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CHAPTER X.

ALLEN TOWNSHIP.

ERECTION, NAME, AREA, POPULATION AND BOUNDARIES-WILDCAT THICKET -STREAMS, TOPOGRAPHY AND SOIL-PIONEERS-FIRST MARRIAGE AND DEATH-THE BURMAN AND ENSMINGER MILLS-KILLING OF JOHN GILCHRIST AND SON-FIRST ELECTORS-JUSTICES-EARLY SCHOOLS-CHURCHES-VILLAGES-VAN BUREN AND STUARTVILLE.

THIS township was the last one organized in Hancock County, being erected in June. 1850, from territory previously embraced in Case and Portage Townships, taking twelve sections from each. It was named in honor of Gen. Ethan Allen, of revolutionary fame, and contains an area of twenty-four square miles, or 15, 360 acres. The official census of 1850 gave Allen a population of 869; 1860, 1,009; 1870, 969, and 1880, 1,025. The west half of the township lies in Township 2 north, Range 10, and the east half in Range 11. Allen is bounded on the north by Wood County, on the east by Cass Township, on the south by Findlay Township, and on the west by Portage Township.

When the first settlers built their cabins in this portion of the county, the original forest was unbroken by a single clearing, unless the almost impenetrable tract called "Wildcat Thicket" could be so named. This was a strip of fallen timber extending across the township from west to east, and covered with a dense undergrowth, where wild animals of every sort took refuge. The forest had evidently been blown down by a hurricane from the west long prior to the coming of the whites, and bashes and vines of every sort covered the decaying timber like a perfect network of defense.

The Middle Branch of Portage River flows in from Cass, and winds across the northwest portion of Allen Township; while the east fork of Ten Mile Creek drains the southwest corner westward into Portage. The southeast corner of the township is drained by a small branch of the Blanchard. Along the Middle Branch the surface is somewhat broken, and back from that stream may be termed elevated and rolling. The " Wildcat Thicket" was originally low and wet, but the removal of the fallen trees and judicious drainage has reclaimed the greater part of this tract. A sand and gravel belt, known as Sugar Ridge, crosses the north half of the township in a southwest direction, Van Buren being on the summit of the ridge. South of this ridge the soil is generally a mixture of sand and clay, while north of it a black, sandy loam prevails.

Pioneers.-Nathan Frakes was the first settler in this township. In 1827 he purchased of John Gardner the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 13, Township 2 north, Range 10 (entered by the latter in 1826), upon which he at once erected a small log-cabin. Frakes settled in Madison County, Ohio, prior to the organization of that county in 1810. He was there known as one of the "fighting men" of the county, and his name

348 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

figures in one or more assault and battery cases at nearly every term of court held during the first years of that county's history. He subsequently removed to Logan County, where he bore the same reputation, and kept it up after settling in Hancock, voting and fighting at the first county election, in April, 1828. As a good illustration of his character at this period, the following anecdote is told by one of the pioneers who knew him well: "A man named Epochs, who lived in Logan County, was one of the contractors in opening the Bellefontaine road, and Frakes worked for him. Epochs became afflicted with a strange and apparently incurable malady. He was not a good man by any means, and one night, believing his end was nigh, and possessing little of that religious spirit necessary on such occasions, requested Frakes to pray for him. Nathan swore he could not pray for himself, and roughly told Epochs to do his own praying. The latter finally concluded to make the attempt, and in a self-important manner began: `Oh! Lord, what have I done that Thou persecutest me so" when Frakes, looking at him in unfeigned disgust, blurted out, `That's a nice way to pray! What the h-ll is it that you haint done, I would like to know!' "

Frakes sold his improvement in Section 13 to Isaac Miller December 13, 1825, and in June. 1820, entered the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 12, upon which he had previously erected a cabin, with the intention of entering the land. On the 11th of June, 183(1, he sold this tract to Elias L. Bryan, and removed to a farm of 115 acres in the southeast quarter of Section 10, Township 1 north, Range 10, now a part of the Infirmary Farm, which he had bought of Joseph Eversole, of Fairfield County, in January, 1830. Here he resided till his death, he dying about five years afterward, leaving a large family of children. His wife, Susannah, was an ardent Methodist, and constantly deplored her husband's combativeness. Finally Frakes met his match, being badly worsted in a rough and-tumble fight with Josiah Elder, of Delaware Township. Going home considerably crestfallen over his defeat, he exclaimed: "Sissy ! Nathan has been whipped; I'll now join a temperance society, and also the church! " He kept his word, and ever afterward was a very peaceably inclined citizen. He was a large, muscular man, and bore the marks of many a savage encounter, possessing not a perfect finger on either hand.

