Commemorative historical and biographical record of Wood County, Ohio : its past and present : early settlement and development biographies and portraits of early settlers and representative citizens, etc. V. 1, Part 14

Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.) cn; J.H. Beers & Co. cn
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1060

USA > Ohio > Wood County > Commemorative historical and biographical record of Wood County, Ohio : its past and present : early settlement and development biographies and portraits of early settlers and representative citizens, etc. V. 1 > Part 14

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1 12 23 00 3 50 3 00

Samuel Ewing.

2 00 11 15 2 90 1 00 1 10 8 61

6 00 10 50 1 00 5 50 4 50

1 50 3 00 4 50 1 50

3 00 4 50 4 50

George Patterson (grand juror)

James H. Slawson (services at court)

George Patterson (keeping Jones) 3 50

Daniel Hubbell (services at jail). 8 50

1 00 75

Samuel H. Ewing.

WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.

was appointed collector, and the receipt of $309. 12 of the " Three Per Cent. Fund, " acknowl- edged. In August, 1826. the question of finish- ing and re-paving the court house was debated, and the work of lathing and plastering and gen- eral furnishing was awarded to John McKnight, whose bid of $225 was the lowest. Jacob Wilk- ison ultimately was given another part of the work on a bid of $294.00. Ambrose Rice was appointed county assessor in March, 1827. In June following, Inlots 10 to 14-31 to 42-55 to 66-79 to 90-103 to 114-127 to 138-152 to 161 and 176 to 185, -inclusive, -in all 84 lots - were appropriated for a poor-house building and garden. Elijah Hunting was appointed treasurer, the tax levy was placed at eight mills for general purposes, three mills for roads and one-half of one mill for schools. In August, 1827, the con- tract for furnishing the jail was awarded, the bid being $486. In June, 1828, the court house was finished, and about the same time Elisha Martin- dale, the assignee of Lakin, offered the jail for acceptance. There was no school tax levied in 1829. In this year the commissioners ordered that the Act of Legislature, providing for.improv- ing the breed of sheep. be adopted by the county. In December, 1830, the name of the township of Ottawa, established on June 14, of that year, was changed to "Weston," and the first election or- dered to be held at Edward Howard's house. At this session Waterville township was established, the resignation of Auditor and Clerk Powell was accepted, and James W. Robinson was appointed in his place.

In January, 1831, the new auditor resigned to accept the office of clerk of court, when John C. Spink was appointed, John Webb and Daniel H. Wheeler being his bondsinen. Another appoint- ment was also made necessary at that time by the death of Recorder Thomas R. McKnight. James W. Robinson succeeded him, thus having filled the offices of auditor, clerk of commissioners, clerk of court and recorder successfully within a brief period. In March, 1832, it was resolved to build a stockade around the jail, and this was done. A few months after the general tax was placed at five mills, the road tax at three mills, and the school tax at one mill, the last being one-fourth of a inill more than the school law demanded. The first sidewalk was mentioned at the June session, when the pathway in front of the court house was ordered to be paved or flagged. Many new roads were authorized that year, and, in December, Middleton township was established. Townships 3 and 4 in Range 12, and Township 3, in Range 11, were set off under

the name of Perry, and some territory was de- tached from Middleton and attached to Portage. in June, 1833. At this time, the general tax was placed at four mills, and the road tax at three mills, while nothing is recorded of a school tax. On December 16, 1833, the sale of 201 inlots at Perrysburg to Ambrose Rice for $1,025, was ne- gotiated.

In March, 1834, Joshua Chappel succeeded Rice as county assessor, and, in November, 1834. Guy Nearing, Joshua Chappel and John C. Spink were named as members of a board of equalization. The establishment of Montgomery, Freedom and Troy townships dates back to December 1, 1834. Congressional Township 4, R. 12, was called Montgomery, and the election ordered to be held at Guy Morgan's house; Congressional Township 5. R. 12, was called Freedom, and the house of Michael N. Myers made the place of meet- ing, while Township 6, R. 12, was named Troy, and the polling place fixed at Thomas Leaming's house.

