History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 61

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 61

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About 1837, the first Roman Catholic ser- vices were held in Bucyrus, when Rev. F. X. Tschenhous celebrated mass at the residence of Dr. Joseph Boehler, at the southwest corner of Plymouth and Lane streets. Services were continued every month or two for several years at the Doctor's residence, until about 1842 the Doctor removed to Tiffin. This discon- tinued services until about 1849, when Catho- lic families became more numerous, and the church found it necessary to make Bucyrus one of their missions, and for ten years ser- vices were held at irregular intervals at the homes of various members of the church, priests from adjoining churches conducting the services, the most convenient points being Nor- walk, New Riegel and Mansfield. In 1860, the old frame Presbyterian church was pur- chased from the Presbyterians and the build- ing removed to the present lot on Mary street, which was purchased for $350. The building was dedicated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Rappe on May 26, 1861, and the Rev. Uerhart Kleck celebrated the first mass and preached the first sermon in the new church. The church was not regularly supplied with a minister and was at- tached to the Upper Sandusky mission, but monthly service and sometimes semi-monthly were held until 1869.

Among the ministers supplying the church was Rev. Joseph Reinhard, who was sta- tioned at Upper Sandusky. On Sunday, Feb.

2, 1868, he was riding on a freight train be- tween here and Upper Sandusky and just west of Nevada, he was later found lying dead be- side the track, and all particulars as to his death have ever remained a mystery.

In 1869 differences arose between the Ger- man and Irish members of the Congregation, and it resulted in services being temporarily dis- continued. Matters were finally adjusted, and on May 5, 1871, Rev. D. Zinsmayer was ap- pointed to the Bucyrus church, the first resident pastor. . The church, with a resident priest of its own, grew rapidly, and a parsonage was built on the lot adjoining the church on the east. In 1877, Rev. Zinsmayer resigned to take charge of the church at Shelby, and he was succeeded by Rev. H. Best, and one of his first acts in May, 1878, was to purchase nearly two acres of land on Tiffin street, for $200, to be used as a cemetery. The first interment was that of Mrs. Martha Doerfler, who died Aug. 17, 1878. The cemetery was consecrated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Gilmore on Oct. 19, 1880. When the present large brick church was erected, Rev. J. H. Kleekamp was the priest in charge; it was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Gilmore, May 28, 1888, and at its completion was the largest church in Bucyrus. In 1866, Rev. A. Spierings started a parochial school, but it was discontinued. The attempt was again made under Rev. Mr. Zinsmayer, but the expense was too heavy for the church to undertake at that time. When the present building was erected, the old frame was moved back and transformed into a schoolhouse. The church was now strong and prosperous, and a parochial school was started, which has con- tinued ever since. As years passed the attend- ance became too large for the little frame and in 1910 lot No. 70, on Walnut street, was pur- chased and the present structure was erected, the only school building of stone in the city, and the only school building erected on land which was a part of the original plat of Bu- cyrus. The corner stone was laid July 17, 1910, and that date was the "Ruby Jubilee" of the pastor, Rev. Charles Braschler, and it was also the 25th anniversary of the Catholic Be- nevolent Society. The school was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Schrambs of Toledo, Nov. 14, 19II.

In December, 1875, eight persons met at

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the home of Jeremiah C. Correll and decided to organize a Disciple church. The lot was pur- chased at the southeast corner of Warren and Lane, and by November, 1876, the basement was completed and services in the new church commenced. The second story was completed the following year, and the building dedicated Sept. 2, 1877, Elder Isaac Errett having charge of the services. Elder George T. Smith was the first pastor. A Sunday school was organ- ized immediately, and like the church has pros- pered: The cost of the building was $11,000, and the entire amount was paid before the church was dedicated.

The United Brethren Church was organized in Bucyrus in 1892, by Rev. C. E. Hill with eleven members. They bought the lot at the corner of Middletown and East streets. This county has a large number of U. B. Churches, and many coming to the city from the country were of that faith, and the eleven members were rapidly added to. The frame church was bought when the Reformed Church built their new brick and it was moved to their lot, and regular services held, a Sunday school organ- ized, and in 1901 the old frame was replaced by the present brick building, the frame being moved out Middletown street where it is still in use as a warehouse at the Smith & Fitzer coal yards. A few years later the parsonage was bought east of the church.

