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 36
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There were many with well-built substantial church buildings and among those standing in 1876 and not herein'before referred to were: the Lutheran brick church one mile north and 2 1-2 miles east of Archbold. It was valued at $4,000, and then had a membership of twenty-four, the Rev. R. Kraft being the minister, and Fred Kraus, Jacob Leininger and Fred Schultze being the trustees; and the New German Baptist church, which property was valued at $1,000, and was erected by a strong society which, in 1875, stood at about one hundred members, under Sebastian Lipe and Michael Tyler, ministers, who were paid no salaries. And through the decades of progress in German Township these many church organizations have been the stabilizing power. The Hon. O. B. Verity, in a "History of German Township,' published in the Archbold "Herald" in March, 1888, wrote:
"It has been well said: 'As a tree is judged by the fruit it bears, so is the enlightenment of a people and their prosperity gauged by the ex- tent with which religious instruction is carried on.' These churches have not been merely for the sake of ornament, but for the convenience of true Christian family worship, and in furtherance of the Gospel cause, qualities which go to make up a membership. The form of
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church government in the most of them is congregational. They are policemen to arrest evil-doers, soldiers to quell riots, and courts to ad- just difficulties. They are the visible monuments of a people's rever- enec for God, and a resort for young and old, to assist in beating back the tide of infidelity and the enemy of home."
ORIGIN OF PETTISVILLE
Pettisville has to an extent suffered by its geographical position, situated as it is between and in close proximity to two larger towns, Archbold and Wauseon, the county seat. The fact that it is in two townships, Clinton and German, has also perhaps acted as a deterrent to general interest and natural growth. It nevertheless is a thriving village, and has several alert and enterprising residents.
Probably, to one John Dyer belongs the honor of having founded Pettisville. He orginally laid out a town there, and built the first house, locating it on the west side of Main Street, on the south side of the railroad track; after which Hope and Radcliffe bought a sec- tion on the south side and east side of Main Street, and laid out the town in 1857. It seems that the village "takes its name from one Mr. Pettis, who no doubt was a favorite man and a sub-contractor in grading the road under Benjamin Folsom, the builder of the rail- road" stated Brown's "Gazetteer" for 1868, adding that "At this point it is said Mr. Pettis erected several shanties for his men, while grading the road bed."
The population of Pettisville in 1868 was estimated to be "about 500"; and the village then had one sehool and three church organi- zations. Methodist, Disciples and Lutheran, the Chronicler stating that "Steps have been taken towards erecting a church building this sum- mer." There were three comparatively important industries in Pettis- ville in 1868, probably the most important being the Pettisville Woolen Mills, owned and managed by James McFellen, who manufactured "Satinets, Flannels, Jeans, Cassimeres, and other woolen goods." His mills were on Front Street. Then the Starr Flouring and Saw Mills, situated on the west side of Main Street, and owned by Edward G. Gowdy and Peter G. Gaiman, did good business. The third industry .was that of M. Britton and Company, on Dame Street. They were oar and hand-spike makers, the partners in the enterprise being Mason Brit- ton, T. C. Turner, and E. R. Phinney. Amos Broughton and Jas. M. Waddick were resident physicians, Dr. Waddick also being partner with Quincy Fairbanks in a general store business on Main Street. Grocers and storekeepers in the village were Frederick Barbier, Sereno Breein- ard, Edward T. Graetz, Thomas Ratcliffe and the firm of Fairbanks and Waddick; James Killin conducted a millinery establishnient, and was also a justice of the peace; a wagon-maker, Daniel Clark, had a shop on Summit Street; and there were three blacksmiths in the village, William Cline, William Dimke, and Gottlieb Laher; while hostelries were represented by Mrs. Luticia M. Sullinger, proprietress of the Mansion House, which was situated on the east side of Main Street, at the corner of Summit. Theo D. Fenton and his brother, Henry R., had a drug store on Main Street; John Narthein had a furniture shop on Dame Street; and Jacob Gaiman conducted a saloon on west side of Main. Julius A. Graetz was station agent
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Albert S. Fleet, in 1876, described Pettisville thus: "A railroad town ...... a place of some business. Of churches there are two- Disciples and German Reform; saloons, two; business places, seven ; cabinet shops, one; physicians, two; intelligence office, one; one grist mill and one saw mill."
