2000 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY stumps of the original black walnuts, and they are of much value. I am told that they are taken by car loads from this, the Black Swamp region of Ohio, to the eastern cities and sawed into veneering strips for furniture, the roots being rich in hue and beautiful in graining." In his tour through Williams County in 1887, Howe the historian wrote that "Bryan has a- neat, domestic air, and is New England like in its general appearance. The courthouse square is large and well shaded. It is the northwesternmost courthouse in Ohio, and therefore it is but a short distance into the realms of Michigan, the land of the wolverines, and Indiana, the land of the Hoosiers, with the people of whom those in this corner of Ohio have more or less of business and social relations. The entire county, at the time of the issue of my first edition (1846) , had but about 6,000 population, and Bryan but a few hundred. Being densely wooded, emigrants passed this region of Ohio for the more easily tilled prairie lands farther west, and so it slowly filled up. As a recompense it got a solid, sturdy body of pioneers ready to swing axes into some of the hardest sort of wood. In the afternoon of November 23d (1887) , I rode in a hack to West Unity, distance about ten miles, to see Dr. Frank O. Hart, an active member of the Ohio Historical Society, and who has a fine cabinet of ancient relics. The ride over was pleasant, through a rich, level country. The farms are large, the farm-houses white, the barns have windows and are often painted red. As the landscape, woods and fields were brown and sere, the red barns enlivened the scenery. Many of them were immense, and filled with the fat of the land in the line of corn, wheat and oats. The wind pumps to draw the water were unusually plentiful. They add to the picturesque; so white farm-houses, red barns, apple orchards, wind pumps, level fields, tall woods and a gloomy November sky after a morning of showers, were objects to occupy my eyes as I passed along." As Williams County's population gradually increased and settlements sprang up in the "back woods" districts, it became apparent that Defiance was too far from the center of future activities for the county seat. In selecting a new location, Hicksville, Milford, Farmer and Washington townships in now Defiance county were most active. Consequently, on the first Monday in December, 1839, Joseph Burns of Coshocton, James Culbertson of Perry and Joseph McCutchin of Crawford County, were selected by a resolution passed by the Ohio legislature, to TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2001 locate a more convenient seat of justice. Among the candidates for the honor were Williams Center and Pulaski, with the extinct town of Freedom. Miller Arrowsmith, a civil enginee, had also surveyed a town for John A. Bryan of Columbus, who at the time was auditor of state. The surveyor named the plat Bryan in honor of the state official. Mr. Bryan, evidently a man of influence, in order to bring the county seat to his embryo village offered free, through the so called American Land Company, the public square in the center of the survey and two other lots for the county buildings. The situation of the new town site and the offer, were favorably reported upon by the commission and Bryan was selected as the permanent county capital. The first courthouse was built in 1840-1841, and the brick courthouse at Defiance was sold for private use. No other quarters being available while on their job, the surveyors of Bryan put up in tents. A notable feature of the survey is the fact that the two prominent streets, named Main and High, were laid out one hundred feet wide, unusual for a private survey. It is recorded that Daniel Wyatt built the first cabin in Bryan at one corner of the public square, also of logs. All early improvements hovered around the central square, at the side of which a little log building was used as the first schoolhouse with Miss Harriett Powell the first teacher, followed by A. J. Tressler. The first stock of general merchandise was brought to Bryan by William Yates, in the fall of 1841. He arrived there with his family of ten children and goods, from Wayne County by way of Defiance. From Defiance to Bryan the whole outfit was transported in wagons drawn by ox teams, and it took three laborious days to cover the distance of eighteen miles. As emigrants began to circulate through this section and a stopover place was needed, Thomas Shorthill built a tavern followed by two others opened up by Thomas McCurdy and John McDowell. The first pretentious tavern of frame, located on the square, as were most improvements, was established by Daniel Langel about 1842. He was one of the first to discover artesian water so bountiful in that. section. The vein was struck at a depth of sixty feet and the pressure was so strong that it supplied water throughout the building, in those days a striking innovation. An article on this subject written many years ago says : "The mineral water discharged from a deep well at Stryker is of a different character; it was struck at a depth of 230 feet below the surface. It does not overflow in virtue of its own head, but is 2002 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY thrown out periodically by violent discharges of hydro-sulphuric acid gas. This is constantly rising in some amount through the water, and at intervals of about six hours finds vent in great volume from some subterranean reservoir, and throws out in a foaming torrent many barrels of water. The water possesses medicinal properties of high value." Bryan's first manufacturing project was a tannery built by Jacob Youse, also in 1842; hence it can be seen that about this time the village began to assume some pretentions. Proceedings for incorporation were begun in the spring of 1849, and the election for village offices held June 15th that year, with a total of forty-two votes cast, resulted as follows: Mayor, Charles Case; recorder (clerk) John Well ; trustees, William Yates, Jacob Youse, E. Foster, Thomas Serrels and Jacob Over. These trustees appointed Benjamin Schmachtenberger, treasurer and John K. Morrow, marshal. Thus Bryan was started on its long career of prosperity and gradual growth to an important municipality. RELIGIOUS AND EDUCATIONAL The Methodist Episcopal denomination organized a class at Bryan in the fall of 1840, under the leadership of Zara Norton and the first services were held in Thomas Shorthill's tavern. Members of the class were Thomas and Elizabeth Shorthill, James Shorthill and Mary Kaufman. Services were later held in the old courthouse, then the schoolhouse, and finally a church was built in 1853. This was occupied until a substantial church was built in 1895. At one time there were sixteen Methodist societies in the circuit to which Bryan belonged, including Bean Creek and Pulaski. The first regular circuit riders who also preached in Indiana, were Rev. Henry Warner and Rev. Austin Coleman. The Presbyterian society of Bryan was organized in June, 1854, a sermon at the gathering being preached by Rev. J. M. Crabb. The members of the organization were : Alexander Connin and his wife Sarah, John and Harriet Kelley, James and Sarah Allen, William Hogden and Isabella M. Ogden and Jeannett Grim. Mr. Allen and Mr. Connin were chosen deacons and Mr. Ogden and Mr. Kelley as ruling elders. The society was incorporated in 1856 as the. Presbyterian Church and Society, Old School, but the name of the organization was later changed to the First Presbyterian Church and Society of Bryan. The first regular pastor was Rev. D. S. Anderson. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2003 St. Paul's German Evangelical Lutheran Society was organized in 1861 with eighteen members. The pastor was Rev. Herman Schmidt of the Ohio Synod. Alfred P. Edgerton donated the site for a church. The English Lutherans established an organization in February, 1875, with twelve members. Rev. F. A. Matthis was the first pastor. The First Universalist society of Bryan was organized by Rev. J. F. Rice in 1870, with a membership of twenty-one. The society after a prosperous record built a brick church in 1876. The Baptist society at this time (1929) has no regular established pastor. The St. Patrick's Catholic organization long established with a commodious church, is in a flourishing condition with Father John Bruin the present pastor. Mention has been made of the little log schoolhouse where the youth of early Bryan were drilled faithfully in the "three R's." The city now has an efficiently organized school system with fine buildings and equipment. Prof. J. W. Wyandt, long identified with school work in Williams County and well known as an educator throughout Ohio is the superintendent, which position he has held for a long period. Bryan's business district still hovers about the courthouse square as in the days of old. All classes of retail trade are represented by high class dealers. Several important manufacturing plants have their home here, and one of the greatest incomes realized by the surrounding farming interests comes from dairying and milk production. Three strong banking institutions are represented by the Farmers National Bank, First National Bank and the Union Savings Bank, with ample resources to take care of the community demands. The story of the early newspapers of Williams County is related in the history of Defiance County. Bryan's first newspaper venture was The Northwest (democratic) launched by Thomas H. Blaker in 1845. But publication was suspended within the year, when the enterprise was revived by J. W. Wiley as The Williams County Democrat. Wiley went to the Mexican war, and finally in 1847 came William A. Hunter, who thought to better his condition by moving the plant to West Unity, where with T. S. C. Morrison, a Free-Soil, Equal Rights democratic organ was started. Next, at Montpelier Judge Joshua Dobbs established a democratic paper which died an early death. The Bryan Democrat, one of the recognized well established newspapers of Northwestern Ohio, was founded by Robert N. Patter- 2004 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY son, and the first issue appeared April 30, 1863. Patterson was the publisher, continuously for nearly twenty years, and the paper has had a prosperous career under able management. The Williams County Gazette was launched in 1857, by Isaac R. Sherwood, the late well known Toledo congressman, with J. Palmiter editor. Various changes took place in the management, and the beginning of the Civil war found Sherwood the owner, the name of the paper then being The Leader. Sherwood joined the army, but his name was attached with that of J. H. Sherwood who became the editor. Another paper, the Republican Standard, was launched about 1857 by Starr & Spencer, with Alvin Spencer editor. Later the plant was taken over by I. R. Sherwood, with Robert N. Taber editor in 1868. In 1869 the name of the publication was changed to the Bryan Press and Gen. C. P. Hayes became editor and proprietor. Later (Judge) C. A. Bowersox became editor and S. Gillis business manager. The Press with Carleton S. Roe since 1889 owner and manager, has had a most prosperous career. Bryan has had other newspapers but the Press and Democrat now thoroughly cover the field. Montpelier's first paper, the organ of the Spiritualists, was named The Eagle; the second was the Star of The West, started in 1855 by T. D. Montgomery. Both ventures were short lived, and in 1880, the Montpelier Enterprise was established by Ford & Smalley. Williams County, in the smaller enterprising towns, has several other newspapers, but space will not allow the details of their history. OTHER THRIVING MUNICIPALITIES There are few counties in Ohio which can boast of as many enterprising and prosperous towns as are found in Williams County. One reason for this is the fine agricultural region and also the distance from a large city. Pioneer, in the north part of the county, in Madison township, was laid out about 1840, on land entered by James A. Rogers. It was in an isolated section and Rogers employed two men, P. W. Norris and Owen McCarty, to clear a tract of some ten acres where the town was located. One of the men built a shanty which was then several miles from any habitation. Silander or Philander Johnson, was one of the first permanent settlers, and a post office was established there in 1851 with P. W. Norris postmaster. About 1853 the first plat of the town was laid out for Mr. Norris who named his embryo village Pioneer. The first TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2005 store in the place was opened by Joseph Rogers in 1854, and the same year Andrew Irvin built the Pioneer House. The town was incorporated in 1876, with William Siddall the first mayor; H. S. Shoemaker, clerk; Emery Sidley, marshal; Henry Harley, treasurer, and Martin Perkey, George Young, E. H. Kenrick, G. R. Joy, Simeon Durbin and A. D. Ewan, councilmen. Even at that date Pioneer was quite a town, for 117 votes were cast at the first municipal election. A sketch of Pioneer written in 1887, says "It is an important wool market, and a large creamery leads its industries. Newspaper—Tri-State Alliance, J. C. DeWitt, editor. Churches—United Brethren, Methodist Episcopal, Baptist. Population, 1880, 754." Montpelier, located near the center of the county, on the St. Joseph River, is about nine miles north of Bryan and on the Wabash railroad. The first plat was surveyed for Thomas Ogle in 1845. The first general store was opened by C. W. Mallory. When the village was incorporated in 1875, the first mayor was J. D. Kriebel, with Jacob Len, clerk, John Allen treasurer, and Jesse Blue marshal. Had Montpelier been born a little earlier, it would probably have been made the county seat. As far back as 1887, it had important wood-working industries including an oar and handle factory, boasted of two newspapers, a bank and six churches. West Unity, ten miles northeast of Bryan on the better known Cincinnati Northern railroad and in Brady township, was platted in 1842 for John Rings a large land owner in that locality, whose sawmill was one of the first improvements. Henry Kline, it is recorded, built the first home in