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news to any resident now of the Maumee Valley so rapidly are the aboriginal and pioneer incidents and events passing from local recollection.
Shortly after Defiance was laid out, a few lots were platted on the hillside and top, and recorded as the "Town of Williamstown." This, with several additions thereto, comprising Scalp Level and all its surroundings, have been, by the extension of the corporation limits, absorbed in the incorporated village of Defiance.
OUR OLD APPLE TREES.
Defiance has been famed for the possession of a monstrous apple tree. Strangers have seldom failed to visit it, to measure its proportions and speculate upon its age and origin. It stands on the narrow bottom on the north side of the Maumee, and nearly Opposite the old fort. It has never failed, in the knowledge of present settlers, in producing a crop of very excellent apples. One large branch, however, has of late years been broken off by the storms, which has much marred its proportions— the remainder is yet healthy and prospering.
Before the town was laid out, there were many trees, equally thrifty and not less in size, in this vicinity. Their origin is variously conjectured. The most probable is that they were planted by French missionaries and traders, during the French dominion on the lakes, and cared for afterward by the Indians, trappers and traders'.
In an early account of Defiance, it is stated by a captive among the Indians, who visited the place in 1790, that there were a few hewed-log houses on the high grounds about where the residences of William Carter and J. P. Ottley now are, surrounded by a stockade, in which resided traders and a British agent —the United States not at that time having enforced their authority over this section. The space between these houses and the Auglaize bank was cleared, and also for some distance to the west, the bank of the Auglaize was lined with apple trees, and the premises looked clean and thrifty, and the view of Blue Jacket's town on the bottom on the north side of the Maumee, and the- extensive corn-fields of the Indians on the Lewis and Frazee bottoms, are particularly mentioned.
Thomas Warren, of this vicinity, who came here about fifty years ago, says that these apple trees stood in a row, about fifteen feet from the edge of the bank, and extended from that point up to the bridge, and that they were then in excellent bearing condition. These trees are now all gone, as well as the ground they stood on. The continual wearing-away of the bank, from ice, freshets and frosts, has amounted in that time to about twenty-five feet. Occasionally a root from one of these old trees sent up a sprout, but none of them have ever come to bearing
On the Maumee bank, extending from where the canal now empties, up to the residence of T. J. Cole, was another row of similar trees, the most of these stood on the Wasson property. These are also all gone, except one in the rear of Mr. Cole's house. These died from various causes—cattle, cultivation and malicious or mischievous boys chance trees stood, also, over most of, the present town plat, but not of so large a growth—probably volunteers. Some of the smaller ones were taken up and removed by the early settlers; Samuel Keppler, another early settler, started his orchard with trees of this kind. On the small bottom on the north side of the Maumee, opposite Defiance, were quite a number of trees, extending up as far as the county bridge; some of these were on the towing-path, and others in the way, so that they were cut down or died. The old tree so famous is, perhaps, one of this row; standing further in from the bank, and being private property, it has been saved from the general destruction. The large trees standing on the Krotz, Lewis and other bottoms in this vicinity, are the plant of early squatters and of comparatively recent origin.
At the so-called "Orchard Hollow," eight miles up the Maumee, was also quite a number of these old trees, which probably were of like origin and age. They were on the high land on the south side, and immediately opposite the old Indian Delaware town on the bottom, now the property of Charles Speaker. It is remarked by Parkman, in his " Jesuit and Pioneer History," that the missionaries and traders always fixed their stations on high grounds overlooking the Indian towns; and the selection of the high grounds at Defiance and at Orchard Hollow was in accordance with this general rule. None of these trees are yet in existence at the last-named place. The fruit of all these trees was better than that of the present so- called natural trees—grew larger and had more agree- able taste. The stocks of the trees were more like those of the forest, higher to the branches, longer in limb than the grafted trees of the present day, which, as compared with the Indian trees, are mere over- grown shrubs. Probably the shade and contracted clearings in which they were grown had much to do with this large growth. In those inartificial days, before civilization brought in borers, worms and curculios, trees grew and thrived without hindrance.
Mr. Warren also informs us that on the St. Joseph, about the State line, in the vicinity of a Pottawatomie village, was also a similar orchard, and also another near the Shawnee village at Wapakonetta,
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on the Upper Auglaize. The few trees of large growth at Ottawa, Charloe and Fort Brown were probably planted by the Indians themselves.
In early days, the Indians, before the whites obtained property in the land, guarded carefully these old trees. The fruit they claimed for themselves, and distributed to the remotest sections of their tribes a share. Probably associations of historic interest, of days of large population and greater power, or of kindly regard for the French missionaries by whom they were introduced, gave an extraordinary value to these old trees in the estimation of the untutored sons of the forest.
No trees of similar age are known to have existed on the Maumee below Defiance. It was upon the upper waters of the river that the Indians had their chosen seats, and here those who, from benevolence or trade, sought their acquaintance must come. Of the history of those days—say from 1640 for a hundred years or more—of the self-denying labors of the missionary, of his hardships, successes and failures, scarce a vestige remains. These trees are suggestive of his aim to minister to the comfort of the savage, to acquaint him with the benefits of civilization, and to induce in him habits of home life, with ulterior views of spiritual influence. The Indian has gone not only hence, but almost as a race, yielding to the superior power and intellect of the whites; yet, one cannot but think that, had the policy of the French missionary or the Pennsylvania Quaker been generally adhered to, the result would have been far otherwise, and our national character relieved, in the mind of the philanthropist, of a disgraceful stain.
VOTERS OF 1845.
The following is a list of the voters of Defiance Township in October, 1845:
John H. Kiser, William Bridenbaugh, John M. itilwill, Benjamin Brubacher, John P. Downs, Enos P. Wiley, Rinaldo Evans, Samuel S, Case, Reason Wells, William Billinger, John Drake, J. Rude, Raniel Swinehart, E. C. Case, Sereno Lyman, Brice Hilton, G. W. B. Evans, H. P. Rice, Samuel Blackman, C. M. Lambert, P. Bellinger, V. Sellinger, James B. Heatly, Anson H. Holoway, William R, S. Wasson, Martin Thrall, Jacob J. Greene, James Karr, William S, Langdon, F. F, Stevens, Elias Bruner, Elias Churchman, John Blair, William Lewis, James K. Burdge, Joseph T. Clark, Calvin L. Noble, Oliver W. Sawyer, Charles V, Royce, F. Bridenbaugh, Henry Van Wormer, Reuben White- head, John Kniss, John Stow, Amos Stoddard, William B. Warren, James W, Wiley, Amos Zellers, David McKellyss, William A, Brown, John Hazeltine, Lyman Langdon, Stephen Kent, William Carter, William Lyman, N. Hopkins, Joseph P. Ayres, Abraham Landis, Henry Allshouse, Jacob Braninger, B. B. Southworth, George Anderson, William Travis, Obadiah Welch, Joseph Webb, Ephraim Webb, Thomas D. Farine, Jacob Teats, Jacob Kniss, James Herrn, P. McCauley, John J, Kuhn, David L. Oliver, Edwin Phelps, I. P. E. Whedon, James Partee, C. J. Freer, Solomon Stoner, Reuben Strait, Jonas Colby, Casper Sway, John Lee, Walter Davis, J. G. Worts, J. G. Woodward, Timothy Fitzpatrick, Perin Fay, William Semans, Horace Sessions, M. P. Bell, Timothy Dame, John Durkin, Michael Herrn, E. Kinkade, Thomas Warren, John Bridenbaugh, A. Schooly, F. J. McDowell, P. M. Dodd, Jacob Olinger, Levi Rider, Peter Bridenbaugh, William Rider, John Wells, A. L. Downs, Solomon Potter, P. A. Koons, Peter Zellers, M. Thrall, Ezra Hilton, Henry Donley, James Hudson, Sylvester Blackman, John Tuttle, Andrew Master, Benjamin Hilton, John Skeen, William C. Holgate, Isaac Hoover, William Teats, William Edwards, Thomas Lewis, S. H. Greenlee, John Terry, Eps Southworth, D. W. Marcellus, Robert Wasson, Aaron Bixby, Henry Varneman, D. Graper, James S. Greer, William Barton, John Karns, J. Allen, Hugh L. Kerr, Lewis Bixby, James Oden, Henry Gray, Benjamin Elkins, S. S. Sprague, Enoch Partee, James Elkins, Abraham Wells, A. Hudson, Thomas Clark, F. Pool, Henry W. Clark, John Winfield, James T. Jolly, J. Edings, M. B. Widmer, James A. Partee, Jeremiah Andrews, John Shirley, George Bowde, Norman King, Robert Heatly, Z. H. Davis, Levi Donly, Richard Hilton, C. G. Andrews, David Travis, Henry C. Bouton, Adam Hall, Emory Houghton, Elias Shirley, W. A. Haller, John Lehman, Charles Speker, Stephen Karnes, John White, John McCully, John Partee, Lewis Kerr, George Smith, E. R. Tucker, John Gurlock.
Jacob J. Greene, John Partee and William S. Langdon, Judges; Martin Thrall and Henry C. Bouton, Clerks.
RECOLLECTIONS OF PIONEER LIFE IN THE MAUMEE VALLEY.
BY MRS. RUTH AUSTIN.
My father, Mr. Robert Shirley, Sr., moved with his family from Ross County, near Chillicothe, Ohio, to Fort Defiance in the spring of 1881. Our family numbered nine. persons, namely, my parents, Mr. Robert Shirley, Sr., and Mrs. Rachel Shirley, my brothers James, Elias and Robert, my sisters Mary and Nancy, myself (Ruth) and my baby brother John Gilbert. My brother Nathan, the eldest of the family, was at this time married and settled in Ross County. At the time of our removal, I was eleven years of age. I have a vivid recollection of the journey, and of the wild appearance of the country. We
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started for Fort Defiance in March, 1822, and arrived at our destination in April, having been three weeks on the way. The first place we saw Indians was at Wapakonetta. They were Shawnees and partly civilized. Mr. John Johnson was Indian Agent. Through his influence, Government established a blacksmith shop, and a store to supply the Indians, and appointed Mr. Broadex to superintend the work of teaching the Indians agricultural and mechanical pursuits. Some of the Indians lived in log cabins, others in wigwams. The next place of interest was Fort Amanda. I do not remember seeing any remains of the fort. A family by the name of Russell entertained travelers. The next was Fort Jennings--no fort standing here. One family lived here, and were the last white people we saw until we reached Fort Defiance. We were now truly in the wilderness. On one side was the River Auglaize, on the other a vast, wooded country, with no road, only an Indian trail along the river. It required a man to go ahead with an ax in order to cut away trees that. had fallen across the trail, and to blaze the trees, and often to cut through the brush some distance to get a place to ford the streams tributary to the Auglaize. The weather was unusually fine, so the family did not suffer much inconvenience in camping out. After we left Fort Jennings, brothers James and Robert took all the cattle and hogs (except one cow with a calf too young to travel with the herd) forward to Fort Defiance, where brother Robert, a lad thirteen years of age, remained to take care of them, and brother James returned to the family, meeting us at the mouth of the Little Auglaize, fifteen miles above Fort Defiance. After assisting us to ford the stream, he left us for Fort Finley, for the purpose of conveying the provisions stored there, to Fort Defiance, for the subsistence of the family. Brother James made the journey through the unbroken wilderness alone, on foot, provided with his compass, gull, ammunition, flints and punk, and his blanket. Our parents had great fears that James would fall a prey to wild animals or Indians, but he got safely through, and, purchasing a pirogue, took the provisions down Blanchard's Fork to the Auglaize, and from thence on that river to Fort Defiance. These provisions had been raised the previous summer, with the expectation that the future home of the family would be at Fort Finley. My father and two other farmers of Ross County, Messrs. Moreland and Beaver, when viewing the country, had selected Fort Finley as the place of their settlement, and in the spring of 1821 they each sent out a four-horse wagon with plows, etc., seed corn and potatoes, also a stock of provisions and a few hogs. Two men were sent with each wagon, making a party of six men,, My brothers James and Elias took father's team. They cleared and fenced land, and put in corn and potatoes. When the Summer's work was done, one man each, with the wagons, returned home,• leaving a horse apiece for the three men remaining. Brother James remained, and brother Elias returned.
Now, to fatten the hogs, slaughter and pack them down, and store the corn and potatoes for the winter, was the work of those remaining; then they left all in the care of Mr. Cox's family—the only white resident there—and returned to their homes. The horse left for brother James got away and went home. The alarm at home was very great when the horse came without its rider; all were sure he had been killed until a letter explained.
Having heard much of the Fort Defiance region, brother James went there before coming home, and was so captivated with it that, on his return, he persuaded father to change the location of his future home from Fort Finley to Fort Defiance.
Nothing of interest transpired after brother James left us for Fort Finley, until we came to Okonoksee's village, on the Auglaize, thirteen miles above Fort Defiance, where Charloe now stands. These Indians were of the Ottawa nation, called by the whites Tawas.
They had here a reservation of seven miles square Okonoksee was chief, and the village was called after him.
The Indians were all at home, it being the close of the hunting and sugar-making seasons. Many came out—men, women and children ---to see us, They were civil, and manifested a curiosity to see the big horses and the " big wigwams on wheels," examining the cover, how it was kept on, and often exclaiming " Ugh! big pashekoksee;" meaning big horses. This was a great day with their, being the day for their yearly feast and dance to celebrate the close of the hunting and sugar-making seasons. (It was their custom to also celebrate yearly their corn harvest.)
Brother Elias and sister Mary went into the village to see the big bear roasting. The bear was skinned nicely, all except his feet, and rested on his hind-paws on the ground, while the fore-paws were suspended to upright poles. The fire almost surrounded him.
Their cornfields were on the opposite side of the river, where the farm of Mr. Robert Shirley, Jr., is now located.
After we left the village, we hastened on as fast as possible, to get out of the reach of the Indians before they began their drunken dance. At noon we halted for rest and dinner, when, to our great discomfiture, we found we were without anything to strike fire, James having been given all the flints and pow-
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der, excepting what was packed in the large chest at the bottom of the wagon.
Mother had given the little Indian papooses at the villages all the bread we had, and we could not have any dinner. We let the horses rest and eat and then pushed on, hoping to come to an Indian camp, or fire left by them, but were disappointed. Night came on, and we prepared to spend it the best we could. The horses were tied and fed; the feed-box was always taken from the rear end of the wagon, and firmly fixed on the tongue of the wagon, and the horses tied on either side of it. The family, supperless and without fires to keep off the wild animals, were arranged as follows: Father and brother Elias lay under the wagon, mother, the three daughters and baby brother slept in the wagon.