Some Pettisville history is embodied in the chapter on Clinton Township; while Pettisville school history is reviewed partly in the general chapter on "The Schools, 1835-1920", partly in the Clinton Township Chapter and early in this chapter. The development of the Pettisville Bank is reviewed in appropriate place in the financial chapter.
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CHAPTER XIV HISTORY OF AMBOY TOWNSHIP
Amboy is one of the pioneer townships of Fulton county. Its settlement began in 1833, and its early history and eventual develop- ment redound to the credit of the pioneer settlers; so much so, indeed, that descendants undoubtedly may be proud of the records of their ancestors. Yet, singularly enough, the ancestral homes have, with one exception, all passed out of the possession of the pioneer families of Amboy, in which noticeable particular it differs strikingly from other townships of Fulton county, which today is peopled, in un- usually large proportion, by the descendants of the pioneer settlers; and in very many cases the descendants still till the land, now rich and desirable, that once was swamp or wilderness, and was won to fertility and agricultural production by the brow-sweat of their fore- bears. The lands of Jared Hoadly, the pioneer settler of Amboy. of the Steadman, Blain, Roop, Gilson, White, Bartlett, Hallett, La- Bounty, Purdy, Welch, Lewis, and Richey families, all worthy pioneers of Amboy Township, have passed to strangers. The only farm in the township that has not in transfer passed out of the family of the original settler is, it is believed, the Tripp Farm, on section sixteen. It was in 1838 that Norman N. Tripp entered wild land in that section, the property passing at his death to his son, Henry, whose widow still resides on and owns the estate, which is a rich one.
Part of Amboy Township in the first years of its settlement was in "the disputed territory", the Territory of Michigan and the State of Ohio claiming it, as has been elsewhere explained herein. Until the dispute was finally settled, all residents within the disputed strip had to recognize the authority of the Territory of Michigan, and consider themselves as being resident in Fairfield township, Lenawee county, and Territory of Michigan. The map made in 1834, one year before the organization of Lucas county, shows the territorial line. All parts of Amboy north of the "Fulton line" were accountable to Michigan, and until December, 1836, when the whole of the disputed strip be- came an integral part of Ohio, under the jurisdiction of Lucas county, the settlers were forced to transact their legal business and pay their taxes at the city of Adrian, county seat of Lenawee county.
The township of Amboy was organized on June 4, 1837, by taking all of town nine south, range four east, south of the Harris line, now the State line of Michigan, and all of fractional township ten south range four east, extending to the Fulton line, south. On March 1, 1841, Ful- ton Township was organized, Amboy losing to it all of town ten south, range four east, and in 1846, upon petition by Fulton Township, furth- er territory, to wit: sections 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, being the south tier of sections of town nine south, range four cast. Amboy thus was reduced to an area of 16,677 acres, or twenty-six full sections of land;
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and since 1846 there has been no change in its boundaries. The map shows its position sufficiently to make further verbal description un- necessary.
In early days the territory was a favorite hunting ground for the Indians, who remained in the territory for several years after settle- ment by whites had begun. It has been stated that bears, panthers, wolves, and wild-cats abounded in the dense forests of Amboy; while the settlers found in the deer and wild turkeys welcome sources of food.
Ten Mile Creek runs through Amboy Township, emptying eventually into Maumee Bay. Smaller streams empty into Swan Creek. The land is mostly level, at the highest point being only 140 feet above the level of Lake Erie.
"BEARS, PANTHERS, WOLVES, AND WILDCATS ABOUNDED IN AMBOY."
SETTLEMENT
It was generally acknowledged among the pioneers that Jared Hoadly was the first to settle in the township. He entered his land in the month of July, 1833, and "late in the fall of that year" took up his abode on the land, which was in section seven. It is under- stood that he built a log cabin thereon in the early part of January, 1834.
Many other settlers are supposed also to have come into the town- ship in the year 1833, among them David Steadman and his sons Alvah and Aaron, Frank O'Neil, Charles and William Blain, John and Joseph Roop, and Alfred Gilson.
In 1834 came John Blain; Jerry and David Duncan; Lorenzo Abbott; Seneca Corbin; Park White and his son David; Jonathan and Clark Gilson, James Hallett, John LaBounty; Samuel Purdy, Joseph Richey; Nathaniel and Harry Welch.
In 1835 Hiram Bartlett, Calvin Skinner, Cyrus Fisher, Horatio
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Stevens and Caleb Remilie are stated to have come into Amboy and settled. And George Barnett is grouped with the incoming settlers of that year, as are also the Chapman, Griswold, and Koons families.
