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 57
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
There was early a Union church in the northwestern part of the township, later known as the Viers church. Then, in the western part of the township, a church built by the inhabitants of that part
493
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
for the general use of all denominations was known as the Raker Union Church. It was dedicated in 1881. In 1886, the United Brethren Society purchased the school building, known as the Union Schoolhouse, on section 31, and adapted it to their needs as a place of worship.
At present there are four churches in Swanton, the Methodist Episcopal, the Catholic, the Missionary, and the Missionary Alliance. The Missionary church is now in the charge of the Rev. E. F. Clauser, and the Missionary Alliance, or Christian Alliance, Church, which was dedicated in 1891, is ministered to by Rev. P. W. Munroe.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was established at Centerville, as has been stated, probably seventy-five years ago. One of the first pastors was Richard Wallace, and Newton Curtis was among the pioneer members. Forty-three years ago, the church building was moved to Swanton, and located on the south side of Main Street. The pastor at that time was the Rev. James Houghtby (or Houghton). Thirty-five years ago a brick church was built, on North Main Street, Rev. B. N. Boardman being pastor. Six years later it was burned to the ground. Rev. M. D. Baumgardner brought about a quick rebuild- ing, at a cost of $10,000. Ten years ago, when C. N. Davenport was pastor, an addition made to it cost $3,500. The Reverend Davenport, fifteen years ago, built a parsonage at cost of $3,500. Damage to that amount was done to the church building by the recent tornado, the damage being covered by insurance. Rev. Frank Hook is present pastor.
St. Richard's Catholic Church of Swanton has been supplied by its present pastor, the Rev. Father McFadden, who writes :
"St. Richard's Catholic Church in the thriving village of Swanton ยท owes its origin to six families of the Catholic faith, who located in Swanton during the '80s. Their spiritual interests were attended to by the priest who had been assigned to the pastoral charge of St. Mary's Parish, Caragher, whither they journeyed for religious services till the year 1890. In this year a petition was forwarded by them to the Catholic Bishop of Cleveland, Rt. Rev. Richard Gilmour ..
and. . supported by the Rev. Thomas F. McGuire Swanton was recognized.
"The present church structure was begun under .. . . . the Rev. Thomas F. McGuire, pastor of St. Mary's Church, Caragher. . In January, 1892, St. Richard's Church at Swanton was dedicated to its sacred purposes by Bishop Gilmour's successor in the Episcopal See of Cleveland, the Philadelphia, Ignatius Hortsmann ....
"The church was erected on three lots, fronting on Dodge Street ; these lots, as well as two acres close by on Dodge Street, later conse- crated for burial purposes, were purchased by the congregation, and deeded to the Bishop of the diocese, who holds the property in fee simple. Around this time, the Rev. John A. Schaffeld succeeded Father McGuire. . and the decoration of the church con- tinued with unabated vigor .. to completion. Solemn services were held in it for the first time, by the Rev. John A. Schaffeld, on May 7, 1893. Father Fahey was appointed at this time to succeed Rev. John A. Schaffeld ... .. This was his first charge. He found the church at Swanton inadequate for the needs of the young
494
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
congregation. ... . (and) set about enlarging the edifice, and in the fall of 1900 completed the work at considerable expense. His removal soon followed. Rev. Wm. S. Ogle became the new pastor, and unprecedented activity marked his stay. Swanton still lacked a resident pastor, and Father Ogle set himself to the task of providing a parochial residence for the future pastor. Additional land was purchased, and a handsome and substantial building erected, at the corner of Walnut and Clay streets. The division of the Cleveland diocese had taken place in the meantime, and Bishop Joseph Schrembs, the first Bishop of Toledo, assigned the Rev. John Berthelot to Swanton, as its first resident pastor ... .. St. Caspar's, Wauseon, was now assigned to Swanton, as a mission. In a short time, the Rev. John A. Kiebel became the successor of Father Berthelot. The church was again remodeled and considerably enlarged. Scarcely had the work been finished, when the Rev. James Spaulding Elder was named Father Kiebel's successor. The Rev. Thomas A. Kennedy replaced Father Elder as pastor on August 17, 1916, and was succeeded by the Rev. Father Michael A. McFadden, June 10, 1918. The Swanton church has since become self-sustaining, St. Caspar's, Wauseon, having been given parochial status by episcopal ordinance of October 28, 1919.
