WOOD COUNTY, OHIO - 397 CHAPTER XLIII. ROSS TOWNSHIP. INTRODUCTORY - CENSUS, SURVEY, ETC.-TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION-TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS -PIONEERS-EARLY LAND BUYERS-PIONEER TIMES-SCHOOLS-CONCLUSION. ROSS is the cap of Wood county, a long, narrow cap, extending from the river to the eastern line. Had not Grand Rapids imbibed the notion, in her old age, of casting off the yoke of Weston, Ross would be the junior township. Prior to April, 1874, the veteran Perrysburg and Lake appropriated the fame and township taxes, too, of their northernmost settlers, and would yet govern them with iron hands, of course, had not the Legislature stepped into the breach, made the people autonomous, and gave to Wood county its nineteenth little commonwealth. It is a township of good farmers and better horticulturists, who reap rich rewards from their labors, and who, while serving themselves, benefit their neighbors on the north together with their brothers on the south. In 1880, the officious United States census enumerator appeared among the people of Ross, and in June of that year credited the new township with 639 inhabitants. Ten years later, in 189o, he found 728 inhabitants, representing the growth of population for a period of fifty-five years. In November, 1895, there were 138 votes cast, as shown in the reference to township officials. The original survey of the township, outside the United States Reserve, was made by Ambrose Rice in April, 1834, while the territory within the Reserve was surveyed by Elias Grover in 1805. Township Organization.-The Act establishing Ross township passed April I8, 1874. This provided that Fr. Tp. 8 N., R. 12 E., and the part. of Tp. 3 in the United States Reserve lying west of and between said Township 8 and the Maumee river-Sec. 13, the north of Secs. 23 and 24, River Tracts 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 and 86, , then included in Perrysburg township, be set off as a distinct township. The commissioners, under authority of this Act, ordered the election of officers to be held at the Coy school house, on May 23, 1874. TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS. Trustees.-The trustees elected in May, 1874, are named as follows: C. W. Caswell, Charles Coy, Edward Hicks, with Hiram Eggleston, clerk. The trustees elected since that time are named as follows: Elliot M. Warner, 1875; Charles Coy, Elliot M. Warner and Julius Squire, 1876 to 1879; Elijah Whitmore, Charles Coy and Julius Squire, 1879; Frank H. Venia, Elijah Whitmore, Charles Coy, 1880; George King, R. V. Chamberlain, 1881-82; Hiram Overbeck, Charles Coy, R. V. Chamberlain, 1883; R. V. Chamberlain, Hiram Eggleston and Julius Squires, 1884 and 1885; Hiram Eggleston ( 1 year), R. V. Chamberlain (2 years), H. H. Overbeck (3 years), 1886; Hiram Eggleston, 1887; R. V. Chamberlain, 1888; E. M. Warnerand E. Overbeck, 1889; Edward Hicks, 1890; E. M. Warner, 1891; H. S. Landis, 1892; Charles H. Coy, 1893; W. N. Tracy, 1894; Edward Hicks, Jr., 1895-the three last named being trustees. The trustees in 1896 were: Charles H. Coy, W. N. Tracy and Ed. W. Hicks. Justices.-The justices of the peace were as follows: J. M. Baum, 1874; P. Wales, 1874, resigned in 1875; O. L. Wales, 1875 to 1887; Cyrus Williams, 1877; W. W. Hicks, 1879, 1882, '85; W. L. Ferdig, 1888; Elijah Whitmore, 1890, resigned in 1892; J. M. Baum, 1892; James W. Wickenden, 1895; Charles A. Whitmore, 1896. Treasurers.-The office of treasurer has been filled by the following: Joseph Vickers, 1874; Edward Hicks, 1879; R. B. Andrus, 1881; W. W. Hicks, 1887; Isaac Rideout, 1891; George Whitmill, 1893 to 1896, re-elected, 1896. Assessors.-The men who have acted as such since 1875, have been Cyrus Williams, 1875; Edward Hicks, 1876; F. H. Venia, 1878; W. T. Miller, 1879; Elijah Whitmore, 1881; W. W. Hicks, 1882; William Hill, 1885; E. Whitmore, 1886; R. B. Andrus, 1888; Henry Scott, 1892 to 1896; Horace M. Rideout, elected in 1896. Clerks.-The records have been kept by Hiram Eggleston, from I874 to 1882; C. H. Water- 398 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. bury, 1882; Charles L. Hicks, 1886; Jerome E. Smith, from 1891 to 1896, and re-elected in the latter year. School Board.