HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 425 iron rails toward the setting sun. It was intended by those in charge of the construction to name the stations along the line of the new railroad after the directors of the company, and there were two Litchfields who were directors. A little later it was decided by the citizens to change the name of the town, and Wauseon was suggested. Its spelling is said to be incorrect, and the natural pronunciation does not correspond with the original Indian sound. It is a musical name, however, and far more appropriate as well as distinctive than the names which have been given to most of the Ohio cities. Wauseon is not an old town, and cannot trace its history to pioneer days. The village was laid out in the year 1854 by Epaphras L. Barber, John H. Sargent, Nathaniel Leggett, and William Hall. At that time the railroad, now known as the Air Line Division of Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, had just been extended far enough west of the City of Toledo to reach this site. It was then known as the Southern Michigan & Northern Indiana Railroad. Unlike most of the early railroads, no local help was asked by this company, and the corporation paid all of its own expenses for construction. Mr. Barber was at that time one of the civil engineers engaged in the survey and construction of the road, and a resident of the City of Cleveland, as also was John H. Sargent. Learning that a station would be established here, a quarter section of land was purchased by this syndicate from Thomas Bayes, and platted, and this nucleus of the present town is known as the original plat of Wauseon. The price paid for the land by the purchaser was $16.00 per acre, and the entire parcel was practically in a wild state. It was necessary for the axe and the torch to be applied before the tract was made suitable for habitation. Other land in the neighborhood was offered for $6 or $8 an acre, and even at that price buyers were not plentiful. The home of Mr. Bayes at that time was a primitive log house, and it was the only dwelling-house situated on the land where the thriving county seat was destined to arise. The streets in the new village were laid out at right angles, as was customary, and the principal business thoroughfare was made 100 feet in width. It was named Fulton Street, but whether as a mark of esteem for Robert Fulton, the inventor of steamboats, or in honor of the surveyor Fulton, whose boundary line gave rise to the Toledo War, is not positively known. The streets running one way were named after our great men. Those extending in the opposite direction were designated after the species of trees abounding in the surrounding forests. A number of different additions have been added to the original plat, in the years that have succeeded, for Wauseon has had a continuous and steady growth up to the present day. Wauseon was incorporated in 1859. The early records have been unfortunately burned, so that it is impossible to give a correct list of the early officials. The first mayor of the village was Nathaniel Leggett, and among the early mayors were E. L. Barber, N. W. Jewell, Anson Huntington, and Andrew J. Knapp. The first house built on the site of Wauseon, after it had been laid out, was erected by E. L. Hayes. It stood on a site now covered with business blocks, and was a two-story frame structure. The upper floor was occupied by the family, and the lower floor was used as a general country store. William N. Hunt, who came from Massachusetts, constructed the first brick residence for his own home. The first tavern in Wauseon was built by John Williams, in the first year of its existence. It was a frame building, and the settlers gathered from miles around for the "raising bee." It was situated at the corner of Beech and Fulton streets, and was at first called the Estelle House. The first landlords were W. E. and D. O. Livermore. In the 426 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO course of a few years the name of the house was changed to the Clinton House, and then to- the Sherman House. For a. number of years it was the leading hostelry of the county. Another hotel, the second in order, was run for a considerable period by George M. Hawes, and became a very popular place among the traveling public. It was known as the Wauseon House. The Bank of Wauseon was started in 1863, by E. L. Barber. When Naaman Merrill became a partner, the firm was known as Barber & Merrill. A number of years later, when E. S. Callendar was admitted to the firm, the name became Barber, Merrill & Company. The bank was continued as a private bank until 1904, when it was incorporated as the Wauseon Bank & -Trust Company. On April 20, 1908, the bank closed its doors. The failure of the bank was a great blow to the financial interests of the town. In 1889 the Peoples Bank was started by some of the business men of the town. It has since been incorporated as the Peoples State Bank, and is a flourishing institution with large re-.sources. The First National Bank was organized in 1904. It has also been well received and has a large list of depositors. The first church building in the Village of Wauseon was the Methodist Episcopal. It was a wooden house, which was situated at the. corner of Fulton and Elm streets, and was dedicated in the year 1857 by Rev. Thomas Barkdull, who was a presiding elder of that denomination. Occasional services had been held in the neighborhood by Methodist ministers for a score of years prior to this time. Rev. Uriah Spencer, a retired minister, had settled about 2 1/2 miles west of Wauseon, in 1835, and frequently preached to the pioneers. Traveling ministers, known as " circuit-riders," visited the neighborhood and held service in the cabins, barns, and schoolhouses, whenever opportunity offered. A class was organized near Wauseon in 1838. In the win ter of 1858-9, a great revival was held by Rev. W. W. Winters, during which there were many accessions to the church. A new brick structure was erected by the congregation in 1874, and was dedicated in the following year, the finest in the village at the time, which is still in use. A fine pipe organ was installed a few years ago, and an addition was built in 1913. Conspicuous among the early Methodist clergymen, who have been stationed at Wauseon, are the Revs. Charles G. Ferris, John R. Colgan, E. A. Berry, N. B. C. Love, C. H. Priddy, James H. Fitiwater, J. W. Donnan, W. W. Lance, and 0. P. Hoffman. When Father J. G. Vogt came to Wauseon, in 1865, there were very few Catholic families living here. Through his labors, and those who followed him, however, a small congregation was built up and a house of worship procured. In 1874 the Roman Catholic society purchased the old Methodist Church and moved it to Clinton Street, where it became known as St. Caspar 's Chureh. Some years later this building was destroyed by fire, and then a fine church /was erected at the corner of Jefferson and Clinton streets. The Disciples, or Christian Church, was organized here in 1862, although no house of worship was erected until two years later. The first pastor was the Rev. L. Berry Smith, and he was succeeded by the Rev. L. L. Carpenter. Mr. Carpenter was an active citizen of the county, as well as a religious minister, and served two terms as treasurer of the county. One of the noted ministers who served this church was Rev. John M. Atwater. The First Baptist Church was organized in 1864, but a house of worship was not erected until 1868. The Rev. George Leonard and Rev. Homer Eddy were the first two pastors of this denomination. A Congregational society dates back to the year 1856. A number of the early settlers of Wauseon were from the land of Puritanism, and were instrumental in organizing the Con- HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 427 gregational society. Their first church was erected in 1861, on the corner of South Fulton and Cherry streets. It was a frame building and was used until 1904. In that year the congregation built a splendid brick structure at a different location. The Evangelical Association organized a society in 1895, and the same year a. substantial frame house of worship was erected. The Lutherans have an organization in the city which occupies a fine brick church, completed in 1915. Because John Miller wanted a church of the United Brethren faith, he erected a small house of worship at his own expense. It was called Miller's Chapel. This was in 1874. Five years later the congregation had grown to such an extent that a good brick edifice was erected by the members. It was dedicated in August, 1880, by Bishop Weaver, of Westerville. The first schoolhouse in Wauseon was erected in 1854, and Miss Zeraida Scott was the teacher. Two years later a better frame building, containing two rooms, was built, which was used for many years. A large brick building was erected in 1868, on Monroe Street, near Monumental Park. As the village has grown, the schools have kept pace and are maintained at a high standard. The Wauseon Hospital Association was organized in 1903, by the physicians of the county. The hospital occupies a large brick building. The first president was Dr. P. J. Lenhart, and the first secretary was Dr. A. J. Murback. The nucleus of a public library originated in 1875 when the Citizens Library Association was organized. It was a number of years before a permanent location was secured in the courthouse. In 1904 Andrew Carnegie gave the sum of $7,500, with which sum an attractive building was erected. It now contains about 5,000 volumes. The first `librarian was Miss Eva Boughton, but there have been several changes. Wauseon contains a number of manufacturing institutions. One of the most important is the Van Camp Packing Company, a milk condensing plant. Milk is hauled many miles to this factory and the sum paid to farmers each year is very large. It has succeeded all the small creameries and cheese factories. The Superior Iron Works is another flourishing industry and does a large business in manufacturing castings. DELTA About eight miles east of Wauseon lies the Village of Delta, the second largest municipality in the county. It is also said to be the oldest town in the county. Like Wauseon, it is situated in a rich agricultural country. In the last few years 'the dairy interests have been extended, because of the