History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 52

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1034

USA > Ohio > Crawford County > History of Crawford County and Ohio > Part 52

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The householders of what is now the Beall District, No. 5, met at the cabin of David Dinwid- die, March 22, 1834, and resolved to erect a schoolhouse on the southwest corner of Silas Sweeney's land. This building was not erected for several years, and then it was placed on An- drew Kerr's farm, now owned by Benjamin Beall. Among the first teachers of this district were Casper Rowse, Harriet Robinson, Abra- ham Myers, Sarah Butler and others. The first rude log school buildings of these country dis- tricts were replaced by fine frame houses, and these in turn are now being torn down and fine brick edifices erected. Six brick buildings have already been erected in the country dis- tricts of Bucyrus Township, viz .: In District No. 8, during 1876 ; in No. 5, during 1877 ; in

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Nos. 1 and 3 during 1878 ; in No. 6 during 1879 and in No. 4, during 1880.

The first public religious services conducted in Bucyrus Township were held at the village and immediate vicinity, which place has been for nearly six decades the center of most of the moral and religious movements inaugurated in Crawford County. For many years after the township was settled, no attempts were made to organize into a separate congregation the re- ligious element of the country south of town, and it was not until Rev. Jeremiah Monnett moved into that section of the county that ef- forts were made to establish regular religious services for the settlers on the Plains. At the present time, thirteen congregations of the va- rious religious sects are established in Bucyrus Township on a permanent basis ; ten of these societies have houses of worship in the corpo- ration, and the other three congregations have erected churches in the country. These three churches are the Monnett Chapel, situated some four miles south of Bucyrus, the Scioto Chapel, located near the Marion road, about six miles southwest of the city, and the Mount Zion Church, one mile west of the Little San- dusky road, and five miles southwest of Bucy- rus.

The Monnett Chapel was erected by the M. E. congregation of the Plains during the year 1840. The early church history of the southern part of Bucyrus Township is similar to that of all other early ecclesiastical efforts in the pioneer days, having its rise in log-cabin prayer meet- ings. The first of these humble meetings were held at the home of Isaac Monnett, Sr., then a resident of Section 36. During the year 1836, Rev. Jeremiah Monnett erected the homestead now standing opposite the palatial country- seat of the Rev. Thomas J. Monnett. The cabin from which he moved, on the west side of the Columbus and Sandusky Pike, was im- mediately dedicated for school and church pur- poses. For nearly twenty years this congre-

gation was on the Bucyrus Circuit and under the charge of ministers who preached in Bucy- rus. Under the preaching and religious reviv- al work of Rev. John Hazzard, the number of worshipers increased to such an extent that the congregation discussed the propriety of build- ing a country chapel, and the necessary pre- liminary arrangements were taken. The work, however, was delayed until the spring of 1840, at which date the present neat church edifice was erected. The building is situated a short distance east of the Columbus and Sandusky Turnpike, and four and one-half miles south of Bucyrus. The men who contributed the funds raised for building the church were: Rev. Samuel P. Shaw, Ely Shaw, Charles W. Shaw, Rev. Jeremiah Monnett, Osborne Monnett, Abraham Monnett, Sr., William Monnett, Thomas Monnett, Sr., John Monnett, Sr., Jeremiah Morris, David Sayler, J. W. Shaw and John Monnett, Jr. The ground upon which the church was erected, and the plat of the cemetery, was donated by Rev. Jeremiah Monnett, in honor of whose Christian efforts in the community, and his liberal support of all church work, the Trustees unanimously decided the church should be christened "Monnett Chapel." At the close of the pastoral labors of Revs. Stephen Fant and George Moore, who were appointed to the Bucyrus Circuit in Sep- tember, 1853, the Bucyrus M. E. Church was made a special station, and " Monnett Chapel " was incorporated in Caledonia Circuit of Galion District. Since this time the following ap- pointments have been made for Caledonia Cir- cuit, the pastorate of each successive appoint- ment commencing after fall conference, held in September : 1854 to 1856-Rev. Amos Wil- son ; 1857 to 1859-Revs. William Boggs and Richard Lawrence; 1859 to 1861-Revs. Thomas J. Monnett and Stephen Fant; 1861 to 1863-Revs. W. S. Paul and Benjamin Her- bert ; 1863 to 1865-Revs. Reuben D. Oldfield and D. D. S. Reagh ; 1865 to 1866-Rev. Reu-