"On Palm Sunday, March 28, 1920, St. Richard's Church at Swanton, the result of the labors of several successive pastors, was well- nigh demolished by a terrific cyclone. The cyclone struck the church during evening service, at 7:55 P. M., and lasted about three minutes. Large stained-glass windows were sent flying through the assembled worshippers, furnace chimneys came crashing through the roof; laths and plastering covered the seats; hail as large as apples fell all round; lightning flashed viciously; rain and darkness intensified human fright; and the church wrenched and twisted, yet remained standing, but wrecked. Joseph Huber, Jr., architect, Toledo, was soon afterwards entrusted with the reconstruction of the church. Bishop Schrembs, of Toledo, visited the stricken parish, and wrote: 'No words of mine could possibly describe the scenes of terror and destruction wrought by the storm. Over twenty of the most substantial families of this once- happy settlement lost everything -- homes, barns, and cattle.'"
It is an experience through which the church, in common with other departments of the community, has successfully passed. Father McFadden has had good success in Swanton, in earnest work.
POPULATION
The population of Swan Creek Township can be given for the decadal periods from 1870. It then had a population of 1,100 persons ; in 1880, the inhabitants numbered 1,526; in 1890, 1,791; in 1900, 2,303 ; in 1910, 2,415, and in 1920, 2,356. These figures include the population of that part of Swanton which is in Swan Creek Township; and although the population of the township has decreased during the last ten years, the population of Swanton has shown an encouraging growth. The statistics for Swanton has been given in the Fulton Town- ship chapter.
The 1920 figures are subject to correction, being the "Preliminary Announcement of Population" issued from the Bureau of the Census before the recount.
4
CHAPTER XXIII
THE BENCH AND BAR OF FULTON COUNTY
Much has been written into an earlier chapter regarding the establishment of courts of justice in Fulton county, after it was erected in 1850; and in the township and county chapters will be found biographical reviews of those of its residents who were prominent members of the profession of law, and are now deceased. Also extensive reference has been given, in the biographical volume of this work, to the careers of prominent present members of the legal fraternity of Fulton county. Therefore, the useful purpose of this chapter lies more in the supplying of statistical data than in the furnishing of biographical or formative record; and such a plan is dictated, particu- larly, by limitations of space.
Section six of the act by which Fulton county was erected in 1850 provided for the attachment of Fulton County to the Thirteenth Judicial District of the State of Ohio, and ordered "the Court of Common Pleas and Supreme Court of the county of Fulton shall be holden in the township of Pike until the permanent seat of justice shall be established within and for the said county." In pursuance of this, and by virture of his power under the state constitution then in effect, the governor of the state named three residents of Fulton county for appointment to associate judgeships of the Common Pleas Court of Fulton County. It is believed that the men named were: Nathaniel Leggett, of Swan Creek Township; John Kendall, of Frank- lin Township; and A. C. Hough, of Chesterfield Township. However, Nathaniel Leggett had been nominated almost simultaneously for county office also, and he preferred to stand for election to the office of county treasurer than to accept the proffered appointment to the judiciary ; consequently another resident was named by the governor to complete the required number of associate judges. Who the appointee was is not clear in available records. These conflicting records are embodied in Chapter IV of this volume, and they indicate that the man appointed was either S. H. Cately, of Swan Creek, or William E. Parmelee. However, it may be stated, with some confidence, that not one of the men originally appointed by the governor sat in the first session of the Common Pleas Court of the new county. It seems clear that those who were associates of Judge Saddler, in the first term of court were S. H. Cately, William Parmelee, and Abraham Flickinger. Possibly Dr. Kendall joined Nathaniel Leggett, in declin- ing the appointment offered by the governor, their places being taken by S. H. Cately and Wm. E. Parmelee, though not necessarily respectively ; and that Abraham E. Flickinger was appointed in place of A. C. Hough, who resigned the judgeship, evidently, before the holding of the first session of court. County records show that Mr. Hough was a candidate for election, and was duly elected to the office
495
496
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
of auditor of Fulton county, in October, 1850; and presumably he resigned his judicial appointment cither before, or soon after, that election. Other records point to the fact that the first session of court in the new county was not held until the fall of 1850.
That session was held in the log house of Robert A. Howard, in Pike Township, as has been graphically described elsewhere herein. It is noteworthy mainly because it was the original session. As a matter of fact, very little of importance came before that court. Verity states that "there was little or no business transacted at this court," adding that "in lieu of business, those attending indulged in a game of ball." However, the court organization was then completed, Samuel Durgin being appointed clerk, and J. H. Read, prosecuting attorney. The sheriff was George W. Brown, but it seems that he was not appointed, and had been elected sheriff in the elections of April and October, 1850.
