History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 44

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 44

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Lintner, treasurer; Joseph Hall, Joseph Much- ler and Robert Knott, trustees, with two others selected as fence viewers. It is said that almost every settler was honored with an office, which, if true, would indicate that the population cannot have been very numer- ous. At that time the township, with a por- tion of sections 31, 32 and 33, which belonged to the Wyandot reservation, comprised its present territory, and, in addition, the west- ern tier of sections in Chatfield township. In 1835 all that portion of the township belong- ing to the Wyandot reservation was annexed to Lykens. In 1845 the eastern tier of sec- tions was attached to Chatfield, leaving Ly- kens thirty sections, the territory it comprises at present.

When Lykens township was created in 1828, Jacob Foy and Robert Mays were prob- ably appointed the first Justices of the Peace. The following are the men who have served in that position, Frederick Smith who had the longest term of service, dying while in office :

Jacob Foy-1828-31. Robert Mays-1828. Benjamin Huddle-1832.

Levi Gifford-1834.

William Wingert-1838-44-48.

John N. Holt-1840-43.

Timothy Park-1847.

Edward Porter-1847.

J. B. Larroue-1850. Abraham Knisely-1851-54.

Sidney Holt-1853.

Willard Wickham-1853-56-59-78.

Julius A. Wolf-1856.

James Miller-1862.

Frederick Smith-1862-65-68-71-74-77. Jeremiah Feichner-1864-67.

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Eli Winters-1858-70-73-76-79. Peter H. Kiefer-1881-84-87-90-93. R. W. Cary-1882.

George W. Miller-1886-89-92. A J. Brown-1896-03-06-09. Charles A. Laubach-1896.

W. H. Angene-1899. Jacob Englert-1899. Louis F. Smith-1900-03. J. P. Gerhart-1902. Frank Sprow-1906-09.

The first settlers who appeared in Lykens selected land in the western and northwestern portions, as the land in that part seemed to promise a speedier and more abundant return for the labor of cultivation; the eastern and southern portions were not settled until five or six years later. The soil of the township is chiefly alluvial, there being but little sur- face clay or sand. In early years the land in most parts of the township was very wet, owing to lack of drainage, and probably also to the abundance of timber, which, as shown by observation, exercises a potent influence in inducing rain. The disappearance of the timber in large measure, and the systematic drainage operations, have changed this condi- tion of things, and the wet and mirey lands bordering on the swampy character, are no longer in evidence. The soil is rich and pe- culiarly adapted to the cultivation of corn, large crops of which can be raised year after year on the same piece of land, without any appreciable decrease in the quantity or deteri- oration in the quality of the product. This is especially true in the eastern and south- eastern parts, where the deep black soil pre- dominates; the western part being better adapted to wheat and kindred grains, owing to the larger proportion of sand and clay which the soil there contains.

The township is drained in the central and western portions by Sycamore creek and its numerous! small branches, the 'principal of which, known as Little Sycamore creek, rises in the flat land near the southeastern corner, and flows northwest until it unites with the main stream in section 20. Along the course of Sycamore creek there is found an abund- ance of corniferous limestone, especially in section 16, where the stone is covered with a layer of earth of from six inches to eight feet in thickness. The stone is blue, and though less pure than that obtained at the

large quarries in Holmes and Tod townships, it is very durable and suitable for building purposes.

It is not known who was the first settler in Lykens township. At an early day-probably about 1825-settlers of English descent came into Lykens from Seneca county, where they had been disappointed in finding the most valuable lands already taken up, but it is not likely that all of these remained in the town- ship permanently. About 1830 pioneers en- tered the southern part of the township and two years later the settlement of this portion was increased by a large influx of German set- tlers, who arrived in a body directly from Ger- many. Many of these had entered land at the land offices without having first inspected it, and when they arrived they found their farms almost entirely under water. Not being a people easily discouraged, however, they went to work with energy to improve condi- tions, paying their first attention to the drain- age of their lands, after which they began their clearings, established farms, and in time were abundantly rewarded by an ample prosperity.

Among those who came to the township in the early days were Christopher Keggy in 1825; Jacob Miller in 1826; Jacob Foy and Gottleib Hoss in 1827; Robert Mays, John Elliott, Levi Gifford, Jacob Lintner, Michael Shupp and Joseph Trask in 1828; James Ferguson, Joseph Hall, Benjamin Huddle, Samuel Hall, Samuel Spittler, and Daniel Pratt in 1829; John and Solomon Babcock, Robert Knott, Joseph Much- ler, Seth and Benjamin Parker and Lewis Warren in 1830.