The cow, perceiving danger, got her calf close to the wagon, and then lay close to it on the outer side. The wolves howled alarmingly near, frighten- ing the horses so that our young teamster, brother Elias, needed to be up the most of the ;light to keep them from breaking loose,
The next morning we started early, in the hope of finding fire, but were disappointed; so at noon we stopped and unloaded the wagon until we reached the chest and got the flints, when we soon had a fire made. My eldest sister quickly prepared nourishing food for our dear mother, who was almost overcome by her fast of thirty hours and her care of her nurs- ing babe, ten months old. After we were all refreshed by a good dinner, we started on. When the sun was getting low, we came to a little stream that was difficult to cross. While looking and planning what to do, an Indian on foot came up the bank. Father made him understand, by motions of the hands, that he wanted to cross.
The Indian was soon in the bushes, blazing trees as he went; after awhile he came back, saying, " Howshka!" (Come on). Our team followed, as he directed, and made the crossing safely and back to the trail, where we encamped for the night. The In- dian lighted our fire. He was invited to eat supper, and after he ate he pointed upward, saying "Heap bish "(rains); then pointing to the calf said, "Heap anemoose " (wolves). He then took up a brand of fire, and, making a circuit, set fire to several dry logs to protect us from the wolves, and left fur the village.
It rained a little, but the next morning was bright and beautiful.
The stream that we had just crossed was Three Mile Run, so we were only three miles from the end of our journey, and this was the last night of our camping out.
We reached Fort Defiance that forenoon, to our joy and the great delight of brother Robert, who had been there several days. My parents were pleased to find Mr. William Preston, a gentleman of intelligence and of pleasing manners, in possession of the fort. He had been there most of the time since the war.
There were two goo I log houses in the fort, built for the officers, one of which Mr. Preston's family occupied; in the other, my father's family found nat., row but quite comfortable quarters.
The fort was all standing in good preservation, excepting the barracks on the banks of the Auglaize. The bank here was very steep, and commanded a fine view of the low land on the opposite side of the river. The block-houses, the four large gates with sentinel- boxes over them, were good, and the pickets were in good order, and strong enough to be a protection even then. The block-house on the northeast corner of the fort, had a good cellar, that had been used for a magazine during the war. From the cellar an underground way led to the river, by which the soldiers could got water without being seen by the enemy, In the block-house at the end of the barracks,-f acing southeast, were two or three iron-bound -chests, full of written documents of the war, left by the army officers.
In this block-house was a hand mill, with buhr mill stones, that ground quite good meal when the corn was ripe and hard. There was also a large grater, like a horseradish grater, on which we could grate corn just out of the milk-this did not make bread, but mush and griddle cakes. This fort was built for the war of 1812, by Gen. Winchester, but came to be spoken of as Fort Defiance, This fort (Winchester's) stood on the bank of the Auglaize River, about two hundred yards above the point where Wayne's old Fort Defiance stood. Some of the stumps of the pickets, and some of the embankments of Wayne's old fort (Defiance) were still plainly to be seen,
Very few white people lived in that vicinity at the time of our arrival. Four French families were living in log cabins on the banks of the Maumee, above the point, and three American families on the An- glaize, one mile above the fort--two of these by name of Driver, one a silversmith, the other a shoe-maker. Six miles below Fort Defiance, at Camp Number Three, there lived three American families, namely: Mr. John Perkins', Mr. Montgomery Evans', and Mr Hively's. Two of these families had looms, and wove flax and tow linen. Every farmer's wife took her spinning-wheel with her to the new country. There were no sheep in that region then. In 1824, my brother James bought three sheep in Urbana, and drove them out to Defiance. There were two trading houses; one of these was just outside the fort, on the
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banks of the Maumee, and was kept by a Frenchman; the other was on the other side of the Maumee and was kept by Mr. Rice. The latter was quite a store; with everything for the Indians--blankets, bright cotton shawls, beads, ribbons, cloth (such as was worn by the squaws for strouds), and bright calicoes, used by the squaws for short sacques that cam© below the waist, The calico was 50 cents per yard. The Indian men wore calico shirts.
The traders made the most profit from selling whisky to the Indians.
Mr. Burroughs was a blacksmith, and lived near Rice's.
The Ottawa Indians brought the most of their trade to Defiance. It consisted of fur pelts of the otter, beaver, raccoon, bear, muskrat, mink, fox and wild cat, also dressed deer-skins; and, besides these, beeswax (from the wild honey), ginseng, cranberries and wild gooseberries.
The squaws made beautiful floor mats out of the large rushes which grew on the islands and at the river's edge. They colored some of the rushes black, others yellow. The mats were from one and a half to two yards long and one yard wide.
All the travel, of both whites and Indians, passed through the fort, except That which went on the river in pirogues or in bark canoes.
At that time, there was not a white person living between Fort Defiance and Fort Wayne, Ind,
Travelers planned so they could go through with the mail-carrier who carried the mail from Piqua to Fort Meigs (now Maumee City), or went in companies.
There was a great deal of travel from Detroit to Fort Wayne, Green Bay and Chicago.
All this passed through Fort Defiance.
The Government paid the Miami Indians their annuities at Fort Wayne. The money, all silver, was carried on pack-horses through Defiance. Four or five gentlemen, with the men who drove the packhorses, made up the company. They had to camp out in the wilderness, but I never heard of any being molested in any way. Our fears in regard to the hostility of the Indians were groundless. There were very few depredations committed by the men on the property of the whites, and when they did, it was when drunk on the whisky sold to them by the traders. Sometimes pigs would be found with arrows in their sides. If any white man's property was damaged by Indians, the amount of damage claimed and sworn to was paid by the Indian Agent out of the annuities of the whole tribe to which the offenders belonged.
The whites did not like the chief of the village above Defiance, Ockonoksee; they thought he ought to control his young men better; but their hopes were upon his elder son, a fine young man, who would soon come into the chiefship, and whom every one liked. He died, however, the first summer we lived at the fort.
The Indians were on their way to Detroit to draw their annuities, and, as their custom was, they encamped on the other side of the Maumee to wait for all the Indians to collect, when they would together make the journey.
The young chief's horse broke its hobbles and ran away; he and others ran very fast to catch the horse, and while heated he drank hastily and freely of what he supposed was river water (he was temperate), but on draining the cup he exclaimed " Ugh! Whisky!" He laid down to sleep, and never waked. His corpse was brought over to the fort, and buried just a little way above the fort, on the high bank of the Auglaize, under a large apple tree.
The corpse was dressed in his best suit, namely, a dark blue cloth sacque coat and handsome leggin and moccasins.
The coat had two small capes, one a little above the other; the edges of each were ornamented with small silver brooches.
He wore silver arm-bands, and on his breast two silver breastplates, in shape of a half-moon, hung one above the other.
A bunch of little silver baubles was in each ear, and around his waist was a beautiful wampum belt, in which was his hunting-knife in its scabbard. His tomahawk, gun and shot-pouch were by his side.
At his feet were placed a two-quart pail full of soup, together with a wooden spoon, and his pipe and some tobacco. This was the outfit of the dead chief for his journey to the great hunting-grounds.
The grave was dug so shallow that the corpse was nearly even with the surface of the ground. My brother James hastened and brought some clapboards to lay over the grave before they covered it with earth.
The Indians would not permit more than a slight and flat depth of earth over the grave. Before the grave was closed, Segatchaway, the brother of the old chief, stood over the grave and made a loud and vehement speech, threatening any man, white or Indian, with death who would rob the corpse of its expensive ornaments.
Two guns were fired off toward the Indian village, to inform a brother and sister buried there of the young chief's death.
Tobacco and whisky were sacrificed at the grave.
All this time the young chief's parents sat on the ground, dressed without their ornaments. Ockonoksee's hair hung down upon his shoulders; dust was
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upon his head. He sat in an erect position, his feet crossed like a tailor's His wife sat by his side, her head oftentimes bowed to the ground, and, moaning low, she would beat the ground with her hand.
The little brother of the young chief, who was only five years old, and whom his father had named General Wayne, and who was now the heir of the chiefship, kept all the while close to his father, with behavior as dignified. When the ceremonies were over, all the Indians left in great haste for their camp, except Ockonoksee and his wife; they remained, and took farewell of the grave, the mother uttering pitiful cries.
Mr. Preston took them into his house and gave them their dinner; they then rode slowly out of the fort.
The next morning we hastened to the grave, fearing that, from its shallowness, the hogs would disturb it, and found the earth rooted away and the clapboards exposed.
My brother James took his ax, and, going into the woods, cut small saplings and erected over the grave a strong and shapely booth, which protected it perfectly.
When the Indians returned from Detroit, they stopped at the grave and shot off two guns and burned tobacco and poured out whisky.
When Ockonoksee saw how nicely his son's grave was protected, he inquired who did it, and, on learning it was brother James, he sent for him, Having a mark set up, he selected two young Indians to shoot at it, and told them whoever, firing once, would hit the mark, should be his adopted son. They eagerly tried, but both missed it. Ockonoksee then bade James to shoot at the mark. James did so and hit it; whereupon Ockonoksee took a roundabout, or sailor's jacket, that belonged to his deceased son, and put it upon James' shoulders, thus investing him with the honor of his son's place.
Ever after this the old chief claimed James as his, and whenever he came to the fort he exercised much authority over him, and required many favors at his hand.
Two years after the young chief's death, a half-breed shot his wife. She was an Ottawa squaw. They were on their way to Detroit, and were camping on the other side of the Maumee, waiting for others to come, He was shooting ducks, and, having killed one among the willows, sent his wife to fetch it while he re-loaded his gun. As she was going down the bank, he shot her in the back, and then ran to the nearest canoe, crossed over the river below the point, and was soon lost to sight, first in the corn-fields and then in the woods. The few Indians who were there, and my brothers James and. Elias, with others of the whites, all joined in the pursuit of him all that day, and some of the Indians kept on to the Indian village on Blanchard Fork, but did not find him. The squaw lived in great agony until the next afternoon, when she died. By this time, a large number of Indians had arrived, and they were very much excited. They buried heron the bank, near the wigwam where she ' died, and then moved over to the Defiance side of the river--men, squaws, papooses, horses, dogs, camp-kettles and all—and camped on the green just below our cabins. Some of the men began to gather wood and brush, and others rails from off father's calf-pasture fence for a great fire, while others hobbled and belled the horses. The squaws, in the meanwhile, were stealthily carrying off armfuls of bows and arrows, tomahawks, knives and guns, to hide them in the bushes.
When it was quite dark, a squaw came into our yard and motioned us to put out all the lights and keep within the house. She said, " Indian mad at white man because half-white killed squaw." We gratefully acted upon her advice. The green was lighted up with the great fire, and we, being in the dark, could distinctly see every movement of the Indians. Not a squaw nor papoose was to be seen; they were all hidden in the bushes. The war-dance commenced to the time of an instrument that sounded like a negro banjo. They had stripped themselves of all clothing except a piece of broadcloth about the loins, They divided into two parties, dancing different ways and then meeting as would enemies, all the time having the wildest gestures, throwing their arms and springing off the ground and keeping up a shrill war-whoop.
They looked frightful with their faces painted in red streaks on one side and on the .other black, and feathers of different colors in their hair. We were thoroughly alarmed; even brother James, our brave pioneer, sat quietly in the house. The war-dance kept up till the groat fire had burned down to a mass of coals; then they began to scream and beat upon their camp-kettles, making the dogs howl. We could see the squaws and papooses among them now, and in the height of the yelling and pounding we heard the distressed squeals of a pig and soon smelled the singing of hair. Then father said, " Go to bed, children, I am thankful that it required only a pig to appease their wrath." They cooked, ate and slept.
The next morning they were astir early and preparing for a start, and were sober and very quiet. Father walked out among them and called the attention of some of the Indians to the pigs in the pen and holding up three fingers made them understand that there were three pigs last night and only two this morning. They looked very innocent and exclaimed,
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" Wawhaugh! waugh! no good, no good! " meaning that whoever took them was not good. The pigs were six months old and of fine breed.
The Indians were not commonly thievish. They did not steal from each other and very rarely from the whites; and in that thinly settled country, where neighbors were miles apart, I never heard of but one instance of a white woman being molested, and then no personal harm was offered her, but two drunken Indians demolished dishes and furniture in her husband's absence.
The squaws were very modest and virtuous. Okonoksee, the chief, did not stop with his young warriors to restrain them in their violent demonstrations toward the whites, and the whites thought he did not care to. He was intoxicated almost all the time, and every year he became worse and worse. His little son, " General Wayne," sickened and died. All his children were now dead except two daughters; one of them was married to a brave, noble Indian, and their little son was the last direct heir to the chiefship.
In a drunken frolic at the village one night, Okonoksee sought a quarrel with his son-in-law, and drew a knife threatening to kill him. The young man stepped into his wigwam, not because he was coward, but to get out of the way of the drunken man, but the chief followed and stabbed him to the heart, killing him instantly, and either with design or a stagger he plunged the knife which he still held in his hand into his little grandson that was sitting on his mother's lap, killing him also. The indignation against him was very great. The chiefs of the other villages came to Okonokseo's village to try him for the crime.
They sat in council for three days, and decided that he must die. An Indian brought the word to Defiance that he was to be beheaded the next day. Messrs. Preston, Warren and Kepler, with my brothers and some others, went up to the village to see, as they supposed, the last of the old chief. When they got there the Indian men were formed in a circle with the condemned man sitting on the ground in the midst, his arms folded, his head bowed, and his good, faithful wife by his side. The Indians made room for the whites to join the circle. The chiefs were in council in a wigwam set apart for that purpose. After a time the chiefs came out, and walked up to the condemned chief. One of them made a speech; then they all walked around him. Having done this, the oldest chief, with some words, laid one hand on Okonoksee's head and the other hand on his mouth; and all the chiefs in turn said and did the same. The words were evidently the reprieve from the sentence of the day before, and the announcement of his punishment. The laying the hand on the mouth was to signify that it was to be closed in council and in authority, and that he was divested of his chiefship.
This ceremony being ended, they brought a young Indian, a distant relative of the old chief, into the circle. They put on him a wampum belt and some silver ornaments, and with other ceremonies, which I have forgotten, they installed him chief. Every one, both Indians and whites, were dissatisfied with " George." the new chief.
