250 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY same being paid for by private donations from the people living on the north side. On October 18, 1882, the board met for the purpose of considering plans for a college building when those submitted by Mr. Rumbaugh were accepted. The architect was directed to prepare complete plans and specifications and sealed proposals for the erection of said building were ordered to be advertised for. March 6, 1883, the bids were opened, but none were accepted for the reason that they were not within the $4o,000 limit which the board by previous resolutions had fixed. The contract was finally let June 20, 1883, to Pierce & Coleman for the sum of $49,000 to be finished according to the plans and specifications. The work was soon afterwards commenced and on Sunday the 25th day of May, 1884, the corner-stone was laid with imposing ceremonies, in the presence of a large number of people. The college was not complete until late in the year 1886, but notwithstanding this fact the college was opened Wednesday, September 1, 1886, with very appropriate ceremony and started off with nearly one hundred pupils enrolled. This edifice of education is now considered one of the finest in the state, and is fully equipped and when completed ready for business cost about $65,000. Under the present management of Rev. Brown, it bids fair to excel any institution of its kind in the state. THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING. The New High School building had its birth October 18, 1899, when E. C. Miller, N. M. Adams, Ed. Dietsch, Charles A. Ebling, Timothy Fellers, T. E. Gillespie, F. W. Karg, W. W. Shuler, A. W. Brown, and Alvin S. Thomas, members of the board of education of Findlay, passed a resolution to hold an election on November 17th, 1899, at the assembly room to decide the question of levying a tax of $50,000 to purchase a site and erect a high school building. The vote resulted as follows : For high school building, 1,131; against high school building, 446. January 23, 1900, on the seventh ballot, the board decided on West Main Cross Street as the site by a vote of 9 to 5 and ordered the advertisement of bond sale to take place March 1, 1900; said bonds to bear interest at the rate of 4 per cent, payable semiannually. At the same meeting the board accepted the offer of Sarah F. and Foster Geyer for lots 41, 42, and east half of 43 at $7,500; the west half of 43 of heirs of Elizabeth Snyder at $1,500 and 44 of Minerva Snyder at $3,500, possession to be given not later than March 1, 1900. Cramer and Harpster were employed as architects on January 26, 1900, and at the same session a resolution was adopted offering $25,000 of the bonds to the city at par, also a resolution to advertise for bids for heating said building, to be received until noon, March 5, 1900. The city council at its session held Feb. 7, 1900, accepted the offer of the board of education on the $25,000 worth of bonds and ordered the same to be purchased out of the Gas Bond Redemption Fund, which acceptance was received and adopted by the board, February 16, 1900. At this meeting the plans and specifications of Kramer and Harpster were presented and adopted. On March 5, 1900, the bids for the heating plant were opened and examined and with various exchanges of oratory of various members of HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY - 251 the board, lasted four sessions. Nothing, however, was done until March 30, when all bids heretofore received were rejected. April 6, 1900, the board of education passed a resolution for bids for the erection of the new high school building, said bids to be received up to noon of May 11, 1900. On said date the bids were opened and examined and upon the consideration the contracts were awarded May 22, as follows : George J. Horn for excavation, sewers, stone mason work, brick work, plumbing, carpenter work, painting and glazing, structural iron work and electrical work $36,630. J. J. Dutweiler, galvanized iron roofing, curbstone work, and plastering $5,900, total $36,530. At the meeting of the board of education held May 25, 1900, the building and grounds committee reported the refusal of Mr. Dutweiler to enter into contract and the board ordered the entire contract awarded to F. Wentz & Co., of Canal Dover, Ohio, for $6,425 and the contract was entered into and bond given June 22. August 17, 1900, the bids for the second $25,000 bonds were opened and the bonds awarded to the Groghan Bank of Fremont, Ohio, for $25,085 and accrued interest. The building progressed slowly and the final amount paid to the contractor August 23, 1901 ; the city board reserving $500 until the building was accepted. This amount was not paid until March 6, 1903, which formally accepted the building. The entire cost of the building under the contract was $38,481.23 ; of this amount $186.23 was extras caused by changes in the original plans. The furniture cost $2,620.50 and the curb, driveways and walks put in by C. B. Metcalf $675.00, making the entire cost of the building ready for occupancy, including the grounds $54,276.73. August 31, 1901, Findlay accepted the beautiful new high school building as its own—built for the public today and for posterity in the days to come. The dedicatory services were opened by a grand chorus of America, participated by the entire audience. Rev. Manchester invoked the divine blessing. Speeches appropriate for the occasion were delivered by various persons of renown, among whom was the Hon. Mr. Bonebrake, state commissioner of common schools. The school opened on Monday, September 2, 1901, with a large attendance of pupils and from all indications Findlay High School bids fair to equal any of its character in this grand state of ours. Here education, the foundation of our civilization, receives its finishing touches and starts the pupils on the highway to success. THE GAS AND OIL INDUSTRY. Although the subject of Natural Gas and Oil belongs to the history of the county at large, yet, as it affected the status of Findlay more than the country where these important products were obtained, we will place its history in the article on Findlay. This never-to-be-forgotten industry, which caused such excitement the country over, and increased our little village of 4,000 inhabitants to a city of 18,000 population as if the wand of some powerful magician had been passed over our heads and the words "hocus pocus" pronounced with great emphasis, was the supposed everlasting natural gas and oil. In the autumn of 1836, Mr. Richard Wade, who entered the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 6 in Jackson Township, this 252 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY county, April 7th, 1836, while digging a well on his farm, and having reached the depth of ten feet, found plenty of water, but the well was abandoned on account of such a strong flow of gas as to render it unfit for use. Mr. Wade conveyed the gas through a wooden box to the end of which he attached a piece of iron tubing, which he would light in order to exhibit the phenomenon to neighbors and visitors. Two years later, or in the autumn of 1838, Daniel Foster put down a well on the lot now owned by J. M. Curtis, being lot number 171 and situated just north of the present Donnell Block. At the depth of eight feet he struck a very strong vein of gas and had to suspend operations. Covering it over he placed a pump tube, extending under his house from an opening in the well to a point near the chimney and then boring a hole through the floor attached a musket barrel to the pump tube, through which the gas was conducted to near the mouth of the open fireplace. This was the first time that natural gas was utilized in the county, though there were other places in this vicinity where gas was found in wells dug for water supply. Dr. Charles Oesterlin was the man who had most to do with inaugurating the great gas boom. As early as 185o he became earnestly convinced and argued that underlying the village was a great natural gas deposit which could be developed by drilling through the supervening rock strata, but the people only laughed and intimated that he was crazy. Dr. Oesterlin, however, continued to advocate his belief until it developed into an absolute fact. While serving in the state legislature Mr. Oesterlin called on the state geologists and informed them that in his opinion their survey of northwestern Ohio was not exactly complete, and that a mighty bed of natural gas lay undeveloped in the vicinity of Findlay. The geologists learnedly replied that whatever natural gas existed at Findlay came from Michigan underneath the bed of Lake Erie and there was not sufficient gas to pay for sinking wells. The doctor bluntly told them they were all mistaken, and time would prove the correctness of his statement, which, in truth, it did. Early in 1884 Dr. Oesterlin determined to make an effort to organize a company to prospect for natural gas, and approached a number of the citizens and business men with his proposition. The result was that April 18, 1884, articles of incorporation, under the name of "The Findlay Natural Gas Company," were