History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 82

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 82

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In examining the early records of Liberty, evidence is found which proves that fifty years ago several queer old-fashioned customs were practiced which now appear amusing, and it is also evident that some of the laws enforced in those days, have either been repealed or have become obsolete. Among the many in- dustrious families who settled in the township were a few who, being idle and shiftless, could not or would not manage successfully, and the result was these frequently became a charge upon the community. In order to protect set- tlers from roving families of this character, laws were enacted, and every year two persons were chosen in the township, styled " Overseers of the Poor," whose duty it was to examine into

the cases, and render assistance to citizens who were unfortunate enough to need the aid of the township. They were also required to warn any idle or shiftless persons to leave before they had remained a sufficient length of time to gain a residence. Many notices of this char- acter are found upon the records, the first being in 1832. Having learned that Thomas Alsoph, a roving character, had appeared in the town- ship, the overseers issued the following notice :

The State of Ohio, Crawford County, S. S. To Isaac Slator, Constable of Liberty Township, greeting :

WHEREAS, information hath been given to us, Ma- thias Markley and Robert Foster, Overseers of the Poor for said township, that Thomas Alsoph has come within the limits of the township to be sick, who will be likely to become a township charge; you are hereby com- manded forthwith to warn said Thomas Alsoph to de- part the said township and of this writ make legal serv- ice, and duly return it, according to law given under our hands this 12th day of March, A. D. 1832.

MATHIAS MARKLEY,

ROBERT FOSTER, Overseers of the Poor.

A copy of the above notice was left the next day at the house where Alsoph was staying- It is seldom that force was used under this law, in ridding the community of the poor and shift- less, but the warning given was a mere matter of form, and, having once been notified in this manner, a person could not claim the assistance of the township in case he became unfortunate enough to need aid. Many times this law was abused, and thrifty citizens who settled in the community were warned because some joker furnished the Overseers the required informa- tion. A few did not appreciate the humor of the act but deemed the " summons to depart " an insult, and they were very mad and indig- nant when the notice was served upon them. As a general thing, men did not wish to serve as Overseers of the Poor, and some paid their fine and refused to serve, but it was generally conceded by the best citizens of the township that it was the duty of cach to take his turn

J. A. Klink

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

at serving in this disagreeable position. Occa- sionally the sportive elements of the community combined and elected some man to this office who was in every way unfitted for it. Quite a number of these warnings are copied upon the records of the township. John B. Morrison was notified to leave in August, 1833, and again in March, 1836, but in April, 1837, he was elected one of the school-examiners for Liberty. Either the warnings were an insult or his elec- tion as examiner a joke.

Frequently in the early days of the township, poor and shiftless parents would bind their children out for a term of years until they be- came of age, and many notices of these bind- ings are found upon the records kept by the Clerks of Liberty. The first one is dated Decem- ber 31, 1834, and the agreement is between Moses Coberly, who binds his son Robert, to Cornelius Dorland for a term of seven years. During this time Dorland is to "teach the young man arithmetic to the rule of three, and keep him in wearing apparel." At the end of the seven years, Robert was to receive from Dorland "one horse, saddle and bridle worth $75, also one suit of broadcloth clothes and one suit of home-made or common wearing ap- parel." The bond given is $5,000. January 10, 1835, Moses Coberly also bound his eight- year old daughter, Margaret, to William Clin- gan for a period of nine years and ten months. Clingan was to give the young lady "one year's schooling ; furnish her a good bed and board- ing, and at the end of the time supply her with one Bible, one bed and bedding of a good qual- ity, and also a new spinning wheel and a new suit of clothes of good quality." The bond in this case was only fixed at $1,000. During the same month, Coberly bound a third child, Elijah, to John Noise. This old gentlemen, who got rid of three children in about thirty days, lived in the northern part of the township on the Loyer farm. The notes in his case are defect- ive. It would have been a pleasure for an un-