In February, 1835, the proposal to erect a building, to include the old jail, was recorded. and on March 2 the contract was awarded to Levi Tilton for $650. The contract does not appear to have been carried out, for in May, #836, the question was revived. Liberty town- ship was established on the latter day to embrace Congressional Townships 3 and 4 of R. 10, and the place of ineeting fixed at Henry Grove's house. At the same time Township 5, R. II, was named Center, with the polling place at Adam Phillips' house; Township 3, R. II, was

named Bloom, with place of meeting at the house of Frederick Frankfather; Wing town- ship, with its irregular lines, was to hold its first meeting at C. L. Wing's house, and Plain town- ship at Henry Walker's house, in what is now Bowling Green. In June, 1835, Sections 25 to 30, inclusive, were taken from the south end of Wing and attached to Waterville township. That day Willard V. Way was appointed auditor, to succeed J. C. Spink. Ten days later a bell belonging to Perrysburg was offered to the county on condition that it should be hung on the court house. Townships 3 and 4, in R. 9, were set off to form Milton township, on June 11, and the place of meeting fixed at Morrison Mc Will- iam's house. On June 13, Horatio Conant was appointed to appraise School Section 16, in Town- ship 3. of the Twelve Mile Reservation, this being the first reference to such lands in the records of the commissioners. On the same day the general tax was placed at three mills, the road tax at two mills and the school tax at one-

WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.

quarter mill, plus the three-quarter-mill tax de- manded by the school law. In December, 1835, County-Surveyor Hiram Davis was ordered to procure the United States field notes for Town- ships 3 and 4, Range II ; of 4 and 5, R. 12, and of 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the U. S. Reserve at the Foot of the Rapids, and also of the additional survey of Perrysburg and of the Maumee and Western Reserve road in Wood county. In that month, also, the auditor, W. V. Way, was allowed $315.07 as salary, while the first claim for dam- ages for running a road through Eben Wilson's farm was considered, and the first keeper of Wood county's standard measure was appointed in the person of Addison Smith.

In March, 1836, Montgomery township was authorized to elect school trustees. E. B. Eagle was auditor at that time, but his death and the appointment of W. H. Sloane as his successor are noticed in the minutes under date of May 6. The new auditor and the new commissioners cast aside the old rawhide-covered volume, venerable as the first record-book of Wood county, bearing all the earmarks of official life for her first fifteen years, aud telling much about the work of the pioneers in laying the foundations of her pros- perity.

In September, 1836, the commissioners gave notice that on October I they would consider proposals for building a court house. On De- cember 5 the petition for the establishment of a new township was discussed, and Congressional Township No. 3, R. 10, was set off under the name of Henry township. In February, 1837, the auditor was instructed to advertise in The Miami of the Lake for bids for building a court house. Washington township was established June 5, 1837. Two days later, the county tax was placed at seven and one-half mills, the road tax at four mills, and the school tax at one and one-half mills on each dollar of assessed value.

On June 5, 1838, the board ordered a deed to be given to the town of Perrysburg for lots 151, 162 and 175, formerly granted for burial purposes, and on the following day that all other lots owned by the county, with the exception of the two lots on which the new court house was building, should be offered for sale on September I. The establishment of Troy township, and the rejection of a petition from Middleton, ask- ing the annexation of that township to Washing- ton, are recorded under date of December 3, 1838. On April 33, 1839, the Act authorizing Wood county to subscribe $100,000 to the capi- tal stock of the Perrysburg & Bellefontaine Rail- road Company was observed by the commission-

ers, who signed the books at Perrysburg for one thousand $100 shares. They appointed David Ladd, of Perrysburg, agent to borrow that sum at six per cent. At the same time David C. Doane was appointed agent to borrow $5,000 for court-house-building purposes under the special Act of the Legislature. At the June session of 1839, a tax levy of seven mills for county pur- poses, three for road purposes, one for bridge purposes and two for school purposes was author- ized. Twelve sections were attached to Perrys- burg, and Hiram Davis was paid $30 for a map of the county. In December, Morrison McMillan succeeded Doane as agent in the matter of bor- rowing the $5.000 alluded to above. Notice was given to the electors of Fractional Township No. 6. original survey, to meet at the school house on Section 32, on April 28, 1840, to organize that township (Middleton).