drawn up, signed and acknowledged by Dr. Charles Oesterlin, Charles J. Eckels, Fred H. Glessner, Henry Porch, George W. Kimmel and Peter Kunz in the presence of Jason Blackford and Vincent H. Coons and three days afterwards filed in the office of the secretary of state. The capital stock was $5,000 divided into 100 shares of $50 each. On the 30th of April the eight citizens of Findlay previously named together with U. K. Stringfellow and John H. Decker entered into a private agreement "to prospect for natural gas, petroleum, coal, minerals and artesian wells (all of which the charter covered) in and about the village of Findlay, Ohio," and share all profits arising therefrom. The subscription book for stock opened July 19, and on the 25th Dr. Charles Oesterlin took fifteen shares, Charles J. Eckles ten; Fred H. Glessner, five ; George W. Kimmel, five ; U. K. Stringfellow, five; Jason Blackford, two, and Henry Porch, two. Subsequently the following named persons took stock in the enterprise : A. C. Heck, John Ruthrauff, J. W. Zeller, W. H. Faven, HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY - 255 W. T. Platt, Edward Dietsch, W. B. Porch, Ernest Bacher, William Edwards, J. W Gassman, Lemuel McManness, C. L. Cusac, Dr. Anson Hurd, John M. Hamlin, Frank Karst, Isaac Hershey, Brownyer & Martin, Mrs. Hariett Detwiler, Mrs. E. H. Young, and B. F. Bolton, some of whom, however, took very little interest in the progress of the work. August 22, 1884, Dr. Charles Oesterlin, Charles J. Eckles, Henry Porch, Vincent H. Coons, George W. Kimmel,- A. C. Heck and U. K. Stringfellow were chosen directors of the company for the ensuing year and at once organized by electing Henry Porch president A. C. Heck, vice-president; Fred H. Glessner, secretary; George W. Kimmel, treasurer. On September 5th the contract for drilling was let to Brownmyer & Martin, of Bradford, Pennsylvania, at the following prices : $2,200, for 1,200 feet; $2,800 for 1,600 feet, and $3,200 for 2,000 feet. Messrs. Eckles, Coons and Stringfellow were appointed to select a location for the well and chose the site on the land of Dr. Oesterlin, in the east part of the town. Work was commenced at once and at a depth of 314 feet the first vein of gas was struck; the second at 516 feet; the third at 618 feet; oil at 718 feet and the general bed of gas at 1,092 feet. They, however, drilled on to a depth of 1,648 feet which was reached December 5, 1884, and operations stopped. The drilling of the well costing $2,825. Soon after the gas was piped into town and the use of natural gas became a reality. Derricks began to loom up in all directions and the news spread with rapidity over the entire country. The town began to exhibit an intense and feverish activity. Speculators began to pour in from every direction; syndicates were formed, vast tracts of land were laid out into lots and sale were rapidly made at enormous prices. In the meanwhile other large gas wells were being brought forth by various parties and excitement was running at a very rapid speed, but on the morning of January 20, 1886, when the great Karg well broke forth with its tremendous roar, caused by the escape of 20,- 000,000 cubic feet of gas, imagine the excitement. The gas was placed under control January 25, 1886, and at an early hour the torch was applied. Then it was that a bright fiery flame shot upward toward the sky to a height of fully one hundred feet and the rushing noise could be heard for a distance of five miles. The light from the flame could be seen for a distance of fifty miles on a cloudy night, and for a considerable distance all about the well, the grass was growing with the luxuriance of May and the water in the river below, everywhere else covered with ice, was as blue and limpid as a lake. In the autumn of 1886 manufacturing establishments began to locate here and inside of two years Findlay became one of the largest manufacturing cities in the state; glass factories, rolling mills, brick and tile factories, potteries, lantern works, tube works, wire nail factories, indeed all sorts of manufacturing establishments seemed to tumble over each other to gain a foothold in a place where gas seemed to be inexhausitble, and until the days of that great gas celebration over fifty manufacturing enterprises had established a foothold in the great gas center of the world. June 8th, 9th and loth; 1887, were probably the three greatest days that Findlay ever witnessed in all her history, for on them we celebrated magnificently the anniversary of the first application of natural gas to the mechanical arts. The first day a large procession headed 256 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY by five enormous bands formed in the front of the Chamber of Commerce, from which point they proceeded to and laid the corner stone of the Lagrange rolling mill amid appropriate ceremonies. Owing to the extreme heat the ceremony at this place was made to answer for the similar occasion at the Moore Chair factory, Union Boiler Works, Ohio Coil and Cable Chain Works, and Findlay Door and Sash factory. At 1:30 o'clock in the afternoon the same bands together with a larger procession marched to Camp Garfield at the Fair Grounds and enjoyed a very interesting time in a military contest. Early in the evening the immense crowd of people who had come in on all the trains was largely augmented by our citizens from the country who came in to see the sights and long before dark the broad Main Street of our city was a living moving mass of humanity for over a mile: in length. Doorways and windows and every point of observation were crowded. "What a magnificent sight," "What a wonderful spectacle," were the exclamations heard on every side when the gas was lighted on the many arches which spanned Main Street and when the gas was turned on in the standpipes from the wells the crowd for a moment stood quiet with fear and awe and then were heard murmurs, and exclamations of surprise on every hand. The spectacle was grand beyond words to tell or brush to paint. There were eighteen arches spanning the streets, each with. half a dozen flambeau flames from the top circle while on each side of the arch there were two dozen burners with different colored globes. Added to these were thousands of burners on the buildings along the streets and to this was added the roar and flames of a dozen gas wells. The stars in the heavens were paled with the effulgent light of nature's last and best gift to man—natural gas. For three long-to-be-remembered days, did this gala affair last. Speeches, fireworks and contests were the order until the evening of the third day when the crowd began to disperse, the sound of music gradually died away and later on the stillness of night seemed to say " 'tis done." This was the height of the great gas boom. It held up on a level for a year or more and with the decline of years the gas has gone glimmering. But thanks be to him who, controls the affairs of man, oil has taken its place and in a more permanent and staple form. Daniel Dixon, an old time citizen of Findlay, while passing by an old abandoned well near the present site of the rear of Frey's drug store, one winter morning in 1859, noticed a strong gaseous odor coming from it. The oil excitement was then at fever heat, owing to some very rich discoveries in Pennsylvania, and thinking that perhaps he had found a sign, of the much sought for article Mr. Dixon procured an iron bar and began forcing it through the debris. A passerby who noticed his actions inquired the meaning of the vigorous probing. Mr. Dixon with a twinkle in his eye, responded, "It's oil, Squire, it's oil." In fact it was the odor of gas but the greasy substance that came with the gas was oil. In 1861 an oil company was organized with the following citizens as stockholders : Wm. H. Wheeler, Robert S. Mungen, U. G. Baker, C. A. Crominger, Albert Langworthy, David Croucher, H. P. Gage, E M. Burkle, Wm. Mungen, J. B. Horn & Co., Wm. Vanlue, Jesse Wolf, Frederick Henderson, George H. Crook, Israel Green,. Jesse Guise, Henry Brown, Isaac Davis, Dr. HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY - 257 Bass Rawson and William C. Cox, all of whom are now dead. The Company was organized by electing Israel Green president; Robert S. Mungen secretary, and E. M. Burkle, treasurer. The spot selected for the well was a few rods southeast of the Presbyterian Church, but this idea was abandoned owing to the breaking out of the war and was never resumed. In 1864 a well was started on the Jacob Carr property by two men from Calliopolis, Ohio, and sunk to the depth of 141 feet when the drill stuck and the well was abandoned. This was done by a spring pole process. Other oil companies were afterwards organized but nothing ever came of them until the drilling of the Oesterlin gas well in 1884 when at the depth of 718 feet a flow of oil was obtained. The industry, however, did not develop to any large proportions until about August, 1886, owing probably to the low price of the powerful fluid. At present, go where you may over this grand county of ours and you will see oil derricks dotting the surface of the earth, in village-like formation, giving