USA > Ohio > Allen County > History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part One > Part 15
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Like a martyr of old who has stood strong and bold, But has fallen at last, and has given his hold To a pitiless horde, who have no mission but gain, And care not for the wreck, or the endless stain.
Progress and greed for pelf have usurped for self, And Nature's design, with its store house of wealth, Will be only a dream to the hundreds who have seen The old sulphur spring, and have drank from its spring. -C. W. Westbay.
CHAPTER VII
TOWNS AND TOWNSHIPS OF ALLEN COUNTY
Population of Ohio and Allen County-Amanda Township-Old Fort Amanda and the Na- tional Cemetery-Auglaize Township-Bath Township -- German Township-Elida -- Jackson Township-LaFayette-Marion Township - Delphos-Monroe Township- Ottawa Township-City Officials of Lima-Perry Township-Richland Township- Bluffton and Beaver Dam-Shawnee Township-Early Indian History-Pht's Cabin and the Council House -- Spencer Township-Spencerville-Sugar Creek Township -- History of the Welsh Settlement of Gomer.
POPULATION OF OHIO AND ALLEN COUNTY.
The first census of that part of the United States which is now the State of Ohio was taken in 1800, under the government of the Northwest Territory. The population of Ohio in 1900 is more than 91 times as large as that given for 1800, the census taken something over two years before it became a State. The population of the state in 1900 was 4,157,545 as compared with 3,672,- 316 in 1890, representing an increase during the decade of 485,229, or 13.2 per cent. This rate of increase is slight- ly less than that for the decade imme- diately preceding, when it was 14.8 per cent. although the numerical increase is somewhat greater. During the earlier decades of the century, the State increased in population rap- idly, but the greatest numerical increase (581,564) occurred in the decade from 1830 to 1840. Since 1850 the development of the State in population has been comparatively steady. The total land surface of Ohio being. approximately, 40.760 square miles, the aver- age number of persons to the square mile, on
the basis of the enumeration taken in the year 1900, is 102.
Allen County was erected by act of Feb- ruary 12, 1820, and was organized by act of February 9, 1831. The population in 1830 was 578; in 1840, it was 9,079; in 1850, it was. 12,100; 1860, it was 19,185; 1870, it was 23,623; 1880, it was 31,314; 1890, it was 40,644; and in 1900, the last census, it was 47,976. The greatest increase occurred dur- ing the decade from 1880 to 1890, which was 9,330, or 29.7 per cent.
The population of the county is at the pres- ent time ( 1906) estimated at 50,000. This shows a very substantial growth from 1831. The marked increase in the decade preceding 1890 is accounted for by the discovery of oil in 1885. During this decade the city of Lima doubled her population. In ISSo, the census showed 4 Indians still living in the county. The density of the population is 118 to the square mile.
Herewith are given tables showing the population of the county by townships in 1880 and 1900 and the population of the cities and villages in 1900:
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
TOWNSHIPS
1880
1900
Amanda
1,456
1,384
Auglaize
1,749
1,909
Bath
1,532
1,517
German
1,589
1,95I
Jackson
1,893
1,93I
Marion
4,488
4,573
Monroe
2,182
1,875
Ottawa (Coextensive with city of Lima),7,669
21,723
Perry
1,465
1,467
Richland
3,372
4,099
Shawnee
1,24I
1,493
Spencer
1,646
3,016
Sugar Creek
1,032
1,038
Total population
. 31,314
47,976
-
CITIES AND VILLAGES
1900
Allentown
123
Beaver Dam
477
Bluffton
1,783
Delphos (2,289 in Allen County)
4,517
Elida
440
Gomer
155
Harrod
370
LaFayette
316
Lima
21,723
Spencerville
1,874
West Cairo
338
AMANDA TOWNSHIP
Was the first division of the county to fall into the possession of the American pioneer, and one of the first divisions of the entire North- west to be occupied by United States troops. In the history of Fort Amanda, it is estab- lished that a fort was erected here in 1812 by the troops of Colonel Poague's command, who called the position "Fort Amanda," in honor of the Colonel's wife. In 1817 a few settlers ar- rived, who occupied the block-houses within the stockade around this fort. A full descrip- tion of Fort Amanda will be found in Chapter IV, together with a picture of the fort.