establishment of a factory for the condensing of milk by the Van Camp Packing Company. This factory has assisted in bringing prosperity to the village, and to the neighborhood in general as well. Delta was not platted by speculators, but seemed to grow without any particular effort on the part of any person or persons. In 1838, there were only two families living on the bank of the creek where Delta now stands. These settlers were James McQuilling and G. B. Lewis. Both men were farmers. McQuilling also ran a small sawmill, and Lewis afterward opened up a temperance tavern, a rare occurrence in those days. He was a very religious man, and it almost taxed his scruples to keep a little tobacco for sale to his customers. There was always preaching at his house on Sunday. Hence it was that his home was at one and the same time a dwelling, a tavern, a store, and a church. This was really the beginning of business in Delta. But there have been many additions to the business world of Delta since that day. The village now supports a number of splendid stores. A Mr. Kenyon built the first frame house, and 428 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO then along came George Wood with his family in 1839. James Trowbridge opened up the first store. The next merchant was Eli Kitts, who came from Maumee City. The first birth, of which we have a record, was that of Mary Augusta Wood, who was born in October, 1841. She lived to see the little settlement grow into a prosperous town. The earliest marriage was that of William Spencer to Miss Emily Donaldson, in 1837. The first election for township officials was held at York Center, on the 30th day of June, 1836, when township officers were chosen. The Presbyterians organized the first church at Delta, and built their home on Adrian Street at a very early date. In 1868 Dr. William Ramsey and David C. Teeple established the first bank in Delta, and it was called the Bank of Delta. At a later date Doctor Ramsey became sole owner, and his son, W. E. Ramsey, was cashier. This bank closed its doors in 1907. The Farmers National Bank was opened for business in 1901. Thirteen years later it was reorganized under the state banking laws as the Farmers State Bank. A third banking institution, the Peoples Savings Bank, is a prosperous bank that dates from 1906.. OTHER VILLAGES Swanton is situated near the eastern line of the county, only a short distance from the Lucas County line. When Nicholas P. Berry and Miss Catharine Burgstuff, the first couple to be joined in matrimony in this township, went to Maumee City to be married in 1834, things were very different from what they are today. Their return trip, which was their only wedding journey, was in a lumber wagon over crooked roads and logs, through creeks without bridges, and around swamps. James C. Vaughn was the first white child born in the neighborhood, in the year 1835. The post-office was established in 1854. Joseph H. Miller was one of the early merchants of the place, and conducted a store for many years. William Geyser began business in Swanton immediately after being discharged from service in the Civil war. Before the days of the railroad, Mr. Starr kept a tavern, which was called the "Farmer's Inn," and there was also a second hostelry owned by John T. Teachworth. It was not uncommon for three or four canvas-covered wagons, loaded with emigrants, to be accommodated in one of these taverns over night, so that a hotel then was probably more profitable than today. Swanton has now grown into a thriving village, and is a brisk business center. It has one bank, The Farmers and Merchants Deposit Company, which was established in 1901. In 1839, a postoffice was established in Fulton County with the name of Forham. It was located at the home of Erastus Cottrell, and he was the first postmaster. The name was afterward changed to Fayette. It is situated on a branch of the Lake Shore Railroad, and also on the Toledo & Western Electric line. Henry Boyd opened a general store here as early as 1852, and he was the first merchant. A few years later Rensallaer S. Humphrey and Dr. Joseph 0. Allen built and began to operate a steam grist-mill and sawmill. A planing-mill was built here in 1871 by John S. Butler. In 1872, Fayette was incorporated. The village has always had an excellent reputation for the high character of its citizens, and it has furnished the county with many excellent officials. The Fayette Normal, Music and Business College was established there in 1881, and conducted until 1892, when it was removed to Wauseon. Then it became the Wauseon Normal and Collegiate Institute, but was discontinued after a decade. The Fayette Normal is an educational institution still maintained in the village. The Bank of Fayette was established about 1880 and continued in business until 1913. The business was then taken over by HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 429 the Fayette State Savings Bank. The latter bank began business in 1906. Archbold sprang into existence in 1855, immediately after the building of the railroad. It is now an incorporated village with a flourishing trade. It is near the western limit of the county. It has two banks, The Farmers and Merchants Bank established in 1897, and the Peoples State Bank, organized in 1907. Lyons was formerly called Morey's Corners. Its history begins with the building of the plank road in 1850. Since that time it has enjoyed a steady growth until the present day. The Lyons Commercial Bank was established in 1911. Metamora is an old town. Hezekiah Culver sold goods here as early as 1848, and a grist-mill had been built there two or three years earlier. One of the original proprietors was Jonathan Saunders, and his descendants still live in the village. There is a Methodist society, which was organized in the year 1854. The first church building was erected a dozen years later. The United Brethren denomination also have a church in Metamora. This village has two banks, the Farmers and Merchants Bank, and the Home Savings Bank, both established in 1901. Pettisville is another village of the county. It supports the Pettisville Savings Bank, organized in 1909. CHAPTER XXXIV HANCOCK COUNTY JACOB A. KIMMEL, M. D., FINDLAY Like all of Northwestern Ohio Hancock County was Indian territory. Two or three different tribes claimed hunting rights within its boundaries. Several thousand acres of the Wyandot reservation were situated within the county, and in Big Lick Township. This tract was for the use of the Wyandots residing in Solomon's Town, situated on the fork of the Blanchard River. This land was purchased from the Indians by the Government in 1831. Big Lick Township was a favorite hunting resort, because the numerous sulphur springs in one section were a great resort for deer, and was therefore known as a "deer lick." Hunters, both white and red, were accustomed to waylay these denizens of the forests on their way to or from the springs. The Ottawas also had a small village on the site of Findlay, which stretched along the river within the present limits of the city. According to tradition there were two Indian villages within the County of Hancock, and both were located on the banks of the Blanchard River. As late as 1815 there were eight or ten families of friendly Wyandots living around and in the blockhouses of Fort Findlay. "They were a temperate, fine-looking people and friendly to the first settlers." This is the testimony of a pioneer. They tilled two fields, one above and the other below the fort, on the south bank of the river. Kuqua was the chief, and one of his sons, Tree-top-in-the-Water, died in a cabin west of the fort before the Indians removed to Big Spring reservation. Six or seven miles down the river, the Wyandots had another village called Indian Green. This was a clearing several miles square which had apparently been under cultivation for a considerable time, since an orchard of plum trees was found near a part of the clearing occupied by a graveyard. A white man named Ellison robbed these graves of the jewels, which had been placed there to enable the dead braves to purchase a clear title to their share of plunder in the happy hunting grounds. When the Indians discovered the deprecable work of this pale-faced miscreant, they made it so warm for him that he was obliged to leave the neighborhood immediately. It is also claimed by many that there was an Indian village on the site of Mount Blanchard. This may possibly be true, for there were Indians living in that vicinity as late as 1838. They were probably the surviving remnants of some of the tribes who at different times held sway over this vast wilderness. Now there is no vestige of the former inhabitants of the county, and their habitations, except as some weapon or ornament is uncovered from earth and falls into the hands of the modern relic hunter. Hancock County lies within what is known as the Maumee Valley. Its surface is generally level, and much of it might appropriately be called flat land. In Orange Township there was a great cranberry marsh before drainage ditches were dug and in some other parts there are large tracts that were formerly wet and soft throughout almost - 430 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 431 the entire year. The county is watered by the fork of the Auglaize River known as the Blanchard, which has its source in Hardin County. By the Shawnees this river was called Sho-po-quo-to-kepe, or Tailor River, from the fact that Mr. Blanchard, after whom it was named,, was by occupation a tailor. The volume of this river was sufficient in earlier days to furnish water power for a number of mills throughout almost the entire year. As the timber has been destroyed and the lands drained, the supply of water is much less reliable than formerly. Jean Jacques Blanchard was a Frenchman by birth. He was "a tailor by trade, adventurer by disposition, and non-communicative about himself from choice." He came from Louisiana in 1770 and settled among the Shawnees. He married a squaw, and resided, upon this stream long prior to the cession of the territory of which it forms a part to the United States, rearing a family of seven children. He died in 1802, and the place of his death is supposed to be on the site of old Fort Findlay. "He spoke Parisian French, is said to have had an intimate acquaintance with Greek and