to the entire county an appearance of the top covering of one of the best oil reservoirs located anywhere in the Buckeye State. "Not only this, imagine the thousands upon thousands of dollars expended in prospecting for this hidden treasure ; also the thousands upon thousands of dollars of reward in return; the hundreds of families and individuals who have made their fortune from some so called 'streak of luck,' and the hundreds of innocent children and loving wives fed and clothed from the profits realized from this rather undoubtful adventure. But long may she live and continue to bless the households of this, one of the greatest, grandest and noblest counties on the face of God's green earth." An account of the banks and manufacturing industries of Findlay may be found in separate chapters of this volume under appropriate headings. FOSTORIA. This town, formerly known as Rome, in Seneca County, and Risdon in Hancock County, was laid out by John Gorsuch on the east part of the northeast quarter of Section in Washington Township, Hancock County, and the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 6 in Louden Township, Seneca County. The plat of the present Fostoria, consisting of sixty lots, thirty in each county mentioned, was acknowledged September 6, 1832, before William L. Henderson, a justice of the peace, and recorded September Jo, 1832, by Wilson Vance, recorder. After a separate existence of about thirty-five years, the two towns were united under one name and named in honor of their eminent townsman, Hon. Charles Foster, born in Ohio in 1828, who was a member of Congress from 1870 to 1876, and served on the committee of Ways and Means. He was governor of Ohio from 1879 to 1883, and from 1891 to 1893 was secretary of the treasury in Harrison's cabinet. Fostoria has ample railroad facilities, having five steam roads converging and crossing here. as well as three out-going of electric lines. The town has a goodly number of important manufacturing plants, all in a prosperous condition. The population is about 8,000. HOUCKTOWN. This village, located in Jackson Township, and sometimes called North Liberty, 258 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY was laid out in April, 1853, by J. F. Houck, on the northwest part of the west half on the northwest quarter of Section 27, and originally consisted of fifteen lots. In 1867, John Doty and A. M. Houck made an addition of twenty-eight lots, and in 1869 six more lots were added by Jacob Hoy. The place never assumed very large proportions or very much importance. It never advanced beyond the proportions of a cross-road village, and its business was entirely local, being confined to the trade of the immediate neighborhood. Its location is in the midst of a rich agricultural district, but remote from railroads. It has always contained the usual general store, blacksmith shop, shoe shop, etc. There is one church and a schoolhouse and most of the time a physician has resided there to look after the wants of these bodily afflicted. The town, so far as improvements in the way of new buildings are concerned, is at a standstill, and the population is about one hundred. In 1856 a post office was established here under the name of Houcktown, and the postmasters have been as follows : Robert Davidson, J. R. Babcock, John Garst, Israel Sampson, Eli Gorsuch and David Beagle. In 1904, owing to the establishment of the rural delivery service, the office was discontinued. JENERA. The record of the laying out of this town, of Van Buren Township, is dated April 14, 1883. The number of lots is not stated, but the ground allotted is given as seven and forty-hundred acres, about equally divided between Peter Traucht, Samuel Fellers and John Heldman. It is located on the Northern Ohio Railroad in a rich farming community, formerly known as the German Settlement, for the reason that almost all the pioneers were Germans from Hesse Darmstead, Germany. All were poor when they arrived in America, but with the characteristic German industry and frugality they soon cleared up the land, built fine houses and barns that for permanence and stability were better than the common average of buildings in the surrounding neighborhood. A postoffice was established here in 1884 with George Pifer as first postmaster, followed by George Gasman, Adam Hull, Adam Gasman, William Diller, and Elmer Diller, the present incumbent. In 1892 the town was incorporated, and B. C. Steinman was the first mayor, followed by D. E. Hull, H. 0. Fellers, Andrew Hull, and the present official Dr. John L. Higbie, who is at present serving his second term. A private bank was opened up here in 1900, and did a good business until 1909, when it was incorporated under the laws of Ohio, with the following persons as directors : John VonStein, A. H. Good, John L. Higbie, Jacob VonStein, Adam VonStein, A. J. Gasman, and John Heldman. The officers are : President, John VonStein ; Vice-President, John L. Higbie ; Cashier, A. H. Good ; and Assistant Cashier, Mrs. A. H. Good. The capital stock is $25,000 of which $15,000 is paid in. The People's Telephone, a branch of the Bell Telephone Company, has been in operation here for nine years, and has an exchange of two hundred and fifty phones. It operates with seven other exchanges, and HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY - 259 nearly every farmer in the southern part of the county. Oscar Wise of Mt. Blanchard is the general superintendent. The town has two general stores, two groceries, one hardware, harness and farm implement store, Farmer's Banking Company, one good brick hotel with modern appointments, such as heating plant, hot water, etc., one restaurant, one pool-room, meat market, shoe store, barber shop, planing-mill with wood work, saw-mill, paling and stave factory, feed and livery barn, grain elevator and coal yard. There is an elegant brick church and parsonage belonging to the German Evangelical Lutheran Church and a good frame church building of the Methodist Protestant denomination. There are two resident ministers, two doctors and one undertaker. For the benefit of educational purposes there is a comfortable two-room schoolhouse and the Knights of the Maccabees have a thriving lodge here. As previously mentioned, the people being descendants of the frugal Germans, are ambitious and industrious, thus driving business with a vim and intelligence that gives life and prosperity to the prosperous village of Jenera. The town was named in honor of Dr. A. B. Jener, the first physician to locate here. MC COMB. Benjamin Todd laid out a town on the northeast part of the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 26, in 1847, and called it Pleasantville. The town originally was composed of only eighteen lots. Afterwards successive additions were made by Mr. Todd, Ewing, Rawson and others. The town is pleasantly situated on the ridge running from Tiffin to Ft. Wayne, and about ten miles from Findlay. McComb is the largest town in the county outside of Findlay, and being situated in the midst of a good farming country, and having good railroad facilities has grown to be a place of considerable importance. This town was incorporated in 1858, when the name was changed from Pleasantville to McComb. The first mayor was William Chapman. For many years this town watched and waited for the completion of the Continental Railway, which had been graded for miles, both east and west of the village, alternately between hope and fear, the energies of the place became paralyzed, business gradually fell off, and a state of retrogression was setting in. The people, however, appreciating the situation, roused up and procured the building of the McComb and Deshler branch of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton road, and thus obtained communication with the outside world, and, as if fortune was now determined to smile upon them, the Continental changed hands and under the name of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad was built through from 'Buffalo to Chicago, giving them splendid facilities for passengers and the shipment of freight. To say that the long expectant people of this village were jubilant but tamely expressed the situation. A post office was established here in 1847 with William Mitchell, Postmaster. For a town of less than two thousand inhabitants, McComb has as much of a metropolitan 260 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY air and style as any other town of its size that the writer knows of. The main street is well paved with brick pavement, and the side streets are macadamized with stone, and all are kept in a cleanly condition. A number of permanent three-story buildings occupy the business portion of the town, and beautiful homes with well kept lawns adorn the residence portion. In the line of business there are three good dry goods stores, three hardware stores, two drug stores, five groceries, one shoe store, one furniture store, two harness stores, two milliners, one feed store, two poultry and egg exchange and one hay shipper, one bakery, two meat markets, a hotel, a restaurant and a hotel. One state bank furnishes a place of deposit and