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 33

Author: Reighard, Frank H., 1867-
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 546


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 33


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"HAVING CROSSED THE RIVER, THEY PROCEEDED WEST TO NAPOLEON."


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In crossing the river, there being no bridge, Mr. Binder, with his wagon, struck a large stone, and but for the help of the others would have been unable to extricate himself. Having crossed the river they proceeded westward to Napoleon, which place they reached after a very tedious journey (of sixteen days) having travelled at the rate of about ten miles a day. At this time, there was but one house in Napoleon ...... a log house. This, our subject thinks, was occupied, in part at least, by a man named Wolfe, others say by a Mr. Hueston. It is not improbable that at that time both. ..... lived in the house. Now from Napoleon to reach their point of destination, nearly twenty miles north and west through a dense and trackless forest, was a ...... perplexing question. They finally decided to employ a surveyor to locate the most direct route. They estimated that no more than two days would be required to do this. Eight men accompanied the surveyor, to blaze trees, and otherwise assist in the work. At the end of the first day, the company found that they had advanced only eight miles. Here, in the thick woods and count- less myriads of mosquitos, they were compelled to camp for the night. Realizing that the supply of food for the trip was inadequate, they despatched two of their men to Napoleon for additional rations, the remaining men continuing the survey. Instead of at Lauber's Hill, the surveyors came out where the village of Burlington now is, two miles west of the point aimed at. When they finally reached the place sought, it was night, and they were without food, shelter, or bed to sleep on. To still further add to their discomfort, a heavy rain and thunderstorm came on, and they all became thoroughly wet to the skin. They built a large fire and stood about it with clothes wringing wet, the long, long night through, the wind blowing, the tops of the trees waving, the thunder roaring, and the lightning flashing .... most of the night. In the morning, without supper or breakfast, without sleep or rest, and still wet, they had no alternative but to begin their return


trip to Napoleon. Fortunately. . . about noon, they met the two men with the provisions ordered. Scarcely ever, perhaps, was food devoured with keener relish. The night following they camped where they had. .. . the first night. ... The next day they reached Napoleon. Here they found six of their companions down, sick with those other plagues of the West, fever and ague. Orders however, were at onee issued for all who had 'hands and feet,' to lay hold and open a road on the surveyed line, the wagons and all together advancing as the road was opened. At meal times, forks were driven into the ground, on which poles were placed. On these, pots for cooking were hung. Water was secured, such as it was, from holes dug two or three feet in the ground At night, they slept in their wagons, or otherwise, as best they eould, and fought mosquitos with fire and smoke. After eleven long days spent in severe toil and slow movement, they finally reached, August 22nd, 1834, the point in the forest where they proposed to make their future homes. Here in the deep woods, without a house, or a foot of cleared land, strangers, unacquainted with the laws of the country and its general customs and language, more than four thousand miles from their native land, totally ignorant of frontier life and of its methods and instruments of labor, many of them, too, already sick, and thirty miles or more from market or doctor, the situation was gloomy indeed. In the face of all these difficulties and discouragements, the heroic people resolved bravely to persevere in their effort to make for themselves independent homes. For a time they slept in their wagons,


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and under roofs constructed of brush and leaves. The first house built was a cabin, about 20x24 feet, on Mr. Christian. Lauber's land, about thirty rods north of the site of the brick house, in which Samuel Lauber, a. grandson, now resides. By reason of sickness, only six men of all the settlers were able to help put up the house. Joseph Bates, and his hired man, kindly came about six miles, and greatly assisted in raising the building. It took them two days of hard labor to erect it. . . Other buildings, of a similar character, were soon after erected for the different other families, on their respective lands, except that for Mr. Binder, because of his disability occasioned by constant illness for six months, a small cabin was built near Mr. Lauber's house and on his land. Of this cabin, about 12x14 feet, one half the floor was made of split puncheons. The other half was the ground. In this shanty, without chimney-the fire being built on the ground-the Binder family lived their first winter in America. Their little cabin. ... was often so full of smoke that the inmates were often very nearly stifled.


