History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 81

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 81

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

land, and eighty just east of Umberfield's. Maxfield was a Vermont Yankee, but he had resided a short time at the Harding settlement, some five miles southeast of what is now Galion, previous to his removal to Crawford County. Maxfield built a cabin on his cast eighty, just south of the river, upon the bluff; but being ignorant of the exact location of his northern boundary line, he unfortunately got his cabin upon the land north of his eighty. Shortly afterward, a peddler by the name of Richard Spieer, came into the neighborhood, and dis- covered Maxfield's mistake. Spicer hastened to Delaware and entered the eighty acres upon which the cabin was standing when he left. The actions of the peddler aroused the suspicions of the Vermont Yankee, and deciding that, as he did not care to lose the improvements he had made, the cabin must be quickly removed to his own land. He gathered his neighbors to- gether, explained the matter to them, and, with their assistance, the removal was made in a few hours. When the peddler returned to take possession, he was chagrined to find that he had been outwitted by his Yankee neighbor. After residing in Liberty about twenty years, Maxfield sold out to Dexter Bacon, and re- moved to Illinois. About the year 1833, Max- field built the brick residence which is still standing, and occupied by Bacon. This was the first brick house erected in Liberty Town- ship. Machinery for manufacturing brick had not, in those days, reached the present state of perfection, and, unfortunately, briek-makers could not secure one of the Eagle Foundry Im- proved Tiffany Machines. Cattle were driven in from the woods and yoked to a " sweep," which was attached to an upright. The oxen and sweep moved around in a circle. Water was poured on the ground upon which the beasts were constantly treading, and soon a large mud- hole was formed. When this mud reached the right consistency, it was molded into brick. The cattle were not particular in regard to the

character of this mud, and frequently other mat- ter than mud was mixed up and manufactured into brick. Shortly after Maxfield's house was finished, Michael Nigh employed men to build him a brick residence. In laying the founda- tion, the workmen used so much mud for mor- tar that Nigh became angry, and turned them off, declaring that he wanted a brick house and not a mud house. Unfortunately, he built his brick wall upon this risky foundation, and the result was, when the rain moistened the mud it crumbled, the foundation gave way, the brick wall tumbled town, and "great was the fall thereof ;" but greater still was the anger of Nigh at the bad workmanship of his unskillful or dishonest masons. Nigh afterward removed to Missouri, and was drowned in the Missouri River.

Henry Couts, of Bucyrus Township, states that Christian Couts, his father, moved into Liberty, April 11, 1821, with his wife and family, composed of three boys and two girls. Henry was, at this time, twelve years old. His father entered land about one mile south of what is now Sulphur Springs, and this farm was afterward owned by Pharoh Bell, and upon it the Bell Schoolhouse was erected. Mr. Couts says that William Huff was the only resident in that neighborhood when they arrived.

John O. Blowers first visited the township in 1821, and purchased 160 acres of land one- half mile east of Ralph Bacon. His decd for this was dated at Washington, October 8, 1821. This land is owned at the present time by Capt. S. S. Blowers, son of the man who entered it at the land office. Although Mr. Blowers was not the first person to settle in the township, he undoubtedly deserves the chief place in the history of Liberty, if it is proper to accord to any of those old pioneer heroes a chief place. From the time lie removed here in 1822, until he died in 1844, he was the acknowledged leader in the many movements for the advance- ment of the intellectual and moral interests of

Pr. Musquan.

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the community. For many years, the township was the home of very many families, who did not remain, and many of the men and boys of these families were lawless and disorderly. They were always dissatisfied with their condi- tion and prospects, and although they were occupying some of the richest lands of the country, they soon became restless, and one by one these families left for that boundless West, in the hopes of finding a country better suited to their hopes and aims. Not that all who went West had been lawless in Liberty, but of many who did leave it can be truly said, "they left the township for the township's good." A community containing many citizens of this character, needed men, who not only had the boldness to denounce the evil deeds of the law- less and desperate, but who possessed the moral force to guide, encourage and organize the better efforts of the many families who desired to do right. Although there were others in the township who always rendered all the aid they could, to the efforts of their ac- knowledged leader, yet John O. Blowers was that leader-the moral hero most needed by the community to mold the character and shape the destiny of the citizens. His high moral worth and courage, which comes from a consciousness of correct motives, made him a terror to those who were disposed to evil, and a leader of the many who wished the township governed by the better elements of their crude society. Mr. Blowers urged and assisted in the construction of the first schoolhouse. At his cabin was held the first public religious services in the township. He gathered together and instructed the first Methodist class of the county, which, in a few months, became strong enough to be organized into the first church of Liberty Township. He encouraged the weak and timid to "stand firm in the faith." He assisted in the organization, and became the first Superintendent, of the first Sabbath school of Crawford County. As a strict Method-