The Indians neither loved nor feared him. There was little difference in Okonoksee's lofty bearing after he was deposed, but he did not boast so much about his great bravery nor count on his fingers how many white men he had killed in the war, His people obeyed his word sooner than they did the new chief's. The Indians became dissatisfied when the land near them was bought and settled by the whites, and finally the Government bought their reservation and moved them west of the Mississippi.
My father, as soon as possible, built a double-log cabin a short distance above the fort on the Auglaize. These cabins were roofed with clapboards and the floors made of puncheons. The trees were felled and sawed into proper lengths, split into puncheons, dressed off with a broadax and adze, placed evenly on the sleepers, driven closely together and firmly wedged.
My brother James loved to work in wood, and my father had taken a good supply of tools to Defiance.
This double-cabin, with a large entry between, was our home for several years. Here we entertained many people--travelers and land viewers—as there were none but Mr. Preston's and father's family to keep them.
We had at this time neither church nor minister, nor schools; we had no physician, no roads, no carriages and no mills. We had not a post office even, but had to use Piqua or Fort Meigs (Maumee City) post offrce, and the mail carrier who carried the mail from Piqua via St. Marys, Fort Wayne and Fort Defiance to Fort Meigs, would mail our letters for us, and when he took letters out for us he paid the postage and we refunded him.
We felt sorely the absence of society, but our few neighbors wore excellent people, and though we suffered many deprivations in that new country neighbors hastened to each other's help in sickness or trouble of any kind and were ready to lend a helping hand in putting up their cabins, etc., etc. Besides our good neighbors, we every week met men of refinement and polite manners passing through to Fort Wayne. My father was a farmer. He cultivated part of the bottom land on the other side of the Auglaize River. It was very productive and yielded fine corps of corn, potatoes, melons, etc.
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The land was not yet surveyed I think the contract was given that year to Capt. James Riley. I remember when he came to the fort; he was entertained at our house. Soon after that the surveying was commenced. The surveyors suffered greatly while at their work from the mosquitoes and gnats. The surveyors came frequently to Defiance for a rest.
We were at Fort Defiance nearly a year before there was a religious meeting of any kind held. The first was held by a Presbyterian minister, who Was passing through, and put up at Preston's. My mother invited him to preach in our house, and she sent word around to all the people to come, and they came, French and al].
It was a year and a half after that before we heard another sermon. The second was preached by Rev. Solomon Manear, from Ross County, a young man just licensed to preach by the Methodist Episcopal Church (and afterward admitted to the Ohio Conference). He had come out to Fort Defiance with others in charge of two wagons loaded with flour, bacon and dried fruit. My parents invited him to preach in our house; we had just moved into our double cabin.
We were at Fort Defiance two years before we had a school. Then a Mr. Smith came with his family and moved into an old trading house, and opened school in an old blacksmith shop that stood near Shane's apple tree. The tree was full of apples. Mr. Rice claimed the apples, but the scholars were allowed to play under it. It gave a fine shade. The trunk was short and thick, the top large and spreading. The tradition of the tree then was that the wigwam where Shane was born stood near there, and on that day his father planted this tree, and when he was a little boy, the Indian boys when mad at him would break down his tree to spite him, which accounted for its shape.
Shane was then a man fifty years old, living at Shane's Prairie, on the St. Mary's River.
Having no mills, father had to send to Swan Creek (now Toledo), for flour and salt also. These were hauled to the head of the Maumee Rapids and from there brought in pirogues. It was hard work, both in low and high water—in low water they often had to get into the water and, push and pull the pirogue over the riffles.
Ague was prevalent in the Fort Defiance region. The first year we lived there our family wore all down with it except my father and one sister, but the cold winter restored us to health.
In the early years of our pioneer life, death visited our family and took from us our lovely sister Nancy, seventeen years of age. She died of the measles. Under the shadows of death, the depriva-
Lions of a pioneer life were most keenly felt—no religious services to comfort and console, and not oven a beautiful coffin in which to lay one of the loveliest of earth's fair flowers away. Nothing but the trees of the forest were available for this, and Messrs. James Partee and John Plummer, members of Mr. Perkins' family, came and made the coffin out of puncheons of a black walnut tree. They planed and waxed the wood; they had to use nails instead of screws
Our little settlement did not increase in numbers until after the land came into market. The land office was at Piqua. Messrs. Phillips and Leavel purchased the site of Defiance, and laid out the town. Mr. John Perkins bought land on the Tiffin River, where Brunersburg now stands. This stream was called by the Indians Bean River, but the surveyors named it in honor of the first Governor of Ohio. Mr. Perkins built a grist and saw mill on this river.
People now came and settled permanently, and frame buildings with brick chimneys took the place of log cabins with sticks and clay chimneys.
Messrs. Phillips and Leavel erected a frame building for a store, etc., in Defiance. In an upper room of this building the first courts of justice were held. Previous to this, the people had to go to Fort Meigs for law purposes, as Williams and Wood Counties had one county seat, namely, Fort Meigs (Maumee City).
The lawyers who practiced in the Defiance Court were Messrs. Charles and William Ewing, of Fort Wayne, and Mr. Powell, of Fort Meigs.
The first officers were: Circuit Judge —Lane, of New York; Associate Judges, Robert Shirley, Sr., John Perkins and Pierce Evans; Sheriff, William Preston; Clerk of the Court. Dr, John Evans.
In this room, court was held until the brick court house was built about 1830 or 1831.
In 1825, Brother Nathan moved his family to Fort Defiance.
We were still without religious services and a house of worship, and Brother Nathan applied to the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in 1827 Rev. Elias Pattee was sent to Fort Defiance Mission. Rev. Pattee soon gathered the men together with their axes and teams, and logs were cut, hewed and hauled to a lot presented by the proprietors of the town plat, and a church erected.
It was a simple structure—walls, windows, roof and floor--but no chimney. In this we worshiped when the weather was warm; when cold we held our meetings in private houses. When the brick court house was built, our meetings were held there, our society having outgrown the small accommodations of its pioneer life.
208 - HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
My father bought land on the opposite side of the Auglaize River, one mile from Defiance, improved it and moved his family there. My brother Nathan settled five miles up the Auglaize; brother Elias, three miles; brother Robert on same stream near where Charloe now stands, and brother James on the Maumee, ten miles above Fort Defiance.
Brother Nathan sowed wheat largely, and when his grain was to be out (they used sickles), he proposed to his harvesters to pay them an extra shilling a day instead of providing them (as had been the custom) with whisky, as he was a man of temperance principles. Of the twenty men, only one preferred the whisky, and he was dismissed.
This was the first public movement toward temperance in our region.
Of my father's family, but two remain—my brother Robert and myself. My sister Mary married Mr. Thomas Warren, of Defiance, and died in a little less than a year afterward. I married Rev. James B. Austin, of the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church; at the time of his death, in 1857, he was a member of the Cincinnati Conference. Brother John died while a young man and single.
PIONEER RECOLLECTIONS OF PHILIP SHIRLEY.
We give below an article, dated February 26, 1883, from that worthy old pioneer, Philip Shirley, Dupont, Putnam Co., Ohio:
My father, Nathan Shirley, started from Ross County, March 1, 1825, with sixteen other families, among whom were the Tittles, Hammons and other families, and when a wagon would stop all would stop and help repair it, and it was on one of these occasions that I saw two Indians for the first time in full costume. There were several four-horse teams, one of which was my father's and all four were needed, as sometimes we were axle deep in mud. The company kept some ten men in advance to chop roads around bad places and fallen trees, which made a great distance of unbroken road. At the mouth of the Blanchard River, Thomas McClish had lately settled, who was the last white settler until we arrived near Defiance. At the Little Auglaize, at Fort Brown, we were met by several pirogues that carried part of our loads and assisted in crossing Little Auglaize, Blue Creek, Flatrock and Six-Mile Creeks, We passed Occonoxee's Indian town some twelve or fifteen miles south of Fort Defiance, which contained some 300 Ottawa Indians, who had a long lino of small hewed-log houses, some fifty or more in number, and other canvas or elm-bark wigwams for dwellings, and a few sleeping places fixed some fifteen or twenty' feet above ground on four posts set in the ground to avoid mosquitoes. It was a show to immigrants, consisting of Indian men and women and children nearly all naked up to ten or twelve years old, more than a hundred horses and more than a hundred dogs, all in a state of active enjoyment.
One mile south of Defiance, I saw the first herd of deer, some nine in number, bounding by our emigrant train, apparently not much frightened, and seen and remarked by nearly every one.
On the let of April, 1825, we arrived in Fort Defiance, some moving into the Fort, some moving down on the Maumee River. My father moved into grandfather's (Robert Shirley, Jr.) house, double log (cabins), for a few days; then on his grandfather's farm, later known as the Frazee farm, one mile south of Defiance, for three years; then on my father's farm, six miles south of Defiance, now known as the Town Newton farm, into his new double log cabin, which was good enough, and used for a dwelling, tavern, church. and Justice's office when my father was elected Justice of the Peace.
In 1840, my father moved into his new two-story frame house just in time for the wedding of his eldest daughter, Rachel, to Shadrach H. Carey, and in 1844 Nathan Shirley's wife died, and father and the family kept house for eight years, giving a dinner to myself and Elizabeth Pro want on the 9th day of October, 1849. My father was married to Mrs. Ann P. Hankins about 1852; then sold his farm and bought and made a farm at old Milldam, four miles south of Defiance; then sold and moved to Junction, being one of the proprietors of that town, where he died in 1812, after an active life of over forty-seven years, holding the office of County Commissioner in Williams County and acting as Colonel of the militia for a number of years. After Paulding County was organized he served as Justice of the Peace, and was an accepted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, serving as class leader and doing other church duties, and being a member for over fifty years, having belonged, together with my mother, to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ross County. They having raised seven boys and six girls, five of whom are still living, myself in Dupont, Putnam County; C. D. Shirley, in Clark's Hill, Tippecanoe County, Ind.; John W. Shirley, in Paulding County; Stephen M. Shirley, in Defiance County, and Nancy M, Dils, in Defiance.
About the year 1827, Robert Shirley, Sr., and my father bought and donated to the Methodist Episcopal Church a town lot, on which the neighbors and minister, Rev. Pattee, built a hewed-log church, near where the present brick church now stands. About the year 1827, Robert Shirley, Sr., moved into his two-story hewed-log house on his farm one mile south of De-
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fiance. In the year 1828, Elias Shirley and his wife, Phebe Hudson, settled on their farm, four miles south of Defiance, now known as the Shots farm, once while Uncle Elias and Aunt Phebe were eating their breakfast, in came a large, rough looking old Indian who said he was buckata (hungry/ and pointing down his throat. Uncle told aunt to give him some victuals on a plate (which was good treatment for Indian beggars) and generally well received, but on this occasion the Indian appeared angry and asked to eat at the table which uncle denied him. He ate his meal, appearing to be angry, and left in an unthankful manner. About three weeks afterward, Uncle Elias Shirley was attending a public sale of James Hudson's property, preparatory to moving to Fort Wayne to work at the brick mason trade, and about 11 o'clock, he noticed that same old Indian and a young Indian looking on at the sale and observed the usual mean countenance of the old Indian. The two Indians soon left and went up to Elias Shirley's house, finding his wife and child alone. The old Indian ordered the woman to get the two Indians something to eat and to put it on the table. He ordered what to get, and watched her closely while she got it, and the tea and sugar from the bureau drawer, etc. When the meal was got agreeably. to order, the two Indians sat down to eat, the old Indian ordering her to get whatever was needed. The young Indian got up from the table first and started out of the house, and when he got to the door, and beckoned the woman to him and told her to make her escape for the old Indian intended to kill her, and the young Indian went up the road. The old Indian finished his meal and went to the window and looked up and down the road, apparently to see if any one was passing, and while so doing the woman took the child and ran toward the river, thinking to wade across the river to Abraham Hudson's farm, but the old Indian overtook her at the river, after running a quarter of a mile. He drew his butcher knife and drove her back to the house and set a chair in the middle of the floor and made her sit down in it, and told her if she got up he would kill her. He then took hold of the child and tried to take it from her. But she was resolved never to let go of it. So they pulled till she thought it was badly hurt. He finally let go of the child and commenced dancing around her. He soon went to the window again to watch the road. She went out of the house in another direction and got behind a large sugar tree, and feared the child would cry. She saw the old Indian come out of the house and look all around, and then he ran toward the river as before, and she took to the woods and went down the river two or three miles to where the sale was. They were still selling, and she, knowing her safety, and not wishing to interrupt the sale, stood in the thicket of bushes near by quite awhile, until the sale closed, when she appeared and told her story, when her husband, Elias Shirley, took his gun, mounted a horse and rode for his house, followed by his brothers Nathan, James and Robert and many neighbors, and when they reached the house they found it knee deep in feathers, two feather beds having been ripped open and emptied on the floor. A. few gallons of lard had been poured over the feathers. The chairs had been thrown on the fire in the fire-place, and then thrown on the feathers. Medicine bottles were all broken The bureau had been robbed of its contents, sugar, tea, etc., a large iron kettle had been chopped down to the bottom with Shirley's ax, and all was quiet. Some forty neighbors went in pursuit next day, rationed for an Indian hunt. They went to Occonoxee's village, but the Indian had gone to the woods to hunt. They ate their dinner at the village and while there some men drew a figure of an Indian on one of their doors with a big heart, and several of the men shot the heart full of holes. The men divided into companies of ten men each and separated, and went up Flatrock Creek, Blue Creek and Little Auglaize River, with orders not to shoot a gun until the Indian was found and then they were to shoot signal guns until they all got together. One company found the two Indians at their camp on Flat- rock Creek, and signaled all together. When Nathan Shirley and Elias Shirley and their company came up to the Indians, the old Indian's head was all white with feathers, and Elias Shirley begged for a gun to shoot the old Indian, but Nathan and others refused to give him a gun, and they had the old Indian lodged in jail at Defiance, where he was confined for some time for trial. The young Indian was allowed to go at large, as being only a coward in bad company. The chiefs of the Ottawa nations were called together by their agent and a settlement made by paying Elias Shirley $100, it being a low estimate of the property destroyed without any compensation for damages. The Indians said this Indian was a bad man and often abused their families and caused them mach trouble. They said they were sorry that Shirley was prevented from shooting the Indian, and the Indian was released from prison with orders never to be seen in that neighborhood, and if he ever came back Shirley was permitted to shoot him. Elias Shirley said he met him once afterward in Defiance, but when they recognized each other the Indian dodged away and he never saw him again. The next summer, when Nathan Shirley and some hands were clearing on his new farm preparatory to moving, Occonoxee, the chief, and Segatchaway (Oc-co-nox-ee's brother), Dr. Kickwas, Seo-be-nah, Poke-shaw,
210 - HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
and several other Indians, Oc-co-nox-ee aaid to Nathan Shirley: " You are Colonel Shirley, and I am Oc-co-nox-ee, chief; your men shoot Indian on wigwam door, Indian no like it." Shirley seeing the situation, said: Como to the house; and Shirley took a piece of charcoal and drew a large picture on a board of a white man having a bat on, and a large heart, and said, " Indian, you shoot at it. Several of the Indians took aim and shot through the heart. Then Oc-co-nox-ee shook hands with Shirley and said, " good friends," and the Indians went away well sat isfied.
