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 56
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58
"Mr. Wm. Geyser saw that there was a good opening at Swanton, and opened a grocery in a small building, adding dry goods in course of time. He did good business, and was eventually forced to build larger quarters. He was enterprising, and held practically all the trade of the town. He built a large brick building, that now owned by F. J. Curtis.
"On the corner now known as Main and Mill Street, a Mr. Culver put up a frame building for a hotel. and between Culver's Hotel and the store of Mr. Geyser were small buildings occupied by various people. They were destroyed by fire. About that time Dewey Haskins and Knight moved a stave and oval dish factory here, and J. E. Hall started a lumber mill, and sash and door factory'. He was one of makers of Swanton. The large store building of Miller and Knight the makers of Swanton. The large store building of Miller was stocked with groceries and dry goods by Haskins, Dewey and Knight, and they condueted that business, with their factory for about three years.
"Removal of Postoffice. The enterprise of the new town de- manded postal facilities, and it did not require much argument to bring about the removal of the Swanton postoffice from the old town. Mr. Richard Marsh was the postmaster at that time, and with declining years, a change seemed necessary. He was succeeded by T. W. Knight, who held the office for about six years-until there was a change of administration.
"After the postoffice was removed, Bradley and Grandy built a
483
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
store building on the south side of the railroad, and moved their stock from the old town. Two or three years later, this building was burned to the ground, but another was quickly erected. It was at one time occupied by R. S. Clegg, furniture dealer and undertaker. He was succeeded by R. S. Fenton, who bought the property and stock, and after several years sold the business to C. J. Brindley, who still owns and conducts the business.
"The postoffice was located in a large store room, built by Mr. Francis Curtis on the corner of Main and Chestnut. He conducted a grocery business there at the same time. When Mr. Knight was appointed postmaster, he moved the office across the street to more suitable quartes, putting up a new building with larger quarters, and new fixtures; and the postoffice at that time was equal to any in the county. When his term as postmaster had ended, he sold his outfit. It was moved to Edgerton, Ohio, where it was used for a number of years. B. V. Ludlon succeeded Theodore Knight as postmaster at Swanton.
"The Veteran Telegraph Operator. I must not forget our old friend, Frank Minnich, the veteran telegraph operator, who served the L. S. and M. S. R. R. Co. for the greater part of his life, always faithful to the click of the instrument, and never the cause of an accident. Of late years he has enjoyed a well-deserved pension. We see him still on the streets, but he begins to show the effect of declining years.
"Grist Mill. The grist mill at Swanton was built shortly after Dewey, Haskins and Knight left the town. A great part of the structure was furnished by subscription ; some donated material; others labor. Mr. J. H. Miller was a good canvasser; he succeeded in getting a subscription from almost everyone he asked, for he would not take no for an answer.
"School. At one time there was no school in Swanton, and the children had to go to one of the two district schools which stood about a mile distant from the village on each side, one being in Fulton Township, and the other in Swan Creek. It was far to send small children, and eventually a small two-room two-story frame building was put up in Swanton; and when that became too small, as it soon did, a brick addition was put on, making four rooms. One evening the cry of "Fire" was given. It was the school building. It was burned to the ground. The property was insured, but not at its full value. For the remainder of the year the school was held in churches and halls, while the board considered ways and means. They issued bonds, and let a contract for a new building which was to cost $35,000. At the time it was built it was the best in the county, and it still marks the enterprise of the town.
"Church. The only church in the town was the Methodist Episcopal, which also was moved from West Swanton, and placed on the corner of Main and St. Clair. It was thought that we needed a new church, and the Rev. N. D. Baumgardner lost no time in securing the subscription for a new building, to the amount of $5,000. This church was also burned down, but in less than a year another was built. At present Swanton has four churches.
.
THE A. D. BAKER COMPANY'S MACHINE SHOPS AT SWANTON, AFTER THREE MINUTES OF TORNADO, 1920.
485
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
"Incorporation. The village was made a town in the '80s, with Dr. L. A. Bassett the first mayor.
"The Baker Plant. The most important event in the history of the new town was the construction of the A. D. Baker plant. Mr. A. D. Baker started as a boy of sixteen to work at ingenious inventions of mechanical nature, and had a shop about half a mile from town. From that small shop has grown his present factory which now covers ten acres, manufacturing the celebrated Baker thresh- ing machines, and engines; also the Baker valve gear, used on locomo- tive engines all over the United States. Normally, the plant employs a large force of machinists, but at the time of writing, it had not yet recovered from the almost total destruction of their plant by the terrible tornado that passed over the town and neighborhood on Palm Sunday, March 28, 1920. Damage to the extent of about $60,000 was done to this plant, but rebuilding is rapidly proceeding, and business has to some extent continued, notwithstanding the collapsed walls.
