USA > Ohio > Darke County > A pictorial outline history of Darke County, Ohio with portraits and biography of prominent citizens of the county, county and ex-county officials, attorneys at law, city officials, bankers, capitalists, business men, teachers, ministers, agriculturalists and notable citizens of the county > Part 1
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7.101 24wo 25419
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02402 4660
1C
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016
https://archive.org/details/pictorialoutline00wolf
M P. NOLAN. JR. 3%. of Or C. N Nolan, of Greenville, Olav, and Boundson of Col. M. P. Volum, of Dayton, Ohio.
.
A PICTORIAL -
OUTLINE HISTORY
OF
DARKE
COUNTY,
OHIO,
WITH
PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHY
OF
_MG Prominent Citizens of the County, 2 ...
County and Ex-County Officials, Attorneys at Law, City Officials, Bankers, Capitalists, Business Men, Teachers, Ministers, Agriculturalists and Notable Citizens of the County.
GEORGE WOOD WOLFE.
.........
NEWARK, OHIO.
PUBLISHERS.
1625419
INDEX
DARKE COUNTY HISTORY .-
PAGE.
Agricultural Society.
Battle of the Thames .. 19
Cincinnati Located, 1738.
County Fromany
County Officers-Taxation
Darke commey's First Officers
18
Education in Darke county $5-04
England's claims. 0
First Building in Darke county
Fort Recovery anddate Patriot Dead
37-15
Greenville and Indians
10
Memorial Address.
Murder of the Wilson Children
46-4S
Official Roster of Darke county ..
99
Organization of the Remaining Townships of the county
Orphans' Home
Public Road:
33
Railways
Settlement of Marietta
-
Tecumseh and his Brother, The Prophet.
GREENVILLE .-
Greenville Cemetery 59-62
History 49-52
Natural Gas 53-58
CHURCHES. .
Evangelchi Lutheran St. John's chare! 83-70
Confirmed Members.
PAMOR --- Rev. C. H. Mayer 71
Methodism in Greenville 74-78
PA-FOR-Rov. John W. Cassatt -0
MISSIONARY-Key. Harry Conmiton. 31-81
Death of Tecumseh
Heology of baike county
ii
COUNTY OFFICERS.
JUDGE -David 1. Mocker KEPRESENTATIVES -- A. C. Robezon Harvey C. Garber 100-103
Imvid to Baker 104-195
105-107 AUDITOR -- I owis (, Klipstine. t
TREASURER-Henry M. Bickel IOS-109
Jrpox -Lewis C. Anderson. 110-111
DEPUTY PROBATE CLERK -- George W Perry 112-118
PRO: IACTING ATTORNEY -James Calvin Elliott 111-115
"preis-John Welker. 116-117
DEPUTY SHEMIEP -- E. M. Welker. 118-112
Ex-SHERIFES -- Thomas Leckhder 120-121
D. E. Van Tillburg! 144
EX-DEPUTY SHERIFF -C. W. Gilbert. 22-123
Corsty FLERE- Patrick H. Maher 124-125
BaconDER -- Daniel Spyder .. 326-127
DEOCTY RECORDER James W. Martin. 128 -125
130-131
COMMISSIONERS-Samuel J. Stapleton
182-183
Samuel Wilson
124-136
William MI. Smith
137
R. K. Beem. 783-199
SIRVEYOR-EL Armacost 140-141
CORONER -- Andrew W. Bush, M. D. 142-14%
DARKE COUNTY EDUCATORS,-
Jacob T. Martz .. 148-152
EXAMINERS -- John s. Royer. 154-157
Lon C. Walker. 188-180
D. B. Etzler 169-164 P. C. Zemer 166-169
MUSICAL ESSTRUCTOR-MISS Ola M. Metall 170-273
CITY OFFICIALS .-
MAYOR-Halleck Rupe. 172-178
COUNCILMEN-William Thompson. -177
Martin Renzler. John H. Koester
120-181
Adam Crone 182-180
Conrad Steinhilber 184-185
Dr. Markwith.
CEMETERY SUPERINTENDENT -- f. J. Smith 1x0
THE LEGAL PROFESSION,-
Allroad, Jamas 1 212-243
Anderson. Charles M , 100-182
Baser, Jacob 281-235
Baker, Oscar
Dkkel, J. M. 246-247
VorRTs-Thomas C. Maher
Bowman, David P., (de 3334) 198.199
Bowman, David Weller, 194-195
Brandon. Aaron C. 232-233 Calderwood, Andrew Robeson 200-203
Calkins, Charles, (deceased). 218 919
Chenoweth, Levi E 264-269
Clark, John (. 212.200
Cole, Henry M 252-253
Dever, Elijan.
