USA > Ohio > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 27
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The following table shows the amount of trackage in the various townships in the county, and their value as placed on the tax duplicate. Also the appraised value of the va- rious roads in the county. The total valuation of all property on tax duplicate in the county is $52,453,120, and of this $8,758,680 is rail-
10
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
roads. Jefferson township fares best, as its entire valuation on the tax duplicate is $2,190,- 840, and of this nearly half, $981,770 is rail- road property.
ELECTRIC ROADS.
Track
Sidings
Total
Value
Polk
6.95
.OI
6.96
$110,590
Whetstone
6.48
.08
6.56
104,810
Bucyrus
8.06
.14
8.20
79,890
Jackson
2.77
.. .
2.77
42,990
Dallas
2.51
.09
2.60
22,070
Totals
.26.77
.32
27.09
$360,350
16.45
6.07
14.99
37.51
$1,811,670
Whetstone
11.14
5.44
.78
17.36
1,301,780
Polk
11.99
5.83
22.93
40.75
1,126,610
Jefferson
4.89
4.89
2.72
12.50
981,770
Jackson
5.52
5.52
21.65
32.69
842,190
Tod
4.31
2.00
2.06
8.37
508,330
Chatfield
13.30
2.28
15.58
408,940
Cranberry
9.84
...
2.09
11.93
377,740
Holmes
6.47
. . ..
1.38
7.85
291,030
Liberty
6.07
....
.89
6.96
233,610
Vernon
2.90
..
...
2.25
8.34
170,930
Dallas
2.43
....
..
. .
.16
2.67
32,160
Lykins
5.04
....
.38
5.42
25,290
Sandusky
....
. .
....
.. .
Totals
108.95
29.75 75.21 213.91
$8,398,330
Electric
26.77
.....
.32 27.09
360,350
Totals
135.72 29.75 75-53 241.00
$8,758,680
135.72 29.75 75.53 241.00
$8,758,680
..
5.18
27.12
868,820
T., W. V. & O.,
Mans. branch . 12.33
3.12
15.45
835,470
C., C., C. & St. L. 9.55
5.43
11.60
26.58
691,630
N. Y., P. & O. .. .
5.90
3.86
12.50
22.26
665,560
Northern Ohio .. 20.58
2.94
23.52
103,520
Totals
108.95
29.75
75.21 213.91
$8,398,330
C. & S. W., elec .. 17.61
..
.09 17.70
280,090
C., M. & B., elec.
9.16
.23
9.39
80,260
P., Ft. W. & C ... 20.46
20.46
28.25
69.17 $4,298,040
T. & O. C.
18.19
....
11.62
29.81
935,290
T., W. V. & O.,
San. branch .. 21.94
Total
Main Second Sid- Track-
Track Track ings
age
Valu- ation
....
2.90
191,250
Auburn
6.09
.65
3.08
95,030
Texas
2.51
Total
Main Track
Double Sid- Track-
Track ings
age
Value
Bucyrus
VALUATION OF ROADS IN CRAWFORD COUNTY.
. .
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CHAPTER VIII
AUBURN TOWNSHIP.
Auburn Township-Location and Topography-Drainage-Creation of Auburn Town- ship and First Election-Early Settlers-Justices-Forest Adventures-Early Mills -Churches and Schoolhouses-Waynesburg-North Auburn-Mechaniscburg-Tiro -DeKalb Postoffice-A Prohibition Ordinance-Mr. Baker's Enterprise-Cranber- ries-An Indian Burying Ground-The Hanna Graveyard-Other Cemeteries.
Sweet Auburn ! loveliest village of the plain, Where health and plenty cheered the laboring swain, Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid,
And parting summer's lingering blooms delayed. -OLIVER GOLDSMITH.
Auburn township was a part of the land ceded by the Indians to the United States in 1805, and is the northeastern township of the county. It was surveyed by Maxfield Ludlow in 1807, and it was in the southern portion of this township his notes show that he had not been able to get a drink of water for 48 hours, while in the northern portion, the land was the most "hedeous" he had ever surveyed in his seven years' experience, and much of it was two feet under water. This northern portion was a vast swamp, very wet and unproductive ex- cept for cranberries. The township is very level, with a gradual slope to the north. In the western portion, Honey creek after rising near Tiro, goes north through the western sections, then west to the Sandusky river, while in the eastern part Coykendall run goes north to empty into a branch of the Huron river at New Haven. Both these streams have small branches, so that every section of the township is well watered. In the earlier days little streams starting in the forest wandered on their way northward to be eventually lost in the great swamp. Later an outlet to the swamp was made by which nearly all the marsh was drained into Honey creek or Coykendall run, and the worst country that the surveyor had ever gone over, became one of the most fertile and productive regions of the county. The soil
of the entire township is very rich, being deep and black, with sufficient sand to furnish enough silica for strengthening the growing grain. The drift deposits are underlain in the southern portion of the township by an abun- dance of excellent limestone, too deep to be profitably worked, except, perhaps in the south- west part of section 28 and northwestern part of section 23, where on a little run there is a surface outcropping of very good limestone. There is a quantity of iron in the soil of the drift deposits, and in a number of wells the water is tinctured with that mineral. Abun- dance of water is easily found in the sand of the Waverly group of rocks at a very slight depth.
