History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 60

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 60

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The Buckeye Hook and Ladder company was organized with A. E. Walker as fore- man. At first the Rescue No. I was kept in a small building, at the rear of the Hotel Royal lot. In 1854 the County Commissioners bought the rear lot of the present court house yard, and in connection with the city, built a house for the fire department on this lot. In 1859 the City Council decided to build an en- gine house, and the present city building on East Rensselaer street was erected, and dedi- cated on April 30, 1860. On the evening of the dedication, Water Cloud No. 2 and Ma- zeppa Hose No. I turned out in uniform with torches, 71 strong, and paraded the principal streets of the village, and finally drew up at the engine house, where S. R. Harris presided, and Jacob Scroggs as mayor presented the new company the keys of the city, the response be- ing made by F. W. Butterfield, the foreman. Every citizen who could talk made a speech. but the success of the evening was an original song, written and sung by Matthias Buchman, the secretary of the company ; one of the verses was as follows :

Please gif me your attention, I'll sing a leedle song; It ees about our engine, And vont be very long.

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Vait for the engine, The Vassar Cloud our engine ; Vait for the engine Vich throws the vasser high.

There were six other verses, and the song was the success of the evening, which was bad, as Mr. Buchman later wrote other poems on the Water Cloud, and sang them.

A fireman's festival was also held at the Concert Hall and everybody was present and everybody made more speeches, and Miss Mary Ellen Moderwell on behalf of the ladies pre- sented the company with a handsome flag, and the festival netted $100 for the Water Cloud.

In 1869 the present steam fire engine was purchased for $5,100 and hose and other para- phernalia secured amounting to $1,000 more. Prior to the purchase of the steamer there was a craze swept over the country for firemen's tournaments, and the city was behind the times that failed to give a tournament. Bucyrus gave several and vast crowds assembled to wit- ness the competitions. Later these contests centered on the hook and ladder races, and the Buckeyes of Bucyrus gained a state-wide reputation. In 1871 they tied their sporting truck to a wagon and drove across the coun- try to Findlay where the Northwestern Ohio Volunteer Firemen's Association held the an- nual meeting. The Buckeyes took first prize and the news was flashed home by wire and when the company returned a number of the factories and business houses were closed, and fully 500 people met the company at the edge of the town and escorted them to the public square where congratulatory speeches were made by Gen. Finley and others. In the years that followed the Buckeyes took part in twenty- two tournaments winning thirteen first prizes, four seconds and one third, besides three sweepstakes, their total winnings amounting to $2,480 in cash besides appropriate prizes. The race consisted of a run of 40 rods and placing a man on the top of a thirty-foot lad- der. Their best time was at Crestline in 1883 when they did it in 3414 seconds, a record which was never beaten. About this time the volunteer fire department was abandoned and a paid department took its place. For a time this was under the control of Frank Haman, but later the city again took charge of it and the present quarters erected on West Mans-

field street, and singularly enough the depart- ment now occupies the site to which Christian Howenstein moved with his cabinet shop, after the fire which caused the purchase of the first fire engine by the village.

When the water works were built, in 1883, nearly ten miles of pipe were laid and the en- gine was only used as a reserve, hydrants hav- ing been erected all over the city, to which the hose is attached in case of fire, and now sev- eral streams can be brought into play at the same time on any fire in the central part of the city. The department has a fire alarm system with seventeen signal boxes. There have been one or two humorous incidents in connection with the fire department, but with a serious ending.

One very severe winter the thermometer had registered below zero for several days and some expressed a fear that the fire hydrants might be frozen up. One of the men in au- thority, who knew little about the laws of natural philosophy, but did not forget the duties devolving upon him, took a wrench, and with the thermometer below zero faithfully went over the city and opened the hydrants to see if the water was running, and to his great delight found the water came out in a copious stream, not one being frozen up; un- fortunately that night a severe fire broke out, hose was attached to hydrant after hydrant in the neighborhood and all were frozen up. The engine was hurried to the scene and finally succeeded in extinguishing the fire.

At another time the city advertised for sev- eral hundred feet of new hose. There were a number of samples sent, the Council finally made their selection and took the hose to the Frey-Shekler shops where they were attached to the engine and pressure applied. One sec- tion burst, when the pressure reached 420 pounds. The council promptly wired the firm : "Hose refused; one section busted at 420 pounds pressure. What shall we do with the hose?" The answer came back promptly : "Keep it; we only guaranteed 350 pounds."