In the past dozen years a number of citi- zens have removed to Bucyrus from the coun- try, and among them many from Whetstone township, who were prominent in the Evangeli- cal churches in that section. Some united with other churches while waiting a church of their own. In March, 1902, a number of the Evan- gelical faith met at the G. A. R. Post Room, and organized. The old German Lutheran church building on Poplar street was rented, and here services were held by Rev. W. H. Munk. The first Quarterly Conference was held June I, 1902, Rev. W. H. Bucks was the presiding elder, now editor of the Evangelical Messenger. A Sunday school was started. The church increased rapidly in membership, and in September, 1903, Rev. B. E. Reams became pastor of the congregation. He re- mained four years, and under his pastorate the present church was built on Galion street. It was dedicated in April, 1906.

The First Church of Christ Scientists was organized in 1900. The first public lecture was given at the Opera House in March, 1901. In the fall of that year they opened their rooms on the second floor of the First National Bank building, where they hold regular meetings every Sunday.

As early as 1874, an attempt was made to start an Episcopal Church at Bucyrus, Rev. J. M. Hillyar of Mansfield, who was the rec- tor at Galion, coming over on alternate Sun- days, and holding services at the Y. M. C. A. rooms. An organization was effected, but the membership was not strong enough to support a church, and the movement was dropped. Still the organization kept together, and serv- ices were occasionally held, later developing into services every two weeks. Church prop- erty was bought on South Lane street, and a building fund started. No regular services are at present held, but the Church-St. John's Episcopal-still keeps up its organization, and services are frequently held in the Y. M. C. A. assembly room, and eventually a church will be erected.

The present site of the Baptist church was once occupied by a two-story brick, which was built by the Congregationalists in 1855. For the previous 15 years Rev. John Pettitt had been holding services, and finally organized a congregation. The new church was dedicated on Sept. 28, 1855, and services continued un- der various pastors until 1864, when services became very irregular, and two years later the building was sold to the Board of Education, who used it for school purposes while the new school building was being erected. After the completion of the new school building it was sold to the Baptist church. In 1859 the Con- gregationalists installed the first pipe organ ever brought to Bucyrus. When the church was discontinued the organ was removed to the Methodist church. Rev. John Pettitt, the founder of the church, became a resident of Bucyrus about 1840, and filled many of the Bu- cyrus pulpits. He went to Benzie county, northern Michigan, in 1866, and in this sparsely settled region had several appoint- ments which he filled winter and summer. On Sunday, May 11, 1879, he went on horseback to fill one of these appointments, and on his return was taken suddenly ill, and in half an

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hour had gone to his reward, dying in the harness in the 80th year of his age, after half a century of faithful service.

About 1830, Rev. Seeley Bloomer visited Bucyrus and delivered a sermon to the Protest- tant Methodists. He made several visits and was followed by other ministers of that de- nomination. In 1845 under Rev. Mr. Dalby, a meeting was held at the residence of John Morfoot on South Walnut street, the house now occupied by Mrs. L. C. Doll, now 412 South Walnut. A church was organized, the lot on the northwest corner of Walnut and Rensselaer was purchased and a church build- ing erected, a small frame. The first pastor was Rev. Mr. Bamford, who held services every two weeks, filling stations at the same time at Wingert's Corners, Bear Marsh and Grass Run. Other pastors followed, the last, Rev. I. C. Thrapp, in 1856, and when he left services were discontinued. Later the building was removed to the present site of the Ameri- can Clay Co., where it was a part of the ma- chine shops of Frey & Sheckler, and was de- stroyed by fire on the night of Aug. 19, 1867, when the entire plant was burned, with a loss of $13,000.

On Oct. 31, 1869, Rev. Alexander M. Cowan, a minister of the Southern Presby- terian church preached a sermon in the Court House, and organized a church of that denom- ination, the membership being composed almost exclusively of members of the Presbyterian church. The Quinby Hall was secured and services were held for several months, but interest in the new church became less and less and it was finally abandoned, the members again uniting with the Presbyterian church.

