USA > Ohio > Allen County > A standard history of Allen county, Ohio : an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, educational, civic and social development > Part 28
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
FIFTEEN SUGGESTIVE NAMES IN HAT
One night when a group of congenial spirits lingered at the Daniels cabin, some one suggested that it was time a name were given to the wilderness community. A hat was passed and fifteen suggestive names were dropped into it. By the process of elimination, the last name in the hat was Lima. While the reference volumes all attribute the name to Patrick W. Goode, who came into the commnity advancing Sunday school propaganda-the Sunday school being contemporary with the first com- munity development, Ezekiel Owen recalls a James Daniels, Jr., who attained to the age of ninety years, who always maintained that the slip bearing the name Lima had been cast into the hat by his father-the owner of the house in which the christening occurred, although general credence never attached to the story. It is said the guests at the Daniels cabin were attaches of the court spending the night in the temporary tem- ple of justice, and then the query arises as to where they procured the paper used in casting their ballots.
PUBLIC SQUARE, LIMA
One account says that by the process of elimination only three ballots remained in the hat, and when they were shuffled again Lima was the last word in naming the town. There is no inkling of other names, and today none are inclined to change it, Kaleidoscopic Lima! Watch it grow! The Allen County capital is an ambitious town with the smoke of industry curling above it, and the footfall of commerce surging through it. Just a thought in retrospect-in 1872, the Lima Wheel Works made all the wood parts in wagon and buggy wheels. There was a hub and spoke works operated by James Irvin, and about that period Frank Gardner, a Lima blacksmith, devised a rubber cushion horse shoe to relieve the jar on the animal's foot when driven on the hard surface streets. That long ago the horse breeding industry characterized Allen County farmsteads. Some on writing of that period said: "I remember when Lima visitors were shown the poor farm, the cemetery and the paper mill," but in a later chapter the Lima of today will be revealed as shown in the survey recently completed under the direction of the Chamber of Commerce.
Whether it was James Daniels, Sr., or Patrick G. Goode who dropped the name Lima in the hat that night in the Daniels cabin when the "town
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
was a bornin'," it is said that Goode objected to the pronunciation as heard today. He advocated the Spanish accent Leemah. It is popularly understood that whoever christened it, the name was taken from the capital of Peru, a busy metropolis in South America. Peruvian bark and quinine were obtained from there-the latter a necessity in the early his- tory of Lima. Since custom makes language, and English prevails in Allen County the Americanized word is heard today. While he lived, Mr. Goode did not forget the "contrariness" of Limaites with reference to the Spanish origin of the name Lima. While he was never a resident of Allen County, he was a Sunday school missionary and later a politician known throughout Northwestern Ohio. The Williams County records say that Patrick G. Goode delivered the first political speech at Pulaski-the first settlement in the northwesternmost county of Ohio. Why should the historian of today attempt to divest any one of his glory, and it remains an open question-was it Daniels or Goode that suggested the name for Lima?
James Peltier is credited with being the first merchant in Lima, since in 1828 he had a trading post established in his cabin on the site of the town. At the beginning Peltier operated the trading post for Carlin and Company of Findlay. In 1831, he acquired the ownership of the stock and two years later he sold it to Henry Lippincott. When John F. Cole arrived in 1831, he had a contract with the man who brought him into the unbroken wilderness that he was to live in the wagon until such time as he could build a cabin. It was February and a cold winter. His cabin was twelve by fourteen feet in the clear, and thus Lima was rapidly becoming a place of residence. It is a matter of record that Levi Saint, who operated a tannery and bought hides and pelts from the Indians, built the first brick house in Allen County. He became well-to-do through his immense trade in leather.