During the fall of 1859 a company was formed to organize a gas company, with Hor- ace Rowse, president, S. R. Harris, secretary, and George Quinby, treasurer. The works were built in 1860, by B. B. McDanald on their present site on North Sandusky avenue,

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and the streets were lighted with gas for the first time on Tuesday evening, Oct. 23, 1860. The buildings were 32 by 68 feet in size, slate- roofed. The gasometer contained 9,000 cubic feet. There were two benches of retorts capa- ble of generating 20,000 cubic feet of gas per day, with extra benches to provide against accident. The company started with 100 metres. When electricity came into use for street light- ing, a company was organized here, in connec- tion with the gas works, and the city was lit by electricity there being today a light on every other corner. The discovery of natural gas practically put an end to the gas works, and the entire plant is now known as the Electric Light works, the Logan Natural Gas Company fur- nishing the illumination for the residences, al- though very many houses and nearly all busi- ness stores have introduced electricity.

In October, 1819, Samuel Norton and his party reached Bucyrus, and it is reported the first religious services to be held were as early as 1821, when a Rev. Mr. Bacon made occa- sional visits, preaching to the settlers in the cabins of Mr. Norton and others. It is known that in the fall of 1821, the Rev. Jacob Hooper was preaching occasionally in Bucyrus, and he stated that he delivered the first sermon ever preached in the village, and that the ser- vices were held under a large oak tree that · later, and agreed to preach once a month dur-

stood where the Pennsylvania station now stands. He was appointed by the Methodist Conference to take charge of the Bucyrus sta- tion, which was attached to the Scioto circuit. His circuit was seven hundred miles, and he managed to get around about once in eight weeks. Of course other missionaries came around, and the people being notified turned out to the grove, or to a cabin, or any large build- ing, and it is probable there were services as often as every two weeks. After 1826, the little brick schoolhouse was used by all denomina- tions, and after 1832, the court house was at the disposal of the people. About 1830 a large revival occurred under the Methodists, the services being held in the unfinished hotel under process of erection by Abraham Hahn. In summer camp meetings were held, the large barn of Martin Shaffner being used, situated on what is now the new Fair Ground. In 1822, Rev. Thomas McCleary had charge of this cir- cuit and the increasing population reduced the -

circuit in size, so the only territory the new minister had to cover was Delaware to Mans- field, to Plymouth, to Bucyrus, to Marion, then back to Delaware, where if he had a family he could make them a ten minutes' visit and start on his round again.

His route was mostly through an unbroken forest, following Indian trails, with an oc- casional crude road made by the settlers for their convenience. He traveled on horseback, and forded all streams, as there were practic- ally no bridges. Each night found him a welcome guest at some cabin, and the neigli- bors were hurriedly summoned, and when a few were gathered together, services were held so the early minister had no idle time on his hands, and plenty of exercise. Among the earliest ministers of whom any account is given was a Presbyterian named Matthews. A pi- oneer states that "he stopped at Daniel Coop- er's to stay all night, and proposed to preach to the people of that place that night if they could get together. Mr. Cooper immediately sent out word and by early candle-light had gatlı- ered in some fifteen or twenty men, women and children to hear the glad tidings from the man of God, as he was the first of the kind that had ever been through on that errand. The old minister made an appointment for four weeks

ing the year for $15. Even this small pittance he took out in dressed deer skins, which he said his good lady could use to 'face the boys' pantaloons,' as seems to have been a common custom in those days in the backwoods."

Goldsmith very beautifully describes in his deserted village the country clergyman and his home :

Near yonder copse where once the garden smiled, And still where many a garden flower grows wild, There, where a few torn shrubs the place disclose, The village preacher's modest mansion rose. A man he was to all the country dear, And passing rich with forty pounds a year.

The faithful Matthews had four stations, in such an unsettled wild region that he could only visit them once a month, and for this he received, if they paid, $60 a year, one-fifth the amount of his English brother, and no poetry to beautifully record his zeal and de- votion to the Master's work.

In those days, the hymns were found in the

COURT HOUSE, BUCYRUS, O.

