History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 54

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 54

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reports of the New Purchase were so favor- able that Mr. Stewart left his family and hastened to Whetstone township, where he purchased 240 acres in section 8 for $300, con- tinuing his trip to Delaware to enter the land. He returned to Mansfield, but soon again left his family, with the exception of five sons, William, John, James, Hugh and Joseph, and with them he came to his new farm. They built a round log cabin, 20 feet square, having one door and one window. The door was hung on wooden hinges, but the window con- tained four squares of glass, which was rather an innovation and distinction at that date. Mrs. Stewart came on in the spring accom- panied by a widow, Betsy Anderson, who ser- ved as their housekeeper. The Stewarts brought some stock with them from Pennsyl- vania. The sons, all of whom had reached man's estate before their arrival, all married in the county, and with the exception of Wil- liam, continued to live in Crawford county and were counted among the most substantial citi- zens. James Stewart was honored with nu- merous public offices. He served several years as associate judge with R. W. Musgrave and Samuel Knisely, Ozias Bowen of Marion being the presiding judge. About 1861, he moved to Mansfield, where he remained two or three years, then located in Bucyrus. His death occurred Aug. 6, 1871, aged seventy- six years, three months, and twenty-six days, and he was laid to rest in the Stewart Grave- yard. Mrs. Hugh Stewart, the mother of this family, did not enjoy good health, died soon after arrival, and hers was one of the first deaths recorded in the township.

John Campbell when he arrived in the spring of 1823, had practically nothing except a fam- ily. He had only money enough to pay for 80 acres, and after making his selection, and building a log cabin with one window which was covered with greased paper, and only one room, he walked to Delaware, paid all he had for the land, and returned to his farm. He had neither an ox nor a horse, and was compelled to farm entirely by hand. He not only pros- pered ,but stood high in the estimation of his neighbors, for in 1827 they elected him as justice of the peace, re-electing him for eight consecutive terms, and when in 1834 they sent him to the Legislature they still kept him in

office as their justice. Soon after he arrived, an infant son, Samuel, died on Aug. 16, 1825; a little plot of ground was set aside, and this became the Campbell graveyard, the first bur- ial place in the township.

John Boyer came to Crawford county in 1829. He was married to Catherine Hunsick- er in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania in 1815. In 1829 he set out with his family, crossing the mountains, and located on what became known as the Boyer farm, southeast of Bu- cyrus on the Galion road. Here he kept a house of entertainment known far and near in that early day as "Boyer's" or "The Blue Ball Tavern." The building still stands, an old frame with its weather beaten porch, a few rods south of the Middleton road, on the land now owned by Samuel Fouser. For many years it was the most noted and popular tavern in this section. Strangers were al- ways hailed with a cheerful voice, warm hearty shake of the hand, and treated to the best that could be afforded in those days. Scenes of pioneer life, festivity and mirth were many. It was also a headguarters for political meetings. Boyer did all things well, whether rolling logs among the pioneer settlers, help- ing to raise a house, working on his farm, entertaining travelers or helping to build a church. He was the first man to take hold and the last man to quit. He was a powerful man, and with his bare fist could drive a nail into soft lumber, or break the nail between his fingers.

Zalmon Rowse, a native of Massachusetts, came in 1821 from Wayne county, Pennsyl- vania, the northeastern county in that state, where he had lived from his sxteenth year. He walked the entire distance of five hundred miles, and after entering three tracts of eighty acres each, in Whetstone township, walked back to Pennsylvania. In October, 1821, he set out for his new possessions, accompanied by his wife and six children. He taught one term of school after his arrival, and served terms as county commissioner, county recorder, clerk of the court of Crawford county, and justice of the peace. He also bore the rank of colonel in the county militia.

James Armstrong came in 1822; like all the rest of the early settlers he built his cabin of logs, and being a man of taste he took his time

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to it and hewed the logs, giving it a more at- tractive appearance. He built, as did others, with a rough clapboard roof, and stick and mud chimney, but the first winter he occupied his leisure time in making shingles, and re- placed the clapboard roof with the first shingle roof in the county. Not content with this he established a little brickyard on his place and made enough brick to replace his mud chimney with a brick one, the first brick chimney not only in the township, but probably in the county. He only made these modern improve- ments for his own personal gratification, but his neighbors not only admired his brick chimney but appreciated how much more ser- viceable it was and induced him to manufact- ure brick for them, which he did, the first brickyard in the county, small though it was. Mr. Armstrong soon discontinued the manu- facture of brick, and it was taken up by John Boyer; later the first brick house built in the township was built on his farm.