the village. The first store was opened by a Mr. Hasting. The town was incorporated in 1866 with H. H. Peppard mayor; C. W. Skinner clerk; E. S. Davis treasurer; Alfred Stoner marshal; and Dr. J. M. Runnion, Dr. G. W. Finck, J. M. Webb, J. Kline and George R. Kline, councilmen. The first masonic lodge in Williams County was instituted at West Unity in 1849, with W. A. Hunter the first worshipful master. Stryker, with now the New York Central railroad main line as an outlet, and the Toledo & Indiana electric, was surveyed for E. L. Barber of Wauseon and John A. Sargent in 1853, and named for John Stryker, an official of the "Air Line" as the New York Central was called at the time of its construction. William Letcher was the first merchant of the new town and a sawmill was built for Walter Haywood & Company who hailed from 2006 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Fitchburg, Mass. Stryker was incorporated in 1863. The first mayor was William Sheridan, Jr.; clerk, John S. Kingsland; marshal, N. B. McGrew; treasurer, O. G. Smith; councilmen, E. P. Willard, S. N. Webb, C. E. Woodworth, John Barnhart, C. C. Stubbs, and D. C. Clover. In 1887, the village already had a newspaper, the Advance, good schools and four churches—the Catholic, Methodist, Universalist and United Brethren. Edgerton, in the southwest corner of Williams County on the St. Joseph River and in St. Joseph township, was established in a heavily timbered section, and logging and mill work was an early industry. It was named for a prominent pioneer, Alfred P. Edgerton, who came to Ohio in the spring of 1837 to take charge, as agent, of the lands of Hicks & Company and The American Land Company. He established a land selling office at Hicksville in then Williams County, now in Defiance County. He was most successful in his dealings and sold some 107,000 acres of the lands of Hicks & Company and The American Land Company. He purchased some 37,000 acres of the lands himself in 1852, and thousands of acres of the finest farms in Northwestern Ohio and especially in that section, belonged to these tracts. In 1845, Mr. Edgerton was elected to the Ohio senate from the district comprised of Williams, Defiance, Paulding, Van Wert, Mercer, Auglaize, Allen, Putnam, Henry and a part of now Fulton County. He went to congress in 1850. His home for many years was at Hicksville. The town of Edgerton forged ahead early and is still a prosperous municipality in a thrifty and progressive community. Other towns and hamlets with interesting histories, are Edon, Blakeslee named for Schuyler Blakeslee, a Bryan attorney, Kunkle started by John Kunkle, Cooney, Columbia, Bridgewater Center, Alvordton, Primrose, Hamer, Pulaski, West Jefferson and Berlin. CHAPTER XC FULTON COUNTY NAMED FOR STEAMBOAT INVENTOR-COUNTY HAS NO LARGE STREAMS- EARLY ARRIVALS-ATTORNEYS-PHYSICIANS-NEWSPAPERS-TOWNS- RECOLLECTIONS. Fulton, named in honor of Robert Fulton, the steamboat inventor, was the last county organized from the Indian lands of this northwest section of Ohio, ceded to the government by the lower Maumee River treaty of 1817. The date of the formative act was February 28, 1850, and the territory for the new county was taken from the counties of Lucas, Henry and Williams. It was not because there were no early settlements in the present County of Fulton that caused its late organization, for there were many pioneers in this locality at a comparatively early day. However, as the population increased the settlers in the more distant points from their county seat of either Toledo, Bryan or Napoleon (depending upon where they were located) found it inconvenient to travel the distances they were compelled to when transacting county business. In consequence of the conditions, the leaders of the unfavored sections banded themselves together to procure the organization of a new county. Among those at the head of the movement were Nathaniel Liggett, A. C. Hough, Stephen Springer, William Hall, Mortimer D. Hibbard and Michael Handy. The legislative act creating the county reads as follows: "Sec. 1. Be it enacted, etc., That such parts of the counties of Lucas, Henry and Williams, as are embraced in the boundaries hereinafter described be, and the same are hereby created into a separate and distinct county, which shall be known by the name of Fulton, to-wit : Beginning on the State line between the States of Ohio and Michigan, at northeast corner of township nine, south of range four, east of the Michigan meridian; thence south on the township line to the southeast corner of town ten, south of range four, east, on the Fulton line; thence west on said Fulton line to the northeast corner of town eight north, of range eight, - 2007 - 30-VOL. 2 2008 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY east; thence south to the southeast corner of section number twelve in township six, north, of range eight, east; thence west on section number seven in township six, range five, east, on the county line between the counties of Henry and Williams; thence north on said line to the southeast corner of town seven, north, of range four, east; thence west on said township line to the southwest corner of section number thirty-five, in said town seven, north, of range four, east; thence north on the section lines to the Fulton line; thence west on said Fulton line to the, southwest corner of section number eleven, in town ten, south, of range one, west, of the Michigan meridian ; thence north on section lines to said State line; thence easterly with said State line to the place of beginning." The act further provided that all suits pending in the counties of Lucas, Henry and Williams should be carried to a conclusion in those counties the same as if Fulton County had not been established; and for judicial purposes the county was attached to the Thirteenth Judicial District. Like Lucas and Williams, the northern section of Fulton, north of the "Fulton line," until the Ohio-Michigan boundary controversy was settled in favor of Ohio, was considered a part of Lenawee County, Michigan and under its judicial jurisdiction. The residents paid their taxes at Adrian and transacted their legal business there. Fulton County joins the state of Michigan on the north, Lucas County on the east, Henry County on the south and Williams County on the west. It is oblong in shape and its township subdivisions are as follows : Gorman, Chesterfield, Royalton, Amboy, Franklin, Dover, Pike, Fulton, German, Clinton, York and Swan Creek. There are no large streams in Fulton County. From an imperceptible elevation in the central part of the county the natural drainage systems in the northeastern section run eastward; the southeastern part of the county is drained southward into the Maumee and the western section through Brush Creek and Bean Creek or Tiffin River, southwesterly also into the Maumee. As indicated, the principal streams in the western sections of Fulton are Brush and Bean creeks; in the southeastern section running southerly, Turkey, Bad and Blue creeks; in the northeast Bear Creek, and Ten Mile Creek, the headwaters of Ottawa River; in the central eastern section, the headwaters of Swan Creek. There are, or were, in early years, more evidences of the Mound Builders in present Fulton County than in any county in 2010 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Northwestern Ohio. Pike township alone contained twenty-three mounds, and in the county there were six enclosures. For more particulars of this subject reference is made to the early chapter on these pre-historic people. The section was also a favorite of the Indians of history, Wauseon, the present county seat, told about later, was named for an Ottawa chief, who, quoting from the late D. W. H. Howard, with his followers roamed along the creeks and over the beaches of the glacial lakes Whittlesey and Warren which show prominently in Fulton County. The name Wauseon in the Ottawa tongue signifies "far off." The chief named Wauseon, was a magnificent speciman of ideal Indian physique, gifted and intelligent. He had three respected half-brothers prominent in the southeast section toward the Maumee River. The name of the elder half-brother was Ottokee, perpetuated also in the village of that name, three miles north of Wauseon. He was six feet in height, weighed some two hundred pounds, was eloquent in speech, and withal vehement in voice and graceful in gesture. No-tin-no (the calm) and Wausenoka, were the other half-brothers. Wausenoka was at one time the head chief of the Maumee Ottawas, but strong drink was his ruin. When the earliest arrivals appeared in the Fulton County area, the land office was at Monroe. Upon Eli Phillips, evidently rests the honor of being the first white settler in the county. Phillips Corners took his name, where he entered a tract of land in 1832, upon which he built a log cabin the following year to ensconce his young wife. Among others arriving the same year named by Mr. Howard were, Valentine Winslow who located in Pike township, William Meeker, who selected lands for his home in Swanton township, while Alva, Aaron and David Steadman, Jared Hoadley, Charles and William Blain, Frank O'Neil, John and Joseph Roop and Alfred Gilson, establish settlements in Amboy township. Others following, were George, Thomas and James W. Mikesell, and George Mikesell, Jr., David Hobart arrived in 1833, and in 1834, Chesterfield Clemons from York state settled with his family in what became Chesterfield township, evidently named in his honor. Even before there were any settlers in Fulton, Joseph Bates spent two or three winters hunting and trapping in this territory, and becoming attached to the surroundings, he located in the western part of the present county in 1833 and built a cabin where he entertained the wilderness wanderers and emigrants; TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2011 his hospitable quarters taking the name of "J. Bates Inn." Even after settling here permanently, he followed his old, fascinating vocation. German township took its name from the large number of Ger-mans who settled there. Among the early arrivals here were George Meister, Jacob Bender, Moses Kibbler, Jacob Greenday, Christian Lauber, Christian Reigsker and Henry and Jacob Roth. It was not long. until this German colony numbered over forty, most of whom were from the village of Millhauser, Switzerland. Where Jared Hoadley, mentioned, took up his land in now Amboy township in the summer of 1833, he brought on his family in the following fall. His trading point, and where he took his corn and possibly wheat to mill to be ground, was Tecumseh, Michigan. At times the wilderness trail over unbridged streams was almost impassable. With ox teams the round trip took nearly a week when conditions were bad. Charles and William Blain referred to, arrived in 1833 by way of the Toledo section. Both raised large families and a history of Fulton county says that the mother of the Blains lived to the age of 104 years. When William James, known as "Long Bill," settled here in 1836, his cabin, size 14x16 feet, was "raised" by himself, two white men, Aaron Little and William Jones, a boy named Jacob Boyers, and two Indians. A jug of whiskey was the incentive to secure the help of the Indians. When the act was passed providing for the organization of Fulton County, Mathias H. Nichols of Allen County, Laurin Dewey of Franklin County and John Riley of Carroll County were appointed commissioners to select a location for the county seat. Of the embryo villages aspiring for the honor, were Delta, Spring Hill and Fluharts Corners. Arguments were heard by the commissioners from the various aspirants, when none of the points seemed satisfactory or properly located. As a consequence a site was selected in the wilderness in nearly the center of the county and in Dover township. The location needed a name and of those present at the meeting, Dresden W. H. Howard was called upon by the commissioners for a suggestion. Saturated with Indian lore, Mr. Howard proposed Ottokee the name of the Indian chief told about. The name was immediately accepted. The act organizing the county provided that the choice of the commissioners should be ratified by the people at an election. At the first election Ottokee received only a plurality of the votes cast and a second vote was required. At this election Ottokee re- 2012 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY ceived a good majority and the question was settled, although there was much dissatisfaction in some quarters. Work of constructing county buildings was immediately set on foot and in 1851 the first courthouse, a frame building, two stories, size about 40x85 feet, was completed with offices for the county officials on the ground floor and the court room above. The builder was Amos H. Jordan and the cost was about $5,500. A jail was built in 1853, constructed of heavy timber and planking.' The sheriff's residence was joined to the jail. The act providing for the organization of the county also further provided that court should be held at some convenient point in Pike township until the courthouse was completed. Accordingly the associate judges, A. C. Hough, John Kendall and William Parmalee, selected the cabin of Robert A. Howard as the point, where the first term of court was held in 1850. Judge Saddler presided at the session, his associates being William Parmalee, Socrates H. Cately and Abraham Flickinger. There being little business before the court, the court with attorneys and spectators indulged in a game of ball to work off their surplus energy. Naturally, as soon as the county buildings were completed the court sessions. were held in the upper story of the court-house. In the meantime Ottokee grew and prospered until a railroad was built through the county, now the main line of the New York Central, between Toledo and Chicago. This brought up the agitation for a change of the location of the county seat by Wauseon interests and under an act of the legislature another vote was taken in 1863, resulting in a defeat for Wauseon. Delta then came to the front with claims for the seat of justice, but with Wauseon joining the opposition, Delta was defeated by a large majority. With a railroad, Wauseon as a town developed In importance and disaster came to Ottokee when the courthouse there was destroyed by fire with practically all the county records. The town, however, had sufficient hold upon public sentiment to cause the county commissioners to build a new brick structure for court purposes, and a separate building for county offices, on property adjoining. All went well for Ottokee until the settlement along. the railroad and at Wauseon and Delta again clamored for a change. Wauseon interests raised a fund of $5,000 to be applied on the construction of new county buildings there and Isaac Springer trustee of this fund, deposited the amount, with the county commissioners, Alfred B. Gunn, Joseph Ely and Milton O. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2013 McCaskey. Lots for the county buildings were also deeded to those officials. With this situation before the taxpayers, at a spe-cial election, Wauseon finally came out a victor. The present courthouse, which has since been improved and enlarged, was built under contract by H. B. Ensman and Alexander Voss. While Wauseon became the county seat in 1871, they had no jail and for some four years the sheriff maintained his residence at Ottokee, and confined his prisoners in the old quarters there. When Wauseon became the full fledged county seat, a board of county infirmary directors was organized and the old county buildings at Ottokee were turned into an infirmary for the poor and aged ; such institutions now being known as county homes. ATTORNEYS The attorneys of Fulton County before its organization were Reuben C. Lemmon, Amos Hill and Lucius H. Upham. Mr. Lemmon later located in Toledo and was for years on the Common Pleas bench of Lucas County. He was early a resident of Tiffin, where he was admitted to the bar. On leaving Wauseon, before going to Toledo, he practiced law in Maumee, in partnership with Henry S. Cummuger. Hill was admitted to the bar at Bryan, Williams County, and before Wauseon was made the county seat of Fulton was located at Ottokee. Upham was older in the pro-fession, having practiced law at Wooster for some years before moving to Fulton County. When Fulton and Lucas counties comprised the same district, he was a member of the Ohio house of representatives. John H. Reid, in his younger years a school teacher, was Fulton's first prosecuting attorney, later established himself in the profession at Bowling Green, the county seat of Wood County, where he was long a leading member of the bar. Michael Handy was the next prosecuting attorney of Fulton. Judge W. H. Handy was also for a long period a prominent local attorney, later locat-ing at Ottawa, Putnam County. Nathaniel Leggett or Liggett, was an early resident of Fulton County and was identified with its early development. On his visits to the new City of Toledo, he became acquainted with some of the members of the legal profes-sion there, decided to become a lawyer, and borrowing some of the old expositions on the subject, between seasons of felling trees and burning log heaps, applied himself to the fundamentals and became a prominent attorney. He was one of the founders of Wauseon and later treasurer of the county. 2014 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Further mention of the attorneys prominent in the early days of Fulton County is made in the story of the early courts of the Maumee and Sandusky region. Moses R. Brailey arrived at Nor-walk, Ohio from the East in 1837, when 21 years of age. After practicing law there for many years where he held the office of prosecuting attorney, he located in Fulton County in 1852, and was elected to the same office. Enlisting in the Civil war, he was commissioned captain of Company F, 38th O. V. I. After several promotions he was discharged for disability in 1864, and breveted brigadier-general. He assisted in the organization and equip-ment of eleven regiments of Ohio troops for field service and was appointed pay agent for the State of Ohio with headquarters at Columbus. In his official capacity he "collected and distributed several millions of dollars without the loss of a cent." He held the office of comptroller of the state treasury for two terms and in 1872 returned to Wauseon and again engaged in the practice of law. His death occurred in 1888 at the age of 72 years. PHYSICIANS The lives of the early physicians of Fulton County were much the same as experienced by the pioneers of that profession in other sections. A saddlebag filled with calomel and quinine, and a knife for bleeding, together with something of the fundamentals of anatomy, was about all that was required ; although there were of course some physicians with fine medical educations. William Holland who located in the county in 1842 was one of the earliest doctors of that region. He was about 79 years old when he first settled in Fulton but continued in the practice for some time. In 1847, William Hyde an Englishman, upon his arrival engaged in farming. He also took up the work of a physician and was so successful that he quit farming, moved to Spring Hill, and finally to Wauseon. Dr. James J. Kittredge located at Chesterfield in 1846 and afterwards located at Morenci, Michigan. In 1842 when Spring Hill was in Lucas County, N. W. Jewell located there and administered to the needs of the sick, although without medical education. He later studied medicine and surgery and returned to Wauseon in 1856 where he also practiced dentistry. Among other early physicians of Fulton, were Drs. Este11 H. Rorick, W. A. Scott and Josiah H. Bennett. Dr. Bennett was a man of learning, being a member of the International Medical Congress which held a session in London in 1881. The school system of Fulton is classed in the front rank of TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2015 the eighty-eight counties of Ohio. When county superintendency was established in this state, the first county superintendent of Fulton county was Prof. C. J. Biery, who held the position until called to a professorship in the Bowling Green State College, where he is still engaged. He was followed as county superintendent by Prof. C. D. Perry who was also called to the Bowling Green institution where he now holds the position of Registrar. The present first class high schools of Fulton County are : Wauseon, Delta, Swanton, Archbold, Metamora, Lyons, Fayette, Fulton at Ai, Pettisville and Chesterfield Centralized, all with well equipped buildings. NEWSPAPERS As was the case in general in early years, the newspaper history of Fulton County has been kaleidoscopic. Wauseon has the Wauseon Republican with Frank H. Rieghard owner and editor, and the Democratic-Expositor with W. J. Puckston proprietor, who also owns the Swanton Enterprise--all prosperous institu-tions. Delta and Fulton County are also ably represented by the Delta Atlas, published by the Atlas Printing Company. C. R. P. Waltz, the head of the institution, is also prominent in various other Delta enterprises and is one of the town's prosperous citi-zens. Then there is the Fayette Review, Charles E. Yost, pro-prietor ; Metamora Record, Clyde H. McComb, proprietor ; Arch-bold Advocate, L. D. Burgoon; Archbold Buckeye, W. O. Taylor. Delta evidently had the first newspaper in Fulton County, started in 1851, by Lewis W. Stum and called the Fulton County Democrat. In 1852 a Mr. Rosenberg became the proprietor, who considered Ottokee a better location for the enterprise and consequently took up quarters at the first county seat. J. W. Carter and H. B. Bayes then became the owners and when Mr. Bayes became the sole owner and editor he disposed of the plant and it was moved to Morenci, Michigan. Thus is told the story of Fulton County's pioneer newspaper. When Rosenberg moved the Democrat up to Ottokee it apparently left an opening for a newspaper at Delta and Stum tried his hand again and started the Delta Independent Press, but soon disposed of the new venture to Martin Butler who espoused the cause of Democracy. When the Civil war broke out the paper suspended and the outfit was moved to Wauseon and became the Fulton County Democrat. The story runs that William Aultman, Jr., was associated with Butler here and that when several Union 2016 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY soldiers were home on furlough, not liking the tone of the anti-war organ, they dumped the forms and material into the street and the Democrat failed to survive the shock. There were many incidents of this character during the stirring times of the rebellion. When the first Democrat was moved to Morenci from Ottokee, B. F. Montgomery who figured conspicuously in early journalism in Northwestern Ohio, established The Signal at the latter place. A few months later the plant was carted over to Montpelier, Will-iams County. The last paper born at Ottokee was the Democrat (the third) with Henry McElhiney editor. A new publisher, H. Day, soon took charge, made his ward independent in politics and called it The Mirror. Later it was merged with the Wauseon Sentinel, which was started in 1855 by H. B. Hayes and John D. Hunter and later taken over by the Northwest Republican op-erated by Isaac R. Sherwood and published by his brother James H. Sherwood when the former entered the army. M. P. Brewer who for years was editor and publisher of the Wood County Sentinel of Bowling Green, was at one time connected with the paper. The Northwest Republican was first known as The Republican, took the former name in 1858 and later adopted the title of The Republican again. J. H. Sherwood and his sons operated the paper successfully for many years. The Democratic-Expositor already referred to, was established in 1875, by the well known attorney and later judge, W. H. Handy. About 1877, J. H. Bollmeyer became the editor and proprietor and guided the enterprise successfully until his death in 1898. The Fulton County Tribune which ceased publication a year or two since, was founded by J. H. Fluhart and Albert B. Smith and for some years was one of the prominent journalistic enterprises of Wauseon. An early publication which was not long lived, was the Fulton County Union, started by J. C. French. FULTON COUNTY'S MUNICIPALITIES Wauseon, as elsewhere indicated, was surveyed in 1854 by a syndicate made up of Nathaniel Liggett, Epaphras L. Barber, John Sargent and William Hall. The town was incorporated in 1859. When the present Toledo-Chicago Division of the New York Central was located, it was known as the Southern Michigan & Northern Indiana Railroad. It missed Ottokee, something over three miles to the northward, consequently, a new town necessarily was established on the railroad. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2017 At the time the railroad line was run, Mr. Barber and Mr. Sargent, then of Cleveland, were among the engineers making the survey. Ascertaining that a station was to be located in the vicinity, or perhaps having an understanding with the road projectors, the syndicate purchased 160 acres of land from Thomas Bayes where they platted the town and first decided to call it Litchfield after one of the directors of the road. As there was another Litchfield the name was discarded and Wauseon chosen according to the story already told. The cabin of Mr. Bayes was the only sign of civilization on the quarter section syndicate pur-chase when the town was established. What was intended for and is the main street of the plat was laid out, one hundred feet wide and named Fulton; evidently in honor of Robert Fulton the steamboat inventor, the same as the county, and not for John A. Fulton, the engineer who surveyed the line, claimed by Michi-gan as the boundary between Ohio and that state. The latter would hardly have been so honored by Ohio interests. The streets of Wauseon running north and south are named for famous men and the streets running east and west for trees indigenous to the site. The first mayor of the village was Nathaniel Liggett, followed by E. L. Barber, who became a banker and at one time was one of Wauseon's leading capitalists. The first house built after the town was platted was put up by E. L. Hayes in the center of the present business district. It was a two-story frame, the lower floor being occupied as a general store and the second story for the Hayes family home. John Williams built the first tavern there, situated at the corner of Fulton and Beach streets and known as the Estelle House. It was also a two-story frame struc-ture. The first landlords were D. O. and W. E. Livermore. It was later known as the Clinton House and then the Sherman House. For years it was the leading hotel of that section. The Wauseon House the second tavern, was first operated by George M. Hawes, and also became a popular hostelry. Wauseon now has all classes of mercantile business represented by fine up-to-date establishments, operated by merchants of thrift and enter-prise. The financial interests are taken care of by two strong, progressive banking institutions, the First National Bank organized in 1904 and the People's State Bank started in 1889. Both in-stitutions have fine records. One of the most valuable manufac-turing establishments is the Van Camp Packing Company, a milk 2018 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY condensery, which brings a large income to the rich, surrounding farming sections. Turning again to the Wauseon schools, the first schoolhouse there, evidently of logs, was built in 1854, Miss Zerida Scott being the first teacher. In 1856 a two-room frame building was completed which served its purpose until a brick schoolhouse was built in 1868, on Monroe Street at Monumental Park. This was followed by better equipment as the population increased. The Methodists were among the first in the field in the Wauseon section. In the early '30s services were held in the log cabin homes of the pioneers, then in the schoolhouses, and in season, even in the broad open. One of the first ministers of this de-nomination to preach in the neighborhood, was Rev. Uriah Spencer, who in 1835, located on a piece of land some two miles west of Wauseon. A Methodist class was organized in 1838 followed by a noted revival in the winter of 1838-39, under the direction of the revivalist Rev. W. W. Winters. Wauseon's first church, a frame structure, situated at the corner of Fulton