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 53
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Societies. - White Swan Lodge, No. 334, K. of P., was instituted, with eighteen members, in 1888. Chancellor Commander Kerr presided in 1895, with C. E. Wolf, K. of R. S.
Cygnet Tent, No. 94, K. O. T. M., was or- ganized in 1890. In 1895. J. A. Raymond was commander, and James White, record-keeper. The tent has a large membership, made up of the male members of the families represented in
Evergreen Hive, whose names are given in the sketch of the hive.
Evergreen Hive, No. 48, L. O. T. M., was instituted October 30, 1893, with twenty-five members, namely: Ollie D. Miller, Cora V. Snv- der, M. S. O'Connor, M. K. Foster, M. B. Murphy, M. C. Fields, Annie L. Miller. Etta Campbell, Mamettie Whitacre, Jennie Hart, Sarah M. Jackson, Alice L. Kidd, Mary . Fitz- gerald, Mary T. Donley, Ellen G. Titus, Amelia Hodson, Nora M. Owens, Lenora Shuey, Della Magill, Lina E. Newton, Isadore E. Miller, Ella Donohoe, Henrietta Goodwin, Mary E. Parma- lee, and Mary A. Brown. In 1895, Cora V. Snyder was lady commander, and Annie L. Mil- ler, lady record-keeper.
Base Ball and Race Track Association is pre- sided over by D. C. Tobin, with Fred. Roe. sec. ; M. J. Grogan, treas. ; R. A. Hughes, Dr.A. L. Mercer, M. J. Walsh and T. D. Tighe, directors.
Railroad Agency .-- The first agent was Reu- ben Carey. George A. Southwick came next. during whose administration the sign board with the word CYGNET was raised; Reuben Carey was again appointed, then W M Haley, next J. R. Craun, and then the present agent, J. W. Shaffer, who was appointed in January, 1891.
JERRY CITY.
This lively and pretty village, which lies partly in Bloom township, and partly in Port- age, was not always the busy, thriving place which the visitor of to-day finds it. Amos Dewese, of Weston township, who was there during the hard winter of 1842-43, gives his reminiscences and introduces Jonathan Stull, who was the pioneer of this particular spot in the wilderness. His statement is valuable as a reference to that terrible winter in this county. and the " Jerry City " of fifty-three years ago.
I began work for one Solether April 1, 1843, snow at. ! ice on the ground and sleighing. He gave me a waty. While working there a Jonathan Stull came in the clear ..... He had a bag on his shoulder with a peck of ears of cors. that he got from Daniel Milbourn. Stull was much depressa and discouraged on account ot the terrible bard winter. We talked of Adventism, as the Millerites said the end of the world was at hand. Mr. Stull said he prayed for it every day. as he had seen all the trouble he wanted to see. He said he had eight head of horses, and all had died; twenty - eight head of cattle and 260 head of hogs, and all were dea ! I had to pass Mr. Stuff's cabin often. He told me that . had been married twelve years; they had ten children. af oot whom were almost nude. Not one of them had a full - They hadn't a bed nor a window in the house. He was :i . owner of a three-quarter section of good land. " There sau Stall. " I have one peck of ears of corn in this sack, an when i take it home and grind it in the hand-mill, and mrs
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n with water, bake and eat it with my wife and ten children. God knows where the next will come from. They must starve." He wept like a child. During my stay with Buisey I had to go to and from Shelia's. I had to pass a number of cabins, forsaken and uninhabited. They looked gloomy enough. surrounded by ice and water and the dismal swamp. One of which had belonged to a John Ford, was new. A number of wild hogs had taken possession. They had piled in on top of each other, and there perished with cold and hunger. When out hunting for coon and mink, whenever we found hogs they were invariably dead. Taylor lost about forty-five head of cattle: Mr. Keeler seventy-five head, while the Sargents, Ellsworth, Saisbury and Green lost about the same proportion, during that terrible winter, never to be for- gotten by the old settlers. Many had to move out of the Black Swamp before spring.
Jerry City was surveyed November 6, 1861, by J. Hastings for John Smith. The location was formerly called "Stulltown," in honor of Stull, who was one of the first and best of pio- neers; next "Shiloh," and ultimately given its present name, in honor of Jerry Nestlerode, of Fostoria, who had been in business here and left his impress on the locality. On January IS, 1872, a new plat of the village was recorded.