Samuel Parcher came with Ralph Bacon in 182I, being employed by the latter to drive an ox team from Painesville, Ohio. Parcher made his first money by making 10,000 rails for Bacon for which he received $5 a thousand, this money he invested in land. He was fol- lowed the next year by four brothers, and among them they acquired considerable land. In 1828 they built a horse-power saw-mill on their farm, and also started a still, but as they did not meet with the success anticipated, they were early discontinued.

Peter and Elizabeth Cook came to the town- ship in 1834, and all the money the husband had was only sufficient to purchase 37 acres. He was a tailor, and by working at his trade at odd hours he added to his land.

John G. Diebler and wife came to Whetstone in 1828, with two other families. Each fam- ily owned a horse, but they had but one wagon, and the three families came in the one wagon drawn by three horses; they settled in the cen- tral part of the township. Diebler was a car- penter by trade, and many of the houses in that section were built by him.

George Fouser was a shoemaker, and be- sides farming put in his time making and re- pairing shoes for his neighbors.

John Gibson came in 1835, and purchased 80 acres of school land which is still owned

by his descendants. He married Mary A. Kerr, a daughter of Andrew Kerr who came in 1826.

Henry Harriger came in 1822, selected his land then went to Delaware where he entered it, returned to Wayne county and the next year came with his wife. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. His log house was built a mile east of Bucyrus, where the river road branches off from the Mansfield road.

Valentine Shook, with his wife Nancy, came from Wayne county in 1827. They had an old fashioned covered wagon, which was drawn by an ox-team. They brought with them two cows and six sheep. He was a car- penter, and the family slept in the wagon until their first house was built. They were three weeks coming from Wayne county.

Andrew Schreck came in 1825 with his wife Elizabeth, and when they reached Bucyrus their cash on hand was just $4, not enough to buy land. He settled on the Annapolis road east of Bucyrus. His wife was a skill- ful weaver, and a loom was put up in their little cabin, and in a few years they were able to buy a farm in Whetstone, and later they kept a store and hotel at Olentangy when a line of stages were running between Bucyrus and Mansfield.

Daniel Savage, who with his wife Susan, came in 1828 was a shoemaker.

Hugh Trimble came to the county in 1822, and entered 320 acres in the northeastern part of Whetstone, and the next year came with his wife and family settling on his purchase. His son John came with him, and in 1827, when he was 22 years of age, his father sent him to Delaware to enter another 80 acre tract, and the young man walked the entire distance there and back, and on his return his father made him a present of 20 acres of the tract. This started him in life, and on Jan. 31, 1828, he married Icy Parcher, who had come to the township with her father Daniel in 1823. During the winter the young man had built a little log house on his 20 acres, into which the young couple moved.

John Albright and his wife, came to Whet- stone township in 1829. They came from Pennsylvania with one wagon drawn by three horses, and were nearly a month on the way. He settled along the Galion road, east of the

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township hall on a 73 acre tract. He was a shoemaker by trade, and for a number of years carried on his business in connection with farming. Mr. Albright prospered, and later moved to near New Winchester. In 1866, at 2 a. m., on the morning of May I, his door was broken in with a post wrenched from the gate, and several men, all disguised, entered the house and demanded his money, as it was gen- erally believed he kept a considerable sum about him. He refused and was clubbed into unconsciousness. His son John hurried to his father's assistance, knocked down two of the men, before he himself was hit with a club, and pounded into unconsciousness. As the women arrived they were scared into submis- son, and the robbers ransacked the house, and secured $300 in cash and what jewelry and other valuables they could lay their hands on, and left. Both father and son were badly bruised, the father so seriously that he died in August. Mr. Albright was living near New Winchester at the time of the robbery, and suspicion pointed to several parties who had hurriedly left that section immediately after the robbery. They were traced to Mt. Ver- non, and here a clue was obtained to the per- petrators. A girl, who had left about the same time, had been arrested for stealing. She had stolen some meat from a butcher shop, and not being accustomed to eating raw meat, had broken into a church, and stolen suffi- cient of the Sunday School library to cook the meat. She mentioned the names of several parties who had been guilty of a number of robberies in and around New Winchester, but no trace of them was ever found.

Joseph Albright came to Whetstone in 1830, and settled in the northwestern part of the township, where he started the first brick yard on the Ludwig place, and here he manufact- ured the brick that went into a number of the early buildings in Bucyrus.