and Elm streets, was of this faith and was dedicated in 1857 by the still remembered Rev. Thomas N. Barkdull presiding elder of the district and who later took upon himself the gown of Episcopalianism. The society prospered and a new brick church which has been improved from time to time, was dedicated in 1875. Nearly all the old guard among the Methodist ministers have been stationed at Wauseon. Other churches at this place as far back as 1888, were the Congregational, Baptist, Church of Christ, United Brethren and Catholic ; to which have been added the Lutheran and Evangelical societies. The Congregational Society was organized in 1856 and a church built in 1861 at the corner of South Fulton and Cherry streets. This frame building was used until a fine new structure of brick was completed in 1904. The Lutheran Society so prospered that they completed a modern brick edifice in 1915, and the Evangelical Association organized in 1_895, occupied a new frame house of worship the following year. The United Brethren Society here owes its organization to an old Wauseon resident, John Miller, who built in 1874 a small meeting-house called Miller Chapel. The organization prospered from the beginning and a substantial brick church was built by the society and dedicated by Bishop Weaver of Westerville, in the late sum-mer of 1880. The Catholic organization of Wauseon was established in 1865, through the efforts of Father J. C. Vogt. In 1874 the old Methodist Church was purchased and moved to a location TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2019 on Clinton Street and christened as St. Caspars Church. The building being destroyed by fire, a modern structure was built at the corner of Jefferson and Clinton streets. The present pastor is Rev. Albert Pessefall. The Church of Christ Society dates from 1862 and a church was built in 1864. The first pastor was Rev. L. Berry Smith. The first pastor of the Baptist Society or-ganized in 1864, was Rev. George Leonard. Their church edifice was built in 1868. Just why one of the northern tributaries of the Maumee is called Bad Creek, which reaches the parent stream at Texas and Henry County, is not clear; for it is quite a picturesque stream. Along its headwaters at an early day located James McQuilling and G. B. Lewis, within the present limits of Delta. While both men were pioneer farmers, McQuilling built a sawmill on the creek bank and Lewis a tavern. An innovation was the fact that Lewis kept no bar and sold no liquor. And a digression is made here to say that ever since that time Delta has been noted as a temperance stronghold and a town of law and order. Lewis was a very religious character and his tavern was headquarters for church services. He also kept a small stock of goods and it is said that it smote his conscience to keep even tobacco for his customers. His place, at once a store, tavern, church and dwelling house, was the germ of the village of Delta, which makes it really the oldest town in Fulton County, unless the old town of Swanton, now on the Lucas County side is considered. It is now one of Fulton's most prosperous municipalities, its financial interests being taken care of by two strong banking institutions, the Farmers State Bank and the People's Savings Bank. The first move in the form of a banking house was made in 1868 by David C. Teeple private enterprise. Later, Dr. Ramsey became sole owner with and Dr. William Ramsey who established the Bank of Delta, a his son N. E. Ramsey as cashier. The institution went out of business in 1907. The Farmers National Bank was organized in 1901 and in 1914 was reorganized as The Farmers State Bank under the Ohio banking laws. The People's Savings Bank opened for business in 1906. The first frame house in Delta was built by D. Kenyon, and George Wood with his family located within the town limits in 1839. Next to the trading point of Lewis, James Trowbridge was the first regular merchant, followed by Eli Kitts of Maumee. All lines of business are now well represented in Delta by enterprising merchants who are prosperous. and progressive. 2020 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY One of the important enterprises is the milk condensery of the Van Camp Packing Company, which distributes large sums monthly to the surrounding farm interests. The first election for township officials of York township was held at York Center, June 30, 1836. The first church society at Delta was the Presbyterian which is now in an advanced, prosperous condition. As early as 1888, other churches here were the Methodist Episcopal, United Brethren and Free Methodist. Swanton, located on its extreme eastern border, is one of Fulton County's most prosperous municipalities. The old part of the village known as East Swanton is now within the bounds, of Lucas County. Swanton post office was established in 1854. Among the earliest settlers was the Curtis family. One of the early indications of civilization here was the tavern known as the "Farmers Inn" kept by a Mr. Starr, a second public house being opened by John T. Teachworth. An early merchant was William Geyser, a veteran of the Civil war. Prominent later in the development of Swanton were the Pilliods and the Baker interests, and three institutions which add greatly to the wealth of Swanton are the A. D. Baker Company, manufacturers of traction engines and thrashers, the Pilliod Company, manufacturers of valves and other equipment, and the Pilliod Cabinet Company, makers of wood chests and cabinets. The financial interests of the section are subserved by the Farmers & Merchants Deposit Company, organized in 1901, and which has had a steady growth. One of Swanton's pleasing enterprises is her annual Corn Festival held each fall and largely attended from a wide section. The village on the Toledo-Chicago highway also has one of the finest tourists' camps along the route. Good schools and thriving church societies add to the desirability of Swanton as a residential section. The pastor of St. Richard's Catholic Church is now Rev. A. J. Roach. The thriving Village of Fayette, near the border line of Michigan, was early known as Forham, a post office of that name being established in 1839 in the home of Erastus Cottrell, who was the first postmaster. The pioneer merchant was Henry Boyd, who opened a store there in 1852. Some time later Dr. Joseph O. Allen and Rensallaer S. Humphrey, built a steam grist mill and sawmill, when the settlement took on village airs. In 1871, John 'S. Butler built 'and began the operation of a planing mill with a lumber yard in connection. The Bank of Fayette was that town's first banking institu- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2021 tion, opened about 1881. The Fayette State Savings Bank was organized in 1906, and in 1913, took over the assets and business of the Bank of Fayette. One of Fayette's early educational movements was the or-ganization in 1881 of The Fayette Normal, Music and Business College which was conducted there until 1892, when it was re-moved to Wauseon. At the latter place it was known as the Wauseon Normal and Collegiate Institute, but was closed after being in operation a short period. Upon the removal of this institution, another Fayette Normal was established which ceased operations in 1905. The building of the Air Line railroad from Toledo to Chicago brought many new towns into existence, among which was Arch-bold, another enterprising town of Fulton County. The date of its birth was 1855. It prospered from the first and with espe-cially well equipped schools, good churches and enterprising busi-ness interests, is decidedly on the map. Lyons, established about 1850, was first known as Moreys Corners. Metamora, in the extreme northeast corner of Fulton County, was platted on land owned by Jonathan Saunders, but a grist mill was built there as early as 1845 and Hezekiah Culver had a general store there some three years later. Pettisville, located between Wauseon and Archbold, is also a thriving village. Other towns and ham-lets include Brailey, Eckley, Burlington, Elmira, Ritter and Oak Shade. The pioneer experiences of D. W. H. Howard who spent his last days in Fulton County, are told in the chapter of "Reminiscences." Concerning Fulton County and other matters Mr. How-ard also wrote that "the first settlers within the present limits of Fulton County were Valentine Winslow (whose wife was Celia Howard, a cousin of mine) , Col. Eli Phillips and David Hobart, who came in the summer of 1833, all of whom have long since passed to the other shore. The agriculture of the country was at this time so limited, that it scarcely produced sufficient for the support of the inhabitants; but the wild game of the country (such as wild turkey, venison and bear meat), which was abundant, made up for the deficiency. "There were several large Indian villages in the vicinity of the Maumee Indian Mission. Tone-tog-a-nee (at the mouth of the creek) ; Na-wash village on the Indian island immediately opposite the mission; and on the opposite side of the river Awp-a-to-wa-jo-win, or Kin-jo-a-no's Town, on the Indian reservation 2022 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY (opposite my father's at the head of the Rapids) ; San-wa-co-sack, on the Auglaize above Fort Defiance; and a large village at the mouth of the river and along the bay, with numerous smaller towns of less note located on the banks of all the streams in the country. "Rev. Isaac Van Tassel was the principal of the mission ; Mr. Sackett and Rev. Mr. Coe, assistants, with their wives and several maiden ladies as teachers. These with a few mechanics and laborers formed the community of white people that established and carried forward the enterprise successfully for many years; in fact sustained it in its work of Christianizing and civilizing the Indians until the tribes were by degrees moved to their far-off homes in the West and Northwest, on the Missouri, the Kansas and the Osage rivers and on the bays and rivers of the Straits of Mackinac. "I had a long acquaintance with these good missionary people and have no words but kindness for them. While they may have accomplished but little in Christianizing the Indians, they did the best they could for them and with the best intentions. Their work was one of great difficulty; white men and half breeds sold whiskey to the Indians, used all efforts against their patronizing. the institution, and hired the Indians to keep their children from school. It is easy for any one to appreciate the difficulty of establishing a school among these wild, fierce people—boys and girls who had never been restrained, or their freedom abridged in the least. To gather together one or two hundred boys and girls of all ages, from six or seven to twenty years, was no easy task ; to ask them to come in out of the free woods, to close their Indian sports of fishing and hunting and paddling in their canoes, of riding on horseback, running races and other pastimes, was of course requiring great effort on the part of these young savages, and after a few days' experience in the school-room, with all its attendant restraints, it cannot be wondered that many of them took the trail back to their villages, having had enough of civilization. "I appreciate the situation, as I had the same experience and have not forgotten it to this day. After the Indians became acquainted with the mission people, and knew that they were true friends, their children were sent to the school and most of the time they had from eighty to one hundred and fifty in attendance. "The society bought a large and valuable tract of land, including an island of about three hundred acres, upon which they TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2023 opened a farm, built a large mission house and a commodious school-room, where the teachers held forth to us for six long hours every day except Sunday, when we had two good long old-fashioned Presbyterian sermons. "I have said we, and I do so for the reason that I had (what I then thought) a sad experience at the old mission. When I was between seven and eight years old my father placed me in the care of the Rev. Van Tassel, at the mission school. I was taken like the Indian boys from the woods, away from my sports and associates at the Indian village opposite my father's, where I had spent most of my time, as free as the Indian boys and, like them, as wild as a partridge or wild turkey. We spent the time at the village in summer, shooting bow and arrows, fishing or swim-ming in the river, and in many other plays and sports peculiar to young Indian boys, and you can imagine that it was almost death to shut us away from all these pastimes; shut up, too, in a school-room where the presiding genius was a sanctimonious old maid of the hard-shell, stiff-backed Yankee Presbyterian persuasion, where long prayers were said morning and evening, and not a smile or whisper allowed. Many of the Indian boys brought to the school, after a few days experience left between two days, and forever after kept at such a distance that they could never be caught or tempted back. I would have gladly followed their example and hid in the Indian villages, among which I had many friends, but Indians were too honest and would not have kept me hid from my father and mother. "We enjoyed our Saturday half holiday. In the winter sea-son, when the river was frozen over, we skated on the ice, both boys and girls, and when there was snow we enjoyed ourselves sliding down the long. hill on the bank of the river. The sled was made of a strip of white elm bark about one foot wide and six or seven feet long, with a bark rope or string fastened to the forward end, in order to raise it above the uneven surface and guide it down the steep and slippery path. This was placed smooth side down, giving us the rough outside bark for a foothold. We would start this Indian shute at the top of the hill with as many boys and girls as could stand upright on the bark and a leader on the front holding the string to guide it down the slippery track. With lightning. speed it would fairly fly down the hill and far out on the ice on the river if successfully guided ; if not, you might be able to see a load of boys and girls piled up in the snow, or scattered along the hill. It took a