Perhaps the most noted cemetery of the county is found in this township. It is the one at Fort Amanda, where the soldiers of the United States Army were buried in 1812-14: it was formerly cared for by the government as a national cemetery. It has some 75 graves and is still kept in order by the pioneers. Fort
Amanda was also the first postoffice in the county, and the first place at which religious meetings were held within the county.
In 1904 the assessed value of Amanda township was $805,730, with a tax rate of 16.3 mills; of Amanda Special School District, $36,163, with a tax rate of 15.6 mills.
When the township was organized, under authority granted by the commissioners of Mercer County in 1830, there were only 13 electors in the town, 12 of whom were present at organization. Samuel Baxter was chosen clerk, and Daniel Hoak, justice of the peace. William Stewart, Solomon Carr (commission- er of Mercer County), Samuel Washburn, A. Martin and others were also elected to fill town offices. Previous to organization, however, the Mercer County authorities interested them- selves in the improvement of this portion of Allen County.
The Chicago & Atlantic Railroad, now known as the Chicago & Erie, passes from east to west through this township, and the Cincin- nati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway skirts along the western side, dividing it from Spencer.
The physical characteristics are marked by fertile soil, forests of heavy timber in an early day and a network of streams, which give a system of natural drainage. Although the township in point of settlement is one of the oldest in the county, the development of it has been slow. The building of the Chicago & At- lantic Railroad and the tendency toward mod- ern enterprise have given promise of the town- ship rising to that place which its natural wealth of soil claims for it.
Villages .- The little town of Amanda was platted in 1832 by Samuel Washburn, who married the widow of Andrew Russell. It is located on the southwest bank of the Auglaize. The postoffice at Armstrong, in Amanda town- ship, in 1884 was moved to Conant, a small village on the Chicago & Erie. Kemp is a small village in Amanda township.
Pioneers. - Samuel Baxter settled in Amanda township in 1828 with his sons, Cur- tis and Smith Baxter. The latter came with him when four years of age, and the former when six years old. He died in 1832 while his wife, Keziah ( Cremean) Baxter, survived him
II4
HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
over 20 years. James Baxter, familiarly known as "Uncle Jimmy" Baxter, a son of the pioneer, Samuel Baxter, was born in Ross County, Ohio, September 9, 1817, and came with the family to Amanda township in 1829. When the Baxters arrived, they found that the families of Solomon Carr, Ferdinand Miller, Jacob Harter, William Sunderland, Dye Sun- derland, George Kephart, Henry Harris and Samuel Washburn had preceded them. The
Shawnees and Wyandots were quite numer- ous, and often visited Mr. Baxter when in hunting companies along the river. The lead- ing hunters were Pht, Little Fox (Pht's brother ), Turkey Foot (whose cabin is still standing ) and Quilna. Mr. Baxter married Melissa John, daughter of Griffith John, April 20, 1837. His family consists of six children, -three boys and three girls. "Uncle Jimmy" is still living, strong and active, though 88 years old.
Squire Mills was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, September 27, 1824. His parents were Nathan and Elizabeth (Overman) Mills, both natives of North Carolina. In 1835, with his parents, he first settled on the Auglaize in Marion township, but in December, 1846, he moved to Amanda township where about a mile and a half from Kemp on section 2 he en- tered land from the government; here he still lives, a splendid example of the pioneer of Allen County. There were no roads at that time, nothing but bridle-paths and Indian trails. Mr. Mills helped to make corduroy roads and ditch the land. The country was a wilderness and hardly a cabin was to be seen between the present site of the Amanda Bap- tist Church and Hog Creek. At that time all stock had to be penned up, for wolves were very numerous and sometimes bears were seen. There were no railroads and all supplies were taken across from Lima and Delphos, where the produce of the farms was also dis- posed of. In 1844-45. in Lima, where now stands the Metropolitan Block, Mr. Mills was employed by Dr. William Mc- Henry to make rails and cut wood. He made 4,600 rails at 371/2 cents a hun- dred and his board, and cut 63 cords of
wood at 31 cents a cord. On May 26, 1850, the subject of this sketch was married to Maria Jane Sutton, eldest daughter of Thomas and Susan ( Kephart ) Sutton. She was born Jan- uary 6, 1834, and died January 5, 1895. Wal- ter S. Mills, chief of police of Lima, is Squire Mills' youngest son. The family consisted of six children, one of whom is dead. Squire Mills, now in his 82nd year, is a very bright old gentleman, retaining all of his faculties, and is entertaining in conversation. He is one of the best known pioneers in the county. He has voted for more years than any other man in Amanda township.