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

ben D. Oldfield, with a supply ; 1866 to 1868 Revs. John Graham and Stephen Fant; 1868 to 1871-Rev. Daniel Conant ; 1871 to 1873- Revs. B. F. Bell and E. A. Berry ; 1873 to 1874 -Rev. W. D. Culison ; 1874 to 1877-Rev. Stephen Fant ; 1877 to 1879-Rev. Newell J. Close ; 1879 to 1880-Rev. G. E. Scott; 1880 -Rev. T. J. Gard. During the past twenty- three years the following persons have been ap- pointed Presiding Elders of the District : 1857 -Rev. Henry E. Pilcher ; 1859-Rev. T. H. Wilson ; 1863-Rev. L. B. Gurley ; 1865-Rev. A. H. Harmont ; 1868-Rev. H. Whitman ; 1872-Rev. John Whitworth ; 1876-Rev. Samuel Mower. The congregation at the pres- ent time numbers thirty-six members, with preaching every alternate Sabbath. The church was first dedicated by Rev. Adam Poe, during the winter of 1840-41 ; during the pastorate of Rev. D. M. Conant, the edifice was repaired, greatly improved, and re-opened with dedica- tory services, conducted by Rev. A. Nelson, D. D. The Sabbath school at Monnett Chapel is at the present time under the efficient manage- ment of Mrs. T. J. Monnett. formerly principal of the Bucyrus High School, and much effective instruction is being impressed upon the minds of the children of the neighborhood, and the school ranks among the first in Crawford County.

Scioto Chapel was also erected by citizens belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church, during the year 1874. At that time, Messrs. E. B. and M. J. Monnett and their wives were the only members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church in that vicinity. Two business meetings were held in May, 1874, at the resi- dence of E. B. Monnett, and it was decided to erect a church building. Subscription papers were circulated, and E. B. Monnett, F. A. Har- vey and G. H. Welsh appointed a building com- mittee. The contract was let to Christian Wal- ters, of Bucyrus, and the building was com- pleted by October, 1874. The entire cost was

about $2,000. The dedicatory sermon was de- livered by Elder Wilson, of Kenton, Ohio. The first members of this congregation were E. B. Monnett and wife, M. J. Monnett and wife, Isaac Shearer and wife, J. P. Beall, his wife and their two daughters, Oliver Monnett and wife, Benjamin Shearer and wife, E. Monnett and wife, G. H. Welsh and wife, Bishop Scott and wife. Rev. Stephen Fant was the first Pastor ; ne was succeeded in 1876 by Rev. Newell J. Close, and in 1878 by Rev. G. E. Scott. Scioto Chapel is now a part of Claridon Circuit, and the congregation has increased in membership since it was organized, notwithstanding many members have removed from the neighborhood.

The present United Brethren in Christ con- gregation, at the Mount Zion Church, is the out- growth of religious instruction implanted in the neighborhood some twenty-five years ago, by ministers of this denomination. Among the early ministers who preached to those who formed this society were Rev. Downey and E. Berry. Services were held in the schoolhouses of the neighborhood for many years previous to the time at which the present church building was erected. The churchyard, comprising some two acres of ground, was originally pur- chased from John Newell, and a vacant school- house removed to this lot ; for several years, this building was used as a cooper-shop. About the year 1868, the United Brethren congregation purchased the house and lot, and it served as a meeting-house for some two years. The present church edifice was erected about the year 1871, at a cost of some $1,300. Daniel Parcher was the contractor and Rev. David Hart was Pas- tor when the church was dedicated. Since that time, the following persons have been his successors : Rev. Levi Moore, Isaac Ley, W. A. Keesy, A. J. Klingle and N. F. Long. Since the church was built, it has been opened for preaching every other Sunday, and each alter- nate Sabbath the class leaders conduct services. At the present time, 100 persons are subject to

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

the discipline of the church, and the following members are Trustees : Leonard Starner, Na- thaniel Eckert, J. M. Gunder, John Harmon and Charles Sharrock. The Sunday school in con- nection with this church has been established for some twenty years ; during the decade just past, it has received considerable aid and en- couragement from gentlemen connected with the Crawford County Sabbath School Union. Among those who have had charge of the school in late years are Messrs. J. S. Cook, Andrew MeElwain, Leonard Starner and others. The Superintendent at the present time is Christian P. Shoffstall, and the average attendance is about fifty-five.