Latin, and had a liberal education. He was a man with all a Frenchman's culture and refinement, and the wonder is what he was doing out in the forsaken wilds of the Northwest Territory, married to a squaw, devoted to twelve little half-breed sons and daughters, and plying his trade up and down the banks of the little river which soon became known as his especial property." Blanchard never gave any account of his wanderings. As a consequence the historians have accredited him to a Spanish pirate ship, which he is supposed to have tired of. No one seems to know how he got to the point east of Dayton, where he first joined the Shawnees in 1770. It is known that he emigrated to Louisiana in 1760, and remained there two years, but the seven years intervening has provided abundant room for the building of many fanciful theories. It is claimed that he was well skilled in carving, and with his curiously wrought tools amused the Indians by his work in this art. He lived thirty years with his Shawnee wife, and, when the Indians emigrated, seven of his children were still living. In 1857 part of the tribe, with which he had identified himself, moved to Iowa, one of Blanchard's sons being chief 432 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO of the division. To this day there are Indians who trace their genealogy back to the point where Blanchard and his sons appear on the stage of their tribal life. According to the best accounts handed down to us, the first settlement in the territory now embraced within the boundaries of Hancock County was made at the present site of the Town of Findlay, about the year 1815. It was natural that the settlers would locate near a stockade, such as was Fort Findlay at this time, immediately after the close of the War of 1812. It is claimed that a man by the name of Thorp, or Tharp, who came to this section with the soldiers of General Hull, remained here with Indians for his companions after its evacuation by the American troops. Edward Bright, a young soldier who came to Fort Findlay during the war, returned in the year 1824 and entered a quarter of a section of land, which he cleared up and lived upon. He had taken a fancy to this land while quartered here as a soldier. He was an industrious man, who spent very little for the luxuries of life, and even deprived himself of what most of us would term necessities. He ate very simple food, and wore the scantiest of clothing. In his elderly days he was known as "Uncle Neddie," or "Old Neddie." He was a very quiet man, discreet in his conversation, and had never married. Because he had sold many cattle at a high price at the outbreak of the Civil War, he was generally believed by his neighbors to be the possessor of much gold. After his death, however, no money was found either upon his person or about the house, a scantily appointed cabin, and it was believed then, and is even to this day a matter of tradition, that he had buried his treasure in the ground. Sufficient it is to say that no one has ever yet discovered the hiding-place of his wealth, if it ever existed. When Benjamin Cox and his family settled in this vicinity, about the year 1815, there was nothing but an unbroken forest to greet them, save about the old fort. Indians and wild beasts roamed freely about in the woods. After making their home in the solitude of this county for a few years, the family removed to Wood County, where some of the descendants still live. One of the daughters had acquired a knowledge of both the Ottawa and Wyandot tongues, and sometimes acted as interpreter between the whites and the Indians. It was not long, however, until the spirit of adventure and longing for new scenes brought a number of additional settlers from other states, and little communities were formed. The foundations were then laid for the prosperity and development that has followed. Little indeed did these early settlers think of the wealth of petroleum and gas then lying beneath their feet at a distance of less than a quarter of a mile. In their ignorance, these early pioneers parted with the possessions upon which they had toiled for years at hard labor for the paltry sum of two or three dollars for an acre.,—land which afterward brought as many thousands of dollars an acre in the time of the oil and gas boom. So far as is known there were no battles fought at Findlay, but there were of course isolated skirmishes between the whites and the Indians whom they dispossessed, and the county has had its share of pioneer tragedies. An interesting account of the early days about Findlay is given by Mrs. Eberly, a daughter of Benjamin Cox. The account is taken from the "History of Hancock County" by J. A. Kimmell, the language of the relator being given : "I am the daughter of Benjamin Cox, and was born in Green County, Ohio, in 1806, ahd when about nine years old, my father removed his family to Findlay, in Hancock County. Our family was the first white family to settle in that county. My sister Lydia, born in 1817, was the first white child born in that county. We lived in a hewed-log house, located where the brick residence of the late HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 433 Wilson Vance now stands, on the south bank of the river, and on the east side of Main Street. When Mr. Vance came to the place, we had to move into a log cabin a little east of the hewed-log house, into which Mr. Vance took his family. "My father was engaged in farming—if the cultivation of a small tract of cleared land surrounding our cabin could be called farming—and keeping a public house. Shortly after we came to the place, Hamilton, Moreland and Slight came. Some other families came in, stayed a short time and then left. For to be candid about it, Findlay was but two or three block houses, and some pickets, the remains of Ft. Findlay, were standing when we came. The Ottawa Indians made frequent visits to the place, as it was stated that they were in some way related to the Wyandots. "Before we left Findlay, the Morelands, Hamiltons, Slights, Chamberlains, Frakes, McKinnises, Simpsons, Vances and Rileys had moved to the county. Hamilton and some others had started a settlement above the town, and Frakes and the McKinnises, below the town. I was at that time too young and too busy to make the acquaintance of many of these persons. But I shall never forget Susy Frakes—as she was called—the wife of Nathan Frakes. Many a day did I spend with them in their cabin on the river side, and I thought Susy the best woman I ever knew, kind-hearted, almost to a fault, hospitable and intelligent. "Mrs. Riley was perhaps the first white person who died in the county. She had been sick with the chills and fever and had called in the services of a Mr. Smith, a Kentuckian, who pretended to be a druggist, and who gave her medicine which was so effective that she was soon a corpse. So sudden was her decease that it was suspected that a mistake had been made, either in the medicine or in its administering. It was said at the time Vol. I-28 that Smith had forbidden her to drink water, but such was her intense thirst that she prevailed on two little girls who were left to watch with her, to bring her some, of which she drank freely and very shortly afterward was found dead. Of course her sudden death was attributed to the drink of water. "I was but a girl when Vance came to Findlay. The first mill in the county was built whilst we were there. Mrs. Vance had gone to Urbana just previous to the birth of their first child, and Mr. Vance's sister, Bridget, came to keep house for him, but had been with him but a short time when she was attacked by the ague. I then went to live with them, and not only cooked for the men who were digging the mill race, and boarded at Vance's, but I even worked in the race. My mother, my sister and myself gathered the stalks of nettles which grew on the river bottoms below the town, from which we stripped fiber enough, that on being dressed like flax was spun and woven into linen to the amount of forty yards, and was made into clothing for the family. "At one time We-ge-hah, or Tree-top-inwater, son, of In-op-qua-nah, a Wyandot chief, became sick, and the Indians believed him to be bewitched by a bad spirit, and sent to Tawa-town for Big Medicine to exorcise the spirit. My mother did not like the Indians very well, and never went amongst them much. On this occasion, however, when the Indians sent out their invitations for the great pow-wow, my mother received one. It was after much persuasion on the part of my father, and with the understanding that I should accompany her, that she finally consented to attend. When we arrived at the place of meeting, which was a log house a a little west of where Judge Cory now lives—Blackford German Block—we found a few Indians assembled. The Big Medicine and his interpreter occupied the center of the room. The lights were extinguished. The 434 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO tom-tom was beaten and a great noise and hubbub was made. The lights were again set to burning, and after a short silence refreshments were passed around. During this time my mother and myself having been seated in the circle which was formed around the room, clung closely together, not a little frightened at the performance." CIVIL HISTORY On the 12th of February, 1820, the General Assembly of Ohio passed an act for the creation of certain new counties, among which was Hancock County. The part that has reference to Hancock County reads as follows: "Fifth to include Townships One and Two, north of the forty-first degree of north latitude (base line) and One and Two south of the same line, in the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Ranges from east to west, and to be known by the name of Hancock county." It was further provided by this act that Hancock County should be attached to the County of Wood, with the seat of government at Perrysburg. The commissioners of Wood County, in 1822, ordered. that the Township of Waynesfield should be co-extensive with the boundaries of Wood and Hancock counties. The Hancock portion was set off in the following year as an independent township, by the name of Findlay, and an election was ordered to be held on the first day of July at the house of Wilson Vance. Of this election there is no record, but there is a record of an election April 5, 1824, at