During the next five years many others came, including Job Duvall, Tunis and John Lewis, Charles Welch, Joseph Richey, Wil- liam Irwin, Charles C. Tiney, Norman N. Tripp, and possibly others; while during the succeeding decade those who took up residence and be- gan the clearing of land they had acquired were Morey S. Potter, Sullivan Johnson, Hezekiah Culver, Caleb Satterly, Thomas Cahoe, George Hackett, and his brother, and possibly, nay probably, many others. The activities of these men made Amboy quite a consequential township even before the organization of Fulton county. The village of Metamora was beginning its career at that time, and although its claims to consideration were not convincing there were some who thought, or perhaps hoped, the village might be chosen as the county seat of the new county.
Regarding the early settlers there is little biographical material on record. Jared Hoadly was one of the most influential men of Amboy in its first decades. He took directing part in most of the public affairs of the township, and came successfully through the first trying period, during which the settlers had to take their grain to Tecumseh, a journey of three or four days duration for an ox-team, for grinding. After many years of residence in Amboy, Mr. Hoadly moved into Michigan.
Alvah Steadman was, it is generally conceded, the second settler, closely followed by John and Joseph Roop. Alfred Gilson settled on section nineteen. The Blain family was a notable one among the pioneers of the first and second years. Charles and William, originally from Lodi, Onondaga county, New York, came via Toledo in the late fall of 1833. John Blain came with the Duncans in 1834. All were from Lodi, N. Y., and became worthy settlers in Amboy, the Blains raising large families and clearing the greater part of sections eighteen and nineteen. Sarah, mother of the Blain brothers died in Amboy Township in 1874, having reached the unusual age of one hundred and four years.
Joseph Roop, was an enterprising and industrious man; he was the first to make brick in the township, and he carried on that industry extensively for many years.
Frank O'Neil is looked upon as the pioneer settler within the limits of the village of Metamora, although the log cabin he erected there in 1833, or 1834, cannot be considered to have had any con- nection with, or to have been the commencement of, the establish- ment of that village, which really did not come into existence until fifteen years or more had passed. Frank O'Neil was the first white settler in the northeastern part of Amboy, and for many years had no near neighbors.
Hiram Bartlett was originally from Cooperstown, N. Y., but spent about nine years in Port Lawrence (Toledo) before settling in Am- boy, in 1835. He died in 1875. His three daughters all married pioneers of Amboy Township. Elizabeth married Solomon Keeler, son of Samuel Kceler, who settled here in the same year as did Bartlett; Julia Ann married Norman H. Tripp, who first visited Amboy in 1838, stayed a short time, but did not permanently settle until 1847; and Hannah F., who became the wife of George Gale.
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Horatio Stevens, who came at the same time as Calvin Skinner, Cyrus Fisher, and Caleb Remilie, all from Niagara County, New York, settled upon section twenty-nine, his farm later passing to Stephen Haughton. Joseph Richey and Marmaduke Bunting also settled in the township in about the same year. Lorenzo Abbott came through from Maumee, directed through the dense forest by a small pocket compass. He entered the land he chose, and lived upon it for about seven or eight years, selling, in 1843, to Sullivan Johnson. One record states that Sullivan Johnson settled in Amboy in 1838; another, that he came in 1843. He was a native of Vermont; came to Ohio when a young man ; married Adelia Worden in Toledo; and soon there- after came into Amboy Township. He interested himself much in public affairs, and at different times held practically every township office. For thirty-six years he was a justice of the peace, and for four years was sheriff of Fulton county. He died in Metamora in 1897, aged eight-three years.
ESSENTIALS OF THE PIONEER HOME.
One of the noted hunters of pioneer days in Amboy Township was David White, son of Park White. Eventually, as the settlers cleared the forest, and hunting and trapping became unprofitable in con- sequence, David White moved to wilder parts in northern Michigan.
Job Duvall (Davoll) settled upon section nine, and the family has for many decades been a prominent one in Amboy Township, He came originally from Erie County, N. Y., settling in Amboy, according to one chronicler, in 1845, and, by the rendering of another, between 1836 and 1840. He died in 1869, aged 54 years, generally respected, "having been one of the influential citizens of Amboy Township, of which he served as treasurer for four years." E. S. Davoll, now of Metamora, and president of the Home Savings Bank of that place, is of the same family.
