August  3,  1837;  Mary  L., 
March  23,  1840;  Sarah  E.,  August  27,  1842;  Adah,  May  11,  1844,  and 
Emmet  E.,  April  6,  1849. 

EMMET  E.  BACHTELL  resided  with  his  parents  till  about  twenty- 
live  years  of  age,  and  obtained  a  good  education  in  the  common  schools. 
He  has  always  resided  on  the  homestead,  where  his  father  located  in  1845, 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  693 

and  is  an  energetic  and  successful  farmer.  He  was  married,  Februaiy  18, 
1875,  to  Miss  Nancy  0.  Castanien,  daughter  of  John  and  Christina  (Als- 
poch)  Castanien,  natives  of  Perry  County,  Ohio.  (See  sketch  of  John  Castan- 
ien— Pitt  Township).  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bachtell  have  oae  child — Elton  E,  born 
February  17,  1876.  They  are  membf^rs  of  the  Emanuel  Reformed  Church  and 
held  in  high  esteem  by  the  members  of  the  community  in  which  they  reside. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Bachtell  is  a  Republican.  He  had  two  brothers  in  the  late 
war — Uriah  L.  and  Samuel. 

SAMUEL  BACHTELL  enlisted  in  the  Fifteenth  Regiment  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  was  made  Second  Lieutenant,  and  served  three  months,  sub- 
sequently enlisting  in  the  three  years'  service,  holding  the  same  rank.  He 
was  detailed  for  duty  in  the  Signal  Service  at  Munfordville,  Ky.,  on  Gen. 
Thomas'  staff,  in  March,  1863,  remaining  on  this  duty  till  promoted  to 
First  Lieutenant,  with  an  order  to  return  to  his  regiment.  This  order  was 
countermanded  by  Gen.  Rosecrans,  however,  and  he  was  ordered  by  the 
Secretary  of  War  to  report  for  examination,  after  which  he  was  made  Cap- 
tain of  the  Signal  Corps  September  1,  1864.  He  was  assigned  to 
duty  as  Chief  Signal  Officer  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  on  Thomas' 
staff,  but  was  subsequently  transferred  to  Gen.  Sherman's  staff  by  the  re- 
quest of  the  latter,  having  been  complimented  for  getting  dispatches  from 
Marietta  to  Rome,  Ga.,  thereby  saving  the  garrison  two  million  rations  and 
8,000  head  of  beef  cattle.  Mr.  Bachtell  was  with  Sherman  to  the  sea,  and  in 
the  campaigns  of  the  Carolinas,  witnessing  the  surrender  of  Johnson's 
army.  At  Washington,  he  was  promoted  to  Brevet  Major  for  meritorious 
service  rendered  in  the  campaign  of  Atlanta,  Savannah  and  the  Carolinas. 
He  was  mustered  out  of  service  in  June,  1866,  having  been  the  only  Cap- 
tain in  the  regular  signal  corps  from  the  State  of  Ohio,  though  twelve  were 
presented  at  the  Senate  for  contirmation.  He  had  thirty  officers  and  250 
men  under  his  command,  and  received  several  letters  from  Gen.  Sherman 
complimenting  him  on  his  successful  management. 

IRVIN  BACON  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  December  1,  1837. 
He  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Parmelia  (Nation)  Bacon,  natives  of  Pennsylva- 
nia and  Tennessee  respectively,  and  born  in  the  respective  years,  1801  and 
1811.  His  parents  were  married  in  Bucyrus  about  1833-34,  and  resided  in 
Crawford  County  most  of  their  lives.  His  father  was  a  carpenter  and  mil- 
ler, and  did  some  work  at  various  other  trades,  closing  his  life  in  1851;  his 
mother  died  in  1877.  The  children  of  the  family  were  Ralph  W. ,  Irvin, 
Martin  F.,  John  D.  and  Catharine  J.  Irvin,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  re- 
sided with  his  parents  until  his  father's  death,  and  then  began  life  on  his 
own  resources.  He  was  employed  two  years  in  a  carding  factory  at  Bucy- 
rus, and  was  subsequently  employed  in  various  kinds  of  labor  till  he  en- 
listed in  the  army  August  11,  1861.  Through  the  unauthorized  action  of 
Col.  Harland,  he  became  a  member  of  the  Eleventh  Pennsylvania  Volun- 
teer Cavalry,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Big  Bethel,  Newport  News, 
siege  of  Suffolk,  South  Quay,  Franklin,  South  Anna  Bridge,  Asbland  Sta- 
tion, Jackson,  Bottom's  Bridge,  King's  Court  House,  Garrett's  Station,  Pe- 
tersburg, Pine  Level,  Roa,noke  Station,  Ream's  Station,  Stony  Creek,  Je- 
rusalem Plank  Road,  Charles  City  Road,  Darby  Town  Road  and  many  other 
minor  engagements.  He  was  captured  at  Darby  Town  Road,  and  held  in 
custody  in  the  Libby,  Salisbury  and  Danville  Prisons  from  October  7, 
1864,  to  February,  1865.  On  the  22d  of  the  latter  month,  he  was  parolled, 
and  in  the  month  of  March,  1865,  he  was  exchanged  and  joined  his  regi- 
ment, the  war  ending  with  Lee's  surrender  a  few  days  later.       Mr.  Bacon 


694  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

was  promoted  to  Sergeant;  then  to  First  Sergeant,  1862;  Second  Lieuten- 
ant, July  1,  1864;  and  to  Captain,  October  1,  1864.  He  served  his  country 
four  years  and  eight  days,  receiving  his  discharge  August  19,  1865.       In 

1866,  Mr.  Bacon  purchased  eighty  acres  of  his  present  farm,  where  he  has 
since  been  engaged  in  agriculture  and  stock-raising,  now  controlling  139 
acres,  valued  at  175  per  acre.  He  has  dealt  some  in  line  stock,  and  usually 
keeps  good  grades.  He  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  served  as  Assessor  two 
years;  Trustee  two  years,  and  was  a  candidate  for  Sheriff  in  1883.  Mr.  Ba- 
con was  married,  March  1,  1866,  to  Azaba  Leith  (see  sketch  of  Hiram 
Leith),  who  died  May   17,    1878,  leaving  one  child — Clara,  born   July  1, 

1867.  His  second  marriage  to  Mrs.  Lydia  Grove,  nee  Spenny,  occurred 
May  10,  1881,  and  one  child— Carl — was  born  to  them  October  24,  1883. 
By  her  first  marriage  Mrs.  Bacon  had  six  children,  namely,  Jonas  E.,  Emma 
v.,  Aaron  A.,  Dorsey  L.,  James  H.  and  William  H.  Mr.  Bacon  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Grange  No.  771,  K,  of  H. ,  277,  and  G.  A.  R.,  127.  He  is  a  very  en- 
ergetic and  successful  business  man  and  is  popular  as  a  citizen. 

SAMUEL  BEVER,  proprietor  of  the  Nevada  Planing  Mill  and  Lumber 
Yard,  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  August  30,  1833.  His  parents 
were  George  and  Sabina  (Bretz)  Bever,  the  former  a  native  of  Rock- 
ingham County,  Va. ,  born  March  22,  1800;  the  latter  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania. There  were  eleven  children  in  the  family,  the  only  living  at 
the  present  time  being  Melissa  A.,  Samuel,  Joseph,  xldaliae,  Sarah  A., 
Gideon  and  Amanda.  The  father  died  in  Seneca  County  in  1869,  the 
mother  in  1874.  Samuel  Bever,  our  subject,  resided  with  his  pa- 
rents on  the  farm,  attending  the  district  schools  till  1860.  On  Janu- 
ary 11  of  that  year,  he  was  married  to  Chistina  Miller,  born  in  Craw- 
ford County  in  the  year  1835,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Lovina  (Strat- 
ton)  Miller.  By  this  marriage,  three  children  were  born — Ross  A.,  Octo- 
ber 12.  1860;  Earl  R.,  May  15,  1863;  and  Sabina  E.,  July  19,  1873.  In 
1867,  Mr.  Bever  removed  to  Nevada,  and  established  himself  in  the  saw 
mill  business,  which  he  conducted  four  years.  He  next  engaged  in  the 
walnut  lumber  trade  one  year,  and  erected  his  planing  mill  in  1872.  He 
now  does  a  flourishing  business,  manufacturing  to  order  all  kinds  of  doors, 
sash,  store  fronts,  etc.,  usually  employing  six  workmen.  Mr.  Bever  served 
one  year  as  Trustee  of  Eden  Township,  and  four  years  in  the  Council.  He 
is  a  Democrat  and  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor — Post  Dictator.  His 
father.  George  Bever,  settled  in  this  county  in  1824. 

I,:  :  AVILLIAM  L.  BLAIR,  President  Nevada  Deposit  Bank,  is  a  son  of  James 
and  Sarah  A.  (Lineberry)  Blair,  and  was  born  in  Warren  County,  N.  J. ,  De- 
cember 20,  1831.  His  parents  were  of  Scotch  ancestry,  who  emigrated  from 
that  country  in  1729  and  1749,  and  settled  in  New  Jersey  to  aid  in  estab- 
lishing civil  and  religious  liberty.  They  were  instrumental  in  establishing 
Princeton  College,  New  Jersey,  John  Blair  having  been  Vice  President  and 
Professor,  and  Samuel  Blair  having  been  chosen  President  but  resigning  in 
favor  of  Dr.  Wetherspoon,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence. James  and  Sarah  Blair  were  married  in  Warren  County,  N.  J., 
where  they  resided  the  greater  portion  of  their  lives.  After  the  death  of 
his  wife,  which  occuri'ed  August  8,  1853,  Mr.  Blair  migrated  to  Ohio,  set- 
tling in  this  county,  on  what  is  known  as  the  Judge  Welch  farm,  near  the 
village  of  Mexico,  residing  here  till  his  death,  which  occui'red  September 
17,  1867.  He  had  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  There  were 
eight  children  of  the  family,  six  of  whom  survive,  viz. :  William  L.,  Eme- 
line,   Matilda,  Theodore  F.,  Caroline   and   James  A.      The   deceased  were 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  695 

Marshal  and  Malinda.  The  father  owned  nearly  1,000  acres  of  improved 
land  at  the  time  of  his  death.  In  early  life,  he  was  a  prominent  citizen  of 
New  Jersey,  having  filled  several  responsible  county  offices.  He  was  influ- 
ential as  a  citizen  and  highly  respected  in  his  community.  William  L., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the 
district  schools  of  New  Jersey.  He  resided  on  the  farm  till  eighteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  embarked  in  life  on  his  own  resources.  He  first  came  to 
this  county  in  1853,  to  engage  in  the  stock  business,  driving  cattle  and 
sheep  over  the  mountains  to  Eastern  markets.  Attracted  by  the  fertile  lands 
in  the  Sandusky  Valley,  he  decided  to  make  this  county  his  future  home, 
and  purchased  160  acres  of  improved  land,  near  Sycamore,  settling  here 
permanently  in  the  spring  of  1854.  Since  that  time,  Mr.  Blair  has  been 
identified  with  various  business  enterprises;  he  was  one  of  the  incorporators 
of  the  Nevada  Deposit  Bank,  which  began  business  in  May  5,  1873,  and  at 
the  first  meeting  of  its  stockholders,  May  5,  1873,  he  was  elected  President, 
still  holding  that  position.  He  is  also  President  of  the  Farmers'  Bank,  of 
Winfield,  Kan.,  and  one  of  its  principal  stockholders.  He  owns  a  valuable 
and  well- improved  farm,  near  the  corporation  of  Nevada,  and  is  one  of  the 
substantial  citizens  of  the  county.  Mr.  Blair  was  married  December  16, 
1857,  to  Henrietta  B.  Fox,  daughter  of  Charles  C.  and  Caroline  (Boyd)  Fox, 
natives  of  New  York  and  Kentucky  respectively,  of  Scotch  descent,  and  res- 
idents at  that  time,  of  this  county,  but  now  deceased.  Six  children  are  the 
fruits  of  this  marriage.  Idella  B.  was  born  November  5,  1858;  Francis  P., 
February  2,  1860;  Caroline  S.,  August  24,  1861;  James  A.,  May  7,  1863; 
William  C,  August  18,  1866;  Mary  E.,  June  3,  1874.  Mr.  Blair  has  been 
highly  successful  as  a  financier,  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  as  a  citizen. 
He  is  a  Republican,  himself  and  family  being  associated  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

EMANUEL  BOWLBY  was  born  in  Somerset  County,  Penn.,  Septem- 
ber 19,  1821;  he  is  a  sou  of  James  and  Sarah  (Gross)  Bowlby,  natives  of 
Hunterdon  County,  N.  J.,  and  Somerset  County,  Penn.,  the  former  born 
September  11,  1796,  the  latter  April  1,  1801.  His  parents  were  married 
in  Somerset  County,  Penn.,  and  resided  there  till  March,  1831,  moving  to 
Crawford  County,  Ohio,  in  1852,  the  father  dying  there  in  1870,  the  mother 
in  1859.  His  father  died  of  apoplexy,  falling  in  the  Nevada  Depot.  There 
were  fourteen  children  in  the  family,  nine  living — Emanuel,  James,  Joseph, 
Jacob,  Hannah,  Elizabeth,  Maria,  Catharine  and  Sarah.  Mr.  B.  resided 
with  his  parents  till  of  age;  he  then  rented  land,  and  farmed  two  years  in 
Wayne  County,  and  seven  yeai's  in  Stark  County,  moving  to  Wyandot,  and 
locating  on  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  1852.  This  farm  was  pur- 
chased while  covered  by  a  dense  growth  of  timber,  but  has  been  cleared  and 
improved  by  Mr.  Bowlby  till  it  is  now  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  Mr.  Bowlby 
was  married  April  7,  1842,  to  Sarah  Stall,  native  of  Wayne  County,  Ohio, 
born  November  11,  1822,  daughter  of  Michael  and  Sarah  (Bowers)  Stall, 
natives  of  Somerset  County,  Penn.,  the  former  born  in  1792,  the  latter  in 
1795.  They  had  eleven  children,  six  living — Abraham,  Henry,  William, 
Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Barbara.  The  deceased  are  George,  Michael,  Jackson, 
John  and  Susan.  The  father  died  in  1841,  the  mother  in  1871.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bowlby  have  ten  children  living,  namely:  Samantha,  wife  of  Levi 
Lawbright,  deceased,  born  October  22,  1843;  Rachel,  wife  of  U.  L.  Bach- 
tell,  born  December,  1844;  Dr.  W..  July  4,  1846;  Hester  A.,  wife  of 
Mitchel  Sigler,  born  September  5,  1848;  Lydia,  wife  of  Lewis  Dinkle,  born 
March  7,  1850;  Wellington,  July  27,  1851;  Nelson,  October  18,  1854;  Mar- 


696  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

shall,  May  9,  1858;  Alice,  wife  of  James  H.  Traxler,  October  16,  1860; 
William  Sherman,  April  15,  1864;  James,  January  11,  1868;  Marshall  and 
an  infant  are  deceased.  Mr.  Bowlby  has  a  comfortable  home,  and  is  well 
respected  throughout  his  community;  a  Republican,  politically. 

ABRAHAM  BROWN  was  born  March  3,  1822.  He  is  a  native  of 
Wayne  County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Margaret  (Nitz)  Brown, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  His  father  was  born  February  22,  1798,  was  mar- 
ried in  Pennsylvania,  and  removed  to  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  about  1818.  In 
1826,  he  brought  his  family  to  this  county,  and  located  near  Wyandot  Vil- 
lage. In  1828,  his  first  wife  died,  and  in  1830  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth 
Nitz,  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio;  he  subsequently  moved  to  Belle  Vernon, 
residing  in  this  county  till  his  death  in  August,  1881.  By  his  first  mar- 
riage there  were  five  children,  three  living — David  I.,  Lucretia  and  Abra- 
ham, the  former  a  prominent  lawyer  in  Ottawa,  Ohio;  Lucretia,  now  Mrs, 
Johnson,  resides  in  Minnesota.  Abraham  Brown,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
resided  with  his  parents  till  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  then  paid  his  father 
$95  for  the  remainder  of  his  minor  years,  and  began  business  for  himself, 
working  four  years  by  the  month  for  S.  Bretz.  He  continued  in  this  work 
till  twenty-four;  then  rented  land  one  year,  purchasing  fifty-three  acres  in 
1845.  on  which  farm  he  lived  twenty-five  years.  By  subsequent  purchases, 
INEr.  Brown  has  increased  his  possessions  till  he  now  owns  685  acres,  valued 
at  $60  to  $75  per  acre.  He  has  done  an  extensive  farming  and  stock  bus- 
iness; his  operations  having  all  been  confined  to  this  county;  he  has  done 
considerable  in  the  sheep  business,  and  usually  keeps  good  grades.  Mr. 
Brown  was  married  March  20,  1845,  to  Mary  J.  Ekleberry,  a  native  of  Mus- 
kingum County,  born  May  4,  1826.  Her  parents  were  Ezekiel  and  Mary 
(Towbridge)  Eckleberry,  and  were  married  in  Muskingum  County,  subse- 
quently moving  to  this  county,  and  locating  near  Belle  Vernon  about  1830; 
her  father  and  mother  are  both  dead.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  had 
eleven  children,  seven  living,  namely:  Ezekiel,  born  January  24,  1850; 
Mary  A,  April  12,  1854;  Ella,  April  3,  1856;  Kate.  December  29,  1857; 
Effie  C,  January  12,  1860;  Abraham  L.,  March  5,  1862;  Charles  F., 
March  3,  1863.  Mr.  Brown  has  been  a  resident  of  this  county  fifty-eight 
years,  and  has  done  considerable  for  its  development;  he  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers,  having  worked  one  year  on  the  old  Mission  farm,  and  is 
quite  familiar  with  the  Indian  language  and  customs.  He  is  ranked  among 
the  foremost  farmers  of  the  county,  and  one  of  its  most  worthy  citizens. 

JOSEPH  A.  BROWN  was  born  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  July  16, 
1844.  He  is  a  son  of  James  S.  and  Rebecca  (Zimmerman)  Brown,  the 
former  a  native  of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  the  latter  of  Huntingdon  County, 
Penn.  He  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  native  county  and  educated  in  the 
district  schools,  enlisting  May  1,  1861,  in  Company  G,  Twenty-third  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  under  command  of  Gen.  Rosecraus.  His  regiment 
at  length  halted  on  the  banks  of  the  Monongahela,  West  Virginia,  from 
whence  Mr.  Brown  made  his  first  trip  as  scout,  engaging  in  an  action  near 
Fort  Pickens  with  a  party  of  "  bushwhackers,"  and  on  his  return  to  camp 
at  Camp  Scott,  his  father,  who  was  a  teamster  iu  the  same  company,  was 
fatally  seized  with  typhoid  fever.  He  was  afterward  moved  to  Camp  Look- 
out, where  he  died  October  1,  1861,  at  the  home  of  a  colored  family.  In 
this  situation,  Mr.  Brown  had  the  trying  experience  of  making  his  own 
father's  coffin,  of  boards  torn  from  an  old  corn  crib,  and  burying  him  with 
his  own  hands  in  an  old  graveyard  near  by.  He  then  joined  his  regiment, 
and    in   the  winter   of    1862,  with   a  scouting   party  of    twenty,   captured 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  697 

twenty  prisoners,  and  fired  but  three  shots,  after  which  he  was  ordered 
East  in  August  of  that  year.  He  subsequently  participated  in  the  battles 
of  Bull  Run,  South  Mountain,  Antietam,  aod  othex's.  Being  wounded  at 
the  latter  place,  he  was  kept  at  the  hospital  several  weeks,  joining  his  regi- 
ment at  Charleston,  where  he  x'e-enlisted  December  18,  18G3.  He  was 
afterward  engaged  as  scout  under  Capt.  Blazer  for  Gens.  Crooks  and  Sheri- 
dan, and  passed  through  some  thrilling  experiences.  On  the  morning  of 
October  4,  1864,  he  was  captured  by  four  of  Mosby's  rebels,  disguised  as 
Union  soldiers,  while  on  his  way  to  Cedar  Creek,  and  escaped  only  by  shoot- 
ing three  of  the  guards,  this  being  done  by  the  assistance  of  a  fellow-pris- 
oner. The  history  of  this  capture  and  escape  is  replete  with  incident  and 
interest,  but  the  limits  of  this  sketch  will  not  admit  its  thrilling  details. 
Besides  the  battles  enumerated  above,  Mr.  Brown  was  engaged  at  Opequon, 
Winchester,  Cedar  Creek,  Snicker's  Gap,  Fisher's  Hill,  Cloyd's  Mountain, 
Lynchburg,  Petersburg  and  Fredericksburg.  He  was  honorably  discharged 
August  5,  1865,  and  returned  to  Wellington,  Lorain  County,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  tinner's  trade  one  year.  He  then  removed  to  Ashland,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  same  business  till  1867,  when  he  came  to  Nevada,  and 
went  into  the  employ  of  David  and  William  Balliet,  with  whom  he  remained 
live  years.  Mr.  Brown  was  married,  August  4,  1867,  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Smith, 
whose  letters  addressed  to  him  in  "  care  of  Capt.  Blazer,  commanding 
scouts,"  had  so  nearly  betrayed  his  position  to  his  captors.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  Wilson  and  Eliza  (Simmons)  Smith,  early  settlers  of  Crawford 
County.  This  marriage  has  been  followed  by  four  children,  viz.,  lona  (born 
July  27,  1870),  Adella  (November  15,  1872),  James  W.  (September  10, 
1874),  Daisy  (November  10,  1878).  Mrs.  B.  was  born  in  Crawford  County 
December  3,  1846.  Mr.  Brown  has  been  chief  of  the  fire  department  in 
Nevada  since  its  organization  in  1870;  was  Marshal  one  term,  and  now  a 
member  of  the  Council.  He  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.,  L  O.  O.  F.,  and 
G.  A.  U.,  having  passed  all  the  chairs  of  the  respective  orders. 

BENJAMIN  F.  BRYANT,  son  of  Isaac  Bryant  (see  sketch),  was  born 
in  the  house  where  he  now  resides  May  29,  1858.  He  resided  with  his  par- 
ents till  his  father's  death,  his  mother  subsequently  removing  to  Bucyrus, 
where  she  still  lives.  He  was  educated  by  a  governess  in  his  own  home, 
the  truant  tricks  of  the  average  school  boy  being  unknown  to  him.  After 
abandoning  his  studies,  he  engaged  two  years  in  the  dry  goods  and  grocery 
trade  with  his  brother,  Charles  Bryant,  carrying  a  stock  of  goods  val- 
ued at  $4,000  to  $5,000,  but  has  since  devoted  his  time  to  agi-icultural  pur- 
suits and  stock-raising,  doing  an  extensive  business.  Mr.  Bryant  was  mar- 
ried, March  17,  1880,  to  Ella  De  Lancy,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Rebecca 
(Deardoff )  De  Lancy,  now  residents  of  Bucyrus.  She  was  born  in  Rich- 
land County,  Ohio,  January  3,  1863.  Mi'.  Bryant  is  a  young  man  of  large 
business  experience,  good  character,  and  genial  disposition,  commanding 
the  respect  of  his  entire  community.  He  controls  considerable  property, 
assisted  in  his  efiforts  bv  an  accomplished  wife. 

SAMUEL  BURBAUGH,  son  of  Conrad  and  Mary  (Beckman)  Burbaugh, 
natives  of  Germany,  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  March  25,  1846. 
He  resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty- two  years  of  age;  then  farmed  rent- 
ed land  two  years,  and  purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  1875. 
Since  that  date,  he  has  been  engaged  in  this  county  farming  and  raising 
stock,  doing  a  good  business.  Mr.  Burbaugh  was  married,  January  19, 
1872,  to  Barbara  Weist,  a  native  of  Morrow  County,  born  October  4,  1853, 
daughter  of  Christopher  and  Mary  (Wilt)  Weist,  natives  of  Germany  and 


698  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Pennsylvania  respectively.  (See  sketch  of  C.  Weist,  Pitt  Township.)  The 
marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burbaugh  has  been  blessed  by  live  children, 
namely:  Anna  C,  born  March  27,  1872;  Mary  L.,  March  7,  1874;  Lena, 
July  25,  1876;  Bertha  E.,  April  5,  1878;  and  Frank  J.,  May  27,  1881. 
Lena  is  deceased.  In  politics,  Mr.  Burbaugh  is  a  Democrat.  He  and  Mrs. 
Burbaugh  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

CHARLES  W.  BURKE  was  born  in  West  Haven,  Vt.,  November  30, 
1832.  He  is  the  son  of  Sirenve  and  Tirza  (Wheton)  Burke,  natives  of 
Hubbertown  and  Fair  Haven,  Vt. ,  respectively,  the  former  born  April  2, 
1795,  the  latter  October  31,  1802.  His  parents  were  married  by  Rev. 
Daniel  Kent  March  19,  1818,  and  in  1850  settled  in  this  county,  where  Mr. 
Barke  died  February  8,  1882,  aged  nearly  eighty-seven  years.  Mrs.  Burke 
still  survives.  Charles  W.,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was  brought  to  Ash- 
land County  by  his  parents  in  1834,  and  was  there  reared  and  educated.  In 
1850,  he  came  with  them  to  this  county,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  He  was  married,  January  1,  1807,  to  Miss  Henrietta  A.  Cavens,  a 
native  of  Knox  County,  born  January  9,  1834,  daughter  of  John  and 
Rachel  (Paxten)  Cavens,  both  natives  of  Loudon  County,  Va.,  the  former 
born  September  22,  1790,  the  latter  August  22,  1800.  Her  parents  were 
early  settlers  of  this  county,  the  father  dying  April  8,  1867,  the  mother 
April  12,  1868.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burke  have  four  children  living,  viz.:  Milo 
W.,  born  April  27.  1869;  Mary  P.,  Februarv  16,  1871;  Clara  T.,  November 
8,  1873,  and  Hattie  A.,  May  24,  1876;  Bennie  F.,  born  February  20,  1879, 
died  July  14,  1879,  and  an  infant  son  is  also  deceased.  Mr.  Burke  served 
as  Justice  of  Antrim  Township  nine  years,  and  as  Mayor  of  Nevada  six 
years.  He  spent  two  summers  in  Colorado,  and  has  since  established  a  cat- 
tle ranch  in  Kansas,  owning,  with  Mr.  Shepherd  Martin,  1,500  acres  of  land 
and  1,000  head  of  cattle.  He  is  a  live  business  man,  and  an  active  Repub- 
lican, highly  esteemed  in  his  community. 

JAMES  BURNSIDE  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  July  3,  1827. 
He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (Vanette)  Burnside,  who  were  natives  of 
Butler  County,  Penn.,  and  Essex,  N.  J.,  the  father  born  September  20,  1804, 
the  mother  January  26,  1809.  His  parents  were  married  in  Seneca  County, 
and  resided  there  most  of  their  lives,  his  father  having  located  in  that 
locality  in  1817.  Their  children  were  James,  Joseph  W.,  John,  Nancy  J., 
Isabel,  Rebecca  and  Abigail,  living,  and  Martha,  Tabitha,  Benjamin  F. 
and  Abel,  deceased.  The  father  died  May  6,  1875,  the  mother  January  16, 
1854.  James  Burnside,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  resided  with  his  parents 
till  near  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  In  November,  1853.  he  purchased  120 
acres  of  his  present  farm,  to  which  he  has  since  added  eighty  acres,  and  has 
since  been  engaged  here  in  tilling  the  soil,  his  farm  being  valued  at  $90 
per  acre.  Mr.  B.  was  married,  May  1,  1855,  to  Catharine  Neikirk,  a  native 
of  Seneca  County,  born  June  11,  1830,  daughter  of  Michael  and  Christina 
(Smith)  Neikirk,  natives  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  I'espectively.  Her 
parents  were  married  in  Pennsylvania,  and  soon  after  removed  to  Seneca 
County,  Ohio,  where  her  father  died  May  17,  1880,  her  mother  August 
31,  1849.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burnside  had  seven  children,  namely:  Emmet  T., 
born  April  4,  1856;  Sarah  A.,  December  11,  1857;  John  O.,  May  7,  1859; 
Kate  F.  I.,  June  20,  1860;  Michael  W.,  October  4,  1862;  James  E.,  Decem- 
ber 16,  1867;  Estie  L.,  November  14,  1870.  Mr.  Burnside  is  a  member  of 
the  United  Brethren  Church,  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  one  of  the  honor- 
able, successful  and  well-respected  farmers  of  the  township. 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  699 

REV.  DAVID  S.  CALDWELL  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Md., 
December  22,  1820.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Susanna  (Curfman)  Cald- 
well, the  former  a  native  of  Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  the  latter  of  Fred- 
erick County,  Md.  He  was  reared  to  manhood  in  Hagerstown,  Md. ,  and 
was  there  educated.  In  1848,  he  removed  to  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  and  en- 
tered the  ministry  of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  with  which  he  was  con- 
nected from  1857  to  1883.  Since  the  latter  date,  he  has  been  connected 
with  the  Tiffin  classes  of  the  Ohio  Synod  of  the  Reformed  Church,  and  is  at 
present  date  pastor  of  the  congregation  at  Berwick,  Seneca  County,  and 
Zion's  Bloom,  Hancock  County.  He  labored  in  Upper  Sandusky  during 
the  years  1865,  1866  and  1867,  and  was  four  years  Presiding  Elder  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Nevada  in  April,  1882. 
Mr.  Caldwell  was  mustered  into  the  service  at  Monroeville,  September  24, 
1862,  and  recruited  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  being  commissioned  First  Lieutenant  September  24, 
1862,  and  promoted  to  Captain  in  the  following  February,  1863.  As  one  of 
the  casualties  of  war,  he  became  a  prisoner  June  15,  1863,  in  a  three  days' 
engagement  with  rebel  forces  of  Gen.  Ewell's  corps  at  Winchester,  W.  Va. ; 
was  taken  to  Richmond,  and  after  eight  months'  confinement  in  Libby 
Prison  he,  with  others  to  the  number  of  over  100,  escaped  by  means  of  a 
tunnel  from  said  prison  February  9,  1864,  and  with  fifty-seven  of  the  100 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  Union  lines,  the  balance  being  re  captured  and 
re  imprisoned.  Mr.  C,  as  a  result  of  the  fortunes  of  war,  is  very  much 
broken  in  constitution,  but  is  still  engaged  in  the  ministry  upon  the  before- 
mentioned  charge  to  the  extent  of  his  ability.  He  was  married,  August  8, 
1843,  to  Sarah  Creager,  four  children  blessing  this  union,  viz.,  Susan  J., 
Henry  C. ,  Sarah  J.,  and  Laura  B.  Mrs.  Caldwell  passed  away  June  1, 
1859,  and  Mr.  C.  was  re-married,  September  20,  1860,  to  Sarah  J.  Doyle, 
four  children  being  born  to  this  union,  namely,  James  E.,  Angie  M. ,  Blanch 
D.  and  Alpha  O.  Rev.  Caldwell  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  people  of 
his  community  both  as  a  citizen  and  a  public  minister. 

JAMES  P.  CHANCE  was  born  in  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  March  31, 
1841.  He  is  a  son  of  Aaron  and  Jane  (Beall)  Chance,  the  former  born  in 
Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  May  27,  1816,  the  latter  in  Washington  County, 
Penn. ,  January  6,  1817.  They  were  married  in  Harrison  County,  Ohio, 
March  26,  1840,  where  they  resided  till  1852,  when  they  moved  to  Crawford 
County,  Ohio,  where  they  still  live.  Their  children  were  James  P.,  born 
March  31,  1841;  Sarah  I.,  June  20,  1843;  Minerva  J.,  June  12,  1845; 
Zephaniah  B.,  May  26,  1855;  William  A.,  July  10,  1859;  the  first  three  of 
these  were  born  in  Harrison  County,  the  others  in  Crawford  County.  Sarah 
I.  died  September  18,  1877,  and  Minerva  J.  April  23, 1869.  James  P.,  oui- 
subject,  resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-one  year  of  age.  He  obtained 
his  first  start  in  business  by  procuring  a  sheep,  which  has  increased  its 
value  many  fold.  He  was  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  in  partner- 
ship with  his  father  three  years,  and  was  at  home  more  or  less  till  his  mar- 
riage, except  the  years  1868-69,  since  then  transacting  his  business  inde- 
pendently. After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Chance  I'ented  land  two  years  in  Craw- 
ford County,  purchasing  eighty  acres  in  Fulton  County,  Ind.,  in  1872,  and 
residing  there  till  1878,  at  which  time  he  traded  for  his  present  farm  of  sixty 
acres,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged.  He  was  married  October  27,  1870, 
to  Elizabeth  J.  Pendry,  a  native  of  Richland  County,  Ohio,  born  November  8, 
1848,  daughter  of  James  J.  and  Jane  (Andrews)  Pendry,  the  former  born 
January  25,  1823,  the  latter  June  16,  1820.     Her  parents  were  married  in 


700  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Richland  County,  December  3,  1846,  and  their  children  were  Elizabeth  J. , 
born  November  3,  1848;  Mary  A.,  November  25,  1849;  Ada  A.,  December 
23,  1850;  James  F.,  December  17,  1852;  Sarah  E.  R.,  January  5,  1855; 
Thompson  G.,  February  28,  1857;  Robert  F.,  January  17,  1859.  The  in- 
fant daughter  died  July  16,  1847;  Ada  A.,  May  12,  1852;  and  Robert  F., 
February  26,  1860.  Mrs.  Chance's  grandfather  was  born  February  20, 
1787,  and  her  grandmother,  Elizabeth  (Duncan)  Pendry,  October  10,  1790, 
their  children  being  Margaret  A.,  Elmer  J.,  James  J.  and  Clarkson  S.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Chance  have  had  six  children — James  M.,  born  in  Crawford  County, 
July  30,  1871;  Herbert,  born  in  Fulton  County,  Ind.,  March  9,  1873;  Louis 
E.,  born  in  same  county  April  13,  1875,  died  May  13,  1876;  Edna  E.,  born 
October  25, 1877;  Sarah  O.,  born  in  this  county  September  3,  1879;  Elmer, 
September  6,  1883.  Mr.  Chance's  paternal  grandfather,  a  native  of  Mary- 
land, moved  to  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  where  he  married  and  had  two 
children,  tbe  youngest  of  whom  was  Aaron.  Mrs.  Chance  was  a  daughter 
of  James  P.  and  Sarah  (Leonard)  Beall.  Mr.  Beall  was  born  March  3, 
1795,  and  his  wife  March  22  of  the  same  year.  They  were  married  January 
6,  1817,  and  had  two  children,  Jane  and  Zenas;  the  latter  was  born  Septem- 
ber 28,  1818.  Mrs.  Beall  died  September  28,  1818,  and  Mr.  Beall  married 
for  his  second  wife  Minerva  Huff,  December  9,  1819.  This  union  was  blest 
with  eleven  children,  three  of  whom  are  living — James  P.,  born  May  13, 
1828;  Minerva,  August  28,  1839;  and  Zephaniah,  born  February  19,  1847. 
James  P.  Beall,  Sr. ,  died  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  February  24,  1869. 
His  widow  survived  him  about  six  years,  her  death  occurring  January  15, 
1875. 

JAMES  L.  COOK,  of  the  firm  of  Cook  &  Morris,  Nevada,  was  born  in 
Harrison  County,  Ohio,  March  1,  1830.  He  is  a  son  of  Joshua  and  Eliza- 
beth (Larkins)  Cook,  the  former  born  in  Steubenville,  Ohio,  September  6, 
1800.  His  father's  residence  was  then  the  only  building  in  that  place,  and 
he  removed  with  his  parents  two  years  later  to  Virginia,  where  he  spent  his 
early  years,  coming  again  to  Ohio  in  1824.  He  was  married  in  Carroll 
County  in  1826,  and  subsequently  purchased  100  acres  in  this  county,  where 
he  died  December  15,  1860.  The  decease  of  his  wife  (born  May  4.  1806) 
occurred  in  November,  1878.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children — 
Solomon,  James  L.,  John  W.,  Joshua  and  William  H.  surviving.  The  de- 
ceased are  Nancy  and  Catharine.  James  L. ,  our  subject,  obtained  a  fair 
education  in  the  district  schools  of  Seneca  County,  closing  his  educational 
pursuits  at  the  Hayesville  Academy  at  the  age  of  twenty-four.  At  nineteen 
he  began  teaching  in  the  old  log  school  houses,  continuing  this  in  ccmnection 
with  farming  for  several  years,  teaching  fifteen  terms.  In  1855,  Mr.  Cook 
gave  up  farming  and  spent  two  years  in  the  West,  returning  two  years  later 
and  establishing  himself  in  a  general  store  at  Nevada,  where  he  has  since 
been  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  He  is  the  oldest  merchant  of  Nevada, 
having  begun  as  clerk  in  the  employ  of  William  McJunkin  in  1854.  He  has 
been  quite  successful  in  business,  nuw  owning  100  acres  of  good  land  and 
thirteen  town  lots.  Mr.  Cook  was  married  May  24,  1860,  to  Miss  Jane 
Gregg,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Rebecca  (Berrington)  Gregg,  six  children 
having  been  born  to  them — Elizabeth  F.  was  born  March  17,  1862;  Edith 
M.,  May  23,  1864;  Alice  B.,  April  22,  1866;  Martha  R.,  August  17,  1868; 
Elvaretta  J.,  September  19,  1871.  The  deceased  was  an  infant  son,  born 
March  9,  1861.  Mr.  Cook  is  a  Republican.  He  served  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  this  township  six  years,  as  Notary  Public  twelve  years,  and  several 
years  as  a  member  of  the  Town  Council — being  now  a  member.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  highly  esteemed. 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  701 

LOUIS  CEANER,  son  of  Christian  and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Craner,  was 
born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  May  27,  1836.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  Germany,  and  emigrated  to  America  when  quite  young.  They  located 
near  Galion.  where  they  resided  most  of  their  lives,  the  father  dying  Octo- 
ber 10,  1867,  the  mother  in  January,  1879,  They  had  eight  children, 
namely:  Henry,  Louis,  Mary,  Elizabeth,  Christian,  Caroline,  Eose  A.  and 
Anna — all  living  but  Caroline.  Mr.  Craner  remained  the  allotted  time 
with  his  parents  and  then  worked  out  by  the  month,  four  years,  at  $10,  $11, 
$12  and  $15  per  month  respectively.  He  then  farmed  rented  land  seven 
years,  and  purchased  127  acres,  his  present  farm,  in  1867.  His  farm  is  in 
good  condition,  and  valued  at  $85  to  $100  per  acre.  Mr.  Craner  was  mar- 
ried October  29,  1865,  to  Mary  J.  Beach,  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio;  born 
April  9,  1817,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Magdalene  (Myers  )  Beach,  natives  of 
Germany  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  Her  parents  were  married  in 
Crawford  County,  where  her  father  was  a  prominent  farmer,  owning  420 
acres  of  land.  He  died  in  October,  1865.  His  wife  is  still  living  in  Craw- 
ford County,  in  her  sixty-fifth  year.  Their  children  were  Eebecca,  Mary  J., 
Levi,  Samuel,  Laui-a  A.,  Charley  E. ,  Elizabeth,  Henry,  Catharine,  Isaac, 
Anna  and  an  infant — the  latter  five  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Craner  are 
blessed  with  five  children,  namely:  Amanda  M. ,  born  Mai'ch  8,  1867; 
Charles  W.,  March  24,  1870;  Levi  H,  November  10,  1873;  Magdalena  M., 
May  14,  1875;  Emma,  October  23,  1881.  Hany  A.,  born  July  19,  1880, 
died  August  11,  1880.  Mr.  Craner  began  life  a  poor  boy,  but  by  honest  in- 
dustry has  accumulated  an  excellent  farm.  He  is  a  good  Democrat,  and  is, 
with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

EPHRAIM  W.  DAVIS,  son  of  George  N.  and  Eliza  (Eogers)  Davis, 
was  born  in  Bedford  County,  Penn.,  January  14,  1834.  His  parents  were 
married  in  the  above  county,  and  the  children  resulting  from  the  union  were 
Eebecca,  Ephraim  W.,  Charles  M.  and  an  infant  daughter,  deceased. 
Charles  M.  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Fifty-fifth  Eegiment  Pennsylvania  Vol- 
unteprs,  October  11,  1861,  and  was  shot  by  a  sharpshooter  at  Cold  Harbor 
June  5,  1863.  Ephraim  W.,  our  subject,  was  reared  to  manhood  and  edu- 
cated fairly  in  his  native  county.  He  taught  school  a  few  terms,  but  was 
chiefly  engaged  at  the  shoe-making  trade  till  October  11,  1861,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  H,  Fifty-fifth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  entered 
the  service  for  three  years,  participating  in  the  skirmishes  at  North  Edisto 
Island,  where  his  regiment  was  more  or  less  engaged  two  weeks;  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Pocataligo,  W.  Va.,  being  honorably  discharged  by  reason  of  disability 
at  Port  Eoyal,  S.  C,  July  25,  1862.  In  1865,  Mr.  Davis  removed  from 
Bedford  County,  Penn.,  to  this  county,  where  he  has  since  resided,  having 
been  engaged  at  his  trade  at  Little  York,  Kirby  and  Nevada,  at  different 
periods,  and  being  now  engaged  as  druggist  clerk  in  the  latter  place  when 
his  state  of  health  will  permit.  Mr.  Davis  was  married  in  Bedford  County, 
Penn.,  June  3,  1858,  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Blackburn,  their  only  child  being 
Charles  S.,  born  March  3,  1859.  He  was  re-married,  October  15,  1865,  to 
Mary  L.  Fisher,  and  this  union  has  been  blessed  with  four  children — Ann 
E.,  Grant  B.,  George  H.  and  Harry  F. — all  living.  Mr.  Davis  lost  his 
health  in  the  service.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  E.  and  aflfiliates  with 
the  Democratic  party.  He  owns  a  comfortable  home  and  other  property  in 
Nevada,  and  is  in  good  standing  as  a  citizen. 

ANDEEW  DOTTS  was  born  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  December  2, 
1829.  He  is  a  son  of  Simon  and  Margaret  (Eeeder)  Dotts,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Columbiana  County  respectively,  his  parents  having   married  in 


702  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  latter  place.  They  subsequently  moved  to  Stark  County,  where  Mrs. 
Dotts  died  in  August,  1853.  Mr.  Dotts  was  married  a  second  time  and 
moved  to  Owens  County,  Ind.,  where  he  died.  Andrew  Dotts,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty- one  years 
of  age,  and  attended  the  district  schools,  more  or  less,  during  that  time. 
He  then  worked  by  the  month  five  years,  operated  a  threshing  ma- 
chine two  years,  purchasing  his  present  farm  in  March,  1857,  moving  on 
the  same  in  1859.  He  first  purchased  this  farm  with  his  brother-in-law, 
who  afterward  sold  out  his  interest  to  Mr.  Dotts.  He  erected  a  fine  brick 
residence  in  1874,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  and  has  made  many  other  improve- 
ments. Mr.  Dotts  was  married,  January  1,  1856,  to  Ellen  Slack,  a  native 
of  Stark  County,  Ohio,  born  June  10,  1837,  daughter  of  Abraham  Slack. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  this  union,  namely:  William  H.,  born 
June  4,  1858;  Jesse,  February  24,  1862,  and  Mary,  September  12,  1875. 
Mr.  Dotts  is  one  of  the  most  substantial  farmers  of  this  township,  and  is 
well  respected  as  a  citizen.  He  has  an  excellent  farm  and  is  very  successful 
in  his  management  of  the  same. 

WILLIAM  H.  DOTTS  was  born  io  Stark  County,  Ohio,  June  4,  1858. 
He  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Ellen  (Slack)  Dotts,  and  came  to  this  county 
when  but  one  year  of  age.  He  resided  with  his  parents  till  his  twenty- 
second  year,  engaged  in  farming,  in  the  meantime  operating  a  threshing 
machine  several  seasons.  In  1881,  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  ninety- 
four  acres,  on  which  he  has  since  resided,  doing  a  general  farming  busi- 
ness, dealing  in  stock  to  the  capacity  of  the  farm.  Mr.  Dotts  was  married, 
August  3,  1880,  to  Miss  Fannie  J.  McBeth  (see  sketch  of  T.  C.  McBeth), 
and  one  child  has  blessed  their  union,  namely,  Sidney  E.,  born  April  24, 
1882.  Mr.  Dotts  has  been  identified  with  the  interests  of  the  county  all 
his  life,  and  is  one  of  its  most  energetic  and  enterprising  young  farmers. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  young  man  of  good  business  qualifi- 
cations and  excellent  character. 

ANDREW  DYE  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Penn.,  August  28,  1822. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Rachel  (Morris)  Dye,  who  came  to  Ohio  about 
1849,  and  located  in  Morrow  County,  where  the  former  died  in  1852,  the 
latter  April  29,  1883.  Their  children  were  Andrew,  Pierson,  Sarah,  Hester, 
Justus,  William,  Owen,  Eliza,  Priscilla,  Mary  A.,  Minor,  John,  Barney, 
Samuel  and  an  infant,  the  three  latter  deceased.  Andrew  Dye,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  walked  from  Greene  County,  Penn.,  to  Richland  County,  at 
the  age  of  twelve  years.  He  spent  nine  years  in  farm  work  in  the  latter 
locality,  and  then  moved  to  Gallon,  where  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade 
a  short  time.  He  then  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Morrow  Cou.nty,  where  he 
resided  two  years,  when  he  removed  to  this  county  and  purchased  his  present 
farm  of  eighty  acres  May  16,  1857.  He  also  purchased  twenty  acres  ad- 
joining this  May  14,  1864,  and  in  June,  1883,  purchased  160  acres  in  Mis- 
souri. Mr.  Dye  was  married,  October  2,  1843,  to  Catharine  Orndorfl",  the 
children  by  this  marriage  being  John  P.,  born  August  29,  1844,  and  Mary 
C,  March  13,  1847.  Mrs.  Dye  passed  away  March  20,  1847,  and  Mr.  D'. 
was  married  February  3,  1848,  to  Sarah  Brewer,  who  was  born  in  Morrow 
County  March  8,  1829,  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Jane  (Maxwell)  Brewer, 
the  former  born  March  11,  1797,  the  latter  September  12,  1800,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  Her  parents  came  to  Morrow  County  when  young,  and  both 
died  there.  They  had  nine  children,  viz.,  Sarah,  Susanna,  Eliza  J.,  Dili- 
van  and  Samuel,  all  now  living,  and  Enoch,  Mary  A.,  Rachel  and  Electa, 
deceased.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dye  have  had  nine  children — John,  born  July  11, 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  703 

1849;  Sarah,  July  24,  1851;  Belle,  October  26,  1853;  Jasper,  June  21, 
1856;  La  Fayette,  February  3,  1859;  Winfield,  November  15,  1862;  Retta, 
April  22,  1864;  Bertie,  May  17,  1867;  Minnie,  August  18,  1870,  all  living 
but  La  Fayette,  who  died  March  26,  1883.  Mr.  Dye  is  a  Democrat,  and  one 
of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  township. 

OLIVER  C.  EWART,  one  of  the  partners  of  the  Nevada  Deposit  Bank, 
was  born  in  Knox  County,  Ohio,  November  26,  1855.  He  is  a  son  of  Rob- 
ert and  Eliza  (Kerr)  Ewart,  the  former  a  native  of  Ireland,  the  latter  of 
Knox  County,  Ohio.  Robert  Ewart  was  born  on  the  Brook) and,  near 
Tempo,  County  Fermanagh,  Ireland,  December  25,  1799,  and  emigrated 
with  his  parents,  two  brothers  and  three  sisters  (all  now  deceased  but  Ann, 
wife  of  Jacob  Haver,  a  resident  of  Martinsburg,  Knox  County,  Ohio),  and 
first  settled  (1823)  in  Greene  County,  Penn.,  where  he  resided  seven  years, 
then  moving  to  Knox  County,  Ohio.  Eliza  (Kerr)  Ewart  was  born  in  the  above 
county  March  29,  1816,  and  was  married  there  in  1851,  the  children  result- 
ing from  this  marriage  being  as  follows:  Ira  H,  Carey  B. ,  Oliver  C.  and 
Mary  E.  Their  father  was  the  owner  of  172  acres  of  land,  which  he  tilled 
from  1830  to  1863,  at  which  time  he  died,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three,  his 
wife,  Eliza,  being  still  a  resident  of  Morgan  Township,  Knox  County,  in 
her  sixty-eighth  year.  Oliver  C,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  in 
his  native  county,  and  educated  in  its  public  schools.  At  the  age  of  eight- 
een, he  emigrated  to  White  County,  Ind.,  where  he  was  employed  as  a 
teacher  during  the  winter  of  1874-75,  and  from  whence  he  returned  and 
entered  Duff's  Commercial  College  at  Pittsburgh  the  following  June.  In 
1876,  July,  he  located  in  Nevada,  and  in  May,  1877,  was  made  Cashier  of 
the  Nevada  Deposit  Bank,  still  retaining  that  position.  He  was  married, 
March  21,  1878,  to  Miss  Idella  Blair,  daughter  of  AVilliam  L.  Blair,  their 
only  child  being  Robert  W.,  born  February  23,  1879.  Mr.  Ewart  is  a 
young  man  of  large  business  experience.  He  is  manager  of  the  Farmers' 
Bank  of  VV infield,  Kan.,  and  one  of  its  stockholders. 

ANDREW  H.  FLICKINOER  is  a  native  of  Crawford  County,  born 
January  29,  1847.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and  Philinda  (Healey)  Flick- 
inger,  who  settled  in  Crawford  County  in  1832.  His  father  entered  the 
lands  on  which  his  death  occurred  June  20,  1871,  in  his  eightieth  year;  his 
mother  died  June  4,  1875.  Of  twelve  children,  ten  are  still  living.  An- 
drew H.  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  educated  in  the  district  schools.  He 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  at  the  age  of  twenty,  following  this  occupa- 
tion at  intervals  for  ten  years.  He  was  married,  March  29,  1876,  to  Miss 
Addie  Leke,  and  one  child — ^Maud  E.,  was  born  to  them,  the  date  of  birth 
being  May  11,  1877.  In  1876,  Mr.  Flickinger  removed  with  his  family  to 
Nevada  and  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  with  G.  W.  Gregg,  of  whom  he 
has  since  been  a  partner.  They  carry  a  full  stock  of  clothing,  boots,  shoes, 
etc.,  and  are  doing  a  good  business.  Mr.  F.  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  now 
serving  as  Township  and  Corporation  Treasurer. 

DANIEL  FLOCK  is  a  native  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born 
February  28,  1845.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Catharine  Flock,  natives  of 
Germany.  His  father  was  a  merchant  in  Bucyrus,  where  he  resided  till 
1853,  when  he  opened  a  store  at  W^yandot,  and  conducted  the  same  till 
August,  1869.  He  then  returned  to  Crawford  County,  where  he  is  now 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  Mrs.  Flock's  death  occurred  in  October, 
1862,  and  Mr.  F.  has  since  married.  Daniel  Flock,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  resided  with  his  parents  till  about  twenty-six  years  of  age.  In 
1869,   he  opened  up  a  store  of  general  merchange  in  Wyandot  Village, 


704  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

where  he  has  since  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  He  carries  a  full  stock 
of  dry  goods,  groceries,  glassware,  queensware,  notions,  etc.,  and  enjoys  a 
fair  trade.  Mr.  Flock  was  married,  April  16,  1873,  to  Jane  Wilson,  Avho 
was  born  in  Marion  August  22,  1847.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Richard  Wil- 
son, who  was  one  of  the  most  honored  citizens  of  IMarion  County,  having 
served  as  its  Auditor  five  years  and  as  its  Treasurer  eighteen  years.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Flock  have  three  children — Sophronia,  born  November  26,  1874; 
Velma,  born  June  1,  1877,  and  Richard  H,  born  July  22,  1880.  Mr.  Flock 
is  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  business  interests  of  Wyandot. 

JOHN  GANGWER  was  born  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  January  1, 
1851.  He  is  a  son  of  Philip  and  Hannah  (Long)  Gangwer,  natives  of 
Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  the  former  born  in  1813,  the  latter  in  1821. 
His  parents  were  married  in  Pennsylvania,  and  soon  after  moved  to  Ashland 
County,  Ohio,  where  his  father  died  in  1876;  his  mother  is  still  a  resident 
of  Ashland  County.  Mr.  Gangwer  resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-two 
years  of  age,  and  then  farmed  rented  land  five  years,  purchasing  his  present 
farm  of  87f  acres  in  March,  1878.  He  has  made  many  improvements  on 
this  farm,  and  now  values  it  at  $70  per  acre.  He  was  married,  February 
2,  1874,  to  Miss  Katy  A  Swartz,  who  was  born  July  25,  3  257,  daughter  of 
Abraham  and  Catharine  (Balliet)  Swartz.  Her  father  was  born  in  Schuyl- 
kill County,  Penn.,  February  15,  1819,  son  of  Abraham  and  Christina 
(Zener)  Swartz,  and  her  mother  was  born  in  the  samj?  county  May  19,  1822, 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Katy  A.  Balliet,  also  natives  of  Schuylkill  County, 
Penn.  Her  parents  resided  in  Morrow  County,  Ohio,  about  twenty- eight 
years,  and  then  moved  to  their  present  home  in  this  township.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gangwer  have  three  children — Ira,  born  November  29,  1874;  Iva,  Jan- 
uary 13,  1879,  and  Purl,  June  4,  1880.  Mr.  Gangwer  is  a  member  of  the 
F.  &  A.  M.,  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  well  respected  in  his  neighborhood. 
So  far  he  has  been  very  successful  in  his  business  enterprises. 

WILLIAM  F.  GOODBREAD,  druggist,  is  a  native  of  Rentlingen,  Wit- 
tenberg, Germany,  born  August  5,  1828.  He  is  a  son  of  John  J.  and  Agnes 
C.  (Smith)  Goodbread,  natives  of  Germany,  the  former  born  July  15,  1788, 
the  latter  November  29.  1786.  They  emigrated  to  America  May  14,  1832, 
and  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  two  living  to  the  age  of  maturity — 
William  F.  and  Margaret  B.,  wife  (deceased;  of  Michael  Schanweker.  She 
was  born  September  18,  1815,  and  died  in  August,  1852.  The  grandfather 
of  our  subject  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Germany,  in  a  house  which  dates 
back  to  1426,  and  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  Goodbread  family.  John 
J.  Goodbread  entered  the  war  against  Napoleon  in  1811,  but  subsequently 
became  a  soldier  under  him  in  the  war  against  the  Cossacks  William  F. 
emigrated  with  his  parents  and  settled  in  Richland  County  in  1833.  He 
was  reared  and  educated  in  this  locality,  serving  an  apprenticeship  in  the 
shoemaker's  trade,  which  he  afterward  abandoned  for  farm  pursuits.  In 
October,  1853,  Mr.  Goodbread  came  to  Wyandot  County  and  pui'chased  202 
acres  in  Eden  Township,  paying  $18  per  acre,  and  selling  the  same  in  1858 
at  $35  per  acre.  In  April,  1859,  he  moved  to  Nevada,  where  he  conducted 
a  dry  goods  store  till  1865,  being  elected  County  Treasurer  in  the  fall  of 
that  year.  At  the  expiration  of  four  years'  service  in  this  oflice  he  spent  a 
short  time  in  stock-dealing,  establishing  his  present  business  in  partnership 
with  Dr.  C.  P.  Jones  in  1871.  In  1879,  Mr.  Jones  retired,  and  a  son  of 
Mr.  G.  being  admitted,  the  business  has  since  been  conducted  under  the  firm 
name  of  Goodbread  &  Son.  Mr.  Goodbread  was  married  in  Richland 
County,  February   20,  1850,  to  Susanna,  daughter  of  John  and   Margaret 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  705 

(Baughman)  Wolf.  Her  father  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Penn. ,  about 
1794,  and  was  an  officer  in  the  war  of  1812,  his  death  occurring  in  1876. 
Margaret  Baughman  was  a  native  of  Richland  County,  her  father  having 
settled  there  in  1810.  He  was  once  compelled  to  seek  safety  from  the  In- 
dians b}'  entering  a  blockhouse,  the  savages  having  made  an  attack  upon  the 
neighborhood.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodbread  have  one  child,  James  N.,  born  in 
Richland  County,  March  21,  1851.  Mrs.  G.  is  also  a  native  of  Richland, 
and  was  born  January  12,  1828.  Mr.  Goodbread  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M,  the  Knights  of  Honor  and  the  English  Luth- 
eran Church. 

JAMES  N.  GOODBREAD,  of  the  firm  of  Goodbread  &  Son,  was  born 
in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  March  21,  1851.  He  is  the  only  son  of  William 
F.  and  Susanna  (Wolfe)  Goodbread,  and  was  brought  by  them  to  this  county 
in  1853.  At  the  age  of  seven  he  came  to  Nevada  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  village.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  abandoned  his 
studies  to  assist  his  father  in  the  duties  of  the  Treasurer's  office,  in  which 
capacity  he  was  employed  three  years.  In  1871,  his  father  purchased  a 
half  interest  in  the  drug  store  of  Nichols  &  Jones,  of  Nevada,  and  our  sub- 
ject was  employed  as  clerk,  acting  in  this  capacity  till  1879,  when  he  pur- 
chased Mr.  Jones'  interest  and  became  a  partner  in  the  firm,  the  same  since 
being  known  as  Goodbread  &  Son.  Mr.  Goodbread  was  married  in  Nevada 
October  24,  1872,  to  Miss  Mary  Leith,  born  in  Eden  Township,  August  1, 
1852,  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Margaret  (Steele)  Leith,  one  child  having 
been  born  to  them,  namely,  Harry  L.,  October  3,  1873.  Mr.  G.  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  A.,  F,  &.  A.  M.,  K.  of  H,  and  with  his  wife  of  the  Lutheran 
Church.  He  is  a  zealous  Democrat  and  has  held  several  responsible  posi- 
tions of  public  trust. 

GEORGE  W.  GREGG,  of  the  firm  of  G.  W.  Gregg  &  Co.,  was  born  in 
Crawford  County,  Ohio,  May  25,  1849.  His  parents,  Samuel  and  Rebecca 
(Bevington)  Gregg,  were  natives  of  Harrison  and  Wayne  Counties  respect- 
ively. They  were  married  at  Wooster  in  November,  1839,  and  were  the 
parents  of  eight  children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely,  Mrs.  Jane 
Cook,  JohnH.,  George  W.,  Henry  F.  and  Fi'anklin.  The  deceased  are  An- 
drew C,  Francis  and  Thomas  B.  They  located  in  this  county  in  1850,  and 
after  three  years  removed  to  Iowa.  One  year  later  they  returned  to  this 
county  and  purchased  fifty-six  acres  known  as  the  Pool  farm.  The  father 
died  in  March,  1859,  aged  forty-two  years;  the  mother  still  living,  aged 
sixty-five  years,  a  resident  of  Nevada.  Mr.  Gregg  was  reared  principally 
in  Antrim  Township,  working  on  the  farm  till  his  enlistment  in  the  army, 
August  7,  1864.  He  joined  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-ninth 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  command  of  Capt.  Lyman  Parcher,  spend- 
ing most  of  his  time  in  patrol  and  picket  duty  at  Nashville,  serving  till  the 
close  of  the  war,  being  discharged  at  Columbus,  June  29,  1865.  Returning 
home,  he  was  employed  in  a  drug  store  three  years;  in  the  stave  and  heading 
business  three  years;  in  the  lumber  business  at  Grand  Haven,  Mich.,  one 
year;  in  general  merchandise  at  Nevada  with  Cook  Brothers  till  1876,  and 
later  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business  with  William  Kieffer,  whose  interest  he 
purchased  in  1877.  In  the  same  year,  Andrew  H.  Flickinger  entered  the 
firm  with  a  stock  of  clothing,  since  which  time  the  busines  has  been  con- 
ducted under  the  firm  name  of  G.  W.  Gregg  &  Co.  Mr.  Gregg  was  mar- 
ried May  13,  1875,  to  Sarah  A.  Hilborn,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth 
(Eckes)  Hilburn.  She  is  a  native  of  Crawford  County,  and  was  born  July 
3,  1850.     Their  only  child,  Rush  M.,  was  born  June  2,  1878.     Mr.  Gregg 

29 


706  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

was  elected  Township  Treasurer  in  1S81,  and  Councilman  in  1879  and  1883. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  A..  F.  &  A,  M.,  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  a  Republican 
in  political  sentiment. 

LAUREN  GRAY  is  a  native  of  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  born  August 
15,  1823.  His  parents  were  Levi  and  Tryphonia  (Baker)  Gray,  and  were 
natives  of  Connecticut  and  New  York  respectively,  the  former  born  in  1792, 
the  latter  in  1793.  His  father  moved  to  New  York  when  a  young  man,  was 
married  there  and  resided  in  the  State  till  his  death  in  1867.  His  mother 
removed  to  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  a  few  years  later  and  died  in  Tiffin  in 
August,  1882.  The  family  consisted  of  ten  children,  namely,  Daniel,  Frank- 
lin, Harriet^  Lauren,  Richard,  Jane,  Lucretia,  Eunice,  Samuel  and  Eliza- 
beth, tbe  two  latter  deceased.  Lauren,  our  subject,  resided  with  his  parents 
till  about  twenty-two  years  of  age.  He  came  to  this  county  in  1845,  and 
purchased  160  acres  of  land,  locating  on  the  same  in  1846,  and  has  since 
resided  thereon,  except  six  months  in  the  pine  lumber  business  in  Saginaw, 
Mich.,  1867,  and  two  years  in  the  boot  and  shoe  trade  at  Nevada,  1868  and 
1869.  Mr.  Gray  was  married,  June  18,  1849,  to  Phidelia  A.  Burke,  who 
was  born  in  Benson,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  April  21,  1829.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Sireno  and  Tirza  (Whilon)  Burke,  the  former  born  in  1795,  the  latter 
October  31,  1802.  Her  parents  moved  from  Vermont  to  Ashland  County, 
Ohio,  in  1835,  and  to  this  county  in  1849.  They  resided  in  this  county  till 
April,  1875,  when  they  removed  to  Walnut  Hills,  Cincinnati,  which  is  still 
her  mother's  proper  home,  her  father  having  died  in  Nevada,  February  8, 

1882.  The  children  of  this  family  are  Sophronia  M.,  Sarah  E. ,  James  E., 
Phidelia  A.,  Charles  W.,  Lucy  J.  and  Mileo  D.  Sherman  W.  and  Martha 
M.  are  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray  had  but  two  children,  namely,  Jennie 
C,  born  March  24,  1861,  now  the  wife  of  Henry  Abnett,  and  Carles  R., 
born  in  Saginaw,  Mich.,  June  20,  1867;  the  latter  deceased  since  August  2, 
1868.  Mr.  Gray  is  a  member  of  the  P.  of  H.  He  is  one  among  the  best 
farmers  of  the  township  and  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen. 

EDWARD  HALL,  retired  farmer  and  merchant,  was  born  in  County 
Antrim,  L-eland,  October  31,  1813.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  Hall,  his  moth- 
er's maiden  name  being  Conner.  She  died  in  Ireland  about  the  year  1818. 
Joseph  Hall  sailed  from  Belfast,  Ireland,  in  1821,  and  settled  in  Colum- 
biana County,  Ohio,  near  New  Garden.  After  several  years'  residence  here 
he  moved  to  New  Alexander,  where  he  resided  till  his  death,  May  12,  1832, 
engaged  in  hotel  keeping  and  merchandizing.  Edward  Hall,  our  subject, 
and  one  sister,  Ann  J. ,  were  the  only  children  that  attained  maturity,  the 
latter  dying  at  New  Alexander  in  her  seventeenth  year.  He  obtained  a 
"  log  schoolhouse"  education  and  after  his  father's  death  was  employed  as 
salesman  in  various  establishments  till  he  began  business  for  himself  in 
1840,  at  Canton,  Ohio.  In  1863,  he  came  to  Antrim  Township,  Wyandot 
County,  Ohio,  and  purchased  221  acres  of  land  (of  which  he  still  has  eighty- 
four  acres),  engaging  in  farming  fifteen  years;  he  previously  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  trade  eight  years  in  Bucyrus;  in  the  same  business  at  Nevada 
from  1870  to  1872;  and  in  1879  retired.  Mr.  Hall  was  married,  December 
28,  1843,  to  Ann  Fielding,  a  native  of  Leeds,  England,  and  seven  children 
were  born  to  them — live  living,  namely:  Mary  L. ,  born  October  21,  1849; 
Elizabeth  A.,  November  28,  1851;  Edward  W.,  March  1,  1854;  Josephine 
J.,  February  22,  1860;  and  John  F.,  January  26,  1863.  Mrs.  Hall  de- 
parted this  life  June  11,  1879,  and  Mr.  Hall  was  re-married,  December  16, 

1883,  to  Julia  A.  Serviss. 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  707 

GOODWIN  HALL  is  a  native  of  Bricks  County,  Penn. ,  born  near  Phil- 
adelphia, November  10,  1S08.  He  is  a  son  of  Goodwin  and  Phoebe  (Car- 
ver) Hall,  natives  of  the  same  county,  where  they  resided  till  their  death, 
his  father  having  died  when  our  subject  was  but  a  child,  his  mother  in  3862. 
Mr.  Hall  resided  with  his  grandfather  (who  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier) 
till  about  twenty  years  of  age.  He  then  began  operations  on  his  own  re- 
sponsibility, owning  and  farming  forty  acres  of  land  in  Chester  County, 
Penn.,  where  he  resided  fifteen  years.  He  then  moved  to  Delaware  County, 
Penn.,  where  he  was  engaged  seven  years  in  a  cotton  manufactory,  and 
afterward  to  Saint  Clairsville  and  Steubenville,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
same  business.  In  1850,  he  located  where  he  now  resides,  and  has  since 
engaged  in  farming  on  a  small  scale.  Mr.  Hall  was  married  in  1829,  to 
Margaret  Houpt,  a  native  of  Chester  County,  Penn.,  born  September  12, 
1796,  and  daughter  of  Antony  and  Francina  (Starkey)  Houpt,  the  latter  a 
native  of  Montgomery  County,  Penn.  By  this  union  there  were  six  chil- 
dren, Damely:  Anna  E.,  born  November  20,  1827;  Phoebe,  August  20,  1829; 
Charles,  May  7,  1831;  Francina,  June  1,  1834;  Gilbert  G.,  June  8,  1836; 
and  Catharine,  April  25,  1839.  Mrs.  Hall  died  in  November,  1860,  and  Mr. 
Hall  was  married  in  March,  1861,  to  Nancy  Zook,  n6e  Steel,  who  died  De- 
cember 4,  1881,  aged  sixty  five  years  five  months  and  eighteen  days.  He 
is  an  old  and  respected  citizen  and  has  endured  many  vicissitudes  of  for- 
tune in  his  lifetime.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  forty  years 
and  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  fifty  years. 

BENJAMIN  HITE  is  a  native  of  Perry  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born 
February  8,  1815.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Anna  (Cautfman)  Hite, 
natives  of  Rockingham  and  Shenandoah  County,  Va. ,  the  former  born  Sep- 
tember 19,  1787;  the  latter  December  3,  1787.  His  ancestors  for  several 
generations  were  located  in  Virginia,  the  earlier  ones  settling  there  in  the 
days  of  William  Penn.  His  parents  were  married  in  May,  1814,  and  came 
at  once  to  Perry  County,  where  they  afterward  resided;  the  father  dying 
there  in  1857;  the  mother  in  1851.  Mr.  Hite,  till  his  twenty-fifth  year,  re- 
sided with  his  parents  and  then  located  in  this  county,  where  he  began 
farming  and  has  since  continued  it,  having  resided  on  his  present  farm, 
with  the  exception  of  seven  years,  since  first  locating  in  the  county.  He 
obtained  one  portion  of  an  estate  by  his  wife's  inheritance,  and  subsequently 
purchased  the  interests  of  the  remaining  heirs,  owning  at  one  time  300 
acres  of  good  land.  He  now  owns  154  acres,  and  is  still  doing  a  good 
farming  business.  Mr.  Hite  was  married  September  3,  1840,  to  Anna, 
daughter  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (DeLong)  Hite,  born  December  19,  1821, 
in  Perry  County,  her  parents  being  natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania 
respectively.  One  child  was  born  to  them  only,  namely:  Lorenna  J.,  Octo- 
ber 13,  1845.  Mr.  Hite  is  one  of  the  most  successful  wheat-growers  in  the 
township,  and  is  a  substantial  farmer  in  general.  He  is  a  Democrat,  voting 
first  in  1836  and  never  having  missed  a  vote  since  that  campaign  except  in 
1840,  then  "traded  off"  with  an  opposite  voter.  He  is  also  one  of  the 
pioneers,  having  resided  in  the  county  since  1840. 

JOHN  HITE  was  born  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  October  19,  1844,  and 
is  a  son  of  Martin  and  Emily  (Swick)  Hite,  the  former  born  February  28, 
1819;  the  latter  July  22,  1821.  His  parents  were  married  in  Perry  County, 
and  resided  there  till  their  death — the  father  passing  away  July  25, 1863,  in 
Perry  County;  the  mother  March  12, 1879,  in  Wyandot  County.  Their  chil- 
dren were  Rebecca,  John,  Benjamin,  Isaac,  Simon,  Ambrose  B.  and  Margaret 
A.      In  October,  1864,  the  family  moved  to  this  county  and  purchased  120 


708  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

acres,  which  has  been  divided  among  the  children,  the  parents  being  now 
deceased.  John  Hite,  our  subject,  began  work  for  himself  in  his  twenty- 
second  year;  he  woi'ked  for  wages  three  years;  farmed,  rented  land  four 
years,  and  purchased  sixty  acres  of  his  present  farm  in  April,  1872.  He 
also  owns  two  other  tracts  of  twenty  and  forty  acres  each.  In  1879,  Mr. 
Hite  erected  a  fine  frame  dwelling  at  a  cost  of  $1,500,  his  former  house 
having  burned  February  12,  1877.  He  has  also  a  good  barn,  built  at  a  cost 
of  $800.  Mr.  Hite  was  married  January  23,  1868,  to  Margaret  A.  H.  Sher- 
wood, who  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  February  19,  1842.  Her 
parents  were  David  and  Margaret  (Bishop)  Sherwood,  natives  of  Smith 
County,  Va.,  her  father  born  October  27, 1802;  her  mother  August  17,  1802. 
Their  children  were  Levi  B.,  Louis  D.,  Jesse  H. ,  Catharine,  Rachel, 
Margaret  A.  H.  and  Sarah  E.  Their  father  died  January  23,  1873;  their 
mother  July  12,  1877.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hite  have  seven  children,  viz. :  Levi 
v.,  born  August  14,  1869;  Laura  E.,  December  4,  1871;  Emily  J.,  August 
23,  1873;  Bentson  C,  July  4,  1875;  Amos  T.,  January  30,  1877;  Julia  E. 
A.,  March  31,  1881;  and  Rebecca  A.,  September  3,  1883.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hite  are  members  of  the  Regular  Baptist  Church,  in  which  Mr.  Hite  has 
been  officially  appointed  Deacon  several  years.  Mr.  Hite  united  with  the 
church  March  27,  1867,  and  Mrs.  Hite  December  19,  1858.  Mr.  Hite  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  served  as  Township  Trustee. 

SIMON  HITE  was  born  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  December  22,  1850, 
and  is  a  son  of  Martin  and  Emily  Hite.  (See  sketch  of  J.  Hite.)  He  re- 
sided with  his  parents  till  twenty-one  years  of  age;  worked  one  year  by  the 
month  for  his  mother,  farmed  rented  land  about  five  years,  purchasing 
his  present  farm  of  forty  acres  in  1878.  He  also  owns  thirty-seven  acres, 
which  he  inherited  from  his  father's  estate.  Mr.  Hite  was  married  Febru- 
ary 18,  1875,  to  Maria  E.  Rosa,  a  native  of  Marion  County,  born  August  24, 
1852,  daughter  of  Charles  W.  and  Barbara  (Cope)  Rosa;  the  former  now 
living  in  Nebraska,  the  latter  deceased,  her  death  having  occurred  in  1859. 
Four  children  blessed  this  marriage^  three  of  whom  were  cut  down  by  the 
reaper.  Death,  in  one  week.  Fred  L.  was  born  January  12,  1876;  Clarence 
A.,  May  20,  1878;  Orrin  F.,  March  28,  1880;  and  Alma  F.,  July  14,  1882. 
The  deceased  are  Fred,  Orrin  and  Clarence;  the  dates  of  their  respective 
deaths  being  December  20,  26  and  27,  1880 — dying  of  scarlet  fever.  Mr. 
Hite  is  a  good  farmer,  and  well  respected  as  a  citizen. 

BENJAMIN  HOPP,  dealer  in  furniture  and  undertaking,  son  of  Fred- 
erick and  Susan  (Gamby)  Hopp,  was  born  March  16,  1824.  He  is  a  native 
of  Seneca  County,  N.  Y. ,  his  parents  being  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of 
German  extraction.  They  were  married  in  New  York,  and  were  the  parents 
of  ten  children,  the  surviving  being  Aaron,  Benjamin,  Commodore  P.,  Lavi- 
na  Ann,  Sarah  A.,  Cornelia,  Christina  and  George  G.  Mary  died  in  1874. 
The  family  located  in  Seneca  County,  N.  Y,,  in  1822;  moved  to  Niagara 
County  soon  after,  and  to  Richland  County,  Ohio,  in  1837,  the  Father's 
death  occurring  there  in  the  year  1839,  at  the  age  of  forty-five.  The  moth- 
er died  at  the  home  of  her  son,  Benjamin,  Nevada,  January  22,  1883,  in 
her  eighty- fourth  year.  Our  subject  was  reared  in  Richland  County,  ob- 
taining the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  district  schools  of  that  local- 
ity. He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  at  twenty-four,  and  plied  his  trade 
till  1873,  then  establishing  the  first  undertaking  business  in  Nevada.  He 
moved  from  Richland  to  Crawford  in  1853,  and  to  this  county  in  1862. 
He  opened  up  his  business  in  Nevada,  with  Andrew  Benedict  as  partner, 
with  a  stock  of  furniture,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  May  15,   1875.     Mr. 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP,  709 

Hopp  afterward  established  the  business  od  his  own  resources,  and  has 
since  conducted  it,  having  the  leadinor  store  of  the  place,  and  doing  a  good 
business.  Mr.  Hopp  was  married  in  Richland  County,  January  6,  1850,  to 
Mary  A.  Bare,  a  native  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  daughter  of  Benjamin 
and  Mary  Bare.  Of  their  live  children  but  one  survives — Nellie  B.,  born 
in  June,  1867.  Mr.  H.  has  served  one  term  as  City  Marshal;  is  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Vice  Grand  of  the  order;  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  of  the  Advent  Church,  being  a  Trustee  of  the  same;  in  politics,  he  is 
a  EeDublican. 

PHILIP  M.  HOWE  was  born  in  this  county,  November  29,  1846.  He 
is  a  son  of  AVilliam  and  Kachel  (Longwell)  Howe,  who  cnme  to  this  county 
with  their  parents  about  1821.  His  father  was  one  of  the  substantial  farm- 
ers of  this  locality,  and  resided  here  all  his  life,  his  death  occurring 
April  9,  1874.  His  mother,  Rachel,  is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead. 
She  was  born  in  Licking  County,  Ohio,  in  1820,  daughter  of  Isaac  and 
Phoebe  Longwell,  her  parents  also  among  the  first  of  the  few  settlers  who 
located  there  in  1821.  Her  marriage  to  William  Howe  occurred  about 
1845,  their  children  being  Philip  M. ,  Amelia — now  Mrs.  Bowers — Cicero, 
James  G. ,  Fremont  and  Alice.  Philip  M.,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was 
brought  up  on  a  farm,  and  resided  with  his  parents  till  his  twenty-fourth 
year.  He  then  farmed  rented  land  four  years,  after  which  time  he  pur- 
chased with  his  brother  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  since  purchasing 
his  brother's  interest.  He  is  a  good  farmer,  keeps  good  stock,  and  is  in 
the  front  as  an  agriculturist  genei'ally.  His  farm  gives  an  average  yield  of 
$1,200  to  $1,500  per  annum,  and  is  valued  at  $80  per  acre.  Mr.  Howe  was 
married,  January  5,  1871,  to  Rebecca  Hite,  who  was  born  in  Perry  County, 
Ohio,  June  11,  1843  (see  sketch  of  John  Hite).  They  have  no  children. 
Mr.  Hite  has  an  elegant  home  and  enjoys  the  respect  of  his  entire  commu- 
nity, being  one  of  its  most  energetic  and  successful  citizens. 

EARNEST  R.  IRMER  is  a  native  of  Rosslau,  Germany,  born  May  16, 
1849.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Sophia  (Bock)  Irmer,  also  natives  of 
Rosslau.  His  father  was  born  November  23,  1808,  and  died  in  Germany, 
March  5,  1875;  his  mother  is  still  a  resident  of  her  native  land,  and  was 
born  December  18,  1812.  Ernest  learned  the  baker's  trade  in  Germany 
and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  July,  1871.  After  being  engaged  at 
his  trade  for  several  years  in  the  various  places  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  Syracuse, 
N.  Y. ,  Cleveland  and  Chicago,  he  finally  located  in  Nevada  November  6, 
1875,  at  which  time  he  purchased  his  present  grocery  store  in  partnership 
with  Philip  Ruhlman,  buying  the  latter's  interest  and  conducting  the  busi- 
ness alone  since  1876.  He  was  married  in  Nevada,  June  1,  1876,  to  Miss 
Henrietta  Woolsey,  their  only  child  living  being  Inez  M.,  born  October  7, 
1882.  Three  infants  are  deceased.  Mrs.  Irmer  is  a  native  of  this  county, 
and  was  born  November  22,  1849.  Mr.  Irmer  has  established  a  good  trade, 
and  owns  the  brick  storeroom  which  his  stock  occupies,  and  other  property. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  well  respected  as  a  citizen. 

CHARLES  P.  JONES,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Wales  September  3,  1834. 
His  parents  were  David  E.  and  Ann  (Price)  Wales,  also  natives  of  Wales,  and 
emigrated  to  America  with  their  six  children  in  1837.  They  settled  at  Utica, 
N.  Y.,  where  they  resided  till  1847,  when  they  removed  to  Ohio,  locating 
in  Portage  County,  where  they  pui'chased  fifty  acres  of  land,  on  which  the 
father  died  in  1856,  aged  sixty-nine  years;  the  mother  passed  away  August 
29,  1882,  aged  eighty-three.  Five  of  their  eight  children  are  still  living — 
Jane  A.  (widow  of  Robert  Jones),  Winnifred  (wife  of  John  C.  Jones),  Mary 


710  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

L.  (wife  of  Asba  P.  Burris),  Charles  P.  and  John  C.  The  deceased  are  Ed- 
ward, Ann  F.  and  David  E.  Charles  P.,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Cleveland,  abandoning  his  studies  at 
eighteen.  He  subsequently  engaged  in  a  mercantile  establishment  as  sales- 
man, attending  school  at  intervals,  and  began  the  study  of  medicine  at  To- 
ronto. Canada,  in  185G,  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  F.  Tumbloty,  remain- 
ing with  him  nearly  four  years.  In  1857,  he  entered  the  Toronto  Medical 
Institute,  graduating  in  1859.  In  1860,  he  began  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Chicago,  111.,  where  he  remained  one  year,  when,  on  account  of 
failing  health,  he  was  compelled  to  suspend  his  practice  for  about  one  year. 
He  subsequently  resumed  his  practice,  and  in  1865  located  at  Nevada,  where 
he  has  since  been  engaged.  He  has  a  good  practice,  and  has  accumulated 
considerable  property  as  a  result  of  his  labors,  owning  a  good  house  and  a 
two-story  brick  building  on  Main  street,  Nevada,  the  same  costing  $5,000 
in  1880.  Dr.  Jones  is  a  member  of  the  Northwestern  Medical  Association; 
Medical  Examiner  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  of  which  order  he  is  also  a 
member;  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  a  Republican  in  politics. 
He  was  married  at  Bucyrus,  June  '27,  1860,  to  Emma  E.  Caldwell,  daughter 
of  Judge  Hugh  R.  and  Ann  (White)  Caldwell,  three  children  having  been 
born  to  them;  Gussie  E.,  born  May  ]4,  3875,  is  the  only  one  living;  Lewis 
A.  and  Charles  N.  are  the  deceased. 

JOHN  R.  JURY  was  born  in  this  county  October  2,  1839.  He  is  a  son 
of  Abner  and  Priscilla  (Winslow)  Jurey,  natives  of  Virginia  and  New  York 
respectively.  His  parents  were  married  in  what  is  now  this  county  about 
1835-36,  and  were  therefore  among  its  first  settlers,  having  located  in  this 
section  of  the  country  about  1821-22.  Mrs.  Jury  is  still  living,  and  is  per- 
haps the  oldest  resident  of  the  county,  though  she  and  Mr.  Welsh  located 
here  about  the  same  time.  The  children  of  this  family  were  Henry,  Sarah, 
John  R.,  Margaret,  Samuel  W.,  Olive  and  Cyrus,  the  latter  deceased.  John 
R.,  our  subject,  resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-one.  He  then  enlisted 
in  Company  I,  Fifteenth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three  months,  at  the 
expiration  of  which  time  he  re-enlisted  in  the  Eleventh  Ohio  Battery,  and 
served  three  years.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Island  No.  10,  first  and 
second  battles  of  Corinth,  luka,  siege  of  Vicksburg,  Champion  Hill,  Jackson, 
Little  Rock  and  several  minor  engagements,  having  the  good  fortune  to  es- 
cape either  wounds  or  capture,  yet  never  absent  from  his  command  twenty- 
four  hours.  On  his  return  home,  Mr.  Jui'y  farmed  rented  land  about  two 
years,  a;fter  which  he  engaged  in  farming  in  Marion  County  about  nine 
years.  In  1875,  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  126  acres,  where  he  has 
since  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  His  farm  is  valued  at  $70  per 
acre.  Mr.  Jury  was  married,  October  11,  1866,  to  Miss  Anna  Campbell, 
who  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  September  24,  1811.  Her  parents 
are  Michael  and  Mary  (Bibler)  Campbell,  and  have  spent  most  of  their  lives 
in  Marion  County.  The  children  of  the  family  are  Ezra,  Samuel,  Anna, 
John,  Barbara,  Ellen,  Catharine  and  Lizzie,  the  two  latter  deceased.  Mr. 
and  Mrs  Jury  have  had  seven  children,  four  living,  namely,  Byron,  born 
September  13,  1867;  Bertha,  March  31,  1873;  Arthur,  March  24,  1875; 
Lewis,  May  22,  1877.  Ellen,  Maggie  and  an  infant  are  deceased.  Mr. 
Jury  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H. ,  G.  A.  R.,  and  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

THOMAS  KENDALL  is  a  native  of  Clinton  County,  Penn.,  born  July 
11,  1817.  His  parents,  Richard  and  Elizabeth  (Hayes)  Kendall,  were  na- 
'tives  of  England  and  Ireland  respectively,  both  born  in  1775.  They  emi- 
grated to  America  when  quite  young,  and  located  in   Pennsylvania,  where 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  711 

they  were  married  and  reared  two  children — Thomas  and  Robert.  By  a 
former  marriage  in  England,  our  subject's  father  had  four  children — Jane, 
John,  Mary  and  Ellen — who  emigrated  to  America.  Thomas  Kendall,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-one  years  of  age; 
he  then  rented  land  several  years  as  a  farmer,  coming  to  this  county  in 
1867.  and  purchasing  his  present  farm  of  forty  acres,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  He  values  his  farm  at  $80  per  acre.  His  father  died  in  1853;  his 
mother  in  1861.  Mr.  Kendall  was  married,  December  27,  1838,  to  Miss 
Hannah  Lunger,  a  native  of  Northumberland  County,  Penu. ,  born  Novem- 
ber 10,  1819,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Mary  Langer,  also  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Her  parents  are  deceased,  her  father  having  died  in  1851,  her  mother 
a  few  years  later,  leaving  six  children,  viz.,  Eliza,  Christopher,  Hannah, 
John,  Margaret  and  William  J.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendall  were  born  Mary 
E.,  Julv  26,  1840;  Sarah  E.,  April  11,  1842;  Martha  J.,  May  11,  1844; 
Henrietta,  March  26,  1846;  Robert,  December  21,  1848;  Richard,  April  10, 
1851;  Alice  C,  September  19,  1853;  Marguerite,  June  23,  1856;  John, 
August  30,  1859;  Anna  E.,  January  19,  1863.  In  politics,  Mr.  Kendall 
favors  the  Republican  policy.  He  owns  a  comfortable  home,  and  ranks 
well  among  the  farmers  of  the  community. 

JACOB  KELLER,  one  of  the  oldest  citizens  of  this  county,  was  born 
in  Virginia,  in  1797.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Susan  (Stengley)  Keller, 
natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  came  to  Ohio  about 
1799,  locating  at  Chillicothe,  removing  to  the  Pickaway  Plains  six  years 
later.  They  died  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio.  Mr.  Keller  left  his  father's 
home  and  began  business  for  himself  at  twenty-three.  He  was  engaged 
eleven  years  at  teaming,  and  then  began  farming,  spending  eight  years  in 
that  business  in  Marion  County,  then  moving  to  Wyandot,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  He  came  to  this  county  in  1825,  and  purchased  160  acres, 
which  he  afterward  sold  and  then  procured  his  present  farm  of  forty  acres, 
on  which  he  has  since  resided.  Mr.  Keller  was  married  in  1820,  to  Maria 
Warren,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  daughter  of  Parker  Warren,  a  native  of 
Delaware.  They  have  nine  children,  six  living:  Alfred,  John,  Nelson,  Har- 
rison, Steward  J.  and  Ann.  The  mother  of  these  died  March  24,  1868,  and 
Mr.  Keller  was  married  February  10,  1870,  to  Elizabeth  SchruU  n6e  Mc- 
Nickle,  widow  of  Jacob  Schrull.  Mr.  K.  is  now  in  his  eighty-seventh  year, 
and  one  of  the  representative  pioneers  of  the  county.  He  was  inured  to 
hard  labor  early  in  years,  and  has  experienced  most  of  the  trials  incident  to 
pioneer  life. 

JOHN  KELLER  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  April  23,  1843. 
He  is  a  son  of  Harrison  D.  and  Susanna  (Young)  Keller,  his  father  being 
a  native  of  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  born  February  9,  1812.  His  parents 
were  married  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  April  5,  1838,  and  thirteen  children 
were  born  to  them,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely:  John,  Henry  C, 
Mary  J.,  George  W.,  Adaline,  Charles  Turney  D.,  Chase  and  Levinia.  The 
mother  died  October  2,  1862,  the  father  still  living,  a  resident  of  Nevada. 
John  Keller  resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  after 
four  months'  employment  as  fireman  of  a  saw  mill  enlisted  in  Company  B, 
One  Hundred  and  Seventy-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  mus- 
tered into  service  at  Camp  Chase  in  Septenber,  1863.  He  was  on  post 
duty  during  most  of  the  time  of  his  service,  having  participated  in  no  bat- 
tles. His  discharge  was  received  in  June,  1864.  On  his  I'eturn  from  the 
war,  Mr.  Keller  engaged  at  general  job  work  about  one  year;  farmed,  rented 
land  three  years,  and  then  purchased  forty  acres  of  his  present  farm,   to 


712  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

which  he  has  since  added,  till  he  now  owns  136^  acres,  valued  at  $80  per 
acre.  Mr.  Keller  was  married  August  22,  1850,  to  Jane  Leith,  who  was 
born  in  this  county  June  17,  1840  (see  sketch  of  Hiram  Leith),  and  eight 
children  were  born  to  them,  namely:  Florence  N. ,  January  14, 1868;  Edward 
M.,  July  14,  1870;  Chancy  B.,  May  7,  1872;  Mary  J.,  March  10,  1874; 
Laura  E.,  May  28,  1876;  Gracie,  January  3,  1879;  Charles  L.,  January  1, 
1880;  and  Maggie  L.,  August  16,  1882. 

ROBERT  KERR,  one  of  the  most  widely  known  of  the  pioneers  of  Wy- 
andot and  Marion  Counties,  was  born  in  Mifflin  County,  Peun.,  October  22, 
1807,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Betsey  (Arbuckle)  Kerr.  His  grandpa- 
rents, James  Kerr  and  William  Arbuckle,  were  both  natives  of  Ireland. 
His  father  migrated  to  Knox  Connty,  Ohio,  in  1818,  and  purchased  a  farm 
of  160  acres  in  Clay  Township,  where  his  wife  Betsey  died  in  her  forty- 
second  year.  He  afterward  sold  his  farm  to  his  son  Robert,  and  moved  to 
Licking  County,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  with  his  son-in-law,  Aquilla  Bar- 
ber, till  his  death  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  Robert  Kerr  remained 
in  the  employ  of  his  parents  until  nineteen,  obtaining  a  very  limited  educa- 
tion. He  then  began  an  apprenticeship  at  the  tanuer's  trade  with  Joseph 
Rogers,  Sr.,  at  Martinsburg,  Ohio,  serving  two  years  and  five  months,  after 
which  he  was  employed  to  drive  hogs  to  the  city  of  Baltimore  at  three 
shillings  per  day  "  and  no  dinner. "  Returning  home,  he  was  employed 
about  a  saw  mill  for  some  time  at  $11  per  month,  and  subsequently  en- 
gaged in  clearing  land  for  different  parties  at  $2.50  to  $3  per  acre,  his 
part  of  the  contract  being  complete  when  everything  under  twelve  inches 
was  cleared  from  the  ground.  In  this  manner,  he  cleared  the  bottom  land, 
also  the  brow  of  the  hill  lying  between  the  Sandusky  River  and  the  town 
of  Upper  Sandusky,  in  1830,  and  also  cut  100  cords  of  wood  west  of  the 
town,  delivering  the  wood  to  George  Garrett  and  Matthew  Walker  at  37^ 
cents  per  cord.  He  cleared  ten  acres  for  an  Indian  chief  named  Hicks,  and 
five  acres  for  another  by  the  name  of  Jack  Oak.  While  engaged  in  this 
work  he  removed  the  timber  from  more  than  one  hundred  acres  of  land; 
cut  about  one  thousand  cords  of  wood  at  20  cents  per  cord,  and  made  many 
thousand  rails  at  50  cents  per  hundred.  About  this  time  he  purchased  two 
tracts  of  eighty  acres  each  in  Scott  Township,  Marion  County,  paying  for 
them  $100  and  $200  respectively.  He  was  married,  August  29,  1833,  to 
Matilda  Swaggert.  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Betsey  (Coonrod)  Swaggert,  and 
from  this  time  gave  his  attention  to  farming,  clearing  $100  cash  the  first 
year.  He  soon  began  dealing  in  stock,  and  in  about  three  years  purchased 
360  acres  more  land  in  the  same  township  at  $1,500  on  five  years'  time,  the 
amount  to  be  paid  in  payments  of  $300  yearly — interest  six  per  cent.  He 
stocked  his  land  with  sheep,  acting  on  the  advice  of  an  old  Pennsylvanian, 
Stephen  Ulery,  and  was  able  to  meet  his  payments  promptly.  The  prices 
he  obtained  for  his  wool  in  the  seven  years  in  which  he  was  dealing  exten- 
sively, were  21^  22^  29,  33^,  40,  50  and  80  cents  respectively;  the  last 
season  his  receipts  on  sale  of  wool  and  sheep  aggregating  $33,000.  He 
continued  the  business  up  to  1876-77,  when  the  prices  lowered,  and  Mr. 
Kerr  sold  out  and  quit  the  trade.  He  now  owns  1,059  acres  of  land  in 
Crawford  County,  443  acres  in  Wyandot  County  and  2,573  acres  in  Marion 
County,  all  free  of  incumbrance.  He  was  one  of  the  original  stockhold- 
ers in  the  Farmers'  Bank,  of  Marion,  and  of  the  Nevada  Deposit  Bank,  of 
Nevada,  and  now  owns  a  large  amount  of  stock  in  each.  He  is  also  stock- 
holder in  a  bank  recently  established  at  Winfield,  Kan.  He  built  (and 
owns)  the  Kerr  House  at  Marion,    at  a  cost  of  $60,000,  and  also  the  Kerr 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  713 

House  at  Nevada  at  a  cost  of  $18,000,  both  being  fine  buildings  that  speak 
well  for  the  enterprise  of  the  builder.  He  donated  $53,000  to  Hiram  Col- 
lege and  $23,000  to  Bethany  College,  of  Virginia,  and  has  contributed  lib- 
erally to  other  institutions.  He  is,  perhaps,  the  wealtiest  citizen  in  this 
section  of  the  country,  his  property  being  worth  more  than  $600,000.  This 
large  fortune  was  wrought  out  by  hard  labor  and  untiring  energy,  combined 
with  excellent  financial  ability  and  strict  integrity  in  all  business  transac- 
tions. Mr.  Kerr  was  a  member  of  the  Disciple  Chvirch  for  many  years, 
but  withdrew  on  account  of  what  he  considered  the  unchristian  conduct  of 
some  of  the  members.  His  wife,  Matilda,  died  in  February,  1859,  having 
been  the  mother  of  eleven  children,  six  of  whom  are  living,  namely,  Eliza- 
beth, Sarah,  Stephen,  Mary,  John  and  Amanda.  By  his  second  wife, 
Martha  Williams,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  July,  1861,  Mr.  Kerr  has  one 
child — Addie.  On  New  Year's  day,  1883,  Mr.  Kerr  accidentally  fell  on  the 
icy  street  at  Caledonia,  Ohio,  dislocating  his  left  hip  joint,  from  the  result 
of  which  injury  he  has  not  since  been  able  to  walk.  He  lived  forty-four 
years  in  the  place  where  he  began  housekeeping,  but  for  ten  years  previous 
to  the  accident  mentioned,  he  had  lived  in  a  house  erected  on  his  land  in 
Scott  Township,  Marion  County,  a  short  distance  from  his  old  home.  He 
is  now  a  resident  of  Nevada,  this  county. 

JOHN  M.  KLINGLER  is  a  native  of  Wittenburg,  Germany,  and  was 
born  April  25,  1835.  His  parents  were  John  M.  and  Anna  (Bartole)  Kling- 
ler,  his  father  dying  in  1836.  He  was  therefore  reared  by  his  grandfather, 
Jacob  M.  Bartole,  with  whom  he  resided  ten  years.  He  then  served  an  ap- 
prenticeship of  three  years  at  the  shoemaking  trade,  and  afterward  worked 
at  the  same  in  Germany  eight  years.  In  April,  1857,  he  sailed  for  the 
United  States,  and  located  for  a  short  time  in  Sandusky  City.  In  1860,  he 
located  in  Nevada,  where  he  has  since  plied  his  trade  most  diligently.  He 
has  devoted  his  entire  life  to  "  the  bench,"  and  has  acquired  a  comfortable 
home  by  his  industrious  efforts.  His  marriage  to  Elizabeth  Dinkle  occurred 
February  19,  1861,  their  children  being  Mary  A.,  born  July  7,  1862;  Lena, 
October  1,  1863;  Anna  L.,  February  17,  1865;  and  Matilda,  January  11, 
1866;  John  E.,  December  12,  1869,  died  January  9,  1883;  two  infants  are 
also  deceased.  Mrs.  Klingler  was  a  native  of  Germany,  born  February  17, 
1842.  She  emigrated  to  America  in  1845  and  died  October  4,  1874.  Mr. 
K.  was  married,  September  9,  1875,  to  Mary  E.  Kowinsky.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.  since  1879;  himself  and  family  being  associated 
with  the  English  Lutheran  Church. 

JOSEPH  H.  LAYMAN  is  a  native  of  Union  County,  Penn.,  where  he 
first  saw  the  light  of  day  April  20,  1825.  He  is  a  son  of  Christian  and 
Maria  (Botts)  Layman,  natives  of  Berks  County,  Penn.,  the  former  born 
January  1,  1798,  the  latter  October  25,  1786.  The  parents  were  married 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  resided  in  that  State  about  twenty  years,  his  father 
having  been  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  in  the  three  months'  service,  being 
in  hearing  of  the  cannons  at  the  battle  of  Baltimore.  His  mother  was  a 
pensioner  of  the  Government.  In  1836,  they  came  to  Crawford  County, 
Ohio,  where  they  resided  many  years,  though  afterward  making  several  re- 
movals; the  father  dying  in  Noble  County  Ind.,  March  16,  1866,  the 
mother  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  August  5,  1879.  Mr.  Layman's  uncle, 
Isaac  Botts,  now  resides  on  the  farm  formerly  owned  by  the  father  of 
Maj.  Andre,  the  British  spy  of  Revolutionary  fame.  Our  subject  lived  with 
his  parents  till  nineteen  years  of  age.  He  then  worked  by  the  month  for  a  few 
years,  and,  in  1848,  traded  a  Mexican  land  grant  for  eighty  acres  in  Steuben 


714  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

County,  Ind. ,  to  which  he  subsequently  added  forty  acres  more,  selling  out 
three  years  later  and  purchasing  property  in  Bucyrus,  where  he  engaged  five 
years  in  the  plastering  trade.  Id  1859,  he  purchased  108  acres,  one-half 
of  which  now  forms  his  present  farm,  to  which  he  has  since  added  forty-six 
acres,  the  whole  valued  at  $85  per  acre.  He  moved  to  this  farm  February 
17,  1859,  when  there  were  no  roads  cut  out,  and  erected  a  typical  log  cabin, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  Mr.  Layman  was  married,  December  15,  1853, 
to  Phidelia  A.  Nye,  who  was  born  in  New  York,  January  17,  1833.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  William  and  Rebecca  (Nye)  Nye, natives  of  Vermont,  in  which 
State  they  were  married.  Her  parents  moved  to  Utica,  N.  Y.,  and  later,  to 
Wayne  County,  Ohio,  coming  to  Crawford  County  in  1846.  Her  mother 
died  in  1850.  Her  father  is  still  living,  in  his  seventy-sixth  year,  a  resident 
of  Nevada.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Layman  have  five  children  living,  namely:  James 
F.,  born  October  27,  1855;  Ida  F.,  January  2,  1858;  Susie,  February  22, 
1860;  Maria,  January  1,  1864;  Hattie,  March  9,  1866.  Lucretia,  L.  W., 
G.  B.  Mc.  and  Harry  H.  are  deceased.  Mr.  Layman  is  a  citizen  of  good 
standing,  and  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

HENRY  G.  LEA  is  a  native  of  Lycoming  County,  Penn.,  born  Sep- 
tember 25,  1829.  He  is  a  son  of  Zaccheus  P.  and  Elizabeth  (Davis)  Lea; 
his  father  born  in  Kidminster,  England,  September  26,  1756,  his  mother 
in  Lycoming  County.  His  father  emigrated  1776,  and  settled  in  the  above 
county,  where  he  resided  till  1837,  at  which  time  he  came  to  this  county, 
settling  in  what  is  now  Eden  Township,  remaining  there  till  his  death.  He 
was  the  father  of  fourteen  children;  by  his  first  marriage,  John  B.,  Thomas 
P.  and  Sarah  A. ;  by  his  second  marriage,  Mary  J.,  James  D.,  Elizabeth, 
Zaccheus  and  Lydia;  by  a  third  marriage,  Henry  G.,  Catharine  A.,  An- 
drew H.  and  Rebecca  A.  The  subject  of  this  notice,  Henry  G.,  resided 
with  his  parents  during  his  boyhood,  coming  with  them  to  this  county  at  eight 
years  of  age.  He  obtained  what  education  the  schools  of  his  neighborhood 
afforded,  and,  with  no  assistance,  took  up  the  blacksmith  trade,  to  which 
occupation  he  has  devoted  most  of  his  life.  Mr.  Lea  was  married,  in  Upper 
Sandusky,  October  1,  1863,  to  Julia  E.  Kraken,  daughter  of  Ernest  M.  and 
Mary  R.  (Roades)  Kraken,  her  father  having  been  the  first  surveyor  of  this 
county.  The  children  resulting  from  this  marriage  are  George  W.,  Frank 
D. ,  Norba  H.,  Emma  E. ,  Louis  L.  and  Ernest — the  two  latter  deceased. 
Mr.  Lea  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  and  well 
respected  as  citizens,  he  being  a  Democrat  in  political  sentiments.  In  early 
life  Mr.  Lea  had  the  Indian  youths  for  playmates,  they  giving  him  his  first 
lessons  in  archery,  at  which  he  is  still  an  expert.  Among  the  more  noted  of 
his  dusky  associates  were  Scott  and  Steward,  sons  of  Aaron  Coon,  an  Indian 
Chief. 

HIRAM  LEITH  is  a  native  of  this  county  and  was  born  January  9, 
1836.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Siple)  Leith,  who  were  natives 
of  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  and  Rockingham  County,  Va.,  respectively,  the 
former  born  in  1807;  the  latter  December  31,  1803.  His  grandfather  Leith 
was  born  at  one  of  the  two  old  sites  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  resided  most 
of  his  life  in  Fairfield  and  Guernsey  Counties.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  1812,  and  spent  all  his  life  on  the  frontier.  His  great-grandfather,  John 
Leith,  was  captured  by  the  Indians  while  employed  as  clerk  at  the  present 
site  of  Lancaster,  Ohio,  in  an  Indian  trading-post  of  the  Delaware  tribe,  by 
whom  he  was  kept  in  captivity  twenty-nine  years.  He  was  taken  at  the  age 
of  fifteen,  and  was  employed  at  the  agencies,  being  closely  guarded  for  one 
year,  after  which  he  was  given  the  privileges  of  the  tribe.     He  was  adopted 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  715 

into  tiie  family  uf  Capt.  Pipe,  the  famous  chief  of  the  Delawares,  and  while 
in  custody  was  married  to  Miss  Sallie  Lowry,  a  white  woman,  who  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Mingo  Indians  at  Big  Cove,  Penn.,  in  1762.  After  twenty- 
nine  years  of  savage  life  they  made  their  escape  and  joined  the  whites  at 
Ft.  Pitt  (now  Pittsburgh),  being  closely  pursued  by  their  captors,  who  ap- 
peared on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  in  the  same  hour  in  which  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Leith  and  two  children  had  crossed  over  in  safety.  The  details  of 
their  history  are  full  of  interest  and  thrilling  in  the  exti-eme.  John  Leith, 
father  of  our  subject,  located  in  this  county  about  1832-33,  moving  at  that 
date  from  Fairfield  County.  He  first  leased  land  in  this  township,  of  the 
Wyandot  Indians,  and  after  seven  years  made  a  purchase  of  eighty  acres. 
He  was  universally  esteemed,  and  after  a  life  of  frontier  hardships  for  many 
years  died  January  14,  1860.  His  aged  companion,  Elizabeth  Leith,  is  still 
living  and  resides  with  her  former  son-in-law,  Capt.  Bacon.  Hiram  Leith, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  obtaining  the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  crude  schools  of  his 
time  and  vicinity.  He  began  work  on  a  farm  for  his  uncle,  and  by  making 
payments  as  his  means  afforded,  has  acquired  a  tine  farm  of  121  acres,  now 
valued  at  $75  per  acre.  He  has  always  engaged  in  the  conimon  routine  of 
farm  life  and  has  been  fairly  successful,  though  his  competence  has  been 
gained  chiefly  by  hard  labor.  Mr.  Leith  was  married,  January  29,  1865,  to 
Elizabeth  J.  Scott,  a  native  of  Knox  County,  Ohio,  born  January  25,  1845. 
Her  father,  Matthew  Scott,  was  born  in  Ohio  and  died  in  1849;  her  mother, 
Mary  (Wilson)  Scott,  in  Maryland.  They  were  married  in  W.ayne  County, 
Ohio,  but  resided  in  Knox  County,  where  her  father  died  in  1842.  her 
mother  subsequently  married  T.  J.  Hinkle,  and  now  resides  in  Nevada.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Leith  have  eight  children  living — Teffie,  Frank  M.,  Mary  E.,  El- 
veretta,  Emma  A.,  Clara  M.,  Alta  J.  and  Grace  A.  Cora  is  deceased.  Mr. 
Leith  is  a  Eepublican.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  thoroughly  reliable 
citizens  of  the  township,  and  is  ranked  among  the  first  for  his  qualities  as 
a  man. 

JAMES  S.  LEITH,  son  of  George  W.  and  Margaret  P.  (Steele)  Leith, 
was  born  in  this  county  March  6,  1838.  His  parents  were  of  Scotch  and 
French  descent  i-espectively,  his  father  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  his  mother,  of 
Pennsylvania.  They  were  married  in  Seneca  County  and  soon  after  settled 
in  Wyandot  County,  where  they  resided  from  1837  to  1867.  In  the  latter 
year  they  moved  to  Nevada,  where  the  mother  died  in  August,  1868,  the 
father  March  10,  1883.  The  latter  was  a  prominent  citizen  in  his  locality, 
a  Whig  in  politics,  serving  as  Associate  Judge  from  1845  to  1852.  He  de- 
voted the  greater  part  of  his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits,  owning  400  acres 
of  land  and  having  a  family  of  ten  children,  five  of  whom  survive — James 
S.,  Mrs.  Mary  Goodbread,  Martha  S.,  Mrs.  Jessie  Balliet,  Mrs.  Josie  Baglin, 
the  two  latter  twins.  Three  of  the  daughters  are  residents  of  Nevada;  the 
latter  a  resident  of  Pittsburgh,  Penn.  James  S.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
resided  with  his  parents  till  1862.  He  continued  farming  till  1866,  when 
he  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  trade  at  Nevada.  He  remained  here  two  years, 
selling  his  stock  and  entering  the  wholesale  dry  goods  establishment  of 
Lathrop  &  Luddington,  of  New  York  City,  and  remained  with  this  firm  till 
it  became  insolvent,  December,  1869.  During  the  seasons  of  1871  and  1872, 
he  engaged  in  the  sale  of  agricultural  implements  at  Nevada.  He  was  one 
of  the  incoporators  of  the  Nevada  Deposit  Bank,  and  was  made  one  of  its 
directors,  disposing  of  his  stock  to  Robert  Kerr,  in  1877.  In  1875,  he  was 
appointed  Railway  Postal  Clerk,  which  situation  he  held  till  1882,   since 


716  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

which  time  he  lias  not  been  permaDently  engaged.  Mr.  Leitli  is  a  Repub- 
lican; was  one  of  the  organizers  of  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
fourth  Ohio  National  Guards,  being  elected  First  Lieutenant.  His  regi- 
ment was  called  into  service  May  1,  1804,  participating  in  the  battle  at  Berry- 
ville,  August  13,  1864,  serving  four  months  in  all.  His  marriage  to  Melissa 
Pease  occurred  October  1,  1862.  She  was  a  daughter  of  James  and  Eliza 
(Hall)  Pease,  now  residents  of  Sycamore  Township.  One  child — Maggie  E., 
was  born  to  them,  her  birth  occurring  November  8,  1865,  Mrs.  Leith  died 
April  15,  1866,  and  Mr.  L.  has  never  since  married. 

ERNEST  LIDLE,  saddler,  Nevada,  was  born  in  Wittenburg,  Germany, 
April  4,  1842.  His  father,  Christopher,  was  also  born  in  Germany  in  1814, 
and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1854,  locating  in  Seneca  County  a 
short  time,  but  moving  to  this  county  in  1855-56,  stopping  at  Upper  San- 
dusky, where  he  still  resides.  His  mother,  Mary  (Saner)  Lidle,  died  in 
Germany  in  June,  1850.  Four  of  the  seven  children  emigrated — Charles, 
Frederick,  Ernest  and  Frederica.  Our  subject  landed  in  New  York  City 
September  26,  1865,  and  was  then  employed  six  months  at  the  harness  trade, 
which  he  had  pursued  in  Germany  from  the  age  of  fourteen.  He  subse- 
quently spent  two  months  in  Buffalo,  thence  moving  to  Cincinnati,  where  he 
was  employed  till  March  1867,  when  he  permanently  located  in  Nevada,  and 
was  married,  May  4,  1867,  to  Louisa  Deerer,  who  died  in  1868.  He  was 
married,  January  14,  1870,  to  Sarah  E.  Parker  n6e  Walker,  and  seven  chil- 
dren have  blessed  this  union — Matilda,  born  October  20,  1870;  Jessie  M. ; 
Mary  E. ;  Frederick  and  Edward  (twins),  born  October  4,  1879;  an  infant, 
deceased.  Mr.  Lidle  is  the  owner  of  his  present  business  room,  and  has 
the  leading  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  town,  carrying  a  full  stock  of 
harness,  saddles,  trunks,  valises,  etc.  He  also  owns  a  comfortable  residence 
on  Garret  street,  and  is  well  I'espected  as  a  citizen,  being  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor. 

CONRAD  LOHR  is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  born  February  6, 
1815.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Christina  (IMeedman)  Lohr,  his  mother 
having  died  in  Germany  September  30,  1831,  and  his  father,  while  on  their 
voyage  to  this  country  in  .1843.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children, 
Conrad  being  the  only  one  living.  He  located  in  Wayne  County  in  1843, 
but  removed  to  this  county  in  1848,  purchasing  forty  acres  of  land  in  An- 
trim Township,  where  he  was  engaged  till  1875,  when  he  removed  to  Ne- 
vada, since  living  a  retired  life.  Mr.  Lohr  was  married  in  Germany  in 
1837  to  Julia  Rittenspach,  and  live  children  were  born  to  them — Phoebe, 
born  May  12,  1839,  died  November  28,  1856;  Jacob  B.,  August  6, 
1841;  Elizabeth,  February  26,  1845;  George  and  John  (twins),  April  12, 
1849.  Phcebe  and  Jacob  B.  were  born  in  Germany.  Mrs.  Lohr's  demise 
took  place  in  April,  1849,  and  Mr.  L.  was  married  in  1850  to  Catharine 
(Shull)  Layman,  and  three  of  the  four  children  by  this  marriage  are  living 
— Daniel,  born  April  10,  1852;  Henry,  August  13,  1854;  and  AVilliara, 
May  9,  1858;  Mary,  born  September  19,  1850,  died  November  28,  1856. 
The  mother  of  these  children  dying  September  10,  1858,  Mr.  Lohr  was 
married 'January  5,  1860,  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Johns,  formerly  Miller.  He  is 
now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  early  labors,  leading  a  retired  life.  He  is 
a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  English  Lutheran  Chvirch. 
He  has  been  a  resident  of  the  county  about  forty  years. 

WILLIAM  M.  MASKEY,  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  A.  (Simmons)  Mas- 
key,  was  born  in  Nevada  October  16,  1861.  His  parents  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  their  children  being  William  M.,  Charley  and  Ida.     William 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP,  717 

M.  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Nevada,  and  abandoned  his  studies 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  to  accept  a  clerkship  in  the  grocery  store  and 
bakery  of  E.  R.  Irmer,  with  whom  he  was  engaged  from  1879  to  1881.  In 
the  latter  year  he  purchased  a  stock  of  groceries  of  J.  "\V.  Morris  &  Son, 
and  embarked  in  business  on  his  own  resources.  He  carries  a  full  line  of 
groceries,  provisions,  fruits,  etc.,  and  enjoys  a  good  trade.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  efficient  business  experience  and  of  good  character,  being  well 
esteemed  as  a  citizen. 

JOHN  McBETH  occupies  a  position  in  the  front  rank  of  the  farmers  of 
this  township.  He  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Penn.,  June  15,  1827, 
and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Jane  (Campbell)  INIcBeth.  He  came  to  Marion 
County,  Ohio,  with  his  parents  in  1844,  and  resided  with  them  till  his 
twenty-first  year.  He  then  engaged  at  monthly  labor  for  two  years,  after 
which  time  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  of  his  father  on  which  farm 
he  resided  twenty-four  years.  He  then  traded  for  his  present  farm  of  195 
acres  on  which  he  has  since  resided.  He  also  owns  17  acres  of  the  old 
homestead  and  84  acres  in  Putnam  County,  Ohio.  Mr.  McBeth  has  spent 
the  mature  part  of  his  life  farming  in  this  county  and  is  one  of  the  most 
successful  of  its  agriculturists.  On  his  farm  is  located  a  large  mound,  in 
which  has  been  found  the  bones  of  human  skeletons,  either  of  Indians  or  a 
previous  race.  John  McBeth  was  married  April  3,  1851,  to  Margaret  J. 
Swayze,  who  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  February  9,  1834,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Thompson)  Swayze.  Her  parents  were  born  in 
Pennsylvania  where  they  were  also  married  soon  after  moving  to  Fairfield 
County,  where  they  resided  till  1848,  when  they  came  to  Wyandot  and 
purchased  in  this  township,  the  old  Peacock  farm,  on  which  still  stands  the 
log  cabin  erected  by  the  Indian  Chief  of  that  name.  Her  mother  died  in 
Fairfield  County  in  1848;  her  father  afterward  sold  his  farm  and  removed 
to  Putnam  County,  where  he  died  in  February,  1865.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Beth have  four  children,  namely:  Frank  C,  born  April  19,  1854;  Jenie, 
October  6,  1856;  Martin  M.,  August  9,  1867;  Truman  B.,  February  26, 
1870.  Mr.  McBeth  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  served  several 
years  as  Trustee.  The  family  is  associated  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

THOMAS  C.  McBETH,  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers  of  this 
township,  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Penn.,  August  16,  1830.  His 
parents,  Thomas  and  Jane  (Campbell)  McBeth,  were  born  in  the  north  of 
Ireland,  the  father  in  1800,  the  mother  about  1805,  being  of  Scotch  ances- 
try. They  emigrated  to  America  in  1825,  landing  May  1,  They  located 
in  Washington  County,  Penn,,  on  the  MonoDgahela  River  twenty  miles 
above  Pittsburgh,  where  they  resided  till  the  spring  of  1844,  when  they  re- 
moved to  Marion  County,  Ohio.  In  1849,  they  located  on  Broken  Sword 
Creek  in  this  township,  where  they  purchased  400  acres  on  which  they  re- 
sided till  their  death;  the  father  passing  away  in  .lune,  1877,  the  mother 
May  1,  1875.  The  old  home  in  which  they  shared  the  joys  and  soiTOws  of 
life  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  centui'y,  is  now  deserted,  and  a  massive 
willow  stands  weeping  over  its  desolation.  There  were  ten  children  in  the 
family,  namely:  Eliza,  John,  Thomas  C,  Robert,  William,  Mary,  Ellen, 
Jane,  Fannie  and  Alexander — the  latter  deceased.  Thomas  C,  the  subject 
of  this  memoir,  resided  with  his  parents  till  in  his  twenty-second  year. 
He  then  was  employed  two  years  as  a  farm  hand  for  F.  Campbell,  of  Marion, 
at  $12  per  month,  after  which  he  farmed  rented  land  four  years,  beginning 
operations  in  1859  on  eighty  acres  given  him  by  his   father.     In   1858,  he 


718  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

ptu'chased  forty  acres,  adding  forty  more  in  1865,  and  in  1870,  traded  these 
tracts  for  his  present  farm  of  202  acres,  paying  $4,000.  On  this  farm  he 
has  erected  an  elegant  residence,  and  is  conducting  an  extensive  and  success- 
ful agricultural  and  stock-raising  business.  Mr.  McBeth  was  married 
January  25,  1855,  to  Sidney  C.  Lamberton,  a  native  of  Mansfield,  Ohio, 
born  September  8,  1834,  and  daughter  of  Robert  M.  and  Eliza  M.  (Edsall) 
Lamberton.  Her  grandparents  were  among  the  tirst  settlers  of  Richland 
County,  her  grandfather  Edsall  assisting  to  raise  the  log  storeroom  owned 
by  Mr.  I.  Wiler  on  what  is  now  the  site  of  the  noted  "  Wiler  House"  of 
Mansfield.  Her  father  when  first  located  in  that  vicinity,  sold  Mr.  Wiler 
ginseng,  snakeroot  and  other  medicinal  roots  and  herbs.  Her  grandfather, 
Lamberton,  was  a  native  of  Scotland  and  graduated  in  the  University  of 
Glasgow.  He  emigrated  to  America  and  became  one  of  the  most  able 
lawyers  of  Mansfield,  his  death  occurring  in  1858,  his  wife's  following. 
Mrs.  McBeth's  parents  were  natives  of  Carlisle,  Penn  and  Mansfield,  Ohio, 
her  father  born  May  12,  1811,  the  latter,  October,  1817.  They  were  mar- 
ried near  Mansfield  and  resided  there  most  of  their  lives,  her  father  having 
died  in  1839;  her  mother  is  still  living  in  that  vicinity  in  her  sixty -eighth 
year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McBeth  have  had  six  children,  viz.:  Thomas  N.,  born 
November  26,  1856;  Pleda  M.,  September  9,  1858— wife  of  Frank  Blair, 
Fannie  J.,  August  26,  1861— wife  of  William  H.  Dotts,  Venemen,  May  21, 
1864;  Minnie  I.,  December  2,  1866;  Maud,  twin  to  the  latter,  died  January 
17,  1869.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McBeth  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Chux-ch  and  highly  respected  in  their  community. 

WILLIAM  McBETH,  one  of  the  foremost  farmers  of  this  township, 
was  born  in  Washington  Co.,  Penn.,  July  12,  1834.  He  is  a  son  of  Thom- 
as and  Jane  (Campbell)  McBeth,  natives  of  Ireland  and  of  Scotch  ancestry. 
(See  sketch  of  T.  C.  McBeth).  Our  subject  resided  with  his  parents  till 
twenty-eight  years  of  age  and  engaged  in  farming,  obtaining  a  fair  education 
in  the  district  schools.  He  inherited  eighty  acres  from  his  father's  estate, 
and  purchased  forty  acres  in  1860,  to  which  he  has  added  till  he  now  owns 
263  acres  of  land,  valued  at  $75  to  $80  per  acre.  He  has  done  much  hard 
work,  having  assisted  in  clearing  two  large  farms  of  their  forest  growth. 
He  deals  quite  extensively  in  stock,  keeping  extra  qualities  of  cattle,  sheep 
and  hogs.  Mr.  McBeth  was  married  February  3,  1863,  to  Miss  Rhoda 
Harmon,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Minor)  Harmon,  natives  of 
Bartley  County,  Va.,  and  Madison  County,  Ohio,  respectively.  Her  par- 
ents spent  most  of  their  lives  in  this  county,  where  her  father  died  Septem- 
ber 18,  1853;  her  mother  November  28.  1867.  The  family  consisted  of 
ten  children,  namely:  Margaret,  Osborn,  Mary  A.,  Francis,  Sarah,  Rhoda, 
Elizabeth,  John,  Michael  and  George.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs, 
McBeth  has  been  blessed  by  four  children,  namely:  Gladys,  born  Septem- 
ber 30,  1864;  Blanch,  September  6,  1869;  Cora.  March  11,  1873;  Harry, 
October  22,  1877.  Mr.  McBeth  has  resided  on  his  present  farm  since  1863. 
He  has  been  very' successful  in  his  business  affairs,  his  efforts  having  been 
crowned  by  an  estate  of  not  less  than  $27,000.  He  and  Mrs.  McBeth  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the  family  ranking  among 
the  first  in  their  community. 

ISAAC  MILLER,  one  of  the  most  worthy  and  notable  pioneers  of  this 
county,  was  born  in  Pendleton  County,  Va. ,  May  24,  1818.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Anthony  Miller,  was  a  native  of  Hardy  County,  on  Lost  River, 
Va.,  and  was  all  through  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  was  present  at  the 
massacre  of  Little  Wheeling,  Va.,  where  but  a  very  few  escaped  the  toma- 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  719 

hawk  of  the  savages.  He  was  Lieutenant  of  the  company  that  followed  the 
Indians  to  Little  Wheeling.  His  maternal  grandfather  was  a  native  of  the 
same  county,  was  also  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  a  Methodist  minister. 
Isaac  Miller  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Margaret  (Lair)  Miller,  the  former  born 
in  Hardy  County,  on  Lost  River,  Va. ,  October  26,  1784;  the  latter  July  28, 
1783.  His  parents  were  married  in  their  native  county  and  subsequently 
removed  to  Pendleton  County,  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Potomac,  where 
they  resided  until  April  14,  1834,  when  they  started  for  Ohio,  and  located 
on  the  Delaware  Reserve,  now  within  this  county,  where  they  remained  two 
years,  when  they  moved  to  the  Wyandot  Reserve,  near  where  the  town  of 
Nevada  is  now  situated.  They  iirst  leased  land  in  1836  of  Jacob  Young,  a 
Wyandot,  on  which  land  they  resided  seven  years.  They  were  the  first 
white  settlers  of  Eden  Township;  the  father  then  purchased  land — 80  acres 
— with  his  son  Lair,  and  after  the  death  of  his  wife.  May  29,  1845,  resided 
with  his  son.  He  died  February  21,  1862.  In  this  family  there  were 
seven  children,  viz.:  John,  born  March  20,  1808;  Mary,  February  1,  1810; 
Catharine,  November  11,  1813;  Elizabeth  C,  May  12,  1816;  Isaac,  May  24, 
1818;  Lair,  February  10,  1820;  Jacob,  March  31,  1825.  Isaac,  our  subject, 
resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  He  was  mar- 
ried October  10  1847,  to  Barbara  Fredregill,  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah 
(Wever)  Fredregill,  natives  of  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.  By  this  mar- 
riage one  child  was  born,  namely:  Reuben,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  June 
29,  1848.  His  wife's  decease  occurring  August  9,  1849,  Mr.  Miller  was 
again  married  February  7,  1850,  to  Sarah  Clayton,  born  in  Wayne  County,  in 
Ohio,  March  12, 1820,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Cynthia  (Hampshire)  ulayton, 
natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  of  English  and  Welsh 
descent.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  June  27, 
1819,  and  later  moved  to  Knox;  then  to  Seneca,  and  then  to  Wyandot 
County  in  July,  1836.  Her  father  died  February  5,  1879;  her  mother, 
November  9,  1883 — both  in  Nebraska.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Miller 
farmed  rented  land  six  years,  operating  a  saw  mill  two  years  in  the  mean- 
time. He  located  on  his  present  farm  August  23,  1854,  purchasing  first 
forty  acres,  to  which  he  has  added  by  subsequent  purchases  till  he  now  owns 
eighty -five  acres.  His  present  dwelling  was  built  originally  by  Dr.  Grey- 
eyes,  a  "  medicine  man  "  of  the  Wyandot  tribe,  the  logs  having  been  hewn 
by  one  McGrew  and  John  Hicks  Standstone,  an  Indian.  Mr.  Miller  has 
been  a  lifelong  farmer,  and  has  witnessed  the  growth  of  this  county  since 
1834,  having  done  much  for  its  development.  He  has  had  several  hand-to- 
hand  combats  with  the  "  redskins,"  and  after  the  strife,  has  partaken  of  their 
bounteous  pots  of  pork,  deer,  raccoon,  'possum  and  skunk  broth  most  freely. 
He  is  still  quite  conversant  in  their  language  and  caa  yet  give  the  savage 
war-whoop  in  all  its  weirdness  and  terror.  He  was  supervisor  of  the  Indi- 
ans while  they  were  cutting  out  the  Osceola  road  from  Indian  Run  to  Rock 
Run,  and  was  intimately  acquainted  with  most  of  the  members  of  the  tribe. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  them.  Mrs.  Miller  was  a  school- 
teacher in  her  young  days,  closing  her  last  term  at  noon  before  marriage. 

REUBEN  MILLER  is  a  native  of  this  county,  born  in  Crane  Township, 
June  29,  1848.  He  resided  with  his  father,  Isaac  Miller  (see  sketch),  till 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  farming  and  attending  the  common  schools.  He 
was  married  December  29,  1870,  to  Mary  J.  Keller,  daughter  of  Harrison 
D.  and  Susanna  (Young)  Keller,  and  three  children  have  been  born  to  them 
— Myrtie  B.,  July  8,  1874,;  Lillie  M.,  January  24,  1878,  and  Lefee,   Sep- 


720  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

tember  27,  1883.  For  eight  years  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Miller  tilled  his 
father's  farm.  He  then  purchased  his  present  farm,  where  he  has  since 
been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  is  one  of  the  model  farmers  of 
the  township,  and  makes  a  specialty  of  good  grades  of  sheep  and  hogs.  He 
owns  eighty-five  acres  within  the  corporation  of  Nevada,  valued  at  $125  per 
acfe,  the  land  being  drained  by  five  miles  of  tile  drainage.  Mr.  Miller 
served  as  Trustee  of  the  township  in  1882,  and  in  1883  was  elected  member 
of  the  Village  Council.  He  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen,  is  an  energetic 
farmer  and  an  active  Republican. 

WILLIAM  MONTEE,  proprietor  of  the  Kerr  House,  Nevada,  is 
a  native  of  Plattsburg,  N.  Y. ,  born  June  27,  1829.  He  is  a  son  of  A.  and 
Hester  (Wilson)  Montee,  the  former  a  native  of  New  York  City;  the  latter 
of  Nova  Scotia,  of  French  and  Scotch-Irish  parentage  respectively.  They 
were  married  in  Clinton  County,  N.  Y. ,  and  were  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  eight  now  living — Emeline,  Elizabeth,  Theodore,  William,  Ed- 
ward, James,  Franklin  and  Finley.  After  marriage,  they  settled  at  Platts- 
burg. N.  Y. ,  moving  to  this  county  in  1833.  In  1852,  they  migrated  to 
Illinois,  where  the  father  died  in  1876,  aged  seventy -six;  the  mother  in 
1883.  The  former  was  a  soldier  during  the  entire  war  of  1812,  entering 
the  service  at  twelve  years  of  age.  He  was  in  after  years  a  Quartermaster 
in  the  militia  at  Little  Sandusky.  W'illiam  Montee  was  reared  on  the  farm 
in  this  county  among  the  Indians,  one  of  his  principal  playmates  being 
Moscoe  Sarrahas.  He  continued  in  agricultural  pursuits  till  he  enlisted  in 
the  army  in  September,  1862.  He  was  a  member  of  Company  K,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  participated  in 
the  battles  of  New  Market,  Piedmont,  Lynchburg  and  Winchester.  At  the 
latter  place,  he  was  placed  on  detached  service  as  Hospital  Regimental 
Cook,  serving  in  this  capacity  two  years.  Being  disabled  by  sickness,  he 
was  discharged  at  Washington  in  August,  1865,  and  returned  to  Little 
Sandusky,  where  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  four  years.  In  1878,  he 
removed  to  Nevada,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in  the  same  occupation. 
He  does  a  flourishing  business,  and  is  the  owner  of  160  acres  of  Kansas 
land,  and  fourteen  acres  in  Pitt  Township.  Mr.  Montee  was  married  Janu- 
ary 16,  1851,  to  Lorinda  Coon,  their  children  being  six  in  number,  two  liv- 
ing— Anna  E.,  born  April  5,  1856,  and  John  H.,  born  December  11,  1873. 
Mr.  Montee  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen,  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R. 

BENJAMIN  B.  MYERS  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  July  2,  1849. 
His  parents,  Gen.  Samuel  and  Hannah  Myers,  are  both  residents  of  Bucy- 
rus.  The  former  was  born  in  York  County,  Penn.,  December  4,  1802. 
He  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Bucyrus  in  an  early  day,  1826,  and  was  a 
prominent  and  influential  citizen.  He  represented  the  counties  of  Craw- 
ford and  Richland  two  terms  in  the  legislature,  and  was  ten  years  Treas- 
urer for  the  county  of  Crawford.  Benjamin  Myers  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Bucyrus,  and  subsequently  learned  the  tinner's  trade, 
which  he  has  since  engaged  in,  forming  a  partnership  first  with  John 
Scharf,  of  New  Washington,  but  disposing  of  his  interest  in  1874,  and  estab- 
lishing himself  in  the  hardware,  stove  and  tinware  business  in  Nevada, 
under  the  firm  name  of  S.  Myers  &  Son,  in  1875.  In  1879,  he  purchased 
his  father's  interest,  and  has  since  conducted  the  business  independently, 
enjoying  a  good  trade — cax'rying  a  full  stock  of  shelf  hardware,  stoves,  tin- 
ware and  agricultural  implements.  Mr.  Myers  was  married,  September  10, 
1872,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Delancey,  a  native  of  Crawford  County,  born  Decem- 


„^'-^^- 


^ 


-"^^^crA^^      ^^^^^iy-t>i^ 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  723 

ber  21,  1855,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Rebecca  Delancy,  and  two  children 
were  born  to  them — both  dying  in  infancy.  In  politics,  Mr.  Myers  is 
Democratic;  he  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  also  of  the 
English  Lutheran  Church.  He  is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
town  and  well  respected. 

JAMES  NEALLY,  son  of  David  and  Debora  (Goodrich)  Neally,  was 
born  in  Tioga  County,  N.  Y.,  July  2,  1820.  His  parents  were  natives  of 
Oswego,  N.  Y.,  where  they  were  married  and  spent  their  entire  lives,  the 
mother  dying  about  1825,  the  father  in  1873.  Mr.  Neally  was  reared  from 
his  seventh  to  his  twenty-first  year  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  working  on  a 
farm.  He  then  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  followed  this  trade  twelve 
years.  In  1855,  he  came  to  this  county  and  located  on  his  present  farm, 
then  containing  ninety-five  acres,  now  110,  valued  at  $90  to  $100  per  acre. 
He  was  married,  March  14,  1852,  to  Eunice  Gray,  born  in  Steuben  County, 
N.  Y.,  May  17,  1826,  daughter  of  Levi  and  Tryphena  (Baker)  Gray,  natives 
of  Connecticut  and  Tioga  County,  N.  Y. ,  respectively,  the  father  born  June 
26,  1790,  the  mother  June  8,  1793.  Her  great -grandmother  bore  the  name 
of  Hoose  and  was  a  cousin  of  Martin  Van  Buren,  deceased  President  of  the 
United  States.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  in 
1810,  and  in  1811  located  in  Wheeler  Township,  where  her  father  died  in 
1864:  her  mother  soon  after  removed  to  Illinois,  where  she  resided  several 
years,  and  then  in  other  places  with  her  children,  till  her  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  TiflSn,  Ohio,  August  15,  1882.  Mrs.  Neally' s  grandfather  Baker 
was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Western  New  Y'ork,  and  his  wife  a  woman  of 
marked  ability.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neally  have  had  seven  children,  namely, 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Charles  White,  born  in  New  York  June  4,  1853;  Ella, 
wife  of  D.  P.  Caldwell,  born  April  18,  1855;  Mary  T.,  wife  of  James  Wort, 
born  August  31,  1857;  Charles  D.,  March  15,  I860;  Prudence,  July  2, 
1862;  Fannie  F.,  August  15,  1864;  James  L.,  June  15,  1869.  The  latter 
died  September  24,  1874.  Mr.  Neally  is  one  of  the  many  good  farmers  of 
Antrim  Township,  and  is  kindly  regarded  in  his  social  sphere.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  Republican. 

JOHN  E.  PALMER  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  April  23, 
1827.  His  parents,  Charles  and  Anna  (Ward)  Palmer,  were  natives  of  En- 
gland, the  former  born  in  London  October  8,  1796,  the  latter  in  Repton 
November  15,  1804.  His  great  grandparents,  John  E.  and  Martha  (Sand- 
well)  Palmer,  were  married  in  England  January  20,  1763,  and  his  grand- 
father, John  E.  Palmer,  was  born  to  them  September  18, 1768.  His  grand- 
mother, Mary  (Sharp)  Palmer,  was  born  in  England  December  14,  1769. 
They  were  married  in  London  ^November  12,  1789,  and  their  children  were 
Stephen  S.,born  August  20,  1790,  lost  on  a  voyage  to  South  America,  off 
Ushant,  on  the  coast  of  France,  December  13,  1817;  Mary  A.,  February  1, 
1792;  John  E.,  Julv  28,  1793;  William  P.,  May  19,  1799;  Charles  S., 
October  8,  1796.  The  father  of  these  died  January  27,  1801,  the  mother 
November  25,  1803.  Charles  S.  Palmer,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  London,  his  father  being  a  noted  printer  in  that  city.  He,  Charles  S. 
Palmer,  emigrated  to  America  in  1819,  and  was  married  in  Richland 
County,  Ohio,  February  10,  1821,  to  Anna  Ward,  the  children  resulting 
from  this  marriage  being  Charles  S.,  born  December  18,.  1821;  Francis  R., 
April  25,  1823;  Mary,  February  25,  1825;  John  E.,  April  23,  1827;  Eliza- 
beth W.,  March  10,  1829;  Fannie,  January  25,  1831;  Martha,  March  25, 
1833;  Amanda,  April  15.  1835;  Phoebe  J.,  January  19,  1837;  William, 
March  18,  1838;  Henry  G.,  August  14,  1839;  Joseph,  July  24,  1841;  Mary 

30 


724  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

A.,.  January  8.  1844.  The  deceased  are  William,  Mary  and  Amanda;  the 
mother  died  August  15,  1865,  the  father  January  29,  1878.  JohnE.  Palmer, 
the  subject  proper  of  this  notice,  was  engaged  on  the  farm  with  his  parents 
till  twenty-six  years  of  age.  In  1853,  he  moved  to  this  county  and  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  his  present  farm,  on  which,  with  the  exception  of 
three  years,  he  has  since  resided.  Ho  at  one  time  owned  forty  acres  in 
Hardin  County,  but  subsequently  sold  the  tract  and  purchased  sixty  acres  in 
Crane  Township.  Mr.  Palmer  was  married  September  12,  1854,  to  Susan 
Bachtell,  daughter  of  Joseph  Bachtell  (see  sketch  of  Emmet  E.  Bachtell), 
and  three  children  were  burn  to  them,  namely:  Olive  L.,  September  14, 
1855;  Clinton  R.,  December  7,  1857;  Morris  E.,  November  22,  1864.  Mr. 
Palmer  is  one  of  the  model  farmers  of  the  township  and  a  man  of  excellent 
character  and  a  Kepublican  in  politics.  Mrs.  Palmer  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

LOREN  A.  PEASE,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Wyandot  County  and 
its  first  Sheriff,  was  born  at  Burton,  Geauga  Co.,  Ohio,  March  10,  3818. 
His  parents  were  Luther  and  Nancy  (Pease)  Pease,  were  natives  of  Con- 
necticut and  of  French  and  Welsh  ancestry  respectively.  Their  children 
were  Nancy  L..  Luther  L.,  James  C.  and  Loren  A.  The  parents  were  early 
settlers  of  Geauga  County,  Ohio,  locating  there  about  1817,  the  fathers  de- 
cease occurring  there  in  1825,  in  his  thirty-seventh  year,  the  mo^.her  surviv- 
ing till  1842  and  dying  in  this  county.  Loren  A.  Pease,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  reared  in  his  native  county  and  obtained  a  fair  education,  con- 
sidering his  advantages.  He  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  at  Painesville, 
Lake  County,  and  pursued  this  otjcupation  until  1850,  doing  an  extensive 
business  in  the  manufacture  of  wagons  and  buggies,'  principally  at  Syca- 
more, this  county,  to  which  place  he  removed  and  permanently  settled  in 
1839.  He  erected  the  first  frame  dwelling  in  that  village,  and  there  estab- 
lished, in  connection  with  his  brother  James,  the  first  wagon  shop  in  the 
county,  paying  $75  for  one  acre  of  land.  He  then  employed  five  to  six 
workmen  and  manufactured  thirty  to  fifty  wagons  yearly.  During  the  war 
Mr.  Pease  was  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  sorghum  molasses, 
in  which  business  he  was  financially  successful.  Beginning  life  with  lim- 
ited means,  he  at  length  became  the  owner  of  178  acres,  which  he  has  since 
exchanged  for  business  rooms  and  a  home  in  Nevada.  Mr.  Pease  was  mar- 
ried first  to  Miss  Maria  E.  Vaugh,  and  two  children  were  born  to  them, 
namely,  Eugene  C.  and  Victor  C,  both  deceased.  Their  mother  passed 
away  in  April,  1842,  and  Mr.  Pease  was  remarried  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  to 
Nancy  A.  Parsons,  who  died  March,  1875.  His  third  marriage  to  Jennie 
A.  Agnew,  n6e  Bibler,  occurred  March  15,  1877.  Mr.  Pease  was  elected 
Sherifi"  at  the  organization  of  the  county  in  1845,  and  was  therefore  the  first 
to  share  the  honors  of  that  office.  He  was  nominated  for  re-election,  but 
was  defeated  by  two  votes  by  Thomas  Baird,  Democrat,  the  tallies  standing 
658  and  660.  He  has  served  in  several  of  the  township  offices,  and,  with  his 
wife,  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  has  been  a  Re- 
publican since  the  organization  of  the  party. 

JACOB  RANCK  is  a  native  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born 
December  30,  1843.  He  is  the  son  of  David  and  Frances  (Betzer)  Ranck, 
natives  of  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  and  Ross  County,  Ohio,  respectively; 
the  father  was  born  October  18,  1802;  the  mother  December  6,  1806.  His 
parents  'were  married  in  Ross  County  November  21,  1829,  moved  to  this 
county  in  1833  and  leased  land  seven  years  of  William  Betzer.  They  then 
moved  to  Crawford  County,  where  his  father  pxirchased   land  on  which  he 


ANTRIM  TOWNSHIP.  725 

resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred  October  14,  1865;  his  wife  pi-eced- 
ing  him  July  14,  1851.  By  his  first  marriage  eleven  children  were  born, 
namely:  Catharine,  Eachel,  Ephraim,  Sarah,  Amanda,  Francis,  Lydia, 
Lewis  C,  Jacob,  Delilah  and  Jane.  By  his  second  marriage,  January  11, 
1855,  to  Nancy  (Feller)  Sterne,  there  were  born  Wesley  S. ,  Anna  M.  and 
Peter  F.  Jacob  Ranck,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  resided  with  his  parents 
till  his  nineteenth  year,  and  in  his  nineteenth  year  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  entered  the 
service  August  19,  1862.  He  was  mustered  in  a,t  Camp  Monroevilie,  and 
participated  in  foiarteen  engagements,  chief  among  which  were,  Winches- 
ter, New  Market,  Piedmont,  Berryville,  Fisher's  Hill,  Cedar  Creek.  Peters- 
burg and  High  Bi'idge.  He  was  captured  at  the  first  battle  of  Winches- 
ter and  kept  in  prison  one  month,  being  exchanged  and  joining  his  regiment 
after  four  months  parole.  He  was  again  captured  by  Lee's  army  at  the 
battle  of  High  Bridge,  April  6,  1865;  but  was  released  three  days  later  by 
Leo's  surrender.  He  received  his  discharge  in  June,  1865,  having 
served  thirty- four  months.  Returning  home,  Mr.  Ranck  worked  by  the 
month  and  rented  land  about  seven  years.  He  then  purchased  eighty  acres, 
which  he  sold  two  years  later  and  purchased  his  present  farm  of  136  acres, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  married  February  27,  1868,  to  Caro- 
line Gottier,  who  was  born  in  Holmes  County,  her  parents  having  died  when 
she  was  but  ten  years  old.  Three  children  have  resulted  from  this  union, 
namely:  Jesse  G.,  born  December  1,  1868;  IdaB.,  July  20, 1871;  Clara  L., 
January  15,  1876.  Mr.  Ranck  is  an  industrious  farmer  and  well  respected. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ranck  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

NICHOLAS  RATZ  was  born  in  Canton  Berne,  Switzerland,  November 
6,  1833.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Barbara  (Wies)  Ratz,  John,  Jr. ,  Mary 
and  Nicholas  being  the  only  children  of  the  family  now  living.  Their 
father  died  in  1839;  the  mother  in  1849.  Mr.  Ratz  was  a  farmer  in  Swit- 
zerland. He  came  to  America  in  1855,  and  located  at  Upper  Sandu»ky, 
where  he  engaged  in  various  kinds  of  work — chiefly  farming — till  the  fall 
of  1870,  when  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  and  where  he 
has  since  resided.  His  farm  is  well  improved  and  is  valued  at  $75  per 
acre.  In  1882,  he  erected  a  tine  barn  at  a  cost  of  $1,500.  Mr.  Ratz  was 
married  March  20,  1862,  to  Miss  Magdalene  Mitsch,  a  native  of  Crawford 
County,  born  December  20,  1842,  and  daughter  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth 
Mitsch.  They  have  two  children,  namely:  William  H. ,  born  November 
29,  1862;  and  Mary  E.,  born  April  3,  1874.  Mr.  Ratz  and  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Reformed  Church,  and  are  highly  respected  in  their  neighborhood. 
Mr.  Ratz  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  They  are  industrious  people,  and 
have  earned  for  themselves  a  comfortable  home. 

CxiROLINE  REX,  n^e  Decker,  one  of  the  most  successful  and  able 
business  women  in  the  county,  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  August  16,  1824. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Aaron  M.  and  Mary  (Vandruff)  Decker,  her  parents 
having  come  to  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  in  1831;  her  mother  dying  there 
in  her  forty-seventh  year.  Her  father  died  in  Illinois  in  1858.  Mrs.  Rex 
lived  with  her  parents  until  her  mother's  death,  and  then  embarked  on  the 
sen  of  life  on  her  own  responsibility.  She  was  married  April  25,  1844,  to 
Andrew  Waters,  who  died  February  24,  1857.  He  purchased  the  farm  of 
fifty  acres  (to  which  Mrs.  Rex  added  ten  acres  by  a  second  purchase),  and 
where  she  has  since  resided.  This  farm  has  been  paid  for  chiefly  by  money 
earned  by  her  own  exertions,  and  is  a  comfortable  home,  valued  at  $100  per 
acre.     She  was  married,  April  14,  1859,  to  J.  D.  Rex,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 


726  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

vania,  born  August  4,  1816.  He  was  fatally  injured  by  a  runaway  team, 
dying  from  the  effects  of  liis  injuries,  October  16,  1876.  Since  bis  death, 
Mrs.  Rex  bas  taken  care  of  her  farm  and  managed  the  same  herself.  In 
this  she  bas  been  very  successful,  having  cleared  her  property  of  debt,  be- 
sides adding  much  to  its  improvement.  She  perhaps  bas  done  more  bard 
work  than  most  any  other  woman  of  her  years  in  the  county,  and  amid  all 
her  trials  has  born  up  most  bravely.  Besides  her  housework  she  has  been 
much  engaged  in  the  corn  and  harvest  fields,  having,  in  one  season,  raked 
thirty  acres  of  wheat  from  the  cradle- swath.  She  has  given  liberally  to  her 
step-children,  and  has  yet  a  handsome  competence,  on  which  she  can  safely 
rely  in  the  closing  years  of  her  life.  Mrs.  Rex  bas  been  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  thirty  years,  and  is  one  of  its  most  devoted  members. 
Indeed,  few  women  have  born  the  burdens  of  life  more  bravely  or  fought  its 
battles  more  victoriously  than  she. 

HENRY  RITTERSPACH  was  born  in  Bavaria,  March  2,  1819,  and  is  a 
son  of  George  and  Christina  (Wend)  Ritterspach,  also  natives  of  Bavaria. 
There  were  live  children  in  the  family,  Henry,  our  subject,  being  now  the 
only  living.  He  came  to  America  in  1840,  when  twenty-one,  to  escape  con- 
scription, and  had  great  difficulty  in  eluding  the  officers,  while  making  his 
escape.  On  landing  in  this  country,  Mr.  Ritterspach  went  direct  to  Woos- 
ter,  Ohio,  near  which  place  he  was  engaged  in  farm  labor  about  eight  years. 
He  moved  to  this  county  in  August,  1848,  and  purchased  forty  acres  of  his 
present  farm,  paying  $150  for  the  same,  this  amount  having  since  been 
obtained  by  the  sale  of  three  walnut  trees,  which  grew  on  the  lot.  By  sub- 
sequent purchases  Mr.  Rittei'spach  obtained  800  acres,  of  which  he  gave 
his  children  60  acres  each,  and  now  owns  but  120  acres,  valued  at  .f75  to 
$90  per  acre.  He  began  at  monthly  wages,  locating  here  in  the  woods,  and 
has  earned  for  himself  an  enviable  fortune.  He  was  married  in  1844,  to 
Anna  M.  Mann,  a  native  of  Bavaria,  born  October,  1818,  daughter  of  Mi- 
chael and  Barbara  (Binder)  Mann.  She  emigrated  to  America  in  1843.  By 
this  union  four  children  were  born,  namely  Jacob,  Simon,  Barbara  and 
Catharine,  the  latter  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ritterspach  are  members  of 
the  Lutheran  Church,  and  he  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

JACOB  W.  RITTERSPACH  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  June  20, 
1845,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  this  county  in  1848.  He  resided  with  them 
till  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  engaging  in  farming.  He  was  married  April 
17,  1873,  to  Saloma  Jacobs,  a  native  of  Bavaria,  born  August  14,  1848, 
daughter  of  George  and  Saloma  (Reinboldt)  Jacobs,  also  natives  of  Bavaria. 
She  came  with  her  parents  to  America  in  1850  and  located  in  Bucyrus, 
Crawford  County,  where  her  mother  died  in  1878,  her  father  still  living, 
their  children  being  Nicholas,  Mary,  William,  Frederick  and  Saloma.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ritterspach  have  four  children,  namely:  Clara,  born  June  17, 1874; 
Henry,  January  21,  1876;  Freddie,  June  22,  1879;  Valeria,  October  25, 
1883.  At  his  marriage  Mr.  Ritterspach  inherited  sixty  acres  of  land,  to 
which  he  has  added  by  subsequent  purchases,  till  he  now  owns  145  acres, 
valued  at  $75  to  $100  per  acre.  He  deals  some  in  stock,  keeping  good 
grades  generally  and  some  thorough- bred.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
and  is  now  serving  as  Trustee.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church. 

SIMON  RITTERSPACH,  second  son  of  Henry  and  Ann  M.  Ritterspach, 
was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  March  16,  1847.  He  resided  with  his 
parents  till  his  marriage,  October  8.  1875,  to  Louisa  Zulauf,  who  was  born 
in  this  township,  December  2,  1854,  and  daughter  of   Jacob  and  Elizabeth 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  727 

Zulauf.  At  his  marriage  Mr.  Ritterspach  obtained  sixty  acres  of  land  from 
his  father,  on  which  he  erected,  in  1881,  a  handsome  frame  residence  at  a 
cost  of  ^2,000.  He  has  since  purchased  ten  acres,  and  now  values  his  farm 
at  $85  to  $90  per  acre.  He  keeps  a  good  grade  of  stock,  does  a  general 
farming  business,  and  has  resided  in  this  township  since  his  boyhood.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ritterspach  have  four  children,  viz. :  Willie  A.,  born  September 
25,  1876;  Minnie  M.,  July  7,  1879;  Eddie  Z.,  September  28,  18S1;  Lona 
I.,  June  23,  1883.  Mr.  Ritterspach  is  well  respected  in  his  community, 
being  a  supporter  of  Democratic  principles  and  a  member  of  the  German 
Lutheran  Chui'ch. 

GEORGE  ROOD  was  born  on.  the  homestead  where  he  now  lives,  July 
25,  1848.  He  is  a  son  of  Wine  and  Catharine  (Harten)  Rood,  the  former 
born  near  Glastonbury,  Somersetshire,  England,  February  27,  1802;  the 
latter  in  Dauphin  County,  Penn. ,  October  22,  1809.  His  father  emigrated 
to  America  in  1817,  and  purchased  lands  in  Marion  and  Hardin  Counties. 
He  was  engaged  for  several  years  at  wagon-making,  in  the  towns  of  Mar- 
seilles, Mt.  Vernon  and  Bucyrus,  moving  to  this  county  in  1844:,  and  pur- 
chasing eighty  acres,  where  Mr.  Rood  now  resides,  owning  145  acres  at  the 
date  of  his  death.  Our  subject,  George,  was  the  only  heir.  The  father 
died  May  26,  1870;  the  mother,  December  27,  1882.  Mr.  Rood  has  always 
resided  on  the  old  home  farm.  He  was  married  November  25,  1869,  to 
Melissa  Pendiy,  a  native  of  Richland  County,"  Ohio,  born  November  25, 
1849,  daughter  of  James  and  Jane  Pendry,  also  natives  of  Richland  County, 
Ohio,  now  residents  of  Larimer  County,  Colo.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rood  have 
three  children,  viz.:  Franklin  G.,  January  3,  1871;  Willie  W.,  April  4, 
1872;  Venus  A.,  October  5,  1874;  Marcellus  M.,  April  21,  1876.  Willie 
died  April  29,  1875.  Mr.  Rood  is  a  Republican,  and  one  of  the  substantial 
farmers  of  the  township,  taking  an  active  interest  in  general  matters. 

JOHN  RUSSELL  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  July  20, 1842.  He  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  and  Wealthy  (Adams)  Russell,  the  former  born  in  Wheeling, 
Va.,  February  12,  1809;  the  latter  in  New  Hampshire  in  1816.  His 
parents  were  married  in  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio,  and  reared  a  family  of 
five  children,  all  yet  living,  viz.,  John,  Joseph  A.,  Ann,  Cordelia  F.  and 
Martha  J.  His  father  still  resides  in  Sparta,  Stark  County,  where  the 
mother  died  in  November,  1868.  John  Russell,  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  a  soldier  almost  through  the  entire  war  of  1812.  Mr.  Russell  was 
brought  up  on  a  farm  in  Stark  County.  He  obtained  a  good  common 
school  education,  and  entered  Oberlin  College,  but  was  compelled  to  aban- 
don his  studies  on  account  of  failing  health.  Mr.  Russell  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany D,  One  Hundred  and  Seventh  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  August  11, 
186*2,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  (being  one  of  nine  left 
in  a  company  of  forty  men);  bombardment  of  Charleston,  including  the 
skirmishes.  He  then  went  to  Florida  with  his  regiment,  and  was  in  the 
battle  at  Jacksonville.  He  was  discharged  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  July  2, 
1865.  In  the  spring  of  1866,  Mr.  Russell  came  to  this  county,  taught 
school  one  term,  and  was  married  June  18,  1867,  to  Lydia  J.  Smalley, 
daughter  of  Abraham  and  Elizabeth  (Dwire)  Smalley,  and  six  children  were 
born  to  them,  three  living,  viz.,  Martha  S.,  Elizabeth  W.  and  Joseph  W. ; 
Harrold,  Anna  M.  and  Florence  are  deceased.  After  marriage,  Mr.  Russell 
engaged  in  farming  and  lumbering  two  years  in  Crane  Township;  in  brick 
making  three  years  at  Upper  Sandusky;  removing  with  his  family  to 
Nevada  in  1873,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
brick  and  tile,  the  latter  since  1878.     He  does  a  large  business,  employing 


728  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

from  eight  to  sixteen  workmen  during  the  summer.  Mr.  Russell  served  as 
Trustee  of  township  three  years,  and  has  been  one  of  the  School  Board  five 
years;  he  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H..  G.  A.  R.,  and,  with  his  family,  of 
the  Advent  Church.     In  politics,  Mr.  Russell  is  a  Republican. 

JOSEPH  SEIGER  was  born  in  Baden,  September  22,  1839,  and  is  a  son 
of  John  and  Magdalene  Seiger,  also  natives  of  Baden.  He  emigrated  with 
his  parents  in  1848,  and  located  near  Little  Sandusky.  His  father  died 
May  11,  1870;  his  mother,  September  18,  1871,  the  former  in  his  sixty-sixth 
year,  the  latter  in  her  fifty-ninth.  Mr.  Seiger  resided  with  his  parents, 
conducting  the  farm,  till  thirty  years  of  age.  He  then  engaged  at  fence- 
making  for  C.  R.  Fowler,  working  chiefly  at  that  business  for  eight  years. 
He  then  farmed  rented  land  one  year,  and  in  1878  purchased  ninety  acres 
of  land  where  he  now  resides.  Mr.  Seiger  was  married  January  14,  1875, 
to  Catharine  Maley,  who  was  born  in  this  county  December  9,  1853.  They 
have  three  children,  viz.,  Iva  E.,  born  February  14,  1877;  Delia  M.,  March 
29,  1879;  and  Myrtie  P.,  November  29,  1883.  '  In  politics,  Mr.  Seiger  is  a 
Democrat.  He  is  a  hardworking,  honest  farmer,  and  well  respected  in  his 
neighborhood. 

JAMES  A.  STEWART,  of  the  firms  of  Stewart  &  Hall  and  Stewart  & 
Wallace,  was  born  in  Allegheny  County,  Penn. ,  February  29,  1844.  His 
parents,  George  and  Rosanna  (Rinehart)  Stewart,  natives  of  Ireland  and 
Pennsylvania,  were  married  in  Allegheny  County  in  1841,  residing  there 
until  1860,  when  they  came  to  this  county,  where  his  father  established  a 
shingle  factory,  which  he  conducted  till  his  death,  which  occurred  March  22, 
1869.  His  father  came  with  his  parents  from  Guilford.  County  Down,  Ire- 
land, in  1806.  James  A.  is  one  of  nine  children,  five  of  whom  are  living — 
Mrs.  Mary  S.  Wallace,  of  Steubenville;  James  A.,  Mrs.  Carrie  B.  Welty, 
of  Charleston,  W.  Va. ;  Mrs.  Millie  S.  Seaton,  of  Harvard,  Neb.;  Mrs.  Ella 
M.  Seaton,  of  Pullman,  111.  The  deceased  were  William  A.,  Maria.  Annie 
and  George  W.,  who  died  in  infancy.  Our  subject  removed  to  Ohio  with 
his  parents  in  1860.  In  1862,  he  entered  the  army  in  Company  F,  One 
Hundred  and  First  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Capt.  Kirby,  of  Upper 
Sandusky,  enlisting  for  three  years.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Perry- 
ville,  Knob  Gap,  Stone  River,  Liberty  Gap  and  Chickamauga.  being 
wounded  at  the  latter  place,  carrying  the  ball  yet,  which  was  lodged  in  his 
right  shoulder.  After  three  months  in  the  hospital,  he  joined  his  company 
at  Bridgeport,  Ala. ,  December  24,  1863,  and  subsequently  took  part  in  the 
battles  of  Rocky  Face  Ridge  and  Resaca;  but,  owing  to  his  disability,  was 
sent  to  the  hospital,  and  was  afterward  appointed  clerk  at  department 
headquarters,  serving  in  this  capacity  until  the  close  of  the  war,  receiving 
his  discharge  at  Camp  Cleveland,  June  26,  1865.  Returning  home,  he  re- 
sumed work  in  the  shingle  factory,  where  he  remained  as  partner  with  his 
father  until  his  death  in  1869,  and  in  1870,  formed  a  partnership  with  W. 
H.  Wallace,  under  the  firm  name  of  Steward  &  Wallace,  in  the  manufacture 
of  staves,  heading,  etc.,  rebuilding  the  factory  in  1874,  which  is  still  run- 
ning and  doing  an  extensive  business.  In  1876,  established  a  hub  factory 
at  Charleston,  W.  Va.,  with  firm  of  Stewart,  Wallace  &  Welty.  In  1878, 
he  bought  the  hardware  stock  of  M.  R.  Hall,  removing  to  Nevada,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  In  1882,  the  present  partnership  of  Stewart  &  Hall  was 
formed,  they  purchasing  W.  H.  Wallace's  interest  in  the  hardware  store. 
Mr.  Stewart  was  married,  October  20,  1870.  to  Mary  L.  Hall,  daughter  of 
Edward  and  Ann  (Fielding)  Hall,  and  six  children  have  been  born  to  them — 
Mary  F.,  born   July  29,  1871;  George  E.,  May  12,  1873;  Annie  M.,  April 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  729 

9,  1875;  Gertrude  A.,  December  16,  1876;  William  A..  October  27,  1878; 
Stanley  G.,  May  22,  1882.  The  deceased  are  Annie  M.,  who  died  May  2, 
1875,  and  William  A.,  December  29,  1880.  Mr.  Stewart  has  served  in 
several  of  the  city  and  township  offices,  is  a  Republican  and  member  of 
Leith  Post,  No.  127,  G.  A.  R.  He  was  the  first  Post  Commander,  serving 
two  terms,  and  was  a  member  of  the  National  Encampment  at  Baltimore, 
in  June,  1882,  having  been  elected  as  one  of  the  State  delegates. 

ROBERT  M.  STEWART,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  May 
28,  1839.  He  is  the  youngest  son  of  Archibald  and  Martha  (Johnson)  Stew- 
art, both  natives  of  Lycoming  County,  Penn.,  and  of  Scolch-Iri&h  and 
English  parentage.  Six  of  ten  children  are  yet  living — Mary,  Nancy,  So- 
phia, James  W.,  Charles  J.  and  Robert  M.  Their  father  was  born  June  2, 
1797;  their  mother  in  1795.  Archibald  Stewart  settled  in  Seneca  County 
about  1820,  and  still  resides  there;  his  wife  has  been  deceased  since  Decem- 
ber 24,  1854.  Robert  M.,  our  subject,  grew  up  on  the  farm  with  his  parents 
and  attended  the  district  schools,  subsequently  taking  an  academic  course 
at  Republic.  He  then  engaged  in  teaching  and  farming  alternately  till  he 
enlisted  in  the  service,  February  23,  1862.  He  became  a  member  of  Com- 
pany G,  Fifty-fifth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  engaged  in  the  battles 
of  Moorefield,  Strasburg,  Rappahannock,  Bull  Run,  Chancellorsville,  Gettys- 
burg; then  joining  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  participating  in  the 
actions  at  Buzzard  Roost,  Resaca,Kenesaw  Mountain,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  front 
of  Atlanta,  and  after  the  Atlanta  campaign  with  Sherman  to  the  sea;  in 
this  latter  movement  being  chiefly  engaged  with  five  other  comrades,  as 
scout,  and  among  the  first  to  enter  Savannah.  Mr.  Stewart  was  discharged 
at  Hardeeville,  S.  C. ,  January  24,  1865,  and  returned  home  to  take  up  the 
study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  B.  A.  Wright,  of  Maumee,  Ohio.  He  attended 
the  Cincinnati  Medical  College  in  1865-66,  and  in  1870  graduated  at  that 
institution.  He  soon  after  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Mexico, 
this  county,  under  the  physio-medical  theory,  being  among  the  first  to 
practice  the  same  in  the  county.  In  October,  1866,  he  located  in  Nevada, 
where  he  has  since  been  engaged,  meeting  with  merited  success.  He  was 
engaged  in  the  drug  business  from  1875  to  1878,  with  the  firm  of  R.  M. 
Stewart  &  Co.,  but  subsequently  disposed  of  his  interest  and  erected  a  brick 
block  containing  six  business  I'ooms  in  Kansas  City.  Mr.  Stewart  was  mar- 
ried, September  10,  1867,  to  Miss  Susan  A.  Funk,  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Margaret  (Nichols)  Funk,  and  seven  children  have  been  born  to  them — 
Mattie  E.,  Margaret  M.,  Archie  J.,  Annie  V.,  Hattie  G.,  Charley  J.  and  Al- 
wilda,  the  latter  deceased.  Mr.  Stewart  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Ad- 
vent Church;  he  is  surgeon  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  Leith  Post,  No.  127,  and  a 
Republican. 

PATRICK  TIVENS  was  born  in  Ireland,  March  25,  1839,  and  is  a  son 
of  Hugh  and  Bridget  (Con Ion)  Tivens,  also  natives  of  Ireland.  There  are 
six  children  in  the  family  yet  living — Patrick,  Charles,  Hugh,  James,  Win- 
nifred  and  Bridget.  Their  father  is  still  living  but  their  mother  died  in 
1882.  Patrick,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  came  to  America  in  1857,  and 
stopped  a  few  months  in  New  York  State,  then  came  to  Sandusky  City,  from 
which  place,  about  four  months  later,  he  came  to  this  county.  He  was  en- 
gaged at  farm  labor  for  Mr.  F.  Fowler,  one  year,  and  for  S.  P.  Fowler,  six- 
teen years,  after  which  he  rented  land  two  years,  purchasing  his  present 
farm  of  100  acres  in  1877,  paying  $60  per  acre.  He  was  married,  March  30, 
1872,  to  Susanna  Maloy,  who  was  born  in  this  county.  May  29,  1852.  Her 
parents,  John  C.  and  Anna  M.  (Dinkle)  Maley,  were  natives  of  Germany. 


730  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Five  children  have  been  born  to  them — Patrick  E..  December  18,  1872; 
Winnifred,  October  6,  1874;  Emily  N.,  September  2,  1877;  Hugh,  March 
29,  1879;  Charles,  October  23,  1882.  In  politics  Mr.  Tivens  is  Democratic, 
in  religion  Catholic.  He  has  a  good  farm  valued  at  |75  per  acre,  and  is  a 
good  citizen. 

DANIEL  TRAXLER  is  a  native  of  Cumberland  County,  Peun..  born 
April  2,  1818.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Cramer)  Traxler,  also 
natives  of  Ciunberland  County,  where  they  were  married.  In  1824,  they  came 
to  Ohio,  and  located  in  Summit  County,  moving  to  Crawford  County  in  1841, 
residing  there  until  their  deaths.  The  children  of  the  family  were  Mary, 
Elizabeth,  Catharine,  George,  Daniel,  Henry,  Peter,  John  and  Susan — Dan- 
iel, Peter  and  John  now  the  only  ones  living.  The  father  died  in  1848,  the 
mother  in  1845.  Daniel  Traxler,  our  subject,  lived  with  his  parents  till 
about  twenty  years  of  age;  he  then  rented  land  in  Stark  County,  Ohio, 
and  farmed  until  1861,  when  he  moved  to  Wayne  County  and  purchased 
104  acres,  on  which  he  resided  till  1879,  when  he  came  to  this  county  and 
purchased  his  present  farm  of  136|  acres,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  Mr.  Traxler  was  married,  January  3,  1839,  to 
Josephine  Phillips,  a  native  of  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  born  June  12, 
1818,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Phillips,  natives  of  Ohio 
and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  Her  parents  were  married  in  her  native 
county,  and  resided  there  until  1828,  when  they  removed  to  Wayne  County, 
in  where  her  mother  died  in  1839,  her  father  in  1851.  Their  children  were 
George,  Lewis,  Catharine  and  Josephine — the  two  sons  now  deceased.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Traxler' s  children  are  Rose  A.,  born  December  12,  1839;  Eliza- 
beth L.,  August  5,  1842;  William  E.,  April  18,  1845;  Flora  A.,  October 
18,  1848;  Joseph  O.,  June  6,  1849;  Mary  (same  date);  Franklin  P.,  Octo- 
ber 17,  1851;  Ottomon  D.,  February  12,  1855;  John  H.,  August  18,  1858; 
Charles  L.,  March  20,  1861.  All  these  attained  maturity,  and  all  are  now 
deceased  but  the  two  latter,  John  H.  and  Charles  L. ,  being  one  and  all  of 
good  habits  and  character.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Traxler  are  members  of  the  Re- 
formed Church,  and  are  well  respected  in  their  community. 

DANIEL  C.  TRAXLER,  freight,  ticket  and  express  agent,  Nevada, 
was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  September  4,  1847,  son  of  Peter  and 
Catharine  Traxler  (see  sketch  of  Eden  Township).  In  1852,  he  came  with 
his  parents  to  this  county,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  obtained  the 
rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  district  schools,  supplementing  this  by 
one  term  in  the  Heidelberg  College,  Tiffin,  Ohio,  closing  his  studies  at  the 
Upper  Sandusky  High  School.  He  afterward  engaged  in  teaching  during 
the  winter  seasons,  working  on  the  farm  during  summers  in  this  locality 
till  1869,  when  he  emigrated  to  Missouri,  and  thence  to  Texas,  making  the 
trip  between  the  latter  points  (about  600  miles)  on  foot.  He  engaged  in 
teaching  in  the  above-named  States,  also  spent  some  time  in  herding  and 
branding  cattle  in  Texas,  passing  tifty-two  days  and  nights  in  the  saddle. 
After  three  years,  Mr.  Traxler  returned  home,  and  took  up  his  abode  with 
his  father,  engaging  a  few  years  in  farming,  subsequently  spending  one 
year  with  Stewart  &  AVallace  in  the  stave  and  heading  business.  In  1879, 
he  located  in  Nevada,  accepting  a  clerkship  of  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  & 
Chicago  Railroad  Company,  of  which  he  was  made  ticket,  freight  and  ex- 
press agent  in  June,  1882,  Mr.  Traxler  was  married,  October  22,  1874,  to 
Miss  Mary  E.  Kroft,  a  native  of  Stark  County,  born  June  3,  1853,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Rebecca  (Prouse)  Kroft,  of  English  and  German  ancestry 
respectively.     The  children  by  this  marriage  are  Gertrude  A.  C,  born  July 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  731 

7,  1875;  Guendoline  M.,  March  5,  1877;  Garrold  J.  P.,  September  30, 
1878;  Herman  P.,  May  12,  1880;  and  Harry  N.  J.,  November  18,  1883. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Traxler  is  a  Republican.  He  served  as  Assessor  two  terms, 
and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Union  School  Board.  He  is  associated  with 
the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and,  with  his  wife,  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church. 

HENRY  TRISH  was  born  in  York  County,  Penn.,  March  22,  1833. 
His  parents,  Louis  and  Elizabeth  Trish,  were  natives  of  Germany,  the 
former  born  November  11,  1801,  the  latter  August  3,  1804.  They  were 
married  in  Germany,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1832,  stopping  two  years 
in  Pennsylvania,  then  removing  to  Bucyrus.  Ohio,  where  the  father  was  en- 
gaged nineteen  years  in  the  manufacture  of  wagons  and  buggies.  In  1853, 
he  came  to  this  county  and  purchased  fifty  acres  of  land,  to  which  he  added 
till  he  owned  234  acres.  He  died  July  4,  1859;  his  wife  surviving  till  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1882.  The  family  consisted  of  ten  children,  namely,  Margaret, 
Louis,  Henry,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Frederick,  John,  Barbara,  Lydia  and  Anna. 
Louis  and  Lydia  are  deceased.  Mr.  Trish,  our  subject,  resided  with  his 
parents  till  his  twenty-third  year,  and  then  went  to  Indiana,  where  he  was 
engaged  five  years  at  the  wagon  trade  in  the  respective  towns  of 
Goshen  and  Warsaw.  Returning  home,  he  entered  into  a  partnership  with 
his  brother  Frederick,  with  whom  he  was  engaged  in  farming  till  1882, 
when  the  partnership  was  dissolved.  He  has  been  very  successful  financial- 
ly, now  owning  348  acres  of  the  undivided  estate.  He  does  quite  an  exten- 
sive farming  and  stock-raising  business,  and  is  a  straightforward,  energetic 
citizen  of  good  character.  Mr.  Trish  is  still  living  the  quiet  life  of  a  bach- 
elor, his  two  sisters  taking  care  of  his  household. 

JOSEPH  TURNEY,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  July 
22,  1825.  His  parents  were  Joseph  and  Margaret  (Weber)  Turney,  his 
father  having  been  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Penn. ,  April  12,  1792; 
his  mother  in  the  same  vicinity  in  1793.  His  maternal  grandfather,  John 
W.  W^eber,  was  a  prominent  minister  in  the  German  Reformed  Church. 
Joseph  Turney,  Sr.,  was  married  in  1812,  and  moved  to  Ohio  in  the  year 
1819,  settling  on  the  banks  of  Allen  Creek,  Franklin  County.  He  soon  after 
removed  to  Delaware,  where  he  resided  twelve  years,  engaged  in  the  tin  and 
copper  business;  he  then  moved  into  the  country  near  the  village  of  Ostran- 
der,  where  he  died  at  the  residence  of  his  son,  Benjamin  Turney,  January 
29,  1872,  in  his  eightieth  year;  his  wife,  Margaret,  died  October  27,  1860. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  the  youngest  of  whom  died  in  his 
twenty- eighth  year,  the  first  death  in  the  family.  Dr.  Turney  obtained  the 
nidiments  of  an  education  in  the  school  districts  of  the  village  of  Delaware, 
Ohio,  finishing  his  education  at  the  Woodstock  Seminary.  He  began  the 
study  of  medicine  in  Marion,  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  John  Norton,  in 
1848,  entering  the  Starling  Medical  College  at  Columbus,  in  1849,  gradu- 
ating February  22,  1851;  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  after 
several  removals  located  in  Nevada  in  1864,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
there  permanently  established;  he  has  built  up  a  lucrative  practice,  and 
been  highly  successful  in  his  profession.  He  owns  a  comfortable  home  in 
Nevada,  and  eighty  acres  in  Crawford  County.  In  1862,  Dr.  Turney  spent 
some  time  in  the  late  war,  as  surgeon  in  the  field  hospital,  and  in  1864, 
again  was  employed  in  the  same  capacity;  he  was  married  March  28, 
1852,  to  Louisa  Welch,  daughter  of  Benjamin  S.  and  Rebecca  (Drake) 
Welsh,  natives  of  Ohio  and  Virginia  respectively.  Three  children  have 
blessed  this  union — Florence,  born  January  24,  1853;  Eugene  W. ,  January 


732  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

13,  1857;  Tully  C,  May  21,  1860;  the  mother  was"  born  August  4,  1832. 
Dr.  Turney  is  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Medical  Association,  and  a  Repub- 
lican in  political  faith. 

WILLIAM  WELCH  was  born  in  Huron  County,  Ohio,  April  25,  1818; 
he  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (McMillen)  Welch,  natives  of  Beaver  County, 
Penn..  the  father  born  about  1792,  the  mother  a  few  years  later;  his  parents 
left  Beaver  County  about  1816,  and  located  in  Huron  County,  moving  to 
Seneca  County  in  1820,  being  the  fourth  white  family  of  the  early  settlers. 
They  resided  there  twenty- three  years,  and  then  moved  to  this  county;  he 
served  as  County  Assessor  two  years;  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  nine  years, 
and  twice  elected  to  the  Legislature;  he  located  near  Nevada  about  1843, 
and  subsequently  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  two  or  three  terms,  and  as 
Commissioner  nine  years.  He  died  in  1860.  William  Welch,  our  subject, 
resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-three  years  old;  he  came  to  this  county 
in  1848,  and  purchased  fifty-five  acres  at  the  land  sales,  residing  on  this 
farm  seven  years;  he  then  sold  out  and  purchased  108  acres  in  Nevada, 
where  he  lived  twenty-three  years,  owning  at  the  same  time  his  present 
home  of  sixty  acres;  he  was  twice  engaged  in  the  livery  business,  and  for 
fifteen  years  dealt  more  or  less  in  live  stock,  doiug  some  shipping.  He  laid 
out  thirty-nine  lots  to  the  town  of  Nevada.  Mr.Welch  was  married,  November 
4,  1841,  to  Margaret  A.  Smith,  a  native  of  Montgomery  County,  Penn., 
born  January  1,  1818,  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Margaret  (Hart)  Smith; 
her  father,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  dying 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-five  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Welch  have  had  six 
children,  namely:  Jasper  M.,  born  November  3,  1842;  Miranda  J.,  May  22, 
1844;  James  A.,  August  14,  1846;  Amanda  A.,  July  15,  1848;  William  Mc, 
June  13,  1851;  Ransom  H.,  August  17,  1853.     Miranda   J.,  died  December 

14,  1869;  Ransom  H.,  December  11,  1863;  William  Mc,  October  17,  1883. 
Mr.  Welch  is  a  Democrat  "  dyed  in  the  wool;"  he  served  as  Trustee  several 
terms,  and  is,  with  Mrs.  Welch,  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

JAMES  A.  WELCH  was  born  in  Eden  Township,  August  14,  1846.  He 
is  a  son  of  William  and  Margaret  (Smith)  Welch,  and  was  reai'ed  and  edu- 
cated principally  in  Antrim  Township;  he  resided  with  his  parents  on  the 
farm  till  his  marriage  to  Sarah  Keller,  May  13,  1869.  Mrs.  Welch  is  a 
native  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Maria  (Geib) 
Keller,  and  was  born  July  13,  1847.  The  children  born  to  them  areLeona, 
March  1,  1870;  Cuba  L.,  December  3,  1871;  Bartie  M.,  July  9,1874;  and 
Leefe  E.,  August  14,  1876.  Bartie  M.  died  September  27,  1876.  After 
his  marriage,  Mr.  Welch  devoted  his  attention  to  the  various  avocations  of 
farming,  teaming  and  threshing  (introducing  the  first  steam  thresher  iu 
Antrim  and  Eden  Townships),  residing  in  Nevada  till  1879,  when  he  moved 
to  his  farm  of  fifty-three  acres,  purchased  in  1875.  To  this  he  has  since 
added  20  acres,  the  whole  being  well  improved,  and  valued  at  $100  per 
acre.  He  is  the  owner  of  the  livery  stable  building,  which  he  erected  in  Ne- 
vada in  1882,  conducting  the  business  two  years,  and  keeps  on  his  farm 
eight  cows,  from  which  he  supplies  the  village  with  milk. 

HENRY  M.  WELSH,  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  this  county, 
was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  May  2,  1840.  He  is  a  son  of  E.  R. 
and  Sarah  A.  (McClain)  Welsh,  his  father  having  come  to  this  county  about 
1820,  doing  an  extensive  business  in  stock  dealing  in  this  and  Crawford 
County.  He  also  dealt  to  some  extent  in  real  estate  and  controlled  a  large 
amount  of  property  up  to  the  date  of  his  death,  in  1880.  Henry  M.  Welsh, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  engaged  on  the  farm  with  his  father  till  he 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  733 

attaiaed  his  majority,  soon  after  which  he  enlisted  in  the  Eleventh  Ohio 
Battery  and  entered  the  United  States  service.  He  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  New  Madrid,  Island  No.  10,  and  luka,  but  was  chiefly  employed  on 
the  march  or  post  duty.  He  was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  luka,  Miss.,  by 
a  musket  ball,  which  fractured  his  lower  jaw,  resulting  in  the  loss  of  half 
of  the  osseous  structure  of  that  member.  He  was  discharged  in  November, 
1862,  returned  home  and  has  since  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  dealing. 
In  1861,  he  obtained  450  acres  from  his  father's  estate,  and  has  increased 
that  number  by  subsequent  purchases  till  he  now  owns  1,436  acres,  valued 
at  $60  to  $75  per  acre.  He  does  an  extensive  farming  business,  usually 
sowing  300  to  500  acres  of  wheat  and  planting  200  to  400  acres  of  corn. 
Besides  his  large  farming  and  stock-raising  interests  in  this  county  Mr. 
Welsh  is  also  interested  in  an  extensive  cattle  ranch  in  Wyoming  Territory. 
Mr.  Welsh  has  always  conducted  his  business  independently,  and  may  fairly 
be  considered  one  of  the  most  successful  operators  in  the  county.  He 
was  married  November  24,  1863,  to  Miss  Emily  Hoover,  who  was  born  in 
Crawford  County,  Ohio,  her  parents  being  early  settlers  in  that  locality. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Phoebe  (Swisher)  Hoover,  her  father  being 
one  of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock-dealers  of  Crawford  County.  By  this 
marriage  three  children  were  born,  namely:  Edmond  T.,  Sanford  C.  and 
Myrtie  E.,  aged  seventeen,  fifteen  and  fourteen  respectively.  Mr.  Welsh  is 
known  throughout  the  county  as  a  thorough  business  man,  and  is  highly 
esteemed  as  a  citizen. 

MANINGTON  WELSH  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  February  4, 
1816.  He  is  a  son  of  Zachariah  and  Hannah  (Stein)  Welsh,  who  were  prob- 
ably born  in  Virginia.  His  parents  resided  there  in  Washington's  time, 
being  neighbors  to  one  of  his  brothers;  they  subsequently  moved  to  Fair 
field  County,  where  they  lived  many  years,  moving  to  this  county  in  1821 
and  locating  near  what  is  now  the  village  of  Wyandot.  At  the  date  of  their 
settlement,  there  were  but  two  white  families  in  the  township,  the  Kirbys 
and  the  Garnetts.  His  father  entered  160  acres, on  which  he  resided  till  his 
death  in  1842,  the  mother  following  in  1864.  Mr.  Welsh  resided  with  his 
parents  till  twenty  years  of  age,  and  when  twenty-one  purchased  forty 
acres  in  Ci'awford  County.  In  ^he  fall  of  1853,  after  the  purchase  and  sale 
of  several  tracts,  Mr.  Welsh  obtained  120  acres  of  his  present  farm,  to  which 
he  made  additions  till  he  owned  288  acres,  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  He  has 
always  dealt  largely  in  sheep  and  cattle,  and  has  also  done  an  extensive 
farming  business,  having  been  one  of  the  leading  business  men  in  the 
county.  He  was  married  in  May,  1839,  to  Mary  Snyder,  and  two 
children  were  born  to  them — W^illiam  H.  and  Mary  J.,  the  latter  deceased. 
His  first  wife  having  departed  this  life  Mr.  Welsh  was  married  in 
May,  1849,  to  Nancy  Comstock,  who  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio, 
July  4,  1824.  Her  parents,  Gideon  and  Lucy  (White)  Comstock,  wei'e  na- 
tives of  New  York  and  Virginia  respectively,  and  spent  most  of  their  lives 
in  Pickawav  County.  By  this  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Welsh  had  eight  chil- 
dren, namely:  Winfield  S.,  June  15,  1851;  Charles  W.,  April  27,  1853: 
Rebecca  A.,  July  20,  1861;  Alice  P.,  May  15,  1856;  Frank  S.,  June  17, 
1859;  Kate,  October  20,  1861;  Alice  P.  Mr.  Welsh  is  perhaps  the  oldest 
resident  of  the  township,  if  not  the  county,  having  been  identified  with  its 
interests  sixty -three  years  and  done  much  for  its  development.  He  was 
formerly  a  Whig,  later  a  Republican,  and  now  a  Democr.at,  being  one  of  the 
most  honored  citizens  of  his  community,  and,  as  a  pioneer,  one  of  its  most 
distinofuished  members. 


734  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

EDEGxiR  K.  WILLIAMS  is  a  native  of  Adams  Coanty,  and  was  born 
March  18,  1862,  His  parents  were  Dr.  A.  N.  end  Martha  M.  (Rothrock) 
Williams,  the  former  a  native  of  Highland  County,  Ohio,  born  June  18, 
1827;  the  latter  of  Pennsylvania,  born  March  8,  1834.  Their  ancestors 
were  natives  of  Holland  and  Germany;  Edegar  and  Marella  were  their  only 
children,  the  latter  born  August  15,  1854,  died  October  16,  1859.  Dr. 
Williams  was  reared  and  educated  in  Highland  County.  He  graduated  at 
the  Columbus  Medical  College,  and  spent  thirty  years  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Pike  and  Adams  Counties.  In  September,  1882,  he  came  with 
his  son,  E.  R. ,  to  Nevada,  and  purchased  a  stock  of  drugs  of  R.  M.  Stewart 
&  Co.,  conducting  the  business  till  his  death,  September  6,  1883.  Mrs. 
Williams'  death  occurred  October  20,  1874.  Our  subject  was  reared  in 
Adams  County;  obtained  a  fair  education  in  the  country  schools,  finishing 
his  studies  in  the  Lebanon  Normal  School  in  1879.  After  a  two  years' 
clerkship  in  Wheat  Ridge  and  Springfield,  Ohio,  in  the  wholesale  grocery 
store  of  W.  T.  Robb,  of  the  latter  place,  he  came  with  his  father  to  Nevada, 
and  at  the  latter's  death  became  the  possessor  of  his  entire  property.  He 
is  an  energetic,  young  business  man,  has  a  fair  patronage,  and  the  general 
esteem  of  the  citizens  of  his  community. 

JOHN  WOESSNER  was  born  in  Wittenberg,  Germany,  September  27, 
1827,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Catharine  Woessner,  also  natives  of  Ger- 
many. He  emigrated  to  America  in  1856-57,  landing  in  New  York  He 
soon  after  went  to  New  Jersey,  and  one  year  later  came  to  this  county, 
through  the  influence  of  "  Stuff"  Halterman,  who  employed  German  laborers 
from  the  East,  and  paid  their  railroad  fare  to  Marion  County,  where  he  re- 
sided. He  labored  as  a  farm  hand  several  years  and,  in  1864,  being  a  "  home 
guard,"  was  called  into  service,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Monocacy 
Junction,  doing  guard  duty  during  the  rest  of  his  four  months'  service,  los- 
ing health  by  exposure.  In  1855,  he  purchased  a  small  farm,  where  he 
still  resides.  Mr.  Woessner  was  married,  January  1,  1858,  to  Jane  Hughey, 
who  was  born  in  this  county  August  27,  1835.  Her  parents,  William  and 
Eliza  (Louis)  Hughey,  were  natives  of  Ohio  and  New  York  respectively, 
and  were  early  settlers  of  this  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woessner  are  the  par- 
ents of  six  children,  namely,  Eliza  J.,  born  October  20,  1858;  John,  May 
2,  1861 ;  Robert  L.,  October  14,  1866;  Peter  S.,  September  10, 1875;  Charles 
E.  and  Clyda  E.  Eliza  is  now  wife  of  O.  H.  Jacobs,  and  has  four  children. 
Their  marriage  occurred  October  24,  1878. 

DAVID  B.  WOLF,  proprietor  of  dry  goods  store,  Nevada,  was  born  in 
Richland  County,  Ohio,  January  15,  1833.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mar- 
garet (Baughman)  Wolf,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively,  his 
father  having  been  an  early  settler  in  Richland  County,  where  he  died,  his 
wife's  death  having  occurred  several  years  previous  to  his  own.  Their  chil- 
dren were  Susanna,  David  B.,  Abraham  E.,  Minerva  M.  and  Margaret,  all 
living;  the  deceased  are  Rachel,  Rebecca,  Adam,  Amanda  and  Solomon  S. 
David  B.,  our  subject,  obtained  a  fair  education  in  the  district  schools,  and 
farmed  with  parents  till  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  subsequently  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  pursued  almost  continually  till  1872.  In 
the  meantime,  he  spent  nearly  two  years  in  the  wilds  of  Montana  and  other 
western  points.  In  1872,  in  partnership  with  H.  H.  Welsh,  he  established 
a  store  of  general  merchandise,  and  has  since  engaged  in  that  business,  pur- 
chasing Mr.  Welsh's  interest  five  years  later.  Mr.  Wolf  has  been  a  resident 
of  Nevada  since  1855,  and  has  built  up  an  extensive  and  profitable  trade. 
He  was  married,    September  27,  1859,  to  Almira  B.    Souder,  daughter  of 


ANTRIM    TOWNSHIP.  735 

William  and  Nancy  (Stevens)  Souder,  then  residents  of  Crawford  County, 
both  now  deceased.  Five  children  have  resulted  from  this  union — William 
A.,  born  July  18,  1860;  Myrta  L.,  February  2,  1862;  Anna  M.,  March  21, 
1878.  The  deceased  are  Otho  C,  born  May  16,  1872,  died  August  20,  1873; 
Paul,  born  March  7,  1876,  died  April  4,  1876.  Their  mother  was  born  in 
Crawford  County,  Ohio,  November  6,  1836.  Mr.  Wolf  owns  some  valuable 
town  property  and  eleven  acres  of  land  within  the  village  corporation;  he 
also  carries  a  stock  of  goods  estimated  at  about  $5,000.  He  is  a  Democrat 
in  politics;  has  served  in  the  Town  Countil  seven  years;  has  been  a  member 
of  the  School  Board  six  years,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  hav- 
ing served  as  Worshipful  Master  in  that  society  two  years. 

WILLIAM  B.  WOOLSEY,  Postmaster,  Nevada,  Ohio,  was  born  Manjh 
10,  1847.  He  is  a  native  of  this  township,  and  is  a  son  of  Walter  and 
Harriet  (Fraser)  Woolsey,  natives  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  respect- 
ively. They  were  joined  in  marriage  at  Little  Sandusky  in  1832.  Their 
children  were  nine,  four  now  living — Almira,  wife  of  A.  J.  Peters;  Martha, 
wife  of  James  Reynolds;  William  B.,  and  Henrietta  F.,  wife  of  E.  R.  Irmer. 
The  father  came  to  this  county  in  1831,  his  death  occvirring  October  6, 
1851.  Alexander  Fraser  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  serving  till  the 
surrender  of  Hull  at  Detroit.  He  was  taken  prisoner,  but  was  released,  and 
made  his  way  home  on  foot  to  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  in  company  with  a 
comrade.  In  the  course  of  their  journey  they  narrowly  escaped  death  by  the 
hand  of  an  Indian,  who  found  them  "  napping,"  and  snapped  his  gun  at  one 
of  them.  Mr.  Fraser,  awakening,  killed  the  Indian  on  the  spot.  Mr.  F. 
was  one  of  the  lu'st  settlers  of  Wyandot  County,  locating  at  Little  Sandusky 
in  1831.  Harriet  Woolsey  died  May  20,  1883.  She  had  remarried  in  1855 
to  Benjamin  Kerns,  two  children,  Scott  and  Joseph,  being  born.  In  1865, 
she  was  again  left  a  widow,  and  died  as  above  stated.  William  B.  Woolsey 
was  reared  on  the  old  homestead,  and  obtained  a  fair  education.  At  the 
death  of  his  step-father  he  took  charge  of  the  farm,  where  he  resided  several 
years.  In  1874,  he  located  in  Nevada,  and  engaged  in  the  grain  and  wool 
trade  under  the  firm  name  of  Hunt,  Elliot  &  Co.,  in  which  business  he  con- 
tinued four  years.  In  1881,  he  received  the  appointment  of  Postmaster, 
since  serving  in  that  capacity.  He  was  married  October  23,  1872,  to  Miss 
Mary  E.  Smith,  daughter  of  John  H.  and  Sarah  (Wirick)  Smith,  one  son, 
Franklin  H.,  born  September  12,  1874.  Mr.  Woolsey  served  as  Treasurer 
of  Antrim  Township  three  terms,  as  Corporation  Treasurer  four  years,  and 
was  elected  Mayor  of  Nevada  in  1883.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor  and  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  a  Republican  in  politics.  Jerome  Woolsey,  an 
elder  brother,  was  a  member  of  the  Eleventh  Ohio  Battery,  and  died  of 
typhoid  fever,  being  buried  on  the  banks  of  the  Tallahassee  River,  Fla. 

JOHN  R.  YOUNG  was  born  in  this  county  December  13,  1851.  He  is  a 
son  of  Tobias  and  Elizabeth  (Klinger)  Young,  and  was  the  only  child.  The 
former  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  in  October,  1824,  and  the  latter 
in  the  same  county  May  15,  1825,  They  were  married  December  2,  1849, 
and  April  11,  1850,  erected  a  log  cabin  in  Ci'awford  County,  into  which  they 
moved  without  a  door  or  window.  Wild  animals  were  numerous.  Mr.  Young 
died  March  10,  1853.  His  widow  subsequently  married  Stephen  Crawford, 
and  had  one  son,  William  H.  His  father  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
1846;  his  mother  subsequently  marrying  Stephen  Crawford,  with  whom  she 
is  still  living.  Mr.  Young  resided  with  his  mother  till  twenty-four  years 
of  age,  but  preferring  the  out-door  sports  to  the  tedious  tasks  of  the  school- 
room, he  obtained  but  a  limited  education.     He  inherited  eighty  acres  from 


736  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

his  father's  estate,  where  he  has  resided  most  of  his  life  and  is  still  located. 
He  was  married  March  9,  1876.  to  Eachel  E.  Mollenkopf,  a  native  of  Lucas 
County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Philip  and  Dora  (Hinely)  Mollenkopf.  Her 
parents  were  born  in  Germany,  were  married  there,  and  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica about  1855,  locating  three  years  in  Lucas  County.  They  then  moved  to 
Crawford  County,  where  they  still  reside.  Their  children  now  living  are 
Dora,  Philip,  John,  Rachel,  Lewis,  Mai-y  and  Jacob.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young 
have  three  children — Lewis  T.,  born  March  4,  1878;  Clara  J.,  December 
21, 1879;  and  Huldah,  July  28, 1882.  In  politics,  Mr.  Young  is  a  Democrat. 
SAMUEL  ZULAUF  is  a  native  of  this  county,  and  was  born  December 
7,  1849.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Christman)  Zulauf,  natives 
of  Switzerland  and  Bavaria  respectively.  His  parents  were  married  in  this 
country,  and  removed  to  this  county  from  Wayne  County  about  1843-44. 
They  first  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  on  which  they  resided  for  several 
years.  They  subsequently  added  forty  acres  more  to  their  possessions,  but 
have  now  abandoned  the  farm,  and  reside  in  Upper  Sandusky,  enjoying  the 
frnits  of  their  toil.  Samuel  Zulauf  resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  He  then  worked  by  the  month  one  year,  rented  land,  and 
engaged  in  farming  five  years,  purchasing  forty  acres  in  1876.  In  1882, 
he  added  eighty  acres  to  this  tract,  and  since  has  obtained  sixty  acres  as  a 
gift  to  his  wife  from  her  father.  His  farm  is  well  improved,  and  valued  at 
$75  per  acre.  Mr.  Zulauf  was  married  April  1,  1875,  to  Barbara  Ritter- 
spach,  a  native  of  this  county,  born  June  25,  1849  (see  sketch  of  Henry 
Ritterspoch).  They  have  four  children — Charles  R.,  born  January  21,  1876; 
Mollie  G.,  November  27,  1877;  John  H.,  March  6,  1879;  Harry  S.,  Decem- 
ber 10,  1881.  Mr.  Zulauf  deals  somewhat  in  stock,  and  is  an  energetic  and 
enterprising  young  farmer.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  serving  his  second 
term  as  Township  Trustee. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  737 


CHAPTER  III. 
CKAWFORD  TOWNSHIP- 
INTRODUCTORY— The  Township  a  Hundred  Years  Ago— The  Crawford 
Monument— The  Story  of  Matthew  Brayton,  the  Lost  Child — 
Early  Settlers — Extracts  from  William  Brown's  Diary— Inhab- 
itants of  the  Township  in  1845— Original  Improvements,  Etc.— ^t. 
Joseph's  Roman  Catholic  Church— Officers  Since  1866— History  of 
Carey  Village— Its  Mercantile  and  Banking  Interests— Mills, 
Manufactories,  Etc.— Hotels— Religious— Education,  Etc.— Secret 
Societies— biographical  sketches. 

CKAWFORD    township. 

"XTO  portion  of  Wyandot  County  is  richer  in  historic  interest  or  more 
JlN  replete  with  historic  incident  than  the  above-named  township.  The 
name  of  Crawford  is  here  synonymous  for  all  that  is  barbarous  and  cruel  in 
Indian  customs  and  warfare;  for  here  it  was  that  the  lamented  Colonel  suf- 
fered death  by  burning  at  the  stake  amid  the  hideous  jeers  of  his  savage 
tortui-ers,  and  from  the  wilds  of  this  locality  the  unfortunate  child,  Mat- 
thew Brayton,  was  carried  captive  into  barbarism,  from  which  it  is  not  abso- 
Itely  certain  he  ever  returned. 

Crawford  Township  was  organized  in  the  county  of  Crawford  in  1825, 
and  became  a  part  of  this  county  in  1845.  It  is  one  of  the  northern  tier  of 
townships  of  Wyandot,  bounded  on  the  north  by  Seneca  County,  on  the  east 
by  Tymochtee  Township,  on  the  south  by  Salem,  on  the  west  by  Kidge. 
The  soil  of  this  locality  is  very  fertile,  and  supports  a  prosperous  farming 
community,  Tymochtee  Creek  cuts  the  southeast  corner  of  the  township, 
and  the  other  portions  are  drained  by  numerous  natural  and  artificial  drains, 
which  renders  the  production  of  the  ordinary  grains  and  vegetables  quite 
successful. 

a  hundred  years  ago. 
The  territory  comprised  in  this  township  was  one  of  the  most  famous  of 
the  early  Indian  sporting  grounds,  being  the  seat  of  an  extensive  village  of 
the  Delaware  Indians,  who,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Pipe,  the  notori- 
ous Delaware  chief,  executed  Col.  William  Crawford  in  1782.  The  exact 
spot  on  which  the  burning  took  place  is  not  now  positively  known,  though  a 
monument  has  been  erected  to  the  unfortunate  hero  near  the  place 
where  the  horrible  death  is  supposed  to  have  been  inflicted  This 
monument  was  erected  August  30,  1877,  on  a  high  bank  south  of  Tymoch- 
tee Creek,  near  the  east  line  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  Section  26,  on 
lands  now  owned  by  Alfred  K.  Davis.  It  was  obtained  as  a  result  of  the 
efforts  of  the  Wyandot  Pioneer  Association,  and  in  the  presence  of  near 
8,000  citizens  was  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  him  whose  name  is  inscribed 
upon  its  surface.  On  the  occasion  referred  to,  Col.  M.  H.  Kirby  was  chosen 
as  President  and  Curtis  Berry,  Jr.,  Secretary.  Prayer  was  offered  by  Rev. 
R.  C.  Colmery  and  Rev.  John  Sherrard,  of  Bucyrus,  grandson  of  John 
Sherrard,  who  was  under  the  command  of  Col.  Crawford  at  the  time  of  his 
defeat  in  1782,  delivered  the  opening  address,  followed  by  other  speeches  by 
the  old  pionears.     A  collection  was  taken  to  defray  the  expense  of  the  mon- 


738  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

ument,  a  basket  dinner  was  partaken  of  by  the  myriads  present,  after  which 
followed  an  able  address  by  Gen.  William  H.  Gibson,  whose  brilliant  ora- 
tory did  great  credit  to  the  subject  and  the  occasion.  The  dedicatory 
remarks  were  made  by  the  Secretary,  Hon.  Curtis  Berry,  Jr.,  who  origi- 
nated the  idea  of  erecting  the  monument,  Mr.  John  Gormley  suggesting  its 
form  and  altitude. 

This  shaft  is  made  of  Berea  sandstone,  and  is  eight  and  one-half  feet 
in  height.  It  is  supported  by  a  base  six  inches  larger  in  diameter  than  the 
main  shaft,  and  bears  the  following  inscription: 

In  memory  of  Colonel  Crawford,  who  was  burnt  bj'  the  Indians  in  this  valley      I 
:  June  11,  A.  D.  1782.  : 

On  the  base: 

:  Erected  by  the  Pioneer  Association  of  Wyandot  County  August  3,  1877.  : 

Many  of  the  old  pioneers  of  the  county  were  present  to  share  the  honors 
of  the  day,  and  recount  the  scenes  and  hardships  of  their  early  days  and 
efforts  in  the  wilds  of  Wyandot,  among  them  being  Hon.  George  W.  Leith, 
Daniel  Funk,  James  and  Rhoda  Miller,  Mary  Karr,  Frances  Brackley, 
Solomon  Spoon,  Adam  High,  Jacob  Stryker,  Jacob  Corf  man,  George  James, 
John  Ribley,  Hamilton  Morrison,  and  many  others  whose  ages  ranged  from 
seventy  to  ninety  years. 

At  the  time  of  Crawford's  battle  with  the  Indians,  the  Delawares,  under 
Capt.  Pipe,  had  a  large  town  a  few  miles  to  the  northwest  of  the  scene  of 
the  engagement,  the  vicinity  of  the  present  village  of  Crawfordsville.  In 
anticipation  of  defeat  the  old  men,  women  and  children  of  the  tribe  were 
concealed  at  the  mouth  of  Tymochtee  Creek,  and  runners  communicated  with 
them  every  hour  at  the  camp,  giving  information  as  to  the  progress  of  the 
battle,  the  intention  being  to  flee  to  the  "  Black  Swamp,"  a  large  expanse 
of  land,  lying  east  of  the  Maumee  River,  in  case  of  defeat.  A  colored  man, 
by  the  name  of  Samuel  Wells,  was  with  these  Indian  families  at  the  time 
referred  to,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  servant  of  Simon  Girty,  the  semi- 
savage,  who  played  so  conspicuous  a  part  in  the  Crawford  horror.  This 
negro  slave  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and  ten  years,  and, 
as  late  as  1857,  was  a  township  charge  in  Eden  Township,  this  county. 

MATTHEW    BRAYTON. 

Since  the  aggressive  and  progressive  Caucasian  set  foot  upon  the  shores 
of  America  the  instances  of  the  capture  of  their  children  by  barbarous  tribes 
along  the  borders  of  civilization  have  been  numbered  by  the  score.  Page 
after  page  and  volume  after  volume  have  been  written  to  picture  the  thrill- 
ing incidents  which  captives  have  experienced  at  the  hands  of  their  captors, 
or  witnessed  while  in  their  custody,  and  to  portray  the  agony  of  grief  into 
which  devoted  parents  have  been  plunged  by  the  loss  of  sons  or  daughters 
by  these  human  hyenas  of  the  forest.  Of  all  these  instances,  whether  in 
song  or  story,  none  are  perhaps  fraught  with  deeper  or  sadder  interest  than 
the  capture  of  Matthew  Bray  ton,  who  was  stolen  from  his  home  in  this 
township  in  1825.  Additional  interest  is  derived  from  these  facts,  that 
neighbors  and  fi-iends  who  witnessed  or  experienced  the  first  deep  bursts  of 
anguish  from  stricken  hearts  at  the  loss  of  so  dear  a  treasure  are  still  among 
us,  and  though  sixty  years  have  gone  by   since   the  helpless   and  innocent 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  739 

child  was  borne  away  in  terror  by  his  merciless  captors,  the  dowers  of  mem- 
ory are  still  green,  moistened  by  brothers'  tears. 

The  circumstances  of  the  capture  of  Matthew  Brayton  are  related  iu 
substance  as  follows:  On  the  20th  of  September,  1825,  William  Brayton, 
with  his  younger  brother,  Matthew,  then  nearly  seven  years  old,*  started  in 
search  of  some  stray  cattle.  They  proceeded  two  or  three  miles  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  place  where  William  Brayton  now  lives,  but  finding  no  trace 
of  the  missing  cattle,  and  meeting  a  neighbor.  Hart,  who  was  on  the  same 
errand,  Matthew  Brayton,  unable  to  endure  a  more  extensive  search,  was 
sent  to  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Baker,  about  sixty  rods  distant,  where  he  was  to 
remain  until  the  return  of  his  brother  and  Mr.  Hart,  who  were  to  continue 
the  search  for  the  stray  cattle.  The  two  men  set  out  on  their  cattle  hunt- 
ing expedition,  and  left  little  Matthew  to  find  his  way  to  Mr.  Baker's  house 
by  the  narrow  and  ill-defined  pathway.  At  the  close  of  the  day,  William 
Brayton  called  at  Mr.  Baker's  residence,  but  found  to  his  astonishment  that 
Matthew  had  not  been  seen  by  any  of  the  family.  He  then  turned  his 
steps  homeward,  thinking  that  Matthew  had  changed  his  mind  and  gone 
home,  but  on  arriving  there  found  still  no  tidings  of  the  missing  boy.  The 
alarm  and  apprehension  that  filled  the  breast  of  the  mother  on  being  in- 
formed of  what  had  happened  can  scarcely  be  conceived.  A  thousand  fear- 
ful thoughts  flitted  in  rapid  succession  through  her  mind,  but  no  time  was 
lost  in  useless  grieving,  for  the  men  and  women  who  braved  the  dangers  of 
frontier  life  were  quick  to  think  and  prompt  to  act.  A  little  party  turned 
out  at  once  to  search  for  the  missing  boy,  and  restore  him,  if  possible,  to  the 
anxious  household.  From  the  spot  where  the  brothers  had  parted  the  path 
to  Mr.  Baker's  cabin  was  narrowly  searched  and  marks  of  the  child's  feet 
were  clearly  discernible.  At  no  great  distance  from  the  place  mentioned 
the  path  was  intersected  by  a  track  made  by  some  logs  which  recently  had 
been  drawn  from  the  woods  and  at  this  point  the  traces  showed  that  Mat- 
thew had  stopped  in  doubt;  they  also  showed  that  he  had  finally  taken  the 
log  track  in  mistake  for  the  regular  path.  Up  that  track  his  little  footsteps 
were  traced  for  some  distance,  but  after  awhile  they  became  fainter,  and  at 
last  disappeared  altogether.  On  the  margin  of  the  track  the  woods  were 
searched  in  vain  for  traces  of  his  wandering  feet.  The  Indian  trail  which 
led  from  Upper  Sandusky  to  Springville,  and  thence  to  the  Black  Swamp  to 
Perrysburg,  crossed  here,  and  it  was  possible  that  he  had  taken  that  trail; 
but  his  footprints,  if  he  had  really  followed  that  path,  were  obliterated  by 
those  of  passing  Indians. 

The  party  returned  in  sorrow  from  their  unsuccessful  search,  and  met  the 
anxious  mother  with  heavy  hearts.  To  her  the  night  was  one  of  sleepless 
agony.  To  what  sufi"ering  or  dreadful  fate  her  child  might  be  subjected, 
it  was  impossible  to  conjecture,  for  the  dark  night  was  fraught  with  dangers 
to  him  and  terror  to  her.  It  was  the  year  in  which  Elijah  Brayton,  the 
father  of  Matthew,  was  engaged  in  erecting  a  mill  on  the  Tymochtee,  and 
his  absence  at  this  time  on  a  journey  to  Chillicothe  to  procure  millstones 
aggravated  the  troubles  and  distress  of  the  hour  on  the  part  of  Mrs. 
Brayton  and  her  son  William,  then  a  lad  of  sixteen,  who  were  left  in  charge 
of  the  home  aifairs. 

Morning  broke  at  last  and  never  was  daylight  more  eagerly  welcomed. 
With  the  first  appearance  of  light,  messengers  were  sent  in  all  directions  for 
assistance,  and  soon  the  woods  were  astir  with  searching  parties.  The 
Indian  villages  were  examined,  but  the  Wyandors  professed  entire  ignorance 

*  Matthew  Brayton  was  born  April  7, 1818. 

31 


740  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

as  to  the  movements  of  the  missing  boy.  and  joined  with  much  zeal  in  the 
search.  The  relations  between  the  Braytons  and  the  Wyandots  had  been 
of  the  most  friendly  character,  and  there  seemed  to  be  no  possible  reason 
for  interfering  with  the  peace  of  that  family.  They  stated,  however,  that 
a  party  of  Canadian  Indians  had  passed  up  the  trail,  on  the  day  that  the 
boy  had  disappeared,  but  could  not  say  whether  he  had  been  carried  off  by 
them  or  not.  Another  night  came  and  the  sorrowful  mother  again  met  the 
dejected  hunters  at  her  door,  receiving  no  consolation.  At  daybreak  the 
parties  again  set  out  to  search  new  tracts  of  country,  but  all  without  avail. 
The  settlers  for  many  miles  ai'ound  turned  out  and  joined  in  the  exciting 
and  sorrowful  hunt.  Days  lengthened  into  weeks  and  it  became  evident 
that  further  search  was  useless,  as  every  foot  of  territory  for  miles  around 
had  been  examined  and  no  trace  of  the  lost  child  had  been  discovered.  He 
could  have  scarcely  wandered  off  and  perished  by  starvation,  or  wild  beasts, 
as  in  either  case  some  trace  of  his  identity  would  have  been  left.  The  only 
inference  was  that  he  had  been  carried  into  hopeless  slavery,  or  met  a  hor- 
rible death,  at  the  hands  of  the  party  of  Canadian  Indians.  Pursuit  was 
now  considered  useless,  and  the  search  was  reluctantly  abandoned. 

In  the  meantime,  the  father  had  returned  from  his  journey,  and  the 
sad  bereavement  fell  with  crushing  weight  upon  his  heart.  For  the  sake  of 
his  wife  and  remaining  children — William.  Harriet,  Lucy,  Mary  and  Peter — 
he  bore  up  nobly,  but  his  distress  was  most  bitter,  and  every  straw  of  hope 
that  floated  within  his  reach  was  grasped  with  eagerness.  From  time  to 
time,  vague  rumors  came  that  the  boy  had  been  seen  in  different  places,  and 
the  faintest  hope  of  success  in  finding  him  sufficed  to  send  off  the  bereaved 
father  or  some  trusty  messenger  to  follow  up  the  clew.  But  all  efforts  were 
unavailing.  The  last  information  that  seemed  the  least  probable  was  re- 
ceived in  1829,  from  a  man  who  had  been  traveling  among  the  tribes  of  Illi- 
nois, and  who  asserted  that  he  had  seen  among  the  Indians  of  that  country, 
whose  age  and  appearance  generally  cori'esponded  with  that  of  the  missing 
Matthew  Brayton.  Without  an  hour's  delay,  Mr,  Brayton  dispatched  a  let- 
ter to  Gen.  Cass,  then  Indian  Commissioner,  but  the  reply  crushed  out  the 
last  remnant  of  hope  ;  the  letter  bade  the  anxious  father  to  renounce  all 
hope  based  upon  such  a  rumor,  as  there  was  no  such  white  child  among  the 
Indians  of  Illinois.  On  what  authority  the  General  based  his  assertion  can- 
not be  said,  but  it  is  more  than  probable  he  was  mistaken. 

