50 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY with 1824 and ending with 1827. The orders redeemed by the county treasurer in 1824 amounted to $99.64; in 1825, $261.93 3/4; in 1826, $365.55 1/2; in 1827, $259.27, making the total amount redeemed $986.40 during the four years since the organization of the county. The amount of orders issued during the same time was $2,279.02 3/4, thus leaving a balance against the county, due and unpaid, of $1,292.62 3/4. It may reasonably be inferred from these facts that county orders at that time were at a heavy discount. Coming to the Williams county of 1905, shorn of its original dimensions as it has been—by the erection of Defiance and Fulton counties—it is interesting in the way of comparison, and for the purpose of showing development, to call attention to the financial status of the county at the close of the fiscal year, which ended August 31, 1904. The orders issued upon the treasury during the year amounted to $264472.09, all of which were redeemed at par, excepting $5,900.77, which had not been presented for redemption at the close of the year. Against this seeming indebtedness, however, the treasury contained cash to the amount of $31,570.24, leaving a clear surplus of $25,669.47. Eighty years of Williams county history has worked wondrous changes, and nowhere are they more apparent to the present generation than in comparisons such as the above. When the board again met in December, 1828, the first duty that devolved upon them was the appointment of a new county auditor, and Granville Edmiston was the recipient of their favor. It was then ordered "that Thos. F. Hill receive an order from the County Auditor on the Treasurer for seven dollars, for a lock for the jail, and that the county auditor have the said lock repaired and placed on the jail cloor," Another October election had recently been held, and the name of Payne C. Parker appears as commissioner, succeeding Sebastian Sroufe. As the county's business grew in importance the commissioners met more frequently in special sessions, but the business they transacted was usually in regard to opening roads, allowing orders on the treasury, etc.—acts that contain very little if any historical interest. But as the record of their proceedings is about the only thing extant that throws light upon the county's affairs in its days. of infancy, an occasional reference to or extract from this record will come properly within the scope of this chapter. At a special meeting on April 27, 1829, it was ordered by the board that "a table and desk be made for the use of the court house, and that' Wm. Meeker be allowed sixteen dollars for making the same in a workmanlike manner by the first Monday in June." The table was to be eight feet long and four feet wide, and the desk three feet and a half long, two feet high and eighteen inches deep. Both were to be made of black walnut. The financial straits in which the county found itself at that time seems to have given the commissioners considerable annoyance ; but probably the holders of orders, outstanding and unredeemed, did the greater part of the floor-walking. At the June session, in i829, an effort was made to appease the desires of the county's creditors, and THE FORMATIVE PERIOD - 51 they were given permission to "consolidate these orders into one, providing they would pay the expense of making the change and agree not to demand payment until sufficient funds were in the treasury to pay the total amount." Whether the creditors decided that "in union there is strength," or concluded to continue their efforts to collect what was due them, individually, does not appear. The reader has been given some idea, in the foregoing pages, concerning the compensation allowed the county officials while acting in such capacity. The salaries paid were not very tempting, it is true, but probably they were sufficient, when the little time and attention demanded is taken into consideration. It seems, however, that in that early day there were men who looked upon a public office as a private snap, and the guardians of the treasury—the commissioners—were soon called upon to bring certain officials to time and ask them to disgorge various sums belonging to the county, and which they were accused of having in their possession, unlawfully. In 1829, at the June session of the hoard, the auditor was instructed to make a demand of Cyrus Hunter and Charles Gunn ,"for- money over-paid for services as commissioners to the county of Williams," and in case of their refusal to hand over the money the auditor was authorized to commence suit against them. It is probable that this incident resulted from an error, either clerical or of judgment, and that the gentlemen promptly reimbursed the treasury with the amounts charged against them, for no further mention is made of it in the succeeding pages of the record. But in their examinations of the financial affairs of the county at this time the commissioners discovered what seemed to them to be willful malfeasance on the part of the county auditor. Granville Edmiston, who had been filling that position for over a year. At the October election Montgomery Evans was succeeded in r the office of county commissioner by Pierce Evans, and at its December meeting the board started the investigation of Mr. Edmiston's official conduct. Upon the third day of the session the gentleman resigned his position as auditor—probably by request—and William Seemans was appointed in his stead. The hoard then ordered the new county auditor to furnish the county treasurer with a list of the orders recorded by Edmiston and instructed the treasurer not to receive any orders drawn on him and signed by said Edmiston unless they appeared on such list. The auditor was then instructed to advertise in Maumee. Perrysburg, Piqua, Columbus. Chillicothe and Defiance, notifying the public that there were spurious orders in circulation, issued by Granville Edmiston, ex-county auditor, and asking that such orders be presented, "as soon as practicable to the county treasurer for endorsement, that the fraud may be discovered to its full extent." The board further ordered that a precipe be filed for a writ against Edmiston and his bondsmen to recover the amount charged against them. Action was accordingly commenced against Edmiston and his bondsmen, which resulted in a judgment against the defendants and the reimbursement to the county of the amount of the fraudulent orders. 52 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY As counsel and attorney for the commissioners in this matter, the board employed Thomas W. Powell, then a young member of the bar at Perrysburg—at that time the county seat of Wood county. Mr. Powell served as prosecuting attorney of Wood county, in which capacity he won distinction. In 1830 he removed from Perrysburg to Delaware, and later represented that constituency in the state legislature. He became one of the leading lawyers of the state, and his son, Thomas E. Powell, was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Ohio in 1887. The region north of the Maumee, in those early years, had an exceedingly small white population, and consequently small influence with the boards of commissioners ; and it was not until late in 1830 that cognizance was taken of it, either in organizing townships or opening county roads. But at the December session, in 1830, in response to a petition presented to the board, a new township was organized bounded as follows : "To take off one range off of the west boundary of Crane township, and to include said ranges north of Maumee river to the Michigan line and south to the south boundary of Paulding county ; which said township shall be called Carryall township." The commissioners doubtless intended the name to be suggestive, for their act carried jurisdiction over all of what is now Northwest, Florence and St. Joseph townships, in Williams county, Milford and Hicksville in Defiance, and the west tier of townships in Paulding. Although the seat of justice had been in the town of Defiance since the organization of the county, in 1824, no steps were taken towards the building of a court house until the March session of the county commissioners, in 1831. Prior to this date a warehouse on the bank of the riyer had been used as a meeting place for the courts of justice. At this March session, however, "the Board ordered that there be a sale of building a court house in the town of Defiance on the 9th day of April next ; to-wit, a house thirty-two feet long, twenty-two feet wide and twenty feet high from foundation to the squaw." Upon the above date the contract was let to Payne C. Parker at $699.90, but for some reason it was not carried out, and at the June session of the same year the board ordered another sale, with the same specifications as described before, only adding "that the said building be composed of good merchantable brick and other substantial materials." At this second sale Foreman Evans was the lowest bidder and secured the-contract at $987. The time set for the completion of the building was August I, 1832, but this was afterwards extended to October 1, of the same year. Upon September 21, ten days before the time limit had expired, Mr. Evans reported his work as completed, but the commissioners upon examination were not satisfied. The proper changes and improvements being made, however, they accepted the building at their December meeting. A year earlier than this, in December, 1831, upon application, a new township named Tiffrn was erected with the following boundaries : "On the south by township 4 north in range 4 east, and extend north THE FORMATIVE PERIOD - 53 to the north boundary of Williams county, including range 4 east." This territory, aside from that portion which is in Defiance county, included the present townships of Springfield, Brady and Millcreek in Williams county. Prior to this date, not one dollar had been appropriated out of the road fund given by the state for the erection of a bridge or the improvement of a road within the present limits of Williams county. But as the tide of immigration was now flowing in this direction, a demand was naturally made for roads. Accordingly, at the December session of the commissioners, in 1831, an application was made by Foreman Evans and others, "for a county road, to be located from Defiance northward up Bean Creek, alias Tiffin river, to the north boundary of the state of Ohio." The commissioners heeded the petition and appointed a surveyor and three viewers to go over the route and examine it and report at the next session in March. John Perkins had been appointed as the surveyor, but owing to disability he was unable to perform the duty and hence delay was caused. The petitioners filed a new bond at the March meeting and John Perkins was re-appointed as survey or, with John Plummer, Samuel Kepler and Payne C. Parker as viewers, and they were instructed to report at the June session. At the appointed time, in June, 1832, these gentlemen reported favorably upon the project, and the record shows that their report "having been read on two several days of this session, and, their being no notice of appeal. the commissioners order the auditor to record the same according to law." This was the first public highway, approved of by the commissioners, that extended into the present limits of Williams county ; but five years were destined to elapse before any financial aid was voted towards improving the road. This road entered the Williams county of to-day at Evansport and then followed the Tiffin river by the present site of Stryker and thence on to the state line. Other roads having been surveyed and located in the meantime—one entering the town of Lafayette (Pulaski), another leading from Williams Center and a third connecting Denmark with the outside world—at the March session of the board in 1837, John Stubbs was appointed a road commissioner and endowed with $275 which he was instructed to expend in this particular territory. The ice being broken, roads continued to be opened with increasing frequency, and immigration keeping steady pace, the development was started that has resulted in the splendid county we boast of to-day. It will not be out of place here to give a few facts concerning some of the leading men who assisted in the direction of affairs at this time. Montgomery Evans, who served as county commissioner from 1826 to 1829, and again from 1831 to 1836, was a member of the Evans family, spoken of elsewhere in this work. He established himself in business, as an Indian trader, farmer, and real estate dealer, in Defiance, in 1818 or 1819, occupying as a residence during the first two years, one of the block-houses erected by General Winchester, while the latter was in command at that point. Mr. Evans was a 54 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY soldier in the war of 1812, enlisting at Chillicothe in a company of rangers. Pierce Evans, also county commissioner during the early years, removed from Ross county to the head of the rapids of the Maumee, and resided there during the years 1822 and 1823. He then removed to a farm near Defiance, where he spent the remainder of his life. In addition to his service as county commissioner, he was one of the three associate judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Williams county when said court was first held at Defiance. A somewhat extended sketch of Payne C. Parker will be found upon another page, but we wish at this time to call attention to this useful and versatile man. Born in the world's metropolis, in his youth he became a pioneer on the western border of civilization. He assisted in surveying the route. for the first highway that opened up the present county of Williams, and then taking up his residence here, lived a useful life among the first settlers. As judge, physician, merchant, teacher or preacher, he proved his fitness for the calling, and probably no man among the early pioneers had a more extended acquaintance or was more highly esteemed. John Stubbs, the first road commissioner in the present county limits, and one of the early pioneers, was born in Orange county, N. Y., August 12, 1784. His father, a gentleman of Welsh descent, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and the son was captain of a company of state militia during the war of 1812. In 1832 Mr. Stubbs entered nearly 1,000 acres of land in what is now Springfield township, this county, and came with his family and settled upon it in the spring of 1833. He was a resident of Springfield township from that date to his death, January 26, 1864, filling many township offices, and in 1835 was elected commissioner of the county, which position he held during a three-year term. Another gentleman who was prominently identified with Williams county during its formative period, and one to whose skill as a surveyor the early settlers were greatly indebted, was Miller Arrowsmith. `Born in Champaign county, Ohio, March 14, 1808, he made his first visit to Williams county in June. 1833. He then bought land near Defiance and settled on it during the October following. Judge John Perkins was county surveyor, as he had been since the organization of the county, but owing to advanced age he desired to relinquish the duties and Mr. Arrowsmith was appointed in his stead. For fifteen years Miller Arrowsmith discharged the duties of the office with accuracy and fidelity, and he personally surveyed all the roads, with but few if any exceptions, that opened up the present limits of Williams county to her hardy pioneers. The General Assembly of Ohio, at its session of 1845-46, elected him a member of the State Board of Equalization, and he proved one of the most efficient members of that body. He served as Auditor of Defiance county from 1848 to 1852, and filled other positions of trust. After retiring from his official duties, he engaged in agriculture in Farmer township, Defiance county, and spent the remainder of his life there. THE FORMATIVE PERIOD - 55 At the December meeting of the board of commissioners, in 1833, Jesse Hilton again appeared as commissioner, having been appointed by the common pleas court to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of James W. Craig. In the demise of the latter the county lost a useful citizen and one that was devoted to her interests. A man of meager education—as is evidenced by his chirography and orthography, preserved in the county records—he performed the duties assigned him in official capacities to the best of his ability and no charge of dishonesty in office was ever made against him. It will not be out of place to state here that Mr. Craig was the purchaser of the first piece of land, the deed of which is recorded among the present Williams county transfers. Until this time (December, 1833) no township had been erected in the present limits of Williams county. True the territory was included in other formations, but the names representing the divisions are no longer used or else are to be found in the township nomenclature of Defiance county. At the session of the board, of which we now write, however, it was ordered "that there be a new township erected and organized by the name of St. Joseph's township." St. Joseph has therefore the distinction of being the oldest of the townships in the present limits of the county, but at the time of its organization the territory thus named included what is now Milford and Farmer townships in Defiance county, besides St. Joseph, Center, Florence and Superior, in Williams. Beaver township (name afterwards changed to Pulaski) was organized at the March session of the board, in 1834, and included the present townships of Pulaski and Jefferson and north to the state line—said line being then in dispute. Full particulars of this boundary controversy is given elsewhere in a special chapter, but for the purpose of elucidation it may be stated here that in February, 1835, the General Assembly passed an act extending the jurisdiction of the State to the Harris (the present boundary) line, and ordering the erection of townships in the disputed territory. Accordingly, on March 30, 1835, the board of commissioners of Williams county "met in special session for the purpose of extending the northern boundaries of townships to the line called Harris Line, and for erecting a new township in said county, in pursuance of the statute in such case made and provided." The townships of St. Joseph and Beaver (now Pulaski) were extended in jurisdiction to the Harris Line, thus making the present townships of Bridgewater and Northwest a part of St. Joseph and placing Madison within the boundaries of Beaver. The new township erected was given the name of Springfield, and included, besides its present limits, the townships of Brady and Millcreek, and the strip of land afterwards given to Fulton county. One year later, in March, 1836. the Board of Commissioners organized the township of "Bradie" (Brady), its boundary lines to include not only its present limits, but Millcreek township and the territory afterwards detached and annexed to Fulton county. By this action of the commissioners Springfield township was reduced to its 56 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY present size, and hence can be said to be the oldest compact township organization in the present county of Williams. Center