History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 55

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 55

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

and blacksmith shop on the northwest corner; Andrew Schreck put up a building on the southeast corner, in which he opened a gen- eral store and also had a bar for the sale of liquor; George Seebler had a carpenter and cabinet maker's shop on the northeast corner. A school house was erected the first year the town was laid out, on the lot on which Shreck built his store. The town prospered for a time; later Schreck took charge of the tavern and did a prosperous business, with his hotel, store and liquor, and in winter it was head- quarters for many sleighing parties from Bu- cyrus and Galion, where the belles and beaux had a bounteous supper and danced to a late, or rather early, hour.

Valentine Smith owned a store there in 1852, and Robert Cowden was running it for him, and one morning walked from Galion, to his place of business at Olentangy, five miles, stopping at the old two-story hotel at "the Corners," west of Galion, where he got a box of cigars made by the hotel proprietor, the cigars being needed at the store.

The growth of the town made a postoffice necessary and one was established there. Wil- liam Snyder being appointed postmaster on March 3, 1840. He ran the office a little over two years when it was discontinued on Dec. 2, 1842. It was re-established on May II, 1850, with Andrew Schreck as postmaster, but at the end of two years it was again dis- continued on May 28, 1852. It remained closed for ten years when it was reopened on Oct. 30, 1862, with Andrew Schreck again as postmaster. It only had another two years' lease of life and was finally discontinued on Dec. 5, 1864.

After the Ohio and Indiana road passed to the north, traffic over the stage road ceased and the town was on the decline. No longer were the many teams passing daily. The local settlers were not sufficient to make a store and tavern profitable and the few business en- terprises of the town were suspended. When the war broke out little remained of the town except the school house and saloon. As the years passed, even the saloon discontinued for want of business; the school house had crum- bled to decay and in its place had been erected a brick structure a few rods to the west. Nothing is on the four corners today; of the

hotel and the store and the shops, not even the ruins are left; down Mill or Market street may still be seen the old decayed beams where the saw-mill once stood, and in the village it- self all that remains is the schoolhouse on one side the road and across old Main street to the north is the handsome modern farm house of Francis Shook, with its spacious outbuildings. And the original owners and business men, like the old village itself, have long since crumbled into dust, and, prominent though some of them were, are only faintly recalled by the older settlers.

When the Ohio and Indiana road was built J. B. Magers, William Brown and William Magee started a steam saw-mill where the railroad crosses the boundary line road be- tween Whetstone and Jefferson townships. John and William Burwell had a blacksmith shop, and a number of other buildings had been erected. J. P. Robinson secured the es- tablishment of a postoffice there in 1854 and it was named North Robinson after himself. He came to the county in 1831, was one of the early County Commissioners, and when the railroad was built had a saw-mill and furnished ties for the road. When he came in 1831, he had with him was his one year old son, Wil- liam Robinson, now living at Crestline, and the secretary of the Crawford County Pioneer Association. The little village prospered, but the same trouble probably arose as in other places in the county, over the Douglas-Breck- enridge fight for the presidency, for in 1860 the postoffice was discontinued, notwithstand- ing it was a thriving little village and on a railroad. The losing of the postoffice did not suppress the enterprise of Mr. Magers for on March, 1861, he had the county surveyor, Horace Martin, plat a town on his land on which there were already a number of build- ings. The town was called North Robinson, and the boundary road was Main street. There was a street north of the railroad called Bu- cyrus, and two streets south called Mill and Walnut.

After many lots had been sold and residence and business houses had been erected, a cloud on their title was discovered. Thereupon J. P. Robinson laid out a plat of lots on the east side of the original town, in Jefferson township, and the people moved over to them. Later

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when the cloud was removed, the people largely returned to their original holdings. The first merchant was Frederick Newman, who did well, and other enterprises followed, including a hotel, dry goods and drug store, blacksmith shops, a cooper shop, a grocery and saloon, and a fine steam saw mill which was owned and operated by Warden & Tracht, and the flour- ishing steam tile-factory established by Sick- man, Fate & Co. of Crestline.