-In 1896 the members of the school board were Sebastian Rinker, Charles A. Whitmore, Francis Brenot, George Smith, R. B. Andrus (president), and Jerome E. Smith (clerk). In April, 1895, the people of this township cast aside party lines and nominated what was known as the Union Ticket. The nominees were elected without opposition. In November, 1895, there were ninety-seven votes cast for Fraker (Rep.), and forty-one for Davis (Dem.), nominees for county surveyor, being the same vote as cast for senators. Pioneers.-Among the pioneers of Ross were David Hartman, who moved away, prior to 1845, from his squatter's cabin on Section 32; Robert Gardner, a deserter from the British army, cleared land on the eastern end of the present Rideout farm; Thomas Burt, who came from England in 1835, sold a part of his land to Isaac Rideout, Sr., four years before the Rideouts located here; Isaac Rideout moved from Massillon into this part of the Black Swamp in 1845; while Augustus Prentice (who died of cholera in 1852), Anson Smith, Perry Stephens, John Ketchum, Elisha and Robert Pike, Waters Whitmore, Henry Hinkley, Gabriel Crane, Levi Warner, Daniel Coy, Jerome Smith, the Wales family, Horace Hollister, and perhaps a few others, came about that time, or within half a decade later. The cholera epidemic of 1852 carried off Prentice, named above, with Levi Warner, while the epidemic of 1854 called Daniel Coy away, and drove out a few others. A barn, built for Isaac Rideout, in 1848, is still in use. It is one of the three ' first barns raised within the township. Early Land Buyers.-Section 32 was entered by Thomas Burt, who bought the N. of N. E. 1, June 8, 1833; Stephen Turner, the S. of N. E. , August 7, 1833; Philander Wales, the S. W. , August 12, 1833; and William Olney, the S. E. 1, October 14, 1833. Gabriel Crane purchased sixty-six acres in the west part of Fr. Sec. 33, in 1839, and Perry Stephens, eighty acres in the east part. Lyne Starling bought the S. E. and S. W. 1, Sec. 34, from Ohio, on which he paid tax in 1842, while James Cheney and C. A. Crane purchased the balance of the section. Aristarchus Champion bought thirteen and three-fourths acres in Sec. 36, April 9, 1834, Lyne Starling buying the remainder of the section. Among the buyers in the southern parts of Sections 25 to 30, Tp. 8, R. 12, were John G. Bergen, 28; Joseph Walters, George Keller, Jr., Henry Duhamel and Ephraim Pollock, 29; and Ephraim Pollock, 30; while among the buyers of River Tracts were William Carnahan, 79; Aten & McKnight, 80 and 81; Robert Carnahan, 82; George Wadsworth, 83; Elijah L. Bernah, 84 and 85; and John H. Pratt, 86. Pioneer Times.-Only those that have had practical experience can realize the difficulties of raising cattle at any early settlement. Horses could not be raised as well as cattle, on account of the myriads of flies and mosquitoes that would proceed at once to take all the blood that was anywhere near the surface, whenever they had a chance, and as there was nothing to protect the stock but smoke, their chances were good. Hogs were raised with the least trouble. When acorns were plenty they raised themselves, and in the fall they would get fat without feeding much corn. Hunting lost hogs in the fall or early winter was about as much sport as hunting deer or other wild game, but hunting was not, followed in Ross merely for sport or recreation; it was sometimes a necessity, and it was many times followed with skill and industry; men would start early in the morning, and tramp through high grass and brush until late at night, employing all the skill and ingenuity of which they were capable, to secure game. It was to them a labor of necessity. Game was plenty, but the means of capturing it was not what would be considered now-a-days first-class, so the hunter often failed, and the excitement of the chase did not pay them, as they were not always hunting for sport. Hunting for recreation, and hunting when you are out of meat, are very different affairs. A good average hunter could supply his family with meat, and get money enough from the sale of deer and coon-skins to pay his taxes. Schools.