History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 62

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 62

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citizen is satisfied the money lias been expended for this worthy purpose. Bucyrus has now a school building of which all are proud, and, if special credit be dne to any persons for this faet, it belongs to those gentlemen, who, in 1867, over-ruling the economical wishes of a wealthy community, succeeded in planning and furnishing for the public good, the largest and finest schoolhouse in Ohio.

In 1870, during the administration of Prof. J. C. Harper, the first class completed the high-school course and graduated, and each year since this date a class has been prepared for commencement day. Through the efforts mainly of Charles J. Scroggs, an Alumni Asso- ciation was formed during the summer of 1878. It is worthy of record in the history of Bucyrus schools that this young man, a member of the Class of 1877, completed the course before he had attained his fourteenth birthday. This Alumni Association, which includes all those who have completed the Bucyrus High School course, was formed with the following members :

1870-Misses Anna Sears, Mary Ilowenstein (now Manley), Kate Swingley (now Fulton), Sallie Sims (now Spencer), Emma Summers (now Pero), and Sally Frantz (now Kerr). 1871-Misses Millie Howenstein, Frankie Seroggs and Minnie Wright (now Rowse). 1872-Misses Mary Lewis, Bell Johnston, Alice Sears, Joanna Myers (now Henthorn), Mary Scott (now Chalfant), Althea Quaintance (now Dier), and IIattie Summers (now Stamets), Charles Picking and Thomas P. Hopley. 1873-Loran Jordan, S. Webster Van Winkle, Lewis Haman, Misses Mary Kirkland, Ida Ruhl, Anna Beilhartz (now Ingman), and Irena Shaw (now Ilaman). 1874-Misses Minnie Sears, Mary Jones, Bessie Wise, Kate Hopley, Annetta Sheckler and Nettie McCracken (now Colmery), Harry Howenstein, Charles Albright and Hamilton Ott. 1875-Miss Ida Hofman, Charles Fisher, Pinkney Fisher, Frank Mon- nett, James Albright and Charles Penfield.

1876-Misses Lizzie Deardorff and Clara Bid- dle ; Hiram Fenner, James D. Beer and Edward M. Biddle. 1877-Misses Mary Mckibben, Emma Lommason and Ida Messner ; Charles J. Scroggs. 1878-Misses Sallie Harris, Blanche Ward, Ella Fuhrman, Sue McDonald, Dillie Clymer and Hattie E. Hopley ; Roy Chesney, Herbert Blair, Frank Ruhl, Edward Vollrath and Rufus Sears. All the Class of 1873, except Loran Jordan, refused to pass a special examination insisted upon by the Board of Education, claiming it to be unjust. Jordan received a diploma duly signed, the rest re- ceived certificates that they had completed the high-school course, which certificates were signed by the Superintendent, high-school teachers and three members of the board. The entire class were, after considerable discussion, made members of the Alumni Association. The first officers of this society were Thomas P. Hopley, President ; Mrs. Kate Fulton and Miss Dillie Clymer, Vice Presidents ; Miss Frank Scroggs, Secretary ; Roy Chesney, Cor- responding Secretary ; Harry Howenstein, Treasurer. Since the association was formed, the following classes have been received into fill membership at the annual re-unions : 1879- Misses Anna Drought, Anna Reid, Ella Gormly, May Frey, Lydia Streib, Fannie Pogne, Ida Bennett and Ida M. Pope; Smith Bennett, William Beer and Edward Kern. 1SSO-Misses Carrie Blair, Kate Van Voorhis, Mattie Jour- dan, Allie Yost, Della Hull, Emma Munson, Kittie Everett and Allie McDonald ; Otto Voll- rath and Jay Robinson.

At the present time the Board of Education is composed of the following citizens : Jacob Scroggs, President; Rev. Jacob Graessle, Sec- retary ; George Donnenwirth, Jr., Treasurer ; Judge Robert Lee, E. R. Kearsley, and C. H. Shonert. These gentlemen have faithfully labored many years for the public good, and, under their management the schools are in a flourishing condition. The President of the

