USA > Ohio > Allen County > History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part One > Part 22
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HISTORY OF THE WELSH SETTLEMENT OF GO- MER, SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.
(For this article we are indebted to J. R. Jones, who has translated the history of the settlement, dat- ing from 1832 to 1867, which was written in Welsh by the late Josiah Jones, and has added a history of the settlement from 1867 to January, 1906.)
It is very important for the first settlers and pioneers of all townships and churches to keep a chronological account of all things that transpired in the early days of the old pioneers of every settlement in the county, as well as the history of the churches in the early days.
The first settlers of Gomer were Thomas Watkins, James Nicholas and David Roberts, who came here in the fall of the year 1833. They came in wagons from Paddy's Run (now called Shandon), Butler County, Ohio, and settled near where the village of Gomer now stands. They built themselves log cabins and like all pioneers suffered much hardship and privation. There was no road at that time, only the trials of the Indian running zigzag through the woods. Their chief paths were where they crossed the Ottawa where Pike Run enters the river. Their camp was close to where the residence of Joseph Watkins now stands. There was no canal, or railroad, in the country. Delphos was not in existence and there were but a few small houses in Lima.
In the year 1834 and the following year, John Watkins, Evan Jones, John R. Jones and their families came here and there soon fol- lowed Joseph Griffiths. Thomas G. Jones, John D. Jones, David Evans, Rowland Jones, David Morgans, John Evans and John Stephens and their families.
In the year 1835 the first public religious services were held in the neighborhood in the Welsh language and the number attending was only seven. In this meeting it was re- solved to meet and hold prayer, meetings in Thomas Watkins' log house and Sunday- school in Rowland Jones' log house-prayer meeting in the morning and Sunday-school in the afternoon. Meetings were held regularly this way for four years. Beginning in the year 1839, John Thomas, of Lima, formerly of Llanidloes, North Wales, would occasionally preach for the Welsh church at Gomer.
Mr. Thomas was for many years a school teacher at Lima and served two terms as audi- tor of Allen County. His preaching and ser- vices were considered very valuable to the few members that were here at that time and his memory is very dear to the old pioneers that are living, as Mr. Thomas was the first preacher of the Welsh settlement.
The first log church was built in the year 1839. Joseph Griffiths, his wife, his son Thomas, his two daughters-Mrs. Thomas G. Jones and Mrs. John Watkins-and Mrs. Thomas Watkins and Mrs. John Stephens were very faithful in starting religious ser- vices at that time.
Joseph Griffiths, Sr., and John Stephens were chosen deacons or elders of the church. In a short time Mr. Stephens left for Pitts- burg and Thomas Griffiths, who was an excel- lent young man full of religious zeal, was ap- pointed to fill his place. He loved the Lord and the church, but when everything looked prosperous for the little church, he was found dead in the woods under a tree that he had been cutting down.
Soon after this Rev. B. W. Chidlaw came to the neighborhood. The greater part of Mr. Chidlaw's life was spent in organizing Sun- day-schools in Ohio and other States of the Union. He traveled thousands of miles on horseback through the wilderness of Ohio. Mr. Chidlaw preached in Thomas Watkins' barn. The few old settlers that are now living re- member. with pleasure that time and the ser- mons that were preached in the barn. His
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
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visit to Gomer was a great blessing. Mr. Chid- law was an excellent preacher in Welsh and English, and was one of the most faithful and powerful Sunday-school organizers in the United States.
In the year 1839, the two brothers, Revs. John and Rees Powell, visited the neighbor- hood and also Rev. Morris M. Jones, of Rad- nor, Delaware County, Ohio, come to Gomer and held services. Mr. Jones' visit proved to be of great benefit to the church. His preach- ing revived it and put more life into its mem- bers. The church at this time gave a call to Rev. John Powell and he consented to become their pastor but he was taken very sick at this time and was unable to accept the call.
In the year 1841 a log church was built in Gomer. The land was given by James Nicho- las on very liberal terms and the old pioneers worked faithfully to complete the log church and it was considered a well-finished building at that time.
The members of the church were increas- ing by this time, newcomers arriving from Cincinnati, Pittsburg and Wales. William and Thomas Roberts, John D. Jones and their families, came at this time, making 15 mem- bers in the church and about 30 in the Sunday- school.