township was also organized at this meeting and made to include what are now the townships of Center, Superior and Bridgewater. At the same session, Washington township was erected, comprising the territory of the present township of that name in Defiance county and the township of Pulaski in addition. This left Beaver township as the official cognomen of the territory now included in Jefferson and Madison. This arrangement continued but a short time, however, for at the following June meeting of the board the territory now comprising Pulaski township was detached from Washington and re-annexed to Beaver township, making the boundary lines of the latter the same as when originally erected. At the March session, in 1837, the commissioners erected and organized the township of Florence, its boundary lines including the present townships of Florence, Superior, Bridgewater and Northwest. This reduced Center township to its present limits, and by the erection of Milford township (now in Defiance county) St. Joseph was also trimmed down to its proper congressional size. The county at this time was of course in its formative period, and immigration was constantly increasing its population. The carving of territory and the organization of new townships serve as an index to the rapid development being made between the years 1835 and 1840. Selfish interests doubtless gave birth to conflicting demands on the part of the people, but the commissioners seem to have been equal to the task, their actions being tempered with deliberation and their authority exercised with even handed justice. At the June session, in 1837, a township was organized and given the name of Jefferson, the described boundaries taking in practically the territory now included in Jefferson and Madison. This left Beaver township with exactly the limits of the present Pulaski, but for some reason this arrangement was unsatisfactory to those directly interested, and accordingly a special meeting of the board was called on August 7. following, to hear and pass upon the complaints. The meeting resulted in the commissioners ordering "that the south half of the south tier of sections" in Jefferson township be added to Beaver, and that the name of the latter be changed to Pulaski. At the December session of the same year, however, "the board took into consideration the petition of sundry citizens of Town 7 [ Jefferson], in the county of Williams, praying that the boundary lines of said township might be so altered as to include the same territory included in the original survey of said township, and the board order that the prayer of said petitioners be granted." No other change in township names or boundaries was made until the March session of the Board of Commissioners, in 1839, when, "Upon application made by W. H. B. Smith, and others, the board order that there be a new township erected and organized, to he known and distinguished by the name of Bridgewater." The boundaries described included the present townships of Bridgewater and THE FORMATIVE PERIOD - 57 Northwest. The board also, at this session, "upon application of Alanson Pike and others," erected the township of Millcreek. This new division began at the eastern boundary of Bridgewater and included the present townships of Madison and Millcreek, together with a tier of sections off the west side of Gorham township, now in Fulton county. This act of the commissioners also reduced Jefferson and Brady townships to the size contemplated by the congressional survey. At the next session of the board, in June, 1839, upon the petition of George Bible and others, Superior township was formed, with boundaries describing the township exactly as it is to-day. This also. reduced Florence township to its present size. At the December session, in 1840, the township of Northwest was erected and organized, leaving Bridgewater in its present limits. Later, there was a slight misunderstanding in regard to the boundary line between Northwest and Bridgewater, but this was settled at the June session of 1842, the line being located where it is now. At the March session of 1843, Madison township was organized, comprising all of its present territory and the west tier of sections, now in Millcreek township. These sections were afterwards annexed to Millcreek, and with a few other slight changes in boundary lines, which were subsequently made, the organization of the present territory of Williams county was complete. But before going to subsequent events we will retrace our steps and record a few incidents that should be given a place in the narrative of the early days. Hard as it is for the compiler of history to glean his facts from ancient records—often but an imperfect mention of careless official acts—he is not the only one who suffers. As a case in point we relate the following: At the October election, 1831, William Dawson was chosen as county treasurer. He gave bond and took the oath of office on the first Monday of June, 1832. He was re-elected in 1833 and again in 1835, serving until June, 1838. When he turned the office over to his successor it was found that he was a defaulter. Action was commenced against him and his bondsmen for the amount of his defalcation, when it was discovered that there was no record of his bond having been approved as required by law, or of his having taken the oath of office at the beginning of his last term. In fact, the defense against the action in Common Pleas court was, that as his bond had not been approved and he had not taken the oath of office, he had not been county treasurer at all, and therefore the county should be defeated in its efforts to collect the amount sued for. The Common Pleas court took the same view of the matter—ruling out parole evidence that tended to establish the fact that the bond had been approved and the oath of office taken—and rendered a verdict in favor of Dawson and his bondsmen. The Supreme Court, however, took a different view, reversing the decision and ordering a new trial, in which the county was given a judgment for $1,379.81. In justice to Mr. Dawson, however, it should be stated that no criminal charge was ever preferred, the inference being that he was 58 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY exonerated from the suspicion of criminal intent. When we associate this incident with the time in which it occurred, the year following the panic of 1837, when ruin stalked throughout the land and financial failures were everywhere, circumstances can be easily imagined out of which might grow unfortunate situations, such as the one detailed above. William Dawson was a native of Kentucky, born in 1797, and migrated to Ohio in early manhood, locating for a time in London, Madison county. He came to Williams county about 183o, settling at Defiance, where he engaged in milling for a number of years. He then turned his attention to farming, which he followed the remainder of his life. He died in 1881 at the advanced age of eighty-four years. John Lewis, who succeeded Mr. Dawson as county treasurer, served in that capacity about nine months. Upon the examination of his books by the commissioners at their March session, 1839, a considerable shortage was discovered ; and it appearing that Lewis had "swartwouted or absconded" (as the court records state it), Sidney S. Sprague—an early citizen and enterprising business man of Defiance—was appointed to fill the vacancy. Action was then brought in the Common Pleas Court against the bondsmen of Lewis and judgment was rendered for $613.14. As to the name of the first man who became a permanent settler within the present limits of Williams county there are conflicting claims, each of which is taken up and given due prominene in the township histories which comprise separate chapters in this work. From them the reader can get the facts and decide the mooted question to his own satisfaction, according to the weight of evidence as it appears to him. But, speaking of the county in its entirety, it may be said that the early settlers were Americans—a large number of them coining from older portions of Ohio, while others migrated here from the more populous and less advantageous localities in states farther east. New York and Pennsylvania furnished a larger number of the latter class ; but no matter where they came from, mutual desires and interests made them all akin; and by a silent process of "benevolent assimilation" they were converted into a Williams county family. Among them there existed very little distinction in worldly circumstances and modes of life—the disparities in condition that we now observe having been developed gradually with the country and emphasized by the frowns and smiles of that giddy dame—Fortune. It was neither the indolent nor the opulent, as a general fact, who sought homes in this region ; for none but industrious men of moderate means would care to endure the preliminary privations and encounter the hazards that they knew would attend them while building homes in the almost unbroken wilderness. They came to better their condition in life ; to become land-owners instead of tenants ; to rid themselves of a species of land-lordism which prevailed in the Eastern states, and to emancipate themselves from a condition of semi-vassalage which threatened a doom of servitude for themselves and children. At the time of its organization, 1824, it is reasonable to suppose THE FORMATIVE PERIOD - 59 that there were no white settlers within the present limits. of Williams county. In 1830 the Federal census showed a population of 1,039, and in 1840, 4,464. These figures, of course, relate to the inhabitants of the county before the spoliation of its territory by the erection of . Defiance and Fulton, and it is only fair to state that in 183o the population of the territory now embraced in its limits was decidedly meager. But by 1840 there were settlers in every part of the county in sufficient numbers to perfect organizations and establish township governments ; and the rumblings of discontent, occasioned by the court house being so far away, grew louder and louder as the population increased in the northern part of the county. The removal of the sea of justice, however, was accomplished only after a spirited contest and in the face of a bitter opposition on the part of the citizens of Defiance and those who sympathized with them. At that time the town of Bryan only existed in the imagination of sundry individuals and consequently was not a tangible entity in the struggle. The site which it now occupies was then covered with as grand a timber growth as one would care to look upon, and having no existence, not even in name, there were no loyal partisans to champion its cause during the heat of the bitter contention. But a mysterious power had grown up at points quite distant from the Maumee river; and the "first settlements" on her banks being overshadowed, they could no longer rule by superior numerical strength. In response to a monster petition from the outlying sections of the county, the General Assembly of Ohio, which convened on the first Monday of December, 1839, appointed three commissioners by a joint resolution to review and permanently locate the seat of justice of Williams county. These commissioners were Joseph Burns of Coshocton, James Culbertson of Perry, and Joseph McCutcheon of Crawford county. They entered upon their duties in convenient season and proceeded to examine carefully and impartially the claims of the different sites offered, before coming to a final decision. Williams Center and Pulaski—at that time towns of some importance—were both strong competitors for the county seat, but the fight was the thickest in and around Defiance, where the people felt that the loss of the court house would be irreparable to them. As silent mementos of this "county-seat fight," there now repose among the archives of the county, documents—yellow with age—that tell the story of the frantic efforts made by- Defiance citizens to retain the cherished seat of justice. A subscription paper was circulated, headed by H. G. Phillips and liberally signed by the leading men of the town, donating to the county treasury the sum of $2,250, upon condition that the commissioners appointed by the Legislature would report in favor of the county seat continuing at Defiance. They supplemented this money talk with oratorical appeals and what they considered cold logic, all of which is interesting now in a historical sense but seemed to lack efficacy then. On May 25, 1840, a written address was delivered to "Messrs. McCutcheon, Culbertson and Burns, Commissioners," etc., and signed "People of Defiance," in which it 60 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY was stated that the removal of the seat of justice from that place "would work a species of the greatest injustice, not only to the original proprietors, but to other citizens who have purchased property in Defiance under the full assurance that the seat of justice was permanently established here." They then took up the legal phase of the matter and proved (to their own satisfaction at least) that when the seat of justice was established there it was to be permanent, everlasting and unchangeable ; also showing that purchasers of property there had invested their money with such understanding. Considering the possibility of removal, the address becomes pathetic. Listen : "And what, pray, is to be the consequence ? Who are to be the sufferers ? Who are thus to be turned out of house and home, or what is almost as bad, forced into protracted and expensive lawsuits to obtain their rights ? Why, those who have had the folly to rely implicitly upon the plighted honor and faith of the State ; those who relied upon the secure protection of that constitution which declares that the legislature shall hold contracts inviolable, and shall pass no law impairing their obligation. Those who, in an early day, penetrated the thick gloom of an almost interminable wilderness, and suffered the privations incident to the first settlement of a new country, that they might select for themselves and their children a situation possessing those advantages which are ever esteemed as important." The reader may think that there is something strangely familiar in the line of argument used, but we assure him that, "to the best of our knowledge and belief," no extract from the document quoted has ever appeared upon a printed page before. Doubtless it recalls to his mind another similar "unpleasantness" of a later date, which will be spoken of hereafter, the corpse of which should be buried beneath the green sward of friendship and no grinning skeleton be allowed to stand between those who are working for the upbuilding of Williams county and her varied interests. The address continues in its familiar strain : "Admitting, as we most readily do, that Defiance is further from the geographical center of the county than could be wished, vet ought those who have chosen to locate themselves at a considerable distance from this point complain ? Is any injustice done them ? When Defiance was made the permanent seat of justice, those portions of the county which now claim it as a right were an unbroken forest. If they labor under inconveniences, they haye no one but themselves to blame. They have chosen their present locations with their eyes open. Certainly they have no right to take from us advantages which we purchased, at a pretty dear rate, to increase their own wealth or add to their convenience." The address stated further that ultimately there would be a new county created out of the northern territory, and called attention to the probability of Defiance becoming "one of the grand emporiums of trade." But the commissioners, after viewing the several sites. unanimously agreed that a removal of the seat of justice from the town THE FORMATIVE PERIOD - 61 of Defiance was essentially necessary ; and therefore selected "the center of the southwest quarter of section 17, township 6 north, range 3 east, being in the township of Pulaski in said county, owned jointly by the American Land Company and John A. Bryan, on the most suitable and eligible ground in said tract of ground, to be selected by the commissioners of said county, as the most suitable place for the permanent location of said seat of justice for said county." A proviso was added that the American Land Company and John A. Bryan should perform the stipulation contained in a bond executed by John A. Bryan and Charles Butler, with Alfred P. Edgerton and William Trevitt as security. The conditions of this agreement were that two acres of land in the center of the town plat for a public square and two town lots to be selected by the county commissioners, were to be ceded to the county. Also Bryan, etc., were to erect temporary buildings for the use of courts and officials until the erection of permanent ones ; and within four years from that date (July, 1840) they were to erect "neat and appropriate public buildings to cost or to be fairly valued at an expense to the amount of $8,500 or more." The site of the new seat of justice having been chosen, Miller Arrowsmith, county surveyor, with his assistants repaired to the place selected and proceeded to survey and "lay out" the new town. As may be imagined, no hostelry was then in existence to welcome the visitors and care for their inner wants, but this condition of affairs being anticipated they brought with them an ample supply of tents and provisions to house and sustain them while engaged in the work. The survey was completed on July 14, 1840, and Mr. Arrowsmith, in honor of the man who donated the public square and at that time owned the surrounding land, named the embryo county seat Bryan. September 24, 1840, the plat was recorded in the county recorder's office, and the change of location for the seat of justice now being a certainty, steps were soon taken towards the removal of the official family from Defiance. Upon the last day of the December session of the county commissioners, December 10, 1840, the board considered "that the interest of the county requires the immediate erection of a county jail at the town of Bryan, the recently located seat of justice for Williams county," and ordered that the necessary steps be taken to advertise for bids, for the erection of the same. The commissioners met again on January 12, 1841, and assigned the building of the jail to John McDowell of Center township. The board held its last session at Defiance on February 25, 1841, and the record of the proceedings, which we give entire, tells the story of the last days of that municipality as the seat of justice of Williams county : "The Commissioners order that all the records and Journals belonging to the County of Williams, with the statutes, desks, stoves. stationery, and all the furniture belonging to the offices of the several officers of the county, and papers relating to the business of the county which should be left on file or otherwise, with all the movable property, be removed to the town of Bryan, the county site of Williams ; and that the several county officers are requested forthwith to pack into good 62 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY boxes the Records, Journals, statutes, stationery, and all things belonging to the county in the several offices, so that they may safely be ,conveyed to the town of