In the spring, the family and goods in the house were about the color of smoked ham. While smoke ...... thus gave the settlers an- noyance ...... it did them ...... almost invaluable service, in shielding them from ...... numberless hosts of mosquitoes. . . Except Mr. Kibler, the settlers were poor, and for a number of years experienced much difficulty in procuring sufficient. .... . provisions. . They had to go to Maumee to mill and market, and to reach it. . had to go by the way of Napoleon. This made the distance about forty-five miles. It generally took a week's time to drive there and back with there ox teams, over such roads as they then had. The roads, especially in wet weather, were often next to impassable ...... On one occasion Mr. Lauber and another of the settlers, took a wagon and two yoke of oxen, and went to Maumee for provisions. On their way back they reached Brush Creek, about two miles distant from their homes. The creek at that time was wide and deep, the ground underneath soft, and from the long journey with the wagon and load, over bad roads, the oxen were jaded and tired. Still, impelled by a keen sense of their nearness to their homes and with the knowledge of the necessity of being there with the provisions, they urged the oxen into and half way across the stream. There, however, the oxen stopped, being entirly exhausted. All effort to get them to move on was fruitless. It was night, and the men unyoked the wagon, and went to their homes. Returning next morning, they found the wagon and oxen where they had left them the evening before. It was cold, and during the night ice had frozen over the creek. The tails of the cattle were actually frozen fast in the ice. The men broke the ice over the water, waded in and drove the oxen out, and home, leaving the wagon and provisions. The followng night the ice froze so solid that the men came next day and slid the provisions over the stream on the ice.


"Sometimes, from waiting too long before starting to mill, or from detention on the way, the settlers came near perishing for want of food. Raccoons, woodchucks, the flesh of animals that had starved to death, wild weeds, vegetables not esteemed fit for human food, and bran and water mixed, were used for food, in order to keep soul and body together. For the cattle, for sometime after the settlement began, little grass or hay could be secured. To keep their cattle alive winters- they had no horses for years -- trees were cut down by the settlers that


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their animals might eat the tops, which they did with great eagerness. Quite a number of their oxen and eows, however, ...... died for want of food. Why, it may be asked did not these people kill wild game in the woods, where, in large numbers, such game abounded? The answer is, those people were not hunters, and had for quite a time neither guns nor ammunition. Our subject (Jacob Binder, Jr.) . says they never had any relish for hunting. He, in common with the rest of the first settlers, very mueli preferred chopping, rail-making, and elearing, to hunting or fishing ...... But for the faithful service and kindness of his three sisters, Catherine, Anne, and Barbara, who ob- tained from fifty to seventy-five eents a week by employment among residents along the Maumee River, Mr. Binder tells us, he believes his father and the family would have certainly perished."


Despite all handieaps, however, tliese determined pioneers eventually conquered, and gradually won much more than the mere wherewithal to live; they developed agricultural estates such as they never thought, while they were still in their native land, it would be ever their good fortune to own.


"HE. . . . . . PREFERRED CHOPPING AND CLEARING TO HUNTING."


There were no other settlers in German Township in 1834, and be- fore the end of that year two of the sons of Mr. Meister died of ague. Physicians were unobtainable, and only simple home medicines were available.


The settlers in 1835, according to Albert S. Fleet, who wrote a "History of German Township," in about 1876, were Augustus Hull and wife; Peter Wyse, wife, and children ; Christian Funkhouser; Peter Leithy ; Peter Rupp; W. Grisier and family ; Christian Beck and family ; Nathan, Job and John Borton and their mother; Bethuel Borton and wife; Joseph Borton and family. The last named family came from New Jersey, and settled on Bean Creek.


In 1836, John Reynolds and his sons, Isaac, Adna and John eame from Vermont, and settled on the east bank of Bean Creek, on land now in Franklin Township; Jonathan and Dorsey Barnes, with their fami- lies, eame from Virginia; George Ditto and family came from Seneca County, Ohio; Daniel Sehad (Shorr) and family, direct from France;


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Peter Schad (Shorr) and family ; Christian Schad (Shorr) and family ; Peter G. Gull and family, all from France.


