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 55
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The Dunkards, or German Baptists, hold
. meetings once every four weeks in the Union church, Messrs. Jonathan Whitmore, John Kray- bill and John W. Rees being preachers. David Monroe and Jacob Kiser and their wives, Christo- pher and Benjamin Reeves and wives. Viola and Cora Rees, Elsworth Rutter, Ezra Hemminger and wife, and a few others, formed this class.
The first trustees of the Union building were Henry Sawyer, George C. Houskeeper, Jacob and Monroe Kiser and George Mell.
United Brethren Church, Maple Grove, was organized in 1890, on a liberal platform, and in March, 1891, the site for the present building was selected on lands donated by Mr. Cook in the N. W. } of Sec. 9. The first trustees were Charles W. Cox (secretary), William Dennis, Andrew Glenn, whose place was subsequently filled by Daniel Barr, J. H. Bush, whose place is now filled by Charles Barr, and Henry Nixon. In June, 1891, Charles Barr and Thomas Cross were elected additional trustees. The bid of C. Stacy, agreeing to erect a house of worship for $975.87, was accepted, and the building was completed in October, 1891. The sum of $1, - 912. 81 collected for all purposes from organiza- tion to August 20, 1891, of which $1, 744.26 was expended. The society made remarkable progress until 1893, when Mrs. Ross came to preach the doctrine of the Radical wing at the Union Hill church. A number of the members joined the new society.
Underwood Methodist Episcopal Class was organized in 1891, by Rev. Scoles, with Henry Mincks, leader. He, with his wife and daughter, Hester, Jacob and Lizzie Mincks, James Mincks, who died October 28, 1893, Jane Mincks, John Walker, William and Emma Bonnell, Gideon Underwood, deceased, Margaret Underwood. John and Amanda Russell, John Shanks and William, Carrie and Nellie Stacy formed the class. Like the United Brethren Society of Center, this one was part of the Portage circuit until 1894, when it was attached to Dowling. Some two years before the United Bretliren and Methodist classes were organized the Underwood school house was fitted up for religious purposes, and ultimately purchased by the two societies. The class in July. 1895, had fourteen members.
SOCIETIES.
Sugar Ridge Grange, No. 745, was chartered June 1, 1874, with F. D). Noble, H. H. Van- Camp. C. E. Matthews. O. M. Grover. John Simmonds, Reuben Abbott, H. S. Meeker, G. S. Meeker (secretary), William Grover, Mrs. Ange- line Grover, Martha Grover. Alice Ashley, Mrs.
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Laura Matthews, officers in grange rank, and twenty-five unofficial members. Joseph Hamp- ton was elected master, vice Noble resigned. In August, 1874. the charter members built the present hall (William Grover hauling the first lumber), on land donated by H. S. Meeker and Robert Mckenzie. C. E. Matthews was elected secretary in 1876; George W. Brown in Decem- ber, 1878; J. D. Smith, 1879; while C. E. Matthews succeeded Master Hampton in Decem- ber, 1880. G. E. Cessna was master in 1883, with H. V. Meeker, secretary; G. C. Stevenson
served as master in 1884, with Seth F. Gregory. secretary; John Current was master in 1885, with C. K. Stevenson, secretary. Gilbert S. Meeker served as master for some years: Wilber Simons also held the chair, and other members were honored with the position, until the grange ceased working. At one time, this association had sixty active members, and was undoubtedly the banner grange of this county. The Center Grange, with place of meeting near Houskeeper's. was also an important association of agricult- uralists.
CHAPTER XXX.
FREEDOM TOWNSHIP.
HOW NAMED-POPULATION. SURVEY, ETC .- FIRST LAND BUYERS -FIRST SETTLEMENT - EARLY TRAILS AND ROADS-GAME AND HUNTERS-NEW ROCHESTER SETTLEMENT --- AN OLD MILL -MEN OF 1839-TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION. AND OFFICIALS-NEW ROCHESTER-WOODSIDE --- THE REES SETTLEMENT-PEMBERVILLE VILLAGE-SCHOOLS-CHURCHES-CEMETERIES --- SOCIETIES-INDUSTRIES, ETC.
