USA > Ohio > Allen County > History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part One > Part 17
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The boys of the school were fond of athletic sports, such as climbing the tallest forest trees and indulging in other harmless amusements, which were beneficial to their physical and mental development. The schoolhouse that Miss Richardson occupied was built of logs, and the article of agreement with the Board of Education at the time it was built was, that it
be "chinked" and " daubed." When Miss Rich- ardson was employed to teach the school, she had to sign an article of agreement as follows :
Article of agreement made & entered into this 23rd day of May, 1851, by & between Miss Mary E. Richard- son, School Teacher, and we the undersigned house- holders of School District No. five Jackson Township, the Said Miss Richardson Doth hereby agree to teach School in said district for the term of three months for the sum of twenty dollars & boarding to take up school at nine o'clock A. M. & dismiss at four o'clock P. M., allowing reasonable time for exercise term to com- mence on Monday. the 2nd June next, and the under- signed agree to furnish said teacher a house wherein to teach & fuel, board her and pay her at the expiration of said term the said twenty dollars; we further agree to pay in proportion to the number of scholars by us subscribed and sent to said school Respectively & fur- ther we hereby authorize constitute & appoint Thomas H. Young, Peter Staley & Wm. Akerman to collect & pay over to said Teacher her hire as aforesaid :
MARY E. RICHARDSON, teacher.
WM. AKERMAN
Pupils 2
JOHN GREENAWALT I
J. W. HALL 2
CYRUS H. HALL I
ABRAM H. HALL I
PETER STALEY I
JOSEPH HALL 1/2
WM. SUDDUTH I
THOMAS H. YOUNG 2
JAMES F. HALL 11/2
WM. M. HALL I
The most difficult task at that time was: going about among the patrons of the school, as the teacher had to "board around." The latch-string was always out and the teacher received the kindest treatment, but the diffi- culty was in going through the dense forests, with only a little, narrow, marked-out path. with snakes frequently crossing it and all kinds of insects flying about ; yet by the wayside were flowers which brought one in touch with Nature, and God's handiwork so Divine, that difficulties were lost sight of.
Now when we survey the years that have intervened, over a half century, and see, in- stead of corduroy roads and bridges, fine pub-
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lic highways, with just enough of the old land- marks still remaining to make things beautiful and picturesque, some of the old spots of beauty that time has not effaced; when we note our railroad, and soon-to-be traction line paralleling it and all other facilities of travel through the village of LaFayette, and our public improve- ments, such as commodious schoolhouses and churches, beautiful homes on the old hunting grounds of the Indians, we are led to exclaim what great things have come to pass, through human energy and industry, in our village and community !
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Rev. Corbet, whose parents were natives of England, came to our village in 1860 to ac- cept a call to St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, in the vicinity of LaFayette. He was a graduate of Wittenberg College, Pennsylva- nia, and has also taken a course in the theologi- cal seminary at Wittenberg. Mr. Corbett was pastor of the church for 20 years. He was also a member of the School Board for an equal number of years and was well fitted for the prominent positions he held.
In March, 1868, the village of LaFayette was incorporated, with M. C. Mumaugh as mayor. Afterward Mr. Mumaugh was nomi- nated by the Republican party in his Congres- sional district for Congress. LaFayette Rose- crans, a member of the first Council, was a nephew of General Rosecrans, and often talked with his most intimate friends concerning the leading characteristics of his uncle, in his home, civil and military life. A prominent family, by the name of Lybrand, lived on a farm near the village of LaFayette, and were known far and wide in intelligent social and religious circles. They had one beautiful daughter, and several interesting sons. Samuel Lybrand, the eldest son, was also a member of the first Council, and was a fine business man and a Christian gentleman. The Lybrands later on moved to Delaware, Ohio, to educate their daughter and their younger sons in the Ohio Wesleyan Uni- versity. Archibald Lybrand, one of the older sons, was elected to Congress from that con- gressional district.