Isaac Miller was the second pioneer of what is now Allen Township, coming in the fall of 1828. In December, 1828, he purchased the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 13, of Nathan Frakes, who had bought it of John Gardner. Miller died here early in 1830, and his family soon removed from the county.

Elias L. Bryan came in 1829, and built his cabin on the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 12, which he entered November 0th, of that year. In June, 1830, he bought out Nathan Frakes, who removed to his farm on the Blanchard, Bryan an taking possession of the Frakes cabin. Bryan subsequently read medicine under Dr. Fisher, of Arcadia, and practiced the healing art in this township. He finally left the county, but at what time or where he went is not remembered. The cabins of Frakes, Miller and Bryan stood but a short distance apart, and there are few now living who personally remember their locations,

The sons of John Trout claim that he came to Hancock County in the summer of 1828, selected land and built a double-log cabin on the situ of

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Van Buren, and then returned to Perry County for his family, whom he brought out in December, 1828. The book of entries shows that John Trout entered the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 13, Town 2 north, Range 10, September 1, 1829, and the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 7, Town 2 north, Range 11, June 2, 1830. It is therefore opined that Mr. Trout did not settle on the site of Van Buren until December, 1829, as his first entry in this county was not made till September of that year. He was a native of Pennsylvania, whence he removed to Perry County, Ohio, where he married Miss Eleanor Skinner. Leaving Somerset November 12th, the family did not reach the little settlement on the Middle Branch of Portage River till December 14, 1829, and on the fol lowing day Mr. Trout took possession of his cabin. The trip was long and arduous, and well calculated to discourage the stoutest heart. Fording swamp, stream and river, and being compelled at times to cut their way through forest and thicket, the sturdy parents with their five children, Eliza, Ephraim, John S., George W. and Philip, trudged many a weary mile ere reaching their destination. Eliza afterward married Elisha Beeson, which was the first marriage in the settlement; while the first death was that of Cornelius, her youngest brother. Mr. Trout served in the war of 1812; and in early life followed the potter's trade. In 1833 he and George Ensminger laid out the village of Van Buren upon their land. Both he and his wife died in this township, and of their children but two survive: Ephraim, the oldest living pioneer of Allen, and John S., a resident of Liberty Township.

John Burman settled in Section 17, in April, 1831, and there resided till his death April 7, 1864, his widow surviving him until February 4, 1871. Mr. Burman was born in Northampton County, Penn., April 8. 1784. Removing to Fairfield County, Ohio, he was there married in 1813, to Miss Catherine Fisher, a native of Berks County, Penn., born November 16, 1796. He served in the war of 1812, and followed the gunsmith trade until coming to this county. In 1835-36 he erected a grist-mill on Portage Creek, but on account of low water it ran only at intervals, Mr. Burman was a worthy citizen of the county for thirty-three years, and left a family of seven sons and two daughters, only one of whom, Adam, resides in this county, he being now proprietor of the hotel at Van Buren.

Christian and Rebecca (Skinner) Barnd, with four sons (Jacob, Adna F. , Elijah and Gamaliel C. ) and four daughters, came from Perry County, Ohio, in 1831, and took possession of the cabin in Section 13 previously occupied by Isaac Miller. Mr. Barnd was a native of Germany, and his wife of Pennsylvania. They were married in Somerset County, Penn. , and subsequently removed to Perry County, Ohio, whence they came to this township. On the 27th of June. 1831, he entered the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 13, and the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 18, now mostly owned by his son, John. In 1832 Christian Barnd and family removed to Findlay, where he and his wife spent the balance of their lives. He was a saddler and tanner, and carried on a tannery in Findlay for many years, He also served as sheriff of Hancock County for two terms, and was one of the progressive men of his day. Three of his sons have filled county offices. Jacob was prosecuting attorney a short period, and recorder two terms; Elijah was auditor two terms; while Gamaliel C. served three years as asso ciate judge, and two terms as probate judge. The eldest son, John, has filled the office of justice of the peace in Allen Township for thirty years.

350 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

It will thus be seen that this pioneer family has been pretty well honored by their adopted county.

The year 1832 brought in quite a large number of settlers, among whom we find John Barnd, George Ensminger, Michael Ensminger, Charles Baker, Hugh Gilchrist and Peter Hockenberry. Mr. Barnd was born in Somerset County, Penn., December 30, 1808, removed to Perry County, Ohio, with his parents, there grew to manhood and married Miss Sarah Garlinger, and in 1832 came to this township. He located on the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 13, where he has ever since resided. Mr. Barnd was the first justice elected for Allen Township, and served continuously in that office from 1850 to 1880. He reared a family of eleven children, ten of whom are living. His wife died March 29, 1881, after a happy married life of more than half a century. Squire Barnd is one of the few living pioneers to whom the writer is indebted for much important information relating to early events in this portion of the State.

