History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 33

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302

USA > Ohio > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 33

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In May, 1840, the village of Richville was laid out and platted by William Fitzimmons, the county surveyor, on the land of Nathan Rich, the promoter of the new town and the sole proprietor, and the plat was filed in the recorder's office May 4, 1840. It was laid out on the southeast quarter of section 18, and consisted of nineteen lots. The Pike road was the main street, and was called Harrison street ; east of it was a north and south street called Sycamore. One street ran east and west

called Washington. Nathan Rich was of English descent, and about 1837 had erected a story and a half frame on the present site of the village. The second house was built by John Robbins and the third by John Pugh, both locating there immediately after the lay- ing out of the town. Pugh engaged in the manufacture of shingles and siding, which business he continued for a number of years, finally moving west. His charges were from 25 to 50 cents per hundred for the shingles. He made his siding by splitting out the rough clapboards, and afterward shaving them down to the required thickness, the shingles being prepared in much the same manner. He had a son who was constitutionally and resolutely opposed to manual labor, which no amount of punishment could make him perform, but who was a particularly bright scholar. This son subsequently became a member of congress from the western district to which the family had moved. His conduct, however, with re- spect to shirking physical labor cannot be held up as an example to youths of the present day, as not all boys who are thus idle become con- gressmen, the rule applying rather in the op- posite direction.

Mr. Rich, who founded the village, also opened the first store, beginning with about $75 worth of notions, which he kept chiefly to exchange for ashes, as he owned one of the largest asheries in the county, manufacturing as high as twenty-five tons of pearlaslı per an- num. He paid from three to five cents per bushel for the ashes, or gave notions, at the same rate, in exchange. The pearlash was sold in Bucyrus or Sandusky city at a handsome profit.

In the same year in which he founded the town Mr. Rich also built a saw and grist-mill. It was a large two-story frame building, fur- nished with one set of "niggerhead" stones and with a large "up and down" saw. The only grain ground was corn, and that only to a limited extent, but the saw-mill did a good business. These industries, including the ash- ery, attracted settlers to the village, which be- fore long began to assume an air of prosper- ity. New houses were erected and stores and other business enterprises were opened. The first real store in town was kept by John Rob- bins, who began in 1840 with a general assort-

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ment valued at about $800. After conduct- ing the business for six years he sold out and removed to Wyandot county.

His successor was, singularly enough, a man of the same name, John Robbins, who for ten years kept a large general stock and did a fair business, after which he also sold out and re- moved to some other locality.

The first saloon in town was kept by John Quaintance, who also sold groceries. The whis- key, the stock of which at the start scarcely ever exceeded a jugful, was sold at three cents per drink. Mr. Quaintance's stock of grocer- ies, which included coffee, was also very small. He had as an assistant a bright youth of six- teen summers-or winters-who on a certain occasion, as narrated by a former historian, evinced a singular inaptitude for business. It seems that while Mr. Quaintance was out buy- ing paper rags or engaged in some other out- side business, a citizen came in with about fif- teen pounds weight of rags, which he wished to exchange for coffee. The youth, after weighing the rags, weighed out the same num- ber of pounds of coffee, which he handed over as an even exchange, and was much hurt sub- sequently to find his business abilities seriously questioned by his employer. After conduct- ing his store for a number of years Mr. Quaintance finally closed out his stock and re- tired. Another saloon was opened not long afterward by a man named Kaler who, how- ever, did not remain long in the business.

In 1839 Lorenzo Bartimess, a practical distiller, erected buildings on a somewhat large scale for the manufacture of whiskey and brandy. They were furnished with two cop- per stills, one containing about eight barrels and the other four and both together turned out from ten to thirty gallons per day, the liquor being of fair quality. This distillery commanded an extensive patronage and was the most profitable enterprise in the township. Late in the seventies the distillery was discon- tinued owing to the intervention of the United States officials.