ist, his home was the resting-place of all the pioneer circuit riders, and itinerant ministers of that church who visited the neighborhood, but as a Christian he gave as hearty a welcome to the missionaries of other sects, and the knowledge that one was engaged in a good work was a sufficient pass-word, not only to his hospitality, but it was the key that unlocked his heart, and those who applied for his assist- ance to aid a good cause were never disap- pointed, but always obtained not only encour- agement, but more satisfactory assistance.

The Blowers family originally came from Vermont, and were descended from the old Puritanic stock. John O. Blowers was born in Vermont December 5, 1782. Ile was married May 21, 1810, to Sylvinia Chadsey. When war was declared between the United States and Great Britain in 1812, Blowers was living in Canada, having purchased 200 acres of land some twenty miles from Kingston, with the in- tention of making a temporary home in that country. The authorities desired to press him into the English service, and he was twice drafted, but he refused to bear arms against his native land, and after suffering persecution on account of his loyalty to the Stars and Stripes, he forsook the accumulated wealth of many years hard work, and with his family sought a refuge in his native land, settling at Salt Creek, Wayne Co., Ohio, where they remained until they removed to Crawford County. In 1821, Blowers left his family at Salt Creek and visited Liberty Township. Being favorably impressed with the country, he purchased 160 acres of land, upon which he erected a log cabin, and until this was finished he boarded with Ralph Bacon. In order to secure sufficient help to raise the logs, it was necessary for him to visit the settlers for ten and twelve miles. He ob- tained assistance as far south as what is now Latimberville, as far north as Chatfield Town- ship, and several miles east. The pioneer settlers were always very neighborly, and

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thought nothing of going ten and fifteen miles to assist at a "logging " or log-cabin "raising." Blowers told his son in after years that one year he put in thirty-one days of his time helping his neighbors in this manner. When the new homestead of the Blowers family was finished, the owner returned to Wayne County for his family, and in the spring of 1822 they permanently settled in Liberty Township. Blowers cleared a patch of ground and raised a crop of corn and vegetables during the first summer. February 23, 1823, James C. Blow- ers was born, but died the same day, and this infant was the first person buried in the town- ship. Some four months afterward, on July 8, 1823, James M. Maxfield, son of John and Joana Maxfield, died, aged two years, eleven months and twenty days, and this was the second death in Liberty. Blowers was the father of sixteen children, eleven boys and five girls ; most of these children died when they were quite young -only six, five boys and one girl, grew to ma- turity and were married, viz .: Rufus L., Lemuel L., John C., Sylvia Ann, Samuel S. and Russell Bigelow Blowers. The first four came to Lib- erty with their parents in 1822, the fourth being a mere infant at the time. Blowers lived in the township for nearly twenty-three years, and died September 29, 1844, aged sixty-one years nine months and twenty-four days.

In April, 1822. Robert Foster moved into Liberty Township, and purchased the 160 acres now owned by the heirs of John Crall. Foster left Ireland with his wife "Peggy" and four children. during the war of 1812. The ship they sailed in was an English vessel, and, dur- ing the voyage, it was overhauled by one of the frigates of the United States Navy. The American captain, considering that the cargo of the English ship, emigrants, would in a short time be patriotic citizens, permitted the English vessel to continue her voyage. Foster resided in Richland County for several years, until he removed to Crawford. When this jolly Irish-

