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 71
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CHAPTER XXIX.
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP-THE VILLAGE OF INDEPENDENCE-VOTERS IN 1845-FORT DEFI- ANCE GRANGE, NO 267-PERSONAL REMINISCENCES.
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP was organized in 1824, as a part of Henry County. It is located in the extreme eastern part of Defiance County, bounded on the north by Adams Township, on the west by Noble and Defiance and on the south by Highland. Henry County bounds it on the east.
THE VILLAGE OF INDEPENDENCE.
This village was laid out about 1838, by Foreman Evans, of Defiance. It prospered greatly for about one year. The west part was laid on by Edward Hughes. Both proprietors are now dead. The vil- lage continued to grow during the building of the
dam. making slack water for navigation across the Maumee River, and then gradually went to decay, and is now an open field, and has probably thirty honses in it. The first business men were C. J. Freedy, who built the hotel, and a merchant, Mr. Benjamin Weidenhamer.
The canal- Wabash & Erie-was excavated, com- mencing in 1837, and completed in 1842. The first boat was run by Capt. McMahan, in the fall of 1842. The dam was built in 1838, 1839, 1840. It is about one mile below Independence; cost the State about $130,000. The State appropriated every alternate section of land to pay for it, along the route of the
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
canal, and sold it at public sale, from $8 as high as $14 per acre.
VOTERS IN 1845.
The following is the list of voters in the town- ship in October, 1845.
Michael Morthlane, Gibbons Perry, James Lini- ber, Jacob Handshaw, Charles Rohn, William Lewis, James Cheney, Pierce Evans, John Wilson, Thomas Garrett, Horace Morse, Austin Hauser, William Rohn, Hezekiah Wilson, John Shaw, Josephus Rose, Ishmael Wilson, John L. Groves, Noah Groves, Jeptha Groves, Joshua Wilson, Samuel Rohn, Benja- min B. Abell, Arthur M. Dunbar, Hiram Scovill, James Morehead, Robert Boyles, St. John Wilson, James McCaine, Lewis Gilson, Solomon Shaw, Edmond Shasteen, James Lewis, Jonathan Craig, Daniel A. Craft, Mathias Albert, Christian Matt, Martin Mit- ter, David Halterman, Christian Halterman, Jacob Halterman, Henry Halterman, Robert Terry, Thomas Elliott, Jonathan Lee, Jacob Van Wormer, Benjamin Weidenhamer, Samuel Keplar, Delase Morse, Isaac Hiveley, Abijah Groves, Jacob Hiveley, Amos Shir- ley, Jacob Durham, William Durham, Christopher Braucher, Anderson Holley, Thomas Hiveley, Isaac Brancher, Henry Egeller, John Shull, Adam Hiveley, John Matzel, Henry Wilson. Pierce Evans, Samuel Rohn and Benjamin B. Adell, Judges. Hezekiah Wilson and Isaac Brancher, Clerks.
FORT DEFIANCE GRANGE, NO. 267.
This grange was organized at Independence De- cember 13, 1873, by Deputy State Master W. F. Williams, with forty members, an equal number of each sex. Albert Elliott, the first Master, served over two years, and was followed by W. Willeman, J. B. Elliott, F. H. Rohn and O. U. Woodward. G. P. Seiple was the first Secretary, followed in the office by O. U. Woodward, A. Elliott, P. Young, E. G. Woodward and Nettie Elliott. This grange is the oldest in the county, meets weekly and has between forty and fifty members.
PERSONAL REMINISCENCES.
