USA > Ohio > Defiance County > History of Defiance County, Ohio. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, etc.; military record; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; farm views, personal reminiscences, etc > Part 41
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
Tittle and J. J. Jarvis, and subsequently in March, 1881, the Board as above was continued and John D. Lamb was elected Secretary in place of Edwin Phelps, resigned.
The ladies of Dofianco, in 1875 or 1876, organized a society known as the Ladies' Rural Cemetery Asso- ciation, whose object was the raising of money to beautify and improve the grounds, and in 1878 and 1879 their fund had grown to perhaps $500, a good portion of which had been devoted to the object above specified. These grounds are located about a mile from the center of the city on the banks of the beau- tiful Auglaize River, and are very tastefully laid out into lots and fractional lots, with fine, spacious avenues and walks, notably among them Central avenue, which is twenty-five feet wide, extending through the center and whole length of the grounds to the banks of the Auglaize. Rural avenue is sixteen feet wide, running along the bank of a ravine, which forms the boundary line of the grounds on the west; and then there are Locust, Eglantine and Cedar walks, which are very pretty and are laid out each of them eight feet wide. The plat is divided into five divisions, " A, B, C, D, E." Division C is a circle situated at the southerly part of the grounds as a public park and is surrounded by Central avenue. Its diameter, inclusive of the circular part of Central avenue, is 170 feet, and this, together with the entire inclosure, is beautifully shaded by the natural forest trees.
The Lot "M" donated to the Methodist organiza- tion by H. G. Phillips and Benjamin Leavell, was not considered suitable for a burying ground and the congregation, by and with the consent of the origi- nal donors, proceeded to lay it out in building lots, the proceeds of which they were to apply a certain amount in payment of the lot deeded to the Defiance Rural Cemetery Association, and the balance realized from the sale of said lots was to go to the benefit of the Methodist Episcopal denomination.
DEFIANCE TOWNSHIP.
Defiance Township was organized in 1846. Un- like most of the other townships of Defiance County, it is not a full Congressional Township. Its southern part consists of the northern half of Town 3 north, Range 4 east, being a half of Auglaize Township, Henry County; and this half township included all the territory taken from l'aulding County upon the organization of Defiance County in 1845. The northern portion of Defianco Township, as now con- stituted, comprises the southern part of Defiance Township, Williams County; which formerly includ- ed, besides these, tlie land which now comprises Noble.
The Maumee River forms a portion of the northern boundary of Defiance.
The earliest settlements in this township were made at Defiance.
" SCALP LEVEL.""
Immediately opposite the old plat of Defiance, on the north side of the Maumee River, is a level plateau of land, extending some distance back without any apparent variation of grade. Its height above the river is fifty or sixty feet; the bank, before " improve- ment broke nature's fair outline," gently sloped to the river's edge, and in some places left a narrow bottom of a few rods' width.
This being higher than Defiance, it commands the view, not only of the town, but also of the adjacent farming lands, and, strategically, might be said to command the situation. Tradition has it that the French Post (if, indeed, there ever was really one here) was located on this ground. If such a post ex- isted, its works could not have been of a very perma- nent or enduring character, for no trace or outline was ever identified.
The brow of the hill, and for a few rods back, was cleared and lawn-like as ordinary Indian greens, the clearing, however, could never have been made with a view to cultivation, as the soil is of too hard and forbidding a nature to reward the lazy, careless and primitive culture of the Indian agriculturist. It was, so far back as the knowledge of Americans extends, devoted to trade; and here were located the booths of. the traders and peddlers, who dispensed whisky, am- munition and blankets during the fur season, or at the payment of some annuity or gratuity from Gov- ernment.
One of these, of a more permanent character, lo- cated on the site of the tavern building now owned by F. Wolsiffer, survived several years, and was the scene of many a drunken row and fight-generally among Indians, though occasionally dare-devil whites mixed in the fray. On the removal of the Indians, all these developments of white men's cupidity disap- peared, giving place to trade, less profitable but more useful and creditable to society.
This plateau, or elevated " green," was known, fifty or seventy years ago as "Scalp Level," but why so designated is only left to conjecture. Possibly, this ground was the place of torture, where captives, doomed to death were surrendered to the tender mer- cies of the boys and squaws for the preliminary gaunt- let running and beating, to be followed by the final agony of stake, fagot and fire; or, possibly, a scalp- ing scene, having occurred there under peculiar cir- cumstances, interesting to the mind of the savage or the rude backwoodsman, gave it this uncouth name. That it ever had such a designation will probably be
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
news to any resident now of the Maumee Valley so rapidly are the aboriginal and pioneer incidents and events passing from local recollection.