The  weary  years  passed  on,  but  brought  no  comfort  to  the  stricken 
household.  As  all  impressions  gradually  fade  away  with  the  lapse  of  years, 
so  faded  the  memory  of  the  lost  child  from  the  minds  of  men.  But  deep 
in  the  hearts  of  the  bereaved  parents  remained  the  image  of  their  unfortu- 
nate son,  and  the  thrilling  scenes  and  emotions  connected  with  the  search 
of  him  recurred  again  and  again  to  them,  long  after  they  had  been  forgotten 
by  others.  The  eldest  brother,  William,  could  not  forget  him  ;  for  the 
silent  or  spoken  reproaches  from  his  mother  for  sending  so  young  a  boy 
alone  on  such  a  path  sank  deep  into  his  heart  ;  and  even  yet,  though  sixty 
years  have  passed,  the  "lost  Matthew"  is  mentioned  by  him  with  deep  and 
tearful  emotion.  And  could  the  mother  who  bore  him  forget  the  missing 
lamb  of  the  fold  ?  The  paling  cheek,  the  wasting  form,  the  decaying 
strength  told  how  deep  the  love,  how  bitter  the  anguish  of  the  mother  for 
her  lost  son.  If  she  were  but  sure  of  his  fate — if  but  one  fragment  of  his 
clothing,  but  a  particle  of  his  flesh  or  blood  remained  to  assure  her  that 
her  child  had  perished  by  the  merciless  jaws  of  the  wild  beasts,  or  the  still 
more  merciless  savages,  it  would  at  least  have  given  rest  to  her  weary  heart; 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  741 

but  this  uncertain  apprehension,  this  torturing  mystery,  was  too  great  to 
bear  and  live.  So  the  years  dragged  slowly  by,  and  each  succeeding  anni- 
versary of  her  son's  loss  drove  the  sharp  pangs  of  grief  deeper  into  her 
heart  Sixteen  years  of  agony  and  tears,  and  the  grave  hid  her  sorrows 
from  the  world  !  In  her  last  moments,  her  lost  son  had  a  place  in  her  mem- 
ory.    She  died  of  a  broken  heart. 

Thirty- four  years  elapsed,  when  the  news  reached  the  Bray  ton  family 
that  an  Indian  captive  had  been  in  the  city  of  Cleveland,  and  in  other  parts 
of  Ohio,  endeavoring  to  obtain  some  information  regarding  his  parentage, 
as  he  was  just  from  the  Copperhead  tribe,  whose  leading  chiefs  had  con- 
sented to  his  conditional  return  to  the  white  settlements.  They  had  told 
him  that  when  a  child  he  had  been  stolen  from  the  whites  by  a  band  of 
Canadian  Indians,  who  had  thus  revenged  themselves  on  the  whites  for 
some  real  or  fancied  wrongs  ;  that  he  had  passed  through  the  hands  of  sev- 
eral tribes,  and  had  at  last  been  sold  by  the  Sioux  to  the  Snakes,  with  whom 
he  remained  till  their  union  with  the  Copperheads.  He  had  further 
learned  through  M.  Macgwager,  a  chief  of  a  small  band  of  Pottawotomies 
who  had  settled  down  to  civilized  life  in  Branch  County,  Mich. ,  that  he 
had  been  taken  from  the  region  south  of  Lake  Erie  (his '  captors  having 
crossed  the  Sandusky  River)  and  sold  by  the  Canadians  to  the  Pottawoto- 
mies, Mr.  Macgwager  having  been  present  at  the  transfer. 

The  story  of  this  captive,  whose  Indian  name  in  Coppei-head  language 
was  Ohwa-owah-kish-me-wah,*  but  whose  real  name  he  did  not  himself 
know,  was  printed  in  the  Cleveland  Herald,  and  extensively  copied.  Let- 
ters were  received  by  the  editors  of  that  paper  from  people  in  different  sec- 
tions of  the  country-,  who  had  lost  children  many  years  ago.  A  weekly  pa- 
per containing  a  copy  of  the  story  was  sent  to  the  Brayton  family,  and  an 
investigation  was  at  once  begun.  William  Brayton  immediately  proceeded 
to  Cleveland,  and  from  that  point  to  Northern  Pennsylvania,  and  thence 
across  the  State  line  into  New  York,  where  he  learned  the  "captive"  was 
staying  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Smith. 

Previous  to  setting  out,  he  had  been  charged  by  his  father  to  examine 
two  marks  by  which  his  brother's  identity  might  probably  be  established. 
One  of  these  was  a  scar  on  the  head,  caused  by  a  razor  cut  made  by  the 
father  in  lancing  a  boil,  the  other,  a  scar  on  the  great  toe  of  the  right  foot, 
resulting  from  the  cut  of  an  ax.  Taking  a  physician  with  him  as  a  wit- 
ness of  the  interview,  Mr.  Brayton  visited  the  residence  of  Mr.  Smith,  where 
the  object  of  his  search  was  found  sitting  by  the  evening  fire.  The  marks 
of  identity  referred  to  above  were  searched  for  and  found,  just  as  the  father 
had  represented  them;  the  stranger  was  declared  to  be  the  long  lost  Mat- 
thew Brayton,  and  they  were  soon  on  their  way  toward  home.  At  every 
station  on  the  road,  ci'owds  gathered  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  restored  cap- 
tive, and  at  Carey  hundreds  were  assembled — many  old  men  who 
had  searched  for  the  lost  boy,  aged  mothers  who  had  held  him  in  their 
arms,  and  young  men  and  maidens  by  the  score  who  had  heard  the  story 
narrated  by  their  parents  at  their  firesides.  But  these  were  disappointed, 
for  Mr.  Brayton  had  stopped  at  Adrian  Station  and  gone  directly  to  his 
home,  where  were  gathered  the  other  members  of  the  family — the  father  in 
his  seventy-third  year,  the  brothers  and  the  sisters.  AVhen  he  entered  with 
his  charge,  the  excitement  was  intense,  and  the  feelings  that  prevailed  can- 
not be  described.     To  portray  the  emotion  which  the  union  of  family  ties  so 

*In  1851,  he  married  Tefronia  (Tame  Deer),  the  daughter  of  the  Chief  0-wash-kah-ke-uaw,  and  their 
two  children  were  Tefronia  and  Tululee. 


742  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

long  sundered  is  calculated  to  excite  is  a  task  too  delicate  for  our   unskill- 
ful hand. 

But  this  season  of  I'ejoicing  was  of  short  dui'ation.  The  angel  of  peace 
had  descended  only  to  plume  her  wings  for  an  eternal  flight,  and  though 
thirty-four  years  of  tearful  anxiety  had  passed  over  the  heads  of  the  hapless 
family,  the  end  was  not  yet.  A  short  time  sufficed  to  convince  them  that  he 
whom  they  had  taken  into  their  hearts  as  their  lost  brother  was  not  Matthew 
Brayton.  He  was  at  length  restored  to  his  real  parents  in  Michigan,  and 
remained  with  them  until  the  late  war  broke  out,  when  he  enlisted  in  the 
cavalry  service.      He  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.* 

EARLY    SETTLERS. 

Again  we  are  confronted  with  a  mass  of  conflicting  evidence  as  to  who 
are  the  rightful  claimants  to  the  honor  of  being  the  first  settlers  of  Craw- 
ford Township.  According  to  our  best  authority,  Asa  Lake  and  Nehemiah 
Earls  located  here  as  early  as  1819.  They  were  men  of  families,  and  settled 
in  what  is  now  Section  26,  then  Government  land,  though  afterward  entered 
and  settled  upon  by  Daniel  Hodges,  who  was  also  one  of  the  earliest  resi- 
dents of  the  township.  As  early  as  1830,  he  built  a  brick  house,  the  first 
of  the  kind  in  the  township.      He  located  in  Crawfordsville  in  1821. 

Hon.  John  Carey,  generally  known  as  "  Judge  "  Carey,  and  whose  biog- 
raphy appears  elsewhere  in  this  work,  came  to  this  township  and  located 
with  his  family  in  1823  or  1824.     He  was  boi'n  in  Virginia  in  1792. 

Christopher  Baker  came  to  this  locality  in  1822,  and  located  on  Section 
11.  In  reaching  his  land,  he  came  via  Harrison's  army  trail  through  Del 
aware,  Marion  and  Upper  Sandusky  to  the  Tymochtee,  and  then  cut  a  path 
from  Lish's  Ferry.  The  Wyandot  trail,  running  from  Big  Springs  to  the 
twelve-mile  reservation,  passed  near  Mr.  Baker's  cabin.  His  son,  John 
Baker,  one  of  the  old  residents  of  the  township,  was  born  in  Ross  County, 
Ohio,  August  14,  1815. 

Curtis  Berry,  Jr.,  was  born  in  this  township  April  19,  1831.  He  came 
with  his  parents,  Curtis  and  Sally  (Cavitt)  Berry,  to  this  county  from  Ross 
County  in  1827,  and  located  with  them  in  this  township  in  1829.  His 
father  was  born  in  1782,  and  was  reared  in  Virginia.  He  came  to  Ross 
County  about  1804-6.  His  mother  was  of  Irish  descent,  her  father,  Francis 
Cavitt,  coming  from  Ireland.  The  parents  were  married  in  1812,  while 
living  in  Ross  County.  On  coming  to  this  county,  Mr.  Berry  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land,  but  at  his  death  owned  a  whole  section.  He  died  De- 
cember 29,  1855;  his  wife  September  4,  the  same  year.  They  had  ten  chil- 
dren, three  now  living.  The  mother  of  Curtis  Berry,  Sr.,  was  a  resident  of 
Philadelphia,  and  an  intimate  acquaintance  of  Col.  Crawford.  In  playful 
kindness,  she  tied  his  necktie  for  him  the  morning  he  departed  on  his  fatal 
expedition  against  the  Indians  of  Ohio. 

George  James  moved  to  this  township  with  his  parents,  John  and  Eliza- 
beth James,  in  1822.  He  was  born  in  Beaver  County,  Penn.,  Mai'ch  9, 
1807.  His  parents  moved  to  Pike  County  in  1810,  and  from  that  point  to 
this  county.  They  entered  eighty  acres  in  this  township,  and  reared  ten 
children. 

McD.  M.  Carey,  son  of  Hon.  John  Carey,  settled  in  this  township  with 
hid  parents  in  1823-24,  and  has  ever  since  been  a  resident.  He  was  born 
in  Franklin  County,  Obio,  in  1820,  and  is  now  one  of  the  representative 
farmers  of  the  township, 

*His  real  name  was  William  Todd. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  743 

Smith  Kentliekl  was  one  of  the  early  and  prominent  farmers  of  this 
township,  having  located  here  prior  to  1825  He  died  in  1854.  His  son, 
David  L.  Kentfield,  was  born  in  this  township  March  9,  1825.  He  was  a 
very  prominent  and  successful  farmer  also,  owning  near  500  acres  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  April  2,  1884. 

Hiram  J.  Starr,  an  extensive  stock  and  grain  dealer  of  this  township, 
located  here  in  1830.  He  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  June  24, 
1816.  He  began  business  by  clerking  in  a  store  at  Crawfordsville,  and 
afterward  engaged  with  William  Buell,  the  first  merchant  of  Carey,  as  an 
equal  partner  in  the  stock  business.  He  was  married  in  1851  to  Ellen  G. 
Carey,  widow  of  N.  B.  Carey,  and  daughter  of  "William  and  Eliza  (Kooken) 
Brown,  previously  mentioned  in  this  chapter.  Mrs.  Starr  was  born  October 
12,  1824,  the  first  white  child  born  in  this  township.*  Mr.  Starr  is  still  a 
resident  of  this  township. 

William  Brayton,  who  came  to  this  county  in  1821,  and  located  with  his 
parents  in  Tymochtee  Township,  settled  in  Crawford  in  1834.  He  is  one 
of  the  most  substantial  of  its  farmei's,  having  owned  as  high  as  700  acres  of 
land.  He  was  born  in  Vermont,  May  11,  1810,  and  was  married  to  Mar- 
garet Carr  May  5,  1839.  They  had  eleven  children.  Mrs.  Brayton  died 
January  22,  1869.  His  father,  Elijah  Brayton,  was  one  of  the  first  millers 
in  the  county,  beginning  operations  by  erecting  a  saw  and  grist  mill  in 
Tymochtee  Township  in  1823.  He  and  John  Carey  also  owned  and  operated 
a  saw  mill  and  carding  machine,  which  was  located  on  Carey's  land. 

A  LEAF  FROM  AN  OLD  SETTLEr's  DIARY. 

William  Brown  was  one  of  the  few  tii'st  white  settlers  of  Crawford  Town- 
ship. He  was  born  in  Maryland  September  12,  1796.  His  wife,  Eliza 
Kooken,  was  born  in  Berks  County,  Penn.,  February  14,  1804,  and  they 
were  married  July  3,  1822.  From  an  old  diaryf  begun  by  Mr.  Brown  in 
1822,  we  obtain  some  interesting  facts  given  in  entries  as  follows: 

"November,  1822,  entered  land  near  the  Big  Spring  Reservation." 

"  July  20,  1823.  left  Columbus,  Ohio,  for  my  land,  with  the  intention  of 
building  a  cabin,  digging  a  well,  etc.  On  my  arrival,  my  heart  for  the 
first  time  failed  me.  The  day  was  dark  and  rainy.  We  had  spent  more 
than  half  of  it  driving  from  Tymochtee  out,  the  road  being  nothing  but 
mire  and  water.  The  ground  where  we  halted  was  clothed  with  a  heavy- 
growth  of  timber,  so  much  so  that  we  could  scarcely  see  the  sun  at  noon, 
and  to  add  to  our  misfortune,  we  could  not  work  without  being  stung  by 
nettles,  neither  could  we  remain  at  ease  for  the  hungry  mosquitoes.  These 
diflSculties  I  could  have  borne  with  fortitude  had  I  been  there  on  a  visit  for 
a  few  days  only,  but  when  I  I'eflected  that  they  could  be  removed  only  by 
years  of  hard  labor,  I  was  ready  to  conclude  that  I  had  acted  the  idiot  in 
purchasing  the  land,  and  the  lunatic  in  attempting  to  settle  it." 

"  The  next  day  I  set  Orra  Harris,  the  young  man  who  carae  with  me,  to 
digging  a  well.  I  took  Mr.  Carey's  horse  to  Squire  Hodges,  and  he  soon 
discovered  that  all  was  not  right  with  me.  He  therefore  immediately  set 
about  to  aid  me  to  obviate  my  difficulties  by  telling  me  a  long  flattering 
story,  the  purport  of  which  was  that  he  had  not  the  least  doubt  that  should 
I  set  in  and  continue  with  determined  perseverance,  my  undertaking  would 
be  crowned  with  complete  success,  that  I  would  not  only  make  a  good  liv- 
ing, but  that,  in  a  few  years,  1  would  become  independent. 

*We  have  authority  also  for  stating  that  a  daughter  was  born  in  this  township  to  Asa  and  Martha 
Lake  in   1821. 

tThe  diary  referred  to  was  kindly  furnished  us  by  Hiram  J.  Starr,  son-in-law  of  Mr.  Brown. 


744  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

"  This  story,  although  I  knew  it  was  much  exaggerated,  gave  me  con- 
siderable relief.  I  returned  to  our  encampment  about  dusk  and  was  greeted 
with  the  joyful  news  that  Orra  had  got  water!  The  next  morning  the 
clouds    dispersed    and    the    sun    once    more    visited    our  lonesome  woods. 

"  Squire  Hodges'  flattering  advice,  getting  water  so  conveniently,  and  the 
appearance  of  fair  weather,  in  a  great  measure  dissipated  my  dreadful  fore- 
bodings, and  I  began  work  quite  cheerfully.  We  remained  six  weeks,  built 
a  cabin,  laid  the  lower  floor,  put  up  the  chimney  to  the  mantel-piece,  laid 
the  back  wall  and  hearth  and  returned  home. "     *     *     * 

"April  5,  1824,  set  out  with  my  horses,  wagon,  plows,  etc.,  for  Squire 
Hodges'  for  the  purpose  of  raising  corn." 

"July  1,  returned  home;  July  15,  returned  again  to  my  land  to  finish 
my  cabin.      September  1,  home  again." 

"  October  7,  loaded  up  my  goods  and  chattels  and  with  my  family  'set 
sail '  for  my  intended  home.  After  a  prosperous  journey  of  four  and  one- 
half  days  we  landed  at  our  lonesome  abode  October  12,  1824." 

"October  22,  my  wife  had  a  fine  daughter,  which  we  named  Ellen." 

"May  22,  1825,  planted  fourteen  acres  of  corn." 

Here  the  entries  of  the  old  diary,  now  yellow  with  age,  close,  so  far  as 
they  pertain  to  the  settlement  of  the  family  in  this  township.  The  "fine 
daughter  "  which  Mr.  Brown  refers  to  with  so  much  paternal  pride  is  now 
the  wife  of  Hiram  J.  Starr,  and,  as  stated  above,  was  said  to  be  the  first 
white  child  born  in  this  township.  It  will  be  observed  that  Mr.  Carey  and 
Squire  Hodges  were  residents  of  this  locality  when  Mr.  Brown  first  settled 
here.  It  will  also  be  seen  that  the  first  settlers  in  this  now  beautiful  and 
prosperous  region  began  with  "dreadful  forebodings"  for  the  future. 
This  was  indeed  "the  forest  primeval."  The  croaking  of  the  frisky 
frog,  the  piping  treble  notes  of  the  sanguinary  mosquitoe,  ever  with 
an  eye  to  business,  the  humming  bee  and  the  singing  bird  were  all  here 
in  their  primitive  chorus;  but  they  brought  little  cheer  to  the  strug- 
gling settler  with  his  limited  fields  of  grain  and  his  unlimited  har- 
vest of  fever  and  ague,  Mr.  Brown  entered  160  acres  of  land.  His  un- 
ceasing toil  at  last  brought  him  to  the  grave;  he  died  in  1866,  and  ten  years 
later  his  faithful  companion  joined  him  in  the  realm  beyond. 

Besides  those  already  mentioned  as  early  settlers  of  this  township,  we 
have  also  the  names  of  many  others  who  located  here  at  various  dates  prior 
to  1845.  Among  them  are  the  following:  Jesse,  "William,  Thomas  and 
Benjamin  Gale;  Samuel,  James  and  William  Ritchey;  Nathan  Kimball; 
Ichabod,  Myron  and  Rufus  Merriman;  Mr.  Hamlin,  Thomas  Wallace,  John 
Nixon,  John  Gormley,  John  James,  William  James,  George  James,  Smith 
Kentfield,  A.  Knowlton,  Andrew  Crawford,  Abraham  Loy,  William  Hack- 
ney, Asa  Brayton,  Warwick,  Thomas  and  John  R.  Miller,  Sheldon  Beebe, 
James  Miller  and  sons,  Christopher  and  John  Baker,  Curtis  Berry,  Sr.,  Joseph 
and  William  Hart,  Harvey  Chidson,  Hamilton  Karr,  Sr.  and  Jr.,  Charles  M. 
Kari',  H.  J.  Starr;  Gershom,  Elijah,  John  and  Josephus  Dowman:  Conrad 
Hare  and  sons,  A.  B.  Ranger  and  sons,  Asa  Bixby  and  sons,  Lemuel  Guerney 
and  sons,  Kinsey  Ogg  and  sons,  W^illiam  Hunter  and  sons,  Reuben  Savidge 
and  sons,  William  McKinzie  and  sons,  Jacob  Kemmerly  and  sons,  Benja- 
min Copley  and  Mr.  Hamlin,  James  Burk  and  sons,  Isaac  Burk,  Sr.,  Daniel 
Brown,  Ezra  Gilbert,  Henry  Davis,  Adam  Nye  and  sons,  Thomas  and  Sam- 
uel Hart,  D.  Shane,  Jesse  Wilson  and  Robert  Hedges. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  persons  born  in  the  township  and  now  over 
fifty  years  of  age:  Mrs.  Ellen  Starr;  Mary,  George,  Daniel  A.  and  Rebecca 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  745 

James;  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Karr,  C.  B.  and  Harvey  L.  Karr,  D.  L.  Kentfield,* 
Mrs.  C.  C.  Brown,  John  C.  and  P.  B.  Lewis,  Mrs.  C.  R.  Clark,  Mrs.  Ann 
Searls,  Mrs.  Mary  Ranger,  Isaac  Burk,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Isadore  Ogg,  Mrs.  Dorcas 
Dow,  Mrs.  Laura  Eby,  Samuel  Ogg,  Mrs.  Sarah  Hibbins,  L.  Merriman; 
John,  Robert  and  Curtis  Berry,  Jr.;   John  and  Curtis  Baker. 

In  the  twenty-five  years  that  intervened  between  the  time  of  the  first  set- 
tler's location  and  1845,  the  increase  of  settlers  was  rapid.  The  names  of 
those  who  were  assessed  for  the  payment  of  taxes  in  Crawford  Township  in 
that  year  were  as  follows: 

OWNERS    OF    REAL    ESTATE. 

Allison,  Jacob,  Section  1,  40  acres. 

Arnold,  Anthony  H.,  Sections  13  and  24,  422  acres. 

Anderson,  John  S.,  Section  13,  200  acres. 

Ambroziei*,  Jacob,  Section  20,  160  acres. 

Ayers,  Isaac,  Section  28,  40  acres. 

Ax,  William,  Section  22,  80  acres. 

Brick,  John,  Section  22,  120  acres. 

Bollin,  William,  Section  22,  80  acres. 

Brellaman,  John  C,  Section  31,  83  acres. 

Best,  Frederick,  Section  9,  80  acres. 

Baker,  Timothy,  Sections  8  and  17,  258  acres. 

Battenfield,  Jacob,  Sections  8  and  9,  122  acres. 

Brown,  William,  Sections  8,  17,  18,  19,  20  and  31,  762  acres. 

Brayton,  William,  Sections  10  and  11,  329  acres. 

Beebe,  Sheldon,  Sections  15  and  22,  250  acres. 

Bechtel,  Henry,  Sections  19  and  20,  80  acres. 

Baker,  Christopher,  Section  11,  229  acres. 

Berry,  Curtis,  Sections  11  and  14,  200  acres. 

Burson,  Elijah,  Section  31,  40  acres. 

Baker,  John,  Section  14,  40  acres,  also  owned  a  saw  mill. 

Banning,  Anthony,  Sections  24  and  25,  85  acres. 

Bullis,  Pheney,  Section  23,  80  acres. 

Buell,  William,  Sections  22  and  35,  126  acres. 

Bollinger,  Aaron,  Section  5,  40  acres. 

Baughman,  George,  Section  29,  80  acres. 

Bixby,  Asa,  Sections  16  and  21,  160  acres,  also  owned  a  saw  mill. 

Conaghan,  James  C,  Section  24,  40  acres. 

Copely,  Benjamin,  Section  12,  80  acres. 

Clark,  William,  Sections  1  and  2,  412  acres. 

Chambers,  E.  J.  and  S.,  Sections  5,  200  acres. 

Chesebrough,  William,  Section  18,  111  acres. 

Carr,  Nicholas,  Sections  9  and  15,  328  acres. 

Carey,  John,  928  acres,  also  owned  a  saw  mill  and  carding  machine. 

Clark,  John,  Section  25,  140  acres. 

Crawford,  Andrew's  heirs.  Sections  26  and  27,  120  acres. 

Christy,  Henry,  Section  31,»40  acres. 

Christy,  Andrew,  Sections  20  and  21,  160  acres. 

Darby,  Ira  A.,  Section  29,  40  acres. 

Denman,  Gershom,  Section  15,  30  acres. 

Denman, ,  Sections  19  and  21,  120  acres. 

Denman,  Elijah,  Section  21,  80  acres. 

*Died  April  2,  1884. 


746  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Deibal,  Frederick,  Section  31,  42  acres, 

Davis,  William,  Section  26,  ]60  acres. 

Divinney,  Henry,  Sections  21  and  28,  80  acres. 

Detrich,  Henry,  Section  21,  80  acres. 

Divinney,  Henry,  Section  28,  80  acres. 

Erlick,  Charles  E.,  Section  18,  40  acres. 

England,  Joseph,  Section  20,  80  acres. 

England,  Lewis,  Section  29,  80  acres. 

Green,  William  E.,  Section  16,  1  acre. 

Gurney,  Samuel,  Section  16,  120  acres. 

Gormley,  John,  Sections  25  and  35,  169  acres. 

Greek,  Jacob,  Section  30,  73  acres. 

Gerger,  Michael,  Section  29,  40  acres. 

Hurse,  Israel,  Section  31,  40  acres. 

Hamilton,  William,  Section  33,  53  acres. 

Hildebrand,  John,  Sections  3  and  10,  160  acres. 

Huntley,  Ezra  E.,  Sections  10  and  21,  160  acres. 

House,  William,  Section  19,  74  acres. 

Huffman,  Valentine,  Section  28,  80  acres. 

Hart,  Samuel,  Section  20,  80  acres. 

Hart,  Joseph,  Sections  13,  11  and  14,  225  acres. 

Hart,  Thomas,  Section  29,  80  acres. 

Hunter,  James,  Section  30,  80  acres. 

Houck,  Peter,  Section  14,  150  acres,  also  owned  a  saw  mill. 

Houck,  Paul,  Section  5,  28  acres. 

Hare,  Conrad,  Sections  9  and  10,  325  acres. 

Hammond,  James,  Section  4,  151  acres. 

Huffman,  Jacob,  Section  11,  50  acres. 

James,  John,  Section  11,  80  acres. 

Kneasal,  George  F.,  Section  29,  160  acres. 

Kimball,  Nathan,  Sections  3  and  4,  240  acres. 

Kurtz,  Henry,  Section  6,  58  acres. 

Kenttield,  Smith,  Sections  23  and  25,  230  acres. 

Kerr,  Charles  M. ,  Sections  25  and  36,  123  acres. 

Kerr,  Charles,  Section  36,  23  acres. 

Karr,  Hamilton,  Sections  25  and  36,  153  acres. 

Kear,  Moses,  Section  14,  40  acres. 

Kenan,  Samuel,  Sections  10  and  15,  56  acres.  ^ 

Kass,  Sanford  F.,  Section  21,  80  acres. 

Leland,  Lewis,  Section  28,  40  acres. 

Lowry,  Alexander,  Section  29,  40  acres. 

Lane,  Peter,  Section  5,  108  acres. 

Ludwig,  George,  Section  9,  90  acres. 

Lowry,  John,  Section  2(),  80  acres. 

Lewis,  John,  Sections  24  and  25,  240  acres. 

Mason  D.  and  J.  S.  Hard,  Section  25,  8(^  acres. 

McKinzie,  William,  Section  1,  200  acres. 

Merriman,  Miram,  Section  24,  120  acres. 

Merriman,  John,  Sections  3  and  12,  160  acres. 

Myers,  Samuel,  Section  31,  40  acres. 

McDowell,  William,  Sections  9,  10  and  35,  250  acres. 

McGowen,  Hiram,  Section  2,  63  acres. 

Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad,  Section  16,  80  acres. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  747 

Miller,  John,  Sections  22  and  27,  160  acres. 

Miller,  Thomas,  Section  27,  ^  acre. 

McKenzie,  Roderick,  Section  2,  70  acres. 

Nye,  Adam,  Sections  19  and  30,  699  acres. 

Nye,  Samuel,  Section  32,  145  acres. 

Nease,  Jacob,  Section  12,  80  acres. 

Neisbaum,  Thomas,  Section  14,  80  acres. 

Needham,  Azariah.  Section  12,  80  acres. 

Nogle,  William,  Section  31,  42  acres. 

Ocrg,  Kinsey,  Sections  17  and  19,  200  acres. 

Pfund,  Joseph,  Sections  22  and  31,  103  acres. 

Pettinger,  B.  &  J.,  Section  2,  80  acres. 

Pontius,  Andrew.  Section  3,  152  acres. 

Patterson,  John,  Section  5,  40  acres. 

Eeid,  Nehemiah,  Section  28,  120  acres. 

Ragau,  Thomas,  Section  20,  40  acres. 

Ranger,  Amos  B.,  Sections  14,  21,  22  and  23,  400  acres. 

Rickey,  William,  Sections  25  and  26,  376  acres. 

Rathbun,  Samuel,  Section  15,  80  acres. 

Sears,  Sylvester,  Section  1,  80  acres. 

Stahl,  Jacob,  Sections  7  and  8,  107  acres. 

Swartzlander,  Henry,  Sections  5  and  6,  80  acres. 

Snook,  Jacob,  Sections  1  and  2,  80  acres. 

Swihart,  Aaron,  Sections  4  and  8,  100  acres. 

St.  John,  Henry,  Section  14,  80  acres. 

StahJ,  John.  Sections  4  and  8,  100  acres. 

Shrovely,  Henry,  Section  8,  80  acres, 

Snyder,  Samuel,  Sections  5  and  6,  210  acres. 

Shuman,  Henry,  Section  7,  199  acres. 

Swihart,  Aaron,  Section  6,  76  acres. 

Stahl,  Philip,  Sections  7  and  18,  240  acres. 

Stahl,  Peter,  Section  7,  100  acres. 

Shuman,  Frederick,  Sections  5,  6  and  7,  60  acres. 

Shuman,  Jonas,  Sections  5  and  6,  40  acres. 

Stevens,  Moses,  Section  23,  120  acres. 

Smith,  Jacob,  Sections  7  and  18,  244  acres. 

Smith,  George,  Section  18,  37  acres. 

Saffell,  Jehu,  Section  3,  76  acres. 

Struble,  John,  Section  9,  40  acres. 

Sarles,  Samuel,  Section  18,  74  acres. 

Smith,  William,  Sections  23  and  24,  145  acres. 

Sockrider,  John,  Section  31,  153  acres. 

Slagle,  Jacob,  Section  28,  80  acres. 

State  of  Ohio, . 

Thomas,  David,  Section  6,  80  acres. 
Thomas,  Jacob,  Section  7,  10  acres. 
Throgmaster,  P.  &  G.,  Section  17,  249  acres. 
Tipton,  David,  Section  31,  40  acres. 
Williams,  Benjamin,  Sections  1  and  2,  80  acres. 
Welchamer,  John,  Section  23,  80  acres. 
Welch,  Aaron,  Section  1,  160  acres. 
Wonder,  John,  Section  4,  153  acres. 
Yager,  Michael,  Section  20,  80  acres. 


748  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Zubb,  Peter,  Section  1,  40  acres. 
Major,  George,  Section  22,  40  acres. 
Shuman,  Jonas,  Section  6,  78  acres. 
Hart,  Samuel,  Section  29.  80  acres. 
Denman,  Joseph,  Section  29,  40  acres. 
Bert,  Frederick,  Section  14,  80  acres. 
Saffield,  John,  Section  3,  96  acres. 
McDowell,  "William,  Section  25,  88  acres. 

TOWN    OP    CRAWFORDSVILLE. 

Names  of  lot  owners  in  1845:  Polly  Belote,  George  Belote,  William  M. 
Buell,  Joseph  M.  Fry,  John  Gabriel,  Michael  Gressell,  John  Gormly,  John 
Houck,  William  Jennery,  Israel  Jennery,  Samuel  Kenan,  Smith  Lawton, 
James  W.  Marmon,  James  Rickey,  R.  P.  Ranney,  William  Richey,  Foster 
W.  Savidge,  Reuben  Savidge,  Morgan  Savidgo,  State  of  Ohio. 

TOWN    OF    CAREY. 

Owners  of  lots:  George  Berry,  Buell  &  Welch,  Thomas  Berry,  Thomas 
C.  Burnett,  William  Baker,  Lyman  Cody,  William  Cooley,  Peter  Houck, 
Henry  Houck,  John  Houck,  William  Huff,  John  Hare,  William  McDowell, 
Mad  River  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad  Company,  Rufus  W.  Reid,  James 
Rickey,  William  Rickey,  Daniel  Smith,  James  Thompson,  Aaron  Welch, 
Charles  Zuck. 

OWNERS    OF    PERSONAL    PROPERTY. 

George  Amos,  Curtis  Berry,  Jr.,  Asa  Bixby,  Michael  Battenfield,  Henry 
Bechtel,  William  Brown,  Frederick  Best,  Mariah  Bent,  Elizabeth  Bullis, 
George  Baughman,  Christopher  Breama,  Sheldon  Beebe,  William  Bolden,  Asa 
Batole,  James  Bliss,  Isaac  Burke,  William  Brayton,  Curtis  and  Christopher 
Baker,  Elizabeth  Bogart,  John  Baker,  William  M.  Buell,  Buell  &  Welch 
(merchants),  Andrew  Christy,  McDonough  M.  Carey,  W'illiam  Cole,  Frederick 
Craft,  John  Carey,  Charles  Carr,  Joel  Clark,  Luther  Chaffee,  Robert  Cavot, 
Benjamin  Cobley,  William  Clark,  Daniel  Christy,  Nicholas  Carr,  John  Carr, 
Beriah  Chesebrough,  Joel  Chesebrough,  Erasmus  Chambers,  W^illiam  Cham- 
bers, Dr.  Howard  Clark  (practicing  physician),  William  Dunbar,  Elijah  Den- 
man, Gershom  T.  Denman,  William  Davis,  Ira  Derby,  John  Donney,  Lewis 
England,  John  England,  Daniel  England,  Dr.  John  Foster  (practicing 
physician),  Henry  Frazier,  Joseph   M.   Fry,  Lemuel  Gurney,  Jacob  Gear, 

Thomas  W.  Greer,  Eli  Gibbs,  Gormley,  John  Helsey,  Widow  Holtz,  Re 

becca  Hart,  Isaac  Hopkins,  Conrad  Hare,  John  Hare,  Solomon  Hare,  Jona- 
than Hart,  William  Hoff,  Francis  Hook,  David  Hawkins,  Perry  Harmon, 
John  Houck,  Samuel  Hart,  William  Hunter,  Thomas  Hart,  John  James, 
Jacob  Kennedy,  Hamilton  Kerr,  Hamilton  Kerr,  Jr.,  Smith  Kentfield,  An- 
drew Kostenbader,  Tobias  Kneazle,  Nathan  Kimball,  Aaron  Kostenbader, 
Charles  Lindour,  Amos  Lucas,  John  Lowry,  Jeremiah  Lowry,  Sidney  Lewis, 
William  McDowell,  James  McGuinn,  Thomas  Morgan,  Nelson  Miller, 
Warick  Miller,  Charles  Murphy,  Thomas  Miller,  John  Miller,  Joseph  Met- 
calf,  Miram  Merriman,  Roderick  McKinzie,  William  McKinzie,  Abram 
Myers,  Hugh  MulhoUand,  Azariah  Needham,  Gideon  Nye,  Adam  Nye, 
Emanuel  Nye,  Aaron  Nye,  John  Nye,  Adam  Nye,  Kinzie  Ogg,  William 
Preston,  William  Parker,  Florian  Pound,  James  Rickey,  James  Richard- 
son, Samuel  Rathbi;n,  Amos  B.  Ranger,  Luther  Ranger,  William  Rickey, 
Nehemiah  Read,  George  W.  Stoner,  Jacob  Slaybaugh,  Daniel  Sockrider, 
Jacob    Smith,    Reuben    Savidge,   Foster    Savidge,    Thomas    Stickles,    Levi 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  749 

Savidge,  William  Smith,  Sylvester  Sears,  Jacob  Soop,  Jacob  Snook,  Israel 
Shoefer,  Susannah  Stahl,  Jonathan  Sickley,  Daniel  Shane,  Samuel  Searls, 
Samuel  Stahl,  Jacob  Smith,  Peter  Stahl,  Elizabeth  Stahl,  Henry  Shoeman, 
Jonas  Shoeman,  Frederick  Shoeman,  Henry  Swartzlander,  Aaron  Swihart, 
Samuel  Snyder,  John  Stahl,  Henry  Shively,  Samuel  Snyder,  Reuben  F. 
Savidge,  John  Sockrider,  Hiram  Stern,  James  Thompson,  Adolphus  Vogel, 
Andrew  Vance,  George  "Wolf,  Aaron  "Welch,  George  Wonder,  John 
"Wonder,  Jeremiah  Williams,  Daniel  "Walker,  Michael  Yeager,  Charles 
Zook. 

ORIGINAL  IMPROVEMENTS,  ETC. 

It  has  been  said  that  "the  groves  were  God's  first  temples,"  and  the 
first  settlers  of  the  township  were  the  possessors  of  habitations  no  less  mag- 
nificent. In  many  instances  land  was  purchased  or  entered  and  settled 
upon  when  nothing  but  the  leafy  canopy  of  the  forest  trees  served  the 
eager  and  determined  home-seekers  as  a  shelter  from  the  wrath  of  the  ele- 
ments. Young  wives,  taken  from  homes  of  luxury,  have  here  united  the 
work  of  their  hands  with  that  of  the  husbands  of  their  hearts,  and  with 
the  courage  of  the  Carthaginian  maidens,  who  gave  their  tresses  to  their 
brother  warriors  for  bow-strings,  that  their  homes  might  be  saved  from  the 
destruction  of  the  Roman  soldiers,  have  braved  both  storm  and  exposure 
while  the  first  cabins  were  being  erected. 

As  has  already  been  stated,  Asa  Lake  was  first  to  locate  in  this  town- 
ship, and  in  ]819,  he  erected  the  first  abode  that  graced  the  primeval  soli- 
tudes of  this  locality.  It  was  a  double  log  cabin,  about  18x20  feet,  and 
was  located  on  Section  26.  About  two  years  later,  Daniel  Hodges  founded 
a  home  near  the  village  of  Crawfordsville,  and  in  1823  John  Carey  built  a 
hewed- log  house  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Tymochtee,  nearly  opposite  the 
old  Delaware  village  of  Capt.  Pipe.  William  Brown  erected  his  cabin 
in  the  same  year,  but  probably  after  Mr.  Carey  had  built  his.  However, 
this  is  uncertain,  as  we  arrive  at  this  conclusion  by  the  fact  that  Carey 
was  already  in  the  vicinity  at  the  time  of  Brown's  arrival. 

The  first  regular  thoroughfare  constructed  in  the  township  extended 
from  Tymochtee  to  Carey's  mill.  It  passed  through  Sections  25  and  26, 
and  in  Tymochtee  extended  through  Sections  16  and  20.  The  early  set- 
tlers went  to  Delaware  for  supplies  usually,  though  as  early  as  1823,  John 
Carey  and  Elijah  Bray  ton  erected  a  saw  and  grist  mill,  on  lands  owned  by 
Mr.  Carey,  in  what  is  now  Tymochtee  Township.  A  carding  machine  was 
also  operated  in  connection  with  this  mill.  At  present  the  township  can 
boast  of  five  mills— one  saw  mill  at  Crawford,  two  saw  mills  at  Carey  and 
two  grist  mills  at  the  latter  place.  The  first  store  of  this  territory  was  kept 
at  Crawfordsville,  by  William  M.  Buell,  who  was  also  the  first  merchant  of 
Carey.  There  is  but  one  mercantile  establishment  now  conducted  outside 
of  the  villages,  and  that  is  the  property  of  McD.  M.  Carey. 

The  first  settlers  of  Crawford  Township  were  not  blind  to  the  necessi- 
ties of  education,  and,  as  early  as  1828,  ei'ected  a  schoolhouse  on  what  is 
now  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  26.  Among  the  first  teachers  were 
William  Hackney  and  Adeline  Potterfield.  Others  were  James  Heron, 
John  A.  Morrison,  Jane  Coddington.  Mrs.  Maynard,  Laura  Starr,  Erastus 
Ranger,  Clem  Allen,  J.  Newman,  Miss  Eliza  Ingram,  S.  Johnson,  Dr.  Kirk- 
ham,  Hiram  J.  Starr,  Jesse  Wilson,  Eliza  Lewis,  Emma  Carey  and  McD. 
M.  Carey.  As  the  population  of  the  township  increased,  other  districts  were 
formed  and  school  rooms  were  erected.  There  are  now  eleven  subdistricts 
in  the  township,  and  all  are  provided  with  well-equipped  buildings. 


750  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

The  first  religeous  society  organized  in  Crawford  Township  was  begun 
in  1828,  under  the  supervision  of  Rev.  Thomas  Thompson,  who  was  then  a 
missionary  among  the  Wyandot  Indians,  of  Upper  Sandusky.  Arza  Brown 
was  the  first  regular  circuit  preacher  in  this  section  of  the  country.  The 
first  church  building  of  the  township  was  erected  by  the  United  Brethren 
society  at  Carey  in  1845. 

RELIGIOUS. 

St.  JosepWs  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  Crawfordsville,  a  small  but 
thriving  congregation,  dates  its  origin  with  the  year  1849.  Rev.  Xaver 
Obermuller,  at  present  director  of  a  community  of  Sisters  in  La  Crosse, 
Wis.,  was  the  first  to  visit  the  few  scattered  families  located  here.  He 
succeeded  in  uniting  them,  and  the  result  was  the  erection  of  a  log  church 
26x20  feet.  Here  the  sacrifice  of  mass  was  offered  up  for  the  first  time  by 
Father  Obermuller,  and,  what  is  worthy  of  mention,  upon  a  brick  altar, 
which  was  expressly  designed  and  built  by  Christian  Brooks,  one  of  the 
members. 

The  original  members  of  the  congregation,  eight  in  all,  were  John  Shoe- 
maker, John  Best,  Christian  Brooks,  Mathew  Haut,  Anthon  Eberle,  Andrew 
Fetter,  John  Stump  and  Peter  Pauly.  Increasing  by  degrees  in  number 
and  adding  daily  more  and  more  to  their  worldly  substance,  they  were  soon 
dissatisfied  with  their  log  church  and  its  location.  Something  more  noble 
and  befitting  was  deemed  necessary.  Thereupon  an  acre  of  land  was  do- 
nated by  Peter  Pauly  for  the  purpose,  and  under  the  supervision  of  Rev. 
Nicolaus  Gales,  a  Sanguinist  Father,  a  second  church,  50x25  feet,  was  built 
in  the  year  1859,  at  a  cost  of  $1,000.  Mr.  Draper  likewise  donated  two 
acres  and  a  half  for  cemetery  purposes.  In  time  this  cosy  little  church 
was  entirely  too  small  for  the  congregation,  the  more  so,  since  many  from 
Carey  and  Kirby  would  attend  divine  services.  It  was  first  proposed  to 
build  an  addition,  but  the  greater  part,  in  fact  all,  were  in  favor  of  a  new 
church.  Subscriptions  were  raised  and  work  begun  in  August,  1883,  un- 
der the  present  pastor,  Rev.  John  G.  Mizer,  according  to  the  plan  of  archi- 
tect J.  Kokinga.  The  structure,  a  frame  building,  is  built  in  the  Roman 
styles,  and  has  the  form  of  a  cross.  It  has  a  frontage  of  forty  feet  and  a 
depth  of  eighty-five  feet.  The  towor  is  built  apart  from  the  building 
proper,  and  has  a  height  of  128  feet.  When  finished  the  church  will  cost 
nearly  $6,000. 

Rev.  Mr.  Obermuller  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Messrs.  Anthony,  Engel- 
bert,  Dambach,  1854-56;  Rochus,  Shurtz,  Bernardus  Austerman,  1856-57; 
Nicolaus  Gales,  1857-59;  Erhardt  Gluck,  1859-60;  Patrick  Henneberry, 
1860-62;  Math  Kreush,  1862-65;  Christian  French,  1865-66;  Alphons 
Laux,  1866-67;  Philip  Reast,  1867-69;  Kasper  Shodler,  1869-70;  John 
Birnbaum,  1870-72;  Theobald  Schock,  1872-75;  Joseph  Rosenberg,  1875- 
80,  and  the  latter  by  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  John  G.  Mizer,  July  19,  1880. 

The  congregation  of  St.  Joseph's  is  composed  of  well-to-do  farmers, 
mostly  all  Germans,  and  at  present  numbers  about  thirty-eight  families.  It 
is  now  visited  twice  a  month  on  Sundays.  A  parochial  school  has  been 
maintained  since  1878. 

The  first  missions  or  so-called  revivals  were  held  in  a  private  dwelling 
by  the  Fathers  of  the  Precious  Blood  in  1850.  The  second  was  conducted 
by  the  Redemptorists  in  the  year  1863. 

The  ofiicial  record  of  Crawford  Township  from  its  earliest  organization 
is  not  to  be  obtained.  Its  first  elections  were  held  in  Tymochtee,  as  it  then 
comprised  the  territory  now  divided  between  the  three  townships — Craw- 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  751 

ford,  Tymochtee  and  Sycamore.    As  this  township  is  now  organized,  the  first 
election  was  held  at  the  residence  of  Sheldon  Beebe,  who  lived  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  Section  15.    The  list  of  officials,  Trustees,  Clerks  and  Treas 
urers,  from  1867  to  1883  is  of  interest  and  is  given  below;  also   the  vote 
cast  for  theoflice  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1846: 

TOWNSHIP  OFFICIALS  SINCE  1867. 

Trustees— 1867,  John  R.  Miller,  John  Greer,  G.  Nigh. 

1868 — Hamilton  Karr,  Edward  Brown,  John  Greer. 

1869 — John  Greer,  Josiah  Shawhan,  George  B.  Corwin. 

1870 — John  Greer,  John  Baker,  A.   J.  Wonder. 

1871 — John  Baker,  Aaron  Nigh,  William  Brayton. 

1872— John  Greer;  Aaron  Nigh,  Buel  S.  Beebe. 

1873 — Aaron  Nigh,  Buel  S.  Beebe,  John  Greer. 

1874 — Buel  S.  Beebe,  John  Greer,  Aaron  Nigh. 

1875— Buel  S.  Beebe,  Charles  Stief,  Henry  P.  Brown. 

1876 — Charles  Stief,  Henry  P.  Brown,  David  Smith. 

1877— Charles  Stief,  Buel  S.  Beebe,  Henry  P.  Brown. 

1878 — Charles  Stief,  Buel  S.  Beebe,  John  Baker. 

1879— John  Baker,  Charles  Stief,  David  Smith. 

1880 — John  Baker,  Henry  P.  Brown,  John  Greer. 

1881 — John  Baker,  Charles  Stief,  Henry  P.  Brown. 

1882— Charles  Stief,  George  S.  Myers,  George  W.  Starr. 

1883 — George  S.  Meyers,  George  Vi.  Starr,  Oliver  Brayton. 

Clerks— 1867-68,  J.  W.  Chamberlain;  1869,  C.  B.  Hare;  1870-71, 
Robert  Gregg;  1872-74,  W^alton  Weber;  1875, George  S.  Meyers;  1876-79, 
Walton  Weber;  1880,  George  S.  Myers;  1881,  Jerry  Carothers;  1882,  A. 
J.  Frederick;  1883,  Daniel  B.  Royer. 

Treasurers— 1867,  F.  R.  Baumgartner;  1868,  L.  F.  Staff;  1869-70,  H. 
McDowell;  1871-73,  I.  N.  Keller;  1874,  Charles  D.  Hofif;  1875-78,  Amos 
Bixby;  1879-83,  John  Wensinger. 

The  votes  for  Justice  of  the  Peace  at  the  election  held  in  this  township 
October  13,  1846,  stood  as  follows:  Abraham  Myers,  125;  Andrew  Nye, 
55;  Abraham  Peace,  1  vote. 

CAREY  VILLAGE. 

The  above-named  town  derived  its  title  from  Judge  John  Carey,  who,  at 
its  founding,  was  President  of  the  Indiana,  Bloom  ington  &  Western  Rail- 
road, upon  which  it  is  situated,  and,  as  a  consequence,  was  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  success  of  the  embroyo  metropolis  of  the  township — we  may 
almost  say  of  the  county. 

Carey  was  laid  out  by  R.  M.  Shuler  and  W.  M.  Buell  in  1843,  these 
gentlemen  owning  the  land  upon  which  it  is  situated.  The  town  is  pleas- 
antly located  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county,  ten  miles  from  Upper 
Sandusky,  and  now  has  the  advantage  of  three  lines  of  railroad — the  Find- 
lay  Branch,  the  Cleveland,  Sandusky  &  Cincinnati  line,  and  the  Columbus, 
Hocking  Valley  &  Toledo  Railway. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  town  of  Carey  was  laid  out  two  years  previous  to 
the  organization  of  Wyandot  County,  and  this  fact,  after  all  that  has  been 
said  in  regard  to  the  general  development  of  the  county  in  previous  chap- 
ters, is  sufficient  evidence  to  most  readers,  no  doubt,  that  the  territory  of  the 
vicinity  in  which  Carey  is  located  was  exceedingly  wild  and  uncultivated  at 
the  period  of  its  history  above  referred  to. 


752  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

In  the  same  year  in  which  the  town  was  founrled.  John  Honck  made  the 
initial  step  in  the  way  of  architecture  by  erecting  a  frame  building  on  Find- 
lay  (or  Main)  street,  where  he  engaged  in  hotel  keeping,  the  lirst  business 
of  the  kind,  or  of  any  kind,  done  in  the  town.  The  old  building  is  still 
standing,  in  a  fair  state  of  preservation,  and  is  still  used  for  hotel  purposes, 
with  W.  K.  Humbert  as  its  present  proprietor.  It  is  a  quaint,  old  structure, 
but  has  been  remodeled,  repaired  and  renewed  in  appearance  by  a  fresh 
coating  of  paint,  and  is  probably  good  for  another  forty  years  of  usefulness. 
The  erection  of  this  building  was  followed  in  quick  succession  by  those  of 
Aaron  Welsh,  Peter  Kenan,  Mr.  Cody,  Michael  Grussell,  D.  Straw,  Curtis 
Berry,  Shumaker,  McDowell  and  others,  the  exact  dates  of  their  erection 
being  unknown.  Several  of  these  original  domiciles  are  still  standing, 
though  most  of  them  in  a  repaired  condition. 

The  pioneer  merchant  of  Carey  Avas  W.  M.  Baell,  who  erected  a  frame 
store  room  one  story  high,  22x80  feet  in  size,  in  1843,  and  began  business  in 
the  sale  of  general  merchandise,  with  a  stock  valued  at  $10,000.  McD.  M. 
Carey  was  employed  as  clerk  by  Mr.  Buell,  and  claims  the  honor  of  making 
the  first  sale  over  the  counter  of  this  establishment.  The  old  building  now 
stands  about  two  doors  from  the  corner  of  Findlay  and  Vance  streets,  and 
is  used  as  a  butcher  shop.  R.  W.  Reed,  McD.  M.  Carey  and  H.  J.  Starr 
established  the  next  business  house  in  Carey,  the  firm  being  known  as  Reed, 
Carey  &  Co.  Their  stock  consisted  of  general  merchandise,  valued  at  $6,- 
000  to  $S,000.  The  third  business  house  which  sprang  up  in  the  then 
promising  village  was  established  by  Jones  Park;  the  fourth  by  McDowell 
&  Baker,  and  the  fifth  by  John  E.  James,  all  dealing  in  general  mer- 
chandise. 

In  the  fall  of  1845,  David  Sti'aw  established  a  small  groceiy  store  in  Carey 
with  a  capital  of  less  than  $50.  He  has  continued  in  business  in  the  town 
ever  since,  and  is  now  one  of  the  three  wealthiest  men  of  the  county.  He 
was  born  in  Pitt  Township  March  28,  1826,  and  is  therefore  now  in  his 
fifty-ninth  year.  His  business  has  increased  to  wonderful  propni'tions,  the 
result  of  his  extraordinary  enei'gy  and  tact.  It  is  a  matter  deserving  of 
special  notice  that  Mr.  Straw  is  now  the  only  business  man  in  Carey  who 
began  operations  in  the  town  as  early  as  1845.  Hiram  J.  Starr  is, 
however,  an  extensive  stock  and  grain  dealer  of  Crawford  Township,  and 
operates  in  and  about  Carey.  McD.  M.  Carey  owns  a  large  farm  in  the 
township,  and  is  one  of  its  most  influential  citizens. 

Since  her  humble  beginning  with  one  hotel  in  1843,  and  her  three  or  four 
mercantile  establishments  up  to  1845,  the  village  of  Carey  has  made  rapid 
strides  in  the  field  of  progress.  She  is  now  a  stroog  rival  of  Upper  Sandusky, 
and  the  prospects  for  her  future  success  are  decidedly  favorable.  In  order  that 
the  reader  may  comprehend  the  full  scope  of  her  business  interests  and  in- 
dustries, a  special  mention  is  made  below  of  the  various  branches  now  rep- 
resented within  her  limits. 

MEECHANTILE  AND  BANKING  INTERESTS. 

One  of  the  leading  dry  goods  stores  of  Carey  is  that  now  controlled  by 
the  firm  of  William  Campbell  &  Son.  The  firm  was  established  in  May, 
1877,  the  stock  being  purchased  of  the  Colton  Brothers,  who  succeeded  D. 
Straw,  who  erected  and  now  owns  the  building  in  which  the  business  is  con- 
ducted. It  is  one  of  the  oldest  business  houses  in  the  town,  and  also  one 
of  the  most  extensive.  The  firm  carries  an  average  stock  of  about  $18,000, 
doing  an  annual  business  of  $45,000.     The  building  is  22x110  feet  in  size. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  753 

and  located  on  the  corner  of  Findlay  and  Vance  streets.  Mr.  Campbell  is 
also  extensively  engaged  in  pork  packing  at  Kenton,  Ohio,  operates  a  stave 
factory  and  has  an  interest  in  the  paper  mills  of  the  latter  place. 

H.  B.  Kurtz,  located  near  the  southwest  corner  of  Findlay  and  Vance 
streets,  carries  a  stock  of  dry  goods,  groceries,  carpets,  boots,  shoes,  etc., 
valued  at  $14,000,  and  does  a  thriving  business.  He  established  his  trade 
in  1877,  he  being  sole  proprietor,  which  he  still  continues  to  be.  In  connec- 
tion with  his  store,  Mr.  Kurtz  does  quite  an  extensive  private  banking  busi- 
ness. The  building  in  which  he  is  located  is  22x80  feet,  with  a  storage 
room  of  forty- six  feet,  and  was  erected  by  Mr.  Shumaker  in  1874. 

T.  Woodworth,  a  hardware  merchant,  began  business  in  June,  1874,  and 
continued  as  sole  proprietor  till  1881,  in  March  of  which  year  he  admitted 
J.  A.  Smith  as  a  partner.  Three  years  later  Mr.  Woodworth  purchased  Mr. 
Smith's  interests,  and  has  since  conducted  the  business  independently.  He 
occupies  a  two-stoiy  brick  building,  26x110  feet,  situated  on  the  corner  of 
Findlay  and  Vance  streets,  and  carries  a  stock  of  hardware,  stoves,  tinware 
and  agricultural  implements,  valued  at  $5,000  to  $7,000. 

R.  Gregg  is  located  opposite  the  post  office,  south  side  of  Findlay  street, 
and  conducts  a  grocery  store,  having  been  in  the  business  since  1868,  in 
different  parts  of  the  town.  Mr.  Gregg  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Carey 
in  1869,  and  retained  that  position  until  1881.  He  erected  his  present 
brick  building,  18x50  feet,  in  1876.  carries  a  stock  valued  at  about  $1,000. 

George  S.  Myers  began  operations  in  the  drug  business  in  Carey  in 
1872,  and  continued  the  same  till  1877.  He  then  engaged  in  the  fruit  busi- 
ness till  1884.  when  he  purchased  an  entire  new  stock  and  re-established 
himself  in  the  drug  trade.  He  occupies  the  Frederick  Building  opposite 
the  post  office,  and  is  doing  a  good  business.  C.  Pflueger  occupies  a  por- 
tion of  the  same  building,  and  keeps  a  full  stock  of  jewelry,  clocks,  watches, 
etc.,  doing  all  kinds  of  repairing  in  his  line.   His  stock  is  valued  at  $1,000. 

Peter  Will  &  Co.,  fiu'niture  dealers  and  undertakers,  are  located  on 
Findlay  street  next  door  to  Myers'  drug  store.  The  business  was  begun  in 
1882,  by  the  firm  of  Wickiser  &  Will.  One  year  later,  the  former  member 
of  the  firm  disposed  of  his  interest  to  J.  S.  Hawks,  since  which  time  the 
firm  has  been  known  as  Peter  Will  &  Co.  The  building  which  thoy  occupy 
was  built,  1882,  by  D.  S.  Nye,  and  is  a  brick  structure,  two  stories,  18x60 
feet.  The  firm  carries  a  stock  of  goods  valued  at  $5,000.  E.  E.  Nye  con- 
ducts a  tonsorial  parlor  in  the  same  block,  next  door,  having  purchased  his 
outfit  of  E.  C.  Montague  in  July,  1883.  P.  J.  Weber  conducts  a  saloon  in 
the  same  block,  having  purchased  his  outfit  and  stock  of  T.  W.  O'Marra  in 
January,  1883. 

G.  G.  Kennard  is  a  saddle  and  harness- maker.  He  purchased  his  stock 
of  Ed  Campbell,  and  took  charge  of  the  business  April  1,  1884.  He  carries 
a  stock  of  harness,  saddles,  trunks,  valises,  etc.,  valued  at  $1,500.  He  is  also 
located  in  the  Nye  Block,  which  was  built  in  1882,  the  old  buildings  having 
been  destroyed  by  fire  October  28,  1881. 

Taylor  &  Campbell,  hardware  merchants,  occupy  the  Frederick  Building, 
on  Findlay  street,  south  side.  The  business  was  begun  in  April,  1883,  by 
Frederick  &  Taylor,  but  the  former  member  soon  after  disposed  of  his  interest 
to  Mr.  Campbell.  They  carry  a  full  stock  of  hardware  and  tinware,  and 
some  of  the  lighter  agricultural  implements. 

E.  M.  Gear  began  the  gi'ocery  business  in  Carey  in  January,  1884, 
having  purchased  the  stock  of  D.  S.  Nye,  who  had  conducted  the  same  trade 
in  the  same  location  since  1859,  occupying  a  frame  building.      The  present 


754  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

brick  building  was  erected  by  Mr.  Nye  in  1860.  Mr.  Gear  does  a  casli 
business  principally,  and  has  a  good  trade.  He  deals  extensively  in  hides, 
pelts  and  fiu-.     His  stock  is  valued  at  $1,800  to  $2,000. 

R.  C.  Kinney  conducts  a  boot  and  shoe  store  on  the  south  side  of  Find- 
lay  street.  He  purchased  the  stock  of  J.  B.  Conrad  in  October,  1883,  the 
latter  gentleman  having  conducted  the  business  for  six  years  previous.  The 
building  which  Mr.  Kinney  occupies  was  erected  prior  to  i860,  by  W.  A. 
Nye.  It  is  a  two-story  brick  20x60.  Mr.  Kinney  carries  a  stock  valued  at 
$5,000. 

G.  W.  Chesebrough  established  himself  in  the  gi'ocery,  provision  and 
queensware  trade  in  Carey  in  1875.  He  occupies  a  building  erected  by  D. 
Straw,  and  purchased  by  the  former  in  1877.  Mr.  Chesebrough  now  has 
the  oldest  grocery  establishment  in  the  town.    His  stock  is  valued  at  $2,000. 

W.  Carothers  keeps  a  fine  stock  of  drugs,  books,  stationary,  etc.,  on  Find- 
lay  street,  near  the  corner  of  Vance  and  Findlay.  He  began  business  in 
1876,  purchasing  his  stock  of  George  Myers.  The  building  which  he  occu- 
pies is  owned,  and  was  built  by  Dr.  Brayton,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  Mr.  Car- 
other's  stock  is  valued  at  $5,000. 

D.  Bechtell,  the  butcher,  near  southwest  corner  of  Vance  and  Findlay 
streets,  began  operations  in  his  line  in  1877.  He  occupies  the  old  Dame 
building,  which  was  the  first  store  room  erected  in  Carey. 

On  Vance  street,  S.  Orwig  keeps  a  small  stock  of  harness,  saddles,  whips, 
robes,  blankets,  trunks,  valises,  making  custom  work  a  specialty.  J.  Dodd, 
located  above  this  shop,  manufactures  the  best  brands  of  cigars,  his  annual 
sales  amounting  to  $i3,000  per  year,  and  N.  Steinmetz  manufactures  boots 
and  shoes,  also  carrying  a  stock  of  ready-made  goods.  He  erected  his 
store  room  in  1876,  at  a  cost  of  $500. 

E.  S.  Shellhouse  is  the  proprietor  of  the  only  feed  store  and  nursery  in 
Carey.  He  deals  in  all  kinds  of  tropical  and  other  fruits  by  wholesale,  and 
ships  more  melons  than  any  other  dealer  in  Northern  Ohio.  Has  been 
engaged  here  in  the  produce  business  since  1863,  with  the  exception  of  three 
years. 

William  Simonis,  a  grocer,  keeps  an  establishment  on  the  north  side  of 
Findlay  street,  nearly  opposite  the  Gault  House.  The  business  was  begun 
by  Peter  Simonis,  in  1879,  his  son  William,  the  present  proprietor,  taking 
charge  in  1882.  He  occupies  the  Fetten  building,  and  carries  a  stock  val- 
ued at  $1,000.  In  connection  with  his  grocery  business,  Mr.  Simonis  also 
conducts  a  news  stand. 

J.  W.  Berndon,  Postmaster,  keeps  a  stock  of  confectionery,  tobaccos, 
cigars  and  stationery,  having  opened  up  the  trade  in  1881.  The  building 
which  he  occupies  was  built  by  Lewis  Jacobs  in  1871.  C.  W.  D.  Zuck 
keeps  a  stock  of  jewelry,  clocks  and  watches,  in  the  same  building.  He  suc- 
ceeded I.  N.  Keller,  whose  goods  he  purchased  in  1873. 

A.  E.  Gibbs  conducts  a  grocery  and  provision  store,  having  purchased 
his  original  stock  of  A.  J.  Frederick  in  1881.  He  is  located  in  the  Odd 
Fellows  building,  and  carries  a  full  line  of  goods,  $3,000  in  value. 

Mrs.  R.  C.  Pennington,  proprietress  of  the  millinery  establishment  of 
Carey,  located  on  the  north  side  of  Findlay  street.  The  original  firm  was 
known  as  Webb  &  Simonis,  and  dates  from  1870.  In  1878,  Mrs.  Penning- 
ton purchased  the  stock,  and  has  since  conducted  the  business. 

Amos  Bixby,  located  on  north  side  of  Findlay  street,  in  Gibbs  building, 
keeps  a  large  stock  of  clothing,  gent's  furnishing  goods,  hats,  caps,  boots, 
shoes,  etc.,  and  also  does  a  merchant  tailoring  business.  He  began  busi- 
ness in  1868. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  757 

T.  J.  Kennard  established  himself  in  the  grocery  business  here  in  1880, 
having  purchased  his  stock  of  J.  L.  Herndon.  He  is  located  in  the  Gibbs 
building,  and  does  a  business  with  a  stock  of  about  $4,500. 

Wickiser  &  Weber  occupy  Straw's  building,  north  side  of  Findlay  street, 
with  a  line  selected  stock  of  hardware,  stoves,  tinware  and  agricultural  im- 
plements. The  present  firm  was  established  in  1883,  their  stock  being  pur- 
chased of  A.  Frederick. 

D.  Harpster  is  one  of  the  leading  druggists  of  Carey.  He  began  the 
business  here  in  1866,  having  been  in  the  dry  goods  ti-ade  four  years  pre- 
vious. In  1874,  he  erected  his  two-story  brick  building,  20x80  feet.  Mr. 
Harpster  carries  a  stock  of  drugs,  books,  stationery,  wall  paper,  etc.,  and 
has  a  full  share  of  the  public  patronage.  In  1877,  he  added  a  stock  of  gen- 
eral jewelry. 

J.  R.  Siddall  &  Co.  do  business  in  the  grocery  and  provision  trade. 
The  firm  was  established  in  February,  1884,  the  respective  members  being 
J.  R,  Siddall  and  C.  L.  Sheldon.     They  carry  a  stock  valued  at  |1,500. 

J.  L.  Wensinger  began  the  diy  goods  trade  here  in  1876,  with  J.  Wen- 
singer,  lander  the  firm  name  of  J.  &  J.  Wensinger.  In  1881,  J.  L.  Wensin- 
ger purchased  his  partner's  interest,  and  has  since  continued  the  business 
as  sole  proprietor. 

Miss  L.  A.  Raider  keeps  a  stock  of  millinery  and  fancy  goods.  The 
business  was  established  by  Misses  Shuman  and  Raider,  the  former  member 
retiring  six  years  later.  Shop  located  on  corner  of  Findlay  and  Vance 
streets,  upstairs;  stock,  $500. 

J.  F.  Zimmerman,  photographer,  opened  his  gallery  here  in  1871.  He 
subsequently  worked  three  years  in  Crestline,  and  resumed  business  here  in 
1877.  He  erected  his  business  building  in  1882.  Does  all  kinds  of  work 
in  his  line,  and  also  takes  orders  for  the  finest  work  in  India  ink  and  crayon 
portraits. 

•  Albert  Nye  conducts  a  bakery  and  restaurant  nearly  opposite  the  Gault 
House.      He  purchased  the  stock  of  J.  L.  Herndon  in  February,  1884. 

J.  A.  Hackeuberger.  cigar  dealer  and  manufactiirer,  is  located  on  the 
south  side  of  Findlay  street,  above  Chesebrough's  grocery  establishment. 
He  employs  five  to  seven  operators,  who  produce  annually  from  200,000  to 
300,000  cigars.     Sales  chiefly  confined  to  Ohio. 

George  P.  Diemer,  butcher,  is  located  on  the  north  side  of  Findlay  street, 
near  Vance,  the  business  having  been  begun  in  1878  by  J.  K.  Hackeuber- 
ger and  George  P.  Diemer.  The  former  sold  his  interest  in  May,  1879,  to 
F.  B.  McCowen,  the  firm  being  known  as  Diemer  &  McCowen  till  January, 
1880,  when  Mr.  Diemer  became  sole  proprietor. 

W^illiam  Wyborn  conducts  a  shoe  shop  on  Findlay  street  opposite  the 
Gault  House,  doing  only  custom  work.  Montague  Brothers  have  a  neat 
barbering  establishment  next  door,  their  outfit  having  been  purchased  of 
H.  Fagin  in  1884.  S.  Myers  does  a  general,  blacksmithing  business  on 
Vance  street  near  the  foundry,  having  established  himself  here  in  January, 
1883. 

J.  Z.  Sutphen  began  the  clothing  business  here  in  1867,  in  partnership 
with  M.  D.  Grossell.  Seven  years  later,  he  purchased  Mr.  Grossell's  in- 
terest, and  has  since  conducted  the  establishment  himself. 

The  People's  Bank  was  established  in  1866  by  D.  Straw,  H.  B.  Gage, 
O.  Poesnal  and  Charles  Poesnal  with  $50,000  capital.  In  1869,  D.  Straw 
purchased  the  stock  of  the  other  members  of  the  firm  and  became  sole  pro- 
prietor.    In  1876,  on  the  maturity  of  his  son,  H.  Straw,  he  gave  him  an  in- 

32 


758  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

terest  amounting  to  $10,000  and  aclmitted  him  as  a  partner.  The  bank  has 
the  entire  confidence  of  the  people  and  is  doing  an  excellent  business.  Its 
present  capital  is  170,000. 

MILLS,  MANUFACTORIES  AND  ELEVATORS, 

The  Old  Carey  Mills. — J.  C.  Shuler  now  operates  the  old  mill  which  was 
erected  by  Enos  and  William  Wonder  in  1844.  Except  the  "Indian 
Mill "  near  Upper  Sandusky,  it  is  the  oldest  in  the  county.  It  was  formerly 
owned  by  Henry  W^alborn  who  operated  it  for  a  period  of  sixteen  years. 
Mr.  Shuler  assumed  control  of  the  institution  in  1882,  but  now  has  it 
rented  to  other  parties.  The  mill  has  three  run  of  buhrs  with  a  capacity  of 
fifteen  barrels  per  day,  and  is  valued  at  $6,000. 

The  Carey  Mills  were  established  in  1845,  the  building  having  been 
erected  for  a  warehouse  by  Buell  &  Welsh  in  1845.  It  is  therefore  one  of 
the  oldest  structures  in  the  town  and  has  undergone  many  changes.  In 
1867,  it  was  converted  into  a  flouring  mill  by  a  stock  company,  known  as 
the  Carey  Milling  Company,  and  named  the  "Carey  Mills."  This  firm 
failed  in  1870,  and  the  mill  was  sold  to  one  Cunningham,  of  Tifiin,  and 
afterward  passed  into  the  possession  of  D.  Straw.  It  subsequently  passed 
through  the  hands  of  several  other  parties,  and  is  now  owned  by  E.  C. 
Orean,  of  West  Liberty,  Ky.,  and  Allen  Smalley.  of  Upper  Sandusky. 

Henry  Waters'  Planing  Mill  and  Sash  Factory. — This  institution,  the 
leading  industry  of  Carey,  was  erected  about  1868,  by  Hiram  Young,  who 
was  accidently  killed  in  the  saw  mill  department  in  1881.  Mr.  Waters 
then  purchased  the  machinery  and  has  since  had  charge  of  the  establish- 
ment to  which  he  has  added  much  both  in  capacity  and  patronage.  The 
building  is  40x120  feet  in  size,  two  story,  though  not  yet  wholly  comj)leted. 
The  mill  is  located  on  North  street  near  the  railroad,  and,  including  the 
stock  of  lumber,  is  valued  at  about  $20,000.  It  employs  eight  workmen 
and  does  an  extensive  business  in  the  dressing  of  lumber  and  manufacture 
of  doors,  sash,  blinds,  store  fronts,  fencing  and  molding. 

Manecke  (S-  Co.^s  Planing  Mill  and  Sash  Factory. — The  firm  and  business 
of  Manecke  &  Co.,  was  established  in  1877.  In  1882,  the  institution  was 
entirely  destroyed  by  fire,  but  was  rebuilt  in  1882-83.  The  main  room  is  a 
frame  building  40x50;  the  brick  engine  room  is  20x40,  and  the  storage 
shed  is  20x74  feet  in  size.  The  value  of  the  whole  concern  is  placed  at 
$t8,000.     The  firm  employs  eight  workmen  when  the  mill  is  in  full  operation. 

Van  Buren  &  Ryder'' s  Foundry  and  Machine  Shops. — This  enterprise 
was  established  in  18 —  by  James  Carothers  and  a  nephew  of  the  same 
name.  The  latter  sold  his  interest  to  the  former,  who  again  disposed  of  the 
property  to  T.  Gould  and  Samuel  Keeler,  both  of  whom  entered  the  service 
soon  after  and  resold  their  interest  to  James  Carothers,  Jr.  About  1862, 
Mr.  S.  C.  Van  Buren  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  concern,  and  the  firm 
of  Van  Buren  &  Carothers  conducted  the  establishment  till  March,  1874, 
when  Mr.  Carothers  disposed  of  his  interest  to  Samuel  Bitler.  In  1882, 
Mr.  Rider  purchased  Bitler" s  interest,  and  the  present  firm  was  established. 
The  mill  was  formerly  operated  for  manufacturing  drag  sawing  machines, 
but  is  now  principally  engaged  in  making  the  automatic  lathe  for  handles. 
All  kinds  of  repairing  and  general  job  work  is  also  done,  and  an  occasional 
engine  is  constructed.  In  1879,  the  firm  erected  a  brick  building,  two 
story,  26x60,  with  a  molding  room  26x40  feet  in  size.  The  enterprise  is 
one  of  the  most  important  of  the  village,  and  highly  worthy  of  a  generous 
patronage.     The  value  of  the  stock  and  buildings  is  placed  at  $10,000. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  759 

The  Wyandot  Chief  Hand  Hay  Rake  Works. — One  of  the  most  important 
enterprises  ever  founded  in  Carey  was  that  of  the  "  Wyandot  Chief  Hand 
Hay  Rake  Works,"  which  was  established  by  Col.  Y.  Bickham  in  1881. 
The  main  building  of  the  concern  was  50x75  feet,  with  two  wings,  25x100 
and  26x72  feet  respectively,  a  brick  engine  room,  17x34,  and  a  dry  room, 
16x65  feet.  The  total  cost  was  about  $16,000.  The  motive  power  was  sup- 
plied by  an  85-horse-power  boiler,  and  a  50-horse-power  engine.  Two  saw 
mills  were  kept  in  operation.  The  firm  was  chiefly  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  hand  rakes  and  cradle  fingers,  though  other  bent  work  was  also 
manufactured.  Tbirty-two  workman  were  employed,  the  capacity  of  the 
factory  being  22,000  dozen  rakes  per  annum,  250  dozen  cradle  fingers  per 
day,  or  300  set  of  buggy  bows  per  day.  October  3,  1883,  this  immense  es- 
tablishment was  totally  destroyed  by  fire,  there  being  little  or  no  doubt  in 
the  minds  of  most  people  familiar  with  the  circumstances  of  the  destruction 
that  the  work  was  that  of  some  fiendish  and  cowardly  incendiary. 

Samuel  Lytle's  Wagon  and  Carriage  Shops  are  located  on  the  corner  of 
Findlay  and  Patterson  streets.  He  established  his  business  in  1858-59, 
and  in  the  following  year  erected  his  brick  shop  building,  two  stories  high, 
25x36  feet  in  dimensions.  He  manufactures  wagons,  carriages,  buggies, 
etc.,  and  does  a  general  repairing  and  blacksmi thing  business,  employing 
three  workmen. 

Roll  &  Galbroner^s  Wagon  and  Carriage  Works  are  located  on  Vance 
street,  between  Findlay  and  North  streets.  The  original  proprietor  was  C. 
H.  Crum,  who  founded  the  business  in  1850.  The  firm  of  Roll  &  Galbroner 
was  established  in  1865.  They  do  a  fair  business,  their  line  being  the 
manufacture  of  farm  wagons,  carriages  and  buggies.  General  blacksmith- 
ing  and  repairing  are  also  important  branches  of  their  trade. 

Charles  Stiefs  Tile  Factory  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  in  this  quarter 
of  the  State.  It  was  begun  in  1859,  then  being  only  a  brick  kiln.  The 
tile  machinery  was  added  in  1877.  Mr.  Stief  operates  about  eighteen  work- 
men, and  does  an  extensive  business.  During  the  year  1883,  he  consumed 
1,200  cords  of  wood  in  bui'ning  the  product  of  his  kilns. 

D.  Straiv^s  Elevator  was  built  in  1846,  by  Reed,  Carey  &  Starr.  About 
1847,  this  latter  company  failed,  and  the  property,  which  was  sold  at  Sher- 
iff's sale  in  1850,  was  purchased  by  D.  Straw,  who  has  since  kept  it  in  re- 
pair and  use.  It  is  one  of  the  old-time  buildings  of  the  town,  and  has  a 
receiving  capacity  of  4,000  bushels  per  day,  and  a  storage  capacity  of  50,000 
bushels. 

HOTELS. 

The  hotels  of  Carey  are  as  ancient  as  the  town  itself.  Whether  these 
buildings  have  been  preserved  on  accovint  of  the  di*eamy  memories  which 
have  chistered  around  them  since  the  earliest  days  of  their  struggling  exist- 
ence, or  whether  they  are  retained  through  some  distorted  notion  of  econ- 
omy, it  is  not  within  the  province  of  the  writer  to  say.  Certain  it  is,  how- 
ever, the  old  building  now  known  as  the  Commercial  Hotel  was  the  first 
domicile  erected  in  the  town.  John  Houck  was  its  builder  and  first  proprie- 
tor. He  was  succeeded  by  Hi  Plummer,  and  since  that  worthy  ceased  to 
dispense  the  luxuries  of  the  board  to  his  varied  guests,  the  hospitable  land- 
lords who  have  followed  in  the  train  are  named  in  their  order  as  follows: 
Silas  Dow,  John  Elder,  D.  S.  Nye,  C.  Thurman,  William  Ramsbottom,  G. 
Carr,  Mr.  McGalner,  J.  C.  Gear,  M.  M.  Walton,  S.  Shellhouse,  C.  Shell- 
house,  William  Wilsey,  John  Hackenberger,  John  Lance,  S.  Watson,  P. 
Anders,  J.  W.  DeAVitt,   and  the  present  gentlemanly   and  accommodating 


760  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

proprietor,  W.  K.  Humbert.  Under  its  present  efficient  management,  the 
old  pioneer  hostlery  is  renewing  ber  youth,  keeping  loftily  apace  with  the 
spirit  of  the  times,  her  ancient  apartments  ever  aglow  with  cheerfulness  and 
comfort. 

The  Gault  Hotise  was  erected  in  1847-48,  about  three  years  after  the 
building  of  the  old  Commercial,  by  John  Houck  and  a  Mr.  Case,  who  were 
its  first  proprietors.  Those  who  have  succeeded  in  the  management  of  the 
hotel  are  Thomas  Plummer,  Bowsher  &  Fondron,  William  Chambers,  Rose- 
well  Perry,  David  McElvain,  A.  and  D.  Joys,  N.  McClure,  F.  J.  Warallo, 
F.  J.  Cox,  Dr.  Rhodes,  and  Thomas  O'Marra,  the  present  pi'oprietor.  This 
house  is  conveniently  located  on  Findlay  street,  near  the  railroad,  and  af- 
fords first-class  accommodations  for  the  traveling  public. 

RELIGIOUS. 

Chrisfs  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  was  organized  November  22,  1858, 
in  the  Evangelical  Church  of  this  place.  Of  the  eleven  original  members 
but  one  is  now  living.  Rev.  Haner  acted  as  chairman  at  the  organization, 
and  the  first  officers  of  the  new  organization  were  IVIichael  Grossell,  Elder; 
Gideon  Nigh,  Deacon.  After  the  organization  of  the  church,  it  was  taken 
into  pastoral  relation  with  the  Vanlue  Society  and  served  with  preaching  by 
Rev.  Haner.  The  society  conducted  its  meetings  in  the  Evangelical  Church 
building  till  April,  1859,  when  it  accepted  the  privilege  of  worshiping  in 
the  United  Brethren  Church  building.  Here  it  continued  to  hold  its 
meetings  till  its  own  house  was  completed,  which  was  in  August,  1860. 

In  March,  1861,  the  celebrated  Kneisly-Brown  controversy  occui'red. 
The  questions  discussed  were:  1.  Do  the  Scriptures  teach  the  final  holiness 
and  happiness  of  all  mankind?  Rev.  C.  R.  Brown  (Universalist)  affirms; 
Rev.  Kneisly  denies.  2.  Do  the  Scriptures  teach  the  endless  punishment 
of  a  part  of  the  human  race?  Kneisly  affirms;  Brown  denies.  This  discus- 
sion lasted  four  days,  and  according  to  the  language  of  the  church  records 
"resulted  satisfactorily  to  the  friends  of  truth  as  held  by  the  orthodox 
churches,  but  resulted  in  dissatisfaction  to  the  pastor."  The  pastors  who 
have  served  in  this  charge  up  to  date  are  as  follows:  Rev.  Haner, from  date 
of  organization  to  March  22,  1863;  Rev.  Funk,  to  November  27,  1864;  Rev. 
Haner  again, to  April  28,  1867;  Rev.  J.  W.  Henderson, to  1869;  Rev.  S.  J. 
Delo, three  months;  Rev.  D.  S.  Truckenmiller,  to  April  20,  1873;  Rev.  J. 
M.  Dustman,  to  the  present  time. 

From  the  pastor's  tenth  anniversary  sermon  preached  February  1,  1884, 
we  gather  the  following  statistics  of  the  church  during  the  ten  years  of  his 
pastorate.  Total  membership  February  1,  1884,  195;  received  during  pres- 
ent pastorate,  ]55;  total  losses  from  various  causes,  95;  present  member- 
ship, 100;  marriages  solomnized,  112;  funerals  attended,  154.  The 
Women's  Home  and  Foreign  Mission  Society  was  organized  in  1878,  and  to 
September  1,  1883,  had  contributed  to  their  favorite  objects,  besides  to 
other  objects,  $225.20.  The  Children's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was 
organized  in  August,  1878,  and  to  September  1,  1883,  had  contributed 
$63.95.  The  following  amounts  Lave  been  contributed  to  the  various  pur- 
poses mentioned  below  during  the  past  ten  years:  Home  mission,  $164.69; 
foreign  mission,  $247.20;  church  building,  $141.44;  beneficiary  education, 
$25.25;  college  endowment,  $304. 14;  synodical  treasury,  $38.70;  general 
synodical  treasury,  $20.66;  American  Bible  Society,  $74.42;  general  benev- 
olence, $55.50;  local  objects,  $1,200;  parsonage  bought  and  paid,  $1,250; 
Sabbath  school  expenses,  $750.  Total  (not  including  parson's  salary), 
$4,272. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  761 

The  Tabor  Church  of  the  Evangelical  Association  of  North  America 
held  its  first  meetings  at  the  residence  of  William  Wonder  in  this  vicinity, 
and  was  there  organized  in  1851  by  Rev.  John  Cuff,  the  original  members 
being  about  fifteen  in  number.  In  1856.  the  society  erected  a  brick  church 
building,  40x60,  at  a  cost  of  $2,400,  and  this  building  was  repaired  in  1878 
and  again  in  1883,  first  at  a  cost  of  $500  aud  next  at  a  cost  of  $3,300. 
The  present  membership  is  sixty -five.  The  Trustees  are  J.  A.  Wonder, 
Peter  Will,  J.  Kneasal,  J.  Soberly  and  William  Thompson.  The  church 
has  had  several  revivals  of  considerable  importance,  the  most  successful 
one  probably  conducted  by  Rev.  Reinhold  in  1853.  The  society  keeps  a 
very  successful  Sabbath  school  in  operation  with  an  attendance  of  about 
eighty  members. 

The  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Consolation  at  Carey,  Ohio,  was  established 
in  1868  by  Rt.  Rev.  A.  Rappe,  Bishop  of  Cleveland.  The  principal  early 
members  of  the  congregation  were  Joseph  Roll,  John  Goetzinger,  N.  Stein- 
metz,  Valentine  Henige,  H.  Fetter,  Joseph  Pahl,  Catharine  Logsdon,  K. 
Fuchs,  George  Noel  and  Jacob  Fuchs. 

The  foundation  of  this  church  edifice  was  laid  in  the  summer  of  1868, 
under  the  supervision  of  Rev.  E.  Vattman.  Work  was  then  suspended  until 
1870,  when  Rev.  L.  Bihn,  of  Tiffin,  pvished  forward  to  completion  the  frame- 
work. The  building  was  finally  finished  in  1873,  under  the  supervision 
of  Rev.  Joseph  P.  Gloden,  the  present  pastor.  It  is  situated  in  Straw's 
Addition  to  the  village  of  Carey,  and  is  erected  upon  grounds  which  were 
donated  by  David  Straw  and  his  wife.  It  is  30x65  feet  in  dimensions, 
and  cost  $3,000. 

The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  E.  Vattman,  who  resided  at  Findlay,  Ohio. 
Then  came  Rev.  L.  Bihn,  of  Tiffin,  Ohio,  who  was  succeeded  in  July,  1872, 
by  Rev.  J.  P.  Gloden,  the  present  pastor.  The  present  members  of  the  con- 
gi'egation  are  thirty- three  in  number.  The  Board  of  Trustees  or  Council- 
men  is  composed  of  the  pastor,  Joseph  Roll,  Valentine  Henige  and  N. 
Steinmetz. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

The  Bible  Sociely  of  Carey  and  vicinity  was  organized  June  26,  1864. 
It  is  an  auxiliary  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  and  has  been  quite  suc- 
cessful in  the  accomplishment  of  its  legitimate  purposes  in  this  community. 
During  the  past  year,  an  extra  effort  was  made,  canvassing  agents  having 
worked  the  field.  The  books  sold  to  date  of  anniversary,  December  15,  1883, 
amount  in  value  to  $51.51;  books  donated,  $9.09;  donations  from  churches, 
$16.23.  The  present  officers  are  as  follows:  Peter  Will,  President;  C.  D. 
Hoff,  Secretary;  D.  Harpster,  Depositary,  Agent  and  Treasurer. 

EDUCATION,     ETC. 

No  sooner  had  the  town  of  Carey  been  fairly  started  than  its  few  inhab- 
itants began  to  recognize  the  necessity  of  a  means  of  educating  their  chil- 
dren. Accordingly,  as  early  as  1843  a  frame  building,  26x30,  was  erected 
on  the  corner  of  Findlay  and  High  streets,  and  is  said  to  have  been  a  mar- 
vel of  awkwardness  and  inconvenience  in  point  of  interior  arrangement.  A 
row  of  seats  was  ranged  next  to  the  wall  entirely  around  the  room,  and 
in  front  of  this  was  a  high  desk,  also  extending  entirely  around  the  room, 
and  boarded  or  ceiled  in  front,  making  a  sort  of  arena  or  bull-pit  in  the 
center  of  the  room  in  which  the  learning  and  the  flogging  were  inflicted, 
the  two  processes  in  many  instances  being  equally  painful.  This  same 
building  is  now  owned  by  Samuel  Bittler,  who  repaired  it  and   now  uses  it 


762  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

for  a  dwelling.  It  was  used  as  a  schoolhouse  till  about  1855  or  1856,  when 
a  similar  building  was  erected  on  South  street,  near  the  railroad,  this  latter 
structure  being  occupied  till  1868,  when  the  present  two-story  brick  build- 
ing, consisting  of  five  departments,  was  erected,  costing  $8,000. 

Among  the  first  teachers  were  Juliette  Searles,  A.  W.  Brinkerhoff,  Miss 
Labaree,  Mr.  Thompson,  J.  N.  Free  ("the  immortal"),  James  and  Mary 
Foster,  Albert  Myers  and  Mr.  Brundridge.  The  first  Principals  who  occu- 
pied the  present  school  building  were  Messrs.  Gritchtield  and  Graham,  who 
superintended  the  schools  "week  about,"  or  alternately.  These  gentlemen 
were  succeeded  by  John  Baker,  who  held  the  position  three  years.  Those 
who  followed  were  J.  W.  Dwire,  W.  B.  Switzer,  John  Kaley,  T.  "VV.  Fritch, 
John  Poe,  John  Kalb,  E.  Miller,  J.  L.  Lewis  and  the  present  superintend- 
ent, John  Pittsford.  The  schools  cannot  at  present  be  said  to  be  in  a 
thriving  condition,  owing  to  the  fact  that  no  thorough  course  of  study  has 
been  established  or  followed.  The  present  members  of  the  Board  are 
Charles  Stief,  John  Hare,  A.  P.  Kelley,  Peter  Galbroner,  Matthew  Smalley 
and  H.  Hopkins. 

The  Carey  Reading  Room  was  established  in  June,  1883,  by  the  W.  C. 
T.  U.  The  library  comprises  about  250  volumes  of  the  standard  works  of 
history,  poetry,  fiction  and  general  literature,  and  efforts  are  being  made  to 
increase  this  number.  The  institution,  much  to  the  credit  of  the  people  of 
Carey,  is  well  patronized.  The  present  officers  are  Mrs.  "William  Aspinall, 
President;  Mrs.  R.  Gregg,  Vice  President;  Mrs.  D.  Harpster,  Secretary; 
J.  C.  Shuler,  Treasurer;  J.  F.  Zimmerman,  Librarian. 

Public  Hall. — The  Public  Hall  of  Carey  was  built  by  the  combined  ef- 
forts of  the  township  and  corporation  in  1876-77.  It  is  a  very  creditable 
building,  and  well  furnished  throughout.  The  outer  walls  are  44^x64:;  the 
structure  is  two  stories  high,  and  includes  an  engine  room.  Clerk,  Mayor 
and  Council's  room,  and  jail, with  a  neat  hall  and  stage  on  the  second  floor. 
The  total  cost  of  the  building  was  $4,000. 

The  present  officers  of  Carey  are  as  follows:  Mayor,  M.  A.  Smalley; 
Clerk,  E.  G.  Laughlin;  Treasurer,  J.  B.  Corad;  Marshal,  Charles  Buck- 
land;  Councilman,  H.  L.  Hopkins,  B.  F.  Kurtz,  John  Grossell,  J.  R.  Sid- 
dall,  J.  M.  Barr  and  James  Anderson. 

SECRET    SOCIETIES. 

Lodge  No.  420,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Carey,  was  organized  August  7,  1868, 
under  a  dispensation  granted  by  the  Grand  Lodge.  The  officers  first  elected 
were:  J.  M.  Stevens,  W.  M.,  pro  tem. ;  J.  W.  Chamberlain,  S.  W. ;.  M.  D. 
Grossell,  J.  W. ;  Dr.  Asa  Brayton,  S.  D.;  A.  Trant,  J.  D. ;  A.  Carothers, 
Treasurer;  C.  Kleopfer,  Secretary,    and  A.  Shellabarger,  Tiler. 

The  present  members  are  fifty-two  in  number,  and  their  officers  are:  Amos 
Bixby,  W.  M.;  M.  A.  Smalley,  S.  W. ;  J.  A.  Smith,  J.  W.:  A.  F.  Miller, 
Secretary;  G.  S.  Myers,  Treasurer;  A.  M.  Taylor,  S.  D.;  L.  C.  Haines,  J. 
D.;  A.  B.  Ryder,  Tiler.  Regular  meetings  are  held  in  their  lodge  rooms 
on  the  first  and  fourth  Friday  evenings  in  each  month. 

Carey  Lodge,  No.  407,  I.  O.  0.  F.,  was  instituted  August  28,  1868,  by 
James  A.  Semple,  M.  "VV.  G.  M.,  under  a  dispensation  granted  by  the  Grand 
Lodge  August  20  of  the  same  year.  The  first  officers  were:  D.  Joy,  N.  G. ; 
J.  D.  Haderman,  V.  G. ;  A.  Trant,  R.  S. ;  J.  Greer,  P.  S. ;  Abraham  Caro- 
thers, Treasurer;  S.  Gilbert.  W. ;  D.  R.  Hill,  C;  A.  Shellabarger,  I.  G.; 
E.  T.  Shellhouse,   O.  G. ;  F.  J.  Weber,  R.  S.  N.  G. ;  John  Baker,  L.  S.  N. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  763 

G. ;  J.  J.  Zint,  R.  S.  V.  G. ;  T;  Hahn.  L.  S.  V.  G. ;  W.  H.  Slaymaker,  R. 
S.  S. ;  Charles  Steif,  L.  S.  S. ;  Rev.  G.  W.  Miller,  Chaplain. 

Meetings  were  held  from  August,  1868,  to  August,  1871,  in  the  Straw 
Block;  in  their  own  hall  in  Stiefs  Block  since  the  last-mentioned  date. 
The  financial  condition  of  the  lodge  is  excellent,  and  its  property  is  valued 
at  $2,500.  The  present  officers  are:  J.  A.  Pittsford,  N.  G. ;  William  Wills, 
Y.  G. ;  E.  G.  Laughlin,  Sec'y;  George  W.  Chesebrough,  Treas. ;  C.  D.  Hoflf, 
Per.  Sec'y.  Present  members  are  fifty -two  in  number,  and  regular  meet- 
ings are  held  every  Thu.rsday  evening. 

Col.  Crawford  Post,  No.  173,  G.  A.  R.,  was  organized  December  16, 
1881.  Among  its  original  members  were  A.  E.  Gibbs,  Daniel  Bechtel, 
George  Brown,  Walton  Weber,  Edward  Thompson,  L.  Thurston,  David 
Sipe,  J.  R  Sidall,  F.  J.  Weber,  S.  C.  Williams,  John  Greer,  Oliver  Bray- 
ton,  John  Deardorf,  W.  K.  Humbert,  J.  A.  Royer  and  A.  P.  'Kelly,  of 
whom  the  following  were  chosen  as  the  first  officers:  F.  J.  Weber,  C;  A. 
P.  Kelly.  S.  V.  C;  J.  R.  Siddall,  J.  V.  C;  Walton  Weber,  Ad jt. ;  L.Thurs- 
ton, Q.  M. ;  J.  A.  Royer,  Surgeon;  S.  C.  Williams,  Chap.;  George  Brown, 
O.  D. ;  David  Sipe.  O.  G. 

The  present  members  number  fifty-seven,  the  financial  condition  of  the 
Post  is  good,  and  regular  meetings  are  held  in  the  Odd  Fellows  Building 
on  the  first  and  third  Monday  evenings  of  each  month. 

Phil  Kearney  Camj),  No.  12,  Sons  of  Veterans,  was  instituted  July 
16,  1883,  by  A.  P.  Kelly,  of  Col.  Crawford  Post,  No.  173,  G.  A.  R. 
Among  the  original  members  were  Fred  Gibbs,  A.  M.  Wonder,  F.  C.  Gibbs, 
Jay  Newhard,  D.  J.  Humbert,  Dr.  F.  Brayton,  D.  B.  Royer,  Samuel 
Hawks,  Samuel  Schuler,  Henry  Webber,  P.  E.  Wonder,  Harry  Miller,  L. 
M.  Wonder,  Fred  Sipe,  Corry  Williams,  William  Grady  and  Frank  Wise- 
baker.  The  officers  first  installed  were:  F.  C.  Gibbs,  Captain;  A.  M.  Won- 
der, First  Lieutenant;  Jay  Newhard,  Second  Lieutenant;  D.  J.  Humbert, 
Chaplain;  Dr.  F.  Brayton,  Surgeon. 

The  members  at  the  present  time  are  nineteen  in  number.  Regular 
meetings  are  held  in  Stiefs  Building  on  the  first  and  third  Monday  evenings 
in  each  month.  The  present  officers  are:  D.  B.  Royer,  Captain;  P.  E. 
Wonder,  First  Lieutenant;  Harry  Miller,  Second  Lieutenant;  D.  J.  Hum- 
bert, Chaplain;  and  Dr.  F.  Brayton,  Surgeon. 

Myrtle  Lodge,  No.  416,  Order  of  Good  Templars,  was  organized  Decem- 
ber 22,  1883,  at  a  meeting  held  in  the  English  Lutheran  Church.  The  first 
niembers  were  Peter  Will,  J.  S.  Hawks,  E.  S.  Shellhouse,  Simon  Nye,  Will- 
iam Mull,  Samuel  Kessler,  W.  C.  Hare,  Valentine  Wisebaker,  H.  L.  Hop- 
kins, J.  T.  Zimmerman,  William  Fenner,  Abram  Hotelling,  George  Corwin, 
William  Aben,  Grant  Stetler,  Mack  Creiger,  Cornelius  Hull,  M.  A.  Smalley, 
William  Rowe,  J.  M.  Dustman,  Anthony  Wagner,  Bert  Hulse,  Mrs.  A. 
Hulse,  Mrs.  H.  J.  Starr,  Grace  Hulse,  Emma  Sipe,  Iva  Wonder,  Rachel 
Livingston,  Ella  Gibbs,  Mrs.  J.  K.  Hackenberger,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Shellhouse, 
Mrs.  A.  Wagner,  Mrs.  J.  Payne,  Mrs.  N.  Sipe,  Nancy  Ish,  Ella  Sipe,  Mrs. 
Catharine  Nye,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Carr. 

The  officers  first  installed  were:  Peter  Will,  AV.  C.  T.;  Ella  Gibbs,  W. 
V.  T. ;  J.  T.  Zimmerman,  W.  Secretary;  Simon  Nye,  W.  F.  Secretary;  M. 
A.  Smalley,  Marshal;  Rev.  J.  M.  Dustman,  Chaplain;  Ella  Sipe,  W.  I.  G.; 
Grant  Stetler,  W.  O.  G;  William  Mull,  P.  W.  C.  T.;  Mrs.  J.  K.  Hacken- 
berger, R.  S. ;  Emma  Sipe,  L.  S.  The  lodge  is  in  a  flourishing  condition 
at  this  writing,  and  its  present  officers  are  as  follows:  S.  P.  Nye,  W.  C.  T. ; 
Ella   Gibbs,  W.  V.  T. ;  J.  T.  Zimmerman,  W.    Secretary;  William  Brown, 


764  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

W.  F.  Secretary;  Mrs.  A.  Hulse,  W.  T.;  William  Eowe,  Marshal:  F.  J. 
Webber.  W.  Chap.;  Peter  Will,  P.  W.  C.  T. ;  Ella  Sipe,  W.  I.  G.;  C. 
Hull.  W.  O.  G.  Regular  meetings  are  held  in  Odd  Fellows  Hall  on  Fri- 
day evening  of  each  week. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

JACOB  ALLION  is  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany,  and  was  born  March 
5,  1810.  His  parents,  Jacob  and  Catharine  (Denninger)  Allion,  were  also 
natives  of  Germany,  and  had  four  children,  our  subject  being  the  only  sur- 
viving. His  mother  died  in  her  native  country,  his  father  in  Lucas  County, 
Ohio.  In  1868,  Mr.  Allion  emigrated  to  the  United  States  and  located  in 
Franklin  County,  Penn.  In  1839,  he  came  to  Ohio,  and  located  in  Rich- 
land County,  moving  to  this  county  in  1838.  He  purchased  land  in  this 
township,  and  has  since  given  his  attention  to  farming,  though  a  blacksmith 
by  trade.  He  was  married.  January  12,  1837,  to  Christina  Zupp,  a  native 
of  Germany,  resident  of  Richland  County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Peter 
and  Maria  Zupp,  who  were  natives  of  France.  They  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  an  early  day  and  settled  first  in  Lancaster,  Penn.,  moving 
from  that  point  to  Ohio,  and  later  to  Michigan.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allion  have 
had  seven  children,  of  whom  but  four  survive,  namely,  Jacob,  Elizabeth, 
Marie  and  Madaline.  Mr.  Allion  has  200  acres  of  land  well  stocked  and 
improved.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and,  with  Mrs.  Allion,  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church. 

WILLIAM  ASPINALL,  proprietor  of  the  woolen  mill  and  handle  fac- 
tory at  Carey,  was  born  in  Logan  County,  Ohio,  July  22,  1845.  His  par- 
ents, Robert  and  Ellen  (Martin)  Aspinall,  were  natives  of  Leeds,  England, 
and  Virginia  respectively.  His  father  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in 
1822,  and  about  1840  located  in  Logan  County,  Ohio.  In  the  family  were 
eleven  children,  namely,  William,  George,  Elizabeth,  Caroline,  Edward, 
Daniel  (deceased),  Charles,  Hannah,  Robert,  Thomas  and  Mary.  Mr.  As- 
pinall served  seven  years  in  the  woolen  business  as  an  apprentice  in  En- 
gland, receiving  only  his  board  and  clothes  for  his  labor.  He  was  engaged 
in  the  same  occupation  about  twenty-five  years  in  Logan  County,  doing  a 
very  successful  business.  His  son,  William,  who  is  the  subject  of  this 
notice,  learned  the  woolen  manufacturing  trade  when  very  young,  and  re- 
mained with  his  father  till  twenty-three  years  of  age.  He  began  operations 
for  himself  in  Logan  County,  where  he  remained  till  1876,  when  he  sold 
oat  and  removed  to  Carey,  purchasing  the  woolen  mills  of  Enos  Wonder  in 
partnership  with  his  brother,  whose  interest  he  purchased  two  years  later. 
In  the  spring  of  1884,  he  added  machinery  for  manufacturing  handles,  and 
this  branch  of  the  business  receives  attention  during  the  winter  seasons, 
the  factory  having  a  capacity  of  2,500  to  3,000  handles  per  day.  The  spin- 
ning capacity  of  the  mill  is  160  spindles,  turning  off  fifty  to  seventy-five 
pounds  of  wool  per  day.  From  one  to  three  looms  are  kept  in  operation, 
though  stocking  yarns  are  a  specialty.  Mr.  Aspinall  was  married,  February 
28,  1868,  to  Amanda  Dickinson,  born  July  18,  1847,  daughter  of  Joshua 
M.  Dickinson,  of  Bellefontaine,  Ohio.  They  have  three  children — Ellen 
B.,  Mack  and  Ray.  Mr.  A.  is  a  member  of  the  Good  Templars,  and  a 
charter  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  BAKER,  son  of  Christopher  and  Rachel  (Berry)  Baker,  was 
born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  August  14,  1815.  His  parents  were  natives  of 
Virginia,  but  were  married  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  in  ISll.       In  1822,  Mr. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  765 

Baker  purcliasecl  land  in  this  county,  and  in  1824  moved  his  family  and  ef- 
fects to  this  locality.  He  was  compelled  to  cnt  a  road  four  miles  through 
the  woods  in  order  to  reach  his  own  land  with  the  ox  teams,  which  he  used 
in  freighting  his  goods.  He  was  the  father  of  eight  children — Sarepta, 
John,  William,  Christophei',  Thomas.  Olive  J.,  Curtis  and  Jehu.  Three 
are  deceased — William,  Sarepta  and  Thomas.  Mr.  Baker  died  November 
27,  1848,  his  widow  June  29,  1875,  aged  sixty-five  and  eighty-one  respect- 
ively. John  Baker,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  married,  June  26, 
1836,  to  Susana  Hare,  of  this  township,  born  in  Center  County,  Penn., 
October  30,  1816,  and  daughter  of  Conrad  and  Ann  M.  (Spangler)  Hare, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  descent.  Her  parents  were  mar- 
ried in  1814  in  her  native  county,  where  they  resided  until  1824,  when 
they  moved  to  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  moving  from  there  to  this  county  in 
1833.  They  purchased  land  in  this  township,  and  reared  ten  children, 
namely,  Solomon,  Susanna,  John,  Lucetta,  Margaret,  Levi,  Jonathan, 
Christopher,  Samuel  and  Anna  M.  The  latter  and  Christopher  are  deceased. 
The  father  died  August  8,  1847,  the  mother  July  28,  1874.  Our  subject 
began  work  for  himself  by  making  and  laying  up  rails  at  $1  per  100.  In 
1836,  he  purchased  107  acres  in  this  township,  selling  out  in  the  same  year. 
He  then  purchased  forty  acres,  upon  which  he  built  a  saw  mill  in  1838. 
He  operated  this  mill  twelve  years,  and  then  sold  out  and  purchased  the 
home  farm  of  145  acres,  upon  which  he  now  resides;  has  since  added  forty 
acres;  built  a  fine  frame  barn  in  1838;  rebuilt  in  1857,  and  again  in  1883.  In 
1872,  he  erected  a  large  brick  dwelling,  and  in  making  excavations  for  his 
cellar,  he  exhumed  two  large  human  skeletons,  one  seven  feet  in  length. 
Ml",  and  Mrs.  Baker  are  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  namely,  Sarepta  A., 
Anna  M. ,  McKendra,  Ira  J.,  Christopher  S.,  Rozilla  I.,  Lucetta  J.,  Marga- 
ret E.,  John  F. ,  Lorane  J.,  Hugh  F.  and  Wellington  J.  Three  are  de- 
ceased— McKendry,  Anna  M.  and  Lorane  J.  Mr.  Baker  has  served  his 
township  in  most  of  its  ofBces  for  several  terms.  He  was  elected  Commis- 
sioner of  the  county  in  1858,  and  served  six  yeai's.  He  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  with  Mrs.  Baker  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
having  been  converted  at  an  Indian  camp-meeting  under  Rev.  Russell  Big- 
elow  fifty-four  vears  ago. 

DANIEL  BECHTEL  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  May  24, 1828. 
His  parents,  Henry  and  Amelia  (Nye)  Bechtel,  were  natives  of  Ohio.  They 
came  with  three  children  to  this  township  in  1832.  Five  others  were  born 
later,  the  eight  being  named  as  follows:  Michael,  Susan,  Daniel.  John, 
Sarah,  Elizabeth,  Sarah  and  Nancy  A.  Sarah  is  deceased.  The  father 
died  July  20,  1846.  Mrs.  Bechtel  kept  the  farm  and  reared  the  children 
to  maturity.  Daniel  Bechtel  began  business  for  himself  by  renting  land 
and  farming.  He  married  Ruth  Reed  in  the  fall  of  1848,  and  in  March, 
1861,  she  died,  leaving  seven  children — John  A.,  Michael  N.,  Mary  A., 
Sarah  A.,  William  I.,  Albert  N.  and  Ruth  E. — the  latter  dying  in  in- 
fancy. In  1856,  Mr.  Bechtel  moved  to  Shelby  County,  111.,  but  after  the 
death  of  his  wife,  in  1861,  he  returned  to  Cai-ey,  and  kept  house  with  his 
children  till  1864,  when  he  was  drafted  into  the  service.  He  served  in  Com- 
pany D,  Sixty-fifth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  in  his  first  engagement, 
at  Spring  Hill,  November  29,  he  received  two  gunshot  wounds;  the  first, 
while  on  the  retreat — the  ball  entering  at  the  ,back,  between  the  ribs,  and 
passing  out  below  the  breast;  the  second,  while  being  removed  from  the 
field — the  ball  passing  through  the  right  hip  and  emerging  at  the  left  groin. 
He  was  confined  at  the  hospital  till  June,  1865,  when  he  was  discharged. 


766  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

In  November,  1865,  he  married  Mary  C.  Nye,  by  whom  two  children  were 
born — Hattie  B.  and  Harry  M.  Mr.  Bechtel  worked  at  teaming  and  gen- 
eral work  till  1871,  when  he  opened  a  meat  market,  which  he  has  since  con- 
ducted. Prior  to  1861,  Mr.  Bechtel  was  a  Eepnblican,  but  has  since  been 
a  Democrat.  His  mother  is  still  living,  doing  her  own  household  work,  in 
her  seventy-fifth  year.  Of  his  children,  John  A.,  Michael  N.  and  William 
I.  are  in  Victoria,  British  Columbia;  the  others  are  all  in  this  State.  His 
brother  Michael  is  a  minister  in  the  United  Brethren  faith,  now  in  McLean 
County,  111. 

BUELL  S.  BEEBE  is  a  native  of  Malon,  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  was 
born  January  9,  1823,  and  is  a  son  of  Simeon  and  Sallie  (Riissell)  Beebe, 
who  were  natives  of  Connecticut  and  Vermont  respectively,  and  of  English 
parents.  His  parents  were  married  in  Franklin  County,  N.  Y.,  February 
20,  1812,  and  there  resided  till  1882,  when  they  moved  to  East  Constable. 
Three  of  their  six  children  survive,  namely,  Buell  S.,  Sidney  M.  and  Mary 
M.  The  father  died  July  18,  1854.  His  widow  then  moved  to  Lockport, 
N.  Y.,  and  thence  to  this  county  in  1871.  She  died  May  18,  1881.  Buell 
S.  was  married,  October  12,  1848,  to  Miss  Lucinda  Kear,  a  native  of  this 
county,  and  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Caroline  (Portertield)  Kear,  natives 
of  New  York  and  Maine  respectively.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Delaware 
County,  Ohio,  in  1826,  and  in  the  same  year  moved  to  this  county,  where 
her  mother  died  in  1853,  and  her  father  in  1878.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beebe  had 
three  children — Henry,  Sarah  and  Laura  A.  Mrs.  Beebe  died  May  19,  1866, 
and  Mr.  B.  was  married  October  14,  1867,  to  Mrs.  Abigail  (Brundige) 
Sweetland,  who  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  October  5,  1819.  Her 
parents,  J  ohn  and  Phoebe  (Drake)  Brundige.  were  natives  of  York  State, 
married  in  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  and  reared  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  but  two — Lydia  and  Abigail — now  survive.  Her  mother 
died  in  January,  1831.  Her  father  married  Elizabeth  Taylor  subsequently, 
and  is  deceased.  Mrs.  Beebe's  first  marriage  was  to  Hiram  Gould,  and 
occurred  July  17,  1838.  He  was  born  and  reared  in  Vermont,  his  parents 
having  died  when  he  was  a  mere  boy.  One  daughter — Ann  E. ,  born  Jan- 
uary 7,  1841 — is  the  result  of  this  ttnion.  She  was  born  in  Delaware  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  and  now  resides  in  Ligonier,  Ind.     Mr.  Gould  died  January   20, 

1844,  and  Mrs.  Beebe  was  married,  February  5,  1847,  to  Hiram  Sweetland, 
of  Delaware  County,  a  native  of  Maine.  By  this  marriage,  three  children 
were  born,  two  living — Byron  and  Orrie.  Mr.  Sweetland  died  January  12, 
1858.      In  1844,  Mr.  Beebe  moved  to  Ohio.      He  located  in  this  county  in 

1845,  farmed  rented  land,  taught  school,  and  finally  purchased  a  farm,  to 
which  he  has  added  till  he  now  owns  265  acres,  valued  at  $100  per  acre. 
In  1866,  he  built  a  fine  brick  residence  at  a  cost  of  |3,000.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  has  served  in  several  township  ofiices.  He  and  Mrs.  B.  are 
members  of  the  English  Lutheran  Church.  Their  daughter,  Laura  A.,  was 
married,  June  30,  1874,  to  Charles  D.  Hoff,  of  this  township,  a  native  of 
Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  born  May  20,  1848.  His  parents  were  Wessei  C.  and 
Harriet  A.  M.  (Levalley)  Hoflf,  natives  of  New  York  and  Connecticut  respect- 
ively. They  were  married  in  Cayuga  County,  their  only  child  being  Charles 
D.  His  father  died  Julv  5,  1851.  His  mother  married  Dr.  C.  W.  Boyce 
about  1855.  She  died  July  3,  1856.  Mr.  Hoflf  came  to  Ohio  in  1864.  He 
spent  two  years  in  Seneca  County  and  then  moved  to  Carey;  learned  the 
mason's  trade,  at  which  he  is  still  engaged  in  this  township.  He  has  four 
children — Edwin,  Weldon,  Winnifred  and  Mabel.  Sarah  C.  Beebe  was 
born  in  this  township  July  19,  1851,  and   was  married.  May  28,  1872,    to 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  767 

Miles  Mullholland,  who  was  born  in  Tymochtee  Township  March  24,  1851, 
son  of  Hugh  and  Mary  (Young)  Mullholland,  early  settlers  of  this  county. 
Five  children  have  blessed  this  union — Gertrude,  Henry  B.,  Freddie  J., 
Jessie  L.  and  Nettie  May. 

CHARLES  BIES  was  born  in  Wiesloch,  near  Heidelberg,  Baden,  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1825.  He  is  a  son  of  Frank  H.  and  Mary  (Ritzhoup)  Bies,  who 
were  also  natives  of  Baden,  and  who  had  five  children,  of  whom  but  two — 
Charles  and  George — are  now  living.  His  mother  died  in  1831,  his  father 
in  1847.  Mr.  Bies  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1851.  He  located  in 
Gallon,  moving  t3  Lucas  County  in  1853,  and  in  1856  to  this  county.  He 
was  married,  in  August,  1856,  to  Christina  Allion,  a  native  of  Baden,  Ger- 
many, a  resident  of  Lucas  County,  and  daughter  of  Jacob  Allion.  They 
have  three  children — George,  Benj.  F.  and  Elizabeth.  Mr.  Bies  has  110 
acres  of  good  land,  and  is  engaged  in  general  agriculture.  He  and  Mrs. 
Bies  are  of  the  German  Reformed  persuasion  in  religious  belief,  and  Mr.  Bies 
is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

JAMES  BOWLBY  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  December  8,  1831. 
His  parents,  James  and  Sarah  (Gross)  Bowlby,  were  natives  of  New  Jersey 
and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  They  came  to  Ohio  in  1831,  located  in 
Stark  County,  and  reared  to  maturity  a  family  of  thirteen  children,  namely, 
Joseph,  Rachel,  Emanuel,  John,  Jacob,  Hannah,  Maria,  James,  Mary, 
Samuel,  Elizabeth,  Catharine  and  Sarah;  the  deceased  are  Rachel,  John, 
Mary  and  Samuel.  The  family  moved  to  Crawford  County,  near  Gallon, 
where  the  father  died  in  1870,  in  his  seventy-fourth  year,  his  wife  having 
preceded  him  in  1859,  closing  her  life  in  her  fifty-seventh  year.  James 
Bowlby,  who  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  introduced  to  this  county  in 
1852.  He  married  Amanda  Grindle,  January  1,  1858,  and  purchased  a 
saw  mill  west  of  Carey,  operating  the  same  eight  years,  when  it  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  He  rebuilt  the  mill,  and  just  eight  years  afterward  it  was 
again  destroyed  by  fire.  He  rebuilt  a  third,  and  in  January,  1883,  he  sold 
out  and  removed  to  Carey,  entering  the  employ  of  Watson  &  Co.,  as  fore- 
man of  the  saw  mill  department  of  their  saw  mill  and  planing  mill.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bowlby  are  parents  of  nine  children — Ellen,  Emma  L.,  Alice  A., 
Hattie,  Rolland  D.,  Orville  C,  Noland  H.,  Alfred  B.  and  Joseph  W.  Mr. 
Bowlby  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Knights  of  Labor,  and  a  citizen  of  in- 
dustrious habits  and  good  character. 

ASA  BRAY'^TON,  M.  D. ,  was  born  in  this  township  September  25, 
1831,  and  is  a  son  of  Elijah  Brayton.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  re- 
ceived a  good  education,  taking  up  the  study  of  medicine  at  the  age  of 
eighteen,  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  A.  Metz,  of  Fostoria.  He  entered 
the  Ohio  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati  in  1^56,  and  graduated  from  that 
institution.  In  1863,  he  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Jefl'erson 
Medical  College  of  Philadelphia,  and  in  1870  he  received  a  diploma  from 
the  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College  of  New  Y'ork  City.  He  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  McCutchensville,  where  he  remained  four  years. 
He  then  moved  to  Carey,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  married  Emily  J. 
Hutchins  June  30,  1853,  and  on  September  27,  1856,  she  died,  leaving  one 
child.  Forest  "W.,  who  is  now  practicing  with  his  father,  being  a  graduate 
of  the  Miami  Medical  College  of  Cincinnati.  Forest  W.  Brayton,  prior  to 
his  entrance  to  the  Miami  Medical  College,  took  a  course  of  instruction  at 
the  Baldwin  University,  and  also  a  special  course  at  the  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity of  Delaware,  Ohio,  directly  fitting  him  for  his  medical  studies.  Dr. 
Brayton's  second  marriage,  to  Susan  E.  Hutchins,  occurred  June  30,  1857. 


768  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

He  enlisted  in  the  100-day  service,  as  Captain  of  Company  D,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Forty- fuurth  Ohio  National  Guards,  in  May,  1864,  and  returned 
in  September  of  the  same  year  He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Masonic 
Lodge,  and  also  of  the  Knights  of  Honor.  In  politics,  he  has  always  been 
a  firm  supporter  of  the  Republican  principles.     ^    ' 

WILLIAM  BRAYTON  was  born  in  Attberg.Vt.,  May  11,  1810.  He  is 
a  son  of  Elijah  and  Anna  (Holbrook)  Brayton,  also  natives  of  Vermont,  and 
of  English  and  Irish  dijscent.  They  were  married  in  their  native  State  about 
1809,  and  in  1814  migrated  by  wagons  to  Ohio.  They  lived  two  years  in 
Newark,  three  years  in  Huron  County,  eighteen  months  in  Lower  Sandusky, 
and  moved  to  this  county  in  1821,  Mr  Brayton  having  purchased  land  in 
Tymochtee  Township,  at  the  Delaware  land  sales  in  1820.  In  182y,  he  con- 
structed a  saw  mill  run  by  water-power,  and  in  1825  built  a  grist  mill — 
one  run  of  buhrs,  and  the  first  grist  mill  in  the  county,  except  the  Indian 
Mill  near  Upper  Sandusky.  Mr.  Brayton  resided  here  till  1832,  when  he 
sold  out  and  moved  to  Seneca  County,  buying  a  farm  in  Big  Springs  Town- 
ship. Here  their  children  were  reared,  t]aeir  names  being  William,  Harriet, 
Liicy,  Matthew,  Peter,  Mary,  Olive  and  Asa — all  living  but  Lucy  and  Olive. 
Matthew,  of  whom  further  mention  is  made  in  the  general  history  of  the 
township,  was  lost  in  the  woods  when  a  child.  The  mother  died  August  1, 
1842,  aged  fifty-one  years  and  one  month,  the  father  December  7,  1866. 
William  Brayton  was  married  May  5,  1839,  to  Miss  Margaret  Carr,  who 
was  born  in  Ashland  Coiinty,  Ohio,  May  2,  1820,  daughter  of  Nicholas  and 
Margery  (Davault)  Carr.  natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  respectively, 
and  of  Irish  and  English  parentage.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Ashland 
County,  and  moved  to  Wyandot  in  1833.  They  had  six  children — Margaret, 
Keziah,  John,  Daniel,  Susan  and  William.  The  deceased  are  Margaret, 
John  and  William.  The  father  died  in  December,  1871,  the  mother  in  Sep- 
tember, 1880.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brayton  are  parents  of  eleven  children — Oliver, 
Eliza,  Nicholas,  William,  James  M.,  John  C,  Olive,  Lavonia,  Lucy  M.,  Ella 
and  Joseph  H.  In  1832,  Mr.  Brayton  purchased  200  acres  in  Seneca  County. 
He  sold  this  in  1833,  and  1834  purchased  224  acres  in  this  township,  where  he 
still  resides.  By  hard  labor  and  good  management,  he  obtained  nearly  700 
acres,  but  now  owns  but  320  acres,  which  are  well  improved,  and  valued  at  $100 
per  acre.  He  is  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers  of  the  township,  and  is  well 
respected  as  a  neighbor  and  citizen.  Mrs.  Brayton  died  January  22,  1869. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Association.  Mr.  Brayton  is  an  old- 
time  Whig-Republican.  He  has  served  several  terms  as  Clerk  and  Trustee, 
and  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  twentv-one  years. 

OLIVER  BRAYTON,  was  born  in  this  township  June  27,  1841.  He  is 
a  son  of  William  and  Margaret  (Carr)  Brayton,  who  have  already  been 
noticed  in  this  work.  He  was  married  September  9,  1869,  to  Miss  Livonia 
Ogg,  of  this  township,  daughter  of  Kinzie  and  Margaret  (Johnson)  Ogg, 
early  settlers  of  this  county.  In  1869,  Mr.  Brayton  became  the  owner  of 
100  acres  of  land,  to  which  he  has  added  140  acres.  He  devotes  his  atten- 
tion entirely  to  agriculture  and  is  quite  successful.  By  his  first  wife,  who 
died  in  her  thirty-third  year.  January  30,  1880,  he  had  three  children — W^al- 
ter  H. ,  Anna  C,  and  Orton  O. ,  the  first  deceased.  Mr.  Brayton  was  mar- 
ried, August  10,  1881,  to  Samantha  A.  Brown,  a  resident  of  Seneca  County, 
native  of  Crawford  County,  Penn.,  and  daughter  of  John  and  Catharine 
(Flickinger)  Brown,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  extraction.  Her 
parents  married  in  Pennsylvania,  where  they  still  reside.  Three  of  their 
children  are  living,  a  fourth  being  deceased.      Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bravton  have 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  769 

two  children — Jessie  K.  and  Willijim  B.  In  1864,  Mr.  Brayton  being  a 
member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Regiment,  Ohio  National 
Guards,  Company  D,  was  called  into  service.  He  participated  in  the  en- 
gagement with  Moseby's  Cavalry  at  Berryville,  and  served  till  discharged 
in  September,  1864.  He  is  dow  serving  his  township,  both  as  Ti'ustee  and 
Justice  of  the  Peace;  he  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R. ;  an  old  time  Odd  Fellow; 
a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church,  and  a  Republican  in  politics.  Mrs. 
Brayton  is  also  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church. 

HENRY  P.  BROWN  was  born  in  Crawford  Township,  this  county, 
September  10,  1884,  and  is  the  son  of  William  and  Eliza  (Kooken)  Brown, 
natives  of  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  where  they  were  united  in  marriage. 
His  parents  came  to  this  county  in  1824,  and  entered  land  in  this  township. 
They  had  fifteen  children,  nine  of  whom  are  still  living — William  S.,  Henry 
P.,  James  K.,  Frank,  Ansilla,  Ellen,  Ann,  Mary  and  Augusta.  The  mother 
died  in  June,  1872,  the  father  in  1862.  Henry  P.  Brown,  our  subject,  was 
married,  February  26,  1869,  to  Miss  Verlinda  McLeod,  of  Ridge  Township, 
born  March  25,  1837,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Colo)  McLeod,  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  respectively.  Her 
parents  were  married  in  Fairfield  County  and  in  an  early  day  settled  in 
Ridge  Township.  Ten  of  their  twelve  children  still  survive — Joseph  R., 
William  O. ,  Verlinda,  Isabel,  Abraham,  John  M.,  Eliza,  Clementine,  Lo- 
rilia,  Lenora  and  Emma.  The  parents  now  reside  in  Missouri.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Brown  are  parents  of  seven  children — Florence  A.,  Frank  H.,  Charles 
A.,  Abraham  Mc,  Ernest  E.,  Eliza  J.  and  Willie;  the  two  latter  deceased. 
In  1858,  Mr.  Brown  became  the  owner  of  160  acres  in  this  township,  and 
to  this  tract  he  has  added  by  subsequent  purchases  till  he  now  owns  300 
acres  valued  at  $80  per  acre.  He  devotes  his  time  to  general  agriculture, 
in  which  he  is  quite  successful.  Mr.  Brown  has  served  the  township  in 
various  offices,  and  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  Mrs.  Brown  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church. 

DANIEL  CARR  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  September  3,  1824. 
His  parents,  Nicholas  and  Margery  (Davolt)  Carr,  natives  of  Virginia,  and 
of  Irish  and  German  descent  respectively,  were  married  in  Wayne  County; 
moved  to  Wyandot  in  1833,  and  purchased  and  entered  over  500  acres  in 
this  township.  They  had  six  children — Margaret,  Kesiah,  John,  Daniel, 
Susan  and  William.  The  father  died  December  18,  1871,  the  mother 
September  29,  1880,  aged  seventy-seven  and  eighty- four  years  respect- 
ively. Mrs.  Carr  was  an  old-time  midwife,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  present  at  the  birth  of  at  least  1,200  children.  Her  husband 
was  a  substitute  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  much  among  the  In- 
dians. September  16,  1857,  our  subject  was  married  to  Sarah  E.  Persin- 
ger,  of  Xenia,  Ohio,  native  of  the  same,  and  born  September  21,  1834. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Smith  and  Catharine  Persinger,  who  were  natives  of 
Virginia  and  Maryland  respectively,  and  who  were  married  in  Greene 
County,  Ohio,  where  they  reared  two  sons  and  two  daughters — Samuel,  Sarah, 
Nancy  and  Jacob.  The  father  died  in  January,  1843.  The  mother  mar- 
ried some  years  later,  and  is  now  again  a  widow  in  her  seventy-seventh  year. 
Mr.  and  INIrs.  Carr  are  parents  of  four  children — Morris,  Walter,  W' illiam 
and  Charlie,  the  eldest  now  deceased.  Mr.  Carr  still  lives  on  the  home 
farm,  having  purchased  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs.  He  owns  184  acres, 
well  improved,  valued  at  $85  to  $100  per  acre.  He  does  a  general  farming 
business,  and  also  burns  considerable  lime,  having  three  kilns  on  his  farm, 
one  in  operation.  He  paid  out  of  the  draft  to  the  late  war  choosing  to  part 
with  his  money  rather  than  his  life.     In  politics  Mr.  Carr  is  a  Democrat. 


770  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

WILSON  CAKOTHERS,  a  popular  druggist  of  Carey,  was  born  in 
Ridge  Township  July  20,  1855.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Jack- 
son) Carothers,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They  came  first  to  Richland 
and  then  to  this  county,  rearing  a  family  of  nine  children,  five  of  whom  are 
living — James,  William,  John,  Mary  E.  and  Wilson.  The  p&rents  both 
died  in  Ridge  Township.  Our  subject  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  at  the  age 
of  nineteen  years  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  drug  business  w^th  George  S. 
Myers,  whose  stock  he  purchased  two  years  later.  He  has  conducted  the 
business  since  1876,  and  has  a  flourishing  trade.  He  was  married.  Novem- 
ber 27,  1877,  to  Emma  Keller,  daughter  of  Adam  Keller,  and  two  children 
have  been  born  to  them — Ray  and  Jean.  Mr.  Carothers  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  and  is  esteemed  both  as  a  citizen  and  business  man ;  his 
brother,  Alexander,  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war.  He  enlisted  in  Company 
A,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  died  of 
typhoid  fever  at  Romney,  Va. 

WILLIAM  H.  COPLEY  is  a  native  of  this  township,  son  of  Benjamin 
and  Magdalene  (Nease)  Copley,  and  was  born  June  21,  1849.  His  parents, 
though  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  were  reared  in  Ohio,  and  mai'ried  in  Rich- 
land County  in  1840.  Two  years  later,  they  removed  to  this  township,  and 
purchased  eighty  acres,  which  number  was  afterward  increased  to  140.  They 
had  seven  children,  those  surviving  being  Sarah  A.,  Melinda  C,  Mary  M., 
William  H.  and  Albert  S.  The  father  died  of  apoplexy  February  20,  1884, 
in  Wood  County,  Ohio,  whither  he  had  gone  to  pass  the  remainder  of  his 
days  with  his  second  daughter,  with  whom  the  mother  now  resides.  Our 
subject  was  married,  November  17,  1870,  to  Miss  Jennie  L.  Baker,  who  was 
born  in  this  township  March  6,  1849,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Susan  (Hare) 
Baker,  whose  history  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr.  Copley  resided 
on  his  father's  farm  till  grown  to  maturity,  and  in  1868  he  was  enabled  to 
purchase  twenty  acres  in  Andrew  County,  Mo.,  adding  twenty  acres  more 
soon  after.  In  1871,  he  purchased  thirty  acres  in  this  township,  adding 
forty  acres  more  by  trading  his  Western  land  in  1873.  Mr.  Copley  is  f arm- 
incr  the  old  homestead  also,  and  is  giving  considerable  attention  to  breeding 
fine  stock  and  poultry,  light  Brahmas.  He  has  upon  his  farm  a  well  thirty 
feet  deep,  drilled  through  solid  rock,  out  of  which  have  been  pumped  bones, 
joints,  and  other  animal  matter,  which  rendered  the  water  unfit  for  man  or 
beast.  Only  a  few  rods  from  this  well  is  another,  which  furnishes  an 
abundance  of  excellent  water.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Copley  have  three  childi-en — 
Niobreto  Guy,  Frank  Armond  and  Anna  Maple,  aged  eleven,  five  and  two 
years  respectively.  Mr.  Copley  is  a  Democrat,  and  at  present  solicitor  for 
the  Wyandot  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  of  this  county.  He  and  Mrs. 
Copley  are  members  of  the  Evangelical  Church. 

HON.  JOHN  CAREY.  Perhaps  the  most  notable  of  the  early  settlers 
in  this  part  of  Ohio  was  the  distinguished  gentleman  whose  name  appears 
at  the  head  of  this  limited  biography.  Not  only  in  his  immediate  neigh- 
borhood was  he  the  object  of  well-merited  distinction,  but  his  reputation  as 
a  man  of  sound  judgment,  great  good  sense,  sincere  and  active  benevolence, 
shone  with  that  hister  which  reflected  the  many  flattering  testimonials  of 
personal  worth  from  all  who  came  within  range  of  his  acquaintance  and 
influence.  He  was  a  man  whose  prime  indicated  fine  physical  health  and 
proportions,  and  his  remarkable  energy  and  mental  force  were  in  keeping 
with  these  greatest  of  natural  endowments.  His  manhood  and  ability  were 
reflected  in  his  presence  to  such  a  degree  that  it  needed  no  introduction  to 
establish  character  or  command  respect.      Few  men  so  favorably  impressed 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  771 

an  acquaintance  with  these  notable  traits  which  win  and  control  men  through 
an  irresistible  force  of  personal  magnetism;  and  the  result  was,  as  it  has  and 
ever  will  be,  that  while  Mr.  Carey  was  surrounded  with  the  warmest  of 
friends,  whose  attachment  had  a  preceptible  feeling  of  idolatry,  he  also 
had  his  bitter  enemies.  The  latter,  however,  carrying  their  resentment,  not 
from  a  disturbance  of  the  usual  amenities  between  citizens,  nor  a  ruffling 
of  the  instincts  which  lend  enchantment  to  neighborly  conduct,  but  from 
those  who  appeared  and  were  generally  worsted  by  him  in  a  conflict  of  opin- 
ion. He  was  a  man  who  considered  well,  and,  sometimes  slow  to  act,  but 
when  settled  in  his  convictions,  he  was  impatient  of  opposition,  and  seldom 
failed  to  use  his  great  force  and  remarkable  energy  to  surmount  as  well  as 
to  sustain  his  position.  And  herein  lay  all  the  bitterness  entertained  for 
this  great,  good  man — a  bitterness  that  melts  with  time  and  resolves  itself 
into  admiration.  Perhaps  the  best  illustration  of  this  disposition  in  Mr, 
Carey,  was  his  opposition  to  the  first  railway  through  Upper  Sandusky, 
made  contingent  upon  a  proposition  to  vote  a  county  tax  of  $50,000.  As 
the  matter  was  submitted,  and  Mr.  Carey  believing  the  tax  oppressive 
upon  our  then  new  county,  he  entered  the  opposition  with  much  vigor, 
It  was  in  this  conflict  that  he  displayed  his  wcmderful  force  and 
power  as  a  public  speaker,  and  that  indefatigable  activity  and  de- 
termination that  marked  him  as  a  live  and  effective  organizer  and  leader. 
It  was  in  this  railroad  controversy  that  Mr.  Carey  incurred  the  dis- 
pleasure of  many  interested  in  the  new  town  of  Upper  Sandusky;  but 
the  feeling  of  resentment  passed  away  with  the  smoke  of  the  first  en- 
gine that  threw  its  welcome  shadow  over  the  town;  and  when  the  grand  old 
hero  passed  away,  and  for  many  years  preceding  this  lamentable  event,  no 
man  in  Wyandot  County,  or  in  this  section  of  Ohio,  was  more  sincerely  or 
universally  revered.  No  fault  lay  at  his  door  other  than  a  firm  and  sincere 
consideration  of  what  he  esteemed  to  be  right,  and  the  comments  upon  his 
long  life  of  usefulness,  and  the  bereavement  were  full  of  that  tender  regard 
which  gives  sublimity  to  expression,  and  finds  a  fitting  response  in  the  re- 
spect and  intensity  of  feeling  of  those  who  still  cherish  a  pleasurable  pride 
in  perpetuating  his  memory. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  son  of  Stephen  and  Sarah  Carey,  and 
was  born  in  Monongalia  County,  Va. .  on  the  5th  day  of  April,  1792.  In 
1796,  his  parents  and  family  removed  to  Brown  County,  Ohio,  where  they 
remained  for  some  time  and  reared  their  family.  In  1812,  young  John 
Carey  removed  to  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  and  a  short  time  thereafter  en- 
listed as  a  soldier  in  the  army  of  the  United  States.  After  a  military  serv- 
ice of  six  months,  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Franklin  County,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  milling  business,  and  also  at  the  same  time  paid  considerable 
attention  to  farming.  He  remained  here  until  the  year  1822.  On  the  9th 
of  January,  1817,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Dorcas  Wilcox, 
daughter  of  Roswell  and  Dorcas  Wilcox,  natives  of  Connecticut,  who  had 
emigrated  to  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  in  the  year  1802.  The  wife  of  John 
Carey  was  born  in  Hartfoi'd,  Conn.,  January  17,  1790,  and  departed  this 
life  at  the  family  residence  in  Carey,  on  the  1st  day  of  September,  1867. 
Shortly  after  Mr.  Carey's  marriage  in  1822,  he  came  to  what  is  now  known 
as  Wyandot  County,  and  purchased  190  acres  of  land,  in  Sections  27  and 
34,  which  still  remain  part  of  the  Carey  homestead,  and  now  owned  by 
his  son,  the  Hon.  McD.  M.  Carey,  one  of  our  prominent  and  influential 
citizens.     In  1823,  he  began  improvements  upon  this  land,  and  a  year  later 


772  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

removed  hither  with  his  wife  and  family,  whom  he  made  comfortable  in  the 
first  hewed-log  house  erected  in  that  section  of  country.  When  he  had 
seen  after  the  comfort  of  his  young  wife  and  family,  his  energy  took  direc- 
tion in  the  building  of  a  saw  mill  upon  the  banks  of  Tymochtee,  a  small 
stream  that  ran  through  his  land,  and  while  the  first  on  that  creek  in  the 
county,  it  withstood  the  buffets  of  time  and  business,  and  remained  for 
many  years  as  a  landmark,  and  remnants  of  the  old  structure  are  still  to  be 
seen  near  grounds  given  historic  prominence  by  the  sad  fate  of  Col.  Craw- 
ford, which  is  fully  given  in  another  part  of  this  volume.  Mr,  Carey's  fine 
business  qualities,  tact  and  industry,  brought  their  reward  in  making  it 
possible  for  him  to  add  largely  to  his  estate  until  he  had  accumulated  nearly 
3,000  acres,  which  he  held  and  possessed  to  the  hour  of  his  death.  To  go 
back  to  Mr.  Carey's  earlier  life,  we  find  him,  at  the  age  of  twelve,  carrying 
the  mail  from  Portsmouth  to  Chillicothe,  and  continued  in  this  pursuit  for 
two  years,  at  that  time  a  hazardous  undertaking  for  one  of  his  years;  yet 
the  courage  and  indomitable  will  of  maturer  life  was  seen  in  the  lad  of  a 
dozen  years.  From  the  mail  service  he  entered  as  an  apprentice  to  learn 
the  trade  of  tanner,  at  which  he  remained  until  1812,  when  he  enlisted  in  a 
rifle  company  under  command  of  Gen.  Hull,  and  was  surrendered  with  this 
company  to  the  British  at  Detroit.  After  an  honorable  discharge  from  the 
army,  John  returned  to  Columbus,  with  the  results  as  already  set  forth. 
For  years  Mr.  Carey  was  an  honored  and  central  figure  in  our  midst,  re- 
ferred to  with  pride  as  authority  on  many  of  the  leading  questions  of  pub- 
lic and  local  interest,  and  the  great  confidence  reposed  in  him  for  sterling 
worth  and  integrity  gave  to  his  favor  a  conspicuous  influence.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Carey  was  a  Whig,  as  long  as  that  party  existed;  afterward,  a  zealous, 
active,  yet  sincere  and  liberal  adherent  to  principles  of  the  present  Kepub- 
lican  party,  as  interpreted  by  Lincoln,  Trumbull,  Chase  and  other  of  the  in- 
tellectual giants  of  the  war  period.  Although  never  an  ofiice-seeker,  he 
readily  won  distinction  among  his  people  and  party,  which  is  indicated  by 
the  fact,  that  as  early  as  1827,  he  was  chosen  to  represent  this,  then  Craw- 
ford County,  in  the  Lower  House  of  the  Ohio  Legislature,  leaving  the  ef- 
fect of  his  sound  judgment  and  wise  and  considerate  action  upon  laws, 
which  still  grace  the  statutes  of  our  State.  He  also  served  one  term  as 
Judge,  and  years  after  was  sent  to  the  Ohio  Senate,  where  he  made  himself 
quite  prominent,  and  reflected  upon  the  district  from  which  he  was  credited, 
that  true  honor  which  is  ever  the  result  of  faithful  services.  In  1858,  he 
was  prevailed  upon  to  accept  the  Republican  nomination,  in  the  then  old 
Democratic  Ninth  District  of  Ohio,  and  although  running  against  an  emi- 
nent and  popular  Democrat  (Judge  Hall,  of  Crawford  County),  he  overcame 
a  majority  of  2,000,  and  was  triumphantly  elected.  His  course  to  Congress 
was  marked  with  ability,  and  the  ablest  address  ever  given  to  Congress  in 
behalf  of  the  tillers  of  the  soil  was  his  maiden  speech  before  that  august 
body;  and,  to-day,  that  the  Bureau  of  Agriculture  has  its  present  existing 
importance  at  the  Capital  of  the  nation  is  largely  due  to  Mr.  Carey's  ef- 
forts. It  was  he  who  inaugurated  the  movement  which  is  now  so  favorably 
amplified  by  the  best  minds  of  the  country,  and  which  has  lifted  to  such 
high  prominence  the  agricultural  interests  of  this  country.  In  1854,  Mr. 
Carey,  finding  that  old  age  was  telling  upon  his  years  of  usefulness,  left 
the  old  homestead  on  the  banks  of  the  Tymochtee,  and  removed  to  the  town 
which  bears  his  name  and  the  work  of  his  enterprise,  and  sought  that  rest 
and  repose  which  his  overtaxed  energies  had  long  needed.  Although  his 
physical   strength  gave  way,  his  mental  energies  never  flagged,  remaining 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  773 

Avith  him  as  a  bright  memento  of  his  past  life,  until  the  17th  of  March, 
1875,  when,  surrounded  by  family  and  friends,  he  quietly  breathed  his  last, 
in  the  eighty-third  year  of  his  age.  Unto  the  union  of  John  and  Dorcas 
Carey  were  born  six  children,  two  sons  and  four  daughters— Napoleon  B., 
born  June  18,  1818,  and  died  October  21,  1846;  McD.  M.  Carey,  born  May 
13,  1820;  Emma  Maria,  born  January  15,  1822,  and  died  August  27,  1842; 
Eliza  A.  (now  Mrs.  Joseph  Kenney),  born  July  7,  1824;  Cinderella  (Mrs. 
Edwin  Brown),  born  May  2,  1826;  Dorcas  (Mrs.  Alvin  Dow),  born  February 
24,  1830. 

McD.  M.  CAREY  is  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  and  one  of  the 
oldest  residents  of  this  township.  He  was  born,  May  13,  1820,  and  is  a  son 
of  Hon.  John  Carey,  his  mother's  maiden  name  being  Dorcas  Wilcox.  His 
parents  were  natives  of  Virginia  and  Connecticut  respectively,  and  of  En- 
glish and  Scotch  parentage.  They  were  married  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio, 
January  9,  1817,  and  resided  in  and  near  the  city  of  Columbus  for  several 
years.  His  father  came  to  this  county  in  1822,  and  bought  land  in  Craw- 
ford Township,  where  he  located  with  his  family  in  1824.  Here  he  made 
his  home  during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  removing  to  Carey  in  1854, 
after  which  time  he  attempted  to  live  in  retirement,  though  always  busy  till 
his  death.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Legislature  four  terms,  before  and 
after  the  organization  of  this  county,  and  was  also  Associate  Judge  of  Crawford 
County.  In  the  year  1858,  he  was  elected  to  Congress  by  the  Republican 
party,  and  served  his  full  term.  He  was  a  hard  worker,  and  spent  most  of 
his  life  in  clearing  up  land  and  farming,  owning  at  one  time  nearly  3,000 
acres.  The  children  of  the  family  were  Napoleon  B..  Mc  Donough  Monroe, 
Emma  M.,  Eliza  A.,  Cindarilla  and  Dorcas — all  living  but  Emma  M.  and 
Napoleon  B..  who  died  at  the  ages  of  twenty  and  twenty-eight  respectively. 
The  mother  died  September  1,  1867;  the  father  survived  till  March  17, 
1875.  McD.  M.  Carey,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  married,  October  1, 
1845,  to  Miss  Lydia  E.  Beebe,  of  Norwalk,  Huron  Co,  Ohio,  where  she  was 
born  in  1822,  her  parents  being  John  and  Hannah  (Young)  Beebe,  who  were 
early  settlers  in  that  county.  There  were  seven  children  in  the  Beebe  fam- 
ily— Aithea,  Lydia  E.,  Ambrose  M.,  Ann  E.,  David,  Frank  and  Charlie — all 
living  but  Lydia.  The  parents  both  died  in  Cleveland.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Carey  had  one  child,  Aithea  E.,  born  October  21,  1846.  Mrs.  Carey  depart- 
ing this  life,  December  15,  1846,  in  1851,  Mr.  Carey  was  married  to  Em- 
ily (Mei'riman)  Remington,  daughter  of  Myron  and  Rilla  MeiTiman,  who 
moved  from  New  York  State,  about  1822,  and  entered  land  in  this  township, 
their  five  children  being  Emily,  Laura,  Seth,  Louisa  and  Nancy — all  deceased 
but  Laura  and  Louisa.  Mr.  Merriman  died  in  Kansas,  and  Mrs.  M.  in  Ill- 
inois. Mrs.  Carey  passed  awa}'  March  13,  3881,  and  is  interred  in  the  Oak 
Grove  Cemetery,  at  Upper  Sandusky.  In  1854,  Mr.  Carey  moved  upon  the 
old  home  farm  near  Crawfordsville,  and  has  ever  since  been  there  engaged 
in  the  quiet  pursuits  of  agriculture,  stock  dealing  and  grain  dealing.  He 
owns  about  1,100  acres  of  land,  valued  at  $50  to  llOO'per  acre.  He  erected 
his  fine,  brick  residence  in  1866-67,  and  now  devotes  his  time  in  overseeing 
his  property.  In  politics,  Mr.  Carey  is  Republican.  He  was  very  active  in 
the  C.  &  T.  Railroad  enterprise,  and  subsequently  became  one  of  the  direct- 
ors of  that  line.  His  daughter  and  her  family  now  reside  on  the  home 
farm  with  him.  Mr.  Carey  is  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers  of  the 
township  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  highly  esteemed. 
After  the  death  of  Mrs.  Carey,  his  only  daughter  has  very  satisfactorily 
taken  charge  of  her  father's  household  affairs,  which  she  continues  to  the 

33 


774  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

full  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  She  is  the  wife  of  George  H.  Whaley, 
and  the  mother  of  two  children,  viz.,  Paul  C.  and  Doratha  L. 

ALFRED  K.  DAVIS  was  born  in  this  township  August  23,  1838.  He 
IS  a  son  of  William  and  Lucy  (Bray ton)  Davis,  who  were  born  in  this  State, 
married  in  Wyandot  County,  resided  most  of  their  lives  in  this  county,  and 
reared  four  children — Anna  L. ,  Alfred  K.,  William  H.  and  Lucy.  The 
father  died  in  March,  1846;  the  mother  in  March,  1873.  Mr.  Davis  was 
married,  December  4,  1865,  to  Miss  Sarah  Hurd,  of  this  county,  a  native  of 
Indiana,  and  daughter  of  Imez  and  Sarah  (Jameson)  Hurd,  who  were  na- 
tives of  York  State.  Her  parents  moved  to  Indiana  about  1840,  and  to 
Michigan  in  1845;  settled  in  Allegan  County,  and  reared  nine  children, 
five  of  whom  survive,  viz.,  Alexandra,  Caroline,  Sybil,  Francis  M.  and 
Sarah.  Her  mother  died  in  1841 ;  her  father  in  1846.  Mr.  Davis  farmed 
the  old  homestead  for  several  years,  inheriting  a  portion  of  the  same  in 
1860.  In  1872,  he  purchased  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides,  and 
which  he  has  improved  by  good  buildings  and  cultivation.  He  owns  250 
acres,  valued  at  $50  to  $75  per  acre,  and  devotes  his  chief  attention  to  ag- 
riculture and  stock-raising.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  are  the  parents  of  seven 
children — Olive  S.  was  born  January  23,  1867;  Edna  C,  January  11,  1869; 
Cora,  January  12,  1873;  Ora  C,  June  5,  1874;  Florence,  November  12, 
1876;  Blanch  and  Bray  ton,  September  20,  1880.  All  are  living  but  Cora, 
who  died  July  2,  1873.  In  political  sentiments,  Mr.  Davis  favors  Repub- 
lican policy.  He  is  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  the  township,  and  his 
farm  is  the  seat  of  the  historic  battle-ground  where  Col.  Crawford  was  de- 
feated and  burned  by  the  Indians,  and  where  a  monument  has  been  erected 
to  his  memory.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  are  both  associated  with  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church. 

W.  T.  DICKERSON,  attorney  at  law,  Carey,  Ohio,  was  born  in 
Shelby  County,  Ohio.  He  grew  up  to  manhood  in  his  native  county, 
and  obtained  a  good  education  io  the  common  schools.  He  read  law 
three  years  with  Judge  Thompson,  of  Sidney,  and  then  went  to  Cincinnati, 
where  he  took  a  thorough  course  in  the  law  school  of  that  city.  He  then 
began  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  after  about  three  and  one  half 
years'  practice,  he  opened  a  law  office  in  Carey,  in  September,  1878.  Mr. 
Dickerson  enlisted  January  9,  1862,  at  Sidney,  in  Company  K,  Twentieth 
Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  till  July  15,  1865,  then  re- 
ceiving his  discharge,  and  returning  to  Sidney.  Mr.  Dickerson  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Gr.  A.  R.  Post,  and  also  of  the  Knights  of  Honor.  He  has  a  fair 
practice,  and  is  an  able  representative  of  the  legal  profession. 

REV.  J.  M.  DUSTMAN  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  July 
16,  1840.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Amelia  (Peters)  Dustman,  who 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively.  His  father  moved 
to  Fairfield  County  when  five  years  old  (1816),  married  Amelia  Peters 
and  reared  nine  children — all  brought  up  on  a  farm.  In  1846,  the  family 
moved  to  Van  Wert,  where  they  entered  a  farm  on  which  the  parents 
still  reside.  Rev.  Mr.  Dustman  received  a  good  education  in  the  district 
schools,  and  in  1861  he  entered  the  Normal  School  of  Van  Wert.  After 
this  he  engaged  in  farming,  and,  in  the  meantime  pursued  a  private 
course  with  Dr.  Wells,  a  Lutheran  minister  of  Van  Wert,  where  he  was 
given  a  charge  after  being  admitted  to  the  ministry  in  the  fall  of  1870. 
In  1871,  the  Synod  was  called  at  Gallon,  where  Rev.  Mr.  Dustman  was 
ordained.  He  remained  at  Van  Wert  four  years,  and  then  removed  to 
Carey,  where  he  has  since  labored.      August  31,  1865,  he  married   Nancy 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  775 

Poe,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Nancy  (McKinnis)  Poe,  of  Hancock  County, 
Ohio.  Two  children  have  blessed  this  union — Stanley  B.  and  Florence  A. 
Rev.  Dustman  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge,  Good  Templars,  I.  O.  O.  F. 
and  K.  of  H. ;  Chaplain  of  the  two  latter  orders. 

DANIEL  ENGLAND,  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Tipple)  England,  was 
born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  August  6,  1814.  He  was  married  December 
26,  1839,  to  Miss  Tina  Bullas,  who  was  born  in  Lower  Canada  January  27, 
1822.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Pliny  and  Abigail  (Sherman)  Bullas,  who 
moved  from  New  York  to  Canada  and  thence  to  this  county  in  1836,  enter- 
ing land  in  this  township.  The  children  were  seven  in  number,  all  girls, 
namely,  Tina,  Elmira,  Harriet,  Abigail,  Ann,  Jane  and  Lydia.  Three  are 
yet  living,  viz.,  Tina,  Ann  and  Jane.  The  mother  is  deceased;  the 
father  died  September  20,  1839.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  England  are  the  parents 
of  eleven  children — Mary,  born  January  22,  1841  ;  Abigail,  November  17, 
1843  ;  Caroline,  May  IS,  1845  ;  Lucinda,  August  19,  1847  ;  Joseph,  Sep- 
tember 13,  1849;  James,  November  12,  1851;  Alvin,  April  26,  1854-, 
Ruelma,  November  8,  1856;  Chester,  July  1,  1859;  Myra  G.,  May  20, 
1864  ;  Cornelia  M.,  August  22,  1866.  The  deceased  are  Caroline  and 
James.  Mr.  England  purchased  land  in  this  township  in  1850  or  1851,  and 
this  he  has  improved  till  he  now  values  it  at  $80  to  $100  pej*  acre.  He  is  a 
good  farmer,  and  has  a  comfortable  home. 

JOHN  ENGLAND  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  July  10,  1807. 
His  parents,  Joseph  and  Mary  CTipple)  England,  were  natives  of  Maryland 
and  Germany  respectively,  and  located  in  Ohio  at  its  first  settlement. 
1783-85.  They  settled  first  in  Fairfield  County,  but  thence  removed  to 
Pickaway,  and  in  1833  to  this  township,  where  they  entered  land.  There 
were  nine  children,  five  sons  and  four  daughters  ;  the  father  died  about 
1835-36,  the  mother  about  1850.  John  England  engaged  in  farming  rented 
land  several  years,  but  in  1836  purchased  forty  acres,  to  which  he  has  since 
made  some  additions,  and  where  he  still  resides.  He  was  married  October 
9,  1845,  to  Dorothea  H.  Brehme,  who  was  born  in  Brehme,  Germany,  Jan- 
uary 9,  1835.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Christopher  and  Mary  H.  (Smith) 
Brehme,  who  emigrated  from  Germany  in  1845.  Her  mother  died  on  the 
voyage  to  America.  Her  father,  with  the  rest  of  the  family,  located  in 
Delaware,  Ohio,  but  later  moved  to  Wyandot,  where  he  entered  land.  Mr, 
and  Mrs,  England  are  the  parents  of  nine  children — Margaret,  Henry,  Will- 
iam, Lewis,  Charles  and  Emma  (twins),  Mary,  Helen  and  Amanda.  Mrs. 
England  departed  this  life  October  10,  1869. 

HENRY  FAUL  was  born  April  18,  1838.  He  is  a  native  of  Lambach, 
France,  and  son  of  Rudolph  and  Magdalene  (Streng)  Faul,  also  natives  of 
France  and  of  German  descent.  His  parents  emigrated  in  1847,  stopped 
one  year  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  and  then  moved  to  Seneca  County,  pur- 
chased land  and  resided  there  till  1857,  when  they  moved  to  this  county, 
his  father  dying  here  April  7,  1871,  his  mother  September  7,  1876.  Mr, 
Faul  was  married,  April  9,  1861,  to  Magdalene  Bowers,  daughter  of  George 
and  Tiouisa  Bowers,  who  emigrated  from  France  about  1852  or  1853,  and 
settled  in  Seneca  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Faul  had  two  children — Louisa 
M.  and  Mary,  the  latter  deceased.  Mrs.  Faul  died  July  30,  1865,  and  Mr. 
Faul  was  married,  February  29,  1866,  to  Catharine  Grunder,  a  resident  of 
Wayne  County,  Ohio,  native  of  France,  and  daughter  of  Henry  and  Chris- 
tina Grunder,  also  natives  of  France  and  of  German  descent.  Her  parents 
emigrated  in  1843,  and  located  in  W^ayne  County,  Ohio,  where  the}^  spent 
the  remainder  of  their  lives.      By  this  latter  marriage,  four  children   were 


776  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

born — Henry  E.,  Rosauna,  John  and  George  H.  Mr.  Faul  first  purchased 
land  in  Tymochtee  Township,  and  resided  there  four  years.  He  then  sold, 
and  returned  to  the  home  farm  of  180  acres,  which  he  soon  after  became 
owner  of,  and  where  he  is  still  successfully  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  agri- 
culture. 

HENRY  FETTER  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  May  16,  1845.  His 
parents,  Andrew  and  Mary  (Clay)  Fetter,  emigrated  with  six  children  in 
1847,  came  direct  to  this  county,  and  located  in  Salem  Township,  where 
Mr.  Fetter  entered  forty  acres  of  land.  A  seventh  child  was  born  after 
their  arrival  in  this  county.  The  parents  finally  removed  to  Carey  and 
retired  from  farming.  Henry  Fetter  resided  with  his  parents  till  seventeen 
years  of  age.  He  then  enlisted  as  a  substitute  in  the  war  ;  was  assigned  to 
Company  B,  Thirty-second  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  June,  1864,  and 
served  eleven  months.  At  the  close  of  the  war  be  returned,  and  spent  fif- 
teen months  in  learning  the  harness  Trade,  at  the  same  time  taking  an  inter- 
est as  partner  with  Mat  Orrian.  Three  months  later,  he  purchased  the  lat- 
ter's  interest  and  conducted  the  business  one  year  alone.  He  then  sold  out 
the  whole  stock  to  Orrian,  and  went  to  Independence,  Mo.,  and  engaged  in 
the  bakery  and  confectionery  business,  closing  out  and  returning  in  nine 
months  to  Carey,  where  he  has  since  conducted  a  billiard  hall  and  saloon. 
He  married  Elizabeth  Simonis,  daughter  of  Peter  Simonis,  January  8,  1867. 
They  have  eight  children — Edward  J.,  Andrew,  Harry,  Theodora,  Raymond, 
Leo,  Inez  and  Lulalia.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fetter  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

EUGENE  M.  GEAR,  a  prominent  grocer  of  Carey,  was  born  at  that 
place  August  29,  1851.  His  parents,  Jacob  and  Jane  (Berry)  Gear,  were 
natives  of  .Union  County,  Penn.,  and  this  county  respectively.  His  father 
located  in  Ridge  Township  in  1840,  with  John  McCreat,  with  whom  he  was 
serving  an  apprenticeship  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  business  he  has 
followed  ever  since.  Mrs.  Gear's  father,  Jehu  Berry,  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Tymochtee  Township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gear  reared  a  family  of 
ten  children,  viz. :  William  C,  Alvin  S.,  Eugene  M.,  L.  M.,  Emma,  Elmer, 
Horace  G.,  Linnie,  Jesse  and  Frank;  the  four  last  deceased.  Our  subject, 
Eugene  M.  Gear,  began  life  for  himself  at  thirteen.  He  followed  painting 
a  short  time  and  then  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store,  continuing 
in  the  business  twelve  years.  In  1884,  he  purchased  the  grocery  stock  of 
D.  S.  Nye,  and  has  since  engaged  in  that  bxisiness,  enjoying  a  liberal  pa- 
tronage. October  17,  1877,  he  married  Alice  Close,  daughter  of  Gideon 
Close,  of  Carey.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  them — Freddie  and  Julia. 
Mr.  Gear  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order — Knights  Templar.  Mrs.  Gear 
is  a  member  of  the  English  Lutheran  Church.  Two  brothers  of  our  subject 
were  soldiers  in  the  late  war — William  C.  and  Alvin  S.  The  former  served 
about  two  and  one-half  years;  the  latter  took  his  father's  place  in  the  100- 
day  service,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  enlisted  for  the  remainder  of 
the  war. 

ADDISON  E.  GIBBS  was  born  in  Aurora,  Portage  Co.,  Ohio,  Febru- 
aiy  22,  1831.  His  father,  Eli,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  moved 
to  New  York  when  a  young  man,  and  there  married  Lucinda  Cady.  He 
soon  after  moved  to  Pennsylvania,  thence  to  Portage  County,  Ohio,  and  in 
1839  to  what  is  now  Wyandot  County,  locating  in  Tymochtee  Township. 
Their  children  were  Addison  E.,  Truman  L.,  William  F.,  Henry  M.,  Ly- 
man R. ,  James  A.  and  George  A.  The  parents  were  farmers.  The  father 
died  December  4,  1866,  the  mother,  January  30,  1866;  Addison  E.  was  the 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  777 

eldest  of  the  family,  which  moved  to  Crawford  Township  in  1845.  At  thir- 
teen he  began  operations  for  himself,  and  worked  at  various  employments 
till  twenty-one  years  old.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  railroad  work, 
being  employed  in  various  departments  until  1864,  when  he  was  appointed 
agent  for  the  Mad  Eiver  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad,  retaining  his  position  at 
Carey  through  all  its  changes,  till  he  resigned  in  1881,  to  take  charge  of 
his  present  business  in  groceries  and  produce.  April  8,  1852,  Mr.  Gibbs 
married  Elizabeth  Kerstetter,  daughter  of  Christian  and  Elizabeth  (Clap- 
per) Kerstetter,  who  came  from  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  G.  was  born  in  Craw- 
ford County,  Ohio.  Nine  children  have  been  born  to  this  uuioQ — Alice, 
Ella,  Florence,  Frank,  Hattie,  Fred.  Jay,  Ed  and  Maud.  Mr.  Gibbs  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  also  of  the  G.  A.  R.  He  and  Mrs.  Gibbs  are 
both  meiabers  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  GINTERT,  son  of  Fred  and  Ann  M.  (Kuhlin)  Gintert.  was  bora 
in  Baden,  Germany,  December  24,  1838.  His  parents  were  also  natives  of 
Baden,  and  sis  children,  of  whom  but  two — John  and  Jacob  -are  now  liv- 
ing. His  mother  died  in  1852,  his  father  in  1874.  Mr.  Gintert  emigrated 
to  America  in  1866,  and  first  located  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  where  he 
resided  two  years,  when  he  moved  to  Carey,  and  engaged  three  years  in  the 
butchering  business.  He  was  married,  February  3,  1870,  to  Elizabeth 
Hickle,  of  this  township,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Harom)  Hickle, 
who  were  natives  of  Germany,  but  who  married  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
where  they  resided  several  years,  after  which  they  moved  to  this  township, 
where  they  now  live.  In  1870,  Mr.  Gintert  purchased  forty  acres  in  Ridge 
Township,  where  he  lived  three  years.  He  then  sold  out  and  purchased  his 
present  farm,  which  now  consists  of  116  acres,  valued  at  $70  per  acre.  Mr. 
Gintert  is  a  Democrat.  He  and  Mrs.  G.  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church.  They  have  had  five  children — William,  Anna  M.,  Ina  and  Ida 
(twins),  and  Fred,  all  living  but  Anna  M. 

JOHN  GREER,  son  of  Thomas  and  Catharine  (Rhodes)  Greer,  was 
born  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  July  10,  1828.  His  parents  were  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania  and  Vii'ginia  respectively,  and  of  Irish  and  English 
parentage.  They  were  married  in  Columbiana  County,  where  they  resided 
till  1838,  his  father  being  a  carpenter  by  trade.  In  the  above  year  they 
moved  to  Seneca  County,  and  settled  upon  eighty  acres  of  land  entered  sev- 
eral years  previous.  They  sold  this  farm  in  1845,  and  purchased  160  acres 
in  this  township,  where  the  father  died  in  1867,  and  the  mother  in  1869. 
Their  children  were  Joseph,  John,  Francis,  William,  Margaret  A.,  Sarah  J., 
George  W.,  Mary  A.  and  Abigail  M.  William  and  George  lost  their  lives 
in  the  late  war,  Joseph  also  l(«ing  an  arm  in  the  service.  Our  subject 
worked  at  home  till  of  age,  and  then  spent  a  few  years  working  on  his  own 
responsibility.  He  was  engaged  three  years  in  mining  in  California,  re- 
turning to  Ohio  in  1856.  He  was  married,  December  7,  1857,  to  Mary  A. 
Crooks,  a  resident  of  Seneca  County,  native  of  Muskingum  County,  and 
daughter  of  Andrew  C.  and  Mary  (Arnold)  Crooks,  natives  of  Ohio,  and  of 
German  descent.  Her  parents  were  married  in  their  native  county,  and 
moved  to  Seneca  County  in  1849.  They  had  seven  children — Mary  A.  be- 
ing the  only  deceased.  The  mother  died  in  August,  1868,  and  the  father 
still  resides  in  this  township.  In  1851,  Mr.  Greer  purchased  twenty-four 
acres  of  land,  and  this  number  he  has  increased  to  162^.  He  erected  an 
elegant  brick  residence  in  1880,  and  a  large  barn  in  1883.  August  14, 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Forty-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
subsequently  took  part   in  the  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Stone  River, 


778  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  Dalton,  Kesaca,  Picket's  Mills  and  Kenesaw 
Mountain.  In  the  latter  engagement, he  received  a  shell  wound  in  the  left 
thigh,  and  lay  in  the  hospital  several  months  on  account  of  his  injuries. 
He  was  honoi'ably  discharged  November  22,  1864,  returned  home,  and  has 
since  engaged  in  farming.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  has  served  several 
terms  as  Trustee  and  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Mr.  Greer  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  and  G.  A.  R.,  and  is  the  father  of  seven  children — Thomas  W. , 
Sarah  K. ,  Andrew  C.  Asa  B.,  Harry  A.,  Guy  E.  and  John  R.  M.  Thomas 
"W.  is  deceased.  The  mother  died  August  26,  1883,  and  now  rests  in  the 
Baker  Graveyard. 

JOHN  K.  HARE,  County  Commissioner,  was  born  in  Center  County. 
Penn.,  July  18,  1819.  His  parents,  Conrad  and  Anna  M.  (Spangler)  Hare, 
were  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  as  were  also  several  previous  genera- 
tions of  the  Hare  family.  Conrad  Hare,  wife  and  five  children  came  from 
Pennsylvania  to  "Wayne  County,  Ohio,  in  1823,  and  ten  years  later  moved 
to  Crawford  Township,  this  county.  Seven  more  children  were  born  to 
them  in  this  State;  ten  grew  to  maturity — Solomon,  Susanna,  Mary  A.. 
John  K. ,  Levi,  Lucetta,  Margaret,  Jonathan  S.,  Rebecca,  Samuel  S.  and 
Christopher  S.  The  father  died  in  1847,  aged  fifty-six  years;  his  wife 
lived  to  an  advanced  age.  At  twenty-one  years  of  age,  Mr.  John  K.  Hare 
began  work  at  monthly  wages.  At  twenty-three  he  took  contracts  on  the 
I.,  B.  &  W.  R.  R.,  and  continued  in  this  kind  of  work  at  intervals  for  about 
ten  years.  After  four  years  in  dry  goods  and  grocery  store  at  Patterson, 
Hardin  County,  he  returned  to  farming.  In  1867,  he  removed  to  South- 
western Missouri,  where  he  cleared  up  a  fine  farm,  and  eight  years  later  he 
returned  to  Ohio  and  resumed  work  on  the  old  homestead  in  this  township. 
Four  years  after  this  Mr.  Hare  moved  to  Carey  and  in  1881,  was  elected 
Commissioner  of  the  county  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  He  owns  forty  acres 
of  land  in  this  township,  and  is  discharging  his  official  duties  with  credit. 
March  2,  1848,  Mr.  Hare  was  married  to  Mary  Warner,  who  was  born  in 
Allegany  County,  N.  Y.,  August  30,  1826.  Her  parents,  David  and 
Elmira  Robins,  were  both  of  New  York,  and  with  them  she  came  to  Hardin 
County,  Ohio,  in  1836.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hare  have  had  nine  children,  six  of 
whom  are  still  living — Almon  W.,  Wilfred  C,  Sarepta  A.,  Etta  M.  and 
Ella  M.  (twins)  and  Anna  B.  The  deceased  are  John  A.,  David  O.  and 
Celestia,  twin  to  Sarepta.  The  whole  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  In  1853  and  1854,  Mr.  Hare  had  a  contract  for  grad- 
ing twenty-one  miles  on  the  Eel  River  &  Detroit  Railroad  west  from  Au- 
burn, Ind. ,  and  was  employing  150  workmen,  when  the  company  failed, 
causing  him  a  loss  of  ^15,000,  being  unable  to  obtain  even  a  settlement. 

JOHN  D.  HART,  son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Lowry)  Hart,  was  born 
in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  September  3,  1824.  His  parents  were  married  in 
•his  native  county,  but  moved  to  Wyandot  in  1833,  and  entered  land  in  this 
township.  They  had  five  children — James,  Margaret,  John  D..  Francis  and 
Sarah,  all  deceased  but  John  D.  The  mother  died  in  1847,  the  father 
January  1,  1880,  the  latter  aged  about  eighty- four  years;  ho  was  a  soldier 
in  the  war  of  1812-15.  Our  subject  was  married,  April  22,  1852,  to  Emily 
Stephens,  who  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  February  15,  1835, 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Hannah  (Stevenson)  Stephens,  natives  of  Virginia 
and  Ohio  respectively.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Franklin  County,  but 
her  father  being  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  faith,  made  several  removals. 
About  1841,  he  located  in  Mount  Blanchard,  and,  being  advanced  in  years, 
gave  up  his  regular  charge,  and  has  since  officiated  as   a   local  preacher. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  779 

He  opened  a  small  store  of  general  merchandise  at  Mount  Blanchard,  and 
for  a  few  years  was  there  thus  engaged.  There  were  twelve  children  in  the 
family,  viz.,  John  W.,  Frances  A.,  William  D.,  Jesse  B.,  George  H.,  Ma- 
tilda A.,  Mary  J.,  Emily,  Elmira,  Susan  A.,  Sarah,  Milton.  Six  are  de- 
ceased, Matilda  A.,  John  W. ,  Mary  J.,  Frances  A.,  George  H.  and  Sarah. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hart  have  had  ten  children — Mary  E.,  Lovina,  William, 
Jesse  B.,  Charles  A.,  Clara  B.,  Samuel,  Lora  M.,  Grace,  Amos.  The  de- 
ceased are  Mary  E.,  Samuel,  Lora  M.  and  Grace.  Mr.  Hart  cultivated  the 
home  farm  for  several  years;  engaged  in  railroad  work  for  a  time,  and  in 
1855  purchased  twenty  acres  in  this  township.  He  sold  this  farm  a  few 
years  later,  and  returned  to  the  homestead,  where  he  remained  till  his  fa- 
ther's death,  when  he  inhei'ited  sixty  acres.  In  the  same  year,  1880,  he 
added  a  few  acres  more,  and  with  the  improvements  now  values  his  land  at 
$80  to  $90  per  acre.  Mr.  Hart  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  Mrs.  Hart  is  a 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church  at  Carey. 

DAYID  HARFSTER,  jeweler  and  druggist,  was  born  in  Sandusky 
County,  Ohio,  May  7,  1837.  His  parents,  John  and  Eva  (Hartman)  Harp- 
ster,  were  both  natives  of  Fennsylvania,  were  married  there,  and  in  1828 
moved  to  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  and  entered  eighty  acres  of  land  where  the 
village  of  Flat  Rock  is  now  situated.  They  had  a  family  of  ten  children — 
Lovina,  Joel,  Isaac,  George,  David,  John  W.,  Jacob  (deceased),  Frederick 
L.,  William  R.  and  Susannah.  His  father  was  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  exclusively,  till  he  retired.  He  now  resides  in  Clyde,  Ohio,  his 
wife  having  passed  away  in  1866.  David  Harpster  began  life  on  his  own 
resources  in  his  eighteenth  year.  He  received  a  good  education  in  the 
common  schools,  and  passed  six  terms  in  a  normal  school,  defraying  his  ex- 
penses by  teaching,  in  which  he  was  engaged  four  terms.  His  original  in- 
tention was  to  study  medicine,  but  he  was  finally  dissuaded  from  this,  and 
pui-chased  a  farm  which  he  operated  till  1862,  when  he  sold  out  and  re- 
moved to  Carey  where  he  sold  dry  goods  four  years.  In  1866,  he  pur- 
chased a  stock  of  drugs  and  in  this  business  he  is  still  engaged  doing  a 
good  patronage.  Mr.  Harpster  was  married  in  December,  1859,  to  Susan 
A.  Wonder,  daughter  of  John  Wonder,  of  this  county.  She  died,  leav- 
ing two  children — Mary  A.  and  Ida  V.  He  was  married  next  to  Caro- 
line Myers,  daughter  of  Dr.  Joseph  Myers,  of  Carey,  and  she  departed 
this  life,  leaving  one  child — Anna  May.  He  was  then  married  to  Han- 
nah Holway,  who  was  born  in  Waterville,  Kennebec  Co.,  Me.,  and  who 
came  to  Ohio  in  1868.  She  was  first  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Tif- 
fin, and  later  at  Fostoria,  remaining  one  year  at  the  later  place.  Three 
children  are  the  fruits  of  this  union — Charles  M.,  Lida  T.  and  David  H. 
Mr.  Harpster  was  elected  Mayor  of  Carey  in  1865,  and  re-elected  in  1866. 
He  officiated  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  nine  years.  Mr.  Harpster  had  pre- 
pared to  enter  the  late  war,  but  was  induced  by  the  death  of  his  wife,  which 
left  him  with  the  care  of  two  small  children,  to  hire  a  substitute  and  remain 
at  home.  He  has  always  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In  1869,  he  united  with  the 
Masonic  order,  and  has  since  passed  all  the  chairs  of  the  institution,  in- 
cluding the  degrees  of  Scottish  Rite  in  1881.  He  is  also  a  charter  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  served  as  first  Director  of  the  lodge. 

VALENTINE  HENIGE  was  born  July  28,  1831.  He  is  a  native  of 
Worth-am-Rhein,  Bavaria,  and  son  of  Anthony  and  Magdalene  (Jambo) 
Henige,  natives  of  the  same  place.  There  were  five  children  in  the  family — 
Theobald,  George  M.,  Valentine,  Anthony  and   Jacob — all  living   so  far   as 


780  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

known;  Theobald  went  to  California  about  1846,  and  has  not  since  been 
heard  of.  The  entire  family  emigrated  about  1846,  and  settled  in  Vernon 
Township,  Crawford  County,  Ohio.  Here  the  mother  died  in  A.pril,  1868; 
the  father  spent  his  last  days  with  his  children  and  died  at  the  home  of  hi& 
son  Valentine  January  24,  1880.  Our  subject  resided  with  his  parents, 
working  for  other  parties  at  intervals  till  his  twenty-fourth  year.  He  was 
married  November  27,  1855,  to  Anna  Maria  Braun,  of  Richland  County,  a 
native  of  Rauschbach,  Alsace,  France.  She  was  born  August  15,  1829,  her 
parents  being  Martin  and  Cecilia  (Grunewald)  Braun,  natives  of  France. 
Her  parents  were  married  in  Rauschbach  and  emigrated  in  1832-33.  The 
children  were  Anna  M.,  Joseph,  Ambrose,  Ferdinand,  Samuel,  Cleophas 
and  John.  The  father  died  March  1,  and  the  mother  March  7,  1882.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Henige  are  parents  of  eleven  children,  namely:  John,  born  Octo- 
ber 12,  1856;  Jacob  and  Joseph,  December  15,  1857;  Rosina,  July  7,  1859; 
Henry,  February  8,  1861;  Carolina,  December  6,  1862;  Thomas,  August 
13,  1864;  Cecilia,  December  28,  1865;  Peter,  January  6,  1868;  Catharine, 
February  10,  1870;  Elenora,  July  15,  1872.  Two  are  deceased — Jacob, 
who  died  April  4,  1858,  and  Henry,  who  died  April  17,  1867.  After  his 
marriage  Mr.  Henige  worked  in  the  car  shops  of  the  P.,  Ft.  W.  &  C.  R.  R., 
at  Crestline, till  1863,  when  he  obtained  thirty  acres  of  land  from  his  father. 
This  he  cultivated  till  1865,  when  he  sold  out  and  purchased  160  acres  in 
Crawford  Township,  where  he  now  resides.  He  has  added  to  his  original 
purchase  till  he  now  owns  203  acres,  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  He  does  an 
extensive  farming  business,  in  which  he  is  quite  successful.  Mr.  Henige 
is  a  Democrat  and  both  he  and  Mrs.  H.  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

JACOB  HICKEL  is  a  native  of  Alsace,  Germany,  born  January  15,  1819. 
He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Hammer)  Hickel,  who  were  also  natives  of 
Germany  and  who  reared  a  family  of  seven  children — Jacob,  Mary,  Eve, 
Margaret,  Catharine,  George  and  Martin.  Margaret  and  Catharine  are  de- 
ceased, as  are  also  the  parents,  who  died  in  their  native  country.  Mr. 
Hickel  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1847,  and  settled  in  Seneca  County. 
In  1853,  he  sold  out  in  that  locality  and  purchased  land  in  this  township^ 
now  owning  245  acres.  In  1869,  he  erected  a  fine  brick  residence  and 
many  other  improvements  have  been  made  upon  his  premises.  He  was 
married,  September  5,  1849,  to  Mary  Hamm,  who  was  born  while  her  parents^ 
Valentine  and  Eve  (Hickel)  Hamm,  were  on  their  voyage  to  this  country, 
September  20,  1832.  Her  parents  had  four  children — Catharine,  Mary, 
Valentine  and  Eve.  The  father  and  mother  both  died  in  Seneca  County. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hickel  are  parents  of  eight  children — Elizabeth,  George. 
Mary,  Jacob,  Caroline,  Wilson  and  William  (twins)  and  John  F.  The 
twins  and  Mary  are  deceased.  Mr.  Hickel  devotes  his  entire  attention  to 
farming.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  of  which  society  Mrs.  H.  is  also  a  member. 

LEVI  HILE  was  born  in  Big  Spring  Township,  Seneca  Co.,  Ohio, 
February  24,  1853,  son  of  John  and  Susan  (Putman)  Hile,  natives  of  Ger- 
many and  Ohio  respectively.  His  parents  were  married  in  this  county,  but 
lived  in  Seneca,  where  they  reared  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  namely: 
Mary  A.,  Lovina,  Daniel,  Levi,  John  H. ,  Franklin,  Ida  E.  and  Emma  A. 
The  deceased  are  Mary  A.  and  Lovina.  The  father  died  in  1869,  in  his 
fifty -ninth  year;  the  mother  is  still  living  on  the  home  farm.  Levi,  our 
subject,  has  followed  farm  labor  from  his  youth.  He  was  married,  Decem- 
ber 21,  J  882,  to  Miss  Emily  J.  Shuman,  who  was  born  in  this  township 
December  16,  1853.      Her  parents,  Fred  and  Ann  M.  (Stahl)  Shuman,  were 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  781 

natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  descent.  They  settled  in  this  town- 
ship at  an  early  day  and  reared  a  family  of  nine  children — Joseph,  Sylves- 
ter, Ellen,  Emily  J.,  Catharine,  Angeline,  Susan,  George  and  Frank.  Her 
parents  are  yet  living.  Mr.  Hile  purchased  152  acres  of  land,  April  1,  1883, 
in  this  township,  where  he  still  resides.  He  has  made  many  improvements 
on  the  farm,  and  now  values  it  at  $90  per  acre.  He  is  a  Republican,  and 
with  his  wife  holds  a  membership  in  the  Lutheran  Church. 

PAUL  and  ANNA  HOUK  with  their  six  children — Margaret,  Catherine, 
John,  Elizabeth,  Peter  and  Henry — emigrated  from  Smallenburg,  Bavaria, 
and  landed  in  the  United  States  in  July,  1828,  having  spent  three  months 
on  the  voyage.  They  were  shipwrecked,  but  were  finally  picked  up  by 
another  vessel.  They  spent  six  months  in  Philadelphia,  and  then  came  to 
Ohio  and  located  three  miles  south  of  Carey.  Here  the  sons  and  daughters 
grew  to  maturity.  The  two  brothers,  Peter  and  Henry,  wex'e  twins,  and  no 
less  closely  related  in  their  business  life.  They  were  born  in  Bavaria 
April  21,  1819,  and  at  the  age  of  maturity  learned  the  trade  of  carpenters, 
working  at  the  same  together,  building  many  of  the  houses  in  Carey. 
Henry  Houk  married  Juliette  Irene  Searless,  in  November,  1844.  She  was 
an  estimable  lady  and  died  June  27,  1865 — childless.  Her  husband  contin- 
ued his  trade  several  years  after  his  marriage.  He  then  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business,  next  the  drug  trade,  and  afterward  turned  his  attention 
to  the  real  estate  and  broker's  business.  He  married  Elizabeth  Sutphen, 
daughter  of  Richard  T).  and  Sarah  Sutphen,  who  then  resided  at  Toledo, 
but  now  at  Carey.  By  this  marriage  there  were  three  children^ — Hariy  S., 
Hallie  G.  and  Willis  Henry.  Mrs.  Houk  is  a  native  of  Fairlield  County, 
Ohio,  and  was  born  November  1,  1835.  Mr.  Houk  was  quite  successful  in 
his  business  affairs  and  at  his  death,  April  6,  1880,  was  the  owner  of  con- 
siderable real  estate  in  Carey,  and  some  in  Toledo,  Ohio.  He  erected  his 
lai'ge,  fine  residence  in  1876.  Peter  Houk  mai'ried  Susan  Carr,  daughter  of 
Nicholas  and  Margaret  Carr,  in  April,  1844.  He  was  engaged  as  clerk  in  a 
dry  goods  store,  at  Adrian,  Mich. ,  for  some  time,  but  subsequently  returned 
to  this  county  and  purchased  a  farm  of  300  acres  where  he  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  He  died  July  5,  1870,  leaving  a  wife  and  six  chil- 
dren— Clinton  N.,  Alvin  D.,  Althea  F.,  Anna  M.,  Nellie  I.  and  Henry  Peter. 
The  death  of  Alvin  D.  preceded  that  of  his  father  live  days.  Mrs.  Houk 
still  resides  on  the  old  homestead. 

CHARLES  HOYT  was  born  in  Lyons,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  8,  1834. 
His  parents,  Samuel  and  Abigail  (Alford)  Hoyt,  were  natives  of  New 
Hampshire  and  New  York  respectively,  the  former  born  August  21,  1788; 
the  latter  October  9,  1792.  They  were  married,  September  15,  1814,  and 
moved  to  Ohio  in  1854,  locating  in  Seneca  County.  Their  children  were 
Zina,  Harrison,  Mary,  Aurilla  A.,  Samuel  J.,  Sarah  J.  and  Charles,  all 
living  but  Aurilla.  The  mother  died  August  16,  1863;  the  father  June  27, 
1872.  Charles  Hoyt  remained  with  his  parents  until  the  opening  of  the 
late  war,  when  he  enlisted,  August  14,  1861,  in  Company  D,  Forty-ninth 
Ohio  Veteran  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  entered  the  service.  He  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Serratt's  Hills,  Corinth  and  others,  re- 
ceiving an  honorable  discharge,  September  1 1,  1863.  May  22,  1864,  he  again 
took  the  field  as  Captain  of  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-fourth  Regi- 
ment Ohio  National  Guards,  but  soon  after  returned  to  his  position  on  the 
home  farm,  where  he  remained  till  1882,  when  he  purchased  160  acres  of  Gov. 
Charles  Foster,  in  this  township,  where  he  now  resides.  He  has  since  added 
twenty- eight  acres;  now  values  his   farm  at  $125  per  acre,  and  is  engaged 


782  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

in  general  agriculture.  He  was  married,  December  15,  1864,  to  Miss  Sa- 
loma  Yentzer,  of  Adrian,  Ohio,  daughter  of  John  and  Catharine  Yentzer, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  parentage.  She  was  born  Novem- 
ber 1,  1839.  Her  parents  reared  six  children — Jacob,  Elizabeth,  Benjamin, 
Susan,  Saloma  and  John.  The  father  died  June  6,  1876,  the  mother  in 
1879.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoyt  two  children  were  born,  namely,  Abigail  C, 
May  16,  1865;  Saloma  C,  November  11,  1866.  On  the  8th  of  October, 
186s,  Mr.  Hoyt  was  again  married  to  Miss  Emma  M.  Lott,  a  native  of 
Mansfield,  resident  of  Tiffin,  and  daughter  of  Cornelius  and  Eliza  (Hitchne) 
Lott.  She  was  born  May  22,  1844.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Emmetts- 
burg,  Md. ;  moved  to  Ohio  in  1844,  and  located  in  Tiffin.  Her  father  was 
a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  reared  four  children — Emma  M.,  Amanda  H., 
Winfield  S.  and  an  infant  daughter.  Her  mother  died  in  August,  1853;  her 
father  is  now  in  his  sixty-eighth  year.  Mr.  Hoyt  is  a  member  of  De  Molay 
Commandery,  at  Tiffin,  and  of  the  G.  A.  K.  at  Carey.  He  and  Mrs.  Hoyt 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Politically,  Mr.  Hoyt  is  a 
Republican. 

WILLIAM  K.  HUMBERT,  proprietor  of  the  Commercial  Hotel,  Carey, 
was  born  in  Berks  County,  Penn. ,  January  10,  1826.  His  father  and 
mother,  Jacob  and  Catharine  (Kitling)  Humbert,  were  also  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  parentage.  They  had  eleven  children — 
William  K.,  Jacob,  Sarah,  Daniel,  Catharine,  David,  Ann,  Mary,  Frank, 
Amelia  and  Charles.  The  latter  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg. 
Daniel  was  also  a  soldier,  and  was  killed  by  Mosby's  Cavalry  in  Virginia. 
David,  Frank  and  W^illiam  K.  were  also  in  the  army.  The  children  were 
reared  to  farm  life,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  William  K.  took  up  the  car- 
penter's trade,  which  he  continued  two  and  one-half  years.  He  then  went 
to  Tamaqua,  Penn.,  and  worked  two  years;  then  to  Reading  two  years  at 
cabinet  work;  then  to  Philadelphia  until  the  spring  of  1853.  In  the  latter 
city,  he  married  Flora  Ludwig  December  21,  1852.  She  was  born  in 
Lehigh  County,  Penn.,  October,  1833.  They  removed  to  Allentown,  Penn., 
and  resided  there  till  April,  1857,  when  they  removed  to  Carey,  Ohio,  where 
he  established  a  furniture  and  cabinet  business  with  his  brother-in-law. 
Two  years  after,  he  disposed  of  his  interest  and  worked  at  cabinet  manu- 
facturing till  the  beginning  of  the  war.  August  15,  1862,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
served  throughout  the  Virginia  campaigns.  After  six  months'  service,  he 
was  detailed  to  the  medical  department,  officiating  as  master  in  the  hospital 
at  Grafton.  Va.  He  was  discharged  in  September,  1865,  and  returned  to 
his  family  at  Carey,  resuming  his  former  trade,  which  he  continued  till  the 
fall  of  1883,  when  he  leased  the  Commercial  Hotel,  which  he  has  since 
managed.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Humbert  have  five  children — Dallas  J.,  Lizzie, 
Harry,  Katie  and  Clarence.  The  family  is  associated  with  the  Lutheran 
Church.  Mr.  H.  is  a  charter  member  of  the  G.  A.  R. ,  and  is  a  genial  and 
hospitablfi  landlord. 

THOMAS  HUNTER.  This  enterprising  farmer  was  born  September 
22,  1839,  is  a  native  of  this  township,  and  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth 
(Reed)  Hunter,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware  respectively.  His 
parents  were  married  in  Fairfield  County,  and  moved  to  Wyandot, 
entering  land  in  Crawford  Township.  The  children  were  Mary,  James, 
Eliza,  Zelinda,  Lida,  Mahala,  John,  Hester,  Amelia,  Isabel,  Martha,  Mar 
garet  and  Thomas.  Zelinda  and  Margaret  are  deceased;  the  mother  died 
in  1850,  the  father   in  June,  1860.      After  the  death  of  his  parents,  Mr. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  783 

Hunter  resided  with  his  brother-in-law  at  McCutchenville  till  his  marriage, 
March  20,  1860,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Zabriskie,  who  was  born  at  the  above 
town  September  27,  1837.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Sarah  (Reade) 
Zabriskie,  natives  of  Ohio  and  Delaware  respectively,  and  of  English, 
Polish  and  Dutch  parentage.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Lockport,  N. 
Y.,  moved  to  Ohio,  located  at  McCutchenville  and  engaged  in  the  butch- 
er's business.  Their  children  were  Mary  E.,  Angelett,  George  and  Ara- 
minta.  Mary  E.  and  George  are  deceased.  The  father  died  in  May,  1845. 
The  mother  now  resides  in  Adrian,  Seneca  Co.,  Ohio,  in  her  seventieth 
year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunter  have  two  sons — Edwin  E. ,  born  November  24, 
1862,  and  Charles  W.,  May  10,  1877.  Mr.  Hunter  rented  land  a  few  years, 
and  in  1864  purchased  forty  acres  in  Ridge  Township.  He  sold  this,  pur- 
chased a  second  forty  in  the  same  township,  sold  again,  and  in  1872  pur- 
chased eighty  acres,  on  which  he  now  lives.  In  1883,  he  added  twenty-two 
acres  in  Salem  Township.      Politically,  Mr.  Hunter  is  a  Republican. 

EDWARD  ILLIG,  M.  D.,  retired,  is  a  native  of  Lancaster  County, 
Penn.,  born  August  28,  1806.  The  lUig  family  is  among  the  oldest  of 
Pennsylvania.  They  were  of  German  extraction,  and  settled  in  the  State 
many  years  antedating  the  Revolution.  The  parents  of  our  subject,  George 
and  Mary  (Weiser)  Illig,  the  latter  of  English  descent,  and  well-to-do  farm- 
ers, besides  operating  an  extensive  tannery.  They  reared  five  boys  and  one 
girl,  Dr.  Illig  being  now  the  only  living  representative  of  the  family.  Con- 
sidering his  facilities  in  his  youth,  Dr.  Illig  obtained  a  good  education:  he 
was  of  a  studious  turn  of  mind,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  his  text- 
books of  sixty  years  ago  are  still  in  his  possession,  besides  a  copy  of  Dil- 
worth's  Arithmetic,  published  in  Philadelphia  in  1748,  and  various  other 
relics  of  a  similar  character.  At  the  age  of  twenty-seven,  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine,  his  elder  brother  being  his  preceptor.'  After  a  thorough 
course  at  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  of  Philadelphia,  he  returned  to  his 
native  place,  where  he  enjoyed  a  lucrative  practice.  His  course  being 
determined,  he  chose  for  himself  a  partner  for  life  in  the  person  of 
Sarah  Fisher,  whom  he  married  in  November,  1836.  She  was  a  native 
of  Berks  County,  Penn.  In  1837,  Dr.  Illig  removed  to  Stouchsburg, 
Berks  Co.,  Penn.,  and  established  himself  in  his  profession,  which  he  con- 
ducted with  the  most  flattering  success  till  1866.  He  then  retired  from  his 
professional  duties  and  removed  to  Carey,  Ohio,  in  the  same  year.  Since 
that  time  he  has  lived  a  quiet,  retired  life,  leaving  the  responsibility  of  his 
profession  on  his  son,  Gus  F.  Illig,  until  the  death  of  the  latter  on 
February  8,  1884.  Dr.  Illig  united  with  the  Lutheran  Church  when 
quite  young,  he  and  his  family  now  being  devoted  members  of  that 
society.  He  has  always  been  a  Democrat  of  the  Jeffersonian  school; 
has  been  a  devoted  husband  and  father,  and  for  one  on  the  verge  of  four- 
score years  is  well  preserved  in  mind  and  body.  Five  children  resulted  from 
his  marriage,  two  of  whom,  Gus  F.  and  Mary  R.  F.,  reached  the  years  of 
maturity.  The  latter  passed  away  when  about  nineteen  years  of  age, 
mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  friends,  as  is  evidenced  by  resolutions  drafted 
by  a  committee  of  the  Sabbath  school  of  which  she  was  an  active  worker, 
and  published  in  the  various  papers  of  her  native  and  adjoining  counties. 
Mrs,  Illig,  wife  of  our  subject,  departed  this  life  March  27,  1882,  aged 
sixty-seven  years  two  months  and  twenty  two  days. 

GUS  F.  ILLIG,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Penn.,  November 
12,  1838.  When  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  began  the  study  of 
medicine  under  his  father's  instruction,    and  subsequently    took    a  thor- 


784  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

ough  course  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  at  Philadelphia,  graduating 
at  that  institution  vs'ith  the  highest  honors  of  the  class  in  January,  1861. 
He  then  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  with  his  father  in  his 
native  county,  and  from  the  first  was  eminently  successful.  He  was  a  gen- 
tleman of  rare  talents  and  possessed  a  thorough  knowledge  of  therapeutics, 
but  was  especially  skilled  in  surgery,  having  devoted  much  study  to  the 
anatomy  of  the  eye,  in  the  treatment  of  which  organ  he  had  few  superiors. 
His  taste  for  books  of  a  more  solid  nature  was  very  distinctive,  not  a  single 
work  of  tiction  being  found  among  his  large  collection  of  general  and  pro- 
fessional literature.  His  cabinet  of  surgical  instruments  is  equally  choice, 
as  he  possessed  both  the  means  and  judgment  necessary  for  procuring  the 
best.  His  cabinet  of  rare  and  antiquated  specimens  and  relics  of  Indian 
warfare  is  also  quite  extensive,  and  deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice:  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  M.  Keiser,  of  his  native  county,  occurred  May  1 1, 1862. 
They  had  one  child — Minnie  E.  As  a  physician,  Dr.  Illig  stood  in  the  first 
rank  of  his  profession;  as  a  citizen  he  was  universally  respected.  Although 
somewhat  conservative  in  expression,  he  was  always  loving  and  kind  as  a 
husband  and  father.  His  life  closed  peacefully  February  8,  1884,  leaving 
a  widow  and  one  daughter. 

CHARLES  M.  KARR,  deceased,  was  born  in  Meigs  County,  Ohio,  Au- 
gust 17,  1814.  He  was  a  son  of  Hamilton  and  Susana  (Nighswangei')  Karr, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  and  of  Scotch  and  German  descent 
respectively.  His  parents  were  married  in  Marietta,  Ohio,  about  1792  or 
1793,  but  resided  in  Meigs  County.  The  children  born  to  them  were  Sallie, 
William,  Margaret,  John,  Hamilton,  Sophia,  Maria  and  Charles  M.,  all  de- 
ceased but  Maria,  who  now  resides  in  Hampden  County,  Mo.,  in  her  sev- 
enty-fifth year.  The  father  died  in  1827;  the  mother  with  her  children 
moved  to  this  county  in  1828,  and  died  in  Crawford  Township  in  1845, 
leaving  the  farm  to  her  son,  Charles  M. ,  who  added  to  the  same  and  gave 
his  attention  to  general  agriculture  and  the  raising  of  fine  sheep,  in  which 
he  was  quite  successful.  He  was  married,  September  22,  1846,  to  Sarah  J. 
Kenttield,  who  was  born  in  this  township  July  3,  1826;  her  parents  were 
Smith  and  Azuba  (Judd)  Kentfield,  natives  of  Massachusetts,  where  they 
were  married  October  2,  1821,  near  South  Hadley.  In  1822,  they  moved 
to  Ohio  and  located  in  Wyandot  County  on  land  entered  by  Mr.  Kenttield 
just  previous  to  his  marriage.  He  cleared  and  improved  this  land,  and  added 
to  his  first  purchase  till  he  owned  nearly  600  acres.  He  endured  many 
hardships  and  spent  his  life  in  incessant  toil.  His  only  children  were  Da- 
vid L.  and  Sarah  J.  He  died  December  25,  1854,  his  wife  March  28,  1874, 
their  respective  ages  being  sixty-two  and  seventy  eight  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Karr  had  four  children— Edith  L.,  born  September  20,  1855;  Ellen  J.,  May 
15,  1857;  Stanley  S.,  June  21,  1859;  William  H.,  January  27,  1863— all 
living  but  Stanley  S.,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Karr  passed  away  Septem- 
ber 11,  1864,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  He  was  a  Republican  and  well  re- 
spected. Mrs.  Karr  moved  to  Bei'ea,  Ohio,  in  1867,  and  three  years  later 
back  to  Carey  where  she  remained  till  1876,  when  she  returned  to  the  farm, 
where  she  still  resides. 

HENRY  W.  KARR  was  born  in  this  township  August  27,  1842.  He 
is  a  son  of  Hamilton  and  Mary  (Brown)  Karr,  natives  of  Meigs  County, 
Ohio,  and  Franklin  County  respectively.  They  were  married  in  this  county 
in  August,  1827,  their  children  being  Canarissa,  Maria  and  Sophia  (twins), 
James,  Laura,  Douglas,  Henry,  Clalilda  and  Mai-y.  The  deceased  are 
Maria,  Sophia  and  Douglas.      The  father  died  in  1873,  but  the  mother  still 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  785 

survives.  Our  subject  resided  with  his  parents  till  his  enlistment  in  Com- 
pany A,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  July  27, 
1862.  He  served  till  March,  1863,  and  was  then  discharged.  October  17, 
1864,  he  again  enlisted,  and  took  part  in  the  engagements  at  Dismal  Swamp, 
Savannah,  Raleigh,  and  with  Sherman  to  the  sea,  receiving  his  discharge  in 
October,  1865.  Eeturuing  home,  Mr.  Karr  resumed  farming,  and  in  1870 
purchased  eighty  acres,  the  old  home  farm,  on  which  he  has  since  resided. 
He  was  married,  August  10,  1871,  to  Miss  Winnifred  Davidson,  who  was 
born  in  I\[ount  Vernon,  Knox  Co.,  Ohio,  January  25,  1848,  the  daughter  of 
George  H.  and  Rachel  (Payne)  Davidson,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Maryland  respectively.  Her  parents  moved  to  Wyandot  County  in  1858. 
They  had  eleven  children — William,  Maiy,  Eliza,  John,  Elias,  Winnifred, 
Hulda,  Edward,  Geneva,  Clara  and  Lina,  all  living.  The  father  died  Sep- 
tember 30,  1875;  the  mother  resides  in  Salem  Township.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Karr  have  had  two  children — Tessie  and  Mark;  the  former  is  deceased. 
Mr.  Karr  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  a  Republican. 

NATHAN  KARR,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Wright)  Karr,  was  born  in 
Morgan  County,  Ohio,  April  6,  1838.  His  parents  were  born  in  this  State, 
and  were  of  Irish  and  English  descent  respectively.  They  were  married  in 
Meigs  County,  moved  to  Wyandot  in  1845,  and  located  in  this  township. 
The  children  born  to  them  are  Rhuhama,  Nathan,  Ann,  John,  Rebecca  and 
Mary.  The  father  died  in  December,  1864,  the  mother  is  also  deceased.  At 
the  age  of  seventeen,  Mr.  Karr  began  operations  for  himself.  He  made  his 
home  with  Smith  Kentfield  till  the  latter's  decease.  He  was  married,  March 
29,  1869,  to  Miss  Ruth  Sickley,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Doro- 
thea (Kemmerly)  Sickley,  and  born  in  Ridge  Township.  Her  parents  were  mar- 
ried in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  and  moved  to  this  county  in  an  early  day. 
Their  children  were  Susan,  Sarah,  Jacob,  Ruth,  Lena  and  Sampson.  The 
mother  died  in  1857;  the  father  in  1860.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Kentfield,  our 
subject  found  a  home  with  McD.  M.  Carey  for  several  years.  August  14, 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Forty- ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
served  through  the  entire  war.  He  participated  in  all  the  principal  battles 
— Pittsburg  Landing,  Corinth,  Perryville,  Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Mis- 
sion Ridge,  Knoxville,  was  through  the  entire  Atlanta  campaign,  thence 
back  to  Nashville,  and  from  that  point  to  Texas,  where  he  was  discharged 
December  25,  1864.  He  then  returned  home,  rented  land,  and  farmed  till 
1880,  when  he  purchased  forty  acres  in  this  township,  where  he  has  since 
resided,  engaged  in  the  independent  pursuits  of  farm  life.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Karr  have  five  children — Elton  R.,  Ruie  M.,  William  H.,  John  W.  and 
Charlie. 

A.  P.  KELLY  is  one  of  the  members  of  the  firm  of  Manecke  &  Co., 
dealers  in  lumber  and  manufacturers  of  doors,  sash,  etc.,  at  Carey.  He  was 
born  in  Hancock  County,  Ohio,  June  22,  1845.  When  about  ten  years  old, 
he  moved  with  his  parents  to  Fremont,  where  he  obtained  a  good  common 
school  education.  At  fourteen,  he  began  clerking  in  a  general  store  in  Fre- 
mont, and  this  work  he  continued  till  December  1,  1862,  when  he  enlisted 
in  Company  C,  Seventy-second  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
served  without  the  slightest  injury  till  September  10,  1865,  when  he  was 
mustered  out  of  service  as  Sergeant,  receiving  his  discharge  at  Columbus, 
Ohio.  He  then  returned  home,  and  in  the  spring  of  1866  went  to  Missis- 
sippi, where  he  engaged  in  farming  a  short  time,  but  without  success.  He 
moved  back  to  Ohio,  where  he  remained  till  1870,  when  he  removed  West 
again,  locating  in  Kansas.     In  October,  1874,  he   again  returned  to  Ohio, 


786  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

and  located  at  Fostoria,  where  he  lived  till  1877,  when  he  removed  to  Carey, 
and  engaged  in  his  present  business.  April  30,  1868,  he  married  Helena 
Kichards,  of  Fostoria.  They  have  four  children — John  T.,  Valeria,  Jessi 
and  baby.     Mr.  Kelly  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  of  the  G.  A.  K. 

JOHN  KEMMERLY  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  May  22,  1822. 
His  parents,  Jacob  and  Christina  (Yager)  Kemmerly,  were  both  natives  of 
Germany,  and  came  to  the  United  States  when  young.  His  father  was  a 
butcher  by  trade,  and  was  for  some  time  after  arriving  in  this  country  en- 
gaged in  that  business  at  Lancaster,  Ohio,  where  he  married  Christina 
Yager,  and  reared  nine  children— Catharine,  John,  Dorothy,  Joshua,  Bet- 
sey, Jacob,  Samuel,  Sarah  and  Henry — all  living  except  Dorothy.  The 
whole  family  removed  to  this  county  in  1836.  They  located  near  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Carey,  and  there  engaged  in  farming,  having  little  advantages 
of  schools.  The  mother  died  here  in  1868;  the  father  survived  till  August, 
1877,  dying  in  his  eighty-fifth  year.  John  Kemmerly  began  work  for  him- 
self at  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  taking  jobs  of  clearing  and  such  other 
work  as  he  could  do.  He  was  married,  July  13,  1842,  to  Elizabeth  P.  Wal- 
ker, who  was  born  at  Massillon,  Ohio,  August  12,  1825,  and  daughter  of 
Robert  and  Elizabeth  Walker,  who  were  natives  of  County  Armagh,  Ireland. 
They  came  to  this  county  with  two  children;  stopped  a  short  time  in  Penn. 
sylvania;  thence  moved  to  Stark  County,  Ohio,  and  thence  to  Ridge  Town- 
ship, this  county,  in  1832.  There  were  ten  children — William  (son  by  Mr. 
Walker's  first  wife,  who  died  in  Ireland),  Mary,  Richard,  Jane,  Nanc}-, 
Margaret,  John,  Ann,  Robert,  Sarah  and  Elizabeth — only  three  surviving, 
Ann,  in  Kansas;  Margaret,  in  Hancock  County,  and  Mrs.  Kemmerly.  Mr. 
Kemmerly  operated  a  saw  mill  successfully  till  1862.  He  then  purchased 
133  acres  near  Carey,  and  engaged  in  farming  till  1881,  when  he  moved  to 
town,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  still  owns  160  acres  east  of  the  town 
of  Carey,  and  also  a  residence  in  the  village. 

DAVID  L.  KENTFIELD,  deceased,  was  born  in  this  township  March 
9,  1825.  He  purchased  land  here  in  an  early  day,  and  at  the  death  uf  his 
father  in  1854  became  the  owner  of  320  acres  more,  to  all  of  which  he 
added  by  subsequent  purchases  till  he  owned  nearly  500  acres.  He  gave 
his  chief  attention  during  his  entire  life  to  general  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing. He  was  married,  October  11,  1849,  to  Rebecca  Park,  who  was  born  in 
Warren  County,  N.  J.,  October  18,  1827.  Her  parents  were  Jonathan  and 
Eliza  (Davis)  Park,  the  former  born  in  New  Jersey  in  1797,  the  latter  in  the 
same  State  in  1800.  They  were  of  English  and  German  descent  respect- 
ively, and  were  married  in  their  native  State  about  1821.  In  1845,  they 
moved  to  Sycamore  Township,  this  county,  where  they  purchased  land,  on 
which  they  afterward  resided.  Their  six  children  were  Aaron  D.,  Mary  E., 
Rebecca,  Sarah  J.,  John  B.  and  William  W. — all  living  but  Aaron.  The 
father  died  November  16,  1859,  the  mother  April  19,  1862.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kentfield  have  had  five  children — Mark  D.,  Laura  C,  Vinton  S.,  Leta  and 
Linnie  M.  Mr.  Kentfield  was  a  member  of  Company  D,  Forty-ninth  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  having  enlisted  August  14,  1861,  and  served  faithfully 
for  three  years.  He  was  discharged  with  honor  August  19,  1864,  and  returned 
home  to  farming  pursuits.  He  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  several  years, 
and  was  elected  to  other  offices  of  trust.  He  was  an  earnest  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  with  which  ho  was  officially  connected.  He 
died  April  2,  1884,  and  his  remains  now  repose  in  the  Richie  Graveyard. 
Mrs.  Kentfield  still  continues  the  management  of  the  farm,  which  contains 
380  acres,  and  on  which  was  erected  a  fine  brick  residence  in  1880  at  a  cost 
of  $3,000. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHir.  787 

JACOB  KNEASAL  is  a  native  of  Fairfield  Couuty,  Ohio,  and  was  born 
June  12,  1822.  His  parents,  George  T.  and  Sarah  (Yeager)  Kneasal,  were 
natives  of  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  and  emigrated  before  their  marriage 
about  1817.  His  father  obtained  passage  across  the  ocean  from  a  company 
to  whom  he  had  sold  his  services  for  two  years  in  payment  for  the  same,  doing 
work  for  a  farmer  in  York  County,  Penn.  AY  hen  his  term  expired,  he  came 
to  Ohio  and  located  in  Fairfield  County,  near  Lancaster.  He  there  made  the 
acquaintance  of  and  married  Sarah  Yeager.  They  removed  to  the  north 
part  of  the  county  after  marriage,  entered  forty-nine  acres  of  land  and  toiled 
as  pioneers  till  1838,  when  they  moved  to  this  county  and  again  began  the 
battle  with  the  wilderness.  There  were  seven  children — Jacob,  Sarah, 
George,  Elizabeth,  Susan,  Christina  and  Catharine — all  living  save  Eliza- 
beth. The  father  died  in  1845.  Jacob  Kneasal,  our  subject,  began  work 
for  himself  by  clearing  land  and  doing  such  other  work  as  he  could  find  em- 
ployment at.  Being  the  eldest  of  the  family,  his  education  was  limited — 
a  little  reading  in  a  German  school,  and  a  slight  knowledge  of  reading, 
writing  and  arithmetic  in  German  and  English  obtained  at  home  on  Sun 
days  and  during  evenings  was  the  extent  of  his  schooling.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-two,  he  began  work  for  David  Smith  at  $10  per  month  for  the  sum- 
mer of  1844,  After  his  father's  death  in  1845,  he  returned  home  and  took 
charge  of  the  farm  for  five  years,  he  and  his  brother  clearing  the  greater 
part  of  the  homestead.  He  was  married,  October  18,  1849,  to  Barbara 
Reef,  of  Fairfield  County,  daughter  of  John  U.  Reef.  He  then  went  tu 
the  county  named  and  was  engaged  five  years  on  his  father-in-law's  farm. 
After  the  death  of  his  wife's  mother,  he  returned  to  this  county  and  began 
to  improve  the  farm  of  forty  acres  purchased  previous  to  his  marriage.  To 
this  tract  he  afterward  added  eighty  acres,  and  the  whole  farm  he  recently 
sold.  His  wife  died  October  24,  1881.  They  had  no  children  of  their  own, 
but  reared  two  boys — Edward  and  John  Campbell,  twins,  who  were  orphans 
brought  from  New  York  in  Februai-y,  1867.  Mr.  Kneasal  moved  to  Carey 
in  1879.  He  was  a  Democrat  previous  to  the  war:  was  a  Republican  from 
that  date  till  late  years,  but  now  advocates  Prohibition  sentiments.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Grange  and  of  the  Evangelical  Church,  of  which  latter 
society  Mrs.  Kneasal  was  also  a  consistent  member. 