T HE name of this township was suggested to the pioneers by the comparative liberty they enjoyed here, rather than by any ex- emption from the necessity of finding a home in the wilderness. " Made captive, yet de- serving freedom more," they gave the title, which was then, as it is now, appropriate. The soil is unquestionably rich in the mineral constit- uents necessary to produce good crops. Year after year the land has produced abundantly without exhausting its fertility. Modern devel- opments changed, in a measure, the agricultural character of the township, transforming sections of it into an oilman's camp, and showing the liquid wealth, hidden from the pioneers. The population in 1840, was 238; in 1860, 971; in ISSO, 1,667; and in 1890 ( including the 843 in- habitants credited to Pemberville ). 1.945. In April, 1895, there were 204 votes cast in Pem- berville village, a fact which goes to show the certain increase of the urban population. The exterior lines of the township were surveyed in IS19, and the section lines in 1821, but not until 1833 did the pioneers arrive.
First Land Buyers .- The first land entry recorded in Freedom is credited to Asahel Han- nan Powers, who purchased the N. E. } of the
N. W. }of Sec. 10, August 27, 1833. Horace Rice entered the W. part of the N. W. } of that section, and Samuel Mardis the S. 3 of Sec. S on the same day; but Powers was the only one of the trio to become a permanent settler. On November 6, 1833, Joseph Strong purchased the N. W. } of Sec. 31, Francis Smith the W. & of the S. E. } of Sec. 32, and John Hettel the W. of the N. E. } of that section. On November 7. 1833, Francis Kelley entered the W. 3 of the S. W. }, and James Kelley the east half of the same quarter of Sec. 22. They were the first buyers of United States land in the township.
The deed of Ohio to Jacob Cable was made December 25, 1833, when the N. W. }of the N. W. # of Fr. Sec. 28, a little over sixty-five acres, was conveyed to him for $81. 333, and the S. part of the S. W. } of Sec. 21, embracing sixty-four acres, for $So. This formed a part of the canal lands, as did also the Benjamin Waite entry. at the Forks.
About the same time the N. W. { of the N. ! E. } of Sec. 10, also canal land, was conveyed to Asahel H. Powers, but the tract was not re- turned for taxation until 1840.
Powers purchased from the United States. August 18, 1834, the S. W. } of the S. E. | of
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Sec. 3; Jacob Cable bought the S. W. } and W. part of S. E. } of Sec. 23, May 8, 1834; John Yocum purchased the E. part of S. E. } of that section on the same day, and Silas Cabel the N. WV. } of Sec. 24, while on May 30, 1834, Sam- uel Scothorn bought the S. W. } of the S. E. } of Sec. 28, and on June 19, Darius Brewster the N. W. } of the S. E. } of Sec. 28. The other purchasers of U. S. lands, in 1834, were W. A. Potter, Roswell Wade, Joel R. Wade and John W. Whitman, on Sec. 2; Lewis Snyder, Ezbon Sanford and Ethan Pember, Sec. 3; William Preston and Martin Keslei, Sec. 4: Thomas For- rester, Sec. 6; Levi Loomis and Adam Hous- holder, Sec. 7; John Dixon, Sec. 10; James Cresswell and R. Bratton, Sec. 11; Peter and Joseph Krotzer, Sec. 12; John Depuy, Sec. 13; Abraham Keefer, Sec. 14; Ludwig Kramer, Sec. 18; David Fisher, Sec. 19; Robert Roberts and Daniel Schell, Sec. 20; John Ganning, Sec. 23; Solomon Hoffart, Thomas Miner and John Farming, Sec. 30; George Spencer, Henry Sapp, John Steel and C. Wilhelm, Sec. 31; Richard Wright and Timothy Wilkinson, Sec. 32. Sec- tion 29 was included in the canal lands of 1834. and was then owned by Michael Myers, Michael Miller, Thomas E. Harding, Henry Sapp and Fred Karper. In May, 1835, Jacob Cable pur- chased the N. part of the N. E. } of Sec. 28, and Peter Donohue the W. part of the S. E. } of Sec. 1 I.