which eighteen votes were cast. Job Chamberlin, Wilson Vance, and Jacob Poe were elected trustees. John Hunter and John Gardner were chosen for the distinguished office of fence-viewers. Robert McKinnis and William Moreland became overseers of the poor. There were scarcely enough voters to pass around among the offices, for we find that Wilson Vance was also selected for the important office of assessor. The amount of tax for the year 1826 was only $56.12. It was not long until a separate county orgailization became necessary, because of the rapid increase of settlers. Hence it was that the General Assembly passed an act on the 21st day of January, 1838, "to Organize the County of Hancock." A part of this act reads as follows :— "Sec. 1. That the county of Hancock as heretofore laid off, and the same shall be and is hereby organized into a separate and distinct county, and suits and prosecutions which shall be pending, and all crimes which shall have been committed within said county of Hancock previous to its organization, shall be prosecuted to final judgment and execution within the county of Wood, in the same manner they would have been had the county of Hancock not been organized ; and the sheriff, coroner and constables of Wood County shall execute within the county of Hancock such process as shall be necessary to carry into effect such suits, prosecutions and judgments; and the treasurer of Wood County shall collect all such taxes as shall have been levied and imposed within the county of Hancock previous to the taking effect of this act." This act was to take effect from the first day of March, and the whole history of the county begins with that date. In accordance with its provisions, the voters of the county held an election in Findlay at which seventy-four votes were cast. The officers elected were as follows : Don Alonzo Hamlin, sheriff; Thomas Slight, coroner; Matthew Reighly, auditor; Joshua Hedges, treasurer ; William Hacknes, assessor ; Godfrey Wolford, John Long, and John P. Hamilton, commissioners. The county, named aka' John Hancock of Revolutionary fame, was now fully organized and prepared for governmental business. The responsibilities of office sat lightly upon these early officials, and their duties interfered very little with their regular vocations. Although there were no public buildings, the lack of HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 435 them was not greatly felt. The people knew where to find their officials, and that was sufficient. The treasurer carried his tax duplicate around with him in his pocket, and was thus ready to receive the monies of the taxpayers whenever he should chance to meet them. In order to make correct surveys for the townships to be created, and to locate the land exactly, a base line was established along the forty-first parallel of north latitude, which line ran directly through the center of Hancock County, and thus divided the county into two parts, north and south. The townships were numbered north and south of this line. It was a number of years before the townships were outlined as they exist today, and the original names given them have in certain instances also been changed. At the time that Hancock County was definitely established, there were probably fewer than 400 inhabitants, judging by the number of votes cast in the first election. At this early day there were perhaps no more than half a dozen settlements in the entire county ; one of these was at Mount Blanchard, one at Findlay, and one at McKinnis, with two or three small communities in other sections. There were also a few families residing by themselves in isolated places.. Everyone was counted a neighbor who lived within a day's journey. In 1830, when the first census was taken, there were 813 persons in the county. Of this number 451 were white males and 351 white females, while there were 3 males and 6 females of colored blood. About three-fourths of this number were under age. In 1880, just fifty years afterward, the population of the county had increased to 27,343. The census of 1830 does not give the number of acres of improved lands, nor the value of the buildings in the county, but it is safe to conclude that but little had been done toward the subduing of the wilderness. Farms or clearings were few and far between, and it is doubtful if there was a frame or brick build- ing in the county outside of the little settlement of Findlay. The pioneers could make only slow headway against unconquered nature with their few and primitive rude tools. The first church edifice erected in the county was the "Duke's Meeting House," in Blanchard Township. It was a building of hewed logs, 32 by 28 feet in size, and was built and owned by the Methodist Episcopal Church. The pulpit and seats were of the rudest construction. The seats were simply benches without backs, and the pulpit was of unpainted boards. And yet, in such a simple structure, the people could draw just as close to their Creator as is possible in the finest cathedral. The voices of Finley, Thompson, Wilson, Gurley, and a host of other pioneer Methodists were heard in the "Duke's Meeting House." But ministers of the gospel preceded the churches by many years. If no hospitable home was opened up, God's first temples, the primeval woods, were always available. When the Rev. James Gilruth preached here, in the year 1822, he did not see a dwelling house on his journey from Fort McArthur to Findlay. As soon as he arrived he was requested to preach, and consented to do so. It is said that almost every man and woman in the county was present at this service. It is very different today, with the elegant churches that we have, which are provided with cushioned seats and warmed to a comfortable temperature. With all these advantages, however, only a small proportion of the people can be induced to attend the services. The first schoolhouse in Hancock County was also built in Findlay, and the first session of the school was taught by John C. Wickham, who was then a resident of the county. The tavern in the early days was a center for the various activities of the neighborhood. The people gathered here to exchange their gossip, as well as to hear news 436 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO of the outside world from any chance stranger that happened along. Here many public gatherings were arranged, and all of the public notices were posted. "The Pioneer Tavern was a few rods south east of the 'Medicine Water.' It was on the plateau just east of the ridge that lies south of the spring, and terminated near there, some three or four rods onward from the present street. The first house was a double roomed one, with a loft, standing north and south, facing the east, and was built of round logs, `chinked and daubed.' In course of time, a second house, two stories high, was added, built of hewed logs, and placed east and west, at right angles with the south end of the first building, with a little space between them. In this space was the well with its curb, and its tall, old-fashioned, but easy-woirking 'well-sweep.' Around at the southwest of this was the log barn and the blacksmith shop, and a double granary or corn-crib, with a space between for its many purposes, as necessary, indeed, as the kitchen is for household purposes. Here was the grind-stone, the shaving-horse, the hewing block, the tools of all kinds and the pegs for hanging up traps of all sorts. Here the hog was scalded and dressed, the deer, raccoon and 'possum were skinned, and their skins stretched and dried, or tanned. Here also were the nuts cracked and dried. For many reasons it has a bright place in the memories of boyhood. How few know the importance of the pioneer tavern in early days. It was, of course, the place of rest for the weary traveler, whether on foot or on horse. It was many a day before a dear-born' or a 'dandy-wagon' was known on the road. But it was much more than this and seemed the emporium of everything. It was the market place for all ; the hunter with his venison and turkeys ; the trapper with his skins and furs ; and the knapsack peddler—the pioneer merchant— here gladdened the hearts of all with his 'boughten' wares. At this tavern, too, were all public gatherings called, to arrange for a general hunt, to deal out justice to some transgressor of the unwritten but well known pioneer laws. In fact it was here, at a later period, that the first organized county court was held, with the grand jury in the tavern loft and the petit jury under a neighboring shade tree." One of the events of great importance, and especially to the youth, was the General Muster. For this annual parade the soldiers were busy for days in repairing and polishing up their old flintlock muskets, while the officers studied up the words of command and pressed up their uniforms. The young ladies industriously added to their wardrobe, for their gentlemen friends were sure to be there. In many instances the beau invited his best girl to a seat on the horse behind him on the way to the Muster. When the great day arrived, practically the whole population would be found on the grounds. The officers would strut around in their blue coats, with brass buttons and monstrous epaulets conspicuously showing. The men were marched by companies, some of them armed with rifles, and all would march in ways that would not be approved at West Point. Among the early companies were the Findlay Rangers, under the command of Captain Lape. These rangers were dressed in uniforms of green, profusely trimmed with yellow tape. There were also the Van Buren Rangers, commanded by Colonel Wall, with uniforms of green trimmed with red. In other companies every man was clothed according to his taste and his ability. The cavalry company, known as "Light Horse" company, commanded by Capt. John Byal, was to boys the very acme of military glory. Other sports indulged in at the Muster were running, jumping, wrestling, pitching horseshoes, etc. Sometimes fights resulted from too much drinking, and bloody noses would be visible. The first marriage performed within Han- HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 437 cock County, of which we have a record, was the one in which Samuel Kepler, of Williams County, and Rachael McKinnis, of Hancock County, were legally joined in matrimony, by William Vance, Justice of the