Auburn township was a part of Richland county when the latter was created in 1807, and for 13 years it was the west half of Ply- mouth township of that county. On April 3, 1820, Auburn township was created by the commissioners of Richland county. From its now- fertile fields of waving grain, and its level stretch of the richest of farming land under the highest state of cultivation one might today suppose it received its name from Goldsmith's lines at the head of this chapter.
But, however appropriate such an idea for the selection might seem, it was not the case. Several settlers met to discuss the affairs of the new township and among other matters to se- lect a name. Naturally, each one had a choice, and several names were mentioned, every man supporting his own choice. Among the set-
179
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
tlers were two brothers, Palmer and Daniel Hulse, who had come there from Auburn, N. Y., and as they cast two solid votes tor Au- burn, that name was selected. Of the other names presented there is no record, but while the name chosen was not from the poetry of Goldsmith, the new township started on its ca- reer with one of the few poetical names in the county. The Richland commissioners fol- lowed the wishes of the citizens and named the township Auburn, and called an elcction for April 2, 1821, to elect township officers. The following is the account of the first elec- tion, taken from a record book in the pos- session of James M. Cory :
"At an election held at the house of Palmer Hulse, in Auburn township, on the second day of April, 1821, agreeable to an order of the county commissioners, the following persons were elected township officers: Jacob Coyken- dall, clerk; Samuel Hanna, Levi Bodley and Michael Gisson, trustees; David Cummins, treasurer ; James Gardner and David Cummins, overseers of the poor; Adam Aumend and Charles Dewitt, fence viewers; James C. Coy- kendall and Lester and Jesse Bodley, apprais- ers; Adam Aumend, Jr., constable; Michael Gisson, William Cole, William Laugherty and William Garrison, supervisors. The above of- ficers were severally elected and qualified ac- cording to law. Jacob Coykendall, township clerk."
In the book containing these records, the fol- lowing entry is found :
"Jacob Coykendall's commission as justice of the peace bears date July 14, 1821. He was qualified Aug. 29, same year, and gave bond Sept. 27, 1821; James Coykendall and James Gardner, bondsmen."
The second election was held at the house of Jacob Coykendall on April 1, 1822, and the third at the house of Aaron B. Howe, April 7, 1823.
In 1821 the pioneers of Auburn were nearly all from New England with a few from New York, and it is probable the first election fol- lowed the town-meeting plan of New England, where all the voters met in convention and se- lected their officials. The residence of Palmer Hulse was in what is now Richland county, near the road which runs from Bucyrus to Ply- mouth. So the township was named by two
men who never resided in what is the present Auburn township, the same as Crawford county was named after the revolutionary of- ficer who was tortured by the Indians at a site which is not now a part of the county.
