For Pikes	Against Pikes	Majority
			For	Against
Auburn Bucyrus Chatfield Cranberry Dallas Holmes Jefferson Liberty Lykins Polk Sandusky Texas Tod Vernon Whetstone Bucyrus, city Crestline, village Galion, city	8 22 2 53 10 28 32 7 8 0 2 22 26 1 15 689 307 20	226 194 263 315 71 254 184 349 216 172 145 105 178 204 234 218 244 1003	... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 471 63 ...	218 172 261 262 61 226 152 342 208 172 143 83 152 203 219 ... ... 983
Totals	1232	4575	534	3857
Majority Against		3323		3323

The tax duplicate of 1887, under which the first levy would have been made, showed the townships had a total valuation of $11,854,500, and the three cities of Bucyrus, Crestline and Galion of $5,865,200, so the singular result was obtained of the townships voting down a proposition by which one-third of the cost would have been paid for by the cities. The question was certainly misunderstood, or regarded with suspicion, as two years later bills were introduced in the legislature authorizing certain townships to build pikes, the cost to be assessed on the townships. Cranberry, Jefferson and Polk were the first to build pikes, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 159 and in 1890 their usefulness and necessity for pike building was so apparent that the people were as unanimous for pikes as they had been against them. The financial depression of 1893 put a stop to the work, but after better times came, pikes were again taken up and their building was only limited to the amount of tax the various townships would stand for road purposes. It was not only the country that had the bad roads, but city streets were frequently impassible, for in the spring of 1893, the hearse of a funeral procession was stalled on Center street, sinking hub deep in the mire, and the pall bearers were compelled to take the casket, in which was the little child, and carry it to the cemetery. It was the finishing stroke and that year Center street was paved. In 1898 the three townships of Bucyrus, Holmes and Whetstone entered into a joint arrangement for the piking of roads. Other townships were doing it singly and in the past twenty years over 300 miles of improved roads have been constructed, distributed among the various townships as follows

	Square Miles	Mile Pike
Auburn Bucyrus Chatfield Cranberry Dallas Holmes Jackson Jefferson Liberty Lykins Polk Sandusky Texas Tod Vernon Whetstone	26 36 30 28 1/2 22 36 10 20 32 1/2 30 21 18 12 18 22 42	24 3/4 40 1/2 16 1/4 23 14 39 15 3/4 24 23 19 1/2 25 1/2 1 1/2 6 16 12 36 1/2

The above is exclusive of 15 miles of brick streets in Bucyrus, Creathive and Galion. In 1830 number of the citizens Crawford, Seneca, Huron, Delaware, Logan, Clark and Champaign counties presented a petition to the legislature charter to a railroad from Sandusky ton, with a branch to Columbus. The committee to whom it was referred reported it back without any recommendation. The road contemplated horses as the motive power, and the cost was estimated at $4,842 per mile, including the bar or strap iron for the track. It was this road that was built in 1840 to 1845, the Mad River and Lake Erie, the first road built in the state, and it passed through the Wyandot portion of Crawford county. In 1832, charters were granted to eleven roads in Ohio, and of these four were through Crawford county. Jan. 5, 1832, the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad. (Built in 1840-45) Among those petitioning for the charter were E. B. Merriman and John Cary of Crawford. Feb. 3, 1832, the Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad Company from Pittsburg to Massilon. (Twenty years later this road was completed to Crestline.) Feb. 8, 1832, the Delaware, Marion and Sandusky Railroad, from Columbus, through Delaware, Marion and Bucyrus to Sandusky. Among the incorporators were E. B. Merriman, Zalmon Row, John Cary, Joseph Chaffee, Joseph McCutchen and Henry St. John of Crawford. (Sixty years passed, before this road was on.and grandchildren of the early pioneers.) Feb. 11, 1832, the MilCrestlinembus road, from Milan to New Haven past Galion to Mt. Gilead and on to Columbus, the old Portland stage route. E. B. Merriman was one of the incorporators. (This road was partially built, as later the C. C. & C. was chartered, following the route from Columbus to Galion, and then going northeast to reach the lake at Cleveland instead of Sandusky.) These roads were undoubtedly to be operated by horse power, as the charters provided for the erection of toll houses, and people were to be permitted to go over the road with proper and suitable carriages of their own. In 1836 a charter was granted to the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad, and in 1837 to the Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania Railroad. Feb. 8, 1847, the charter of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati was was amended so as to allow it to construct branches. At the same session a law was passed allowing counties and towns to subscribe for the stock of a railroad company providing the people voted favorably on the proposition. Feb. 24, 1848, the Ohio and Pennsylvania was incorporated and on the same date the Bellefontaine and Indiana, and on March 20, 1850, the Ohio and Indiana was incorporated. 160 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY A charter was also granted at this time for a road from Bucyrus to Toledo, but nothing was done with it. A generation later it was built as the Atlantic and Lake Erie, now the Toledo and Ohio Central, owned by the Lake Shore Company. It was nearly twenty years from the time the first charters were granted until, with one or two exceptions, work resulted in the building of railroads. Crawford county citizens had taken an active part in the promotion of the various railroad projects, but it was the Ohio and Indiana road which was strictly a Crawford county organization, in fact, promoted, built, and put in operation by Crawford county citizens, especially those of Bucyrus. The incorporators of the road in 1850 were John Anderson, George Lauck, Willis Merriman, Robert Lee, John Frantz, Josiah S. Plants, John J. Bowman, George Quinby, John Simms, John A. Gormley, Z. Rowse, Aaron Carey and C. Widman of Crawford county, and D. Ayres, R. McKelley and H. Peters of Wyandot. At this time the Mad River road was in operation from Sandusky to Cincinnati, through Wyandot county, and a road through Richland county from Sandusky through Mansfield to Mt. Vernon and Newark. Between these two the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati was nearing completion, through eastern Crawford. When the charter of the last named road was originally granted the Bucyrus incorporators were strongly favorable to its going through Bucyrus, but the people at that time, not knowing the value of railroads, offered no special inducements, and put forth a very feeble effort to secure the road. A proposition was submitted to the voters of Crawford county at the spring election of 1846 to empower the commissioners to subscribe for $50,000 stock in the road but it was voted down: Yes, 361, No, 1,507; majority against, 1,146. Galion voted to take $15,000 stock in the new road and it was located through that town. Work was commenced immediately and it was pushed rapidly, as in April, 1850, the stockholders were called upon to pay $10 per share on their ninth assessment. In May of 1850, Alfred Kelly, the president of the road, announced that he had just succeeded in purchasing, in England, ,000 tons of rails for the new road. It was later in this year that cars were running to Galion. The opening of the road was on Feb. 21, 1851, and on that day by invitation of President Kelly, the Ohio legislature and other prominent people were the guests of the road on the first regular train from Columbus to Cleveland, the first railroad train in Crawford county. Soon after this, death reaped his first recorded harvest in this county from this new method of locomotion. It is thus mentioned in the "Crawford County Forum" of April 4, 1851: Man Killed—On the 26th ult., the cars on the Cleveland and Columbus Railroad ran over a man who was lying on the track, severing his head from his body. The man was recognized (we did not learn his name), and subject to fits, and is supposed to have fallen on the track. The engineer, as soon as he saw him, reversed the engine, but it was too late to save him. The accident happened near Galion. As early as April, 1851, the road was running three passenger trains each way per day, one a fast train called the "Empire State or Buckeye State Express." The citizens of Galion early appreciated the value of railroads, for on May 24, 1850, the citizens of Polk township decided by a large majority to take $10,000 in stock in the Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad, to run from Crestline to Indianapolis. The Bellefontaine and Indiana was 118 miles long, starting from the main road of the C. C. & C. at Crestline, and running southwest to the Indiana line. In 1852, the company issued a prospectus of the contemplated road, which is interesting as showing the cost of road building in those days and also the prospective business. From this prospectus the following facts are taken: Road 118 1-5 miles in length. Cost of grading and masonry, 118 1-5 miles at $4,000............................... $472,800 Five miles double track at $2,000 ............. 10,000 Railway superstructure, 118 1-5 miles at $7,900 .. 933,780 Railway superstructure, five miles sidings at $7,900 ..39,500 Right of way ............................... 12,600 $1,468,680 The capital stock was $2,000,000. The following was the estimated income to be derived from the new road: 75 passengers each way at $3.00 ................ $450 100 through passengers, estimated one-half distance, at $1.50 .. 300 AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 161 100 tons freight, each way, at $3.60...720 100 tons freight, half way, at $1.80 ..............360 Transportation, mails and sundries ..............50 Total per day ...............................$1,880 Deduct 40 per cent., repairs and expenses........ 752 Net income per day ................ .....$1,128 313 days in year at $1,128 per day, $353,064, or about 20 per cent. on investment. The above shows that in those days it was not customary or even contemplated to run trains on Sunday. The Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark road was completed as far as Mansfield as early as 1846, and John Hoover of Mansfield, who was one of the early conductors on that road, states that in the long ago something had gone wrong with the engine a few miles north of Shelby. By the time the engineer had his engine in running order again night was upon them and they sought lodgings for the night at a farm house near by. A passenger suggested that if they had a big lantern a man might carry it ahead and the train follow him to Shelby. This was looked upon as absurd and the man who suggested it viewed with pity, if not with contempt, for who ever heard of a train of cars running after night! In 1852 the railroads in Ohio were the following Cleveland and Columbus ; from Cleveland, through Galion and Columbus and then to Cincinnati. Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark; from Sandusky to Newark. Mad River and Lake Erie; from Sandusky to Tiffin, Carey, Bellefontaine and Dayton. Columbus to Newark, Zanesville and Wheeling. Cleveland to Alliance. Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton ; completed from Cincinnati to Sidney. Lake Shore; completed from Toledo east to mouth of Sandusky river; building to Sandusky. Ohio and Pennsylvania; completed to Mansfield; building to Crestline. Ohio and Indiana; building from Crestline to Fort Wayne. Bellefontaine and Indiana; building from Galion to Indianapolis. In the map of 1852, giving the above roads, *Baughman's History of Richland county. Galion is spelled "Galeon," and Crestline is two words, "Crest Line." It was on Feb. 24, 1848, that the charter was granted tinder which the Ohio and Pennsylvania was built, the old Pittsburg, Fort Layne and Chicago road. In the spring of 1848 a vote was taken in Crawford county, and carried, authorizing the county commissioners to subscribe for $100,000 of stock in the road. The Ohio and Pennsylvania, which was building, found difficulty in raising sufficient funds to complete their road through Ohio to the Indiana line. It was all they could do to handle the eastern half of the state. As a result a number of the business men of Bucyrus secured a charter for the building of the Ohio and Indiana railroad. The Cleveland. Columbus and Cincinnati road was in operation, and the charter of the Ohio and Indiana called for its building from "a point on the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati road near Seltzer's tavern in Richland county, thence to Bucyrus, to Upper Sandusky, thence by a route to be determined to the Indiana line and to Ft. Wayne." In March, 1850, Hon. C. K. Ward, the member of the legislature from Crawford, secured the passage of an act allowing the county commissioners of Crawford county, to subscribe the $100,000 voted to the Ohio and Pennsylvania road in 1848, to "any other railroad passing through the town of Bucyrus." The county commissioners were Peter Conkle, Pharos Jackson and Sidney Holt. The records of the Crawford county commissioners of June 7, 1850, show: "This day the county commissioners subscribed for stock in the Ohio and Indiana railroad company to the amount of $100,000, on condition said company shall agree to receive the bonds of said county, hearing interest at the rate of six per centum per annum from date thereof, at par, in payment of said stock subscribed as aforesaid." At the same meeting they authorized a tax to be levied of $65o for railroad purposes. On Sept. 2, 1850, they issued the first ten bonds of $1,000 each; then legal complications arose and it took many months to compromise the trouble, but eventually the matter was harmonized, and at their November meeting of 1,952 the balance of the bonds were issued. J. N. Frye had succeeded Peter Conkle as com- 162 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY missioner in December of 181, but on account of his health attended but few meetings, and when it came to the signing of the bonds he had to sign by proxy as witness the following: "1 hereby authorize and empower A. M. Jackson to sign my name to all railroad bonds that the other commissioners of Crawford County are willing to sign their names to. "West Liberty, Nov. 19th, 1852. "J. N. Frye." Mr. Jackson was county auditor at the time, and while the proxy. was not in the legal phraseology of today it said exactly what the writer wanted to say and the bonds were issued, and accepted. In April, 1850, the books were opened to secure subscriptions for the new road at the business places of George Lauck, John Anderson, Willis Merriman and John J. Bowman in Bucyrus, and Robert Lee and John Frantz in Leesville. On May 4, a meeting was held in the interest of the road. Samuel Myers was chairman and Andrew Failor secretary. The object of the meeting was stated by J. S. Plants and remarks were made by S. R. Harris, Willis Merriman, Samuel Myers and J. S. Plants of Bucyrus, and Robert McKelly and H. Peters of Upper Sandusky. A liberal amount of money was subscribed to the stock of the road, and a resolution passed soliciting the county commissioners to subscribe the $100,000 to the road. The township trustees decided to submit to a vote the question of Bucyrus township subscribing for $15,000 worth of stock in the new road. The constable, Lewis Stevenson, issued the call for the election, but there was pronounced opposition, and the friends of the road believing it might interfere with their securing the $100,000 already voted, the election was not held On July 4, 1850, the stockholders of the road met at the courthouse and elected Willis Merriman, George Quinby, Henry Peters, Franklin Adams, Jacob Augustein and Josiah S. Plants as directors, and the next day the board organized by electing Willis Merriman, president, George Lauck, secretary, and John A. Gormly, treasurer. And by July 26, the surveyors were at work locating the route from "at or near Seltzer's tavern" to Bucyrus. Another survey was made, commencing at the C. C. & C. at Galion and passing through the southern part of Bucyrus, along what is now Lucas street. This was the favorite route of the directors and of the engineer, as the more level ground made the cost of construction much less. President Merriman had several meetings with the Ohio and Pennsylvania officials over the crossing point, the eastern road favoring the crossing point north of Seltzer's on account of cheaper construction, the western road favoring Galion. In Ootober President Merriman reported that the Ohio and Pennsylvania had decided to maize their western terminus at a point on the C. C. & C. road, called Crest Line, three and one-half miles northeast of Galion. He stated the Pennsylvania and Ohio would reach Massillon by June, 1851, and Crest Line in two years. That the arrangement was for the Ohio and Indiana to commence their road at a point near Seltzer's tavern. The country west of Mansfield was such that the Pennsylvania and Ohio preferred crossing the C. C. & C. track about two miles northeast of Crestline, but to accommodate the Ohio and Indiana and the Bellefontaine and Indiana the Pennsylvania company reluctantly consented to make the point at Crest Line, providing the Ohio and Indiana road would construct their road to Bucyrus, commencing at Crest Line. And the Bellefontaine and Indiana railway also commence at Crest Line, and the Pennsylvania and Ohio will build no further west. Merriman then adds : "A railroad from Bucyrus to Galion could be constructed cheaper than to Crest Line, but if Galion is adopted as the eastern terminus, the Ohio and Pennsylvania will cross. two miles northeast of Crest Line and later extend west on a line that will parallel the Ohio and Indiana. Crest Line was the southern ultimatum of the Ohio and Pennsylvania, and the Ohio and Indiana must connect at that point." The $10,000 in bonds issued by the commissioners in September Mr. Merriman announced he had sold in New York "at good prices." Then came the trouble in the court. An injunction was secured at Tiffin before Judge Bowen restraining the commissioners from the further issue of bonds, Josiah Scott and J. D. Sears being the attorneys for the commissioners. C0mmenting on the injunction allowed by Judge Bowen, the "Forum" said : "Deep AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 163 are the murmurings against judge Bowen for his decision in this case, while in the portion of the county remote from the seat of justice the news will be received with joy." On Feb. 11, 1851, President Merriman reported to the directors that the cost of grading and bridging for the Ohio and Indiana road and getting the roadbed ready for the rails was $3,000 per mile. The opposers of the road were still active and endeavored to have the legislature repeal the act which gave the commissioners power to buy stock in the road, and Representative \lard presented a petition signed by 335 citizens of the county against the repeal. .Mr. Ward's influence was such that the Legislature took no action. In April a motion was heard to dissolve the injunction but it was overruled, and in June the case came before the supreme court, and they announced they would reserve their decision until December, the directors deciding, however, to continue their work on the road. On April 8, 1852, at Bucyrus, the contract