While Lima was on the map before there was any local record, June 6, 1831, it was not fully organized until March 29, 1842, when Henry De Villiers Williams became its first mayor. It was the mother of Zeb- edee's children who sought the places of honor for her sons, and the pages of history accord first place to different characters. Susannah Russell Marshall has gone down in history as The Daughter of Allen County, and two months later Francis Diltz was born at Fort Amanda. Moses McClure was the first white child born after the name had been given to Allen County. Maria Mitchell Brown, born February 5, 1832, may with equal propriety be called The Daughter of Lima, the father, Absalom Brown, having arrived in the spring of 1831, and he brought his family to Lima in September before the birth of a daughter in February. While there was no cradle roll in the wilderness days of Allen County history, the records of today do not show all the details in the increase of population. One account says this daughter of Lima was named Marion, and that she was given the middle name of Mitchell because of the friendly offices of a neighbor woman at the time of her birth. While James Peltier is mentioned as a merchant, the records say Absalom Brown was the first citizen. While Tolson Ford lived in Auglaize Town- ship, he is said to have been connected with the early industrial life of Lima-the seat of government in Allen County.
OTTAWA SWALLOWED UP BY LIMA
It was in May, 1857, that Ottawa Township. came into existence. While there had been no juggling with county boundaries since 1848, Lima was spreading out into so many townships that Ottawa was created
ING
CLOTHING
DRUGS .
CHOCERIES
REL
CRY SOCOS
2.4
LOTHING CO.
WHEN THE LIMA PUBLIC SQUARE WAS A HAY MARKET
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in order to shelter it. Hitherto Lima was in Bath and spreading into other townships. In order to provide space Ottawa was created with 1,600 acres taken from Bath; 1,040 acres from German, now American; 560 acres from Perry, and a quarter section from Shawnee. This seemed to be liberal allowance for the future growth of the seat of justice in Allen County. More than three score years have cycled into eternity since the establishment of Ottawa as a township, and today it is not recognized only in the election of a justice of the peace, constables and by the county infirmary board of directors. For many years the sins of Lima have been visited upon Ottawa, the township a nonentity and Lima the unit of the tax duplicates. The average resident does not take Ottawa Township into consideration at all. The City of Lima is coextensive with it.
While the 1920 Lima city directory contains many names of recent acquisition, the settlers in Bath transferred to Ottawa were: Rigdon, Bates, Clark, Woodruff, Boose, Saxton, Maulsby, Moore, Grimes, Dan- iels, Lippincott, Edwards, Mitchell, Van Horn, English, Standiford, Shaw and Crosby. Those transferred from American were: Mitchell, Hatfield, Hursey, Jenkins, Vaughn, James, Kennedy, Perry, Seeman, Evans, Schenck, Keve, McDonel, Cole and Brown. Those from Perry : Lippincott, Hawthorne, Ridenour, Dugan, Swinehart, Daniels, Cheno- weth, Dobbins, Bowers, Franklin, Rudy, Hover, Carlile and Adgate. Those in Ottawa from Shawnee: Chaffee, Campbell, Hover and Porter. The 1920 Ottawa Township census report including Lima is 41,306, an increase of more than 10,000 since the 1910 census. Since the bulk of Allen County's population-68,203-is in the city of Lima, further attention will be given it.
PERRY TOWNSHIP IN HISTORY
While Perry Township was given its identity in 1833, it was not until a year later that organization was effected in it. While its first settlement was in 1830, John Ridenour found nothing but a wilderness there. There were Shawnees along the Ottawa River (Hog Creek) and the warriors often visited him. Ridenour was a hunter and Chief Quilna, known as the pathfinder among the Shawnees, was a frequent guest at his' cabin. There were three sons and four daughters in the Ridenour family and when the Shawnees were being deported, John Ridenour obtained a pony from them that was owned by Pht. The con- sideration was a fence around the grave of the chieftain, but if it was ever placed there the spot is unmarked today. One account says the pony was given to Andrew Russell for fencing the grave, but since he died in 1828 that seems an uncertainty. It is said the pony lived to the age of twenty-eight years. Were the exact location of the grave known today, some patriotic Allen County organization would look after it. It is a matter of record that the spot was leveled so that none would ever be able to locate it.