200-208
Devor, John.
204-205
Donovan, J. W
201
Gilbert, William Harry
216-317
Hartman, Val
Irwin, Davil P
222-223
Jobes, George .
Judy, Swan.
210-212
Katzenberger, George 4
213
Knox, John Reily
076-277
Limbert, Levi F
yorker, Adam Hatzler 270.2;3
Meeker, W. S. 2214-215
Miller. Volney.
Myers. Midard Filmore. 226-227
Parks, C. F.
Sator, John W.
stubbs, W. Y. 254-27
Studabaker, George W. 18 -- 280
Tobin, Edward J.
GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS .-
BANKS .- Greenville Baal ....
PRESIDENT -- Nato Idilings 286-287
CASHIER -- George H. Martz. 288-201
ASSISTANT CASHIER-F. T. Conkling. 291-295
W. S. Turpen
205 -297
E. W. Otwell 200
Second National Bank
Portraits 300:
PRESIDENT-William K. Kerlin
CASHIER -- Augustus F. Koop.
DHIPECTOR :-- Daniet Henne.
304
Willimon C. Elton. 310
Henry St. Clair Jobo HI. Martin
Farmers' National Bank
Beuma, R. D .. Branden. . . 330-201
Fry, Mr. and Mrs. William S., and son
Hartzell, J. T. & Son.
iv
GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS-Continued.
Katzenoaiger, G. A. & Bro.
Kinger, A. J.
352-340
MeWhitey, Frank. 322-398
Manor & Kock 354-355
Moore, George W.
$50 -05:
Myers, J. C., M. D. 363-365
Plessinger, George, Farmier 365
PRESS OF GREENVILLE. --
Courier 281
Democrat 281
Journal
Prezinger, J. B., M. D
360-458
Rubey, J. W 358 359
Smith, Isaac X 366-367
St. Clair, Mr. & Mrs. Henry 319-321
Walker, Christopher C. 844-340
Wilson. Augustus N 041-341
Oscar C. Kerlin, D. D. S.
Frank Snyder
George L. Carter 2.0-592
Henry Fey 893-594
PARKE COUNTY CHILDREN'S HOME .--
HISTORY
Thomas E. Toal, Superintendout. 276-378
Mis. Thomas E. Teal, Matron
John Mirshey Martin, Director. 374-375
SECRET SOCIETIES .--
GREENVILLE LODGE No. 195, I. O. O. F 380
Will H. Mann, S. P. G. 221
E. W. Otwell, D. D. G. M 302 GREENVILLE RIFIR CLUB Portraits 381
Here are the pictured likenesses of these we love. How. true . to . life -. they seem to breathe and move : Fire, love, and sweetness . c'er . each feature malt ; The faces . express . all the spirit felt. And while . 1 . gaze . within their . xyzs I . almost . see . each . loving . spirit rise; While. lights . and shadows. all . hargenious glow, And . heavenly. radiance . settles. on their brows.
Look. af . their lips-show tranquil . their repose,
.
Resting . in fragrance like a sleeping rose; They seem . the ruby . gates of bliss, Just . formed, to murmur sighs, to smile-and his
1
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PREFACE.
HE task of making the following collections was commenced in September, 1889, and it was not until the pages had assumed somewhat of a book-like appearance, that the resolution to print them was adopted.
To the editor, the author, and publisher, we feel confident the citizens of Darke county will bestow a degree of praise.
To the compilation of the contents much time and labor
have been devoted. Still. the critical reader will perhaps find some imperfections, but, tedious and perplexing as the task has been in many of its details, on the whole, it has proved a labor of love, to collect into one casket what were "like orient pearls at random strung," and such as the book is, the compiler and editor would fain present it to its readers as a variegated bouquet, culled from the many gardens that diversify and adorn the extensive fields of earthly things.
In the brief time allotted to us to collect the many inter- esting portraits, biographies and historical matter, necessarily many persons that should have had portrait representation and, perhaps, some historical features have been overlooked, but we hope we have found and published a sufficient amount to warrant it a cordial reception to the centre tables and libraries of Darke county.
GEORGE W. WOLFE.
5
DARKE COUNTY.