In the chapter relating to Crawford county, the names are given of those who settled there in the early days, John Pettigon and Jedidiah Morehead, who erected cabins and pursued their occupation as hunters as early as 1814 to 1815. William Green entered 160 acres and erected a log cabin on section 27 in 1815, to which he removed with his family on Dec. 16, 1816. He had left his family in Licking county. Green was the first real settler in Au- burn township and what is now Crawford county. He increased his quarter section un- til later he owned a full section of 640 acres, and half a century later his sons Samuel S. and Walter, were cultivating the land cleared by their father. A man named John Deardorff, settled in Auburn township in 1816, but left before the township was organized. William Cole, in 1817, settled on section 27; Charles, David and James Morrow, in 1817, just west of Green and Cole, on section 28; Jacob Coy- kendall, on section 15, two miles west of the Hulses, in 1816; Charles Dewitt, John Bodley, David Cummins, on section 22, north of Green; William Laugherty on section 29, a mile north of the present village of Tiro, in 1818. Among those in 1819, were Resolved, a descendant of Perigrene White, who was born on the May- flower while it was anchored off the coast of Massachusetts. Perigrene White was the sec- ond son of William and Susanne White, who sailed from Southampton on the Mayflower with their two children, one a daughter Faith, and the other a son, Resolved, receiving that name from the fact of his birth, just at the time his father had finally resolved to accom- pany the Pilgrims to America. The Resolved White who settled in Auburn, was the fifth or sixth generation from William White, the Pil- grim father. He was born in Poonfred town- ship, Windham county, Conn., on March 31, 1787, and in 1794 went with his parents to Windsor, Berkshire county, Mass .; here his father died in 1804, and four years later his mother moved to Otsego county, N. Y., and later to Ontario county. Early in 1818, Re- solved White, in company with Rev. Asabel
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Moore and family, left in a horse and sleigh for the Connecticut reserve. A part of this way they made on the ice, along the southern shore of Lake Erie. Reaching Huron on Lake Erie, they went up the Huron river through Milan to Norwalk, which at that time consisted of two or three log cabins, Paul Benedict of Connecticut having erected the first log cabin there in 1817. White stopped here and erected the first frame building in Norwalk for a man named Forsyth. He decided to settle in this section, and went through the woods on an ex- ploring tour, and reaching Auburn township, purchased of William Laugherty, the east half of section 29, paying $3.75 per acre. There was a small log house on the farm and a few acres cleared. He then returned to Norwalk and continued his trade as a carpenter, and in the spring of 1821, went to Ontario county, N. Y., sailing on Lake Erie on the steamboat Walk-in-the-Water, the first steamer that ever plied the waters of Erie. The event which transpired on White's return to Ontario county showed there was a reason for his se- curing a home in the west, and that his return had been arranged for when he left home three years previous. On May 13, 1821, he married Lucy Searl, and he purchased a horse and wagon and with his bride started for their western home, where he arrived on July 10 of that year, and remained a resident of Auburn township until his death on April 5, 1875, his wife Lucy having died a year previous, May 13, 1874. Rodolphus Morse settled on section 20, just north of White's purchase, in 1819 or 1820. He arrived with his wife Huldah and son Amos, then but a year old. Morse took a prominent position in the affairs of Auburn township, and was followed by his son Amos, who until his death was a leading man in the control of the township. Others in 1819 were' Samuel and Elizabeth Hanna, settling on land his father James had entered in 1818. John Webber and Palmer and Daniel Hulse were also early settlers. The first officers of the township show that other early settlers were Levi Bodley, Michael Gisson, James Gardner and William Garrison; besides these, the records indicate that a man named Tyndall was a resident of the township; also Jacob Byerson, section 31, and Lester Levi and Jesse Bodley; John Blair, who came in
1821 from New York State, bought a half sec- tion in sections 20 and 21, where his son Ira, still lives; George Hammond and wife Sarah, who came from Connecticut in 1822, purchased 150 acres of Martin Clark, the northwest quarter of section 28, on which there was a small cabin, and a few acres already cleared. His heirs still live on the farm. John Sheckler came from Pennsylvania in 1821, settling on section 22. In 1850, 151 acres of this land was appraised at $1,000. Erastus Sawyer set- tled on section 21, Jesse Ladow on section IO, and Nelson S. Howe on section 16, also Aaron B. Howe; Daniel Bunker, Jacob Bevard, Rich- ard Tucker, Seth Hawkes, Jacob and William Snyder and Erastus Kellogg; William Johns, Thomas Cooker, Enoch Baker, and John Tal- ford. Erastus Sawyer came in 1820. Adam Aumend, with his wife and daughter, both named Mary, came in 1819.
Jacob Coykendall was the first justice of the peace ; his commission was dated July 14, 1821, and he qualified on Aug. 29, with James Coy- kendall and James Gardner as bondsmen. One of his first acts was the marriage of Harvey Hoadley to Elizabeth Blair in 1821. The next known marriage was Dec. 19, 1822, when Erastus Kellogg and Sally Snider became man and wife.
May 8, 1824, Jacob Coykendall and Aaron Howe were appointed justices. On April 23, 1827, Jacob Coykendall was again appointed and with him James Clements.
Since Auburn township has been a part of the present Crawford county, the following have been the justices of the peace; dates given being the year of their election : William Cum- mins-1845-48-51; William D. Sims-1845- 57-59-60-63; Adam Aumend-1848; David C. Morrow-1854; Amos Morse-1854-60-63- 66-69-72-78-81-84; Jacob Eckis-1857-66; George Hammond-1865; Enoch T. Kenes- trick-1869; Jacob Shutt-1872; Resolved R. Ross-1876-79; Daniel Howe-1882-85-88; Charles McConnell-1887-91-94-97-1900-04; George S. McKee-1891-94; Samuel R. Houk -1897; F. L. Kemp-1903-07; James Cahill -1906-07; Harvey B. Morrow-1910; J. C. Johnson-1910.