was let for the grading of the road from Crest Line to Upper Sandusky, the contracts being let in sections of one mile each, the object being to have the work completed as soon as possible. Of the 29 sections between Crest Line and Upper Sandusky over two-thirds went to Bucyrus parties. January 2, 1852, Jesse R. Straughan, the engineer in charge of the construction, reported that on the Ohio and Pennsylvania the grading was completed from Pittsburg to one mile east of Wooster. That part from Pittsburg to Alliance, 81 miles, was completed and in use, except nine miles. From Massillon east the iron was being laid and the road would be working about January 25, when track laying will be extended to Wooster, which will take about sixty days. From Wooster to Crestline a force is at work on the heavy sections. The lighter sections are about completed and timber in progress of preparation. By April next the distance of staging on direct route from Bucyrus will be 86 miles, and in twelve months the railroad will be completed to Crestline, and the Ohio and Indiana can be permitted to begin. In January, 1852, Franklin Adams succeeded George Lauck as secretary of the road. The supreme court also this month rendered their decision in the injunction case of James Griffith against the commissioners. It did not meet the point at issue, but made the evasive decision that the supreme court had no jurisdiction while the suit was pending in the common pleas court. The matter was therefore returned to the court of common pleas, and as stated above a satisfactory settlement was made with Griffith and the bonds issued. The legal point involved in this case was as to the constitutionality of the law allowing a majority to vote public money to a railroad. It was settled later in a case from another county that such a law was constitutional. On this question, in 1852, Judge Spaulding held that "the legislature has no constitutional power to authorize a majority of citizens in a county to vote subscription of stock to a railroad company that shall be binding on the property of the minority." Judge Spaulding was alone in this view, but his minority opinion is the law today, showing "the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner." During the year 1852 railroad matters at Bucyrus moved along at high pressure. In January the directors held their annual meeting at that village lasting four days, and let the contract to William Mitchell & Co. for the construction of the entire road from Crestline to Fort Wayne, he to furnish everything except the rails and rolling stock, and to commence work between Crestline and Bucyrus as soon as the individual subscriptions amounted to $45,000. The subscriptions at that time were about half that amount. It was also decided people could pay for their stock in land at a cash value to be fixed by the seller and the treasurer of the company. On March 5, 1852, the town council passed an ordinance and for the usual one dollar consideration the railroad company was authorized to construct a road on and along Galen street and to lay one or more tracks and to repair them. The ordinance was signed by S. R. Harris as mayor and Charles Rupp as recorder. On April 30th came the first call for payment of stock, which was to be paid in ten installments of $5 each to John A. Gormly. In June the entire road was under contract in mile sections, all to be completed by July 1, 1853. 164 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY The following was the distribution of stock for the building of the Ohio and Indiana road

	County	Individual	Total
Crawford county Wyandot county Allen county Van Wert county Allen county, Ind. Contractors	$100,000 50,000 100,000 50,000 100,000 ....	$50,000 25,000 50,000 5,000 57,000 150,000	$150,000 75.000 150,000 55,000 157,000 150,000
Total	$400,000	$337,000	$737,000

While Hardin county was organized in 1833, the road passed through the northern part of that county, all marsh land, and was regarded as of so little benefit to the county, that Hardin contributed nothing. In July President Merriman returned from New York and stated that he had arranged for the entire amount of rails needed for the road and that they would be delivered in New York from England by May 1, 1853. He had, also. trade a contract for the locomotives. On October nth the injunction case came on before the court at Upper Sandusky and the injunction was dissolved to the great satisfaction of the citizens in and around Bucyrus, and Bucyrus's difficulties in securing the first railroad were over. The report of the president in January stated that he had purchased 6,000 tons of the best T rails to be delivered early in the spring. The distance from Crestline to Ft. Wayne was 131 miles, and the cost of construction would be $14,045 per mile. He stated that his accompanying estimate was based on the high prioe of iron rails, $66 a ton. Road-bed, track-laying, spikes and station buildings, per contract .................... $740,000 12,000 tons rails at present prices .............800,000 Machinery for first year .....................2l0,000 Right of way, engineering and incidentals....90,000 Average, $14,045 per mile .................$1,840,000 During the spring of 1853 Work was pushed rapidly, the papers announcing in April ''Several hundred new hands have arrived to work on the road near Bucyrus. The ties are mostly delivered between Crestline and Bucyrus, and it is expected the road will reach Bucyrus, July 4. On July 15, the fourth had passed and the announcement was : "Rails are laid three miles this side of Crestline. If there are no strikes the work will be done to Bucyrus in two weeks." On August 19, the death of Lon Dixon occurred at Bucyrus. He had been assigned there in 1851 as the resident engineer in the building of the road. Another young man to come in 1852 was Cyrus W. Fisher who had the position of telegraph operator; his salary was $20 a month, and half of this was paid to the McCoy House for room and board, but it was at Bucyrus he had his first experience in railroad work; later going to Bellefontaine, entering the army in the Twenty-third Ohio, rising to the rank of colonel, and becoming one of the prominent railroad men of Colorado, and in 1889 returning to Bucyrus, where be still resides. The first train arrived on Wednesday evening, August 31, and of course there were great demonstrations. The new road and the iron horse were equally a wonder to the small boys, who were the same as they are now, judging from the following from the Forum of Sept. 2, 1853: "Timely Warning.—We learn that our town boys are in the habit of laying such things as spikes, chips, etc., on the railroad traek to see what effect the cars will produce in running over them. Such acts might throw a whole train off the track; it is also a penitentiary offence. We also see small boys, from 5 to 10 years of age, playing around the cars, not knowing or caring about the danger they are in. Parents should keep children away or go with them to see the cars." The following from the Forum is the account of the arrival of the first train in Bucyrus, Aug. 31, 1853 RAILROAD EXCURSION TO BUCYRUS. The first passenger train on the Ohio and Indiana Railroad arrived at this place last Wednesday evening (Aug. 31), on which, according to previous arrangement, our Pittsburg friends made us a visit. A committee, consisting of Dr. W. Merriman, president of the Ohio and Indiana Railroad company, Gen. S. Myers, Col. G. P. Seal, Capt. John Miller and H. P. Bean, received the party at Crestline and came down with them. On arriving here the committee of arrangements conducted them to the American and National, where sumptuous suppers were in waiting. After supper the party were conducted to Sims New Hall where a table was prepared filled with eatables and drinkables (on the temperance principle of course). Dr. Merriman then welcomed then to the hospitalities of our town, and was replied to by Gen. Robinson, president of the Ohio and Pennsylvania road. Speeches were also made by Mr. Roberts, chief engineer of the Ohio and Pennsylvania, John Larwill, Esq., of Wooster, Judge Leith, of Wyandot, Mr. Straughan, chief engineer of the Ohio and Indiana, and others. The speeches were not lengthy, but well-timed and to the point. The party remained over night, leaving early next morning. Our citizens having been invited to take a ride to Pittsburg, quite a number of gentlemen and ladies went out with them to that place. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 167 As early as October, 1853, it was announced that the accommodation train between Crestline and Bucyrus paid expenses. The following was the first time card: OFFICE OHIO AND INDIANA RAILROAD. Bucyrus, Sept. 22, 1853. From and after Tuesday, Sept. 27, an accommodation train will be run on the Ohio and Indiana Railroad between Bucyrus and Crestline, as follows: Leaves Bucyrus ...............11:00 a. m. Arrives Crestline .............12:15 p. m. Leaves Crestline ..............2:00 p. m. Arrives Bucyrus .............. 3:15 p. m. LESTER BLISS, Superintendent. It was later announced that persons desiring to send freight must have it at the depot one hour before the train leaves. The freight agent was taking no chances on being swamped at the last minute. Besides, no one was in a hurry, not even the train itself, as it jogged along to Crestline at the rate of ten miles an hour. There was no danger of a "head on" or a "rear end" collision, it being the only train on the road. But it should be remembered the roadbed was built at a cost of about $5,650 (including stations) per mile, and the most skillful work of the engineer was required to keep his engine on the track. That this road-bed was improved rapidly is shown from the fact that in the spring of 1854 the new time card gave the time of the fast train from Crestline to Bucyrus at 43 minutes, and the accommodation at 50 minutes. It was undoubtedly safety that was looked to in the running of the trains as the return trip from Bucyrus to Crestline, up grade, was scheduled for 40 minutes for the fast line. During the fall the work west was pushed rapidly, and in December the road had reached within two miles of Patterson* (Forest) and many passengers were on the trains daily to make connection with the Mad River road at Patterson for the north or south, the passengers walking the two miles intervening, and the railroad furnishing conveyances to transport their baggage. By January the two mile gap was completed, and the road advertised connection at that point for Cincinnati and Sandusky. It also advertised connection at Crestline for Cincinnati and Cleveland. But connection in those days certainly did not *The road crossed the Mad River and Lake Erie one mile from Patterson; and at the crossing a new town was started, which is now Forest. mean what it does now, as the connection to Cleveland meant a wait of three hours and thirty-five minutes, and to Columbus and Cincinnati of five hours and forty-five minutes. There was one advantage in the fact that the passenger desiring to make the connection never worried as to whether his train was on time or not, a few hours late made no material difference. During the construction of the road the headquarters had been at Bucyrus; nearly all the directors each year had been Bucyrus men. It had been promoted and built by the perseverance, the energy and the push of the business men of Bucyrus. All over the great state of Ohio are cities and villages that have done much for their improvement. but in the entire list it would be difficult to find any act in any one that equals the building of so important a road, almost single handed and alone, by a village of 16 people. It stands today the greatest monument to the enterprise of the citizens of Bucyrus of half a century ago, and a fulfillment of the prophetic statement which described the little village at its birth as "a lively post town" in Crawford county. When the annual meeting of the stockholders was held in Bucyrus, in January, 1854, the road was in operation as far as Forest. Up to this time nearly all the directors had been Bucyrus men. At this meeting the following directors were elected: Willis Merriman and P. S. Marshall of Bucyrus; Judge Hanna and B. Hoagland of Fort Wayne; William Robinson of Pittsburg; Robert McKelly of Upper Sandusky, and Mr. Jacobs of Lima. This board is interesting as showing the first tendency toward the combination of railroad interests. Mr. Robinson was president of the Ohio and Pennsylvania, from Pittsburg to Crestline, Mr. Merriman was president of the Ohio and Indiana, from Crestline to Ft. Wayne, nearly completed; Mr. Hanna was president of the Indiana and Chicago, from Ft. Wayne to Chicago, building. The directors organized by electing Willis Merriman president; George Quinby treasurer; C. W. Butterfield secretary, and J. B. Sears solicitor, all from Bucyrus. During the year Mr. Merriman resigned the presidency of the road and was succeeded by Judge Hanna, of Ft. Wayne. The first accident on the new road occurred 168 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY on Feb. 2;, 1854, when a man named Michael Kenney, who was employed on a freight train, was accidentally killed a short distance west of Bucyrus. The train ran off the track and threw him between the cars, the wheels running over him, killing him almost instantly. He was taken to his home at Shelby for burial. Crawford county was now one of the most important railroad counties in the state, with the most important north and south road passing through Galion and Crestline and the most important east and west road passing through Crestline and Bucyrus. The country at that time, especially %vest of Bucyrus, was still in a very wild condition, very sparsely settled. The new road east of Bucyrus is thus described by William Crosby, the editor of the Journal, and it was probably his first extended trip on a railroad: "On Thursday, June 15 (1854), at 12:30 we took the express train at Bucyrus, but with scarcely time to be seated we found ourselves at Crestline, amid the clattering of the dinner gong, the confused din of a thousand voices, with as many different orders and wants; the rush of the hungry multitude to Mr. Hall's dining saloon, the scraping and thumping of chairs, the rattling of dishes, knives and forks, and the occasional crash of a plate, the whole mixed up into a continuous fountain of noise by the stunning effect of escaping steam. After fortifying the inner man against the demands of nature for a time at a table teeming with all the luxuries of early summer. supplied with the profusion and served in that enticing style which only such caterers as friend Hall of the Crestline House understand, we seated ourselves in the cars of the Ohio and Pennsylvania road for Pittsburg. "Attached to an iron steed whose powers equalled the tornado and whose speed surpassed the whirlwind, we swept along the iron course threatening destruction to everything that would impede the onward flight. Unfortunately this rapid progress resulted in the killing of three cows at as many different points, which careless owners or inefficient inclosures permitted (the cows, not the points) to wander from their proper range. Stopping only at the more important stations to drop or pick tip such passengers as awaited. still onward we coursed through clouds of dust vvhich rendered the various tints of bonnet trimmings—the brilliant colors of ladies dresses and the jet coats of the "sterner sex —all of a russet brown; penetrating eyes, can nose and mouth with a pertinacity irresistible to all the puffing, blowing and brushing o those who endeavored to escape this disagree able appendage of railroad traveling. ''We supped at Alliance—a new town at the junction of the Ohio and Pennsylvania and the Cleveland and Pittsburg road. At this place all the laggards and loungers, together nit those peculiar natures that love to be regale with an exhibition of abilities in the science pugilistic, were supplied with a display to the taste in the form of a brutal fight between ti runners and drummers of a couple of opposition eating-houses. One of these hour charged yo cents a meal, the other 25 cents-hence the hostility. We were "sharpset," leaving the more interested to see the end the fight, and discuss the brutalizing merit we made our way into one of the dining ha] and endeavored to make a meal on allowance time only extending to fifteen minutes. Aft collecting off of sparingly supplied dish something to start on, the eatables commence disappearing in the magical manner peculiar to good appetite. When about fairly interested in the game of "open and shut" the m tion of the rapidly vibrating knife and fo was suddenly arrested by a gentle tap on t arm, and the information of, "fifty cents each sir," gently whispered in the ear. There was no escaping the extortion, so we forked over —but to those who travel this route we advise the house on the right, going east, not that can indorse the table, but because we think that it could not he much more scantily supplied, and that we think 25 cents an ample price for a meal, to discuss which you ha but fifteen minutes time allowed, and which anxious watching of moving cars reduces five, and moreover it is scarcely possible to any degree of justice in the gray of mastication to a clime's worth of food per minute. "Reached Allegheny City at 8:30, just cis hours from Bucyrus-200 miles. Here had to go through all the disagreeable atten ants of city stations. resulting from the conflicting interests of hits and hack drivers, hotel runners, etc. Finally reached friends." AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 169 In the fall of 1854, the Ohio and Indiana road was completed, and Mr. Creever accompanied the first train to Fort Wayne, and his account of that trip will give the reader an idea of the western end of the line at that time. "On Wednesday, November 15, at 9 o'clock the excursion train left Bucyrus for Fort Wayne, the occasion being the opening of the Ohio and Indiana road. When the train reached Bucyrus, delegates were on from Pittsburg to Mansfield. At Upper Sandusky we were joined by the Wyandot delegation and at Forest by a few more. "Leaving Forest, 20 miles out, Judge Hanna, president, was found missing. He had gotten off at Forest to oversee some work and the train left without him. At Johnstown* two freight trains were waiting the passage of the excursion train. Chief Engineer Straughan ordered one of the locomotives to go to Forest and bring back the missing president. "Between Johnstown and Lafayette we passed over Hog Creek Marsh. At the time the road was located this prairie was covered with water, above the surface of which naught was to be seen but the coarse sedge grass or reed, growing and undulating in the breeze. Several ditches have been cut across the prairie and the surface water well drawn off. The soil now begins to wear a tolerable appearance. The prairie embraces from 15,000 to 20,000 acres, occasionally dotted with little clumps of hushes and groves of timber. It was a beautiful and novel sight, appearing like a great lake surrounded by wilderness. "At Lima we met the mail train, which brought a large delegation from Ft. Wayne to meet our excursionists. Here we were saluted with several rounds of artillery from the 'Mad Anthony Guards of Ft. Wayne, and cheering music by Strubey's band of Ft. Wayne. But the grand feature at Lima was the collation. ,Munificent and magnificent. The caterers did justice to the hungry guests, and keen appetites did ample justice to the collation. It was specifically set forth in the invitation card that the collation