Jerry City was incorporated September S. 1875, on a petition presented by forty-three res- idents on June S. of that year. The proposal was fought at every point, but the majority won. and the villagers of Jerry City became a munici- pal body.
The mayors of the village have been as follows: 1876-T. C. McEwen: 1877-Theodore Brown; 1878 -- T. C. McEwen: 1879-S. S. Bronson; ISSI-84-C. C. Soule: 1884 --- Theo. Brown: 1887 --- Nicholas Holt: 1887-W. S. Solether: 1888- F. W. Heald, resigned; 1888-J. F. Wilsey: 1889 -Benjamin Sutherland: 1891-Volney Jones; 1895-96-C. E. Thompson.
The clerks have been as follows: 1876- L. D. Milbourn: 1877-A. W. Lefler; 1878- O. N. Bryant; 1879-A. D. Newcomb; 188[- A. W. Lefler; 1883-C. A. Risser; 1885-L. J. Lefler; 1887- H. H. McClelland: 1889-Luther Girton; 1890 -- Harry L. Spencer: 1892-C. E. Thompson; 1894-96-A. T. Hickerson.
The office of treasurer has been filled by S. S. Gobbel, W. B. Bryant, and C. W. Solether. the present incumbent. A. Swartz is the present marshal (1896).
The trustees or councilmen are named in the following list:
1876
D. S. Boyd, Theo. Brown, G. Hampshire, J. Gobbel,
A. Stevens, S. S. Bronson. 1877 -. J. Gobbel, Peter Gobbel, W. B. Bryant. L. J. Lefler, J. Eyrle, A. Stevens.
1878 George Hampshire, W. B. Bryant, B. . Sutherland, A. D. Newcomb.
1879 C. C. Nestlerode, George Baker, Theodore Brown.
1880 Benj. Sutherland, J. Eyrle, J. A. Haight, Henry Myers. 1×81 G. Baker, I. Hunsicker, L. J. Leffer, C. C. Nestlerode. 1882-F. Vosbarg, S. S. Gobbel, W. b. Bryant.
1883-John Eyrle, M. J. Turner, L. J. Leffer, A. B. Miller. 1884-W. B. Bryant, J. Wilsey. Peter Gobbel, Jacob Gobbel, resigned in 1885 or 1886.
1885-W. B. Bryant, C. C. Nestlerode, L. Loe, S. S. Gobbel, J. Wilsey.
1886 --- C. Frey, L. Loe, Solomon S. Gobbel, W. E. Frank- father, G. Hampshire.
1887 -- G. Rearick, George W. Cupp, F. Vosburg, J. H. Hampshire.
1888-J. H. Hampshire, Wm. Frankfather, Amos Frederick. 1889 --- J. H. Thompson, L. J. Lefler, James Teatsworth.
1890-Perry Heald. J. H. Hampshire, Ainos M. Frederick.
1891-G. C. Weaver, S. S. Dilley. A. Brand, A. T. Hicker- son, A. Van Blarcum, C. W. Solether.
1892 -- W. V. Redman, Aaron HI. Brand, Benjamin Suther- land, James Teatsworth. J. C. Thompson.
1893 -- Geo. N. Shatzel, D. C. Whitehead, H. H. McClelland, A. Van Blarcum.
1894-E. E. Redman, H. H. McClelland, James Teatsworth, A.Van Blarcum, D. C. Whitehead.
1895-James Teatsworth, A. A. Brand, H. H. McCielland, A. Van Blarcum, W. H. Frederick, and C. Shasieen. ap- pointed with E. E. Redman and D. C. Whitehead.
1896 -- Aaron Brand, B. Odell, Perry Heald. S. Mullen, Jas. Teatsworth, Francis Weirick.
The Post Office inay be said to date back a quarter of a century, when I. W. Nestlerode was given a key by the department and permitted to open the mail sack tor Mungen. In I878 R. M. Cellars was appointed postmaster, but for many reasons a commission was issued to A. Van Blar- cum that year. He did not serve, however, as a new petition, asking for the appointment of O. N. Bryant, was presented and granted. Mr. Bryant served until 1885, when W. B. Bryant took his place, and held the position until Sep- tember, 1889. J. F. Wollam served from that time until July, 1892, when G. W. Fries, the present postmaster, took charge.