In the year 1844 Rev. D. W. Jones was installed as minister of the church. Mr. Jones had to labor under a good many disadvantages. The church was small, with not many mem- bers and they had to work hard to clear their. lands and to pay for their holdings. They had to live very savingly but through all dis- advantages Mr. Jones was very faithful and diligent. The church prospered under his min- istry. It suffered a great loss in the year 1844 by the death of Mrs. Joseph Griffiths (mother of Thomas Griffiths, who was mentioned be- fore). It could be said of her that the success of the church was her greatest delight. She prayed much for the success of the church in the village and the pouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gomer church. She was a great help to her husband, who was one of the deacons of the church. The following
lines are a faithful tribute to this good woman :
Yn Y Deml 'r oedd ei thrigfa Negis Anna deca ci dawn;
Os gallai, byth ni chollai oedfa Na boreuddydd na phrydnawn.
Mr. Jones' ministry was successful and the: membership increased in 1845 to 51.
In the year 1848, William Jones ( father of Dr. R. E. Jones) and his family from Tawel- fan, North Wales, and Richard Breese and his. family from North Wales, came to the neigh- borhood and bought farms. The following year Robert Griffiths came, and these families. were faithful, diligent workers in the Lord's. vineyard. The addresses and prayers of these newcomers were very affective. Before this. time they had classes in the study of the Eng- lish Bible, but after these families came the children studied the Word of God in the Welsh language.
At this time, Rees Griffiths, of Delphos, assisted in the religious services on Sundays,. and his labor and faithfulness proved a bless- ing to the church, especially in the service of song and in the Sabbath-school. Mr. Griffiths. died at Spencerville, Ohio, about the year 1850.
About the middle of the year 1850, Rev .. D. W. Jones gave up charge of this church and left the neighborhood, leaving the church in a better condition than it was when he took charge of it.
The church was without a pastor for two . years and during this time several new settlers came into the neighborhood and amongst them came in October, 1850, Josiah Jones . (Josiah Brynmair) and his family from North Wales, father of Thomas Henry Jones . ( the present treasurer of the county) and Llewellyn and Martha Jones, of Gomer. Mr. Jones was a man of many talents and a good Welsh scholar. He was a literary man and a fine poet. Many of his poems and hymns are . found in the Welsh hymn books and are sung in the Welsh churches everywhere at the pres- ent time. It was as natural for him to com- pose a hymn as it is for water to run down hill. His fervent addresses and prayers proved:
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to be a great help in different ways to the church of Gomer. He was the secretary of the church for many years and his careful records of the church preserve the history for future time. He was the author of a very complete "History of the Welsh Church and Settlement" (written in the Welsh language) from the first settlers down to the time of his death in the year 1887 and it is from his his- tory that the facts and dates contained in this sketch have been copied. He also was deacon in the church.
In 1850 Rev. M. M. Jones, of Radnor, Deleware County, Ohio, came to preach one Sunday and 14 were admitted to the church that day.
During the years 1850 and 1851 the church increased in numbers rapidly so that at the end of the latter year there were 130 members. In this year the church appointed Josiah Jones, Joseph Griffiths and Richard Tudor, deacons as the other two deacons, William Jones and Joseph Griffiths, Sr., were getting along in years.
In the year 1852 the church gave a call to Rev. James Davies, of Cincinnati, Ohio, to be their pastor and he began his ministry in June, 1852. He labored faithfully and dili- gently for eight years and in his time a brick church was built-in 1854. During his min- istry 50 new members were added to the church by confession and 84 by letter.
In this year (1852) a Sunday-school was started in Leatherwood about three and a half miles west of Gomer, a branch of the Gomer church. This was kept in Samuel Roberts' residence till a new school was built and the trustees of the township gave them permission to hold their meetings in it.
In the year 1854 Joseph Griffith, Sr., one of the old deacons and a strong pillar of the church, died; his good and religious wife having died 10 years prior. He had done much service for his church and the Redeemer.
Bendithied Duw ci hil ai had A rhan yn ngwlad gogoniant.
In the year 1856 Thomas G. Jones and 9
Richard Breese were appointed deacons, and in the year 1857 Gwylim Williams and his family came here from North Wales. Very soon after he settled in Gomer, he was ap- pointed deacon, as one of the old deacons, William Jones, was getting along in years. Mr. Williams was an able and very religious man, being very faithful to his church and taking part in all religious meetings.
In the year 1860 Rev. James Davies sur- rendered the church and in 1861 the church gave a call to Rev. John Parry, of Big Rock, Illinois, and he accepted. In this year a new frame church was built at Leatherwood.