exchange for the business men of this thriving place. Religiously the people are provided with four churches—Methodist, Disciple, Presbyterian and Lutheran. For educational purposes they are provided with one room of common school and a high school of eight rooms, employing in all nine teachers. The industries consist of one tile mill, two lumber yards with mills, two grain elevators, one electric light plant, four blacksmith shops, Star water filter, Bell and home telephone, two livery barns, and other smaller shops. The Odd Fellows were established here in 1859, and have a flourishing lodge, known as McComb Lodge No. 354. The Knights of Pythias, Woodmen of America, Maccabees and John Howard Post, G. A. R., are also represented. In professional lines, the following, named in the order in which their services are required : Five doctors, three ministers, one undertaker, and two attorneys. So that when the people of McComb are called to their fathers, in this, as well as in all things else, they are well prepared to meet the emergency. The oldest man now living in the town is Abraham Rother, 87 years old, but the oldest continuous resident is Elisha Todd, 85, but he has been a resident constantly since 1833, a period of 76 years. Mr. Todd is a son of Benjamin Todd who laid out the town, and was a soldier in the 99th Regt., during the Civil War. Among the veterans of the late war might be mentioned Capt. Porter, son-in-law of George Algire, who entered the first land in the township, and Major Isaac Cusac, both formerly members of the 21st O. V. I. MT. BLANCHARD. In October, 1830, Asa M. Lake, one of the very earliest settlers of the county, laid out a town of fifty-three lots on a part of the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 1, and the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 2, and called it Mt. Blanchard. It is situated on the bluffs, on high ground on the east, or right hand bank of the Blanchard River. The location is a good one, surrounded by beautiful and rich farming lands. The town is regularly laid out in squares, the streets and alleys crossing at right angles. The buildings are mostly of wood, and the dwellings are commodious and comfortable. The town has beautifully shaded streets in the residence portion and the lawns in summer time are well kept, giving the village an air of comfort and grace not always found in towns of its size. The town was incorporated in 1865, and in this event it celebrated the closing of the Civil War. Dr. John Foster was the first mayor, since which time the following persons have held the office : H. C. Pickett, J. W. Turnpaugh, J. W. HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY - 261 Wingate, W. W. Hughs, A. F. Naus, Jacob Harris, R. W. McVary, Israel Bell, N. B. Clark, Isaac Snider, and at present, S. E. Lowe. A postoffice was established here in 1834, with John P. Gordon as first postmaster, he being followed by Elijah Stradley, Chester Cook, W. W. Smith, J. Lafferty, J. Patterson, L. A. Baldwin, Henry Greer, C. H. Stewart, J. C. Treece, Jerome Smith, and the present officer, C. R. Burnett. The Methodist Episcopal denomination built the first church in the town It was a frame building and built in 1838. The Rev. Thomas Thompson and Rev. Gavit, then missionaries at Upper Sandusky, were the first Methodist preachers. They organized a society at the residence of Father Greer, one half mile east of Mt. Blanchard, on the banks of Potato Creek where they continued to worship until a hewed log schoolhouse was built on a corner of the Greer land, in 1833 late in the fall, where they worshipped until they built their frame house in town in 1838, where they met for about twenty years, then moved in their present house, in the south part of town. At the present time there are two ornate and substantial church buildings in town, the Methodist Episcopal and the Methodist Protestant, both with thriving congregations and Sunday schools. The first schoolhouse in the town was of the then prevailing style, built of round logs, with a huge fireplace, clapboard roof and other peculiarities not now known to builders. The Union School of Mt. Blanchard was organized in 1868, and a new house built and this was replaced by another building in 1873. This building contained three large schoolrooms beside smaller ones for recitation and other purposes. This building and grounds cost $8,000. In 1908 it was torn down and on the same grounds was built a fine light-colored, pressed brick structure of cement basement and four rooms on the second floor, which would be a credit to any village, town or even city, at a cost of over $15,000. It is furnished with an up-to-date heating plant and the most approved furniture. The Mt. Blanchard people are proud of their fine school building, as well they might be. The village is located on the Northern Ohio Railroad, a division of the Lake Erie and Western. R. R. and run under the management of the New York Central lines and at present has the right of way for an electric road extending from Findlay to Marion, Ohio, which, if completed as contemplated, will give them excellent passenger and shipping facilities to the outside world. The town and surrounding country supports a lively little newspaper, "The Mt. Blanchard Journal," which keeps the inhabitants informed of both the local and foreign news, and is of incalculable value in a community of intelligent people. It is at present edited by Mr. L. E. Rumer, having lately changed hands. The business of the village has always been quite extensive, considering that until recently the town has had no railroad or other means of transportation, and now that they have this advantage, it has increased many fold, the quality of the business houses being first class. There are two good general stores, two hardware and implement stores, two meat markets, two restaurants, two barber shops, two livery 262 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY barns, and one each of grocery, drug store, milliner, hotel, shoe shop,. harness shop, coal yard, saw- and planing-mill, grain elevator, stock yard, flouring mill, an extensive tile factory, wagon and carriage shop, undertaker, and People's Telephone Co., with an exchange of 327 phones. Professionally there are two ministers, two doctors and two lawyers. There are thriving lodges of Free and Accepted Masons, Odd Fellows (owning their own hall), with Rebeccas, Knights of Pythias (owning their hall), and Grand Army of the Republic. For beauty of location, on an undulated plateau along the banks of the Blanchard River, in Delaware Township, and for the handsome appearance of its homes for a town of its size, Mt. Blanchard is hard to excel. Especial mention may be made of the palatial residence of Attorney John M. Hamlin, built by his father on his farm in the southern limit of the town, and now occupied by Mr. Hamlin, who is engaged in the practice of his profession in this pleasant village. Attorney Hamlin spent most of his eventful life in Findlay, where he practiced his profession and was otherwise extensively engaged in manufacturing. Mr. W. S. Shoemaker, one of the leading merchants and farmers, carries on a private banking business, to the great convenience of the business interests of the town. Mrs. Shoemaker was the daughter of Doctor Foster, one of the pioneer physicians of Hancock County, and for many years the leading physician and surgeon in Mt. Blanchard. Doctor Aaron F. Burson was the first physician to locate here. The population of the town is 525. Mt. Blanchard has one rural mail route. MT. CORY. This town is situated in Union Township, on the Lake Erie & Western Steam Railroad, and the Western Ohio Electric Railroad, three miles from Rawson, and twelve from Findlay, and was laid out in November, 1872, by Mathias Markley and Samuel Kemerer. It is located on a part of the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 22, and when laid out consisted of thirty-two lots. To these additions have since been made by Kemerer, Markley, John 0. Smith and L. B. May. The lots were readily sold, and quite a number of buildings erected, and as the town is located in the midst of a rich agricultural district, the place has become one of some importance, and quite an extensive business is carried on. There are a number of neat and comfortable dwelling houses, mostly of wood, and several large and well arranged business houses, and a comfortable and commodious town hall. There are two rooms for the common school and one for the high school, besides the township have voted the necessary bonds to build a township high school to cost, all told, twenty thousand dollars. The township business, and the business of the Union Township Mutual Insurance Company are transacted in Mt. Cory. The Evangelical Association owns a good brick church and the Methodist Protestant Church have a fine frame building. A flourishing Sunday School is attached to each. The business places are two dry goods stores, three groceries, one hardware, one HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY - 263 tin store, one drug store, one restaurant, one barber shop, one meat market, two livery barns, one hotel, grain