Bryan, and without delay forward the same to Bryan ; and that the several officers are requested to repair to the town of Bryan, at which place offices are prepared and convenient. The Commissioners order that one stove be left in the jail for the benefit of prisoners. The board orders that the Auditor deliver copies of the above order to the clerk of the court of common pleas, sheriff, treasurer, recorder, and all the county officers interested in the same." The court of common pleas convened at Defiance on January 19, 1841, in special session, for the purpose of granting administrations ; but three months later, April 19, the regular spring term was held at Bryan, and the removal of the machinery of county government was complete. This was followed a few years later by the erection of the counties of Defiance and Fulton, and the consequent reduction of Williams county to its present boundary lines. CHAPTER IV THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE THE history of the trouble which arose over the matter of establishing a permanent boundary line between the present states of Ohio and Michigan should be of special interest to the people of Williams county, because of the fact that upon the decision and adjustment of the difficulty depended the question, whether the territory now embraced in the townships of Northwest, Bridgewater, Madison and Millcreek should be a part and parcel of the Buckeye State, or the inhabitants thereof should be numbered among the Wolverines. At one time the trouble threatened to assume the magnitude of civil war between the sovereign State of Ohio and the Territory of Michigan, supported, as the latter would unquestionably have been, by the military arm of the United States. The interest manifested was not confined to this locality, by any means, for leading members of Congress—notably John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts —took a hand in the fray, and it formed a subject for heated debate between giants of the political arena. Years have passed since the amicable settlement of this dispute, but time should not efface the record of historical events. Reasoning thus, and believing (with no desire to be invidious) that many people are not familiar with the history of the difficulty, the writer has consulted various authorities and decided to devote a chapter in this work to what is sometimes called "The Ohio and Michigan War." The question of boundary between Ohio and Michigan antedated the admission of the former into the Union, and had its birth in the Congress that framed and adopted the "Ordinance of 1787,"—an instrument providing for the civil government of the Northwest Territory, then lately ceded to the United States. And it would be within the bounds of truth to say that this controversy, which for a time seriously threatened the peace of the country, was conceived through a blunder committed by a well-meaning though misguided Herodotus, prior to the action of the Confederate Congress. By the "Ordinance of 1787," Congress divided the Northwest Territory into three parts ; the western to include all the present states of Illinois, Wisconsin and a portion of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan ; the middle to include the present State of Indiana, and north to the British line ; the eastern to include the territory bounded by Indiana, Canada, Pennsylvania, and the Ohio river ; "Provided, however, and it is further understood and declared, that the boundaries of these three [prospective] States shall be subject so far to be altered, that if Con- - 63 - 64 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY gress shall hereafter find it expedient they shall have authority to form one or two states in that part of the said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan." The latest map in use at that time, which purported to give a representation of this portion of the earth's surface, was one published by Mitchell & Bradley in 1780, and, being decidedly inaccurate, it showed the southern extremity of the lake to be thirty miles north of where it really is. Congress, however, with only that map as a guide, thought that the "east and west line" would intersect the Detroit river, and hence really intended that the future State of Ohio should extend a considerable distance further north than it does. In fact it was plainly the purpose of the framers of the "Ordinance" that the northern boundary of the State should be near the forty-second parallel of north latitude. Judge Burnet, in his "Notes on the Northwestern Territory," thus explains the origin of the difficulty : "The question of boundary, though not expressly referred to the Convention, was one of greater importance than would appear at first view. It is generally known to those who have consulted the maps of the western country extant at the time the Ordinance of 1787 was passed, that Lake Michigan was represented as being very far north of the position which it has since been ascertained to occupy. On a map in the Department of State, which was before the Committee of Congress who framed the Ordinance for the Government of the Territory, the southern boundary of that lake was laid down as being near the forty-second degree of north latitude ; and there was a pencil line passing through the southern bend of the lake to the Canada line, which intersected the strait between the river Raisin and the town of Detroit. That line was manifestly intended by the committee and by Congress to be the northern boundary of this State ; and, on the principles on which courts of chancery construe contracts, accompanied with plats, that map, and the line marked on it, should have been taken as conclusive evidence of the boundary, without reference to the actual position of the southern extreme of the lake." When the act was passed, enabling Ohio to take the necessary steps toward statehood, Congress, under the same misapprehension, bounded the future state on the north "by an east and west line drawn through the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, running east until it shall intersect Lake Erie on the Territorial (British) line and thence on the same through to the Pennsylvania line." Again it is clearly proven that Congress intended the boundary line to be further north ; for the Fulton line, so called (the boundary claimed by Michigan), if extended east would not intersect the British line at any point whatever. When the convention that framed the State Constitution was in session, in 1802, it was still the prevailing understanding that the old maps were correct ; and that the line, as defined in the Ordinance and enabling act, would terminate at some point on the Detroit river, far above the Maumee bay. But, while that subject THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE - 65 was under discussion, a strolling hunter, who had for many years plied his vocation in the vicinity of Lake Michigan and was well acquainted with its position, happened to be in Chillicothe, and, in conversation with some of the members, mentioned to them that the lake extended much farther south than was generally supposed ; and that a map which he had seen placed its southern bend many miles north of its true position. His statement produced some apprehension and excitement on the subject, and induced the convention to change the line prescribed in the act of Congress far as to provide that, "if the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Mchigan should extend so far south that a line drawn due east from it should not intersect Lake Erie, or if it should intersect the said Lake Erie east of the mouth of the Miami river of the Lake [Maumee], then and in that case, with the assent of the Congress of the United States, the northern boundary of this State shall be established by, and extended to, a direct line running from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan to the most northerly cape of the Miami [Maumee] bay," etc. The object of this proviso was to save to the State of Ohio the valuable ports and harbors on the Maumee river and bay, as was clearly intended by Congress, and which were the prizes contended for in the threatened resort to arms. Congress accepted his constitution, but, in 1805, Michigan territory was created with the southern boundary as originally specified—the old erroneous map being used as a guide —and without any reference to the Ohio amendment. Upon this technicality arose the boundary difficulties, and the location of the line was considered very uncertain, even by the Ohio Legislature ; for at different sessions, in 1807, 1809, and 1811, resolutions were passed, requesting that commissioners be appointed to establish definite boundaries on the north and west. Michigan claimed jurisdiction over the disputed land from the date of her organization as a territory, and by assuming authority in the Maumee country her officials soon excited jealousy and resentment upon the part of the settlers in the disputed strip who professed allegiance to Ohio. Upon January 23, 1812, Amos Spafford, Collector of the Port at Miami Rapids, addressed a letter to Governor Meigs, in which he stated it "to be the general wish of the people in this settlement (which consists of about fifty families) to have the laws of the State of Ohio extended over them." He informed the Governor that the people, with few exceptions, considered themselves clearly within the limits of Ohio—the exceptions being those who held office under the Governor of Michigan, whose orders they were endeavoring to enforce. Collector Spafford stated that if no adjustment should be made, he feared the contention would ere long become serious. This letter of Mr. Spafford, it will be observed, was written during the period when the population of the western frontiers were excited by the unfriendly relations existing between England and the United States ; and which resulted in a declaration of war made by the latter in June of the same year. The great issue of a foreign war, threatening a common danger, united all the people of the frontier, including 5 66 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY those of the disputed jurisdiction, in support of the general welfare, and national patriotism subdued for a time the promptings of local and selfish interests. Yet congress, heeding the petitions of Ohio's legislative assembly, and recognizing the seriousness of the boundary dispute and the importance of its early settlement, on May 20, 1812, passed an act authorizing and instructing the Surveyor General of the United States, under the direction of the President, and as soon as the consent of the Indians could be obtained, "to cause to be surveyed, marked and designated, so much of the western and northern boundaries of the State of Ohio, which have not already been ascertained, as divides said State from the territories of Indiana and Michigan, agreeably to the boundaries as established by the [enabling] act" of 1802. As will be observed, the framers of this act had in mind the line as originally stipulated (due east from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan); but they evidently recognized the mistake made in such designation, for they instructed the Surveyor General "to cause to be made a plat or plan of so much of the boundary line as runs from the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan to Lake Erie, particularly noting the place where said line intersects the margin of said lake, and to return the same when made to Congress." But, as before stated, the war of 1812 came on, and this, with ensuing difficulties, served to defer the making of the survey as directed. The matter remained in static quo for several years, until 1817, when, peaceful treaties having been made with the Indians, Edward Tiffin, Surveyor General of the United States, in pursuance of the instructions contained in the Act of Congress mentioned above, employed William Harris, a skillful surveyor, to run a portion of the western and all of the northern boundary line. Indiana had been erected into a state in 1816, and its northern boundary, as defined by act of Congress, included "a strip of land, ten miles wide, off the southern portion of Michigan Territory." This was another recognition of the old line which had been established through a mistaken idea of the geography of the country ; but by extending Indiana ten miles further north, Congress showed its disregard for the instructions given in the Ordinance of 1787, and gave to the Ohio claimants a precedent decidedly in their favor. Harris found that a due east line from the head of Lake Michigan would intersect Lake Erie, seven miles south of the most northerly cape of Maumee bay, his survey in this matter agreeing perfectly with that afterwards made by Fulton. He accordingly, in conformity to the constitution of Ohio, ran another line from the lower extremity of Lake Michigan to the northerly cape of Maumee bay. This line established the northwest corner of Ohio at a point on the Indiana line, five miles, 24 chains and 64 links north of where the due east and west line located the same. Or, in other words, the difference in the lines at this place was the distance between the northwest corner and southwest corner of Northwest township in Williams county. General Lewis Cass was at that time (1817) governor of the Terri- THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE - 67 tory of Michigan, and, after investigating the boundary question, claimed the line to be the one established by the Ordinance of 1787 and accordingly claimed the disputed territory. A lengthy correspondence followed between Governor Cass and the Surveyor General, and the matter was taken up by the Ohio legislature in January, 1818, strong resolutions being passed, affirming the Harris line as the true one and holding that Congress so decided in approving the organization of the State. Governor Cass obtained an order through William H. Crawford, then Secretary of the Treasury-, to run the due east and west line, and John A. Fulton was employed to make the survey. The result of course agreed exactly with the first line run by Mr. Harris, and it became known from that time as the "Fulton line"—said line being the present boundary between the northern and middle tiers of townships in Williams county, extending thence east through Fulton, and leaving a good portion of the city of Toledo in the present state of Michigan. The United States surveys, for subdividing the lands purchased from the Indians into townships and sections were completed a few years thereafter, and as they were closed in Ohio and later in Michigan upon the Fulton line, it seemed that the government had decided favorably to that boundary. Ohio, however, claimed to the Harris line and proceeded, wherever the population was sufficient, to organize townships, etc., accordingly. Wordy discussions followed and civil officers were appointed by each claimant. Nothing serious occurred for several years, but, "a disputed jurisdiction," as Lewis Cass wrote to Edward Tiffin, "is. one of the greatest evils that can happen to a country." Claims which involve vast sums of money fail to provoke strifes as acrimonious as 'those relating to contested land boundaries. The anxiety of the inhabitants of the infant settlements, occupying the disputed tract, can be easily imagined, and almost any decision would have been welcomed by them if it ended the strife and established an undisputed jurisdiction. Dr. Horatio Conant, in December, 1823, wrote a letter from Fort Meigs to Hon. Ethan A. Brown, then a United States Senator from Ohio, appealing for some solution of the difficulty, but breathing loyalty to Ohio and the Harris line. Dr. Conant was one of the pioneer physicians in the Maumee Valley. He was born at Mansfield, Connecticut, November 25, 1785, and was educated at Middlebury college in that State. He studied medicine in the state of New York. and, in 1816, came to Ohio, locating at Fort Meigs, where he followed the mercantile business for one year. He then began the practice of his profession and made it his chief business during life, although he held several official positions, among which was judge of the court of Common Pleas. His professional visits extended up the Maumee river to Defiance and embraced all the country below. In one instance, in making a horseback trip to Defiance, he swam no less than eight streams and was compelled to purchase a canoe and float back home. Dr. Conant was among the most public-spirited citizens who aided in planting white settlements and civilization in this then wilderness country and earn- 68 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY estly endeavored to remove all obstacles to such progress. In the boundary dispute he displayed the same earnestness and good citizenship that characterized his long and useful life. During John Quincy Adams' administration arose the question of internal improvements all over the country, and the project of uniting the waters of Lake Erie and the Wabash river by a canal was considered. As is well known, General Andrew Jackson, who succeeded Adams as president, did not favor internal improvements by the aid of the general government ; but the state of Indiana obtained an appropriation by Congress of each alternate section of land, five miles wide, on each side of the proposed canal, and extending its entire length, including the portion through Ohio. Indiana conveyed to Ohio the portion within the latter state upon the conditions of the original grant. Thus Ohio became interested, and in March, 1834., the legislature authorized Governor Lucas to appoint three commissioners to locate the canal line through the State. During the same year a survey of the proposed canal was made and it was found necessary to locate the eastern terminus at a point on the Maumee river, north of the Fulton line, in order to reach navigable water. This re-opened the mooted boundary question and brought the partisans of the rival claimants to a frenzied state of excitement. On February 12, 1835, the Territory of Michigan passed a law inflicting heavy penalties upon any person attempting jurrsdiction over any part of the territory without authority from the United States or the Territory of Michigan. In accordance with a further provision of this act, Stevens T. Mason, the youthful and impulsive acting governor of Michigan, sent a message to Governor Lucas of Ohio, who in turn submitted it to the legislature, then in sessron. The legislature replied by passing an act on February 23, 1835, affirming the jurisdiction of Wood, Henry and Williams county to the Harris line ; and it gave notice to congress that, "it ill becomes a million of freemen to humbly petition, year after year, for what justly belongs to them and is completely within their control." The fight was now on in earnest. The commissioners of Williams county met on March 30, 1835, and in accordance with the legislative enactment extended the county jurisdiction to the Harris line, notifying all citizens of such extension. Wood and Henry counties likewise extended. A further provision of the act of the Legislature (passed February 23, 1835) provided for the appointment of three commissioners to run and re-mark the Harris line. Uri Seely of Geauga, Jonathan Taylor of Licking, and John Patterson of Adams, were appointed such commissioners, and the