The first taxpayers of Amanda township, in 1834, were: Thomas Adams, Thomas Ber- ryman, William Berryman, Rachael Berry- man, Eli Burnfield, James Crozier, Solomon Carr, Jacob Carr, Frederick Clawson, Wil- liam Durnham, William Hurst, Martin Hire, Daniel Hoak, William Hoak, James Hoak, Jacob Harter, John Harter, George Kephart, Heland's heirs, William Johnson, William Moreman, Achilles Martin, Andrew Russell, Benjamin Russell, Dye Sunderland, William Sunderland, Thomas Sutton, Samuel Stewart, William Stewart, Benjamin W. Vance, Sam- uel Washburn, Simon Whetstone, William Winans, David Walter and William Woollery. Samuel Washburn was taxed for 91 lots in Amanda, of which the assessed value was $227.50. The total tax levied was $140.68.
Schools .- At an early period in the history of Amanda township a log schoolhouse stood on the Eli Barfried (G. W. Richardson) farm, in which one Benham and, subsequently, Wil- liam Knittle, taught school. In 1829 Arche- laus Martin presided over a school of about 15 pupils. In 1884 there were enrolled in the township 420 pupils and the school property was valued at $8,500. Now the valuation of school property is $11,000 and the total en- rollment in the township is 373. Following is a list of the teachers in 1904-05: Henry Kies, William M. Carolus, Hubert Rice, Clyde Brewbaker. Emma Yoakum, S. E. Miller, S. E. Ely and R. C. Rigdon, also Oliver Kies in the Amanda Special School District (in Spen- cer and Amanda townships).
115
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Churches .- There are four churches in Amanda township, as follows: Baptist Chris- tian Brethren, United Brethren, Christian Union and Cristie Methodist Episcopal Chapel, which belongs to the Spencerville circuit and is in charge of Rev. W. S. Worthington.
AUGLAIZE TOWNSHIP,
Forming the southwest corner of the county, north of the line of Auglaize County, west of the line of Hardin County, and south and east of Jackson and Perry townships, was estab- lished by order of the commissioners of Allen County, March 5, 1832. In December of that year the township of Scioto was disestablished and attached to Auglaize township for judicial purposes. Until the establishment of Perry township in December, 1833, the 12 eastern sections of that township formed a portion of Auglaize township. Since that time what is known as original township 4 south, range 8 east, constitutes this division of the county, the villages known as Westminster, West Newton and Harrod belonging to Auglaize township.
The total valuation of property in Auglaize township in 1904 was $552,624, with a tax rate of 21.4 mills; in Westminster Special School District, $119,525, with a tax rate of 18.6 mills; in Harrod Special School District, $87,359, with a tax rate of 21.6 mills; in Harrod corporation, $65,185, with a tax rate of 33.4 mills.
Villages .- Westminster is a thriving vil- lage, platted by Alexander Creps in 1834, sit- uated on the north bank of the Auglaize. In 1880 Mrs. Rebecca Creps, widow of Alexan- der Creps, erected the brick German Reformed Church as a memorial to her husband. It was dedicated to the use of all orthodox religions. In the cyclone of September, 1898, this memo- orial church was completely demolished. Mrs. Creps gave the site and the bricks of the old church to the members of the Christian Church, who later built there. There is only one other church in Westminster and that is the Methodist Episcopal. Rev. John Parlette
is the pastor of this church and also serves charges at Harrod and at West Newton.