man was journeying through the woods with his family to their Western home, he discovered a walnut lying among the leaves. Knowing his wife was very fond of lemons, he presented it to her, explaining to his innocent helpmeet that it was her favorite fruit. Not suspecting her roguish husband, she took an immense bite, and the result was-a bitter disappointment. " Peggy " couldn't see the humor of the joke. She took after Robert, and, after chasing him through the woods some distance, succeeded in capturing him, and he then received from her the trouncing he justly deserved for fooling his innocent wife. The aggressive character of " Peggy " was inherited by several of her im- mediate descendants, and these became known as the "fighting Fosters," who were prominent in political quarrels during the war of the re- bellion. Robert Foster died August 9, 1835, and was buried in the graveyard northwest of Bucyrus. The family of six which left Ireland, was increased by numerous additions, and, when the census was taken in 1830, the enu- merators must have found at least a dozen young Fosters. Most of these removed to the West, and were the parents of large families. In future years, many of the energetic and en- terprising citizens of the Great West will be numbered among Foster's descendants. One of his daughters (Miss Sarah), who was born May 22, 1822, was the first female child born in Liberty Township. She is now the wife of Robert Andrews, Esq. Another daughter (Ann) became the wife of Rev. Robert Reid and the mother of Hon. William M. Reid, of Bucyrus.

In the fall of 1822, William Blowers left the town of Salem, Washington Co., N. Y., and, in thirty days, on November 5. arrived in Liberty Township, and settled on his brother's farm. He brought with him two of his sisters and their husbands, Calvin and Nehemiah Squires. The latter was the father of Dr. J. B. Squires, of Sulphur Springs. In November, 1823, Sam- uel Smalley arrived with his wife, also a sister

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

of William Blowers. Smalley and his wife came from Vermont, and, in order to reach their new home, they journeyed 600 miles in a wagon. Smalley worked for his brother-in-law a short time, and then moved to the Ludwig farm, east of Bucyrus. About 1830, he pur- chased of Nicholas Singely what is now the Crum farm. Singely never lived in Liberty, but Smalley and his wife are at the present time (August, 1880), residing in the township, at Sulphur Springs, having lived in Crawford County fifty-seven years, and together as man and wife for sixty-two years.

Dr. Squires, in his pioneer sketch, says : "The year 1823 was marked by numerous accessions to the early settlers, among whom may be men- tioned Ichabod Smith, James McCurdy, Asa Cobb, Simeon Parcher, Calvin Stone, Garrett Dorland, with his sons James, Isaac and Luke, Jacob Gurwell, Mathias Markley, Thomas Smith, Benjamin Manwell, Thomas Scott, Sam- uel Smalley, Joseph Chandler, John Chandler, Charles Doney and Edward Hartford. In 1824, the sparse settlement received increasing ac- cessions. Horatio Markley, Noble McKinster, John G. Stough, John Kroft, and, I think, Rob- ert Foster and many others, were added to their number." These settlers generally purchased from the Government the lands upon which they settled, and these lands were exempt from tax- ation for five years. The tax duplicate of Crawford County for 1830 proves that the lands owned at that date by the following additional persons must have been entered previous to April, 1825 : John Anderson, John Bear, John Clingan, James Clingan, John H. Fry, William Huff, Daniel Ketchum, Philip Klinger, Richard King, Daniel Kimball, William Little, Richard Spicer, Daniel Shelhammer, John Slifer, Asa Wetherby, Anthony Walker and Mary Wood. Land speculators are not included in the above list of seventeen persons, who were actual set- tlers of Liberty at an early day. It is possi- ble, however, that a few entered their lands

several years previous to the time they removed to the township.

Death early visited the homes of the pioneers, and, February 3, 1823, James, the infant son of John O. Blowers, died just as he commenced to live. Five months later, James Monroe Max- field passed away, aged nearly three years. These children were buried on the Blowers farm ; others were interred beside them, and the spot of ground became known as the Blow- ers graveyard, the first started in the township. It was, in after years, dedicated and deeded to the Methodist Episcopal Church. A short time afterward, death visited the settlers in northern Liberty, but when, and who were the first victims, will forever remain unknown. As the northeast corner of Jacob L. Gurwell's farm was first used to bury the dead, it might have been one of his children. About one dozen bodies were interred here, but no tomb- stones were ever erected -- only wooden boxes were placed around the top of several graves. When other regular graveyards were estab- lished, many of these bodies were removed ; but the friends of the balance were in the West, and when a road was located across this cor- ner, years afterward, their last resting-place was desecrated, and, years from now, if in dig- ging in this road human bones are found, it is to be hoped they will receive a kinder treat- ment than these graves did two generations ago. When David Simmons died, November 8, 1829, he was buried on the southwest corner of John G. Stough's land, and Thomas Smith, who died April 22, 1833, was interred on the northeast corner of his own land (the opposite corner). Others of the neighborhood were laid beside these two when they died, and this land has since been set apart as sacred to the mem- ory of these departed ones. This is now known as the Crall United Brethren graveyard, but, in later years, other land, on the other side of the road, has also been dedicated for a ceme- tery. About the year 1830, one of Peter