To decide where to place the permanent seat of justice in the new county, a commission composed of three men of other counties of Ohio came into Fulton in April, and after hearing arguments in favor of several small communities of the county decided to establish the county seat at its geographical center. Stakes were driven on that day, and the place was named Ottokee, at, it has been stated, the suggestion of Dresden W. H. Howard. The decision of the "locating commissioners" was submitted to a vote of the people of the county, and at the second polling their decision was upheld by a majority of the voters. Without undue delay, the work of constructing a building, at Ottokee, to serve the purpose of the court, and county administration, was undertaken, and in 1851 the legal processes, and county offices, were transferred to that building, the occasion being marked by appro- priate addresses, and memorable festivities. In 1853 a jail was built at Ottokee.
On July 16, 1864, the court house was destroyed by fire, but in 1865 a new courthouse of brick stood upon the site of the old frame building.
With the passing of time, other communities, particularly Delta and Wauseon, became much more important, in point of population and potentialities, than Ottokee. The inaccessibility of the county seat eventually influenced the voters of the county to decide upon the removal of the seat of justice to Wauseon. Many elections were necessary before that became the will of the people, and the deciding election was by no means overwhelmingly in favor of Wauscon. It was secured only after a particularly strenuous effort had been made by its proponents, who distributed much elucidating material through- out the county shortly before election. Even then, it was asked that the people of Wauseon raise, by public subscription, a considerable sum of money, to recompense the county, in part, for the cost that a change of location of the county seat would entail. Wauseon met its pledge promptly, and seemingly without difficulty ; and thus it became certain that as soon as suitable accommodation would be provided the seat of justice would be transferred to it. Elaboration of these happen- ings will be found on the pages of Chapter IV, and so as not to be tautological this review might end with the statement that since Febru- ary, 1872, the legal processes of Fulton county have centered in
497
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
Wauseon, the present fine courthouse having been in that year opened.
The County Civil List, i. e., the succession of holders of the county offices of recorder, auditor, commissioner, treasurer, coroner, and sur- veyor, has been included in Chapter IV; this chapter, therefore might well be confined to recording of data regarding the judiciary and bar, e. g., to the tabulating of lists of those who have been elevated to the judiciary of the Common Pleas and Probate courts of Fulton county, and also the succession of prosecuting attorneys, clerks of court, and sheriffs.
THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. In 1851, the state adopted a new constitution, by which the judicial system was changed, its chief effect upon local procedure being the substitution of a district court for the circuit court. Under the Circuit Court system, the professional circuit jurist would be an itinerant, passing from county to county, and only being obliged to hold one term of court in each county yearly. He would be assisted by two or three local men, of non-profes- sional class, who were appointed to act as his associates at local sessions of court. These associate judges were appointed by the governor of the state, but under the new constitution the associate judgeships were abolished, the state divided into nine judicial common pleas districts, and the judgeships became elective offices.
Thus Fulton county, in 1852, became part of the Third Judicial District, being included in that part which embraced the counties of Mercer, Van Wert, Putnam, Paulding, Defiance, Williams, Henry, and Fulton. So, it remained until 1868, and from that year until 1879, the local subdivision of the Third District covered Paulding, Defiance, Williams, Fulton, and Henry counties. From 1883 to -, the local part of the Third Judicial District, embraced Fulton, Henry, and Putnam. For such parts, or subdivisions, of a judicial district, the new constitution provided for the election of three judges. Only members of the legal bar were eligible for election, and probate juris- diction was separated altogether from the scope of the common pleas courts, the terms of which became semi-annual, instead of yearly. The new system provided for the election of three judges in each district, one of whom would hold common pleas court in one or more counties of that judicial district, and the three together would consti- tute a district court, which would function as a higher court, thus taking the place of the supreme court of the circuit system.
The first three judges of the Third Judicial District, beginning in February, 1852, were Lawrence Hall, Benjamin F. Metcalf, and John H. Palmer, the last-named taking all of the sessions of court in Fulton county during his term of office. Judge Palmer was succeeded in 1857 by Alexander S. Latty, of Defiance, who was re-elected in 1861, in 1866, and in 1871. In 1877, he resigned and was succeeded by Selwyn N. Owen, of Bryan. A change in the subdivision of the Third District, in 1879, necessitated an election, and John J. Moore, of Ottawa, became judge, holding office until 1884. In January, 1885, Walliam H. Handy, of Fulton county, was nominated for the office, and two days later appointed by Governor Hoadley. In the following October, he was elected without opposition, and re-elected in 1888, serving until 1894, when John M. Sheets, of Ottawa, was elevated to the judiciary, in his place. Judge Handy was the first resident of Fulton county to
1
498
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
hold a judgeship of the Common Pleas Court under the new consti- tution. Judge Sheets was succeeded in 1898 by Michael Donnelly, who was re-elected in 1903. Another change in the subdivisions of the Third District brought about the election, in 1904, of John M. Killets, of Bryan, who was succeeded by Charles Edwin Scott. Fred H. Wolf, the present able and respected incumbent, was elected in 1914, and took office in January, 1915.