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Board was a scholar in the Bucyrus schools over forty years ago, and a teacher in the Junior Grammar Department, when the graded school system was first adopted in 1850. He has always taken a deep interest in the cause of education, and much of the present efficiency of the schools is due to his valuable efforts. In his Centennial History, Mr. Scroggs sums up the present policy of the board in the fol- lowing language: "In the spring of 1873, the board resolved that pupils should not graduate from the schools, until, in addition to the usual class examination by the teachers and Superin- tendent, they should pass a satisfactory exam- ination in all the branches taught in the entire course, commencing with orthography ; this ex- amination to be conducted by a committee of cit- izens appointed by the board. This resolution has been adhered to ever since, and, while it may have reduced the number of graduates, it has insured a higher scholarship. Review classes are organized in the high school, in which all branches taught in the lower grades are thor- oughly reviewed by members of the A or Senior Class. The necessity of this resolution above named, was made apparent when it was found that members of the A Class, who could pass an excellent examination in the studies of Senior year, could not conjugate a common irregular verb, or cast the interest on a plain English note of hand, upon which several pay- ments had been paid. The people are well pleased with the change, as they can see that the system of reviews can but tend to make more thorough scholars, and they know now that a graduate of our schools can, without trouble, procure a certificate to teach a common country school. The schools are firmly fixed in the hearts of the people; they take a deep interest in, and are proud of them. A note- worthy feature of the Bucyrus schools is, that the colored children of the village have always been received in the schools with the white, and treated, not as outcasts, but as human beings,

with minds to educate and souls to save. The motto of Bucyrus is, 'Education for all, with- out regard to sex, color, or previous condition.'"

Some twenty years ago a Normal School was established at Bucyrus, and continued for sey- eral years. The Normal School Association was organized May 28, 1860, with the following officers : President, M. Deal; Vice President, W. R. S. Clark; Treasurer, George Quinby ; Secretary, Girard Reynolds; Corresponding Secretary, C. W. Butterfield. Prof. Isaac F. Bangs, a graduate of the New York State Nor- mal School, was employed to act as principal, and Miss Harriet M. Angel, of Akron, Ohio, as assistant. The first term commenced Mon- day, August 13, 1860, and extended through twenty-two weeks. The sessions were held in Quinby Hall, and upon the top of the block, the sign, "Ohio State Normal School," was painted in large letters. These letters con- tinued many years after the school had been discontinued, and some of them are still visi- ble. The school was divided into four classes, Sub-Junior, Junior, Sub-Senior, Senior; sixty- eight scholars were in attendance the first term. At the commencement of the second term, in February 1861, J. H. Adams, of Albany, New York, was employed as an additional assistant. The second year the school was in charge of Rev. Alexander Miller, M. A., formerly Super- intendent of the public schools in Bucyrus. He was assisted by E. C. S. Miller, M. A., for- merly Superintendent of the Tiffin schools. This institute continued during the fall term of 1861, the winter term of 1862, and on Monday, September 2, 1862, the fall term of 1862 was commenced under the same management, but after a few months, the normal school was dis- continued on account of the poor attendance .*

* NOTE .- The historian has been greatly aided in preparing this history of the Bucyrus Schools, by the historical address delivered by C. W. Butterfield, at the dedication of the new school building; also, by the paper prepared by Hon. Jacob Scroggs, for the Centennial Sketches of the Public Schools of Ohio, published by the State School Commissioner in 1876.

GALION UNION SCHOOL HOUSE. (Furnished by the School Board.)

RICHES MODRE COL O

BUCYRUS UNION SCHOOL HOUSE. (Furnished by School Board.)

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

CHAPTER XI .*

POLK TOWNSHIP-ITS ORGANIZATION-FIRST ELECTION-TOPOGRAPHY, ETC .- THE PIONEERS - EARLY INDUSTRIES-INDIAN AND OTHER INCIDENTS-THE FIRST CHURCHES-SCHOOLS.

SANDUSKY TOWNSHIP was surveyed by Maxfield Ludlow in 1807. Like all townships of the Government survey, it was six miles square, and formed one of the western townships of Richland County. There were very few settlers before 1817. It remained up to this time in an almost primitive condi- tion, many of the Delaware and Wyandot In- dians yet lingering, and little inclined to leave one of the finest hunting-grounds they had ever known. Long and stubbornly had they contended for their homes against the white settlers and their encroachments. Here was game in the greatest profusion, and meat could be obtained in abundance, with such ease that hunting was always a pastime and not an arduous toil. The forests were heavily tim- bered with every variety of stately tree; streams of sparkling brightness flowed from in- numerable springs; the plains and prairies on the west were the abode of large herds of deer. This was the home of Wigenund, and within this territory Col. Crawford had been captured. Bloody tragedies had been enacted all over this ground, and through a thousand associations of fierce war and of gentle peace was this beautiful land endeared to these savages. Many maple groves were distributed throughout the township, and sugar was an article manufactured by whites and Indians.