elevator and hay house, Ohio Oil Co. Supply Store, one blacksmith shop. In the professions they have one physician and three ministers, with David Corner, the veteran lawyer. They have a prosperous bank, a volunteer fire department with chemical and ladders ; both the Bell and Mutual telephones have local exchanges here, there is one motor cycle mail route, while the Knights of Pythias and the Maccabees have flourishing lodges in the town. The Main Street and all roads coming into the town are piked, and fine shade trees adorn the streets. A post office was established here in 1873, called Mt. Cory, with Benjamin Wildemuth as postmaster. Since then the office has been filled by Alfred Longbrake, W. J. Staater, J. L. Asire, Mathias Markley, David Corner, Jacob Zeller, A. C. Ewing, Sylvester Davis, and the present occupant, W. H. Falk. The population of the town is three hundred. RAWSON. The town of Rawson, in Union Township, on the Lake Erie & Western Railway, was laid out in 1855 by Fredrick Keller and J. G. Kelley, on the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of Section 13, and the northeast corner of the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 14, and originally comprised but fifty-four lots. The town was named in honor of L. Q. Rawson, of Fremont, Ohio, who was then president of the railroad. The town started out fairly, and soon quite a number of buildings were erected, but as the railroad, the locating of which had called the town into existence, was not built, and for years there seemed to be but little hopes that it would be, the town came to a halt, and was of little significance in the history of the township. A few mechanics had invested all their means in property in the prospective town, and could not sell it again. The town was one of the one dry goods and grocery store combined, with perhaps the proprietor holding the office of postmaster in order to hold his trade, with the addition of a blacksmith shop and wagon repair, and a saw-mill. For years it was a desperate struggle to keep life in the town—the same struggle that many other towns that make larger pretentions to cosmopolitan airs today have also passed through. Finally in 1872 the sleepy little village was awakened from its seventeen years' slumber by the whistle of the first locomotive on the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, and business sprung into life, real estate changed hands, buildings were put up, stores were opened, the buzz of machinery was heard, and all was bustle, business and speculation, and streets were opened up to accommodate prospective trade. Of course the keen edge of a miniature boom wore off, and the inhabitants gradually settled down to every day life, but there was still quite an amount of business carried on, and the business of the town is still gradually increasing. Additional lots were laid out by Fred. Keller in 1859, by Jacob Burket in 1873, by C. J. Keller and Benj. Stringfeller in 1874. Rawson was incorporated as a village in 1885, the first mayor being Geo. W. Burket, he being succeeded by the following named 264 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY persons : S. A. Griffin, B. M. Anion, T. B. Gilbert, George Dean, Frank C. Shank, L. M. Osborn and Ed. W. Burket, the present incumbent. A post office was established here in 1863, and named Rawson, with James C. Benham as postmaster. Since that time the 0ffice has been held by Jackson .Miller, James Woods, Nicolas Watson, T. E. Woods, J. D. Buss, 0. C. Cramer, C. W. Fox, B. M. Allion, W. D. Cramer, John H. Ellis and J. W. Baker, the present official. The Commercial Bank of Bluffton has established a branch bank here for the convenience of stock buyers, merchants and farmers, which is doing a thriving business. The Rawson High School was first organized in 1892., W. N. Shank being the first teacher. In 1896 the course was revised by Prof. A. J. Nowlan, and two persons received their diplomas. In 1898, by the authority of the Board of Education, Prof. Nowlan wrote out a new course of study for the High School which was adopted, this being in existence until in 1902, when the course was changed and partly reorganized by Commissioner Bone-brake. In 1903 the courses were again strengthened by Superintendent Eby, and in December of that year the Elementary School Course was changed to eight years and the High School Course to four years. In 1904 changes were again made by Superintendent Shilling, and Sept. 1, 1905, the first charter was issued by Commissioner E. A. Jones, recognizing the school as of the Third Grade. At the opening of school in September, 1907, the course of study was again revised and other branches added. Also over 100 articles of physical apparatus and a compound microscope were purchased, the library was strengthened by the addition of over T00 volumes and an assistant to the High School was employed. This new course of study was referred by Superintendent Steiner in January, 1908, to Commissioner Jones, who on Feb. 5, 1908, issued a new charter for the High School recognizing it as of the Second Grade. During the Summer of 1908 the fifth teacher for the school was employed as assistant principal, the schools being then in position to do much better work than they were able to do before these changes were made. "The following years the school was again strengthened, a large supply of apparatus and a new encyclopedia and other books were purchased, and in the spring of 1910 a new course of study was adopted and a First Grade Charter received for the school, by Prof. Steiner." Special efforts will also be made to strengthen the Normal work of the High School for those expecting to teach. Instructors in the High School.—J. L. Steinner, superintendent and principal (Ohio Northern University, Goshen College) ; Literature, Science, History and Geometry, J. W. Shank, assistant (Goshen College) ; Latin, English, Algebra and part of Eighth Grade. The Methodist Episcopal and United Brethren denominations have handsome modern houses of worship, and are supplied with able ministers in the persons of the Revs. Holmes and Smith. Rawson has a good brick, four-room schoolhouse, and e employs five teachers in the public school. Both the Bell and Mutual telephones have exchanges in the town. Of societies, they have the Odd Fellows, Free and Accepted Masons, Knights of Pythias, Maccabees, Junior Order of American Mechanics and HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY - 265 Rebeccas. The business of the town is done by one general store, three groceries, one hardware and implement store, kept by the veteran merchant, J. D. Buss and Co., one furniture store, one meat market, two barber shops, one bakery, one grist-mill, one elevator and mill, one saw-mill, two livery barns, one blacksmith shop, a good stock-yard and an electrical sub-station. Professionally there are three physicians, two ministers, and one undertaker. On September 6, 1887, a fire swept out the heart of the town, including most of the business rooms, but this district was soon built up with good and substantial brick buildings. And what at that time seemed a great disaster afterwards proved a blessing to the town. Rawson has a good system of sewerage, and its streets, and all the roads leading out of town are well piked. The sidewalks are of the best, and well shaded by beautiful maple trees. The population is estimated at about six hundred. Besides having the Lake Erie and Western Railroad, Rawson is an important station on the Western Ohio Electric road, running through cars from Toledo to Dayton, Ohio. SHAWTOWN. Shawtown was laid out by E. T. Cummins on the northeast part of the northwest quarter, and the north part of the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 30, Pleasant Township. The plat, embracing 74 inlots and 20 outlots, was acknowledged June 16, 1882, before Henry Brown, a notary public, and recorded October 16, 1882, by J. F. Gutzwiler, recorder. VAN BUREN. The town of Van Buren was laid out by George Ensminger and John Trout, in December, 1833, and is beautifully situated on a high and dry location in a bend of the middle branch of the Portage River, on parts of Sections 12 and 13, in Range 10, and Sections 7 and 18 in Range II, and was originally composed of fifty-three lots. The town is laid out in the form of a cross, with an open square in the center, as is the order in many southern towns, and as is the style in Spanish towns where the open space is known as the "Plaza." This space has been beautified during the last few years by rail fencing, sodding and the planting of shade trees, also a town pump occupies a place in this little park. Aside from the business houses and residences on this square, there are but two streets in the village, and they cross one another at right angles. There were quite a number of large and substantial buildings put up, and nearly all the lots on the public square were built upon, and for a time the place assumed considerable importance in trade, so much so as to be a serious competitor to Findlay. But as the country became settled up, and other towns sprang into existence that were fortunate enough to secure railroads,. this place gradually lost its prestige, to the extent that one could scarcely buy a spool of thread here. But the coming of the Toledo and Ohio Central steam railroad, and Toledo, Bowling Green and Southern electric road, gave new life to the drowsy little village. The streets were improved, new business blocks were put up and fine residences were erected and old ones newly painted. Now it is one of the pleasantest and busiest little towns in the county. 