biased historian to pen the statement that " this old fellow, having given into the care of others all his children, yielded up the ghost and was buried with his fathers." Although it is a satisfaction to learn that the old German after- ward moved West, yet it is surprising that the records do not show how this " old codger" was warned to leave the township under the supposition that he might at some future time be in danger of becoming a charge upon the community. The language of these contracts is not always the same, for occasionally prom- ises were made in them which could not be so easily fulfilled. In 1843, the Trustees bound Lucy Wilhelmgriner, an orphan, to Frederick and Elizabeth Williams for a term of five years and four months. This young lady was to be taught the "art, mystery and occupation of common labor " and they were to train her in " habits of obedience, industry and morality." During her term of service, she was to be al- lowed "meat, drink and wearing apparel both for summer and winter," and at the end of time she was to receive " two suits of common wear- ing apparel and a new Bible." Most of these young folks who were "bound out " did not suffer by changing their homes if they faith- fully performed the new duties devolving upon them ; frequently the bond between the child and the family was as tender as that of parent and child. This old custom, however, is not American, and has fallen into disuse, but the examples given above will show that it was practiced in Liberty Township at one time.

The first school taught in the township was in a vacant cabin on the farm of Daniel Me- Michael during the winter of 1821-22. The teacher was John McClure, afterward the first surveyor of Crawford County. The attendance was not large, a few families united in support- ing the school, and the only person now living in Crawford County who was a pupil of MeClure that winter is Martin Bacon, Esq., of Whetstone Township. Dr. Squires makes the following

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

statements in regard to the early schools of Liberty : "Educational matters interested the settlers at an early day, but, not having the advantages of our present school law, every- thing devolved upon the individual. Neigh- borhoods would join together and build a log schoolhouse-chink and daub it, build a stick and mud chimney, oil some paper to make it translucent and paste it .over a hole in the wall for a window, and thus secure light enough for a beginning. But soon glass could be obtained, and low, long windows put in by cutting out a log from the cabin and inserting a sash with glass to fill the aperture. Such a schoolhouse, the first one in this township, was built on the northeast corner of John Maxfield's land, north of the road, during the fall of 1823. Nehe- miah Squire made the window sash for it out of a linn-wood puncheon, that had constituted part of the chamber floor of an aristocratic log cabin the previous winter." This log building was known as the Maxfield Schoolhouse, and the land upon which it was located is now the property of Dexter Bacon. The exact site was near the big tree north of the road, about half way between Bacon's residence and the brow of the hill. Rev. William Blowers taught the first school here in the winter of 1823-24. Cary Tilbury taught one or two winters at an early day, and also Samuel Magers and a Mr. Orton. During the fall of 1827, another log schoolhouse was built just southcast of the present site occupied by the Crall United Brethren Church. Sallie Smith taught the first school here, and the building was known as the Smith Schoolhouse. J. G. Stough says : " This building was erected by six families, myself, Thos. Smith, Benjamin Manwell, Thos. Scott, Samuel Smalley and Prez Hillard. At this time no schoolhouse had been erected in the northern part of the township." The dis- triets were not laid out as at the present time, but there might have been a schoolhouse in the Foster-Andrews neighborhood, near Bucyrus.

When the inhabitants of other settlements in Liberty became numerous enough to support schools, the same kind of rough, round-log houses were erected. Sometimes a vacant cabin was used for school purposes, but, when a special building had to be constructed, the entire neighborhood would turn out and devote a day to the interests of education by building their log schoolhouse. The tuition was raised by a subscription from each family interested, or so much each month or term would be charged by the teacher for every scholar. After the lapse of half a century, it is difficult to ob- tain the exact dates at which schools were established, or these first buildings erected in the various neighborhoods. The Maxfield and Smith Schoolhouses were both in what is now the Second District, and the Blowers Church, in the same territory, was used for school purposes many years. In the Foster-Andrews neighbor- hood, now the First District, a special building was erected as early as 1830. Robert Andrews, who came with his father, Samuel, September 15, 1832, says : " There was a log schoolhouse stand- ing when we came, which had been there two or three years." In the Third District, the " Sim- mons " Schoolhouse was built before 1833; the Bell Schoolhouse, in what is now the Fourth Dis- trict, several years previous ; and schools were taught there possibly as early as 1827, for there were many settlers in the neighborhood at that time. The lands of the Fifth or Center District were not entered until other neighborhoods had many settlers. In 1825, only 240 acres of this territory had been purchased from the Govern- ment. The township records state that the election held April 7, 1834, was at the Center Schoolhouse, and April 7, 1845, at the Conley Schoolhouse. The polls were generally kept at private houses when the Center District was without a schoolhouse, and the first one, crected about 1833, was destroyed by fire after standing two winters. The children of the settlers were then sent to the Smith District for several years