In June, 1840, the petition for the establish- ment of Congressional Township No. 3, R. 9, under the name of Jackson, was granted, and the place of meeting fixed at John Dubb's house. The tax levy, of five mills for county purposes, three for road purposes, one for school, two for bridge and two for interest, or thirteen mills on the dollar, was ordered. In December, 1840, David Ladd surrendered his commission as agent to borrow $100,000, and his bill of $108 was paid. In June, 1841, River Tracts 56, 57, 58. 59, and fractional part of Section 16, lying on the southwest side of the Maumee in Township I. U. S. Reserve, twelve miles square, M. R. L. E .. were attached to Perrysburg township (though the territory was attached to Middleton in the former year). At the June session of 1841. county tax of five mills; school, two; road, three: bridge, two; special for finishing court house, three; interest, two, and State, five, or a total of twenty-two mills, were authorized. On Decem- ber 8, 1842, the court house was completed and occupied. In December, 1844, the s. 3 of Sec- tion 36, Township 6, R. 10, and the s. 3 of Sec- tion 31, Township 6, R. 11. were set off to Plain and Center. The attachment of Sections 3 and IO, in Township 5, N. R. 10 E. of Washington township to Plain township was ordered March 3. 1845. On June 3. 1845, the commissioners or- dered Township 5, R. 9, to be set off and organ- ized as a separate township, the meeting to be held at John Crew's house. The business of the year 1845 was principally given up to petitions for new roads, alterations of roads and settle- ments with the contractors on the Perrysburg & Findlay, and on the Kenton turnpike.

On March 16, 1846, the commissioners, act-

WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.

ing under the Act of March 2, that year, divided Wood county into four Assessors' Districts, as follows: Perrysburg and Lake townships, No. I -- Jairus Curtis, assessor; Perry, Montgomery, Freedom, Troy and Center, No. 2-Thomas Eisenhaur, assessor; Portage, Bloom, Liberty, Henry and Jackson, No. 3-Francis Carrothers, assessor; and Milton, Weston, Washington, Middleton and Plain, No. 4-Michael Sypher, assessor. Special taxes for roads were common in 1844-45 and 1846-47, such part of the public business requiring the earnest study of the board. In June, 1846, the board purchased In-lot 210 at Perrysburg for the purpose of building a jail thereon. On July 7, John W. Woodbury was awarded the masonry work for $Soo, and the whole cost was estimated at $2, 150, including Henry Thornton and Daniel Lindsay's contract, for all work outside the mason's contract, $1,022, and O. H. Carpenter's contract for iron work, amounting to $150.' W. Huston and George Powers purchased each a half of the old court- house lot.

On June 17, 1847, the extraordinary levy for county, school, bridge and road purposes was ordered, and a detailed record made in the Jour- nal, showing specifically the application of the moneys to be levied. In December, 1847, the masonry work on the new jail was accepted, but on June 7, 1849, Woodbury petitioned for relief against losses sustained in carrying out his con- tract, owing to the manner in which the commis- sioners hurried forward his work. This petition won for him an additional $100, to which his partner, S. N. Beach, waived all claims. The Act of January 13, 1829, "To Improve the Breed of Sheep," was ratified and adopted by the com- missioners, March 5, 1850. In December of that year they remitted a fine of $100, imposed by Common Pleas upon Nelson H. Emmons for bigamy, provided that the guilty one would pay into the treasury the costs incurred by the county and interest thereon, within a year. In I852, David Ross, Lewis F. Dubbs, Henry L. Wood and John Russell were appointed assessors of the districts in the order given. In December, 1853, several citizens were paid for their services in sur- veying and appraising swamp lands and laying out ditches on the same.