George and Mary Beach, came from Ger- many, settling in Whetstone township, where they entered forty-four acres of land. He was a cabinet maker by trade. John and Catherine Crissinger came to Crawford in 1832. His grandfather, Leonard Crissinger, was one of the soldiers of the revolutionary war, that were compelled to walk barefooted a part of the time on account of lack of shoes for the

army. Thomas and Nancy Kennedy, of Irish descent, came to Crawford county in 1832. John Mckinstry was born in County Antrim, Ireland in 1773; came with his parents to America and settled in Pennsylvania. He was in the War of 1812, belonging to the organiza- tion, known as Light Horse Brigade.

Martin Kehrer came to Whetstone in 1833, a young man of 20, where he purchased his first land in the southern part of the township, between the Whetstone and Mud Run. He returned to Pennsylvania and the next year came back with his father settling on his pur- chase. The father, John Kehrer, came from Germany to America in 1805, and besides his son Martin, several other of his children came to this county. In 1838, Martin Kehrer made a second trip to Pennsylvania, and this time returned with his bride, who had been waiting until he could prepare a home for her in the western country.

Henry S. Sheldon, was a cooper by trade, and after clearing a piece of land and building a little log cabin, he married Nancy Ridgley, one of the four daughters of Westell Ridgely who came to what is now Jefferson township in 1817.

John and Frances Brehman came to Whet- stone township in 1828; he was a wagon- maker, and besides clearing his land made wagons for his neighbors.

When Ralph Bacon came in 1819 he located his land, 80 acres in Liberty and 160 in Whet- stone; he then went to Delaware and entered the land. The next year he brought his fam- ily, traveling with two yoke of oxen and one horse. They came on through to Bucyrus, which at that time consisted of but two log cabins.

It was through Whetstone township that the army of Crawford marched during their unfortunate expedition of 1782. They en- tered the township, perhaps a mile below the present village of north Robinson; they went across the township bearing to the south, crossing where the Galion road now is at some point between the Township Hall and Sec- caium Park, and left the township a trifle over three miles south of Bucyrus. Their return route was the same, and it was when they had crossed where the Galion road now is they were compelled to stop to protect their rear,

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and the battle of the Olentangy followed. But- terfield places this battle in the northeast quar- ter of section 22, on the high ground north of where the monument stands. The east half of this section is now owned by Sarah R. Lust and the west half by J. B. Campbell. Along this higher ground, north of the Galion road, is where a hundred years ago the Indian trail was located from Galion to Upper Sandusky, crossing the Sandusky river south of the Mansfield street bridge, following the high ground through southern Holmes and crossing the Brokensword, about half a mile southwest of Oceola. The western section of Whetstone was a part of the Plains which the Indians used for their ring hunts, when they fired the grass and drove the game to a common centre, shooting the animals as they endeavored to make their escape through the ring of fire. When the earliest settlers arrived there was an Indian village on the banks of the Whet- stone, at or near where Seccaium Park now is, and in this section many Indian relics have been plowed up. Another camp or village of the Indians was between the Stewart grave- yard and the river.

In the centre of the township, along the Mt. Vernon road south of the present township hall, two brothers, Philip and Adam Clinger, had settled. Their land was on the plains, perfectly level, and here the militia of the county would assemble to go through their maneuvres, and the place became known as Clinger's Fields. Philip Clinger dug a num- ber of wells for his neighbors, and eventually was killed, one of the wells caving in on him.

In early days the southern portion of the township was covered with water, which some forty years ago was designated as the "Green Sea," by a man bearing the name of John James. In many places also a growth of wild grass, and a species of cane, called maiden cane, sprung up, and were of very luxuriant growth, often growing to a height of from 15 to 20 feet, and of such strength and thick- ness as to prevent persons from passing through, except by following beaten paths.