Churches. - The German Evangelical Luther- an Church is the senior religious society of the village. Jacob Gobbel, Elizabeth. Gobbel, Peter Gobbel, George Weaver and wife, John and Caro- line Apple and J. H. Hampshire were among the first members. The society was organized in 1882 by Rev. John Snyder, and worshiped in the old McEwen store, which the Methodists had refitted as a house of worship. In 1883 a $1, 400 building was erected on a lot donated by Jacob Gobbel.
The Methodist Episcopal Society, now claim- ing forty members and a Sunday-school attend- ance of seventy-five, is presided over by Rev. W. A. Winters.
The Radical United Brethren Society, of which Rev. John Ferguson is pastor, dedicated a house of worship on January 13, 1895, the cost of the building being $1, 400.
The Christian Church Society was established here in 1894, most of the seventy members being formerly members of the Sugar Grove society. The house of worship was erected shortly after.
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during the pastorate of Mr. Wolfley. The first trustees were A. Van Blarcum, F. Sutton and John W. Bolts, who were also members of the building committee; A. Van Blarcum, James and Rezin Whitacre and M. L. Milbourn, elders; F. Sutton, Ed. Whitacre and Benjamin Mc- Laughlin, deacons. There are thirty-two mein- bers, who own the building on Bronson street, which cost $1,600.
Secret Societies .- Vitus Lodge, No. 602, I. O. O. F., was instituted November 6, 1874, with S. S. Bronson, G. B. Gorton, H. J. Smith, R. M. Cellers, George Hampshire, W. S. Baker, Edwin Miller, Daniel Kunkler and John Eyrle. The original name was Boyd Lodge, named in honor of D. S. Boyd, one of the original mem- bers and first noble grand. His successors have been S. S. Bronson, 1875; G. B. Gorton and R. M. Cellars, 1876; Theo. Brown and G. B. Gor- ton, 1877; A. D. Newcomb and Philip Spackey, 1878; D. L. Kunkler and O. N. Bryant, 1879; W. B. Bryant and John Eyrle, IS80; J. W. Coy and John Otterbacher, 1881; W. Robison and M. Weiland, 1882; W. Weiland and J. F. Wol- lam, 1883; James Teatsworth, 1884; H. Smith and W. B. Bryant, 1885; A. Frederick and W. B. Bryant, 1886; A. Frederick and H. D. Hahn, 1887; F. W. Heald and J. H. Chapman, 1888; J. F. Wilsey and James Thompson, 1889; John Bailey and C. A. Patterson, 1890; H. L. Spen- cer and S. C. Rearick, 1891; N. Whistler and B. Frederick. 1892; George Shatzel and J. M. Church, 1893; Charles Weirick and S. K. Derier, 1894; M. J. Turuer and Henry Hiser, 1895. The secretaries have been G. B. Gorton and R. M. Cellars, 1875; Thomas Brown and D. Kunkler, 1876; WV. D. Newcomb and William Spackey, 1877; J. W. Coy and O. N. Bryant, 1878; W. B. Bryant and John Eyrle, 1879; J. Otterbacher. 1880; W. Robison and Michael Weiland, 1881; D. L. Kunkler and J. F. Wolman, 1882; John Eyrle and Theodore Brown, 1883; E. A. Hub- bard, 1884; Amos Frederick and W. S. Loe. 1885; James Teetsworth, 1886; J. Barnhart and J. H. Chapman, 1887; L. Loe and J. H. Thomp- son, 1888; J. A. Bailey and C. A. Patterson, 1889; H. L. Spencer and S. C. Rearick, 1890; N. Whistler and B. Frederick, 1891 ; J. H. Thomp-
son, 1892-95; and S. C. Rearick, 1895-96. There were seventy-four members in July, 1895.
Rescue Lodge, Knights of Pythias, was in- stituted May 29, 1889, with the following named members: George W. Fries, W. B. Bryant, George W. Cupp, Jr., C. A. McGill, Levi Whit- man, Aaron Weaver, Gus McCrory, Sylvester Collins, John Rubar, Henry McKenna, A. L. Mercer, Lewis Milbourn, Marcus Stackhouse, E. W. Heltman, W. D. Baker, Alex. Vincent, A. G. Carter, F. J. Smith, Henry Myers, Jacob B. Apple, Thomas Milbourn, William Russell. L. D. Shafer, Samuel Dennis, Robert Mclaughlin, George Wollam and Jacob Miller.
Jerry City Tent, No. 104, K. O. T. M., was organized August 29, 1891.
The Daughters of Rebekah, chartered here a few years ago, surrendered the charter in 1892.