first. of April was named as the time to commence the survey. Governor Mason of Michigan, keenly watching the Buckeye movements, ordered Gen. Joseph W. Brown, who commanded a division of the territorial militia, to be prepared to meet the impending crisis and to "use every exertion to obtain the earliest information of the military movements of our adversary." On March 31, Governor Lucas, accompanied by his staff and the boundary commissioners, arrived at Perrysburg on THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE - 69 their way to run and re-mark the Harris line in compliance with the act "in such case made and provided." General John Bell, in command of the Seventeenth division of the Ohio Militia, arrived about the same time with his staff and mustered into service a volunteer force of about six hundred men, fully armed and equipped. The force went into camp at old Fort Miami and awaited the orders of the chief executive. Governor Mason, with General Brown, arrived at Toledo with a force under the immediate command of the latter, variously estimated at from Soo to 1,200 men, and went into camp, ready to resist any advance of the Ohio authorities upon the disputed territory to run the boundary line or any other movement inconsistent with Michigan's claim of jurisdiction over it. As a distinguished lawyer has put it, "the two governors, having made up an issue by legislative enactments, found themselves confronted by a military force that had been called out to enforce their respective legislative pleadings. Governor Mason, representing the tenant in possession; was content to rest at his ease. Governor Lucas, representing the plaintiff, had to open the trial." The whole country in the meantime became wild with excitement, and Governor Lucas had determined to order General Bell with his force to Toledo as soon as he could make the necessary preparations, and risk the consequences. No doubt such action on his part would have resulted in a serious military engagement and possibly menaced the peace of the entire country ; but before he had got his preparations made, two eminent citizens—Hon. Richard Rush of Philadelphia, and Col. Benjamin C. Howard of Baltimore. arrived from Washington as commissioners from the President of the United States, to their personal influence to stop all war-like demonstrations. Hon. Elisha Whittlesey. of Ohio, accompanied the commissioners. as a voluntary peace-maker. The commissioners and Mr. Whittlesey had several conferences with both governors, and finally, on April 7, submitted the following propositions for their assent : "1. That the Harris line should he run and re-marked pursuant to the act of the last session of the Legislature of Ohio, without interruption. "2. The civil elections under the laws of Ohio having taken place throughout the disputed territory, that the people residing upon it should be left to their own government, obeying the one jurisdiction or the other, as they may prefer, without molestation from the of Ohio or Michigan until the close of the next session of Congress." Governor Lucas, on the urgent request of the commissioners and Mr. Whittlesey, agreed, reluctantly, to accept the proposition as a peaceable settlement until after "the close of the next session of Congress." Governor Mason refused to acquiesce in the propositions_ Notwithstanding this refusal on the part of the Michigan hotspur- Governor Lucas assented to the agreement. regarding the governor of a territory as a subaltern, subject to the control of the President. He looked upon the agreement as one made with the Presidents 70 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY through Messrs. Rush and Howard as his representatives, and hence disbanded the military force he had collected Governor Mason partially did likewise, but still continued to make preparations for any emergency that might arise and stationed a military force at Adrian under the command of General Brown to keep a close watch upon events. In 1832, new observations of latitude were made, under an act of Congress, by Captain Talbott, assisted by Lieut. Robert E. Lee, then a recent graduate from West Point but afterwards the famous military chieftain of the Confederate forces and the idol of all loyal Southerners. These observations showed that the originally pro, posed line, if extended due east from the southern point of Lake Michigan, would not touch the international boundary in the middle of Lake Erie, but would pass several miles south of it, and coming to land again would throw into the territory of Michigan a considerable part of Northeastern Ohio. This absurdity was so apparent that it was confidently expected that the alternative line, which was provided for in the Ohio constitution, would be confirmed—especially so, when the fact was considered that Congress, by admitting Ohio to statehood, had constructively approved it. The matter was submitted to Benjamin F. Butler, at that time Attorney General of the United States, but he, with that tenacity which is a characteristic of lawyers in adhering to the letter of the law, decided that until Congress acted otherwise Michigan had the right of dominion over the disputed strip. He softened a little, however, by saying that no harm could come from the re-survey of the Harris line, as proposed by the Ohio authorities. Accordingly, Governor Lucas thought he could run and re-mark the line without serious molestation and directed the commissioners to proceed with the work. Engineer S. Dodge, who was engaged in the construction of the Ohio canal, was employed as surveyor and together with the commissioners and a considerable party, came up the Maumee river to Defiance and then started across the country to the Northwest corner of the state to commence the survey. They arrived at the Fulton line on April 19, but as the "border" was infested with Michigan scouts the party decided not to advance without further advice from Governor Lucas. The Governor instructed them to run the line at all hazards, and they proceeded to what is now the extreme corner of Northwest township, Williams county, where they found the corner of the state as described in the field notes of Surveyor Harris. Thence the commissioners and party proceeded eastwardly along the line, finding it with little or no difficulty and re-marking it as directed, until they reached a point near the present town of Lyons, in Fulton county, on April 25. There they left the line and retired about a mile to the south, where they expected to spend the following day, Sunday. At about high noon of the next day, however, they were attacked by a mounted force under General Brown, and in the melee that followed nine of the Ohio party were captured and escorted to Tecumseh, Michigan. The remainder of the force succeeded in reaching Perrys- THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE - 71 burg, and the project of re-surveying the line was indefinitely postponed. In addition to this outrage upon the official surveying party there were numerous flagrant assaults upon individuals—some of the events being ludicrous, but all of them doubtless having a serious aspect to the victims. Among the latter was Major Stickney, one of the most interesting and famous characters who were figuring on the Maumee in those early days. It will add a humorous interest to the dry details of this boundary dispute if we digress here and devote a little space to this eccentric individual, the facts being gleaned from reminiscences penned by Thomas W. Powell. Major Stickney had been appointed by President Jefferson as Indian Agent, and as such had long resided in the Western country—first at Upper Sandusky and then at Fort Wayne. He was a man of some intelligence, and assumed to be a scholar and philosopher. •His wife was a highly respectable lady—in every way amiable, and a daughter of General Stark of Revolutionary fame. But his wife's accomplishments did not prevent Major Stickney from resorting to all kinds of eccentricities. A part of this was to be as much as possible like nobody else. This he carried out in the naming of his children—not after any names found in either Christian or profane history ; but the boys were to represent the numerals and the girls the states—as far as their numbers would go. The boys, therefore, were named One, and Two, etc. ; and though he condescended to name his eldest daughter, from respect to Mrs. Stickney, Mary, the rest of his daughters were named after the states, Indiana, Michigan, etc., This eccentricity produced some of the most ridiculous anecdotes, among which is the following : Soon after the family moved to the Maumee Valley, and while living in a house erected near the landing at the mouth of Swan Creek, Mrs. Stickney, one morning, came to the piazza in front of the house, where a vessel laid at anchor, and calling to her sons, said, "Two, call One to breakfast." A sailor aboard the vessel looked up and said : "Is this Maumee? It is a terrible hard country, if it takes two to call one to breakfast." In the spring of 1821, Major Stickney was a ruling spirit in what was already a thriving settlement in the neighborhood of Swan Creek. Up to this time the little colony had been without a question within the jurisdiction of Ohio. Writs had been issued from Maumee in Wood county, to the settlers, as witnesses, jurors and suitors, and they, until then, had answered as such without a question as to jurisdiction. But other views had entered into Major Stickney's policy and philosophy. He called a public meeting of the citizens, and to them when thus assembled he represented that the citizens of the incipient city had very seriously mistaken their interest as to the question—where the true northern line of the State of Ohio was. He did not care as to what the constitution of the State of Ohio said on the subject—the true line was the one run due east from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, which run considerably south of the settlement and would leave them in the Territory of Michigan, 72 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY instead of the State of Ohio, and therefore they were Wolverines instead of Buckeyes. He averred that it was greatly to their interest to be so ; that while they were citizens of the Territory they would be cherished and protected under the auspices and guardianship of the United States, while in Ohio they could not expect anything except to be taxed. He said he was well acquainted with General Cass, the Governor of Michigan at that time, and would go to him and get a commission as justice of the peace for Michigan in the settlement, in case the citizens there would sustain him. The motion carried—the secession was complete. Major Stickney procured his commission and proceeded to exercise the jurisdiction of a justice of the peace of Michigan over the seceded territory, Soon after these things had matured, Gen. J. E. Hunt of Maumee, had some official business to transact in that vicinity as an officer of Wood county. The citizens threw every obstacle in his way to prevent the discharge of his duties and to convince him that they had really seceded. General Hunt returned with just complaint of the conduct of the citizens there. A meeting of the commissioners of the county was called and the question was, what shall be done with the seceding rebels—shall they be prosecuted and hung? Perhaps so, if justice were done them. But mild and discreet measures and counsels were adopted. It was considered that Congress and the State of Ohio would in due time settle the question, and in the meantime it was neither discreet nor prudent to get up a war which could be avoided. This policy prevailed and Major Stickney and his followers were let "alone in their glory." But about this time the canal question became an absorbing theme to the people of the Maumee Valley. When fully acquainted with the project, Major Stickney called another meeting of the citizens of Swan Creek, and to them he now represented that they had committed a great error in seceding from Ohio and going over to Michigan ; that while they belonged to Michigan they could not expect that the State of Ohio would construct the canal to Swan Creek ; they must go back to Ohio ; they must secede from Michigan and go back to Ohio again ; they must undo their former secession and rebellion or they could not expect to secure the canal. Thereupon all sorts of resolutions were adopted, to the effect that they were and of right ought to be a part and parcel of the State of Ohio ; that Ohio was a great and glorious State. and that they would maintain their position, if necessary, at the point of the bayonet. These measures succeeded in arousing Michigan to a demonstration of war. Militia soldiers were sent from Detroit by land and water to Swan Creek, to whip the rebels into subjection to their legitimate authority. They came in martial array and took possession of the territory where the proud city of Toledo now stands, making the citizens succumb to the power and jurisdiction of Michigan. They returned to Detroit in the most jubilant triumph, drinking all sorts of toasts to the glory of Michigan and to the anathematization of Major Stickney in Ohio, one of which was, "Here is to Major Stick- THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE - 73 ney's potatoes and onions—we draft their tops and their bottoms volunteer !" This, however, was all to the wishes of the sycophantical Major, and in accordance with his policy he went immediately to Columbus and represented to the Governor and people of Ohio the intolerable barbarity of the Wolverines—how they had desecrated the just authority of Ohio and trampled under foot the loyal citizens of the State. Among the individuals arrested by the Michigan authorities during the troublous times of 1835, was Major Stickney, who was taken while on a visit to friends in Monroe, Michigan. He was confined in jail at the latter place for some time, as he described it, "peeping through the grates of a loathsome prison for the monstrous crime of having acted as the judge of an election within the State of Ohio." He was finally released, however, but it is doubtful. if ever, in either ancient or modern history, there has been an instance of secession and rebellion so successful, or a hero of one so clearly entitled to the distinction as Major Stickney. Other citizens of the disputed strip, who claimed allegiance to Ohio, were arrested and harshly treated, among whom being Messrs. N. Goodsell and George McKay of Toledo, and feeling was aroused to a high pitch. The commissioners appointed to re-mark the-Harris line reported the attack upon them to Governor Lucas, and he in turn reported the facts to President Jackson. The President sent a copy of the report to Governor Mason and directed him to send a statement "by the officers engaged in the transaction complained of." William McNair, under-sheriff of Lenawee county and the officer who made the arrests, replied, denying that the commissioners' posse was fired upon. Great excitement prevailed throughout Ohio. The press spread the news with such comments as corresponded with their views. Most of the papers advocated the cause of the Governor, and severely condemned the conduct of Michigan ; but some few of the Whig papers, or those anti-Democratic in politics, took an opposite view and severely berated the conduct of Governor Lucas and those who sided with him. They treated the proceedings on the part of the authorities of Ohio as ridiculous and calculated to bring the State into disgrace. But the number of these papers that spoke freely against the course pursued by the State were very few. Governor Lucas, finding it impracticable to run the line or enforce jurisdiction over the disputed territory, called an extra session of the legislature to meet on the 8th clay of June. That body passed an act "to prevent the forcible abduction of the citizens of Ohio." The act was intended of course to prevent if possible a repetition of offenses heretofore mentioned— and also had reference to counteracting the previous acts of the legislative council of Michigan—and made such offenses punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary for not less than three nor more than seven years. An act was also passed at this special session creating the county of Lucas out of the north part of Wood and Henry counties. This new county extended from the east line of Williams to Lake Erie, the greater part of the new division lying between the rival boundary 74 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY lines. An act was also passed levying appropriations to carry into effect all laws in regard to the northern boundary. Three hundred thousand dollars were appropriated out of the treasury and the Governor was authorized to borrow three hundred thousand more on the credit of the state. The determination to run and re-mark the Harris line was still in evidence, and a resolution was adopted inviting the Presidents to appoint a commissioner to go with the Ohioans when they again attempted to make the survey. The issue was now changed ; and to quote again from a legal chronicler of the events, "the United States now became defendant as claimant of title in fee." The determined attitude of Michigan to prevent Ohio from exercising any authority over the disputed strip aroused a feeling of State pride that could not well brook the idea that the thinly populated Territory of Michigan, with her stripling 'Governor, should successfully defy Governor Lucas and a State of :a "million" inhabitants. Governor Lucas investigated the military strength of the State and found that at least twelve thousand men were ready to respond to a hurry-up call. The authorities of Michigan became exasperated. They dared the Ohio "million" to enter the disputed ground and "welcomed them to hospitable graves." Prosecutions for the crime of holding office under the laws of Ohio were conducted with greater vigor than ever, and the people of Monroe county, Michigan, were busy in acting as a sheriff's posse to make arrests of the recalcitrant Buckeyes. The partisans of Ohio being thus continually harrassed by the authorities of Michigan and attempting frequently to retaliate in kind, the disputed strip was not an attractive point for the home-seeker during the greater part of the summer of 1835. But such a state of affairs could not permanently exist and was certain ere long to reach its culmination. The frequent arrests and imprisonments of reputable men tended to keep the matter at a fever heat, and in a few instances homicide was narrowly averted on the part of the infuriated citizens. On July 15, 1835, an attempt was made to arrest Two Stickney, second son of the doughty Major, and to re-arrest George McKay. The accused were found at a tavern. "in the village of Toledo," by officers Lyman Hurd and Joseph Wood, of Monroe county, Michigan ; but Stickney and McKay resisted the efforts to arrest them, and in the melee that followed, Officer Wood was severely wounded by a dirk knife in the hands of Stickney. This and other similar proceedings were reported by Governor Mason to President Jackson, who was becoming strongly impressed with the necessity of interposing some check to the evident tendency towards serious trouble. Some time previous to this, Governor Lucas, perceiving considerable uneasiness at Washington for the