Joseph Ritchey settled in Amboy in 1836, with his wife, Rebecca Young, and their children. He cleared eighty acres, and raised a
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family of ten children. John W. Ritchey, his son, became one of the large landholders in Amboy Township, and eventually took up resi- denee in Metamora, where from 1888 until the year of his death, 1900, he was a successful merchant.
Charles C. Tiney settled on seetion 30, in 1838, William Irwin, on section 14, and Joseph Ritchey on seetion seventeen.
Morey S. Potter, and Minerva, his wife, were the progenitors of many of that name who eventually beeame responsible and useful citizens in Fulton county. Calvin H. Potter, their son, who was in the first vigor of young manhood when the family came into the town- ship in 1842, is said to have eut and brushed six miles of road, four rods wide, through heavy timber, and to have eventually himself eleared the greater part of his farm of one hundred acres. The family eame from New York state.
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"DAVID WHITE LEFT AMBOY FOR WILDER PARTS, WHEN HUNTING AND TRAPPING BECAME UNPROFITABLE."
METAMORA.
As before narrated, Frank O'Neil, in the 'thirties, built the first house, or log cabin, within what eventually became the boundaries of the village of Metamora, but no movement toward founding a village began for many years. Hezekiah Culver and Delbert Compton may be given the places of honor as the main founders of Metamora, al- though Jonathan Saunders was stated to have been one of the original proprieitors of the village. It was in 1845 that the first impetus came in the erection then by Culver and Compton, or by Culver with the assistance of Compton, of a grist mill on land belonging to Culver. This enterprise, the first grist mill in the township, necessarily drew the
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attention of the settlers to the locality, for formerly they had to take their grain to Tecumseh for grinding; and it was only a matter of a short time before it became a center of trading. Lewis S. Hackett, now of Pittsford, Michigan, but seventy years ago a resident in Metamora, wrote "Metamora History" in 1912, the review, which appeared in the Metamora "Record" of January 19, 1912, issue, reading:
"On the 10th of September, 1849, my father, mother, and three children, left Macedon, N. Y., for Ohio, going by canal and lake to Toledo, arriving the morning of the 20th, and was until noon getting to Sylvania by rail. We reached the home of my uncle; George Hack- ett, in Amboy Township, at 6 in the evening, having passed through the village of Metamora about 4 o'clock. The village at that time consisted of one grocery store, about 14x20 feet. H. Culver was pro- prietor, and he also owned a saw mill, and the land where the village stands. The grocery was about where the Home Savings Bank stands, and the mill about fifteen rods north and east, across the road, on the creek bank; and about the mill was a yard for logs, except two small plank houses where Russell Packard and Delbert Compton lived, and operated the saw mill for Culver. There was one house on the west side of the creek, where Augustus Ries now lives, owned and occupied by Dr. Pomeroy, and that is the only building left in the village that was there at that time. About all kinds of groceries were kept in the little grocery, and a barrel of whisky in the corner. H. Culver was just building a larger store on the corner, about 20x40 feet, 11/2 stories high, where Pegg's Hardware is, and moved in that winter. In the fall of 1851 he built a hotel on the west side of the street (Bleyer's place). It was late in the fall when it was raised, and I remember it well, as I was there barefooted. ..... My brother John was also there, and he was about five years old (Lewis was about two years his senior). There were only five houses and five families there then, but soon after- wards a blacksmith's shop was built, an ashery was put in by Garry Vrooman, and several houses were built. In 1852, or 1853, a plank road was built from Toledo to Morenci, and on the same road now paralleled by the T. & W. electric line. In fact, this road, or very little if any of it, has not been changed from Morenci to Toledo. This plank road was a great thoroughfare from the West, as all products were sent to Toledo, and the merchandise of all kinds used west, as far as Mor- enci and Fayette passed through Metamora. Hotel business was good, and soon another was built. G. Vrooman built a new store on the north side of the road where the Metamora Hardware now stands. .
For several years before the electric road was built, it (Metamora) did not improve very fast. Metamora has had several losses by fire, but each time it has seemed to be a benefit to the village, for larger and better buildings were put up to replace the ones burned. Since the T. & W. was built, the village has steadily improved, and today is a very prosperous and beautiful place, surrounded by good farms, and as good enterprising citizens as any place in Ohio, or Michigan, I believe. Most, if not all, of the older class that started in Amboy Township have passed away. . ... L. H. Clendenin is the oldest person in Amboy Township, living on the same farm that he did at the time (they first settled) and he at the time was twelve years old. Horace Tredway was another schoolmate of mine. He still lives on and
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owns the old home, but he is just over the county line, and not really a eitizen of Amboy Township."