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

until their second building was erected. In what is now the Sixth District, a schoolhouse was erected about 1838. Thomas Williams, of the Seventh District, says : "Frederick Will- iams, Asa Cobb and other early settlers of northwestern Liberty, the Smiths, of Holmes Township, and Samuel Chatfield, of Chatfield Township, united in putting up a round-log schoolhouse, with a chimney built of sticks, during the fall of 1830. This building was erected near the former site of the German Methodist Church, which was destroyed by fire during the war. At this time, no other school- house had been built in the northwestern part of Liberty, or the northeastern part of Holmes ; neither at the Center District, or the district north of Liberty Center. The only one between us and the town was at the Quaker Church Set- tlement, in Holmes Township." The Kroft Schoolhouse, in the Eighth District, was erected before the year 1832. The settlers in the Ninth District were not numerous, and possibly the last to organize. In the Tenth or Sulphur Springs special district, a log building was erected for school purposes in 1837, on land donated by John Slifer. When these districts became better organized, and the country more improved, these rough log schoolhouses gave place to finer frame buildings, and these in turn are now being superseded by brick structures. The first of these more durable edifices was con- structed for the Seventh or Keplinger District in 1876, at a cost of $1,200. The next year, the Fifth or Center District expended over $1,000 on a similar structure. Both of these were the work of R. H. Bender. In 1878, the Second District erected a brick house, which cost over $1,200. This was the sixth building erected for school purposes, in what is now the Second District, since the Maxfield Schoolhouse was put up by those early pioneers in the fall of 1823.

Ministers of the Gospel closely followed up the new settlements with that religious instruc- tion which had much influence in molding the 1

character of the carly settlers and their de- scendants. The Methodists, as a church, were the first to occupy the field in Crawford County, and missionaries of this denomination were the first who preached in Liberty Township. Dur- ing the year 1821, the pioneer missionaries of Delaware Circuit had pressed into the new country as far north as what is now Bucyrus, and, were filling regular monthly appointments. When John O. Blowers arrived with his family, in the spring of 1822, he immediately sought out those who could be induced to enlist in religious enterprises. Blowers, having learned that religious services were being held at Bucyrus, visited the place with his wife, at the time appointed, but for some reason the minis- ter failed to appear. The next month the ap- pointment was fulfilled, and Blowers prevailed upon the missionary to appoint services at his cabin on the next trip, and, when he again ap- peared, Blowers presented him a class of five, composed of himself and wife, William Cooper and wife, of Whetstone Township, and a German named Schultz. This was the first Methodist Episcopal class organized in Liberty Township, and it was the nucleus of the first M. E. Church of Liberty. This minister, who first preached at Blowers' cabin, was a man named Bacon. (This statement is made on the authority of John G. Stough, Rufus L. Blowers and Dr. J. B. Squires.) Bacon was the right man for such a mission. He was social, genial and big-hearted. He carried his pockets full of lettuce seed for the women, and fishing-tackle for the boys. Regular monthly appointments were kept up during the summer of 1822, and the next win- ter, preaching being held on Sunday at Bucyrus, and on Monday at the cabin of Blowers. When this pioneer settled in the township, he brought with him a very fine library of religious works, including most of the standard publications of the M. E. Church of that day. He studied these volumes of religious instruction, and be- came very well read in theology. These books

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

other pioncer settlers, many of whom had very were loaned throughout the neighborhood to

little reading matter, and they were the means of accomplishing much good, as the works laid the foundation of thorough religious instruc-

fall of 1822, Rev. James Monroe was sent to were anxious to obtain this knowledge. In the tion in the mind of many pioneer settlers who

this section of the country by the M. E. Con- ference, and in the spring of 1823, John O.

