History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 94

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 94

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until a year or two after Richville was laid out, it was removed to the latter place. This re- moval took place in about the year 1843, and Dr. A. B. Fairbank received the appointment as first Postmaster in the town. In 1837, Jacob Reidel built an ashery near Richville. After running moderately for about ten years, it was discontinued. Those who made potash found it to their advantage to keep a small stock of goods on hand to be exchanged for ashes, as money was quite scarce; and, the system of exchange necessarily adopted in the backwoods, obviated, to quite a great extent, the want of that medium of exchange. It thus occurred that a majority of the asheries were run in con- nection with stores.

Great trouble was experienced in early years from the fact that stock wandered away in the deep woods and was lost beyond hope of re- covery, or remained away so long that its familiar appearance was no longer distinguish- able by the owner. The settlers, therefore, soon learned to carefully mark their swine and cattle, as the following taken from records in the possession of Mr. Hipp shows :

" Thomas Johnson's ear-mark for his cattle and hogs, is a square crop off the left ear and a slit in the same."

" John Davidson's ear-mark for cattle and hogs, is a swallow fork in each ear."

" Adrian Hoblitzell's ear-mark for cattle and hogs, is a slit in both ears."

The following is a transcript of a portion of the records of the Township Clerk, written in 1833 :

" Silas Chatfield and John Mitchell and Lloyd Ady and Jacob L. Gurwell and Jacob Bunce, and all apeared before me, James Adams, and was duly qualifide within the allimitad time."

The following is also quoted from the same record :

" The Trustees of Chatfield Township met on the 11th of November, 1833, and laid off the township into three school districts, commenc-

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

ing at the northeast corner of the township and taking a strip two miles wide across the town- ship west, called District Number 1; Number 2 takes the two center tiers ; and Number 3 the two southern tiers."

In 1837, the township was laid off into six Road Districts, three on the eastern side of the turnpike, and three on the western side. Changes have since been made in both school and road districts. There are at present living in the township about two hundred families, 190 of which are of German descent, and the other ten English. Many of the Germans, though raised in the township, can speak and understand but little or no English. About two hundred votes are polled when all the voters turn out; 180 ballots are cast for the Democratic candidates, and the other twenty for the Republican candidates. It is the banner Democratic township in the county. About ten years ago, there were but eight Republican voters. The citizens are thrifty and indus- trious, and the present valuation of personal property is about $109,400.

The Scotts were prominent settlers in the northern part. The son, John H., had been one of the contractors on the turnpike, and besides receiving considerable money for his services, also received a deed for quite an extensive tract of land adjoining the road, given him by the turnpike company as part payment for his labors. The Scotts lived in the northern part for many years, were industrious citizens, and were instrumental in adding greatly to the sub- stantial growth of the township in business in- dustries and general intelligence. After many years, they sold out and moved West. It was in about the year 1838 that Martin & Hilliar erected suitable buildings in the northern part, and began carding wool. The building was frame, and was two stories in height ; but the enterprise did not advance to the next higher step in the business-cloth-dressing-but con- fined itself wholly to wool-carding, which was

continued quite extensively for eight or ten years, when the project, for some unknown rea- son, was abandoned, and farming was adopted, as a more profitable pursuit. About two years after the wool-carding building was erected, John Lucas, a gentleman of English descent, assisted by his daughter, Mrs. Sarah Breston, a widowed lady, began the unusual occupa- tion of rearing silk-worms from eggs obtained in Eastern cities and brought with them into the wilderness with the view of manufacturing silk. Long sheds were erected with suitable shelves on the sides, whereon were deposited the eggs, and the rooms were heated to that degree of temperature necessary for the hatch- ing of the caterpillar and its subsequent life. Here could be seen the wonderful metamor- phoses of the different changes from the egg to the repulsive larva or caterpiller, then to the apparently lifeless chrysalis, and finally to the perfect insect, or imago. A small worm, or caterpillar, was hatched from the egg by the tropical temperature, kept day and night in the room, and then began its life of usefulness un- der the care and inspection of Mrs. Breston. Seed of the black mulberry (morus nigra) was planted in boxes, to be used when the plants were several inches or more in height, as food for the larva, which fed upon the leaves. A few mulberry trees were found growing in the woods, and the small leafy branches were clipped and taken to the rooms, where they could be kept fresh for several weeks by being planted in moist earth. The most serious dif- ficulty in the successful management of the enterprise was found to be the propagation of mulberry plants, without which the larvæ could not live and thrive. Much of the seed when planted did not grow, and the neighbors were asked to assist in the cultivation of the plants, to be paid for their labor and trouble in money or silk thread. This was attempted by many, but there it ended. After the larvæ became full grown, they began to spin their cocoons of