A store building was erected in the town in 1864 by Hipp & Robinson and furnished with $6,000 worth of goods. The business proved profitable for a short time only, being unfavorably affected by the general decline in prices on the conclusion of the war. The

partners continued for five years, however, at the end of which time they sold out for $3,000, having sustained large losses. Markley & Durr, who bought the store conducted it for several years, but they also found it unprofit- able and finally gave it up. Previous to Hipp & Robinson's undertaking a man named George Maltz had opened a store a little south of the village, in 1854, with a stock of goods valued at $2,500. He continued in business for about ten years, luckily or wisely closing out just before war prices began to decline. Michael Hall succeeded Maltz, and was in business about four years, but the investment was not a profitable one and he closed up his stock. Other merchants in Richville were Hiram Lyons, in 1859; Frederick and William Achbaugh, and Jacob Buckman, who carried stock to the amount of $2,000 to $3,000, Mohroff & Lutz, J. M. Durr. August Muth kept the principal store of the village for many years, being succeeded by his son-in-law, Joseph Mollencop. The first physician in the village was Dr. A. B. Fairbanks, locating there soon after the town was started.

In 1830 Chatfield township had a popula- tion of ninety people, and this was increased by the census of 1840 to six hundred and eighty. After 1830 the settlement of the town- ship was rapid, the completion of the Column- bus and Sandusky Pike making land along that road desirable. On March 8, 1834, a postoffice was established in the township, called Chatfield, named after the township. It was located north of the present village at the cross roads where the Frisbie tavern was situated. The first postmaster was L. C. Flint. One of the early postmasters was Har- ris Garton, who came to Bucyrus in 1822, married Louisa Norton, and moved to Chat- field. When John Henry laid out his town of North Liberty attempts were made to have the post office removed to that place, but the lack of a store or tavern there and the feeling of the people against the town and its owner pre- vented its removal. In 1848 the post office was removed to Richville, that place having become a business center, Dr. A. B. Fairbanks being the first postmaster. The name, how- ever, remained Chatfield, and eventually the little village dropped the name of Richville, and is now known by all as Chatfield. Among

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the postmasters at Chatfield were Wilson Stewart, who was elected county commis- sioner and removed to Bucyrus; Frederick Hipp, who followed Wilson Stewart in 1856, twenty-five years later removed to Bucyrus, having been elected probate judge. His son- in-law, James H. Robinson, was postmaster from 1867 to 1870, and came to Bucyrus as county surveyor, and later was auditor of the county for two terms; it was under the ad- ministration of Mr. Robinson that Chatfield first secured a daily mail service. Today it has several mails a day, and there are two rural routes on which carriers start daily to deliver the mail at the homes of all the farm- ers in that section.

Prior to the removal of the postoffice to Chatfield, the postmasters were tavern keep- ers, the taverns in the early days being the most frequented place, in the various sections. The county records show tavern licenses granted to Luther C. Strong, Samuel Webber and Harris Garton during the years they were postmasters. The following are the different postmasters at Chatfield with the date of their appointment :

L. C. Flint, March 8, 1834; B. Dimock, April 4, 1837; S. P. Webber, April 9, 1838; Richard Frisbie, March 2, 1839; Harris Gar- ton, November 9, 1841 ; Richard Frisbie, July 6, 1843; A. B. Fairbanks, July 5, 1848; John Roberts, March II, 1850; L. D. Johnson, March 15, 1851; James M. Stewart, July 16, 1853; Wilson Stewart, May 31, 1856; Fred- erick Hipp, August 1, 1856; J. Pitezel, July 26, 1861 ; George W. Moltz, September 19, 1861; M. R. Hull, December 5, 1863; Wil- liam Aschbacker, June 22, 1865; James H. Robinson, July 29, 1867; C. D. Markley, May 2, 1870; William Aschbacker, July 5, 1871; Charles D. Markley, February 3, 1873; Wil- liam Holste, July 17, 1876; William Mohr- hoff, March 31, 1879; Elizabeth Mohrhoff, April 23, 1885; August Muth, January 27, 1886; Harrison Williams, April 19, 1892; H. A. Williams, November II, 1892; L. F. Kib- ler, June 8, 1894; Joseph H. Mollenkop, May 9, 1898.

The people in the southern part of the town- ship in 1863 petitioned the government for a postoffice. The request was granted and a postoffice established about seven miles north

of Bucyrus in the Hopple-Klink neighbor- hood. The postoffice was called Grove Hill, and Frederick Rapp was appointed postmaster March 30, 1863; he was succeeded by Philip J. Moffitt October 5, 1868, and he by Isaac An- derson June II, 1873, and sixteen days later, on June 27, the office was discontinued.