would return to Ft. Wayne and every guest appeared to labor under the im- *Ada. pression that it was his duty to see that the specification was fulfilled, and accordingly each set to work to carry out the requirement. After the collation was loadened up to the utmost capacity of the excursionists—which, however, was not sufficient to absorb the entire "fixins" by a large amount—the company, while awaiting the arrival of the missing pre5ident, passed the time in friendly intercourse with the Ft. Wayne delegation, who met us with warm and hearty greeting. After delaying for some time it was concluded to move on slowly that the express locomotive might overtake us. "At Lima the excursion train had three passenger cars added, increasing it to ten cars, well, but comfortably filled. The Ft. Wayne delegation spread themselves throughout the train, giving out free tickets to the supper at Ft. Wayne in the evening, and also distributing tickets containing the name of the person at whose residence the holder was to be entertained for the night. Our card showed we were to be with Thomas Tigar of the Ft. Wayne Sentinel. We made no calculation for such a result, but as such was our luck we philosophically marshalled our courage, and prepared to abide with the Tigars. "A short time after leaving Lima an accident occurred which had like to turn our enjoyment to sorrow. The chief engineer and superintendent, Mr. Straughan, was very anxious for the arrival of the president, Judge Hanna, and while keeping a lookout to the rear from the platform of one of the cars, he by some means lost his balance and was precipitated from the train. The alarm was given and the train immediately checked and backed. Mr. Straughan was taken up by some men who were working near the spot where the accident occurred and when the train arrived he was taken to the rear car. After an examination by some physicians who were aboard, he was. beyond being stunned and bruised, pronounced uninjured. This pleasing intelligence was quickly spread from car to car, and soon the company assumed its wonted tone. In a few minutes after, the express locomotive overtook us with the president aboard. He was heartily greeted by the excursionists. Everything being thus righted, our iron steed. took a more 170 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY rapid gait, but we had tarried so much on the way that we could not possibly arrive at Ft. Wayne until long after schedule time. "At Delphos the road crosses the Miami Canal. After leaving Delphos the next important point for which we kept a lookout was the State Line, but although the train stopped, and the brakeman called out "State Line," yet with all our vigilance we could not see it. We could discover no line between the Buckeye State and Hoosierdom. Inseparably united as the two states are in feeling and interest, may a no more tangible line ever be drawn to separate them. Hand in hand may they march onward and upward to the great and prosperous destiny that awaits their united energy and enterprise. "From Upper Sandusky westward to the neighborhood of Ft. Wayne the great feature of the country is wilderness—almost unbroken. At Lima, Delphos and Van Wert the forest is driven back, and a thriving, busy population is fast turning the wilderness into a garden, but many years will pass before Ohio has attained a population nearing her capacity. "The energy and enterprise of the Buckeyes must be great to have raised Ohio to rank as the third State in the Union, while two-thirds of her rich soil rests undisturbed beneath the shade of the primitive forest. Ranking, as the State now does, what must be her ultimate destiny, when the wilderness shall be forced from her surface and teeming, busy life usurps its place, causing fruitful farms, populous towns, and busy workshops to occupy the complete length and breadth of the land. "Half past four is the hour at which we should have arrived at Ft. Wayne, but we reached there at six. We marched to the supper room preceded by a band. The city was brilliantly illuminated and the excursionists were continually greeted by the cheers of the crowds lining the streets. After supper we went to Colerick Hall, where D. H. Colerick delivered the address of welcome. It was responded to by Gov. Johnston, and S. W. Roberts of Pennsylvania, Robert W. Schenck, late minister to Brazil, and Henry B. Payne, of Ohio. "In company with Brother Day of the Mansfield Herald we were conducted by our worthy host—Brother Tigar—to his den. Oh. may it always be our fortune when among strangers to fall into a "Tigar's Den." "At ten next morning left for home. At Linea made a raid on the remains of yesterday's banquet. Had dinner at Forest. Arrived at Bucyrus at six." In his account of the trip to Pittsburg, Mr. Creever mentions as one of the incidents the speed of the train "resulted in the killing of three cows." The casual manner in which this is stated and the following item from his paper in November, 1855, would indicate little attention was paid in those days by the engineers to protect the stock straying on the unfenced track: "Monday night, Nov. 12, the express, two miles from Bucyrus, came into collision with 40 or 50 cattle, belonging to Enos Barrett. The cattle got onto the railroad and were met by the train. After making two attempts to push through, the locomotive was thrown from the track and the effort had to be abandoned. The result was five of the cattle killed, eleven so severely wounded they had to be killed. A number of others were wounded. An investigation is demanders to learn how the engine driver could push the locomotive half a mile through the flock before they were scattered and straggling along the track. A reasonable lc gree of concern for himself and passengers would have dictated the necessity of stopping the train as soon as possible, and sending a man ahead to clear the track." More than fifty years have passed since the publication of the above item, and today it is well worthy of a place in the humorous column of any railroad journal. The faithful persistency with which the engineer stood at his post and made repeated attempts to force his engine through a drove of forty to fifty cattle, and finally being compelled to give up the fight by his engine being thrown from the track! On June 24, 1856, the last meeting of the Ohio and Indiana road was held in Bucyrus. and it was to consider the proposition of consolidating the three roads, the Ohio and Pennsylvania, the Ohio and Indiana, and the 1t. Wayne and Chicago. A large number of shares were represented at the meeting and the vote was unanimous for consolidation, and the road became the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne and Chicago and the headquarters were at Pittsburg. For a few years the road had trouble adjusting its financial affairs, the interests of the directors and stockholders being looked after by Allen G. Thurman of Columbus. The trouble origi- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 171 mated iron the bondholders seizing the road. It was not until July, 1861, that the matter was finally adjusted by the company agreeing to pay one-fourth of the principal and interest in cash, and secure the other three-fourths in third mortgage bonds of the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne and Chicago, bearing interest at 7 per cent. In 1862 the new directors of the road consisted of three from New York, Pennsylvania Ohio and Indiana, and one from Illinois. Among the Pennsylvanians was J. Edgar "Thompson, the man who started the Pennsylvania company on its great era of prosperity: one of the men front New York was Samuel J. Tilden ; and one of the Ohioans was Willis Merriman of Bucyrus, the first president of the central division of the consolidated roads. Today the road is a part of the great Pennsylvania system, and the Ohio and Indiana, fostered and fathered, and built and controlled by the business men of Bucyrus is now an important link in the greatest railroad system of the world, and the first little train which jaunted along from Crestline to Bucyrus in an hour and fifteen minutes has as its successor one that would he almost to Ft. Wayne in the same length of time, and as for the thirteen miles it frequently makes it in ten minutes. At the start of the Ohio and Indiana Crawford county issued bonds to the amount of $100,000 drawing 6 per cent interest. The bonds were issued on Jan. t, 1853, payable Jan. 1, 1868, and for these bonds the county received $100,000 of stock in the road, each year one of the commissioners taking turns in attending the annual meeting of the road and voting the county's stock. After 1856, this meant a trip to Pittsburg. By agreement with the road, the county was to receive annually six per cent interest, payable not in cash, but in additional stock in the road. These certificates of stock, in lieu of cash interest, the county received up to the time of the completion of the consolidation of the roads on Jan. 20, 1858, a few days over five years, so at the time of the final consolidation the county's stock in the road amounted to 8130,096, and after that the county received no dividends in stock or cash. The seizure of the road by the bondholders. the troubles arising in the adjustment of the difficulties, decreased the value of the stock. The latter part of the year t861 the stock had reached so low a figure that the commissioners took measures to prepare to meet the bonds when they became due, and levied a tax of two and nine-twentieth trills, which would bring in $21,983. In December, 1862, $i4,339 of this tax had been collected, leaving for collection in June, 1863, $7,644. After the first levy was made, there was a favorable turn in the affairs of the road, and the stock began gradually going up in value. The market was closely watched, and two of the commissioners went to New York and sold the entire stock held by Crawford County at 69 1-3c-the highest price at which the stock had ever sold. The railroad account now stood: Proceeds from sale of $130,096 stock..... $90,214 Tax collected December, 1862 ................. 14,339 .................................................................$104,553 Add tax to be collected in June. 1863......... 7,644 ................................................................$1,12,197 Deduct interest, Jan. 1, 1863 ................... 6,000 Leaving amount in Treasury ..................$106,197 The commissioners then tried to buy the $100,000 of county bonds outstanding at their cash value, and close up the transaction, but the holders of the bonds declined to sell, as "they wished no better investment for their funds." It spoke well for the credit of the county, but there were $100,000 lying idle in the treasury and six per cent interest being paid on the outstanding bonds, so the commissioners announced the money would be lent to the citizens until March, 1867. They met first on Feb. 11, and the first day lent $352 to H M. Fisher, $4,000 to Linus H. Ross, $1,000 to G. Donnenwirth, and $400 to Mary Newell. During the eleven days they met in February they placed $47,002. Seven meetings in March disposed of $37,200 and in April and June $27,360 was placed out at interest. This money was kept on interest for four years, thus meeting the interest on the bonds by the interest received on the money loaned, and when the bonds fell due on Jan. 1, i868, they were paid and cancelled, and Crawford's first and only investment in railroad bonds was an incident that was closed. Such investments by counties are not allowed today. yet the Craw- 172 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY ford county one was a success. And the profitableness of that investment has gone on and on, and will go on in the years to come. When the road was built, the cost of construction from Crestline to Lima, 131 miles, was placed at $1,84o,000. Today its valuation on the tax duplicate in Crawford county alone is $4,298,040. It would seem that as a business proposition the investment was a financial success. Crawford county borrowed $100,000, which it invested in the stock of the road; it paid interest on this borrowed money for 15 years, amounting to $90,000: when ten years had passed the stock was so low that the commissioners levied a tax of $20,000, preparing to meet the bonds when due. Total cost to the county, $210,000. It sold its stock for $90,000: it received interest on money loaned of $30.000. Total receipts of $190.000, leaving a cost to the county of $90,000. But for over sixty years the company has been paying taxes, and this year those taxes amount to $:I0,000. An investment of $90,000 (the net loss of the county) that brings in $40,000 a year looks very much like a 50 per cent. annual dividend on the original investment. As to what per cent of the increase in the lands and products and prosperity of the county is due to railroads can not he figured with any degree of exactness, but statistics show that in 1850 Galion was a straggling village of five to six hundred people, and the C., C. & C. and the B. & I. were built, and in ten years she trebled her population to 1,967, an increase from 300 to 400 per cent; then the Atlantic & Lake Erie came, and the next ten years gave her another increase to 3.523, or 6o per cent, and twenty-five years after her first railroad, from a country village of no importance she had become one of the thriving and prosperous cities of the state with over five thousand population. In 1850 Crestline was a forest, with no residents beyond a farmer or two and their families: three railroads came, and the town was laid out, and in 1860 it had a population of 1,487, and has had an increase every decade since, and in 1910 it was a prosperous town of 3,807 people. In 1850 Bucyrus had a population of 1,365; she secured a railroad, and by 1860 her population increased 60 per cent to 2,180; a steady growth followed and in 1880 her population was was 3,380. Then came the T. & O. C., and by 1890 her population had jumped to 5,974 or an increase of 76 per cent. In 1860 Crawford county had three railroad. the C., C and C. and the B. & I. in the southeastern part of the county, with eight and a half miles of track, and the P. Ft. W. & C. through the county from east to west, about twenty and a half miles, making thirty miles of railroad in the county. In 1864 the Bellefontaine & Indiana was consolidated with the Indianapolis, Pittsburg and Cleveland Railroad. forming the Bellefontaine Railway Company, and in 1868 this was consolidated with the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Company, which in 1889 took the name of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago St. Louis Railway Company, popularly known as the "Big Four.'' When the Ohio and Pennsylvania was building they decided to go no further than Crestline, providing the Ohio and Indiana would commence their road at that point, and provided the Bellefontaine and Indiana would commence at the same place. This proposition was accepted, and Crestline was for some years the connecting point of the B. & I. with the P. Ft. W. & C. road, but after the B. & I. came under the control of the C. C. & C., Galion became the eastern terminus of the B. & I. trains. The next railroad in the county was the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. A charter was granted to the Franklin & Warren Railroad Company March 10, 1851, but nothing was done, and in 1855 the name was changed to the Atlantic & Great Western Railway. In 1863 the building of the road had reached Galion, and it was completed to Dayton in 1864. It was popularly known as the "Broad Gauge" road, the rails being six feet apart, a belief prevailing that with a wider track, heavier equipment could be used, and greater speed and comfort obtained. The idea was a failure. The expense of construction was heavier, the cost of rolling stock greater, and nothing gained in speed or comfort. Along nearly the entire track a third rail was added to accommodate the transfer of cars from a standard gauge to their line. At other times cars were shifted to other trucks. In the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 173 spring of 1880, the road was sold to the Ohio and Pennsylvania Company, and the new owners decided to change the entire road to stanlard gauge. It was doing a tremendous business, both in passengers and freight, with hundreds of trains daily from one end of the line to the other, and the change was made on June 22, 1880. Every detail had been seen to, and every possible arrangement made, and at a given signal the work was commenced all along the entire line, and in less than six hours the entire road was changed to standard gauge without the discontinuance of a train, and the delay of only a few, one of the greatest feats ever accomplished in railroad work. The road is now the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, a part of the Erie system; it has the shortest mileage of any road in the county, Galion being its only station in Crawford, but the building is the handsomest railroad station in the county. On this road Galion was the end of a division, and large shops were erected here employing several hundred men ; the Big Four also had shops, and the town being a division point on the A. & G. \V. and the junction point of the Indianapolis division with the "Three C's," many crews had their home here, and Galion was one of the prominent railroad centers of the state, and became the metropolis of the county. In 1850 a charter had been granted for building a road from Bucyrus to Toledo, the project being engineered by Bucyrus people. The eastern part of the county had an outlet with the C. C. & C. road nearing completion, and the western part also needed an outlet to the Lake, and with the Ohio and Pennsylvania reaching Bucyrus, its citizens could well look forward to the little village becoming a great business center. Before the project had gotten fairly tinder way, the Ohio and Pennsylvania had been compelled to abandon for the present the building of their line further west than Crestline. This was a severe blow to the hopes of Bucyrus as the east and west road was more important than anything else, so all consideration of the Bucyrus and Toledo road was reluctantly abandoned, and the people of Bucyrus took upon themselves the herculean task of building the road from Crestline to Ft. Wayne. Here are the men to whom the charter was granted on March 20, 1850, to build 131 miles of railroad: Robert Lee and John Frantz of Leesville, John Anderson, George Lauck, Willis Merriman, Josiah S. Plants, John J. Bowman, George Quinby, John Sins, John A. Gormly, Z. Rowse, Aaron Carey and C. Windman of Bucyrus; David Ayres, Robert McKelly, Henry Peters of Upper Sandusky. In four years the road was built. Fifteen years passed and the necessity of a railroad from the coal fields in southeastern Ohio to the Lake at Toledo was apparent, and the Atlantic and Lake Erie was incorporated to start at Pomeroy on the Ohio river, through the coal fields of Athens and Perry counties, then tip to Bucyrus and Toledo. From Bucyrus to Toledo it was the original road proposed in 1850, and Bucyrus took an active interest in the road from the start, Daniel W. Swigart being president of the new road and James B. Gormly, treasurer, both Bucyrus men Meetings were held in various towns along the line, and in 1869 the preliminary survey was made. In February, 1872, a contract was made with Michael Moran and W. V. and A. M. McCracken of Bucyrus, to grade the road from Bucyrus to Toledo, and in July another contract was made with B. B. McDonald & Co., of Bucyrus, to lay the rails on two sections from Bucyrus