First Settlement .- With one or two excep- tions, all located on their lands, making two dis- tinct settlements-one in and round the present town of Pemberville, and one in and round the older village of New Rochester, Asahel H. Pow- ers being the pioneer of one, and Jacob Cable of the other. After locating his land Powers re- turned to his home in eastern Lorain county, and in the following November started for this county with two two-horse wagons, and accom- panied by his wife, sons Herman and Hiram, sons-in-law James Peinber and Benjamin Waite, the latter's wife, and daughters Lucina and Almira. They were five days and four nights traveling a distance of about eighty miles. The first night of their journey they spent at Amherst, Lorain county, the second at a private house near Milan, the third at Fremont, the fourth at Seager's tavern about five miles east of Wood- ville, and the evening of the fifth day they ar- rived at Benedict's, two miles from Woodville, where the women of the party stayed for the night, the men stopping a little this side of Ben- edict's, with their teams at Ferdig's. The jour- ney through mud brought on by November rains,
was almost horrible, and many times they were obliged to take both teams, pull one wagon through a mud hole, and then hitch to the other wagon and bring that through. One traveler. who passed over the road a day in advance, gave a man $12 to pull him through a mud hole about twenty rods long. The next morning after the arrival of the above party at Benedict's and Fer- dig's, the men set forth along the banks of the Portage, and arrived on what they supposed to be the land of Powers before noon, and soon selected a site for the cabin, on the southeast corner of Sec. 3, later owned by H. C. & J. Herman. They immediately set to work, and ere the sun went down they had cut the logs, put together a snug house 18 x 30 feet, and covered the same with shakes and bark.
In the winter of 1833-34 Henry Hahn, his wife and one child, found shelter in an addition to Powers' cabin. There a second child was born to them, who was the first native of Freedom.
Soon after the first house was built, Powers discovered he had located on land he did not own. Consequently he made no more improve- ments there, but with his two sons occupied his time in the winter of 1833-34 in clearing the N. W. 1 of the N. E. } of Sec. 10. In the follow- ing spring they plowed up about five acres of the land, and put in the first crop of potatoes. corn and vegetables. The corn they raised was never excelled in that vicinity. It surprised the set- tlers, and filled thein with astonishment. They sent samples of it back to their old home, and to different settlements in this county, and from that time on the Forks have been noted for corn-pro- ducing qualities. There was on Powers' tarm a fine maple sugar camp, from which he derived much benefit. Maple sugar was about the only cash article besides fur they could then produce. and Perrysburg was their market.
Benjamin Waite, a son-in-law of Powers, who bought thirty-seven acres upon which a large portion of Pemberville is located, in the fall of 1833, made a little opening on his land, and the next summer built a house near where the resi- dence of Henry Bowlus now stands, and moved in with his wife. Returning to Lorain county that fall, he died by his own hand.
James Pember, wife and child came from Lorain county in the fall of 1834, bought thirty- seven acres, owned by Waite, for $600, and shortly after became a lumber and sawmill man, owning two or three sawmills above the con- Anence of the Portage branches.
Early Trails and Roads. - The first trail or, rather, wagon road, in the township, was made
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WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.
by Gen. Harrison's troops in 1813. Where is Henry Hoodlebrink's farm, the soldiers camped. until the river would freeze over, when they hoped to move forward the artillery and baggage. Many mementoes of their camp are found there yet. Twenty-eight years after the soldiers passed that way, one of the Pembers found a musket- barrel. Taking it to the blacksmith shop, to re- move the breach-pin, and placing it in the vise, the onlookers reminded him to turn the muzzle away from them, as an old army gun was dan- gerous in any condition. Accepting the advice, he began hammering, when the charge did go off, making a large hole in a two-inch plank.
The first regular road through the township was the Mccutchenville turnpike, established by the Act of February 15, 1831. It runs from Per- rysburg southeast through New Rochester, to the county's southeast corner; thence to Bucyrus. Its length in Wood county is thirty miles and thirty-five chains; in Seneca, fourteen miles and forty-two chains, and in Crawford county, twenty miles and thirty-one chains. The commissioners appointed to locate the same were Ambrose Rice, of Wood, James Burk, of Seneca, and James McCracken, of Crawford, and the route was sur- veyed by Q. C. Sweeney. Eight chainmen were .employed, not all at the same time, however, and two "packers," with their horses. The commissioners and surveyors each received $1.25 per day for their services, and the chainmen and packers 75 cents. The cost of location was divided among the three counties as follows: Wood, $113.35; Seneca. $55.56; Crawford. $78.47. Surveyor Sweeney's bill was for forty days' work. amounting to $60, this amount in- cluding plat and profile of survey. The report of survey and location is dated April 13, 1835. Road 46, running through the township along the north bank of the Portage river, was the next, established March 15, 1836. The viewers were David Phenicee, Stilwell Truax, and Thomas M. Brown. Surveyor, Daniel H. Cobb; chainmen, Hiram Powers, James Pember, and marker, Car- lisle Pember. It took the above force four days to complete their work of location and survey.