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

silk, preparatory to passing into the chrysalis state of development. Thousands of larvæ were reared, and set to work at that most im- portant and useful industry of manufacturing silk, of which quite a large quantity was spun. A sufficient number of the healthier chrysa- lides were permitted to reach the imago or perfect state with a view of the propagation of eggs ; but the majority were destroyed, as their lives of usefulness terminated with the spinning of the cocoons. These cocoons were taken, and, after being moistened, the silk thread of which they were composed was unwound, and then rewound on small spools. Hundred of spools of excellent silk thread were thus prepared and taken to Bucyrus or Sandusky City, where they found a ready sale. No cloth was manu- factured, although neck-ties and ribbons were woven by Mrs. Breston. The enterprise was something very unusual for the backwoods, and soon attracted no little interest and attention from surrounding neighborhoods. Employ- ment was given to some half-dozen girls, who were intrusted with the care of the insects-no light responsibility-and instructed to place within their reach an abundant supply of fresh mulberry leaves, as the usefulness of the larvæ depended upon their healthy growth, which was

rapid and desirable in direct proportion to the degree of their power of consuming food. Loads of people came from miles around to see the useful little insect pass through its various transformations, and to see it spinning its co- coons of shining silk. After the enterprise had been conducted for about twelve years, it was abandoned, because the returns realized were not commensurate with the outlay. The build- ings were located in the northeastern part of the township, near the western boundary. Mrs. Breston was a lady of unusual culture, and her

people were well bred and well educated. They afterward sold out, and left the neighborhood, and the buildings were torn down and the lum- ber devoted to other uses. Thus ended one of

the most useful industries ever begun in the township.

Two villages have arisen in the town hip, although their present appearance and condi- tion are widely different from what they were in early years. At one time, they both were promising towns, where men of push and energy resided, but now they are almo t wholly de- serted by enterprises of a business character. North Liberty was the first laid ( it, and it was among the earliest in the county It was one of the many laid out between 1830 and 1835, at which period a sort of epidemic for town- making spread over the county. It was sur- veyed and platted in May 1834, by Thomas C. Sweney, County Surveyor, and John Henry, proprietor. It was laid out from land on the north half of the southeast quarter of Section 19, Township 1 south, Range 17 east. Forty- one lots were laid out, partly on the east side of the turnpike and part on the west, and soon the little village began to grow. Several years before, a man named Demetry had built a small frame dwelling, on what afterward became the site of the village. John Henry, the proprie- tor of the land and town, except one lot owned by Demetry, also built a small frame dwelling before the town was laid out. These were the only buildings in town before it was surveyed and laid out, although immediately after that event, Jacob Bibble and John Winterholder erected two dwellings, into which they moved their families. Soon afterward, two other fami- lies came to reside in the town, and, when this is narrated, almost the whole history of the village is known. No store nor tavern ever honored the town with its presence, although much talk was freely indulged in, in early years, at a total loss to those participating. Thirty- five will cover the population of the village in its palmiest days. This was something un- usual-a flushed condition, so to speak, which could not last long ; for ordinarily, the village enumerated less than a dozen souls, and some-

