200 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY tied in Whetstone township in 1822, and the following year moved to Bucyrus township, purchasing 80 acres on the pike just south of Bucyrus. He was killed, while assisting at a house raising southwest of the village in 1831. Seth Holmes, who came with the Nortons, entered some land in Whetstone township, but lived in the town and died here about 1826. He never married. He was Bucyrus' first old bachelor. His brother, Truman came to Bucyrus township in 1823 or 1824, with four sons, Lyman, Henry, Elisha and Zalmon. One of the daughters of Truman Holmes married Rensselaer Norton. Elisha, Thaddeus, David and John Kent came about 1821, Elisha entering the 80-acre tract on Plymouth street, which was the Kerr farm for so many years and later the Hall farm. Abel Cary came to the township in 1821, and was followed by Lewis Cary in 1822, with a wife and nine children. A year or two later his brother Aaron came. The Carys all settled in Bucyrus village. Amos Clark settled on 80 acres southwest of Sandusky and Charles, his cabin being near the present residence of E. B. Monnett. He also owned 38 acres north of town and donated a portion of it for the burying ground on the Tiffin road. In 1826 Gen. Samuel Myers came and purchased of the Beadles the 80 acres west of Spring street, and also entered a tract south of Bucyrus. Later he received the commission of general in the Ohio militia. George and John Shroll came in 1830, George having 138 acres, a part of which is now Oakwood cemetery. John had 140 acres west of this, where later Judge Summers resided, and still later known as the William Magee farm. He was an elder in the Lutheran church. About July 1, 1835, business called him to Sandusky City: he arrived to find cholera raging there. He hurriedly transacted his business and returned home, but he had exposed himself and he was stricken with the dread disease and died. His faithful brother Daniel hurried to his assistance and tended him to the last. Daniel was a deacon in the church of which his brother was elder, and his soul passed into the presence of his Maker, sustained and soothed by his faithful Brother. But family loyalty and brotherly faithfulness must look for their reward in the world above, for in ministering to his brother, Daniel himself caught the fatal disease and died, and if ever a man received the grand words as he entered the pearly gates of "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joys of the Lord," that man was Daniel Shroll. The Crawford County History of 1870 says: "The Lutheran church met on July 12, 1835, and, after showing due respect to their memory, elected successors to fill the vacancy caused by their sad death." It will be observed that these early settlers all chose the high ground within a mile of .Bucyrus. Those now so rich and fertile plains were passed by. Nobody wanted them. As James Nail said he "doubted if this land would ever be occupied"—land now where every acre is held as high as a town lot in many of the additions to Bucyrus. But some were wise—not Crawford county people, but the outside investors. In the southern half of Bucyrus township, much of the land had been entered by speculators, buying it of the government at $1.25 an acre, believing the time would come when land already cleared would find ready sale. The heaviest of these investors was henry W. Delavin, who never lived in the county, but owned several sections in southern Bucyrus. One of these sections was 26, on the Pike, three miles south of Bucyrus, later the Ross farm and the G. H. Wright farm, now owned by John Ross, Lafayette Yeagley, David Rexroth, J. B. Steifel, and Airs. D. M. Odaffer. It was Nov. 12, 1829, when William Vance :Marquis came to Bucyrus and settled on land two miles south of Bucyrus ; he had previously visited the county and entered several tracts of land, and in 1829 took possession of one of them. At that time there were just two families between him and the little village. William V. Marquis was a Virginian, who moved to Washington county, Pa., where he married Mary Page, whose father was killed by the Indians. The Marquis land was in section 24, the land later owned by David Marshal, then Benjamin Beal and later Benjamin Beal's children. Mr. Marquis was an early member of the Presbyterian church, and a prominent one. He died in 1834 and left ten children, one a daughter Ruth. who mar- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 201 Tied James McCracken, who for two generations was prominent in the affairs of this county, and whose children were also active and prominent in the history of Bucyrus. About 1828 there came into southern Bucyrus Isaac, William, Thomas and Osborne Monnett. Isaac Monnett owned several farms on the plains prior to 1830. In 1835 Rev. Jeremiah Monnett removed to the township and purchased his land of John Barney, the Rev. Thomas Monnett farm, four miles south of Bucyrus, now occupied by William Monnett, son of Rev. Thomas Monnett. Rev. Jeremiah's house stood just south of the present large brick building. It was a cabin of hewed logs. Here he lived until a better house was erected on the cast side of the pike. He had three children, Abraham, Thomas J. and Mary, the latter later marrying James Royce. There were several families of negroes settled on what afterward became the Gormly farm, two miles south of Bucyrus, later the Rexroth farm. This gave the name to the woods a quarter of a mile from the pike the "nigger Woods." These first colored pioneers were from Virginia, and carne in 1828. At that time, under Ohio laws, the poor overseers of each township had the right to demand bond of Sh00 of any new arrival that he would not become a public charge. The Virginia owner on his death had given them freedom but not enough cash, and they were unable to put up the bond, so all left but one family, known as Old Solomon; he remained with his wife. He did not put up the $500, but one family made no difference and he was allowed to remain. Among those living- in the township in 1830. as shown by the tax duplicate, were Thomas Adams, John Black, John Bowman, Isaac Fickle, Joshua Lewis. John Miller, Joseph Pearce, Jane Stephenson and Gottlieb John Schultz. Thomas Adams had 48 acres in section 9, two miles west of Bucyrus, the Chris Wisman farm along the river; John Black, 80 acres, section 13, a mile south, the Henry Flock farm on the T. & O. C. John Bowman had 80 acres in section 11. southwest of Bucyrus, the William Magee property on the south side of the Little Sandusky road. Isaac Fickle had 160 acres in section 10, a quarter of a mile west of Bowman's, the William Shroll farm, through which the Little Sandusky road passes; Joshua Lewis had 80 acres in section 15, south of Fickle, the George Gibson farm; John Miller, So acres, section 2, just northwest of Bucyrus, adjoining the Fourth ward, now F. W. Bittikoffer's. Joseph S. Morris, 80 acres, section 12, south of the fair ground, the John Wentz addition, Elizabeth Monnett, and the John Wentz land. Joseph Pearce, 80 acres, section 2, west of Miller's, owned by John Wentz. Gottleib John Schultz, 80 acres, south of Miller's, adjoining the corporation on the west, the Pennsylvania road passing through the northern portion of his tract. Jane Stephenson, 160 acres, section 4, two miles west of Bucyrus, now owned by L. W. Buck and P. A. Beard; also a quarter section of the Wm. Caldwell farm on the Marion road, three miles south of Bucyrus. Other residents in the township as indicated by their paying tax on personal property in 830 were John Bowman, Jr. Thomas Bennet, J. Coulter, Isaac Didie, D. and I. Dinwiddie, William and Joshua Foreacre, William Fraley, Jacob Forney, Jesse Goodell, Jonas Gilson, Peter Hesser, George Hesser, William Hughey and son William, Lewis Heinlen, John Kent, Christopher Noacre, George Aumiller, George Sinn, Daniel Seal, David Tipton, George Welsh, Frederick Wisman. Until 1835 Bucyrus was a fractional township, on account of the western third being an Indian reservation. The encroachment on the Indian land became so great, that early in the thirties pressure was brought to bear on the Indians to sell, but nothing cane of it. Finally, in 1835, the government arranged to buy seven miles of their strip [2 miles deep. This was about two and a third miles of the western part of Bucyrus and Holmes townships, the two miles of northern Dallas, all of Tod, and southern Texas and extending nearly three miles into Wyandot county. The sale was set for Marion in 1837, but there were objections by the Indians after about one-third of the land was sold, and the sale was stopped. Later matters were arranged, and the entire seven-mile strip was sold, and all of the present Crawford county was open to settlement. The land brought about $2 an acre. In the sale a syndicate bought tip all the land around Osceola and laid it out into 202 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY town lots, in the hopes that it being the geographical center of the county as it then existed, it might become the county seat. The southeastern part of the county, especially Bucyrus township, recognized this danger, and later acquiesced in the formation of Wyandot county, with Upper Sandusky as the county seat, losing a strip of land 18 miles deep and 16 miles wide, not very well populated, except around Tymochtee in the northern part, and around Little Sandusky in the southern part. They secured in return a strip two miles wide along the southern border of the county from Marion and four miles wide and 20 deep on the east from Richland, getting in that territory the towns of Galion, Leesville, West Liberty, Middletown and De Kalb, at that time the densest settled section of the county, except Bucyrus. It was Dec. 7, 1824, that the resolution was passed by the Marion commissioners for the organization of Bucyrus township as it exists today. Prior to that it had been a township, which included Holmes and Chatfield. In 1823 Zalmon Rowse was justice of the peace of these townships, his jurisdiction including Whetstone, Liberty and Cranberry. The first recorded township election was Oct. 12, 1824, for justice of the peace, when 49 votes were cast: Conrad Roth, 26; Mishael Beadle, 22 ; Conrad Rhoades, i. The following were the justices in Bucyrus township, dates being year of election: Zalmon Rowse, 1823-27-30-33-36-39; F. B. Merriman, 1824; Conrad Roth, 1824; Edward Billips, 1827; James McCracken, 1828-31-36-45; William Early, 1834; Peter Worst, 1837; James C. Steen, 1839-42; David Holm, 1840-43; Samuel S. Caldwell, 1842-69-72 ; Jacob Howenstein, 1844-50-53; James Stough, 1848-51-54; James Marshall, 1849; John Byers, 1856; John Smith, 1856-59: Christopher Elliott, 1839-62; Chapman D. Ward, 1862-75-78-81-84-87-90-93; William M. Scroggs, 1863-66; Wilson Stewart, 1863-66: George Donnenwirth, 1869-72 ; James M. Van Voorhis, 1872-75 ; John C. Jackson, 1875 : Allen Campbell, 1878-81 ; Caleb B. Foster, 1884-87-90: Horace Holbrook, 1893 ; William H. Scheckler, 1896-99; George W. Didie, 1896-99: John A. Meck, 1901-05-09 ; Frank F. Lamb, 1902 ; Wallace L. Monnett, 1905 ; Edward J. Myers, 1907- 09; Cornelius H. Myers, 1908; and Rufus Aurend, 1912, vice Meck, deceased. There are no records to show who the first officers of the township were, but there are several reasons why the first clerk was Zalmon Rowse. First, he was a fine penman; second, he was the most competent man for the position; third, he had practically every other clerical position; fourth, the records were destroyed, and the search for old records show that it was the records of the offices held by Zalmon Rowse that were destroyed when the jail burned in 1831; he kept all his records with the court records in the county jail. In 1829 a young lawyer came to Bucyrus and opened an office. This lawyer was Josiah Scott, later supreme judge of the state and one of the most able lawyers the state ever produced, so able and so just that later, when supreme judge of the state, a grave question arose, he gave a decision adverse to the opinion of a majority of the people of his state, in opposition to the wishes of his political party and against his own personal views. He sacrificed popular opinion, party loyalty and private friendships in the interest of the law' and legal right. The coming of Judge Scott was probably more advantageous to the village in those early days than it was to himself. He, too, was a fine penman, highly educated, and the result was that he was early pressed into the service and, at least as early as 832, was township clerk. He not only was Zalmon Rowse's ally in these matters, but he was also Zalmon's crony and friend, and these men, full of life, strong and healthy, were boon companions in many a village prank and the leaders in every amusement. The judge was a great friend of the Indians, their admiration starting on his fine physique and being continued on account of his sociability and love of athletic exercises, and many a time he headed a band of mounted Indians in a race down Main street, bare-headed and coatless, yelling equal to the loudest Indian. That they had confidence in him and that he retained that confidence is shown from the court records, for when Indians brought suit the books show that the attorney for the Indians was Josiah Scott. The minutes of the annual meeting of the township trustees held March 4, 1833, are signed by Josiah Scott, and show that a full AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 205 board was present. They settled with Samuel Myers, supervisor of road district No. 1, and found 142 days of road labor unperformed in his district; William Early, 3d district, all labor performed; James Coulter and John Marquis, district No. 4, all labor performed. Coulter was paid 75 cents and Marquis $1 for their services as road supervisors. George Hesser in the 5th district, showed all the labor had been performed. They settled with Abraham Hahn, the township treasurer, and found in the treasury a note of John and Jacob Staley for $14.56, payable March 12, 1833; a note of James Coulter and Henry St. John for 75 cents; a note of Joseph S. Morris and Zalmon Rowse for $5.31, due June 1, 1833, and $3.15 cash, making a total of $23.15. They issued an order to Hahn for 1.48 "for the percentage on moneys collected for the year 1832." They paid William Early 75 cents, his salary as road supervisor during the year 1832. Also order for $1.55 to James McLean "for advertising the township election in the spring of 1831, and notifying the officers of their election." They paid John S. George $3 for services as township trustee, and Henry Munich and Nicholas Failor $1.50 each for services as trustees; Josiah Scott $2.50 for services as clerk of the township, and the last order "in favor of R. W. Musgrave and Company, for 75 cents for a blank book for the use of the township," and thereupon adjourned. This record shows that the trustees in 1832 were John S. George, Henry Minich and Nicholas Failor. Why George's services were worth the fabulous salary of $3 it is impossible to state. Henry Minich owned a tannery and Nicholas Failor a store, and yet they only received half that amount. In those early days township elections were called by the constables, so James McLain must have been elected constable in 1830, and he held the office from that time until 1836. He was first a carpenter by trade and made shingles. In 1836 he took the government contract to carry mail. He came here in 1828, and his residence was a one-story frame house standing on the site of the present Rowse Block. To run a township election for which included the posting or tacking of a written notice on three conspicuous trees, and then notifying the successful candidates afterward, at that price he could get the job today and hold it forever. And the treasurer, with $1.48 to squander annually, would be pointed out by the little children and stared at by small boys as the man who positively had in his possession $23.77 of public funds, of which $3.15 was actual cash! Mr. Hahn at that time owned what is now the Deal House, a brick hotel erected by him in 1831. It will be observed the trustees issued orders for $14.53, with only $3.15 cash. It is probable that Mr. Hahn, being a shrewd business man, made his $1.48 first lien on the treasury and let the others wait. True, James McLean's bill for was allowed in March, 1833, for work done two years previously; so people were used to waiting. But how McLean ever accumulated sufficient funds to buy a large flouring mill on a salary of is a problem. There was certainly no chance for graft on a treasury that only carried $3.15 cash. And the notes! They were all good, as the trustees considered them the same as cash. The 75 cent note was abundantly secured, as James Coulter had 160 acres of land, and Henry St. John had the dry goods "emporium" of the village, and became so prominent and prosperous they later sent him to congress. A month after this meeting the township election came on, being held April 1, 1833, at the court house, and the high-priced trustee, Mr. George, was either not a candidate or was defeated. Failor was re-elected and with him John Magers and John McCullough. Josiah Scott was re-elected clerk and Jacob Hinman constable; John Nimmon and Enoch B. Merriman were elected overseers of the poor. George Shaffer, John Cronebaugh and Lewis Cary were elected fence viewers. Samuel Myers was re-elected road supervisor in his district, notwithstanding his showing of "fourteen and a half days of road labor unperformed;" the other supervisors were—second district, John Barney: third, Emanuel Deardorff ; fourth, George Welsh: fifth, George Hesser, re-elected. The office of overseer of the poor was one of honor, as Enoch B. Merriman was a very prominent citizen, and John Nimmon had represented the county in the legislature in 1830. One of the first acts of the trustees was to appoint Mr. Hahn as treasurer, and they didn't 206 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY forget the faithful James .McLean, for they appointed him as constable. As far as can be seen by the salaries and the names, it was not a question of politics or of office in those days; it was only a question of who would take the position, and most of these men recognized it as an honor and served from a sense of duty and served faithfully, their highest reward being the consciousness of having performed their full duty as citizens by giving a part of their time for the public good. There is a lesson to be learned from our grandfathers. Outside the city of Bucyrus there are three churches in the township. There was no call for any more. Bucyrus being a village with churches, people walked or drove from half a dozen miles around for family worship, while occasionally some traveling minister, on his missionary rounds, held services at the cabin where he was stopping. The first known of these gatherings for religious purposes was held prior to 1830, at the home of Isaac Monnett, in the extreme southeastern section of the township No. 36. Services were held in the various cabins at irregular intervals, but in 1835, when Rev. Jeremiah Monnett arrived, after he built his house on the east side of the pike, the old log cabin he had occupied on the west side was fitted up for a school and for school purposes. It was on the Bucyrus circuit, and services averaged perhaps once every two weeks. Rev. John Hazzard was the early minister, whose zeal and work built up the membership to such an extent that a better and larger church was needed. In 1840 the church was erected east of the pike, a short distance north of the Monnett home, on land donated by Rev. Jeremiah Monnett, who was also a large contributor to the building fund. The other contributors were Osborne, Abraham, William, Thomas, John and John Monnett, Jr., Rev. Samuel P. Ely, Charles W. and J. W. Shaw, Jeremiah Morris and David Sayler. The building was a neat frame and cost about $1,500. It was named. Monnett Chapel after Rev. Jeremiah Monnett. Among the early ministers of half a century ago were Revs. Stephen Fant and George Moore, who were appointed to the Bucyrus circuit in 1853. The church was dedicated by Rev. Adam Poe during the winter of 1840-1. In 1871. under the pastorate of Rev. D. M. Conant, it was repaired and improved, the dedicatory services being conducted by Rev. Dr. A. A. Nelson. In 1853 the Monnett chapel was assigned to the Caledonia circuit and regularly supplied. A graveyard was attached to the church on the cast, and here many of the pioneers of southern Crawford sleep their last sleep. The next church in the township was the Mt. Zion U. B. church on the banks of the Sandusky, five miles southwest of Bucyrus. Services were held at the various homes in the neighborhood and later in the schoolhouse. The ground where the church now stands was purchased of Thomas Newell, and about 1868 the old Wilson schoolhouse was removed to the lot, and the 0ld frame building giving way to a brick, this served as a church for a few years. In 1871 the present building was erected at a cost of $1,300. "The earlier preachers to the congregation were Revs. McDowney and E. Berry. David Parcher built the church, and when it was dedicated, Rev. David Hart was the pastor. Preaching was generally held every other Sunday. The third church is Scioto Chapel, on the Marion road, six miles southwest of Bucyrus, three miles west of the Monnett chapel, principally from whose membership the congregation was formed to have services more convenient in bad weather. The church was erected in 1874 and was built very quickly. In May of that year two meetings were held at the residence of E. B. Monnett; and at the second it was decided to build a church, and E. B. Monnett, F. A. Harvey and George Welsh were appointed a building committee. Christian Walther was the architect, and in October of that year the church was completed at a cost of about $2,000—a very neat and commodious one-story frame. It was dedicated by Elder Wilson, of Kenton, O., and when the church started the membership were E. B. Monnett and wife, M. J. Monnett and wife, Isaac Shearer and wife, J. P. Beall, wife and two daughters ; Oliver Monnett and wife, Benjamin Shearer and wife. E. Monnett and wife, G. H. Welsh and wife, Bishop Scott and wife. The church was attached to Claridon circuit, and the first pastor was Rev. Stephen Fant. In the early days the parents whose children AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 207 lived outside of walking distance from Bucyrus had very little school instruction. Many came to Bucyrus, some from as far as four or five miles distant, bringing their dinner, starting from home, after doing a fair morning's work, and returning to do the "chores" in the evening. Thomas Shawke came to Bucyrus in 1832, and was a noted hunter, traversing the entire country for miles around in every season of the year, and he is authority for the statement that, certainly prior to 1832, there was not a single school building in the township south of Bucyrus. In some neighborhoods a few families joined together and small private schools were occasionally