USA > Ohio > Fulton County > A standard history of Fulton County, Ohio, an authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and county, Vol. I > Part 26
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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
O. Buzzell. Dr.
1870. Serving notices for Board of Health. $1.50
1870. Burying a dog. .50
1870. Posting notices for two elections for clos-
ing saloons. 1.00
1870 and 1871. Doing extra duty at night, and on
extra occasions 1.00
1870 and 1871. Notifying and assisting council-
man on some five occasions. .25
$4.25
THE FIRST JAIL
It might be appropriate here to give the origin of the first jail, as recorded in the council records. The "Marshal's Report," for the year 1859-60 showed "one arrest for drunkenness, on the Fourth of July, 1859," the report conveying the further information that the prisoner was "safely stowed away in Hunt's Corn Crib (finding no better place) and there kept him until soberness returned. Expenses attending the arrest six and a half cents, for crackers and salt." There was no further reference to jailing facilities until 1864, when a petition by A. J. Knapp and others, "that the necessary steps be taken towards building a lock-up" was referred to "The Committee on Lock-up." The matter seems to have lain dormant until August 30, 1867, when $200 was appropriated "for the building of a lock-up." But that amount does not seem to have been used. The lock-up ap- pears to have adjoined, or been part of, a pound erected in the early summer of 1867, following the passing of new pound laws. The erection of the pound cost the village $41.84, and that a lock-up was part of the pound was made clear by subsequent entries. On December 26, 1867, Sheriff Wm. F. A. Altman presented an account for:
Load of wood for jail $1.25
Repairs to Lock-up
.25
$1.50
Making door for Lock-up .40
$1.90
An entry in the council minutes of 1817 records the removal of lock-up and pound to "lot 248, owned by Wm. F. A. Altman," who gave the village the use of the lot free of rent, under certain conditions. Cost of removal was $12. On November 25, 1870, Sheriff Altman was authorized "to erect, or cause to be erected, a lounge straw bed, and two quilts for the lock-up." The account for this furniture was pre- sented on December 7, 1870, and was:
To 19 yards Calico 1.90
To 4 pounds Batting 1.00
To 7 yards Ticking 1.40
To 1 spool thread .05 $4.35
To making comforts 1.50
To making bedstead 1.50
$7.35
which probably provided comfort at certainly little expense.
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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
THE VILLAGE POUND
The straying of animals within the bounds of the village con- stituted a nuisance in the early years of the corporate existence of Wauseon, and after the close of the Civil War measures were taken to effect an improvement. On May 11, 1867, Walter Scott and Alanson Pike, as a "Committee on arrangements for a pound" reported "that they had procured a suitable place for a pound, at an expense of $7.00." At the next weekly meeting of the Council, there was passed "an ordinance for restraining certain animals from running at large," the measure providing for the impounding of "any horses, mules, cattle, sheep, or swine" that might be found running at large within the bounds of the village, it being provided however, that the prohibition "shall not extend to any milch cows running at large in the day time," between the months of April and November. The marshal was authorized to impound, and as soon as possible after- wards to post notices in the post-office, and at the north and south ends of Fulton street, and at the end of three days, to sell the impounded animal to the highest bidder, it being provided that the marshal, for such service could exact fifty cents for impounding, and ten cents for posting notices, the proceeds of sale, except one dollar as a penalty, to be paid to owner of the animal impounded and sold, the owner how- ever having the privilege of redeeming his live-stock property be- fore sale, by paying a penalty of fifteen cents, and the sheriff's fees. It is evident, however, that in the first year of the operation of the pound some of the owners of live-stock did not take kindly to the restriction, and even went so far as to refuse to recognize the law. That is obvious by one entry in council records of June 24, 1867, when "the account of the marshal, for keeping and impounding five hogs three days, that were stolen out of the pound" was allowed. In June, 1868, a modification of "Pound Laws" permitted all "neat" cattle and sheep to run at large within the village. In that year, the amount received for poundage was $32.65, and, bearing in mind the smallness of the amount of penalty exacted from offenders, there was just cause for the enactment of some such pound laws. A typical notice reads as follows :
Notice. On or about 1:00 o'clock, P. M., on the 30th day of June A. D., 1868, at the Pound, in the Incorporated Village of Wauseon, Ful- ton county, Ohio, I shall sell at Public Vendue, the following prop- erty,-To Wit; One white sow, having a short tail, and each ear marked with a V cut out of the top, and supposed to be one and a half years old.
Orrin Buzzell, Marshal.