Christopher Keggy came from Fairfield county, and first located in Seneca, coming over to Lykens township about 1825. He had hunted all over the section before he located in the township. His life was that of a hunter and woodsman, and he made his living from the sale of furs and game. Later what little land he had cleared he sold out to Reuben Keran, and left the county. Jacob Miller was also a hunter, and did little at clearing land or farming. Joseph Trask came from Seneca county, but after clearing a few acres, re- mained only three years when he returned to Seneca county.

Jacob Foy was the first real settler in the township; he came to stay, cleared his land

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raised his crops, and became one of the influ- ential men in the early days of the township.

Michael Shupp arrived at Bucyrus with his family, May 28, 1828. He entered 80 acres in Lykens township, which he developed and sold, purchasing 160 acres. His son Michael was 18 years of age when he came with his parents to this county. He commenced life for himself in 1831. He worked one year for others, earning $100, then entered 80 acres of land, which he improved and sold, like his father purchasing 160 more. This latter he cleared and kept and added to as the years went by. On March 4, 1834, he married Susannah Miller. Michael Shupp, Sr., died in 1836, and his little daughter, Mary Ann Shupp made her home with her brother, Michael, until Dec. 20, 1847, when she mar- ried Frederick Smith, who came to the town- ship in 1840. Mr. Smith was a stone mason, who had contracts for bridges on the National Pike, and had saved several hundred dollars, and with this, in 1840, he bought a quarter section of land in Lykens. He and his de- scendants were prominent in the affairs of Lykens township and the county.

Joseph Hall and wife, with their son, Sam- uel, came to Lykens in Deccember, 1829, set- tling on a quarter section of land in the north- ern part of the township. Later Samuel se- cured a farm in the center of the township, which was in after years the William Tippin farm. The land at the time was partly cleared. Here he lived for many years, but in 1866 removed to the farm, where he died, Aug. 25, 1863, and was buried in St. John Reform graveyard, three miles northwest of Lykens. May 4, 1843 he married Elizabeth Telford, who in 1835, came with her parents from Washington county, N. Y., making the trip in three weeks and four days in a wagon drawn by two yoke of oxen.

James Ferguson, who came to the township in 1829, was probably a brother of Thomas Ferguson, who settled in Sandusky township in 1817. James entered his land in the western part of Lykens township along the Sycamore creek, and although he was a skillful hunter, he cleared some land as well and devoted much of his time to farming. He was an expert in woodcraft, and during the war of 1812 was the bearer of important dispatches from one

commander to another, and it was while en- gaged in this work he first passed through Crawford county and was so pleased with this section that later he located in Sandusky township. He stated later in life that on one occasion he was the bearer of dispatches from the headquarters at Columbus, to a point in northwestern Ohio, when he was followed by the Indians for two days before he finally succeeded in eluding them. After remaining in Lykens a few years he removed to the west.

Following these first settlers were Adam Braden, Gottfried Brause, Daniel Coon, Nel- son Holt and David Hill in 1831; Ira Cory, Barnaby Harper, and Solomon Seery in 1832; David Albaugh in 1833; John Aupt, Nathan Coran, Joseph Dellinger, Lucas and Adam Shook, William Swalley, Samuel and Timothy Parks, John Shoulter, Eli Winter, Milton Wal- ler and Frederick G. Hesche in 1834; John Apple, Ira G. Allen, Anson Brown, Otto Fieldner, Conrad Hass, August Jacobs, Reuben Keran, Joseph Kennedy, Jacob Oberlander, and Jonas Yingling in 1835; William Burgett, and Moses and Aaron Pugh in 1836.

Gottfried Brause and wife came to the town- ship Sept. II, 1831, being accompanied by their son Rudolph, then aged five years. The latter subsequently married a daughter of George and Catherine Klink, who came to Crawford county about 1829.

William Swalley, born Nov. 20, 1810, was a son of John Swalley, a weaver, who came to Ohio in 1817, settling fifteen miles south of Zanesville. The father died and the family then returned to Pennsylvania, their home state. Later his sons, William and John, came to Lykens township and in 1834 the mother arrived with her two daughters, and they all made their home in Lykens township. William was married Dec. 8, 1833 to Catherine Won- setler.