When the first settlers appeared there were many Indians in the neighborhood, the Wyan- dots and Delawares being the principal tribes
182
HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
with Senecas and others. They gathered cran- berries during the season, and shot the game that abounded in the forests. The pioneers of Auburn had located there to make homes for themselves and nearly all of them devoted their time to the clearing away of the forests and the cultivation of the soil. Some few hunted the wild game, but the majority preferred de- voting their time to agriculture, purchasing game of the friendly Indians, or of some neigh- bor skillful with the rifle. The principal pay of the Indians was in whiskey, a gallon being sufficient for the result of one day's hunting, but when it came to the white hunter it was a matter of cash, or if in whiskey, several gal- lons were the price of a day's shooting.
One of the first things needed was roads. The southern half of the township by 1820, was fairly settled with perhaps a mile separat- ing neighbors. These were reached by blazed paths through the forest. But when crops were gathered a market was necessary, so the settlers cut through the woods a road extend- ing from the southern part of the township up toward Paris ( Plymouth ) and into Huron county, through New Haven to Milan, then the principal town in what is now Huron county. This road was very crudely constructed, merely the trees and bushes cut away, and where the ground was low and swampy, trees were felled and a corduroy road made. Another road ran from Paris, through the township southwest to Bucyrus, while a third crossed the northeastern part of the county, running from Tiffin through where New Washington now is and on east. In Auburn township nearly the entire distance was corduroy, the only way to make the swamps passable; and each spring new logs had to be piled on the old, where the old ones had sunk into the soft mire. Deer, bear, wolves and catamounts were abundant; the deer were harmless but the three latter were a nuisance and a danger to the settlers. The killing of the deer by the Indians was at such wholesale rates that the settlers were obliged to put a stop to the kill- ing of the does, the true white hunter only killing does out of the breeding season and for meat. The Indians killed indiscriminately for the skins of the animal, leaving the car- casses in the wood as useless. Amos Morse tells the story that his father, Rodolphus
Morse, had an agreement with David Byers, an expert woodsman, by which his father agreed to bring in all the deer that Byers could kill in one day. Byers made the ar- rangement one evening when there was a heavy snow fall, assuring the next day as an excellent one for deer. The hunter had an old flint lock rifle, which had done him serv- ice for years, and during the day killed seven deer. Six of these Morse brought in, but the seventh had only been wounded and Byers had followed it for eight miles before he killed it, and it was late in the day, and impossible for Morse to bring in the animal as per the agree- ment. Many of the hunters captured the fawns, which patiently stood at their dead mother's side, and were easily led home where they became the pets of the children, following them around, adorned with some bright rib- bon, and when possible, with a bell so they could be found when they strayed away into the forests.
The wilder animals were a nuisance. On one occasion Enoch Baker had gone through the woods on Saturday evening to see his girl, following the trail his frequent trips had done much toward establishing between the two cabins. On his way home he was scented by the wolves, and started on a swift run for his father's cabin. He could hear the howling of the wolves as they approached nearer and nearer, finally snapping and snarling on both sides of him. Fortunately, he was near his home. He was armed only with a stout club, and threatening demonstrations with this kept the snarling animals at bay until he could reach the clearing, and when he got into the open the wolves slunk back into the forest. It was not a pleasant experience, but he did not regard it as serious enough to overcome the pleasures of his Saturday evening's visits, for they were continued until the young lady solved the problem and relieved him of all further dangerous trips by making her home with him, the young couple moving into a cabin on his father's farm.
One Sunday morning Daniel Cole, having arisen early to look after his farm duties, heard a hallooing in the woods, went into the house, and got his rifle, and started out to find the cause. Up in the crotch of a small tree sat one of his young neighbors, while at
183
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
the base, a bear was patiently standing guard. Cole killed the bear, and the young man came down. He, too, was on his way home from a visit to his best girl, when he was followed by a bear and only found safety in a sapling too small for the bear to climb but large enough to support him. It had not been a long wait, as in those days when a young man started for a courting visit of several miles after doing his evening chores, he arrived there in time to find the old folks very sensibly in bed, and etiquette only demanded that he leave before daylight.