Bucyrus Grange, No. 705 of the Patrons of Husbandry, was organized March 17, 1874, at

the residence of Daniel Boyer, in Whetstone Township. The first officers chosen were as follows : Master, D. C. Boyer ; Overseer, J. H. Beard ; Lecturer, G. H. Wright ; Steward, J. P. Beall ; Assistant Steward, Charles W. McCracken ; Chaplain, J. P. Boyer; Treasurer, Abraham Frost; Secretary, W. T. Minich ; Gatekeeper, William George ; Ceres, Mrs. M. E. Wright ; Pomona, Mrs. C. A. Beard; Flora, Mrs. E. Harvey ; Stewardess, Mrs. M. A. Minich. The Society occupied the rooms of the Young Men's Christian Association, in Birk's Block for some three years, and then re- moved to their present quarters at the east end of the second story of the Fisher Brothers' Block. About fifty persons are connected with this Grange at the present time.

CHAPTER IX .*

CITY OF BUCYRUS-LAYING-OUT A TOWN-ORIGINAL PLAT-EARLY BUILDINGS-BUSINESS-FIRE DEPARTMENT-BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATIONS, ETC.

TI MIIE only village ever located in Bucyrus Township, was the city from which the township received its name. Before Samuel Nor- ton had resided on his land many months, there appeared at his cabin a prominent surveyor who desired to locate a town upon Mr. Norton's land. This man was Col. James Kilbourne, who for a score of years, had wielded consid- erable influence upon the religious and political interests of the State. Col. Kilbourne was born in New Britain, Conn., October 9, 1770. Until the age of fifteen he worked on his father's farm, and during this time received but few opportunities for improving his mind. He was married, November 8, 1789, to Lucy Fitch, daughter of the celebrated John Fitch, of Philadelphia, the inventor and builder of the first steamboat in the world. Early in life,

he became a member of the Protestant Episco- pal Church, and was ordained about the year 1800. In the spring of 1802, he started on his first expedition to Ohio, traveling over one thousand miles of the distance on foot, and, after a careful survey of the country, he fixed upon a desirable location and returned home. In the spring of 1803, he again started for the West on horseback, followed by a millwright, blacksmith. nine other laborers and a family in two wagons. At Pittsburgh, he purchased mill-stones, iron and other supplies, which he sent down the Ohio to the mouth of the Scioto River, and from thence they were taken in a keel- boat to the first New Purchase, now Worthing- ton. May 5, 1803, he cut the first tree felled on the Purchase for the purpose of civilization. The party proceeded to clear land, put in seed for crops and also erected a blacksmith-shop

* Contributed by Thomas P. llopley.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

and twelve cabins. They laid out a town and built a dam across the Scioto River. Mr. Kil- bourne then returned to Connecticut and con- ducted his own and ten other families to the Purchase. The entire colony then numbered one hundred persons. A church was organ- ized with Mr. Kilbourne as Rector. He visited the neighboring settlements and other parts of the State, preaching and organizing societies, many of which became and remained perma- nent Episcopal Churches. His fellow-citizens began to urge upon him the importance of his taking the lead in their civil affairs, and, having procured the establishment of a Western dio- cese by the general convention of the Protest- ant Episcopal Church, he retired from the min- istry in 1804. Upon the organization of the State Government of Ohio, he was appointed a civil magistrate and an officer of militia for the Northwestern frontier. In the spring of 1805, he explored the south shore of Lake Erie, and selected the site of Sandusky City. About this time, he received the appointment of United States Surveyor of a large portion of the pub- lic lands. In 1806, he was appointed one of the first Trustees of the Ohio College at Athens. In 1808, he was elected one of three Commis- sioners to locate the seat of Miami University, and during this year he married Cynthia Goodale. His first wife died soon after he re- moved to Ohio. About this time, he was elected Major of the Frontier Regiment, and subsequently was promoted to the colonelcy, but this last office he declined, resigning, also, his former commission.

On the organization of Worthington College, in 1812, he was elected President of the cor- poration. During the same year, he was ap- pointed by President Madison a Commissioner, to settle the boundary between the public lands and the Great Virginia reservation. Immedi- ately after this service was completed, he was elected to Congress. On his return from the second session, he was unanimously re-elected