Over a half century ago a Mr. and Mrs. Fulton lived in our village. Both were earnest Christian people, proving later on that "the 7
lives of the great are the heritage of the ages." In 1850 they moved to Lima. In 1853 Robert Mehaffey attended school in Lima, and boarded with Mr. and Mrs. Fulton. In the spring of that year the Fultons concluded to move to Iowa. Mr .- Fulton went on ahead, to arrange for the family's coming, and as Robert Me- haffey was going to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, he accompanied Mrs. Fulton and the children, by way of Toledo, to Chicago, where he carried across the city to the Rock Island Depot the little son Charles, who wore a little brown cloak, fastened with a button under the chin. After their departure, Robert Mehaffey left on the Burlington Railroad for Mt. Pleasant. Later on the Fultons moved to Oregon, and their son Charles, who wore the brown cloak, was elected United States Senator. The Sen- ator has three brothers-two lawyers and one physician-and a sister who married a banker.
The history of Lafayette and vicinity would not be complete unless mention was made of Prof. Simon D. Fess, who in his boyhood days worked for his board and clothes at the home of Joseph Fisher, and attended the winter school in the Fisher district, near the village. Professor Fess made his way through the Ohio Normal University at Ada with honors, and was for many years a professor in the same in- stitution. While in the university, he was identified with church work, and with every good movement to raise the standard of right living. During these years he was establish- ing for himself a great name in the educa- tional, literary and religious world.
Professor Fess has, many times, delivered addresses in LaFayette, on various topics, but never did he appear before an audience here, that he did not attribute his great success in life to the fatherly care of the late Joseph Fisher. He is now editor of "World's Events" mag- azine.
It is said by our railroad agent that there is more travel to and from LaFayette, than from any town of its size en route from Pitts- burg to Chicago. The postmaster and the pos- tal service men say that there is more reading matter taken at LaFayette, than at any other town of its size on the railroad route mentioned above, and it is said that the school library con-
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tains a larger number of up-to-date books, for the enumeration, than any other school library in the county.
LaFayette and community contributed many men to the military service of Ohio, and we now have, on one of our village avenues, a fine monument to our heroic dead who served in the War of the Rebellion.
Our benevolent organizations -- the Ma- sons, Eastern Star, Odd Fellows, and Rebe- * kahs-have each a very large membership, with fine headquarters of their own, and their works of benevolence are worthy of commendation.
In the early history of the churches, the cir- cuit rider had large parishes. He was a wel- come guest in the log-cabin homes and in the log schoolhouses, where he preached the Gos- pel to the people who came from miles around to hear him. Now, the same Gospel is preached in beautiful, commodious and mod- ern churches. Credit should be given to the ladies' aid societies, through whose untiring energy and zeal means have been secured to repair, refurnish, and beautify the interiors of our churches. This coming summer, the Luth- erans are contemplating building a church on a lot centrally located, and the Ladies' Aid Society of that church will contribute many dollars toward the church and its furnishing.
Next summer a new High School Building will be erected on the site of the present build- ing, and, from the plans specified, it is apparent that it will add greatly to the attractiveness of LaFayette, and will be a credit to the special school district.
Forty-five years ago a society of the Sons of Temperance was organized in our village. and during its stay it greatly educated public sentiment against the liquor traffic. It was suc- ceeded by the Murphy movement, and later on by the Good Templars. Each organization strengthened and expanded the gospel of total abstinence from all intoxicating liquors. Then came the "Temperance Crusade" in Ohio, be- gun on December 23. 1873. in Hillsboro, with a power of baptism from on high, that brought into existence, from the burning timbers of the crusade, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, proclaiming, with its banners unfurled
to the breeze, that the saloon was doomed. In Feburary, 1874, the Christian women of La- Fayette caught the crusade spirit ; the pastors of the churches and the Christian laymen stood with and back of them in their Christian en- deavor, and helped them to make arrange- ment for the holy warfare. Each day for weeks they met at the churches for a prayer service, and from there went by twos to visit the saloons and the tavern where spirituous liquors were kept. They knelt around the curb- stones, on the pavement and on the doorsills; and on one of those cold wintry days, after a season of prayer and song, the keeper of the tavern invited the Crusaders in; weeping like a child, he asked forgiveness for his discour- teous treatment of them, and helped the be- loved women of God to pour out into the street kegs of brandy, whiskey, and wine. The next day the regular saloon-keepers surren- dered. The days before their surrender there were solemn processions, "Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note;" but after the sur- render all was joyous in the streets, in the homes and in the churches; bells were rung, drums were beaten, and the voices of the people sang aloud the praises of Him through whom the victory was gained. In a few days it will be 32 years since the saloons of LaFayette sur- rendered, and they were the first in the county. To keep this crusade spirit intact, the first Woman's Christian Temperance Union was organized in the county, and to-day the "White Ribboners" of LaFayette are in touch with the county, State, national, and world work, which has led on, not to triumphs, but to sacrifices from which they "shrink not, neither do they falter." The old Crusaders are the women who taught their sons and daughters the truths of total abstinence; to reverence truth and virtue in manhood and womanhood. Happy indeed is the village where there are still remaining some of the old crusade mothers, such as Mrs. Bethia Sager and Mrs. Caroline Crane, aged respec- tively 86 and 83 years, who can be counted in the civic make-up as being interested in the purity of the homes and Christian citizenship. together with all other members of the Wom- an's Christian Temperance Union, which has
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so definitely divided the people into ranks, either for or against the liquor traffic. The W. C. T. U. of LaFayette belongs to that great army that
Has invaded far distant lands '
And established its schools and its missions And its Christian temperance bands.