Bronson Post, G. A. R., No. 85, was char- tered June 6, 1881, and named in honor of Dr. Samuel Bronson, of the 57th O. V. I., who died at jerry City, May 8, 1881. The original mem- bers of this Post were Theo. Brown. E. Rice, Samuel Hebron, Samuel Stackhouse, William A. Russell, James Frederick, John Whitacre, E. A. Hubbard, Daniel McCrory, W. H. Frederick, H. Myers, A. A. Phillips, B. F. Palmerton, C. Soleather, Nicholas Ireland, Barney Poorman, Morris Sweet, John Otterbacher, E. M. De Wolf and W. E. Nudels. The commanders. in order of service, are named as follows: Theo. Brown, 1881 and 1882; E. A. Hubbard, 1883: J. J. Whitacre, 1884; A. T. Hickerson, 1885, 1890, 1891, 1893 and 1894; Jaines Teatsworth, 1886; A. A. Phillips, 1887; Uriah Shasteen, 1888: J. C. Thompson, 1889; H. H. McClelland, 1892, and E. W. Mullen, 1895-96. The adjutants were: Nat. Frederick, 1881; John Otterbacher, 1882; W. M. Yates, 1883; A. T. Hickerson, 1884, 1887, 1888, 1892; A. A. Phillips, 1885: Uriah Shasteen, 1886, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1894 and 1895, and H. H. McClelland, 1893.
The societies and churches embrace in their membership residents of Bloom and Portage townships. The members take a lively interest in the work of their churches and lodges, and, as a result, both are advancing steadily.
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CHAPTER XXIX.
CENTER TOWNSHIP.
FIRST WHITE SETTLER-FIRST LAND ENTRY-WRESTED FROM SAVAGES-BUILT A CABIN -- THE FIRST WAGON-THE COX, PHILLIPS AND OTHER PIONEER FAMILIES AND LAND BUYERS-THE END OF THE WORLD-RANDOM NOTES-SURVEY AND ORGANIZATION-TRAILS CONVERTED INTO ROADS-GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY -- WILD HOGS-MEN OF 1839-POPULATION, ETC .- JOSEPH WADE-OPPOSING A CONSTABLE-A BEAR STORY -- THE WILLIAMS FARM -- FIRST ELECTION -TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS-CHURCHES-SOCIETIES.
B ENJAMIN COX was the first white set- tler in Center township. He built a cabin near the Portage on the northeast quarter of Section 32, now the Infirmary farm, in the latter part of 1827 or early part of 1828. Collister Haskins was under the inipres- sion that Cox did not bring his family in until 1828. Benjamin did not enter the land: still, we must not grudge him the honor of being the first settler, since he located and made his improve- ments with that intention, and brought the first handmill into the township; but after four years sold out and moved off.
The First Land Entry .- His son Joseph Cox. however, made the first land entry in Center, January 13, 1831, the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 28, which, in April, 1835, he sold to Joseph Russell; the land, lying on the Portage three miles east of Main street, was for years known as the William Underwood place. A daughter of Benjamin Cox, Elizabeth, married Jacob Eberly, and was among the most respected of that galaxy of noble pioneer women, who with their husbands braved the deprivations of bygone days in the Black Swamp. Another daughter, Lydia, born at Findlay in 1817, was, according to Beardsley's history, the first white child to see the light of day in Hancock county, where the same authority credits Cox with being the first white settler. Cox, who had performed useful military service in the war of 1812, was a native of Virginia, and seems to have possessed that restless spirit of most of the old border men of that day, who were never contented unless fully abreast of or a little ahead of the westward ad- vance of white settlements. That class usually led the van and blazed the way. Robust and fearless, those restless, adventurous fellows were, in a sense, scouts for the more timid multitude,
then hastening over the Alleghanies, and like the ocean spray scattering itself in the valleys of the Muskingum. Scioto and the two Miamis, until. in its northward and westward march, it had swept away the Greenville Treaty line, advanced to and passed the Maumee. Much of the early history of this township is related in that of Bowling Green, where a small, honored band of pioneers resides to-day, a remnant of the adventurous spirits of 1833, 1834 and 1835.