Mrs. Mary Brancher was born March 14, 1807, in Adams County, Ohio, the daughter of Jolin Wash- burn, who died in Highland County, Ohio, August, 1828, aged fifty-three years. Hannah (Burk), his wife, died in 1851, aged about seventy-five years. Their children were as follows: Margaret, Christina, Ann, Mary Ann, Benjamin Burk, Ellen, John Collins, Richard Burk, Elijah Parker. All are deceased ex- cept Mrs. Brancher and John C. Mrs. Braucher was married to Isaac E. Braucher December 10, 1824, and to them were born eight children- Almira, Al- phonso L., Adeline L., America R., Annie M., Har-
riet Augusta, Benjamin Franklin and Isaac F. The first winter after their arrival they lived in one end of a double log house, and the Indians, as they came to town on their trading expeditions, frequently camped in the other end. Mr. Braucher helped to build the first schoolhouse of Defiance, which stood on the east bank of the Maumee, at the foot of what is now Perry street, and William Semans was the first teacher. Mr. Brancher was a blacksmith by trade, and worked at his trade about one year in Defiance, and then bought a farm of thirty acres, where Mrs. Braucher now lives, about two miles below Defiance. Their neighbors were Pierce Evans, Eli Markle and Sam- nel Rohn and Hiveleys. Here Mr. B. carried on blacksmithing, in connection with his farm, and used to do some work for the Indians, sharpening some of their tools, etc., and the old Indian chief, Occonoxee, was quite a frequent caller. Here Mr. Brancher lived up to the time of his death, February 8, 1878, aged about seventy-five years. His widow, Mrs. Brancher, who survives him, is living on the old homestead. In early days, Mr. Braucher was identified with most of the township offices, and was among the first Commis- sioners of the county. In after life, he became con- nected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and lived a zealous Christian life. He was a self-made man, having, when he came here, no means. By economy and enterprise, he gathered together a hand- some property, which consisted in three hundred acres of excellent land. He was born in Highland County, Ohio, and was a son of Frederick and Nancy (Earl) Braucher. The former from Pennsyl- vania and the latter from either Ohio or Kentucky. Mrs. Pierce Evans was a sister to Mr. Braucher, who settled here with her husband before Mr. B. came. Mrs. B. is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which she was raised, and has been a con- sistent member during her long life.
Pierce Evans was born in Bourbon County, Ky., and came to Williams (now Defiance) County, from Fayette County, Ohio, in the fall of 1822. He set- tled in what is now Richland Township, where he resided until January, 1862, when he died, aged sixty- nine years. His family consisted of Orlando, Rinal- do, Helen, Nancy, Horatio, Alvin, Allen, John New- ton, Alphonso and Mary. These are all deceased ex- cept Rinaldo and Nancy, in Nevada, California. Rinaldo lives on the homestead, one mile and a quar- ter from Defiance, down the north bank of the Man- mee. Pierce Evans was with many of Winchester's soldiers in the war of 1812. The troops of Winches- ter were shot near the apple trees. There were no Indians in the trees, but were behind the banks. The Shawnees, commanded by Blue Jacket, owned the present site of the farm. The island just opposite
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
Mr. Evans' was the site of Indian cabins; peach trees and apple trees planted by the French. James Cheny, when cultivating a field in 1855, plowed up an In- dian silver cross, worth $6, that had been carried by an Indian chief probably two hundred years ago. The Delawares were on his farm; Pipe and Buchon- galielas. The Ottawas encamped there; the Pot- tawatomies, too. Mr. Evans, Sr., married Mary Braucher in Highland County, Ohio, in 1815. She died in January, 1862, three days after Mr. Evans died. Rinaldo Evans was born December 17, 1819, in Washington, Fayette County; married Miss Mary Shaw, of Saco, Me., September 28, 1858; was in California in 1863, and returned in 1866; was in Iowa in 1855, and returned in 1863, or went from Iowa to California. His brothers were successful, and remained in the State of California. His, children, Rinaldo P., born October, 1859 (died young); Man- ning S. died June 16, 1864, aged two years .. His archæological collection is very fine, especially the pottery of the Mound-Builders. His farm being the site of an Indian village, many Indian relics are found there. Many guns from Wayne's expedition have been found. Wayne passed over his farm in 1794.