Polon Shull

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

times was reduced to less than a half-dozen. However, in about 1839, a man named Kronen- bach erected a small building about a quarter of a mile south of the village on the turnpike, divid- ing the lower story into two apartments, and placing in the front one about $300 worth of notions. The citizens of the village, when away from home, were accustomed to speak of this store as though it was in town, a privilege which was not denied them by Mr. Kronen- bach, who was evidently willing for them to get as much satisfaction out of the statement as could be expected. But the statements could not disguise nor conceal the fact that the village was without a store. It was not deemed profitable by mercantile men to place a stock of goods in the town when a rival establish- ment was doing a fair business a few rods south. Perhaps Mr. Kronenbach had an ob- ject in resisting the invitations of the villagers to move his stock of goods to the town. It is very likely that he adopted the practical phi- losophy of Mohammed reversed, thinking that the town should come over to him instead of the opposite. Both parties were disappointed, however, as the village remained where it was, and the store continued to do a fair business a few rods south. Mr. Kronenbach purchased his goods at Bucyrus, and his stock was in- creased until it was valued at about $600, dry goods and groceries being added to the original stock. After continuing the pursuit for about twelve years, Mr. Kronenbach was taken sick and died, whereupon his stock of goods was closed out and the enterprise abandoned. This was the first stock of goods brought to the township. The only noteworthy business en- terprise ever in North Liberty, was Jacob Reidel's ashery, heretofore mentioned. The village is universally, though vulgarly, known as "Hog Town," which title was bestowed up- on it from the following curious circumstances : John Henry, the proprietor of the town, was the man previously referred to, who was in the

habit of illegally appropriating his neighbor's hogs. He soon obtained an ill-repute, which clung to him wherever he went, like Sindbad's burden. The stigma of disgrace could not be shaken off, though there is no evidence show- ing that Henry tried very hard to accomplish that result ; on the contrary, he apparently was not concerned in the least by what his neigh- bors might think of him. He seemed to have enough to do in packing his neighbors' pork without their consent, to undertake any such new and unusual occupation. Finally, the neighbors began speaking of him as " Hog" Henry, a name he adopted without a murmur of disapprobation, even being heard to speak of himself as "Hog" Henry. One day, Joseph Hall and several other settlers were hunting in the woods near the cranberry marsh, when they suddenly heard the loud report of a rifle about a quarter of a mile distant. The hunters started toward the spot where the report had sounded, and, when within a few yards of that locality, they glanced through the foliage of the trees, and saw a man bending over the body of a hog that had just been shot. The man had a sharp knife in his hand, and was already busily engaged in flaying the dead ani- mal. The hunters stopped immediately when they recognized the butcher. It was "Hog" Henry, who was undoubtedly up to his unlaw- ful depredation of slaughtering and appropri- ating his neighbor's swine. One of the hunters was so incensed at the flagrancy and audacity of the act, that he raised his rifle and shot Henry through the thigh. The wounded man fell prostrate upon the animal he had shot. The hunters ran forward to assist the fallen man, upon whom had fallen a swift and merited retribution. He was taken home. his wound was dressed, and after a few months he was out again, as active as ever in his old occupation. After this, the people began calling the village which Henry had laid out "Hog Town," a name it yet retains in honor (?) of the deeds of

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

its illustrious founder. The village is now almost wholly deserted. Its early lack of pros- perity was, in a great measure, due to the ill will of the neighbors toward Henry. This man moved West, and has been dead many years.

Richville has had a different history. It was laid out and platted in May, 1840, by the Crawford County Surveyor, and by Nathan Rich, the projector and proprietor. Nineteen lots were laid out on the southeast quarter of Section 18, Township 1 south, Range 17 east ; and the village immediately began to grow and thrive, notwithstanding its proximity to North Liberty. Mr. Rich had erected a frame dwell- ing one and a half stories in height about three years before the town was surveyed. This building is yet standing, though deserted and unoccupied. Mr. Rich was an intelligent man of English descent, who had moved to the township about the time his dwelling was erected. Several buildings went up imme- diately after the laying-out of the town. John Robbins built the second, and John Pugh, the third. Pugh was a shingle-maker, and erected suitable shops wherein to ply his trade. When business at his shop became dull, he traveled around to the houses of the citizens, soliciting engagements for the manufacture of shingles. He made excellent ones from poplar and other wood, charging from 25 to 50 cents per hundred, sawing, splitting and shaving them out from the rough wood. He prepared a limited quantity of siding in the same man- ner. first splitting the rough clapboards out, and afterward shaving them down to the desired thickness. He continued the business for a number of years and then moved West. Pugh had a boy who was immoderately indo- lent. He refused to perform manual labor of any kind, although often flogged severely for such refusal. The youth was incorrigible, but soon developed an unusual power of acquiring knowledge. He outstripped his fellow-students