-Soon after the first clearings were made in the forest, the pioneers looked round them for a teacher and a school house. Through the efforts of Anson Smith, Horace Hollister, Elisha Pike, Perry Stevens and others, a little building was raised in what, afterward, was known as District No. 10, Perrysburg township, and therein twelve pupils gathered to be instructed by a teacher, who was paid by their parents. The first log school house was erected by Augustus Prentice and Isaac Rideout, opposite the "Rideout House," in the spring of 1846, when Elizabeth Mosse; was appointed teacher at $1.50 a week. Among the pupils were six Rideout" WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 399 three Prentices, three Coys, two adopted children of Jerome Smith, five named Wales, and a few others. Under the school law of 1853, District No. i0 was organized, with Perry Stevens, Anson Smith and Elisha Pike, directors. In 1854, a small frame house was erected for school purposes, in which the following named teachers presided down to 1876: Misses Catherine Stevens, Eliza Conrad, Laura M. Stevens, Lucy Cook, Bessie C. Hill, Hattie Bascum, Susan Cook, Emily Norton, Marian A. Hill, Pluma A. Stevens, Annie Daly, Elizabeth White, Cornelia E. Smith, Lucinda Tyler, Josie A. Timanus, Amanda Clark, H. J. Matthews and Maggie Daly. In the "seventies," a few male teachers taught therein, such as Hays Williams, Ruxton Sweet, William Nichols, and Frank Kingfield. In November, 1876, a new school house was dedicated and named the "Olney School." On March 8, 1878, there were sixty-six pupils enrolled in this district, of whom fifty-six attended school. Among the directors from 1855 to 1876, were James Stevens, W. H. Fors, W. E. Hill, W. W. Hicks, Harmon Overbeck, George King, M. Marx, J. C. Ketcham, J. B. Russell, Walter Cary, Andrew Behn, John Weiland and S. O. Crandall. Under the township organization, R. Alden, Elijah Whitmore, Waters Whitmore and W. W. Hicks were directors. There were four districts then organized, and the levy for school purposes was five mills. In 1878, Frank H. Venia represented the new district, No. 5, on the board, with John Weiland, of No. 4; Edward Hicks, of No. '3; Elijah Whitmore, of No. 2, and R. Alden, of No. 1. In 1880, Robert Tiplady, Elijah Whitmore, Jerome B. Smith, John Weiland and Julius Squires, formed the board; while, in 1882, R. V. Chamberlain, who had formerly served, with J. B. Smith and S. O. Crandall, were the new members. The brick school house in SubDistrict No. 1, was erected that year by J. B. Lomison, whose bid of $1,050 was accepted. Abraham Forrick and Hiram Eggleston, with Messrs. Whitmore, Crandall and Squires, formed the board in 1883. In 1885, the names of Edward Hooks, R. B. Andrus, Henry Rideout and Thomas Radcliffe, appear as members; and in 1886, those of Robert Tiplady, W. Baum, Frank H. Venia and E. Hicks. W. L. Ferdig, Frank Brenot and Ferdinand Wasserman appear in 1888; those of S. O. Crandall, Isaac Rideout, John Gray and William Smith, in 1890; those of Charles H. Coy and William Ward, in 1891; that of Charles Whitmore, in 1893, and that of Sebastian Rinker, in 1894. The name of Elijah Whitmore appears to be on the record of the board of education of this township since 1874, while others, such as Venia, Brenot and Radcliffe, have served several terms. The board of 1895 comprised Sebastian Rinker, R. B. Andrus, C. H. Whitmore, Francis Brenot and Stephen Radcliffe. The township clerk has served as clerk of this board, and the township treasurer as treasurer of the school fund. Conclusion.- Ross township has neither church nor saloon. People who are religiously inclined go into Lake or Perrysburg township, or East Toledo, where they find places in which to worship or to drink - to be sacred or profane.. Elijah Whitmore and Isaac Rideout are members of the Union Veteran Legion, of Toledo, while other soldiers belong to Ford Post, No. 14, of that city, or to the Posts organized in Lake township. The territory, embraced in Ross, has been converted from its wilderness state into a land of orchards, gardens and beautiful farms. The people are industrious and intelligent. Having their regular hours for work and hours for recreation, they present to the visitor a hardy, contented, prosperous character, generally wanting in an agricultural community located so near a busy city, and in sight of the various railroads leading east and south from Toledo. There is not a tinge of the suburban character visible, unless, indeed, it crops out along the river front of the township. RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE