History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 43

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 43

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The first school in Liberty township was taught in a cabin on the farm of Daniel McMichael during the winter of 1821-22. The teacher was John McClure, who in 1826 was the first surveyor of Crawford county. The attendance was not large, the school being supported by a few families only, The build- ing was probably a very rude affair. with rough slabs for benches or desks, a stick and

mud chimney and some oiled paper pasted over a hole in the wall for a window. Such were, in general the earliest pioneer school- houses; yet in them germs of knowledge were planted which afterward ripened into many a stately tree of intellect and moral force. With the growth of settlements, however, better educational facilities were provided, and thus we find as early as the fall of 1823 a school- house was built in Liberty which had the ad- vantage of glass windows, and which was known as the Maxfield schoolhouse, it being located on the northeast corner of John Max- field's land. Nehemiah Squire made the win- dow sash for it out of a linn-wood puncheon that had constituted part of the chamber floor of an aristocratic log cabin the previous win- ter. Here school was first taught by Rev. William Blowers in the winter of 1823-24. Other early teachers here were Cary Tilbury, Samuel Magers and a Mr. Orton. Another schoolhouse was built during the fall of 1827 just southeast of the present site occupied by the Crall United Brethren church. Sally Smith was the first teacher and the building was known as the Smith schoolhouse. The Maxfield and Smith schoolhouses were both in what is now the Second school district, and the Blowers church in the same territory was used for school purposes many years. In the Third district the Simmons schoolhouse was built before 1833; the Bell schoolhouse, in the Fourth district several years previous, and it is probable that schools were taught there as early as 1827, as there were many settlers in the neighborhood at that time. The lands of the Fifth, or Center, district were not entered until a later date, in 1825 only 240 acres of this territory having been purchased from the Government. In what is now the Sixth dis- trict a schoolhouse was erected about 1838. In the Seventh district a round log schoolhouse was erected by the united efforts of some of the settlers during the fall of 1830. At this time no other schoolhouse had been built in the northwestern part of Liberty or the north- eastern part of Holmes: neither at the Center district or the district north of Liberty Cen- ter. The Kroft schoolhouse in the Eighth dis- trict was built before 1832. The Ninth dis- trict, being thinlv settled. was perhaps the last to organize. In the Tenth, or Sulphur Springs

THE FIRST BUILDING OF THE GAS WORKS IN BUCYRUS, 1859

THIE HENRY HARRIGER LOG CABIN, WHETSTONE TOWNSHIP Built in 1822; Photograph taken in 1867

THE OLD WESTERN HOUSE, BUCYRUS

JOHN KRAFT Whose first Residence in Galion was on the City Building Lot in 1835

A MERICAN HOUSE.

THE OLD AMERICAN HOUSE. BUCYRUS Corner Warren and Sandusky ; Built by Zalmon Rowse in 18347

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special district, a log building was erected for school purposes in 1837, on land donated by John Slifer. In course of time these rough log schoolhouses were replaced by finer frame buildings, and these in turn were superseded by the present brick structures. The first of these more durable edifices was constructed for the Seventh or Keplinger district in 1876, at a cost of $1,200, and this was soon followed by others.

The Methodists were the pioneers in the religious field of Liberty township, the gospel being first preached here by the itinerant min- isters of that denomination. During the year 1821 Methodist missionary preachers belong- ing to the Delaware Circuit had advanced as tar north as Bucyrus, where they were filling regular monthly appointments. The most energetic worker in the cause of Methodism was John O. Blowers, who has been pre- viously mentioned as having exerted a great moral and religious influence in the commu- nity. It was through him that the first class meeting was formed and preaching held at his cabin in the spring or summer of 1822. The class was composed of Mr. and Mrs. Blowers, William Cooper and wife, of Whetstone town- ship, and a German named Shultz. The min- ister on this occasion was the Rev. Mr. Bacon, a social, genial hearted man, who, it is said, generally had his pockets full of lettuce or other garden seed for the women and fishing tackle for the boys, and who was naturally a favorite among the pioneers. The class he formed at Mr. Blower's cabin was the nucleus of the first M. E. church of Liberty. Regular monthly appointments were kept up during the summer of 1822 and the next winter preaching was held on Sunday at Bucyrus and on Mon- day at the home of Mr. Blowers. In the fall of that year Rev. James Monroe was sent to this section of the country by the M. E. Con- ference, and in the spring of 1823 John O. Blowers and his brother William were licensed to preach the Gospel, having previously quali- fied themselves by a course of study in theol- ogy, Mr. Blowers having a fine library of relig- ious books, which he frequently lent to some of the settlers. In the fall of 1823 this sec- tion became part of a regular circuit of the M. E. church. Among those who rode this first circuit was the Rev. James St. Clair.

Other preachers who rode this circuit about that time and for a few years subsequently were Rev. James Gilruth, Rev. Abner Goff, Rev. Russell Bigelow and Revs. Fenneland, Rennels and S. P. Shaw. After the erection of the Maxfield schoolhouse in the fall of 1823, religious services were held there and continued until the Blowers church and school- house were built about 1830. In 1840 the Methodist society had over 100 members, who were divided into two classes, one at Sulphur Springs and one in the Blowers neighborhood, besides a small class in the McDonald neigh- borhood in the northwestern part of the town- ship. The M. E. church at Sulphur Springs was erected in 1848. In course of time many members of the Blowers class removed to the far west and the Sulphur Springs organiza- tion became the stronger of the two, but for many years services were held at the Blowers church in the afternoon. As previously nar- rated, John O. Blowers died in 1844, but William continued as a Methodist preacher for many years, until he was finally superannuated. In the nation's hour of need-in the fall of 1862-being then 66 years old, he enlisted in the 15Ist N. Y. Infantry as a private and did active duty in camp and field near Washing- ton city, being later detailed for hospital duty at Baltimore. What a splendid example of sturdy manhood and self secrifice for the youth, not only of his day, but of our own! He died January 28, 1868, and was buried in the Blowers graveyard.

The first Sunday school was started in Lib- erty in the spring of 1824, John O. Blowers being a leading spirit in the enterprise, and possibly the first superintendent. It was held in the Maxfield schoolhouse until the Blowers M. E. church was built in 1830. It was carried on as a union school, being supported by mem- bers of other denominations, until the United Brethren started one in connection with their religious work, when school at the Blowers church was discontinued, many of the work- ers uniting with the new school.

The United Brethren were the second de- nomination to send missionaries into Liberty and some of their ministers, it is said, preached in the township as early as 1827. Previous to 1830 Revs. Smith and Erit conducted ser- vices in the cabins of John Shong and Law-

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

rence Simmons, and in the winter of 1830 a congregation was organized by Rev. John Clymer. Among the first members were, John Shong and wife; Betsey Simmons, his sister; Anselm Fuller and wife, the latter also a sister of Simmons; Abraham Grogg and wife, Anna Grogg. Services were held for many years in the old Simmons schoolhouse. In the fall of 1848 the building known as the Crall church was erected. The edifice was enlarged in 1854 and repaired about 1870, being converted into one of the finest country churches in the county. Among the early ministers were the Revs. Benjamin Moore, 1836, Alexander Bid- dle, Francis Clymer, Jacob Newman, Jacob Berger, G. Spracklin and others.

Previous to 1830 German ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran church had held ser- vices in the log cabins of several early set- tlers, the first of whom was Rev. David Shue, who preached at the home of John Stough. In 1830 the congregation was regularly or- ganized by Rev. John Stough, who was the first Lutheran minister who crossed the Alle- ghany mountains. He was then quite an el- derly man, having been born in York county, Pa. in 1762, and having labored forty. years as a minister. He lived in the township for more than fifteen years, dying July, 1845 at the age of 83 years, when in the 56th year of his ministry.

About 1836 members of the Reformed and Lutheran congregations united in building a hewn log church, which stood near the present site of the Reformed church and was occupied by both sects for many years. In 1852 the German Lutherans purchased a lot about a mile and a half east of this Union church, on which they erected a church edifice of their own.

The English Lutheran church of Annapolis was organized about 1833 by Rev. F. J. Ruth, who was the first pastor, at the same time being pastor of the church at Bucyrus. Rev. J. Crouse also preached frequently during the early history of this church. Among the first persons baptized were Lawrence Simmons, an adult; Elizabeth, daughter of Michael and Sarah Peterman, and Jacob, son of Benjamin and Louisa Sinn. Services were held in pri- vate cabins until the schoolhouse was built in the village of Annapolis, after which the

schoolhouse was occupied by the congregation until the erection of their first church in 1848, at which time Rev. Mr. Ruth was still pastor of the charge. The society built another ed- ifice in 1876 at a cost of nearly $5,000.

As has been stated, those of the settlers who were members of the Reformed church, or believed in its doctrines, united with the Ger- man Lutherans in 1836 and for some years the two sects used the same meeting-house, an agreement having been made between them that the building should always be open to the religious services of either denomination. Among the first ministers of the Reformed church who preached in the township were Revs. Frederick Gottleib Maschop and J. Mil- ler, who were pastors of the congregation at Bucyrus from 1835 to about the year 1845. The Liberty congregation was organized under Rev. Wendel Wasnich about 1848. He was succeeded by Rev. Abraham Keller, who re- mained until his death in 1852, when Rev. Max Stern was placed in charge of the Re- formed churches of Crawford county. Under his pastorate the new church was erected.

Previous to' the year 1850 an organization of German Methodists had been effected in the northwest part of Liberty township by ministers connected with the church at Bucy- rus. For some years services were held in a little red schoolhouse on the Van Duzzen farm. A Mr. Plummer having donated some land for the purpose, a church edifice was erected thereon about 1854. In October, 1862 the building was almost completely de- stroyed by a mob, opposed to the draft, who were angered by the utterances of the pastor, Rev. Phillip B. Weber, who supported the Government in its action. But as this did not stop his patriotic preaching, they set fire to the building in May, 1863 and totally de- stroyed it. About a year later another church was erected to take the place of the old one, but situated about half a mile south of the old site.

The Zion church edifice, otherwise known as the Conley church, situated near the center of Liberty township, was built about the year 1856, as a union church, owned jointly by the Evangelical Association and the Church of God, or Winebrennarians. Services had been held for several years previously by Rev. Wil-

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liam Adams, of Plymouth, a Winebrennarian preacher. The first society of the Evangel- ical Association was organized about 1846 by Rev. D. Swartz, with David Pfleiderer as the first class leader. In 1852 the organization was perfected by the Revs. G. Haley and B. Keller.

In 1879 the United Brethren, under the leadership of Rev. Moses Spahr, organized a small congregation and built a chapel near the center of school district No. 6.

About the year 1842 a small Baptist con- ference was organized at Sulphur Springs, which held services at somewhat irregular in- tervals for several years.

The first grist-mill erected by Mr. Mc- Michael, was as already stated a great boon to the settlers, though, owing to the insufficiency of the water-power, it proved unprofitable to the several proprietors through whose hands it passed. In 1824 Calvin and Nehemiah Squier built a saw-mill on the Sandusky river, for John O. Blowers, at the northwest corner of his farm. It soon passed into the hands of Eli Odell, of Whetstone township, who, in 1825, took in Asa Wetherby as a partner. Soon after Mr. Wetherby bought out Mr. Odell and conducted the business himself until 1829, when he sold out to a Mr. Ball. In a few years Mr. Ball transferred the mill to George Fleck. In 1834 John O. Blowers re- purchased the concern in order to stop Sun- day milling, and sold it to his brother-in-law, Nehemiah Squier. At this time a grist-mill also formed part of the establishment, it hav- ing been built in 1830 or previously. Mr. Squier conducted the business for a number of years, after which the property passed through various hands. In 1867, J. B. Squier and W. S. Bacon, who were then the propri- etors, having erected an improved steam mill at Sulphur Springs, removed the business from the banks of the Sandusky to the new build- ing. In 1874 Mr. Bacon sold out to his part- ner, and later the business passed into the hands of Edgar A. and Oscar W. Squier. By 1836 there were nine or ten saw-mills in the township.

A small distillery was run for a short time about 1826 by a man named Wood on the land of Edward Hartford, just east of the Blowers Mill. But the proprietor got into

some trouble and soon left the township, the business being then discontinued.

David Hawk and Jacob L. Gurwell started a tannery previous to the year 1830, just north- east of Annapolis. David Kinter also ran one for a time before 1840, west of Annapolis, but did only a small business.

It was during the War of the Rebellion that the sorghum industry developed in this county, John H. Fry of Liberty township, writing a number of articles on the subject, the industry being given prominence on ac- count of the war shutting off the southern supply of molasses .* The cane planted in this county, was the Chinese sugar cane which was later introduced into France. In 1856 some of this seed was obtained by the United States from France, and distributed among the far- mers. The cane grows from 8 to 18 feet in height, and requires about the same soil as Indian corn. Well ripened cane yielded about half its weight in juice, of which it took from five to ten gallons to make one gallon of syrup. A field would average from 150 to 175 gallons. per acre. There were several cane mills started in Liberty township, the mill of An- drew Dirmeyer being built in 1860. After the cane is ripened about September, the leaves are stripped off, and the stalks passed beneath three steel rollers, the juice being green in color. This is placed in the boiling pans, and the green scum is taken off leaving the syrup white, which again changes until the finished product is of a golden color. The capacity of the Dirmeyer mill was 125 gallons per day, and during its running the mill turned out 80,000 gallons of molasses. Other mills were operated a short time and were discon- tinued. The Dirmeyer mill after many years was removed to Brandywine, and later went the way of the other mills, and today there is probably not a sorghum mill in the county.

The village of Annapolis was laid out in 1833 by John Slifer on "the southern portion of the east half of the northeast quarter of section 14." This was part of the quarter section Slifer had purchased from the gov- ernment when he came to the township in 1825, from Maryland, and the village was named Annapolis after the capital of his na-

* He had a sorghum mill, and Horatio Markley also erected one of the first mills.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

tive state. Mr. Slifer held several township offices, but he was never successful in busi- ness, and in 1841 sold his land to Judge R. W. Musgrave, and went west, and the follow- ing year in a fit of despondency committed suicide. The village was laid out along the Bucyrus and Plymouth road, which went through the village in a northwestern direction and was called Paris street, the road at that time being known as the Paris road, after the town of Plymouth, which was originally called Paris. South of Paris street was South street and Sandusky street. It had four north and south streets, Walnut, Poplar, Jackson and East, the latter being the eastern limit of the new village. There were about 51 lots. At the start many referred to the place as Sliferstown, after the proprietor.

The first houses in Annapolis were built by James L. Gurwell, Jacob Peterman, John Bol- inger, Peter Stuckman and Benjamin Sinn. Ex-Judge Enoch B. Merriman opened the first dry goods store in the fall of 1834. Two years later he transferred it to his nephew, G. N. Davis, who ran the business for two years, when Mr. Merriman resumed possession. Soon after he passed it to another nephew, Pomeroy A. Blanchard, who remained in Sulphur Springs for several years. Another store was started in the fall of 1836 or early in 1837 by Cornelius and James F. Dorland, but they did not continue it long and for a few months in the years 1840 and 1841 the place was without a store. Ex-Judge R. W. Mus- grave then started one, which he sold in 1844 to Horace Rowse, of Bucyrus, the latter con- ducting business in Annapolis until the autumn of 1851, his brother Stephen being a partner most of the time. Mr. Musgrave also started an ashery, and not long afterward another store, which he sold to his brother-in-law, Thomas Gillespie.

Frederick Beard and a man named Wine- bar were early blacksmiths in Annapolis or the vicinity. About 1839 James Gurwell and Jacob Peterman started a linseed oil mill, which soon passed into the hands of William Souder, who carried on the business for many years. A small distillerv and a pottery were also started at about the same time as the oil mill, or a few months later, but both enterprises were failures. James McKee built a saw-

mill in the vicinity about 1839. John Birk, a hatter, was conducting business in 1838. John L. Dawson had a cabinet shop in 1837. Wil- liam Dicks was a shoemaker and his brother, James Dicks a harness-maker, about 1841. About the same time that McKee started his saw-mill, David Hawk established a tannery. John Grogg kept tavern in a log house about 1836, while shortly afterward Cornelius Dor- land and Robert McKee built a hotel. Dr. Turley also put up a fine building for hotel purposes on the lot later occupied by the Sex- auer Bros.' carriage manufactory. This build- ing was burned in 1847.

The first physician was Dr. Kelly, who, however, paid more attention to running a saloon than to medical practice, in which he was probably not an adept. Dr. George L. Zeigler moved to the village in 1842 and was practicing there in 1851. Later physicians were Drs. J. B. Squier, H. S. Bevington and M. M. Carrothers. Among the prominent citizens of the village was George Heiby, who came to Liberty in 1836, and served as asses- sor of Liberty township 24 terms, and for years ran the hotel.