Shortly after Defiance was laid out, a few lots were platted on the hillside and top, and recorded as the "Town of Williamstown." This, with several additions thereto, comprising Scalp Level and all its surroundings, have been, by the extension of the corporation limits, absorbed in the incorporated village of Defiance.
OUR OLD APPLE TREES.
Defiance has been famed for the possession of a monstrous apple tree. Strangers have seldom failed to visit it, to measure its proportions and speculate upon its age and origin. It stands on the narrow bottom on the north side of the Maumee, and nearly opposite the old fort. It has never failed, in the knowledge of present settlers, in producing a crop of very excellent apples. One large branch, however, has of late years been broken off by the storms, which has much marred its proportions- the re- mainder is yet healthy and prospering.
Before the town was laid out, there were many trees, equally thrifty and not less in size, in this vicinity. Their origin is variously conjectured. The most probable is that they were planted by French missionaries and traders, during the French dominion on the lakes, and cared for afterward by the Indians, trappers and traders.
In an early account of Defiance, it is stated by a captive among the Indians, who visited the place in 1790, that there were a few hewed-log houses on the high grounds about where the residences of William Carter and J. P. Ottley now are, surrounded by a stockade, in which resided traders and a British agent -the United States not at that time having enforced their authority over this section. The space between these houses and the Auglaize bank was cleared, and also for some distance to the west, the bank of the Auglaize was lined with apple trees, and the premises looked clean and thrifty, and the view of Blue Jacket's town on the bottom on the north side of the Maumee, and the extensive corn-fields of the Indians on the Lewis and Frazee bottoms, are particularly mentioned.
Thomas Warren, of this vicinity, who came here about fifty years ago, says that these apple trees stood in a row, about fifteen feet from the edge of the bank, and extended from that point up to the bridge, and that they were then in excellent bearing condition. These trees are now all gone, as well as the ground they stood on. The continual wearing-away of the bank, from ice, freshets and frosts, has amounted in
that time to about twenty-five feet. Occasionally a root from one of these old trees sent up a sprout, but none of them have ever come to bearing.
On the Maumee bank, extending from where the canal now empties, up to the residence of T. J. Cole, was another row of similar trees, the most of these stood on the Wasson property. These are also all gone, except one in the rear of Mr. Cole's house. These died from various causes-cattle, cultivation and malicious or mischievous boys.
Chance trees stood, also, over most of the present town plat, but not of so large a growth-probably volunteers. Some of the smaller ones were taken up and removed by the early settlers; Samuel Keppler, another early settler, started his orchard with trees of this kind. On the small bottom on the north side of the Maumee, opposite Defiance, were quite a number of trees, extending up as far as the county bridge; some of these were on the towing-path, and others in the way, so that they were cut down or died. The old tree so famous is, perhaps, one of this row; stand- ing further in from the bank, and being private property, it has been saved from the general destruc- tion. The large trees standing on the Krotz, Lewis and other bottoms in this vicinity, are the plant of early squatters and of comparatively recent origin.
At the so-called "Orchard Hollow," eight miles up the Maumee, was also quite a number of these old trees, which probably were of like origin and age. They were on the high land on the south side, and immediately opposite the old Indian Delaware town on the bottom, now the property of Charles Speaker. It is remarked by Parkman, in his " Jesuit and Pioneer History," that the missionaries aud traders always fixed their stations on high grounds overlooking the Indian towns; and the selection of the high grounds at Defiance and at Orchard Hollow was in accordance with this general rule. None of these trees are yet in existence at the last named place. The fruit of all these trees was better than that of the present so- called natural trees-grew larger and had more agree- able taste. The stocks of the trees were more like those of the forest, higher to the branches, longer in limb than the grafted trees of the present day, which, as compared with the Indian trees, are mere over- grown shrubs. Probably the shade and contracted clearings in which they were growu had much to do with this large growth. In those inartificial days, before civilization brought in borers, worms and cur- culios, trees grew and thrived without hindrance.
Mr. Warren also informs us that on the St. Joseph, about the State line, in the vicinity of a Pottawat- omie village, was also a similar orchard, and also another near the Shawnee village at Wapakonetta,
John. Mr. Prisca dorfinn
diCaschiir
DE. Beardsley
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
on the Upper Auglaize. The fow trees of large .growth at Ottawa, Charloe and Fort Brown were probably planted by the Indians themselves.