266 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY Van Buren was incorporated in June, 1866, upon the petition of thirty of its citizens. Daniel Frick was its first mayor, and was succeeded by C. S. Wilkinson, J. H. Loehr, Dr. E. C. Wells, Dr. Edward George, A. Mumert, L. P. McCune, Jacob Loehr, James Huntington, Conaway, James Grubb, N. H. McGauchey, D. H. Heistand, W. M. Bowersock, and O. Robbins. A postoffice was established here as early, perhaps, as 1836, and the following persons have been postmasters : Dr. George Springer, John Zarbaugh, S. M. Heller, C. S. Wilkinson, L. Michaels, Dr. E. C. Wells, D. Frick, L. J. Hissong, Sol. Zarbaugh, H. C. Hartman, John Lee, Mrs. E. C. Wells, John Cramer, Chas. Roberts, E. C. Showman, Cal. Hanna, W. H. Bolton, G. S. Brushead and Geo. F. VanEmon. The following comprises the business directory of the town : two general stores, one hardware store, one blacksmith shop, one barber shop and photographer combined, one shoe repair shop, one coal yard, one hotel, one livery barn, and one restaurant. Of schools they have one primary of one room and a fine brick school building of four rooms. Socially they have three churches, two resident ministers, two doctors, and Odd Fellows lodge, with Rebecca Sisters, Knights of Pythias and Pythian Sisters, Maccabees and Modern Woodmen of America. While there were but one hundred and thirty inhabitants here in 1880, there are now over four hundred. VANLUE. The town was laid out by William Vanlue, Esq., in whose honor it was named, and is on the northwest part of the northeast quarter, and the northeast part of the northwest quarter of Section 9. It is located in Amanda Town ship on the line of the Findlay Branch of the C. C. C. & St. L. Railroad, ten miles southeast of Findlay. The town was laid out in May, 1847, and at that time consisted of forty-four lots. In November of the same year the proprietor laid an addition of fifty lots. In October, 1853, S. N. Beach made an addition of fifty-seven lots, and in 1858, he, with others, laid out Beach's second addition of forty-nine lots. Charles Cross laid out an additional ten lots in 1870. From the sale of the first lots the town steadily improved, and was a very considerable grain market for a number of years after the completion of the railroad, but of no great importance otherwise. There were many tasteful and comfortable dwellings, and the palatial residence of J. J. Harman, the hardware merchant, is an honor to any town, or even city. The streets have been improved by graveling and are shaded by thrifty trees, in all giving a home-like appearance as a residence village. After a few years of great prosperity, the town, as new towns often do, slacked up, and almost came to a standstill. Business seemed for a time to have forsaken the place. Enterprise too, seemed to have taken its leave. Progress had ceased and everything seemed to be "going to the dogs." But this state of affairs could not last long. The town could not stand still. It must go forward, or retreat, and it finally resumed its forward march. In 1866, upon the petition of fifty of its inhabitants, the village was incorporated under the laws of the State. Pursuant to the Act of Incorporation, the first election for village officers was held on the 13th of April, 1867, with Peter Shuck, C. H. Hatch and Jason Lee as judges, and Ira Plotts and John Dresbach, clerks. There were thirty-nine votes cast. The HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY - 267 following officers were elected : Mayor, Elisha Brown; councilmen, H. Pratt, Ira Plotts, B. A. Etherton, Charles Hatch, and A. S. Roberts; marshall, W. L. Plotts. The following persons have held the office of mayor : Elisha Brown, Aquilla Gilbert, Fred Shuler, J. H. Brown, B. F. Burnap, T. B. Gilbert, H. T. Lee, George Snooks, John Cross, L. C. Clark, Ira Plotts, H. G. Early, D. A. Eschbach, E. L. E. Mumma, Ralph E. Deihl, Charles H. Hatch, Harry A. Renshler, W. L. Daniels and D. D. Cole. George Snool is both the present mayor and postmaster. But Vanlue has regained her former prestige in trade, and is at the present time a lively town, owing no doubt, largely, to the improved condition of the very productive farms surrounding it, for the great majority of the business done is with the farmers. All is in a flourishing condition, with good prospects for the future. The following is a list of the different business interests of the town : Two general stores, two groceries, one hardware store, one bakery, two hotels, one livery barn, two blacksmiths, one barber shop, one saw- and planing-mill, one grain elevator, two hay dealers with steam hay-balers, one coal yard, one bank, three churches with two resident preachers, two doctors and Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias lodges in flourishing condition. The Odd Fellows are completing an addition to their property, which will give them one of the finest lodge rooms in the county, and the store will soon be occupied by J. J. Harmon as a hardware store. The Vanlue Bank commenced business on April 24, 1909, and is doing a lively business, having already 138 regular patrons. The officers are President, W. J. Frey, vice-president, Chas. H. Bigelow, cashier, C. J. Oiler ; assist- ant cashier, H. J. Morehart. Its responsibility of shareholders to depositors is stated at over half a million. A postoffice was established here in 1849, with Dr. W. P. Wilson as postmaster. The successive postmasters have been as follows : John Wescott, Ira Plotts, W. A. Sponsler, Daniel Gilbert, William Alspach, B. F. Burnap, Sherman Buckingham, Kib Burn. ap, Miss Rheba Burnap, Samuel LeMott, and the present incumbent, George Snook. Owing to the great amount of farm products in the vicinity in the line of grain, hay and stock, there is much shipping done from this station on the railroad. WEST INDEPENDENCE. The proprietors of this town were George Wyant, Peter Wyant and Henry M. Grose. It is located in Big Lick Township, on the east part of the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 2, and at present has a population of about one hundred souls. The United Brethren and Progressive Dunkards both have church buildings in the village, and there is a good, comfortable schoolhouse in the town. The business of the place. consists of one hotel, one grocery and provision store, one saw mill, one shoe repair shop and one blacksmith and wagon-repair shop. A post office was established here in 1856, with Frederick Reamer as postmaster. Mr. Reamer was succeeded by J. L. Kenower, Jacob Ruth, William Blinn, John Wyancoop, Byron Leady, Westley Gibson, John Peters, White Lawhead, Jacob C. Hazen, A. J. Maurer, L. W. Gibson, J. L. Lenhart, and N. B. Hainer. The town has never been incorporated. 268 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY WILLIAMSTOWN. This town situated in Madison Township, was named in honor of John W. Williams, the proprietor. It is located on a part of the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 31, and the northeast quarter of Section 36. It originally contained forty-eight lots, and as remarked by a resident, "It commenced small, and has held its own exceedingly well." At the time the town was laid out, there was no family within three miles of it. Mr. Williams opened a store and tavern in the place, and travel commenced along the range line, now the Bellefontaine State road. In about 1837, Christian Welty also opened a store, and a Doctor Smith located here for a short time, being the first in the township. He was succeeded by Dr. A. F. Burson, afterwards the first to locate in Mt. Blanchard, and who became quite famous for his success in the treatment of "Milk Sickness," then quite prevalent in this part of the county. The town is located on the Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad fourteen miles directly south of Findlay and three miles north of the Hardin County line. The business of the place was never very great, and even the coming of the railroad did not increase it, but on the contrary, it has steadily declined, until at this time it has an appearance of forlorn lonesomeness. Arlington on one side, and the thriving town of Dunkirk on the other, have sapped its revenue, and investments here do not render an income. However, it still retains the usual blacksmith shop and convenient corner grocery. A postoffice was established here in 1835 and Christian Welty was the first postmaster. The office was called Eagle until 1866, when it was changed to Williamstown. STILL-BORN TOWNS OF HANCOCK COUNTY. Capernicum, in Amanda Township, was laid out by Abraham Huff in March, 1831, on the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 3, and comprised sixteen lots. Aside from