MARION TOWNSHIP,
Forming the northwestern division of the county, is bounded on the north by Putnam and on the west by Van Wert County. It has an area of 42 square miles.
The Auglaize River enters the township in its southwest quarter, flows north and leaves the county in section 21, town 2 south, range 5 east. The river at this point is an important stream, running between steep banks in some places and through broad bottom lands in other places. In the valley of the Auglaize the sur- face is much broken, yet exceedingly fertile.
The lands of the township are admirably adapted to agriculture. For many years the early settlers were content with their small clearings. At present many large farms mark the progress of this district.
The township of Marion, as originally con- stituted, was set off from the north end of Amanda township in December, 1833, by the commissioners of Allen County acting on a petition presented to them that year by the set- tlers in township 3 south, range 5 east. When the counties of this district were redistricted in 1848, the south half of the original town- ship of Marion was added to the north half of Amanda under the name "Amanda," while the south half of township 2 south, range 5 east, was taken from Jennings township in Putnam County, added to the north half of original township 3 south, range 5 east, and set off under the name "Marion." At the same time six sections were taken from the northeast part of the original town of Jennings, in Van Wert County (township 3 south, range 4 east ), and added to the reorganized town of Marion, giv- ing this township an area of 42 square miles, and making it coextensive in area with the
township of Richland, in the northeastern part of the county.
Pioneers .- The following is a list of the first taxpayers of Marion township, in 1834: Barnabus Coon, Benjamin Cochran, William Cochran, Daniel Knoop, Isaac Knoop, Samuel Moore, Samuel Miller, Jacob Miller, Jesse Miller, Samuel Mannion, Sylvester Woollery, Norman Washburn and John Waggoner. Lands were valued at $220 and personal prop- erty at $672, yielding a tax of $9.81. In 1843 butter was 43 cts. per pound; wheat 40 cts. per bushel; corn, 12 cts. per bushel; cows $8.00 per head; horses $40. Wages for men 25 cts, per day, except during the harvest when they received 50 cts. Corn bread was baked on a board before a fire made of logs and was the principal article of food. The year 1843 was the coldest ever experienced in this coun- try. Henry Moennig came to Delphos in 1848 and built himself a log cabin on what is now the Methodist Church property. He selected a spot where stood a large stump, which he could use as a table, and built his cabin around it.
Schools .- There were 13 teachers in Mar- ion township in 1904-05, outside of the two special districts, Delphos and Landeck, as fol- lows: James I. Peltier, Cora Burkholder, S. S. Stalter, H. M. Peltier, A. F. Baumgardner, T. J. Ludwig, C. C. Ludwig, Iva Lutz, L. Earl Ludwig, C. A. Morris, Dwight Judkins, E. E. Zuercher and Clara Landisk. The valuation of the school property of the country schools is $6,000; of Delphos, $80,000; and of Landeck, $4,500. The enrollment of pupils in Marion township is 488; in Delphos, 765; in Landeck, 155, making a total attendance in the township of 1,408.