held. The first township schoolhouse built outside the village was in district no. 2, just west of the corporation limits and stood on the northwest corner of Warren and Spring streets. It was built of logs in 1833, and was later replaced by a one-story frame, the old log schoolhouse being used as a woodshed for the schoolhouse proper. Previous to 1834 there were but four school districts in the county: on March 12, of that year, the number was increased to five by the formation of the four southeastern sections into district 5. On June 5, 1838, the township was reorganized into eight districts, four of these practically the four northeastern sections of the township, now the city of Bucyrus—these were districts 1, 6, 7 and 8; south of these the four square miles Was district 2, and the southeastern four square miles was district 5., district 4 was north of the river, between the Indian reservation and the village of Bucyrus, a trifle over four square miles: district 3 was two miles wide and four miles deep, extending from the Indian reservation east to districts 2 and 5, what afterward became the Bell or Harvey and the Arbuckle districts. When Ohio became a state, section 16 of every township was set aside for school purposes: this land could be held, leased or sold. On April 6, 1835, the question of selling this school section was voted on and carried. The vote was light but practically unanimous--sixty-two for the sale and only one against it. At this time small schoolhouses were being erected. Previous to this the old log cabin of some early squatter was fixed im and used for school purposes. In Oct., 1838, an enumeration of the school children of the township was taken. The four Bucyrus districts had 315; No. 1, 82; No. 6, 51; No. 7, 107; No. 3, 75; the other districts—No. 2, 70; No. 3, 72; No. 4, 31 ; No. 5, 41 ; or 214 in the country districts; 529 in the entire township. After 1837 the Indian reservation became open to settlement and the township was again divided into school districts. There are today nine districts. In the southeastern district a schoolhouse was not erected until 1840, the people along the pike wanting it there, and those in the eastern part of the district wanting it in the center of the four sections. It was finally built on the pike, five miles south of Bucyrus. Prior to its erection schools were held in an old log house, which was unoccupied, just south of the Monnett brick residence now occupied by William Monnett. Susan hovel and Harriet Huntley were the earlier teachers here. Later the old log church on the Monnett homestead was used, and here Eliza Chapman and a Mr. Canef taught, the latter being like Silas Wegg in "Our Mutual Friend," "a literary man with a wooden leg." The schoolhouse located in 1840 was a constant source of dispute to the residents of the district. It was originally built on the pike, half a mile west of the center of the district, the residents there perdommating in numbers and influence. Later the eastern part of the district elected trustees favorable to their section, and the schoolhouse was hauled across the fields half a mile to the east to the center of the district. The pike residents wakened up and at the next election selected their own trustees, and the school-house was hauled back to its original site. There was no east and west road at that time, so transportation of the building was across the fields, This was so inconvenient that a road was petitioned for and laid out, and the next time the eastern section secured control, the schoolhouse had a road to travel on. The little temple of learning became a much traveled building, and was known as the "movable schoolhouse." Its search for a final resting place might have continued to this day, but for the fact that many years ago the early residents along the pike had moved away, and the schoolhouse was finally placed in the center of the district, half a mile east of the pike. where it still remains with no one to ob- 208 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY ject, as the entire four sections are now large farms, so that it would be considered a banner day in some terms when half a dozen scholars were present. On March 22, 1834, a number of the residents of school district No. met at the home of David Dinwiddie, two miles south of Bucyrus and decided to erect a schoolhouse on the southwest corner of Silas Sweney's land; later the building on the farm then owned by Andrew Kerr, on the east side of the pike, two miles south of Bucyrus. It was a small log building, and among the first teachers were Casper Rowse, Harriet Robinson, Abraham Myers and Sarah Butler. In a few years it was replaced by a small frame building and this, in 1877, by the present brick structure. It was known for years as the Beal schoolhouse, and here many a young lawyer of Bucyrus and many a pupil in the high school attended the debating societies and spelling schools held during the winter seasons. Other districts followed with log schoolhouses replaced by frame, and these gave way to the present brick buildings, the first brick being erected in district No. 8 in 1876. In 1857 Miss Mary Monnett, a daughter of Abraham Monnett, who was attending the Wesleyan Female College at Delaware, made a donation to that college of $20,000. This liberal donation, occuring as it did, had a very great effect in strengthening that seat of learning and was the first practical effort towards making the Ohio Wesleyan University what it is today. The money was used for the erection of a needed building, which was named Monnett Hall—a name it retains to this day, with the donor's picture occupying a prominent place in the building. Even before the donation Miss Monnett's relatives, being Methodists, attended the college; but in the last half century it is probable that a hundred of the Monnetts or their immediate relatives have obtained their instruction at that institution. One among them, the Hon. Frank S. Monnett, was a graduate of the class of '80; he was admitted to the bar and became one of the successful lawyers of Bucyrus and in this section, and in 1895 was elected by the Republicans as attorney general of the state. For some years the office of attorney general had drifted into minor importance. The new attorney-general was active, fearless, and energetic, and early restored the office to its former position as second only to that of the governor. He was ten years in advance of the political parties on the subject of trusts and combinations, and drifted into the Democratic party, removing his home from Bucyrus to Columbus. He had a collegiate education, a strong voice, and became one of the national speakers for Mr. Bryan in1908,, and it was generally understood that he would be the attorney-general of the United States in Mr. Bryan's cabinet. Prior to 1830 several roads had been located in Bucyrus township, the Columbus and Sandusky pike entering the township two miles west of its eastern border and running northeast to Bucyrus. In laying out this road Heman Rowse, Nathaniel Plummer and Benjamin Parcher were appointed the viewers in 1824.. The same year what is now the Wyandot, or Little Sandusky road, was ordered laid out, entering Bucyrus on its western boundary one mile north of the southwest corner of the township and northwest to Bucyrus. The next year, 1825, the Marion road was established, halfway between the pike and the Wyandot road and running northwest to Bucyrus. These roads, all being arteries from the southern and southwestern part of the state to Bucyrus and the north, were soon thronged with travelers, at first with a weekly line of stages, later tri-weekly, and eventually daily. As a result taverns were started all along these roads. Who kept the first it is impossible to state. But in8366 a license was issued to Peter Hesser, on payment of $5, to keep a tavern; also one to Benjamin Warner for $7; his place was on the pike five miles south of Bucyrus and was known as the "Four-mile Tavern." He came to the county in 1826 from Pennsylvania and kept a tavern for about fifteen years. He was a Quaker, one of the Society of Friends, and his tavern was recognized as a synonym for good cheer. He was hospitable and made all welcome, and many a poor and weary traveller, without money, found rest and refreshment at Benjamin Warner's. Like a Quaker, he said little, but many a weary black, fleeing from slavery, arriving before daylight, found food and shelter during the day and left after AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 209 dark, guided to his next station on the underground railroad. Joshua Bebout in 1838 took out a $5 license to keep a tavern in the township, and some years later it was taken out by John W. Be-bout. Thompson Brown took out a license in 1840 for $7.50. There were taverns on the Marion road, three miles from Bucyrus, and another in Dallas township; on the Little Sandusky road there was one about three miles from Bucyrus and another some six miles out. All did a good business. Excepting Bucyrus there are no villages or even settlements in the township, and no store ever existed outside the city. A number of saw-mills were erected in the early days. Young ran a horse-power mill, later changed to waterpower on the Sandusky, a mile southwest of Bucyrus, later Sinn's mill, then the Couts mill, then abandoned, and of which only the ruins now remain, the dam being washed away. Further down the stream was Danser's dam, where once stood a saw-mill run by water-power; and still farther was Athey's dam, with another saw-mill, both long since abandoned, the dams washed away and hardly enough ruins left at either place to mark where they once stood. The plains from the start were almost entirely used for grazing. True, wheat and corn were raised, but the corn mainly for feeding purposes, although fine crops have been produced on the plains. As early as 1852, Linus H. Ross, father of John Ross and grandfather of Linus Ross, reported a yield of 126 bushels to the acre, and the next year E. Barrett reported three acres with an average yield of 129.2 per acre, and the same year Samuel S. Caldwell, three acres, with an average of 124.2 per acre, and in 859 Joseph Kerr reported one acre yielding 128 bushels. But the bulk of the plains was devoted to cattle raising and cattle grazing, and some flocks of sheep. In 1834 there was a craze for shorthorn Durhams in this county, and Robert Kerr brought in some from Pickaway county, and John Ross some from Kentucky. Many farmers devoted their attention to cattle breeding, and also to the fattening and sale of cattle, a thousand head sometimes being held by one man. Abraham Monnett was the cattle king of southern Crawford and northern Marion, and when but a young man E. B. Monnett made several trips to Illinois driving 100 to 300 head through for his father; also from intermediate points. The trip took weeks. Later followed their sale, the seller sending along a man the first day or two to get the cattle "started," for after one or two days' driving, the cattle had a leader and they followed without any trouble, these trips frequently extending as far as New York. The plains being low and marshy in many places and overgrown with tall grass and weeds, decaying each season, it was easy to obliterate traces of the Indian trails. Yet Sylvester Bourne, in his field notes, made in 1817, finds many distinct traces of these Indian trails across the plains. Hulbert, the authority on Indian trails, gives as one of the most prominent a trail commencing west of the mouth of the Scioto, north on the west side of that river, until south of Columbus, where it crosses the river and continues north, passing through or near Bucyrus. This trail is distinctly traced by Bourne's notes, but west of where Hulbert's map would place it. It is marked in sections 35 and 36 in Dallas township, and enters Bucyrus township in section 30, going from section 30 northeast through sections 20, 21, 16, 15, 11 and 1. In section 30, Bucyrus, northwest of the Harvey schoolhouse, perhaps half a mile, the notes show a trail going through the northeast corner of section 24, Dallas township, crossing the river between sections 24 and 25, Dal1as, and continuing on to the Indian village at Upper Sandusky. According to writers on ancient trails, this trail from Upper Sandusky continued through southwestern Bucyrus in a southeasterly direction through Dallas and toward Owl Creek (Knox Co.) and to the Tuscarawas region. Bourne's notes show it continued east, crossing the Little Scioto in the northwest quarter section of section 28 (farm of Daniel Rexroth) then northeast near the south side of the Little Scioto through the northwest quarter of section 27 (farm of W. H. Miller) the southwest quarter of section 22 (farm of Wm. Caldwell's heirs) and through sections 23 and 24 into Whetstone township, where one branch went toward Leesville and the other to the Whetstone and followed the north banks of that river into Polk. In the east half of sec- 209 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY ton 28 Bucyrus (between the land of Daniel Rexroth and Jonathan Carmean), the trail it met leading northeast was a man trail, and that continued southwest crossing the little Scioto in the south half, section 26 (Carmean farm) and following the Little Scioto through Dallas into Marion county and south to Columbus. The Bourne field notes show a trail from Bucyrus to Upper Sandusky crossed the river just about at the Mansfield street bridge and followed the present Oceola road one mile, then ran a little south of it, and following through sections 33, 32 and 31 in Holmes it entered Tod, in the northeast corner of section 36, half a mile south of the Oceola road, passing through sections 25 and 26 in Tod, crossed the Brokensword, half a mile southwest of Oceola, about on the farm of G. E. Sigler, then west to Upper Sandusky. As to the military road, over which some of the Pennsylvania troops marched in 1812 to Fort Ferree, Benjamin Sears, who calve to Crawford county, in 1837, remembers no trace. At the time he arrived, the Mansfield and Bucyrus road had been laid out, and was in use; it had extended west toward Oceola a quarter of a mile past their home, and was in 1837 almost to the Indian reservation line, which was about a mile beyond his father's house. Mr. Sears hunted all over that region, and does not recall a trace of any road. At that time, 1837, he is certain no road was cut through the woods from Bucyrus to Upper Sandusky nor was there any trace of such a road. The road is given on all slaps from 18.15 to 1825. so it seems. it was only used for military purposes; in the dozen years that elapsed from its use to the first coming of the pioneers, it became overgrown with bushes and grass and small trees, leaving no definite trace behind. It is difficult to figure how a road could be cut through the forest, and a generation later, and even less, leave no trace behind. That a body of Pennsylvania troops did pass from Crestline through Bucyrus and on to Upper Sandusky all records show there is no question. Another military road it appears also existed, entering the county north of Galion, passing through southern Whetstone, and southern Bucyrus through Wyandot to Little Sandusky. Of this faint traces are seen in eastern and central Polk township, but all trace is lost for about three miles in western Polk and eastern Whetstone townships, just before it reaches the plains, where, of course, the open country and decaying vegetation and overflowing swamps would obliterate everything in a very few seasons. There was an Indian camp existed at an early day, about four miles west of Bucyrus. The Bucyrus Journal of June 10, 1853, contains the following item "We were shown the other day a sword, found on May 29, by Jacob Kinsey, about four miles vest of this place, at what is called 'Plumb Orchard,' or the 'Old Indian Camp.' The sword bears every appearance of having been made and used by some ancient race, unknown perhaps in this country. The blade is three feet, two inches in length, about one and a quarter inches wide at the hilt, tapering from both sides to the point, which is very sharp. The hilt is covered with a basket of steel, strongly made, and serves as a perfect safeguard to the hand and wrist. It is very much rusted but if there were letters on it, they could easily be seen; there are, however, none. The following figures are found on the basket of the hilt: 6/56 "It is quite a curiosity and may lead to a more careful examination of matters connected with it. It was found with the point in the ground, with a large root practically grown over the hilt. In the same place, we learn, a musket was found a few years ago, which had every appearance of being very old." The early grave yards of Bucyrus were outside the original plat of the town but now inside the corporation limits. The very first was along Middletown street east of Walnut. Among those known to be buried there were Daniel Beadle, the infant child of Mishael Beadle, who died Sept. r, 1822; the next burial was the five-year old child of Jacob Kellogg. died Dec. 30, r822. The first adult was John Deardorff, who died in 1823, and the same year his daughter 1\Iargaret was buried here, and in 1824 his son William. Rachel Kellogg was buried here in 1824, and her father, John Kellogg, in 1825. In 1824 the Carys had a grave yard across the river, in what was known years ago as the Henry orchard, just south of the present Holy AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 211 Trinity cemetery. The first burial here was in 1824, Rachel Cary, wife of Lewis Cary, and that same year was buried Elizabeth Bucklin, the mother of Albigence Bucklin and Mrs. Samuel Norton. Daniel McMichael was buried here in 1825, and also Seth Hobbes the same year; also Timothy Kirk and wife. In this yard was buried in 1827, Peter, the colored servant of Lewis Cary, the first colored man ever in Bucyrus. The next burial ground was the Tiffin grave yard, located on land donated by Amos Clark, and still in existence as a cemetery, but for many years unused as a burial site. The first burial was that of Samuel Yost, the infant son of Abraham yost, rho died May 12, 1827. In these grounds are the Last resting place of Samuel Norton, who died April 18, 1856, and his wife Mary Norton, who died April 29, 1859, the first pioneers of Bucyrus. Two other graves there are Thomas Howey, died May 27, 183, and Joseph Knott, died Nov. 5, 1826, both reported as soldiers who served in the Revolutionary war. Among others buried here of the early pioneers were Isaac H. Allen, the first prosecuting attorney of the county; Elias Cronebaugh who was killed accidentally at the building of the first court house on Dec. 4. 1830; Matthew and Elizabeth Free, Robert Foster. John Heinlen, Abraham, John and Daniel Halm, Elisha Kent, John Kanzleiter, Darius Langdon. Hugh and William McCullough, Hugh McCracken, Matthew McMichael, William V. Marquis, William Magers, John J. Mollenkopf, John Nimmons. Thomas Parks, William Robinson, Thomas Rogers, Conrad Roth, Christian Sexauer, Henry and James Sell, William F. Schindler, John Stineman, Benjamin and Joseph Spahr, James and Matthew Tate, Jonathan Timberlin. In 1830 the Lutheran grave yard was started, known as the Southern grave yard. It was outside the corporation, and was on the west side of Spring street, between Rensselaer and Warren. When it was abandoned all the bodies were removed to Oakwood cemetery. Among the pioneers originally buried there were George Aunniller, Christopher Boyer, Isaac Ditty, Peter and George Lauck, Peter Miller. Abraham Myers. There was a grave yard, two miles west of Bucyrus on the Wyandot road, where Joseph Young and many of his family were buried. The first known burial was that of William Young, who died Oct. 25, 1839, aged 77 years. In the Monnett chapel grave yard the first burial was Margaret Slagle, who died Aug. 22. 1841. John W. Shaw, colonel of the 34th 0. V. I., is buried here; also Abram Monnett., who died Aug. 12, 1854. Jeremiah Monnett, the founder of the church, died Sept. 1, 1864, and is buried here. One mile north of the Monnett chapel was the original Monnett grave yard, on the land of Isaac Monnett. The first known burial was John Monnett, who died Nov. 26, 1831, aged 26 years. Mt. Zion church has a grave yard, and the first recorded interment is the McIlwain twins, who died Sept. 25. 1866. Another grave there is Esther White, who died Oct. 22, 1884. in the 89th year of her age. Five miles west of Bucyrus is the Streib grave yard, and the first known interment was Mary Zimmerman on Feb. 17, 1867. Many buried here are over seventy years of age, J. G. Mellenkopp, who died Oct. 18, 1886, being then in his 93rd year, and Rev. Michael Streib, who died May 4, 1807, being in his 86th year: Christopher Spiegle. 84: John Steinhilber, 83, and Michael Snyder, 81. CHAPTER X CHATFIELD TOWNSHIP The Erection of Chatfield Township—Topography and Drainage—The Cranberry Industry —Pioneers and Early Settlers—German Immigration—Early Industries—Rearing Silleworms— Taverns—The McKinley Graves—Justices—North Liberty and Its Founder-Richville—Chatfield P. O. Established—Postmasters—Grove Hill P. O.