About 1873 a number of the members of the Methodist church started what was known as the Christian Holiness movement, the doctrine being that once experiencing holiness, the con- vert could do no wrong, the minister himself being an advocate of the new doctrine. The next Conference quietly replaced him, and sent to Bucyrus, Dr. A. Nelson, one of their ablest men, and although the first meetings of the holiness believers were held in the basement of the church, later the church was denied them. They were still Methodists, and Dr. Leonard with Christian patience faithfully attended many of their meetings, endeavoring to give

them counsel and advice and lead them to more rational views. On his departure, they became more zealous in their belief than ever, were generally known as "Sanctificationists," and with difficulty secured rooms for their meet- ings. They held tent meetings, on East Rens- selaer street and really developed into martyrs for their belief, as the unruly element in the community disgraced the town by disturbing their meetings and eventually stopped the serv- ices by cutting down the tent. This left them no place to meet but at the homes of the mem- bers, and although they bought ground for the erection of a church, the members were poor in everything except religion, and the project was abandoned, and most of them gradually drifted into other churches, principally the United Brethren.

The Salvation Army has established a head- quarters here on several different occasions, their principal one being in 1894, when they used the basement of the vacant M. E. Church on East Mansfield street. This was during the time when the financial depression left hun- dreds of unemployed in every community, to be cared for by the citizens. They frequently met in winter at that time with little or no fire to warm the building, and although their food allowance was meagre, it is to their credit that they shared the little they had with any wan- dering tramp who applied to them for relief.

It was in October, 1819 that the Nortons came, and in the spring of the following year came the Beadles, and in December, 1821 the town of Bucyrus was laid out. On September I, 1822, the first death occurred, and the four- year-old son of Mishael Beadle was taken away. There was, as yet, no graveyard in the village, so a site was selected on the extreme south line of Mr. Norton's land at the junction of Walnut and Middletown streets and here the little boy was buried. Three months later, on Dec. 30, 1822, as the old year was passing away, another little life was ended, and Jacob, the five-year-old son of John Kellogg was laid beneath the second mound in the graveyard. The next year John Deardorff, the first adult to pass away, was laid beside his little son, and the same year his daughter Margaret was buried there, and the next year her brother William. In 1824, a daughter of Rachel Kel- logg died, and the year following John Kellogg

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himself passed away. There are many others, as years after, the remains of many of these early burials were discovered here as improve- ments were made in the town, and all were transferred to the city graveyard on Tiffin street.

Lewis Cary came to Bucyrus in 1822, and two years later his wife Rachel, died. The graveyard south of the town was on the edge of the plains, covered with wild grass, and was bare of trees, and anything but a site that would be selected by the pioneers for the burial of their loved ones, and it was probably only taken when the emergency arose, making some burial spot necessary. When Mrs. Cary died her husband selected a pretty site on his land north of the river on the brow of the hill over- looking the Sandusky, and surrounded by trees. It was just south of the present Holy Trinity cemetery, and here Mrs. Cary was laid to rest. It had been partly cleared away, and in the little clearing Johnny Appleseed had planted a few of his apple trees. The same year Mrs. Elizabeth Bucklin died, the mother of Mrs. Samuel Norton and Albigence Bucklin who had joined her children in the west in 1822. She was buried on this burial site. In 1825 the burials were Daniel McMichael, who came in 1820, built a mill up the river, and disposing of it had his home in a log cabin on the lot where the Finley residence now stands; Seth Holmes, who came with the Nortons in 1819. Other burials there were the father and mother of Seth Holmes, Timothy Kirk and wife, and a colored servant of Lewis Cary. Not many years ago, some of the stones were still stand- ing in what was known as the Henry orchard, marking the site of the last resting place of these early pioneers.

In 1828 Amos Clark donated about an acre of ground north of the city to be used for burial purposes. It was across the road and a little north of the Cary graveyard. It was a pretty location, on high ground, overlooking the river. The graveyard was still in existence, owned and cared for by the city, and many of the tombstones can still be read that mark the last resting place of many of the first pioneers. Here Samuel Yost, a little boy of four and a half years was the first burial in May, 1827.

In this graveyard is buried the founder of the city, Samuel Norton, who died April 18,

1856, and from an obituary notice in the Bucyrus Journal the following is taken :

"The death of Mr. Norton has left a vacancy among our citizens as well as in his family, which cannot be filled. Being the first settler, he was justly entitled to the name of the "Fa- ther of Bucyrus." In the autumn of 1819, when the country around was in a state of na- ture, and the dark glens of the forest re- echoed the hoarse howlings of the wild beasts and the dread war-whoop of the Indians, this hardy pioneer left his quiet home in Pennsyl- vania to seek his fortune in the West. Attracted by the beauty of the surrounding country, he erected a tent of poles in which he spent the winter. His life for many years afterward was but a series of severe toil and exposure, which none but the most hardy and persevering could endure. For fifty years he was an exemplary member of the Baptist church, and through all the vicissitudes of his pioneer life, his spirits were kept buoyant by the hope of a future reward in the mansions of eternal glory. A large concourse of citizens attended his funeral and all expressed their regret for their much esteemed citizen, and sympathy for their afflicted relatives." Mary Norton, his wife. died April 29, '59, and was laid beside her companion of 52 years of wedded life.