HE early history of Darke county is so closely connected with that of the "Great North-west" that we should be well acquainted with the latter in order to have a correct understanding of the former. The French. it seems, laid claim to the vast region west of the Alleghany mountains because of their parly discovery, and of the chain of forts and Missionary stations established by them in Canada, and fromn Pittsburg, including che head waters of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, and along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans. Late in June, 1673. Marquette, as missionary, and Joiliet, an envoy of the French to discover new countries, embarked upon the head waters of the Mississippi, the same stream that De Soto had discovered near the Gulf of Mexico about a century and a quarter before. Their object was not only to make new discoveries, but also to plant the seeds of Christian civilization in the great valley of the "Father of Waters." They sailed rapidly down this stream, passing the mouths of the Ohio and Missouri rivers, and some distance below the mouth of the Arkansas river they encountered natives who were worshippers of the sun, and who showed a hostile disposition. Marquette con- ciliated them by exhibiting a rich calumet, or "pipe of peace," given him by an Iowa chief. This was accepted and Marqueite being satisfied that the Mississippi entered into some body of water between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, again turned northward and reached Green Bay early in the autumn of the same year. For two years longer he labored among the Indians near the present site of Chicago, then crossed to the eastern shore of Y.Je Michigan, where he soon after died, was buried, and a large cross was erected to mark the last resting place of the discoverer
6
of the northen Misessippi and the founder of Michigan. The establishment of the hre of forts was the work of La Salle, about the year 1632, while the claim to the country, as has been shown, is of an earlier date
ENGLAND'S CLAIMS.
But the Ens.sh laid claim to the entire country from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the discoveries of the Cabots, particularly of Sebastian, and for the further reason that this vast region had been conquered by the Iroquois Indians and had become subject to their power; they in turn placing themselves and their lands under British protection. History seems to establish the fact that about the year !7449 some enterprising English adventurers established a fort and trading post at Fort Laramie, on a branch of the Miami river. worth-west of Sidney; but, soon after, this post was captured by the French. This was before the breaking out of the French and Indian war, and at a time when the English and French nations were at peace with each other. The French, however. at this time, were holding Fort Du Quesne contrary to the asserted rights of the English, and their seeming usurpation of power brought about the famous expedition of George Washington through the wilderness to notify the French commander that Virginia laid chiim to all that vast region; and that, if necessary, the colony would sustain its right
to the same by an appeal to arms. Washington's expedition not accomplishing what was intended, was followed by the advance of General Braddock's army, the complete defeat of the same, and the death of Braddock near Fort Du Quesne. Some time now elapsed and an expedition under General Forbes marched against the fort. Washington was placed at the head of one thousand colonial troops and ordered to move in front of the army. But such was the delay that it was November before the army came within fifty miles of the fort. The lateness of the season was considered, and it was deemed prudent to defer the attack upon Fort Du Quesne until the following spring; but Washington was permitted to move forward with his troops, and the main body after some delav
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finally followed. The continental troops being inspired with the zeal and enthusiam of their young leader overcame every obstacle, and in a short time took possession of the heights overlooking the fort. It was now Known that the Indians had deserted their allics, and the French garrison, five hundred strong alarmed at the approach of such a large body of troops, the following night set fire to the fort and fled in boats down the Ohio river. The retreating for was not molested, but the ruined fort was entered next day, November 25, 1758, by the English army and in honor of the English Prime Minister, at that time, its name was changed to Pittsburg. Two regiments of Virginia troops were left to garrison the fort, and the balance of the army returned to the colonies and was disbanded. The great object of the war, so far as this part vi the wiunies was concerned, was thus accomplished. The French were driven from the valley of the Ohio, never to regain posses- sion of the same. In the north we may notice the expedition of General Wolf against Quebec; the capture of that stronghold and the expulsion of the French, not only from the North-west but from Canada itself. By the treaty of 1763 the French surrendered to the English all the territory east of the Mississippi river. This treaty, however, did not include the territory around the mouth of that river, nor the claim of the French west of the same.
SETTLEMENT OF MARIETTA.
And now comes a period of comparative rest or inaction, because of the bloody Indian wars east of the Alleghanies during the period of the American Revolution, followed by the establish- ment of a Republican government, the adoption of a Federal constitution and the inauguration of the President of the United States as commander-in-chief of the American armies. We notice that while England laid claim to the vast territory north-west of the Ohio river, no permanent settlements were made in the same. The Indians, led by the distinguished Pontiac, made an effort to recover from the English the vast territory mentioned, and Pittsburg was besieged, yet the garrison gallantly resisted every attack. "Pontiac was soon after murdered by one of his own men for a keg of
8
rum, and the Indians shortly after sued for peace. After the war with Pontiac no permanent settlements had been made west of the mountaias, because the attention of England and the colonies had been entirely occupied in the usurpation of power by the one, and the resistance of these tyrannical measures by the other, so that it was not until the year 1788 that any effort was made to colonize or settle the vast area of unbroken forests north and. west of the Ohio river. In that year & band of American adventurers, headed by Rufus Putnani, of revolutionary fame, descended the Ohio river to the mouth of the Muskingum, and being attracted by the rich soil and fine and convenient location, they built a fort and established a settlement, calling the place Marietta. The date of settlement is April 7th, of the above year, and this gives us the hrst settlement in the state of Ohio. Virginia having laid claim to this vast territory, was willing to, and did, by the famous ordinance of 1787. voluntarily cede the same to the general govern- ment; and this ordinance, coming from a "Shive State." among other things, declared that slavery and involuntary servitude, except for the punishment of crime, shall never exist in said territory, This act of Virginia threw the territory open to settlers and adventurers, and "Westward" set in the tide of emigration.