—Schools and Churches—Cemeteries. The farmer sat in his easy chair Smoking his pipe of clay, While his hale old wife with busy care Was clearing the dinner away. —Charles G. Eastman. March 6, 1828, Chatfield township was erected by the Commissioners of Crawford county. Prior to that time it had been a part of Cranberry township, but the building of the pike road from Bucyrus to Sandusky, the large amount of travel over that road, and the tendency of settlers to enter land along the most traveled routes, had made the western part of Cranberry as populous as the eastern, so the citizens in the western portion presented a petition to the commissioners for a division of the township and the request was granted. Cranberry at that time was six miles deep and eight and a half wide, and the four western miles were taken off and the new township was named Chatfield, after Silas and Oliver Chatfield. The division left Cranberry the same as it is at present. At the same time Lykins was erected six miles square—the present Lykins and the western mile of the present Chatfield. When Wyandot county was created by the Legislature in 1845, it necessitated a rearrangement of the western townships of the county, and the eastern mile of Lykins was attached to Chatfield, making both townships five miles square, as they exist today. Chatfield township is one of the most fertile sections of Crawford county. Crossed by those extensive glacial ridges which extend from east to west in the northern part of the state, it has the advantage of long and gradual slopes which give it excellent drainage. The soil is chiefly alluvial in the eastern part, while the western portion contains more clay. Its principal drainage is Sycamore creek which, with several branches, covers almost the entire township. In the northern part Silver creek passes to the west entering Seneca county on its way to the Sandusky, while in the southern section of the township are small branches that find their way to the Brokensword. Many of the Wyandot Indians roamed over Chatfield township as late as 1830, as they came every autumn and camped near the cranberry marshes in the southeastern part of the township. They often remained all winter, the squaws gathering the berries, while the men engaged in the manlier occupations of hunting and trapping. The cranberries and skins were taken by them on their ponies to Sandusky or Bucyrus, and here exchanged for a few necessaries, more trinkets, and still more "Sandusky water," the latter an inferior whisky which was a bad investment for poor "Lo." The white settlers were not long in discovering that the cranberry industry was a profitable one, and the same rule prevailed in Chatfield, as elsewhere, of the survival of the fittest, and the Indians were gradually driven from the region. The influx of settlers, with the clearing of the land, no longer left that - 212 - AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 213 section a hunting ground, and in 1843 the few of the Wyandots who occasionally drifted into the township joined with their tribe and turned their faces toward the setting sun, typical of the departed glories of their race, and found a new home in the reservation allotted to them in far away Kansas. The first settler in Chatfield township was Jacob Whetstone, who as early as 1820 roamed through the woods hunting and trapping. He built for himself a cabin about a mile and a half northwest of the present village of Chatfield on the bank of the Sycamore. He had a wife and family and cleared about an acre of land. But his principle support was the rifle, and the products of his skill, carried to Sandusky or Bucyrus on foot, furnished the necessaries of life the forest failed to supply. Later George Stuckman "squatted" near him, another hunter, but owning no land, supporting his family by his rifle. As the first settlers came these hunters were employed by them to secure the game while the real pioneers put in their time clearing away the forest. They assisted the settlers in erecting their first cabins, and at times in the work of the forest and field. But manual labor was irksome to them, and both moved with their families to the west where the game was still plentiful. Another early settler was John Henry, who devoted his entire time to hunting and trapping. He was an expert shot, careful and provident, and from the sale of his furs secured sufficient money to purchase a farm in section 19, and as the country became more settled and game became scarcer, he devoted less attention to hunting and more to farming. As early as 1824 the road, which later became the Columbus and Sandusky Pike, was in existence from Columbus through Bucyrus to Sandusky and there was already much travel along this route. Settlers began locating along this road, among the first being Silas and Oliver Chatfield, James and John Robinson, William Spanable, William Champion and David Clute, the Chatfields entering land near the present village of that name and Champion and Spanable north of Chatfield. Among other early settlers were Ira Chase, Demetry Winterhalter, John Hamilton, Thaddeus Kent, David Tipton, Ichabod Smith, who came about 1828; John Armitage, Luther C. Flint, David Kimball, John Mitchell, Daniel Shaffstall, in 1829; Lloyd Ady, Jacob Bibble, Richard Davidson, Samuel Foote, Sidney Holt, William McPherson, Truman Wilkinson, Jonas Yingling, in 1830; and Nathan Anthony, Jacob Bunce, John, Benjamin and Ephraim Clements, Richard Frisbie, Adam Fauser, in 1831. These settlers were mostly of English descent, and came to Chatfield from the eastern counties of the state, having previously emigrated from New England. They entered land along the Columbus and Sandusky turnpike, which being an outlet both north and south soon became lined with the log cabins of these and other settlers. Many of them became early prominent in township affairs. In 1831 Ichabod Smith was elected justice of the peace, Richard Davidson in 1834, and Daniel Shaffstall in 1837; Richard Davidson was also township clerk in 1833, and David Clute and John Mitchell were trustees the same year; Luther C. Flint was appointed the first postmaster in 1834 by Andrew Jackson. As early as 1832 was an influx of Germans, coming direct from the mother country. In later years their friends were sent for and eventually Chatfield and surrounding townships were so strongly settled by this nationality that public and private business was best conducted in the German language, and at the national and state elections, the tickets were printed in both English and German. These German settlers were steady and industrious, temperate and frugal; they labored early and late, cleared the forests and reclaimed the marshes, and half a century later, in times of monetary depression, when the business men of Bucyrus had need of cash to meet some pressing emergency they took a hurried drive to Chatfield township and never came back empty-handed. Among the Germans and others arriving in the thirties were the following: 1832—George Brown, Edward Biggs, Jacob Bright, George Carrothers, Henry Durr, Harris Garton, John Heckenlively, John G. Karg, John G. Long, Benjamin Lindsley, Jacob Nigh, John Scott and five sons, Isaac, Solomon, George, William and John H. 1833—Daniel Brindley, Jacob Gross, Chris- 214 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY tian Hipp, William Koenig, Gottleib and Michael Lutz, Jacob Regala, Peter Reidel, Thomas Timony, Peter Wieter, George Widdle, John Winterholter, James Adams. 1834—Hugh Goshorn, Jacob L. Gurwell, Abraham Harmon, Benjamin Hilliar, John G. Ott, Benjamin Royce, Jacob Schlater, B. Dimock. 1835—Johannes Burgbacher, John Fissel, Thomas Johnson, William King, David and James McKinley, George Shaffer. 1836 —William Kolb, Spencer Moffitt, Timothy Park, Nathan Rich. 1837—George Leonhart, David Spore. As their names indicate some of these settlers were of English or Scotch-Irish origin. David McKinley above mentioned being no less a personage than the great grandfather of the late President McKinley, and James McKinley his grandfather. These settlers located in different parts of the township, and their log cabins and clearings soon began to encroach on the primeval forest, their settlements being the germ of that advanced civilization, and well cultivated farms and comfortable homesteads that meet the eye on every hand today. The substantial and well furnished residences which the farmer of today regards as necessary to his comfort and respectability would doubtless have been regarded by them as palatial, and they would no doubt have looked on such modern furnishings as brussels carpets, cane-seated or plush furniture, pianos and all the various nicknacks in which the modern housewife takes such pride, as scandalous superfluities. They experienced the same inconvenience of those in other portions of the county. Money was scarce, and besides clearing their land, and making their own crude furniture they obtained needed cash by working on the turnpike then being constructed, or leaving the farm during the summer to the care of their wives and children, went on foot to the western part of the state, where they obtained employment on the Miami canal, then building between the Maumee river and Dayton, and the cash obtained for their labor they promptly invested in additional land. One of these settlers was Jacob Shaffer, who cause from Germany in 1833, at the age of 18, settling in Stark county, and in two years saved $50, when he came to Chatfield township with his wife and entered forty acres of land in section 3. He built his log cabin, and it was pointed out for several years as the best house in that neighborhood. His land was all forest, and the first year he cleared three acres, which he planted in wheat. Shaffer was one of those who walked over sixty miles to Paulding county to obtain needed money by working on the canal. George Leonhart came to America in 1833, and having $600, invested it in land in Stark county, which he later sold at an advance of $200, and came to Chatfield where he started with 160 acres, adding to his land as the years passed until his holdings were. nearly 1,000 acres. Gottleib Lutz came to Chatfield in 1833, and his brother Michael about the same time. Gottleib started with forty acres in the woods where he built his cabin. He was married in Germany to Eva Kibler, and his wife accompanied him to their new home. Like the others they were much annoyed by the wolves whose depredations on stock left the sheep pens and pig-styes tenantless. William Kalb came to Crawford county in 1833, settling first in Holmes township where he remained three years clearing the land, and in February, 1836, removing to Chatfield township where he had purchased 110 acres of land in section 19, the price being $400, less than four dollars an acre. Three acres of this land was already cleared. He planted his crops among the stumps, and in some places harvested them with a butcher-knife. Christian Hipp came from Germany with William Kalb in 1833, and settled in Chatfield township that same year. Accompanying him was his 11year old son Frederick Hipp, who when he became of age learned the trade of a wagon maker in Bucyrus, went into business at Chatfield, was one of the early postmasters of the village, justice of the peace for twenty-one years, only resigning in 1882. on account of his removal to Bucyrus, having been elected probate judge of the county. Johannes Burgbacher settled in the northwestern part of Chatfield in 1835, purchasing eighty acres of land in section 7. Here he died in 1842, and on his eighteen year old son John devolved the support of his family. The AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 215 day before the Fourth of July in 1849 John married Susanna M. Koenig, a daughter of one of the pioneers, and later he became active in the affairs of the township. He was first elected justice of the peace in 1856, and reelected in 1859 and 1862. Retired from the office long enough to serve as county commissioner for two terms, and at the expiration of his services as commissioner, in 1872, he was again elected justice, and re-elected every three years until his last election in 1890, making thirty-six years as justice of the peace, the banner record of the county. One of the first industries of the county was a cooper shop started by William Koenig, who arrived from Germany in 1833. David or Daniel Shaffstall built a sawmill on Sycamore creek as early as 1834, this being one of the first industries in the township. It was located where there was quite a slope of land toward the mill on the opposite side from the stream, and often in winter, when this slope was covered by snow or ice, the logs were rolled down it to the mill. After being operated for nearly twenty years by i1 r. Shaffstall, it passed into other hands for ten years and was again disposed of and finally abandoned. As early as 1832 there were two taverns on the turnpike about a mile north of Richville, one kept by Richard Frisbie and the other by Nathan Anthony. They were located on opposite sides of the pike, were two-story frame buildings, and both were well patronized, as this turnpike was largely used by settlers from the central part of the state, who passed along to the northern markets on Lake Erie, with large droves of hogs or cattle, or with grain-loaded wagons, and these drovers being a thirsty and hungry tribe, they seldom passed a tavern without stopping a few moments to refresh the inner man. Another tavern was opened in 1833 near the southern boundary of the township by Garton Frislen, and still another was built about this time in the extreme northern part, which, however, bore a somewhat bad reputation, as a resort of carousers or even worse characters, though nothing more serious seems to have been proved against it except excessive drinking and some gambling on the part of its frequenters. It was at one time, however, suspected of being a resort of counterfeiters, and the suspicion may have been well founded, as at a later period some implements such as counterfeiters use, were discovered in an old shed near the tavern. With this tavern was also connected a distillery having two copper stills, having a united capacity of about thirty gallons. After this place had been conducted for about ten years the landlord was forced by popular opinion to sell out, and he moved to another locality, and a public nuisance was ended. The Richard Frisbie tavern and the Senate House kept by Nathan Anthony were at the crossing about a mile north of the present village of Chatfield, where the pike is crossed by the road running from Plymouth to Sycamore and McCutchenville, which was a much traveled east and west road in the early days. Other taverns along the pike prior to 1840 were kept by Luther C. Flint, Jacob Bunn, Samuel Webber and Harris Garton, the Shade House kept by a brother of Samuel Shade, who ran a tavern in the northern part of the township, also the tavern of Nathan Plummer. Later Martin Wirt had a tavern south of Chatfield which he advertised as a ''temperance inn," and near him Phillip Moffitt had a tavern. L. D. Johnson fitted up grounds at considerable expense south of Chatfield, and established a sort of summer resort hotel, which was known as the "Everglade Retreat." It was a great place for picnic parties and dances, but proving unprofitable was discontinued, and Johnson moved to .Bucyrus, and purchased the McCoy House, now the Deal. In 1837 Jacob Reidel built an ashery near Richville, which was conducted for about ten years. The majority of asheries in those days were run in connection with stores, as owing to the scarcity of money, business was largely conducted on a system of barter and exchange. Goods were exchanged for the ashes, which were subsequently manufactured into potash. In 1840 John Lucas, with his widowed daughter, Mrs. Sarah Breston, started a silk manufacturing industry in Chatfield township. They reared the silkworms from eggs obtained in Eastern cities, feeding them on the leaves of the few mulberry trees found growing in the woods. The attempt was only partially successful, owing chiefly to the difficulty of oh- 216 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY taming a sufficient supply of mulberry plants. Some good silk was made, however, and found a ready market in Bucyrus or Sandusky city and the enterprise was carried on for some twelve years, when it was finally abandoned. No cloth was manufactured, although neckties and ribbons were woven by Mrs. Breston. The buildings were located in the northeastern part of the township, and were visited by many people from all over the county and elsewhere. Mr. Lucas and his daughter were of English descent and were educated and refined people; their business, if not wholly successful, was an object lesson in intelligent enterprise and as such was probably not without its fruits. Among the prominent early settlers in the northern part of Chatfield was the. Scott family, whose members were industrious and intelligent citizens, having a large share in the building up and improvement of the township. A member of this family, John H. Scott, a son of the original settler, was one of the contractors on the turnpike and in addition to money, had received an extensive tract of land adjoining the turnpike as part payment for his services. After residing in Chatfield for many years, the Scotts sold out and moved farther west. About 1838 a wool-carding factory was erected in the northern part of Chatfield by Martin & Hilliar, the building being a two story frame. The business was carried on for some eight or ten years, when it was abandoned, the proprietors taking up farming, as a more profitable industry. James McKinley has been mentioned as one of the early settlers of Chatfield township. He was the grandfather of President Win. McKinley. He settled on the pike, south of Chatfield, near where German Lutheran church now stands, and near the site where his cabin stood is now the brick school house of that district. When he came to Crawford county he was accompanied by his brother Ephraim who settled in Bucyrus, and married Hannah McCreary, a sister of the late Thomas McCreary of Bucyrus. Both the brothers were carpenters, and a number of buildings in Bucyrus, Holmes, Lykins and Chatfield townships were built by them. When James moved to his farm in Chatfield all his sons accompanied him, excepting William, the father of the president. There was also with him his father, David McKinley, and his mother-in-law, Hannah C. Rose, both great-grandparents of President McKinley. David McKinley was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and was born in 1755, and died in August, 1840, and was buried on the farm of his son James. A week later the mother-in-law of James McKinley died and she was buried beside David McKinley. The land was owned by David McKinley, and in 1844 it was sold by James McKinley and he moved to Lykins township, a little over a mile west of Lykins. At this new home on August 14, 1846, there was a double wedding, one daughter, Hannah, marrying T. J. Tilford, and another daughter, Ellen, marrying James Winters. On Christmas day, 1853, another daughter, Martha, was married to Stephen Waller. The parents had moved to South Bend, Indiana. where both died on the same day on the fortieth anniversary of their marriage in 1847, and were buried in the same grave. James McKinley, the grandfather of the president, was a soldier of the war of 1812, and passed through this section during the war, and was so favorably impressed with the country that it eventually led to his location in the county. In disposing of the farm the David McKinley heirs still retained control of the burial site, and on the death of James it passed to his son William, the father of President McKinley. More than a half a century passed, and the stones that once marked the last resting place of the ancestors of a president of the United States had long since mouldered into decay, the graves alone remained, grass grown and briar covered, when the name of McKinley became known through the length and breadth of the land, and the old settlers recalled the fact that the grandfather of one of the nation's greatest men had once made his home among them. The coming president, then governor of the state, visited the site, and at his request the little churchyard was extended to include the McKinley burial plot, and in the extreme southeastern corner of the yard can be seen the two stones, erected by the president of the United States, and bearing the simple inscriptions: AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 219 DAVID MCKINLEY REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER Born 1755, Died 1840. HANNAH C. ROSE Born 1757, Died 1840. In 1830 one of the pioneers was Richard Davidson. His father, George Davidson was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and was a cousin of the ill fated Colonel Crawford. Richard was born in Virginia on May 28, 1799, on land which was granted to his father by the government for services in the Revolution, but the title was never perfected and the land passed into other hands. George Davidson went to Knox county, Ohio, and in 1830 his son Richard came to Crawford, settling on land just southeast of Chatfield, and in 1834 was one of the first justices of the county, serving for three terms. The complete list of justices of Chatfield township is as follows: Ichabod Smith1831-34; Richard Davidson-1834-37-40; Daniel Shaffstall-1837-40-43-49; Levi Caskey—1846; James Gibson-1846; John Roberts-1849; Demetry Winterhalter-1849; Ormond W. Johnson—1852; Wilson Stewart —1852-55-58; Simon Nefsger I853; John Burgbacher — 1856-59-62-71-75-78-81, 84, 87-90-93-99; Frederick Hipp-1861-64-67-70 73-76-79; J. H. Davidson-1865-68-82; John H. Lust—1885 ; John Guiss—1888-91-95-98 ; D. H. Angene-1894-93; Joseph H. Mollencop-1896; F. H. Barth-1898-01-07-11 ; and C. F. Hammer—1903. The first town laid out in Chatfield township was by John Henry who came to the township in 1824 as a hunter. From the profits of his markmanship he bought land in section 19 a mile south of the present village of Chatfield, but he was not cut out for a farmer. In those early days stock was allowed to run at large, and the hogs soon grew wild. As a protection settlers marked their stock so that even the hogs when wild could be identified. These marks were made a matter of township record, as the following from a township clerk's book in the possession of Frederick Hipp shows: "Thomas Johnson's ear mark for his cattle and hogs is a square crop off the left ear and a slit in the same." "Adrian Hoblitzell's ear mark for cattle and hogs is a slit in both ears." "John Davidson's ear mark for cattle and hogs is a swallow fork in each ear." If the ears of the hogs held out it is probable that each settler had his distinguishing brand. There were many wild hogs in the early days, and also many not marked, but when a settler shot a hog it was the almost invariable custom to return the dead animal to its owner. John Henry was an expert shot with the rifle; he disliked farming, and it was generally reported by his neighbors that many of their hogs found their way into his larder. At any rate he salted down large quantities of pork, and realized considerable money by selling this pork to his neighbors. One day he sold a barrel of this pork to Richard Davidson, who lived about a mile from him, and after Henry left, Davidson humorously remarked to his wife: "Well, we are only buying back our own pork." John Henry concluded to lay out a town along the pike, so in the summer of 1834, he sent for the surveyor of the county, Thomas C. Sweney, and a town of forty-one lots was platted along both sides of the pike. The plat was filed in the recorder's office at Bucyrus on June 9, 1834, and showed the location as being on "the north half of the southeast quarter of section No. 19 Chatfield township." It was nearly a mile south of the present village of Chatfield. The town was called North Liberty, the Pike was the principal street and was called Bucyrus street; west of this was a street running north and south called Poplar and east of Bucyrus street was Sycamore. There was but one east and west street, which was called Cranberry, but for lack of east and west streets it had an alley on each side. There were sixteen lots on Bucyrus street, eight on each side, seventeen on Poplar and eight on Sycamore. The prospects of the town were good, with a daily line of stages passing along the road, with Bucyrus nine miles to the south and Caroline eight to the north. The Bucyrus Journal, of June 1834, thus mentions the enterprise: "John Henry, sr., has laid off a new town to be called North Liberty, in the center of Chatfield township, and offers lots for sale on 220 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY July 10th. The town is nine miles north of Bucyrus, on the Columbus and Sandusky pike, on which there is a daily line of mail stages. the county road from Cranberry to Sycamore crosses the turnpike at the town." When the town was