Another change of constitution abolished the former district system, and latterly each county has been what might be termed a separate district, e. g., each county elects a judge from among its legal fraternity, and that attorney so elevated presides over its court proceedings, but has the privilege, in common with other members of the state judiciary, of sitting in the terms of other courts of the state, by invitation.
PROBATE COURT OF FULTON COUNTY. Prior to 1852, probate af- fairs were within the jurisdiction of the Common Pleas courts, but the new state constitution made provision for the establishment of a probate court in each county. The first to take office as judge of pro- bate in Fulton county was Samuel Gillis. The next was Lucius H. Upham, who by the way was the first practicing attorney to take up permanent residence in the county. Attorney Upham, however, only held the judgeship for about one month, being unseated, S. H. Cately then becoming judge. Oliver H. Verity succeeded him in 1858, and held the office for twelve years, Caleb M. Keith taking his place in 1870, and continuing as judge until 1879, when Levi W. Brown came into office. He was twice re-elected, and his successor, Adel- bert D. Newell took over probate jurisdiction in 1887. He was re- elected in 1890, but died a few months before the end of his second term. H. I .. Moseley was appointed to the office for the unexpired portion of Judge Newell's term. On January 1, 1893, Thomas F. Ham took office. He served until 1900, his successor, Edward E. Williams, being probate judge until 1905. Fred A. Barber, a demo- crat, was elected by a good majority in 1904, and took office on Janu- ary 1, 1905. He served as judge of probate for twelve years, being twice re-elected, notwithstanding that the county is strongly republi- can. In 1916 Allen M. Barber took the probate office; his term expires this year.
CLERKS OF COURT. Samuel Durgin, of Fulton Township, was appointed clerk of the first Common Pleas court held in Fulton county, in 1850; and when, under the constitution of 1851, the office be- came elective, he was confirmed to it by election. His successors were : 1854, Naaman Merrill; 1861, Harry B. Bayes; 1863, Samuel Durgin ; 1866, Truman H. Brown; 1869, Daniel W. Poe; 1872, Albert Deyo; 1878, Albert B. Smith; 1887, James C. King; 1893, H. S. Bassett ; 1899, Frank W. Wood; 1905, Ed. Scott: 1910, James C. King; 1914, Davis B. Johnson; 1919, George E. Gorsuch.
PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS. J. H. Read was appointed prosecuting attorney in 1850, when the first term of court in Fulton county was held. His successors, by election, have been: 1852, Michael Handy; A. Carmichael : Naaman Merrill; 1858, J. H. Brailey; 1865, J. W. Roseborough : 1867, Octavius Waters; 1869, J. W. Roseborough ; 1873,
1
499
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
W. W. Touvelle; 1874, Michael Handy* (see foot-note) ; 1876, H. H. Ham; 1880, W. H. Gavitt; 1885, Mazzini Slusser; 1891, John Q. Files; 1897, William H. Fuller; 1902, Clive C. Handy ; 1905, Fred H. Wolf ; 1910, James B. Templeton ; 1914, Charles Stahl; 1918, Clyde L. Can- field.
SHERIFFS. The first sheriff of Fulton county was George B. Brown of Chesterfield Township. He was elected in 1850. His successors have been: 1851, Chas. D. Smith; 1857, Marcus H. Hayes; 1861, Oscar A. Cobb; 1865, Jacob Huffmire; 1869, Joseph H. Brigham ; 1873, Sullivan Johnson; 1877, Joseph H. Brigham; 1879, Harvey L. Aldrich; 1883, Frank T. Blair; 1887, Daniel Dowling; 1889, Wil- liam J. Connell; 1893, Alfred F. Shaffer; 1897, James L. Shinna- barger; 1901, Henry H. Rittenhouse; 1905, James L. Shinnabarger ; 1908, Fred Grandy; 1912, John B. McQuillan; 1916, William S. Boone. He resigned in June of present year, and John B. McQuillan was appointed to fill the vacancy and is the present incumbent.