peace of the country, had sent to the Federal City, Noah H. Swayne, William Allen and David T. Disney to confer with the President on the subject of the boundary difficulties. The result of this mission was the urgent appeal of the President for "the mutual suspension until after the next session THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE - 75 of Congress," of all action that would by possibility produce collision, and the assurance that an earnest recommendation would be immediately sent to the acting Governor of Michigan and the other authorities of the Territory, whom he could rightfully advise in the performance of their duty, that no obstruction shall be interposed to the re-marking of the Harris line ; that all proceedings already begun under the act of February 12, 1835, shall be immediately discontinued; that no prosecution shall be commenced for any subsequent violations of that act, until after the next session of Congress, and that all questions about the disputed jurisdiction shall be carefully avoided, and if occurring inevitably, their discussion shall be postponed until the same period." This arrangement was made with Messrs. Swayne, Allen and Disney, on July 3, 1835, and the provisions defined the base of operations for Ohio. The State now had the direct promise of the President that he would advise that "no obstruction shall be interposed to the re-marking of the Harris line," etc. ; bin the authorities of Michigan for a time entirely disregarded the arrangements, and the pugnacious Governor Mason seemed bent upon fighting it out regardless of Federal interference or Presidential advice. The act of the Ohio legislature, erecting the new county of Lucas, also provided "that the said county of Lucas, when organized, shall be attached to the second judicial circuit ; and the court of common pleas in said county shall be holden on the first Monday of September next." Accordingly, preparations were made for the holding of court at Toledo upon the date mentioned, but such action by the Ohio authorities excited very intensely the belligerent proclivities of the youthful ex-officio Governor of Michigan. He levied a small army and, on Sunday, the day before that set for holding the court, he invaded the district and encamped with a force of twelve hundred men in the lower part of the town of Toledo. This ill-advised operation was attended by no particularly serious consequences ; for the Michiganders found no one to oppose them, and of course they were barely fighting the wind. The court of Common Pleas met on Monday morning early, made a record of their session and adjourned without Governor Mason and his forces being aware of their meeting. In consequence, the court exercised its jurisdiction without being disturbed, and the gallant Governor Mason marched to Toledo with his twelve hundred men, flourishing his drums and trumpets, and then marched back again. There might have been further trouble had not President Jackson, at about this time, removed the obstreperous Mason from his position as acting Governor of Michigan and placed the affairs of the Territory in the hands of one whose disposition was less fiery and whose acts were governed more by reason. John S. Homer was appointed to the position, on September 21, 1835, and immediately entered into an amicable correspondence with Governor Lucas, the effect of which was to allay all excitement and restore peaceful relations, leaving the final settlement of the question with Congress at 76 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY its session the following winter. This, however, merely changed the scene of the conflict and the personnel of the combatants, for when the matter was taken up in Congress the advocates on each side displayed a feeling in the matter no less intense than that exhibited by the partisans on the Ohio frontier. John Quincy Adams championed the cause of Michigan, and declared in an impassioned address that never before in his life had he known "a controversy in which all the right was so clearly on one side and all the power so overwhelmingly on the. other." He had able assistants in the debate, but Ohio also was represented by men who were abundantly equipped with ability to do battle for the other side of the contention. Thomas Ewing in the Senate and Samuel F. Vinton in the House were the Buckeye knights, and in the following June, 1836, Ohio won the day and the disputed strip—Congress holding that the State constitution, having been solemnly accepted, authorized Ohio to annex the territory in question. In the main, this action of Congress was more in the nature of a compromise than a clear-cut decision upon the merits of the controversy. Congress is not a court of equity, and the members thereof are sometimes actuated by motives other than a desire to give force and effect to the letter and spirit of existing law. \\That a chancery tribunal would have done, had a proper issue been joined and brought before it for adjustment, is of course problematical ; but with the facts fully stated (as the writer has endeavored to give them in this chapter). and with the intent of the framers of the Ordinance of 1787, so apparent, it seems that exact justice would have placed the boundary line considerably further north than it is. But followrng the strict letter of the Ordinance and the ensuing acts of Congress, a judge of the law would doubtless have named the Fulton line as the southern boundary of Michigan. In fact the Supreme Court of Ohio, in the case of Daniels vs. Stevens, lessee, reported in the Nineteenth Ohio Reports, Chief Justice Hitchcock delivering the opinion, affirms that Michigan had jurisdiction to the Fulton line until the act of Congress was passed, in June, 1836, which established the Harris line as the true boundary. And the United States Circuit Court, in a case of considerable interest (Piatt vs. Oliver and others, reported in 2 McLean, 267), in which the question of State jurisdiction became important, decided the right of jurisdiction to be in Michigan until the boundary line was changed by Congress. in 1836. The latter case was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States, and there the jurisdiction over the disputed territory was again treated as rightfully and clearly in Michigan.-3 Howard's R. 333. But those were clays of compromises in American politics, as is evidenced by the act of Congress admitting Missouri, the tariff law of 1833, etc., and in the settlement of this disputed boundary line, the handiwork of a skilled peace-maker is also apparent. Michigan had applied for admission to the sisterhood of states, and to secure such recognition could be easily induced to surrender her claims to a narrow strip of land, averaging about eight miles wide. As addi- THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE - 77 tional salve for her wounded pride, however, she was given as a part of her domain the large peninsula between Lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior, now so well known for its rich deposits of copper and other minerals. If "the jingle of the guinea helps the hurt that honor feels," when speaking of men, the same is doubtless true of states, and Michigan was abundantly compensated in mineral wealth for whatever damage was done to her escutcheon. The chief value to Ohio of the territory contended for was the harbor at Toledo, formed by the mouth of the Maumee—essential, as her public men believed, to enable her to reap the benefit of the commerce made by the canals to Cincinnati and Indiana. Results have shown that they judged correctly, for Toledo has proved to be the true point for the meeting of the lake and canal commerce. Thus the angry strife, resulting from a geographical error, was happily settled through the ascendency of conciliatory statesmanship ; and the citizens of the two commonwealths, once on the verge of open warfare, became united in a common interest, and nothing but tranquil and fraternal relations have since prevailed between them. CHAPTER V FROM 1841 TO 1861 THE seat of justice having been removed from Defiance to Bryan, the first requisite in the embryo town was buildings in which to hold court and house the county officials. As a part of the inducement that caused the county seat to be located on its present site, Bryan and Trevitt agreed to build proper buildings for such use, temporarily, until more substantial structures could be erected. As may be inferred, these first county buildings were simple and in keeping with their surroundings. The courts were held in a small log house, erected late in the year 1840—Jacob Over and James McFadden dressing the logs and doing such other carpenter work as was needed on the primitive temple of justice. The building stood near the center of the space included in lots 94, 95, and 96, southeast corner of Main and Mulberry streets, where now stand the residences of John Niederaur, W. H. Lane and Dr. McTaggart. It was a two-story building, about twenty-five by forty feet in size, extending north and south. The entrance was at the south end and the judge's bench at the north, court being held on the ground floor, and the second story—according to the memory of the older citizens—not being prepared for any use. The courts were held there for about seven years, or, until the autumn of 1847, when the brick building on the public square was completed. Later the old log structure was taken down and erected into two buildings on the east side of town, by Messrs. Levi Cunningham and John Young. These buildings are yet standing—one of them, remodelled, being the residence of William G. Yates, and the other, now dilapidated, is the property of Arthur Willett—on the north side of East High street. The first county jail in Bryan was also an unpretentious affair. built of logs, two stories high, and stood on lot No. 137, west side of Lynn street, between Bryan and Mulberry streets, the lot now belonging to the Jacob Teems estate. It remained there until 1848, when it was removed, and, with new material added, rebuilt on the west half of lots 107 and 108, now occupied by the Long drug-store building. There it stood, as a place of incarceration for the evil-doers, until 1867, when the present brick jail was erected. The old building was then torn down and some of the logs were used in a sewer system of drainage, which was being constructed along the streets of Bryan. The dates of the erection of the several township subdivisions have - 78 - FROM 1841 TO 1861 - 79 been given in a preceding chapter, and it will be remembered that there were, originally, twenty Congressional townships, which, when organized for civil purposes, were Defiance, Tiffin, Springfield, Brady, Millcreek, Madison, Jefferson, Pulaski, Washington, Delaware, Mark, Farmer, Center, Superior, Bridgewater, Northwest, Florence, St. Joseph, Milford and Hicksville. Some of these townships exceeded the established limits of the United States surveys (six miles square), owing to the clashing of the Harris and Fulton lines, and Williams county possessed an extent of territory far in excess of the four hundred square miles, which the constitution of 1802 had established as the minimum for a county organization. 'The chagrin felt by the citizens of Defiance over the removal of the county seat from that place prompted them to take advantage of this fact, and they early began a movement looking to the erection of a new county, with Defiance as the permanent location of a fixed and unmovable county-seat. In such efforts they were finally successful, and on March 4, 1845, the general assembly of Ohio passed an act, "to erect the county of Defiance." It took from Williams the territory which comprises the townships of Defiance, Tiffin, Washington, Delaware, Mark, Farmer, Milford and Hicksville—eight in number —and by invading the counties of Henry and Paulding, secured enough additional territory to give the new county its constitutional size and at the same time satisfy the cravings of Defiance citizens for a court house in their midst. Williams county was thus reduced in size and limited to the remaining twelve townships. This division of the territory appeared at first to be disastrous to the county, for though its outline still continued symmetrical, yet a large portion of its most valuable taxable property was transferred to the newly erected county. And in addition to this a vexatious and acrimonious strife at once arose over the question of removing the seat of justice from Bryan to West Unity. The erection of Defiance county had placed the new county seat of Williams far from the geographical center and within three miles of the southern boundary line, causing the same objections to arise that had been used so effectively against Defiance, a few years before. The new court house at Bryan, although in course of construction, was not nearly completed, and the citizens of West Unity considered it an opportune time to agitate the question of removal. The claims of West Unity, when geography is considered, were not very logical, however, as her location was only five miles away from the eastern boundary line ; but she had two miles the advantage of Bryan, and the conflict raged furiously, regardless of former friendships or family ties. The question was finally settled by the interference of a third party—the legislature of the State of Ohio. On February 28, 1850, the General Assembly passed an act "to create the county of Fulton," taking for such purpose a large tract off the west end of Lucas, a smaller one from Henry county, and three tiers of sections off the east side of Millcreek township and two from Brady in Williams county. This ended the vexed controversy between West Unity and 80 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY Bryan ; for the former now had no advantage of the latter when the charge of being "a border town" was discussed, each being about equally distant from a line that bounded another jurisdrction. This .act of the legislature also made the eastern boundary line of Williams county decidedly irregular, and reduced the superficial area to 420 square miles—a little more than is required by law, but near enough the minimum to make any further "pruning" improbable. In 1857 an effort was made to remove the county seat to the geographical center, near Montpelier—but the project failed. The early efforts towards building the town of Bryan will be treated of in the chapter on Pulaski township, and of course repetition is unnecessary in this connection. Though a considerable settlement was made on the town site, during the few months following the decision to locate the seat of justice at that place, the town was not formally incorporated until June, 1849. The original plat of the town contained one hundred and eighty inlots, exclusive of the public square; each of which is four rods frontage and eight rods in depth, with alleys between abutting lots. This arrangement made the squares or blocks of three hundred and ninety-six feet frontage on the east and west sides and two hundred and eighty-four on the north and south ; all being bounded by streets of proper width, Main and High being one hundred feet wide and the others sixty-six. It is easy to imagine that the course of these streets was marked by blazed trees, for the virgin forest was as yet undisturbed by the ax of civilization. It is not possible to produce a complete and accurate list of names of the first settlers ; but after it became generally known that the legislative commissioners had located the county seat of Williams in the midst of an unbroken section of Pulaski township forest, many people, some attracted with a possible thought of purchasing lots and opening up business, and others to gratify curiosity—made journeys to the place. Most of these returned home and circulated unfavorable reports about the future prospects of the incipient village. Among the few, however, who determined to brave such pioneer hardships and inconveniences as presented themselves was John Kaufman, who should be mentioned as having assisted in building the temporary log court house and in burning brick for the walls of the permanent one. Mr. Kaufman spent the remainder of his life in Bryan, and although fortune smiled not upon him in the way of abundant riches, yet he was entitled to the greater honor of being a worthy citizen. For many years prior to his death he was the efficient janitor of the court house. Volney Crocker, who subsequently located on a farm in St. Joseph township, probably cut down the first tree. Mr. Crocker was a native of New York, where he was born February 8, 1818, the son of Samuel and Polly (Fordham) Crocker, who were also early residents of Williams county. The family went to live in Upper Canada in 1820, later moved to Lower Canada, and thence to Stark county, Ohio, where they lived until 1834. In the latter year they came to FROM 1841 TO 1861 - 81 Williams county and located on a piece of woodland near Williams Center. There they encountered all the hardships of pioneer life, living in their wagon until they could erect a cabin with puncheon floor and stick chimney. After reaching manhood, Volney Crocker followed scoring and hewing timber for a few years, and in the winter of 1840-41 erected the first house in Bryan, which he inhabited while "clearing off" the public square and several of the streets of the village. Soon after this he began farming in the woods, near by, and subsequently followed carriage-making in Bryan for several years. Later he removed to St. Joseph township and followed farming the remainder of his life. Mr. Crocker has the double honor of leveling the first "giant of the forest" and furnishing the first cabin in the newly-platted town. This structure was on the shanty order, however, intended for but temporary use, and the first regular cabin was built by Daniel Wyatt, on . lots No. 110 and 111, south side of the square on Butler street, where is now located the residence of George W. Hopkins. William Yates was the first merchant to establish himself in business in Bryan, in the fall of 1841, and Thomas Shorthill opened the first tavern during the same year. His early competitors in the business were Thomas McCurdy and John McDowell, and later, Daniel Langel. The first marriage was that of Andrew J. Tressler and Miss Olivia Kent, as appears in another chapter. The postoffice was established February 22, 1841, and Thomas Shorthill, the village inn-keeper, was appointed postmaster and held the office a few years. The board of county commissioners held its first session in Bryan —the new seat of justice—on March 1, 1841, and the record of business transacted affords ample evidence that northern townships had not only demanded, but had also shown the numerical strength to enforce the recognition of their necessities in the matter of roads, bridges, etc. The second act of the board at this March meeting was to "declare a public highway," commencing at the northwest corner of section seventeen, in Northwest township, at the Indiana line, and thence running due east on section lines to the quarter post on the north side of section thirteen, thence southeastwardly to the quarter post on the south side of section seventeen in Bridgewater township, and thence east on section lines to the east line of the county. This road, throughout the greater part of its original course is still in