originally laid out John Henry had his house on the land and near was a small frame which had been erected by Demetry Winterhalter. The two first settlers in the new town were Jacob Bibble and John Winterhalter, who built houses into which they moved with their families, two other families coming soon after. The place never advanced to the dignity of having a store or a tavern. There were taverns north and south of the village, and half a mile south, in 1839 Jacob Kronenbach started a store with about $300 worth of goods, which he had purchased in Bucyrus ; this store was continued until about 1851 when the proprietor died and the store was discontinued. The only industry ever in the village was the ashery of Jacob Reidel. The serious drawback to the town was the proprietor himself. He was openly accused by his neighbors of shooting their hogs. On one occasion several settlers while hunting near the cranberry marsh heard the crack of a rifle, and creeping through the brush saw Henry in the act of cutting up a hog he had just slain. One of them indignantly fired, bringing Henry down with a shot in the leg. However, after shooting him they carried him home on a stretcher, and ever after he was called "Hog Henry." He made no complaint of the shooting, rather gloried in the name, and as soon as he was able to be about again his supply of pork was kept up as before. His town was known all over as "Hog Town," and without a store or a tavern or a friend it died a natural death, Henry eventually removing to the west. In May, 1840, the village of Richville was laid out and platted by William Fitzimmons, the county surveyor, on the land of Nathan Rich, the promoter of the new town and the sole proprietor, and the plat was filed in the recorder's office May 4, 1840. It was laid out on the southeast quarter of section 18, and consisted of nineteen lots. The Pike road \vas the main street, and was called Harrison street; east of it was a north and south street called Sycamore. One street ran east and west called Washington. Nathan Rich was of English descent, and about 1837 had erected a story and a half frame on the present site of the village. The second house was built by John bobbins and the third by John Pugh, both locating there immediately after the laying out of the town. Pugh engaged in the manufacture of shingles and siding, which business he continued for a number of years, finally moving west. His charges were from 25 to 50 cents per hundred for the shingles. He made his siding by splitting out the rough clapboards, and afterward shaving them down to the required thickness, the shingles being prepared in much the sane manner. He had a son who was constitutionally and resolutely opposed to manual labor, which no amount of punishment could make him perform, but who was a particularly bright scholar. This son subsequently became a member of congress from the western district to which the family had moved. His conduct, however, with respect to shirking physical labor cannot be held up as an example to youths of the present days, as not all boys who are thus idle become congressmen, the rule applying rather in the opposite direction. Mr. Rich, who founded the village, also opened the first store, beginning with about $75 worth of notions, which he kept chiefly-to exchange for ashes, as he owned one of the largest asheries in the county, manufacturing as high as twenty-five tons of pearlash her annum. He paid from three to five cents per bushel for the ashes, or gave notions, at the same rate, in exchange. The pearlash was sold in Bucyrus or Sandusky city at a handsome profit. In the same year in which he founded the town Mr. Rich also built a saw and grist-mill. It was a large two-story frame building, furnished with one set of "niggerhead" stones and with a large "up and down" saw. The only grain ground was corn, and that only to a limited extent, but the saw-mill did a good business. These industries, including the ashary, attracted settlers to the village, which before long began to assume an air of prosperity. New houses were erected and stores and other business enterprises were opened. The first real store in town was kept by John Robbins, who began in 1840 with a general assort- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 321 ment valued at about S800. After conducting the business for six years he sold out and removed to Wyandot county. His successor was, singularly enough, a man of the same name, John Robbins, who for ten years kept a large general stock and did a fair business, after which he also sold out and removed to some other locality. The first saloon in town was kept by John Quaintance, who also sold groceries. The whiskey, the stock of which at the start scarcely ever exceeded a jugful, was sold at three cents per drink. Mr. Quaintance's stock of groceries, which included coffee, was also very small. He had as an assistant a bright youth of sixteen summers—or winters—who on a certain occasion, as narrated by a former historian, evinced a singular inaptitude for business. It seems that while Mr. Quaintance was out buying paper rags or engaged in some other outside business, a citizen came in with about fifteen pounds weight of rags, which he wished to exchange for coffee. The youth, after weighing the rags, weighed out the same number of pounds of coffee, which he handed over as an even exchange, and was much hurt subsequently to find his business abilities seriously questioned by his employer. After conducting his store for a number of years Mr. Quaintance finally closed out his stock and retired. Another saloon was opened not long afterward by a man named Kaler who, however, did not remain long in the business. In 1839 Lorenzo Bartimess, a practical distiller, erected buildings on a somewhat large scale for the manufacture of whiskey and brandy. They were furnished with two copper stills, one containing about eight barrels and the other four and both together turned out from ten to thirty gallons per day, the liquor being of fair quality. This distillery commanded an extensive patronage and was the most profitable enterprise in the township. Late in the seventies the distillery was discontinued owing to the intervention of the United States officials. A store building was erected in the town in 1864 by Hipp & Robinson and furnished with $6,000 worth of goods. The business proved profitable for a short time only, being unfavorably affected by the general decline in prices on the conclusion of the war. The partners continued for five years, however, at the end of which time they sold out for $3,000, having sustained large losses. Markley & Durr, who bought the store conducted it for several years, but they also found it unprofitable and finally gave it up. Previous to Hipp & Robinson's undertaking a plan named George Maltz had opened a store a little south of the village, in z854, with a stock of goods valued at $2,500. He continued in business for about ten years, luckily or wisely closing out just before war prices began to decline. Michael Hall succeeded Maltz, and was in business about four years, but the investment was not a profitable one and he closed up his stock. Other merchants in Richville were Hiram Lyons, in 1859; Frederick and William Achbaugh, and Jacob Buckman, who carried stock to the amount of $2,000 to $3,000, Mohroff & Lutz, J. M. Durr. August Muth kept the principal store of the village for many years, being succeeded by his son-in-law, Joseph Mollencop. The first physician in the village was Dr. A. B. Fairbanks, locating there soon after the town was started. In 1830 Chatfield township had a population of ninety people, and this was increased by the census of 1840 to six hundred and eighty. After 1830 the settlement of the township was rapid, the completion of the Columbus and Sandusky Pike making land along that road desirable. On March 8, 1834, a postoffice was established in the township, called Chatfield, named after the township. It was located north of the present village at the cross roads where the Frisbie tavern was situated. The first postmaster was L. C. Flint. One of the early postmasters was Harris Garton, who came to Bucyrus in r822, married Louisa Norton, and moved to Chatfield. When John Henry laid out his town of North Liberty attempts were made to have the post office removed to that place, but the lack of a store or tavern there and the feeling of the people against the town and its owner prevented its removal. In 1848 the post office was removed to Richville, that place having become a business center, Dr. A. B. Fairbanks being the first postmaster. The name, however, remained Chatfield, and eventually the little village dropped the name of Richville, and is now known by all as Chatfield. Among 222 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY the postmasters at Chatfield were Wilson Stewart, who was elected county commissioner and removed to Bucyrus; Frederick Hipp, who followed Wilson Stewart in 1836, twenty-five years later removed to Bucyrus, having been elected probate judge. His son-in-law, James H. Robinson, was postmaster from 1867 to 1870, and came to Bucyrus as county surveyor, and later was auditor of the county for two terms; it was under the administration of Mr. Robinson that Chatfield first secured a daily mail service. Today it has several mails a day, and there are two rural routes on which carriers start daily to deliver the mail at the homes of all the farmers in that section. Prior to the removal of the postoffice to Chatfield, the postmasters were tavern keepers, the taverns in the early days being the most frequented place, in the various sections. The county records show tavern licenses granted to Luther C. Strong, Samuel Webber and Harris Garton during the years they were postmasters. The following are the different postmasters at Chatfield with the date of their appointment: L. C. Flint, March 8, 1834; B. Dimock, April 4, 1837; S. P. Webber, April 9, 1838; Richard Frisbie, March 2, 1839; Harris Garton, November 9, 1841 ; Richard Frisbie, July 6, 1843; A. B. Fairbanks, July 5, 1848; John Roberts, March 11, 1850; L. D. Johnson, March 15, 1851 ;James M. Stewart, July 16, 1853; Wilson Stewart, May 31, 1856; Frederick Hipp, August 1, 1856; J. Pitezel, July 26, 1861; George W. Moltz, September 19, 1861; M. R. Hull, December 5, 1863; William Aschbacker, June 22, 1865; James H. Robinson, July 29, 1867; C. D. Markley, May 2, 1870; William Aschbacker, July 5, 1871; Charles D. Markley, February 3, 1873; William Holste, July 17, 1876; William Mohrhoff, March 31, 1879; Elizabeth Mohrhoff, April 23, 1885; August Muth, January 27, 1886; Harrison Williams, April 19, 1892; H. A. Williams, November 11, 1892; L. F. Kibler, June 8, 1894; Joseph H. Mollenkop, May 9, 1898. The people in the southern part of the township in 1863 petitioned the government for a postoffice. The request was granted and a postoffice established about seven miles north of Bucyrus in the Hopple-Klink neighborhood. The postoffice was called Grove Hill, and Frederick Rapp was appointed postmaster March 30, 1863; he was succeeded by Philip J. Moffitt October 5, r868, and he by Isaac Anderson June 11, 1873, and sixteen days later, on June 27, the office was discontinued. The advancement of any community is usually in proportion to its educational facilities. In this respect Chatfield township has kept up with the times. The educational movement was inaugurated in the summer of 1834 by Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, who opened a school in her own dwelling at North Liberty. She was a lady of refinement and education, though little is known of her previous history. She taught several terms of school of three months each, charging her pupils-of whom she had some twelve or fifteen-one dollar each for the term. After her removal from the neighborhood, school was kept in a frame building erected in 1836 on the turnpike near Richville. John Rissell was one of the first teachers here. A few years later two more school-houses were erected-one about a mile northwest of the village and the other about a mile and a half south on the turnpike. An early teacher in the school in the northern part was Mrs. Sarah Breston, previously mentioned in this chapter as having been engaged in rearing silkworms with her father, John Lucas. Several teachers, however, had preceded her, whose names are now forgotten. After the division of the township into school districts, each had a frame schoolhouse, and the old log schoolhouse fell into disuse. Several of the township schools were taught in the German language, owing to the large proportion of settlers of that nationality. John H. Davidson was in former years a potent factor in the educational work of the township, and was the first teacher in the first brick schoolhouse. Some of the most efficient teachers in adjacent townships were educated in Chatfield. The first division of the township into school districts was on November 11, 1833, when the trustees held a meeting and divided the township into three school districts. The township was then four miles wide and six deep, and the northern two miles. extending across the township was district No. 11, the central two miles district No. 2, and the south- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 223 ern two miles district No. 3. The township now has eight school districts, with a brick school house in each one, the first township in the county to have all its schoolhouses of brick. The spiritual needs of Chatfield township were early looked after by ministers who came from Bucyrus and other parts of the county, some of whom organized churches or religious societies. The German Lutheran and the German Reformed churches were organized soon after the large influx of German settlers in or about 1832. Meetings in the cabins of the settlers, which, in fact, was the general custom until 1837, at which time the German societies fitted up a large log cabin exclusively for church purposes, and it was thus used for many years the building subsequently becoming a schoolhouse. The log cabin above mentioned was succeeded by a large, almost square structure, having four windows and a door and constructed of black walnut lumber. Here also a Sabbath school was organized. An early revival increased the membership of the church to such an extent that even this building was scarcely large enough to hold the usual congregation. In the late seventies or thereabouts, the congregation divided, the Lutherans retaining the old building and the Reformers erecting a new and more imposing one a short distance east on the turnpike. In 1844 the Baptists erected a church on the turnpike in the southern part of the township, which building is still standing. Not far away is a quiet little cemetery, where repose the remains of some of Chatfield's best known and most beloved citizens of former days. About 1846 the Dunkards built a church just across the line in Seneca county, near the northwest corner of Chatfield, which drew many members from the latter county. Many years afterward it was moved across the line into Chatfield, and the old building was finally replaced by a new and more commodious structure. As early as 1832 the Methodists held services in the cabins of the settlers, being supplied with occasional preachers by the minister from Bucyrus and traveling missionaries. Later, as the membership grew they erected a frame church which did service for many years and was succeeded by the structure now erected in Chatfield. Chatfield is today a solid, substantial little village, with a population by the census of 1910 of two hundred and seventy. It has two railroads, and one large mill, the Chatfield Milling Company, which being the center of a rich grain-growing region does a large business. It has several stores and shops, a town hall, and graded schools. CHAPTER XI CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP Location and Erection of the Township—Topography and Drainage—Cranberry Marsh—First Settlers—Early Industries—New Washington—Kibler's Tannery—Postmasters- Construction of Railroad—Justices—Education - Churches. Happy the maul who tills hs field Content with rustic labor; Earth does to him her fullness yield. Hap what may to his neighbor. Well days, sound nights ; oh, can there be A life more rational and free? —RICHARD HENRY STODDARD. Cranberry township comprises land lying on either side of the eastern boundary of an extensive tract which, subsequent to 1820 Was known as the "New Purchase." The three tiers of sections on the east belonged to the "Three-mile Strip," a narrow tract of land lying next east of the boundary mentioned above ; and the tier of sections on the west and the fractional tier lying next east of the western tier, were portions of the New Purchase. The former portion of the township—that lying east of the New Purchase—was laid out in sections as early as 1807, the remainder not being surveyed until about 1820. These townships were at first known only by their numbers and ranges, names being given subsequently to theirs by the settlers. Cranberry was named from the extensive cranberry marshes lying in its southwestern parts. It was erected as a township by the Crawford county commissioners in 1826 and included what is now Cranberry and the eastern four miles of the present Chatfield township. Its boundaries have been frequently changed but in 1828 at the presidential election the polling place was at the cabin of Joshua Chilcote, in Cranberry. Out of the fifteen or sixteen votes then cast, seven came from Cranberry, and the remainder from the Chatfield part. In 1828 Chatfield was erected by taking from Cranberry its four western sections. Its present boundaries and dimensions were assigned to Cranberry In 1833, at which time Sandusky township was divided and Jackson township created, sections 34, 35 and 36 being annexed to Cranberry. The surface of Cranberry township is generally flat, though in the northern part somewhat undulating. Lying on the northern slope of the Ohio watershed, it is drained on the northern and eastern sides by streams running into Huron river. Its western side is drained by Sycamore creek, a branch of the Sandusky. The drift deposits are deep and in no place is the underlying rock exposed. In the southern part of the township is found a rich, black and largely alluvial soil, while in the northern part, being mixed with sand and clay, it is somewhat lighter. This clay of a heavy tenacious quality, has been used to quite an extent in the manufacture of brick, tile and pottery. A few sulphur springs occur in several parts of the township but are of no particular value. Owing to the wet and marshy character of the soil in a large part of the township, Cranberry offered few or no attractions to the pioneer settlers and, as a rule, they passed on to more favored localities. Of course, in those days artificial drainage was not thought of, or, if thought of, was regarded as impracticable, as so much other real work needed to be done. The vast cranberry marsh, however, proved an attraction to hunters and trappers, as it was a favorite hiding place for game, and in the win- - 224 - AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 225 ter, when the water was frozen, was the scene of many an exciting hunt. Wolves, foxes, mink, and other fur-bearing animals were taken in large quantities, while occasionally a panther or bear was found, in wet weather the water was in some places two feet deep and large pools of stagnant water abounded through all this vicinity. Bands of Wyandot Indians camped in the northern part of the township as late as 1825 and they continued to visit the locality for ten years subsequently, after which they came no more. In the winter they often organized extensive hunts, being sometimes joined by the white settlers. The game was surrounded by a wide circle of hunters, who gradually closed in upon it, driving it to a common center, where it was slaughtered, being afterwards divided among the participants. Many such exciting scenes took place in early days in this township. Most of the large ponds which in those days formed such a leading feature of the landscape, are no longer to be seen, owing to the system of drainage inaugurated somewhat over a generation ago, by which means the stagnant water was turned into neighboring streams. The marsh has also been drained and the soil rendered fit for the plow. The name of the first settler in Cranberry township will probably never be ascertained. In 1825 there were but three or four families settled in the township, none of whom, probably, had been there more than three or four years. In 1823 or 1824 a Mr. Bergin built a log cabin on what was afterwards the Cory farm, being assisted in raising it by some settlers from Auburn township. By 1826 he had cleared and fenced a number of acres. In that year the township witnessed the advent of Aaron Cory, an ordained minister of. the Methodist Episcopal church, who was of Scotch descent. He is thought to have been a descendant of Giles Cory. who was executed for witchcraft at Salem, Mass., September 1, 1692, when aged 77 years. Removing from New Jersey to Tuscarawas county, Ohio, in 1802, he had resided there a number of years and afterwards been a resident of Richland and Wayne counties. He died in Cranberry township in 1834 at the age of 60 years, having founded a family that has given to the county some of its most intelligent, distinguished and upright citizens. Among them was Thomas, son of Rev. Aaron, who "served with singular fidelity in various positions of honor and trust." Another, James E. Cory, represented Crawford county in the state legislature and was the author of several useful legislative enactments, and Hugh M. Cory was state senator from 1909 to 1911. Other settlers who came about the time of Cory were Charles Doney, George Myers and Joshua Chilcote. Doney, who came in 1825, was a hunter and trapper and built a log cabin near the cranberry marsh. He gave his name to a long winding ridge or strip of land which extended out to the center of the marsh and which to this day is known as Doney's Point. He was a Connecticut Yankee and had previously settled in the northern part of Richland county but on account of game becoming scarce in that locality had removed to Cranberry township, this county, where he erected a cabin for himself and family. He cultivated a small garden but his main business was hunting. He had much trouble with the Indians, who stole his furs, but he finally stopped this practice by catching one of the thieves and giving him a sound thrashing. George Myers bought land on the subsequent site of New Washington and was afterwards closely identified with the early history and development of that village. Chilcote was an Easterner who before coming here had resided for some time in Columbiana county, Ohio. He was an enterprising and energetic citizen, took a prominent part in opening tip roads through this locality and served with ability in most of the township offices. It is thought that the first marriage in the township was that of one of his daughters with "Oak" Tyndal. He has numerous