Blowers and his brother William were licensed

to preach the Gospel. They were the first licentiates of the M. E. Church in Crawford County. In the fall of 1823, the M. E. Confer- ence marked out a district for itinerant preach- ers of their denomination to travel over, and

settlements regular circuit give the new

preaching. It is generally believed by those who should know, that Rev. James Monroe and Rev. William Blowers were the first preachers to travel this circuit, but Capt. S. S. Blowers states that his nnele William told him in 1868, that Rev. James St. Clair rode the first

ministers who preached to the pioneers of Lib- circuit with him. Among the early Methodist

erty, were Rev. James Gilruth in 1825, Rev. Abner Goff in 1826, Rev. Russell Bigelow in 1829, and Revs. Fenneland, Rennels and S. P. Shaw. When the Maxfield Schoolhouse, the first erected in the township, was built in the

fall of 1823, religious services were held there, and this building was occupied until the Blowers Church and schoolhouse were built about 1830. The M. E. Church of Liberty Township was for many years in a more flour- ishing condition than at the present time. In 1840, over one hundred persons were subject to the discipline of this religious denomination, who were divided into two large classes, one at Sulphur Springs and one in the Blowers neigh-

borhood, and also one small class in the MeDon- ald neighborhood, in the northwestern part of the township. The M. E. Church edifice at Sulphur Springs was erected in 1848, and dedicated in

August of that year. Sulphur Springs class became the stronger of anee passed away one by one, until finally the moved to the great West, and most of the bal- with the Blowers class. Many of these re- ized, there were over eighty members connected Sulphur Springs congregation was first organ- the carpenter who constructed it. When the Robert Johnston was

the two and the minister would hold services at

that place, but for many years services were

held at the Blowers Church in the afternoon.

The Blowers brothers, who were the acknowl-

graveyard. John O. died in 1844, but Will- of Liberty, lie side by side in the Blowers edged leaders in the early religious movements iam lived many years afterward, doing good service for the M. E. Church, of which denom-

forty years. As the years passed by, this faith- ination he was an active minister for nearly

ful preacher of God's truth became old ; when his locks were silvered, the active generation which controlled the churches demanded younger men with modern ideas, and the man who, in 1823, traveled the first regular M. E. Circuit of this section was retired from active service in the church. Feeling that there was still some work for him to do, he, in the darkest hour of the rebellion-the fall of 1862-enlisted as a private in the One Hundred and Fifty- first New York Infantry, and it is thrilling to relate that this old pioneer hero, at the advanced age of sixty-six, did active duty for his country in the camp and field near Washington City. But they prevailed upon him to take another position, and he was detailed for hospital duty at Baltimore, where he was placed in charge of the Seventh Ward in Jarvis Hospital. A min- ister at sixty-six enlisting in the army to defend his country-such was the character of those early pioncer heroes of Liberty Township. William Blowers died January 28, 1868.

A few months after the religious services held by the Methodist Episcopal circuit riders had been removed from Blowers' cabin to the Max-

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

field Schoolhouse, the settlers organized in this building the first Sunday-school of Liberty. This was started in the spring of 1824, and was also the first Sunday-school established in Crawford County. John O. Blowers was the leading man of this school, and possibly the first Superintendent, but Thomas Scott, Jonas Scott, Samuel Smalley, Sr., and others also filled the same position during the early years of the school, the sessions of which were held at the Maxfield Schoolhouse until the Blowers Metho- dist Episcopal Church was built, in 1830. Al- though most of the active workers of the Sun- day-school were connected with this church, yet it continued as a union school, supported by members of other denominations until the United Brethren Church started one in con- nection with their religious work. The school at the Blowers Church was then discontinued, but many of the workers united with the new school, and the United Brethren Church reaped the harvest sown by the labors of those early settlers, who for many years continued the first Sunday-school of Crawford County.

The second denomination to send missionaries into Liberty were the United Brethren in Christ. Ministers of this sect visited the pio- neer settlements at a very early day, and, by the authority of some, preached in Liberty abont 1827. John Stough says that previous to 1830, Revs. Smith and Erit conducted religions serv- ices at the cabins of John Shong and Lawrence Simmons, and that the congregation was organ- ized in the winter of 1830. by Rev. John Cly- mer, grandfather of John R. Clymer, Esq .. of Bucyrus. Among the first members were John Shong and wife; Lawrence Simmons and wife ; Betsy Simmons, his sister ; Anselm Ful- mer and wife, also a sister of Simmons ; Abra- ham Grogg and wife, Anna Grogg. Services were held for many years in the old Simmons Schoolhouse. Their present church building, commonly known as the Crall Church, was erected in the fall of 1848, by Charles Perse

and Thomas Smith, carpenters. This edifice was enlarged in 1854, repaired about 1870, and is at the present time one of the finest country churches in the county. The first Trustees were Simon Crall, Henry Crall and Abraham Grogg. Many ministers have been regular Pastors of this charge, among whom are Revs. Benjamin Moore, in 1836, Alexander Biddle, Francis Clymer, Jacob Newman, Jacob Berger, G. Spracklin, M. Bulger, Gideon Hoover, C. L. Barlow, - Hubbard, I. T. Kiggins, William Neville, John V. Potts, D. F. Cender, Levi Moore, S. H. Randebaugh and M. Long. About 100 persons are at the present time subject to the discipline of the church, and Rev. O. H. Ramsey has charge of the work.

