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CHAPTER II.
CIVIL GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED.
CIVIL Government for the territory now comprised within the County of Lucas, began with the organization of the County of Wayne, by proclamation of Governor St. Clair of the Northwest Territory in 1796, which embraced all of what is now Northwestern Ohio and the lower Peninsula of the present State of Michigan. While this is true, it is also true, as elsewhere shown, that at that time and for 20 years thereafter, and until the Indian title to all of Northwestern Ohio was extinguished, there was practically no such government there. Wayne was the third County thus created, Washington, organized in 1788, and Hamilton in 1790, being its predecessors. In 1803, the year following the organization of the State Government of Ohio, the County of Greene was established, including this part of the State. In 1805, Logan County was formed, embracing the present Counties of Sandusky, Seneca, Wyandot, Marion, Hardin, Hancock, Wood, Lucas, Fulton, Henry, Putnam, Allen, Auglaize, Van Wert, Paulding, Williams and Defiance, entire ; and the most of the Counties of Ottawa, Crawford, Morrow, Logan, Union, Shelby and Mercer. It will be borne in mind, that prior to the treaty with the Indians at the foot of the Rapids of the Maumee, in 1817, all this section, save the few Reservations of the treaty of Greenville (1795), was within the Indian Territory and not subject to civil authority. The state of things in this respect during that period of 22 years, is indicated by the accompanying section of a map of the State of Ohio, published in 1815. From that, the lines of demarkation between civil government and savage domination, will be readily seen. Within the territory thus wholly given up to Indian possession and use, was found in 1880, a thriving population of nearly 600,000 white inhabitants, while there was then probably not left a single representative of the powerful tribes so long undisputed in their possession of the country named. The contrast of results of civilization and barbarism, could hardly be more clearly presented, than is done in the case of that territory during the unrecorded centuries of Indian control and the 70 years of white possession.
The first officer exercising civil authority in the Maumee Valley, was Amos Spafford, Collector of Customs for the District of Miami, appointed by President Madison in 1810. The Collector's office was at Maumee. In 1814 his fees amounted to $2.50; his rent for office, $10.00; and his fuel and stationery, $15.75; a total charge to the Government for the year of $28.25.
The first Postoffice established between the River Raisin (Monroe, Mich.) and Lower Sandusky (Fremont), and between the Maumee Bay and the present site of Chicago, was located on the Westerly or Maumee side of the Maumee River, opposite the location of Fort Meigs, subsequently built. The first Postmaster within that territory was Amos Spafford, whose commission bore date of June 9, 1810. In 1816, Almon Gibbs was Postmaster at that point, his pay for that year having been $14.28.
The few settlers in this vicinity suffered severely upon the breaking out of the war of 1812, from Indian depredations upon their limited property, and after the close of the war, they presented to the Government claims for compensation for such losses, which included those of Amos Spafford, Samuel H. Ewing, Jesse Skinner, Daniel Hull, Thos. Dick, Samuel Ewing, Wm. Carter, James Carlin, Oliver A. Armstrong, Geo. Blacock, James Slawson, Wm. Peters, Ambrose Hickox and Richard Sifford. Among the claims made, was that of James Carlin, of $110 for dwelling house or cabin burned, $58 for blacksmith shop burned, $30 for a colt 2 years old, taken by Wyandot Indians. Oliver Armstrong claimed $60 for a horse taken from him. Beside these were losses of barns, outhouses and dwellings; wheat of six acres in a barn burned; 4 tons of hay, clothing, bed-clothing, etc. The aggregate of the claims made was between $4,000 and $5,000. For the purpose of bringing the matter definitely to the attention of Congress, a meeting of the claimants was held at the house of Amos Spafford, November 8th, 1815, when Mr. Spafford and Captain Daniel Hull were appointed a committee to wait upon General W. H. Harrison, then soon to pass through to Detroit, and request his co-operation in securing the allowance of their claims. Under such appointment Major Spafford visited Washington, and succeeded in securing partial damages for the sufferers. These pioneer settlers were especially unfortunate, being subject to three sources of loss-Indian and British depredations and the seizure of their crops for the use of the United States troops. Most of the settlers were driven from the field of war, and remained abroad until the close of hostilities, when they returned, to begin anew without dwelling or other conveniences. Their first recourse for building material was to the
286 - HISTORY OF TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY.
few hulks of transports employed by the Government, and the pickets and block houses of Fort Meigs. The strife for possession of these became active and somewhat bitter, and was ended by the torch of an incendiary, applied at night to the structures of the Fort, almost entirely destroying its remains. This dependence gone, the destitute settlers were without supplies for constructing buildings, except what the forest trees furnished, and with no means but the ax for making these available.