In general administration, all the incorporated places of Fulton county would follow a like course. That being so, it might be re- cording the early administrative procedure of all the villages by re- cording here
SOME OF THE EARLY ORDINANCES OF WAUSEON
as shown in its council records :
On February 1, 1858, a village ordinance "for taxing dogs" was passed. Owners of "any animal of the dog kind" were required to
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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
register their ownership, and pay a tax of "one dollar for each dog, and three dollars for each bitch." The dog tax was however repealed on May 31st of same year.
On May 10, 1858, the Council drafted "An ordinance to define and prohibit nuisances." the measure ordaining that "no person shall suffer or permit any cellar, vault, private drain, pool, privy, or sewer, upon the premises belonging to or occupied by him, to become nause- ous, offensive, or injurious to the public health." Section 2 provided that "no owner, or possessor, of any animal, which shall have died, shall suffer the same to lie on any public ground, street, lane, alley."
On June 21, 1867. it became unlawful for any person, "to offer for sale, or erect a stand for the sale of any drinks, or groceries, can- dies, or other eatables on any side-walk," without first obtaining license from the mayor, the ordinance empowering the mayor, at his discretion, to demand a fee of from one dollar to five dollars a day, for such license.
In March of 1870 an ordinance was passed, but subsequently re- pealed, as was a similar ordinance in 1868, or 1869, "to provide against the evils resulting from the sale of intoxicating liquors, gambling, and drunkenness," by which ordinance rigid restrictions were placed on the sale of liquor to habitual drunkards and minors; and section five stated: "That all places where intoxicating liquors are sold in viola- tion shall be taken, held, and declared to be public nuis- ances, and all rooms, taverns, eating-houses, restaurants, groceries, cof- fee-houses, cellars, or other places of public resort where intoxicating liquors are sold in violation
shall be shut up."
An "ordinance to punish certain offenses" was passed on November 11, 1870, by which ordinance "any person of the age of fourteen years, and upward, who shall utter, speak, or use any ob- scene, or lascivious, language, or words, in the presence of any female in said village, the person so offending shall be fined , or imprisoned in the cell, or dungeon, of the jail of the county, and be fed on bread and water, for ten days."
On June 21, 1872, "An ordinance to require each able-bodied male person to perform two days labor on the streets" in each year was read for the third time, and thus placed upon its final passage. It was ordained "that each able-bodied male person, between the ages of twenty-one and fifty-five years, resident within the corporation of Wauseon Shall perform in each and every year, two days of labor upon the streets and alleys of said corporation
Provided, that any person may pay to said Street Commissioner the sum of three dollars, in money, in lieu of said two days labor."
THE FIRST WAUSEON FIRE COMPANY.
On the council records, under date of December 15, 1862, is re- corded an appropriation made, of fifty dollars, from village funds, "towards building a Fire Engine House." The establishment of a fire company in Wauseon was evidently at that time the subject of discus- sion among the people, and at a meeting of the citizens, held in the office of Mr. E. L. Barber, on December 29, 1862, the organization was resolved upon. Its original equipment was apparently purchased with money subscribed by the members of the company, or from a fund
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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
publicly subscribed by the villagers for that specific purpose, for there is nothing on record on corporation minutes of village expenditure therefor, in early 1863, save the passing for payment on February 23, 1863, of "a bill of Milo Porter, amounting to $10, for constructing one hundred feet of fire ladders." The understated information regard- ing the Wauseon Fire Company was obtained from the original records of that organization. It appears that:
"At a meeting of the citizens of Wauseon, held at E. L. Barber's office Deceniber 29, 1862, a constitution governing fire companies was read, also that part of the statute of Ohio concerning fire companies.
"Constitution and by-laws, prepared by E. L. Barber, F. A. Hunt, and Wm. T. Altman were adopted January 9, 1863. On Jan. 14, 1863, officers were elected. N. W. Jewell was called to the chair; A. Hunt was chosen foreman; J. C. Cornell, first assistant foreman; H. M. Dudley, second assistant; J. Q. Riddle, secretary; and E. L. Barber, treasurer. The following citizens of Wauseon constituted the com- pany: A. L. Ackerman, L. W. Agler, H. T. Brigham. J. Baumgard- ner, J. H. Brown, A. Bridge, Rufus Briggs, A. Baker, J. F. Buzzell, J. C. Cornell, B. F. Culbertson, Henry Clay, H. M. Dudley, J. Domitio, Wm. Eckerfield, Cyrus Downer, Frank Ferris, Dennie Foster, Robert Graves, W. H. Gavitt, G. E. Heath, R. I. Hough, Bart Hough, Myron Hough, G. H. Helwig, Wm. Hunt, A. Hogeboom, W. H. Highshew: Will Hall, L. F. Johnson, L. Lyon, C. B. Lyon, Benjamin Miller, Wm. Meeks, J. T. Mann, C. McClarren, Woody Newcomer, Al. Norton. John Nicely, H. D. Peck, J. Q. Riddle, C. C. Riddle, R. Richardson, Edward Springer, A. B. Smith, G. W. Stokes, Charlie Smith, M. B. Schumbs, R. M. Scott, L. L. Sears, M. Snclbaker, H. H. Williams, J. P. Thiel, and S. Woodward.