While Ridenour was the first settler, Joseph Crossley, who had been a soldier under Anthony Wayne, and who burned the first brick kiln in Lima in 1833, located in Perry the following year, and in April, 1834, the organization was effected in his house. While Crossley had been a scout in the wilderness he became a valuable citizen in the community. The Perry settlers were: Skilling, Ridenour, Crossley, Chenoweth, Bowman, Hefner, McClain, Budd, Curtis, Crooks, Faze, Funk, Logan, Lippincott, Moore, Moss, McPherson, Miller, Stevenson, Jacobs, Won- nel, Bowdle, Ditzler, Severn, Schooler, Tussing, Martin, Rankin, Baker,
1
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
STREET SCENE, BLUFFTON
MAIN STREET LOOKING SOUTHWEST, BLUFFTON
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
Voorhis, Daniels, Ice, Hawthorn and Franklin. While there are no towns in Perry, Amherst, Warsaw and South Warsaw are mentioned as community centers. An early writer says that in 1840 Perry Township presented a most primitive appearance, that while the lands were all taken up, the locality was heavily timbered and settlers were slow in making improvements. James C. Hullinger built a cabin in 1840, and it was one and one-half miles to his nearest neighbor's house. The 1920 census report credits 1,333 persons as residing in Perry Township; the wealth of the community lies in its agriculture.
RICHLAND-BLUFFTON AND BEAVER DAM
When Richland Township effected its organization in 1835 it was with authority granted in Putnam County. It remained contingent to Putnam County until 1848, when there was another shifting of county
THE OLD MILL, ONCE THE PRIDE OF BLUFFTON
boundaries. In that year a tier of sections was taken from Riley Town- ship in Putnam County and attached to Marion, hitherto a congressional township, thereby giving to it forty-two square miles and attaching it to Allen County. This tier of sections from Riley Township makes Allen County nineteen miles wide across its eastern group of townships. It was a Putnam County shoemaker, David Miller, who suggested the name and petitioned for the organization of Richland. He had come from Richland County ; after the area was cleared of timber, the name seemed to apply well to the community. While the heavily timbered land was the difficulty, it proved to be excellent country.
There is a case of evolution in the name of Bluffton. When the town was organized in 1838 it was called Shannon. While an Ohio governor has been honored in naming it, because of another Shannon the postoffice, was called Crogham, and the change was in order to have the same name for the town and the postoffice. Jacob Mosier, who had come from Bluffton, Indiana, suggested the name of Bluffton. The matter
JACKSON STREET SCHOOL, BLUFFTON
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
of changing the name was voted on August 17, 1861, and the town was duly incorporated as Bluffton. In 1833 Joseph DeFord, recognizing the future possibilities of the town located on Riley Creek, built the first cabin there. An imaginative writer says: "Riley Creek, like a silver thread woven into a fabric of green evolved from summer's sun and dews, winds its way among fertile valleys, reflecting in its pellucid bosom the comfortable homes of a happy and contented people," and that is the Bluffton of today.
An old account says that when Richard Hathaway built a mill on Riley Creek in 1840 it was a source of joy in the sparsely settled com- munity. It marked the end of hand-grinding-grating, or "niggering" the corn, and it stopped the long journeys to mill at Gilboa in Putnam and to towns in other counties. While Mr. Hathaway only had two large mill stones, the lower one solid and the upper one revolving upon it, an iron rod holding them in position and affording the power, it was of signal advantage to the settlers. Some one has said of it: "The banks are by the mill site, but not a shred of the mill is left by the dam
PIONEER HOME OF GRIFFITH BREESE, 1832
site," and such a mill would prove a curiosity today. In 1840 Daniel L. Goble had a store in Bluffton ; his son, George Goble, hauled the sup- plies from Piqua, and if he had good luck it required a week for him to make the return journey. When he went away the load was rags, hides and pelts and when he returned it was clothing, dry goods and whisky. Henry Carter also "wagoned" to Piqua at the time, using four horses.