Settlers in German Township in 1837 were Samuel Burkholder and family ; Peter Naufsinger (Nofziger) and John Rivnaugh (Rufe- nact), from Europe; John Lutes, Henry Lutes and family, from another part of Ohio; George Johnson, William Johnson, and Benja- min Lee, from England; Samuel Gibbons and family, and Joseph Naufsinger (Nofziger), from France. Roswell Reynolds and family also came and settled near his father, John Reynolds. About. the same time, says Roseborough, "old Mr. Eaton came out from Seneca county purchased a farm on the west bank of Bean Creek, about a mile south of where Johnson's mill was subsequently erected, laid out a portion of it into town lots, and called it Eatonburg. A few log houses were put up, and a small store started by one Montgomery Hooker Fitch, a half-breed Indian, who sold the first goods that were ever sold in German Township. One Hastings was, it is thought, the next mer- chant. Eatonburg was the first village in the township. There is but little of it now remaining, and what does remain looks shabby enough to warrant one in believing that it was built at least a century before Noah's Ark," stated J. W. Roseborough, writing of German Township in 1870. Another settler in 1837 was Benjamin Brown, who later became prominent in the township. He came from Vermont and settled on section 17. He was a son-in-law of John Reynolds.


In 1838, among the incoming settlers were John Wyse, James and Joel Smith and families, Christian Becknor (Rychener), Peter and Jacob Rupp and families and Jacob Deppler. Verity also recorded the following as among the immigrants of that year: Samuel B. Darby; Jacob G. Wilden (or Wildin) and family; Jonathan Rogers and family; James F. Rogers and family; Michael Gish; John Reid, and Henry Roth. Fleet's version is that James Rogers and wife came in 1842; Jonathan Rogers in 1846; and the Wilden family in 1842. Albert G. Fleet came in 1840, and became quite prominent in agricultural movements, being president of the county agricultural society for many years; therefore it is probable he was able to become very intimate with the farming families of his own township. His record is consequently here given first place. He stated that Joseph Sander and family, Hugh Fairfield and family, and Augustus Clair and family came in 1839; that Joseph Schad (Short), Fred- Crouse (Krauss), Peter Weaver (Weber), and Jacob Leininger, with their families, came in 1840; that John Leininger and family came in 1841; that Peter Clopfenstein (Klopfenstein), and Anthony T. Moine and families, settled in 1842; that Joseph Rupp came in 1843; Joel Smucher (Schmucher) and family, in 1844; Moses Stutzman, Warren Mccutcheon and family, Peter Grim and family, and A. Grim and family, in 1845.


Other recorders agree that the following named pioneers ca'me into German Township, to settle therein, between 1840 and 1850: George Gasche, Jacob. Lipe (Lupp), Samuel Ames, Peter Short, George Betts, John L. Betts, Jacob Vernier, George Vernier, J. A. Wolverton, J. P. Flory, Jacques Grisier, and many others.


Henry and John Lutes were both local preachers of the M. E. church. Both later took active and leading part in the affairs of the community.


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The Johnsons carried on a profitable milling business, building a saw and grist mill on Bean Creck. Verity wrote:


"The first mill put up in German that was worth any great credit to the township, as an industry, was put up on the west bank of Bean Creek, where the State road crosses the creek upon section 7, running to West Unity. A grist and saw mill, run by the waters of Bean Creek, was put up by the two brothers, William and George Johnson, on lands bought by them as early as 1836. They were Englishmen. They commenced building the mills in. 1841, and completed them in 1842, so as to saw and grind for the inhabitants. The industry was a good one, and the proprietors made themselves well off. Before the erection of this mill in German Township, the nearest mill was at Evansport, on Bean Creek, ten miles southwest; the next was at Medina and Canandaigua, Mich., some 25 miles north ; and one at Defiance, Gilead and Maumee, on the Maumee. This forever after put a stop to long trips, to a large scope of country, and very muchı lightened the burdens of pioneer life.


The Johnsons carried on the imilling business until about 1857, when George Johnson, one of the firm, died. The labor was assumed by the sole partner, William, and afterwards sold and transferred to Reverend Cook, who successfully handled the industry until the burning of the mills some time in the latter part of the '70s. The milling business there has never been revived, as competition is so strong at more favorable points as to make the industry unprofitable away from railroad centers."


Jonathan Barnes was always a leader in the township. The first election was held in his house, and he was the first resident of German Township to be honored by election to a county office. He became county commissioner, and filled the office with much credit until shortly before he died. Warren Mccutcheon took his place for the unexpired portion of his term.