CITY WATER WORKS, BUCYRUS, O.

Y. M. C. A. BUILDING, BUCYRUS, O.

PUBLIC LIBRARY, BUCYRUS, O.

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old "Missouri Harmony," and among them the favorites were "Rock of Ages," "God Moves in a Mysterious Way," "Jesus I My Cross Have Taken," "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand," "Jesus My All to Heaven Has Gone." Unfortunately at that time "The Lord Will Provide," had not been written. It would have been most appropriate.

People today little appreciate the hardships and privations, the faithfulness and self-sacri- fice of these servants of God who dared all and suffered all that a great nation might be kept true to the Christian faith.

Revs. John O. and William Blowers were two early ministers in the Methodist church, they were brothers, the former coming to the county in 1821, and the latter a year later, and were soon licensed to preach, being the first persons in the county licensed.

Another early preacher was John Davis; he was a hatter, and his hat shop was first on the J. K. Myers corner, and in 1833 he re- moved to the present Shonert lot. He was of the United Brethren persuasion, and once he was delivering a sermon at the court house, and was vividly picturing the punishment that was certain to be meted out to the wicked. When he reached his peroration he drew him- self up, and solemnly thundered forth: "Yes, sinners, you must all repent or you will all go to hell just as sure as I made that hat" (pointing to his well-worn beaver ) "and I have plenty more at my shop which I will sell at two dollars apiece."

In 1831 Samuel Norton sold to the trustees of the M. E. Church for $125, lot No. 96, Here a small brick church was erected, which was used by them until 1851, when on the same site the present building, was erected, now oc- cupied by the News-Forum. This church was dedicated on Oct. 29, 1851, Elder Poe, a son of the great Indian fighter, preaching the dedi- catory sermon; in the first building a Sunday School was started in 1834. In 1822 Bucyrus belonged to the Delaware Circuit, and in 1832 to the Marion Circuit, but in 1840 it became a circuit of its own, and the parsonage was built in 1841. The residence adjoined the church a story and a half brick on the lot now occupied by the post office, this and the church site being the original lot 96. The church of 1851 was

used until the present handsome church was dedicated in 1890, the first year of its use being marked by the holding of the Methodist conference within its walls.

Prior to 1825 the Presbyterians held ser- vices at the homes of the various members of that denomination, Rev. William Matthews frequently addressing them. A congregation was formed, but the services continued to be held in the grove where now stands the Penn- sylvania station; in the little brick schoolhouse, where the Park House now stands, and later in the court house. Among the ministers, were Rev. Shab Jenks, and Rev. Robert Lee, the father of Robert Lee, probate judge of the county half a century later. The elder Lee is reported as being the first stated minister as- signed to Bucyrus. Services were irregular, and the Presbyterians increasing a congrega- tion was again organized in 1833 and the Co- lumbus Presbytery enrolled Bucyrus on its list of established churches, the request having been made by thirty-three petitioners. Their first building was a little frame erected in 1839, on the present site of the church, lot No. 170, which was deeded to the trustees by Samuel Norton in 1843, this lot and the court house being the only lots in Bucyrus, transferred from the first owner, and never used for any other purpose than that for which it was do- nated or purchased. In the first church Rev. Wm. Hutchinson was pastor from 1839 to 1848. In 1860 a new church of brick was built at a cost of $8,000 to $10,000, and April 7, 1907, this gave way to the present hand- some structure. The Presbyterians started a Sunday School in 1835, and nearly half a cen- tury ago William M. Reid became its superin- tendent filling the position for a quarter of a century. Among the ministers was John H. Sherrard, who occupied the pulpit from 1867 to 1878. He was a grandson of John Sher- rard, who was on the ill-fated expedition of Col. Crawford through this county in 1782.