The first fire was reported that on "Thursday, April 30, 1863, at about 2 p. m., a fire was discovered in the dwelling house of B. S. Waldron, about one hundred rods from the engine room. The engine and company were on hand soon after the fire was discovered, but on account of the scarcity of water did but little execution. The company afterwards took the engine to the reservoir, and worked it successfully," stated the report.
Mrs. Samuel Edgar reminiscently wrote to the Delta "Atlas" some years ago, regarding "Early Days in Old Fulton," and made reference to the Wauseon Fire Company. She wrote:
"It was either in '67 or '68 that Mr. Edgar and I were coming to Wauseon from our farm, south, now known as the Clinger-Serrick farm. We did not go to start a fire, but we discovered a fire in the little old woodshed on Main street, owned by the railroad company. How well I remember the little hose cart building, and what a hose cart it was in a case of fire. Mr. Edgar and Calvin Biddle got to the front, and called for help, and somebody called: 'Fire.' 'Fire.' Every- body, merchants, clerks, and farmers, turned out. Then the hose cart stuck in the mud, in front of Eager's store. The fire was put out, and the town saved. Now a beautiful park occupies the locality of the old woodshed."
Quoting again from the Fire Company records :
"On Saturday, May 30, 1863, the company met, and appointed a committee of three, 'to select a style of uniform, the company hav- ing voted to uniform themselves. At that meeting, a vote of thanks
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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
was unanimously given to J. Q. Riddle, and the Phoenix Insurance Company, for a beautiful silvered trumpet, having upon it the inscrip- tion 'Presented to the Wauseon Fire Co. by the Phoenix Ins. Co., May, 1863.' On June 6th, 1863, the 'committee on Uniforms made their report, and were appointed a committee to, procure the cloth for making jackets, and the belts, and the caps already made.'" So that evidently the Fire Company was by that time well established.
The Council Records contain no further record to the Fire Com- pany, or to fire equipment, until 1866, when it was decided to borrow $600, "for purchase of hose and fixtures for fire engine." In 1868, the Wauscon Fire Company transferred its engine and hose to the village council, and soon afterwards the village fire department was formed. In 1871, the village valuation was $171,882, and the total taxation was six mills, of which a one-half mill was apportioned to the Fire Department for its purposes.
The first reference made to remuneration to the mayor for his serv- ices as such was in 1872, when $20 was voted to Mayor Naaman Mer- rill. It is, of course, possible that the $4.50 shown on the financial statement of Wauseon's first treasurer, N. W. Jewell, as having been paid to Nathaniel Leggett, in 1858, was recognized as the mayoral stipend.
THE FIRST EPIDEMIC
other than that which was almost chronic among the early settlers, who suffered much from malarial fever and ague, was an outbreak of small pox, in Wauseon, in April, 1862. Two cases were reported, and the council took prompt measures to deal with them, resolving: "that Henry Cone, and all the members of his family be required to stay closely at home, not to go out in the streets, nor in any portion of the village, and avoid coming in contact with any person or persons whatever, except those who may be sent by the proper authorities, to minister to the wants of said family"; and it was further resolved "that there be a red flag placed on the door of the residence of said Henry Cone, and kept there so long as they are afflicted with the small pox, and that there be a red flag placed on the corner of Fulton and Elm streets, as a signal to warn all persons, that the small pox exists in the locality." The Council further resolved: "That the Board of Health be requested to urge upon the attending physician, in any case of small pox, the necessity of changing his clothes on entering a house, to see such patient, and replacing the same on leaving, keeping the clothes used in the sick room in such a manner and place that the contagion will not be spread by any carelessness."
Apparently, the outbreak was confined to the Cone family, and it is to the credit of the village authorities that it recognized its liability to care for the stricken family; Mrs. George Lindeman, who volun- teered to nurse the family through the affliction, was paid one dollar a day for such services, the money coming out of village funds.
