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 43
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avoid mosquitoes. It was a show to immigrants, con- sisting of Indian men and women and children nearly all naked up to ten or twelve years old, more than a hundred horses and more than a hundred dogs, all in a state of active enjoyment.
One mile south of Defiance, I saw the first herd of deer, some nine in number, bounding by our emi- grant train, apparently not much frightened, and seen and remarked by nearly every one.
On the 1st of April, 1825, we arrived in Fort Defiance, some moving into the Fort, some moving down on the Maumee River. My father moved into grandfather's (Robert Shirley, Jr.) house, double log (cabins), for a few days; then on his grandfather's farm, later known as the Frazee farm, one mile south of De- fiance, for three years; then on my father's farm, six miles south of Defiance, now known as the Town New- ton farm, into his new double log cabin, which was good enough, and used for a dwelling, tavern, church. and Justice's office when .my father was elected Jus- tice of the Peace.
In 1840, my father moved into his new two-story frame house just in time for the wedding of his eld- est daughter, Rachel, to Shadrach H. Carey, and in 1844 Nathan Shirley's wife died, and father and the family kept house for eight years, giving a din- ner to myself and Elizabeth Prowant on the 9th day of October, 1849. My father was married to Mrs. Ann P. Hankins about 1852; then sold his farm and bought and made a farm at old Milldam, four miles south of Defiance; then sold and moved to Junction, being one of the proprietors of that town, where he died in 1872, after an active life of over forty-seven years, holding the office of County Com- missioner in Williams County and acting as Colonel of the militia for a number of years. After Pauld- ing County was organized he served as Justice of the Peace, and was an accepted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, serving as class leader aud doing other church duties, and being a member for over fifty years, having belonged, together with my mother, to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ross County. They having raised seven boys and six girls, five of whom are still living, myself in Dupont, Putnam County; C. D. Shirley, in Clark's Hill, Tippecanoe County, Ind .; John W. Shirley, in Paulding County; Stephen M. Shirley, in Defiance County, and Nancy M. Dils, in Defiance.
About the year 1827, Robert Shirley, Sr., and my father bought and donated to the Methodist. Episco- pal Church a town lot, on which the neighbors and min- ister, Rev. Pattee, built a hewed-log church, near where the present brick church now stands. About the year 1827, Robert Shirley, Sr., moved into his two- story hewed-log house on his farm one mile south of De-
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fiance. In the year 1828, Elias Shirley and his wife, Phebe Hudson, settled on their farm, four miles south of Defiance, now known as the Shots farm, once while Uncle Elias and Aunt Phebe were eating their breakfast, in came a large, rongh looking old Indian who said he was buckata (hungry) and pointing down his throat. Uncle told aunt to give him some victuals on a plate (which was good treatment for Indian beg- gars) and generally well received, but on this occa- sion tho Indian appeared angry and asked to eat at the table which nnele denied him. He ate his meal, appearing to be angry, and left in an unthankful manner. About three weeks afterward, Uncle Elias Shirley was attending a public sale of James Hudson's property, preparatory to moving to Fort Wayne to work at the brick mason trado, and about 11 o'clock, he noticed that same old Indian and a young In- dian looking on at the sale and observed the usual mean countenance of the old Indian. The two In- dians soon left and went up to Elias Shirley's house, finding his wife and child alone. The old Indian or- dered tho woman to get the two Indians something to eat and to put it on the table. He ordered what to get, and watched her closely while she got it, and the tea and sugar from the bureau drawer, etc. When the meal was got agreeably to order, the two Indians sat down to eat, the old Indian ordering her to get whatever was needed. The young Indian got up from the table first and started out of the house, and when ho got to the door, and beckoned the woman to him and told her to make her escape for the old In- dian intended to kill her, and the young Indian went up the road, The old Indian finished his meal and went to the window and looked up and down the road, apparently to see if any one was passing, and while so doing the woman took the child and ran to- ward the river, thinking to wade across the river to Abraham Hudson's farm, but the old Indian overtook her at the river, after running a quarter of a mile. He drew his butcher knife and drove her back to the