In 1829, the Evangelical Lutherans met at the little brick schoolhouse and organized a congregation with the Rev. David Shuh as pastor. They, too, had previously held ser- vices occasionally at the houses of those of that faith and in other places in the village as op- portunity offered. For two years he acted as their pastor, and was succeeded by Rev. John

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Stough, and he retired on account of his age and was succeeded by the Rev. F. I. Ruth of Ashland, who for three years filled the pulpit while his home was in that village, but in 1835 he removed to Bucyrus. The congregation continued to hold services in the schoolhouse and later in the court house, until in 1835 they bought the lot on Walnut and Mansfield streets, known as the Adams residence, and now the property of Miss Lizzie Ostermeier. Abra- ham Myers had purchased the lot in 1830 of Samuel Norton for $275. The corner stone was laid with appropriate ceremonies on Aug. 20, 1836, but it was not completed until more than a year later. Both the German and Eng- lish Lutherans occupied the church, being one congregation, and services being held in both languages. In 1842 the German members sold their interest in the church to their English brethren, but both continued to occupy the building until 1857, when the German portion bought the lot on Poplar street, and erected a church of their own, which is still standing. and best known as the armory. It was dedi- cated Sunday, June 20, 1858. For over forty years this building was used, and the Lutherans built their present large structure, Good Hope Lutheran, with the highest spire in the city, at the corner of Poplar and Charles, which was dedicated Oct. 29, 1893, and all the work of the building was done in Bucyrus. During the erection of their building in 1857, the Ger- mans held their services at the Baptist church. the lot now occupied by Frank T. Johnston on Walnut street. At the same time the Germans were building the English portion of the con- gregation also secured a new home. Their new structure was erected at the corner of Wal- nut and Rensselaer, the corner stone being laid July 2, 1857, and the church dedicated May 16. 1858. This served as a place of worship for fifty years, when the present structure was dedicated in September, 1903.

The Lutheran Sunday School was organized April 5, 1828, and after the separation both churches kept up their schools, the German Lutherans being the first church in Bucyrus to have a Christmas tree for their scholars, and fifty years ago there was never a Christmas eve when the church was not crowded with the members of all denominations to see the pretty sparkling tree. and sometimes two trees. All

schools now make the glad holiday season a time of entertainment for the children.

The German Reformed congregation was organized about 1829, and for some years was a part of the Lutheran Church, being members of that denomination, and in 1835 they were with the Lutherans in the purchase of the church site opposite the court house. But that same year they secured the services of Rev. Gottleib Maschop, a minister of the Reformed church, and held services in the little brick schoolhouse. In 1840 he was succeeded by Rev. J. J. Miller, and during his pastorate of three years the court house was used. The pulpit was vacant until 1845, when Rev. Was- nich came for three years, resigning in 1848 to be succeeded by Rev. Abraham Keller, and during his pastorate they erected their first church, a one-story frame on the northeast corner of Rensselaer and Lane, the first church to be erected on land that was not a part of the original Bucyrus. On the resignation of Mr. Wasnich in 1848 he was succeeded by Rev. Abraham Keller, who died in the parsonage ad- joining the church in the fall of 1852, from cholera, that scourge taking away two of the Keller family and a number of others before its ravages were stopped. During his ministry a Sunday School was organized, although the proposition was bitterly opposed by some of the more conservative members of the congrega- tion. It was a year before the congregation secured another pastor in the person of Rev. Max Stern, who served until the spring of 1856 when he resigned and was succeeded April 13, 1856, by Rev. Eli Keller. Twenty years ago the congregation had so increased as to necessitate larger quarters and the pres- ent brick structure, St. John's Reformed, was built and dedicated Oct. 12. 1890. The Keller's have had a number of Reformed Ministers all over the county, and the present pastor. Rev. F. H. Keller, is of the same family.

The first meeting to organize a Baptist church was held at the home of William Kelly on Feb. 1, 1838, and later meetings were held once a month at the homes of William Kelly and William White and on July 29, 1838. the first sermon was preached to the new con- gregation by Elder William Stevens, and at its conclusion all repaired to the Sandusky river. where the ordinance of baptism was admin-