West Newton was platted in 1850 by Dan- iel Shields.
Harrod is a thriving village on the Chicago, & Erie Railroad, and is the only railway sta- tion in the township.
Pioneers .- The pioneers of Auglaize town- ship were Francis Stevenson and John and Arabella Goode, who settled here in 1829. Mrs. Goode was the first white woman to ap- pear in the role of housekeeper in the bounds of Auglaize township. John Goode, her hus- band, is credited with building the first cabin. in the township. In March, 1830, the Steven -. son family came to take possession of the home selected by the pioneer in i829. Francis Ste -- venson died in 1847, and the year following his wife died. Folsom Ford, James Hamilton,. Henry Weaver and Robert Underwood ar- rived in 1830, and the following year Isaac,. John, Daniel and Samuel Shockey and David Serkes came in.
The first taxpayers of Auglaize township,. in 1834, were: Joseph Asking, Alexander Creps, George Coon. Folsom Ford, Thomas Ford, Robert Grant, William Holt, Elijah Hardesty, Samuel Ice, Peter Jacobs, Nicholas D. Maus, William Patterson, David Perks, Abner Smith, Alex. F. Stedman, John Shockey, Jesse Stevenson, Francis Stevenson, William Stevenson, James Stevenson, Samuel Shockey, Israel Shockey, Henry Shellenber- ger, George Underwood, John Vermillion, Jacob Weaver and Jacob Yazell. Alexander Creps was assessed $1.89 on 36 lots in the vil- lage of Westminster, on a valuation of $172. The personal property valuation was $2,192, on which a tax of $24. 1I was levied.
Schools .- During the winter of 1833-34- a subscription school was opened by John Shockey, son of Samuel Shockey, in a cabin. built in section 26. A short time after this, the. commissioners ordered that a district be or- ganized. There are at present two special school districts in the township-Harrod and Westminster. The township, outside the spe- cial school districts, has school property valued
0
116
HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
at $14,000 and an enrollment of 291 pupils. There were 10 teachers in 1904-05. as follows : J. M. Hover, H. E. Stevenson, L. T. Hull, Lois L. Thomas, Wort Turner, W. C. Hughes, C. S. Smith, Jesse R. Harrod, Adda McKin- ney and B. F. Strahm.
Harrod Special School District has school property valued at $5,000 and both elementary and high school. The former has enrolled 102 pupils ; the latter 41, making a total of 143 in the village. This is the only high school in the township. The following were the teachers in the district in 1904-05: O. H. Adams, Kate Turner and Kathryn Wise.
Westminster Special School District has property valued at $3,000 and an enrollment of 70. There were two teachers in 1904-05 : D. J. Dunkleman and May Stevenson.
BATH TOWNSHIP
Is full of well-cultivated farms and is as pic- turesque as any part of Allen County. Two streams, Hog Creek and Sugar Creek, pass through the township, and there are so many small tributaries to these streams that all parts of the township have an ample supply of water. Four railroads traverse Bath township, name- ly: Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago, Cin- cinnati, Hamilton & Dayton, Lake Erie & Western and Detroit, Toledo & Ironton. The total valuation of property in the township in 1904 was $1,277,076, with a tax rate of 18.4 mills.
Very early in the history of the township, its pioneer, Christopher Wood, saw in its southwestern section a beautiful site for a vil- lage and there in 1829 he located the seat of justice. In 1831 he was appointed commis- sioner for the sale of lots in the town of Lima. which belonged to Bath township until the establishment of Ottawa township. Bath township existed before the organization of Allen County, but neither the records of Allen nor of Mercer County show when it was or- ganized. In IS31, however, it was a regularly organized township with the town of Lima as a center. On June 6. 1831. a petition for the organization of Jackson township was pre- sented and granted. In December, 1834, the
people of Jackson township petitioned to have the present township ( congressional) organ- ized under its original name, which petition was granted and the two tiers of eastern sec- tions of Bath, which belonged to Jackson up to this time, were detached and added to Bath.