Colonel, and was prevailed upon to accept. In the fall of 1814, he was again placed in nomi- nation for Congress, and was cleeted by a large vote. At the end of his second term, he de- clined a re-nomination ; during his public life at Washington City, he advocated the donation of land to actual settlers, and was the first per- son to propose this measure, which was adopted many years afterward. At the commencement of the war of 1812, by solicitation of his friends and members of the United States Gov- ernment, he engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods for clothing the army. He con- tinued in this enterprise until 1820, and met with financial ruin, and, at the age of fifty, with a large family to support, he found himself without means. With his customary energy and spirit, he took up his surveying aspirations again and went into the wood ; for more than twenty years, he was much of the time engaged in this calling, and, by his untiring energy, and zeal, he again acquired a good degree of com- petency. In 1823, he was elected to the Ohio Legislature, and served with distinction in that body. Soon after this, he was appointed by the Governor to select the lands granted by Congress for the Ohio Canal. In 1838-39, he was again a member of the General Assembly, and was the presiding officer at the great State Convention, which assembled July 4, 1839, at Columbus, for the purpose of laying the corner- stone of the capitol. He was also President of the re-union Whig Convention, which was held February 22, 1840. During the campaign of that year, Col. Kilbourne declined all public office, except that of Assessor of real and per- sonal property for Franklin County, the duties of which he performed until 1845, when he re- signed. Although retired from active public life, he felt a great interest in public affairs, and, during the six years ending with 1848, delivered more than one hundred addresses on State and national politics. After a very long and active public life, he died at Worthington,

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Ohio, April 9, 1850, in the cightieth year of his age.

When Col. Kilbourne first appeared in the neighborhood for the purpose of persuading Norton into having a town surveyed upon his farm, he did not take kindly to the idea, stating that he had at last secured a piece of ground which suited him, and did not wish to have it cut up by a town plat. Some of his neighbors, however. were anxious for a town to be located in the vicinity of their farms, and urged Nor- ton to consent to Kilbourne's proposition. The location was a very suitable one ; a direct line from Columbus, the State capital, to Sandusky City, the nearest point on Lake Erie, would pass within a few miles of Norton's land, and, even at that time, many citizens of the State were talking of a State road to connect these two cities. The tide of emigration was setting in toward the " New Purchase ; " many were set- tling in Crawford County, and, consequently the prospects for a thriving village at this point were very flattering. After some hesitation, Mr. Norton consented to make the venture, and a few years proved it to be a very wise and for- tunate decision on his part. At first, arrange- ments were made for laying out the plat of a town npon one hundred acres ; before this was completed, however, the contract was changed by mutual agreement, and the original town plat consisted of but fifty acres. The following is a copy of the agreement between Messrs. Norton and Kilbourne :

To All Whom it May Concern : Know ye, that James Kilbourne, of Worthington, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, and Samuel Norton, of the county of Crawford and State aforesaid, have agreed, and do agree as follows, viz .: The said James Kilbourne agrees to lay off a town for said Norton, on the southwest quarter of the first section of the third township south, and sixteenth range, of the public lands of the United States, the west line of which shall be forty-four rods cast from the west line of said quarter, and parallel thereto, and shall extend thence east one hundred rods, being bounded north and south by the quarter lines, so

as to contain one hundred acres in said town plat of inlots, outlots and reserves. In laying off and estab- lishing said town, the said Kilbourne shall do, or cause to be done at his own proper expense, the following particulars, viz .: He shall make, or cause to be made, the preparatory survey and notes; project and make the plat; survey the town; cause the plat to be re- corded ; advertise, and attend the first public sale of lots; draw all the writings for that sale; advertise the applications for such State and county roads as the pro- prietors shall, within one year from this date, agree to be necessary, leading to and from said town; draw pe- titions for said roads, circulate them for signers; pre- sent them to proper authorities, and attend the com- missioners and viewers who may be appointed thereon, to assist in selecting proper routes for said roads ; and, when the town shall be surveyed as aforesaid, the said Norton, his heirs or assigns, as principal proprietors, shall first choose and reserve one lot; the said Kil- bourne, as projector, surveyor and minor proprietor, his heirs or assigns, shall next choose and reserve one lot ; and the remainder of the town shall be the joint property of the said Norton and Kilbourne, their heirs and assigns, forever, in the proportion of three-fourths to the said Norton, and one-fourth to the said Kilbourne; Provided, however, that the said Norton may reserve twelve rods in width of the west side of said town plat, as the same shall be platted, surveyed and re- corded as above, to his own proper use and disposal ; for which the said Kilbourne shall receive and hold, throughout the other parts of the town plat, in addition to his fourth part thereof, an interest and right equal in quantity to one fourth part of said twelve-rod reserva- tion; so that the said Kilbourne's interest in the eighty- eight acres cast of said twelve-rod reserve shall be as twenty-five is to eighty-eight, or, twenty-five acres in the whole; and the said Samuel Norton doth agree to appropriate the said tract for a town plat, to be laid off by said Kilbourne as above written, and upon the terms aforesaid ; aud, so soon as the said Kilbourne shall have completed, all and singular, the obligations on his part, so far as that the town is ready for the public sale as aforesaid, the said Norton shall makeand deliver to the said Kilbourne, his heirs or assigns, a good and suffi- cient warrantec deed of the said one-fourth part of the town plat aforesaid, provided he shall so soon receive the patent from the President for the tract of which the said town plat will be a part ; and, if the patent should not be so soon received, then and in that case the deed shall be made and delivered so soon as the said patent shall be received as aforesaid. In witness whereof, we