In 1812, the soldiers cut a road through the township, which passed north of the Olen- tangy, near the present site of Galion. An- other road further south had been cut out by

the Pennsylvania militia, when the settlers began to arrive; a few years later, they cut out roads for themselves.

On the 12th day of February, 1818, the township was organized-twelve miles long by six wide-and called Sandusky. The name is derived from "Sandusquet " of the old French traders and voyageurs; the Sah-un-dus-kee, clear water, or San-doos-tee, at the cold water of the Wyandots, from the clear, cold water of the springs near the south shore of Sandusky Bay, or it may have been derived from the Sa-un-dustee-water within "water-pools"- also a Wyandot word.

At the time of the organization of San- dusky, it included within its limits the pres- ent townships of Vernon, Jackson and Polk; the former, with the remnant of Sandusky, re- maining in Richland County. It remained in that shape until March 5, 1845, when the north half was taken from it and called Ver- non Township. This left Sandusky six miles square again. About this time there was a mania for manufacturing new counties, town- ships and, especially, new county seats. This was a queer speculation, and outgerryman- dered anything ever known of the kind before or since. The originally surveyed townships were divided and cut up and rejoined until they almost lost their former identity. Four tiers of sections were taken from the west side of Sandusky Township. Richland County, and passed into the possession of Crawford County, on the 3d of February, 1845. To the west side of this tier of four sections was

* Contributed by Dr. J. C. McIlvaine.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

added what was known as the "three-mile strip." On the south was added a strip one mile wide from Marion County. From all this aggregation of pieces of townships, a strip of land three miles wide and seven miles long was taken from the south side, and named Polk Township. It is at present bounded on the north by Jackson and Jeffer- son, on the east by Richland County, on the south by Morrow County, and on the west by Whetstone Township. Polk was unfor- tunately situated as regards an outlet to market. After the Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark Railroad was built, a majority of the . farmers of Polk were trading in a county seat not their own. There was much dissatisfac- tion among the people on the eastern side of Polk: they had been pulled about in a ruth- less manner, against their will; Crawford County was poor; many of her public build- ings were yet unpaid for, and they thought their taxes would be increased to an enormous extent; especially was this the case with those who had formerly been within the limits of Richland County. This county was compara- tively rich. The public buildings were mostly erected and paid for; the people felt as though they had been taxed to enrich the old county, and now that prosperity was dawning upon them, they were compelled to pay taxes in a poor county and assist in bringing them out of debt. Much excitement followed the act, loud protestations were made, violence and bloodshed were threatened. Nothing serious, however, occurred, and the people did the most reasonable thing under the circum- stances that could be done. They sent Mr. Asa Hosford to the State capital as a lobby representative, and enjoined him to take care of their interests. He worked with fidelity, but failed in part of his mission. That por- tion of the new township which had been in Richland County, through their Representa-

tive, induced the Legislature to pass an enact- ment whereby they were released from the payment of taxes upon the county buildings of Crawford. The Representative was Mr. Het- trick. He presented the facts of the case, and earnestly demanded the enactment. This was apparently so easily done and with so little opposition, that Mr. Hosford asked that the same favor be shown to the strip coming from the south, in Marion County; Mr. Het- trick offered the resolution, but Mr. Cary, repre- senting the citizens of this southern strip, ob- jected on the ground that his constituents did not ask for it. This ended the matter.

Previous to the formation of Polk Town- ship, the elections were held south of Crest- line nearly two miles, on Section 16, at the house of Mr. Fate. It was here that Maj. Robinson cast his maiden vote for Daniel Riblet, who was a candidate for Justice of the Peace. The Major was not quite twenty- one years of age; but this election, like all others, was of vast importance, and politics ran high. Galion was the center of interest in the new township, and for many miles around. The narrowness of the township placed Galion so near the line that, in many cases, those who did much for her prosperity and were interested in her growth, resided outside of Polk Township .*

In an old book in the County Clerk's Office at Bucyrus, there was one allusion to Polk Township, which is given as a resolution by the County Comissioners:

MARCH 6, 1845 .- Board met pursuant to adjourn- ment. Present, full Board. Resolution .- This day it was resolved, by the Commissioners of Crawford County, that the following fractional townships, taken from the counties of Richland and Marion, and those lying on the west side of said county of Crawford, accord- ing to an act of the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, passed February third (3d), 1845, to