Poke-shaw, a Pottawatomie Indian, married Occo-nox-ee's sister, a lady who had been married to a French gentleman by the name of Lumbar, who had a farm at Delaware town on the Maumee River. They had two chrldren, a boy and a girl, and then parted, he keeping the boy Peter, and she taking the girl, who made a fine Indian lady or squaw, while Peter Lumbar sold dry goods to the Indians and whites. There wore several children in the Pokeshaw family, and Poke-shaw was buried on Six-mile Creek, and his widow and her brothers, Oc-co nox-ee and Se-gatch-a-way, went to the far West.
There was a Christian Delaware Indian by the name of Caleb Lewis, who was married to a Muncie squaw, and they had two children, Was-keel-no, a boy, and Chola, a girl. Caleb Lewis would attend church whenever he could, and work in the harvest field. He appeared quarter white, and would call his daughter Chola, my wife, which made us very shy of each other. One Sabbath, my brothers and myself were taking observations down where about five Indian families were camped in summer wigwams made of elm bark on posts and poles at the river side. We had a good time. Mrs. Caleb Lewis took down from off the bark roof the breast bone of a turkey, with considerable amount of flesh on it and completely covered with fly blows, apparently a pint or more blows. I watched the cook and saw breast and all put into the kettle without the loss of a fly blow, and thickened with flour and cooked and poured into a wooden bowl surrounded by wooden spoons. Caleb Lewis invited us boys to eat dinner, which we declined, and he got angry and said we thought their victuals were not good enough and that ended my claim on Chola.
James W. Riley, of St. Marys, once told Caleb Lewis that in the next world he would be a horse and he would ride him there. Caleb Lewis told Riley that in the next world he would be a snake and he would beat him on the head with a club, etc.
PERSONAL SKETCHES
Mrs. Julia A. Kiser was born of American parents May 24, 1815, in Paint Township, Ross Co., Ohio., near Chillicothe, and immigrated to this county in the fall of 1834. The father's name was Jehu P. Downs, a native of Maryland. He followed the trade of shoemaker for some years, but being possessed of a venturesome spirit, he went to sea before the mast; unfortunately for him, the vessel was seized by the English and the crew thrown into a London prison; part of the crew took the oath of allegiance to British Government and were immediately placed upon a man of war; he and his comrade, being good Americans, refused to take the oath. They languished in prison nine long months; the authorities at last becoming tired of keeping them, released them by kicking them out destitute of money, clothes or friends; the comrade disappearing, leaving him to fight the battle of life alone, he sought and found work in a cobbler's stall, until he obtained money to buy clothes, meantime watching an opportunity of escape, which soon occurred by the death of a sailor, and he secured his berth on board a vessel, following the sea seven years before his return to his native land. He afterward enlisted as a soldier in the war of 1812, came home on furlough in 1813, and was married to Elizabeth Vandervort, of Virginia. He served until the close of the war. During his wanderings as a soldier, he visited Ft, Defiance, and being highly pleased with the appearance of the country, was never satisfied until he located here in the fall of 1834, where he remained until his death, which occurred August, 1866, aged ninety-three. They had three children—Julia A., Oliver P (who died September 8, 1830) and Angus L., who learned the saddler business, which he followed successfully for many years, accumulating quite a property. He married Sophia C. Graper, a native of Hanover, Germany, in 1843. He was very fond of hunting and fishing, and bad many interesting adventures incident to frontier life. Died August 15, 1857. After the death of Jehu P. Downs, his widow married Thomas Warren, who was also one of the pioneers of the country. She died May, 1878, at the age of eighty-five years. Mr. Downs and family came to this place from Palestine, Pickaway Co., Ohio, situated about twenty miles from Circleville, moving the whole way by wagon, the trip consuming about fourteen days. On their journey they passed through New London, Wapakoneta and other towns; between the latter place and the mouth of the Little Auglaize, the roads were almost impassable, the teams stalling as often as four times a day, making it necessary for them to unload and wade out to higher ground, obliging the men to carry the
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goods. Upon their arrival here, they could find no unoccupied rooms, and were compelled to take shelter in an old French cabin, dingy with age and smoke, situated on the lands where the upper ends of East Defiance now stands. The first visit Mrs. Kiser made, at a distance from this place, after locating here, was to Steubenville, in the summer of 18d7, performing the whole journey on horseback, a distance of more than three hundred miles, passing in the route through Maumee, Findlay, Upper Sandusky, Fremont, Mansfield, Wooster, New Philadelphia, Sandyville, Harrison and a number of smaller towns and villages. Returning by the same route as far as Mansfield, thence to Maderia and across the black swamp, where the mud and water was midside to a common horse, compelling the riders to sit with their feet drawn up on the saddle to keep them dry. They stopped at Ottaway on Sunday, July 3, for dinner, at a house of private entertainment, The proprietor at first refused his guests anything to eat, or to provide anything for their horses; but finally gave them some bread without butter, tea without sugar and onions without salt, also sent his man to the field a half mile away for green oats to feed their horses, declaring this was the best he could supply them, but was expecting fresh supplies by wagon hourly, which, owing to the condition of the roads, was several days behind. The party feeling refreshed for this bill of fare, and the assurance of the host of fresh supplies in a few days, started on their journey. In 1838, Mrs. Kiser, then Julia A. Downs,was married to John H. Kiser, of Wayne County, Ohio. Mr. Kiser was born in Jefferson County, Ohio. His parents were natives of Pennsylvania; his grandparents of German descent. He was one of a large family of children, now all dead, save one who resides in Noble County, Ind. In July, he moved to this place. bringing with him a large stock of goods, his being the first saddle and harness shop in the county, He afterward entered into the mercantile business; was also Treasurer of Defiance County, and held offices of trust on the canal. He took the census of Defiance County in 1860; died March 19, 1861. They had five children -John H., born May 16; 1839, resides in Defiance County, Ohio; married Mary E. Bridenbaugh July 21, 1870, has three children living, Victoria A., born November 16, 1841, married S. A. Shields May 21, 1873, has one child, resides in San Francisco, Cal.; Mary E., born December 25, 1844, married Dr. T. H. Ashton July 20, 1865, has two children, resides in Defiance; James P., born February 16, 1847, died August 25, 1855; Callie E., born April 6, 1849, married S. H. Cave February 7, 1874. has one child, resides in Terrace, Utah. Victoria and Callie were engaged in mission teaching among the Mormon's (for some time previous to their marriage), Mary, the second daughter, has in her possession the old clock which grandfather Downs brought to this county. It is a tall coffin-shaped affair, after the old Dutch style, and a great curiosity in these days of style and novelty. Mrs. Kiser resides with her son John H. at the old homestead at the corner of Wayne and First streets. Is in the enjoyment of good health, having lived to witness the progress of Defiance from an almost howling wilderness to a city of 7,000 inhabitants.
Mrs. Sophia Downs, widow of Angus L. Downs, and daughter of Henry C. and Elizabeth Graper, was born in Hanover, Germany, November 27, 1819, and immigrated to America with her parents, arriving at Defiance, Ohio, September 18, 1834. She was married to Angus L Downs, of Defiance, January 1, 1843; to them were born six children, two boys and four girls, viz.: Emily, born May 7, 1844, died June 6, 1845; Wesley J., born Jane 25, 1846, died June 19, 1847; Emory W., born July 20, 1848; Ella C., born December 29, 1851; Caroline E., born July 13, 1854; and Alice M. Downs, May 12, 1857. Angus L. Downs was born in Ross County, Ohio, November 4, 1819, and removed with his parents to Defiance County in the fall of 1834; of the children who are living, Emory W. graduated in medicine at Cincinnati3Ohio, March 1, 1873, and commenced his profession the same year, and was married to Nellie M. Thrall, October 8, 1873. To them were born three children-Thaddeus A. and Charles F. and Mabel Clara. Ella C. Downs married an attorney, A. J. Mitchell, of Mansfield, Ohio. Caroline E. Downs married a phy sician, Dr. James M. Colliers, March, 1877, and now resides and practices his profession in Plymouth, Mich, Alice M. Downs married Fletcher E Morris, of Mansfield, Ohio, December 12, 1878, at which place she now resides.
The grandfather of the family, Jehu P. Downs, was a native of Maryland, and his mother a Virginian lady. He was in the war of 1812, and subsequently was a frontier ranger.
Mrs. Hannah McFarlan was born February 13, 1810,in Washington Township, Columbia Co., Penn., and was the fourth child of a family of twelve children, three boys and nine girls, of Edmund Herin and Rhoda (Young) Herin. The children all grew up, were married and raised families, except the third child, who died in infancy. Mr. Herin was born in the State of New Jersey May 25, 1772, and died in Defiance County, Ohio, in September, 1838. His wife, Rhoda, was born November 30, 1773, in Trenton, N. J., at which place they were married. Mr. Herin moved from Trenton, N. J., to the forks of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. From
212 - HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
there to Muskingum Cuunty, Ohio, in 1823. He being a cooper by trade, went to work in the salt works in that county, making barrels for shipping purposes; from there he moved to Licking County, Ohio, and bought a farm near the little town of Nashport. In June, 1834, while living at this place, it was visited with a severe frost, cutting down everything—corn, potatoes, etc., freezing the leaves on the trees so they all became crisped, and doing great damage to the fruit and vegetables generally. In 1834, Mr. Herin came to Defiance County. The subject of this sketch (his daughter) was married at the age of sixteen, February, 1826, to Tarlton McFarlan, of Musking- um County, Ohio, by whom she had the following children, viz.: James (deceased), Edmund (deceased), Martha (deceased), Theodosia, married to Rollin C. Fisher, who is a resident of Defiance, Sarah J., who resided at Findlay, Ohio, and William (deceased). Mr. McFarlan arrived in this county with his wife and four children in February, 1835, There was only an Indian trail leading through the black swamp at that time, through which they came. Mr. McFarlan and his brother had to cut a road for the team, while Mrs. McFarlan carried a babe of four months, and a gun, and drove the cow, assisted by a younger sister of thirteen summers. The sugar maple of the forest afforded them their sugar, but for six weeks they had no bread except corn pounded in a mortar, and sift- ed, from which they made their 'Johnny-cake. Flour was $16 per barrel, pork $20 per barrel; groceries and goods were shipped by pirogues and flat-boats to this place. Pioneers were often lost in the woods in coming to this place. Two men, who came through from Findlay, Ohio, were lost, and for three days were without food except two small biscuits each; when they arrived at her house they were so famished they begged her to give them some raw venison to satisfy their craving appetites until she could hastily prepare a meal for them. Mr. McFarlan died March 10, 1841. In September, 1846, Mrs. McFarlan was married to her present husband Isaac Hoover, by whom she had one child—Kate E., born February 17,1848. Mrs. McFarlan has passed her threescore years and ten, and has witnessed the many changes of Defiance County for about a half century past— having seen the forest give way to fine cultivated farms, the log cabin to fine residences and the town of Defiance from a few pioneer families to a city of about 7,000, and now, with implicit confidence in her Lord and Master, she is waiting His summons, "Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
Charles V. Royce immigrated from Vermont to Defiance County at an early date, and for many years acted as Deputy Clerk of the Court. He was remarkable for the energy, decision and promptness with which he performed all his duties, both official and private. He was a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal Church, of which he was a strong supporter. He removed to Miami County, and while serving as Clerk of the Court of that county died, October 2, 1863.
Frederick F. Stevens was born in Fairfield Coun- ty, Ohio, February 26, 1814. In 1825, he removed with his mother to Putnam County, and two years later became a resident of Defiance. He hired out to Judge Robert Shirley at $4 per month, to work on the farm, $1,25 being deducted per month for washing and mending. The next season he worked for Pierce Evans, six months for $6 per month, and in the fall engaged to clerk for Foreman Evans six months for $25. He spent his winters in Mr. Evans' store until he was of age, except one year when he worked for Moses Rice, an early Indian trader. Mr. Stevens married Elizabeth Oliver July 13, 1836. She was the daughter of John Oliver (for whom he was clerking at this time) and niece of Oliver Spencer, who was a captive boy with the Indians at Defiance. By this marriage Mr. Stevens had six children, three sons and three daughters. His wife died in 1851, and he re- united in marriage with Susan Forest, by whom he has had nine children. Mr, Stevens was engaged in mercantile pursuits and other business enterprises until 1874, when he removed to Seneca County. He is there dealing in live stock, and although nearly seventy years of age retains the vigor and activity of his youth.