Peace, on the 11th day of January, 1825. Nearly all of these early marriages were performed by the justice of the peace, for the reason that a resident minister, authorized to perform marriage ceremonies, was not to be found. The second marriage was that of Asa M. Lake and Charlotte Green, by Joshua Hedges, J. P. In 1824, the commissioners appointed for that purpose made an entry upon the court records that they had established the seat of justice in the Town of Findlay, as the most suitable site for that location. The first record that we have of a session of court was one held on the 19th day of March, 1829, by Judges Huff, McKinnis, and Wilson. The first contested election took place in 1838, when the election of Wade as justice of the peace was protested. In 1846 the commissioners authorized Fred Henderson to procure a suitable bell to be placed in the cupola of the courthouse at a cost not exceeding $250. The first estate administered was that of Hon. John Patterson, and William Taylor was appointed administrator of this estate in 1829. The assets amounted to less than $1,000, but that was considered very good in those days, for Mr. Patterson was looked upon as one of the wealthy men of the county. Conditions have changed wonder. fully since that time. The administrator was allowed $2 for two days' services in settling up the estate, and the attorneys were granted $5---which is certainly a record for economy in administration. The first roads in the county were scarcely more than blazed paths through the woods. Many places would have been utterly impassable, had it not been for the system of "corduroy." As timber was abundant this great waste, as it seems to us, was not noticed. The early records of the county commissioners contain much legislation upon this important subject. The road from Findlay to Van Buren was one of the early roads. Concerning it, we find as follows on their records of 1829 : "A petition being presented by sundry citizens of Hancock County, praying for a county road, commencing at the county line at John Smith's farm, running thence a northwesterly direction to John Longs, in Section One, thence to cross Blanchard Fork at or near John J. Hendricks, thence to run down the diver to the mouth of the three-mile run, thence to the nearest and best direction to Findlay, which was granted, and John Huff, John J. Hendricks and William Moreland were appointed viewers, and William Taylor, Surveyor." A couple of years later it was decided to build a road by the most direct route to " Toway Village," now Ottawa, and this is now one of the best roads in the county. The "Road from Fort Meigs, or the foot of the Rapids of the Miami of the Lake (Maumee) to Bellefontaine," was one of the early highways. It is known as the Perrysburg and Bellefontaine State Road, and almost bisects the county from north to south. It was laid out on or near "Hull's Trail." It was many years before an attempt was made to bridge the Blanchard River. Finally the matter was put to a vote of the people, and the contract was let in 1843 for a bridge over that stream at Findlay. This first bridge was a trestle structure of the simplest type. In 1850 this was replaced by a. covered bridge of a type common in those days, but which has almost disappeared. "On April 26th, 1839, at a special session of the county commissioners it was 'Ordered that we, the commissioners, agree to subscribe one hundred shares, amounting to one hundred thousand dollars, to the capital stock of the Bellefontaine and Perrysburg Railroad, and that in our incorporate capacity, we will place 438 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO our signatures to the books of the company for that amount.' John Byal, Daniel Fairchild, Commissioners. " This was certainly a liberal offer for that day. This railroad was never completed. The railroad fever again broke out in 1845, when a movement was then set on foot, which resulted in the building of the Findlay branch of the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad. By a vote of the people, the commissioners were authorized to subscribe for 1,200 shares of the capital stock, with a par value of $60,000. This subscription was afterward increased to $75,000. The road was not completed and put into operation until December, 1849. This is the railroad branch that runs to Carey, and is about sixteen miles in length. As originally constructed the rails were simply strap iron laid on stringers placed lengthwise on the roadbed. The hopes of the Findlayites were again raised in 1853, at the prospect of having the old Dayton & Michigan Railroad built through their little city. Great was their disappointment when it was located on a route several miles farther west. The first will recorded was one probated in March, 1830, and the introduction of which reads as follows :- "In the name of God, Amen. I * * * of Hancock County, State of Ohio, being sick and weak in body, but of sound mind, memory and understanding (praised be God for it), and considering the certainty of death, and the uncertainty of the time thereof, and to the end I may be better prepared to leave this work whenever it may please God to call me 117e, do therefore' make and declare this my last will and testament in manner following, (that is to say) first and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, my Creator, praying for free pardon, and remission of all my sins, and to enjoy everlasting happiness in the Heavenly Kingdom through Jesus Christ, my Savior. My body I commit to the earth at the discretion of my executor hereafter named." When Hancock County became a settled and distinct county, three of her citizens were honored with the appointment of associate judges. These were Abraham Huff, Robert McKinnis, and Ebenezer Wilson. The first court was held on March 14, 1828, with all of these judges present. William Vance was elected clerk pro tem by a vote of two to one. Judge McKinnis came to Hancock County in 1822, and at once became one of the leading men. Not only was he himself noted, but his sons Charles, Phillip, James, and John were also men who stood high in the eyes of the early settlers of that vicinity. Charles was one of the first commissioners of the county, a position which at that time was one of unusual importance. All of the affairs of the new county were in process of settlement, and conflicting interests were at work in the placing the public buildings and adjustment of other public business that needed looking after. Judge Wilson came to this county in 1826, and he filled the office of associate judge for fourteen years, which was longer than any of his associates. Of Judge Huff very little is known, except that he was an honorable man and endowed with good sense. During this first year of the Common Pleas Court, Anthony Casad, of Bellefontaine, was appointed prosecuting attorney for the term of one year, at a salary of $40. It was also ordered that the clerk be paid the sum of $10 per year in two installments. He served in this capacity for seven years, and received for his services the magnificent sum of $70. The first grand jury was composed of the following named persons: Joseph DeWitt, John P. Hamilton, Jacob Poe, Asa Lake, Charles McKinnis, Reuben Hales, Mordecai Hammond, William Wade, John Boyd, Henry George, William Moreland, James McKinnis, HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 439 William Taylor, Edwin S. Jones, and John C. Wickham. The foreman was William Taylor. The first petit jury summoned was as follows: John Beard, Joseph Johnson, John Huff, William Moreland, Jr., John Tullis, John J. Hendricks, Thomas Thompson, James Pettis. As there was no business for a jury, they were discharged without the panel being filled. The first case on the civil docket was one brought by Robert Elder and wife against Asa Lake and wife, claiming damages of $500. Judgment was rendered for the defendants, and the plaintiffs were ordered to pay the costs, taxed at $2.22. In 1835, Robert L. Strother and John W. Baldwin succeeded Judges Huff and McKinnis. Edson Goit was the first resident lawyer in Findlay, and was born in Oswego County, New York. In 1827 he left his early home and traveled across Ohio, stopping at the Village of Fremont. Here he studied law and was admitted to its practice. Learning that Findlay, the new county seat of Hancock County, had no lawyer, he at once concluded to come there and cast his fortunes. Traveling on foot from Tiffin, he reached _Findlay on the third day of his journey. This was in August, 1832, and in the following month he was appointed prosecuting attorney. This was not a lucrative office in those days. Business was so poor that he taught school for a while in order to have sufficient money to pay his board. He was married to Miss Jane Patterson, a young lady of the village. Arnold Merriam was the second lawyer to make his home in Findlay. He arrived there in the spring. of 1835, but remained in Findlay only a few years. The third lawyer was John H. Morrison, who was one of the best known members of the pioneer bar. He first practiced in BuCyrus, where he filled the office of prosecuting attorney and county treasurer, and located in Findlay in the fall of 1836. Among the other early members of the bar were Jacob Barnd, Jiidge Hall, who was also carpenter and preacher, Charles W. O'Neal, and Abel T. Parker. James M. and Charles S. Coffinberry, sons of Andrew Coffinberry, known as the " Count," were also prominent among the early legal. advisers. James afterward removed to Cleveland, where he became quite prominent. The count himself passed the last few years of his life in Findlay. He was possessed of considerable literary talent, as well as legal ability. The earliest permanent physician in the county was Dr. Bass Rawson, who came to Findlay in 1829. There were at that time only twelve white inhabitants in the settlement. He practiced there for over sixty years. A German physician, Dr. Charles Desterlin, arrived at Findlay in 1836, and followed his profession until his death more than half a century later. He served one term in the Legislature. Dr. William H. Baldwin antedated Doctor Desterlin by four years. He rose to a high position in his chosen work. Neither distance nor the difficulties of travel deterred this faithful physician in ministering to the sick. He died in 1868. Dr. William D. Carlin graduated