descendants, though most of them are residents of other counties. His immediate family numbered five sons—John, Nicodemus, James, Joshua and Heathcote—and two or three daughters. In 1820 Jacob Lederer settled in the township with his three sons. About 1828 James Boner settled in the southern part of the township. He also was one of the township's most useful citizens during its early period. He was a man of more than ordinary intelligence and served for many years as a justice of the peace. A for- 226 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY mer historian relates that on one occasion—about 1829--Judge Boner was called upon to "splice" a young German named Zipsie with the object of his choice. About a week later Zipsie appeared and addressing the Judge, who was weeding his garden, exclaimed: "Wie gehts, Mishter Boner, wie gehts, You did got me a firsh shtrate wife dot time." In 1830 arrived Jacob Boyer, Jacob Shafer and Christopher Faulk. They were followed three years later by a large number of German settlers who located in various parts of the township. Among them were George Klein, Timothy McCarty, Jacob and Philip Gangloff, George Seifert, Warren Rang, William Hoover, Henry Koehler, Benjamin Hudson, George Seiter, William and Arthur Tildon, George Donnenwirth, William Scott, George Strohacker, Frederick Weaver, Michael Hartneck and Joseph Worst. About the same time came Adam and Valentine High, Jefferson Kibler, Valentine Lantz, John, William and Armstrong Irwin, John Siefert, Amos Stevens and six sons, and others. Most of the German settlers came directly from Germany to Cranberry township. The majority of these settlers selected the higher lands for their settlement, but some braving malaria, chose the ridges that projected like peninsulas into the swamp. They took some measures, however, for draining the worst places and in the course of years their united labor in this direction had a most beneficial result. Many of them made no little money out of the cranberry-picking industry, the berries in 1824 selling for 20 and 25 cents per bushel, with the price steadily advancing. With the aid of a box-like implement having a serrated board for scraping off the berries, 15 or 20 bushels per day were often gathered. The pickers wore long-legged boots to keep out the water and as a precaution against snake-bites, rattlesnakes being numerous in the marsh. The picking season began the latter part of September and lasted until well into the following spring; but few being gathered in the winter, however, owing to their being frozen in the ice. Those gathered in the spring were considered of the best quality, as they required less sugar to prepare them for table use. By r855 the marsh had become so dry that cranberries no longer grew there in paying quantities. Previous to 1830 the township was without any of the usual appurtenances of civilization. Mills, manufactories, schools, churches or villages were non-existent. To obtain flour or meal it was necessary to go to the Huron river, 20 miles north, except that a very small quantity could sometimes be obtained at the horse-mills in Auburn township. Household supplies were brought from Huron and Richland counties, or where obtained, later, at Bucyrus. By 1842 Jefferson Wallace, a cabinet-maker began business in the southern part of the township, after which many of the citizens procured their household furniture from him. In or about 1836 a log grist-mill was erected in the northwestern part of the township, on Broken Knife creek, "niggerhead" stones being used. This mill was conducted, it is thought, for about six or seven years and produced a good article of flour. On the other side of the race was a sawmill operated by Mr. Chilcote, which ran for about the same length of time. Both mills were built of logs, the grist-mill being the larger building. In August, 1833, the town of West Liberty was laid out, and the plat was filed in the Recorder's Office in Crawford county, on Sept. 2, 1833. It was platted and surveyed on land belonging to John Drum, who was the projector and proprietor of the new town. Its location is described as being the south end of the west half of the southwest quarter of section No. 12, Chatfield township (now Cranberry.) It was laid out almost entirely on the east of the road which ran through the northern part of the county from Mansfield to Attica and Tiffin. There were three north and south streets and three north and south alleys, named Caroline, Walnut and Poplar streets, and a West, Middle and East alleys. All of the 26 lots laid between two east and west streets, Jackson being the street on the north and Front on the south. The Mansfield and Tiffin road crossed diagonally through the southwest corner of the plat. It was proposed to abandon that part of the road that cut through the town and have it enter from the north on Caroline street, run south to Jackson, then east to the original road. It was only four days after the plat was filed in Bucyrus, that George Myers filed the plat of New Washington, which laid just south of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 227 Drum's town of West Liberty. There was a very spirited rivalry for a while between the two places as to which should be the town. But eventually New Washington proved the stronger, and the site of West Liberty was abandoned, but it is now the northern part of New Washington. George Myers was a very energetic and industrious citizen. His cabin stood near the site of the gristmill and was a small building constructed of round logs. He was a short chubby roan with heavy whiskers, which stood straight out from his face and which caused him to be generally known as "Chipmunk" Myers. In course of time he broke himself down by hard work. By 1833 he had cleared and fenced 3o acres of land and had it under cultivation. A part of it is now the business center of New Washington. The early growth of New Washington was slow but steady. It was well situated for a trade center, having no near rivals in this respect and the number of merchants gradually increased, most of them keeping large and well selected stocks. Jacob Hoover cane soon after Myers and built a round log cabin near the northern limits of the town. He, however, was a very different kind of man, having a strong disinclination to hard labor and being by natural taste a hunter, at which he was very successful. The first stock of goods was brought to the town by a Mr. Hussey, who, in 1833 or 1836 erected a double log cabin, where he kept a general assortment of goods, purchased in Sandusky City and valued at about $boo. The stock, of course, included a liberal supply of whiskey, without which as a sort of lubricating oil—as was generally supposed in those days—the world would have failed to turn on its axis. Mr. Hussey was drowned in a storm on Lake Erie in 1842, and for some years. after his death his business was conducted by his widow, who subsequently became the wife of John A. Sheets. Mr. Sheets then carried on the business, increasing the stock until it was worth several thousand dollars, and enjoying an excellent trade. He was succeeded by his sons, by whom the business was still further expanded and increased in value and importance. Volney Powers was the second merchant in New Washington and had a good trade, though secondary in importance to that of Sheets. He had, however, one of the largest asheries in the county and turned out on an average about fifteen tons of excellent pearl-ash per annum for about eight years. He also owned a large farm near the town from which he cut and burned the timber, preserving the ashes for use in his ashery. Many of the early merchants dealt in furs and some in wool, or in anything from which an honest penny might be gained, achieving success or failure according to their business ability or the conditions by which they were confronted. In 1836 New Washington could boast of seven families who were living in log cabins of various patterns and dimensions. By 1840 the population of the village had increased to nearly fifty, at which figure, or nearly so, it remained for about twenty years. Adam High, previously mentioned as among the early arrivals came in 1834, and was an old man when he arrived. He was one of the most wealthy among the pioneer settlers, having money out at interest as well as invested in land. His cabin, built probably the year of his arrival, is thought by some to have been the second one erected in New Washington. His son Valentine carried on a blacksmith's business for many years, opening a shop about 183. He also built a small tannery which he conducted for about eight years. Years later, a grandson of the original Adam High was badly hurt in the most serious accident that ever occurred at New V ashington. The grandson was also named Adam, and was a wagonmaker. On July 4, 1860, he was pounding broken brick on a charge of powder in an anvil. The charge exploded and tore off his left hand and about one-half of his arm below the elbow. His face and breast were much bruised and a deep wound was made in his side under his right arm and shoulder. At the same time three or four others were also badly hurt, among the worst injured being Mr. Gangloof. The latter was holding the powder receptacle from which he had just charged the anvil and it also took fire, burning his hand, arm and face. The faces and necks of all were much cut and marked by the fine grains of brick, though fortunately all their eyes escaped injury. 228 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY George Shichtal had a finger torn off. The force of the explosion was terrible, throwing Mr. High up and back and causing him to strike on his shoulders and side six or eight feet from the anvil. One or two others were also knocked down. Robert Robinson, a tanner and cobbler, began the manufacture of shoes in 1834. He prepared his own leather, having five or six vats and selling his surplus in Bucyrus. Ile employed three men and kept several hundred dollars worth of stock on hand. About 1845 his tannery passed into the hands of Matthias Kibler, an active and enterprising citizen who did much for the development and improvement of the town, particularly in advancing its educational interests. Mr. Kibler was born in Germany, June 11, 1822, and came to Cranberry in 1841. He started tanning on a farm that was subsequently owned by Daniel Early. In 1846 or 47 his tannery burned and in the next spring he took up his residence in New Washington, as above mentioned purchasing the tannery of Mr. Robinson. This he conducted with great success, also dealing in boots and shoes. His business increased until it became the largest and most successful of its kind that ever existed in the town. On his death, which took place Sept. 23, 1876, it passed into the hands of his sons, being conducted by his son Jefferson and later in connection with his brother Matthew, under whose management twenty or more vats were in full operation, and today the hide business of the Kiblers is one of the greatest industries of the county. Mr. Kibler, Sr., served with credit in various local offices and at the time of his death was mayor of the town. He made an addition to the town of a number of lots platted from a tract which he had purchased on his first arrival here. He was the chief mover in having the township at an early day divided .in eight school districts and supplied with schools and adequate school facilities. Jacob and Magdalena Lederer came to Cranberry in 1826; Valentine and Catherine Lantz in 1834; John M. and Jane Robinson came in 183, locating half a mile west of Waynesburg. Robinson was one of the earliest blacksmiths. Amos and Hannah Stevens came in 1834, as did also John and Saloma Siefert. The Sieferts bought 80 acres of land, for which they paid $85, leaving them with $25 cash on hand. Robert Cunning, grandfather of J. H. Stevens, served in the War of the Revolution. Amos Stevens was a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church. Thomas and Esther Cory (father of Aaron and Elizabeth) came to Cranberry in 1826. Aaron emigrated to Ohio, settling in Wayne county about 1814-I. Benjamin and Hannah Hudson carne in i833; Morgan and Elizabeth Cummins in 1828. George Donnenwirth came to New Washington in 1838 and kept a blacksmith's shop He was postmaster for several years, 1852 to 1856, the office being located at his shop. Jr those days New Washington got its mail fron Chatfield. Every Sunday, regardless of the weather, Mr. Donnenwirth went over to Frisbie's on the pike and got his mail. During thy week his sons or the neighbor boys frequently went over, walking the distance, about five miles. A correct list of the postmasters o New Washington from 1846, with dates o appointment, is as follows: Postmasters, John A. Sheetz, Jan. , 1846 George Donnenwirth, Jan. 17, 1852; Georg Walter, March 13, t86; Peter Miller, March 20, 1857; E. A. Hesse, Nov. 9, 1861 ; John S Hershiser, Feb. 28, 1866; Jacob F. Ailer April 9, 1866; John Donnenwirth, Aug. 6. 1885; T. B. Carson, April 20, 1889; John Donnenwirth, Sept. 1, 1893 ; T. P. Carsor Aug. 4, 1897; S. A. Pugh, Feb. 1, 1911. One of the most enterprising citizens that New Washington ever had was William B Pratt who came in 1814. He was a carpente and millwright having a very thorough know] edge of his trade and was moreover a man o good general business ability. He entered, largely into building operations, having large shop, and keeping fifteen amen employer He erected a large number of building throughout Cranberry and adjacent township: many of which are standing today, and hi reputation as a contractor stood high through out the county. After carrying on this busi- ness for about eight years, lie sold out an, opened a provision store and saloon. He als dealt largely in furs, buying all he could of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 229 tain and shipping diem to the eastern markets, where they brought a good price. In a single year 1859 he invested $2,000 in this branch of his business alone. He also caught many fur-bearing animals by means of dogs and traps. At that time mink skins sold for $4 and $5 each; coon skins, 73 cents to $1 ; fox skins from $1 to $2 and wolf skins for about a dollar, exclusive of the bounty, which was several dollars. After conducting his provision store a few years he sold out that branch of his business and put in instead a stock of drugs, which also proved a good investment. In the early fifties he bought a steam muley sawmill, which he ran for about four years. This mill afterwards passed through various hands. In 1871 he built a large planing mill, which he conducted until 1880, when it was sold to Anthony Harmon. Perhaps the greatest business disappointment that New Washington ever had was the failure of the foundry project in 1850. Elaborate plans were laid out and a large building erected and supplied with furnace and other necessary appurtenances, the project being backed by men with considerable money at their command. The result was eagerly looked forward to by the townspeople who naturally expected an era of business and commercial activity. The proprietors, however, were not made of the right stuff to command success. They squandered their resources in loose living and the foundry was never put into operation. In spite of this the town took on a healthy growth at this tine, several new industries arose, new houses were built and the population increased until in the early sixties the town had some 200 inhabitants, who were for the most part thrifty and prosperous. In 1854 a man named Johnson built a large and substantial grist mill at a cost of about $4,000. This mill was furnished with three sets of stone and was operated by steam and soon commanded a large trade, furnishing excellent flour. It is still reaming, a large part of its product being shipped to other localities. Another noted citizen of Yew Washington was Jacob J. Bear. He was born Aug. 6, 1835, and at the age of 13 began to learn the printers' trade at Painesville. He subsequently published a book on latitude and longitude, entitled "NInemotechny." In 1860 he made the journey overland to Pike's Peak, with the intention of engaging in mining. But finding this occupation unprofitable, lie turned his attention to journalism, assisting W. N. Byers in starting the Rocky Mountain News, the first paper published in Colorado. He took part in the Civil arr as a member of Company A, Twenty-first Indiana regiment. Returning later to New Washington, he opened a livery business here which lie conducted with fair success for a number of years. So far as is now known the first physician to locate in New Washington was Dr. Stouteneour, and the first lawyer was J. C. H. Elder who opened a law office in the village, January 16, 1878. The construction of the Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan Railroad gave a great impetus to the growth of New Washington, which was noticeable as soon as the construction became certain. Many new buildings, both public and private, were erected, newindustriess were projected or started, property increased largely in value and the population soon tripled. Since the road was put into operation a number of additions have been made to the village, largely increasing its area. On the 4th of March, 1874, in accordance with a previous petition, signed by a majority of the legal voters, the village of New Washington was incorporated by the County Commissioners and immediately afterward the following officers were elected: _Matthias Kibler, mayor; LewisDonnenwirthh, clerk; John Miller, treasurer: Lewis aethh, marshal; J. H. Miller, Jacob Stouteneour,Williamm Aschbaugh, Jacob Sheets,Williamm Donnenwirth and John ribolett, councilmen. Succeeding Mr. Kibler as mayor was W. H. Pratt for two years, Peter D. Studer two years, L. C. Donnenwirth four years, and in 1885 H. M. Cory was elected, serving over a dozen years. On Dec. 28, 1827, the County Commissioners appointed Isaac Matthews and Nicodemuss Chilcote as Justices of the Peace. The following is a complete list of those who have hell the office, and the dates of their election. Isaac Matthews, 1827;Nicodemuss Chilcote. 1827-30-33; Aaron Cory. 1832; John Cory, 1834; James Boner. 1836; Jacob Shaffer, 230 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY 1837; Abraham English, 1839; Abner Cory, 1839-42; Alexander Stevens, 1842; George Donnenwirth, 1843-46-52-55; Moses Kling, 1845-48-51-54-57; Mathias Kibler, 1849-58- 61-64-67-70-73; Christian Guiss, 1859-62-6568-71 ; John Tribolet, 1874; William H. Pratt, 1876; Peter D. Studer, 1877-80-83-86; John Michelfelder, 1879; H. M. Cory, 1882-85-8891-95-98-01-05-08-11 ; George B. Wolf, 1888; Matt Sheibly, 1892; F. S. Blair, 1895; John Donnenwirth, 1899; E. D. Robinson, 1901-05; and A. A. De Roche, 1908-11. In April, 1862, New Washington had two churches, two dry goods stores, one drug store, six groceries, three blacksmith shops, five shoe shops, two wagon shops, one tin shop, two cabinet shops, one flouring and sawmill, a tannery and an ashery. Today it is a thriving and prosperous town, has a good weekly newspaper, the New Washington Herald, owned by Percy Lantz, and a solid, substantial hank of which George W. Sheetz is president. It leads the county in two things: the Kibler tannery does a business of hundreds of thousands of dollars yearly, and has a national reputation, and a large combination store is the most extensive mercantile establishment in the county. Another thriving industry is the Uhl hatchery, the little chickens being shipped to practically every state. The Farmers Exchange Bank, of New Washington, O., was organized as long ago as 1876 and is thus one of the old established financial institutions of the county. Its original officers were: John A. Sheetz, president; Jacob Sheetz, vice president; and John H. Sheetz, cashier, and they continued to operate the bank until the death of John A. Sheetz in 1889. The business was then reorganized, with Jacob Sheetz as president, John M. Guiss, vice president, and John H. Sheetz, cashier. The directors and stockholders, in addition to the officers, were Mrs. Margaret Sheetz and Louisa P. Guiss. The death of John M. Guiss, in 1907, and of Mrs. Margaret Sheetz in 1892, caused further changes. Jacob Sheetz continued as president, Mrs. Louisa P. Guiss became vice president, John H. Sheetz continued as cashier, George H. Seitter became assistant cashier and, in 1910, Miss Ida Kimmerline became bookkeeper. This bank was organized with a capital of $25,000, with a surplus of $25,000. Its earliest location was in the back part of the J. Sheetz & Bros.' store. In 1906 the present modern bank building was erected. This building is of brick construction, with dimensions of 70x25 feet, and two stories in height. The first floor is occupied by the different banking departments, and the second floor by the local telephone exchange and by tenants. The bank is equipped with a burglar and fire-proof vault, with inside dimensions of 8 x 11 feet, and an automatic time-lock door, weighing three tons. The officers of the bank are members of the American Bankers' Association, the Ohio Bankers' Association and the Ohio Private Bankers' Association. The first settlers of Cranberry township were too much occupied in the struggle with nature to pay much attention to the question of education. Their children were taught at an early age to make themselves useful—the boys assisting their father in extending the clearing, draining the marshes or developing the farm, and the girls in helping their mother to perform the multifarious household duties, which, in many or most cases, included the making of homespun clothes for the family. If they attended school at all, it was probably in Auburn township—where at an early date there were a few rude schoolhouses—and at short and infrequent intervals. But in the winter of 1833-34 an educational change set in. The elder people had by that time seen the advisability of providing their children with an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the elements of knowledge and a small building was therefore rented and roughly prepared for the purposes of a schoolhouse. The name of the teacher, who was probably the first teacher in the township, has been forgotten. School was taught there every winter until 1839, at which time a large log schoolhouse was built about a mile southeast of New Washington. This was attended by the town children until about 1842, when a log schoolhouse was built in the town. The latter building was used until 1855, when a schoolhouse was built at a cost of nearly $2,000, to be succeeded 30 years later by the present handsome and commodious brick structure. At the time the log schoolhouse was erected in the village, others were built in various parts of the town- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 231 ship. One near the present Tabor church, in 1840, and another in the northern part at about the same time. Several years later one was built near the eastern limits. These buildings were used generally for about 25 years, after which the present more commodious and substantial ones