brave boy with a steady hand to ride 2024 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY this Indian sled down those steep hills, for after the snow was packed and the path beaten, it became as slippery as glass. "Another Indian game was to take two pieces of freshly peeled bark, a foot wide and three or four feet long, place the two insides together and then place them on the ground. Now the game was to run and jump on the bark, the feet striking the rough bark of the upper piece, and unless well practised in the art, the upper bark would fly from under the moment the feet struck it. I have seen many a novice in the art fly off when his feet struck the bark as if he had taken his departure for some other planet. It took long and careful practise to be able to strike the slippery bark and not go down. This exercise created a great deal of amusement in our summer sports. "Rev. Isaac Van Tassel, the head of the mission, was one of the kindest and purest of men, always just and generous. His wife, the daughter of Rev. Badger ( one of the earliest missionaries of the West), was equally well fitted by her universal kindness of heart and manner to aid her husband in this noble work. Elder Coe was one of the active workers and became a great friend of the Indians ; they in return gave him their full confidence and from his exceeding kindness called him the 'Tender Heart.' Mr. Thomas Mackelrath, one of the teachers, was always kind to us ; Miss Riggs, one of the 'old maid' teachers, was as kind to us as any mother could be." CHAPTER XCI OTTAWA COUNTY IMPORTANCE IN HISTORY-FIRST OHIO MILITARY POST-ACTIVITIES IN WAR OF 1812—IN "FIRELANDS" DISTRICT-SETTLEMENTS AT DANBURY-HISTORY OF TOWNSHIPS AND TOWNS. The Ottawa County section of Ohio, bordering the south shore of beautiful Lake Erie, has been the stage of action for many of the most notable and dramatic historical events of the Northwest Territory. No locality can claim greater distinction in the activities leading up to the formative period of the national government and through the constructive years and final peace and independence. Across the neck of the peninsula within the boundaries of now Ottawa, from the mouth of the river bearing its name, ran the Portage Path to the Sandusky, the land link in the famous road from the Great Lakes to the River Ohio, traveled from time immemorial by the original Americans. It was by reason of this highway and strategic situation, that in the race for supremacy between the French and the English, also within present Ottawa County was built the first fortified post in Ohio, constructed by the so called civilized race, and which was the beginning of a series of memorable activities following down the years. All through the earlier chapters of this history appear the narratives of these events including this and other military works. Commemorative thereof, two pyramidal, boulder monuments, two miles apart, now stand at either end of this Portage Path or "de Lery Portage of 1754 ;" later known as Fulton Street and road. The one marks as near as possible the site of Old Fort Sandoski of 1745, facing Sandusky Bay and across which is the mouth of Sandusky River; the other, the Harrison-Perry Embarkation monument, stands at a prominent point east of the mouth of the Portage River in Port Clinton, the county seat, and overlooking Lake Erie. The place of embarkation of General Harrison's army upon his Canadian campaign against the British commander Proctor, - 2025 - 2026 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY War of 1812, had been known. When the site of Old Fort Sandoski was definitely fixed as heretofore related, the Business Men's Association of Port Clinton Caused these two monuments of split boulders taken from the Marblehead Peninsula to be erected. They are ten feet high and five feet square at the base. Funds for three of the bronze tablets were furnished by those admirable characters, the late Mrs. C. R. Truesdall of Fremont on behalf of the Daughters of the American Revolution ; Mrs. J. Kent Hamilton of Toledo, representing the Colonial Dames resident in northern Ohio; and Mrs. C. B. Tozier on behalf of the Daughters of 1812. For the other three tablets, the French expedition of 1754, the British expedition of 1760 and the American expedition of 1813, funds were provided by The Ohio Archeological and Histor-ical Society. The final plans for the enterprise were placed in the hands of Mrs. J. E. Broadhead and Mrs. George A. True, Port Clinton, who carried the matter to a successful conclusion and the elaborate dedicatory services and unveiling of the tablets took place Memorial Day, May, 1912, at which many prominent men and patriotic women were present. Among those on the program for the day were Mrs. J. Kent Hamilton, Toledo; Mrs. C. R. Truesdall, Fremont; Mrs. Thomas Kite ; Mrs. John T. Mack, Sandusky; George A. True and R. S. Gallagher, Port Clinton ; Col. Webb C. Hayes, Fremont; Charles W. Burrows, Cleveland; Hon. Judson Harrison, Cincinnati; Prof. G. Frederick Wright, Oberlin; George E. Pomeroy, Toledo and Hon. James M. Richardson. The inscriptions on the old Fort Sandoski Monument of 1745 are as follows: (West Face) FORT SANDOSKI 1745-1748, 1750-1751, 1761-1763 The first fort built by white men in Ohio, erected by British traders from Pennsylvania and Virginia in 1745, under the protection of the Huron Chief, Nicolas, and destroyed by him after his defeat by the French, in 1748, prior to his removal to the Illinois Country. Rebuilt by the British in 1750, "usurped by the French in 1751," again rebuilt by British soldiers in 1761 after the surrender of Quebec and French sovereignty in America, and finally destroyed at the outbreak of Pontiac's conspiracy on May 18, 1763, when the fort was burned and the entire garrison mas- 2028 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY sacred with the exception of the commandant, Ensign Pauli, who was carried off a prisoner to Pontiac, then besieging Detroit. Erected by The Ohio Society, Colonial Dames of America. (South Face) FRENCH EXPEDITION, 1754 Across the de Lery Portage from Quebec to Detroit and Michilimaquinac (Mackinac) as noted in the Journal of the Chevalier Chaussgros de Lery, who, on August 4, 1754, landed near this spot "and discovered the ruins of the old fort." FORT SANDOSKI, 1745-1748, 1750-1751 Monsieur Pean, Captain, Regimental Adjutant of Quebec, Commanding 1 Monsieur St. Martin, Acting Major Monsieur Lery Monsieur St. Ours Lieutenants 3 Monsieur Riganville Monsieur Desmeloises Monsieur Porneouf Monsieur Cournoyer Ensigns 4 Father Bonnecamps, Jesuit 1 Monsieur Forget Duverger, Jesuit of the Missions etrangeres Monsieur Mauvilles Monsieur Vigee Monsieur Garon Surgeons 3 Monsieur Laforge, store keeper 1 Monsieur Constant, an old interpreter 1 27 canoes, each carrying 10 men 270 Total 285 Tablet presented by the Ohio State Archeological and Historical Society. (North Face) BRITISH EXPEDITION, 1760. Across the De Lery portage from Quebec to Detroit and Michilimakanac to take over the French forts on the great lakes after the surrender of Quebec and French sovereignty in America, as noted in the journals of Major Robert Rogers, commanding his majesty's independent companies of rangers, who on the 18th of November, 1760, from his camp on Sandusky Lake demanded the TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2029 surrender of Detroit. "To Capt. Beleter or the Officer command-ing at Detroit : "Sir, I have Gen. Amherst's orders to take possession of De-troit and such other posts as are in that district, which by capitulation agreed to between the Marquis de Vandreuil and his excellency Major Gen. Amherst the 8th of September last, now belong to the King of Great Britain." "Leaving Detroit on the 23d Dec. set out for Pittsburgh and marching along the west end of Lake Erie till the 2d of January; 1761, when we arrived at Lake Sandusky, where the British for the third time built Fort Sandoski, leaving 'Ensign Pauli and fifteen men at Sandusky,' where he remained until the outbreak of Pontiac's conspiracy, when on the 18th of May, 1763, the Fort was burned, the entire garrison massacred with the exception of the Commandant Ensign Pauli, who was carried a prisoner to Pontiac, then besieging Detroit." Tablet presented by the Ohio State Archeological and Historical Society. (East Face) AMERICAN EXPEDITION, 1813 Across the de Lery portage from Fort Seneca to Detroit, as noted in Captain R. B. McAfee's History, 1816. Major General Harrison on receiving word of Commodore Perry's victory, proceeded to Fort Stephenson and "issued his or-ders for the movement of the troops and transportation of the provision, military stores, etc., to the margin of the lake, preparatory to their embarkation." The troops were marched down the old Sandusky-Scioto trail to its northern terminus on Lake Erie. "In bringing down the military stores and provisions from the posts on the Sandusky River to the vessels in the lake, a short land carriage became necessary to expedite embarkation. It was deemed more safe and expeditious to transport the stores and drag the boats across the isthmus, which was accomplished between the 15th and 20th of the month (September, 1813). Each regiment was ordered to construct a strong fence of brush and fallen timber in front of its encampment, which extended from Portage River to Sandusky River. Within this inclosure their horses were turned loose to graze on ample pastures of excellent grass." Tablet presented by the Ohio State Archeological and Historical Society. 2030 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY INSCRIPTION ON HARRISON-PERRY EMBARKATION MONUMENT (South Face) OLD FRENCH WAR-PONTIAC CONSPIRACY-REVOLUTIONARY WAR Northern terminus of the old Indian water way and land trail, Sandusky-Scioto Route from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, used from the earliest records by Indian and French hunters, explor-ers, missionaries and war parties, in passing from the St. Law-rence and the Great Lakes to the Ohio and Mississippi, and later known as the Harrison Trail of the War of 1812. On landing near this spot their light water craft were portaged fifty-seven arpents from Lake Erie across to Lac Sandoski, up the Sandusky River, across the Sandusky-Scioto portage and down the Scioto to the Ohio and Mississippi. The Sandusky-Scioto trail along the banks of these rivers was the common battle ground of the French from Detroit and the British from Fort Pitt during the old French War, prior to the surrender of French sovereignty in America to Great Britain in 1760. Colonel John Bradstreet's expedition for the recovery of the nine British posts captured in Pontiac's conspiracy sailed their larger water craft—sixty long boats, with 1,400 men into San-dusky Bay, up to the lower falls of the Sandusky (Fremont), where they encamped Sept. 20, 1764, the westernmost point reached. Returning, camped near where the old fort stood on the carrying place between Lakes Sandusky and Erie, where Major Israel Putnam began "clearing the ground to construct a fort," but October 18 whole decamped and embarked for Niagara. During the Revolutionary war Major de Peyster, the British Commandant, sent Butler's rangers with cannon from Detroit up to the lower falls of the Sandusky, where they supported the Indians in the repulse of Crawford's expedition in 1782, which culminated in the burning of Colonel Crawford at the stake. Later the British established a post at Lower Sandusky (Fremont). Erected by the Ohio Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. (West Face) WAR OF 1812 Captain Barclay's British fleet transporting General Proctor's British Army sailed up the Sandusky River to make their TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2031 assault on Fort Stephenson, Aug. 1 and 2, 1813, of which General Sherman wrote : "The Defense of Fort Stephenson by Croghan and his gallant little band was the necessary precursor to Perry's victory on the lakes and of General Harrison's triumphant victory at the battle of the Thames. These assured to our immediate ancestors the mastery of the great West, and from that day to this the West has been the bulwark of this nation." General Harrison sent expert riflemen from his army to help serve the guns on Commodore Perry's ships in the naval battle with the British fleet off this landing, from which on Sept. 10, 1813, Perry sent the following laconic note : "We have met the enemy and they are ours, two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop." General Harrison immediately marched his troops over the old Sandusky Scioto trail to this landing, but transported the stores down the Sandusky Bay to Lake Erie. The troops con-structed a strong fence of brush and fallen timber across from Portage River to Sandusky River. Within this inclosure their horses were turned loose. General Harrison's army embarked on Commodore Perry's ships Sept. 20, stopped at Put-in-Bay and Middle Sister Island and landed in Canada Sept. 27, where Proc-tor with his British regulars was defeated and Tecumseh with many of his Indians, killed in the battle of the Thames, Oct. 5, 1813. The returning Ohio and Kentucky volunteers with their Brit-ish prisoners collected their horses here, marched to their home over the old Sandusky-Scioto trail, which has since been known as the Harrison trail of the war of 1812. Erected by the National Society of the United States Daugh-ters of 1812, State of Ohio. In Chapter XXXV, under the title of "Official Review Concerning The Northwest," will be found military correspondence of great value concerning old Fort Sandoski and this section. These letters show the great hardships and suffering under which operations were carried on. Supplies were low, sickness prevalent, massacres by Indians rife and finally the onslaught of the forces of Pontiac. Sheep for their supply of meat were attacked by the Indian dogs and driven into the woods where they were devoured by the hungry wolves. One great problem was the liquor question, traders smuggling liquor amongst the Indians from 2032 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Canada, causing great trouble from drunkenness. To cap the climax, the drummer boy broke his drum he used in calling the men together from their work in getting