use, but it is perhaps not generally known that it was the first highway in the present county limits to receive attention after the removal of the seat of justice to Bryan. Beginning at the Indiana line, northwest of Billingstown, it followed its present course due east until it reached the point where now stands the Winebrinerian church, a little north and east of Nettle Lake. There it took an angling southeasterly course until it struck the section line again at the quarter post on the south side of section seventeen in Bridgewater township. It then ran due east again until the Fulton county boundary was reached. The angling part of this road has long since been 6 82 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY abandoned, but the rest of it is a well-kept and much-traveled highway. At a special session of the Board, held on July 19, 1841, it was decided to locate the county jail on the site heretofore mentioned, and Erastus H. Leland, a practicing attorney, was appointed a special commissioner to sell at public auction the job of clearing of the lot. It is said that the usual price at that time for clearing land was four dollars an acre, but Lawyer Leland disregarded all precedents in the matter and presented a bill of seven dollars for clearing this lot and the same was allowed by the commissioners. The contract for building the jail was let to John McDowell, the price to be paid for the work being $1,050. In January, 1842, the commissioners took up the question of building a new court house. The land-owners who .donated the site had also agreed to pay a certain amount for the erection of a substantial county building, but no move had as yet been made tending to such action) on their part. At a session, held February 14, it was ordered "that the court house that is to be erected in and for this county be placed in the center of the public square in the town of Bryan—said square not including the two lots deeded to the county at the south end of said square." The board further ordered "that the plan drawn by H. Daniels for a court house, specifying the dimensions of said court house to be fifty-three feet by eighty-seven and a half feet, including the porches, be, and is hereby adopted by the board for a court house for the county of Williams." But there seems to have been a disagreement in the interpretation of the covenants of Messrs. Bryan and Trevitt, for under date of March 8, 1842, we find the following entry : "The commissioners, Payne C. Parker and Oney Rice, Jr., direct the auditor to make an- entry on the record that they consider the understanding between the proprietors of the town of Bryan and the commissioners of Williams county, when they received the bond for the erection of a court house, the following, namely : That signers of the bond were to lay out judiciously, under the direction of the commissioners of Williams county, $8,500, and nothing further." The bond here mentioned was one given by John A. Bryan and William Trevitt, as principals, and Alfred P. Edgerton as security, for payment of a certain amount towards the building of the court house. An estimate was made of the probable cost of the building, and at a special meeting, held April 20, 1842, the commissioners ordered the clerk to enter on the record the following copy of a letter to Messrs. Bryan and Trevitt : "We, the commissioners of Williams county, Ohio, have agreed upon and adopted a plan, drawn by an architect of this section, the size of which [court house] is fifty by sixty-eight feet, to be executed in the Ionic order ; the estimated cost in cash shall not exceed $10,000. The temporary court house is very uncomfortable and cold ; the Court, complaining to the commissioners, say that they shall hold and call upon the commissioners to see that the house is made comfortable and more convenient." FROM 1841 TO 1861 - 83 This literary appeal had the desired effect, and July 9, 1842, John A. Bryan and William Trevitt, by their agent, Giles H. Tomlinson, who still resides in the county, entered into an article of agreement to erect a court house. Another year passed, however, with little progress made, and at the March session, in 1843, the commissioners appointed James Shorthill a special envoy to see that the old building be "chuncked and daubed," which conveys the impression at least that they expected to use it indefinitely. This "chuncking and daubing" cost the county the sum of $7.08. But the walls of the new court house were increasing in height. and on July 14, 1843, the board directed the Auditor to cause notice to be given in some newspaper of general circulation in the county that they would receive sealed proposals for the furnishing of the inside work of the building; and upon the same date a contract was entered into with John Bostater for the making of, the window blinds and sash. At the December session, 1843, Giles H. Tomlinson was allowed the sum of thirty-three dollars for hooks furnished for the court house, on which to hang window shutters. Yet the project seemed hoodooed. A year later, on October 1, 1844, the commissioners met in special session "for the purpose of examining the court house," and after having done so were convinced that Messrs. Bryan and Trevitt had failed to carry on the work as stipulated in the contract, and complete it within the denominated time. It appeared that Bryan and Trevitt refused to proceed further with the work, and the commissioners therefore declared the contract "abandoned and vacated." They accordingly ordered the following notice published in the Defiance Democrat : "Notice is hereby given that the commissioners of Williams county will attend at their office in said county on the 25th day of October, A. D. 1844, for the purpose of receiving sealed proposals for the completion of the following work on the court house in said county, to-wit : Putting on the roof and crown, moulding of the cornice, putting in joists for the second floor and timber and studding for the partitions ; to be done before the first of December, next. Also' separate proposals will be received for the following work, to-wit the balance of the cornice, eight columns, and the platform of the portico, and the chimneys and the cupelo, and the painting of the work ; the whole to be finished according to the plan of the building and specifications, to be seen at the Auditor's office, and the whole to be completed by the first day of September, A. D., 1845, the pay to be cash or county orders at their cash value, at the option of the commissioners." Upon the date mentioned, October 25, the board met, and the following day Giles H. Tomlinson was awarded the contract of doing the specified work, the time for completion being extended until December 1, 1845. But eighteen months elapsed after the letting of this contract, and yet the court house was not completed. Either the workmen engaged were inefficient or the commrssioners were hard to please. for on April 13, 1847, the latter met in special session 84 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY and declared that Mr. Tomlinson had failed to fulfil his contract. They accordingly pronounced the same forfeited and ordered another sale of the job of completing the building. In the meantime, however, the commissioners had brought suit against Messrs. Bryan and Trevitt, as principals, and A. P. Edgerton, as security, to enforce compliance with the full terms of the bond, which has been heretofore mentioned ; and after the usual finesse and delay, incident to litigation, a judgment had been obtained at the May term of the Common Pleas Court for $6,402.65, together with costs. Messrs. Bryan, Trevitt and Edgerton then made a proposition looking to a compromise with the County Commissioners. In consideration of the judgment being assigned to Mr. Edgerton, they agreed to refund to the county, with interest, the amount already paid to Mr. Tomlinson, and to have the court house fully completed by December 1, 1847. The board held a special meeting on July 21, 1847, and after considering the proposition decided to accept it. Security being required, a contract was drawn up with Wm. Yates, Levi Cunningham, Jacob Bowman, S. E. Blakeslee, E. H. Leland and A. J. Tressler as securities for Messrs. Bryan, Trevitt and Edgerton. This arrangement finally brought about the completion of the work, and in January, 1848, six years after the first action of the commissioners concerning the matter, the court house was reported as ready for occupancy. The citizens of Bryan, for the purpose of adding to the appearance of the square, and incidentally the appearance of the village, offered to contribute one-half the money needed to construct a board fence around the county's real estate. But the difficulties attending the building of the court house were not ended yet. Mr. Edgerton caused the work to be continued, but after its supposed completion, although occupied, the commissioners refused to accept it ; and at a special session, held on April 10, 1850, they employed William Carter, as an attorney, to commence suit on the contract. After pending in the courts of Williams and Defiance counties for over three years, this suit was settled by Mr. Edgerton paying to the county the sum/ of five hundred and fifty dollars. Frequent entries appear in the Commissioners' record of subsequent allowances for needed repairs—resulting from faulty construction—and indeed the court house demanded considerable "patching" until replaced by the present commodious structure. The commissioners stoutly refused for a long time to pay Mr. Tomlinson's bill for work performed on the contract, but he finally succeeded in worrying it from them and received payment to the amount of his claim. Among the first of the legal contests, in the brick court house, was the trial of Andrew F. Tyler, who, with Daniel Heckerthorn, was indicted for the murder of the little boy—David Schamp. The particulars of the horrible crime are given in the Jefferson township chapter. Tyler was tried at the September term of the Supreme Court, in 1848, was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. He was executed on January 26, 1849. Heckerthorn was tried at the November term of the common pleas court, 1849, found guilty and FROM 1841 TO 1861 - 85 also sentenced to be hanged, but the Governor of Ohio, on account of his youth (a boy of sixteen years) and limited mental capacity, commuted the sentence to imprisonment for life in the Ohio penitentiary. There he remained for ten years, when he was offered a conditional pardon by the Governor. The importance of the opening of a railroad was early impressed upon the minds of the enterprising citizens of the county, and about 1846-47, a project, originating with the late Judge Ebenezer Lane and others, was undertaken to build a road from Cleveland or Norwalk, running westward and crossing the Maumee river it the foot of the rapids, and from thence making its way on a west line to Chicago. It was known as the Junction railroad and a considerable amount of work was performed on it, including massive abutments for the bridge which was to cross the river to the northern bank at Maumee City. The corporation, in order to facilitate operations west of this point, solicited aid of stock subscriptions by individuals, towns, townships and counties, and succeeded in gathering an amount which aggregated a considerable sum. Regarding this first railroad enterprise, and in response to the request for stock subscription by Williams county, the Commissioners, at their session, held March 15, 1852, ordered "That public notice be given the qualified electors of Williams county to meet at their several places of holding elections in their respective townships on Monday, the 5th day of April, next, between the hours of 10 o'clock a. m. and 4 o'clock p. m., of said day and then and there cast their ballots 'for subscription' or 'against subscription' of $100,000 stock for the location and completion of the Junction railroad in said county, conditioned that said road shall pass from Maumee City westward through the said county of Williams to the Indiana state line, within two years from this date, and touching the following points, to-wit : West Unity, Montpelier, LaFayette (now Pulaski), Bryan and Center in said county, and that there shall be a junction of its branches at one of the above named towns in said county of Williams, and that said $100,000 be equally distributed on the several branches on said road in. said county of Williams." Apparently pleased with this prospect of receiving railroad accommodations, connecting the leading trading points of the county, the proposition was carried by a good majority and on April 7, 1852, the Commissioners subscribed the necessary stock, payable on April 1, 1867. But another movement was on foot which was destined to defeat the above mentioned project, even if it had, in fact, any prospect of realization. The Southern Michigan & Northern Indiana railroad company, realizing the damage it would be to their interests if the Junction enterprise should be successful, resolved upon the construction of an air line westward from Toledo to connect with their main line at Elkhart, Indiana. In 1852, the same year that the people of Williams county voted the appropriation, representatives of this company (whose corporate name is now the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern), appeared quietly in the field with a corps of engineers 86 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY and surveyed the route, asking no aid of stock subscriptions—only right of way and donation of sufficient ground for passenger and freight conveniences. The company was very undemonstrative in its movements, and on February 18, 1853. J. H. Sargeant, acting chief engineer and superintendent of the air-line road, called upon Hon. Edward Foster and passed into his hands a sum of money, requesting him to proceed without delay and receive donations or purchase the necessary right of way and depot grounds for that part of the road which would pass through Williams county. Much of the land being owned by non-residents, the labor was protracted, and some resident owners acting stubbornly, Mr. Foster met with embarrassments and delays in the prosecution of his work. Messrs. Edgerton and Trevitt. however, in addition to the very liberal donation of nearly sixteen acres of ground in Bryan for passenger and warehouse purposes, also generously donated the right of way through all their Williams county land, of which they held large tracts. March 5, 1855; Mr. Foster closed his business with the company and their contractors, and on October 25, following, received the last payment for his services. The first conductor on the road after passenger trains commenced running, in 1856, was David Moore. William D. Billings, a long time resident of Bryan, was the second agent at the station after trains had reached the county seat—his predecessor, a Mr. Johnson, who had opened the office, only remaining in the employ of the company a few months. Previous to this, Mr. Billings had had charge of the Middlebury (now Vistula) station, on the old-line road. The first printed through "time table, No. 1," took effect "on Monday, June 8, 1857, at 5 o'clock a. m." The stations named on the table were Toledo, Springfield, Centerville, Delta, Wauseon, Archbold, Stryker, Bryan, Edgerton, Butler, Waterloo, Corunna, Kendalville, Rome, Wawaka, Ligonier, Millersburg, Goshen and Elkhart. Going west, the train left Toledo at 9 :00 a. m. and reached Elkhart at 7 :10 p. m., making the distance between the two points in a little over nine hours, barring accidental delays. Another train moved from Elkhart on its eastward trip at 9 :40 a. m., and was due at Toledo at 6:40. Trains passed each other at Edgerton, that station being 64.3 miles west of Toledo, and 68.5 miles east of Elkhart. The trains were decidedly, if not badly, "mixed"—a locomotive, tender, one passenger and one freight car. Two trains, thus formed, made up the entire rolling stock of the road. Considerable of the foregoing matter relating to the first railroad, has been taken from Goodspeed's History of Williams county, and is probably in the main correct. It is interesting to make comparison between the service then and that which is given to the people to-day. Now, one of the least powerful of the many locomotives, which almost hourly pass over the several railroads that thread the county, would draw with ease a train consisting of at least three times the tonnage of all the rolling stock in use on the Air-Line in 1857. Sixteen passenger trains, two fast mail and one fast express FROM 1841 TO 1861 - 87 pass over the Lake Shore daily ; and on an average twenty-five through and local freights carrying from 40,000 to 80,000 pounds per car. The Wabash railroad, with its four branches centering at Montpelier, doubtless far exceeds the above showing in magnitude, and the Cincinnati Northern has a large and growing business. The late Horace S. Knapp, a historical writer of some note, closed a similar comparative statement as follows : "The transition almost confuses the mind to contemplate, when viewed in all its length and breadth. What marvelous changes in the means of transmitting intelligence have been produced in a period of less than half a century ! Today, at any railroad station in Williams county, connected with which is a telegraph office, one may transmit a message 2,000 miles distant, or even to Europe or the Orient, and receive to it an answer in less space of time than, a half century ago, would be consumed by the speediest mode of travel then known to make the distance from Pioneer to Stryker and return, and, during the January and June floods that then appeared as regularly as the seasons, to communicate with a neighbor ten miles distant. Imagine a pioneer who, about three months after the Presidential election of 1832, had received an Eastern letter or newspaper, conveying intelligence that Andrew Jackson had been re-elected President of the United States in the preceding November. If the settler is a Jackson man, he dons his hunting shirt and coon-skin cap and sallies forth in search of neighbors of his political faith to communicate the glad tidings, and mingle rejoicings. News of the result of a presidential election would now be known in every considerable city and town in the United States and Europe within twenty-four hours after the close of the polls." The first postoffice that was established within the present limits of Williams county was located in the village of Lafayette and bore the name of Pulaski, by which the place has. since been known. John Perkins was the first postmaster there, and his commission was dated, May 1, 1837. The other offices established in the county, prior to 1861, with the date of establishment and names of the first official incumbents, were as follows: Williams Centre, John B. Kimmel, January 5, 1839 ; Bryan, Thomas Shorthill, February 22, 1841 ; West Unity, John Rings, September 28, 1842 ; Spring Lake, Martin Perky, August 30, 1843 ; Northwest, William H. Billings, August 30, 1843 ; Eagle Creek, Robert Ogle, August 30, 1843 ; Nettle Lake, Augustus Porter, March 6. 