In early days, the Indians, before the whites ob. tained property in the land, guarded carefully these old trees. The fruit they claimed for themselves, and distributed to the remotest sections of their tribes a share. Probably associations of historic in- terest, of days of large population and greater power, or of kindly regard for the French missionaries by whom they were introduced, gavo an extraordinary value to these old trees in the estimation of the un- tutored sons of the forest ..
No trees of similar age are known to have existed on the Maumee below Defiance. It was upon the upper waters of the river that the Indians had their chosen seats, and here those who, from benevolence or trade, sought their acquaintance must come. Of the history of those days -- say from 1640 for a hun- dred years or more-of the self-denying labors of the missionary, of his hardships, successes and failures, scarce a vestige remains. These trees are suggestive of his aim to minister to the comfort of the savage, to acquaint him with the benefits of civilization, and to induce in him habits of home life, with ulterior views of spiritual influence. The Indian has gone not only hence, but almost as a race, yielding to the superior power and intellect of the whites; yet, one cannot but think that, had the policy of the French missionary or the Pennsylvania Quaker been goner- ally adhered to, the result would have been far other- wise, and our national character relieved, in the mind of the philanthropist, of a disgraceful stain.
VOTERS OF 1845.
The following is a list of the voters of Defiance Township in October, 1845:
John H. Kiser, Willliam Bridenbaugh, John M. Stilwill, Benjamin Brubacher, John P. Downs, Enos P. Wiley, Rinaldo Evans, Samuel S. Case, Reason Wells, William Billinger, John Drake, J. Rude, Raniel Swinchart, E. C. Case, Sereno Lyman, Brice Hilton, G. W. B. Evans, H. P. Rice, Samuel Blackman, C. M. Lambert, P. Bellinger, V. Sellin- ger, James B. Heatly, Anson H. Holoway, William R. S. Wasson, Martin Thrall, Jacob J. Greeno, James Karr, William S, Langdon. F. F. Stevens, Elias Bruner, Elias Churchman, John Blair, William Lewis, James K. Burdge, Joseph T. Clark, Calvin L. Noble, Oliver W. Sawyer, Charles V. Royce, F. Bridenbaugh, Henry Van Wormer, Reuben White- head, John Kniss, John Stow, Amos Stoddard, Will- iam B. Warren, James W Wiley, Amos Zellers, David MeKellyss. William A, Brown, John Hazeltine, Lyman Langdon, Stephen Kent, William Carter,
William Lyman, N. Hopkins, Joseph P. Ayres, Abra- ham Landis, Henry Allshouse, Jacob Braninger, B. B. Southworth, George Anderson, William Travis, Obadiah Welch, Joseph Webb, Ephraim Webb, Thomas D. Farine, Jacob Teats, Jacob Kniss, James Herrn, P. McCauley, John J. Kuhn, David L. Oliver, Edwin Phelps, I. P. E. Whedon, James Partee, C. J. Freer, Solomon Stoner, Reuben Strait, Jonas Colby, Casper Sway, John Lee, Walter Davis, J. G. Worts, J. G. Woodward, Timothy Fitzpatrick, Perin Fay, William Semans, Horace Sessions, M. P. Bell, Timothy Dame, John Durkin, Michael Herrn, E. Kinkade, Thomas Warren, John Bridenbaugh, A. Schooly, F. J. McDowell, P. M. Dodd, Jacob Olinger, Lovi Rider, Peter Bridenbaugh, William Rider, John Wells, A. L. Downs, Solomon Potter, F. A. Koons, Peter Zellers, M. Thrall, Ezra Hilton, Henry Donley, James Hudson, Sylvester Blackman, John Tuttle, An. drew Master, Benjamin Hilton, John Skeen, William C. Holgate, Isaac Hoover, William Teats, William Edwards, Thomas Lewis, S. H. Greenlee, John Terry, Eps Southworth, D. W. Marcellus, Robert Wasson, Aaron Bixby, Henry Varneman, D. Graper, James S. Greer, William Barton, John Karns, J. Allen, Hugh L. Kerr, Lewis Bixby, James Oden, Henry Gray, Benjamin Elkins, S. S. Sprague, Enoch Partee, James Elkins, Abraham Wells, A. Hudson, Thomas Clark, F. Pool, Henry W. Clark, John Winfield, James T. Jolly, J. Edings, M. B. Widmer, James A. Partee, Jeremiah Andrews, John Shirley, George Bowde, Norman King, Robert Heatly, Z. H. Davis, Levi Donly, Richard Hilton, C. G. Andrews, David Travis, Henry C. Bouton, Adam Hall, Emory Hough- ton, Elias Shirley, W. A. Haller, John Lehman, Charles Speker, Stephen Karnes, John White, John McCully, John Partee, Lewis Kerr, George Smith, E. R. Tucker, John Gurlock.
