466 - HISTORY OF TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY
CHAPTER XIII.
TOLEDO WAREHOUSES.-OLD AND NEW.
THE gradual development of Warehouse accommodations upon the advent of the second Port Lawrence, has already been referred to. It will be proper here, in contrast, to refer to the very start and to the present attainment in that department of commercial operations.
The first building erected for business purposes within the present limits of Toledo, was a Warehouse, built wholly of logs, by the owners of the Port Lawrence property, at the very outset of improvement at this point. The date of its construction cannot now be definitely stated. It was standing in 1817, and was built on lot No. 2 of the present Port Lawrence Division, which lies next to the Merchants National Bank Building, Southwest corner of Summit and Monroe streets. The building was two-stories in height, the upper one projecting some 10 feet in front. The logs were hewn sufficiently to give the walls a somewhat even appearance. The second story projection served the two-fold purpose of a shed and a means of defense. The walls were secure against the rifle, the most formidable weapon of attack then in use here, while the only door (in front) was readily guarded through the floor of the projecting portion of the second story, after the manner of blockhouses.
An event so important as the erection of the pioneer Warehouse of a prospective commercial point was a matter of deep and pervading interest with the country round about. Hence, the muscles of the entire region were summoned to the log-raising," when the rude timbers were rolled to placess on the firm walls. Refreshments for the occasion were abundant -not of ice cream, fruit cake and Roman punch; but of pork, beef and bread, with a good supply of whiskey, innocent of modern fusil oil. The "braising" over, then came the roof of ruder shingles, rived by hand on the ground the simple windows were of sash unknown to machine production, and a few panes of glass as good as could be secured ; the single door of rudest structure from split logs; and, lastly, the puncheon floor, smooth as broad-axe and adz could make it, with possibly a little special dressing with a jack plane.
All this accomplished, the next thing was the "house-warming," which constituted a social occasion to that time without a parallel in all this section. Word was duly sent to settlements within reach, and especially to the "Foot of the Rapids," as the region about Fort Meigs and on both sides of the River was called. From Maumee and Perrysburg came the Hunts, the Forsyths, the Conants, the Jeromes, the Hollisters, McKnights and Spaffords. These and others reached the scene of the proposed "frolic " by the ice in the River. It was a general turnout, the "River Raisin " (Monroe) probably contributing its, quota to the assemblage. Let us not suppose these were rude, uneducated people. New England and New York chiefly bad been their homes. Many accessories now so common in social occasions were lacking but not needed for the happiness of the guests. At one end of the room was a roaring fire in an eight-foot fireplace. On one side was a temporary shelf, loaded with venison, pies, cakes and liquid refreshments deemed essential in maintaining stalwart men and women in an all-night's draft upon their nervous systems. The ladies' dressing room was in the upper story and reached bye ladder. At the end of the room opposite the the fire-place was a platform temporarily raised for
TOLEDO WAREHOUSES. - 467
the two French fiddlers, whose fiddling was good -for those days, and quite satisfactory to the dancers, who put in their time as best they they could throughout the night, and well on to breakfast time, the chief interruption arising from the distribution of refreshments most bountifully supplied. Such, according to the best authority at this seventy-years' distance from the event, was the advent of the " old Log-Warehouse."
It is very fortunate, that records of Toledo's pioneer business improvement is not confined to the verbal description now to be made. It was yet standing, sound and firm, when Hon. Richard Mott settled here in 1836, and was taken down to make room for another building, in 1837. The historian is much indebted to that gentleman's clear memory, and to his no less skilled pencil, for an excellent draft of the building, from which was made the picture herewith presented. Different pioneers familiar with the Warehouse, recognize its several parts as here shown. Gen. Chas. B. Phillips came to Toledo in 1829, and his recollection of the building is made more clear from the fact that his first night here was spent on the second floor of the same.
There are now in the City 12 Grain Elevators, of which 10 are located on the West, and two on the East side of the River. Ten are in connection with Railroads, and two for the accommodation of traffic by Canals. Of the former class, four receive the business of the Wabash, two that of the Lake Shore, two that of the Dayton & Michigan, one that of the Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas City Road, and one (in East Toledo,) the traffic of different Railroads. The aggregate storage capacity of these amounts to 7,258,000 bushels of grain, with capacity to receive and ship daily 1,240,000 bushels-their size ranging from 100,000 to 1,700,000 bushels. As indicating something of the advance in Warehouse facilities made in Toledo, is here given in connection with the pioneer log structure of 1817. a view of " Elevator No. Five " of the Toledo & Wabash Elevator Company, which is said to be one of the most complete in appointments, and in its capacity, of the Grain Elevators of the country.
CAPACITY OF GRAIN ELEVATORS.
Storage Receive and
NAME OF ELEVATOR. Capacity, Ship
Bushels. Daily.
Tol., Wabash & W. R'y, No. 1. a 246,000 60,000
" " " " " No. 3. a 761,000 80,000
" " " " " No. 4. a 1,351,000 300,000
" " " " " No, 5. a 1,700,000 500,000
Union Elevator, b 1,000,000 200,000
L. S. & M. S. R'y, "A" c 300,000 60,000
" " " "B" C 300,000 60,000
Dayton & Michigan R' y, "A" d 300,000 60,000
" " "B" d 800,000 150,000
Canal Elevators, e 250,000 60.000
" " f 100,000 30,000
Narrow Gauge, e 150,000 30,000
7,258,000 1,240,000
a Owned by Toledo & Wabash Elevator Company.
b Owned by Union Railroad Elevator Company.
c Owned by Lake Shore & M. S. Railroad Company.
d Owned by Dayton & Michigan Elevator Company.
e Owned by Churchill & Co.
f Owned by C. A. King & Co.
The rates for Storage of Grain at these Elevators are : Elevating and first 10 days' storage, one cent per bushel ; for each subsequent 10 days of storage, - cent. per bushel
Charges for loading, weighing and inspecting: Loading all kinds of Grain (except Oats in bulk), per car, at all Railroad Elevators, except L. S. & X. S., 50 cents; loading Oats, in bulle, per car, $1.00 ; loading all kinds of Grain (except Oats in bulk), per car, at L. S & M. S. Elevators, 80 cents; loading Oats in bulk, per car, $1.00 ; inspecting Grain into cars, per car, 26 cents; inspecting Grain into Elevators, per car, 25 cents; inspecting Grain into Elevators from Canal boats, per load, $1.00 ; inspecting Grain into vessels, per 1,000 bushels, 40 cents; weighing Grain out to vessels, per 1,000 bushels, 30 cents ; weighing Grain out to cars, per car, 25 cents.