German ministers of the Evangelical Luther- an Church were the next to occupy the field and establish a church in Liberty. Previous to the year 1830, ministers of this denomination held religions services at the log cabins of sev- eral carly settlers-the first sermon being preached by Rev. David Shue, at the home of John Stough. The congregation was regularly organized by Rev. John Stough, about the year 1830. At this date, Lutheran services were being held regularly at both Bucyrus and Ben- ton by Rev. D. Shue. Rev. John Stough, the man who organized the church in Liberty, was the first Lutheran minister who crossed the Alleghany Mountains. He was born in York County, Penn., January 25, 1762, and about the year 1828, purchased eighty acres just west of the quarter-section owned by his son. He was then nearly seventy years of age, had labored forty years as a minister, and desired to retire from active service, but the German settlers who were moving into the township prevailed upon him to conduct religious services in the German language, and he was frequently per- snaded to fill appointments when he should have remained at home. After living in the town- ship upward of fifteen years, he died JJuly 25. 1845, aged eighty-three years, and in the fifty-

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

sixth year of his ministry. Rev. Stough held services frequently at the old Bell Schoolhouse and at the cabins of John George Klink, John Kroft, Jacob Mentzer, George Mollenkopf and others. About the year 1836, members of the Reformed and Lutheran congregations united in building a hewn-log church, which stood near the present site of the Reformed Church, and was occupied by both sects for many years. In 1852, the German Lutherans purchased a a lot about one and one-half miles east of this Union Church, and erected their present church edifice, which was the work of a carpenter called Gen. Taylor. Some seventy families are at the present time, connected with this con- gregation, which is in a flourishing condition under the charge of Rev. Charles Klessler.

The Lutheran Church (English) of Annapo- lis was organized about the year 1833, by Rev. F. J. Ruth, who was the first Pastor, and, at the same time. Pastor of the church at Bucy- rus. Rev. J. Crouse preached to this congre- gation many times during the early history of the church. The ordinance of baptism was administered the first time on August 17, 1833, at which time the following persons were baptized : Lawrence Simmons, an adult ; Eliza- beth, daughter of Michael and Sarah Peter- man, and Jacob, son of Benjamin and Louisa Sinn. Services were held at private cabins until the schoolhouse was built in the village of Annapolis. The congregation then occu- pied this schoolhouse until their first church was erected, in 1848. This building, the work of Gen. Taylor, mentioned above, was dedicat- ed in June, 1848, and Rev. Ruth was still Pas- tor of the charge. This denomination has the finest church in the township-a brick edifice, built in 1876, at a cost of nearly $5,000. Over one hundred persons are at the present time members of the congregation, which is under the charge of Rev. W. II. Dolbeer.

When the Lutherans of Liberty erected their first hewn-log meeting-house, about the year

1836, they were assisted by a few citizens who believed the doctrines taught by the Reformed Church. A covenant was made between these two sects which provided that this building should be always open for the religious serv- ices of either denomination. Possibly the first ministers of the Reformed Church who preached in the township were Revs. Frederick Gottleib Maschop and J. Miller, who were Pas- tors of the congregation at Bucyrus from the year 1835 to about 1845. The organization of a congregation in Liberty was perfected under Rev. Wendel Wasnich, about the year 1848. Rev. Abraham Keller succeeded Wasnich, and continued as Pastor until he died of cholera, in in the fall of 1852. After several months, Rev. Max Stern was placed in charge of the Reformed Churches of Crawford County, and, about the same time, their present church edi- fice was erected. Rev. Stern was succeeded by Rev. Eli Keller in 1856, who continued until the fall of 1861. Since Rev. Keller left, several Pastors have been employed who were not connected with the Bucyrus congregation, and, at the present time, the church consists of some seventy members, under the pastorate of Rev. W. Gilpin.

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History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 82

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