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istered to William Mager's and his wife, Mar- while they failed at that time, the work was

garet Magers, and Sovena Norton. The church was not strong in numbers, but ineet- ings were held once a month at the court house, schoolhouse or some private residence, and the organization was kept up. In August, 1839, an attempt was made to secure a regular pastor, Rev. Thomas Stevens being the choice of the congregation, but as only $54.50 could be raised, it was not sufficient to pay his ex- penses for coming once a month. But services continued with occasional volunteer ministers, and in the spring of 1842, the church purchased lot No. 107, on Walnut street, of David Ar- thur for $100, now owned by Col. C. W. Fisher, and during the years 1840 and 1841 the church was served by Revs. Newton and Samuel Wadsworth, and in 1849, one of the members added to the church was Sophronia Norton, the first white child born in Bucyrus. The first regular pastor was Rev. Jacob Thorp, who received a call on Oct. 2, 1841, which he accepted. A one-story frame was built on the church lot, and the Baptists now had a home of their own. On Dec. 2, 1843, Rev. Edwin Eaton was called as pastor, and the church be- came one of the strongest in Bucyrus, but July 5, 1845, he resigned and went to Illinois, where he became one of the prominent churchmen of the west. Under Eaton, on April 6, 1844, a Sunday school was started, and a library pur- chased. Unfortunately for the church, James Quinby died, but in his death he released the church of debt due him amounting to $250, but he had been a tower of strength to the struggling congregation. Many of the mem- bers were from the country, notably from Whetstone township, and when Elder J. G. Tunison became pastor in September, 1845, differences arose, and on Dec. 6, the pastor retired and organized the Olentangy Baptist Church, near Parcher's Corners, of which he was pastor for several years. Many members withdrew and united with the Whetstone church. For ten years only occasional services were held, an occasional minister visiting the place, but the few remaining members were al- ways striving to hold the church together. Finally, in 1858, the weekly prayer meetings were revived, services held at irregular inter- vals and on Feb. 5, 1859, eight members met and decided to reorganize their church. And

kept up and on June 4, 1864, regular services were resumed at Quinby Hall, with Rev. S. D. Bowker as pastor. The Sabbath school was again started. During the three years' pastor- ate of Mr. Bowker the church was again built up to nearly 100 members, baptisms being had in the Sandusky and also in the old Buffalo run back of the residence of George Quinby, the latter having been one of the leaders of the church since the death of his brother, 35 years previous. Mr. Bowker was succeeded by Rev. Jay Huntington, and under this pas- torate the Baptists bought the old Congrega- tional church for $2,750, and removed to their present location. The new building was fitted up with a font for immersion, and the ordi- nance of baptism was administered within the church. The dedicatory service was held Sept. 27, 1868, conducted by Rev. J. R. Stone, of Springfield. In this church Dr. L. G. Leonard was one of the later pastors, and Rev. T. J. Sheppard, known throughout the nation as the "Andersonville Chaplain," having preached while a prisoner for nine months in that prison pen. Several years ago the present handsome stone structure was dedicated July, 1906.

The first German Methodist minister to visit Bucyrus was Dr. William Nast. In 1837 he was appointed to the first circuit laid out in this section of Ohio, a circuit so large that it took him five weeks to cover it. He would preach at Columbus, then start on horseback and hold services at Basil, and on to Thornville, where services were held on the second Sun- day; then to Newark and Mt. Vernon, reach- ing Danville for the third Sunday; then to Loudonville, Mansfield and Galion, and to Bu- cyrus for the fourth Sunday; then to Marion and a German settlement near Delaware for the fifth Sunday, then to Worthington and Co- lumbus, where he held Sunday services, and started again on his long round. In Bucyrus the services were held in the English Methodist church. This first minister was a man of high education, a zealous worker and of great force, and he was selected to take charge of the Ger- man Methodist paper in Cincinnati. In after years his biographer wrote of him: "Dr. Wil- liam Nast is looked upon as the great head and leader of the German Methodists in the United States; he has frequently surprised the

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country with his erudition, his ripe scholar- ship, and the vast extent of his knowledge."

After Dr. Nast left Bucyrus, services were held every four weeks, in the M. E. Church, until 1850, the church constantly increasing in membership, and in 1854 the lot was pur- chased on Warren street, where the American Clay Works now are, and a frame building erected, which served for nearly 50 years when they removed to their present site, at the junc- tion of Middletown and Galion streets, erect- ing a large brick structure, with the parsonage adjoining. The first church was dedicated on Sunday, Jan. 14, 1855, Dr. Warner of Colum- bus delivering the dedicatory sermon in Eng- lish, and in the afternoon, Dr. Nast, who had preached the first sermon in Bucyrus to the congregation, delivering an address in Ger- man. The first parsonage was built on the church lot in 1863.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 60

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