In 1828 there was but one regularly laid out road through the southern part, and that was a road from Marion to Galion and Mansfield. It was by no means then opened up and made traversable. The settlers in going to either

point mentioned, whether with a team or on horseback, generally abandoned the road as they found better traveling by following a winding track cut out over the highest ground available. There were one or two grist mills at hand-one owned and operated by Benja- min Sharrock, the other by Jotham Clark. But both of these were very small and very in- ferior. Many of the older settlers never ex- pected to see this country settled, cleared, and put under cultivaton and some of them even thought it would never become properly inhab- ited. A man named Isaac Dickson came west in 1832, and entered land; not wishing to re- main himself until the country was better cleared and more thickly settled he induced one of his Pennsylvania neighbors, a man named Tobin to take the land, and for clearing a few acres he was to have it rent free, and also have all of the crops. Tobin accepted the . offer, Dickson helped move Tobin and his fam- ily to their new home, seeing them properly lo- cated in an old cabin that was on the property. Dickson then returned to Pennsylvania stop- ping to visit frends for a few days in Guern- sey county. The first night Tobin spent in the cabin a violent wind storm swept through that section, tearing up trees along its track, hurling timber in every direction, and shaking the cabin to its foundation. The day before the storm the land was tangled forest, much of it covered with water, and the next morning the desolation was still more complete, and Tobin promptly sold all his goods except what he could take in the one wagon he had, and started back to Pennsylvania, and when Dick- son arrived the first man to greet him was his disgusted and "busted" tenant, Tobin. It is reported Tobin died in Pennsylvania, never again being permeated with the western fever; others of his neighbors came west, and sent ac- counts home of their prosperity, but they never phased Tobin.

Philip Hubbert was justice of the peace of Tully township, Marion county for eight years, the township south of Whetstone. One day in June a young man called to solicit him to perform the ceremony which should unite the young gentleman to his lady love in the holy bands of matrimony. The time was designated; the place was mentioned, and after receiving the promise from the mag-

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istrate that he would be on hand, the young man departed. Time sped, no doubt slowly for the lovers, but the day arrived for the con- summation of the nuptials, and Mr. Hubbert drove over to the house of the expectant bride ; but as the hour for the marriage drew nigh, it was discovered by the squire that the bride's residence was in Whetstone township, Craw- ford county, and it would be illegal for him to perform the ceremony in any other than the county in which he held his commission, and the marriage would have been absolutely void, To obviate all difficulties, and to have the mar- riage ceremony performed without any unnec- essary delay, it was suggested that, as only a few rods intervened between the bride's home and the Marion county line, in fact, only the width of the road, the young couple should at the proper time step across the limits into the territory of Marion county and there be united, which was accordingly done. The ceremony was performed in a potato patch, in the pres- ence of a number of guests, after which all re- turned to the residence, and partook of the marriage feast, and all went merry as a mar- riage bell.

The first postoffice was established in Whet- stone township in 1833. A few years pre- viously William Fitzsimmons had purchased nearly 20 acres of land along the Galion road. It was the west half of the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 16, a part of the land that is now the site of the Craw- ford County Infirmary. Here he built a tavern and through the influence of the set- tlers in that section a postoffice was secured and William Fitzsimmons was appointed postmaster on Aug. 8, 1833. It was named Whetstone, after the township. In October, 1837, Mr. Fitzsimmons was elected sur- veyor of the county and he removed to Bu- cyrus to enter on his new duties, and no suc- cessor was appointed, the office being discon- tinued on Feb. 20, 1838. On removing to Bu- cyrus Mr. Fitzsimmons sold his tavern and the twenty acres to Andrew Failor for two hundred dollars.

In 1830 the first census of the county showed that Whetstone was the most populous town- ship in the county, having 750 inhabitants, which was 24 more then Bucyrus. The set- tlers in the northern part of the township had

a convenient trading point at Bucyrus, so there was no demand for a village in this sec- tion, and the first town laid out was in the southern part, which was New Winchester, and at the time it was started it was in Ma- rion county, and only became a part of Craw- ford in 1845.

New Winchester was the first village laid out in Whetstone township, and was followed a few years later by Olentangy, now no longer in existence, and many years afterward by North Robinson. New Winchester was laid out by the surveyor of Marion county in 1835, on lands belonging to Benjamin Fisher, Samuel Lechner, William Stuck and Henry Wise. It was given its name after Winchester, the coun- ty seat of Frederick county, Virginia, a num- ber of the early settlers being from that sec- tion. The farms of the four proprietors lay at the crossing of two roads, being at the cor- ner of sections 4, 5, 8 and 9, township 4, range 17 east. A cabin had been previously built there by William Stuck, and he had a small blacksmith shop at the corners. After the town was laid out Israel Wise built a small cabin of hewed logs, and Samuel Winter built a cabin, and had a carpenter shop in connec- tion. Soon there was a settlement of eight or ten houses, and Samuel Crow was induced to start a store, and he built a little log store- room, and opened up with a stock of about $300, but it proved unprofitable and was soon discontinued. Adam Bear built a grist-mill on the Whetstone just north of the village, which at the start he ran by horse-power, and later steam was used. In the early days Peter Wert had charge of the mill, and it was a sta- tion on the Underground Railroad being the first point north of the Iberia station. About 1838 another store was started by Judge E. B. Merriman of Bucyrus. He started with a stock of $1,500, did a good business, and sold out to Henry Clark, who also prospered and at the end of six years sold to Plodner & Timson who eventually disposed of the stock and went into other business. But the little village was the centre of a prosperous com- munity and there followed other stores and shops. John J. Rexroth had a blacksmith shop there in 1838, and Henry Aiker was also one of the early blacksmiths. Abraham Steen had a saw-mill north of the town on the river