On March 18, 1854, the board summarily de- clared vacant the office of sheriff, because Thomas L. Webb, the sheriff-elect, would not give $5,000 bail in addition to his official bonds. The coro- ner was notified to assume the office, discharge its duties and to furnish additional bonds for $7,000. Under this order, John Elder, the cor-

oner, qualified on March 29, 1854. Congres- sional Township 3, N. R. 12 E. (Perry), was ordered to be organized April 7, 1854, for the purpose of taking charge of school lands. On September 7, ditches 27 to 36, were authorized as well as the clearing out of a natural water course. William. Noel succeeded to the office of sheriff on December, 1854.

A petition from the residents of Gilead was considered in December, 1855, and subsequently granted. About the same time, Township 3, N. R. 12 E. (Perry), was ordered to elect school trus- tees and treasurer to take charge of Section 16. In March, 1856, James W. Ross qualified as treasurer. In June, notices were given that hold- ers of protested county orders would be paid with interest at 20 per cent. The appointment of Nathan W. Minton to re-survey the Wood-San- dusky line was made in September, 1858, and with this the commissioners appear to have ceased to consider everything save roads, ditches, bridges and finances. In 1860 Addison Smith qualified as auditor. In June of that year the portion of the Toledo and Woodville plank road, in Wood county, was surrendered to this county, and ac- cepted by the commissioners. At the same time, Congressional Township 4, N., R. II E., was established, and an election for school trustees and treasurer ordered to be held at the Johnson school house, under the authority of the law of March 14, 1831. In September, 1860, E. Gra- ham qualified as treasurer, his bonds being $75. - 000. Not until June 7, 1862, is there a reference made to the Civil war. On that date, tlie com- missioners dealt with the Military Relief Fund, giving orders for $2,057 to 158 soldiers' families. On June 10, the contract for building an addition to the jail was awarded to Henry Thornton, while the carpenter's work was awarded to Josiah Mil- ier. On June 1, 1863, there were 388 soldiers' families in the county, to whom relief orders were issued for $2,716. In 1864 the commissioners dealt with the Military Bounty Fund, and in March paid out $2.737 of the Relief Fund, and in June. $1,823. In June, 1865, a sum of $4, 134 was ordered to be distributed among the families of soldiers.

The transactions of 1865 were confined to the establishment of an infirmary; to the building of court house, jail and offices at Bowling Green: to ordinances for ditches and roads; and to the financial affairs of the county-military, bounty and relief matters requiring much attention. In the pages devoted to county buildings the acts of the board in relation to county-seat matters are reviewed; while, in the military chapter, refer-

WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.

ences are made to the aid given by the county in men and money.

The removal of the county seat entailed much work upon the commissioners. In the winter of 1865-66 a petition was presented to the Legis- lature for authority to vote on the question of re- moving the seat of justice from Perrysburg to Bowling Green. Though Mayor H. L. Wood, of Troy township, then representative, opposed the petition, a bill was passed, and duly signed, authorizing a vote on the subject. Then began that bitter, but bloodless, struggle known as the "Ten Years' War."

On October 1, 1866, there was filed in the auditor's office a bond for $15,000, given by the following named citizens: A. Ordway, G. J. Rogers, Norton Reed, S. L. Boughton, Jeremiah Kitchen, D. L. Hixon, Franklin Sears, David Cargo, Alfred Thurstin, G. Z. Avery, M. Fuller, A. Fay, William Hood, James Hood, A. Selkirk, L. H. Burns, William Wakefield, Hugh Cargo, A. A. Thurstin, G. W. Smith, J. V. Owens, Darius Skinner, William Gorrill, Jacob Hart- man, J. Hall, J. W. Tocker, Clinton Fay, L. Moore, S. G. Foot, R. A. Dunbar, Henry Lundy, Henry Hoff, Peter Klopfenstein, J. How- ells and A. D. Pernot. This bond provided for a donation of ground and buildings for county purposes as good as the buildings at Perrysburg, should the people vote for the transfer of the county seat to Bowling Green.