* In writing this history, we are compelled to depend much upon old settlers' and newspaper accounts.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

erect the new county of Wyandot, and alter the bound- aries of Crawford, was organized into separate town- ships, to wit: All that part taken from the county of Richland, and being in Township twenty (20) north Range twenty (20) west, and all that part taken from Township nineteen (19), with Range (20), and all that part taken from the county of Marion, and being in Township fifteen (15) with Range twenty-one (21) be, and the same is hereby, organized into a separate town- ship by the name of Polk, and that the County Auditor be and is hereby authorized to cause notice to be given to the said township of the foregoing organization and alteration, according to the statute of Ohio in such case made and provided.

JOHN CLEMENTS, HAMILTON KERR, SAMUEL LEE.

Attest : O. WILLIAMS, County Auditor.

In selecting a name for this township, the first choice was for Jackson; it was Dan- iel Hoover's desire to so name it; but it was discovered in time that one of the new town- ships on the north had preceded them in the selection of the name Jackson. Mr. Polk be- ing President at this time, his name was pro- posed and accepted. According to the resolu- tion and orders of the Supervisor, Mr. James Robinson was ordered to post, in three con- spicuous places within the township, notices, setting forth a list of offices then vacant, and ordering the time and place of election. The officers for Sandusky Township had already been elected, and when the election in Polk took place, soon after, it was only to fill vacan- cies caused by the separation, those having been elected in Sandusky and residing in Polk were to hold over till the next annual election. A. Underwood was one of them, having been elected Justice of the Peace. The record of the first election is in the pos- session of F. A. Keen, and is as follows:

At an election held in the Township of Polk, in the county of Crawford, State of Ohio, on the 7th day of April, in the year of our Lord 1845, Isaac Criley, Joshua Canon and Pharas Jackson, Judges, and Solo- mon P. Nave and Samuel R. Canon, Clerks. The fol- lowing officers were duly elected and qualified :

Trustees-Asa HIosford, Samuel P. Lee, Bartholo- mew Reed, Jr. ; Clerk-Peter Cress ; Treasurer-John S. Davis; Assessor-Samuel R. Canon ; Constables-John A. Loneus, Joseph Kimmel ; Supervisors-Eri Hosford, Joseph Diddy, Edward Cooper, David Thrush, William White, A. C. Jackson, Frederic Taylor, Jacob Stine- baugh, John Ashcroft, William L. Dille, Bart Reed, Sr., Andrew Reed, A. S. Caton, Phillip Ichorn, Phillip Zimmermaker, Isaac Nayer.

At a meeting of the Trustees of Polk Township, held on the 26th day of April, 1845, among other business transacted was the sale of James Sutton, a town pauper. He was sold to the lowest bidder for his keeping for one year from above date. He was taken by Jacob Steinbaugh, at $100, clothing and doctor bills excepted. They proceeded also to levy a tax, for poor purposes, of 2 mills on the dollar, and & of a mill for Township purposes. At a meeting held on the 6th day of Sep- tember, 1845, present, Asa Hosford and Bartholomew Reed, they appointed the place of holding elections to be at the schoolhouse, in the borough of Galion, in said township. PETER CRESS, Township Clerk.

To those who do not understand what is meant by the sale of paupers, we give in full a copy of a handbill found among the rec- ords. It must be remembered no county house existed at the time, and it was neces- sary to provide in some way for the poor; hence they were sold:

Sale of Paupers .- There will be sold, on Wednesday, May 16, 1866, Mary Houk and Della Hengst, paupers of Polk Township, Crawford County, Ohio, to the low- est responsible bidders, for one year. Terms of pay for keeping said paupers, half in six months from day of sale, and the remainder at the expiration of the year. Proposals will be received from 1 to 4 o'clock, SAMUEL SHUNK, DANIEL HOOVER, P. M. JOHN LEMON,

Trustees.

May 1, 1866.

There are twenty-one sections in Polk Town- ship, of as fine land as exists in Northern Ohio. The timber was very heavy, and con- sisted mostly of beech, maple, oak, hickory, elm, black walnut and ash. The land, be- fore clearing, has the appearance of being swampy and wet. This is caused by the high and generally level condition, there be-

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

ing no general slope to the land by which the water can run off at once. All over the town- ship, there is evidence of immense deposits of drift; gravel-beds, mixed with iron and clay, with strata above or below it of fine and coarse sand, are abundant. The geological forma- tion is such that, in the primeval days, the land in this vicinity formed shoals, and one can easily conceive that, the great mountain glaciers coming from the icy North, freighted with their load of stone, gravel and clay, were wrecked in the shallow sea over this township, grinding and pulverizing the primitive rock that formed this rich soil.