the fact that the town was laid out and recorded on a plat, the town has no farther record. The project was probably abandoned before any lots were sold. At least its history is less brief than that of the "city of the plain," after which it was named. It is exceedingly doubtful if any one at the present time is able to point out the site. Frankford, in Cass Township. John Franks laid out the town of Frankford, on the northwest corner of Section lip. The town of seventy-two lots was regularly laid out, with a public square, or plaza, in the center. The prospective city, however, only existed in name, and no doubt would long since have been forgotten had it not been a matter of record. There were, perhaps, no lots sold, and the prospective town returned to its original state—that of wheat and corn fields. Freedom, in Big Lick Township. On the 26th day of October, 1836, Uriah E. Drake laid out a town of forty-eight lots on the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 19, and named it Freedom. So far as can be learned this is the complete history of the place, as a town. LaFayette, in Portage Township. Jacob Andrew laid out a town on the north part of the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 15, on land now owned by Daniel Warner, and called it LaFayette. It comprised seventy-two lots, and had great expectations. But here ends its uneventful history. Louisville, in Blanchard Township. This HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY - 269 town was laid out in 1851, by William H. Powell, Daniel Millham and Michael Shearer. The town plat was in the northwest corner of the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 14, and the northeast corner of the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 14, and was composed of forty lots, but were never all sold, and no buildings were constructed on the plat. The principal streets were Defiance (Main Road), running east and west, and East, Lima and West streets, running north and south. The town, however, after a sickly existence of a few years, was finally vacated, and remanded to the several owners. In its boom days, John Boylan kept a small general store in a small plank house where the staple articles of the market were kept in small quantities, but the trade not being profitable, he abandoned the business. The author taught school here in 1862, and at that time every vestige of a town had disappeared, except a tumble-down blacksmith shop and the district schoolhouse which was not much better. Beardsley in his history, 1881, poetically comments: "Such is the history of the birth, life and death and even decay of this town of 'great expectations,' and it does not now exist even in name, and scarcely in the memory of the neighborhood. How many hopes were blasted, and how many expectations came to naught in the early demise and decay of this pre-prospective city?" Martinstown, in Eagle Township, was laid out on the southeast corner of Section 36, the entire corner of the township, by Martin Hollobaugh, in September, 1836. There were, perhaps, never any lots sold, or streets laid out, as the site was at the cross-roads, about one mile north of Arlington, and the records of the plat- ting of the town closed up its existence, if indeed it ever had any Olney, in Pleasant Township. In April, 18;7, Isaac Fairchilds laid out the town of Olney in Section 15, which comprised forty lots. The town never progressed farther than the platting, and it was only a town on paper, and its proposed site is now devoted to agricultural purposes. North Ridgeville was laid out by Thomas Pickins on the east part of the northwest quarter, and the west part of the northeast quarter of Section 18, Pleasant Township. The plat, consisting of twenty-four lots, was acknowledged May 29, 185o, before B. Todd, justice of the peace, and recorded on the same day by P. Sours, recorder. The plat was vacated February 16, 1880. Ridgeville was laid out by Lemuel Roberts on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 2, Amanda Township. The plat, consisting of twenty-four lots, was acknowledged before W. L. Henderson, a justice of the peace, October 25, 1836, and recorded November 15, 1836, by Wilson Vance, recorder. Silverwood was laid out by Addison J. and Nancy A. Silverwood and Anthony Huntington on the southwest part of the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 19, and the southeast part of the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 24, and the northeast part of the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 25. The plat, embracing fifty-eight lots, was acknowledged March 27, 1883, before Edwin Phifer, surveyor and recorder, April 9, 1883, by J. F. Gutzwiler, recorder. West Union was laid out by Anson Sheller on the southeast corner of Section 26, 270 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY Van Buren Township. The plat, consisting of forty-eight lots, was acknowledged before W. L. Henderson, justice of the peace, December 25, 1834, and recorded January 6, 1835, by W. Vance, recorder. DISCONTINUED POST OFFICES. Almost all of the townships have had post offices within their bounds at some time in the early part of the settlement of the county, but these have all been discon tinued as the country grew older, and at the present time the post offices in the villages have their business greatly reduced by the system of rural delivery. Perhaps one reason for establishing these country offices was that the roads were almost impassable during a part of the year, so that it was easier to have one person carry the mail out to these places, than that every farmer should be obliged to travel the well nigh impassable roads after it. CHAPTER XX. MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES. The Hancock Brick and Tile Co.—Buckeye Traction Ditcher Co.—U. S. Electric Porcelain Co. —Findlay Clay Pot Co.—Boss Manufacturing Co.—D. Kirk Sons & Co.—Findlay Table Manufacturing Co.—Hollerback Piano Co.—The H. H. Fassett Planing Mill—Tarbox and McCall—Findlay Casket Co.—Hayward & Young—Findlay Carriage Co. The Hancock Brick & Tile Company is incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio with a capital stock of $100,000 and has been in operation seven years, manufacturing brick, tile, hollow blocks and fireproofing. The officers of the company are as follows: President, James M. Esler ; vice president, D. Earl Child; secretary, A. G. Fuller ; treasurer, J. A. Gibson ; manager, D. E. Child. The works are located in the southern suburb of the city on the line of the Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad and consist of a number of substantial brick buildings, nine kilns of 26 and 30 feet in diameter, ten tunnels of two hundred car capacity and 37,200 square feet of floor space for drying. The company employs sixty men, and besides what product is sold locally there is shipped annually from 550 to 750 car loads to outside points. The material for this large output is all near at hand, the company having about a mile of track to the clay fields, from which it is drawn in on small cars by horses, but arrangements are being made to use a light locomotive to do this work. There are five elevators in the works. They have three high pressure, water tube boilers of one hundred and twenty-five horse power each, and the most modern and approved machinery is installed in the plant. Seeing that nothing by way of material is imported except the coal, the profits of the plant are largely a clear gain to our town and county. The Buckeye Traction Ditcher Company was incorporated under the laws of the state of Ohio, February 3, 1903, with a capital stock of $100,000. President, N. L. McLachlin ; vice president, C. D. Haywood ; secretary and treasurer, W. D. McCaughey ; superintendent of construction, C. S. Brown. The works are located on the main line of the T. & 0. C. Railroad, corner of Crystal Avenue. The main building is 100x300 feet ; blacksmith shop and machine room, 80x160 feet ; pattern room, 60x24 feet, and office 28x34; all constructed of cement block. Besides, they have ordered in addition a steel frame building 120x300 feet at a cost of $50,000 for build- - 271 - 272 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY ing and equipments to meet the needs of the company's increasing trade. This building is to be finished by April I, 1910. The number of men on the pay roll at this writing (Sept. 25, 1909), is 136, 127 of whom are voters, and the annual value of the output is $350,000.. A large number of the Buckeye Ditchers are sold in the United States, Canada and Argentine Republic, but a goodly number have been sent to Europe and as many as five have been shipped to Australia. The U. S. Electric Porcelain Co.'s works are located in the north part of the town on the T. & O. C. R. R. The company was incorporated in February, 1905, with a capital of $50,000. The officers are : President, F. W. Williams ; vice president, C. H. Bigelow ; secretary and treasurer, W. S. Bish. From 90 to t00 men find employment here at good wages and the capacity of the output is $100,000. All kinds of electrical porcelain are made here that find a ready sale in the