"The Tornado of 1920. The town was also badly damaged. Business places were unroofed, and partly destroyed; dwellings were blown to pieces, or turned over. However, Swanton is still there .. !
"Much more might be said about this last Swanton, if space would permit. We have electric lights, and nearly two miles. of paved streets."
Theodore W. Knight, himself, has had a good part in the building of Swanton, and is now its oldest, and one of its most respected residents.
PETITION FOR INCORPORATION
The petition praying for the incorporation of the village of Swanton bears the date of June 17, 1882. The signers werc: -
L. D. Boyer, Frank Houseman. A. Q. Price, Irvin Wimple, C. J. McBride, Frank Hough, John Q. Files, Charles Hilton, Gust. Estell, A. L. Newton, Wm. Hogue, G. A. Dull, N. B. Eddy, Wm. Buffington, S. C. Lester, M. Hanley, John Ruhland, Samuel Hall, J. E. Beard, Jos. Raab, G. W. Sly, G. B. Raab, J. F. Minnich, S. Merrill, S. F. Cosgrove, Wm. Nicodemus, R. S. Clegg, T. W. Knight, J. T. White, W. I. Holcomb, Chas. Schlatter, A. A. Reid, David Richardson, Harrison Hamp, Frank White, Wm. Brown, S. Roscoe, Joseph Schrack, E. F. Gibbs, J. F. McBride, Lewis Odell. John Ludenmonski, Wm. Hamp, Abraham Huftile, W. Metz, C. E. Marsh, James Howard, Chas, Brenner, S. R. Finch, L. A. Bassett, James H. Berry, W. H. Hardy, C. Cammet, J. P. Miller, F. M. Dennis, Adam Weigel, D. C. Deek, H. R. Steele, I. W. Wales (or J. W.), E. T. Wales, John Westbrook, Chas. Fels, George Burrell, E. W. Schrack, H. Hill, James Smith, J. M. Curtis, Lyman Northrop, D. E. Swank, David Huyck, Jay E. Hall, W. P. Soule, D. E. Strayor, J. W. Minnich, N. E. Dennis, L. C. Berry, T. G. Cain, J. Smith, and F. P. Huyck.
In all probability the petition was duly filed, but it is marked as . having been recorded on February 19, 1883. Meanwhile, there un- doubtedly had been divided feeling as to the need for incorporation, for two remonstrances were filed with the county authorities, the first on November 8, 1882, and the other on the 17th of the same month. About twenty-five signatures were put to these remonstrances, evidently :
.
486
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
a minority of the residents, so that corporate powers were granted to the village, and an election ordered to be held in April, 1883, when Dr. L. A. Bassett was obligated to the mayoral chair, and A. Q. Price became treasurer. The mayoral succession is as follows: L. A. Bassett, 1883-86; John Q. Files, 1887-88; A. Pilliod, 1889; W. A. Scott, Jr., 1890-92; G. W. Humphrey, 1893-96; A. B. Lathrop, 1897-98; Geo. W. Humphrey, 1899; J. B. Templeton, 1900; Wm. Geyser, 1901-02; Fred Helfrich, 1903-04; Samuel Odell, 1905-08; L. C. Cosgrove, 1909-13; S. L. Wentz, 1914; O. W. Curtis, 1915-17; J. E. Robasser, 1918; L. R. Baker, 1919-20.
The present municipal administration is constituted as follows: L. R. Baker, mayor; Cass Cullis, clerk; Chas. Witmer, Charles Neis, John Fels, Will Weir, and C. E. Brindley, councilmen; G. R. Acker- man, treasurer.
FIRE COMPANY
The first meeting of citizens of Swanton interested in the organiza- tion of a volunteer fire company was held in the Curtis Building, on February 20, 1895. Organization was effected at that meeting. The charter members and officers appointed were: F. E. Pilliod, chief; C. E. Marsh, assistant chief; B. F. Mills, foreman; Theo. Little, first nozzleman; A. F. Coon, second; Frank Aldrich, A. F. Coon, T. F. Deck, Harry Frogley, R. W. Fenton, Wm. Fleming, Henry Geer, W. W. Geer, Al. Gilmore, J. E. Hall, Frank Hill, Wm. Hill, E. J. Kline, Theo. Little, L. W. Metz, B. F. Mills, Jas. Moore, Dell Northrop, F. E. Pilliod, L. N. Pilliod, S. Ribble, W. A. Scott, Jr., Geo. Stout, Wm. Saulsbury, and J. B. Templeton.