After Magers bought out his partners in the saw mill, he added an addition in which he placed two sets of buhrs and modern machin- ery for the grinding of grain. The mill was the center of a grain growing and populous region, and did a good business under several owners, but was finally destroyed by fire and never rebuilt. In 1873 Mr. Magers erected a large elevator, which has continued under va- rious owners. In 1862 John L. Caskey and Lewis Holker built a large factory, and went into the carriage business extensively, employ- ing a number of hands, and half a century ago their carriage works were one of the important industries in the county. The first physician in the village was Dr. Frank Duff. On July 26, 1861, the post office was re-established in the Newman store with Frederick Newman as postmaster, and has continued ever since. Mr. Newman being succeeded by A. R. Warden, Oct. 29, 1861 ; James G. Patterson, Aug. 5, 1872; George Railing, April 21, 1875; George F. Darr, Feb. 10, 1881; J. W. Littler, April 25, 1882; E. G. Smith, June 15, 1889; J. W. Littler, June 27, 1893; Wilmina Warden, Sept. 14, 1897; E. R. Boyer, Sept. 26, 1901; Ida R. Frank, May 15, 1907.

North Robinson has graded schools, their large brick having four rooms. There are two churches, the Lutheran and the United Brethren. North Robinson was the home of Rev. John V. Potts, who wrote several relig- ious works. He was active not only in the U. B. church but also in all religious work, and in some respects was like the ministers of half a century previous ;- on horseback or on foot he traveled miles to fill some vacant pulpit.

When the Marion commissioners erected Whetstone township in 1824, Heman Rowse and George Poe were the first justices elected in April, 1825, and their commissions were dated June 18 of that year. The following is

the list of Justices of the Peace of Whetstone township :

Heman Rowse-1825-28.

George Poe-1825.

John Campbell-1827-30-33-36-39-42-45-48.

James Stewart-1832-35-38-41-44-47.

John Highley-1845-48-51.

Peter G. Rice-1850.

Martin Bacon-1851-54.

Nicholas Failor-1852.

Joseph Meer-1853-56-59-62.

John Gibson-1855.

Josiah Keiter-1857-60-64.

Isaac Van Voorhis-1858-61.

Josiah Koler-1863-66-69.

Charles Myers-1865-68-71.

Benjamin F. Warden-1872-75.

Isaac Snyder-1874.

William L. Ferrall-1877-80-83.

M. T. Mills-1878.

J. R. Stewart-1880. D. T. Timson-1882-85.

W. B. Cummings-1887-90-93-96-99-02-05-07-10.

M. G. Nungesser-1888-91-94.

George Goldsmith-1897-1900-03-06-09.

The settlement of the northern part of the township necessitated schooling for the chil- dren, and the first school was held in the cabin of John Beckwith. The cabin was of logs and consisted of but one room. And at one end of this room, the eating and sleeping side was given up to the school. The other end was the kitchen department where the meals were being prepared. The school teacher is un- known, but the fact is handed down that a defi- nite line existed in the cabin, established by Mrs. Beckwith, over which no child dared pass; so the first school was held in the sum- mer of 1824, with mental refreshments being served at one end of the room while bodily refreshments were being prepared at the other. During that winter no school was held, the larger children going to Bucyrus, and the smaller ones picking up what knowledge they could at home. That winter, however, the settlers, cleared a place and erected a small schoolhouse on the farm of Joseph Young, and the first winter it was taught by Moses Arden of Bucyrus. Two years later a log school- house was built east of this. In these earlier schoolhouses time was not taken to square the logs; they were put in place, round as when they came from the trees, and what furniture they had was made by the settlers themselves.

Proceeding southward, the center of the township began to be fairly settled, and here in 1828, a log schoolhouse was erected on

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John Campbell's farm, and it boasted of two windows, and these windows had real glass to admit the light; the first two schoolhouses re- ceiving their light through greased paper. Elizabeth Bair taught school the first summer, having 15 to 20 pupils. During the first ses- sion one June day a hurricane passed through that section while school was in session; trees were uprooted, and hurled against the build- ing, some cabins were blown down, but the little schoolhouse was just on the edge of the storm, and although badly shaken, remained intact, and no damage done except the severe fright given the children .*

The winter term in this building was taught by Henry Remson. The attendance increased and so crowded the little schoolhouse that an abandoned cabin was fitted up a mile and a half further south, which was attended by the scholars living in that section. The first Camp- bell schoolhouse was used about 12 years, when a large frame building was erected east of the first site. This was used not only for school purposes, but for religious services, and on account of its size was the place where all important public meetings were held. When Winchester was laid out a log schoolhouse was erected just north of the village which did duty until 1850, when it was abandoned and a new building erected west of the village; this was succeeded by another, and in 1878 the present brick building with four rooms was erected in the village.