To add to the serious trials to which these settlers were subjected, the title to the lands occupied by them was brought in question. These had been purchased, as parts of the 12 miles square Reserve, under the treaty of Greenville, and as within a tract one mile square, which, by mistake, had been a second time ceded at the treaty of Brownstown, subsequent to the purchase by the settlers. They had no more than become settled after their return at the close of the war, than Congress ordered the sale of the tract occupied by them. In a letter to President Madison on the subject, Major Amos Spafford made a strong appeal in behalf of these sufferers, and asked that the time and location of the sale might be so fixed, that they could have opportunity for securing the lands held by them. In his letter Major Spafford said : " Should the time not be known, or the place of sale be so remote that myself and others could not attend, all would be lost. First, burned by the enemy; secondly, destroyed by our own Army; and thirdly, sold out by an act of Government, to whom we don't know. This would be the last sacrifice that we could possibly make." The sale was finally held at Fort Meigs, the settlers
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obtaining titles to their lands without competition.
Upon the release of the Indian title in 1817, this region was first brought under full State authority. The first Township organization here was that of Waynesfield, in 1816, embracing only the reservation at the foot of the Rapids. The first election took place at the house of Aurora Spafford, 25 electors then voting.
Upon the surrender of Indian possession, in 1817, the County of Logan was organized, with its seat of justice at Bellefontaine. It embraced this region. In 1820 were formed the Counties of Wood, Williams, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Crawford, Marion, Hardin and Hancock, all from the old Indian territory. Wood County included a portion of the present Lucas County, embracing Toledo. The first Court to convene in the Valley of the Maumee, was held at Maumee City, May 3, 1820, that being the seat of justice. It was composed of President Judge George Tod (father of the late Governor David Tod), and Associate Judges Dr. Horatio Conant, Peter G. Oliver and Samuel Vance. The Grand Jurors for the term were Wm. H. Bostwick (foreman), Aaron Granger, John T, Baldwin, Parris M. Plum, Aurora Spafford, Jeremiah Johnson, Wm. Pratt, Richard Gunn, Collister Haskins, Ephraim H. Leaming, Josephus Tiler, Daniel Murray, John Hollister, John J. Lovett and Norman L. Freeman.
The first session of the Board of Commissioners of Wood County, assembled April 12th, 1820, in Almon Gibbs's store building in Maumee. They were : Samuel H. Ewing, David Hubbell and John Pray. The Board at that time appointed William Pratt County Treasurer. May 3d, Seneca Allen, then County Auditor, was appointed Clerk to the Board, and David Hull filed his bond as Sheriff. C. G. McCurdy was then the Prosecuting Attorney, and Thomas R. McKnight, Clerk of the Court. General John E. Hunt was Assessor of property taxation; and David Hull, Tax Collector. At this session Prosecuting Attorney McCurdy was paid $20, the allowance of the court for services at its first session; and Thomas R. McKnight $23, as Clerk at the same session; Almon Gibbs was allowed $40 for the use of his building as the Court House for one year from May 3d, 1820; J. E. Hunt, $11.28 for services as Lister of taxable property and House Appraiser; and Hunt & Forsyth $16.12 ½ for stationery. This session was held at Maumee. August 12, 1820, the Board, on petition of citizens of Damascus, Henry County (not then organized), that Township was temporarily attached to the Township of Auglaize, then in Wood County.
In December, 1820, the County Commissioners were John Pray, David Hubbell and John E. Hunt. In March, 1822, the Commissioners appointed Thomas W. Powell County Auditor, and in June following, Walter Colton (father of the late Carlos Colton of Toledo) was appointed County Treasurer.