*The foregoing conflicts with the information conveyed in "History of Ful- ton County," by Thomas Mikesell (1905); and the above rendering is shown because of notations made, in handwriting, by J. W. Roseborough, in his own copy of the Mikesell work. The notation read: "Hon. Michael Handy was, I think, elected in 1852, and held the office two terms in succession, but never again. J. W. R., 3. 3. 1906"; again he wrote: "J. W. Roseborough was elected prosecutor in autumn of 1864; took office 1st Monday in 1865; held it until 1st Monday in 1867. Succeeded by O. Waters, until 1869, then Roseborough again in office for two terms, 1869-73 (January)."
CHAPTER XXIV
MEDICAL HISTORY
The medical history of Fulton county has been separately told in the township chapters, so that only a brief reviewing is necessary here.
Fulton county, unlike some pioncer settlements, was a place of sickness, of pestilence and pain, in the days of early settlement. The swamps and damp places bred myriads of mosquitoes, and malarial troubles soon became an almost chronic distress among the pioneer. Whole families, nay whole communities, would be prostrated by ague and fever in the fall of the year, and even the medicines of the pio- neer physician would have little effect. The history of almost all the early physicians was alike. They would be "jogging along the trails;" through the forest, almost night and day, seeking to allay the distress among the settlers. Some must have cultivated the habit of sleep- ing while astride of their ponies; and few of them had what would nowadays be considered adequate recompense for their self-sacrificing labors.
One of the first physicians to settle in Fulton county was Erastus Lathrop, who settled in the small hamlet which developed a little to the westward of Delta. That probably was in the late '30s. The first frame house in the township was built for him, but both he and his wife died within a few months of their entering into possession of that house, in 1840. Closely following him were Drs. William Ram- sey. S. P. Bishop, John A. Wilkins, and John Odell, biographical mention of whom will be found elsewhere. Dr. Ramsey is dead, but Doctors Bishop and Wilkins are still living, although both have trans- ferred their respective practices to their sons.
William Bailey is stated to have been the pioneer physician of Metamora and Amboy Township. He settled about two miles west of Metamora. The first physician to live within the bounds of Meta- inora, however, was Doctor Pomeroy, who was in it at an early date, and certainly before 1849, when Lewis S. Hackett came. He lived in the only house that then stood west of the creek. He did not how- ever practice many years, and the leading physician of Metamora, and Amboy, in a somewhat later day, but still in its pioneer period, was Dr. C. H. Heffron, who practiced until quite recently. One son is practicing in Metamora now, and another graduated in medicine this spring. Dr. G. F. Frasch, also, was in practice in Metamora for many years, and other physicians were Drs. S. M. Clark, Foster, Tompkins, and Markham.
Dr. Joshua Young was the pioneer physician of Royalton Town- ship. For many years he was alone in that territory. Later, the ma- jority of the physicians centered from Lyons. Of the medical practi- tioners of Lyons, mention might be made of Ezra B. Mann, H. H. Brown. J. Cunningham, Thomas Blain, G. R. Salisbury, C. C. Wood.
500
501
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY
and Doctor Harroun. The last-named was a physio-medic, and had a large practice. Doctor Cunningham at one time lived at Phillips Corners.
The first physician to take up residence in Gorham Township was Dr. John Kendall, although his son, Dr. Amos Kendall really is more deserving of place as the pioneer physician of Gorham, for the father scarcely had set up in practice in Gorham, in 1839, before deciding to remove into Franklin Township, where he followed his profession for many years. Dr. John Kendall was one of the first associate judges of the Common Pleas Court of Fulton county. His son, Dr. Amos shares with Dr. Joseph Allen the pioneer place, as physician, in Fay- ette. In the early '50s there was a Doctor Davis at Cottrell's Corners, just beyond Fayette, but he did not remain long in the township. Dr. Van Buskirk was among the early physicians, as was Drs. Tur- rell. Dr. Estell H. Rorick has been in practice in the township, and has been one of its most skilful and respected physicians, but he has not been regularly in practice, having been called upon to under- take more important state responsibilities. His life is the subject of a special review elsewhere in this work. Other worthy Fayette and Gorham practitioners have been H. R. Van Buskirk, C. B. Herrick, Edson Emerick, Wm. D. Murphy, J. W. Evers, as well as those now in practice. Doctor Reynolds began to practice in Stryker, and a few years later settled in Fayette. Doctor Patterson has been there for some years, as has Dr. C. E. Hubbard. Doctor Murphy left a few years ago, after practicing for a long time. Drs. L. C. and L. H. S. Backus were well-known Fayette physicians, also; and Doctor Evers, a capable physician, graduate of Rush, was there for quite a number of years.
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.