out timber for the fort. Lieutenant Meyer wrote that "this is a great loss * * * the workmen are extremely scattered in the woods and it is extremely hard to assemble them without a drum." Coming down to the War of 1812, in the article on General Harrison's Canadian campaign, is told the story of the embarkation, where is now Port Clinton, of Harrison's army, and the construction of a brush fence across this same famous peninsula neck; the army horses being turned loose within the great enclosed tongue, where they were taken up again upon the return of Harrison's victorious forces. Old residents on the peninsula told of finding relics of old bridles grown into the crotches of trees where they were hung by the detachment of soldiers requisitioned to look after the horses; also pieces of saddles and other equipment.left behind on this memorable campaign. The army horses no doubt roamed about present Rock Ledge, Catawba, Lakeside Resort and as far down as Marblehead. However, there was an important period in the history of the Peninsula and eastern section of now Ottawa County before the War of 1812, vital to the story of the whole south shore of Lake Erie, which has seldom been sufficiently exploited. What is now Danbury township, Catawba Island township, and a part of the "Group of Islands,” was originally a part of the Connecticut "Fire Lands." These lands are spoken of earlier in this history, and consequently, without going into details, the Connecticut sufferers from fire and devastation wrought by the British during the Revolutionary war, received a grant of 500,000 acres of land in the western portion of the Connecticut Western Reserve. When the survey of these lands was begun sometime after 1796, it was estimated that the Islands contained about 5,924 acres. But like most western land enterprises, they had their serious difficulties. Of the total number of 1,870 "sufferers," reported in the British raids, each person received an undivided interest in proportion to his property destroyed and as estimated by a committee appointed by the Connecticut legislature. This arrangement was changed and their interests were divided in severalty by lot. All that part of the Western Reserve proper containing some 2,835,547 acres and not granted to the "sufferers," was granted to a corporation known as The Connecticut Land Company. A TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2033 dispute arose between the interests as to the eastern boundary of the "sufferers' " lands. The Connecticut Land Company took the position that Sandusky Bay should be counted as land. Under this claim, of course the western line between the Connecticut Land Company's grant and the "sufferers' " grant would be located farther west than it finally was. To this claim the "sufferers" strenuously objected. The dispute was finally settled by estimating Sandusky Bay as water, but "the Harbors" on the northern shore of now Ottawa County were counted as land. As the Harbors were covered with water, serious litigation followed, resulting in Supreme Court rulings covering the situation, hardly pertinent here. As noted, early surveys were made of these "Firelands" including the Peninsula section and Islands in the grant, and the purchasers or those receiving the allotments came on to look after or improve their property. Among those who first came to the Peninsula and now Danbury township, were the Honorable Zalmon Wildman, Epaphraditus W. Bull, Benjah Wolcott, Truman Pettybone, Isaac Ambler, Judge Ruggles, and Horace, Jacob, John and Valentine Ramsdell. Included in Bull's purchase or allotment was Bull's Island, now the famous Johnson's Island, where the Confederate prisoners were confined during the Civil war. Mr. Bull arranged with Wolcott above mentioned, a native of Danbury, Connecticut, but then of New York, to open up a settlement on his lands, which Wolcott did in the spring and summer of 1809. Wolcott brought west with him his wife, one son and two daughters; also two hired men, George Bishop and a young man named Osborn. Bishop, by the way, and John Wood, a trapper, while hunt-ing and trapping on the Portage River about 1819, near now Oak Harbor, were murdered for their furs and other property by three Indians—Negosheck, Negoneby and Negossum, for which crime the Indians were tried at Norwalk, then the seat of justice. The younger Indian Negossum turned state's evidence, but the two others were hung. The story is told in more detail in the chapter on Sandusky County. Returning to the subject, the Wolcott party left Connecticut in sleighs on February 13, 1809, and arrived at Cleveland in March. The ice hindered their further progress, and leaving the women of the party, the men arrived safely at the Peninsula. The 2034 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY remainder followed by lake in May and landed near the later Fox dock, after being nearly lost in a storm. There were three orchards on the Peninsula at the time, planted by the French-Indians. The east and west orchards were purchased by Bull and Wolcott and Wolcott's family were evi-dently the first American settlers in Danbury township, and among the earliest below Lake Erie. Joseph Ramsdell who settled in this locality, between the two Harbors, in 1811, had been here in 1806 with a surveying party. Ramsdell, with his wife and four sons came in an open boat, arriving in June. They were detained by ice in the lake and by other troubles and were two months coming from Oswego, New York, to the Peninsula. With the Ramsdells came Abaithar Sherley and his wife, the latter being Ramsdell's sister. In the autumn or early winter of 1811, Mrs. Sherley gave birth to a daughter, the first child born among the permanent settlers. She married a Mr. Atwood of Huron, Ohio. These early easterners of the Peninsula, in this period before the War of 1812, had no township organizations, no civil officers, no schools, no churches. They had no mills and their nearest market was Frenchtown (Monroe, Michigan) Bread made of grated corn, game and fish, were their main diet. Deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese in season, and smaller game were abundant. Although suffering many hardships and privations such as were experienced in those early days, this little settlement on the Peninsula "Succeeded well, all things considered and were looking forward hopefully and even joyfully to better days and brighter prospects." Then came on the War of 1812 and the surrender of General Hull at Detroit. The news of course was stunning, and the Indians now unleashed, these whites naturally feared the worst. There were in all thirteen families on the Peninsula. While watching over the lake and to the westward they sighted one day vessels loaded with men making for the shore. Supposing them to be British and Indians, they were filled with consternation and resolved upon speedy flight. Seizing boats, pirogues, canoes and anything upon which they could float, they made for Sandusky City, then known as Ogontz Place, where there was one trading house, said to be the only building where is now Sandusky. The fleeing. party consisted of Benjah Wolcott and family; Charles Peck ; E. W. Bull ; H. Patch; a Mr. Saunders, wife and twin babies ; Major Parsons; George Bishop ; Joseph Rams- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2035 dell; Abiathar Sherley; Doctor Parks; Col. Peter F. Ferry; Ezra Lee; and Messrs. Herrick, Cooper and Woolsey. The next day after their flight, they learned that the flotilla coming over the lake were American soldiers who had been surrendered by General Hull at Detroit, had been paroled by the British, and were on their way to their homes. However, this news was only temporary relief. As soon as the Indians learned of Hull's capitulation their attitude changed and they prepared for the war path. The settlers to save their proper-ty on the Peninsula had returned with their boats to carry away what they could and perhaps conceal some of the remainder. They knew the enemy would carry off or destroy everything discovered, and they had evidently destroyed the block-house to make it un-available for the foe. During the rapidly moving events a volunteer company of soldiers under Capt. Joshua Cotton arrived on the Peninsula in September (1812). Captain Cotton was ordered there by General Perkins, operating in that part of the state; his orders being to proceed with his company across the bay in boats and upon landing on the Peninsula to march from thence to the "Two Harbors" on the opposite side to look after some wheat and other property there. Upon landing, a guard was left to look after the boats and Captain Cotton with the balance of his company made their way to the Harbors. On their return they were ambushed by a band of Indians concealed in the high grass and brush. Retreating to the location of the boats on the bay shore Cotton and his men found that the guard had fled with the boats, leaving their companions to the "fortunes of war." Consequently, as the blockhouse had been destroyed, Cotton and his little American band took refuge in an old log house, where they held the Indians at bay during the night. The squad that had deserted their comrades reported Cotton's situation. on reaching- shore, and on hearing the news, a Captain Quigley and John S. Reed, who were in the Huron River section, the next morning rallied all the volunteers possible (not a man refusing) and started to the rescue. At the mouth of the Huron River they came upon Amos Spafford who was moving his family to Cleveland from the foot of the Maumee River Rapids to escape the Indians who were descending upon the settlers in the vicinity of where is now Maumee City and Perrysburg, and where he was collector of the port. Spafford generously unloaded his boats, in which they all started for the Peninsula. They arrived at mid- 2036 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY night and concealed themselves until morning, when they made for the house. "To their joy they found there thirty-seven of the brave boys alive, but nearly starved, having had nothing to eat for over three days." Those killed in the skirmish were Valentine Ramsdell, Daniel Mingus, Alexander Mason and M. Simonds. Judge Eldred was severely wounded, and Mr. Manchan and Captain Ramsdell, a Revolutionary soldier, were slightly wounded. Two years later Horace Ramsdell gathered all the bones of the slain heroes that MONUMENT ERECTED BY JOSHUA R, GIDDINGS ON MARBLEHEAD PENINSULA AS A TRIBUTE TO MASON, SIMONDS AND MINGUS, WHO FELL IN A SKIRMISH WITH THE INDIANS, WAR OF 1812 could be found and buried them near the Fox dock, where a monu-ment erected by the Hon. Joshua R. Giddings, one of the par-ticipants in the battle, marks their resting place. At the time of the engagement Giddings was seventeen years old. Another account says : "The survivors pledged themselves, if alive, to meet on each anniversary of the battle on the exact spot where the conflict took place. Of those in the engagement was Giddings, who later became a prominent Ohio jurist and member of Congress. On September 29, 1862, just a half century after the TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 207 battle, Giddings, the gray-haired veteran, true to his promise returned to the place where so many of his comrades had fallen by his side. Of the thirty-seven survivors he was the only one living. He stood alone on the hallowed spot. "Feeling it a sacred duty to the memory of his comrades, the soldier-statesman caused to be erected a monument upon which was inscribed the names of those who fought and those who died. This memorial with its record stands near the old Fox dock. But a mile away across the bay can be seen the famous Johnson's Island. Among the prominent names inscribed on the shaft are Daniel Mingus, Alexander Mason and M. Simonds, officers in the battle. Two years after Mr. Giddings paid this tribute to his comrades, he also passed over the great divide, and his fellow-citizens of Ashtabula County in turn erected to his memory a beautiful monument which stands at Jefferson, Ohio." In the drive "around the horn" of the peninsula, the monument can easily be pointed out. It is mentioned here that E. W. Bull died in Cleveland in the fall of 1812, through exposure in fleeing from the Indian attack on the Peninsula. While the territory comprising Ottawa County did not begin to be permanently settled throughout until after the War a 1812, the names of the early arrivals given in the sketches of the various townships, show there were also people living within the present county limits outside of the Peninsula district at an early date. A third account of the Marblehead battle with the Indians, says that the company of Hull's soldiers were sent there "to protect the few inhabitants and their property." Another writer says that "during the war the settlers were either all killed, captured or driven away, and everything left behind them was destroyed. * * * A large pile of wheat (nearly 2,000 bushels) that had been brought over from one of the Bass Islands and stored away in a large log pen built for the purpose was scattered in every direction and the pen torn down." Whether the story is wholly true or not or whether it is meant that the crop was raised on the islands, there were also white people living on the islands before 1812, as evidenced by the story of Ogden Edwards, elsewhere referred to. COUNTY ORGANIZATION In point of organization, Ottawa County is one of the latest established in Ohio. It was formed March 6, 1840, from portions detached from the counties of Sandusky, Erie and Lucas, and as 2038 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY noted contains a small portion of the Connecticut "Fire Lands." The first meeting of the county commissioners was held at Port Clinton April 13, 1840, Ezekiel Rice and William Gill being the two officials present. James Kingham was clerk of the session. The other county officials chosen at the first election in April, the above year, were : James Kingham, auditor; Cyrus Moor, treasurer; William B. Craighill, appraiser ; Eli Vogelsang, Assessor; Henry J. Miller, sheriff ; Samuel D. Jones, Recorder; Stanton H. Brown, clerk. W. B. Craighill was also the first probate judge. The first term of court was held at Port