Wrested From Savages .- That hardy class of men, the coarser, stronger fiber of civilization, was not only useful, but absolutely indispensable. Their like never was before, nor can be again. The conditions, which required the hard, danger- ous service they performed, have passed, never to return. The smoother grooves and easier lines on which we move to-day demand qualitica- tions so varied and changed,' that, in our haste to keep up with the march, we almost forget that there ever was a race of pioneers, our forefathers who lived in cabins, and, with .flint-lock guns, freed this land from the bondage of kings. and wrested the wilderness from the dominion of bar- barous savages-all honor to them-their nian- hood and sterling virtues in life can never suffer. by comparison, with their successors. Un- crowned heroes and heroines they were. Though most of them sleep in graves unmarked with stone or bronze, we can do them the more en- during honor of passing their names and deeds down to future generations on the brightest pages of our annals. Benjamin Cox moved to Indiana, where he closed his life at an advanced age.
Built a Cabin .- The next entry in Center. after Joseph Cox's, was the northwest corner, 48 acres, of Section 31, by Joseph A. Sargent, Octo- ber 31, 1832, lying on Main street next south of the Bender road. For some years this tract was
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owned by Nancy Flickinger. Sargent built his cabin on the west side of the street, in Plain, where he also owned land. Twelve days later. November 1, 1832, Adam Phillips entered the Infirmary tract, the improvements of which he had previously bought of Ben. Cox.
The First Wagon .-- In the following spring. April, 1833, Phillips brought his family, wife and six children, out from Stark county, coming by way of Fremont (then Lower Sandusky). When he got as far west as Woodville with his outfit, consisting of a wagon covered with boards, and drawn by two horses and four oxen. Phillips left the road and followed the Indian trail up the Portage through the wilderness to the Cox cabin, being the first inan to bring a wagon through on that route, now one of the best and most traveled roads in the county: he had taken the precaution to bring two good axemen-Jacob Phillips and George Heminger-with him. The Phillipses were so well pleased with the location that Adam soon after bought more land. Few persons who came into Wood county at that early day were better suited to withstand the deprivations of life here than Adam and Catharine Phillips; both were rugged and determined; they were ambitious to have a prosperous home; their courage and hopes were boundless. Everything in those first days looked bright: the bow of promise was great. Alas, how often that bow was to be overcast with clouds of discouragement-of sickness, of destitution-almost despair: yet theirs was almost the identical experience, at one time or another. of all who came. Still there were few obstacles so great that Phillips would not find some way to overcome them. He was a medium-sized, dark- "complexioned man, with keen black eyes, long, dark hair, usually parted in the middle; he had a loud, clarion voice, and, though of limited educa- tion, he had a ready flow of language, and when a bit excited would get off some startling figures of speech, especially on religious subjects, which were always favorite themes with Adam.
The End of the World .- He had a striking resemblance to some of the published pictures of Lorenzo Dow. Phillips was in many ways as eccentric as Dow, and his peculiar appearance and voice would attract attention in any crowd of men. Pages might be filled with incidents, both laughable and pathetic, told about him by his neighbors. One incident related. whether true or not, suggests how completely religious emno- tions took hold of him at times. It was at a period when the " Millerite" craze was being boldly promulgated, and a day had been fixed upon, not far ahead, when the world was to be
burned. Some of the zealous Millerites had been dinning the doctrine in Phillips' ears pretty in- dustriously nntil it had, to some extent, become a subject of serious thought to him. One dark night about that time, as the story goes, the smoke-house in the yard, where were stored the hams and bacon, took fire, and the lurid glare of the rising flames soon flashed with blinding effect on Adams' bedroom window. With a piteous. deep groan he sprang out of bed, shouting: . . My God, Catherine, the Judgment Day's upon us, and my soul is unprepared; call the boys;" and im- mediately he fell upon his knees, half asleep yet. and began praying so loud that no further fire alarm was needed. This story, enjoyed by none more than Adams' best friends, was told so often on him that it had, doubtless, like most stories. gained a little by the telling, but