H.  B.  KURTZ.  This  worthy  merchant  of  Carey  was  born  in  Lancaster 
County,  Penn.,  September  28,  1827.  His  parents,  David  and  Margaret 
(Bard)  Kurtz,  were  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  were  farmers,  and  reared 
six  children — Elizabeth,  Fannie,  H.  B. ,  Susan,  B.  F.  and  D.  P.  His 
mother  resides  in  Juniata  County,  Penn.,  in  her  eighty-second  year.  In 
1848,  Mr.  Kurtz  began  business  tor  himself.  He  went  first  to  McAllister, 
Penn.,  where  he  conducted  the  business  of  the  firm  of  J.  &  H.  B  Kurtz,  in 
general  merchandise,  continuing  there  until  1852.  He  then  sold  his  interest 
in  the  store,  moved  to  Ross  County,  and  engaged  in  railroad  construction 
about  one  year,  doing  considerable  work  on  the  Marietta  &  Cincinnati  road. 
In  1854,  he  returned  to  Juniata  County,  Penn.,  and  married  Sarah  Rick- 
enbach,  and  on  his  marriage  day  started  for  Ohio.  He  settled  first  in  San- 
dusky County,  and  one  year  later  moved  to  Hancock,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm.  In  1859,  he  went  to  Carey,  and  engaged  as  salesman  for  David 
Straw,  remaining  two  years.  He  then  returned  to  his  farm  and  its  pursuits, 
remaining  till  April,  1876,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Carey  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  Champion  Machine  Company.  One  year  later  (1877),  he 
opened  his  dry  goods  business,  in  which  he  has  since  engaged  with  gratify- 
ing success.      Although  not  a  banker,  large  sums  of  money  are  deposited 


788  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

with  him  by  persons  who  desire  him  to  act  as  custodian  of  their  funds. 
He  pays  out  large  amounts  on  checks,  operating  with  the  National  Exchange 
Bank  of  Tiffin.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kurtz  are  the  parents  of  eight  children — 
Emma  A.,  Ida  B.,  David  S.,  Willis  R.,  Edgar  B.,  Mettie  and  Cara.  The 
latter  and  an  infant  are  deceased.  Part  of  the  family  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Kurtz  is  not  a  member  of  any  church  society,  but 
is  liberal  to  all  benevolent  causes.  He  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  is  a  worthy  citizen  of  the  most  excellent  type,  highly  esteemed  bj  all 
who  know  him. 

ROBERT  LOWERY,  a  native  of  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  was  born 
February  10, 1833.  His  parents,  Jei-emiah  and  Nancy  (Montague)  Lowery, 
were  natives  of  Virginia,  were  married  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  moved  to 
Pickaway  County  later,  and,  in  1835,  came  to  this  county.  They  entered 
land  in  Crawford  Township,  and  there  reared  their  children — Robert,  Mary 
A.,  Diana,  Ellen,  Susan,  John,  William  and  Edward,  who  are  all  living, 
so  far  as  known,  but  Susan.  The  mother  died  in  1851,  the  father  in  1866. 
Robert  Lowery  was  married,  July  15,  1800,  to  Rachel  Martin,  of  this  town- 
ship, a  native  Washington  County,  Md.,  born  August  7,  1829,  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (McClure)  Martin,  also  natives  of  Maryland.  Her  par- 
ents were  married  in  their  native  State,  moved  to  Pennsylvania,  and  thence, 
in  1853,  to  this  township.  Their  children  were  Maria,  Julia  A.,  Luther, 
Matthew,  Eli/abeth,  Catharine,  John,  Margaret,  Jacob,  Benjamin  and 
Joseph.  The  father  died  August  14,  1879,  the  mother  February  1,  1884, 
aged  eighty-four  and  eighty-eight  respectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lowery  have 
three  children — Fannie,  born  February  1,  1861;  William  A.,  September  17, 
1862;  John  M.,  November  8,  1866.  Robert  Lowery  began  business  for 
himself  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  He  worked  at  various  kinds  of  labor  about 
two  years,  and  then  went  to  Pulaski  County,  Ind.,  where  he  entered  eighty- 
six  acres.  After  several  exchanges  in  lands,  and  as  many  changes  in  loca- 
tion, he  finally  purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  where  he  has 
resided  since  1868.  His  land  is  valued  at  $80  per  acre.  He  and  Mrs. 
Lowery  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Lowery  is  a  Prohibitionist. 

RUSSELL  McCLURE,  carpenter  and  joiner,  was  born  in  Oneida  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  August  30,  1819.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and 
his  mother  of  Connecticut.  He  began  operations  for  himself  when  quite 
young,  learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  following  ship-building  for  ten 
years.  In  June,  1845,  he  was  married  to  Milea  Joy,  a  native  of  New  York, 
and  seven  children  were  born  to  them,  namely,  Newton  C,  Emma  J.  (wife 
of  M.  B.  Smith),  Thurston  AV.,  Anna  (now  Mrs.  Starr)  and  Ada.  Abby  W. 
and  Herbert  R.  both  died  in  1864,  aged  sixteen  and  eleven  respectively.  In 
1868,  Mr.  McClure  removed  to  Carey,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  at  his 
trade.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  strong  in  the  faith.  The  fam- 
ily are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

T.  W.  McCLURE,  attorney,  was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.,  March 
19,  1856.  His  parents  removed  to  Carey,  Ohio,  in  1868.  He  received  a 
good  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  adopted  town,  and  at  sixteen 
began  operation  in  life  on  his  own  responsibility.  He  spent  six  years 
clerking  in  hotels  at  Findlay,  Norwalk  and  Canton,  returning  in  March, 
1881,  to  Carey.  He  then  began  the  study  of  law  with  M.  B.  Smith,  with 
whom  he  has  since  been  conducting  a  large  insurance  business  in  connection 
with  his  legal  profession,  the  firm  being  known  as  Smith  &  McClure.  They 
represent  eleven  of  the  principal  insurance  companies,  and  are  doing  an  ex- 
tensive and  profitable  business. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  789 

ALONZO  F.  MILLER,  D.  D.  S.,  was  born  in  Rich  Hill  Township, 
Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  October  3,  1852.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and 
Elmira  (Flemming),  his  father  born  in  the  same  county,  his  mother  in  what 
is  now  the  incorporation  of  Pittsburgh,  Penn.  The  latter's  mother  died 
while  Mrs.  Miller  was  an  infant,  and  she  was  reared  by  two  aunts,  who 
moved  to  Ohio  in  her  eighteenth  year.  Dr.  Miller's  great- great- grandfather, 
Reasnaugh  (which  in  this  country  is  called  Reasoner),  was  a  French  Hugue- 
not, and  was  compelled  to  flee  to  this  country  to  escape  the  persecutions 
inaugurated  against  their  creed  in  France.  Philip  Miller,  an  ancestor  of 
Dr.  Miller,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  and  came  to  this  country  in 
company  with  a  widowed  mother,  brother  and  sister.  He  was  bound  out  to 
a  party  in  Baltimore,  Md. ,  and  from  the  time  of  his  separation  from  his 
brother  and  sister  at  New  York  he  never  heard  from  them.  They  were  all 
bound  out  to  parties  in  Baltimore  to  pay  their  passage — virtually,  sold  into 
slav(H'y.  The  brother  and  sister  eventually  located  in  Washington  County, 
Penn.  Dr.  Miller's  grandfather,  Abraham  Miller,  located  in  Muskin- 
gum County,  Ohio,  about  1817.  His  father,  Henry  Miller,  still  resides  in 
that  locality.  Dr.  Miller  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
had  a  good  common  school  education.  He  supplemented  this  with  a  course 
at  Muskingum  College,  the  Northwestern  Normal  School  at  Republic,  Ohio, 
and  the  Iron  City  Commercial  College,  Pittsburgh.  In  1876,  he  began 
the  study  of  dentistry  with  Dr.  Davis,  of  Fostoria.  In  March,  1878,  he 
located  in  Carey,  where  he  has  established  an  extensive  practice  in  his 
profession.  He  was  married,  September  13,  1877,  to  Elmira  S.,  daughter  of 
Rev.  Henry  and  Lydia  (Voght)  Strauch,  the  former  a  minister  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church.  Mrs.  Miller  was  born  April  9,  1861,  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio. 
Edna  L.  is  their  only  child.  Before  locating  in  Carey,  Dr.  Miller  attended 
the  Ann  Arbor  Dental  College,  at  which  he  graduated  in  May,  1878.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  a  much  respected  citizen.  The  Doc- 
tor is  the  eldest  of  nine  children — Alonzo  F.,  Rachel  L.,  Lena  M.,  George 
D.,  Elmer  L.,  Delia  M.,  Mary  E.  and  Jacob  H.,  all  living. 

JOHN  R.  MILLER  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  July  13,  1815. 
His  parents  were  Warick  and  Mary  (Hodges)  Miller,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  of  English  and  German  descent  respectively.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Ross  County,  their  four  children  being  Elizabeth,  Thomas,  Rebecca 
and  John  R.  His  mother  died  in  1816;  his  father  July  16,  1865.  Mr. 
Miller  was  married,  March  31,  1836,  to  Catharine  A.  Burke,  of  this  county, 
a  native  of  Seneca  County,  and  daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Ridgway) 
Burke,  natives  of  Virginia,  and  Irish  and  English  descent.  Her  parents 
mari'ied  near  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  in  1825,  and  moved  to  this  county  about 
ten  years  later.  They  had  six  children,  two  of  whom  are  still  living — 
Isaac  and  Caroline.  To  Mi-,  and  Mrs.  Miller  two  children  were  born,  both 
dying  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Miller  passed  away  in  December  30,  1838,  and 
Mr.  M.  was  married,  June  17,  1841,  to  Elizabeth  Reynolds,  of  Hancock 
County.  She  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Elizabeth  (Schall)  Reynolds,  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Her  parents 
migrated  to  Ohio  in  1835,  and  located  in  Hancock  County.  Their  children 
are  George  W.,  Elizabeth,  Maria,  John,  Andrew,  Abner,  Napoleon  and 
Peninuah,  all  living  but  the  last,  Abner  and  Napoleon.  The  father  died 
in  1846,  the  mother  January  30,  1884.  In  1835,  Mr.  Miller  purchased 
seventy  eight  acres  in  this  township,  where  he  still  resides,  having  added 
to  his  original  purchase  till  he  now  owns  252  acres,  valued  at  $75  per  acre. 
He  has  served  in  the  office  of  Trustee,  and  with  his  wife  is   a   member  of 

34 


790  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  his  former  wife  was  also  a  member  of  the 
same  society.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  favoring  prohibition.  The 
chilcb-en  born  of  these  parents  are  Elizabeth,  Elias,  Cyrus  E.,  and  Flor- 
ence M.  all  living  and  married. 

ALBERT  H.  MYERS,  M.  D.,  was  born  at  Royalton,  Fairfield  Co..  Ohio, 
July  20,  1830.  His  father,  John  Myers,  was  born  in  Virginia;  his  mother, 
Mary  A.  (McKee)  Myers,  was  a  native  of  Baltimore,  Md.  There  were 
eight  children  in  the  family,  namely,  Albert  H. ,  Mary  D.,  Henrietta  B., 
John,  Samuel  D.,  George  S.,  James  A.  and  Charles  C.  John  Myers,  the 
father,  was  a  wagon  and  carriage  maker.  He  located  with  his  family  in 
Carey  in  1845,  and  established  himself  in  his  trade,  which  he  continued 
for  some  years,  his  sons  assisting  him  in  the  trade.  At  the  age  of  sixteen, 
Albert  H. ,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  began  teaching  school,  and  when  he 
had  saved  sufficient  funds,  began  the  study  of  medicine,  with  Dr.  J.  N.  T. 
Foster,  of  Carey.  He  entered  the  Cleveland  Medical  College,  and  attended 
two  terms  of  lectures,  graduating.  He  went  to  Shelby  County,  111.,  where 
he  practiced  till  the  opening  of  the  war,  and  then  returned  to  Carey  for  the 
purpose  of  enlisting,  but  finding  four  of  his  brothers  in  the  field,  he  decided 
to  stay  at  home.  Charles  C.  Myers  went  as  a  substitute  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen; was  taken  prisoner,  and  died  of  starvation  and  exposure  in  Ander- 
sonville.  Dr.  Myers  purchased  the  only  drug  store  in  Carey,  at  that 
time,  and  in  partnership  with  his  old  preceptor.  Dr.  Foster,  engaged  in  the 
drug  business  and  the  practice  of  his  profession.  This  firm  continued  a 
profitable  existence  for  several  years  and  then  dissolved,  since  which  time 
Dr.  Myers  has  devoted  his  entire  attention  to  his  profession.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  Lodge,  the  Knights  ol  Honor  and  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.      He  was  married  to  Juliette  I.  Humastun,  of  Carey. 

JACOB  NEWHARD,  one  of  the  chief  dry  goods  merchants  of  Carey, 
Ohio,  was  born  in  Allentown,  Lehigh  County,  Penn.,  November  18, 
1831.-  His  parents,  Jacob  and  Louisa  (Hallchber)  Newhard,  and  all  the 
ancestry  for  four  or  five  generations,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Our 
subject  began  life  in  his  own  interest  at  the  age  of  nine,  as  errand  boy  in  a 
hardware  store  at  Allentown.  His  early  education  was  limited.  He  went  to 
Philadelphia  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  was  employed  therein  a  wholesale 
dry  goods  store  until  1852,  when  he  returned  to  his  native  place.  In  1854, 
he  removed  to  Carey,  Ohio,  and  engaged  in  dry  goods  business  with  Messrs. 
Dowce  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  remained  about  eighteen  months,  after  which  he 
engaged  with  D.  Straw  &  Co.  from  1856  to  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company 
F,  One  Hundred  and  First  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  made  Second 
Lieutenant,  serving  till  December  23,  1862,  when  he  was  discharged  on 
account  of  disability.  He  then  returned  to  Carey  and  resumed  business 
with  D.  Straw  &  Co.  In  1864,  he  opened  a  dry  goods  and  clothing  estab- 
lishment at  Carey,  and  conducted  the  same  two  years,  then  moving  to 
Upper  Sandusky,  and  engaged  with  Mr.  Laden  eighteen  months.  He 
next  removed  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  engaged  as  traveling  salesman  nine 
months,  for  Babcock  &  Hurd,  wholesale  grocers,  then  returning  to  Carey 
and  resuming  work  in  theemplo,y  of  D.  Straw  &  Co.,  with  which  firm  he  re- 
mained till  1871.  A  short  period  in  the  insurance  business  was  followed 
by  two  years  in  the  dry  goods  trade  independently,  and  this  b}"  another  en- 
gagement with  D.  Straw  &  Co.  till  November,  1874,  when  he  engaged,  in 
1877,  with  H.  B.  Kurtz,  in  his  present  business.  Mr.  Newhard  married 
Matilda  Bixby,  May  10,  1857,  and  March  22,  1876,  she  died,  leaving  four 
children— Jay  P.,  George  F.,  Hubbard  and  Winfield  J.     He  was  married 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  791 

January  2,  1877,  to  Mary  R.  Bisby,  and  by  this  union  two  children — Mabel 
and  Horace,  were  born.  Mr.  Newhard's  political  views  are  Democratic.  He 
is  a  member  of  F.  &  A.  M. ,  Carey,  and  McCutchen  Chapter,  of  Upper  San- 
dusky, and  of  the  Clinton  and  Tiffin  Council.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  of  Carey. 

JAY  NEWHARD,  is  a  native  of  Carey,  son  of  Jacob  and  Matilda  (Bisby) 
Newhard,  and  was  born  April  12,  1858.  After  closing  his  studies  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  he  engaged  as  a  salesman,  which  has  been  his  chief  occupation 
ever  since.  He  was  employed  in  Tiffin  two  years,  and  in  Texas  nine  months, 
having  spent  the  rest  of  his  time  in  stores  of  Carey.  January  31,  1884,  he 
was  married  to  Allie  Sliuman,  daughter  of  Jonas  and  Luise  Shuman.  She 
was  born  in  Crawford  October  14,  1868.  In  political  sentiment,  Mr.  New- 
hard  is  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  also  of 
the  Sons  of  Veterans,  having  been  associated  with  the  former  society  since 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  is  a  young  man  of  energy,  enterprise  and  good 
business  qualifications,  well  respected  as  a  citizen. 

AARON  NIGH,  retired  farmer,  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  Octo- 
ber 15,  1820.  His  parents  Adam  and  Catharine  (Fauchnaue)  Nigh,  were  both 
born  in  Maryland,  came  to  Ohio  when  young,  and  were  married  in  Fairfield 
County.  The  chi  Idren  born  to  them  wei'e  Emanuel,  John,  Aaron,  Barbara,  Gid- 
eon, Silas,  George  A. ,  Delano.  Jonas,  Adam  and  Harrison.  In  1834,  the  family 
moved  to  this  township,  where  Mr.  Nigh  entered  640  acres  of  land,  and  be- 
gan its  improvement.  Mrs.  Nigh  died  in  1856,  and  Mr.  Nigh  in  December, 
1877.  Aaron  resided  on  the  farm  with  his  parents,  till  his  marriage  to  Eliza 
J.  Ogg,  June  2,  1842.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Kinzley  Ogg,  and  was 
born  May  18,  1822.  Her  father  came  here  from  Jackson  County  in  1826. 
After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Nigh  went  into  the  woods  and  began  clearing  up  a 
farm  of  seventy-five  acres  purchased  of  his  father.  To  this  farm  additions 
were  made  till  he  owned  240  acres.  Five  children  were  born  to  them — 
Chester  K.,  Margaret  (now  Mrs.  Bachor),  Scott,  Albert  and  James.  Mrs. 
Nigh  passed  from  earth  December  17,  1880,  and  in  1881  Mr.  Nigh  sold 
the  farm  and  moved  to  Carey,  where  he  has  since  lived  a  quiet,  retired  lifa 
He  was  married,  August  21,  1881,  to  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Fisk,  born  December  15, 
1827,  widow  of  C.  M.  Fisk,  and  daughter  of  Samuel  Richey,  a  farmer  of  this 
county,  who  came  here  from  Virginia.  By  her  first  husband,  Mrs.  Nigh  has 
four  children^Senoratta,  Esmeralda,  Amarillis  and  Alfretta.  Mr.  Nigh  is 
a  Republican,  and  served  eight  years  as  Trustee  of  the  township.  He  has 
been  a  consistent  member  of  the  U.  B.  Church  for  the  past  thirty  years. 
His  first  wife  was  a  member  of  the  same  society,  as  is  also  his  present 
wife. 

GEORGE  A.  NIGH,  son  of  Adam  Nigh,  was  born  in  Fairfield  County, 
Ohio,  October  13,  1829.  He  was  but  a  child  when  his  parents  came  to 
this  locality.  His  early  years,  up  to  the  date  of  his  marriage,  October  4^ 
1850,  were  spent  with  his  parents  in  farm  life.  His  wife  was  Lucinda 
Cushman  who  was  born  in  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  November  8,  1832,  Her 
parents  both  died  while  she  was  a  child  of  six  years.  She  came  to  this 
county  from  Fairfield  with  friends  about  1847.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nigh  have 
four  children  living— Amariah  F. ,  Effie,  Emanuel  and  Iva.  Two  died  in 
infancy.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Nigh  tilled  his  father's  farm  one  year 
and  then  purchased  a  small  farm  near  Carey.  In  1864,  he  enlisted  itt 
Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Ohio  National  Guards,  and 
served  four  months.  He  sold  his  farm  before  going  to  the  army,  and  on  re- 
turning farmed  about  ten  years  and  then  turned  his  attention  to  gardening. 


792  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

which  he  has  engaged  iv  since  1874.  Mr.  Nigh  has  been  Street  Commis- 
sioner eight  years  in  Carey.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  and  Good 
Templars.  Both  he  and  Mrs.  Nigh  united  with  the  United  Brethren 
Church  about  thirty  years  ago. 

HARRISON  H.  NYE,  sou  of  Adam  and  Catharine  Nye,  was  born  near 
Carey  April  20,  1836.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  when  about  eighteen 
years  of  age  began  teaching  school.  He  obtained  a  good  education  and 
taught  about  twenty  years — three  terms,  in  the  schools  of  Carey.  In  1859, 
he  made  a  trip  to  California  to  recover  something  from  one  Buel  for  whom 
his  father  had  gone  security  and  lost  considerable  property.  Not  being  suc- 
cessful, he  returned  after  eighteen  months  and  resumed  his  school  work, 
working  at  intervals  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  He  traveled  considerably  in 
the  West,  teaching  in  the  respective  States  of  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Kansas. 
December  3,  1860,  he  married  Susan  Drumm,  daughter  of  Elias  Drumm,  of 
Seneca  County,  Ohio.  Two  children  were  born  to  them,  one  living — Albert 
M.,  now  in  business  at  Carey.  In  1872,  Mr.  Nye  engaged  as  local  agent 
for  the  Walter  A.  Wood  Harvester,  and  has  since  handled  agricultural  im- 
plements of  various  kinds.  He  is  an  earnest  Republican,  and  both  he  and 
Mrs.  Nye  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

DAVID  S.  NYE,  son  of  Frisby  and  Isabel  (Hulbert)  Nye,  was  born  in 
Ridge  Township,  this  county,  June  22,  1836.  He  was  reared  a  farmer  and 
before  his  twentieth  year  he  married  Mary  M.,  daughter  of  William  and 
Sarah  Starr,  the  event  taking  place  March  26,  1856.  Mr.  Nye's  parents 
moved  from  Fairfield  County  to  Hancock,  about  1833,  and  unloaded  their 
effects  under  a  tree,  till  a  cabin  could  be  erected.  Mrs.  Nye  was  born  Sep- 
tember 23,  1838.  She  began  life  with  her  husband  by  keeping  the  hotel, 
American  House,  now  known  as  the  Commercial  House,  at  Carey,  conduct- 
ing this  business  one  year.  Mr.  Nye  then  purchased  the  building  and  grocery 
stock  of  Thurman  &  Dnnaway,  for  the  sum  of  $1,300  cash,  and  a  horse, 
saddle  and  bridle.  He  was  quite  successful  until  he  closed  his  business  and 
enlisted  as  a  soldier.  May  2,  1864.  He  was  a  member  of  Company  D,  One 
Hundred  and  Forty  fourth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  discharged, 
September  2,  1864.  Previous  to  his  enlistment,  he  had  spent  about  eight- 
een months  in  special  service  for  the  Federal  Government.  He  was  slightly 
wounded  at  the  skirmish  of  Dranesvine,  and  was  also  wounded  slightly  by 
Kirby  Smith's  pickets  on  the  Lexington  pike,  Ky. ,  neither  of  which  disa- 
bled him  from  service.  He  was  honorably  discharged,  and  received  a  certifi- 
cate of  thanks  signed  by  President  Lincoln  and  Secretary  Stanton  for  the 
worthy  service  he  had  rendered  his  country.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  he  re- 
turned to  Carey  and  resumed  the  grocery  business,  which  he  continued 
until  January,  1884.  Mr.  Nye  is  a  Democrat,  but  one  other  of  the  family 
voting  with  him.  He  has  eight  children — Laura  A.,  Flora  T.,  Ella  J., 
Florence  L.,  Minnie  L.,  Elmer  E. ,  Grace  V.  and  David  H.  Florence  and 
Elmer  are  deceased.  Mr.  Nye  was  present  at  the  hotel  at  Alexandria, 
when  Jackson  shot  and  killed  Col.  Ellsworth,  and  saw  Jeff  C.  Davis  shoot 
Gen.  Nelson  at  the  Gault  House,  Louisville. 

HENRY  NOLL,  a  retired  farmer,  was  born  in  Dauphin  County,  Penn.. 
October  24,  1831.  The  family  is  of  German  descent.  His  father  and 
mother,  Michael  and  Lydia  (Shaffner),  were  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania 
where  they  now  reside.  Their  children  are  Henry,  Martin.  James.  Susan 
(deceased),  Moses  (deceased),  Samuel,  Francis  and  Katie.  Our  subject, 
Henry,  was  the  oldest  child.  He  was  reared  to  farm  life,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four  began  operations  for  himself.     He  married  Catherine  E.  Trout- 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  793 

man  December  23,  1856,  she  being  a  daughter  of  David  and  Sarah  Trout- 
man,  of  Perry  County,  Penn.,  where  she  was  born  December  7,  1834. 
Mrs.  Noll  is  of  English  and  German  descent.  Her  maternal  grandfather, 
Jacob  Monetz,  came  from  England.  He  married  Mai'garet  Artmeu,  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  of  German  parentage.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Noll  began 
farming  which  has  been  his  life  work.  In  1869,  he  removed  from  Penn- 
sylvania to  Crawford  Township,  this  county,  and  purchased  a  farm  two 
miles  west  of  Carey,  where  he  resided  till  1881,  then  giving  up  active  busi- 
ness, renting  his  farm  and  moving  to  the  village.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Noll  are 
both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  They  have  two  children 
— Mary  E.,  now  Mrs.  Jonas  Herndon,  and  Vertis. 

FRANCIS  PAHL,  son  of  Peter  and  Lena  Pahl,  was  born  in  Baden, 
Germany,  November  20,  1818.  (See  sketch  of  Joseph  Pahl.)  He  was 
married  December  2,  1844,  to  Mary  Simons,  having  emigrated  to  this 
country  ten  years  previous.  Mrs  Pahl  was  a  resident  of  Norwalk,  Ohio,  a 
native  of  Germany,  and  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Kling)  Simons,  who 
were  natives  of  Germany,  aud  who  emigrated  to  America  in  1834.  On  ar- 
riving in  this  country,  her  parents  located  in  New  York  City.  Three  years 
later  they  moved  to  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  and  in  1863,  to  this  county. 
Their  nine  children  were  Mary,  Elizabeth,  Catharine,  Julia,  Peter,  Lena, 
Henry,  Margaret  and  Adam — all  living  now  but  Mary,  Elizabeth  and  Peter. 
The  father  died  February  5,  1883;  the  mother  resides  in  Upper  Sandusky 
in  her  eighty-fifth  year.  Mr.  Pahl  purchased  his  first  land  in  Huron 
County,  Ohio,  in  1841.  To  this  first  twenty  acres  he  added  twenty  more 
subsequently,  and  this  farm  he  cultivated  till  1869,  when  he  sold  out, 
moved  to  Wyandot  County  and  purchased  156  acres  on  which  he  now  lives. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pahl  had  eight  children — Elizabeth,  Mary  A.,  Catharine, 
Frank,  Peter,  Rosa,  Frederick  J.  and  Hellen.  Of  these  Mary  A.,  Catharine 
and  Frederick  J.  are  deceased.  The  mother  died  July  4,  1857,  and  was 
interred  at  Norwalk,  Ohio.  Mr.  Pahl  was  married,  December  2,  1858,  to 
Miss  Lena  Simons,  a  sister  of  his  former  wife,  and  to  this  union  nine  chil- 
dren were  born,  namely,  Louisa  S.,  1859;  Francis,  1860;  Heni'v,  1862; 
Mary  A.,  1864;  William  F.,  1866;  Emil  A.,  1869;  John,  1871;  Charlie, 
1873,  and  Kosmos,  1876. 

JOSEPH  PAHL,  son  of  Peter  and  Lena  (Wemerd)  Pahl,  was  born  in 
Rubed,  France,  June  7,  1834.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Germany  and 
emigrated  to  America  in  1834.  They  spent  one  year  in  Buffalo,  and  then 
moved  to  Huron  County,  Ohio,  where  they  reared  seven  children — Law- 
rence, Frank,  Lena,  Emily,  Julia,  Joseph  and  Peter,  all  living  but  Lena. 
The  mother  died  in  September,  1841,  the  father  in  December,  1874,  their 
respective  ages  being  forty  and  seventy- four  years  respectively.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1856,  our  subject  was  married  to  Miss  Angeline  Frend,  of  Cleve- 
land, a  resident  at  that  time  of  Norwalk,  Ohio,  and  a  native  of  Germany. 
She  emigrated  with  her  parents  when  about  five  years  of  age,  and  died  at 
the  birth  of  her  second  child,  her  first  also  dying  an  infant.  Mr.  Pahl  was 
married.  September  17,  1860,  to  Catharine  Krus,  of  Seneca  County,  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  and  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mona  Krus,  who  emigrated 
in  1850,  and  settled  in  the  above  county.  The  father  died  four  years 
since;  the  mother  still  survives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pahl  are  parents  of  thir- 
teen children,  ten  living,  namely,  Frank  A.,  Mary,  Joseph  A.,  Fred  A., 
Josephine,  Edward,  Caroline,  Anna,  Albert  and  Lewis;  the  others  died  in 
infancy.  Iq  1856,  Mr.  Pahl  purchased  land  in  Huron  County,  but  in  1865 
sold  out  ^nd  came  to  Wyandot,  where  he  purchased  ninety-three   acres  in 


794  HISTORY  OF  WVANDOT  COUNTY. 

this  township,  where  he  now  resides.  His  farm  is  well-improved  and  val- 
ued at  $90  to  $100  per  acre.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  both  him- 
self and  Mrs.  Pahl  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

JOHN  A.  PITTSFORD,  Superintendent  of  Public  Schools,  Carey,  was 
born  in  Licking  County,  Ohio,  April  12,  1844.  His  parents,  John  and 
Mary  (Peters)  Pittsford,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Fairfield  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  respectively.  His  grandfather,  David  Pittsford,  was  born  in 
Waies  in  1762,  his  grandmother  in  1773.  They  emigrated  in  1801  to 
Philadelphia,  as  did  also  the  two  oldest  children,  four  having  been  born 
after  coming  to  the  United  States.  Of  these,  our  subject's  father  was  the 
eldest.  Soon  after  his  birth,  the  family  removed  to  Licking  County  (1816). 
He  married  Mary  Peter,  and  was  most  of  his  life  engaged  in  farming, 
though  several  years  were  spent  in  overseeing  workmen  on  the  Ohio  Canal. 
There  were  eight  children  in  the  family;  three  died  in  infancy  and  one  in 
the  late  war.  The  living  are  Martha,  now  Mrs.  Finkbone;  Hiram  D. ; 
Diana  B.,  now  Mrs.  Harritt,  and  John  A.  Timothy  enlisted  in  the  war  in 
1864,  and  died  of  king  fever  at  Chattanooga.  Hiram  was  also  in  the  serv- 
ice about  eighteen  months.  John  A.,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  being  lame, 
obtained  a  thorough  education,  attending  the  Dennison  University  three 
years,  and  subsequ^ently  taking  a  course  in  the  Normal  School  of  Lebanon, 
Ohio.  In  1868,  he  accepted  a  position  in  the  schools  of  Findlay,  where  he 
wa&  engaged  three  years.  He  was  two  years  Superintendent  of  the  schools 
at  Johnstown,  Licking  County;  six  years  at  Mount  Blanchard,  Hancock 
Co.,  Ohio;  three  years  at  Forest.  Hardin  County;  took  charge  of  the  Carey 
Schools  in  September,  1882,  and  has  since  been  engaged  therein.  He  mar- 
ried Josie  R.  Smith  July  25,  1877.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Re- 
becca (Moore)  Smith  natives  of  Virginia  and  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  re- 
spectively, and  was  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Mount  Blanchard.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pittsford  are  the  parents  of  three  children — Ernest  C,  Clarice  P.  and 
Lula  Grace.  Mr.  Pittsford  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge,  L  O.  O.  F., 
K.  of  P.,  K.  of  H. ,  and,  with  his  wife,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

DANIEL  POWELL  was  born  February  7,  1811.  He  is  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  son  of  Peter  and  Mary  (Alspaugh)  Powell,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  descent.  Of  twelve  children  of  the  family, 
seven  still  survive — Elizabeth,  John,  Jacob,  Daniel,  Mary  (or  Polly),  Re- 
becca and  George.  The  mother  died  in  1855,  the  father  in  1861.  Our  sub- 
ject was  married,  June  14,  1832,  to  Eliza  Beaty,  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio. 
She  was  born  in  Northumberland  County,  Penu.,  December  14,  1809,  to 
Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (Toner)  Beaty,  who  were  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren, only  three  of  whom  survive,  namely,  Sarah,  Margaret  and  Bateman. 
The  father  died  in  1827,  the  mother  several  years  later.  To  Daniel  and 
Eliza  J.  Powell  wei'e  born  five  sons  and  three  daughters — Bateman  B.,  Mary 
A.,  Peter  L.,  Sarah  P.,  Alexandra  B.,  Daniel  N. ,  Elizabeth  A.  and  John 
W.  The  mother  died  October  24,  1878,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years. 
Mr.  Powell  removed  with  his  family  from  Fairfield  County  to  this 
county  in  August,  1864,  and  purchased  land  in  Crawford  Township, 
where  he  still  lives  with  his  son,  John  W.  Powell,  who  now  operates  the 
farm,  and  who  was  married,  February  18,  1875,  to  Mary  C.  Shuman,  who 
was  born  in  this  township  August  25,  1845.  Her  parents  are  Fred  and 
Mary  (Stahl)  Shuman,  who  now  reside  in  this  township.  This  marriage 
was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  sons — infant  son,  October,  1877;  Clarence 
M.,  July  16,  1878;  Freddie  S..  September  16,  1880;  Daniel  L.,  August 27. 
1882,  all  living  but  the  infant  son.     John  W.  owns  eighty-five   &cres,  and 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  795 

his  father  110,  all  valued  at  $80  to  $90  por  acre.  Daniel  also  owns  forty 
acres  in  Hancock  County,  at  about  the  same  valuation.  He  was  a  resident 
of  FairHeld  County  fifty  years.  He  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
TJnited  Brethren  Church  at  Carey.  John  W.  is  a  member  of  Carey  Lodge, 
No.  407,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  the  Evangelical  Church  of  the  same  place.  His 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Liitheran  Church.  Both  he  and  his  father  are 
Democrats  in  politics. 

LUTHER  G.  RANGER  was  born  June  1,  1818.  He  is  a  native  of 
Royalton,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt. ,  and  son  of  Amos  B.  and  Mary  C.  (Bell)  Ranger, 
natives  of  Massachusetts.  His  father  served  in  the  war  of  1812;  married  in 
Vermont,  and  in  1833  moved  to  this  county.  He  entered  480  acres  of  land 
in  this  township,  and  spent  many  years  in  the  cultivation  of  his  farm,  liv- 
ing most  of  the  time  in  a  log  cabin.  Erastus,  Nancy  C.  and  Luther  G.  were 
his  only  children,  and  these  all  arle  yet  living.  He  died  May  28,  1872;  his 
wife  is  also  deceased.  Our  subject,  Luther  Ranger,  was  married,  De- 
cember 7.  1854,  to  Miss  Mary  Brown,  who  was  born  in  this  township  No- 
vember 30,  1832,  daughter  of  Judge  William  and  Eliza  L.  (Cooken)  Brown, 
natives  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  Her  parents  were  mar- 
ried in  Franklin  County,  and  in  1824  moved  to  Wyandot  and  settled  in  this 
township,  where  he  reared  a  family  of  fifteen  children,  nine  of  whom  are 
still  living.  Her  father  died  June  26,  1867,  and  her  mother  June  10,1877. 
At  the  age  of  twenty,  Mr.  Ranger  started  in  life  for  himself,  being  employed 
by  W.  M.  Buel  at  $8  per  month.  In  1854,  he  purchased  the  home  farm, 
and  by  his  industry,  energy  and  business  tact  has  been  enabled  to  add  to 
his  original  purchase  till  he  now  owns  more  than  1,100  acres.  He  obtained 
his  first  advantage  by  herding  cattle  in  Illinois,  and  driving  them  to  Eastern 
markets.  Has  reared  five  children — Nellie  B.,  Mary  A.,  Anna  E. ,  Lyne  G. 
and  Stanley  M.  Roscoe  C.  died  at  the  age  of  three  years.  In  earlier  years 
Mr.  Ranger  served  in  various  township  offices.  He  was  formerly  a  Whig, 
but  now  a  Republican,  and  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  highly  esteemed 
farmers  of  Crawford  Township. 

JOHN  G.  REYNOLDS  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  January  2, 
1837,  and  is  a  son  of  Abraham  and  Harriet  (Goldsmith)  Reynolds.  His 
parents  were  married  in  New  York,  their  native  State,  and  with  two  children 
came  to  Ohio  in  1830,  locating  on  a  farm  near  Republic,  Seneca  County. 
Later  they  removed  to  near  Tiffin.  There  were  nine  children,  viz.,  Lysan- 
der,  Matilda,  Harriet,  Volney,  Alphonso,  John  G.,  Alice,  Eliza  and  William. 
The  two  latter  daughters  are  deceased.  John  G. ,'  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
obtained  a  good  common  school  education,  and  attended  the  Heidelberg 
College.  He  taught  eight  terms  in  the  country  schools  of  Seneca  County, 
and  one  term  in  the  Carey  Schools.  His  sisters  were  all  teachers.  Novem- 
ber 14,  1867,  he  married  Margaret  Purkey,  widow  of  William  Purkey,  and 
daughter  of  James  Vickers,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Hancock  County,  Ohio, 
where  she  was  born  April  29,  1838.  They  have  two  children — Morley  P. 
and  Glenn.  Mrs  Reynolds  had  two  children  by  her  first  husband — Olive 
(deceased)  and  Bertie.  Her  parents,  James  and  Sarah  (Madison)  Vickers, 
were  natives  of  England,  and  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1818,  They 
were  two  years  at  Pittsburgh,  Penn.,  then  moved  to  Wayne  County,  Ohio, 
and  in  1834  to  Hancock  County.  Their  children  were  Sarah  A.,  Elizabeth, 
James  A.,  Mary,  George  and  Margaret.  Her  parents  died  at  their  home  in 
Hancock  County,  her  father  in  his  seventy-third  year,  her  mother  in  her 
eighty-fifth  year.  Mr.  Reynolds'  parents  died  at  his  home  in  Carey;  his 
father  in  the  seventy-fifth  year  of  his  age,  his  mother  in  her  seventy-sixth. 


796  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Reynolds  enlisted  in  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  to  serve  three  years.  He  was  pro- 
moted to  Sergeant,  and  participated  in  many  of  the  heaviest  battles,  namely, 
Moorefield,  Winchester,  New  Market,  Piedmont,  Lynchburg,  Snicker's 
Ford.  Martinsburg,  Strasburg,  Charleston,  Halltown,  Berry ville,  Fisher's 
Hill,  Cedar  Creek,  besides  many  minor  engagements,  witnessing  the  surren- 
der of  Lee  at  Appomattox.  In  the  three  years'  service  he  escaped  without 
a  wound  or  a  day  of  sickness,  and  was  never  absent  from  his  regiment  twen- 
ty-four hours.  On  his  return  from  the  war,  he  resumed  teaching  and  farm- 
ing. In  1873,  he  purchased  three  acres,  with  a  line  brick  residence  in 
Carey,  and  in  1881  he  purchased  101  acres  joining  the  corporation.  Mr. 
Reynolds  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.  and  G.  A.  R.  The  family  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

J.  A.  ROYER,  M.  D.,  is  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  Penn. ,  and  was 
born  February  15,  1840.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel  W.  and  Mary  (Adams) 
Royer,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  His  great-grandfather  Royer  emi- 
grated from  France  in  1768,  being  one  of  the  persecuted  Huguenots.  He 
located  in  South  Carolina,  and  in  a  few  years  moved  to  Lancaster  County, 
Penn. ;  thence  to  Franklin  County,  where  he  reared  his  family.  George 
Royer,  the  grandfather,  was  at  this  time  seven  years  of  age.  He  married  a 
lady  of  French  descent,  and  had  four  children,  Daniel  W.  being  the  only 
son  who  grew  to  maturity.  He  married  Mary  Adams,  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  Adams,  who  had  removed  from  Franklin  County,  Penn.,  to  Tiffin 
in  1825.  He  was  a  wealthy  farmer,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  died 
at  their  daughter's,  Mrs  Umsted's,  home,  two  miles  east  of  the  above  city. 
Mrs.  Adams'  maiden  name  was  Nickodemus.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Gen. 
Nickodemus,  one  of  Napoleon's  staff.  The  "Nickodemus  Brothers,"  exten- 
sive pork  packers  of  Baltimore,  were  brothers  to  Mrs.  Adams.  After  his 
marriage,  Daniel  Royer,  in  1836,  i-eturned  to  his  home  in  Franklin  County, 
Penn.,  where  he  became  a  prominent  farmer.  He  is  still  living,  at  an  ad- 
vanced age,  with  his  son  in  Dakota.  His  four  children  are  Ann  E.,  wife  of 
H.  Shank,  living  in  Franklin  County,  Penn. :  George  J.,  an  extensive  far- 
mer of  Dakota;  John  A. ;  and  David  F.,  a  physician  of  Alpena,  Dak. ;  and 
Rebecca,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  our  sub- 
ject, J.  A.  Royer,  had  obtained  a  good  common  school  education,  and  began 
teaching,  which  he  continued  three  years.  On  his  nineteenth  birthday,  he 
married  Emma  Bonebrake,  of  Franklin  County,  Penn.,  born  January  9, 
1839.  He  taught  school  the  following  summer  and  winter,  and  from  his 
earnings,  some  help  from  his  father  and  his  wife's  capital,  purchased  a  small 
farm,  which  furnished  a  home  while  he  prosecuted  his  medical  studies, 
under  the  instructions  of  Dr.  John  Ollig,  of  Waynesboro,  Penn.  In  1861- 
62,  he  attended  lectures  at  Bellevue  Hospital  College,  New  York  City, 
Being  drafted,  he  paid  his  commutation  fee,  and  assisted  Capt.  L.  B.  Kurtz 
in  organizing  a  company  of  cavalry,  being  appointed  First  Lieutenant  at 
the  organization.  While  awaiting  a  call  to  muster  into  service,  Dr.  Royer 
returned  to  New  York  City  and  took  a  second  course  at  the  Bellevue  Col- 
lege, preparatory  to  entering  the  army  as  a  Surgeon.  By  special  contract 
with  Surgeon  General  Barnes,  he  went  to  Fortress  Monroe,  and  was  as- 
signed to  McClellan  Hospital,  where  he  remained  till  the  24th  of  the  fol- 
lowing August.  He  returned  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  practiced  a  short 
time  in  connection  with  a  drug  store,  which  he  sold  soon  after.  In  1867, 
he  returned  to  Bellevue  College,  and  took  ad  eundem  degree,  receiving  his 
diploma  in  the  spring  of  the  same  year.     After  several  unimportant  changes. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  797 

he  moved  to  Carey  in  March,  1868,  having  nothing  save  a  debt  of  $2,500 
with  v^hich  to  begin  business.  The  amount  was  borrowed  from  a  friend 
for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  a  drug  store,  in  partnership  with  Dr.  Brayton 
and  Dr.  Harpster.  This  partnership  existed  about  two  years,  since  which 
time  Dr.  Royer  has  conducted  his  business  alone,  having  built  up  a  lucra- 
tive practice.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Royer  are  parents  of  six  children — Daniel  B., 
born  January  23,  1860;  Ida,  February  5,  1862;  Walter  S.,  February  8, 
1869;  Carrie,  March  28,  1866  (deceased);  Grace,  August  5,  1871;  and  Carl, 
September  19,  1882.  The  family  is  associated  with  the  Lutheran  Church. 
Dr.  Royer  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  of  Carey,  and  was  twice  elected 
President  of  the  Carey  School  Board,  but  on  the  last  election  resigned  on 
account  of  other  business.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Friendship  Lodge,  No. 
84,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Hagerstown,  Md. 

AVILLIAM  SALTZ  was  born  in  Heissenburg,  Germany,  March  5,  1834. 
His  parents  were  William  and  Eva  (Humberd)  Saltz;  were  natives  of  Ger- 
many, married  in  Weisenberg,  and  had  nine  children,  four  now  living — 
Dora,  Caroline,  William  and  George — all  living  in  Wyandot  County.  The 
parents  died  in  their  native  country.  William  Saltz  emigrated  in  1853,  and 
worked  about  two  years  in  New  York  State,  thence  out  through  the  West. 
He  was  married,  November  12,  1861,  to  Anna  Blattner,  of  Hastings,  Minn., 
a  native  of  Switzerland,  where  she  was  born  June  11,  1848.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Kerr)  Blattner.  Her  father  and  brother 
emigrated  in  1850,  and  her  mother  and  remainder  of  the  family  in  1852. 
They  located  in  Chicago,  where  Mrs.  B  died  in  1854.  In  1856,  Mr.  B. 
and  his  children  moved  to  Minnesota,  where  Mr.  B.  died  in  1858.  The 
five  children  who  yet  survive  are  Elizabeth,  Henry,  Anna,  Mary  and  Louise. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Saltz  have  but  one  child — William  H,  born  August  28,  1862. 
In  1869,  Mr.  Saltz  moved  from  Minnesota  to  Iowa,  where  he  remained  till 
1880,  when  he  came  to  this  township  and  purchased  185  acres  of  land 
upon  which  he  now  lives.  His  farm  is  well  improved  and  valued  at  $90  to 
$100  per  acre.  He  also  has  property  in  Iowa  to  the  amount  of  several 
thousand  dollars.  He  was  a  member  of  Company  F,  Third  Regiment 
Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  fourteen  months,  receiving  his 
discharge  in  August,  1865.  He  is  a  Democrat,  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 
of  Clinton,  No.  150,  and  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen, 
Sheila  Lodge,  No.  16. 

GEORGE  W.  SAVIDGE  is  a  native  of  this  township.  He  was  born 
July  24,  1847,  and  is  a  son  of  Foster  W.  and  Julia  A,  (Kirtz)  Savidge,  of 
Salem  Township.  Mr.  Savidge  made  his  first  purchase  of  land  in  Allen 
County,  Ohio,  in  1874,  remaining  in  that  locality  four  years.  In  1878,  he 
sold  this  farm  and  returned  to  this  county,  purchasing  his  present  farm  of 
seventy  acres,  upon  which  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  married  in  1876 
to  Miss  Alice  Davis,  a  resident  and  native  of  Marion  County,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Isaac  and  Farby  (Walker)  Davis,  who  still  reside  in  Marion  County, 
and  who  are  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely,  Alice,  Emma.  Elcy,  John 
and  Hattie.  Emma  and  Elcy  are  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Savidge  have 
three  children — Julia  A.,  Foster  ^Y.  and  Lulu  L.  In  politics,  Mr.  Savidge 
is  in  favor  of  Republicanism.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge,  and 
well  respected  as  a  neighbor  and  citizen  in  his  community. 

EDWARD  S.  SHELLHOUSE  was  born  April  25,  1834,  and  is  a  native 
of  Tymochtee  Township,  this  county.  The  family  is  of  Hessian  ancestry, 
the  progenitor  of  the  Shellhouse  family  in  this  country  being  one  Conrad 
Shellhouse,  who   was  sold  to  the  British  Government  to  serve  in  the  wars 


798  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

against  this  nation.  He  was  sent  to  America  to  engage  in  war  against  the 
colonists,  whom  he  was  taught  to  believe  were  cannibals,  or  little  less.  On 
arriving  here  and  discovering  his  mistake,  he  deserted  theBritish  forces  at 
the  battle  of  Ked  Bank,  and  joined  the  Colonists,  serving  with  them 
during  the  Revolution.  He  sent  for  his  wife  and  six  children,  who,  on  ar- 
riving here,  were  sold  for  a  term  of  service  to  defray  the  expense  of  their 
passage,  Mr.  S.  being  unable  to  pay  it.  One  of  these,  George  Shellhouse, 
was  sold  to  the  captain  of  a  vessel,  with  whom  he  made  several  voyages  to 
the  East  and  West  Indies.  When  about  twenty-one,  his  time  expired  and 
he  returned  and  settled  in  New  Jersey,  where  he  married  Mary  Swift,  and 
reared  a  family  of  six  children.  His  father's  family  had  remained  scat- 
tered during  this  time,  and  were  never  collected  together  from  the  time 
they  were  sold  into  their  peculiar  slavery.  Through  advertising  and  every 
other  means  available,  all  were  gathered  up  but  one  sister,  who  was  never 
found.  The  father,  Conrad,  and  his  wife  both  died  in  New  Jersey.  In 
1811,  George  Shellhouse,  his  wife  and  six  children  started  for  Ohio;  stopped 
a  short  time  in  Cincinnati;  then  moved  to  Hamilton,  Butler  County,  and 
from  there  to  Tymochtee  Township,  this  county,  in  1821,  being  among  the 
first  settlers  of  that  locality.  Here  they  opened  up  a  farm  in  the  wilderness, 
as  it  then  appeared,  and  the  children  grew  to  man's  and  woman's  estate, 
isolated  from  society  and  civilized  life.  The  children  were  Katie,  Edward, 
Sarah,  George  and  Lydia — the  latter  now  a  resident  of  Indianapolis,  and 
the  only  relict  of  the  family  of  that  generation  now  living.  George,  while 
living  in  Southern  Ohio,  enlisted  and  served  through  the  war  of  1812.  He 
died  in  Tymochtee  Township,  and  is  there  buried.  Edward,  the  eldest  son, 
was  born  in  New  Jersey  in  April,  1805,  and  is  the  father  of  Edward  S.,  who 
is  the  subject  proper  of  this  sketch.  He  was  a  farmer,  and  married  Mary 
Willis,  of  Butler  County,  Ohio,  in  1829.  She  was  born  in  the  same  county 
in  September,  1813.  They  removed  to  Indiana,  where  they  stayed  till  1868, 
and  then  returned  to  Tymochtee,  where  Mr.  Shellhouse  died  in  1873;  his 
wife  survived  till  January  3,  1884.  They  had  eleven  children,  six  of  whom 
are  still  living,  namely,  Edward  S.,  Lydia,  Conrad  H.,  Louisa,  Chandler, 
Perry  and  Elizabeth.  Edward  S.  began  the  produce  business  with  his 
father  in  1849,  and  has  since  continued  in  that  line  of  business.  He  was 
married,  March  1,  1855,  to  Maria  Thomas,  who  died  the  following  year. 
July  15,  1858,  he  married  Elizabeth  Richey,  who  was  born  near  Indianap- 
olis January  29,  1839.  They  have  four  children  living — Edward  J.,  Will- 
iam S.,  Elmer  B.  and  Forest.  In  1864,  Mr.  Shellhouse  entered  the  service 
as  a  member  of  the  Ohio  National  Guards,  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-fourth  Regiment,  and  served  four  months.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  G.  A,  R.,  and  Good  Templars;  was  a  Republican  till  1872 — 
since  a  Democrat;  and  the  family  is  associated  with  the  Lutheran  Church. 
JACOB  C.  SHULER  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Penn.,  July  11,  1839. 
He  is  a  miller  by  trade,  having  been  engaged  as  such  since  1859,  in  which 
year  he  came  to  Findlay,  Ohio,  where  he  obtained  his  first  lessons  in  the 
business.  After  three  years  in  Findlay,  he  returned  to  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother.  In  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company 
B,  Twenty  eighth  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  entered  the  service. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Antietam,  Gettysburg,  Chancellorsvi lie,  Look- 
out Mountain,  and  many  others,  numbering  about  thirty -three  in  all.  He  re- 
ceived a  gunshot  wound  in  the  left  shoulder,  which  disabled  him,  and  dur- 
ing a  charge  in  the  same  battle  received  a  wound  in  the  knee  by  a  thorn, 
as  a  result  of  which  he  lay  in  the  hospital  at  Washington  three  weeks,  re- 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  799 

ceiving  his  discharge  July  27,  1864.  In  the  same  year  he  came  to  Carey, 
and,  in  1873,  went  to  Clinton  County,  Ind.,  where  he  engaged  in  milling 
up  to  1880,  when  he  returned  to  Carey  and  leased  the  Walborn  JNEill,  in 
which  he  is  still  engaged.  He  married  Huldah  Chesebrough  in  November, 
1864,  and  one  child — Samuel  Y. — has  blessed  the  union.  Mr.  S.  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  G.  A.  R.  and  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  is  well 
respected  as  a  citizen,  and  is  an  energetic,  industrious  business  man. 

FREDERICK  SHUMAN,  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Arno)  Shuman, 
was  born  in  Union  County,  Fenn. ,  September  26,  1818.  His  parents  were 
of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  descent,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  came  to 
Ohio  in  1836.  They  first  located  in  Hancock  County,  but  one  year  later 
moved  to  this  township  and  purchased  land.  Their  children  were  Jonas, 
Frederick,  Sallie,  William,  Lucy,  Jacob  and  Ann — all  living  but  Sallie. 
The  father  died  in  1866,  the  mother  in  1874.  Mr.  Shuman  was  married, 
February  25,  1847,  to  Miss  Mary  Stahl,  a  resident  of  this  township,  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  daughter  of  Philip  and  Susanna  (Spotz)  Stahl.  She  was 
born  February  9, 1829.  Her  pareats  were  married  in  Union  County,  Penn., 
and  moved  to  Ohio  in  1839.  They  purchased  land  in  Crawford  Township, 
and  reared  a  family  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  the  following  still  survive- 
Rebecca,  Christina,  Samuel,  Susanna,  Anna  M.  and  Catharine.  The 
father  died  in  1844,  the  mother  in  1867.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shuman  are  the 
parents  of  nine  children — Joseph,  Sylvester,  Sarah  E.,  Emily  J.,  Mary  C, 
Aiigeline  A.,  Susan  A.,  George  H.  and  Franklin  L.  Mr.  Shuman  is  the 
owner  of  380  acres  of  land  in  the  township.  He  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Lutheran  Church.      Mr.  Shuman  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

JOSEPH  SHUMAN,  son  of  Frederick  Shuman,  was  born  September 
19,  1848.  He  was  married,  December  19,  1871,  to  Miss  Sarah  M.  Chese- 
brough, who  was  born  in  Ridge  Township,  September  10,  1851,  to  William 
and  Charlotte  L.  (Kople)  Chesebrough.  natives  of  York  State.  Her  parents 
came  to  this  township  and  purchased  land  in  1841.  They  later  moved  to 
Ridge  Township,  where  they  resided  many  years,  their  children  being  twelve 
in  number,  ten  surviving — Mary,  Matthew  Y.,  Huldah,  William  H. ,  Harriet 
E.,  George  W.,  Eliza  B.,  Saxton  A.,  Sarah  M.  and  Matilda.  The  deceased 
are  Saxton  and  Samuel  G. ,  who  died  in  infancy.  The  father  died  August 
8,  1873,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  widow  now  resides  in  Carey,  in  her 
seventy-fifth  year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shuman  have  three  children — Leora  A., 
born  September  22,  1872;  Hattie  E.,  July  17,  1878;  Charlotte  A. ,  October  9, 
1883.  In  1872,  Mr.  Shuman  purchased  of  his  father  sixty  acres  of  land  in 
Hancock  County.  This  farm  was  sold  three  years  later,  and  120  acres  were 
purchased  in  this  township,  Sections  5  and  6.  He  has  provided  his  farm, 
with  good  building,  a  set  of  stock-scales,  and  now  values  it  at  $75  to  $85 
per  acre.  In  1888,  he  purchased  ninety-five  acres  in  addition  to  his  former 
possessions,  now  owning  215  acres.  He  devotes  his  time  to  general  agri- 
culture, and  is  regarded  as  a  very  successful  farmer.  In  politics,  Mr.  Shu- 
man is  a  Republican.  Mrs.  Shuman  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Chui-ch  of  Ridge  Township. 

SYLVESTER  SHUMAN,  born  June  22,  1850,  is  a  native  of  this  town- 
ship, and  son  of  Frederick  and  Ann  (Stahl)  Shuman.  He  was  married,  De- 
cember 23,  1878,  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Corwin,  who  was  born  in  New  Jersey 
June  11,  1853,  daughter  of  George  B.  and  Elizabeth  (Blair)  Corwin,  also 
natives  of  New  Jersey,  where  they  were  married,  and  from  whence  they 
migrated  to  Ohio  in  1864.  They  first  settled  in  Sycamore  Township,  this 
county,  residing  there  four  years,  and  then  purchased  land  in  Section  18,  this 


800  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

township,  where  the  father  died  September  24,  1883.  They  had  five  chil- 
dren— James,  Almeda,  Adelia,  Sarah  E.  and  Mary.  The  mother  is  still 
living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shuman  had  three  children — Ray.  born  August  28, 
1875;  Myrtie  M.,  born  June  1,  1878;  George  F.,  June  14,  1882— all  living 
but  Ray,  who  died  August  25,  1876.  In  1876,  Mr.  Shuman  purchased  212 
acres  in  Crawford  Township,  residing  there  about  seven  years.  He  then 
rented  this  tract,  and  moved  to  his  present  farm  of  173  acres.  His  land  is 
valued  at  $75  to  $90  per  acre.  Mr.  Shuman  has  always  ensraged  in  agri- 
ciiltural  pursuits.  He  and  Mrs.  S.  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Shuman  is  a  Republican. 

JAMES  R.  SIDDALL  is  a  native  of  Mahoning  County,  Ohio,  and  was 
born  July  11,  1842.  His  parents,  Joshua  and  Mary  A.  Siddall,  were  natives 
of  Ohio,  and  reared  seven  children.  The  family  moved  to  Hancock  County 
in  the  spring  of  1851,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  the  father  died, 
owning  about  300  acres  of  land.  Jauies  R.  remained  with  his  mother  till 
twenty  years  old.  He  then  enlisted  (fall  of  1862)  in  Company  H,  Fifty- 
seventh  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until  the  fall  of  1863.  Re- 
tiarning  to  his  home  in  the  spring  of  1864,  he  went  to  Montana,  and  was 
engaged  in  mining  till  1869,  when  he  again  retui"ned  to  Hancock  County. 
In  1870,  he  went  to  Kansas,  butretux'ned  the  same  year;  farmed  one  year 
on  his  mother's  land;  run  a  saloon  two  years  in  Vanlue;  came  to  Carey  in 
January,  1874,  and  till  1884  conducted  a  saloon  in  that  place.  He  married 
Mary  Hart  October  20,  1879,  and  they  have  one  daiighter — Jessie.  Mr. 
Siddall  was  elected  Councilman  in  1881,  and  re-elected  in  1883.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1884,  in  company  with  C.  L.  Sheldon,  a  nephew  whom  he  reared, 
he  opened  a  grocery  store  in  Carey,  in  a  building  purchased  in  December 
previous.      They  are  enjoying  a  liberal  patronage. 

M.  A.  SMALLEY,  the  present  Mayor  of  Carey,  and  Justice  of  tho  Peace, 
was  born  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  October  4,  1850.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac 
and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Smalley,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  began  life  for 
himself,  pushing  out  for  the  West.  He  located  in  Labette  County,  Kan., 
where  he  spent  two  years  in  teaching  school  and  enjoying  the  pleasures  of 
the  chase,  also  its  profits, which  at  that  date  were  very  fair.  While  in  that 
locality,  he  was  one  of  the  many  who  had  occasion  to  partake  of  the  hospi- 
talities of  the  notorious  Bender  family,  and,  as  later  developments  evi- 
denced, was  at  one  time  "  spotted ''  as  a  prey  of  the  murderous  fiends.  On 
returning  to  Wyandot  County,  he  engaged  in  farming  and  teaching. 
He  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Crawford  Township,  and  in 
1882  was  elected  Mayor  of  Carey,  to  which  place  he  had  removed  in  1880. 
He  devotes  the  principal  part  of  his  time  to  the  business  of  negotiating  and 
dealing  in  Western  land,  chiefly  in  the  States  of  Kentucky,  Kansas,  Missouri 
and  Texas,  besides  a  considerable  in  Ohio.  Mr.  Smalley  was  married,  Jan- 
uary 26,  1877,  to  Miss  Hattie,  daughter  of  Daniel  Benson,  of  Morrow 
County,  Ohio,  and  four  children  have  been  born  to  them,  namely,  Stella, 
Horace,  Stanley  and  Lucile.  He  is  a  member  of  F.  &  A.  M.,  I.  O.  O.  F. , 
Wyandot  Encampment,  K.  of  H.,  and  Myrtle  Lodge,  Independent  Order 
Good  Templars.  In  politics,  Mr.  Smalley  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  popular  of  Carey's  citizens. 

CLINTON  SMITH  was  born  January  2,  1857.  He  is  a  native  of  Han- 
cock County,  Ohio,  and  son  of  David  and  Aurelia  (Brown)  Smith,  whose 
history  appears  in  this  work.  He  was  married,  November  16,  1882,  to  Miss 
Lillie  Anderson,  who  was  born  in  this  township  October  18,  1859.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Isaiah  J.  and  Elizabeth  (Staulfer)  Anderson,  natives  of 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  801 

Ohio  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  now  residents  of  Carey.  They  are 
parents  of  five  children,  namely,  James,  Lillie,  Rezin,  Frederick  and  Ella. 
The  mother  died  May  3,  1883.  The  father  still  resides  in  Carey.  In  1882, 
Mr.  Smith  purchased  100  acres  of  land,  located  just  west  of  the  town  of 
Carey,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  values 
his  farm  at  $100  to  fllO  per  acre.  He  holds  a  membership  in  the  great 
society  of  Republicans, and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  township's  most  relia- 
ble citizens.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Carey, 
Ohio. 

DAVID  SMITH,  formerly  a  prominent  farmer  of  this  township,  was 
born  in  Hampshire  County,  Va.,  January  26,  1814.  His  father  and  mother, 
Jacob  and  Mary  (Long)  Smith,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia 
respectively,  the  former  being  of  German  parentage,  and  a  hatter  by  trade 
in  his  younger  days.  After  his  marriage  he  operated  a  flour  mill  in  Vir- 
ginia. The  family  consisted  of  six  children — Eliza,  George,  John,  David, 
Samuel  and  Sarah  A.  Mrs.  Smith  had  two  sons  by  her  first  husband  —Will- 
iam and  Jacob  Rannells.  In  the  fall  of  1824,  Mr.  Smith  moved  from  Vir- 
ginia to  this  county  and  located  about  one  mile  west  of  the  present  site  of 
Carey,  where  he  entered  eighty  acres  of  land.  On  this  farm  the  children 
grew  lip,  and  in  due  season  began  life  on  thetr  own  responsibility.  George 
Smith  entered  the  Methodist  Episcopal  ministry,  and  died  in  Michigan. 
The  parents  died  in  the  neighborhood  where  the}  had  spent  most  of  their  ma- 
ture days,  the  father  in  1859,  in  his  eighty-second  year,  the  mother  in  1869 
in  her  eighty-sixth  year.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  man  of  liberal  views  and  highly 
respected.  He  served  as  Associate  Judge  while  this  was  yet  Crawford 
County.  David  Smith,  our  subject,  worked  on  the  farm  with  his  parents 
till  twenty-six  years  of  age.  He  married  Amelia  Brown,  daughter  of  Will- 
iam Brown,  June  4,  1840.  Her  parents  came  to  this  county  in  1824.  She 
was  born  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  April  28,  1823.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Smith 
began  farming  on  the  Big  Spring  reservation  on  land  purchased  by  his 
father.  He  here  improved  200  acres,  to  which  he  added  300  more  in  after 
years.  His  chief  business  for  the  past  twenty  years  has  been  the  raising 
of  tine  grades  of  stock — thoroughbred  short-horn  cattle.  In  1868,  he  came 
to  Carey  and  purchased  a  farm  near  town,  dividing  most  of  his  Hancock 
County  property  with  his  children,  whose  names  are  as  follows:  Ellen  A., 
McKendree,  Ann  L.,  William  B.,  Albert,  Emma  V.,  Clinton  D.  and  Virgil 
A.  The  eldest  son,  McKendree,  enlisted  in  Company  A,  One  Hundi-ed  and 
Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  the  fall  of  1862,  and  served  about 
two  years  in  the  war  when  he  was  taken  sick  and  died  in  the  hospital  at 
Philadelphia,  Penn.  Mr.  Smith  is  Republican  in  politics;  he  was  elected 
Land  Appraiser  in  1880,  and  has  served  several  years  as  School  Director. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
After  a  life  of  toil  and  hardship  for  many  years,  they  are  now  enjoying 
the  fruits  of  their  labors. 

M.  B.  SMITH,  attorney  at  law,  was  born  in  Hancock  County,  Ohio, 
February  22,  1846;  he  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Margaret  (Hare)  Smith,  na- 
tives of  A'^irginia  and  Pennsylvania  respectively;  his  father  came  to  Ohio  in 
1824;  his  mother  in  1834.  They  located  in  Ridge  Township  in  1858,  and 
reared  four  children — M.  B.,  J.  A.,  S.  O.  and  M.  Allie.  Mr.  Smith  ob- 
tained a  good  education  and  taught  school  several  terms.  March  28,  1864, 
he  enlisted  in  a  United  States  Signal  Corps,  and  was  discharged  after  the 
close  of  the  war  September  10,  1865.  He  returned  home  and  farmed  two 
years;  engaged  two  years  in  the  grocery  and  produce  business,  and  in  1871 


802  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

began  the  study  of  law,  which  he  prosecuted  three  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1883,  he  purchased  fifty 
acres  of  land  lying  a  short  distance  north  of  Carey,  and  opened  thereon  two 
limestone  quarries,  erecting  two  draw  kilns,  by  which  he  is  enabled  to  pro- 
duce 175,000  bushels  of  lime  per  year.  Forty  acres  of  his  land  are  under- 
laid with  the  finest  limestone  in  Ohio,  the  product  of  his  kilns  yielding  92 
per  cent  to  95  per  cent  of  carbonate,  and  competing  favorably  in  the  mar- 
ket with  material  purchased  in  Philadelphia  at  50  cents  per  bushel.  Mr. 
Smith  was  married,  August  9,  1870,  to  Emma  J.  McCIure,  daughter  of  Rus- 
sell and  Milda  (Joy)  McClure.  Two  children  are  the  fruits  of  this  union — 
Dora  H.  and  Homer  A.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  and  highly  esteemed  citizens.  Mr.  Smith  is  warmly 
attached  to  the  interests  of  the  Republican  party. 

HIRAM  J.  STARR,  one  of  the  most  prominent  grain  and  stock  dealers 
of  this  county,  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  June  24,  1816.  JameB 
and  Persia  (Shaw)  Starr,  his  parents,  were  both  natives  of  Connecticut, 
Avhere  they  were  united  in  marriage,  their  children  being  Emily,  Joseph  S., 
Franklin  J.,  Julia  Ann  H,  James  H. ,  Laura  P.  and  Hiram  J.  The  Starr 
family  are  descendants  from  one  Dr.  Comfort  Starr,  who  emigrated  to  this 
country  from  Kent,  England,  in  1634,  the  progeny  being  numerous,  as  shown 
by  a  history  of  the  family.  Nicholas  Starr  was  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, and  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  losing  his  life  in  the  massacre  of 
Fort  Griswold  September  6,  1781.  He  left  a  wife  and  four  children — 
Nicholas,  Joseph,  James  and  Benjamin.  Of  these  four  orphans,  James, 
our  subject's  father,  was  four  years  old  when  his  father  met  his  death.  He 
was  apprenticed  to  a  millwright  when  a  boy,  and  began  work  on  his  own 
responsibility  early  in  life.  He  married  Persia  Shaw,  and  in  1815  they 
moved  to  a  small  farm  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  where  Mr.  Starr  died  July 
8,  1824.  Hiram  J.  Starr  was  then  eight  years  of  age,  and  soon  began  work 
for  himself  for  monthly  wages.  Soon  after  this  he  was  employed  as  clerk 
in  a  country  store  at  Crawfordsville,  this  county,  locating  here  with  his 
family  in  1830.  He  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  with  his  brother-in-law, 
William  M.  Buel,  who  was  the  first  merchant  of  Carey,  but  who  removed 
to  California,  and  died  there.  On  his  return  from  Illinois,  where  he  had 
been  engaged  in  the  cattle  business,  Mr.  Starr  entered,  as  an  equal  partner^ 
in  the  merchandise  and  grain  business,  with  Reed,  Carey  &  Co.,  of  Carey, 
Ohio,  this  partnership  existing  about  five  years.  This  firm  built  the  elevat- 
or now  used  by  Mr.  D.  Straw,  and  did  a  large  business.  Mr.  Reed  having 
sold  his  interest  to  Carey  &  Starr,  the  latter  conducted  the  business  till 
1850,  when  they  disbanded.  When  married,  Mr.  Starr  located  in  Big 
Spring  Township,  Seneca  County,  where  he  was  prominently  engaged  in 
the  live  stock  trade  and  farming.  In  1879,  he  again  began  operations  in 
the  grain  trade,  in  partnership  with  his  sons,  James  H.  and  W.  B. ,  and 
son-in-law,  J.  M.  Barr.  He  owns  an  elevator  at  Alvada,  Seneca  County, 
one  at  Sycamore,  and  one  at  Lemert.  Mr.  Starr  was  married,  July  21, 1851, 
to  Ellen  G.  Brown,  widow  of  Napoleon  B.  Carey,  and  they  have  five  chil- 
dren— Laura  P.,  Mary  E.,  Ellen  G.,  "William  B.  and  James  H,  the  two 
latter  twins.  Mrs.  Starr  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Eliza  (Kooken) 
Brown.  She  had  one  child,  Emma  B.,  by  her  first  husband.  Her  parents 
were  natives  of  Maryland  and  Berks  County,  Penn.,  respectively.  Her 
mother  came  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  with  her  parents  when  she  was  three  years 
old.  She  was  married  to  Mr.  Brown  July  3,  1822,  at  Columbus.  He  came 
to  this  township  in  1822,  and  entered   160  acres   in  Section  18.      He  came 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  %  803 

from  Columbus  July  20,  1823,  and  made  some  improvements — built  a  log 
cabin,  dug  a  well,  etc. — and  then  returned  to  the  city.  April  5,  1824,  he 
again  came  to  his  farm,  with  outfit  for  cultivating  a  crop.  He  completed 
his  cabin  in  the  summer  of  that  year,  and  October  7,  1824,  left  the  city 
with  his  family  and  effects  for  his  new  home,  arriving  the  12th.  Thej"^  had 
one  child,  and  on  the  22d  of  October  a  daughter  was  born  to  them,  the  first 
white  child  born  in  the  vicinity.  She  is  now  the  wife  of  Hiram  J.  Stai'r. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  had  fifteen  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity  but 
one.  Two  of  their  sons  died  in  the  late  war.  Sovereign  H.  was  a  member 
of  the  One  Hundred  and  First  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  killed  in 
the  battle  of  Chickamauga;  Charles  returned  home,  but  died  soon  after  of 
pneumonia  contracted  in  the  South.  James  K.  was  a  member  of  ihe  Forty- 
ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry;  was  wounded  first  in  the  battle  of  Stone 
River,  and  again  seriously  in  the  engagement  at  Chickamauga,  where  his 
right  arm  was  disabled  for  life.  Mr.  Brown  was  not  a  member  of  any 
church  organization,  but  was  rather  a  deist.  He  lived  a  quiet  farm  life  till 
1866,  when  he  passed  into  "the  beyond."  His  wife  survived  till  June, 
1876,  when  she  was  called  away.  Mr.  Starr,  our  subject,  is  not  a  member 
of  any  church.  He  is  a  Repul3lican,  and  has  been  since  the  party  was  or- 
ganized. His  brother.  Dr.  James  Starr,  removed  to  the  South ;  was  married 
in  Georgia;  moved  to  Texas,  where  he  was  located  during  the  war,  and  still 
resides  there. 

FRANKLIN  M.  STARR  was  born  in  Hamden  County,  Mass.,  August 
6,  1846.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  S.  and  Mary  C.  (Sinith)  Starr,  natives  of 
Connecticut.  His  parents  were  married  in  their  native  State,  and  moved 
to  Hamden  County,  Mass.,  where  the  father  engaged  in  milling,  and  reared 
his  children — Joseph  S.,  Lauraett,  Marion  M. ,  George  W.  and  Frank- 
lin M.,  the  first  two  now  deceased.  The  parents  are  both  dead.  Mr. 
Starr  located  in  Carey  in  1857.  He  was  married,  April  12,  1877,  to 
Miss  Nancy  J.  Snyder,  a  resident  of  Salem  Township,  and  native  of  Marion 
County,  born  January  10,  1854.  Her  parents  were  Samuel  and  Nancy 
(McPherren)  Snyder,  who  were  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively; 
married  in  Marion  County,  moved  to  this  county,  and  reared  a  family  of 
four  children — Mary,  Richard,  Nancy  and  John;  Mary  is  deceased.  The 
father  is  also  dead.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Starr  have  four  children — Lauraett, 
born  February  19,  1878;  Mary  A.,  April  9,  1879;  Olive,  November  23, 
1881;  Joseph,  August  14,  1883.  Mr.  Stan.'  rented  land  for  several  years, 
but  in  1883  purchased  forty  acres  in  Crawford  Township,  where  he  now  re- 
sides. His  farm  is  valued  at  $75  to  $80  per  acre.  In  politics,  Mr.  Starr  is 
an  active  Republican. 

AMOS  STETLER  is  a  native  of  Washington  Township,  Union  Co., 
Penn.,  and  was  born  March  21,  1824.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Henry  and 
Mary  (Klose)  Stetler,  natives  of  the  same  place,  where  they  were  married 
May  11,  1823.  In  1832,  his  parents  moved  to  Sandusky  County,  Ohio,  and 
purchased  240  acres  in  Section  34,  York  Township,  where  his  father  fol- 
lowed general  farming,  th(^ugh  a  brick  and  stone  mason  by  trade.  The 
children  were  Amos,  Mary,  Sarah,  Eih^n,  Jacob  H. ,  Leah,  Rachel,  John  A. 
and  Elizabeth,  all  living  but  Mary.  The  father  died  May  28,  1874,  in  his 
seventy-fifth  year,  his  birth  having  occurred  August  11,  1799;  his  widow  is 
now  living  in  her  eighty-fifth  year,  her  birth  having  taken  place  January 
17,  1800.  His  paternal  grandparents,  Henry  Stetler  and  Sarah  (Haas) 
Stetler,  were  born  in  Lehigh  County,  Penn.,  September  26,  1763,  and  De- 
cember 17,  1768,  respectively.     At  the  age  of  eighteen   our  subject,  Amos 


804  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Stetler,  left  his  home  and  was  apprenticed  to  the  blacksmith  trade  with 
Benjamin  Kachel,  of  Seneca  County,  Ohio.  He  worked  one  year  with  Mr. 
K.,  one  year  with  Abijah  Brown,  at  Bellevue,  and  a  third  year  at  job  work 
in  the  Western  States.  He  was  married,  September  24,  1846,  to  Miss  Re- 
becca Lewis,  of  Seneca  County.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Susan 
(Hornberger)  Lewis,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  descent,  and 
was  born  in  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  November  27,  1826.  Her  parents 
were  married  in  her  native  county  December  9,  1821,  and  moved  to  Ohio  in 
1830.  In  1882,  they  located  in  Seneca  County,  where  they  reared  seven 
children— Harriet,  Richard,  Rebecca,  Matilda,  Solomon,  Caroline  and  Ma- 
hala,  all  living  but  Rachel  and  Rebecca.  The  mother  died  in  her  seventy- 
seventh  year,  January  24,  1878,  the  father  in  his  eighty-second  year.  May 
12,  1883.  They  were  born  on  the  respective  dates,  February  15  and  .Janu- 
ary 19,  1801.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stetler  had  ten  children — Addie,  Henry  L., 
Amos  R.,  John  T.,  Ardon  L.,  Mary  A.,  Eva  R.,  Jay,  Grant  and  an  infant 
son,  Horace,  all  living  but  the  latter  and  Henry  L.  Mrs.  S.  departed  this 
life  August  5,  1879,  and  Mr.  S.  was  married,  August  10,  1880,  to  Mrs.  Har- 
riet Salether,  divorced  wife  of  John  F.  Sherman,  deceased.  By  this  wife 
two  children  were  born — John  and  William,  the  former  dying  in  infancy. 
Mrs.  Stetler  was  born  in  Holmes  County,  Ohio,  August  20,  1833,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Dorothy  (Anger)  Salether,  natives  of  Germany, 
where  they  were  married.  They  emigrated  in  1833,  and  located  in  Holmes 
County,  Ohio.  They  moved  later  to  Stark  County,  and  in  1840  to  Wood 
County,  Ohio.  They  had  six  children — Charlie,  John,  Harriet,  Mary  A., 
Catharine  and  Julia.  The  mother  of  this  family  had  previously  married 
one  Mr.  Denner,  of  Germany.  Mr.  Stetler  followed  his  trade  till  about 
1851,  and  then  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Sandusky.  He  sold  out 
a  few  years  later,  and  in  1854  moved  to  this  county,  where  he  purchased  100 
acres  in  Crawford  Township,  Section  4,  where  he  still  lives.  In  1866,  he 
erected  a  line  brick  residence,  in  1869  a  good  barn.  He  also  owns  prop- 
erty valued  at  $3,000  in  Carey.  He  now  oversees  his  farm,  has  his  old 
smithing  tools,  and  when  able  does  his  own  work  in  that  line.  ]\tr.  Stetler 
was  a  member  of  the  O.  N.  G.,  and  was  called  out  in  1864,  serving  under 
Col.  S.  H.  Hunt,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  in  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-fourth  Regiment.  He  was  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant,  and  served 
as  such  till  discharged  August  31,  1864.  He  and  Mrs.  Stetler  are  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  is  a  Republican-Prohibitionist  in 
politics;  has  served  two  years  as  Township  Assessor,  six  years  as  Trustee, 
and  has  also  served  as  Clerk. 

MICHAEL  STINER,  son  of  Charles  and  Dorothea  (Weaver)  Stiner, 
was  beam  September  27,  1845.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Germany, 
and  emigrated  in  J 845,  coming  direct  to  this  county.  They  purchased 
land  in  Salem  Township,  and  there  brought  up  their  children — Catharine 
M. ,  Louisa,  Elizabeth,  Anna,  John  and  Maerdalene,  all  living  but  Eliza- 
beth.  The  mother  died  in  February,  1884.  Michael  Stiner  was  married, 
July  2,  1871,  to  Mary  E.  Ritchie,  daughter  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Har- 
ris) Ritchie,  natives  of  this  State  Her  parents  moved  to  this  county  in  an 
early  day.  Her  mother  died  in  August,  1881,  her  father's  death  occurring 
several  years  previous.  Mr.  Stiner  rented  land  for  several  years,  and  in 
1874  purchased  thirty  acres,  adding  thirty  acres  more  in  1878.  On  this 
farm  he  now  resides,  valuing  the  same  at  |75  per  acre.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stiner  are  the  parents  of  three  children — Olive  M.,  Fred  H.  and  Frank,  all 
living  but  the  latter.  In  politics,  Mr.  Stiner  is  a  Republican.  Mrs.  Stiner 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  805 

JACOB  F.  STOLL  is  a  native  of  Apstadt,  Wittenberg.  Germany,  and 
was  born  May  13.  1844.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Long)  Stoll, 
who  were  born  and  married  in  the  locality  above  mentioned.  Her  parents 
emigrated  to  America  in  1847,  and  settled  in  Upper  Sandusky,  where  they 
resided  a  few  years,  and  then  entered  land  in  Crawford  Township.  Their 
children  were  Jacob  F. ,  Fredericka,  Catharine,  John,  Adam  and  Charles. 
The  mother  and  father  both  died  here,  and  were  interred  in  the  Lutheran 
Cemetery.  Our  subject  was  married,  June  6,  1880,  to  Elizabeth  A.  Wentz, 
who  was  born  in  Ridge  Township,  November  25,  1860,  daughter  of  Jacob 
and  Jane  L.  (Michaels)  Wentz,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respect- 
ivel}^  Her  parents  were  married  in  this  county,  and  had  thirteen  children 
— Myron,  Elizabeth  A.,  Ross,  Clem  V.,  Emanuel,  Frank,  Wheeler,  Uriah, 
George,  Rhoda,  Pert,  Lee  and  an  infant,  all  living  but  Pert,  who  died  an 
infant.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stoll  have  three  children — Adam,  born  March  8, 
1881;  George,  March  24,  1882;  John,  May  8,  1883.  About  1869  or  1870, 
Mr.  Stoll  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Mifflin  Township,  retaining  the  same 
about  ten  years.  He  then  sold  out,  obtaining  in  1879  the  homestead  farm 
of  sixty-nine  acres,  on  which  he  now  lives.  He  is  an  energetic  farmer,  and 
values  his  land  at  $75  per  acre.  His  early  years  were  spent  at  the  carpen- 
ter's trade.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

LUDWIG  STOLL  was  born  in  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio,  January  12, 
1852.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Catharine  (Swick)  Stoll,  natives  of  Ger- 
many, and  who  emigrated  to  America  in  1849.  They  located  first  in  Upper 
Sandusky,  and  thence  moved  to  Crawford  Township,  where  they  still  re- 
side. Their  children  were  John,  Ludwig,  Henry  and  Caroline.  Ludwig 
Stoll  was  married,  April  27,  1877,  to  Elizabeth  Burke,  a  resident  of  this 
township  and  native  of  Indiana,  born  January  16,  1856.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Lydia  (Bullas)  Burke,  natives  of  Ohio  and  New  York 
respectively.  They  resided  chiefly  in  this  county,  where  they  reared  four 
children,  namely:  Martha,  Elizabeth,  Charles  and  Ella.  The  mother  died 
in  April,  1863,  the  father  in  January,  1870.  In  the  year  1874,  Mr.  Stoll 
purchased  thirty-two  acres  in  this  township,  adding  thirteen  acres  in  1879, 
and  eighty  acres  in  1881.  He  now  values  his  farm  at  $75  per  acre.  In 
1882,  he  built  a  neat  frame  residence,  in  which  he  now  enjoys  the  comforts 
and  quietude  of  farm  life.  Mr.  Stoll  is  a  Democrat,  and  a  well-respected 
member  of  his  community.  He  has  four  children^Nellie,  Edna,  Howard 
and  Catharine. 

DAVID  STRAW,  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  prominent  business 
men  of  this  county,  was  born  in  what  is  now  Pitt  Township  March  28, 
1826.  Samuel  C.  Straw,  his  father,  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  came  to 
Ohio  about  1820.  He  was  a  school  teacher  for  several  years,  and  married 
Christina,  daughter  of  John  Staley,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  came 
first  to  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  thence  to  Pitt  Township,  this  county  in 
1815.  He  reared  six  children,  and  prospered  in  agricultural  pursuits,  own- 
ing at  one  time  upward  of  400  acres.  In  1844  and  1845,  he  lost  his  entire 
possessions  by  subscribing  as  security  for  others,  and  in  1858  died  near 
Upper  Sandusky,  his  wife  surviving  till  1874.  Being  the  eldest  of  the  family, 
and  arriving  at  manhood  during  the  financial  embarrassment  of  his  father, 
David  Straw  was  obliged  to  start  in  life  unaided,  not  even  possessed  of  a 
common  school  education,  being  scarcely  able  to  write  his  own  name  when 
nineteen  years  of  age.  In  the  fall  of  1844,  he  began  to  work  at  odd  jobs, 
as  opportunity  presented  itself;  the  following  spring  found  him  employed 

35 


806  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY, 

in  Huron  County,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  several  months,  at  $13  per  month. 
In  November,  1845,  he  returned  to  this  county,  and  with  a  cash  capital  of 
about  $50,  the  net  earnings  of  his  few  previous  months'  labor,  he  opened  a 
grocery  store  on  a  small  scale  at  Carey.  His  business  increased  rapidly  and 
steadily,  until  in  1851  it  had  attained  such  proportions  that  he  was  enter- 
ing upon  an  extensive  wholesale  trade.  "  There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of 
men  which,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to  fortune."  Equipped  with  a  ro- 
bust constitution,  energy  and  pluck,  Mr.  Straw  was  prepared  to  improve 
every  opportunity.  Through  the  advice  of  a  grocery  salesman  of  New  York, 
a  party  in  that  city  engaged  Mr.  Straw,  in  1847,  to  purchase  and  deliver  to 
him  a  number  of  horses,  which  was  done  with  entire  satisfaction  to  his  em- 
ployer. Five  men  were  employed  to  assist  Mr.  Straw  in  taking  the  drove  of 
forty-two  head,  the  trip  from  here  to  New  York  being  made  in  thirty-two 
days.  This  transaction  having  given  him  considerable  prestige  as  a  success- 
ful horse-buyer,  Mr.  Straw  was  recommended  by  a  friend,  I.  W.  Hollister,  of 
the  American  Fur  Company,  to  the  famous  railroad  contractor,  De  Graff, 
as  the  man  best  qualified  to  furnish  the  latter  with  horses  for  railroad  work. 
Mr.  Straw  was  consulted,  and  delivered  a  few  animals  at  Springfield,  Ohio, 
after  which  Mr.  Hollister  vouching,for  his  integrity,  he  was  furnished  by  De 
Graff  with  $5,000  to  make  other  purchases  from  time  to  time  as  directed, 
his  aggregate  investment  for  that  gentleman  amounting  to  $36,000.  Because 
of  his  business  tact,  Mr.  Straw  was  introduced  by  Mr.  De  Graff  to  a 
member  of  an  extensive  wool-dealing  firm,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  their  agent 
having  decamped  with  a  large  amount  of  their  funds.  Mr.  Straw  was  put 
in  possession  of  their  contracts,  with  instructions  to  operate  for  them  in 
Ohio,  and  with  this  firm  he  was  engaged  till  it  disbanded  in  1860,  his  pur- 
chases amounting  to  $500,000  per  year.  From  1860  to  1873,  he  was  en- 
gaged with  a  firm  in  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Straw  was  also  one  of  the  most  ex- 
tensive grain  shippers  in  this  State.  Through  his  friend,  I.  W.  Hollister, 
he  secured  the  co-operation  of  a  firm  of  grain  dealers  in  Oswego,  N. 
Y. ,  doing  an  immense  business,  his  shipmemts  amounting  to  four  and 
five  thousand  bushels  of  grain  daily,  enabling  him  to  load  two  boats  at  San- 
dusky City  each  week.  Mr.  Straw's  mercantile  trade  was  also  extensive,  his 
annual  biisiness,  for  a  period  of  eighteen  years,  amounting  to  $80,000  per 
year,  besides  his  commission  business.  In  1870,  he  withdrew  personally 
from  the  mercantile  field,  but  retained  an  interest  two  years  later.  He  may 
be  said  to  be  one  of  the  pioneer  merchants  of  Carey,  now  being  the  only 
representative  of  the  town's  original  business  men.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  People's  Bank  at  Carey  in  1868,  which  institution  began 
business  with  a  cash  capital  of  $40,000,  and  in  1872  purchased  its  entire 
interests.  The  bank  is  now  under  the  sole  supervision  of  Mr.  Straw,  with 
his  son  Harry,  as  cashier,  and  with  a  capital  of  $70,000.  D.  Straw  &  Son 
are  also  extensively  engaged,  aside  from  their  banking  interests,  in  han- 
dling grain,  seeds  and  wool.  He  owns  about  forty-one  hundred  acres  of  land 
in  this  county,  stocked  with  4,000  head  of  sheep,  short-horn -cattle  and 
fine  horses.  In  1883,  at  a  cost  of  about  $21,000,  he  completed  one  of  the 
finest  residences  in  this  section  of  Ohio.  March  25,  1852,  he  married 
Lucy  Ann,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Laura  (Day)  Turner,  and  seven  children 
were  born  to  them,  namely,  Emma,  Harry,  Anna,  Willie,  Minnie,  Grace 
and  Robert.  Willie  and  Minnie  are  deceased.  Mrs.  Straw  departed  this 
life  in  1870,  and  two  years  later  Mr.  Straw  married  Margie  V.  Kirtland,  of 
Huron  County,  Ohio.  By  this  union  three  children  have  been  born — Nellie, 
George  and  Lawrence.    There  is  perhaps  no  better  example  of  what  may  be 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  807 

accomplished  by  duty  fully  done,  or  what  business  obstacles  may  be  sur- 
mounted through  tact  and  energy,  than  that  afibrded  by  the  history  and 
life  of  Mr.  Straw.  Although  a  keen  observer  and  a  shrewd  financier,  he  is 
likewise  possessed  of  a  broad  and  generous  nature.  Through  business  re- 
verses his  old  friend,  I.  W.  Hollister,  became  reduced  in  circumstances, 
and  the  closing  hours  of  his  life  found  him  penniless.  With  much  gratitude 
for  assistance  rendered  in  less  prosperous  days  Mr.  Straw  and  another 
party  kindly  defrayed  all  expenses  for  his  care  in  sickness,  and  at  his  death 
accorded  him  a  respectable  burial.  As  a  representative  citizen  of  the 
county,  we  present  a  steel-plate  porti'ait  of  Mr.  Straw  in  this  work. 

D.  H.  STRAW,  Cashier  People's  Bank,  son  of  David  Straw,  was  born 
January  29,  1855.  He  received  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Carey,  and  was  married,  in  June,  1877,  to  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  Joseph  De 
Witt.  They  have  one  child — Clara.  Mr.  Straw  is  one  of  the  most  ener- 
getic and  enterprising  young  men  of  this  county.  March  4,  1874,  he 
became  a  partner  in  the  People's  Bank,  and  now  owns  a  half- interest  in  the 
same.  He  also  owns  a  farm  of  400  acres,  which  he  himself  oversees.  He 
is  also  co-operating  with  his  father  in  the  grain,  seed  and  wool  business, 
this  being,  perhaps,  the  strongest  firm  in  the  county.  Mr.  Straw  is  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  having  passed  the  Scottish  Rite  degree 
and  held  many  prominent  positions  in  each. 

WILLIAM  A.  WALBORN  was  born  in  Millersburg,  Berks  Co.,  Penn., 
December  28,  1842.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel  D.  and  Lydia  (Zerbe)  Walborn, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  descent.  His  parents  were  married 
in  Berks  County,  resided  there  till  1846;  moved  to  Dauphin  County  and 
staid  till  1851;  moved  from  there  to  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  and  remained 
one  year,  and  then  located  in  this  township.  Here  their  children  were 
reared,  their  names  being  as  follows:  Jonathan  Z. ,  Henry,  Salesa,  William 
A.,  Daniel,  Emiline  E.  and  Franklin  L.  The  mother  died  May  18,  1872. 
The  father  married  again  and  now  resides  near  Coffeyville,  Kan.  Our  sub- 
ject remained  upon  the  home  farm  until  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  He  was 
married,  March  2,  1880,  to  Mary  E.  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Salem  Town- 
ship December  11,  1859,  daughter  of  Marks  Smith.  Her  parents  married 
in  this  county,  and  reared  a  family  of  four  children,  Mrs  S.  being  the  only 
one  surviving.  Her  mother  died  in  1861;  her  father  now  resides  with  his 
second  wife  in  Upper  Sandusky,  and  has  three  children.  Mr.  Walborn  be- 
gan operating  a  saw  mill  in  1869  at  Lovell,  this  county,  where  he  erected  a 
saw  and  grist  mill,  which  he  still  owns.  From  1880  to  1882,  he  was  farm- 
ing in  Tymochtee  Township  and  then  moved  to  the  old  homestead  farm,  a 
part  of  which  he  now  owns,  and  where  he  still  lives.  He  has  two  children — 
Valladora  and  Fannie  Irene.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and,  with  Mrs, 
"Walborn,  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

SAXTON  C.  WILLIAMS  was  born  February  23,  1831,  in  New  Scot- 
land, Albany  Co. ,  N.  Y. ,  and  is  a  son  of  Richard  and  Mercy  (Chesebrough) 
Williams,  who  were  respectively  natives  of  Connecticut  and  New  York 
State,  and  of  Welsh  and  French  ancestry.  They  were  married  in  Albany 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1844  removed  to  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y.,  thence  to 
Chemung  County,  in  the  same  State,  in  1848,  where  they  resided  till  the 
year  1862,  when  they  came  to  Ohio,  settling  in  Wyandot  County.  Their 
union  was  blessed  with  three  sons  and  five  daughters — Sarah  L.,  Saston  C, 
Samuel  Y.,  Mary  E.,  Huldah,  William,  Harriet  and  Lucy.  Sarah  L.,  the 
eldest,  is  deceased.  The  father  died  in  November,  1873;  the  mother  resides 
in  Crawford  Township.      Saxton  C.  Williams  removed  to  this  county  in 


808  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

1857  and  settled  in  Crawford  Township.  He  was  married,  May  9,  1860,  to 
Miss  Emily  J.  Wisner,  born  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  June  18,  1838,  and 
a  daughter  of  Asa  and  Susan  (Kinner)  Wisner,  natives  of  Orange  County 
and  of  English  descent.  Their  marriage  took  place  in  Chemung  County, 
N.  Y. ,  in  November,  1824,  and  in  1853  they  removed  to  Ohio,  locating  in 
this  township.  Of  thirteen  children  born  to  their  union  two  sons  and  three 
daughters  survive — Frances,  Emily  J.,  Charles  K.,  Abigail  and  James  F. 
Two  of  their  sons  sacrificed  their  lives  upon  their  country's  altar.  The 
father  of  these  children  died  February  11,  1812;  the  mother  now  resides  in 
Carey,  with  Saxtou  C,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  served  in  the  late 
war  as  a  member  of  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Forty- fourth  Regiment 
Ohio  National  Guards,  and  was  honorably  discharged  September  2,  1864. 
He  has  served  the  village  of  Carey  as  Mayor  three  terms,  and  is  a  citizen 
of  honorable  character.  He  is  a  l^epublican  politically,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Knights  of  Honor,  Good  Templars  and 
G.  A.  R.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Their  only  son,  Corwin  A.,  was  born  May  27,  1866. 

ANDREW  J.  WONDER  was  born  May  20,  1830.  He  is  a  son  of  Dan- 
iel and  Catharine  (Harpster)  Wonder,  and  native  of  Wayne  County,  Ohio. 
His  parents  were  natives  of  York  and  Union  Counties,  Penn. ,  respectively, 
the  father  born  in  1791,  the  mother  in  1792.  They  were  married  inMifflin 
County,  Penn.,  and  moved  to  Ohio  in  1823,  locating  in  Wayne  County. 
In  1830,  they  moved  to  Seneca  County.  They  had  seven  sons  and  two 
daughters.  The  mother  died  July  25,  1863,  aged  seventy-two  years;  the 
father,  now  in  his  ninety-fourth  year,  resides  with  his  son,  Andrew  J.  The 
latter  was  married,  March  9,  1851,  to  Catharine  Lautz,  who  was  born  in 
this  township  June  18,  1830.  She  was  a  resident  of  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
and  daughter  of  Peter  and  Mary  (Long)  Lautz,  natives  of  Maryland  and 
Virginia  respectively.  Her  parents  came  to  this  county  in  1829,  and  later 
moved  to  Seneca  County.  Her  mother  died  May  30,  1847;  her  father  in 
his  eightieth  year,  May  11,  1876.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wonder  have  four  chil- 
dren—Peter E.,  Alvin  M.,  Lorenzo  M.  and  Iva  M.  In  1857,  Mr.  Wonder 
purchased  150  acres,  on  which  he  now  resides,  and  where  he  has  since  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pui'suits.  In  1864,  Mr.  Wonder  enlisted  in  Company 
D,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served 
faithfully  four  months  in  the  defense  of  his  country.  He  is  a  Prohibition- 
Republican,  and  served  his  township  one  term  as  Trustee.  He  and  Mrs. 
Wonder  are  members  of  the  Evangelical  Association. 

DAVID  H.  WONDER,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Harpster)  Wonder,  was 
born  in  this  township  January  29,  1846.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, of  German  descent,  and  married  in  Seneca  County,  where  they  re- 
sided several  years,  then  moving  to  Wyandot  County  and  purchasing  land 
in  this  township.  Their  children  were  Daniel  H.,  Susan,  Frederick,  Sarah, 
David  H.,  Catharine,  John  W.  and  Benjamin  F.,  all  living  but  Susan.  The 
parents  have  resided  in  Kansas  since  1874.  David  Wonder  was  married, 
October  12,  1869,  to  Lavina  Higgins,  a  resident  of  Seneca  County,  a  native 
of  Licking  County,  and  daughter  of  John  and  Jane  (Klinker)  Higgins, 
now  residents  of  this  township.  In  1867,  Mr.  Wonder  purchased  160  acres 
in  Kansas,  selling  the  same  and  returning  to  Ohio  in  1869.  He  rented  land 
about  three  years,  and  then  (1874)  purchased  eighty  acres  in  this  township, 
where  he  now  resides.  In  1877,  he  purchased  eighty  acres  more,  now  own- 
ing 160  acres,  valued  at  $100  per  acre.  lu  1881,  he  built  a  tine  barn,  cost- 
ing $1,000.      Mr.  Wonder    enlisted    in    the    late    war    in    May,    1863,  and 


CRAWFORD  TOWNSHIP.  809 

served  iu  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Forty  fourth  Ohio  National 
Guards  until  discharged.  He  was  called  out  in  May,  1864,  and  served  until 
October  of  the  same  year.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  of 
the  Evangelical  Church,  and  a  Republican  in  politics.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Won- 
der are  parents  of  four  children — Sophronia  E.,  born  September  5,  1871; 
Orpha,  April  12,  1874;  Orville,  May  11,  1870;  Homer,  August  31,  1879. 
All  these  are  living  but  Oi'ville,  who  died  August  20,  1877. 

FRED  H.  WONDER  is  a  native  of  Sandusky,  Ohio,  and  was  born  No- 
vember 11,  1840.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Harpster)  Wonder,  who 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania;  married  in  Bellevue;  migrated  to  this  county 
in  1842;  purchased  land  in  Crawford  Township,  continuing  to  add  to  his 
first  purchase  till  he  owned  800  acres.  The  children  of  the  family 
are  Daniel  H,  Fred  H. ,  David  H.,  John  W.,  Benjamin  F.,  Susan,  Sarah 
and  Catharine — all  living  but  Susan.  The  parents  and  some  of  the  chil- 
dren moved  to  Kansas  in  1875,  and  located  in  Brown  County.  Fred  H. ,  our 
subject,  was  married,  April  10,  1862,  to  Miss  Lorinda  Ogg,  who  was  born 
in  Crawford  Township  January  13,  1842,  daughter  of  Kinsey  and  Marga- 
ret (Johnson)  Ogg,  natives  of  Jackson  County,  Ohio,  where  they  were  mar- 
ried in  1822.  Her  parents  came  to  this  county  in  1830,  and  settled  in 
Tymochtee  Township,  moving  later  to  this  township  and  purchasing  land 
in  Section  17,  a  part  of  which  is  now  included  in  the  corporation  of  Carey. 
They  had  eleven  children — Eliza  J.,  William,  Mary  A.,  John,  Martha,  Sam- 
iiel,  James,  Jerome,  Merinda,  Clarissa  and  Lavonia.  The  only  now  living 
are  Samuel,  Jerome,  Lorinda  and  Clarissa.  The  father  died  April  26, 
1865,  the  mother  September  13,  1867.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wonder  have  had 
five  children — Leroy,  born  March  20,  1863;  Elnora,  August  11,  1865; 
Miles  R.,  February  3,  1870;  Harvey,  May  20, 1875;  Clara  M.,May  6,  1879. 
In  1864,  Mr.  Wonder  purchased  189  acres  of  land  in  this  township,  where 
he  still  lives.  In  1875,  he  added  120  acres,  and  in  1883  80  acres  more, 
now  owning  389  acres,  valued  at  $75  to  $80  per  acre.  He  is  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful agriculturists  of  the  township,  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Evangelical  Association. 

MATHIAS  WONDER  was  born  in  Mifflin  County,  Penn.,  December  9, 
1816.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  C.  (Harpster)  Wonder,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  They  were  married  in  Mifflin  County,  and  migrated  to  Ohio 
in  1823,  settled  first  in  Wayne  County,  then  moved  to  Sandusky,  and  in 
1846  to  this  county.  They  reared  a  family  of  nine  children.  Mrs. 
Wonder  died  and  Mr.  Wonder  was  married,  December  4,  1841,  to 
Catharine  Fowl,  a  native  of  Germany,  resident  of  Lorain  County,  Ohio, 
and  daughter  of  Godfrey  and  Sarah  (Gardner)  Fowl.  She  was  born  Octo- 
ber 9,  1820.  Her  parents  were  born  in  Germany,  and  married  there; 
emigrated  to  America  in  1827,  and  settled  in  Cleveland;  moved  to  Lorain 
County  later,  purchased  land  there  and  reared  a  family  of  ten  children,  six 
now  living.  The  parents  are  both  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wonder  have 
ten  children — Joseph,  born  November  10,  1842;  George,  December  29, 
1843;  Sarah  C,  November  12,  1845;  Harry,  May  3,  1848;  Mary  E.,  April 
27,  1851;  Margaret  R.,  January  5,  1854;  Jacob,  February  15,  1856;  Eva 
R. ,  October  27,  1858;  Laura  O.,  June  19,  1861;  Louis,  January  6,  1864. 
All  these  children  are  living  and  married  but  Louis.  Mr.  Wonder  rented 
land  about  two  years,  and  in  1845  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Seneca  Coun- 
ty. In  1849,  he  sold  this  farm  and  purchased  169  acres  in  Section  13, 
Crawford  Township,  this  county,  adding  eighty  acres  in  1855,  and  eighty 
in  1858.     His  farm  of  336  acres  is  valued  at  $90  to  $100  per  acre.     He  is 


810  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

a  Republican  in  politics,  and,  with  Mrs.  Wonder,  a  member  of  the  Evangel- 
ical Association. 

FRANCIS  J.  WORALLO  was  bom  in  Lake  County,  Ohio,  December 
26,  1823.  He  is  a  eon  of  Amasa  aud  Nancy  (Hite)  Worallo,  both  natives 
of  this  State,  and  parents  of  eight  children.  When  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  our  subject  began  work  as  an  overseer  on  railroad,  in  which  occupa- 
tion he  continued  ten  years.  He  moved  to  Carey  in  1846,  gave  up  railroad- 
ing and  engaged  in  livery  and  horse  trading,  taking  contract  for  supplying 
the  Government  dui'ing  the  war,  furnishing  in  all  about  4,000  head.  He 
has  made  horse  buying  a  specialty,  and  has  shipped  large  numbers  to  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  Boston  and  the  lumber  regions.  December  2,  1844, 
he  married  Phelina  Chandler,  daughter  of  Joseph  Chandler,  of  Crawford 
County,  and  three  children  were  born  to  them — Annie,  Emma  and  Myron 

A.  The  former  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years;  Emma  became  the  wife  of 

B.  R.  Brown,  and  died  leaving  one  child — Grace.  Mrs.  Worallo  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Charles  Worallo,  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  emigrated  from  England,  with  his  wife  and  one  son  in  1799, 
and  located  in  New  York,  where  his  wife  died,  and  he  married  Lucy  Fer- 
guson and  moved  to  Lake  County,  Ohio,  about  1801.  He  was  a  farmer  and 
school  teacher.  His  children  were  Amasa,  William,  Lucy,  Patti,  Almeda, 
Marcena  and  Charles.  Their  father  was  the  first  school  teacher  of  Wil- 
loughby  Township,  Lake  County,  and  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety 
years.  His  son,  Francis  J.,  came  from  England,  removed  to  New  Orleans, 
and  died  there.  Amasa' s  children  were  Amy,  Almira,  J.  F.,  Nancy,  Mary 
A.,  Charles,  Lucy  A.  and  Marcena. 

JOHN  F.  ZIMMERMAN  was  born  in  Green  Springs,  Sandusky  Co., 
Ohio,  June  5,  1851.  His  parents,  William  and  Elizabeth  (Brownell)  Zim- 
merman, were  respectively  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  York  State, 
and  of  German  and  English  descent.  They  were  married  in  Sandusky 
County,  where  they  reared  live  children,  four  sons  and  one  daughter  —Charles 
W.,  John  F.,  Electa  A.,  James  A.  and  Elijah  H. ,  all  living.  At  the  age  of 
twenty,  our  subject  began  learning  the  art  of  photography  at  Green  Springs, 
Ohio,  and  continued  under  instructions  at  that  place  two  years.  He  then 
removed  to  Carey,  and  two  years  later  to  Crestline,  but  returned  to  Carey  in 
1877.  The  following  year  he  built  a  small  gallery,  occupying  the  same  un- 
til 1881,  when  he  sold  and  erected  a  larger  and  more  suitable  building.  In 
1880,  he  provided  himself  with  a  two-story  frame  residence,  which  he  has 
since  occupied.  February  3,  1874,  Mr.  Zimmerman  was  married  to  Miss 
Nancy  A.,  daughter  of  Henderson  and  Mary  (Lowry)  Lytle,  early  settlers 
of  this  cou.nty  and  the  parents  of  twelve  children.  Mrs.  Zimmerman,  a 
native  of  Carey,  Ohio,  was  born  August  26,  1855.  The  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Zimmerman  has  been  crowned  with  three  children — Marey  E.,  Will- 
iam H.  and  Carel  A.  Mrs.  Zimmerman  departed  this  life  May  28,  1881, 
being  at  the  time  of  her  death  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  Mr. 
Zimmerman  celebrated  his  second  marriage  in  November,  1882,  with  Miss 
Martha  E.  Lytle,  a  sister  to  his  former  wife.  She  was  born  November  22, 
1858.  Mr.  Zimmerman  is  Democratic  in  political  sentiment,  a  member  of 
Myrtle  Lodge,  No.  416,  of  Good  Templars,  and  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
Mrs.  Zimmerman  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


EDEN    TOWNSHIP.  811 


CHAPTER  IV 

EDEN  TOWNSHIP. 

The  Township  as  Originally  Settled — Early  Settlers — Real  and  Per- 
sonal Property  Owners  in  the  Township  in  1845— Educational  and 
Religious— Township  Officials  Since  1845— Biographical  Sketches. 

THIS  township  when  originally  erected  was  a  part  of  Leith,  a  township 
of  Crawford  County,  and  was  created  by  the  Commissioners  of  that 
county  in  March,  1838.  It  lies  east  of  Crane  Township,  and  between 
Sycamore  on  the  north  and  Antrim  in  the  south;  the  east  being  bounded 
by  Crawford  County.  On  the  2d  day  of  June,  1845,  the  first  Commissioners 
of  this  county,  Stephen  Fowler,  William  Griffith  and  Ethan  Terry,  ordered 
"  That  Sections  1,  12,  13,  24,  25  and  36  of  the  original  surveyed  township, 
of  Range  14  east,  No.  2  south,  be  attached  to  Township  No.  2  south  of 
Range  15  east,  and  the  same  be  designated  as  Eden  Township."  These 
boundaries  continue  to  the  present  time.  The  township  derived  its  name 
from  the  heavy  growth  of  excellent  timber,  poplar,  walnut  and  other  vari- 
eties, and  the  fertility  of  its  soil,  which  qualified  it  for  the  operations  of 
husbandmen,  and  not,  perhaps  from  the  "  tig  leaf  attire  "  of  its  original  in- 
habitants, the  red  men.  It  contains  thirty  sections,  about  three-fourths  of 
which  are  drained  by  Peter  Run,  Negro  Run,  and  its  tributary,  Kisor  Run, 
and  a  few  others,  all  of  which  empty  into  the  Sandusky  River.  The  south- 
east quarter  is  drained  by  Indian  Spring  Run  and  its  tributaries,  which  in 
Antrim  Township  take  the  name  of  Broken  Sword  Creek. 

early  settlers. 

The  first  white  man  who  established  himself  in  this  township  was,  per- 
haps, Isaac  Miller,  a  native  of  Rockingham  County,  Va. ,  who,  with  his  fam- 
ily of  five  to  seven  children,  located  on  Section  29,  near  the  present  town 
of  Nevada,  in  1836.  He  was  familiarly  known  as  Congress  Miller,  and  for 
seven  years  leased  laud  of  Jacob  Young,  a  Wyandot  Indian.  In  1837,  Mr. 
Miller  was  joined  by  George  W.  Leith,  better  known  as  Judge  Leith,  who 
settled  on  a  quarter-section  of  Section  No.  10,  and  John  Horick  on 
Quarter-section  27.  Judge  Leith  was  a  man  of  considerable  prominence 
in  the  early  history  of  the  county,  having  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
Crawford  County,  and  as  Associate  Judge  of  Wyandot  County  for  a  period 
of  eight  years.  In  1839,  John  Welsh,  Morgan  Carter,  Zaccheus  Lea,  Mr. 
Hill,  Charles  Caldwell,  Samuel  Snyder  and  a  Mr.  Cook  were  added  to  the 
list  on  Sections  34,  10,  10,  3,  34,  28  and  27  respectively.  In  1840,  1841 
and  1842  these  were  re-enforced  by  others  who  followed  in  rapid  succession 
till  quite  a  settlement  was  formed. 

The  taxable  inhabitants  of  Eden  Township  in  1845,  were  as  follows: 

owners  of  real  estate 
Adams,  Demas,  Sections  5,  15,  22  and  27,  375  acres;  Akins,  H.  G.  C, 
Section  34,  80  acres;  Bartoon,  John  L.,  Section  15,  62  acres;  Cook,  Joshua, 


812  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Section  27,  54  acres;  Culver,  Ebenezer,  Section  10,  63  acres;  Qarrett,  George, 
Section  3,  66  acres;  Howland,  Augustus,  Section  15,  80  acres;  Horick, 
John,  Section  27,  120  acres;  Kiser,  David,  Section  10,  142  acres;  Lemon, 
Joel,  Section  3,  42  acres;  Lauck,  George,  Sections  5,  15  and  22,  279  acres; 
Lea,  Zaccbeus,  Section  10,  80  acres;  Leith,  George  W.,  Section  10,  80 
acres;  McElvain,  John,  Sections  5,  3,  10  and  12,  281  acres;  Mitten,  Miles, 
Section  3,  80  acres  ;  Neeley,  William,  Section  27,  80  acres;  Slocum,  Ezra, 
Section  34,  132  acres;  Stokely,  Robert,  Sections  3  and  22,223  acres;  Smith, 
William  Section  15,  80  acres;  Smith,  Daniel,  Sections  5,  27  and  34,  303  acres. 

OWNERS   OF   PERSONAL    ESTATE. 

Charles  Caldwell,  Joshua  Cook,  Levi  Bunn,  William  Hartman,  John 
Horick,  David  Kiser,  George  W.  Leith,  Zaccheus  P.  Lea,  Isaac  Miller, 
Lair  Sliller,  Miles  Mitten,  James  B.  Robinson,  Samuel  Snyder,  John 
W^elch.  Jr.,  James  Welch,  John  Welch,  Sr.,  Jacob  Weeks,  W^illiam  Welch. 

The  first  road  regularly  laid  out  in  the  township  extended  through  Sec- 
tions 34  and  27,  and  was  opened  in  1839,  though  prior  to  this  the  Indian 
trails  and  "  blazed  tracks "  were,  no  doubt,  quite  numerous  and  consider- 
ably used.  The  Oceola  road  from  Indian  Run  to  Rock  Run  was  opened  by 
the  Wyandot  Indians,  under  the  supervision  of  Isaac  Miller,  who  at  this 
date  resides  in  Antrim  Township.  Some  of  these  earlier  roads  or  "  trails  " 
led  to  the  Indian  resorts,  one  of  which  was  the  locality  of  the  springs,  which 
were  supposed  to  be  medicinal  in  their  qualities,  located  in  Section  22,  and 
two  others  on  the  farms  now  owned  by  Henry  and  Samuel  Aten  on  the 
Oceola  State  Road.  On  the  farm  now  owned  by  Tilman  Balliet,  an  Indian 
burying  ground  is  located,  and  here  from  the  healing  fountains,  they  re- 
paired to  chant  the  death  songs  over  their  stricken  dead.  Orchards  were 
planted,  and  among  these,  as  well  as  in  other  places,  they  have  left  their 
records  in  the  implements  of  war  and  the  chase,  stone  hatchets,  spear  heads 
and  arrow  heads,  and  besides  these  the  crude  domestic  utensils,  such  as 
the  mortar  and  pestle  by  which  they  ground  the  corn  that  served  to  make 
their  bread  or  thicken  their  skunk  and  'possum  broth.  For  the  greater 
part  of  their  supplies  the  earlier  settlers  of  this  township,  as  well  as  of  other 
townships  went  to  Sandusky  City  and  Fremont,  and  up  to  date  Eden  Town- 
ship cannot  claim  the  honors  of  a  grist  mill.  In  1849,  the  first  saw  mill 
was  erected  by  Crawford  &  Lance,  and  seven  mills  are  now  in  operation  in 
the  township — one  owned  by  Samuel  Bever  at  Nevada;  one  by  Turney  & 
Yohe,  Edenville;  one  by  Joseph  Paulin,  Little  York;  a  fourth  by  John 
Kreechbaum  on  Section  6;  a  fifth  by  James  Spangler,  Eden  Center;  another 
by  Marti  en  Brothers,  Section  25,  and  the  seventh  by  Conger  &  Co.,  at  the 
Fish  Fond,  Section  15.  The  mercantile  interests  of  Eden  were  somewhat 
thwarted  by  the  establishment  of  a  store  in  the  village  of  Wyandot  in  an 
early  day,  and  later  by  the  sudden  appearance  and  growth  of  Nevada 
(which,  however,  is  partially  situated  in  this  township),  after  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad.  There  are  at  pres- 
ent, however,  two  stores  in  the  township  outside  of  the  villages,  one 
situated  on  Section  20,  conducted  by  Conrad  Haas;  the  other  on  Section 
17,  conducted  by  Daniel  T.  Warner.  The  first  store  was  kept  by  William 
Jobs  on  Section  9.     The  first  dwelling  log  cabin,  14x18,  by  Congress  Miller. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The  first  schoolhouse  erected  in  Eden  Township  was  constructed  of  logs 
and  very  small  in  dimension.     Nancy  Steele  was  the  first  to  wield  the  peda- 


EDEN  TOWNSHIP.  813 

gogic  wand,  she  being  succeeded  by  Mary  Chambers,  Isaac  Stinebaugh, 
William  Jobs  and  others.  The  first  school  building  was  built  on  Section 
10,  the  land  being  owned  by  Zaccheus  P.  Lea,  and  as  the  forests  were  cleared 
away  and  the  inhabitants  increased  in  number,  others  followed,  till  there 
are  now  eight  districts  established  and  provided  with  good  school  build- 
ings. They  are  located  on  the  following  sections  respectively:  Sections  4, 
7,  8,  22,  24,  27,  32  and  39.  The  schools  of  Eden  Township  are  conducted 
as  well,  perhaps,  as  those  in  other  townships  in  the  county,  yet  there  is  still 
much  room  for  improvement  in  this  direction,  and,  as  regards  attendance, 
the  field  for  improvement  is  equally  ample.  Since  the  organization  of  the 
first  crude  classes,  under  the  instruction  of  Nancy  Steele,  at  $6  pei'  month, 
wages  have  increased,  till  the  prices  range  from  $35  to  $45  per  month. 
The  school  rooms  are  provided  with  books,  charts,  and  most  of  the  modern 
conveniences,  and  with  these  siiould  come  the  best  of  educational  results. 

RELIGIOUS. 

While  the  temporal  and  material  interests  of  the  people  of  Eden  Town- 
ship were  being  carefully  guarded  and  developed,  the  spiritual  and  eternal 
were  not  forgotten.  The  first  church  building  was  erected  on  Section  3  by 
the  combined  forces  of  the  Methodist,  United  Brethren  and  Congregational 
denominations  in  1851. 

Union  Church. — At  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  the  township,  held  at  the 
Case  Schoolhouse,  in  District  No.  2,  January  14, 1859,  it  was  decided  that  a 
union  church  should  be  erected,  and  the  site  and  size  (30x40  feet)  of  the  build- 
ing were  also  agreed  upon.  John  Paulin,  Jacob  Beery  and  Jacob  Boroif  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  solicit  subscriptions,  the  latter  gentleman  agree- 
ing to  donate  one  acre  of  land  on  the  southeast  corner  of  the  southeast 
quarter  of  Section  12  on  which  to  locate  the  building.  At  this  first  meet- 
ing, M.  B.  Case  was  made  President  and  A.  Mackey.  Secretary.  A  second 
meeting  was  held  February  25,  1859,  at  the  Center  School,  in  District  No. 
3,  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  an  organization,  in  order  to  take  the  benefit 
of  an  act  passed  by  the  Ohio  Legislature  April  9,  1852,  providing  for  the 
incorporation  of  religious  societies.  At  this  meeting,  of  which  M.  B.  Case 
officiated  as  President  and  John  Mackey,  Jr.,  as  Secretary,  an  organization 
was  effected,  the  society  being  entitled  the  Union  Church  Association.  Five 
Trustees  were  elected  to  take  charge  of  a  house  to  be  built  by  said  associa- 
tion, M.  B.  Case,  Warner  Osborn  and  Christian  Kinsley  for  one  year,  and 
John  Paulin  and  J.  G.  Hilderbrant  for  two  years.  Benjamin  Morris, 
Warner  Osborn  and  Benjamin  Ulrich  were  appointed  as  building  commit- 
tee. Forty-seven  persons  became  members  of  the  organization,  and  on  the 
2d  day  of  March,  1859,  a  report  of  said  organization  was  filed  and  recorded 
in  the  religious  records,  page  10,  by  Henry  J.  Flack,  Recorder  of  Wyandot 
County.  The  building  was  erected  in  the  fall  of  1859,  by  Warner  Osborn, 
and  dedicated  January  1,  1860,  by  Rev.  Day,  who  was  then  stationed  at 
Upper  Sandusky,  in  the  ministry  of  the  United  Brethren  Church.  The 
house  has  been  occupied  since  its  founding  by  the  following  denominations: 
United  Brethren,  Protestant  Methodist,  Church  of  God,  Evangelical,  Chris- 
tian Advent  and  German  Baptist.  The  United  Brethren  and  Methodist 
denominations  are  now  the  only  sects  using  the  church,  the  former  society 
consisting  of  twenty- nine  members,  the  latter  thirty.  The  list  of  pastors 
who  have  been  engaged  in  this  field  of  labor  is  as  follows:  United  Breth- 
ren— Revs.  Faus,  Long,  Aultraan,  Jacoby,  Hepler,  Berry,  Holden,  Mathers, 
Hart,  Bender,  Moore,   Downey,  Paul,  Lea,  Easterbrook  and  Leonard.     Of 


814  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  Protestant  Methodist — Revs.  Selby,  Brown,  Williams,  Carnes,  Yates, 
Clancy,  Grimes,  Gray  and  Sampson.  Of  the  Evangelical — Revs.  Rine- 
hold,  Baughman,  Fans,  Swartz,  Wonders,  Blazer  and  Pfeiffer.  Of  the 
Church  of  God — Ackerman,  Coats,  Shriner,  McCormick,  George,  Bolton  and 
Ensminger.  Of  the  Christian  Advent  Church — Revs.  King,  Stetson,  H.  M. 
and  E.  M.  McCulloch.  Of  the  German  Baptist— Rev.  Billhardt.  The 
present  officers  of  the  Union  Charch  Association  are  Henry  Brown,  F.  Kin- 
ley,  W.  H.  Case,  M.  B.  Case  and  J.  W.  Millington,  Trustees;  B.  Morris, 
Treasurer;  and  A.  Mackey,  Secretary.  There  is  a  Sabbath  school  kept  in 
operation  the  year  round,  which  is  bringing  out  good  results,  and  is  said  to 
be  one  of  the  most  successful  of  the  county. 

German  Baptist  Church. — Although  the  Union  Church  building  was  the 
first  erected  in  the  township,  it  must  not  be  supposed  there  were  no  religious 
services  being  conducted  within  its  limits  prior  to  1859.  As  early  as  1848,  the 
German  Baptists,  of  whom  there  were  about  fifteen  members  at  the  time,  held 
a  meeting  at  the  house  of  Peter  Ulrich,  and  many  subsequent  meetings  were 
held  prior  to  the  thorough  organization  of  the  society  by  Revs.  Isaac  Hart- 
sough  and  Aldarf er — the  latter  having  conducted  the  first  meeting  referred  to 
above  in  1850.  In  1879,  this  society  erected  a  comfortable  brick  building 
31x41  feet  in  dimensions,  on  a  half-acre  lot  in  the  northeast  quarter  of  Sec- 
tion 20,  the  structure  costing  $1,100.  Rev.  Isaac  Hartsough  was  installed 
as  first  pastor,  which  charge  he  retained  four  years;  J.  Billhardt  was  five 
years  in  the  work;  Michael  Stats,  eight  years;  Jesse  Sellers,  two  years; 
Elias  Wickerd,  two  years;  Isaac  Thomas,  three  years;  Isaac  Aukney,  seven 
years;  Samuel  Ulrich,  two  years;  Jacob  Heistand,  one  year.  The  society 
now  enrolls  sixty  members.  The  present  officers  are  Michael  Ulrich,  John 
Kaughraan,  M.  Masters,  Joseph  Camrine  and  Isaiah  Heistand. 

OFFICIAL. 

The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  the  officers  who  have  served  in  the 
township  since  the  organization  of  the  county: 

Trustees. — 1815,  John  Welch,  Miles  Mitten,  Samuel  Snider. 

1846  —John  Welch,  George  W.  Leith,  John  Caldwell. 

1847 — James  Anderson,  Oliver  Beard,  Peter  C.  Ulrich. 

1848 — James  Anderson,  Oliver  Beard,  Peter  C  Ulrich. 

1849 — James  S.  Cummins,  Peter  C.  Ulrich,  Thomas  Heugher. 

1850 — James  S.  Cummins,  Jacob  Ulrich,  James  Anderson. 

1851 — Miles  Mitten;  James  Anderson,  Benjamin  Marshall. 

1852 — James  L.  Armstrong,  George  Eyestone. 

1853— Miron  B.  Case,  James  L.  Armstrong. 

1854 — George  Eyestone,  Miron  B.  Case. 

1855 — James  Anderson,  David  S.  Wolf. 

1856 — John  Welch,  Peter  C.  Ulrich,  Reuben  Lowmaster. 

1857— William  Goodbread,  Peter  C.  Ulrich. 

1858— Jacob  Weckler,  L.  W.  Smith. 

1859 — Michael  Lambright,  Jacob  Weckler. 

I860— L.  W.  Smith,  Michael  Lambright. 

1861 — J.  L.  Armstrong,  Reuben  Lowmaster. 

1862 — Henry  Spiker,  J.  L.  Armstrong. 

1863 — Jacob  Gilliland.  Thomas  Lanker. 

1864— Jacob  (irilliland,  Thomas  Lanker. 

1865 — Michael  Lambright,  Jacob  Weckler. 

1866 — Michael  Lambright,  Jacob  Weckler. 


EDEN   TOWNSHIP.  815 

1867 — Reuben  Lowmaster,  Tilman  Balliet. 

1868 — James  Welch,  Samuel  Althouse. 

1869 — Peter  Traxler,  Harrison  Baum. 

1870 — Jesse  Edgington,  Joseph  Kavible. 

1871 — Jacob  Miller,  Jesse  Edgington. 

1872— J.  L.  Armstrong,  Peter  Traxler. 

1873— Elijah  Imler,  Peter  Traxler. 

1874— S.  M.  Sigler,  S.  R.  Bell. 

1875— Jacob  Weckler,  S.  R.  Bell. 

1876 — Conrad  Haas,  Michael  Lambright. 

1877 — Reuben  Lowmaster,  Conrad  Haas. 

1878 — Samuel  Bever,  Reuben  Lowmaster. 

1879 — Michael  Lambright,  Jesse  Edgington,  Isaac  Kourfman. 

1880 — Jesse  Edgington,  Isaac  Kourfman. 

1881— Tilman  Balliet,  Conrad  Haas,  Isaac  Rochenour. 

1882 — Thomas  Lanker,  Isaac  Rochenour,  Tilman  Balliet. 

1883 — J.  W.  Sigler,  J.  F.  Richardson,  Thomas  Lanker. 

Clerks— 1845-47,  James  B.  Robinson;  1818,  Jesse  Edgington;  1849, 
John  Welch;  1850-51,  Jesse  Edgington;  1852,  David  Swank;  1853;  Har- 
ris Beemis;  1854,  Jesse  Edgington;  1855,  David  Swank;  1856,  Jesse  Edg- 
ington; 1857-58,  John  Masklej^;  1859,  Isaac  Kaufman;  1860-62,  E.  F. 
Elliott;  1863-70,  John  Maskley;  1871,  C.  H.  Canan;  1872-74,1  O.  Osborn; 
1875-77,  C.  H.  Canan;  1878-79,  T.  B.  Armstrong;  1880-81,  T.  D.  Lan- 
ker; 1882-83,  J.  N.  Paulin. 

Treasurers — 1845,  John  Harick;  1846-47,  Jesse  Edgington;  1848-54, 
George  W.  Leith;  1855,  Jacob  Buroflf;  1856,  Daniel  Whitmore;  1857-58, 
J.  L.  Armstrong;  1859-60,  George  W.  Leith;  1861-69,  David  Balliet; 
1870-75,  Tilman  Balliet;  1876-77,  B.  J.  Ulrich;  1878-79,  R.  W.  Pool; 
1880-82,  C.  S.  Swank;  1883,  Samuel  Althouse. 

The  following  list  of  Justices  of  the  Peace  were  recorded  on  the  town- 
ship books:  1847,  William  R.  DeJean;  1850,  1853,  1856,  James  S.  Cum- 
mins; 1859,  William  R.  DeJean;  1862,  Godfrey  Blaser;  1867  and  1870, 
Jacob  Gilliland;  1873,  James  S.  Cummins;  1876.  John  A.  Amlin  and  Will- 
iam B.  Miller;  1878,  John  Bender;  1879,  Israel  Hart;  1880,  B.  J.  Ulrich; 
1881,  T.  D.  Lanker. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

SAMUEL  ALTHOUSE  is  a  native  of  Holmes  County,  Ohio,  born  May 
12,  1838;  son  of  Christian  and  Magdalene  (Garber)  Althouse,  natives  of 
Canton  Berne,  Switzerland,  the  former  born  in  January,  1789;  the  latter 
in  February,  1800.  They  emigrated  to  America  about  1835,  and  located  in 
Holmes  County,  Ohio,  where  they  resided  twelve  years,  removing  to  this 
county  in  1847,  purchasing  160  acres  of  land  in  this  township,  where  they 
reared  a  family  of  nine  children — Magdalene,  Christian,  John,  Barbara, 
Elizabeth,  Peter,  Samuel,  Mary  Ann  and  Sophia.  John,  Barbara  and  an 
infant  are  deceased.  The  father  died  February  23,  1875;  the  mother  is  yet 
living.  Mr.  Althouse  resided  on  the  home  farm  till  his  marriage  to  Miss 
Sophia  Kuenzli,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Ramseier)  Kuenzli, 
natives  of  Switzerland.  Mrs.  Althouse  was  born  in  Holmes  County,  Ohio. 
Her  parents  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  reared  a  family  of 
twelve  children — Samuel,  Christian,  Anna  E.,  Gotlieb,  Frederick,  Rosanna, 
Fannie,  Henry,  Sophia,  Caroline,  Henrietta  and  John.  The  deceased  are 
Gotlieb,  Fannie  and  Henrietta.      The  father  died  in   1864;  the  mother  in 


816  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

1876.  In  Februaiy,  1867,  Mr.  Althouse  purchased  the  "home  farm,"  con- 
sisting of  160  acres,  of  his  father,  and  on  this  he  has  since  resided.  He  is 
the  father  of  ten  children — Edward  G.,  Henry  O.,  Franklin  U. ,  Frederick 
E.,  Albert  W.,  Ida  M.,  Addella  A.,  Lewis  A.,  Nora  A.  and  Bertha  V.  Henry 
O.  is  deceased.  Mr.  Althouse  now  has  180  acres  of  land,  valued  at  $80  per 
acre;  and  gives  some  attention  to  improved  stock.  He  has  served  in  several 
township  offices,  now  Treasurer;  he  favors  the  Democratic  party,  and  hi& 
wife  holds  a  membership  with  the  Evangelical  Cnurch. 

GEORGE  AKMSTRONG,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (McCay)  Armstrong, 
was  born  in  Clarion  County,  Penn.,  June  3,  1835.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  of  Irish  and  Dutch  descent,  and  came  to  this  county  in 
1844.  They  had  eleven  children — James  J.;  Isabel  and  Susan,  both  died  in 
infancy;  Thomas  L.,  William  W.,  George  M.,  John  M. ,  Jeremiah  G.,  Sam- 
uel W.,  Nancy  and  Rebecca  R.,  the  latter  and  Samuel  W.  deceased.  The 
father  died  February  18,  1870,  the  mother  September  9,  1883.  George 
Armstrong  resided  with  his  parents  till  October  2,  1866,  at  which  date  he 
was  married  to  Lucy  Morris,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Lea)  Foster,  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania  and  of  English  and  Dutch  parentage.  Mrs.  Arm- 
strong's death  occurred  January  26,  1876,  and  our  subject  was  married  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1880,  to  Miss  Sara  Ann  Lea,  native  of  this  township,  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Polly  (Miller)  Lea,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  who  moved  to 
Crawfoi'd  County,  Ohio,  in  1835  and  1837;  their  births  occurred  in  Decem- 
ber 16,  1811,  and  September  18,  1822,  respectively.  They  had  ten  children 
— Sarah  A.,  Catharine  A.,  Eliza  J.,  Henry  A.,  Isaac  P.,  James  D.,  Martha 
A.,  Adella  P.,  Carolina  E.  and  Lucretia  L.;  the  latter  died  in  infancy, 
Martha  A.  and  Eliza  J.  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-thi'ee  years.  Mr.  Arm- 
strong has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life;  he  has  bought  and  sold  several  tracts 
of  land,  now  owns  120  acres,  valued  at  $75  to  $90  per  acre.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  which  also  each  of  their 
parents  were  adherents,  his  wife  at  present  not  being  a  member  of  any  de- 
nomination. Mrs.  Armstrong  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  be- 
gan teaching  in  1860,  engaging  in  this  profession  principally  till  her  mar- 
riage in  1880,  in  all  seventeen  terms. 

SAMUEL  ARMSTRONG,  son  of  James  and  Nancy  (Leman)  Armstrong, 
was  boi'n  in  Armstrong  County,  Penn.,  April  29,  1819.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  Ireland  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  the  father  emigrating 
about  1775,  and  settled  in  Armstrong  County,  where  he  followed  farming 
forty  or  fifty  years.  He  married  Nancy  Leman,  of  Westmoreland  County, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  fourteen  children — John,  James,  David,  Andrew, 
Thomas,  Lenon,  Elizabeth,  Daniel,  Mary,  Margaret,  Samuel,  Joseph,  Robert 
and  William.  Daniel,  Joseph,  Margaret  and  Samuel  are  the  only  ones  now 
living.  The  parents  died  in  Armstrong  County,  Penn.  Samuel,  the  subject 
of  this  notice,  came  to  this  county  in  1847,  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land  in  Eden  Township,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  married  Jan- 
uary 27,  1851,  to  Mary  Jane  Mosters,  daughter  of  Joel  and  Martha  (Dun- 
lap)  Mosters,  and  a  native  of  New  Jersey  They  had  eight  children — 
Lucy,  Warner  E.,  Frank,  Avilla,  Martha,  Thomas,  Nellie  B.  and  Dalba. 
The  deceased  are  Lucy,  Frank,  Thomas  and  Dalba.  Mrs.  Armstrong's 
death  occurred  March,  187 J,  and  her  husband  was  married  in  June, 
1872,  to  Julia  Mosters,  sister  of  first  wife,  and  one  child  was  born  to 
them,  Fonie,  now  nine  years  of  age.  His  second  wife  died  in  May,  1874, 
and  Mr.  Ai-mstrong  was  married  September  19, 1875,  to  Maria  Van  Gundy, 
daughter  of  Michael  (Ford)  Van  Gundy,  and  a  native  of  this  county.     Her 


EDEN  TOWNSHIP.  817 

parents  were  natives  of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  had  three  children — Theo- 
dore, Maria  and  Enoch,  the  latter  deceased.  The  father  died  in  1848,  and 
the  mother  in  1856.  In  politics,  Mr.  A.  is  a  Democrat.  His  land  is  valued 
at  $80  to  190  per  acre.  His  first  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis 
copal  Church;  his  second  of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  and  himself  and 
third  wife  hold  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

URIAH  L.  BACHTELL,  son  of  Joseph  and  Anna  M.  (Moore)  Bachtell, 
was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  August  3,  1837.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  Frederick  County,  Md. ;  married  November  5,  1829,  and  removed  to  this 
county  in  1845,  purchasing  100  acres,  on  which  they  reared  a  family  of 
eight  children— Susan,  Samuel,  Henry,  Uriah  L.,  Mary  L.,  Sarah  E. ,  Adah 
and  Emmet  E.  Henry  is  deceased,  died  August  2,  1836.  The  mother  died 
February  9,  1872,  aged  sixty-one  years;  the  father  July  30,  1883,  aged 
seventy-eight  years.  Our  subject  enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and 
Seventy-ninth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  September,  1864,  and 
served  nine  months  in  the  late  war,  being  discharged  at  Nashville,  Tenn., 
June  17,  1865.  He  returned  home  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  and  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  still  resides.  He  was  married  No- 
vember 16,  1865,  to  Rachel  Bowlby,  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  Ohio, 
daughter  of  Emanuel  and  Sarah  (Stall)  Bowlby,  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
who  settled  in  this  county  in  1852.  Their  family  consisted  of  twelve  chil- 
dren— Samantha,  Rachel,  Doctor  W.,  Hester  A.,  Lydia,  Wellington,  Nel- 
son, Marshall,  Alice  M.,  William  S.  and  James,  all  living  but  Marshall  and 
an  infant  son.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Uriah  Bachtell  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren— Cyrus  F.,  Thomas  and  Huldy.  The  tii'st  is  deceased,  his  death  oc- 
curring September  7,  1874.  Mr.  Bachtell  has  always  been  a  farmer,  and 
now  owns  100  acres,  valued  at  $80  per  acre.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 

LEONARD  BALLIET  was  born  in  Northampton  County,  Penn.,  De- 
cember 21,  1815,  son  of  Stephen  and  Catharine  (Zehner)  Balliet,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  They  came  to  Richland  County,  Ohio,  in  1837,  where  he 
engaged  in  milling,  and  reared  a  family  of  eleven  children — Benjamin,  Jo- 
seph, Stephen,  Henry,  Leonard,  David,  Jonas,  Nancy,  Tilliena,  Catharine 
and  Mary.  Benjamin,  Joseph,  Jonas,  Nancy  and  Tilliena  are  deceased. 
The  mother  died  in  1866,  aged  seventy- seven;  the  father  in  1878,  aged 
ninety-four.  Mr.  and  Mi's.  Balliet  reared  six  children,  viz.,  Catharine  Ann, 
born  June  9,  1839;  Josiah,  December  18,  1840;  Amanda  M.,  February  26. 
1843;  Stephen,  July  5,  1844;  Emanuel,  April  12,  1846;  Leonard  Henry, 
April  5,  1854;  Emanuel  died  October  9,  1867,  aged  twenty-one  years  five 
months  and  twenty-three  days.  Mr.  Leonard  Balliet  engaged  in  black- 
smithing  several  years,  and  powder  making  in  his  native  county,  where  he 
was  married,  April  3,  1836,  to  Judy  Happes,  of  Schuylkill  County,  Penn., 
daughter  of  Michael  and  Magdalene  (Kistler)  Happes,  natives  of  same 
county.  They  had  eleven  children — -John,  Catharine,  Salomi,  Magdalene, 
Hester,  Judy,  David,  Elizabeth,  Joseph  and  Nathan  (twins)  and  Michael. 
Four  are  deceased — Catharine,  Salomi,  Magdalene  and  Joseph.  The 
mother  died  in  1821;  the  father  in  1855.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Balliet 
removed  to  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  six  years,  after  which 
time  he  removed  to  Richland  County,  where  he  resided  a  number  of  years, 
engaged  in  milling,  moving  to  this  county  in  1865,  and  purchasing  his 
present  farm  of  148  acres.  He  served  two  terms  as  Township  Treasurer;  is 
a  member  of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  and  votes  for  Democracy.  Mrs. 
Balliet  is  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 


818  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

J.  ADAM  BEER  was  born  in  France  June  6,  1840,  son  of  Nicholas  and 
Elnora  (Wier)  Beer,  also  natives  of  France,  who  came  to  America  in  1845, 
and  settled  first  in  Crawford  County,  removing  to  this  county  in  1851,  and 
purchasing  land  in  Eden  Township.  They  had  six  childi'en — Catharine, 
Nicholas,  J.  Adam,  Caroline,  Henry  and  Peter  A. — all  deceased  but  Cath- 
arine (now  Mrs.  J.  B.  Armstrong)  and  J.  Adam.  The  latter  enlisted  in 
Company  H,  Fift3'-tifth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  August  28, 
1862,  and  at  once  went  into  active  service,  participating  in  the  battles  of 
Lookout  Mountain,  Buzzard's  Roost,  Resaca,  Burnt  Hickory,  Pino  Knob 
and  others.  He  was  wounded  in  the  hip  by  a  shell  fragment  at  Pine  Knob, 
but  recovered,  and  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Atlanta,  and  was  with  Sherman 
on  his  march  through  Georgia;  was  wounded  again  at  Bentonville,  N.  C, 
March  19,  1865,  and  sent  to  the  hospital;  witnessed  Shei-man's  grand  review 
at  Washington,  where  he  was  discharged  June  18,  1865.  He  was  married, 
October  19,  1871,  to  Sarah  A.  Edgington,  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Charlotte 
(Koons)  Edgington,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They  have  four  daughters — 
Elnora  F.,  Charlotte,  Blanche,  Hettie  and  Susie.  Mr.  Beer  has  132  acres, 
which  he  values  at  |90  to  $100  per  acre.  He  is  a  member  of  Masonic  Lodge 
343  at  Nevada,  and  also  of  G.  A.  R.  at  the  same  place.  Himself  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  he  is  a  Republican  in 
politics. 

SAMUEL  BEVER,  proprietor  of  the  Nevada  Planing  Mill  and  Lumber 
Yard,  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  August  30,  1833.  His  parents 
were  George  and  Sabina  (Bretz)  Bever,  the  former  a  native  of  Rockingham 
County,  Va.,  born  March  22,  1800;  the  latter  born  in  Pennsylvania.  There 
were  eleven  children  in  the  family,  the  only  living  at  present  being  Melissa 
A.,  Samuel,  Joseph,  Adaline,  Sarah  A.,  Gideon  and  Amanda.  The  father 
died  in  Seneca  County  in  1869,  the  mother  in  1874.  Samuel  Bever,  our 
subject,  resided  with  his  parents  on  the  farm,  attending  the  district  schools. 
January  11,  1860,  he  was  married  to  Christina  Miller,  born  in  Wayne  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  October  1,  1835,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Lovina  (Stratton)  Miller. 
By  this  marriage  three  children  were  born — Ross  A.,  October  12,  I860; 
Earl  R.,  May  15,  1863;  and  Sabina  E.,  July  19,  1873.  In  1867,  Mr.  Bever 
removed  to  Nevada,  and  established  himself  in  the  saw  mill  business,  which 
he  conducted  four  years.  He  next  engaged  in  the  walnut  lumber  trade  one 
year,  and  erected  his  planing  mill  in  1872.  He  now  does  a  flourishing 
business,  manufacturing  to  order  all  kinds  of  doors,  sash,  store  fronts,  etc., 
usually  employing  six  workmen.  Mr.  Bever  served  one  year  as  Trustee  of 
Eden  Township,  and  four  years  in  the  Council.  He  is  a  charter  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  is  Post  Dictator.  His  father,  George  Bever, 
settled  in  Seneca  County  in  1824. 

HENRY  BROWN  was  born  in  Sycamore  Township,  January  4,  1830 — 
son  of  Abraham  and  Frances  (Coon)  Brown,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Virginia  respectively.  They  came  to  this  county  in  an  early  day  and  reared 
a  family  of  eleven  children — Mary  A.  ,Lufcicia,  Henry,  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  John 
U.,  Susan,  Hester  A.,  William,  Jacob  and  Catharine.  Mary  A.,  Luticia  and 
Susan  are  deceased.  Their  mother  died  August  26,  1870;  their  father  died 
January  26,  1880.  Henry  Brown  lived  with  his  parents  till  his  marriage, 
May  6,  1852,  to  Nancy  A.  Swinehart,  daughter  of  S.  P.  and  Jane  (Milligan) 
Swinehart,  parents  of  nine  children — Nancy  A.  and  William  (twins),  John, 
Elizabeth,  Hannah  C,  Sarah  and  Laura,  Martha  A.  and  Rebecca.  Martha, 
William,  John  and  Sarah  are  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  five 
children— Frances  Jane,  Sarah  E. ,  Elmer,    Delbert  and   Ellis.      Sarah  E. 


EDEN  TOWNSHIP.  819 

died  July  30,  1861.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Brown  farmed  j&ve  years,  and 
since  engaged  in  carpenter's  work.  Is  now  aboat  to  retire  from  active 
service.  He  owns  130  acres  of  land,  valved  at  175  per  acre.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Regiment  Ohio  National 
Guard,  and  served  in  the  "one-hundred  day"  call;  is  a  member  of  the 
Grange,  and  himself,  wife  and  son  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican.  Mr.  Brown  has  a  fine  brick  resi- 
dence, and  is  one  of  the  influential  farmers  of  Eden  Township. 

MARTHA  CALDWELL,  widow  of  John  Caldwell,  deceased,  was  born 
in  Barnett,  near  London,  England,  December  17,  1809.  Her  parents  were 
James  and  Sarah  (Hawks)  Martin,  natives  of  England,  who  emigrated  to 
America  in  1820,  and  after  several  removals  settled  near  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  in 
1822.  Her  father  was  a  minister  of  the  Church  of  Scotlaad,  and  engaged  in 
his  profession  till  his  death,  August  21,  1839.  The  family  consisted  of  five 
children — Martha,  Mary,  Elizabeth,  Caroline  and  Joseph.  Elizabeth,  Caro- 
line and  probably  Joseph  are  deceased;  the  location  of  the  latter  not  being 
known.  Their  mother  died  June  3,  1847.  Mrs.  Caldwell  resided  with  her 
parents  till  her  marriage  to  John  Caldwell,  December  15,  1829,  He  was 
born  April  23,  1799,  in  Huntington  County,  Pennsylvania,  son  of  Charles 
and  Isabel  Caldwell,  who  died  in  Mercer  Countv,  Penn.  He  engaged 
in  turnpike  building  and  dry  goods  business  in  Wayne  County  for  sev- 
eral years,  and  was  subsequently  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  Audi- 
tor's oflSce,  in  Crawford  County,  being  elected  to  the  same  oflSce  three  suc- 
cessive terms.  He  was  appointed  Land  Receiver  by  President  Jackson, 
serving  six  years,  and  was  Sheriff  of  the  county  two  years.  In  1846,  he 
located  in  this  township,  purchasing  eighty  acres  of  land,  and  in  July  of  the 
same  year  he  organized  a  company  of  100  men  to  join  the  Mexican  Army; 
the  company  was  rejected  and  disbanded  at  Cincinnati,  and  Mr.  Caldwell 
was  appointed  Commissary,  in  which  office  he  served  till  the  close  of  the 
war,  in  1848.  In  1849  he  went  to  California  and  was  employed  as  mail 
carrier  over  the  mountains,  where  it  is  supposed  he  was  killed.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  F.  «fe  A.  M. ,  and  in  politics  a  Democrat.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Caldwell  were  the  parents  of  thii'teen  children — Sarah,  Isabel,  James, 
Charles,  Martin  Van  B. ,  Jane,  Catharine,  Andrew  J. ,  John,  Knox  D.  and 
Elizabeth  (twins),  David  T.  and  Fremcmt;  of  these,  five  survive — Sarah, 
Jane,  Fremont,  Charles  and  James.  Three  sons  gave  their  lives  to  the 
service  of  their  country,  Andrew  J.  dying  in  Andersonville  prison. 

MYRON  B.  CASE  is  a  native  of  this  township,  born  February  22, 
1850.  His  parents  were  Myron  B.  and  Lucinda  (Goodrich)  Case,  natives  of 
Ohio  and  Connecticut  respectively.  His  father  settled  in  Trumbull  County. 
He  was  married  November  5,  1835,  in  Loraine  County,  Ohio,  and  subse- 
quently removed  to  Trumbull  County,  where  they  resided  twelve  years, 
after  which  they  came  to  this  county,  where  they  located  permanently. 
Their  children  were  Sarah,  Augustus  B.,  AVilliam  H.  H.,  James  G.,  Joseph 
E.,  Francis  O.,  Myron  B.,  Anna  M.  and  George  G.  Joseph  was  killed  in 
the  battle  of  second  Bull  Run,  August  30,  1862,  aged  seventeen  years; 
James  G.  died  June  7,  1863,  at  home,  aged  twenty  years;  Augustus  was 
killed  in  the  battle  at  Resaca,  May  15,  1864,  aged  twenty-seven  years. 
The  father  died  March  11,  1859;  the  mother  is  still  living,  residing  with 
her  son  Myron.  Our  subject  was  married  January  16,  1876,  to  May  Bowers, 
daughter  of  J.  S.  and  Mary  (Mower)  Bowers,  whose  parents  were  natives  of 
Ohio  and  Pennsylvania  respectively  (see  sketch).  This  marriage  resulted 
in  two  children — Mabel,  born  April  16,  1879,  and  Beulah,  born  August  31, 


820  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

1882.  Mr.  Case  inherited  an  interest  in  his  father's  estate,  upon  which  he 
now  resides;  he  finished  his  education  in  the  Normal  School  at  Republic, 
Ohio,  and  engaged  in  teaching  for  nine  successive  winters.  He  is  now  Sec- 
retary of  the  Wyandot  Mutual  Relief  Association;  is  a  member  of  the 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Case  is  a  Republican. 

BARNET  COLE  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  February  23, 
1836.  His  parents  were  Barnet  and  Charity  (Swisher)  Cole,  the  former  a 
native  of  Washington  County,  Penn.  The  children  by  his  first  marriage 
were  John  C,  David,  Eliza  J.  and  Margaret.  David  is  deceased.  The 
mother  died  in  1833,  and  the  father  was  again  married  in  1834,  to  Charity 
Swisher,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  ancestry.  Ten  children 
resulted  from  this  marriage — Samuel  S.,  Barnet,  Isaac,  Mary,  Rebecca, 
Lovina,  Sarah  Jane,  George  W.,  Lucinda  C.  and  James  C.  George  W.  and 
Rebecca  are  deceased.  The  mother  died  October,  1864;  the  father  May  1, 
1872.  Barnet  Cole,  Jr.,  came  to  this  county  in  1861,  and  purchased  forty 
acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  erected  a  saw  mill,  following  this  business  ten 
years.  He  was  married,  December  31,  1863,  to  Rachel  Brauns,  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Witz)  Brauns,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  who 
reared  a  family  of  twelve  children,  five  living — Sarah,  Margaret,  George, 
Rachel  and  Henry.  Their  mother  died  in  1849;  the  father  August  31, 1880. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cole  have  two  children — George  F.  and  Minnie  M.  Mr.  Cole 
disposed  of  his  mill  in  1871,  and  purchased  120  acres  of  land,  upon  which 
he  now  resides;  he  owns  in  all  160  acres,  valued  at  $80  per  acre;  he  rears 
the  best  bloods  of  stock;  is  a  Democrat;  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and, 
with  his  wife,  of  the  United  Brethren  Church. 

WII.I.IAM  H.  COLE  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  April  14, 
1835.  His  parents  were  James  and  Eleanor  (Moore)  Cole,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Ohio  respectively,  who  were  married  in  Crawford  County, 
Ohio,  May  5,  1832.  Their  children  wei-e  as  follows:  Jemima,  William  H., 
Maria  S.,  Mary  A.,  Martha  J.,  James  J.  and  Daniel  H.  Jemima  is  deceased. 
The  mother  died  April  12,  1881,  and  the  father,  March  19,  1882.  William 
H.  Cole,  our  subject,  remained  with  his  parents  till  May  1,  1859,  at  which 
date  his  marriage  to  Nancy  J.  Culver  occurred;  she  was  a  native  of  Van 
Wert  County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Cummings  and  Melkiah  (Heath)  Cul- 
ver, natives  of  Champaign  and  Madison  Counties  respectively.  They  were 
married  in  Van  Wert  County,  where  they  resided  ten  years,  subsequently 
removing  to  Mercer  County,  and  thence  to  this  county;  their  children  are — 
Nancy  J..  Franklin,  John,  Ozias,  Mary  E.,  William  F.,  Asahel  and  Eben- 
ezer,  all  living.  The  mother  died  May  31,  1857.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cole  were 
the  parents  of  two  children,  eldest  (son)  deceased,  an  infant  and  Lottie 
Belle  (still  living)  born  April  9,  1866.  They  have  reared  one  child — Ettie 
Osborn,  whoju  they  took  at  the  age  of  five  months,  from  the  Seneca  County 
Infirmary;  she  was  born  April  7,  1861.  October  28,  1861,  Mr.  Cole  en- 
listed in  the  war,  joining  Company  K,  Fifty-fifth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry,  under  command  of  John  C.  Lee.  He  was  engaged  in  many  of 
the  leading  battles;  was  in  the  Atlanta  campaign  with  Sherman  in  his 
march  to  the  sea,  and  met  with  several  hairbreadth  escapes.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  "  grand  review"  at  Washington,  and  was  discharged  with  honor 
at  Cleveland,  July  20, 1865,  having  served  nearly  four  years.  His  only  wound 
was  in  the  shoulder,  the  result  of  an  exploded  shell  in  the  battle  of  Atlanta, 
Ga.  He  has  since  engaged  in  farming,  and  now  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead purchased   by  his    father  in   1852.      It    consists  of   105  acres,    well- 


EDEN  TOWNSHIP,  821 

improved  land,  valued  at  170  to  $75  per  acre.     Mr.  Cole  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  and  G.  A.  R. ,  and  in  politics  a  Eepublican. 

FREDERICK  H.  CHATLAIN  is  a  native  of  Canton  Berne,  Switzerland, 
born  October  18,  1847,  to  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Loyman)  Chatlain  of 
the  same  nativity.  His  father  died  in  Switzerland,  and  his  mother  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States  in  1853  or  1854,  and  located  in  this  county  in 
1861.  Their  children  were  Frederick  H.,  Edward,  Caroline  and  Adaline. 
Mrs.  Chatlain  was  married  in  1850,  to  John  Letrick,  of  Holmes  County, 
Ohio,  and  two  children  were  born  to  them — John  and  Lonisa.  Mr.  Chatlain 
enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-ninth  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Capt.  Kemp  and  served  nine  months  in  the  late 
war.  He  returned  home  in  1865,  and  has  since  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  being  now  located  on  the  "home  farm''  having  purchased  the  in- 
terests of  the  other  heirs;  he  now  owns  147  acres  in  one  body,  valued  at  $75 
per  acre,  and  house  and  lot  in  Edenville.  He  was  married,  January  23, 
1873,  to  Emma  Alban,  a  native  of  Eden  Township,  and  daughter  of  John 
and  Jeannette  (Corr)  Alban,  natives  of  Richland  and  Stark  Counties,  respect- 
ively. They  had  five  children — Emma,  Charles,  Rachel,  George  M.  and 
William.  Emma  and  the  two  latter  are  deceased,  Mrs.  Alban  died  Au 
gust  18,  1874,  and  Mr.  Alban  was  married,  April  23,  1875,  to  Mrs.  Ella 
Watts,  widow  of  Landon  Watts,  who  died  September  12,  1874.  She  had 
two  children — Hillis  and  Landon,  by  her  first  husband,  and  five  by  the 
second,  viz.:  Charles,  Lewis,  Clarence,  Myrtle  and  Nettie.  Their  mother 
was  a  daughter  of  Ranson  and  Drusilla  (Armstrong)  Carr,  natives  of  Arm- 
strong County,  Penn.,  and  who  had  one  child — Ella.  The  mother  died 
October  12,  1840;  the  father  January  16,  1875,  Mr.  Chatlain  is  a  Repub 
lican  politically,  and  member  of  the  G.  A,  R.,  at  Nevada, 

HENRY  C.  CROSS,  a  native  of  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  was  born  May  7, 
1842.  He  is  a  son  of  John  L.  and  Eliza  (Boraff )  Cross,  natives  of  Virginia 
and  now  residents  of  Seneca  County.  Their  children  were  Mary  E.,  New- 
ton, Henry  C,  Hamilton  J,,  Franklin,  Lewis,  Eliza  J.  The  deceased  are 
Franklin,  Eliza  J.  Henry  C.  Cross  enlisted  August  9,  1862,  in  Company 
H,  One  Hundred  and  First  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Capt. 
Shriver  and  met  his  first  engagement  at  Perryville,  Ky.,  thence  to  Crabtree 
Orchard,  Rolling  Fork,  Bowling  Green,  Nashville.  Marfreesboro,  Stevenson, 
Chickaraauga,  participating  in  the  principal  battles,  and  being  discharged 
at  Nashville,  June  1,  1865.  He  purchased  land  in  Missouri  and  spent  five 
years  in  that  State,  returning  in  1873,  and  locating  on  land  in  this  county, 
where  he  still  resides.  Mr.  Cross  was  married,  December  31,  1867,  to 
Mary  R.  Geary,  daughter  of  Byron  and  Nancy  A  (Mathers)  Geary,  natives 
of  Richland  County,  where  they  reared  a  family  of  six  children — Newton 
L.,  Miranda,  Drusilla,  Franklin,  Mary  R.  and  Algie.  Miranda,  Drusilla 
and  Algie  are  deceased.  The  mother  died,  and  the  father  married 
a  second  wife,  Susan  A.  Davis,  their  family  consisting  of  eight  children — 
Edith,  Elsworth,  Elton,  Emma,  Dellie,  Murdie,  Eva  and  Gracie.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Cross  have  four  children — Charles  S. ,  Maud  A. ,  Myrtle  A,  and  Floyd  H. 
He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  and  he  is  a 
Republican  in  politics. 

JAMES  S.  CUMMINS,  deceased,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1816. 
He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Amanda  (Simpson)  Cummins,  with  whom  he 
came  to  Ohio  in  1825,  and  located  in  Richland  County.  In  1847,  he  came 
to  this  county  and  located  in  what  is  now  Eden  Township,  on  a  farm  of 
104  acres,  purchased  of  the  Government  at  $1.25  per  acre,  in  1846,  This 

36 


822  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

land  was  covered  by  a  heavy  growth  of  timber,  and  upon  it  Mr.  Cummins 
built  a  log  cabin,  which  was  without  doors  or  windows  for  at  least  six 
months  after  its  tirst  occupancy,  and  in  which  he  lived  till  aboat  1856.  In 
the  family  there  were  five  children,  namely,  Mai'y  A.,  William,  James  A., 
Hulbert  T.  and  George  L.  Mr.  Cummins  passed  away  while  residing  on 
the  above  farm  July  13,  1876;  his  wife,  Amanda,  still  surviving,  and  re- 
siding on  the  old  homestead.  He  was  an  estimable  citizen,  and  held  in 
high  esteem  by  the  people  of  his  community. 

WILLIAM  CUMMINGS  (originally  Cummins),  son  of  James  S.  and 
Amanda  (Hamilton)  Cummins,  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio, 
June  27,  1843.  He  resided  at  home  till  eighteen  years  of  age,  enlisting 
April  21,  1861,  in  Company  G,  Fifteenth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infant- 
ry, and  served  until  discharged,  August  9,  1861.  He  then  re-enlisted  Sep- 
tember 13,  1861,  in  Company  K,  Forty-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh,  Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Mission 
Ridge,  through  the  Atlanta  campaign,  battles  of  Franklin  and  Nashville. 
He  was  honorably  discharged  November  25,  1865,  and  returned  home,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  about  one  year.  In  1867,  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land  in  Eden  Township,  where  he  still  resides,  and  which  he  has 
improved  in  various  ways,  having  erected  a  fine  barn  in  1881.  His  land  is 
now  worth  $90  per  acre.  He  keeps  good  stock,  and  does  a  general  farming 
business.  Mr.  Cummings  was  married,  December  11,  1866,  to  Miss  Mary 
Reynolds,  who  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  August  17,  1847,  daughter  of 
Erastus  and  Martha  (Martin)  Reynolds,  natives  of  York  State,  Cuyaga 
County.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  and  reared 
three  children,  namely,  Mary,  Helen  and  Florence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cum- 
mings have  three  children,  namely,  Zaidee,  James  and  Flossie,  all  living. 
Mr.  Cummings  is  a  member  of  Nevada  Lodge,  No.  625,  I.  O.  O.  F.  and 
Knights  of  Honor,  277.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  cast  his  first  vote 
for  Lincoln.     He  is  a  substantial  farmer,  and  well  respected  as  a  citizen. 

JESSE  EDGINGTON,  a  native  of  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  was  born 
November  27,  1811.  His  pai-ents  were  Thomas  and  Mary  (Alban)  Edging- 
ton,  who  were  natives  of  Maryland,  and  were  married  in  Jefferson  County, 
where  they  resided  until  about  1815,  when  they  removed  to  Richland 
County,  and  reared  a  family  of  ten  children,  viz.,  Margaret,  Jane,  Elizabeth, 
Mary,  Johon,  Jesse,  George,  Thomas,  William  and  Daniel — all  deceased 
but  Elizabeth,  Daniel  and  Jesse.  The  parents  died  in  Richland  County. 
Jesse  Edgington  was  married,  November  27,  1834,  to  Charlotte  Koontz, 
a  native  of  Franklin  County,  Penn.,  and  daughter  of  Abraham  and 
Susanna  (Shrader)  Koontz,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Dutch 
parentage.  They  had  thirteen  children — three  now  living,  John,  Susan 
and  Charlotte.  The  parents  both  died  many  years  since,  the  father  in  Craw- 
ford County,  Ohio,  the  mother  in  Franklin  County,  Penn.  Mr.  Edgington 
settled  in  this  township  in  1846,  and  has  reared  a  family  of  six  children — 
Margaret,  Susanna,  Mary,  Joseph,  Sarah  A.,  Adaline  and  William  A. 
Susanna  and  Mary  are  deceased;  Margaret  lives  at  home;  Sarah  A.,  wife 
of  Adam  Bair,  resides  in  this  townhip,  and  William  and  Joseph  reside  on 
the  home  farm.  Mr.  Edgington  has  served  as  Township  Trustee,  Clerk, 
Assessor  and  Treasurer,  and  was  elected  County  Commissioner,  but  was 
"  counted  out. "  He  is  a  Democrat,  a  Freemason,  and  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

NATHAN  EKLEBERRY  was  born  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  Nov- 
vember  8,  1820,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Mary  (Tobridge)  Ekleberry,  natives  of 


EDEN  TOWNSHIP.  •  823 

Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  respectively.  His  parents  settled  in  this  county 
in  1833.  Their  children  were  Jacob,  John,  Ezekiel,  Nathan,  Jane,  David, 
Isaac,  Lydia,  Levi  and  Margaret  (twins).  John  and  Ezekiel  are  deceased. 
Their  mother  died  in  1862;  the  father  in  April,  1868.  Nathan  Ekleberry 
resided  with  his  parents  until  twenty-two  ye^rs  of  age,  when  he  purchased 
land  in  La  Grange  County,  Ind.,  having  earned  his  money  by  days'  work. 
He  sixbsequently  purchased  a  tract  in  this  county,  and  at  present  owns 
ninety  acres  in  Eden  Township.  He  is  an  efficient  agriculturist,  and  gives 
considerable  attentiou  to  blooded  horses  and  sheep.  Mr.  Ekleberry  was 
married,  January  16,  1842,  to  Eliza  Wolverton,  daughter  of  Lewis  and 
Margaret  (Anderson)  Wolverton.  Their  children  were  Mary  E.,  Levi, 
Lewis,  Abigail,  Nathan,  Lawrence  and  Hester.  Levi  and  Lewis  are  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Ekleberry  was  again  married,  June  11,  1868,  to  Miss  Isabel 
Baker,  widow  of  Joseph  Baker,  who  died  August  13,  1867,  leaving  four 
children — Mary  T.,  Arthur  E.,  Addie  E.  and  Harry  W.  By  his  second 
wife,  Mr.  Ekleberry  has  three  children — Laura  J.,  Jessie  S.  and  Daisy  L. ; 
the  eldest,  Laura  J.  being  deceased  since  December  6,  1873. 

EPHRAIM  GAVER  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Md.,  February  5, 
1820.  His  parents  were  Peter  and  Barbara  (Miller)  Gaver,  natives  of  the 
same  county,  married  May  16,  1815.  In  1832,  they  moved  West,  and  lo- 
cated near  Tiffin,  where  Mr.  Gaver  engaged  in  carpenter's  work  and  reared 
his  family  of  eight  children — Mary,  Harriet,  Ephraim,  Rebecca,  John, 
Rachel  O. ,  Ezra  and  David.  Mary  and  Harriet  are  deceased.  The  mother 
was  born  February  14,  1795,  and  died  April  21,  1845,  her  remains  ai'e  interred 
at  Sycamore;  the  father  was  born  January  1,  1792,  and  died  October  30, 
1868.  Ephraim  Gaver,  our  subject,  engaged  as  a  farm  hand  in  1833,  and 
continued  in  this  occupation  with  one  employer  sixteen  years,  and  for  two 
years  thereafter  had  his  home  with  the  same  family.  He  obtaiDed  some 
education  in  different  schools,  and  by  industry  and  economy  was  enabled  to 
purchase  eighty  acres  of  timber  land  in  this  county  in  1845.  September 
21,  1856,  he  was  married  to  Felinda  M.  Smith,  daughter  of  Dennis  and  Abi- 
gail (June)  Smith,  a  native  of  Cuyahoga  County,  Ohio,  born  January  20, 
1839,  her  parents  natives  of  York  State.  They  came  to  Ohio  in  1836,  re- 
moved to  Hillsdale  County,  Mich.,  in  1845,  and  afterward  to  Eaton 
County  Mich.,  where  the  father  died  January  21,  1880.  They 
had  eight  children — James  L.,  Thursa  L.,  William  H.,  Martin  Van  B., 
Felinda  M.,  Catharine  R. ,  Mary  A.,  Eliza  D. ,  Alonzo  D.  and  Lucinda. 
Thursa,  Mary  A.  and  Lucinda  are  deceased.  In  1876,  Mr.  Gaver  erected 
a  good  residence  on  his  farm  and  removed  the  log  cabin.  He  is  the  father 
of  ten  children,  viz.,  Charles  S.,  Arvilla  L.,  Cassius  M.  and  Adelaide  (twins), 
Ezra  E.,  Mary  F.,  Laura  A.,  Barbara  E.,  Jessie  T.  and  Chancey  W.  Bar- 
bara E.  and  Jessie  T.  are  deceased:  the  former  died  November  8,  1870,  the 
latter  October  3,  1872.  Mr,  Gaver  is  liberal  in  his  religious  views,  re- 
garding the  Scriptures  as  history  only,  and  in  political  sentiments  is  a  Re- 
publican. 

ISAIAH  GIBSON,  son  of  Isaiah  and  Elizabeth  (Cudney)  Gibson,  was 
born  in  Tymochtee  Township  June  23,  1837.  His  parents  were  natives  of 
Ohio  and  New  York  State  respectively.  They  settled  in  Tymochtee  Township 
and  reared  a  family  of  seven  children,  viz. :  Mahala,  Robert,  Isaiah  and 
Eliza  (twins),  John,  Theodore  and  Emily  A.  Eliza  and  Emily  are  deceased. 
The  father  died  August  29,  1878;  the  mother  September  29,  1881.  Isaiah 
Gibson  was  married  February  1,  1858,  to  Ann  Limer,  a  native  of  Checkley, 
England,  daughter  of  William  and  Beatrice  (Beabmer)  Limer,  also  natives 


824  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

of  England,  where  the  latter  died;  the  former  emigi-ating  to  America  in 
1855,  and  marrying  Clarissa  Dumm  December  15,  1859,  and  soon  after  re- 
moved to  Missouri.  His  family  consisted  of  four  sons  and  five  daughters 
— William,  John,  George,  James,  Anna,  Mary,  Sarah,  Jane  and  Elizabeth; 
the  latter  two  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gibson  have  eight  children — Emily 
A.,  born  December  15,  1858;  Herbert,  January  8,  1860;  Mary  S.,  Decem- 
ber 20,  1861:  James  William,  October  13,  1863;  George  W.,  January  15, 
1866;  Cora  J.,  January  10,  1870;  Princess  U.,  September  7,  1873;  and 
Orley  Adoi'y,  January  30,  1880.  Mr.  Gibson  purchased  seventy-eight  and  a 
half  acres  of  land  in  Eden  Township  in  1879,  where  he  still  resides.  He 
is  a  stanch  Democrat  and  has  always  been  a  farmer. 

WILLIAM  GILLILAND  was  born  in  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio,  April 
3,  1836.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Susan  R.  (Stewart)  Gilliland,  natives  of 
Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  and  Maryland.  They  removed  from  the  former 
locality  to  Tuscarawas  County  in  1834,  and  to  Crawford  County  in  1846, 
entering  240  acres  and  soon  after  purchasing  1 60  acres  more.  There  were 
ten  children  in  the  family — Lucinda,  Jacob,  Edward,  David,  Susan,  Will- 
iam, James  L.,  John,  Madison,  Margaret  and  Geoi'ge.  Three  are  deceased 
— David,  shot  in  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  Second,  1862;  George,  who  died 
in  1847;  and  Susan,  who  died  in  1875.  The  death  of  the  father  occurred 
November  13,  1877.  William  Gilliland  was  married  May  6,  1855,  to  Cath- 
arine Thoman,  a  native  of  Saltzenheim,  Germany,  and  daughter  of  Coonrod 
and  Magdalene  (Bucher)  Thoman,  also  natives  of  Germany,  where  the  lat- 
ter died  between  the  years  1840  and  1843.  They  had  six  children — Mary, 
Catharine,  Magdalene,  Ann  M.,  Coonrod  and  Henry;  all  living  but  Ann 
M.,  who  died  in  Germany;  the  others  emi  rated  to  America  in  1842.  and 
settled  in  this  county  with  their  father,  who  subsequently  married  a  Mrs. 
Hess,  by  whom  no  children  were  born.  William  and  Catharine  Gilliland 
have  nine  children — James,  Susan  M.,  Levi,  Henry,  Madison,  Jacob,  Lu- 
cinda, Elizabeth  and  Alby.  In  1864,  Mr.  Gilliland  enlisted  for  one  year, 
or  till  the  close  of  the  war,  in  Company  C,  Seventy-eighth  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  remained  in  the  service  till  July  11,  1865,  when  he 
was  honorably  discharged  at  Louisville,  Ky.  After  several  transactions  in 
the  purchase  and  sale  of  small  tracts  of  land,  he  secured  eighty  acres  in  this 
townbhip,  whei-e  he  now  resides.  In  political  sentiment  Mr.  Gilliland  is  a 
Democrat;  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church. 

FREDERICK  KIN  LEY  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  July  2,  1839. 
His  parents  were  Frederick  and  Susan  (Shonabarger)  Kinley,  also  natives 
of  Baden,  and  who  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1846,  se^ttlmg  in  this 
county,  where  the  father  died  in  1875;  the  mother  is  stilly' a  resident  of 
Upper  Sandusky.  Their  children  were  Frederick,  Mary,  William,  Henry 
J.  Lewis,  Caroline  and  John  H.  Frederick,  our  subject,  resided  with  his 
parents  until  his  twenty-first  year;  he  then  "  worked  out  "  two  years,  after 
which  he  engaged  in  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  continued  eighteen 
years.  In  1863,  he  enlisted  as  an  Ohio  National  Guard,  and  was  called 
into  service  in  1864,  being  discharged  in  August  of  the  same  year.  After 
buying  and  selling  several  different  tracts,  he  established  himself  on  his 
present  farm  of  120  acres  in  1878,  and  has  since  devoted  himself  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  stock-raising.  Mr.  Kinley  was  married  November 
25,  1862, to  Esther  Ann  Brauns,a  native  of  this  county. daughter  of  Abraham 
and  Frances  (Coon)  Brauus.  They  have  two  children-  William  E.  and 
Nora  S. ;  and  both  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church.  Mr.  Kin- 
ley is  a  member  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and  a  Republican. 


EDEN  TOWNSHIP.  825 

MICHAEL  LAMBRIGHT  was  born  May  31,  1817.  He  is  a  native  of 
Richland  County,  Ohio,  and  son  of  John  and  Catharine  (^Smith)  Lambright, 
born  near  Hagerstown,  Md.,  where  they  were  married  and  resided  about 
ten  years,  moving  to  Richland  County,  Ohio,  in  1811-12.  John  Lambright 
was  drafted  and  served  a  short  period  in  the  war  of  1812,  receiving  an  hon- 
orable discharge.  He  reared  a  family  of  nine  children,  viz  :  John,  Pagie, 
Levi,  Catharine,  Henry,  Michael  and  David  (twins),  Rachel  and  Elizabeth. 
David  is  deceased.  The  father  died  in  1830;  the  mother  in  1850.  Michael 
Lambright  was  married  in  1837  to  Polly  Kidwiler,  of  Hagerstown,  Md. , 
native  of  Jefferson  County,  Va.,  and  to  this  anion  four  children  were  born — 
Emanuel,  Susan,  Levi  and  Mary.  Susan  and  Levi  are  deceased.  The 
mother  died  in  Eden  Township  in  the  year  1855,  and  Mr.  Lambright 
was  married  in  December,  1856,  to  Maria  Bowlby,  of  this  township,  and 
native  of  Somerset  County,  Peun.,  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  Bowlby, 
natives  of  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  Her  parents  had  thirteen 
children,  nine  now  living — Joseph,  Emanuel,  Jacob,  James,  Hannah,  Eliz- 
abeth, Manah,  Catharine  and  Sarah.  Their  mother  died  ia  March,  1859; 
the  father  in  1870.  In  1842,  Mr.  Lambright  purchased  eighty  acres  in  this 
township,  selling  the  same  five  years  later  and  purchasing  134  acres,  where 
he  now  resides.  In  1878,  he  added  forty  acres  to  this  farm,  now  owning 
174  acres,  valued  at  $100  to  $125  per  acre,  the  farm  joining  the  corporation 
line  of  Nevada.  Mr.  Lambright  has  always  devoted  his  attention  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  is  a  Democrat  and  has  served  the  township  in  vari- 
ous ways. 

REUBEN  LOWMASTER,  son  of  John  and  Ann  A.  (Schultz)  Lowmas- 
ter,  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  March  11,  1819.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  settled  in  Fairfield  County  in  an  early  day. 
Their  children  were  Mary,  John,  Sarah,  Susan,  Ellen,  Alexandra,  Reuben, 
Henry,  Rebecca,  William  R.,  Jefferson  S.,  Amelia  and  Jacob,  all  living  but 
Mary,  Ellen,  Alexendra,  Jefferson  S.  and  Henry.  The  father  died  in  1832, 
the  mother  in  1872.  Our  subject  has  engaged  in  carpenter's  work  to  some 
extent  in  connection  with  farming.  He  purchased  forty  acres  in  1846, 
which  he  traded  for  the  eighty  acres  on  which  he  now  resides.  He  owns 
100  acres,  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  In  1848,  in  partnership  with  Henry 
Boraff,  he  erected  a  saw  mill,  which  he  subsequently  traded  for  land.  He 
has  had  some  dealing  with  the  Indians,  being  a  Trustee  he  kept  a  negro 
(Sam  Welles)  pauper  two  years,  which  negro  had  been  waiter  and  hostler 
for  the  notorious  renegade  and  traitor,  Simon  Girty.  Mr.  Lowmaster  was 
married  June  24,  1838,  to  Isabel  Summers,  of  Faii'field  County,  Ohio,  born 
January  2.,  1821.  Their  children  are  Margaret  L.,  Jacob  S.,  Isaiah. Cath- 
arine M.,  Sarah  E.,  Levi  A.,  William  T.  and  Mary  E.  Margaret  is  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Lowmaster  was  Township  Trustee  several  years,  is  now  In- 
firmary Director. 

ABRAHAM  MACKEY  was  born  in  Belmont  County,  Ohio,  July  31, 
1829,  son  of  John  and  Jane  (Nesbit)  Mackey  (see  sketch).  He  resided 
with  his  parents  till  his  marriage  to  Mary  Jane  Price  January  3,  1857. 
She  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  daughter  of  George  B.  and  Anna 
Price.  They  have  five  children — Annie  Jane,  John  E.,  George  B.,  Emory 
E.  and  Ray.  Mr.  Mackey  inherited  eighty-six  acres  of  land  from  his  fath- 
er's estate,  and  upon  this  farm  he  has  established  a  comfortable  home.  He 
has  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  about  thirty-one  years,  and  has  his 
farm  stocked  with  the  best  grades  of  stock.  He  favors  Republicanism,  arid 
with  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church. 


826  HISTORV  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

JAMES  McLaughlin  is  a  native  of  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  born  July 
8,  1825.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Mary  (Bare)  McLaughlin,  the  former 
born  near  Strasburg.  Va.,  in  1798;  the  latter  near  Glades,  Penn.,  in  1788. 
They  were  married  in  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  and  were  the  parents  of  live 
children,  namely:  Daniel,  James,  John,  Abraham  and  Samuel,  the  latter 
deceased  since  April  16,  1848.  The  parents  removed  from  Carroll  County 
to  Wyandot  in  1848,  and  purchased  320  acres  of  land,  which  they  improved 
and  which  is  now  worth  $100  per  acre,  being  still  in  the  possession  of  the 
McLaughlin  family,  save  twenty-four  acres  sold  to  the  corporation  of  Ne- 
vada. The  father  died  in  June,  1853;  the  mother  June  8,  1849.  James 
McLaughlin  was  reared  and  educated  in  Carroll  County,  and  came  to  this 
county  with  his  parents,  with  whom  he  remained  until  his  marriage  Febru- 
ary 8,  1850,  to  Miss  Anna  Harrison,  daughter  of  William  J.  and  Lydia 
(Capper)  Harrison,  born  January  25,  1822.  By  this  wife  two  children  were 
born— Mary  E.,  February  17,  1851,  and  Nancy  J.,  September  10,  1853,  the 
former  deceased  since  Februaiy,  1857.  Mrs.  McLaughlin's  decease 
occurred  June  13,  1857,  and  our  subject  was  again  married  January 
28,  1858,  to  Ellen  Walker,  three  children  resulting  from  this  mar- 
riage, two  of  whom  are  living,  namely:  Millard  F.,  born  December  8, 1858, 
and  Miles  H.,  born  August  9,  1860.  Elmore  (twin  to  Millard)  died  Decem- 
ber 18,  1858.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  McLaughlin  settled  upon  his  present 
farm,  where  he  has  resided  more  than  thirty-three  years.  He  owns  254 
acres,  more  than  half  within  the  corporation  of  Nevada,  and  valued  at  $100 
per  acre.  He  inherited  eighty  acres  from  his  father's  estate,  also  about 
$1,000  from  the  same,  and  has  earned  the  remainder  by  hard  and  persistent 
toil.  He  rears  considerable  stock  of  good  grades  and  is  one  among  the  sub- 
stantial farmers  of  Eden  Township.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  with  his 
family  is  associated  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

GEORGE  W.  MILLER,  son  of  Frederick  and  Elizabeth  fWalder)  Mil- 
ler, is  a  native  of  this  county,  born  February  22,  1854.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  Germany,  and  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1846,  locating  in  Bu- 
cyrus,  but  subsequently  residing  ten  years  in  this  county,  and  returning  to 
Crawford  County,  where  they  now  live.  Their  children  were  nine  in  num- 
ber, three  now  living,  viz.,  Jacob  F.,  John  G.  and  George  W.  The  latter 
was  married  April  3,  1873,  to  Susan  A.  Wilson,  a  native  of  Richland 
County,  Ohio,  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  (Knodle)  Miller,  natives  of 
Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  of  Scotch  descent.  They 
came  to  Richland  County  in  1832,  removing  to  this  county  fourteen  years 
later.  They  had  eight  children,  three  now  living — Barbara  A.,  Levi  and 
Susan  A.  To  George  W.  and  Sarah  A.  Miller  six  children  have  been  born: 
Lillie  May,  December  16,  1873;  Margie.  May  23,  1875;  Carrie,  January 
22,  1878;  Herman  L.,  January  28,  1880;  Charles  L,  March  7,  1882,  and 
Arthur  J.,  August  31,  1883;  all  living  but  Lillie,  who  died  January  7,  1875. 
After  obtaining  and  disposing  of  several  different  tracts  of  land,  Mr.  Miller 
purchased  160  acres  in  this  township,  where  he  now  resides.  His  farm  is 
valued  at  $100  per  acre,  and  is  a  very  desirable  location.  Mr.  Miller  is  a 
Republican  and  a  substantial  and  worthy  citizen. 

JOHN  W.  MILLIGAN  was  born  in  this  pounty  December  24,  1835. 
He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Susan  (Weddel)  Milligan,  natives  of  Fairfield 
County,  Ohio,  and  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  respectively.  They  set- 
tled in  this  county  in  1828,  and  were  the  parents  of  nine  children — Ricb^rd 
E. ,  Joseph,  Keturah,  Priscilla,  Mary,  William,  Abraham,  John  W.  and  Sarah 
E.      The  deceased  are  Richard,  Joseph,  Keturah,  Sarah  E,,  Mary  and  Abra- 


EDEN  TOWNSHIP.  827 

ham.  Their  father  spent  his  life  in  the  Episcopal  ministry  and  died  in 
Sandusky  County,  August,  1855;  the  mother  died  April  16,  1878.  John 
Milligan  vas  married  December  12,  1858,  to  Mary  A.  Cole,  a  native  of 
Crawford  County,  daughter  of  James  and  Eleanor  (Moore)  Cole  (see 
sketch  of  William  H.  Cole).  Eight  children  have  resulted  from  this  union, 
viz.:  Amanda  E.,  born  October  15,  1859;  Rosella,  December,  22,  1860;  Em- 
ma J.,  August  8.  1863;  Sarah  E.,  December  22.  1865;  Saraantha  A.,  Sep- 
tember 19,  1867;  Julia  A.,  December  2,  1868;  Jay.  August  6,  1870;  Guy, 
April  13,  1872;  Florence  J.,  April  18,  1875;  Dow,  October  20,  1879.  The 
deceased  are  Rosella  and  Julia.  Mr.  Milligan  has  always  been  a  farmer, 
though  in  May,  1864,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
fourth  Regiment  Ohio  National  Guard,  and  remained  during  the  "  100  day" 
service,  being  mustered  out  at  Columbus  September  2,  1864.  In  1865,  he 
purchased  eighty  acres,  to  which  he  has  since  added  thirty  acres,  where  he 
•now  resides.  He  is  a  Republican  in  political  sentiment,  himself  and  family 
being  members  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church. 

BENJAMIN  MORRIS  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  August  5, 
1823;  son  of  Joseph  and  Lydia  (Jacobs)  Morris,  natives  of  Delaware  and 
Virginia  respectively,  married  in  1821.  They  moved  to  this  county  in 
1830,  piu'chased  land  in  Tymochtee  Township,  and  had  seven  children — 
Benjamin,  Margaret,  Elias,  Elizabeth,  John,  Carolintj  and  Charles.  John 
and  Caroline  are  deceased;  the  mother  died  in  October,  1861,  the  father  in 
April,  1863.  Benjamin  Morris  was  married  March  9,  1854,  to  Eleanor 
Walton,  daughter  of  John  and  Casander  (Ritter)  Walton,  of  this  county. 
They  had  five  children — Belinda,  Albert  H.,  Janette,  Finley  and  Sherman 
O.  Mrs.  Eleanor  Morris  died  October  27,  1867,  and  Mr.  M.  was  remarried 
December  31,  1868,  to  Mrs.  Jane  Bowers,  daughter  of  James  S.  and  Hettie 
Harper,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively,  and  who  had  four 
children — Samuel  M.,  Jane,  Ellen  and  James  F.  Mrs.  Bowers  had  three 
children  by  her  first  husband,  viz. ,  Brink  W.,  Cora  E.  and  Waltie  J.  Mr. 
Morris  made  a  trip  to  California  in  1850,  but  returned  two  years  later  and 
settled  on  his  present  farm,  purchased  in  1848,  and  which  he  has  thoroughly 
improved.  He  now  owns  240  acres,  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Forty- fourth  Regiment  Ohio  National 
Guard,  and  served  100  days;  was  in  the  skirmish  with  Mosby's  guerrillas, 
the  most  important  engagement.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Protestant  Church  and  highly  esteemed  as  citizens. 

JOSEPH  NEWMAN,  only  living  son  of  John  and  Mary  Newman,  was 
born  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  July  17,  1822,  his  parents  natives  of  Connecti- 
cut. Mr.  Newman  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  this  township  in  1860, 
and  has  since  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits;  prior  to  that  time  he  was 
engaged  a  few  years  in  the  blacksmithing  trade.  He  was  married  in  1848, 
to  Mary  Jane  Weller,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Charlotte  Weller,  natives  of 
England,  and  nine  children  have  blessed  their  union —  John,  Cyrus,  Rhoda, 
Aldo,  Emily,  Frank,  Charlotte,  William  and  Martha.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  New- 
man are  highly  esteemed  as  citizens  and  have  a  comfortable  home. 

ROBERT  W.  POOL  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  August  13, 
1837.  His  parents  were  Ira  and  Margaret  Pool,  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
who  came  to  Ohio  in  1814.  They  were  married  in  Richland  County,  and 
reared  six  children — Robert  W.,  George  W.,  Horey  I.,  Almond  M.,  Sarah  A. 
and  Elizabeth  J.  George  W.  and  Almond  are  deceased,  the  former  dying 
in  the  army,  the  latter  in  Upper  Sandusky  from  disease  contracted  in  the 
war.     Mrs.  Pool  died  July  28,  1848,  and  Mr.  Pool  located  in  this  county  in 


828  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

1850,  marrying  Lucy  A.  Dille,  of  Richland  County,  a  native  of  York  State, 
four  children  resulting  from  this  union — Frank  M. ,  Sherman  Ira,  Rosetta 
M.  and  Jesse  F.  Their  father  died  December  24,  1864,  his  widow  now  the 
wife  of  Mr.  Kenan,  of  Upper  Sandusky.  Robert  W.  Pool  was  engaged  in 
teaching  about  five  years,  attending  high  school  at  Upper  Sandusky  and  the 
Baldwin  University  in  the  meantime.  April  20,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany G,  Fifteenth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  serving  this  call;  re- 
enlisted  September  20,  1861,  in  Company  H,  Fifty-fifth  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  raised  from  private  to  Captain  of  Company  A; 
participated  in  the  Vjattles  of  Bull  Run,  Gettysburg,  Fredericksburg  and 
many  others;  transferred  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  in  all  the 
battles  till  the  capture  of  Atlanta,  being  discharged  on  account  of  ill  health. 
Mr.  Pool  was  married  March  26,  1863,  to  Rachel  E.  Armstrong,  of  Eden 
Township,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  after  his  discharge  served  as  Pro- 
vost Marshal  at  Lima,  Ohio,  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  engaged  m  the 
lumber  business  at  Milton  Center  a  short  time,  and  moved  to  his  present 
home  in  1868.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  himself  and  wife  attending 
the  Grange,  and  holding  membership  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Re  has  served  as  Township  Treasurer,  and  as  Steward  and  Leader  in  hi& 
church. 

GEORGE  B.  PRICE,  son  of  Robert  and  Jane  (Payer)  Price,  was  born 
in  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  June  18,  1812.  His  parents  were  natives  of  New 
York  and  New  Jersey,  and  had  nine  children-  John,  Jonah  H.,  George  B., 
Samuel,  Daniel  F.,  Darius  H.,  Sarah  A.,  Jane  and  Catharine.  Jonah,  Sam- 
uel and  Sarah  A.  are  deceased;  the  mother  died  in  August,  1832;  the  father 
in  1860,  both  in  Warren  County,  N.  J.  George  B.  Price  resided  with  his 
parents  till  1832,  being  married  September  8th  of  that  year  to  Anna  Man- 
ning, of  Warren  County  N.  J.,  a  native  of  New  York,  and  daughter  of 
Ephraim  and  Sarah  (Reed)  Manning,  who  were  natives  of  Warren  County, 
N.  J.,  and  who  were  the  parents  of  five  children — Amos,  Isaac  R.,  Mary  M., 
Hannah  and  Anna,  all  deceased,  including  the  parents.  To  George  B.  and 
Anna  Price  were  born  ten  children — Isaac  M.,  Aaron  R.,  Mary  J.,  Sarah  E., 
Margaret  A.,  Hannah  M. ,  Eliza  C,  John  M. ,  Laura,  Ellen  and  George  W. 
Isaac  M. ,  Aaron  R. ,  George  W.  and  John  M.  are  deceased;  the  mother  died 
March  22,  3877.  Mr.  Price  migrated  to  Ohio  in  1838,  settling  first  in  Han- 
cock County,  removing  to  this  county  some  time  after.  He  purchased 
120  acres  of  land  where  he  now  resides,  and  which  is  tilled  by  his  son-in- 
law,  Mr.  George  F.  Rapp,  who  was  married  to  Laura  E.  Price  July  11,  1870. 
They  have  five  children — John  F. ,  Ida  Belle,  Rosa  May,  George  R.  and 
Maggie  A.  Jay  is  deceased — died  September  18,  1880.  Mr.  Price  has 
suffered  many  hardships,  but  has  accumulated  considerable  property,  hav- 
ing given  liberally  to  his  children.  In  1846,  he  began  life  in  the  woods 
with  a  large  family,  cleared  thirty-five  acres  for  the  use  of  it  seven  years, 
and  then  moved  to  his  present  place  of  residence.  He  has  served  as  Con- 
stable several  years,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church, 
of  which  his  wife  also  was  a  faithful  member. 

JAMES  E.  SANKEY,  son  of  Eli  and  Amelia  (Walker)  Sankey,  was  born 
in  Huntington  County,  Penn.,  January  9,  1853.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  settled  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  in  1854.  Their 
children  were  Mary  E.,  Ann  E.,  Lemuel  S.,  David,  Martha,  John  VV.,  Agnes 
K.,  James  E.  and  Genevra  E.  The  deceased  are  Mary  E.,  David  and  the 
mother,  who  died  June  12,  1883.  The  father  still  resides  at  the  old  home- 
stead, where  he  has  followed  agricultural  pursuits  about  twenty -one  years. 


EDEN  TOWNSHIP.  829 

James  Sankey  resided  with  his  parents  till  March  2,  IS?'^,  at  which  date  he 
was  married  to  Susan  Coon,  widow  of  J.  R.  Coon,  who  died  March  28,  1874, 
leaving  three  sons — Jacob,  Charles  E.  and  Edwin  E.,  the  latter  deceased. 
Mr.  Sankey  followed  the  carpenter's  trade  till  his  marriage,  since  which 
time  he  has  engaged  in  farming.  He  is  a  Democrat  politically,  and  with 
his  wife  holds  a  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Nevada. 

CASPER  S.  SAYANK  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  October  8, 
1837,  to  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Study)  Swank,  natives  of  Franklin  County, 
Penn.,  where  they  were  married  March  22,  1814.  They  came  to  Richland 
County  in  1817,  and  were  the  parents  of  the  following  childi-en:  John, 
Margaret,  Elizabeth,  Susan,  Christian,  Daniel,  Hannah,  Henry,  Mary, 
Jackson  and  Casper  survive.  The  mother  died  April  17,  1859  ;  the 
father  April  11,  1876.  In  1858,  our  subject  went  to  California,  and 
enlisted  in  Company  I,  Third  Regiment,  California  Volunteer  Infant- 
ry, Capt.  Lewis  in  command.  Marched  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  thence 
to  Fort  Bridges,  being  discharged  in  October,  1863.  Came  to  Rich- 
land County,  and  again  enlisted  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Eighty- 
seventh  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Capt.  Cockby,  serving 
about  three  years,  pasf^ing  through  without  a  scar,  and  returning  home  in 
August,  1864.  In  the  same  year  he  came  to  Eden  Township,  purchasing 
eighty  acres,  on  which  he  resided  eight  years,  subsequently  buying  103 
acres  where  he  now  resides.  He  was  married,  March  13,  1865,  to  Caroline 
Larick.  a  native  of  this  township,  and  daughter  of  George  and  Margaret 
(Lea)  Larick,  natives  of  Germany,  who  emigrated  to  America  in  an  early 
day,  settling  first  in  Tuscarawas  County,  then  in  Eden  Township,  this  coun- 
ty. Their  children  were  Andrew,  Catharine,  Henry,  William,  Caroline, 
Levi,  Louie  and  Lovina.  Smilda  and  Melissa  are  deceased.  The  father 
died  in  1858;  the  mother  is  still  living  in  her  sixty-seventh  year.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Swank  are  the  parents  of  seven  children — Lester  O.  R.,  Louie  T.  V., 
Valeria  A.,  Jacob  G..  Lovina  C,  Elzie  L.  and  Mary  Z.  Lovina  C.  is  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Swank  is  the  owner  of  133  acres  (thirty  acres  within  the  cor- 
poration of  Nevada),  valued  at  $85  per  acre.  He  has  served  as  Township 
Treasurer,  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  a  Democrat  politically. 

JAMES  TAYLOR,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Crawford 
County,  Ohio,  August  20,  1844.  His  parents,  George  and  Mary  C.  Taylor, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  came  to  Ohio  in  1840,  and  settled 
first  in  Crawford  County,  where  he  was  married  in  1843  to  Mary  E.  Ran- 
dolph, and  engaged  in  the  milling  business  till  1845,  when  he  removed  to 
Sycamore  Township,  this  county,  where  he  is  still  engaged  in  operating  a 
flouring  mill.  James  Taylor  resided  with  his  parents  till  1869,  when  ho 
purchased  eighty  acres  in  Eden  Township,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  and  stock  dealing,  operating  eighty  acres  of  his 
father's  land  adjoining  his  own.  Mr.  Taylor  was  married,  October  30,  1873, 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Hall,  of  Benton,  Crawford  County.  Her  parents  were 
Edward  and  Ann  (Fielding)  Hall,  natives  of  Ireland  and  England  respect- 
ively. The  names  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taylor's  children  are  George  E.,  born 
September  26,  1874;  Bessie  L.,  September  16,  1875;  Randolph  H.,  Decem- 
ber 27,  1876;  Arthur  F.,.  May  18,  1878;  Roscoe  A.,  January  30,  1880. 
George  E.  is  deceased — died  September  8,  1875,  aged  eleven  months  fif- 
teen days.  Mr.  Taylor  is  well  respected  as  a  citizen,  and  votes  in  the  in- 
terest of  Republicanism. 

PETER  TRAXLER  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  November  13, 
1825.     His  parents,  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Cramer)   Traxler,  were  natives 


830  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

of  Cumberland  County.  Penn.,  were  married  there,  and  subsequently  moved 
to  Stark  County,  Ohio,  where  they  reared  a  family.  Their  children  were 
Catharine,  Elizabeth,  George,  Daniel,  Peter  and  John,  all  deceased  but  the 
three  latter.  Our  subject,  Peter,  was  married,  March  25, 1846,  to  Catharine 
Conkle,  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  native  of  Columbiana  County,  Ohio, 
daughter  of  Adam  and  Mary  (Wyerbaugh)  Conkle,  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
Her  parents  were  married  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  and  moved  to 
Crawford  County  about  1837,  their  children  being  Nicholas,  Catharine, 
Elizabeth,  Jason,  Jacob,  Sarah  J.,  William  H.,  Samuel  S.,  Adam  and  Mary. 
Their  father  died  Alay  7,  1872;  the  mother  January  8,  1874.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Traxler  have  eleven  children,  viz.,  Daniel  C,  Adam  W.,  Peter  P., 
Nicholas  C,  Jacob  J.,  Mary  E.,  John  N.  R. ,  Cicly  Jane,  Ida  L.,  Jason 
W.  and  Francis  L.  Mr.  Traxler  lived  with  his  parents  till  twenty-one 
years  o-f  age,  and  attended  the  common  schools.  In  1851,  he  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  timber  land,  on  which  he  built  a  frame  house,  in  which 
he  lived  till  1873,  when  he  completed  a  fine  brick  residence.  He  owns  120 
acres  of  good  land,  valued  at  $75  per  acre,  his  wife  owning  live  city  lots 
in  Bucyrus,  valued  at  $2,000.  Mr.  Traxler  is  a  Democrat.  His  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

LEMAR  WALTON  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  August  8,  1822.  His 
parents  were  John  and  Casander  (Ritter)  Walton,  natives  of  New  Jersey  and 
Kentucky  respectively.  They  were  married  in  Ross  County,  September  19, 
1819,  and  removed  to  this  county  in  1833,  where  the  father  died  August  25, 
1835.  They  had  nine  children — Henry,  Lemar,  William  H.  and  John  W^ 
(twins),  Samuel  A.,  Melinda  A.,  Eleanor,  Nancy  and  Nelson.  Lemar,  Sam- 
uel A.  and  Melinda  A.  are  the  only  ones  living;  the  mother  died  August  5, 
1849.  Lemar  W^alton  was  married  April  3,  1849,  to  Magdalene  Huflford, 
daughter  of  Christopher  and  Catharine  (Corfman)  Hufford,  of  Tymochtee 
Township;  her  parents  were  natives  of  Maryland  and  Ohio  respectively. 
They  settled  in  this  county  in  1828,  where  Mr.  Hufford  still  resides;  his 
wife  died  August  20,  1851.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hufford  ara  the  parents  of  nine 
<;hildren — Magdalene,  George  W.,  Catharine,  Barbara,  Conrad,  Mary, 
Lydia,  Elizabeth  and  Sarah  M.  Elizabeth  is  deceased.  Mr.  Walton  has 
always  engaged  in  farming:  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres 
in  1851,  and  has  reared  a  family  of  ten  children  -Samuel  A.,  Isaiah  W., 
Mary  E.  and  Sarah  E.  (twins),  Willis  C,  Eliza  Ann,  Levi  F.,  Jasper  N., 
Allen  L. ,  and  Florence  J.  Sarah  E.  is  deceased,  died  September  26,  1872. 
Mr.  Walton  owns  218  acres  in  this  county,  and  in  1873  purchased  160  acres 
in  Kansas,  which  he  gave  to  his  sons;  he  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Evangelical  Church,  of  which  faith  their  son,  S,  A.  Walton,  is  a  minister 
in  Madison  County,  Iowa. 

FRANK  M.  WELCH  was  born  in  this  township,  March  19,  1855;  his 
parents,  James  and  Isabel  (Hicks)  Welch,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
New  York  respectively,  and  were  married  in  this  county,  their  children  be- 
ing Frank  M.,  Ransom  H.  and  Edward  M.  The  father  died  May  7,  1869; 
the  mother  July  26,  1880.  Frank  M.  Welch  was  married  October  18, 1881, 
to  Lillian  N.  Maskey,  of  this  township,  native  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio, 
born  May  8,  1863,  daughter  of  Eli  and  Nancy  C.  (Wert)  Maskey,  natives  of 
Ashland  and  Crawford  Counties  respectively.  Her  parents  were  married  at 
Bucyrus,  and  resided  many  years  in  Crawford  County,  their  chilren  Lillian 
N. ,  Dora  V.,  Newlove  G.,  and  Orland  C,  all  being  born  there;  the  parents 
now  reside  in  Eden  Township.  Mr.  Welch  has  always  been  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  owns  an  interest  in  an  undivided  estate  of  271 


EDEN  TOWNSHIP.  831 

acres,  valued  at  $75  to  $100  per  acre.  He  has  had  charge  of  the  home 
farm  since  his  father's  death,  and  is  an  energetic  farmer,  and  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic persuasion  in  politics. 

REUBEN  YARK,  son  of  Solomon  and  Catharine  (Bower)  Yark,  was 
born  in  Mahoning  County,  Ohio,  January  2,  1837.  He  remained  with  his 
parents  till  March  3,  1864,  at  which  time  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  E. 
Neville,  born  in  London,  England,  March  1,  1844,  daughter  of  John  F. 
and  Elizabeth  (Baker)  Neville,  natives  of  London  and  Barkway,  England, 
and  who  emigrated  to  the  United  States  about  1850,  and  settled  in  Phila- 
delphia, where  Mrs.  Neville  died  in  1855.  Their  children  were  ten  in 
number,  Ellen  E.  being  the  only  surviving.  The  father  was  a  book  binder 
by  trade,  and  engaged  in  that  occupation  in  Philadelphia  and  Buffalo  till 
1859,  when  he  went  to  St.  Louis  where  he  still  resides.  He  was  forced  to 
leave  St.  Louis  in  1861  by  the  Union-Secession  riot,  and  accordingly  went  to 
Sedalia,  Mo.,  where  he  assisted  in  organizing,  and  was  commissioned  Major 
of  the  Seventh  Regiment  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  till  the 
close  of  the  war  when  he  returned  to  St.  Louis;  he  is  now  the  father  of 
three  children — William,  Reuben  and  Eliza,  by  a  second  wife.  Our  sub- 
ject being  a  carpenter  by  trade  followed  this  occupation  about  twelve  years 
after  his  marriage.  In  1876,  he  engaged  in  the  poultry  and  country  prod- 
uce business,  sold  out  in  1884,  and  turned  his  attention  to  farming;  he  is 
the  father  of  three  children — John  N.,  born  July  3,  1865;  Emma  A.,  March 
17,  1868;  and  Reuby  E.,  September  29,  1877.  Emma  A.  is  deceased;  her 
death  occurring  August  6,  1870.  Mr.  Yark  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  Nevada  Lodge,  No.  277,  and  a  Democrat  politically. 


1S553 


832  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  V. 

JACKSON    TOWNSHIP. 

Okganization—Boundauies— Physical  Features  and  Products— Streams 
—Roads  and  Railroads— First  Settlements— Schools— Churches — 
Cemeteries— Owners  of  Real  and  Personal  Estate  in  1845— Township 
Officials — First  Things— Kirby  "Village— Statistics— Biographical 
Sketches. 

JACKSON  TOWNSHIP,  which  comprises  Townships  3  and  4  south, 
Range  12  east,  received  its  name  in  honor  of  Andrew  Jackson,  seventh 
President  of  the  United  States.  It  lies  in  the  southwest  part  of  Wyandot 
County  and  was  at  one  time  a  component  part  of  Hardin  County,  being  a 
portion  of  the  township  lying  west  of  it  in  said  county,  and  organized  bome 
time  before  its  annexation  to  Wyandot,  on  the  erection  of  the  latter  in  1845, 
in  which  year  it  was  detached  from  Hardin. 

Jackson  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Richland  Township,  on  the  east  by 
Mifflin  Township,  on  the  south  by  Marseilles  Township  and  part  of  Hardin 
County,  and  on  the  west  by  Hardin  County. 

physical  features. 

Like  other  townships  in  this  county,  Jackson  presented  to  the  first  set- 
tlers many  stubborn  obstacles,  owing  to  the  heavy  timber  covering  it  and  the 
level  character  of  its  surface.  The  settlement  of  the  township  was,  conse- 
quently, comparatively  slow,  but  time  and  the  indomitable  perseverance 
and  industry  of  the  prudent  husbandman  have  converted  the  forest  into  a 
fine  agricultural  garden,  studded  with  thriving  and  well- fenced  farms,  on 
which  are  erected  substantial  and  comfortable  dwellings,  barns,  etc.,  and 
the  nature  of  the  well-cultivated  soil  asserts  its  claim  to  unbounded  fertili- 
ty in  the  production  of  wheat,  corn  and  other  ordinary  cereals,  as  well  as 
affording  ample  encouragement  for  stock-raising  and  the  development  of  the 
dairy  industry.  Indeed,  when  the  drainage  is  completed,  Jackson  will  be- 
come second  to  none  as  a  farming  township, 

Several  small  tributaries  of  the  Sandusky  River  have  their  sources  in 
this  township.  Three  running  eastward  take  birth — the  most  northerly  one 
in  Section  10  on  Samuel  Baker's  farm;  the  next  southward,  in  Section  23, 
on  S.  F.  Walker's  farm,  and  the  most  southerly, also  in  Section  23,  on  the 
farm  of  D.  S.  Nye.  The  two  first  mentioned  unite  on  the  farm  of  John  F. 
Zimmerman,  Section  13,  and  the  stream  shortly  afterward  leaves  Jackson, 
on  the  farm  of  John  Callahan,  Section  13,  for  Mifflin  Township;  the  third 
stream  leaves  Jackson  for  Mifflin  on  the  farm  of  James  Holmes,  Section  13, 
and  the  two  meeting  in  the  latter  township  form  what  is  known  as  Oak 
Run.  Three  streams  running  southeast  have  their  sources — the  most  norther- 
ly about  the  farm  of  John  Flower,  Sections  28  and  33,  flowing  southeast  till  it 
crosses  the  northwest  corner  of  Marseilles  Township  (where  it  adjoins  Sec- 
tion 34),  then  entering  Jackson  Township  again,  on  the  farm  of  H.  Young, 
courses  southward  and  unites  on  the  farm  of  John  Wilkins,  Section  3  south, 
with  the  next  southerly  run,  which  rises  in  Hardin  County,  enters   Jackson 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  833 

by  the  farm  of  William  T.  Baker,  Section  4  south,  flows  east  and  southeast, 
and,  before  bidding  adieu  to  Jackson  Township,  the  third  and  most  south- 
erly stream,  which  also  rises  in  Hardin  County,  flowing  northeast  and  east, 
adds  its  quota  to  the  two  first  streams  on  the  farm  of  John  Wilkins,  in  the 
southeast  corner  of  Section  8  south,  at  which  point  the  trio,  now  unified, 
enters  Marseilles  Township  when  it  babbles  onward  to  its  goal  under  the 
euphonious  title  "Little  Tymochtee  Creek."  There  are  a  few  smaller  runs 
in  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the  township,  but  they  are  comparatively 
insignificant.  They  all  ultimately,  however,  serve  to  swell  the  Sandusky 
River,  each  modest  little  stream  being  quite  as  industrious  and  honest  on  its 
journey  to  its  final  destination  as  its  more  pretentious  andnoisy  neighbor. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  for  the  most  part  this  township  is  well  watered. 
Good,  substantial  roads  intersect  the  township  from  all  points  of  the  com- 
pass, the  first  cut  and  first  regularly  laid  out  being  the  Findlay  &  Marion 
road.  The  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad  passes  through  the 
northern  division,  entering  at  Kirby  Village  (where  there  is  a  station),  in 
the  northeast  corner  of  Section  1,  and  leaving  at  the  southwest  angle  of 
Section  4,  it  enters  Hardin  County  a  short  distance  from  Forest,  where  the 
Cincinnati,  Sandusky  &  Cleveland  Railroad  crosses  it. 

FIRST    SETTLEMENTS. 

The  first  white  settler  in  Jackson  Township  was  old  Mr.  Hooey.  Thomas 
C.  Beaven  and  his  son,  Henry,  came  in  1826.  Heniy  S.  Bowers,  born  in 
Chester  County,  Penn.,  in  1805,  came  to  this  township  in  1832,  traveling  a 
distance  of  350  miles  with  his  family  in  a  covered  wagon.  He  entered  350 
acres  of  land,  and  was  the  second  settler  in  Jackson  Township.  J.  D.  Bowers, 
born  in  New  York  State  in  1834,  came  to  this  township  with  his  father, 
Henry  S.  Bowers,  in  1832,  and  is  still  living.  He  is  a  leading  farmer  of 
the  county,  residing  on  Section  36. 

John  Abbott,  a  married  man  with  a  family  of  six  children,  born  in  New 
York  State,  came  in  1833,  settling  on  Section  3.  Samuel  M.  Burnett,  born 
February  19,  1820,  in  New  York  State,  came  to  Wyandot  County,  with  his 
parents,  Elisha  and  Polly  (Howe)  Burnett,  in  1834,  and  settled  in  this 
township,  where  he  now  resides  on  Section  3. 

John  Vanorsdall  came  in  1834;  John  Flower  and  Jacob  Derringer  in 
1835;  Abraham  Dean,  born  August  10,  1808,  in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y. , 
came  with  his  family  to  this  county  and  settled  in  this  township  in  1836; 
he  died  October  20,  1873;  his  son,  Hamilton  Dean,  now  resides  on  a  farm 
in  Jackson  Township.  William  Fitch  came  in  1837.  Walter  Sanford, 
another  of  the  pioneers,  was  born  in  New  York  in  1832,  and  came  to  this 
township  not  many  years  after;  his  farm  is  on  Sections  13  and  24.  Other 
settlers  of  that  period  were  Thomas  Shank,  James  McDaniels,  Isaac  Yor- 
ringer.  Christian  Roof,  John  Fink  and  Elisha  Burnett,  who  died  in  1872,  at 
the  patriarchal  age  of  ninety-eight  years.  At  a  later  day  came  John 
Sturm,  an  Albright  preacher,  Richard  Bainbridge,  a  local  Methodist  Epis- 
copal preacher.  Dr.  Cope,  Thomas  Scott,  Abraham  Tilberry,  Joseph  Barns, 
Isaac  Lane,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall,  Walter  Simmonson  and  others.  If,  here,  any 
names  have  inadvertently  been  omitted,  we  trust  no  one  may  be  disappointed, 
though,  in  the  words  of  Byron: 

"  'Tis  pleasant,  sure,  to  see  one's  name  in  print, 
A  book's  a  book,  although  there's  nothing  in't. " 


834  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

FIRST    THINGS. 