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Whetstone's children died, and the body was buried on his farm-now owned by Michael Charlton. Since then, abont six Charltons, nine members of the Chambers family, thirteen Conleys and others have been interred in this Whetstone burying-ground. The Roop grave- yard, one mile southwest of the Conley Church, was also started at an early day. The Ger- mans of the northern part of Liberty estab- lished the cemetery at the Reformed Church as early as 1832, and the one at the Lutheran Church was started about the time the building was erected in 1852. It is said that Wangne, a tinner of Sulphur Springs, was the first per- son interred here. Previous to 1830, a man named Wood, father-in-law of Asa Cobb, was buried on his own farm, and the Wood-Cobb burying-ground was started. Many who died in the vicinity of Sulphur Springs were buried about one-half mile southwest of the village. This little cemetery, on the edge of the woods, was started about 1835. when John Slifer owned the land. The graveyard on Henry Fry's land, near the Union Church, was started about the same time. The child of a Mr. An- derson died about 1848, and was buried on what is now John Adam Klink's farm. A cem- etery was afterward regularly established here, which is owned by the farmers in that neigh- borhood.

The population of Liberty soon became nu- merous enough to secure for the township a civil organization under the laws of the State. For about four years, Liberty was temporarily attached to Sandusky Township. This state- ment is made for the following reason : Westell Ridgley and Joseph Young were commissioned Justices of the Peace for Sandusky Township, April 15, 1821, and, when their terms expired, on election was held May 15, 1824, with the following result : Mathias Markley, 22; Icha- bod Smith, 22 ; Westell Ridgley, 17; Dezberry Johnson, 5 ; Michael Brown, 4. Markley and Smith, the successful candidates, were after-

ward the first Justices of the Peace of Liberty Township, but they were both commissioned May 31, 1824, as Justices of the Peace of San- dusky, and sworn in as such by Zalmon Rowse, Justice of the Peace of Bucyrus Township. The Commissioners of Marion County, at their March session in 1825, passed the following order : "That surveyed Township No. 2, in Range 17 south of the base line in the district of Delaware be, and the same is hereby organ- ized into a new township, by the name of Lib- erty." At this time Crawford was temporarily attached to Marion County, and Justices of the Peace had been commissioned for only four townships. For some reason, Smith received another commission, dated June 18, 1825, as Justice of the Peace for Liberty, but Markley still continued to hold the office by virtue of the former election. He was re-elected in 1827, and again in 1830, but, after serving for over eight years, resigned, and removed to Illinois. James S. Gorwell was elected to succeed him in November, 1832, and, since this date, the following persons have been elected as success- ors of Markley, one of the first Justices of the Peace of the township : John Slifer, founder of Annapolis, in 1835 ; William Woodside, in 1841 ; William Snyder, in 1847 (resigned after six months) ; Horace Rowse, in 1848 ; Robert Johnson, in 1851 : Jonathan N. Harmon, in 1854; William H. Hise, in 1863; Clark Bacon, in 1872, but he refused the office, and A. R. Briggs was elected the same year. After serv- ing for two terms, Briggs was succeeded by Squire Hise, the present incumbent, who is serving his fourth term. Ichabod Smith was re-elected in 1828, but, before his second term expired, resigned the office to take a contract on the Columbus & Sandusky pike. He after- ward removed to Chatfield Township, and was honored with the same office. Asa Wetherby succeeded Smith, but he also resigned, and, in April, 1831, Asa Cobb was elected to succeed him. Cobb served fifteen years, for five con-

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

secutive terms, and the following were his suc- cessors : Charles Keplinger, in 1846 ; Asa Cobb, in 1849, for the sixth term ; Joseph Roop, in 1852, who served twelve years ; Henry Fry, in 1864 ; Thomas Milliard, in April, 1873, who resigned after six months, and S. A. McKeehen, the present incumbent, was elected in Novem- ber, 1873, and is serving his third term.