is given, here in rather an abridged form. Phillips at once took a leading part in all the improvements in the set- tlement; at every cabin-raising or road-chopping he was on hand. and did his part well. When the great meeting was held at Ft. Meigs, in 1840. he, with his neighbors, cut and hauled a buckeye log as Center township's contribution for the log cabin at the Fort. Of dame Phillips, his wife. it inay truthfully be said that she was a good sec- ond to Adam in all his worthy efforts. Besides the cares of a large family of children, whom she had often to feed from meal ground by her own hands in the mill sold them by Cox, she found time to do many generous deeds for her sick or otherwise needy neighbors. None went from ber door unaided if it was in her power to afford relief. With this very inadequate sketch of the Coxes and Phillipses. the two pioneer families of Center, it will now be in order to briefly notice some others who came early. Joseph Ralston entered 97 acres in the S. W. # Sec. 6, Center. March 17, 1834: Joseph Wade, 80 acres in the N. W. and S. W. of Sec. 18, April 2, 1834: John M. Jaques, W. part of the N.E . } of Sec. 31. April, 1834: Joseph Russell, So acres in the N. W. : of Sec. 34, October 9. 1834: George Stacy. 40 acres S. W. corner of Sec. 27, December 28. IS33: Henry Shively, N. ! So acres N. E. } of Sec. 30, April 26, 1834: Thomas Cox, E. & N. W. # of Sec. 31. April 27, 1833: D. L. Hixon. 55 acres in the N. W. ) of Sec. 18, April 14. 1835: William Dewitt. So acres in the N. W. } of Sec. 29, December 10, 1833; Thomas Slight. Jr., 40 acres in N. W. of S. E., Sec. 30, August 17, 1833: Samuel Snyder. N. ! of Sec. 7. Oc- ober 29, 1833: John Muir, N. W. 3 of Sec. 24. April 7. 1831: William Munn, W. of S. W. | of Sec. 32. February 3, 1836; William Zimmerman,
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S. W. } of Sec. 13, June 17. 1834; Adam Hous- holder, N. part of the S. E. } of Sec. 13, June 17, 1834. The latter two entries are now within the limits of Webster township.
Other early land buyers were: Joseph A. Sar- gent, S. 31, October 31, 1832; Fred Zephernick, N. W. } Sec. 27, November 10, 1832; Samuel Myers, S. 3 Sec. 14, November 12, 1832; George Wickham, N. W. of S. W. + Sec. 30, July 9, 1833; Henry Walker, W. N. W. } Sec. 19, Au- gust 5, 1833; Lee Moore, S. W. S. E. and S. part S. W. Sec. 30, September 16, 1833; Lee Moore, WV. part N. W. Sec. 30 and S. W. of S. W. Sec. 31, September 16, 1833; Jonathan Fay, part S. W. } Sec. 18, October 13, 1833; Alfred Thurstin, W. part S. W. } Sec. 19, No- vember 2, 1833; George Booth, S. E. N. W. I Sec. 30, November 27, 1833; Orange Strong, part S. W. } Sec. 27, December 28, 1833: Daniel Crom, W. part N. E. { Sec. 27, January 27, 1834; Robert Moore, parts N. E. and S. E. } Sec. 12, May 3, 1834; James Watson, W. part S. W. and S. W. N. W. I Sec. 29, May 19, 1834; Robert Barr, part N. W. } Sec. 19, June 9, 1834; Horatio N. Ward, E. S. W. } Sec. 7, January 25, 1836; Thomas R. Tracy, part S. W. } Sec. IO, December 15, 1836.
Random Notes .- These few random notes from the land books, comprising but the small fractional part of the original entries and of the names of the purchasers, are given here as show- ing who the first comers were. Most of those buyers named became actual residents on their land. Other early settlers, such as the Lundys, Klopfenstines, Andersons, and others, not enu- merated in the list, no doubt bought their lands of second hands. The chief purpose here is to show who the actual beginners were - a task not so easy after the lapse of three-score years, when nearly all the actors have faded away in the cor- roding mists of time.
Survey and Organisation. - Center town- ship, originally six miles square, was surveyed by Samuel Holmes, Deputy U. S. Surveyor, in 1819; that is, the exterior lines were made. In 1821 the subdivisional lines were run by S. Bourne. The designation in the survey is Town 5, North; Range 11, East. The county commissioners, at their March session, 1835, on petition of the res- idents of Town 5, granted the request for a town- ship organization, under the name of Center, and ordered an election of township officers to be held on the first Monday of April following, at the house of Adam Phillips. At the time of this action, Center was, a part of Portage, and had been since June. 1833, prior to which time it had
been a part of Middleton, since that township was cut off from Perrysburg. When, in 1846, Webster was created, six sections, 1, 2, 11, 12, 14 and 15, were set off to that township. In 1844, on petition of the residents thereon, the south half of Section 31, Middleton, was given to Center. It lies at the northwest corner, on the Perrysburg road, so, that, as now constructed, the township comprises thirty and one-half sections.
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