in medicine in 1843 and immediately began its practice. He served as surgeon during the Mexican War, where he acquitted himself with distinction. Among the other early physicians worthy of note were Dr. Anson Hurd, Dr. Lorenzo Fermin and Dr. William D. Detwiler. It was in the year 1830 that the county commissioners decided to build a jail. It was ordered that this jail should be "sixteen feet wide and twenty-four feet long, with a partition in the center. The timber to be white oak, twelve inches square, with two doors and three windows." This jail was built on the public square. It seems that this location was not pleasing to many of the citizens, for a few months later a petition was presented by sundry citizens praying for its removal. The prisoners used to amuse themselves by burn- 440 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO ing down the door, or removing the iron bars from the windows, and, after escaping, report themselves to the sheriff, who would conduct them back to the place whence they came. Previous to 1831 the courts were held in a little log schoolhouse. In that year, however, the county commissioners ordered an advertisement to be posted asking for bids for the construction of a frame building, 24 by 36 feet, and two stories high. The lower story was to have a hall, or entry, 8 feet wide through the center, with good partitions on either side through the center. A good substantial flight of stairs was to be put up in this entry. All except the front was to be weather-boarded with black walnut—a great waste of a good timber now so valuable. The bids were opened on the 16th of January, 1832, and two proposals were presented. One proposal for the sum of $700 was accepted. This building was erected on the southwest corner of Main and Crawford streets, and was used as a courthouse, schoolhouse, and church, until a new brick structure was completed in 1841. The religious societies using it were charged 75 cents each per month. The old building was afterwards remodeled and used for many years as a hotel. On the 10th of November, 1836, the first issue of the first newspaper in Hancock County was handed out to the citizens of the small hamlet of Findlay. This paper was the Hancock Courier, which is older than the City of Findlay by a couple of years. At that time it was an 18x26 inch sheet. The nearest paper mill was at Delaware, and there was no means of transportation save by wagons over muddy and sometimes impassable roads. In the second year, in an effort to cover more territory, the name of this paper was lengthened to the Findlay Courier and Hancock and Putnam Democratic Shield. In 1841 the name was changed again to the Hancock Courier, which it has ever since retained. It was established by Jacob Rosenberg, who had recently arrived in the city. Three years later it was purchased by Henry Bishop, who edited and published it for a number of years. The next proprietor was William Mungen. Since that time it has had many owners and editors. Lewis Glessner edited the paper from 1866 to 1879 continuously. The Daily Courier was established in March, 1887, by G. and Fred Glessner, and the latter served as manager and editor for a dozen years. In 1889 the company was incorporated, and was amalgamated with the Findlay Union. The first whig paper published in the county was the Hancock Republican, and it was established by Arnold F. Merriam in January, 1838. It had only a brief existence, dying in about one year from lack of patronage. The Hancock Farmer was started by Jacob Rosenberg, in 1842, as a democratic paper. It was afterwards consolidated with the Courier. The Western Herald made its bow to the public in January, 1845, with John T. Ford at the helm, and was also a whig paper. In the same year it passed into the control of James M. Coffinberry, who changed the name to the Findlay Herald. The Hancock Whig was established by Robert Coulter in 1848, and the name was afterwards changed to The Hancock Journal by his successor, George C. Lyon. This paper passed out of existence in 1852. The Home Companion was born in 1854, and was promoted as a reform publication by Samuel A. Spear. It advocated reform in the liquor laws. The name was afterwards changed to The Hancock Jeffersonian, and was for a time edited by David R. Locke, who published some of the original "Nasby Papers" in this publication. On April 1, 1870, this paper was issued as The Findlay Jeffersonian. It also has a weekly edition, which was started in 1880. The Reporter was started in 1872 by C. G. and J. K. Barnd as a literary paper, but lasted only about five years under two or three names. Das Ohio V.olksblatt began publica- HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 441 tion in 1877, with Adolph G. Zwanzig as editor. It lasted only about a year, when the plant was sold for the benefit of the creditors. The Findlay Weekly Republican made its appearance in 1879, under the ownership of J. N. Beelman and James E. Griswold. The other republican paper was not considered as sufficiently "stalwart" to the radical members of that party. It has had a number of noted editors. A company was finally formed, and the Evening Jeffersonian was published in connection with the Republican. The Findlay Star also had a brief existence as a daily. The Findlay Wochenblatt, a German weekly, was established in 1886. The Findlay Union was also published in Findlay as an independent paper for a while. Of other papers in the county, there are the McComb Record, which was started in 1894, and the McComb Herald, which was organized a number of years earlier. The Mount Blanchard Journal is published in Mount Blanchard, and the Arcadia News appears from that village. Arlington is also the possessor of a newspaper. FINDLAY Findlay was first laid out in the year 1821 by Joseph Vance and Elnathan Cory. It was replatted in 1829, and the plat of that year contained 156 lots, of about 50 by 200 feet in size. This original plat was in what is now the central portion of the city, and covered less than one square mile in area. Thirty-nine lots were donated to the county commissioners in trust, to be sold and the proceeds to be used in the construction of county buildings. The public square was donated for the benefit of the town, and it so remains. Main Street was laid out 100 feet in width. The first frame house in the town was built by Squire Carlin, and was situated on the southwest corner of Main and Front streets. The second frame building was constructed by William Taylor, who occupied it as a dwelling, a hotel, and dry goods store. The town was then a straggling village of log huts. Benjamin Cox was the first tavern keeper. There was very little business, excepting some trading with the Indians, and now and then the entertainment of a lonely traveler. East Findlay was laid out in 1847 by James H. Wilson. This comprises that part of the city lying east of Eagle Creek, which is spanned by three bridges. North Findlay, as it is known, although it never had a separate existence, is that part of the municipality on the north side of the river. This was laid out in the year 1854 by William Taylor, one of the first settlers of the county. The City of Findlay was incorporated on March 17, 1838, under an act passed by the Legislature. This act was at one time repealed, but the repealing act was itself repealed, so that the original act incorporating the town remained in force. Among the early mayors were John Adams, W. L. Henderson, Abraham Younkin, 0. A. Ogden, N. Y. Memford, Josiah S. Powell, and Jacob Carr. In the early days of Hancock County the principal denominations represented were the Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, and Lutheran. Of these four, the Baptists were the last to organize, in 1857, and no church was built until 1888. The first Methodist Church was established in the '30s. A church was built on East Main Street, and it was served by a circuit rider. Soon afterwards it became a station with its own preacher. The Presbyterian Church was organized in 1830, with Rev. Peter Monfort as pastor ; William Cowan and Ebenezer Wilson were the first ruling elders. This is said to be the oldest Presbyterian Church in this part of Ohio. The first house of worship was erected in 1836, and was used for twenty-one years. At that time a new church was erected on the northeast corner of Main and Hardin streets. In 1900 a new church was erected on the corner of 442 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO Main and Lincoln streets. The longest pastorate was that of Rev. H. H. Holliday, which extended from 1842 to 1854. The Lutheran was the third denomination to enter the field, for regular services were begun in 1839, although a permanent organization was not effected until seven years later. St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church was organized in 1851. At that time a small frame building was erected. Priests had occasionally visited Findlay before that time and held services there. Hancock Lodge, No. 73, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was instituted August 15, 1846, and it was legally incorporated in the following year. The installation services were held in the second floor of Jonathan Parker's carpenter shop. At that time fraternal orders were neither so popular nor so well understood as they are today. The order grew, however, and the number of its members has greatly increased. It has been the parent of several other lodges of Odd Fellows throughout the county. One of the members, now deceased, who deserves special mention, was Rev. H. H. Holliday. He was a member for over fifty years, during thirty of which he was chaplain, and seldom missed a session during that long period. Masonry in Findlay dates from 1852, when a meeting was held in the hall of the Odd Fellows, on the evening of January 16th. Abraham Youngkin presided as worshipful master, and a dispensation for a lodge in Findlay was read in open lodge. At this meeting Thomas McKee made application to become a member by demit. At the second meeting, held on the 24th instant, a full corps of officers was elected. The charter bears the date of October 22, 1852. In 1854 a chapter of Royal Arch Masons was instituted, and James A. Kellman was appointed high priest. Interest was so great in the new order that daily meetings were held for some time. During the Civil