Michael Gorman was born in Elphin, County Ros- common, Ireland, September 8, 1818. His parents were Patrick and Bridget (Nolan) Gorman, whose children were Michael, Sabina, Bernard, Mary, Mar- garet and Catharine. Three of them are dead--Bernard, Sabina and Mary. Mrs. J. B. Weisenburger is now living in Defiance. Mrs. George W. Lowery is living at San Jose, Cal, Michael, the subject of thi,s sketch, who resides in Defiance, immigrated to America in 1846, being forty-five days on the passage. The vessel ran onto a reef and sprung aleak. heavy swell of the sea finally relieved the vessel from this position, and a pilot boat came along and towed the vessel into Quebec. Mr, Gorman went first to Montreal, then to Toronto,then took steamboat across to the States, then by rail to Buffalo (the cars being drawn by horses); from there took steamboat for Cleveland, and from there went to Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio. Remained there five months, then went to Beaver Falls, on the Monongahela; then to Wheel- ing, and from there to Cairo, Ill. ; then went steamboating as deck hand, retracing his steps in a measure, arriving at Defiance, Ohio, April 8, 1847, with $7
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in his pocket. He began work for Edwin Phelps at $1 a day. He was married to Sophia Hoverstadt, of this place, September 11, 1851, by whom he had ten children—Bernard j., Michael P. (deceased), Patrick W. (deceased), Theresa S., Anna C. (deceased), and one not named died in infancy. Mr. Gorman about this time commenced the grocery and provision business at the lower lock on the canal, and nearly opposite the Russell House. Continued the business there about seven years, in partnership with his brother Bernard, to whom he sold out and who carried on the business for two or three years, and then, on account of ill health, was obliged to give it up. Bernard traveled about in search of some climate in which to regain his health. Went to Michigan up in the pinery, from there to Germany; remained there about three months; then returned to Cleveland to try the water cure, but finding no relief for his complaint (asthma) was induced to go to Colorado, for which place he started out May 6, arriving at Denver in a few days (growing rapidly worse), at which place he died May 24, 1872. Michael bought a farm and farmed for about two years, then sold out and returned to the grocery and provision business, entering pretty largely into speculation in pork and beef, in the winter of 185859, which speculation resulted in a loss of $17,000, in the winter of 1864-65, which nearly broke him up financially. But Mr. Gorman was not the man to sit down and brood over losses, but buckled on the armor again for business, and to-day is doing a very thriving grocery and provision business with his eldest son, Bernard, on the corner of Fifth and Clinton streets, believing that where a man loses his money is the place to find it again. Mr. Gorman is now in his sixty-fourth year and is robust and healthy, and enjoys all the comforts of life and has a beautiful family residence on South Jefferson street. Mrs. Gorman's parents—Bernard and Elizabeth (Stertiman) Hoverstadt, immigrated from Germany, Minster, Province of Westphalia, to this country in 1835. They had four children, viz.: Sophia M., Elizabeth, Bernard Henry and Hermann. John, the two latter being twins. Mr. Gorman was elected Commissioner of Defiance County in the fall of 1882, and is now serving in that capacity.
John Tuttle. Prominent among the names worthy of honorable mention is that of John Tuttle, a native of Warren County, Ohio, who was born August 16, 1819, and emigrated to Defiance in September, 1833. He had the, misfortune to lose his parents almost in his infancy, and was thrown upon the world to seek a home among strangers. On reaching Defiance, not finding a shelter in any of the few cabins that were here at that time, the Stoner family, with whom young Tuttle migrated, were obliged to procure a cabin on the Kepler farm, four miles down the river. Here young Tuttle found employment with Mr. Kepler in husking corn and digging potatoes, receiving for a-day's wages one bushel of either corn or potatoes. He soon gained the confidence and friendship of his employer, who was a kind and companionable man, and a practical hunter, and young Tuttle was soon invited to join him in his night sports of coon hunting, and immediately made a joint partner in the coon trade generally. This partnership, or sort of co-operative industry, proved a good thing for both parties in the end. Coons were plenty and their pelts in demand at fair prices, and by the time winter set in they had, by aid of dog and gun, procured over one hundred pelts. The income from thia source, small though it was, rendered important service to the Kepler family that season, for before the winter set in Mr. K. was taken sick, and but for the money derived from the sale of those furs (carried a long distance to market by young Tuttle), the family must have suffered greatly through the winter. The next spring, or in the season of 1834, the village of Brunersburg was laid out, and with the prospect of plenty of work the Kepler family, together with young Tuttle, were induced to move to that place. Mr. Tuttle in his younger days worked for whomsoever would furnish him honorable employment, not refusing at time a barely board and clothes. He speaks of working much for his old friend Brice Hilton, and greatly enjoying the society of his family, In the spring of 1836, young Tuttle entered the grocery store of a Mr. Williams from New York State, as clerk, a situation he obtained, by the by, only on condition of good and sufficient recommendation from good and responsible parties. Here he continued about a year, when he purchased the stock and trade of his employer and started business for himself. In 1844, he sold out, came to Defiance and entered the store of Pierce Evans & Sons as clerk, Mr. Evans being at that time the oldest pioneer in the country. In the following fall, Mr. Tuttle, with what means he had of his own and with some help from his friend Evans, started a store on the north side of the Maumee, in what was then called Williams Town, now known as North Defiance, from which place he has never moved his place of business above a few rods. In July, 1845, he married Miss Charlotte Bruner. The children by this marriage were Andrew, Isabella, Cornelia, Avaro, Ellen, Laura B. and Mary. Andrew served through the war of the rebellion. In the fall of 1849, erected a large warehouse near the north end of the Maumee bridge at a cost of $4,000, and with a floor space of over half an acre. Here Mr. Tuttle still may be found at all business hours ready to grasp the hand of any old friend or accommodate a customer. Mr. Tuttle has
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ever been characterized as a liberal man, "want ever went smiling from his door," and from his benevolent impulses, perhaps, he readily fell into the credit system of doing business, so prevalent in early times, not having the face, as he expresses it, to turn a customer away empty-handed for want of means wherewith to settle his bills. A great many men have been made happy by striking his acquaintance. Through the credit system, Mr. Tuttle has many times been severely crippled in his business, but never to the extent of a failure, nor to the creditors' loss of a single dollar, and though old in business he sustains an unimpaired credit, with a competence to make life glide smoothly on. In politics, he, from the beginning, was a Whig, and gave his first vote for Gen. Harrison in 1840. He also voted for Fremont, believing yet if Fremont had been elected the war of the rebellion would have been averted. If, however, as he avers, he had been a voter in Jackson's time, he would have most surely voted for the old hero. Mr. Tuttle has at times held important offices of trust; was at one time Deputy Postmaster in Brunersburg, and also at Defiance under his old friend Evans, and was elected the second Treasurer of Defiance County. Mr. Tuttle, though somewhat advanced in years, has lost but little of the vigor and vivacity of his younger days, neither has he forgotten the sports of his youth. To-day the rod and gun are as much cherished as in days gone by. At one time while working on a farm a mile or two up the river, he killed in the short space of two months, twenty-five deer without losing a half day's work.
Peter Kettenring was born in Bavaria, Germany, January 10, 1835, and the same year his parents, Adam and Charlotte (Allspach) Kettenring, immigrated to America, and in 1838 settled on a farm in Henry County, Ohio, twelve miles southeast of Defiance. To them were born thirteen children; but three of this large family are now living, viz., Peter, Catharine and Mary. Mrs. Kettenring died in 1855. Mr. Kettenring is still living and is smart and active for one of his years, having passed through hardship, toil and privation, incident to pioneer life. At that time there were no roads except Indian trails, and but one house between Defiance and one Mr. Hoffrichter, a distance of ten miles, and that was Henry Brechbill's, at Ayersville. Mr. Kettenring well remembers his father going to mill at Evansport, a distance of twenty-four miles, not with a team but with the grain on his back, following Indian trails and footpaths. In the spring of 1844, he came to Defiance, which has been his home most of the time since. In the spring of 1850, he engaged himself to Messrs. Kimball & Frank, of this place, as an apprentice to learn the molding trade. Having served his time, he worked in Toledo and in Ft. Wayne, In the spring of 1856, he returned to Defiance and leased the foundry then owned by Seaman & Stevens, which was situated upon the grounds on which the present building now stands, known as the Defiance Machine Works, where he commenced. business with a cash capital of $125, and for the first six months employed but two men. Mr. Kettenring married Miss Frances Kahlo, of this place (Defiance), October 25, 1856, by whom he had eight children, five of whom are now living, three boys and two girls. In 1858, he sold out his interest in the foundry to Strong Brothers & Orcutt. Six months thereafter, he bought a fourth interest in this firm, and in 1860 Strong Brothers bought out Orcutt, and the firm was changed to Strong & Co. In 18.64, the foundry was destroyed by fire, but was rebuilt and run under the name of Kettenring & Strong. In 1860, -William Lauster was connected with the firm, known as Kettenring, Strong & Lauster, In 1872, they were chartered as a stock company according to the laws of Ohio, and known as the Defiance Machine Works, for the manufacture of wood working machinery, engines, boilers, shafting, pulleys, hangers, plows, etc., together with all kinds of castings and also to do a general jobbing business, and a better class of work or machinery bearing the impress of finer master workmen can nowhere be found in Northwestern Ohio. These works are steadily increasing in business year by year, as will appear by comparing 1856, when two men were employed, with the present, 1882, now giving employment to about one hundred and twenty-five men. Mr Kettouring was chosen President of this company at the time of the charter in 1875, and has been reelected annually ever since.
William Lewis, Jr., was born March 31, 1812, in Frederickstowu, Md. ; immigrated with his parents, William and Ellen (Hooper) Lewis, to Lancaster, Ohio, in 1822. They had ten children— Thomas, James, Eveline, Charlotte, William, Abraham, Nancy, Charles and Susan. The second child died in infancy and was not named. Mrs. Lewis died at Lancaster in March, A. D. 1827. Mr. Lewis moved from Lancaster to Defiance in N. D. 1832, and was again married to Elizabeth Hively, of Defiance County, in June, A. D. 1832, by whom had four children—Rebecca, Ann, Jonathan and Ellen; these are all living in and around Defiance. Of the first family of children, only two are living—William, Jr. (the subject of this sketch), and Charlotte, who married Thomas Applegate, of Fairfield County, Ohio, and who is still living in that county. William, Jr., after arriving at Defiance, worked four years for Dr. John Evans, for the first three months receiving $25. But his wages were increased, and the last year he received $25
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per mouth. His next job was clearing up a farm of 151 acres for Isaac Hull, in Section 24, on the south side of the Maumee River, for which he received $8 per acre. This farm he also rented during the time of clearing. This was in 1835, when Mr. Lewis, with ax and saw on his shoulder, marched into the woods to a log cabin where he kept bachelor's hall and cleared up the farm; this being accomplished, ho rented it for a time and then bought it. He also cleared up a portion of the John Hollister farm, in same section, which joined him on the west and extended to the Auglaize, which he afterward purchased. This gave him a farm of 240 acres, bounded by the Maumee River on the north and by the Auglaize on the west. On the 3d day of June, 1838, Mr. Lewis was married to Ann Caroline Davis and settled down on this farm; to them were born nine children- Abraham L., William (deceased), John W., Mary (deceased), Frank, Cornelia, Emma, Hattie and Andrew J. William enlisted September 20, 1861, in the Thirty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry; died at Columbia, Ky., November 20, 1861. John enlisted in the Sixty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, October 8, 1861, and in the Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry November 8. 1862, and went through till the close of the war and was honorably discharged at Nashville, Tenn. August 16, 1805, having passed through many battles. At Selma, Ma., April 5, 1865, he was wounded in three different places, a ball passing through his wrist, another through his right arm near the elbow, and a third through his left leg, crippling him badly; the right arm is nearly helpless. October 3, 1878, he married Ettie Meanor, of Defiance. They have one child-E. Lewis, who was born January 1, 1880. Mrs. Lewis was born in Alliance, Ohio, December 6, 1857, her parents moved to Lima, Ohio, when she was about three years old. She lived there about seventeen years and then came to Defiance with her parents. In 1843, William Lewia built his brick residence. February 27, 1851, Mrs. Lewis died. She came to this county with her parents, Walter and Dorcas (Lewis) Davis, in the fall of 1832, from Frederickstown, Md., where both she and her parents were born. Mr. Lewis married his present wife Elizabeth Logan, October 24, 1858. In July, 1873, he sold his farm to W. C. Hutchinson and the throe Frost brothers, viz. : J. H., J. B. and J. F., who at once proceeded to lay it out in town lots and gave it the name of East Defiance. Mr. Lewis has been quite an extensive dealer in stock, and at an early day was acquainted with all parties living between Defiance and Maumee City, Ft. Wayne, Findlay and Wapakonetta. The Lewis family came to this place by way of Findlay, and had to leave their wagons and goods there and come through on horseback, there being no wagon roads further. They returned for their goods with pirogues or boats.
Edward F. Lindenberger was born near Olive Green, Delaware Co., Ohio, April 21, 1818. His parents removed to Rhode Island with him when he was quite small. He started in life to earn his own living at the age of twelve years, when he loft his home and came to New York State with the intention of studying medicine, but circumstances not his fault changed his resolution, as also the resolution to study law under Judge Brown, of Marion County, Ohio, to whom he afterward resorted. He came to Defiance about 1836, at the age of eighteen, and commenced clerking for Dr. Evans, in the same house where L. E. Myers' residence is now. Ho often related the trades he had with the Indians, camping out at nights, and the many tricks played on their fierce but ignorant simplicity. They could only count ten, and every pile of ten skins must be settled and paid for before any further bargains could be made. Soon after his arrival in Defiance, he was taken into .partnership, and two or three years after removed to Ft. Wayne with Dr. Evans, who also moved his store. He was married to Miss Mary M. Hull December 25, 1842, after which he moved to Evansport and engaged in the hotel business, but was burnt out there in February,1849, and came to Defiance the same year. His first wife died April 3, 1862. He was married to Mrs. Maria Dunning, his present widow, November 5, 1863, He retired from business in 1872, after having been in the dry goods trade thirty-six years. He did not live long after his retirement, but died October 5, 1875. Two children remain of his first marriage-Cassius, born in 1846, and Lillian, born in 1850, the latter the wife of Charles J. Chenevert, all residents of Defiance.
G. M. Weisenburger was born in the village of Mortria, on the banks of the River Rhine, in France, July 4, 1822, and immigrated to America with his parents, Matthias W. and Josephine Weisenburger, in the spring of 1830, and settled in Hanover, Columbia Co. Ohio. Thence they moved to Seneca County, Ohio and settled on what was called Wolf Creek in 1833, where they died-Mrs. Weisenburger, in 1836, aged forty-five years; Mr. Weisenburger in 1846, aged sixty-five years. They had a family of ten children -Frank J., Margaret, Andrew, George M., Frances, Joseph, Mary Josephine, Mary Magdalene, John B. and Elizabeth, four now living- Margaret, in. Cary, Wyandot Co., Ohio; George M., John B., grocery and provision merchant of Defiance; and Joseph, in Seneca County, Ohio. George M. Weisenburger, the subject of thia sketch, came to Defiance in 1838, and worked on the construction of the canal for about two years, then returned to Seneca County and was em-
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ployed to help run the route for the first railroad of Northern Ohio, known as the Mad River Railroad, after which he returned to Defiance and started a provision store in the fall of 1843, on the canal, back of Lock No. 4, where he continued business for a number of years; was married September 23, 1846, to Miss Barbara Rickard, of Ft. Jennings, Putnam Co., Ohio. Of this marriage thirteen children were born—George M., Jr., Joseph M., William A., John Edward, John P., Frank H, Frank J. (deceased), Frances Ellen, Leanie M., Caroline, Mary Jose- phine (deceased), Mary Elizabeth, (deceased), and Anna (deceased). In 1857, Mr. W. went into the dry goods business for two or three years, on Clinton street, where Schultz & Son's brick grocery building now stands. Alter this, he engaged in boating and lumbering business for a number of years, and in 1858– 59 was superintendent of the division from Independence to the State line of Indiana, distance some thirty-two miles. Of late years and at the present time,.Mr. W. ia engaged on the public Works of the city, grading streets, laying sidewalks, building bridges, etc., etc. At the time Mr. Weisenburger came to this town in 1838, it was pretty much a wilderness, There were two stores, one grocery and bakery, and a saddler's shop, The stores were kept by Pierce Evans S6 Son, Benjamin Brubacher and C. L. Noble—all were located near the old fort grounds. The parents of Mr. Weisenburger were born, the father in Mortria, in France, about twelve miles be- low Strasbourg; the mother in Baden, Germany.