The County-Seat of Wood County having been removed from Maumee to Perrysburg, the Commissioners met at the latter place, March 19, 1823, for the purpose of preparing suitable County buildings. The Board then consisted of John Pray, Samuel Spafford and Hiram P. Barlow. At that session so much of the Township of Auglaize as was contained in the unorganized County of Henry was set off and organized into a Township by the name of Damascus; and so much of the Township of Waynesfield as was included in the unorganized County of Hancock, was set off into a Township and named Findlay, the first election in which was held at the house of Wilson Vance, July 1, 1823. At the same time the Township of Perrysburg was organized, to include so much of Waynesfield Township as then lay South of the channel of the Maumee River, from the West line of the County, to the line between the original surveyed Townships one and four in the United States Reserve; thence the North channel to the State line. At the session of the Board held in March, 1824, the claim of Guy Nearing (uncle of Mars Nearing of Toledo) and Daniel Hubbell, for erecting the Court House at Perrysburg, was allowed. The population of the County of Wood in 1820 was 732, and 1,090 in 1830. The taxable valuation in 1826 was $88,886; of which $40,704 was in real estate, $23,230 in town lots and buildings, and $24,952 in personal property.
Port Lawrence as a Township of Monroe County, Michigan, was organized May 27, 1827. Among the first officers of the Township were, N. A. Whitney, John G. Forbs and Daniel Murray, Assessors ; J. V. D. Sutphen, Clerk ; John T. Baldwin, Supervisor; Tibbals Baldwin, Collector; John Walworth and Coleman I. Keeler, Overseers of Poor ; Eli Baldwin and William Wilson, Commissioners of Highways; John Roots and Tibbals Baldwin, Constables; and Benj. F. Stickney, Pound Master. At this first Township election 29 votes were cast, by the following electors, to wit: John T. Baldwin, J. V. D. Sutphen, Noah A. Whitney, John G. Forbs, Daniel Murray, Tibbals Baldwin, John Walworth, Eli Hubbard, Coleman I. Keeler, Win. Wilson, Alvin Evans, John Roop, Cyrus Fisher, Wm. Mills, B. F. Stickney, John Baldwin, Seneca Allen, Amos Wait, Wm. Wilkerson, Wm. Sibley, Amasa Bishop, Charles Richards, Jesse Mills, Joseph Prentice, Henry Phillips, Ebenezer Ward, Thos. P. Whitney, Wm. Holmes and Jacob Navarre.
The Township embraced about one-half of the present Lucas County, and was divided into two Road Districts. The first Road laid out in the Township was in June, 1827.
July 27, 1827, the annual Territorial election
288 - HISTORY OF TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY.
was held, when Austin E. Wing was chosen Delegate to Congress, and Charles Noble as a member of the Legislative Council, both being residents of Monroe.
March 30, 1830, the Road Commissioners declared it to be of public utility to adopt the Territorial road, as it then ran from the mouth of Swan Creek to where it crosses the Township line on the North, as a public road.
In 1828, $23.42 was paid for "destroying blackbirds;" and in 1832, a bounty of $2.50 each for Wolf scalps was voted.
At the annual election of 1831, 59 votes were cast, and in 1833, 70 votes. At this latter election the names of Sanford L. Collins, Stephen B. Comstock, Oliver Stevens, Munson H. Daniels, and James M. Whitney appear on the poll-list. Of these, Messrs. Collins and Stevens are now (1887) living.
In April, 1835, the election under direction of the Legislative Council of Michigan, was held at the School-house on Ten-Mile Creek Prairie. Horace Thacher and Stephen Haughton voted at this time, the former being now a resident of Toledo. This was the last election held in the Township under authority of Michigan; and the last recorded action under the same authority, consisted in laying out a road between Tremainesville and Toledo (now Cherry Street).
Among the laws enacted for the territory now the site of Toledo, was the following. Its re-enactment by the Legislature of Ohio, might meet with more resistance than did the original action in this section:
Be it enacted by the General Legislative Council of the Territory, That any Justice of the Peace, on conviction, may sentence any vagrant, lewd, idle or disorderly persons, stubborn servants, common drunkards, common night-walkers, pilferers, or any other persons wanton or licentious in speech, indecent behavior, common raiders or brawlers, such as neglect their calling or employment, misspend what they earn, and do not provide for themselves or their families, to be whipped not exceeding ten stripes, or to be delivered over to the Constable, to be employed in labor, not exceeding three months, by such Constable to be hired out for the best wages that can be procured, the proceeds of which to be applied to the use of the poor of the County.
Made, adopted and published at Detroit, the 27th day of July, 1818.
LEWIS CASS,
Governor of the Territory of Michigan.