north. The same year, 1872, the contract was made for the bridge over the Sandusky at Bucyrus, together with the long trestle of nearly half a mile, necessary to cross the stream. In 1873 the panic came on, and it was impossible to get capital interested in any investment; but the projectors of the road at Bucyrus persevered. Bucyrus had invested over $100,000 in the road; other sections had given freely. In September, 1875, the condition of the road was at its worst, and a meeting was held at Bucyrus to devise ways and means to save what had already been invested and to complete the road. The president made a report at that meeting stating that a proposition had been made to sell a portion of it, which would be detrimental to the interests of Crawford, Wyandot and other counties. This proposition had been temporarily defeated by the influence of the friends of Bucyrus on the board of directors, but the road was in debt so heavily that unless something was done immediately the Atlantic & Lake Erie must be 174 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY abandoned. The proposition was that if $430,000 could be raised, the more pressing obligations could be met and the road completed. This sum was divided along the line, and $50,000 assigned to Crawford county. On top of the sum already subscribed, the task was a difficult one, but the amount was raised. Construction went ahead slowly, and every attempt made to reduce expenses to the minimum. The Bucyrus Foundry and Machine Company went into the car business, and built fifteen cars to be used in the construction work; second-hand locomotives were purchased and put to use in the building of the road, and little by little the work progressed, and finally in the summer of 1880 the first train came to Bucyrus. It was less than a generation since Bucyrus had built the Ohio and Indiana road, and now the descendants of the men who had built that first road, had overcome all difficulties, and secured another road for Bucyrus. The president of the Atlantic & Lake Erie was Daniel W. Swigart, a son-in-law of George W. Sweney, one of the active workers for the Ohio and Indiana; the secretary and treasurer was James B. Gormly, whose father John A. Gormly, was treasurer of the Ohio and Indiana. Among others connected with the road were Col. W. C. Lemert, a grandson by marriage of Samuel Norton, one of the heavy subscribers to the Ohio and Indiana. Horace and William Rowse, sons of Zalmon Rowse, a director of the Ohio and Indiana; W. V., A. M. and Charles McCracken, sons of James McCracken, another active supporter of the Ohio and Indiana; Joseph N. Biddle, a son-in-law of Robert W. Musgrave, another of the men active in securing the Ohio and Indiana; Thomas C. Hall, who had been one of the builders of the Ohio and Indiana, and now with his son Joseph E. Hall, had similar contracts for construction work on the Atlantic and Lake Erie. After the road was completed, the influence of Bucyrus, and the work the people of that town had done for the road, secured a favorable proposition for the location of the shops at Bucyrus, but Bucyrus capital was already in the road up to its limit, so a friendly legislature was appealed to and D. W. Swigart, James B. Gormly, W. C. Lemert, Dr. C. Fulton. S. R. Harris and George W. Teel secured the passage of an act all Ossing the town by it vote of the people to bond itself for $50,000 to build railroad shops. The proposition carried almost unanimously and the shops were secured, and for more than thirty years they have given employment to hundreds of men with a large monthly pay roll that has added materially to the prosperity of Bucyrus, and that village which in 188o had a population of 3,348, by the census of 1890 had taken its position as one of the cities of the state with a population of 5,974, an increase of 78 per cent in ten years. When the road was reorganized in 1878 the name was changed to the Ohio Central, and it was sold at that time for $106,668. Later a western division was built to take care of the increasing traffic from the coal fields to the Lake. The road is today a part of the Lake Shore system, and in 1911 required additional room for its shops and trackage, and the only way to secure it was from the Fair Ground which adjoined the railroad property on the south. The Fair Ground could not spare the land, so the citizens promptly formed a company, bought the entire thirty acres belonging to the Fair Association at $1,000 an acre, and sold the Lake Shore the eight acres they wanted at $40o an acre and the remainder of the grounds will be laid out as an addition to Bucyrus. The Fair Association immediately purchased a new site just across the road of sixty acres at $300 an acre. In 1867 the Mansfield, Coldwater and Lake Michigan railroad was projected, to start at Toledo, then run to Tiffin, and through Lykins and Sulphur Springs to Crestline and Mansfield. The people in the central and northeastern part of the county took active measures to secure the road. Both New Washington and Sulphur Springs subscribed liberally, and so enthusiastic were the people in and around Sulphur Springs that their subscriptions amounted to $35,000. A preliminary survey was made, which located the road about half a mile east of Sulphur Springs, and an eastern suburb of that village was laid out where the station was to be, on land owned by George W. Teel, and several houses were built. The people of Crestline, however, took very little interest in the road, which was fatal to the Sulphur Springs route. New Washing- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 175 ton then took up the matter with the Toledo and Mansfield people, and a new survey was made farther north, from Tiffin through Bloomville to New Washington and Mansfield. The citizens of New Washington and southern Auburn subscribed $30,000 for the new road and so great was the interest in that section, that these subscriptions were practically all made in sums ranging from $50 to $250, the stock being in $50 shares. There were two hundred men in the two townships of Cranberry and Auburn who took stock in the road. Work was commenced in the spring of 1872, and by October the road was in operation from Toledo to New Washington, and on May 1, 1813, regular trains were running over the line. In Auburn township the road passed about half a mile north of the village of DeKalb, and the same distance south of a little settlement called Mechanicsburg, and at this point a station was placed called DeKalb, and in 1874 a town was laid out around the station which was called Tiro, after the postoffice two miles north, which was transferred to the station, and in 1882 the DeKalb postoffice, which had been in existence half a century, was discontinued, being consolidated with the Tiro office, and the railroad dropped the name of DeKalb and called the station Tiro. About the time of the building of the Mansfield & Coldwater road the people of Delphos and Carey had constructed a narrow gauge road between those two towns. It was a purely local affair, built by the people of Putnam and Hancock counties residing in the little towns along the line and gave them an outlet to the markets. Later it was taken over by some capitalists, among them W. V. McCracken of Bucyrus, and was changed to a standard gauge road, and extended eastward from Carey to Akron, passing through Crawford in the center of the northern tier of townships, Texas, Lykins, Chatfield, Cranberry and Auburn, and when completed it was almost an air line, 165 miles in length, known as the Pittsburg, Akron and Western. In the construction of the road no attention was paid to the little towns. From the time it entered the county in Texas township it followed a half section line due east for fourteen miles to New Washington, passing half a mile south of the village of Lykins, and a quarter of a mile north of Chatfield. At New Washington it took an air line northwest, going north of the little village of Waynesburg Eastern capitalists had secured the road with the intention of making it the most direct and quickest route between Pittsburg and Chicago, but the grand plans never materialized and it is today a purely local road, but a great convenience to the people along the route. It established a station in Texas township, which was named Plankton, and another in Northern Auburn. which is named North Auburn after the township. The road is now the Northern Ohio. It was Feb. 8, 1832, that the legislature of Ohio passed an act incorporating the Delaware, Marion and Sandusky Railroad, and among the incorporators were E. B. Merriman, Zalmon Rowse and Henry St. John. It was a time when there was a craze for railroad building all over the state, and, like dozens of other roads incorporated at that time, nothing came of it. Nearly sixty years passed and all the original projectors had long since moldered into dust when on April 12, 1889, practically the same road was again incorporated as the Columbus, Shawnee and Hocking. By the close of the year twelve miles of the road had been built from Sandusky to Bellevue, and this twelve miles on the right of way where fifty years previous the Mad River road had run its cars on scrap iron rails. The route had been abandoned by the Mad River road in the fifties for a new route from Sandusky-to Clyde. But the northern twelve miles of the C. S. and H. (the Short Line) is the roadbed where first ran the first cars on the first real railroad in the state of Ohio. The work on the C. S. and H. was pushed rapidly from both ends of the line, and it was on Sunday, Dec. 4, 1892, at 12:15, noon, that the last connecting rail was laid that joined the lines. This rail was at the north end of the trestle in Bucyrus. Although the road was completed as far as track-laying was concerned, there was still much to be done in the way of preparing the road bed, and securing the rolling stock, and it was on Monday, April 17, 1893, that the first regular trains began 176 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY running on the road, and the people turned out all along the line with demonstrations and rejoicings. This was the last railroad built in Crawford county, with its well ballasted track, heavy steel rails, monster locomotives, and handsomely furnished, easily riding cars. Everything was new and modern and presented the strongest contrast to the track and equipment of the pioneer days of railroading. It was Monday, April 17, the train went through, representative of the highest type of railroad development, and three days later, on April l0th, the contrast came. A great exposition was to be opened at Chicago (one year late) to commemorate the discovery of America by Columbus, 401 years previous, and the first locomotive ever brought to America was to pass through Bucyrus. Over a thousand school children and double that number of citizens were at the station, when the little locomotive, the "John Bull," hardly larger than a traction engine, pulling its two small cars, came round the bend, puffing and blowing as if it appreciated the full measure of its responsibility. It came up to the station very slowly, through two dense ranks of people, who crowded both sides of the track, leaving only room for it to pass. It looked small and it looked old, and even the veteran pioneers present had become so accustomed to the modern trains that they too were astonished at the smallness and crudeness of the engine and coaches, that in their early day they had regarded as a wonder and a marvel in the science of transportation.* * In 1876, this little engine, the "John Bull," was discovered among the old junk in the Pennsylvania shops; it was repaired and exhibited at the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, and later presented to the United States government. Prior to 1830 experiments had been made in England with more or less success with locomotives to be propelled by steam. In 1830, Robert L. Stevens, the founder of the Camden & Amboy road, saw the "Rocket" in 'England, the invention of George Stevenson, and he ordered one built for shipment to this country. The engine was built, shipped to America, and named the "John Bull." It arrived in Philadelphia in August, 1831. When it was finally put together it was placed on a track, specially built for its trial; the boiler was filled with water from a hogshead; a fire of pine wood was lighted in the furnace, and at the indication of thirty pounds of steam pressure, the young engineer named Dripps, nervous with excitement, opened the throttle, and the first locomotive in America moved over the rails. One of the little old cars had been purchased in 1868 in a farmer living near South When the train stopped, men and boys and women and girls crowded around the little cars, and went inside, finding them so low that a tall man must stoop. Common wooden seats ran along the sides; there were little windows, placed there only to give light, so high that one must stand up or kneel upon the seat to look out. These windows could not be opened; there were no lights for after night, so when the shades of evening fell, the passengers rode in darkness. The engine weighed ten tons, and was the same as when it first ran in America, except that it had been changed from wood to coal fuel. The tender had a capacity of about a ton of coal, and the water tank about 1500 gallons of water. The water was sufficient for thirty miles, but the coal would last for ninety miles. The boiler as 13 feet long, and 3 feet 6 inches in diameter, The cylinders were 9 by 20 inches. There were two drive wheels on each side, 4 ft. 6 in. in diameter, with cast iron hubs and wooden felloes. On top of the tender at the rear was a contrivance resembling a poke bonnet; it was called the "gig top," and here sat the forward brakeman on the lookout for approaching trains, and also to signal the rear brakeman should occasion require. He worked the brakes on the locomotive and tender by means of a lever which extended up between his knees. There was no bell cord or gong to the locontotive and all communication between the brakeman and engineer was by word of mouth. He kept by him a few soft clods which carefully aimed, attracted the attention of the engineer if hasty communication was necessary. Following the little train was one of modern construction. The locomotive, weighing Amboy, the Camden and Amboy road having thrown it into discard. The farmer removed it to his place and used it as a chicken-coop. It housed the chickens until a representative of the Pennsylvania road looking for curiosities, ran across it, and entered into negotiations for its purchase. The thrifty farmer discovered that lapse of time had endowed his hen-coop with an unexpected value, and he demanded and received a price which represented more than compound interest on his original purchase, and although the hens were left homeless, the farmer looked out for himself by building a new residence with all modern improvements from the proceeds of his sale. The second car had not so romantic a history. It was found years previously in a lumber yard in a New Jersey town, and a farsighted Pennsylvania official had secured it as a relic, believing the day might colic when it would hire a value as a curiosity. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 177 160,000 pounds, easily drew it long line of parlor cars and sleepers, and diner, all fitted with every modern improvement and filled with the officers and guests of the Pennsylvania company. From Philadelphia to Chicago this finest locomotive of modern construction restrained its power, followed its wheezing ancestor, decrepit with age, as if itwere exercising a fatherly and protecting care over him which it no doubt was. At Bucyrus, the train was joined by representatives of the Journal and Telegraph, theForum and the Courier. The Journal sent their veteran editor, John Hopley, who in 1842, had come as far west as Pittsburg on just such a train, and with him the youngest member of the firm, J. W. Hopley, as representatives of the past and the present. They rode in one of the ancient coaches as far as Upper Sandusky, jarred and jolted in the springless car, kneeling on the seat occasionally to glance from the window, and when Upper Sandusky was reached both youth and age preferred comfort to novelty, and as far as they were concerned the little train, once the pride of the road, and once the acme of perfection in traveling, was left to jog on its slow way alone, while they found all the coin-forts of travel in the palatial cars of the modern train. The speed of both trains was of course governed by the motive power of the John Bull and it took nine hours to go from Bucyrus to Ft. Wayne, being a trifle over 14 miles an hour. On Nov. 12, 1891, the commissioners of the county granted a franchise for the building of an electric road from Galion to Bucyrus, to he known as the Suburban Electric Railway Company. The financial depression of 1893 put a stop to all improvement investments, but later the matter was again taken up, and the work of building commenced at Galion, and gradually extending to Bucyrus. On Aug. 26, 1899, a regular train service was started from Galion as far as the T. & O. C. tracks at Bucyrus, and on September 11, the track had been completed to the Public Square, and there was a half-hourly service between the county seat and the metropolis of the county. Although the two cities had a combined population of about 14,000 the business did not justify so frequent a service and it was soon reduced to hourly trains. Later the road was extended to Crestline, and the following year to Mansfield, and it became the Cleveland, Southwestern and Columbus Railway Company, with through trains from Cleveland to Bucyrus. The headquarters of the motive power and the car barns are at Galion. In 1894 an electric road was projected from Columbus to Cleveland, by way of Delaware, Marion and Galion. The latter city took little interest in the road so Bucyrus took the matter up, and Frank L. Hopley had the builder of the road, John G. Webb, of Springfield, visit Bucyrus, and after a consultation with J. B. Gormly, W. C. Lemert, George Dennenwirth and others, the road was incorporated as the Columbus, Marion and Bucyrus Electric Railway, and on Aug. 5, 1905, James B. Gormly was elected one of the directors of the new road. Owing to the high prices at which land was held much time was consumed in securing a right of way, but the Marion road was finally decided upon, and the work of construction commenced. On Monday, Aug. 10, 1908, regular trains started from the south end of Poplar street, and the first through passenger to Columbus was County Treasurer George W. Miller, who took the first car to make his settlement with the state treasurer. There was difficulty over the route through Bucyrus, but the matter was finally settled, and on Oct. 27., the track laying reached the Public Square, E. B. Monnett and Charles Roberts driving the last spikes which made the connecting link at Bucyrus of an electric line from Cleveland to Cincinnati. The following table shows the amount of trackage in the various townships in the county, and their value as placed on the tax duplicate. Also the appraised value of the various roads in the county. The total valuation of all property on tax duplicate in the county is $52,453,120. and of this $8,758,680 is rail- 178 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY roads. Jefferson township fares best, as its entire valuation on the tax duplicate is $2,190,840, and of this nearly half, $981,770 is railroad property. CHAPTER VIII AUBURN TOWNSHIP. Auburn Township—Location and Topography—Drainage—Creation