War the meetings were discontinued, but 'they were begun as soon as peace was effected. Commandery was installed in 1889, and the first Knight Templar created was Sir James Wilson. This attempt failed, but a new dispensation was granted January 22, 1890, and Findlay Commandery, U. D., was fully organized. There are many other fraternal orders in Findlay. The Elks instituted their lodge in 1888. The lodge, No. 75, has a very large membership. The Tribe of Ben Hur dates from 1895, when it was organized with thirty charter members. The Grand Army of the Republic is represented by two posts, the First Post and Stoker Post. Findlay has some splendid banking institutions. The First National was founded in June, 1863, with E. P. Jones as president and Charles E. Niles as cashier. When Mr. Jones died in 1894, he was succeeded by Mr. Niles, who filled the position until his own death. The Buckeye National was organized in 1886 and has been very successful. The Commercial Bank and Savings Company was incorporated in 1900 under the state banking laws. The American National Bank opened for business in 1887, having been organized by the late Judge Jacob F. Burket, who was its first president. The City Banking Company was incorporated in 1897. It succeeded to the business of the City Bank of Findlay, a private bank organized ten years earlier by Peter Hossler and some associates. The most noted period in the history of Findlay is the marvelous development that followed the discovery of gas and oil. The furore created by this discovery increased a village of 4,000 inhabitants to a city of 21,000 population within a very short time. As early as 1836, Mr. Richard Wade, in digging a well, had found water at a depth of ten feet, which had a strong flavoring of gas, and had to be abandoned on that account. He carried this gas through a wooden box, to the end of which he attached a piece of iron tubing, and used HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 443 to light the gas emanating from it in order to exhibit the phenomenon to his neighbors and visitors. A couple of years later Daniel Foster, in putting down a well, struck such a. strong vein of gas at the depth of eight feet that he was compelled to suspend operations. He utilized the gas by means of tubing in an open fireplace. This was the first time that natural gas was ever employed in a practical way in this country. Dr. Charles Osterlin became interested in the subject of natural gas, and to him much is due for the discovery of gas and oil deposits. The people at first thought he was crazy. He called the attention of the state geologists to the phenomenon, but they did not encourage him. In 1884 he decided to organize a prospecting company. After many discouragements, the company was finally organized as "The Findlay Natural Gas Company." Work was soon afterwards commenced, and the first vein of gas was struck at a depth of 314 feet, the second at 516 feet, and the third at 618 feet. Oil was found at 718 feet, and the general bed of gas at 1,092 feet, although they drilled several hundred feet further. The gas was piped into the city, and its use became a reality. The success of this well caused many other derricks to loom up in all directions. The town began to show signs of feverish activity. Speculators appeared from every direction, and syndicates were formed. Several other large wells were discovered, but the climax was not reached until the morning of January 20, 1886, when the great Karg well broke forth with the tremendous roar caused by the escape of 20,000,000 cubic feet of gas. It was several days before this flow of gas was brought under controP and the great torch lighted. A bright, fiery flame shot upward toward the sky to a height of fully 100 feet, and the roaring sound could be heard for a distance of five miles. The light of the flame was visible for a distance of fifty miles on a cloudy night. Manufacturing establishments began to locate in Findlay, until it became one of the largest manufacturing cities in the state in certain lines. June 8, 9, and 10, 1887, were probably the three greatest days that Findlay has ever witnessed in all her history. During those days was celebrated the anniversary of the first application of natural gas to the mechanical arts. On the first day a large procession, headed by five enormous bands, formed to lay the cornerstone of a new rolling mill.. For this event the immense crowd of people was augmented by citizens who came in from all directions to see the wonderful sights of the gas city. Eighteen arches spanned the streets, each with half a dozen flambeau flames emanating forth, and in addition there were thousands of burners on the buildings and along the streets. To this was added the roar and flames of a dozen gas gushers. When the gas began to wane, oil took its place, and great wealth has been added to the capital of Hancock County. VILLAGES Van Buren was laid out by George Ensminger and John Trout, in December, 1833. The town was originally designed in the form of a cross, with an open square in the center, after the style of Spanish towns. The coming of the railroad brought new life to Van Buren, until now it is one of the pleasantest and busiest little towns in the county. It was incorporated in June, 1866, upon the petition of thirty of its citizens. Daniel Frick was its first mayor, and a postoffice was established there as early as 1836. McComb was laid out in 1847, and was first known as Pleasantville. It is the largest town in the county, outside of Findlay, and has grown to be a place of considerable importance. It was incorporated in 1858, and the name was at that time changed to McComb. The first mayor was William Chapman. Mount Blanch- 444 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO and was incorporated in 1865, and Dr. John Foster was the first mayor. A postoffice had been established as early as 1834, with John P. Gordan as postmaster. Vanlue was laid out by William Vanlue, in 1847, and the town was named in his honor. It was incorporated in 1867, and Elisha. Brown was elected mayor. Arcadia was platted in July, 1855, by David and Ambrose Peters. It was incorporated in 1859, at which time George W. Kimmell was elected mayor and Dr. G. B. Spahr clerk. The postoffice was established there in 1859, with A. W. Frederick as postmaster. Arlington dates from 1854, when it was dedicated by Robert Hurd. It originally contained only seventeen lots, but a number of additions have since been added. The postoffice was established in 1846, with Dr. B. Beach as postmaster. The town was incorporated in 1892, and James Huff was the first mayor. A small portion of Fostoria lies in Hancock County. This part was originally known as Risdon, and was laid out by John Gorsuch. After an existence of about thirty-five years, Risdon was united with the other village, known as Rome, and the new town was named Fostoria, in honor of its eminent townsman, Charles W. Foster. CHAPTER XXXV HARDIN COUNTY GEORGE E. CRANE, KENTON The territory now included within Hardin county has not so many bloody pages in her early history as some of the other counties in Northwestern Ohio. Indians were plentiful, however, and they were not always peaceful, so that there were doubtless many tragic incidents which took place in the early settlement of the county and which have never become a part of the written records. Tradition locates the spot where Doctor Knight escaped from his captors at the crossing of the Scioto, below the old Shawnee trail and near the present village of Pfeiffer, an account of which is given elsewhere. Simon Kenton, for whom the county seat was named, also had many adventures in the woods of the county long before the State of Ohio was carved out of the wilderness. While a prisoner of the Indians he spent a night at Grassy Point, a spot just south of Kenton, in the lodge of the great Mingo Chief Logan. In spite of the wrongs that he had suffered at the hands of the whites, Logan was touched by the story of Kenton and sent several of his men to intercede for the prisoner at Upper Sandusky. At Roundhead there was an Indian village in 1800, and Roundhead, the celebrated chief, lived there where he had his fields of corn and his herds of swine from which he and his followers obtained a part of their living. One of the most important forts erected by General Hull on his march to the North was Fort McArthur, named after Gen. Duncan McArthur, afterwards governor of Ohio. It was he who went ahead of the main army and cut the road which it was to follow. At first this pathway through the forest was designated as McArthur's Road, but it afterwards became known as Hull's Trail. At one place in the county it can still be identified. Capt. Robert McClelland was in charge of the stockade during the war, and he proved to be an efficient officer. Soldiers were kept stationed at the fort for a few years after the close of the War of 1812. A number of skirmishes took place between the Indians and soldiers in the neighborhood of Fort McArthur. On one occasion a soldier who had ventured outside the stockade was fired upon and mortally wounded by an Indian in ambush. Sixteen graves mark the last resting place of the soldiers who fell here, during the war, but the names and the dates of their passing away have been lost to posterity. In January, 1913, Blackhoof, the Shawnee chief, visited the fort and was treacherously fired upon by some white scoundrel. The cowardly miscreant was never discovered, and serious trouble was only averted by a prompt disavowal of the deed. There are very few reliable and trustworthy accounts of settlers locating within the county prior to 1820. There was doubtless a class of wandering adventurers who stationed themselves here for a longer or shorter period, but who fled at the very first sign of approaching civilization. The very fact that a stockade was in the neighborhood would invite such characters. It is known that the representatives of the various fur companies sent their men into the unbroken forests of this region - 445 - 446 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO to purchase the skins of wild animals, and some of these established little temporary posts here and there for the convenience of trappers and hunters both white and red. One of these companies was the Hollister Fur Company, which did a thriving business. One