Clinton, on April 5, 1840, by Associate Judges Samuel Hollingshead, Roger Kirk, Samuel and Galbraith Stewart. The principal business was the naturalization of several foreigners. The lawyers who transacted business at several of the early terms of court were John L. Green, R. P. Buckland, W. F. Sloan, Spink & Hosmer, Charles L. Boalt, Joseph M. Root, George Reber, William W. Ainer, Parish & Saddler, J. H. Magruder, Lucas S. Beecher, Pitt Cooke, and Homer Everett. Most of these lawyers came from Fremont or Sandusky. Regarding the early days of Ottawa County, the Hon. Scott Stahl in a historical paper wrote as follows : "The record of the early settlers of the county is very incomplete, but exists with tolerable accurate traditions. Along the shores of the lake, including The Harbors, there were in the early days wide stretches of marshland, back of which the land was heavily wooded. The marshes and the woods were the home of vast numbers of fur-bearing animals, and along the edge of the marshes there settled in early times many persons of French Canadian descent. These early settlers found a livelihood, in part, in hunting and trapping these fur-bearing animals, and their descendants aided in clearing up the territory. One of the creeks of the county is called The Tousaint, a name in keeping with the descendants of the people who first located near its mouth. These early settlers had all of the characteristics that many of the late writers of Canadian stories have wound into pleasant books. The term "Tousangers" has long been a local name for the residents of this district. These "Tousangers" furnish a curious link between the hardships of the early day and the easier means of livelihood of the present gen-eration. "De Mushrat," to a large extent, furnished a means of sustenance to these people long before it became a sort of luxury served at the muskrat suppers given by the many societies in the cities along the shores of Lake Erie. "There is a curious story told of a campaign for mayor of Port TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2039 Clinton, between two citizens of that town after many Germans had located there. One candidate, of German descent, invited his opponent to meet with the Germans. Limburger cheese was served in the way of refreshment. The opponent, who was of French descent, could not eat limburger cheese and he was loudly jeered. It appeared that his chances of election were lost indeed. But, an evening or two afterwards, the opposing candidate invited the man of German descent to another party at which the citizens of French descent were present, and muskrat was served. Here the German was in as great difficulty as the Frenchman was at the first party, because he could not eat muskrat, and he was as loudly jeered by the muskrat eaters. And, as those who could eat muskrat outnumbered the citizens who could not, the German, with his limburger cheese method of campaign, was sorely de-feated at the election. The citizens of this county of this blood have kept pace with the development of the country and consti-tute a rough, honorable and important part of the citizenship. "A great many of the citizens of the county find themselves located there because of an incident that happened to their fore-fathers. A boat which was taking a large number of people of Scotch blood from Buffalo to Chicago was wrecked and cast upon the shores near Port Clinton. Being unable to go farther, they set themselves about adjusting their affairs to meet the conditions surrounding them. They located at or near Port Clinton, purchased land and cleared it, and they and their descendants have accomplished much in the development of the country. "Among the persons cast there at that time was Jane Mc-Ritchie, who was born in Scotland. She lived to a very ripe old age, and was generally known as 'Grandma McRitchie.' She en-dured all the hardships of an early settler, performing those var-ious acts of kindness which one in that situation finds it possible to do. She attended the sick and cared for the suffering, when care was not easy to obtain, and was, indeed, one of those remark-ably pure and good women with the strong character that only this kind of hardship can develop. She died a few years ago with the respect and affection of an entire community. After 1849, the emigration from Germany was considerable, and much of the old-er population of the county is of that origin." Ottawa County is elongated in form and is thirty-six miles in length from east to west including the peninsula, and slightly over eleven miles in depth from north to south. The mainland town-ships beginning in the northwest corner and named in their or- 31--VOL. 2 2040 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY der are Allen, Benton, Carroll, Erie, Catawba Island, Clay, Harris, Salem, Bay, Portage and Danbury. The island group of the Put-in-Bay section makes the twelfth township called Put-in-Bay. PREHISTORIC On account of the topography of the Ottawa County section, it was not a favorite place for the prehistoric people, the Moundmen. Catawba Island had two mounds, a village site and a burial ground. The total number of sites in the county, counting North Bass Island, is seventeen— including nine mounds, three village sites and five burial points. Danbury township had two mounds, one just east of Lakeside on the lake shore, and one overlooking Sandusky Bay. Portage township had three mounds in a line near the lake shore east of now Port Clinton. On Sugar Bluff, pointing westward, within Catawba Island, is a mound of gathered, lime-stone formations, and below, near the water line, is "grinding rock," a large granite boulder with a round, dish-shaped depres-sion some eighteen inches across and six or eight inches in depth, used as a mortar for grinding or other purposes. The most interesting archeological features of the section have been found at Kelley's Island near at hand, but belonging to Erie County. Near the south landing was Picture Rock, of limestone formation, 32 feet long, 21 feet wide and 11 feet thick, containing on. its surface Aborigine hieroglyphics of a very elaborate charac-ter. Another group of petroglyphs is found on the north side of Kelley's Island, cut or picked into a large granite boulder. The island also contained two crescent enclosures and four mounds. Geologists also find in the Ottawa County section along the shores of Lake Erie and in the great limestone quarries, rich fields for investigation. Reference to the Glacial Period is made in the introductory chapter of this history. The largest and deepest glacial grooves in the world are found on Kelley's Island. The direction of the floe as shown by the rock grooves was south of west or the direction of the longest measurement of Lake Erie. The great quarries also contain rare fossil deposits including. multitudes of the remains of the crustacea. All through this territory are "stories in stories" which mean but little to the unscientific eye, but which are read with delight by the scientist. Also in season, the ornithologist finds in the peninsula section, Lakeside, Catawba and Marblehead, rich fields for the study of the water, shore, and land bird life. During the spring migratory season birdlovers from a wide range are found here whose checking lists record as high as 150 kinds of the feathered tribe. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2041 As already indicated, Marblehead Peninsula is widely famed for its historical interest and picturesqueness. Its area is some-thing over thirty square miles, lies between Lake Erie and San-dusky Bay, and comprises the township of Danbury. On its lake-shore is Lakeside, with the village of Marblehead below near the point. Danbury township, originally a part of the Firelands, with Peninsula township, formerly comprised one sub-division of Hur-on County, called Peninsular township. The name Danbury was after Danbury, Connecticut. With the present improved highways, one of the most beautiful drives is the "trip around the horn." The points of interest recited along the route in season are : Finest peach orchards in the country; excellent fishing in San-dusky Bay; monument commemorating battle with Indians in War of 1812 ; Johnson's Island of Civil war prison fame one mile south ; Sandusky in the distance ; Bay Point, a bird paradise, Cedar Point to the east in the distance ; Camp Luboca—Lutheran Boys' camp ; German style lime kilns and abandoned quarry; free camp and parking sites at point of Peninsula provided by Peninsular Civic Club ; Marblehead lighthouse with strongest on Great Lakes, over one hundred years old ; village of Marblehead; U. S. Coast Guard station; home of The Kelley's Island Lime & Transport Co., largest producers of lime and limestone products in the world ; Kelley's Island Lime & Transport Co. Hospital No. 144 ; Put-in-Bay 12 miles north ; site of Perry's Victory and Perry Memorial Monument ; Lakeside-on-Lake-Erie, the Chautauqua of the Great Lakes ; Erie Beach ; largest stone crusher in the world ; Camp Kiloqua, one of the eight national Camp Fire girl camps; Camp Walbridge, operated by Toledo Y. W. C. A. ; remarkable view of the harbors ; Sandy Beach ; East Harbor and West Harbor. The celebrated Catawba Island is in fact a part of Marblehead peninsula. It is entitled to the name of "island," only from the fact that it is nearly separated from the mainland by a small stream of water and the inlets, West and East Harbors. The western part of Ottawa County is devoted mostly to agriculture with the lime industry an important factor of the Genoa section. Along the lake and the Catawba Island area, fruits of the richest character are the leading products. A most remarkable sight is the marketing of peaches in a favorable season, when a million bushels of this delicious fruit is shipped from the eastern • end of the county. 2042 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Furs and fish are two important industries. Muskrats have always been the leading catch in the line of peltries, but the old method of trapping and marketing the skins has been somewhat modified. Muskrat farms have been established, where the animals are propagated on natural principles and sold alive. As an example, L. B. and F. P. De Mars of Port Clinton purchased forty acres of diked lowlands and pumped the water in again, making it a fine muskrat farm with one thousand live muskrats as their output for 1929, averaging three dollars each, and sufficient rats left for breeding purposes. As noted, The Kelley's Island Lime & Transport Company is the largest producer of lime and limestone products in the world. They have large interests at Marblehead and Kelley's Island. Their plant and quarries at Clay Center, in the western part of the county, their largest, is known as the "White Rock" plant. Here is manufactured immense quantities of hydrated lime as well as the production of crushed stone for all available purposes. Ottawa County has produced gypsum since 1838. The product was found at a depth of from thirty to forty feet. In earlier years it was quarried like stone, the earth being stripped from the underlying gypsum. However, about 1900, Alexander Forrester of Cleveland sank a shaft and begun mining the product, since which time extensive and valuable gypsum mines were developed. PORTAGE RIVER The Portage River with its tributaries is Ottawa County's largest drainage system. It was early known as the "Carrying River." In Wood County the Portage spreads fanshaped, its branches drain nearly two-thirds of Wood and its headwaters reach as far as Putnam, Hancock and the southwestern section of Seneca County. In Ottawa County the Portage runs through Elmore and Oak Harbor and empties into Lake Erie at Port Clinton. In early years the Indian with his canoe plied the Portage as far up as near now Bowling Green, from where a trail south of that city ran westward to the River Maumee. When settlers in the early years of 1800 began to establish themselves along the Portage, sawmills and some flour mills lined its banks from Oak Harbor up to Elmore, Woodville, Pemberville and as far as New Rochester, Wood County. The Portage was navigable for boats of considerable size as far up as Oak Harbor within a comparatively few years, and at one time Oak Harbor was a river port of much importance. One of the most delightful boat rides ever TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2043 taken by the writer was on a little steam-boat which plied between Oak Harbor and Put-in-Bay. There were traders on the Portage River a century and a half ago, as evidenced by correspondence set forth in this work, between the traders of the Sandusky and the merchants of Detroit, the river being referred to then as the "Portash." There was also a French settlement at the mouth of the Toussaint River or Creek, at a very early period. The tributaries of the Portage River in Ottawa County are Sugar and Wolf creeks and nearer its mouth Little Portage River. In the northern section of the county is Crane Creek which emp-ties into Lake Erie, and farther south running eastward Turtle Creek, with Toussaint Creek in the central section, flowing into the lake and next to the Portage, Ottawa County's most impor-tant stream. FORMATION OF COUNTY-COUNTY SEAT The act of the Ohio legislature providing for the formation of Ottawa County reads as follows: Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio: That a new county to be called Ottawa, be, and the same is hereby formed out of the north part of Sandusky and Erie, and the eastern part of Lucas County, commencing at a point two miles north of the southeast corner of the surveyed township number six north, of range sixteen, called Bay township, Sandusky County, running thence west on section lines to the western boundary line of said county; thence north to the Lucas County line; thence east six miles; thence north till it in-tersects the Michigan line; thence with said Michigan line until it intersects the line between the British and American governments in Lake Erie; thence down the lake with said line so that a line to the mouth of Sandusky Bay will include Cunningham's Island; thence up Sandusky Bay to the place of beginning. The first Monday in April, 1840, was fixed for the election of county