of Auburn Township and First Election—Early Settlers—Justices—Forest Adventures—Early Mills —Churches and Schoolhouses—Waynesburg—North Auburn—Mechaniscburg—Tiro —DeKalb Postoffice—A Prohibition Ordinance—Mr. Baker's Enterprise—Cranberries—An Indian Burying Ground—The Hanna Graveyard—Other Cemeteries. Sweet Auburn ! loveliest village of the plain, Where health and plenty cheered the laboring swain, Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid, And parting summer's lingering blooms delayed. -OLIVER GOLDSMITH. Auburn township was a part of the land ceded by the Indians to the United States in 1805, and is the northeastern township of the county. It was surveyed by Maxfield Ludlow in 1807, and it was in the southern portion of this township his notes show that he had not been able to get a drink of water for 48 hours, while in the northern portion, the land was the most "hedeous" he had ever surveyed in his seven years' experience, and much of it was two feet under water. This northern portion was a vast swamp, very wet and unproductive except for cranberries. The township is very level, with a gradual slope to the north. In the western portion, Honey creek after rising near Tiro, goes north through the western sections, then west to the Sandusky river, while in the eastern part Coykendall run goes north to empty into a branch of the Huron river at New Haven. Both these streams have small branches, so that every section of the township is well watered. In the earlier days little streams starting in the forest wandered on their way northward to be eventually lost in the great swamp. Later an outlet to the swamp was made by which nearly all the marsh was drained into Honey creek or Coykendall run, and the worst country that the surveyor had ever gone over, became one of the most fertile and productive regions of the county. The soil of the entire township is very rich, being deep and black, with sufficient sand to furnish enough silica for strengthening the growing grain. The drift deposits are underlain in the southern portion of the township by an abundance of excellent limestone, too deep to be profitably worked, except, perhaps in the southwest part of section 28 and northwestern part of section 23, where on a little run there is a surface outcropping of very good limestone. There is a quantity of iron in the soil of the drift deposits, and in a number of wells the water is tinctured with that mineral. Abundance of water is easily found in the sand of the Waverly group of rocks at a very slight depth. Auburn township was a part of Richland county when the latter was created in 1807, and for 13 years it was the west half of Plymouth township of that county. On April 3, 182o, Auburn township was created by the commissioners of Richland county. From its now fertile fields of waving grain, and its level stretch of the richest of farming land under the highest state of cultivation one might today suppose it received its name from Goldsmith's lines at the head of this chapter. But, however appropriate such an idea for the selection might seem, it was not the case. Several settlers met to discuss the affairs of the new township and among other matters to select a name. Naturally, each one had a choice, and several names were mentioned, every man supporting his own choice. Among the set- - 179 - 180 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY tlers were two brothers, Palmer and Daniel Hulse, who had come there from Auburn, N. Y., and as they cast two solid votes for Auburn, that name was selected. Of the other names presented there is no record, but while the name chosen was not from the poetry of Goldsmith, the new township started on its career with one of the few poetical names in the county. The Richland commissioners followed the wishes of the citizens and named the township Auburn, and called an election for April 2, 1821, to elect township officers. The following is the account of the first election, taken from a record book in the possession of James M. Cory: "At an election held at the house of Palmer Hulse, in Auburn township, on the second day of April, 1821, agreeable to an order of the county commissioners, the following persons were elected township officers: Jacob Coykendall, clerk; Samuel Hanna, Levi Bodley and Michael Gisson, trustees; David Cummins, treasurer; James Gardner and David Cummins, overseers of the poor; Adam Aumend and Charles Dewitt, fence viewers: James C. Coykendall and Lester and Jesse Bodley, appraisers; Adam Aumend, Jr., constable; Michael Gisson, William Cole, William Laugherty and William Garrison, supervisors. The above officers were severally elected and qualified according to law. Jacob Coykendall, township clerk." In the book containing these records, the following entry is found "Jacob Coykendall's commission as justice of the peace bears date July 14, 1821. He was qualified Aug. 29, same year, and gave bond Sept. 27, 1821: James Coykendall and James Gardner, bondsmen." The second election was held at the house of Jacob Coykendall on April 1, 1822, and the third at the house of Aaron B. Howe, April 7, 1822. In 1821 the pioneers of Auburn were nearly all from New England with a few from New York, and it is probable the first election followed the town-meeting plan of New England, where all the voters net in convention and selected their officials. The residence of Palmer Hulse was in what is now Richland county, near the road which runs from Bucyrus to Plymouth. So the township was named by two men who never resided in what is the present Auburn township, the same as Crawford county was named after the revolutionary officer who was tortured by the Indians at a site which is not now a part of the county. In the chapter relating to Crawford county, the names are given of those who settled there in the early days, John Pettigon and Jedidiah Morehead, who erected cabins and pursued their occupation as hunters as early as 1814 to 1815. William Green entered 160 acres and erected a log cabin on section 27 in 1815, to which he removed with his family on Dec. 16, 1816. He had left his family in Licking county. Green was the first real settler in Auburn township and what is now Crawford county. He increased his quarter section until later he owned a full section of 640 acres, and half a century later his sons Samuel S. and Walter, were cultivating the land cleared by their father. A man named John Deardorff, settled in Auburn township in 1816, but left before the township was organized. William Cole, in 1817, settled on section 27; Charles, David and James Morrow, in 1817. just west of Green and Cole, on section 28; Jacob Coykendall, on section 15, two miles west of the Hulses, in 1816; Charles Dewitt, John Bodley, David Cummins, on section 22, north of Green: William Laugherty on section 29, a mile north of the present village of Tiro, in 1818. Among those in 1819, were Resolved, a descendant of Perigrene White, who was born on the Mayflower while it was anchored off the coast of Massachusetts. Perigrene White was the second son of William and Susanne White, who sailed from Southampton on the Mayflower with their two children, one a daughter Faith. and the other a son. Resolved, receiving that name from the fact of his birth, just at the time his father had finally resolved to accompany the Pilgrims to America. The Resolved White who settled in Auburn, was the fifth or sixth generation from William White, the Pilgrim father. He was born in Poonfred township. Windham county, Conn., on March 31, 1787, and in 1794 Went with his parents to Windsor, Berkshire county, Mass.; here his father died in 1804, and four years later his mother moved to Otsego county. N. Y., and later to Ontario county. Early in 1818, Resolved White, in company with Rev. Asabel AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 181 Moore and family, left in a horse and sleigh for the Connecticut reserve. A part of this way they made on the ice, along the southern shore of Lake Erie. Reaching Huron on Lake Erie, they went up the Huron river through Milan to Norwalk, which at that time consisted of two or three log cabins, Paul Benedict of Connecticut having erected the first log cabin there in 1817. White stopped here and erected the first frame building in Norwalk for a man named Forsyth, He decided to settle in this section, and went through the woods on an exploring tour, and reaching Auburn township, purchased of William Laugherty, the east half of section 29, paying $3.73 per acre. There was a small log house on the farm and a few acres cleared. He then returned to Norwalk and continued his trade as a carpenter, and in the spring of 1821, went to Ontario county, N. Y., sailing on Lake Erie on the steamboat Walk-in-the-Water, the first steamer that ever plied the waters of Erie. The event which transpired on White's return to Ontario county showed there was a reason for his securing a home in the west, and that his return had been arranged for when he left home three years previous. On May 13, 1821, he married Lucy Searl, and he purchased a horse and wagon and with his bride started for their western home, where he arrived on July 10 of that year, and remained a resident of Auburn township until his death on April 5, 1875, his wife Lucy having died a year previous, May 13, 1874. Rodolphus Morse settled on section 20, just north of «'bite's purchase, in 1819 or 1820. He arrived with his wife Huldah and son Amos, then but a year old. Morse took a prominent position in the affairs of Auburn township, and was followed by his son Amos, who until his death was a leading man in the control of the township. Others in 1819 were Samuel and Elizabeth Hanna, settling on land his father James had entered in 1818. John Webber and Palmer and Daniel Hulse were also early settlers. The first officers of the township show that other early settlers were Levi Bodley, Michael Gisson, James Gardner and William Garrison; besides these, the records indicate that a man named Tyndall was a resident of the township: also Jacob Byerson, section 31, and Lester Levi and Jesse Bodley; John Blair, who came in 1821 from New York State, bought a half section in sections 20 and 21, where his son Ira, still lives; George Hammond and wife Sarah, who came from Connecticut in 1822, purchased 150 acres of Martin Clark, the northwest quarter of section 28, on which there was a small cabin, and a few acres already cleared. His heirs still live on the farm. John Sheckler came from Pennsylvania in 1821, settling on section 22. In 1850, 151 acres of this land was appraised at $i,000. Erastus Sawyer settled on section 21, Jesse Ladow on section 10, and Nelson S. Howe on section i6, also Aaron B. Howe; Daniel Bunker, Jacob Bevard, Richard Tucker, Seth Hawkes, Jacob and William Snyder and Erastus Kellogg; William Johns, Thomas Cooker, Enoch Baker, and John Talford. Erastus Sawyer came in 1820. Adam Aumend, with his wife and daughter, both named Mary, came in 1819. Jacob Coykendall was the first justice of the peace; his commission was dated July 14, 1821, and he qualified on Aug. 29, with James Coykendall and James Gardner as bondsmen. One of his first acts was the marriage of Harvey Hoadley to Elizabeth Blair in 1821. The next known marriage was Dec. 19, 1822, when Erastus Kellogg and Sally Snider became man and wife. May 8, 1824, Jacob Coykendall and Aaron Howe were appointed justices. On April 23, 1827, Jacob Coykendall was again appointed and with him James Clements. Since Auburn township has been a part of the present Crawford county, the following have been the justices of the peace; dates given being the year of their election: William Cummins—1845-48-51 ; William D. Sims-1845-57-59-60-63; Adam Aumend-1848; David C. Morrow—1854; Amos Morse-1854-60-63-66-69-72-78-81-84: Jacob Eckis-1857-66; George Hammond—1865; Enoch T. Kenestrick-1869; Jacob Shutt-1872; Resolved R. Ross-1876-79; Daniel Howe—1882-8-88; Charles McConnell— 1887-91- 94-97-1900-04 ; George S. McKee-1891-94; Samuel R. Houk —1897; F. L. Kemp—1903-07; James Cahill —1906-07; Harvey B. Morrow-1910; J. C. Johnson-1910. When the first settlers appeared there were many Indians in the neighborhood, the Wyandots and Delawares being the principal tribes 182 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY with Senecas and others. They gathered cranberries during the season, and shot the game that abounded in the forests. The pioneers of Auburn had located there to make homes for themselves and nearly all of them devoted their time to the clearing away of the forests and the cultivation of the soil. Some few hunted the wild game, but the majority preferred devoting their time to agriculture, purchasing game of the friendly Indians, or of some neighbor skillful with the rifle. The principal pay of the Indians was in whiskey, a gallon being sufficient for the result of one day's hunting, but when it came to the white hunter it was a matter of cash, or if in whiskey, several gallons were the price of a day's shooting. One of the first things needed was roads. The southern half of the township by 1820, was fairly settled with perhaps a mile separating neighbors. These were reached by blazed paths through the forest. But when crops were gathered a market was necessary, so the settlers cut through the woods a road extending from the southern part of the township up toward Paris (Plymouth) and into Huron county, through New Haven to Milan, then the principal town in what is now Huron county. This road was very crudely constructed, merely the trees and bushes cut away, and where the ground was low and swampy, trees were felled and a corduroy road made. Another road ran from Paris, through the township southwest to Bucyrus, while a third crossed the northeastern part of the county, running from Tiffin through where New Washington now is and on east. In Auburn township nearly the entire distance was corduroy, the only way to make the swamps passable ; and each spring new logs had to be piled on the old, where the old ones had sunk into the soft mire. Deer, bear, wolves and catamounts were abundant ; the deer were harmless but the three latter were a nuisance and a danger to the settlers. The killing of the deer by the Indians was at such wholesale rates that the settlers were obliged to put a stop to the killing of the does, the true white hunter only killing does out of the breeding season and for meat. The Indians killed indiscriminately for the skins of the animal, leaving the carcasses in the wood as useless. Amos Morse tells the story that his father. Rodolphus Morse, had an agreement with David Byers, an expert woodsman, by which his father agreed to bring in all the deer that Byers could kill in one day. Byers made the arrangement one evening when there was a heavy snow fall, assuring the next day as an excellent one for deer. The hunter had an old flint lock rifle, which had done him service for years, and during the day killed seven deer. Six of these Morse brought in, but the seventh had only been wounded and Byers had followed it for eight miles before he killed it, and it was late in the day, and impossible for Morse to bring in the animal as per the agreement. Many of the hunters captured the fawns, which patiently stood at their dead mother's side, and were easily led home where they became the pets of the children, following them around, adorned with some bright ribbon, and when possible. with a bell so they could be found when they strayed away into the forests. The wilder animals were a nuisance. On one occasion Enoch Baker had gone throe h the woods on Saturday evening to see his girl. following the trail his frequent trips had done much toward establishing between the two cabins. On his way hone he was scented by wolves, and started on a swift run for his father's cabin. He could hear the howling of the wolves as they approached nearer and nearer, finally snapping and snarling on both sides of hint. Fortunately, he was near his home. He was armed only with a stout club. and threatening demonstrations with this kept the snarling animals at bay until he could reach the clearing, and when he got into the open the wolves slunk back into the forest. It was not a pleasant experience, but he did not regard it as serious enough to overcome the pleasures of his Saturday evening's visits. for they were continued until the young lady solved the problem and relieved him of all further dangerous trips by making her home with him, the young couple moving into a cabin on his father's farm. One Sunday morning Daniel Cole, having arisen early to look after his farm duties. heard a hallooing in the woods, went into the house, and got his rifle, and started out to find the cause. Up in the crotch of a small tree sat one of his voting neighbors, while at AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 183 the base, a bear was patiently standing guard. Cole killed the bear, and the young man came down. He, too, was on his way home from a visit to his best girl, when he was followed by a bear and only found safety in a sapling too small for the bear to climb but large enough to support him. It had not been a long wait, as in those days when a young man started for a courting visit of several miles after doing his evening chores, he arrived there in time to find the old folks very sensibly in bed, and etiquette only demanded that he leave before daylight. William Cole, a brother of Daniel, when about r6, started off with the dogs to bring in the cows which were wandering in the forest. Suddenly the dogs rushed forward and he heard a tremendous harking. He hurried forward and found them standing guard over a large hollow log, and from their actions was satisfied it was an animal of which they were afraid. He stole cautiously forward and found a small bear had sought safety in the hollow log. The boy was unarmed, but he secured a heayy club, and boldly caught the hear by the hind legs, to pull him out of the log, the dogs previously attacking the animal, their sharp teeth making the bear get out into the open as quickly as possible. Young Cole seized the club, and dealt the bear a savage blow on the head. The bear responded by a rush at Cole, who defended himself with his club, while the dogs made yicious attacks on the bear, and when the animal had to turn to defend himself from the dogs, Cole used his club to such advantage, that between him and the dogs the hear was killed. Both Cole and the dogs were badly scratched and bruised, and he returned home where he told his story to the great astonishment of his father, who refused to credit it. until he had gone out and brought in the hear. William's brother Daniel went on a visit to a relative near West Liberty, and one morning started home at daylight his only companion being a large hull dog belonging to Enoch Baker. He had not gone far into the woods before he found a pack of wolves were on his trail. He hurried forward, but the wolves were soon on both sides of him more than a dozen of them, and one large one, the leader of the pack, was about to spring on him, when the dog seized the animal by the throat giving the boy time to climb into a small iron-wood tree. The dog had the wolf down, but the brute managed to shake himself free, and the whole pack then slunk away into the woods. One day Seth Hawks heard the squealing of one of his hogs, and started immediately to see what the trouble was, neglecting to take his gun with him. A quarter of a mile from his cabin he came upon a large log and behind it was his hog, with two large bears attacking it. The bears saw Hawks and made a rush for him. Hawks made a run for it, and with a desperate spring caught the branches of a