The  first  election  for  any  purpose  held  in  Jackson  Township  was  at  the 
house  of  Isaac  Yarian,  on  which  occasion  were  present  twelve  voters.  The 
first  death  recoi'ded  was  that  of  Elijah  Warner.  Early  settlers  had  for  a 
long  time,  when  in  quest  of  groceries  or  dry  goods,  etc.,  to  go  to  Marseilles 
Village,  in  the  township  of  that  name,  about  two  miles  south  of  the  town- 
ship line,  or  to  Patterson,  in  Hardin  County,  a  short  distance  from  the 
county  line,  where  a  store  was  kept  years  ago  by  one  John  Hare.  The  first 
saw  mill  in  the  township  is  said  to  have  been  owned  by  William  Stamp  as 
late  as  1864. 

"  Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention"  is  a  time-worn  proverb,  and 
understood  in  its  application  by  none  better  than  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
Wyandot  County.  Man  is  naturally  an  inventive  creature,  and  whilst  many 
blessings  the  thousands  of  modern  discoveries  have  created  were  totally 
unknown  to  or  undreampt  of  by  the  first  settler  in  his  isolated  cabin,  his 
innate  instinct  soon  would  come  to  his  rescue  and  discover  to  him  that 
invention  is  indeed  the  natural  offspring  of  necessity.  An  apt  and  graphic 
illustration  is  given  us  by  Mr.  S.  M.  Burnett,  one  of  "  The  Old  Guard  of 
the  Woods,"  of  Jackson  Township:  "When  we  had  any  milling  to  be 
done,  we  had  to  go  a  distance  of  twenty  miles  through  mud  and  slush  to 
buy  a  bushel  or  so  of  corn,  which  we  had  to  carry  to  a  horse-mill  to  get 
ground,  and  then,  perchance,  have  to  wait  twenty-four  hours  before  the 
ponderous  task  could  be  accomplished.  Then,  again,  instead  of  taking  the 
corn  a  day's  journey  to  be  ground,  our  ingenuity  would  suggest  some  such 
alternative  as  making  a  grater  out  of  a  piece  of  tin  by  punching  holes  in 
it,  and  then  rubbing  the  corn  on  it  to  produce  meal;  or  else  we  would  dig 
in  the  bowels  of  the  earth  for  nigger-head  stones,  wherewith  to  make  mill- 
stones. Then,  after  a  hard  day's  work,  we  would  lay  our  wearied  frames 
down  and  be  lulled  to  balmy  sleep  by  the  frightful  and  incessant  bowlings 
of  ferocious  wild  beasts."' 

The  first  school  was  held  in  Section  15,  and  the  first  schoolhouse  was  on 
the  lands  of  James  McDaniels,  built  in  1840;  the  first  teacher  was  Hen- 
rietta Henderson.      There  are  now  eight  school  buildings  in  this  township. 

Following  were  the  owners  of  real  and  personal  estate  in  Jackson  Town- 
ship in  1845,  the  year  of  its  erection: 

OWNERS  OF  REAL  ESTATE. 

Ephraim  Atkinson,  Francis  Ashton,  Isaac  Alvord,  John  Ackley,  John 
Abbott,  Jacob  P.  Bowers,  William  Baker,  Leonard  Burnett,  James  Burnett, 
Aaron  Baird,  John  L.  Barton,  Thomas  Baker,  Henry  J.  Bowers,  Elijah  Bur- 
son,  William  Baker,  Joshua  Cope,  Samuel  Cranson,  Artemus  Corbett, 
Alexander  Campbell,  William  Chapman,  James  S.  Connell,  Abraham  Cross, 
Peter  Curran,  Samuel  Coy,  Malin  Cravin,  Jacob  Darringer,  Daniel 
Daugherty,  Abraham  Dean,  Charles  Dane,  Charles  Ely,  Richard  Ellis,  John 
Fink,  John  Flower,  Nathan  Finman,  John  Fitch,  William  Fitch,  John 
Glenn,  Joshua  Glenn,  William  C.  Greenwood,  James  S.  George,  William 
Gary,  Eleazer  Goodrich,  Charles  Huntley,  Talmage  Hildreth,  David  Har- 
rold,  Rebecca  Harrold,  Alexander  Hutchinson,  John  Heiser,  John  Hanna, 
Robert  Haun,  William  Huckel,  James  Hodges,  David  Harpster,  Aaron  B. 
Hartley,  Jabez  Hunter,  Thomas  James,  Kell  &  McConnell,  Samuel  Kirk, 
William  Kirk,  Robert  Laughrey,  Sebastian  Ley,  Jacob  Leonard,  Jacob 
Lower,  David  Lindsley,  James  Larimer,  Isabella  McCauley,  Samuel  Morse, 
Rodolphus    Morse,   Charles    McClure,    Wallace   McAllister,   John    Mong,. 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  836 

Merriman  &  Carey,  John  Mendall,  Robert  McGowen,  David  McGowen^ 
Horace  Nye,  Patrick  O'Neil,  Thomas  Perkins,  Erastus  Poor,  Henry  Pixler, 
Thomas  Pugh,  Peter  Parse]  1,  David  Pugh,  Ichabod  Rogers,  Salmon  Ruggles^ 

Orrin  Ruggles,  Christian  Ruflf, Rusher,  Henry  St.  John,  Thomas  Scott, 

Dennis  Roberts,  Jeremiah  J.Sanford,  Elijah  Sayles,  John  Sponseller,  John  and 
George  Stearn,  Fielding  Stone,  Thomas  Snyder,  Walter  Simerson,  David  L. 
Spiker,  Thomas  Shanks,  Samuel  Stone,  Horace  Taylor,  Ephraim  Van 
Sickles,  John  Vanorsdall,  John  L.  Webster,  Edward  Warner,  Aaron  and 
Henry  Ward,  John  Wahn,  Parker  Willcoxen,  Samuel  Wagoner,  Elizabeth 
Wilson,  John  Wirts,  Thomas  S.  Wells,  Mathias  Yearing,  Joseph  Zimmer- 
man, Peter  Zimmerman,  Henry  Zimmerman,  Adam  Kuhn,  Jacob  Frederick. 

OWNERS  OF  PERSONAL  PROPERTY. 

John  Abbott,  Isaac  Alvord,  Henry  S.  Bower,  William  Baker,  Joseph  Barnes,. 
James  Burnett,  Jacob  P.  Bowers,  Catharine  Crossan,  Samuel  Carson, Dr.  Will- 
iam Cope  (a  practicing  physician),  Jacob  Dearinger,  Abram  Dean,  Daniel  Dye, 
Richard  Ellis,  John  Flower,  William  Fitch,  John  Fink,  Daniel  Harrold, 
Charles  Huntley,  Thomas  Jones,  Daniel  Johnson,  Robert  Laughrey,  Jacob- 
Lower,  John  S.  McEwen,  Robert  McEwen,  David  McEwen,  James  McDan- 
iel,  Henry  Pixler,  Jeremiah  Poor,  John  Post,  Peter  Passal,  Abram  Passai, 
Michael  J.  Rambo,  Christian  Ruff,  Walter  Simerson,  Thomas  Spencer, 
Thomas  Shanks,  Jeremiah  Sanford,  John  G.  Stearn,  Thomas  Scott,  Elijah 
Sayles,  Thomas  Snyder,  David  Tyler,  John  Vanorsdall,  Matthew  Vander- 
bilt,  Betsey  Wilson,  Isaac  Yarian,  Peter  Zimmerman. 

KIRBY    VILLAGE. 

This  village  is  situated  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  township,  and 
was  surveyed  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Williams  for  M.  H.  Kirby.  The  Pittsburgh. 
Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad  passes  through  the  village.  It  has  become 
quite  a  prosperous  place,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  fine  agricultural  and  stock- 
raising  district.  It  was  laid  out  in  1854,  and  the  first  store  was  kept  by 
Philip  and  Frederick  Hineman.     Population  in  1880,  294. 

CHURCHES. 

As  was  customary  in  all  early  settlements,  preachings  in  the  primitive 
times  of  Jackson  Township  for  the  most  part  were  held  in  some  convenient 
schoolhouse,  or,  more  frequently,  in  the  cabins  of  the  pioneers.  In  this 
section  the  earliest  expovinders  of  the  Gospel  were  John  Sturm,  an  Albright 
preacher  of  some  merit  as  an  orator,  and  Richard  Bainbridge,  an  adherent 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  first  regular  place  of  worship  at- 
tended was  "  Shiloh,"  of  the  Christian  Union  denomination,  located  on  Sec- 
tion 3. 

The  Church  of  God,  sometimes  called  "  Kirby  Bethel,"  stands  within 
the  precinct  of  Kirby  Village,  and  was  organized  in  1855  by  Moses  Coates, 
missionary  of  the  Church  of  God  in  Ohio,  at  the  residence  of  James  War- 
ren, located  on  the  present  site  of  C.  E.  Sherman's  brick  business  room. 
The  first  membership  numbered  seven  souls,  viz. :  John  Mann,  Susanna 
Mann,  James  Warren,  Mary  VV^arren,  Matilda  Warren.  Mary  Barker  and 
Jefferson  Johnson.  The  initiative  meeting  was  held  in  1855,  in  the  back 
room  of  James  Culberson's  unoccupied  grocery,  those  present  being  Mose& 
Coates,  A.  J.  Wan-en  and  Charles  Coates.  The  church  building  of  this  society 
was  erected  in  1868  in  Mifflin  Township,  Section  6,  Lot  7  (Isaac  Mann's; 
since  added  to  the  village  of  Kirby).    The  building  is  of  frame  work,  40x50 


836  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

feet,  and  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,400.  The  pastors  have  been  as  fol- 
lows: From  1855  to  1863,  inclusive,  Moses  Coates,  NorrisCoates,  A.  J.  War- 
ren, J.  W.  Ankennan,  J.  W.  Senseny,  Levi  Keller,  David  Sherner  and 
Lyman  Ensminger.  From  1864  to  1867  the  church  was  without  any  pastor. 
In  the  latter  year,  it  was  re-organized  by  J.  W.  Senseny,  General  Mission- 
ary of  the  Church  of  God  in  Western  Ohio.  In  1867-68,  the  pastors  were 
J.  W.  Senseny  and  John  Yenner;  in  1869,  J.  W.  Senseny;  in  1870,  Ly- 
man Ensminger;  in  1871,  T.  H.  Deshiri;  in  1872,  Joseph  Neil;  in  1873, 
W.  H.  Oliver;  in  1874-76,  J.  V.  Updike;  in  1877,  J.  S.  McKee;  in  1878, 
G.  W.  Wilson;  1879-80,  J.  H.  Koogle;  in  1881-82,  M.  C.  Mowen;  in 
1888,  J.  E.  Hopard,  and  the  pastor  at  present  (1884)  is  J.  H.  McNutt,  with 
a  flock  of  forty-six  members.  The  church  officers  are:  W.  H.  Mann,  Asa 
Quail, —  Buting,  Elders;  John Fernbaugh,  George  Drews,  Deacons;  W.  H. 
Mann,  Clerk;  J.  H.  Hazendobler,  William  Stambaugh,  VV.  H.  Mann,  Trust- 
ees; W.  H.  Mann,  Secretary;  William  Stambaugh,  Treasurer. 

As.  unfortunately,  no  record  of  the  tirst  organization  has  been  kept,  the 
number  of  members  enrolled  during  the  nine  years  from  1855  to  1863  (both 
inclusive)  cannot  be  accurately  given,  but  there  must  have  been,  at  least, 
fifty,  so  avers  Mr.  W.  H.  Mann,  Clerk  of  the  church,  whose  authority  on 
all  matters  pertaining  to  this  society  cannot  well  be  other  than  conformable 
to  facts,  as  his  intimacy  with  its  history  was  very  close,  the  h(>use  of  his 
father,  in  the  earliest  days  of  the  church  and  for  many  years  afterward,  hav- 
ing been  on  most  occasions  the  dulce  domum  and  headquarters  of  the  pastors. 
Since  1869,  173  members  have  been  enrolled,  and  of  these  fifty-three  have 
moved  to  other  parts,  and  others  have  drifted  away  by  withdrawals,  demis- 
sion, disfellowship  or  in  the  unfortunate  role  of  backsliders. 

This  church  has  always  been  a  very  spiritual  and  liberal,  as  well  as 
enterprising  society.  It  has  one  Sunday  school  and  one  missionary  society. 
The  mode  of  baptism  has  uniformly  been  immersion,  and  members  are 
taken  into  full  fellowship  without  any  probation,  and  retained  as  such  until 
unworthy  of  church  fellowship. 

CEMETERIES. 

The  "silent  cities  of  the  dead"  in  this  township  number  five  at  least, 
one  being  in  each  of  Sections  4,  14,  23,  36  and  9  south.  There  are,  no 
doubt,  in  addition  to  these,  several  private  burial  places,  where  rest  in 
peace  the  ashes  of  honest-hearted,  primitive  sons  and  daughters  of  the  soil, 
and  full  many  a  weather-worn  tablet  marks  the  spot  where 

"  The  rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  sleep." 

TOWNSHIP  OFFICIALS. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  officials  who  have  served  Jackson  Town- 
ship since  the  organization  of  the  county  in  1845: 

1845 — Trustees,  John  Vanorsdall,  Thomas  Snider,  Joseph  Barnes; 
Clerk,  Isaac  Yarian;  Treasurer,  James  McDaniel. 

1846 — Trustees,  Thomas  Scott,  John  Vanorsdall,  Robert  McQuown; 
Clerk,  Isaac  Yarian;  Treasurer,  Henry  S.  Bower. 

1847 — Trustees,  Abram  Dean,  Robert  McQuown,  Peter  Zimmerman; 
Clerk,  Stewart  Adams;  Treasurer,  Henry  S.  Bower. 

1848 — Trustees,  William  Baker,  Peter  Parsell,  Peter  Zimmerman; 
Clerk,  Stewart  Adams;  Treasurer,  Henry  S.  Bower. 

1849 — Trustees,  William  Baker,  Thomas  Scott,  Abram  Dean;  Clerk, 
Stewart  Adams;  Treasurer,  Mathew  Vanderbelt. 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  837 

1850 — Trustees,  Joseph  Barnes,  Abram  Dean,  Isaao  N.  Lane;  Clerk, 
Stewart  Adams. 

1851 — Trustees,  Jacob  Derringer.  John  S.  McQuown,  (Jharles  Andrews; 
Clerk,  Stewart  Adams;  Treasurer,  Mathew  Vanderbelt. 

1852 — Trustees,  John  S.  McQunwn,  Peter  Zimmerman,  John  Vanorsdall; 
Clerk,  Abram  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  Mathew  Vanderbelt. 

1853 — Trustees,  John  S.  McQuown,  Peter  Zimmerman,  Tunis  Snider; 
Clerk,  Abram  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  Philip  Vanorsdall. 

1854 — Trustees,  Tunis  Snider,  Joseph  Barnes,  Edward  A.  Clark;  Clerk, 
Abram  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,   Philip  Vanorsdall. 

1855 — Trustees,  Tunis  Snider,  Joseph  Barnes,  Edward  A.  Clark;  Clerk, 
Abram  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  Philip  Vanorsdall. 

1856 — Trustees,  Peter  Zimmerman,  Daniel  Snider,  Thomas  Armstrong; 
Clerk  (appointed),  J.  S.  McQuown;  Treasurer,  Philip  Vanorsdall. 

1857— Trustees,  Peter  Zimmerman,  Daniel  Snider,  Thomas  Armstrong; 
Clerk,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  John  Vanorsdall. 

1858 — Trustees,  Peter  Zimmerman,  Daniel  Snider,  Thomas  Armstrong; 
Clerk,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  John  Vanorsdall. 

1859 — Trustees,  Daniel  Snider,  Jacob  Hemmerly,  Robert  P.  Baker; 
Clerk,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  John  Vanorsdall. 

1860 — Trustees,  Daniel  Snider,  Jacob  Hemmerly,  Robert  P.  Baker: 
Clerk,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  John  Vanorsdall. 

1861 — Ti'ustees,  Peter  Zimmerman,  Elijah  Vanorsdall,  Robert  P.  Baker; 
Clerk,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  John  Vanorsdall. 

1862 — Trustees,  Peter  Zimmerman,  Elijah  Vanorsdall,  Robert  P.  Baker; 
Clerk,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  John  Vanorsdall. 

1863 — Trustees,  Peter  Zimmerman,  Elijah  Vanorsdall,  Robert  P.  Baker; 
Clerk,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  John  Vanorsdall. 

1864 — Trustees,  Peter  Zimmerman,  Elijah  Vanorsdall,  Robert  P.  Baker; 
Clerk,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  John  Vanprsdall. 

1865 — Trustees,  Peter  Zimmerman,  William  Cope,  Abram  Dean;  Clerk, 
A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  John  Vanorsdall. 

1866 — Trustees,  Abram  Dean.  Robert  P.  Baker,  John  Parsell;  Clerk, 
A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  John  Vanorsdall. 

1867 — Trustees,  Robert  P.  Baker,  John  Parsell,  Peter  Zimmerman; 
Clerk.  A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  John  Vanorsdall. 

1868 — Trustees,  Robert  P.  Baker,  Peter  Zimmerman,  Henry  Beaven; 
Clerk,  Cornelius  Tuttle;  Treasurer,  Reuben  Barlien. 

1869 — Trustees,  Robert  B.  Baker,  Henry  Beaven,  Simon  Zimmerman; 
Clerk,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall;  Treasurer,  Reuben  Barlien. 

1870 — Trustees,  Simon  Zimmerman,  William  T.  Baker,  JohnH.  Forney; 
Clerk,  D.  W.  Alter;  Treasurer,  Reuben  Barlien. 

1871 — Trustees,  Simon  Zimmerman,  William  T.  Baker,  William  Red- 
fox;  Clerk,  D.  W.  Alter;  Treasurer,  Reuben  Barlien. 

1872 — Trustees,  Simon  Zimmerman,  William  T.  Baker,  John  Parsell; 
Clerk,  M.  H.  Waltermire;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall. 

1873 — Trustees,  William  T.  Baker,  John  Parsell,  John  H.  Forney; 
Clerk.  M.  H.  Waltermire;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall. 

1874— Trustees,  John  Parsell,  William  T.  Baker,  John  H.  Forney; 
Clerk,  M.  H.  Waltermire;  Treasurer,  A.  H.    Vanorsdall. 

1875— Trustees,  John  Parsell,  William  T.  Baker,  Philip  Heller;  Clerk, 
M.  H.  Waltermire;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall. 

37 


838  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

1876 — Trustees,  John  Parsell,  Philip  Heller,  Reuben  Barlien;  Clerk, 
M.  H.  Waltermire;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall. 

1877 — Trustees,  Simon  Zimmerman,  Henry  Beaven,  Anthony  Molter; 
Clerk,  M.  H.  Waltermire;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall. 

1878 — Trustees,  Simon  Zimmerman,  Henry  Beaven,  Philip  Heller;  Clerk, 
John  H.  March;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall. 

1879 — Trustees,  Simon  Zimmerman,  Henry  Beaven,  Mathew  Briggs; 
Clerk,  John  H.  March;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall. 

1880 — Trustees,  Henry  Beaven,  AVilliam  T.  Baker,  Charles  Dietz; 
Clerk,  John  H.  March;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall. 

1881 — Trustees,  Henry  Beaven,  Charles  Dietz,  Mathew^  Scott;  Clerk, 
John  H.  March;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall. 

1882 — Trustees,  John  Parsell,  Simon  Zimmerman,  John  H.  Forney; 
Clerk,  John  H.  March;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall. 

1883 — Trustees,  John  Parsell,  Simon  Zimmerman,  John  H.  Forney; 
Clerk,  John  H.  March;  Treasurer,  Reuben  Barlien. 

The  following  were  Justices  of  the  Peace:  William  Baker,  1846;  John 
S.  McQuown,  1849-52;  H.  S.  Bower,  1854;  Edward  A.  Clark,  1854;  Isaac 
N.  Lane,  1856;  Joshua  McJunkin,  1857;  A.  H.  Vanorsdall  and  Aaron 
Bradshaw,  1858;  Henry  Purdy,  1861;  Andrew  J.  Bainbridge,  1864;  Corne- 
lius Tuttle,  A.  H.  Vanorsdall,  1867;  M.  H.  Waltermire,  1869;  A.  H.  Van- 
orsdall, 1870;  M.  H.  Waltermire,  1872;  A.  H.  Vanorsdall,  1873;  M.  H. 
Waltermire,  1875;  Samuel  C.  Anderson,  1876;  M.  H.  Waltermire,  1878; 
A.  H.  Vanorsdall,  1879;  M.  H.  Waltermire,  1881;  Conrad  Lue,  1882; 
George  W.  Beard,  1883. 

STATISTICS. 

Jackson  Township  has  an  area  of  twenty-seven  square  miles.  Popula- 
tion in  1880  (not  inclusive  of  Kirby  Village),  1,037.  The  State  election 
returns  for  1879-80  show  the  vote  in  Jackson  Township  as  follows:  For 
Governor  (1879),  Charles  Foster,  45;  Thomas  Ewing,  118;  Gideon  T. 
Stewart,  none;  A.  Saunders  Piatt,  none;  total  vote,  163.  For  Secretary  of 
State  (1880),  Charles  Townsend,  64;  William  Lang,  127;  Charles  A.  Lloyd, 
none;  William  H.  Doan,  none;  total  votes,  191.  For  President  (1880), 
James  A.  Garfield,  64;  Winfield  S.  Hancock,  130;  James  B.  Weaver,  none;. 
Neal  Dow,  none;  total  votes,  194.  In  Kirby  Precinct,  for  Governor  (1879), 
Charles  Foster,  53;  Thomas  Ewing,  191;  Gideon  T.  Stewart,  none;  A. 
Sanders  Piatt,  none;  total  votes,  244.  For  Secretary  of  State  (1880), 
Charles  Townsend,  61;  William  Lang,  192;  Charles  A.  Lloyd,  none;  Will- 
iam H.  Doane,  none;  total  vote,  253.  For  President  (1880),  James  A.  Gar- 
field, 67;  Winfield  S.  Hancock,  210;  total  vote,  279. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

DAVID  ALTER,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  one  of  the  representa- 
tive farmers  of  Jackson  Township.  He  was  born  in  Allegheny  County, 
Penn. ,  January  27,  1840.  His  parents  were  John  and  Mary  (McCutchen) 
Alter,  whose  history  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr.  Alter  took  up 
his  residence  in  this  county  in  1859,  and  engaged  in  farm  labor  with  his 
father  until  1863,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  service  of  the  United  States, 
under  the  command  of  Col.  Gallaher,  but  was  afterward  transferred  to  the 
First  Pennsylvania  Cavalry.  He  received  his  discharge  in  1863.  December 
29,  and  returned  home,  where  he  remained  with  his  father  till  his  marriage. 
This  event  took  place  September  15, 1870.    Miss  Catharine  Zimmerman,  the 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  839 

bride,  is  the  daughter  of  Peter  and  Caroline  (Felty)  Zimmerman,  whose 
history  will  also  be  found  elsewhere  recorded.  She  was  born  April  22, 
1851,  and  is  the  mother  of  four  children — Mary  L.,  born  August  4,  1872; 
Perry  L.,  born  June  2,  1875;  Bessie  M.,  born  September  30,  1877,  and 
Joseph  F.,  born  September  3,  1883.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Alter  moved 
to  the  farm  which  he  had  bought  a  short  time  prior  to  that  event,  and  upon 
which  he  still  resides.  The  original  amount,  thirty-seven  acres,  he  has 
since  increased  to  seventy-four,  and  is  thus  enabled  to  live  in  comfort.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Alter  is  a  Eepublican.  He  was  reared  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  became  a  member  of  that  church  in  his  twenty-tifth  year;  his 
wife  united  shortly  after  their  marriage,  in  1870,  at  Forest,  Ohio. 

JEREMIAH  M.  ALTER  was  born  in  among  the  hills  of  Allegheny 
County,  Penn. ,  December  5,  1817.  He  was  the  son  of  David  and  Elizabeth 
(Mell)  Alter,  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Thirteen  children  were  born  to 
them,  six  of  whom  are  still  living,  Nancy,  John,  Daniel,  Jeremiah  M.,  Elias 
and  Sampson.  The  deceased  are  Joseph,  Jacob,  Samuel,  David,  Henry  and 
two  others.  The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Alter  was  born  in  Switzerland,  and  for  a 
period  of  twenty  years  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  that  country. 
Our  subject,  Jeremiah  M.  Alter,  was  educated  in  the  select  schools,  choos- 
ing for  his  occupation  the  blacksmithing  trade,  when  about  seventeen  years 
of  age.  On  February  14,  1840,  Mr.  Alter  forsook  his  single  life,  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Sophia  Mell,  daughter  of  John  and  Polly  (Kiel)  Mell,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  of  English  and  German  descent.  Mrs.  Alter  was  born  in 
Cumberland  County,  Pennsylvania,  December  13,  1818.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Alter  were  the  parents  of  four  children.  Two  of  these  are  still  living — Dan- 
iel W.  and  George  N.  John  W.  and  Flora  E.  have  passed  away.  George 
N.  entered  the  United  States  service  for  100  days.  Eighty-second  Regiment, 
and  left  a  good  record  for  that  time  as  a  soldier.  Mr.  Alter  continued  to 
work  at  his  trade  till  the  year  1866,  when  he  removed  to  Jackson  Township, 
Wyandot  County.  Ohio,  purchasing  eighty  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  now 
resides.      His  farm  is  in  good  condition,  and  is  valued  at  $70  per  acre. 

JOHN  ALTER  was  born  in  Allegheny  County,  Penn.,  in  1808.  He  is 
the  son  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Mell)  Alter,  the  former  born  in  1776,  the 
latter  in  1780,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  parentage.  Mr. 
Alter  remained  with  his  parents  till  the  event  of  his  marriage,  receiving 
the  ordinary  education  that  the  common  schools  of  his  time  afforded.  After 
the  death  of  his  mother  in  1837  he  remained  at  home  and  took  care  of  his 
father,  who  was  an  invalid,  till  his  death  in  1838.  In  1869,  he  moved  to 
Jackson  Township,  buying  100  acres  of  land.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
McCutchen  occurred  in  January,  1835,  and  six  children  have  been  born  to 
them — Eliza,  Matilda,  Da,vid,  Nancy,  John  K.  and  Joseph.  Of  these,  one 
died  in  infancy.  Of  these,  the  last  named  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Pennsyl- 
vania Cavalry  of  the  United  States  service  and  died  at  Stoneman  Hospital 
August  23, 1864,  of  wounds  received  in  the  head  and  of  disease.  Mr.  Alter 
continued  his  work  on  the  farm  and  in  the  milling  business  till  his  second 
marriage,  which  took  place  November  14,  1850,  taking  for  his  bride  Mrs. 
Sarah  A.  D.  McGahan,  widow  of  Robert  McGahan.  One  daughter — 
Sarah  R.,  wife  of  John  A.  Stewart — was  the  result  of  this  marriage.  At 
their  marriage  they  each  had  five  children.  Two  of  Mr.  and  two  of  Mrs. 
Alter' s  have  since  died;  the  rest  are  all  married  and  settled  in  life.  Mr. 
Alter  still  resides  on  his  farm,  and  is  comfortably  situated  in  a  good  home. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican.  He  united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Plum  Creek,  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  was  afterwai'd  a  member  of 


840  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  Church  of  Parnassus,  where  he  was  ordained  an  Elder  about  the  year 
1865.  When  he  united  with  the  church  in  Forest,  he  was  at  once  inducted 
into  the  session,  and  is  the  oldest  member,  with  one  exception,  in  the 
church.  His  first  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Plum  Creek  Church  until 
her  death.  February  27,  1849.  Mrs.  Alter,  his  present  wife,  was  a  member 
of  the  Saltsburg  Presbyterian  Church,  and  united,  with  her  husband,  suc- 
cessively in  the  churches  of  Plum  Creek,  Parnassus  and  Forest. 

SAMUEL  BAKER  was  born  in  Columbiana  County  May  29, 1819.  He 
is  the  son  of  John  and  Catharine  (Mummery)  Baker,  both  natives  of  Adams 
County,  Penn.,  and  of  German  lineage.  The  children  of  these  parents 
numbered  ten  in  all,  of  whom  but  six  are  living — Elizabeth,  Abraham, 
Jonas,  Isaac,  Samuel  and  Lydia,  The  deceased  are  Sarah,  William,  Cath- 
arine and  Moses.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  Mr.  Baker  left  school  to  en- 
gage in  daily  labor  at  the  carpenter's  trade  and  other  work.  He  was 
married  to  Miss  Susannah  Zimmerman,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Sarah 
(Kennel)  Zimmerman.  Mrs.  Baker  was  born  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio, 
December  29,  1820  Eight  children  are  the  fruits  of  this  union — Peter  J., 
Andrew  J.,  David  S.,  Sarah  C,  Simon  Z.,  INTary  F.  (deceased),  Henry  O. 
and  William  L.  After  marriage  Mr.  Baker  followed  the  occupation  of 
weaver  and  carpenter  till  1861,  when  he  moved  to  Jackson  Township,  Wy- 
andot County,  Ohio,  and  settled  upon  a  farm  of  100  acres.  By  long  years 
of  industrious  toil  he  has  succeeded  in  placing  most  of  this  land  in  a  state 
of  cultivation,  and  is  now  the  possessor  of  a  comfortable  home.  In  politics 
he  is  independent,  believing  that  the  safety  of  the  Government  depends 
most  upon  those  principles. 

J.  P.  BERLIEN  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  April  4, 
1841.  He  came  to  this  county  with  his  parents,  Jacob  and  Salina  Berlien 
(whose  history  appears  in  another  part  of  this  work),  when  but  four  years 
of  age.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  has  spent  the  greater 
part  of  his  life  in  agricultural  pursuits.  December  22,  1864,  he  married 
Miss  Lydia  A.  Roose,  daughter  of  David  and  Mary  (Arner)  Roose,  who  was 
born  in  Columbiana  County  September  22,  1840.  They  have  been  blessed 
with  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  still  living — Umphry  L.,  born  Oc- 
tober 31,  1866;  Ida  A..  April  26,  1872;  John  Z.,  March  5,  1879;  Myrtie 
E.,  the  deceased,  was  born  August  8,  1876,  and  died  March  8,  1877.  Mr. 
Berlien  was  engaged  in  the  late  war, 'having  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred 
and  Ninety-second  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  February  23,  1865. 
He  was  mustered  in  at  Camp  Chase,  moving  from  there  to  Virginia,  thence 
to  Winchester  and  the  South,  doing  patrol  duty  till  the  close  of  the  war, 
when  he  was  honorably  discharged.  Returning  home,  he  resumed  his  agri- 
ricultural  pursuits,  renting  land  in  this  county  for  two  years,  then  moving 
to  Hardin  County,  returning  to  this  county  in  1873,  buying  forty  acres  of 
land,  to  which  he  has  since  added  six  acres  more.  By  economy  and  indus- 
try he  has  succeeded  in  making  of  this  a  comfortable  home,  and  from  its 
products  a  substantial  living  for  himself  and  family.  Mr.  Berlien  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Christian  Union  Church. 

REUBEN  BERLIEN,  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  September 
27,  1831,  is  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Salina  (Zimmerman)  Berlien.  The 
former  is  a  native  of  the  same  county,  born  January  4,  1804,  the  latter 
born  November  28,  1807,  in  Lancaster,  Penn.  The  death  of  the  father  oc- 
curred December  9,  1863,  and  that  of  the  mother  May  12,  1871.  Nine 
children  followed  this  union,  eight  still  living — Henry,  Reuben,  Katie  A., 
Susan,  Sarah  A.,  Jacob  P.  B.,  Peter  Z.  and  Saloma.      Anna  M.,  deceased. 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  841 

Jacob  P.  B.  enlisted  in  the  war  in  the  spring  of  1865,  One  Hundred  and 
Ninety-second  Hegiment,  serving  about  seven  months,  when  he  was  honorably 
discharged.  Peter  Z.  was  mustered  in  in  September  of  1864,  serving  about 
eleven  months  in  Sherman's  Corps.  He  was  engaged  in  several  battles,  but 
fortunately  escaped  without  injury,  and  received  an  honorable  discharge. 
Reuben  Berlien,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty- third  Regiment  August  11,  1862,  Company  F,  and  was  mustered 
into  service  September  24.  The  following  day  he  was  moved  to  Virginia 
and  joined  the  command  of  Gen.  Millroy.  On  the  12th  day  of  June,  he 
was  taken  prisoner  at  Winchester,  but  was  exchanged  November  6,  joining 
his  regiment  at  Martinsburg  in  March,  1864.  After  this  his  first  engage- 
ment was  at  New  Market,  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Siegel.  Following 
this  came  the  engagements  of  Piedmont,  Lynchburg,  Linchford,  "Winches- 
ter, Martinsburg,  Strausburg,  Charleston,  Halltown,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar 
Creek.  All  these  battles  were  passed  through  without  injury,  and  followed 
by  an  honorable  discharge  on  the  12th  day  of  June,  1865,  at  Columbus, 
Ohio.  He  was  married  to  Mary  E.  Zimmerman,  daughter  of  Conrad 
and  Margaret  A.  (Ropp)  Zimmerman,  and  is  happily  residing  on  his 
farm  at  the  present  time.  He  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  neighbors,  and 
looks  back  with  considerable  pride  and  satisfaction  upon  his  military  record. 

HENRY  S.  BOWER  was  born  November  30,  1805,  in  Chester  County, 
Penn.  He  is  the  son  of  David  and  Susan  (Kepner)  Bower.  His  great- 
grandfather was  a  native  of  Germany,  Receiving  an  ordinary  education 
in  the  schools  of  New  York,  on  March  29,  1828,  he  married  Miss  Dorothy 
Bower,  daughter  of  Michael  and  Elizabeth  fShoenmaker)  Bower,  also 
of  German  parentage.  Mrs.  Bower  was  born  July  28,  1806.  After  his 
marriage  Mr.  Bower  removed  to  Livingston  County,  N.  Y.,  stopping  in 
that  locality  four  years,  after  which  he  emigrated  to  Ohio  in  1832. 
This  trip,  a  distance  of  350  miles,  was  made  in  eleven  days,  traveling  in 
a  covered  wagon,  as  was  the  usual  custom  of  those  days.  Settling  in 
Jackson  Township,  Wyandot  County,  Mr.  Bower  entered  300  acres  of 
land,  himself  and  a  neighbor,  Mr.  Hovey,  being  the  first  settlers  of  the 
township.  He  was  at  one  time  the  owner  of  400  acres,  175  of  which  he 
cleared  and  broke  as  "  first  land."  It  is  now  divided  among  his  children, 
with  whom  he  at  present  makes  his  home.  He  is  the  father  of  seven  chil- 
di'en,  five  still  living — Susan,  wife  of  Erastus  Bohannon  (deceased);  Jeffer- 
son D.,  Nelson  J.,  Rosanna  H.,  wife  of  Thomas  B.  Flower,  and  Henry. 
The  deceased  are  Israel,  Roxyanna  and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Samuel  dinger. 
Mr.  Bower  has  always  been  a  faithful  Democrat,  having  cast  his  first  vote 
for  Andrew  Jackson.  He  has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  eighteen  years; 
as  Trustee,  two  years;  as  Treasurer,  two  years;  refusing  all  the  honor  of 
these  ofiices  longer.  He  was,  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Masonic,  also 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F'.  fraternity.     He  is  still  strong  for  one  of  his  years. 

JEFFERSON  D.  BOWER  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  Septem- 
ber  12,  1834.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  S.  and  Dorothy  (Bower)  Bower,  with 
whom  he  came  to  Ohio  when  very  young.  On  the  old  homestead  he  was 
reared  and  educated,  leaving  off  his  studies  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  He 
remained  at  home,  however,  worked  by  the  month  and  "  farmed  on  shares  " 
till  his  marriage,  which  important  event  took  place  March  26,  1863,  Miss 
Sarah  J.  Flower,  daughter  of  John  and  Susannah  (Fitch)  Flower,  being  the 
fortunate  bride,  her  parents  being  natives  of  Pen,nsylvania.  Her  father 
was  born  in  Bedford  County,  February  16,  1804,  and  her  mother  in  Beaver 
County,  July  11,  1808.      They  came  and  settled  in  Jackson  Township,  Wy- 


842  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

andot  County,  about  1825,  being  among  the  first  settlers  of  this  locality. 
They  are  tJie  parents  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  six  are  still  living — 
Henry,  Thomas,  Lydia  A. ,  Sarah  J..  Martha  and  Samuel.  Mr.  Flower  died 
March  30,  1873,  Mrs.  Flower  still  living  in  the  seventy-sixth  year  of  her 
age,  and  being  remarkably  strong  for  one  so  old.  Mr.  Bower,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  by  inheritance  and  purchase,  has  secured  eighty-six  acres  of 
land,  which  he  keeps  in  a  good  state  of  repair  and  cultivation,  and  values 
at  $75  per  acre.  In  1875,  he  constructed  a  handsome  residence  at  a  cost  of 
$1,250.  He  also  erected  one  of  the  finest  barns  in  the  township  in  1883,  at 
a  cost  of  $600.  He  deals  in  the  best  grades  of  live  stock,  and  votes  the 
Democratic  ticket,  having  cast  his  first  vote  for  Buchanan.  He  is  an  en- 
thusiastic Granger  and  one  of  the  most  respected  and  worthy  citizens  of  his 
township. 

SAMUEL  M.  BURNETT.  This  worthy  pioneer  was  born  February 
19,  1820,  in  the  State  of  New  York.  He  came  to  Wyandot  County  with 
his  parents  in  1834,  then  but  a  mere  boy.  He  is  the  son  of  Elisha  and 
Polly  (Howe)  Burnett.  The  former  was  born  July  7,  1773,  and  died  in 
March,  1868;  the  latter  was  born  March  15,  1788,  natives  of  Connecticut 
and  Massachusetts  respectively,  and  of  Scotch  lineage.  Mr.  Burnett  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Jackson  Township,  having  located  there  while  the 
Indians  were  quite  numerous,  and  sometimes  troublesome,  and  when  only 
"  blazed  "  trees  wei-e  available  to  guide  the  footman  from  one  settlement  to 
another.  Being  on  friendly  terms  with  the  savages,  he  frequently  joined  in 
the  chase  with  them,  though,  while  yet  a  youth,  was  at  one  time,  through 
some  misunderstanding,  threatened  by  violence  at  their  hands.  The  first 
and  greatest  necessity  in  those  days  being  that  of  subsistence,  and  the  edu- 
cational advantages  being  few,  our  subject  was  compelled  to  devote  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  to  the  clearing  of  the  forest  for  the  production  of 
the  potato  and  the  "Johnny-cake."  In  the  month  of  August,  1849,  Mr. 
Burnett  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Tillbury,  daughter  of 
Abraham  and  Betsy  A.  (Taylor)  Tillbury,  who  was  born  May  31,  1834,  in 
the  State  of  New  York.  They  are  the  parents  of  eight  children — Emily  J., 
born  May  31,  1850;  Eliza,  March  25,  1852;  William,  April  17,  1854;  John 
H.,  Februarys.  1856;  Benjamin,  March  10,  1859;  Mary  E.,  October  17, 
1864;  Samuel,  March  3,  1867,  and  Joseph,  September  5,  1872.  After  his 
marriage  Mr.  Burnett  settled  upon  a  farm  of  forty  acres  that  had  been  en- 
tered for  him  when  a  boy,  and  this,  by  subsf^quent  additions,  he  has  in- 
creased to  220  acres.  His  farm  is  nearly  all  in  a  state  of  cultivation,  the 
improvements  thereon  having  been  wrought  out  for  the  most  part  by  his  own 
industrious  hands.  He  is  well  inured  to  the  hardships  of  jjioneer  life, 
and  well  understands  the  difficulties  incident  to  the  founding  of  a  home  in 
the  wilds  of  the  frontier.  His  faithful  wife  still  lives  to  share  his  compan- 
ionship and  the  fruits  ui  their  mutual  toils.  Politically,  Mr.  Burnett  is  a 
Republican,  and  a  good  neighbor  and  citizen. 

ARNOLD  DURENBERGER  was  born  April  20,  1833,  in  Reigolds- 
wiyl,  Canton  Basel,  Switzerland.  He  is  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Margaret 
(Frae)  Durenberger,  who  are  both  residents  of  Switzerland  at  the  present 
time.  Of  the  seven  children,  of  which  Mr.  Durenberger  is  one,  but  three 
are  living,  viz.:  Arnold,  Rheinhart  and  Justiss.  The  deceased  are  Cath- 
arine, Sarah,  Elizabeth  and  Charley.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  country,  closing  his  school  work 
at  the  age  of  eighteen.  After  this  he  was  engaged  four  years  as  an  appren- 
tice in  the  carpenter's  trade,  emigrating  to  the  United  States  in  1856,  and 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  843 

settled  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  fifteen 
years.  In  1860,  he  married  Miss  Margareta  Iti,  daughter  of  John  and 
Margareta  Iti.  In  1873,  he  moved  to  Hardin  County,  Ohio,  where  he  pur- 
chased 140  acres  of  land,  afterward  adding  eighty  acres  more.  Of  these 
220  acres  about  100  are  cleared  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The 
farm  is  ornamented  with  a  fine  residence,  which  cost  $3,000,  and  a  barn 
worth  $2,000.  Its  value  is  estimated  at  $75  per  acre,  it  being  well  drained 
and  generally  supplied  with  all  the  modern  improvements.  Mi*.  Duren- 
berger  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  fraternity,  and  is  Democratic  in  poli- 
tics. He  is  well  respected  by  all  who  know  him,  and  one  of  Jackson's 
most  worthy  citizens.  His  family  consists  of  three  children — John,  Henry 
and  Emma. 

HENRY  FERNBAUGH  was  born  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  March  1, 
1843.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Brandt)  Fernbaugh.  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  ancestry.  His  father  removed  to  Crane 
Township,  this  county,  when  Henry  was  but  four  years  of  age,  and  entered 
eighty  acres  of  land,  and  leaving  a  possession  of  120  acres  at  his  death. 
The  family  consisted  of  nine  children — George,  Catharine,  Eliza,  William, 
Joseph,  Henry,  Mary  A. ,  John  T.  and  Jacob  B.  The  father  died  in  1877, 
aged  sixty-nine  years,  and  the  mother  in  her  seventy- third  year,  residing  in 
Crane  Township  at  the  time  of  their  decease.  Henry  Fernbaugh  was  edu- 
cated in  the  district  schools,  and  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Fifty-fifth  Regi- 
ment Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  some  of  the  most  important  battles  of  the  war,  prominent  among 
which  were  the  following:  Moorefield,  McDowell,  Cross  Keys,  Cedar  Moun- 
tain, Freeman's  Ford,  Sulphur  Springs,  Second  Bull  Run,  Chancellorsville, 
Lookout  Mountain,  Chattanooga,  Charleston,  Buzzard's  Roost,  Hickory. 
Grove,  Lost  Mountain,  Peachtree  Creek,  and  the  siege  at  Atlanta.  Besides 
these  heavy  battles  Mr.  Fernbaugh  was  in  every  skirmish  with  Sherman  in 
his  march  to  the  sea.  He  was  taken  prisoner  at  Chancellorsville,  and  de- 
tained at  Alexandria  five  months,  but  was  finally  exchanged.  At  the  siege 
of  Atlanta  he  was  permanently  injured,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  has 
never  recovered.  He  received  an  honorable  discharge  in  July,  1865.  His 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Shriver,  occurred  October  7,  1866,  she  being  the 
daughter  of  Rev.  David  and  Mary  (Hendrickson)  Shriver,  who  settled  in 
Marion  County  in  1833.  Mr.  Shriver  was  engaged  in  the  ministry  about 
forty  years;  a  few  years  of  this  time  in  the  interest  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  the  remainder  in  the  interest  of  the  Church  of  God.  He 
was  the  father  of  nine  children,  Mrs.  Fernbaugh  being  the  seventh.  His 
death  occurred  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  and  that  of  his  wife 
in  1863,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fernbaugh  are  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  only  three  of  whom  are  living,  viz.:  Minnie  J., 
born  October  3,  1869;  Marion  R.,  born  December  2,  1874,  and  Laura  G., 
born  July  8,  1882.  The  deceased  are  Ordella  E.,  Sarah  F.,  Anna  M.  and 
an  infant.  In  1865,  Mr.  Fernbaugh  purchased  a  fai-m  of  forty  acres, where 
he  resided  until  the  spring  of  1875,  at  which  time  he  purchased  another  of 
eighty  acres  south  of  Kirby.  On  this  farm  he  remained  until  the  fall  of 
1881,  when  he  again  sold  out  and  purchased  his  present  tract  of  forty  acres, 
which  he  has  improved  to  a  large  extent,  and  which  he  now  values  at  $100 
per  acre.  A  neat  barn  and  a  comfortable  house  are  among  the  principal 
improvements.  Politically,  Mr.  Fernbaugh  is  a  Republican,  and,  with  his 
wife,  a  member  of  the  Church  of  God  at  Kirby.  He  has  served  as  Elder, 
Deacon  and  Trustee  of  this  religious  denomination,  and  is  reckoned  among 
its  most  worthy  members. 


844  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

J.  H.  FORNEY,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  October  12,  1835, 
in  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Shroy) 
Forney,  the  former  born  October  11,  1811;  the  latter  in  1813,  natives  of 
Ohio  and  Maryland  respectively,  and  of  German  descent.  They  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children — J.  H. ,  George  W.,  Amanda  J.,  Margaret  A., 
Catharine  E.,  William  R.  and  Elmira  W.  Of  these  but  the  former  three 
are  living.  The  second  son,  William,  enlisted  in  the  United  States  service, 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth  Regiment,  in  August,  1862,  and  entered 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  was  engaged  in  numerous  battles,  but  was 
unfortunately  wounded  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  dying  from  the 
effects  of  his  injuries  at  Little  York,  Penn.  J.  H.  Forney,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  educated  in  a  common  school  and  has  always  been  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1864,  he  purchased  land  in  Jackson  Township, 
Wyandot  County,  to  the  amount  of  152  acres,  where  he  now  resides.  This 
entire  tract  has  been  cleared  by  himself,  except  forty  acres  which  he  has 
sold  since  the  first  purchase.  The  first  tree  was  cut  for  the  log  cabin,  in  which 
he  formerly  lived.  This  cabin  has  now  given  place  to  a  fine  frame  dwell- 
ing, erected  at  a  cost  of  nearly  $2,000.  Mr.  Forney  has  held  the  office  of 
Trustee  four  years.  He  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful farmers  of  Jackson  Township. 

JOHN  J.  GASTER,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  the  romantic 
country  of  Switzerland,  in  1845.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  this  country 
in  1858,  settling  in  this  county.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Germany, 
bearing  the  names  of  Henry  and  Anna  (Snider)  Gaster  respectively.  Six 
children  were  the  fruits  of  their  marriage,  namely:  Barnabas,  Henry,  Ros- 
anna,  Mary,  John  J.  and  Robert.  Mr.  Gaster  was  educated  in  the  German 
language,  and  on  coming  to  this  country,  made  his  first  stop  at  Upper  San- 
dusky. He  immediately  began  his  daily  labors  on  the  farm  and  elsewhere, 
which  he  continued  till  1865.  He  then  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Ninety-eighth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  was  mustered  in  at 
Lima,  and  afterward  removed  to  Camp  Chase,  where  he  remained  till  dis- 
charged. He  then  returned  to  Jackson  Township,  and  resumed  his  agri- 
cultural work,  which  he  has  since  engaged  in.  His  father's  death  occurred 
in  1871.  May  1,  1881,  Mr.  Gaster  was  joined  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
S.  Heller,  daughter  of  Philip  and  Sarah  (Switzkable)  Heller,  born  Febru- 
ary 22,  1859.  After  the  death  of  his  father,  he  and  his  brother  worked 
together  on  the  old  homestead,  to  which  they  had  fallen  heii's,  until  by 
purchase,  he  secured  his  brother's  interest,  after  which  he  assumed  full 
possession.  In  politics  Mr.  Gaster  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
1.  O.  O.  F.,  the  G.  A.  R.  and  still  resides  upon  the  old  farm  of  his  father. 
He  is  an  enterpi'ising  farmer,  and,  with  his  wife,  highly  esteemed. 

PHILIP  HELLER,  born  July  4,  1824,  in  Dauphin  County,  Penn.,  came 
with  his  parents  to  this  part  of  the  country  in  1826.  He  is  the  son  of  Adam 
and  Anna  (Massner)  Heller,  both  born  in  the  year  1806,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  of  German  parentage.  Their  family  consisted  of  three  children 
— Philip,  Almira  and  Mary  A.  The  subject  of  this  sketch,  being  left  an 
orphan  at  the  age  of  six  years,  was  compelled  to  labor  for  his  board  and 
clothes  until  his  sixteenth  year,  when  he  engaged  in  a  woolen  factory,  pur 
suing  this  work  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Mexican  war.  He  then  enlisted 
at  Buffalo,  going  directly  to  New  Orleans;  but,  the  war  having  suddenly 
closed,  he  was  honorably  dismissed,  and  returned  to  Toledo,  Ohio,  where 
he  engaged  on  a  fishing  boat  until  1846.  He  was  next  engaged  in  a  machine 
shop  at  Fostoria  for  one  year,  and  after  that  as  civil  engineer  for  two  years. 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  845 

Leaving  that  occupation,  he  again  resumed  work  in  a  woolen  factory  at 
Finley  for  one  year,  but  after  that  time  removed  to  Blanchard  to  engage  in 
the  same  work,  buying  a  half  interest  in  a  factory  at  that  place.  At  Blanch- 
ard he  remained  four  j'ears,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  removed  to  Wood 
County,  where  he  erected  a  saw  mill  and  lath  factory.  Six  months  were 
spent  in  this  enterprise,  after  which  the  carpenter's  trade  was  taken  up  and 
followed  till  August  of  1862.  He  then  enlisted  in  the  United  States  service, 
One  Hundred  and  First  Regiment,  going  into  camp  at  Monroeville,  Ohio. 
At  Perryville  his  first  engagement  took  place,  and  he  afterward  did  skirmish 
duty  at  Cumberland  Gap.  Receiving  injuries  of  the  spine,  he  was  placed 
in  the  hospital,  and  soon  after  received  his  discharge  at  Quincy,  111. ,  for 
disability.  He  then  returned  to  Wyandot  County,  bought  thirty  acres  of 
land,  and  engaged  with  the  railroad  company  at  a  good  salary  till  1868.  He 
then  purchased  the  farm  where  he  now  resides.  In  January,  1856,  Mr. 
Heller  was  married  to  Sarah  Switzkable,  ten  children  blessing  their  union 
— Susan,  John  L.  A.,  Louise  B.,  Martha  J.,  Maliuda.  Charley,  Elijah  and 
Ida  L.  George  and  Maggie  ai-e  deceased.  He  is  a  Democrat  and  member 
of  the  G.  A.  R. 

GEORGE  HESSELDENZ  was  born  near  Tiffin,  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
February  1,  1854.  He  is  the  son  of  Peter  and  Mary  (Hovt)  Hesseldenz, 
natives  of  Prussia,  and  of  German  descent.  They  were  the  parents  of  nine 
childi-en,  of  whom  only  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  living.  Mr.  H.  died 
January  2,  1877,  of  dyspepsia,  at  the  advanced  age  of  sixty-three  years. 
Mrs.  H.  was  stricken  with  paralysis,  and  died  near  New  Riegel,  in  1861. 
Of  their  nine  children,  two  sons  and  three  daughters  died  of  cholera  near 
Tiffin,  Ohio,  in  the  years  of  1848,  1850.  In  1864,  another  son  and  daughter 
died  at  New  Reigel.  The  eldest  son  died  in  1882,  aged  thirty-eight  years. 
He  was  educated  in  the  German  Catholic  school,  and  when  eleven  years  of 
age  moved  with  his  father  to  Wyandot  County,  where  he  followed  the  voca- 
tion of  a  farmer  till  his  thirteenth  year.  He  then  went  to  Upper  Sandusky, 
where  he  worked  one  year  as  an  apprentice  to  the  carpenter's  trade,  after 
which  he  returned  to  the  farm,  where  he  remained  till  his  sixteenth  year. 
Not  satisfied  with  the  labor  of  the  farm,  he  went  to  Tiffin  and  began  work 
on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  following  the  line  to  Defiance.  At 
eighteen  Mr.  George  Hesseldenz  went  to  Minnesota,  doing  general  day 
labor,  and  remained  in  that  State  thirteen  months.  He  then  returned 
East  to  New  York  and  Philadelphia;  thence  to  W^abashaw,  where  he 
remained  six  months.  Leaving  this  place,  he  visited  relatives  in  St. 
Louis,  and  afterward  secured  a  position  in  a  grist  mill  at  W^aterloo, 
111.,  where  he  remained  one  year.  On  June  13,  1876,  Mr.  Hes- 
seldeuz  was  united  in  marriage  with  Catharine  A.  Schaiper,  daughter  of 
Anthony  and  Mary  Schaiper.  Mrs.  Hesseldenz  was  born  November  9, 1858. 
They  have  four  children — Henry,  Matilda,  Charlie  and  Angaline.  Soon 
after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Hesseldenz  returned  to  Wyandot  County,  and  settled 
upon  a  farm,  where  he  remained  one  year.  He  afterward  spent  four  years 
in  the  interest  of  the  Singer  Sewing  Machine  Company,  and  in  1882  estab- 
lished himself  in  a  grocery  store  at  Kirby,  subsequently  adding  silverware 
and  hardware,  and  is  doing  a  good  business.  Mr.  Hesseldenz  is  a  Democrat 
and  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

GEORGE  H.  HINES  was  born  October  8,  1853.  He  was  the  son  of 
Adam  and  Sarah  (Kitch)  Hines,  and,  like  many  other  pioneers,  received 
but  the  limited  education  which  the  schools  of  his  time  afforded.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  left  ofi"  his  school- going  to  engage  in  the  more  urgent 


846  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

duties  of  the  farm.  He  was  married  July  14,  1881,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Snider, 
daughter  of  John  and  Mai'garet  (Pink)  Snider,  both  born  in  Germany.  In 
this  family  were  nine  children,  six  now  living,  viz.:  Mary,  Lena,  John, 
Lizzie,  Bei'gaman  and  Charley.  The  deceased  are  Bellvy,  George  and  Mar- 
garet. Mrs.  nines,  the  wife  of  our  subject,  was  born  April  20,  1861.  One 
child,  Maggie  E.,  has  been  born  to  them,  her  birth  occurring  July  5,  1882. 
After  his  marriage  Mr.  Hines  remained  upon  the  old  homestead,  which  he 
hired  and  bought  in  1875.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  shares 
the  companionship  of  an  exemplary  wife,  in  addition  to  the  material  com- 
forts of  a  home. 

L.  E.  LANDON  was  born  May  14,  1844  in  Portage  County,  Ohio.  He 
was  the  son  of  James  and  Ruth  (Dudley)  Landon,  natives  of  Connecticut, 
and  of  English  parentage.  Mr.  Landon  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  when 
about  eight  years  of  age  moved  with  his  parents  to  Ada,  Ohio,  to  assist  them 
to  provide  a  home.  He  was  afterward  engaged  in  saw  milling  and  other 
work  as  a  day  laborer  till  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  army,  Company  I, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fifth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was 
mustered  in  at  Camp  Chase,  and  after  remaining  at  that  point  one  week 
was  ordered  south.  Halting  at  Martinsburg,  his  regiment  encamped  with- 
in four  miles  of  that  place,  and  Mr.  Landon  was  placed  on  patrol  duty  to 
guai'd  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad.  They  were  soon  driven  from  this 
point  to  Harper's  Ferry,  and  shortly  after  engaged  in  the  battle  of  John 
Brown's  Schoolhouse.  This  was  Mr.  Landon' s  first  military  fight.  He 
was  moved  later  to  Maryland  Heights,  where  he  remained  till  the  expiration 
of  his  time  of  enlistment;  he  then  returned  to  Columbus  and  was  discharged. 
On  June  16,  1870,  Mr.  Landon  was  mai'ried  to  Miss  Caroline  Ott, 
daughter  of  J.  G.  and  Evea  (Heisel)  Ott.  Mrs.  Landon  was  born  December 
25,  1845.  They  have  two  children— Clara  A.,  born  October  22,  1871,  and 
ClijBford  F. ,  born  August  19,  1878.  Soon  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Landon 
engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  the  town  of  Kirby,  as  a  partner  of  T.  H. 
Falty,  but,  subsequently  purchasing  the  latter's  interest,  he  now  controls 
the  entire  stock  and  is  doing  a  good  business.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G. 
A.  R.  and  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  was  appointed  Postmas- 
ter at  Kirby  in  1872,  and  still  holds  the  office. 

JACOB  LAUTINSLAGER,  physician  and sui-geon,  was  born  July  29, 
1853,  in  Lancaster  County,  Penn.  His  parents  were  Geoi'ge  and  Elizabeth 
(Clois)  Lautinslager,  natives  of  Germany  and  Pennsylvania,  respectively, 
and  of  German  parentage.  When  five  years  of  age,  Mr.  Lautinslager  came 
with  parents  to  Clark  County,  where  he  resided  fourteen  years,  attending 
the  district  school  as  a  means  of  education.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he 
moved  to  Urbana  and  entered  the  High  School  of  that  city,  from  which  he 
graduated  at  the  age  of  twenty-three.  He  then  began  the  study  of  medicine 
at  that  place  with  the  well-known  physician,  Dr.  H.  C.  Pearce.  By  a  close 
application  to  his  studies  he  soon  obtained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
science,  beginning  with  chemistry  and  ending  with  obstetrics.  He  subse- 
quently attended  lectures  at  the  Columbus  Medical  College,  Columbus,  Ohio, 
graduating  with  honor  February  28,  1882,  and  soon  located  in  Kirby,  where 
he  is  building  up  an  excellent  practice. 

J.  A.  LILES,  born  April  25,  1846,  in  Richland  Township,  this  county, 
is  the  son  of  Isaiah  and  Catharine  (Young)  Liles,  natives  of  New  York  and 
Ohio  respectively.  Mr.  Liles  was  reared  upon  the  farm  and  was  educated 
in  the  district  school.  In  January,  1863,  he  enlisted  in  the  Forty-ninth 
Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry;  was  mustered  in  at  Columbus,  and,  pro- 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  847 

ceeding  to  Chattanooga,  was  put  upon  the  skirmish  line  and  followed  Hood 
to  Buzzard's  Roost,  fighting  on  the  march.  At  Ball's  Knob  he  received  a 
wound  from  a  minie  ball,  from  Avhich  he  became  so  disabled  as  to  be  sent 
back  to  the  division  station,  and  later  to  the  hospital  at  Chattanooga.  Re- 
maining at  the  hospital  about  one  month. he  ])roceeded  to  Nashville,  thence 
to  Joe  Holt,  thence  to  Camp  Dennison,  where  he  was  discharged  on  account 
of  disability  resulting  from  wounds  causing  a  disease  of  the  heart.  Mr. 
Liles  was  married  September  24,  1868,  to  Elizabeth  Brockney,  daughter  of 
John  and  Adaline  (Kersey)  Brockney,  who  was  born  September  16,  1848. 
They  are  the  parents  of  six  children,  viz. :  Adaline  C. ,  Minnie  E.,  Mary  L. , 
Ralph  A.,  Loyd  E.  and  Earl  L.  After  marriage  he  lived  with  his  grand- 
father, managing  his  farm  uutil  making  a  purchase  of  fifty  acres  for  him- 
self, to  which  he  has  since  added,  by  subsequent  purchases,  till  he  now 
owns  178  acres.  On  this  farm,  which  is  in  an  excellent  condition,  he  still 
resides.  His  residence  is  one  of  the  finest  in  Jackson  Township.  In  poli- 
tics, Mr.  Liles  is  a  Republican;  he  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  the  Gr. 
A.  R.  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  LOUBERT  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  July  26,  1813. 
He  is  the  son  of  George  and  Mary  A.  Loubert,  the  former  born  in  1768  in 
Germany,  serving  in  the  war  against  Napoleon,  receiving  a  severe  wound  on 
the  head  by  the  cut  of  a  saber.  He  served  as  a  soldier  six  years  and  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States  in  1803,  remaining  in  Baltimore  until  1807,  when 
he  removed  to  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  while  that  region  was  still  an  un- 
subdued wilderness.  Educated  in  the  log  schoolhouse,  and  sharing  the  dis- 
advantages peculiar  to  the  times,  Mr.  Loubert  remained  at  home  till  his 
father's  death  occurred,  after  which  he  engaged  in  the  carpenter's  trade  un- 
til his  marriage  in  1858.  He  then  purchased  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  on 
which  he  labored,  in  connection  with  his  work  in  carpentry,  till  1865. 
Yielding  to  the  call  of  his  country,  on  February  17,  1865,  he  enlisted  in 
the  United  States  service,  being  then  fifty-two  years  of  age.  He  was  a 
member  of  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-second  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  mustered  in  at  Camp  Chase.  He  started  im- 
mediately for  Virginia,  stopping  at  Harper's  Ferry.  From  there  be  pro- 
ceeded toHalltown,  thence  to  Charleston,  Winchester,  Stevenson's  Station, 
Reed's  Hill  and  Harrisonburg,  at  the  latter  place  going  on  duty,  where  he 
remained  two  weeks.  He  then  returned  to  Winchester  and  was  mustered  out, 
receiving  his  discharge  at  Columbus,  Ohio.  Hismilitary  career  being  ended, 
Mr.  Loubert  again  turned  his  attention  to  his  trade  and  the  management  of 
his  farm.  September  19,  1858,  the  happy  event  of  his  marriage  took  place, 
joining  his  worldly  interests  with  those  of  Mrs.  Mary  Miller,  widow  of  the 
late  Jacob  Miller,  and  who  was  born  July  25,  1819.  Two  children  were  born 
to  them,  viz.,  John  C,  born  October  25,  1859,  and  Mary  C,  born  June  12, 
1862.  In  politics,  Mi*.  Loubert  is  a  Republican;  he  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  the  G.  A.  R.  and  the  Lutheran  Church. 

JOHN  H.  MARCH  was  born  April  7,  1838.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
first  saw  the  light  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio.  His  parents  were  Philip 
and  Sarah  (Gilmore)  March,  the  former  born  in  Berkeley  County,  Va. ,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1803,  and  the  latter  in  Allegheny  County,  Penn.,  in  1804,  of 
Irish  and  German  ancestry.  They  had  eight  children,  sis  living,  viz.,  Will- 
iam G. ,  Henry  C,  John  H.,  Samuel  Q.,  Margaret  J.  and  Daniel  W.  Mary 
A.  and  Jatoes  S.  are  deceased.  Our  subject,  John  H.  March,  was  educated 
in  the  ordinary  branches  of  the  common  schools,  and  is  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion.    October  3,  1868,  he  married  Sarah  Adams,  daughter  of  Thomas  and 


848  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY.  , 

Susanna  (Fisher)  Adams.  She  was  born  January  18,  1848.  They  have  six 
children — Aivin,  born  July  6,  1869;  Frank,  born  March  19,  1871;  Clara  L., 
born  November  5,  1872;  Charley,  born  June  6,  1875;  Howard,  born  Febru- 
ary 18,  1879;  Roy,  born  June  4,  1881.  After  marriage,  Mr.  March  came 
with  his  family  to  Wyandot  County,  and  in  1870,  purchased  land  in  Jack- 
son Township  to  the  amount  of  eighty  acres.  Of  this,  about  forty  acres  are 
cultivated,  and  the  whole  forms  one  of  the  pleasant  and  thrifty  farms  of  the 
township.  Mr.  March  has  served  six  years  as  Township  Clerk,  and  is  a 
Democrat  politically. 

ELI  AS  McPEEK,  now  one  of  Wyandot's  best  citizens,  was  born  Au- 
gust 17,  1833,  in  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  being  the  son  of  Rev.  William 
and  Rebecca  (Bowen)  McPeek,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Guernsey  County, 
the  former  in  1808.  A  minister  by  profession,  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church  in  Noble  County,  he  is  still  living,  in  excellent  health  for  one  of  his 
yeai's,  filling  three  appointments  in  his  ministerial  work.  The  latter  was 
born  in  1811,  and  is  still  living.  Seven  children  have  blessed  this  union, 
but  one  having  joined  the  army  of  the  dead.  Tbey  are  Elias,  Joseph,  Eli 
D.,  Allen  D.,  Philipp,  Mary  E.  and  Sarah  J.,  deceased.  Three  of  the  sous, 
Joseph,  Allen  D.  and  Philipp,  served  in  the  late  war.  Joseph,  enlisting  in 
the  three  months'  service,  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  volunteered  in  the 
regular  army,  Ninety-second  Regiment,  serving  nearly  four  years.  He 
was  at  length  discharged,  however,  on  account  of  wounds  received  by  the 
explosion  of  a  shell,  having  five  bullet-holes  shot  through  various  parts  of 
his  clothes  at  the  same  time.  Allen  D.  entered  the  same  regiment  about  the 
same  time,  but  was  soon  discharged  on  account  of  physical  disability. 
Philipp  entered  the  service  as  a  substitute,  serving  about  three  months. 
Elias,  the  main  subject  of  this  sketch,  received  a  fair  education  in  the  public 
school  of  his  time,  closing  his  literary  career  in  his  seventeenth  year.  After 
this  time  he  was  engaged  at  monthly  wages  as  a  laborer  on  the  farm,  which 
occupation  he  followed  till  his  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  A.  E.  Armstrong  July 
22,  1858.  Mrs.  McPeek  was  born  March  22,  1833,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Margaret  (McQuoun)  Armstrong,  who  are  both  yet  living  and 
in  good  health.  The  former  has  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  and 
the  latter  seventy-five  years.  Six  children  are  the  result  of  their  marriage — 
Washington  A.,  Thomas  M.,  William  F.,  Eugene,  Lillie  and  Ella  M.,  de- 
ceased. After  marriage,  they  rented  and  farmed  for  five  years,  then  bought 
seventy-five  acres  of  land  in  Jackson  Township,  Wyandot  County,  where 
they  still  reside,  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  elegant  home  as  the  fruits  of  their 
honest  industry.  A  fine  residence,  good  barn  and  other  improvements  to  the 
value  of  $3,000  are  the  results  of  a  commencement  in  life  with  but  $300. 
In  politics,  Mr.  McPeek  is  a  thorough  Democrat, 

WALTER  SANFORD,  now  one  of  Wyandot's  most  respected  citizens, 
was  born  in  Allegany  County,  N.  Y.,  May  5,  1832.  His  parents  were 
Jeremiah  F.  and  Rebecca  (Simerson)  Sanford,  the  former  being  a  native  of 
New  York,  born  February  18,  1805;  the  latter,  of  New  Jersey,  boi'n  in  1811. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children — Waltei*,  George  F.,  John  F.  and 
Millissie,  living,  and  Christina,  Edward,  Jackson  L.  and  Jerod,  deceased. 
A  farmer  by  occupation,  he  received  the  education  afforded  by  the  common 
schools.  March  11,  1858,  he  married  Susannah  McDaniel,  daughter  of 
Jane  and  Nancy  (Hannah)  SIcDaniel.  Mrs.  Sanford  was  born  in  1830, 
December  4,  and  came  of  an  excellent  family.  After  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Sanford  removed  to  Wyandot  County,  purchasing  a  farm  of  forty  acres,  upon 
which  he  still  resides.      His  entire  possession  of  real  estate  is   120  acres. 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  849 

This  has  been  accumulated  by  hard  labor,  Mr.  Sanford  having  but  ono 
horse,  one  cow  and  an  ax  with  which  to  begin.  In  politics  he  is  of  Demo- 
cratic persuasion,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  Lodge  and  Union  Chris- 
tian Church. 

HENRY  SCHRIVER  was  born  in  Hardin  County,  Ohio,  December  8, 
1843.  His  parents  were  Henry  and  Sarah  Schriver,  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  of  German  extraction.  Mr.  Schriver  was  educated  in  the  district  school, 
and  worked  upon  the  farm  till  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  army  of  the 
United  States,  being  mustered  in  at  Camp  Bartley,  Mansfield,  Ohio.  Mov- 
ing from  this  point  to  Lexington,  Ky.,  and  other  points,  and  spending  live 
weeks  of  his  time  in  the  hospitals  along  the  route,  he  was  at  length  enabled 
to  join  his  regiment  at  Nashville.  At  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  so  memorable  in 
history,  he  first  engaged  in  the  dreadful  work  of  destroying  his  fellow-men. 
From  Shiloh  he  was  moved  to  East  Tennessee;  thence  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  and 
from  that  point  to  Stone  River,  where  he  was  wounded  on  the  second  day  of 
the  great  fight  at  that  point.  After  four  months'  confinement  in  the  hos- 
pitals at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  New  Albany,  Ind.,  he  next  joined  his  regi- 
ment at  Murfreesboro,  taking  part  in  the  engagements  at  Liberty  Gap, 
Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  Buzzard  Roost,  Resaca,  Peach  Tree  Creek  and 
Kenesaw  Mountain.  Here  he  received  a  second  wound  and  was  subsequently 
removed  to  the  rear  a  short  time  and  again  went  to  the  front  and  served  in 
the  engagements  of  Atlanta  and  Lovejoy  Station,  being  under  fire  112  days. 
He  then  went  to  Chattanooga.  His  three  years'  service  being  now  expired, 
he  was  mustered  out  and  received  an  honorable  discharge,  having  partici- 
pated in  some  of  the  greatest  battles  of  the  greatest  nation  beneath  the  sun. 
On  his  return  home,  Mr.  Schriver  resumed  his  labor  upon  the  farm,  which 
occupation  he  is  still  engaged  in.  He  was  married,  September  19,  1869,  to 
Mrs.  Susanna  Hogan,  and  subsequently  emigrated  to  Missouri.  Meeting 
with  misfortune  here  in  the  death  of  his  wife,  he  returned  to  Ohio  and  after- 
ward was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Maggie  E.  Morrison,  widow  of  James 
R.  Morrison.  She  was  born  August  13,  1849,  and  was  married  to  her  first 
husband,  February  25,  1869.  Two  children  were  born  to  them — Eldorado 
G.,  born  June  24,  1871,  and  Lillian  M.,  born  August  2,  1873.  The  wife 
having  obtained  the  homestead  from  the  administrator,  the  husband  has 
added  fifty  acres  more  by  subsequent  purchase  and  a  fine  new  dwelling, 
worth  $2,000,  has  been  erected  upon  the  premises  In  politics  Mr.  Schriver 
is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  also  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church. 

ABRAHAM  H.  VANORSDALL  was  born  March  18,  1827,  in  Cayuga 
County,  N.  Y.  He  is  the  son  of  Andrew  and  Catharine  (Vanorsdale)  Vanors- 
dall,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey  respectively;  the  former  born  in 
the  year  1800,  and  the  latter  in  1803,  of  German  lineage.  In  1846,  Mr.  Vanors- 
dall,  with  his  family,  moved  to  Ohio,  settling  in  Wyandot  County,  Mifflin 
Township,  where  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  resided  till 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  July,  1848.  Eight  children  were  born  to  them, 
six  of  whom  still  survive — Abraham  H.,  Hannah  P.,  John  A.,  Jonathan  O., 
Katie  and  Ruby.  The  deceased  were  Lovind  and  Isaac  A.  Our  subject 
received  a  liberal  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  day,  closing  his 
literary  pursuits  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years.  After  this  he  was  engaged  in 
farm  labor  during  the  summer,  and  taught  school  in  winter  until  his  mar- 
riage, which  took  place  in  June,  1849,  to  Miss  Ruth  Snider,  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Anna  (Dean)  Snider.  Six  children  were  the  fruits  of  this  mar- 
riage, all  of   which  are  still  living  except  Daniel  S.      Their  names  are  as 


850  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

follows:  Daniel  S.;  Agnes,  wife  of  G.  N.  Fox;  Julia M.,  wife  of  B.  F.  Stultz; 
Emma  E.,  wife  of  John  M.  La  Rowe;  Curtis  A.  and  Minaie  M.  Mr.  Van- 
orsdall  purchased  240  acres  of  land  in  Wyandot  County,  and  settled  upon 
the  same  in  1863.  Since  that  time  he  has  served  in  nearly  all  the  offices 
in  the  township  in  which  he  resides,  and  also  in  some  of  the  county  offices. 
As  Township  Clerk  he  served  for  a  term  of  sixteen  years;  as  Treasurer,  ten 
years;  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  twenty-one  years;  as  Assessor,  two  years. 
By  appointment  he  was  made  Infirmary  Director  for  one  year,  and  afterward, 
by  election,  six  years.  In  1882,  he  was  chosen  as  Commissioner,  which 
office  he  still  (1883)  holds.  He  is  a  member  of  the  F.  and  A.  M.,  I.  O.  O. 
F.  and  Grange  fraternities,  and  also  of  the  Christian  Union  Church.  In 
politics  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat.  He  is  still  living  on  bis  finely  cultivated 
farm,  in  the  companionship  of  an  excellent  wife,  and  surrounded  by  a  host 
of  friends. 

M.  H.  WALTERMIRE  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  September 
29,  1827,  and  is  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Margaret  (Clymer)  Waltermire. 
Having  a  good  knowledge  of  the  English  branches,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years  he  obtained  a  livelihood  by  teaching  school  and  laboring  at  the  car- 
penter's trade  till  the  year  1865,  when  he  obtained  a  piece  of  land  in  Jack- 
son Township,  Wyandot  County,  where  he  has  since  resided.  On  January 
26,  1854,  he  married  Mary  E.  Edwards,  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  A. 
(Bell)  Edwards.  Mrs.  W^altermire  was  born  November  22,  1832,  in  Bel- 
mont County,  Ohio.  Their  marriage  has  been  blessed  by  eight  children — 
William  M.,  born  January  21,  1855;  Mary  M.,  born  September  5,  1856 
(wife  of  J.  D.  Alexander);  Samuel  H.,  born  August  3,  1858;  Andrew  J., 
born  August  30,  1860;  Lemuel  G. ,  born  February  19,  1864;  Joseph  H., 
born  February  23,  1866;  George  W.,  born  June  7,  1868;  Emma  M.,  born 
May  6,  1875.  Mr.  Waltermire  is  the  owner  of  120  acres  of  land,  all  under 
cultivation,  and  provided  with  a  comfortable  residence.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  a  sound  Democrat.  As  Justice  of  the  Peace  he  has 
served  fifteen  years,  and  as  Township  Clerk  five  years.  He  enjoys  a  pleas- 
ant home,  the  companionship  of  an  excellent  wife,  and  is  well  respected  as 
a  citizen. 

HEZEKIAH  YOUNG.  In  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  March  11,  1844,  this 
gentleman  first  appeared  on  the  scene  of  life.  He  is  the  son  of  Surrena  (Sinn) 
and  George  Young,  the  former  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1810,  the  latter  in 
Virginia,  in  1806,  and  dying  in  the  years  1877  and  1848  respectively,  being  of 
German  ancestry.  Eight  children  blessed  this  imion,  five  of  whom  are  still 
living,  as  follows:  Peter  S.,  Jeremiah,  Delilah,  Hezekiah  and  Mai'tin. 
Fannie,  Isaac  and  Maria  are  numbered  among  the  dead.  Mr.  Young  was 
a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  in  that  capacity  rendered  able  service  in 
the  cause  of  his  country.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  his  day,  emigrating  to  Missouri  at  the  age  of  fifteen, 
but  returning  to  Crawford  County.  Ohio,  after  an  absence  of  six  mouths, 
and  working  on  the  farm  as  a  hand  till  the  spring  of  1864,  at  which  time 
he  entered  the  United  States  service.  He  was  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-fourth  Regiment,  and,  after  three  months'  skirmishing  in  the  Shen- 
andoah Valley,  was  honorably  discharged.  Returning  home,  he  labored  on 
the  farm  till  his  marriage,  which  took  place  September  27,  1866,  to  Miss 
Malinda  Baum,  daughter  of  Jackson  and  Jane  (Stokely)  Baum,  who  was 
born  May  8,  1847.  As  a  result  of  this  marriage  eight  children  were  born 
to  them,  all  of  whom  are  still  living.  The  names  of  these  are  as  follows: 
George  W\,  Mary  M.,  Ruie  S.,  James  W.,  Hezekiah,  Gustus  F.,  Harley  L. 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  851 

and  Myrtie  J.  After  marriage  he  still  engaged  in  farming  and  saw  milling 
till  the  year  1877,  when  he  purchased  107  acres  of  land  in  Wyandot  County, 
sixty  of  which  are  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  Mr.  Young  is  Independent 
in  politics,  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  11.,  and  highly  respected  as  a  citizen. 
PETER  ZIMMERMAN.  On  IMay  15,  1811,  in  Columbiana  County, 
Ohio,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  first  saw  the  light  of  this  world.  He  is  the 
son  of  Peter  and  Sarah  (Connel)  Zimmerman,  the  former  born  April  15, 
1776;  the  latter  was  born  in  Northampton  County.  Penn. ,  both  of  German 
extraction.  Our  subject  received  a  moderate  English  education  in  the 
common  school,  closing  his  work  in  that  direction  to  engage  in  the  more 
rugged  pursuits  of  farm  labor.  On  January  14,  1841,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Caroline  Felty,  daughter  of  John  G.  and  Barbara  (Hem- 
merly)  Felty.  Her  father  was  born  in  Wittenburg,  Germany,  in  1789. 
Her  mother  was  born  in  Wittenburg,  Germany,  in  1792.  To  them  were 
born  seven  children,  but  three  of  whom  are  now  living,  viz.:  Catharine  G. , 
Caroline  and  Frederica.  The  deceased  are  Christina  E. ,  John  C,  Jacob 
and  John.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Zimmerman  moved  to  Wyandot  County, 
Ohio,  locating  in  Jackson  Township.  Here  he  entered  160  acres  of  land, 
making  the  entry  in  1835,  when  but  little  more  than  a  dozen  families  were 
living  in  the  township,  it  being  then  in  its  wildest  condition,  with  the 
Indian  roaming  at  will  over  its  uninhabited  plains.  Of  this  land  he  has 
placed  about  130  acres  in  an  enviable  state  of  improvement,  and  by  incessant 
toil  has  built  for  himself  a  comfortable  home.  In  politics,  Mr.  Zimmerman 
is  a  firm  Democrat,  having  cast  his  first  vote  for  the  venerable  "  Hickorv  " 
Jackson.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  is  the  happy  father 
of  twelve  children,  ten  of  whom  are  still  living,  named  as  follows:  John  F., 
born  December  23,  1841;  Simon  P.,  February  9,  1844;  Henry  K. ,  November 
3,  1845;  Juda,  March  30,  1849;   Catharine,  April  22,  1851;  Christina,  May 

11,  1853;  David  W.,  born  August  11,  1855;  Susana,  April  18,  I860;  Con- 
rad T.,  February  23,  1862;  Perry  C,  November  22,  1865.  The  deceased 
are  Sarah,  born  August  18,  1847,  died  October  6,  1848;  Caroline,  born  De- 
cember 1,  1857,  died  March  1,  1865. 

SIMON  ZIMMERMAN  was  born  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  August 

12,  1823.  He  is  the  son  of  Peter  and  Sarah  (Kemne)  Zimmerman.  His 
father  was  born  in  Virginia,  May  15,  1776,  and  died  September  15,  1861. 
His  mother  was  born  in  Maryland,  May  26,  1781,  and  died  January  18, 
1834.  Mr.  Zimmerman  obtained  his  education  in  the  common  schools,  and 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  turned  his  entire  attention  to  farming.  On  Septem- 
ber 7,  1854,  he  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Dubbs,  daiighter  of  John  and  Anna 
(Woolfrom)  Dubbs,  born  January  29,  1837,  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio. 
They  are  the  parents  of  three  children — George  L.,  born  June  11,  1855;  Ida 
Ann,  born  May  26,  1858;  John  O.,  born  January  30,  1869.  Mr.  Zimmer- 
man emigrated  to  Wyandot  Coiinty,  Jackson  Township,  in  1863,  buying  160 
acres  of  land,  to  which  he  afterward  added  forty  more.  Although  over- 
grown with  timber,  Mr.  Zimmerman  has  made  his  farm  tillable,  and  now 
lives  in  the  enjoyment  of  worldly  plenty,  surrounded  by  many  warm  friends. 
He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church  and  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.     He  has  served  nine  years  as  Township  Trustee. 


852  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    VI. 
MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP. 

The  Township  as  Organized— Its  Physical  Features — First  Improve- 
ments—Early Settlers — Owners  of  Real  and  Personal  Estate  in 
1845— Educational— Religious— Officials  since  1849— Miscellaneous- 
Village  OF  Marseilles— Biographical  Sketches. 

^^HIS  township,  which  comprises  Township  4  south,  Ranges  12  and  13 
JL-  east,  is  what  is  termed  a  fractional  township,  being  longer,  by  an  aver- 
age of  five  miles  from  east  to  west,  than  it  is  in  breadth  from  north  to  south. 
It  was  organized  in  1824.  Part  of  it  was  foi'merly  Grand  Township, 
Marion  County,  and  part  was  separated  from  Goshen  Township,  Hardin 
County,  by  the  erection  of  Wyandot  County  in  1845,  when  it  derived  its 
name  from  its  chief  village,  Marseilles.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Jackson  and  Mifflin  Townships;  on  the  east  by  Pitt  Township;  on  the  south 
by  Marion  and  Hardin  Counties,  and  on  the  west  by  Hardin  County  and 
Jackson  Township. 

The  quality  of  the  soil  is  some  of  the  best  in  the  county,  and  is  specially 
adapted  for  bearing  wheat  and  other  cereals.  Although  a  goodly  poi'tion 
of  this  township  to  the  east  of  Marseilles  Village  is  solid  forest  or  prairie 
land,  yet  the  many  prosperous  farms  that  abound  in  the  remainder  afiford 
abundant  evidence  of  the  fruitfulness  of  the  land  under  care  of  the  agri- 
culturist, whose  attention  appears  to  be  pretty  equally  bestowed  in  the  pro- 
duction of  corn,  wheat,  hay,  potatoes,  and  other  crops. 

The  principal  stream  that  pursues  its  meandering  course  through  Mar- 
seilles Township  is  known  as  Tymochtee  Creek.  Entering  from  Marion 
County,  on  the  farm  of    Frederick  Fehl,  in  the  southeast  corner  of  Section 

17,  the  creek  takes  an  almost  due  northerly  course,  and,  after  skirting  the 
western  limits  of  Marseilles  Village,  it  passes  through  Sections  8  and  5  in  a 
somewhat  serpentine  manner,  and  makes  its  exit  into  Mifflin  Township  on 
the  farm  of  Isaac  Johnson,  in  Section  5.  Most  of  the  tributaries  which  give 
birth  to  the  Tymochtee  have  their  sources  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  Marion 
County;  some  of  them  rise  in  Hardin  County,  and  the  Little  Tymochtee, 
which  pours  its  waters  into  its  more  pretentious  namesake  in  Marion  County, 
has  its  genesis  partly  in  Hardin  County  and  partly  in  Jackson  Township. 
The  main  artery  of  this  tributary  peragrates  the  western  portion  of  Mar- 
seilles Township  from  northwest  to  southeast,  entering  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  Section  2  west,  and  in  passing  through  the  northeast  quarter  of 
Section  11  west,  it  picks  up  a  streamlet  (which  has  its  rise  in  Hardin  County, 
flowing  northeast),  and,  after  coursing  through  Sections  12  west,  13  west 
and  18,  it  forsakes  this  township  on  the  farm  of  Adam  M.  Hartle,  ata  point 
where  the  old  Belief ontaine  road  crosses  it  on  the  southern  edge  of  Section 

18.  A  small  bend  of  one  of  the  feeders  of  the  Little  Tymochtee  dodges 
across  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  10  west,  on  the  farm  of  James  B. 
Pool,  and  other  than  a  rill  that  rises  in  the  west  of  Section  7,  on  the  farm 
of  Michael  Bower,  and  trills  eastward  into  Tymochtee  Creek  at  Marseilles 
Village.      There  is  no  other  stream  of  any  moment  in  the  township. 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  853 

FIRST    IMPROVEMENTS. 

The  first  highway  to  be  regularly  laid  out,  in  this  township,  was  the  State 
or  Bellefontaine  road  in  1822,  which  enters  from  Mifflin  Township,  on  the 
farm  of  John  P.  Miller,  in  Section  4,  and,  after  traversing  the  township  in 
a  southwesterly  direction  and  passing  through  Marseilles  Village,  it  enters 
Marion  County  at  the  southern  edge  of  Section  18.  Two  roads  enter  from 
Pitt  Township  in  the  east  at  Sections  1  and  13  respectively,  the  more  noi'th- 
erly  of  which  runs  about  due  west,  and  strikes  Jackson  Township  at  Section  2 
west;  the  other  road  leads  due  west  till  it  reaches  the  western  edge  of  Sec- 
tion 16,  when  it  proceeds  due  north  a  short  distance;  then  due  west  again 
for  a  quarter  of  a  mile;  then  northwest  till  it  terminates  in  Marseilles  Vil- 
lage. From  the  old  Bellefontaine  road  two  others  diverge,  one  leading 
northwest  into  Jackson  Township,  and  the  other  taking  a  somewhat  irregu- 
lar route  northwest,  west  aad  southwest,  into  Hardin  County. 

EARLY     SETTLEMENTS. 

Il  was  not  until  within  the  second  decade  of  this  century  that  the  first 
ax  was  wielded  toward  clearing  the  township  we  now  write  of,  and 
reducing  it  from  the  condition  of  an  unbroken  forest  to  a  place  fit  for  the 
habitation  of  civilized  man. 

Probably  the  oldest  settler  in  the  township,  now  living,  is  Samuel  Simp- 
son, who  was  born  July  8,  1815.  He  at  one  time  drove  a  stage  between 
Cincinnati  and  Portland,  and  between  Springfield  and  Columbus,  for  two 
years,  commencing  that  occupation  when  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  came 
with  his  parents,  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  Simpson,  to  Marseilles  Township 
in  1821,  and  now  resides  in  Marseilles.  In  his  association  with  the  Indians, 
he  learned  to  speak  their  language,  and  still  possesses  that  acquirement. 
Garrett  Fitzgerald;  a  native  of  Virginia  and  a  married  man  with  a  family 
of  seven  children,  settled  in  the  southeast  quarter  section  in  1822.  In  the 
same  year  came  David  and  Jerry  Terry.  In  1823,  William  Renick,  a  native 
of  Virginia,  and  Charles  Crosberry;  in  1824,  Thomas  Wallace;  in  1825,  A. 
Renick,  James  Brown,  Robert  Ward,  Richard  Lee,  Harvey  Buckmeister, 
Col.  Hunt,  William  Bowsher,  Anthony  Bowsher,  David  Harpster,  David 
Miller.  In  1826,  Daniel  and  Samuel  Straw  and  Joseph  Parish;  John 
Heckathorn  came  in  1828,  and  Maj.  Hugh  Long,  a  tanner,  located  in  the 
village  of  Marseilles  in  1832.  He  was  born  in  West  Liberty,  Va.,  April  12, 
1794,  and  served  in  the  war  of  1812  as  a  member  of  a  Light  Horse  Com- 
pany, commanded  by  Capt.  Ichabod  Nye,  of  Knox  County.  They  camped 
on  what  is  now  known  as  "Armstrong's  Bottom,"  about  two  miles  south  of 
Upper  Sandusky.  When  Maj.  Long  came  to  engage  in  the  business  of  tan- 
ning in  Marseilles  in  1832,  Charles  Merriman  owned  the  only  frame  house 
in  the  village,  which  then  consisted  of  some  six  or  eight  cabins.  The  Major 
filled,  in  his  lifetime,  nearly  every  township  office,  and  he  did  much  toward 
building  up  the  village  to  what  it  now  is.  During  the  latter  years  of  his 
life,  he  drew  a  pension  from  the  Government  for  his  services. 

John  Febl,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  was  born  September  1,  1792;  came 
to  this  township  in  1834,  and  entered  eighty  acres  of  land.  He  was  the 
father  of  nine  children.  His  death  occurred  July  8,  1871.  Mrs.  Fehl,  his 
widow,  was  born  April  16,  1794,  and  is  now  living  on  the  old  homestead,  in 
her  ninety -first  year. 

Alexander  Pool,  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  July,  1799,  came  to  Marseilles 
Township  in  the  spring  of  1834,  and  entered  eighty  acres  of  land.  He 
died  December  24,  1880.      John  W.  Kennedy  settled  in  Marseilles  in  1835, 

38 


854  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

and  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Marseilles  Village  April  ]7,  1883.  He 
was  born  October  6,  1809.  Frederick  Kennedy,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
came  to  the  village  of  Marseilles  in  1835,  and  w^orked  as  a  mechanic  until 
his  death  in  1841.  Michael  Bower,  born  in  New  York,  January  19,  1818, 
came  with  his  parents,  David  and  Susanna  Bower,  in  1835;  entered  276 
acres  of  land.  David  Bower  died  in  1857,  aged  seventy-four,  and  Mrs. 
Bower  died  in  the  same  year  at  the  same  age.  Peter  L.  Demarest  was  born 
August  19,  1800,  in  New  York;  came  here  in  1835  from  Covington, 
N.  Y.,  in  a  wagon,  and  entered  160  acres  of  land  near  Marseilles 
Village.  In  1868,  he  moved  into  that  village,  where  he  died  October  10, 
1883.  Among  others  who  arrived  in  this  township  during  or  prior  to  1835, 
may  be  mentioned  Socrates  Hartle,  born  July  23,  1818,  in  Georgetown, 
Penn.,  who  came  with  his  mother,  brother  and  sister  (John  and  Esther)  and 
entered  240  acres  of  land.  He  acquired  in  all  1,288  acres  of  land,  and 
died  June  21,  1877,  leaving  an  estate  valued  at  $70,000.  He  was  a  very 
prominent  and  highly  esteemed  citizen,  and  as  a  solid,  reliable  man  was 
known  far  and  wide.     Others  were  Henry   Quail,    David   Young  and  son, 

John  Hankins.  David  Bowers,  Henry  Haner,  Z.  Hurd,  Waller,  Ethan 

and  John  Terry,  Dr.  Westbrook,  Nicholas  Bowers,  Elisha  Parker,  Benjamin 
Ellis,  Dr.  Hall,  Henry  Hawthorne  and  T.  Hendrickson. 

Samuel  Studebaker,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1816,  settled  in 
Marseilles  Township  prior  to  1838.  Enoch  Thomas,  born  in  Hardy  County, 
Va.,  July  30,  1814,  came  to  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  in  1838,  and  in  the 
spring  of  the  same  year  to  this  township,  where  he  bought  the  land  on 
which  he  now  resides.  Thomas  Emptage,  a  native  of  Kent,  England,  born 
July  18,  1802,  emigrated  to  America  in  1833,  and  after  residing  two  years 
in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  and  four  years  in  Hardin  County,  Ohio,  came  to 
Marseilles,  where  he  died  March  15,  1879.  His  widow,  a  native  of  Hamer- 
sham,  England,  is  now  living,  in  the  seventy-fifth  year  of  her  age.  Parker 
Lee,  who  spent  1840-42  in  Marseilles  Township,  was  born  in  Maryland, 
served  through  the  war  of  1812,  and  died  in  Salt  Rock  Township,  Marion 
County, 

The  owners  of  real  and  personal  estate  in  the  township  of  Marseilles  in 
1845,  at  the  organization  of  the  county,  were  as  follows: 

OWNERS    OF    REAL    ESTATE. 

Andrew  Alexander,  William  Adams,  Solomon  Adams,  Samuel  Adams, 
Hugh  Adams,  Alexander  Armstrong,  Ephraim  Atkinson,  David  Bower, 
Charles  L.  Boalt,  Joseph  Boucher,  Ozias  Bowen,  David  Bowers,  John 
Bowers,  George  H.  Busby,  S.  S.  Bennett,  Joseph  P.  Corey,  David  J.  Corey, 
David  Cross,  Edwin  Case,  John  Caughly,  Josiah  Copeland,  Abraham  Dean, 
Peter  L.  Demarest,  Elisha  Davis,  Davenport  &  Monahan,  Frank  Eller, 
Stephen  Frost,  Jr.,  Isaac  Farmer,  John  Fehl,  Talmage  Hildreth,  Hanson 
Hooker,  Henry  H.  Haner,  Zadock  Hurd,  Thomas  B.  Hendrickson,  Alexan- 
der Ingham,  Orange  Johnson,  John  W.  Kennedy,  Samuel  Kelly,  Rachel  Kirk, 
Henry  Heckathorne,  John  Heckathorne,  Jacob  Harrold,  Robert  Longberry, 
Hugh  Long,  Simeon  Miller,  Peter  H.  Mitchell,  James  May,  David  Miller, 
Charles  Merriman,  Merriman  &  Carey,  T.  McCaully,  Hugh  Nugent,  Will- 
iam Norton,  Alston  Norton,  Charles  Merriman,  Gilbert  Olney,  Jonathan 
Owens,  Alexander  Pool,  Philip  Penser,  James  Pool,  Elisha  Parker,  Benja- 
min Pancake,  Henry  Quail,  Ivey  Renick,  Elizabeth  Renick,  Abel  Renick, 
Paulina  Reber,  James  Rhoads,  Crawford  Richey,  Josiah  Robinson,  Rob- 
ert Smith,   David    Smith,    State   of  Ohio,    Jacob  Smail,    Daniel   Snyder, 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  855 

Samufil  Studebaker,  Ethan  Terry.*  John  P.  Terry,  Obed  Taylor,  John 
and  Thomas  Thurman,  David  M.  Thomas,  Enoch  Thomas,  John  P.  Terry, 
Champrees  Terry,  Henry  Ten  Eyck,  Ezra  Winslow,  William  Walker,  Henry 
Wishler,  Gabriel  Wallis,  Potter  Wright,  George  Welch,  Jr.,  William  Wood- 
ward, Henry  Wilkins,  David  Yoiing,  Henry  Zimmerman, 

VILLAGE    OF    MARSEILLES. 

Owners  of  lots:  John  Aughenbaiigh,  Zenas  Bradish,  Peter  Conley, 
Eusebius  Cresap,  Daniel  Cozzen,  William  Carey,  Moses  Dudley,  Orrin  Ferris, 
Jasper  Hiint,  John  Heckathorne,  John  W.  Hendrickson,  Frederick  Kennedy, 
John  W.  Kennedy,  Samuel  Kennedy,  Henry  King,  Moses  Kennedy,  Hugh 
Long,  James  M.  Lambert,  Peter  Mitchell,  Merriman  &  Carey,  Charles  Mer- 
riman  (who  then  owned  a  majority  of  the  town  lots),  John  Mattoff,  Jacob 
Snyder,  Peter  L.  Van  Ostrand  and  William  Welsh. 

VILLAGE    OF    BURLINGTON. 

Owners  of  town  lots:  W^illiam  Carey.Hiram  Chapman, Garrett  L.  Cowan, 
Moses  Dudley,  Garrett  Fitzgerald,  Zadock  Hurd,  Hugh  Long,  William  S. 
Potter,  and  State  of  Ohio. 

OWNERS    OF    PERSONAL    PROPERTY. 

John  Aughenbaugh,  George  Armstrong,  Solomon  Adams,  Hugh  Adams, 
Samuel  Adams,  Thomas  Armstrong,  John  Ackley,  Andrew  Alexander,  John 
N.  Bower,  David  Bower,  David  Bower,  Jr.,  Michael  Bowers,  William  Carey, 
Samuel  Caugh,  Andrew  Campbell,  Peter  Conley,  Dr.  W.  M.  Chesny  (a 
practicing  physician),  Daniel  Cozin,  James  Clark,  Artemus  W".  Cushman, 
John  Carpenter,  Zenas  Durgy,  Peter  L.  Demarest,  Thomas  Emtpage,  Dr.  Or- 
rin Ferris  (a  practicing  physician),  Robert  Foster,  Thomas  Frazier,  Stephen 
Frost,  John  Farmer,  Isaac  Farmer,  John  Feigle,  Joseph  Firestine,  Joseph 
Gibson,  Jasper  Hunt  (a  merchant),  Zadock  Hurd,  Lyman  Hurd,  John  G. 
Hensel,  Erastus  Hickok,  John  Hooker,  Talmage  Hildreth,  Stephen  Hildreth, 
John  Heckathorne,  Henry  Heckathorne,  John  W.  Hendrickson,  John  W. 
Kennedy,  Samuel  Kennedy,  Henry  G.  Kennedy,  Hugh  Long  (a  tanner  and 
merchant),  James  M.  Lambert,  Richard  Lee,  Hiram  Morgan,  Charles  Mer- 
riman, S.  D.  Maynard,  A.  C.  Miller,  Peter  H.  Mitchell, Gilbert  Olney,  John 
Penn,  Day  Pugh,  W.  M.  Potter  (a  merchant),  Charles  Polly,  Alexander  Pool, 
Hannah  Parker,  Henry  Pencer,  Josiah  Potter,  David  Polly,  Henry  Quail, 
Abel  Renick,  Thomas  Robertson,  Crawford  Richey,  Jacob  Snyder,  Jacob 
Shafer  (a  merchant),  Jacob  Smail,  Charles  Stinefield,  David  Snyder,  Enoch 
Thomas,  Loren  Torpening,  Ethan  Terry,  John  P.  Terry,  Peter  Vanorsdall, 
Isaac  Vanorsdall,  Ezra  Winslow,  William  Woodward,  John  Wilkins,  Will- 
iam Walker,  David  Young,  Samuel  Yamer. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

Prior  to  1823,  the  youth  of  this  township  enjoyed  no  educational  facil- 
ities, but  grew  up  with  a  "  plentiful  lack  "  of  scholastic  knowledge.  Set- 
tling in  Marseilles  was  for  a  number  of  years  slow,  and  as  all  new  countries 
require  diligent  and  unceasing  labor,  of  a  necessity  years  passed  by  without 
any  advancement,  intellectually.  At  last  the  pioneers  realized  that  to  keep 
pace  with  the  surrounding  country,  and  to  prevent  their  children  from  grow- 
ing up  in  ignorance  and  vice,  they  must  take  proper  steps  to  accord  them 
the   essential  instruction.     In  1823,  the  first   schoolhouse,  built  of  hewed 

*  One  of  the  first  County  Commissioners. 


856  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

logs,  with  puncheon  floors  and  greased  paper  windows,  and  furnished  with 
other  necessary  antiquated  paraphernalia,  not  forgetting  the  inseparable 
birch  rod,  put  in  an  appearance  in  the  northwest  of  Section  17.  The  first 
teachers  were:  For  first  three  months,  Jerry  Terry;  for  second  three  months, 
Silas  Unten;  for  third  three  months,  William  Williams,  and  this  arrange- 
ment continued  each  year  for  three  years.  There  are  now  in  this  township 
three  school  buildings  located  on  Sections  14,  12  and  17. 

RELIGIOUS. 

There  are  at  present  two  church  buildings  in  this  townshij),  an  account 
of  which  will  be  found  under  the  heading  "Marseilles  Village,"  to  which 
the  reader  is  referred.  One  cemetery  stands  in  Section  17,  between  the 
road  and  Tymochtee  Creek,  about  half  a  mile  south  of  Marseilles  Village; 
another  may  be  found  in  Section  8,  on  the  Bellefontaine  road,  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  the  village;  and  a  third  in  Section  18,  on  the  same  road,  one 
mile  from  Marseilles.  Besides  these  there  are  several  private  burial  grounds, 
in  one  of  which,  on  the  Wallace  farm,  John  Crosberry,  who  died  in  1826 
(the  first  death  in  the  township),  lies  buried. 

TOWNSHIP    OFnCIALS     SINCE    1849. 

Trustees — 1849,  John  W.  Kennedy,  John  N.  Bower,  William  Woodard. 
1850 — Lansing  Chamberlin,  William  Woodard,  Charles  Merriman. 
1851 — Hugh  Long,  Lansing  Chamberlin,  Enoch  Thomas. 
1852 — Enoch  Thomas,  Peter  li.  Demarest,  Michael  Bower. 
1853— John  Fehl,  William  H.  Renick,  William  Phillips. 
1854— John  Fehl,  William  H.  Renick,  William  Phillips. 
1855 — Peter  L.  Demarest,  Daniel  Heckathorne,  Enoch  Thomas. 
1856 — Enoch  Thomas,  Jonathan  Owens,  William  H.  Renick. 
1857 — George  Merriman,  James  Scott,  Alexander  Pool. 
1858 — James  Scott,  George  Mei-riman,  John  Fehl. 
1859 — James  Scott,  James  B.  Cook,  Jonathan  Owens. 
1860 — James  B.  Cook,  Jonathan  Owens,  William  Phillips. 
'       1861 — James  B.  Cook,*  Samuel  Hollinger,  William  Phillips. 
1862 — William  Phillips,  H.  H.  Carey,  Josiah  Chandler. 
1863 — William  Phillips,  Josiah  Chandler,  Henry  H.  Carey. 
1864 — William  Phillips,  William  H.  Renick,  Samuel  Hollinger. 
1865  — William  H.  Renick,  Samuel  Hollinger,  William  Phillips. 
1866 — William  Phillips,  Samuel  Hollinger,  Enoch  Thomas. 
1867 — Josiah  Chandler,  H.  H.  Carey,  John  M.  Houston, 
1868 — Josiah  Chandler,  H.  H.  Carey,  John  M.  Houston. 
1869 — Josiah  Chandler,  H.  H.  Carev,  John  M.  Houston. 
1870— Josiah  Chandler,  H.  H.  Carey,  Elias  L.  Parker. 
1871 — Josiah  Chandler,  H.  H.  Carey,  Elias  L.  Parker. 
1872 — Josiah  Chandler,  H.  H.  Carey,  Elias  L.  Parker. 
1873 — Josiah  Chaiidler,  H.  H.  Carey,  Elias  L.  Parker. 
1874— Josiah  Chandler,  H.  H.  Carey,  Elias  L.  Parker, 
1875 — William  Seligman,  H.  H.  Carey,  Jacob  Williams. 
1876 — William  Seligman,  H.  H.  Carey,  Jacob  Williams. 
1877 — Jacob  Williams,  Philip  Uncapher,  Simeon  B.  Cook. 
1878 — Jacob  Williams,  Philip  Uncapher,  Simeon  B.  Cook. 
1879 — Jacob  Williams,  Philip  Uncapher,  Simeon  B.  Cook. 
1880 — Jacob  Williams,  Simeon  B.  Cook,  Thomas  Emptage. 

*Died,  and  Henry  H.  Carey  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy. 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  857 

1881 — Simeon  B.  Cook,  Heniy  Handchy,  Thomas  Emptage. 

1882— -Thomas  Emptage,  Adam  M.  Hartle,  Henry  Handchy. 

1888 — Thomas  Emptage,  Henry  Handchy,  Adam  M.  Hartle. 

Clerks — 1849-52,  James  P.  Maddux;  1852,  Anson  Norton  (appointed); 
1853,  S.  S.  Adams;  1854,  H.  N.  Croninger;  1855.  John  M.  Chesney,  Lewis 
R.  Seaman  (appointed);  1856,  Lewis  R.  Seaman;  1857-58,  William  N. 
Knibloe;  1859-81,  Elijah  K.  Ferris;  1881,  H.  S.  Gates  (appointed);  1882- 
83,  H.  S.  Gates. 

Treasurers— 1849-53,  John  W.  Kennedy;  1854,  William  S.  Potter; 
1855-60,  John  M.  Chesney;  1861-63,  Lewis  Merriman;  1864-83,  Benja- 
min F.  Kennedy. 

Justices  of  the  Peace— 1849,  William  S.  Potter;  1851,  James  P.  Mad- 
dux;  1852,  John  C.  Davis;  1853,  S.  S.  Adams,  William  Irvine;  1854,  Will- 
iam  S.  Potter;  1856,  William  S.  Potter,  Moses  Dudley;  1858,  William  N. 
Knibloe;  1859,  S.  P.  Shur;  1S61,  William  N.  Knibloe;  1862,  John  N. 
Bower,  Elijah  K.  Ferris;  1865,  John  N.  Bower,  Elijah  K.  Ferris;  1868, 
John  N.  Bower,  Elijah  K.  Ferris;  1870,  Elias  L.  Parker;  1871,  Elijah  K. 
Ferris;  1873,  Philip  Uncapher;  1874,  Elijah  K.  Ferris;  1876,  Henry  S. 
Ormerod;  1877,  Elijah  K.  Ferris;  1879,  Henry  S.  Ormerod;  1880,  Elijah 
K.  Ferris;  1881,  Samuel  P.  Hill,  Clarence  L.  Ellis. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

The  first  election  for  any  pui'pose  in  this  township,  then  known  as 
Grand  Township,  was  held  in  the  village  of  Marseilles  in  1829,  in  Charles 
Merriman's  storehouse,  on  which  occasion,  when  some  forty  or  fifty  votes 
were  recorded,  were  elected  following  officials:  For  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
Abraham  Renick,  Whig;  for  Constable,  Samuel  Simpson,  Democrat;  for 
Clerk  and  Treasurer,  C.  Merriman,  Whig.  W.  S.  Potter  was  elected  Justice 
of  the  Peace  in  1844.  The  first  white  child,  a  girl,  to  come  into  the  world 
in  this  township  was  in  1832 — parents,  Harvey  and  Abigail  Buckmeister. 
The  first  wedding  was  in  1844,  the  contracting  parties  being  Samuel  Simp- 
son and  Ann  E.  Kennedy;  and  the  first  death  was  that  of  John  Crosberry, 
in  1826.  Dr.  Westbrook  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  physician.  Before 
any  store  existed  in  this  township,  settlers  had  to  go  to  Upper  Sandusky, 
West  Liberty  or  Belief ontaine  for  their  supplies,  and  Charles  Merriman 
opened  and  carried  on  the  first  store  in  the  township  in  Marseilles  Village, 
and  there  are,  even  now,  no  stores  in  the  township  outside  of  the  village. 
The  first  saw  mill  and  grist  mill  stood  in  Section  17,  and  were  driven  by 
Tymochtee  Creek  water-power;  they  were  erected  in  1822  by  David  and 
Jerry  Terry.  There  are  now  five  mills  in  the  township,  all  portable — one  in 
the  village  owned  by  Thomas  &  Westow;  two  in  Section  3,  and  Althou- 
sen's  mill.  The  remains  of  some  Indian  camps  to  be  found  in  Sections  8 
and  17,  although  no  "relics"  have  been  discovered,  and  some  of  the  old 
settlei's  can  relate  many  legends  of  the  untutored  Indians'  war  dances  and 
dances  with  the  calumet  of  peace,  their  weddings,  burials,  sports  and 
"shin-digs." 

MARSEILLES  VILLAGE. 

About  the  year  1827,  as  near  as  can  be  ascertained,  Garrett  Fitzgerald, 
a  native  of  Virginia,  who  emigrated  to  this  county  in  1825,  and  entered 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Section  8,  this  township,  laid  out  a  small  town  on 
said  section,  which  he  called  Burlington,  situated  on  the  north  of  and  ad- 
joining the  south  line  of  Section  8.     In  1828,  Josiah  Robinson,  also  a  Vir- 


858  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

ginian,  who  emigrated  to  this  county  and  settled  in  Antrim  Township  in 
1822,  and  who  a  few  years  later  became  owner  of  160  acres  of  land  in  Mar- 
seilles Township,  Section  17,  also  laid  out  a  small  town  in  his  section, 
which  he  named  Marseilles.  In  1845,  C.  Merriman,  owning  a  small  strip 
of  land  lying  between  and  adjoining  "Burlington"  and  "Marseilles,"  a 
little  later  laid  out  another  addition,  and  the  entire  village  soon  became  the 
Marseilles  Village  of  to  day,  and  the  several  parts,  or  divisions,  were  known 
as: 

Fitzgerald's  Addition  to  Marseilles. 

Robinson's  Addition  to  Marseilles. 

Merriman's  First  Addition  to  Marseilles. 

Merrimao's  Second  Addition  to  Marseilles. 

The  village  is  situated  on  Tymochtee  Creek  and  the  old  Bellefontalne 
road,  one-half  being  in  Section  8  and  the  other  half  in  Section  17*. 

riEST     HOUSE,   STORES,    MILLS,  ETC. 

The  first  house  in  the  village  was  erected  by  Garrett  Fitzgerald  on  Lot 
No.  12,  Fitzgerald's  Addition.  It  was  a  round-log,  single  story  building, 
16x18  feet,  used  as  a  dwelling  house  for  many  years,  and  of  which  nothing 
now  remains,  a  frame  house  having  been  built  on  the  same  lot  in  1836,  by 
Solomon  Adams,  which  is  still  in  use  as  a  residence.  The  first  store  was 
built  in  1828,  on  Lot  11,  Kobinson's  Addition,  by  Merriman  &  Terry,  a 
20x32-feet  structure  of  hewed  logs,  in  which  the  firm  carried  on  a  general 
merchandising  business  with  a  stock  representing  $1,000  capital.  This 
partnership  continued  but  a  short  time,  Mr.  Terry  retiring  from  the  firm 
and  devoting  his  attention  to  real  estate  business  and  general  agriculture. 
Later  on,  William  Carey  formed  a  partnership  with  C.  H.  Merriman  in 
mercantile  business,  and,  in  1834,  built  a  new  business  room,  the  first  frame 
building  in  the  village,  22x44  feet,  on  Lot  24,  Robinson's  Addition.  This 
partnership  continued  until  1844,  when  they  sold  out  to  Jacob  Shaffer,  who 
again  sold  out  to  Long  &  Kennedy,  who  carried  on  the  business  until  1850, 
and  were  then  bought  out  by  S.  Potter  who  also  disposed  of  his  interest 
two  years  later  to  Knibloe  &  Norton,  who  sold  out  to  Lewis  Merriman  and 
who,  in  a  few  years,  took  into  partnership  B.  F.  Kennedy.  After  another 
few  years,  Merriman  retired  and  Kennedy  continued  alone  until  1883,  when 
he  sold  ont  to  Robert  Linsey,  now  in  possession  of  the  business  with  R. 
Gates  as  partner. 

About  1837,  William  Welch  opened  out  a  small  grocery  store,  which  he 
carried  on  a  short  time  and  then  sold  out  to  Joseph  Shilling,  who  occupied 
the  store  mainly  as  a  saloon.  In  1847,  Charles  Slerriman  built  on  Lot  10, 
Robinson's  Addition,  a  two-story  brick  block,  22x40,  where  he  conducted  a 
general  merchandise  business  for  a  few  years,  when  his  son,  Calvin  Davis, 
succeeded  him  and  continued  several  years,  until  Shaver  Bros,  came  into 
possession.  The  latter  firm  built,  in  1857,  on  Lot  10,  a  two-story  frame 
business  room,  where  they  carried  on  mercantile  trade  for  about  two  yeai's, 
and  then  closed  out  their  stock,  sold  their  property  to  John  Fehl,  and  re- 
moved to  Delawai-e,  Fehl  sold  this  property  to  Dr.  Gates,  who  disposed  of 
same  soon  after  to  J.  O.  Studebaker,  who  resold  about  1881  to  Dr.  Gates, 
in  whose  name  it  now  remains.  This  store  has  been  occupied  at  intervals 
by  various  parties,  and  is  at  present  occupied  by  Hanchey  &  Krisher,  in 
general  grocery  and  variety  business,  and  by  Dr.  Barr  in  drugs.       In  1852, 

*Near  Marseilles,  a  little  to  the  northeast,  can  be  pointed  out  the  exact  spot  where  Simon  Kenton  was 
made  to  run  the  gantlet  by  the  Wyandot  Indians. 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  859 

Mr.  J.  W.  Kennedy  remodeled  his  dwelling-house,  and  built  an  addition 
thereto  in  form  of  a  business  room,  which  was  occupied  by  his  son,  H. 
Kennedy,  as  a  grocery  store,  for  eighteen  or  twenty  years;  sold  out  to  John 
Leder,  who  carried  it  on  two  years,  reselling  to  H.  Kennedy,  whose  father, 
for  three  and  a  half  years,  there  carried  on  a  general  variety  trade,  then 
sold  to  Frank  Williams,  who,  in  1883,  moved  his  stock  to  his  news  room,  a 
frame,  two  story  building,  22x60  feet,  on  Lot  25,  in  Robinson's  Addition, 
the  second  story  of  which  is  now  occupied  by  "Ellis"  Post,  No.  292,  G. 
A.  R.,  organized  in  1883.  Two  or  three  other  stores  of  later  origin,  now 
in  existence;  are:  Lindsey  &  Gates,  dry  goods;  Silas  Buckingham,  hard- 
ware and  tinware;  B.  F.  Kennedy,  groceries,  and  Samuel  Yencer,  general 
grocery.  A  portable  saw  mill  is  owned  and  operated  by  Thomas  &  Weston. 
In  1852,  a  line,  frame,  five-story  floui--mill,  40x50  feet,  was  built  at  a  cost 
of  $12,000,  by  a  joint-stock  company  of  whom  Charles  Merriman,  Long  & 
Kennedy,  Dr.  William  Chesney  and  Dr.  Irvin  were  the  principal  stock- 
holders, which  mill  did  a  good  business  for  many  years.  It  changed  hands 
frequently  and  was  tinally  owned  by  Lewis  Seligman.  In  June,  1833,  a 
fire  broke  out  in  the  smut  mill,  in  the  fourth  story,  which  consumed  the  en- 
tire concern.  About  1860,  a  large  frame  carding  mill,  30x50  feet,  was 
erected  by  William  Weber,  of  Delaware,  and  conducted  successfully  for 
several  years,  but  for  the  past  few  years  has  been  standing  idle. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  in  1837,  on  Merriman's  Addition,  a 
frame  structure,  25x30  feet,  at  a  cost  of  $300  or  $400.  This,  in  1847,  was 
abandoned,  and  a  second  school  building  of  brick,  30x40,  was  erected  on  the 
same  lot,  in  that  year,  at  a  cost  $450.  A  special  school  district  was  organized 
here  in' 1875,  and  a  third,  the  present,  school  building  was  erected  in  Merri- 
man's Addition    in  1877,  two  stories,  three  rooms,  of  brick,  costing  about 


The  Present  School  Board  is  composed  of  B.  F.  Lee,  Lewis  Seligman 
and  G.  W.  Knibloe. 

CHUECHES. 

Presbyterian  Church.  — This  society  was  organized  in  1823,  in  the  log 
schoolhouse  of  the  township.  The  membership  numbered  from  thirty  to 
forty,  among  whom  can  be  mentioned  David  and  N.  Bowers  and  family, 
John  Fehl  and  wife,  P.  L.  Demarest,  P.  Q.  Mitchell  and  wife,  and  Jacob 
Bowers.  In  1832,  the  congregation  erected  their  first  church  in  Robinson's 
Addition.  It  was  a  frame  building,  30x40  feet,  and  cost  about  $500  or 
$600.  For  twenty  years  or  more  this  structure  was  utilized  as  a  place  of 
worship  and  then  abandoned.  It  was  afterward,  for  several  years,  used  as 
an  ashery,  later  as  a  grocery,  and  finally  burned  down  in  1876.  In  1847, 
the  Presbyterian  society  erected  their  present  church  edifice,  a  frame  build- 
ing 40x60  feet,  in  Merriman's  Second  Addition,  at  a  cost  of  $1,800.  In 
1876,  they  purchased  a  dwelling  house  to  be  used  as  a  parsonage,  and  to 
this,  in  1882,  they  made  a  new  and  considerable  addition,  which  has  ren- 
dered it  a  complete  and  comfortable  parsonage,  valued  at  not  less  than 
$2,000.  The  membership  of  the  church  now  numbers  some  120  souls. 
Daniel  Heckathorne,  D.  J.  Bower  and  B.  F.  Lee  compose  the  session  or 
board  of  leaders.  The  pastors  who  have  served  this  church  were:  First  foiu' 
years.  Rev.  Miller,  deceased;  following  him  Revs.  Templeton,  T.  J.  Cellar 
and  A.  B.  Stanthers,  the  present  incumbent,  now  in  his  fifth  year.  The 
church  is  in  good  condition,  both  spiritual  and  temporal. 


860  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Methodist  EpiscojKil  Church. — This  society  was  organized  in  1825,  in 
the  old  log  schoolhoiise  of  the  township,  on  which  occasion  some  twenty- 
live  or  thirty  members  were  present,  among  whom  were  the  Nutern  family, 
Thomas  Wallace  and  family,  and  Joseph  Parish  and  family.  The  first 
church  (the  present  one)  was  erected  in  1840,  in  Marseilles  Village,  of 
frame  work,  30x40  feet,  cost  about  $1,000.  This  building  was  overhauled 
and  remodeled  in  1873,  at  a  cost  of  §800.  The  society  built,  in  1861,  a 
comfortable  parsonage  in  the  vicinity  of  the  church,  Costing  about  $1,000. 
The  pastors  who  have  served  this  congregation  were  Revs.  Bunker,  Burgess, 
Sterling,  Blanpede,  Mower,  Hager,  Cutler,  Delisle,  Colgan,  Roberts, 
Powell,  Henderson,  Taylor,  Young,  Mather,  Reagh,  Feghtly,  Lawrence, 
Plum,  Boggs-,  pi'esent  leadei's,  Michael  Bower,  George  Wood,  R.  Willard, 
S.  Cook,  D.  Leslie.  Present  church  membership,  200.  During  1883,  this 
church  witnessed  its  greatest  revival  since  its  organization,  118  having  been 
added  to  the  flock  on  probation. 

SECRET    SOCIETIES. 

Marseilles  Lodge,  No.  515,  F.  &  A.  M. — This  lodge  was  organized  De- 
cember 14.  1876,  with  following  charter  members:  J.  O.  Studabaker.  Henry 
Handchy,  Myron  Ellis,  H.  S.  Ormerod,  J.  O.  Vanorsdall,  D.  W.  McConnell, 
L.  A.  Seligman,  J.  W.  Bower,  M.  H.  Kirby.  There  are  at  present  thirty- 
six  members,  and  the  lodge  is  in  good  running  order  under  the  present  ad- 
ministration of  officers,  viz. :  H.  S.  Gates,  W.  M. ;  L.  A.  Seligman,  S.  W. ; 
L.  Krisher,  J.  W.;  W.  R.  Ramsdell,  S. ;  Robert  Lindsey,  T.;  Myron  Ellis, 
S.  D.;  J.  C.  Rubins,  J.  D.;  Caleb  Dougherty,  T. 

Tyynochtee  Lodge,  No.  634,  L.  O.  O.  F.,  was  organized  June  27,  1876, 
with  following  charter  members:  A.  H.  Vanorsdall,  A.  V.  Hartle,  Isaac 
Robinson,  E.  Fehl,  M.  R.  Owens,  J.  A.  Baker,  M.  C.  Sprague,  Jasper  N. 
Taylor,  D.  W.  McConnell.  Present  membership,  thirty.  Present  officers: 
John  Fehl,  N.  G.;  John  Bloomingdale,  V.  G. ;  Robert  Wall,  P.  S.;  G.  W. 
Halsey,  T. ;  John  Straw,  R.  S. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

JAMES  D.  BARR,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Hollidaysburg,  Blair  County, 
Penn.,  January  28,  1847,  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (McDonnough)  Barr, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  descendants  of  Scotland.  His  maternal  grand- 
father was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  parents  had  twelve 
children,  eight  still  living — ^Cassandra,  James  D.,  William,  George,  Anna, 
Alfred,  Benton  and  Bertha.  The  deceased  are  Franklin  and  Ellen.  His 
parents  are  still  residents  of  Pennsylvania,  his  father  being  a  carpenter  by 
trade.  James  D.  Barr,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  educated  at  the  com- 
mon schools,  and  afterward  attended  college  at  Lewisburg,  Penn. ,  and  be- 
gan the  study  of  medicine  in  1875,  under  the  eminent  physician,  Dr.  D.  S. 
Hayes,  of  his  native  place,  continuing  his  reading  four  years,  and  attend- 
ing three  courses  of  lectures  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  at  Phila- 
delphia, graduating  in  1879.  He  is  of  the  regular  Allopathic  school.  After 
recuperating  for  one  year,  he  located  at  Marseilles  in  the  fall  of  1881,  and 
has  succeeded  in  establishing  a  fair  practice.  In  July,  1883,  he  purchased 
a  drug  store  at  Marseilles,  where  he  is  doing  a  good  business  in  that  trade. 
April  10,  1882,  he  married  Miss  Anna  Seligman,  daughter  of  William  Selig- 
man. Their  only  child  is  Howard  F.,  born  April  13,  1883.  Mr.  Barr  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  at  Hollidaysburg;  is  Republican  in  politics,  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  a  highly  respected  citizen. 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  861 

EZRA  G.  BARTRAM  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  December  18, 
1837,  son  of  Milo  and  Laura  (Sabine)  Bartram,  natives  of  New  York  and 
Connecticut  respectively,  and  of  Scotch  ancestry.  They  came  to  Marion  in 
1825,  and  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  seven  living — C.  Porter.  Mary 
J.,  Sarah  E.  G.,  Louisa,  Olive  and  John.  The  deceased  are  William,  Laura 
E.  and  Milo  P.  The  father  died  about  1869,  aged  seventy-one  years;  the 
mother  in  1865,  aged  fifty-five  years.  Ezra  G.  Bartram  received  a  common 
school  education,  and  January  20,  1859,  married  Magdalene  Smith,  daugh- 
ter of  Martin  Smith,  of  Wayne  County.  They  have  eight  children — Charles 
W. ,  Lois  E. ,  Eunice  v.,  Smith  I.,  Cora  J.  and  Laura  E.  The  deceased 
are  Abba  A.  and  George  E.  In  the  fall  of  1862,  Mr.  Bartram  enlisted  in 
Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, at  La  Rue,  Marion  County,  and  took  part  in  the  chase  of  Gen.  Mor- 
gan through  Kentucky  several  times;  lost  his  health,  and  was  sent  to  the 
Louisville  Hospital,  where  he  received  his  discharge  April  27,  1863.  He 
returned  home,  and  in  1865  purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres, 
paying  $25  per  acre — now  valued  at  $40.  Politically,  Mr.  Bartram  is  a 
Democrat.  His  health,  which  was  injured  in  the  late  war,  he  has  never 
fully  recovered,  and  consequently  he  receives  a  Government  pension  of  $8 
per   month. 

JOSEPH  BLOW,  one  of  the  representative  men  of  the  township,  was 
born  in  England  September  18,  1823.  He  is  the  son  oE  Charles  and  Su- 
sanna (Hendryby)  Blow.  They  had  three  children — James,  Joseph  and 
Edward,  the  former  being  now  deceased.  His  father  died  aged  fifty- five 
years;  his  mother  while  Joseph  was  quite  young;  and,  as  a  result,  his  edu- 
cational privileges  were  limited.  He  worked  at  yearly  wages — $40  to  $50 
per  year — for  some  time,  but  came  to  America  with  both  bi'othei's  in  1845, 
and  located  in  Grand  Township,  Marion  County.  In  1855,  he  bought  160 
acres  of  land  there  at  a  cost  of  $1,075,  clearing  120  acres  of  forest  land 
himself.  His  farm  is  in  good  repair,  valued  at  $55  per  acre,  and  has  been 
rented  for  the  past  seven  years.  He  purchased  his  present  home  of  forty- 
two  acres  near  Marseilles  in  1876,  paying  $2,900  for  the  same,  and  making 
it  a  present  to  his  wife.  This  farm  is  valued  at  $100  per  acre,  a  valuable 
stone  quarry  being  located  near  the  residence.  His  marriage  to  Rachel 
Blow  occurred  March  8,  1863.  She  was  born  December  14,  1841,  daughter 
of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  Blow.  They  have  no  children.  Politically,  Mr. 
Blow  is  an  Independent,  and,  with  his  wife,  is  a  member  of  the  Disciple 
Church.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Mr.  Blow  was  a  soldier  in  the 
late  war,  entering  the  service  in  October,  1864,  Company  C,  Thirty- eighth 
Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  engaged  at  Chattanooga,  where 
he  was  taken  sick  and  confined  to  the  field  hospital,  but  was  subsequently 
removed  to  Nashville,  Jeffersonville,  and  lastly  to  Camp  Dennison,  where  he 
was  discharged  in  the  spring  of  1865.  In  England  he  was  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  fraternity.  Robert  and  Elizabeth  Blow,  parents  of  Mrs.  Rachel 
Blow,  came  to  America  from  England  in  1857,  settling  in  Grand  Township, 
Marion  County.  They  had  eight  children,  six  now  living — Charles,  Han- 
nah, Lucy,  Robert,  Peter  and  Rachel.  The  deceased  are  George  and  Ed- 
ward. Robert  Blow  died  aged  eighty- five,  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  at  the 
age  of  seventy  years.      This  family  were  all  natives  of  England. 

MICHAEL  BOWER,  son  of  David  and  Susan  (Kepner)  Bower,  was  born 
in  New  York  January  19,  1818.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  of  German  lineage,  coming  to  Ohio  in  1835,  and  settling  where  our 
subject  now  resides.     Here  they  entered  376  acres  of  land, upon  which  they 


862  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

lived  and  died.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children — five  still  living, 
Henry  S. ,  Jacob  P.,  Michael,  David  and  Maria.  The  deceased  are  Adam, 
John  N.  and  Margaret.  The  father  died  in  1857,  aged  seventy- four  years; 
the  mother,  in  the  same  year,  at  the  same  age.  Our  subject,  Michael 
Bower,  was  provided  with  a  common  school  education,  and  remained  upon 
the  old  homestead  which  he  assisted  in  clearing,  and  eighty  acres  of  which 
he  has  since  fallen  heir  to.  By  subsequent  purchases  he  has  raised  this 
number  to  240  aci'es,  all  in  good  repair  and  valued  at  $60  per  acre.  In  his 
lifetime  Mr.  Bower  has  cleared  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  heavily 
timbered  land.  In  1875,  he  built  his  attractive  residence,  costing  $2,500. 
October  14,  1838,  he  married  Miss  Ann  E.  Studebaker,by  whom  he  became 
the  father  of  five  children — three  living:  Jarvis,  Martha  and  Willamina. 
The  deceased  are  D.  Orsin  and  Mary  A.  The  mother  died  August  9,  18  i7. 
Married  again,  deceased  wife's  sister,  Martha  J.  Studebaker,  daughter  of 
Abram  and  Mary  (Group)  Studebaker,  March  14,  1848.  Four  children  re- 
sulted from  this  marriage — three  living:  Ann  E.,  Neander  S.  and  John  M. 
Georgiana  died  November  4,  1857.  Mrs.  Bower  was  born  April  2,  1832. 
Mr.  Bower  was  formerly  a  Whig,  but  now  is  a  firm  Republican.  His  suns, 
James  W.  and  D.  Orsin,  were  in  the  late  war;  the  latter  was  held  a  prisoner 
in  Andersonville,  nine  months,  and  died  at  home  from  disease  contracted  in 
the  service.  Mr.  Bower  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  have  been  for  the  past  forty-four  years,  he  serving  as  Class 
Leader  and  Steward  most  of  that  time.  He  was  Trustee  of  the  township 
two  years,  and  is  well  respected  as  a  citizen,  contributing  liberally  to  benev- 
olent causes. 

SIMEON  B.  COOK  was  born  in  Kichland  County,  Ohio,  October  10, 
1840;  the  son  of  James  B.  and  Hannah  (Corwin)  Cook,  she  being  a  second 
cousin  of  ex-Gov.  Corwin.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  of 
German  and  Irish  ancestry.  The  father  was  born  in  1818;  the  mother  in 
1820.  They  were  married  in  Richland  County  in  1839,  and  moved  to  this 
county  in  1844,  buying  eighty  acres  in  Mifflin  Township  and  later  adding 
twenty-six  acres.  They  had  nine  children — eight  living:  Simeon  B. ,  T. 
Ann,  Z.  Adilla,  Solomon  H, ,  James  M. ,  A.  Maria,  William,  Harriet,  and 
Elizabeth  S. — deceased.  The  father  died  in  1861,  aged  forty-two  years; 
the  mother  is  still  living,  aged  sixty-five  years.  Our  subject  attended  the 
schools  of  his  neighborhood  and  remained  with  his  parents  till  1864,  May 
2,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Regi- 
ment Ohio  National  Guards;  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Fredericksburg 
and  Berry  ville;  was  wounded  in  the  shoulder  at  latter  place,  returning  home 
September  2,  1864,  discharged.  January  12,  1864,  he  married  Miss  Julia 
Ilildreth,  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Jane  C.  (Mills)  Hildreth,  whose  history 
is  given  elsewhere  in  this  book.  Six  children  were  the  fruits  of  this 
union — four  living:  Frank  L.,  born  January  23,  1865 — dving  January  26, 
1875;  Willis  E.,  born  February  3,  1867;  Elton  J.,  July  2,  1869;  Julia  A., 
January  19,  1872— died  January  3,  1880;  Bertha  J.,  March  5,  1876,  and 
Clara  L.,  September  8,  1881.  Mr.  Cook  rented  land  during  the  first  four 
years  of  his  married  life,  buying  his  p'^esent  farm  of  117  acres  in  1870. 
This  farm  is  well  improved  and  stocked  with  good  grades.  Politically  he 
is  a  Republican,  and  served  four  years  as  Trustee  of  his  township.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  at  Marseilles  and  also  of  the  Methodist  Episco 
pal  Church,  of  which  he  has  been  a  Class  Leader  since  1870.  His  wife 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  863 

PETER  L.  DEMAREST  (deceased)  was  born  August  19,  1800.  He 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  is  the  son  of  Lucas  Demarest.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  and  his  father  in  the  war  of 
1812.  His  mother  was  of  French  lineage,  and  his  father  probably  German. 
He  received  a  limited  education,  speeding  most  of  his  life  upon  the  farm. 
He  was  married  November  2,  1826,  to  Miss  Olive  P.  Parsons,  daughter  of 
James  and  Huldah  (Beach)  Parsons,  natives  of  Connecticut  and  New  York 
respectively.  She  was  born  September  36,  1808.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Demarest 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  three  living — L.  James,  Edwin  and 
David  P.  David  O.,  John  S.  and  two  infants  are  deceased.  They  con- 
tinued farming  in  Genesee  County,  N.  Y.,  ten  years,  coming  by  wagon  to 
Ohio  in  1835,  and  settling  in  Marseilles  Township,  entered  160  acres  of 
land,  on  which  they  resided  until  1868.  In  1868,  they  removed  to  Mar- 
seilles, where  Mrs.  Demarest  still  resides.  Mr.  Demarest  was  a  Republican. 
He  sent  his  two  sons  to  the  war,  and  was  a  charter  member  and  Elder  at 
the  organization  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  died  October  10,  1883, 
one  of  the  most  respected  of  pioneers. 

AVILLIAM  EMPTAGE  was  born  in  England,  March  11,  1838.  He  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  and  Ann  (Homersham)  Emptage.  He  was  given  but  a 
limited  ediication,  coming  to  America  with  his  parents  when  quite  young, 
and  remaining  home  until  his  eighteenth  year.  He  served  an  apprenticeship 
at  the  blacksmith  trade  three  years,  and  continued  at  that  business  in  Mar- 
seilles (one  year  at  Bellefontaine)  till  September  12,  1861,  when  he  en- 
listed in  the  United  States  service,  Company  G,  Fifteenth  Regiment  Ohio 
Volnnteer  Infantry,  and  participated  in  the  following  battles:  Pittsburg 
Lauding,  Stone  River,  Liberty  Gap,  Chickamauga,  Lookout  Mountain, 
Knoxville,  Rocky  Face  Ridge,  Resaca,  Dallas,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Peach 
Tree  Creek,  Atlanta  and  Lovejoy  Station;  traveled  3,000  miles,  lay  in 
Louisville  Hospital  one  month  from  cold  and  fever,  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged September  17,  1864.  He  returned  home,  and  has  been  farming 
since.  With  his  brothers  he  has  added  100  acres  to  the  homestead,  which 
numbers  483  acres.  In  politics  Mr.  Emptage  is  a  Republican,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  G.  A.  R. 

FREDERICK  FEHL,  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  his  township,  was 
born  February  10,  1820,  in  Adams  County,  Penn.  He  is  the  son  of  John 
and  Sarah  (Wolf)  Fehl,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  and  Scotch 
parentage  respectively.  His  father,  John  Fehl,  was  drafted  for  the  war 
of  1812,  but  before  presenting  himself  the  war  closed.  His  grandfather, 
Wolf,  was  drafted  for  the  Revolutionary  war,  but  owing  to  physical  disa- 
bility was  exempted  from  the  service.  John  Fehl  was  born  September  1, 
1792,  and  his  wife,  Sarah,  April  16,  1794.  They  were  the  parents  of  nine 
children — live  of  whom  are  still  jiving,  namely:  Valentine,  Frederick, 
Elkana,  Delilah  and  Margaret.  The  deceased  are  Christina,  Elizabeth 
John  and  Caroline.  John  Fehl  emigrated  to  Wyandot  County  in  1834, 
settling  where  our  subject  now  resides,  entering  eighty  acres  of  land,  and 
subsequently  purchasing  100  acres  more.  His  death  occurred  July  8,  1871. 
His  wife  is  still  living,  "hale  and  hearty,"  in  her  ninetieth  year.  Freder- 
ick Fehl,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the  common  school,  and 
remained  at  home  till  the  event  of  his  marriage,  which  took  place  in  1865; 
Miss  Mary  McCleary,  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (McCnrmick) 
McCleary  being  his  chosen  wife.  They  have  beea  blessed  with  nine  chil- 
dren, five  of  whom  are  still  living,  viz. :  Jane  (wife  of  Byron  Rubens), 
Almira  (wife  of   Charles  Vanorsdall),  Henry,  John   and  Valonia  (wife  of 


864  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Robert  Watt).  The  deceased  are  Sarah,  Alexander,  James  and  Clara,  and 
these  were  joined  by  their  mother,  Mrs.  Mary  Fehl,  in  1881,  her  death  oc- 
curring on  the  6th  of  September  of  that  year.  By  purchase,  and  as  an 
heir,  Mr.  Fehl  obtained  the  old  homestead  of  180  acres,  of  which,  five  and  one- 
half  acres  have  since  been  appropriated  as  the  "  Orchard  Grove  Cemetery. " 
Of  this  tract  of  land  Mr.  Fehl  has  cleared  fifty  acres,  besides  spending 
twenty- five  years  in  the  old  grist  mill,  the  remains  of  which  still  stand  on 
the  premises.  The  farm  is  in  good  i-epair,  being  provided  with  over  one 
mile  of  tile  under-draining.  In  politics,  Mr.  Fehl  was  formerly  a  Whig, 
but  is  now  a  Republican.  He  is  noted  for  his  benevolence,  and  is  highly 
esteemed  as  a  citizen. 

GEORGE  W.  FOX  was  born  in  Richland  County,  May,  17,  1849,  son 
of  Augustus  G.  and  Louisa  (Dorm)  Fox.  early  settlers  of  Richland  and 
this  county  (1854),  where  they  still  reside.  They  are  the  parents  of  five 
children,  George  W.  being  the  second.  He  received  instruction  in  the  dis- 
trict schools,  afterward  attending  the  Delaware  College  two  terms;  also  at 
Republic,  Ohio,  and  the  Ada  Normal.  He  began  teaching  in  his  nine- 
teenth year,  and  has  continued  in  the  profession  most  of  the  time  since, 
teaching  seven  successive  terms  near  home — four  terms  in  the  home  dis- 
trict. He  was  married,  March  27,  1878,  to  Agnes  L.  Vanorsdall,  daughter 
of  Abram  and  Ruth  (Snider)  Vanorsdall  (see  sketch,  Jackson  Township). 
They  have  two  children — Ray  A.,  born  June  2,   1880;    Cora  E.,  March  31, 

1882.  He  purchased  his  farm  of  160  acres,  paying  $5,000.  in  1876,  and 
since  his  marriage  has  been  more  or  less  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits; 
farm  well  stocked  and  improved,  valued  at  $9,000.  Politically,  Mr.  Fox  is 
a  Democrat,  and,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the  York  Street  Christian 
Union  Church.  Mrs.  Fox  also  taught  nine  terms  of  school  and  has  done 
much  for  the  mutual  success  of  herself  and  husband. 

HORATIO  S.  GATES,  of  the  firm  of  Lindsey  &  Gates,  dealers  in  dry 
goods,  groceries,  etc.,  at  Marseilles,  was  born  March  3,  1852,  in  Allen  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  son  of  Dr.  Charles  W.  and  Jane  S.  (Ramsdell)  Gates,  natives  of 
York  State,  and  of  English  ancestry.  His  father  was  born  in  1815,  and  his 
mother  in  1820.  His  father  came  with  his  parents  to  Medina  County,  Ohio, 
in  1833,  and  his  mother  to  the  same  county  in  1837.  They  were  married, 
December  22,  1841;  moved  to  Allen  County  in  1849,  settling  at  Mavsville, 
where  his  father  practiced  medicine  sixteen  years.  He  came  to  Marseilles 
in  February,  1865,  and  located  as  a  physician,  buying  a  drug-store,  house 
and  lot,  and  160  acres  of  land.  He  became  an  old  and  honored  citizen,  and 
died  September  22,  1880.  His  wife  is  still  living,  and  is  quite  vigorous 
for  one  of  her  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  two  surviving — 
Horatio  S.  and  Electa.  Harriet  S.  and  an  infant  are  deceased.  Hora- 
tio S.  Gates  was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  and  in  early  youth  entered 
his  father's  drug  store,  commencing  business  for  himself  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  with  G.  W.  Davis,  under  the  firm  name  of  Davis  &  Gates, 
drugs  and  groceries,  doing  a  very  successful  business  till  1876,  when  they 
disposed  of  this  establishment  and  purchased  another  in  Galion,  Ohio,  re- 
maining two  years;  returning  to  Marseilles  in  1878.  Sir.  Gates  then  en- 
gaged as  assistant  to  his  former  partner  two  years,  both  forming  a  partner- 
ship in  1880,  under  the  firm  name  of  Davis  &  Gates,  doing  a  thriving  bus- 
iness until  1882,  when  they  sold  out  and  opened  business  in  Marion  in  the 
grocery  and  provision  trade,  doing  an  excellent  business.      In  the  spring  of 

1883,  Mr.  Gates  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  present  establishment  of 
Lindsey  &  Gates,  where  he  is  now  engaged  with  a  stock  of  $12,000,  doing 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  865 

a  thriving  business.  He  married,  February  22, 1880,  Miss  Dilly  Seligman, 
daughter  of  William  Seligman.  Two  children  blessed  this  union — Flor, 
born  January  9,  1881;  and  Grace,  October  7,  1882.  Mr.  Gates  is  a  membey 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  Blue  Lodge  at  Marseilles;  Master  of  Second 
Veil,  McCutcheon  Chapter,  No.  96,  at  Upper  Sandusky;  and  Commandry 
K.  T.  at  Marion.  He  is  an  active,  enterprising  and  successful  young 
business  man,    and  well  respected  as  a  citizen. 

SOCRATES  HARTLE  (deceased),  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county, 
was  born  in  Geoi'getown,  Penn. ,  July  23,  1818.  He  was  the  son  of  Michael 
and  Sarah  Foe  Hartle,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  descent. 
They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children — three  now  living — Susan,  John 
and  Esther.  Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  common  school,  ceasing  his 
studies  at  sixteen,  his  father  having  died  while  he  (Socrates)  was  yet  a  child. 
He,  John,  Esther  and  their  mother  came  to  Ohio  in  1831,  settling  in  Hardin 
County,  entering  eighty  acres,  emigrating  from  his  native  place  in  a  wagon. 
He  lived  with  his  mother  till  his  twenty-sixth  year,  and  was  maixied  April 
18,  1844,  to  Miss  Henrietta  Hendrickson,  daughter  of  Thomas  B.  and  Mary 
E.  (Martin)  Hendrickson,  natives  of  Maryland,  and  of  German  and  English 
ancestry  respectively,  Thomas  B.  having  been  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812. 
They  moved  to  Marion  County  in  1830,  entering  240  acres  in  Grand  Town- 
ship (then  New  Marseilles),  and  reared  a  family  of  seven  children,  six  liv- 
ing— Maria,  John,  Henrietta,  Sophia,  Elizabeth,  Michael  and  Eussel.  The 
deceased  is  Lenox  J.  Thomas,  her  father,  died  in  1875,  aged  ninety-two 
years;  her  mother  is  also  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hartle  had  seven 
children,  six  still  living — Americus  V.,  born  Januarv  19,  1846;  Mary  E., 
July  23,  1847;  Susan  W.,  December  8,  1848;  Matilda  M.,  July  12, 
1851;  Sarah  A.,  March  4,  1853;  Addison  F.,  March  3,  1855;  Adam  M., 
December  8,  1857.  In  1849,  he  bought  120  acres  in  Hardin  and  Marion 
Counties,  and  lived  upon  this  farm  until  1870,  when  he  purchased  300  acres 
in  Marseilles  Township.  To  this,  by  subsequent  purchases,  240  acres  were 
added  in  Marion  County.  In  1875,  his  present  place  was  purchased — 214 
acres.  At  the  time  of  his  death  Mr.  Hartle  owned  1,288  acres  of  land.  He 
began  with  nothing,  and  at  his  death  left  an  estate  of  $70,000.  He  died 
June  21,  1877.  Mr.  Hartle  was  an  active  Republican,  and  a  strong  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  an  Elder  during  the  last  years  of  his  life  He 
was  also  a  liberal  contributor  to  the  church  and  to  benevolent  purposes  gen- 
erally. His  widow,  born  October  23,  1816,  is  still  living  upon  her  farm 
near  Marseilles,  her  son  Adam  residing  with  her,  both  being  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church. 

ADAM  M.  HARTLE  was  born  in  Hardin  County,  Ohio,  December  8, 
1857,  son  of  Socrates  and  Henrietta  (Hendrickson;  Hartle,  whose  notice  ap- 
pears elsewhere.  He  attended  the  common  schools  and  remained,  on  the  old 
homestead  all  his  life.  He  was  married  May  10,  1883,  to  Miss  Rhoda  A. 
Terry,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Simpson)  Terry,  who  were  the 
parents  of  four  children,  three  living — Scott,  John  and  Rhoda.  Her  father 
is  still  living,  aged  fifty-five  years,  a  resident  of  Hardin  County.  Upon 
his  father's  decease,  our  subject  inherited  196  acres  of  land,  joining  the  old 
homestead  of  214  acres,  besides  183  acres  recently  purchased — in  all  593 
acres,  valued  at  $60  per  acre.  Mr.  Hartle  does  an  extensive  agricultural 
and  live  stock  business,  usually  employing  two  assistants  on  his  farm.  He 
was  elected  Township  Trustee  in  1882  and  1883;  is  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
and  an  honorable  citizen.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church;  she  was  born  January  10,  1859. 


866  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

HENRY  HANDCHY  was  born  in  Canton  Basel,  Switzerland,  November 
22,  1883,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Boiisher)  Handchy.  He  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  Switzerland,  and  with  his  father  emigrated  to  America  in 
1845,  settling  in  Stark  County,  Ohio.  In  1846,  moved  to  Little  Sandusky, 
this  county.  His  father  died  in  1855 — killed  by  a  falling  tree.  He  was 
sixty-three  years  old.  His  mother  died  in  Germany  in  1845.  Henry  Hand- 
chy, the  only  surviving  soo  of  his  father's  family,  was  hired  out  when  in 
his  fifteenth  year  to  Joseph  Shilling,  of  Marseilles,  and  remained  with  him 
seven  years.  He  married  November  30,  1856,  Miss  Almira  Haner,  daughter 
of  Henry  Haner.  She  died  in  1876,  aged  thirty-seven  years,  leaving  at  that 
time  seven  children,  six  of  whom  still  survive — Rosa,  Joseph.  John,  Jessie, 
Edward  and  Louis  C.  Charles  is  deceased.  March  24,  1879,  Mr.  Handchy 
was  married  to  Mrs.  Isabel  Yencer,  daughter  of  Jacob  Keyes.  She  had 
three  children,  two,  Mary  and  Ivy,  by  her  former  husband,  and  one,  Altha, 
by  Mr.  Handchy.  In  1855,  Mr.  Handchy  rented  a  room  in  Marseilles,  and 
established  himself  in  a  grocery  and  provision  store,  doing  a  good  business 
for  one  year.  He  then  purchased  the  store-room  of  Benjamin  Ellis,  in  Avhich 
he  conducted  the  same  business  successfully  till  1877.  He  then  purchased  a 
farm  of  120  acres  in  Marseilles  Township,  later  adding  thirty  acres  joining 
the  village,  and  engaged  live  years  in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  the  spring 
of  1882,  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  grocery  and  provison  store  with 
Lemuel  Krisher,  and  is  still  doing  a  thriving  business  under  the  firm  name 
of  Handchy  &  Krisher,  with  a  stock  of  $1,800.  Mr.  Handchy  is  serving  as 
Trustee  of  his  township,  which  office  he  has  held  for  three  years;  was  a 
member  of  the  Town  Council  five  years,  and  School  Director  three  years. 
He  is  a  Democrat,  a  Master  Mason,  member  of  Council  at  Bucyrus,  No.  57, 
and  a  good  citizen. 

THOMAS  HEWLITT  was  born  in  New  York,  December  12,  1827,  son 
of  Philip  and  Margaret  (Sutphen)  Hewlitt,  natives  of  New  Jersey,  of  Eng- 
lish and  German  parents.  His  father  was  born  February  26,  1794,  en- 
gaged in  war  of  1812;  his  mother  September  11,  1797.  They  were  married 
about  1818.  They  came  to  New  York  before  marriage,  and  remained  till 
1847,  when  they  removed  to  this  county,  locating  where  our  subject  now 
resides,  buying  eighty  acres  of  land;  had  two  children — Randall  and 
Thomas.  He  died  October  28,  1857,  the  mother  March  27,  1862.  Our 
subject  obtained  a  limited  education,  and  turned  his  attention  to  farming 
at  the  age  of  eighteen.  He  was  married  October  13,  1853,  to  Margaret 
Morrison,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Tacy  Morrison,  now  Mrs.  Pumphry,  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  born  February  26,  1809.  Her  husband,  John  W. 
Pumphry,  was  in  the  war  of  1812.  She  came  to  Ohio  at  the  age  of  ten, 
living  a  number  of  years  in  Clinton  and  Fayette  Counties,  to  this  in  1853; 
is  the  mother  of  three  daughters,  Mrs.  Hewlitt  being  the  eldest,  with  whom 
she  resides.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hewlitt  have  two  children — Z.  P.,  born  Jan- 
uary 5,  1862;  George  M. ,  born  December  15,  1855,  died  January  11,  1862. 
Mr.  Hev\  litt  "'  hired  "  and  purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty-six  acres, 
clearing  fifty  acres  of  heavy  timber  land,  and  built  a  neat  residence  in  1875, 
costing  $1,200.  He  is  a  hard  worker,  has  split  400  rails  in  one  day.  He 
makes  a  specialty  of  "registered"  hogs  and  fine  varieties  of  wheat;  values 
his  land  at  $50  per  acre.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of  tLe 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  the  past  twenty- nine  years,  and  Class  Leader 
six  years.  Mrs.  Hewlitt  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  same  Church  since 
her  twelfth  year. 


MARSEILLES  TOAVNSHIP.  867 

STEPHEN  HILDRETH  was  born  in  Dutchess  County,  New  York, 
September  17,  1797.  He  was  the  son  of  David  and  Abigail  (Toppan)  Hil- 
dreth.  His  brother  James  was  in  the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  Hildreth  received 
a  common  school  education,  and  remained  at  home  till  his  marriage  to  Miss 
Hannah  Gernea  in  1820.  They  had  three  children,  two  living — David  and 
Mary.  Susan  died  aged  seven  years.  His  first  wife  died  about  1830,  aged 
thirty-three.  March  12,  1839,  he  married  Miss  Jane  C.  Mills,  daughter  of 
William  P.  and  Anna  (Powell)  Mills,  natives  of  New  York,  and  of  English 
extraction.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mills  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  five 
living — Joseph  W.,  Jane  C. ,  Draton  O.,  Charles  H.  and  Edwin  D.,  Alonzo 
W.,  Mary  A.  and  Roderick  R.  are  deceased.  The  mother  died  October  9, 
1865.  aged  seventy-six  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hildreth  are  the  parents  of 
five  children,  four  living — -William  J.,  born  March  28,  1840;  Julia  C, 
August  1,  1842;  Emily  A.,  February  1,  1857;  Alvina  J.,  January  2,  1860. 
They  removed  to  this  county  in  1844,  settling  near  where  they  now  reside, 
purchasing  eighty  acres  of  forest  land.  Before  the  war  Mr.  Hildreth  was 
a  Democrat,  but  since  a  strong  Republican.  Himself  and  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  among  the  oldest  and  most  highly 
respected  citizens  of  their  neighborhood.  The  former  is  in  his  eighty- 
seventh  year,  and  is  still  able  to  do  much  light  outdoor  work.  Mrs.  Hil- 
dreth, born  March  12,  1818,  is  still  living  in  excellent  health. 

DAVID  B.  HILDRETH,  born  in  Fulton  County,  N.  Y.,  October  15, 
1830,  is  the  son  of  Stephen  and  Hannah  (Gernea)  Hildreth,  natives  of  New 
York  (see  Stephen  Hildreth's  sketch).  Mr.  Hildreth  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  and  at  twenty-one,  began  work  for  himself,  engaging  in 
daily  labor  and  farming  till  1853.  In  September  of  that  year  he  married 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Thomas,  daughter  of  David  Thomas.  She  died  July  23,  1859, 
leaving  one  child — James  A.  He  married  again,  Sarah  S.  Kirby;  she  died 
leaving  four  children — Charles,  Lizzie  J.,  Mary  A.  and  Sarah  S.  June  14, 
1876,  he  married  Miss  Kezie  Davis,  daughter  of  Robert  Davis,  In  1853, 
Mr.  Hildreth  bought  twenty-four  acres  of  land  in  Marseilles  Township  to 
which  he  has  added  by  subsequent  purchases  till  he  now  owns  160  acres, 
valued  at  160  per  acre.  He  owns  also  his  town  residence  and  four  other 
town  lots.  He  was  in  the  United  States  service.  Company  B,  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-fourth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  serving  four  months,  being  en- 
gaged in  the  battle  of  Frederick  City,  and  receiving  an  honorable  discharge. 
His  grandfather  Hildreth  was  forced  to  work  on  the  British  forts  of  Long 
Island  when  a  boy.  His  maternal  grandfather  was  in  several  fights  with 
the  Indians,  at  one  time  only  he  and  a  comrade  escaping.  In  politics  Mr. 
Hildreth  is  a  temperance  Republican,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  His  wife  is  a  memlDer  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  Hildi'eth 
began  life  a  poor  boy  and  has  accumulated  a  handsome  property  by  his  in- 
dustry and  economy. 

SAMUEL  P.  HILL  was  born  in  Center  County,  Penn. ,  November  4, 
1830,  and  is  the  son  of  Rudolph  and  Catharine  (Hare)  Hill,  natives  of  Ger- 
many and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  His  father  came  from  Germany  when 
a  young  man  and  married  in  Pennsylvania,  moving  to  Crawford  County, 
Ohio  in  1834.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  four 
still  living — Anna,  Leah,  John  and  Samuel.  The  deceased  are  Julia  and 
David,  the  latter  killed  in  the  late  war.  The  mother  died  in  Richland 
County,  February  24,  1870.  Our  subject,  S.  P.  Hill,  obtained  an  ordinary 
education,  at  the  age  of  six  by  the  consent  of  his  mother,  taking  up  his  resi- 
dence with  James  McCormick,  and  remaining  with   him   until  the  latter's. 


868  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

death,  which  occurred  August  23,  1873.  On  the  occasion  of  this  death,  Mr. 
Hill  inherited  120  acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  resided  at  intervals  till 
1875.  At  this  time  he  sold  the  farm  and  removed  to  Mansfield,  Ohio,  and 
four  years  later  to  Marseilles,  purchasing  a  house  and  lot  on  Main  street. 
November  18,  1869,  he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Hannah  Helm,  widow  of  James 
Helm,  by  whom  she  had  two  children,  both  deceased.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  Alexander  McCleary,  of  Mifflin  Township,  this  county.  One  child  has 
been  born  to  them — John  F. ,  born  February  26, 1873.  Mr.  Hill  is  a  strong 
Republican;  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1881;  re-elected  in  fall  of  the 
same  year,  and  giving  general  satisfaction.  With  his  wife,  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

ISAAC  JOHNSON  was  born  in  Antrim  County,  Ireland,  in  May,  1827; 
son  of  John  and  Mary  (Knoland)  Johnson,  his  mother  dying  when  he  was 
two  years  old.  He  was  brought  up  by  his  father  and  hired  out  at  the  age 
of  thirteen,  receiving  ten  shillings  for  his  first  six  months'  labor.  He  came 
to  America  in  1854,  locating  in  Livingston  County,  N.  Y. ;  came  to  Upper 
Sandusky  in  1855,  and,  after  a  period  of  ten  to  fifteen  yeai's  spent  in  daily 
labor  and  renting  land,  purchased  his  pi-esent  farm  of  129  acres,  now  one 
of  the  best  cultivated  farms  in  the  township.  In  1881,  he  erected  a  fine 
residence  at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  His  property  is  estimated  at  $10,000.  In 
1864,  he  was  married  to  Eliza  Preston,  daughter  of  James  Preston.  They 
have  three  children — Ivy  J.,  Anna  B.  and  Andrew.  Elizabeth  is  deceased. 
Mr.  Johnson  is  an  independent  voter,  and,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

G.  W.  KEMP,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  June  24,  1822; 
son  of  George  and  Isabel  (Hughes)  Kemp,  natives  of  Maryland  and  Penn- 
sylvania respectively  and  of  English  lineage.  His  grandfather  Kemp  was 
a  Revolutionary  soldier  for  seven  years.  Soon  after  their  marriage  his 
parents  moved  to  Stark  County,  and  some  years  later  to  Richland  County 
thence  to  Hancock  County,  where  they  entei'ed  120  acres  and  resided  six 
years.  He  afterward  removed  back  to  Richland  County,  but  returned  in 
1842,  and  died  in  Hancock.  He  was  the  father  of  eight  children  who  at 
tained  their  majority — Mary  and  Agnes  (twins),  David,  George  W. ,  Sarah, 
Isabel.  John  and  Jesse.  He  died  October  1.  1862,  aged  seventy  years; 
his  wife  about  1861,  aged  about  seventy-one  years.  Our  subject,  George 
W.  Kemp,  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Richland  and  Ashland  Counties, 
attending  one  year  at  Vermillion  College,  Ohio.  He  began  reading  medi- 
cine in  1848,  under  J.  R.  Rodgers,  of  Haysville,  Ashland  County,  and  pur- 
sued this  study  two  years,  laboring  at  "  lettering  "  or  painting  for  support 
in  the  meantime.  He  graduated  at  Cleveland  Charity  Medical  College 
(which  subsequently  became  the  medical  department  of  the  Wooster  Uni- 
versity) in  1860,  but  began  practicing  in  1849,  having  attended  a  coui'se  of 
lectures  at  Miami  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati.  He  enlisted  as  a  private 
soldier  in  September,  1862,  and  was  detailed  in  General  Hospital  at  Bowl- 
ing Green,  Ky.,  as  Hospital  Steward,  remaining  in  that  position  till  April 
18,  1863,  when  he  was  discharged,  and  received  a  commission  May  19,  1863, 
as  First  Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Regiment 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantrj'.  This  charge  he  held  till  October  6,  1863,  when 
failing  health  compelled  him  to  resign.  He  was  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga, 
but  returned  to  Kenton,  where  he  recuperated  one  year,  and  subsequently 
settled  in  Marseilles,  where  he  has  since  resided  and  built  up  an  extensive 
practice  in  the  regular  Allopathic  school  of  medicine.  October  20, 
1844,   Mr.    Kemp    was    married    to   Miss    Irene    Greeley — a    relative    of 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  869 

Horace  Greeley — who  died  in  1851,  leaving  Romina  Asenath,  their 
only  child:  was  married  again  November  18,  1852,  to  Mrs.  Jane  Alban, 
a  niece  of  the  late  Gov.  Vance,  she  passing  away  February  26,  1854. 
Mr.  Kemp  was  again  married,  July  4,  1855,  to  Ervilla  M.  Snow,  four  chil- 
dren having  been  born  to  them — Sarah  E.  (deceased),  Orvis,  Lucy  E.  and 
G.  Wilber.  He  has  a  comfortable  dwelling  and  several  lots  in  Marseilles, 
also  a  store-room,  thirteen  acres  of  land  near  the  village,  a  lot  in  Ada,  Ohio, 
and  several  lots  in  Enterprise,  Van  Wert  County.  Mr.  Kemp  is  a  rigid 
temperance  Democrat,  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  at  Marseilles  (Surgeon  of 
Post),  and,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
officially  connected,  having  lately  been  licensed  as  a  local  preacher*.  He  was 
commissioned  a  surgeon  in  the  army  by  Gov.  Tod,  on  the  recommendation 
of  prominent  surgeons  and  his  neighbors.  He  is  an  energetic  citizen  and  a 
member  of  the  Medical  Society  of  Cleveland.  He  is  now  suffering  from  a 
disease  contracted  while  in  the  service  as  surgeon,  which  is  yearly  growing 
on  him. 

B.  F.  KENNEDY  was  born  in  Marseilles,  October  8,  1838.  He  is  the 
son  of  Frederick  and  Alvina  (Hull)  Kennedy,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
of  German  ancestry.  His  parents  were  married  in  1836,  at  Marseilles,  his 
father  having  come  to  that  place  in  1835,  and  his  mother  at  about  the  same 
time.  He  was  a  mechanic,  and  died  in  1841,  aged  thirty  years.  She  is 
still  living,  a  resident  of  Kansas.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children — 
Jerome  and  Benjamin  F.  He  was  marHed  September  26,  1861,  to  Miss  S. 
L.  Knibloe,  daughter  of  John  P.  and  Kate  Knibloe,  of  Livingston  County, 
New  York.  They  have  eight  children  —Kate,  Mary  E.  (wife  of  W.  M. 
Kneisley),  Frank  H.,  Cora  L  ,  Adelbert,  Jared,  Edna  and  Charles  F.  Mr. 
Kennedy  has  served  as  Town  Treasurer  twenty  years  and  still  holds  the 
office.  He  is  a  stanch  Republican,  a  strong  temperance  advocate,  and,  with 
his  wife,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 

JOHN  W.  KENNEDY,  Postmaster  at  Marseilles,  was  born  in  Adams 
County,  Penn.,  October  6,  1809.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Margaret 
(Wolf)  Kennedy,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Irish  and  German  ances- 
tiy  respectively.  His  grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 
His  father  came  to  Marion  County  (now  part  of  Wyandot),  in  1836.  He 
was  the  father  of  nine  children,  six  of  whom  are  still  living:  John  W., 
Samuel,  Moses  and  Aaron.  The  girls  living  are  Christina  and  Mary  A. 
The  deceased  are  Frederick,  Henry  and  an  infant.  The  father  and 
mother  both  died  in  Marseilles,  the  former  seventy  and  one-half  years  of 
age,  and  the  latter  seventy.  Our  subject  was  given  but  six  months  in 
school.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  began  work  for  himself,  serving 
an  apprenticeship  as  millwright  two  years,  and  afterward  following  his  trade 
two  years  in  Adams  County,  Penn.  In  1835,  he  came  to  Marseilles,  bought 
a  lot  and  erected  a  dwelling  thereon,  being  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the 
village.  Here  he  plied  his  trade  for  twenty  years,  building  over  fifty  mills 
in  various  places,  part  of  the  time  operating  a  manufacturing  shop  at  Upper 
Sandusky.  In  company  with  Maj.  Long,  he  sold  dry  goods  in  Marseilles, 
from  1845  to  1852,  under  the  firm  name  of  Long  &  Kennedy,  serving  as 
Deputy  Postmaster  during  that  time.  He  then  returned  to  his  trade,  at 
which  he  was  engaged  at  intervals  until  1870;  was  then  employed  to  man- 
age his  son's  store  in  Marseilles,  for  three  and  one-half  years,  and  has 
since  been  engaged  in  various  employments.  April  17,  1883,  he  was 
appointed  Postmaster  of  Marseilles,  which  situation  he  still  retains.  Mr. 
Kennedy  was  married  July  29,  1834,  to  Mary  Junkins,  daughter  of   James 

39 


870  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Junkins,  by  whoui  he  had  twelve  children  ;  eight  living :  Howard, 
Cordelia,  Susan,  Oliver,  Mary  E.,  Sarah  J.,  Emma  and  Vilroy.  The 
deceased  are  Ella  G.  and  Harriet,  James  K.  and  Olive  K.  Mr.  Kennedy 
assisted  in  organizing  the  lirst  company  at  Marseilles  for  the  late  war.  and 
offered  his  own  services,  but  wa«  refused  on  account  of  disability.  His  son 
Howard  was  engaged  in  the  service.  Mr.  Kennedy  is  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  is  identified  with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  though  not  a  full 
member.  He  was  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  till  the  time  of  the  war.  He 
is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  the  township,  himself,  wife  and  Maj.  Long 
being  the  only  ones  remaining  of  the  settlers  of  forty-eight  years  ago. 

LEMUEL  KRISHER  was  born  in  Richland  Coiinty,  Ohio,  August  19, 
1839.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Jane  (Campbell)  Krisher,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  of  L'ish  and  German  ancestry.  They  came  to  Ohio  in 
1831,  settling  in  Richland  County,  and  rearing  a  family  of  fourteen  chil- 
dren, of  whom  eight  are  living:  Maria,  Betsy  A.,  Thomas  R.,  Jeremiah, 
Nancy,  Lemuel,  Delilah  and  Lambert.  The  parents  both  died  in  Wyandot 
Coiinty;  the  father  aged  seventy -three,  and  the  mother  aged  seventy-one. 
Mr.  Krisher,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
leaving  off  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  remaining  with  his  father  till  the 
beginning  of  the  war.  He  then  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry,  April  19,  1861,  being  the  first  volunteer  from  Jackson  Township; 
re-enlisted  five  months  later  in  the  Independent  Ohio  Battery,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  Perryville,  Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Mission 
Ridge,  Lookout  Mountain,  and  in  every  battle  in  which  the  Army  of  the 
C,umberland  was  engaged.  He  entered  the  ranks  as  a  private  and  was  mus- 
tered out  a  Second  Lieutenant,  being  discharged  September  1,  1865,  having 
served  four  years  and  one  month  without  a  scar,  and  without  missing  a  bat- 
tle. Returning  home,  he  went  to  Michigan,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  three  years;  returning  home  again,  farmed  two  years  with  his 
father,  in  1875  buying  a  saw  mill  located  at  Marseilles,  which  ho  has  since 
successfully  operated.  June  27,  1883,  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  a 
grocery  and  provision  store,  with  Henry  Handchy,  at  Marseilles,  doing  a 
thriving  business,  with  a  stock  of  $2,500,  under  the  firm  name  of  Handchy 
&  Krisher.  He  was  married  July  19,  1871,  to  Miss  Emma  Adams,  daugh- 
ter of  S.  S.  and  Abalene  Adams,  to  whom  were  born  three  children:  Carrie, 
born  March  7,  1872;  Jessie  B.,  February  6,  1874,  and  Charles  H.,  July  2, 
1876.  Mr.  Krisher  is  a  Republican,  member  of  the  G.  A.  R. ,  Senior  Vice 
Commander,  Master  Mason,  F.  &  A.  M.,  both  at  Marseilles.  He  is  still 
engaged  in  milling. 

CHAUNCEY  M.  LEAR.  This  gentleman  is  a  native  of  Delaware, 
Ohio,  born  January  5,  1855,  son  of  Daniel  and  Susan  (Pentzer)  Leai',  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  and  of  German  extraction.  They  were 
married  January  5,  1854,  and  lived  at  Delaware  till  1865,  when  they  moved 
to  Marseilles,  purchasing  eighty  acres  of  land.  They  had  five  children  — 
Chauncey  M.,  Josephine  F.,  Lucinda  W.,  George  W.  and  William  D.  The 
father  was  accidentally  killed  at  La  Rue,  Ohio,  by  a  runaway  team— being 
fifty-five  years  of  age  at'the  time  of  his  death.  Our  subject  received  a  good 
education  in  the  common  schools,  spending  some  time  at  the  Ohio  Wesley  an 
University,  Delaware,  Ohio,  and  Ada  Northwestern  Ohio  Normal  School; 
began  teaching  in  his  twenty-first  year,  and  has  since  given  the  profession 
his  whole  attention,  in  which  he  has  been  very  successfiil,  winning  an  en- 
viable reputation  and  ranking  among  the  leading  educators  of  the  county. 
He  purchased  the  homestead  in  1878;    was  married,  February  12,  1874,   to 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  871 

Miss  Marian  Van  Fleet,  daughter  of  Miles  and  Nancy  (Wright)  Van  Fleet,  of 
Hardin  County,  natives  of  New  York  and  Massachusetts.  They  are  the  par- 
ents of  five  children,  three  living — P'loraMay,  born  April  27,  3878;  Charles 
F.,  August  17,  1881;  Grace  E.,  July  28,  1883.  The  deceased  are  two  in- 
fants. Mr.  Lear  is  a  Kepublican,  a  Granger,  a  K.  of  H. ,  and  a  member  of 
Franklin  Cornet  Band,  and,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

BENJAMIN  F.  LEE  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  November 
29,  1825.  He  is  the  sou  of  Parker  and  Elizabeth  (Shoots)  Lee,  natives  of 
Maryland  and  Ohio  respectively,  Mrs.  Lee  being  of  German  lineage.  Par- 
ker Lee  emigrated  with  his  parents  from  Maryland  to  Kentucky,  when  but 
seven  years  of  age,  and  was  engaged  in  the  war  of  1812,  serving  as  Captain 
of  a  militia  corps  during  the  entire  war.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Shoots  took  place  in  or  near  the  year  1812,  soon  after  which  he  removed  to 
the  Sandusky  Plains,  about  1837,  buying  800  acres  of  land  in  Big  Island 
Township,  Marion  County.  From  1840  to  1842,  he  lived  in  Wyandot  Coun- 
ty, but  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  Salt  Rock  Township,  Marion 
County.  He  was  the  father  of  twelve  children,  six  of  whom  are  now  liv- 
ing, namely,  John,  William,  Benjamin  F.,  Elizabeth,  Sarah  and  Martin. 
The  deceased  are  Melinda,  Joseph,  Henry,  Louis,  Jacob  and  Lucretia.  He 
died  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  and  his  wife  at  sixty-nine.  Benja- 
min F.  Lee  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  living  with  his  father 
until  his  twenty-eighth  year.  He  was  married,  November  30,  1853,  to 
Narcissa  Sappington,  daughter  of  Elias  and  Mary  (Whitcomb)  Sappington, 
of  Big  Island  Township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lee  were  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  six  surviving — Mary  E.  (wife  of  Amandis  Seligman),  Sallie  W., 
(wife  of  Thomas  Heckathorn),  Willie  E.,  John  S.,  Carrie  F,  and  Frank  G. 
The  deceased  are  Elias  F. ,  Sophrano  and  James.  Taking  one  crop  from  his 
father's  farm  as  a  subsidy,  he  purchased  in  the  fall  of  1854,  177  acres  in 
Hardin  County,  Ohio,  moving  there  in  the  same  year,  and  remained  five 
years.  He  then  traded  this  farm  for  one  of  240  acres  in  Goshen  Town- 
ship, subsequently  adding  twenty  more,  remaining  there  five  years  and 
another  five  years  on  an  eighty  acre  farm  one  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Ken- 
ton. In  1865,  this  latter, tract  was  sold,  and  twenty  acres  adjoining  the  260 
acres  spoken  of  above,  were  purchased.  In  1866,  this  whole  tract  was  ex- 
changed for  the  one  of  260  acres  on  which  Mr.  Lee  now  resides.  His  farm 
is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  is  valued  at  $75  per  acre,  and  stocked  with 
excellent  grades.  It  is  watered  by  twelve  never-failing  springs  and  eighty 
rods  of  the  Tymochtee  River.  The  residence,  which  was  repaired  at  a  cost 
of  $600,  was  consumed  by  fire,  May  5,  1878,  and  his  present  handsome 
dwelling  was  erected  the  same  season  at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Lee  is  a  stanch  Republican.  He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  School 
Board  of  Marseilles,  for  three  years,  which  post  of  honor  he  still  retains; 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture  four  years,  and  is  an  Elder 
of  the  Presbyteriau  Church.  His  wife  and  childi'en  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  good  standing.  Mr.  Lee  is  one  of  the 
leading  farmers  of  his  township,  and  is  a  generous  and  influential  citizen. 

JOHN  LESLIE,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Seneca  County, 
Ohio,  December  27,  1842,  being  the  son  of  John  and  Esther  (Smith)  Leslie, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Irish-German  descent,  his  grandfather 
Leslie  born  in  Ireland,  his  grandfather  Smith  in  Germany.  His  people 
came  to  Ohio  soon  after  marriage  in  1833,  lived  in  Akron  and  Massillon 
some  time,  at  the  former  place  when  it  contained  few  houses.     They  then 


872  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

moved  to  Norwalk,  Ohio,  and  later  to  Hardin  County,  while  it  was  yet  a 
"  wilderness  of  wolves,"  thence  to  Marion  County,  buying  100  acres  near 
La  Rue.  He  died  October  22,  1851,  aged  forty-three  years,  leaving  a 
family  of  seven  children — Louisa,  Harriet  (deceased),  James,  John,  Martha, 
Demer  and  Harmon.  The  mother  died  in  September,  1861,  aged  forty- 
seven  years.  Mr.  Leslie  received  a  limited  education  in  the  common  schools, 
and  lived  on  the  homestead  till  enlisting  in  the  United  States  service, 
Company  F,  Eighteenth  United  States  Infantry,  October  26,  1861.  He 
fought  at  Shiloh,  Perryville,  Stone  River,  being  wounded  at  the  latter  place, 
and  compelled  to  retire  six  months.  He  returned  to  his  regiment,  and  was 
subsequently  engaged  at  Resaca,  Kingston,  Snake  Gape,  Buzzard's  Roost, 
Atlanta,  Jonesboro,  and  many  skirmishes,  and  was  discharged  at  Lookout 
Mountain,  Tenn.,  October  26,  1864.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Evaline  Craw- 
ford occurred  June  29,  1865.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Rev.  Silas  and  Ann 
E.  (Nicholes)  Crawford,  who  are  natives  of  Ohio,  and  of  German  extraction. 
They  are  residents  of  Plymouth,  Ind.,  he  being  identified  with  the  Baptist 
Church  of  that  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leslie  have  four  children — W.  Thur- 
man,  born  September  25,  1867;  Lillie  B.,  June  19,  1870;  Mary  L. ,  Jan- 
uary 11,  1872;  Marven  H., September  4, 1878.  Mr. Leslie  purchased  fifty  acres 
in  Bowling  Green  Township,  Marion  County,  1864,  resided  there  three  years, 
and  two  years  on  another  farm  in  same  township,  rented  two  years  in  Medina 
County,  and  in  1871  purchased  forty  acres  of  his  present  farm.  This  he 
has  increased  by  subsequent  purchases  to  200  acres — eighty  cleared — all 
valued  at  $50  per  acre.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  a  substantial  citi- 
zen, member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  at  Marseilles.  Mr.  Leslie  and  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  ChurcL. 

ROBERT  LINDSEY,  of  the  firm  of  Lindsey  &  Gates,  dealers  in  dry 
goods,  groceries,  etc.,  was  born  in  Grand  Township,  Marion  County,  Ohio, 
May  30,  1844,  son  of  James  H.  and  Elorn  (Stiverson)  Lindsey,  natives  of 
Ohio,  and  of  Scotch-Irish  and  Scotch-German  descent  respectively.  They 
were  married  about  1835-36  in  Grand  Township,  and  were  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  four  living — Robert,  Ann  M.,  Sarah  R.,  and  Mary.  The 
deceased  are  James,  John  and  David,  the  two  latter  having  lost  their  lives 
in  the  late  war.  His  father  died  February  19,  1881,  the  mother  October  29, 
1882.  Mr.  Lindsey,  our  subject,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  at- 
tending one  term  at  the  Weslyan  University  of  Delaware,  Ohio,  closing  his 
literary  pursuits  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  He  remained  with  his  father  till 
May  2, 1864, when  he  enlisted  in  Company  M,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth 
Regiment  (Cavalry)  National  Guards  and  was  engaged  at  Manassas  Junction, 
and  discharged  four  months  later  at  Columbus,  Ohio.  He  returned  to  the 
farm,  staying  until  his  twenty-sixth  year.  In  1870,  he  went  to  Kansas, 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  and  staid  three  years,  when  he  returned 
to  Ohio,  and  received  160  acres  of  land  from  his  father  in  Grand  Township. 
He  tended  this  farm  till  1880,  when  he  purchased  an  interest  in  his  present 
store,  of  B.  F.  Kennedy,  and  began  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Ken- 
nedy &  Lindsey.  They  continued  this  partnership  one  year,  after  which 
time  Mr.  Lindsey  purchased  his  partner's  interest,  selling  soon  after  one- 
half  interest  to  H.  S.  Gates,  with  whom  he  is  still  in  partnership.  They 
carry  a  $12,000  stock.  Besides  this,  Mr.  Lindsey  owns  320  acres  of  land  in 
Kansas,  valued  at  $20  per  acre,  well  situated.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Re- 
becca J.  Oroke,  daughter  of  Catharine  Oroke,  occuri*ed  February  6,  1871. 
They  have  five  children — James  H.,  Frank  E.,  Edith  L.,  Charles  F.  and 
Jessie  M.     John  is  deceased.     Mr.  Lindsey  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 


MARSEILLES   TOWNSHIP.  873 

Episcopal  Church,  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  Master  Mason,  of  Marseilles,  of  the 
G.  A.  R.,  and  a  Republican  in  politics.  He  is  a  successful  business  man 
and  a  good  citizen. 

MA  J.  HUGH  LONG,*  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  the  township,  was 
born  in  West  Liberty,  Va.,  April  12,  1794.  He  is  the  soa  of  John  and 
Catharine  (Fry)  Long,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  His  great-grandtnother, 
Nancy  Howard,  was  kidnapped  in  London,  England,  brought  to  this  coun- 
try and  sold  for  her  passage.  His  grandfather  Fry  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  war  three  years.  His  father  was  reared  a  farmer,  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one,  went  to  Pittsburgh  and  learned  the  tanner's  trade,  Gen. 
Wayne's  army  being  then  stationed  there.  He  was  married  there  and  moved 
to  St.  Clairsville,  Belmont  County,  Ohio,  and  became  the  father  of  ten  chil- 
dren. He  died  in  his  sixty-fou^rth  year,  and  his  wife  in  her  seventy-nfth. 
Maj.  Long,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  attended  the  common  schools  of  his 
time  and  enlisted  in  a  Light  Horse  Cavalr}  Company  in  the  war  of  1812, 
but,  with  other  volunteers,  was  not  wanted,  and  was  exempted  from  enter- 
ing the  service.  He  learned  the  tanner's  trade  of  his  father,  and  was  en- 
gaged with  him  in  the  trade  till  twenty-five  years  of  age.  About  that  time 
he  married  Miss  Catharine  Trucks,  four  children  resulting  therefrom,  two 
living — Mary  and  Matilda;  the  deceased  are  Catharine  and  Joseph.  The 
mother  of  these  died  in  1832,  aged  twenty-four  years.  Mr.  Long  was  mar- 
ried again  the  same  year  to  Miss  Sarah  Hinkle,  who  by  him  became  the 
mother  of  fourteen  children,  six  surviving  to  the  present  time — Hugh  H. , 
John,  Hiram,  Orrin,  Vincent  and  Hattie,  wife  of  Lawson  H.  DeLander. 
Mr.  Long  came  to  Marion  County,  in  1832,  settling  in  Marseilles,  then  Bur- 
lington; the  Fitzgeralds,  Youngs  and  Merrimans  being  the  only  families 
in  the  township;  our  subject  now  being  the  oldest  and  only  surviving  resi- 
dent of  those  early  days.  He  built  his  shop  and  began  his  trade  as  tanner 
in  1834,  and  continued  in  this  occupation  till  1876.  He  is  the  owner  of 
thirty  acres  of  land  within  the  corporation  and  has  been  largely  interested 
in  building  up  the  village.  He  has  held  every  office  in  the  township  except 
that  of  the  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  that  he  refused.  He  obtained  the  title 
of  "Major"  through  Charles  Merriman.  For  his  eighteen  days'  service  in 
the  war  of  1812,  he  receives  a  pension  of  $8  per  month;  also  received  a 
title  to  160  acres  of  land,  which  afterward  sold  for  $140.  He  was  formerly 
a  Whig,  but  laterly  a  Republican.  His  wife  died  February  9,  1882,  aged 
seventy-three;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  highly 
esteemed  in  his  old  age. 

JOHN  McCLEARY  (deceased)  was  born  in  Franklin  County.  Penn., 
June  10,  1821;  he  was  the  son  of  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (McCormick)  Mc- 
Cleary,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Irish  ancestry.  They  emigrated  to  Wy- 
andot County  about  1838,  and  though  the  parents  of  ten  children,  but  three 
are  living — Hanna,  Lemuel  and  Jane.  The  deceased  are  Robert,  John, 
Mary,  Alexander,  James,  Thomas  and  William.  The  father  died  in  1865, 
aged  sixty-five  years;  the  mother  in  1851,  aged  fifty-five  years.  Mr.  Mc- 
Cleary  attended  the  common  schools  and  was  married  to  Miss  Susan  Han- 
kins,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Young)  Hankins,  April  14,  1848.  Miss 
Hankins  was  born  June  26,  1828,  her  parents  being  natives  of  Maryland, 
and  of  Irish  and  German  descent.  They  came  to  Ohio  in  an  early  day  and 
settled  in  Knox  County.  They  had  five  children,  four  living — Timothy, 
George,  Lewis  and  Susan.  Thomas  is  deceased.  Her  father  died  October 
18, 1876,  aged  seventy-nine  years;  her  mother  January  4,  1881,  agedseventy- 

*  Since  this  sketch  was  written  Maj.  Long  died. 


874  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

eight  years.  John  McCleary,  our  subject,  was  the  father  of  ten  children, 
eight  living — William,  Timothy,  Loucetta,  wife  of  Elkana  Crossen;  Hattie, 
wife  of  John  Lutz;  Daniel,  Julia  A.,  wife  of  Hugh  Smith;  Ida  J.,  the  two 
latter  being  twins,  Mary  E.  and  Louisa  are  deceased;  the  former  dying  at 
the  age  of  eight  years,  and  the  latter  eighteen  months.  During  the  first 
four  years  of  his  married  life  Mr.  McCleary  rented  land,  but  purchased 
eighty  acres  in  Mifflin  Township  in  1853,  increasing  the  tract,  by  subsequent 
purchases,  to  115  acres;  he  was  always  an  active  Democrat  and  a  well  re- 
spected citizen.  He  died  August  3,  1880,  leaving  an  estate  of  $8,000;  his 
widow  disposed  of  the  f  ai'm  and  purchased  her  attractive  home  in  Marseilles, 
April  10,  1883.  Two  children  and  a  niece  reside  with  her.  Mrs.  McCleary 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  since  her  fourteenth 
year.  She  is  pleasantly  situated  in  her  new  home  and  is  highly  esteemed 
as  a  citizen. 

DAVID  W.  McCONNEL,  M.  D.,  a  leading  physician  of  this  county, 
was  born  in  Greene  County,  Ohio,  May  14,  1839.  He  is  the  son  of  Isaiah 
and  Ann  (Bain)  McConnel,  the  former  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  1800; 
the  latter  in  Lexington,  Ky. ,  in  1799,  her  parents  originally  emigrating 
from  Glasgow,  Scotland,  about  1795.  They  were  married  in  Xenia,  Ohio, 
January  1,  1828,  and  resided  in  that  city  ten  years,  after  which  time  they 
removed  to  Hardin  County,  where  they  settled  permanently.  They  were  the 
parents  of  six  children,  fom-  still  living — James  B.,  Sarah  F.,  David  W. 
and  Mai'tha.  The  deceased  are  Rebekah  and  Samuel  J.  The  father  died 
July  4,  1860;  the  mother  September  12,  1883.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
attended  the  Kenton  schools,  and  subsequently  graduated  from  North  wood 
College  in  1854.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  W.  H.  Phillips, 
of  Kenton,  in  1856,  and  remained  with  him  nearly  four  years,  and  after- 
ward graduated  from  the  Starling  Medical  College  in  1866,  in  the  mean- 
time teaching  eight  terms  of  school.  He  enlisted  in  Company  G,  I'ourth 
Begiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  April  16,  1861;  re-enlisted  in  the 
Thirty-third  in  July  of  the  same  year  as  private,  and  was  appointed  Orderly 
Sergeant,  serving  nine  months,  when  he  was  appointed  Second  Lieutenant, 
after  twelve  months  First  Lieutenant,  and  then  Captain  of  his  company 
till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  engaged  in  the  campaign  of  Eastern  Ken- 
tucky under  Gen.  Nelson,  and  participated  in  the  following  battles:  Pike- 
ton.  Bowling  Green,  Bridgeport,  Battle  Creek,  Prestonsburg,  Stone  River, 
Chickamauga  and  Mission  Ridge.  At  the  latter  place  he  was  wounded  three 
times,  but  was  not  discharged,  and  after  six  weeks  returned  as  Aid;  was 
subsequently  in  the  battles  at  Franklin  and  Nashville,  and  continued  as  Aid 
till  June  of  1865,  when  he  received  his  discharge.  Mr.  McConnel  was  mar- 
ried March  10,  1870,  to  Miss  Martha  J.  Lacey,  daughter  of  Haman  H. 
Lacey.  They  have  four  children — Anna  L.,  James  H.,  John  C.  and  D.  Watt 
(Samuel  E. ,  deceased).  He  located  in  Marseilles  in  August,  1865,  where 
he  has  since  resided,  building  up  a  good  living  practice  in  his  chosen  pro- 
fession. He  belongs  to  the  regular  school  of  medicine,  and  favors  the 
temperance  element  of  Republicanism;  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and 
K.  of  H.  fraternities,  and  a  master  member  of  Marseilles  Lodge, No.  515,  F.  & 
A.  M. ;  McCutchen  Chapter,  R.  A.  M. ;  member  of  Ivanhoe  Council,  R.  &  S.  M., 
Bucyrus,  Ohio;  and  of  Marion  Commandery  Knight  Templars,  Marion,  Ohio. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  highly  respected  as  a  citi- 
zen. It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  father  of  our  subject  was  one  of  the 
seven  original  Abolitionists  of  Ohio,  and  his  son  has  always  been  an  active 
anti-slavery  man.     Mrs.  McConnel  departed  this   life  November   25,  1884. 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  875 

She  was  a  lady  of  unusual  strength  of   character,  and  was  greatly  admired 
and  esteemed  for  her  many  excellent  qualities. 

SAMUEL  PHILLIPS,  blacksmith,  was  born  in  Salt  Rock  Township, 
Marion  County,  Ohio,  June  18,  1834;  son  of  Jacob  and  Comfort  (Martin) 
Phillips,  natives  of  Massachusetts  and  Ohio  respectively.  His  father  came 
to  Ohio  in  an  early  day,  and  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  He  was  married  in 
1830.  and  was  the  father  of  ten  children,  six  still  living — William  and  Edna 
(by  his  first  wife),  Samuel,  David,  John  and  Jacob  (by  his  second  wife). 
He  died  in  Michigan  when  our  subject  was  but  four  years  of  age.  His  wife 
departed  this  life  about  1870,  aged  sixty  years.  Samuel  Phillips  attended 
the  very  ordinary  schools  of  Michigan,  giving  up  entirely  his  studies  at  the 
age  of  eighteen,  coming  to  Marseilles  and  beginning  his  trade  as  an  appren- 
tice, serving  three  years  with  James  R.  Eaton  at  1()  cents  per  day.  At  the 
end  of  three  years  he  had  accumulated  $16.  In  1854,  he  purchased  a  half 
interest  in  his  employer's  shop,  where  he  has  since  pounded  the  anvil,  build- 
ing up  an  extensive  business.  This  partnership  existed  twenty-one  years, 
at  the  expiration  of  which  time  Mr.  Eaton  retired,  Mr.  Phillips  continuing 
the  business  at  the  present  time  as  sole  proprietor.  His  marriage  lo  Miss 
Mary  A.  Ellis,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Mary  P.  (Stover)  Ellis,  occurred  in 
October,  1857.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phillips  have  reared  ten  children,  seven  liv- 
ing— John,  Eva  (wife  of  J.  L.  Hastings),  James,  Charles,  Jennie,  Frank 
and  Anna.  The  deceased  are  Mary,  Harlan  and  Stover.  Mr.  Phillips  owns 
his  shop  and  lot;  also  his  house  and  lot.  His  wife's  mother  resides  with 
him,  in  the  seventy -fourth  year  of  her  age,  in  feeble  health.  He  was  in  the 
"hundred-day  service,"  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Ohio 
National  Guards,  but  sickness  debarred  him  from  active  duty.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  G.  A.  R. ,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a  stanch  Re- 
publican.    His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

JAIMES  B.  POOL  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  May  14,  1833, 
son  of  Alexander  and  Phoebe  H.  (Harris)  Pool,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
of  German  and  Irish  blood.  The  former  was  born  July  15,  1799,  the 
latter  May  10,  1802;  married  June  7,  1821.  They  removed  to  the  farm  on 
which  our  subject  now  resides,  in  1834,  entering  eighty  acres  of  forest  land, 
clearing  the  whole  of  it.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  seven 
living — Harris,  William,  John,  Elza,  James  B,,  Clarissa  E.  and  Charles. 
Eliza  J.  is  deceased.  The  mother  died  May  14,  1878;  the  father  December 
24,  1880.  Our  subject  received  a  limited  ediication,  leaving  off  bis  educa- 
tional pursuits  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  serving  an  apprenticeship  of  two 
and  one-half  years  at  the  wagon  trade  in  Upper  Sandusky,  following  this 
pursuit  till  1861.  April  18,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Fourth  Reg- 
iment Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three  months,  meeting  with  no  engage- 
ments; re-enlisted  in  Company  C,  Second  Missouri  Cavalry,  First  Sergeant, 
and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Pierce's  Mills,  Moore's  Mills,  Kirksville, 
Little  Rock,  and  one  south  of  the  latter  place.  Was  wounded  at  Kirksville, 
but  retui'ned  to  his  company  soon  after,  and  was  discharged  August  3,  1865. 
He  was  married,  September  15,  1856,  to  Modestia  Woodard,  one  child — 
Oscar — being  born  to  them,  November  11,  1857.  She  died  February  1, 
1859.  Mr.  Pool  was  again  married,  September  12,  1862,  to  Mary  E.  Boyer, 
daughter  of  Eli  and  Lucinda  (Banghart)  Boyer,  natives  of  Ohio.  He  in- 
herited and  bought  the  old  homestead,  located  on  the  Tymochtee  Creek,  and 
valued  at  $60  per  acre.  Since  the  war  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming, 
though  his  sight  was  permanently  injured  in  the  service.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Pool  is  a  Republican,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which 


876  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

he  has  been  an  Elder  for  the  past  live  years.  His  wife  is  also  a  member  of 
the  same  organization. 

HENRY  QUAIL  (deceased)  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  January  2,  1804. 
He  was  the  son  of  John  Quail,  of  English  parentage.  His  father  was  a 
soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  never  returning.  Mr.  Quail  received  but  a  lim- 
ited education,  beginning  life  for  himself  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  He  was 
married,  March  17,  1836,  to  Miss  Barbara  Pepple,  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  Pepple,  natives  of  Maryland,  and  of  German  lineage.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Quail  are  the  parents  of  seven  children — five  living — Lydia  (wife  of  Charles 
Rail),  Henrietta  (wife  of  David  Whittaker),  Laura  A.  (wife  of  David  Mc- 
Cleary),  Asa  and  John.  Sophia  and  an  infant  are  deceased.  After  spend- 
ing two  or  three  years  in  daily  labor,  in  1841,  Mr.  Quail  emigrated  to  Ohio 
by  wagon,  settling  where  the  widow  now  resides.  He  entered  eighty  acres  of 
land,  and  afterward  owned  320  acres — owning  280  acres  at  his  death,  much 
of  which  he  himself  cleared  of  the  timber.  He  died  March  10,  1882,  leav- 
ing an  estate  of  $15,000.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  an  honest,  liberal  and  well-respected  citizen. 
Mrs.  Quail  was  born  November  5,  1811,  and  has  endured  many  of  the  hard- 
ships of  pioneer  life.  Notwithstanding  the  long  years  of  toil,  however,  she  is 
still  able  to  do  her  own  work.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  her. 

WILLIAM  SELIGMAN,  an  influential  farmer,  was  born  December  18, 
1817,  in  Lehigh  County,  Penn.  He  is  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth 
(Stableton)  Seligman,  natives  of  the  same  State,  and  of  German  lineage. 
Their  entire  lives  were  spent  in  Pennsylvania.  Seven  children  were  born 
to  them — Daniel,  Charles,  William,  Henry  and  three  daughters,  whose  names 
are  unrecorded  and  forgotten.  His  parents  dying  when  he  was  a  mere 
child,  Mr.  Seligman  has  been  unable  to  obtain  either  their  names  or  the 
dates  of  their  births.  Being  bound  to  John  Foos  at  the  age  of  six  years, 
his  educational  privileges  were  few,  receiving  most  of  his  instruction  from 
private  tutors  in  dwelling  houses.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Foos  till  his 
twenty-first  year,  and  then  engaged  as  an  apprentice  to  the  cabinet  and 
carpenter's  tz*ade,  working  in  this  capacity  three  years,  and  subsequently  in 
an  independent  business  until  1860.  He  came  to  Ohio  in  1842,  and  set- 
tled near  Bucyrus,  doing  an  extensive  business  in  contracting  and  building, 
employing  from  six  to  ten  hands,  and,  as  a  result  of  his  success,  accumu- 
lating considerable  property.  On  January  1,  1843,  he  married  Miss 
Savina  Boyer,  daughter  of  Christopher  and  Elizabeth  Boyer,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  parentage.  Eleven  children  have  been 
born  to  them,  eight  of  the  family  still  surviving — Lewis  A.,  Amandes  M., 
Edward  H.,  William  E.,  Lydia  A.,  Dilly  E.  (wife  of  H.  S.  Gates),  Annie 
M.  (wife  of  J.  D.  Barr).  The  deceased  are  Moses  F.,  Angelina,  Charles 
and  an  infant.  Mrs.  Seligman  was  born  in  1823,  and  passed  away  Novem- 
ber 29,  1879.  In  1860,  Mr.  Seligman  purchased  his  present  farm  and  resi- 
dence, at  a  cost  of  |9,000,  the  original  number  of  acres  being  400,  which 
he  has  increased  by  subsequent  purchases  to  506,  all  in  a  splendid  condi- 
tion. Eighty  acres  of  this  Mr.  Seligman  cleared  with  his  own  hands.  In 
1864,  he  erected  a  handsome  and  commodious  dwelling,  costing  $3,000,  and 
also  three  excellent  barns  that  are  a  valuable  addition  to  the  premises.  The 
farm  is  also  well  drained,  there  being  nearly  two  miles  of  tiling  buried 
within  its  limits.  His  wealth  is  estimated  at  $80,000.  Before  the  war 
he  voted  the  Democratic  ticket,  but  has  since  been  identified  with  the  Tem- 
perance wing  of  the  Republican  party.     He  has  served  six  years  as  Trustee 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  877 

of  Lis  township,  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Marseilles,  and  withal 
one  of  the  most  highly  respected  and  benevolent  citizens  of  his  community. 
Beginning  life  a  bound  boy,  his  life  is  well  worthy  the  emiilation  of  any 
who  may  become  acquainted  with  its  history. 

LEWIS  A.  SELIGMAN  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio.  De- 
cember 24,  1847,  to  "William  and  Lavina  (Boyer)  Seligman.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools,  ceasing  his  schooldays  at  the  age  of  eighteen. 
He  remained  with  his  parents  till  the  period  of  his  majority,  and'  subse- 
quently engaged  as  fireman  on  a  saw  mill  for  eighteen  months,  for  the  Stu- 
debaker  Brothers.  He  then  purchased  a  third  interest  in  a  circular  mill  at 
Upper  Sandusky,  continuing  in  a  successful  business  three  years.  In  1872, 
he  entered  B.  F.  Kennedy's  dry  goods  store  as  a  clerk,  serving  in  this  ca- 
pacity over  four  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  he  bought  a  half  in- 
terest in  a  flouring  mill  at  Marseilles, paying  $3,0()0  for  the  same,  and  began 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  Hartle  &  Seligman.  This  partnership 
lasted  four  months,  when  Hartle's  interest  passed  into  the  hands  of  B.  F. 
Kennedy,  and  eight  months  later,  1879,  into  the  possession  of  William  Sel- 
igman, the  firm  then  taking  the  title  of  Seligman  &  Son.  They  did  a  flour- 
ishing business  until  their  mill  was  destroyed  by  tire  in  June,  1883.  Mr. 
Seligman  was  married,  December  28,  1869,  to  Miss  Ella  Atkinson,  daughter 
of  Andrew  and  Mary  (McKnight)  Atkinson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seligman  have 
three  children — Charles  W.,  born  February  28,  1871;  Guy  A.,  October  22, 
1877,  and  Kay  W.,  March  15,  1882.  Mr.  Seligman  is  a  strong  temperance 
Eepublican  and  a  member  of  the  A. ,  F.  &  A.  M. ,  and  K.  T.  ,of  Marion  Com- 
mandery.  No.  36.  He  owns  an  attractive  home  on  Main  street,  valued  at 
$2,000,  and  is  one  of  the  influential  citizens  of  the  county. 

SAMUEL  SIMPSON  was  born  July  8,  1815,  son  of  Samuel  and  Eliza- 
beth (Knowles)  Simpson,  natives  of  Ireland  and  Pennsylvania  respectively, 
and  of  Irish  blood.  Mr.  Simpson  was  educated  in  the  poorly  organized 
schools  of  his  day,  closing  his  work  in  this  direction  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
and  engaging  to  "  drive  stage "  from  Cincinnati  to  Portland  and  from 
Springfield  to  Columbus.  After  two  years  spent  in  this  occupation,  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  Marseilles  in  1821.  being  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the 
locality,  and  established  himself  on  the  Addison  Heath  farm,  two  miles 
south  of  the  village.  Later,  he  engaged  in  the  flour  mill  with  John  Fehl, 
remaining  in  the  business  eleven  years.  He  was  married  January  25, 1844, 
to  Miss  Ann  Kennedy,  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Wolf)  Kennedy. 
They  were  the  parents  of  three  children^William  C,  John  F.  and  Samuel 
S.  The  first  is  deceased.  In  1842.  Mr.  Simpson  purchased  a  farm  of 
sixty-four  acres  in  Grand  Township,  Marion  County,  where  he  remained  ten 
years,  selling  out  in  1852,  and  purchasing  a  grist  and  saw  mill  at  La  Eue, 
and  operating  the  same  until  1858.  Disposing  of  this  property  in  1860,  he 
removed  to  Marseilles  and  purchased  a  residence  and  eight  lots,  which  he 
still  owns  and  where  he  still  resides.  By  his  own  efi'orts  he  has  cleared  150 
acres  of  forest  land,  which  has  materially  affected  his  health.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Simpson  is  a  Democrat,  and  east  his  first  vote  for  Gen.  Jackson.  He  is 
familiar  with  much  of  the  Indian  history  of  the  county  and  is  able  to  speak 
the  Indian  language  quite  fluently.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  the  county 
sixty-two  years.      His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  O.  STUDEBAKER  was  born  in  this  county  June  22,  1840,  son 
of  Samuel  and  Delilah  (Fehl)  Studebaker,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of 
German  parentage.  His  mother  was  born  in  1822,  and  his  father  about 
1816.     They  were  married  in  this  county  in  1838.       He  was  a  shoe  maker 


878  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

by  trade.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children — Flavins  J.,  Mary  and 
John  O.  The  father  died  in  February,  1845;  the  mother  is  still  living,  in 
Marion  County,  sixty-two  years  of  age.  Our  subject  attended  the  common 
schools  till  his  eighteenth  year  and  was  subsequently  engaged  in  farm  labor 
till  1861.  May  28  of  that  year,  he  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Fourth  Regi- 
ment Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  engaged  at  Rich  Mountain,  Laurel 
Hill,  Romney,  Winchester,  Edinbu.rg,  New  Market,  Port  Republic  and 
Chancellorsville;  captured  at  the  latter  place  and  taken  to  Richmond,  and, 
after  sixteen  days,  paroled;  thence  to  Annapolis;  thence  to  Washington;  on 
Gen.  Auger's  staff  as  clerk  till  discharged,  July  11,  1864.  He  returned  to 
farm,  and  married,  April  16,  1867,  Ivy,  daughter  of  William  and  Jane  N. 
Renick,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  of  German  de- 
scent. They  settled  in  W^yandot  County  (then  Marion)  in  1823.  Their  one 
child,  Ivy  E.,  was  born  March  28,  1843.  The  father  died  in  1876,  aged 
sixty -five  years;  the  mother  died  in  1875,  aged  fifty-five  years.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Studebaker  have  two  children  living — Renick,  born  January  28,  1869; 
Bertha  E. ,  January  3,  1880.  Lorin  V.,  August  3,  1875,  died  January  28, 
1879;  George  V.,  born  January  19,  1882,  died  January  10,  1883. 

ENOCH  THOMAS  was  born  in  Hardin  County,  Va.,  July  30,  1814, 
son  of  Owen  and  Sophia  (Hansom)  Thomas,  natives  of  Wales  and  Virginia 
respectively — she  of  mixed  nationality.  His  father  enlisted  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  but  did  not  serve;  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  the  father  of 
twelve  children — two  living — Rebecca  and  Enoch.  He  died  in  1838,  aged 
seventy-nine  years;  the  mother  in  1836,  aged  fifty-six  years.  Our  subject 
was  educated  in  the  very  common  schools  of  the  Old  Dominion,  attending 
one  year,  there  being  no  free  schools  at  that  time.  He  resided  with  his 
father  till  March  1,  1838,  when  he  came  W^est,  traveling  on  horseback  a  dis- 
tance of  450  miles,  crossing  the  Alleghanies  without  any  roads,  and  arriv- 
ing in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  in  fifteen  days.  He  came  to  Marseilles, 
Marion  Co.,  Ohio,  at  once,  and  purchased  eighty  acres,  where  he  now  resides; 
has  bought  and  sold  till  he  now  has  119  acres  of  good  land,  well  improved, 
drained  by  Tymochtee  River,  valued  at  $60  per  acre;  made  all  the  improve- 
ments, and  has  cleared  over  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of  forest 
land.  He  married,  in  1842,  Mrs.  Jane  Thomas,  widow  of  David  M.  Thomas, 
and  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  Farmer.  They  were  the  parents  of  four 
children — William  C,  George  C,  David  M.  and  Margaret  (deceased),  wife 
of  Levi  Hildebrand.  His  first  wife  dying,  Mr.  Thomas  was  married  again, 
in  1857,  to  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Bates,  by  whom  he  had  two  children — Owen  and 
Osweld,  the  former  now  deceased.  Mr.  Thomas  was  born  with  but  one  arm, 
began  life  with  $125,  but  by  his  industry  has  gained  a  competence  of 
$8,000.  He  fs  a  Republican.  He  and  Mrs.  Thomas  are  both  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  whose  support  they  contribute  liberally. 
Mr.  Thomas  has  served  as  Trustee  several  years;  also  as  Assessor  and  Land 
Appraiser,  in  1870. 

ANDREW  UNCAPHER  (deceased)  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County, 
Penn.,  Febriiary  24,  1811,  son  of  George  and  Catharine  Uncapher.  He 
obtained  a  good  education,  and  was  for  a  time  book-keeper  for  a  firm  in 
Pittsburgh.  He  afterward  learned  the  tanning  trade,  and  pursued  this  busi- 
ness till  1860,  at  which  time  he  moved  to  this  township  and  purchased  400 
acres  of  land.  In  1836,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Horrel,  daughter  of  John 
and  Margaret  (Trimmel)  Horrel,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  parents  of 
ten  children,  Mrs.  Uncapher  being  the  youngest.  Her  parents  are  both  de- 
ceased.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Uncapher  were  the  parents  of  ten  children — eight 


MARSEILLES  TOWNSHIP.  879 

living — Theodore,  Philip,  Joseph,  .lackson,  and  Mary,  wife  of  George 
Everts.  The  deceased  are  George,  John,  John  T. ,  Sarah  E.  and  Thomas 
M.  Mr.  Uucapher  died  in  the  fall  of  1861;  he  was  a  stanch  Democrat  and 
a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him. 
His  widow,  born  1820,  still  survives  him,  owning  eighty  acres  of  good  land. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  has  successfully  reared  a 
family  of  six  children  to  the  years  of  their  majority. 

PHILIP  UNCAPHER.  This  enterprising  farmer  was  born  in  West- 
moreland County,  Penn.,  December  27,  1846.  He  is  the  son  of  Andrew 
and  Mary  A.  (Horrel)  Uncapher,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent.  (See  sketch).  Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the 
district  schools,  remaining  on  the  farm  with  his  father.  He  was  married 
August  21,  1873,  to  Elizabeth  Modd,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Sarah 
(Wing)  Modd,  natives  of  England,  who  married  there  and  came  to  America 
in  1851,  settling  in  Logan  County,  Ohio,  for  a  number  of  years,  where  Mrs. 
Modd  died.  He  is  at  present  a  resident  of  Linn  Township,  Hardin  County, 
in  his  fifty- sixth  year.  They  were  parents  of  three  children — two  living. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Uncapher  have  three  children — Ernest  M.,  born  December  2, 
1874;  Philip,  Jr.,  September  4,  1876;  Chastina  B.,  May  10,  1880.  Mrs. 
Uncapher  was  born  October  30,  1853.  Mr.  Uncapher  received  eighty  acres 
from  his  father's  estate,  to  which  he  has  added  forty  acres,'  all  well  im- 
proved, with  a  neat  residence  built  in  1874,  costing  $500.  Mr.  Uncapher 
is  a  Democrat;  served  as  Trustee  three  years;  as  Justice  of  Peace  one  year, 
and  is  a  substantial  citizen. 