Bluffton has been compared to the city of Jerusalem-beautiful for situation, a city set on a hill and the water runs away in all directions. Early day land activities in Richland attracted an excellent class of settlers, and the Mennonite people are genuine community builders. It is said that the animal shows of the past always stopped at Bluffton because they attracted visitors there from both Lima and Findlay. It was not until 1853 that Beaver Dam became an organized community center. There is a legend that the beavers had constructed two dams in the vicinity, holding the water between them, although residents today know nothing more about it. Frederick Shull was the man of the hour in the early history of Beaver Dam. 1
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
Among the settlers in Richland were: Shank, Goble, Carter, Amstutz, Armstott, Augsberger, Bechtel, Berry, Clarke, Bixler, Bixell, Burtley, Brannan, Basinger, Bagley, Bliss, Barnum, Bucher, Cribley, Craig, Combs, Cunningham, Close, Carnahan, Cope, Creighton, Charlton, Camp- bell, Cox, DeFord, Caskel, Dally, Harn, Donald, Depler, Davis, Devault, Everhard, Elliott, Everett, Freit, Feitner, Forgy, Goble, Gratz, Gal- loway, Gringer, Godfrey, Greiger, Goil, Hayes, Hauenstein, Hoffman, Huder, Hidge, Hostetter, Hilty, Hughes, Henderson, Hand, Hoffman, Higerly, Hartman, Ives, James, Johnston, Koebler, Karnes, Lyons, Lugi- bihl, Luke, Lee, Meeks, Mattis, Moser, Machan, Marshall, Musser, Mil- ligan, McHenry, Myers, Murray, Neff, Neiswander, Owens, Overholt, Pengle, Palmer, Pier, Rearman, Reed, Roof, Roberts, Richards, Roth- man, Steller, Stefferly, Shank, Shull, Smetz, Sawhill, Shumaker, Shina-
OUT-OF-DOOR OVEN IN SHAWNEE COMMON 50 YEARS AGO
berry, Shipley, Strow, Thompson, Templeton, Taylor, Umphrey, Van- nansinger, Welty, Watson, Waggoner, Yoder, Young and Zercher. Per- haps there is direct relation between those early community names and the Mennonite community centering about Bluffton today. The 1920 census report of Richland, including Bluffton and Beaver Dam, is 3,992- a liberal thing to say 4,000-and it is a thrifty community.
SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP IN HISTORY
As has been shown already, Shawnee Township was distinctively the stronghold of the Indians. It took its name from the tribe living there-the Shawnees. The township was formally organized December 1, 1834, being set off from the Hog Creek Reservation. In 1848 Shawnee lost a tier of sections to Auglaize County, and again in 1857 it lost another quarter section to Ottawa. It is the historic section of Allen
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
County. It was included in the Hog Creek Indian Reservation and cov- ered by the treaty of September 29, 1817, the area then being ceded to Pe-Aitch-Ta or Fallen Timber, and Onowaskemo, the Resolute Man. While Hume is the only village in Shawnee, there was once a Shawnee- town and a secondary Indian village in the area now called Shawnee. The Allen County Children's Home adjoins the site of Shawneetown. There are few reminders of the Shawnees anywhere today. The oil development in Shawnee and Lima industries within the township placed it ahead on, its road improvements. While some townships must practice rigid economy in the matter of their highways, the immense tax levied in 'Shawnee gives it many advantages. Besides the wealth of its agricul- ture it has the tax accruing from the property of the Solar Refinery, the Garford Truck and Manufacturing Company, and the Ohio Steel Foun- dry Company-and thus what Lima loses from its tax duplicate is gained by Shawnee. The community centers in Shawnee are: Hume, Kempton and Snyder.