they started in search of the apparently discom- forted porker. They had gone but a few rods from the house when they perceived it in the woods a short distance outside of a fence by which they stopped where the poor fellow was being unmercifully hugged by a bear! Mrs. Col- vin was the taller of the two ladies, and saw the bear first, when she made for the house. Mrs. Myers was a brave lady, and proposed to see it, too; so she advanced a little farther, and sure enough there was bruin hugging the pig and bit- ing at its throat; but on perceiving Mrs. Mvers he immediately dropped the object of his affec- tions and made tracks for the wilderness. They also related the following story:
Isaac Clay was out turkey hunting one day with a rifle, and coming across a flock, shot one turk- ey, and on going to pick it up he found another. and near by still a third, and all three were shot through the head. Three turkeys shot through the head with one rifle ball! A favorite way of hunting deer on the Portage, was what old hunt- ers call " candling " in canoes, and shooting the deer as they came to the river to drink.
New Rochester Settlement .- The Cables are mentioned in the deed from the State of Ohio as Virginians. No doubt they came in 1833. but left to others the task of establishing the first town in Freedom. Michael N. Myers came from Columbiana county in IS34, and purchased lands from the State, on the N. E. } of Sec. 29. His wife, son and four daughters accompanied him into the wilderness, and aided him in build- ing a hewed-log house, on the east side of the Mccutchenville road, on the north or right bank of the Portage. Soon after, Michael Miller came from Stark county, entered the N. W. } of Sec. 29, and in 1835 had the town of New Rochester surveyed. John Cope entered the. N. E } of Sec. 21, but being a tradesman gave his time to building the first sawmill at New Rochester, and one or two mills at Pemberville, rather than to agriculture. The original Cables, who located in the New Rochester neighborhood, resided here only a short time, when they resolved to leave the wilderness. Loading their goods on canoes and embarking with their women and children, they paddled down the Portage; but, one mile below the Powers settlement, one canoe cap- sized. and the disappointed passengers were thankful that they lost only their clothing and provisions.
Game and Hunters. - From facts related in 1884, by Mrs. Ann Forest and Frank Cowden, of New Rochester, to C. S. VanTassel, it is learned that the last wild bear seen in Freedom, was in 1851. Mrs. Eli Colvin, a neighbor of Mrs. Joseph Myers, called at the latter's home one day in the fall of that year, and while they In Old Mill .- The Joseph Fuller gristi! was introduced as early as 1835, where H. Scher- meyer resided fifty years later. One barrel of were in the house talking, their attention was ar- rested by the squealing of a pig near by. Being curious to apprise themselves of the difficulty, | flour or corn meal-or, rather, crushed wheat 17
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and corn-was its capacity per day. It con- tained one run of stone made of a large " hard head " halved, which Mr. Fuller himself dressed. It was run by "muscle power" that operated two wooden cranks, which turned two belts that were so geared by wood work that they ran the stone. It was used by settlers for many miles around, and those who used it were compelled to grind their own grist, and pay toll in the bargain.
Men of 1839 .- In 1839, there were sixty male citizens, aged twenty-one years and over, in this township, the names of whom are as fol- lows: George Scothorn, Michael Myers. Isaac Clay, Henry Housholder, Adam Housholder, Zopher Francis, Thomas Francis, Asahel Pember, Henry Pember, Russel, Thomas Miner, Joseph Myers, John Fought, John Hoot, John Kelley, Daniel Sage, Peter Eisenhaur, Peter Eisenhaur, Jr., John Eisenhaur, Thomas Eisenhaur, Jacob Hyser, Jacob Phillips, A. E. Calkins, Henry Eyster, Frederick Hahn, David A. Carpenter, Asahel Powers, Harman Powers, Nelson Alexander, John Cope, James Pember, James Waugh, Thomas Thompson, Lyman Lewis, Thomas Moseby, Robert Forrester, William Forrester, Harvey Allen, Jacob Eddleman, Nicholas Kesler, Martin Kesler, Joseph Kesler, Robert Dunapace, William Dunapace, William Muir, James Muir, Wm. Schniedebarger, Carlisle C. Pember, Har- man Pember, Hiram Pember. Joseph Fuller, Joseph Fuller, Jr .. Ira Pember, Sampson Calkins, Manassa Calkins, Asa Fair, Peter Krotzer, John Krotzer, Joseph Krotzer, Jacob Vanettin.