Jonas Yingling was married in Portage county to Mary Thomas, and the bride and groom came immediately to Crawford county to make their home. He entered 80 acres of land in Lykens township. He was a mason by trade, and worked on the Baltimore and Ohio road when it was building, securing cash which he invested in land. Besides clearing his land in Lykens township and raising his crops, he worked at his trade, and during his life owned

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several farms. Soon after settling in the town- ship death visited their little cabin and they were called upon to mourn the loss of their first child, John Yingling, who died Aug. 3, 1836, and was buried in the Lutheran Grave- yard south of Chatfield, the oldest burial stone now readable in that graveyard.

George Rhoad came to Crawford county in the early thirties, and lived in Lykens town- ship for two years. He then moved with his family to Seneca county, where they helped to clear the land, on the site of the present town of Republic.

Christopher Perky, a veteran of the War of 1812, came to Ohio in 1819, settling in Seneca county in 1827, his son David taking a farm in Lykens township. The latter married Mary Seitz, and four of their sons entered the ariny during the civil war, three of them losing their lives in the service.

Solomon Seery, one of the pioneers of Ly- kens, came to Crawford county from Ross county in 1832, with his two eldest sons, and entered three 80-acre tracts. He then re- turned to Ross county, where he remained dur- ing the winter. Coming back in the spring of 1833, he built a cabin and planted a small crop of corn, and then, leaving his eldest son and daughter to keep house, he went back to Ross, harvested his crop there and brought his en- tire family to Crawford, arriving with then Sept. 1, 1833. Soon after settling in the town- ship death invaded their home, and the Seery graveyard was started on the Seery farm two miles east of Benton, the first burial being John Seery, who died Nov. II, 1835.

Eli Winters was born February, 1802, in Jefferson county, entered land in Lykens in 1833, moving on to it in 1834. With the aid of his sons he developed the land, his chief helper being his son, Eli, Jr. In order to in- crease the family income Mr. Winters estab- lished a night school at his home, and here the children learned to read and write, the son Eli teaching his younger brothers and sis- ters. The latter became an enterprising and prominent citizen. At a comparatively early age he ran a threshing machine, had a half in- terest in a saw-mill at Buljo (Lykens), and also started a store. He was elected justice of the peace in 1858 and held the office up to 1880, except for a few years during the war.

In 1851 he married Eliza Howenstein, a daughter of Peter Howenstein, one of the Ly- kens pioneers.

Milton Waller came to Lykens township in 1834, making his home on 80 acres of land which he had entered the year previous. This took all his capital, and he secured a further 40 acres by working by the day for others, and being a cooper by trade during bad weather and in the evenings he made buckets and tubs for the neighbors, thus giving him needed cash. Two little sons came with him to the county, Lysender aged seven and Stephen aged three. 'These boys as they grew older helped in the clearing and developing of the farm. Both sons took an active hand in the affairs of the township and county, Lysander Waller being one of the County Commissioners for two terms. On Dec. 25, 1853, Stephen Waller married Martha Mckinley, a daughter of James McKinley, and the aunt of the late President Mckinley.

August Jacobs was a native of Saxony, Ger- many. He learned the carpenter's trade in his native land, where also he married Rachel Bair, and later started for America, landing in New York with only 25 cents in cash and owing $II. With his bride he came west, found work on the National pike, and later made his way to Crawford county, where he bought land, which was then entirely covered by the forest, and was mostly swamp land. He cleared his land slowly by working in the evenings, following his trade during the day, doing carpenter work for the neighbors. He finally sold his land and bought a larger tract, also covered with timber, which he cleared.

David Wickham, served in the War of 1812. The family came to Crawford county in 1837 and secured a partly developed farm in Texas township. His son Willard, having previously taught school for a few terms, in 1840 pur- chased a tract of land covered by the forest, in Lykens township which he cleared and devel- oped into a good farm. He was subsequently appointed by Gov. Pierce as Indian agent to the Winnebagoes at Long Prairie, Minn., and after several years service returned to his home in Lykens where he lived until his death in 1899.