A post office was established at Annapolis in 1846, with. George L. Zeigler as the first postmaster. It was called Sulphur Spring on account of the large sulphur spring on the Musgrave land. On July 11, 1890, an "s" was added to the name making it Sulphur Springs, which is now the generally accepted name of the place, although the original name of Annapolis is still used by many. It is sup- plied by a special route daily from Bucyrus, the business of the town making it important enough to be one of the few villages where the post office has not been discontinued by trans- ferring it to a rural route. the list of the postmasters :

The following is

George L. Ziegler, April 1, 1846. Horace Rowse, Feb. 24, 1849.

Charles W. Perse, Dec. II, 1851. George L. Ziegler, Ang. 8, 1853. George Heiby, Sept. 9, 1857. J. N. Biddle, March 12, 1861. Alfred Fry, March 29, 1869. A. J. Scott, May 2, 1881. Lewis Sexauer, May 6, 1885. Eli A. Young, Aug. 12, 1889.

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J. K. Zerbe, Aug. 31, 1893.

John W. Bittekofer, Sept. 11, 1897.

In 1862 the Sexauer Brothers, Louis, Wil- liam, Frederick and Lewis, started their car- riage manufactory. They were natives of Bucyrus, and their step-father, Mr. Kinninger, had for some time previously followed the trade of wagon maker in Annapolis. They soon established a first class reputation for the excellence of their product and in a short time had a larger trade in farm wagons than any other firm in the county. They manu- factured not only heavy farm wagons, but also carriages, buggies and light spring wag- ons. Their work carried off first prizes at county fairs and elsewhere against strong competition.

For thirty years Jacob Rice has been en- gaged in the construction of telescopes and microscopes, and his instruments are so per- fect that they are in use in many of our larg- est colleges.

A lodge of the Knights of Honor was estab- lished in Annapolis January 2, 1878, with thirteen charter members, and with John Guiss Jr., William Heffner and William Sex- auer as the first trustees. The town now has

three large stores, and a number of smaller stores and shops.

Previous to 1837 the children residing in Annapolis attended school at the Bell school- house about half a mile south of the village but in the year mentioned a schoolhouse was erected in the village on land donated by John Slifer. In 1858 G. A. Allen was superintendent. For a number of years previous to 1872 the location of the school building had been a subject of much dis- cussion and several special districts had been formed, but on Oct. 2, 1872 the present special district was created, and di- rectors elected as follows: C. W. Perse for one year, William Sexauer for two years and Dr. H. S. Bevington for three years. In ac- cordance with a unanimous vote of the cit- izens, Dec. 14, 1872 it was decided to levy a tax of $3,000 for the purpose of building and furnishing a new schoolhouse, and the same was erected in 1873 at a cost of $3,316. A bell was also provided at an additional cost of some $700. The first enumeration taken in the new district showed 53 boys and 69 girls; total, 122. Robert McKee and Jennie Birch taught the first schools in the new build- ing during the winter of 1873-4.

CHAPTER XVII

LYKENS TOWNSHIP

Boundaries of the Township-Its Erection-Justices-First Settlers-Drainage and Soil- German Immigration-Lost in the Woods-Runaway Slaves-Early Mills -- Stores- Lykens P. O. and Postmasters-Schools and Churches-Lodges-Quarries.

Where once frowned a forest a garden is smiling- The meadow and moorland are marshes no more; And there curls the smoke of my cottage, beguiling The children who cluster like grapes at the door. Then enter, boys; cheerily, boys, enter and rest, The land of the heart is the land of the West. -GEORGE P. MORRIS.

Lykens township is situated in the north- western part of Crawford county, having to its west only the narrow township of Texas. On the north is Seneca county, while it is bounded on the east by Chatfield township and on the south by Holmes. For a number of years previous to 1828 Lykens was ,at- tached to Sycamore township, of which also the present Texas township was a part until 1845. But owing to the considerable increase in population in the northern part of the county, the inhabitants of what is now Chat- field township presented a petition to the county commissioners to have Chatfield set off as a separate township, and the petition was granted on March 6, 1828, and at the same time a new township was erected west of Chatfield and called Lykens. The name of Lykens was suggested by Jacob Lintner, a prominent German settler living near Porters- ville, who had come from a town of that name in Pennsylvania, and after some discussion it was adopted. The township when erected had not sufficient population to be organized, and the first election was held at the home of Jacob Foy in the spring of 1832. Accord- ing to the most authentic accounts, the officers selected at that time were as follows: Ben- jamin Huddle, justice of the peace; Levi Gif- ford, constable; John Elliott, clerk; Jacob

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 43

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