officers, resulting in the choice of the officials heretofore named. "The courts of Common Pleas and Supreme Courts of Ottawa County shall be holden at some convenient house in Port Clinton until the permanent seat of justice for said county shall be established," read section 3 of the act. The commission appointed by the General Assembly "to view and permanently locate the seat of justice * * * at such point or place in said county of Ottawa as they shall deem most in accordance with the wishes, convenience and interests of the 2044 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY citizens thereof," were William Rayne of Trumbull County, John Johnson of Coshocton County, and Joseph Aukeny of Holmes County. The date for hearing the claims of the various towns for the location of the county seat was fixed for May 1, 1840; the place of hearing was Port Clinton, and the notice of tSanduskyg was published in the Sandusky County Democrat of Lower Sandusky (Fremont). Among the claimants for the coveted honor were Marblehead, Hartford (Oak Harbor), Ottawa City and Port Clinton. All these places had their enthusiastic supporters and were represented by a large number of advocates. The contest grew so warm and earnest that the commission hesitated to make verbal announcement of their choice of location, and consequently deposited a letter with the Court of Common Pleas which was later made public and which read as follows: "To the Honorable, the Court of Common Pleas of Ottawa County, Ohio: "Whereas, by a resolution of the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, passed March 12, A. D. 1840, appointing the undersigned commissioners to permanently locate the county seat of Ottawa County, Ohio, and in accordance with the act passed February 3rd, 1824, entitled 'An Act establishing seats of Justice ;' we therefore on Thursday, the 21st instant, proceeded to an examination of the various points offered by the different individuals, and after visiting the different extreme boundaries of the county, and viewing the points impartially, we hereby locate permanently the seat of Justice in the town of Port Clinton, in said county. "Given, under our hands this 27th day of May, 1840. (Signed) "Joseph Aukeney "John Johnson "Commissioners" COUNTY IMPROVEMENTS The name "Ottawa" signifies "trader," also being the name of the Indian tribe which was last to leave the banks of the Maumee River. When the county was formed the population within its limits was given as 2,258. At that date the average value per acre of the lands of the various townships was as follows: Bay, $3.54; Allen, $3.12; Harris, $3.38; Clay, $2.85; Carroll, $3.16; Erie, $3.00; Van Renssellaer, $4.00; Kelley's Island, $3.85. Aver- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2045 age per acre of the county, $3.47. Town lots in Port Clinton, average value of each, $24; Hartford (Oak Harbor) $4.84 each. The total valuation on the tax duplicate of 1842 for the county was $375,945. It is now probably near $55,000,000. In 1843 a petition was granted for a road on the south side of the Portage River from Hartford (now Oak Harbor) to Elmore. This is the first time the name of "Elmore" appears in the commissioners' records. There is no record as to when Elmore received its name but it was probably when it was first platted, re-ferred to later. Tradition says the town was named for a daughter of a farmer, R. B. Havens, whose name was Elenore or even Elmore. In early years a tax was levied against men of the professions. In 1850, Dr. James Hitchcock was taxed three dollars ; Dr. Wm. G. Green of Portage township or Port Clinton, two dollars; Dr. George W. Luckey of Harris township two dollars; while James H. Mylander, an attorney of Port Clinton was assessed a tax of two dollars and attorney S. N. Wilcot of Port Clinton the same amount. There is mention in the county commissioners' journal in 1858, of a proposed county bridge across Portage River in Harris township. It was when that body allowed a bill for a survey and estimate of a bridge at "James Long's," three and a half miles down stream from Elmore. Seemingly no resultant action was taken until June 27, 1863, when the commissioners contracted with Peter Nechter to build a bridge across the Portage River "near A. Bense and James W. Long's," at a cost of $765. The commissioners were James W. Long, James Park and John Brower. The bridge was accepted December 23, 1863. While this is the first record in the commissioners journal of a county bridge, there were other bridges before that date across the Portage. There was a wooden bridge, not covered, which spanned the river at Elmore, built in the early fifties of 1800, and there was a covered wooden bridge at Woodville. The first Elmore bridge became unsafe and was replaced by an iron bridge in 1867, according to authority, and the latter bridge was carried away by the high water and breaking up of the ice in the spring of 1882. The third bridge, an iron structure built in 1883, was used until the present fine and architecturally beautiful concrete bridge at Elmore was opened in 1927. Evidently the Portage River at Oak Harbor was not bridged until some time after bridges were built higher upstream. 2046 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY HARRIS TOWNSHIP Harris tovvnship in the southwestern section of the county, and in which is located the Village of Elmore, vvas formerly a part of Sandusky County and under the jurisdiction of the latter so far as its county affairs operated, when it was formed and organized in 1825. The first township election was held March 18, 1825, when Ezekiel Rice was chosen justice of the peace ; Reuben Rice, B. V. Havens and Israel Harrington, trustees. Only ten votes were cast at the election. The voters were Israel Harrington, E. Rice, R. Rice, B. V. Havens, Jacob Boggs, John Fletcher, John L. Luckey, John McBeth, Samuel Manahan and Benjamin Kimball. The first schoolhouse, size 14x18 feet, evidently of logs and costing twelve dollars, was built by John Boggs. Wesley Harrington, a large landowner in the Elmore section, was the first teach-er. No other school was nearer than Fremont. The first church in the township located at now Elmore and on the site of the Masonic Temple of Portage Lodge, was built by the United Brethren society in 1840. The size was 22x32 feet, "was one and one half stories high and constructed of hewed logs." The nearest mill was at Fremont, sixteen miles. John L. Luckey was once three weeks going and coming from mill—thir-ty-two miles round trip. His wife, Mrs. Ann Luckey, fearing that he was drowned searched up and down Portage River for his body. Finally he returned with a load of corn meal musty and lumpy, and a half bushel of salt, then a precious article. He reached Lower Sandusky (Fremont) by way of Port Clinton, hauling his canoe by hand across the "neck" to Sandusky Bay and back. PORTAGE TOWNSHIP Portage township within which lies Port Clinton, the county seat of Ottawa County, was originally a part of Sandusky County, has an area of 6,742 acres, and originally embraced also all of now Bay, Erie, Carroll and Salem townships. It is in this section in the vicinity of Gypsum that gypsum was found in large quantities and landplaster became a great industry. It was in the fall of 1899 that the Granite Wall Plaster Company opened quarries on the James Fletcher farm southeast of Port Clinton and later plaster board has become an important product. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2047 While general agriculture is carried on throughout Ottawa County, fruit raising, especially peaches, is the leading business. There were French trappers in this section a century and a half ago, but among the first permanent white settlers here were J. W. Sylvester, W. B. Sylvester and David Mizener. Mizener, who was later probate judge, arrived in 1825, being a native of Ohio; Joseph W. Sylvester, who was a justice of the peace, came from New Jersey in 1831. However, there is a record that George Hyde, a farmer of Portage township, settled from New York state in 1817; George P. Shook, Gypsum, a grape and hop grower, located from another section of Ohio, in 1828; Henry Shook, farmer, 1832 ; Jacob Shook, farmer, 1829 ; Isaac Wonnell from Maryland, a grape grower, located in section one in 1828. Hyde located in section three about two miles east of now Port Clinton. The story of the early churches and schools will be told in relation to the former days of Port Clinton. SALEM TOWNSHIP Salem township wherein is located Oak Harbor, was organized in 1839 as a part of Sandusky County, contains 17,721 acres, and is consequently one of Ottawa County's largest townships. While the soil is mostly heavy clay, agriculture in all its branches is successfully carried on. Outside of Oak Harbor, among the earliest settlers of the township were : David Gordon, farmer, who located in section three in 1831 ; Charles Wheeler, from Connecticut, section eight in 1837; John Reed, who settled in section three in 1838. In 1848 Charles Maeulen, Rudolph Georgii, Otto Georgii and Charles Franck, came from Esslingen, Germany, and purchased wood lands in the vicinity of Oak Harbor for five dollars per acre, cleared the timber and established homes. The nearest market was Sandusky City, reached by canoe and the nearest mill was Woodville, twelve miles away. BAY TOWNSHIP Bay township between Oak Harbor and Port Clinton lies north of Sandusky Bay and River, with the Portage River and its low-lands traversing its northern section. While the first white peo-ple here were French, among the early settlers were : Edward Hyde, who arrived in 1821 ; George Hurrell in 1828; William Hurrell, 1819 ; Johne Hineline, 1829 ; W. C. Hollingshead, 1824. 2048 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY All were from. other sections of Ohio except Hollingshead and Hineline, who came from Pennsylvania. The township was organized in 1830, ten years before Ottawa County was established and when Bay was a part of Sandusky County. The first justice of the peace was Lewis L. Mackey, and Hollingshead was one of the first township trustees. The story was told by Mr. Hollingshead that on coming from farm work one day, he found five drunken Indians at his cabin annoying his wife who was cooking by an outside log fire. The intruders had threatened to steal her baby she had in her arms. When Hollingshead ordered them away, one Indian drew a butcher knife with which he threatened trouble. With a large pair of fire tongs at hand, Hollingshead nearly scalped him with a blow on the head. This Indian immediately retired from the engagement but the settler was attacked by the others and a hand to hand fight ensued in which the Indians were finally worsted. Mrs. Hollingshead rendered good service to her husband in the battle, a rifle finally being secured to drive the Indians away. Hollingshead was a soldier from Pennsylvania in the War of 1812 and came west as a member of Company A, under Captain Morrison. The regiment to which his company was attached was commanded by Col. Reece Hill. Being impressed with the Ottawa County section he returned after the war and held many important positions in his day. He told of corn selling for 25 cents per bushel, shelled ; wheat from 70 to 80 cents per bushel and other farm products accordingly. Tea and coffee cost 60 and 70 cents per pound; sugar 6 and 7 cents. Pure whiskey was 20 cents per gallon. Much of Bay township was covered with a dense forest, honey locust growing to a great size. Game, including deer was abundant and the waters teemed with fish. BENTON TOWNSHIP Benton township was originally the north part of Harris township and was organized in 1850. There were eleven votes cast at the first township election. Among the voters were George Berry, George Wright, William Trescott, Gideon Draper and Alvin White. George Berry, Gideon Draper and William Trescott were the first trustees, and George Wright the first justice of the peace. The early settlers were largely German. The first school-house was located on the farm of Gideon Draper in the southern part of the township. In 1863 a log church was built by the Albright Methodists. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 2049 The towns and hamlets are Elliston, Rocky Ridge, Graytown and Trowbridge. Lumbering was an important business in early days. An old resident of Benton township who voted at the first election related that after "the polls were closed" and the votes were counted, the twelve electors were invited to dinner by Alvin White. They feasted on a wild turkey which dressed twenty-six pounds and which was boiled in a large sugar-kettle. The year following the organization of the township a Fourth of July celebration was arranged. An old gun barrel that was to have been used for a cannon burst, killing Larkin Wright the 16 year-old son of Alvin Wright. The accident occurred on the 3rd and the celebration was abandoned. Alvin Russell was to have delivered the address of the day. ALLEN TOWNSHIP Allen, in the northwest corner of the county, was formed July 9, 1888, from a part of Clay township, and contains 15,685 acres. In this township are the great lime industries near Clay Center and at Williston. CLAY TOWNSHIP Clay township in which is located the thriving town of Genoa, lies in the southwestern part of the county, and was formerly a part of Woodville township, Sandusky County. It contains 16,908 acres. When John Packer, H. E. Warner and Thomas Pitcher in 1835, formed the first settlement in the vicinity of now Genoa, there were Indians in that section. However, they were of the peaceable sort and soon left with their tribe for the west. It is in Allen township that are located large lime industries and oil was also found in this vicinity. The first schoolhouse was built in 1841, and the United Brethren built a church in the township in 1859. CARROLL TOWNSHIP Carroll township was organized in 1835 while that section was a part of Sandusky County. Through the township runs Toussaint Creek at the mouth of which the French were located at a very early day and where a little log church was built by the Catholic adherents in 1845, who worshipped there. It was the first church in that section. The first school building was "raised" in the township in 1835,