Swanton had some disastrous fires in its history ; that of Tuesday, January 23, 1912, when many of the buildings on Main Street were destroyed entailed a loss of more than $40,000.
THE TORNADO OF 1920
The greatest disaster that Swanton, and Swan Creek Township, have had to suffer came with the passing of a tornado through the neighborhood on Palm Sunday, March 28, 1920. The local paper well describes the visitation, stating that:
"The storm struck this county about two miles east of Naomi, on the county line, destroying Arthur Tabor's house and barn, and the the new Tilse residence and barn near it. The Tabor home is a complete wreck. The family was in it at the time, and how they escaned with their lives none can tell ... . Will Ondorff's barn in the same vicinity was blown down, and one horse was killed.
"Rural Mail Carrier Percy Stites, who travels this section, states that he counted twenty-four barns on his route that had been blown down.
"From this point the storm traveled in almost a straight line to Swanton, passing about three miles south of Delta, and a mile north of Brailcy. The large barn of the Enos Rupp farm south of Delta was blown down, and two cows were killed.
"Mrs. Johnson, an aged widow, living alone on her farm in Swan Creek Township, had her home blown from over her head, her farm
ODDFELLOWS HALL, SWANTON, DAMAGED BY TORNADO 1920
488
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
buildings all destroyed, and she escaped uninjured. When the storm struck the home the windows crashed in, and she braced herself against the door, to hold it shut. After the storm had subsided she found the top part of her house was gone, the walls bulged in, and the interior of her home a wreck. Although nearly eighty years old, she was not injured. She knew where she kept her lantern, found it, lighted it, and stopped an automobile that was passing, and had them take her to Delta.
"The great machine shop of A. D. Baker Company, in Swanton, was blown down, causing thousands of dollars of damage to the inachinery. The great separator storage sheds of the same company were blown down.
"The flouring mill and elevator was badly damaged, although not blown down.
"The front of the cement block garage, on South Main Street, was blown in, and many automobiles stored there damaged.
"The roof and upper stories of the tall business bloek on Main Street, between the T. & I. and New York Central Railroad tracks was blown away, while across the street the front of the opera house block was blown in. Not a business block in Swanton but suffered damage, and in many eases destroyed the upper stories.
"The beautiful homes on North Main Street were largely wreeks- roofs torn off, porches gone, one end, or corner of a building torn away. This street has been one of the beauty spots of the country. The residence of Dr. and Mrs. F. W. Stine was partially destroyed, while the office and garage of Dr. Odell was practically wrecked, and one- half of the roof of his house carried away. Not a dozen residenees in the entire city eseaped injury.
"The windows of the Methodist Church were blown in, and the Catholic Church was badly damaged. The public school building stood the storm, though the windows and roof were damaged.
"With a dozen more residences entirely destroyed, and the great damage done to others; with business blocks and manufacturing plants wrecked, not a person in Swanton lost his life, and only four were slightly injured.
"From Swanton the storm continued its northwesterly course to Sylvania, almost sweeping away the little town of Raab, some eight miles northeast of Swanton, about three miles into Lucas county . .
Four residents of that place were killed and some ten others injured."
The tornado was an appalling calamity to many in Swan Creek Township. In many cases barns which a few minutes before had stood house-high collapsed like a house of cards, and lay in many cases, like carelessly piled waste stacks of lumber, some of them not a yard high. It was truly appalling. Yet, the people of Fulton county of today have much of the sterling qualities of their pioncer ancestors. The old widow "felt that soon matters would right themselves"; and the people of Swanton evidently meant to set about righting matters with- out more ado. The local paper stated :
"The same undaunted progressive spirit that made Swanton one of the foremost manufacturing eenters in the county is at work to rebuild it. The next day after the terrible eatastrophe that befell this prosperous city, workmen were clearing away the wreckage for the
489
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
building of a new Swanton. While it is a great loss to the town and community, the citizens are left determined and not discouraged, and will soon change the wreckage and devastation into prosperity and happiness."
The people of the county, in general, rallied to the aid of the un- fortunate. The Delta paper of that week stated that "Delta business men divided into three squads drove over the storm-swept country Monday, and made a survey of the losses and actual needs of the farms and farmers." In some cases money was promised, but the most appreciated help was in man-power. The Fayette paper stated that: "Something like a hundred men from Fayette and surrounding farms went to Swanton (on Wednesday) to aid the victims of the big wind storm in setting their places to rights. Not only from this section, but from other parts of the county were men there, and our people went to one farm, cleared away the debris, piled up the wind- blown trees and shrubs, and set fire to them; collected the barn and other timbers; and then on to another place to do the same. They kept it up all day."