The Harpster House in Shawnee, built in 1839, was made from logs once used in building the Indian houses there. Today it is a matter of regret with many that this old landmark was not preserved in the com- munity. While Ezekiel Hover once lived in the Shawnee Council House, it is said that Joseph Hover built the first frame house in Shawnee. The Hover homestead later became the site of the Solar Refinery, and it is known that the first frame house in Shawnee was the second frame house in Allen County. Among the Shawnee settlers were: Breese, Sharp, Crider, Maltbic, De Long, Brant, Harpster, Yoakam, Zurnahley, Mowery, Coon, Dennison, Darling, Spiker, Hall, Anthony, McGrady, Nye, Shappell, Boyd, Bowsher, Stapleton, Edman, Flynn, Dowling, Hover, Adgate, Reed, Sprague, Decoursey, Edwards, Fritz, Rose, Hale, Daniels, Lowrie, Royer and Rusler. Thus it is shown that the "Sage of Shawnee," who is supervising editor, is descended from a pioneer family in Allen County. The 1920 population is given as 1,635, and a con- servative people now occupies the hunting ground of the Shawnees in Allen County.
SPENCER TOWNSHIP AND SPENCERVILLE
While Spencer is the smallest township in Allen County, having an area of only twenty-three square miles, it has had territory added to it from Amanda Township in Allen, from Salem Township in Mercer, and from Jennings Township in Van Wert. The records are silent as to what formed the nucleus of Spencer. William Spencer of Newark, who was a member of the State Board of Public Works, was active in secur- ing the Erie Canal which passes through the township, and he was hon- ored with the name of it. The Mercer County tract was organized in 1834, while the Van Wert organization was effected in 1836, and it was not until 1848 that Spencer became an organized township, the principal town known as Arcadia. However, there was another Arcadia, and A. C, Harter and other citizens petitioned for the name to be changed to Spencerville. There are many Erie canal stories told by the older resi- dents of Spencerville, and there is a water mill there still turned by a special arrangement-a flood gate lifted and the wheels are in motion.
They tell of the deep cut along the Erie Canal south of Spencer- ville ; while there is a stretch of nine miles between locks in the vicinity, the deep cut is about two miles away, and one time it bid fair to become a town. It is said the banks are fifty feet high, and it was an engi- neering feat to cut through the elevation there. Because of the depth
Vol. I-14
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
of the canal at this point, it was the meeting place for the canal workers- the construction gangs-and sometimes there was bad blood among them. There were frequent fights and whisky flowed like water. Had Spen- cerville sprang up at the deep cut, the matter of drainage would have been a different proposition. However, the Erie Railroad caused the town to spread in the other direction. The water supply in the Erie Canal comes from the reservoir at St. Marys, and with the forebay it is an easy matter to start the mill machinery.
An old account says of the beginning of things at Spencerville that the town was platted as Arcadia in 1845 by Conover, McConnell and Tyler of Dayton, who invested in 350 acres of land and located a mill there. It was in 1867 that it became an incorporated town. The set- tlers were: Peterbaugh, Van Horn, Southworth, Young, Brown, Farver and, a little later: Wykoff, Marquand, Davenport, Perkins, Skillman, Schon, Tyler, Hockenberry, Coleman, Hittell, Smith, Mitgen, Davis, Coil, Kephart, Osborne, Lockhead, Jones, Counts, Webb, DeHart, Smith,
SCHOOLHOUSE, SPENCERVILLE
Harvey, Reese, Hall, Mercer, Sheeter, Oard, Walters, Barnes, Purdy, May, Sweeney, Carey, Norbeck, Bush, Bice, Place, Santo, McCollister, Keckel, Morehead, Delaney, Post, Bowers, Brecht, Hooker, Yockey, Maxwell, Bayman, Vaughn, Suman, Boyer, Herring, Book, Wool- ford, Hill, Bixby, Keeth, Farmer, Evans, Pritchard, Duffey, Fair, Cook, Dunham, Starr, Field, Conkle, Archer, Rench, Harter, Hummell, McMul- len, Bope, Lye, Marshall, Hood, Adams, McKenna, Shaffer, Sheets, Price, Peterson and Clark.