Henry Geiger was born in Germany, and when fifteen years of age, came with his par-

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ents to America, settling in Stark county. He married there, and in the '30s came to this section where he entered 80 acres in Seneca county, later having land in Lykens township. They walked the entire distance from Stark county, and his entire possessions were his wife, an axe, 50 pounds of flour which he had carried the entire distance on his back, and $I in cash. Of course he succeeded, and when each of his seven children started in life for themselves they were all assisted by him.

Eli Adams came to Crawford county in 1825, settling on 80 acres of land in Texas township. His son Ephraim married Mary Andrews, daughter of another pioneer, and built his cabin in the woods in Lykens town- ship.

John and Frederica Solze came to Lykens township in 1841 with six children. Even as late as this date, they walked from Attica to Lykens township and losing their way were compelled to pass the night in the woods under a large tree. The next day they reached friends, who accorded them a hearty welcome. They started with 40 acres on which a small improvement had been made.

We of today, living in the towns or in the open country, where the timber has been largely cleared away, save for small patches here and there, can have little conception of the difficulty experienced by the pioneer set- tler in finding his way through the trackless and almost illimitable forest. Even the ship- wrecked mariner, without a compass, in the midst of the vast ocean, can direct his course usually by means of the heavenly bodies; but the early settler, lost in an almost equally vast expanse of forest, had not even this advantage, for the trees, with their towering trunks and spreading branches, decked with a super- abundant foliage, shut out for the most part any view of the sun, moon or stars, and even in the middle of the day maintained beneath their branches a sort of half light or semi- gloom, while at night the darkness was im- penetrable. The routes from settlement to settlement, or even from one neighbor's house to another, when the woods lay between, were marked by blazed trees, but it sometimes hap- pened that a settler, in going to visit a neigh- bor at evening time, forgot to take a lantern with him, or perhaps thought he could find his

way without it, and missing the path, was obliged to spend the night in the woods, having for his lullaby-if he were phlegmatic enough to try to go to sleep-the howling of the wolves, the moaning of the wind in the tree- tops, and the hoarse croaking of myriads of frogs in some neighboring swamp or marsh. The Park brothers one evening started to go to the cabin of Eli Winters about a mile and a half away, but failing to take a light, were caught by the darkness, and after groping for hours in the woods, and falling waist-deep into numerous swamps and bogs, passed the re- mainder of the night on a large log that lay half out of the water. In the morning they found an easy path from the swamp and reached Mr. Winter's home thoroughly pros- trated from their experience.

On another occasion the wife of James Fer- guson, accompanied by her ten year old son, started to bring home the cows. She had some trouble in getting the animals together, and in running about through the trees, trying to head them towards the house, she became be- wildered and lost her sense of direction. Had she left the cows alone and followed them she would probably have reached home all right, for they soon began to go all in one direction, being really headed toward the homestead. Thinking she knew more about the matter than they did, however, she finally left them and set out with her son to find her way home alone. This she failed to do, and not knowing which way to go, and with night closing in about her, she lay down with her boy by the side of a large log, where she thought they might be safe from the notice of the wolves, whose howls they heard throughout the night. The next day she resumed her wanderings, calling out at intervals to attract the notice of some settler, but night again came without rescue and all day the mother and child had eaten nothing but a few berries. It was not until the middle of the next afternoon, after passing two nights and almost two days in the woods, that she heard the sound of a rifle and in a few minutes saw a neighbor walking to- ward her. He was one of a party searching for her, and was furnished with food, which the half famished mother and child eagerly devoured. She was about three miles from home and had been walking in a circle, coming

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once or twice within a quarter of a mile of her cabin.

For some time previous to the Civil War Lykens township was often traversed by run- away slaves on their way to Canada. They always passed through at night, traveling north along the Tiffin road, during the day time ly- ing hid in the dwelling of some abolitionist set- tler, some distance off the main track, and re- suming their journey towards dark. Several citizens in the township were known to be en- gaged in this work, but no special objection was ever made to it.