Jacob J. Greene, John Partee and William S. Langdon, Judges; Martin Thrall and Henry C. Bou- ton, Clerks.
RECOLLECTIONS OF PIONEER LIFE IN THE MAUMEE VALLEY.
BY MRS. RUTHI AUSTIN.
My father, Mr. Robert Shirley, Sr .. moved with his family from Ross County, near Chillicothe, Ohio, to Fort Defiance in the spring of 1881. Our family numbered nine persons, namely, my parents, Mr. Robert Shirley, Sr., and Mrs. Rachel Shirley, my brothers James, Elias and Robert, my sisters Mary and Nancy, myself (Ruth) and my baby brother John Gilbert. My brother Nathan, the eldest of the fam- ily, was at this time married and settled in Ross County. At the time of our removal, I was eleven years of age. I have a vivid recollection of the jour- ney, and of the wild appearance of the country. We
13
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
started for Fort Defiance in March, 1822, and arrived at our destination in April, having been three weeks on the way. The first place we saw Indians was at Wapakonetta. They were Shawnees and partly civilized. Mr. John Johnson was Indian Agent. Through his influence, Government established a blacksmith shop, and a store to supply the Indians, and appointed Mr. Broadex to superintend the work of teaching the Indians agricultural and mechanical pursuits. Some of the Indians lived in log cabins, others in wigwams. The next place of interest was Fort Amanda. I do not remember seeing any remains of the fort. A family by the name of Russell enter- tained travelers. The next was Fort Jennings -- no fort standing here. One family lived here, and were the last white people we saw until we reached Fort Defiance. We were now truly in the wilderness. On one side was the River Auglaize, on the other a vast, wooded country, with no road, only an Indian trail along the river. It required a man to go ahead with an ax in order to cut away trees that had fallen across the trail, and to blaze the trees, and often to cut through the brush some distance to get a place to ford the streams tributary to the Auglaize. The weather was unusually fine, so the family did not suffer much inconvenience in camping out. After we left Fort Jennings, brothers James and Robert took all the cattle and hogs (except one cow with a calf too young to travel with the herd) forward to Fort Defiance, where brother Robert, a lad thirteen years of age, remained to take care of them, and brother James returned to the family, meeting us at the mouth of the Little Auglaize, fifteen miles above Fort Defiance. After assisting us to ford the stream, he left us for Fort Finley, for the purpose of convey- ing the provisions stored there, to Fort Defiance, for the subsistence of the family. Brother James made the journey through the unbroken wilderness alone, on foot, provided with his compass, gun, ammunition,
flints and punk, and his blanket. Our parents had great fears that James would fall a prey to wild ani- mals or Indians, but he got safely through, and, pur- chasing a pirogue, took the provisions down Blanch- ard's Fork to the Auglaize, and from thence on that river to Fort Defiance. These provisions had been raised the previous summer, with the expectation that the future home of the family would be at Fort Fin- ley. My father and two other farmers of Ross County, Messrs. Moreland and Beaver, when viewing the country, had selected Fort Finley as the place of their settlement, and in the spring of 1821 they each sent out a four-horse wagon with plows, etc., seed corn and potatoes, also a stock of provisions and a few hogs. Two men were sent with cach wagon, making a party of six men. My brothers James and
Elias took father's team. They cleared and fenced land, and put in corn and potatoes. When the sum- mer's work was done, one man each, with the wagons, returned home, leaving a horse apiece for the three men remaining. Brother James remained, and brother Elias returned.
Now, to fatten the hogs, slaughter and pack them down, and store the corn and potatoes for the winter, was the work of those remaining; then they left all in the care of Mr. Cox's family-the only white resi- dent there-and returned to their homes. The horse left for brother James got away and went home. The alarm at home was very great when the horse came without its rider; all were sure he had been killed until a letter explained.
Having heard much of the Fort Defiance region, brother James went there before coming home, and was so captivated with it that, on his return, he per- snaded father to change the location of his future home from Fort Finley to Fort Defiance.
