498 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXV.

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.

LOCATION, ERECTION, NAME, SUBSEQUENT CHANGES IN TERRITORY, AREA AND POPULATION-STREAMS, WELLS, TOPOGRAPHY AND SOIL-FIRST SETTLERS - THEIR CHARACTERISTICS-JUSTICES-SCHOOLS-CHURCHES-VILLAGES AND RAILROADS.

THIS subdivision lies in the southern range of townships, and is bounded on the north by Eagle Township, on the east by Madison, on the west by Orange, and on the south by Hardin County. Its present territory was embraced in Findlay Township until the erection of Liberty in 1830, when it became a part of the latter subdivision. On petition of sundry inhabitants, Townships 1 and L south, Range 10, were, on the 7th of March, 1831, set off from Liberty and Findlay, and named Van Buren in honor of Martin Van Buren, a leading Democrat of the nation, afterward President of the United States. The two eastern tiers of sections in both Townships 1 and 2 were previously a part of Findlay Township, while the four western tiers of each belonged to Liberty. On the 3d of December, 1832, Township 1 south, Range 10 was cut off Van Buren and erected as Eagle, and March 4, 1834, Township 2 south, Range 9 was attached to Van Buren and so remained until its separate erection as Orange, December 5, 1836. Upon the erection of Madison Township, June 1, 1840, the two eastern tiers of sections of Van Buren were taken in the formation of that subdivision, leaving this township with an area of twenty-four square miles, or 15,360 acres. Its population by decades has been as follows: 1840, 432; 1850, 536; 1860, 713; 1870, 780, and 1880, 907, showing a slow but steady growth from 1840 to 1880 of 475 inhabitants.

The head-waters of Ottawa (locally called' Tawa) Creek are located in the central portion of Van Buren, its several branches thoroughly draining the northern half of the township. The west branch of Eagle Creek, heads in Hog Creek Marsh and flows across the southeast corner of Van Buren, uniting with the east branch in Madison Township. Riley Creek takes its rise on Section 29, and passes westward into Orange Township, which it traverses in the same general direction. The beds of these streams afford good natural drainage. The wells range from ten to thirty feet in depth, and considerable sulphur water is found in this section of the county. The surface of Van Buren is gently rolling and sheds easily the usual waterfall. The uplands are composed of a clay soil and the balance of vegetable and alluvial deposits, forming a rich black loam of unusual fertility. The heavy forest that once grew upon the soil has given place to well-tilled farms and comfortable homes.

First Settlers.-The pioneers of Van Buren Township were nearly all Germans, and the township has always been regarded as a German settlement. They brought with them from their fatherland those stern qualities

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of industry and rigid economy for which the German is celebrated. It has often been truly said, " a German will live and grow rich where an American or an Irishman would starve." The German emigrants who first settled in this county, like those who came at a later day, usually possessed vigorous constitutions, and were happy, living in the rudest cabins on the plainest fare. Their one overmastering ambition was to accumulate property and become independent, and that they succeeded is amply illustrated by the hundreds of valuable farms of which they or their children are now the proud owners.

In May, 1833, Benjamin Sparr, Charles O. Bradford, Charles Herron and George Hart came together from Licking County, Ohio, and all settled in Van Buren Township. Mr. Sparr had entered the northwest quarter of Section 27, June 4, 1831, and upon coming at once erected a cabin on his land. He married Miss Lydia D. Clark, a native of Maine, in Licking County, Ohio, in 1822, and eleven years afterward, with his wife and four children, came to this township. Six children were born here, and of the ten, seven survive. Mr. Sparr was one of the prime movers in the organization of the first Methodist Protestant Society in this part of the county. In 1852 he was elected justice of the peace, and served one term. He died on the old homestead April 6, 1860, and his aged widow survived him till January 8, 1886, dying in her eighty-seventh year. Mrs. William Trop, of Van Buren, is a daughter of Mr. Sparr.

Charles O. Bradford was a native of Maine, and married a sister of Mr. Sparr, in Licking County, Ohio. He was a minister of the Methodist Protestant church, and the main instrument in the organization of the first religious society in the township. He and his family lived with Mr. Sparr until the fall of 1833, and then built a cabin on the southwest quarter of Section 22, which he had entered June 4, 1831. In 1834 he was elected justice of the peace, and served until his removal to Champaign County, Ohio, where he was called to take charge of a church. He died in that county, and his family returned to Hancock, where his children grew to maturity. The widow has since removed to Nebraska, but his son William is now residing on a part of the Abel Tanner farm in Section 23, Madison Township-the first land settled on Eagle Creek.

Charles Herron married a half-sister of Mrs. Sparr and settled on the southeast quarter of Section 22, entered February 3, 1832, where he resided till death. He was a local preacher of the Methodist Protestant denomination, and was also one of the organizers of the pioneer class in this vicinity. George Hart settled on a part of Herron's farm. He was twice married, his second wife being Herron's widow, with whom he removed to Champaign County, Ohio.

Clem Green and Samuel Stroud settled in the Sparr neighborhood in 1833 or 1834. Green's father, Samuel, entered the east half of the south west quarter of Section 27 in 1831, and here the son built his cabin. He subsequently sold out to Benjamin Pugh and left the township. Stroud and family came from Fairfield County, Ohio, and settled close to Sparr: His wife died, and the family removed from the county, the father dying in Hardin.

In the fall of 1834 Nicholas Essinger, Peter Pifer and Adam Reddick, took up their abode in this township. All were natives of Germany, and had immigrated to Pennsylvania, whence they came to Hancock County.