were erected. The pioneer settlers of Cranberry being largely of German origin, the Lutherans and German Reformers united to organize a church in the township. This was done in the spring of 1834 by Rev. Mr. Stanch, who afterward made periodical visits to the society, at intervals of every two months. Among the first members were the families of John Seifert, Conrad Seiter, Phillip Gangloof, Adam High, and Mrs. Ehregott Hesse. Two years later Rev. Maschop came to serve the congregation, preaching once a month. He was succeeded by Rev. John Krauss, who visited the society from 1839 to 1845. At first services were held in schoolhouses or in the cabins of the members, but in 1840 a log church was built in the eastern part of New Washington, which, though small, was adequate to the membership. After the erection of this church Rev. Mr. Krauss visited it every alternate Sunday. He was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Graetz, who preached every Sunday from 1845 to 1850. In 1853, the congregation having largely increased, a new and larger church was erected at a cost of $2,700, including a hell and organ. In the previous year the Lutheran members being in a preponderance, the title of "German Evangelical Lutheran Church" had been adopted. The new church dedicated in 1854, the councilmen at that time being George Donnenwirth, Jacob Utz, Jacob Veil, Valentine High, George Leonhardt, John P. Walter, Michael, Margaret and John A. Sheetz. This is one of the strongest church organizations in the county. The early Catholics in Cranberry township attended a church located on the Columbus and Sandusky Turnpike, in the southern part of Seneca county. But by 1844 they so increased as to be able to organize a church of their own, which was accordingly done, a small frame building being erected a little to the east of Hillburn's tavern. This building, which cost about $600, was used until 1868, when the present fine church was erected at a cost of $25,000. In 1875 the parsonage was built on an adjacent lot at a cost of $4,000. About 1850 a Protestant Methodist church was organized in the township, the members meeting for services in schoolhouses. In 1854 they built a frame church on section 27, at a cost of $1,400. The United Brethren about 1844 began holding meetings at the residences of some of the members of their faith, among whom George Keller was one of the most prominent. Their meetings were afterwards for several years held in a schoolhouse. The society increasing, a church was built in 1852 at a cost of about $800. The families of George Keller, Conrad Cragle, Peter Lash, Nicholas Whittle and Charles Hagerman were among the first members. Rev. John Smith was one of the first ministers. In 1880 or 1881 a Methodist Episcopal church was built in the northern part of the township at a cost of $1,200, the membership of which has since largely increased. CHAPTER XII DALLAS TOWNSHIP Peculiar Shape of Dallas Township—Dimensions—Fertility of the Soil—Erection of the Township—Drainage—Stock Raising—First Settlers—Taverns and Mills—Arrival of Johnston Family—Enterprise of Mr. Kerr—His Donations—The Monnetts-Roads and Stage Lines—Milk Sickness and Cholera Epidemics—Schools and Churches —The "Devil's Half Acre"—Early Marriages—Justices—The Bucyrus and Marion Electric Road. There buds of the buckeye in spring are he And the willow's gold hair then appears, And snowy the cups of the dogwood that burst By the red-bud, with pink-tinted tears. And striped the bolls which the poppy holds up For the dew, and the sun's yellow rays; And brown is the pawpaw's shade-blossoming cup, In the wood, near the sun-loving maize. —WILLIAM W. FOSDICK That peculiarly shaped strip of territory which clamps, so to speak, the southwest corner of Crawford county, and which is designated on the map as Dallas township, forms part of a tract that was surveyed as far back as 1819, by Deputy Surveyor Gen. Sylvanus Bourne, assisted by Samuel Holmes, from whom Holmes township derives its name. It forms a part of the famous Sandusky Plains, a strip of land about 20 miles in width and stretching east and west through Marion and Wyandot counties, for 40 miles, that is one of the most fertile tracts of land to be found in Ohio, and which in early days was noted for the rank luxuriance of its sedge grass and yellow blossomed weeds, but which today, laid out in fenced and cultivated fields, yields bountiful crops of a more useful nature in grains and farm produce of every description, and makes the finest of pasture land. The peculiar shape of the township is due to the conditions brought about by the Legislature creating the county of Wyandot in 1845. Bucyrus, Holmes and Lykins were already established townships, and when Wyandot was erected west of these townships was a strip two miles wide, while to Crawford county was added on the south two miles from Marion county. Instead of attaching this territory to adjoining townships, the Crawford County Commissioners erected new townships from the strips, and one of these was Dallas, which was made up of the strip six miles long and two wide taken from Scott township, Marion county, and in the extreme southwestern corner four square miles taken from Grand Prairie township, Marion county, and north of this, six square miles taken from Antrim township, which had been a township of Crawford county, but the bulk of it had gone into the new county of Wyandot. This made an "L" shaped township in the southwestern part of the county, two miles across. The new township was named Dallas, in honor of George M. Dallas, of Pennsylvania, who the year previous had been elected vice president of the United States. Dallas township is drained by two principal streams—the Sandusky or, as called by the Indians, "Sa-un-dus-tee" (clear water), and the eastern branch of the Scioto, known as the Little Scioto, original Wyandot name "Sci-onto." The former enters the township near its northeast corner and meanders in a southwesterly direction until it enters Wyandot county. Its bed consists of a coarse wash-gravel, diversified with sand bars that make the river a favorite resort of minnows. The gravel is also much used for making road - 232 - AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 233 repairs. The gravelly bed and picturesque aspect of the stream made it in former days a favorite resort of the Wyandot Indians whose camps might often have been observed on its banks. The other stream referred to—the Little Scioto—enters Dallas a quarter of a mile east of the Marion road, and, like the Sandusky, also flows in a general southwesterly direction, passing into Marion couty about a mile and a half east of the Wyandot county line. This river furnishes a constant supply of water to the stock farms that lie along its banks. Mud Run, now a partly artificial stream cuts Dallas township close to the Whetstone township line, flowing south into Marion county, and empties into the Whetstone. During the spring freshets it is sometimes swollen to a considerable width. A small tributary of the Sandusky, which passes through the Hoover farm and is known by the somewhat imposing title of "The Outlet of the Plains," had its origin in a dug ditch, but, on account of the fall of the land, which gives it a swift current, and what road began nature has completed by cutting a gully fifteen to eighteen feet deep, giving passage to a perennial flow of water. The original ditch, man made, was there long before the first pioneer settled in this section, and it was believed to be the connecting lines between the Sandusky and the Scioto used by the French and Indians two hundred years ago on their way by boats from Lake Erie to the Ohio river. Dallas township contains a considerable variety of timber, much of which is of recent growth, in particular the picturesque clumps of jack-oak trees. Much of the earlier timber was destroyed by the Indians—not that they were accustomed to exercise themselves by Felling it, but in their "ring-hunts" they used to fire the grass in order to drive the game to a center, and in dry and windy weather the fire sometimes got beyond their control, thus destroying the young growth of timber. Upon the ridges, or so-called "islands," where the grass was not so long and rank, the timber sometimes escaped, and these spots accordingly were the best-wooded portions of the township. One of the most common trees in the southern and western parts of Dallas was and still is the "shellbark" or nut-bearing hickory. A generation ago it was customary for large nutting parties to be formed at the proper season, large numbers of people going in wagons and picnicing in the groves. As some of these people had little regard for property rights, they trespassed where they would, broke down fences and damaged the property of the farmers generally, besides disturbing the peace and quietness of the Sabbath, Sunday being a favorite day with them for this kind of recreation. The nuisance was finally abated by legislation. Along the rivers some fine walnut timber may be found, while in the northern part the maple gives rise to family sugar camps. Timber useful for building purposes, such as the ash, also occur, while among other trees or shubbery may be mentioned hazel, ironwood, buckeye, dogwood and sassafras. The southern part of Dallas township is favored with a deep black soil, peculiarly adapted to corn, and also, since it has been drained and tamed by cultivation, very suitable to wheat, though it was formerly too rich for that cereal. Oats and rye may also be raised in abundance. In the northern portion the soil is more of a clay loam. On the "white ridges" it is thinner and of a less rich quality, but when artificially enriched produces good wheat crops. Excellent grazing is found throughout Dallas township and the raising of cattle was formerly extensively carried on, though owing to the formidable competition of the large western ranches, it has been partly abandoned, the farmers, as in other parts of the county, still raising cattle, and the grazing remains an important industry. Sheep and hogs are raised to some extent. For many years Mr. John Monnett was a leading breeder of short-horn cattle, importing many choice animals into Crawford county from Kentucky. He removed in 1873 to Iroquois county, Ill. Ephraim Monnett was also noted as a large dealer in the Durham thoroughbreds. Sheep raising was attended with many difficulties in pioneer days, these animals being particularly liable to attacks from wolves, which made great ravages in the flocks, unless the latter were well protected. They had to be closely watched and at night were kept in high-built pens. The pork trade was also an uncertain business of doubtful profit, as the hogs usually ran wild among the timber and 234 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY owing to their roaming nature, were frequently the subject of litigation. Among those who devoted their attention largely to the sheep and hog trade in early days were David and Simon Bryant, who about 1829 took possession of what later became the Ephraim Monnett farm. Madison Welsh at an early day established a packing-house on the Marion road, on land that was later known as the George Welsh place. The first white settlers in Dallas township were men of a low and more or less worthless if not criminal character, who squatted on land in the vicinity of the watercourses. They usually built a rude cabin and cleared a small patch of ground, on which they raised such necessary vegetables as could be cultivated with the minimum of physical exertion. Their rifles procured them plenty of game, and fish could be had in the streams for the catching. Their instincts were predatory and in many cases, at least, their conduct was governed by the motto : "When you see what you want, take it," which they did when they were able or when they could do so undetected. With the advent of a better class of settlers, however, who came to found permanent homes, these gentry found the moral atmosphere getting uncongenial to them, and so they gradually departed to wilder scenes, turning their faces to the setting sun and following close in the wake of the retreating red man, much to the relief of the better-ordered portion of the community. One of the earliest permanent settlers was George Walton, described as "a middle-aged man," of large family, who moved into Dallas from the Pike-Whole-Prairie, in Pickaway county, in the fall of 1820. Taking possession of an abandoned squatter cabin, located near the site of the subsequent residence of Maj. Matthew Carmean, he repaired and enlarged it and made it suitable for habitation. Here he reared an enterprising family the members of which became useful and industrious men and women. Here also the first Methodist meetings in the township were held, and ministers of that faith—to which he himself belonged—entertained. After having seen his children comfortably settled in life as farmers, or engaged in other vocations, he removed to the state of Iowa, where he died in 1857. Another Pickaway county man, Mr. Van Horne, came to Dallas in 1821, and developed a farm consisting of two 80-acre lots. He had three sons and the family remained here until the death of the elder Van Horne, after which they appear to have moved away . Christian Hoover settled here in 1822, being accompanied by his son William, then aged six years. His daughter Hannah was married Nov. 25, 183o, by Zalmon Rowse, Esq. to Charles Wesley White, theirs being one of the first weddings in Dallas. Charles W. White was a son of Charles White, who served in the Patriot army during the Revolutionary war. The latter on the death of his father inherited a number of slaves in Virginia. He subsequently removed to Kentucky, where he liberated his slaves, and in 1821 removed from there to Ross county, Ohio. Two sons of Charles—Samuel and George—fought in the War of 1812, Charles W. being then only ten years old. The latter came to Crawford in 1820 and was employed for some time at the old Indian mill on the Sandusky near the present town of Upper Sandusky. He was also employed by the Government as Indian agent, his assistant being Charles Garrett. He worked at the mill three years and then bought 207 acres in Dallas township. He continued his investments in land until he eventually owned 1,300 acres. His wife died in 1851 and he never married again. His son, W. T. White, and grandson, Leo, followed him on the original farm. In his latter years he spent his winters at the home of his son-in-law, J. J. Fisher of Bucyrus. In 1830 Christian Hoover bought out the heirs of William Johnson the land he then acquired subsequently becoming the property of Christian Hoover, Jr. In addition to the daughter Hannah, above mentioned, his son, William, who was a boy of six years when he first came to this county was one of the largest wheat growers in the township. He was a progressive man and as early as 1835 purchased a threshing machine, which, though not equal to the thrashers of the present day, was a novelty at that time and a great improvement on the flail, the implement usually used for the purpose. Mr. Hoover, Sr., died in 1849 at the age of 60 years. His wife survived him but a short time, passing away in AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 235 the following year. The son William came to Bucyrus in the sixties, and became engaged in manufacturing, and later retired from all active business, his sons and grandsons still being prosperous farmers. John Mason, a widower with three sons, John, Thomas and Joseph, came to America from England in 1825 and subsequently found their way to Dallas township, this county, where they followed ditching for an avocation. They lived in a cabin on a forty-acre lot, which Mr. Mason purchased, and which subsequently came into possession of his son John, and from the latter into that of his widow. Old Mr. Mason, it seems, was an excellent cook and his skill in bread making was greatly admired by the housewives for miles around. He died in 1876. Samuel Coulter came to Dallas in 1832 from Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania. He first leased a piece of land from Mr. Van Horne, which he afterwards purchased. and it subsequently became the property of his youngest son, George. He devoted his main energies to the raising of grain. and gradually enlarged his holdings, buying out his neighbors, John and Daniel Reecer, and acquiring other 40, and 80 acre lots until he was one of the heaviest land holders in the township. He also put up a large barn, built in the Pennsylvania style, which was something of a novelty at that period and which is still standing. He lived to a ripe old age. His maiden sister, Miss Sarah Coulter also lived well into her eighties, being the oldest person in Dallas at the time of her death. One of the most successful stock dealers of Dallas in the first half of the last century was Robert Griffith, generally known as "Bob" Griffith, who came from Ross county in 1832. He first took care of some land owned by Linus Ross, a resident of that county and afterwards bought this land from Mr. Ross, adding to it 200 acres more. In 1842, seeking a still larger field for his operations, he moved to Iowa, where he prospered and became a heavy shipper of cattle to the Chicago markets. One of the earliest taverns in Dallas which was located on the Wyandot and Bucyrus road, on the county line, was kept by David Bibler, who conducted it for many years. In 1826 Mr. Bibler took up his residence near what has since been known as the "Bibler Spring," the land having been entered a few years previously by Christian Stahley. This tavern was one of the welcome stops on the old stage road, and was doubtless the scene of many a hasty but substantial repast in old stage-coach days, of which, alas, the glory hath now departed. In connection with his tavern Mr. Bibler also ran a still-house on the south bank of the Sandusky, and, not satisfied with these activities, conducted a sawmill, cultivated a farm and dealt in live stock. The year 1856 was an unfortunate one for him, as he lost his first wife, who died in December; also a son, who committed suicide, and a daughter, Susan. He subsequently contracted a second marriage, but his second wife dying within a few years, he removed to Hardin county. The Bibler Spring near which his tavern was located. was of the purest of water, and was visited from miles around, and it was this water that was used in the running of the still. The site was also historical as it was at this point Col. Crawford and his army passed their last night, before their engagement with the Indians on June 2, 1782. In the year 1826 Thomas F. Johnston and family, accompanied by Benjamin Warner arrived in Dallas. Mr. Johnston, who subsequently became one of the foremost citizens of the township, was then a young man, having been born in Lycoming county, Pa., in 1800. He was a cabinet maker by trade. With his wife and infant child and with Benjamin Warner, his wife and infant son, he started in the fall of 1825 for the capital of Ohio, intending to stop on their way at the home of a relative, George Walton, who had settled at Dallas a few years previous. After journeying for three weeks, the approach of winter and the badness of the roads compelled them to stop for the winter in the eastern part of the state. Resuming their journey early in the spring, they were again brought to a halt on the eastern border of the county by their wagon becoming badly mired. Leaving the wagon, the men went ahead with their rifles, the women and children following on horseback, and, being guided by a settler with torches, arrived at two o'clock in the morning at Mr. Walton's, where they found the eldest Walton daughter, Miss "Tishy" still awake, being engaged in entertaining a beau, a son of 236 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY their neighbor Van Horne. Naturally their unexpected arrival at that hour caused some excitement, under cover of which Miss "Tishy's" amorous bean effected a masterly retreat. Refreshments were at once the order of the day —or rather, of the night, while discussing which the travelers entertained their hospitable hosts and relatives, with the story of their adventures. The next day, with the assistance of a team of oxen, the wagon was rescued, and a few days later the party were following the Claridon blazed road to Bucyrus. Near the Sandusky they found the country largely under water. Mr. Johnston took up a temporary abode at Bucyrus in a deserted cabin, but after a short stay in this neighborhood, he resolved to proceed to Columbus. Having been offered by his neighbors, however, a free gift of land in a choice of two forty-acre lots, now a part of the Jacob Herr farm, in Whetstone township, he accepted the offer on condition that wheat could be raised on the land. This condition was fulfilled, though many discouragements were met with in the swarms of birds, which devoured the grain in the ear, the distance to the nearest mill, which required a journey of two days and a night to reach, and the poor quality of the flour when ground. But a still greater drawback was the impure quality of the water in the neighborhood, and this finally induced Mr. Johnson to remove to Ft. Findlay, where he purchased a quarter section of land, and was promptly elected to a county office to induce him to remain in Hancock county. But later he returned to Crawford county, where he found improved conditions, with an increased population. He accordingly bought a 40-acre lot about half a mile west of his first homestead and subsequently added to it by further purchase. Here, about 1857 , he erected a handsome Gothic residence designed by Mr. Culliston, which long continued to be one of the finest houses in the county. He was an accurate shot with the rifle—an accomplishment that counted for more in those days than it does today— and he derived the title of Major from his connection with the Marion county militia, Dallas township at that time being a part of Scott township, Marion county. Two of the early settlers were Samuel and Rachel Line who came to Crawford county in 1820. The same year George H. Bushy and Peter Longwell came with their families and entered land. Robert Kerr, was one of the prominent land owners of Dallas. He was born in Mifflin county, Pa., Oct. 27, 1807, son of James and Betsy (Arbuckle) Kerr. Both grandparents were natives of Ireland. Robert remained with his parents until ig years of age, receiving scarcely any educational advantages. His father had a farm of 160 acres in Knox county. In 1826 young Robert began learning the tanner's trade at Meartinsburg, Ohio, and completed his apprenticeship in two years and five months. At the end of this time he hired out to. drive hogs through to Baltimore, Md., at three shillings a day and board, excepting dinner, which he was to furnish himself or go without. On his return to Ohio he found general work around a sawmill at $11 a month. While employed in the following harvest, he was prostrated by a fever. This sickness, with the expense of it, soon took the greater part of his earnings. On his