Francis J. Weisenburger, eldest son of Matthias W. and Josephine Weisenburger, was born in Ger- many December 28, 1817; immigrated to America with his parents A. D. 1830, settling first in Columbiana County, Ohio, afterward moving to Tiffin in Seneca County, Ohio, where he became acquainted with Miss Mary E. Smith,who was born in Germany February 9, 1821. Her father, Conrad Smith, immigrated to this country in 1833, and settled at Tiffin also. At the time the canal was being built through Defiance in 1838, Mr. Weisenburger concluded Defiance would be a good point in which to settle down for life. Mr. Weisenburger and Miss Smith both came to Defiance in 1838, and on the 25th of July of the same year were united in marriage by Rev. Will- iam B. Stow. Mr. W. first found employment here aa a, day laborer on the canal, then started a grocery and bakery, and finally went into the dry goods business, and continued in the same till his death, which occurred February 13, 1860. Thirteen children were born to this union—seven boys and six girls; six are now living—George W., married Catharine, eldest daughter of Peter and Mary Shannon; they have three children—Frances P., Andrew A. and George E. Mr. W. is a harness-maker by trade, and is carry- ing on that business. Josephine married Joseph S. Haller. Frances married Frederick F. Shoner. Mary C. married Henry T. Connoven. John S. married Ellen Miller; Henry F. is unmarried.
Michael Hoeffel, Jr., was born September 22, 1853, in Lorraine, France. His parents, Michael and Mary E (Schoeffer) Hoeffel, were the parents of five children—Mary Magdalene, Charles Leo, Michael, Jr., Casper and Joseph Isadore; all are living in this State, except Casper, who resides in Colorado. His father came to this country in December, 1867, and died on what is known as North Ridge, in this county, September, 1868, aged fifty-two years. His mother died in the old country February 2, 1862, aged about thirty-eight years. Michael, Jr., learned the boot and shoe making with Henry Bittner, of Defi- ance, and is now doing business for himself; in con- nection with his shop is running a boot and shoe store. He was marrred February 16, 1882, to Mrs. Mary Connoven, formerly Mary C. Weisenburger, daughter of Francis J. and Mary E. Weisenburger, all of Defiance.
Isaac Corwin was born October 3, 1824, in Washington County, Penn. His great-grandfather, Will- iam Corwin, and two brothers, Benjamin and Moses, immigrated to this country from Ireland about 1770. William settled in Washington County, Penn.; Benjamin in New Jersey, and Moses in West Virginia or Kentucky. His grandfather, William, Jr., was born in Washington County, Penn., and his father, Ephraim, at the same place, April 3, 1798. He was married to Margaret Sharp, of the same county, in 1822. Then had ten children, seven boys and three girls; two died in infancy; eight grew up and were married and raised large families. One has since deceased— William, who died in December, 1876. Mr. Corwin (Ephraim) left Pennsylvania in November, 1827, for Ohio, came to what was then Knox County (now Morrow) and died there in December, 1877. Isaac learned the blacksmithing with his father, and remained at home until he was eighteen; then went to Newark, Ohio, to work at his trade, and from there to Mt. Vernon, and worked there about a year; then returned to Williamsport, Morrow County, and started a shop, and at that town was married, February 4, 1845, to Miss Maria Smart, by whom he had a family of eleven children, six boys and five girls, six of whom are living—Zeliett, Erasmus D., Frank P., Alice M., Fred H. and Mary Mr. Corwin continued the blacksmith business at Williamsport until Octo- ber, 1850, when he left for Defiance. After arriving here, he expended his all in a cook stove, a barrel of flour and half a hog. He came by team, staying the first night at Mellniore. Next day he struck
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the pike at Fremont, staying that night at a farm house on the pike. Next day came to Perrysburg and crossed the Maumee at that place, and followed up the river about ten miles and stayed all night with Richard Fancher (generally known as Dick); next day arrived at Independence, stayed over night at the hotel kept by George Thompson, and arrived next day at Defiance, October 5. 1850, making the unusual good time of about forty miles a day, the roads being dry. October 15, 1850, Mr. Corwin formed a copartnership with John Yocum in the blacksmith business, on the north side of the Maumee. In about six months they dissolved, and Mr. Corwin then built the shops now occupied and owned by Peter Dickman, and carried on the blacksmith and carriage-making business till 1861; then sold out and bought a amall farm about a mile from town, and farmed about two years; then, in 1863, commenced dealing in horses, cattle, hogs and sheep; followed the business about four years; then John Kiser joined him, dealing in horses only. Mrs. Corwin died March 7, 1868, and about a year thereafter Mr. Corwin took up his trade again and married for his second wife Martha L. Southworth, December 21, 1869. By this marriage had two children (boys); the eldest is dead; Charles 1. is living. Mr. Corwin rented an old shop of James Hudson, situated on the grounds where Corwin Kiser's fine brick shop now stands, carrying on the business alone from March 14, 1870, to April 19, 1880. In 1872, he bought Hudson out, and in 18'73 built the present brick shop, at a cost of $2,700. In 1875, built an addition to the brick, at a cost of $1,250. In 1876, added to it again, at a cost of $1,400. Value of lot, $200. April 19, 1880, formed a copartnership with John H. Kiser in the blacksmithing and carriage-making business, also in the livery business. Then raised the shop to a three story building, at an additional cost of $2,000; then bought the adjoining lot, known as the printing office corner, extending to Second street. and fitted up for the livery, at a further cost of $3,300; total cost, $12,650. They are doing quite an extensive blacksmith and carriage business, turning out from a heavy lumber wagon to a fancy top buggy, and cutters the finest of the season. The Corwin family have been famous as blacksmiths. The grandfather, William, and his three boys, Ephraim, and his six boys, and the subject of this sketch (Isaac) and three sona were all blacksmiths by trade. Mr. Carwin built his present residence in 1861, situated on the hill north side of the 'Maumee (North Defiance), commanding a fine view of the whole town as also up and down the Maumee and Auglaize Rivers, and the old fort grounds-Defiance and Winchester.
Peter Dickman was born in Wooster, Ohio, March 4, 1841. His father, William Dickman, was born October 2, 1810, in Hanover, in Bruchhausen County, in Hanover, Germany. He immigrated to America, July 4,1832; landed in Baltimore September 8, 1832; from there went to Middletown, Penn., and was married there to Miss Rebecca A. Kanecamp, by whom he had a family of eight children-John, William, Margaret, Peter, Albert, Catharine, Henry and Jacob. Albert and Margaret are dead. He came to this county in 1848, and located in Tiffin Township, and entered 160 acres of wild land. He first cleared up a little patch for the log cabin, and erected it with difficulty, as help was scarce and he had to take in a circle of four or five miles, The next thing in order was to get a little clearing on which to raise a little grain for bread for the family, but for meat there was no scarcity, as the forest abounded with wild game of every description. Mr. Dickman identified himself at an early day with the Evangelical Albright Church, and for some twenty six years was chosen clasa leader. Mr. and Mrs. Dickman finally withdrew from this church and united with the United Brethren Church,of which the former is still a member. Mrs. Dickman died October 8, 1872, on the farm where they made their first start. Mr. Dickman is still living and remains on the same place. Peter, who was about seven years .old when his father went into the woods, remained at home, helping to clear up the farm until he was seventeen. Then learned the blacksmith trade with Jacob Dow, at Brunersburg, to whom he was bound as an apprentice for two years. After serving his time, he worked as journeyman at $8 per month, which was increased with experience until he very soon received $20 per month. He then quit his trade for a time and on August 13, 1862, enlisted in the One Hundred and Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry and served till the close of the war. He was married April 13, 1865, to Margaret Sughsworth, of this county, who immigrated from Germany at the age of about thirteen. They had four children-Adaline M., Wallace M., Clara B. (who died August 14, 1872) and Rosie 0. Mr. Dickman after marriage settled at Brunersburg and took up his trade again and did a thriving business there for about four years. In the fall of 1869, he moved to Defiance and entered into partnership with Charles Black, and built a shop; then sold his interest to Black, and in January, 1870, purchased the property which he now owns, consisting of wagon and blacksmith shops and steam saw mill, it being the property formerly owned by Isaac Corwin, the site of the first blacksmith shop in Defiance, and carried on by Arthur Burras, on the north side of the Maumee River. The mill will probably cut 2,000,000 feet of lumber this year, principally wagon and shipping lumber, the ash lumber being shipped to New York, the oak and hick-
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ory to Toledo to the Milburn Wagon Works. The shops, mill and grounds, where once stood the lone blacksmith shop, are now worth probably from $8,060 to $10,000, and Mr. Dickman has erected a very neat little brick residence on the hill, nearly opposite his works, at a cost of about $3,500, includ- ing grounds and fixtures, commanding a fine view of the town and the Maumee and Auglaize Rivers, and of the old fort grounds, where once stood Forts Defi- ance and Winchester.
Zephaniah H. Davis was born in Fredericsktown, Md., October 15, 1812. Came to Defiance County A. D. 1832; was married to Susan J. Lewis, February 17, 1842, who was also born at Frederickstown, Md., June 22, 1822. To them were born eight children—Civillia, Emma C. , Willi am F. , Lemuel H. , Charles E., Ellen, Hattie, and John, who died in fancy. Mrs. Davis died June 20, 1864. He mar- ried for his second wife the widow, Mrs. Biggs, July 4, 1865. Mr. Davia died of palsy at his residence in Defiance, June 19, 1871, having been a resident of the town for about forty years. When he came to Defiance, it was comparatively an unbroken forest. Indians were plenty and there were but few white families here, doing mostly a trading business with the Indians, but he lived to see the Indians removed beyond the Missouri River, the land cleared and cultivated by the white people who settled in rapidly after their departure, and the town grown to a thriving village of about three thousand inhabitants, with a country surrounding it correspondingly prosperous. His death resulted from paralysis. He was first paralyzed in his right arm and shoulder, which gradually extended over his whole body, and, losing the use of his tongue, he was then unable to describe his sufferings or speak of his wants to relatives and friends. About a week before his death, his brain also underwent a shock, after which he lay completely unconscious of everything, unable to awallow and with no control of any part of himself. He remained in this con- dition without food or medicine, and only breathing, at intervals about a week, when life at last left a body that had apparently been dead several days.
Nathaniel B. Adams was born June 17, 1802, in Lisbon, Conn. He lived in a farm with his par- ents until he was of age, and then engaged himself as a clerk to a firm from Boston, who were doing a manufacturing business at Norwich, Conn; in connection with which they had a store, doing a general mercantile business. Ho continued as clerk in this firm for nearly two years, then bought the stock, and remained in business four years. He then sold his stock of goods and removed to Seneca County, Ohio, in October, 1832, where he remained about three years. In January, 1836, he came to Defiance, and again commenced mercantile business, in company with his brother-in-law, N. F. Emmons, and continued in the same two years, when his health became so poor, he was induced, by the advice of his friends and family physician, to move on his farm, then in Henry County (now Defiance), which he had purchased about a year before locating at Defiance, and which at thia time was but partially cleared, thinking by assisting in clearing the land, burning logs, brush, etc., his health would be better; but in this undertaking he was sadly disappointed, As his health grew gradually worse, until he was obliged to give up this experiment and return again to Defiance, where he commenced to build a residence in North Defiance (it being the first brick built on that side of the river), which was partly completed when he died of consumption August 9, 1843. Mr. Adams was mar- ried to Miss Mary Carpenter, of Norwich, Conn,, September 13, 1831, who was born in that village June 3, 1806, There were born to them four children, who died in youth and infancy, except Ellen E., their first born, who grew up to womanhood, and was married to George C. Backus, of St. Lawrence County, N. Y., in May, 1856, who had born to them seven. children—Minnie, Kate, John A., George Dwight, Nellie (who died in infancy), Nathaniel B. and Nellie (who died aged five years). Mrs. Backus passed away February 15, 1871, and five weeks after her husband followed her to her "long resting-place," leaving five children (the eldest nearly fourteen years) to the care of their grandmother, whom God, in His good providence, has seen fit to spare them until all have positions suitable to support themselves. The two eldest, Minnie and Kate, are teachers; the two boys have good positions in the machine shops, while the youngest boy, of fourteen years, is going to school. Mrs. Adams married, for her second hus- band, Sereno Lyman, March 18, 1846, having two children by this husband, who both died in early childhood. Mr. Lyman died in 1858. Mrs. Lyman is now living, and is remarkably active and well-pre- served, and, at the age of seventy-six, her memory, sight and hearing are good. When Mr. and Mrs. Adams came to Durance, they were members of the Congregational Church, but there was no church of that denomination, neither was there any Presbyterian organization at that time. Soon after (in 1837), the few members of the two churches united in forming an organization, and adopted the Presbyterian form of government, at which time, Nathaniel B. Adams and Curtis Holgate were chosen Elders and Serene Lyman, Clerk. Mrs. Adams, also, was one of the number at the time of the organization,
John Lehman was born in Germany March 22, 1815; came to this country with his parents,- Jacob
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Lehman and Mary (Wise) Lehman, in 1837, arrived in this county in July or August, the same year; was married October 16, 1842, to Miss Elizabeth Hepker, of Williams County, Ohio. They had eleven children, four boys and seven girls; five of them are living-Henry, Daniel, Anna, Callie and Laura Ella. His wife, Elizabeth, died April 6, 1865. For his second wife he married Sophia Mullett, of this county, in the fall of 1866, by whom he had one child, Emma, who died August 6, 1869. He then married Maria Wilson, of this county, September 19, 1871. Mr. Lehman commenced the cooperage business in North Defiance, in 1841, on the banks of the Maumee, where Joseph Bauer & Co.'a brewery now stands. In 1842, he built a residence on High street, it being the second frame building on the hill. A Mr. Moore put up the first one for a hotel, afterward called the Cary House, situated on what is now Center street. Mr. Lehman continued the cooperage business alone until 1878, employing usually four or five hands. He then took his son Daniel in as a partner and enlarged the shop, giving employment to about ten men. In 1879, they built a new shop, increasing the businesa and giving employment to twenty five or thirty men, turning out from 100 to 150 barrels daily, principally pork and lard barrels.