The Olentangy schoolhouse was first erected about 1840 in the eastern part of the vil- lage, and after being in use some years gave place to a frame structure near the same site, and thirty years ago the present brick was erected. It was about the time that New Winchester was laid out that the township was divided into school districts, and in 1845 when two miles were added from Marion county it added more school districts, and Whetstone today has fourteen districts. The first build-

* On May 22, 1903 a similar hurricane swept across Holmes township. The Holmes Centre school house, a brick structure was in the track of the storm. School was in session at the time. Half of the roof was car- ried several rods, and the other half with the north wall thrown into the school room. The teacher and some children were struck by the debris, and yet noth- ing more serious occurred than a few slight bruises. All the roof and one wall were blown down, another wall but half remained.

ings of course were logs, but some of the later districts started with small frame buildings, until today all are of brick, the buildings at New Winchester and North Robinson both be- ing structures that would be creditable to vil- lages more than double their size. The North Robinson building was erected in 1873; the first schoolhouse was a mile northwest of where the village now is; later a schoolbuild- ing was erected half a mile south of the pres- ent village; then North Robinson was laid out, became a center of business, and its importance demanded that the schoolhouse be in the vil- lage. The present building is of brick. Whet- stone exceeds all other townships in the number of her school houses, having fourteen.

The early settlers of Whetstone in the north- ern part could attend religious services at Bucyrus, yet many meetings were held in their cabins, ministers coming out from Bucyrus on Sunday afternoons to hold services. In 1823 Rev. John O. Blowers and his brother William had been licensed as ministers in the M. E. Church and they held frequent services at the cabins of the early settlers, and after the large Campbell schoolhouse was built it was in con- stant use by Methodists and the ministers of other denominations. At the start the Meth- odists were attached to the Mansfield Circuit, and Rev. Solomon Myneer was the first trav- eling missionary. He had six counties in his circuit, and it took him six weeks to make the round, so they could depend on their regular preacher for about eight visits a year. He had nothing to pay for food and lodging, any pio- neer whether of his denomination or not be- ing glad to entertain him. Some years he managed to collect as high as $40, and al- though this was net, there is no report of his having left any fortune beyond an honorable name to his heirs, and like hundreds of others of these faithful and self sacrificing spiritual teachers in the early days, he was satisfied with the blessings he received in the world be- low from those to whom he gave cheer and comfort, and consolation and hope, and reaped his reward in the eternity beyond.

As early as 1832 the Methodists built a church in the northern part of the township in the Stewart neighborhood. Here Rev. Rob- ert Reid was a class-leader for a number of years, and was one of the early preachers.

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One of the active members in this church was Cornwallis Reese. Years ago this church was abandoned the members uniting with the M. E. Church at Bucyrus. Near this church was the Stewart graveyard, and here was buried James Scott, who died June 29, 1829, and the same year in August was the second burial of John Parcher, one of the five Parcher brothers who came to the county. Samuel and Simeon Parcher and others of that family are buried here. Here also lies Hugh Stewart, the ven- erable father of the Stewarts, who died July 29, 1854, aged 97 years. Another M. E. Church was built in the western part of the township, and later replaced by the present brick structure on the Winchester road on the farm of John W. Sherer. Another is on the county line a mile southeast of New Win- chester, known as the Sixteen M. E.

When New Winchester was laid out the German Reformers had an organization with services at the various cabins, and these con- tinued until the society was strong enough to build a church which they did in 1847 just west of the village; it was a frame structure and cost about $900. " Rev. James Kellar was the first minister, and preached in both English and German. Later the church was repaired. In 1835 the same denomination had a church a mile north of New Winchester, first a log structure, then followed by a frame building, and a few years ago the present brick struct- ure was dedicated. ] It is known as the St. John's Reformed Church and includes among its membership those who formerly belonged to the church west of New Winchester. A graveyard was started here before the church was built. Near this graveyard on the farm of John Weirick there still is seen a little graveyard, no longer used. It was originally on the farm of Archibald Clark, and in it is today the oldest gravestone in the county, al- most illegible ; crumbling to decay it still marks the last resting place of his wife, Rachel Clark, who died Sept. 1, 1826. Here too is the place where rests Judge E. B. Merriman, the first