500 - HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

Nicholas and Barbara Essinger left the fatherland in 1832, being then the parents of three children. Two were born during their stay in Pennsylvania and one after coming to this township. They settled on Section 10, on land entered in May, 1834, and here Mr. Essinger died in 1b65, his widow surviving him till 1884. Of their six children only three are living, two being residents of Van Buren, viz.: Mrs. George Price and John. Peter and Catherine Pifer located on the northeast quarter of Section 8, entered by him in May, 1834. Both died on the home farm, and of their six sons, three are residents of Van Buren Township, and two reside in other sections of the county. Adam Reddick was a single man, but began a clearing in the south part of Section 5. He soon married and settled permanently on his land, where both he and his wife resided till death. They reared a family of four sons and three daughters, all of whom reside in this county except one daughter who is living in the West. J. R. Reddick lives upon the old homestead.

Peter, Philip and Henry Heldman were born in Germany, and settled with their parents in Jefferson County, Ohio, whence, in the spring of 1835, they removed to this township. All were married ere coming here, and settled on Ottawa Creek in the north part of the township. Michael and Christian Heldman came later and located in the vicinity of their brothers. Henry and Michael are still residents of Van Buren.

In the fall of 1835 the township received two more German families, viz. : Adam Gossman and John Ranch. The former married Margaret Price, and came here from Washington County, Penn. He settled on the northwest quarter of Section 10, entered in May, 1834, where he passed the balance of his days, and where his widow yet resides. Six of their children are living in Hancock County-three sons and one daughter in this township. John Ranch married Christina Price and also removed here from Pennsylvania. They settled in the north part of Section 8, where the father died. The widow and son, Peter, live upon the old place.

In 1836 Henry Hull settled on Section 22, where both he and his wife died. He served two terms as justice of the peace of Van Buren Township. In 183! and 1838 Robert Mathewson, George Pugh, Thomas Morrison, William Troy, Christian Schaller, Michael and Peter Wilch and William Bauer came into the township, followed, in 1839, by Daniel, Michael and Samuel Bosserman, nearly all of whom were Germans.. But the township was now pretty thickly settled, and from that time onward every year brought in other families, and it was not long until the choice lands of Van Buren were occupied and cabins erected on every section in the township. Those pioneer cabins have given place to the more comfortable frame and brick residences, while fine large barns indicate that thrifty Germans have here found an asylum from the oppression and poverty of their native land.

Justices.-This list contains the justices since the organization of Van Buren Township, and the reader will bear in mind that upon the erection of Madison the homes of some of the earliest ones were embraced in the latter subdivision. The first justice of this township was William Moreland, Jr., and his successors have been Jacob Bolenbaugh, Charles O. Bradford, Christian Welty, Andrew Ricketts, Thomas Morrison, Henry Hull, Michael Bosserman, George Rinehart, Alexander Hodge, Benjamin Sparr, John B. Pugh, Eliab Hassan, Adam Steinman, Christian Schaller, William Montgom-ery, A. B. Jenner and F. C. Pore.

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Schools.-The first schoolhouse in this township was built about 1842 near the north line of Section 9, on the farm now owned by Michael Held man. Another was erected soon afterward on the farm, now owned by Adam Steinman in Section 22. Miss Mary Welty was the first teacher in this school. As the township settled up other schoolhouses were built, and education became general. Van Buren now boasts of six good brick school buildings, which are all kept open throughout the school year.

Churches.-The advent into Van Buren of Benjamin Sparr, Charles O. Bradford and Charles Herron, in 1833, was the beginning of its religious history. The two last mentioned were preachers of the Methodist Protestant denomination, and the same year of their arrival a society was organized. Simeon Ransbottom, the first settler on Eagle Creek, was also active in this work. They worshiped at the homes of the members or at schoolhouses till 1854-55, when the little frame on Section 22, known as Mount Moriah Church, was erected, and here the society has ever since worshiped. The German Reformed and Lutherans each organized a society quite early, and in 1852 erected a building on the farm of Jacob Traucht. The two societies held services together in this house for three years, but a misunderstanding finally arose, and the Lutherans put up a frame church on Section 10 in 1855. In 1884 this was succeeded by the present commodious brick structure. Van Buren also contains a German Baptist, a Mennonite and a Presbyterian Church, the last mentioned being organized in September, 1840, by Rev. George Van Eman, each of which have good congregations.

Villages.-A small hamlet called New Stark on Sections 29 and 32, has been in existence for many years, though no plat has ever been recorded. We find here at present a general dry goods and grocery store, a saw-mill, and a blacksmith and wagon shop. The place contains abort a dozen buildings.

Jenera was laid out April 3, 1883, by Peter Traucht, Samuel Feller and John Heldman on Sections 4 and 5. It had its inception in the completion of the Cleveland, Delphos & St. Louis Narrow Gauge Railroad, which passes through the north part of this township. The road was commenced in 1881, finished through Van Buren in the fall of 1882, and reached Mt. Blanchard in December of that year. A postoffice was established here in 1883, with Dr. A. B. Jenner as postmaster. He was succeeded in October, 1885, by John Price. The village now contains one dry goods and drug store, a hardware store, a general grocery store, a steam grist-mill, two saloons and a blacksmith shop, and has one physician, Dr. A. B. Jenner. after whom the town was named. A warehouse stands close to the railroad, and as soon as this road is changed to the standard gauge, Jenera will become the shipping point for this portion of the county.