A.  ROYAL  WEBBER,  born  in  Whittingham,  Vt.,  March  6,  1838,  is  a 
son  of  Lyman  J.  and  Mary  A.  (Goodnow)  Webber,  natives  of  Massachusetts 
and  Vermont  respectively.  Lyman  Webber's  father  died  when  the  former 
was  but  eighteen  months  old,  the  family  being  of  English  ancestry.  Lyman 
was  born  in  1810;  his  wife  (Mary  A. ),  in  1809,  and  they  were  married  about 
1832.  They  lived  in  Vermont  till  1855,  manufacturing  hoe-handles,  wag- 
on shafts,  etc.  Being  a  millwright  by  trade,  he  moved  to  Delaware  County, 
Ohio,  in  the  above  year,  purchasing  a  saw  mill  and  grist  mill.  Later  he 
was  engaged  in  cabinet  work,  and  moved  to  Wyandot  County  in  1866, 
where  the  mother  died  in  1867,  age  fifty-seven  years.  The  father  is  a 
resident  of  Morrow  County,  at  the  present  time,  in  his  seventy-fourth  year. 
A.  R.  Webber  was  virtually  bound  out  when  nine  years  of  age  to  learn  the 
shoe -maker's  trade,  and  was  to  receive  |100  at  the  age  of  twenty-one;  at 
eleven,  he  "'declared  independence,"  and  two  years  later  emigrated  to 
Massachusetts,  there  learning  the  cutler's  trade.  This  occupation  he  fol- 
lowed till  his  nineteenth  year,  when,  becoming  proficient  in  the  use  of 
brass  and  stringed  instruments,  he  engaged  in  giving  instructions  in  their 
use,  and  in  the  sale  of  instruments,  following  these  occupations  sixteen 
years.  Came  to  Ohio  in  1857;  went  West,  and  in  1859  returned,  living 
in  the  various  counties  of  Delaware,  Morrow  and  Wyandot,  till  1862; 
thence  to  Cincinnati,  till  1865,  selling  pianos  and  organs.  In  1865,  settled 
on  present  farm,  which  is  well  stocked  with  best  grades  Durham  cattle, 
merino  sheep,  and  provided  with  four  and  one-half  miles  of  tile  drains, 
Mr.  Webber  being  the  first  man  in  the  township  in  adopting  the  tile  system. 
November  3,  1864,  he  married  Caroline  Terry,  davaghter  of  Ethan  and 
Barbara  (Heckathorn)  Terry,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Ohio  respectively, 
and  of  German  and  English  descent.  Ethan  Terry  crossed  the  Ohio  River 
in  a  skiff  when  but  three  years  of  age,  his  parents  settling  in  Marseilles 
Township  in  1826.     He  died  aged    sixty-five;  the  mother  aged  fifty-nine. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Webber  have  two  children — Edgar  K.,  born  October  28,  1865; 
Ernest  R. ,  born  August  25,  1871.  In  politics,  Mr.  Webber  is  Independent, 
Temperance,  the  entire  family  being  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

WILLIAM  E.  WEBBER  was  born  in  Windham  County,  Vt.,  October 
9,  1842.  son  of  Lyman  J.  and  Mary  A.  (Goodnow)  Webber  (see  A.  R.  Web- 
ber). He  was  educated  in  the  high  school  in  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  tak- 
ing a  commercial  course  in  the  Columbus  Business  College,  graduating  in 
1865.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Terry,  daughter  of  Ethan  and  Bar- 
bara Terry,  occurred  October  25,  1870.  Two  children  have  been  born  to 
them— Winferd  P.,  August  7,  1872;  Walter  Owen,  August  17,  1877.  Mr. 
Webber  was  engaged  in  teaching  school  ten  years;  enlisted  in  three  months' 
service,  Company  C,  Eighty-fifth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry;  re- 
enlisted  at  end  of  three  months  in  Eighty-eighth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry,  doing  camp  and  guard  duty  one  year,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
Corporal,  and  subsequently  to  Sergeant;  served  on  the  recruiting  commis- 
sion, raising  thirty  men  for  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Seventy- fourth 
Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  became  Second  Lieutenant  of  same 
company,  and  was  mustered  out  as  First  Lieutenant.  He  was  engaged  in 
the  iDattle  of  the  Cedars,  Nashville,  Franklin,  Newbern,  and  in  many  skir- 
mishes, receiving  his  discharge  July  5,  1865.  In  1866,  he  purchased  an 
interest  in  a  woolen  mill,  which  he  successfully  operated  six  years.  He  and 
family  are  living  at  present  on  their  farm  of  200  acres,  which  is  well  im- 
f)roved  and  valued  at  $60  per  acre,  stocked  with  good  grades  of  Durham 
cattle,  merino  sheep  and  horses.  He  built  this  year  one  of  the  finest  frame 
residences  in  the  township,  costing  about  $3,000;  also  owns  150  acres  of 
good  grazing  land  in  Tennessee.  He  and  Mrs.  Webber  are  both  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  he  being  a  Trustee  of  the  same.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Webber  is  a  Republican,  of  the  temperance  persuasion.  Mrs.  W^ebber 
was  born  and  principally  educated  in  Wyandot  County,  Ohio,  receiving  in 
addition  to  a  good  common  school  education  a  thorough  course  in  the  Young 
Ladies'  Seminary,  Springfield,  Ohio.  She  inherited  from  her  parents  the 
farm  on  which  the  family  now  reside. 

DAVID  WILKIN  is  a  native  of  Hardin  County,  Va.,  born  March  31, 
1822.  He  is  the  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Wilson)  Wilkin,  natives  of  the 
same  county,  of  German  parentage.  They  emigrated  to  Ohio  in  1827,  set- 
tling in  Licking  County,  where  they  resided  twenty- five  years.  They  then 
moved  to  Van  Wert  County,  and  shortly  after  to  Michigan,  where  they  re- 
sided about  four  years,  and  thence  to  Indiana  for  about  the  same  length  of 
time.  The  father  died  at  the  home  of  his  son  David,  March  28,  1882,  aged 
eighty-five  years.  He  was  the  father  of  fourteen  children,  seven  by  his  first 
wife — Benjamin,  David,  John  A.,  Joseph,  Jonathan,  Isaac  and  Mary  A.  By 
his  second  wife — Hayden,  George,  William,  Cora,  Lucinda  and  Amanda. 
The  mother  of  the  first  family  died  in  1849,  aged  fifty-three  years.  Our 
subject  obtained  a  common  school  education  in  Licking  County,  and  worked 
at  home  and  elsewhere  until  his  marriage,  December  23,  1847,  to  Barbara 
E.  Losh,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Eve  (Shular)  Losh,  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
of  German  lineage.  They  were  early  settlers  of  Perry  and  Licking  Coun- 
ties and  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  five  living — CzarH. ,  born  March 
28,  1852;  Lucinda  D.,  November  20,  1854;  Lydia  S.,  July  20,  1858;  Lucy, 
December  7.  1861;  Flora  B.,  June  14,  1864.  The  deceased  are  John  A., 
Mary  A.  and  two  infants.  Mr.  Wilkin  came  to  Marseilles  Township  in 
1851,  renting  the  old  Wilkin  farm  twenty-two  years;  he  bought  eighty  acres 
of  his  present   farm   in    1855,  and  has  since   added   forty  acres   more;  fifty 


MARSEILLES   TOWNSHIP.  881 

acres  of  this  was  forest  land  cleared  by  himself.  In  his  lifetime,  Mr.  Wil- 
kin claims  to  have  put  100  acres  of  forest  land  under  cultivation.  He  began 
life  with  nothing,  and  now  lias  a  farm  well  improved,  valued  at  $8,000;  has 
ever  been  a  hard  worker,  himself  and  another  young  man  (Drum)  having 
cradled  240  dozen  of  wheat  and  shocked  sixty  dozen  of  the  same  in  one  day; 
reaped  with  a  sickle  thirty-five  dozen  in  one  day.  In  politics,  Mr.  Wilkin 
is  a  Democrat,  voting  first  for  James  K.  Polk.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A., 
F.  &  A.  M.  at  Marseilles;  his  wife  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 

PHILIP  WINSLOW  was  born  in  New  Castle,  Knox  Co.,  Ohio,  Octo- 
ber 4,  1834.  He  is  the  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Elizabeth  (Eli)  W^inslow,  na- 
tives of  Massachusetts  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  of  English  and 
German  ancestry.  His  father's  great-grandfather  came  from  England,  and 
his  grandfather  W^inslow  was  a  soldier  in  the  Eevolutionary  war.  His 
father  came  to  Ohio  when  eighteen,  walking  from  Massachusetts.  Ho  was 
married,  and  moved  to  Marion  County  in  1835,  purchasing  160  acres  in 
Grand  Township,  clearing  much  of  it,  and  rearing  a  family  of  eight  children, 
five  still  living — Patience,  Philip,  Emaline.  David  and  Orrin.  The  deceased 
are  Mary  A., William  and  John.  The  father  is  still  living,  aged  eighty-six. 
The  mother  died  May  9,  1875,  aged  seventy-three.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  given  a  common  education,  and  worked  by  day  and  month  till 
he  enlisted  in  the  service.  Company  G,  Eighty-second  Regiment  Ohio  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  November  18,  1861.  He  participated  in  the  battles  at 
McDowell,  Cedar  Mountain,  Bull  Eun  second,  Kelly's  Ford,  Fredericksburg, 
Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg;  was  here  transferred  to  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  and  subsequently  engaged  at  Lookout  Mountain,  Knoxvilie 
(here  veteranized),  Resaea,  New  Hope  Church,  Buzzard's  Roost,  Peach  Tree 
Creek,  Atlanta,  with  "  Sherman  to  the  sea,"  at  Bentonville,  and  Raleigh, 
making  a  forced  march  to  Washington,  from  W^ashington  to  Louisville,  Ky., 
and  here  discharged  August,  1865.  He  was  captured  at  Gettysburg,  taken 
to  Belle  Isle  and  kept  three  months  and  eight  days,  where  he  would  have 
died  only  for  the  assistance  of  Patrick  Cayten,  of  Marion,  Ohio.  He  was  at 
length  exchanged,  after  having  marched  2,500  miles,  and  fought  twenty-five 
to  thirty  battles.  Mr.  Winslow  was  married,  December  9,  1860,  to  Miss 
Januett  Coflfman,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Lucy  (Dickson)  Cofifman,  the 
former  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winslow  have  had  eleven  children,  eight 
living — John,  Elnora,  Curtis,  Mary  A.,  Alice,  Louis,  Elvira  and  Early. 
The  deceased  are  Lucy  B.,  Montgomery  and  an  infant.  Mr.  Winslow  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  1872.  In  politics,  he  is  a  sound 
Democrat. 

JOSEPH  C.  WORTHINGTON.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born 
in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  October  2,  1827.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Nancy 
(McDill)  Worthington,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  of  English 
ancestry.  His  grandfather  Worthington  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution, 
and  his  father  in  the  war  of  1812.  His  uncle,  Thomas  Worthington,  of 
Chillicothe,  was  at  one  time  Governor  of  Ohio.  They  removed  to  Chilli- 
cothe,  or  near  that  place,  about  1815,  rearing  a  family  of  nine  children,  six 
living — Isabel,  Robert,  Elizabeth,  James,  Joseph  C.  and  Nancy.  The  de- 
ceased ai-e  Jane,  Mary  and  John,  the  latter  dying  from  disease  contracted  in 
the  late  war,  in  which  he  served  three  years.  The  father  died  in  1873,  aged 
seventy-eight  years;  the  mother  in  1848,  aged  forty-five  years.  Our  subject 
attended  the  common  school,  beginning  monthly  labor  on  the  farm  at  six- 
teen, and  continuing  in  this  pursuit  two  years,  since  which  time  he  has  en- 
gaged in  farming.     He  married,  December  29, 1849,  Miss  Mary  J.  Piimphry 


882 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


(born  February  8,  1833),  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Jane  (Wright)  Pum- 
phry,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Ohio,  of  Welsh  and  Irish  ancestry.  Her 
father  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  her  grandfather  Pumphry  in 
the  Revolutionary  war.  She  is  descendant  of  the  English  Cromwell — her 
father's  mother,  Rachel  Cromwell,  coming  from  England.  Her  parents 
settled  in  Ohio  in  an  early  day.  Her  mother  had  seven  children,  she  being 
the  second  by  the  second  marriage,  her  only  full  brother  being  J.  B.  Pum- 
phry. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Worthington  have  two  children  —John  A.,  born  June 
26,  1852;  James  R.,  July  19,  1862.  They  rented  land  during  the  lirst  four 
years  of  married  life,  and  purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres  in 
1854,  paying  for  the  same  $765;  has  cleared  fifty  acres  of  his  farm,  and  100 
acres  in  all.  In  1864,  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Eighteenth  Regiment  Ohio 
National  Guards;  engaged  at  Monocacy  River,  and  discharged  at  the  expira- 
tion of  100  days.  Mrs.  Worthington  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Worthington  are  industrious  and  well 
respected. 


MIFFLIN  TOWNSHIP.  883 


CHAPTER  VII. 
MIFFLIN  TOWNSHIP. 

Organization  and  Boundaries— Physical  Characteristics— Roads,  Etc.— 
First  vSettlements— Inhabitants  of  the  Township  in  1845 — Town.ship 
Officials— Miscellaneous— Biographical  Sketches. 

THIS  township,  which  embodies  Township  3  south,  Kange  13  east,  was 
under  the  civil  jurisdiction  of  Crawford  County  before  the  erection  of 
Wyandot,  though  it  was  within  the  reservation.  The  township  assumed  its 
present  dimensions  in  1845,  the  sale  of  the  reserve  taking  place  in  1843. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Salem  Township,  on  the  east  by  Pitt  and 
Crane  Townships,  on  the  south  by  Marseilles,  and  on  the  west  by  Jackson. 
The  Wyandot  Reservation  line  in  Mifflin  ran  from  the  north,  parallel  with 
and  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from  the  western  boundary  line  of  the  town- 
ship, through  Sections  5,  8,  17,  20  and  29,  as  far  as  Tymochtee  Creek  in 
Section  32,  thence  eastward,  parallel  with  and  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  from  the  southern  boundary  of  the  township  through  Sections  32,  33, 
34,  35  and  36. 

The  topography  of  this  township  and  general  quality  of  the  soil  are 
much  in  common  with  the  surrounding  townships,  and  its  productiveness  in 
crops  and  farm  stock  is  in  nowise  behind,  corn,  wheat,  grass  and  all  root 
crops  being  well  up  to  the  average,  besides  abundance  of  cattle,  sheep  and 
hogs,  all  fully  testifying  to  the  prosperity  of  the  husbandmen.  More 
clearing,  perhaps,  of  the  timber  may  have  been  eifected  than  can  be  said 
of  some  of  the  neighboring  townships,  though  in  the  northern  part  the 
growth  is  somewhat  heavier. 

The  township  is  well  favored  in  being  possessed  of  a  multitude  of 
streams,  brooks  and  rivulets,  which  through  many  a  field  and  fallow  fret 
their  mossy  banks,  as,  babbling  onward  on  their  way,  in  trilling  cadences, 
like  "'the  swell  of  some  sweet  tune,"  they  never  ceasing  seem  to  sing: 

"  For  men  may  come  and  men  may  go 
But  I  go  on  for  ever." 

The  main  stream  of  all  is  Tymochtee  Creek  which  enters  the  township 
from  Marseilles  on  the  farm  of  H.  and  P.  H.  Haner,  in  Section  32,  and, 
after  describing  some  eccentric  convolutions,  one  time  swift,  another  time 
slow,  as  it  meanders  through  Sections  32,  31.  32  again,  29,  28,  29  again, 
28  again,  21,  16,  21  again,  22,  15,  16,  15  again,  10,  9,  10  again,  3,  4,  and 
3  again,  it  bids  adieu  to  Mifflin  and  hastens  away  to  mingle  with  the  San- 
dusky River.  Of  the  many  tributaries  that  purvey  to  the  channel  of  the 
Tymochtee  in  this  township,  Warpole  Run  is  the  chief,  connecting  with  it 
from  the  southeast  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  10,  and  the  several 
veins  that  contribute  toward  its  existence  have  their  sources  in  Sections  34, 
26  and  25  respectively,  and  in  Pitt  Township,  from  which  latter,  two 
streams,  one  named  St.  James'  Run,  emanate.  Sugar  Run  rises  in  Section 
17,  flows  nearly  due  north  and  unites  with  the  Tymochtee  in  the  extreme 
west  of  Section   3.     Oak   Run  has   its  birth  in  Jackson  Township,  one  arm 


884  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

entering  Mifflin  in  Section  18,  and  another  in  Section  19.  A  small  re- 
enforcement  meets  Oak  Run  just  as  it  is  about  leaving  Mifflin  for  Salem 
Township  in  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  4.  Besides  these  tributaries 
mentioned,  there  are  some  seven  or  eight  streamlets,  all  adding  their  indi- 
vidual modest  modicum. 

ROADS,     ETC. 

The  old  Beliefontaine  road,  which  was  cut  by  the  troops  under  Gren. 
Harrison  in  1812,  enters  Mifflin  Township  from  Pitt  Township,  on  Section 
13,  through  a  corner  of  which  it  passes,  tbence  through  Sections  24,  23,  26 
and  27,  and  enters  Marseilles  Township  at  Section  33,  after  traversing  in 
about  a  southwest  direction.  Another  road  enters  on  the  east,  on  Section 
36,  leading  due  west  into  Jackson  Township  at  J.  O.  Vanorsdall's  farm. 
Section  31.  From  this  highway  a  branch  strikes  off  on  Section  32,  leading 
north  and  northwest,  and  also  entering  Jackson  on  Section  30.  Other  roads 
traverse  the  township  to  and  from  all  the  cardinal  points  of  the  compass. 
The  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad  crosses  Mifflin  in  a  west 
by  south  direction,  penetrating  from  Salem  Township  at  the  extreme  north- 
east corner  of  Section  4,  which  it  passes  through,  also  Sections  5  and  6, 
thence  through  Kirby  Village,  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  township, 
where  there  is  a  station. 

FIRST    SETTLEMENTS. 

Samuel  Stansberry,  born  in  1806,  in  Massachusetts,  came  to  this  town- 
ship in  1830,  and  entered  eighty  acres  of  land.  He  died  in  1852,  having 
accumulated  considerable  property.  James  Halstead,  also  one  of  the  early 
pioneers,  was  born  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. ,  in  1797.  He  married,  in  On- 
tario County.  N.  Y.,  Anna  Irwin,  and  settled  in  this  township  in  1830, 
remaining  a  resident  of  the  township  till  1850,  when  he  removed  to  Indiana, 
and  four  years  later  to  Piatt  County,  111.,  where  he  died  in  1873.  John 
Clioger  moved  with  his  family  to  this  county  in  1830  and  settled  in  Mifflin 
Township,  where  he  purchased  eighty  acres,  which  he  cleared  and  occupied 
till  his  death,  which  occurrred  November  18,  1880. 

Others  that  came  about  this  period  were:  Wilford  Whaley  (born  August 
25,  1822),  Andrew  J.  Kail,  John  Haner  (born  in  New  York),  John  Farmer, 
Daniel  and  Israel  Straw,  Abram  Clark,  William  Bowsher,  Hanson  Hooker, 
Henry  and  Philip  Haner,  David  Young,  James,  William  and  John  Irvin, 
Alexander  INTcCleary,  John  Hankins,  Wolford  Whaley,  John  Farthing,  An- 
drew and  Isaac  Farmer,  John  Henry,  Jacob  Leonard,  John  Ackley,  Rich- 
ard Parlet,  Thomas  Hendrickson,  James  Gibson,  Martin  Dickens,  Daniels 
and  his  son  Julius,  David  Bowen,  Sr.  (a  native  of  Pennsylvania;  moved  to 
this  county  in  1835,  and  June  17,  same  year,  settled  in  Mifflin  Township; 
on  the  farm  on  which  he  located  stood  an  old  Indian  tavern;  his  son,  David 
Bowen,  still  resides  in  this  township).  From  1835  to  1839  came  Wesley 
Davenport  and  Mr.  Brown  (who  laid  out  Brownstown),  Richard  Lee,  Will- 
iam Lee.  James  O'Neil,  Tunis  Ten  Eyck.  Adam  Smith,  Moses  Ricker,  John 
A.  Swartz,  Jacob  Hollanshead,  Daniel  Piersou,  Walter  Simerson,  Thomas 
Snider,  Abraham  Clark  and  Cornelius  Young. 

The  following  were  the  owners  of  real  and  personal  estate  in  the  town- 
ship of  Mifflin  in  1845: 

OWNERS    OF    REAL    ESTATE. 

Jedidiah  Allen,  Sections  35  and  36,  482  acres;  William  Bowsher,  Sec- 
tion 32,  50  acres;  Jesse  Bowsher,  Section  36,  40  acres;  George  G.  Baker, 
Sections  8,  7,  18  and  19,  425  acres;  Lucretia  Curtis,  Section  32,  35  acres; 


MIFFLIN  TOWNSHIP.  885 

Sbadwick  Chandler,  Section  18,  40  acres;  James  B.  Cook,  Section  31, 
84  acres;    Abraham  Clark,  Section  30,  83  acres;  William  Carey,  Section 

31,  160  acres;  Sarah  Davenport,  Section  33,  25  acres;  Martin  Dickens, 
Sections  32,  33,  34  and  35,  309  acres;  Charles  Ely,  Sections  6  and  7,  416 
acres;  John  Farmer,  Sections  30  and  32,  116  acres;  Abner  Farthing,  Sec- 
tion 33, 40  acres;  Charles  Graham,  Sections  1 7  and  18, 183  acres;  Henry  Huber, 
Section  30,  40  acres;  William  Halstead,  Section  34,  62  acres;  Hanson 
Hooker,  Section  18,  160  acres;  James  Halstead,  Section  29,  85  acres;  Henry 
Jones,  Section  30,  40  acres;  Orange  Johnson,  Section  7,  160  acres;  Eliza- 
beth Knouse,  Section  30,  40  acres;  Isaac  Longnecker,  Section  19,  80  acres; 
George  Lauck,  Section  18,  81  acres;  Richard  Lee,  Section  33,  41  acres; 
Henry  Leonard,  Section  31,  83  acres;  John  Maine,  Section  18,  40  acres; 
Charles  Merriman,  Section  30,  243  acres;  Alexander  McCleary,  Section  33, 
160  acres;  John  R.   Osborn,  Section   34,   40  acres;  James  O'Neil,  Section 

32,  35  acres;  John  Y.  Pettys,  Sections  20  and  29,  115  acres;  Horace  Pot- 
ter, Section  19,  163  acres;  Thomas  Perkins,  Sections  5,  7  and  33,  248  acres; 
Daniel  Pierson,  Section  81,  83  acres;  William  Pierson,  Section  31,  84  acres; 
Benjamin  Price,  Section  6,  163  acres;  George  Sinn,  Section  20,  100  aci'es; 
Henry  St.  John,  Sections  5,  6,  and  7,  354  acres;  Israel  Straw,  Sections  33 
and  34,  120  acres;  Daniel  Straw,  Section  33,  1  acre;  State  of  Ohio;  Basil 
Young,  Section  31,  40  acres;  John  Young,  Section  29,  100  acres;  John 
Yeager,  Section  30,  163;  Moses  Kichey,  Sections  18,  34  and  35,  340  acres; 
Thomas  S.  Perkins,  Sections  8  and  29,  100  acres;  James  Irvin,  Section  17, 
100  acres. 

OWNERS  OF    PERSONAL  ESTATE. 

John  S.  Bunker,  Ebenezer  Baker,  William  Bowsher,  Henry  Bowsher, 
Abraham  Clark,  Abraham  Clark,  Jr.,  Henry  Cregalow,  Solomon  Cook, 
James  Cook,  Catharine  Davenport,  James  Dearinger,  Martin  Dickens, 
Jonas  Dennis,  David  Eggleston,  John  Eastwood,  Thomas  L.  Farthing, 
Murrillo  H.  Gillett,  Thomas  B.  Hendrickson,  Thomas  H.  Hawkins,  Timo- 
thy Hawkins,  Lewis  Hawkins,  James  Halstead,  William  Halstead,  Henry 
H.  Haner,  Philip  H.  Haner,  John  Haner,  .Anthony  Hall,  James  I.  Irwin, 
John  M.  Irwin,  William  Jones,  Charles  Jones,  John  Jones,  Alexander  Mc- 
Cleary, Robert  McCleary,  William  McCleary,  Thomas  Moore,  James  O'Neil, 
William  P.  Pierson,  Philemon  Pierson,  Daniel  Pierson,  Nicholas  Rumble, 
Samuel  M.  Stansberry,  Daniel  Straw,  Lewis  Straw,  Israel  Straw,  David 
Straw,  Jr.,  Samuel  C.  Straw,  John  Stevens,  John  Shaw,  Henry  Swartz, 
Jacob  A.  Swartz,  Royal  Shuman,  David  G.  Turner,  Eli  Vanorsdall,  George 
AVilliams,  James  Young,  Lewis  Young,  Cornelius  Young,  John  Yeager, 
Ebenezer  Zane. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  first  school  held  in  the  township  was  in  the  traditional  primitive 
"temple  of  learning,"  located  in  this  case  on  the  land  of  Martin  Dickens, 
two  miles  east  of  Brownstown.  Among  the  early  teachers  may  be  mentioned 
William  Harrison,  Benjamin  Olney,  William  Jones  and  Nancy  M.  Swartz. 
The  number  of  school  buildings  now  in  Mifflin  is  eleven,  established  one 
in  each  of  Sections  1,  4,  6  (in  the  village  of  Kirby),  7,  17,  15,  21,  23,  25,  30 
and  34. 

CHURCHES,    ETC. 

Previous  to  any  church  building  being  erected  in  Mifflin,  early  services 
were  held  either  in  the  schoolhouse  or  in  the  cabins  of  the  settlers, 
truly  humble  in  an  architectural  point  of  view,  but  in  the  sight  of  high 

40 


886  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Heaven,  as  noble  as  the  proudest  and  grandest  cathedral,  for,  the  words  of 
the  poet  : 

"God  attributes  to  place 
No  sanctity,  if  none  be  thither  brought 
By  men  who  there  frequent." 

Mefhodist  Episcopal  Church,  Wesley  Chapel. — The  first  meeting  of  this 
society  was  held  in  the  winter  of  1858-59,  at  Swartz's  schoolhouse,  by  L.  D. 
Rodgers  and  William  Bivens,  and  was  first  organized  in  the  winter  of  1859, 
at  Mifflin  Center,  by  Rev.  L.  D.  Rodgers,  missionary,  on  which  occasion 
were  present  some  forty  members,  among  whom  were  J.  A.  Swartz  and  wife, 
II.  S.  Craiglaw  and  wife,  B.  F.  Parlett,  D.  H.  Parlett,  R.  J.  Craiglaw  and 
wife,  M.  A.  Parlett,  Miss  Parlett,  Mrs.  Sarah  Ewart,  John  Parlett,  Lewis 
Young  and  wife.  The  first  church  bviilding,  and  the  very  first  of  any 
denomination  in  the  township,  was  the  Wesleyan  Chapel,  a  frame  structure 
36x40  feet,  erected  in  1860  at  a  cost  of  $800,  located  in  the  southeast  corner 
of  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  15.  The  pastors  who  have  served  this 
society  from  its  organization  are  as  follows:  Revs.  L.  D.  Rodgers  and  Jacob 

Hoopner,  three  years  ;  William  Close,   one  year;   Smith,   one  year; 

James  Deheal  and  Cable,  one  year;  Samuel  Barig,  one  year;  Solomon  Lind- 
sey,  two  years;  Jabez  Blair,  one  year.  There  is  at  present  a  membership 
of  sixty,  and  the  chui*ch  officers  are  as  follow:  Leaders,  J.  A.  Swartz,  W.  C. 
Keller,  S.  P.  Kail;  Trustees,  W.  C.  Keller,  B.  B.  Wentz  and  Samuel 
dinger. 

Methodist  Epdscopjal  Church,  Salem  Chapel. — In  1857,  this  society  held 
its  first  meeting  in  this  township  in  a  log  schoolhouse  near  Parlett' s  Corners, 
presided  over  by  L.  D.  Rodgers,  and  the  initial  organization  was  completed 
in  1858  in  the  same  log  schoolhouse  by  L.  D.  Rodgers.  There  were,  on 
that  occasion,  present  about  twenty  members,  the  names  of  some  of  whom 
we  are  enabled  to  give,  as  follows:  Robert  Parlett  and  wife;  Matthew  Mc- 
Cleary  and  wife;  W.  F.  Smith  and  wife;  H.  D.  Parlett  and  wife;  W.  W. 
Whaley  and  wife,  and  Elizabeth  Smith.  The  first  church  building  erected 
by  this  congregation  in  this  township  was  named  Salem  Chapel;  it  stands 
in  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  32.  It  is  of  brick,  32x40  feet,  and  cost 
$2,000.  The  pastors  who  have  served  this  society  from  its  organization 
are  as  follows:  Revs.  L.  D.  Rodgers,  two  years;  J.  H.  Close,  two  years;  J. 

S.  Delille,   two  years;  J.  N.  Calb,  one  year;  Smith,  one  year;  S.  M. 

Boggs,   two  years;   J.  J.   Finlay,   one  year;  Miller,   one  year;   J.    S. 

Blair,  two  years;  S.  Lindsey,  one  year;  W.  W.  Lanze,  three  years;  J.  C. 
Clemens,  three  years;  William  Dunlap,  three  years;  and  W.  M.  Lucas, 
present  pastor,  in  his  second  year.  There  is  a  present  membership  of  fifty 
souls,  and  the  existing  officers  of  Salem  Chapel  are  as  follows:  Trustees, 
J.  P.  Bear,  John  A.  McCleary,  T.  Johnson,  H.  Parlett  and  M.  A.  Parlett; 
Steward,  A.  G.  Fox;  Leaders,  Joshua  McCleary,  A.  G.  Fox  and  F.  M. 
Fox.  The  largest  revival  meeting  held  in  connection  with  this  society  was 
under  the  guidance  of  Rev.  W.  W.  Lanze,  at  which  time  thirty  souls  were 
converted;  Rev.  J.  C.  Clemens  also  held  a  revival  and  succeeded  in  accom- 
plishing twenty-five  conversions;  Rev.  William  Dunlap  secured  about 
twelve  conversions;  and  Rev.  W.  M.  Tjucas,  on  occasion  of  his  grand 
revival  meeting  of  1883,  some  twenty -five. 

There  are  now  five  churcli  edifices  in  Mifflin  Township,  established  as 
follows:  Church  of  God,  Kirby  Village;  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
Section  15;  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  Section  32;  Christian  Union 
Church,  in  Section   31 ;  and   Union  Chm-ch,  at  Brownstown.      There  is  a 


MIFFLIN  TOAVNSHIP.  887 

cemetery  in  each  of  Sections  31,  32,  33,  23   and  18,  besides  some  private 
burial  places. 

OFFICIAL. 

Trustees.  1845,  Henry  Swartz,  James  Halstead,  John  Hankins. 

1846 — James  Halstead,  John  Hankins,  Lewis  Young. 

1847 — James  I.  Irvin,  Charles  Jones,  Alexander  McClain. 

1848 — Andrew  Vanorsdall,  John  Maybee,  James  I.  Irwin.* 

1849 — James  I.  Irwin,  Alexander  McCleary,  Thomas  B.  Hendrickson. 

1850 — Alexander  McCleary,  Thomas  B.  Hendrickson,  William  Snider. 

1851 — Alexander  McCleary,  William  Snider,  Timothy  F.  Young. 

1852 — James  I.  Irwin,  Henry  Swartz,  Henry  F.  Haner. 

1853 — Jarties  B.  Cook,  Alexander  McCleary,  Comfort  Grillett. 

1854 — James  B.  Cook,  Alexander  McCleary,  Jacob  Hollanshead, 

1855^ Jacob  Hollanshead,  James  B.  Cook,  David  Bower. 

1856 — James  I.  Irwin,  Timothy  F.  Young,  David  Bower. 

1857 — David  Bower,  James  I.  Irwin,  Timothy  H.  Young. 

1858— Timothy  H.  Young,  R.  W.  Hammond,  Robert  McCleary. 

1859— Timothy  F.  Young,  R.  W.  Hammond,  Joel  Straw. 

1860 — R.  W.  Hammond,  Joel  Straw,  Timothy  F.  Young, 

1861— Joel  Straw,  Timothy  F.  Young,  R.  W.  Hammond. 

1862— -Joel  Straw,  Timothy  F.  Young,  John  Selover. 

1863 — A.  J.  Kail,  David  Bower,  John  Selover. 

1864 — A.  J.  Kail,  David  Bower,  John  Selover. 

1865— A.  J.  Kail,  P.  W.  Kiser,  Jacob  Hollanshead. 

1866 — A.  J.  Kail,  Jacob  Hollanshead,  J.  A.  Swartz. 

1867 — J.  A.  Swartz,  James  A.  Kail,  Morgan  Simerson. 

1868 — Andrew  J.  Kail,  James  A.  Kail,  Aaron  D.  Snider. 

1869— Andrew  J.  Kail,  A.  D.  Snider. 

1870— Andrew  J.  Kail,  A.  G.  Fox,  Aaron  D.  Snider. 

1871^ — Andrew  J.  Kail,  J.  B.  Dean,  Isaac  Mann. 

1872 — J.  B.  Dean,  Andrew  J.  Kail,  Peter  Kotzenmeyer. 

1873 — James  F.  Lindsay,  J.  B.  Dean,  Peter  Kotzenmeyer. 

1874 — James  A.  Kail,  Asa  Quail,  Hamilton  Dean. 

1876 — Hamilton  Dean,  Asa  Quail,  Andrew  J.  Kail. 

1876 — Andrew  J.  Kail,  Asa  Quail,  Hamilton  Dean. 

1877 — Andrew  J.  Kail,  John  Selover,  John  Justice. 

1878 — John  Selover,  David  Bower,  Peter  Kotzenmeyer. 

1879— Timothy  F.  Young,  George  Thiel,  S.  T.  Jaqueth. 

1880 — John  Wright,  Charles  H.  Bradley,  Peter  Kotzenmeyer. 

1881 — John  W.  McCleary,  Asa  Quail,  Jacob  P.  Bear. 

1882 — John  W.  McCleary,  Asa  Quail,  Andrew  J.  Kail. 

1883 — John  R.  Young,  William  Smith,  Lewis  Wagner. 

Clerks — 1845,  Lewis  Young;-j-  1846,  James  Jackson;  1847-48,  Lewis 
Young;  1849,  Charles  Jones;  1850,  Lewis  Young;  1851-52,  George  Adams; 
1852-54,  Lewis  Young;  1855-57,  Lewis  Young;  1858,  Wesley  Kiser;  1859, 
P.  W.  Kiser;  1860-62,  Wesley  Kiser;  1863,  Jacob  A.  Swartz;  1864-65, 
John  D.  Shaw;  1866-67,  J.  J.  Schwallick;  1868-69,  Jacob  A.  Swartz;  1870, 
John  S.  Demarest;  1871,  M.  L.  Rowland:  1872,  John  S.  Demarest;  1873- 
74,  J.  J.  Schwallick;  1875-76,  Wesley  Kiser;  1877-80,  William  A.  Foucht; 
1881-82,  Jacob  C.  Miller;  1883,  Byron  B.  W^entz. 

*Appointed  to  fill  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Andrew  Vanorsdall. 
tAppointed  in  place  of  William  Jones. 


HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Treasurers — 1845-47,  Daniel  Straw;  1848,  Thomas  B.  Heudrickson; 
1849-57,  Daniel  Straw;  1857,  Jacob  Hollanshead  (appointed  to  fill  vacan- 
cy); 1858-69,  Jacob  Hollanshead;  1870-71,  James  H.  Lindsay;  1872, 
Charles  Bradley;  1873-77,  Jacob  Hollanshead;  1878,  David  R.  Maxwell; 
1879-80,  Samuel  A.  Hale;  1881-82,  Orrin  F.  Straw;  1883,  John  W.  Mc- 
Cleary. 

Justices  of  the  Peace — 1845,  Daniel  Straw,  David  Pierson,  William 
Jones;  1846,  Daniel  Straw;  1848,  Lewis  Young;  1849,  Daniel  Straw;  1851, 
M.  Gillett;  1853,  Thomas  Gatchell;  1855,  Daniel  Straw;  1856,  Jacob  Hol- 
lanshead; 1858,  David  Haines;  1859,  Jacob  Hollanshead,  Thomas  Gatchell; 
1863,  Morgan  Simerson;  1867,  Jacob  Hollanshead;  1868,  Alfred  Ansmin- 
ger;  1870,  Jacob  A.  Swartz;  1871,  Alfred  Ansminger;  1874,  La  Fayette 
Rowland;  1876,  Jacob  A.  Swartz;  1877,  La  Fayette  Rowland;  1879, 
Ephraim  Stansbury;  1880,  La  Fayette  Rowland;  1882,  Ephraim  Stans- 
bury;  1883,  La  Fayette  Rowland. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

The  first  elections  in  Mifflin  were  held  at  Brown's  Corners,  now  known 
as  Brownstown,  never  regularly  laid  out,  where  there  was  in  days  of  yore 
an  inn  in  which  refi'eshments  for  man  and  beast,  more  especially  man,  were 
dispensed,  and  it  was  no  unusual  thing  at  the  organization  of  the  township, 
at  which  time  there  was  a  great  deal  of  travel,  to  find  the  "  Corner  Inn  " 
and  the  trading-house  that  also  stood  there  crowded  with  wayfarers  on  their 
way  to  Henry,  Hancock  or  Hardin  Counties.  The  first  settler  at  Browns- 
town  was  the  individual  after  whom  it  was  named,  and  who  lived  there 
about  three  years,  then  moved  away.  Early  settlers  had  to  go  to  Upper 
Sandusky  and  Tiffin  for  their  supplies,  until  the  first  store  in  Mifflin  was 
opened  out,  which  was  in  Brownstown,  kept  by  Daniel  Straw. 

The  first  saw  mill  erected  in  the  township  was  on  Tymochtee  Creek,  in 
Section  28.  There  are  now  four  mills  in  Mifflin — one  in  Kirby  Village, 
owned  by  Jacob  Shuler;  one  in  Section  18,  owned  by  Joseph  Daugherty; 
one  in  Section  15,  owned  by  Mr.  Myers;  and  one  in  Section  21,  owned  by 
Mr.  Haner.  The  first  physician  is  said  to  have  been  Dr.  Cover,  and  the  first 
cabinet-maker  Daniel  Straw. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

C.  P.  BRICHER,  an  enterprising  merchant  of  Kirby,  was  born  October 
22,  1856,  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio.  He  is  the  son  of  Stephen  and  Anna  (Dun- 
nersbough)  Bricher,  both  of  German  nativity  and  descent.  Mr.  Bricher 
came  with  his  parents  to  Wyandot  County  when  but  two  years  of  age,  and 
was  engaged  with  them  in  farm  labor  till  his  nineteenth  year.  He  received 
a  good  English  education,  and  in  the  year  1878,  entered  upon  the  grocery 
business  as  a  clerk  for  Mr.  Carter,  in  Kirby.  This  position  he  retained 
about  eighteen  months,  when  the  establishment  was  turned  over  to  Mr. 
Switzer,  and  Mr.  Bricher  was  placed  in  full  charge  of  the  same.  Here  he 
remained  till  the  year  1880,  when  he  purchased  a  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise, and  opened  up  an  establishment  of  his  own,  where  he  is  still 
engaged.  Mr.  Bricher  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  is  Demo- 
cratic in  his  political  views. 

DANIEL  CLINGER,  born  in  this  county,  January  28,  1839,  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Barbara  dinger,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  parent- 
age. His  parents  located  in  this  county  about  1830,  and  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land,  on  which  they  afterward  resided,  his  father  dying  November 


MIFFLIN  TOWNSHIP.  889 

18,  1880.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Albright  Church.  Daniel  Clinger  was 
reared  on  the  farm.  He  enlisted  for  three  years,  or  during  the  war,  in  the 
Third  Ohio  Cavalry,  in  December,  1861,  and  joined  the  army  of  the  Cum- 
berland, participating  in  the  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Berryville, 
Stone  River,  Chattanooga,  Atlanta,  Resaca,  Mumfordville  and  many  minor 
engagements.  He  served  his  fall  time  and  was  discharged  at  Nashville, 
Tenn.  Returning  home,  he  engaged  in  farming,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years  purchased  fifty  acres  of  land  where  he  now  resides.  Mr.  Clinger  was 
married  July  15,  1860,  to  Miss  Eliza  Young,  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Chris- 
tina Young,  and  born  August  1,  1844.  They  have  three  children:  James 
A.,  born  August  24,  1861;  Ida  J.,  December  28,  1865;  Elliott  E.,  November 
15,  1867.  Mr.  Clinger  is  a  Republican,  and  both  he  and  Mrs.  Clinger  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

HAMILTON  DEAN  was  born  in  this  county,  April  30,  1844.  He  is  a 
son  of  Abraham  and  Nancy  (Simmerson)  Dean,  natives  of  New  Y'ork;  the 
former  born  August  10, 1808;  the  latter  July  20,  1805.  They  were  married 
January  11,  1827,  and  eight  children  were  born  to  them — Mary,  Isaac, 
Sophia,  John,  Martin,  Edward,  Hamilton  and  Eliza.  Clarinda  M.  is 
deceased,  having  passed  away  July  6,  1835.  The  father  came  to  this 
county  in  1836  and  died  October  20,  1873,  leaving  100  acres  of  land  as  an 
estate.  The  mother  is  still  living,  in  her  seventy-eighth  year.  Hamilton 
Dean,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  early  learned 
the  lessons  of  industry.  He  was  married  March  3,  1866,  to  Miss  Ruby 
Vanorsdall,  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Katie  Vanorsdall,  and  three  children 
are  the  fruits  of  their  union — Clemmie  L. ,  born  April  2,  1870;  Perry  L., 
May  30,  1872;  Orra  E.,  June  23,  1878.  Mrs.  D.  was  born  November  21, 
1843.  Mr.  Dean  resided  with  his  father  till  1870,  and  then  purchased  his 
present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  which  he  has  placed  in  excellent  repair.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Union  Church,  and  well  respected  by  the  citi- 
zens of  his  community. 

JAMES  GIBSON  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  March  6,  1805.  He  is 
a  son  of  Robert  and  Rhoda  (Donavan)  Gibson,  natives  of  Delaware  and  New 
Jersey  respectively.  They  were  married  in  the  former  State,  in  1798,  Mrs. 
Gibson  dying  in  1808.  Their  children  were  John,  born  in  1799,  James 
and  a  daughter  who  died  at  one  year  of  age.  Mr.  Gibson  subsequently 
married  Mrs.  Amelia  Reed,  widow  of  Meyer  Reed,  and  the  following  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them:  Joseph,  David,  Benjamin,  William,  Eliza  and 
Robert.  In  April,  1821,  Mr.  Gibson  came  from  Fairfield  County,  and 
entered  160  acres  in  Tymochtee  Township,  where  he  died  in  1861.  James 
Gibson,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  returned  to  Fairfield  County,  where  he 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he  engaged  in  many  years  in  this 
State  and  Michigan.  He  was  married  March  31,  1838,  to  Mary  Ann, 
daughter  of  John  Beam,  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  a  miller  by  trade. 
Their  children  are  Joel  W.,  born   December   15,  1842;  Delilah,  November 

19,  1844;  Emma  December  5,  1846:  Cornelius,  December  22,  1848;  Julia, 
December,  1850.  The  deceased  were  Eliza,  born  February  11,  1839,  died 
1839;  Louisa,  born  December  16,  1852,  died  1856.  Mrs.  Gibson's  demise 
occurred  in  December,  1853,  and  Mr.  Gibson  was  married  in  1858,  to 
Mrs.  J\achel  Corderey,  widow  of  Andrew  Corderey,  and  daughter  of  Mr. 
Carpenter,  of  Marion  Coiinty.  She  died  in  1872.  Mr.  Gibson  resides  on 
his  farm  of  132  acres,  eighty  of  which  were  entered  before  the  land  sales  of 
1845.  He  also  owns  forty  acres  near  by.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  member 
of  the  Universalist  Church. 


890  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

JOHN  HANER  was  born  near  Albany,  N.  Y.,  August  27,  1822,  and  is 
the  son  of  Henry  H.  and  Sarah  (Strope)  Haner.  His  parents  came  to  this 
county  in  March,  1838,  and  purchased  111  acres  in  the  township,  where 
they  resided  until  1863,  when  they  emigrated  to  Kansas,  where  his  father 
died  in  1879.  John  Haner,  our  subject,  came  to  this  locality  when  quite 
young.  In  1858,  he  bought  eighty-two  acres  of  school  laud,  which  he  has 
cleared  and  transformed  into  a  pleasant  home.  He  was  married  November 
9,  1847,  to  Miss  Lovina  A.  Vanorsdall.  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Kate  Van- 
orsdall,  and  three  children  were  born  to  them — Darwin  G.,  September  1, 
1848;  Cynthia  A.,  September  23,  1850;  and  Henry  A.,  October  26,  1852. 
Mrs.  Haner  departed  this  life  October  30,  1852;  and  Mr.  Haner  was  mar- 
ried in  1863,  to  Miss  Sophia  Dean,  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Nancy  Dean, 
six  children  resulting  from  this  marriage — Dorleska  J.,  born  September  16, 
1864;  Alfred  B.,  February  28,  1866;  Ella  M.,  May  1,  1866;  John,  January  26, 
1870;  George  E.,  July  16,  1872;  and  Mary  E.,  December  26,  1876.  'Mr. 
Haner  still  resides  on  his  first  purchase,  having  lived  in  the  same  place 
about  thirty-three  years. 

J.  E.  HEALY  was  born  November  21,  1830,  in  Stark  County,  Ohio. 
He  is  the  son  of  Horace  and  Elizabeth  (Brumel)  Healy— the  former  born 
February  24,  1808 — natives  of  Vermont  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and 
of  Scotch  and  German  lineage.  Ten  children  were  born  to  them,  three 
brothers  and  three  sisters  still  surviving,  namely:  John  E. ,  Stephen  and 
William;  Catherine,  Philinda  and  Elizabeth.  While  a  youth,  when  not  in 
school,  Mr.  Healy  was  engaged  in  blacksmithing  and  farming  till  his  mar- 
riage on  June  5,  1855,  to  Miss  Minerva  Hazen,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Mar- 
garet (Crottinger)  Hazen.  She  was  born  May  26,  1836,  and  is  the  mother 
of  five  children,  four  living — Isaac  N. ,  boi'n  September  29,  1856;  Stephen 
E.,  December  7,  1857;  Alice,  February  28,  1859;  and  William,  March  27, 
1861.  After  his  marriage  our  subject  engaged  in  blacksmithing,  carpentry, 
clerking  and  general  labor  until  1864.  September  26,  he  enlisted  in  the 
service  of  his  country,  joining  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Eightieth 
Kegiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry ;  he  was  mustered  in  at  Camp  Chase, 
and  started  immediately  for  Nashville.  He  was  assigned  to  the  Twenty- 
third  Army  Corps  and  took  part  in  the  three  days'  battle  at  Wiges  Cross 
Roads,  this  being  his  lirst  engagement.  Besides  this  he  was  engaged  in  a 
few  skirmishes  with  Bragg,  Lee  and  Johnson  till  the  surrender  of  the  latter 
General.  He  was  then  sent  to  Charlotte,  N.  C,  where  he  received  his  dis- 
charge, and  afterward  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  he  was  mustered  out  in 
September,  1865.  He  then  returned  home,  where  he  still  resides,  and  is 
reckoned  among  the  pioneers  of  the  county.  He  has  a  vivid  recollection 
of  the  Indian,  and  is  familiar  with  his  treacherous  character.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Healy  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  highly 
esteemed  as  a  citizen. 

RUSSELL  B.  HENDRICKSON  was  born  in  this  county  July  8,  1834. 
and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  B.  and  Mary  (Martin)  Hendrickson.  His  father 
was  born  in  Delaware  August  12,  1794;  and  was  married  in  Cumbei'land  in 
1812,  to  Mary  Martin,  daughter  of  Robert  Martin,  a  minister  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  Their  children  were — Maria,  John  W.,  Henrietta, 
Sophia,  Lennox,  Elizabeth  and  Michael  C. — all  living  but  Lennox,  who 
died  in  1834.  In  1838,  the  father  moved  to  Marseilles  Township,  where  he 
purchased  160  acres,  and  where  he  died  August  14,  1875.  The  mother  died 
May  6,  1860.  Russell  B.,  our  subject,  was  educated  in  the  old  "Tranquil- 
ly" Schoolhouse,  now  called  Pleasant  Grove.      He  was  married  October  31, 


MIFFLIN  TOWNSHIP.  891 

1866,  to  Theresa  Ann,  daughter  of  James  B.  and  Hannah  (Corwin)  Cook. 
Their  children  are  Lilly  May,  born  September  25,  1868;  and  Julia  May, 
March  17,  1872.  Mr.  Hendrickson  owns  160  acres  of  good  land  and  is  a 
thorough  farmer.  He  is  quite  a  sportsman,  and  makes  an  annual  trip  to 
the  deer  haunts  of  Michigan.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  as  is  also  his  eldest  daughter.  Mrs.  Gibson, 
after  an  illness  of  many  years,  passed  away  January  20,  1884. 

JACOB  HOLLANSHEAD  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Va. ,  January 
7,  1815,  son  of  Thomas  and  Iva  (Deal)  Hollanshead,  the  former  of  whom 
died  the  same  year.  The  latter  remarried  in  1819  to  William  Stayner  of 
Pickaway  County,  their  children  being  Maria,  Thomas  and  Susanna  B.,  wife 
of  David  Bower.  Mr.  Hollanshead  came  with  his  stepfather  to  Marion 
County  in  1824,  and  resided  there  till  1846.  He  was  married  to  Jane  Con- 
rad, daughter  of  Jacob  and  Eve  (Van  Devauder)  Conrad,  January  4.  1838. 
She  was  born  May  23,  1817,  after  the  death  of  her  father.  This  union  was 
blessed  by  eleven  children:  Mary  Ann,  born  March  10,  1839;  Maria,  De- 
cember 13,  1840;  William  H.,  November  3, 1842;  Jacob  S.,  March  5,  1847; 
Orrin  F.,  February  24,  1849;  Milton  M.,  August  3,  1853;  Matilda  J., 
October  14,  1855;  Julia  V.,  July  5,  1858;  Emma,  September  10,  1861. 
The  deceased  are  Thomas,  born  April  2,  1845,  and  missing  after  the  battle 
of  Stone  River  in  1862-63;  and  Elizabeth,  born  March  6,  1857,  died  March 
31,  1865.  In  the  spring  of  1846.  Mr.  Hollanshead  came  to  this  county  and 
located  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  his  log  cabin  giving  place  in 
1857  to  his  present  comfortable  frame  dwelling.  His  first  land  purchase 
was  made  at  the  Government  land  sales  in  1845,  and  to  this  he  has  added, 
by  subsequent  purchases,  till  he  now  owns  360  acres  valued  at  $75  per  acre. 
He  is  quite  extensively  engaged  in  stock-raising,  his  annual  product  usually 
amounting  from  $1,500  to  $2,000.  Mr.  Hollanshead  served  as  County  Com- 
missioner three  years  and  in  the  minor  offices  of  Trustee,  Treasurer,  Justice, 
etc.,  many  years.  He  is  a  thorough  and  life- long  Democrat,  and  has  been 
officially  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  thirty -five  years. 

MILTON  M.  HOLLANSHEAD,  son  of  the  above,  was  reared  in  the  rural 
districts,  educated  in  the  district  schools,  supplementing  this  by  several  terms 
in  the  Normal  School  at  Ada,  Ohio.  He  has  since  engaged,  to  a  considera- 
ble extent,  in  teaching,  and  at  present  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Exam- 
iners of  this  county.  In  connection  with  his  pedagogic  labors  Mr. 
Hollanshead  is  largely  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising, 
making  a  specialty  of  fine  sheep,  having  one  of  the  best  flocks  in  the  State. 
He  was  married  September  13,  1882,  to  Miss  Annie  L.,  daughter  of  John 
R.  and  Hannah  (Bennett)  Layton,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  September 
11,  1862.  He  and  Mrs.  H.  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  the  former  a  Democrat,  rocked  in  a  hickory  cradle. 

ANDREW  J.  KAIL  was  born  in  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  January  28, 
1821.  His  parents,  Adam  and  Anna  (Capper)  Kail,  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  of  German  and  Irish  lineage.  They  located  in  Harrison  County 
in  an  early  day  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  on  which  they  resided 
nineteen  years.  He  then  moved  to  Carroll  County  and  purchased  160  acres, 
where  the  father  died  in  October,  1852,  Andrew  J.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  brought  up  on  a  farm  and  early  inured  to  the  hardships  per- 
taining thereto.  In  1853,  he  bought  160  acres  in  this  county,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  He  subsequently  added  to  his  possessions  and  owned  at  his 
death  240  acres  in  excellent  condition,  valued  at  $80  per  acre.  He  was  married 
December  20,  1849,  to   Julia  V.  Lindsay,  daughter   of   Samuel   and  Mary 


892  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Lindsay,  and  three  children  were  born  to  them — Samuel  P.,  January  30, 
1853;  William,  December  13,  1854;  Anna  E.,  November  24,  1856.  Mrs. 
Kail's  death  occurred  November  30,  1856,  and  Mr.  Kail  was  married  May  1, 
1860,  to  Miss  Sarah  McHugh,  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  (Culberson) 
McHugh.  She  was  born  October  9,  1828.  Three  of  their  six  children  are 
living — Julia  V.,  born  November  7,  1861;  Scott,  September  3,  1865;  Frank 
I.,  October  5,  1870.  Andrew  J.,  James  A.  and  John  C.  are  deceased.  Mr. 
Kail  died  suddenly  while  in  Upper  Sandusky  March  12,  1884.  The  Wyan- 
dot Union,  in  noticing  his  death,  says:  "Mr.  Kail  was  one  of  our  most 
substantial  and  influential  farmers,  owning  and  occupying  one  of  the  finest 
farms  in  Mifflin  Township.  He  was  a  man  of  many  excellent  qualities,  en- 
joying the  high  esteem  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  him,  and  his  many 
friends  will  learn  of  his  unexpected  death  with  much  sorrow  and  regret. 
He  was  admired  and  respected  by  every  one  for  his  kind  and  cheerful  dispo- 
sition, integrity  and  honor.  He  started  in  life  with  a  limited  capital,  but 
by  his  excellent  business  qualities,  devotion  to  his  affairs  and  great  indus- 
try, he  prospered  in  everything  he  undertook  and  amassed  a  handsome 
estate.  He  was  one  of  the  representative  Democrats  of  Wyandot  County, 
and  always  took  an  active  part  in  politics  when  any  important  office  was  to 
be  tilled,  and  in  other  matters  of  importance  he  was  generally  consulted  by 
his  neighbors  and  those  directly  interested."  For  many  years  he  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  was  always  active  in  the 
promotion  of  its  interests  and  welfare,  and  few  men  were  more  liberal  in 
aiding  religious  and  benevolent  enterprises  than  he. 

SAMUEL  P.  KAIL,  son  of  the  above-named  gentleman,  was  born  Jan- 
uary 30,  1853.  He  is  a  native  of  Carroll  County,  and  came  to  this  locality 
when  but  one  year  old.  He  obtained  a  fair  education  in  the  district  schools 
and  subsequently  attended  the  Normal  School  at  Ada,  Ohio,  five  terms. 
This  culture  he  has  turned  to  advantage  by  teaching,  having  taught  seven 
terms.  He  was  married  October  21,  1879,  to  Miss  Matilda  J.  Hollanshead, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Jane  (Conrad)  Hollanshead,  and  two  children  have 
been  born  to  them — Clarence  C,  born  November  24,  1880,  and  Ira  J.,  Au- 
gust 6,  1882.  Mrs.  Kail  was  born  October  14,  1855.  In  1879,  Mr.  Kail 
purchased  seventy-nine  acres  of  land  in  this  township,  where  he  now  re- 
sides, farming  during  the  summer  and  teaching  during  the  winter  seasons. 
Since  the  death  of  his  father  he  has  taken  charge  of  the  old  farm  and  of 
settling  his  estate. 

HARMON  R.  LESLIE  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  March  27, 
1848.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Esther  (Smith)  Leslie,  natives  of  Ohio  and 
Pennsylvania,  and  of  Scotch  and  German  ancestry  respectively,  the  father 
born  May  15,  1808,  the  mother  December  13,  1813.  The  dates  of  their  re- 
spective deaths  are  September  21,  1851,  and  September  2,  1861.  Six  of 
their  seven  children  are  living — Louisa,  James  S.,  John  J.,  Martha,  Samuel 
D.  and  Harmon  R.  The  latter,  who  is  the  subject  here  considered,  was 
brought  up  on  the  farm,  and  obtained  a  good  education  in  the  district  schools 
and  the  high  schools  at  La  Rue  and  other  points.  He  engaged  in  teaching 
eight  years;  kept  a  drxig  store  two  years,  and  afterward  studied  medicine 
under  Dr.  Hardy  and  attended  one  course  of  lectures  at  the  Cleveland  Med- 
ical College.  He  was  married  August  4,  1880,  to  Miss  Sarah  Lindsey, 
daughter  of  James  and  Elon  (Stiverson)  Lindsey,  natives  of  Ohio,  and  of 
Scotch  and  German  parentage  respectively,  the  former  born  November  23, 
1814,  the  latter  July  29,  1814.  The  dates  of  their  respective  deaths  are 
February  19,  1881,  and  November  1,  1882.     Mrs.  Leslie  was  born  Decern- 


MIFFLIN  TOWNSHIP.  893 

ber  8,  1849.  She  also  attended  medical  lectures  with  her  husband,  in  view 
of  graduating  in  the  profession.  They  have  one  child,  James  W.,  born  Octo- 
ber 24,  1882.  They  are  jointly  the  owners  of  160  acres  of  land,  which  they 
inherited  from  Mr.  Lindsay  and  eighty  acres  by  purchase.  Of  the  Lindsey 
family  four  are  living — Robert,  Ann  M.,  Sarah  and  Mary.  The  deceased 
are:  John,  killed  in  battle  at  Moulton,  Ala.,  May  29,  1864;  David,  killed  at 
Monocacy,  July  10,  1864,  and  James,  who  died  at  home  June  16,  1858. 

HUGH  MASON,  a  native  of  Frederick  County,  Va.,  was  born  Septem- 
ber 11,  1833.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Virginia  and  of  German  and 
Scotch  lineage,  his  father,  William,  born  October  8,  1799;  his  mother, 
Mary  M.  (Cameron)  November  5,  1 799.  They  came  to  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
in  1884  and  resided  there  till  the  death  of  the  father,  February  11.  1841. 
The  mother  died  December  16,  1878.  Hugh,  the  second  son  of  the  above 
parents,  was  left  an  orphan  at  eight  years  of  age  and  was  compelled  to 
labor  diligently  for  many  years  to  aid  in  supporting  himself  and  mother. 
He  was  married  December  31,  1857,  to  Miss  Jane  E.  McLain,  daughter  of 
Abraham  and  Mary  (Nefif )  McLain,  born  August  25,  1835.  They  have  no 
children.  In  1864,  Mr.  Mason  enlisted  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and 
Forty- fourth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  joined  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac.  On  account  of  physical  disability  he  was  not  placed  in  act- 
ive service,  and  on  leaving  the  hospital  at  Washington  was  discharged. 
In  1874,  he  moved  upon  his  farm  of  forty-four  acres  in  this  county,  having 
purchased  the  land  in  1872.  This  farm  he  has  placed  in  good  condition, 
having  earned  all  that  it  now  contains  or  promises  by  hard,  honest  toil. 

JOHN  W.  McCLEARY  is  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  Penn.,  born 
February  2,  1840.  His  father,  Mathew,  was  born  March  8,  1812,  and  died 
in  February,  1879.  His  mother,  Susanna,  was  born  June  13,  1816,  and 
still  survives.  Seven  of  the  nine  children  are  yet  living — John  W. ,  Mar- 
tha J.,  wife  of  Charles  Hunter;  Sarah,  wife  of  Morris  Owens;  Leah,  wife 
of  George  Hawkins;  Isaiah,  Joshua,  Jemima,  wife  of  Daniel  Fox.  The 
parents  came  to  this  county  in  1847,  and  purchased  200  acres  of  land  on 
which  they  resided  till  Mr.  McCleary's  death.  John  W.,  our  subject,  was 
brought  up  on  the  farm  above  mentioned.  In  1865,  he  purchased  100  acres, 
to  which  he  has  since  added  forty  acres,  all  in  good  condition  as  to  soil, 
buildings,  etc.  He  married  July  18,  1861,  Miss  Anna  D.  Englehart,  of 
Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Christina  Englehart,  born  April 
4,  1843.  Their  six  children  are  Eliza  J.,  born  April  19,  1862;  Silas  W., 
August  9,  1863;  Amanda  E.,  October  22,  1867;  Sylvia  J.,  December  9, 
1869;  Herschel  V.,  December  22,  1871;  Marietta  C,  July  1,  1874.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  McCleary  are  members  of  ihe  Christian  Union  Church,  and  also 
of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry. 

ASA  QUAIL  was  born  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  January  27,  1838, 
is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Barbara  (Pepple)  Quail.  He  was  reared  to  farm  la- 
bor, and  after  obtaining  his  majority  worked  by  the  month  and  rented  land 
until  he  had  acquired  a  sufficient  sum  to  purchase  forty  acres  of  land,  to 
which  he  has  since  added  forty  acres  more.  He  was  married  May  28,  1863, 
to  Miss  Mary  R.  McLain,  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Mary  (Nefif)  McLain. 
She  was  born  May  14,  1843.  Their  six  children  are  all  living — Sylvia  J., 
was  born  April  19,  1865;  Martha  E.,  June  4, 1871;  Mary  A.,  June  11,  1873; 
George  A.,  April  29,  1876;  Iva  B.,  September  3,  1878;  Asa  A.,  May  1, 
1882,  Ml-.  Quail  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  God,  and  a  Republican 
politically.  He  has  a  comfortable  home,  most  of  which  he  has  earned  by 
the  "  honest  sweat  of  his  brow.'' 


894  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

JOHN  QUAIL  is  a  native  of  Marseilles  Township,  son  of  Henry  and 
Barbara  (Pepple)  Quail,  born  May  4,  1S40.  He  grew  up  on  the  farm  in 
this  county,  and  is  familiar  with  the  various  steps  of  its  progress.  In  1866, 
he  purchased  eighty  five  acres  of  land,  and  by  subsequent  purchases  has 
increased  this  immber  to  125.  His  land  is  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation 
and  provided  with  comfortable  buildings.       Sir.   Quail  was   married  March 

8,  1865,  to  Miss  Mary  Reubins,  and  one  child  was  born  to  them — Frank  E., 
born  August  29,  1867.  Mrs.  Quail  departed  this  life  March  15,  1868,  and 
Mr.  Q.  was  again  married  November  4,  1869,  to  Miss  Ida  Kiser,  daughter 
of  Wesley  and  Malinda  (Reid)  Kiser,  five  children  blessing  this  union — 
George  H,  born  March  2,  1871;  Guy  P.,  November  11,  1872;  Virgil  K., 
February  19,  1875;  Rollo  V.,  August  30,  1881;  Victor  Q.,  November  13, 
1883.  Mr.  Quail  obtained  such  an  education  as  the  ordinary  district 
schools  aiforded.  He  has  ever  been  a  hard  laborer  and  commanded  the  es- 
teem of  his  community. 

MARQUIS  L.  ROWLAND,  son  of  John  and  Catharine  (Ady)  Rowland, 
was  born  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  March  10,  1844.  His  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  born  May  4,  1804;  his  mother,  of    Ohio,  born  August 

9,  1817.  They  were  of  German  and  Irish  descent,  aud  came  to  this  county 
in  1855,  purchasing  100  acres  of  land  in  Mifflin  Township.  He  died  April 
13,  1857.  in  his  fifty-third  year,  a  member  of  the  Disciple  Church.  Mar- 
quis L.,  our  subject,  grew  up  on  the  farm  of  his  father.  At  thirteen,  he 
was  left  an  orphan,  and  thereafter  labored  hard  to  help  support  his  wid- 
owed mother  (who  now  resides  with  him),  and  obtain  an  education.  He  has 
taught  several  terms  of  school,  was  elected  Township  Clerk  in  1871,  serving 
one  term,  and  April,  1874,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  in  which  office  he  is  now 
•serving  his  fourth  terra.  Mr.  Rowland  was  married  November  29,  1866,  to 
Miss  Atty  A.  Ludwig,  daughter  of  Gabriel  and  Eliza  A.  (Johnson)  Ludwig, 
and  six  children  have  resulted— Francis  L.,  born  January  9,  1868;  Willis 
P.,  born  September  7,  1869;  Dora  A.,  July  4,  1871;  Allen  T.,  May  25, 
1873;  Ira  T.,  April  30,  1875;  Curtis  M.,  June  11,  1879.  Mrs.  Rowland 
was  born  October  12,  1845.  Mr.  Rowland  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M,, 
owns  120  acres  of  land  and  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen. 

GEORGE  RIESER  is  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany,  born  May  1 1,  1824, 
and  son  of  George  and  Raekina  Rieser,  also  natives  of  Germany.  He  came 
to  this  county  with  his  parents  in  1846,  and  established  a  brick-kiln  in  Up- 
per Sandusky,  where  he  resided  about  six  years,  when  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land  in  Mifflin  Township,  where  he  still  follows  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer.  His  farm  was  once  timber  land  and  has  been  hewn  into  a  valuable 
home  by  the  greatest  industry  and  perseverance.  Mr.  Rieser  was  married, 
October,  1847,  to  Elizabeth  Fehter,  who  was  born  in  Switzerland,  Decem- 
ber, 1828.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  one  child — William  H.,  born 
September  10,  1848.  Mr.  Rieser  was  a  soldier  of  the  standing  ai'my,  in 
Germany,  and  has  passed  a  life  of  many  vicissitudes,  but  finds  himself  in 
good  circumstances  in  his  declining  years. 

WILLIAM  F.  SMITH  was  born  in  Bedford  County,  Penn.,  January  18, 
1833.  He  is  a  son  of  Adam  and  Elizabeth  (Wehen)  Smith,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  of  German  parentage.  There  were  eight  children  in  the 
family,  four  living — Henrietta,  wife  of  Ferdinand  Switzer;  Lienor,  wife  of 
Jacob  Switzer;  William  F.  and  Sophia,  wife  of  William  Rieber.  The 
deceased  are  Margaret,  Caroline,  George  A.  and  Reuben,  who  enlisted  in 
the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Winchester.     After  enofaofino:  in  brick-making  a 


MIFFLIN  TOWNSHIP.  895 

number  of  years  in  various  localities,  the  father  came  to  this  county  in 
1851,  and  purchased  120  acres  of  land,  where  he  died  a  few  years  later.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  good  standing.  Will- 
iam F.,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and,  after  his 
father's  death,  aided  in  supporting  the  family.  He  was  married,  Decem- 
ber 26,  1854,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Stevens,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  Ste- 
vens, and  the  following  are  the  names  of  the  children  born  to  them:  Josiah 
J.,  October  20,  1855;  George  W.,  Sept.  7,  1857;  John  A.,  April  2,  1859; 
Keuben  E.,  December  28,  1860;  William  V.,  March  20,  1863;  Elenor  M., 
May  26,  1868.  Mr.  Smith  purchased  and  inherited  120  acres,  on  which  he 
resided  fourteen  years.  He  then  removed  to  Bucyrus  to  burn  brick  for  the 
new  Union  School  building,  at  that  place  sold  his  farm,  purchasing  one  of 
480  acres  (the  Renick  farm),  which  he  afterward  disposed  of  in  small  lots, 
and  purchased  his  present  property.  Besides  159  acres  in  this  township, 
he  also  owns  forty  acres  in  Marseilles  Township,  and  is  ranked  among  the 
best  farmers  of  the  county. 

OERIN  F.  STRAW  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  July 
29,  1846.  He  is  a  son  of  Joel  and  Mary  (Swayze)  Straw,  the  former  born 
near  Waterbury,  Vt.,  August  11,  1811;  the  latter  in  Sussex  County,  N.  J., 
December  5,  1808.  They  were  married  in  this  county,  August  11,  1836, 
their  children  being  Rachel,  born  May  29,  1839;  Orrin  F.,  July  29,  1846; 
Amanda,  November  15,  1849;  Angenette,  September  7,  1852,  and  four  others 
deceased.  The  father  died  January  28,  1867,  aged  tifty-six;  the  mother  is 
still  living  at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy-five  years.  Our  subject  was  mar- 
ried April  9,  1873,  to  Miss  Maria  M.,  daughter  of  Barnett  and  Catharine 
(Woodcock)  Hughes,  and  a  native  of  this  county,  born  March  27,  1849. 
Their  children  are  George  W.,  born  April  5,  1874;  Iva  E.,  October  27, 
1878;  Anna  B. ,  July  25,  1881;  and  William  S.,  who  was  born  July  19, 
1876,  and  died  May  11,  1880.  Mr.  Straw  owns  307  acres  of  good  land,  and 
is  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  the  township.  He  is  a  Republican  and 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  formerly  a  Treasurer  of  the 
township. 

GEORGE  THIEL  was  born  in  Luxemburg,  Germany,  Nov.  11,  1828. 
He  is  a  son  of  Lawrence  and  Catharine  (Wynande)  Thiel,  who  were  the 
parents  of  eighteen  children.  Our  subject  was  married  to  Susanna  Bricher 
in  Echternach,  August  11,  1849.  In  1854,  he  emigrated  to  America,  being 
114  days  at  sea  with  half  rations  for  many  days,  and  three  days  with  noth- 
ing to  eat  or  drink.  His  wife  and  two  children  crossed  the  water  in  the 
fall  of  the  same  year,  suffering  shipwreck,  from  the  effects  of  which  the 
children  both  died.  Mr.  Thiel  located  first  in  Seneea  County,  but  six  years 
later  purchased  land  in  this  county,  now  owning  258  acres.  His  children 
by  his  first  wife  are  Ferdinand,  born  November  1,  1858;  Stephen,  March 
22,  1861;  Henry  A.,  November  16,  1863.  Mrs.  Thiel  died  August  1,  1865, 
and  Mr.  Thiel  was  married,  November  24,  1865,  to  Anna  Bantz,  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  A.  (Lusch)  Bantz.  The  children  by  this  marriage  are  George 
S.,  born  August  28,  1866;  Edward,  March  11,  1870;  Catharine,  November 
25,  1871;  Mary,  May  28,  1873;  Paul,  July  18,  1875;  John,  March  3,  1878: 
Susanna,  January  30,  1880;  Peter,  April  11,  1883.  Mr.  Thiel  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

JONATHAN  O.  VANORSDALL  wasbornin  Cuba,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y., 
January  13,  1836.  He  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Katie  Vanorsdall,  was  reared 
on  a  farm,  and  educated  in  the  district  schools.  He  came  to  this  county 
with  his  parents  in  1846,  and  on  February  24,  1860,  was   married  to  Mar- 


896  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

garet  Simmerson,  daughter  of  Walter  and  Mary  (Snyder)  Simmerson. 
They  had  six  children,  three  now  living— Ida  M.,  born  May  14,  1864  ; 
Charley  O.,  December  10,  1866;  Clara  B.,  September  26, 1869.  Mrs.  Van- 
orsdall  was  born  September  26,  1833.  Being  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  Mr. 
Vanorsdall  followed  this  occupation  till  1870,  when  he  moved  upon  his 
farm,  since  engaging  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  and  his  wife  are  both 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  highly  esteemed  by  the 
citizens  of  their  community. 

W.  W.  WHALE Y  was  born  in  this  county  April  15,  1862.  He  is  a  son 
of  Wilford  and  Juliette  (Parlett)  Whaley,  his  father  having  been  born 
August  25,  1822,  and  died  June  11,  1883.  Before  his  death  he  had  ac- 
quired by  hard  labor  and  good  management  145  acres  of  well-improved 
land,  with  all  the  comforts  of  a  pleasant  home.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  as  is  also  his  widow,  who  still  survives  in  her 
fiftieth  year.  W.  W.  Whaley  was  an  only  son.  He  resided  with  his  father 
till  the  death  of  the  latter,  at  which  time  he  inherited  100  acres  of  the 
homestead,  where  he  still  resides  with  his  mother  and  aged  grandmother, 
who  was  born  February  15,  1800.  His  farm  is  in  a  good  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, and  well  provided  with  all  the  buildings  necessary  to  comfort  and  con- 
venience. Mr.  Whaley  is  counted  among  the  best  farmers  of  his  com- 
munity, and  is  well  respected  as  a  citizen. 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  897 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
PITT  TOWNSHIP. 

Its  Location  and  Relation  Prior  to  the  Organization  of  the  County 
—Primitive  Settlers  and  their  Improvements— First  Road— Vil- 
lages OF  Little  Sandusky  and  Foavler— Their  Churches  and  Schools 
—The  Township  as  Compared  with  1845— Its  List  of  Real  and  Per- 
sonal Estate  Owners— Biographical  Sketches. 

THE  portion  of  Wyandot  County  designated  by  the  above  title  was 
formed  at  the  organization  of  the  county  in  1845.  It  is  composed  of 
twelve  sections  which  formerly  belonged  to  Salt  Rock  Township,  Marion 
County,  and  the  remainder  from  the  reservation.  It  is  one  of  the  southern 
townships  of  the  county,  being  bounded  on  the  south  by  Marion  County, 
on  the  west  by  Marseilles  and  Mifflin  Townships,  on  the  north  by  Crane 
Township,  and  on  the  east  by  Antrim  Township.* 

Pitt  is  one  of  the  most  fertile  townships  of  the  county,  a  large  portion 
of  its  area  being  made  up  of  prairie  land.  The  Sandusky  River  enters 
near  the  northeast  corner  of  Section  25,  and  flows  in  a  tortuous,  general 
northwest  direction,  leaving  the  township  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Section 
15,  while  the  Little  Sandusky  Creek  enters  near  the  center  of  the  township 
on  the  south,  and  flows  north,  being  joined  by  Honey  Run  from  the  east 
near  the  southern  line  of  Section  35,  and  uniting  with  "Big"  Sandusky 
near  the  center  of  Section  26.  These  streams  water  the  eastern  half  of  the 
township,  which  is  also  favored  by  several  flowing  springs.  The  western 
portion  of  the  township  is  drained  by  several  small  streams  which  take  their 
rise  in  that  region  and  flow  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  carrying  the  sur- 
plus water  from  the  fertile  fields  which  are  so  generally  provided  with  the 
"blind"  tile  ditches,  and  affording  an  ample  supply  of  water  to  the  large 
herds  of  stock  which  may  not  be  provided  with  pools  and  springs.  The 
territory  is  well  adapted  to  general  agriculture  and  stock-raising,  and  is  the 
seat  of  operations  for  some  of  the  most  prominent  dealers  in  this  section  of 
the  State,  chief  among  them  being  David  Harpster,  C.  R.  Fowler  and  Lewis 
Straw. 

primitive  settlers. 

At  this  period  it  is  difiicult  to  state  positively  who  the  first  settler  of 
Pitt  Township  was,  as,  like  the  Irishman's  rattlesnake,  "  where  there's  one 
there's  two  ;  "  so  it  usually  transpires,  at  least  in  the  settlement  of  a  terri- 
tory so  large  as  that  which  is  usually  comprised  in  the  limits  of  a  township. 
John  Wilson,  a  native  of  York  State,  is  reputed  to  have  located  here  in 
1820,  the  first  white  man  to  call  the  locality  his  home,  though  it  is  well- 
known  that  one  Walter  Woolsey  came  here  in  the  same  spring.  The  former 
was  a  married  man  with  the  brilliant  advantage  of  eight  children;  the  lat- 
ter was  a  bachelor,  also  a  native  of  York  State.  He  built  a  little  log  cabin 
in  Little  Sandusky  in  1820,  and  in  his  maturer  years  was  finally  persuaded 

*  The  township  derived  its  name  from  one  Pitt,  who  resided  here  at  the  time  of  its  organization,  and 
who  moved  here  from  New  Jersey  in  1822. 


898  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

to  "turn  from  the  error  of  his  way."  He  married.  It  is  also  stated  that 
Ebenezer  RosebeiTj,  a  somewhat  noted  hunter  and  frontier  sportsman, 
located  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township  as  early  as  1818,  though  it  is 
not  qviite  certain  that  any  white  man  ventured  to  raise  his  cabin  in  that 
locality  as  early  as  that  date.  For  1820,  we  find  the  names  of  Ora  BelUs, 
William  and  Samuel  Morral  and  Nehemiah  Staley  ;  and  in  1821  there  ap- 
peared re- enforcements  in  the  persons  of  Jacob  Snyder,  David  H.  Bargley, 
George  Johns  and  Peter  Bowsher.  Anthony  Bowsher  was  also  one  of  the 
first  settlers.  He  was  born  in  Union  County,  Penn.,  in  1800,  and  grew  up, 
so  to  speak,  on  the  frontier,  the  family  moving  from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio 
in  au  early  day,  and  settling  near  Circlevilie,  Pickaway  County.  Anthony 
was  married  in  the  fall  of  1818,  and  in  the  spring  of  1819  settled  in  this 
township,  built  a  small  cabin  on  "Garbland,"  and  with  one  Staley,  his 
father-in-law,  began  improving  eighty  acres  of  land,  which  was  surveyed 
during  that  year.  About  1828,  Maj.  Bowsher,  as  he  was  latterly  called, 
erected  a  building  at  Bowsherville,  and  began  keeping  a  hotel  and  store, 
which  occupations  he  continued  there  for  forty  years.  He  had  a  race  track, 
and  for  many  years  Bowsherville  was  a  favorite  rendezvous  for  equine 
sportsmen  of  this  and  adjoining  counties.  Maj.  Bowsher  is  still  living, 
and  but  a  few  months  ago  went  from  Upper  Sandusky  to  Kansas  to  reside 
with  his  son.  Others  said  to  have  located  in  the  township  in  the  years 
1821,  1822  and  1823,  are  Alexander  Frazier,  Cornelius  Wilson,  Michael 
Harmon  and  Jacob  Brewer. 

In  the  spring  of  1820,  John  Wilson  built  a  log  cabin  eighteen  feet 
square  in  Little  Sandusky,  and  this,  we  are  informed  by  good  authority, 
was  the  first  clapboard  canopy  that  was  erected  in  this  township  by  the  de- 
fenseless hands  of  the  pale-faced  inhabitants.  The  first  schools  were  held 
in  a  log  cabin  on  Section  10,  the  house  having  been  occupied  formerly  by 
Anthony  Bowsher  for  a  dwelling.  William  Brown,  from  New  Jersey,  was 
the  first  teacher  who  taught  "the  young  idea  how  to  shoot"  amid  these 
humble  surroundings.  In  1824,  the  first  school  building  of  the  township 
was  erected  by  Michael  Harmon  and  his  neighbors  on  Mr.  Harmon's  land, 
the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  11,  and  here  Mr.  Brown  instructed  the 
youth  at  intervals  for  seven  or  eight  years.  Other  early  teachers  were  Will- 
iam Howe  and  Mary  Howe.  In  the  sixty  years  that  have  followed,  the 
progress  has  been  such  that  seven  well-established  schools  have  been  founded, 
the  buildings  being  erected  on  the  respective  Sections  11,  15,  23,  27,  31, 
33  and  35. 

The  first  thoroughfare  laid  out  in  this  township  was  established  prior  to 
1821,  and  was  known  as  the  Columbus  &  Sandusky  road.  It  extended 
through  Sections  1,  35,  26,  27,  22,  15  and  16,  and  it  was  by  this  route  by 
which  the  first  settlers  reached  the  Indian  Mill  above  Upper  Sandusky  and 
the  town  of  Delaware,  where  they  were  accustomed  to  go  for  supplies. 
They  also  went  to  the  town  of  Fremont  to  obtain  supplies  and  get  their 
"  milling  "  done.  In  1839,  the  first  saw  mill  run  by  water-power  was  con- 
structed on  Section  35  by  Thomas  Holmes,  and  in  1844  this  same  enterpris- 
ing gentleman  built  a  grist  mill,  run  also  by  water-power,  on  the  Sandusky 
River  in  Section  26.  The  only  mill  of  the  kind  in  this  township  is  now 
located  at  Fowler,  and  is  owned  by  David  Harpster.  Ora  Bellis  established 
the  first  store  in  Pitt  in  Little  Sandusky  as  early  as  1820.  He  died,  as  may 
have  been  expected,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  having  the  honor  of  estab- 
lishing the  precedent  for  such  transactions  in  this  township.  In  1844,  the 
United  Brethren  denomination  erected  at  Little  Sandusky  the  first  church 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  899 

building  in  the  township,  which  now  claims  four  of  these  places  of  worship, 
two  in  Little  Sandusky,  one  at  Fowler,  and  one  on  Section  12.  The  latter 
is  owned  by  the  German  Reformed  society;  the  others  by  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal denomination.*  The  first  election  held  in  the  township  was  at  Little 
Sandusky,  the  officers  elected  being  one  Justice,  Gideon  Messenger;  a  Con- 
stable and  three  Trustees,  Moses  Messenger,  Walter  Woolsey  and  Cornelius 
Wilson.  They  were  all  Whigs,  the  number  of  votes  polled  not  exceeding 
twenty.  As  early  as  1821,  Cupid  found  his  way  into  these  wilds,  and  the 
first  victims  of  his  magic  spell  were  Joseph  Wilson  and  Cloy  Woolsey. 
They  were  married  at  Little  Sandusky,  and  in  the  following  year,  1822,  a 
daughter,  Hannahret,  was  born  to  them,  she  being  the  first  white  babe  in  Pitt 
Township  to  mingle  her  cries  with  those  of  the  wild  papoose. 

LITTLE    SANDUSKY. 

This  village,  originally  established  and  named  by  the  Indians,  was  laid 
out  in  1830  by  Dr.  Stephen  Fowler,  John  Wilson  and  Walter  Woolsey.  who 
owned  the  land  upon  which  the  village  is  situated.  Dr.  Fowler  came  from 
Pennsylvania  in  1827,  and  was  an  extensive  land  owner  in  this  community. 
He  was  likewise  one  of  the  ablest  physicians  in  this  part  of  the  State  at  that 
time,  and  had  an  exceedingly  large  practice.  Wilson  and  Woolsey  both 
came  from  York  State,  and  in  1820,  located  here,  owning  small  pieces  of 
land.  Little  Sandusky  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Little  Sandusky 
Creek  near  the  Indian  reservation,  and  was  once  an  important  trading  post. 
Before  the  days  of  railroads,  it  had  a  daily  line  of  stages  which  ran  between 
Columbus  and  Detroit,  and  the  prospects  for  its  future  greatness  seemed 
quite  flattering;  but  the  march  of  time  and  the  decree  of  fate  gave  it  rivals 
in  sister  towns  which  taxed  its  vitality  more  than  it  could  endure  and  pros- 
per beneath,  and  the  result  has  been  an  existence  of  mediocrity,  both  in  the 
number  of  its  inhabitants  and  the  extent  of  its  commerce. 

The  first  house  erected  in  the  village  was  built  by  John  Wilson  in  1820. 
It  was  made  of  round  logs,  was  eighteen  feet  square,  and  is  now  used  for  a 
stable.  In  the  same  year,  Walter  Woolsey  also  erected  a  log  cabin,  somewhat 
smaller,  in  the  village.  It  is  stated  in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter  that 
Ora  Bellis  conducted  a  store  in  Little  Sandusky  in  1820.  This  was  while 
it  was  yet  an  Indian  village.  After  the  town  was  regularly  laid  out,  the 
first  business  room  was  built  by  Cornelius  Wilson  in  1830.  He  kept  a  sort 
of  hotel  and  general  store,  and  continued  in  the  business  for  fifteen  years, 
carrying  a  stock  of  goods  valued  at  from  11,500  to  $2,000,  He  at  length* 
became  addicted  to  the  use  (^f  strong  drink,  and  later  became  insane.  Wil- 
son was  succeeded  in  business  by  Henry  Baymond,  who;  after  four  years, 
returned  to  the  East.  Guy  C.  Worth  was  next  to  take  up  the  commercial 
cross.  He  came  from  York  State  and  remained  in  business  about  five  or  six 
years  when  he  gave  up  mercantile  pursuits  and  enlisted  in  the  cause  of 
his  Master.  Prior  to  his  retirement  fi'om  business,  he  erected,  in  1840.  the 
second  store  room  of  the  village— a  frame  building,  one-story,  22x40  feet  in 
dimensions.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  brother,  S.  M.  Worth,  who  conducted 
a  very  profitable  business  till  about  1865  or  1866.  Mr.  W^orth  was  followed 
by  H.  Simons,  who  sold  out  to  C.  B.  Fowler  three  or  four  years  later.  Mr. 
Fowler  placed  his  son  Hiram,  in  charge  of  the  store  and  after  two  years' 
operations  he  turned  the  business  over  to  the  present  proprietors,  Burk  Mar- 
tin and  James  Whittaker,  who  repaired  and  enlarged  the  building,  and 
have  since  conducted  the  business. 

*  Prior  to  the  erection  of  a  church  building,  services  were  held  at  the  cabin  of  Mr.  Harman,  by  Rev.  J. 
B.Finley  and  James  Gilruth,  Methodists. 


900  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

In  1876,  Morris  Carnes  purchased  and  remodeled  the  building  formerly- 
used  by  John  Kisor  as  a  residence,  and  later  by  William  Montee  as  a  saloon, 
and  opened  a  grocery  store,  which  he  is  still  conducting  with  fair  success. 
In  1881,  Frank  Sabaugh  erected  a  frame  business  room,  18x30  feet,  one- 
story,  and  placed  therein  a  stock  of  general  merchandise,  which  he  has  since 
been  engaged  in  handling.  Charley  Hornby  is  the  proprietor  of  a  very 
creditable  clothing  store  and  tailoring  establishment  in  the  village.  C.  R. 
Fowler,  a  prominent  stock  and  wool  dealer  of  the  place,  handles  annually 
products  in  his  line  to  the  value  of  from  $50,000  to  $75,000.  The  village  sup- 
ports at  present  two  grocery  stores,  one  dry  goods  store  and  one  clothing 
and  tailoring  establishment,  the  annual  business  of  these  firms  aggregating 
about  $50,000. 

Little  Sandusky's  first  school  building  was  erected  in  1854.  It  was  a 
frame  structure,  one  story,  22x40  feet,  contained  two  rooms,  and  cost  about 
$400.  It  has  been  used  since  1883  as  a  sort  of  public  hall,  where  elections 
and  other  official  gatherings  are  held.  The  present  new  school  building 
was  erected  in  1883,  the  building  board  being  David  Bretz,  Burk  Martin 
and  Hiram  Cunningham.  It  is  a  neat  brick  structure,  two-story,  40x22  feet 
in  size,  and  cost  about  $4,000.  The  present  Board  of  Education  consists 
of  the  following  members  :  David  Bretz,  Burk  Martin  and  Hiram  Cun- 
ningham. S.  S.  Hart  is  the  present  Superintendent  and  high  school 
teacher;  he  is  a  young  man  of  efficient  qualities,  a  resident  of  this  town- 
ship. 

CHURCHES. 

Methodist  Episcopal. — The  first  meetings  of  this  society  in  this  township 
were  at  the  residences  of  Samuel  Winslow  and  Michael  Harmon  in  1820, 
under  the  charge  of  J.  B.  Finley,  who  was  then  also  engaged  at  the  Wyan- 
dot Mission  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  in  1821  he  organized  a  church  at  Lit- 
tle Sandusky,  with  twelve  members,  whose  names  as  far  as  remembered  were 
as  follows  :  S.  Winslow  and  wife,  William  Woolsey,  wife  and  children, 
Jacob  Brewer  and  family  and  Michael  Harmon  and  family.  In  1856,  the 
society  erected  a  church  building  in  Little  Sandusky,  and  this  structure  is 
still  in  use.  Kev.  J.  B.  ri.nley  was  the  first  pastor  who  officiated  in  this 
charge,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Cooper.  Others  were  Revs.  Mont- 
gomery, Bigelow,  Thompson,  Shaw,  Camp,  Bell  and  Jackson — all  mission- 
aries. The  present  pastor  is  J.  Carr.  The  society  now  comprises  thirty 
members.  The  present  officers  are  S.  Burbach,  Jacob  Worley,  Marion  Wol- 
verton,  Charles  Hornby  and  William  Simons.  In  1880,  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  Rev.  Donan,  a  series  of  meetings  were  held  in  which  seventy-five 
members  were  added  to  the  society.  The  following  year.  Rev.  Lucas 
conducted  a  protracted  meeting  wilh  fair  results,  and  he  was  succeeded  in 
1883  by  Rev.  Paul,  who  was  also  quite  successful  in  reviving  the  interest. 
Mrs.  Catharine  Hall,  widow  of  David  Hall,  is  the  pioneer  member  of  this 
society,  having  been  connected  with  it  for  the  past  fifty-three  years.  She 
was  well  acquainted  with  many  of  the  Indians,  with  whom  she  often  met  in 
worship. 

United  Brethren  Church. — This  society  was  organized  at  the  residence 
of  Michael  Harmon  by  Rev.  James  B.  Gilruth,  with  ten  members,  whose 
names  as  nearly  as  can  be  determined,  were  as  follows  :  Michael  Harmon 
and  wife,  John  Green  and  wife,  Andrew  Plummerfet  and  wife,  Thomas  B. 
Mount  and  wife,  Charles  Best  and  wife.  In  1844,  the  society  erected  a 
church  building  in  Little  Sandusky,  at  a  cost  of  $1,000.  It  was  a  frame 
structure,  30x40  feet  in  dimensions.    The  society  eventually  disbanded,  the 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  901 

few  remaining  members  uniting  with  the  Methodist  Church.  The  old  build- 
ing which  was  wont  to  resound  with  the  holy  words  of  Gospel  truth,  is  now 
utilized  as  a  stable. 

FOWLEE. 

This  thriving  young  village  derives  its  title  from  C.  R.  Fowler,  whose 
lands  join  the  town  plat  on  the  east,  and  who  has  already  been  mentioned 
in  the  preceding  pages  of  this  chapter.  The  village  was  founded  in  1876 
by  David  Harpster  and  John  Wood,  who  owned  the  land  upon  which  it  is 
situated,  and  whose  prominence  as  farmers  and  stock  dealers  gives  it  its 
prestige  as  a  commercial  center. 

Fowler  is  located  near  the  center  of  this  township,  on  the  C. ,  H.  V.  & 
T.  Railroad,  in  Section  33,  just  south  of  the  old  Wyandot  Reservation  line. 
The  town  plat  was  recorded  in  1877,  and  the  first  house  was  erected  within 
its  limits  by  William  H.  Parkins,  of  Crawford  Township.  It  is  still  used 
as  a  residence,  and  is  a  plain  frame  structure,  one  and  one-half  story,  16x28 
feet  in  dimensions,  located  on  Lot  15. 

The  first  and  as  yet  the  only  store  in  the  village  was  established  by 
David  Harpster.  In  the  years  1876  and  1877,  he  erected  a  large  two- 
story   brick  block,  22x80  feet,  adding  a  second  building,  22x100  feet,  in 

1882.  In  the  former  apartment,  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Cyrus  Sears,  Mr. 
Harpster  opened  a  stock  of  general  merchandise  in  1877  on  an  investment 
of  from  110,000  to  $12,000.     The  firm  of  Harpster  &  Sears  continued  until 

1883,  when  the  capacity  of  the  store  being  more  than  doubled,  Mr.  Mc- 
Campbell  was  admitted  to  the  firm,  which  has  since  been  known  as  Harp- 
ster, Sears  &  McCampbell.  The  establishment  is  second  to  none  in  the 
county  for  quality  and  completeness  of  stock  and  range  of  prices,  and  does 
an  annual  business  of  $25,000  to  $35,000. 

The  village  is  supplied  with  an  excellent  grist  mill,  which  was  begun 
by  L.  W.  Murphy  in  1879  and  1880.  Mr.  Murphy  having  failed  in  the  at- 
tempt to  establish  the  industry,  it  was  completed  by  David  Harpster,  who 
put  in  the  machinery  and  began  its  operation  in  1883,  the  total  cost  of  the 
institution  being  about  $10,000.  The  building  is  a  frame  structure,  forty 
feet  square  and  three  stories  high.  The  mill  has  three  run  of  buhrs,  with 
a  capacity  of  seventy-five  barrels  of  flour  per  day. 

.v4  Fowler  has  also  a  warehouse,  erected  in  1877  by  John  Gregory,  of 
Marion.  It  is  a  frame  building,  25x60  feet,  two  stories,  with  ordinary  re- 
ceiving capacity.  The  annual  shipments  amount  to  about  60,000  bushels. 
In  1879,  Mr.  Gregory  sold  his  interest  in  the  elevator  to  Harpster  &  White, 
the  latter  of  Upper  Sandusk}',  and  this  firm  conducted  the  business  till 
1881,  when  Mr.  Fowler  purchased  Mr.  White's  interest,  and  the  firm  of 
Harpster  &  Fowler  has  since  had  the  institution  in  charge. 

In  1880,  a  saw  mill  was  erected  in  the  village  by  Mr.  Murphy.  It  soon 
fell  into  the  hands  of  Parkin  &  Frater,  and  is  now  the  property  of  Garvin 
&  Frater.  The  mill  is  well  managed  and  does  an  excellent  business.  The 
village  is  also  supplied  by  quite  an  extensive  tile  factory,  established  in 
1878  by  Messrs.  Hunt  &  Frater,  the  latter  member  of  the  firm  now  being 
sole  proprietor.      It  is  one  of  the  most  important  industries  of  the  village. 

The  only  hotel  of  the  village  is  conducted  by  Henry  C.  Jury.  It  is  a 
good-sized  frame  structure,  well  furnished  and  ventilated,  and  the  accom- 
modations here  offered  are  much  'superior  to  those  of  many  more  pretentious 
establishments  of  the  kind. 

The  Harpster  Bank  was  organized  in  1883  by  David  Harpster,  with  J, 
L.  Lewis  as  Cashier,  and  with  a  capital  of  $120,000.     The  institution  has' 


902  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

a  sound  basis,  being  thoroughly   secured  by   a  large  amount  of  real  and 
personal  estate. 

The  first  and  only  school  building  erected  in  Fowler  was  built  before  the 
town  had  an  existence.  It  is  a  comfortable  brick  building,  one  story,  25x30, 
and  cost  $2,500.  The  present  Board  of  Edvication  is  comprised  of  the 
following  members:  A¥illiam  Parker,  John  L.  Lewis  and  Cyrus  Sears. 
W.  V.  Smith  was  the  last  to  ofiSciate  as  teacher. 

CHURCHES. 

Fowler  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — This  society  may  be  said  to  have 
been  organized  about  1853,  as  it  was  originally  made  up  of  members  from 
the  Bowsherville  society  and  a  few  from  Little  Sandusky.  It  was  first  or- 
ganized as  the  Fowler  society  by  D.  B.  Rinehart  in  1847  with  twenty-five 
members,  among  whom  were  John  Wood  and  wife,  William  Parker  and 
wife,  James  Parker  and  wife,  John  Mawer,  George  Baldwin,  Richard  Mould 
and  others  whose  names  are  not  now  remembered.  The  church  building,  a 
brick  structure,  40x60  feet,  was  erected  in  1878-79  at  a  cost  of  $5,000.  D. 
B.  Rinehart  officiated  as  pastor  two  years  from  the  date  of  organization  of 
the  society,  J.  W.  Donan,  one  year;  William  Lucas,  two  years;  William 
S.  Paul,  one  year;  and  Jesse  Carr  is  the  present  incumbent.  The  society  is 
in  a  flourishing  condition  and  numbers  about  seventy  members.  The  pres- 
ent officers  are  William  Parker, Richard  Moulds,  E.  B.  Lewis  and  John  Wood. 

The  Methodist  Episcopial  Church  at  Bowsherville,  as  above  stated,  was 
organized  about  1853  by  Rev.  Jacob  Fegly,  meetings  being  held  in  school- 
houses  till  1869,  when  a  church  building  was  erected  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  Section  6.  It  was  a  frame  building,  30x40  feet,  and  is  still 
standing,  though  in  1878  it  was  moved  to  Pleasant  Grove,  one  and  one-half 
miles  west  of  its  original  site.  The  society  organized  with  about  thirty  or 
forty  members, some  of  whose  names  are  remembered  as  follows:  William 
Miller  and  wife,  B.  Swayze  and  wife,  Mrs.  Catharine  Hughes,  Mrs.  Lydia 
Hunt,  Mrs.  Sallie  Hunt,  John  Brown  and  wife,  Mr.  Mallow  and  wife  and 
Mrs.  P.  Holland.  Those  who  assisted  in  the  erection  of  the  church  outside 
of  the  society  members  were  David  Harpster  and  family,  Mr.  Hunt  and 
family,  John  L.  Lewis,  Charles  Burke  and  Mr.  Stoneburner. 

The  German  Reformed  Church  of  Pitt  Tosvnship  was  organized  in  1852 
by  Rev.  Winter.  The  first  meetings  of  the  society  were  held  at  John  Kep- 
ler's residence,  on  Section  12,  in  1850,  Mr.  John  Kepler  and  John  Brand, 
citizens,  officiating.  The  church  was  organized  with  from  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  members,  John  Castanien  and  wife,  George  Kramer  and  wife,  John 
Kepler  and  wife,  and  John  Brand  and  wife  being  among  the  number.  In 
1854,  the  society  built  a  frame  building  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  Section 
12,  the  structure  being  25x35  feet  in  dimensions,  and  costing  about  $700. 
As  a  protection  against  the  frosts  of  winter,  the  spaces  between  the  stud- 
ding of  the  frame  work  were  filled  with  clay.  In  1872,  this  primitive  edi- 
fice gave  place  to  a  comfortable  brick  building,  35x50,  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$2,300.  The  pastors  who  have  served  on  this  charge  are  as  follows:  Rev. 
Winter,  two  years;  Rev.  Brecht,  four  years;  Rev.  Peter  Jarus,  five  years; 
Rev.  Jacob  Klingler,  twelve  years;  Rev.  C.  Wisner,  five  years;  and  Rev.  E. 
D.  Miller,  who  is  still  in  the  service.  The  society  now  comprises  110  mem- 
bers, the  present  officers  being  Christian  Foucht,  Christian  Barth,  Solomon 
Katterman  and  Ulric  Brandt.  It  conducts  a  live  missionary  society  on  the 
most  approved  plans,  and  is  growing  rapidly. 

Pitt  Township  is  one  of  the  most  flourishing  in  this  county,  and  the  re- 


PITT  TOWNSHIP. 


903 


markable  progress  made  in  its  social  and  material  interests  is  well  illustrat- 
ed when  the  present  condition  of  the  township  is  compared  with  the  follow- 
ing list  of  the  taxable  inhabitants,  and  the  number  of  acres  of  land  owned 
by  each,  in  the  year  1845. 


OWNERS    OF    EEAL    ESTATE. 


Bruen,  Matthias,  852  acres. 
Benjamin,  Herrick,  80  acres. 
Bowen,  Ozias,  160  acres. 
Corey,  David  J.,  2,235  acres. 
Cresap,  Eusibius,  58  acres. 
Davids,  John  E.,  20  acres. 
Fowler,*  Stephen,  1,874  acres. 
Fowler,  Findley,  50  acres. 
Garrett,  Tira,  115  acres. 
Green,  Jemima,  162  acres. 
Hunt,  Nancy,  50  acres. 
Hunt,  William,  209  acres. 
Hunt,  Snowden,  145  acres. 
Holderman,  John,  70  acres. 
Hill,  William,  80  acres. 
Horr,  Jacob,  238  acres. 
Hughes  &  Harpster,  33  acres. 
Hammond,  Michael,  160  acres. 
Hardy,  Elisha,  80  acres. 
Hughes,  Barnett,  153  acres. 
Harpster,  David,  85  acres. 
Keen,  Aaron,  2  acres. 


Larvill,  Jabez  B.,  58  acres. 
Moody,  David,  30  acres. 
McLean,  David,  225  acres. 
Mead,  Matthew,  75  acres. 
Montee,  A.,  49  acres. 
Miller,  David,  861  acres. 
0£6cer,  Thomas,  42  acres. 
Proctor,  Robert,  10  acres. 
Rappe,  John  S.,  59  acres. 
Rowse,  Zalmou,  60  acres. 
Renick,  Ivy,  81  acres. 
Swayze,  Caroline,  160  acres. 
Swayze,  Bescherer,  158  acres. 
Swishart,  Ezekiel,  80  acres. 
Straw,  David,  76  acres. 
State  of  Ohio.  316  acres. 
Worth,  Guy  C,  240  acres. 
Wheeler,  H.  N.,  120  acres. 
Wilson,  John,  80  acres. 
Wilson,  Daniel,  169  acres. 
Hughes,  Barnett,  86  acres. 
Hunt,  Nancy,  60  acres. 


TOWN    OF    LITTLE    SANDUSKY. 

Banning,  Anthony,  owner  of  Inlot  No.  105. 

Barnes,  Peter,  owner  of  twenty-one  inlots. 

Fowler,  Stephen,  owner  of  twenty-eight  inlots. 

Fouke,  Joseph  E. ,  owner  of  Inlot  No.  49. 

Gorman,  John,  owner  of  four  inlots. 

Montee,  A.,  merchant,  also  owner  of  twenty-two  inlots. 

Proctor,  Robert,  owner  of  Inlot  No.  35. 

Rappe,  John  S.,  owner  of  three  inlots. 

Moore,  William,  owner  of  six  inlots. 

Shorb,  Joseph,  owner  of  six  inlots. 

State  of  Ohio,  owner  of  seven  inlots. 

Rowse,  Zalmon,  owner  of  Inlot  No.  104. 

Taylor,  John,  owner  of  Lot  No.  45. 

Wilmoth,  Joseph,  owner  of  Lots  39  and  60. 

Wilson,  George,  owner  of  Lot  No.  100. 

Worth,  Samuel  M. ,  owner  of  storehouse  and  Lot  No.  57. 

Wilson,  John,  owner  of  thirty-five  lots. 

Wilson,  Daniel,  owner  of  Lots  25  and  26. 

Stokely,  William,  owner  of  Lot  No.  50. 

TOWN    or    BOWSHEKVILLE. 

State  of  Ohio,  owner  of  Inlots  from  1  to  34  inclusive. 

*  One  of  the  first  County  Commissioners. 


904  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

OWNERS    OF    PERSONAL    PROPERTY. 

Alexander  Armstrong,  Henry  Aughenbaugh,  Paris  C.  Brewer,  Elihu 
Bowen,  Ruth  Benjamin,  Samuel  Bird,  George  Bowsher,  Purdy  Butler,  Ja- 
cob Brewer,  Hannah  Brewer,  Cornelius  Brewer,  Thomas  Coon,  William  J. 
Clugston,  John  Clayton,  Corey  &  Pettit,  Lorenzo  H.  Cook,  James  Clark, 
"Walter  Coulton,  John  Coon,  Eusebius  Cresap,  Dr.  James  H.  Drum,*  James 
Duley,  George  Duddleson,  William  Fulks,  Joseph  E.  Fouke,  Dr.  Stephen 
Fowler,*  Findley  F.  Fowler,  C.  R.  Fowler,  Amos  Green,  Joseph  Gillett, 
David  Hall,  Alpheus  Hill,  Samuel  Harmon,  John  Hickman,  Margaret  Har- 
mon, William  H.  Harris,  Nehemiah  Harris,  John  Holloway,  Nancy  Hunt, 
John  Hunt,  Snowden  Hunt,  William  H.  Hunt,  Hiram  Holdridge,  Burnett 
Hughes,  Chester  Holland,  Jacob  Horr,  James  Holdcraft,  William  Hill,  Da- 
vid Harpster,  James  G.  Harvey,  John  Johnson,  Riser  &  Shirley  (merchants), 
Belah  King,  John  Kinney,  Aaron  Keam,  Jacob  Lantz,  John  S.  Leach,  John 
Lynch,  James  McWherter,  George  and  James  Mears,  Luther  McEwell,  Dr. 
James  B.  McGill,*  Thomas  McLean,  David  O.  Miller,  Abel  Martin,  Nathan- 
iel C.  Manley,  Jacob  Mutchler,  Abraham  McLean,  James  McLean,  A.  Mon- 
tee,  Henry  N.  McEltish,  William  Martin,  Rebecca  McLean,  David  Miller, 
David  Mears,  William  Miller,  Priscilla  Moody,  William  Nutler,  Thomas 
Officer,  George  Preston,  John  Preston,  .fohn  Pryor,  David  Pettit,  Leonard 
Plants,  Robert  Reed,  Azariah  Root,  John  N.  Reed,  Samuel  Riggens,  John 
S.  Rappe  (a  merchant),  George  W.  Reed,  Cyrus  Ramsey,  Isaac  Robinson, 
John  Raney,  Renick  &  Hunt  (merchants),  Isaac  Smalley,  David  Straw,  Da- 
vid Straw,  Jr.,  Joel  Straw,  Henry  Seiger,  John  Smith,  Clark  Shepard, 
Bescherer  Sweezy,  Vance  Stewart,  Ezekiel  Swihart,  Benjamin  Smith,  Jo- 
Shorb  (a  merchant),  Milton  Swigart,  John  Tinkey,  Robert  Tygart,  Edward 
Thompson,  Israel  Tarpenning,  Widow  Ward,  Samuel  M.  Worth  (a  merchant), 
John  L.  Woodcock,  Curtis  Warner,  John  Williams,  David  Williams,  Guy 
C.  Worth,  Joseph  Wilmoth,  Benjamin  Winslow  and  James  Wilson. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

GEORGE  W.  BALDWIN  was  born  in  Hardy  County,  Va.,  March  20, 
1826.  He  came  to  Ohio  in  1856,  and  located  in  this  county,  working  by 
the  month  and  farming  rented  land  till  1860.  He  was  married,  December 
25,  1860,  to  Elmira  Hunt,  daughter  of  Snowden  Hunt  (see  sketch  of  A.  C. 
Hunt),  she  being  a  native  of  this  county,  born  August  5,  1835.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Baldwin  have  three  children- -Cannia  (wife  of  Henry  Smith),  Ambrose 
and  Horace.  Mrs.  Baldwin  inherited  sixty  acres  from  her  father's  estate, 
the  same  being  in  good  repair  and  their  present  home.  Mr.  Baldwin  is  a 
Republican;  he  served  in  the  late  war  in  the  100-day  call,  receiving  an 
honorable  discharge.  Himself  and  family  are  well-respected  and  good 
citizens. 

CHRISTIAN  BARTH,  son  of  Christian  and  Elizabeth  (Hurny)  Barth, 
was  born  in  Canton  Berne,  Switzerland,  January  3,  1825.  His  mother  died 
March  3,  1837,  and  he  emigrated  to  America  in  1844,  his  father  and  the  re- 
mainder coming  the  following  year.  They  located  in  Tuscarawas  County 
till  1858,  when  they  removed  to  Wyandot.  The  father  died  Jaly  2,  1864. 
Our  subject  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  in  Tuscarawas  County  till  1852. 
when  he  came  to  Wyandot,  and  purchased  forty  acres  of  his  present  home, 
to  which  he  has  added  by  subsequent  purchases  till  he  now  owns  153  acres. 
In  1871-72,  he  built  his  large  frame  house,  valued  at  $800,  and  in  1875  his 

♦Practicing  physicians. 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  905 

"  bank  "  barn,  at  a  cost  of  $800.  He  has  worked  forty  years  at  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  usually  employing  from  two  to  four  assistants  during  summers. 
Mr.  Barth  was  married,  May  11,  1848,  to  Margaret,  daughter  of  Benedict 
and  Ann  (Moser)  Struchen,  also  natives  of  Switzerland.  They  emigrated  in 
1840.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barth  have  ten  children  living — Oliver  T.,  C.  Henry, 
David  F.,  John  W.,  Daniel  B.,  Eli,  Louis  E.,  Albert  E.,  Mary  A.  (wife  of 
John  Lawrence)  and  Sophia  C.  The  deceased  are  Rosanna,  Daniel  and  an 
infant.  Mrs.  Barth  was  born  July  2,  1825.  Mr.  Barth  is  a  Democrat,  and 
has  served  two  years  as  Trustee.    Both  are  members  of  the  Reformed  Church. 

JACOB  BENDER  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  January  2, 
1844.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Catharine  (Bush)  Bender,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  They  came  to  Ohio  in  1835,  their  children  being  as  follows: 
Sarah,  Mary  A.,  Daniel,  Elizabeth,  John,  Jacob,  Catharine,  Joseph,  George, 
Margaret  and  Lydia.  The  mother  died  February  14,  1880,  aged  sixty-four 
years,  the  father  is  still  living,  in  his  seventy-ninth  year.  Jacob  Bender 
came  to  this  county  in  1866.  He  engaged  in  various  occupations  till  1871, 
when  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  paying  $3,000  for  the 
same.  He  now  owns  sixty  acres,  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  He  was  mar- 
ried, March  14,  1872,  to  Miss  Sarah  Smith,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Rebecca 
(Foucht)  Smith,  and  this  union  has  been  blessed  by  five  children — Harry  F. , 
born  July  4,  1873;  Minnie  A.,  April  10,  1875;  Alton  W.,  May  18,  1877; 
Grace  V.,  September  15,  1880;  an  infant  is  deceased.  Their  mother  was 
born  February  12,  1845;  she  is  a  member  of  the  Reformed  Church.  Mr.  Ben- 
der is  a  Democrat. 

D.  W.  BOWLBY  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  July  4,  1846. 
Emanuel  and  Sarah  (Stall)  Bowlby,  his  parents,  were  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  of  German  ancestry.  They  came  to  Stark  County  when  childi-en, 
were  married  there,  and  came  to  this  county  in  1851.  Their  children  were 
Samantha,  Rachel,  David  W,,  Hester,  Lydia,  Willington,  Nelson,  Marshall, 
Alice,  Sherman,  William  J.  and  an  infant.  Our  subject  obtained  a  fair 
education;  at  twenty-one,  began  work  at  daily  wages,  continuing  two  years; 
engaged  in  the  stave  business  three  years,  and  purchased  his  present  farm 
in  1871,  paying  $2,650.  In  1872,  he  erected  a  neat  residence,  costing 
$1,000.  Sir.  Bowlby  was  married,  May  30,  1872,  to  Adaline  Kriechbaum, 
daughter  of  David  and  Eliza  (Mosky)  Kriechbaum,  natives  of  Pennsylva- 
nia and  early  settlers  of  this  county,  residing  in  Antrim  Township.  Po- 
litically, Mr.  Bowlby  is  a  Republican. 

THOMAS  M.  BOWMAN  was  born  in  Huntington  County,  Penn., 
August  18,  1819.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  His  father, 
Samuel  Bowman,  was  of  German  descent.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was 
Elizabeth  Moreland.  Her  ancestors  came  from  Ireland.  His  parents  had 
eight  children,  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  Thomas  was  the 
third  son.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Ohio, 
locating  in  Crawford  County,  where  they  remained  two  years,  after  which 
time  they  removed  to  Wood  County  in  1837,  where  his  parents  purchased  a 
farm  and  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  During  the  summer  months, 
Thomas  worked  on  the  farm  and  attended  school  in  the  winter  until  he  be- 
came competent  to  teach,  after  which  he  continued  teaching  for  a  number 
of  years.  He  practiced  economy,  laying  aside  all  he  could  of  his  earnings 
for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  a  home.  By  the  spring  of  1846,  he  was  able 
to  purchase  at  the  Government  land  sales  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Wyandot 
County,  then  a  wild,  thinly  inhabited  section  of  country.  Mr.  Bowman 
was  married,  May  26,  1846,  to  Eliza  J,   Gibson,   daughter  of  George  and 


906  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Hannah  (Buchanan)  Gibson,  and  a  cousin  of  President  James  Buchanan, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  They  removed  to 
their  new  home  in  1848,  where  they  continue  to  reside.  By  industry,  they 
have  added  by  subsequent  purchases,  until  their  home  consists  of  256  acres, 
highly  improved  in  every  respect.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bowman  are  the  parents 
of  seven  children — Elizabeth,  George  G. ,  Samuel,  William,  Isaac  N. ,  Mat- 
tie  and  Ellie.  In  addition  to  their  own  family  they  have  an  adopted  daugh- 
ter, Clementine.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bowman  united  with  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  early  life,  and  are  now  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Upper  Sandusky. 

DAVID  S.  BKETZ  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  December  30, 
1837.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Catharine  (Bibler)  Brefcz,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively.  His  grandfather  Bretz  was  drafted 
in  the  war  of  1812,  his  son  John  taking  his  place  as  a  substitute.  His 
parents  settled  in  Marion  County  in  1828,  purchasing  320  acres  of  school 
land,  afterward  increasing  this  number  to  5()0.  .Their  children  were  Anna, 
Andrew  D.,  Elizabeth  B.,  Fanny  M.,  Rebecca  V.,  David  S.,  Mahala, 
Amanda  and  Mary  P.,  the  two  latter  deceased.  The  father  died  in  1875, 
aged  seventy-five  years;  the  mother  still  living  on  the  homestead  in  her 
eightieth  year.  David  S.  Bretz  resided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-two 
years  of  age;  he  then  began  dealing  in  stock,  and  has  since  engaged  quite 
extensively  in  that  business.  In  1862,  he  purchased  his  first  farm  of  147 
acres  in  Antrim  Township,  selling  this  a  few  years  later  and  purchasing 
403  acres  on  the  Sandusky  River,  where  he  resided  four  years.  Later,  he 
disposed  of  this  farm,  and  resided  two  years  in  Upper  Sandusky,  purchas- 
ing his  present  faim  of  356  acres  soon  after,  and  adding  to  this  till  he  now 
owns  531  acres,  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  Mr.  Bretz  was  married,  September 
1,  1859,  to  Jane  A.  Coon,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Susanna  (Harmon)  Coon, 
early  settlers  of  this  county.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  this  union 
— Fannie  J.,  Stanton  E.,  Cora  B.  and  Sarah  E.  Mr.  Bretz  is  a  Republican; 
he  was  the  first  Mayor  of  Little  Sandusky,  and,  with  his  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Free- Will  Baptist  Church. 

JACOB  A.  BREWER  is  a  native  of  York  State,  born  January  21,  1814; 
his  parents,  Jacob  A.  and  Hannah  (Stall)  Brewer,  were  natives  of  the  same 
State,  and  of  German  descent.  They  emigrated  to  Ohio  in  1817,  and  lo- 
cated in  Union  County,  where  they  resided  seven  years,  removing  to  Little 
Sandusky  in  1824,  entering  eighty  acres  of  land.  Their  remaining  chil- 
dren are  Anna,  Catharine,  Jacob  A.,  Cornelius,  Peter,  William  and  Hester 
J.  Eliza,  Lucinda  and  Mary  C.  are  deceased.  The  father  died  about  1835; 
the  mother  about  1841.  Jacob  Brewer,  our  subject,  spent  the  early  part  of 
his  life  with  his  parents;  he  was  married  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  to  Susan 
Eyman,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Hannah  Eyman,  early  settlers  of  Marion 
County,  from  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brewer  have  six  children  living 
— John,  Hannah  (wife  of  John  Racy),  Coi'nelius,  Oscar,  Mary  J.  (wife  of 
William  Lumberson")  and  James.  The  deceased  are:  W.  H.  Harrison,  killed 
in  late  war;  Jacob  A.,  died  of  disease  contracted  in  the  war,  and  Oscar.  Mr. 
Brewer  leased  a  portion  of  his  present  farm  of  the  Indians  six  years,  and 
continued  on  the  same  after  their  departure,  purchasing  sixty  acres,  which 
number  he  has  since  increased  tenfold;  he  began  married  life  with  $50,  but 
has  always  been  a  hard  worker,  and  now  owns  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the 
township.  In  politics,  Mr.  Brewer  is  a  Republican;  he  has  served  three 
years  as  Trustee,  and  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen;  his  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  907 

RICHAED  CARTER  was  born  in  Wellsville,  Ohio,  June  9,  1850,  son 
of  John  A.  and  Mary  D.  (Connel)  Carter,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Vir- 
ginia respectively;  his  parents  settled  in  Marion  County  in  1852,  rearing  a 
family  of  six  children,  our  subject  being  the  eldest;  he  obtained  a  good  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools,  and  graduated  at  the  Pittsburgh  Commercial  Col- 
lege in  1871;  he  was  engaged  five  years  as  a  commercial  traveler,  and,  in  1876 
came  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  married  January  25,  1877,  to  Miss  Kate  Bryant, 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Maria  (Fisher)  Bryant,  and  distant  relative  of  the 
poet;  her  parents  were  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  New  York  respectively; 
came  to  Ohio  where  they  were  married  about  1844.  They  came  to  tbis 
county  in  1848,  and  entered  land  where  Mr.  Carter  now  resides,  at  the  time 
of  Mr.  Bryant's  death  owning  2,300  acres;  his  children  now  living  are  Catha- 
rine, John  Q.,  Charles  and  Jennie  (twins),  and  Frank  B.  The  deceased  are 
Isaac,  Frederick,  Ann  and  Maria.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carter  have  one  child — 
May  B.,  born  November  27,  1877.  Mrs.  Carter  was  born  January  10,  1851. 
She  inherited  her  present  home  of  320  acres,  which  her  husband  has  now 
well  stocked.  Mr.  Carter  is  a  Republican,  and  both  himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mrs.  Bryant,  mother  of  Mrs.  Carter, 
was  left  a  widow  with  six  children,  whom  she  reared  and  educated.  She  is 
now  a  resident  of  Bucyrus;  her  brother,  John  A.  Fisher,  was  a  Mexican 
soldier;  also  a  soldier  of  the  late  war  during  the  entire  struggle,  lying  in 
Libby  Prison  about  eighteen  months;  he  is  now  a  resident  of  Kansas,  nearly 
blind,  having  lost  an  eye  hv  a  gunshot  during  the  last  of  his  service. 

JOHN  CASTANIEN  was  born  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  June  11,  1825. 
His  parents,  Alexander  and  Marelius  (King)  Castanien,  were  natives  of 
Prussia  and  Switzerland  respectively,  the  former  crossing  the  ocean  to 
escape  military  service,  the  latter  emigrating  at  the  age  of  four  years.  They 
were  married  in  Perry  County,  where  they  passed  their  entire  lives,  he  a 
farmer  and  teacher  of  German  schools.  He  died  in  his  sixtieth  year,  his 
wife  about  the  same  age.  Their  children  were  John,  Serenus,  Jacob  and 
David.  John  Castanien  remained  at  home  till  his  twenty-fifth  year,  obtain- 
ing the  rudiments  of  an  education  and  working  upon  the  farm.  In  1848, 
he  came  to  this  county,  his  father  having  entered  his  present  farm  of  100 
acres,  then  covered  with  timber,  which  our  subject  has  since  removed.  He 
is  now  the  owner  of  440  acres;  his  "bank"  barn  is  the  largest  in  the  town- 
ship, and  his  dwelling  was  erected  in  1863-64  at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  Mr. 
Castanien  was  married  in  the  autumn  of  1848,  to  Christina  Alspach,  five 
children  resulting — Mahala,  Caroline  (wife  of  Emmet  Bachtel),  Frank,  Da- 
vid and  Amos  E.  Mrs.  Castanien's  demise  occurred  in  1861,  at  the  age  of 
thirty- five,  and  Mr.  C.  was  married,  November  25,  1863,  to  Miss  Sophia 
Alspach  (sister  of  first  wife),  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Runkle) 
Alspach,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  residents  of  Perry  County,  Ohio.  She 
was  born  April  15,  1837.  Their  children  were  William  H.  and  Allen  B. 
In  politics,  Mr.  C.  is  an  independent  Democrat.  He  and  his  family  are 
all  members  of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  of  which  he  was  many  years 
a  Deacon. 

FRANK  P.  CASTANIEN,  son  of  John  and  Christina  Castanien,  was 
born  January  27,  1853.  He  obtained  a  good  education,  attending  the  Nor- 
mal School  at  Ada,  Ohio,  three  terms,  subsequently  establishing  a  grocery 
store  at  that  place,  continuing  the  business  several  months.  In  1876,  he 
purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty  aci'es.  and  has  since  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  was  married,  March  15,  1877,  to  Miss  Emma  Har- 
lan, daughter  of  William  and  Catharine  Harlan,  residents  of  Logan  County, 


908  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Ohio.  Her  parents  had  two  children — John  and  Emma,  The  mother  died 
in  1860.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Castanien  have  four  children — Emmet  P.,  born  May 
10,  1880;  Kitty  B. ,  June  1,  188'2;  Joseph  and  Esther  are  deceased.  Mrs. 
C.  was  born  October  4,  1856.  Mr.  Castanien  is  a  Democrat,  Master  of 
Grange  No.  503,  and,  with  his  wife,  member  of  the  Reformed  Church;  he 
was  several  years  Superintendent  of  Sabbath  school. 

DAVID  CASTANIEN,  son  of  John  and  Christina  (Alspach)  Cas- 
tanien, was  born  July  16,  1855.  He  is  a  native  of  Pitt  Township, 
where  he  was  educated,  and  remained  on  the  farm  with  his  parents  till 
1878,  when  he  moved  to  his  present  farm,  which  he  purchased  one  year 
later,  paying  $50  per  acre,  the  farm  containing  eighty  acres.  It  is  now  well 
improved,  stocked  with  varieties  of  the  best  grade.  Mr.  Castanien  was  mar- 
ried, January  1,  1880,  to  Miss  Jennie  McBeth,  daughter  of  John  and  Jen- 
nie (Swaze)  McBeth,  residents  of  Antrim  Township.  In  politics,  Mr.  Cas- 
tanien is  a  Democi'at.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Reformed  and  his  wife  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

L.  HOPKINS  COOK,  deceased,  was  born  in  Addison  County,  Vt. .  A.pril  2, 
1810.  His  parents  dying  when  he  was  young,  he  resided  with  a  sister,  Mrs. 
Fisher,  till  about  1831,  when  he  came  to  Ohio,  and  was  married  two  years 
later  to  Eliza  Cudworth,  who  died  soon  after.  November  15,  1838,  he  was 
married  to  Sabina  Adams,  daughter  of  John  and  Rachel  (Cookson)  Adams, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  descent.  Her  parents  came  to  Ohio 
in  1835,  settling  in  Richland  County,  where  they  reared  a  family  of  ten 
children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cook  are  the  parents  of  live  children — Mary  (wife 
of  Jessie  McCracken),  Stephen  R.,  William  D. ,  George  H.  and  Caroline,  the 
latter  deceased.  In  1846,  the  family  came  to  this  county  and  purchased  420 
acres  of  school  land,  where  Mrs.  Cook  now  resides.  Mr.  Cook  was  a  strong 
Republican.  He  died  April  8,  1874,  leaving  his  widow  in  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances.    She  was  born  June  11,  1821. 

STEPHEN  R,  COOK,  son  of  L.  H.  and  Sabina  (Adams)  Cook,  was  born 
February  8,  1841.  He  resided  with  his  parents  till  he  joined  the  army  in 
1862,  enlisting  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Regiment 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  Enlisting  as  private,  he  was  soon  promoted  to 
Orderly,  participating  in  the  battles  of  Winchester,  New  Market,  Piedmont, 
Lynchburg,  Snicker's  Gap,  Berryville,  Opequan,  Fisher's  Hill,  Cedar 
Creek,  Petersburg  and  Hatcher's  Run.  Being  wounded  at  Cedar  Creek,  he 
was  compelled  to  lie  in  a  hospital  six  months,  after  which  he  was  honorably 
discharged,  having  served  three  years.  Returning  home,  he  was  married, 
June  17,  1869,  to  Miss  Ann  E.  Bowman,  daughter  of  T.  N.  and  Eliza  (Gib- 
son) Bowman  (see  sketch),  and  two  children  have  been  born  to  them — 
George  B.,  May  23,  1875,  and  Helen  E.,  March  29,  1878.  Mrs.  Cook  was 
born  January  26,  1847.  He  inherited  twenty  acres  of  his  present  farm,  to 
which  he  has  since  added  twenty,  all  valued  at  $70  per  acre.  Mr.  Cook  is 
a  strong  Republican.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at 
Upper  Sandusky. 

DANIEL  COONS  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1820.  His 
parents,  Thomas  and  Susan  (Brower)  Coons,  were  natives  of  the  same  State, 
and  of  German  parentage.  His  paternal  ancestor  was  a  soldier  of  the  Rev- 
olution, serving  entirely  through  it.  His  parents  came  by  wagon  to  Ohio 
in  1856,  and  located  in  this  county  one  year  later.  Their  children  were 
Daniel,  Sarah  R.,  Mary,  Thomas,  Elizabeth,  Reuda  M.  and  Joseph;  James, 
John  and  Henry  are  deceased.  The  parents  are  still  living,  the  father  in 
his  eighty- fourth  year,  the  mother  in  her  eighty-third.     Our  subject  entered 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  ■  909 

24  acres,  and  purchased  44  acres  of  his  present  farm  of  the  Government, 
now  owning  220  acres  of  bottom  land  valued  at  $80  per  acre.  He  is  an  ex- 
pert at  pigeon  trapping,  having  realized  not  less  than  $2,500  from  his  sales. 
He  traveled  one  year  with  Van  Amburgh's  show.'  Mr.  Coons  was  married. 
December  11,  1849,  to  Lydia  Dahmer,  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  Dah- 
mer,  her  death  occurring  in  1865,  leaving  three  children — Sarah,  Flora  and 
Laura.  March  19,  1866,  he  married  Miss  Caroline  Wilt,  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Mary  (Star)  Wilt,  this  union  resulting  in  five  children — Emory, 
Clara  A.,  Eugene,  Louis  B.  and  Robert  N.  Mr.  Coon  has  been  a  Democrat 
since  the  nomination  of  McClellan  for  the  Presidency.  He  is  an  industrious 
citizen,  and  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  community. 

HENRY  H.  DAHMER  was  born  in  Pendleton  County,  Va.,  April  15, 
1836;  his  parents  were  Martin  and  Sarah  (Herner)  Dahmer,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  of  German  ancestry.  His  maternal  grandfather  was  a  soldier  in 
the  war  of  1812,  The  parents  were  farmers;  the  father  dying  in  Virginia, 
the  mother  is  still  living.  Their  children  were  John,  Mary,  George,  Reu- 
ben, Henry  H.,  Martha,  William,  Sampson,  Adam,  Jemima  and  Sarah,  the 
latter  deceased.  Henry  Dahmer  worked  on  the  farm  for  his  father  till 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  obtaining  but  a  limited  education;  he  came  to 
this  county  in  1856,  and  engaged  in  ordinary  labor,  principally  for  J.  S. 
Rappe,  about  seven  years.  In  1862,  he  purchased  forty  acres  on  the  river 
near  Little  Sandusky;  he  increased  this  amount  to  seventy-one  by  subsequent 
purchases,  and  sold  the  whole  in  1872,  and  purchased  his  present  home  of  100 
acres  on  which  he  erected  a  fine  residence  at  a  cost  of  $2,000  in  1881;  he 
makes  a  specialty  of  raising  blooded  Merino  sheep,  some  of  which  cost  him 
$1,000.  Mr.  Dahmer  was  married,  November  8,  1863,  to  Ann  M.  Kellar, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Maria  (Warren)  Kellar,  natives  of  Pennsylvania 
and  Delaware  respectively.  They  were  brought  to  Ohio  when  children,  and 
spent  most  of  their  days  in  Franklin  and  Wyandot  Counties.  They  had 
nine  children  of  whom  Mrs.  Dahmer  is  the  youngest.  In  politics,  Mr.  D. 
is  a  Democrat;  he  served  as  Trustee  foiu'  terms  and  as  Treasurer  two  terms, 
refusing  to  hold  the  office  longer. 

CHARLES  FEICHTER  is  a  native  of  this  township,  born  July  27, 
1853,  to  John  and  A.  Barbara  (Baser)  Feichter,  natives  of  Switzerland;  his 
parents  were  married  in  1848,  and  settled  in  this  township  where  our  sub- 
ject now  resides,  having  removed  from  Stark  County  with  their  parents  in 
1845.  Their  living  children  are  Charles,  Mary,  Louisa,  John,  Albert  and  Eliz- 
abeth; the  deceased  are  John,  John  H,  Frederick,  George,  Eddie  and  an 
infant.  The  father  died  in  1876,  aged  lifty-three  years.  Mrs.  Feichter 
still  resides  on  the  old  homestead  in  her  fifty-fourth  year,  a  member  of  the 
German  Reformed  Church,  to  which  Mr.  F.  also  belonged;  he  left  an  estate  of 
$10,000.  Charles  Feichter,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  married  Octo- 
ber 24,  1878,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Bower,  daughter  of  Emanuel  and  Sarah  J. 
(Swartz)  Bower,  of  German  parentage.  Their  children  are  Charles,  O.  S., 
Winifred  and  John  T.  An  infant  is  deceased.  Since  his  marriage  Mr. 
Feichter  has  been  tilling  his  mother's  farm.  He  recently  purchased  forty 
acres  in  Illinois,  and  is  about  to  take  his  departure  for  that  State. 

C.  RUSH  FOWLER.  This  prominent  citizen  was  born  in  Bradford 
County,  Penn.,  December  31,  1821.  His  parents,  Stephen  and  Leefe  (Ste- 
vens) Fowler,  were  natives  of  Vermont  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and 
of  Scotch-Irish  lineage.  His  father  was  a  surgeon  in  the  war  of  1812,  and 
for  many  years  a  prominent  physician  in  this  section  of  the  State,  and  the 
only  one  available,  being  frequently  called  to  the  various  seats  of  the  ad- 


910  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

joining  counties  on  professional  business.  He  was  at  one  time  a  member  of 
the  State  Legislature,  and  served  his  term  with  credit  to  himself  and  satis- 
faction to  his  constituents.  His  wife,  Leefe,  whose  mother's  name  was  Lee, 
was  a  cousin  to  Gen.  R.  E.  Lee,  of  Confederate  fame,  and  is  still  living,  a 
resident  of  Upper  Sandusky,  in  the  full  possession  of  her  faculties,  and  in 
excellent  health.  They  came  to  this  county  in  1827,  and  located  in  this 
township,  where  Mr.  Fowler  purchased  600  acres,  adding  by  subsequent 
purchases,  till  he  owned  3,100  acres.  They  were-  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, and  among  the  most  estimable  citizens  of  the  county.  He  died  in 
1847,  aged  fifty-seven  years.  C.  R.  Fowler,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  and  by  the  fireside  at  home,  instructed 
chiefly  by  his  father.  He  remained  at  home  and  assisted  in  conducting  the 
farm  till  twenty-three  years  of  age.  He  inherited  $3,000  and  a  farm  of  125 
acres  from  his  father's  possessions,  and  in  1845  purchased  a  farm  in  Mifflin 
Township,  consisting  of  740  acres.  In  1850,  he  purchased  200  acres  near 
Little  Sandusky,  and  to  this  he  has  added  at  intervals  till  he  now  owns,  in  this 
and  Antrim  Townships,  3,000  acres.  He  has  dealt  largely  in  stock,  making  a 
specialty  of  sheep  and  wool  growing,  though  his  success  is  mainly  due  to 
his  industry  and  perseverance.  In  1875,  he  erected  his  elegant  two-story 
brick  mansion  at  a  cost  of  $17,000,  it  being,  perhaps,  as  good  a  rural  resi- 
dence as  there  is  in  the  county.  Mr.  Fowler  was  married,  February  20, 
1845.  to  Miss  Catharine  Nesbit,  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Catharine  (Wal- 
lace) Nesbit,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Irish  ancestry,  parents  of  live 
children — James,  Elizabeth,  Catharine  and  two  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fowler  are  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  but  three  are  living,  viz., 
Hiram,  Dwight,  and  Myrta,  wife  of  Albert  Boyd,  of  London,  Ohio;  the 
deceased  are  Olive,  Sarah,  Charles  and  an  infant.  Mr.  Fowler  has  always 
been  a  Democrat,  and  strong  in  the  faith.  He  served  as  Commissioner  six 
years,  and  is  among  the  most  influential  of  the  citizens  of  the  county. 

SCOTT  M.  FOWLER  was  born  at  the  old  homestead  of  Dr.  Stephen 
Fowler,  in  Pitt  To vvnship,  February  16,  1835,  being  the  youngest  son  of  the 
same.  He  resided  with  his  parents  on  the  farm  till  fourteen  years  of  age, 
when  his  father  died.  He  had  been  chosen  by  his  father  as  the  one  son  who 
should  succeed  him  in  the  medical  profession  ;  but  the  death  of  the  latter 
during  our  subject's  early  years  frustrated  these  plans.  At  the  age  of  six- 
teen, he  entered  the  Union  School  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  in  Prof.  Thayer, 
the  Superintendent,  he  found  an  earnest  friend  and  adviser,  who  fanned  to 
a  flame  his  ardent  desire  to  enter  college  and  prepare  himself  for  a  profes- 
sion. But  his  friends  who  were  most  influential  in  their  advice  under  the 
circumstances  deemed  it  unwise  to  turn  the  boy  loose  upon  his  own  respon- 
sibilities to  the  "demoralizing  influences  of  college  life."  It  was  decided, 
therefore,  that  he  should  take  charge  of  his  property,  the  homestead,  and  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  his  dream  of  professional  life  and  higher  education 
vanished,  his  disappointment  was  "pocketed,"  and  he  began  work  upon  the 
farm, where  he  continued  without  interruption  till  1865.  During  the  sum- 
mer of  1858,  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Ada  Bryant,  of  Frederick- 
town,  Knox  Co.,  Ohio,  who  was  spending  the  summer  with  the  family  of  her 
uncle,  Rev.  E.  R.  Wood,  and  this  acquaintance  resulted  in  their  marriage 
at  her  home  on  the  29th  of  December  of  the  same  year.  In  1865,  Mr.  Fow- 
ler removed  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  to  engage  in  Government  stock  speculations, 
and  soon  after  embarked  in  the  lumber  business,  in  which  his  fortune  was 
wrecked.  He  remained  five  years  in  Tennessee,  when,  with  health  greatly 
impaired  by  hard  labor,  and  with  a  desire  to  educate  his  children,  he  re- 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  911 

turned  to  this  county  and  again  took  up  the  pursuits  of  the  farm.  He  sub- 
sequently engaged  in  the  dry  goods  and  grocery  business  for  a  short  time 
at  Upper  Sandusky  and  Morral,  but  soon  returned  to  the  farm,  and  in  1884 
purchased  land  in  Western  Kansas,  where  he  now  resides.  By  the  aid  of  his 
mother  his  three  eldest  daughters  became  graduates  of  the  Upper  Sandusky 
Union  Schools,  and  by  their  own  efforts  were  enabled  to  take  a  course  of 
instruction  in  the  Oberlin  College.  Mr.  Fowler  is  a  man  of  the  strictest  in- 
tegrity of  character,  and  through  all  the  years  of  his  misfortune  and  self- 
sacritice  he  has  worn  "  the  white  flower  of  a  blameless  life  "  as  a  citizen,  a 
husband  and  a  father.  His  children  are  Nora  A.,  born  October  15,  1859; 
Cora  H,  March  27,  1861;  Erin  Maud,  October  9,  1864;  Etna  Adale,  June 
2,  1867;  Leefe  F.,  February  9,  1870;  Stephen  Bryant,  December  3,  1873; 
Enid  Marie,  May  26,  1879. 

STEPHEN  P.  FOWLER  was  born  in  Bradford  County,  Penn.,  Septem- 
ber 1,  1826.  He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Stephen  and  Leefe  Fowler,  early  and  prom- 
inent settlers  of  this  county  (see  Medical  chapter).  He  obtained  a  fair 
education  in  the  common  district  schools  of  his  time,  assisted  by  his  parents, 
with  whom  he  remained  on  the  farm  till  1854.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one 
he  obtained  13,000  from  his  father,  from  whom  he  also  inherited  about 
ninety  acres  of  land.  This  amount  be  has  since  largely  increased  and  now 
owns  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county,  consisting 
of  "  ridge "  and  "  valley "  land,  provided  with  four  to  five  miles  of  tile 
draihage,  and  stocked  with  the  best  grades  of  stock.  In  1877,  he  built  his 
elegant  and  commodious  residence,  provided  with  all  the  modern  improve- 
ments, including  gas  and  bathing  facilities.  The  structure  is  one  of  the 
most  imposing,  as  well  as  convenient  farmhouses  in  the  county,  and  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $0,000.  Mr.  Fowler  was  married,  December  18,  1878, 
to  Miss  Frances  Flago,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Hubble)  Flago, 
natives  of  New  Jersey  and  Connecticut  respectively.  Her  parents  came  to 
Ohio  when  young,  and  settled  in  Champaign  County,  where  they  reared  a 
family  of  seven  children,  Mrs.  Fowler  being  the  youngest.  Her  father  was 
a  tailor  by  trade,  and  an  influential  citizen  of  Urbaoa,  at  one  time  Mayor 
of  that  city.  He  died  in  1857;  his  widow  (since  the  wife  and  now  the 
widow  of  S.  T.  Hedges,)  is  still  living,  a  resident  of  Springfield,  Ohio.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Fowler  is  a  Democrat,  having  grown  up  in  the  faith.  He  is 
one  of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock-dealers  of  the  county,  by  whose  citi- 
zens himself  and  family  are  held  in  high  esteem. 

WILLIAM  H.  FRATER  is  a  native  of  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  born 
May  23,  1850.  His  parents  were  Thomas  and  Isabel  (Taylor)  Frater, 
natives  of  Ohio  and  Virginia  respectively,  and  of  Scotch  ancestry.  The 
father  was  born  in  1820,  and  died  in  1862;  the  mother  in  1818,  and  still 
living,  a  resident  of  Iberia,  Ohio.  They  had  five  children — George,  John 
T.,  William  H.,  Archibald  and  Thomas,  the  latter  deceased.  William,  our 
subject,  was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  subsequently  spending  two 
years  in  the  Iberia  Academy,  and  teaching  one  successful  term.  In  1873, 
he  engaged  as  shepherd  for  David  Harpster,  and  continued  in  his  employ 
four  years.  In  1877,  he  erected  his  tile  works  at  Fowler,  and  also  assumed 
charge  of  the  warehouse  at  that  place,  conducting  the  latter  business  three 
years,  and  still  engaging  extensively  in  the  t.ile  manufacture.  In  1877,  he 
purchased  three  lots  on  which  his  tile  yard  is  located,  and  in  1882  pur- 
chased the  celebrated  stallion  "Brilliant,"  imported  from  France  in  1875. 
Mr.  Frater  was  married,  June  10,  1879,  to  Rebecca  Swartz,  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Elizabeth  Swartz,  of  this  county.     She  was  born  January  15, 


912  HISTORY  OF   AVYANDOT   COUNTY. 

1857,  and  died  January  13,  1884,  leaving  one  son,  George  Earle.  born 
December  25,  1883.  Mr.  F.  is  an  active  Republican,  and  highly  esteemed 
as  a  citizen.  He  served  as  Assessor  tw^o  terms,  and  has  acquired  a  reason- 
able property  b}  industry  and  economy. 

SAMUEL  HARMAN  was  born  in  Berkeley  County,  Va.,  March  9,  1808. 
He  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Margaret  Harman,  natives  of  Virginia,  and  of 
German  extraction.  His  maternal  grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  His  parents  were  married  in  1792,  and  settled  in  Pickaway 
County  in  1812,  coming  to  this  county  in  1821,  and,  entering  eighty  acres 
where  he  now  resides,  built  the  first  hewed-log  cabin  in  this  county,  in 
which  the  first  sermon  heard  by  our  "subject  in  this  locality  was  preached  by 
Rev.  J.  B.  Finley.  They  purchased  eighty  acres  soon  after,  and  this  tract 
of  160  acres  the  father  tilled  till  his  death  in  1828,  aged  sixty-two  years; 
the  mother  died  in  1859,  aged  eighty-two.  Samuel  Harman,  our  subject, 
remained  at  home  with  his  mother  and  the  younger  children  till  1826,  and 
aided  in  supporting  them.  He  was  a  strong  and  supple  young  man,  always 
a  hard  worker,  having  cut  with  a  sickle,  bound  and  shocked  fifty  dozen  of 
wheat  in  one  day.  He  was  married,  September  19,  1833,  to  Rebecca  J. 
Church,  who  died  exactly  one  year  later.  He  was  married  July  31,  1838, 
to  Lovina  Armstrong,  daughter  of  Job  Armstrong,  this  wife  dying  five 
months  later.  His  third  marriage  was  to  Matilda  Simpson,  April  6,  1842, 
her  death  occurring  in  1877.  Mr.  Harman  has  no  childien.  He  inherited 
fifty-three  acres  from  his  father,  and  now  owns  354  acres,  well  improved. 
He  served  two  years  as  Trustee;  was  formerly  a  Whig,  but  now  a  Republican; 
was  active  during  the  late  war,  sending  money,  clothes  and  provisions  to 
army  friends.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  worthy  citizens  of  his 
community. 

DAVID  HARPSTER,  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers  in  the  State, is 
a  native  of  Mifflin  County,  Penn.,  born  December  28,  1816.  His  parents 
were  George  and  Catharine  (Thomas)  Harpster,  natives  of  Pennsylvania, and 
of  German  ancestry.  His  grandfather  Harpster  came  to  America  and  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  father  died  when  David  was  but 
eight  years  of  age,  and  he  removed  with  his  mother  to  Wayne  County,  Ohio, 
two  years  later.  He  attended  school  but  fifteen  months,  but  has  since  ac- 
quired a  good  business  education.  After  two  years  farming  with  his  brother 
in  the  above  county,  he  came  to  this  locality  in  1828  or  1829,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  accepted  a  clerkship  in  Bowsher  &  Green's  store  at  Bowsher- 
ville,  this  township,  where  he  was  employed  three  years.  He  then  became 
a  member  of  the  firm,  and  continued  the  business  till  1836,  when  he  sold 
his  interest  and  engaged  in  the  cattle  biisiness  with  Barnet  and  Thomas 
Hughes  and  James  Murdock  two  years  with  excellent  success.  From  1838 
to  1840,  he  drove  cattle  to  Detroit,  but  in  the  latter  year  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  David  Miller,  their  object  being  to  fatten  cattle  in  Illinois  and 
drive  them  to  Eastern  markets,  which  business  they  conducted  six  years,  Mr. 
Harpster  continuing  the  business  four  years  on  his  own  responsibility.  In 
1845,  he  purchased  700  acres  at  the  Government  land  sales,  and  to  this  he 
has  subsequently  added  till  he  now  owns  in  this  township  3,100  acres,  and 
in  Mifflin  Township,  1,300;  besides  these  tracts  he  has  eighty  acres  in  Van 
Wert  County,  600  acres  in  Nebraska,  240  acres  in  Iowa,  and  in  the  coun- 
ties of  Ford.  Campaign  and  McLean,  111.,  2,240  acres,  all  more  or  less  im- 
proved and  under  fence.  In  1850,  Mr.  Harpster  settled  on  his  present  "farm, 
and  has  since  engaged  largely  in  the  sheep  business,  shearing  900  the  first 
year,  and  increasing  that  number  annually  till  he  had  clipped  as  many  as 


PITT   TOWNSHIP.  913 

8,200  in  a  single  year.  His  usual  flock  numbered  about  7,000,  but  he  is 
now  disposing  of  his  sheep,  and  stocking  his  lands  with  cattle.  In  1871, 
he  erected  his  handsome  and  commodious  mansion  one-half  mile  north  of 
Fowler,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000,  and  is  still  actively  engaged  in  superintend- 
ing his  large  possessions.  His  marriage  to  Rachel  S.  Hall  occurred  April 
6,  1847.  She  was  a  daughter  of  James  Hall,  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812, 
and  an  early  settler  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio.  Three  children  were  born 
to  them,  two  yet  living — Sarah  A.,  wife  of  Col.  Cyrus  Sears,  and  Ivy,  wife 
of  William  L.  Bones,  a  wholesale  dry  goods  merchant  of  New  York  City, 
with  residence  on  Staten  Island.  In  September,  1867,  Mrs.  Harvester's 
death  occurred,  and  Mr.  H.  was  married,  in  1877,  to  Miss  Jane  Maxwell, 
daughter  of  John  Maxwell,  and  grand-daughter  of  William  Maxwell,  who 
edited  and  published  the  first  newspaper  of  Cincinnati,  his  wife  setting  a 
portion  of  the  type.  Mrs.  Harpster  is  a  refined  and  accomplished  lady,  and  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Church.  In  politics,  Mr.  H.  is  a  strong 
Republican  without  political  aspirations.  In  selling  lots  for  Fowler  City, 
he  has  a  clause  inserted  in  each  deed  stipulating  that  intoxicating  liquors 
shall  not  be  sold  thereon.  He  is  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  citizens 
of  the  county,  and  has  an  extensive  acquaintance  throughout  the  State.  He 
began  life  a  poor  boy,  and  under  very  unfavorable  circumstances;  but  by 
his  energy,  perseverance  and  business  tact,  has  amassed  a  fortune  not  ex- 
ceeded by  that  of  any  one  in  the  county,  owning  at  the  present  time  7, 520 
acres  of  land,  and  a  large  amount  of  other  stock  of  various  kinds.  Besides 
attending  to  his  personal  business  affairs,  Mr.  Harpster  has  given  some  at- 
tention and  contributed  from  his  means  to  public  enterprises,  in  all  of 
which  he  has  shown  the  same  energy,  and  his  efforts  have  been  crowned 
with  the  same  success.  The  C,  H.  V.  &  T.  R.  R.,  which  has  brought  into 
the  county  many  valued  conveniences,  had  no  firmer  friend  nor  warmer  sup- 
porter during  its  contemplated  and  constructive  period  than  Mr.  Harpster, 
and  the  people  of  this  community  owe  more  thanks  to  him  than  to  any  other 
one  man,  for  the  location  and  construction  of  that  road.  At  the  time  of  one 
of  the  first  surveys,  the  line  from  Marion  to  Sandusky  passed  through  Pitt 
Township,  some  distance  east  of  where  the  road  is  now  located.  This  was 
something  of  a  disappointment  to  those  living  in  the  western  part  of  the 
township,  and  as  Mr.  Harpster  and  others  came  home  from  visiting  the  sur- 
veyors on  said  east  line,  while  passing  along  the  Little  Sandusky  and  Bow- 
sherville  road,  and  as  it  happened  within  the  present  limits  of  the  C. ,  H.  V. 
&.  T.  right-of-way,  one  of  the  party  asked  Mr.  Harpster  what  he  would  give 
to  have  the  railroad  pass  at  that  point.  He  replied,  the  right-of-way  three 
and  one-half  miles,  and  a  wool  clip.  And  he  proved  as  good  as  his  word, 
for  when  the  road  was  built  he  gave  the  offered  right-of-way  and  took 
$10,000  stock,  which  he  increased  by  purchases,  until  when  the  road  changed 
hands,  he  received  about  $23,000  for  his  interest.  He  was  the  founder  of 
Fowler  City,  named  in  honor  of  Mr.  C.  R.  Fowler,  and  has  encouraged  and 
supported  the  business  interests  of  that  village.  He  gave  generously  toward 
the  construction  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Fowler. 

SILAS  S.  HART,  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  was  born  November 
26,  1845,  to  Elijah  and  Catharine  (Henning)  Hart,  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  of  German  and  Irish  lineage.  His  parents  came  to  Wayne  County  in 
1838,  and  to  this  county  in  1848.  Their  children  were  Eva  A.,  Mary, 
William,  Israel,  Joanna,  Samuel,  Nancy,  Silas,  Samilda  and  Hiram.  Eva 
A.  and  Elizabeth  are  deceased.  The  mother  died  July  15,  1881;  the  father 
is  still  living,  in  his  seventy-eighth  year.     Silas  S.,  oui*  subject,  obtained  a 


914  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

good  education,  having  attended  the  Upper  Sandusky  High  School  two 
terms,  and  the  Greensbnrg  Seminary  the  same  length  of  time.  He  began 
teaching  at  twenty-one,  and  is  now  teaching  his  twenty-second  term,  en- 
gaged at  Little  Sandusky.  During  summers  he  usually  clerks  in  store,  sells 
farm  implements  or  books.  Mr.  Hart  was  married,  March  5,  1874,  to  Eliza- 
beth Healy,  the  daughter  of  Jacob  Healy,  four  children  having  resulted 
from  this  union — Alphonso  J.,  born  December  21,  1874;  Irene  G.,  Julv  15, 
1878;  Louis  G.,  October  8,  1881;  and  Ora  S.,  July  8,  1883.  Mr.  Hart  is 
a  Republican,  and  both  he  and  Mrs.  Hart  are  members  of  the  German  Re- 
formeded  Church. 

HENRY  HERRING,  a  native  of  Canton  Basel,  Switzerland,  was  born 
August  25,  1826.  He  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents  in  the 
spring  of  1845,  and  settled  in  New  Baltimore,  Fairfield  Co.,  Ohio.  He 
stayed  there  until  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  when  he  moved  to  Wyandot 
County,  Ohio,  and  "  worked  around  "  several  years,  until  finally  he  could 
buy  a  small  piece  of  land.  In  June,  1855,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
M.  Snyder,  of  Hancock  County,  Ohio,  born  May  18,  1835.  To  them  were 
born  five  children — Louisa  M.,  Anna  E.,  Henry,  John  and  Rosa  B.  Henry 
died  the  27th  of  June,  1873,  at  the  age  of  ten  years.  The  others  are  all 
about  grown.  Some  years  ago  Mr.  Herring  built  a  substantial  brick  dwell- 
ing, and  now  owns  500  acres  of  land  of  fair  quality,  and,  should  his  life  be 
spared,  he  can  live  on  what  he  acquired  in  his  younger  years. 

BARNET  HUGHES  (deceased)  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Penn., 
September  16,  1808.  His  parents  were  Thomas  and  Sarah  (Swan)  Hughes, 
pioneers,  of  Irish  nationality.  Barnet  came  to  Ohio  in  1827,  having  previ- 
ously married  Sarah  AValton,  who,  dying,  left  him  three  children — Thomas, 
Sarah  and  Simeon,  the  latter  deceased.  He  was  married,  April  27,  1845, 
to  Catharine  E.  Woodcock,  daughter  of  John  L.  and  Margaret  (Coons) 
Woodcock,  natives  of  New  York,  and  of  English  and  German  extraction. 
Her  parents  came  to  this  county  in  1837,  settling  near  the  site  of  Fowler, 
Their  children  were  ten  in  number,  Mrs.  Hughes  being  the  third.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hughes  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  eight  living — Maria  (wife 
of  Orren  Straw),  Iva  (wife  of  B.  W.  Martin),  Augustus,  John  C.  F.,  Catha- 
rine B.  (wife  of  W.  S.  Harvey),  James  L.,  Samuel  H.  and  William  S.  The 
deceased  were  John  L.,  Mary  M.  and  Louis  S.  Mr.  Hughes  began  in  stock 
dealing  quite  young,  and  continued  the  business  till  his  death,  at  which 
time  he  owned  1,000  acres  of  land  in  one  tract.  He  was  an  expert 
hunter  and  an  admirer  of  fast  horses,  of  which  he  reared  and  sold  many. 
He  was  a  Republican,  and  served  as  Trustee  several  terms.  He  died  No- 
vember 26,  1873,  leaving  an  estate  of  $60,000.  His  widow  still  resides  on 
the  old  homestead  of  326  acres,  which  is  tilled  by  her  sons  Samuel  and 
William.    She  is  now,  in  her  fifty-eighth  year,  strong  and  healthful. 

JAMES  LINDSEY  HUGHES,  son  of  Barnet  and  Catharine  E.  (Wood- 
cock) Hughes,  was  born  June  9,  1860.  He  is  a  native  of  Pitt  Township,  and 
was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  remaining  at  home  till  his  marriage  to 
Miss  Belle  Young,  February  9,  1882.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Edward  and 
Sarah  (Kerr)  Young;  she  was  born  June  24,  1861;  was  educated  in  the 
common  district  school,  and  commenced  teaching  school  when  she  was  six- 
teen years  old,  and  taught  until  she  was  married.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hughes 
have  one  child,  Jamie  B.,  born  January  12,  1883.  Mr.  Hughes  inherited 
seventy  acres  of  land  from  his  father's  estate,  and  erected  a  comfortable 
residence  in  1883.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  a  substantial,  hard-working 
citizen. 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  915 

AMBKOSE  C.  HUNT  is  a  native  of  this  township,  born  October  10, 
1841;  his  parents  are  Snowden  and  Lydia  (Updegraff)  Hunt,  natives  of 
Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  the  latter  of  German  ancestry.  They 
came  to  this  county  soon  after  their  marriage  in  1827,  and  settled  on  the 
present  homestead,  purchasing  first  eighty  acres,  and  adding  to  this  till  his 
possessions  embraced  505  acres.  Their  children  were  Ambrose  C,  William 
S.,  Elvira,  Nancy  and  Elmira.  The  father  died  in  1851,  aged  thirty-siz 
years,  the  mother  in  1878,  aged  sixty-two.  At  her  husband's  death  she 
was  left  with  five  children  (the  oldest  less  than  thirteen  years)  which 
she  reared,  and  in  the  mean  lime  paid  for  one  hundred  acres  of  land.  Am- 
brose Hunt  remained  on  the  homestead,  farming  and  dealing  in  stock  till  his 
marriage,  May  6,  1877,  to  Miss  Jennie,  daughter  of  David  and  Elizabeth 
(Stillwagoner)  Swartz,  born  November  11,  1846.  They  have  one  child — 
Iva  A.,  born  April  1,  1879.  In  1878,  Mr.  Hunt  purchased  the  hotel 
property  at  Fowler,  which  he  conducted  four  years,  disposing  of  the 
same  October  1,  1883,  and  engaging  in  the  stock  business;  he  inherited  102 
acres  from  his  father's  estate,  all  in  good  condition,  valued  at  $100  per 
acre;  he  was  a  member  of  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth 
Regiment  Ohio  National  Guards,  and  participated  in  the  action  at  Berry- 
ville,  being  discharged  at  the  close  of  the  100-day  service.  Mr.  Hunt  is  a 
strong  Republican  and  good  citizen.  Mrs.  Hunt  is  a  member  of  the  Ger- 
man Reformed  Chui'ch. 

WILLIAM  S.  HUNT  was  born  in  this  township  November  18,  1850;  he 
is  a  son  of  Snowden  and  Lydia  (Updegraff)  Hunt,  old  residents  of  this  county. 
(See  sketch  of  A.  C.  Hunt.)  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  aban- 
doning his  studies  at  the  age  of  twenty;  he  remained  at  home  assisting 
about  the  farm,  of  which  he  assumed  full  charge  for  a  number  of  years;  on 
his  mother's  decease,  he  inherited  102^  acres  of  land,  valued  at  |75  per 
acre,  and  which  he  has  largely  improved;  he  owns  the  old  homestead,  the 
residence  having  been  erected  in  1869,  at  a  cost  of  $1,500.  Mr.  Hunt 
is  a  Republican  and  unmarried;  he  has  two  sisters — Elvira  and  Nancy 
Hunt,  the  former  born  March  9,  1844,  the  latter  August  22.  1846.  They 
received  the  education  afforded  by  the  district  schools,  and  remained  at  home 
with  their  parents  till  the  latter's  death,  at  which  time  they  each  came  into 
possession  of  102|^  acres  of  land,  which  has  since  received  their  attention. 
The  farms  are  valued  at  $75  and  $50  per  acre  respectively,  and  tilled  by 
renters  or  tenants.  In  1883,  they  erected  on  the  farm  of  the  latter  a  hand- 
some residence,  costing  $1,700,  and  in  which  they  will  henceforth  abide. 
They  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  highly- 
esteemed  as  ladies  of  keen  business  tact,  good  judgment  and  character. 

GEORGE  L  HOKE  is  a  native  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  born  Sep- 
tember 20,  1853;  son  of  William  and  Henrietta  (Smith)  Hoke,  natives  of 
Germany,  who  came  to  America  in  1834,  settling  in  Crawford  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  established  a  cabinet  shop,  and  did  an  extensive  business; 
he  was  an  expert  in  the  art  of  inlaying  bone,  brass,  ivory,  etc.,  and  brought 
with  him  from  Germany  an  outfit  of  tools  presented  to  him  by  his  employer 
at  the  close  of  his  apprenticeship  for  the  mastery  of  his  trade;  he  spent 
many  years  in  Strasburg,  his  handiwork  being  among  some  of  the  finest  in 
Europe;  he  died  in  1873,  aged  fifty  seven  years.  The  mother  died  in  1863. 
George  Hoke,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  given  a  common  school  educa- 
tion, and  at  sixteen  began  work  in  a  sash  and  door  factory,  subsequently 
with  J.  Stoll  &  Co.,  entering  the  carriage  shops  of  Seider  &,  Beidler,  of 
Upper  Sandusky,  in  whose  employ   he  remained  six  years.     In  1879,  he 


916  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

formed  a  partnership  with  M.  B.  Myers  in  the  manufacture  of  wagons, 
buggies,  etc.,  at  Fowler,  where  they  are  doing  a  flourishing  business.  Mr. 
Holie  was  married,  March  12,  1874,  to  Mary  Fought,  daughter  of  Aaron 
Fought,  and  three  children  have  been  born  to  them — William  F.,  Martha 
E.  and  Rolley.  In  politics,  Mr.  Hoke  is  a  strong  temperance  Democrat; 
as  a  citizen  he  is  highly  esteemed. 

CHARLES  HORNBY  was  born  in  Lancashire,  England,  August  5, 
1830,  soj]  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Cottam)  Hornby,  parents  of  eight  chil 
dren,  the  father  a  butcher  by  trade.  He  began  the  tailor's  trade  as  an 
apprentice  at  the  age  of  eleven,  serving  nine  years,  and  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1856.  He  came  directly  to  Little  Sandusky,  having  a 
cash  capital  of  40  cents,  and  engaged  as  a  farm  laborer  for  S.  M.  Fowler,  by 
whom  he  was  employed  seven  years.  In  1863,  he  rented  a  small  shop  in 
the  burg,  and  gradually  established  his  now  thriving  merchant  tailoring 
business.  His  first  bill  of  goods  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $200;  he  now 
carries  a  stock  of  $3,000  in  ready-made  and  piece  goods,  notions,  etc.  Mr. 
Hornby  was  married,  July  18,  1856,  to  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Bradley,  and  four  children  were  born  to  them — Alice  (wife  of  Hiram 
Fowler),  Delia  (wife  of  Frank  Stoneburner),  Ernest  and  Maud.  Mrs. 
Hornby  died  in  1869,  aged  thirty-three  years,  and  Mr.  H.  was  married 
April  12,  1871,  to  Mary  Martin,  daughter  of  C.  S.  Martin.  (See  sketch  of 
B.  W.  Martin.)  This  latter  marriage  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  four 
children,  viz.,  Roy,  Floy,  Edward  and  a  babe  unchristened.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hornby  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the  former  being 
Steward  of  the  same  and  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school,  both  well 
respected  throughout  their  community. 

HENRY  C.  JURY  is  a  native  of  this  county,  born  in  Antrim  Township 
November  15,  1837.  His  parents  were  Abner  and  Priscilla  (Winslow)  Jury, 
natives  of  Virginia  and  New  York  respectively.  They  were  married  in  this 
county  in  1836,  having  come  to  Ohio  with  their  parents  a  number  of  years 
before,  settling  in  this  county.  They  purchased  a  farm  of  160  acres,  and 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children — Henry  C. ,  John  R. ,  Sarah  J.,  Margaret, 
Samuel  W.,  Olive  and  Cyrus  (the  latter  deceased).  The  father  died  in 
1851,  aged  forty  years;  the  mother  is  still  living,  a  resident  of  this  county, 
in  her  sixty-aixth  year.  After  the  death  of  his  father,  Mr.  Jury  assisted 
in  maintaining  the  family  till  his  twenty-sixth  year.  He  farmed  rented 
land  one  year;  bought  and  sold  stock  one  year,  and  in  1866  removed  to 
Missouri,  where  he  purchased  180  acres  in  Henry  County,  where  he  resided 
eleven  years.  In  1877,  he  returned  to  this  county;  resided  one  year  at 
Nevada,  dealing  in  stock,  and  then  engaged  in  farming  on  the  old  home- 
stead, whei'e  he  remained  till  October,  1883.  when  he  purchased  his  present 
hotel  property  and  engaged  in  that  business.  Mr.  Jury  was  married,  August 
25,  1863,  to  Julia  A.  Roseberry,  daughter  of  John  and  Amanda  (Garrett) 
Roseberry,  early  settlers  of  Crawford  County,  and  eight  children  have  been 
born  to  them — Howard  J.,  C.  Edward,  Clara  A.,  Mary  E.,  Olive  J.,  Minnie  G., 
John  B.  and  Anna.  Mr.  Jury  is  a  thorough  Democrat,  and  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mrs.  Jury  is  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  both  are  highly  respected  as  citizens. 

JOHNSTON  KERR,  deceased,  born  March  11,  1810,  in  Pennsylvania, 
is  a  son  of  James  Kei'r,  who  came  to  Knox  County,  Ohio,  with  his  family 
in  1812.  Early  in  life  our  subject  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he 
plied  twelve  years,  his  wife  working  in  the  shop  with  him,  "blowing  and 
striking."     He  married  Miss  Celinda  Moore  March  11,  1833,  she  being  the 


PITT   TOWNSHIP.  917 

daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Moore,  and  by  this  marriage  the  children  were 
Lorenzo,  Caroline  (wife  of  J.  C.  Lynch),  Orville,  Eli,  Oregon  and  La 
Fayette;  four  others  are  deceased.  He  removed  to  Marion  County,  and 
entered  160  acres,  on  which  he  resided  twenty  years,  dealing  extensively  in 
stock.  In  1856,  he  sold  his  possessions  in  Marion  County,  and  removed  to 
this,  purchasing  400  acres,  and  owning  900  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
still  engaged  in  stock-dealing,  and  at  his  death  left  an  estate  of  $85,000  to 
$90,000.  He  died  August  20,  1873.  His  widow  still  resides  in  Little  San- 
dusky.    She  was  born  June  14,  1813. 

MICHAEL  KOTTERMAN  was  born  in  Northumberland  County,  Penn., 
July  5,  1807  ;  his  parents  were  Michael  and  Catharine  (Hettrick)  Kotter- 
man,  natives  of  same  State,  and  of  German  descent.  His  father  spent  six 
months  in  the  war  of  1812.  Our  subject  attended  school  nine  months, 
farmed  till  his  twentieth  year,  and  then  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade, 
which  he  engaged  in  twenty-one  years.  In  1848,  he  purchased  his  present 
home,  first  consisting  of  80  acres,  now  187,  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  He 
was  married,  April  30,  1831,  to  Miss  Sarah  King,  daughter  of  Peter  and 
Mary  (Witmore)  King,  natives  of  Germany  and  Pennsylvania  respectively, 
and  early  settlers  of  Perry  County,  Ohio,  coming  to  that  locality  about 
1810,  and  rearing  a  family  of  fourteen  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kotterman 
are  parents  of  nine  children — Caroline,  wife  of  Edward  Montee  ;  Susan  S., 
wife  of  James  S.  Sankey  ;  Solomon,  Noah,  David,  and  Ellen,  wife  of  Levi 
Swinehart.  The  deceased  are  Mary,  an  infant,  and  Levi,  killed  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Bull  Run,  second.  They  began  life  with  meager  means,  but  have 
amassed  a  fortune  of  $15,000.  Mr.  Kotterman  is  a  Democrat ;  both  himself 
and  wife  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church  at  Little  Sandusky. 

SOLOMON  KOTTERMAN,  son  of  Michael  and  Saloma  (King)  Kotterman, 
was  born  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  February  22, 1839.  The  early  part  of  his  life 
was  passed  at  home,  and  in  work  for  his  immediate  neighbors.  He  was 
married,  September  28,  1862,  to  Miss  Matilda  Foucht,  daughter  of  Christian 
and  Elizabeth  (Weimer)  Foucht,  and  six  children  were  born  to  them — 
Leefee  B.,  May  14,  1864;  Adella  C,  November  9,  1866;  Elizabeth  E.. 
May  13,  1871 ;  Charles  A.,  June  30,  1874;  Nevin  T.,  March  16,  1880,  and 
H.  Franklin,  born  January  18,  1881,  died  March  5,  1881.  Mr.  Kotterman 
purchased  his  present  farm  of  107  acres,  paying  $45  per  acre.  He  erected 
his  comfortable  residence  at  a  cost  of  $1,500  in  1880,  and  now  values  his  farm 
at  $80  per  acre.  Politically,  Mr.  Kotterman  is  a  Democrat;  he  is  serving  his 
fourth  year  as  Trustee  ;  was  two  years  Constable,  twice  elected  Assessor,  is 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  and,  with  his  wife,  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church,  of  which  he  has  been  a  Deacon  for  the  past  sixteen  vears. 

GEORGE  KRAMER,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Orsendorf)  Ki'amer, 
is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  March  3,  1820.  His  parents  were  of 
German  descent.  His  father  was  drafted  (did  not  serve)  in  the  war  of  1812. 
Their  children  living  are  John,  Samuel  and  George  ;  the  deceased  are  Hen- 
ry, Michael,  Elizabeth,  Catharine  and  Jacob.  The  father  died  in  his  sev- 
enty-eighth, the  mother  in  her  seventieth  year.  At  seventeen,  our  subject 
began  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  thirty  years.  He 
came  to  Ohio  and  located  in  Wayne  County  in  1842,  to  Ashland  County  in 
1846,  and  to  this  county  in  1852.  He  first  purchased  80  acres,  but  has 
added  to  this  till  he  now  owns  155.  He  has  cleared  120  acres  and  made 
many  other  improvements,  erecting  a  comfortable  residence,  at  a  cost  of 
$1,200,  in  1869-70.  Mr.  Kramer  was  married  in  1844  to  Miss  Anna  C. 
Thorn,  daughter  of  Frederick  Thorn.     They  had  eight  children — John  H., 

42 


918  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

William  T.,  George  D. ,  Samuel  D.,  Margaret,  Elizabeth,  Sarah  A.  and 
Lodema.  Mrs.  Kramer  was  born  February  5,  1821.  In  politics.  Mr.  Kra- 
mer is  a  Democrat ;  both  himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church,  of  which  he  was  botli  Deacon  and  Elder  many  years. 

SUMNEE  E.  LEWIS,  born  in  this  township  December  19,  1856,  is  a 
son  of  Stanton  J.  and  Wealtha  M.  (Stanton)  Lewis.  (See  sketch.)  He 
assisted  about  his  father's  farm  and  attended  the  district  school,  closing  his 
studies  in  the  high  school  of  Upper  Sandusky  at  the  age  of  twenty.  He 
was  married  in  1877,  to  Miss  Sylvia  Boyer,  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Mary  A.  (Miller)  Boyer,  her  father  dying  when  she  was  but  one  year  of  age. 
They  have  two  children — Ora  S.,  born  January  13,  1878,  and  Stanton  J., 
May  18,  1880.  Mrs.  Lewis  was  born  October  13,  1860.  Mr.  Lewis  inher- 
ited 120  acres  from  his  father's  estate,  and  this  he  has  improved  in  various 
ways.  He  built  a  neat  cottage  in  1878,  and  a  fine  barn  in  1883.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  well  respected  socially. 

MILES  S.  LEWIS  was  born  in  this  township  January  3,  1849.  He  is 
a  son  of  Stanton  J.  and  Wealtha  M.  (Stanton)  Lewis,  natives  of  New  York, 
and  of  English  descent.  His  father  was  employed  in  a  carding  mill  in 
Genesee  County,  N.  Y.,  before  marriage,  which  occurred  in  1844,  migrating 
to  Ohio  the  same  year.  He  settled  in  Marion  County,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  and  school  teaching.  In  1847,  he  entered  160  acres,  where  his 
widow  now  resides.  Their  children  were  Miles  S.  and  S.  Everett,  living,  and 
Minerva  C. ,  Julia  C.  and  William  S.  Mr.  Lewis  was  highly  respected, 
serving  as  Clei'k  and  Trustee  of  his  township  several  years.  He  died  Jan- 
uary 12,  1880,  aged  sixty-three  years  ;  his  widow  still  survives,  she  was 
born  April  19,  1818.  Miles  Lewis,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  received  a 
good  education  in  the  common  branches,  taught  one  term,  and  tilled  the 
"home  farm"  till  his  father's  decease,  when  he  inherited  and  purchased 
160  acres,  which  he  has  well  stocked  and  improved.  He  was  married,  June 
22,  1871,  to  Miss  Kate  Stoneburner,  daughter  of  Noah  and  Magdalena 
(Hite)  Stoneburner,  and  two  children  have  been  born  to  them — Clara  M., 
born  June  22,  1872,  and  Princess  M.,  October  7,  1875.  Mrs.  Lewis  was 
born  February  14,  1855.  Politically,  Mr.  Lewis  is  a  Republican  ;  himself 
and  wife  are  highly  esteemed  in  their  community. 

GODFRED  LININGER  was  born  in  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio,  August 
22,  1843,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Struan)  Lininger,  who  emigrated  from 
Germany  about  1814,  locating  in  Upper  Sandusky.  The  father  died 
December  11,  1871;  the  mother  still  survives.  Godfred  resided  with  his 
pai'ents  for  twenty-five  years,  farming  and  operating  a  threshing  machine. 
His  first  wife,  Addie,  died  August  1,  1879,  leaving  five  children — Frank  W., 
born  May  23,  1869;  Mary  M.,  born  April  9,  1873:  Harry  D.,  March  1, 
1876;  Carrie  V.,  October  29,  1878;  Elnora  M.  is  deceased.  Mr.  Lininger 
was  again  married,  February  19,  1880,  to  Arinda  C.  Eakin,  born  March  29, 
1856,  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  E.  (Weatherby)  Eakin,  three  children 
resulting— Thomas  B.,  born  December  2,  1880;  Bertha  E.,  March  31,  1882, 
and  Godfred,  July  26,  1883.  Mr.  Lininger  rented  his  father's  farm  one 
year,  then  purchased  forty  acres  of  the  James  farm,  where  he  resided  two 
years,  and  purchased  his  present  farm  of  forty  acres  in  1874.  He  has  made 
many  improvements,  building  a  fine  bank  barn  in  1883.  He  is  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  and  himself  and  wife  both  church  members. 

B.  W.  MARTIN  was  born  in  Little  Sandusky,  Ohio,  December  25, 
1848.  He  is  a  son  of  Caleb  S.  and  Elizabeth  (Coons)  Martin,  natives  of 
Maryland  and  New  York  respectively.     They  came  to  this  locality  in  1835, 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  919 

the  father,  a  shoe-maker  by  trade,  still  a  resident  of  the  above  village. 
Their  children  were  Burke  W.,  Mary  P.,  Alice  L. ,  Charles  R.  and  Minerva, 
the  two  latter  deceased.  The  mother  is  also  still  livinj:^.  B.  W.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  was  engaged  in  daily  and  monthly  labor  and  in  clerking 
till  twenty-one  years  of  age,  obtaining  a  fair  education  in  the  meantime. 
He  then  purchased  the  grocery  stock  of  J.  F.  Myers,  and  has  since  engaged 
in  mercantile  business,  first  independently,  then  with  William  Montee,  next 
with  J.  L.  Lewis,  the  present  firm  of  Martin  &  Whittker  being  established 
in  1874.  They  do  a  thriving  business,  dealing  in  all  kinds  of  country  prod- 
uce. Mr.  Martin  was  married,  October  4,  1871,  to  Miss  Ivy  E.  Hughes, 
daughter  of  Barnet  and  Catharine  E.  Hughes.  They  have  four  children — 
Luella  M.,  Alice  B. ,  Charles  S.  and  Sidney  W.  Besides  their  stock  in  store, 
the  firm  also  owns  150  acres  of  land  in  good  repair,  valued  at  $65  per  acre. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Marti d  is  a  Democrat. 

JOHN  MAWER  is  a  native  of  Lincolnshire,  England,  born  February 
2,  1833,  son  of  Thompson  and  Mary  (Boxter)  Mawer.  He  obtained  a 
limited  education;  began  "  working  out"  at  the  age  of  ten  at  6  cents  per 
day:  began  life  for  himself  at  the  age  of  fifteen  at  $1  per  month,  and 
sailed  for  America  in  1861.  He  located  in  Marion  County,  worked  the  first 
year  by  the  month,  afterward  reiiting,  and  still  later  buying  forty  acres 
(1863)  for  $250.  He  bought  and  sold  several  different  farms,  purchasing 
his  present  homestead  of  146  acres  in  1878.  Mr.  Mawer  was  married,  July 
31,  1863,  to  Agnes  A.  Lane,  widow  of  James  Lane,  by  whom  she  had  two 
children — Betsey  T.  and  L.  Jane,  the  latter  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mawer 
have  three  children — Francis  O.,  born  May  7,  1864;  Sherman  D.,  August 
17,  1865,  and  MarcellusG.,  October  10,  1870.  Mr.  Mawer  is  a  Republican, 
himself  and  wife  being  members  of  the  church. 

THOMAS  McCLAIN,  son  of  David  and  Martha  (Swan)  McClain,  was 
born  in  Greene  County,  Penn. ,  February  29,  1816.  His  parents  were  of 
Scotch  ancestry,  his  great-grandfather  coming  from  Scotland.  His  grand- 
father, Abijah  McClain,  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and  his  father  a  soldier 
of  the  war  of  1812,  helping  to  build  the  fort  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  wit- 
nessing the  treaty  of  peace  with  the  Wyandots.  His  father  migrated  to 
Ohio  in  1835,  and  settled  at  Bowsherville,  buying  400  acres  of  land  with 
Barnet  Hughes.  He  was  the  father  of  thirteen  children — three  by  his  first 
wife,  Martha  Swan,  and  ten  by  his  second,  Rebecca  West.  He  died  in  1852; 
his  first  wife's  death  occurred  in  1820.  Thomas  McClain  obtained  a  limited 
education  in  subscription  schools,  and  worked  upon  the  farm  of  his  father, 
coming  to  this  county  with  the  family.  He  was  married,  January  26,  1837, 
to  Rosanna  Bowsher,  daughter  of  Anthony  Bowsher,  from  whom  the  village 
was  named.  She  died  in  1852,  ag6d  thirty-two  years,  leaving  eight  chil- 
dren— David,  Leefee,  Susan  and  Thomas  (all  deceased),  Martha,  Anthony, 
Samuel,  Zelinda  and  Ann.  In  1853,  Mr.  McClain  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  Kipfer,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Kipfer,  three  children  result- 
ing from  this  union — Rozilla  (wife  of  Henry  Swisher),  James  and  Charles. 
He  purchased  his  first  land,  134  acres,  at  the  Government  sales,  and  this 
number  he  has  increased  to  432  acres,  248  in  Mifflin  Township,  all  well 
stocked  and  improved.  In  1872,  he  erected  a  fine  brick  residence.  In  pol- 
itics, Mr.  McClain  is  Independent;  he  has  served  as  Trustee  of  the  town- 
ship, and  was  elected  Commissioner  of  the  county  three  successive  terms, 
always  by  large  majorities. 

CLAY  MILLER  was  born  in  Pitt  Township  February  20,  1846.  His 
parents  were  William  and  Sophia  (Karr)  Miller,  natives  of  Kentucky  and 


920  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Ohio  respectively,  and  of  German  and  Scotch-Irish  descent.  His  maternal 
great-grandfather  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  AVilliam  Miller  came  to 
Ohio  in  1833,  locating  lirst  in  Marion  County,  but  later  leasing  land  of  the 
Indians  and  purchasing  at  the  Government  land  sales  720  acres,  to  which 
he  added  till  at  his  death  he  owned  1,000  acres.  He  was  an  extensive 
stock-dealer,  and  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  about  twenty  years.  His 
nine  children  were  Gilford  D.,  Rebecca,  America,  Jordan,  Elizabeth,  George, 
Charles,  Ellen  and  Clay.  George  is  deceased.  The  first  four  children 
were  borne  by  Mr.  Miller's  first  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth 
Gordon.  The  father  died  in  1864,  aged  sixty- six,  the  mother,  February  18, 
1881,  aged  seventy-three.  Clay  Miller,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  edu- 
cated in  the  district  schools,  worked  upon  the  farm  and  at  eighteen  enlisted 
in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Forty- fourth  Regiment  Ohio  National 
Guard,  participating  in  one  skirmish,  and  retiring  at  the  close  of  his  "  100- 
day  "  service.  At  his  father's  death  he  inherited  100  acres,  now  owning 
490,  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  township.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  sheep- 
raising,  now  owning  1,200  head.  His  residence  was  consumed  by  fire  April 
14,1883,  and  he  is  now  erecting  a  fine  new  dwellimg  with  all  the  modern 
improvements.  Mr.  Miller  was  married,  October  27,  1870,  to  Miss  Mary 
Kerr,  daughter  of  James  and  Jane  (Ellis)  Kerr,  and  four  children  have 
been  born  to  them — William  Mc,  born  August  28,  1871;  Maggie,  March 
30,  1873;  James  D.,  January  10,  1876;  Harry  C,  February  24,  1883.  Mr. 
Miller  is  a  Republican  and  at  present  Trustee.  Mrs.  Miller  was  eight  years 
a  teacher  in  the  public  schools. 

WILLIAM  MOUSER  is  a  native  of  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  born  March 
3,  1808.  His  parents,  James  and  Polly  (Potts)  Mouser,  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  of  German  and  Irish  descent.  Hispatei-nal  grandfather,  a  soldier 
of  the  French  and  Indian  war,  was  captured  by  the  savages  and  condemned 
to  be  burned  at  the  stake,  but  a  heavy  rain  occurring  on  the  night  before  his 
execution  loosened  the  thongs  by  which  he  was  bound,  and  he  escaped  to  the 
fort,  which,  after  falling  into  a  pool  of  water  and  being  shot  at  several  times 
by  the  guards,  who  mistook  him  for  a  spy,  he  succeeded  in  entering.  Mr. 
Moiiser's  maternal  grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  His 
parents  came  to  Ohio  in  an  early  day  and  reared  a  family  of  twelve  children. 
William  is  the  fourth  son  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  residing 
with  his  parents  till  his  marriage,  which  occurred  January  2,  1834;  his 
marriage  to  Elizabeth  S.  Anderson  was  blest  with  six  childi-en.  She  died 
June  30,  1869,  leaving  three  sons — Decatur,  Mason  and  David,  the  three 
daughters  having  died  young.  He  was  married  March  17,  1872,  to  Miss 
Henrietta  Webb,  born  October  6,  1832,  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Mary  (Faulk- 
ner) Webb.  Their  only  offspring — George  W.,  was  born  March  1,  1875. 
Mr.  Mouser  rented  land  about  eight  years,  purchasing  his  present  farm  in 
1847,  being  compelled  to  clear  the  timber  from  the  site  on  which  to  erect 
his  cabin.  He  has  always  been  a  hard  worker  and  an  enterprising  citizen. 
He  is  a  Democrat  and  has  served  as  Trustee  of  his  township  about  seven 
years. 

DAVID  D.  MOUSER,  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth  S.  (Anderson) 
Mouser,  was  born  in  Pitt  Township  July  18,  1852.  He  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  and  has  always  resided  on  the  old  homestead. 
He  was  married,  June  2,  1879,  to  JMiss  Sarah  Evens,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  two  children  have  blessed  their  union — Paul,  born  July  5,  1880, 
and  Myna,  born  August  8,  1882.  Mrs.  Mouser  was  born  Aiigust  16,  1862. 
Mr.  Mouser  is  an  industrious  and  enterprising  farmer,  giving  most  of  his 


PITT   TOWNSHIP.  921 

attention  to  the  cultivation  of  cereals  of  various  kinds;  he  has  kept  a  minute 
account  of  his  daily  proceedings  for  the  past  sixteen  years,  now  writing  his 
fifth  volume.  In  politics,  Mr.  Mouser  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of 
Old-School  Baptist  Church  at  "  Rocky  Fork,"  having  united  with  that  sect 
in  1875. 

M.  BAKER  MYERS,  of  the  firm  of  Hoke  &  Myers,  was  born  at  the  In- 
dian mills  near  Upper  Sandusky,  November  2,  1855.  He  is  a  son  of  George 
and  Elizabeth  Myers,  who  came  from  Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  in  1848, 
and  purchased  the  old  mill  referred  to.  Mr.  Myers  obtained  a  fair  educa- 
tion in  the  union  schools  at  Upper  Sandusky,  abandoning  his  studies  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  and  entering  the  shops  of  Seider  &  Beidler,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  blacksmith's  trade,  and  worked  about  seven  years  for  that  firm. 
In  1879,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  G.  I.  Hoke,  in  blacksmithing  and 
wagon  manufacturing  at  Fowler,  where  they  have  built  up  an  extensive  and 
lucrative  business,  having  as  large  a  trade  as  any  establishment  of  the  size 
in  the  county.  Mr.  Myers  is  a  strong  advocate  of  temperance,  and  is  an 
industrious  and  enterprising  young  man  of  good  character. 

CHRISTIAN  NIEDERHAUSER  is  a  native  of  Switzerland,  born  in 
Canton  Berne,  January  8,  1822;  his  parents,  David  and  Elizabeth  (Eausey) 
Niederhauser,  were  natives  of  the  same  country,  and  emigrated  in  1832, 
settling  in  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio,  rearing  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, two  living — David  and  Christian;  John,  Frederick,  Samuel,  Eliz- 
abeth, Ann  and  two  infants  are  deceased.  Our  siibject  obtained  the 
rudiments  of  an  education,  and  September  2,  1847,  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Knaus,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Susanna  (Richman)  Knaus. 
born  May  29,  1820;  her  parents  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Maryland  respectively.  Mr.  N.'s  grandfather  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  N.  have  but  three  children  living — Elizabeth  (wife  of 
John  Brant),  John  and  Susan.  The  deceased  are  David,  Edward,  Benja- 
min F.  and  two  infants.  Mr.  Niederhauser  purchased  his  present  farm  in 
1846,  then  83  acres,  now  123,  much  of  which  was  forest  land  cleared  by 
himself  and  wife.  He  erected  a  "bank"  barn  costing  $700  in  1868,  a 
brick  house  costing  $1,000  in  1870,  and  a  fine  windmill  in  1883.  Mrs.  N. 
received  a  stroke  of  paralysis  in  1874,  and  has  since  been  an  invalid,  hav- 
ing lost  the  entire  use  of  her  limbs.  Mr.  N.  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and 
both  are  members  of  the  Reformed  Church. 

JOHN  NIEDERHAUSER,  son  of  the  above,  was  born  December  3,  1852; 
he  made  his  home  with  his  parents  till  his  marriage  to  Miss  Rosanna  E.  Sig- 
ler,  January  27,  1876.  Her  parents  are  William  and  Rosanna  (Mitchel) 
Sigler,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  residents  of  Eden  Township.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Niederhauser  are  parents  of  four  children — Nevon  O. ,  born  July 
6,  1878;  Emma  B.,  March  20,  1881;  Christian  E.,  August  26,  1883,  and  an 
infant  deceased.  Mrs.  N.  was  born  July  6,  1849.  Since  his  marriage,  IVIr. 
N.  has  tilled  his  father's  farm.  He  purchased  sixty-six  acres  near  this  in 
1882,  and  dui-ing  the  past  five  years  has  operated  a  Huber  thresher.  He  is 
a  Democrat,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church. 

ISAAC  NUTTER,  son  of  Christopher  and  Elizabeth  (Mclntire)  Nutter, 
was  born  in  Harrison  County,  Va.,  May  1,  1826.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  Virginia,  and  lived  and  died  in  the  "Old  Dominion."  His  father  was 
a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  reared  a  family  of  fifteen  children,  our 
subject  being  the  youngest.  Not  having  the  advantages  of  free  schools,  his 
education  is  limited.     He  came  to  Ohio  in  1853,  and  located  in  this  county. 


922  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

October  29,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  K,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
third  Regiment,  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  but  was  engaged  only  at  Win- 
chester, being  wounded  before  having  an  opportunity  to  tire  bis  gun.  Being 
wounded  in  the  arm,  amputation  of  the  member  was  necessary,  as  a  result 
of  which  he  receives  a  pension  of  $30  per  month.  Mr.  Nutter  was  married, 
December  11,  1848,  to  Margaret  E.,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Edith  (Sivel) 
Duff,  natives  of  Virginia,  and  of  Irish  descent.  Eight  children  have  been 
born  to  this  union — John  A.,  Edith  (wife  of  Cornelius  Brewer),  William, 
Almedia  (wife  of  John  Miller),  Laura  B.  (wife  of  Samuel  Smith,  deceased), 
Margaret  (wife  of  Samuel  Miller)  and  Isaac  N. ,  the  two  latter  deceased. 
The  mother  was  born  November  28,  1829.  Mr.  Nutter  purchased  his  little 
farm  in  1865.      He  is  a  strong  Republican. 

WILLIAM  PARKER,  son  of  Thomas  and  Eliza  (Smith)  Parker,  was 
born  in  Lincolnshire,  England,  May  22,  1839.  He  worked  several  years  in 
his  native  country  at  8  cents  to  16  cents  per  day,  and  emigrated  to  America 
in  1857;  he  made  his  home  with  his  uncle,  Mr.  Plum,  and  did  daily  labor 
two  years,  when  he  began  farming  for  himself;  he  was  married  December 
17,  1861,  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Christopher  Wise.  They  had  three  . 
children,  two  living — AVilliam  H.  and  John  E. ;  Mary  E.  is  deceased.  Mrs, 
Parker  died  April  27,  1866,  aged  twenty-six  years,  and  Mr.  Parker  was  mar- 
ried October  8,  1868,  to  Miss  Eliza  Marsh,  daughter  of  Mahlon  Marsh. 
In  1870,  he  purchased  a  farm  of  forty  acres,  valued  at  $80  per  acre,  and  in 
1876  added  twelve  acres  near  Fowler,  erecting  a  fine  residence,  costing 
$2,000,  in  1878.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  he  being  a  Republican  in  politics. 

WALTER  R.  ROWSE  was  born  in  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  July  29,  1852,  to 
Quincy  A.  and  Rebecca  E.  (Sweney)  Rpwse,  natives  of  Ohio,  and  of  German 
lineage.  His  grandfather  Rowse  was  an  early  settler  of  Ci'awford  County, 
helping  to  lay  out  the  town  of  Bucyrus,  serving  as  Justice  of  the  Peace 
many  years,  and  also  as  Clerk  of  court.  The  children  of  the  family  are 
Walter  R.,  Lincoln  R.,  Lucy  T.,  Robert,  Henry,  Silas,  William  H. ,  Edwin 
R.  and  Clarence,  the  four  latter  deceased.  The  mother  died  in  1860;  the 
father  was  married  three  times  and  died  February  19,  1878.  His  father's 
aunt  carried  a  musket  in  the  war  of  1812,  dressed  in  male  attire,  acting  as 
a  spy.  Walter  Rowse  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Bucyrus,  re- 
moving to  the  farm  with  his  parents  in  1869.  He  was  married,  January  4, 
1876,  to  Miss  Cornelia  Straw,  born  December  5,  1859,  daughter  of  David 
and  Rebecca  (Williams)  Straw.  The  children  from  this  marriage  are 
Quincy  A.,  born  October  1,  1876;  Frank  N.,  August  4,  1878;  Arthur  C, 
December  17,  1880;  Racy  M.,  September  18,  1882.  Mrs.  Rowse  inherited 
363  acres  from  her  father's  estate,  and  the  same  is  well  stocked  and  im- 
proved. Mx\  and  Mrs.  Rowse  are  located  in  a  pleasant  home  and  highly 
esteemed  as  citizens. 

JOHN  T.  SCHUG,  born  in  Prussia  September  20,  1826,  is  a  son  of 
Nicholas  and  Catharine  (Ranch)  Schug.  Being  too  low  in  stature  to  be- 
come a  member  of  the  German  Army,  he  came  to  America  in  1849,  and  in 
1858  came  to  Little  Sandusky,  residing  with  his  mother-in-law  two  years, 
farming  and  smithing.  Prior  to  this,  he  was  engaged  several  yeai's  travel- 
ing and  repairing  all  kinds  of  machinery,  and  in  the  spring  of  1851  opened 
a  blacksmith  shop  at  Canal  Dover,  where  he  conducted  a  successful  business 
seven  years.  In  1860,  Mr.  Schug  moved  to  the  village  of  Little  Sandusky, 
and  where  he  has  built  up  a  good  trade.  He  was  married  in  the  autumn  of 
1851  to  Barbara  Manerer,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  Manerer,  na- 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  923 

tives  of  Switzerland,  this  union  being  followed  by  six  children,  of  whom 
but  one,  Frederick  J.,  is  now  living.  Mrs.  Schug  died  August  27,  1879, 
and  Mr.  S.  was  married,  October  14,  1880,  to  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Bower,  daughter 
of  John  and  Susan  Swartz.  Her  children  by  her  lirst  husband  were  Mary, 
wife  of  Charles  Fichter;  Susan  and  David  H.  Mr.  Schug  is  doing  a  good 
business,  havias:  the  leading  shop  in  town,  in  connection  with  which  his 
step- son,  David  Bower,  conducts  a  wagon  shop.  In  politics,  Mr.  Schug  is 
a  Democrat;  he  is  a  member  of  the  German  Reformed,  and  his  wife  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

COL.  CYRUS  SEARS  is  a  native  of  Delhi  Township,  Delaware  Co., 
N.  Y. ,  born  March  10,  1832.  His  parents  were  Elkanah  and  Desiar 
(Phelps)  Sears,  whose  history  is  elsewhere  detailed.  (See  sketch  of  J.  D. 
Sears).  Cyrus  Sears,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  removed  with  his  parents 
to  a  farm  near  Bucyrus,  Crawford  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1836,  where  he  resided 
till  about  1852,  attending  the  district  schools  during  winters  in  the  mean- 
time. He  afterward  attended  the  Union  Schools  of  Bucyrus  one  year; 
taught  one  term;  took  a  course  in  book-keeping,  and  while  waiting  for  a 
business  opening,  learned  the  art  of  telegraphy.  He  was  employed  one 
year  by  T.  Stout  &  Co.,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  as  book-keeper,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1855  began  the  study  of  law  with  his  brother  J.  D.  Sears  at 
Upper  Sandusky,  subsequently  entering  the  Cincinnati  Law  School,  where 
he  graduated  at  the  close  of  the  first  term,  but  attended  a  second  course  of 
lectures  as  a  more  thorough  preparation  for  his  work.  After  spending 
about  one  year  in  the  employ  of  Messrs.  Ferguson  &  Long,  he  located  in 
Bucyrus  one  year  and  then  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  J.  D. 
Sears,  with  whom  he  remained  till  1861.  Mr.  Sears  then  removed  to  Cin- 
cinnati and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  but  soon  joined  the 
Burnet  Rifle  Company,  of  which  ex- President  Hayes  was  first  Captain,  and 
ex-Gov.  Noyes  and  many  other  since  distinguished  men  were  privates.  In 
July,  1861,  Mr.  Sears  began  recruiting  the  Eleventh  Ohio  Independent 
Battery,  and  August  12,  of  the  same  year,  was  mustered  into  it  as  private, 
serving  till  March  22,  1866.  He  was  commissioned  First  Lieutenant  of 
said  Battery  October  12,  1861,  and  for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct,  was 
promoted  to  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  Eleventh  Regiment  Louisiana  Vol- 
unteers, soon  after  known  as  the  Forty-ninth  Regiment  United  States 
Colored  Infantry.  Owing  to  the  absence  or  disability  of  the  Colonel,  Mr. 
Sears  was  in  command  of  this  regiment  during  twenty- seven  of  the  thirty- 
five  months  of  its  service,  and  as  evidence  of  his  efficiency  Gen.  Rosecrans 
indorsed,  in  his  own  hand,  the  order  of  his  brigade  commander,  sending 
him  home  on  recruiting  service  after  the  battle  of  luka,  and  recommended 
that  he  should  be  permitted  to  go,  on  account  of  gallant  conduct.  This 
order  was  also  indorsed  favorably  by  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant,  who,  also,  in  his 
own  hand,  recommended  him  for  promotion  for  gallant  conduct.  His  pi'o- 
motion  was  also  recommended  and  his  general  good  conduct  commended  by 
several  more  of  the  most  prominent  officers  in  the  service  by  letters  and 
orders,  which  he  now  has  in  his  possession,  but  which  are  too  numerous 
and  extended  for  insertion  in  this  sketch.  That  portion  of  Gen.  Rose- 
crans' order  referring  to  the  action  of  the  Eleventh  Ohio  Battery,  under 
Col.  Sears,  in  the  above  battle  is  as  follows:  "  The  Eleventh  Ohio  Battery 
under  Lieut.  Sears  was  served  with  unequal ed  bravery  under  circumstances 
of  danger  and  exposure  such  as  rarely,  perhaps  never,  have  fallen  to  the  lot 
of  a  single  batteiy  during  the  war."  Col.  Sears  was  severely  wounded  in 
this  battle  by  a  musket  ball.     On  May  27,  1865,  he  was  married  to   Sarah 


924  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

A.  Harpster,  daughter  of  David  and  Rachel  (Hall)  Harpster.  (See  sketch.) 
He  took  his  bride  to  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  from  whence  he  was  soon  placed  in 
command  of  the  District  of  Yazoo  City,  where  they  spent  the  summer  of  1865. 
At  the  close  of  the  war,  our  subject  returned  to  Upper  Sandusky  and  resumed 
his  legal  profession,  in  the  course  of  which  he  made  the  argument  credited 
to  J.  D-  and  C  Sears,  in  the  case  of  Shaffer  vs.  McKee  in  the  19th  Ohio 
State  Report,  which  argument  received  the  compliment  of  the  court  (see 
report),  and  attests  the  ability  of  its  author.  During  the  summer  and  fall 
of  1867,  he  was  engaged  in  reporting  the  proceedings  of  the  Louisiana 
Senate  at  New  Orleans,  and  while  there,  reported  the  celebrated  Pinchback 
speech  so  extensively  circulated.  By  rigid  economy ,  Mr.  Sears  was  enabled 
to  save  about  $6,000  of  his  military  wages,  and  this  with  $1,000  more,  was 
totally  lost  in  an  attempt  to  raise  a  crop  of  cotton  near  Vicksburg  im- 
mediately after  the  close  of  the  war.  Hoping  to  more  speedily  retrieve  his 
broken  fortune,  he  abandoned  the  legal  profession  and  purchased  a  half- 
interest  in  the  machine  works  of  Upper  Sandusky,  where  for  several  years 
a  profitable  business  was  conducted  under  the  hrm  name  of  Stevenson  & 
Sears.  This  firm  being  dissolved,  he  established  himself  in  the  mercantile 
business  in  the  new  village  of  Fowler  in  1876,  where  he  is  still  engaged 
and  where  he  has  erected  one  of  the  finest  homes  in  the  county.  He  has 
four  children — Horace  H. ,  aged  seventeen;  Iva  R. ,  fourteen;  Fanny  E., 
eleven,  and  Laura  J. ,  the  latter  but  ten  months  old.  During  his  attendance 
at  the  law  school,  Mr.  Sears  boarded  himself  as  a  necessary  economic 
measure,  living  so  plainly  as  to  reduce  his  expenses  to  less  than  $1  per 
week,  but  notwithstanding  this  he  was  one  of  the  most  athletic  in  the  school, 
being  one  of  the  few  chosen  from  about  1,500  members  of  the  Young  Men's 
Gymnasium,  to  take  part  in  their  public  exhibitions,  and,  at  his  present 
age,  is  a  man  of  remarkable  physical  health,  strength  and  activity,  who  bids 
fair  to  reach  threescore  and  ten  years  in  a  good  stage  of  preservation. 

DAVID  SMITH  (deceased),  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  E.  (Duddleson) 
Smith,  was  born  in  this  county  March  9,  1829.  His  parents  were  of  En- 
glish parentage,  natives  of  New  York.  He  obtained  a  fair  education,  and 
October  13,  1851,  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rebecca  Blackburn, 
daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Blackburn)  Blackburn,  natives  of  West- 
moreland County,  Penn.  She  was  born  June  19,  1829.  Her  parents  came 
to  this  county  in  1836,  and  purchased  land  in  Tyraochtee  Township.  Their 
ten  children  are  all  living,  viz.,  Sarah  A.,  Thomas,  Ruth,  Rebecca,  Moses, 
John,  Ellen,  Isaac,  Page  and  Elizabeth.  The  father  died  April  14,  1854; 
the  mother  is  still  living,  in  her  eighty-fourth  year,  residing  with  her 
daughter  Rebecca.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith — 
Zachariah,  Mary  E.,  Augustus  and  William,  the  latter  deceased.  Mr.  Smith 
inherited  the  farm  where  Mrs.  Smith  now  resides,  and  made  most  of  the 
improvements  thereon.  He  died  August  24,  1861  (killed  by  a  log  rolling 
iTpon  him),  leaving  his  widow  with  three  children,  which  she  has  carefully 
reared.  She  has  a  life  lease  of  the  estate,  280  acres,  her  son  Augustus 
and  daughter  Mary  residing  with  her. 

ZACHARIAH  T.  SMITH,  son  of  David  and  Rebecca  (Blackburn) 
Smith,  was  born  in  this  county  September  10,  1851.  His  father  dying 
while  his  son  was  yet  young,  the  latter  obtained  but  a  limited  education. 
He  tilled  the  farm  under  the  direction  of  his  mother  till  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  inherited  about  ninety-five  acres,  which  he 
has  since  since  cultivated,  living  at  the  old  home.  He  makes  a  specialty 
of  Poland-China  hogs.  Merino  sheep  and  Plymouth  Rock  chickens.     He 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  925 

was  married,  October  5,  1875,  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  McLain,  daughter  of  Abra- 
ham and  Catharine  A.  (Berlein)  McLain,  and  two  children  have  been  born 
to  them — Jennette,  August  ]  1,  1876,  and  Paul,  born  November  8,  1880. 
Mrs.  Smith  was  born  October  30,  1857.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Republican,  and  has 
served  as  Justice  for  the  past  six  years.  He  is  Master  of  the  County  Grange 
(of  which  Mrs  Smith  is  also  a  member)  and  Statistician  of  this  county  for 
the  Agricultural  Department  at  Washington,  D.  C.  He  is  an  enterprising 
young  farmer  and  a  good  citizen. 

JOHN  H.  SMITH,  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  November  13,  1817, 
is  a  son  of  John  H.  and  Elizabeth  (Kiefer)  Smith,  natives  of  Maryland,  and 
of  German  descent.  His  parents  were  married  in  Harrison  County,  and 
moved  directly  to  Richland  about  1815,  entering  160  acres.  Their  children 
were  John  H. ,  Henry,  Elizabeth,  Solomon,  Margaret,  Maria,  Sarah  and  Ja- 
cob. The  family  removed  in  1865  to  Wood  County,  where  the  father  died 
in  1875,  aged  eighty-six  years;  the  mother  in  1866,  aged  seventy-four.  Mr. 
Smith  rented  land  several  years,  coming  in  1849  to  this  county,  where  he 
purchased  his  present  farm  in  1851.  This  farm  contains  160  acres,  all 
well- improved,  provided  with  a  good  residence  erected  in  1859,  at  a  cost  of 
$1,000.  He  also  owns  ninety-one  acres  in  Wood  County.  He  was  married, 
April  22,  1841,  to  Miss  Sarah  Wirick,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Catharine 
(Spade)  Wirick,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  ancestry.  Her 
parents  settled  in  Richland  County  in  1821.  Her  father  died  January  7, 
1879,  aged  ninety  years;  he  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  fighting  in 
the  battle  of  Fort  McHenry.  Her  mother  died  January  9,  1878,  aged  sev- 
enty-seven. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  had  five  children — Mary  E.  (wife  of  Will- 
iam B.  Wolsey),  Franklin  H.,  Lodemie  (wife  of  S.  P.  Balliet),  Samantha 
(wife  of  Samuel  Suder,  deceased),  Almarine  A.  (wife  of  Samuel  Bowman). 
Mrs.  Smith  was  born  March  18,  1822.  In  politics,  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Demo- 
crat, voting  first  for  Van  Buren. 

JOHN  W.  SNYDER,  born  December  17,  1837,  is  a  native  of  Richland 
County,  Ohio.  His  parents  were  Vatchel  and  Mary  A.  (Hull)  Snyder, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Irish  and  German  nativity.  His  great- 
grandfather came  from  Ireland,  and  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution.  His 
parents  came  to  Ohio  when  his  father  was  but  a  lad  of  ten  or  twelve  years. 
They  settled  in  Mansfield,  and  reared  a  family  of  five  children— Nancy, 
Drusilla,  Mary  A.,  John  W.  and  Rebecca  M.  The  father  died,  aged 
seventy-five  years;  the  mother  passed  away  in  1869.  Mr.  John  Sny- 
der, our  subject,  remained  at  home  with  his  parents  till  twenty-four  years 
of  age,  farming  and  learning  the  carpenter's  trade.  His  marriage  to  Eliza 
A.  Snyder  occurred  April  24,  1862,  she  being  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Catharine  (Willhelem)  Snyder,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  children  by 
this  marriage  are  Mary  E.,  born  June  4,  1863;  John  W.,  Jr.,  September  20, 
1864;  Edward  V.,  March  1,  1866;  Jonas  V.,  April  25,  1867;  Ida  M..  Octo- 
bor  20,  1868;  William  H.,  November  19,  1882.  Mrs.  Snyder  was  born 
February  3,  1844.  After  marriage,  Mr.  Snyder  worked  at  his  trade  a  few 
years;  engaged  in  saw  milling  four  years:  farmed  rented  land  afterward 
till  purchasing  his  present  farm  in  1875.  During  the  past  six  years  he  has 
paid  some  attention  to  grapes  and  other  small  fruits,  doing  a  very  profitable 
business.      In  politics,  Mr.  Snyder  is  a  Democrat. 

HIRAM  STALTER  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Md.,  December  6, 
1808.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Rachel  (Moler)  Stalter,  the  former  born  at 
sea,  the  latter  in  Maryland.  His  father  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution. 
In  1818,  his  parents  came  to  Perry  County,  where  they  spent  the  remainder 


926  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

of  their  days.  Of  their  fourteen  children,  but  three  are  living — William, 
Julia  A.  and  Hiram.  The  father  died  in  1840,  aged  sixty-four  years;  the 
mother  in  1S60,  aged  eighty-three  years.  Hiram  Stalter,  our  subject,  re- 
ceived but  a  limited  education,  and  at  sixteen  learned  the  carpenter's  trade, 
whicli  he  pursued  many  years.  He  rented  land  a  few  years,  purchased  a 
saw  mill  about  1834.  and,  three  years  later,  traded  the  mill  for  200  acres  in 
Allen  Coianty.  This  farm  he  sold  in  1845,  and  purchased  120  acres  where 
he  now  resides,  his  entire  farm  consisting  of  305  acres,  valued  at  $65  per 
acre.  Mr.  Stalter  was  married,  September  24,  1828,  to  Anna  Teler,  who 
died  tifteen  years  later.  Their  children  were  David,  John,  Julia  A.,  Malin- 
da,  Mary  M. ;  Hiram  and  Lydia  A.  are  deceased.  Mr.  Stalter  married 
Louisa  Dennison  March  14,  1844,  and  she  dying  October  29,  1851,  left  one 
child  living,  Ann  L.,  and  three  deceased — Victoria  E.,  Emaline  and  Har- 
riet. January  1,  1852,  Mr.  Stalter  was  married  to  Miss  Catharine  Brant, 
daughter  of  Christina  and  Anna  (Ellenberger)  Brant,  who  emigrated  from 
Switzerland  in  1845.  Three  children  were  born  of  this  union — Mary  E., 
Hiram  T.  and  William  B.  Their  mother  was  born  September  17,  1832.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Stalter  is  a  Democrat.  Himself  and  wife  are  both  members  of 
the  German  Reformed  Church. 

NOAH  STONEBURNER  was  born  in  Fairtield  County,  Ohio,  March  2, 
1823.  He  Is  a  son  of  John  and  Catharine  (Bretz)  Stoneburner,  natives  of 
Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  of  German  and  French 
descent.  His  paternal  grandfather  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  His 
father  came  to  Ohio  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  was  married  in  Fairlield 
County  in  1822.  Their  children  were  Noah,  Elizabeth  and  Levi,  all  living, 
and  Christina,  Mary  A.,  Catharine,  Samuel,  John,  Melinda  and  Ellen,  de- 
ceased. The  father  died  in  1860,  aged  sixty  years;  the  mother  is  still  a 
resident  of  this  township,  in  her  eighty -first  year.  Noah  Stoneburner 
remained  at  home  till  twenty-three.  He  was  married,  February  20,  1848, 
to  Magdalene  Hite,  daughter  of  David  Hite.  She  died  in  1859,  having 
borne  three  children — E.  Agatha  (wife  of  J.  M.  Purky),  Frank  E.,  Catharine 
(wife  of  Miles  Lewis).  He  was  married,  September  12,  1862,  to  Mrs. 
Mary  A.  Boyer  (widow  of  Jacob  Boyer),  daughter  of  W.  B.  and  Mary 
(Burns)  Miller.  She  has  five  children,  one  Sylvia  (now  the  wife  of  S.  E. 
Lewis),  by  her  first  husband;  the  others  are  Miller,  Charley  A.,  Mary  M. 
and  Minnie  E.  Mrs.  S.  was  born  December  8,  1837.  Mr.  S.  purchased  his 
first  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Antrim  Township,  later  adding  eighty  acres 
more,  all  forest  land,  where  he  resided  most  of  the  time  till  1867.  He  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  of  174  acres  in  1878;  built  his  "bank"  barn  in 
1874;  erected  his  large  frame  house  in  1881,  and  is  one  of  the  substantial 
citizens  of  the  township.      In  politics,  Mr.  Stoneburner  is  a  Democrat. 