Samuel B. Darby was the first justice of the peace, and also the first school teacher. He was also the first postmaster in the county, stated J. W. Roseborough, the mail route being from Defiance to Michigan. He died in 1884, aged 77 years. He was also the first township clerk, and was sworn into office by "Long Bill" Jones, of Clinton, afterwards of Dover.


Jacob G. Wildin was "the most active and useful man of his time" in the township. He laid out the town of Burlington in 1839. He was the first merchant in Burlington. He erected a log building for a store-room, and catered especially to the needs of the incoming settlers, maintaining a good supply of goods such as the settlers would be likely to need. And in 1843, he built an ashery, nearby, or adjoin- ing. "This store and ashery were just what the people needed, and Mr. Wildin was just the active, liberal, public-spirited man required. He sold the settlers what they needed, and took pay in work, ashes, deerskins, and anything else they had to sell. He owned land, and ran a blacksmith shop, by means of hired help. The men he some- times had to work for him were so numerous as to resemble a small army. He built a saw-mill also, and without doubt materially aided the pioneers to prosperity. In the earliest days in German Township, the settlers were so poor that they wore wooden shoes, some had only


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wooden knives and forks, with "a huge log, levelled on the top, for a table"; while their bed-ticks would be filled with dry leaves, and placed upon bedsteads made out of poles cut from the forest, with basswood bark for cords. But, stated Fleet, with the establishment of "Johnson's mills, and Wildin's ashery and store, the people became almost extravagant. Conrbread and wooden shoes were not sought for; a new era had commenced and we began to feel like shouting. The day began to dawn; our roads were getting good, and life was pleasant."


It was in boring for water, with which to supply the needs of his ashery, that Jacob Wildin and others became cognizant of the presence of natural gas in the township. His was probably the first well boring in the township, and Albert S. Fleet, who lived within a mile or so, describes the disastrous happenings that followed the boring thus :


"Sometime in 1843, or 1844, from scarcity of water, Mr. J. G. Wildin commenced digging a well, to get water to supply his ashery; after digging some forty feet in the blue clay, and no signs of water, he caused the well to be curbed with a substantial framework, or at least I thought so. He reached the hard-pan, as it is called, and at this point found some water, and a strong supply of gas. The water raised some inches in the bottom of the well, and the gas blowed profusely. The auger refused to take in the hard-pan, and conse quently one hand could play it like a top. At this point of time, I visited the well, went to the bottom, saw a Mr. Beck turning the auger, and standing in the water half-leg deep, and the gas rushing up through the water, making a great bubbling. Feeling somewhat uneasy I ascended, and felt like keeping out of that place. The next morning, we heard something like a cannon, and soon heard that Mr. Wildin's well had blown up ...... I visited the spot soon, and found the framework of the well in bad condition. Mr. Wildin was very badly burned in the face, and injured otherwise, Philander and Othello Church were somewhat injured; one was thrown on the top of the ashery, and Othello coming down lit on some fixings over the well, and escaped without injury."


The incident, as narrated by Verity, is as follows:


"Jacob G. Wildin. . ... when at a depth of forty feet left the well for the night. Before renewing their digging in the morning, they tested the well, by letting down a lighted candle; it went down safely until very near the bottom, when the candle ignited what was supposed to be gas, but no explosion followed; the flames gradually arose in the well until near the surface, when a terrible explosion took place, which was heard seven or eight miles distant. Several persons were injured, among them Mr. Wildin himself, who by the seriousness of the accident was compelled to retire from business. The well was allowed to fill up, and was never completed for use."


Jacob Wildin died in, about, 1864. He married Anna, daughter of Jacob Binder, the pioneer settler and minister.