CINCINNATI LOCATED 178S.
In August, 1788, a settlement was begun on the present site of Cincinnati and a fort was erected, called Fort Washington. These settlements were watched with a jealous eye by the Indians, who were encouraged in their feelings of enmity by British emis- saries, although peace between the two countries had long since been declared. The Indians were becoming troublesome because these and many other settlements had been located at various places along the "Beautiful River." General Saint Clair, who was governor of the territory, soon found that the hostility of the . Indian tribes would soon cause serious trouble because they deemed this territory sacred, and had not dreamed that there would be any encroachments upon the same by the white man. They watched these advancements with amazement and fierce indignation,
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and they were influenced by English subjects, which gave reason to believe that that Government yet hoped for an opportunity to bring back the young Republic to a state of colonial dependence. The Indians had been guilty of repeated outrages upon the settlers, and, to put an end to these, after various ineffectual efforts to avoid hostilities, Genera! Harmer, in 1790, led a force of one thousand regulars and volunteers from Fort Washington to the head waters of the Maumee. He fought two battles with the Indians in the immediate vicinity of the present site of Fort Wayne, in each of which he was defeated and the expedition returned without accomplishing its purpose. In the following May, General Scott, of Kentucky, with a about eight hundred men, marched into their country as far as the present site of Lafayette, Indiana, and destroyed many of their villages. In August, of the same year, General Wilkinson, with more than five hundred men, marched to the present site of Tippecanoe and trom there to the falls of the Ohio river, laying waste the Indian country wherever he went. But these acts instead of humbling the Indians seemed to incense them the more, and to cause them to commit still greater depre- dations. They boldly avowed their determination to exterminate the whites, or drive them from their hunting grounds. General Saint Clair laid this condition of affairs before congress, and that body authorized the president to call out the militia. Washington appointed Saint Clair commander-in-chief of the forces to be raised.
FIRST BUILDING IN DARKE COUNTY -- DESPERATE INDIAN WAR.
A force of two thousand men, consisting of regulars and vol- unteers from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, and a few from Ohio and Indiana, assembled at Fort Washington in September, 1791. In the same month they started northward, the army being under the immediate command of General Butler, while Saint Clair accompanied the army as commander-in-chief. Twenty miles from Cincinnati they built Fort Hamilton, on the Miami river, and continuing their march northward forty two miles further, they built Fort Jefferson, which was the first building ever erected in Darke county. Each of these forts was strongly garrisoned for the Indians
were daily seen. From the latter fort the army marched north- ward twenty-nine miles, and, weary and dejected, on the evening of November 3, 1791, it encamped on the banks of the Wabash. Indian scouts in large numbers were seen skulking through the woods during the entire march. Saint Clair bad intended to fortify his camp the next day, but before four o'clock of November 4th, the Indians attacked the American camp with a general discharge of fire-arms and the most horrid yells. Favored by the darkness they broke into the camp and continued their work of death. The troops were surprised, and recoiled from the sudden shock. The artillerists were so rapidly shot down that the guns were useless. Gallant charges were made by Colonel Darke, after whom this county was named, but not having sufficient riflemen to support him, his troops only exposed themselves to more certain destruction. General Butler was killed in the early part of the engagement, and, as the only hope of saving the remnant of the army, Saint Clair "resolved upon the desperate experiment" of charging upon the flank of the Indians and gaining the road of which the enemy had possession. The charge was led by the general in person. and was successful. The road was gained, but not until more than six hundred of his brave men lay dead upon the field. The soldiers now abandoned the guns, threw away their arms and equipments, and never paused in their headlong flight until they reached Fort Jefferson, twenty-nine miles distant from the location of the battle. Many were killed in this bloody retreat, and forty years afterward the farmers of Gibson township, Mercer county, would frequently find the remains of soldiers who lost their lives in this unfortunate encounter. History informs us that Adjutant-General Sargeant wrote in his diary that the army had been defeated, and at least half had been killed and wounded, making a loss of over nine hundred men. Following the army were about one hundred females, wives of officers and men, only a few of whom escaped. General Wilkinson, who succeeded Saint Clair in the command of the army, sent a detachment from Fort Washington to the battle ground in the following February for the purpose of burying the dead. "The bodies were horribly mutilated, and those
who had not been killed outright during the battle had been put to death with tortures too terrible and revolting for description." There being a deep snow upon the ground at this time they failed to find all the bodies.