The grist mill owned by Hezekiah Culver eventually was acquired by Eli Bunting, who ran it for many years.
William Bailey is stated to have been the pioneer physician of Metamora. He settled near the German Church, about two miles to the westward of the village. And Dr. Pomeroy, who actually lived in the village, was early in praetiee, and at the time of the coming of Lewis H. Hackett was then an old man. After a few years of practice in Metamora, he died and was there buried. Jonathan Saunders, one of the proprietors of the village, lived there until his death. His son, Clark, established himself as a druggist in Metamora, and the Saunders family still has good business interests in Metamora.
How Metamora came to be so named is not on reeord. For very many years it was the only post-office in the township; in faet until 1880, when Siney post-offiee was established to serve the western part of Amboy. The post-office for the eastern half of Amboy, and the first to be established was situated about one-half mile west of Metamora, stated Lewis S. Hackett. Continuing, he gives the information that: "Morey S. Potter was postmaster. This office supplied mail to patrons for several miles away, in all direction. We (the Hackett family) lived six miles southwest, and each and every Saturday that was my job to go and get the Albany 'Argus,' a paper printed in Albany, N. Y. There were not many letters passing in the mails in those days, for the postage on a letter was twenty-five cents. The Toledo 'Blade' was then published in Toledo, but very few copies eame to our post- office."
Metamora in 1858 was probably as widely known throughout the county as it is today ; and it seems to have been quite accessible, if one may draw inferences from a eircular printed in that year. The inter- esting paper was discovered in 1913, while A. L. Guthrie was taking out a window in the farmhouse of W. S. Edgar, near Seward; and printed on it was the following invitation:
Your company is solicited to attend a Ball at the Fulton House, Metamora, kept by H. Culver, on Friday evening, October 8th, 1858.
COMMITTEE
Wm. Warren, Sylvania; A. Maee, Morenei; A. Randolph, Mor- enei; J. R. Newcomer, Ottokee; E. Stow, Ottokee; A. J. Allman, Centerville; J. Gample, Centerville; George Nort, Delta; James Paek- ard, Madison ; L. Mason, Fairfield; Dr. Grandee, Fairfield; R. Carter, Ogden; M. Richardson, Royalton; G. F. North, Blissfield; Dr. Hill, Royalton; Jas. Vaughn, Ai; E. S. Blake, Ai.
ROOM MANAGERS
W. D. MeCan, J. H. Guernsey, J. D. Gistwite.
Musie by Haneoek's Quadrille Band. Tickets, $2.00."
Industrial Metamora, in 1888, embraced : "One saw mill ; one hotel, kept by Peter Holben ; four dry goods stores, owned by James Garnsey, Edward Duvall, and Fred Prickett; one barber shop." A large cheese factory was also in process of establishment. And the physicians then were Drs. S. M. Clark, Foster, Tompkins, and Markham.
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As now constituted, Metamora is a thriving, self-contained, town ; has an elevator and a cement block factory; two good banks, which are referred to in the general chapter on Fulton county banking; two churches; an excellent high school; some up-to-date and com- pletely-stocked stores; a live newspaper; a hotel; and two restaurants. It is satisfactorily served by the Toledo and Western electric railway. The village of Metamora was granted corporate powers on June 1, 1893. Its first mayor was James H. Garnsey, George F. Frasch acting at first as clerk, but his duties being soon assumed by F. A. Seeley, who during the last generation has been one of the prominent residents of Metamora. J. Ott, Jr., was elected mayor in 1899; Carson Garnsey, in 1900; H. D. Robinson, in 1901; E. S. Davoll, in 1904; S. A. Morse, in 1908; H. H. Tredway, in 1914; S. A. Morse, in 1916; J. C. Smith, in 1920. H. H. Tredway became village clerk in 1904;
THE WIDE THOROUGHFARES OF METAMORA.
J. J. Malone, in 1908; Fred V. Myers, in 1914; and Charles J. Malone in 1920.
There are no township records earlier than the current books now in the possession of the present township clerk, and the earlier records cannot be traced; consequently it is not possible to more than state the names of the present township trustees, L. M. Ries, Jacob Schug and Nick Mossing, and present clerk, A. D. Franklin, and to record the information that the first township election was held in 1837, in the log house of David Duncan.
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