George Ensminger settled on the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 12, while his son, Michael, located on the northwest quarter of Section 7. They came from Wayne County, Ohio, in 1832, and the following year the former and John Trout laid out Van Buren. In 1836-37 George Ensminger built a saw-mill on Portage Creek, which proved a useful appendage to the settlement. He reared a large family, and both he and his wife died upon the old homestead. None of the children are residents of this county. Charles Baker, of Fairfield County, Ohio, built his cabin on the northeast quarter of Section 8, in 1832, where he died. The widow and family went back to Fairfield County, whence in after years one of the sons, George A., returned and occupied the old farm. Hugh Gilchrist took up his residence the same year on the northwest quarter of Section 13, and there resided till his death. The family went West soon after this event. Peter Hockenberry was a noted hunter, who located on the northwest quarter of Section 19, in 1832. He subsequently removed into what is now Portage Township, thence to Henry County, but afterward returned and died in Hancock.He farmed very little, most of his time being devoted to the chase.

In 1833 Isaac Weisel, David Dorset', Peter Heller and Henry Rader located in the township. The first two mentioned were brothers-in-law, Mr. Weisel having married Jane Dorset', and both were natives of Pennsylvania. Weisel settled on the southeast quarter of Section 2, where both he and his wife died in 1878 or 1879. They were the parents of ten children, six of whom survive. David and Rosanna Dorset' came from Bedford County, Penn., in October, 1833, and located near the site of Van Buren in Section 18 in what was then Cass Township. Here Allen, now a resident of the township, was born in February, 1831, being one of the first births in the settlement. 1n 183 David was elected justice of Cass Township, and reelected to the same position. He reared a family of seven children, four of whom survive, Allen and Cordelia being residents of the township, where both the father and mother died. Peter Heller, of Wayne County, Ohio, settled on the southeast quarter of Section 25, in 1833, and the same year was elected justice of Portage Township, and re-elected in 1836. He finally sold his farm, and removed to Indiana. Henry Rader, a native of Virginia, settled in 1833 on Section 13, where his son, Adam, now lives. Both he and his wife died in this township.

Daniel Warner, John Gilchrist, Christopher Ernsperger, William Dor-

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sey and Isaac Wolf are believed to have settled here in 1833-34. The first mentioned located in Section 14, in February, 1834, and there a son, Daniel C., was born the following November. Mr. Warner died at the home of this son in Portage Township, in 1881. John Gilchrist located permanently near his brother Hugh in 1834, though he was in the county and voted in October, 1831. Soon after coming the Gilchrists went out one night "coon" hunting, and treed a "coon" about a mile and a half northwest of Van Buren. It became necessary to fell the tree, which, in falling, brought down another, the latter striking and killing the twelve-year old son of John Gilchrist, and injuring the father so badly that he died two days after the unfortunate occurrence, leaving a wife and five small children! Christopher Ernsperger was a son-in-law of George Ensminger, and came about two years after the latter. He subsequently removed from the county. William Dorsey came to the county about the same time as his brother David, or soon afterward. He is still a resident of the township. Isaac Wolf settled in Section 25, where he resided until his death. Two of his sons, David and John, are living in the county, the former in Findlay.

James Moorhead, of Stark County, Ohio, built his cabin on the southwest quarter of Section 26, in 1835. His wife, Agues, died there, and he married again. He reared a large family, and now makes his home with his daughter in Eagle Township. John Raney settled in Section 23 in 1835, but soon moved away. Josiah Moorhead came in 1836, and settled in Section 36. Cyrus Hart also located here in 1836, and Abraham Kempher, John Beeson and Samuel Huntington in 1837. John Hardy moved in from Cass Township in 1837, and resided here till his death, in 1860. He was one of the pioneer school teachers of the township, and for more than twenty-five years taught during the winter seasons. He was a member of the Methodist Church after his marriage with Martha Orr, in l 822, and settled in what is now Cass Township in 1833, whence he removed to Portage (now Allen) four years afterward. Mr. Hardy was the father of five children, two of whom are residents of the county. His widow died in 1866. Others may have come in-prior to 1831, but if so, careful research has failed to discover their names,

First Electors.-At the organization of Cass and Portage Townships in April, 1833, each embraced half of what is now Allen Township, and Squire John Barnd sans that the following list includes all of the voters then living inside of the boundaries of the latter subdivision: Elias L. Bryan, John Trout, John Barman, John Barnd, Hugh Gilchrist, Charles Baker, Peter Hockenberry, George Ensminger, Michael Ensminger, James Wiley and James Howard. The last two mentioned never settled in the township, but were staying here temporarily at that time, and were allowed to vote.