at school, learning his lessons without any apparent effort. All that is known of the fami- ly after moving West is, that the boy who was so lazy in Ohio, arose by steady degrees through various positions of honor until finally he was elected to represent his district in Con- gress. This incident is not related with a view of encouraging indolence; neither is it insinu- ated that idle boys make Congressmen. The obvious moral to be drawn is, that, if the youth's physical energy had been proportion- ate to his powers of mind, he might have be- come one of the greatest statesmen in the country. Boys should be cautioned, in read- ing this incident, not to make the mistake, that idleness is one of the cardinal virtues.

About the time that Pugli built his dwell- ing, Thaddeus Kent, a settler. had come to Crawford County, locating near Bucyrus, as early as 1822. This man, who has been one of Chatfield's most distinguished citizens, is yet living in Richville. He is a cooper, and has followed his trade for many years. Nathan Rich, the founder of the town, kept the first stock of goods in Richville, consisting of about $75 worth of notions, used to exchange for ashes, for Mr. Rich owned one of the most extensive asheries in the county, manufact- uring as high as twenty-five tons of excellent pearl-ash per annum. He purchased large quantities of ashes from the neighboring set- tlers, paying at the rate of from 3 to 5 cents per bushel for the same, or giving notions, at the same rate, in exchange. Hun- dreds of tons of pearl-ash were transported to Bucyrus or Sandusky City, and sold, and hand- some profits were realized. The same year that Richville was founded, Mr. Rich erected a large two-storied frame building, in which was placed one set of " nigger-head " stones. The grinding of any other grain but corn was not attempted, and even the latter was not ground to any great extent. In one apartment of the mill was placed a large "up-and-down " saw,

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

and here an excellent and first-class business was done. The services of an experienced sawyer were obtained, and large quantities of sawed lumber were furnished the neighboring citizens. The real growth of the town began with the erection of the mills and the com- mencement of the manufacture of pearl-ash. Dwellings began to go up in the village, trades- men began to appear, and the outlook seemed promising. Life and activity were seen in all undertakings. John Robbins kept the first real store in town. He began in 1840, with a general assortment valued at about $800, and continued the business for six years, when he sold out and went to Wyandot County. He was succeeded in 1846, by a man having the same name, John Robbins. This merchant kept the largest stock but one ever in the town. He sold a general assortment of goods, realiz- ing fair profits therefrom, and at the expiration of ten years sold out and removed to some other locality. John Quaintanee opened a saloon in town soon after it was laid out. It is said that his stock of liquor, on hand at any one time, could be contained in a single jug. Several inveterate topers, living in the neigh- borhood, were in the habit of frequenting this saloon, where their earthly tribulations were drowned in the flowing bowl. Some of these tribulations were excellent swimmers, judging from the quantity of liquor that was drank. Mr. Quaintance kept a small stock of groceries, among which was coffee. He had in his em- ploy a youth of about sixteen years of age, who, it is said, knew enough to take 3 cents for a drink of whisky, and there his stock in knowledge failed. One day Mr. Quaintance, who was engaged in buying paper-rags of the citizens, left the boy in charge of the saloon, while he went to Bucyrus for another jug of whisky. A neighbor came in with a sack of rags, the worth of which he told the boy he would take in coffee. The youth, with that ready confidence which is often found abundant-