The advancement of any community is usu- ally in proportion to its educational facilities. In this respect Chatfield township has kept up with the times. The educational movement was inaugurated in the summer of 1834 by Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, who opened a school in her own dwelling at North Liberty. She was a lady of refinement and education, though little is known of her previous history. She taught several terms of school of three months each, charging her pupils-of whom she had some twelve or fifteen-one dollar each for the term. After her removal from the neighborhood, school was kept in a frame building erected in 1836 on the turnpike near Richville. John Rissell was one of the first teachers here. A few years later two more school-houses were erected-one about a mile northwest of the village and the other about a mile and a half south on the turnpike. An early teacher in the school in the northern part was Mrs. Sarah Breston, previously mentioned in this chapter as having been engaged in rear- ing silkworms with her father, John Lucas. Several teachers, however, had preceded her, whose names are now forgotten. After the division of the township into school districts, each had a frame schoolhouse, and the old log schoolhouse fell into disuse. Several of the township schools were taught in the German language, owing to the large proportion of settlers of that nationality. John H. David- son was in former years a potent factor in the educational work of the township, and was the first teacher in the first brick schoolhouse. Some of the most efficient teachers in adjacent townships were educated in Chatfield.

The first division of the township into school districts was on November II, 1833, when the trustees held a meeting and divided the township into three school districts. The township was then four miles wide and six deep, and the northern two miles. extending across the township was district No. I, the central two miles district No. 2, and the south-

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ern two miles district No. 3. The township now has eight school districts, with a brick school house in each one, the first township in the county to have all its schoolhouses of brick.

The spiritual needs of Chatfield township were early looked after by ministers who came from Bucyrus and other parts of the county, some of whom organized churches or religious societies. The German Lutheran and the German Reformed churches were or- ganized soon after the large influx of German settlers in or about 1832. Meetings in the cabins of the settlers, which, in fact, was the general custom until 1837, at which time the German societies fitted up a large log cabin exclusively for church purposes, and it was thus used for many years the building sub- sequently becoming a schoolhouse. The log cabin above mentioned was succeeded by a large, almost square structure, having four windows and a door and constructed of black walnut lumber. Here also a Sabbath school was organized. An early revival increased the membership of the church to such an ex- tent that even this building was scarcely large enough to hold the usual congregation. In the late seventies or thereabouts, the congre- gation divided, the Lutherans retaining the old building and the Reformers erecting a new and more imposing one a short distance east on the turnpike.

In 1844 the Baptists erected a church on the turnpike in the southern part of the township, which building is still standing. Not far away is a quiet little cemetery, where re- pose the remains of some of Chatfield's best known and most beloved citizens of former days.

About 1846 the Dunkards built a church just across the line in Seneca county, near the northwest corner of Chatfield, which drew many members from the latter county. Many years afterward it was moved across the line into Chatfield, and the old building was finally replaced by a new and more commodious structure.

As early as 1832 the Methodists held serv- ices in the cabins of the settlers, being sup- plied with occasional preachers by the minister from Bucyrus and traveling missionaries. Later, as the membership grew they erected a frame church which did service for many years and was succeeded by the structure now erected in Chatfield.

Chatfield is today a solid, substantial little village, with a population by the census of I910 of two hundred and seventy. It has two railroads, and one large mill, the Chatfield Milling Company, which being the center of a rich grain-growing region does a large busi- ness. It has several stores and shops, a town hall, and graded schools.

CHAPTER XI

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP

Location and Erection of the Township-Topography and Drainage-Cranberry Marsh- First Settlers- Early Industries-New Washington-Kibler's Tannery-Postmasters- Construction of Railroad-Justices-Education-Churches.

Happy the man who tills his field Content with rustic labor ; Earth does to him her fullness yield, Hap what may to his neighbor. Well days, sound nights; oh, can there be A life more rational and free? -RICHARD HENRY STODDARD.