of their agents was Harvey Buckminster, who acted as their representative in the '30s, and purchased many thousands of dollars worth of pelts for his employers. The McKees did a thriving trade at a still earlier date in this vicinity. The opening of the military road by General Hull, and the establishment of Fort McArthur, was the inducement for many settlers passing through here from the southern part of the state to the Maumee country. There were doubtless a number of "squatters" who settled in cabins near the fort or along the Trail, but the only family of which there is now an authentic account at this early date is that of Alfred Hale. He seems to have been one of those roving settlers who kept just ahead of the van of civilization. He came with his family to the vicinity of the fort in 1817, and lived there for several years. One son, Jonas, was born there in 1819, and was probably the first white child born in Hardin county. Mary Hale, the mother, died shortly after this, and was buried close to the fort in a walnut canoe made by the Indians. It was a very sickly location, and it is probably true that many of the settlers who first came there died within a short time, or quickly left the vicinity because of its unhealthiness. No one knows what became of the Hale family after the death of the wife and mother, but that uncertain informer, called tradition, says that they moved farther West—toward the setting sun. Peter C. McArthur, who made his way through the forests from Ross County to Hardin in 1818, in company with Daniel Campbell, became the first permanent settler in the country. He and his companion cleared some land and erected primitive cabins, intending to return with their families as soon as everything was in readiness to receive them. Because of threatened trouble with the Indians at that time, the McArthurs and Campbells deemed it unwise to move to their new possessions at once. In 1822, however, the entire McArthur family arrived at their new • home, and the Campbell family came HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 447 with them. In a few years Daniel Campbell became despondent because of the death of some of his children and went back to the old neighborhood, leaving the McArthurs as the only settlers in that part of the country. The Campbells returned a few years later, and their children intermarried with other settlers of the neighborhood. Both of these two pioneer families were sturdy Scotch pioneers, and fine specimens of the men and women who conquered the wilderness. Allen F. McArthur was brought into being in September, 1824, and was the first white child born in the county after it was organized. Several of the family have been closely identified with the history of the county. Moses Dudley was one of the early settlers of the county, and his name has been bestowed upon one of the townships. He came into the unbroken wilderness about 1825 on a search for a location in which to establish a home. He subsequently brought his family and settled on land in that township. Judge William McCloud, who was said to be a mighty hunter, reached the county in 1828. It was his wife who suggested the name of Kenton for the county seat. Mr. McCloud was the first associate judge of the county. James M. Candler, a minister of the Disciple faith, arrived from Virginia in 1829. He was active in organizing societies of that denomination. Charles Cessna located on land along the old Hull Trail in 1830. He was doubtless the first settler in the township that now bears his name. A little town named Peru was once platted on his land and some lots sold, but the selection of Kenton as the county seat kept the little village from growing, and it finally reverted to farm land. Grassy Point was also a favorite neighborhood with the early settlers, for there was cleared land here which had been cultivated by the aborigines. Harvey Buckminster kept a tavern here for a number of years to entertain the travelers who were constantly passing. Roundhead is the earliest village in the county, and is almost a decade older. than the county seat. It was laid out by Jonathan Carter in 1824, and was named after the famous Indian chief of that name. A couple of years later it already possessed a mill and a tavern or two. • The mill was owned by John Mahan, and it was a rude affair with hickory bark for a belt and "nigger heads" for millstones, and although this primitive outfit did little more than crack the corn brought by the pioneers, it saved a long trip to Cherokee or West Liberty. John Moore and a man named Livingstone kept inns in the village, and Alexander Thomson established a general store. A couple of miles away Samuel Tidd had a little blacksmith shop, which was a very necessary business in the early days. Matthew Mahan was elected the first justice of the peace in the county. Jonathan Carter was the first treasurer of the county. Today Roundhead is a thriving country village of 300 or 400 inhabitants. About the year 1835 a steady stream of settlers began to pour into the county. Mrs. Sophia Banning proceeded bravely into the woods in 1836 to claim the land her husband had bought a few months before, but which he did not live to enjoy. Jacob Kimberlin erected the first sawmill of which we have a record in 1837, on the bank of the river, and supplied the pioneers of that day with rough lumber. When George Hackett built a little water-mill on Hog Creek, the settlers were greatly elated, but he soon afterwards discontinued business. It was in 1836 that the first real schoolhouse was built. It was a log cabin located near where the "white schoolhouse" now stands. In the same year another schoolhouse was established on the David Kellogg farm in Pleasant Township, with Rachel Kellogg as teacher. One of the landmarks of the early days was the old Wheeler tavern, which was near the old Shawnee Ford. It was on the stage route 448 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO from Upper Sandusky to Bellefontaine. This historic old house, which still stands in a good state of preservation, has sheltered many notable guests. The owner has aimed to preserve the old hostelry in its original condition. Several of the rooms are large enough for five or six beds to be set up, and the entire house is built along generous lines. It is said that Charles Dickens once stopped here, but thisfact is not definitely established. Henry Clay, General Harrison, and other leading public men of the early days were guests at the Wheeler tavern, as well as many others of prominence during the years in which it catered to the travelers.  Hardin County was organized in 1820 by a special act of the Legislature of Ohio. It was named after the gallant Col. John H. Hardin, of Virginia, who served with great distinction in the Revolutionary and the Indian wars. For several years the new county was attached to Logan County, but its separate existence began on February 12, 1833. The few settlers that were in the county prior to that date were obliged to transact their public business in Bellefontaine, which necessitated a tedious and oftentimes perilous journey through the forests. In 1830 the Legislature sent a committee, consisting of Ira Page, Abner Snoddy, and Edward Morgan, to choose a site for the county seat. This committee reported that they had agreed upon a tract of land on the north bank of the Scioto River, near the center of the county, and about two miles from McArthur. Thereupon George and Jacob Houser and Lemuel Wilmoth offered to donate forty acres of land for the benefit of the new town, and the site was changed to the present location. In the autumn of the year these lands were sold at public auction, and the town immediately began to grow. The county seat was named in honor of Simon Kenton, the noted Indian fighter. The new county was made up of Virginia Military Lands, which were situated on the south side of the Scioto River, while those on the north HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 449 side were Congress Lands. The Military Lands were not in as great favor as the Congress Lands, because of the difficulty in securing good titles. When the first county election was held at Jonathan Carter's cabin, in Roundhead Township, on April 1, 1833, just sixty-three votes were cast. It is probable that this represented almost the entire adult male population of that period, although it is quite possible that some of the pioneers, like their descendants, did not take the trouble to vote. A little company of settlers met at the home of Donald McArthur, and organized a Methodist "class." The members of this little society were Rebecca Campbell, Donald McArthur and wife, William and Jane Given, James D. Lay, Margaret McArthur, Jonathan and Nancy Carter, and John McArthur and his wife. Some of these were Presbyterians, but they were so anxious to have a church in the vicinity that they could overlook denominational differences. This was doubtless the first religious organization in the county. The members met at the various cabins in the neighborhood until their first church was erected in 1840.. Another early "class" was organized at the cabin of James Bowdle, and a third one at the home of James Hill. Thus it will be seen that the Methodists were the pioneer church builders in the county. The Free Will Baptists were also early in the field. Elder David Dudley formed a society of seven members in Dudley Township in 1834. The faithful members were William and Mary Salmon, John and Jane Marks, Asa Davis and wife, and Mrs. Gardner. In the same year the Pisgah Methodist congregation of seventeen members was instituted. The first term of the Court of Common Vol. I-29 Pleas of Hardin County was held at Fort McArthur, on March 8, 1833. On the 14th of April, following, the court began the initial session at the new county seat. At that time there were no resident attorneys in the county, but the cases were generally conducted by lawyers from adjoining counties, who traveled from county to county with the migratory judges. William Bayles filled the office of prosecuting attorney from 1833 to 1836, and he was succeeded by Hiram McCartney, who served for a year. He was followed by John Lawrence, a brother of Judge William Lawrence, of Marysville, who arrived about 1834 and continued in practice until his death seven years later. He was the first resi-