houso and set a chair in the middle of the floor and
made her sit down in it, and told her if she got up he would kill her He then took hold of the child and tried to take it from her. But she was resolved
never to let go of it. So they pulled till she thought it was badly hurt. He finally let go of the child and commenced dancing around her. He soon went to the window again to watch the road. She went out of the house in another direction and got behind a large sugar tree, and feared the child would cry. She saw the old Indian come out of the house and
look all around, and then he ran toward the river as before, and she took to the woods and went down the river two or three miles to where the sale was. They were still selling, and she, knowing her safety,
and not wishing to interrupt the sale, stood in the thicket of bushes near by quite awhile, until the sale closed, when she appeared and told her story, when her husband, Elias Shirley, took his gun, mounted a horse and rode for his house, followed by his brothers Na- than, James and Robert and many neighbors, and when they reached the house they found it knee deep in feathers, two feather beds having been ripped open and emptied on the floor. A few gallons of lard had been poured over the feathers. The chairs had been thrown on the fire in the tiro-place, and then thrown on the feathers. Medicine bottles were all broken The bureau had been robbed of its contents, sugar, tea, etc., a large iron kettle had been chopped down to the bottom with Shirley's ax, and all was quiet. Some forty neighbors went in pursuit next day, ra- tionod for an Indian hunt. They went to Occonox- ee's village, but the Indian had gone to the woods to hunt. They ate their dinner at the village and while there some men drew a figure of an Indian on one of their doors with a big heart, and several of the men shot the heart full of holes. The men di- vided into companies of ten men each and separated, and went up Flatrock Creek, Blue Creek and Little Auglaize River, with orders not to shoot a gun until the Indian was found and then they were to shoot signal guns until they all got together. One com- pany found the two Indians at their camp on Flat- rock Creek, and signaled all together. When Na- than Shirley and Elias Shirley and their company came up to the Indians, the old Indian's head was all white with feathers, and Elias Shirley begged for a gun to shoot the old Indian, but Nathan and others refused to give him a gun, and they had the old In- dian lodged in jail at Defiance, where he was con- fined for some time for trial. The young Indian
was allowed to go at large, as being only a coward in bad company. The chiefs of the Ottawa nations were called together by their agent and a settlement made by paying Elias Shirley $100, it being a low estimate of the property destroyed without any com-
pensation for damages. The Indians said this In-
dian was a bad man and ofteu abused their families
and caused them much trouble. They said they were sorry that Shirley was prevented from shooting the
Indian, and the Indian was released from prison with orders never to be seen in that neighborhood, and if
fianco, but when they recognized each other the In- Elias Shirley said he met him once afterward in De- he ever came back Shirley was permitted to shoot him.
dian dodged away and he never saw him again. The next summer, when Nathan Shirley and some hands were clearing on his new farm preparatory to moving, Occonoxee, the chief, and Segatchaway (Oc-co-nox- ee's hrother), Dr. Kickwas, Sco-be nah, Poke-shaw,
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
and several other Indians. Oc-co-nox-ee said to Na- than Shirley: "You are Colonel Shirley, and I am Oc-co-nox-ee, chief; your men shoot Indian on wig- wam door, Indian no like it." Shirley seeing the situation, said: Come to the house; and Shirley took a piece of charcoal and drew a large picture on a board of a white man having a hat on, and a large heart, and said, "Indian, you shoot at it. Several of the Indians took aim and shot through the heart. Then Oc-co-nox-ee shook hands with Shirley and said, " good friends," and the Indians went away well sat isfied.
Poke-shaw, a Pottawatomie Indian, married Oc- co-nox-ee's sister, a lady who had been married to a French gentleman by the name of Lumbar, who had a farm at Delaware town on the Maumee River. They had two children, a boy and a girl, and then parted, he keeping the boy Peter, and she taking the girl, who made a fine Indian lady or squaw, while Peter Lumbar sold dry goods to the Indians and whites. There were several children in the Poke- shaw family, and Poke-shaw was buried on Six-mile Creek, and his widow and her brothers, Oc-co nox-ee and Se-gatch-a-way, went to the far West.