The local Red Cross bodies were prompt in offering financial aid. Wauseon and Delta societies within a day or so of the storm, offered to contribute $500 each, "and more if needed," and Bryan Red Cross Chapter sent a cheque for $400. From a reading of all the reports, one is forced to the realization that the people of Fulton county of today are just as much "one family as they were in pioneer days, when all neighbors would set aside their own work to help a new- comer to raise a log cabin, or as, in a somewhat later day, they gathered for a barn raising.
SWANTON FORTY YEARS AGO
Mrs. A. Q. Price, who was married to Mr. Quill Price in 1877, and then came to Swanton, where they have ever since resided, read a paper entitled: "Swanton Forty Years Ago," at a meeting of the Progress Club, in 1917. It contains many interesting items of local history, and parts of it could appropriately be given place here. In part, the paper read :
"It (Mr. Price's drug store) was a small frame building, standing where the bank now is, a large maple tree in front, board sidewalk, and sand ankle-deep in the street. The population of Swanton at that time was 175. They supported a night-watch at that time, Wm. Buffington, mostly for intoxicates, and the caliboose, surely not for joy-riders and hold-up men. At that time houses were scarce, so we boarded across the street, at the Miller House, which is now Fleming's grocery .
"On my First evening in Swanton, after arriving on the plug train, . as at that time there was only one track ...... .I went over to our store after supper. Old Dr. Cosgrove was the first man I met. The next was an old resident who had visited the tavern, where the Pilliod block now stands, and he was feeling in quite a fighting mood ..
"When Mr. Price took charge of the store, a little boy about sixteen, by the name of Charlie, wanted to learn to be a druggist, or how to
490
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
roll pills .. He trudged from his home a mile north of town every morning with his dinner pail. You will still find him at the old stand, filling prescriptions.
"This was a hard town, but soon improved as it increased in popu- lation. Of course I got very lonely. The Millers were very kind to me. Mrs. Sanderson, Mrs. Jas. White, and Miss Olive were the daughters at this home. . . . Of course, Mr. Sanderson boarded there, and later became one of the family.
"A building stood next to the Miller House on the north, occupied in the front by Dr. Bassett. Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Brindley lived upstairs. . Mr. Brindley and Mr. Geyser kept the store now occupied by F. J. Curtis. "Church. The M. E. Church was a frame building on the lot where Bob Fenton's house now stands on Main Street, next to the garage. They had a new organ, and a number of the members of the church were going to leave on account of it. They had no one to play it, so Mr. Price told Mrs. Boyer his wife could play it. Of course I could for him, for he didn't know one tune from another, but Mr. Boyer asked me, so I could not refuse. We had a large choir, Mrs. Anna Houseman, leading soprano, Mr. Boyer and Ed. Wilcox basses. Mr. Boyer would tell me the key the piece was written in, and I would play. No one knew the difference then, but I am afraid the music would be criticized now.
"Ticket Agent. A family by the name of Eddy moved here, as he was the new ticket agent at the depot. Their daughter, Carrie, could play, so I then went into the choir. Altogether I was in the choir for thirty years.
"The Depot. The depot was the building now used as the freight depot, and was north of its present location. At that time this building was kept full of wood for shipping. Nothing but woods could be seen along the track, as far as the eye could reach. N. D. Berry had the contract for pumping water, to keep the tank filled, to fill the engines. He had a blind horse to do the pumping.
"The postoffice was where the Plummer Barber Shop is now. Rich- ard Marsh, quite an old man for the position, was then postmaster.
"South of the Railroad. The only houses on the south of the railroad was : the house of Ed. Brindley, then owned by a family by the name of Gibbs; Fred Harrington, Mr. Knight, Jas. Fenton, and Houseman houses, and store where L. Reed lives. The house on Chestnut Street, where Mr. and Mrs. Myers live was our first home.
"Incorporation. In 1882 Swanton was incorporated. The first . . clerk (was) C. E. Marsh. The only enterprise of interest was a stave factory, located opposite the grist mill, on the railroad ground. The factory was managed by men from Blissfield, Lane Smith and Haskins. Mr. Haskins ran a general store in the building now used by the T. & I. Depot, which was then on Main Street. Over this was a room they called Miller's Hall, where they held dancing parties. On December 23d they held a party, at which Geer's Band played. C. J. Brindley and C. C. Marsh were floor managers, and the supper and dance cost $1.50.