John Jacob Schneider was born at White House, Lucas Co., Ohio, A. D. 1845, and settled in Defiance in 1870. He was married in Williams Center, Williams Co., Ohio, April 29, 1869, to Ann Elizabeth, daughter of Dr Daniel and Lydia Ann (Burrell) Calkins, who was born in Centerville, Wayne Co., Ohio, A. D. 1851. They have four children, viz.: Alice Adell, born July 21, 1870; John Daniel, born September 4, 1872; Charles Caleb, born November 10, 1874; and Bessie, born December 3, 1876. Mr. Schneider's parents were John G. and Charlotte (Golmer) Schneider, the former born in Wurtemberg, Germany, March 10, 1810, the latter born in Germany February, 1819, and they were married December 10, 1834, at Medina, Ohio They had a family of fifteen children, eight boys and seven girls, viz.: John -Jacob 1st (deceased), Andrew Benjamin (deceased), John Jacob 2d, Lewis Christian, William Frederick, Caleb Jacob, Charles Royal (deceased), Lyman Charles, Charlotte Rosina (deceased), Frances Elizabeth, Dorothy Julia, Charlotte Harriet, Mary Caroline, Calista Harriet (deceased) and Cora Alfaretta. Mr. Schneider (John G.) came to this county in 1830, May 5, and engaged in the building of the Wabash & Erie & Miami Extension Canal, and was also engaged in the building of the Wabash Railroad. John J., the subject of this sketch, enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Sixteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in September, 1862, and was honorably discharged March 2, 1864. Mr. Schneider says he frequently had to face a whole regiment of rebel soldiers, but never felt so much like backing down as when he met the big " African lion" of W. W. Cole's menagerie on the railroad track about midnight of the 25th of September, 1879, which had escaped from its cage; the following account of which we copy from the Defiance Democrat of October 2. 1879:
" W. W. Cole's circus and menagerie exhibited in Defiance last Thursday, September 25, 1879. In the evening, after the show waa out, the animals and other goods were loaded on cars at the Wabash depot, preparatory to shipment West. As one train, containing cages, was passing the large coal chutes in this place, one of the chutes somehow caught the cage containing the two lions. In an instant, before the situation could be comprehended, the cage was so badly broken that out walked the large African lion, and leisurely trotted down the railroad track toward the station. By this time ,the attaches of the menagerie were on band, and quickly secured the other lion and cast about for a way to capture the fugitive. The lion went several squares, until he reached a barn on the premises of Adolph Miller. The upper half of the door was open, and inside was a cow. Scenting this nice morsel of food, with a slight roar the lion sprang over the door, and leaped upon his victim. He seized the cow by the nose, and, crunching it, he held on, sucking at its life-blood. The cow bellowed fearfully, but was helpless in the toils of the monster of the forest. The lion continued at his work until he had obtained all the blood, and the cow was dead, when he went to a corner of the stable and lay down, on a pile of straw.
" How to capture the lion was a puzzle for the showmen. Prof. Conkling, the great tamer (who, by the way, had only a few hours previously entered the den containing the same lions), was sent for. He took in the situation at a glance, and instructing the men to get the cage off the cars and quietly to run it alongside of the barn, ho armed himself with a couple of revolvers, a stout club and a whip, and started on what was regarded as a perilous undertaking. He entered the stable, by means of the hay-loft, and commenced calling the lion. A growl was his only answer for some time. He continued calling until the beast recognized the voice, when Mr. Conkling proceeded boldly down in the lower part of the barn and hunted his pet. He caressed the animal— got it under complete control, when he had the doors opened, and quietly called and drove the beast into his cage. He was quickly secured, but when he found his liberty was again restrained he became furious, and it was with great difficulty that the cage
220 - HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
could be Made sufficiently strong to hold him. Prof. Conkling informed the bystanders that he would not dare enter the cage for several days, or until the lion became perfectly quiet. While the lion was going down the railroad track toward the barn, he was actually met by two of our citizens. John Schneider, engineer of the pump house. Mr. Schneider says he did not realize what it was coming down the track until they met face to face, and then, naturally, he was much frightened. John Sauber, baggage master at the Wabash depot, was the other person who met him, and says he supposed it was a big yellow dog until he got opposite the beast."
Frederick Trampe was born in Mecklenberg, Strelitz, Germany, November 2, 1815; was married to Mary Lannes, of Mechlenberg, Germany, May 1, 1851, who was born January 11, 1830. They had a family of nine children-Louisa F., Frederick J., Charles L., John F., Mary A., Herman J., Frederick W., Martin and Julius M. Of this large family all are gone, except the mother and two of the children, Harman J. and Julius M. Mr. Trampe came over to this country July 4. 1852; stopped at Toledo five years; being a brick-maker by trade, he got employ ment there as foreman for two years, then rented the yard for three years and carried on the business himself. He then came,to Defiance, in 1857, and purchased a lot in what is now East Defiance, and started a brick yard, which he carried on till his death, August 20, 1876. His wife and the two boys, Herman and Julius, still live on the place, carrying on the business. They manufacture about 1,500,000 brick annually, for which they find a ready market at home, giving employment to about twenty-five hands during the brick-making season.
Peter William Lauster, only sou of John Jacob Lauster, and Sibilla Gertrude Wiertz. was born in Rheydt, Rhenish Prussia, Germany, December 18, 1820. At the age of about fifteen years he commenced his apprenticeship to learn the reed and harness-making business, in his native town, which con- sisted largely of silk and cotton factories. From hero he went to Elberfeld, where he also wrought five years at his trade, to perfect himself in his business. He immigrated to this country in 1848, where, after a six weeks' voyage in a sailing vessel, he landed at New York on the 13th of June of the same year, where, through the influence of J. Y. Smith, afterward Governor of Rhode Island, he found a situation in Providence, to work at his trade. In December, 1850, he moved to Fall River, Mass., commenced business for himself, and .was very successful. In 1869, he sold his business at Fall River, and moved to this county (Defiance), and bought an interest in the hub and spoke factory of this city, which was carried on by Kahlo Brothers, Crowe & Co. Soon after this, he purchased another interest, in the Defiance Machine Works, which was carried on by Kettenring & Strong. The firm was then changed to Kettenring, Strong & Lauster; the business was enlarged, new shops built and Mr. Lanster made Treasurer of the company. The company was finally changed to a stock company, Mr. Kettenring being elected as President and Mr. Lauster continued as Treasurer, which position he still holds. In October, 1881, he was elected by the people of the county to the office of County Treasurer by a large majority, being the first Republican Treasurer the county ever had. He was married, August 13, 1849, in New York City. to Miss Thusnelde Dorothea Gruiter, a lady of German descent, who was born at Langenberg, near Elberfeld, Rhenish Prussia, October 22, 1819. To them the following seven children were born, viz.: Martha Washington, July 4, 1850; Eliza was born May 9, 1852, and died on the 29th; Emilie Thusnelde, born April 25, 1853, deceased April 12, 1873, and was buried in Heidelberg, Germany, where she had gone to attend school; Maria Louisa, born December 6, 1855; William Charles, born February 0, 1858, died March 28, 1859; Charles William, born May 31, 1860; Lydia Amanda, born October 2, 1861, died December 7, 1861. The parents of Mr. Lauster came to this county in 1849, and lived with their son, the subject of this sketch. His mother died at Fall River, Mass., September 28, 1858, aged sixty-two; his father died at Defiance, May 3, 1877, aged eighty-three years and ten months. Mr. Lauster made two trips across the water, to his native country, in 1871, also in 1872, remaining one year on his last trip, returning in 1873.
Virgil Squire was born in Southport, Conn., No- vember 4, 1808, and died at Defiance, Ohio, May 28, 1874. He was the third son of Jacob Squire, a vet- eran sea captain. In 1815, his father immigrated to Ohio, and settled in Florence, on a farm, in Erie County. In 1826, Mr. Squire commenced clerking for Dr. Fay, a druggist in Milan, Erie County, this town then being one of the most thriving in Northern Ohio. He afterward clerked for Asa Sanford, and other prominent business men in Milan and Norwalk. From Norwalk he went to Clarksfield, Huron County, and was engaged for himself in the milling business. While in this place, in 1840, he became interested in the Vermillion & Ashland Railroad, a speculation that proved disastrous to all connected with it. In 1844, Mr. Squire formed a partnership with Ahira Cobb, now a resident of Cleveland, this partnership continuing for twenty-five years. They were engaged at Vermillion and Birmingham in milling, mercantile and general shipping business. They owned
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several vessels, and did a flourishing business for many years. About 1855, he removed to Ottawa, Putnam Co., Ohio, where they continued under the firm name of Cobb, Pierce & Squire. In 1857, this firm removed to Defiance, which place Mr. Squire made his residence until his death. The firm of Cobb, Pierce & Squire continued until the death, by drowning, of Mr. Pierce in 1861. At this time, Cobb & Squire sold their entire stock of goods to C. Harley, and established a private bank in the Russell House, on First street. In 1869, Mr. Cobb retired, and the business was changed to the Defiance County Bank, with Mr. Squire as President. In 1872, the bank was converted into a National Bank, and from that time on Mr. Squire was its President. Mr. Squire was married in November, 1835,. to Miss Rebecca A. Peck, in Florence Township, Erie Co., Ohio. Mrs. Squire still survives him, as also do three sons, viz.: Charles B. Squire, City Clerk; George T. Squire, telegrapher, and Edward Squire, who is Cashier of the Defiance National Bank, which position he has held since its organization. In 1835, Mr. Squire embraced religion, and united with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He continued a faithful member and a true Christian the balance of his life. All of his business transactions were honest and upright, and he was known by all as a citizen honorable to the community in which he lived. He was a friend alike to rich and poor a man who had no personal enemies, but hosts of friends, many of whom live to bear testimony to his sterling worth as a citizen and as a Christian, and who departed this life leaving to his family the record of a well-spent life.
John Brubaker was born near Chambersburg, Penn., October 18, 1827, and came with his parents, Daniel and Catharine (Kiner) Brubaker, to Stark County, Ohio, in 1833, and from there to Defiance County in 1848; settled on Mud Creek, in Delaware Township. They were Pennsylvanians by birth, and had a family of fifteen children, ten of whom grew up. Seven of this family are now living, viz., John, Margaret, Catharine. William, Jacob, Ephraim and Rebecca. John, the subject of this sketch, was married. June 7, 1852, to Miss Emeline Stoner, daughter of Solomon and Margaret (Voorhes) Stoner, who had born to them ten children, five now living, as follows: Emeline, John W., James A., Whelan and Adeline. Mr. Brubaker started out in life by purchasing a wild lot, of eighty acres, in Delaware Township, and put up his cabin and partly cleared up his farm, and then traded it for a farm in Adams Township and farmed for a number of years, and then sold his farm and moved to Defiance, and worked for six years for the Defiance Manufacturing Company, and from there went into the Defiance Machine Works, and still remains Mr. and Mrs. Brubaker, like their parents, have been blessed with a large family of children, numbering eleven, eight now living, viz.: Francis M., William W., Weston F., Lila U. M., Adeline N., Ida A., John L. and Sylvester E., all living in or around Defiance. Weston Forest is engaged in the grocery business with M. B. Gorman & Co.
John Miller was born in Canton, Stark Co., Ohio, March 18, 1828. His parents, William and Betsey (Nools) Miller, were born, the former in 1797 and the latter in 1807. They had a family of ten children, viz., William, Polly, Henry, George, John, Mary Elizabeth, Sarah, Margaret, Catharine Ann and Samuel-all living except Henry, who died May 1, 1865, at Chattanooga, Tenn., having enlisted in the Sixteenth Regiment of New York Regulars in March, 1863. Mr. John Miller was married, in the year 1846, to Miss Agatha Null, who was born in Germany, November 2, 1827. Her parents, Martin and Agatha, were born in Germany, the former April 30, 1779, the latter January 15, 1776, and were married A. D. 1817, and emigrated from Homerstine, Germany, to America, in 1832. Martin Null's family consisted of six children five daughters and one son. Mr. Miller's family were as follows: John J., the eldest son, was born November 3, 1848, enlisted in Company G, Thirty-eighth Regiment Ohio Volunteers, January 29, 1864, to serve three years or during the war, but on account of disability was discharged April 20, 1864, but after regaining his usual health, enlisted again in the same regiment on the 26th of January, 1865, for one year or during the war: was discharged at the close of the war, July 12, 1865. He was married, in 1870, to Miss Rosetta J. Britton, who was born near Pleasant Lake, Steuben Co., Ind., in 1852. The fruits of this marriage were four children-William Irvin, born May 30, 1871; Nellie Irene, born January 30, 1873, deceased March 1, 1881; Maggie Isabel. born August 4, 1875; Edie Mabel, born September 29, 1878; all born in this county (Defiance).
William H. was born August 17, 1850.
Margaret H., was born August 11, 1853; was married, in 1875, to James W. Dellett. To them was born one child-Gwendoline, born March 28, 1876. Mrs. Dellett deceased October 4, 1877. Mr. Dellett was in the late war, 1861-65; enlisted in Company G, in the Third Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, in 1863, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war in 1865. He died July 2, 1877,
Barbara A. was born February 8, 1859; was married, in 1877, to John C. Barber. , Of this union two children have been born to them-Emma L.. born December 1, 1878, and Florie A., born March 24. 1880.
222 - HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
Charles L. Miller, born March 17, 1860, was married to Miss Ella M. Heller, of Crawford County, Ohio. Mr. Miller came to Defiance County in 1850, and settled on the north side of the Maumee River, North Defiance, where he now lives. He is a carpenter and joiner by trade, and has put up many of the residences of Defiance, and still continues the business.