LEWIS  STRAW  is  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  May  16,  1817.  He  is  a 
son  of  David  and  Mary  (Cady)  Straw,  natives  of  Maine  and  Connecticut 
respectively,  and  of  Welsh  descent.  His  parents  came  to  Ohio  in  1831, 
and  located  near  Bowsherville,  where  his  father  became  the  owner  of  195 
acres  of  land;  they  had  a  family  of  nine  children — Lewis,  Elizabeth,  Sam- 
uel C,  Israel,  David,  Joel,  Jason,  Sally  and  Polly.  The  father  died,  aged 
eighty- two  years;  the  mother,  aged  seventy-five.  The  children  are  all 
deceased  but  Lewis  and  Elizabeth.  Lewis  Sti-aw  remained  at  home  till 
twenty-one,  and  was  then  apprenticed  as  a  cabinet-maker  and  painter.  He 
began  dealing  in  stock  very  early  in  life,  and  has  conducted  the  business  on 
a  small  scale  ever  since.  He  inherited  and  bought  the  old  homestead  of 
195  acres,  to  which  he  has  added  till  he  now  owns  1,000  acres  in  this  county 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  927 

and  150  acres  in  Indiana.  He  was  married,  in  1S47,  to  Caroline  Moody 
(daughter  of  David  Moody),  her  death  occurring  three  years  later,  leaving 
one  child,  Dudley,  also  deceased.  In  1851,  he  married  Rebecca  Miller, 
daughter  of  William  Miller,  and  eight  children  were  born  to  them — Caro- 
line, Eugene,  Leander,  Edith,  Cannie  and  Kit.  Lenora  and  Elmora 
(twins)  are  deceased.  Mr.  Straw  began  life  with  little  help  financially,  and 
among  the  Indians;  but  by  energy,  industry  and  good  management  he  has 
amassed  a  handsome  fortune.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  has  served  as 
Trustee  of  his  township  near  twenty  years  in  succession. 

JEREMIAH  J.  SWIHART  was  born  in  Stark  County  November  28, 
1835.  He  is  a  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Rhoda  (Miller)  Swihart,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  of  German  descent.  They  were  married  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  came  to  Ohio  in  1835,  settling  near  Canton,  Stark  County,  Ohio, 
remaining  there  about  two  years,  then  moving  to  this  county,  near  Carey, 
buying  lOO  acres  of  land,  on  which  they  resided  till  about  184:0,  when  they 
removed  near  Little  Sandusky.  They  had  two  children — Jeremiah  J.  and 
Peter  M.  The  father  died  in  1862,  aged  forty-nine  years;  the  mother  is 
still  living,  a  resident  of  this  township,  in  her  seventy-sixth  year.  At  the 
age  of  nineteen,  Mr.  Swihart  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  blacksmith  trade, 
which  he  has  since  engaged  in.  He  located  in  Little  Sandusky  in  1856, 
and  operated  a  threshing-machine  and  huller  twenty-five  seasons,  having 
the  first  thresher  in  the  township  about  1848.  He  was  married,  April  19, 
1858,  to  Sophia  Vroman,  daughter  of  David  and  Sally  Vroman,  of  this 
county,  the  latter  still  living.  Their  children  were  Randolph,  David, 
Francis,  Launa,  Peter,  Henry,  Bessie,  Hancock  and  Clistia.  Mr.  Swihart 
is  a  Democrat;  has  served  four  years  as  Constable  and  one  year  as  Town- 
ship Clerk. 

PETER  M.  SWIHART  was  born  near  Carey,  Ohio,  February  20,  1840, 
son  of  Ezekiel  and  Rhoda  (Miller)  Swihart  (see  sketch  of  J.  J.  Swihart). 
He  resided  at  the  home  of  his  parents  till  his  marriage  to  Miss  Winnie 
Fitzgerald,  November  4,  1869.  Her  parents,  Garret  and  Mary  (Miniharr) 
Fitzgerald,  were  natives  of  Ireland,  coming  to  America  about  1849,  and 
settling  in  Marion  County,  where  the  father  died  in  1855;  his  widow  was 
afterward  married  to  Dennis  Hogan,  and  are  now  residents  of  this  town- 
ship. Mrs.  Swihart  was  born  June  1,  1850.  By  her  marriage  to  Mr.  S., 
she  has  had  seven  children — Cyrus  E.,  Mettie  G.,  Emma  C,  IvieM.,  Nellie 
B.,  Miner  R.  and  Millard  Y. ,  an  infant.  Mr.  Swihart  resides  on  the  old 
homestead,  where  his  parents  located  in  1855.  The  farm  contains  ninety- 
two  acres,  and  was  once  the  camping  ground  of  the  Wyandot  Indians.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Swihart  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  served  several  years  as  Trustee 
of  the  township. 

JACOB  SWINEHART  was  born  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  August  30, 
1814.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Christina  Swinehart,  natives  of  Virginia 
and  of  German  ancestry.  The  latter's  grandfather  Kelly,  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  the  former's  father  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812. 
Jacob  Swinehart  remained,  till  he  arrived  at  his  majority,  with  his  parents, 
and  returned  to  assist  his  mother  after  the  death  of  his  father.  He  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade  with  his  brother,  and  engaged  in  that  business  several 
years.  He  was  married,  August  30,  1838,  to  Mary  A.  Kelly,  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Longwell)  Kelly,  natives  of  Ohio  and  of  Irish  ex- 
traction, and  nine  children  were  born  to  this  union — Mary  A.  (wife  of 
Aaron  Cooperridei'),  Sarah  (wife  of  J.  A.  Smith).  Joseph  P.,  Christina  A. 
(wife  of  Peter  Mustachler),  Emma  (wife  of  John  Wiest),  John  H.,  Eliza- 


928  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

beth  A.,  Eliza  J.  and  Lydia  E.  Mrs.  Swinehart  was  boro  March  1,  1816. 
Mr.  S.  located  on  his  present  farm  in  1848.  He  owns  ninety  acres,  all  in 
good  state  of  cultivation.  He  erected  a  comfortable  dwelling  in  1875,  since 
which  time  his  health  has  been  rapidly  failing.  He  is  a  Democrat;  himself 
and  wife  both  members  of  the  German  Reformed  Church. 

JOSEPH  P.  SWINEHART  was  born  in  this  township  January  13, 
1852.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  A.  (Kelly)  Swinehart,  with  whom  he 
remained  upon  the  farm  till  his  marriage,  March  6,  1879,  to  Miss  Margaret 
Heininger,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Wilt)  Heininger,  residents  of  this 
township  also.  The  children  born  to  this  union  are  Myrtie  A.,  January  4, 
1881,  and  Joseph  H.,  Januar}^  21,  1883.  Mrs.  Swinehart  was  born  January 
1,  1863.  Since  his  marriage,  Mr.  Swinehart  has  been  tilling  his  father's 
farm  of  ninety  acres,  with  very  gratifying  success.  He  is  a  Democrat;  him- 
self and  wife  members  of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  and  very  industrious 
and  well-respected  citizens. 

CHRISTIAN  STURY  was  born  in  Canton  Berne,  Switzerland,  January 
15,  1828.  His  parents  wore  John  and  Susanna  (Ringgenberg)  Stury,  who 
both  died  in  Switzerland.  Their  children  were  Susanna,  John,  Christian 
and  Riadolph.  Christian  Stury  emigrated  in  1849,  and  located  in  this 
county  in  1850.  He  was  married,  August  23,  1852,  to  Magdalene  Kipfer, 
daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Ellenberger)  Kipfer,  natives  of  Switzer- 
land, who  came  to  America  in  1833,  locating  in  Holmes  County  till  1846, 
when  they  removed  to  this  township.  Both  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Stury  have  had  eight  children — Henry  (deceased),  Susanna  (wife  of 
William  Lougwell),  Rosanna  (wife  of  David  Barth),  Frederick  William 
(deceased),  Magdalene,  Emma  C.  and  Charles.  In  1864,  Mr.  Stury  en- 
listed in  Company  C,  Thirty-seventh  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  fought  in  the  battles  at  Goldsboro,  Sylvania,  Raleigh  and  in  many 
skirmishes,  receiving  his  discharge  June  5,  1865.  From  1864  to  1867,  Mr. 
Stury  rented  land,  purchasing  his  present  farm  at  the  latter  date.  It  is 
well  improved  and  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Mr.  Stury  is  a  Democrat; 
both  himself  and  wife  members  of  the  Reformed  Church,  of  which  he  has 
been  Trustee  and  Deacon. 

HENRY  TROUP  is  a  native  of  Perry  County,  Ohio,  born  January  31, 
1840.  His  parents,  Samuel  and  Eye  (Foucht)  Troup,  were  natives  of  the 
same  county,  where  they  resided  till  1840,  when  they  removed  to  Sandusky 
County,  residing  there  thirteen  years,  coming  to  Wayndot  in  1853,  and  set- 
tling where  our  subject  now  resides,  and  where  the  mother  died  in  1861, 
aged  about  thirty-nine  years.  The  father  is  now,  in  his  sixty-eighth  year, 
a  resident  of  Allen  County,  Ohio.  Their  children  were  Henry,  Samuel, 
Adam  and  Levi,  living;  and  Emaline,  Aaron,  Jacob  and  Matilda,  deceased. 
Henry,  our  subject,  remained  with  his  parents  till  his  marriage  to  Drusilla 
Lawrence,  November  20,  1859.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Judah 
(Swinehart)  Lawrence,  natives  of  Perry  County,  and  early  settlers  of  this 
township.  The  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Troup  are  Christian  J., 
Almeda  A.,  William  W.,  Charles  P.,  Samuel  O.  and  Iva  E.  Franklin  E.  is 
deceased.  During  the  first  seventeen  years  of  married  life,  Mr.  Troup  rent- 
ed land,  purchasing  his  present  farm  of  thirty-two  acres  in  1876.  It  is  a 
pleasant  home,  in  good  repair,  valued  at  $80  per  acre.  Both  himself  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  Reformed  Church,  of  which  he  was  formerly  Dea- 
con and  now  Trustee. 

JAMES  WHITTAKER,  a  native  of  Great  Britain,  was  born  May  29, 
1831.      His    parents    were    James    and    Mary    (Lancastei*)    Whittaker,    the 


PITT   TOWNSHIP.  929 

former  a  machinist  of  considerable  note,  who  was  accidentally  killed  in  a 
large  cotton  factory  in  which  he  was  engaged.  His  father's  death  occurred 
when  our  subject  was  but  three  years  old.  His  mother  gave  him  a  practical 
education,  and  at  twelve  he  entei-ed  the  cotton  factory,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged nine  years.  At  twenty-one,  he  sailed  for  America,  and  subsequently 
learned  the  trade  of  carpenter,  which  he  followed  till  1874,  when  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  B.  W.  Mai-tin,  of  Little  Sandusky,  and  has  done  a  flour- 
ishing business  in  the  dry  goods  and  grocery  trade.  Mr.  Whittaker  was 
married,  March  27,  1881,  to  Mrs.  A.  A.  Barth,  widow  of  Dr.  Barth,  of  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.,  a  noted  physician  of  that  place.  Mr.  Whittaker  is  a  strong 
advocate  of  Prohibition  principles.  He  is  a  member  of  the  United  Breth- 
ren Church,  and  a  highly  respected  and  useful  citizen. 

CHRISTOPHER  WIEST  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  March  26, 
1824,  son  of  Christopher  and  Magdalene  (Schrote)  Wiest.  He  came  with 
his  parents  in  1839,  and  located  in  Marion  County  till  1870,  the  cliildren  of 
the  family  being  Christopher,  Philip,  John,  Christian,  Caroline  and  Barbara. 
Christian,  Samuel  and  the  father  are  deceased,  the  latter  dying  in  1875,  aged 
seventy-live  years;  the  mother  is  still  living.  Our  subject  worked  by  the  month 
a  number  of  years,  chiefly  engaged  in  stage  driving.  In  1850,  he  purchased 
forty  acres  in  Marion  County,  where  he  resided  twenty  years.  In  1870,  he 
pm'chased  his  present  home  of  202  acres,  paying  $8,900.  He  owned  atone 
time  500  acres,  but  has  given  300  acres  to  his  children.  He  was  married, 
May  29,  1850,  to  Mary  Wilt,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  Wilt,  natives  of 
Alsace,  Germany,  residents  of  this  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wiest  have  been 
the  parents  of  twelve  children — Louise  (wife  of  William  Burbach),  Barbara 
(wife  of  Samuel  Burbach),  John,  Samuel,  Lena  (wife  of  Frank  Montee), 
Caroline,  Christina,  Christopher,  Jr.,  Margaret  and  Charles.  Mr.  Wiest  is 
a  Democrat;  he  served  as  Trustee  in  Richland  Township,  Marion  County, 
two  terms,  and  in  Pitt  three  terms.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Reformed  Chui'ch,  and  prominent  citizens  of  the  township. 

BENJAMIN  WILLIAMS  was  born  in  Ashford,  Windom  Co.,  Conn., 
September  17,  1819,  and  is  the  son  of  Raymond  and  Eunice  (Eastman) 
Williams,  natives  of  Connecticut,  and  of  English  and  French  parentage  re- 
spectively—his father  a  lineal  descendant  of  Roger  Williams,  of  Puritan 
fame.  His  father  was  also  a  commissioned  officer  in  the  war  of  1812; 
was  married  December  16,  1818;  migrated  to  Ohio  in  1838;  pur- 
chased 160  acres  at  the  land  sales  in  this  county  in  1845,  and  in 
1852  removed  to  Lake  County,  Ind.,  where  he  died  December  80, 
1876,  aged  eighty  years.  There  were  ten  children  of  the  family,  six 
living — Benjamin,  John,  Esther,  Oliver,  Scott  and  George.  The  deceased 
are  Lucinda,  Fielder,  Frank  and  Hiram.  The  mother  died  in  1845,  aged 
forty-eight  years.  Benjamin  Williams,  onr  subject,  remained  with  his  par- 
ents till  twenty-three  years  of  age:  operated  the  Indian  Saw  Mill  in  this 
county  in  1840-41 ;  went  East,  and  was  married,  June  1,  1843,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Hitchcock,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Hosner)  Hitchcock;  rent- 
ed land  in  Marion  County  from  1844  to  1847,  purchasing  his  present  home- 
stead in  the  latter  year.  He  now  owns  245  acres,  highly  cultivated.  He 
is  the  father  of  seven  children,  five  living— Mary,  Ann,  Volney,  John  and 
Frank.  The  deceased  are  Frank  and  William.  Mr.  Williams  has  been  a 
hard  worker,  having  cleared  100  acres  of  forest  land.  He  served  as  Trustee 
two  years;  as  Coroner  of  county  four  terms;  as  Director  of  Agricultural 
Society  ten  years,  and  Vice  President  four  years;  and  as  School  Director 
twenty-nine  out  of  thirty-two  years. 


930  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

JOHN  WOOD  was  born  in  Clark  County,  Ohio,  December  7,  1818;  his 
parents  were  Isaac  and  Sarah  Wood,  natives  of  New  Jersey,  removing  to 
Ohio  about  1815,  settling  in  Clark  County.  They  came  to  Marion  County 
in  1821,  entered  260  acres  and  at  one  time  owned  l.GOO.  They  were  the 
parents  of  fourteen  children,  three  girls.  The  mother  died  in  1818;  the 
father  in  18G1,  aged  sixty-six.  John  Wood  resided  with  his  father  till 
twenty-two  years  of  age;  he  then  rented  land  three  years  and  purchased  160 
acres  east  of  Scott  Town.  He  has  since  increased  his  possessions  to  900 
acres,  valued  at  |100  per  acre.  In  1877,  he  erected  a  fine  brick  residence 
at  a  cost  of  $4,000,  one  of  the  best  houses  in  the  township.  Mr.  Wood  has 
always  been  a  hard  worker,  often  reaping,  .binding  and  shocking  forty 
dozen  of  wheat  with  a  sickle,  mowing  two  acres  per  day,  with  a  scythe,  and 
cradling  160  dozen  of  wheat,  and  helping  to  shock  it  in  the  same  length  of 
time;  twenty  tons  of  hay  were  pitched,  and  fifty  shocks  of  corn  were  cut  by 
him  in  two  respective  days.  Mr.  Wood  is  a  "  hopper  from  Hopperville," 
hopping  in  three  successive  hops  forty-eight  and  one-half  feet  at  the  raising 
of  the  Union  Church  at  Big  Island  in  1871.  He  was  married,  April  25, 
1853,  to  Catharine  Marsh,  daughter  of  Mahlon  and  Mary  A.  Marsh,  early 
settlers  of  Clark  County,  Ohio;  her  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812, 
and  came  to  Marion  County  in  1825.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  are  the  parents 
of  five  children,  two  living — Sarah  and  Effie;  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  since 
a  Republican,  of  the  temperance  persuasion;  and  has  served  as  Trustee  one 
term;  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
at  Fowler,  to  the  support  of  which  he  donates  generously,  and  the  church 
owes  much  to  him  for  its  present  prosperity;  he  advocated  the  building  of 
the  C,  H.  V.  &  T.  Railroad,  and  was  one  of  the  original  stockholders. 

'  REUBEN  WOOD,  deceased,  was  born  in  New  Jersey  October  15, 1817; 
he  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Sarah  (Moss)  Wood.  (See  sketch  of  John  Wood.) 
He  resided  with  his  father  till  he  reached  his  majority,  at  which  time  he, 
with  his  brother,  Hampton,  purchased  156  acres  in  Big  Island  Township, 
where  he  resided  till  he  purchased  his  present  home  in  1845;  he  was  mar- 
ried. May  26,  1841,  to  Miss  Diantha  Bay,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary 
(Lapham)  Bay,  who  settled  in  Marion  County  in  1826.  They  were  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  three  living — Diantha,  Amos  and  Abbey;  the  de- 
ceased were  Marcy  D.,  Ruth,  Matilda,  Jane,  Laura  and  Thomas  S.  The 
father  died  in  1858,  aged  forty-five  years;  the  mother  is  still  residing  in 
Marion  in  her  eighty-third  year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  are  the  parents  of 
ten  children,  three  living — Isaac,  John  and  Reuben.  The  deceased  are 
Thomas,  Ruth,  Mary,  Iva,  Eudora  and  Cora  (twins),  and  Rudolph  D.  Mr 
Wood  died  in  1861,  aged  forty-five,  leaving  an  estate  of  $25,000;  his  widow 
still  survives,  and  resides  on  the  old  homestead.  She  was  born  October 
18,  1823. 

JOHN  WOOD,  Jk.,  son  of  Reuben  and  Diantha  (Bay)  Wood,  was  born 
September  20,  1852;  he  attended  the  common  schools  of  his  native  town- 
ship, and  dwelt  under  the  maternal  roof  till  1876,  when  he  migrated  to 
Utah,  where  he  remained  about  fourteen  months  for  the  benefit  of  his 
health;  returning  home,  he  was  married,  November  20,  1878,  to  Miss  Belle 
Kirk,  of  Lucas  County,  Ohio.  She  was  a  daughter  of  James  and  Lovina 
(Wood)  Kirk,  and  was  born  July  28,  1858;  her  father,  as  a  blacksmith, 
passed  entirely  through  the  late  war,  in  which  he  contracted  a  disease  of 
which  he  died  January  1,  1866.  He  was  the  father  of  eight  children, 
three  living — John  A.,  Ella  L.  and  Belle.  The  deceased  are  Alfred,  Lib- 
bie,  Maria,  James   and  an  infant.     The  mother  is  still   a  resident  of  this 


PITT  TOWNSHIP.  931 

county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  have  two  children — Leo  A.,  born  September 
3,  1S79,  and  Ross  E.,  February  20,  1882.  Mr.  Wood  inherited  forty-five 
acres  from  his  father's  estate,  and  has  since  added  forty-two  acres  by  i:)ur- 
chase,  all  in  good  condition,  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  In  political  senti- 
ments, Mr.  Wood  is  a  Republican. 

REUBEN  S.  WOOD,  son  of  Reuben  and  Diantha  (Bay)  Wood,  is  a 
native  of  this  township,  born  January  20,  1858.  He  obtained  a  good  edu- 
cation, and  remained  at  home  till  his  marriage  to  Miss  Leefee  McLain, 
which  event  occurred  April  8,  1879.  Mrs.  W'ood  is  a  daughter  of  Abraham 
and  Catharine  (Berlein)  McLain,  and  was  born  February  28,  1862.  The 
children  born  of  this  marriage  are  Grace  A.,  born  October  22,  1879,  and 
Walter  S.,  January  6,  1882.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  Mr.  Wood  received 
as  his  portion  of  his  father's  estate  forty-seven  acres,  to  which  he  has  added 
by  subsequent  purchases  till  he  now  owns  117  acres  of  choice  land,  well- 
improved  and  valued  at  $80  per  acre.  Mr.  Wood  is  a  Republican,  and  an 
industrious,  enterprising  young  farmer. 

JACOB  G.  VVORLEY  is  a  native  of  Somerset  County,  N.  J.,  born  No- 
vember 2,  1833.  His  parents  were  C.  V.  D.  and  Mary  A.  (Gulick)  Worley, 
natives  of  New  Jersey,  his  forefathers  coming  from  Holland.  His  paternal 
great-grandfather  was  also  a  native  of  that  country,  and  his  maternal  great- 
grandfather, Cornelius  Van  Dyke,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war, 
one  of  Washington's  body  guards.  He  died  aged  ninety-one  years.  His 
grandmother's  brother,  Cornelius  Van  Dyke,  Jr.,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  1812.  His  parents  came  to  Ohio  in  1840,  settling  in  Holmes  County, 
removing  to  Wyandot  in  1846,  locating  in  Little  Sandusky,  where  his 
father  engaged  in  blacksmithing  till  1865.  Their  children  were  Jane,  Jacob 
G.,  Henry  C,  Martin  N.,  Kate  D.,  Sarah  G. ,  Peter  (killed  in  the  late  war), 
Samuel  A.  and  John  S.  The  father  died  July  13,  1877,  aged  sixty- eight 
years,  having  been  a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  with  four  of  his  sons.  The 
mother  is  still  living,  a  resident  of  Fulton  County,  in  her  seventy -second 
year.  Jacob  G.  Worley  began  teaching  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,^which  he 
continued  at  intervals  ten  years,  later  turning  his  entix-e  attention  to  farming. 
He  was  married,  May  10,  1863,  to  Cemantha  V.  Mount,  daughter  of  Thomaa 
B.  and  Margaret  (Thompson)  Mount,  natives  of  New  Jersey,  and  of  Ger- 
man parentage.  Her  parents  came  to  this  county  about  1820,  the  father  a. 
mason  by  trade.  He  died  in  his  ninety-first  year,  and  his  wife  in  the  fifty- 
seventh  year  of  her  age.  Their  four  living  children  are  Mary  F.,  Thomp- 
son, Lydia  D.  and  Mrs.  Worley,  the  latter  born  September  10,  1840.  The 
deceased  are  Joseph  C. ,  George  W.  and  Elizabeth  W.  Their  parents  both 
died  in  their  ninety-first  year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Worley  are  parents  of  three 
children— Mary  G.,  born  August  1],  1866;  Lula  A.,  April  18,  1868;  and 
Margaret  V.  D.,  January  2,  1870.  Mr.  Worley  came  with  his  grandfather 
to  this  township  in  1854,  with  whom  he  resided  until  the  death  of  the  lat- 
ter, April  26,  1876,  and  from  whom  he  inherited  eighty-foar  acres  of  land. 
He  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Henry  County  in  1873,  and  the  same  amount 
in  this  county  in  1881.  Himself,  wife  and  daughter  Mary  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  has  been  four  years  a  Class- 
Leader. 


932  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP. 

Origin  OF  the  Name  of  the  Township— Organization— Boundaries,  Etc. 
— Early  Settlers — First  Things— Owners  of  Real  and  Personal  Es- 
tate IN  1845— Schools  and  Churches— Miscellaneous— Officials  since 
1865— Biographical  Sketches. 

THIS  township,  as  may  be  readily  conjectured,  derives  its  name,  "  Rich- 
land," from  the  general  fecundity  of  its  soil,  a  soil  rich,  not  in  the 
sense  of  abounding  in  material  possessions,  but  in  being  bountifully  pro- 
vided with  those  nutritive  qualities  that  yield  to  the  diligent  and  prudent 
tiller  of  the  land  a  rich  and  generous  return  for  his  labors,  and  the  name 
suggested  was  in  this  wise:  On  April  4,  1835,  two  pioneers,  Conrad  Wick- 
iser  and  Charles  Smith,  were  out  "  logging "  in  the  northwest  quarter  of 
Section  21,  when  the  chain  used  in  the  work  happened  to  break,  and  becom- 
ing entangled  in  a  spice  bush,  tore  it  up  by  the  roots,  disclosing  to  their 
views  a  soil  rich  and  promising.  Thereupon  the  two  men  resolved  that  the 
newly  created  township  should  receive  the  name  by  which  it  has  since  been 
known.  This  occurred,  as  already  stated,  in  1835,  nearly  half  a  century 
ago,  in  which  year  the  township  was  organized. 

Richland  is  bounded  on  the  north,  for  three  miles  from  east  to  west,  by 
Ridge  Township,  and  for  the  I'emaining  two  miles  by  Hancock  County;  on 
the  east  by  Salem  Township;  on  the  south  for  four  miles  from  east  to  west 
by  Jackson  Township,  for  the  remaining  mile  by  Hardin  County;  on  the 
west  by  Hancock  County.  Having  already  spoken  of  the  alimental  proper- 
ties of  the  soil,  it  can  be  safely  further  said  of  Richland  that  it  ranks  among 
the  foremost  townships  of  Wyandot  County  as  an  agricultural  section,  and 
as  a  tield  for  stock-raising  purposes  it  is  not  a  whit  behind.  The  township 
is  studded  with  prosperous  farms,  well  drained  (for  the  drains  or  ditches 
here  are  most  extensive,  some  of  them  spreading  completely  across  the 
township),  incumbered  with  but  little  timber,  and  inhabited  by  a  wide- 
awake, thriving  and  contented  people. 

natural  features,  etc. 
The  streams  in  this  township  are  not  many,  nor  of  any  degree  of  magni- 
tude, and  their  rarity  is  not  to  be  complained  of  as  the  soil  is  sufficiently 
saturated  with  moisture  to  be  independent  of  any  such  outside  sustentation. 
There  are  only  two  roads  in  Richland  that  run  in  a  direction  other  than  on 
the  section  or  Congressional  lines,  or  parallel  with  them.  Of  these  two 
roads,  one  leaves  the  southern  line  of  Section  15,  about  a  quarter  mile  west 
of  Whartonsburg,  cuts  off  a  corner  of  that  section,  and  leads  northwest 
through  Sections  16  and  17,  into  Hancock  County;  the  other,  the  Burling- 
ton &  Mount  Blanchard  road,  laid  out  in  March,  1835,  dashes  through  Sec- 
tion 32  from  Hardin  County  into  Hancock  County.  The  highways  leading 
from  north  to  south  are:  One  on  Hancock  Township  line  as  far  as  Section 
11,  where  it  unites  with  the  road  lirst  mentioned;  one  intersecting  Sections 


RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP.  933 

4,  9  and  16  as  far  as  first  mentioned  road;  another  intersects  Sections  3,  10 
and  15,  terminating  at  Whartonsburg;  a  fourth  enters  tiie  township  between 
Sections  1  and  2,  leading  to  a  mile  north  of  Jackson  Township;  and  a  fifth 
runs  along  the  entire  dividing  line  of  Richland  and  Salem  Townships.  Of 
those  leading  from  east  to  west,  there  is  one  along  the  entire  north  line,  the 
first  regularly  laid  out  road  in  the  township  (1S35);  a  second,  a  mile  further 
south,  runs  the  entire  width  of  the  township;  a  third,  another  mile  south- 
ward, to  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  Hancock  County;  a  fourth,  another 
mile  further  south,  reaches  into  Hancock  County;  another  mile,  and  a 
road  is  found  traversing  to  a  point  half  a  mile  east  of  Hancock  County;  the 
sixth  and  seventh  roads,  exactly  a  mile  apart  (and  the  sixth  a  mile  from  the 
fifth)  lead  through  through  the  entire  township.  In  addition  to  these  are 
several  short,  what  might  be  termed  "  accommodation  "  roads. 

The  Cincinnati,  Sandusky  &  Cleveland  runs  completely  through  the 
township  in  a  direction  almost  due  northeast  to  southwest.  Entering  from 
Ridge  Township,  it  passes  through  Sections  1,  11,  14,  15,  22,  28  and  32, 
when  it  enters  Hardin  County.  There  is  a  station  at  Whartonsburg,  about 
the  center  of  the  township,  and  the  next  nearest  on  that  railway  at  Forest, 
Hardin  County,  and  Carey,  in  Crawford  Township,  this  county. 

EARLY    SETTLERS. 

"I  hear  the  tread  of  pioneers, 

Of  nations  yet  to  be, 
.  The  first  low  wash  of  waves,  where  soon 

Shall  roll  a  human  sea."  —  Whittier. 

The  following  brief  mention  is  made  of  a  few  of  the  early  settlers  who 
located  in  the  township' immediately  prior  to  or  within  nine  or  ten  years 
after  its  organization. 

Dr.  Samuel  Pickett  was  born  in  Athens  County,  Ohio,  September  10, 
1820.  In  1830,  his  parents,  Samuel  and  Charity  Pickett,  natives  of  Mary- 
land and  Virginia  respectively,  came  to  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Rich- 
land Township,  then  part  of  Hancock  County.  The  Doctor  was  a  leading 
citizen  and  a  celebrated  hunter  and  trapper.  Nathan  Benjamin  came  in 
1832,  and  settled  on  Section  20. 

In  1833,  Philip  Cole  settled  on  Section  17,  Joshua  Cole  on  Section  2, 
and  Charles  Smith  on  Section  17. 

William  M.  Benjamin  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Ohio,  June  1, 
1804,  son  of  Nathan  and  Mai-y  Benjamin.  In  1834,  he  came  to  Wyandot 
County  and  settled  in  Richland  Township,  where  he  purchased  160  acres 
of  land  in  Section  28.  He  married,  in  1823,  and  had  eight  children.  For 
thirty  years  he  was  a  local  minister  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  was  prominently  connected  with  it. 

Conrad  Wickiser,  a  native  of  Germany,  came  to  Ohio  with  his  family  in 
1810,  settling  in  Perry  County:  from  there  removed  to  Delaware  County, 
and  in  1834  to  Richland  Township,  this  county,  where  he  entered  120 
acres  of  land.  He  was  married  to  Lydia  Wicks,  and  had  eleven  children. 
His  son,  Albert  Wickiser,  who  was  born  February  24,  1808,  lives  in  this 
township,  near  the  spot  on  which  the  father  first  settled. 

About  the  same  period  came  Charles  Smith  from  Delaware,  who  built  a 
cabin  on  Section  17.  Beers  Roberts  came  from  same  county  and  located  on 
Section  17;  then  Ira  Bristoll,  on  Section  17;  John  James,  on  Section  1; 
Silas  Burson,  on  Section  1;  James  Cole,  on  Section  2;  Abraham  Cole  on 
Section  8;  Harvey  Chilson,  on  Section  13;  Simeon  Buell,  on  Section  32. 

43 


934  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

In  1835  came  Joshua  Cole  ou  Section  2;  Henry  Southward,  on  Section 
13;  James  Duddleson,  on  Section  4;  Robert  Reynolds,  on  Section  1;  John 
Ward,  on  Section  1 ;  James  McConnell,  on  Section  2 ;  John  Quin,  on  Sec- 
tion 1;  Albert  Wickiser,  on  Section  21. 

Jacob  Wentz  moved  from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio  in  1837,  and  settled  in 
Richland  Township,  entering  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Section  12.  He  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Capenheffer  and  had  nine  children.  James  Crites,  born  in 
Stark  County,  Ohio,  November  9,  1816,  came  and  settlpd  in  Richland  Town- 
ship in  1836,  entering  400  acres  of  land.  Some  of  those  who  came  about 
that  period  or  a  little  later  are  David  Anway,  Joseph  McClurg,  John  and 
Alexander  Crider,  John  Derringer,  Henry  Williams,  David  Armstrong, 
George  Stansel,  Benjamin  Carey,  Dr.  Adams,  Jacob  Striker,  Robert  Gibson 
and  Isaac  Burk. 

In  1841,  Solomon  Spoon  came  from  near  McCutchenville,  this  county, 
and  settled  in  this  township.  He  was  born  in  Perry  County,  Penn., 
April  28,  1802.  Removing  to  New  York  State  he  remained  there  until  he 
emigrated  westward,  coming  to  Ohio,  a  distance  of  500  miles  with  an  ox 
team.      After  remaining  one  year  near  Cleveland,  he  moved  to  this  county. 

Isaiah  Liles,  a  native  of  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  born  in  1818,  bought  in 
1839  eighty  acres  of  land  where  he  now  resides,  but  did  not  move  on  it  till 
1842.  Among  other  settlers  may  be  named  George  James,  W.  W.  Duffield, 
David  Morrison,  Andrew  and  George  W.  Reynolds. 

FIRST    EVENTS. 

Among  the  first  settlers  the  first  wedding  which  took  place  in  this  town- 
ship was  in  December,  1834,  celebrated  at  the  residence  of  Conrad  Wickiser 
(Section  21),  the  contracting  parties  being  John  Roberts  and  A.bigail 
Wickiser;  the  first  birth  was  that  of  Maria  James,  daughter  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Miller)  James,  on  the  1st  day  of  March,  1835,  in  the  northeast 
quarter  of  Section  1;  and  the  first  death  was  that  of  Elijah  Benjamin, 
a  child  aged  four  years,  who  was  killed  December  25,  1834,  by  a  tree,  in 
the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  28;  he  is  buried  in  the  Stradley  Grave- 
yard, Delaware  Township,  Hancock  County. 

In  the  fall  of  1838,  James  P.  Ward  created  no  little  sensation  by  bring- 
ing into  the  township  the  first  buggy.  The  first  grist  mill  was  built  in 
1855,  by  John  and  George  Sterling  at  Whartonsburg;  they  also  erected  the 
first  saw  mill  in  1858.  There  are  now  two  saw  mills  in  Martinsburg,  one 
owned  by  John  Sterling,  an  dthe  other  by  William  Bristoll.  The  first  and 
only  store  was  opened  by  James  E.  James  in  Whartonsburg.  Previous  to  this 
store  coming  into  existence,  settlers  had  to  go  for  their  supplies,  those  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  township  to  Burlington,  now  Marseilles,  or  Mt. 
Blanchard,  and  those  in  the  more  northern  part  to  Big  Spring  and  Old 
Tymochtee.  The  first  election  was  held  April  6,  1835,  in  the  northeast 
quarter  of  Section  4,  at  the  house  of  James  Duddleson.  There  were  then 
elected:  Justices  of  the  Peace,  Silas  Burson  and  Charles  Smith  (both 
Whigs);  Constables,  John  Wickiser  (Democrat)  and  James  McCormack, 
(Whig);  Trustees,  Coni-ad  Wickiser  (Democrat),  Ira  Bristoll  (Democrat)  and 
James  Duddleson  (Whig);  Treasurer,  Abijah  Smith  (Whig);  Clerk,  John 
W.  Cole,  (Whig);  Fence  Viewers,  Robert  Reynolds  (Whig),  Silas  Burson, 
(Whig),  and  William  Benjamin  (Democrat);  Overseers  of  Poor,  Conrad 
Wickiser  (Democrat),  Robert  Reynolds  (Whig)  and  John  James  (Whig); 
Supei'visors,  Joshua  Cole  and  Charles  Smith  (both  Whigs).  On  this  occa- 
sion there  were  thirteen  votes  polled,  and  several  of  the  voters  had  not  been 


RICHLAND   TOWNSHIP.  935 

in  this  State  one  year.  The  iirst  blacksmith  shop  was  erected  in  1835,  in 
the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  1,  by  Robert  Reynolds,  and  the  first  house 
was  built  in  January,  1832,  by  Hescot  Pickett;  it  was  of  round  logs,  and 
16x18  feet  in  dimensions. 

Following  Were  the  owners  of  real  and  personal  estate  in  Richland 
Township  in  the  year  1845: 

OWNERS    OF    REAL    ESTATE. 

David  Adams,  David  Adams,  Jr.,  David  Anaway,  Joseph  Bumthacker, 
Jacob  Barnard,  Aarou  F.  Burson,  Ira  Bristol,  Silas  Burson,  Thomas  Bur- 
son,  Nathan  Brown,  Joshua  Browa,  Peter  O.  Brown,  Obed  Browu,  William 
Benjamin,  George  E.  Brown,  Elijah  Brown,  Jacob  Bowman,  Jacob  Bowman, 
Lindell  Brown,  James  Bowman,  Oliver  Batchelor,  Lovina  Beaver,  William 
Bennett,  Daniel  Bennett,  John  Barnhart,  Elijah  Barna,  Margaret  Batter- 
son,  John  Case,  William  D.  Carlin,  Philip  Cole,  Abijah  Cole,  Joshua  Cole, 
Abraham  Cole,  David  Cole,  Aaron  Cole,  William  Corbin,  William  Crites, 
Jonas  Crites,  George  Crites,  Lydia  Crites,jWilliam  Crites,  Harvey  Chilson, 
James  Clark,  Benjamin  Covey,  Juda  Chase,  Charles  C.  Crandall,  Daniel 
Daringer,  James  Duddleson,  Joshua  M.  Drake,  Samuel  Dunlap,  Charles 
Ely,  Harvey  Eldridge,  Minerva  Eastman,  Bailey  Fritter,  Hiram  Fuller, 
James  Fisher,  Samuel  Frahem,  Abraham  Fry,  William  Fort,  Robert  Gib- 
son, David  Gaskill,  Israel  Hulse,  David  Hagerman,  David  Harrington,  Har- 
riet Hendricks,  Thomas  Hershberger,  Peter  Hines,  John  Hines,  George 
James,  Simon  Jennings,  James  Kelly,  David  Kimball,  Adam  Kaln,  John 
Krider,  David  Kimmell,  John  Knisely,  Joseph  Kimmell,  Alexander  Krider, 
George  Long,  Joseph  H.  Luce,  David  Moe,  Peter  Mikesell,  Joseph  Mc- 
Clurg,  Jacob  Mucher,  James  McCormick,  Mary  Murray,  John  A.  Morrison, 
Edward  Miller,  James  Mitchell,  William  Mansfield,  Aaron  Moore,  Chris- 
tian Motz,  Henry  Neible,  Patrick  O'Neil,  Albert  Pangburn,  James  M. 
Phillips,  Erastus  Pratt,  Lowman  Pratt,  Abraham  Parsell,  John  Pogg,  John 
Quinn,  Moss  Quinn,  Robert  Reynolds,  Margaret  Rutlidge,  Joseph  Rich- 
ardson, State  of  Ohio,  Charles  Smith,  Paul  S|^ber,  Henry  Suthard,  George 
Stansil,  George  Stansil,  Jr.,  Michael  Schwab,  Jonathan  Swihart,  John 
Shall,  John  Sager,  Charles  Steward,  Morgan  Savage,  Joseph  Stewart,  Eli 
B.  Sprague,  William  Sutherland,  Solomon  Spoon,  John  Steward,  Hezi- 
kiah  Shaffer,  George  Stansil,  Peggy  Thompson,  James  Thompson,  Tarr  & 
Kaln,  Isaac  B.  Turner,  Martin  Vocht.  Jacob  Wentz,  Conrad  Wickiser, 
James  Ward,  Benjamin  Ward,  Jacob  Wickiser,  Albert  Wickiser,  Joseph  H. 
Warner,  J.  P.  AVard,  Edward  Warner,  John  H.  Yambert,  Adam  Yambert, 
John  Yambert,  John  Yoving,  Conrad  Yarian,  Joseph  Yam. 

In  lots  from  13  to  24  inclusive  of  Jamestown  were  then  owned  by  the 
State. 

OWNERS    OF    PERSONAL    PROPERTY. 

Dr.  David  Adams  (a  practicing  physician),  David  Anaway,  David 
Armstrong,  William  Benjamin,  David  Baird,  William  Barker,  Irwin  Barn- 
hart,  Henry  Broughf,  Daniel  Baughman,  Ira  Bristol!,  Silas  Burson,  Daniel 
M.  Brown,  Benjamin  Carey,  David  Cole.  James  Cole,  Joshua  Cole,  Abra- 
ham Cole,  Dam't  Cole,  William  Corbin,  Henx-y  Crites,  George  Crites,  Jo- 
nas Crites,  William  Crites,  John  Case,  James  Duddleson,  Robert  Gipson, 
David  Hagerman,  Isaac  Hahn,  George  James,  Alexander  Krider,  Benjamin 
Koch,  Joseph  Kimmell,  Michael  Kimmell,  John  Krider,  Isaiah  Liles,  Jacob 
B.  Mansfield,  James  McCune,  Joseph  McClurg,  Samuel  Mann,  John  A. 
Morrison,  C.  D.  Murray,  Erastus  Pratt,  Hezekiah  G,   Phelps,  James  Petty, 


936  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Moses  A.  Quinn,  Eobert  Reynolds,  George  Stansell,  Henry  Southard, 
Daniel  Snowfer,  Solomon  Spoon,  Jacob  Stryker,  Albert  Wickiser,  Henry 
Willard,  Jacob  Wentz,  Benjamin  Wai'd,  Benjamin  W.  Ward,  James  P. 
Ward,  Jesse  A.  Ward,  John  Ward,  Jacob  W.  Wickiser,  Coleman  Woodward. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  first  schoolhouse  in  Richland  Township  was  built  in  1835,  and  the 
first  school  was  held  therein.  The  building  stood  in  the  southwest  quarter 
of  Section  17,  a  16x20-feet  structure  of  round  logs,  having  a  roof  made  of 
clapboards  held  on  by  poles,  a  puncheon  floor,  and  a  door  made  of  split 
boards,  hung  on  wooden  hinges.  The  windows  were  holes  cut  through  the 
logs  and  covered  with  oiled  paper.  The  chimney,  which  shivered  in  winter 
on  the  outside  of  the  institution,  vpas  composed  of  sticks  and  mud. 

A  second  educational  establishment  was  erected  in  1839,  on  the  north- 
east quarter  of  Section  2,  similar  in  construction  to  its  predecessor,  except- 
ing that  it  was  20x40  feet  in  size,  and  had  the  distinguished  addition  of  an 
upper  floor  of  round  logs,  having  the  cracks  filled  with  leaves  and  mud. 

Charles  Smith  was  the  first  dominie  in  the  township,  and  taught  in  the 
schoolhouse  first  built,  during  the  winters  of  1835,  1836  and  1837,  the  at- 
tendance averaging  about  twenty  scholars.  Abraham  Cole  was  the  first 
teacher  in  the  schoolhouse  built  in  1839,  and  his  duties  were  limited 
to  wrestling  with  some  twenty  tyros,  in  their  dee])  researches  into  the  mys- 
teries of  Lindley  Murray,  etc.  There  are  now  ten  school  buildings  in 
this  township,  located  one  on  each  of  Sections  1,  9,  11,  21,  23,  32,  34  and 
36,  and  two  in  Whartonsburg,  all  brick  structures,  excepting  one  of  the  two 
in  Wharton. 

CHUKOHES,     ETC. 

The  first  sermon  preached  in  Richland  Township  was  June  28,  1835, 
in  the  house  of  Joshua  Cole,  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  2,  on 
which  occasion  the  expounder,  James  Peters  (an  Old  School  Baptist)  took  for 
his  text  the  entire  twenty-fifth  chapter  of  St.  Matthew's  Gospel.  Shakes- 
peare has  said:  "Brevity  is  the  soul  of  wit,"  and  he  might  have  added 
"of  some  sermons,"  but,  perhaps,  in  Brother  Peters'  case,  what  may  have 
appeared  superfluous  in  the  length  of  the  sermon  (as  judging  by  the  length 
of  his  text),  was  conscientiously  deducted  from  the  dejith  of  the  same. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  denomination  has  the  credit  of  having  erected 
the  first  church  building  in  Richland  Township.  It  was  built  in  1852,  in 
the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  28,  constructed  of  hewn  logs,  and  24x30 
feet  in  size. 

Star  Bethel  Church  of  God. — This  society  held  its  first  meeting  in  the 
fall  of  1854,  in  the  Morrison  Schoolhouse,  by  Moses  Coats  and  J.  W.  West, 
and  was  organized  about  the  same  time,  in  the  same  schoolhouse  and  by 
the  same  parties.  The  membership  then  numbered  eleven  souls,  as  follows: 
Solomon  Spoon,  Hannah  Spoon,  Jacob  Wentling,  Sarah  Wentling,  John 
Yambert,  Elizabeth  Yambert,  Mrs.  Hersberger,  N.  B.  Coates,  Mary  A. 
Coates  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dowed.  Their  first  church  building  in  this  town- 
ship was  erected  in  1876,  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  13.  It  was 
of  wood,  30x40  feet,  and  cost  $1,200.  The  pastors  have  been:  1876,  J.  V. 
Updyke;  1877,  J.  H.  McKee;  1878,  G.  W.  Wilson;  1879-80,  T.  Koogle; 
1881-82.  M.  C.  Mowen;  1883,  J.  P.  Heppard;  1884,  J.  H.  McNut.  The 
present  membership  is  about  sixty;  Eldei's  are,  G.  W.  Kear  and  John  Wentz; 
Deacons,  Theodore  Wagers  and  B.  Green.  The  church  was  much  revived 
and  built  up  by  the  labor  of  Revs.    J.  V.   Updyke  and  T.    Koogle.     The 


RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP.  937 

present  incumbent,  Rev.  J.  H.  McNut,  is  also  doing  good  work.  There  is 
an  excellent  Sunday  school  in  connection  with  this  church,  which  now  meets 
nine  months  in  the  year. 

Beech  Grove  United  Brethren  Church. — This  society  meets  for  worship  in 
a  frame  built  house,  30x40  feet,  erected  at  a  cost  of  $600.  The  present 
membership  numbers  twenty- four,  and  the  existing  officers  are  H.  B.  Pratt, 
George  James,  P.  Hibens,  E.  S.  AVells  and  P.  Davis. 

St.  Mary' s,  Kirbij  Precinct. — The  organization  of  St.  Mary's  Church, 
Kirby,this  county,  dates  from  the  year  1861.  Among  the  first  settlers  were  Nic 
Noel,  John  Brimeyer,  Ensminger,  Stephen  Pfeifer,  John  Wagner,  Nic  Kar- 
icher,  Stephen  Brucher,  Reinhart  Donnersbach,  Anthony  Molter,  Charles 
Neimerscury,  George  Klaus,  Paul  Molter,  Math  Muller,  George  Thiel,  Nic 
Gadert,  Andrew  Deatrich,  John  Puri.  Rev.  Mr.  Patrich  was  the  first  priest 
to  visit  the  Catholics  of  Kix'by.  Mass  was  read  in  private  dwellings,  espe- 
cially in  the  spacious  store  rooms  of  H.  Ensminger.  The  first  impulse,  how- 
ever, to  the  building  of  a  church  was  a  donation  of  one  and  a  half  acres  of 
land  for  this  pui'pose  by  Mr.  Freas.  In  1863,  by  the  united  efforts  of  all 
the  heads  of  families,  especially  Nic  Noel,  John  Brimeyer  and  H.  Ensmin- 
ger, who  formed  the  first  coiancil,  a  frame  church  was  begun  and  inclosed. 
On  account  of  financial  difficulties  it  could  not  be  finished  until  the  ensu- 
ing year,  when  George  Thiel,  an  active  member,  was  elected  Councilman, 
who  pressed  the  matter,  and  made  many  a  sacrifice  in  traversing  the  neigh- 
boring towns,  collecting  for  this  church.  The  church  is  situated  on  Main 
street,  is  50x35,  and  cost  $2,000. 

In  the  year  1877,  a  sacristy,  20x15,  was  annexed,  likewise  a  tower,  which 
adds  considerable  to  the  beauty  of  the  church.  In  1874-75,  a  pastoral  resi- 
dence was  built  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,000.  A  school  was  necessary,  and  again 
Rev.  Mr.  Rosenberg  made  many  an  appeal,  until  his  efforts  were  crowned  with 
success.  It  was  commenced  in  1879,  under  his  supervision,  and  finished 
by  the  present  pastor,  John  G.  Mizer.  At  present  it  is  in  charge  of  a  lay 
teacher,  and  attended  by  about  sixty  children.  A  small  piece  of  ground 
next  to  the  church  was  used  as  a  cemetery.  However,  this  being  within  the 
corporation  and  not  a  suitable  place,  a  piece  of  land  containing  two  and 
three-fourth  acres  was  purchased  for  a  cemetery  in  the  year  1881. 

Rev.  Mr.  Patrich  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Mr.  Henry.  It  was  theu  attended 
successively  by  Revs.  G.  Spearings,  1863-66;  Joseph  Reinhart,  1866-68;  A. 
Girardin,  George  Peter,  1868-73;  Charles  Braschler,  D.  Zinsmeyer,  1873-75. 
Rev.  Joseph  Rosenberg  was  the  first  resident  priest,  who  also  attended  Craw- 
fordsville  from  Kirby,  1875-80.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  present  pastor, 
Rev.  John  G.  Mizer,  July  18,  1880.  The  congregation  numbers  between 
fifty-five  and  sixty  families,  mostly  all  farmers,  and  Luxemburgers.  The 
present  church  officers  are  George  Thiel,  Nic  Muller,  Joseph  Rail  and 
Mike  Weber.  The  principal  missions  were  held  in  1871,  by  Redemptox'ists 
and,  in  1877,  by  Franciscan  Fathers. 

There  are  now  seven  church  buildings  in  Richland  Township,  distribut- 
ed as  follows:  Two  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches,  one  in  Section  28  and 
one  in  Whartonsburg;  three  United  Brethren  Churches,  one  in  each  of 
Sections  1,  2  and  9;  one  Church  of  God,  in  Section  13,  and  one  Dunkard, 
in  Section  33. 

Of  the  burial  places  in  this  township,  one  is  located  in  Section  2,  one  in 
Section  12,  one  in  Section  21  and  one  in  Section  35,  besides  some  private 
grounds.  There  is  an  old  Indian  burying  ground  on  an  island  in  Potato 
Creek  Swamp,  where  quite  a  number  are  buried. 


938  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

"Lo!  the  pool"  Indian,"  has  left  behind,  in  Richland  Township,  some 
souvenirs  of  the  days  when  he  was  "  great  in  the  field  and  foremost  in  the 
chase.''  Flint  arrow-heads  have  been  found  in  all  sections  of  the  township, 
and  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  14  there  exists  an  ancient  mound, 
and  another  in  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  23. 

The  State  election  returns  for  1879  and  1880  showed  the  following  re- 
sult: For  Governor  (1879),  Charles  Foster,  13'2;  Thomas  Ewing,  193; 
Gideon  T.  Stewart,  1;  A.  Sanders  Piatt,  none;  total  vote,  307;  for  Secre- 
tary of  State  (1880),  Charles  Townsend,  146;  William  Lang,  192;  Charles 
A.  Lloyd,  none;  William  H.  Doan,  none;  total  vote,  340;  for  President 
(1880),  James  A.  Garfield,  152;  Winfield  S.  Hancock,  195;  James  B. 
Weaver,  none;  Neal  Dow,  1;  total  vote,  349. 

The  town  of  Whartonsburg  was  laid  out  in  1848  by  Samuel  Rathbun; 
the  first  house  was  built  by  N.  De  Pew,  and  the  first  store  by  James  E. 
James,  who  was  the  first  Postmaster.  The  Cincinnati,  Sandusky  &  Cleve- 
land Railway  passes  through  the  village. 

The  population  of  the  township,  including  the  town  of  Whartonsburg, 
in  1880,  was  1,676,  an  increase  of  405  in  the  decade  from  1870. 

TOAVNSHIP    OFFICIALS    SINCE    1865. 

Trustees,  1865,  G.  W.  Reynolds,  John  Rummel,  Hiram  Taft. 

1866— G.  W.  Reynolds,  John  Rummel,  John  S.  Shaner. 

1867— G.  W.  Reynolds,  John  S.  Shaner,  W.  L.  Rummel. 

1868  —Jacob  Bott,  Hiram  Cole,  Robert  Gibson. 

1869— W.  W.  Duffield,  George  Eatherton,  Hiram  Cole. 

1870— W.  W.  Duffield,  George  Eatherton,  John  S.  Shaner. 

1871— John  Plott,  William  Swearingin,  Lewis  Baughman. 

1872 — John  H.  Plott,  William  Jenkins,  A.  J.  Shellhouse. 

1873— Jacob  C.  Wentz,  J.  P.  Ward,  A.J.  Shannon. 

1874— Jacob  C.  Wentz,  W.  W.  Duffield,  R.  Bennett. 

1875 — Z.  G.  Murry,  George  Eatherton,  William  Swearingin. 

1876 — Z.  G.  Murry,  Loran  Bartlett,  George  Eatherton. 

1877 — Simon  Kachelv,  R.  Bennett,  J.  D.  Wickiser. 

1878— Simon  Kachely,  W.  B.  Murry,  J.  D.  Wickiser. 

1879— J.  A.  Bell,  AV.  B.  Murry,  W.  H.  Worley. 

1880— J.  C.  Wentz,  J.  A.  Petty,  A.  J.  Shanon. 

1881— J.  C.  Wentz,  Isaac  Cole,  John  Phelps. 

1882— J.  C.  Wentz,  Isaac  Cole,  J.  H.    Sterling. 

1883— M.  A.  Ridenour,  AVilliam  Plott,  W.  W.  Duffield. 

Clerks— 1865,  John  Sterling:  1866-68,  J.  C.  Waltermire;  1869,  Francis 
Wood;  1870-72,  Isaac  Cole;  1873-74,  R.  B.  Bell;  1875,  J.  A.  Petty;  1876, 
S.  R.  Coates;  1877,  R.  B.  Bell;  1878,  R.  V.  Rummel;  1879-80,  R.  B. 
Bell;  1880-83,  John  McClelland. 

Treasurers— 1865-68,  Z.  G.  Murry;  1869,  William  Bristoll;  1871-71, 
Hiram  Cole;  1872-73,  H.  P.  Marshall:  1874-76,  William  McClelland; 
1877-80,  J.  S.  Shaner;  1881-82,  L.  W.  Ranchler  (or  Renshler);  1883, 
W.  A.  Bristoll. 

Justices  of  the  Peace- 1865,  Z.  G.  Murry:  1868,  James  Southward; 
1870,  William  Bristoll;  1873,  William  Bristoll;  1874,  James  Southward; 
1877,  James  Southward;  1879,  William  Bristoll;  1880,  Jehu  Baker;  1881, 
William  Swearingin;  1882,  Jehu  Baker;   1883,  David  Kauble. 


RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP.  939 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

SAMUEL  AHLEFELD  was  born  near  Mansfield,  Ohio,  February  28, 
1849.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Catharine  (Fetzer)  Ahlefeld,  natives  of 
Germany.  They  came  to  this  country  before  their  marriage,  but  after  that 
event  settled  in  the  above  locality,  w^here  they  both  died.  The  father  oper- 
ated a  grist  mill  near  Mansfield,  and  died  in  1853  ;  the  mother  died  in 
1880,  aged  seventy-four  years.  Of  their  eight  children,  but  five  are  living. 
Samuel,  the  youngest,  was  left  an  orphan  at  four  years  of  age.  He  obtained 
a  common  school  education,  and  subsequently  spent  ten  years  at  the  paint- 
er's trade.  He  married  Miss  Emma  C.  Jones,  May  9,  1871,  her  parents 
being  Henry  and  Catherine  (Smith)  Jones,  natives  of  Ohio  and  of  English 
birth.  Her  parents  were  early  settlers  in  this  county,  her  father  having 
been  a  merchant,  first  at  Carey  and  later  at  Tymochtee.  He  became  wealthy 
and  reared  a  family  of  fifteen  children — eight  now  living.  The  mother 
died  in  1866,  aged  forty  ;  the  father  in  1870,  aged  forty-nine  years.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ahlefeld  have  three  children — Leroy  A.,  born  April  18,  1872  ; 
Albert  H,  September  12,  1873  ;  Myrtle  R.,  September  7,  1875  ;  Mrs  A.  was 
born  June  29,  1853.  Mr.  Ahlefeld  resided  two  years  after  his  marriage  in 
Upper  Sandusky,  and  then  moved  to  his  present  farm,  now  of  seventy  acres, 
well  stocked  and  improved,  valued  at  $100  per  acre.  He  erected  a  fine 
frame  residence,  at  a  cost  of  $1,500,  in  1883,  and  has  made  many  other  im- 
provements in  clearing,  draining,  fencing,  etc.  In  politics,  Mr.  Ahlefeld 
is  a  Democrat. 

JUSTIN  ALLIS  was  born  in  Hampshire  County,  Mass.,  June  16,  1825. 
His  parents,  Lemuel  and  Lydia  (Beels)  AUis,  wex'e  natives  of  Maryland, 
and  of  English  ancestry.  His  grandfather  served  entirely  through  the 
Revolutionary  war.  His  parents  came  to  Ohio  in  1833,  purchasing  300 
acres  in  Medina  County,  and  owning  at  one  time,  with  a  partner,  a  tract 
five  miles  long  and  a  mile  wide.  Their  children  were  Lucius,  Roxanna, 
Rhoda  and  Rebecca,  by  first  wife;  Justin,  Sarah,  Elisha,  Caroline,  Per- 
thenia,  Wells,  Alonzo,  Marilla,  Hiram  and  Amanda,  by  second  wife.  The 
father  died  in  185-1,  aged  seventy-two  years  ;  the  mother  is  still  a  resident 
of  Medina  County,  in  her  eightieth  year.  Mr.  Allis  resided  with  his  par- 
ents till  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  then  purchased  sixty-six  acres  near 
his  father's  farm,  where  he  resided  seventeen  years.  In  1863,  he  sold  this 
property,  moved  to  Chatham  and  Dover,  Ohio,  three  years,  and  in  1867 
came  to  this  county  and  purchased  his  present  farm  of  160  acres.  He  was 
married,  September  15,  1857,  to  Miss  Jeanett  E.  Blake,  daughter  of  Orrin 
Blake  (see  sketch),  and  born  February  27,  1831.  They  have  one  child — 
Burton  W.,  an  exemplary  young  man,  the  owner  of  125  acres  of  land.  Mr. 
Allis  is  a  strong  Republican,  and  has  always  been  an  industrious  and  well 
respected  citizen.      Mrs.  Allis  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church. 

J.  R  ALTER  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  October  24, 
1839.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and  Ann  (Stotler)  Alter,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  of  German  pai'entage,  the  parents  of  eight  children — David, 
Emanuel,  J.  R.,  Jacob,  Elizabeth,  Mary  E.,  Samuel  L.  and  Joseph  H. 
The  father  died  in  1882,  aged  seventy-six  years  ;  the  mother  still  a  resident 
of  Pennsylvania,  in  her  seventy-second  year.  Our  subject  began  the  black- 
smith's trade  at  thirteen,  and  continued  in  this  occupation  several  years. 
He  was  married,  September  8,  1864,  to  Miss  Jane  S.  Morrison,  daughter  of 
William  and  Rebecca  (Walker)  Morrison,  who  died  when  their  daughter 
was  a  mere  child.     Being  adopted  by  John  Steel,  she  resided  with  him  till 


940  HISTORY  OF  WYAxXDOT  COUNTY. 

her  marriage,  and  he  now  resides  at  her  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alter  are 
parents  of  seven  children — Maggie  A.,  born  December  21,  1865  ;  Clara  V., 
December  13,  1867;  Elizabeth  E.,  August  3,  1869;  Harry  F.,  June  9, 
1871  ;  EarlG.,  November  14,  1874  ;  M.  Dale,  October  27,  1878  ;  Samuel  W., 
November  4,  1881.  Mrs.  Alter  was  born  December  16,  1843.  Mr.  Alter 
rented  land  a  number  of  years,  but  came  to  this  coanty  in  1872,  and  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  which  he  has  thoroughly  improved. 
He  is  a  Republican,  and  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.;  both  he  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Forest,  Ohio.  He  has  a 
comfortable  home,  and  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen. 

JACOB  BAKER,  son  of  Peter  and  Leah  (Martsell)  Baker,  was  born  in 
Cumberland  County,  Penn. ,  October  19,  1816.  He  remained  at  home  till 
his  marriage,  March  1,  1838,  to  Mary  A.  Ramp,  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Elizabeth  (Worst)  Ramp.  They  had  three  children — Ann  M.  (deceased), 
\Yilliam  and  David — the  two  boys  both  soldiers  in  the  late  war.  Mr.  Baker 
rented  land  for  many  years,  but  in  1852  he  came  by  wagons  to  Ohio,  with 
three  children — Ann  M.  dying  on  the  way.  They  buried  her  in  Wayne 
County,  Ohio.  He  located  near  Bucyrus,  where  they  resided  until  1860, 
when  they  purchased  their  present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  paying  $750.  This 
farm  they  have  cleared  and  improved  by  good  buildings,  etc.,  and  now  valued 
at  $75  per  acre.  Mr.  Baker  has  been  a  hard  working,  temperate  man.  He 
is  a  Republican  and  member  of  the  Church  of  God.  Mi's.  Baker  has  acted 
well  her  part,  for  many  years  spinning  flax  and  wool  to  make  clothes  for  the 
family. 

DAVID  L.  BAKER  was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  April  3, 
1843,  son  of  Jacob  and  Mai-y  Baker.  (See  sketch.)  He  was  employed  on 
the  farm  at  home  till  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred 
and  Twenty -third  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  entered  the  war. 
He  was  engaged  at  Winchester  (two  battles),  Martinsburg,  Berryville, 
Snicker's  Gap,  New  Market,  Cedar  Creek,  Fisher's  Hill,  Hatcher's  Run  and 
High  Bridge.  He  was  captured  at  Winchester  in  June,  1863,  and  confined 
one  month  at  Libby  Prison  and  Belle  Isle  He  was  also  captured  at  the 
latter  place,  but  was  released  three  days  later  on  account  of  Lee's  surrender, 
receiving  his  discharge  June  12,  1865.  Returning  home  he  was  married, 
December  25,  1865,  to  Emaline  F.  Coates,  daughter  of  Norris  B.  and 
Mary  A.  Coates;  she  died  October  16,  1880,  leaving  live  children — 
Florence  B.,  Elma  E.,  Nellie  M.,  Minnie  I.,  Wilbur  R.  and  Wilson  R. 
— the  latter  deceased.  Mr.  Baker  was  again  married,  May  9,  1882, 
to  Sarah  J.  Kitzmiller,  widow  of  James  Kitzmiller,  and  daughter  of 
Jacob  Guise.  They  have  one  child — Mary  E.  Mr.  Baker  purchased  his 
present  farm  of  forty  acres  in  1866;  he  erected  a  large  barn  in  1883,  and 
has  made  many  other  improvements,  now  valuing  his  farm  at  $3,500.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Baker  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  and 
Secretary  of  the  Building  Association  at  Wharton;  also  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  God. 

WILLIAM  BAKER,  son  of  Jacob  Baker,  was  born  in  Cumberland 
County,  Penn.,  November  29,  1840.  He  remained  at  home  till  1864,  when 
he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Franklin,  Tenn.,  subsequently  be- 
ing engaged  in  garrison  duty,  receiving  his  discharge  in  July,  1865.  He 
was  married,  December  27,  1866,  to  Miss  Malinda  Starr,  daughter  of  John 
and  Eva  (Bryner)  Starr,  natives  of  Virginia.  They  came  to  this  county  in 
1835,  and  entered  land  in  Ridge  Township,  their  children  being  Malinda, 


RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP.  941 

Sarah  A.,  Mary  A.  and  Martha  J.,  Malinda  being  the  only  surviving  mem- 
ber of  the  family.  The  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker  are  Minerva 
J.,  September  23,  1867;  Alvin  E.,  July  20,  1869;  Harrison  S.,  March  9, 
1875;  Ida  M.,  April  29,  1877;  Charles  F.,  October  14,  1879.  Mr.  Baker 
rented  land  till  Mrs.  Baker  inherited  120  acres  (to  which  they  have  added 
forty),  where  they  now  reside.  They  also  own  160  acres  in  Ridge  To\ynship, 
120  of  which  were  inherited.  Their  farm  is  in  good  condition,  well  stocked 
and  provided  with  good  buildings.  Mr.  Baker  is  a  Republican;  he  served 
as  Clerk  of  Ridge  Township  two  years;  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  and 
Trustee  of  the  Building  Association  at  Wharton,  both  he  and  Mrs.  Baker 
being  members  of  the  Church  of  God,  with  which  he  was  formerly  officially 
connected. 

DANIEL  BAUGHMAN  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  May  13,  1797,  son 
of  David  and  Catharine  Baughman,  of  German  descent.  Mr.  Baughman 
had  no  advantages  of  schools,  being  compelled  to  stay  at  home  to  labor  from 
his  childhood.  At  twenty-five  he  married  Elizabeth  Wyner.  They  had 
nine  children  (all  deceased  but  Louis  and  John).  Mr.  Baughman  came  to 
Ohio  when  a  child  and  to  this  county  in  1830,  entering  167  acres  in  Salem 
Township,  himself,  John  Nichols,  John  Mann  and  A.  B.  Inman  then  being 
the  only  settlers  in  the  township.  Having  lost  his  first  wife  by  death 
Mr.  Baughman  married  Rachel  Brown  in  1835,  she  afterward  becoming 
an  invalid  and  passing  away.  For  the  past  seven  years  he  has  resided  with 
his  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Kauble,  who  cares  for  him  without  com- 
pensation. Mr.  Baughman  was  a  farmer  and  hunter;  is  now  the  oldest  man 
in  the  township,  and  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  the  county. 

SAMUEL  BECHTEL,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Rebecca  (Myers)  Bechtel, 
was  born  in  Bucks  County,  Penn.,  November  2,  1825.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  ancestry,  emigrating  to  Ohio  in 
1829, and  to  Wayne  County  in  1852,  then  moving  to  Whiteside  County,  111., 
where  they  both  died.  Their  children  were  Samuel,  Ephraim,  Solomon, 
Helena,  Catharine,  Mary,  Nancy,  and  three  others  deceased.  The  father 
died  abovit  1855,  aged  fifty-nine,  the  mother  in  1861,  aged  seventy -three 
years.  Samuel  Bechtel  was  brought  up  on  the  farm,  where  he  was  engaged 
till  his  marriage  to  Margaret  Long,  June  24,  1847.  He  then  left  his 
father's  home  and  rented  land  in  Wayne  County  for  several  years,  moving 
to  Illinois  in  1855,  to  receive  an  inheritance  of  120  acres  of  land.  His 
father  dying  without  making  a  will  to  this  effect,  he  returned  to  Ohio  in 
1858,  a  wiser  and  a  poorer  man.  In  1860,  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  his 
present  farm,  and  has  since  added  forty  more,  besides  assisting  his  son 
Orren  to  forty  acres.  The  farm  is  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation,  valued  at 
$75  per  acre.  Mrs.  Bechtel  was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Barbara  (Rutter) 
Long,  natives  of  Maryland  and  of  English  extraction.  Her  grandfather  was 
a  Revolutionary  soldier,  suffering  much  privation  during  his  term  of  service. 
Her  parents  are  both  deceased,  and  but  three  of  their  eleven  children  are 
living,  viz. :  John,  W^ashington  and  Margaret.  Mi',  and  Mrs.  Bechtel  are 
parents  of  seven  children — John,  Samuel  T.,  Orren  M.  and  Arilla  J.  (twins), 
Barbara,  Elmer  E.,  John  and  Alvin,  the  two  latter  deceased.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Bechtel  is  a  Democrat,  and  both  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

ORREN  M.  BECHTEL,  son  of  the  above,  was  born  in  Marion  County, 
Ohio,  April  9,  1853.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  and  remained 
at  home  with  his  parents  till  his  marriage,  December  25,  1882,  to  Miss 
Emarilla  Southward,  daughter  of  James  and  Maria  Southward.  He  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  land  from  his  father  in  1877,  paying  |1,700  for  the 


942  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

same,  adding  twenty  acres  more  in  1S83.  In  1882,  he  erected  a  good  two- 
story  frame  house  at  a  cost  of  $500.  His  farm  is  well -improved  and  stocked 
with  good  grades.  Mr.  Bechtel  is  a  Democrat  and  an  industrious  young 
farmer.     Mrs.  B.  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

PERRY  BRASHARES  is  a  native  of  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  born  July 
19,  1841.  He  is  a  son  of  Truman  and  Elizabeth  (Karns)  Brashares,  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively,  and  of  German  descent.  His 
parents  were  married  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  and  soon  after  located  in 
Seneca  County,  where  the  father  died  in  1850,  aged  fifty-seven  years;  the 
mother  in  1869,  aged  sixty-three  years.  Perry  Brashares  worked  upon  a 
farm  in  his  native  county  and  in  Illinois  till  1861,  enlisting  in  September 
of  that  year  in  Company  K,  Forty-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  en- 
tering the  service.  He  participated  in  the  engagement  at  Pittsburg 
Landing,  Corinth,  Stone  River,  Liberty  Gap  and  Chickamauga.  He  was 
taken  prisoner  at  the  latter  place  and  confined  at  Libby  Prison  six  weeks, 
Danville  four  months,  Andersonville  six  months,  suffering  untold  hardships 
— then  to  Florence,  S.  C,  where  he  was  exchanged  February,  1865.  He 
was  married,  March  12,1867,  to  Miss  Olive  Mullholand,  daughter  of  Hugh 
and  Mary  (Young)  Mullholand,  early  settlers  of  this  county.  She  was  born 
September  8,  1847.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brashares  are  pai-ents  of  four  children 
—Delia,  Mary,  Hugh  and  June.  For  several  years  Mr.  Brashares  rented 
land.  He  purchased  seventy  acres  in  Crawford  Township,  where  he  resided 
six  years,  disposing  of  his  farm  in  1879.  In  1881,  he  procured  his  present 
farm  of  forty-five  acres,  paying  $2,150 — now  valuing  it  at  $75  per  acre. 
Mr.  Brashares  is  a  Democrat,  and  a  worthy  and  industrious  citizen. 

WILLIAM  BRISTOLL,  banker  and  merchant,  Wharton,  was  born  in 
Richland  Township  March  8,  1837.  His  parents,  Ira  and  Sarah  (Smith) 
Bristol],  were  natives  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  They 
removed  to  Ohio  and  in  1832-33,  settled  in  Richland  Township,  this  county, 
where  Mr.  Bristoll  entered  eighty  acres  of  land.  This  original  purchase 
he  increased  to  220  acx*es  of  valuable  land.  He  was  a  prominent  and  influ- 
ential citizen.  His  death  took  place  in  1873,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
Mrs.  B.  is  also  deceased.  To  their  union  nine  children  were  born:  Margeiy, 
Silas  S. ,  Huldah  M.,  Polly,  Chester,  Charlotte,  David,  William  and  Harriet. 
Mr.  Bristoll,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  in  his  native  place  and 
educated  in  the  common  schools.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  began  as  a 
clerk  in  his  father's  store,  and  became  identified  with  his  father's  extensive 
trade.  In  1862,  he  started  a  small  store  for  himself  near  the  railroad,  and 
kept  a  small  stock  of  dry  goods,  groceries,  etc.  One  year  later,  he  erected  a 
store  room,  in  which  he  continued  in  business  with  unusual  success  for  five 
years.  About  1870,  he  resumed  the  dry  goods  business  and  now  has  the  largest 
establishment  in  the'village.  In  1875,  he  established  the  Richland  Deposit 
Bank  in  connection  with  his  store.  He  has  a  large  deposit  patronage,  and 
enjoys  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people.  Mr.  Bristoll  is  a  part 
owner  in  the  "Bristoll  Block,"  containing  three  store  rooms,  which  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $8,000  or  $9,000.  Mr.  Bristoll  owns  the  stoi-e  room  he 
occupies  and  a  half  interest  in  the  one  occupied  by  W.  A.  Bristol.  Some 
years  ago,  he  built  the  Wharton  Warehouse,  which  he  conducted  several 
years.  He  also  owns  a  farm  of  215  acres,  a  saw  and  planing  mill,  besides 
other  village  property.  Mr.  Bristoll  began  in  business  with  the  small  sum 
of  $150,  but  has  by  energy  and  good  business  management  acquired  large 
wealth.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  public  and  private  enterprise,  and  every  legiti- 
mate movement  that  is  intended  to  benefit  or  enrich  the  county  always  receives 


RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP.  943 

his  cordial  support.  He  is  a  prominent  Republican  and  has  been  called  upon 
to  till  various  offices  of  his  township.  He  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace 
nine  years,  Township  Clerk  and  Treasurer  each  one  year;  member  of  the 
School  Board  and  Town  Council  and  other  offices.  January  1,  ISGO,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hannah,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Charlotte 
Lockwood.  To  this  union  ten  children  have  been  born;  of  these  seven  are 
living — Ira  P.,  Burl  B.,  William  S.,  Mary  F.,  Ettie  B.,  Josie  F.  and  an 
infant;  Lillie,  Jasper  and  an  infant  are  deceased.  Mr.  Bristoll  and  family 
are  earnest  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  N.  BROWN,  son  of  Abraham  and  Francis  (Coon)  Brown,  is  a 
native  of  this  county,  born  May  8,  183(3.  His  parents  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively,  and  of  mixed  and  German  nationality. 
His  paternal  grandfather  was  captured  by  the  Indians  in  the  war  of  1812, 
and  never  returned.  His  maternal  grandfather  was  in  the  same  war.  Mr. 
Brown's  father  came  to  Ohio  in  1826,  stopping  in  Marion  County  two  years, 
then  moving  to  this  county,  entering  eighty  acres  of  land — owning  at  one  time 
160.  The  children  of  the  family  were  Henry,  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  John, 
Esther  A.,  William,  Jacob,  Catharine,  Letitia,  Mary  F.  and  Susan — three 
latter  deceased.  The  mother  died  in  1870.  aged  sixty-five;  the  father  Jan- 
uary 26,  1880,  aged  seventy-six;  he  was  for  several  years  a  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church.  Mr.  Brown  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  engaged 
in  the  work  of  the  same  until  he  grew  to  manhood.  October  22,  1857,  he 
married  Miss  Lydia  Beery,  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Magdaline  (Coefman) 
Beery,  early  settlers  in  this  county,  the  latter  still  a  resident  at  McCutchen 
ville.  Three  children  resulted  from  this  marriage — Austin  M.,  Laura  E. 
and  Eliza  A.  After  his  marriage, Mi".  Brown  rented  land  several  yeai's  and 
then  purchased  a  farm  of  100  acres  in  Mifflin  Township,  where  he  resided 
ten  years.  He  then  disposed  of  his  first  purchase  and  bought  his  present 
farm  of  120  acres,  paying  $6,00(\  His  farm  is  in  good  repair,  valued  at 
$65  per  acre.  Mr.  Brown  has  been  a  hard  laborer  all  his  life.  January  1, 
1850,  he  claims  to  have  split  774  oak  rails.  He  is  a  Republican  and  mem- 
ber of  the  United  Brethren  Church.  Mrs.  Brown  is  a  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church. 

S.  L.  CLARK,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  February  13, 
1827.  His  parents,  Andrew  and  Catharine  (Cole)  Clark,  were  natives  of 
New  Jersey  and  of  Holland  descent.  His  grandparents  came  from  Holland 
many  years  ago.  His  parents  removed  from  Washington  County,  Penn.,  to 
Carroll  County,  Ohio,  in  1821.  They  had  a  family  of  nine  children,  of 
whom  Dr.  Clark  is  the  youngest.  Mr.  Clark  Avas  for  three  months  a  sol- 
dier in  the  war  of  1812;  he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty -nine  years,  and  his 
wife  eighty  seven  years.  Dr.  Clark  had  one  brother,  Andi-ew  H.,  who  be- 
came an  eminent  physician  and  died  in  Huron  County,  Ohio,  in  1832,  of 
the  cholera.  Dr.  Clark  received  his  education  principally  at  an  academy 
at  CarroUton.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  un- 
der Dr.  C.  V.  McMillen.  and  graduated  at  the  Cleveland  Regular  Medical  Col- 
lege in  1853;  he  established  himself  first  at  Patterson,  Hardin  County,  and 
two  years  later  removed  to  Mt.  Blanchard,  Ohio,  remaining  there  until 
May,  1877,  when  he  came  to  Whartonsburg.  The  Doctor  has  established  a 
lucrative  practice,  and  enjoys  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people;  he 
is  a  well-read  and  successful  physician.  In  early  days,  when  milk  sickness 
was  so  prevalent,  he  had  an  extensive  practice  in  the  treatment  of  that  dis- 
ease. So  successful  was  his  medical  treatment  of  that  disea.se  that  his 
counsel  was  sought  by  physicians  over  a  large  portion  of  Central  Ohio.     In 


944  HISTORr  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

1879-80,  he  visited  the  Territories  of  Wyoming,  Utah,  Montana  and  Idaho. 
He  was  appointed  and  served  six  months  as  physician  at  the  "  Crovv  Indian 
Agency."  In  1881,  he  opened  a  drug  store  where  he  now  resides,  and  en- 
joys a  prosperous  business.  May  4,  1852,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  C 
Burson,  daughter  of  Dr.  A.  F.  Burson,  of  Mt.  Blanchard,  Ohio.  One  son 
was  born  to  this  union  Charles  F.,  now  in  attendance  at  the  Cincinnati 
College  of  Medicine.  Mrs.  Clark  died  May  5,  1879.  Dr.  Clark  married 
Mrs.  Rachel  Cole,  widow  of  Abraham  Cole.  Mrs.  Clark  had  three  children 
by  her  former  husband — Frank,  Rufus  and  Sherman.  Dr.  Clark  owns,  be- 
sides his  property  here,  the  largest  store  room  in  Mt.  Blanchard,  Ohio.  He 
began  life  with  few  means,  and  by  close  application  to  his  profession  has 
acquired  a  handsome  competence.  He  is  an  honorable  and  highly  respect- 
ed citizen. 

SYLVANUS  R.  COATES,  Postmaster  and  hardware  merchant,  Whar- 
ton, was  born  in  Portage  County,  Ohio,  July  17,  1844;  he  is  a  son  of  U.  B. 
and  Mary  A.  (Randolph)  Coates,  both  natives  of  Ohio  and  of  English  an- 
cestry. They  removed  from  Portage  to  Wyandot  County  in  1848.  They 
had  three  children — Sylvanus  R. ,  Moses  G.  and  Emaline  F.  Mr.  Coates 
now  resides  at  Mansfield,  Ohio.  Mrs.  C.  died  in  1873,  aged  forty-nine. 
Our  subject  obtained  his  education  in  the  common  schools.  He  remained 
at  home  till  of  age,  when  he  began  renting  land  and  followed  it  until  about 
1869.  September  24,  1864,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Starr,  daughter 
of  John  and  Eve  (Shade)  Starr,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Coates  have  no  children.  Mrs.  Coates  departed  this  life  in  1868,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-four  years.  Mr.  C.  again  married,  December  29,  1869,  to  Miss 
Minerva  Matteson,  daughter  of  Job  and  Hannah  (Messenger)  Matteson,  by 
whom  he  has  had  five  children,  viz.:  Wheeler  H. ,  born  October  16,  1871; 
Hannah,  February  1,  1874;  Norris  M.,  August  17,  1875;  Oliver  G.,  De- 
cember 21,  1879;  Jesse  S.,  May  3,  1883.  Hannah  died  February  7,  1874, 
aged  six  days.  In  1869,  Mr.  Coates  purchased  property  in  Wharton,  and 
the  same  year  erected  a  frame  store.  He  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  and 
provision  trade  for  nine  years,  and  in  1878  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Wallace  under  the  firm  name  of  Coates  &  Wallace.  This  firm  keeps  a 
large  and  well-selected  stock  of  hardware,  stoves,  etc.,  and  enjoys  a  large 
and  successful  trade.  Since  1869,  Mr.  Coates  has  filled  the  office  of  Post- 
master and  with  credit  to  himself.  He  owns  two  lots,  and  is  now  erecting 
a  fine  residence  that  will  cost  $2,500.  Mr.  Coates  is  an  active  business  man 
and  an  enterprising  and  highly  respected  citizen.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  and  although  in  a  strong  Democratic  township,  he  has  held  vari- 
ous local  offices, 

ISAAC  H.  COLE  was  born  in  Hardin  County,  Ohio,  November  25, 
1839,  He  is  a  son  of  William,  Sr. ,  and  Mary  A.  (Shupe)  Cole,  natives  of 
Penn83dvania  and  Ohio  respectively,  and  of  German  descent.  They  were 
married  in  Fairfield  County  and  soon  after  removed  to  Hardin  County, 
where  they  resided  about  ten  3'ears,  coming  to  this  county  in  1847,  locating 
in  Richland  Township,  where  they  owned  at  one  time  240  acres.  Of  their 
twelve  children  ten  are  living — Hiram,  Louis  A.,  Isaac  H.,  Lydia  A.,  Will- 
iam, Phillip,  Mary  M.,  Dora  and  Elnora.  Jemelia  and  Lorena  are  de- 
ceased. The  mother  died  in  1881,  aged  sixty-six  years;  the  father  in  1882, 
aged  seventy-eight.  Isaac  Cole,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  fairly  edu- 
cated and  remained  with  his  parents  till  March  4,  1862,  when  he  enlisted 
in  Company  K,  Eighty-second  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  entered  the 
war,  taking  part  in  the  engagements   at  McDowell,  Strasburg,  Cross  Keys, 


RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP.  945 

Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Mission  Ridge  and  many  minor  actions,  serv- 
ing three  years,  lying  in  hospital  nine  months,  traveling  3,000  miles  and 
being  honorably  discharged  April  2,  1865.  Returning  home,  Mr.  Cole  was 
married,  April  2,  1S6S,  to  Miss  Nancy  J.  McKenzie,  daughter  of  Alexander 
and  Nancy  (Lamb)  McKenzie,  natives  of  Massachusetts  and  New  York  re- 
spectively, coming  to  Ohio  in  1860,  locating  where  Mr.  Cole  now  resides. 
Their  two  children  were  Nancy  J.  and  Fayette.  Mr.  McKenzie  died  in 
1872,  aged  seventy,  and  his  wife  in  1875,  aged  sixty  nine.  Mrs.  Cole's 
grandfather  McKenzie  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  fighting 
with  the  British,  having  left  Scotland  for  that  purpose.  Being  captured 
by  the  xlmericans,  he  never  returned  to  his  native  country.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cole  have  six  children — Lam-a  A.,  Adie  A.,  Wilda  M.,  Ella  L.,  Wheeler 
W.,  Clara  B.  Mi's.  Cole  inherited  forty  acres,  and  Mr.  Cole  purchased 
forty  acres  in  1878.  He  built  a  neat  cottage,  costing  $900,  in  1873,  and  a 
large  barn,  costing  $1,200,  in  1880.  He  is  a  stanch  Democrat;  served  as 
Trustee  two  years,  as  Clerk  three  years.  Both  he  and  Mrs.  Cole  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  God. 

LEWIS  A.  COLE,  son  of  William  and  Mary  A.  (Shupe)  Cole,  was 
born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  December  29,  1837.  He  resided  with  his 
parents,  going  to  school  and  working  on  the  farm  till  twenty-one,  when  he 
began  life  for  himself.  In  1861,  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  his  present 
farm,  which  now  comprises  120  acres,  most  of  which  he  has  cleared  and 
improved,  and  which  he  now  values  at  $100  per  acre.  In  1864,  Mr.  Cole 
enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth  Regiment  Ohio  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  participated  in  the  battle  at  Franklin,  Tenn. ,  after- 
ward doing  guard  duty,  spending  six  months  in  hospital  at  Camp  Dennison, 
receiving  his  discharge  June  4,  1865.  Mr.  Cole  was  married,  April  7, 
1864,  to  Miss  Susanna  Crites,  daughter  of  Jonas  and  Mary  Crites  (see 
sketch),  and  nine  children  were  born  to  them — Mary  E.,  October  25,  1866; 
Harrison  S.,  July  16,  1868;  Elida  J.,  August  13,  1870;  Amanda  L.,  Sep- 
tember 7,  1872;  Harmon  A..  September  24,  1874;  Volumina  C,  December 
3.  1876;  JohnH.,  October  13,  1880;  Harlan  F.,  April  24,  1883;  William 
I.,  February  3,  1865;  the  latter  is  deceased,  his  death  having  occurred  July 
28,  1868.  Mr.  Cole  is  a  thorough  farmer,  and  a  strong  Democrat.  He 
and  Mrs.  Cole  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mrs. 
Cole  was  born  January  27,  1844,  and  is  an  agreeable  lady. 

JONAS  CRITES  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  November  9,  1816. 
His  parents,  William  and  Elizabeth  (Wilhelm)  Crites,  came  to  this  county 
in  1836,  and  entered  400  acres  of  land  in  this  township,  where  they  lived 
many  years,  dying  in  Sandusky  County,  Ohio.  Of  eight  children,  three  are 
living — Sarah,  George  and  Jonas.  Jonas,  our  subject,  began  life  for  him- 
self at  twenty-two,  working  for  wages  several  years,  until  his  marriage, 
July  5,  1842,  to  Miss  Maiy  Walter,  of  Lebanon  County,  Penn. ,  daughter 
of  Peter  and  Barbara  Walter,  born  February  13,  1814.  They  had  four 
children — Susan,  wife  of  L.  A.  Cole;  Amanda,  wife  of  Isaac  Moore;  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  William  Corbin;  Simon  P.,  who  died  in  his  eleventh  year. 
Mr.  Crites  inherited  120  acres,  80  of  which  now  comprise  his  present  farm, 
on  which  he  has  resided  thirty-six  years,  having  made  all  the  improvements, 
always  being  an  industrious  citizen.  He  was  formerly  a  Whig,  but  now  a 
Republican.  He  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church,  but  he 
and  Mrs.  Crites  are  now  both  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Charch. 

W.  W.  DUFFIELD,  a  native  of  Washington  Township,  Licking  Co., 
Ohio,    was  born  August  5,  1825.     His  parents,  Samuel  and  Nancy  (Gill- 


946  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

breath)  Duffield,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Irish-English  and 
Scotch  ancestry.  They  removed  to  Licking  County,  Ohio,  about  ISOS,  where 
Mr.  Duflfield  died  in  1829;  his  widow  survived  him  until  January  6,  1S57, 
when  she  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  To  their  union  nine  chil- 
dren were  born,  viz.,  Loisa,  Robert.  George,  Hannah,  John,  Maria,  Samuel 
G.,  W.  W.  and  Kesiah.  Mrs.  Duffield  had  three  uncles  who  were  soldiers 
in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Mr.  Duffield,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was 
reared  to  manhood  in  his  native  place.  His  father  dying  when  he  was  a 
boy,  he  was  obliged  to  support  his  mother,  which  he  did  by  working  by  the 
month  and  day.  November  18,  1846,  he  was  married  to  Mary  A.  Collins, 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Morrisson)  Collins,  natives  of  New  Jersey, 
who  moved  to  Licking  County,  Ohio,  in  1836.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duffield  have 
two  children — Margaret  J.  (wife  of  W.  L.  Rummel)  and  John  L.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1861,  Mr.  Duffield  removed  to  Wyandot  County,  and  located  on  his 
present  farm,  which  contains  120  acres.  This  farm  Mr.  Duffield  has  cleared 
and  well  improved.  He  is  engaged  in  keeping  Spanish  Merino  sheep  and 
Durham  cattle.  His  farm,  with  the  commodious  buildings  which  he  has 
erected,  is  valued  at  $125  per  acre.  He  began  life  with  but  $200,  and  by 
his  perseverance  and  energy  has  acquired  property  to  the  amount  of  $16,- 
000.  Mr.  Duffield  served  as  Trustee  of  the  township  ten  years,  and  is  now 
filling  that  office.  He  is  Treasurer  of  the  Richland  Grange,  No.  72,  and  is 
also  identified  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

ABRAHAM  FULK,  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Curtz)  Fulk,  was  born  in 
Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio,  January  22,  1832.  His  parents  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  descent,  early  settlers  of  Ohio,  living  and 
dying  in  the  above  county.  His  father  was  twice  married,  and  had  twenty- 
one  children,  seven  living.  His  mother  died  in  1850;  his  father  in  1876, 
aged  seventy-two  years.  Mr.  Fulk  walked  four  miles  to  attend  school  in  a 
log  schoolhouse;  vvoi'ked  on  the  farm  till  twenty  yeai's  of  age;  worked  at 
the  carpenter's  ti'ade  two  years,  and  in  1855  purchased  his  present  farm  of 
forty  acres,  which  he  has  since  cleared  and  improved,  now  valuing  it  at  $75 
per  acre.  In  1861,  Mr.  Fulk  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Fifty-fifth  Regiment 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  fought  in  the  battles  at  Franklin,  Strasburg, 
Cross  Keys,  Cedar  Mountain,  Manassas  Junction,  Bull  Run  (second),  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Gettysburg  and  others.  He  was  wounded  quite  severely  at  Get- 
tysburg, and  slightly  wounded  at  Chancellorsville.  Having  served  three 
years,  he  was  honorably  discharged  October  15,  1864,  and  now  receives  a 
pension  of  $30  per  month.  Mr.  Fulk  was  married  August  25,  1S55,  to 
Miss  Anna  Shell,  daughter  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Leigly;  Shell,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  descent.  His  maternal  grandfather  was  a 
German  soldier.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fulk  are  parents  of  four  children — John, 
Jacob,  Frank  and  Joseph.  Mrs.  Fulk  was  born  December  18,  1831.  Both 
she  and  Mr.  Fulk  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  he  being  a 
Republican  in  politics. 

ALEXANDER  J.  GREEK,  of  the  firm  of  Kime  &  Greek,  was  born  in 
Ridge  Township  May  20,  1850.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Rebecca  (Har- 
rison) Greek,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively. 
They  removed  to  Fairfield  County,  Ohio;  thence  to  Ridge  Township,  this 
county,  in  1832.  Mr.  Greek  entered  160  acres  of  land,  to  which  he  added 
by  subsequent  purchases  till  he  owned  at  one  time  294  acres.  He  is  the 
father  of  thirteen  children,  viz.,  Martha,  Hannah,  Jonathan,  Harrison, 
Eliza,  Jacob,  William,  George,  Delilah,  Mary  A.  J.,  Sarah  and  an  infant. 
Mr.  Greek  resides  on  the  old  homestead,  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of   his 


RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP.  947 

age;  Mrs.  Greek  is  now  seventy- three  years  of  age.  Alexander  was  reared 
to  manhood  on  the  farm,  and  educated  in  the  common  schools.  He  spent 
two  years  teaching  school,  after  which  he  learned  and  followed  the  carpen- 
ter trade  uutil  1877.  After  farming  two  years,  he  returned  to  his  trade, 
and  formed  a  partnership  with  A.  L.  Kime,  engaging  in  the  furniture  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Greek,  besides  his  interest  in  the  firm,  owns  a  house  and  lot 
on  Main  street  valued  at  $1,800.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  School  Board.  December  22,  1878,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Ella,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Sarah  Kime.  Mrs.  Greek  was  born 
December  20,  1853.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greek  have  three  children,  viz. :  Grace, 
born  September  22,  1879;  Asa  F.,  born  May  17,  1881;  and  Wheeler  C, 
born  September  7,  1883. 

Z.  W.  HARRIS  was  born  July  9,  1810.  He  is  a  native  of  New  York, 
and  son  of  Z.  W.  and  Abagail  (Madison)  Han-is,  natives  of  Rhode  Island, 
and  of  English  and  Welsh  ancestry.  His  grandfather  Harris  was  a  Com- 
missary in  the  Revolution,  and  his  father  a  soldier  of  1812.  His  parents 
came  to  Ohio  in  1824,  and  settled  in  Huron  County.  Their  children  were 
Daniel,  Andrew,  James,  William,  Z.  W.,  Sarah,  Almira  and  Mary.  The 
father  died,  aged  sixty-three;  and  the  mother  in  1867.  Mr.  Harris 
obtained  some  education,  and  at  the  age  of  twelve  was  employed  by  a  mer- 
chant of  New  Haven,  Ohio,  with  whom  he  I'emained  eight  years.  Return- 
ing home,  he  worked  on  the  farm  with  his  father  till  thirty-three.  He 
married  Miss  Angeline  Eastlick  January  8,  1847,  she  being  the  daughter  of 
John  and  Elizabeth  (Striker)  Eastlick,  natives  of  New  York,  and  of  English 
and  German  ancestry.  Her  grandfather  Eastlick  served  seven  years  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Her  parents  settled  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  in  1840. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  have  had  thirteen  children,  ten  living — Rosilla;  Eliza, 
wife  of  James  Young;  Anna,  wife  of  John  Ludick;  Sarah,  wife  of  Edward 
Gilland  (deceased);  Catharine,  wife  of  Byron  McLaughlin;  Angeline, 
William,  John,  Frank  and  Eva.  The  deceased  are  Mary  E.,  Alice  A.  and 
James.  Mr.  Harris  came  to  his  present  farm  in  1852.  He  made  all  the 
improvements;  built  a  good  house  in  18S0  and  another  in  1883,  the  first 
having  burned  September  25.  1882;  has  cleared  about  200  acres  of  forest 
land,  now  owning  eighty  acres,  valued  at  $65  per  acre.  Mr.  Harris  is  a 
Democrat,  old  in  the  cause,  and  a  respected  citizen.  For  the  past  sixteen 
years  he  has  been  losing  the  use  of  his  lower  limbs. 

CHARLES  ^\.  HOSTLER,  a  native  of  York  County,  Penn.,  was  born 
May  28,  1832.  His  parents,  John  and  Sarah  (Waltermire)  Hostler,  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  descent.  They  came  to  Hancock 
County, Ohio,  in  1838,  and  settled  on  a  farm,  where  Mr.  Hostler  now  resides, 
in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age.  Mrs.  H.  departed  this  life  in  1841.  They 
were  the  parents  of  twelve  children;  of  these,  five  are  living.  Mr.  Hostler, 
our  subject,  remained  at  home  until  eighteen  yeai's  of  age,  and  assisted  in 
clearing  up  the  homestead.  March  30,  1854,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
J.  Sterling,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Jane  (Grimes)  Sterling,  who  were  early 
settlers  in  Hancock  County,  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hostler  are  the  parents  of 
six  children,  two  of  whom  are  living — Sarah  E. ,  wife  of  George  Rinebarger; 
and  Theodore.  The  deceased  are  Jacob  F.,  Harlan  L.  and  William  A. 
Mr.  Hostler  followed  jobbing  and  clearing  until  1878,  and  during  that  time 
cleared  250  acres  of  heavy  forest  land.  In  September',  1883,  he  leased  the 
hotel  in  Wharton,  which  he  still  conducts.  He  owns  a  house  and  lot  on 
Franklin  street,  valued  at  $800.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  are  respected  people. 


948  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

J.  D.  JOHNSON,  M.  D. ,  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Penn.,  December 
20,  1850.  His  parents,  Nicholas  and  Susan  J.  (Frost)  Johnson,  were  re- 
spectively natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  and  of  Irish  and 
English  ancestry.  His  grandfather  Johnson  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  a  pioneer  in  Greene  County.  His  father  was  a  leading  merchant 
at  what  was  called  "  Johnson's  Cross  Koads,"  and  where  he  died  in  1852, 
at  the  age  of  thirtj^-seven  years.  He  was  twice  married;  by  his  first  wife 
he  had  three  children,  and  by  his  last  five.  Of  the  latter  family,  Dr.  John- 
son is  the  fourth  child.  He  was  reared  in  his  native  place,  and  at  the  age 
of  nineteen  entered  upon  a  course  in  Waynesburg  College,  Pennsylvania. 
After  graduating  in  the  scientific  course,  in  1871,  he  went  to  Winterset, 
Iowa,  where  he  spent  some  time  teaching  and  farming.  September  12, 
1873, he  was  married  to  Miss  Naomia  Bell,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Caro- 
line (Rose)  Bell,  formerly  residents  of  Hancock  County,  Ohio,  and  also 
early  settlers  of  Madison  County,  Iowa,  but  now  residents  of  Mount  Blanch- 
ard,  Ohio.  Soon  after  marriage,  Dr.  Johnson  returned  to  Ohio,  and  lo- 
cated at  Mount  Blanch ard,  where  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  under 
Dr.  J.  A.  Grove,  with  whom  he  prosecuted  his  studies  until  1876.  He  took 
a  course  of  lectures  in  the  Cincinnati  Eclectic  Medical  College,  and  gradu- 
ated in  January,  1876.  He  immediately  located  at  Kirby,  Ohio,  where  he 
enjoyed  a  large  and  successful  practice  until  1881  ho  removed  to  Wharton, 
where  he  still  resides  in  the  successful  practice  of  his  profession.  Mrs. 
Johnson  is  the  eldest  of  eight  children.  She  was  born  November  26,  1853, 
Dr.  Johnson  and  wife  have  had  four  children,  viz.:  Nellie  J.,  born  February 
16,  1875;  Hettie  C,  born  January  17,  1877;  Joseph  B. ,  born  February  16, 
1879;  and  James  H.,  born  July  5,  1881.  Dr.  Johnson  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  the  Northwestern  Eclectic  Medical  Association.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  Democrat. 

DAVID  KAUBLE  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  April  2,  1840. 
He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Trutt)  Kauble,  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  of  German  ancestry.  His  great-grandfather  Trutt  was  a  Revolution- 
ary soldiei".  His  parents  settled  in  Marion  County  in  1833,  removing  to 
this  county  in  1850  Of  eight  children  only  David  and  Henry  survive. 
The  father  died  in  1865,  aged  fifty-five;  the  mother  is  now  in  her  seventy- 
ninth  year.  Our  subject  resided  with  his  parents  till  he  attained  his  ma- 
jority, and  in  the  meantime  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education.  He 
was  married,  June  2,  1861,  to  Sarah  M.  Nichols,  daughter  of  John  and 
Margaret  Nichols,  and  nine  childi-en  were  born  to  them — Miranda  A., 
Daniel,  David,  Ella,  William,  Peter,  Asa  B.,  J.  Nettie  and  Mary.  David 
is  deceased.  In  1864,  Mr.  Kauble  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Fifty-fourth 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  SugaV  Island, 
Snicker's  Gap,  Buzzard's  Roost,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Millers  Mill,  Atlanta, 
and  many  minor  engagements.  He  was  taken  prisoner  at  Atlanta,  and  de- 
tained at  Andersonville  ten  weeks;  thence  to  Florence,  S.  C. ,  two  months, 
after  which  he  was  paroled  under  general  order  to  parole  12,000  sick  and 
wounded.  He  received  his  discharge  August  15,  1865.  In  1868,  Mr. 
Kauble  sold  his  farm  and  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business  two  years,  sub- 
sequently renting  and  milling  two  years,  purchasing  his  present  farm  in 
1875.  He  now  owns  ninety  acres  valued  $6,000.  Mr.  Kauble  is  a  Demo- 
crat; he  is  serving  his  second  term  as  Justice,  and  has  served  as  Constable 
several  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  at  Wharton,  also  of  the  I. 
O.  O.  F.' 


RICHLAND  TOAVNSHIP.  949 

HENRY  KIME  (deceased)  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  March  3, 1832. 
His  parents,  Daniel  and  Rosanna  (McConnell)  Kime,  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  of  German  and  Irish  descent.  They  removed  to  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
about  1820.  Of  eleven  children  born  to  them  Mr.  Kime,  our  subject,  is 
the  sixth.  He  remained  at  home  attending  the  common  schools  until  his 
sixteenth  year,  when  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  working  for  a  term 
of  years  by  the  day  and  month.  July  2,  1849,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Sarah,  daughter  of  John  and  Susan  (Brown)  Barnhiser,  natives  of  Mary- 
land and  of  German-Irish  extraction.  They  settled  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
in  1837,  where  they  reared  a  family  of  children.  Mrs.  Kime  is  the  third 
of  nine  children  and  was  born  October  18,  1833.  Mr.  Barnhiser  died  Au- 
gust 20,  1877,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kime  have 
been  born  six  children,  viz.:  Laura  E.  (deceased);  Mary  E.,  wife  of  A.  J. 
Greek;  Alfred  and  Albert  (twins),  Walter  and  Amanda  L.,  wife  of  Ellis 
Shellhouse.  In  1855,  Mr.  Kime  purchased  a  small  farm  in  Williams  County, 
upon  which  he  resided  twelve  years.  In  1862,  Mr.  Kime  enlisted  to  serve 
in  Company  K,  Sixty-eighth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  par- 
ticipated in  the  engagement  at  Champion  Hills,  where  he  was  mortally 
wounded,  dying  a  month  later.  He  was  a  worthy  citizen.  He  left  a  widow 
and  five  children,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  eleven  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Kime 
sold  the  farm  in  1864,  and  removed  to  Carey,  and  a  year  later  to  Ridge 
Township,  purchasing  there  forty  acres  of  land.  In  1882,  she  sold  and 
removed  to  Wharton,  where  she  still  resides,  and  with  her  sons  bought  the 
tile  yard  east  of  the  village,  paying  $4,000.  Her  sons,  Alfred  and  Albert, 
conduct  the  tile  yard  and  do  a  large  business.  Alfred  owns  a  half  interest 
in  Greek  &  Kime's  furniture  store.  Mrs.  Kime  is  a  highly  respected  lady. 
Her  grandfather,  John  Barnhiser,  served  seven  years  in  the  Revolutionary 
army,  and  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and  six  years. 

JOSEPH  KIMMEL,  a  well-known  pioneer  of  this  county,  was  born  in 
Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  May  5,  1819.  His  parents,  David  aud  Su- 
sanna (Welker)  Kimmel,  were  of  German  descent  and  came  to  Ohio  in  1819, 
settling  in  Stark  County,  where  they  both  died.  Mr.  Kimmel  is  the  eldest 
of  seven  children.  He  grew  up  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  was  married, 
March  21,  1844,  to  Miss  Sarah  Silver,  who  died  October  9,  1879,  leaving 
four  living  children — Alpheus,  David,  Leroy  and  Andrew.  William  (sol- 
dier in  the  late  war)  and  Martha  J.  are  deceased.  Mr.  Kimmel  was  married, 
June  30,  1881,  to  Miss  Margaret  Park,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth 
(Norris)  Park,  who  came  to  Hancock  County  from  Pennsylvania  in  1840. 
The  former  died  in  1876,  aged  seventy-six;  the  latter  residing  with  Mr. 
Kimmel,  in  her  eighty-sixth  year.  Mr.  Kimmel  moved  to  this  county 
in  1844,  and  purchased  forty  acres  of  his  present  farm.  He  now  owns  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  well- improved,  with  good  buildings,  fences,  etc., 
valued  at  $100  per  acre.  For  eight  years  Mr.  Kimmel  manufactured  sorghum, 
doing  a  good  business.  He  was  formerly  a  Whig  but  now  a  Republican;  he 
served  as  Trustee  one  term;  is  a  member  of  the  Wharton  Grange  and  Build- 
ing Association,  and  also  of  the  M.  P.  Church,  with  which  he  was  formerly 
officially  connected. 

ISAIAH  LILES  was  born  in  1818,  a  native  of  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  son  of 
Lemuel  and  Hannah  Liles,  natives  of  South  Carolina  and  Pennsylvania  i-e- 
spectively.  and  of  German  descent.  His  great-grandfather  Liles  was  a 
Lieutenant  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  1812,  also  a  Lieutenant.  His  parents  were  married  in  Pennsylvania  and 
in  March,  1814,  moved  to  Chillicothe,  where  they  resided  till  the  spring  of 

44 


950  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

1828,  and  moved  to  Logan  County,  Ohio,  the  father  dying  there  in  1876,  in 
his  ninety-eighth  year,  the  mother  in  her  sixty-fifth.  Isaiah  Liles,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  I'esided  with  his  parents  till  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
and  after  that  time  was  variously  employed  till  1(S42,  when  he  removed  to 
his  farm  of  eighty  acres,  purchased  in  1839,  and  where  he  still  resides.  He 
owned  700  acres  in  this  same  locality  at  one  time,  and  now  owns  335  acres.  He 
has  been  a  large  contractor,  having  furnished  ties  for  the  Fort  Wayne  Rail- 
road for  many  miles  of  its  construction.  He  was  once  Land  Agent  for  this 
district  and  disposed  of  3,000  acres  in  Richland  and  Jackson  Townships; 
dealt  extensively  in  stock  ten  or  twelve  years;  made  brick  and  dug  wells  for 
twenty  years,  always  having  been  a  hard  worker.  He  was  married,  Novem- 
ber 25,  1842,  to  Catharine  Young,  of  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  and  seven  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them — Samuel  G.,  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  late  war; 
Joseph  A.,  soldier;  J.  J.;  Mai-garet,  wife  of  Henry  Shriver;  Elvira  and  Char- 
lotte, both  deceased,  and  Lemuel  J.  Mr.  Liles  is  a  Republican;  he  has 
served  as  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Education  twenty-five  years;  was  formerly  a 
member  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  but  now,  with  his  wife,  of  the  Christian 
Church. 

DAVID  McClelland,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Richland  Township, 
was  born  in  Westmoreland  County,   Penn.,  September  1,  1808.      He  is  a  son 

of  John    and    Elizabeth    (Riddle)    McClelland,  and  a  grandson   of 

McClelland,  who  emigrated  to  this  country  from  Ireland.  His  father 
was  a  First  Lieutenant  in  the  war  of  1812.  At  the  age  of  eighteen, 
our  subject  came  to  Ohio  with  his  uncle,  William  McClelland,  who  was  a 
blacksmith,  and  with  whom  he  learned  the  trade,  serving  an  apprenticeship 
of  three  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  he  returned  to  Pennsylvania: 
after  plying  his  trade  there  three  years,  returned  to  Fairfield  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  continued  to  follow  his  trade.  He  then  followed  teaming  on  the 
Columbus  (Ohio)  &  Baltimore  (Md.)  pike,  and  from  Zanesville  to  Maysville, 
Ky.,  pike,  for  about  three  years.  In  1843,  he  married  and  settled  in  Ross 
County,  where  he  continued  to  reside  till  1849,  when  he  came  to  Ridge 
Township  and  purchased  a  farm  of  sixty  acres.  About  1864,  he  removed  to 
this  township,  and  buying  eighty  acres  of  land,  paying  therefor  $2,100. 
He  has  improved  his  farm,  till  it  is  now  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  He  re- 
moved to  Wharton  in  1880,  and  has  since  lived  retired.  His  marriage  took 
place  March  19,  1843,  with  Miss  Martha  A.  Greek,  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Martha  (Miller)  Greek,  of  German  ancestry.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClelland 
have  been  blest  with  seven  children,  viz. :  Margaret  A.,  wife  of  Adam  Snook; 
William,  Jacob,  Geoi'ge  and  John.  Sarah  E.  and  an  infant  are  deceased. 
Mr.  McClelland  embarked  in  life  with  few  means,  but  by  his  untiring 
industry  and  perseverance,  he  has  acquired  property  to  the  value  of  $10,000. 
He  has  always  affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party,  having  cast  his  first  vote 
for  Gen.  Jackson.  Mr.  McClelland  and  wife  are  highly  respected  pioneers 
in  the  community  in  which  they  reside. 

WILLIAM  McClelland  was  bom  near  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  August 
31,  1845.  His  parents  were  David  and  Martha  (Greek)  McClelland.  Our  sub- 
ject was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools;  when  nineteen 
yeai's  of  age,  he  began  and  served  an  apprenticeship  at  the  blacksmith  trade 
at  Patterson,  Hardin  County.  He  then  entered  a  blacksmith  shop  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Richland  Township,  where  he  plied  his  trade  for  a  short 
time,  after  which  he  came  to  Wharton.  He  worked  for  P.  R.  Moore  for 
three  years,  since  which  time  he  has  pursued  his  trade  alone.  The  spring 
of  1882,  he  admitted  W.  K.  Voegel,  and  the  firm  of  McClelland  &  Voegel 


RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP.  951 

do  a  thriving  business  in  the  blacksmith  trade  and  manufacturing  of 
wagons.  Ml'.  McClelland  owns  a  house  and  two  vacant  lots,  besides  other 
property.  September  26,  1869,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
C.  Barnhisel,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Sarah  Barnhisel,  who  w^re  early  set- 
tlers in  this  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClelland  are  the  parents  of  three 
children;  two  of  these  are  living,  viz.:  Oren  O.  and  I.  Pearl;  Wheeler  is 
deceased.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  served  as  Treasurer  of  the  township 
for  six  years,  and  of  the  village  since  its  incorporation. 

ISAAC  MOHR  is  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  born  November  13, 
1845.  His  parents,  Jesse  and  Catharine  (Barnett)  Mohr,  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  of  German  parentage.  They  came  to  Ohio  in  1842-43,  and 
located  in  Wayne  County,  residing  there  eighteen  years;  then  to  Ashland 
County,  stopping  eight  years,  and  finally  to  this  coiinty,  settling  where  our 
subject  now  resides.  Six  children  of  the  eleven  are  at  this  date  living — 
Catharine,  Cecilia,  Harry,  Isaac,  Lyman  and  Anna  M.  The  father  died  in 
1878,  in  his  seventieth  year;  the  mother  is  still  living  in  her  seventy-first 
year.  Mr.  Mohr  remained  with  his  paren's,  and  worked  on  the  farm  till 
twenty-three.  He  was  married,  March  19,  1868,  to  Miss  Amanda  Crites 
(see  sketch  of  Jonas  Crites),  and  their  children  ai'e  Ardellus  L. ,  March  23, 
1870;  John  N.,  May  31,  1871;  Alice  L.,  bora  November  20,  1872;  Ida  M., 
September  12,  1874;  Catharine  M.,  November  3,  1877;  Jessie  J.,  August  14, 
1878;  Clara  B.,  March  5,  1880;  Walter  H.,  November  10,  1881.  Mrs. 
Mohr  was  born  June  22,  1848.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Mohr  rented 
several  years  and  then  purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  his  brother 
Henry  owning  one-half.  It  is  in  good  repair  and  provided  with  a  comfort- 
able frame  dwelling,  costing  $900,  in  1880.  Mr.  Mohr  is  a  Republican, 
his  wife  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church. 

JOSEPH  MUSGRAVE  is  a  native  of  Coshocton  County,  Ohio,  born  in 
the  "  stormy  days  "  of  1812,  April  21.  His  parents,  Moses  and  Elsie  (Rob- 
erts) Musgrave,  were  natives  of  Virginia  and  Maryland  i*espectively,  and  of 
German  descent,  his  father  having  been  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  The 
children  now  living  are  Elijah,  William,  Joseph,  Hiram  and-  Mary.  Three 
are  deceased.  The  father  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-six  years;  the 
mother  at  sixty- three.  Our  subject  began  life  for  himself  at  eighteen;  he 
learned  the  cooper's  trade,  which  he  pursued  in  Coshocton  fifteen  years.  In 
1845,  he  moved  to  McCutchenville,  and  after  several  subsequent  removals 
located  on  their  present  farm  in  1858.  This  farm  contains  120  acres  in 
excellent  condition,  provided  with  all  the  modern  conveniences,  including 
a  neat  brick  residence  built  in  1883.  Mr.  Musgrave  was  married,  January 
3,  1830,  to  Miss  Polly  Jaqua,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Elizabeth  (Wilcey) 
Jaqua,  natives  of  Canada  and  of  English  extracticm,  coming  to  New  York 
in  1820.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Musgrave  are  the  parents  of  thirteen  children — Ed- 
ward A.;  Eliza,  wife  of  Joseph  Picket;  Nancy,  wife  of  J.  Baker;  Harriet, 
wife  of  John  Long,  and  Robert  Covitt,  both  deceased;  Melissa,  wife  of  Hen- 
ry Edwards;  Richard  Q. ;  Susan,  wife  of  David  Sheldon,  and  J.  Frank;  the 
deceased  are  Mary  E.,  Margaret  J.,  Alice,  deceased  wife  of  Robert  Wood; 
Judge,  and  an  infant.  Their  mother  was  born  in  June  20,  1814.  Mr.  Mus- 
grave beganlife  poor,  but  by  industry  and  good  management  he  has  amassed 
an  estate  of  $25,(300.  He  was  formerly  a  Whig,  but  now  a  strong  Repub- 
lican. Mrs.  Musgrave  is  still  strong  and  healthful,  and  has  borne  a  full  share 
in  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life. 

J.  ODENBAUGH,  M.  D.,  a  native  of  Washington  County,  Penn.,  was 
born  May  24,  1849.    His  parents,  Thomas  J.  and  Susan  (Craig)  Odenbaugh, 


952  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

were  natives  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  reapectively.  His  grandfather, 
Von  Odenbangh,  a  titled  nobleman,  iiumigrated  with  his  family  from  Ger- 
many and  located  at  Baltimore,  Md.  Thomas  J.  was  born  soon  after  their 
arrival  in  this  country.  When  a  young  man,  he  came  to  Washington, 
Penn.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade,  and  subsequently  mar- 
ried; he  was  very  successful  in  business,  and  amassed  large  wealth.  He 
served  as  Postmaster  under  Presidents  Jackson  and  Lincoln.  He  was  the 
parent  of  nine  children,  of  whom  Dr.  Odenbaugh  is  the  youngest.  Mr. 
Odenbaugh  died  in  1S76,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  Mrs.  O.  resides  at 
Urbana,  Ohio,  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of  her  age.  Dr.  Odenbaugh  ac- 
quired his  education  in  the  Union  Schools  of  Washington,  Penn.,  and 
Bethany  and  Vermillion  Colleges,  attending  the  latter  three  years.  He 
then  went  to  Goshen,  Ind.,  where  he  entered  a  book  stoi'e  with  his  brother- 
in-law,  C.  J.  Madden.  He  then  took  up  the  study  of  medicine,  and  in  1873 
returned  to  Ohio  and  prosecuted  his  medical  studies  under  Dr.  J.  A.  Stansell, 
of  Forest.  He  graduated  at  the  Miami  Medical  College  of  Cincinnati  in 
March,  1880,  and  soon  after  came  to  Wharton,  where  he  has  established  a 
good  practice.  October  12,  1870,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jen- 
nie L.  Mansfield,  daughter  of  Dr.  B.  and  Mary  (Shafer)  Mansfield,  of  Mt. 
Blanchard,  Ohio.  Mrs.  Odenbaugh  is  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  three  chil- 
dren. To  Dr.  Odenbaugh  and  wife  three  children  have  been  born — Ed- 
ward U. ,  born  August  8,  1871;  Lena  G.,  born  July  29,  1874,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  twenty  months;  and  Alfred  C,  born  May  26,  1882.  Dr.  O.  is 
a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  Masonic  fraternities,  and  Ohio  State  Med- 
ical Society;  he  owns  a  fine  residence  opposite  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  is  an  influential  citizen.  Mrs.  O.  is  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church. 

DR.  SAMUEL  PICKETT  was  born  in  Athens  County,  Ohio,  September 
10,  1820.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Charity  (Young)  Pickett,  natives  of 
Maryland  and  Virginia  respectively:  his  father  was  a  cousin  to  Gen. 
Pickett,  of  confederate  fame.  His  parents  located  in  Athens  County  about 
1805,  removing  to  Coshocton  County  in  1827,  and  to  this  county  in  1830. 
They  located  in  this  township,  being  the  first  settlers,  naming  the  township 
from  the  quality  of  the  soil.  Five  of  the  seven  chidren  are  now  living — • 
William,  Hethcot,  Temperance,  James  and  Samuel.  The  father  died  in 
1856,  aged  seventy-five  years;  the  mother  in  1825,  aged  thirty.  Dr.  Pickett 
obtained  but  three  months'  schooling,  his  youth  being  spent  on  the  farm 
and  in  the  woods.  He  was  personally  acquainted  with  many  of  the  noted 
Indians,  having  slept  in  their  houses  and  dined  at  their  tables.  His  health 
failing  at  eighteen,  he  studied  medicine  four  years  with  Dr.  Stephens,  of 
Mt.  Blanchard,  and  has  practiced  more  or  less  since  that  time,  though  not 
as  a  professional.  He  was  married,  October  13,  1844,  to  Miss  Clarissa  Ster- 
ling, who  died  in  1852,  leaving  one  child — Harrison.  Mr.  Pickett  was  again 
married,  July  31,  1854,  to  Miss  Clarissa  Smith,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and 
Martha  Smith  and  a  native  of  Bristol.  England.  Of  seven  children  born  to 
this  union  but  four  are  now  living — Louisa  (wife  of  John  P.  Tanner),  The- 
ressa  A.,  Sink,  Lilly  and  Abraham  L.  The  deceased  were  infants.  Mr. 
Pickett  now  owns  150  acres,  all  earned  by  hard  labor;  he  was  formerly  a 
Whig,  but  now  a  strong  Republican;  member  of  the  Universalist  Church. 
Mrs.  Pickett  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Mt.  Blanchard. 

A.  S.  REYNOLDS  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  February 
16,  1831.  His  parents  were  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Schall)  Reynolds, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.     His  father  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of   1812,  and 


RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP.  953 

two  of  his  grandfather's  brothers  were  killed  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 
His  grandfather  was  also  a  soldier  in  the  latter  war.  His  great- grand- 
mother came  to  Pennsylvania  from  Ireland,  with  William  Penn,  when  she 
was  four  years  of  age,  and  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and 
six  years.  Mr.  Reynolds'  parents  came  to  Ohio  in  183-i,  and  to  this  county 
March  9,  1835.  His  father  entered  400  acres  of  land,  and  was  a  prominent 
farmer,  also  a  gunsmith  and  blacksmith.  He  died  August  9,  1848.  Five 
of  eleven  children  are  now  living — George  W. ,  John  M.,  A.  S.,  Eliza  and 
Maria.  Their  mother  resides  in  Hancock  County,  in  her  eighty-lil'th  year. 
Our  subject  obtaiued  a  good  education,  attending  the  Findlay  Academy 
two  years,  and  graduating  at  the  Cleveland  Mercantile  College,  in  1856. 
He  began  teaching  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  continued  at  intervals  till  1882 
— in  all  101  terms.  In  1860,  he  was  elected  County  Surveyor  and  re- 
elected in  1863,  but  tendered  his  resignation,  refusing  to  serve.  He  was 
married.  May  28,  1858,  to  Hannah  J.  Morison,  daughter  of  John  A.  and 
Nancy  J.  (Murry)  Morison,  early  settlers  of  this  county.  Her  father  was 
probably  the  first  Postmaster  of  Upper  Sandusky  and  the  first  Recorder, 
serving  three  terms.  He  was  also  a  school  teacher  thirty  years.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Reynolds  have  two  children — Orion  E.,  born  January  5,  1860,  and 
an  infant  who  died  September  17,  1868.  Mrs.  Reynolds  was  born  April  7, 
1837,  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio.  Mr.  Reynolds  purchased  his  present  farm 
in  1858,  and  erected  a  comfortable  residence  in  1877,  costing  $1,600.  He 
is  an  independent  voter,  and  well  respected  as  a  citizen. 

REV.  L.  D.  ROGERS  was  born  in  Luzerne  County,  Penn.,  May  9, 
1827.  His  parents,  Almanza  and  Malinda  (Fuller)  Rogers  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  of  English  ancestry.  His  mother  died  when  he  was 
seven  years  of  age,  and  in  1839,  he  removed  with  his  father  to  Ohio,  and 
settled  near  Shelby,  Richland  County.  Mr.  Rogers  was  the  parent  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  L.  D.  was  one  of  the  younger.  He  was  born  July  23, 
1794,  and  died  in  1875.  Mrs.  Rogers  was  born  July  28,  1793.  Mr. 
Rogers  was  a  local  minister  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  many 
years,  and  was  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  Methodism  in  Central  Ohio. 
Rev.  L.  D.  Rogers,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  passed  his  early  life  on  a 
farm,  and  acquired  his  education  in  the  Seminary  of  Norwalk,  Ohio,  Alle- 
gheny College,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  attended  two  years,  and  subsequently 
at  the  Ohio  Wee  ley  an  University,  of  Delaware,  Ohio.  From  the  latter 
place  he  entered  the  North  Ohio  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  in  August,  1851.  In  1853,  was  ordained  Deacon  by  Bishop  Mor- 
ris, at  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio.  In  1855,  was  ordained  Elder  by  Bishop  Scott, 
at  Sandusky  City,  Ohio;  and  served  on  the  following  charges:  Gallon,  Plym- 
outh, Sylvania,  Perrysburg,  Shannon,  Forest,  Little  Sandusky,  Bettsville 
and  at  Sylvania  a  second  time.  He  was  superannuated  in  1867,  on  account 
of  failing  health,  and  removed  to  his  farm  in  this  township.  September  1, 
1853,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Mower,  daughter  of  George  and 
Mary  (Crider)  Mower,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German 
extraction.  They  removed  and  settled  near  Mansfield,  Ohio,  in  1834,  and  were 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Rogers  is  next  to  the  youngest. 
Mr.  Mower  departed  this  life  April  24,  1853,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight 
years.  Mrs.  Mower  died  January  24,  1883,  aged  ninety-one  years.  Of 
three  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rogers,  one  is  living,  namely,  Iva  D. 
Mr.  Rogers  is  a  member  of  the  Central  Ohio  Conference,  although  debarred 
by  ill  health  from  active  ministerial  service  he  takes  an  active  interest  in 
the  success  and  welfare  of  the  church. 


954  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT   COUNTY. 

A.  F.  EOSENBURY  was  born  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  October 
19,  1834:.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Rosenbury,  a  native  of  Virginia,  born 
in  1800,  passing  most  of  his  life  in  Tuscarawas  Cou.nty,  Ohio,  and  dying 
in  1876.  A.  F.  Rosenbury,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  by  his 
gi'andfather,  John  Frederick,  who  gave  him  a  fair  education.  He  was  mar 
ried,  June  20,  1858,  to  Miss  Margaret  A.  Forney,  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  (Shroy)  Forney,  residents  of  Tuscarawas  County.  Her  death  occurred 
December  20,  1880.  The  children  by  this  marriage  were  Alice  R.,  born 
May  31,  1860;  Fremont  J.  C,  March  31,  1863;  Florence  B.,  October  19, 
1866;  William  E.,  February  16,  1870;  Elmira  J.,  March  14,  1873;  Harry 
G.,  October  11,  1875.  Mr.  Rosenbury  was  married  November  13,  1883,  to 
Mrs.  S.  A.  Doll,  widow  of  Charles  L.  Doll,  and  daughter  of  Solomon  and 
Anna  (Metz)  Swihart,  natives  of  Stark  County,  Ohio.  Her  ancestors  were 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Maryland;  her  great-grandfather  Fombaugh  was 
a  soldier  under  Col.  Crawford.  Her  marriage  to  Mr.  Doll  occurred  Novem- 
ber 17,  1868,  three  children  resulting — Anna  E.  (deceased);  Arthur,  born 
September  27,  1870;  Ida  M.,  October  23,  1880.  Mr.  Doll  was  a  machinist. 
He  met  his  death  by  falling  from  the  roof  of  a  burning  building  February 
22,  1880.  Mr.  Rosenbury  rented  five  years,  purchasing  his  present  farm  in 
1864.  It  consists  of  eighty  acres,  and  is  well  improved  and  cultivated, 
valued  at  $70  per  acre.  In  politics,  Mr.  R.  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  having  been  Trustee  of 
the  same  many  years,  also  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  at  present. 

RINER  V.  RUMMELL  was  born  near  the  "  Old  Indian  Mill,"  Decem- 
ber 24,  1842.  His  parents,  John  and  Henrietta  (Nichols)  Rummell,  were 
natives  of  Maryland,  and  of  German  and  English  descent  respectively. 
They  came  to  Ohio  in  1828  in  wagons,  and  stopped  for  awhile  at  Tiffin,  then 
came  and  settled  near  the  "  Old  Indian  Mill,"  in  this  county.  Mr.  Rum- 
mell was  a  miller  by  occupation,  and  operated  this  mill  for  a  term  of  years. 
He  was  the  father  of  fourteen  children,  viz.,  Sidney  A.,  James,  Josiah, 
William,  Wesley,  Ezekiel,  Riner  V.,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Eliza,  Rinaldo,  Almy, 
Alfred  H.  and  Lola  M.  Mr.  Rummell  departed  this  life  in  1870,  aged  sixty- 
two  years.  Our  subject  remained  on  the  farm  until  of  age,  when  July  22, 
1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Regiment 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  engaged  in  a  number  of  skirmishes,  and 
in  the  battle  at  Winchester,  where  he  was  wounded  June  13,  1863.  Two 
days  later,  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  conveyed  to  Richmond,  thence  to  ' '  Old 
Tobacco  House,"  Belle  Isle,  where  he  was  confined  two  months.  From  there 
he  was  transfered  to  Libby  Prison,  where  from  i*ough  treatment  he  had  an 
arm  broken.  After  two  months'  confinement  in  that  rebel  prison,  he  was 
paroled  and  exchanged.  January  4,  1864,  he  again  joined  his  regiment, 
and  by  an  accident  had  the  same  arm  broken  again.  March  22,  1864, 
he  entered  the  hospital  at  Frederick  City,  and  subsequently  was  removed  to 
the  Marine  Hospital  at  Cincinnati.  He  was  honorably  discharged  July  9, 
1864.  He  returned  home,  and  February  2,  1865,  he  was  iinited  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Augusta  C. ,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  Passet.  To  them  five 
children  have  been  born,  viz.,  Luella  L.,  Herschell,  George  G.,  Walter  and 
Frank.  In  1872,  Mr.  Rummell  moved  to  Wharton,  aad  purchased  a  grocery, 
which  he  conducted  until  1876.  The  following  year,  he  bought  a  drug 
store,  and  continued  in  business  one  year.  Since  his  retirement  from  the 
drug  business,  he  has  occupied  the  position  of  ticket  and  freight  agent  of 
the  Indiana,  Bloomington  &  Western  Railroad.  He  owns  a  farm  of  120 
acres,  beside  village  property.      Politically  he  is  a  Democrat,     He  served  as 


RICHLAND   TOWNSHIP.  955 

Township  Clerk  one  year,  and  as  Notary  Public  since  1877,     He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  and  is  a  worthy  and  respected  citizen. 

ALBERT  J.  SHELLHOUSE  was  born  in  this  county  June  9,  1837. 
He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Sarah  (Wayman)  Shellhouse,  who  settled  in  this 
county  in  1825.  His  grandfather  had  his  thumb  blown  off  in  acting  as  can- 
non "'thumbsman"  in  the  war  of  1812.  The  children  of  this  family  are  all 
living,  namely,  Albert  J,,  John,  George  W.,  Charles  A.,  Edward,  William, 
Emily  J.,  Frank  M.,  Lucius  M.  and  Smith.  Their  father  died  in  1865, 
aged  fifty-three.  Their  mother  is  still  a  resident  of  Tymochetee  Township. 
Albert  J.  resided  with  his  parents  and  worked  by  month  and  job  work  till 
his  marriage,  which  occurred  September  30,  1858.  He  married  Miss  Lydia 
A.  Cole,  daughter  of  William, Sr., and  Anna  Cole,  thi-ee  children  being  born 
to  them— Ellis  M.,  born  June  10.  1859;  Perry  T.,  January  16,  1861 ;  Corral 
M.,  January  18,  1863.  Mr.  Shellhouse  rented  land  several  years,  purchas- 
ing forty  acres  in  1865.  In  1875,  he  bought  his  present  home  of  forty 
acres,  which  he  has  cleared  and  improved.  He  has  also  dealt  somewhat  in 
lumber  and  live  stock  since  1865.  In  1864,  Mr.  Shellhouse  enlisted  in 
Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, participating  in  no  engagements,  doing  special  duty  till  his  dis- 
charge in  1865.  Mr.  Shellhouse  is  a  Democrat,  and  served  as  Trustee  in 
Richland  Township. 

JOHN  STERLING,  a  native  of  Can-oil  County,  Ohio,  was  born  Janu- 
ary 14.  1823.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Jane  (Grimes)  Sterling,  natives  of 
Ohio,  and  of  Irish  parents,  who  came  fi'om  Ireland  at  an  early  day.  Mr. 
Sterling,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  1802,  and  Mrs.  S.  in  the 
year  1800.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  viz.,  Clarissa,  John, 
George,  Samuel,  Mary  J.,  James  and  Solomon.  Mr.  Sterling  departed  this 
life  in  1845,  and  his  widow  in  1880.  John  Sterling  removed  with  his  par- 
ents to  Hancock  County  in  1839,  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  his  early 
life.  He  assisted  to  build  the  first  schoolhouse  in  the  district  where  his 
parents  settled.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade,  which  he  followed  until  his  removal  to  Wharton  in  1855.  He  then 
engaged  as  workman  in  a  saw  mill,  and  in  1858,  in  partnership  with  his 
brother  George,  purchased  a  steam  saw  mill,  which  they  ran  successfully  for 
two  or  three  years,  when  his  brother  withdrew  from  the  firm  and  he  contin- 
ued in  the  business  till  1865,  at  which  time  his  mill  property  was  destroyed 
by  fire.  He  immediately  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  ^2,500,  adding  a  grist  mill 
department,  with  two  run  of  buhrs.  In  1876,  he  sold  this  prof)erty,  and 
three  years  later  purchased  the  saw  and  planing  mill  which  he  now  owns 
and  conducts.  He  first  purchased  land  near  Wharton  in  1857.  To  this 
purchase,  which  consisted  of  eighty  acres,  he  made  additions  till  he  owned 
200  acres.  Of  this  tract  he  now  owns  79  acres.  In  1880,  he  erected  his 
residence  in  the  village  at  a  cost  of  $1,500.  Mr.  Sterling  began  life  a  poor 
man,  but  by  untiring  energy  and  perseverance  he  has  accumulated  the  hand- 
some competence  of  $10,()00.  He  is  an  honorable  and  upright  citizen,  and 
fully  merits  the  esteem  in  which  he  is  held.  March  23,  1843,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Waltermire,  daughter  of  George  and  Mahalia 
(Edgell)  Waltermire.  Of  nine  children  born  to  this  union,  three  are  living, 
viz.,  John  H.,  Clarissa  C.  and  S.  A.  Douglas.  The  deceased  are  Francis  M., 
who  died  in  a  Southern  prison  during  the  war;  James  W.,  who  died  from  a 
disease  contracted  while  in  the  war;  Rebecca  J.  and  three  infants.  Mr. 
Sterling  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  served  as  Trustee  several  years; 
Clerk  and  Treasurer  of  the  township  each  one  term;  Justice  of  the  Peace 


956  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

two  terms;  and  at  present  Mayor  of  the  village.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sterling  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  is  acting  in  the 
capacity  of  Class  Leader. 

SOLOMON  SPOON  is  a  native  of  Perry  County,  Penn.,  born  April  28, 
]802,  to  Melcher  and  Christina  Spoon,  of  German  parentage.  When  a 
young  man,  he  went  to  New  York  State,  stopping  six  years;  came  to  Ohio 
in  1835,  and  came  to  this  county  in  1841,  settling  near  Wharton,  where  he 
purchased  forty  acres  and  entered  forty  more.  Having  no  home,  he  slept 
under  a  hickory  tree  one  night  with  the  wolves  howling  about  him — then 
having  a  family  of  eight  children.  His  marriage  to  Hannah  Cooney  oc- 
curred in  1825,  and  resulted  in  the  birth  of  thirteen — Abraham,  George  W. 
(deceased),  Daniel,  David  F. ,  Solomon,  Samuel  (deceased),  William.  Re- 
becca, Jacob,  Mary  A.,  Levi  and  Elizabeth  (both  deceased)  and  Reuben. 
Mrs.  Spoon  died  February  25,  1859,  aged  fifty-four  years,  and  our  subject 
was  married  in  November,  1861,  to  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Case,  widow  of  David 
Case  (formerly  widow  of  William  Bennett),  and  daughter  of  Abraham  Cole. 
She  was  born  January  29,  1813,  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  her  parents 
coming  to  Richland  Township  in  1835,  and  entering  over  two  sections  of 
land.  Her  father  died  in  1844.  Her  first  marriage  was  celebrated 
in  1846;  they  resided  in  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  and  had  five  chil- 
dren— Sarah  E..  Ransom,  Verninda,  Jerusha  and  William  R. ,  the  latter 
deceased.  Mr.  Bennett  was  killed  by  a  falling  tree  October  25,  1845.  Her 
marriage  to  Mr.  Case  occurred  in  1851,  two  children  resulting — Luellen 
and  Elnora  M.,  both  deceased.  Mr.  Case  died  of  consumption  in  1857, 
aged  fifty-five  years.  Mrs.  Spoon  inherited  eighty  acres  of  her  father's 
estate  and  a  dowry  from  her  first  husband.  Mr.  S.  has  disposed  of  his 
farm,  and  purchased  town  property  in  Wharton,  where  he  now  resides.  He 
is  an  "  old-time  "  Democrat,  the  oldest  resident  in  the  village  and  among 
the  oldest  in  the  township.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  God;  his 
wife  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

DANIEL  SPOON  was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  January 
10,  1830,  son  of  Solomon  and  Hannah  Spoon  (see  sketch).  Mr.  Spoon 
worked  for  his  parents  as  usually  done  till  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He 
was  married,  March  13,  1853,  to  Miss  Barbara  Bernheisel,  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Susanna  Bernheisel,  six  children  resulting  from  their  union:  Francis 
L.,  who  died  aged  nine  months;  Emmil  A.;  Henrietta,  wife  of  Harlow 
Smith;  Lucretia,  wife  of  Thomas  Shepherd;  Emory  and  Wheeler.  Mrs. 
Spoon  was  born  June  12,  1833.  In  1852,  Mr.  Spoon  purchased  forty-seven 
acres  near  Wharton,  where  he  resided  six  years.  He  subsequently  sold  out, 
and  bought  eighty-two  acres  near  Carey,  which  he  also  disposed  of,  purchas- 
ing 120  acres  of  his  present  farm  in  1863.  To  this  he  has  added  till  he  now 
owns  340  acres — the  largest  in  the  township — provided  with  a  magnificent 
residence,  costing  $8,000  in  1882,  and  a  fine  "  bank  "  barn,  costing  $1,500 
in  1880.  In  1864,  Mr.  Spoon  enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and 
Seventy-fifth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  participating  in  the  battle  at  Frank- 
lin, Tenn. ,  and  doing  garrison  duty  during  the  remainder  of  his  term  of 
service,  receiving  his  discharge  in  1865.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics; 
both  he  and  wife  being  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

DAVID  F.  SPOON,  son  of  Solomon  Spoon,  was  born  in  this  township 
November  15,  1834.  He  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  1856,  residing 
on  the  same  in  Crusoe  style  three  years.  He  was  married  August  25,  1859, 
to  Mary  A.  Rineberger,  daughter  of  Michael  and  Susan  (Miller)  Rineberger, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  descent.     Her  parents   settled   in 


RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP.  957 

Richland  County  in  an  early  clay  ;  her  mother  is  now  deceased  ;  her  father 
resides  at  her  home  in  his  eighty-second  year.  Mr.  and  Mi's.  Spoon  have 
six  children,  five  living — Elmer  E.,  born  September  25,  1861  ;  George  L., 
February  19,  1868;  Rosilla  J.,  October  U,  1864;  Melvin  E.,  March  21, 
1867  ;  Olive  E.,  March  20,  1865  ;  Essa  L.,  December  26,  1876.  Rosilla  J. 
was  accidentally  burned  to  death  December  14,  1879.  Mrs.  Spoon  was  born 
May  7,  1838.  Mr.  Spoon  has  alwuys  been  a  hard  worker,  having  cleared 
not  less  than  120  acres  of  land.  He  now  owns  65  acres  of  valuable  land, 
besides  lots  and  residences  in  Upper  Sandusky,  Forest  and  Kirby.  He  is 
now  (1883)  erecting  a  neat  dwelling  at  a  cost  of  $1,650.  In  1864,  Mr. 
Spoon  enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth  Regiment 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  took  part  in  the  battles  at  Nashville,  Spring 
Hill,  Columbia,  and  others.  He  was  confined  in  the  hospital  at  Nashville 
seven  days,  receiving  his  discharge  in  July,  1865.  Mr.  Spoon  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the  Church  of  God,  of  which  he 
was  formerly  a  Deacon  and  Class  Leader. 

HIRAM  TAFT,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  county,  was  born  in  Scho- 
hai'ie  County,  N.  Y.,  February  18,  1806.  He  is  a  son  of  Cruff  and  Rhoda 
(Crowell)  Taft,  natives  of  Rhode  Island  and  New  York  respectively,  prob- 
ably of  Welsh  ancestry — a  family  tradition  averring  that  three  brothers  came 
from  Wales  in  an  early  day.  His  parents  are  both  deceased.  At  the  age 
of  sixteen,  Mr.  Taft  began  life  for  himself,  learning  the  carpenter's  trade, 
which  he  followed  about  forty-five  years.  In  1844,  he  came  to  Ohio  with 
his  family,  and  located  on  his  present  farm,  then  120  acres,  now  167. 
This  farm  was  then  a  forest — the  camping  ground  for  wolves  and  wild  cats, 
but  is  now  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  improvement,  valued  at  $75 
per  acre.  His  dwelling,  built  by  himself  in  1847,  was  the  first  frame  build- 
ing in  the  township.  Mr.  Taft  was  married,  January  10,  1830,  to  Miss  Polly 
Quackenbush,  daughter  of  Cornelius  and  Rhoda  (Carley)  Quackenbush,  of 
Holland  descent.  Her  parents  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  New 
York,  her  father  being  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  Mrs.  Taft  is  the 
eldest  of  nine  children,  being  born  February  14,  1811.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taft 
are  the  parents  of  five  children — Elizabeth  J.,  deceased  wife  of  Benjamin 
Ward  ;  M.  Adelia,  wife  of  Jonathan  Bailey  ;  Rhoda,  deceased  wife  of  John 
W.  Wenner  ;  Marian  C,  wife  of  Edwin  Claflin  ;  Alta  E.,  wife  of  William 
Kirkland.  Mr.  Taft  has  been  a  hard  laborer,  has  cleared  much  land,  and 
constructed  many  buildings  in  this  and  other  counties.  He  is  a  Democrat, 
and  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  Mrs.  Taft  is  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Forest. 

EZRA  H.  VAN  BUREN,  a  native  of  Albany  County,  N.  Y.,  was  born 
March  10,  1843.  His  parents,  Daniel  and  Catherine  (Chesebrough)  Van 
Buren,  were  natives  of  New  Y^ork,  and  of  English  and  German  ancestors, 
and  distant  relatives  of  President  Van  Buren.  Mr.  Van  Buren's  father  died 
and  his  mother  was  left  with  eight  children,  and  came  to  Ohio  with  five  of 
them  in  1859.  The  names  of  the  children  are  Saxton,  Martin,  William  H., 
Mary  J.,  Sarah,  Huldah,  Ezra  and  Hannah.  Of  these,  Saxton,  Martin  and 
Ezra  are  living.  Mrs.  Van  Buren  departed  this  life  in  1879,  at  the  ripe 
age  of  seventy-six  years.  Ezra  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  and  educated  in 
the  district  schools.  In  1862,  he  enlisted  to  serve  in  Company  A,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  partic- 
ipated in  the  battles  of  Winchester,  Strasburg,  Fisher's  Hill,  New  Market, 
and  a  number  of  other  engagements,  during  which  time  he  served  under 
Gens.  Millroy,  Hunter,  Siegel  and  Sheridan.     He  was  taken  a  prisoner  at 


958  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  engagement  at  Winchester,  and  after  a  month's  confinement  at  Rich- 
mond was  released.  He  was  again  captured  at  High  Bridge,  and  paroled 
at  the  surrender  of  Lee,  and  was  honorably  discharged  in  June,  1865. 
November,  1865,  he  married  Miss  Clarinda,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Rebecca 
Jackson,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Buren  have 
one  son,  Henry  J.,  born  October  5,  1866.  Mrs.  Van  Buren  died  in  1867, 
and  two  years  later  Mr.  Van  Buren  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Hendrickson, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Hendrickson.  Mr.  Van  Buren  purchased,  in  1866,  a 
farm  of  thirty-seven  acres  near  Forest,  Ohio,  and  resided  there  until  1871, 
when  he  removed  to  his  present  farm,  which  contains  232  acres,  valued  at 
$70  per  acre.  He  and  wife  ai'e  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
with  which  he  is  prominently  identified.  He  is  a  successful  farmer,  and 
an  active  and  esteemed  citizen. 

MARTIN  VAN  BUREN,  born  in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  January  18, 
1836,  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Catharine  (Cbesebrough)  Van  Buren,  and, 
being  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at  an  early  age,  received  but  a  limited 
education.  He  worked  for  a  number  of  years  by  day  and  month,  engaging 
to  some  extent,  while  yet  a  young  man,  in  the  lumber  business  in  Canada. 
In  1865,  he  married  Miss  Dianna  Funk,  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Mary 
(Rosenberger)  Funk,  this  wife  dying  in  1873,  leaving  one  child,  Mary  A. , 
born  December  9,  1868.  Mr.  Van  Buren  then  married,  in  1875,  Maria  M. 
Alter,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  C.  (Dinsmore)  Alter,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  The  children  by  this  marriage 
are:  R.  Carl,  born  September  15,  1876;  H.  Kent,  May  18,  1879;  M.  Ethel, 
December  6,  1881;  Hattie  E.,  April  30,  1883.  Mrs.  Van  Buren  was  born 
August.  2,  1848.  Mr.  Van  Buren  rented  land  a  few  years,  and  then  pur- 
chased land  in  Richland  Township.  He  subsequently  disposed  of  this  and 
purchased  forty  acres  in  Hancock  County,  later  adding  ten  acres.  In  1882, 
he  again  sold  out,  and  purchased  his  present  farm  of  163^  acres  for  111,000. 
He  is  a  good  farmer,  and  makes  a  specialty  of  fine  stock  and  Poland-China 
hogs.  lu  political  faith,  Mr.  Van  Buren  is  an  Independent.  He  and  his 
wife  are  both  members  of  the  Congregational  Church  at  Findlay,  Ohio. 

JAMES  P.  WARD  (deceased)  was  born  at  Akron,  Ohio,  in  1808.  His 
parents,  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  (Beech)  Ward,  were  natives  of  Virginia, 
and  of  English  and  Irish  extraction,  respectively.  They  settled  at  Akron 
soon  after  their  marriage,  Mr.  Ward  being  engaged  in  the  Iron  Mills  at 
that  place.  James  P.,  our  subject,  obtained  a  good  education,  and  engaged 
in  teaching  several  terms.  He  also  worked  as  molder  in  the  foundry  for 
some  time,  and  later  was  employed  as  Captain  of  a  canal  boat  plying  be- 
tween Cleveland  and  Cincinnati.  He  came  to  this  county  in  1840,  and  pur- 
chased forty  acres,  at  the  time  of  his  death  owning  160.  Mr.  Ward  was 
married,  March  19,  1843,  to  Olive  J.  Baker,  daughter  of  Christopher  and 
Rachel  (Berry)  Baker,  who  settled  in  this  county  in  1824.  They  were 
natives  of  Virginia,  Mrs.  Baker's  father  having  been  an  English  Colonel  in 
the  Revolutionary  war,  her  husband  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  Mrs. 
Ward's  father  was  a  prominent  farmer  after  and  a  miller  before  coming  to 
this  county.  He  was  the  father  of  eleven  children,  five  of  whom  are  now 
living.  He  died  in  1848,  aged  sixty-three;  the  mother  in  1875,  aged  eighty- 
one  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wai'd  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  eight 
living — Elizabeth  E.,  wife  of  J.  D.  AVickiser;  Alphonzo  C,  La  Fayette  B., 
Spencer  O.,  Howard  O.,  Carl  B.,  Emma  E.  and  Roscoe  P.  The  deceased 
are  Cleopatra  R. ,  Walter  S.,  Alice  and  an  infant.  Their  mother  was  born 
May  4,  1826.     Soon  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Ward  came  to  his  widow's  pres- 


RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP.  ■  959 

ent  fai'm,  which  he  subsequently  developed  to  a  remarkable  extent,  building 
fine  barn  and  brick  residence  in  1879.  He  was  highly  esteemed  as  a  citi- 
zen; served  as  Trustee  many  years;  began  life  poor,  but  left  an  estate  oE 
120.000.  He  died  November  25,  1880.  Mrs.  Ward  still  resides  on  the 
homestead  with  her  three  youngest  children. 

JOHN  WENTZ  was  born  in  this  county  December  18,  1839.  His  par- 
ents, Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Copenheflfer)  Wentz,  were  natives  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  of  German  desceot.  They  came  to  Ohio  in  1837,  and  entered 
eighty  acres  of  land,  where  our  subject  now  resides.  They  had  eight  chil- 
dren— Andrew,  Jacob,  Louisa,  Levi,  John,  Jesse,  William  and  Henry,  the 
two  latter  deceased.  The  father  was  a  weaver  by  trade;  he  died  in  1854, 
aged  fifty-eight  years;  the  mother  in  1883,  aged  eighty-five  years.  Mr. 
Wentz  obtained  a  good  education,  and  worked  upon  the  farm  and  railroad 
till  he  enlisted  in  the  army,  August  18,  1862.  He  joined  Company  A,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  engaged  at 
Winchester,  Martinsburg,  Berryville,  Snicker's  Gap,  Cedar  Creek,  Hatcher's 
Run,  High  Bridge  and  many  skirmishes,  serving  two  years  and  nine  months. 
He  was  wounded  in  the  engagement  at  High  Bridge,  and  was  detained  at 
the  hospital  at  Philadelphia  two  months,  after  which  he  was  discharged. 
He  married  Savilla  Cowdry  February  24,  1866,  she  being  the  daughter  of 
William  and  Mary  (Bruce)  Cowdry,  then  residents  of  Michigan,  both  now 
deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wentz  are  parents  of  three  children — Olive,  born 
February  17,  1868;  Edith,  November  9,  1870;  Walter  V.,  April  24,  1881. 
Mr.  Wentz  inherited  twenty-five  acres  of  the  homestead,  where  he  now 
resides,  having  added  to  his  inheritance  till  he  now  owns  eighty-nine  acres, 
well-stocked  and  improved,  valued  at  $80  per  acre.  His  dwelling  cost 
$1,200  in  1880,  and  his  barn  $500  in  1872.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  mem- 
ber of  the  Church  of  God;  Elder  at  present.  On  account  of  wounds 
received  in  the  war,  he  receives  a  pension  of  $8  per  month. 

J.  D.  WICKISER  was  born  in  Richland  Township  April  28,  1843,  and 
is  a  son  of  Albert  and  Sabrina  (McKay)  Wickiser.  He  passed  his  early  life 
upon  a  farm,  and  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools.  In  1864, 
he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Columbia,  Franklin 
and  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  was  honorably  discharged  July  14,  1865.  Here- 
turned  home,  and,  October  11,  1866,  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Ward, 
daughter  of  J.  P.  and  Olive  J.  (Baker)  Ward,  who  settled  in  this  township 
in  1843.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  viz.,  Stella  F.,  Wini- 
fred O.,  Bertha,  John  Nelson  and  Cecil  M.  Edith  and  Agnes  are  deceased. 
Mrs,  Wickiser  was  born  January  7,  1844.  Mr.  Wickiser  owns  a  farm  of 
eighty-four  acres,  well  improved  and  highly  cultivated.  In  1877,  he 
erected  a  residence  at  a  cost  of  $1,200.  His  farm,  with  its  improvements, 
is  one  of  the  best  in  the  township.  In  1883,  he  and  A.  C.  Kirby  erected  a 
fine  brick  block  in  Wharton,  Mr.  W.  occupying  the  east  room  with  a  stock  of 
groceries  and  provisions.  He  was  previously  engaged  in  undertaking  and 
the  furniture  business.  He  is  an  active,  enterprising  citizen,  and  well 
known  in  the  county  as  a  veterinary  surgeon.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.  and  G.  A.  R.,  and  also  of  the  Grange.  He  served  as  Township  Trus- 
tee four  years,  and  as  Land  Appraiser  in  1880.  Politically,  he  is  Demo- 
cratic. 

ALBERT  WICKISER.  This  worthy  pioneer  was  born  in  Luzerne 
County,  Penn.,  February  24,  1808.  His  parents  were  Conrad  and  Lydia 
(Wicks)  Wickiser,  natives  of  Germany  and  Pennsylvania   respectively,  and 


960  *  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

of  German  and  English  descent.  They  came  to  Perry  Coanty,  Ohio,  in 
1810,  soon  after  removing  to  Delaware  County,  and  to  this  county  in  1834. 
They  entered  120  acres,  and  had  eleven  children,  four  now  living.  Mr. 
Wickiser  obtained  a  limited  education.  He  worked  for  daily  wages  till  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Sabrina  McKay,  September  15,  1833.  Her  parents  were 
Charles  and  Hannah  (Butler)  McKay,  natives  of  New  York  and  New  Hamp- 
shire respectively.  They  settled  in  Brown  County  in  1823,  and  in  1841  re- 
moved to  Illinois,  where  they  both  died.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wickiser  are  the 
parents  of  fifteen  children — Mary  E.,  Irena,  Charles  W.,  Jacob  AV.,  John 
D.,  William  M.  B.,  Daniel  W.,  Rhoda  J.,  Sarah  M.,  MarindaN.,  Hester  A., 
Milton  D.  L. ,  Albert  H.,  Ossian  E.  and  Phillip  E.  Their  mother  was  born 
in  York  State  May  11,  1818,  In  1835,  Mr.  W.  entered  forty  acres  of  land 
in  this  township,  he  and  his  wife  being  now  the  only  ones  living  of  his  date 
of  settlement.  He  being  disabled  many  years,  Mrs.  W.  supported  the  fam- 
ily by  weaving.  Both  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
have  been  Christians  fifty  years.  In  politics,  Mr.  W.  is  a  Jacksonian  Dem- 
ocrat. 

D.  B.  WILLIAMS,  son  of  John  and  Rebecca  (Cope)  Williams,  was  born 
in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  June  2,  1830.  His  parents  wei'e  natives  of 
Ohio  and  Virginia,  and  were  married  in  Columbiana  County,  where  they 
resided  most  of  their  lives.  He  was  a  brick-layer  by  trade,  and  the  father 
of  eight  children,  the  living — John  T.,  Caroline,  D.  B.  and  Elizabeth.  He 
died  in  1839,  aged  thirty-eight  years;  his  wife  in  1872,  aged  sixty-eight. 
D.  B.,  our  subject,  obtained  but  a  limited  log  schoolhouse  education,  be- 
ginning life  for  himself  at  sixteen.  He  worked  by  the  day  and  month  un- 
til married  to  Martha  W.  Morlan  September  26,  1850.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Isaac  and  Martha  (Wright)  Morlan,  natives  of  Virginia.  This  marriage 
was  blessed  by  nine  children,  five  of  whom  are  living— Viola,  wife  of  A.  B. 
Wise;  Silas  M.,  Elwood  E.,  Clara  B. ,  Hattie  M.  The  deceased  are  Alice 
A.,  Mary  H.  and  Emma,  an  infant.  After  several  years  in  various  kinds  of 
work,  and  after  several  trades  in  stock  and  real  estate,  Mr.  Williams  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  1872,  paying  $1,600.  He  has 
made  many  improvements,  having  built  a  comfortable  dwelling  in  1878, 
costing  $1,500.  Mr.  Williams  voted  first  for  Van  Buren,  but  has  since  been 
a  Republican.  He  served  as  Constable  in  Hancock  County  many  years.  He 
and  Mrs.  Williams  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
highly  esteemed  as  citizens. 

JACOB  WISE,  son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Ensminger)  Wise,  was 
born  in  Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  January  23,  1810.  His  great-grand- 
parents came  from  Germany;  his  grandfather  Wise  avoided  going  into  the 
Revolutionary  war  by  "  cutting  his  leg  with  tobacco."  His  father  served  as 
Justice  of  this  township  from  his  twenty-first  to  his  forty-eighth  year.  Our 
subject  began  work  when  a  child  at  $1. 50  per  month,  and  continued  to  work 
for  himself  with  advanced  wages  for  many  years.  In  1842,  he  came  to  Ohio, 
working  three  years  in  the  cabinet  business  in  Stark  County.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1847,  he  located  in  this  county,  purchasing  thirty  acres  of  his  present 
farm,  to  which  he  has  added  till  he  now  owns  219  acres,  valued  at  $100  per 
acre.  Mr.  Wise  was  married,  in  1843,  to  Miss  Mary  Price,  of  Lancaster, 
Ohio.  She  died  September  6,  1882,  leaving  three  children — Aaron  B.,  Je- 
rome O.,  Caroline,  wife  of  G.  E.  Rice,  of  Kansas.  The  deceased  are  Mary 
A.  and  Fianna.  Mr.  Wise  is  an  old-time  Jackson  Democrat;  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church. 


RICHLAND   TOWNSHIP.  961 

JEROME  WISE,  son  of  the  above,  was  born  in  this  township  May 
1,  1852.  He  remained  at  home  farming  and  attending  school  till  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Serena  Clark  August  26,  1875.  She  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  W.  and  Martha  Clark,  and  died  February  20,  1876,  leaving 
one  child — Ivy  M. ,  who  also  died  a  few  months  later.  Mr.  Wise  was  again 
married,  March  3,  1881,  to  Miss  Mary  Hartman,  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Catharine  (Bishop)  Hartman,  natives  of  Germany,  coming  to  this  country 
soon  after  their  marriage.  Mr.  Hartman  is  deceased;  his  wife  is  a  resident 
of  Jackson  Township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wise  have  one  child — Minnie  B., 
born  January  26,  1882.  Mr.  Wise  purchased  twenty-two  acres  in  1881, 
j)aying  $965.  The  farm  is  in  excellent  repair,  and  is  valued  at  $75  per 
acre.  He  has  been  tilling  the  homestead  with  his  father  all  his  days,  and 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  of  farmers  in  the  county.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Wise  is  a  liberal  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  at  Whar- 
ton, having  passed  all  the  chairs  of  that  lodge. 

GEORGE  W.  YOUNG  is  a  native  of  this  county,  born  April  1,  1841, 
to  Louis  and  Christina  (Dennis)  Young,  natives  of  Ohio  and  of  German  and 
Irish  descent — his  grandfather  Young  coming  from  Ireland,  and  his  grand- 
mother from  Germany.  His  parents  located  in  this  county  in  1836,  rearing 
a  family  of  twelve  children — Cornelius  D.,  George  W.,  Eliza,  John  R.  and 
Robert  L.  being  the  only  ones  living.  The  father  died  in  1869,  aged  lifty- 
five  year;  the  mother  in  1871,  at  the  same  age.  Mr.  Young  obtained  a  lim- 
ited education,  being  compelled  to  stay  at  home  clearing  land.  At 
twenty-one  he  married  Sylvania  Bernheisel,  the  date  of  the  event  being 
June  8,  1862.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Susanna  (Snider)  Bern- 
heisel, natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  descent.  They  settled  in 
Richland  County  in  1845,  and  in  this  county  about  two  years  later.  They 
were  farmers,  and  parents  of  twelve  children.  The  mother  resides  in  this 
township  in  her  seventieth  year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  are  the  parents  of 
live  children — Lawrence  R. ,  born  May  6,  1863;  Floi^ence  A.,  July  1,  1865; 
Harriet  A.,  September  15,  1867;  Orrin  O.,  June  8,  1871;  Dessie  C,  July 
28,  1881.  Mrs.  Young  was  born  March  25,  1847.  After  his  mar- 
riage, Mr.  Young  rented  land  for  several  years,  purchasing  his  present 
farm  in  1872.  It  then  consisted  of  forty  acres,  but  now  comprises  130.  In 
1880,  he  erected  a  fine  barn  at  $900,  and  in  1882  an  elegant  frame  house 
at  $2,000.  His  farm  is  in  a  tine  state  of  cultivation  and  well  drained.  Mr. 
Young  is  a  Democrat.  He  and  his  wife  are  both  members  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church,  of  which  he  is  Trustee. 


962  "    HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  X. 
EIDGE  TOWNSHIP. 

The  Township  as  Organized— Its  Physical  Characteristics— Nabies  of 
ALL  THE  Owners  of  Real  and  Personal  Estate  in  1845— Early  Set- 
tlers—Schools AND  Churches— biographical  sketches. 

AT  the  organization  of  this  county  in  1845,  the  portion  now  known  as 
Ridge  Township  was  existing  under  the  title  of  Amanda,  in  Hancock 
County.  It  is  a  fractional  township  containing  but  fifteen  sections,  and  was 
annexed  to  this  county  at  the  above  date,  deriving  its  name  from  the  high 
limestone  ridge  which  extends  across  its  northern  part.  It  is  bounded  on 
the  east  by  Crawford  Township,  on  the  south  by  Richland,  and  on  the  west 
and  north  by  Hancock  County.  The  southern  portion  of  the  township  is 
comparatively  low,  and  was  once  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  timber — 
beech,  sugar,  ash  and  walnut — much  of  which  still  remains,  though  the 
work  of  improvement  is  going  on  rapidly.  With  the  present  drainage, 
large  crops  of  wheat  are  being  harvested  from  these  lands,  that  at  one  time 
were  supposed  to  be  adapted  to  corn-raising  only.  The  northern  part  is  of 
an  entirely  different  make-up,  both  as  to  soil  and  surface  feature.  It  is  con- 
siderably elevated  above  the  south  half  of  the  township,  the  soil  consisting 
of  a  sandy  loam,  with  clay  base  (white  and  yellow),  and  is  especially 
adapted  to  the  raising  of  wheat,  an  interest  closely  looked  after  by  its  in- 
habitants. Here  the  general  improvements  are  much  in  advance  of  those 
of  the  southern  part,  most  of  the  earlier  settlers  having  located  in  this 
vicinity,  George  Greek,  Casper  Updegraff  and  William  Hunter  being  a  few 
of  the  exceptions. 

The  following  were  the  owners  of  real  and  personal  estate  in  Ridge 
Township  in  1845: 

OWNERS    OF    REAL    ESTATE. 

John  Allman,  Henry  Amarine,  Jacob  Bowers,  John  Bowers,  Jacob 
Baker,  George  Cross,  Amos  Brown,  Elijah  Brown,  Daniel  Beck,  Sarah 
Beck,  Samuel  Brown,  Henry  Beck,  Henry  Bacon,  William  Bennett,  Frede- 
rick Baugher,  William  Brown,  Silas  Brown,  George  Bucher,  Jacob  Barnd, 
Jacob  Bucher,  Elijah  Barnd,  Joshua  Cole,  Aaron  Corbin,  Charles  Cross, 
Amos  W.  Grain,  Henry  Christy,  William  Carothers,  R.  and  S.  Dunbar, 
David  Entley,  John  Fisher,  John  Fenstemaker,  Benjamin  Fickle,  Sarah 
Greek,  George  Greek,  Samuel  Greek,  Samuel  Grindle,  Jacob  Grindle,  Green 
&  Reid,  Shadrack  Highland,  William  Hancock,  Philip  Hall,  Philip  Huber, 
John  Hershberger,  Philip  Hall,  James  A.  Hunter,  Thomas  Iliff,  Jacob 
Jackson,  Abraham  Karn,  Adam  Kellar,  Adam  Killinger,  Abraham  Karn, 
William  Keller,  Francis  Keenan,  James  Kelly,  George  Long,  Christian 
Leitner,  John  Long,  Aaron  Moore,  William  McDonald,  James  McGill, 
David  Myers,  Frisby  Nye,  John  Patterson,  Jesse  Price,  Jacob  Putnam, 
Lemuel  Roberts,  Michael  Richardson,  Philip  Richardson,  Joseph  Richard- 
son, Robert  Reynolds,  John  Smith,  Rebecca  Saeyards,  Jonathan  Swihart, 
David    Spade,  'Thomas    N.    Shepard,    John    Starr,    George   Smith,    Ohio, 


RIDGE  TOWNSHIP.  963 

William  Swick,  Joseph  Shiill,  Andrew  W.  Scott,  Duncan  Scott,  John 
Scott,  Nicholas  Shull,  George  Spangler,  Joseph  Sherman,  Charles  Thomas, 
John  Thompson,  George  W.  Tong,  Hill  Tolleston,  Ira  Taft,  James  Un- 
derwood, Casper  Updegraflf,  Abraham  Worley,  James  Wingate,  George 
^Vorley,  Isaac  Wohlgemuth,  Michael  Yeager. 

OWNERS    OF    PERSONAL    PROPERTY. 

John  Allman,  Henry  Amarine,  Jacob  Blinger,  Solomon  Baugherd, 
George  Baugherd,  Jackson  Bavigherd,  Jacob  Boucher,  Henry  Beck,  Jacob 
Bowers,  Henry  Blosser,  William  Cheesebro,  Abraham  Carothers,  William 
Carothers,  George  Cross,  Thomas  Cole,  Nicodemus  Corbin,  Boyd  Dunbar, 
Kobert  Dunbar,  Daniel  Findlay,  John  Free,  John  Fisher,  Benjamin  Fickel, 
Samuel  Grindle,  Jacob  Grindle,  Samuel  Greek,  George  Greek,  David 
Graham,  John  Hershberger,  Arthur  Hazen,  Philip  Hall,  William  Hancock, 
Jacob  Jackson,  Adam  Killinger,  Adam  Keller,  Samuel  Keller,  Isaac  William 
Kern,  John  Long,  Joseph  Leitner,  Thomas  McHorter,  John  Miller  (German), 
John  Miller  (English),  Amos  R.  Moore,  Gideon  Nye,  Frisby  Nye,  John  Pat- 
terson, Peter  Putnam,  Jacob  Putnam,  Jacob  Putnam,  Jr.,  Michael  Richard- 
son, Elizabeth  Richardson,  Hyatt  Roberts,  Lemuel  Roberts,  Joseph  Stahl, 
Daniel  Spade,  John  Starr,  Daniel  Stahl,  John  Smith,  Thomas  Shepard, 
George  Spangler,  William  Swick,  Jacob  Thomas,  George  W.  Tong,  John 
Thompson,  Casper  Updegrali',  James  Underwood,  Isaac  Wohlgamuth,  Dr. 
Noah  Wilson,  a  practicing  physician. 

TOWN    OF    RIDGEVILLE. 

Of  the  twenty-four  lots  in  this  plat.  Lemuel  Roberts  owned  eighteen; 
Amos  Moore,  three;  Daniel  Miller,  one;  Jacob  Plummer,  one,  and  John 
Ragon,  one. 

TOWN    OF    JAMESTOWN. 

Of  the  twenty-four  lots  in  this  plat,  twelve — Nos.  1  to  12  inclusive — were 
situated  in  Ridge  Township,  and  twelve  lots — Nos.  13  to  24  inclusive — were 
located  in  Richland  Township,  all  of  which  were  owned  by  the  State  in 
1845. 

EARLY  SETTLERS. 

As  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  the  first  white  man  who  "  blazed  "  his 
way  in  and  out  of  the  sylvan  wilds  of  this  township  was  William  Homan, 
who  located  here  with  a  wife  and  five  children  in  1832-33.  He  was  fol- 
lowed soon  after  by  Andrew  Bates,  with  a  wife  and  three  children.  In 
1834,  Jacob  Jackson  appeared  upon  the  scene.  He  was  born  in  Berks 
County,  Penn.,  July  26,  1812,  and  was  a  son  of  Heniy  and  Hannah  (Hough) 
Jackson,  with  whom  he  came  to  Ohio  in  1822.  He  came  to  this  county  as 
above  stated,  and  has  ever  since  resided  on  the  farm  which  he  then  entered. 
He  is  still  living.  George  Greek,  one  of  the  few  struggling  pioneers  in 
1836,  is  a  native  of  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  son  of  Jacob  and  Martha 
(Miller)  Greek,  and  was  born  December  27,  1806.  He  moved  with  bis 
parents  to  Lancaster,  Ohio,  in  1816,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  He 
subsequently  spent  two  years  in  Baltimore,  one  'year  in  Cincinnati,  then 
came  to  this  county,  and  settled  on  his  present  farm.  He  is  still  an  active 
old  man,  notwithstanding  his  many  years  of  toil  and  pioneer  hardships. 
James  Hunter  came  to  this  county  with  his  parents,  William  and  Elizabeth 
Hunter,  in  1836.  He  is  a  native  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  his  parents  be- 
ing natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware  respectively.      Ho  has  resided  on 


964  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

his  present  farm  since  1845,  and  is  still  hale,  hearty  and  happy,  an  exem- 
plary and  jovial  pioneer.  Casper  XJpdegraff  was  one  of  the  early  settlers, 
and  located  in  the  township  about  1840.  He  was  a  native  of  Northumber- 
land County,  Penn.,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  sturdiest  settlers.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  physical  power  and  endurance,  and  in  his  lifetime  did 
much  hard  labor.  He  was  born  in  1801,  and  died  in  1870.  One  of  the  old- 
est of  the  venerable  pioneers  yet  living  is  Benjamin  Fickle,  who  located  in 
this  township  in  1841.  He  is  a  native  of  Monongahela,  Penn.,  and 
was  born  February  29,  1808.  He  was  employed  thirteen  years  on  the  Ohio 
Canal,  and  then  moved  to  his  present  farm,  entered  in  1834.  He  is  now 
quite  feeble  with  age,  and  broken  down  by  hard  labor.  Solomon  Bocher, 
son  of  Frederick  Bocher,  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  November  2, 
1821,  and  settled  in  this  township  in  1844,  having  since  resided  on  his 
present  farm,  which  was  entered  by  his  father  at  a  previous  date.  One  of 
the  prominent  pioneers  of  the  township  is  Isaac  Wohlgamuth,  who  was  born 
in  York  County,  Penn.,  January  3,  1806.  He  came  to  Ohio  with  his  par- 
ents in  1815,  and  afterward  to  this  township  in  1843.  In  1846,  he  was 
elected  County  Commissioner,  serving  two  terms.  He  has  been  Justice  of 
the  Peace  over  thirty-three  years.  Jonas  Wohlgamuth  settled  in  the  town- 
ship in  1846.  He  is  brother  to  Isaac  W.,  and  was  born  in  the  same  local- 
ity in  1810.  He  is  i-egarded  as  one  of  the  most  successful  of  the  pioneer 
farmers.  Joel  Chesebrough,  one  of  the  wealthiest  of  the  early  settlers,  Id- 
eated here  in  1844.  He  was  born  in  Albany  (Jounty,  N.  Y.,  January  1, 
1810,  and  resided  in  that  State  several  years,  but  has  remaiiied  in  this  town- 
ship since  his  first  settlement  here.  He  now  owns  360  acres  of  valuable 
land,  all  earned  by  hard  labor.  Henry  Brown  settled  in  this  township  in 
1845.     He  was  born  in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  September  7,  1809. 

In  the  first  settlement  of  the  township  there  were,  of  course,  no  estab- 
lished roads,  and  this  was  the  cause  of  much  inconvenience  to  the  settlers. 
The  first  regular  road  constructed  was  what  is  called  the  Mount  Blanchard 
road,  as  designated  by  the  Commissioners'  report.  Supplies  were  obtained 
from  Upper  Sandusky,  Findlay  and  Sandusky  City,  and  the  thoroughfares 
leading  to  these  points  constituted  the  chief  lines  of  regular  travel  till  the 
sectional  roads  were  legally  established.  The  only  grist  mill,  or  at  least 
the  first  one,  was  located  on  Section  14,  and  was  operated  by  Isaac  Wohlga- 
muth. The  motive  power  was  supplied  by  a  horse,  and,  although  it  was  in 
fact  a  grist  mill,  it  was  usually  denominated  a  "horse  mill,"  the  animal 
doing  the  grinding  instead  of  being  ground.  This  mill  was  established  in 
1848,  but  is  now  "  closed  for  repairs."  The  first  saw  mill  was  erected  by 
John  Long  about  1836.  It  was  run  by  water,  and  was  constructed  on  the 
old  "  uj^right  "  plan.  It  was  in  fact  an  "old-timer"  for  various  reasons, 
chief  of  which  was  that  it  usually  required  about  two  hours  to  saw  through 
an  ordinary  log.  This,  however,  afforded  leisure  for  literary  improvement, 
and  it  was  no  uncommon  occurrence  for  the  sawyer  in  charge  to  digest  the 
contents  of  a  whole  dime  novel  while  the  "  old  haggler"  was  working  its 
way  through  the  log  at  the  rapid  rate  of  about  five  strokes  to  the  minute. 
Progress  and  competition  have  rendered  both  the  mill  and  its  founder  use- 
less, and  they  have  ceased  operations.  At  present,  there  are  two  saw  mills 
in  operation  in  the  township,  one  owned  by  Michael  Youngpeter,  and  the 
other  by  F.  Williams.  The  mercantile  interests  of  Ridge  Township  have 
not  been  prominently  brought  to  the  front.  The  first  store  was  established 
by  Eli  Kagon,  at  the  would-have-been  village  of  Ridgeville,  many  years 
ago,  but  was  never   exceedingly  profitable,  and  was   at  length  abandoned. 


RIDGE  TOWNSHIP.  965 

Its  proprietor  was  born  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland  July  30,  1777, 
and  died  in  Warren  County,  111.,  April  9,  1856.  At  present,  there  are  no 
mercantile  establishraents  in  the  township. 

The  first  schools  of  the  township  were  held  in  the  dwellings  of  the  early 
settlers,  one  of  these  being  that  of  George  Greek,  the  kraut  barrel  being 
a  valued  attendant,  as  some  of  the  pupils  who  are  yet  living  aver.  Deby 
Martin  has  the  honor  of  being  the  first  instructor  of  the  then  future  citizens 
of  the  township,  though  John  Long,  the  hero  of  the  "  upright"  saw  mill,  is 
said  by  some  to  be  the  original  agent  in  teaching  "the  young  idea  how  to 
shoot."  When  the  log  schoolhouse  near  the  present  site  of  Mr.  Greek's 
residence  was  erected,  among  the  first  to  honor  it  was  J.  N.  Free,  then  a 
brilliant  young  collegiate,  now  known  as  the  "Immortal  J.  N."  Other 
early  teachers  were  Benjamin  Burnapp,  Samuel  Updegraff  and  Isabel 
Thompson.  There  are  now  five  school  districts  in  the  township,  with  sub- 
stantial and  comfortable  buildings. 

RELIGIOUS. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  seems  to  have  been  the  first  to  call  its 
members  together  to  consider  the  spiritual  interest  of  the  township.  The 
first  meetings  were  held  in  dwelling-houses  and  later  in  a  log  schoolhouse 
west  of  the  cemetery,  near  which  the  present  church  building  is  located. 
The  first  organization  was  effected  prior  to  1834,  probably  by  Rev.  John 
Conaway,  with  the  following  list  of  members:  John  Long,  John  Smith, 
William  Reynolds,  T.  N.  Shepherd,  Thomas  Thompson,  Thomas  Huff,  and 
many  of  their  wives  whose  given  names  are  not  remembered.  In  1835-36, 
a  log  church  building  was  erected  west  of  the  present  structure,  at  a  cost 
of  about  $150,  and  this  was  in  use  about  twenty-five  years.  In  1859-60, 
the  present  frame  Bethel  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $1,200,  since  which  time  all 
the  pleasures  of  a  neat  and  comfortable  place  of  worship  have  been  enjoyed. 
So  far  as  determined,  the  list  of  pastors  who  served  in  the  parish  is  as  fol- 
lows: Revs.  John  Conaway,  James  Wilson,  Samuel  Allen,  Biggs,  Hustis, 
Kimber,  Wilson,  Wilcox,  Pounds,  Lee,  Thatcher,  Graham,  Wikes,  Lance, 
Bowers,  Good,  Frisby,  Lindsey,  Jagger,  Tibbies,  Ferris,  Miller  and  Camp. 
There  are  now  forty  members  in  the  society.  The  first  Trustees  were  John 
Long,  John  Smith,  David  Smith,  William  Chesebrough,  William  Carothers, 
Jacob  Jackson  and  Henry  Curtz.  The  present  Trustees  are  Samuel  and 
Saxton  Chesebrough,  La  Fayette  Weaver,  Saxton  Shoup  and  Michael 
Spangler;  Stewards — Samuel  Smith  and  William  Jackson;  Class  Leaders — 
Saxton  Chesebrough  and  Michael  Spangler.  Among  the  first  revivals  were 
those  conducted  by  John  Conaway,  and  these  were  followed  by  Revs.  Tib- 
bies, Miller,  Graham,  Lindsey  and  Joseph  Good,  all  attended  by  greater 
or  less  success,  those  of  Conaway  and  Tibbies  being  quite  successful;  these 
were  succeeded  by  many  others  of  less  importance. 

The  Methodist  Protestant  Church  in  this  township  was  first  organized 
in  1866-67,  by  Rev.  Evans,  who  had,  for  a  time  previous,  conducted  relig- 
ious services  in  the  "Greek"  Schoolhouse.  Here  it  was,  in  fact,  that  the 
organization  was  effected,  there  being  at  that  time  about  thirty  members 
enrolled,  bearing  names  as  follows:  George,  Rebecca,  Simon,  John,  Henry 
and  Elizabeth  Greek,  Henry  and  Hannah  Hagerman,  Martha  Montague,  N. 
L.  Updegraff,  Isabel  Updegraff,  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  Wohlgamuth,  Winfield 
and  Mary  Tong,  Jacob  Bocher,  Emily  Hysington,  John  and  Catharine  Rib- 
ley,  Jerry  Snook,  William  Snook  and  wife,  Louisa  Updegi'aff,  William 
Davis  and  wife,  John  Starr,  William  Baker  and  wife,  Robert    and    Louisa 

45 


966  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Warner,  Elizabeth  Hines  and  perhaps  a  few  others.  In  3868  and  1869^ 
the  present  church  building  was  enacted  at  a  cost  of  $1,100,  and  was 
designated  "Grace  Chapel."  It  is  a  frame  building  36x45  feet  in 
dimensions  and  was  erected  by  the  Methodist  Protestant  society,  with 
some  assistance  from  the  United  Brethren  organization,  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  Section  25.  Kev.  Evans  labored  as  pastor  in  this  ap- 
pointment five  years;  Rev.  Baker,  two  years;  Kev.  Frailkill  and  Rev.  Ra- 
venscraugh  perhaps  two  years,  and  Rev.  Overhultz  about  four  years.  The 
present  officers  are  Henry  Hagerman,  Gecjrge  Greek  and  Isaac  Wohlgamuth, 
Trustees,  but  owing  to  dissensions  and  indifference  on  the  part  of  members 
the  organization  has  recently  been  abandoned.  Rev.  Evans  conducted  the 
first  revival,  which  resulted  in  about  thirty  conversions  and  as  many  addi- 
tions to  the  membership  of  the  church,  and  several  others  followed,  but 
were  only  revivals,  no  further  additions  to  the  membership  being  secured. 
The  building  is  now  unused  and,  considering  the  causes  which  have  led  to 
abandonment,  almost  any  other  title  than  "Grace  Chapel  "  would  be  more 
appropriate. 

The  English  Lutheran  Church  was  organized  in  this  township  in  1838 
and  1839,  and  a  log  building  was  erected  and  afterward  weather- boarded. 
The  members  of  the  Reformed  Church  assisted  in  the  enterprise  and  the 
house  was  consequently  divided  against  itself,  from  which  state  of  afi'airs 
trouble  soon  ai'ose,  which  it  is  unnecessary  to  detail  here.  Rev.  Hufifman 
was  the  first  pastor  in  charge,  and  the  names  of  the  original  members  so  far 
as  known  were  as  follows:  John  Hill,  Peter  Kiser,  Peter  Stahl,  Adam 
Keller,  Frederick  Shuman,  Henry  Shuman,  Charles  Kaley,  Daniel  Stahl, 
John  Buchanan  and  perhaps  some  of  their  wives.  The  ministers,  other 
than  Rev.  Huffman,  who  have  labored  at  this  point  are  Rev.  Wolf,  Rev. 
Livinggood,  Rev.  Howard,  Rev.  Fi^oukenmiller  and  Rev.  Dustman.  The 
present  building  was  erected  by  the  Reform  society  in  1862-63  at  a  cost  of 
$1,600.  It  is  a  frame  structure,  32x46  feet  in  size,  and  well  furnished.  The 
present  number  of  members  is  about  twenty-five. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

EBENEZER  BAUGHMAN  is  a  native  of  Muskingum  County,  Ohio, 
and  was  born  June  13,  1824.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Rachel  (Wymer) 
Baughman,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  his  father  born  August  23,  1794,  his 
mother  about  1796.  His  parents  came  with  their  parents  to  Muskingum 
County  when  children,  and  to  this  county  in  1836.  Their  children  were 
George,  David,  Ebenezer.  Hannah,  Rachel,  Jacob,  James,  Susanna,  Lucy 
A.  and  Notchy.  The  mother  died  in  1860,  the  father  December  2,  1873. 
Ebenezer,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  resided  with  his  parents  till  his  twenty- 
eighth  year.  In  1845,  he  inherited  eighty  acres  from  his  father's  estate  in 
Salem  Township,  where  he  resided  till  March,  1866,  when  he  purchased  his 
present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  Mr.  Baughman  was  married,  July  4,  1850,  to  Mary  Werner, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Julia  A. 
(Kirtzer)  Werner.  Ten  children  have  been  born  to  this  union,  namely: 
Cornelius,  September  30,  1851;  George,  May  18,  1853;  Elizabeth,  July  16, 
1855;  Rachel  A.,  November  1,  1856;  Malinda  J.,  September  20,  1858; 
Emanuel  A.,  August  7,  1860;  Emma  M.,  July  8,  1862;  Levi  B.,  February 
6,  1865;  Phoebe,  April  27,  1867;  Matilda  E.,  September  6,  1868.  Two  of 
the  above  are  deceased,  namely,  Elizabeth  E.,  who  died  September  14,  1856, 


RIDGE  TOWNSHIP.  967 

and  Malinda  J.,  September  27,  1S61.  Mr.  Baughman  is  an  old  settler, 
and  well  respected.  He  served  one  term  as  Trustee  of  the  township,  and 
has  held  other  positions  of  trust.  He  is  a  man  of  gene^rous  impulses  and 
good  character  generally. 

JACOB  BLOOM  was  born  in  Bavaria  April  7,  1831.  He  is  a  son  of 
Philip  and  Mary  (Gammer)  Bloom,  who  were  bora  in  Germany  in  1801  and 
1811  respectively.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  blacksmith  in  Germany, 
and  emigrated  to  America  in  1852,  settling  in  Tiffin,  Ohio,  moving  later  to 
Big  Springs  Township,  where  he  died  in  March,  and  his  wife  in  May,  1869. 
Their  children  were  Philip,  Charles,  Caroline,  Charlotte,  Mary,  Dora  and 
Jacob.  The  latter  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  and  engaged  in 
blacksmithing  in  Seneca  County  about  twenty  two  years.  In  1878,  he  lo- 
cated on  his  present  farm  of  100  acres,  which  he  values  at  |i75  per  acre. 
Mr.  Bloom  was  married,  October  7,  1856,  to  Catharine  Drumm,  who  was 
born  in  Bavaria  February  16,  1837.  Her  parents  were  Jacob  and  Catharine 
(Harbaugh)  Drumm,  who  were  both  natives  of  and  died  in  Germany—her 
father  in  1844,  her  mother  in  1837.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bloom  have  six  children, 
namely:  Albert,  born  February  13,  1858;  William,  May  31,  1859;  Marv 
C,  November  25,  1861;  Caroline,  April  25,  1864;  Charles,  November  23, 
1866;  and  Catharine,  November  7,  1869.  In  politics,  Mr.  Bloom  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat; he  and  his  wife  both  being  members  of  the  Reformed  Church. 

JOHN  GREEK,  son  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (Welshhammer)  Greek,  was 
born  on  the  homestead  where  he  now  resides  November  5,  1844.  He  was  em- 
ployed at  home  on  the  farm  till  December  28,1863,  at  which  date  he  enlisted  in 
Company  A,  Forty-ninth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Capt. 
Hartsough,  going  dii'ect  to  Chatville,  where  his  regiment  encamped  one 
week,  then  joining  the  main  army  at  Chattanooga  and  started  on  the  At- 
lanta campaign.  He  participated  in  all  the  battles  of  this  campaign,  re- 
turning and  taking  part  in  the  battle  against  Hood  at  Nashville;  thence 
to  Greenville,  in  camp  there  when  Lincoln  was  assassinated;  thence  to 
Nashville,  in  camp  two  months;  thence  via  Johnstonville  and  Indianola  to 
Green  Lake,  in  camp  one  month;  thence  via  San  Antonio,  Richmond  and 
Galveston  to  Louisville,  Ky. ;  thence  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  he  was  dis- 
charged after  a  service  of  two  years,  without  a  scratch.  Returning  home, 
Mr.  Greek  resumed  work  on  the  farm,  and,  with  the  exception  of  one  year 
in  the  saw  mill  business  at  Carey,  has  since  been  engaged  on  the  homestead 
farm  of  200  acres,  where  he  was  born  and  reared.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Jemima  A.  Crawford,  November  15,  1866,  their  children  being  Samuel, 
Eva  C,  Mary  E.,  Myron  M.,  John  M.,  Tilden,  Walter  W.  and  Edith  E. 
Mrs.  Greek  is  a  native  of  Hancock  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born  January 
31,  1845,  her  parents  being  Samuel  and  Phoebe  (McPherson)  Crawford.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Greek  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  man  of  good  character,  and  is 
well  respected  in  his  community. 

GEORGE  GREEK.  This  pioneer  of  W^yandot  was  born  in  Lancaster 
County,  Penn.,  December  27,  1806.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Martha 
(Miller)  Greek,  who  were  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the  former  born  near 
Philadelphia,  the  latter  in  Dauphin  County.  His  parents  moved  to  Lan- 
caster, Ohio,  about  1816,  and  resided  in  that  vicinity  till  they  were  quite 
old;  they  subsequently  came  to  this  county  and  resided  among  their  chil- 
dren till  the  dates  of  their  respective  deaths,  1877  and  1876.  Their  chil- 
dren were  George,  Catharine,  Samuel,  Jacob,  Martha,  Mary  A.  and  Will- 
iam, all  living  but  Catharine.  George  Greek  was  employed  at  home  till 
twenty-one  years  of  age.     He  then  went  to  Baltimore  with  a  drove  of  hogs 


968  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

and  remained  there  two  years,  after  which  time  he  returned  home,  worked 
with  parents  one  year,  and  then  went  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  was  employed 
one  year  in  the  butchering  business.  Following  this,  he  spent  three  years 
on  the  canal  and  other  work,  locating  on  his  present  farm  in  1836.  He 
fii'st  entei'ed  160  acres,  to  which  he  added  till  he  owned  300  acres.  By  the 
aid  of  his  sons  he  cleared  most  of  his  land,  to  which  in  the  befirinninsf  he 
was  compelled  to  cut  roads  near  two  miles  through  the  dense  forest.  Mr. 
Greek  was  married  January  23,  1831,  to  Rebecca  Harrison,  who  was  born  in 
Fairlield  County,  Ohio,  January  5,  1811.  She  was  a  daughter  of  James 
and  Hannah  (Crumley)  Harrison,  hpr  father  having  been  a  celebrated 
weaver  of  England;  her  mother  a  native  of  South  Carolina.  Their  chil- 
dren were  John,  James,  William,  Amos,  Henry  J.,  Delilah,  Eliza  and  Re- 
becca. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greek  have  had  twelve  children,  namely:  Martha  A., 
born  June  3,  1832;  Hannah,  August  20,  1833;  Jonathan,  July  20,  1835; 
Harrison.  December  13,  1836;  Eliza,  July  31,  1838;  Jacob,  February  13, 
1840;  William,  November  4, 1841 ;  George  W.,  December  5,  1843;  Delilah 
J.,  December  17,  1845;  Mary  C,  August  22,  1847;  Alexander,  May  20, 
1850;  Sarah  R.,  November  17,  1852.  Of  these  Jonathan  died  January  16, 
1843;  Sarah,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  months;  George  died  at  Douglas  Hos- 
pital, Washington,  1863;  and  Harrison  died  in  Utah,  en  route  to  California, 
in  the  fall  of  1880.  Mr.  Greek  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  most  worthy  of  Wyandot's  revered  pioneers.     His  son, 

WILLIAM  GREEK,'reraained  with  his  parents  till  "of  age."  In  the 
spring  of  1863,  he  went  to  the  mining  districts  of  Idaho,  where  he  remained 
four  years  engaged  in  the  mining  districts.  He  returned  in  1867,  and  in  1873 
purchased  forty  acres  in  Hancock  County,  selling  the  same  two  years  later 
and  purchasing  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
He  was  married,  January  6,  1871,  to  Sarah  Alspach,  who  was  born  in  Han- 
cock County.  Ohio,  August  31,  1851.  She  is  a  daughter  of  David  and 
Rosilla  (Ewing)  Alspach,  natives  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  the  former  born 
January  6,  1821,  the  latter  August  20,  1829.  Her  parents  came  to  Han- 
cock County  in  an  early  day  and  still  reside  there.  Their  children  are 
Rebecca  J.,  Sarah,  John  W.,  Laura  L.  and  Emma  A.,  the  latter  deceased. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greek  have  no  children.  They  are  thrifty  farmers  and  are 
highly  esteemed  as  citizens.     In  politics,  Mr.  Greek  is  a  Democrat. 

JAMES  A.  HUNTER,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  township,  was  born 
in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  December  21,  1817.  His  parents  were  William 
aad  Elizabeth  (Reed)  Hunter,  the  former  born  in  Pennsylvania  January  14, 
1790;  the  latter  in  Delaware  February  3,  1798.  They  were  married  in 
Pickaway  County,  but  resided  in  Fairfield  County  about  twenty  years,  mov- 
ing to  this  locality  in  1834.  His  father  died  June  30,  1860;  his  mother 
May  14,  1858.  Their  children  are  Mary  B.,  James  A.,  Elizabeth  T.,  Ze- 
linda  M.,  Lydia  J.,  Esther  A.,  John  W.,  Amelia  R.,  Mahala  M.,  Isabel  B., 
Martha  M. ,  Margaret  A,  and  Thomas  T.  The  deceased  are  Zeliudaand  Mar- 
garet. James  A.,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  resided  with  his  parents  till 
about  eighteen,  and  was  then  employed  by  the  month  at  home  till  his  twenty- 
eighth  year.  He  then  purchased  forty  acres  of  his  present  farm,  and  located 
on  the  same  in  1846,  since  being  engaged  in  clearing  it  of  its  heavy  growth 
of  timber,  making  other  improvements  and  adding  to  its  area.  He  now  owns 
173  acres,  all  of  which  has  been  obtained  by  the  "  sweat  of  the  brow."  Mr. 
Hunter  was  married  in  1846  to  Lydia  Sudds,  daughter  of  James  and  Mary 
(Rush)  Sudds,  the  former  born  in  October,  1801,  the  latter  November  11, 
1797.     Their  deaths  occurred   December  9,  1826,  and  December  21,  1844, 


RIDGE  TOWNSHIP.  969 

respectively.  Mrs.  Hunter  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  September 
15,  1(S25.  She  died  January  28,  1849,  leavincr  one  child — Albert,  born 
April  30,  1848.  Mr.  Hunter  was  married,  July  9,  1850,  to  Sarah  J.  Upde- 
graff,  who  was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  February  19,  1880,  and  the 
children  by  this  wife  were  Granville,  born  March  3,  1851;  Cyrus  S. ,  March 
22,  1855;  William  and  Elizabeth,  August  31,  1859;  Otis,  January  26,  1862; 
Amelia  A.,  October  12,  1863;  Martha,  February  27,  1868,  all  deceased  but 
Granville  and  Cyrus.  In  politics,  Mr.  Hunter  is  a  Republican.  He  has 
always  been  a  hard  worker  and  has  undergone  much  of  the  perplexities  and 
hardships  incident  to  pioneer  life. 

.  JACOB  JACKSON,  one  of  the  worthy  pioneers  of  this  township,  was 
born  in  Berks  County,  Penn.,  July  26,  1812.  His  parents,  Henry  and 
Hannah  (Hough)  Jackson,  were  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  His  pater- 
nal grandfather,  John  Jackson,  was  of  a  family  of  two  brothers,  who  were 
separated  when  young,  and  met  while  participating  in  the  war  of  1812. 
They  were  of  Irish  parentage;  probably  of  Irish  nativity.  His  parents  came 
to  Ohio  about  1822,  and  located  in  Wayne  County,  where  his  father  died 
about  1850,  his  mother  about  1853.  Six  of  their  children  are  living — 
Samuel  (by  his  first  wife),  Jacob,  Catharine,  William,  Peter  and  Sarah. 
The  deceased  are  Isaac,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Henry,  Andrew,  Daniel  and  Annie. 
Mr.  Jackson  resided  with  his  parents  till  bis  twenty-first  year.  In  1834,  he 
came  to  this  county  and  entered  120  acres,  on  which  he  still  resides,  proba- 
bly the  only  farmer  in  the  township  who  holds  the  land  he  first  entered. 
He  now  owns  235  acres,  valued  at  $75  to  $100  per  acre.  He  was  married, 
November  15,  1832,  to  Rebecca  Amrine,  who  was  born  in  Jefferson  County, 
Ohio,  December  23,  1811,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Margaret  (Lybarger) 
Amrine,  natives  of  Pennsylvania;  her  father  died  in  Richland  County, 
Ohio,  in  1816;  her  mother  in  this  county,  March  27,  1847.  Mr.  Jackson 
was  a  Democrat  till  Scott's  defeat,  but  since  a  Republican;  he  and  Mrs. 
Jackson  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  highly  es- 
teemed in  their  community. 

JOHN  W.  KRABILL  is  a  native  of  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born 
November  29,  1846;  he  is  a  son  of  David  and  Jemima  (Boden)  Krabill,  na- 
tives of  Stark  County,  Ohio,  and  Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  the  former 
born  November  3,  1806,  the  latter  December  22,  1812;  his  parents  were 
married  in  Stark  County,  and  one  year  later  moved  to  Seneca,  where  they 
resided  forty-nine  years.  They  are  now  residents  of  Hancock  County, 
Their  children  are  Augustus,  Jacob,  Davis,  Sarah,  Ann  E.,  John  W.,  Sam- 
uel D.,  Harriet  E.,  Hiram  B.  and  Irene  G.  Our  subject,  John  W.,  resided 
with  his  parents  till  his  twenty-fifth  year,  and  then  purchased  102  acres  in 
Seneca  County,  selling  the  same  one  year  later  and  moving  to  his  present 
farm  in  1872.  He  first  purchased  eighty  acres,  adding  fifty-one  more  in  the 
winter  of  1882.  He  is  a  neat  farmer  and  has  a  comfortable  and  pleasant 
home.  Mr.  Krabill  was  mai'ried,  January  5,  1871,  to  Miss  Elvina  Plott, 
who  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Christian  and  Ma- 
tilda Plott,  natives  of  Lebanon  County,  Penn.  Her  parents  were  married 
in  Pennsylvania,  moved  to  Stark  County  in  1839,  and  to  this  county  in  1852. 
Their  children  were  Isabel,  George  W.  and  William  M.  (twins),  Samantha, 
John  H.,  Jackson,  Elvina  M.,  Clarissa,  Alice,  Pierce,  Napoleon  B.  and  So- 
phronia.  The  father  died  October  6,  1875;  the  mother  still  a  resident  of 
this  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Krabill  have  one  child — Alma  A.,  born  April 
3,  1876.  Mrs.  Krabill  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Carey  and  sub- 
sequently taught  thirteen  terms  in  this  county.     She  is  a  member  of  the 


970  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

German  Baptist  Church.  Mr.  KrabiU  is  well  respected  as  a  citizen,  and  in 
politics  favors  Republicanism. 

SAMUEL  SHOUP,  one  of  the  most  prominent  farmers  of  this  township, 
was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  July  10,  1826.  His  parent?,  Henry  and 
Mary  (Secrist)  Shoup,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Germany  respect- 
ively. They  located  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  soon  after  their  marriasfe, 
and  resided  there  till  1848,  when  they  moved  to  this  county,  where  the 
father  died  in  1867;  the  mother  in  1872.  Their  children  were  Mary,  Eliza- 
beth, John,  Catharine  and  Samuel — John  and  Elizabeth  being  now  deceased. 
Samuel,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  came  to  this  county  with  his  parents, 
with  whom  he  was  associated  till  his  twenty-first  year,  at  which  time  he 
began  business  on  his  own  responsibilities,  purchasing  eighty  acres  in  this 
township.  To  his  first  purchase,  by  his  success,  Mr.  Shoup  was  enabled 
to  increase  his  possessions  very  largely,  owning  at  one  time  300  acres.  He 
still  retains  260  acres,  valued  at  |80  to  185  per  acre.  He  was  married, 
August  2,  1851,  to  Hulda  Chesebrough,  native  of  New  York,  daughter  of 
Saxton  and  Mary  (Young)  Chesebrough,  who  located  in  this  township  in 
1846.  Her  grandfather  Chesebrough  was  a  wealthy  New  Englander,  and 
her  grandfather  Y^oung  was  a  Tory  during  the  war  of  1812.  Her  father 
died  in  this  county  in  December,  1861;  her  mother  died  in  York  State  in 
June,  1844.  Their  children  were  Mathew  Y.,  Samuel  Y. ,  Hannah,  Mercy, 
Hulda,  Silas,  William,  Catharine,  Sarah,  George  W.  and  Mary  A.,  the  lat- 
ter six  all  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shoup  have  but  one  child — Saxton  C. , 
who  was  born  September  12,  1854.  In  politics,  Mr.  Shoup  is  a  Democrat. 
He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  successful  and  siibstantial  farmers  of 
of  the  township,  and  is  well  respected  as  a  neighbor  and  citizen. 

SAXTON  C.  SHOUP,  son  of  Samuel  Shoup,  was  brought  up  on  the 
farm,  and  attended  the  district  schools  of  his  community.  He  was  employed 
at  home  till  he  attained  his  majority,  when  he  began  operations  on  his  own 
resources,  being  quite  successful  in  his  undertakings.  His  attention  is 
turned  chiefly  to  fai-ming  and  stock-raising.  lu  1878,  he  invented  an 
automatic  gate,  which  he  has  obtained  a  patent  upon,  and  which  he  has 
handled  to  good  advantage,  having  realized  $2,500  to  $3,000  on  the  article 
since  its  invention.  Mr  Shoup  was  married,  April  21,  1875,  to  Miss  Ettie 
Heck,  a  native  of  Hancock  County,  Ohio,  born  September  27,  1857,  and 
daughter  of  John  and  Lydia  (Sheseick)  Heck,  who  were  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  respectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shoup  have 
one  child — Blanche  E.,  born  February  1.  1876.  In  politics,  Mr.  Shoup 
adheres  to  the  faith  of  his  fathers.  Ho  is  one  of  the  representative  young 
farmers  of  his  township,  and  is  possessed  of  good  character.  He  and  Mrs. 
S.  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  M.  SMITH,  born  in  Ridge  Township  August  20,  1849,  is  a  son 
of  John  and  Rebecca  (Moor)  Smith,  natives  of  Maryland  and  West  Virginia 
respectively.  His  parents  married  here,  and  had  six  children,  viz.,  Eliza- 
beth A.,  Jerome,  George,  Sarah  L.,  John  M.  and  Josephine  R.  His  mother 
died  August  22,  1880;  his  father  is  still  living.  John  M.,  our  subject,  was 
reared  on  a  farm,  and  engaged  in  that  occupation  till  1869,  when  he 
embarked  in  the  tin  and  hardware  business  in  Mount  Blanchard,  where  he 
was  thus  engaged  till  1875,  when  he  again  returned  to  the  farm.  Mr. 
Smith  owns  seventy-eight  acres,  the  old  homestead  of  his  wife's  parents,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers  in  the  township.  He  was  married, 
November  19,  1874,  to  Elizabeth  A.  Grindle,  who  was  born  in  this  town- 
ship July  23,  1850.      She  is  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Catharine  (Harbaugh) 


RIDGE  TOWNSHIP.  971 

Orindle,  who  were  born  and  reared  in  Pennsylvania.  They  settled  in  this 
county  about  1832,  their  children  being  Kebecca,  Margaret,  Lydia,  Susan, 
Maiy,  Amanda,  Catharine,  John  J.,  Jacob  S.,  William  H. ,  Daniel  H., 
Simon  P.  and  Elizabeth  A.  The  father  died  April  15,  1877;  the  mother  is 
still  living  in  her  eighty-first  year,  under  the  care  of  Mrs.  Smith.  The  chil- 
dren born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  Carol.  August  31,  1875,  died  October 
26,  1875;  Lycurgus  E.,  born  August  30,  1876;  Wheden  P.,  July  22,  1877; 
Merril,  December  6,  1878;  Owen  E.,  December  21,  1880;  and  Orange  J., 
April  3,  1883.  In  politics,  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Republican;  he  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  progressive  farmers  of  the  county,  conducting  his  agricultural 
pursuits  on  a  scientific  basis.  Mrs.  Smith  is  an  artist  of  no  ordinary  skill, 
and  has  received  instructions  in  portrait  and  landscape  painting  from  one 
of  the  best  artists  of  Cincinnati.  Several  excellent  pieces  of  her  work  now 
adorn  the  walls  of  her  comfortable  home. 

ANN  E.  UPDEGRAFF,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Phoebe  (Jones) 
Trego,  was  born  in  Lycomiag  County,  Penn.,  November  16,  1807. 
Her  parents  were  natives  of  Honey  Brook,  Chester  County,  Penn.;  her 
father  born  July  30,  1771,  her  mother  August  21,  1772.  They  were  of 
English  descent,  and  lived  and  died  in  Pennsylvania.  They  were  farmers, 
and  reared  a  large  family  of  children — Nancy,  born  in  1790;  Sarah,  July 
4,  1793;  Hannah,  October  16,  1795;  Joseph,  in  May,  1796;  Benjamin, 
May,  1798;  Phoebe,  1801;  Polly,  1803;  Samuel,  October  1,  1805;  Ann  E., 
November  16,  1807;  Smith,  February  7,  1809;  Mary,  February  16,  1811; 
Washington,  1813.  The  mother  died  in  1826,  the  father  about  1835  or 
earlier,  perhaps.  Mrs.  Updegraff  resided  with  her  parents  till  her  mar- 
riage, in  1827,  to  Casper  Updegraff,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  July 
13,  1801.  He  was  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Snyder)  Updegraff,  and  with 
him,  after  tive  or  six  years  spent  in  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  they  came  to  this 
county  and  located  on  the  farm  where  she  now  resides.  Her  trials  and  hard- 
ships endured  in  building  up  a  home  in  this  wild  woodland  cannot  be  even 
faintly  portrayed.  The  howling  of  the  wolves  and  the  yells  of  the  Indians  were 
the  terrors  that  have  since  given  place  to  the  lowing  herds  that  graze  upon  the 
disrobed  fields.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Updegraff  had  fourteen  children,  viz.:  Sam- 
uel J.,  Sarah  J.,  Lydia,  Mary  A.,  Ner  L.,  Hannah,  Tamzen,  Samantha, 
Lott,  Polly  and  Phoebe  (twins),  Ann  E.,  Louisa  and  John  M.  The  father 
died  November  3,  1870.  He  was  a  man  of  great  endurance  and  strength, 
and  in  his  lifetime  did  much  hard  labor.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Lu- 
theran Church,  and  held  in  high  esteem  by  those  who  knew  him.  Mrs. 
Updegi'aff  is  now  in  her  seventy -seventh  year,  and  in  comparatively  good 
health  for  one  who  has  spent  so  many  days  in  the  labors  of  clearing  the  har- 
vest field  and  the  home.  She  joined  the  German  Baptist  Church  in  her  six- 
tieth year,  and  still  holds  a  membership. 

NER  L.  UPDEGRAFF,  son  of  Casper  and  Ann  E.  Updegraff,  was  born 
in  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  January  26,  1835.  He  resided  with  his  parents  till 
thirty- three  years  of  age,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  this  township  about 
forty  years,  spending  the  greater  pai't  of  this  time  on  the  homestead  where 
his  mother  now  resides.  He  has  always  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  and  has  been  fairly  successful.  He  inherited  a  small  portion  of  land 
and  has  since  purchased  eighty  acres,  also  some  property  in  Carey.  Mr. 
Updegraff  was  married,  August  20,  1868,  to  Miss  Isabel  Plott,  who  died 
May  12,  1880.  She  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  October  20,  1837,  her  par- 
ents being  Christian  and  Matilda  (Widle)  Plott,  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Updegraff  is  a  Democrat.     He  holds  the  offices  of  Trustee 


972  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY, 

and  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  has  served  in  others.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Protestant  Church  several  years,  but  of  late  affiliates  with 
the  Christian,  known  better  as  the  Campbellite  Church. 

JOHN  M.  UPDEGRAFF,  youngest  son  of  Casper  and  Ann  E.  (Trego) 
Updegraff,  was  born  iu  the  home  where  he  now  resides  June  20,  1851.  He 
was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  and  at  the  age  of  ten  began  dealing 
somewhat  for  himself.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  commenced  farming  on  his 
own  responsibility,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been  thus  engaged.  He  ob- 
tained a  portion  of  the  homestead  and  has  since  purchased  other  lands  till 
he  now  owns  160  acres.  He  resides  with  his  aged  mother  and  does  a  good 
farming  business,  keeping  good  stock,  doing  more  or  less  trading,  buying, 
selling,  etc.  He  is  a  thorough  farmer,  a  good  citizen  and  a  Democrat  in 
politics.  He  also  makes  a  specialty  of  breeding  Merino  sheep  and  Almont 
and  Hambletonian  horses. 

ISAAC  WOHLGAMUTH,  one  of  the  notable  pioneers  of  this  town- 
ship, was  born  in  York  County,  Penn.,  January  3.  1806.  He  is  a  son  of 
Jacob  and  brother  of  Jonas  Wohlgamuth  (see  sketch),  and  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  this  county  since  1843;  he  resided  with  his  parents  in  Wayne 
County  till  twenty  two  years  of  age,  and  then  acquired  the  carpenter's  trade, 
which  he  pursued  about  ten  years.  He  then  purchased  thirty  acres  in 
Wayne  Covmty  and  engaged  in  farming  eight  years  in  that  locality,  pur- 
chasing 160  acres  in  Putnam  County  two  years  later.  In  1843,  he  sold  the 
Putnam  property  and  purchased  150  acres,  of  which  his  present  farm  of 
110  acres  forms  a  part,  forty  acres  having  been  given  to  his  son.  On  this 
farm  Mr.  Wohlgamuth  has  since  resided,  doing  a  general  farming  business, 
and  in  the  main  being  very  successful.  He  was  married,  October  25,  1880, 
to  Miss  Mary  Putnam,  who  was  a  native  of  Somerset  County,  Penn.,  and 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Gross)  Putnam,  also  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  children  born  to  this  marriage  were:  Solomon,  Elizabeth,  Isaac, 
Phoebe,  Jonas,  Jeremiah  and  James,  living;  and  Jacob,  Catharine  A.,  Da- 
vid, Susanna,  Sarah  and  Mary  A.,  deceased.  Their  mother  passed  away 
May  8,  1875.  Mr.  Wohlgamuth  has  been  identified  with  the  interests  of 
the  township  since  its  organization,  and  has  done  much  to  elevate  it  to  its 
present  standing.  He  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic  principles,  and  was 
twice  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Commissioner — first  in  1846 — faith- 
fully discharging  his  official  duties.  He  has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace 
thirty-three  yea,rs,  and  still  holds  that  office.  Mr.  Wohlgamuth  was  a  mem 
ber  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church  in  this  township  till  the  date  of  its 
dissension  and  downfall,  and  is  one  of  the  most  worthy  of  Wyandot's  pio- 
neers. 

JONAS  WOHLGAMUTH,  one  of  the  most  prominent  farmers  of  this 
township,  was  born  in  York  County,  Penn.,  December  13,  1810;  he  is  a  son 
of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Bisel)  Wohlgamuth,  natives  of  Lancaster  and  York 
Counties,  Penn.,  respectively;  his  parents  were  married  in  Pennsylvania  and 
moved  to  Obio  in  1815,  locating  in  Wayne  County,  where  they  resided  for 
many  years,  his  father's  decease  occurring  there  in  1847;  his  mother  died 
in  this  county  in  1849,  Their  children  were  Jacob,  Isaac,  Joseph,  Eliza- 
beth, Jonas  and  Emanuel,  the  deceased  being  Jacob,  Emanuel  and  Joseph. 
Jonas,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  came  to  this  county  with  his  mother  in 
1846.  In  August  of  that  year,  he  obtained  thirty  acres  of  land  as  an  in- 
heritance, and  this  by  subsequent  purchases  has  been  increased  to  290 — six 
acres  being  appropriated  by  the  railroad  company.  Mr.  Wohlgamuth  has 
labored  under  great  difficulties,  having  settled  on  his  farm  when  the  coun- 


RIDGE  TOWNSHIP. 