1846 ; Bridgewater, Chandler Holt, April 14, 1846; Montpelier, Conroy W. Mallory, December 28, 1846; Deer Lick, Elias Barrett, April 1, 1847 ; Durbin's Corners, George W. Durbin, August 13, 1850 Pioneer, Philetus W. Norris, April 16, 1851 ; Luke's Corners, John Luke, April 29, 1854; Edgerton, Jackson M. Wood, June 3, 1854; Primrose, Lewis Keith, July 29, 1854; Stryker, William Sheridan, Jr., June 15, 1855. Pulaski, Bryan, West Unity, Northwest, Montpelier, Pioneer, Edgerton and Stryker still exist as mail distributing points, the others having been discontinued. In a few cases the discontinuance was due to lack of patronage, but 88 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY in the main the recent and rapid extension of rural delivery has put the small offices permanently "out of business." There were also at one time post-offices called Lockport in Brady township, Phalanx in Springfield, and Domestic in Millcreek ; but they have long since been abolished. Of the gentlemen who first handled the mail at these early post-office establishments, the names of many are familiar among the pioneer records of the county. A number of them were called to higher official stations and are more extensively mentioned elsewhere in this volume ; but a few have disappeared, either by removal or death, leaving no source from which material for a personal notice can be secured. One of these early "P. M.'s," however, we desire to mention hereGeorge W. Durbin. Mr. Durbin was born in Richland county, Ohio, July 13, 1813, and lived and worked on a farm until eighteen years of age. He then went to Knox county, Ohio, and on August 20, 1838, to Jefferson township, Williams county, where he had previously purchased 100 acres of land, which is now owned and occupied by George A. Burns. He brought the first cook stove into the county and the first two-horse plow into Jefferson township. He applied to the Postoffice department and obtained the first postoffice in the township, and, as stated above, was appointed the first postmaster. The name given the office was Durbin's Corners and it was located at the farm residence of Mr. Durbin, two miles east of the little village of West Jefferson. Two or three years after its establishment the postoffice was • moved "into town," but continued under the name of Durbin's Corners until 1882, when its cognomen was changed to Karle. Mr. Durbin taught the first school in Jefferson township, receiving forty-five dollars for a three months' term. He removed to Pioneer, in 1866, and for a time was in the hardware business, but later returned to agricultural pursuits and died on his farm in Madison township. No community in these days can be said to have reached the progressive state until that infallible index to prosperous conditions —a newspaper—makes its periodical visits to an intelligent constituency. But it was not always thus. Seventy-five years ago "journal- ists" were not as plentiful as they are today, and the appetite for printed news was not sufficiently keen to cause one to endure martyrdom in attempting to "fill a long-felt want." So, for years after its organization, Williams county could not boast of a newspaper within her confines. In 1837, however, a sheet, "medium" in size, made its appearance in Defiance with the expressive title, Barometer, under the management of John B. Seemans. Although in politics Mr. Seemans was a Whig, the paper maintained a neutral position. The editor was a lawyer and a good writer, but his Barometer relied mainly for its support upon the county patronage, and its existence was a brief one. The next newspaper experiment in Williams county, according to H. S. Knapp—one of the promoters—was planned in Columbus in the winter of 1842-3, and originated with a few leading Democratic politicians, among whom were United States Senator FROM 1841 TO 1861 - 89 Benjamin Tappan of Steubenville, James J. Farran of Cincinnati, Gen. James B. Steedman of Lucas county, Dr. William Trevitt and Col. S. Medary of Columbus, and a number of others. In discussing the most eligible point for the location of the new press it is said that Bryan, although then the county seat, was not discussed, the town having scarcely any population or business, except during court terms and tax-paying seasons, and a greater portion of the year the roads were in such a state that an interdict was almost placed upon travel. And so Defiance, the recognized business town in the county, and regarded as the most eligible political center of any place in Northwestern Ohio, was determined upon as the point for the establishment of the new paper. Accordingly, a journal, entitled the Northwestern, by J. B. Steedman & Co., was established in the spring of 1843. Its life was precisely twelve months in length, and when Vol. I, No. 52, was issued, the publication was suspended indefinitely, never fully realizing the anticipations of its projectors and friends. Mechanically, the paper is said to have been a rare specimen of typographical excellence, its managing printer and supervisor being Stephen T. Hosmer, a good workman, who was well known throughout the Maumee Valley. The printing material was sold, in May, 1844, to Samuel A. Hall, who put it aboard a canal boat and, accompanying it in person, started for some place in Indiana, wherever he might happen to find an opening. He finally landed at Logansport, and the Pharos of that city is the present day monument to his labors in Hoosierdom. The first effort to establish a newspaper in Bryan was made by Thomas H. Blaker, who, on November 14, 1845, issued the Northwestern, a paper that was Democratic in politics. It was published on the same press and material which was used by John A. Bryan (for whom the town was named), in the publication of the Western Hemisphere, a paper started in Columbus, Ohio, in 1835, in opposition to the Ohio Statesman, then owned and published by Samuel Medary. The press, type and other fixtures were brought to Bryan from Columbus by a four-horse team, seventeen days of very hard driving being required to perform the journey. The office was brought to Bryan at the instance and proffered assistance of Dr. William Trevitt, who was one of the proprietors of the new county seat town. The Northwestern was published for something over a year, when it was suspended for a few weeks, the publisher being fully satisfied in the matter of experience. During the time of its publication, another old office was brought from Defiance to Bryan, and J. W. Wiley (who had been an associate publisher of the Defiance Democrat) issued the first number of the Williams County Democrat on November 19, 1846. This move was made more particularly at the instance of W. A. Stevens—then County Auditor and afterwards a banker in Bryan—for the purpose of taking the county printing away from Mr. Blaker, with whom Mr. Stevens had had some trouble. The Mexican war, however, aroused Mr. Wiley's patriotism, and, believing that a sword in Mexico would be more 90 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY profitable to him than a pen in Williams county, he became a lieutenant in Capt. Daniel Chase's company. He afterwards went to Washington territory, where he established a paper and ended his earthly career, a victim of intemperance. The paper he established in Bryan was, as its name would indicate, Democratic in politics, but the entire office—press, materials and fixtures—was not worth to exceed one hundred dollars. The press was an old wooden concern of the Ramage pattern ; and having fulfilled its mission it was permitted to lie around Bryan until it went the way of all material things. Mr. Blaker's office was, about this time, sold at sheriff's sale for a portion of the purchase money, and Giles H. Tomlinson, who is still a resident of Williams county, became the purchaser. He gave it into the possession of Dr. Thomas Kent and E. H. Leland, who placed A. J. Tressler in charge and revived the Northwestern, Mr. Tressler publishing it for several months. Mr. Blaker then redeemed the office and commenced the publication of the Democratic Standard, a Democratic paper, on the same material, in July, 1847. He published this paper for something over six months, but early in its career it encountered opposition. Sometime during the month of August, 1847, Mr. Tressler went to Cincinnati and purchased another outfit, with which he again revived and published the Northwestern. He continued to publish this paper from September, 1847, to March, 1848, and then sold the office to W. A. Hunter. The latter was an eccentric individual, who had had some unfortunate journalistic experiences at Carrollton, Carroll county, and at Ashland, Ashland county ; and one of the conditions of his purchase was that the material of the Democratic Standard (which had suspended publication) should be taken out of the county. This was done, and in June of the same year, 1848, Mr. Hunter commenced the publication of Equal Rights, a Democratic paper, the first issue of which contained the proceedings of the Democratic convention which nominated General Cass for the Presidency. In November, 1848, Dr. John Paul and R. H. Gilson—respectively clerk of courts and county treasurer—procured a printing office at Cincinnati, and bringing it to Bryan, commenced the publication of a paper called the Spirit of the Age, with Charles Case (who afterwards represented the Fort Wayne, Indiana, district in Congress) as editor. Mr. Hunter at once abandoned the publication of Equal Rights at Bryan, and the Spirit of the Age maintained a sickly existence for but a few months, when it, too, suspended publication. John G. Kissell, who had come to the county with Mr. Hunter, then started and published for a short time the Family Visitor, in Bryan, a neutral paper, devoted to miscellany, family reading, etc., but was wholly divorced from -politics. This paper lived but a few months and its demise again left Mr. Hunter alone in the field. Not long after the suspension of the publication of Equal Rights, at .Bryan, Mr. Hunter removed his printing material to West Unity and resumed the publication of that paper there in March, 1849. Later, T. S. C. Morrison, who was afterwards a representative to the Ohio legislature from this dis- FROM 1841 TO 1861 - 91 trict, became a partner of Mr. Hunter, but the firm, politically, was not harmonious, and Mr. Morrison retired. He subsequently removed to Napoleon, where he identified himself conspicuously with what was then orthodox Democratic journalism, held several county offices, and died there, leaving scarcely sufficient money to pay his funeral expenses. He was a brilliant writer and would doubtless have been one of note, had he lived. His death, occurring as it did in manhood's prime, was widely deplored. Equal rights was issued from an upstairs room in the foundry building at West Unity, and Mr. Hunter continued its publication after the dissolution of partnership. The paper was a five-column folio in size, the columns being fifteen ems in width, and it was devoted chiefly to editorial comment, general information and advertisements—local news not yet having gained admission to the columns of such publications. The issue of July 31, 1850, is before the writer, and a curious advertisement therein extols the virtues of "American Oil, discovered 185 feet below the surface of the earth"—in Kentucky. "This astonishing medicine of Nature," reads the advertisement, "is a safe and efficacious remedy, both for external and internal diseases, if taken in moderate doses by persons in ill health." The wonderful "oil" mentioned was probably the product which Rockefeller now controls, but the place of discovery might suggest to some the beverage that has made Kentucky famous. In the fall of 1849, Mr. Hunter was elected treasurer of Williams county, but served only one term. Upon the final settlement with him he was found to be delinquent for a considerable sum and suit was commenced against him and his bondsmen. Some time during the year 1852 Mr. Hunter changed the name of his paper to that of the Williams Democrat ; but, as the name would indicate, the political complexion was not altered. This was at about the time, however, that new party alignments were being made upon the great issue of slavery extension; and either through pique or honest conviction, Mr. Hunter ceased the publication of a Democratic paper, and on August 10, 1853, launched the Republican Standard upon the sea of Williams county journalism. The Republican party Was not as yet a political entity, but the new paper heartily supported the movement which in a few months led to such organization. The Republican Standard was not unlike its predecessor in size and general make-up, and it was issued from a building on Liberty street, between Jackson and North streets, in West Unity, where now stands the residence of Samuel Ayres. On March 24, 1854, the county commissioners met in special session, and the proceedings of the meeting are recorded as follows : "The board compromised with William A. Hunter, former treasurer of Williams county, for the amount of his defalcation, by said Hunter giving said commissioners a warranty deed for lots Nos. 39 and 4o, in the town of West Unity, and his printing press now on said premises, including the materials ; said Hunter to have possession of said property for 7 months." After the expiration of this time, in the latter part of 1854, the commissioners sold the press and material to T. D. Montgomery, a practical printer from Hillsdale, Mich., who established in 92 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY Montpelier a neutral paper—devoted especially to local interests—and issued it under the name of Star of the West. After twinkling under his management for about two months, Mr. Montgomery transferred the Star to David Stauffer and Aaron Crissey, by whom it was conducted six months longer, when the material was sold to Frank Rosenberg, who removed it to Ottokee, then county scat of Fulton county, and there founded a Democratic organ. Mr. Hunter re-established the Republican Standard at Bryan, and in 1856 or 1857 sold the same to George L. Starr and Alvan Spencer, who conducted the paper under the editorial supervision of Mr. Spencer until December 31, 1857, when it was transferred to Isaac R. Sherwood and issued by him under the cognomen of Williams County Gazette. It was a six column folio, with columns fourteen ems in width, its dimensions being about one-half the present size of its lineal descendant—the Bryan Press. Mr. Sherwood conducted the paper alone until March 31, 1859, when Judson Palmiter of Ligonier, Ind., assumed editorial charge, Mr. Sherwood retaining an interest in the property. The office was in the Gilson block on Lynn street, where now stands the photograph gallery of Edwin F. Ditto. On the morning of September 7, 1859, fire destroyed the block and the Gazette office with all its material was consumed in the flames. Immediately after the fire a meeting was called by Schuyler E. Blakeslee to take in consideration the matter of getting a ,new press in Bryan immediately. This meeting recommended Lionel E. Rumrill to the Republicans as a man eminently qualified to conduct the organ of the party in Williams county. In accordance with such recommendation Mr. Sherwood sold his interest in the good will of the Gazette (the material having been burned) to Mr. Rumrill, who immediately formed a partnership with Mr. Palmiter and resuscitated the Gazette. Three half-sheet issues were gotten out by the new firm—the last one on October 6—when the partnership was dissolved by a mutual quarrel. Thereupon, Mr. Sherwood purchased the good will, and with new machinery started a paper which he called the "Williams County Leader—a continuation of the Williams County Gazette." The new paper was a seven-column folio, and Mr. Sherwood continued its publication in person until the call for troops, in 1861, when he enrolled his name as the first on the list of volunteers in Bryan. Later changes in and additions to the newspapers of Williams county will be given in a subsequent chapter, and we will now return to that interesting personage, Mr. Hunter. After his divorce from the Democratic party, he became one of the most vindictive and uncompromising of the valiant few who boldly styled themselves "Abolitionists." The principles of the newly-organized Republican party came far short of meeting his views, and, in the spring of 1857, he launched a new periodical at Bryan, which he defiantly christened the Political Abolitionist. Its career was short but decidedly turbulent, and, in the spring of 1858 it ceased to exist. It was soon succeeded by the Business Bulletin, another venture of Mr. Hunter's, but after a very few issues this also suspended publication and the irrepressible publisher FROM 1841 TO 1861 - 93 permanently retired from the Williams county journalistic field. He entered the more placid profession of the law and continued the practice for a time in Bryan, but, at the close of the war, he migrated to Iowa, re-entered the newspaper business, and died in that state a few years ago in comparatively good circumstances. To complete the history of the efforts made to establish newspapers rn Williams county, prior to 1861, we will state that Judge Joshua Dobbs and Capt. D. M. McKinley issued the first number of the Fountain City News, a Democratic paper, at Bryan, January 12, 1855. After a few months they sold out to John B. Shouf and Carl C. Allman, and the latter officiated as editor during the remainder of the life of the publication, which did not exceed a couple of years at most. It is said that a gentleman named George W. Roof, also at one time conducted a paper in Bryan, but as to who he was and the name and nature of his sheet diligent inquiry has failed to secure information. The Eagle was the first newspaper experiment at Montpelier. It was an organ of the Spiritualists and is said to have expired after a few issues. Judge Joshua Dobbs established a Democratic newspaper at Montpelier, in 1852, but its career was a brief one. Van Buren Shouf, afterwards a well-known newspaper man of the county, was the printer and manager of the enterprise. David Stauffer, who is herein mentioned as an early newspaper publisher in Montpelier, was for years one of the most substantial and experienced business men of the county. Starting in life at fifteen years of age, he accepted a clerkship in a drygoods store at Mansfield, Ohio, where his parents then lived. Three years later his employer opened a branch store at Montpelier and Mr. Stauffer had charge of it until 1858, when, in company with another, he purchased the stock and managed the business until 1866. He then disposed of his interests and entered the mercantile business at Edgerton, but, in 1874, returned to Montpelier, where he conducted a hardware business for a number of years. Retiring from mercantile pursuits, in 1890, he began the publication of the Montpelier Leader and continued as its editor for some time. Mr. Stauffer was a Pennsylvanian, having been born in Lancaster county, that State, September 9, 1834. He died at his residence in Montpelier in 1900. The United States census tells the story of the wonderful progress of Williams county between the years 1840 and 1860—at least so far as an increase in population is indicative of such movement. In 1840, when the major portion of Defiance and a part of Fulton were included in Williams county's territory, the population was 4,464. In 1850, when in size it had been reduced nearly one-half, the enumeration