Nothing of interest transpired after brother James left us for Fort Finley, until we came to Okonoksee's village, on the Auglaize, thirteen miles above Fort Defiance, where Charloe now stands. These Indians were of the Ottawa nation, called by the whites Tawas.
.They had here a reservation of seven miles square. Okonoksee was chief, and the village was called after him.
The Indians were all at home, it being the close of the hunting and sugar-making seasons. Many came out -- men, women and children-to see us. They were civil, and manifested a curiosity to see the big horses and the "big wigwams on wheels," ex. amining the cover, how it was kept on, and often ex- claiming " Ugh! big pashekoksee;" meaning big horses. This was a great day with them, being the day for their yearly feast and dance to celebrate the close of the hunting and sugar-making seasons. (It was their custom to also celebrate yearly their corn harvest.)
Brother Elias and sister Mary went into the vil- lage to see the big bear roasting. The bear was skinned nicely, all except his feet, and rested on his hind-paws on the ground, while the fore-paws were suspended to upright poles. The fire almost sur- rounded him.
Their corn-fields were on the opposite side of the river, where the farm of Mr. Robert Shirley, Jr., is now located.
After we left the village, we hastened on as fast as possible, to get out of the reach of the Indians be- fore they began their drunken dance. At noon we halted for rest and dinner, when, to our great discom- fiture, we found we were without anything to strike fire, James having been given all the flints and pow-
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IHISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
der, excepting what was packed in the large chest at the bottom of the wagon.
Mother had given the little Indian papooses at the villages all the bread we had, and we could not have any dinner. Wo lot the horses rest and eat and then pushed on, hoping to come to an Indian camp, or firo left by them, but wore disappointed. Night came on, and we prepared to spend it the best we conld. The horses were tied and fod; the feod-box was always taken from the rear end of the wagon, and firmly fixed on the tongue of the wagon, and the horses tied on either side of it. The family, sup- perless and without fires to keep off the wild animals, were arranged as follows: Father and brother Elias lay under the wagon, mother, the three daughters and baby brother slept in the wagon.
The cow, perceiving danger, got her calf close to the wagon, and then lay close to it on the outer side. The wolves howled alarmingly near, frighten- ing the horses so that our young teamster, brother Elias, needed to be up the most of the night to keep them from breaking loose.
The next morning we started early, in the hope of finding fire, but were disappointed; so at noon we stopped and unloaded the wagon until we reached the chest and got the flints, when we soon had a fire made. My oldest sister quickly prepared nourishing food for our dear mother, who was almost overcome by her fast of thirty hours and hor care of her nurs- ing babe, ten months old. After we were all refreshed by a good dinner, we started on. When the sun was getting low, we came to a little stream that was difficult to cross. While looking and planning what to do, an Indian on foot came up the bank. Father made him understand, by motions of the hands, that he wanted to cross.
The Indian was soon in the bushes, blazing troes as he wont; after awhile he came back, saying, " Howshka!" (Come on). Our team followed, as he directed, and made the crossing safely and back to the trail, where we encamped for the night. The In- dian lighted our lire. Ho was invited to eat supper, and after he ato ho pointed upward, saying " Heap bish " (rain); then pointing to the calf said, "Heap anemooso " (wolves). Ho then took up a braud of fire, and, making a circuit, sot fire to several dry logs to protect us from the wolves, and loft for the vil- lage.
Il rained a little, but the next morning was bright and beautiful.
The stream that we had just crossed was Three Mile Run, so we were only three miles from the end of our journey, and this was the last night of our camping out.
We reached Fort Defiance that forenoon, to our
joy and the great delight of brother Robert, who had been there several days. My parents were pleased to find Mr. William Preston, a gentleman of intelligence and of pleasing manners, in possession of the fort. He had been there most of the time since the war.
There were two gool log houses in the fort, built for the officers, one of which Mr. Preston's family occupied; in the other, my father's family found nar row but quite comfortable quarters.
The fort was all standing in good preservation, excepting the barracks on the banks of the Auglaize. The bank here was very steep, and commanded a fine view of the low land on the opposite side of the river. The block-houses, the four large gates with sentinel- boxes over them, were good, and the pickets were in good order, and strong enough to be a protection even then. The block-house on the northeast corner of the fort, had a good cellar, that had been used for a magazine during the war. From the cellar an un- derground way led to the river, by which the soldiers could get water without being seen by the enemy. In the block-house at the end of the barracks, facing southeast, were two or three iron-bound chests, full of written documents of the war, left by the army officers.
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