The Olentangy River meanders throughout the whole length of the township. It enters in the northeast portion, winds round in broad sweeps toward the south and passes out on the west side, on the farm of J. K. Sherer. All along its valley there are outcroppings of sandstone, of the Waverly group. There are at present, as far as we know, but two quar- ries in operation-those of John Flowers, and Dr. Coyle and James Green. The Olentangy waters the bottom lands of the whole town- ship, and springs abound in profusion; this might seem contrary to the general expecta- tion, or to any one not a practical geologist, when it is remembered that Polk Township occupies a part of the dividing ridge or crest that separates the slope to the lakes on the north, and the valley of the Ohio that slopes to the south; but so it is. Within the town- ship are two springs but a few rods apart; the one on the north contributes its mite to Lake Erie, thunders with its waters over the ponderous Niagara, and wends its romantic way around and among the "Thousand Isles," and thence to the sea. The spring on the south side lingers slowly, clinging gently to its birthplace, as if in doubt as to which course it shall take. It finally takes its course toward sunny lands, and on through populous

countries, rich meadows, gradually down to the "Father of waters," and thence to the Gulf of Mexico. Thus it can be seen that we are high upon a billow of land, and upon the very summit of the crest.

When the first settlers came to Polk or Sandusky Township, the Olentangy was a beautiful stream; luxuriant groves existed on each side of it, and its banks were lined with a profusion of flowers and grasses; countless herds of deer drank of its sweet waters, and the red man loved and venerated the stream. Before the land was cleared up, the banks were tolerably full, and the stream never shrunk to its present proportions; year by year, numerous mills were erected upon its banks, and the falling waters turned the wheel of industry to the owners' profit and the great convenience of the settlers.

Probably the first men who cleared any land within the present limits of Polk were Benjamin Leveredge and his two sons, James and Nathaniel. Most of the early settlers were from New York and Pennsylvania. No biography of this first family can be obtained, and very little is known of them previous to their arrival in this vicinity. They came in the year 1817, cutting their way to their land. The father built his cabin near the springs on Atwood street, Galion, on the quarter-section he had entered. James Leveredge erected his cabin on the ground now occupied by David Mackey's residence, and Nathaniel built his primitive dwelling near the center of the public square in Galion. The two former had water in abundance from the numerous springs in their vicinity, but Nathaniel dug a well near his cabin door. This was the well that was filled up about ten years ago, and traces of which were found within the pres- ent year (1880) by workmen while engaged in grading the square. In the year 1818, George Wood and David Gill arrived; they

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

settled north of the Olentangy, near the old military roa l, cut out by soldiers in 1812. These two families were from Pennsylvania, Wood and Gill being brothers-in-law; Wood was a carpenter, and Gill followed school- teaching, mostly; he was well educated for the time, and the general business man in the community. James Gill was a son of David, and his widow still lives on the site of the farm owned by the former. Mrs. Fanny Bry- fogle, Mrs. Catharine Monnett, Mrs. Nelson Casey and the wife of Samuel Mosher were daughters of David Gill. George Wood had one son, George, Jr .; the two families removed to Missouri, where the older members died, and some of the younger returned to Galion. It was also in the year 1818 that Benjamin Sharrock came to Polk Township; he erected a temporary shelter near the Reisinger Corners for his family, while he made progress with his ax and saw on the farm south.

On Saturday, September 19, 1819, Mr. Asa Hosford trudged afoot into Polk Township; he stopped over Sunday with Benjamin Lever- edge. From the date of his arrival, Mr. Hos- ford became a leading citizen and was inter- ested from that time on with the concerns of the township requiring tact and ability. In 1820 came Nathaniel Story and Father Kit- teridge, the latter living with the former, who was by occupation a hunter and trapper. Mr. Story erected his cabin near the crossing of Main street and the Olentangy, west of town. In the year 1822 came the Rev. James Dun- lap, who went to farming, but afterward en- tered the ministry and taught school. In 1824 came Nathan Merriman. who, in the year following his arrival, erected a whisky distillery at the springs, near where the Lev- eredges lived. This was the first distillery in the township, and was known far and wide, and familiarly designated as "the still."

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History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 62

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