small tree, and swung himself over the limb, as the bears passed beneath him. The infuriated animals endeavored to climb the tree, but it was too small. They then tried to leap high enough to get their claws on the scared man and sometimes the bear managed to strike the frail limb almost shaking him off. He called loudly for assistance and fortunately his wife heard him, and hurried for help to their nearest neighbor, who was Rodolphus Morse, and in half an hour he arrived, and on seeing him approach the bears quickly left and were lost in the woods. The forests were swarming with squirrel they were so plentiful that there was no excitement of the hunt in killing them, besides deer and turkeys were more plentiful for game, but the squirrel were a nuisance. They infested the fields of the farmer, ate his planted grain and injured his crops, and frequently squirrel hunts were arranged to get rid of the troublesome little fellows. At one famous squirrel hunt. sides were chosen with Thomas Cooker captain of one team and Enoch Baker of the other. When the two parties met at night each had slain their hun and while they were in doubt as to which side belonged the victory. Baker added to his pile a huge catamount he had killed, and to him the victory was given. David Cummins built a saw mill on the Honey Creek in section 17. It was a small frame structure, and run by water power, a clam being built. This was about 1827, but there was little demand for lumber, most of the pioneers being contented with their log cabins. Prior to its erection the few frame 184 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY houses erected were built of lumber obtained a dozen miles away on the Mohican or on the Huron rivers. In 185 the saw mill was abandoned, after passing through several hands. About 1830 Rev. Thomas Millard came to the township and settled in the northwest quarter of section 17, and on the banks of the Honey creek he erected a saw mill. One section was supplied with mill stones made of nigger heads, and wheat and corn were ground, which was a great convenience to the people, as previously they were obliged to go to New Haven to have grain ground. The mill was a large frame one, a dam having been built to furnish the power. After running the trill for a dozen years, Mr. Millard leased it to Enoch Baker, for which he was to receive half the profits, but the arrangement proved unprofitable to Baker, and he quit the business and a few years later Millard sold out to Rufus Page. Although the mills turned out a good brand of flour, there was not enough business to make it profitable, and the grinding of grain was abandoned. In 1836 Coykendall & Ladow built a saw mill on Coykendall creek in section 10. At first the mill was, operated by water power, but too much of the year there was not sufficient water, so steam was introduced. The mill burned down, but the business was good and it was immediately rebuilt. There now being a demand for lumber to replace the log houses about 1840 William Ewing built a mill on the Coykendall creek, further up the stream, and this was continued for twenty years before it was abandoned. Another grist mill was built by Jonathan Davis and William Crouse at Mechanicsburg, half a mile north of Tiro, but it was only run four years, when it was moved away. The usual price at the mill for sawing was 40c. per hundred feet, or one half the logs. About i883 the citizens of Tiro and the surrounding farmers raised $4,000 and gave it to Thornberg & Haskell as an inducement for them to start a mill in the village. A very large frame building was erected, it was furnished with all the modern machinery, and was a success from the start. It was erected just south of the railroad track, with every convenience for shipment, and here grain is either ground, or bought and shipped, and the having of a fine mill in easy access has been a profitable business both to the firm and to the farmers. The township being largely settled by people from New England they were a Sunday observing class and as early as 18i8 services were held in the larger cabins, when some traveling minister came among the pioneers. The pioneers were all strict observers of the Sabbath, and generally knew when the day came around, although watches and clocks were hardly known in the township and almanacs were scarce. One Sunday morning Rodolphus Morse had had his usual family worship, and was doing the necessary feeding, when he heard the voice of Seth Hawks, his nearest neighbor, shouting to his oxen. The noise continued and Mr. Morse thought it best to go across and see what was the cause of this unseemly disturbance on the Sabbath day, Mr. Hawks being one of the strictest Presbyterians in the neighborhood. Reaching the barn of Hawks he found his neighbor very busily engaged in driving a yoke of oxen around the puncheon floor on which was a heavy spread of grain, and in this way was threshing his wheat. Mr. Morse asked him what he meant by working on the Sabbath day, and Hawks discovered he had mistaken the day, thinking it was Saturday. He promptly unhitched his oxen, retired to the house and day in fasting and prayer. By 1821 it was found necessary to erect churches and both the Methodists and Baptists that year built small log churches, organized their societies, and preaching was more regular. The Presbyterians, Winebrennarians (Church of God) and English Lutherans organized societies and held services at irregular intervals. In 1830, when Rev. Thomas Millard settled on section 19 he donated two acres of land for church purposes. He was an earnest and indefatigable worker in the vineyard of the Lord. Erecting his saw mill, one of the first uses was the sawing of the lumber for the new church, and much of the work of the building was done by him, and when completed he was chosen as the first minister of "Good Will church." The church was built in i83;, and the congregation thrived and multiplied, and in i868 this building became too small, and a new and larger structure was erected on the same site in i868. In the southeastern AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 187 part of the township is the Pleasant Grove M. E. church, organized in 1850. It is on the old Portland road, one mile north of the township line. About 1835 an M. E. church was built in the northern part of this township, a stile west of Waynesburg on the road leading to Plymouth. It was sold to the Winebrennarians and by them was later moved to the northeastern part of the township, but the attendance gradually became less and less, and 'though still standing it is only used for funerals and occasional services. The Baptists held seryices as early as the Methodists but they progressed more slowly, until about 183o it had an unexpected increase of membership, and in 1840, a frame church was erected on section 16, on the farm of Deacon Howe who was one of the prominent Baptists and an earnest worker, and did much to build up the church. This building was sufficient for the congregation until in 1879 a new and larger one was erected at a cost of $2,500. The first Presbyterian services were held as early as 1825. They were conducted by Rev. Mr. Wolf, who for years previous had been a missionary among the Indians and traveled all over Northern Ohio, establishing churches, and it was through his work and efforts a Presbyterian congregation was formed, and later a church erected. The United Brethren held services long before they were strong enough to erect a church. They finally built one near Tiro, and their present large building was erected in 1878. St. Mary's Catholic Church, at North Auburn, had its origin in the spring of 1879, when the Catholics living in the neighborhood Waynesburg met together to devise some plan whereby Sunday services could be held and a Sunday school started nearer than New Washington. It was decided to erect a frame structure on a corner of the old Faeth farm, winch was accordingly done, Father Amadeus Dambach being the first pastor. He was called away in the summer of 1881 and the church then became a mission of the New Washington church, Rev. Laurence Reiland ministering to the two congregations from 188i to i888. The Rev. George Vogt was then assigned as pastor and during his term of service the church was frescoed and stained glass windows were substituted for the old plain glass panes, Father Vogt donating one window and Father Horstman another. In 1899 Rev. John Kunnert took charge of the church at New Washington and the mission of St. Mary's. During his term as pastor a basement was dug and the building equipped with a furnace ; and the somewhat high church tower was lowered for considerations of safety. In July, 1906 Rev. G. M. Schmidz was appointed as resident priest of St. Marys, and under him various church organizations were established. These are the Christian Mother Society, which has a membership of thirty-seven; the St. Agnes Sodality and St. Aloysius Sodality, in which the young women and young men of the parish are respectively enrolled. The parish now numbers about 60 -families. In connection with the parish there is a successful parochial school. Father Schmidz was ordained at Baltimore. Md. in 1904 by Cardinal Gibbons. Besides acting as pastor of St. Mary's he supplies St. Anthony's church, which he organized three years ago. The first school house was built on the farm of Robert Cook in 1821. It was a small log structure and built by the settlers. A schoolhouse being necessary, a day was fixed and the .settlers in that section all turned out, selected the site, cut down the trees, did not stop to hew the logs, but put them in round, and by nightfall the building was up. A roof of clapboards was added and a floor; the crevices between the logs were filled with mud. It was a small cabin, and the fire place occupied almost one end of the room, while at the other was the teacher's desk, this desk and the benches being made by the pioneers. The pupil had no desks. John Talford was the first teacher, during the winter of 1821-2, and he had about fifteen scholars. About 1823 a young lady named Mary Wilcox was the first female teacher in the township. having a school in an old abandoned cabin, in the Hammond neighborhood. It had been fitted up with benches, and the following year a school house was erected on the Hammond farm, the settlers in that section turning out to do the work. It was of logs but larger than the first shool house. Amos Morse attended this 188 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY school, when a boy of five, passing through the forest daily about two miles from his father's farm to the school building. He states the benches were very uneven, having been split out of wood having a crooked grain. Unfortunately, he was so small his feet could not touch the floor, and here he was compelled to sit hour after hour to learn his letters. The early part of the day it was fairly easy to occupy the seat without slipping off, but the discomfort became torture as the day wore on. Among the first teachers in this school house were Erastus Sawyer and Daniel W. Ross. In 1824 Rodolphus Morse was the teacher and from some cause the building caught fire and was burned down, but the balance of the term was completed in an abandoned cabin near the school house, which was hurriedly fitted up with home-made benches. Everything was destroyed by the fire, most of the books of the pupils, which were generally left in the school room. In 1824 another school building was erected on what is now the Willford farm, a mile east of Waynesburg. with a young man named John Webber as the teacher. Webber was a very lively young man, and although he was conducting the school successfully the staid old directors had their doubts, and one day William Laugherty. one of the directors, was irritated at his latest boyish prank, and went to the school house and ordered him to leave. Webber saw it was useless to argue with the irate director, so he gathered up his hooks, and left the school room, demonstrating that he was decidedly full of fun and entitled to his reputation as being a lively boy, by pausing at the door long enough to paralyze the horrified director with a parting blast: "Farewell schoolroom, farewell school, Farewell Laugherty, you d     d old fool." The school being without a teacher, Mr. Laugherty finished the term himself. About 1825 a school house was built on the farm of Adam Aumend and another on that of Jesse Ladow, and some years later one in the northwestern part of the township. so that prior to 1830 the entire township was conveniently supplied with school houses. The first yillage laid out in the township was Waynesburg. It is one of the eldest of the now abandoned towns in the county. It was laid out by John Stewart, the surveyor of Richland county, in the spring of 1833, as the plat was filed in the office of the county recorder at Mansfield, on May 16, 1833. The new town was on one of the important roads, the nearest town to the east being Plymouth and on the west Attica. It was called Waynesburg after Gen. Anthony Wayne, and was laid out on land belonging to Aaron Cory and Richard Miller. It had twenty-six lots, all facing Main street, that street being the pubhc road from Plymouth to Sycamore and McCutchenville. The north and south street was called Market, and on both sides of each street was an alley. This constituted the town. There were two or three cabins in the neighhorhood when the town was started, and several farmers bought lots, expecting to realize a handsome profit when the village prospered, but their expectations were doomed to disappointment, as later in the same year New Washington, three miles west was laid out, and eventually became the town in that section. The lots at Waynesburg were sold at auction, bringing $8 to $10 each. Enoch Baker bought one of the corner lots for $10, and shrewdly hesitated about paying the cash until the town showed symptoms of making the investment profitable. Later the town looked as if it would be a success, and he offered his $10, but the price was refused, the lot being then held at $20. and Baker declined to stand the raise. Very few shops were started in the new village. John M. Robison started a blacksmith shop a few rods west of the town in 1835, and followed the business until his death, after which it was run by hip son Robert for many years. Reuben Frishie opened a general store in r833. He was a natural business man. He had only $60 cash, but he borrowed $500 of his brother, and with this capital he started his store. He was a careful buyer and shrewd trader, and in eight years had paid off his original debt and had a capital of $5,000. About 1840 Frishie had opposition when Anderson & Moore opened a store with $2,500 stock, but Frishie still did the bulk of the business and they sold out to Rufus Page. Later Frishie discontinued his store, and Page did a good business for eight or ten years when he sold to Baker & Sims, the firm eventually becoming Sins & Son, and AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 189 finally, business constantly decreasing, the store was closed. Bear & Grafmiller also had a store, of which Bear became sole proprietor and later sold to Enoch Baker. In 1858 Joseph Kerr started a small grocery. Martin lark started a tavern. By 1848, the yillage lad become an important enough center to have a postoffice, and on July 13th of that year James K. Davis, who kept the principal store in the village, was appointed as postmaster. He held the office for fifteen years, and May 20, 1863, was succeeded by William D. Sims, who in turn was followed by Martin Clark, May 26, 1865. On January 24, 1876, he was succeeded by Nancy Clark, who held the office a little over a year, when it was discontinued in July 8, 1877. For years the town had been on the decline, what little business there was gradually being abandoned. The Mansfield and Coldwater road had passed to the south of it, and the Pittsburg, Akron & Western, from Carey had come straight east for over thirty miles on a direct line for W aynesburg, and when it reached New Washington, only three miles away, it bore to the north and passed by the little village and established a station a mile away called North Auburn, and here on January 17, 1891, George S. McKee was made postmaster, succeeded May i6, 1896, by Adam P. Miller and he October 27, 1898, by A. M. Cramer. All that today remains of Waynesburg, are a few houses falling into decay, and nearly all the original twenty-six town lots are again conyerted into farming land. And North Auburn, the post office, is only a railroad station. Half a mile north of the present village of Tiro, between 1845 and 1850 several mechanics settled at the point where the road running from West Liberty and DeKalb to Waynesburg crosses the angling road from Bucyrus to Plymouth. Samuel Hilborn and Israel H. Irwin had blacksmith shops there and S. B. Raudabaugh was a cabinetmaker and carpenter. A cooper shop was also located there, and later Jonathan Davis and William Crouse ran a grist mill, and for a time these enterprises were all successful, and a dozen families were located at the crossing, and it had the appearance of a little village, although it was never laid out in town lots. It was known to the people as Mechanicsburg. As the years passed the little shops were discontinued, and when the town of Tiro was laid out with a railroad the last little shop was discontinued, and what was Mechanicsburg is now a collection of houses on the outskirts of that thriving little village. When Rodolphus Morse settled two miles north of the present village of Tiro, he became an active citizen and Dec. 12, 1825, was appomted the first postmaster, the office being in his cabin. He was succeeded on Jan. 3, 1835. by David C. Morrow. who held the office for twenty-six years, and on July 5, 1861, Ezekiel Dougherty became postmaster, followed Feb. 14, 1870, by M. D. Morse, and on March 17, 1870, by Amos Morse, who held the office until it was moved to Tiro in 1874. In the early days the post office was called both Tiro and Auburn. When the Mansfield, Coldwater and Lake Michigan road was built it passed through the southwestern corner of Auburn township, entering the township at what is now the village of Tiro. Half a mile south of this point was the small but very old village of De Kalb in Vernon township. Where Tiro now stands the railroad established a station and called it Dc Kalb. J. D. Brown laid out forty lots on the southeast quarter of section 22, and they were promptly disposed of and buildings erected. In November, 1878. John Hilborn made an addition to the land of eighty lots. The ".Piro postoffice was transferred to the new town and Ira Van Tilburg was appointed postmaster on Jan. 22, 1874 he was succeeded by M. L. Callin, Dec. 15, 1884, and he by Willis A. Brown Aug. 6, i883, and he by John O. Davis Aug. 16, 1889: Willis Brown again Aug. 18, 1893, and J. M. Van Tilburg July 23, 1897, who has held the office eyer since and is a nephew of the first postmaster. In 1882 the De Kalb post office, one mile south, was discontinued, being consolidated with Tiro. J. and B. S. Van Tilburg started the first store in the new village in 1872, the following year erecting a substantial brick for their use. In 1876 a drug store was started by William Flavin. Tn 1878 J. D. Brown opened a dry goods and general store: and in 1880 Davis & Mitchell started a store with general merchandise. Charles McConnell started a notion 190 - HISTORY OF CRAWFRDD COUNTY store and Misses Grail & Owens a millinery and dress making establishment. In 1883, the present large flouring mill was opened forbusinesss. In 1893 