The question of removing the county seat from Perrysburg to Bowling Green was submit- ted to a vote October 9, 1866. Joshua Chappel and A. L. Fowler, justices of the peace, can- vassed the vote, and declared that 2, 176 citizens voted against the project, 2,454 for it, and 17 for removal to any point. The vote by town- ships is given as follows, the first figures repre- senting the opponents, and the second, the friends of Bowling Green: Perrysburg. 817 against and 17 for; Lake, 163-3; Troy, 176-15; Freedom, 28-164; Montgomery, 58-271; Perry, 3-265; Bloom, 0-263; Portage, 21-ISo; Center, I- 261; Middleton, 168-58; Washington, 223-21; Plain, 7-333; Liberty, 36-151; Henry, 0-117; Jackson, 0-47: Milton, 116-99; Weston, 291 -86; and Webster, 68-103. This election was carried out under authority of an Enabling Act of the Legislature. Then followed the case of John Powers, contestor, as. Norton Reed et al., contestees, before Judge Mott, in March, 1868, which was continued to June 2, 1868, when a complete canvass of the votes showed 2, 390 for removal, and 2, 265 against, or a majority of 125 for Bowling Green. Judge Mott denied a motion

for a new trial, and taxed the contestor $1.086. 16 costs; but notice of appeal to the district court was entered by the contestor. On August 30, 1869, William White, judge of the supreme court, Alexander S. Latty, James Pillars and James McKenzie, judges of common pleas, as- sembled and entered the following judgment: " The court being fully advised in the premises, * * it is considered, and ordered that the petition in error be dismissed, and the same is hereby dismissed, and that the said John Powers pay the costs herein taxed at $35.70. And it is further ordered that a special mandate be sent to said Court of Common Pleas of Wood county to carry this judgment into execution. You are there- fore commanded, that without delay, you cause the aforesaid judgment of our said District Court, to be carried into complete execution." On July 1, 1869, John Powers sought to hold an injunc- tion against the commissioners in the matter of removal, but Judge Pillars vacated the injunc- tion. On October 7, 1870, the injunction suit by Powers against the commissioners was dis- missed by Judge Pillars, and the costs taxed against the county.

The county-seat meetings held at Bowling Green, March 21 and 23, IS6S, considered the petition presented by Perrysburg to the Legisla- ture, and a statement of the claims of Bowling Green was ordered to be prepared and signed by the subscribers to the court-house-building fund, to be presented to the Legislature by Joseph Hollington and R. A. Dunbar. An organization of the Bowling Green interests was made with J. R. Rudulph, president; John W. Canary, vice-president; E. H. Hull, secretary; S. L. Boughton, treasurer; N. Reed, G. J. Rogers, S. L. Boughton, Joseph Hollington and A. A. Thurstin, executive committee. These officials were given charge of the Bowling Green interests in toto, so far as obtaining the county seat was concerned, and at once considered the location. donations of land being offered as follows: A. Ordway, an acre on the west side of Main street: N. Reed, an acre on Wooster street, and A. Thurstin, an acre on Summit and Thurstin streets.