Mr. Parry was very successful in his two years' ministry and well thought of through- out the community. The church increased in numbers; in two years 42 new members, seven "backsliders" and 18 by letter were added. But Mr. Parry was cut down in the prime of his life, after a few days' sickness, by lockjaw caused by stepping on a rusty nail. It was a great shock to the church and the community to lose him so suddenly.
In April, 1862, Samuel Roberts, of Leatherwood, was appointed a deacon, as the cares of the deacons were increasing. After Rev. John Parry's death, the church had sup- plies for about two years and in 1865 the church gave a call to Rev. John M. Thomas, of Paddy's Run, Ohio, and Mr. Thomas ac- cepted, commencing his ministry in April, 1865. Mr. Thomas' ministry brought in- creased life to the church. Two new Sunday- schools were organized during the first year of his ministry-one in the eastern part of the settlement and one north of Gomer-and 90 members were added to the church. The church had 300 members in 1868.
Ebenezer Davis' services were very valu- able to the church and his earnest and en- thusiastic addresses at church service and prayer meetings were always greatly appreci- ated, especially in the service of song. He was often called on to officiate on funeral occasions, but his part in the service of song was pre-eminent. He was a fine leader and an able composer. The young people of the church, through his efforts and instructions,
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY
became fine singers and the vocal singing in the Gomer church became noted.
His sons-Dr. John Davis, of Gomer and E. F. Davis, of Lima-inherited the musical talent of their father. Dr. John Davis (de- ceased) was a man of fine musical talent. He was leader of the Gomer church choir for many years and was considered among the best conductors of choral singing in the country. The Gomer choir under his leader- ship captured the first prizes at the Welsh Eisteddfods for many years. Dr. Davis was a faithful worker and supporter of the Welsh church. He was a master in the musical pro- fession as well as in the medical.
A good many others could be named as use- ful men in the church and community, such as Thomas Owens, John Evans, Thomas Rob- erts, David Thomas, Ellis Francis and many others. W. W. Williams was a very useful man to the church in many ways and was very liberal of his means in supporting it and many other good institutions. There are hundreds of good men and women of the Welsh Con- gregational Church of Gomer resting from their labors in Tawelfan Cemetery-men that were useful to society, church and all good causes. "May they rest in peace."
The Welsh Congregational Church of Gomer has had many eminent and noted men since it was organized. Rev. John Jones, of Shrewsbury, England, minister for about two years. Rev. David Jones, D. D., was at the head of the church for about eight years. During his ministry (in 1873) a large new edifice of stone and brick was built, with a large lecture room where the Sunday-school and the weekly meetings are held. This edi- fice cost over $15,000, and it was at a time when material and wages were low. Our next minister was Rev. Mawddwy Jones, from North Wales. He served for about seven years and the next minister was Rev. Wil- liam Meirion Davies, of Caermarthen, South Wales. After Mr. Davies' ministry of nearly eight years Rev. R. Lloyd Roberts, D. D., became pastor and served for about three years. During the ministry of Mr. Roberts (in 1902), the Gomer church was remodeled,
the floor elevated and the seats arranged in circular form. The church is lighted with acetylene gas and heated with hot-air fur- nace. The improvement cost over $4,000. In 1904 a new church was built in Leatherwood (a branch of the Gomer church), which is modern in all respects. This church is lighted with acetylene gas and heated with hot-air furnace and cost $8,000, all paid for at the time of dedication.
The present minister is Rev. William Surdival, who is an excellent preacher and a fine scholar. He is a hard worker in the Lord's vineyard and very proficient in Welsh as well as in English. The services Sunday mornings are in Welsh; for the sake of the young people of the church the services on Sunday evenings are in English, as many of the young people cannot take part in the Christian Endeavor Society and the Y. M. C. A. in the Welsh language. By all appear- ances, when the old Welsh pioneers are gone to their rest, the services of the church will be all in English. The land in Sugar Creek township is so valuable that the Welsh im- migrants cannot purchase improved farms, and the tide of the Welsh immigration must go West where, in the future, they can buy homes for less money.
In one way it is a sorrowful thought that the pure Welsh language has to die in this country. It is a fine, original, poetic lan- guage, as old as Gomer of the Old Testa- ment; every word has its own meaning and there is no need of hunting lexicons for words as one has to do with the English language and I am glad that the colleges and universi- ties of Wales are studying the old, pure, sweet language. Far be the day when the old Welsh language will be forgotten !
There are a good many other persons that were faithful through their life to the Welsh Congregational Church that died during the last five or ten years or more, such as Cad- walder Jones, William J. Jones, Richard W. Jones, Richard Price, Edward Peate, Sr., Joseph Watkins, Edward Jones, Richard J. Morgans, John P. Morgans. Evan Williams, Zachariah Evans, Daniel Evans, Evan J.