It is said that Johnzy Keeth did more to promote the business inter- ests of Spencerville than any other citizen. He one time owned the farm land from the town to the Auglaize River, and when the Chicago and Erie Railroad was in prospect he at once granted the right of way through his land and helped secure the privilege from others. His name appears in different forms: Keeth, Keith and Keath, and abstracts require identification in reconciling the different spellings of the name. It is said the early justices of the peace-C. C. Marshall, John G. Hill, W. H. Hill and William Court-omitted details as to whether a man was married or single, and today such facts have to be established in
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
making deeds to property. The recent census shows the population of Spencer, including Spencerville, as 2,464, and the business interests of community are safeguarded by the Spencerville Progressive Association. The business community meets every requirement and the Allen Furni- ture Manufacturing Company, and the Dress Skirt Company offer employment to both male and female labor in the town.
SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP AND GOMER
Sugar Creek and the Welsh settlement are inseparable in the history of Allen County. When local organization was effected in 1831, it was part of Putnam County. When the change of boundary occurred in 1848, there remained a Sugar Creek in Putnam and the twenty-four square miles awarded to Allen County retained the same name-Sugar Creek. The locality takes its name from the number of sugar trees and the sugar camps once operated there, the Indians always manufacturing sugar in that locality. Since 1833 the Welsh have predominated there. The Nicholas, Watkins and Roberts families were simultaneous in the
PICTURESQUE OLD LOCK ON THE MIAMI AND ERIE CANAL
community. These three Welsh families came from Butler County. They came from Paddy's Run, and because of the pike fish in the stream they named it Pike Run when they located in Allen County.
The Nicholas, Watkins and Roberts families were seven days en route, traveling by wagon from Paddy's Run to Pike Run over the roughest kind of roads, sometimes chopping their way through the forest, and they camped by a large oak log until cabins were built for all of them. Their land had been purchased in advance, and thus was founded the prosperous Welsh community. The howling of the wolves and the hoot- ing of the owls did not deter them as they braved the dangers of the frontier. Each man helped the others in building their cabins, and there always has been co-operation in the Welsh community. Clapboards and weight poles presented no mysteries to them, and with Mother Earth as a floor they were soon at home in Allen County. For a time they hung bed quilts at the door, the split board doors coming later when they found time to make them. Other Welsh settlers soon located there, com- ing from different localities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and later many came direct from Wales to the wilderness of Sugar Creek.
Among the Welsh settlers were: Porter, Gray, Turner, Sarber, Clev- enger, Martin, Wisely, Ramsey, Jones, Watkins, Nicholas, Roberts, Griffiths, Evans, Morgan, Stephens, Thomas, Chidlaw, Powell, Williams,
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
Davies, Perry, Price, Peate, Tudor, Bebb, Whittington, Humphreys, Breese and Arthur. With the love of God and music firmly imbedded in their natures, there was nothing left for the Welsh people but a pros- perous future. Gomer is a village of retired farmers and "Sweet Auburn ! Loveliest Village of the Plain" accurately describes it. Sugar Creek is a fine agricultural community and, said a man in Gomer : "This is a thrifty community. There are fine barns on the farm and good cattle in the fields," and that is but an echo. from many other localities in Allen County.
While seventy-five per cent of the citizenry in Sugar Creek is of Welsh blood, "America First" is the community motto. In the Nicholas story of the Welsh settlement is the statement that Ellis Francis had the first Elias Howe sewing machine, but today the whole community, as the rest of Allen County, enjoys the use of all modern contrivances. Gomer was laid out in 1850 by James Nicholas and Samuel Ramsey, and it has always been known wherever the Welsh had communities. It stretches away into pretty door yards with the houses painted white, and enough shrubbery to beautify the lawns. The Lincoln Highway is
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