business man in Bucyrus, and with Zalmon Rowse its most influential citizen in its early days. In 1822 he ran the first store in Bucy- rus ; at one time had a branch store at Annapo- lis, and in 1838 started one at New Winchester, and died there. Today no mark remains to show where he was buried, but old residents at Winchester stated years ago he was buried in the graveyard north of the village. There were but two, the Reformed graveyard and the private burial ground of his old friend, Archi- bald Clark, who had been with him in many business transactions.

The German Lutherans organized later, holding meetings in the cabins and later erect- ing churches. They have two churches in the southeastern part of the township, one a mile south of Olentangy on the bank of the Whet- stone, and the other, Holy Trinity Lutheran, a quarter of a mile southwest of this.

The Salem Evangelical church is south of Wagner's Corners. North Robinson has a handsome English Lutheran Church, built in 1875, located on Main street, but on the Jef- ferson township side of the village .

The United Brethren have two churches in the township, one at New Winchester and the other at North Robinson.

More than half a century ago a church was built on the Galion road, just east of the Battle Monument. It was a little frame built by the Disciples and was generally known as the Campbellite Church. Services were held here for many years, but nearly all the members transferred to the church at Bucyrus, and serv- ices were discontinued, and as the building was falling into decay, about 1875 it was purchased by Elias Lavely, removed to his farm, and used as a farm building. Half a mile to the south of where this church stood is the Campbell graveyard, where the first burial was Samuel, infant son of John Campbell, who died Aug. 16, 1825. Here are buried many of the early settlers of Whetstone township, and here was buried Daniel Bender, who was murdered at Dead Man's Hollow, Sept. 28, 1836.

CHAPTER XXIV

BUCYRUS, THE COUNTY SEAT

Origin of the Name, Bucyrus-Arrival of Samuel Norton and Party, 1819-Cabins Built and Crops Planted-First White Child Born in Bucyrus-Expert Spinners-Abund- ance of Game and Fish-Shortage of Bread Owing to Distance of Mills-Slow Mill- ing-Arrival of Other Settlers-Col. James Kilbourne-Norton's Agreement with Kil- bourne-The Survey and Platting of Bucyrus-Naming of Streets-Sale of Lots- Bucyrus as Described in the Ohio Gazetteer, 1826-Early Stores and Merchants-Prices of Various Products in the Early Twenties-Fever and Ague-Mrs. Lucy Rogers' Ex- perience-Tanneries and Grist Mills-The Carys-Early Industries-The First Tavern - Price of Whiskey-Mrs. Rogers Thrashes an Indian-Liquor Selling to the Indians Law Against It-How Evaded-Adventure of a Bibulous Citizen-Bucyrus Song.

Then here, my friend, your search may end; For here's a country to your mind; And here's a town your hopes may crown, As those who try it soon shall find. Here fountains flow, mild zephyrs blow, While health and pleasure smile each morn For all around Bucyrus found, On fair Sandusky's rural bourn. -Kilbourne's Song of Bucyrus.

Bucyrus is an Egyptian word, the name be- ing derived from Busiris, a city of ancient Egypt, and also a name given the old Egyptian kings. It was named by Col. James Kilbourne, who with Samuel Norton, the first settler, was the founder of the town. The poetical lines relating to Bucyrus are found in Milton's Paradise Lost, book first :

"When with fierce winds Orion arm'd,

Hath vexed the red sea coast, whose waves o'erthrew Busiris and his Memphian chivalry."