In 1857 Bath was ordered to contribute portions of sections 29 and 32 and all of sec- tions 30 and 31 to the new township of Ot- tawa. Up to the organization of Lima vil- lage in section 31, it formed a part of Bath, and its affairs were administered by the Town Board.
Pioneers .- Christopher Wood with his sons settled in Bath township in 1824. The story of their trip and settlement is told in the following extract from a biography of Chris- topher Wood. "From Logan County, on the Miami, where resided a man named Stewart, who had married an Indian wife, they left the borders of the white settlements, and cut a road a distance of 24 miles, camping at night in the woods until they reached the Indian town of Wapakoneta. In all this distance, ex- cept at Stewart's, they found not a trace of civilization. When they reached Shawnee- town, now Hover's, in Shawnee township, where Pht the chief resided in a cabin and had about 20 acres of cleared land in good culture. they staid all night, and on leaving purchased corn and potatoes for seed. They cut a path and after two days' hard work reached their land on Sugar Creek, having been 16 days in the wilderness since quitting Logan County. They landed about the 16th of April, 1824. The parties at once commenced the work of erecting cabins, clearing land and planting crops, after which they returned to Champaign County and moved their families out in the fall. They were at once visited by Wyandots, who assisted them in the erection of their cab- ins. Captain Wood was appointed and com- missioned a justice of the peace for Bath town- ship. when it had civil jurisdiction over nearly all of Allen County. In 1829 he was ap- pointed by the Legislature one of the commis- sioners to locate the county seat of Allen Coun- ty and upon the erection of the county. in 1831. was appointed one of the associate judges and when Lima was platted. the first city director
117
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
for the sale of lots. He removed to and re- sided in Lima until 1856 when, having served faithfully his day and generation, full of years he was gathered to his fathers, aged about 87 years.'
Many of the pioneers are named in the his- tory of Lima, given elsewhere.
The first taxpayers of Bath township, 1834, were: Anderson and Baker, James Anderson, Samuel Aldridge, Griffith Breese, Abraham Bowers, Calvin Bradley, John Bashore, David Bailey, Elijah Bates, William Bomen, Alex- ander Beatty, Samuel Black, William Chaffee, Joseph Crossley, Jesse Cullison, Abe Clark, Thomas Cochran, John F. Cole, Miles Cowan, Simon Cochran, Joseph Carpenter, Abram W. Cochran, Robert Casebolt, Handy Canon, Hugh Crawford, William Crawford, John Crawford, William Chenoweth, Henry M. Carnes, Joseph Carpenter, Squire Carlin, William Cunningham, Hamilton Davison, Moses M. Dixon, Abram Dever, Benjamin Dolph, Cyrus Davis, James S. Daniels, Matthew Dobbins, Nathan Dan- iels, Oliver Ellsworth, Isaac Erksine, Joseph Edwards, Ezra Edgecomb, William Fisher, Harvey Foster, Archie Fisher, John Franklin, Patrick G. Goode, Joel Gass, Manuel Hover, Joseph Hover, Ezekiel Hover, Benjamin Han- son, Samuel Homan, William L. Henderson, .George M. Hoofer, Richard Huse, Jacob Hook, James Higgs, Edward Hartshorn, John Jackson, William Jones, Thomas Jackson, Sam- uel R. Jacobs, Elisha Jolly, Garrison Ken- nard, John Lowrie, Aaron Loomis, Joseph Lippincott, Morgan Lippincott. John Lip- pincott, Samuel Lippincott, Evan Mor- gan. Andrew McLain, James McDonald, Daniel Musser, John McKibbin, Henry Moy- ers. Isaac Moyers, Abram Miller. Ben- jamin Moore, John Mark. John P. Mitchell, Thurston Mosier. L. B. Maulby, Joshua Murray, James T. Miller, Daniel Musser, Jr .. Jacob Nigh, Thomas Nichols, Abram Osman, Aaron Osman, Bargelia Osman and son, Daniel Purdy, John Purdy, William W. Rogers, Ezra Reed, Alfred Randall, Samuel Richards, M. I. Rose, Thomas Rhea, Mi- chael Ridenour. John Rockhold, Roger Ryan, Stephen Roach. Philip Rumbaugh, Samuel
Sprague, George Shelden, John N. Slife, F. Shull, George Swigart, H. B. Stephens, Lewis Shroufe, W. Stewart, Hugh Stevenson, David Shaw, Elijah Standiford, Fred Schaefer, Tompkins and Clutter, Stephen Thomas, Peter Tunget, Enos Terry, George W. Tolman, Robert Terry, John Terry, Daniel D. Tomp- kins, William Taylor, Crane Valentine, Sam- uel Vanatta, James Vaughn, Alex. Vaughn, Richard Ward, Jacob Ward, Asa Wright, Christopher Wood, William G. Wood. Wil- liam and John Ward, Albert G. Ward, Joseph T. Wood, John G. Wood, Harmon Wood, John Watt and William Watt.