Probably the most potential happening in the history of Wauseon was that whereby it became the county seat of Fulton. That event is fully described in another chapter, but the contest waged and won by Wauseon in 1869 opened a new era for the village, which there- after. and rightly, took premier place among the incorporated places
227
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
of Fulton county. But before passing on to more recent history, it might be well to "sum up" the development effected by the pioneers of the village in the first fifteen years, or so, of its establishment; and also give some of those worthy "city fathers"-Wauseon will be a city some day, undoubtedly-brief biographical mention, before passing on.
Wauseon, from nothing we might say, had in fifteen years grown into a place of commanding importance in the county. By contrast with Ottokee, the county seat, which in 1868 had one hotel, three stores, court house, jail, and county offices Wauseon undoubtedly de- served premier place. Its taxable valuation stood at nearly $170,000; it had five churches, a large graded brick school building, several fine brick business blocks, the leading newspaper, the Northwestern Repub- lican, and a population of nearer 2,000 than 1,500. "Brown's Ga- zetteer," of 1868, stated, of Wauseon: "The past seven years show a rapid progress, equalled by few, if any, on the air line road. Within the past few years, several fine brick blocks have been put up, city, public, Masonic and Good Templars' halls established, giving tone, and bespeaking enterprise." Quoting further from the "Ga- zetteer," it appears that in 1868 there were in Wauseon: ten grocery stores, those of: M. S. Baker; Beach & Co. (H. H. Beach and H. L. Moseley, partners) ; Bloomer and Palmer ( Albert S. Bloomer and My- ron T. Palmer) ; Briggs & Co. (Alanson Briggs and David J. Disbrow) ; George Lipp; M. Mattison & Co .; John J. Robinson; Serrick and Shel- ley ; T. O. Williams & Co. (Thos. W. Williams, and Gilbert S. Waite.) Six dry goods stores, those of: Clement and Greenleaf (Geo. S. Cle- ment and Chas. C. Greenleaf) ; Eager, Cook & Co. (Zina & Hy E. Eager, Stephen H. Cook, Jas. P. Cawley & Noah K. Green) ; Hunt & Newcomer, (Wm. W. Hunt & Jas. K. Newcomer) ; Edward Koch; Francis A. Palmer; and Springer & Cornell (Isaac Springer and Jonathan C. Cornell) ; three furniture dealers, A. Bridge, Augustus Kaempfer, and Andrew Mikesell; two shoe stores, that of Ferris & King, and Daniel Ritzenthaler; two hardware dealers, John Q. Riddle and Garver Bros .; three drug stores, Read & Hollister, Andrew J. Knapp, and Melford D. Ford; several meat markets, and many tailoring and millinery establishments. Then industrial Wauseon included at that time: a flouring mills, owned by Brigham and Lyon (Joel Brigham and Mar- cus Lyon) ; a foundry, owned by David Andrews; four saw and plan- ing mills, shingle mills, and sash door and blind factories, those of Beal Williams and Co., Cutshow & Co., William Meeks, Nevin & Brooks; several smithies and carpenter shops. Anson Huntington and Wil- liam B. Olcott were in business as tanners; John P. Thiel was a brewer; and L. Stowe was a showman, and also a wagonmaker and black- smith. and a cooperage was conducted by Zina Eager, employing thirty men.
The public City Hall was listed as being on the southwest corner of Fulton and Elm streets; E. L. Barber was mayor; Lorenzo Lyon, postmaster; and Rollin Ford, justice of the peace.
The early administrators and workers for Wauseon deserve credit for having developed the village so substantially within about fifteen years of its existence, and Ottokee had no logieal argument, apart from its central location, with which to refute Wauseon's claim of place as the county seat.
The mayoral succession, from 1857 to 1870 is as follows: 1857,
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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
Nathaniel Leggett; 1858, N. W. Jewell; 1859, Nathaniel Leggett; 1860, Anson Huntington; 1861, J. A. Durbin; 1882, J. W. Jewell; 1863, J. W. Jewell; 1864, E. F. Greenough, also in 1865; 1866, and 1867, Anson Huntington ; 1868, E. L. Barber, A. J. Knapp taking his place before the end of the year; 1869 and 1870, A. J. Knapp.
Nathaniel Leggett was a very capable man, a pioneer of Fulton county, as well as of Wauseon. He was prominent in Swan Creek Township affairs, while it was still part of Lucas county, and was one of the leaders of the movement which eulminated in the organization of Fulton county. He was the first treasurer of the county. By pro- fession an attorney, he took active part in almost all phases of public affairs. Unfortunately, he died somewhat early in the life of the county His death on February 24, 1862, brought into establishment the Wau- seon Cemetery, as will be narrated a few pages henee.
Noah W. Jewell was one of the capable physicians of Clinton Town- ship, and gave much of his time to public affairs. His life will be reviewed in the Medical chapter.