When Samuel Norton reached Bucyrus in October, 1819, the party consisted of the fol- lowing eighteen persons: Samuel Norton and Mary Norton, his wife; three daughters- Louisa, Catharine and Elizabeth; three sons- Rensselaer, Warren and Waldo; Albigence Bucklin, (a brother of Mrs. Norton) and his wife and six children-Esther, Cynthia, Aus- tin, Elizabeth, Almeda and Pitt, and an adopted daughter, Polly. The eighteenth per-

son was Seth Holmes, who had been through this region in 1812, as a teamster in the war of 1812, and who accompanied the Norton party as teamster and guide. On arriving here an old wigwam made of small saplings was found standing in the woods in what is now the court house yard. This the pioneers oc- cupied for three days, while the three men built a log cabin. It was of round logs, un- hewed, the cracks chinked with mud, and was built on the banks of the Sandusky, just west of the Sandusky avenue bridge, on the land now occupied by C. H. Shonert. This cabin, the wigwam and the wagons accommodated them. As soon as it was completed, a site was selected for the Bucklin cabin-also on the bluff on the banks of the river. It was built north of Mansfield street, just west of where the T. & O. C. embankment commences on its way across the river. At that time the river bed was at the foot of the bluff, passing just north of the brewery. A cabin similar to the Norton cabin was erected here for Mr. Buck- lin and his family and the pioneers were as comfortably situated as possible for their first winter, the Nortons and Bucklins in their cabins, and Seth Holmes in the wigwam. Small sheds were erected for the stock, the pioneers having brought with them several

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horses and cattle, a few hogs and some chick- ens. They were fairly provided with cooking utensils, and the farming implements of those days. Mr. Norton had also brought with him a hand-mill for grinding corn or wheat in case of emergency. These pioneers were ten miles from the nearest settlement, which was at and near where Galion now is.

The first winter was passed in clearing land around their cabins, and the spring of 1820 being a very early one, Norton planted his first crop in February, and in later years stated it was the finest crop he had ever produced. When Norton first settled on the land, it had been surveyed but was not yet entered for sale, and as soon as it was open for purchase, Nor- ton went to Delaware on horseback, after leav- ing the plains being compelled to pick his way through the woods, to the land office at that place. Here, it is reported, some Quakers en- deavored to persuade him that the land he de- sired to enter was not the land he wanted, but Mr. Norton insisted it was and entered 400 acres, on which the central part of Bucyrus now stands. One of these deeds was for 160 acres, the southwest quarter of section I, township 3, range 16, of the district of Dela- ware, and was signed by James Monroe, Oct. 5, 1821. It was one of the earliest deeds for land in the New Purchase as it was recorded in Vol. I, page 101. Returning home he gave Albigence Bucklin the 80 acres where he re- sided, he having promised him that amount of land, if he would accompany him to Ohio, as Mrs. Norton refused to come unless her brother and his family came along.

The first planting of the settlers was prin- cipally wheat, corn, potatoes and flax, the lat- ter being a necessary article, from which Mrs. Norton and her daughters made the clothes for the family. On one of his trips to the mills on the Mohican, at Fredericktown in Knox County, over 30 miles away, Mr. Nor- ton stopped at the Quaker village of Friends- borough in what is now Morrow county, and purchased ten pounds of wool, the wool being spun into yarn, the yarn made into cloth, and the cloth into clothing by Mrs. Norton. The Norton cabin had one window which let in some light; this window was a hole cut near the door over which was placed greased paper.

As the cabin was surrounded by woods, little or no rain or wind reached the flimsy window, yet from the first cotton woven, the window was covered with the cloth, which was a step in advance in house-building.

The most important event which occurred the first winter was on Feb. II, 1820, when in the little cabin on the bank of the Sandusky was born to Mr. and Mrs. Norton, a daughter, Sophronia, the first white child born in Bu- cyrus. The Nortons had brought from Penn- sylvania both a loom and spinning wheels, and the young girls soon became valued assistants of their mother in the manufacture of the goods for clothing. Mrs. A. M. Jones ( Eliza- beth Norton) while quite young, was the ex- pert spinner of the family, and received so many compliments that she became a very zeal- ous spinner from pride. She was so small that her father cut the legs of one of the spinning- wheels to make it more convenient for her. Each of the girls had a task allotted of so much spinning per day, and Elizabeth soon discov- ered that her expertness and her skill brought with it troubles, as on her the larger part of the spinning devolved. True, all girls in those days were expert spinners, some of them skilled at weaving; all good cooks, and all of great assistance in the family work. The clothing they wore was made by themselves. Game was abundant-deer and wild turkeys, rabbits and squirrel-and Mr. Norton re- ports killing five deer in one day, near Buck- lin's cabin, about where the T. & O. C. crosses the Sandusky. Here there was in those days a salt lick, where the deer came. The skins were used for clothing and the meat stored away for winter use.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 55

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