Dr. Squires, in his pioneer sketch, gives the following incidents in regard to the early courts and lawsuits of the township : "Lawsuits and litigations were more frequent in those early days, when there were few inhabitants, than at the present time, notwithstanding the vast in- crease in population and the more widely di- versified interests of the people. So we con- clude that the confidence with which man re- gards his fellow-man, and the intention among men to treat each other rightfully, has grown with the growth of the country. If not quite so fast as the country has improved in other respects, yet there has been a very manifest improvement. Previous to the election of Jus- tices for Liberty, a legal process was served on John O. Blowers, who, in 1822, was summoned to appear before a Justice of the Peace in Bu- cyrus, to answer for indebtedness to one Schultz, of Bucyrus, from whom the said Blowers had obtained some shot for killing squirrels in his corn-field. The defendant appeared, and pleaded that the plaintiff had boarded at his house some length of time, and that defendant's wife had washed his (plaintiff's) clothes and mended them during the time for which defendant had received no compensation except the shot, and thereupon the defendant was discharged and judgment rendered against plaintiff for costs of suit. Probably the first lawsuit ever tried in Liberty Township was before Ichabod Smith, Justice of the Peace, on a complaint against Asa Wetherby for running his saw-mill on the Sab- bath day. The defendant brought in testimony showing the uncertain nature of the stream ; that the water-power was an important item of

his property ; that it would be wasted and lost if not used ; whereupon the defendant was dis- charged and the costs taxed up to the com- plainant, who, however, appealed to the court and had the judgment for costs set aside, it be- ing a State case. Another trial of those carly days took place before Squire Mathias Markley. A man by the name of Smith sued Charles Dony for pay for grain. The account had stood over months, and the defendant refused to let plaintiff testify to his account, and defendant, on an account against plaintiff, obtained judg- ment for $8. But defendant refused to accept all of this judgment, saying it was too much ; that plaintiff owed him only $2."

Liberty was undoubtedly fully organized, and township officers chosen at the spring election in 1825, but there is no positive proof who filled the various offices from the date of or- ganization until the year 1831, for, if the Clerk kept any record of business transacted by the Trustees, the books containing the minutes have all been lost or destroyed. From the year 1831, the records are nearly complete. John G. Stough thinks that John Kroft was the first Clerk, as he held this office for many years when the township was first organized. Stough says he attended the election in the spring of 1827, and was chosen one of the three Trustees, and James McCurdy was another. Stough also served as Treasurer for one or two terms pre- vious to 1830. The first elections were held at private houses, near the center of the township, until the Center Schoolhouse was constructed. Isaac Rise states that they voted for Gen. Jack- son, when he ran for President, at the cabin of James MeMannes, who entered the eighty acres now owned by Henry Crall, and that Jackson received most of the votes cast in the town- ship. This was in November, 1828. We learn from the records, that, on July 2, 1831, the Trustees, Isaac Rise, Elias Chambers and Rob- ert Foster, took an enumeration of the house- holders of the township, and, at the same time,

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appointed John G. Stough Treasurer. In those days, men were not anxious to serve as town- ship officers, and many paid the fine which se- cured a release. Stough refused to fill this ap- pointment, claiming that Thomas Smith, who had been regularly elected to the office, had not received from the Trustees the proper summons to appear before them and take the oath of of- fice. The Trustees then served the required notice upon Smith, and he consented and acted as Treasurer. This was the first business trans- acted, as shown by the records. March 5, 1832, the Trustees met and divided the township into road districts, and this was possibly the first division of the township for road purposes. The first election on record was held at the house of Leven Conley, near the center, April 2, 1832. The Judges were the three Trustees previously mentioned, and the Election Clerks were John Kroft and Dudley Cobb. The fol- lowing persons were chosen to fill the various offices : Trustees, Isaac Rise, Robert Foster and Jacob Mollenkopf ; Constables, Isaac Slater and Frederick Beard ; Clerk, John Kroft ; Treasurer, John G. Stough ; Overseers of the Poor, Robert Foster and Mathias Markley ; Fence Viewers, Samuel Cover, Henry Charlton and Frederick Williams.

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History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 81

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