ly where knowledge is lacking, weighed the rags, and announced that there were some fif- teen pounds. He then weighed the same num- ber of pounds of coffee, tied the same up, and gave the package thus prepared in exchange for the rags. All this was done with that ready assurance which distinguishes the man of ex- perience-one who has tied up thousands of pounds under the same familiar circumstances. When Mr. Quaintance came home and learned of the transaction, his faith in the experience and mental skill of his confidential clerk was hope- lessly shaken. He even attempted to point out to the unsuspecting youth a serious error in the exchange ; and such conduct on the part of the employer was not tolerated by the indig- nant clerk, who announced his intention of leaving the saloon, if such presumption was again attempted. He did not leave, and the presumption is that he overlooked the repre- hensible conduct of his employer in doubting the wisdom of the elerk and the financial bene- fits of the exchange. Mr. Quaintance con- ducted his saloon for a number of years, and then closed out his stock and retired from the business. Mr. Kaler opened a saloon soon after- ward, but did not continue long at the occupa- tion. Liquor has been sold in the village dur- ing the larger part of its history. Lorenzo Bartimess, a man of great push and enterprise, erected suitable buildings in 1839, and began the distillation of whisky and brandy on quite an extensive scale. Ile placed in the building two copper stills ; one, the larger, with twice the capacity of the other, containing about eight barrels, and the other four. This became the most profitable distillery ever in the township, turning out a fair sample of whisky and brandy at the rate of from ten to thirty gallons per day. Mr. Bartimess understood the business thoroughly, being a practical distiller of wide experience, and he commanded an extensive patronage from the surrounding country, and also sold considerable in neighboring villages.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

The enterprise was continued, with the excep- tion of several stoppages, until a few years ago, when it was discontinued by the direction and through the intervention of United States offi- cials. The distillery buildings were located just east of the village, where the water of Sycamore Creek would be easily obtained for cleansing purposes. Scores of men living in this and adjacent townships, were accustomed to visit the distillery, where liquor free from strychnine and other alkaloid poisons could be obtained for less money than the impure arti- cles then circulating in commerce. Jugs were taken and filled, and when the supply had failed, another visit was made for more. The greater portion of the liquor manufactured was consumed at home.

In the year 1864, Hipp & Robinson erected the present store building in the town at a cost of $600, and placed therein $6,000 worth of goods. They made a fair profit the first year on the investment; but, when the fictitious prices, created during the war, began to de- cline, often going down 20 per cent within as many days, large losses were incurred, and at the end of five years the partners sold their stock to Markley & Durr for $3,000, and re- tired, having sunk several thousand dollars in the enterprise. The latter partnership contin- ned in business for several years ; but the un- dertaking was not profitable, and was discon- tinned within four or five years. Other parties have engaged in the mercantile pursuit at dif- ferent times. Frederick and William Asch- baugh, for a number of years, kept about $2,000 worth of a general assortment of goods for sale. Jacob Buckman also engaged in the same pursuit with $3,000 worth of goods. In a small building a short distance south of the village, George Maltz, beginning in 1854, car- ried a stock of goods valued at $2,500 for about ten years. He was wise enough to close out or sell out just before the prices began to decline, having received the full benefit of the

rise of goods in valuc. Michael Hall followed him for about four years, but heavy losses de- cided his closing out his stock. This has been the extent of mercantile pursuits in Richville. Several of the stores commanded a wide patron- age, furnishing large profits to the owners. Shortly after the town was laid out, the post office was changed from Frisbee's Tavern to Richville. As was previously stated, Dr. A. B. Fairbanks, the first physician of any note in the town, received the appointment as Post- master. This office has been in the village ever since, and has always been kept in some of the stores. Dr. Fairbanks had a partner in his profession-a young man named Detwiler-and this partnership was not dissolved for about fifteen years, enjoying in the meantime an ex- tensive practice. They have been followed by Drs. Pitzell, Urias Tupps and Zeigler, the pres- ent resident physician. The village has seen its best days, and nothing is likely to arise to modify, increase or change its present condi- tion of inertness. Frederick Hipp, or "Squire " Hipp, as he is more familiarly known, has done a great deal in the past to add to the material prosperity and growth of the town. He has been elected term after term to the office of Justice of the Peace, and in the private walks of life has commanded universal respect and influence.

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History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 94

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