Grist and saw-mills are among the first in- dustrial necessities in a new country, such as the Ohio frontier was in early days. The set- tlers in Lykens for many years went to Sen- eca County for their flour and lumber, mills having been established there many years pre- vious to the settlement of this township, and that locality being easier of access than Bu- cyrus. John Moore remembers when they ground buckwheat through their coffee mill for a family of 9 children. The early grist- mills were crude affairs and were sometimes known as "corn-crackers," for they were cap- able only of manufacturing a coarse kind of meal. Otto Fieldner erected one such, about 1836, about a mile south of the village of Ly- kens, which was furnished with one set of "nigger-head" stones, and which continued in operation for about eight years. In connection therewith he also operated one of the best of the early saw-mills, which, however, ran only about four months in the year, not being pro- vided with sufficient water-power, owing to the small size and slow current of the stream on which it was located. He finally provided it with machinery to be worked by horses, after which it was continued in fairly steady opera- tion.

A steam saw-mill was built and operated in the northwest corner of the township by Joseph Stammitz, as early as 1844, and was largely patronized. It continued in operation for ten or fifteen years, after which it was abandoned. It was run for some time by Eli Winters, Jr., a skillful sawyer, who was connected with several of the early mills.

A combined saw and grist-mill was built about 1834 by Jacob Foy, who was also an ex- perienced and able sawyer. This was one of

the largest and best mills in early days. It was a large two-story frame structure, and was erected at the junction of the Big and Little Sycamore creeks. This mill had ample water-power and ground excellent flour and meal. Inch lumber from any wood was fur- . nished for about 40 cents by the hundred, or a share was taken, varying from one-third to two-thirds. Numerous buildings, some of which are still standing were constructed from lumber furnished by the Foy saw-mill. After operating the mill for fifteen or twenty years, Mr. Foy sold the property to Moses Wood- sides, who improved the mill and increased the output by substituting steam for water as the motive power. After running many years the mill was finally abandoned. A man named Patrick built and operated a saw-mill on Syca- more creek about 1865; another was built and operated for many years by a Mr. Blanchard.

Francis Slee, a carpenter, built many of the early frame houses, and also manufactured chairs, looms, spinning-wheels and other use- ful articles. Milton Waller, previously men- tioned as a cooper by trade, had a small shop at his house, where he made tubs, kegs and bar- rels, finding a ready sale for them. He was a prominent man and his sons grew up to be in- telligent and enterprising citizens, among the best in the township. It has been said by some that Ira Cory was the first blacksmith in the township. He erected a small shop about a mile or so south of the village of Lykens. Others, however, claim that Nathan Coran was the first blacksmith. He built his shop as early as 1834 and worked at his trade for many years. William Jackson carried on a small business in tanning skins, beginning about 1840. Another industry that was also undertaken in Lykens township, between 1840 and 1850, was the rearing of silkworms and the manufacture of silk goods. A man named Blanchard tried the experiment. The chief adviser in this en- terprise was Mrs. Breston, of Chatfield town- ship, through whose influence others in Lykens township were induced to engage in the same pursuit. It failed, however, chiefly because it was found difficult or impossible to procure the necessary supply of mulberry leaves, which constitute the caterpillar's only food.

In 1830 Otto Fieldner built a primitive grist and saw-mill on the banks of a small branch of

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Sycamore creek, near where the station now known as Lykens on the Northern Ohio rail- road is located. The next year Ira Cory started a blacksmith shop across the road from him, and a few years later James Drake built an · ashery just north of them on the Sycamore near the crossing of the road from Bucyrus to Bloomville and the road from Sycamore to Plymouth. Several other industries were started near the cross roads, and stores were located there and a post office established under the name of Lykens Centre. At a very early day a saloon was opened and became a carousing point for the more bibulously in- clined in that section. One of the bar room stories current at that time contained a fre- quaint repetition of the expression "Having a high old time in Buljo," and this gave the nick- name of Buljo to the place. It was also known as "Santa Fe" and "Buzzard's Glory." The town was regularly laid out by J. F. Feighner in October, 1870, by H. W. McDonald, the county surveyor. While several names have been given it, its correct name has always been Lykens.

The first house was built in the town by a man named Swetland, who also opened the first store; the latter was a very small affair, however, as his entire stock of groceries and dry goods was only valued at $200. A better store was opened by Anson Brown, in 1840, Mr. Brown starting with a general assortment worth about $600. His store was burned in 1847, but he rebuilt and increased his business and stock, until in time the latter was worth nearly $8,000. He finally sold out to other parties. Byron Brown (no relation of Anson) started a store about 1848, with a stock, chiefly of groceries, worth about $1,000, and con- tinued the business for about seven years.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 44

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