market, it being an article of steady demand, and that demand is still in its infancy and will grow with the numerous and various uses of electricity coming into utility form day by day. The dimensions of this brick factory building is 120X 400 feet. The plant has had a very steady run, missing only one day in thirteen months. The Findlay Clay Pot Co. was organized during the gas boom in 1888, when there were over a dozen glass factories in the town, and although with the failing gas supply the factories sought new gas fields, yet from that day to this the Clay Pot Works has had a steady growth in the quantity and quality of its trade until now they send their wares to all points in the United States where glass is made. The company was incorporated under the Laws of Ohio in 1888, and the present officers are : President, C. H. Lambie ; vice president and treasurer, J. M. Lambie ; secretary, J. G. Quay. They own an extensive brick building of 320 feet and facing a spur of the C. H. & D. R. R., with a depth of 250 feet, employing 150 men, with the value of their output $150,000 a year, and are still making extensive improvements and additions to this plant, one of which is the installing of electrical power throughout. They manufacture clay pots of mammoth dimensions, thickness and weight out of a mixture of different clays, some brought from Missouri and some imported from Germany. These are combined in different proportions and from the large vessels in which the material composing glass is put and melted. The tank blocks are immense fire clay bricks, ranging in size from a foot square and 18 to 20 inches long, to 3 to 5 feet square and a foot thick, and weighing more than a half a ton, and are used to build large tanks used for the same purpose as the clay pots, in the making of window glass and bottles. In making the pot it is necessary that the clay should be mixed by tramping it with the bare feet, and no other process has been found available. The Boss Manufacturing Company is incorporated under the laws of Illinois with a capital stock of $500,000. President, W. H. Lyman ; vice president, H. T. Terry ; secretary and treasurer, F. M. Lay ; manager of the Findlay Plant, Wm. E. Houck. The main plant is located at Kewanee, Ill., with seven others in different parts of HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY - 273 the country. The Findlay plant employs 45o people with a pay roll of $9,000 a month and an output of 20,000 dozen pairs of gloves a week. The expense of running the plant is $9,000 a week. Not only gloves, but mittens and husking gloves are made here. The factory is located on Liberty Street with a track of the L. E. & W. R. R. running directly into it, giving great convenience of shipping. Their buildings are substantial brick structures, one 50x72, three story ; one 50x100, three story; one 42x46, one story ; and besides they occupy two rooms on Main Cross Street and are expecting to build more. They have storage enough for sixty car loads of products, and carry on hand over half a million yards of materials. All the machinery is propelled by electrical power, which is generated in the plant. D. Kirk, Sons and Company, Wholesale Grocery. This firm was organized and incorporated under the laws of Ohio in 1899. In 1905 they built a fine pressed-brick building on east Sandusky Street, fifty feet front and one hundred and thirty feet deep with basement and four stories high. The track of the Big Four Railroad runs directly into the building, rendering the shipment of goods very convenient. The officers of the incorporation are: President, D. Kirk; vice president, M. Kirk ; secretary and treasurer, Robert Kirk; manager, David Kirk, Jr. The David Kirk Flouring Mill is located on the right bank of Eagle Creek on East Sandusky Street and is the oldest manufacturing plant in Hancock County. In 1845 John Julian and Martin Hershey bought the ground for one hundred and fifty dollars and built the structure that has remained to the present, a period of sixty-four years. In connection with the business of grinding wheat and corn there was a carding machine that carded wool into rolls for spinning on the domestic wheels before the days of machinery. This was in the days before the war. Later there was a planing mill set up in connection with the custom grinding, it being managed by D. C. Fisher. In 1846 Julian and Hershey sold the property to Benjamin Huber for $7,500, who ran the mill for nineteen years, when it was sold to Milton B. Patterson in 1865, for the consideration of $5,500. Mr. Patterson sold a fourth interest to E. M. Norwood for $1,300, and in 1867 the plant was sold to W. W. McConnell, who failed in business and the property was bid off at sheriff's sale by the present owner in 1879. For the last thirty years Mr. Kirk has run the mill very successfully, buying in grain, grinding it and shipping the product in connection with his custom work. The property is still in first class condition. Findlay Table Manufacturing Company.— President, W. F. Hosier; secretary and treasurer, Lewis Hensner; manager, J. W. Andregg. This company are manufacturers of extension and library tables and began operation in 1886. On February 23, 1902, the entire plant was destroyed by fire, but was at once rebuilt and has been in successful operation ever since. They have a capacity for an output of $100,000 of products a year, when run to the full extent. About seventy-five men find employment here. The Hollerback Piano Company.—President, L. Hollerback ; vice president, W. H. Harlington ; secretary, W. E. Houck ; treasurer. Lynn S. Nicols. This company are manufacturers of the Hollerbach pianos, and occupy a four-story brick 274 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY building on Western Avenue near Lima Avenue, formerly the Lantern Works. The company was incorporated in February, 1909, and have a capacity when in full force of five pianos a day. About thirty men are employed here. The H. H. Fassett Planing Mill, a substantial, brick structure on East Crawford Street, was built by H. H. Fassett and commenced operation in May 1905. On April 21, 1906, Mr. Fassett died and the business of the mill and lumber trade devolved upon Mrs. Fassett, who was very successful in the business until August 15, 19o9, when in a severe electrical storm the building was struck by lightning and with the machinery and materials therein was reduced to almost a complete loss, without insurance. But the courageous Mrs. Bassett, with the assistance of her sons, who are still only lads, has commenced the re-construction of the plant. Tarbox and McCall, engaged in the manufacture of crushed stone and cement building blocks are located on Western Avenue, where they have an output of 40,000 cubic yards of crushed stone a year. Part of this amount is used locally and part exported for the construction of stone pike. Two mammoth crushers are in use, one to crush the stones to road-making size, and one to crush them to a sand for plastering walls for which it makes a far better material than wash-sand, forming with lime a complete rock composition. The Findlay Casket Company, an industry carried on at 343 Cherry Street, and run for sixteen years by Frank and Plotner, was organized and incorporated December 16, 1908, and the following officers were elected : President, Ray E. Fluckey; vice president, C. J. Pickens; secretary and treasurer, E. W. Funk. The company manufactures caskets and funeral supplies. They have a capacity of 100 a week, make the finest cloth covered caskets, selling to the local trade, and are successful competitors in the open markets against the best factories. A special feature of their trade is the making of the couch and davenport varieties of couch caskets. Hayward & Young are proprietors of a planing mill, and deal also in coal. They are located on Crystal Avenue. The Findlay Carriage Company. On lots 518-520-522 West St., Findley, Ohio, between Sandusky and Hardin Streets, in a building standing on leased ground, was begun the manufacturing establishment of 0. J. Daugherty, about 1890, which never yet ceased growing and from about 1904 was known as the Findlay Carriage Company. In the beginning the company and Mr. Daugherty were one and the same ; only a few new wagons were made, the greater part of the time being taken up in repairing vehicles of all kinds. In 1904 A. H. Moyer, who had been engaged in the manufacture and sale of buggies, carriages and wagons at Mt. Cory, Ohio, and had built up quite an enviable reputation for good work, sold out to his junior partner, moved to Findlay and joined in partnership with Mr. Dougherty, the latter being the woodworker and A. H. Moyer the blacksmith. These two gentlemen soon had a good trade, making and selling more than 'so vehicles annually, aside from the large repair trade they enjoyed. In August, 1906, J. D. Moyer, who had hitherto been engaged as teacher and superintendent of schools in Michola and Sedgwick, Kansas, was induced to join in the partnership, taking charge of the office, collections, etc., at the same time giving much attention to the sales department. This trinity partnership only continued till October