Thomas R. Carroll was born in Evansport, Defiance Co., Ohio, January 4, 1842. In 1850, with his parents, he removed to Pulaski, Williams Co., Ohio. At the age of eleven, he commenced clerking in the dry goods store of A. W. Boynton, at Pulaski. After two years, he hired out to W. E. Kintigh, of Defiance, Ohio, and with him- moved to Napoleon, Ohio, and continued clerking for him as long as he remained in the business. He afterward clerked for Imber & Richards, dry goods merchants, for five years. In 1863, he enlisted in the United States Army, and after the war hired to H. E. Cary, grocer, with whom he remained working on a salary until 1872, When he became a partner in the business. On October 12,1865, was married to Miss G. A. Cary, youngest daughter of Rev. Joel and Harriet W. Cary. Mrs. Carroll died March 1, 1876. To them were born two daughters and one son. The daughters died in infancy; the son, Charles H., was born in Napoleon, Ohio, July 16, 1872, and is now living with his parents in Defiance, Ohio.. During the year 1876, H. E. Cary & Co. (H. E. Cary and T. R. Carroll) commenced a branch business at Defiance, Ohio, Mr. Carroll taking charge. March, 1881, he purchased the entire business at Defiance, and continued it alone for two years. May 16, 1883, the firm became Carroll & Co., with C. W. and T. J. Prettyman as partners. December 4, 1878, Mr. Carroll married Miss Annie B., only daughter of John and Harriet Opdycke, of Pulaski, Williams Co., Ohio. By energy and probity, he has won his way to position among the leading business men of Defiance. His business houses are sustained by a large and increasing patronage from a class of substantial customers, and his wholesale business relations are moving steadily on to success. Together with his estimable lady, he occupies a high social position, forming an important link in the social circle, performing their part cheerfully and well in carrying out the noble purposes of their being.
William Carroll, father of Thomas R. Carroll, was born near Baltimore, Md., May 10, 1813. At the age of ten years he, with two brothers and one sister, were left orphans. They came to Ohio in 1820, and were bound out until of age, having no advantages of schooling. In 1834, he came to Evansport, Defiance County, and, September 7, 1834, was married to Sarah Evans. In 1850, he, with his family, moved to Pulaski, Williams Co., Ohio, where both now are living in good health at this writing. Of the family, one daughter lives in Pulaski, Ohio, one son in Bryan, Ohio, and two sons in Defiance.
Peter Ziegler was the youngest of the five chil dren of John and Magdalene (Fenniger) Ziegler, who were born, the former in Wier, on the River Rhine, in France, in 1811, and died February 24, 1882, aged seventy-one years, the latter born in Weiler, France, in 1817, died in 1859, aged forty-two years. The other children were Katie, John Jr, (deceased), Margaret, Robert (deceased). The two sisters remained in the old country. Peter Ziegler, the subject of this sketch, was born April 11, 1846, in Weisenburg, France, and attended the district school in his native town until he was thirteen years of age, then entered the high school at Strasbourg, where he remained two years, and at the age of fifteen entered the hardware store of Mr. Victor Polpert as a clerk, with whom he remained until he was twenty years of age; was married, October 5, A. D. 1866, in Strasbourg, France, to Louisa, daughter of Philip and Barbara Altchuh, and soon thereafter set sail for America to seek their fortunes and to secure for themselves a home, arriving at New York on the 5th of November, and from there at Cincinnati, and thence to Fort Wayne, Ind, arriving there in the summer of 1867. Of this union six children have been born to them, four now living, viz.: Mary, Peter W , Edward and Sophia. In 1878, Mr. Ziegler moved to Defiance, purchasing the property where he now lives, and established an eating-house in connection therewith at No. 93 Clinton street.
Michael Ziegler was one of a family of eleven children of Joseph and Marietta Ziegler, and was born in Grosswingheim, Bavaria, Germany, April 12, 1822. He was married to Miss Gertrude Smith in May, 1855. One son was born to them in their native land, Michael, Jr., who was born in 1856. Mr. Ziegler immigrated to this country with his wife and child, landing at Boston on the 1st day of May, 1857, and thence came to Defiance, arriving on the 6th of the same month, and working on the railroad thirteen years. He followed blacksmithing about three years, and ran a dray for nine years, Four children have been born to them since their arrival here, making five in all. Michael, Jr., was married to Miss Philipine Hahn, of Defiance; Barbara, the second child, was born in 1860, and married Michael Streit, of Defiance, January 18, 1881; Margaret was born June 12, 1861, died aged about three years; Mary was born in 1863, died in infancy; Josephine was born in 1865. Mr. Ziegler, by industry and economy, has been able to secure to himself and fam-
HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY - 223
ily a very comfortable home, and to his children the advantages of a good common school education, both English and German.
Harvey Wood was born March 18, 1840, in Union County, Ohio. His father, Samuel Wood, was born in Saratoga, Milton Co., N. Y., May 13, 1806. His mother, Abigail (Weaver) Wood, was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., March 20, 1819. Their family consisted of six children, three boys and three girls. Mr. Wood immigrated to Union County, October 14, 1839; afterward to Putnam County, Ohio, where he died October 17, 1850. The family then came to Defiance County, April 15, 1851, where Harvey was married, July 4, 1808, to Sarah E. White, who was born in this county March 25, 1853. To them were born the following children, viz.: Cora E., born September 21, 1869; Elisha B., born December 28, 1870, and died May 23, 1872; John S., born April 8, 1874, died April 13, 1875; Harvey W,, born November 15, 1877. Mr. Wood served in the late war, 1861-65, in Company A, Twenty-fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His grandparents (Asa Wood and John Weaver) were both in the war of 1812, Asa ,Wood as a Captain, John Weaver as Colonel. Mrs. Wood's father (John S. White) was born September 18, 1818, in Lancaster County, Penn.; came to Defiance June 10, 1837, and settled on the banks of the Auglaize River, about four miles south of Defiance. Her mother, Sarah A.. (Wells) White, was born November 17, 1821, in Muskingum County, Ohio; came to this county September 17, 1835, and settled on the banks of the Auglaize about one mile south of Defiance.
Joseph Bauer, Jr., came from Baden, Germany, when he was a young man, with his parents, landing at Defiance A. D. 1850. His father, Joseph Bauer, Sr., was married twice, and had three children by his first wife-Mary, Magdalena and Joseph. By his second wife he had three children, viz., Leopold, Albin and Rosa. Leopold died at Defiance in 1853. 1Mr. Bauer, Sr., also died at Defiance, in 1863, aged about sixty-eight years. Mary is still living in Germany. Joseph, Jr., married Catharine Royal, of Defiance, by whom he had six children, four girls and two boys. One of the girls (Mary) died in 1879. Mr. Bauer's wife died in 1877. Mr. Bauer worked about ten years at repairs on the canal, when he first came to this country. He kept saloon about seven years; then went into the brewery business, in partnership with Lewis Coleman for two years, when Coleman died. Bauer then ran the business alone one year; then took in Christ. Diehl as partner in 1871, and they still continue the business together. Jacob Karst put up the brewery in 1866. Mr. Bauer has added extensively to the buildings since he purchased, so that the cost of lot and buildings at present amount to about $26,000, turning out annually from 2,500 to 3,500 barrels of beer.
Daniel H. Killey was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., about twelve miles from the city of Auburn, August 24, 1826. His father, Heman Killey, was born in Barnstable County, Mass., and followed the sea for a number of years, in the whaling trade. In 1824, he left the sea and moved to New York. Ruth (Lapham) Killey, the mother of Daniel, was also born in Massachusetts, and was of the old Quaker stock. They had born unto them four sons and two daughters, viz., Daniel H,, Benjamin F., Oliver, Adeline, Susan E. and Joseph Killey. Susan E. died at Napoleon, Ohio, December 15, 1856. Joseph died at Battle Creek, Mich., from injuries received in the service in the late rebellion, after having served about one year in the Union army. Daniel's father removed from New York to Seneca County, Ohio, in the spring of 1835, and died in the fall of that year. Daniel H. Killey was married to Matilda Billings in 1848, at Attica, in Seneca County. They have had seven children-George W., Daniel H., Charles, Emma, Lafayette, Edgar E. and William T. Killey. Of this number all are dead except George W., they having died in infancy. The wife of Daniel H. Killey, Matilda A. (Billings) Killey, was born in New York, and was the daughter of Jollier and Aurilla (Ford) Billings. Her .parents came from Cayuga County, N. Y., to Seneca County, Ohio, at an early day, her mother's brother, Johnson Ford, also coming with them, and is now a resident of Attica, Seneca Co., Ohio, at ninety years of age. The five brothers of Heman Killey (father of Daniel) were all engaged as seamen, in the whaling business, and were supposed to be lost at sea. Daniel, when about twenty years of age, enlisted in the Mexican war, and served about thirteen months, traveling while in the service about 8,000 miles. On his return home, he was married, and removed to near Bellevue, in Hanover County, where he remained for about three years; then came to Putnam County, Ohio, while it was still a wilderness, and abounded in bears and wolves and other wild animals, and located on a land warrant on 160 acres of land about twelve miles from Defiance. They had to cut roads for about four miles. Here ho resided for about one year, and then removed with his family to the town of Defiance, and commenced to work in the Defiance Mills, for the firm of Semans & Stevens. In 1864, he enlisted in the Third Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and remained with the regiment till the close of the war, about seven months, being all of this time assigned to the hospital, nursing and caring for the sick. After the war, he came home and purchased a farm in Henry
224 - HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
County, Ohio, and remained there about two years, when he removed to Defiance again. He has spent most of his time in the Defiance Mills, and has probably worked here longer than any one person. At one time, he was the owner of one-half interest in what is now known as the Defiance Machine Shops, which was at that time a very small affair, He now owns one-half interest in the undertaking business, with H. B. Ball.
Horace P. Miller was born in Williams County, Ohio, September 24, 1848. His father, William Miller, was born in Tompkins County, N. Y., March 17, 1808; came to Summit County, Ohio, and there married Miss Phebe Parker, by whom he had seven children, three boys and four girls; of these, four are living--H. P. Miller, Alice J., Charity M. and William P. Horace P. Miller, the subject of this sketch, received his education mostly at Lockport, Ohio, and was married to Miss Jennie S. Beaty September 22, 1870. They have two children, Frank G. and Claud W. Mr. Miller started out in life at farming, and afterward went to work in the produce business for O. T. Letcher & Co., of Bryan, Ohio, carrying on the business at Defiance. In 1878, Mr. Miller bought out the business, and formed a copartnership with G. Morgan, of Fostoria, Ohio, and the firm name became Miller & Morgan, who are doing quite an extensive produce business, handling during the past year about 250,000 pounds dressed hogs, 60,000 pounds poultry, 130,000 pounds butter, 60,000 pounds hides, 3,660 bushels clover seed, 280,000 dozen eggs.
Frank J. Shead was born on Court street, in the city of Defiance, Ohio, August 13, 1856. His grand- parents, Orson Shead and Lucy (Upham) Shead, were born in Stockbridge, Mass. ; the former September 4, 1797, the latter March 21, 1795. In 1821, they moved to New York, settling in DeKalb Township, St. Law- rence County. They had a family of five children- Oliver, Emeline, Celistie, Lorrin J. and Alonzo M. The boys are still living. Alonzo M. was a former resident of Defiance, but now a resident of New Mad- rid, Mo., Oliver was also a former resident of this town, and a contractor and builder, at an early day building what was known as the old Brown ware- house, located at the northwest corner of Clinton street bridge, on the north side of the Maumee River, and since destroyed by fire. In 1850, Mr. Oliver Shead left Defiance for East Troy, Wis.; from there he went to Washington Territory. He was a com- missioned officer in the Indian war, and a member of the Territorial Legislature. Lorrin J. came to De- fiance when a young man, A. D. 1853, and opened up a furniture store in the old Pierce Evans building, which had just been vacated by E. F. Lindenberger, and which is still standing on Front street, in the rear of the Opera House Block. On November 13, 1855, he was married to Miss Martha Parkhurst Adams. of St. Lawrence County, N. Y. Mrs. Lorrin Shead was born in Royalton, Vt., A. D. 1833, and at the age of about three years her parents, David A. and Hannah (Parkhurst) Adams, moved from Royalton, Vt., to St. Lawrence County. In 1856, Mrs. Shead's parents moved to Beloit, Wis., at which place they died, her mother August, A. D. 1875, at the age of sixty-nine, her father in July, A. D. 1880, at the age of seventy-nine years. Five children survive them-David A., Harry Adams, Mrs. C. Miller, Mrs. W. C. Dustin and Mrs. Shead. After the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Shead, they returned to Defiance, and Mr. Shead resumed his old business at his old stand heretofore mentioned, and continued there un- til the spring of 1859, when he sold and moved to Beloit, Wis. It the breaking-out of the rebellion of 1861-65, he enlisted in the first call for three months' men and served his time, when he returned home and engaged in the manufacture of reapers and mowers at Beloit. In the early spring of 1863, he returned with his family to Defiance, to engage in the lumber business in the Gld mill at the second lock, and is now engaged in the grocery business. Their children were Frank J., born August 13, 1856; Lucy C., born February 23, 1858, and May, who died in infancy. Their eldest and only son, Frank J., received his education mostly in Defiance, his birthplace. In the summer of 1870, during his vacation, he clerked in the grocery store of Booth & Aldrich. In May, 1873, he entered the Defiance National Bank, of Defiance, as collector and individual book-keeper. In 1876, he was made general book-keeper, and January 1, 1880, was made Assistant Cashier, which position he still holds. November 26, 1878, he was married to Miss Hattie D. Clarke, of Beloit, Wis. The fruit of this marriage has been two children---Frank Mills Shead, born November 20, 1879, died in infancy; Ralph Clarke Shead, born March 3, 1881.
Peter Schlosser was born in New Bavaria, Ger- many, in 1840; immigrated to this country, landing at New York August 10, 1861; thence going to Wyoming County, N. Y., stopping at the little town of Sheldon, where he married Miss Catharine Felker, August 20, 1861, who had immigrated at the same time from the same place, corning over on the same vessel with Mr. Schlosser. They had one child, John, who is carrying on business with his father at Defiance. Mr. Schlosser, being a wagon-maker by trade, worked for his brother-in-law, Christopher Felser, who was carrying on business at that time at Sheldon, N. Y., and worked for him one year, when he bought him out and carried on the business him-