There resides today in Bucyrus, Mrs. Mary Jones Lemert, a granddaughter of the founder of the city; her mother was Elizabeth Norton Jones, daughter of Samuel Norton, who came to Bucyrus with her father in 1819. Alonzo M. Jones, great-grandson of the pioneer, son of Lorenzo Jones, and grandson of Mrs. Eliza- beth Norton Jones. Fernando J. Norton, a grandson of Samuel Norton; his father was Jefferson Norton, who was born in Bucyrus. These descendants all live on land that was purchased of the Government by their ancestor in 1819.

In 1830 the Southern graveyard was laid out at the southwest corner of what is now Rensselaer and Spring streets, but then out- side the village limits. This later became known as the Lutheran graveyard, and for thirty years the graveyard on the Tiffin road and the Southern graveyard were the burial sites of the city, but thirty years had crowded these silent cities of the dead, and a larger burial

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ground was needed. A private corporation was formed composed of twenty citizens on Aug. 30, 1858, and it was called the Oak- wood Cemetery Association. Grounds along the river, southwest of the city were pur- chased of William Rowse, nearly 44 acres at $74 per acre, and the association organized with the following as their first trustees: John A. Gormly, president; S. R. Harris, secretary ; C. W. Fisher, treasurer; A. M. Jones, J. H. Keller, George Quinby, R. T. Johnston, Hiram Fenner. Later additions were purchased, so that Oakwood Cemetery now comprises 65 acres, although all this land is not used for burial purposes, but will be added as necessity de- mands. The services of B. F. Hathaway, a landcape gardener, were secured and the grounds artistically laid out with the paths and drives, winding their way among the trees. The grounds were purchased in September, 1858, but before they were laid out, the first burial took place, a little grave was dug, and on Sunday, Nov. 21, 1858, a funeral proces- sion made the first solemn march to the new cemetery, and Lillie Annie Craig, in all the innocence of childhood, consecrated the hal- lowed ground.

The grounds were dedicated on Tuesday, June 19, 1859, with appropriate exercises. On March 6, 1882, the original owners of the cem- etery incorporated the association, and gave the entire cemetery in charge of the Oakwood Cemetery Association, there being but two con- siderations, one that the graves of the original members should always be kept in repair, and the second was $3,000 in cash, the money how- ever to be expended in building a reeciving vault, and the following year the vault was finished. During the time the association was a private company, all moneys received were devoted to the improving of the grounds, and the payment of the sums advanced for the pur- chase of the land, and when this was paid, without any interest, Oakwood Cemetery was donated to the public for their use, and it is now an association in which all moneys re- ceived must be used exclusively for running expenses and improvements.

In 1888 the Lutheran graveyard was aban- doned; and the remains of over three hundred who had ben buried there were taken up and transferred to Oakwood Cemetery.

Bucyrus was organized as a village in 1833 and James McCracken was the first mayor. He was followed by John Moderwell in 1837. Peter Worst in 1840. Nicholas Failor, 1841. David R. Lightner 1842. James Marshall 1844. James McCracken 1846. James H. Hutchinson 1847. William M. Scroggs 1850. Stephen R. Harris 1852. George P. Seal 1853. Jacob Scroggs 1855. S. J. Elliott 1858 Jacob Scroggs 1858, Elliott having resigned to become probate judge. Henry C. Rowse 1860 S. R. Harris 1861. Wm. M. Scroggs 1862. E. B. Finley 1863. C D. Ward 1865. Wil- son Stewart 1866. George Donnenwirth 1868. In 1870 at the April election the count showed the election of William M. Reid as mayor by 23 majority. Several days later a second count was held and this showed the election of George Donnenwirth by a small majority and he was sworn into office. The matter was carried to the Supreme Court, and that body, in March of 1872 rendered their decision, that when the votes had once been counted and the result declared, and the ballot box remained un- guarded in the hands of the clerk for several days, a second count was not to be relied upon, and gave the certificate of election to Mr. Reid and he served as mayor for about two weeks. At the time of the election the opinion was so general that the second count was fraudulent that Gen. Samuel Myers, C. G Malic and William Rowland, three members of the council elected on the same ticket with Mr. Donnen- wirth, denounced the entire transaction as un- just and declined to serve as councilmen. After Mr. Reid had served his two weeks the spring election of 1872 came on and James M. Van Voorhis was elected mayor. He was fol- lowed by C. D. Ward in 1876. Allen Camp- bell in 1880, C. D. Ward in 1884, M. H. Ful- ton, 1886; C. D. Ward, 1888: Charles Donnen- wirth, 1894; David E. Fisher, 1896; C. F. Birk, 1898; H. E. Valentine, 1902; and E. J. Songer, 1907.