Cranberry township comprises land lying on either side of the eastern boundary of an extensive tract which, subsequent to 1820 was known as the "New Purchase." The three tiers of sections on the east belonged to the "Three-mile Strip," a narrow tract of land lying next east of the boundary mentioned above; and the tier of sections on the west and the fractional tier lying next east of the west- ern tier, were portions of the New Purchase. The former portion of the township-that lying east of the New Purchase-was laid out in sections as early as 1807, the remainder not being surveyed until about 1820. These town- ships were at first known only by their num- bers and ranges, names being given subse- quently to them by the settlers. Cranberry was named from the extensive cranberry marshes lying in its southwestern parts. It was erected as a township by the Crawford county commis- sioners in 1826 and included what is now Cranberry and the eastern four miles of the present Chatfield township. Its boundaries have been frequently changed but in 1828 at the presidential election the polling place was at the cabin of Joshua Chilcote, in Cranberry. Out of the fifteen or sixteen votes then cast, seven came from Cranberry, and the remainder from the Chatfield part. In 1828 Chatfield was

erected by taking from Cranberry its four western sections. Its present boundaries and dimensions were assigned to Cranberry in 1835, at which time Sandusky township was divided and Jackson township created, sections 34, 35 and 36 being annexed to Cranberry.

The surface of Cranberry township is gen- erally flat, though in the northern part some- what undulating. Lying on the northern slope of the Ohio watershed, it is drained on the northern and eastern sides by streams run- ning into Huron river. Its western side is drained by Sycamore creek, a branch of the Sandusky. The drift deposits are deep and in no place is the underlying rock exposed. In the southern part of the township is found a rich, black and largely alluvial soil, while in the northern part, being mixed with sand and clay, it is somewhat lighter. This clay of a heavy tenacious quality, has been used to quite an extent in the manufacture of brick, tile and pottery. A few sulphur springs occur in sev- eral parts of the township but are of no par- ticular value.

Owing to the wet and marshy character of the soil in a large part of the township, Cran- berry offered few or no attractions to the pio- neer settlers and, as a rule, they passed on to more favored localities. Of course, in those days artificial drainage was not thought of, or, if thought of, was regarded as impracticable, as so much other real work needed to be done. The vast cranberry marsh, however, proved an attraction to hunters and trappers, as it was a favorite hiding place for game, and in the win-

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ter, when the water was frozen, was the scene of many an exciting hunt. Wolves, foxes, mink, and other fur-bearing animals were taken in large quantities, while occasionally a panther or bear was found. In wet weather the water was in some places two feet deep and large pools of stagnant water abounded through all this vicinity.

Bands of Wyandot Indians camped in the northern part of the township as late as 1825 and they continued to visit the locality for ten years subsequently, after which they came no more. In the winter they often organized cx- tensive hunts, being sometimes joined by the white settlers. The game was surrounded by a wide circle of hunters, who gradually closed in upon it, driving it to a common center, where it was slaughtered, being afterwards divided among the participants. Many such exciting scenes took place in early days in this township. Most of the large ponds which in those days formed such a leading feature of the landscape, are no longer to be seen, owing to the system of drainage inaugurated some- what over a generation ago, by which means the stagnant water was turned into neighbor- ing streams. The marsh has also been drained and the soil rendered fit for the plow.

The name of the first settler in Cranberry township will probably never be ascertained. In 1825 there were but three or four families settled in the township, none of whom, prob- ably, had been there more than three or four years. In 1823 or 1824 a Mr. Bergin built a log cabin on what was afterwards the Cory farm, being assisted in raising it by some set- tlers from Auburn township. By 1826 he had cleared and fenced a number of acres.

In that year the township witnessed the advent of Aaron Cory, an ordained minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, who was of Scotch descent. He is thought to have been a descendant of Giles Cory, who was executed for witchcraft at Salem, Mass., September I, 1692, when aged 77 years. Removing from New Jersey to Tuscarawas county, Ohio, in 1802, he had resided there a number of years and afterwards been a resident of Richland and Wayne counties. He died in Cranberry township in 1834 at the age of 60 years, hav- ing founded a family that has given to the county some of its most intelligent, disting-

uished and upright citizens. Among them was Thomas, son of Rev. Aaron, who "served with singular fidelity in various positions of honor and trust." Another, James E. Cory, repre- sented Crawford county in the state legisla- ture and was the author of several useful legis- lative enactments, and Hugh M. Cory was state senator from 1909 to 1911.