While on the subject of wells, it may not be amiss to record here some other early borings, in German Township, as noted by Fleet, who, after describing the Wildin disaster, continued :


"Soon after, James Smith bored for water to the hard-pan; found


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plenty of gas, but no water to any amount, and abandoned the well. Mr. Smith, passing the well with a light in the evening, ignited the gas, and it made a warm time until it was put out. After this, Solomon Rogers confined the gas in boxing, or tubing, and at evening would ignite it, for diversion. It would make a beautiful light, illuminating the town (Burlington) beautifully. Soon after this it beeame a common occurrenee to get gas-wells with water, and without water; the strongest fountains were got with the least gas. Mr. Quillet got a very strong gas and water fountain. It would throw a stream of water and gravel as high as the tallest trees, and some stones that resembled stone coal. Mr. Schad struek gas very strong; it would boil a five-pail kettle full of water in fifteen minutes. It burned one time three weeks steady; and in ease of sickness in his family, it being near his house, he did not burn any other light. On Christian Schad's place the gas was so strong that it made a blaze as large as a large brush-heap, and it made such a light that one could see to read a quarter of a mile from the well in the night. Joseph Clair struck the gas in force; it made lively times; threw stone and water 100 feet high; it threw one stone that fell several rods from the well, that weighed twenty-two pounds. Fountains, or fountain-wells, are quite common in the township at present (1870)."


The first marriages in German Township were: that of a daughter of John Reynolds to Holt, in 1837, they being married by Erastus Crandall, J. P .; that of David Ely to a Miss Sehafer, in the same year; and that of Ransom Reynolds to Perlona Crandall, on July 28, 1838, the ceremony being solemnized by Nathan Borton, a justiee of the peace.


The first stores and businesses established in German Township were probably those of the town of Eatonburg (or Edinburgh, as one records the name), but as that town was only actively so for about four years-from 1838 to 1842-they have been overlooked. Michael Gish built and ran a tavern in Edinburgh; a saddler, named Aberight, had a harness shop in the town; there was a tailor shop, that of Mr. Case; and Milton Sawyer had a cabinet and earpenter's shop in that place.


The first English preachers in the township were Henry and John Lutes, and Joel Smith, the three being local preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The first religious service eondueted in the English language in German Township was that held in the house of John Reynolds, probably in 1837, Henry Lutes eondueting the service. John Bowser was also a pioneer preacher; he belonged to the United Brethren Society, and was "a most devout and excellent man." The first religious meeting held in the township was, however, undoubtedly that held in Christian Lauber's house in the fall of 1835, presided over, as preacher, by Christian Beck, of the Mennonite Church.


Elizabeth Wyse, it seems, was the first white child born in German Township. her birth date being in October, of 1837; the second birth was that of Lorena Holt, on January 29, 1838.


The pioneer physician was I. K. Carpenter, who took up residence in Burlington in 1844. He "was a Thompsonian."


The first wagon shop was probably that established by Jacob Noffsinger; the first blacksmith, it is said, was John Reed, who was


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set to work by Samuel B. Darby. The first shoemaker was Henry Roth.


The first postmaster was Samuel B. Darby. It was through his efforts that an office was established in May, 1839. It was named Elmira, and eleven years later was removed to the village of Bur- lington.


THE FIRST TOWNSHIP ELECTION


German Township was orgainzed, as hereinbefore stated, on March 4, 1839, and in the following month the first election was held. The polling place was in the residence of Jonathan Barnes, on section 14, near Lauber Hill, and thirteen votes were cast. (In the election of the previous year, 1838, the settlers had to go all the way to the cabin of Isaac Tedrow, in Clinton Township, to cast their votes; and in 1837 even further, the polling place being in York Center). The first German Township election, in 1839, resulted in the following named settlers being elected to the respective township offices:


Trustees: Jonathan Barnes, Samuel Gibbeny, Amos Garrett.


Clerk: Samuel B. Darby.


Treasurer: Nathan Borton.


Overseers of Poor: D. Campbell, and Adam Borton.


Constables: Joseph A. Borton, and Adna Reynolds.


Supervisors: Thomas B. Walters, John Shaffer, and Hy Lutes.


Some historians have stated that the first election was held in 1840, but while the official township records do not give the date of the first election, they make it quite certain that the year in which the first election was held 1839, not 1840. The "Town Good of German Township" (which was saved for posterity from a pile of discarded justice records about twenty years ago, by Archbold's present mayor, August Ruihley), appears at first glance to be merely an inexpensive note book, such as would be used nowadays for penciled notes. It in reality was the original record book of the trustees of German Township. The first entry, under date of April 29, 1839, records the names of men elected to township offices at first annual election; and from that record the names given above were taken.




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