FORT RECOVERY AND ITS PATRIOT DEAD.
In September, 1794, nearly three years after the battle, General Wayne sent a detachment to build a fort upon the scene of the disaster, which was done, and the structure was very significantly called Fort Recovery. It is said that in order to find all the remains then unburied, rewards for finding skulls were offered. The ground, in places, was literally covered with bones; the detachment found more than six hundred skulls; on some the marks of the scalping knife were plainly visible, some were hacked c: marked by the tomahawk, while others again were split open by a blow of that weapon. The remains were buried, and these facts prove the correctness of General Sargeant's statement: that more than nine hundred men lost their lives in this bloody affair. Two desperate attempts were made by the Indians to obtain possession of Fort Recovery, but in each attempt they were repulsed with severe loss. These transactions render Fort Recovery one of the most memorable in the history of our country. On the 7th of July, 1851, many of the remains of these soldiers were found partly exposed, and on that and the two following days they were taken up by the citizens of Fort Recovery, and on the toth of the following September, were re-interred at a mass meeting of citizens from Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia and Ohio, the meeting being called expressly for that purpose. Thirteen coffins were prepared and it was intended to fill each one partly full, but the remains entirely filled these coffins, and also a large box prepared for this purpose. - They were interred in the Old Cemetery, in Fort Recovery, by the side of Samuel MeDowell, one of their comrades. who died and was buried there in 1842, where they now rest; a low, circular mound of earth and stone marking the spot. These soldiers lost their lives in the defense of their country and while in the employment of the government. A committee appointed by
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congress investigated the facts and details of the expedition and its mournful results, and exonerated General Saint Clair from all blame. It was a result of the fortunes of war, and we can only honor our noble dead by respecting their memory in the proper way. No other place in American history is more deserving of a suitable monument to commemorate the nation's loss, and to mark the spot of her fallen heroes, than is. Fort Recovery. . Five or six acres of ground within the limits of the fort should be procured, suitable for a park. monument worthy to commemorate these sad events be erected there. The remains of these soldiers should be transferred to this monument, as a suitable location for their last resting place. This is a matter that concerns the States of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiand, as well as Unto. But these soldiers did not sacrifice their lives for the protection of the citizens of these states merely. It was to protect and defend a territory belonging to the general government from the encroachime its of a savage foe, instigated by the emissaries of a government glad to seek an opportunity to continue a strife that, by trety, 'hid been settled in the independence of our country, years before. It is earnestly hoped that congress, at its present session, will take such action, that by the time the centennial year of the battle is reached a monument will be erected at Fort Recovery, commemorating the events herein named. A Monumental association has been organized, and the following memorial address was prepared for congress, to-wit ;
MEMORIAL ADDRESS.
To the Honorable, the House of Representatives of the United States of America :
The undersigned committee of the Fort Recovery Memorial association, respectfully represent that the remains of more than nine hundred (900) soldiers of the government are interred in the town of Fort Recovery, Mercer county, Ohio, having lost their lives in a battle with the Indians at that place, on the 4th day of November, A. D., 1701, and that no monument whatever marks the last resting place of these gallant soldiers. That no other place in the history of the government is more deserving of a suitable monument to commemorate the sad fate of our national army than
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is Fort Recovery. That the citizens of said town and vicinity will secure five or six acres of ground within its limits, suitable for a park; and we respectfully ask your honorable body to make an appropriation at your present session for the purpose of erecting
a suitable monument to commemorate the sad events that have transpired there, and that said monument may be completed by the centennial year of said battle, to-wit: November 4, A. D., 1891.
This petition, signed by the members of the committee named. was presented to members of congress in 1886, and repeatedly since that time, but as yet no action whatever has been taken by that legislative body.
The defeat of Saint Clair had a very depressing effect upon the country, but congress, it is said, determined to make one more effort to solve the difficulty without further bloodshed, and agents were sent to the north western tribes, the place of meeting being the rapids of the Maumee; but after a long and tedious delay the decision of the Indian council was: that nothing but the total abandonment of the territory north-west of the Ohio river would satisfy them. These terms the government refused to recognize, and General Wayne was appointed to commind the army. The "Sleepless Chief," as the Indians called him, immediately com- menced preparations for his campaign.
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