recovery, and some time thereafter, he followed the business of clearing up land for different parties, at from $2.70 to $3.00 per acre. His part of the contract was complete when everything was cleared up within 1? inches of the ground. Over 100 acres of land was cleared up by him in this manner. While clearing this land he cut 1,000 cords of wood at 20c per cord, and many hundreds of rails at 50c per hundred. He then bought two 80 acre tracts in Dallas township (then Scott township, Marion county.) For the first 80 he paid $100, and for the second 8o lie paid $200. Aug. 29, 1833, he married Matilda Swaggert, daughter of Daniel and Betsey (Coonrod) Swaggert, and at once commenced keeping house on his 160 acres. From this time on he devoted his attention to farming, the first year clearing $100. About 1836 he purchased 36o acres for $1,500, on five years' time at 6 per cent, to pay $300 each year. He stocked this land with sheep, and made enough to pay the notes as they fell due. The first year he sold his wool at 21 1/2c. He was an extensive wool grower when wool brought 8o cents a pound. When it declined to o cents and showed there was a constant tendency downward he disposed of his sheep. He was also a heavy AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 237 dealer in cattle. He constantly added to his land, and had at one time 2,573 acres in Marion county, 1,059 in Crawford, and 443 in Wyandot, making over 4,000 acres all free of encumbrance. He started banks and built hotels, the Kerr house at Marion costing $6o,000 and the one at Nevada $18,000. He made various liberal donations, one of about $53,000 to Hiram college, and $23,000 to Bethany college of Virginia. He was at one time a member of the Disciple church; he remained a member for a number of years, but for what he considered unchristian conduct on the part of some of the members he withdrew from that church and never united with any other. Two of his sons, Stephen and John, became residents of Bucyrus. On January 1, 1883, while walking down the street in Caledonia, which was very icy, he slipped and fell causing a fracture or dislocation of the hip joint on the left side, and he was forever after badly crippled in his walk. He lived on his original farm in Dallas township until about 1877, when lie moved across the line into his new house in Marion county, and made his home at one of his hotels until his death a dozen years ago. Another prominent stock dealer and land owner was Abraham Monnett. Abraham Monnett. Sr., moved from Virginia to near Chillicothe in 1800 with his family of six sons and two daughters. One son, Jeremiah, returned to Virginia where he married Miss Alice Slagle. In 1814, Jeremiah Monnett who was an ordained minister, came to Pickaway county with his family, one of the children being Abraham Monnett. The trip was attended with many difficulties and probably would not have been undertaken but for the timely assistance of a widow named Jones who accompanied them to the state. Upon arriving at his destination in Pickaway county, Mr. Jeremiah Monnett had only $5 in money, his team and some household goods. In 1835 he came to Crawford, settling on the farm on the Pike, four miles south of Bucyrus, where he lived until his death, Sept. 1863. Abraham Monnett came with his father to Crawford county in i83. He was born in Virginia, Oct. 12, 1811. He purchased his first 4o acres in Marion county, Scott township. In 1836 returned to Pickaway county where he married Miss Catherine Brougher, an orphan. When starting for himself his father gave him $120; on his marriage his wife brought with her $2,500. Outside of these sums the fortune accumulated by Mr. Monnett was due to his individual work. In 1838 he commenced the handling of cattle, sometimes driving them from as far as Illinois, grazing them on the plains, and then selling them to eastern purchasers, who drove then to New York for consumption. The trip from Illinois sometimes took 35 days. As Mr. Monnett increased his stock he was also increasing his land purchases, until finally lie had 11,000 acres of the choicest land in Crawford and Marion counties. He went into banking, started the Farmers Bank at Marion, and the Monnett Bank at Bucyrus, practically all the stock being owned by him and his sons. Later he started the Crawford County Bank, which became the Second National. Of his twelve children, all but two made Crawford their home. Ephraim B., who settled in Dallas township, succeeded his father as president of the Monnett Bank, coming to Bucyrus; Martha married G. H. Wright, who settled on a farm south of Bucyrus, just north of the original farm of her grandfather; Wright was in the stock business for a number of years and moved to Marion; Oliver is a farmer on Marion road in Dallas township; Augustus, a farmer in Bucyrus township; Alcy, wife of James Malcolm, a farmer in Bucyrus township, later a stock dealer, at Bucyrus; Mervin J., a farmer and stock dealer in Dallas, was later president of the Second National Bank and a mine owner, is now a banker at Los Angeles, and a millionaire; Mary J., became the wife of G. W. Hull, banker at Mt. Gilead and Findlay, then president of the Crawford county bank and Second National; Madison W., became cashier of the Monnett Bank, and was also in the Crawford County Bank; then went west; Amina J. married James C. Tobias, and came to Bucyrus; Kate married Linus Ross, settled on the Pike, just south of the original purchase of her grandfather. The other two children remained in Marion county, John T. in Grand Prairie township, and Melvin on the old homestead in Scott township. Mrs. Monnett died Feb. 8, 1875, and on May 30, 1877, Mr. Monnett married Mrs. Jane L. 238 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY Johnston, widow of Henry L. Johnston, a daughter of Samuel Ludwig. He was early identified with the M. E. church, and gave liberally to the erection of new churches all over his section. In 1850 he made a liberal donation to the Ohio Wesleyan Female Seminary at Delaware, and in 1853 to the Ohio Wesleyan University, both of which had much to do in placing those institutions on their feet, and making the combined institution the prominent seat of learning it is today in Ohio. He died at his home in Bucyrus, March 7, 1881. John Rosencrans who came to Bucyrus in 1882, was born Oct. 14, 1808, in Luzerne county, Pa. His grandparents came from Holland, the grandfather being a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He married Margaret Fairchild, in Pennsylvania. He was elected school director of his township, and when 29 years of age was elected Auditor of Luzerne county. His home was in Newport township, Pa., and a postoffice was established there, he being appointed postmaster by Andrew Jackson, and served six years, the office being in his house. He was also township assessor, land appraiser, and filled any other office that needed a man who would do the work. Having held about all the offices, he concluded to give others a chance and came west, and in 1847 settled on 160 acres just west of Latimberville. He was too influential a man and too good a citizen to be left quietly to his farming, for the very next year, 1848, they elected him justice of the peace, a position to which he was constantly re-elected for eleven terms —33 years—and the only reason he did not die in the office was that he removed to Bucyrus, thus compelling them to select some one else. As justice of the peace he "filled the office with such impartiality and good judgment that he was continued in the position by the unanimous votes of the people for thirty-three years, and, what is unprecedented, only one case was ever carried up to a superior court that came before his court." Other odd jobs to fill in his time were as member of the school board thirty-five years: land appraiser two terms; assessor two terms: county commissioner of Marion county six years: and member of the Legislature two years—1866 to 1868. Thomas Beer being the member from Crawford at that time. He was also postmaster at Latimberville (Kirkpatrick) under President Taylor. The first public boarding house in Dallas was a double log building known as the Half-Way House, or "Ramey Tavern," which was located on the east side of the Marion and Bucyrus road, about half way between the two towns. Here the stage horses were exchanged and fed. Mr. Ramey dying in 1835, the tavern was afterward conducted by Mr. Knapp of Marion until 1840, when, the stage line being abandoned the building, which had been enlarged and improved by Mr. Ramey, became a private residence. This tavern always had a good reputation. On the opposite side of the same road was another hostelry, first owned by James Carmean, and afterwards by Fay Muhlinger, into whose possession it came about 1836 and who conducted it for several years on a somewhat smaller scale. The third tavern—the Bibler House on the Wyandot road. Bibler also had a sawmill there. It was a water mill, built on the Sandusky, close to the Wyandot county line. It began operation about 1827 but some ten years later was sold to Mr. Longacre. It afterwards became the property of Mr. Rumble, who converted it into a grist-mill, running two sets of buhrs. Mr. Vail, a later proprietor, repaired it and put in a steam engine. The property being attached, the machinery was sent back to Cleveland. It was then operated again as a water-mill by a Mr. Rex, but gradually fell into disuse. The first roads in Crawford county, as throughout the frontier regions generally, followed the old Indian trails, of which one of the best known and most used was that leading from Capt. Pipe's town, near Little Sandusky, in Wyandot county east toward the present site of Leesville. This was the route followed by the Wyandot and Delaware Indians southwest of Bucyrus in traveling to and from Bucyrus. Along this trail came also the white settlers from the southwestern townships of what was then Crawford county to pay their taxes at the county seat. They often traveled in large companies of 70 or 80 in single file, both Indians and white men. Upon it doubtless there often passed the renegade Simon Girty on his way to take part in some deed of blood and slaughter with his savage AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 239 allies or to carry the news of such a successful expedition to Chief Pipe. In the earliest days this route was marked by blazed trees but by 1825 it had become so well known that these mute guides were no longer needed. The main road passing through the township is the Columbus and Sandusky pike, a fuller account of which may be found in the chapter on Transportation. The first known death and funeral in Dallas township took place in the spring of 1827 and was that of a young man, who died in the cabin of Jacob Synder. The body was enclosed in a rude coffin and buried near the Mervin Monnett place, without any stone or mark of identification. In the same year the first interment was made in the White graveyard in the central part of the township, about a mile east of the village of Wyandot, the deceased being a man named McClary, who resided near the village. The second burial in this cemetery took place when Charles Parish died in 1829 on the farm west of Ephraim Monnett's. A few years later—in the fall of 1833—a severe epidemic of "milk sickness" broke out which caused a number of deaths. This disease, which at times proved very fatal to the pioneer settlers, was caused, it is thought, by drinking the milk of cattle that had fed on a certain kind of poisonous weed, and the doctors of that day seem to have known no effective method of treatment. Among those who died at this time were three members of the Wood family—Elizabeth, Henry and James, whose deaths all took place within a few days. At about the same time several people died from Asiatic cholera in the southern part of the township. This latter scourge again attacked the settlement in the summer of 1854, being introduced by John Norris, who, against the warnings of his wife, had gone to Marion to get some strong drink, the disease at that time being prevalent there. He was taken sick soon after his return and died August 29th, within little more than two days after he had thus rashly exposed himself to gratify a pernicious appetite. On Sept. 1st Mrs. Norris was attacked and died within twenty hours. Their two adopted children fled to the woods, where they were fed by the neighbors, who left food and bed clothing for there upon a stump, and where they remained for some days. They escaped the plague and lived for many years afterward. Doctor Fulton, of Bucyrus who had attended Mrs. Norris, also took the disease, but recovered. In 1827 a subscription school was started in Dallas township in a log house on the Sandusky river, a short distance north of David Bibler's cabin. The first teacher was Miss Clara Drake, daughter of Capt. Drake, who taught there for two years, being paid $1.25 per week. She had about twelve pupils. Not long after, or perhaps about the same time, another school was opened opposite the location afterward occupied by Maj. Carmean's residence. This school, which was due to the enterprise of Osborn Monnett and George Walton, was later known as the "Monnett Schoolhouse." Mr. Haney was engaged as the first teacher at a salary of $io per month. In the summer the school was taught by Miss Chapman. After the Huntly schoolhouse was established in 1830 it was discontinued and the building appropriated to other purposes. In the fall of 1838 a frame schoolhouse was erected by Rev. Jackson Doeling and John Cooper, John Bevington being the first teacher at a salary of $15 per month. The township is now well equipped with educational facilities, there being a sufficiency of commodious houses, provided with modern furniture and presided over by competent, well trained teachers. As was customary in all the frontier settlements religious services in Dallas were at first held in schoolhouses or in the cabins of the settlers. Indeed there were no church buildings erected previous to 1875. In the summer services were often held in the open air, than which, perhaps, no better place could have been found, for what more fitting than the God of Nature should have been worshipped in His own temple. Later services were held at Winchester and "Sixteen Chapel," on the eastern boundary. The Methodist Episcopal and Disciple churches at Latimberville, on the south, drew a part of their membership from Dallas township, likewise the Methodist and Presbyterian churches on the west. Many Dallas citizens with their families also attended the Monnett Chapel in Bucyrus township and later Scioto 240 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY chapel erected just north of the township line. One of the most zealous workers in this church was Zachariah Welsh of Wyandot, at whose cabin religious exercises of prayer and praise were frequently held before the schoolhouses were utilized for that purpose. One of the most noted among the early Methodists was the Rev. James Gilruth. He was a man of powerful frame and with a voice to correspond, and a commanding air that awed even the turbulent element or "rowdies" one of whose favorite amusements it was to attend church for the express purpose of disturbing the meeting. His physical prowess was well known to this unruly class and there was little trouble from them when he occupied the pulpit. In 1823-24 he traveled a four weeks' circuit, which took in the neighboring villages of Delaware, Kenton and Bucyrus, with intermediate appoinments in the lesser villages. He often preached in Mr. Welsh's cabin and in those of some of the other settlers. In 1840 he was transferred to an Iowa conference, after having twice been returned to this circuit. He was followed in 1824 by Rev. Mr. Cadwallader. Once every three months the western part of the county was visited by Rev. James B. Finley, who, as early as 1817 was superintendent of the Wyandot Mission. The celebrated Russell Bigelow who was stationed at the Sandusky Mission in 1827, also preached occasionally in this district, to the great edification of the settlers, who came from miles around to hear him, Dallas was then part of the Portland District, Ohio Conference, which included in its bounds the state of Michigan. In the winter of 1836-37 Rev. John Gilbert Bruce conducted revival meetings, being assisted by Rev. Jeremiah Monnett. The presiding elder of Portland District from 1826 to 7830 was Rev. James McMahon, in 1836, Rev. Adam Poe, and in 1840, Rev. William Runnels. One of the most able divines who ministered to the spiritual needs of the early settlers was Rev. S. P. Shaw, founder of Shaw University, Tennessee. He was a highly educated man and an earnest and powerful preacher. He was ordained deacon in the Ohio conference in 1827. The "Devil's Half-Acre" is the name given to a locality in the midst of Dallas township, this side of the Scioto, which has been the scene of many unsuccessful efforts to establish a church. A log cabin stood on the spot previous to 1830, which was used for school and church purposes, and which after that date was replaced by another log building, which stood on the site of the present school building. Here efforts were first made to establish a society by the United Brethren, but without success. The Methodists made two attempts, under the Rev. William Mathews and others, but succeeded in making only a few nominal converts, who soon relapsed into the ways of sin. The Presbyterians tried under Rev. Mr. Hutchinson, but also failed. The United Brethren made a second attempt and were followed by the Disciples, with like results. It was then that Amos McMullen declared that he believed the spot was in possession of the Devil, which remark, becoming known, led to its being called the "Devil's Half Acre," which name it has since retained. Prior to 1845 the eastern six miles of Dallas township were a part of Marion county, Scott township, while still another part belonged to Grand Prairie township in the same county. Among the citizens who resided in the Crawford county part, and were justices of the peace in the early days were Zachariah Welsh in 1824, Daniel Swigert in 1827, and Jacob Shaffer in 1828. The Crawford county records show many marriage ceremonies performed by Alanson Packard; he lived near Latimberville, in the Marion county part of the township, and was justice for many years. He was poetically inclined, as one of the entries on the record is as follows, the parties being in the Marion county section of the township: "Marriage license was granted to Norton B. Royce and Eunice M. Dexter, March 14, 1832. "I certify—that is to say, This present March, the 18th day, Eunice Dexter, Norton Royce, As did your license authorize— An awkward, ungainly, long-legged pair— By me in marriage joined were. By sages wise, it has been said That matches all above are made. If so, these ones in heaven have been: God knows they'll never go again." AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 241 Alanson Packard, himself, married Nancy Fickle in June, 1824, and there is little doubt she was related to the Pickles who settled in the southern part of Bucyrus township in 1823, a daughter of Daniel Fickle, who came here from Marion county. Since 1845 the following have been the justices of the peace of Dallas township: Andre Corn, 1845 ; William Hoover, 1847-50; Daniel Swigart, 1848; Ezra Huntly, 1850; Isaac N. Munson, 1851 ; Samuel P. Shaw, 1852; James Hufty, 1854-57; S. D. Welsh, 1860-63; Henry Martin, 1863-66; William H. Churchill, 1866; Caleb McHenry, 186972-74-77-92-95; R. H. Rogers, 1869; E. B. Monnett, 1872 ; John Monnett, 1873 ; Barnhart Sayler, 1876-79; A. M. Zook, 1880-83; Otis Brooks, 1882-86; H. Q. Johnston, 1886; George Whiteamire, 1888-91; Marcellus Hoover, 1888-89; William Petry, 1889-98of ; J. M. Quaintance, 1894 ; Isaac Shearer, 1897 ; Ira E. Quaintance, 1902-03 06 09; and P. S. Hinkel, 1905-09. In 1892, when the Columbus, Shawnee and Hocking railroad was built it passed through the center of Dallas township, and a town was laid out by Mervin J. Monnett, and named after himself and the many representatives of the Monnett family who had been and were prominent in that section. The little village started well. A large elevator was erected by Mr. Monnett; a store was started, and on October 25, 1893, William A. Heinlen was appointed the first postmaster; he has been succeeded by the following: G. J. Feltis, November 30, 1897; D. L. Parcher, December 23 1901 ; William Monnett, June 5, 1906; F. G. Smith, April 5, 1910; C. S. Wert, June 23, 1911. Three quarters of a mile west of Monnett is the Bucyrus and Marion electric road, with a station to accommodate the people of that village. CHAPTER XIII HOLMES TOWNSHIP Location and Erection—Drainage and Topography—Burnt Swamp—Limestone Operations— Mysterious Mounds—First Settlers—First Elections—Justices—Germans Immigration—An Early Tragedy—Joseph Newell's Town—Wingert's Corners—Conflict Over a Name— Brokensword Postmasters—Early Industries—Saloons and Taverns—Interesting Anecdotes— The Underground Railroad—Schools and Churches—Sunday Schools—Stone Quarries—Spore Post Office. Let other lands exulting glean The apple from the pine, The orange from its glossy green The cluster from the vine; We better love the hardy gift Our rugged vales bestow, To cheer us, when the storm shall drift Our harvest fields with snow. -WHITTIER'S CORN SONG. This township lies wholly on the northern slope of the Ohio watershed and is drained by tributaries of the Sandusky river. One of the most attractive and wealthy townships in Crawford county, it was organized by the commissioners in March, 1828, and was named after Deputy Surveyor General Samuel Holmes, who originally surveyed this section, and who was authorized to make a resurvey of its territory in 1836 as the western sections were a part of the Indian reservation purchased about that time from the Indians. The largest stream is Brokensword Creek, which enters the township in the northeastern portion and runs in a southwesterly direction into Tod township. The banks of this stream in some places rise into a series of low bluffs, that were in early days covered with a heavy forest of poplar. Grass Run, a small branch of the Sandusky, meanders in a southwesterly direction across the southern portion. Brandywine Creek, entering Holmes from Liberty township, flows into Brokensword at a point in section 9. The southeastern part of Holmes township is the most level and in early days was wet and muddy throughout the year. The outflow of the water was retarded by fallen logs, which lay thickly scattered over this entire district, so that the settlers in traversing this portion were obliged to wade ankle-deep through mud and water. These logs and fallen trees were often used as stepping stones, being so close together that it was sometimes possible to go quite a distance by jumping from one to another. The other parts of the township have more of a rolling character and in the northern and western parts there are small hills both long and steep. In the western part there is an area of about fifty acres which, from