In 1886 Bucyrus became a city, and was divided into wards. When Bucyrus was laid out as a village in 1822, it was re- ceiving its mail at Delaware. Any respons- ible citizen having business there went to the postoffice and brought up the mail for people living within a radius of eight or ten miles of Bucyrus. Occasionally, one of the

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settler's lent his horse to one of his neighbors to make the trip to Delaware and bring the mail. After the town was laid out the saddler's shop of Lewis Carey was the recognized head- quarters for the mail. After several small shops had located in Bucyrus a petition was sent to the postmaster general requesting the establishment of a postoffice at Bucyrus, with Lewis Carey as postmaster. He was appointed on Feb. 2, 1824, and served for over five years, and during those five years the name of the office appears on the records at Washington as "Bucyrus" alias "Busiris". On March 4, 1828, Andrew Jackson became president and com- menced his wholesale removal of public officials, giving as his only reason "to the victor belongs the spoils," and this principle laid down by Andrew Jackson has been followed ever since with Bucyrus postoffice appointments. Dur- ing Mr. Cary's term of service the postoffice was in his building on what is now the Shonert property, adjoining the bridge on North San- dusky avenue. He was succeeded on July 20, 1829 by Henry St. John, who kept the office in his store, a two-story frame erected by him in 1825, on the northwest corner of the Public Square, which was torn down to make room for the present Bucyrus City Bank building.

Henry St. John held the office for eight years, and on the election of Martin VanBuren John Forbes was appointed on June 26, 1837. Mr. Forbes was a harness maker and of the same political faith as Mr. St. John, but the latter was disposing of his store and removed to Tiffin. His harness shop was in a little frame on the west side of Sandusky avenue, the sec- ond lot north of the railroad. When the first postoffice was established in 1824, mail was brought by carrier on horseback once a week, and in the winter when the ground was not sufficiently frozen to bear a horse it was de- livered on foot. In 1827 the line of stages be- gan between Columbus and Sandusky, and mail was delivered three times a week. In 1834 a stage route was commenced from Bucyrus to Mansfield. The following was the mail facil- ities under Postmaster Forbes. The Tiffin mail left every Friday morning at 7 o'clock and arrived Saturday at 5 p. m. The Mt. Vernon mail left every Friday morning at 6:00 and arrived on Saturday evening at 7:00. The Fredericktown mail arrived every 23

Wednesday evening at 6:00 and left every Thursday morning at 5:00. The Perrysburg mail left every Monday morning at 5:00 and arrived on Tuesday evenings at 6:00. The Kenton mail arrived every Wednesday noon and left the same day at 1:00 P. M. The New Haven mail arrived every Tuesday at noon and left at 1 :00 P. M. the same day. The eastern mail from Pittsburg, through Mansfield, ar- rived every other evening at 6:00 and left the following morning at 4:00 o'clock. The north- ern mail arrived every other day between 1:00 and 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon and departed in twenty minutes for Columbus. The great southern mail arrived every other day (the same day as the northern) betwen 9 and 12 P. M. and departed in about 30 minutes for Sandusky City. It will be seen the last mail to arrive was about midnight and the first mail to leave was at four in the morning, so it must not have been the duty of the postmaster to keep as close a scrutiny of the mail as is done at the present day. He probably closed the sack and either hung it on the outside of the build- ing, or the mail carrier had a key by which he could enter the office and get his own mail, while the postmaster was soundly sleeping, and dreaming of the emoluments of his office. The salary of Forbes in 1840, was $293.47. Up to this date Bucyrus was still the office of de- livery for a large part of the county. The only postoffices in the county at that time being at Brokensword, Poplar, and one in Sandusky township. There were offices at Galion, Lees- ville, and Tiro in the Richland county part, and two or three in what is now Wyandot county.

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 61

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