Village of Landeck .- This is a small vil- lage located on sections 3 and 10, township 3 south, range 4 east. It is a local center of trade. The Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist, which is the chief point of interest of the town, is one of the finest in the county. The movement to organize a church at Landeck was begun in 1866, the father of the movement being Peter Gengler, a zealous member of the
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Catholic Church. He soon interested others, and a frame building was erected on a lot do- nated by Sebastian Ley, under the direction of Rev. F. Westerholt, who came to Landeck at stated seasons from Delphos. , At that time Landeck had about 40 Catholic residents. Father Maesfranc was appointed pastor in 1868. In the following year Rev. C. Seltzer became the regular pastor; he was succeeded by Rev. F. Brem and he in turn by Rev. J. B. Heiland. Rev. Dominic Zinsmayer, the pres- ent incumbent, was the next regular pastor of the church after Father Heiland. Father Zins- mayer, who assumed charge of the church on September 15, 1894, at once set about the erec- tion of a new church, which has cost nearly $40,000. It is constructed of brick with stone trimmings in the Gothic style of the 13th century. The steeple is 150 feet high. The in- terior of the church, a view of which is shown on another page of this work, is architecturally beautiful and is adorned with rare works of art of Scriptural design. The church has a seating capacity of 750. It has been conceded that this church and its very fine furnishings has not an equal outside of the large cities. The windows in particular, gifts from different members of the congregation, are most beau- tiful. The present church edifice was dedi- cated July 31, 1904, by Bishop Hartsman, of Cleveland. The corner-stone was laid in 1902. In 1877 the parochial residence was built, re- placing the former one destroyed by fire. A new brick schoolhouse has recently been built to accommodate 52 pupils-this is but one of the four schools that the parish supports. The congregation includes 115 families at present.
The teachers in the public schools of Lan- deck in 1904-05 were: Joseph M. Hall, Law- rence Koester and Rose Kindly.
DELPHOS.
The city of Delphos or "Section Ten," as it was formerly called, is located in the counties of Allen and Van Wert, the Miami and Erie Canal forming the dividing line. In 1828 the United States government gave to the State of Ohio, on condition that it would build a canal
from Dayton to Defiance on the Auglaize River, all the even-numbered sections of land along the proposed route. Under the direction of Samuel Forver, three different routes were surveyed, one along the Auglaize, the one adopted, and one three miles west of the one adopted. The present location was agreed upon after some difficulty and immediately there was a rush for lands. Some of the early pioneers were Josiah Clawson, Judge Cochran, William Scott, John McGill and Benjamin Cochran. From the German settlement near old Fort Jennings came Ferdinand Bredeick who purchased land for himself and also for his. brother, John Otto Bredeick, who was yet in- the fatherland. Theodore Wrocklage, Ber- nard Esch, Conrad Loudeck, Casper Geise, Mathias Schroeder, George Wilte, Conrad Wellman, Henry Lanse, Henry Schroeder, Cas- par Mesker, Caspar Luesmann, C. D. Geise, M. Hemker, F. Reinemeyer, John Grothaus, D. Kariman, H. Linderman and Mrs. Osenbach were early settlers in the northwest part of Marion township.
The first road through Delphos was opened by William Scott and William Brady and passed through the "Ten Mile Woods" as it was then called. Between Scott's farm and Van Wert there was not then a single dwelling.
Ferdinand Bredeick laid out the portion of the town which was known as "West Bre- deick;" in 1845, and in the same year his brother, Rev. John Otto Bredeick, platted East Bredeick. Following these, plats belonging to- Hollister and Samuel Forver were surveyed and the former given the name "Section Ten," and the latter the name "Howard." The first meeting to consider the advisability of consol- idating the villages into one, and giving it a name was in 1850, at which time the contention for naming the town ensued, the owner of each tract wanting it to bear the name of his divis- ion. It was finally agreed to adopt the name "Delphos," which was proposed by Father Bredeick in remembrance of Delphos in Greece, which he had visited during his travels in that country.
Father Bredeick played an important part in the early history of the town. He came
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direct from the Kingdom of Hanover and upon his arrival here his first care was the spiritual welfare of his flock. In 1844 he erected at his own expense a one-and-a-half story log house, which served as a chapel and also as a residence for himself. Later, in 1846, the log chapel was enlarged. and used temporarily for a church, also serving as the first school house, a Mr. Minkhouse being the teacher. He gave newcomers every possible encouragement, sell- ing land very low and giving purchasers their own time to pay for it. Before his death he donated much land to different persons for city use, giving with the rest a number of lots for a park site and to the Presbyterians a lot on Jef- ferson street, which was afterwards exchanged for the lot on which the Presbyterian Church now stands, allowing the Protestants still to retain the original lot for the schoolhouse. At his death he willed lot No. 74 and 10 acres in section 30 to the Sisters of Charity, and be- queathing the remainder of his estate to the Catholic Church.