William Cole, a brother of Daniel, when about 16, started off with the dogs to bring in the cows which were wandering in the for- est. Suddenly the dogs rushed forward and he heard a tremendous barking. He hurried forward and found them standing guard over a large hollow log, and from their actions was satisfied it was an animal of which they were afraid. He stole cautiously forward and found a small bear had sought safety in the hollow log. The boy was unarmed, but he secured a heavy club, and boldly caught the bear by the hind legs, to pull him out of the log, the dogs previously attacking the animal, their sharp teeth making the bear get out into the open as quickly as possible. Young Cole seized the club, and dealt the bear a savage blow on the head. The bear responded by a rush at Cole, who defended himself with his club, while the dogs made vicious attacks on the bear, and when the animal had to turn to defend himself from the dogs, Cole used his club to such advantage, that between him and the dogs the bear was killed. Both Cole and the dogs were badly scratched and bruised, and he returned home where he told his story to the great astonishment of his father, who refused to credit it, until he had gone out and brought in the bear.
William's brother Daniel went on a visit to a relative near West Liberty, and one morn- ing started home at daylight his only com- panion being a large bull dog belonging to Enoch Baker. He had not gone far into the woods before he found a pack of wolves were on his trail. He hurried forward, but the wolves were soon on both sides of him more than a dozen of them, and one large one, the leader of the pack, was about to spring on
him, when the dog seized the animal by the throat giving the boy time to climb into a small iron-wood tree. The dog had the wolf down, but the brute managed to shake himself free, and the whole pack then slunk away into the woods.
One day Seth Hawks heard the squealing of one of his hogs, and started immediately to see what the trouble was, neglecting to take his gun with him. A quarter of a mile from his cabin he came upon a large log and behind it was his hog, with two large bears attacking it. The bears saw Hawks and made a rush for him. Hawks made a run for it, and with a desperate spring caught the branches of a small tree, and swung himself over the limb, as the bears passed beneath him. The in- furiated animals endeavored to climb the tree, but it was too small. They then tried to leap high enough to get their claws on the scared man and sometimes the bear managed to strike the frail limb almost shaking him off. He called loudly for assistance and fortunately his wife heard him, and hurried for help to their nearest neighbor, who was Rodolphus Morse, and in half an hour he arrived, and on seeing him approach the bears quickly left and were lost in the woods.
The forests were swarming with squirrel; they were so plentiful that there was no ex- citement of the hunt in killing them, besides deer and turkeys were more plentiful for game, but-the squirrel were a nuisance. They infested the fields of the farmer, ate his planted grain and injured his crops, and fre- quently squirrel hunts were arranged to get rid of the troublesome little fellows. At one famous squirrel hunt. sides were chosen with Thomas Cooker captain of one team and Enoch Baker of the other. When the two parties met at night each had slain their hun- dreds and while they were in doubt as to which side belonged the victory, Baker added to his pile a huge catamount he had killed, and to him the victory was given.
David Cummins built a saw mill on the Honey Creek in section 17. It was a small frame structure, and run by water power, a dam being built. This was about 1827, but there was little demand for lumber, most of the pioneers being contented with their log cabins. Prior to its erection the few frame
184
HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
houses erected were built of lumber obtained a dozen miles away on the Mohican or on the Huron rivers. In 1855 the saw mill was aban- doned, after passing through several hands. About 1830 Rev. Thomas Millard came to the township and settled in the northwest quarter of section 17, and on the banks of the Honey creek he erected a saw mill. One section was supplied with mill stones made of nigger heads, and wheat and corn were ground, which was a great convenience to the people, as pre- viously they were obliged to go to New Haven to have grain ground.
The mill was a large frame one, a dam hav- ing been built to furnish the power. After running the mill for a dozen years, Mr. Mil- lard leased it to Enoch Baker, for which he was to receive half the profits, but the arrange- ment proved unprofitable to Baker, and he quit the business and a few years later Mil- lard sold out to Rufus Page. Although the mills turned out a good brand of flour, there was not enough business to make it profitable, and the grinding of grain was abandoned. In 1836 Coykendall & Ladow built a saw mill on Coykendall creek in section 10. At first the mill was operated by water power, but too much of the year there was not sufficient water, so steam was introduced. The mill burned down, but the business was good and it was immediately rebuilt. There now being a demand for lumber to replace the log houses about 1840 William Ewing built a mill on the Coykendall creek, further up the stream, and this was continued for twenty years before it was abandoned. Another grist mill was built by Jonathan Davis and William Crouse at Mechanicsburg, half a mile north of Tiro, but it was only run four years, when it was moved away. The usual price at the mill for sawing was 40c. per hundred feet, or one half the logs. About 1883 the citizens of Tiro and the surrounding farmers raised $4,000 and gave it to Thornberg & Haskell as an inducement for them to start a mill in the village. A very large frame building was erected, it was fur- nished with all the modern machinery, and was a success from the start. It was erected just south of the railroad track, with every convenience for shipment, and here grain is either ground, or bought and shipped, and the having of a fine mill in easy access has been a
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