973 


try  was  wholly  unimproved.  By  diligent  and  persevering  efforts,  be  has 
succeeded  in  carving  out  from  the  rugged  forest  land  a  home  such  as  few 
could  have  procured  under  similar  circumstances,  though  the  toil  and  trials 
of  pioneer  life  have  left  their  imprint  on  his  brow.  He  has  accumulated 
all  his  property  by  hard  labor,  and  though  he  has  had  many  reverses  has 
generally  been  fortunate  and  successful.  Mr.  Wohlgamuth  was  married 
March  22,  1833,  to  Susanna  Aker,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  October 
8,  1811.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Catharine  (Walls)  Aker,  and 
to  her  three  children  were  born,  namely:  Sarah,  born  March  16,  1834;  Ke- 
ziah,  January  15,  1836,  and  Solomon.  December  23,  1841.  The  latter  was 
accidentally  killed  by  a  runaway  team  June  22,  1876;  Keziah  died  Jan- 
uary 28,  1867,  and  Mrs.  Wohlgamuth  passed  away  Decemb*-  28,  1866.  Mr. 
Wohlgamuth  is  a  member  of  the  German  Baptist  Church,  and  one  of  the 
most  honorable  and  respected  citizens  of  this  township;  he  is  one  of  its  most 
successful  farmers,  and  has  done  much  for  the  general  improvement  of  his 
community. 


974  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  XI. 
SALEM  TOWNSHIP. 

Location  and  Boundakies— Okigin  of  the  Xame— First  Settlers— Own- 
ers OF  Real  and  Personal  Estate  in  the  Township  in  1845— Officers 
from  1845  to  1884  Inclusive— Schools  and  Churches— Village  of 
LovELL— Biographical  Sketches. 

THIS  part  of  the  county  was  named  from  Salem,  a  small  town  in  Mas- 
sachusetts,   and  received    its  title    from    Job  Mattson,  the  first  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  to  sex've  under  its  organization,  which  took  place  in  1845. 

The  township)  is  located  in  a  fertile  region  of  the  county,  having  Crane 
Township  for  its  eastern  boundary,  Mifflin  for  its  southern,  Richland  for 
its  western  and  Crawford  for  its  northern.  Through  its  center,  the  beauti- 
ful and  storied  Tymochtee  traverses  its  entire  length  from  north  to  south  in 
a  zigzag  course,  paralleled  almost  by  its  principal  tributary,  the  Little 
Tymochtee,  on  the  east,  while  Lick  Run,  Baughraan  Run  and  streams  of 
lesser  importance  drain  its  western  fields.  Its  farms  are  small,  for  the 
most  part,  but  the  owners  are  prosperous,  and  the  work  of  improvement  is 
rapidly  going  on. 

first  settlers. 

Ezra  Stewart  is  said  to  be  the  earliest  settler  in  this  township,  having 
located  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  Section  5,  in  October,  1831.  He  was 
a  married  man  with  three  children,  a  native  of  Connecticut.  Henry  Stew- 
art located  in  Section  6  in  1834;  John  Nichols  located  in  Section  19  in 
1835;  Arnold  B.  Inman  began  oj^erations  in  Section  17  in  the  latter  year; 
Daniel  Baugbman  in  Section  19  in  1836. 

John  Mann  was  one  of  the  first  settlers.  He  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  but 
moved  to  Pennsylvania  when  about  seventeen  years  of  age.  He  married  at 
twenty-one,  obtained  a  horse  and  bull  by  hard  work,  and  with  this  novel  turn- 
out did  teaming  in  Armstrong  County,  Penn.,  for  some  time,  subsequently 
purchasing  a  farm  in  Mercer  County,  Penn.,  where  he  constructed  a  flouring 
mill.  He  located  in  this  township  July  6,  1834;  pitched  his  tent  under  a 
large  sugar  tree,  and  proceeded  to  build  his  cabin,  which  occupied  twelve 
days  in  its  construction.  He  had  entered  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  and 
his  chattels  comprised  one  yoke  of  oxen,  four  cows,  a  barrel  of  flour  and  a 
few  articles  of  furniture.  At  that  time  the  nearest  settlements  were  those 
of  Judge  Brown,  west  of  Carey,  Judge  Carey  on  Tymochtee  Creek  and 
Huston's  west  of  Forest,  Hardin  County.  Other  early  settlers  of  the  town- 
ship were  Elisha  Burson,  Warwick  Miller,  Jacob  Baughman,  Milton  Kear, 
Duane  Bland,  Abner  Suber,  William  Davidson,  George  Davidson,  Henry 
Houk,  Henry  Davis,  A.  J.  Failor,  George  Michaels,  T.  P.  Taylor,  Ezekiel 
Bogart,  Daniel  White  and  George  Cordery. 

In  the  early  settlement  of  this  township,  as  well  as  that  of  others  in  the 
county,  the  Indians  were  often  a  source  of  great  annoyance.  In  the  fall  of 
1837,  an  old  Seneca  Indian  of  the  original  tribe  appeared  at  the  cabin  of 
Arnold  Inman,  and  the  parents  being  absent,  he  demanded  of  the  children 


SALEM  TOWNSHIP.  975 

something  to  eat.  On  being  informed  that  there  was  nothing  about  the 
house  to  supply  his  wants,  he  was  very  wroth  and  drew  from  his  scabbard 
at  his  side  a  long,  wicked-looking  butcher's  knife,  which  he  brandished 
furiously  about  him,  threatening  in  the  most  savage  manner  to  take  the 
lives  of  the  whole  group  of  terrified  children  unless  he  was  provided  with 
what  he  desired.  To  add  to  the  terror  of  the  scene,  he  drew  from  beneath 
his  blanket  the  dried  skin  of  an  infant  babe  in  which  he  carried  his  tobacco 
and  began  tilling  his  pipe,  telling  his  amazed  listeners  at  the  time  that  he 
obtained  the  babe's  skin  at  the  battle  of  Buffalo  in  1813.  He  stated  that 
there  his  squaw  was  shot  while  attempting  to  swim  the  river,  and  was  drowned 
as  a  result.  He  had  sat  down  to  smoke,  but  having  finished  his  broken 
speech  he  arose,  went  to  a  shelf  in  the  cabin,  and  took  from  beneath  a  tin 
pan  a  good-sized  Johnny-cake.  He  then  resumed  his  seat  by  the  fire,  and 
wliile  thus  seated  his  observing  eye  discovered  a  pile  of  ashes  in  one  corner 
of  the  tire-place.  True  to  his  native  instincts,  he  began  to  make  investiga- 
tions by  probing  the  ashes  with  the  ever-present  fire-poker  of  those  days, 
and  soon  resurrected  the  smoking  potatoes  which  the  children  were  prepar- 
ing for  their  evening  meal.  He  pi'oceeded  to  deposit  these  with  the  Johnny- 
cake  in  his  blanket,  when  seeing  themselves  in  a  fair  way  to  lose  their 
supper,  the  eldest  of  the  children,  Arwin,  prepared  to  resist  the  intruder. 
He  went  out  of  the  cabin  and  unloosed  the  old  watch  dog,  took  possession 
of  the  old  red-skin's  gun  which  he  had  left  standing  outside  the  door,  and 
ordered  him  to  return  his  trophies  and  depart.  Again  the  old  savage  bran- 
dished his  tomahawk  and  knife  in  the  air,  and  threatened  death  to  the 
brave  youth,  who  stood  his  ground  firmly,  and  compelled  the  old  Seneca  to 
move  away,  the  boy  pitching  the  gun  over  the  brush  fence  after  him  as  he 
made  his  departure. 

From  the  year  1837,  Salem  Township  increased  rapidly  in  the  number 
of  its  settlers,  who  had  come  to  make  this  then  unsubdued  forest  land  their 
home,  till  at  the  organization  of  the  county  in  1845. 

The  owners  of  real  and  personal  estate  in  the  township  were  as  follows: 

OWNERS    OF    REAL    ESTATE. 

Anderson,  John,  Section  6.  40  acres. 

Brown,  Jacob,  Section  18,  120  acres. 

Baker,  George  G.,  Section  29,  101  acres. 

Bowton,  Timothy,  Section  13.  133  acres. 

Baughman,  Jacob,  Sections  8  and  17,  152  acres. 

Baughman,  Ebenezer,  Section  7,  80  acres. 

Baughman,  David,  Section  18,  80  acres. 

Baughman,  Daniel,  Section  19,  167  acres.  ' 

Buckley.  Daniel,  Section  6,  40  aci'es. 

Crandall,  John,  Section  6,  40  acres. 

Chaffee,  Sydney  L.,  Section  24,  117  aci'es. 

Ely,  Charles,  Section  31,  323  acres. 

Erlick,  Charles  E.,  Section  18,  40  acres. 

Fisher,  James,  Section  19,  80  acres. 

Figley,  William,  Section  20,  147  acres. 

Gardner,  Isaac,  Section  8,  48  acres. 

Hurd,  Jarvis  O.,  heirs.  Section  30,  80  acres. 

Houck,  Paul,  Section  5,  28  acres. 

Haume,  Nicholas,  Section  7,  44  acres. 

Hattle,  Jacob,  Section  30,  40  acres. 


976  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Ingraliam,  Edward,  Section  21,  40  acres. 

Inman,  Arnold  B.,  Section  17,  96  acres. 

Kurtz,  Michael,  Section  5,  20  acres. 

Laravill,  Jabez  B.,  Section  30,  123  acres. 

Leslie,  Alexander,  Section  18,  40  acres. 

Layton,  Christian,  Section  7,  8  and  30,  339  acres. 

Machan,  Stephen  C,  Section  19,  83  acres. 

Myers,  Samuel,  Section  18,  83  acres. 

Morrow,  David,  Section  6,  80  acres. 

Mann,  John  B.,  Sections  29  and  30,  140  acres. 

Morris,  Isaac,  Section  18,  84  acres. 

Miller,  Warick,  Section  6,  132  acres. 

Merritt,  Tygart  S.,  Section  31,  40  acres. 

Nicholas,  John,  Section  19,  80  acres, 

O'Neil,  Patrick,  Section  30,  123. 

Orr,  Smith,  Section  7,  40  acres. 

Putnam,  Jacob,  Section  5,  106  acres. 

Potter,  Horace,  Section  18,  80  acres. 

Perkins,  Thomas  S.,  Sections  31  and  32,  261  acres. 

Preston,  John,  Section  6,  80  acres. 

Stoll,  George  F.,  Section  30,  40  acres. 

Saffle,  John,  Section  30,  40  acres. 

Stewart,  Henry,  Section  — ,  20  acres. 

Sturgess,  Thaddeus,  Section  32,  101  acres. 

Stewart  Ezra,  Section  5,  49  acres. 

State  of  Ohio,  Sections  16,  18,  20,  97  acres. 

Suber,  Abner,  Section  7,  216  acres. 

Trager,  Abraham,  Section  6,  10  acres. 

Taylor,  John,  Section  6,  94. 

Starkweather,  Elisha  L. ,  Section  19,  83  acres. 

Whitacre,  Moses,  Section  18,  86  acres. 

Yambert,  John  H.,  Sections  7  and  18,  251  acres. 

OWNERS    OF    PERSONAL    PROPERTY. 

Elijah  Burson,  Jacob  Baughman,  David  Baughman,  Robert  Brace, 
George  Belote,  Andrew  Cordray,  Isaac  Davis,  Henry  Davis,  Edward  Erlick, 
Isaac  Edgington,  James  Gibson,  William  Gibson,  Isaac  Gardner,  Elias 
Hill,  James  P.  Hastings,  Paul  Houck,  Edward  Ingram,  Arnold  B.  Inman, 
John  Justice,  William  Johnson,  Alexander  Leslie,  John  B.  Mann,  John 
Mann,  Job  Mattison,  Job  Mattison,  Jr.,  Warick  Miller,  George  Michael, 
John  Preston,  Alvin  P.  Russell,  Paul  Suber,  Ezra  Stewart,  Daniel  White, 
Jesse  Wilson  and  George  Wright. 

FIRST    LICKS. 

In  October,  1831,  the  first  abode  of  the  progressive  white  man  lifted  its 
humble  head  in  the  territory  now  comprised  in  this  township,  and  from  about 
the  door  of  this  primitive  cabin  rang  out  the  first  glad  peals  of  laughter 
from  the  children  of  civilization.  This  unpretentious  edifice  was  erected  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  Section  5,  by  Ezra  Stewart.  It  was  constructed  of 
round  logs,  12x16  feet  in  size,  a  marvel  of  simplicity  and  inelegance,  but 
yet  a  home.  In  1834,  the  smoke  ascended  from  the  cabin  chimneys  of  Henry 
Stewart  and  John  Manu.  In  1835,  John  Nichols  and  A.  B.  Inman  had 
pitched  their  tents  preparatory  to  the  struggle  for  existence  that  was  sure  to 
follow  the  morning  dawn  of  pioneer  life. 


SALEM  TOWNSHIP.  977 

Roads  in  this  township,  were  things  unknown  till  1837,  except  the  trails 
worn  by  the  feet  of  the  Indians.  Over  the  prairie  land  teamsters  might 
drive  in  any  direction  they  chose,  the  only  obstacles  being,  perhaps,  an  occa- 
sional marsh,  in  whose  grassy  confines  crouched  the  rosy  cranberry,  so  ago- 
nizingly delicious.  In  the  year  above  mentioned,  the  first  regular  road  was 
constructed,  beginning  at  the  northeast  quai'ter  of  Section  19,  and  extend- 
ing north  on  the  section  line.  Others  followed  as  necessity  required,  many 
of  the  individual  land  owners  cutting  their  own  way  through  the  timbered 
I'egions.  Indeed  the  greater  part  of  the  original  thoroughfares  of  the  town- 
ship were  made  in  this  way,  or  by  the  united  labors  of  settlers  mutually  in- 
terested. Bridges  across  the  larger  streams  were  difficult  to  construct,  and 
fording  was  necessitated,  this,  during  the  rainy  seasons,  often  being  a  dan- 
gerous, if  not  an  impossible  feat.  At  the  organization  of  the  county,  the  sec- 
tional lines  of  travel  were,  of  course,  regularly  and  generally  established. 
In  1852,  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Kailroad  was  constructed, 
passing  at  a  southern  angle  through  the  southern  tier  of  sections,  and  in  1876 
the  Columbus,  Hocking  Valley  &  Toledo  line  was  put  in  operation,  running 
diagonally  across  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  township,  passing  thi'ough 
Sections  2,  11,  13,  and  24  respectively,  also  cutting  the  southwest  corne 
of  Section  12,  near  the  County  Infirmary. 

The  early  settlers  of  Salem  usually  went  to  Bucyrus,  Fort  Ball,  now 
Tiffin,  or  Sandusky  City  for  their  supplies,  especially  to  obtain  flour  and  the 
heavier  lines  of  sumptuary  goods.  The  latter  town  was  the  principal  milling 
point  for  many  years.  "  Home  manufactures  "  were  found  to  be  a  necessity 
and  as  early  as  1836,  John  Mann,  while  engaged  in  hay-making,  found  a 
bowlder,  from  which  he  constructed  a  run  of  buhrs,  and  set  up  a  mill  in  one 
end  of  his  cabin,  the  mill  being  run  by  hand,  Mrs  Mann  often  performing 
the  labor  of  turning  the  stone.  Mr.  Mann  afterward  built  a  horse-power 
mill,  using  first  two  horses,  but  subsequently  increasing  the  number  to 
eight,  making  the  capacity  of  the  mill  about  seventy-five  bushels  per  day.  * 
He  was  engaged  in  the  milling  business  near  twenty  years,  doing  work  for 
the  settlers  of  a  large  scope  of  country,  extending  his  patronage  into  the  ad- 
joining counties.  He  also  constructed  a  saw  mill,  run  by  water-power,  and 
dug  a  ditch  one  and  one-half  miles  in  length  to  obtain  water  necessary  to  its 
operation,  the  supply  being  drawn  from  Potato  Creek  Swamp.  Many  of  the 
original  frame  buildings  of  Upper  Sandusky  were  constructed  from 
lumber  cut  at  this  mill,  to  which  Mr.  Mann  added  a  stream  lathe  about  1854. 
As  a  mechanic  he  could  do  alroost  any  kind  of  work  required  by  the  times. 
He  was  the  miller,  the  blacksmith,  the  carpenter,  the  gunsmith  and  the  shoe- 
maker for  the  whole  neighborhood.  He  died  in  1857,  from  injuries  received 
by  falling  between  the  cars  in  attempting  to  board  a  train  at  Upper  San- 
dusky. The  only  mill  now  in  operation  in  the  township  is  a  saw  mill  on 
Section  28,  owned  and  operated  by  George  Barkley. 

Even  in  the  rude  environment  peculiar  to  frontier  life  and  pioneer  days 
we  find  persons  of  both  sexes  who  were  not  proof  against  the  iofluence  of 
the  "tender  sentiment."  In  June,  1845,  George  Right  and  Catharine 
Michaels  were  united  in  the  holy  bonds,  by  J.  Mattson,  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  at  the  residence  of  George  Michaels.  This,  we  believe,  is  the  first 
wedding  recorded  from  Salem  Township,  though  in  the  forty  years  that 
have  since  intervened  many  are  the  vows  that  have  been  plighted  in  this 
locality,  in  the  hope  of  finding  the  royal  road  to  happiness.  In  May,  1885, 
Ezra  Stewart  first  saw  the  light  of  this  world.     He  was  a  son  of  Heniy  and 

*The  mill  was  located  on  Section  29. 


978  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Charlotte  Stewart,  and  is  said  to  be  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  town- 
ship. Mary  Jones,  who  died  October  7,  1889,  was  the  first  who  here  closed 
her  earthly  career.  She  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Inman  Graveyard,  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  Section  7.  The  first  election  of  the  township  was 
held  at  the  Nichols  Schoolhouse,  April  7,  1845,  and  the  result  of  this  and 
the  succeedinor  elections  up  to  1883  are  shown  in  the  following:* 

Trustees — 1845,  James  P.  Hastings,  Robert  Bruce,  William  Gibson. 

1846 — Robert  Bruce,  James  P.  Hastings,  Isaac  Gardner. 

1847 — Elias  Hill,  Lewis  S.  Hixen,  Isaac  Gardner. 

1848 — Ezekiel  Bogard,  Timothy  ^Moody,  Alvin  J.  Russell. 

1849 — Ezekiel  Bogard,  Alvin  J.  Russell,  Timothy  Moody. 

1850 — Thomas  Wolverton,  James  P.  Hastings,  Milton  Morral. 

1851— James  P.  Hastings,  Thomas  Wolverton,  Milton  Morral. 

1852 — James  Headington,  Timothy  Moody,  George  Roads. 

1853 — Timothy  Moody,  James  Headington,  George  Jioads. 

1854 — Timothy  Moody,  James  Headington,  George  Roads. 

1855 — A.  J.  Failor,  Milton  Morral,  Hiram  Caldwell. 

1856— Milton  Morral,  Hiram  Caldwell,  John  L.  Ogg. 

1857 — John  L.  Ogg,  John  Caldwell,  Heni-y  Gottfreid. 

1858 — Henry  Gottfreid,  John  Caldwell,  James  Headington. 

1859 — George  Michaels,  Milton  Morral,  Ebenezer  Bavighman. 

1860 — Ebenezer  Baughman,  Henry  Gottfreid,  Jacob  Smith. 

1861 — Geoi'ge  H.  Davidson,  Samuel  Kauble,  Henry  Gottfreid. 

1862 — Samuel  Kauble,  Frederick  Nagel,  George  H.  Davidson. 

1863 — Ezekiel  Bogard,  Jacob  Moser,  Frederick  Nagel. 

1864 — Ezekiel  Bogard,  Jacob  Moser,  Henry  Gottfreid. 

1865 — John  Long,  Frederick  Nagel,  Sheridan  Cox. 

1866 — John  Long,  Frederick  Nagel,  Sheridan  Cox. 

1867 — George  H.  Davidson,  Benjamin  F.  Draper,  Henry  G.  Murphy. 

1868 — John  Long,  Joseph  Brown,  Henry  G.  Murphy. 

1869 — Henry  Gottfreid,  Joseph  Brown,  John  Long. 

1870 — Henry  G.  Murphy,  Henry  Gottfreid,  Leonard  Weaver. 

1871 — Leonard  Weaver,  Henry  G.  Murphy,  Benjamin  H.  Draper. 

1872 — Henry  Gottfreid,  Benjamin  H.  Draper,  Daniel  W.  Nichols. 

1873— Henry  Gottfreid,  Daniel  W.  Nichols,  Henry  Eberle. 

1874 — Leonard  Weaver,  Henry  Eberle,  George  Michaels. 

1875 — Leonard  Weaver,  Peter  Pfeifar,  Fred  Altvater. 

1876— Peter  Pfeifer,  Fred  Altvater,  William  Davidson. 

1877 — Henry  G.  Murphy,  John  Binau,  Joseph  Reisterer. 

1878 — Henry  G.  Murphy,  John  Binau,  Joseph  Reisterer. 

1879 — William  Nagel,  Nicholas  Hoerr,  Sebastian  Brooks. 

1880 — William  Nagel,  Sebastian  Brooks,  Nicholas  Hoerr. 

1881 — Fred  Altvater,  John  Binau,  John  Long. 

1882— John  Binau,  Fred  Altvater,  John  L.  Ogg. 

1883 — John  L.  Ogg,  John  Binau,  Henry  Eberle. 

Clerks— 1845,  Alvin  J.  Russell;  1846, 'Paul  F.  Suber;  1847-54,  Clark 
Glenn;  1855,  William  Marlow:  1856,  Moses  O.  Kear;  1857-58,  Jacob 
Gottier;  1859,  Moses  O.  Kear;  1860-61,  Hughey  D.  Michaels;  1862,  Moses 
O.  Kear;  1863,  H.  D.  Michaels;  1864-65,  John  Caldwell;  1866-67,  Will- 
iam Nagel;  1868-69,  Peter  Trachsel,  Jr.:  1870-72,  William  Nagel;  187  3-74 

*  At  the  first  election  of  tlie  township,  Alvin  J.  Kussell  was  elected  Clerk  and  Assessor;  John  Mann  and 
•Tohn  Preston  were  elected  Constables ;  Andrew  Cordrey,  A.  B.  Inman  and  Bobert  Brvice  Supervisors., 
The  Judges  of  Election  were  Elias  Hill,  Ezra  Stewart  and  Robert  Bruce;  Clerk,  A.  J.Russell  and  A.  P.  Gard- 
ner.   Politics — Whigs  and  Democrats. 


SALEM  TOWNSHIP.  979 

Hughey  D.  Michaels;  1875-77,  George  A.  Draper;  1878-79,  George  W» 
Bogard;  1880,  Samuel  W.  Ewing;  1881,  George  W.  Bogard;*  1882-83. 
Emil  Schlup  (resigned);  George  W.  Bogard,  appointed. 

Treasurers — 1845-48,  Jesse  Wilson;  1849-55,  Ezekiel  Bogard;  1856, 
Milton  Kear;  1857-58,  William  Marlow;  1859-60,  Jacob  Gottier;  1861-63, 
William  Hopkins;  1864-65,  Jacob  Gottier;  1866,  Ezekiel  Bogard  and  Ed- 
ward McLaughlin;  1867-69,  Edward  McLaughlin;  1870-72,  Peter  Trach- 
sel,  Jr.;  1873,  Leonard  Weaver;  1874-75,  Daniel  W.  Nichols;  1876-77, 
William  Nagel;  1878-79,  D.  W.  Nichols-,  1880-81,  Peter  Trachsel,  Jr.; 
1882-83,  William  Nagel. 

Justices  of  the  Peace — 1845,  James  P.  Hastings, f  Job  Mattson,  Jr.; 
1847,  James  P.  Hastings,  Job  Mattson;  1850,  Christopher  Baker,  Job  Matt- 
son;  1852,  Thomas  Wolverton;  1853,  William  Marlow;  1855,  David  C. 
Murry;  1856,  William  Marlow;  1858,  David  C.  Murry;  1859,  Edward 
McLaughlin;  1861,  Edward  Ewing;  1862,  Edward  McLaughlin;  1864,  Moses 
O.  Kear;  1865,  Jacob  Moser;  1867,  Moses  O.Kear;  1868,  Jacob  Moser;  1870, 
Peter  Trachsel,  Jr. ;  1872,  Hughev  D.  Michaels;  1873,  Peter  Trachsel,  Jr. ; 
1875,  Hughey  D.  Michaels;  1876,  Peter  Trachsel,  Jr.;  1878,  D.  W.  Nichols; 
1879,  Peter  Trachsel,  Jr.;  1881,  Daniel  W.   Nichols;  1883,  Peter  Trachsel. 

SCHOOLS    AND    CHURCHES. 

No  schoolhouses  were  erected  in  this  township  prior  to  1838.  In  that 
year  the  first  edifice  of  the  kind  was  founded  on  the  northeast  corner  of 
Section  19.  Here  the  work  of  intellectual  improvement  began,  and  from 
this  point  it  has  radiated  to  the  "  uttermost  parts  "  of  the  township,  which 
is  now  supplied  with  nine  of  these  temples  of  knowledge.  They  are  situ- 
ated on  sections  as  follows:  District  No.  1,  Section  12;  No.  2,  Section  3; 
No.  3,  Section  5;  No.  4,  Section  17;  No.  5,  Section  15;  No.  6,  Section  23; 
No.  7,  Section  36;  No.  8,  Section  33;  No.  9,  Section  32.  The  primitive  log 
house  at  length  gave  way  to  the  neat  and  comfortable  frame  structure,  and 
many  of  these  are  succeeded  by  substantial  and  commodious  brick  build- 
ings, all  well  furnished  with  comfortable  seats  and  the  other  necessary  means 
of  instruction.  Among  the  pioneers  of  the  art  of  teaching  we  find  the 
name  of  Israel  Hulse,  who  wielded  the  rod  in  1842;  James  Ward,  in  1844, 
and  Jacob  Slrickler  in  1845. 

The  strong  devotional  sentiment  of  the  settlers  of  Salem  Township  first 
found  expression  in  the  erection  of  a  church  by  the  "Bible  Christians"  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  17,  in  the  year  1849.  Three  others  are 
now  established  in  the  township — the  St.  Peter's  Catholic  Church,  the 
Methodist  Episcopal,  the  Church  of  God,  and  the  German  Evangelical 
Protestant  Church.  The  latter  society  held  its  first  meetings  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Nicholas  Baumgartner,  under  the  administration  of  Rev.  Heckelei- 
ber,  in  the  spring  of  1848.  The  society  was  organized  at  the  same  resi- 
dence in  1850,  Rev.  Dollmatsch  officiating.  The  original  members  were 
Nicholas  Baumgartner  and  family,  Mr.  Pfiefl'er  and  family,  Peter  Binau 
and  family,  George  Binau  and  family,  Philip  Karg  and  family,  George 
Stephan  and  family,  Andrew  Gottfried  and  family,  Henry  Ulrick  and  family, 
Jacob  Ulrick  and  family,  John  Ulrick  and  family,  Charles  Steiner  and 
family,  John  Horn  and  family,  Mr.  Kleindinst  and  family,  George  Mall 
and  family,  Stephen  Shlup  and  Henry  Epley.     The  first  officers  were  Peter 

*  Appointed  in  place  of  Samuel  W.  Ewing,  resigned. 

fXhe  first  case  at  law  tried  in  Salem    Township  was  that  of  John  Rummel  vs.  William  Johnson,  the 
hearing  taking  place  before  James  P.  Hastings,  April  12,  1845. 


980  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Binau  and  Andrew  Gottfried,  who  served  as  Elders,  and  Philip  Karg  and 
George  Stephan,  who  served  as  Deacons. 

In  1850,  the  society  purchased  three-fourths  of  an  acre  as  a  site 
and  cemetery  in  Section  15,  and,  in  1855,  by  volunteer  work  principally, 
a  log  church,  24x32  feet,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $200.  The  present  sub- 
stantial brick  church  building  which  occupies  the  site  of  the  old  log 
structure  was  erected  in  1872.  It  is  32x46  feet  in  dimensions,  comfortably 
furnished,  and  cost  $2,500.  In  1874,  a  fine  bell  weighing  550 J  pounds  was 
added  at  a  cost  of  |300.  In  1882,  the  cemetery  was  drained  by  tile,  costing 
$200,  and,  in  1883,  the  church  was  supplied  with  a  splendid  organ,  which 
was  purchased  for  $100.  The  pastors  in  the  order  in  which  they  served  are 
as  follows:  Revs.  Heckeleiber,  a  missionary,  Dollmatsch,  August  Winder, 
John  Betcler,  Christian  Wolf,  A.  Hotdorf,  A.  Allert,  George  Schlader- 
mund,  Valentine  Klein,  Charles  Werule,  A.  Kanetcke,  A.  Duhill  and  John 
G-  Ruhl.  The  membership  now  comprises  about  thirty-live  and  their  fami- 
liez,  making  in  the  aggregate  near  200.  The  present  officers  of  the  society 
are  George  Binau  and  John  Bery,  Elders;  John  Binau  and  John  M.  Ulrick, 
Deacons;  Konrad  Bery,  Clerk;  John  Landenshlager,  Treasurer;  Jacob 
Pfieffer,  Julius  Cahn  and  Michael  Shwabel,  Trustees.  The  church  sustains 
a  Sunday  school  during  the  summer  seasons,  having  an  average  attendance 
of  fifty.      Instructions  are  given  in  both  German  and  English.  . 


The  town  of  Lovell,  situated  in  Section  2,  on  the  C,  H.  V.  &  T.  Rail- 
road, was  laid  out  by  Lovell  B.  Harris,  from  whom  it  was  named  two  years 
after  that  road  was  constructed.  The  post  office  was  established  at  the  same 
time.  The  village  has  one  store,  one  church,  one  blacksmith  shop,  a  shoe 
shop  and  a  flouring  mill.  The  latter  was  built  in  1877  by  Daniel  and  Will- 
iam A.  Walborn,  at  a  cost  of  $6,500.  The  building  is  a  two-story  frame 
structure,  26x40  feet.  The  mill  was  put  in  operation  by  the  Walborn  firm, 
which  has  since  conducted  it.  It  has  two  runs  of  buhrs,  with  a  capacity  of 
twenty  barrels  per  day.  A  saw  mill  is  run  in  connection,  requiring  the  aid 
of  four  workmen. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Lovell  was  erected  in  1877.  The 
building  is  30x40  feet  in  size,  and  cost  about  $2,000.  The  society  was 
formerly  a  part  of  the  church  at  Crawford  Post  Office. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

FREDERICK  ALTVATER  was  born  in  Otterberg,  Bavaria,  October 
15,  1837.  He  is  a  son  of  Theobald  and  Barbara  (Lanie)  Altvater,  natives 
of  Bavaria  and  who  emigrated  to  America  in  1842,  and  located  at  Mansfield, 
Ohio.  There  were  five  in  the  family — Peter,  Michael,  Louie,  Frederick 
and  an  infant  which  died  at  birth.  The  mother  died  in  1847,  and  Mr.  Alt- 
vater was  married  in  1848,  to  Mary  Umstatt,  a  resident  of  Mansfield  and  a 
native  of  Germany, having  been  in  America  but  one  year.  Three  children 
have  resulted  from  this  marriage — Margaret,  Mary  and  George — the  second 
deceased.  The  father  of  these  removed  to  this  township  in  April,  1855, 
and  pui'chased  land  on  which  he  resided  till  his  death,  which  occurred  Feb- 
ruary 15.  1862.  Frederick  Altvater,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  resided 
with  his  father,  clearing  and  farming,  till  twenty-four  years  of  age,  when 
he  purchased  seventy-six  acres  of  his  father's  woodland,  which  he  has  since 
cleared  and  improved  and  now  values  at  $80  per  acre.  He  was  married, 
June  26,  1862,  to  Anna  M.  Stephen,  a  resident  of  this  township  and  native 


SALEM  TOWNSHIP.  981 

of  Bavaria,  having  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1846.  Ten  children  were 
born  to  them,  namely:  Mary  E.,  Elizabeth,  Margaret,  George,  Caroline, 
Emma,  Matilda  E.,  Susanna  C,  Frederick  L.  and  Alma  A. — all  living  but 
George,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Altvater  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and 
has  served  one  term  as  Constable,  one  term  as  Assessor,  five  terms  as  Trus- 
tee and  seventeen  terms  as  School  Director.  He  and  his  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  German  Reformed  Church. 

ELIAS  ARNOLD  was  born  in  Knox  County,  Ohio,  July  24, 1820.  His 
parents,  Elias  and  Rachel  (Pain)  Arnold,  were  natives  of  Maryland,  and 
settled  in  Knox  County  in  1815.  Being  driven  out  by  the  Indians  about 
two  years  later,  they  returned  in  1819  and  purchased  land,  rearing  a  family 
of  fourteen  children.  Elias,  the  second  son,  was  married  May  31,  1850,  to 
Ann  Laugsdon,  of  Knox  County,  native  of  Maryland,  and  ten  children  re- 
sulted from  this  union,  namely:  Sarah  C,  William,  Leo,  Romaous,  Mary 
E.,  Anna,  Alphonses  L.,  Augusta,  John  F.  and  James  B.  Sarah  C,  Leo 
and  Mary  E.  are  deceased.  In  October,  1856,  Mr.  Arnold  settled  in  Salem 
Township,  where  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  at  about  $8  per  acre; 
cleared  and  improved  this  and  now  values  it  at  $70  per  acre.  He  raises 
various  kinds  of  farm  products,  always  keeping  the  best  grades  of  stock. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Arnold  is  a  Democrat;  himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Catholic  Church. 

WILLIAM  BERTSCH  is  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany,  born  December 
3,  1818.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  1846,  settling  in  Boston,  where  he 
resided  eleven  years.  In  1856,  he  removed  to  this  county  and  purchased 
the  farm  of  112  acres  on  which  he  now  resides,  and  which  he  has  largely 
improved,  having  erected  a  line  brick  house  in  1871.  He  was  married  in 
Boston  December  18,  1849,  to  Catharine  Becker,  native  of  Baden, Germany, 
and  two  children  were  born  to  them — WilheJmina  (deceased  wife  of  D.  W. 
Nichols)  and  Catharine  C.  (wife  of  Louis  F.  Long).  While  in  Boston  Mr. 
Bertsch  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  drug  store,  but  since  coming  to  this 
county  has  been  engaged  in  farming  exclusively, having  his  farm  well  stocked 
and  improved.  In  politics,  Mr.  Bertsch  is  a  liberal  Democrat,  and,  with 
his  wife,  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

JOHN  BINAU  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  October  28, 
1840.  He  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Barbara  (Marquost)  Binau,  who  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  with  their  family  of  nine  children  in  1847,  settling  in 
this  township.  The  parents  died  in  1879,  and  the  farm  of  eighty  acres 
was  disposed  of,  John  Binaw,  our  subject,  purchasing  the  entire  farm.  He 
was  married,  March  22,  1863,  to  Mary  E.  Berg,  and  twelve  children,  all  liv- 
ing, have  been  born  to  them — John  A.,  Mary  M. ,  Elizabeth  M.,  Anna  L., 
Frederick  J.,  Jacob  P.,  George  E. ,  Katie,  Amelia  K.,  Susanna  R.,  Carrie  L. , 
and  William  C.  Mr.  Binau  engages  in  agricultural  pursuits,  being  a  suc- 
cessful and  enterprising  farmer.  He  is  now  serving  his  fourth  term  as 
Trustee  of  Salem  Township,  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  and  family  hold 
a  membership  in  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 

PETER  BINAU,  Jr.,  son  of  Genrge  and  Elizabeth  Binau,  was  born  in 
this  township  September  25,  1851.  He  was  married  in  Richland  County, 
Ohio,  September  27,  1876,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Schmunk,  and  one  son  and 
one  daughter  have  been  born  to  them — Harry,  born  September  18,  1879,  and 
Edith,  born  July  11,  1882.  Mr.  Binau  has  forty  acres  of  good  farming 
land  in  Salem  Township,  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  He  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools,  and  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  rural  districts,  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits.     He  is  a  Democrat  in  political  sentiment,  and  has 

46 


982  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

served  one  term  as  Constable.  Mr.  Binau  and  his  wife  are  both  members  of 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 

JOSEPH  BROWN,  born  March  12,  1834,  is  a  native  of  Richland  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  and  the  eldest  son  of  Martin  and  Cicilia  (Simon)  Brown,  who 
were  natives  of  France,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1882,  settling  in 
Richland  County,  where  they  both  died  in  March,  1882.  Their  children  were 
Mary  A.,  Joseph,  Ambrose,  Ferdinand,  Samuel,  Cleopha  and  John.  Joseph, 
our  subject,  was  married  September  25,  1860,  to  Miss  Rimlinger,  a  resident 
of  Crawford  County,  and  a  native  of  France,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Barbara 
Rimlinger.  This  union  was  blessed  by  ten  children — Mary  C,  John, 
Cleopha,  Roseanna,  Emeline,  Francis  S. ,  Joseph  F.,  Charlie  M.,  Clara  and 
Annie.  Mary  and  John  are  deceased.  Mr.  Brown  purchased  sixty  acres  of 
land  in  this  township  in  1863,  adding  twenty  acres  more  in  1872.  Upon 
this  he  now  resides,  having  it  well  improved  and  stocked.  He  is  a  prom- 
inent citizen  in  his  township,  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  with  his  family, 
is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

SAMUEL  EWING,  Sr.,  whose  portrait  appears  in  this  work,  was  born 
March  15,  1809,  and  is  the  oldest  living  son  of  Samuel  and  Nancy  (Cotton) 
Ewing,  natives  of  Ireland  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  His  parents  were 
married  in  the  latter  State,  and  resided  there  many  years,  closing  their  lives 
in  Beaver  County,  where  their  remains  now  repose.  Our  subject  was 
brought  up  on  a  farm,  and  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Pennsylvania, 
the  log  schoolhouse  and  puncheon  Hoor  then  being  in  vogue.  At  the  age 
of  twenty,  he  learned  the  tailor's  trade,  which  he  pursued  till  1829,  when  he 
abandoned  it  for  the  farm.  He  was  thereafter  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits till  1881,  when  he  disposed  of  his  chattels  and  has  since  lived  a  re- 
tired life,  making  his  home  with  his  son-in-law,  L.  C.  Moody,  his  wife  hav- 
ing passed  away  January  1,  1876.  Mr.  Ewing  was  married  in  Beaver 
County,  Penn.,  March  18,  1835,  to  Christina  Mason,  also  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  to  this  union  were  born  four  sons  and  six  daughters,  namely: 
Nancy,  John  M.,  Mary,  Martin,  Amos,  Lucretia,  Martha  J.,  Alice,  Melissa 
and  George  W.,  all  living  but  Melissa.  In  October,  1851,  Mr.  Ewing  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Upper  Sandusky,  where  he  resided  several  months, 
then  removing  to  his  farm  of  124  acres,  purchased  three  years  previous;  this 
farm  is  valued  at  $100  per  acre.  In  1851,  Mr.  Ewing  also  purchased  160 
acres  in  Salem  Township,  which  is  valued  at  $75  per  acre.  He  has  always 
been  an  indiTstrious  and  thorough- going  citizen,  and  has  been  a  faithful 
member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church  for  many  years.  He  is  highly 
esteemed  by  his  circle  of  acquaintances,  and  one  of  the  most  substantial 
and  respected  citizens  of  the  township  in  which  he  resides. 

JOHN  M.  EWING,  son  of  Samuel  and  Christina  (Mason)  Ewing,  was 
born  in  Beaver  County,  Penn.,  April  26,  1839.  He  came  with  his  parents 
to  this  county  in  1851,  and  located  in  Crane  Township,  where  his  father 
purchased  280  acres,  on  which  he  (John)  resided  till  his  enlistment  in  the 
late  war,  April  22,  1861.  He  was  a  member  of  Company  I,  Fifteenth  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  enlisted  for  three  months'  service,  but  subsequently 
re-enlisted  for  three  years  in  Company  D,  Fifteenth  Ohio  Veteran  Volunteer 
Infantry,  participating  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Stone  River,  Chick- 
amauga,  Mission  Ridge  and  a  number  of  others,  receiving  his  discharge 
at  Chattanooga  at  the  expiration  of  his  term,  September  24,  1864.  Mr. 
Ewing  was  married,  Ajwil  13,  1865,  to  Jennie  Hunter,  of  Beaver  County, 
Penn.,  and  her  death  occurring  in  March,  1866,  he  was  re-married,  Septem- 
ber 6,  1870,  to  Celia  Gump,  of  Upper  Sandusky.    They  have  five  children — 


SALEM  TOWNSHIP.  983 

Maude  A.,  Edith  B.,  Ralph  C,  Carrie  M.  and  Emma  E.  Mr.  Evving  has 
always  been  an  agriculturist  and  stock-raiser,  managing  his  father's  farm 
of  100  acres.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  G.  A.  R. ,  and, 
with  his  wife,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  with  which  he  is  officially  con- 
nected. 

ABNER  E.  ENDERS  was  born  in  Dauphin  County.  Penn.,  March  12, 
1848.  He  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Amanda  (Detric)  Enders,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, where  they  still  reside.  The  family  consisted  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren— Francis  W.,  David  P.,  Sarah  E.,  Mary  M.,  Augustus  Z.,  Clara  E., 
Amanda  M. ,  Agnes  L.,  Peter  E.,  John  E.,  Emeline  and  Zacharia  E.  Abner, 
our  subject,  left  his  father's  home  for  this  county  January  27,  1870.  In 
1874,  he  came  to  Salem  Township  and  engaged  as  assistant  at  the  County 
Infirmary,  where  he  still  remains.  He  was  married,  November  0,  1876,  to 
Anna  Stine,  two  sons  blessing  their  union — Chauncy  B.  and  Carlos  E. 
From  1877  to  1882,  Mr.  Enders  was  employed  by  G.  W.  Berry,  of  Crane 
Township.  Being  appointed  to  the  Superintendency  of  the  Infirmary  in 
the  latter  year,  he  has  since  taken  up  his  abode  at  that  place.  He  is  the 
owner  of  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Jackson  Township,  besides  other  property. 
He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  is  condiicting  the  institution  of  which  he 
has  charge  in  a  manner  which  speaks  well  for  his  judgment,  and  is  entirely 
satisfactory  to  the  authorities. 

THOMAS  J.  GAMEL  was  born  in  this  township  May  22,  1851.  His 
parents,  Henry  and  Susan  (Davis)  Game),  were  natives  of  Ohio.  Mr.  Gamel 
was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  his  native  township,  in  which  he 
was  married  to  Margaret  Echerlich  September  20,  1878.  They  have  two 
children — Sylvester,  born  September  20,  1879;  and  Cyrus  A.,  born  August 
25,  1881.  Mr.  Gamel  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life,  and  by  industry  and 
business  tact  has  accumulated  a  handsome  property,  owning  124  acres  of 
land,  which  he  values  at  $100  per  acre,  located  two  and  one- half  miles  north 
of  Upper  Sandusky,  on  the  Carey  road. 

GEORGE  W.  GANTZ  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Penn.,  June  31, 
1848.  His  parents,  David  and  Mary  (Laninger)  Gantz,  had  six  children 
— Rebecca,  Harriet,  George  "VV.  and  William  F.  Hiram  and  Sarah  are  de- 
ceased. George  W.  was  married,  November  14,  1870,  to  Mary  E.  Demler, 
a  native  of  Germany,  and  five  children  resulted  from  this  marriage — George 
S. ,  William  F.,  Henry  A.,  Harriet  E.  and  Lizzie  D.  Mr.  Gantz  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Salem  Township  and  moved  upon  the  same  in  1876. 
He  has  since  tilled  this  farm,  doing  a  profitable  business,  raising  various 
kinds  of  grain  and  improved  grades  of  stock.  Mr.  Gantz  is  a  Democrat, 
his  wife  being  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church.  She  emigrated 
to  America  at  the  age  of  three  years.  Hiram  Gantz,  brother  of  our  subject, 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
passed  through  many  battles,  dying  of  measles  at  Grafton,  Va.,  March  13, 
1862.  His  remains  were  brought  home  and  interred  in  the  Mission  Ceme- 
tery at  Upper  Sandusky. 

JACOB  GOTTIER  was  born  in  Canton  Berne,  Switzerland, November  26, 
1820.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Magdalene  Gottier,  natives  of  the  same 
locality.  They  emigrated  to  America  and  settled  in  Holmes  County,  Ohio, 
August  15,  1833,  remaining  until  1846,  when  they  removed  to  this  township 
and  purchased  100  acres,  where  they  resided  during  the  remainder  of  their 
lives.  The  father  died  in  October.  1850,  and  the  mother  November  23, 
1851.  Jacob  Gottier,  Jr.,  was  educated  in  Switzei'land.  After  locating  in 
this  county  in  1846  he  purchased  a  farm  on  which  he  resided  till  1860. 


984   .  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

He  then  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  where  he  remained  two  years,  after 
which  he  purchased  forty  acres  in  Salem  Township  where  he  now  resides. 
He  values  his  farm  at  $75  to  $80  per  acre.  Mr.  Gottier  was  married 
to  Elizabeth  Nussbaum,  of  this  township,  a  native  of  Switzerland. 
Their  children  are  George  A.,  born  January  29,  1852;  Mary  C,  April  5, 
1854;  Caroline,  January  25,  1857;  Anna,  December  27,  1858;  Charles  W., 
December  12,  1862,  and  Elizabeth,  March  7,  1866.  Mr.  Gottier  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat. He  has  served  the  township  as  Constable,  Assessor,  Clerk  and 
Treasui'er — discharging  his  duties  creditably. 

JAMES  HIBBINS  is  a  native  of  this  county,  born  July  5,  1823.  His 
parents,  James  and  Mary  (James)  Hibbins,  settled  in  Crawford  Township 
about  1823.  James  and  Nancy  were  their  only  children.  The  former  was 
reared  by  his  grandfather,  John  James,  Sr.,  and  was  married  March  1, 
1849,  to  Sarah  I.  James,  daughter  of  John  James,  Jr.,  and  the  children  of 
this  family  are:  Mary  E.,  Martha  E.,  Henrietta  A.,  Laura  B.,  Edwin  F., 
Nettie  M.  and  Jessie  R.  Edwin  F.  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Hibbins  purchased 
forty-four  acres  of  land  in  1852,  and  to  this  he  has  added  by  subsequent 
purchase  till  he  now  owns  174  acres,  valued  at  $80  per  acre.  Upon  his 
home  farm  is  a  fine  flowing  well,  which  adds  materially  to  the  value  of  the 
premises.  Mr.  Hibbins  enlisted  in  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
fourth  Ohio  National  Guards,  under  Capt.  Brayton,  May  2, 1864,  and  served 
till  September  2,  1864,  being  on  duty  at  Snicker's  Gap,  Harper's  Ferry, 
Hall  Town  Camp,  Winchester  and  Berryville,  being  captured  by  Mosby's 
forces  at  the  latter  place.  He  subsequently  returned  to  Winchester  and 
from  thence  home.  Mr.  Hibbins  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  Wyandot 
County.  He  is  an  industrious  farmer  and  well  respected  as  a  citizen.  He 
entertains  Republican  views  of  political  questions;  his  family  is  associated 
with  the  United  Brethren  Church. 

HARKLESS  K.  INMAN  was  born  in  Willoughby,  Lake  County,  Ohio, 
November  18,  1833.  He  is  a  son  of  Arnold  B.  and  Serenda  (Johns)  In- 
man,  natives  of  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut  respectively.  They  located 
in  Lake  County  in  July,  1824,  removed  to  Bucyrus  in  1834,  and  December 
3,  1835,  came  to  this  county,  where  they  purchased  ninety-five  acres  of  land. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  namely:  Julia  A.,  Welcome, 
Arwin,  George  E.,  Harkless  K.,  Daniel  H.,  Thomas  M.,  Doctor  M.,  Albert 
P.,  Sarah  E.  and  Henry  M.  The  mother  died  March  26,  1879,  and  the 
father  December  26,  1880.  H.  K.  Inmau,  our  subject,  was  educated  in  the 
puncheon-floor,  clap-board-roof,  log  schoolhouse  of  early  days.  He  was 
married  June  28,  1860,  to  Mary  J.  Crowell,  of  Cuyahoga  County,  Ohio, 
daughter  of  Sanders  and  Rebecca  Crowell,  natives  of  New  York  State.  Six 
children  were  born  of  this  union — Alice  B.,  Ida  M.,  Cora  E.,  Delbert  D., 
Myrtle  E.  and  Ray  G.  They  are  all  living,  the  daughters  devoting  some 
attention  to  instrumental  music.  Mr.  Inman  enlisted  in  Company  F, 
Ninth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry,  under  Capt.  Joseph  McCutchen, 
Oct(>ber  23,  1863,  and  passed  through  many  engagements  uninjured,  save 
that  which  he  received  by  the  falling  of  his  horse  while  his  regiment  was 
on  di-ess  parade.  He  was  discharged  and  returned  home  June  23,  1865. 
Mr.  Inman  owns  twenty- three  acres  of  excellent  land,  valued  at  $75  per 
aci-e,  on  which  he  is  comfortably  located.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R. 

HENRY  KEAR,  son  of  Moses  and  Jemima  (Nathan)  Kear,  natives  of 
New  York  and  Ohio  respectively,  was  born  May  10,  1831.  Of  a  family  of 
nine  sons,  eight  are  still  living — Nathan,  James,  Milton,  Moses   O.,  Henry, 


SALEM  TOWNSHIP.  985 

Doctor,  George  W.  and  Setli.  Peter,  the  second  son,  died  May  28,  1831. 
The  family  removed  to  this  county  in  1821.  Mr.  Kear  obtained  a  fair 
education  in  common  schools,  supplementing  this  by  attending  the  Ohio 
Wesley  an  University,  from  March,  1852,  to  August,  1853.  He  obtained  his 
lirst  certificate  to  teach  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  subsequently  taught  nine- 
teen terms.  He  was  married,  November  24,  1858,  to  Susan  E.  Gibbs,  of 
New  Jersey,  and  four  children  have  been  born  to  them — John  C.  August 
23,  1859-  Laura  M.,  August  27,  I860;  Mary  L.,  August  26,  1862;  Seth  S., 
October  25,  1864.  Mr.  Kear  has  eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he  values  at 
$100  per  acre,  besides  considerable  live-stock.  He  served  one  term  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Tymochtee  Township,  and  is  a  prominent  member 
of  his  community.  He  is  a  Republican,  and,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Upper  Sandusky. 

JAMES  KEAR,  son  of  Moses  and  Jemima  (Nathan)  Kear,  was  born  in 
Tymochtee  Township,  this  county,  November  12,  1824.  He  was  married, 
August  6,  1848,  to  Margaret  S.  Long,  of  Tymochtee  Township,  native  of 
Pennsylvania.  He  settled  in  Salem  Township,  on  a  farm  purchased 
about  two  years  previous.  It  was  then  forest  land,  and  much  labor 
has  been  necessary  to  place  it  in  its  present  high  state  of  cultivation.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Kear  have  two  sons,  Wilson  H.  and  Ernest  E.,  the  former  having 
married  Miss  Rosetta  Larcomb,  and  now  resides  in  Richland  Township. 
Mr.  Kear  was  among  the  early  settlers  of  this  county.  He  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools,  and  has  made  the  best  use  of  his  knowledge  thus 
acquired.  His  father  being  a  gunsmith,  he  was  largely  patronized  by  the 
Indians,  many  of  whom  our  subject  was  quite  familiar  with.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Kear  is  a  Republican. 

MILTON  KEAR  was  born  in  this  county  September  25,  1826.  He  is 
a  son  of  Moses  and  Jemima  (Nathan)  Kear,  natives  of  New  York  and  Ohio 
respectively,  and  was  married  January  13,  1848,  to  Miss  Harriet  Long,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania.  Their  (ihildren  are  Alvin  I.  and  Alice  I.  (twins), 
Henry  A.,  Doctor  F.  and  William  G.  At  the  age  of  twenty-three,  Mr.  Kear 
removed  to  Crawford  Township,  where  he  i*emained  till  1854,  when  he 
located  on  his  present  farm  in  this  township.  He  is  a  successful  and  enter- 
prising farmer,  and  has  made  many  improvements  on  his  premises.  In 
1875,  he  erected  a  tine,  lai'ge  brick  residence.  Mr.  Kear  was  an  old-tirne 
Whig,  and  now  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party,  having  served  one  term 
as  Township  Treasurer.  He  keeps  his  farm  well  stocked  with  horses,  cattle, 
sheep  and  hogs,  and  commands  the  respect  of  his  entire  community. 

MOSES  KEAR  is  a  native  of  this  township,  born  November  28,  1853. 
He  is  a  son  of  M.  O.  and  Laura  (Hulse)  Kear,  also  natives  of  this  county, 
their  children  being  Moses,  Rosetta  and  John  R.  Mrs.  Kear  died  Novem- 
ber 2,  1857,  and  Mr.  Kear  was  again  married  March  4,  1860,  to  Miss  Lydia 
C.  Petty,  and  three  children  have  been  born  to  them — George  W.,  Thomas 
B.  and  Effie  L.  Moses  Kear  obtained  a  good  education,  attending  the 
Upper  Sandusky  Union  School  three  terms  in  1871.  He  obtained  his  first 
certificate  to  teach  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  beginning  his  work  in  the  Lovell 
School,  teaching  three  winter  terms.  He  was  married,  March  23,  1875,  to 
Hannah  L.  Wagel,  who  inherited  sixty- eight  acres  of  land,  on  which  they 
located  in  1876.  In  1878,  they  removed  to  Kansas,  residing  one  year, 
returning  to  his  farm  in  1879,  since  which  he  has  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  His  only  child  is  Leona  Maud,  born  December  31,  1875.  ?»lr, 
Kear  is  a  Republican,  himself  and  Mrs.  Kear  members  of  the  Church  of  God, 


986  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

NATHAN  KEAR,  son  of  Moses  and  Gemima  (Nathan)  Kear,  was  born 
April  14,  1821.  He  resided  with  his  parents  till  his  marriage  to  Susan 
Turner,  January  1,  1845.  Her  parents,  Samuel  and  Lucy  Turner,  were 
natives  of  New  York  State.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kear  had  two  children,  daughters 
— both  married — Cornelia,  now  the  wife  of  William  K.  Nye,  and  Florence, 
wife  of  Robert  Caldwell.  Mrs.  Nye  has  two  children — Stella  May  and 
William  E.;  and  Mrs.  Caldwell  has  one — Ella  M.  Mr.  Kear  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools,  and  settled  on  his  present  farm  in  Salem  Township, 
February  25,  1848.  This  farm  was  purchased  two  years  previous,  and  has 
been  cleared  of  its  timber  and  otherwise  improved  by  Mr.  Kear,  who  now 
values  it  at  $80  per  acre.  He  has  b^en  a  farmer  from  his  youth  up,  believes 
in  the  doctrine  of  Universalism,  and  is  a  liberal  Republican  politically. 

JOHN  A.  KOONTZ,  deceased,  was  born  near  Hagerstown,  Md.,  July  9, 
1836.  He  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Elizabeth  (Monday)  Koontz,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  His  pai'euts  moved  to  Richland  Couuty  in  1843,  and  from 
there  to  this  county  in  1847,  settling  in  Salem  Township,  where  they 
entered  eighty  acres  of  land  near  what  is  now  the  village  of  Lovell,  and 
where  they  both  died  August  30,  1877.  They  reared  a  family  of  eleven 
children,  five  of  whom  are  i-esiding  in  this  county,  three  deceased.  John  A., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  resided  with  his  parents  till  in  his  twenty-eighth, 
year.  He  was  married,  October  10,  1863,  to  Catharine  Ludwig,  a  native 
of  this  county,  and  two  daughters — Dulcie  A.  and  Katie  M. — were  born  to 
them.  Mrs.  Koontz  departed  this  life  in  1865,  and  Mr.  Koontz  was  married, 
October  20,  1874,  to  Louisa  Shellhouse,  of  Tymochtee  Township,  and  four 
children  blessed  this  marriage,  viz.,  Harris  H.,  Geneva  G.,  Claud  C.  and 
Orland  O.  Mr.  Koontz  followed  farming  up  to  1863,  when,  losing  his 
sight,  he  engaged  in  peddling  and  grocery  business  several  years,  accumu- 
lating a  good  home  and  other  property  by  his  industry.  He  died  in  Lovel, 
February  1,  1884,  after  four  months'  sickness,  being  in  full  possession  of 
his  mind  till  the  last,  giving  full  directions  for  his  funeral  and  naming  the 
day  and  the  hour  of  its  occurrence  two  days  before  his  death. 

JAMES  LONG  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Penn.,  May  18,  1820.  His 
parents  were  Jacob  and  Lydia  (Eyler)  Long,  who  were  both  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  emigrated  to  this  county  in  1835.  James  Long  was 
engaged  in  shoe-making  up  to  the  year  1859,  when  he  purchased  land  in 
this  township,  and  engaged  till  the  year  1865  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
was  married,  in  1856,  to  Sarah  J.  Freet,  of  Tymochtee  Township,  and  two 
sons  were  born  to  them,  viz.,  Franklin  and  Scott.  In  1865,  Mrs.  Long  died, 
and  Mr.  L.,  disposing  of  his  farm  and  chattels,  spent  three  years  in  "roam- 
ing," marrying  his  second  wife,  Diantha  Crow,  December  6,  1868.  Their 
only  child,  Mary  Alice,  died  at  the  age  of  nine  months.  In  1870,  Mr. 
Long  again  purchased  land  (forty-nine  acres)  in  this  township,  and  since 
that  time  has  been  actively  employed  in  improving  the  same,  now  valuing  the 
farm  at  $65  per  acre.  Mr.  Long  cast  his  first  vote  for  Harrison,  and  is  yet 
a  stanch  Republican. 

JOHN  R.  LONG  was  born  in  Northumberland  County,  Penn. ,  June  5, 
1833.  His  parents,  Joseph  and  Barbara  (Rutter)  Long,  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Maryland  respectively,  coming  to  W^ayne  County,  Ohio,  in 
1836,  and  to  this  countv  in  1847,  settling  in  Salem  Township,  where  the 
father  died  November  3,  1863;  the  mother,  May  21,  1883.  John  Long, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  married,  April  10,  1856,  to  Hannah  Snyder, 
of  Marion,  Ohio,  where  they  resided  four  years,  removing  to  this  township 
in   1860.     Mr.   and  Mrs.  Long  have  four  children— Mary  J.,  George  B,, 


SALEM  TOWNSHIP.  987 

William  H.  and  Cora  A.,  the  latter  possessing  considerable  skill  as  a 
musician.  Mr.  Long  worked  at  his  trade  as  carpenter  till  his  marriage, 
but  has  since  engaged  in  farming.  He  owns  sixty-iive  acres  of  land,  which, 
by  improvement,  he  has  made  worth  $75  per  acre.  Mr.  Long  is  a  Democrat, 
and  has  served  as  Township  Trustee  four  terms. 

JOHN  MANN,  son  of  John  and  Hannah  (Willard)  Mann,  was  born  in 
Armstrong  County,  Penn.,  November  20,  1820.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  located  in  1834  in  this 
township,  purchasing  land, on  which  they  reared  a  family  of  seven  children, 
namely:  Samuel,  John,  Margaret  A.,  Isaac,  William,  George  and  Willard — 
all  living,  the  oldest  in  his  sixty-fifth  year;  the  youngest  in  his  foi'ty- ninth. 
John  Mann,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  married  April  27,  1844,  to  Miss 
Susanna  Madison,  a  resident  of  this  township  and  native  of  New  York. 
Their  children  were  William  U.,  Job,  Job  G.,  Barten  S.,  Isaac  E.,  Malinda 
H.,  Jennie  S.,  Unis  L.,  Mary  E.  and  John  F.  Job,  Unis  L.  and  Malinda 
H.  are  deceased.  In  1846,  Mr.  Mann  purchased  forty  acres  of  Govei-nment 
land,  which  he  sold  six  years  later,  purchasing  160  acres  near  Kirby  where 
he  resided  till  1872, when  he  located  in  the  village  three  years,  purchasing 
his  present  farm  in  1874.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  the  county  many 
years,  and  witnessed  the  shooting  of  the  Indian  murdei-er  in  the  Sandusky 
bottom.  He  is  a  Republican;  himself  and  family  are  members  of  the 
Church  of  God. 

JOB  MATTESON  was  born  in  Genesee  County,  N.  Y.,  January  4,  1815. 
He  is  a  son  of  Job  and  Malinda  Matteson,  who  were  natives  of  Mas- 
sachusetts and  removed  to  Marion  County,  Ohio,  in  1814,  his  mother's 
death  occurring  one  year  later.  He  was  married  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
to  Miss  Hannah  Messenger,  of  Marion  County,  and  moved  to  this  locality 
in  1841,  purchasing  the  land  on  which  he  now  resides.  His  first  wife's 
death  occurred  May  18,  1870,  and  he  was  again  married  November  20, 1870, 
to  Mrs.  Sarah  Scott,  their  two  sons  being  Franklin  J.  and  Ira  T.  By  his 
first  wife  Mr.  Matteson  had  eleven  children.  He  owns  170  acres  of  land 
and  makes  farming  and  stock-raising  his  sole  business.  He  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1845,  being  the  first  officer  to  fill  that  position  in 
Salem  Township,  and  served  over  fifteen  successive  years.  Mr.  Matteson 
was  formerly  a  Whig,  but  now  a  Eepu.blican.  Himself  and  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  God — officially  connected. 

LYMAN  C.  MOODY,  son  of  Timothy  and  Susan  (Bowsier)  Moody, 
was  born  in  De  Kalb  County,  Ind. ,  November  22,  1842.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  Vermont  and  Pickaway  Count);,  Ohio,  respectively,  having  settled 
in  this  county  in  1845.  They  reared  a  family  of  eleven  children,  the 
mother  dying  July  29,  1879.  Lyman  was  married  March  14.  1867,  to  Miss 
Lucretia  Ewing,  daughter  of  Samuel  Ewing,  then  a  resident  of  Crane 
Township.  .Their  children  are  Georgia  B.,  Frank  D.  and  Susan  M.  Mr. 
Moody  gave  up  his  schooling  in  1863,  and  enlisted  in  the  army,  acting  part 
of  his  time  as  Sergeant.  He  returned  home  in  August,  1865,  and  has  since 
devoted  his  time  to  farming.  Mr.  Moody  is  a  Republican,  himself  and 
wife  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  both  strongly 
in  favor  of  Prohibition. 

WILLIAM  NAGEL  was  born  January  14,  1842.  His  parents,  Fred- 
erick and  Eliza  (Fallbright)  Nagel,  were  natives  of  Philadelphia,  Penn., 
and  of  foreign  descent,  and  settled  in  this  locality  about  1844.  He  was 
married,  August  31,  1865,  to  Rebecca  Grantz.  Their  children  ai-e  Ida  May, 
Cora  Ellen,    Henry  Charles,    Nettie  Rena,  William  Frederick  and  Stella 


988  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Mabel.  By  his  industry  and  economy,  Mr.  Nagel  has  acquired  182  acres  of 
excellent  land  on  which  he  now  resides.  He  is  a  stanch  Democrat  and  has 
served  four  years  as  Township  Clerk,  four  terms  as  Treasurer,  Constable  and 
Trustee.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  God.  Henry  C.  Nagel  was 
bora  in  Pennsylvania  May  17,  J  843.  He  enlisted  at  Upper  Sandusky  Sep- 
tember 4,  1863,  in  Company  D,  Fifteenth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry, 
under  Capt.  S.  S.  Pettit,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Kenesaw  Mountain, 
Ga.,  on  the  23d  of  June,  1864.  His  remains  now  repose  with  the  heroic 
dead  on  the  battle-field  he  fought  so  gallantly  to  win.  His  grave  is 
unmarked,  the  board  which  designated  the  spot  having  long  since  disap- 
peared.    His  age  was  twenty-one  years  one  month  and  six  days. 

DANIEL  W.  NICHOLS  is  a  native  of  Salem  Township,  born  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  resides  June  16,  1839.  His  parents,  John  and  Kachel 
(Baughman)  Nichols,  were  natives  of  Baden,  Germany,  and  Ohio  respect- 
ively, and  entered  this  same  land  in  1834.  Their  three  children  were  Daniel, 
John  and 'Sarah  M.  The  mother  died  in  1844;  the  father  in  1848.  Return- 
ing fi-om  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  to  Salem  at  the  age  of  twenty- one,  Mr, 
Nichols  purchased  his  father's  farm,  which  had  been  sold  under  foreclosure, 
after  which  he  engaged  in  carpenter's  work  about  three  years,  spending 
some  time  in  improving  his  premises.  In  the  autumn  oE  1862,  he  enlisted 
in  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- third  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry,  under  Capt.  J.  W.  Chamberlain,  of  Carey,  and  participated  first 
iu  the  battle  of  Winchester,  where  he  was  wounded  by  a  gunshot  and  after- 
ward taken  prisoner  and  carried  to  Richmond,  being  exchanged  May  18, 
1864,  after  having  lost  103  jjounds  during  his  imprisonment — the  result 
of  semi-starvation.  He  subsequently  took  part  in  the  engagement  at  Mary- 
land Heights,  Snicker's  Ford,  Winchester,  Martinsburg,  Berry vi  lie,  Cedar 
Creek,  Hatcher's  Run,  High  Bridge,  and  others  repeated  at  some  of  these 
points.  Being  captured  at  High  Bridge,  he  was  held  till  Lee's  surrender, 
receiving  his  dischai-ge  June  13,  1865.  Returning  home,  Mr.  Nichols 
resumed  his  trade  and  farming  business,  later  devoting  his  entire  attention 
to  the  latter.  He  was  married,  June  20,  1869,  to  Wilhelmina  Bertsch,  and 
three  children  were  born  to  them — William  B.,  Daniel  W.  and  Catharine 
F.  Mrs.  Nichols'  death  occurred  December  24,  1878.  Mr.  Nichols  still 
resides  on  the  farm,  being  one  of  the  stanch  Democrats  of  the  township. 
He  served  as  Trustee  and  Treasurer  each  two  terms,  and  has  been  Justice 
of  the  Peace  since  1878.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  at  present 
Quartermaster  of  the  order. 

JOSEPH  RIESTERER  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  November  25, 
1836.  He  is  a  son  of  Anthony  and  Frances  (Celler)  Riesterer,  natives  of 
Germany,  where  the  latter  died  in  1846.  The  former  emigrated  with  his 
entire  family  in  1853,  and  settled  in  this  township,  the  children  being 
Joseph,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Anthony,  Harmon,  Francis  and  Rose— all  now 
being  deceased  but  the  two  former.  Joseph  Riesterer  was  married  October 
18,  1860,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Shoemaker,  a  resident  of  Salem  Township  and 
native  of  Maryland.  They  had  ten  children,  viz.,  William,  Rose,  Ann, 
John  H.,  Mary,  Frank,  Francis,  Edward  and  Emma.  Henry  is  deceased. 
Mr.  Riesterer  was  left  a  poor  boy,  on  his  own  resoui'ces,  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen, and  by  his  industry  he  has  acquired  a  good  farm  of  fifty- four  acres, 
purchased  in  1864,  and  valued  at  $70  per  acre.  He  has  served  in  several 
township  offices,  and  was  at  one  time  First  Lieutenant  of  the  Home  Militia, 
which  was  called  out  in  1863,  remaining  ten  days  in  Camp  Wayne,  Wooster, 
Ohio.  In  politics,  Mr.  Riesterer  is  a  Democrat;  himself  and  family  mem- 
bers of  the  Catholic  Church. 


SALEM  TOWNSHIP.  989 

FOSTER  W.  SAVIDGE,  son  of  Reuben  and  Jane  (Clawson)  Savidge, 
is  a  native  of  Somerset  County,  N.  J.,  born  September  7,  181G.  His 
parents  were  natives  of  the  same  State,  and  migrated  to  Ohio  in  1824,  set- 
tling in  Muskingum  County,  removing  to  this  county  in  1834.  His  father 
died  in  1855,  sixty-six  years  of  age;  his  mother  in  1862,  seventy-five  years 
of  age.  Of  their  sixteen  children  but  two  are  living — Lewis  C.  and  Foster 
S.  The  latter,  who  is  the  subject  of  this  notice,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
went  to  Zanesville,  where  he  engaged  in  milling  three  years.  Returning 
home  he  was  married,  January  16,  1845,  to  Miss  Julia  A.  Kirts,  of  Marion, 
Ohio,  a  native  of  Maryland.  Their  children  are  Laura  L.,  George  W., 
William,  Charles  F.,  Sarah,  Jane,  Elizabeth  A.,  Michael  K.  and  Daniel  W. 
The  latter,  also  Charles  F. ,  is  deceased.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Savidge 
removed  to  the  cranberry  marsh  in  this  county,  where  he  resided  five  years, 
gathering  as  many  as  8,100  baskets  of  this  fruit  in  one  season.  In  1853, 
he  purchased  land  in  this  township,  where  he  now  resides,  owning  100 
acres,  which  he  values  at  $100  per  acre.  He  also  owns  130  acres  in  Marion 
County,  and  has  been  a  farmer  for  the  past  forty  years.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Savidge  is  a  Republican. 

JAMES  B.  SCOTT,  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Hannah)  Scott,  was  born 
February  9,  1827.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland 
respectively,  and  settled  in  this  county  in  1835.  Their  children  were  ten 
in  number,  James  B.  having  been  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio.  The 
father  died  in  April,  1851,  the  mother  in  the  same  month,  1852.  James  B. 
remained  with  his  parents  till  January  27,  1847,  at  which  date  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Mary  J.  Armstrong,  native  of  Ireland,  daughter  of  David  and  Sarah 
Armstrong.  Their  children  are  Olive  J.,  Celiuda  F. ,  David  T. ,  Orville  M., 
Clarinda  R. ,  Robin.son  A.,  Clara  B. ,  Rosa  A.,  John  B.  and  Sarah  E.  The 
deceased  are  Clarinda  R.  and  Robinson  A.  Mr.  Scott  resided  in  Jackson 
Township  till  the  death  of  his  wife  April  21,  1878;  soon  after  he  removed  to 
Salem,  where  he  was  married,  January  14,  1882,  to  Miss  Lucy  A.  McCrary, 
widow  of  John  McCrary,  who  died  February  21,  1880.  She  was  a  resident 
of  this  township,  native  of  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Ursin  and  Sarah  (Kent- 
field)  Godman.  Her  first  husband  lived  and  died  in  Hardin  County,  and 
by  him  she  had  one  child — Aaetta  M.,  now  four  years  of  age.  Mr.  Scott 
owns  fourteen  and  a  half  acres  of  land  and  some  town  property  in  Lovell, 
where  he  now  resides.  He  has  served  in  several  township  otfices;  a  Pro- 
hibitionist in  politics.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  Lovell. 

ISAAC  SHAFFER  is  a  native  of  Northumberland  County,  Penn. .  born 
January  8,  1836.  His  parents,  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Kauble)  Shatter, 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  parentage.  Isaac  removed  to 
this  county  in  1862,  and  engaged  in  various  kinds  of  work  on  the  farm  till 
his  marriage,  July  6,  1882,  to  Elizabeth  Laudenschlager,  occurred  in  this 
township,  where  Mr.  Shaffer  owns  160  acres  of  good  land  in  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  valued  at  $75  to  $80  per  acre.  He  is  a  thorough  and  prosper- 
ous farmer,  and  has  devoted  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  the  prin- 
cipal part  of  his  life.     In  political  sentiments,  Mr.  Shaffer  is  a  Republican. 

PERRY  M.  SHELLHOUSE  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Ohio,  August 
2,  1844.  He  is  a  son  of  Edwai'd  S.  and  Mary  (Willis)  Shellhouse,  natives 
of  New  Jersey  and  Ohio  respectively.  His  grandparents  came  to  Butler 
County  in  1808;  moved  to  Connersville  in  1811,  and  to  this  county  in  1819. 
Their  children  were  Katie,  Edward  S.,  Sallie,  Lydia  and  George.  Edward 
S.  returned  to  Butler  County,  and  was  married,  Mai'ch  17,  1831,  to  Mary 


990  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Willis.  After  several  removals,  they  located  permanently  in  this  county, 
where  Mr.  Shellhouse  died  Mai'ch  3,  1873,  in  his  sixty- eighth  year.  His 
vfite  died  in  Lovell,  Ohio,  January  3,  1884,  in  her  seventieth  year.  Their 
family  consisted  of  seven  sons  and  four  daughters — Sarah  A.,  Edward  S. , 
Lydia,  Conrad  H  .  George  AV.,  Chandler  W..  Perry  M.,  Louisa,  Francis  M., 
Mary  E.  and  Amasa.  Perry  M.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  obtained  a  good 
education,  graduating  at  the  Carey  High  School  in  1865,  since  which  time 
he  has  engaged  to  a  considerable  extent  in  teaching  in  this  and  adjoining 
counties.  He  spent  several  years  in  selling  goods  over  the  counter  and  by 
wagon,  returning  to  Lovell  in  1879,  where  he  still  resides,  now  engaged  in 
the  poultry  business.  He  owns  some  town  property,  and  is  an  industrious 
and  enterprising  citizen.      A  Democrat  politically. 

JOSEPH  SHOEMAKER  was  born  September  28,  1844.  He  is  a  native 
of  Mansfield,  Ohio,  son  of  John  and  Magdalene  (Everly)  Shoemaker,  who 
settled  in  this  county  in  1847.  He  was  married,  October  9,  1872,  to  Mary 
Fleck,  of  this  township,  and  six  children — four  sons  and  two  daughters — 
were  born  to  them:  William,  Franklin,  Nora  C. ,  Louis  E.,  Joseph  and 
Elizabeth.  In  1884,  Mr.  Shoemaker  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  on 
which  he  now  resides,  following  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising. 
For  about  nineteen  seasons  he  has  operated  a  threshing  machine.  In  poli- 
tics, Mr.  Shoemaker  is  a  Democrat.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  and  are  intelligent  and  resjjectable  citizens. 

JOHN  H.  ULRICH  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  May  22,  1839.  His 
parents,  John  and  Wilhelmina  (Rouch)  Ulrich,  were  natives  of  the  same 
place,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  June,  1854,  and  settled  in  this  county. 
They  had  five  children — Henry,  Elizabeth,  John  H. ,  Eva  M.  and  Jacob,  the 
second  having  died  in  1860.  Our  subject  worked  by  the  day  and  month  for 
some  time  after  his  arrival  in  this  country,  and  July  4,  1862,  married  Chris- 
tina F.  Boyer,  who  emigrated  from  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  May  15,  1857. 
This  marriage  has  been  followed  by  five  children — Anna  C,  Mary  H.,  Rosa 
M. ,  Sarah  A.  and  Lizzie  M.  Anna  is  deceased.  In  the  third  year  of  his 
marriage.  Mr.  Ulrich  purchased  forty  acres  of  land,  which  he  has  improved 
and  to  which  he  has  added  by  subsequent  purchase  till  he  now  owns  ninety- 
seven  acres.  A  fine  barn  with  all  its  contents  was  destroyed  by  lightning 
September  2,  1878.  Mr.  Ulrich  is  a  prominent  Democrat  in  his  township. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church,  as  is  his  wife  also,  and  his 
daughters  are  associated  with  the  English  Methodist  Church. 

JONATHAN  Z.  WALBORN  is  a  native  of  Berks  County,  Penn. ,  born 
February  4,  1837.  His  parents  were  Daniel  D.  and  Lydia  (Zerbe)  Walborn, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  who  located  in  this  county  m  1855,  purchasing 
240  acres  of  land.  They  had  seven  children — Jonathan,  Henry,  Salesa, 
William  A.,  Daniel,  Emeline  E.  and  Franklin  L.  Mrs.  Walborn  died  May 
13,  1872,  and  Mr.  W.  was  married,  in  the  winter  of  1874,  to  Mrs.  Catha- 
rine Seltzer,  of  Schuylkill  County,  Penn.  He  subsequently  migrated  to 
Kansas,  purchasing  160  acres  in  Montgomery  County  of  that  State.  Jona- 
than Z.  Walborn  resided  with  his  parents  till  June  22,  1858,  when  he  married 
Maria  C.  Berry,  of  this  county,  daughter  of  Jehu  and  Rebecca  Berry,  and 
seven  children  blessed  their  union — Edward  P.,  Ella  S.,  Lydia  J.,  William 
A.,  Olive  R.,  Emma  M.  and  Anna  M.,  twins.  William  A.  and  Olive  R.  are 
deceased.  Mr.  Walborn  has  cleared  near  forty  acres  of  timber  land,  and 
has  always  been  a  man  of  energy  and  prominence  in  his  community,  having 
filled  various  offices  of  trust,  and  done  much  for  the  development  of  the 
town  of  Lovell.     He  served  as  Postmaster  six  years,  took  an  active  part  in 


SALEM  TOWNSHIP.  991 

securing  the  right  of  way  of  the  C. ,  H.  V.  &  T.  Railway,  and  was  one  of 
the  chief  movers  in  laying  out  the  town.  In  politics,  Mr.  Walborn  is  a 
Democrat;   he  and  wife  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

DANIEL  WHITE  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  January  4, 
1808.  His  parents,  Ebenezer  and  Catharine  (Cable)  White,  were  natives  of 
Connecticut.  They  settled  first  in  New  York,  moved  to  Ross  County,  Ohio, 
in  1812,  to  this  county  in  1828,  and  to  Sandusky  County  in  1832.  Daniel 
White  remained  in  this  locality,  and  was  married,  March  16,  1833,  to  Eliza 
Gibson,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Amelia  Gibson,  and  five  children  were 
born  to  them— James  G.,  May  19,  1836;  William  G.,  November  1,  1838; 
George  G.,  January  16,  1841;  Benjamin  G.,  October  19,  1856;  Emily  G., 
born  May  19,  1847,  died  May  2,  1881.  Mr.  White  obtained  a  fair  knowl- 
edge of  the  common  branches  in  the  district  schools,  and  has  been  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising  all  his  life.  In  political  faith, 
Mr.  AYhite  is  a  Democrat. 

CATHARINE  WRIGHT  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Md.,  March 
30,  1823.  She  is  a  daughter  of  James  and  Rebecca  Grimes,  natives  of 
Maryland.  Her  parents  moved  to  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  in  1833,  and  there 
reared  a  family  of  twelve  children,  Mrs.  Wright  being  the  seventh.  She 
was  married,  August  18,  1840,  to  William  Wright,  of  Seneca  County,  a 
native  of  Virginia,  and  ten  children  were  born  to  them — Sophia  M. ,  James 
W.,  John  E.,  Rebecca  L.,  Joseph  H.,  Susan  E.,  Mary  E.,  Jacob  H.,  George 
W.  and  Martha  J.  The  deceased  are  Mary  E. ,  Jacob  H. ,  James  W.  and  Sophia 
M,  Mr.  Wright  departed  this  life  July  27,  1863,  having  been  a  resident  of 
the  township  from  1846.  His  widow  and  family  still  reside  on  the  old 
farm,  Mrs.  Wright  has  undergone  many  hardships,  having  been  a  widow 
twenty  years. 


992  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP. 

Its  Organization— Physical  Features— Early  Settlers— Inhabitants 
AND  Owners  of  Real  and  Personal  Estate  in  1845— First  Things — 
Roads,  Etc.— Schools,  Churches,  Etc.— Sycamore  Village— Its  Church- 
es AND  Secret  Societies— Officers  of  the  Township  Since  Its  Organ- 
ization—Biographical Sketches. 

THIS  township  formerly  belonged  to  Crawford  County,  and  was  origi- 
nally included  in  that  county  in  1821.  It  is  what  is  known  as  a 
fractional  township  and  comprises  Township  1  south,  Kange  15  east.  It 
derives  its  name  from  Sycamore  Creek,  the  nearest  approach  to  a  river  that 
courses  through  its  midst,  and  this  creek,  no  doubt,  obtained  its  title  from 
the  many  so-called  "sycamore"  trees  that  grew  in  that  neighborhood,  in 
reality  the  plane-tree  or  buttonwood,  the  sycamore  proper  (Sykamoros,  lig- 
mulbei-ry),  being  indigenous  only  to  Egypt,  Syria  and  neighboring  districts. 
This  township  lies  in  the  extreme  northeast  of  Wyandot  County.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  Seneca  County,  on  the  east  by  Crawford  County, 
on  the  south  by  Eden  Township,  and  on  the  west  by  Tymochtee  Township, 
It  is  six  miles  in  length  from  north  to  south  and  four  in  breadth  from  east 
to  west.  Being  one  of  the  earliest  settled  townships  in  this  part  of  the 
county,  the  timber  has  been  well  cleared  off,  and  thereby  it  has  a  decided 
advantage  over  some  of  the  other  townships,  as  the  farms  are  more  numer- 
ous and  better  developed,  and  altogether  show  evidence  of  a  more  advanced 
state. 

Of  the  streams  in  Sycamore  Township  (which  all  flow  east  or  northeast), 
the  creek  that  gave  it  its  name  is  the  most  notable.  Sycamore  Creek  takes 
its  rise  partly  in  Crawford  County  and  partly  in  Sections  22  and  27,  this 
township.  It  flows  nearly  due  northwest  and  "  glideth  at  his  own  sweet 
will"  through  Sections  21,  16,  17,  18,  7  and  a  small  portion  of  6,  when  it 
enters  Tymochtee  Township  and  finally  pours  its  waters  into  the  Sandusky 
River  near  Mexico,  in  the  latter  township.  Mile  Creek,  the  most  northerly 
stream,  which  finds  its  source  in  Crawford  County,  flows  in  a  northwesterly 
direction  through  Sections  10,  3,  4,  5  and  northeast  corner  of  6,  where  it 
enters  Seneca  County  by  the  farm  of  Peter  Pennington,  ultimately  finding 
its  way  to  the  Sandusky  River.  A  stream,  which  enjoys  the  oleaginous 
and  euphonious  title,  Greasy  Creek,  contributes  its  measure  to  Sycamore 
Creek;  it  rises  in  Crawford  County,  although  one  of  its  tributaries  has  its 
birth  in  Section  16,  this  township,  and  passes  through  Sections  15,  10,  16, 
9,  17  and  8,  uniting  with  Sycamore  Creek  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  Sec- 
tion 7.  Taylor  Creek  has  its  main  springs  in  Section  34,  and  after  flowing 
through  33,  27  and  30,  penetrates  Tymochtee  Township  by  the  farm  of  J. 
Lease,  and  falls  into  the  Sandusky  River  about  a  mile  west  of  the  township 
line.  Its  smallest  tributary  rises  in  Section  28,  courses  through  Section  29 
and  conjoins  with  Taylor  Creek  on  Section  30,  and  a  larger  tributary  rises 
in  Section  34,  traversing  Sections  33,  32  and  31,  entering  Tymochtee  Town- 
ship by  the  farm  of  P.  Smith   and  flows  into  Taylor  Creek  on  Section  14, 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  993 

latter  township.  There  are  to  be  found  some  other  smaller  creeks  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  township.  The  Wyandot  Reservation  line  runs  from 
Tymochtee  Township  eastward  through  the  northern  part  of  Sections  31, 
32,  33  and  34  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  thence  south  into  Eden. 

FIRST    SETTLEMENTS. 

The  first  white  settler  in  Sycamore  Township  was  Samuel  Harper,  who, 
with  his  wife  and  seven  children,  four  sons,  William,  James,  Samuel  and 
George,  and  three  daughters,  moved  into  the  township  March  1.  1821, 
where  he  entered  160  acres  in  Section  18,  and  another  160  acres  in  Section 

6.  He  settled  on  Section  18,  and  resided  there  till  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred October  18,  1821.  He  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  1748,  and 
came  to  America  previous  to  the  Revolutionary  war,  toward  the  commence- 
ment of  which  he  enlisted.  At  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  he  received  a  gun- 
shot wound  in  the  left  arm,  which  was  broken  below  the  elbow.  This  dis- 
abling him,  be  was  discharged  and  he  then  settled  in  Northumberland 
County,  Penn. ,  having  been  married,  in  Chester  County,  Penn.,  to  Catharine 
Grimes.  In  the  fall  of  1818,  he  moved  to  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  March  1, 
1821,  to  Sycamore  Township.  He  died  in  October  of  that  year.  Mrs. 
Harper  lived  on  the  homestead  until  1834,  and  then  moved  to  Sycamore 
Village,  where  she  died  in  1848,  having  reared  all  her  children  to  maturity. 
Alexander  Morrow  came  with  Samuel  Harper  from  Ross  County,  Ohio, 
March  1,  1821,  and  lived  with  the  Harper  family  for  a  time;  he  afterward 
bought  land  on  Section  7. 

Peter  Baum,  Sr.,  came  about  fifteen  days  after  Samuel  Harper,  accom- 
panied by  Daniel  Walters,  who  afterward  married  Susanna  Baum,  daughter 
of  Peter  Baum,  Sr.  He  entered  ten  acres  of  land  on  Section  18,  and  died 
there.  Ichabod  Myron  and  Rufus  Merriman,  came  about  the  same  period. 
John  Eyestone  came  from  Ross  County,  entered  160  acres  of  land  in  Section 

7,  where  he  settled. 

In  1822  came  George  Kisor  ;  he  entered  eighty  acres  of  land,  where  he 
died  some  fifteen  or  twenty  years  after.  William  Lupton  succeeded  Kisor.  com- 
ing in  the  early  part  of  1823.  He  settled  on  Section  17,  where  he  entered  160 
acres  of  land,  and  there  died  about  1848.  He  had  three  sons  and  one 
daughter;  John,  Samuel,  Lewis  and  Massy,  all  of  whom  died  in  Sycamore 
Township,  excepting  Lewis,  who  died  in  Eden  Township.  About  the  same 
period  came  to  this  township  the  following:  Peter  Betzer,  William  Griffith, 
Michael  Van  Gundy,  Jeptha  Brown,  Andrew  Cliogman,  David  Ford,  the 
Crawfords  and  Starkeys,  James  Milligan,  Jesse  Ingerson,  William  Good- 
man, James  and  Lorin  Pease,  and  Conrad  Betz. 

Between  1823  and  1826,  Jacob  Hersbberger  and  family,  Solomon  Pon- 
tius and  family,  William  Griffith  and  family,  Samuel  and  Bribner  Hudson 
and  their  families,  Abram  and  Samuel  Bair  and  their  families,  Ben- 
jamin Van  Gundy  and  family,  William  Goodman  and  family.  William  and 
Samuel  Caughey  and  families,  Jacob  Combs  and  his  family,  from  Virginia; 
Gershom  Cunningham  and  family. 

From  1826  to  1830,  Levi  Pennington  and  family  came  from  Virginia; 
Hampton  Ford  and  family  of  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  Benjamin  Knapp 
and  family,  William  Betzer  and  family,  Adam  Coon  and  family  and 
Abram  Brown  and  family.  Following  is  a  list  of  those  who  were  assessed 
for  the  payment  of  taxes  in  the  township  of  Sycamore  in  1845,  showing  also 
the  kinds  of  property  owned,  and  (when  real  estate)  upon  what  sections 
located : 


994  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

OWNERS  OF  REAL  ESTATE. 

Anno,  Samuel,  Section  29,  160  acres. 

Ackerman,  George,  Section  27,  80  acres. 

Brown,  Ezra.  Section  16,  240  acres. 

Brown,  Jeptha,  Section  8,  160  acres. 

Bair,  David,  Section  20,  160  acres. 

Brundage,  Benjamin,  Section  3,  80  acres. 

Butler,  Simons,  Section  18,  80  acres. 

Baum,  Peter,  Section  18,  80  acres. 

Bair,  Abraham,  Section  6,  80  acres,  also  owned  carding  machine. 

Bair,  Samuel,  Section  5,  80  acres. 

Brown,  Abram,  Section  31,  107  acres. 

Bruna,  John  J.,  Section  30,  80  acres. 

Berry,  Jacob  A.,  Section  30,  80  acres. 

Bretz,  Conrad,  Section  18,  160  acres. 

Betzer,  William,  Section  30,  164  acres. 

Barkhart,  Peter,  Section  10,  100  acres. 

Betzer,  John,  Sections  27  and  34,  354  acres. 

Bardoon,  Magdalena,  Section  9,  120  acres. 

Cleland,  Arthur,  Section  15,  120 'acres. 

Carey,  Harvey,  Section  22,  80  acres. 

Carpenter,  Daniel,  Sections  8,  9  and  23,  320  acres. 

Culver,  Ebenezer,  Section  27,  80  acres.  , 

Cornell,  M.  J.  and  W.  H.,  Section  4,  80  acres. 

Combs,  Jacob,  Section  6,  120  acres. 

Caughey,  William,  Section  6,  40  acres. 

Caughey,  Samuel,  Section  6,  40  acres. 

Caughey,  William,  Section  6,  40  acres. 

Coon,  John,  Sections  28  and  21,  120  acres. 

Clingman,  Andrew,  Section  19,  80  acres. 

Corey,  David,  Section  28,  80  acres. 

Crawford,  James,  Section  29,  80  acres, 

Cunningham,  G.,  Section  4,  80  acres. 

Dunlap,  James  R.,  Sections  3  and  10,  100  acres. 

Dennison,  George,  Section  3,  160  acres. 

Eyestone,  Ezekiel,  Section  30,  80  acres. 

Eyestone,  Abraham,  Section  30,  80  acres. 

Eyestone,  George,  Section  33,  199  acres. 

Eyestone,  John,  Section  7,  160  acres. 

Eichelberger,  John,  Section  28,  80  acres. 

Ford,  Stephen,  Section  28,  80  acres. 

Ford,  Charles,  Section  19,  40  acres. 

Ford,  David,  Section  20,  160  acres. 

Goodman,  D.  and  John,  Section  9,  160  acres. 

Garnett,  George,  Section  34,  97  acres. 

Goodman,  W^illiam,  Section  17,  80  acres. 

Gurney,  Isaac,  Section  4,  80  acres. 

Griffith,*  William.  Sections  7,  17  and  18,  559  acres. 

Gregg,  Andrew,  Section  10,  160  acres. 

Hushlinger,  Jacob,  Sections  3,  4  and  9,  240  acres. 

Hoover,  John,  Sections  22  and  27,  320  acres. 

Hudson,  Allen,  Section  8,  160  acres. 


*0ne  of  the  first  County  Commissioners. 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  995 

Haines,  Daniel,  Section  9,  120  acres. 

Hudson,  Samuel,  Section  18,  80  acres. 

Hudson,  Bribun,  Section  8,  80  acres. 

Hiestand,  Martin,  Section  22,  80  acres. 

Hershberger,  Jacob,  Section  16,  80  acres. 

Ingerson,  Jesse,  Section  18,  SO  acres. 

Jacqueth,  Isaac,  Section  32.  100  acres. 

Jones,  Levi,  Section  31,  102  acres. 

Kisor,  George,  Sections  21,  22  and  28,  320  acres. 

Kisor,  John,  Section  28,  40  acres. 

Koon,  Andrew,  Section  30,  80  acres. 

Klick,  John,  Section  21,  160  acres. 

Knapp,  Samuel,  Section   19,  80  acres. 

Kroft,  John,  Section  21,  80  acres. 

Kester,  Jonathan  L.,  Section  34,  80  acres. 

Lundy,  James,  Section  30,  80  acres. 

Lee,  Ebenezer,  Section  10,  80  acres. 

Lemon,  Joel,  Sections  28  and  29,  200  acres. 

Lundy,  Levi,  Sections  18  and  19,  240  acres. 

Lupton,  John  R.,  Section  21,  80  acres. 

Lupton,  William,  Sections  16,  17  and  20,  240  acres. 

Lemart,  Lewis,  Section  10,  135  acres. 

Little,  James,  Section  29,  160  acres. 

Martin,  John,  Section  15,  160  acres. 

McCauley,  Alfred,  Section  21,  80  acres. 

McEwen,  Robert,  Section  3,  80  acres. 

Myers,  John  L. ,  Section  4,  79  acres. 

Morrow,  Alexander,  Section  6,  42  acres. 

Milligan,  William,  Section  29,  160  acres. 

Neadry,  John,  Section  3,  120  acres. 

Plane,  Mary  W.,  Section  5,  80  aci'es. 

Pontius,  Solomon,  Sections  3  9,  20  and  32,  842  acres. 

Pease,  Loren  A.,  Section  35,  1  acre. 

Pennington.  Isaac,  Section  4,  160  acres. 

Pennington,  Levi,  Section  5,  160  acres. 

Pennington,  Henry,  Section  5,  80  acres. 

Pool,  Rodney,  Section  6,  119  acres. 

Porter,  Simon,  Section  22,  80  acres. 

Rogers  and  Smith,  Sections  20  and  21,  160  acres. 

Reed,  T.  C.  and  J.  M.,  Section  7,  3  acres. 

Rogers.  Calvin,  Section  5,  120  acres. 

Reed,  Isaac  C,  Section  7,  160  acres. 

Searles,  John,  Section  34,  80  acres. 

State  of  Ohio,  Section  34,  66  acres. 

Shafer,  Gideon,  Section  4,  1  acre. 

Talman,  Elihu,  Section  7,  157  acres. 

Talman,  Akins,  Section  8,  160  acres. 

Van  Gundy,  Michael,  Sections  15,  16,  and  17,  480  acres. 

Welch,  Hugh,  Section  6,  160  acres. 

Wilson,  Elisha,  Section  19,  80  acres. 

Wagner,  Jacob,  Section  5,  40  acres. 

Walter,  Daniel,  Sections  15  and  32,  120  acres, 

Weeks,  Robert  M.,  Section  3,  80  acres. 


996  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Wolverton,  Lewis,  Section  28,  120  acres. 
Yates,  Abner.  Section  10,  25  acres. 
Yates,  Thomas,  Section  10,  40  acres. 
Watson,  George  A.,  Section  15,  80  acres. 
Pennington,  Isaac,  Section  4,  80  acres. 
Dunlap,  Daniel  W.,  Sections  10  and  15,  120  acres. 
Gregg,  Andrew,  Section  10,  160  acres. 
Milligan,  William,  Section  29,  80  acres. 
Ingerson,  Alvin,  Section  15,  40  acres. 

OWNERS    OF    PERSONAL    PROPERTY. 

Samuel  Anno,  Benjamin  Bair,  Abram  Bair,  Jeptha  Brown,  Lucas  Baum, 
Conrad  Bretz,Abram  Brown,  Elizabeth  Baum,  William  Betzer,  John  J.  Bunn, 
Jacob  Beery,  Peter  Betzer,  John  Betzer,  Andrew  Bentley,  Andrew  Bender,  Peter 
Burkhart,  David  Babcock,  William  Caughey,  Moses  J.  Cornell,  Henry  B.  Co- 
penhaver.  Gershom  Cunningham,  Daniel  Carpenter,  Andrew  Clingman,  Jacob 
Combs,  John  Cunningham,  Adam  Coon,  David  Corey,  T.  R.  Culver,  Miner 
P.  Cable,  James  Crawford,  Charles  Chapman,  John  Coon,  Ebenezer  Culver, 
Asa  Culver,  Harvey  Corey,  Harriet  J.  Davis,  James  Danlap,  George  Eye- 
stone,  George  Eyestone,  Jr. ,  JohnEyestone,  Harman  Eyestone,  Ezekiel  Eye- 
stone,  Abram  Eyestone,  John  Eyestone,  Jr. ,  Jacob  Eckleberry,  Hampton  Ford, 
David  Ford.  Stephen  Ford,  Isaac  Gurney,  Moses  C.  Gibson,  David  Goodman, 
William  Goodman,  John  Goodman,  William  Griffith,  Andrew  Gregg,  Adna 
Gillett,  Bribner  Hudson,  Samuel  Hudson,  Allen  Hudson,  John  Harper,  James 
L.  Harper,  Jacob  Hershberger,  Leonard  Housburg,  Martin  Heistand,  George 
Harper,  Jesse  Ingerson,  Alvin  Ingerson,  Jacob  Imler,  C.  F.  Jacqueth,  Sol- 
omon S.  Knapp,  George  Kisor,  Jonathan  Kester,  Samuel  Kittsmiller,  Ben- 
jamin Knapp,  Levi  and  Willits  Lundy,  James  Lundy,  James  Little,  Joel 
Lemon,  William  Lupton,  Samuel  Lupton,  John  K.  Lupton,  Lewis  Lupton, 
William  Leasure,  Ebenezer  Lee,  John  L.  Myers,  James  Milligan,  John 
Mattocks,  John  Martin,  John  Needry,  George  Ockerman,  Salmon  Osburn, 
Rodney  Pool,  Levi  Pennington,  Isaac  Pennington,  Solomon  Pontius,  Loren 
A.  Pease,  Mary  Wilson  Plain,  Henry  Pennington,  Thomas  F.  Pierce,  Ben- 
jamin Palmer,  Simeon  Porter,  Caleb  Phillips,  Calvin  Rogers,  T.  C.  and 
J.  M.  Reed,  C.  P.  Rogers,  Alva  Rose,  Salem  T.  Richardson,  Andrew  Storkey, 
Salem  P.  Swinehart,  Benjamin  Shepard,  George  Taylor,  Akins  E.  Tallman, 
John  Tobridge,  Michael  Van  Gundy,  Michael  Van  Gundy,  Jr.,  William  Van- 
Gundy,  Hugh  Welch,  David  Wagoner,  Elisha  VVillson,  Lewis  Wolverton, 
Benjamin  Wilcox,  Ransom  Wilcox.  Daniel  Walter. 

FIRST    THINGS. 

The  first  house  in  Sycamore  Township  was  erected  by  Samuel  Harper 
about  the  year  1821.  It  was  of  hewed  logs,  dimensions  18x18  feet,  one 
and  a  half  stories  high,  and  it  stood  till  1834-35.  The  first  saw  mill  was 
established  by  William  Griffith  in  1830  on  Section  18;  it  was  operated 
until  destroyed  by  fire  in  1876-77;  and  the  first  grist-mill  was  known  as 
Taylor's  mill,  erected  on  Sycamore  Creek  in  Section  17  by  George  W.  Tay- 
lor in  1843-44.  It  had  two  run  of  buhrs,  and  is  still  being  operated. 
Prior  to  this  mill,  settlers  had  to  go  to  the  old  Indian  Mill  at  Upper  San- 
dusky, to  have  their  grinding  done,  or  to  Buck  Creek  in  Clark  County, 
Ohio.  The  first  election  in  the  township,  which  was  then  a  full  Congres- 
sional township,  was  held  at  the  house  of  George  Kisor  near  Petei'sburg,  in 
1822-23,  when  a  full   board  of  township  officers   were   elected.     Prior  to 


•     SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  997 

1822,  provisions  were  brought  in  from  the  south.  At  that  date  a  store  was 
established  at  Old  Tymochtee.  The  first  wedding  in  the  township  took 
place  in  1826,  at  the  residence  of  Peter  Bavim,  the  contracting  parties  being 
Daniel  Walters  and  Susannah  Baum,  and  the  first  births  were  Susannah 
and  Barbara  Walters  (twins),  children  of  Daniel  and  Susannah  Walters. 
The  first  death  was  that  of  Samuel  Harper,  which  occurred  at  his  old  home- 
stead in  1823.  He  is  buried  on  the  farm  A.  Bretz  now  lives  on.  The  first 
store  in  the  township  was  in  Sycamore  Yillage,  kept  by  George  Harper  pre- 
vious to  which  settlers  went  to  Delaware  for  their  supplies.  There  are  now, 
besides  those  in  Sycamore,  three  stores  in  the  township,  all  in  the  village  of 
Petersburg,  viz. :  One  dry  goods,  by  John  Bender;  one  grocery,  by  Jerome 
Williams,  and  one  drug  store,  by  Francis  Culver. 

ROADS    AND    KAILROADS. 

The  only  highway  that  traverses  this  township  from  north  to  south,  other 
than  the  Crawford  County  line,  is  the  Section  line  a  mile  west  of  Crawford 
County;  three  roads  cross  the  township  from  east  to  west — one  in  the  center, 
passing  through  the  town  of  Sycamore,  one  a  mile  further  south  and  a 
third  on  the  Eden  Township  line.  In  addition  to  these  there  are  several 
others  leading  either  in  parallels  with  or  along  the  section  lines,  or  in  an 
irregular  manner,  one  of  which  latter  inclines  in  a  northwesterly  direction 
from  the  village  of  Sycamore  to  Mexico,  in  Tymochtee  Township,  and  the 
Morrison  State  road,  which  was  the  first  regularly  laid  out  road  in  the 
township.  The  Ohio  C^entral  Railroad  intersects  Sections  18,  20,  21,  28, 
27  and  34,  entering  this  township  from  Tymochtee  on  the  farm  of  Charles 
B.  Ingerson,  and  enters  Crawford  County  by  the  farm  of  C.  C.  Pancoast. 

SCHOOLS,    CHURCHES,   ETC. 

The  first  school  in  this  township  was  held  in  the  village  of  Sycamore, 
and  the  first  schoolhouse  was  a  round-log  structure,  18x18  feet  in  dimen- 
sions, located  on  Section  17.  It  was  erected  in  1825-26  by  the  citizens  of 
the  township.  The  first  teacher  was  Nancy  Parmenter,  who  received  the 
munificent  sum  of  $1  per  week  as  salary,  and  this  amount  was  raised  by 
subscription.      There  are  now  six  school  buildings  in  the  township. 

The  first  religious  services  in  Sycamore  Township,  before  any  regular 
house  of  worship  was  erected,  were  held  during  the  summer  of  1822  at  the 
house  of  Mrs.  Harper,  John  Stewart,  a  colored  missionary,  and  James  B. 
Finley  officiating,  and  meetings  were  continued  to  be  held  at  private  houses 
or  cabins,  and  occasionally  on  the  old  camp  ground,  until  the  erection  of 
the  first  church  in  1834.  This  place  of  worship  was  a  frame  structure  built 
on  Section  18,  nominally  by  the  Methodists,  actually  by  the  united  support 
of  the  people,  regai'dless  of  sect. 

Ebenezer  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Pipetoivn. — This  society  held 
its  first  meeting  in  this  township  in  the  old  round-log  schoolhouse  in  about 
1834,  and  in  that  year  their  first  church  building  was  erected  on  a  piece  of 
ground  seventy  rods  north  of  the  southeast  corner  of  Section  10,  on  the 
county  line  of  Crawford  and  Wyandot.  It  was  of  frame  work,  30x40  feet, 
and  completed  at  no  other  cost  than  the  gratuitous  labor  of  those  interested. 

The  present  church  was  built  in  1853,  a  plain,  but  neat  frame  building, 
dimensions  28x35  feet,  cost  $62-5.  It  is  located  on  the  same  site  as  the  old, 
and  in  Section  10.  In  1844,  this  society  had  some  forty- four  members, 
among  whom  were  R.  Weeks,  William  Gregg,  Thomas  Yates,  A.  Gregg, 
Lewis  Lemert,  Isaac  Blair,  Benjamin  Shepherd,  John  Thompson,  Robert 

47 


998  HISTORY  OF   WYANDOT   COUNTY. 

Weeks,  Jr.,  and  the  wives  of  all  of  them,  together  with  several  children. 
The  pastors  have  been:  Among  those  prior  to  1844 — Revs.  Thomas  Thomp- 
son, James  Wilson,  H.  O.Sheldon;  since  1844 — Revs.  Martin  Welsh.  Ralph 
Wilcox,  Luke  S.  Johnspn, —  Kishler,  Jesse  Williams,  Thomas  J.  Gard,  John 
McKean,  —  Huestis,  and  others,  with  their  colleagues.  The  first  Trustees 
were  Robert  Weeks,  William  Gregg,  Thomas  Yates ;  present  Trustees,  C.  W. 
Longwell,  R.  L.  Speer,  J.  F.  Gregg.  There  is  at  present  no  membership, 
and  the  church  building  is  now  used  for  funeral  services,  Sabbath  schools 
and  irregular  church  meeting  appointments.  The  Sabbath  schools  are  held 
in  the  summer  months,  and  the  attendance  of  scholars  averages  about  fifty. 
In  December,  1844,  a  revival  took  place  in  connection  with  this  society, 
under  the  guidance  of  Revs.  M,  Welsh  and  J.  R.  Jewett,  on  which  occasion 
many  children  and  youths  and  about  a  dozen  adults  were  brought  into  the 
church,  and  in  January,  1854,  quite  a  number  of  heads  of  families,  as  well 
as  young  persons,  were  converted  and  joined  the  church  under  the  admin- 
istrations of  Revs.  Luke  S.  Johnson  and  —  Kishler. 

There  are  several  private  burial  grounds  in  the  township,  and  of  the 
public  cemeteries  one  is  located  in  each  of  Sections  10,  18,  29. 

SYCAMORE. 

This  village  is  situated  on  Sycamore  Creek  between  Sections  17  and  18, 
and  on  the  line  of  the  Ohio  Central  Railroad.  It  was  laid  out  in  the  year 
1842,  while  Sycamore  Township  was  yet  apart  of  Crawford  County.  "  Old 
Sycamore  "  as  it  is  now  termed,  was  of  slow  growth,  and  never  attained 
higher  than  an  ordinary  country  hamlet.  Subsequent  additions  have  been 
made,  rather  plats  laid  out  independent  of  the  "old  town,"  till  it  now  com- 
prises a  thriving  village  of  over  300  inhabitants.  The  first  house  erected 
on  the  site  of  the  village  was  in  the  year  1836.  It  was  a  store  18x30  feet 
in  dimensions,  and  built  of  logs  by  George  Harper,  who  opened  a  store, 
conducting  the  same  two  years.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time,  he 
disposed  of  the  stock  to  William  Combs,  who  continued  in  the  mercantile 
business  about  the  same  length  of  time  as  Mr.  Harper.  Combs  sold  to  Gus- 
tus  Saffel,  who  was  une  of  Sycamore's  leading  merchants  till  1880. 

In  1849-50,  A.  W.  Brinkerhoflf  and  J.  B.  Wilson  opened  a  store  and  did 
business  till  1856,  when  the  firm  dissolved  and  Brinkerhoff  removed  to  Up- 
per Sandusky. 

The  village  now  has  three  dry  goods  stores,  besides  groceries,  a  sash  and 
door  factory,  and  a  very  fine  five-story  brick  flouring  mill  erected  in  1884 
by  George  Taylor. 

RELIGIOUS. 

United  Brethren  Church  in  Christ— -The  first  meeting  of  this  society 
was  held  in  a  schoolhouse  located  on  Section  — ,  by  Rev.  J.  Powell,  in  the 
year  1849.  Two  years  later,  a  permanent  organization  was  effected  by  Rev. 
William  Mathers,  with  eleven  members,  as  follows:  John  Gring,  F. 
Clapsaddle,  William  Van  Gundy,  Charles  Shire,  Samuel  Swinehart,  Jane 
Swinehart,  Martha  Brady,  John  Beck,  Margaret  Morris,  Elizabeth  Noel, 
Mary  Crawford  and  Father  Swinehart.  The  society  continued  to  worship 
at  this  schoolhouse  until  1853,  when  it  erected  a  frame  building  in  Syca- 
more, 30x40  feet  in  size,  at  a  cost  of  $800.  This  was  used  as  a  house  of 
worship  until  1873,  when  it  was  replaced  by  a  commodious  brick  structure, 
44x60  feet  in  dimensions.  This  edifice,  located  on  Safi'ell's  Addition,  cost 
$4,300.     The  following  pastors  have  served  this  charge,  viz. :  Revs.  S.  Es- 


SVCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  999 

sex,  one  year;  S.  H.  Rowdabaugli,  two  years;  Rev.  Clingal,  two  years;  J. 
Ridly,  one  year;  L.  Moore,  one  year;  Rev.  Struble,  six  months;  E.  B. 
Maiirer,  two  and  a  half  years;  and  C.  L.  Bevington,  the  present  incumbent. 
The  present  number  of  members  is  ninety,  with  the  following  officers: 
Trustees — William  Van  Gundy,  P.  K.  Sheaffer,  J.  W.  Eyestone,  William 
Kinley  and  Solomon  Downey,  The  society  has  been  blessed  with  several 
revivals,  some  of  the  principal  ones  occurring  in  1873,  1875  and  1877.  In 
1884,  some  fifty  accessions  were  made  to  the  church.  A  Sabbath  school,  Mis- 
sionary Society  and  a  society  termed  "The  Gleaners,"  composed  of  young 
people,  are  maintained,  and  are  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

SECRET  SOCIETIES. 

Bubicon  Lodge,  No.  645,  I.  O.  O.  F. — The  dispensation  was  granted  this 
lodge  July  20,  A.  D.  1876.  The  original  members  were  I.  B.  Gibbs,  J.  N. 
Asbury,  M.  G.  Clapsaddle,  George  W.  Biles,  Philip  Bloom,  D.  M.  Bope,  G. 
Eyestone,  Harvey  Griffith,  J.  A.  Gibson.  A.  E.  Gibson,  W.  A.  Milligan  and 
William  Park.  Nathan  Jones,  M.  W.  G.  Master,  organized  the  lodge  with 
the  following  officers:  I.  B.  Gibbs,  N.  G.;  J.  N.  Asbury,  V.  G.;  G.  W. 
Biles,  Secretary;  J.  A.  Gibson,  Treasurer;  William  Milligan,  Warden; 
Philip  Bloom,  Conductor;  William  Park.  I.  G. ;  A.  E.  Gibson.  O.  G.;  D. 
M.  Bope.  R.  S.  N.  G. ;  H.  Griffith,  L.  S.  N.  G. ;  G.  Eyestone,  L.  S.  V.  G. 

The  present  officers  are:  C.  Moessner,  N.  G. ;  P.  L.  Babcock,  V.  G.;  E. 
V.  Ingereon.  Secretary;  Jacob  Staum.  Treasurer;  Philip  Bloom,  Warden; 
H.  W.  Hawkins,  Conductor;  J.  S.  Gault,  I.  G.;  M.  G.  Clapsaddle,  O.  G.; 
D.  M.  Bope,  R.  S.  N.  G. ;  H.  Gritith,  L.  S.  N.  G. :  Wilber  Brown,  R.  S.  V. 
G. ;  A.  Montours,  L.  S.  V.  G. ;  A.  J.  Bretz,  R.  S.  S. ;  A.  J.  Brown,  L.  S.   S. 

The  society  has  a  membership  of  fifty-five,  and  holds  its  meetings  every 
Saturday  evening  in  the  hall  over  H.  M.  Byers'  drug  store.  Prior  to  De- 
cember. 1883,  it  convened  in  "  Biles'  building."  There  has  always  been  a 
deep  interest  taken  in  the  order  in  ibis  place  since  the  institution  of  the 
lodge,  and  it  has  always  been  prompt  in  its  attendance  upon  the  sick  or 
needy.  But  one  member  has  been  taken  away  by  death.  The  financial 
standing  of  the  lodge  is  good,  now  having  $450  on  interest. 

Jaqueth  Post,  No.  196,  G.  A.  R.,  was  organized  January  31,  1882,  with 
the  following  members,  viz. :  B.  Pontius,  J.  E.  Goodrich,  W.  Brown,  C. 
Moessner,  J.  A.  Boley,  E.  J.  Wilson,  J.  Staum,  William  Milligan,  William 
Beard,  William  Hill,  T.  Fox  and  Edward  Ingerson.  The  Post  was  organ- 
ized by  Inspector  Brown,  of  Toledo.  It  has  a  membership  of  seventeen, 
with  J.  A.  Boley  as  Commander,  and  C.  Moessner,  Adjutant. 

TOWNSHIP    OFFICIALS  SINCE   1845. 

Trustees — 1845,  Hugh  Welch,  Isaac  Jaqueth,  John  Martin. 
1846 — Isaac  Jaqueth,  Jesse  Ingerson,  Jeptha  Brown. 
1847 — Jesse  Ingerson,  Jeptha  Brown,  Isaac  Jaqueth. 
[      1848 — Jesse  Ingerson,  Jeptha  Brown,  Isaac  Jaqueth. 
1849 — John  Kisor,  Andrew  Gregg,  William  Betzer. 
1850 — William  Betzer,  John  Kisor,  Andrew  Gregg. 
1851 — William  Betzer,  John  Kisor,  Andrew  Gregg. 
1852 — Andrew  Gregg,  William  Betzer,  Jonathan  Kester. 
1853—  Elisha  Willson,  Peter  Burkhart,  Jesse  Ingerson. 
1854 — Elisha  Willson,  Jesse  Ingerson,  John  K.  Lupton. 
1855 — John  K.  Lupton,  Ezekiel  Eyestone,  James  K.  Dunlap. 
1856 — John  K.  Lupton,  James  K.  Dunlap,  Ezekiel  Eyestone. 


1000  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

1857 — Ezekiel  Eyestone,  Elisha  "VVillson,  Jeptha  Brown. 

1858 — Jesse  lugerson,  Jeptha  Brown,  Elisha  Willson. 

1859 — Jesse  Ingerson,  Jeptha  Brown,  Elisha  Willson. 

1860 — Jeptha  Brown,  S.  P.  Swinehart,  William  Betzer. 

1861 — J.  A.  Gibson,  S.  P.  Swinehart,  Enoch  Eyestone. 

1862 — J.  A.  Gibson,  Enoch  Eyestone,  S.  P.  Swinehart. 

1863 — Enoch  Eyestone,  Jeptha  Brown,  J.  K.  Lupton. 

1864 — William  Van  Gundy,  Jeptha  Brown,  C.  C.  Pancoast. 

1865— William  Van  Gundy,  C.  C.  Pancoast,  J.  T.  Konkle. 

1866— E.  Willson,  J.  T.  Konkle,  P.  C.  Kitchen. 

1867— L.  A.  Pease,  P.  C.  Kitchin,  Silas  Baker. 

1868  -  J.  A.  Gibson,  P.  C.  Kitchin,  Silas  Baker. 

1869~J.  Gault,  Cyrus  Griffith.  M.  D.  Betz. 

1870— J.  Gault,  J.  F.  Gregg,  J.  W.  Little. 

1871— Jordan  Gault,  J.  W.  Little,  A.  Bender. 

1872— J.  W.  Little,  A.  Van  Gundy,  A.  Bender. 

1873— A.  E.  Bender,  A.  Van  Gundy,  Cyrus  Griffith. 

1874— Z.  S.  Willson.  A.  Thatcher,  William  Gibbs. 

1875— Z.  S.  Willson,  A.  Thatcher,  William  Gibbs. 

1876— A.  C.  Hershberger,  Cyrus  Griffith,  J.  W.  Little. 

1877— A.  C.  Hershberger,  Cyrus  Griffith,  William  Van  Gundy. 

1878— A.  C.  Hershberger,  Cyrus  Griffith,  William  Van  Gundy. 

1879 — Jeptha  Brown,  A.  J.  Bretz,  Benjamin  Pontius. 

1880 — A.  J.  Bretz,  Benjamin  Pontius,  John  W.  Nichols. 

1881 — A.  J.  Bretz,  Benjamin  Pontius,  John  W.  Nichols. 

1882 — A.  J.  Bretz,  Benjamin  Pontius,  John  W.  Nichols. 

1883— John  W.  Nichols,  A.  J.  Bretz,  Griffith  Evestone. 

Clerks— 1845-46,  James  C.  Pease;  1847-48,  Augustus  Saflfell;  1849-50, 
Samuel  Hudson;  1851-54,  Henry  J.  Flack;  1855-61,  T.  A.  Peeso;  1862, 
J.  W.  Eyestone;  1863-66,  L  Philips;  1867-68,  G.  E.  Basom;  1869-75, 
I  Philips;  1876,  J.  C.  Stalter;  1877,  Wilber  Brown;  1878,  F.  H.  West; 
1879,  Wilber  Brown;  1880-83.  L  B.  Gibbs. 

Treasurers — 1845,  George  Harper;  1846,  L.  A.  Pease;  1847-54,  John 
Harper;  1855,  Jeptha  Brown;  1856,  A.  Saffell;  1857-59,  A.  H.  Lundy; 
1860,  John  Harper;  1861-65.  A.  H.  Lundy;  1866-68,  A.  Safifell;  1869-73, 
John  Stinchcomb;  1874,  William  Van  Gundy;  1875-78,  Silas  Baker; 
1879-83,  William  Van  Gundy. 

Justices  of  the  Peace — 1845,  David  Ellis,  Joel  Lemon;  1848,  Benjamin 
Knapp,  Jacob  Hershberger;  1850,  Jeptha  Brown;  1851,  Jacob  Hershberger; 
1857,  Andrew  Gregg;  1860,  M.  C.  Gibson.  Jacob  Hershberger;  1866,  John 
W.  Eeynolds,  James  C.  Pease;  1869,  James  C.  Pease,  John  W.  Reynolds; 
1871,  G.  W.  Biles;  1872,  J.  E.  Goodrich;  1874,  George  W.  Biles;  1877, 
B.  F.  Culver;  1880,  Tilghman  Zellner;  1881,  J.  E.  Goodrich;  1883,  Tilgh- 
man  Zellner. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

JOB  BAKER  is  a  native  of  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  and  son  of  Richard  and 
Fannie  (Wheeler)  Baker,  natives  of  New  York  State.  He  was  born  March 
27,1843.  His  parents  were  married  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  and  migrated 
to  Ohio  in  1835,  settling  in  Seneca  County,  where  they  reared  a  family  of 
six  sons — Silas,  Frank,  Job,  Gratton  H.,  Ralph  W.  and  Richard  W.  The 
parents  are  still  living.  In  1865,  Mr.  Baker  purchased  140  acres  in  Craw- 
ford County,  and  lived  upon  this  farm  till  1873.  He  then  sold  out  and 
purchased  210  acres  in  this  township,  adding  forty  acres  a  few  years  later. 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1001 

In  1872,  he  purchaHed  210  acres  in  Seneca  County,  now  owning  460  acres, 
valued  at  $65  to  $100  per  acre.  He  has  always  devoted  his  attention  to 
fai'ming  and  stock-raising,  and  has  met  with  admirable  success.  He  keeps 
some  thoroughbred  short-horn  cattle,  and  good  grades  of  stock  generally. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen,  Mr.  Baker  enlisted  in  Company  B,  Forty-ninth 
Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  mustered  into  the  service.  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Green  River,  and  other 
minor  engagements,  receiving  his  discharge  in  August,  1863.  He  resumed 
work  on  the  farm  the  same  year,  and  has  since  been  thus  engaged,  dealing 
more  or  less  in  stock.  Mr.  Baker  was  married  November  14,  1865,  to  Eliza 
Nichols,  of  Mexico,  this  county,  daughter  of  Henry  M.  and  Margaret  (Le- 
master)  Nichols,  parents  and  daughter  all  natives  of  Barkley  County,  W.  Va., 
in  which  State  the  former  were  united  in  marriage.  Her  parents  came  to 
Ohio  in  1842  and  settled  at  Tiffin.  In  1851,  they  removed  to  Mexico,  where 
the  father  died  January  29, 1879,  and  where  the  mother  still  resides.  They 
had  nine  children,  and  seven  still  survive,  namely,  John  W.,  Susan  E.,  Ann 
E.,  Henry  B.,  Samuel  M.,  Catharine  B.  and  James  H.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker 
have  six  children — Mary  P.,  Maud  A.,  Wheeler  H.,  Mary  M. ,  Nora  D. 
and  Charles  F.  Mr.  Baker  is  a  member  of  Eden  Lodge,  No.  310,  F.  &  A.  M., 
of  Melmore,  and  also  of  the  Royal  Arch,  Tiffin,  Ohio.  He  obtained  a  fair 
education  in  the  common  schools,  and  spent  two  years  at  the  Baldwin  Uni- 
vei'sity,  Berea,  Ohio.      He  is  a  strong  Republican  and  Prohibitionist. 

HIRAM  BARE,  M.  D.,  was  born  July  25, 1832.  He  is  a  native  of  this 
township,  and  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Berry)  Bare,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Ohio  respectively.  His  parents  were  married  in  Fairfield  County, 
Ohio,  and  in  1824  moved  to  this  township  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land,  on  which  he  erected  a  log  cabin,  in  which  he  died  in  August,  1840. 
Five  of  the  eight  children  are  living — Elizabeth,  Hii'am,  Mary,  Samuel  and 
Eliza.      The  mother  is  living  in  Sycamore,  in  her  seventy-lifth  year.    Hiram 

Bare  was  seven  years  of  age  when  his  father  died.    He  went  to County, 

where  he  remained  eight  years,  and  then  returned  to  Wyandot.  He  had 
availed  himself  of  the  advantages  of  the  common  schools,  and  in  1852  went 
to  Tiffin  and  became  a  student  in  the  Heidleberg  College,  where  he  pursued 
his  studies  at  intervals  several  years,  teaching  in  district  schools  during  the 
winter  months.  He  continued  teaching  in  this  manner  till  about  1858  or 
1859.  In  1855,  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  at  Mexico,  under  the  in- 
structions of  Dr.  B.  A.  Wright,  and  continued  his  studies,  teaching  occa- 
sionally and  attending  lectures  till  about  1858,  when  he  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  Crawford  County.  He  has  since  practiced  in  Jay 
County,  Ind.,  Maumee  .City,  Mexico  and  Bucyrus,  establishing  himself  in 
Sycamore  in  1881.  In  1882,  he  erected  a  fine  brick  residence,  which  he 
now  occupies.  He  was  married  in  March,  1854,  to  Eliza  R.  Robinson,  of 
this  county,  and  one  child  was  born  to  them.  It  died  in  infancy,  its  mother 
in  confinement,  September,  1855.  Dr.  Bare  was  married,  June  4, 
1862,  to  Miss  Eliza  Perdue,  of  Crawford  County,  daughter  of  Laban  and 
Margaret  (Harper)  Perdue,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively. 
Dr.  Bare  is  quite  successful  as  a  practitioner,  and  has  a  large  patronage. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.  at  Bucyrus,  and  strong  in  Republican 
faith. 

ANDREW  F.  BENDER,  born  July  30,  1821,  is  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, Cumberland  County,  and  son  of  George  and  Mary  (Taylor)  Bender, 
also  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  lineage.  His  parents  moved 
to  Ohio  in  1824  and  located  in  Bucyrus,  moving  to  Benton  in  the  fall  of  the 


1002  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

same  year,  and  entering  eighty  acres  of  land,  where  the  sons  and  daughters 
were  reared,  their  names  as  follows:  Elizabeth,  Andrew  F.,  Mary,  Susanna, 
George,  Samuel  and  Joseph,  all  living  but  Samuel  and  Susanna.  The  mother 
died  in  1830,  the  father  in  1851.  Our  subject  spent  his  youth  and  early 
manhood  with  his  father,  with  whom  he  was  engaged  in  farming  several 
years.  About  1844  or  1845,  he  purchased  a  small  farm  of  thirty  three  acres, 
which  he  improved  and  resided  upon  for  several  years.  In  1852,  he  became 
the  owner  of  the  old  homestead  farm  of  150  acres,  and  disposed  of  his  former 
home.  In  1860,  he  sold  the  old  homestead  and  purchased  160  acres  in  the 
same  township,  selling  out  again  in  1863,  and  purchasing  forty  acres  where 
he  now  resides.  By  subsequent  purchases  he  has  added  forty-seven  acres, 
and  now  owns  eighty-seven  acres,  valued  at  $90  per  acre.  Mr.  Bender  was 
married,  October  18,  1842,  to  Sarah  Kiser,  a  native  of  this  township,  and 
daughter  of  George  and  Susanna  (Hare)  Kiser.  This  union  was  blessed  by 
ten  children — infant  son,  John,  George,  Andrew,  Susanna,  Sarah,  Emma, 
Lily,  Harvey  and  Mary,  all  living  but  the  infant  son.  Mr.  Bender  now  lives 
a  retired  life.  He  has  served  his  township  in  several  different  offices,  and 
is  well  respected  in  his  community.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  both  he  and 
Mrs.  Bender  are  members  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  at  Peters- 
burg. 

MICHAEL  D.  BETZ  was  born  in  Buffalo  Valley,  Union  Co.,  Penn., 
April  28,  1824.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Catharine  (Davis)  Betz,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  and  Welsh  descent.  His  parents  were 
married  in  Union  County,  their  children  being  John,  Rosanna,  Catharine, 
Susanna,  Solomon,  Leah,  William,  Mary,  Michael  D.  and  Jacob.  Of  these 
the  deceased  are  William,  Mary,  John  and  Rosanna.  Mrs.  Betz  died  about 
1846,  aged  fifty-five;  Mr.  Betz  died  in  1869,  aged  eighty-one.  Michael  D. 
worked  upon  the  farm  with  his  father  till  twenty- four  years  of  age.  He 
then  worked  three  years  at  the  carpenter's  trade  and  one  year  at  grain 
threshing,  operating  the  first  separator  ever  used  in  Ross  County.  He  was 
married,  February  19,  1852,  to  Mary  A.  Pontius,  a  native  of  Ross  and  resi- 
dent of  Wyandot  County,  daughter  of  Solomon  and  Rachel  (Wells)  Pontius, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland  respectively.  Her  parents  were 
united  in  wedlock  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  and  moved  to  Ross  County 
and  then  to  this  township  about  1833.  Their  children  were  Barbara, 
Andrew,  Susanna,  Elizabeth,  Mary  A.,  Rezin  W.,  David,  Sarah  A.,  Benja- 
min— all  living  but  Susan,  Elizabeth  and  Barbara.  Mr.  Pontius  died  in 
1867,  and  Mrs.  Pontius  in  1879.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Betz  have  had  six  children — 
Martha  J.,  born  February  15,  1853;  Mary  C,  January  17,  1855;  William 
E.,  February  23,  1856;  Florence  J.,  December  27,  1861;  Ward  Beecher, 
June  28,  1864;  Jay  W.,  November  7,  1869.  William  E.  and  Ward^  B.  are 
deceased,  the  dates  of  their  respective  deaths  being  September  25,  1862, 
and  March  2,  1867.  In  1852,  Mr.  Betz  moved  to  this  township,  but  re- 
turned to  Ross  County  in  the  same  year  on  account  of  ill  health.  Two 
years  later  he  returned  to  this  township  where  he  has  since  been  exclusively 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising.  In  1855,  he  sold  his  first  farm,  and 
in  1860,  purchased  his  present  tract  of  200  acres.  He  is  largely  engaged 
in  gi'owing  blooded  stock— thoroughbred  merino  sheep,  Poland-China  hogs 
and  short-horn  cattle.  Mr.  Betz  is  an  old  Whig-Republican-Prohibitionist, 
and  has  served  his  township  in  many  ways.  He  is  a  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church  at  Sycamore. 

WILLIAM  BETZER.  This  aged  and  respected  farmer  was  born  in 
Ross  County,  Ohio,    February  14,  1806.     He  is  a  son  of  John   and  Sarah 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1003 

(Holraan)  Betzer,  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and 
of  German  lineage.  His  parents  married  in  Pennsylvania  and  moved  to 
Ohio  in  1800.  They  located  in  Koss  County,  where  they  resided  till  1835, 
when  they  came  to  this  county.  Peter  and  William  were  their  only  chil- 
dren. The  father  died  in  about  1859,  and  the  mother  about  ten  years 
later — both  in  their  eighty-fifth  year.  Our  subject  was  married,  August  7, 
1827,  to  Susanna  Wells,  a  native  of  Maryland  and  resident  of  Pickaway 
County.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Rezin  and  Elizabeth  Wells,  and  was  married 
in  Ross  County,  Ohio.  This  marriage  was  followed  by  five  children — 
Eezin,  Sarah  A.,  Elizabeth,  John  and  an  infant  daughter.  Sarah  A.  and 
Elizabeth  are  now  the  only  living.  In  1828,  Mr.  Betzer  entered  160  acres 
of  land  in  this  township,  and  several  years  later  moved  upon  the  same,  and 
with  his  own  hands  cleared  and  improved  it,  enduring  many  hardships 
known  only  to  pioneers.  In  1845,  he  purchased  120  acres  at  the  land  sales, 
entered  forty  acres  more,  and  a  few  years  later  purchased  eighty  acres  in 
Tymochtee  Township.  He  has  since  purchased  two  tracts  of  80  acres  each, 
one  of  65  acres  and  one  of  31  acres,  most  of  which  he  has  distributed  to 
his  children.  He  now  lives  a  retired  life  with  the  wife  of  his  heart,  whom 
be  married  fifty-seven  years  ago.  Both  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Betzer  has  been  a  life-long  Democrat. 

WILLIAM  ^Y.  BETZER,  son  of  Rezin  and  Elvira  (Wilson)  Betzer, 
was  born  in  this  township  March  15,  1859.  His  parents  were  also  natives 
of  this  county,  where  his  mother  still  resides.  His  father  died  when  our 
subject  was  an  infant.  The  three  children  of  the  family  wei-e  Mary,  Will- 
iam W.  and  Elisha  R.  William  Betzer  began  life  on  his  own  responsibili- 
ties when  quite  young.  He  inherited  160  acres  from  his  father's  estate, 
and  this  legacy  he  traded  in  1882  for  eighty  acres  of  improved  land  in  this 
township — five  acres  now  within  the  village  corporation.  This  farm  he 
cultivates  and  values  at  SlOO  to  |110  per  acre.  Mr.  Betzer  was  married, 
October  13,  1881,  to  Lucy  J.  Byers,  a  resident  of  this  township  and  native 
of  Seneca  County,  Ohio.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Philip  and  Ruth  E.  (Mc- 
Dongle)  Byers,  whose  history  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr.  Betzer 
is  a  first-class  farmer  and  citizen,  and  is  a  warm  advocate  of  Republican 
principles.  • 

THEODORE  F.  BLAIR  is  a  native  of  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  and  was 
born  August  9,  1844.  His  parents,  James  and  Sarah  (Linaberry)  Blair, 
were  born  in  New  Jersey  and  were  of  Scotch-Irish  and  English  parentage. 
They  were  married  in  their  native  State,  their  children  being  named  as 
follows:  William  L.,  Emaline,  Matilda,  Caroline,  Malinda,  Theodore  F., 
Marshal  and  James  A.  Of  these  Malinda  and  Marshal  are  deceased.  The 
mother  died  in  New  Jersey,  August,  1854.  By  a  former  marriage  to  Mary 
Liday  Mr.  Blair  had  three  daughters — Elizabeth  A.,  Rachel  and  Mary — 
the  latter  deceased.  In  1856,  Mr.  Blair  emigrated  to  Ohio  and  settled  in 
this  township,  where  he  pui'chased  land,  engaged  in  agriculture  and  stock- 
raising.  He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  farmers  of  the  county,  and  at 
his  death  owned  about  1,400  acres  of  land.  His  death  occurred  in  Septem- 
ber, 1867.  At  his  father's  decease,  our  subject  became  the  owner  of  the 
homestead,  on  which  he  now  resides  and  does  an  extensive  business  in 
grain  and  stock-raising.  He  was  married,  October  15,  1868,  to  Celestia  J. 
Spencer,  a  native  of  Athens  County,  born  November  26,  1848,  and  daughter 
of  Samuel  and  Barbara  (Lane)  Spencer.  This  union  has  been  blessed  by 
three  children — Marietta  B.,  born  September  22,  1873;  Samuel  S.,  June  4, 
1875;  Frank  T.,  April  23,   1880;   Marietta  died  May  7,    1874.     Being  a 


1004  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

member  of  the  Ohio  National  Guards,  Mr.  Blair  was  called  into  the  service 
in  May,  1864,  joining  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Regi- 
ment Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  serving  till  August.  He  and  Mrs. 
Blair  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Mexico.  In  polit- 
ical sentiment  Mr.  Blair  is  a  Republican. 

JOHN  E.  BREESE,  son  of  Harrison  and  Zuba  (Baker)  Breese,  was 
born  ill  Delaware,  Ohio,  February  6,  1N45.  His  parents  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively,  and  of  Irish  descent.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Delaware  County,  Ohio.  Their  children  were  Fletcher,  Isabel, 
Adelaide,  John  E.,  William  H.  and  Joseph  us  K. — all  living  but  the  eldest, 
Fletcher.  The  father  died  June  IS,  1858,  aged  forty-four  years;  his  widow 
still  survives,  residing  in  Deunquat,  in  her  sixty-ninth  year.  Mr.  Breese 
began  blacksmithing  in  1862.  August  14  of  the  same  year  he  enlisted  in 
Company  F,  Ninety-sixth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  entered  the  service. 
He  participated  in  the  engagements  at  Memphis,  Vicksburg,  Chickasaw 
Blufis  and  siege  of  Vicksburg;  was  taken  sick  at  the  latter  place  and  sent  to 
the  St.  Louis  Hospital,  being  discharged  at  that  place  July  25,  1865.  Return- 
ing homo,  Mr.  Breese  resumed  his  trade  in  Delaware  County.  He  was  mar- 
ried, February  21,  1867,  to  Eliza  J.  Case,  a  native  of  Delaware  County,  and 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Catharine  (Carney)  Case,  natives  of  New  York  State 
and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  moved  to  Ohio  about  1833,  locating  in  Delaware  County.  Their  chil- 
dren were  George,  Caroline  D. ,  Heni-y,  Mary  A. ,  Sophronia,  Eliza  J. ,  Car- 
oline A.  and  Adelaide  E.  George,  Henry  and  Adelaide  are  deceased.  The 
father  died  November  18,  1882,  aged  seventy-six;  the  mother  is  now  in  her 
sixty-eighth  year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Breese  have  no  children.  They  moved 
from  Delaware  County  in  1871  and  located  in  Petersburg,  this  township, 
where  he  has  since  plied  his  trade.  Mr.  Breese  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  a  stanch  Republican. 

ANDREW  J.  BRETZ  was  born  May  23,  1825.  He  is  a  native  of 
Fairfleld  County,  Ohio,  and  is  the  youngest  son  of  Coonrod  and  Susan 
(Foorman)  Bretz,  who  were  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  descent. 
His  parents  were  married  in  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  and  migrated  to 
Ohio  about  1808,  locating  upon  160  acres  in  Fairfield  County,  where  they 
reared  a  large  family.  Their  children  were  Peter,  Lydia,  Anna,  Lucinda, 
Eli  and  Andrew  J.  Three  others  are  deceased.  In  1835,  the  farm  in 
Fairfield  was  sold,  and  the  family  came  to  Wyandot  County.  They  pur- 
chased 160  acres  in  this  township,  where  the  parents  died.  Andrew  J.,  our 
subject,  was  married,  February  25,  1852,  to  Mary  Baum,  daughter  of 
Michael  and  Ruhama  Baum,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  and 
Irish  descent.  Her  parents  had  nine  children — Jackson,  Alexander,  Eliza, 
Mary,  Harrison,  Russell,  Barbara,  Peter  and  James — all  living  but  Mary. 
The  father  died  in  January,  1861;  his  widow  resides  with  her  son,  Andrew 
J.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bretz  have  one  son,  James  Alexander,  born  August  29, 
1858.  He  was  married,  February  25,  1875,  to  Lucy  A.  Paulin.  Mr.  Bretz 
inherited  his  father's  farm  at  the  latter's  death,  and  in  1870,  he  added 
eighty  acres  more,  now  owning  240  acres,  valued  at  $100  per  acre.  His 
farm  is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  is  provided  with  good  buildings; 
Mr.  Bretz  is  a  strong  Democrat,  and  has  served  this  township  as  Trustee  for 
five  years. 

ASA  BROWN  is  a  native  of  Upper  Canada,  and  was  born  near 
Brookville,  Leeds  County,  June  27,  1806.  He  is  the  fifth  son  of  Nathan 
and  Susanna  (Webber)  Brown,  who  were  natives  of  York  State,  and  who 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1005 

emigrated  to  Canada  in  1800.  They  had  twelve  children,  but  fovu'  of 
whom  survive,  viz.,  Obediah,  Asa,  Nathan  and  Armena.  The  father  died 
in  July,  1825,  the  mother  in  1838.  Asa,  our  subject,  was  married.  Febru- 
ary 20,  1830,  to  Elizabeth  Lee,  native  and  resident  of  Leeds  County,  Can- 
ada, and  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Anna  Lee,  natives  of  York  State,  and  of 
English  and  Irish  descent.  Their  eight  children  are  all  deceased.  Mrs. 
Brown,  born  May  3,  1812,  died  January  10,  1850.  She  was  the  mother  of 
ten  children,  namely:  Wilber,  born  in  Leeds  County,  Canada,  June  13, 
1832;  Lucy  A.,  born  July  13,  1834,  also  in  Canada;  Hannah  M.,  born  May 
12,  1836,  alao  in  Canada;  Delilah,  July  11,  1838;  Letitia,  February  19, 
1840;  Armenia  E.,  December  2,  1841;  Caroline  A.,  January  8,  1844; 
Olivia  A.,  November  3,  1847.  The  latter  five  were  born  in  Crawford 
County,  Ohio.  Nathan  L.  and  Samuel  P.  (twins)  were  born  December  15, 
1849.  Of  these  children  the  deceased  are  Hannah  M. ,  Samuel  P.,  Olivia  A. 
and  Nathan  L.  Mr.  Brown  came  to  Ohio  in  1837,  and  purchased  1 60  acres 
in  Crawford  County,  where  he  resided  many  years.  In  the  meantime  he 
retm-ned  to  Canada,  and  was  married,  June  10,  1851,  to  Nancy  A.  Brezee, 
of  Leeds  County.  By  this  wife  two  children  were  born — Lucinda,  April 
17,  1852.  and  Thomas  W.,  December  24,  1854.  The  latter  died  October 
16,  1856,  and  their  mother  departed  this  life  February  8,  1859.  March  19, 
1860,  Mr.  Brown  was  married  to  Anna  Snyder,  of  Crawford  County.  In 
1878,  he  moved  to  Sycamore,  where  he  purchased  property,  and  now  lives 
on  his  land  near  town,  where  he  erected  a  fine  brick  residence.  Mr.  Brown 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church,  as  is  also  his  wife,  who 
was  formerly  connected  with  the  United  Brethren  Church.  His  first  wife 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church,  and  his  second  wife 
a  professor  of  Christianity.  Mr.  Brown  was  first  a  Whig,  then  a  Republican, 
and  now  a  Prohibitionist. 

WILBER  BROWN  was  born  in  Elizabethtown,  Leeds  Co.,  Canada, 
June  13,  1832,  son  of  Asa  and  Eliza  (Lee)  Brown.  In  1853,  he  began 
farming  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio.  In  1872,  he  embarked  in  the  grocery 
trade  in  Lucas  County,  where  he  remained  till  1875.  He  then  sold  out, 
and  in  1876  moved  to  Sycamore,  and  began  the  dry  goods  business,  closing 
out  the  same  year.  In  1877,  he  embarked  in  the  drug  business,  which  he 
still  pursues.  He  owns  property  in  Fostoria  and  also  in  Sycan:iore,  where 
he  is  conducting  a  profitable  and  prosperous  business.  In  May,  1864,  he 
enlisted  in  the  army,  and  was  honorably  discharged  in  May  of  the  same 
year.  Mr.  Brown  was  married,  July  3,  1853,  to  Clarissa  Lindley,  of  Likens 
Township,  Crawford  County,  daughter. of  Eli  and  Irene  (Triscot)  Lind- 
ley, natives  of  York  State,  and  of  English  parentage.  Her  parents  reared 
a  family  of  five  sons  and  six  daughters.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  had  one  child, 
born  December  2,  1854,  died  October  6,  1875.  [Mrs.  Brown  passed  away 
August  8,  1872.  July  15,  1873,  Mr.  Brown  was  married  to  Eliza  A.  Lucas, 
of  Whitebouse,  Lucas  Co.,  Ohio,  daughter  of  David  and  Catharine 
(Demuth)  Lucas,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Three  children  have  been  born 
to  this  union — Eliza  C,  October  9,  1875;  Catharine  D.,  August  3.  1879; 
and  Wilber  L.,  November  28,  1881.  In  politics,  Mr.  Brown  is  a  Repub- 
lican; served  as  Township  Clerk  several  years;  is  a  member  of  Rubicon 
Lodge,  No.  645,  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  and  both  himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
the  Protestant  Methodist  Church.  They  were  both  school  teachers  in  their 
younger  days. 

ALVA  BUNN.  This  gentleman  was  born  in  this  township  April  22, 
1843.     His  parents  were  Levi  and  Mary  (Bishop)  Bunn,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 


1006  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

vania  and  Virginia.  They  were  oi  German  parentage,  were  married  in  Ross 
County,  Ohio,  and  in  an  early  day  moved  to  this  county  and  settled  in  this 
township.  Their  children  were  Lovina,  Nicholas,  John,  Benjamin  F.  and 
Alva,  all  now  living  but  Nicholas  and  Benjamin  F.  The  father  died  on 
January  13,  1853,  the  mother  in  August,  1867.  Alva  Eunn  was  reared  on 
a  farm,  and  in  this  pursuit  he  has  ever  since  engaged.  He  now  resides  on 
the  farm  of  bis  mother-in-law,  owning  fifty  acres  himself  in  this  township. 
He  was  married,  September  12,  1867,  to  Mary  L.  Osborn,  of  Crane  Township, 
natives  of  Crawford  County,  and  daughter  of  Warner  and  Susanna  (Heston) 
Osborn,  natives  of  York  State  and  Ohio  respectively,  and  of  English  and 
Irish  descent.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Seneca  County,  then  moved  to 
Crawfoi'd  County,  and  in  1854  to  Crane  Township,  this  county.  Mrs. 
Bunn  is  their  only  child,  and  she  was  born  October  21,  1848.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bunn  are  the  parents  of  seven  children — an  infant  daughter,  born  April  27, 
1868;  William  W.,  born  April  23,  1869;  Rolla  O.,  July  2,  1871;  Velora. 
September  11,  1873;  Detwiler,  May  26,  1876;  Zora,  October  4,  1878;  Arden, 
June  15,  1883.  The  infant  daughter  is  deceased.  Mr.  Bunn  has  served 
his  township  as  Constable  four  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Lodge  at  Melmore,  and  an  active  Republican.  Mrs.  Bunn  is  a  member  of 
the  United  Brethren  Church  at  Sycamore. 

"WILLIAM  A.  CAUGHEY,  dry  goods  merchant,  Sycamore,  was  born 
October  7,  1835.  He  is  a  native  of  this  township,  and  son  of  William  and 
Charity  A.  (Pennington)  Caughey,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia 
respectively,  of  Irish  and  Welsh  descent.  His  parents  were  married  in 
what  is  now  this  township,  but  sold  out  in  1847  and  purchased  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres,  all  of  which  is  now  within  the  coi'poration  of  Sycamore  Village. 
Their  children  were  Caroline,  James  P.,  Flavins  J.,  William  A.,  Phoebe  J., 
Alva  L.  and  EUza  A.  These  are  all  living  but  Flavins  J.,  who  was  drowned 
in  the  Sandusky  River  while  bathing,  June  21,  1844.  He  was  twelve  years 
of  age.  The  father  died  August  30,  1848,  the  mother  August  9,  1856,  aged 
fifty-five  and  fifty-two  years  respectively.  William  A.,  our  subject, 
remained  at  home  till  of  age,  and  then  spent  one  year  in  Minnesota.  In 
August,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Forty-ninth  Regiment  Ohio  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  passed  through  the  engagements  of  Green  River,  Shi- 
loh  and  Salt  Creek,  being  captured  at  the  latter  place  in  October,  1862. 
He  was  held  by  the  rebels  until  March,  1863,  and  then  returned  to  his  reg- 
iment at  Murfreesboi'o,  where  he  was  detailed  as  issuing  clerk  at  brigade 
headquarters,  which  position  he  held  till  discharged  in  September,  1864,  at 
Chattanooga,  Tenn.  He  returned  to  Sycamore,  and  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising and  produce  business,  and  February  23,  1865,  was  married  to  Susan 
B.,  a  native  of  this  township,  and  daughter  of  Bribner  and  Jane  (Caswell) 
Hudson,  who  were  natives  of  York  State,  married  in  Cayuga  County,  and 
who  moved  to  Ohio  in  1827,  locating  in  this  township,  rearing  a  family  of 
ten  children,  namely.  Sarah,  James  B.,  Smith,  Samuel,  Elizabeth,  Alvin 
B.,  Oliver  P.,  Richard  L.,  Robert  C.  and  Susan  B.  The  deceased  are  Sam- 
uel. Smith,  Elizabeth,  Oliver  P.  and  Alvin  B.  The  father  died  in  1872, 
the  mother  in  1876.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caughey  had  eighi.  children,  namely: 
Bertha  L.,  born  December  19,  1865;  Anna  D.,  February  6,  1867;  Janie, 
March  31,  1868;  Nettie,  March  25,1870;  James  B.,  March  5,  1873;  Wheeler 
A.,  April  13,  1876;  Charles  F.,  February  16,  1878,  and  Sallie,  September 
14,  1881.  Janie  died  May  23,  1871;  James  B.,  September  29,  1880; 
Charles  F.,  October  8,  1880;  and  Bertha  L.,  October  15.  1880.  Mr.  Cau- 
ghey sold  out  his  merchandise   in  1865,  and  purchased  land  in  Tymochtee 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1007 

Township.  In  1867,  he  disposed  of  this,  and  in  1868  moved  to  Missouri, 
where  he  purchased  eighty  acres,  adding  forty  in  1875  and  another  forty  in 

1881.  In  December,  1882,  he  disposed  of  all  this,  and  returned  in  March, 
1883,  to  Sycamore,  and  purchased  the  interest  of  the  Martin  Bros.,  of  the 
firm  of  Ketchin  &  Martin  Bros.,  in  the  dry  goods  and  grocery  business. 
The  firm  has  since  been  known  as  Ketchin  &  Caughey,  and  is  doing  a  thriv- 
ing business.  Mr.  Caughey  is  one  of  the  foi'emost  citizens  of  Sycamore, 
and  a  Republican. 

WILLIAM  CORFMAN  was  born  in  Tymochtee  Township  June  19, 
1834,  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Beery)  Corfman,  natives  of  Fairfield  County, 
Ohio.  He  was  reared  in  his  native  township,  and  educated  in  the  common 
schools.  He  was  engaged  in  farming  till  1872.  In  1874,  he  organized  the 
Wyandot  Mutual  Relief  Association,  and  was  elected  its  Secretary,  officiat- 
ing in  that  capacity  till  1883,  when  he  was  appointed  Solicitor,  the  success 
of  the  association  being  largely  due  to  Mr.  Corfman's  efforts.  In  1868,  he 
was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Tymochtee  Township,  serving  twelve 
years.  He  served  two  years  as  Clerk,  and  declined  a  second  nomination. 
For  the  past  few  years  he  has  dealt   in  farming  implements.      October  1, 

1882,  he  became  interested  in  the  Sycamore  Star,  and  continued  in  that 
connection  till  January  1,  1884.  He  aided  in  organizing  the  Pleasant 
Ridge  Cemetery  Association,  framed  its  by-laws,  and  was  elected  its  Secre- 
tary, serving  as  such  at  the  present  time.  He  owns  a  good  farm  of  seventy- 
five  acres  in  Tymochtee  Township,  and  gives  some  attention  to  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  Mr.  Corfman  was  married,  October  23,  1856,  to  Barbara  J., 
daughter  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  Terilinger.  She  was  born  in  Tymochtee 
Township,  in  March,  1836,  and  died  November  10,  1872,  leaving  seven 
children — James  A.,  Hiram  E.,  Lawrence  S.,  Albert  C,  Urban,  Flora  Ann 
and  Lily  A.  He  was  again  married  in  May,  1873,  to  Miss  Catharine  Nei- 
bel,  daughter  of  An.os  Neibel,  five  children  being  born  to  this  union — Ber- 
tha, Nellie,  Alia  C,  Ella  M.  and  Ora.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Corfman  are  members 
of  the  Evangelical  Association.     In  politics,  Mr.  C.  is  a  stanch  Democrat. 

SOLOMON  F.  DOWNEY  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  July  6, 
1849.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Anna  (Fought)  Downey,  natives  of  Fair- 
field County,  Ohio,  and  of  German  and  Irish  ancestry.  His  parents  were 
married  in  his  native  county,  and  reared  four  children — Mary  M.,  Solomon 
F.,  David  H.  and  Thomas  W. ,  all  living  and  married.  The  mother  died 
February  15,  1877,  aged  fifty-two  years,  and  Mr.  Downey  was  married  the 
following  May  to  Martha  Boland,  of  Seneca  County,  where  they  still  live. 
Our  subject  was  reared  a  farmer,  and  was  thus  employed  as  an  assistant  for 
sever^  years.  In  1873,  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  Seneca 
County,  and  after  that  rented  farms  for  several  years.  In  1877,  he  pur- 
chased forty  acres  in  this  township,  adding  thirteen  acres  in  1880.  This 
farm  he  has  provided  with  excellent  buildings,  of  all  necessary  kinds.  He 
keeps  the  thoroughbred  Merino  sheep,  Poland-China  hogs,  and  devotes  his 
attention  to  general  agriculture.  He  was  married,  February  19,  1874,  to 
Martha  J.  Betz,  a  resident  of  this  county,  native  of  Ross  County,  and 
daughter  of  Michael  D.  Betz.  By  this  union  four  children  have  been  born 
—Bertha  M.,  December  28,  1875;  Earl  B.,  March  19,  1878;  Ward  S., 
July  10,  1881;  Bart  F.,  November  23,  1883.  The  deceased  are  Bertha  M., 
who  died  February  23,  1877,  and  Ward  S.,  September  22,  1881.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Downey  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  and  Mr.  Downey 
is  an  enthusiastic  Republican  of  the  temperance  type. 


1008  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

DANIEL  DUNLAP  was  born  July  24,  1804.  He  is  a  native  of  Chester 
County,  Penn.,  and  son  of  Daniel  and  Abigail  Dunlap,  natives  of  the  same 
State,  and  of  Irish  parentage.  His  father  died  in  Pennsylvania  about  1831, 
and  in  1832  his  mother  moved  to  Ohio  with  her  children.  She  died  in 
Crawford  County  in  1855.  Our  subject  is  the  only  living  member  of  the 
family.  He  has  always  l)een  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  has 
been  fairly  successful.  He  was  married,  March  12,  1840,  to  Miss  Isabel 
Hall,  native  of  Fairfield,  resident  of  Crawford  County,  and  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Mary  (Mills)  Hall,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Irish  descent. 
Her  parents  wei'e  married  in  Fairfield,  and  moved  to  Crawford  County  in 
1829.  They  had  eleven  children,  eight  of  whom  now  survive — -Samuel, 
Daniel,  James,  Josiah,  Isabel,  Mary,  Rebecca  and  Martha  J.  The  mother 
died  March  13,  1860,  the  father  in  August,  1863.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunlap 
are  ihe  parents  of  thirteen  children — Emily,  born  June  16,  1841;  Joseph 
H.,  November  14,  1842;  Mary  E.,  April  1,  1844;  Hannah  J.,  June  2,  1845; 
Martha  E.,  April  18,  1848;  infant  son.  May  11,  1849;  Andrew  L.,  June  27, 
1851;  Justice,  May  17,  1853;  Daniel  F.,  June  22,  1854;  Isabel  R.,  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1856;  Frank  B.,  July  7,  1858;  Sarena  M.,  December  17,  1860; 
Eunice  A.,  December  26,  1862.  Six  of  these  are  deceased — infant  son, 
May  12,  1849;  Andrew  L. ,  March  23,  1852;  Justice,  August  3,  1853;  Frank 
B.,  July  7,  1860;  Sarena  M.,  August  30,  1861;  Joseph  H,  June  15,  1863; 
Emily,  April  6,  1872.  Mr.  Dunlap  has  been  fortunate  in  his  business  trans- 
actions, and  now  owns  several  hundred  acres  of  land.  He  is  a  Democrat, 
and  strongly  imbued  with  the  Jacksonian  spirit.  Mrs.  Dunlap  is  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church. 

FAYETTE  DUNLAP.  The  subject  of  this  notice  is  a  son  of  Daniel 
and  Isabel  (Hall)  Dunlap,  and  was  born  June  22,  1854.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectfully,  and  of  Irish  lineage.  They 
were  married  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  and  reared  a  family  of  thirteen 
children,  namely:  Emily,  Joseph  H. ,  Mary  E.,  Hannah  J.,  Martha  E., 
Andrew  L.,  Justice,  Daniel  F. ,  Isabel  R.,  Frank  B.,Sareno  M.  and  Eunice 
A.,  also  an  infant  son.  Our  subject  was  married,  June  22,  1876,  to  Hulda 
M.  Pancoast.  a  native  of  this  county,  and  daughter  of  Casper  C.  and  Anna 
A.  (Kester)  Pancoast.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  York 
State  respectively,  and  of  English  and  German  parentage.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  this  county  and  reared  a  family  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters, 
namely:  Hulda  M. ,  Kester  C. ,  William  E.,  George  W.,  James  W.  and 
Essie  M.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunlap  have  two  daughters — L.  Gertrude,  born 
June  24,  1877;  and  Edith,  born  August  28,  1878.  In  1877,  Mr.  Dunlap 
purchased  in  this  township  107  acres  of  land,  which  he  has  improved  with 
cultivation,  tiling,  buildings,  etc.,  and  now  values  at  $100  per  acre.  He 
has  one  of  the  best  sugar  groves  in  the  county;  has  always  been  a  farmer 
and  a  Democrat. 

EDMOND  K.  EYESTONE,  was  born  November  13,  1856.  He  is  a 
native  of  this  township  and  son  of  Enoch  and  Hannah  (Weatherby)  Eye- 
stone,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  His  parents  were  of  German  lineage.  His  mother 
is  deceased;  his  father  passed  away  in  March,  1880.  Mr.  Eyestone  was 
reared  a  farmer,  and  early  in  life  learned  the  law  of  labor.  He  was  married, 
May  11,  1879,  to  Viola  Stokley,  a  native  and  resident  of  this  township, 
and  daughter  of  William  B.  and  Charlotte  (Lemon)  Stokley,  natives  of  Ohio 
and  York  State  respectively.  Her  father  is  deceased;  her  mother  departed 
this  life  May  6,  1883.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eyestone  have  but  one  child,  a  daughter, 
Lottie  J.,  born   March  4,  1880.     In  1881,  Mr.  Eyestone  came  into  posses- 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1009 

sion  of  eighty  acres  of  land,  the  old  homestead  in  this  township,  where  he 
now  lives,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  is  a  good  farmer  and  citi- 
zen, and  votes  in  the  interests  of  the  Republican  party. 

GEORGE  W.  EYESTONE,  born  November  18,  1831,  is  a  native  of  Ross 
County,  Ohio,  and  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth  Eyestone,  who  moved  from 
Ross  County,  and  settled  in  this  township  in  1833.  His  parents  died  at  the 
respective  ages  eighty-five  and  fifty-two,  having  reared  a  family  of  six  sons 
and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Eyestone  worked  at  the  wagon  and  carriage  trade 
from  1849  to  1860,  and  then  began  the  work  of  a  carpenter,  which  he  has 
continued  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  to  the  present  time.  He  enlisted,  Feb- 
ruary 4,  1864,  in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Regiment 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  New  Market 
(receiving  a  slight  flesh  wound  in  the  head),  Berryville,  Piedmont,  Winchester 
and  Fisher's  Hill.  At  Winchester,  he  received  another  wound  in  the  calf 
of  the  leg,  and  at  Fisher's  Hill  he  was  wounded  in  the  hand  by  a  minie 
ball,  as  the  result  of  which  he  receives  a  small  pension.  After  eight  months 
in  the  hospital  at  Little  York,  Penn. ,  he  was  honorably  discharged  June  11, 
1865.  He  then  returned  home  and  has  since  given  his  attention  to  farming 
and  his  trade.  Mr.  Eyestone  was  married,  December  17,  1852,  to  Sarah  A. 
James,  of  this  township,  native  of  Athens  County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of 
Benjamin  and  Melissa  (Richeson)  James.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Ohio 
and  —  respectively,  and  of  English  descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eyestone  had  two 
children,  daughters — Eva  A.  and  Roberta  M.,  who  died  in  1875  and  1878 
respectively.  Mrs.  Eyestone  passed  away  April  29,  1881,  and  Mr.  E.  was 
married.  May  3,  1882,  to  Mrs.  Rosa  H.  Kisor,  widow  of  Henry  Kisor,  of 
Tiffin,  Ohio.  By  her  first  husband,  Mrs.  Eyestone  had  two  children — Edith 
and  Earl.  Mr.  Kisor  died  in  December,  1877.  Mr.  Eyestone  owns  thirty- 
eight  aci-es  of  well- improved  land  where  he  now  resides.  He  and  Mrs.  Eye- 
stone are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  society  his  first  wife  was 
also  a  member.  In  politics,  Mr.  E.  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  Prohibi- 
tionist. 

ALICE  EKLEBERRY  is  a  native  of  this  township,  and  was  born  Au- 
gust 22,  1847.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Joel  and  Phoebe  (Jaqueth)  Lamon,  na- 
tives of  York  State,  and  of  English  descent.  Her  parents  were  married  in 
Jefferson  County,  N.  Y. ,  and  migrated  to  Ohio  in  1837.  They  located  in  this 
township,  and  reared  a  family  of  eight  children,  five  of  whom  now  survive. 
Her  father  died  October  24,  1875,  aged  seventy;  her  mother  is  still  living, 
in  her  seventy -seventh  year.  Mrs.  Ekleberry's  marriage  to  Levi  Ekleberry 
occurred  September  3,  1868.  He  was  a  son  of  Nathan  and  Eliza  (Wolver- 
ton)  Ekleberry,  and  was  reared  in  this  county.  Three  children  were  the 
fruits  of  this  marriage — Dow,  born  October  25,  1869;  Nettie,  October  7, 
1871;  Roy,  March  28,  1875.  Mr.  Ekleberry  was  a  farmer,  and  highly  re- 
spected in  his  community.  He  died  March  26,  1875.  His  widow  still  lives 
in  this  township,  and  rents  the  farm,  rearing  her  children,  and  giving  her 
mothe    a  home  with  her. 

JORDAN  S.  GAULT  was  born  in  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  August  28, 
1853.  He  is  the  second  son  of  Jordan  and  Louisa  (Betts)  Gault,  who  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  and  Welsh  descent  respectively; 
his  parents  came  to  Ohio  in  1854,  and  now  live  in  Mexico,  this  county. 
Jordan  Gault,  our  subject,  was  married,  December  14,  1876,  to  Hannah 
Vermilyea,  of  Noble  County,  Ind. ,  daughter  of  Philip  and  Lucy  (Higgin- 
botham)  Vermilyea,  natives  of  New  Y'ork  and  Ireland  respectively.  Her 
father  died  February  22,  1876;  her  mother  now  resides  in  Sycamore.      Mr. 


1010  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

and  Mrs.  Gault  have  three  children — Charles  J.,  born  December  24,  1877; 
May,  born  May  14,1879;  Marcus  F.,  September  1,  1881.  Mr.  Gault  has 
followed  agricultural  pursuits  during  the  principal  part  of  his  life,  and 
now  resides  on  his  father's  farm.  He  obtained  a  fair  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  and  is  comfortably  situated  in  life.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ru- 
bicon Lodge,  No.  045,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Sycamore,  and  votes  with  the  Repub- 
lican party,  to  whose  interests  he  is  strongly  attached. 

MADISON  P.  GEIGER  was  born  March  14,  1853;  he  is  a  native  of 
Seneca  County,  Ohio,  and  son  of  Henry  and  Christina  Geiger,  natives  of 
Baden,  Germany.  His  parents  emigrated  at  the  ages  of  thirteen  and  four- 
teen respectively,  and  were  married  in  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio,  in  Febru- 
ary, 1835.  In  the  same  year  they  moved  to  Seneca  County,  where  they  had 
entered  land  in  1834,  and  where  they  reared  their  family.  Their  children 
were  Coonrod,  Catharine,  Jacob,  Hannah  M.,  William  M.,  Mary  A.,  John 
Henry  and  Madison  P.— all  living  but  Mary  A.  The  father  died  January 
13,  1882.  The  mother  resides  in  Seneca  County  with  her  daughter,  Han- 
nah M.  Mr.  Geiger,  oiu*  subject,  was  married  December  9,  1879,  to  Lizzie 
Brown,  of  Seneca  County,  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Lucinda  (Miller) 
Brown,  also  natives  of  Seneca  County,  of  Scotch  and  English  descent.  Her 
parents  were  married  in  their  native  county,  and  had  two  children — Abi- 
gail and  Lizzie,  the  former  deceased.  The  father  died  in  1861;  the  mother 
now  lives  in  Seneca  County.  In  1880,  Mr.  Geiger  purchased  eighty  acres 
in  this  township,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits; 
he  is  a  Democrat  politically.  Himself  and  family  are  members  of  the  Re- 
formed Church. 

ISAIAH  B.  GIBBS,  M.  D.,  was  born  at  Hope,  Warren  Co.,  N.  J., 
March  31,  1844;  his  parents,  John  P.  and  Catharine  M.  (Swayze)  Gibbs, 
were  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  of  Scotch  descent.  They  were  married  in 
^^^ttrren  County,  and  migrated  to  Ohio  in  1858,  settling  in  Mexico,  this 
county,  where  they  followed  farming  and  reared  a  family.  Their  children 
were  Susetta  E. ,  Sarah  M.,  Phcebe  A.,  Emma  L. ,  Isaiah  B. ,  Alice  J.,  Hen- 
rietta O.  and  Hattie  D.  Sarah,  Phoebe  and  Emma  L.  are  deceased.  The 
parents  now  reside  in  Henry  County,  Ohio.  In  1800-61,  Dr.  Gibbs  at- 
tended the  Methodist  Central  Ohio  Conference  Seminary,  in  South  Toledo. 
He  read  medicine  at  that  place  with  Dr.  B.  A.  Wright,  and  clerked  in 
Wright  &  Clark's  drug  store  till  1867;  attended  lectures  in  Cincinnati  in 
1867,  1868  and  1871,  completing  studies  at  the  Physio- Medical  Institute, 
and  in  the  spring  of  the  same  year  locating  at  Hoskins,  Wood  Co.,  Ohio, 
where  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Dr.  D.  B.  Gedney,  and  continued  his 
practice  until  May,  1873;  he  then  removed  to  Plymouth,  Ohio,  where  he  re- 
mained till  1875,  when  he  removed  to  Sycamore,  where  he  has  since  been 
engaged  in  his  profession.  Dr.  Gibbs  was  married,  October  8,  1871,  to 
Ada  C.  Kear,  daughter  of  Byron  and  Eliza  A.  (Clark)  Kear,  natives  of 
this  county.  Mrs.  Gibbs  was  born  in  Wyandot  County,  and  was  one  of 
three  children,  the  others  being  Emma  E.  and  Flora  E.  Two  daughters 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gibbs — Naarnah,  January  12,1879;  Ethel,  April 
25,  1881.  The  latter  is  deceased,  her  death  occurring  October  7,  1881. 
Dr.  Gibbs  owns  a  comfortable  house  in  Sycamore,  and  has  established  a 
lucrative  practice.  He  is  a  Republican  and  has  served  four  terms  as  Town- 
ship Clerk.  Is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge,  No.  314,  at  McCutchen- 
ville,  and  of  the  McCutchen  Chapter,  No.  96,  at  Upper  Sandusky;  is  also  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Sycamore;  was  a  charter  member  and  is  now 
District  Deputy  Grand  Master. 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1011 

WILLIAM  GIBBS  was  born  in  Hope  Township,  Warren  Co.,  N.  J., 
May  12,  1828.  His  parents,  Christopher  and  Susanna  (Bunting)  Gibbs, 
were  natives  of  the  same  State,  and  of  Scotch  and  English  parentage  re- 
spectively. They  were  married  and  resided  in  Warren  County,  being  the 
parents  of  ten  children  —Elizabeth,  John  P.,  David  V.,  Levi  B. ,  Richard, 
Sarah  A.,  Israel,  Abraham  N. ,  William  and  Christopher — all  living  but 
Israel,  Abraham  N.  and  Sarah  A.  Their  father  died  in  1831,  the  mother 
in  1862.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  our  subject  began  the  meichant 
clothing  business,  which  he  followed  till  1856,  in  his  native  place.  He  was 
married  in  August,  1850,  to  Miss  Emeline  Blair,  of  Hope,  Warren  Co. ,  N. 
J.,  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  (Lineberry)  Blair,  natives  of  the  same 
county.  Her  parents  were  married  in  their  native  locality,  and  had  eight 
children — William  L.,  Emeline,  Matilda  F.,  Caroline  L.,  Malinda,  Theo- 
dore F.,  Marshall  and  James  A.  Mrs.  Blair  died  in  1853,  and  Mr.  Blair  in 
1867.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gibbs  are  the  parents  of  four  children — three  sons 
and  one  daughter — namely,  Theodore  Marshall,  James  Blair,  May  and  Saron 
Ellsworth.  Theodore  M.  died  in  December,  1869.  James  B.  was  married  in 
February,  1876,  to  Miss  Almeda  E.  Lease,  daughter  of  Eden  and  Mary 
(Keller)  Lease,  of  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  May  was  married  in  January, 
1874,  to  A.  F.  Saffell,  son  of  James  and  Jemima  (Hartsough)  Saffell,  of 
W^yandot  County,  Ohio.  Saron  E.  was  married  in  September,  1883,  to 
Miss  Nancy  E.  Martin,  daughter  of  Absalom  and  Rachael  (Bretz)  Martin, 
of  Seneca  County,  Ohio.  In  1856,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Gibbs  moved  to 
Ohio,  Sycamore  Township,  and  located  on  their  present  farm,  which  they 
own,  300  acres,  where  they  now  reside.  He  does  a  general  farming  and 
stock-raising  business,  is  a  breeder  of  thoroughbred,  registered,  merino 
sheep.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Mexico,  and 
in  politics  a  Republican. 

CYRUS  GRIFFITH,  a  native  of  this  township,  and  son  of  William 
and  Mary  (Cowgill)  Griffith,  was  born  June  19,  1831.  He  resided  on  the 
homestead  till  his  marriage,  October  3,  1853,  to  Elizabeth  Crous,  of  Mel- 
more,  Seneca  Co. ,  Ohio,  and  native  of  Lancaster,  Penn. ;  then  purchased, 
1854,  130  acres  of  land  to  which  he  added  220  acres  in  1864,  and  sold 
fifty  acres  in  1867.  He  has  since  purchased  twenty  acres,  now  owning  320 
acres  valued  at  $80  to  $100  per  acre.  He  has  been  chiefly  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  has  done  considerable  business  in  stock-shipping. 
Mrs.  Griffith  is  a  daughter  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Hubbard)  Crous,  who 
were  natives  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Lancaster,  Penn.,  and  moved  to  Ohio  in  1840,  locating  in  Seneca 
County,  where,  after  a  few  years  engaged  at  his  trade,  Mr.  Crous  began 
farming,  which  occupation  he  followed  during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
The  children  of  this  family  consisted  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters, 
namely,  Jacob,  Frederick  J.,  Henry,  Henrietta,  Elizabeth  and  Leonard  G. 
Their  father  died  September  4,  1846,  and  their  mother  July  4,  1883.  Mr. 
Griffith  is  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  and  citizens  of  the  township,  and  is 
a  strong  Republican  politically. 

HARVEY  GRIFFITH,  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Cowgill)  Griffith, 
was  born  in  this  township  in  1833.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Hamp- 
shire, where  they  were  married  in  1815,  and  were  of  W^elsh  and  German  de- 
scent respectivel}.  They  moved  to  Ohio  in  1819,  and  settled  in  Ross 
County,  where  they  resided  six  years,  he  being  engaged  as  a  fuller  and 
dresser  of  cloth.  In  1825,  they  moved  to  this  township  and  entered  eighty 
acres  of  land  upon  which  he  erected,  in  1827,  the  first  saw  mill  in  the  town- 


1012  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

ship.  He  also  erected  a  fulling  mill,  which  he  operated  till  about  1838, 
when  he  traded  his  mill  property  to  George  Harper  for  120  acres  of  land. 
On  this  he  moved  and  reared  a  family,  five  of  whom  are  now  living, 
namely,  Mary,  Jesse,  Cyrus,  Harvey  and  Jane — all  now  living  in  this  town- 
ship but  Jesse,  who  resides  in  California.  The  father  died  December  23, 
1861,  the  mother  August  8,  1868.  Harvey,  our  subject,  resided  on  the 
home  farm  which  he  superintended  and  tilled.  He  was  married,  April  25, 
1867,  to  Miss  Ann  M.  Myers,  of  Upper  Sandusky,  a  native  of  Cumberland 
County,  Penn.,  and  daughter  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Baker)  Myers,  who 
were  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  where  they  were  married.  Her  jjarents 
moved  to  Ohio  and  reared  a  family  consisting  of  five  sons  and  four 
daughters.  They  located  in  this  county,  where  the  mother  died.  To 
Harvev  and  Ann  M.  Griffith  were  born  three  daughtei's,  namely,  Minnie  A., 
January  1,  1869;  Hettie,  July  9,  1871;  and  Fannie,  May  17,  1879.  Mr. 
Griffith  came  into  possession  of  the  homestead  in  1861,  by  his  father's  death, 
and  to  this  farm  he  has  added  sixty-three  acres,  making  219  acres  in  all, 
valued  at  $300  to  $110  per  acre.  He  has  always  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  and  has  been  a  life-long 
Republican. 

DAVID  GOODMAN  was  born  August  25,  1810,  in  Ross  County,  Ohio. 
He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Conner)  Goodman,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  of  German  and  Irish  descent.  They  were  married  in  Ross 
County  and  had  eight  children;  four  survive — David,  John,  Daniel  and 
Ann.  The  mother  died  in  June,  1832,  aged  forty-four;  the  father,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1870,  aged  eighty-nine.  David  Goodman  came  to  this  county  in 
1831,  and  located  on  eighty  acres  entered  by  his  father  in  1827.  His  par- 
ents moved  into  a  cabin  erected  on  the  farm,  and  the  sons  and  father  cleared 
away  the  forest,  living  principally  upon  "  Johnny  cake "  and  venison  for 
several  years.  Mr.  Goodman  was  married,  January  30,  1837,  to  Miss  Mary 
Van  Gundy,  who  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Benja- 
min and  Sallie  (Snyder)  Van  Gundy,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Ger- 
man descent.  There  were  ten  children  in  the  family,  four  surviving — Han- 
nah, Elizabeth,  Jefferson  and  George.  The  parents  both  died  in  1842. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodman  were  blessed  with  thirteen  children — Ann  E.,  Will- 
iam, David,  Sarah  J.,  Mahala,  Minerva,  Mary  E.,  Laura,  Isabel,  John,  Hi- 
ram, Catharine  and  George  W.  The  deceased  are  Mary  E.,  William,  John 
and  George  W.  The  mother  died  April  2,  1868,  aged  sixty-two  years.  In 
1855,  Mr.  Goodman  purchased  eighty  acres  on  which  he  still  lives,  adding 
to  this  till  he  now  owns  238  acres,  all  in  this  township.  He  values  this 
land  at  $75  to  $85  per  acre.  He  has  always  been  a  farmer  and  successful; 
was  once  a  Whig  but  now  a  Republican. 

GEORGE  HEISTAND  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  January 
28,  1832,  son  of  Daniel  and  Nancy  (Krans)  Heistand,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  of  Dutch  descent.  His  parents  were  married  in  Fairfield  County, 
and  in  1837  moved  to  Wood  County,  where  they  purchased  and  cleared  a 
farm  of  forty  acres  which  they  sold  in  1844.  They  then  moved  to  Seneca 
County,  and,  after  eight  years,  to  this  county,  locating  in  Tymochtee  Town- 
ship, where  Mrs.  Heistand  died.  Mr.  H.  died  in  Indiana.  George,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  was  married,  August  9,  1855,  to  Mary  E.  Van  Gundy,  a 
resident  of  this  township,  native  of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of 
Michael  and  Hannah  (Eyestone)  Van  Gundy,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Ohio  respectively,  and  of  German  descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heistand  have 
two  sons — William  H.,  born  July  17,  1856,  and  Isaac,  born   February  22, 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1013 

1859.  In  October,  1856,  Mr.  Heistand  moved  to  the  farm  of  eighty  acres 
where  he  now  resides.  He  is  a  successful  farmer  and  a  strong  Republican, 
well  respected  in  his  community. 

AARON  C.  HERSHBERGER  was  born  in  this  township  April  8, 
1836,  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Christina  (Hess)  Hershberger,  natives  of  Rock- 
ingham Cou.nty,  Va. ;  his  parents  were  married  in  Seneca  County,  and  in 
1832  settled  in  this  township  on  160  acres,  entered  by  his  father,  Jacob 
Hershberger,  Sr.  There  were  four  children  in  the  family — John  H.,  Aaron 
C,  Mary  C,  and  an  infant  deceased.  Mrs.  Hershberger's  death  occurred 
March  2,  1876.  Our  subject  was  married,  March  14,  1861,  to  Sarah  E. 
Finch,  a  native  of  Seneca  County,  and  daughter  of  Solomon  R.  and  Hester 
(Dean)  Finch,  natives  of  York  State,  and  of  English  descent.  Her  parents 
came  to  Ohio  in  1838  or  1839,  settled  in  Seneca  County,  and  reared  a  family 
of  eleven  children — Jesse,  David,  Mary  J.,  Madison,  Randolph,  Caroline, 
Margaret,  Catharine,  Esther,  Sarah  E.  and  Julia,  all  living  except  Esther. 
The  mother  died  September  5,  1859,  the  father  August  25,  1863.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hershberger  have  two  children — Alwilda  and  Jeanette.  After  renting 
land  a  few  years  Mr.  Hershberger  purchased  the  old  homestead  in  1866 
In  1879,  he  removed  to  Tiffin,  Ohio,  for  the  purpose  of  educating  his  daugh- 
ters, remaining  two  years.  In  the  meantime  he  disposed  of  the  old  farm 
and  purchased  in  the  same  township  180  acres,  where  he  has  resided  since 
1881,  it  being  the  same  farm  on  which  he  was  born.  He  devotes  his  time 
to  agricultural  pursuits,  exclusively  keeping  fine  grades  of  sheep.  He  was 
a  meuiber  of  Company  E,  Ohio  National  Guai'ds;  is  a  Democrat,  and  has 
served  three  years  as  Trustee. 

JONATHAN  HILL,  son  of  John  F.  and  Eliza  (Titus)  Hill,  was  born  in 
Wan-en  County,  N.  J.,  November  26,  1815.  His  parents  were  natives  of 
New  Jersey;  were  of  English  and  German  descent,  and  were  married  in 
Warren  County,  where  they  resided  till  their  death.  Their  children  were 
Jonathan,  Andrew  T.,  Catura  K.,  Gideon  L.  and  John  B. — all  living  but 
Gideon.  Jonathan  Hill  was  married,  February  17,  1844,  to  Sarah  E.  Simp 
son,  who  was  also  of  his  native  county  and  daughter  of  James  and  Harriet 
(Squires)  Simpson,  also  natives  of  same  county.  Her  parents  came  to  Ohio 
in  1846,  and  purchased  land  in  Tymochtee  Township,  where  they  resided 
till  1866.  when  they  moved  to  McCutchenville,  where  they  resided  till  their 
respective  deaths.  He  died  May  11,  1866,  and  she  followed  February  14, 
1867.  Seven  of  their  twelve  children  survive,  viz.,  Jehiel  L..  Sarah  E., 
John,  Charity  C. ,  Almira,  Nancy  A.  and  Theodore  F.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill 
have  had  eight  children — Harriet,  Ann  Irene,  Adel  A.,  Cleone  M.,  James  S., 
John  B.,  Edward  S.  and  Parmelia  M.  The  deceased  are  Harriet,  Cleone 
M.  and  Edward  S.  Mr.  Hill  came  to  this  State  in  1846,  and  settled  in 
Seneca  County,  where  he  was  engaged  at  the  cabinet  trade  till  1849,  when 
he  moved  to  this  township,  still  working  at  his  trade.  In  1861,  he  moved 
to  Wood  County,  where  he  purchased  land  on  which  he  resided  two  years. 
He  then  returned  to  this  township  and  purchased  thirty  acres  where  he 
still  resides.  He  was  formerly  a  Whig-Republican,  but  now  a  Prohibition- 
ist. Mr.  Hill  and  his  wife  are  both  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
at  McCutchenville. 

ABRAHAM  HONSBERGER  was  born  October  27.  1826,  in  Lehigh 
County,  Penn.  He  is  a  son  of  Abraham  and  Margaret  (Richart)  Honsber- 
ger,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  They  were  married 
in  Lehigh  County,  and  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  five  now  living — 
Ann,  Rebecca,   Eliza,  Polly  and  Abraham.      The  latter  learned  the  black- 

48 


1014  HISTORY  OF  AVYANDOT  COUNTY. 

smith's  trade  when  a  young  man,  and  was  thus  engaged  about  twenty  years. 
In  1848,  he  came  to  Ohio  and  located  in  Seneca  County.  In  1806,  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land  near  Tiffin  (where  he  had  previously  bought 
twenty-eight  acres),  and  began  farming.  In  1877,  he  sold  out  and  pur- 
chased 160  acres  where  he  now  lives.  In  1880,  the  brick  residence  with 
which  his  farm  was  provided  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  his  present 
house  was  built  in  the  same  year.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A. 
Bacher,  a  resident  of  Lehigh  County,  Penn.,  and  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Christina  (Glick)  Bacher,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  parentage. 
Her  parents  had  ten  children,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living — Rebecca,  Sarah, 
Jacob  T.,  Solomon  and  Mary  A.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Honsberger  are  the  parents 
of  seven  children — Amanda  M. ,  born  December  24,  1848;  Henry  A.,  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1850;  Margaret  A.,  March  4,  1853;  Franklin  A.,  March  31.1855; 
Elvina  C,  January  20,  1857;  Laura  M.,  May  10,  1859;  Wilson  A.,  May  3, 
1864;  all  are  living  but  Amanda  who  died  June  27,  1872.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Honsberger  is  a  Republican.  He  and  his  family  are  associated  with  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 

BENJAMIN  F.  JAQUETH  was  born  in  the  town  of  Rodman,  Jefferson 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  September  9,  1820.  He  is  a  sun  of  Amasa  and  Lydia 
(King)  Jaqueth,  natives  of  Vermont,  and  of  English  parentage.  His  parents 
were  married  in  Jefferson  County,  and  migrated  to  Ohio  in  1848,  and 
located  in  Crawford  County,  where  they  died  at  the  respective  ages  seventy- 
eight  and  fifty  years.  Our  subject  came  to  Ohio  in  1843.  He  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Crawford  County  in  1845.  He  subsequently  sold 
this  and  after  several  deals  in  real  estate  purchased,  in  1868,  in  this  town- 
ship, 125  acres,  where  he  still  resides.  He  was  married,  April  12,  1847,  to 
Mary  J.  Valentine,  widow  of  Leonard  Valentine,  a  native  of  Richland 
County,  Ohio,  resident  of  Crawford  County,  and  daughter  of  John  and 
Nancy  (Wry)  Hazlett.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  of  Irish 
and  English  parentage,  and  died  when  she  was  very  young.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jaqueth  had  ten  children,  though  but  eight  are  now  living — six  sons  and 
two  daughters.  Mr.  Jaqueth  was  reared  a  farmer,  but  has  given  some  at- 
tention to  other  vocations;  was  for  some  time  in  the  employ  of  the  Ohio 
Central  Railroad  Company.  He  has  a  farm  well  improved,  which  he  values 
at  $80  to  $90  per  acre.  Politically,  Mr.  Jaqueth  is  a  Republican-Prohibi- 
tionist. 

VIRGIL  JUMP  is  a  native  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born 
March  19,  1850.  He  is  a  son  of  Jervile  and  Debora  (Close)  Jump,  natives 
of  New  York.  His  parents  were  of  English  descent;  were  married  in  New 
York,  and  migrated  to  Ohio  about  1842,  settling  in  Crawford  County,  where 
they  still  reside.  Our  subject  has  been  a  farmer  from  boyhood.  He  has 
eighty-two  acres  of  land  in  this  township,  well  improved  and  provided  with 
a  fine  brick  residence  built  in  1878.  His  land  is  valued  at  $80  to  $90  per 
acre.  Mr.  Jump  was  married,  November  17,  1874,  to  Hulda  Wilson,  a 
native  of  this  township,  and  daughter  of  John  L.  and  Susanna  (Kisor)  Wil- 
son, natives  of  York  State  and  Ohio  respectively,  of  English  and  Dutch 
descent.  Her  parents  now  live  in  Tiffin,  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jump  have 
four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters — Martha,  born  December  4, 
1876;  Nettie,  May  22,  1878;  Ora  J.,  September  20,  1880;  Wilson  V.,  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1883.  Mr.  Jump  is  among  the  most  enterprising  agriculturists 
of  his  township  and  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen.  He  is  an  enthusiastic 
Democrat. 


SYCAMORE  TOAVNSHIP.  1015 

WILLIAM  B.  KITCHEN  was  born  at  Berwick,  Columbia  Co.,  Penn., 
March  12,  1838;  he  is  a  son  of  Amos  E.  and  Margaret  (Campbell^  Kitchen, 
natives  of  New  Jersey,  and  of  Scotch  and  English  parentage  respectively. 
His  parents  were  married  in  Mc-ntour  County,  Penn.,  and  resided  in  Ber- 
vick,  where  they  reared  eight  sons  and  two  daughters,  whose  names  are  as 
follows:  Oliver  P.  H.,  Matilda,  Pemberton  C,  Dewitt  C,  Permilia,  Ed- 
mond,  John  C,  William  B.,  Amos  E.  and  an  infant.  Matilda,  Dewitt  C, 
Amos  E.  and  the  infant  are  deceased.  Amos  E.  lost  his  life  in  the  battle 
at  Dallas,  Ga. ;  Dewitt  C.  was  all  through  the  Mexican  war  and  the  late 
rebellion.  The  father  died  in  1840,  and  in  1842  his  widow  and  her  chil- 
dren moved  to  Ohio  and  settled  at  McCutchenville.  Mrs.  Kitchen  died 
at  the  home  of  her  daughter  in  December,  1883,  aged  eighty- two  years. 
She  was  a  sister  of  John  and  Alexander  Campbell,  prominent  men  in  the 
early  history  of  this  county.  Our  subject  was  cast  out  upon  the  world  at 
the  age  of  thirteen;  he  spent  his  early  years  in  telegraph  offices  and  as  a 
drug  clerk.  In  1856,  he  returned  to  this  county  and  clerked  in  a 
general  store  till  1861,  in  August  of  which  year  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany G,  Forty-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Col.  Gibson,  serving 
in  the  Fourth  Corps,  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  until  discharged  in  Septem- 
ber, 1864,  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.  Returning  home  Mr.  Kitchen  was  en- 
gaged in  clerkships  until  1867,  when  he  opened  a  general  store  at  Belle 
Vernon,  where  he  remained  about  eleven  years.  In  1879,  he  migrated  to 
Kansas,  where  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  a  short  time;  then 
returning  to  Sycamore,  where  he  has  since  conducted  a  profitable  business  in 
dry  goods,  groceries,  etc.  Mr.  Kitchen  was  married,  March  4,  1868,  to 
Sarah  E.  Haymon,  a  native  of  Tymochtee  Township,  and  daughter  of 
George  and  Ellen  (Scott)  Haymon,  natives  of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  of 
German  and  Scotch  descent;  her  parents  were  married  in  this  county,  their 
children  being  Samuel,  Jacob,  Matilda  J.,  George,  Rebecca,  Amanda, 
Charlotte,  Sarah  E.,  Josephine  V.,  Joseph,  Thomas  and  Peter.  Samuel 
and  Rebecca  are  deceased.  Her  father  was  accidently  killed  by  a  horse  in 
1870;  her  mobher  died  in  1883,  their  ages  being  sixty-two  and  seventy  re- 
spectively. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kitchen  have  had  five  children — Minnie  J.,  born 
December  21,  1868;  Jay,  January  28,  1871;  Ray,  May  25.  1873;  Day, 
July  4,  1875;  Gay,  November  5,  1880.  Minnie  J.  is  deceased.  Mr. 
Kitchen  is  warmly  attached  to  the  interests  of  the  Republican  party,  and  is 
one  of  the  foremost  merchants  of  Sycamore. 

WILLIAM  KINLEY  was  born  in   Tymochtee  Township  February  28, 

1848;  he  is  a  son  of and    Susanna  (Sheneberger)  Kinley,  whose 

sketch  appears  in  the  Eden  Township  division  of  this  work.  Mr.  Kinley 
was  married,  August  19,  1869,  to  Miss  Laura  A.  Swinehart,  a  native  of  this 
township,  daughter  of  Samuel  P.  and  Jane  (Milligan)  Swinehart.  Two 
children  have  blessed  this  union — Jerusha  M.  and  Willard  C.  Mr.  Kinley 
began  housekeeping  on  moderate  means;  he  rented  land  about  seven  years, 
and  then  (1876)  purchased  his  father's  homestead  of  forty  acres  (in  Crane 
Township),  which  he  sold  in  1877;  purchased  forty  acres  in  same  township, 
and  soon  after  sold  out;  purchased  forty-seven  acres  in  Tymochtee  Town- 
ship, and  sold  out  in  1879,  buying  a  farm  of  seventy  acres  in  the  same  year. 
In  1882,  he  disposed  of  thirty  acres  to  H.  Griffith,  leaving  forty  acres, 
which  he  values  at  ^170  per  acre;  he  has  personal  property  to  the  amount 
of  $1,500  to  $2,000,  all  of  which  has  been  obtained  by  industry  and  econ- 
omy; he  has  served  his  township  in  several  offices,  and  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  reliable  citizens  of  his  community;  he  and  Mrs.  Kinley  are  members 


1016  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  with  which  he  is  officially  connected;  he  is 
alsoSu[jerintendent  of  the  Sabbath  School. 

JEHIEL  T.  KONKLE  was  born  March  19,  1827;  he  is  a  native  of 
Hardwick  Township,  Warren  Co.,  N.  J.,  and  son  of  John  and  Mariam 
(Drake)  Konkle,  natives  of  the  same  county,  where  they  were  married,  and 
where  Mrs.  Konkle  died  in  July,  1882,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years. 
Mr.  Konkle  still  lives  in  the  same  county,  and  is  in  his  eighty-fourth  year. 
They  were  of  American  descent,  and  had  ten  children.  Those  living  are 
Jacob  D.,  Alfred  F.,  Jehiel  L.,  George  W.,  Elizabeth  M.  and  Milton  S. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen,  our  subject,  Jehiel,  left  home  to  learn  the  miller's 
trade,  which  he  followed  in  his  native  county  about  live  years.  In  1850, 
he  came  to  Ohio,  and  for  eight  years  was  engaged  in  the  same  business  in 
this  and  Seneca  County.  He  was  married,  December  31,  1853,  to  Mary  E. 
Park,  of  this  township,  but  native  of  Warren  County,  N.  J.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Jonathan  A.  and  Eliza  (Davis)  Park,  who  were  born  and  married 
in  Warren  County,  N.  J.  Five  of  their  eight  children  are  yet  living, 
namely:  Mary  E.,  Rebecca  D.,  Sarah  J.,  John  B.  and  William.  The  father 
died  November  16,  1858,  the  mother  April  19,  1862,  both  in  this  township. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jehiel  Konkle  were  born  six  children,  viz.,  Jonathan  P., 
John  F.,  Mariam,  Eliza  Otilia,  Regena  and  Iva  C.  Mr.  Konkle  gave  up 
milling  in  1855,  and  began  farming,  which  occupation  he  has  since  contin- 
ued. In  1864,  he  purchased  the  homestead  of  120  acres  of  his  wife's  peo- 
ple, and  on  this  farm  he  still  resides.  He  has  improved  his  farm  in  vari- 
ous ways,  buildings,  fencings,  etc.  He  has  served  in  different  township 
offices  for  about  sixteen  years.  He  and  Mrs.  Konkle  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.     In  politics,  Mr.  Konkle  is  a  Republican. 

JACOB  LEASE  is  a  native  of  Frederick  County,  Md. ,  and  was  born 
March  15,  1816.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Barbara  Lease,  both  of  whom 
died  in  Maryland.  He  came  to  Ohio  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and  was 
for  several  years  employed  as  a  farm  hand  in  Seneca  County.  He  was 
married,  in  Seneca  County,  to  Elizabeth  Smith,  who  bore  him  two  children, 
only  one  of  whom  is  now  living — Charles,  a  resident  of  Dakota.  Mrs, 
Lease  has  been  deceased  about  thirty-two  years.  Soon  after  the  death  of 
his  first  wife,  Mr.  Lease  married  Mary  J.  McCormick,  of  Seneca  Coanty, 
and  this  marriage  resulted  in  seven  children,  four  now  living,  namely,  Jane, 
Ann,  Eliza  and  Robert.  Mrs.  Lease  died  in  1877.  Mr.  Lease  has  now  re- 
tired from  active  labor.  He  is  a  Democrat,  having  been  educated  in  its 
principles  from  his  youth. 

^JOANNA  LEE  was  born  November  15,  1819.  She  is  a  native  oi  Bel- 
mont County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Eliza  (Oobel)  Veirs,  natives 
of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  of  English  descent.  Her 
parents  were  married  in  Steubenville,  Ohio,  and  moved  first  to  Belmont 
County,  thence  to  Putnam  County,  and  thence  to  Wyandot  in  1847.  They 
had  six  children,  of  whom  but  three  survive,  two  sons  and  one  daughter, 
viz.,  Joanna,  John  and  James.  The  father  died  in  1841;  the  mother  in 
1854.  Joanna  was  married.  March  19,  1839,  to  Hugh  Lee,  of  Belmont 
County,  Ohio,  born  July  12, 1810,  and  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Vance)  Lee. 
His  parents  were  natives  of  Ireland  and  Pennsylvania  respectively;  were 
married  in  Washington  County,  Penn.,  and  moved  to  Belmont  County,  Ohio, 
where  they  reared  a  family  of  twelve  children,  but  four  of  whom  now  siir- 
vive — John,  William,  Joseph  and  Priscilla.  His  father  died  in  1849;  his 
mother  in  1836.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hugh  Lee  became  the  parents  of  twelve 
children — Amanda  C,  LaFayette,  Robert,   James  T.,  Samuel  V.,  Mary  R., 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1017 

Eliza,  Hugh,  Joseph  V.,  Carrie  E.  and  Ivy,  all  living  but  Eliza,  Robert  and 
an  infant  son.  Mr.  Lee  began  business  for  himself  as  a  farmer,  purchasing 
land  first  in  Putnam  County;  then  in  AVyandot,  Sycamore  Township,  in  1847, 
owning  at  his  death  550  acres.  He  died  June  12,  1882.  He  was  a  life-long 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party. 
Mrs.  Lee  still  continues  the  management  of  the  farm,  assisted  by  her  sons. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Deunquat,  this  township. 

WILLIAM  A.  MILLIGAN  was  born  in  this  township  December  23, 1833. 
He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Susan  (Weddle)  Milligan,  who  were  natives  of 
Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  and  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  respectively. 
They  were  married  in  E'airtield  County,  and  moved  to  this  county  in  1831, 
settling  on  land  entered  in  this  township  by  his  father  in  1829.  Here  they 
reared  a  family  of  ten  children,  three  of  whom  survive,  namely,  William  A., 
John  W.  and  Sarah  E.  The  father  died  August  13,  1855;  the  mother  April 
16,  1879.  The  former  was  a  Methodist  minister,  having  joined  the  church 
at  the  age  of  twelve.  William  A.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  who  has 
never  married,  lived  with  his  father  till  the  latter's  death.  He  then  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  till  the  late  rebellion.  In  1861, 
he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Forty-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under 
Capt.  Culver,  and  passed  through  the  following  battles:  Shiloh,  Stone 
River,  Liberty  Gap,  Chattanooga,  through  the  Atlanta  campaign,  Resaca, 
Jonesboro,  Franklin,  Nashville  and  others.  He  was  100  days  under  fire, 
and  was  honorably  discharged  at  Strawberry  Plains,  Tenn. ,  December,  1863. 
He  then  veteranized  in  the  same  company,  and  served  till  November  13,  1865, 
at  which  time  he  was  discharged  at  Victoria,  Tex.  He  then  returned  home 
and  to  his  trade,  which  he  has  since  been  engaged  at.  He  purchased  the 
homestead  of  eighty-two  acres,  where  he  still  lives,  and  which  is  valued  at 
$75  to  $85  per  acre.  He  also  owns  town  lots  in  the  village  of  Sycamore,  and 
devotes  his  time  to  farming  and  stock-dealing.  He  is  an  official  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  member  of  Wyandot  Lodge  F.  &  A.  M., 
No.  311,  at  McCutchenville;  charter  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  at  Sycamore; 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  a  Republican-Prohibitionist. 

JOHN  F.  MONTGOMERY,  son  of  Francis  and  Maria  (Gregg)  Mont- 
gomery, was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  September  25,  1836.  His 
parents  were  natives  of  the  same  county,  and  of  Irish  descent.  They  moved 
to  this  county  in  1850,  and  reared  in  this  township  a  family  of  six  children, 
three  sons  and  three  daughters.  The  father  died  in  September,  1877.  His 
widow  now  resides  in  Seneca  County.  In  1859,  Mr.  Montgomery  made  a 
purchase  of  eighty  acres  in  this  township.  He  sold  this  farm  in  1861  and 
purchased  fifty  acres  in  Seneca  County,  where  he  resided  seven  years.  He 
next  moved  to  Republic,  where  he  lived  five  years,  and  then  purchased 
ninety-five  acres  of  improved  land  Id  Sycamore  Township,  where  he  now 
resides.  Mr.  Montgomery  was  married.  May  1,  1863,  to  Martha  E.  Bland, 
of  this  county,  daughter  of  William  and  Margaret  Bland,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Maryland  respectively.  Her  parents  migrated  to  Ohio  in  an  early 
day;  were  married  in  Muskingum  County;  moved  to  Wyandot,  and  pur- 
chased land  in  Tymochtee  Township,  where  they  were  closely  associated 
with  the  Indians.  They  died  in  the  years  1858  and  1862  respectively.  Mr. 
Montgomery  has  been  an  agi'iculturist  all  his  life,  and  quite  successful. 
He  is  Republican  in  political  sentiment,  and  was  once  ejected  Township  Clerk 
in  Seneca  County.  He  is  a  member  of  Eden  Lodge,  No.  310,  F.  &  A.  M. , 
in  Melmoro,  and  Mrs.  Montgomery  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  Sycamore. 


1018  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

JAMES  C.  PEASE  is  a  native  of  Hartford  County,  Conn. ;  was  born 
January  9,  1815,  and  is  a  son  of  Luther  and  Nancy  (Pease)  Pease,  natives 
of  the  same  State.  His  parents  were  of  English  ancestiy,  and  migrated  to 
Ohio  in  1817.  They  settled  in  Geauga  County,  and  reared  a  family  of  three 
sons  and  one  daughter,  namely,  Nancy  L.,  Luther  L.,  James  C.  and  Loren 
A.  Nancy  L.  is  deceased.  The  father  died  in  1827,  the  mother  in  Novem- 
ber, 1810.  While  a  young  raan  our  subject  learned  the  trade  of  a  wagon- 
maker.  In  1839,  he  located  in  Sycamore,  where  he  and  his  brother,  Loren 
A.,  opened  a  carriage  and  wagon  shop,  which  they  conducted  until  1850, 
and  then  purchased  285  acres  in  Sycamore  and  Eden  Townships,  and  began 
farming.  He  added  ninety  acres  to  his  original  purchase,  and  in  1881  gave 
up  active  business,  purchased  the  John  Kisor  property  at  Petersburg,  where 
he  has  since  lived  a  retired  life.  He  is  now  in  his  seventieth  year.  Mr. 
Pease  was  married,  November,  1839,  to  Eliza  C.  Hall,  a  resident  of  Geauga 
County,  Ohio,  native  of  York  State,  and  daughter  of  Moses  and  Elizabeth 
(Clark)  Hall,  natives  of  York  State  and  Connecticut  respectively.  Her  par- 
ents were  married  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  and  moved  to  Geauga  County, 
Ohio,  as  early  as  1820.  Their  children  were  Eliza  C,  Martin,  Moses,  Jo- 
sephine, Carlos,  Solon  and  Angeline.  Three  are  deceased — Martha,  Carlos 
and  Angeline.  The  mother  died  in  1874,  the  father  in  1877.  The  children 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pease  were  Melissa,  Virgil  J.,  Myron  E.,  Josephine 
E.  and  Luther  D.  The  two  eldest  are  deceased.  Mr.  Pease  served  as  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  nine  years,  and  was  elected  Land  Appraiser  in  1880.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  at  Upper  Sandusky,  and  in  politics  is  an 
old  Whig-Republican  and  Prohibitionist.  He  and  Mrs.  Pease  were  former- 
ly members  of  the  Congregational  Church,  from  which  they  now  hold  let- 
ters. 

LEVI  PENNINGTON  is  a  native  of  Hampshire  County,  Va.  He  was 
born  October  24,  1811,  and  is  a  son  of  Elijah  and  Elizabeth  Pennington, 
natives  of  Delaware  and  Virginia  respectively.  His  parents  moved  to  Ohio 
in  1826,  and  located  in  Seneca  County,  where  they  rented  land  a  few  years, 
in  the  meantime  (1827)  purchasing  eighty  acres  and  entering  160  acres  in 
this  township.  About  the  same  year  they  purchased  eighty  acres  and  en- 
tered the  same  amount  in  Seneca  County.  He  resided  on  his  first  purchase 
till  the  death  of  Mr.  Pennington.  Of  sixteen  children  but  three  now  sur- 
vive— Isaac,  Nancy  and  Levi,  our  subject.  The  latter  was  married,  Jan- 
uary 24,  1833,  to  Elizabeth  Hummon,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  and  Mary  Hummon.  Her  parents  were  also  natives  of  Pennsyl  - 
vania,  of  German  ancestry,  and  reared  a  family  of  ten  children;  three  are 
living — William,  Saloma  and  Elizabeth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pennington  had 
five  children — Mary  E.,  Peter,  Saloma,  James  H.  and  Levi  M. ,  all  living 
but  Mar}'  E.  The  four  living  are  all  married.  In  January,  1883,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pennington  celebrated  their  "  golden  wedding  "  with  ten  grandchildi'en 
in  attendance.  Mr.  Pennington  has  followed  farming  from  his  youth,  first 
with  oxen  among  the  roots,  clearing  land  and  working  hard.  He  inherited 
the  homestead  on  condition  that  he  support  his  parents  in  their  declining 
years.  By  good  management,  industry  and  economy,  he  has  amassed  a  con- 
siderable fortune;  has  assisted  his  children  in  starting  in  business,  and  still 
owns  about  550  acres  of  valuable  land.  Mr.  Pennington  cast  his  first  vote 
for  Andrew  Jackson,  and  has  been  faithful  to  the  Democratic  cause  all 
through  his  life. 

LEVI  M.  PENNINGTON  is  a  native  of  this  township,  and  was  born 
August  25,  1852.     He  is  a  son  of  Levi  and  Elizabeth  (Hummon)  Penning- 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1019 

ton,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  He  was  married, 
January  16,  1873,  to  Delilah  Badger,  of  Tymochtee  Township,  daughter  of 
Jesse  and  Elizabeth  (Fisher)  Badger,  natives  of  Wayne  and  Wyandot 
Counties  respectively.  By  this  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pennington  have 
one  son — Jesse,  born  September  26,  1874.  In  1880,  Mr.  Pennington  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  land  in  this  township,  and  eighty  acres  in  Eden  Town- 
ship. He  resides  on  the  former  tract,  and  is  improving  his  farm  in  various 
ways.  He  has  followed  agricultural  pursuits  all  his  life,  and  has  met  with 
very  good  success  in  his  favorite  calling.  His  early  years  were  passed  at 
home  on  a  fai'm,  and  in  attendiug  the  district  schools.  Besides  this  part  of 
his  education,  he  also  attended  two  terms  at  the  Heidelberg  College  at 
Tiffin,  Ohio.     In  politics,  Mr.  Pennington  is  a  stanch  Democrat. 

PETER  PENNINGTON,  son  of  Levi  and  Elizabeth  Pennington,  was 
born  in  this  township  January  6,  1835.  He  resided  with  his  parents  till  his 
marriage  to  Hettie  J.  Johnston,  May  8,  1859,  and  then  purchased  100  acres 
in  Eden  Township,  Seneca  County,  moving  upon  this  farm  the  same  year, 
and  since  residing  there.  It  is  just  outside  the  Wyandot  County  line,  op- 
posite the  farm  of  his  father.  Mr.  Pennington  also  purchased  forty  acres 
in  this  township  in  1865,  and  now  values  his  farm  of  140  acres  at  $100  per 
acre.  He  is  an  excellent  farmer,  and  keeps  a  good  grade  of  stock — Jersey 
cattle.  Cloud  horses,  Poland-China  and  Chester-White  hogs.  Mrs.  Penning- 
ton is  a  native  of  Bucks  County,  Penn.,  and  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mar- 
garet (Baty)  Johnston,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Scotch  descent.  Her 
parents  migrated  to  Ohio  in  1846,  and  located  in  Eden  Township,  Seneca 
County,  where  they  reared  a  family  of  seven  daughters,  all  now  living  but 
one.  Their  father  and  mother  are  both  deceased.  Mr.  apd  Mrs.  Penning- 
ton have  one  child — Maggie  E.,  born  December  5,  1865.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Pennington  is  a  Democrat. 

DENTON  V.  ROGERS  was  born  in  Bedford  County,  Penn.,  November 
1,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Rachel  (Smith)  Rogers,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  of  Holland  and  English  lineage  respectively.  His 
parents  married  in  his  native  locality,  moved  to  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  in 
1839,  and  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  four  now  living — Thomas, 
Mary  C,  Matilda  and  Denton  V.  Mrs.  Rogers  died  July  4,  1858,  and  Mr. 
Rogers  January  26,  1881.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  our  subject  went  to 
Wisconsin,  where  he  was  employed  in  various  ways  for  several  years.  He 
also  traveled  through  parts  of  Illinois,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Minnesota  and  Dakota. 
May  11,  1873,  he  was  mai-ried  to  Minerva  A.  Courtney,  of  Vineland,  Win- 
nebago Co.,  Wis.,  daughter  of  George  and  Ann  (Gale)  Courtney,  natives 
of  England.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Yorkshire,  England,  and  emi- 
grated to  America  about  1882,  locating  in  Winnebago  County,  Wis.  Eight 
daughters  were  born  to  them — Maria  W.,  Elizabeth  J.,  Margaret  A.,  Minerva 
A.,  Libbie,  Mary  C,  Martha  E.  and  Lucy — all  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rog- 
ers had  three  children — Laura  A.,  born  November  2,  1875;  infant  son, 
September  2,  1880;  Irvin  C,  February  14,  1882 — only  the  latter  surviving. 
Mr.  Rogers  was  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in  Minnesota,  and  in 
1881  moved  upon  the  farm  in  this  township  inherited  from  his  father.  He 
owns  133  acres,  valued  at  $100  per  acre,  his  farm  being  well  watered  by 
several  constant-flowing  springs.  He  does  a  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising  business,  and  is  considered  a  good  agriculturist.  He  votes  with  the 
Republicans. 

THOMAS  ROGERS,  son  of  John  and  Rachel  (Smith)  Rogers,  was  born 
in  Bedford  County,  Penn.,  July    11,  1838.     He  was  married,  January  15, 


1020  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

1863,  to  Rebecca  J.  Eaton,  of  Crawford  County,  native  of  Van  Wert  Coun- 
ty, and  daughter  of  James  and  Parmelia  A.  (Fields)  Eaton.  Her  parents 
were  natives  of  this  State,  and  of  Irish  and  English  pai^entage  respectively, 
and  were  married  in  Crawford  County.  They  moved  to  Van  Wert  County 
subsequently,  the  mother  dying  in  Crawford  County  October  1,  1810,  Mrs. 
Rogers  being  the  only  child.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rogers  are  the  parents  of  nine 
children — Emma  B.,  born  December  IS,  1863;  infant  daughter,  January  8, 
1865;  Eva  May,  March  25,  1868;  Margaret  E.,  August  26,  1870;  Rebecca 
J.  and  John  H.  (twins),  December  30,  1873;  Mary  M.,  November  23,  1875; 
Franklin  E.,  February  4,  1879;  Dora  P.,  January  11,  1881.  Two  are  de- 
ceased— the  infant  and  Eva  May,  who  died  December  12,  1870.  In  1869, 
Mr.  Rogers  pui'chased  eighty  acres  of  timber  land  in  Hancock  County, 
where  he  resided  till  1882,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  this  township, 
where  he  purchased  160  acres,  on  which  he  now  lives.  He  also  inherited 
133  acres  from  his  father's  estate  in  the  same  township,  now  owning  293 
acres  valued  at  $75  to  $85  per  acre.  He  is  an  excellent  farmer,  and  votes 
the  Democratic  ticket. 