The growth of Delphos was very rapid until the year 1854, when it was visited by the cholera which very nearly depopulated it. When the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago Railway was built in 1854, the town gradually resumed its former enterprise and prosperity.
The first house built in Section Ten stood on the canal bank just south of Second street in Van Wert County. In this house the first Catholic religious services were held and in it the first white child of the town, Amelia Bre- deick (now Mrs. George F. Lang) was born. The altar used for church purposes was an old bureau, which is a valued possession of Mrs. Lang and which was exhibited at the Catholic Church Jubilee, the 50th anniversary, which was celebrated September 12, 1894.
The first election for Delphos took place March 3, 1851, with the following election of officers : Lester Bliss, mayor; Smith Talbot, recorder; N. White, J. P. Cowan, J. P. Murphy and T. Wrocklage, councilmen.
When it is considered that the town was located in the midst of such a dense forest, and that communication east and west was over
roads where the timber had been scarcely cut, its growth from 1845 to 1854 seems remark- able. At this early date all the provisions and merchandise were brought from Piqua. Some of the settlers would start from Delphos on Sunday evening to purchase supplies and would occupy a week in making the trip of 85 miles. In 1846 F. J. Lye and family came here from Tiffin in a wagon as far as the Aug- laize, where they were rowed across the river with their household goods, continuing their journey to Delphos over what was known as the corduroy- road. They drove to within a few feet of Main street where the wagon be- came fast in the mud and the family were car- ried one by one to a little hut directly back of where the City Building now stands. A fam- ily by the name of Daub was in possession of it, but all lived together until a dwelling place was built for the Lyes. In 1843 the contract was let for digging the Miami and Erie Canal. The place was completely covered with woods, the only places of shelter being the canal shan- ties. The first canal-boat to pass through Del- phos was the "Marshall," owned by Kirk, Lawton & Company, of Piqua, and was freighted with peltries and hides for Toledo. This was on the 4th of July, 1845. The first passenger packet arrived here from Toledo in 1846, bringing Governor-elect Bebb this far on his trip east. The people turned out to meet him en masse, going as far as the stone lock, one mile north of town, and taking a number of extra horses with them to attach to the boat in order that they might bring this their first passenger packet into town in good style, as well as show attention and honor to their prospective Governor.
It has been stated that Delphos could not have been settled without the aid of whiskey and quinine. The air was so poisoned with malarial effluvia from the swamps and marshes, that not only the pioneers but the dogs of the settlement suffered intensely with fever and ague. Quinine was in general use up to the period when the location lost its name of "Sec- tion Ten."
In 1845 Father Bredeick opened up the
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first general store, which was followed in the same year by the firm of Gilmore & Scott. Esch & Wrocklage and White & Newton.
Bope & Ley started a store in 1846, corner of Main and Second streets. In the same year Hollister & Bliss opened up a large establish- ment in a building on the lot now occupied by Kundert Brothers' livery barn and there the boats stopped to load and unload, that of course being the central point of interest at that time.
Churches .- The Church of St. John the Evangelist, generally known as St. John's Catholic Church, had its beginning, in 1844, through the self-sacrifice and pious zeal of Rev. John Otto Bredeick. The one-and-a-half story log house he built at his own expense in this year served at first as a chapel and also as a residence for himself. Two years later the chapel was enlarged and was used temporarily as a church, serving also as the town's first schoolhouse. This building, which stood on the site of Roth's meat market on Main street, was destroyed in 1872 by the conflagration of that year, which swept away so many old land- marks in Delphos.
From 1844 to 1855 Father Bredeick served the congregation absolutely without salary, and from the latter year to his lamented death, which occurred in August, 1858, took only $150 a year.
In December, 1845, a meeting of the male members of the Catholic congregation was held and a constitution of 10 articles was drawn up by which every Catholic inhabitant of Section Ten was bound to work 25 days each year on the new church or contribute $8 annually until the completion of the building. This church was finished far enough to admit of holding services in it in 1854 and the first regular ser- mon preached there was on All Saints' Day, November Ist of that year.
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