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

have hereunto set our hands and seals, at Crawford County, this fourth day of October, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one.

In presence of JAMES KILBOURNE [SEAL].

SETH HOLMES, JR., BIRON KILBOURNE.

SAMUEL NORTON [SEAL].

The plat of the within described town, now named Bucyrus, is so changed to the west in laying off by mu- tual agreement as to leave but twenty-four, instead of forty-four, rods between said plat and the sectional line; and the reserve of Samuel Norton is extended on the plat to twenty-four, instead of twelve rods; there will, of course, remain but seventy-six, instead of eighty-eight, rods, or acres, of said plat east of Samuel Norton's reserve, of which seventy rods, containing seventy-six acres, James Kilbourne shall receive his proportion of the town, in amount twenty-five acres, instead of the eighty-eight acres, as within contracted. Said Norton shall have to his own use all the mill priv- ileges, with no other consideration than that of the contents of the ground contained therein, toward his part of the outlots of the plat ; and the ground bought of Mr. Holmes, if retained, shall be laid off into lots by said Kilbourne and added to the town, on the same prin- ciples and proportions of mutual advantage as the hun- dred acres contained in the foregoing contract.

December 15, 1821. SAMUEL NORTON. JAMES KILBOURNE.

The foregoing contract is this day so changed by mu- tual consent that the part of the town of Bucyrus which is laid upon the lands of Samuel Norton is con- fined to such limits as to contain only the numbered in- lots, outlots and public grounds, with the avenue, streets and alleys, containing fifty acres, more or less ; and the projector and surveyor of the town, James Kil- bourne, his heirs and assigns, shall have and receive the one equal half part thereof, instead of the one- fourth part of the hundred acres, as previously stipu- lated in this contract. Witness our hands and seals, at said Bucyrus, this 12th day of February, 1822.

SAMUEL NORTON [SEAL]. JAMES KILBOURNE [SEAL].

The above contract occupies three pages of a sheet of foolscap. On the fourth page is in- dorsed the following language : "The within article of agreement, with the two modifications of the original contract herein contained, being complied with by the parties, is fully canceled

and of no further effect. Bucyrus, April 22, 1830. Samuel Norton, James Kilbourne."

The original town plat, as surveyed by Kil- bourne, included, also, a portion of the land lying north of what is now Perry street and south of the river. This land, at that time, be- longed to Abel and Lewis Cary, Seth Holmes and Daniel McMichael. The date of the origi- nal town plat by the records in the Recorder's office at Delaware, is February 11, 1822. The land embraced in it, is at the present day within the following limits : It is bounded on the north by the Sandusky River ; on the east by a line drawn from a point on the Sandusky River, nearly due south to the center of the Middletown road ; this line would pass along the west side of the woolen mills lot at the east end of Perry street, and down the alley which lies just east of the Methodist Episcopal Church, D. W. Swigart's residence, the Lutheran Churchyard and the residence of Daniel Van Voorhis ; it would, also, pass just east of the lots now occupied by John Howald's carriage-shop, and Hiram Fisher's residence; the southern boundary line extends from the point where the eastern line intersects the center of the Middle- town road, due west to the alley which is pa- rallel with Main street and just west of it. The western boundary line extends nearly due north along this alley until the southeast corner of Lot 176 (now occupied by the residence of Daniel Picking), thence west to the center of Poplar street, then north to the center of Ren- sellaer street, then west until the end of said street, then north to the southeast corner of Lot 157 (now occupied by the residence of M. Emrich), then west to the southwest corner of Lot 163 (now occupied by Dr. A. C. MeNutt), then north across Mansfield street to the north- west corner of Lot 164 (now occupied by W. T. McDonald), then east across Spring and Poplar streets to the alley just west of Main, and then north along this alley to the river. This origi- nal town plat contained 176 lots ; eleven streets

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History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 52

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1034