Schools .- The pioneer school of Bath township was opened by Daniel Bradigan in the Crawford-Allison settlement on section 3, near where the Sugar Creek school building now stands. There is no special school dis- trict in the township. In 1884 the valuation of school property was $9,100; in 1904. $15,000. In 1884 the enrollment was 404; in 1904, 392. The township schools have town- ship supervision in connection with Monroe township. F. R. Mason is the township super- intendent. The following is the list of teach- ers in Bath township in 1904-05 : Mittie Mack, I. W. Byerly, Nellie Michael, Lottie Roeder, Harry Mack, Viola Barton, Roy Bowersock, Lottie Bassett, C. E. Mason, Mamie Ludwig. L. W. Roberts, D. A. Wood, Mina Ross. J. L. Mumaugh and Ollie McCoy.
Churches .-- There is a Methodist Episco- pal Church in Bath township, called Zion Chapel, of which Rev. D. J. Kunkleman is the pastor. A German Baptist Church was organ- ized in 1833 and a Disciples Church in 1834- 1835. An Evangelical Lutheran and a Pres- byterian Church were also organized at later dates.
GERMAN TOWNSHIP
May be said to form the geographical center of the county. Its soil and surface are diversi- fied and there are numerous streams. Ottawa River-the name of the lower course of Hog Creek-enters German township from Shaw- nee in section 33, pursues a northwesterly
118
HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
course by the villages of Allentown and Elida and enters Sugar Creek township. The south- eastern quarter of the township forms a pla- teau which extends east to Elizabeth street in Lima. The river bottom is much lower than this plateau and generally from one-fourth of a mile to one mile in width.
The commissioners' act of December 6, 1831, establishing the township under the name of German, decreed that all the territory extending west from section 3, township 3, range 6, to the eastern boundary of the original town of Amanda, south to the county line, thence east to the southeast corner of section 33, township 6, range 6, thence north to sec- tion 3, township 3, range 6, should be organ- ized as a separate township. In December, 1834, it was decreed that as much of original township 4 south, range 5 east, as previously belonged to German, should be attached to Amanda. At the same time, when the town lines of Bath and Jackson were altered, the two tiers of eastern sections of township 3, range 6, were added to German. In Febru- ary, 1848, the northern tier of sections of Ger- man was attached to the south half of Sugar Creek township, leaving only 30 sections be- longing to German. The area was further re- duced in May, 1857, when 1,040 acres were attached to Ottawa township, still leaving Ger- man 18,160 acres.
The Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway traverses German township and has a station in the township at Elida. This road is paralleled by the Fort Wayne, Van Wert & Lima traction line.
The total valuation of property in German township in 1904 was $803,411, with a tax rate of 18.1 mills; in Elida corporation, $139,469, with a tax rate of 24.4 mills; in Elida Special School District, $176,756, with a tax rate of 18. 1 mills.
Villages .- The village of Allentown was laid out by George Povenmire and William Myers in 1835. There was a grocery store, a blacksmith shop, a shoe shop and a grist-mill, besides a school and three churches. The town has never grown very rapidly, not being on any railroad. General Blackburn lived in Allentown, and his home was a pretentious one
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