the little village was thriving and the Tiro American was started, a small weekly, which had a struggling existence for three years, and then died a natural death, and some years later a neighboring printer 1 ought the plant and moved it away. On Aug. 3, 1911, the field was again occupied by W..W.. Davis with the Tiro Weekly World. Tiro was incorporated as a village in 1890, and the first election was held on Dec. 12th of that year when Charles McConnell was elected mayor, C. M. Smith, clerk, and J. M. Van Tilburg, treasurer. The first councilmen were J. H. Stevens, John O. Davis, D. C. Robinson, James Hanna, J. W. Burget and A. J. Mauk. The first meeting of the Council was held on Dec. 29th, and the first resolution passed was to borrow $300 "to defray incidental expenses that have accrued and may accrue, until such time as funds can be raised by municipal taxes." J. H. Stevens, John O. Davis and D. C. Robinson were appointed a committee to borrow the money. The next meeting on Jan. 5th showed the credit of Tiro was good, and that the ladies were interested in the little village, as the committee reported they had borrowed the money of Miss Viola Chapman, for fourteen months at six per cent. The note was signed not only by the committee but by every councilman. The first ordinance was introduced by John O. Davis. "Ordinance No. 1, An ordinance to prohibit ale, beer and porter houses, and other places where intoxicating liquors are sold at retail." Tiro is the only village in the county where saloons never existed. The puritanic views of the early settlers are largely inherited by their descendants, and it is a very law abiding community-. Some years ago, some of the wags of thevillagee during the night putupp posters, announcing a game of foot ball was to be played in Tiro, the following Sunday between teams of two neighboring towns. Every citizen left his home and was on the streets, crowds gathered everywhere, men and women in indignant protest against such an unheard of sacrilege of the sanctity of the Sabbath. "The mayor looked blue and so did the corporation, too." Backed by a practically unanimous public opinion the corporationofficerss stood firm; if necessary, the National Guard at Bucyrus and Galion would be appealed to; the sheriff of the county must preserve the law, and many of the citizens passed a sleepless night prior to the sacred day, when a foot ball game was to be played. The marshal was early abroad and on the watch; the citizens waited with anxious eye thecomingg of the degenerate teams, but the day passed as quietly as usual and it leaked out the bills were a pure "fake" putupp as a joke. However, it demonstrated that the fourth cony mandment must be kept sacred in Tiro, and it is. They have three churches—the Presbyterian, Baptist and United Brethren, and all have good congregations and are in a flourishing condition. Charles McConnelll was elected as mayor until the year 1907 when he was defeated by James Cahill, but in 1909, he was again elected, and died a few months afterward, being succeeded by the President of the Council, G. O. Blair, who was elected to the office in November,q1911. C. M. Smith was succeeded as clerk by J. F. Clark, F. W. Carmichael, J. E. Brown, J. E. Jones, E. A. Burroughs, Frank F. Roudabaugh, W. H. Guiss, Charles McConnell, 1907 to 1909. and C. D. Schilling, the present incumbent was elected in 1909 and 1911. In August, 1879, Tiro Lodge No. 688 Independent Order of Odd Fellows was instituted with seven charter members, Daniel Howe. Cornelius Fox, E. E. Ashley, S. W. Jeffrey, J. R. Hall, Lewis Williams andMattheww Irwin. The first officers were S. W. Jeffrey, N. G.; J. R. Hall, V. G. ; Cornelius Fox, Sec'y; E. F. Ashley, Treas. The present membership of the lodge is about fifty. On May 24, 1893, Tiro Lodge No. 592 was instituted by Demas Lodge of Bucyrus, with twenty-eight charter members:W.. A. Brown,W.. H. Guiss. W. F. McConnell, B C. Ramsey, J. C. Davis, I. M. Vantilburg, I. E. Jones, A. E. Fox, J. M. Dickson, A. C. Robinson, A. F. Cline, T. M. Michener, F. F. Shilling, H. L. Raudabaugh, Charles McConnell, E. T.Hilbornn. T. S. Melchior, S. A. Stock, A. E. Gaff. Paul Galehr, I. F. Brown, James Hart. W. M. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 191 Ovens, E. B. Rex, F. W. May, E. A. Yarnell, F. W.Carmichel,l R. E. Sawyer. The lodge now has a membership of 102. In April, 1896, williss A. Brown organized the Farmers and Citizens Bank. Among those interested in the bank with Mr. Brown were J. D. Brown, A. C. Robinson and John E. Brown; A. C. Robinson was the president, andW.. A. Brown, the cashier. The capital stock was$1,000... While the bank was a great convenience to the people of that section the growing business of the village made it a profitable investment, and the capital stock was increased to $23,000. Of the original founders of the bank,W. A. Brown is the only one now connected with the institution, and he has remained its cashier since its organization. Mr. Robinson was succeeded aspresidentt by J. M. Dickson, and on his death,Shermann Daugherty became president, a position he still holds. In 1900 Tiro had a population of 293, which was increased to 321 in 1910. It has several good stores, a number of shops, a hotel, and the principal street has a fine stone pavement extending almost its entire length, on both sides. Two physicians are located in Tiro, Dr. G. O. Blair and R. M. Guiss and the village is remarkably healthy, the principal cause of death being old age. It is well lighted and has an abundance of good water. Its town hall isconyenientlyy located, and its people are contented, prosperous and happy. Nearly all own their own homes and many of them are men. who have worked hard in their younger days, and now in the pretty village they are passing their declining yearsenjoyingg that freedom from care and worry they have so well earned. John Hilborn lived with his father on the road that passed north of Tiro. the road from ucyruss to Plymouth, part of the way near his father's it crossed a swamp half a mile in width this had a corduroy road bed, and even with these it was sometimes almostimpassable,, and many a time he took his father's team to assist in extricating some wagon loaded with wheat on its way to the market at Milan. About a mile northeast of Waynesburg was the Baker farm, and just east of Waynesburg Honey creek makes a sudden turn to the east; in the earlier day it continued in a northeasterly direction and meandered through the Baker farm, and for half the year his land was under water, and during the wet spring his house, which was on a mound, was completely surrounded by water. At his own expense Mr. Laker cut a channel for the creek straight north so that it passed half a mile east of his house, and Honey creek today from theWaynesburg roadd north is almost as straight as a section line. The cost was over $1,000,exclusiyee of the time and labor of Mr. Baker, but the wisdom of the investment was demonstrated by the fact that the cost was paid for in a very few years by the increased crops. In the earlier days, the entire northern part of the township was ayastt marsh filled with cranberries, and the earlier settlers found it a. profitable business to gather these cranberries for the market. The reclaiming of the marsh land by ditching has made much of it farming land, but still cranberries can be found and the past year Lafayette Akers gathered about three bushel in one day. In the extreme northern section is the lower part of the great Pittsburg farm, where vegetable gardening is conducted in a wholesale way. The Pittsburg company thoroughly drained the entire section..damn was erected on the Coykendall creek, and a mud scow containing the machinery was used, and the accumulations of years taken from the bottom of the creek, sometimes at a depth of six to eight feet coming across fallen trees with trunks over a foot in diameter. This entire scamp land in the centuries had been filled up a little each season by the decaying grass and trees which made it when drained such a wealth-producing soil. In the preparation of roads, in later years, through the forests and swamps, traps were frequently unearthed several feet underground which had been originally placed by Pettigon, 'Morehead or one of the early settlers. The Baker house in the northwestern part of the township was on a small mound, and this was once a large Indian burying-ground. Indian remains were first discovered by Mr. Baker in 1833 when he dug a well on the mound, and at a depth of about eighteen inches came upon four skeletons lying side by side, two with their heads to the east and two to 192 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY the west. No hunting implements or articles of clothing were found, and on being exposed to the air the more fragile portions crumbled into dust. One of the Indians was very large, as his jaw bone was large enough to pass oyer the jaw of an ordinary man, and the upper bone of the arm was four inches longer than that of the average man, and had a corresponding thickness. Later in digging around the yard fifteen other skeletons have at different times been found, and in no case was any war instrument found with them as is customary in the burial of an Indian warrior. These were all buried near the surface. In 1866 when digging a cellar nine more were unearthed, these, too, having some with their heads to the east and others to the west. Since the first discovery in 1833, as many as thirty skeletons have been unearthed on the mound on which the residence stands and those last discovered show no greater signs of decomposition than the earlier ones, indicating they had lain there for several centuries. In April, 1887, J. D. Michener, while digging a ditch for Herbert Duboise on the old Green farm in the southeastern part of the township found a number of bones of some pre-historic animal, one part of a tooth 63/4 by 4 inches in length and 20 inches in circumference. It weighed 2 pounds 10 ounces. Several smaller teeth were found weighing about a pound. All other bones except these teeth had long since mouldered to decay. About two miles northeast of Tiro is the Hanna grave yard, and as far as pioneer lore is concerned this little country grave yard goes back to the earliest days, and contains more pioneers than any other burial site in the county. The oldest stone here is that of John Snyder, who died Dec. 1, 1821. He was born in 1764.. Daniel Daugherty is buried here: born April 23, 1776, the year and the month "the shot was fired heard round the world." He died Nov. 26. 1876. over a hundred years old. Here lies Seth Hawks, the pious Presbyterian, who forgot the Sabbath day. He was born July 2, 1793, fought `in the War of 1812, and died July 20, 1824. Another veteran of the War of 1812 was Rudolphus Morse, born April 26, 1791, and died Oct. 11, 1872. Here lies also Andrew Varnica, the hermit, born in Prussia, Jan. 24. 1768. lead ing his lonely life until March 23, 1847, when he passed into the presence of his maker carrying his secret with him. Here are other graves of those in this one burial spot who belong to the days of over a century ago; Jonathan Ashley, born Aug. 9, 1775; died Nov. 3, 1852. Jonas Ashley, born Nov. 26, 1797; died Sept. 26, 1862. P. J. Archer, born Feb. 2, 1790; died April 24, 1845. Adam Aumend, born Noy. 12, 1799; died June 30, 1882. John Blair, born 1777; died Sept. 19, 1847. George Bloom, born March 30, 1791; died July 9, 1865. John Burchard, born March 1790; died June 5, 1881 Joseph Champion, born Aug. 9, 1781 ; died June 8, 1845. David Cummings, born Feb. 27, 1772; died Dec. 27. 1855. David Cummings, born May 4, 1781: died Aug. 17, 1841 Joshua Chilcott, born April 3, 1761 ; died July 3, 1837 Benjamin Chilcott, born April 5, 1799, died Aug. 30, 1824. Tiwecke Dewitt, born 1790; died Sept. 22, 1823. John Frazee, born Jan. 27, 1770; died Dec. 1, 1859. John Frazee, born July 25, 1799; died Dec. 4. 1862. William Green, born Nov. 8, 1778; died April 21, 1862. Benjamin Griffith, born Aug. 16, 1782 ; died Feb. 9, 1849. George Hammond, born May 20, 1789; died Dec. 30, 1868. Aaron B. Howe, born Feb. 3, 1782 ; died April 20, 1853. Samuel Harley, born Sept. 24, 1776: died Aug. 6, 1841. Samuel Hanna, born Sept. 2, 1795 ; died June 2, 1862. Harvey Hoadley, born Feb. 9, 1798: died June 17, 1807. William Jameson, born Aug. 21, 1779: died Aug. 26, 1846. Isaac Hilborn, born July 20, 1799 : died April 30, 1864. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 198 Frederick 11 yers, born 1768; died June 20, 1843. James McCrea, born Feb. 14, 1773; died Dec. 31, 1850. John L. Metcalf, born March 7, 1775; died June 19, 1871. Charles Morrow, born Jan. 1, 1777; died Dec. 4, 1845. Thomas Pope, born June 1, 1782; died Feb. 22, 1849. Abel C. Ross, born May 8, 1800; died July 12, 1870. Robert Ralston, born April 26, 1768; died Oct. 26, 1854 James Ralston, born Jan. 1, 1799; died Sept. 1, 1888. Robert Robinson, born 1783; died May 14, 1853. Erastus Sawyer, born Oct. 10, 1800: died July 12, 1870. Daniel Trago, born May 5, 1796; died Jan. 3, 1876. Peter Vanorsdoll, born 1790; died Dec. 14, 1834. John Wilson, born March 31, 1799; died May 10, 1861. Joseph William, born July 17, 1765; died Dec. 27, 1836. The Handley grave yard is one mile northwest of Tiro: here the first interment was William Handley who was born in 1791, and died Aug. 24, 1848. Another pioneer is Andrew McCaskey, born March 17, 1791; died Sept. 17, 1867. Other cemeteries are at the Good Will church; another on the farm now owned by August Herzer, one mile east of Waynesburg, and the Baptist cemetery near the Howe farm. CHAPTER IX BUCYRUS TOWNSHIP Creation of the Township—Location and Topography—Drainage—First Settlers—lndian Sugar Camp—Early Mills—The Nortons—Zalmon Rowse—Colored Pioneers—Organization and Election in 1824—Josiah Scott—A Township Treasurer's Responsibility ties—Some Early Officials—Churches and Schools—A Traveling Schoolhouse—Miss Monnett's Donation —Early Taverns—Farming Operations—Indian Trails—Roads— An Ancient Sword— Cemeteries. First Norton and the Beadles came, With friends (an enterprising band), Young and McMichael, men of fame, Soon joined the others, hand in hand; By various plans t' improve the lands, They early rise with every morn, Near where the town Bucyrus stands, All on Sandusky's rural bourn. -COL. KILBOURNE'S SONG OF BUCYRUS. Bucyrus township was named after the town of Bucyrus, the town being named between Oct. 1st and Dec. r-, 1821. It was created by the commissioners at Delaware in 1822. and consisted of territory 12 miles wide extending from the southern boundary of the present Bucyrus township to the present northern boundary of the county, the present Bucyrus, Holmes, Lykens, Chatfield, Liberty and part of Cranberry and Whetstone townships by surveyor's maps, township 1, 2 and 3, range 16, east, and township 1, 2 and 3, range 17 east. Later the commissioners of Delaware county created the township of Bucyrus as it at present exists, and on Dec. 7, 1824, the journal of the Marion county commissioners contains the following entry: "On application of citizens of surveyed fractional township three of range 16 an order was issued to organize the original fractional township 3 of range 16." While six miles square the township was called fractional as the western two and a third miles of the township was Indian reservation. Bucyrus township was then in the southeastern part of the county and when the charter was granted for the Columbus and Sandusky turnpike, the Legislature gave the company 31,360 acres of land 49 section, "along the western side of the Columbus and Sandusky turnpike, in the eastern part of Crawford, Marion and Seneca counties." Before Bucyrus township was formed it was a part of Sandusky township, perhaps all the present Crawford being that township, as on April 15, 1821, the Delaware commissioners appointed Joseph Young and Westell Ridgely as justices of the peace for Sandusky township. Young then lived near Bucyrus and Ridgely near Leesville, neither place being been in existence. These were the officials in Crawford county. South of Bucyrus and east of the present Little Sandusky road the country was the Sandusky Plains, named by the Indians after the river. From the river north, the entire northwestern part of the township was forest. The township was well watered. The Sandusky river entering in the northeast quarter section of the township, and running southwesterly leaves the township two miles from the southwest corner. Small streams on both sides empty into this river. A mile and a half south of the Sandusky. the Little Scioto starts southwesterly through the township. entering Dallas township a mile and a half east of the western boundary of the township. This little stream has half a dozen smaller tributaries on both sides. In the northwestern part. Grass - 194 - AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 195 Run with several branches covers that section, while in the southwest little streams go southward to the Whetstone. The extensive plains in the southern part of the county were nearly all swamp, and most of the year in the early lay under water. In the summer season in hee ages past, the land was covered with a tall coarse grass, as high as five and six feet; each fall this decayed and in years following produced a rich, soft soil, so that the snows of w inter and the rains of summer kept the section covered with marshes. While the land was almost level, there was occasionally some slightly rising ground, on which trees grew, small groves which were called "islands." The formation of the soil from its decaying vegetation made it some of the richest farming land in the county, yet its swampy condition, and the absence of trees for building cabins and for fuel in winter made it a section which few of the early settlers desired to occupy, and as a result they preferred the woodland, with the labor of clearing the forest, and making their farms by the slow process of cutting down the trees, rather than the swampy land nature had already cleared. Also, the marshy land was unhealthy, and ague was frequent with the few early settlers who risked a location in this spot. Some who came braved it through; others, after a short trial, abandoned their land, and took up claims elsewhere; still others, too poor to move, had to remain, stand their siege of fever and ague yearly, and start graveyards for their unfortunate little ones. This was the Sandusky Plains, today spoken of and written of all over the state as the finest and most fertile section in Ohio. The locations of the Sandusky and Scioto rivers as they traverse the township in the same southwesterly direction two miles apart, produce the interesting fact that between these streams are many buildings from which the water falling from the roofs, flow .on the one side into the Sandusky and Lake Erie and to the Atlantic, and on the other into the Scioto, and through the Ohio and Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. The most noted of these buildings was the large barn built by Col. Wm. Monnett in the southeastern part of the present city of Bucyrus. It was on a knoll, seyeral hundred feet southwest of the house, in his pasture field. An Indian trail once passed over this knoll, following along the higher ground through Bucyrus, and to Upper Sandusky, and near the barn a generation ago was to be seen an old Indian well, a hollow sycamore several feet in the earth where lizards made their home in the stagnant water; and men who are grandfathers now, remember their speculations as to the old well and as to who planted the wild cherry tree that shared with the