There was a Christian Delaware Indian by the name of Caleb Lewis, who was married to a Muncie squaw, and they had two children, Was-keel-no, a boy, and Chola, a girl. Caleb Lewis would attend church whenever he could, and work in the harvest field. He appeared quarter white, and would call his daughter Chola, my wife, which made us very shy of each other. One Sabbath, my brothers and myself were taking observations down where about five In- dian families were camped in summer wigwams made of elm bark on posts and poles at the river side. We had a good time. Mrs. Caleb Lewis took down from off the bark roof the breast bone of a turkey, with considerable amount of flesh on it and completely covered with fly blows, apparently a pint or more blows. I watched the cook and saw breast and all put into the kettle without the loss of a fly blow, and thickened with flour and cooked and poured into a wooden bowl surrounded by wooden spoons. Caleb Lewis invited us boys to eat dinner, which we de- clined, and he got angry and said we thought their victuals were not good enough and that ended my claim on Chola.
James W. Riley, of St. Marys, once told Caleb Lewis that in the next world he would be a horse and he would ride him there. Caleb Lewis told Riley that in the next world he would be a snake and he would beat him on the head with a club, etc.
PERSONAL SKETCHES.
Mrs. Julia A. Kiser was born of American parents May 24, 1815, in Paint Township, Ross Co., Ohio., near Chillicothe, and immigrated to this county in the fall of 1834. The father's name was Jehu P. Downs, a native of Maryland. He followed the trade of shoe- maker for some years, but being possessed of a vent- uresome spirit, he went to sea before the mast; un- fortunately for him, the vessel was seized by the En- glish and the crew thrown into a London prison; part of the crow took the oath of allegiance to British Government and were immediately placed upon a man of war; he and his comrade, being good Ameri- cans, refused to take the oath. They languished in prison nine long months; the authorities at last be- coming tired of keeping them, released them by kick- ing them out destitute of money, clothes or friends; the comrade disappearing, leaving him to fight the battle of life alone, he sought and found work in a cobbler's stall, until he obtained money to buy clothes, meantime watching an opportunity of escape, which soon occurred by the death of a sailor, and he secured his berth on board a vessel, following the sea seven years before his return to his native land. He afterward enlisted as a soldier in the war of 1812, came home on furlough in 1813, and was married to Elizabeth Vandervort, of Virginia. He served until the close of the war. During his wanderings as a soldier, he visited Ft. Defiance, and being highly pleased with the appearance of the country, was never satisfied until he located here in the fall of 1834, where he remained until his death, which occurred August, 1866, aged ninety-three. They had three children-Julia A., Oliver P (who died September 8, 1830) and Angus L., who learned the saddler busi- ness, which he followed successfully for many years, accumulating quite a property. He married Sophia C. Graper, a native of Hanover, Germany, in 1843. He was very fond of hunting and fishing, and had many interesting adventures incident to frontier life. Died August 15, 1857. After the death of Jehu P. Downs, his widow married Thomas Warren, who was also one of the pioneers of the country. She died May, 1878, at the age of eighty-five years. Mr. Downs and family came to this place from Palestine, Picka- way Co., Ohio, situated about twenty miles from Circleville, moving the whole way by wagon, the trip consuming about fourteen days. On their journey they passed through New London, Wapakoneta and other towns; between the latter place and the mouth of the Little Auglaize, tho roads were almost impass- able, the teams stalling as often as four times a day, making it necessary for them to unload and wade out to higher ground, obliging the men to carry the
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IIISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