Justices.-John Barnd (from 1850 to 1880), W. L. Heller, J. W. McCaughey, Philip Barman. Robert Thornburg, G. W. Barnd, John H. Spitler and Thomas Briggs. The last two mentioned are the present incumbents of the office.

Early Schools.-The first schoolhouse in this township was a small log structure built in 1836, on the section line immediately west of the present building on the farm of Peter Whetstone. It stood in the center of the road now occupying the section line between 13 and 14, and was built of round logs, covered with a clapboard roof, had greased paper windows and a huge fireplace in one end. The Bryans, Trouts, Burmans, Ensmingers,

352 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

Barnds, Gilchrists, Warners and Raders attended this school, which was the only one in the settlement for several years, excepting one on the farm of James Moorhead, which was also opened at an early day. The pupils attending the latter, however, were principally from what is now Portage Township, and the pioneers of Allen scarcely remember it. With the growth of population more schoolhouses became a necessity, and from time to time districts were organized and schools opened. There are now nine good school buildings in Allen, that in Van Buren having two rooms,

Churches.-The two Presbyterian societies-Pleasant Hill and Ebenezer -organized in Portage and Cass Townships, respectively , united September 1, 1843, as W est Union Church of Van Buren, and put up a frame building in Van Buren, about 1855, which was the first church erected in the township. The Presbyterians of this vicinity have since generally attended services here. The old building has been replaced by a substantial brick one, more in harmony with the times. Rev. George Van Eman was the earliest pastor of this congregation, which embraced many of the pioneers previously spoken of in this chapter, besides those in Portage and Cass. The old frame is now used as a dwelling. The Baptist Church in Van Buren is the lineal successor of the society organized at the cabin of Merriman Price, on Ten Mile Creek, about 1836, though reorganized at Henry Rader's in 1855. Meetings were held at the houses of members until the erection of the present building in Van Buren, which has since been used. The United Brethren erected their church in Van Buren in 1868, while the German Lutheran and Reformed denominations purchased and fitted up the old frame schoolhouse in Van Buren. These are the only churches in the township, and most of them have good-sized congregations,

Villages.-Van Buren was laid out December 28, 1833, by George Ensminger and John Trout, on Sections 12 and 13, Range 10, and 7 and 18, Range 11, and originally comprised fifty-three lots surrounding a public square. It was named in honor of Martin Van Buren, who at that time was one of the eminent public men of the nation. Several buildings were put up at once, and for a time the little village became quite a busy point; but after a season of prosperity its growth came to a standstill, and it has never got further than a small country town. A post office was established in the village in 1837, and the following postmasters have held the office: Dr. George Springer, John Zarbaugh, S. M. Heller, C. S. Wilkinson, Lewis Michaels, Dr. E. C. Wells, Daniel Frick, L. J. Hissong. Solomon Zarbaugh, H. C. Hartman, John Lee and Mrs, E. Wells, In June, 1866, Van Buren was incorporated. and Daniel Frick elected mayor. His successors have been C. S. Wilkinson, J. H. Loehr, Dr. E. C. Wells, Dr. Edward George, Abraham Mummert, L. P, McCune and Abraham Mummert. The town lies seven miles north of Findlay, on the Toledo, Columbus & Southern Railroad, which was completed through Van Buren in the winter of 1882-83. Its business interests consist of two general dry goods and grocery stores, a shoe shop, two blacksmith shops, a wagon shop, a steam saw-mill, a produce dealer, a hotel, a saloon and one physician-Dr. Edward George. A steam grist-mill was built in Van Bnren many years ago, but it has been abandoned about seven years, and the deserted building is all that is left of its past usefulness, In 1870 Van Bnren had a population of 157, and in 1880, 130, a falling off of 27 in ten years. No apparent increase has since taken place, and the village wears an appearance of age

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and general debility. The town, however, can boast of four churches and a good two-storied brick schoolhouse of two rooms.

Silverwood, better known as Stuartville, was laid out in March, 1883, by Addison J. Silverwood, Nancy A. Silverwood and Anthony Huntington. It lies in Sections 24 and 25. Range 10, and Section 19, Range 11, on both sides of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad. The Toledo, Columbus & Southern Railroad passes north and south a short distance east of the village, which has therefore good railroad facilities, Two small stores, a blacksmith shop, a saloon and a grain elevator make up the business interests of Stuartville. In May, 1883, a postoffice named Mortimer was established here, with James Huntington as postmaster. He was succeeded in 1885 by Mrs, A. V. Myers, the present incumbent.