Anson Huntington died at Garret, Indiana, December 17, 1881, aged 77 years. He suffered "a shock of palsy" four days before he died and did not recover consciousness. He came to Wauseon, from Massa- chusetts, in 1855, and at his request, his remains were brought back to Wauseon for burial. "He was a man of sterling qualities, strong and vigorous mind" and did "much to advocate the interests of the com- munity."
E. F. Greenough was born in New Hampshire in 1808; graduated from Dartmouth College; settled in Danville, Pennsylvania, and prae- tieed as an attorney until 1832, when he moved to Salisbury, New Hampshire, where he was a merchant. His son, Charles F., who later became so prominent a citizen of Wauseon, was born there in 1849. In 1859 E. F. Greenough retired from business and in the following year came to live in Wauseon, with the publie affairs of which place he remained associated with until his death in 1875.
Col. Epaphras Lord Barber, one of the proprietors of Wauseon, and of its earliest projectors the one who remained longest a resident of it, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1830; at eighteen he joined an engineer corps, but after a few months entered private school, two years later returning to engineering, and eventually becoming a civil engineer. His coming to Fulton county and to Wauseon has been hiereinbefore narrated. After the railroad had been completely laid, he, in about 1856, severed his connection with the company, and took up permanent residence in Wauseon, two years later becoming station agent. Hle resigned two years later. When the outbreak of civil war came in 1861, he headed the first company raised for service in Ful- ton county, in April. He served in a number of regiments in 1861 and 1862, but at the end of that time was forced to resign, and re- turn to Wauseon, his partner, Nathaniel Leggett, having died. Ir. 1863, he established a banking house in Wauscon, taking into part nership Naaman Merrill, in 1865. Colonel Barber was probably the most effective of all the publie workers for Wauseon during the first two or three decades of its existence. He died in April, 1899, and was buried in Wauseon Cemetery.
A. J. Knapp was born in Homer, New York, in 1822, and died near Wauseon in 1891. He came from Bellevue, Ohio, to Wauseon
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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
in 1860. From 1860, through the period of war, he was postmaster, and also druggist. At one time he was in business as a grocer, but did not succeed. He was a prominent member of the Congregational Church, at Wauseon; was one of its twelve charter members, was its first clerk, and also choir leader. His death was hastened by a fall two years earlier, his hip being fractured, and the disease resulting taking a fatal course. He was much esteemed in Wauseon, as "a truly companionable man."
John H. Sargent, partner with Col. E. L. Barber in establishing Wauseon, was a resident of Cleveland, and at that time, and for the greater part of his life was a man of some prominence in that city. At one time, he was city engineer of Cleveland, and held many other important engineering appointments. He does not appear to have ever taken up residence in Wauseon.
Gen. E. L. Hayes was one of those who suffered materially by his national service during the Civil war. He was the principal mer- chant in Wauseon when he left in 1861 to take up arms for the na- tion, but he never again resumed that position. He later said: "The war almost ruined me financially. I came home with impaired health, disposed of what little was left, and came here (New Jersey) to start again in life. . . today I am struggling along, as best I can." That was in 1903.
Isaac Springer was one of the most enterprising merchants of Wau- seon, and also took prominent part in county affairs. He died in 1898, near Wauseon, aged 71 years. He served two terms as county treasurer, and twice as county auditor.
Henry Stern, one of the early merchants died in 1911. He was one of the charter members of the Oddfellows lodge in Wauseon, es- tablished in 1860.
Hiram Pritchard was responsible for much of the brick building done in Wauseon, from 1865. He later became one of the leading grocers, and was prominent in the organization of the People's Bank. He died in 1912.
Naaman Merrill, partner with Colonel Barber in banking and real estate business in Wauseon, was the son of Levi Merrill, one of the pioneer settlers in Fulton Township, in 1838, Naaman then being thirteen years old. He, Naaman, had good part in the building of the school system, was one of the pioneer teachers, and when the county had been only a few years established was appointed clerk of the courts. He held that county office for several years, and having read law in the meantime, was admitted to the bar of Fulton county. He died in 1879, the latter part of his life having been lived in Wau- seon.
Marcus Lyon, partner with Joel Brigham, in the most important enterprise of early Wauseon days, died in 1902, aged 75 years. The Wauseon Flour Mill, eventually became one of the landmarks of the village, and is still one of the principal business undertakings of that place. When Marcus Lyon came to Wauseon, it had a population of only a few hundreds. He was interested in many phases of the busi- ness life of the place, but his chief interest was in the flour mill, first in partnership with Joel Brigham, and later with Messrs. Clement and Greenleaf.
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