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which he ran successfully for twenty years. In 1835 John Kaun had a saw-mill on the river west of the town. He disposed of it to other parties, and the business increased to such an extent that steam was introduced, Jacob Cressinger was one of the early carpenters. George Cox opened the first saloon in the village, and it passed into other hands, gro- cery stores being run in connection, and both liquor and groceries did a good business, but when laws were introduced taxing saloons the tax became too excessive for the custom, and saloons were discontinued. Soon after the village was started the people asked for better postal facilities and their request was granted. Frederick Wise was the first postmaster, in 1836, and was succeeded by John Highly, Dec. 29, 1848; Robert Park, June I, 1854, and he held the office until it was discontinued on April 24, 1855. It was finally re-established on Nov. 4, 1862 with Charles Hahn as post- master, when he ran it for another four years and it was again discontinued on Dec. 5, 1866. It was not until after the T. & O. C. road was nearing completion, that the office was again re-established on May 8, 1878, with Josiah Keiter as postmaster. He was followed by E. B. Gleason, Aug. 12, 1889; C. W. G. Ott, May 6, 1890; Josiah Keter, April 25, 1894; C. W. G. Ott, March 12, 1898; Williamn Ma- son Oct. 29, 1900. On May 15, 1905 it was again discontinued. Being on a railroad, sev- eral attempts have been made to have the of- fice again re-established, but all efforts have failed, mail being delivered by rural route from Bucyrus daily, except occasionally in the spring, when the Whetstone overflows its banks to such an extent that the carrier is un- able to reach the village until the flood sub- sides.

About 1830 Barney and David Eberhardt built a saw mill on the Olentangy southwest of where the village of that name was later located. They had a log dam, filled in with mud, stones and brush, and the mill was run by water power, and while very slow, was kept busy by the demands for lumber. Michael Nye and Abraham Holmes also had small saw-mills along the stream. About 1838 Paul I. Hetich and his brother-in-law, George Swe- ney, prominent business men of Bucyrus, be- came owners of a saw-mill just above the

Eberhardts mill. They built a dam and a mill race, put in the best of machinery then available and it became one of the largest saw- mills in the county. Several men were em- ployed at the mill and in hauling the lumber to Bucyrus and Galion, the two principal points at which the lumber was sold. There were no facilities at the mill for caring for the teamsters and horses. The man who came to buy lumber had difficulty in finding sleeping quarters or even a place for meals, while the teamster returning during the night had to look up some farm house where he could re- ceive accomodation. At that time there was no building near the mill which could be used to accommodate the workmen and customers, and many slept in the mill, and in summer in their wagons in the open air. One thing the proprietors of the mill did have, and that was lumber; it was cheap so they decided they would erect a tavern near the mill. Having decided upon this action it was not long be- fore they extended their ideas and decided to lay out a town. The location was good; it was on the Bucyrus and Galion Road, half way between the two towns. The road was one of the best traveled in the county, a line of stages going through to Bucyrus three times a week, and besides, this was on the principal road over which eastern merchandise was transported from Mansfield to Bucyrus and farther west. So Sweney and Hetich formed a partnership with William Snyder, a farmer and blacksmith living near the cross roads, and had a town laid out by Thomas C. Sweney, the county surveyor. The new town consisted of 41 lots, 21 on the north side of the road, and 20 on the south side. The plat was filed in the recorder's office at Bucyrus, on Nov. 16, 1840, and the location given was on "the north half of section 26, Whetstone township." The principal street was on the road from Galion to Bucyrus and this was called Main street; the north and south road was named Market street, and east of Market was a street which led from Main south to the mill on the Olen- tangy, called Mill street. The name of the town came from the stream Olentangy which passed south of the new place. The village started off well. Hetich and Sweney built their tavern on the southwest corner of Main and Market; William Snyder built his house

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 54

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