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Davis, William J. Williams, Humphrey Tudor, John Bebb, Rowland Whittington, Thomas R. Jones, John E. Jones, Evan W. Jones, Israel Jones and many others who were valuable members of the church and liberal with their means in supporting and in build- ing the new church and parsonage.
Also in the Leatherwood church have been such useful men as Evan Humphreys, Sr., Evan P. Humphreys, Jr., John B. Davies, David Evans and his -sons, John and William Evans, Lewis Hughes, Richard Evans, John Humphrey, Richard Breese, Richard Arthur, John Bebb, David Robinson, Richard Rob- erts and Samuel Roberts, William Peate, Richard Paul, John Richards, Thomas Wil- liams and many more, all of them faithful workers in the Lord's vineyard. Hoping that the present and future generations may follow the example of the old pioneers as good citi- zens of the United States and in religious work, let the motto of the young people be "Excelsior !"
In 1901, the Methodist church called "Hedding" was moved to Gomer and re- modeled; there they have preaching every other Sunday. It cost after it was remodeled about $3,000.
In 1902 the Presbyterians bought a lot and built a neat frame church at a cost of about $5,000. It is furnished in the modern style, is heated by a furnace and is lighted with acetylene gas. Rev. John Roberts (Welsh) is their pastor. Mr. Roberts, who is in the prime of life, is an energetic man, and works diligently to build up the church. They have good congregations every Sunday and they have purchased a parsonage for the minister.
The village is well supplied with places of
worship and the residences are all compara- tively new and well finished in modern style. It is considered by travelers that, according to its population, Gomer is one of the finest and best kept villages in the State. Long may the village of Gomer keep that good name!
.
The following persons have been faithful in sustaining and building up the Welsh church to its present state: David J. Rob- erts (deceased) and his wife, who was one of the first white persons born in the town- ship; Thomas J. Edwards and his faithful wife; Thomas. W. Evans and W. L. Jones and their families; Llewelyn Jones and his sister, Martha E. Jones; Thomas J. Griffith and his faithful wife; Jeremiah Jones and his wife and musical daugh- ters; William J. Edwards; John, David and Richard Price, sons of Jacob Price; Mrs. Margaret Thomas and Evan D. Thomas; the family of Lewis Griffiths; Edward Peate, Jr., his talented sister Anne, and their mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Peate, now past her goth year; John G. Roberts, present leader of the church music and his family, all of whom are fine singers. The present deacons of the church are: Evan Thomas, Josiah Edwards, Isaac Jones, Owen A. Jones, Thomas J. Wat- kins, W. W. Roberts, John Price and Thomas W. Jones, who is also church secretary. Dr. R. E. Jones, since his coming to this place in 1848 has been always faithful and in the lead in all that would help to build up the church and for the welfare of the community. A sketch of his life appears in another part of this volume. There are many others whom memory fails to recall. The Welsh people are located in all parts of Allen County, and wherever found they are good citizens and prosperous in their business or calling.
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CHAPTER VIII
ECONOMIC FORCES
The Soil of Allen County -- Agricultural Resources-An Interesting Comparison of Co :: 1- ties in Northwestrn Ohio-The Climate of Allen County -- The Streams-The Beauti- ful "Swinoma"-Springs-Botany-Archacology - Zoology - Some Birds of Allen County-Geology-The Glacial Drift-The First Oil-Well in Allen County-The Second Oil-Well-The Trenton Series-The Trenton Limestone, as a Source of Oil and Gas in Ohio-Strata Traversed by the Pioneer Well at Lima-The Oil Industry -Treasures of Monte Cristo-An Investment of $160,000,000-Effects of Oil Wealth -Production of Oil in the Lima Field-Wells Completed in the Ohio-Indiana Field in 1905-Oil Companies of Lima.
On the north, Allen County is bounded by Putnam County, on the south by Auglaize County, on the east by Hancock and Hardin counties and on the west by Van Wert Coun- ty. The entire county was originally a part of the old Black Swamp, for the most part of it is very level land, and has no great eleva- tion. The altitude of Lima is 263 feet above Lake Erie, while that of Delphos is 188 feet above Lake Erie. According to Dr. Edward Orton, the late State geologist, the greatest elevation in the county is at a point near West- minster-1,032 feet above tide-water.
The soil is a deep, black loam of almost inexhaustible fertility. In the vicinity of Lima the soil is not so rich, being largely com- posed of clay and sand.