goods. Upon their arrival here, they could find no unoccupied rooms, and were compelled to take sholter , in an old French cabin, dingy with age and smoke, situated on the lands where the upper ends of East Defiance now stands. The first visit Mrs. Kiser made, at a distance from this place, after locating here, was to Stenbonville, in tho summer of 1887, performing the whole journey on horseback, a distanco of more than three hundred miles, passing in the route through Maumee, Findlay, Upper Sandusky, Fre- mont, Mansfield, Wooster, New Philadelphia, Sandy- ville, Harrison and a number of smaller towns and villages. Returning by the same route as far as Mansfield, thence to Maderia and across the black swamp, where the mud and water was midside to a common horse, compelling tho riders to sit with their feet drawn up on the saddle to keep them dry. They stopped at Ottaway on Sunday, July 3, for dinner, at a house of private entertainment. The proprietor at first refused his guests anything to eat, or to provide anything for their horses; but finally gave them some bread without butter, tea without sugar and onions without salt, also sent his man to the field a half mile away for green oats to feed their horses, declar- ing this was the best he could supply them, but was expecting fresh supplies by wagon hourly, which, owing to the condition of the roads, was several days behind. The party feeling refreshed for this bill of fare, and the assurance of the host of fresh supplies in a few days, started on their journey. In 1838, Mrs. Kiser, then Julia A. Downs, was married to John HI. Kiser, of Wayne County, Ohio. Mr. Kiser was born in Jefferson County, Ohio. His parents were natives of Pennsylvania; his grandparents of German descent. He was one of a largo family of children, now all dead, save one who resides in Noble County, Ind. In July, he moved to this place, bringing with him a large stock of goods, his being the first saddle and harness shop in the county. He afterward entered into the mercantile business; was also Treasurer of Defiance County, and held offices of trust on the canal. He took the census of Defiance County in 1860; died March 19, 1861. They had five children - John H., born May 16, 1839, resides in Defiance County, Ohio; married Mary E. Bridonbaugh July 21, 1870, has three childron living, Victoria A., born November 16, 1841, married S. A. Shields May 21, 1873, has ono child, resides in San Francisco, Cal .; Mary E., born December 25, 1844, married Dr. T. H. Ashton July 20, 1865, has two children, resides in Defiance; James P., born February 16, 1847, died August 25, 1855; Callie E., born April 6, 1849, mar- ried S. H. Cave February 7, 1874. has one child, re- sides in Terrace, Utah. Victoria and Callie were en- gaged in mission teaching among the Mormon's (for
some time previous to their marriage), Mary, the sec- ond daughter, has in her possession the old clock which grandfather Downs brought to this county. It is a tall coffin-shaped affair, after the old Dutch style, and a great curiosity in theso days of style and nov. elty. Mrs. Kisor resides with her son John H. at the old homestead at the corner of Wayne and First streets. Is in the enjoyment of good health, having lived to witness the progress of Defiance from an al. most howling wilderness to a city of 7,000 inhabi- tants.
Mrs Sophia Downs, widow of Angus L. Downs, and daughter of Henry C. and Elizabeth Graper, was born in Hanover, Germany, November 27, 1819, and immigrated to America with her parents, arriving at Defiance, Ohio, September 18, 1834. She was mar- ried to Angus L Downs, of Defiance, January 1, 1843; to them were born six children, two boys and four girls, viz .: Emily, born May 7, 1844, died June 6, 1845; Wesley J., born Juno 25, 1846, died June 19, 1847; Emory W., born July 20, 1848; Ella C., born December 29, 1851; Caroline E., born July 13, 1854; and Alice M. Downs, May 12, 1857. Angus L. Downs was born in Ross County, Ohio, November 4, 1819, and removed with his parents to Defiance Coun- ty in the fall of 1834; of the children who are.living, Emory W. graduated in medicine at Cincinnati, Ohio, March 1, 1873, and commenced his profession the same year, and was married to Nellie M. Thrall, Oc- tober 8, 1873. To them were born three children- Thaddeus A. and Charles F. and Mabel Clara. Ella C. Downs married an attorney, A. J. Mitchell, of Mansfield, Ohio. Caroline E. Downs married a phy. sician, Dr. James M. Colliers, Marcb, 1877, and now resides and practices his profession in Plymouth, Mich. Alice M. Downs married Fletcher E Morris, of Manstiold, Ohio, December 12, 1878, at which place she now resides.