Township Organisation, and Officials .- The 1873 -- H. H. Shaberg, H. Harmeyer. John Hockman. township was established December 1, 1834, on 18:4 -- H. H. Shaberg, H. Harmeyer, John Krofer. petition of the inhabitants, who, in the fall of that 1876 -H. H. Shaberg, L. H. Forest, William Brocksicker. 1877-78-F. Talker, H. Hoodlebrink, William Brocksicker. year, assembled at the forks of the Portage to raise 1879-T. Bowers, J. H. Baker, Charles Eisenhaur. 1880-82-(Records not in possession of clerk.) a log school house, and there heard Hiram Pember suggest the name " Freedom" for a new town- 1884-Henry Heckman, Casper Ernesthausen, W. Scherman. -Henry Heckman, Ed. H. Dusing, Henry Schermeyer. 1883-T. M. Peoples, H. Westerhous, W. Scherman. 1885-Frank Schwane, Ed. H. Dusing, Henry Schermeyer. ship. The election was ordered to be held at the cabin of Michael N. Myers, on the first Monday of April. 1835. On June 6, that year, Michael 1886 -- Harman Heckman, Frank Schwane, William Brock- 1887-90-William Brocksicker, Frank Schwane, William 1890-Charles Stahler, Frank Schwane, Fred Menter. Brocksicker. sicker. Myers and John W. Whitman received the entire vote for justices of the peace, the electors being the saine as in April, namely: Silas, Jonathan, 1891 -- Henry Moorman, C. Stahler, Fred Menter. Benjamin and Isaac Cable, Michael N., Michael 1892-94-Charles Stahler, Henry Moorman, Fred Menter. and Joseph Myers, Asahel H. and H. H. Powers, 1896-Dan Schaberg and William Brocksicker were elected. George Spencer, John Cope, Samuel Ridinger, 1895- - Henry Sieck, Henry Moorman, Fred Menter. Henry Nailor, Christian Schell, Thomas Miner, Justices .- The justices of the peace, who qualified, are named as follows: John W. Whit- man and Michael Myers, who qualified in Decem- ber, 1835; Hiram Pember and Michael Myers, 1838; Thomas D. Moseby, 1839: Hiram Pember. 1840: Thomas Eisenhaur, 1842; Thomas Thomp- John W. Whitman, Henry Sapp and Michael Miller. The October election of 1836 shows sixteen votes for Joseph Vance for Governor: sixteen for Patrick Goode. Congress, seventeen for John Hollister. Representative in the Legisla- ture; eighteen for John A. Kelley, Commissioner; , son, 1843; H. W. Bain, 1848; A. E. Calkins. and seventeen for Hiram Davis, Surveyor. There | 1849-52; Isaac Clay, 1850-52; Hiram Pember.
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were eighteen votes cast, however, Hiram, Car- lisle and Harman Peinber. Adam and David Housholder, John Wilson, Luman C. Lewis, Henry Eyster and Archibald Burnett, new voters, taking the places of so many of the older voters of 1835. C. W. Evers, writing in June, 1875, on this subject, notices the absence of the name of James Pember, and seems inclined to credit it to the fact that his right to vote was questioned by his fellow pioneers, who considered him a Cana- dian.
The Trustees of Freedom are named in the following list, which is based on tax-levy certifi- cates and other documents found in auditor's of- fice, down to 1878, and on the township records. in possession of the clerk, from 1879 to 1895:
1839-D. A. Carpenter, Carlisle Pember, T. D. Moseby. 1840-D. A. Carpenter, Manassah Calkins, Peter Eisenhaur.
1841-Carlisle Pember, John Cope, Peter Eisenhaur.
1842-John Cope, Sampson Calkins, Peter Eisenhaur.
1843-44-Documents not in auditor's office.)
1845-46-Hiram Pember, Peter Eisenhaur, Isaac Clay. 1847-48-Jonas G. Wicker, Isaac Clay.
1849-F. N. Pember, H. W. Bain, Jacob Hieser. 1850-51-James Pember, Elias Lay, H. H. Powell.
1852-53-(Documents not in auditor's office.)
1858 -- John Reed, Henry Harmeyer, Evan Rees.
1859 -George M. Bell, Henry Harmeyer, Charles Eisenhaur.
1860 -- Abel T. Norris, Levi Wetmore, J. H. Schroder. 1861 -- S. Johnson, Levi Wetmore, J. H. Schroder.