JACOB  STAUM  was  born  December  28,  1832.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel 
and  Susan  (Hostetter)  Staum,  and  a  native  of  Holmes  County,  Ohio.  His 
parents  were  born  and  married  in  Somerset  County,  Penn.,  and  moved  to 
Holmes  County,  Ohio,  in  1831.  In  1845,  they  came  to  this  county,  and 
purchased  land  in  Eden  Township,  where  they  lived  till  1872,  when  they 
sold  out  and  moved  to  Belle  Vernon,  where  they  still  reside.  They  had 
eight  children,  namely,  Elizabeth,  Samuel,  Jacob,  Catharine,  David,  Will- 
iam, Mary  A.  and  Jane.  Catharine  and  the  three  latter  are  deceased.  The 
mother  died  in  1864.  The  father  remarried,  in  1866,  to  Margaret  Wells, 
of  Holmes  County.  Jacob  Staum,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  resided  with 
his  parents  till  June  5,  1856,  at  which  time  he  was  married  to  Eleanor  A.  Sim- 
rift,  who  was  a  daughter  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (McCrary)  Simrift,  and 
born  in  this  county.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  this  State,  and  of  Ger- 
man and  Irish  ancestry  respectively.  They  had  three  children — Theodore, 
Eleanor  A.  and  Margaret  C.  The  mother  died  in  1870,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Staum  have  three  children — George  L.,  William  H.  and  Hester  E.  Mr. 
Staum  being  a  carpenter,  followed  that  occupation  several  years.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1864,  he  enlisted  in  Company  L,  Thirty-third  Regiment  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  passed  through  the  South  with  Sherman,  and  thence 
through  the  Carolinas.  W^as  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Bentonville  March 
19,  1865  (shot  through  the  leg  below  the  knee),  and  taken  to  David's  Island 
Hospital,  where  he  remained  till  June  19, 1865,  when  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged. He  then  returned  home  and  resumed  his  trade,  giving  some  at- 
tention to  the  undertaking  business,  which  he  has  been  engaged  in  for 
twenty  years — the  oldest  undertaker  in  the  county  in  the  business.  In 
1881,  he  added  a  stock  of  furniture,  and  to  the  two  branches — furniture 
and  undertaking — he  now  devotes  his  attention.  He  served  as  Postmaster 
at  Belle  Vernon,  and  is  officially  connected  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  No.  645. 

JOHN  WESLEY  STINCHCOMB,  son  of  James  and  Priscilla  (Wed- 
dle)  Stinchcomb,  is  a  native  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born  Sep- 
tember 8,  1826.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  English 
and  Holland  descent  respectively.  They  were  married  in  Monongahela, 
Penn.,  and  moved  to  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  in  1824.  His  father  had 
been  a  well-to-do  boat  builder,  but  lost  all  his  wealth  in  securities,  and 
located  in  the  above  county  poor.  He  rented  land  till  1831,  and  then 
moved  to  Seneca  County,  where  he  entered  eighty  acres,  which  he  and  his 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1021 

sons  "  cleared  from  the  sprout,"  doing  work  for  others  in  the  meantime  to 
obtain  sustenance.  He  subsequently  purchased  eighty  acres  more,  but  sold 
the  whole  in  1865  and  purchased  property  in  old  Sycamore,  where  he  lived 
till  the  death  of  his  wife,  which  occurrred  in  1872  in  her  seventy-sixth  year. 
Mr.  Stinchcomb  died  in  his  eighty-second  year  in  1879.  Four  of  their 
seven  children  survive— James  W.,  John  W.,  William  R.  and  Elizabeth. 
Having  taught  school  several  years,  our  subject  had  about  $200  at  the  date 
of  his  marriage,  April  2-1,  1819.  He  continued  teaching  till  about  1856, 
and  then  began  farming,  which  he  has  since  followed.  He  purchased 
eighty  acres  in  Eden  Township,  but  soon  after  sold  out  and  bought  103 
acres  in  this  township.  In  1859,  he  disposed  of  this  farm,  and  in  1860 
purchased  of  Allen  Hudson  160  acres,  where  he  now  resides.  In  1872,  he 
erected  an  elegant  frame  residence  at  a  cost  of  $5,000,  and  this  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1881.  On  the  same  foundation  and  in  the  same  year,  he 
erected  a  tine  brick  residence,  and  in  this  he  still  resides.  He  owhed  380 
acres,  but  has  disposed  of  160  acres,  still  owning  220.  valued  at  SlOO  and 
1110  per  acre.  Mr.  Stinchcomb  took  an  active  part  in  the  construction  of  the 
Ohio  Central  Railroad,  and  in  1861  became  a  member  of  a  stock  company 
known  as  Biles,  Baker,  Gibson  &  Co.,  organized  for  the  purpose  of  conduct- 
ing a  general  merchandising  business  in  Sycamore,  the  capital  stock  being 
about  $200,000.  He  withdrew  from  this  firm  a  few  months  later,  the  enter- 
prise not  promising  to  be  successful.  Mr.  Stinchcomb's  wife  was  Miss  Han- 
nah C.  Little,  of  this  township,  and  native  of  Ross  County.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Anno)  Little,  the  former  born  in  Ireland,  the 
latter  in  this  State.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Ross  County,  and  moved 
to  Wyandot  in  1829,  entering  land  in  this  township.  They  had  four  chil- 
dren. Mrs.  Little  died  in  October,  1855,  and  Mi'.  Little  was  married  to 
Martha  Braum  in  1859.  One  child — George  A. — was  the  result  of  this  un- 
ion. Her  father  died  in  1855,  owning  423  acres  of  land.  His  widow  still 
survives.  By  his  second  wife,  Mr.  Stinchcomb  had  eleven  children — James 
S.,  William  A.,  Louisa  S.,  Josie  A.,  Frank  L.,  Scott  W.,  Elmer  E.,  Estella, 
Nellie,  Maggie  J.  and  J.  Johnson — all  living  but  the  latter  and  Louisa  S. 
Mr.  S.  has  served  as  Treasurer  of  the  township,  and  Justice  of  the  Peace 
about  eight  years.  In  May,  1864,  he  enli«ted  in  Company  H,  Ohio  Nation- 
al Guard,  and  served  three  months,  being  discharged  in  August,  1864.  He 
is  a  Republican,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the  convention  at  Cincinnati  in  1870, 
nominating  Charles  Foster  for  Governor.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of 
the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  both  he  and  Mrs.  S.  have  been  life- long  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Stinchcomb  has  been  a  local  lawyer  for 
twenty  years.  In  1883,  he  and  part  of  his  family  went  to  Dakota  and  pur- 
chased 480  acres  of  land,  which  he  attended  to  one  season,  and  then  left  in 
charge  of  his  son. 

PETER  K.  SHEAFFER,  born  in  Dauphin  County,  Penn. ,  August  6, 
1846,  is  a  son  of  Solomon  and  Sarah  E.  (Keitei*)  Sheaffer,  who  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  married  in  Dauphin  County.  In  February,  1853,  his 
father  died  leaving  four  sons  and  four  daughters — Isaiah  W.,  Isaac  C, 
Lydia  A.,  John  D.,  Peter  K.  and  Sarah  E.  Two  are  deceased.  After  th 
father's  death,  the  rest  of  the  family  moved  in  the  same  year  to  Crawford 
County,  Ohio,  where  Mrs.  Sheaffer  died  in  February,  1883.  Mr.  Sheafter, 
our  subject's  father,  by  his  first  marriage  had  one  child — William 
W. ,  who  now  resides  in  Crawford  County,  his  mother  Laving  died 
while  he  was  very  young.  Peter  K.,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was  obliged 
to  shift  for  himself  at  the  age  of  seven.     He  worked  from  place  to  place  as 


1022  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

best  he  could  till  1858,  when  he  moved  with  his  mother  to  this  township. 
He  then  worked  three  years  for  Jehiel  Konkle;  at  fifteen,  went  to  Indiana; 
returned  to  Crawford  County  in  1864;  worked  one  year  for  Jacob  Heistand; 
rented  same  farm  two  years,  and  was  married  in  1868  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Cow- 
gill,  a  native  of  Bucyrus  and  a  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Balinda  (Clapper) 
Cowgill,  who  wei-e  natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  Her 
parents  were  married  in  Bucyrus,  her  father  being  engaged  in  the  woolen 
mills  of  that  place.  He  died  there  in  1852,  his  only  child  being  Sarah  E.. 
born  June  26,  1847.  At  the  age  of  six  years,  she  was  placed  in  the  care  of 
William  Griffith,  of  this  township,  and  with  him  she  lived  till  her  marriage. 
Her  mother  died  in  July,  1858.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sheaffer  are  parents  of  three 
children,  namely,  William  W.,  born  August  29,  1870;  Nellie  A.,  born  June 
12,  1874,  and  Charley  C,  July  26,  1879.  William  W.  was  drowned  in  a 
spring  April  6,  1873.  Mr.  Sheaffer  has  devoted  most  of  his  life  to  farming. 
In  1882,  he  moved  to  the  town  of  Sycamore,  and  purchased  property,  where 
he  now  lives.  He  and  Mrs.  Sheaffer  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church;     he  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

PHILIP  SMITH  was  born  in  Hunterdon  County,  N.  J.,  November  22, 
1806.  He  is  a  son  of  Abraham  and  Mary  (Bellows)  Smith,  natives  of  the 
same  State,  and  of  German  descent.  He  was  married,  September  17,  1833, 
to  Levinah,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Nancy  (Hazen)  Rice,  all  natives  of  New 
Jersey.  Mrs.  Smith  was  born  in  Sussex  County  August  3,  1812.  Mr. 
Smith  migrated  to  Ohio  in  1839,  and  located  in  this  county,  of  which  he  has 
ever  since  been  a  resident.  He  has  reared  two  daughters — Eleanor  and 
Catharine — who  are  both  yet  living.  He  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Belle  Vernon,  and  highly  esteemed  in 
their  community.  Mr.  Smith  has  been  a  lifelong  Democrat,  and  is  still 
strong  in  the  faith. 

JAMES  F.  SNODGRASS  was  born  February  5,  1830.  He  is  a  native 
of  Lancaster  County,  Penn. ,  and  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Peterson)  Snod- 
grass,  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  His  par- 
ents were  married  in  Lancaster  County,  and  reared  the  family  there.  There 
were  nine  children — four  now  living — Robert,  Samuel  S.,  Hannah  E.  and 
James  F.  The  latter  migrated  to  Ohio  in  February,  1867,  and  located  at 
Sycamore,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  fourteen  years, 
having  first  graduated  at  the  Medical  University  of  Philadelphia,  Penn.  In 
1879,  he  purchased  225  acres  of  improved  land  in  this  township,  and  has 
since  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  giving  but  little  attention  to  his 
profession.  He  was  married,  July  20,  1869,  to  Mary  Saffell,  of  Sycamore, 
daughter  of  Augustus  and  Parmela  (Kitchen)  Saffell,  natives  of  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania  respectively.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snodgrass  have  six  children 

— Mary,  John, ;  Arthur,  Charles  and  Edith.    Mr.  Snodgrass  is  one  of  the 

leading  farmers  of  the  township,  and  an  earnest  supporter  of  Republican 
principles. 

SAMUEL  SPENCER  is  a  son  of  Nathan  and  Catharine  (Speaks)  Spen- 
cer, and  a  native  of  Jefferson  County,  Va.,  where  he  was  born  November  11, 
1812.  His  parents  were  also  natives  of  Virginia,  and  of  Scotch  descent. 
They  emigrated  to  Ohio  about  1816,  and  located  in  Zanesville.  (>atharine 
Spencer  died  in  1823  in  Zanesville.  After  her  death,  Nathan  Spencer  emi- 
grated to  Missouri,  and  died  in  1847.  Samuel  Spencer  was  married,  in 
March,  1843,  to  Barbara  Lane,  a  native  of  Mviskingum  County,  and  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Mary  (Millirone)  Lane,  natives  of  Maryland,  and  of  Ger- 
man descent.     They  emigrated  to  Ohio  in  1815.     John  Lane  died  in  1854, 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1023 

aged  eighty-four  years;  Mary  Lane  died  in  1837,  aged  fifty-six  years.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Spencer  have  three  children — Charles  I.,  born  November  13,  1844; 
Marietta,  December  11,  1846;  Celestia  I.,  November  26,  1848.  Charles 
was  married,  in  May,  18GS,  to  Mary  McCan,  of  Muskingum  County;  Mari- 
etta was  married,  in  July,  1867,  to  Joel  H.  Bland,  of  Licking  County; 
Celestia  was  married,  in  October,  1868,  to  T.  F.  Blair,  of  Wyandot  County. 
Mr.  Spencer  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  Prohibitionist  in  sentiment 
from  youth  up.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  as 
also  is  Mrs.  Spencer. 

ANDREW  STAFFORD,  born  in  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  in  March, 
1811,  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Margai'et  (Stewart)  Stafford,  who  were  natives 
of  Maryland.  They  emigrated  to  Ohio  in  an  early  day,  and  settled  in  Jef- 
ferson County,  where  they  purchased  a  farm,  and  reared  a  family  of  nine 
children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely,  Nathan,  Andrew,  Robert, 
Mary  and  Christina.  The  parents  both  died  in  Jefferson  County.  They 
were  of  Irish  descent,  their  parents  being  natives  of  Ireland.  Andrew 
Stafford,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  began  life  a  poor  boy.  He  worked  at 
farming  from  place  to  place  for  some  time;  spent,  some  time  at  the  black- 
smith's trade,  forging  sickles;  also  made  several  trips  on  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  Rivers  as  bowsman.  In  1838,  he  purchased  120  acres  of  land 
in  Sycamore  Township,  and  this  land  he  cleared  and  improved,  subsequently 
making  several  trades  in  real  estate.  Mr.  Stafford  was  married,  in  October, 
1854,  to  Bai-bara  Walter,  of  Wyandot  County,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Su- 
sanna (Baum)  Walter,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  who  were 
married  in  this  county.  In  1856-57,  Mr.  Stafford  purchased  forty  acres,  and 
afterward  eighty  acres, all  in  Sycamore  Township, where  he  engaged  exclusive- 
ly in  farming.  He  was  married,  June  1,  1868,  to  Mrs.  Hannah  Whisler,  wid- 
ow of  J.  K.  W^hisler,  by  whom  she  had  one  child,  MaryE.,  who  still  resides 
with  her  mother.  Mrs.  Stafford  is  a  daughter  of  Thom  and  Mary  (Cole) 
Moore,  and  was  born  August  19,  1832.  Her  parents  were  of  Irish  descent, 
and  were  married  in  Richland  County,  where  they  lived  about  seven  years, 
then  moving  to  Seneca  County,  where  they  reared  six  children,  namely, 
Hannah,  Jane,  Mary  A.,  Parthena,  James  C.  and  Benjamin  W.,  all  living 
but  Jane  and  Parthena.  The  father  of  this  family  died  August  11,  1844, 
but  his  wife  still  survives.  Jacob  K.  Whisler,  Mrs.  Stafford's  former  hus- 
band, was  born  October  16,  1832,  and  died  January  10,  1860.  He  was  the 
eldest  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Kehl)  Whisler,  who  were  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  of  Dutch  descent.  Mr.  Stafford  improved  his  farm  in  various 
ways,  and  in  1872  sold  120  acres.  In  1873,  he  built  a  fine  frame  residence 
on  the  remaining  eighty,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  also  a  barn  costing  $1,700.  In 
1882,  he  sold  this  farm  at  $100  per  acre,  and  moved  to  Sycamore,  where  he 
purchased  a  residence  and  three  lots  at  $2,200,  and  now  lives  a  retired  life. 
He  also  owns  six  other  joining  lots,  and  eighty  acres  of  land,  which  is  val- 
ued at  $70  per  acre.  He  affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party,  and  favors 
temperance.  His  wife  and  daughter  are  active  workers  in  the  Women's 
Christian  Temperance  Union. 

W^ILLIAM  B.  STARR,  grain  dealer,  Sycamore,  was  born  at  Carey,  Ohio, 
May  14,  1859;  his  parents  were  Hiram  J.  and  Ellen  G.  (Brown)  Starr,  na- 
tives of  Ohio,  his  father  born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  his  mother,  the 
first  white  child  born  in  Crawford  Township,  this  county.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Carey  and  reared  five  children — Laura  P.,  Lydia,  Ellen  G.,  James 
H.  and  William  B.,  twins.  Lydia  is  deceased.  The  mother  was  formerly 
the  wife  of  Napoleon  Carey,  by  whom  she  had  one  child,  Emma,  who  died 


1024  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

at  the   age  of  seventeen.      William  B.    Starr  was   married,  September   21, 

1882,  to  Anna  McClure,  of  Carey,  born  in  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.,  daugh- 
ter of  Russell  and  Milea  (Joy)  McClure,  natives  of  New  York  also.  Her 
parents  had  seven  children — Abbie  W.,  Neuton  C,  Emma  J.,  Herbert  R., 
Thurston  W.,  Anna  and  Ada  B.  The  deceased  are  Abbie  and  Herbert. 
Mr.  Starr  has  been  engaged  with  his  father  in  the  live-stock  business  for 
several  years,  dealing  in  tine  grades  of  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs.  Since 
1878,  he  has  dealt  considerably  in  grain  at  Carey,  and  in  1881  began  the 
business  in  Sycamore.  In  1882,  he  purchased  the  large  elevator  built  by 
George  Taylor  in  1881,  and  this  he  has  since  operated,  doing  an  extensive 
business.  His  line  includes  all  kinds  of  grain,  wool,  seeds,  live- stock,  with 
coal,  salt,  etc.  In  1882,  he  erected  a  fine  frame  residence  in  which  he  now 
resides.  Mr.  Starr  completed  his  education  in  the  Spencerian  Business 
College,  Cleveland,  in  1880.  He  and  Mrs.  Starr  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  Mr.  S.  holding  the  office  of  Trustee  in  the  same. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Starr  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party. 

WILLIAM  C.  STEVENS,  son  of  James  M.  and  Alice  (Skinner)  Ste- 
vens, was  born  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  March  25,  1821 ;  his  parents  were  na- 
tives of  New  York  and  Canada  respectively',  and  of  mixed  ancestry — Scotch, 
Irish,  Dutch  and  English.  They  moved  to  Ohio  in  1827,  and  settled  in 
Seneca  County;  built  the  first  grist  mill  in  Eden  Township  and  reared  a 
family  of  five  children — Elizabeth  A..  James  M.  and  Mary  A.,  William  C. 
and  Samuel  C,  all  living  but  Elizabeth  A.  The  father  died  January  8, 
1829;  the  mother  in  August,  1841.  AVilliam  C,  the  subject  of  this  notice, 
began  merchandising  in  the  town  of  Melmore  at  the  ago  of  twenty,  contin- 
uing in  this  occupation  till  1865.  He  then  sold  out  his  stock  of  goods  and 
purchased  161  acres  in  Crawford  County,  this  tract  now  beiug  valued  at 
$75  to  $100  per  acre.  He  now  resides  on  133  acres  in  this  township,  the 
farm  being  owned  by  his  wife  and  valued  at  $100  per  acre.  Mr.  Stevens 
was  married,  September  21,  1842,  to  Mary  Dean,  a  native  of  New  Jersey 
and  resident  of  Seneca  County,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Dougherty) 
Dean.  Three  daughters  have  blessed  this  marriage —Laura  A.,  Ann  D.  and 
Mary  J.  Mrs.  Stevens  died  May  15,  1862,  and  our  subject  was  married, 
June  13,  1865,  to  Mary  Rogers,  of  this  county,  daughter  of  John  and  Ra- 
chel (Smith)  Rogers.  Two  children  resulted  from  this  second  marriage, 
their  names  are  Rolla  R.  and  Myra.  Since  abandoning  mercantile  pursuits, 
Mr.  Stevens  has  turned  his  attention  exclusively  to  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  He  clings  to  the  Republican  faith  in  politics;  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  at  Melmore,  and,  with  Mrs.  Stevens,  is  associated  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 

REVERDY  STOKELY,  son  of  William  B.  and  Charlotte  (Lamon) 
Stokely,  was  born  in  this  county  February  14,  1856.  His  parents  were  na- 
tives of  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  and  York  State,  and  reared  a  family  of 
five  children   in   this  county;  the  father  died  in  1856,  the  mother  May  11, 

1883.  Our  subject  lived  with  his  mother  till  his  maturity,  but  while  a  mere 
boy  was  compelled  to  do  for  himself.  He  was  married,  September  80, 1880, 
to  Elnora  Lupton,  a  native  and  resident  of  this  township,  and  daughter  of 
John  K.  and  Barbara  A.  (Pontius)  Lupton,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Ohio  re- 
spectively. They  reared  a  family  of  four  sons  and  eight  daughters,  the 
father  dying  May  3,  1882,  the  mother  February  11,  1882,  aged  seventy  and 
seventy-six  respectively.  In  1883,  Mr.  Stokely  purchased  the  old  homestead 
of  forty  acres,  on  which  he  now  resides.  Mrs.  Stokely  also  owns  80  acres, 
the  whole  tract  of  120  acres  being  valued  at  $75  to  $85  per  acre.      Besides 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1025 

this,  Mr.  Stokely  owns  a  house  and  lot  valued  at  about  $800  in  the  village 
of  Petersburg.  He  gives  his  attention  exclusively  to  agriculture  and  stock- 
raising.     In  politics,  Mr.  Stokely  is  a  live  Republican. 

GEORGE  TAYLOR,  sou  of  Matthew  and  Mary  (Freeburn)  Taylor,  was 
born  in  Dauphin  County,  Penn.,  August  16,  1812.  His  parents  were  na- 
tives of  the  same  county,  and  of  Irish  and  English  de.scent  respectively. 
They  were  married  in  their  native  locality  about  the  year  1800,  their  chil- 
dren being  as  follows:  James,  William,  Elizabeth,  George,  Samuel  and 
Matthew,  the  latter  dying  in  infancy.  The  mother  died  about  1821,  aged 
forty-five  years,  the  father  in  1859;  both  are  interred  in  Halifax  Cemetery, 
Dauphin  County,  Penn.  Our  subject  served  four  and  one-half  years  as  an 
apprentice  as  a  millwright,  beginning  at  the  age  of  fifteen.  In  1832,  he 
moved  to  Ohio,  and  worked  one  year  in  Henry  St.  John's  mill  in  Seneca 
County,  and  with  Anthony  H.  Arnold  in  Tymochtee  Township,  this  county, 
six  months.  He  was  afterward  engaged  in  Crawford,  Morrow,  Marion  and 
Seneca  Counties  in  the  same  work.  He  was  married,  June  3,  1841,  to  Mary 
C.  Fitz  Randolph,  of  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  a  native  of  Brooke  County, 
Va.,  daughter  of  Cornelius  and  Julia  A.  (Congleton)  Fitz  Randolph,  na- 
tives of  New  Jersey  and  Virginia  respectively.  Mrs.  Julia  A.  Fitz  Randolph 
was  a  dauechter  of  Moses  Congleton,  who  was  Major  General  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  whose  wife  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and  four 
years,  their  marriage  ceremony  having  been  performed  by  Rev.  Alex.  Camp- 
bell. Ten  of  thirteen  children  of  this  family  are  still  living,  namely:  Mary 
C. ,  Maria,  Thomas,  Adaline,  Charlotte,  Rachel,  John,  James,  Hiram  and 
George.  The  deceased  are  Congleton,  Jefferson  and  Rebecca.  The  father  of 
the  family  died  October  7,  1878.  The  mother  is  still  living  in  Morrow 
County  in  her  eighty-fourth  year,  without  a  gray  hair.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tay- 
lor's children  were  James,  Mary  J.,  Minerva,  Thomas,  Freeburn,  George, 
Julia  and  Charlotte,  all  living  but  George  and  Freeburn.  In  1843,  Mr. 
Taylor  purchased  twelve  acres  of  timber  land  in  this  township,  and  soon 
after  erected  a  fine  frame  residence,  and  a  lai'ge  three  and  one-half  story 
flouring  mill  on  the  same.  This  mill  is  yet  in  good  repair,  with  three  run 
of  buhrs,  and  operated  by  his  son,  Thomas.  Our  subject  purchased  sixty- 
three  acres  adjoining  his  twelve-acre  lot  in  1850,  and  has  since  owned  sev- 
eral different  tracts.  He  gave  up  the  milling  business  in  1855.  He  now 
owns  200  acres  of  land  in  this  and  Eden  Township  and  has  given  180  acres 
to  his  children.  In  1881,  he  erected  in  Sycamore  a  large  grain  elevator, 
which  he  sold  to  Mr.  Starr  in  1882.  He  also  built  a  fine  large  brick  res- 
idence in  Sycamore  in  1882,  and  is  now  (1884)  completing  a  large  five-story 
brick  flouring  mill.  He  owns  160  acres  in  Missouri,  and  is  an  active 
business  man  of  good  character.  He  has  taken  considerable  interest  in  Re- 
publican politics  since  1861. 

GEORGE  VAN  GUNDY,  son  of  Michael  and  Hannah  Van  Gundy,  was 
born  August  1,  1831.  He  is  a  native  of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  was  reared 
a  farmer.  In  1857,  he  became  the  owner  of  160  acres  of  partially  improved 
laud  in  this  township,  where  he  still  resides;  he  has  always  given  his  atten- 
tion to  agricultural  pursuits;  he  was  married,  December  26,  1858,  to  Mary 
E.  Swinehart,  a  native  of  this  township,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Jane  (Mil- 
ligan)  Swinehart,  of  German  and  Irish  ancestry;  her  parents  had  eight  chil- 
di'en — Nancy  A.,  Rebecca  J.,  Mary  E.,  Hannah  C.  and  Laura  A.,  the  only 
surviving.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Gundy  ten  children  were  born — Sabina 
A.,  born  October  11,  1860;  Louisa  J.,  Mai'ch  11,  1862;  John  U.,  Septem- 
ber 26,  1864;  Myrta,  October  25,  1866;  Hettie,  November  15,  1868;  Dettie, 


1026  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

April  19,  1871;  Cecil  R.,  September  27,  1873:  Harry,  February  17,  1877; 
Willie,  February  9,  1878;  infant  daughter,  May  18*,  1881.  The  deceased 
are  Willie,  Dettie  and  the  infant.  Mr.  Van  Gundy  is  a  strict  Republican 
of  the  temperance  turn.  He  and  part  of  his  family  are  associated  with  the 
United  Brethren  Church. 

WILLIAM  VAN  GUNDY  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  September 
21,  1821.  His  father,  Michael  Van  Gundy  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  of  Scotch  descent,  and  his  mother,  Hannah  (Eyestone)  Van  Gundy,  was 
a  native  of  Ohio,  and  of  German  ancestry.  They  were  married  in  Ross 
County,  and  moved  to  this  township  about  1836;  he  first  entered  320  acres, 
and  160  a  few  years  later.  Their  children  were  William,  Elizabeth,  Abra- 
ham, George  and  Susan ;  Abraham  and  the  latter  deceased.  The  father  died 
in  1859;  the  mother  in  1848.  William  Van  Gundy,  our  subject,  was  mar- 
ried, February  25,  1844,  to  Elizabeth  Patten,  of  Crawford  County.  She  was 
a  native  of  Virginia,  and  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Bishop)  Patten, 
natives  of  Ireland  and  Virginia  respectively.  They  I'esided  for  some  time 
at  Martinsburg,  and  then  removed  to  Baltimore,  where  he  was  employed  as 
a  weaver  till  1823.  in  which  year  he  died,  leaving  one  child  (the  wife  of 
Mr.  Van  Gundy),  who  died  in  this  township  December  9,  1882.  Mrs.  Pat- 
ten returned  to  Virginia,  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  and  about  1831 
came  to  Ohio  with  her  brother,  and  married  in  Ross  County  and  moved  to 
Crawford  County,  where  she  died  August  8,  1867.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Gundy 
had  nine  children — Lewis  W^.,  Laura  A.,  James  A.,  Josephine  A.,  Geoi'ge  F., 
H.  Mary,  Alwilda  A.,  Lucretia  and  Ruth.  Lewis,  George,  Lucretia,  an  in- 
fant, and  Mrs.  Laura  Lee,  when  twenty-five  years  of  age,  are  deceased. 
In  3850,  Mr.  Van  Gundy  purchased  160  acres,  on  which  he  resided  about 
three  years,  purchasing  eighty  acres  in  1853,  and  residing  on  the  latter 
farm  till  the  present  time.  In  1860  to  1865,  he  purchased  160  more,  now 
owning  400  acres,  valued  at  $80  to  $120  per  acre.  He  has  his  farm  well 
improved,  and  is  now  completing  an  elegant  brick  residence  at  a  cost  of 
$4,000;  he  formerly  dealt  somewhat  in  blooded  horses,  and  is  now  giving 
considerable  attention  to  the  raising  of  thoroughbred  Spanish  INIerLno 
sheep,  and  blooded  hogs,  their  stock  all  being  registered.  Mr.  Van  Gundy 
has  held  the  office  of  township  Treasurer  for  several  years,  and  is  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church  at  Sycamore,  his  wife  also 
having  been  a  faithful  member  till  her  death.  Prior  to  her  marriage,  she 
was  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  persuasion.  Mr.  Van  Gundy  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat for  his  first  few  votes,  but  favored  Republcanism  for  many  years;  he 
is  now  an  active  Prohibitionist.  His  son,  James  A.,  is  his  partner  in  the 
stock  raising  business,  in  which  they  are  extensively  engaged. 

DAVID  G.  WATSON  was  born  August  9,  1835,  in  Eden  Township, 
Seneca  County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  James  B.  and  Mary  (Glenn)  Watson, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Scotch  and  Irish  descent.  His  parents  were 
married  in  Center  County,  Penn.,  and  migrated  to  Ohio  in  1831,  locating 
in  Seneca  County.  There  were  four  children  in  the  family — William  A., 
James  G.,  Ann  E.  and  David  G.  In  1857,  our  subject  went  to  California, 
returning  in  1860.  In  May,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Eighth  Reg- 
iment Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  subsequently  three  years  in  the 
service.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Winchester,  Chancellorsville,  Get- 
tysburg and  many  others.  Was  all  through  the  Wilderness  under  Gen. 
Grant,  and  also  took  part  in  the  siege  at  Petersburg,  receiving  his  discharge 
in  July,  1864.  Returning  from  the  war  he  went  to  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
where  he  was  engaged  four  years  in  prospecting  and  mining.     In  1870,  he 


SYCAMORE  TOWNSHIP.  1027 

returned  home,  and  March  28,  1871,  he  was  married  to  Rachel  A.  Dunlap, 
a  native  of  this  township,  and  daughter  of  James  K.  and  Mary  (Cummins) 
Dunlap,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Richland 
County,  Ohio,  and  moved  to  this  township  in  1840.  Their  children  were 
William  H. ,  Rachel  A.,  Jane,  Laura,  Sylvester  and  James  H.,  all  living. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson  have  four  children — James  D.,  born  December  18, 
1872;  Glenn  C,  November  11,  1874;  Mary  G.,  July  5,  1877;  Anna  E., 
May  2,  1883.  In  1876,  Mr.  Watson  purchased  128  acres  of  land,  on  which 
he  has  erected  an  excellent  frame  residence,  where  he  now  lives.  His  farm 
is  mostly  improved  land,  and  valuable.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  warmly 
attached  to  the  interests  of  his  party.  Mrs.  Watson  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

EVAN  T.  WILLIAMS  was  born  in  Licking  County,  Ohio,  December  1, 
1846.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Evans)  Williams,  natives  of 
Cardiganshire,  Wales.  His  parents  were  married  in  Licking  County,  and 
had  six  children,  namely:  Evan  T.,  Zachariah  J.,  Margaret  S.,  Sarah  J., 
Phoebe  A.  D.  and  Susan  E.,  all  living  but  Margaret.  The  mother  died 
April  30,  1882.  Evan  T.  Williams  has  always  pursued  the  vocation  of  an 
agriculturist.  He  attended  the  common  schools  of  his  native  county,  and 
spent  one  term  in  Granville  College.  In  1881,  he  moved  to  this  county, 
and  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  which  with  his  improvements  he  values  at 
$75  to  $85  per  acre.  Mr.  Williams  was  married,  March  23.  1876,  to  Ida 
M.  Keller,  native  of  Licking  County,  and  daughter  of  Eli  and  Fidelia 
(Holler)  Keller,  also  natives  of  Licking  County.  Her  parents  were  of  Ger- 
man descent,  were  married  in  their  native  county,  and  reared  a  family  of 
eight  children,  namely:  Martha  J.,  Lorena,  Philo  J.,  Ida  M.,  ^tna,  Eli 
W.,  Ira  C.  and  Eber  A.,  all  living  at  the  present  date.  The  father  died 
December  3,  1866.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  have  two  sons,  namely:  Eber 
K.,  born  September  10,  1877,  and  Earl  R.,  August  9,  1879.  Mr.  Williams 
is  a  good  farmer,  and  a  stanch  Republican  of  the  temperance  persuasion. 

GEORGE  C.  WILSON  was  born  in  Chester  County,  Penn.,  October  28, 
1839.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Elisha  and  Hannah  (Wilson)  Wilson,  who 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  who  reared  a  family  of  six  children — 
three  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely:  George  C,  Mary  A.,  Sarah  J., 
Edmond  M.,  Emiline  and  James,  all  living.  The  father  died  in  1868,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-three.  At  fifteen  our  subject  was  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources.  He  worked  upon  a  farm  till  1864.  On  the  2d  day  of  May, 
1864,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  to  serve  in  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and 
Sixty- fourth  Regiment  Ohio  National  Guard.  He  was  honorably  dis- 
charged in  September  of  the  same  year,  after  which  he  returned  home.  He 
worked  at  brick  and  tile  making  from  1868  to  1880,  for  Mr.  Bare  and 
Lidy  &  Hamlin,  of  Seneca  County.  In  1880,  he  began  the  manufacture  of 
brick  and  tile,  in  Sycamore,  where  he  with  Mr.  Shoemaker  built  a  large 
factory,  and  is  still  doing  an  extensive  business.  He  is  in  partnership  with 
Mr.  E.  Shoemaker,  and  both  are  thorough,  energetic,  business  men.  Mr. 
Wilson  is  the  owner  of  some  town  property,  and  is  well  respected  as  a  citi- 
zen in  his  community.  He  has  yet  never  married.  In  political  sentiment. 
Mr.  Wilson  is  a  Republican. 

ALBERT  Z.  WILSON  was  born  August  20,  1837,  in  Tymochtee  Town- 
ship, this  county.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  L.  and  Bathsheba  P.  (Shotwell) 
Wilson,  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  of  English  ancestry.  His  parents  were 
married  in  New  Jersey  and  moved  to  Ohio  in  1835,  locating  in  this  county. 
Their  children  were  Elizabeth,  Abner,  Albert  Z,,  Levi  L., George,    Edwin 


1028  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

S.  and  Walter.  The  deceased  are  Elizabeth,  Abner  and  Levi  L.  The 
father  died  March  7,  1863.  The  mother  is  still  residing  on  the  old  home- 
stead. Oar  subject  was  reared  a  farmer  and  has  always  engaged  in  that 
pursuit.  In  1860,  he  purchased  forty  acres  in  Eden  Township,  and  this  he 
resided  upon  till  1872,  when  he  sold  out  and  purchased  his  present  farm  of 
sixty-five  acres  in  this  township.  His  farm  is  watered  by  good  springs,  and 
provided  with  good  buildings.  Mr.  Wilson  was  married,  June  16,  1859,  to 
Miss  Frances  Brown,  who  was  born  in  this  county  August  21,  1838.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Nitz)  Brown,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Her  parents  migrated  to  Ohio  in  an  early  day,  settled  in  Lexington, 
and  subsequently  in  this  county,  where  their  children  were  brought  up,  their 
names  being  as  follows:  John.  George,  Sarah,  Rachel  and  Margaret.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wilson  had  five  children — Rozella  R.,  William  L.,  George  E., 
Eva  A.,  Sarah  E.  Two  only  survive — George  E.  and  Sarah  E.  The  mother 
died  November  16,  1873,  and  Mr.  W.  was  married,  September  10,  1874,  to 
Matilda  Paulin,  widow  of  Peter  Paulin,  and  daughter  of  John  and  Sallie 
(Forman)  Fisher,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  descent.  She 
was  born  in  York  County,  Penn.,  December  25,  183L  Her  parents  moved 
to  Ohio  in  1837,  settled  in  Columbiana  County,  and  reared  a  family  of  eight 
children — Matilda,  George,  John,  Louis,  Emanuel,  Eliza,  Eli  and  Sarah, 
all  living  but  Emanuel  and  Louis.  By  her  first  husband,  Mrs.  Wilson  had 
two  daughters — Louia  and  Lucy.  Mr.  Paulin  died  July  11,  1860.  He  had 
been  previously  married  and  had  two  children  by  his  first  wife — Uriah  and 
Sallie  A. 

TILGHMAN  ZELLNER  is  a  native  of  Lehigh  County,  Penn.,  and  was 
born  February  18,  184L  He  is  the  only  son  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (Gruver) 
Zellner,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  and  English  parentage. 
His  parents  were  married  in  their  native  State,  and  in  1852  moved  to 
Crawford  County,  Ohio,  where  they  purchased  land  and  resided  eight  years. 
They  then  moved  to  this  township,  and  became  the  owners  of  240  acres. 
Their  two  children  were  Amanda  E.  and  Tilghman,  the  foi-mer  of  whom  died 
about  1870.  The  mother  died  in  March,  1879,  the  father  in  June  1883, 
aged  sixty-two  and  sixty-eight  years  respectively.  Mr.  Zellner  worked  with 
his  father  at  the  carpenter's  ti'ade  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  then  began 
farming,  which  he  has  since  continued.  In  1879,  he  purchased  his  father's 
farm  of  240  acres,  upon  which  he  has  made  some  valuable  improvements 
and  to  which  he  added  eighty  acres  in  1880.  Mr.  Zellner  was  married, 
April  8,  1862,  to  Barbara  A.  Betzer,  a  native  of  this  township  and  daughter 
of  Peter  and  Barbara  (May)  Betzer,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  re- 
spectively, and  of  Gei'man  ancestry.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Ross 
County,  Ohio,  and  moved  to  Wyandot  in  1835.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zellner  have 
one  son  and  one  daughter — Dora  J.,  born  February  15,  1863;  and  William 
S. ,  July  26,  1865.  In  1880,  Mr.  Zellner  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
and  in  1883  was  re-elected;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Nevada  Masonic  Lodge 
and  McCutcheQ  Chapter,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  foremost  farmers  of 
his  township.  Mrs.  Zellner  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 


TYMOUHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1029 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP. 

Organization— Cherokee  and  AVhittaker  Boys'  Reservation— First  Set- 
tlements— Owners  of  Real  and  Personal  Estate  at  the  Erection 
OF  THE  Township— McCutchenville— Religious,  Etc.— Biographical 
Sketches. 

TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP  dates  its  organization  from  1825,  and  was 
formerly,  along  with  Sycamore,  a  portion  of  Crawford  Township.  It 
commenced  to  fill  up  at  an  early  day  with  enterprising  settlers,  principally 
from  the  southern  part  of  the  State.  Tymochtee  comprises  Township  1 
south,  Range  14  east,  and  received  its  name  from  Tymochtee  Creek,  which 
in  the  Wyandot  language  denotes  "  the  creek  or  river  round  the  plains. " 
It  lies  in  the  northeastern  portion  of  Wyandot  County,  and  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Seneca  County,  on  the  east  by  Sycamore  Township,  on  the 
south  by  Crane  Township,  and  on  the  west  by  Crawford  Township.  It 
comprises  thirty  sis  sections,  being  a  square  of  six  miles,  or  full  Congres- 
sional township. 

INDIAN     reservation. 

On  page  263  and  following  pages  will  be  found  a  full  account  of  the 
Indian  reservation  in  this  county,  together  with  the  exact  wording  of  the 
treaty.  From  this  it  will  be  seen  (page  267)  that  "  to  Horonu,  or  the  '  Cher- 
okee Boy,'  a  Wyandot  chief,  was  granted  a  section  of  land,  to  contain  640 
acres,  on  the  Sandusky  River,  to  be  laid  oif  in  a  square  form,  and  to  include 
his  improvements."  This  chief's  section  was  situated  on  both  sides  of  the 
Sandusky,  about  the  center  of  the  county,  old  Tymochtee  being  on  the  cen- 
ter of  its  western  limits.  Cherokee  Boy  lived  to  the  good  old  age  of  one 
hundred  and  ten  years,  and  was  gathered  to  his  fathers  in  the  happy  hunt- 
ing-grounds in  1834.  When  the  Wyandots  were  allotted  their  reservation 
in  1817,  besides  Cherokee  Boy,  the  Whittaker  boys,  James  and  John,  and 
other  half-breeds,  were  allotted  large  tracts  in  their  own  right  in  this  town- 
ship. Robert  Cherokee,  a  son  of  Horonu,  went  west  with  the  Wyandots. 
The  Wyandot  reservation  line  on  its  northern  boundary  included  the  most 
of  the  southern  tier  of  sections  of  this  township,  but  about  half  way  across 
the  township  it  took  a  sudden  detour  to  the  north,  so  as  to  include  as  far 
north  as  the  Cherokee  Boy  section,  when  it  turned  south  again. 

PHYSICAL  features. 

Tymochtee  is  one  of  the  choicest  townships  in  the  county,  and  is  admi- 
rably adapted  for  the  labors  of  the  agriculturist  and  stock-raiser.  It  is  truly 
a  land  of  plenty,  fertile  in  soil,  well  watered,  with  good  roads  and  in  near 
proximity  to  railways  a  few  miles  in  every  direction.  The  Sandusky  River 
meanders  gently  across  this  township  in  a  generally  northern  course,  when, 
after  traversing  nearly  the  whole  township,  it  turns  sharply  to  the  east  and 
waters  all  the  north  end  of  the  township.  In  addition  to  this  river  which, 
like  the  old  Nile  in  Egypt,  is  the  chief  factor  in  fertilizing  the  land,  there 

49 


1030  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

comes  from  the  west  across  Sections  18  and  17,  the  historic  Tymochtee 
Creek  debouching  into  the  Sandusky  about  the  center  of  the  east  side  of  the 
latter  section.  Taylor  Run  drains  all  the  eastern  side  of  the  township  with 
its  long  and  numerous  branches.  Sycamore  Creek  crosses  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  Tychmotee  from  the  township  of  Sycamore,  entering  the  Sandusky 
near  Mexico.  Beside  this,  numei'oas  rivulets  babble  through  the  township 
in  every  direction,  making  it  a  land  of  streams. 

Good  substantial  roads  traverse  the  township  in  every  direction,  one  of 
the  chief  of  these  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  Sandusky,  crossing  the  northern 
county  boundary  at  McCutchenville;  there  it  meets  with  a  road  from  the 
southeast,  crossing  Belle  Vernon.  Another  leading  road  enters  Section  34 
from  the  south,  and  passing  north  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  it  meets  a 
road  from  the  west  crossing  the  Sandusky,  when  they  turn  abruptly  to  the 
northeast,  crossing  the  township  toward  Mexico.  The  only  railroad  in  the 
township,  is  the  Ohio  Central,  which  crosses  the  northeast  corner,  coming 
out  near  McCutchenville. 

FIRST    SETTLEMENTS. 

The  first  white  settler  was  Henry  Lish,  who  with  his  wife  and  three 
children  settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  Section  17,  about  1816-17, 
erecting  the  first  dwelling,  a  log  cabin,  18x20  feet.  Other  early  settlers 
were  Cyprion  Stevens,  Joseph  Chaffee,  Robert  Gibson,  Elisha  Brayton, 
William  Hodge,  Linus  Cutting,  James  Whitehead,  Dr.  Dunn,  Joseph  Stig- 
gerwalt  and  Thomas  Leeper.  The  last  named  came  in  1821  from  Ross 
County,  Ohio,  abou.t  the  same  time  that  Samuel  Harper  located  in  Sycamore. 
Soon  after  came  Peter  Baum,  William  Combs,  Levi  Bunn,  John  Taylor  and 
George  Bogart,  who  settled  in  what  is  now  Belle  Vernon,  John  Morris,  Al- 
fred McCauley,  and  his  brother  Jehosaphat,  Peter  Hummon,  Jonathan.  Peter 
and  Moses  Kear,  the  latter  a  gunsmith.  Henry  Lish  established  in  the 
earliest  days  of  settlement  a  government  ferry  across  the  Tymochtee.  Mi- 
chael Brackley,  who  sat  in  both  branches  of  the  Legislature,  was  also  a  very 
early  settler.  Ira  Aikens  and  Joseph  Chaffee  opened  the  first  taverns. 
Robert  Gibson  came  with  his  parents  to  this  township  in  1821,  being  then 
but  two  years  of  age.  He  was  a  native  of  Ross  County,  Ohio;  his  parents 
settled  one  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Tymochtee  Village.  At  that  time  very 
few  whites  were  in  the  township,  while  Indians  were  numerous.  Mr.  Gib- 
son grew  up  with  the  reputation  of  a  Nimrod,  and  on  one  occasion  he  killed 
four  deer,  besides  wild  cats  and  turkeys.  When  twenty-three  years  of  age  he 
began  herding  cattle  among  the  Indians.  In  1844,  he  married  Margaretta, 
daughter  of  John  Beam,  who  settled  near  McCutchenville  in  1829,  and  was 
the  first  white  miller  at  the  Indian  Mill  near  Upper  Sandusky. 

John  S.  Wagner,  a  very  early  settler,  was  a  native  of  Pickaway  County, 
and  settled  near  Mexico.  Abraham  Corfman  was  born  in  this  township  in 
1830,  and  was  son  of  Joseph  and  Susanna  Corfman,  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
father  died  November,  1855:  his  widow  resides  at  Belle  Vernon.  Chris- 
topher Hufford  came  here  in  1825,  and  is  still  living  here,  aged  eighty-one; 
Trvin  Walton,  born  in  Ross  County  in  1828,  was  brought  the  same  year  to 
this  township  by  his  parents,  Mathew  and  Catharine  Walton,  and 
still  resides  here.  Daniel  Walker,  formerly  a  tailor,  came  here  in 
1833,  and  brought  with  him  his  son,  Edward,  who  was  born  in  Lan- 
caster, May  24,  1833,  and  who  is  still  a  resident  of  Tymochtee.  William 
Walton  was  here  before  1838;  his  son  Benjamin,  born  in  December  4,  1838, 
in  this  township,  still  resides  here;  Nelson  Wood,  born  in  Tymochtee,  May 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1031 

25,  1832,  son  of  Francis  Wood,  an  early  settler,  is  also  still  a  resident  here; 
John  Sigler,  born  in  Virginia  in  1779,  and  who  served  Id  Gen.  Harrison's 
campaign  against  the  ladians,  settled  here  in  1826,  dying  in  1862;  he  en- 
tered land  on  which  his  son,  Jacob,  born  January  22,  1818,  still  lives;  Da- 
vid Ellis  came  in  1827,  and  to  show  the  hardships  of  those  days,  it  is  said, 
had  no  stove  in  his  house  for  years;  Jonathan  Kear,  native  of  New  York, 
moved  from  Delaware  County  in  1821,  took  up  land  here,  and  still  has  sev- 
eral sons  residing  here. 

Jacob  Wagner  came  from  Ross  County,  entering  320  acres  in  1827. 
William  Parker  settled  in  1831,  Robert  Roberts  in.  1833,  Henry  Niebel  in  1831, 
Levi  Ekleberry  prior  to  1835,  and  Adam  Milum  before  1837.  Elias  Ellis, 
son  of  David  Ellis,  above  mentioned,  born  in  1827,  still  resides  on  land  en- 
tered by  his  father  in  that  year.  George  W.  Sherwood,  of  Seneca  County, 
N.  Y.,  came  here  with  his  family  in  1836,  dying  in  1866,  his  wife,  Julia,  in 
1857.  Lemar  Walton  came  here  from  Ross  County  in  1826,  and  was  orig- 
inally from  New  York;  Gerhart  Schuetz  came  prior  to  1835;  Peter  Baum, 
before  1836;  Jacob  Ij.  Williams,  native  of  New  Jersey,  came  to  this  town- 
ship from  Warren  County,  Ohio,  in  1835;  Adam  Wininger,  a  native  of 
Germany,  emigrated  in  1801,  and  finally  settled  in  this  township  in  1826, 
entering  and  purchasing  1,000  acres  of  land,  and  dying  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-five. 

Among  the  first  blacksmiths  was  John  Freet.  The  first  to  erect  a  saw 
and  grist  mill  was  Elisha  Brayton,  which  was  the  property  of  A.  Arnold, 
The  first  schoolhouse  was  on  the  land  of  John  Berry,  and  the  first  teacher 
was  John  A.  Morrison.  The  first  white  child  born  in  the  township  was  a 
son  of  Henry  Lish,  in  1820,  named  Ralph,  The  first  store  was  opened  by 
James  Whittaker,  at  Tymochtee.  Among  other  early  settlers  we  might 
name  Col.  Joseph  McCutchen,  who,  in  1829,  had  the  village  of  McCutchen- 
ville  laid  out  by  Dr.  G.  W.  Sampson,  in  which  year  he  erected  the  first 
dwelling  in  that  village,  Dr.  Sampson  putting  up  the  second  in  the  follow- 
ing year.  Aaron  Welsh  opened  the  first  store.  Still  other  early  names  are 
Ralph  Duddleson  and  his  sons,  James,  William  and  Christian,  Daniel  White 
and  James  Wright,  who  had  a  romantic  history,  having  been  captui'ed 
by  the  Indians,  for  whom  he  worked  as  a  silversmith.  Some  of  his  descend- 
ants are  living  in  Richland  Township.  The  settlers  coming  in  about  1830 
were  Asa  Dunn,  Asa,  William  and  Peter  Brayton,  David  Ellis,  Gerhart 
Sheets,  Joseph,  Henry  and  Charles  Parker,  Michael  and  William  Noel,  and 
Samuel  Kenan,  who  kept  hotel  in  Tymochtee  Village  from  1830  to  1851. 

From  1830  to  1815,  settlers  came  in  rapidly.  In  1815,  the  year  the 
township  was  organized  as  a  part  of  Wyandot  County,  the  following  persons 
were  assessed  for  real  and  personal  estate: 

OWNERS    OF    REAL    ESTATE. 

Arnold,  Anthony,  Section  18,  160  acres,  also  owned  a  grist  mill. 

Anderson,  John,  Sections  10  and  21,  160  acres. 

Arnold,  William,  Sections  1  and  5,  104  acres. 

Briggs,  Joseph,  Section  1,  83  acres. 

Baum,  Jacob,  Section  1,  93  aci-es. 

Baum,  Michael.  Section  11,  80  acres. 

Baum,  Jacob,  Section  11,  80  acres. 

Bibler,  Jacob,  Sections  10  and  11,  210  acres. 

Bibler,  Christian,  Section  12,  80  acres. 

Berry,  Nicholas,  Section  14,  40  acres. 


1032  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Bevins,  Thomas  C,  Section  10,  45  acres. 

Berry,  John,  Section  19,  83  acres. 

Banning,  Anthony,  Section  30,  80  acres. 

Bland,  William,  Sections  25  and  26,  190  acres. 

Blackburn,  William,  Section  35.  96  acres. 

Bope,  John,  Sections  26  and  35,  208  acres. 

Bentley,  Francis,  Section  26,  40  acres. 

Bair,  Daniel's  heirs.  Section  12,  80  acres. 

Coughenour,  Abraham,  Section  7,  40  acres. 

Campbell,  Alexander,  Section —  56  acres. 

Copes,  J.  and  P.,  Section  12,  80  acres. 

Crouse,  Jacob,  Section  20, — 

Corfman,  Jacob,  Sections  10  and  14,  210  acres. 

Carpenter,  Daniel,  Section  24,  80  acres. 

Corfman,  Barbara,  Section  15,  80  acres. 

Conaghan,  Dennis  H.,  Section  19,  160  acres. 

Conaghan,  Charles  C,  Section  19,  82  acres. 

Custis,  Jacob,  Sections  25  and  36,  104  acres. 

Cutting,  Elijah,  Section  26,  55  acres. 

Corfman,  Joseph,  Section  22,  80  acres. 

Corfman,  Magdalena,  Section  22,  80  acres. 

Drum,  Jacob,  Section  5,  160  acres. 

Dunn,  Doctor,  Sections  6,  7,  8,  29,  30,  31,  1,051  acres. 

Dunn,  Asa,  Section  30,  33  acres. 

De  Bolt,  Silas,  Sections  1  and  12,  100  acres,  also  owned  a  tannery. 

Dunn,  Thomas,  Section  7,  40  acres. 

Dukeman,  Stephen,  Section  5,  80  acres. 

Dresbach,  William,  Section  13,  120  acres. 

Eish,  Nicholas,  Sections  6  and  7,  122  acres. 

Ekleberry,  Ezekiel,  Sections  23  and  24,  190  acres. 

Ellis,  David,  Sections  26  and  27,  160  acres. 

Frederick,  Charles,  Sections  4,  8,  9,  148  acres. 

Fisher,  William,  Section  37,  2  acres,  also  owned  a  saw  mill. 

Fishel.  Jacob,  Sections  1,  2,  7,  140  acres. 

Frederick,  Joseph,  Sections  27,  and  28,  209  acres. 

Gibson,  Robert,  Sections  19  and  30,  240  acres. 

Gibson,  Daniel,  Section  32,  38  acres.    , 

Ganett,  Lewis,  Sections  28  and  34,  139  acres. 

Hetshugh, ,  Section  3,  73  acres. 

Hammond,  Peter,  Section  11,  160  acres. 
Hufiford,  Joseph,  Section  22,  80  acres. 
Howard,  Joseph,  Section  7,  80  acres. 
High,  Jeranamas,  Sections  7  and  8,  127  acres. 
Hufibrd,  Michael,  Section  22,  91  acres. 
Hershberger,  Mary,  Section  2,  80  acres. 
Hufford,  Christopher,  Section  23,  150  acres. 
Hulse,  Silas'  heirs,  Section  31,   56  acres. 
Harper,  William,  Section  1,  62  acres. 
Hart.  Daniel,  Section  17,  80  acres. 
Ingraham,  Peter,  Section  12,  40  acres. 
Jacoby,  Elijah.  Section  6,  160  acres. 
Johnson,  Jacob.  Section  4,  80  acres. 
Jackson,  Catharine,  Section  7,  40  acres. 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1033 

Koon,  Adam,  Section  25,  32  acres. 
Kear,  Moses,  Sections  18  and  19,  149  acres. 
Kear,  Henry,  Section  18,  56  acres. 
Kear,  Jonathan,  Sections  18  and  19,  189  acres. 
Kenan,  Peter,  Section  19,  8  acres. 
Kentlield,  Smith,  Section  30,  52  acres. 
Lee,  Joel,  Section  33,  31  acres. 
Leighton,  Samuel,  Section  33,  22  acres. 

Leeper  Thomas,  Section  1,  202  acres,  also  owned  a  saw  and  grist  mill. 
Lightner,  Samuel,  Section  10,  32  acres,  also  owned  a  saw  mill. 
Lupton,  John  B.,  Sections  3  and  13,  160  acres. 
Lundy,  John,  Section  24,  160  acres. 
Lundy,  Aaron,  Section  25,  160  acres. 
Lowmaster,  John,  Section  22.  70  acres. 
Ludwig,  Daniel,  Section  27,  5  acres. 
Lowmaster,  Reuben,  Section  26,  40  acres. 
Lowmaster,  Alexander,  Section  26,  40  acres. 

Ludwig,  Jeremiah,  Sections  9,  17,  21,  28  and  81, 157  acres,  also  owned  a 
saw  mill. 

Lush,  Elizabeth,  Section  17,  80  acres. 

Long,  Jacob,  Section  20,  58  acres. 

Ley,  Sebastian,  Section  5,  9  acres. 

Ley,  F.  J.  and  F.  J.,  Jr.,  Section  14,  7  acres. 

McCutchen,  Joseph,  Sections  5  and  14,  215  acres. 

McConley,  Alfred,  Section  14,  80  acres. 

Morgan,  Jesse,  Section  12,  80  acres. 

Mulholland,  Hugh,  Section  17,  40  acres. 

Mackey,  John,  Section  5,  120  acres. 

Milum,  Adam,  Sections  21  and  34,  87  acres. 

Morris,  John  D.,  Sections  35  and  36,  58  acres. 

Milan,  Tobias,  Section  9,  73  acres. 

Morris,  Joseph,  Section  36,  71  acres. 

McLeas,  Jane,  Section  30,  80  acres. 

Nixon,  Elizabeth,  Section  2,  160  acres. 

Nettleton,  Henry,  Section  4,  58  acres. 

Niebel,  Henry,  Section  3,  80  acres. 

Noel,  Michael,  Sections  7,  8  and  17,  150  acres. 

Niebel,  Enos,  Section  26,  100  acres. 

Noble,  Nathan,  Section  15,  240  acres. 

Nits,  John  F.,  Section  24,  80  acres. 

Neffers,  William  F.,  Section  10,  80  acres. 

Ogg,  Susannah,  Section  18,  80  acres. 

Ogg,  William  A.,  Section  7,  40  acres. 

Porter,  William's  heirs,  Section  4,  40  acres. 

Parker,  William,  Sections  15  and  22,  80  acres. 

Pontius,  Andrew,  Section  13.  160  acres. 

Prim,  Samuel,  Section  6,  40  acres. 

Russell,  Alpheus,  Section  2,  80  acres. 

Roberts,  Robert,  Sections  15  and  7,  105  acres. 

Reigle,  George,  Section  9,  50  acres. 

Robinson,  James'  heirs.  Section  11,  80  acres. 

Roberts,  J.  A.,  Sections  17  and  27,  52  acres. 

Staggerwalt,  Jacob,  Section  19,  60  acres. 


1034  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Staggerwalt,  Joseph,  Sections  4  and  9,  61  acres. 

Saffell,  John,  Section  3,  80  acres. 

Switzer,  Jonas,  Section  3,  80  acres. 

Sigler,  John,  Section  4,  75  acres. 

Saffell,  John,  Section  3,  103  acres. 

Smith,  William,  Sections  17  and  20,  160  acres. 

Shaffer,  Gotlieb,  Section  4,  80  acres. 

Saffell,  James,  Section  10,  203  acres. 

Snock,  John,  Section  7,  82  acres. 

Squires,  Jabez  K.,  Section  15,  80  acres. 

Stokely,  Robert,  Sections  13,  14,  23  and  24,  400  acres. 

St.  John,  Henry,  Section  20,  16(3  acres. 

Shellhouse,  George,  Section  22,  80  acres. 

Stalter,  Abraham,  Section  14,  40  acres. 

Scott,  Peter  W.,  Section  11,  80  acres. 

Schenerman,  Conrad,  Section  7,  80  acres. 

Stevens,  Moses,  Sections  18  and  19,  200  acres. 

Stalter,  Abraham,  Section  14,  40  acres. 

Stoker,  John,  Section  27,  34  acres. 

Stover,  Ashford,  Sections  23  and  26,  70  acres. 

Snover,  Thomas,  Section  36,  84  acres. 

Smith,  Martin,  Section  5,  80  acres. 

Sweet,  Berry  L.  (heirs).  Section  27,  80  acres. 

Schuetz,  Gerhart,  Section  3,  75  acres. 

State  of  Ohio,  Sections  17,  14,  22,  20,  and  27,  375  acres. 

Terry,  Joseph  T.,  Section  8,  8  acres. 
[  Taylor,  James,  Section  26,  80  acres. 

Taylor,  John,  Section  20,  ^  acre. 
^  Turflinger,  David,  Section  27,  80  acres. 

Truitt,  Isaac  P.,  Section  9,  80  acres. 

Utto,  Henry,  Section  6,  40  acres. 

Ufford,  J.,  Sections  6,  8  and  9,  213  acres. 

Van  Doren,  George,  Section  20,  ^  aci-e. 

Van  Gnndy,  Joseph,  Section  25,  80  acres. 

Vocht,  Martin,  65  acres. 

Wood,  Francis,  Section  23,  80  acres. 

Welch,  Aaron,  Section  6,  160  acres. 

Winninger,  Adam,  Sections  2,  3,  11  and  12,  498  acres. 

Walton,  Lemar,  Section  14,  124  acres. 

Walton,  William,  Section  14,  66  acres. 

Walton,  John's  heirs,  Section  23,  170  acres. 

Walton  William,  Jr.,  Section  34,  47  acres. 
[  Walton,  Matthevs^,  Section  27,  160  acres. 

Wilson,  Jacob  L.,  Section  24,  80  acres. 

W^eiser,  Fredrick,  Section  25,  160  acres. 

Scott,  Peter  H.,  Section  11,  80  acres. 

Myers,  John,  Section  4,  1  acre. 

TOWN    OF     m'cUTCHENVILLE. 

Owners  of  lots:  Jacob  Albert,  Magdalena  Barton,  Michael  Brockley, 
James  Chamberlin,  Hugh  Cleland,  Hampton  Crandall,  Alexander  Camp- 
bell,    Conrad,  Charles  H.   Dewitt,  John  C.  Dewitt,  Elizabeth  Dewitt, 

Isaac  H.  Deerborough,  George  Eyler,  J.  J.  Flack,  Samuel  C.  Freet,  Henry 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1035 

J.  Flick,  Hiram  Flick,  Benjamin  Harmon,  Charles  Hallock,  Nancy  Harris' 
heirs,  Sebastian  Ley,  John  H.  Long,  Jacob  Long,  Francis  J.  Ley,  Jeremiah 

Ludwig,   Lyman    Munger,  Merriman ,  Hannah  McCutchen,   Joseph 

McCiitchen,  Henry  Plott,  Perry  &  Patrick,  Samuel  Roth,  Anna  H.  Roberts, 
John  Reed,  George  W.  Sampson,  Martin  Smith,  John  L.  Shaffer,  William 
Stokely,  State  of  Ohio,  Peter  A.  Tyler,  Thomas  and  Adam  Welch,  Adam  Win- 
ninger,  Nathan  W.  Wright,  Aaron  Welch,  John  H.  Yambert  and  Peter 
Zobinskie.  Seven  houses  were  then  mentioned  as  standing  in  the  town, 
which  were  owned  or  occupied  by  Michael  Brockley,  James  M.  Chamber- 
lin,  Joseph  McCutchen,  George  W.  Sampson,  Martin  Smith,  John  L. 
Shaffer  and  Adam  Welch. 

TOWN  OF  BELLE  VERNON. 

Names  of  owners  of  lots  :  J.  L.  Bartoon,  William  Bland,  Ezekiel 
Ekleberry  and  Joseph  McCutchen. 

TOWN  OF  PERU.  > 

Owners  of  lots  :  John  dinger,  Ezekiel  Ekleberry,  Jesse  Morgan, 
State  of  Ohio  and  Daniel  Turfiinger. 

TOWN  OF  OLD  TYMOCHTEE. 

Owners  of  lots  :  Sebastian  Ley,  J.  B.  Ludwig,  Henry  Earl,  William 
H.  Jones,  J.  A.  Roberts,  Henry  St.  John,  State  of  Ohio,  William  Smith. 

TOWN  OF  MEXICO. 

Owners  of  lots:  Allen  and  Frederick  Bloom,  Thomas  Badger, David  Bird, 
Silas  De  Bolt,  S.  Fairchild,  Jacob  Fishel,  Solomon  Finch,  James  L.  Harper, 
Anthony  Hemrich,  Rosanna  Kragen,  John  Klem,  Joseph  Leeper,  James 
McNabb,  Nicholas  McCullough,  John  Miller,  Philip  J.  Price,  James  Rob- 
inson, Sapauel  P.  Shaw,  C.  W.  Shaw,  Jonathan  Slaymaker,  State  of  Ohio, 
James  Taylor,  Martin  Welch  and  Elmore  Yokum. 

TOWN  OF  NORTH  TYMOCHTEE. 

Owners  of  lots  :  Charles  L.  Boalt,  George  T.  Frees,  Daniel  McCahan, 
William  Smith,  State  of  Ohio,  Joseph  T.  Terry. 

OWNERS  OP  PERSONAL  PROPERTY. 

John  Anderson,  Ira  Ashby,  Jacob  Albent,  William  Arnold,  Anthony 
Arnold,  Anthony  Arnold,  Jr.,  George  Baston,  Jacob  Bare,  Sarah  Bare, 
Michael  Baum,  David  Babcock,  Christopher  Bibler,  Michael  Badger,  Giles 
Barber,  Nicholas  Berry,  Dr.  Alvin  Bingham  (a  practicing  physician),  Joseph 
Biggs,  Frederick  Bloom  (a  merchant),  Jacob  Baum,  Michael  Brockley,  John 
Berry,  Peter  O.  Brown,  John  Beam,  Thomas  Berry,  William  Blackburn, 
Solomon  Blazier,  William  Bland,  John  Bope,  George  Bogart,  Jonathan 
Berry,  Michael  Blue,  Francis  Bentley,  Coleman  C.  Bivens,  John  Bentley, 
John  Barnhart,  Jacob  Bibler,  Jacob  Bibler,  Jr.,  Peter  B.  Beidler,  James 
Chamberlin  (a  merchant),  Samuel  Cowper,  Jacob  Corfman,  Henry  Clerk, 
Charles  Conaghan,  Dennis  Canaghan,  FraQcis  Canaghan,  Mary  Chaffee, 
David  Curtis,  Jacob  Curtis,  Perry  Chaffee,  Elijah  Cutting,  Harley  P.  Cut- 
ting, George  Compton,  Jacob  Crouse  (a  merchant),  Frederick  Cogle,  Conrad 
Corfman,  Joseph  Corfman,  John  dinger,  Hampton  L.  Crandall,  Abraham 
Cohenhous,  Samuel  Campbell,  James  H.  Carr,  Alexander  Campbell  (a  mer- 
chant),  Silas  De  Bolt  (a  merchant),  Philip  Daum,  Doctor  Dunn,  Isaac  H. 


1036  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Deerborough,  Andrew  Dumm,  George  Dukeman,  John  C.  Dewitt,  Jacob 
Drum,  Stephen  Dukeman,  George  Eyier,  Daniel  Empy,  Ezekiel  Ekleberry, 
George  W.  Edwards,  David  Ellis,  George  Eckman,  Jared  Eaton,  Alanson  S. 
Finch,  Solomon  Finch,  Jacob  Fishel,  John  Freet,  IHenry  Freet  (a  mer- 
chant), Jackson  Fleck,  Dr.  John  Free  (a  merchant  and  physician),  Samuel  D. 
Freet,  Heaton  Freet,  Henry  D.  Freek,  Joseph  Fredrick,  Lewis  Grubb,  Zeb- 
ulon  Groff,  Robert  Guire,  Dyak  Gardner,  Robert  Gibson,  Benjamin  Gibson, 
Joseph  Gibson,  David  Gibson,  William  Harper,  Samuel  Harriger,  Mary 
Hershberger,  Conrad  Hitchhugh,  David  Hitchhugh,  Hoffman  &  Perry 
(merchants),  Daniel  Hoffman,  Henry  H.  Houpt,  G.  High,  Thomas  High, 
George  Harmon,  William  Hawk,  Christopher  Hufford,  Michael  Hufford, 
Andrew  Heinrich,  Edward  C.  Ingman,  Alexander  Ingman  (a  merchant),  Peter 
Ingman,  Nicholas  Ish,  William  H.  Jones  (a  merchant  with  stock  of  $2,000), 
Samuel  Johnson,  William  Johnson,  Elijah  Jacoby,  Thompson  Johnson, 
Jacob  Johnson,  Jonathan  Kear,  Moses  Kear,  Henry  Kear,  Abel  J.  Kinney, 
Frederick  Klice,  Samuel  Kenan,  Joel  Lee,  Catharine  Leeper,  James 
Leeper,  John  H.  Long,  Sebastian  Ley,  Francis  J.  Ley,  Jeremiah  Ludwig, 
Daniel  Ludwig,  John  Longabaugh,  Samuel  Longabaugh,  Widow  Leash, 
Hiram  Lear,  Isaac  Lundy,  John  Lund,  Reuben  Lowmaster,  Alfred  Low- 
n:astei',  John  Lowmaster,  Dr.  Ziba  A.  Letson  (a  physician  in  practice),  Isaac 
Lott,  Samuel  Lane,  C.  F.  Lautenslager,  Joseph  Miller,  George  W.  Myers, 
George  Miller,  Alfred  McCauley,  Jesse  Morgan,  Nicholas  McCullough, 
Thomas  McNutt,  Thomas  Mazee,  Lyman  Munger,  Richard  Menholland, 
Joseph  McCutchen,  Hugh  Menholland,  William  Martin,  Joseph  Morris,  John 
Morris,  Mary  Milan,  John  McKee,  Obed  Niebel,  Obed  Niebel,  Jr.,  Marcena  Nif- 
tis,  Michael  Noel,  Henry  Neise,  Jacob  Neise,  John  F.  Nitts,  John  Nitts, 
William  Niffis,  William  A.  Ogg,  Susanna  Ogg,  John  L.  Ogg,  Andrew 
Pontius,  Roswell  Perry,  Samuel  Prine,  Christopher  Y.  Pierson,  John  Pier, 
Henry  Parker,  William  Parker,  Charles  Parker,  Jane  Robinson,  David 
Robinson,  Alpheus  Russell,  Samuel  Rhodes,  Samuel  Rinebolt,  Dr.  Erastus 
Ranger  (a  practicing  physician),  George  Reagle,  Samuel  Rife,  Solomon 
Richardson,  Eli  Regie,  Philip  Regie,  Daniel  Smith  (a  merchant),  Abraham 
Smith,  Philip  Smith,  Peter  W.  Scott,  Henry  Spotts,  Robert  Stokely, 
Elizabeth  Snover,  Ashford  Stover,  George  Shellhouse,  George  Shellhouse, 
Jr.,  James  Saffield,  Jacob  Staggerwalt,  Jasopt  Staggerwalt,  Jasopt  Stagger- 
wait,  Jr.,  Jacob  Stover,  John  Squires,  B.  Stokely,  Gerhart  Sheets,  John 
Saffield,  Augustus  Saffield,  Jacob  Sighe,  Conrad  Sherman,  John  L.  Shaffer, 
Levi  Smith,  Thomas  Shaw,  Dr.  George  W.  Sampson  (a  practicing  physician), 
Jacob  Shelby,  John  Smook,  Samuel  Smook,  Michael  Shaffer,  Abraham 
Shafer,  George  W.  Sherwood,  John  Sigler,  Gotleib  Shafer,  Moses  Stevens, 
Spencer  St.  John,  Abraham  Stalters,  Jacob  Stoker,  Charles  Townsend, 
William  Taylor,  John  Taylor,  Jr.,  John  Taylor,  Perry  Taylor,  Widow 
T.  Trevit,  Daniel  Turflinger, Peter  A.Tyler  (an  attorney), Samuel  Van  Gundy, 
Martin  Vocht,  Henry  Welch,  Martin  Welch,  Casanda  Walton,  Henry  Walton, 
Margaret  Walton,  John  Wagoner,  George  Winniger,  Winniger's  estate, 
Lemar  Walton,  Jacob  Wilson,  William  Walton,  Mathew  Walton,  Francis 
Woods,  Jacob  Wagoner,  John  Washburn. 

KELIGIOUS. 

This  township  from  a  very  early  period  has  been  well  supplied  with 
chui-cbes,  and  there  was  no  lack  of  religious  privileges,  and  there  are  now 
nine  churches  in  the  township.  Indeed,  in  McCutchenville  there  were  at 
one  time  five  church  organizations  where  to-day  there  are  but  two — the  Pros- 


TYMOCHTEE  TOAVNSHIP.  1037 

byterian  and  tbe  Methodist  Episcopal.  We  have  to  thank  Mr.  James  M. 
Chamberlin,  now  in  his  seventy -eighth  year,  and  a  settler  in  the  township 
since  1833,  for  the  following  reminiscences  on  church  matters.  Mr.  Cham- 
berlin says  there  are  but  two  individuals  resident  in  McCutchenville  who 
were  there  when  he  came — Dr.  G.  W.  Sampson  and  Mrs.  Brackly.  He  says 
the  first  church  here  was  the  Methodist  Episcopal,  who  had  erected  a  log 
church  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  north,  in  Seneca  County,  but  that  they 
took  it  down  and  erected  a  church  in  the  village,  which  they  occupied  until 
1858  or  1859,  when  they  erected  their   present  brick  building.     Between 

1833  and  1840,  three  other  churches  were  erected.  The  German  Reformed 
and  Lutheran,  who  had  each  a  small  congregation,  united  in  erecting  a  log 
building  which,  after  using  for  several  years,  owing  to  the  falling  away  in 
the  congregations,  was  sold  and  torn  down.  The  Methodist  Protestant 
formed  a  small  class  and  undertook  to  build,  but  after  erecting  the  frame 
and  putting  on  the  roof  were  unable  to  complete  it.  About  this  time  there 
was  a  Congregational  organization  formed,  and  by  agreement  with  the 
Methodist  Protestants  they  finished  the  building  for  the  privilege  of  using 
it  half  the  time  for  twenty-five  years,  but  the  Methodist  Protestant  body  not 
increasing  much,  preaching  ceased,  the  building  was  sold  some  twenty  years 
ago,  and  it  is  now  used  for  secular  purposes.  The  Congregationalists,  after 
maintaining  their  organization,  with  Rev.  John  Pettit  as  minister,  until 
about  1850,  disbanded,  and  at  the  organization  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  May,  1854,  many  of  their  members  united  with  the  latter  church.     About 

1834  or  1835,  there  being  quite  a  number  of  Catholic  families  in  McCutch- 
enville and  vicinity,  they  erected  a  frame  structure,  which  was  used  for 
several  years,  but  owing  to  numerous  removals  it  was  seldom  used.  A  few 
years  ago  it  was  consumed  by  fire,  undoubtedly  the  work  of  an  incendiary, 
as  there  had  been  no  fire  in  the  church  for  a  long  time  previously.  It  has 
never  been  rebuilt.  The  Albright  or  Evangelical  denomination  also  erected 
a  small  frame  building  which  they  occupied  for  some  time,  but  as  most  of 
the  members  lived  a  few  miles  to  the  northeast  they  built  a  brick  church 
two  and  one-half  miles  east,  in  Seneca  County,  the  old  building  being  sold 
and  taken  down. 

Ebenezer  Evangelical  Church. — In  October.  1835,  at  the  home  of  Jacob 
Corfman,  where  he  still  resides,  occurred  the  first  gathering  of  those  inter- 
ested in  this  cause.  At  this  meeting  divine  worship  was  conducted  by  the 
Rev.  Henry  Downey.  A  year  from  this  date  occurred  a  camp-meeting  near 
IMcCutchenville,  out  of  which  grew  the  present  church.  Thei'e  were  at  first 
ten  members,  among  whom  were  Joseph  and  Jacob  Corfman,  and  Chris- 
topher Hufiford  and  their  respective  wives.  The  pastor  on  this  occasion 
was  Rev.  Absalom  Shaf  er.  Three  years  later,  sufiicient  strength  was  gathered 
to  erect  a  frame  church,  30x35  feet,  at  a  cost  of  $600,  on  Section  23,  and  the 
same  edifice  is  still  in  use,  although  it  was  remodeled  in  1878  at  a  cost  of 
$500.  The  successive  pastors  have  been:  Absalom  Shafer,  one  year;  John 
Cup,  one  year;  Mr.  Kemmerly,  one  year;  Robert  Miller  and  Peter  Weist, 
one  year;  John  Miller,  Mr.  Wonders,  J.  French,  C.  M.  Reinhold,  George 
Haily,  John  Stull,  H.  Longbrake,  J.  Munk,  A.  Yambert,  C.  M.  Reinhold, 
Andrew  Swartz,  J.  G.  Baughman,  J.  B.  Crouse,  H.  Longbrake,  A.  Yander- 
sal,  C.  Halderman,  L.  C.  Morse,  Storme  Berry,  G.  Blasier,  Mr.  Fause,  W. 
Wonder,  S.  Hoy,  D.  H.  Rosenberg,  D.  Stull,  H.  Brenneman. 

The  present  membership  is  twenty-five,  and  the  present  officials  are 
John  Baughman,  John  McBeth  and  Elza  Corfman.  This  church  was  in- 
corporated under  the  State  laws  in  April,  1878. 


1038  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

On  May  6,  1867.  a  Sunday  school  was  instituted,  which  has  been  kept 
up  uninterruptedly  ever  since.  In  1845,  a  missionary  auxiliary  society  was 
formed,  which  is  still  in  existence.  In  1850,  a  revival  gathered  in  thirty 
souls,  and  again  in  1860,  under  the  supervision  of  Rev.  C.  M.  Reinhold, 
over  one  hundre  1  conversions  took  place,  and  since  that  time  several  inter- 
esting revivals  have  occurred. 

Zion  United  Brethren  Church.  —In  the  summer  of  1846,  the  Rev.  Will- 
iam Bevington  organized  this  church  with  three  members  at  a  meeting  held 
in  the  cabin  of  Hiram  Anderson.  The  memorable  trio  who  gave  origin  to 
what  is  at  present  a  living,  thriving  church  of  seventy  members,  were 
George  and  Sarah  Curts  and  Catharine  Anderson.  In  1849,  we  hear  of 
their  being  ministered  to  by  Rev.  M.  Tabler;  in  1850,  by  Rev.  William 
Mathers;  in  1850,  by  Rev.  M.  Lammon;  in  1852-53,  by  Rev.  Peter  Flack 
and  J.  Franck.  In  1884,  the  pastor  is  Rev.  C.  L.  Bevington.  The  present 
leader  is  P.  C.  King;  the  Trustees  are  William  Walton,  H.  Clabaugh,  A. 
Bare,  L.  Wood  and  P.  C.  King,  As  to  revivals,  we  may  say  that  this  is  a 
revival  church,  almost  every  year  since  its  organization  witnessing  mani- 
festations of  the  power  of  the  Gospel.  The  church  edifice  is  a  frame 
structure,  erected  in  1854  on  Section  23. 

First  Presbyterian  Church  of  McCutchenville. — In  May,  1854,  the  Rev. 
Charles  Thayer,  Rev.  L.  Pelan  and  Elder  Mathew  Rogers  interested  them- 
selves in  the  organization  of  this  church,  and  it  commenced  with  a  member- 
ship of  thirty-three,  among  whom  were  J.  M  Chamberlin,  S.  Hill,  J.  C. 
McGoffin,  Jacob  Johnson,  J.  Mangus,  P.  Lott,  W.  Kerr,  John  Kerr, 
Matliew  Laii'd,  and  the  wives  of  all  the  foregoing,  together  with  Rachel  E. 
Miles,  Elizabeth  Fishel,  J.  H.  Brinkerhoflf  and  others.  The  society  used  the 
Methodist  Protestant  house  of  worship  until  1860,  when  they  erected  a 
brick  structure,  34x52  feet,  at  a  cost  of  $2, 500.  Although  there  never  was 
a  regularly  installed  pastor,  the  following  have  acted  as  supplies:  Revs. 
S.  Pelan,  JohnMcLain,  S.  Cook,  William  Reed,  R.  B.  Moore  and  R.  C.  Col- 
mery,  their  terms  of  service  varying  from  six  months  to  six  years.  The 
present  membership  is  forty-two.  This  church  has  never  had  a  special  re- 
vival, but  had  a  steady  increase  of  membership  until  1863,  when  it  reached 
eighty,  but  although  many  new  members  have  been  added  since  then,  such 
has  been  the  loss  by  deaths  and  removals  that  it  has  fallen  to  its  present 
membership.  During  the  most  of  the  time  there  has  been  a  Sabbath 
school,  which  is  still  in  a  prosperous  condition. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  McCutchenville.  — The  present  church 
edifice  is  a  brick  structure,  32x52,  erected  in  1858  at  a  cost  of  $2,500  in  the 
village  of  McCutchenville.  The  pastors  since  1858  with  the  number  of 
years  they  respectively  served  are  as  follows:  Lewin  J.  Dales,  one  year; 
Richard  M.  Biggs,  two  years;  Joseph  Good,  one  year;  Gershom  Lease,  one 
year;  Jacob  M.  Hemes,  two  years;  George  W.  Miller,  two  years;  Samuel 
M.  Boggs,  two  years;  Richard  M.  Culver,  three  years;  John  W.  Hill,  two 
years;  Isaac  N.  Calb,  three  years;  Philip  A.  Drown,  two  years;  John 
Houghtby,  two  years;  Benjamin  F.  Rowand,  one  year;  Matthias  C.  Howey 
is  the  present  pastor.  The  present  Trustees  are  M.  C.  Johnson,  Truman 
Brashares,  John  Row,  William  Huffman  and  Allen  Pontius.  Notwithstand- 
ing our  most  strenuous  efforts,  we  have  been  unable  to  obtain  any  clear  ac- 
count of  the  early  organization  of  this  church,  which  has  a  present  mem- 
bership of  fifty,  but  we  are  enabled  to  present  a  list  of  the  first  members. 
These  were  Caleb  and  Thomas  Brundage,  Mr.  Nestle,  John  Tingle,  John 
Nafus,   Daniel  Whetzel,   Mr.   Ellis,  Mr.   Pratt,  Mr.  Drake,  Samuel  Sailor, 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1039 

Hugh  Mulholland,  Mr.  Van  Ness,  Jacob  Sigler  and  their  respective  wives; 
also  Mrs.  Dedwit,  Mrs.  Sampson  and  Mrs.  Porter.  The  first  meetings  vpere 
held  in  a  hewed-log  house  over  the  county  line  in  Seneca  Township.  A 
flourishing  Sunday  school  is  in  existence  in  connection  with  the  church. 
The  principal  seasons  of  revival  have  occurred  as  follows:  In  1870,  under 
the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Samuel  M.  Boggs,  about  seventy  were  converted;  in 
1881,  under  Rev.  John  Houghtby,  sixty  souls  were  added  to  the  church; 
and  last  winter  the  Rev.  C.  Howey  held  a  revival  at  which  twenty  were  con- 
verted. There  have  been  of  course  other  revivals,  but  the  above  are  the 
most  noteworthy  in  their  results. 

Evangelical  Chapel,  Mexico. — In  the  winter  of  1875,  several  persons 
interested  in  this  cause  met  at  the  residence  of  St.  John  Miller  to  discuss 
the  advisability  of  organizing  a  church  of  the  Evangelical  denomination. 
These  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller,  J.  Delaplane  and  wife,  D.  Miller,  Mrs.Shuler, 
Mrs.  Cline  and  Green  Cooper.  The  first  public  meeting  was  held  in  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  addresses  were  delivered  by  A.  A.  Vandersal 
and  G.  W.  Ellenburger,  the  former  of  whom  was  the  organizing  pastor. 
The  church  edifice,  a  frame  structure,  36x48  feet,  was  erected  in  1876,  at  a 
cost  of  $2,300,  and  the  pastors  have  been  J.  S.  Hawk  in  1876,  C.  M.  Halde- 
man  three  years,  D.  H.  Rosenburg  for  three  years,  and  the  present  pastor. 
The  membership  is  now  twenty-eight,  and  the  present  oflicials  are  A.  A. 
Niebel,  J.  Delaplane  and  B.  H.  Niebel,  Trustees;  A.  A.  Niebel,  Leader;  J. 
Funk,  Assistant  Leader  and  Sexton. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Mexico. — The  present  church  edifice  is 
quite  a  commodious  wood  structure,  erected  in  1869  at  a  cost  of  $5,000, 
and  is  36x54  feet.  The  pastors  have  been  as  follows:  Rev.  Mr.  Gard,  served 
three  years;  Rev.  Mr.  Hannawalt,  one  year;  Rev.  Mr.  Cutler,  two  years; 
Rev.  Mr.  Batman,  two  years;  Rev.  Mr.  Lawrence,  three  years;  Rev.  Mr. 
Owens,  two  years;  Rev.  Mr.  Disette,  one  year,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Palmer  is  the 
present  pastor.  There  are  at  present  twenty-four  members,  and  the  officials 
are  Samuel  Spencer,  Jordan  Gault,  William  Gibbs,  Theodore  Blair  and  Dow 
Tuttle,  Trustees;  J.  C.  Gault,  Class-leader;  and  Dow  Tuttle,  Steward. 
Sunday  school  has  been  uninterruptedly  maintained  for  ten  years  past. 

CEMETERY. 

Pleasant  Ridge  Cemetery  Association. — The  pleasantly  situated  grounds 
of  this  association  cover  an  area  of  six  and  one-half  acres  near  the  Zion  and 
Ebenezer  Churches;  are  well  fenced,  and  adorned  with  evergreen  and  maple 
trees,  with  a  large  number  of  fine  granite  and  marble  monuments  dotting 
its  surface.  Indeed,  Pleasant  Ridge  Cemetery  is  second  to  none  in  the 
county  for  location,  plan  of  arrangement  and  tine  memorials  of  the  departed. 
On  November  17,  1880,  a  meeting  of  those  interested  in  the  formation  of  a 
cemetery,  met  in  Ebenezer  Church  and  proceede<l  to  business  by  appointing 
Elias  Eilis,  Chairman,  and  William  Corf  man,  Secretary.  The  committee 
appointed  to  select  ground  purchased  six  and  a  half  acres  from  C.  Hufford 
and  Lester  Wood;  $1,100  was  at  once  raised  by  subscription,  $50  entitling 
each  person  to  a  lot.  On  the  8th  of  December  following,  the  organization 
was  completed,  the  members  being  Elias  Ellis,  William  Corfman,  Lewis 
Stokley.  W.  Walton,  Henry  Parker,  L.  R.  Walton,  P.  C.  King,  Conrad  Huf- 
ford. Lester  Wood' and  others.  Elias  Ellis  was  first  President,  W.  Corf- 
man. Secretary;  W.  Walton,  Treasurer;  L.  Stokley,  Henry  Parker  and  L. 
R.  ^^'alton,  Trustees;  Committee  on  Constitution  and  By-laws,  W.  Corfman 
and  T.  W.  Parker.     The  association  was  incorporated  on  January  4,  1881. 


1040  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Regular  meetings  are  held  quarterly;  the  annual  meeting  is  on  the  first 
Monday  in  December.  It  is  somewhat  singular  that  the  first  person  buried 
in  the  cemetery  should  be  one  who  took  a  deep  interest  in  its  inception, 
and  to  whom  much  credit  is  due  for  energy  manifested  in  securing  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  association;  we  allude  to  the  late  Lewis  Stokley.  who 
died  April  29,  1881. 

BIOGKAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

PETER  L.  BABCOCK  was  born  in  this  township  May  17,  1850,  and  is 
a  son  of  David  G.  and  Saloma  (Hummons)  Babcock,  natives  of  York  State 
and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  of  German  descent.  His  parents  mar- 
ried in  1840,  and  purchased  ninety-two  acres  in  this  township,  where  their 
children  were  reared,  four  in  number — Rebecca  E.,  Minerva  M.,  Peter  L. 
and  Florella  G.  His  father  died  in  1854;  his  mother  now  resides  with  him 
on  the  old  homestead.  Our  subject  remained  with  his  mother  on  the  farm. 
He  was  married,  April  30,  1874,  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Safifell,  who  was  born  in 
this  township  November  25,  1852,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Jemima  (Hart- 
sough)  Saffell.  and  to  this  iinion  three  children  were  born — Nellie  S.,  Frank 
L.  and  Carl,  the  first  of  whom  died  February  25,  1880.  Mr.  Babcock  has 
purchased  the  interests  of  the  respective  heirs,  and  now  owns  the  entire 
homestead  of  ninety-two  acres,  his  wife  holding  fourteen  acres  adjoining  in 
her  own  name.  The  land  is  all  well  improved,  and  worth  about  |100  to  $110 
per  acre.  Mr.  Babcock  is  a  member  of  Rubicon  Lodge,  No.  645,  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  and  a  Republican  politically. 

GEORGE  BADGER  is  a  native  of  Fayette  County,  Penn.,  son  of 
Thomas  and  Ruth  (Franks)  Badger,  and  was  born  October  1,  1816.  His 
parents  were  of  Irish-German  descent;  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania;  mar- 
ried in  Fayette  Cuunty,  and  in  1821  moved  to  Wayne  County,  Ohio.  Here 
they  purchased  land  and  resided  till  1847,  when  they  came  to  this  township. 
Of  their  ten  children  eight  survive — George,  William,  Simon,  Michael,  Jes- 
sie, Cindrilla,  Mary  A.  and  Cornelius.  His  father  died  September  15,  1849, 
his  mother  January  16,  1882.  George  Badger  remained  with  his  parents 
till  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years  five  months  and  seven  days,  employed  on  the 
farm.  March  7,  1844,  he  married  Harriet  Pile,  of  Wayne  County,  Ohio, 
native  of  Somerset  County,  Penn.,  born  October  22,  1821,  and  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Margaret  (Casel)  Pile.  Her  parents  were  Germans,  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  moved  to  Wayne  County,  Ohio.  Eight  years  later  they 
moved  to  Van  Wert  County,  where  her  mother  died  in  1852,  and  her  father 
in  1873.  Their  four  children  were  Levi,  Noah,  Harriet  and  Regena,  all 
deceased  but  the  latter.  Mr.  Badger  resided  on  the  old  home  farm  in 
Wayne  County  till  1854,  when  he  came  to  Wyandot  and  purchased  260  acres 
of  timber  land  in  this  township.  This  he  cleared  and  improved,  adding 
forty  acres  more  in  1868.  He  now  has  290  acres,  valued  at  $100  per  acre. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Badger  are  parents  of  eight  children,  namely,  Hezekiah, 
Thomas  J.,  Clarissa,  Regena  E.,  Mary  M.,  Harriet  O.,  Catharine  and  Cin- 
drilla, all  living  but  Harriet  O.  Mrs.  Badger  passed  from  earth  October  7, 
1880.      In  politics,  Mr.  Badger  is  a  Republican. 

JESSE  BADGER  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  September  15,1825. 
He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Ruth  (Franks)  Badger,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
foiir  began  farming  rented  land.  He  was  married,  March  3,  1850,  to  Eliz- 
abeth Fishel,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Susan  (Sears)  Fishel,  who  settled  in 
this  township  in  an  early  day.  She  was  born  in  this  township  in  1831,  and 
by  her  union  with  Mr.  Badger  had  six  children — Mary  J.,  Susan  D.,  Ruth 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1041 

J.,  Fremont  C,  Rachel  K.  and  Clara  A.  The  mother  died  June  1,  1861, 
and  Mr.  B.  was  married,  October  19,  1865,  to  Mary  E.  Safifell,  daughter  of 
James  M.  and  Esther  (Switzer)  Safifell.  She  was  born  in  this  township, 
her  parents  being  natives  of  Maryland,  and  moving  to  this  State  about  1835. 
They  purchased  land  in  this  township,  and  had  six  children — Jonathan  S. , 
Mary  E.,  Hannah  S.,  Martha  A.,  Eliza  J.  and  James,  all  living  but  Han- 
nah and  the  latter.  The  mother  died,  and  the  father  married  Mrs. 
Jemima  Haines,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Hester  Hartsough,  and  by  this  wife 
had  two  children — James  F.  and  Sarah  E.  This  wife  also  passed  away, 
and  Mr.  Safifell  married  Ann  E.  Webb,  of  Baltimore,  Md.  One  son,  Charles, 
now  deceased,  was  born  to  them.  Mr.  S.  died,  and  his  widow  still 
lives  in  this  township.  The  childi'en  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Badger  are  Lida  J., 
James  F.  and  Jesse  M.  Mr.  Badger  purchased,  in  1859,  160  acres  in  Syc- 
amore Township,  selling  the  same  the  following  year.  In  1860,  he  pur- 
chased 200  acres  of  his  present  farm  in  Tymochtee  Township,  which  he 
has  increased  to  468  acres,  valued  at  ."^80  to  $110  per  acre.  He  did  consid- 
erable work  in  the  construction  of  the  Ohio  Central  Railroad.  He  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  Re- 
publican. 

PETER  BAUM,  born  in  this  township  July  26,  1836,  is  a  son  of  Mich- 
ael and  Rheumhannah  (Baum)  Baum,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Ger- 
man and  Irish  descent.  His  parents  married  in  Pennsylvania,  and  moved 
to  Ohio  in  1828,  locating  in  Pickaway  County.  From  that  point  they  moved 
to  this  county  by  wagon  several  years  later,  and  located  in  this  township. 
The  family  camped  out  till  a  cabin  could  be  erected,  the  same  being  with- 
out doors,  windows  or  floors  for  two  years.  Eight  of  their  nine  children  yet 
survive.  The  father  died  in  1850;  the  mother  is  still  living,  in  her  eighty- 
seventh  year.  Peter  Baum,  our  subject,  resided  with  his  parents  till  the 
spring  of  1858,  his  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  S.  Bope  occui'ring  on  May  8  of 
that  year.  Mrs.  Baum  was  born  in  this  county  August  23,  1835,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Lydia  (Bretz)  Bope,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Penn- 
sylvania. Her  parents  married  in  Fairfield  County,  moved  to  this  county 
rearing  a  family  of  thirteen  children,  nine  of  whom  are  yet  living.  The 
father  died  December  22,  1882;  the  mother  is  still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Baum  are  parents  of  five  children — Lydia  A. ,  John,  Ambrose  W.  E. ,  Har- 
rison and  Mary,  all  living  except  Harrison .  Mr.  Baum  was  reared  a  farmer,  and 
from  the  age  of  twelve  years  has  done  for  himself.  About  1858  or  1860, 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  the  old  home  farm,  to  which  he  has  since 
added  thirty-five  acres,  and  which  he  has  very  greatly  improved  with  build- 
ings, drainage,  cultivation,  etc.  Mr.  Baum-  is  a  member  of  Rubicon  Lodge, 
No.  645, 1.  O.  O.  F.,  and  affiliates  with  the  Detaocratic  party.  He  served 
one  term  as  Commissioner,  and  has  been  Township  Trustee  several  years. 

ABRAHAM  BLUE  was  born  January  23,  1818,  in  Richland  County, 
Ohio,  and  was  the  eldest  son  of  William  and  Susan  (Emerine)  Blue,  natives 
of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  of  Dutch  descent.  They  were  married,  in 
Richland  County,  Ohio,  and  about  seventeen  years  later  I'emoved  to  Seneca 
County,  Ohio,  where  they  reared  a  family  of  eight  children,  of  whom  five 
still  survive,  viz.,  Abraham,  William  W.,  Elizabeth,  Samuel  D.  and  Ange- 
lina W.  The  parents  moved  in  about  1870  to  Forest,  Ohio,  where  the 
father  died  December  26,  1872,  and  where  his  widow  still  resides  in  her 
eighty-fourth  year.  Our  subject  was  married,  September  15,  1842,  to 
Mary  Ann  Snook,  of  Crawford  Township,  this  county,  and  born  near  Fred- 
erickstown,  Md.,  February  3,  1824.     She  was  the  daughter  of   Jacob  and 


10-12  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Charlotte  (Walker)  Snook,  natives  of  Maryland,  and  of  German  and  English 
descent.  They  came  to  Ohio  in  about  1828,  and  settled  in  Muskingum  County, 
removing  in  1836  to  Wyandot  County,  settling  in  Crawford  Township. 
They  reared  a  family  of  seven  children,  of  whom  three  still  survive,  viz., 
William  E.,  Jacob  and  Mary  A.  The  father  died  November  5,  3870,  and 
the  mother  died  August  27,  1872,  aged  respectively  seventy  three  and 
eighty-two  years.  To  Abraham  and  Mary  Blue  two  children  were  born — 
Chester  C.  and  Ruhemma  A.,  the  only  former  surviving.  Our  subject  pur- 
chased land  in  Hancock  County,  Ohio,  in  1841,  which  he  disposed  of  after 
living  upon  it  for  about  five  years.  He  then  purchased  land  and  other 
property  in  Adrian,  Seneca  County,  where  he  resided  about  seven  years 
In  1851,  he  sold  out  and  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides,  con- 
taining 122  acres,  to  which  he  has  added  considerable  land.  His  farm  is 
now  valued  at  about  $75  to  $90  per  acre.  He  follows  general  agriculture 
at  present;  followed  railroad  work  as  sub-contractor  for  several  years,  also 
did  contract  work  on  the  Miami  &  Erie  Canal.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics. 

CHESTER  C.  BLUE  is  a  native  of  Big  Spring  Township,  Seneca 
Co.,  Ohio,  son  of  Abraham  and  Mary  A.  (Snook)  Blue,  and  was  born  Au- 
gust 25,  1848.  He  was  married,  November  19,  1867,  to  Rose  Ann  L.  Hart- 
man,  who  was  born  in  Norton  Township,  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  November  11, 
1849,  davighter  of  Peter  and  Tracy  (Mills)  Hartman,  natives  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  who  moved  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  Medina  County  in  an  early  day. 
Their  children  were  Joshua,  Moses,  Jacob,  Levi,  Muasa,  Manna,  Mary  and 
Rose  Ann  L.  The  father  died  November  11,  1860.  The  mother  subse- 
quently married  Mr.  Darumur  High,  who  died  ton  years  later,  after  which 
she  returned  to  Medina  County,  where  she  passed  away  September  11,  1874. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blue  are  parents  of  four  children — Albert,  born  June  16, 
1868;  Almon,  February  7,  1870;  Mary  G.,  April  20,  1875;  Margie  Ardel- 
la,  January  14,  1877.  Albert  died  November  14,  1869.  In  1880,  Mr.  Blue 
became  the  owner  of  forty  acres,  on  which  he  now  lives  in  the  pursuit  of 
general  agriculture.  In  the  same  year  he  erected  a  fine  frame  residence. 
He  is  a  Republican,  a  member  of  Wyandot  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. ,  at  Mc- 
Cutchenville,  and,  with  Mrs.  Blue,  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Association. 

CONRAD  BOPE  was  born  in  this  township  Avigust  15,  1839,  son  of 
John  and  Lydia  (Bretz)  Bope,  natives  of  Rockingham  County,  Va..  and 
Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  respectively.  His  parents  married  in  Fairfield 
County,  his  father  having  moved  there  at  four  years  of  age.  They  came  to 
this  county  in  1830;  settled  first  in  Sycamore  Township,  and  one  year  later 
moved  to  Tymochtee,  where  they  purchased  land  and  reared  their  children, 
nine  of  whom  are  still  living,  namely,  Abraham,  Daniel,  Susan,  Mary  S. , 
Conrad,  Eliza  J.,  Andrew,  Amanda  and  George  W.  The  father  died  De- 
cember 21,  1882;  the  mother  is  still  living  on  the  homestead.  In  April, 
1861,  Mr.  Bope  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Fifteenth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, and  served  till  August,  same  year.  September  1.  1861,  he  re-enlisted 
in  Company  G,  Forty-ninth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  partici- 
pated in  many  of  the  chief  battles  of  the  war,  Shiloh.  Stone  River,  Mission 
Ridge  and  Chickamauga  being  among  the  number.  In  January,  1864,  he 
veteranized  and  took  part  in  the  campaign  of  Atlanta.  He  was  wounded 
June  27,  1864,  at  Picket's  Mills,  Ga.,  a  gunshot  removing  the  middle  fin- 
ger of  right  hand,  and  as  a  result  was  absent  from  his  regiment  two  months. 
He  joined  his  command  at  Atlanta,  returned  to  Nashville,  participated  in 
the  engagement  there,  and  was  wounded  in  the  left  shoulder  which  com- 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1043 

pletely  disabled  him.  He  remained  six  weeks  at  the  Nashville  hospital, 
when  his  father  took  him  home  and  he  slowly  recovered.  In  May,  1865, 
he  went  to  Columbus,  and  the  following  month  received  his  discharge,  hav- 
ing served  as  Sergeant  all  through  the  service  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land. Returning  home  Mr.  Bope  was  married,  September  27,  1866,  to 
Miss  Dorothy  Coon,  who  was  born  in  Sycamore  Township  September  7, 
1842.  Her  parents  were  Adam  and  Elizabeth  (Heckathorn)  Coon,  natives 
of  Virginia  and  of  German  extraction.  They  were  married,  in  this  county, 
eight  of  their  eleven  children  surviving,  namely,  Jacob,  Barbara,  Catharine, 
Henry,  Elizabeth,  Mary  A.,  Dorothy  and  Ethan.  The  father  died  March 
28,  1877;  the  mol her  September  4,  1882.  In  1871,  Mr.  Bope  purchased 
ninety-seven  acres  on  which  he  still  lives,  and  on  which  he  erected  in  1877 
a  tine  brick  residence  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  He  follows  general  agriculture, 
and  gives  some  attention  to  the  raising  of  thoroughbred  horses.  He  is  a 
strong  Republican.      Mrs.    Bope  is  a  member  of   the  Evangelical  Church. 

HENRY  BRASHARES,  son  of  Truman  and  Elizabeth  (Kerns)  Bra- 
shares,  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  June  9,  1833.  He  was  married, 
January  31,  1861,  to  Miss  Phoebe  Kear,  born  in  this  township  July  8,  1839, 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Susan  A.  (Ogg)  Kear,  natives  of  New  York  and 
Maryland  respectively;  her  parents  married  in  this  county,  their  children  be- 
ing Dorothea,  Phoebe,  Henrietta  and  Moses,  the  latter  deceased.  Her  father 
died  in  1846.  Her  mother  is  now  in  her  seventieth  year.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Brashares  have  had  three  children — Josie,  born  June  28,  1866;  Harry,  Au- 
gust 9,  1868,  died  May  22,  1884,  aged'  fifteen  years  nine  months  and  thir- 
teen days;  Livonia,  August  5,  1864,  also  deceased.  Mr.  Brashares 
farmed  rented  land  for  some  time,  but  in  1869  purchased  seventy  acres  in 
this  township,  where  he  lived  till  1881,  when  he  bought  thirty-eight  acres 
adjoining,  on  which  he  now  resides.  He  has  a  valuable  farm,  and  keeps  it 
well  stocked  with  the  best  grades.  • 

TRUMAN  BRASHARES  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  September 
24,  1839.  He  is  a  son  of  Truman  and  Elizabeth  (Kerns)  Brashares,  na- 
tives of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  His  parents  married  in 
Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  and  moved  t(f  Seneca  in  1835.  They  entered  160 
acres,  and  reared  the  following-named  children:  Jacob,  Sarah  J.,  Henry, 
Elizabeth,  Barbara,  Truman,  Periy,  Delilah,  George  L.  and  Freeman  IJ. 
Those  now  deceased  are  Sarah  J.,  Barbara  and  Jacob.  The  father  died 
December  15  1849,  the  mother  May  27,  1871.  Mr.  Brashares'  grandfather 
was  born  January  10,  1769,  his  grandmother  January  5,  1779.  They  had 
ten  children — Barbara,  Ti'uman,  Owen,  Freeman,  Solomon,  Esther,  Catha- 
rine, Elizabeth,  Hiram  and  Perry — all  deceased  but  Esther.  Mr.  Brashares 
remained  upon  the  farm  with  parents  till  twenty-six  years  of  age.  He  was 
married,  July  14,  1867,  to  Elizabeth  Mulholland,  who  was  born  in  this  town- 
ship September  14,  1842,  daughter  of  Hugh  and  Maiy  (Young)  Mulholland, 
who  located  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  in  1828.  Her  parents  purchased  land 
in  this  county  about  1840.  They  had  twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  still 
survive — George  W.,  Nancy  J.,  William,  John,  Hugh,  Attie  A.,  Elizabeth, 
Olive  and  Miles.  The  mother  died  September  21,  1864,  the  father  July  6, 
1879.  Mr.  Brasheres  farmed  rented  land  for  several  years.  In  1874,  he 
purchased  fifty- one  acres  in  Crawford  Township,  but  afterward  sold  the 
same  and  purchased  eighty  acres  on  which  he  now  lives.  He  is  improving 
his  farm,  preparing  to  build  a  new  frame  residence,  and  devoting  his  time 
chiefly  to  general  farming.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brasheres  have  three  children — 
Essie,   born  October  22,  1868;  Earl,  December   12,  1873;  Ray,  April   15, 


1044  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

1882.     The  parents  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
at  McCutchenville. 

JAMES  M.  CHAMBERLIN  was  born  August  25,  1836.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  Bloomsburg,  Columbia  Co.,  Penn.,  and  son  of  John  and  Jane  (Mills) 
Chamberlin,  the  former  a  native  of  Ireland,  the  latter  of  Pennsylvania. 
Their  three  childi-en  were  Sarah,  John  M.  and  James  M.,  the  latter  the  only- 
one  surviving.  The  mother  died  January  17,  1807.  The  father  married, 
in  1809,  Martha  Sloan,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  three  children — William 
B.,  Martha  and  Thomas — were  born  to  them.  Mr.  Chamberlin  died  Au- 
gust 21,  1835,  and  his  latter  wife  January  28,  1865.  James  M.  Chamber- 
lin grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  town.  In  1831,  accompanied  by  Alex- 
ander Campbell,  he  visited  this  country,  looking  at  the  prospects  for  a  busi- 
ness enterprise.  In  the  following  year,  Mr.  Campbell  moved  with  his  family 
to  Findlay,  Ohio,  and  in  1833,  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Chamberlin,  opened 
a  general  merchandise  establishment  at  McCutchenville.  Three  years  later 
the  firm  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Chamberlin  conducted  the  business  alone  till 
1850.  In  1848,  he  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Seneca  County,  and  on  this 
farm  he  took  up  his  residence  in  the  spring  of  1852.  He  was  married, 
May  27,  1833,  to  Roxanna  Courtright,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
October  12,  1805,  and  who  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Abbot)  Court- 
right,  natives  of  Connecticut,  and  of  Low-Dutch  parentage.  Of  seven 
children  of  this  family  two  survive — Cornelius  and  John  D.,  now  residents 
of  Illinois.  The  parents  are  both  deceased.  By  his  first  wife  Mr.  Chamber- 
lin had  one  child,  John  W.,  born  May  21,  1837.  This  wife  died  January 
19,  1850,  and  our  subject  was  married,  April  4,  1851,  to  Catharine  Janes, 
a  resident  of  Seneca  County.  She  was  born  in  Hunterdon  County,  N. 
J.,  February  7,  1812,  the  daughter  of  Joab  and  Elizabeth  (Fisher)  Janes, 
natives  of  New  Jersey  also.  Her  parents  married  in  their  native  State,  and 
moved  to  New  Hope,  Bucks  Co.,  Peun.,  where  her  father  worked  at  the 
cooper's  trade.  Their  children  wei-e  Catharine  A.,  Hettie,  Joseph  B. ,  Will- 
iam M. ,  Elizabeth,  Ann  M.  and  John.  The  deceased  are  Hettie,  Elizabeth 
and  Joseph.  The  parents  are  both  deceased.  By  this  union  there  were 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chamberlin  four  sons — Charles  W.  and  Oliver  P., 
twins,  James  M.  and  William  H.  Mrs.  Chamberlin  was  formerly  the  wife 
of  William  Hall,  by  whom  she  had  seven  children,  four  now  living — Mary 
E.,  Ann,  Dennis  S.  and  Samuel  G.  Mrs.  Chamberlin  departed  this  life 
March  14,  1884.  Mr.  Hall  was  a  native  of  Somerset  County,  N.  J.,  and  was 
born  December  30,  1792.  He  died  April  1,  1846.  Mr.  Chamberlin  now 
resides  in  Tiffin,  Seneca  County.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  McCutchenville.  His  first  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  He  was  formerly  a  Whig,  but  has  been  a  Republican 
since  the  organization  of  that  party. 

HENRY  J.  CLABAUGH  was  born  near  Newark,  Ohio,  May  15,  1832, 
and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Crouse)  Clabaugh.  His  parents  moved  to 
this  county  and  township  in  1833,  and  purchased  land.  Their  children 
were  Susan,  Rebecca,  Hannah,  Henry  J.,  Daniel  and  Delilah — all  deceased 
but  Henry  and  Susanna.  The  father  died  August  20,  1837,  the  mother  in 
February,  1870.  Our  subject  remained  on  the  farm  at  home  from  his 
youth  up.  He  purchased  the  shares  of  the  other  heirs  from  1850  to  1865, 
eighty-three  acres  in  all,  and  to  this  he  has  added  till  he  now  owns  330 
acres,  valued  at  $65  to  $100  per  acre.  He  was  married,  June  9,  1853,  to 
Miss  Susan  Barnhiser,  who  was  born  near  Hagerstown,  Md.,  March  2,  1837, 
She  was  a  daughter  of    John  and  Susan   (Brown)   Barnhiser,    natives  of 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1045 

Pennsylvania  and  Maryland  respectively.  They  came  to  Ohio  in  1837, 
and  located  in  Seneca  County.  Their  children  were  Mary  A.,  Sarah,  Susan, 
George  W.,  William  H.,  John  J.,  Thomas  J.  and  Benjamin  F.  Two  of 
these  are  deceased — John  and  George  W.  Her  parents  moved  to  Carey 
about  1864,  and  there  lived  in  retirement  many  years.  Mr.  Barnhiser  died 
August  20,  1877;  his  widow  still  survives  in  her  seventy-fifth  year.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clabaugh  were  born  the  following  children:  Eranklin  C, 
William  H. ,  John  A.,  James  A.,  Amos  E.,  Sarah  E. ,  Amanda  A.,  Peter  S., 
Lona,  Charles  E.,  Effie  M.  and  George  T.  All  these  are  living  but  Charles 
E. ,  who  died  May  25,  1883.  Mr.  Clabaugh  is  a  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church,  and  votes  with  the  Democrats,  and  for  the  Second  Amend- 
ment.    Mrs.  C.  is  also  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church. 

DAVID  A.  CURLIS  is  a  native  of  Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  and  was  born 
September  13,  1816.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Jacob  and  Charity  (Albertson) 
Curlis,  who  were  natives  of  the  same  State,  of  English  and  Holland  de- 
scent. They  were  married  in  their  native  State  by  Rev.  James  Woolsey, 
August  4,  1808,  and  there  remained  till  1839,  when  they  moved  to  Ohio  and 
purchased  a  farm  in  this  township,  the  same  farm  being  now  owned  by  our 
subject.  While  in  New  Jersey,  Jacob  Curlis  followed  blacksmithing,  but 
also  owned  a  farm,  and  engaged  in  his  trade  several  years  in  this  county, 
resuming  his  farm  work  in  1847.  In  1841,  he  erected  the  dwelling  in  which 
his  son  now  lives.  Three  of  the  seven  children  survive,  viz.:  David  H., 
John  F.  and  Sarah.  The  mother  died  February  1,  1859,  the  father  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1872,  their  respective  ages  being  sixty-nine  and  eighty-five  years. 
David  H.  Curlis,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was  married,  February  22, 
1844,  to  Charity  Snover,  who  was  born  in  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  February 
22,  1827.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  H.  and  Elizabeth  (Hawk)  Snover, 
who  were  also  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  were  married  in  that  State  in  April, 
1825.  Her  father  was  a  blacksmith.  He  moved  to  Ohio  in  1839,  settling 
in  this  township,  where  he  pui-chased  land  and  afterward  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. The  four  surviving  children  are  William  H.,  Marshal  B.,  Lemuel  and 
Charity.  The  father  died  in  September,  1844;  his  widow  in  August,  1873. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curlis  are  parents  of  seven  children — Cecilia  A.,  Rachel  M. , 
Sarah  C,  Laura  J.,  Jacob  C,  James  L.  and  John  D.  Mr.  Curlis  was  en- 
gaged on  the  farm  for  some  time,  but  was  many  years  in  the  blacksmith 
trade,  which  he  still  works  at  occasionally.  In  1851,  he  purchased  eighty 
acres,  and  though  meeting  with  some  reverses  in  the  failure  of  crops,  he  has, 
by  the  aid  of  a  friend  or  two,  succeeded  in  accumulating  288  acres  of  val- 
uable land.  He  served  as  Trustee  four  years;  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  three 
years;  as  Treasurer  two  years.  Both  he  and  Mrs.  Curlis  are  members  of  the 
Evangelical  Association.  They  were  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  from  1841  to  1859,  in  which  society  Mr.  Curlis  was  Class- leader 
and  Exhorter. 

JACOB  CORFMAN  is  a  native  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  born  in 
Pleasant  Township  January  7,  1806.  His  parents,  Jacob  and  Magdalene 
(Bibler)  Corfman,  were  natives  of  York  County,  Penn.,  and  Rockingham 
County,  Va.,  respectively,  were  of  German  extraction;  married  in  Fairfield 
County,  Ohio,  and  had  eight  children,  namely,  Joseph,  Jacob,  Lydia, 
Coonrod,  Magdalene,  John,  Barbara  and  Catharine.  Those  now  living  are 
John,  Magdalene,  Barbara  and  Jacob.  The  father  died  about  1821,  the 
mother  about  1845.  Jacob  Corfman,  our  subject,  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and 
remained  at  his  father's  house  till  March  1,  1827,  at  which  time  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Beery,  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  where  she  was 

50 


1046  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

born  August  13,  1803.  She  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Nancy 
(Cile)  Beery,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  lin- 
eage. Her  parents  married  in  Rockingham  County,  Va.,  and  moved  from 
there  to  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  about  1799.  They  had  ten  children — 
Henry,  Nicholas,  Abraham,  Jonathan,  William,  JacolD,  Mary,  Nancy,  Cath- 
arine and  Elizabeth.  The  father  died  in  1838,  the  mother  1846.  Mr. 
Corfman  with  wife  and  first  son,  Noah,  moved  to  this  township  and  entered 
eighty  acres  in  1828,  his  patent  deed  being  signed  by  President  Andrew  Jack- 
son, for  whom  he  cast  his  first  vote.  On  this  farm  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Corfman 
still  reside,  and  keep  the  cheer  of  their  own  household  just  as  of  old,  both 
being  very  active  for  people  of  their  years.  A  few  months  prior  to  locating 
here,  Mr.  Corfman  had  visited  this  township  and  had  built  a  log  cabin.  He 
cleared  his  farm,  made  shoes  and  boots,  worked  at  carpentering,  was  viewer 
of  roads,  and  in  fact  did  anything  by  which  to  earn  an  honest  living.  He 
has  owned  several  hundred  acres  of  land,  which  he  has  divided  among  his 
children;  paid  several  thousand  dollars  to  free  his  sons  from  the  draft  dur- 
ing the  war,  but  still  retains  the  old  homestead.  Here  have  been  born  to 
them  nine  children — Noah,  born  April  6,  1828;  Henry,  July  18,  1829; 
Sarah  A.,  July  30,  1832;  William,  June  19,  1834;  John,  January  23,  1839; 
Daniel,  March  23,  1841;  Magdalene,  December  25,  1843;  Samuel,  July  30, 
1846.  Two  of  these,  Sarah  Ann  and  Henry,  have  departed.  Mr.  Corfman 
has  served  as  Township  Treasurer,  and  with  Mrs.  Corfman  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Evangelical  Church  since  1836.  They  were  both  converted  at 
the  same  Indian  camp  meeting,  in  which  Mr.  Corfman  was  formerly  wont  to 
work  all  night.  They  now  have  forty  grandchildren  and  one  great-grand- 
child. 

LEVI  EKLEBERRY  was  born  in  this  township  June  30,  1835.  He 
is  a  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Mary  (Tobridge)  Ekleberry,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained upon  the  farm  until  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age.  He  was  mar- 
ried, April  23,  1857,  to  Miss  Barbara  Hufford,  who  was  born  in  this  town- 
ship October  25,  1837,  a  daughter  of  Christopher  and  Catharine  (Corfman) 
Hufford,  who  came  to  this  county  in  an  early  day;  settled  in  Tymochtee 
Township,  and  reared  their  children — two  sons  and  six  daughters.  The 
parents  were  natives  respectively  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ekleberry  are  parents  of  ten  children — Sarah  E.,  Margaret  A.,  Will- 
iam, Levi,  Joel,  Alvin,  Sebeda  L.,  Avery,  Orvil  and  Nettie  G. — all  living 
except  Avery.  Mr.  Ekleberry  rented  land  and  farmed  a  few  years,  and  at 
the  death  of  his  father,  purchased  with  his  brother  Isaac,  the  home  farm  of 
160  acres — eighty  acres  each.  This  farm  Mr.  Ekleberry  retains  and  has  im- 
proved the  same  by  buildings  and  cultivation  till  he  now  values  it  at  $75 
to  $85  per  acre.  He  has  also  added  to  his  original  purchase,  now  owning 
151|  acres.  In  connection  with  his  agricultural  work,  Mr.  Ekleberry  gives 
some  attention  to  his  profession  as  veterinary  surgeon,  in  which  he  is  quite 
successful.  He  is  a  Republican,  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  the 
Evangelical  Church,  of  which  society  Mrs.  Ekleberry  is  also  a  mem,ber. 

JORDAN  GAULT  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Lancaster  Co.,  Penn.,  March 
22,  1823.  He  is  the  third  son  of  William  and  Margaret  (Goodman)  Gault, 
who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Welsh  and  Irish  descent  i-espect- 
ively.  His  parents  married  in  Chester  County,  Penn.,  there  being  nine  sons 
and  two  daughters  born  to  them,  six  of  whom  yet  survive,  namely:  Will- 
iam, Jordan,  Levi,  John,  Malon  and  Alexander.  His  mother  died  in  June, 
1846,  his  father  in  June,  1856.  Mr.  Gault  was  thrown  upon  his  own  re- 
sponsibilities at  the  age  of  ten.       He  worked  on  a  farm,  and  in  a  tannery 


TrMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1047 

till  eighteen  years  old;  then  began  as  an  apprentice  at  the  wagon  and  buggy 
trade,  working  three  years  for  his  board  and  clothes.  He  then  worked  three 
years  as  journeyman,  and  though  having  to  go  in  debt  for  a  suit  of  clothes 
when  he  began,  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  had  saved  $225.  He  was  mar- 
ried, November  11,  1847,  to  Miss  Louisa  Betz,  who  was  born  in  Lancaster 
County,  Penn. ,  November  20,  1828.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Bar- 
bara (Miller)  Botz,  who  were  natives  of  Germany  and  Pennsylvania  re- 
spectively, her  father  having  fought  under  Bonaparte.  Her  parents  married 
in  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  and  reared  four  children,  three  of  whom  still 
survive,  namely,  Catharine,  Elizabeth  and  Louisa.  Her  father  died  in 
1838,  her  mother  in  1861.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Gault  began  manufact- 
uring wagons  and  buggies  in  his  native  county,  where  he  continued  the 
business  six  years.  In  1854,  he  migrated  to  Ohio  and  located  in  Ashland 
County,  where  he  plied  his  trade  twelve  years,  moving  to  Bloomville,  Sen- 
eca County,  in  1866.  Here  he  was  engaged  two  years  in  farming,  then  sell- 
ing out  and  moving  to  Sycamore  Township,  this  county,  wbere  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres,  upon  which  he  resided  about  ten  years,  and  which  is 
now  valued  at  $100  per  acre.  In  1878,  Mr.  Gault  removed  to  Mexico,  this 
township,  where  he  built  a  residence  and  store  room,  where  he  still  resides 
and  conducts  a  profitable  business  in  general  merchandise  under  the  firm 
name  of  J.  Gault  &  Son.  To  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gault  eight  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  their  names  as  follows:  Levi  F.,  Barbara  R.,  J. 
Sylvester,  William  H.,  Emma  V.,  Phoebe  A.,  James  E.  and  an  infant  son. 
The  deceased  are  William  H. ,  Emma  and  the  infant.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Gault  is  a  Kepublican  and  Prohibitionist,  and  has  been  a  consistent  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  about  thirty  years.  Mrs.  Gault  is 
also  a  member  of  the  same  society. 

W.  SCOTT  GIER  was  born  October  4,  1854,  in  Tymochtee  Township, 
Wyandot  Co.,  Ohio,  and  was  the  eldest  son  of  Robert  and  Antoinette  (Smith) 
Gier,  natives  of  Ohio,  of  German  descent.  They  were  married  in  this 
county.  Their  children  were  W.  Scott,  infant  daughter,  Etta,  Frank,  Olive, 
Sherman  and  Nettie — all  living  but  the  infant  daughter.  The  father  is  de- 
ceased. Our  subject  followed  farming  until  after  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
In  1878,  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business  in  Upper  Sandusky,  but  con- 
tinued in  it  only  a  few  months.  He  was  married,  September  30,  1878,  to 
Miss  Lydia  A.  Thomas,  a  resident  of  this  township,  born  near  Medina,  Me- 
dina County,  February  6,  1855.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John  and  Re- 
becca (Waltz)  Thomas,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Connecticut,  and  of  English 
and  German  descent.  They  were  married  in  Medina  County,  where  they 
rebided  until  1879,  then  removed  to  Wood  County,  where  they  now  re- 
side. Their  family  was  as  follows:  Linan,  John,  Eliza,  Mary,  Lydia,  A. 
Franklin,  Nelson,  Jesse  and  Marvin  Only  four  now  live — Nelson,  Jesse, 
Mary  and  Lydia.  W.  Scott  and  Lj^dia  Gier's  family  consists  of  two  daugh- 
ters— Grace,  born  July  8,  1881,  and  Blanche,  born  March  4,  1883.  Our 
subject  became  owner,  from  his  father's  estate,  in  1876,  of  123  acres  of  land 
in  this  township,  which  he  has  improved  in  various  ways.  In  1882,  he 
built  a  very  fine  barn  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,000,  and  in  1883  he  erected  a 
fine  frame  residence  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,500,  also  other  good  outbuildings. 
He  follows  general  agriculture  for  a  livelihood.  Politically,  he  is  a  Re- 
publican. 

JACOB  GILLILAND  is  a  native  of  Jeiferson  County,  Ohio,  born  Au- 
gust 11,  1827.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Susan  (Steward)  Gilliland,  natives 
of  Ohio  and  Maryland  respectively,  and  of  Scotch  and  Dutch  lineage.     His 


1048  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

parents  married  in  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  in  1823,  moved  to  Tuscarawas 
County  in  1833,  and  to  this  county  in  1845,  purchasing  200  acres  of  land 
in  Eden  Township.  There  were  ten  children  in  the  family — Lucinda, 
Jacob,  Edward,  David,  Susan,  William,  James  L. ,  John  M.,  Margaret  A. 
and  George  W.  The  latter  died  in  infancy;  David  was  killed  in  the  battle 
of  Bull  Run  in  1862;  Susan  died  in  1875.  The  father  died  November  13, 
1877,  and  was  interred  on  the  home  farm  in  Eden  Township.  The  mother  is 
now  in  her  eighty-second  year.  Jacob  Gilliland  remained  at  the  old  home 
till  twenty-two  years  of  age.  He  was  married,  January  17,  1850, 
to  Miss  Hannah  Savidge  (see  sketch  of  Foster  Savidge),  and  two  children, 
James  F.  and  Rebecca  A.,  were  born  to  them.  The  former  died  in  infancy, 
the  latter  is  now  the  wife  of  Mr.  Gleadhill,  of  Crawford  County,  Ohio. 
Mrs.  Gilliland  passed  away  March  26,  1860,  and  Mr.  G.  was  married,  June 
6,  1861,  to  Miss  Mary  Hale,  a  resident  of  this  county,  born  in  York  County, 
Penn.,  May  2,  1837,  daughter  of  John  G.  and  Lucy  (Millard)  Hale,  who 
were  born  and  married  in  York  County,  Penn.  Her  parents  came  to  this 
county  from  Pennsylvania  in  1854,  and  located  in  Crane  Township.  Their 
children  were  Mai'y,  Jonathan  I.,  Samuel  and  Phoebe  C.  Samuel  is  de- 
ceased. The  father  was  killed  by  the  falling  of  a  tree  February  18,  1855. 
The  mother  is  now  in  her  seventy-seventh  year.  By  this  latter  marriage 
Mr.  Gilliland  had  eight  children — Corrilla  E.,  Susan  L.,  Lacy  E.,  John 
H.,  Florence  I.,  George  W.,  Mary  A.  and  Alburtis  G.  The  only  deceased 
is  George.  Mr.  Gilliland  began  business  by  renting  a  farm  in  Crawford 
Township.  In  1851,  he  purchased  forty  acres  in  Eden  Township,  adding 
twenty  acres  in  1856,  and  twenty-tive  acres  in  1868.  In  1871,  he  sold  out, 
and  purchased  117  acres  in  this  township,  the  farm  on  which  Matthew 
Brayton  was  stolen  by  the  Indians.  He  has  since  purchased  110  acres  in 
Crawford  Township.  In  former  years,  Mr.  Gilliland  was  a  broom-maker 
by  trade.  He  has  served  as  Trustee,  Assessor  and  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
always  discharging  his  duties  satisfactorily.  Both  he  and  Mrs.  G.  are  mem- 
bers of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  his  former  wife  having  been  a  member 
of  the  same  denomination.  In  politics,  Mr.  Gilliland  is  a  Democrat  and 
Prohibitionist. 

LEUIS  GRUB  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  February  3,  1820. 
He  is  a  son  of  Leuis  and  Catharine  (Dick)  Grub,  who  had  eleven 
children,  two  of  whom  are  living,  viz.,  Catharine  and  Leuis.  His  parents 
came  to  this  country  in  1840,  and  settled  in  Mexico,  this  township,  where 
the  father  died  in  1848,  the  mother  in  1860.  His  father  was  previously 
married  in  Germany  to  a  Miss  Yagel,  and  ten  or  eleven  children  were  born 
to  this  union,  two  only  now  living.  Our  subject,  after  the  death  of  his 
father,  was  called  upon  to  look  after  the  general  interests  of  the  family. 
In  1848,  he  leai*ned  the  mason  and  plastering  trade,  continuing  in  this 
work  till  1857,  when  he  j^urchased  ninety-three  acres  of  land,  on  which  he 
still  resides.  He  has  since  added  to  his  possessions  till  he  now  owns  442 
acres  (111  acres  in  Defiance  County),  valued  at  155  to  $100  per  acre.  Mr. 
Grub  was  married,  May  15,  1855,  to  Rachel  C.  Ulum,  who  was  born  in 
Barclay  County,  Va.,  February  11,  1831,  a  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Polly 
(Pitzer)  Ulum,  natives  of  Virginia.  Her  parents  were  married  in  Barclay 
County,  Va. ,  and  four  of  their  five  children  yet  survive — Elizabeth,  John, 
Rachel  C.  and  Margaret  J.  Her  mother  died  in  1854.  Her  father  married 
again,  to  Mrs.  Valinda  Pond,  and  had  eight  children,  four  now  living,  name- 
ly, Thomas,  Wesley,  Shepherd  and  Ella.  This  latter  wife  also  died,  and 
the  father  is  now  living  in  Washington  County,  Md.,  in  his  eighty-seventh 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1049 

year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grub  have  had  eleven  children — Elizabeth,  John, 
Andrew,  Luther,  Peter  R.,  Ellen,  George  B.,  Guy.  Philip,  Theodore,  Nora 
M.  and  Margaret  J.  Those  living  are  Elizabeth,  Andrew  L.,  Peter  R., 
Philip  and  Nora  M.  Mr.  Grub  has  served  two  years  as  Trustee,  and  as 
Treasurer  of  the  township  two  years.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and,  with  his  wife, 
a  member  of  the  Reformed  Church. 

JACOB  HAYMAN  was  born  November  24,  1833,  in  Tymochtee  Town- 
ship, this  county,  and  is  the  son  of  George  and  Ellen  (Scott)  Hayman,  the 
father  being  of  German  nativity,  and  the  mother  of  Scotch-Irish  descent. 
They  married  in  Wyandot  County,  Ohio,  where  the  father  followed  black- 
smithing  for  a  few  years,  but  finally  adopted  general  agriculture  as  an  oc- 
cupation. They  reared  a  family  of  six  sons  and  six  daughters — Samuel, 
Jacob,  Matilda  J.,  George,  Rebecca,  Amanda,  Charlotte,  Sarah  E.,  Jose- 
phine, Joseph  Mc,  Thomas  and  Peter,  all  living  but  Samuel  and  Rebecca. 
The  father  died  August  25,  1870,  and  the  mother  died  September  10,  1883; 
both  interred  in  the  Dunn  Graveyard,  this  township.  Our  subject  was  mar- 
ried, February  10,  1859,  to  Miss  Lydia  Corfman,  of  this  township  and 
county,  born  in  the  same  township  November  4,  1841,  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Susanna  Corfman,  who  were  of  German  descent.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  and  removed  to  Wyandot  County,  in  an 
early  day,  and  settled  in  this  township.  Their  children  were  Mary  A., 
Levi,  Samuel,  Abraham,  Sophia,  Magdaline,  Jeremiah,  Isaac,  Lewis  and 
Lydia.  Jeremiah,  Samuel  and  Mary  A.  are  deceased.  The  father  is  de- 
ceased, and  the  mother  died  February  26,  1884,  in  her  eightieth  year.  To 
the  union  of  Jacob  and  Lydia  Hayman  have  been  born  ten  children,  viz. : 
Oliver  S.,  born  January  9.  1860;  Martin  E.,  January  5,  1862;  Ida  May, 
May  31,  1864;  Charlie,  March  6,  1866;  Minnie  B.,  April  2,  1868;  Frank, 
July  2,  1869;  Noah,  November  20,  1871;  Howard,  January  20,1873;  Har- 
rie,  January  25,  1876;  George  E.,  November  20,  1878.  Minnie  B.,  Frank, 
Noah  and  Harrie  are  deceased.  Our  subject  purchased  in  1859  thirty-five 
acres  of  land  in  this  tov\^nship,  and  since  then  has  owned  various  tracts  of  land 
in  different  townships  of  the  county,  and  finally  purchasing  ninety  acres  in 
this  township,  located  on  the  Sandusky  River,  also  a  saw  and  grist  mill. 
In  1883,  he  added  forty -five  acres  to  his  ninety,  which  he  has  improved  and 
farmed.  He  now  gives  his  attention  to  the  milling  business.  In  1880,  he 
rebuilt  and  improved  his  mills,  and  now  values  the  mill  property  at  about 
$5,000.  His  land  is  worth  about  $100  per  acre.  He  enlisted  in  August, 
1862,  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Regiment  Ohio  Vol 
unteer  Infantry,  and  was  wounded  in  the  foot,  and  discharged,  November, 
1862,  returning  home.     He  affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party. 

ELI  HEILMAN  is  a  native  of  York  County,  Penn.  He  is  a  son  of 
Philip  and  Catharine  (Cladfetter)  Heilman,  and  was  born  in  1821.  His 
parents  were  born  and  married  in  Pennsylvania,  and  there  reared  a  family 
of  five  children,  subsequently  coming  to  Ohio  and  settling  in  Seneca  County, 
■where  the  parents  died.  Eli  Heilman  was  married  in  1850  to  Catharine 
Elliott,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1828,  a  daughter  of  Peter  and 
Hannah  (Stewart)  Elliott,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  married 
in  Franklin  County,  of  that  State.  Her  father  died  there  in  1818;  her 
mother  came  to  Seneca  County,  and  there  died  in  1855.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Heilman  were  born  ten  children,  of  whom  seven  survive — Flora  C,  Oscar 
P.,  Mabel,  Maggie,  Mattie,  George  W.  and  Sarah  E.  Oar  subject  pur- 
chased land  in  this^township  in  1851,  selling  the  same  about  six  years  later, 
and  moving  to  McCutchenville.     He  resided  there  about  seven  years,  and 


1050  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

then  moved  upon  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  and  which  was  purchased  in 
1860.  Mr.  Heilman  is  a  good  farmer  and  a  stanch  Democrat.  Mrs.  Heil- 
man  is  a  devoted  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  McCutchenville. 

GEORGE  HETZEL  was  born  in  Lembach,  county  of  Weisenburg, 
France,  June  27,  1833.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Barbara  (Hetzel)  Hetzel, 
natives  of  the  same  locality,  their  children  being  Magdalena,  George, 
Michael,  Eva  and  Catharine;  his  mother  died  in  her  native  country,  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1853,  and  his  father  emigrated  to  this  country  1854,  and  set- 
tled in  Crawford  Township,  Wyandot  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  died  Septem- 
ber 8,  1864.  Our  subject,  George  Hetzel,  was  married,  June  4,  1861,  to 
Elizabeth  Walter,  of  Seneca  County,  Ohio.  She  was  born  in  Wayne  County, 
Ohio,  April  1,  1839,  and  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  Michael  and  Mai'garet 
Walter,  natives  of  Lebach  and  Oberhofen,  France.  Her  parents  were  married 
in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  and  in  1844  moved  to  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  where 
her  father  died  June  6,  1873,  and  her  mother  December  31,  1876.  Their 
seven  sons  and  three  daughters  are  all  living  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hetzel  have  ten  children — Sarah  A.,  George  M.,  Henry  A.,  Matilda  B., 
Anna  M.,  John  R.,  Catharine  A.,  Magdalena,  Harvey  E.  and  Frank  J.  In 
1868,  Mr.  Hetzel  and  brother  Michael  purchased  the  home  farm  of  the  other 
heirs,  and  in  1869  purchased  340  acres  in  Tymochtee  Township.  They 
remained  partners  for  twenty  years,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  divided  their 
property.  Mr.  Hetzel  is  now  the  owner  of  240  acres  of  land,  which  is  all 
cleared,  fenced  and  drained,  being  all  in  Tymochtee  Township.  In  1879, 
he  built  a  large  frame  house,  and  in  1883  a  line  barn.  He  is  a  Democrat, 
and  himself  and  family  are  members  of  the  Gei'man  Lutheran  Church  of 
Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio. 

MICHAEL  HETZEL  was  born  in  Lembach,  county  of  Weisenburg, 
France,  October  8,  1835.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Barbara  (Hetzel)  Het- 
zel, natives  of  the  same  locality,  their  children  being  Magdalena,  George, 
Michael,  Eva  and  Catharine.  His  mother  died  in  her  native  country  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1853,  and  his  father  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1854,  and  settled 
in  Crawford  Township,  Wyandot  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  died  September  8 
1864.  Our  subject,  Michael  Hetzel,  was  married,  March  28,  1862,  to  Susan 
Sprau,  who  was  born  in  Walshausen,  county  of  New  Hornbach,  RheinpEalz, 
Bayern,  Germany.  Her  parents  were  Christian  and  Susana  M.  (Schei-er 
Sprau,  natives  of  the  same  place,  where  they  married,  and  thence  they 
emigrated  to  America  in  1842;  they  located  first  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio, 
but  sold  out  and  moved  to  Salem  Township,  Wyandot  Co.,  Ohio,  about  ten 
years  later.  Their  children  were  Catharine,  Mary,  Lucy  Ann,  Christian, 
Margaret,  George,  Susan,  Elizabeth  and  Sarah.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sprau  both 
died  on  the  same  day,  February  8,  1871.  Mr.  Sprau  attained  the  age  of 
sixty-six  years  and  two  months,  and  Mrs.  Sprau  sixty-three  years  and  three 
months.  To  Michael  and  Susan  Hetzel  have  been  born  ten  children  — 
Emma  M.,  Anna,  Frederick  W.,  Lucy,  Mary,  Charles  M.,  George  R.,  Cora 
E.,  Sarah,  Ida  and  Lillie  M.  Those  now  deceased  are  Anna,  Lucy,  Charles 
M.  and  Cora  E.  In  1861,  Mr.  Hetzel  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Ridge 
Township,  selling  out  in  1868,  and  moving  to  the  home  farm,  where  he  and 
his  brother  George  were  in  partnership,  and  doing  all  their  business  and 
farming  under  the  name  and  firm  of  Hetzel  Bros.  In  1869,  they  together 
purchased  a  tract  of  land  of  340  acres,  and  remained  partners  for  twenty 
years,  which  was  finally  divided.  They  are  living  there  at  the  present  time. 
Michael  Hetzel  is  the  owner  Of  212  acres  of  land  in  Tymochtee  Township, 
on  which  he  erected  a  good  barn  in  1879,  and  an  elegant  brick  residence  in 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1051 

1883.     He  is  a  Democrat  politically,  and  himself  and  family  are  members 
of  the  German  Lutheran  Church  of  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio. 

MILES  C.  JOHNSON,  only  son  of  Jacob  and  Ann  (Teford)  Johnson, 
was  born  in  Bucks  County,  Penn.,  February  28,  1825.  His  parents  were  of 
Quaker,  German  and  Irish  descent;  were  married  in  Bucks  County,  and 
moved  to  Ohio  in  1838.  His  father  purchased  land  in  this  township  and 
did  blacksmithing  and  farming,  rearing  four  children — Eliza  A.,  Miles  C, 
Atty  A.  and  Martha  J.  His  father  died  June  4,  1857 ;  his  mother  is  still 
living  on  the  old  farm  in  her  ninety-third  year.  Miles  C,  our  subiect, 
remained  at  home  on  the  farm  till  his  marriage  to  Miss  Hannah  Brundage 
May  19,  1853.  Mrs.  Johnson  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  July  22, 
1830,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Osee  (Depue)  Brundage,  who  were  born  and 
married  in  New  York,  and  who  came  to  Ohio  in  1828,  and  settled  in  Seneca 
County,  where  they  endured  many  hardships  of  pioneer  life,  mush  made  of 
corn  grated  by  hand  being  their  chief  article  of  diet  for  many  months. 
Their  seven  children  were  Eliza  J.,  Hannah,  George,  Benjamin,  Mary, 
Thomas  and  Moses.  The  mother  died  May  18,  1874,  the  father  August  21, 
1879.  For  about  twenty-two  years,  Mr.  Johnson  farmed  the  old  home  farm. 
In  1868,  he  purchased  sixty-eight  acres,  and  on  this  he  still  lives.  He  has 
since  added  thirteen  acres  more,  and  in  1876  erected  a  fine  brick  residence, 
at  a  cost  of  $2,500.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  five  sons  and  one  daughter 
were  born — Thomas  A.  J.,  November  26,  1854;  Alvin  T.,  November  30, 
1856;  Edgar  J.,  April  23,  1859;  Ann  E.,  May  10,  1861;  Benjamin  F., 
April  16,  1864;  Hiram  D.,  September  26,  1866.  All  are  living  but  Ben- 
jamin F. ,  who  died  September  15,  1865.  Mr.  Johnson  has  given  most  of 
his  attention  to  farming,  but  is  also  manufacturing  brick  and  tile.  He  is  a 
Democrat,  and  has  served  both  as  Trustee  and  Treasurer  of  his  township. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and,  with  Mrs.  John- 
son, of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

BYRON  KEAR,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Caroline  (Porterfield)  Kear,  was 
born  in  this  township  January  24,  1832.  His  parents  were  natives  of 
New  York  and  Maine  respectively.  They  married  in  Delaware  County, 
Ohio,  and  located  in  this  township  on  land  entered  by  our  subject's  grand- 
father. Their  children  were  Lucinda  E.,  Anna  M.,  Crawford  J.,  Byron, 
Susan  C.  and  Agnes  J.  Lucinda  is  deceased.  The  mother  died  in  August, 
1853,  the  father  in  March,  1876,  aged  fiftj'-five  and  seventy-five  years  re- 
spectively. They  were  entombed  upon  the  farm  where  the  grandparents, 
each  in  their  ninety-third  year,  were  also  interred.  Byron  Kear  remained, 
from  his  youth  up,  on  the  home  farm,  which  he  obtained  in  later  years.  He 
was  married,  April  24,  1853,  to  Eliza  A.  Clark,  who  was  born  in  Delaware 
County,  Ohio,  December  23,  1836,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Caroline  (Fisher) 
Clark,  natives  of  New  York.  Her  parents  married  in  Delaware  County, 
Ohio,  and  moved  to  Wyandot  in  1839,  settling  in  Crawford  Township. 
The  children  of  this  family  were  Marion  A.,  Martha  A.,  James  B.,  Isaac  F., 
Albina  E.,  Eliza  A.,  John  S.,  Caroline  C.  and  Cicero;  the  latter  and  James 
B.  now  deceased.  The  mother  died  in  April,  1849,  the  father,  February  3, 
1866.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kear  are  parents  of  three  daughters — Ada  C,  born 
April  16,  1854;  Emma  E.,  February  11,  1858;  Flora  E.,  October  2,  1860, 
all  living  and  married.  Ada  C.  was  united  with  I.  B.  Gibbs  October  8, 
1871;  Emma  was  married  to  John  Slatterback,  November  18,  1875;  Flora 
E.  was  made  the  wife  of  J.  E.  Gibbs  July  24,  1879.  In  addition  to  the 
home  farm  in  1874  Mr.  Kear  purchased  twenty-five  acres,  now  owning  215 
acres  of  valuable  land.     In  May,   1864,  he  enlisted  in    Company  D,  One 


1052  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

Hundred  and  Forty- fourth  Ohio  National  Guards,  and  served  till  Septem- 
ber, 1864,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged.  He  and  Mrs.  Kear  are 
members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church.  Mr.  Kear  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Lodge,  a  Republican  and  Prohibitionist. 

DOCTOR  KEAR,  son  of  Moses  and  Jemima  (Nathan)  Kear,  was  born 
in  this  township  February  10,  1833.  He  resided  on  the  farm  with  his 
parents,  becoming  the  owner  of  the  premises  in  1854.  He  was  married, 
April  22,  1858,  to  Mary  J.  Crouse,  who  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio, 
January  16,  1836,  the  daughter  of  William  and  Eliza  (Musselman)  Crouse, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  parentage.  By  this  union  one 
daughter,  Leona  Jane,  was  born,  her  death  occurring  at  the  age  of  eight 
years.  Mrs.  Kear  passed  from  earth  June  28,  1859.  Our  subject  was 
married,  March  21,  1861,  to  Miss  Mary  Brundage,  who  was  born  in  Seneca 
County,  Ohio,  March  2,  1837,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Osee  (Depue)  Brun- 
dage, whose  history  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  By  this  marriage,  four 
children  have  been  born — Osee  L.,  Harriet  E.,  Eliza  J.  and  Lola  M  ,  the 
latter  deceased.  In  1872,  Mr.  Kear  added  300  acres  to  the  home  farm,  on 
which  he  still  lives.  He  erected  a  good  barn  in  1873,  a  residence  in  1877, 
and  other  buildings  in  1882.  He  is  a  good  farmer,  a  Republican  in  politics, 
Prohibitionist,  jmd  has  served  his  township  in  various  offices. 

PETER  C.  KING,  son  of  Peter  and  Mary  (Whitney)  King,  was  born 
in  Perry  County,  Ohio.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Germany  and  Penn- 
sylvania respectively,  married  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  in  1812,  in  the  war 
of  which  year  Mr.  King  entered  soon  after  his  marriage,  and  continued  in 
the  service  till  its  close.  He  was  the  father  of  fourteen  children — Saloma, 
Catharine,  Rebecca,  Lydia,  Susan,  Solomon,  Mary,  Peter  C. ,  David  C, 
Leah,  Elizabeth,  John  C.,  William  C.  and  Frank  C.  Four  are  deceased — 
Solomon,  Lydia,  Susan  and  Saloma.  The  father  died  in  1859,  aged  seventy- 
six  years;  the  mother,  January  26,  1860,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  Peter  C, 
King,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home  on  his  father's  farm  and 
worked  in  his  grist  mill  till  his  marriage  to  Caroline  Long  March  30,  1848. 
She  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  David  and  Sarah  (Mechliog)  Long,  and  was 
born  in  Perry  County  October  16,  1829.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Pennsylvania,  of  German  descent,  and  were  married  in  Perry 
County,  Ohio.  Their  children  were  Simon  G. ,  Caroline,  Reuben  and  Han- 
nah, ail  deceased  but  Caroline.  The  father  died  June  19,  1833,  aged 
thirty-one  years;  his  widow  married  Michael  Mechling,  in  Fairfield  County, 
Ohio,  and  soon  after  moved  to  Perry  County,  They  had  eight  children — 
Amos,  Mahala,  Franklin,  Mary,  Benjamin,  Jesse  and  Martha.  The  father 
died  February  14,  1866,  aged  fifty-six  years.  The  mother  passed  away 
January  26,  1868.  To  Peter  and  Caroline  King  were  born  eight  children 
—Benjamin  F.,  March  23,  1849;  Matilda  A.,  May  9,  1851;  Mary  A., 
July  31,  1854;  Sarah  E.,  May  30,  1859;  Alvin  D.,  May  20,  1860;  Ella 
May,  January  12,  1863;  Leefe  E.,  December  12,  1865,  and  an  infant 
daughter  who  was  born  July  6,  1864.  Those  now  living  are  Mary  A., 
Sarah  E.  and  Leefe  E.  In  1848,  soon  after  his  marriage,  our  subject  loaded 
his  "Pennsylvania  wagon,"  and  with  two  teams  attached  to  it,  started 
to  this  county.  He  halted  in  Pitt  Township,  April  21,  on  land  purchased 
from  his  father  a  tract  of  eighty  acres,  and  in  a  few  years  purchased  eighty 
more  on  Section  10,  where  they  resided  till  1853.  He  then  sold  out  and 
purchased  200  acres  three  miles  northeast  of  Upper  Sandusky,  and  in  1855 
he  sold  this  farm  and  purchased  a  saw  and  grist-mill  on  the  Sandusky 
River,  eight  miles  north  of  Sandusky.      In  1864,  Mr.  King  purchased  his 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1053 

present  farm  of  161  acres,  and  added  forty-five  acres  in  1871,  and  twenty- 
five  acres  in  1879.  In  1881,  Mr.  King,  with  others,  formed  a  cemetery 
association,  and  laid  out  a  fine  cemetery  adjoining  his  farm,  near  the 
United  Brethren  Church.  Mr.  King  is  a  Prohibitionist  politically,  and, 
with  Mrs.  K.,  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church. 

HENRY  LONG,  proprietor  of  the  "  Gier  House,"  Old  Tymochtee, 
Ohio,  was  born  December  15,  1842,  in  McCutchenville,  Ohio,  and  is  the  son 
of  Jacob  and  Lydia  (Eyler)  Long,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They  emi- 
grated to  Ohio  in  about  1837,  and  settled  in  McCutchenville,  Ohio,  where  he 
followed  the  trade  of  shoe-making  for  several  years.  In  1845,  he  purchased 
fifty-six  acres  of  land  in  Tymochtee  Township,  this  county,  upon  which  he 
settled,  after  clearing  and  building  a  log  cabin,  etc.,  in  1849.  He  reared  a 
family  consisting  of  four  sons  and  five  daughters — James,  Margaret,  Har- 
riet, Mary,  John,  Lucinda,  Henry,  Elizabeth  and  Wilson,  of  whom  all  are 
living  with  the  exception  of  the  two  latter.  The  mother  died  in  1867,  and 
the  father  in  1872.  Oar  subject  was  married,  in  1862,  to  Lydia  C.  Freet, 
of  Tymochtee  Township,  this  county,  who  was  born  in  Loudoun  County,  Va., 
her  parents  being  Henry  D.  and  Lydia  C.  (Clise)  Freet,  natives  of  Virginia 
and  of  German  descent.  They  emigrated  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  McCutch- 
enville, this  county,  where  he  followed  the  blacksmith  trade,  afterward 
moving  to  "Old  Tymochtee."  They  raised  a  family  of  twelve  children,  of 
whom  only  four  are  living — Amanda  A.,  Henry  C,  Lydia  C.  and  George 
W.  The  parents  are  deceased — both  interred  in  the  Dunn  Graveyard.  To 
the  union  of  Henry  and  Lydia  C.  Long  have  been  born  one  son  and  one 
daughter — Carl  Grant  and  Vistio  A. ,  both  of  whom  are  living.  Our  sub- 
ject rented  farms  for  several  years,  then  purchased  property  in  "Old  Ty- 
mochtee," subsequently  purchasing  the  old  tavern  stand  known  as  the  Gier 
House  in  the  above  town,  where  he  still  lives,  and  his  present  occupation 
is  farming  and  grain  threshing.  In  1882,  he  purchased  114  acres  of  land, 
which  he  is  now  improving,  and  which  he  values  at  $50  per  acre.  Polit- 
ically, he  is  a  Democrat. 

LEWIS  LUPTON  was  born  in  this  county  September  ],  1844,  and  is  a 
son  of  John  K.  and  Barbara  A.  (Pontius)  Lupton.  His  parents  were  mar- 
ried in  this  county,  and  both  died  here  in  1882,  the  mother  in  February,  the 
father  in  May.  They  had  twelve  children,  eight  yet  living.  Our  subject  was 
reared  a  farmer,  and  remained  at  home  till  1864,  when,  being  a  member  of 
the  Ohio  National  Guards,  he  was  called  into  service  and  served  till  August  of 
the  same  year,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged.  He  participated  in  the 
skirmish  at  Berryville,  Va.,  and  others  of  less  importance,  but  escaped  unin- 
jured. In  1865,  he  went  to  Missouri,  but  returned  the  same  year.  He  was 
employed  in  various  ways  till  his  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Sharp  June  28, 
1882.  She  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born  May  22, 
1862.  Her  parents,  Andrew  and  Rosa  (Beck)  Sharp,  were  natives  of  Ger- 
many, and  emigrated  in  1855.  They  settled  in  Crawford  County,  and 
reared  a  family  of  nine  children,  of  whom  six  sons  and  two  daughters  sur- 
vive. Mrs.  Sharp  died  February  2,  1881.  Soon  after  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Lupton  became  the  owner  of  eighty  acres  of  land  on  which  he  now  resides, 
he  improving  his  farm  and  devoting  his  attention  to  agriculture.  Polit- 
ically, Mr.  Lupton  is  a  Republican. 

HON.  JOSEPH  McCUTCHEN,  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  worthy 
pioneers  of  Wyandot,  and  one  who  in  his  day  and  generation  did  much  to 
give  the  infant  county  that  impetus  to  which  it  is  so  greatly  indebted  for  its 
present  status  among  its  sister  counties,  was  born  in  Harrison  County,  Ky., 


1054  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

February  2,  1798,  and  came  to  what  is  now  Wyandot  County  in  1827,  settling 
first  in  Tymochtee,  but  afterward  moving  to  what,  through  his  enterprise,  be- 
came the  village  of  McCutchenville,  thus  perpetuating  the  name  of  its  worthy 
founder.     Years  before  the  Wyandots  left  for  their  new  homes  in  the  far 
West,  Mr.  McCutchen  was  a  pioneer  in  the  then  almost  unbroken  wilderness, 
Of  an  ardent  and  enterprising  turn  of  mind,  our  subject  was  soon,  by  the 
force  of  his  genius,  looked  up  to   by   the  pioneers,  and  was  successively 
selected  to  be  their  Representative  in   the  Legislature,  and   also  as   State 
Senator.     He  was  also  elected  County  Auditor.      His  occupation,  which  he 
pursued  with  the  same  zeal  that  distinguished  all  his  career,  was  that  of 
hotel-keeping.      So  great  was  his  desire   for   public  improvement  that  he 
frequently  sacrificed  his  own  means  in  the  endeavor  to  do  public  good.     In 
the  spring  of  1845,  he  removed  to  Upper  Sandusky,  where,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  one  year  in  California,  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days.     Al- 
though not  a  member  of  any  religious  body,  he  was  a  liberal  supporter  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  the  church  of  his  fathers.     During  the  late  civil  war, 
he  enlisled  in  the  cause  of  the  Union,  and  served  as  Captain  of  a  company. 
He  was  first  married,  in  1823,  to  Sarah  Watt,  of  Ross  County,  Ohio;  next, 
in  1826.  to  Letitia  Britton,  of  Chillicothe,  Ohio;  and  lastly,  to  Mrs.  Keys, 
of  Upper  Sandusky.     His  decease  occurred  March  13,  1869,  at  the  ripe  old 
age  of  seventy-two  years.     Thus  passed  away,  full   of    days  and  full   of 
honors,  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him,  Joseph  McCutchen,  the  worthy  pioneer 
of  old.     Few  of    the   early  settlers  had  more  prominence  than  Col.   Mc- 
Cutchen.     He  took  an  active,  aggressive  position  on  all  questions  of  local 
and  general  interest.     His  ambition  was  to   lead,  never   follow,  and  in  all 
the  movements  of  early  times  around  and  about  this  locality,  he  was  a  cen- 
tral  figure.     His  spirit  and  dash  were  subjects  of  remark,  and  although 
sometimes  mistaken  and  ill-advised,  yet  the  earnestness  and   candor  spread 
over  his  efibrts  were  plain  in  the  understanding  that  if  faults  he  had  they 
were  at  least  not  of  the  heart.     The  deceased  was  of  enthusiastic  impulses, 
and  guarded  by  a  heart  overflowing  with  human  kindness.     He  could  not 
hear  of  distress  without  oflfering  assistance,  and  his  neighborly  acts  were  as 
common  as  his  grateful  nature.     He  was  generous  to  a  fault,  assisting  others 
at  the  risk  of  his  own    personal  welfare.     While  this  was  yet  Crawford 
County,  he  laid  out  the  town  which  still  bears  his  name,  twelve  miles  north 
of  Upper  Sandusky,  erected  and  managed  there  the  first  hotel  of  importance 
in  this  part  of  Ohio.     He  was  a  model  landlord  in  every  respect  but  the  one 
that  brings  pecuniary  success.     If  he  had  but  one  guest,  that  guest  must 
feast  like  a  king  for  the  price  then  asked  for  a  dinner.    The  matter  of  profit 
and  loss  was   never  taken  into  consideration  when   catering  to  the  wants  of 
the  public  as  a  landlord.     Col.  McCutchen  was  a  principal  mover  in  securing 
the  new  county  of  Wyandot,  and  after  the  organization  thereof  removed  to 
Upper  Sandusky   and    engaged  in    mercantile    business.      He    brought  to 
this  business  the  same  old  dash  and  vigor  that  marked  his  course  in  former 
years  at  McCutchenville;  but  a  man  of  his  peculiar  disposition,  so  full  of 
sympathy  and  consideration  for  others,  was  not  calculated  to  make  a  success- 
ful merchant,  although  he  did  an  immense  business.     Up  and  until  about 
the  year  1853,  Mr.  McC.  was  a  zealous  Democrat,  and  an  energetic  worker; 
failing  of  success  in  that  party,  went  over  to  the  other  side,  and  in  Know- 
Nothing   times  was  elected  County  Auditor.     It  was  during  his  term   as 
Auditor  that  he  planted  the  shade  trees  that  now  ornament  the  court  house 
square.    These  beautiful  shade  trees  attest  his  enterprise,  and  are  tributes  to 
his  memory.     After  leaving  the  Auditor's  Office,  at  the  end  of  a  two  years' 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1055 

term,  he  purchased  the  Bates  House,  in  this  place,  that  stood  where  now 
stands  the  Hudson  House.  He  managed  this  hotel  for  several  years,  with 
the  same  enterprise  that  marked  his  course  in  McCutchenville,  and  while 
his  house  became  very  popular,  and  was  the  delight  of  the  traveling  public, 
it  was  not  a  source  of  profit.  It  could  not  be,  with  Mack's  lavish  expend- 
itures in  the  interests  of  his  guests.  Shortly  after  retiring  from  the  hotel, 
he  entered  the  army,  and  was  in  active  service.  He  was  truly  a  re- 
markable man,  of  rare  and  pleasing  conversational  powers,  in  which  he  never 
failed  to  exhibit  a  nature  that  was  all  fiber,  and  was  intense  on  everything 
he  undertook.  He  was  the  very  man  to  develop  a  new  county,  as  his  energy 
and  irresistible  force  spread  their  influence  over  all.  He  carried  with  him 
to  the  last  the  admiration  of  our  people,  and  his  somewhat  sudden  and 
lamentable  death  threw  a  cloud  of  gloom  over  our  people.  He  was  a  grand 
man,  who  had  spread  benefits  over  all  who  came  within  his  presence,  even 
at  a  personal  sacrifice.  No  name  is  more  feelingly  referred  to  in  the  his- 
tory of  Wyandot  County  than  that  of  Col,  McCutchen.* 

JOEL  MILUM,  a  native  of  this  township,  was  born  September  18,  1837, 
He  is  a  son  of  Adam  and  Mary  (Bogart)  Milum,  natives  of  Highland  and 
Lancaster  Counties,  Ohio.  They  were  married  in  this  county,  and  had  six 
children — Jane,  Sarah,  Mary,  Joel,  George  and  Adam.  Mary,  Joel  and 
George  are  now  the  only  living.  The  father  died  in  September,  ]  844,  the 
mother  is  still  living,  now  in  her  seventy-third  year.  Mr.  Milum  was  mar- 
ried, March  2,  1858,  to  Miss  Lydia  Ekleberry,  who  was  born  in  this  town- 
ship July  12,  1837.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Ezekiel  and  Mary  (Tobridge) 
Ekleberry,  who  were  married  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  and  moved  to 
Wyandot  about  1833  or  1834.  Their  children  were  Jacob,  John,  Nathan, 
Ezekiel,  Jane,  David,  Isaac,  Margaret  and  Levi  (twins),  and  Lydia.  Those 
deceased  are  John  and  Ezekiel.  The  father  and  mother  are  both  de- 
ceased. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Milum  have  had  seven  children — Leonard,  George 
Abraham,  Jay.  Ida  M. ,  Charlie,  and  an  infant  daughter,  deceased.  Mr. 
Milum  rented  land  for  several  years  after  his  marriage,  but  in  1866  pur- 
chased forty  acres  in  this  township,  where  he  now  resides.  He  added  twen- 
ty-seven acres  in  1870,  twenty-seven  acres  in  1871,  thirty  acres  in  1873, 
eighty-five  acres  in  1880,  and  forty-six  acres  in  1881 — now  owning  256 
acres.  He  follows  general  agriculture  chiefly,  but  has  given  considerable 
attention  to  shipping  stock.  He  enlisted  October  4,  1864,  in  Company  D, 
Twenty-fifth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  took  part  in  the  en- 
gagement at  Honey  Hill,  being  honorably  discharged  November  3,  1865. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R. ,  and  one  of  the  most  stin-ing  farmers  of 
Tymochtee  Township. 

MILES  A.  MITTEN  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  November  30, 
1842.  He  is  a  son  of  Miles  and  Rebecca  (Coughlan)  Mitten,  natives  of 
Maryland,  and  of  mixed  parentage — German,  Irish  and  English.  His 
parents  married  in  Maryland,  and  in  1838  moved  to  Ohio,  locating  in  Seneca 
County.  In  1843,  they  moved  to  this  county  and  settled  in  Eden  Town- 
ship, moving  to  Tymochtee  in  1856.  They  had  seven  children,  the  five  liv- 
ing are  named  as  follows:  John  T.,  James  L.,  William  A.,  Joseph  H.  and 
Miles  A.  Two  daughters  are  deceased.  The  father  died  in  September, 
1865.  At  his  father's  death,  our  subject  received  the  home  farm  of  160 
acres.  He  was  married  in  February,  1866,  to  Josephine  Pecher,  who  was 
born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  September  24,  1846,  daughter  of  Stephen  J. 
and  Julia  A.  (Emlet)  Pecher,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,   and  of  German  and 

♦Contributed. 


1056  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

English  parentage.  Her  parents  married  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  moved  to 
Seneca  County,  and  there  reared  their  childi'en — Margaret  A.,  Agnes,  Jose- 
phine, Joseph  W.,  Lucretia  J.,  Cleophas  A.  and  Pius  S.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Mitten  have  had  nine  children;  their  names  as  follovys:  John  E. ,  Emily 
C,  Miles  S.,  Anna  B.  J.,  Joseph  E.,  Gilbert  R.,  Mark  F.,  Eliza  E.  and  an 
infant.  The  latter,  Amanda  and  John  E.  now  deceased.  Mr.  Mitten  has 
never  moved  from  the  homestead.  He  added  seventy -six  acres  to  the  old 
farm,  and  now  has  a  fine  farm  of  236  acres  well-stocked  and  improved. 
He  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  and,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

JOHN  F.  MYERS  was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  Penn.,  April  11, 
1842.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Jerry  and  Mary  J.  (^Magethon)  Myers,  who 
were  born  and  married  in  Pennsylvania,  and  who  moved  to  this  county  in 
1847,  and  settled  at  McCutchenville.  The  children  were  John  F.,  Robert 
and  Joseph.  The  father  died  in  Cincinnati  ;  the  mother  is  still  a 
resident  of  Cumberland  County,  Penn.  Mr.  Myers  was  reared  in  this  coun- 
ty by  his  grandparents  on  the  farm.  He  enlisted  May  10,  1861,  in  Company 
Gr,  Fourth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  passed  through  many  of 
the  heaviest  battles — Rich  Mountain,  Romney,  Winchester,  Woodstock, 
Port  Republic,  a  seven-day  battle  at  Richmond,  and  many  others  of  less 
importance,  serving  till  honorably  discharged  in  August,  1863.  Mr.  Myers 
then  returned  home  and  resumed  farming.  He  was  married.  May  24,  1865, 
to  Eliza  C.  Freet,  who  was  born  at  McCutchenville  July  28,  1849,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Trammel)  Freet,  natives  of  Virginia.  Nine 
children  are  the  fruits  of  this  union,  namely.  Trvin  R.,  Zoa  R.,  Nora  A., 
Freety  S.,  Henry  C,  Abbey  F.,  May  M.,  Ella  F.  and  an  infant  daughter. 
Three  are  deceased — Henry  C,  Freety  S.  and  May  M.  Mr.  Myers  farmed 
rented  land  for  several  years,  purchasing  in  1874  seventy  acres,  on  which  he 
now  lives.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  served  as  Township  Trustee;  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  at  McCutchenville,  and  of  the  G.  A.  R.  at 
Upper  Sandusky. 

^  ABRAHAM  A.  NIEBEL  was  born  in  Union  County,  Penn.,  July  31, 
1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Enos  and  Mary  (Aurand)  Niebel,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  of  German  parentage.  His  parents  came  to  Ohio  in  1840,  and 
located  in  this  township,  where  his  father  still  resides  with  his  second  wife, 
his  first  wife  having  passed  away  in  April,  1846,  leaving  five  children,  of 
whom  four  now  are  living —Abraham  A.,  Catharine,  John  H.  and  Abner. 
Our  subject  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  M.  C.  Holdeman  May  18, 1869 ;  she  was 
born  in  Morrow  County,  Ohio,  September  19,  1847,  the  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Lydia  (Ettinger)  Holdeman,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio  and  Pennsyl- 
vania respectively.  Her  parents  married  in  Richland  County,  Ohio;  moved 
to  Morrow  County  and  there  reared  their  children — Elah,  Ann  M.  C,  Will- 
iam W.,  Amanda  A.,  Reuben  J.,  Daniel  J.,  Sarah  Irena  and  Ulyses  G.,  all 
living  now  but  Elah.  The  parents  still  live  on  the  old  homestead,  which 
was  left  Mr.  Holdeman  by  his  father.  Mr.  Niebel  was  reared  a  farmer. 
In  1870,  he  purchased  fifty  acres  in  this  township,  and  in  1881  he  added 
ten  acres  more.  His  farm  is  highly  improved  and  valued  at  $80  to  $90  per 
acre.  He  spent  one  year  in  the  Northwestern  College  of  Plainfield,  111. — 
1866-67— and  taught  the  following  year  in  the  county;  he  has  two  children 
—Ida  Elnora,  born  March  10,  1871,  and  Orville  Jay,  September  22,  1873. 
He  is  a  Republican-Prohibitionist,  and,  with  Mrs.  Niebel,  a  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church  at  Mexico. 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1057 

HENRY  PARKER  was  born  in  Lycoming  County,  Penn.,  January  8, 
1817;  he  is  a  son  of  William  and  Rachel  (Compton)  Parker,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  and  of  Scotch  and  German  parentage  re- 
spectively. His  parents  married  in  the  above  county  in  1810;  moved  to 
Ross  County,  Ohio,  1818,  and  in  1834  to  this  township,  where  they  purchased 
a  farm.  Their  children  were  Charlotte,  John  C,  Joseph,  Henry,  Charles, 
William,  Delilah  A.,  Susan  and  Eliza  J.  Those  now  living  are  Joseph, 
Susan  and  Henry.  The  parents  are  both  deceased.  Henry  Parker  staid  on 
the  home   farm  till  twenty-seven  years  of  age;  he  was  married,  February 

26,  1843,  to  Hannah  B.  Walker,  who  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Ohio,  Novem- 
ber 1,  1825,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Newman)  Walker,  who  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  York  respectively,  who  married  in  Fair- 
field County,  Ohio,  and  moved  to  this  county  in  1834.  They  settled  in  this 
township  but  moved  to  Upper  Sandusky  later.  Their  children  were  Han- 
nah B.,  Ellen,  Eliza,  Edward  F.,  Sarah  E.,  Maria  and  Louisa.  The  father 
died  in  1849,  the  mother  in  1874.  Our  subject  rented  land  for  several 
years,  and  in  1851  purchased  forty-four  acres,  obtaining  thirty-one  acres 
from  his  father's  estate  in  1856.  He  has  since  made  several  other  addi- 
tions, and  now  has  143^  acres  of  well-improved  land  provided  with  good 
buildings,  fences,  etc.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker  are  parents  of  eight  children 
— Charlotte,  Theodore  W.,  Emily  J.,  Joseph  D.,  Louis  H.,  Edward  E., 
Elmer  E.  and  Olive  M.  The  deceased  are  Charlotte,  Louis  H.  and  Elmer. 
Mr.  Parker  is  a  strong  adherent  to  the  principles  of  Democracy,  and  has 
served  his  township  in  several  offices. 

ANDREW  PONTIUS  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  December  15, 
1818.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Solomon  and  Rachel  (Wells)  Pontius,  the 
former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  latter  of  Hagerstown,  Md.  His 
parents  moved  from  Ross  County  in  1834,  and  located  in  the  woodland  of 
Sycamore  Township,  this  county,  where  they  erected  a  log  cabin  and  spent 
the  remainder  of  their  days.  Their  children  bore  the  following  respective 
names:  Barbara,  Andrew,  Elizabeth,  Susan,  Rezin,  Mary  A.,  David,  Sarah 
A.,  Benjamin,  all  living,  excepting  Barbara,  Elizabeth  and  Susan.  His 
father  died  in  1867;  his  mother  passed  away  in  1878.  Mr.  Pontius  was 
married,  March  3,  1840,  to  Lucinda  Bretz,  who  was  born  in  Fairfield  County, 
Ohio,  January  30,  1820.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Conrad  and  Susanna  (Fore- 
man) Bretz,  who  were  born  and  married  in  Pennsylvania.  Her  parents 
moved  from  their  native  State,  and  settled  first  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio, 
moving  to  this  county  in  1835.  They  had  nine  children — Christiana,  Peter, 
Lydia,  Anna,  Noah,  Barbara,  Lucinda,  Eli  and  Andrew  J.  Three  are  de- 
ceased—  Christiana,  Noah  and  Barbara.  The  parents  are  also  deceased. 
Mr.  Pontius  was  reared  a  farmer  from  boyhood.  In  1840,  he  became  owner 
of  160  acres  of  timber  land  in  this  township,  where  he  still  resides.  He 
erected  a  log  cabin  on  this  farm,  and  du"ring  the  first  six  years  of  his  resi- 
dence thereon  he  put  sixty  acres  under  cultivation.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pontius 
are  parents  of  eleven  children — Sylvester,  was  born  May  31,  1841;  Diana, 
December  15,  1842;  Maretta  S.,  August  14,  1844;  Rachel  M.,  November 
20,  1846;  Simeon  P.,  September  30,  1848;  Rufus  D.,  December  10,  1850; 
Rella,  October  31,  1852;  David  R.,  October  7,  1855;  Addison  M.,  December 

27,  1857;  Cintha  E.,  May  26,  1860;  Oliver  H,  February  9,  1866.  Cintha 
E.,  died  January  1,  1869;  the  others  are  all  living.  Mr.  Pontius  was  an 
old  Whig,  and  is  now  a  Republican-Prohibitionist.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  and,  with  Mrs.  Pontius,  of  the  IMethodist  Episcopal 
Church. 


1058  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

SOLOMON  EONK  was  born  March  1,  1834.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and 
Anna  M.  (Van  Buskirk)  Ronk,  and  native  of  Bedford,  Cuyahoga  Co.,  Ohio, 
His  parents  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  respectively,  of 
German  and  Scotch  lineage;  were  married  in  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio, 
his  father  being  engaged  in  stone  work,  contractor,  etc.  In  1834,  the  fam- 
ily moved  to  Seneca  County,  and  in  1848,  or  near  that  time,  purchased  land 
in  this  county.  The  children  were  named  as  follows:  Sarah  A.,  Sophia, 
William,  Solomon,  Mary  A.,  Melinda,  Eliza  J.,  Melissa  and  Cordelia,  all 
living  but  William  and  Mary  A.  The  father  died  October  8,  1873,  in  his 
seventieth  year;  the  mother  now  resides  in  York  State  in  her  seventy-fifth 
year.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  Solomon  Ronk  began  operations  for 
himself  working  by  day's  work  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  He  was 
married,  December  31,  1861,  to  Margaret  A.  Cox,  who  was  boi'n  in  Craw- 
ford County,  Ohio,  February  2,  1833.  Her  parents  were  William  and 
Sarah  (Ward)  Cox,  natives  of  Ohio  and  Virginia,  and  of  English  and 
Scotch  descent.  Their  children  were  George,  Lydia  J.,  Margaret  A.,  Emma 
T.,  Sarah,  John,  Mary  L. ,  Eliza  and  William,  the  two  latter  deceased. 
The  mother  died  August  5,  1878.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ronk  were  born  six 
children — William  E.,  Iva  M.,  Edward  J.,  George  W.,  Jacob  E.  and  Anna 
A.  Edward  J.  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Ronk  farmed  rented  land  a  few  years, 
and  then  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Mifflin  Township,  though  still  renting 
for  some  time.  He  finally  traded  his  eighty  acres  for  forty-eight  in  Crane 
Township,  where  he  resided  till  1882,  when  he  sold  out  and  purchased  185 
acres  in  Tymochtee  where  he  now  lives,  owning  160  acres  also  in  Jay  Coun- 
ty, Ind.  He  is  a  Republican,  and,  with  Mrs.  Ronk,  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.-^ 

WILLIAM  SCHUETZ  was  born  in  this  township  December  19,  1836, 
a  son  of  Gerhart  and  Mary  (Hummon)  Schuetz,  natives  of  Germany  and 
Pennnsylvania  respectively.  His  father  emigrated  to  this  country  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  (1822),  married  in  this  county  and  reared  six  children — 
Mary  A.,  Catharine,  Elizabeth,  Peter,  John  and  William.  Peter  and 
Elizabeth  are  now  deceased.  The  mother  died  in  1837,  and  the  father  was 
married  soon  after  to  Catharine,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife,  and  seven  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them — Susan,  Louis  H. ,  Saloma,  Daniel,  Charlotte^ 
Joseph  M.  and  Maria,  all  living  but  Saloma.  This  wife  died  and  Mr. 
Schuetz  married  Mrs.  Margaret  Secondcost,  who  had  two  children — Will- 
iam and  Alice — by  her  first  husband,  and  by  this  union  one  daughter, 
Cora  Idel,  was  born.  The  father  died  in  December,  1872.  V/illiam  Schuetz 
was  married,  November  12,  1863,  to  Martha  A.  Willdermood,  who  was  born 
in  this  township  November  13,  1844,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Lydia  E. 
(Gilbert)  Willdermood,  natives  of  Germany  and  Maryland  respectively. 
Her  parents  married  in  Maryland,  and  moved  to  Ohio  about  1837.  In 
1849,  they  came  from  Seneca  and  settled  in  this  county.  Their  children 
were  Mary  E.,  Catharine,  John  H.,  Martha  A.,  Ephraim,  Lydia  E.,  Jere- 
miah and  Frances  V.  Ephraim  is  deceased.  Her  father  died  in  October, 
1866;  her  mother  is  still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schuetz  have  had  five  chil- 
dren, Lydia  M.  and  Ada  R.  being  the  only  ones  now  living.  Amanda  A., 
Franklin  G.  and  Jennie  are  deceased.  Mr.  Schuetz  rented  land  for  several 
years,  but  in  1868  purchased  sixty-two  acres,  selling  out  and  buying  eighty 
acres  improved  land  soon  after.  His  farm  is  well  improved  and  valuable. 
He  is  a  Democrat  politically,  and  has  served  as  Township  Trustee  for  sev- 
eral years. 

JOSEPH  W.  SHAFFNER  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  June  5, 
1847.     He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Mary  A.  (Coffman)  Shaff'ner,  natives  of 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1059 

Pennsylvania,  and  who  married  in  his  native  county,  and  reared  eight  chil- 
dren—Joseph W.,  Sarah  F.,  Emma  E.,  Charles  B.,  Alice  A.,  Martin  F., 
Ida  M.,  Elmer  L.  Clara  B.  is  deceased.  Our  subject  was  reared  on  a 
farm.  He  attended  a  normal  school,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  began 
teaching,  which  he  engaged  in  six  successive  winters,  also  during  a  few  sum- 
mers. He  also  spent  some  time  at  the  Baldwin  University  of  Berea.  He 
was  married,  March  2,  1871,  to  Miss  Martha  J.  Keller,  of  Licking  County, 
Ohio,  where  she  was  born  February  16,  1851.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Eli 
and  Fidelia  (Holler)  Keller,  who  were  also  born  and  married  in  Licking 
County,  and  who  had  eight  children — Martha  J.,  Lorena  E.,  Philo  J.,  Ida 
M.,  Ettie  E.,  Eli  W.,  Ira  C.  and  Eber  A.  Her  father  died  December  3, 
1866,  and  her  mother  moved  with  the  rest  of  the  family  in  1876  to  Seneca 
County,  where  she  carries  on  a  farm,  assisted  by  her  sons.  In  1872,  Mr. 
Shafifner  purchased  fifty-two  acres  where  he  now  Jives,  and  this  farm  he 
has  thoroughly  improved,  the  same  being  valued  at  $115  to  $125  per  acre. 
In  politics.  Ml'.  Shaffner  is  a  Republican. 

LEWIS  M.  STOKELY,  deceased,  was  born  in  Pickaway  Coanty,  Ohio, 
October  24,  1821.  He  was  a  son  of  Robert  and  Hannah  (Wolverton)  Stoke- 
ly,  who  were  natives  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  I'espectively.  He  wa& 
one  of  the  most  prominent  farmers  of  this  township,  owning  400  acres  of 
land,  and  town  property  at  Sycamore  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was 
married,  December  31,  1849,  to  Sarah  M.  Park,  who  was  born  in  New  Jer- 
sey May  15,  1832.  Her  parents  were  Nathan  and  Achso  F.  (Fleming)  Park, 
also  natives  of  New  Jersey,  and  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  By  this  union 
nine  children  were  born — Achso  A.,  Madison  S.,  Hannah  M. ,  Margaret  F., 
Aaron  L.,  Mary  L.,  Hettie  H.,  Harry  V.,  Minnie  M.  Mr.  Sfcokely  died 
April  29,  1881,  aged  fifty- six  years,  and  is  interred  in  the  Pleasant  Ridge 
Cemetery.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  had  served  his  township  in 
various  capacities.  Mrs.  Stokely  still  resides  on  the  old  homestead,  in  which 
she  retains  an  interest,  and  this  her  son  cultivates  in  connection  with  his- 
own  share  of  the  estate. 

JOHN  SWERLEIN  was  born  in  Oberbach,  Bishopsheim,  Bavaria,  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1820.  His  parents  were  Lawrence  and  Margaret  (Rutiger)  Swer- 
lein,  natives  of  the  same  town,  county  and  kingdom  in  which  they  were  mar- 
ried, lived  and  died.  Their  children  all  died  in  the  old  country  but  three 
— Margaret,  John  and  Elizabeth.  The  former  is  now  deceased,  and  the  lat- 
ter resides  in  Wisconsin.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  Mr.  Swerlein  emi- 
grated to  America,  and  in  1840  he  located  at  Tiffin,  Ohio.  He  was  mar- 
ried, April  29,  1842,  to  Theresa  Kiltsch,  of  the  same  nativity,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  (Rease)  Kiltsch,  also  a  native  of  the  same  locality,  and  who 
emigrated  in  1830,  and  settled  in  Tiffin.  Her  father  died  four  days  after 
his  arrival,  leaving  a  wife  and  four  children — Elizabeth,  Theresa,  Mary  and 
Eve.  The  mother  died  January  22,  1882.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swerlein  are  the 
parents  of  ten  children — Joseph  H. ,  Albert,  William  R. ,  Helena,  Edward, 
Amelia,  Harmon,  Mary,  Loretta  and  Lawrence.  Three  of  these  are  de- 
ceased— Mary,  Helena  and  Amelia.  Mr.  Swerlein  worked  at  the  shoe-mak- 
ing trade  two  years  in  Tiffin  and  four  years  in  Mexico.  In  1847,  he  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  the  "  Cherokee  section "  of  this  township,  where  he 
plied  his  trade  three  years,  and  hired  his  farm  cleared.  In  1850,  he  sold 
out,  and  purchased  in  "  old  T3'mochtee,"  selling  out  at  the  end  of  three 
years.  He  then  purchased  forty  acres,  to  which  he  added  twenty-six  in 
1858,  and  which  he  sold  in  1865,  purchasing  130  acres,  his  present  farm 
in  1867.     He  has  good  buildings  and  a  valuable  farm,  and  is  a  member  of 


1060  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

the  Catholic  Church.  Ho  built  a  fine  frame  residence  in  1876,  costing 
$2,000,  and  an  excellent  barn  in  1880,  costing  $500. 

ALBERT  SWERLEIN  was  born  in  this  township  February  20,  1847. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Theresa  (Klitsch)  Swerlein,  with  whom  he  remained 
till  his  marriage  September  6,  1873,  to  Miss  Victoria  Richardson,  who  was 
born  in  this  county  October  18,  1852.  Her  parents  were  Solomon  and 
Eleanor  (Lowmaster)  Richardson,  the  former  a  native  of  England,  the  lat- 
ter of  Pennsylvania.  They  married  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  and  moved 
to  Wyandot  in  1834,  settling  first  in  this  township,  and  thence  to  Eden 
Township.  Their  surviving  children  are  Ann,  Tbomas,  Solomon,  Joel,  Vic- 
toria and  Canarissa.  The  father  is  deceased;  the  mother  died  May  9,  1880. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swerlein  are  parents  of  six  children — Cora,  Harry,  Grace, 
Carl,  Bessie  and  Jessie.  Two — Harry  and  Grace — are  deceased.  In  1878, 
Mr.  Swerlein  purchased  fifty  acres  in  this  township,  having  rented  land  for 
several  years  pi'evious.  His  farm  is  valued  at  $75  to  $85  per  acre.  He  and 
Mrs.  Swerlein  are  members  of  the  German  Reformed  Church  at  Upper  San- 
dusky.    In  politics,  Mr.  Swerlein  is  a  Democrat. 

GEORGE  VAN  POOL,  son  of  George  and  Nancy  (Hastings)  Van  Pool, 
was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Penn.,  December  4,  1828.  He  is  an  only 
son,  his  parents  being  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Irish  and  Dutch 
descent.  They  were  married  in  Franklin  County,  Penn.,  and  there  his 
father  died.  With  his  mother  Mr.  Van  Pool  moved  to  Seneca  County,  this 
State,  in  1847,  and  then  to  this  township,  where  he  purchased  the  farm  of 
sixty- five  acres,  on  which  he  now  lives.  He  has  added  to  his  original  pur- 
chase till  he  now  owns  263  acres.  He  was  married,  June  4,  1855,  to 
Amanda  C.  Freet,  who  was  born  in  Loudoun  County,  Va.,  July  30,  1831,  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Trammel)  Freet,  natives  of  Virginia. 
Her  parents  married  in  Loudoun  County,  Va. ,  and  in  1834  moved  to  this 
township,  where  her  father  engaged  in  blacksmithing  many  years.  The  chil- 
dren of  this  family  were  Amanda,  Mary  and  Eliza.  The  father  died  March 
31,  1883;  his  widow  now  resides  with  Mr.  Van  Pool  in  her  seventy-fourth 
year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Pool  having  no  children  of  their  own,  adopted,  at 
the  age  of  three  years.  Flora  E.  Willson,  whom  they  reared  and  educated, 
and  who  is  now  the  wife  of  James  Chamberlin,  of  Hoopeston,  111.  Mr.  Van 
Pool  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  served  his  township  for  several  years,  in  the 
various  offices  of  Clerk,  Trustee  and  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

JOHN  S.  WAGNER  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  October  13,  1813; 
he  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Eva  (Smith)  Wagner,  who  were  natives  of  and 
married  in  Frederick  County,  Md.  His  parents  moved  into  Ohio  in 
1808,  and  settled  in  Ross  County,  where  they  lived  nineteen  years. 
They  then  moved  to  this  county,  settled  on  the  banks  of  Wild  Run 
in  this  township,  entered  320  acres,  erected  a  log  cabin  of  the  true 
pioneer  brand,  with  quilts  for  doors,  greased  paper  for  windows,  and 
the  ground  for  a  floor.  Of  their  children,  Jacob,  James,  Elizabeth,  David, 
and  Nancy  were  born  in  Maryland,  and  John  S.  and  Cynthia  were  born  in 
Ohio.  Of  these,  alone  surviving,  John  S.  and  Nancy  are  both  residents  of 
this  county.  On  locating  in  this  wilderness,  the  parents  were  well  nigh  dis- 
couraged, but  were  induced  to  stay  by  their  few  neighbors — Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Pennington,  Barney  Rogers,  William  Caughey  and  another  or  two.  The 
mother  died  about  1829-30;  the  father  married  again  about  1837,  and 
moved  to  Seneca  County,  where  he  died  about  1840  or  1842.  In  1833,  at 
the  age  of  twenty,  John  Wagner,  our  subject,  was  sent  to  Ross  County  to 
learn  the  trade  of  shoe-making,  and  remained  three  yaars.     He  then  re- 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1061 

turned  to  Seneca  County,  made  his  home  with  Adam  Pennington,  set  up  a 
shop  and  worked  for  the  people,  sometimes  going  to  the  neighbors  with  his 
tools  to  work  leather  for  them.  He  continued  this  work  many  years.  He 
was  married,  February  17,  1837,  to  Charlotte  Gurnee.  who  was  born  in  this 
county  May  28,  1821,  the  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Hannah  (Nap)  Gurnee, 
natives  of  N.  Y.  State,  and  early  settlers  of  this  county.  By  this  marriage 
eight  children  were  born,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely:  Cyrus. 
Eliza  J.,  Hannah  M.,  Albert  and  Anna.  The  deceased  are  John  N., 
James  and  George.  Mrs.  Wagner  died  October  22,  1883.  George  W.  was 
shot  and  died  in  the  army.  Mr.  Wagner  gave  up  the  shoe-making  trade, 
and  in  1845  purchased  nine  acres  in  this  township.  He  has  since  added  to 
this,  bought,  sold  and  traded  till  he  now  owns  135  acres,  besides  what  he 
has  given  to  his  sons.  He  is  a  Republican  and  a  member  of  the  Evangel- 
ical Association,  though  formerly  a  Democrat  and  Methodist.  Mrs.  Wagner 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church. 

L.  R.  WALTON,  one  of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock  dealers  of  the 
county,  was  born  near  the  village  of  Old  Tymochtee,  June  16,  1833.  His 
parents,  Matthew  and  Catharine  (Shepler)  Walton,  were  natives  of  Tren- 
ton, N.  J.  They  were  married  in  their  native  county,  and  subsequent- 
ly removed  to  Ross  County,  Ohio,  from  which  place  they  came  to  Wyandot 
County  in  1826-27.  Mr.  Walton  entered  eighty  acres  of  land  three  miles 
east  of  Old  Tymochtee,  and  resided  on  that  till  July,  1833,  when  he  pur- 
chased 160  acres  three  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Old  Tymochtee.  He 
cleared  most  of  this  farm,  and  remained  on  it  till  his  death,  which  occurred 
June  1,  1861,  at  the  ripe  age  of  sixty-two  years.  Mrs.  Walton  preceded 
him  in  March,  1855,  at  the  age  of  fifty.  Their  union  was  blest  with  ten 
children,  five  of  whom  are  living  at  the  present  time,  their  names  as 
follows:  Andrew  Irvin,  a  resident  of  this  township;  James  H.,  on  the 
old  homestead  in  this  township  ;  L.  R.,  our  subject;  Casander,  wife 
of  Elijah  Lake,  and  Matthew,  a  resident  of  Upper  Sandusky.  L.  R. 
Walton,  whose  name  heads  this  sketch,  was  reared  on  the  homestead  and 
educated  in  the  common  schools.  September  8,  1853,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Catharine  J.  Hufford,  daughter  of  Christopher  and  Catharine  (Corf- 
man)  Hufford,  who  were  early  settlers  in  this  township.  Mrs.  Walton,  a 
native  of  this  township,  was  born  June  9,  1834.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walton 
have  been  born  four  children;  of  these,  two  are  Jiving — Barbara  E.,  wife  of 
Madison  Stokely,  and  Birt.  Clayton  died  at  the  age  of  six  years  and  nine 
months;  Casper  at  the  age  of  nine  years.  In  1865,  Mr.  Walton  bought 
eighty  acres  where  he  now  resides.  He  made  subsequent  additions  to  this 
purchase  till  he  owned  240  acres  of  land.  He  has  since  disposed  of  a 
part  of  his  farm  to  his  daughter,  and  now  owns  165  acres,  which  is  under  ex- 
cellent cultivation  and  finely  improved.  He  has  an  artificial  fish  pond  cov- 
ering half  an  acre,  which  is  supplied  with  water  from  a  spring  thirty  rods 
away,  being  conveyed  by  an  underground  pipe.  In  May,  1883,  he  pur- 
chased sixty- five  German  carp,  paying  therefor  $40,  and  has  since  paid 
considerable  attention  to  fish  culture.  Mr.  Walton  has  engaged  extensively 
for  the  last  fourteen  years  in  handling  stock.  He  ships  on  an  average  forty 
car  loads  annually,  principally  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  East  Liberty,  Penn. 
Mr.  Walton  ranks  as  one  of  the  leading  live  stock  men  of  the  county.  He 
is  a  citizen  of  public  spirit,  and  has  always  performed  his  part  in  pub- 
lic improvements  and  enterprises  of  the  county.  He  served  his  township  as 
Trustee  three  years.  He  owns  Section  F,  containing  half  an  acre,  in  Pleas- 
ant Ridge  Cemetery,  and  has  taken  great  pains  to  improve  it. 

91 


1062  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

WILLIAM  WALTON  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  December  21, 
1824;  he  is  a  son  of  Lemar  and  Anna  (Thompson)  Walton,  natives  of  New 
Jersey;  his  parents  married  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  moved  to  Wyandot 
about  1826,  locating  in  this  township.  Six  children  were  born  to  them — 
William,  Maria,  Levi,  Sarah  J.,  Lemar  S.  and  Marshal,  all  living  but  Levi 
and  Maria.  William  Walton,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was  married  Octo- 
ber 7,  1846,  to  Miss  Delilah  A.  Parker,  a  resident  of  this  township,  native 
of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  William  and  Rachel  (Compton) 
Parker,  who  were  born  and  married  in  Pennsylvania.  They  afterward  came 
to  this  county,  where  they  purchased  land  and  reared  a  family  of  children, 
Joseph,  Henry  and  Delilah  are  living;  Charles,  Chartte,  John  and  Jane 
are  deceased.  The  parents  are  also  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walton  have 
five  children — Alvin  M. ,  Joel  L.,  Olive  P.,  Laura  A.  and  Sarah  E.  Mrs. 
Walton,  after  suffering  untold  agony  for  many  weeks,  died  of  cancer  of  the 
breast,  December  5,  1883.  Mr.  Walton  rented  land  for  several  years  after 
his  marriage,  but  in  1852  purchased  eighty  acres  in  this  township.  In 
1858,  he  obtained  ninety-three  acres,  upon  which  he  now  lives.  He  deals 
largely  in  stock,  especially  sheep,  and  has  added  to  his  original  purchase 
till  he  now  owns  524  acres.  His  farm  is  well  improved  as  to  drainage  and 
fences,  and  is  provided  with  good  buildings  of  all  necessary  kinds. 

EDWIN  S.  WILLSON  is  a  native  of  this  township,  and  was  born 
February  16,  1846.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Bathsheba  P.  (Shotwell) 
Willson,  who  were  born  and  married  in  New  Jersey,  and  who  came  to  Ohio 
in  1835  and  purchased  eighty  acres  in  this  township.  Their  children  were 
Elizabeth  E.,  Abner,  Albert  Z.,  Levi  L.,  George,  Edwin  S.  and  Walter.  The 
father  died  March  1,  1862;  his  widow  still  resides  in  this  township.  Our  sub- 
ject resided  on  the  farm  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  enlisted  February 
20,  1864,  in  Company  D,  Forty-ninth  Ohio  Veteran  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  participated  in  several  battles,  among  which  are  Dallas  Mountain,  Ga., 
May  5  to  27;  Atlanta,  Nashville,  and  a  great  many  skirmishes.  He  was 
wounded  at  Dallas  Mountain  in  the  right  side  by  a  gunshot  wound,  and  lay 
at  the  hospitals  of  Nashville  and  Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  till  August.  He 
then  joined  his  regiment,  and  was  again  wounded  December  16,  and  subse- 
quently discharged  from  the  Louisville  Hospital  May  27,  1865.  On  his 
return  home.  Mr.  Willson  resumed  farming.  He  was  married,  March  1, 
1866,  to  Eliza  C.  Price,  who  was  born  in  Eden  Township,  this  county,  July 
7,  1848.  She  was  a  daughter  of  George  B.  and  Anna  (Manning)  Price, 
also  natives  of  New  Jersey.  Her  parents  married  in  their  native  State, 
came  to  Ohio  in  1840,  settled  in  Hancock  County,  and.  in  1845,  moved  to 
Eden  Township.  They  had  ten  children — Isaac,  Aaron,  Mary  J.,  Sarah  E., 
Margaret  A.,  Warren,  Hannah  M.,  Eliza  C,  John  M.  and  Laura  E.  The 
sons  are  all  deceased.  The  mother  died  March  22,  1878.  The  father  is 
still  living.  In  1863.  Mr.  Willson  obtained  forty  acres  of  partially  im- 
proved land  from  his  father.  He  engaged  in  the  sheep  business  which 
proved  unsuccessful,  and  then  turned  his  attention  to  general  agriculture. 
He  has  made  several  trades  in  real  estate,  and  now  owns  200  acres  valued 
at  180  to  $100  per  acre.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willson  are  parents  of  six  children 
—John  L.,  Anna  E.,  Abner  J.,  Lily  B.,  George  E.  and  Everett  P.;  all  liv- 
ing but  George  E.  Both  parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Protestant 
Church.      Mr.  AVillson  is  a  Republican. 

CHARLES  L.  WININGER,  son  of  John  and  Catharine  Wininger, 
was  born  in  this  township  May  6,  1846.  He  resided  with  his  parents  till 
thirty  years  of  age.     Was  married,  September  28,  1876,  to  Laura  V.  Welsh, 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1063 

a  resident  and  native  of  Muskingum  County,  born  April  1,  1856,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jobn  and  Herma  (Gorsuch)  Welsh,  who  were  born  and  married  in 
the  same  county.  She  was  one  of  four  children— Edwin  B. ,  Joseph  G. , 
Laura  V.,  Kosa  B.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wininger  have  three  children — J.  Frank- 
lin, born  August  22,  1877;  Herma  K,  July  31,  1879;  Polly,  December  15, 
1882.  In  1867,  Mr.  Wininger  purchased  180  acres  in  Seneca  County, 
where  he  now  lives.  He  has  a  good  farm  well  provided  with  buildings,  in- 
cluding a  frame  dwelling  built  in  1878,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  Mrs.  Winin- 
ger is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  McCutchenville. 

GEOKGE  L.  WININGER  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  February 
13,  1836.  His  parents,  John  and  Catharine  (Lane)  Wininger,  are  else- 
where noticed  in  this  work.  He  resided  with  them  till  his  marriage  to 
Leah  E.  Pennington  April  1 ,  1860.  He  worked  on  the  farm  and  obtained  a 
good  common  school  education,  attending  the  Heidelberg  College  a  short 
period.  He  began  teaching  at  the  age  of  eighteen  in  what  was  then  known 
as  "  Frog  Pond  District."  now  "  Sugar  Grove,"  and  continued  in  this  pro- 
fession during  winters  six  years.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Wininger  moved 
into  a  log  cabin  on  an  eighty-acre  lot,  which  his  father  deeded  to  him  about 
one  year  later.  This  farm  he  improved,  and,  in  1863,  purchased  forty  acres 
more  just  across  the  line  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio.  A  few  years  later,  he 
purchased  a  few  acres  more,  giving  him  the  benefits  of  the  Sandusky  River. 
He  now  owns  127  acres.  In  1880,  he  erected  a  fine  brick  residence,  costing 
$5,000,  in  place  of  the  little  frame  cottage  which  had  sheltered  his  family 
twenty  years.  In  the  same  year  he  lost  by  fire  a  large  grain  barn  well 
stored,  valued  at  $1,000.  Mrs.  and  Mrs.  Wininger  are  parents  of  four 
children — Catharine  I.,  born  December  23,  1861;  John  F. .  October  13, 
1865;  Carrie  A.  and  Harry  J.,  June  18,  1876.  All  are  living  but  Catha- 
rine, who  died  October  2,  1 872.  She  was  regarded  as  an  exceedingly  bright 
and  intelligent  child  by  all  who  know  her.  Mrs.  Wininger  was  born  in 
Eden  Township,  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  March  28,  1843,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Adam  and  Cintha  A.  (Wagner)  Pennington,  natives  of  West  Virginia 
and  Ross  County,  Ohio,  respectively.  Her  parents  married  in  Seneca  Coun 
ty,  and  four  of  their  children  yet  survive — Mary  A.,  William  J.,  Leah  E. 
and  Thomas  J.  The  father  died  in  1818,  the  mother  in  1878.  Mr.  Win- 
inger is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  served  one  year  as  Township  Clerk. 

JOEL  WININGER,  son  of  John  and  Catherine  (Lane)  Wininger,  was 
born  in  this  township  January  22,  1839,  and  remained  at  home  on  the 
farm  principallj'^  till  his  marriage.  He  obtained  a  good  education,  attend- 
ing both  the  academy  at  Republic,  and  the  Heidelberg  College  at  Tiffin, 
Ohio.  He  taught  several  terms,  farming  during  the  summers  in  the  mean- 
time. He  was  married,  March  31,  1863,  to  Miss  ZiliaA.  King,  of  this  town- 
ship, born  in  New  York  State,  Genesee  County,  February  24,  1840,  a 
daughter  of  Belah  and  Elizabeth  (Fitch)  King,  natives  of  Massachusetts 
and  Connecticut  respectively.  Her  parents  settled  in  Ashtabula  in  1841, 
and  in  1842  moved  to  Little  Sandusky,  where  he  pui'chased  property  and 
engaged  in  shoe-making.  He  afterward  kept  a  hotel  at  Adrian,  Ohio. 
Zilia  A.,  Charles  M.  and  Henry  P.  are  the  children  of  this  family.  The 
father  died,  February  13,  1849,  aged  forty- three;  his  widow  married  Fran 
cis  Wood,  of  this  county,  about  two  years  later,  and  she  died  July  30. 
1878.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wininger  have  one  daughter — Florence  A.,  born 
August  23,  1865,  now  a  student  of  the  Green  Springs  Academy.  In  1862. 
Mr.  Wininger  purchased  eighty  acres  in  this  township,  moved  upon  the 
same  in  1863,  and  has  since  resided  there.     In  1874,  his  old  dwelling  was 


1064  HISTORY  OF  WYANDOT  COUNTY. 

destroyed  by  fire,  and  in  1879,  he  erected  a  fine  frame  structure,  at  a  cost 
of  $4,500.  In  1865,  Mr.  Wininger  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  in  Seneca 
County.  He  teaches  school  usually  in  the  winter  season,  and  tills  his 
farm  during  the  summer.  He  served  as  Township  Clerk  two  years ;  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church.  Mrs.  Win- 
inger is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

JOHN  WININGER,  born  March  9,  1810,  is  a  native  of  Fairfield  County, 
Ohio,  and  son  of  Adam  and  Mary  (Crow)  Wininger,  natives  of  Germany. 
His  parents  emigrated  in  an  early  day,  his  mother  having  been  sold  for 
a  term  of  years  to  pay  her  passage  over  the  sea.  His  father  was  previously 
married  in  Germany  and  reared  three  children,  only  one  of  whom  survives 
— Catharine^now  Mrs.  Reinboit,  a  widow  of  Seneca  County,  in  her 
eighty-third  year.  Her  mother  died  in  Philadelphia,  and  her  father  then 
married  Mary  Crow,  and  moved  to  Ohio  in  1804.  He  settled  in  Fairfield 
County,  near  Lancaster  and  in  1815  moved  to  Richland  County  among  the 
Indians.  In  1826,  he  moved  to  this  county,  purchased  and  entered  about 
1,000  acres  of  land,  mostly  in  Tymochtee  Township,  built  a  log  cabin, 
cleared  up  his  farm,  and  by  hard  work  was  enabled  to  make  a  living.  He 
was  sometimes  compelled  to  go  forty  to  fifty  miles  to  get  his  grain  ground, 
and  was  then  often  obliged  to  stay  from  five  to  eight  days  to  await  his  turn, 
so  many  being  ahead  of  him.  There  were  ten  children  in  this  family,  four 
surviving,  namely:  Elizabeth,  John,  Susan  and  William.  The  father  and 
mother  died  at  the  ages  of  seventy-five  and  seventy  years  respectively^ — 
Our  subject,  John  Wininger,  resided  with  his  parents  till  his  marriage, 
which  occurred  December  29,  1832,  Miss  Catharine  Lane,  of  Musk- 
ingum County,  Ohio,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Millison)  Lane, 
being  his  chosen  companion.  She  was  born  in  Baltimore  County,  Md. , 
August  5,  1807.  Her  parents  were  born  in  Germany  and  emigrated  to 
America  and  settled  in  Baltimore  County  in  an  early  day.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wininger  have  had  five  children — Solomon,  George  L. ,  J.  A.  Jackson,  Joel 
and  Charles  L.,  all  living  but  Jackson.  Mrs.  Wininger  passed  away  in 
April,  1880,  and  od  the  28th  of  April,  1881,  Mr.  Wininger  was  married  to 
Mary  B.  Johnston,  who  was  born  in  Bucks  County,  Penn.,  November  16, 
1888.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  (Beatty)  Johnston,  na 
tives  of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  who  were  married 
in  Bucks  County,  Penn. ;  migrated  to  Ohio  about  1845,  and  settled  in  Seneca 
County,  near  Melmore.  They  reared  eight  daughters — Sarah,  Hettie, 
Maggie,  Mary  B.,  Eliza,  Elten,  Amanda  and  Emma.  Sarah  and  Maggie 
are  deceased.  The  father  died  in  March,  1861,  the  mother  May  6,  1864. 
When  first  married,  Mr.  Wininger  kept  tavern  three  years  in  Seneca  County. 
In  1836,  he  became  the  owner  of  125  acres  in  this  township,  where  he  now 
lives.  He  has  since  purchased  from  110  to  130  acres  for  each  of  his  four 
SODS,  and  has  made  other  purchases  and  sales,  but  still  retains  the  home- 
stead, valued  at  $125  per  acre.  He  has  served  his  township  in  many  of- 
fices, and  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  of  which  his  first  wife  was 
also  a  member.  His  present  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Wininger  has  been  a  life- long  Democrat. 

LESTER  WOOD,  born  January  11,  1829,  in  Huron  County,  Ohio,  is  a 
son  of  Francis  and  Eliza  (Latham)  Wood,  natives  of  New  York  and  Con- 
necticut respectively,  of  English  parentage.  His  parents  were  married  in 
Huron  County,  Ohio,  and  in  1829  moved  to  this  township,  where  they  pur- 
chased land  and  reared  their  children.  They  had  five  sons  and  three 
daughters — Lester,  Betsey,  Nelson,  Silas,  Horace,  Huldah,  Ezra  and  Lydia 


TYMOCHTEE  TOWNSHIP.  1065 

A.,  only  three  of  these  now  living,  namely,  Huldah,  Nelson  and  Lester. 
The  latter  was  married,  September  27,  1860,  to  Rachel  Clark,  who  was  born 
in  Seneca  County  June  27,  1834.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Mathias  and  Ma- 
ria (Copeland)  Clark,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  and  Irish  de- 
scent. Her  parents  married  in  Huntingdon  County,  Penn. ;  emigrated  to 
this  State  in  an  early  day,  and  settled  in  Wayne  County.  They  had  nine 
children — Rebecca,  Sebella,  Rachel,  Morgan,  James,  Henry,  Hannah  C, 
Mary  A.  and  Margaret  E.  Those  yet  living  are  Rebecca,  Henry,  Morgan 
and  Rachel.  The  mother  is  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  have  six 
children — Myron,  Sarah  E.,  Elmer  E.,  Ada,  Charles  and  Huldah,  all  liv- 
ing but  Ada.  Mr.  Wood  was  reared  to  farm  life,  and  in  1861  became  the 
owner  of  eighty-three  acres,  which  he  has  materially  improved,  and  now  val- 
ues at  $80  to  $90  per  acre.  In  1876,  he  added  eighty  acres  of  improved 
land,  and  eight  acres  by  a  subsequent  purchase.  He  and  Mrs.  Wood  are 
members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church  at  Mount  Zion.  Mr.  Wood  is  a 
Democrat,  and  voted  for  the  Second  Amendment  in  1883. 

WILLIAM  YAMBERT.  This  gentleman  is  a  native  of  Perry  County, 
Penn.,  and  was  born  November  25,  1828.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Catha- 
rine (Cooney)  Yambert,  who  were  married  in  Perry  County,  and  reared  sev- 
en children — ^John,  Daniel,  Samuel,  Solomon,  Lydia,  William  and  Susana. 
Daniel  was  drowned  in  the  Sandusky  River.  By  a  former  wife,  Mary  (Glick), 
Mr.  Yambert  had  four  children — John  H.,  Aaron,  Sarah  and  Mary.  After 
his  second  marriage,  Mr.  Yambert,  in  1833,  moved  to  Ohio,  and  located  in 
Seneca  County,  where  he  died  May  24,  1863.  His  wife  passed  away  June 
7,  1876,  their  respective  ages  being  eighty-two  and  eighty-five  years.  Will- 
iam Yambert,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  remained  on  the  farm  with  his  par 
ents  till  grown  to  manhood.  He  went  to  Iowa  and  entered  120  acres  of 
land,  which  he  sold  soon  after,  and  returned  home.  He  was  married,  No- 
vember 15,  1855,  to  Susannah  Hottenstein,  who  was  born  in  Lancaster 
County,  Penn.,  December  21,  1835,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Grube) 
Hottenstein,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  descent.  Her  par- 
ents married  in  Pennsylvania,  and  moved  to  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  in  1837. 
They  moved  to  this  township  from  Seneca  County  in  1850-51,  and  resided 
here  till  their  death.  Their  children  were  John,  Elizabeth,  Susannah,  Mary 
and  Henry.  The  mother  died  in  March,  1850,  the  father  is  also  deceased. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yambert  are  parents  of  seven  children — Henry  M.,  Mary  E. , 
Rilla  J.,  Laura  J.,  William  A.,  John  F.  and  Arthur  R.  Three  are  deceased 
— Henry  M. ,  Mary  E.  and  Laura  J.  Mr.  Yambert  farmed  rented  land  a 
few  years,  when  he  obtained  eighty  acres  from  his  father's  estate.  In  1863, 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  in  this  township,  and  to  this  tract  he  has  since 
added  100  acres.  In  1878,  he  erected  a  fine  brick  residence.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican, and,  with  Mrs.  Yambert,  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church. 


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