The grandfather of the family, Jehu P. Downs, was a native of Maryland, and his mother a Virgin- ian lady. He was in the war of 1812, and subse- quently was a frontier ranger.
Mrs. Hannah McFarlan was born February 13, 1810, in Washington Township, Columbia Co., Penn., and was the fourth child of a family of twelve chil- dren, three boys and nine girls, of Edmund Herin and Rhoda (Young) Herin. The children all grew up, were married and raised families, except the third child, who died in infancy. Mr. Herin was born in the State of New Jersey May 25, 1772, and died in Defiance County, Ohio, in September, 1838. His wife, Rhoda, was born November 30, 1773, in Tren- ton, N. J., at which place they were married. Mr. Herin moved from Trenton, N. J., to the forks of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. From
+
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
there to Muskingum County, Ohio, in 1823. He
being a cooper by trade, went to work in the salt works in that county, making barrels for shipping purposes; from there he moved to Licking County, Ohio, and bought a farm near the little town of Nashport. In June, 1834, while living at this place, it was visited with a severe frost, cutting down everything-corn, potatoes, etc., freezing the leaves on the trees so they all became crisped, and doing great damage to the fruit and vegetables generally. In 1834, Mr. Herin came to Defiance County. The subject of this sketch (his daughter) was married at the age of sixteen, February, 1826, to Tarlton McFarlan, of Musking- um County, Ohio, by whom she had the following children, viz. : James (deceased), Edmund (deceased), Martha (deceased), Theodosia, married to Rollin C. Fisher, who is a resident of Defiance, Sarah J., who resided at Findlay, Ohio, and William (deceased). Mr. McFarlan arrived in this county with his wife and four children in February, 1835. There was only an Indian trail leading through the black swamp at that time, through which they came. Mr. McFarlan and his brother had to cut a road for the team, while Mrs. McFarlan carried a babe of four months, and a gun, and drove the cow, assisted by a younger sister of thirteen summers. The sugar maple of the forest afforded them their sugar, but for six weeks they had no bread except corn pounded in a mortar, and sift- ed, from which they made their Johnny-cake. Flour was $16 per barrel, pork $20 per barrel; groceries and goods were shipped by pirogues and flat-boats to this place. Pioneers were often lost in the woods in coming to this place. Two men, who came through from Findlay, Ohio, were lost, and for three days were without food except two small biscuits each; when they arrived at her house they were so famished they begged her to give them some raw venison to satisfy their craving appetites until she could hastily prepare a meal for them. Mr. McFarlan died March 10, 1841. In September, 1846, Mrs. McFarlan was married to her present husband Isaac Hoover, by whom she had one child -- Kate E., born February 17,1848. Mrs. McFarlan has passed her threescore years and ten, and has witnessed the many changes of Defiance County for about a half century past- having seen the forest give way to fine cultivated farms, the log cabin to fine residences and the town of Defiance from a few pioneer families to a city of about 7,000, and now, with implicit confidence in her Lord and Master, she is waiting His summons, "Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
Charles V. Royce immigrated from Vermont to Defiance County at an early date, and for many years acted as Deputy Clerk of the Court. He was remark.
able for the energy, decision and promptness with which he performed all his duties, both official and private. He was a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal Church, of which he was a strong supporter. He removed to Miami County, and while serving as Clerk of the Court of that county died, October 2, 1863.