1863-64 -- Daniel Clay, James M. Peoples, Henry Harmeyer. 1865 --- H. H. Shaberg. W. P. Eisenhaur, Henry Baker.
1866-Daniel Clay, Charles Eisenhaur, Henry Baker.
1867-H. H. Shaberg, Charles Eisenhaur, Henry Menter. 1868-G. Hebler, David Peoples, Henry Menter. 1869-Henry Rickett, David Peoples, Edward Dusing. 1870- John Hiser, David Peoples, Edward Dusing. 1871-Henry Baker, David Peoples, Edward Dusing. 1872 -- I. M. Peoples, H. Harmeyer, John Hockman.
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did not qualify in 1851; James Waugh, 1852; Hi- rain Pember, 1855 to 1863: F. N. Pember, 1856 -59: Robert Barber, 1858; John Reed, 1861; Philip Smith, 1863; Isaac Clav, 1864; James Pember, 1865; Henry Rickett, 1867; J. H. Schroe- der, 1868 to 1880: John Bernard, 1870; H. H. Shaberge, 1872; Henry Bruning, 1873; Henry Menter, 1875-78; Thomas N. Bierly, 1880; J. H. Menter, 1881 to 1888; H. B. Knoff, 1883, 1886 (resigned in 1888). and J. H. Schroeder, 1887 to 1896, re-elected 1896.
Clerks .- The clerk's office has been occupied by the following named citizens since 1839: Thomas Thompson, 1839; S. H. Bell, 1845; H. A. Karns, 1848; S. H. Bell. 1849; J. P. Martin, 1852; H. N. Alexander, 1853: G. M. Bell, 1860; B. A. Pember, 1861; George McCreary, 1863; Robert Barber, 1864; Henry Van Camp, 1865; J. H. Schroeder, 1866; (records wanting); Henry Bruning, 1869; W. Klostermyer, 1873; N. B. Holdsworth, 1874: C. Gerding, 1876: (records wanting); H. B. Knoff, --: Fred Gerding, 1883: Fred Eschedor, 1884; John K. Powell, 1887; Fred Eschedor, 1891; J. F. Sherman, 1892; C. Gerding, 1893, and Charles Nieman, appointed September 1, 1894, elected 1896.
Treasurers .- Among the early treasurers were: A. E. Calkins, 1840; John Cope, 1843; D. A. Carpenter, 1850; John Y. Fish, 1851; James Waugh, 1853; John Cope, 1854: Hiram Pember, 1856, and Ira B. Banks, 1857-59. The office has been variously filled for the last thirty- five years, H. H. Bruning being elected to same in 1896.
Assessor .- David Henline was elected asses- sor in 1896.
NEW ROCHESTER.
The pioneer village of Freedom was surveyed into seventy-five lots in May, 1835, by Hiram Steel, for Michael Miller, on the N. W. } of Sec. 29. The owner had located there in 1834, but Michael N. Myers, his senior in settlement, built the first house, as related in the history of the township. It was a larger cabin thian was usnally found in the wilderness, and this fact, taken to- gether with the genial character of Myers, made it at once the mecca of immigrants. Within a decade, he thought it expedient to build a larger concern to entertain his guests, and in 1844 began the construction of the two-story framne building, known to this day as .. Myers' Hotel." For years, John Zepernick has used it as a dwell- ing and store. It was not completed until 1848 or 1849. In 1835, a log-cabin was erected by Miller, in which the grocery business was carried
on, until the structure was moved and dedicated to school purposes. During the first year of President Jackson's second term, Myers was ap- pointed postmaster at New Rochester, a posi- tion he held for about thirty years. John Bair was then the mail-carrier, on the route from Perrysburg to Bucyrus, as he was until 1839. In 1842, Henry Bain opened a tavern at this point. and, within it, kept a small stock of groceries, dry goods and hardware. About the same time, Thomas Bain erected a house, opposite that of Henry, which was rented by Elias Whipple, who established himself as a tavern-keeper and mer- chant. Some years later, Whipple purchased Henry- Bain's stock, and, for a time, was the sole merchant of the locality. Shafftstal and T. Alexander occupied the house until it was torn down. In 1883, R. W. Davidson built the pres- ent store. The first sawmill was built by John Cope, one and one-half miles below the village, in 1848 or 1849. He cut a canal across the little peninsula at that point, which to-day is the only evidence of the mill-power of the past.
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