showed 8,018 inhabitants, and in 1860, 16,633—an increase of nearly 300 per cent in only twenty years. But there was yet room for more. As shown by the census, of a total of 263,203 acres of land, only 50,962 acres were reported as "plow-land" and 23,064 as "meadow-land," leaving 189,177 acres waiting for the woodman's ax. CHAPTER VI THE COUNTY'S WAR RECORD DURING the interim between the organization of Williams county, in 1824, and the commencement of the war with Mexico, in 1846, the martial spirit of the people was kept in forced abeyance. This was due partially to the stern realities of a pioneer life, with which they had to contend, and partially to the lack of opportunity or occasion to show their war like tendencies. A more or less nominal militia organization was effected and carried on in the county, but the annual musters were engaged in by the crowds who attended more because of the frolic and roystering than of any improvement in military discipline. Thus, a system that had been so popular and efficient during the old Indian wars on the frontier, had loosened its hold upon the public mind during a protracted period of profound peace. The cities and larger towns in the State were the only places where military drill was appreciated, and where strict discipline and military pride attained a proficiency nearly equal to that which prevailed in the regular army. In Williams county there were the usual musters, and several townships formed independent companies. Bryan had an artillery squad and secured from the State a brass field-piece. The agitation incident to the trouble with Mexico, however, took shape in the organization of a company which rendezvoused and was organized at Defiance, and to which some ten or twelve Williams county boys belonged. In May, 1846, President James K. Polk issued a call for troops, Ohio's quota being fixed at three regiments, and Governor Bartley found himself greatly embarrassed by a tender of the services of several times the number called for. But a recruiting station for the Fifteenth United States Infantry was opened at Defiance and volunteer enlistments were received, resulting in the organization of Company B, which was attached to said regiment and with it went to Mexico. The officers of Company B were Daniel Chase, captain ; a Mr. Goodloe, first lieutenant, and J. W. Wiley (who was at that time editing a paper at Bryan), second lieutenant. Aside from the latter there is no record of the names of the" other Williams county "boys" who marched away with the gallant Fifteenth, and there is only one Mexican war veteran now living in the county, Jacob C. Ryan of Bryan. Mr. Ryan was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, in December, 1824. He went to Wooster. Ohio, in early manhood, and there enlisted in Company E, Third Ohio Infantry. With his regiment he entered Mexico, July 22, 1846, and served continuously until mustered out at New Orleans, June 20, 1847. At the battle of - 94 - THE COUNTY'S WAR RECORD - 95 Buena Vista he received three wounds, but fortunately neither of them were of such nature as to cripple him. Mr. Ryan came to Bryan in 1853 and has lived here since, following the carpenter trade until advancing years compelled him to desist. The mutterings of internal strife, which had engaged the attention of statesmen for some years prior to 1860, in that year began to take tangible shape, and the people came to realize that the settlement of the questions of State sovereignty and slavery extension could no longer be deferred by legislative compromises. The result of the presidential election portended the abolition of slavery in the territories and all new states to be admitted thereafter ; but in exactly what manner the decision in regard to State sovereignty should be made was a subject not agreed upon, even by national leaders at the north, where the dominant party disclosed its strength. The incoming national administration, in 1861, faced an unprecedented crisis in American history and apparently was uncertain how to proceed in the midst of the alarming dilemma that con fronted it. A number of the slave-holding states had passed ordinances of secession, thereby exercising a right that had been generally claimed and not seriously disputed since the adoption of the Constitution, and those who desired the maintenance of the Union were vainly searching for a solution of the difficult problem. Able and patriotic statesmen, regardless of party affiliation, were giving their time and talents to the perplexing question, hoping to discover a pathway that would lead to a satisfactory adjustment of all differences—when all plans were disarranged by the firing on Fort Sumter, and the administration was afforded a pretext, if not a justification, for waging a vigorous war of suppression. This overt act on the part of the South cleared the atmosphere for those who had advocated a policy of coercion, and to a large extent lessened the number of those who had talked of peaceable secession. But all were not of one mind. In Williams county, as elsewhere, there were those who denied the right and expendiency of the government's action ; but they were comparatively few in number, and owing to that fact were the subjects of bitter denunciation, epithets and contemptuous opprobrium. The stigma attached to their names existed in the minds of the thoughtless long after the close of hostilities, but it should not be deemed "treasonable" at this late day to calmly consider historical facts. The writer may be pardoned if, before entering upon the proud record of Williams county during those dark days—which will occupy the web and the woof of this chapter—he pauses sufficiently long to merely extenuate the action of those "copperheads," as they were derisively called. Criticism of national administrations and their various acts has always been indulged in, whcther in peace or war, and such conduct is not a Constitutional definition of treason. The accepted teachings of a lifetime can not be eradicated from the mind in a single day, unless such a change is wrought, as is sometimes done, by resolution of a national political convention. Nothing is so potent as the latter in forming public opinion, and there are recent examples to sustain the suggestion that the law of gravitation would be un- 96 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY blushingly denied, if necessary, to prove the loyalty of some to a political party. But the sovereignty of the states had been an accepted doctrine from the time of the adoption of the constitution ; it was claimed by the New England states in 1814 ; it was recognized in 1820 by the Missouri Compromise, and again by the compromise of 1850 ; and when the Ship of State struck the quick-sands of sectionalism, in 1861, patriotic leaders of the North—even those who had bitterly opposed the institution of slavery—thought the time for dismemberment of the Union had arrived, and advised that the erring "sisters be allowed to depart in peace." Imbued so thoroughly with this doctrine—when President Lincoln issued his proclamation calling for troops and evinced a determination to force the seceding states back into the Union—it was but natural that some would oppose such action ; nor did such conduct on their part mark them as traitors or make them any less deserving of respect as citizens. But it is not the purpose of this apparent digression to recall unpleasant memories or argue questions long since settled—we desire merely to record pertinent historical facts. Before leaving the subject, however, and as proof of the accepted doctrine of state sovereignty, we will give the following extract from Henry Cabot Lodge's recent "Life of Webster." On page 177, concerning "Webster's Reply to Hayne," Senator Lodge says : "When the Constitution was adopted by the votes of States at Philadelphia and accepted by the votes of States in popular conventions, it is safe to say that there was not a man in the country, from Washington and Hamilton on the one side to George Clinton and George Mason on the other, who regarded the new system as anything but an experiment entered upon by the States, and from which each and every State had the right peaceably to withdraw, a right which was very likely to be exercised." The news of the firing on Fort Sumter was followed in a few days by the president's call for seventy-five thousand troops. By the 29th of April, just seventeen days after the first shot was fired, the old Buckeye State offered seventy-one thousand soldiers, and eight days later increased her offering to eighty-one thousand. The first mass meeting in Bryan was held at the court house on the evening of April 16th. Speeches were made by A. M. Pratt, W. A. Smith, Joshua Dobbs, S. E. Blakeslee and others. But those were days of deeds and not of words. Isaac R. Sherwood was the first man to tender his services as a volunteer. Two days later, April 18th, the first company of one hundred and twelve men took the cars for Toledo. This company, although raised at Bryan, contained men from all portions of the county. B. H. Fisher was captain, Edwin J. Evans first lieutenant and E. M. Deuchar was second. E. D. Bradley, a veteran of the Mexican war, raised a company at Stryker, of which he was captain, Amos L. Bradley, first lieutenant, and D. S. Tallerday, second lieutenant. These two companies enlisted in the three months' service and both served in the Fourteenth regiment. Enlistments and company organizations followed in rapid succession, and while the Stryker and Bryan companies were the only completed THE COUNTY'S WAR RECORD - 97 organizations from the county in the three months' service they were not the only troops, as some twenty or thirty boys residing in the northern part joined Michigan regiments, others went into Indiana, and still others sought military organizations south and east. Not less than sixty boys thus found means to serve their country outside the county limits. Counting these and the two companies in the Fourteenth, with the excess of men over one hundred which they had, it will be seen that nearly three hundred men from the county were in the three months' service. The professions, merchants, mechanics, farmer boys and laborers, all were imbued with the same spirit and promptly laid aside their several vocations and joined in the supreme effort to preserve the Union of States. Gentlemen of the cloth laid aside their shepherd's crooks and went to the front in various capacities. During the four years of bloody warfare Ohio met every call for troops in advance of the time limit, and Williams county was always among the first to respond with her quota. While the "boys" were at the front the citizens at home were not idle, and the devoted mothers, wives, sisters and sweethearts, imbued with the same spirit which had taken their loved ones from them, assisted in organizing relief associations. On April 29th, the ladies of Bryan presented a beautiful banner to Captain Fisher's company, which was the first to depart from the county for the seat of war. There was much of this outward show of sympathy and interest during the first few months, but by the following year, after the disaster of the Peninsula campaign, matters settled down to a war basis and sentiment was banished in the interest of helpful needs. Public and private donations to the Federal cause were kept up until the final capitulation at Appomattox. It would be impossible to trace the record of Williams county's valiant soldiers through the ranging fortunes of four years of bloody war; neither would space permit, should such be possible. Without disparagement to the heroic services of any, it shall be the purpose of this article to mention the organizations, which, as a whole, are more closely connected with Williams county than other military organizations. Reference is here made to the Fourteenth, Thirty-eighth, Sixty-eighth, One Hundredth, One Hundred and Eleventh, and One Hundred and Forty-second regiments of infantry, and the Third and Ninth regiments of cavalry. While other regiments may have achieved equal honors on the bloody fields, it is morally certain that none surpassed those mentioned in the performance of stern duty. The Fourteenth, in the three months' service, contained two Williams county companies and was organized at Toledo. In three days it was ready for the field, and in twelve days after the fall of Sumter it moved from Toledo to Camp Taylor, Cleveland, where it was drilled and the organization completed. On May 18th, 1861, it was transferred from the State to the general government. On the 22d, it received its arms at Columbus, then moved to Zanesville, Marietta, and Parkersburg, Va., at which latter place its first services were required in protecting bridges from the torch of the enemy. On the 29th, Clarksburg was reached, where 7 98 - HISTORY OF WILLIAMS COUNTY trains were put to running for supplies. On June 2 the march from Webster to Phillipi (thirteen miles) was made on a dismal rainy night to surprise 2,000 Confederate cavalry, upon whom an artillery fire was poured at day break. The enemy was routed and scattered to the hills, leaving stores, arms and munitions behind them. The Fourteenth went into camp in the rear of the town of Phillipi, expeditions being sent out against the guerrilla bands which infested that region. It was engaged before the enemy at Phillipi, June 3, Laural Hill, July 8, and at Carrick's Ford, July 14, with a loss of eight brave men killed and many wounded. Of these, three were Williams county boys. Samuel Donaldson of Stryker was wounded at Laurel Hill on July 8; Frank Gero of Stryker was wounded on June 3 at Phillipi, and died on July 11 ; and Henry Reichelderfer of Bryan was killed July 13th at Carrick's Ford. The regiment remained in camp at Laurel Hill until July 22d, when, its term of service having expired, it was ordered home, arriving at Toledo July 25th, and on August 13, 1861, was mustered out of the United States' service. The war had been in progress nearly six months and the "before breakfast job" of the three months men had been prolonged to nearly twice their term of service, and up to this date the Confederates had been successful on nearly every field. An enlistment for three years' service at this time meant more than a brief term of a few months. The first spontaneous outburst had been succeeded by a candid and thoughtful consideration of the momentous task, with the record of past events pointing to possible failure. This was the condition of affairs when the gallant Thirty-eighth was raised in response to the president's first call for three hundred thousand troops for a period of "three years or during the war." Capt. Edwin D. Bradley of Stryker, who commanded Company E, of the Fourteenth, accepted the colonelcy, and the second position went to Edward H. Phelps. Recruiting stations were established in Williams and adjacent counties and the headquarters of the embryo regiment were located at Defiance. Company encampments were opened in other place's. Enlistments moved along slowly, but by September 22d, the regimental organization was complete, and on October 5, 1861, it was mustered into the service of the United States at Nicholasville, Ky. The work of drilling and equipping the regiment had been well attended to and by the time it was ordered to the field the discipline, drill and apparent efficiency of the regiment were alike creditable to the officers and the men. It might be said that Company E, of the Fourteenth regiment in the three months' service was the nucleus of this regiment, and, as before stated, its captain was chosen as the colonel of the new organization, but he resigned on account of ill-health on February 6, 1862. That the reader may have some idea of the casualties of the regiment, let it be said that sixty-four men were commissioned as field, staff, and line officers, while thirty-six is the complement for a regiment. Of these, a few resigned and some were promoted, but it is safe to assert that at least twenty officers were killed or disabled in the service. The regiment lost one hundred and twenty-seven men, killed in battle or THE COUNTY'S WAR RECORD - 99 died of wounds ; while the number who died from disease and accidents, or were incapacitated, either by wounds or ill-health, for further service, amounted to five hundred and thirty-one. The regiment when mustered in was fully a thousand strong, hence the casualties equalled at least sixty-five per cent of the number of men entering the service with the organization of the regiment. The active service of the Thirty-eighth began in the army operating in Kentucky, under Gen. W. T. Sherman. It would be interesting to follow the regiment through its wonderfully active career of nearly four years at the front, but a brief resume of events must suffice. It participated in ten hard-fought battles, some of which were the most disastrous in the annals of the war. To reach these various scenes of carnage in several different states it traveled thousands of miles on weary marches, through rain and snow and mud, in intense heat or equally uncomfortable cold, wading streams, climbing and descending mountains, each soldier carrying, in full equipment, some sixty pounds of baggage. It is estimated that in ordinary warfare a soldier is under fire, in skirmishing and other desultory fighting, at least five times to each general engagement in which he participates ; hence a record of battles is no fair estimate as to a soldier's actual service. The Thirty-eighth fought under Buell in Kentucky, under Rosecrans and Grant in Tennessee, on the Atlanta campaign under Sherman and thence on the memorable "March to the Sea." At the assault on Mission Ridge it was on the extreme left, and though the fire from the Confederate batteries was hot and terrific, it moved up, up to the very summit, losing seven men killed and forty-one wounded. It pursued the enemy to Ringgold, Ga., then returned to Chattanooga and there "veteranized," only one hundred and twelve of the entire regiment refusing to continue in the service after the expiration of the first term of enlistment. January 14, 1864, the Williams county contingent of the regiment reached Bryan on veteran furlough and a grand ovation was tendered it. A vast outpouring of citizens met the soldier boys at the station and escorted them to Garver's Hall, where tables had been set and a hearty welcome was accorded them in the way of a bountiful repast. But the veterans, after more than two years' absence, were anxious to meet loved ones around the home fireside, and dispersed to their several homes to enjoy a thirty days' respite in the quiet pursuits of civil life. At the expiration of the furlough the regiment reported at Ringgold, Ga., and there resumed the routine of camp life until the beginning of the thrilling events in the campaign of 1864. It participated in the battles, marches and skirmishes of the Atlanta campaign and was among the first to enter the beleaguered city. Continuing the triumphal march to the sea and up through the Carolinas, fighting its way as enemies confronted it, the grand review at Washington put a fitting finale to the record of the preceding years. The Sixty-eighth regiment of infantry was composed in part of Williams county troops. Company K was gathered almost entirely from this county and Company G had a large number. This regiment