barn and the well a position on the knoll. The first settlers in Bucyrus township were Samuel Norton, with a party of eighteen. They were the first arrivals in what became Crawford county in 1820. Crawford county had not yet been created, the land known as the New Purchase, being the land purchased of the Indians by the treaty of 1817. Later in the spring of 1819 they left their home in Luzerne (now Susquehanna) county, the extreme northeastern county of Pennsylvania, and in a big "schooner" wagon, with its curved canvas top, traveled through the entire length of Northern Pennsylvania, then half through Ohio, to near Galion, on the border of the New Purchase, where Norton had determined to locate. Here he left his family, and with his brother-in-law Albigence Bucklin, and Seth Holmes, the driyer and guide of the expedition, who in the War of 1812 had passed through this section, they started on a prospecting expedition, visiting the settlers along the Whetstone; but having come so far, the pioneer fever was on them, and Holmes told of a better location on a bigger river farther to the west, so they wandered through the tall wild grass of the Sandusky plains, and finally reached the Sandusky river where Bucyrus now is. The clear stream running through the woods, the freshness of the air, after the dry heat of the plains, and the level country to the south of the river, all satisfied Norton that on the banks of the Sandusky was the land he wanted. The three returned to their families and again the march was taken up of a dozen miles, and in October, 1819, they reached the land selected, and for three days they liyed in an Indian wigwam, which was standing on the ground now occupied by the courthouse. The men went to work and erected a small log house: there were 196 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY but three of them so the logs were small, and it was erected on the banks of the Sandusky, on the west side of the present Sandusky avenue bridge, on what is now the land owned and occupied by C. H. Shonert. Down the slight bluff Norton had his pretty river, with its clear pare water: around him were the forest trees, and he could shoot game from his door, and find fish in the stream. The "homestead" being built, a similar log structure was erected for his brother-in-law, on the land north of East Mansfield street, and west of the T. & O. C. road. Here Albigence Bucklin with his wife and six children and an adopted daughter Polly moved, the "homestead" being occupied by Norton and his wife and six children, Seth Holmes being sole proprietor and owner by right of discovery of the Indian wigwam. Here the pioneers passed their first winter, the woods furnishing them with an abundance of game, and the meal brought with them furnishing the bread ; the game was the staple food, and the corn bread was the luxury. In the Norton cabin on the banks of the Sandusky, on Feb. i6, 1820, was born a daughter, who was named Sophronia, the first white child born in Bucyrus, and the first white child born in that part of Crawford west of Richland county. Fortunately for these early settlers the winter of 1819-20 was very mild; the winter was put in clearing away the trees, and in February Mr. Norton planted his first crop, showing how mild the winter had been, and the virgin soil responded with gladness, for he stated in after years his first crop was the finest he ever raised. The nearest settlement was a dozen miles away on the banks of the Whetstone, where a few settlers had erected cabins; the nearest store double that distance, with no roads, only Indian trails through the forest: so, as with all early settlers, these pioneers had to depend on the resources at hand and their own ingenuity. The children must be clothed and fed: the latter was easy owing to nature's prodigality, but the clothing was another matter. In the house the mother and daughters spun the flax and wove the cloth into the coarse garments, and made up the deer skin into breeches and jackets. Norton made a trip of about 20 miles to "Friendsborough," a maker settlement in whit is now Morrow county, where he occurcd ten pounds of Wool. They had brought with then spinning wheels and a loom and the wool was made into cloth, and the cloth into clothing. Norton started a little tannery adjoining his house, the first business industry in Bucyrus. He tanned the hides and then manufactured shoes for the family. He planted an orchard with seeds he had brought with him from Pennsylvania, and while waiting for the trees to grow gathered apples from an orchard across the river planted by Johnny Appleseed, on the lot now owned by Hon. L. B. Finley, where even to this date, a century after, some of the trees still exist, while of the orchard of Norton not a tree remains. While the Nortons and the Bucklins were the only white people for miles around, they were not the only inhabitants of the region, and it was only a few days until the Norton home was visited by a band of Indians from the Wyandot reservation. These savages were always peaceful and had been for years, but the pioneers had frequently heard in their eastern home of the cruelties and barbarities Of the savages, and naturally at first they regarded these visits with anxiety. When the men folks were at home, the Indians lay on the floor of the cabin, with their blankets wrapped around them, thankful for any food given them. Occasionally they came when the men folks were absent, and the children in their fear would run to their mother, as scared as themselves. It Was a great delight to the Indians to see the fear their presence created, and they would whoop, yell and dance, brandishing their knives, and adding to the terrors of the mother and children. Later, these visits were regarded as a matter of course, the custom of an Indian always being to drop into any cabin whenever he pleased and consider the house as his own. Not infrequently he entered a cabin at night, and without a word, perhaps with a guttural grunt, wrapped his blanket around him, and lay down in front of the fire, and promptly fell asleep, leaving in the morning without a word. It was soon found that the Indians were harmless; they were treated kindly and sometimes brought game to the family. They greatly enjoyed seeing people exhibit fear, age or sex being no bar hence their wild yells and frantic ac- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 197 tions to frighten the women and children. The Norton girls state that once they were playing near the Bucklin home, about where the old Bucyrus Machine company building now stands; their game was hide-and-seek, concealing themselves behind the fallen logs. An Indian trail ran past this site, and while they were in hiding behind the logs, a band of Indians appeared along the trail. One of the Indians, Charley Elliott, caught a glimpse of one of the children and he raised a blood curdling yell, which very promptly raised three girls from behind as many different logs, who made up their minds home was the best place for them, and they started at top speed, the Indians accelerating their flight by all joining in a series of war cries. The Indians did not care to follow but evidenced their delight by wild whooping and howling. In the spring of 1820, the cool nights and the warm days made the best of maple sugar weather. Where the public square now is west of it was a grove of maple trees, and here the Indians established a camp, tapped the trees and gathered the sap, and boiled it down into sugar, and the Norton homestead was swarmed with visiting Indians while the season lasted. The squaws brought the kettles, some on horseback, and others traveling the sixteen miles from their Upper Sandusky village, carrying the heavy brass kettle and a pappoose or two besides. Mrs. Norton visited the camp and was kindly received by the Indians, especially by the women, who showed great friendship for the "palefaced squaw." Norton had settled on his land, built his cabin, and in 1820, when the land was open to purchase he went to Delaware and entered 400 acres on the banks of the Sandusky, on 240 of which the central portion of Bucyrus now stands. The Norton daughters reported that their father told them that when he reached Delaware to secure the certificate from the government for his land, some Quakers endeavored to persuade him that the lands he intended entering did not correspond with the tract he wanted, but their father insisted he knew the land he wanted. The Quakers were partly right, as the final survey showed the Norton land did not extend to the river, but only to Perry street, and Norton found he had built his cabin just north of his land. The cabin was of no value, but Norton hated to leave his home on the bluff overlooking the pretty river. He built another cabin, however, on his own land on the lot that is now the southeast corner of Spring and Galen streets. It was a double cabin, had two large rooms on the lower floor, and was built of large logs, a cabin raising being held when the neighbors came to place the heavy logs into position. The chimney was of stone for the first story, and above that it was made of sticks and mud. It had a large garret for the children to sleep in, and was for those days a commodious structure. After the arrival of the Nortons and the Bucklins, the next settler to arrive was a "squatter," a man who does not enter land; he "squats" down wherever he pleases, builds a little cabin, stays as long as he pleases, and then leaves. Mr. Norton's daughters state that "One Sunday morning we were awakened by the crowing of several roosters in the southwest, and our ears were saluted with the welcome ring of another pioneer's ax, which sounds seemed to us, who had so often listened to the barking and howling of the wolves, the sweetest music." After a hurried breakfast, Norton and his wife started out in search of the newcomers. It was a man named Sears, who with his wife and family had located on land just west of where Oakwood cemetery now is. They had arrived the evening before with a horse and wagon, and were glad to meet neighbors in the wilderness. The whole family returned to the Norton home for a meal, and the next day Norton, Bucklin and Holmes put in the day raising a small log cabin for the new arrivals, and after it was erected Sears plastered the cracks with mud. nut on the roof, and moved in, the wagon having been their sleeping apartment until the family home was done. While Sears was at work on his cabin, Seth Holmes took over a deer and other small game ; the Nortons and the Bucklins sent over honey and other provisions they could snare, and at odd hours assisted in making the new home habitable. The Sears family did not stay long; the restless moving spirit of the "squatter" soon came on 198 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY them again, and they left for parts unknown, drifting still farther to the west, leaving an empty cabin behind. But during the year 1820 other settlers, real settlers,, did arrive. The Beadles were the first in the spring of that year, David Beadle, with two sons, Mishael and David, and a son-in-law, John Ensley. Next came Daniel McMichael and Joseph Young, and during the year several others. In his song of Bucyrus Col. Kilbourne thus gives them: "First Norton and the Beadles came With friends an enterprising band; Young and McMichael, men of fame, Soon joined the others heart and hand." Poetry is not the best method of writing history, as to preserve the rhythm and meter much of the detail must be omitted, so two of the first pioneers, Bucklin and Holmes, get notice as "friends," the same with son-in-law Ensley. As to Sears, he was not a pioneer and Col. Kilbourne did well to omit him. Young and McMichael, although classed as men of fame, were not more distinguished than Norton and Beadle, but the necessity of a rhyme to "came," occurring in the line with their names, gave them the distinguished honor of .being famous. The Beadles came across the Plains from the Quaker settlement of Friendsborough in Morrow county, and Mishael Beadle had his cabin on West Mansfield street, where the late Silas Bowers' residence now is; this was on the north 40 acres of an 80-acre tract; on the south 40 acres David Beadle had his cabin, and with him was his son, David, a young man of i7; their cabin was near the corner of Charles and Spring streets. The Norton daughters, and Mrs. Ichabod Rogers state the Beadles were very migratory, Mishael at one time liying across the river at the northwest corner of the Tiffin road and North River street, the old man and young Dayid moving into Mishael's former cabin on West Mansfield. John Ensley, with his wife, Ann Beadle, also liyed over the river, near Mishael's second residence. Mishael was married, and in the summer of 1822, the first death occurred, a little son of Mishael Beadle, and Norton gave the ground for a burial site, at the junction of Walnut, Galion and Middletown streets, and here the little boy was buried, the early pioneers all tendering what aid and sympathy they could to the afflicted family. That winter another daughter of David Beadle, named Clarinda, was married and later young David took himself a wife. Mishael Beadle tired of his residence over the river and entered a tract of land south of the present Oakwood cemetery, now the Magee farm, and here he was contented to remain several years, his brother-in-law entering the land just east of him, extending to what is now the Marion road. The Beadles were as fond of hunting as they were opposed to work, and when about 1826, Samuel Myers bought the original 80-acre tract they had entered only eight or ten acres had been cleared. The price paid to the Beadles by Myers for the land was $6 an acre.. About 1827 they moved west. Bucklin also left the county, but the Nortons, the McMichaels and the Youngs are still here in the third and fourth generations. Joseph Young entered his first land in section 5, Whetstone township, nearly two miles east of Bucyrus; he built a small flouring mill run by horse power, on the river a mile west of Bucyrus, where Sinn's dam was later built with a regular water-power mill; afterward known as Couts dam. The mill run by horse power meant with him that a man brings his grain, hitches his own horse to the mill, and grinds the grain. He kept no horses himself at the mill. Later he gave the mill to his son-in-law, George Black, and a dam was built, and the mill run by water power and it became an important mill for years to come. Young also gave each of his sons rho acres, as the tax duplicate of 1830 shows that George, Jacob and John Young each. had 160 acres along the river near the mill. Daniel McMichael came to this section in the fall of 1819, and spent his first winter on the banks of the Whetstone, eight miles from Bucyrus. He was there with his family when Norton was making his trip looking up a location. He was in what is now Crawford county, but then it was a part of Richland county, in the neighborhood of the Sharrocks. Daniel McMichael then moved into Liberty township in the spring of 1820, the first settler in that township, built a grist mill on his land on the river one mile northeast of Bucyrus, the first mill in the county. Then he came AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 199 to Bucyrus erecting a house on his 80-acre tract north of the riyer, on the hill where the residence of Hon. E. B. Finley now stands. He also entered 8o acres east of Norton's land, and 80 acres south of the Norton land, this 80 being south of Middletown and east of Walnut streets. He started a small distillery on the banks of the Sandusky, where the electric works now are, but he only ran it a few months. He died in 1825, and for ten years the settlement of his estate occupied many entries in the court docket. The ruins of the old log house he built remained for many years, until in 1865 they were torn down and the present handsome building erected by John Sims, who a year or two later sold it to Mr. Finley, the present occupant. In 1821 Zalmon Rowse came to Crawford county, and while he settled in Whetstone township came to Bucyrus the same year, settling on the land on the south side of the Galion road, where for so many years Col. Wm, Monnett resided. He promptly took an active hand in the yillage and county affairs, and when in 1823, Crawford was attached to Marion for judicial purposes, Zalmon was the first justice of the peace, his territory including the present three townships in range 16 and 17, and in 1825 was elected county commissioner, a position he held at the time Crawford county was organized, when he was appointed assessor for the entire county. When courts were first held here, he was appointed the first clerk. At the time of the first court, David H. Beardsley came over from Marion as clerk to act until the new court could find a suitable man. They found him instantly and promptly appointed him in Zalmon Rowse. Courts up to 1851 appointed the clerk. Rowse served without any interruption for 14 years. He was also recorder during practically the same time; also justice of the peace, and frequently township clerk, and now, after nearly a century has passed, it is a pleasure for any searcher of the ancient records, to meet with those kept by Zalmon Rowse in any of his multitudinous offices. They are clear and concise, and aboye all exact; the writing neat, legible and correctly spelled. They show he was systematic and methodical. He was at the head of ev ery movement for the building up of his village and county. Norton was the founder of Bucyrus, Kilbourne was the sponsor, Enoch Merriman was the capitalist, but Zalmon Rowse was the ceaseless, untiring worker, the first and greatest booster the town ever had, and when some really important public improvement is made in the future it should be called Zalmon, in remembrance of the man who did more than any other one man for his town. A generation later Stephen, Horace, Quincy, William and Henry Rowse were all active business men in this community, Horace and William building the Rowse Block that still bears their name; Quincy owning the woolen mills, Stephen being a heavy stock-dealer and Henry a rising young attorney, mayor of the village, but called away in his early manhood. In his leisure moments Zalmon Rowse was a farmer, a contractor and builder, and shone resplendent once a year in a gorgeous uniform as colonel of the Ohio militia, having been commissioned lieutenant-colonel in 1825. His duties as clerk of the court in those days included those of recorder and probate judge, and for filling these three offices hereceiyedd $60 a year, and never petitioned the legislature for an increase of salary. When the Columbus and Sandusky turnpike was incorporated, he was a director; when the Pennsylvania and Indiana road was built, he was for a time secretary, and when the Masons organized a lodge here, he was a charter member. He built the brick building still standing on the old Monnett farm, and he built the American House in 1831. which stood on the northwest corner of Sandusky and Warren streets. In 1835 he united with the M. E. church, and until his death was one of the pillars of that organization. The Rowses, once so prominent here, have all moved away, and the only ones now recalled are Edith Chesney, a great-granddaughter, her mother being Cora Rowse, her grandfather William Rowse, and another great-granddaughter Lucille Lewis, daughter of Lily Rowse, who was a daughter of Stephen D. Rowse; a great-grandson, Allen Campbell, son of Eva Rowse, who was a daughter of Horace Rowse. Zalmon Rowse died in Bucyrus, Aug. 15, 1854. Heman Rowse, a brother of Zalmon, set-