Frederick F. Stevens was born in Fairfield Coun- ty, Ohio, February 26, 1814. In 1825, he removed with his mother to Putnam County, and two years later became a resident of Defiance. He hired out to Judge Robert Shirley at $4 per month, to work on the farm, $1.25 being deducted per month for washing and mending. The next season he worked for Pierce Evans, six months for $6 per month, and in the fall engaged to clerk for Foreman Evans six months for $25. Hespent his winter's in Mr. Evans' store until he was of age, except one year when he worked for Moses Rice, an early Indian trader. Mr. Stevens mar- ried Elizabeth Oliver July 13, 1836. She was the daughter of John Oliver (for whom he was clerking at this time) and niece of Oliver Spencer, who was a captive boy with the Indians at Defiance. By this marriage Mr. Stevens had six children, three sons and three daughters. His wife died in 1851, and he re- united in marriage with Susan Forest, by whom he has had nine children. Mr. Stevens was engaged in mercantile pursuits and other business enterprises until 1874, when he removed to Seneca County. He is there dealing in live stock, and although nearly seventy years of age retains the vigor and activity of his youth.
Michael Gorman was born in Elphin, County Ros- common, Ireland, September 8, 1818. His parents were Patrick and Bridget (Nolan) Gorman, whose children were Michael, Sabina, Bernard, Mary. Mar- garet and Catharine. Three of them are dead-Ber- nard, Sabina and Mary. Mrs. J. B. Weisenburger is now living in Defiance. Mrs. George W. Lowery is living at San Jose, Cal. Michael, the subject of this sketch, who resides in Defiance, immigrated to America in 1846, being fort; - five days on the passage. The vessel ran onto a reef and sprung aleak. A
heavy swell of the sea finally relieved the vessel from this position, and a pilot boat came along and towed the vessel into Quebec. Mr. Gorman went first to Montreal, then to Toronto, then took steamboat across to the States, then by rail to Buffalo (the cars being drawn by horses); from there took steamboat for Cleveland, and from there went to Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio. Remained there five months, then went to Beaver Falls, on the Monongahela; then to Wheel- ing, and from there to Cairo, Ill .; then went steamboat- ing as deck hand, retracing his steps in a measure, arriving at Defiance, Ohio, April 8, 1847, with $7
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
in his pocket. He began work for Edwin Phelps at $1 a day. He was married to Sophia Hoverstadt, of this place, September 11, 1851, by whom he had ten chil- dren-Bernard J., Michael P. (deceased), Patrick W. (deceased), Theresa S., Anna C. (deceased), and one not named died in infancy. Mr. Gorman about this time commenced the grocery and provision business at the lower lock on the canal, and nearly opposite the Russell House. Continned the business there about seven years, in partnership with his brother Bernard, to whom he sold out and who carried on the business for two or three years, and then, on account of ill health, was obliged to give it up. Bernard traveled about in search of some climate in which to regain his health. Went to Michigan up in the pinery, from there to Germany; remained there about three months; then returned to Cleveland to try the water cure, but finding no relief for his complaint (asthma) was in- duced to go to Colorado, for which place he started out May 6, arriving at Denver in a few days (grow- ing rapidly worse), at which place he died May 24, 1872. Michael bought a farm and farmed for about two years, then sold out and returned to the grocery and provision business, entering pretty largely into speculation in pork and beef, in the winter of 1858- 59, which speculation resulted in a loss of $17,000, in the winter of 1864-65, which nearly broke him up financially. But Mr. Gorman was not the man to sit down and brood over losses, but buckled on the armor again for business, and to-day is doing a very thriving grocery and provision business with his eldest son, Bernard, on the corner of Fifth and Clinton streets, believing that where a man loses his money is the place to find it again. Mr. Gorman is now in his sixty-fourth year and is robust and healthy, and en- joys all the comforts of life and has a beautiful fam- ily residence on South Jefferson street. Mrs. Gor- man's parents-Bernard and Elizabeth (Stertiman) Hoverstadt, immigrated from Germany, Minster, Prov- ince of Westphalia, to this country in 1835. They had four children, viz .: Sophia M., Elizabeth, Bernard Henry and Hermann John, the two latter being twins. Mr. Gorman was elected Commissioner of De- fiance County in the fall of 1882, and is now serving in that capacity.
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