The area of the county as originally de- signed in 1820 was 543 square miles, but por- tions of it were given over to neighboring counties, so that it has to-day 405 square miles.
In 1902 the valuation of property in Allen County, as shown by the tax duplicate, was $23,164.758; in 1903, $25,272,589; in 1904, $26,252,045.
The Pennsylvania and Erie railroad sys- tems pass through the county from east to west ; the Toledo, Detroit & Ironton and the Great Central (C. H. & D.), from north to south ; the Columbus & Lake Michigan north-
west to southeast; a branch of the Cincinnati,. Hamilton & Dayton and the Toledo, St. Louis & Western, from north to south through the western part of the county ; the Lake Erie & Western, northeast to southwest, and the Northern Ohio, across the northern part of the county. Traction lines cross the county through the county seat in four directions. The railroad facilities of Lima are of such a magnitude that it is possible to take a train in any of 44 counties of the State, which will carry you directly into Lima without change of cars. Only two counties of the State have better railroad facilities than Allen. The means of transportation, railroads and high- ways, are fully discussed in other chapters. The entire county is underlaid with the Upper Silurian limestone of the Helderberg or water-lime group. Excellent cement is now made from this limestone, and it is the source of material for the roads of the county.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
A comparison of the counties of North- western Ohio, as to products of the field, will be of interest here. The following table, pre- pared from the report of the Department of Agriculture of Ohio for 1903-04, shows what staple products these counties produced in 1903 :
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
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COUNTY
Busheis Wheat
Bushels Oats
Bushels Corn Shelled
Bushels Irish Potatoes
Tons Hay Other Than Clover
Allen
324,217
302,810|
1,062,426
43,545
Defiance,
150,951
637,513
1,114,482
79,895
Hancock
509,804
418,634
1,897,955
90,660
16,948 33,935 27,845 23,147
Henry.
335,378
694,690
2,283,889
70,510
16,414
Logan.
372,444
402,906
1,444,022
39,931
18,964
Mercer.
450,140
659,469
1,644,644
52,150
14,104
Paulding
153,925
776,817
2,016,302
42,460
21,523
Putnam.
525,643
407,647
2,481,147
88,075
20,855
Van Wert ..
322,420
581,858
1,623,894
41,852|
29,386
Wood ..
453,687 1,318,483
2,924,860 118,026
34,181
Total ..
3,902,190 6,686,537 18,680,089 812,531 257,302
In addition there was harvested a large amount of rye, buckwheat and clover.
The same report furnishes statistics as to the vast quantity of vegetables produced and sold, and shows that Allen County in 1903 pro- duced 5,350 tons of clover hay, 465,905 pounds of butter and 609,139 dozen of eggs.
In 1903, 98,840 acres were under cultiva- tion, 44,915 acres in pasture, 27,141 acres in forest and 3,826 acres were lying waste.
THE CLIMATE OF ALLEN COUNTY.
The climate of a country governs its prod- ucts, as well as its people. History shows that
the most favored portion of the world, all things considered, is a zone, extending around the globe, only a few degrees in width north and south of the 40th parallel of north lati- tude. Within this zone the world's greatest events have transpired, and here have lived the largest number of the world's greatest men and women. Allen County is in this zone.
F. Y. Davis, a noted observer and a mete- orologist, says: "Some years ago when I fur- nished data on meteorology for the govern- ment, I got reports on the weather from differ- ent parts of the country and found that Allen County compared most favorably with other parts of the continent, and the tables, which I send and which can be relied on as correct, show that, for an even temperature and a suffi- cient quantity of rain distributed through the 12 months of the year, Allen County is in a highly favored part of the country.'
Mr. Davis has kindly furnished the follow- ing data, obtained from his records of 25 con- secutive years, taken at his home near Lima. The table shows in degrees and tenths of de- grees the average temperature in Allen Coun- ty for each month of the 25 years ending De- cember 31, 1905 :
MONTH
YEAR
JANY.
FEB.
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPT.
OCT.
NOV.
DEC.
1881
20.2
26.6
32.0
44.9
66.3
68.4
73.6
76.4
78.1
56.3
39.6
25.1
1882
28.7
38.4
40.1
52.0
53.7
66.9
68.6
73.7
61.2
56.8
42.6
27.8
1883.
23.3
29.7
34,0
48.8
62.0
71.0
73.0
68.6
63.3
55.1
44.3
31.7
1884.
18.1
31.7
37.7
48.9
60.7
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