"North Side. The north side had very few houses, mostly on Main Street. Dr. Lathrop's double house was where his home now
491
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
stands. Where the M. E. Church now stands was then a pasture for COWS.
"The Pioneer Bank. In 1893, the drug business increased as the town grew. Mr. Price then built and moved to the present location. Then the town could support a bank, and he and his daughter, Laura, did banking business on a small scale. As the years rolled by it increased; then a company was formed, with Mr. Price president. James Grove, A. B. Lathrop, and T. Stevens, of Toledo, were directors. A new building was built, which is still occupied for the same purpose, in the old drug store lot."
SCHOOLS
Much of the early school history of Swan Creek Township is told elsewhere. For District No. 1, a frame schoolhouse, probably the first frame schoolhouse in the county, was built in 1839, at a cost of $175.00. In all probability, it was preceded by a log house, such as was the case in the organization of niost of the pioneer school districts. A meeting was held in School District No. 1, in September, 1839, in the home of Luther Dodge, to consider ways and means for erecting a frame schoolhouse. Contract was let to James Dean, who undertook to build it for $175. Luther Dodge was district clerk, and David Mills, Robert Fullerton, Luther Dodge, and James Egnew were directors, reads an original document. It appears that Persis Scott received $18 for the first term of teaching, and that in September, 1841, James Egnew, George Curtis, and Thomas S. Sabin were chosen directors. In May, 1844, the directors hired Ruthett Deblin to teach school at $1.50 per week, and the directors at that time were George Curtis, Charles Fairchilds, Reuben Hastings, W. D. Herrick, and Chester Scott. Early teachers were Samuel Durgin, Caroline Wood, Moses Curtis, D. Allen, Lemuel Johnson, M. McCoy, Wm. Lewis, Hartley Clute, M. S. Merrill, and Mary Barrett. Average daily attendance
twenty-two males and fifteen females. Branches taught: reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography.
In the '50s there were, apparently ten school districts in Swan Creek, for the election of April, 1852, was held in the schoolhouse of District No. 10. There is, however, data regarding only six of the schools of that time. The registers showed that in 1852 (the winter term), there were 55 scholars in District No. 1; 97 in No. 2; 35 in No. 3; 48 in No. 4; 29 in No. 5; and 25 scholars in No. 6 district. Nathaniel Leggett was appointed school director of District No. 5, in February, 1853.
One of those schoolhouses was probably that at which A. Holmes Smith, of Delta, taught in 1852. He says that he taught in the Raker School, in Swan Creek Township, in that year, saying that it was a log house situated almost on the line of York and Swan Creek townships, and that he had 45 or 50 pupils, among them the father of Frank H. Reighard, George Reighard, and his brother and sister; the children of three branches of the Raker family; some from the Hampton and Mclaughlin families ; and the four children of Widow Sally Reighard, Hugh, John, Josh, and Sol, two of whom were cripples. (Two of these boys later saw service in the Civil War).
The most active period in school organization in Swan Creek Town-
492
IIISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
ship was, probably, from '65 to '85, and two of the most active in school administration were Win. Jefferson Lutz, and A. Q. Price. They planted schoolhouses on every four sections. Mr. Lutz was identified with the School Board of Swan Creek for forty years, being president for the greater part of that time; and the school history of Swan Creek Township would not be complete unless some reference were made to Jonathan Hunt, for long a teacher, and one of the most advanced teachers of his time.
In 1887, there were thirteen schoolhouses, brick or frame, in Swan Creek, and the average yearly attendance was about three hundred pupils. The township schools of today number eleven, to which go about three hundred pupils for a school term of thirty-two weeks. The school property is valued at $7,800. The township school board is made up as follows: R. B. Bloomer, president; C. M. Stine, clerk ; Arthur Gingery, II. O. Wales, Dell Gill, and Sam Zimmerman, directors.
PUBLIC SCHOOL, SWANTON.
Swanton is a separate school district, and has a fine school, which was built in 1904, at a cost of $30,000 to $35,000, and now attended by about three hundred scholars of elementary grades and by eighty high school students. More has been hiereinbefore written regarding this school. The members of the present board are named in the Fulton Township chapter.
CHURCH HISTORY
The first church society in the township was probably that of the Methodist Episcopal denomination, which is very strong in the town- ship. The Centerville church was probably the first. It has been referred to by Mr. Knight, in his article, earlier in this chapter.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.