Other settlers who came about the time of Cory were Charles Doney, George Myers and Joshua Chilcote. Doney, who came in 1825, was a hunter and trapper and built a log cabin near the cranberry marsh. He gave his name to a long winding ridge or strip of land which extended out to the center of the marsh and which to this day is known as Doney's Point. He was a Connecticut Yankee and had pre- viously settled in the northern part of Richland county but on account of game becoming scarce in that locality had removed to Cran- berry township, this county, where he erected a cabin for himself and family. He cultivated a small garden but his main business was hunt- ing. He had much trouble with the Indians, who stole his furs, but he finally stopped this practice by catching one of the thieves and giving him a sound thrashing.

George Myers bought land on the subsequent site of New Washington and was afterwards closely identified with the early history and development of that village.

Chilcote was an Easterner who before com- ing here had resided for some time in Colum- biana county, Ohio. He was an enterprising and energetic citizen, took a prominent part in opening up roads through this locality and served with ability in most of the township offices. It is thought that the first marriage in the township was that of one of his daugh- ters with "Oak" Tyndal. He has numerous descendants, though most of them are residents of other counties. His immediate family num- bered five sons-John, Nicodemus, James, Joshua and Heathcote-and two or three daughters. In 1820 Jacob Lederer settled in the township with his three sons.

About 1828 James Boner settled in the southern part of the township. He also was one of the township's most useful citizens dur- ing its early period. He was a man of more than ordinary intelligence and served for many years as a justice of the peace. A for-

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mer historian relates that on one occasion- about 1829-Judge Boner was called upon to "splice" a young German named Zipsie with the object of his choice. About a week later Zipsie appeared and addressing the Judge, who was weeding his garden, exclaimed: "Wie gehts, Mishter Boner, wie gehts, You did got me a firsh shtrate wife dot time."

In 1830 arrived Jacob Boyer, Jacob Shafer and Christopher Faulk. They were followed three years later by a large number of German settlers who located in various parts of the township. Among them were George Klein, Timothy McCarty, Jacob and Philip Gangloff, George Seifert, Warren Rang, William Hoo- ver, Henry Koehler, Benjamin Hudson, George Seiter, William and Arthur Tildon, George Donnenwirth, William Scott, George Stro- hacker, Frederick Weaver, Michael Hartneck and Joseph Worst.

About the same time came Adam and Valen- tine High, Jefferson Kibler, Valentine Lantz, John, William and Armstrong Irwin, John Siefert, Amos Stevens and six sons, and others. Most of the German settlers came directly from Germany to Cranberry township. The ma- jority of these settlers selected the higher lands for their settlement, but some braving malaria, chose the ridges that projected like peninsulas into the swamp. They took some measures, however, for draining the worst places and in the course of years their united labor in this direction had a most beneficial result. Many of them made no little money out of the cran- berry-picking industry, the berries in 1824 sell- ing for 20 and 25 cents per bushel, with the

price steadily advancing. With the aid of a box-like implement having a serrated board for scraping off the berries, 15 or 20 bushels per day were often gathered. The pickers wore long-legged boots to keep out the water and as a precaution against snake-bites, rattle- snakes being numerous in the marsh. The picking season began the latter part of Sep- tember and lasted until well into the following spring; but few being gathered in the winter, however, owing to their being frozen in the ice. Those gathered in the spring were considered of the best quality, as they required less sugar to prepare them for table use. By 1855 the marsh had become so dry that cranberries no longer grew there in paying quantities.

Previous to 1830 the township was without any of the usual appurtenances of civilization. Mills, manufactories, schools, churches or vil- lages were non-existent. To obtain flour or meal it was necessary to go to the Huron river, 20 miles north, except that a very small quan- tity could sometimes be obtained at the horse- mills in Auburn township. Household sup- plies were brought from Huron and Richland counties, or where obtained, later, at Bucyrus. By 1842 Jefferson Wallace, a cabinet-maker began business in the southern part of the township, after which many of the citizens procured their household furniture from him.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 33

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850- Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1302

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302