In June, 1868, ground was broken for founda- tions; on July 4 the corner stone was placed, and by October 23 the walls were completed under the superintendence of Norton Reed. In Feb- ruary, 1869, the bill against removal was dis- missed in the State Supreme Court, but oppo- sition was thoroughly quieted even then. On March 3, 1868, the commissioners ordered that a levy of $10,000 be made for the purposes

WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.

of building a court house at Bowling Green. On the same day a levy of $S, ooo for the erection of necessary county offices was authorized, and a third levy of $5,000 for the construction of a jail. On March 5, the orders for levying the $8.000 and $5,000 taxes were rescinded. Work on the court house was carried on in December, 1869, when $441 was paid to A. Ordwar on account, and on January 25, 1870, the commissioners no- tified the county officers that the court house and jail were ready for occupancy, specifed the rooms assigned to each department, and ordered all books, etc., to be packed and moved to their new home. Judge G. C. Phelps, of the probate court, observed the order of the commissioners, and located at Bowling Green at that time. Not until April was the transfer wholly cifected. On April 12, 1870, the commissioners net at Bowl- ing Green, but, owing to the work & removal of books, adjourned to the 19th, when the first busi- ness was transacted here. In June, 1870, lot 151, north of the jail lot, was purchased for $175, and made a part of the public grounds. In August, 1871, a well was drilled ia the court- house grounds, and the contract for vaults was awarded to A. Ordway for $1, 340.

In 1872, after John Norris, of Perry town- ship, took his place in the Legislature. a bill pro- viding for reopening the county-seat question was introduced. He opposed the measure, and it was defeated. In the session of 1873-4 Nathan Hat- field, the successor of Norris, introduced a simi- lar bill, which passed its several stages, and again called the voters of the county into this troublous question. The law providing for a vote for the removal of the county seat from Bowling Green to Perrysburg was approved March 17, 1875, and in October following 4, 826 votes were cast for removal, and 4, 555 against removal. The vote of Perrysburg town and township was cast out, and Bowling Green held its place as the cap- ital of the county. A new bill for removal passed the State Senate on March 31, 1876, by a vote of 19 to 12, but the subject may be said to have rested there.

The commissioners in session March 7, 1871, adopted the following resolution against the at- tempt made by Lucas county to annex a part of Wood county: "Whereas, a bill is pending in the Legislature of the State of Ohio, introduced by a member thereof, of an adjoining county,

having in view the annexation of a portion of Wood county to Lucas; therefore, Resolved: That the territory of our county should be main- tained intact, and that we regard the efforts of any and all persons outside of our county to sever any portion thereof from the same as uncalled for, and in our opinion cannot be carried by a vote of the county; and that we hereby protest against and oppose any and every act and effort having in view such severance."

To follow up their work in the matter of ditches, roads, etc., is beyond the limits of this chapter-it would not be necessary -- it would be extravagant. Millions of dollars have been lev- ied by general and special taxation, and it may be said that ninety-six per centum of the great sum has been expended judiciously under the direc- tion of the commissioners whose names are given in other pages.

It is unnecessary to go into the details of the indictments, entered in 1895, against one ex-com- missioner, the three men in office, and in May of that year others connected with the court-house construction. The records of the auditor show how far the members of the board were vindi- cated; while the action of Prosecuting-Attorney Murphy in December, 1895, tells the balance of the story. Prior to December 6, 1895, a nolle prosequi was entered on each of the following indictments: No. 1331, against Knight. Gibson and Gundy, for letting the heating contract with- out advertising for bids. No. 1333, against Stahl, Knight and Gibson, for levying a tax for the new court house without first submitting the same to the voters. No. 1334, against the same, for letting the contract for the treasurer's vault, without first advertising for bids. No. 1335. against Knight, Gibson and Gundy. two counts; first for allowing Auditor Wilson $600 as com- pensation for keeping the new court-house journal; second, for falsely stating on their journal that the prosecuting attorney had instructed them that they had a right to do so. No. 1337. against Contractor Townsend, for fraudulently changing the stone used in the court house. No. 1338. against Yost & Packard, for permitting such change of stone. How much farther the people and courts may go toward undoing any wrong. which political zeal may have inflicted, is foreign to this work.

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Commemorative historical and biographical record of Wood County, Ohio : its past and present : early settlement and development biographies and portraits of early settlers and representative citizens, etc. V. 1, Part 14

Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.) cn; J.H. Beers & Co. cn Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1060

Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.) cn; J.H. Beers & Co. cn
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1060