the earliest times has been known as the "Burnt Swamp." It derives its name from the circumstance that originally it was covered thickly with willows and tall weeds, and one of those fires that were often lighted by Indians or settlers to dislodge game, swept over it, destroying all the vegetation. In the southeastern part of the township the soil consists of a black alluvial earth overlaid with decaying vegetable matter, and when properly drained, as it is today, is very productive. It was not until after 1820 that the white settlers were able to purchase land in Holmes township, and the western part remained in possession of the Wyandot Indians up to 1836, at which time the eastern side of their reservation was purchased by the government and - 242 - AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 243 sold at public auction, the land adjoining Holmes township becoming a part of that township. This newly acquired portion was something more than two sections wide and proved a source of wealth to some of the citizens, owing to the large and numerous beds of excellent limestone it contained. This limestone brought from $i to $2 per load and was used for the foundation of houses and barns and for the walls of wells. Among those who engaged extensively in taking out this stone were Nicholas Pool, Adam Gearhart and Christian Reiff. Lime has been burned in considerable quantities in this district ever since 1838 or 1840. In the vicinity of Brokensword creek are some nearly obliterated mounds, which are regarded as relics of that mysterious aboriginal people usually denominated as the "Mound Builders," and whose origin and history have been the cause of much speculation among scientists. Many interesting works have been written upon this subject, but the entire truth about them will never be known, for they left no written records, nor have their successors, the Indians, by whom they were probably driven out or exterminated, retained any but very vague and uncertain traditions concerning them. Though they built extensive earth-works and have left behind the numerous articles of pottery inscribed with more or less picturesque designs, they were probably of no high order of civilization and were certainly inferior to the Red races in the art of self preservation, though they may possibly have been in some way related to the latter. A man named Heaman, who is supposed to have come from some eastern township, or from Bucyrus, is said to have been the first settler in Holmes. He settled on the Pike north of Bucyrus, but little more is known about him. He was soon followed by a settler named William Flake, who built a log cabin and began a clearing on the old farm of Joseph Quaintance. This man was of a very peculiar character. He was kind and charitable and freely gave away his property, but as readily appropriated the property of others to his own uses, finally carrying his communistic tendencies so far as to break open a store in Bucyrus, for which he was sentenced to serve some years in the penitentiary. He died soon after his release and none of his descendants, so far as known, are now living in the county. The first settlers came about 1823. Two years later a man named Daniel Snyder, known as "Indian Snyder," built a round-log cabin in the eastern part of the township, into which he moved his family, consisting of a wife and some half dozen children, the latter all about the same size. He was a famous hunter, spending most of his time in the woods and was often paid $1 per day by the settlers to furnish them with venison. He understood the Indian tongue and invaded the Redmen's lands in pursuit of game with apparent impunity. He was also often called upon to act as interpreter between the white settlers and the Indians. Many swine belonging to the pioneers were shot by the savages and found their way into an Indian stew-kettle. The swine usually ran wild in the woods and those that had no earmarks were regarded as the property of the finder. Many possessing the requisite marks, however, were stolen and shipped to the Sanduskv market. Joseph Lones came to Holmes township from Columbiana county in 1828, having practically no money or property at the time. He was accompanied by his father-in-law , John Boeman, who brought his family in a wagon drawn by five horses, while Lones drove the sixth horse to a small empty Dearborn wagon. The journey was rendered extremely difficult from the depth of the mud and the great quantity of fallen timber that obstructed the route; yet in spite of this they made about ten miles a day. It was often necessary to use the axe to cut a way through the natural obstructions, and for that purpose the men preceded the wagon on foot, walking almost the entire distance with axes on their shoulders. Mr. Lones built a cabin on land adjoining the Quaintance farm and found work on the Columbus and Sandusky pike, then in process of construction. He continued thus occupied for about two years, receiving $10 per month for his services, out of which money he paid for most of his land. He lived to an advanced age and in his declining years was surrounded by the comforts of wealth, the result of his early industry and self denial. In 1828 William Flake lived in a round-log cabin on land that today is the farm of Joseph 244 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY Quaintance; of this land he cleared about ten acres. At this date there were in the township, besides those already mentioned, John Bretz, Abraham and Isaac Ditty, Henry Fralic, Christian Haish, John Hussey, Samuel Hemminger, Martin Holman, Joseph Lones, Jacob Lintner, David Moore, Joseph Newell, Daniel Potter, Michael Shupp, Isaac Williams, David Brown, Samuel Miller, William Spitzer, James Martin, Jacob Andrews, Joel Glover and Jacob King. J. P. Black owned the farm that was originally the property of Timothy Kirk. Mr. Spitzer settled on the farm later owned by Charles Lehman. Mr. Glover was on the farm where George Lapp is living. Jacob Andrews was on a farm east of the Pike, where he lived for over half a century. Eli Quaintance was on the Tiffin road, near the farm now owned by Eli Lones. Martin Holman was on the Pike, and in 1830 John McCulloch on the farm now owned by R. V. Sears. Jacob King in 1828, was living in a little log cabin on Broken-sword creek, on the farm later owned by Samuel Slapp, south of Brokensword. James Martin, a sort of local minister, came to Holmes township at an early day from England and settled on the farm now known as the Gebhart farm. He was accompanied by a young man named Thomas Alsoph, a son of an English nobleman. This young man was an interesting character. He was refined and well educated but to some extent was mentally afflicted, though rational on most ordinary subjects. Some said that his mental infirmity was due to a disappointment in love, though why he came, or had been shipped so far from home to become a backwoodsman, was what nobody knew or could understand. He taught some of the early schools and became a general favorite, and after a residence in the township of quite a number of years he returned to England. The annexing of that part of the Wyandot Reservation to which reference has already been made, gave Holmes a township of 36 square miles. The first election was held at the cabin of John Hussey, in the spring after the township had been organized and nine votes were polled. Joseph Newell was elected clerk and Jacob Andrews was the first justice of the peace. At the second election Joseph Lones was elected constable, having no competitors for this office. Indeed the office was not much sought after in early days, for the remuneration was small, and hardships and danger had sometimes to be encountered in the pursuit of fugitives from justice, the serving of writs, etc., which frequently militated against the popularity of the incumbent. Constable Lone, had but one annoying experience, however. during his term of office. He was called upor to levy on the personal property of on Thomas Williams, and while reading the warrant Williams suddenly snatched it out of his hand and refused to give it up, Mr. Lone: thereupon procured another execution Iron the Squire and going to Williams' cabin in hi: absence, accompanied by a deputy with an ox sled, he seized the furniture in spite of thy protests of Mrs. Williams and carried it to thy cabin of Squire Andrews, who advertised it for sale. This brought the rebellious William to terms, and he accordingly paid the charges about $15, and was allowed to take his prop erty home. The following are the Justices of the Peace of Holmes township since its organization Jacob Andrews, 1832; Joseph S. Newel 1832; David Brown, 1835-38; John McBride, 1835-38; John Pittman, 1843-44-53; Jedediah Cobb, 1843-44-47; Samuel Shaffner, 1847 Daniel Fralick, 1850-53-56-59-70; Thoma Menaigh, 1850; John P. Black, 1855; Enoch Knable, 1858-61; Reason Eaton, 1862; Charles H. Tisley, 1863-66; John Holman, 1865-6l 71-74-77-82-86-89; Jasper W. Taylor, 1867; Horace Flickinger, 1874 ; Samuel Flickinger, 1876; David Bair, 1879; Rufus Aurand 1880-86-89; J. E. Ferrall, 1892-93; J. C. Lichtenwalter, 1893; William Lahman, 1894-91 J. N. Taylor, 1895-98; A. M. Vore, 1901; A. L. Whitmyer, 1900-03-06; A. L. Gallinge T904; John I. Wentz, 1906-07; George I Orthwein, 1906-07; W. L. Fralick, 1908-10 W. J. Cosgrove, 1911, and Jacob Campbell, 1911. The southern part of Holmes township wit- nessed an influx of new settlers about 1831 among those who came at this time beir Samuel Shaffner, John McCulloch, Willia Roberts, Thomas Minich, Thomas William, John Hussey, Jacob Mollenkopf, Abraham Cary, Moses Spahr and John Lichtenwalter As their names indicate, some of these settle were German. Two distinct settlements we AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 245 formed, about six miles apart, one near the present site of Brokensword, and the other in the southeastern corner, near Bucyrus. The one in the northern part was almost wholly German and included, with a few others, some eight or ten German families that had come in 1828 from Dauphin county, Pa. Among these settlers were Michael Shupp, Henry and Daniel Fralick, Isaac and Abraham Ditty, Jacob Lintner, Jacob Moore and Daniel Porter. For a number of years the southern part of the township bore an enviable reputation due to the fact that no liquor was used at the house-raising or log-rollings, the settlers being a rarely temperate lot who used nothing stronger than coffee. As new settlers came in, however, they brought with them the inevitable whiskey and the community in consequence lost a portion of its fair fame. The northern settlers were from the first a bibulous lot, whose evenings were largely spent in passing round the flowing bowl and in drinking each other's health to the usual detriment of same. It is said that even women were often seen lying by the roadside completely overcome by liquor. Fortunately this state of things has long since passed away. Abraham Didie, born in Dauphin county, Pa., removed to Holmes township in 1828. He died March 14, 1870. Fisher Ouaintance, previously mentioned as one of the arrivals in 1828 or 1829, was a member of the Society of Friends. He died in Holmes township March 27, 18666, at the age of 73 years. His wife Sarah came to this township with him. Years ago a murder was committed on the Joe Quaintance farm, known as the old Flake farm. An old peddler was killed, and in order to cover all traces of the crime, his body, together with his wagon and all his belongings, were thrown into an old well and covered tip. Whom the peddler was and who were the perpetrators of the deed have never been discovered to this day. William Mateer, an early settler of Holmes township, was a great grandson of an immigrant who started for America in the year 1700 with four sons. All died on the voyage and were buried at sea. The immigrant reached America and subsequently had four more sons, whom he named respectively after the first four, and their descendants became prominent in the affairs of the township. John and Barbara Peterman came to this county in October, 1827, and entered 320 acres in Liberty township on the Sandusky river. Clearing his land lie erected thereon a hewed log cabin. Their son, Samuel, came to Bucyrus in 1832. He engaged in a sort of express business, hauling goods from Pittsburg, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Columbus and Sandusky with a six-horse team and also carried considerable money for others. He later took tip farming in Holmes township. Joseph Newell came to Craw ford county in 1825, and entered 160 acres of government land in section No. 9, of what is now Holmes township. He was above the average in education and business ability. He early saw that with the settling up and developing of the county, especially in the north and west parts, his land would be much nearer the center of the county than the little town of Bucyrus, and there was a possibility that the county seat might be located at some point nearer the center of the county, and lie selected his land for that purpose. Bucyrus then had a population of something over two hundred people: it had a post office, stores, taverns, and several shops; notwithstanding this Newell laid out a town on a part of his land, on the banks of the Brokensword, below where the Brandywine empties into it. He named the new town Crawford, and set apart several lots as donations for public buildings, and also laid out a graveyard. The first election in Crawford county after its organization was in April, 1826, at which election commissioners were to be chosen, who would meet in the town of Bucyrus, and there select the temporary county seat of the county. The greatest interest in the election was over the commissioners, the voters in the west and north supporting the commissioners who would favor Crawford for the county seat, while those in the south and east were for the commissioners who favored Bucyrus. The election resulted in favor of John Magers of Bucyrus, Thomas McClure of Liberty, and George Poe of Whetstone, who met at Bucyrus the third Monday in May and selected Bucyrus as the temporary county seat of the new county. Newell, while temporarily 246 - HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY defeated, did not give up the fight, but continued it up to 1830, when the legislature appointed three commissioners to settle definitely the county seat question, and they came to Bucyrus, looked over the field, and decided in favor of Bucyrus. Then Newell gave up the fight and the town of Crawford became farming land. Newell himself had erected a house on the land, had sold one lot to a man named Swigart, and perhaps one or two others had located there, but today nothing remains of the town whose proprietor had hopes of making it the county seat. When Holmes township was organized Mr. Newell was one of the first officers elected and on his death was buried in the graveyard he had laid out. About 1834 William Wingert was appointed postmaster of a country post office that was opened under the name of Lykens. The post office was in . his house, on the Tiffin road just north of the Holmes township line. Several other families located in that section and in a few years it assumed the aspect of a thriving village. Here he built a shop and manufactured furniture, and in 1851 started a store. In August, 1852, fifteen years after the post office had been established, David Porter laid out a town just south of the settlement of Wingert, and called it Portersville, in honor of himself. The two settlements were really one, as they bordered on each other, Wingert's being in Lykens township and Porter's in Holmes township. But there was the bitterest rivalry between the two for the name of the village. Wingert's claim that it be called Wingert's Corners was on the ground that his settlement ante-dated the mushroom town of Porter's by nearly twenty years. Porter's claim was that his was a town, laid out, and had a name legally, and therefore that name was the correct and only one for the new town. The post office department decided in favor of Portersville. But Wingert and his friends were so persistent, having their goods and their mail all addressed to Wingert's Corners, Crawford county, that everybody else recognized that as the name, and only the government and Porter knew there was such a place as Portersville. During the war of the rebellion the people of the county, the state, and the nation with one accord gave it a new name. Party spirit ran high, and there were some at Wingert's Corners so bitter that they were very pronounced against the Union. At this stage Petroleum V. Nasby commenced a series of burlesque, political letters, taking his characters and views from the situation as it existed at Wingert's Corners. Later these letters were dated "Confederit X Roads", and although the date line of the letter always contained the additional description, "which is in the Stait of Kentucky," the description was useless; the people still recognized it as Wingert's Corners, and through the war, and for years after, the place was best known as "Confedrit X Roads." It had a national notoriety' by this name; its county and local name was Wingert's Corners, and the government carried it as Portersville. As the bitterness of the war passed away, there was a general desire. to get away from the bitterness that still rankled on account of the action of lawless men and the name of the office was changed to Brokensword, after the stream that passes to the south of that village. Today no one would recognize the name of Portersville; some few allude to it as Wingert's Corners; Confederit X Roads is but an historical allusion, and as Brokensword it is one of the villages of the county which still retain an existence. The following are the postmasters at Brokensword, with dates of appointment: William Wingert, April 6, 1837; George McDonald, Jan. 30, 1850; Daniel Fralick, July 5, 1861 ; William Seele, Oct. 23, 1895; Matilda E. Chapman, June 24, 1898; and Frank Sprow, June 18, 1904. On Feb. 14, 1906, the office was discontinued, the mail being supplied by rural route from Bucyrus. Daniel Fralick was postmaster for 34 years, the longest service of any man in the county. Jacob Lintner, who came at an early day to this settlement, was a blacksmith and built a shop just across the line in Lykens township. As he could not find enough work at his trade to keep him busy, he also did carpenter work, becoming self-taught through frequent practice. Jacob Moore kept a small shoe shop in one end of his cabin, and traveled from house to house plying his trade, as was an early custom in the frontier settlements generally. Although the price of shoes was small in those days as compared with the present, many peo- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 249 ple were unable to buy them and wore instead a sort of rough moccasin made from the skin of the deer or some other animal. Buckskin clothes were also largely worn. Among other artizans of those days may be mentioned William Fralick, a carpenter, who built many of the early frame houses; and William Spitzer, a mason residing in the southeastern part of the township, who, when the construction of a better class of buildings began, built many of the foundations and chimneys. He also made bricks which he sold to the settlers, commencing this business about 1830. Samuel Burnison, before he turned his attention to farming, tried one or two business ventures which proved unsuccessful. He owned a small copper still and in 1841 built a small distillery in the northern part of the township, operating in connection with it a small horse-mill from which he obtained his supply of ground grain. When the enterprise failed—perhaps because the whiskey was not of very good quality—he bought some cows and made arrangements to begin the manufacture of cheese, turning his distillery into a cheese factory, but for some reason he changed his mind before he had the enterprise started, and went to farming. David Porter started an ashery about 1837, manufacturing black and scorched salts, and continued the business for some ten years, when, the supply of ashes failing, he gave it up. About 1857 William Wingert was employed by George Quinby of Bucyrus to sell goods on commission, and was given about $300 worth to commence with. These were the first goods sold in Portersville and were quickly disposed of. After thus working for Mr. Quinby for several years, Mr. Wingert started in business for himself with an $800 stock of goods purchased personally in New York city. He continued as a merchant for about ten years before retiring to his farm, and was fairly successful. About two years before he retired another store was opened in the village, which was a branch store owned by Brinkerhoff and Wilson, of Sycamore. They put in about $3,000 worth of goods. The stock was purchased in 1854 by Daniel Fralick, who added to it considerably and carried on a successful business for many years. At a later date Shook and Ditty were also engaged in mercantile pursuits here. Liquor has been sold in Brokensword (Portersville) since 1846, at which time Seale & Hollingshead opened a saloon in the village, also occasionally entertaining travelers. The first genuine tavern keeper in the village was John Stinerock, a tailor by trade, who conducted a very orderly place and kept no bar. In 1868 Elias Shirk built another tavern in the town, which subsequently passed into the hands of his widow. Martin and Rosannah Holman came to Crawford county, Holmes township, in the twenties for John Holman was born in the township Nov. 7, 1828. Mary Martin Hemminger, born January 1, 1812, was a daughter of James and Sarah Martin, who took passage for America from England in the fall of 1822, Mary being then ten years old. On the voyage the ship's rudder became detached and the vessel was for a while in great danger, several lives being lost in the attempt to readjust it under water. it was finally secured, after a long delay, and the voyage took nearly three months to accomplish. They must have reached Crawford county from about 1824 to 1828. From the perils of the ocean wave they changed at once to the hardships of pioneer life on the frontier, which, if a trifle less dangerous, were no less hard to endure. The daughter Mary became cowboy for the family, taking care of the stock and often passing days and nights in the woods. At one time when no less than 26 miles from home, she was overtaken by darkness and was compelled to wait for the moon to rise before she could direct her weary march homewards. In stormy weather their cabin was often resorted to for shelter by Indians, who came by the dozen or score, almost crowding the family out of doors. Mary Martin was married May 13, 1830 to a Mr. Hemminger. She died Sept. 6, 1877, at the age of 80 years. Samuel McClure, a weaver by trade, came to Holmes township, May 5, 1830. Rebecca Sells, a lady of forceful character, at one time well known in Holmes township, was a daughter of John and Anne McBride, who came to Crawford in 1830. On Oct. 4th, Heman Rowse, a brother of Zalmon, set-