Samuel Rohn was born May 18, 1812, in North. ampton County, Penn., and came with his parents, William and Elizabeth (Landis) Rohn, the latter a daughter of Samuel Landis, to Ohio in 1821, and located in Miami County, in the town of Piqua, where he remained until 1822; when they removed to Camp No. 3, of Gen. Wayne, in Richland Township, Defiance County, where he found the pickets of Wayne's army still standing, covering about forty acres. In 1813, an Indian chief, called " Turkey Foot," was killed, and the name of " Turkey Foot" is cut on the rock in honor of the chief. Camp No. 3 is on Section 23, in Richland Township, the home of Mr. William Rohn, father of Samuel, and his wife, who died on this farm, and was buried in the home cemetery. William Rohn was born in 1773, and died February 24, 1855, aged eighty-two years. His wife died October 2, 1846, aged sixty-one years. Mr. Rohn married Miss Charity Hughes, of Adams County, Ohio, July 11, 1833. Their family consists of Telitha, Joseph, Nancy J., Margaret Jane, Martha C., Helena, Adelia, Orisabelle, Samuel W. and Frank H. Of these, Telitha, Joseph, Nancy J. and Martha C. are dead. Mrs. Charity Rohn died September 15, 1878, aged sixty-five years eleven months twenty- eight days. Mr. Rohn states that Richland Town- ship was organized in 1824, in Henry County. The first Justice of the Peace was probably Pierce Evans. The Trustees were Pierce Evans, William Rohn and Isaac Braucher. He thinks Eli Markel was the first Clerk. The first school that Mr. R. remembers was
taught by Peter Tittle about the winter of 1828, on Section 23, this township. There are now nine schoolhouses, and of these there are seven brick and two frame houses. There are three churches -one Methodist Episcopal, built in 1824. It was the first in the township. It had a class organized in 1826. The first preacher was Mr. Pettit. The Methodist Episcopals have a church on Section 21. The Lu- therans built a church, which they occupy jointly with the United Brethren, about 1877, which was divided by the Maumee River, into a north and south congre- gation. When Mr. R. came to the county, he found a great many Miami and Ottawa Indians, with many Wyandot and Shawnee hunters. They often came to the village of Independence, to trade their furs and
make sugar, baskets, etc. They made their sugar in bark troughs, boiling the water down in brass and copper kettles. The Indians were very fond of "fire water," and would pay a high price to get it. The Ottawas left about 1838, and the Pottawatomies went West, to the Rocky Mountains, at the same time. The agents were Maj. Stickney and Gen. Dodge. Mr. R. knew the chief, Occonoxee, the " Ottawa," who resided at the Indian village of Chartoe, now in Paulding County. The chief was very repulsive in appearance, and high-tempered in disposition. He went West with the rest in 1838. "Blue Jacket," the Shawnee, probably died in his village on the bank of the Manmee River. The Delawares quartered on the north bank of the Maumee, in what is known as " Sulphur Hollow," half a mile above the farm of Mr. Rinaldo Evans. They also had a camp at "Dela- ware Bend " that has attracted many inquiries. Here it is suspected that the old chief, Captain Pipe, " Hobcan," that caused the death, by burning at the stake, of poor Col. William Crawford, at the plains of Upper Sandusky, finally died. The old trail that extended from Adrian, Mich., ran through Independ- ence, and passed near Upper Sandusky, keeping upon high ground to the home of the Wyandots and Shawnees. Mr. R. has often followed the old trace through Richland Township to its passage across the Maumee, where it continued south. The trace passed through Fulton County, by Wauseon, keeping on high ground to the head of the Scioto, in Hardin County. Mr. R. has found a good many Indian brooches, tomahawks and arrow-heads. He also found blacksmith tools, formerly used by the soldier of Gen. Winchester in 1813, wagon tires and the relics of wagons used by his army in 1812. Mr. R. has found in Defiance a ball weighing one ounce, fourteen inches from the surface, in a tree three feet in diameter. Mr. R. states that previous to building the State dam, great quantities of fish came up the Maumee. The principal fish were pike, pickerel,
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
sturgeon, white and black bass, muskalonge and smaller varieties. Some of the larger ones weighed from fifty to two hundred pounds. Up the Tiffin, at Brunersburg, there were formerly vast quantities of fish; could be easily taken by a net or seine. Mr. R. had two brothers and one sister. They were Charles, William and Mary. Charles and William are both dead; Mary is the wife of Arthur M. Dun- bar. Mr. R., in company with C. J. Freedy, in the fall of 1842, bought the old "Exchange Hotel," in Defiance. Mr. Rohn sold his share of the hotel to Allen Braucher in 1843. He afterward moved to his farm, where he has remained nearly ever since. He has a fine farm and is now in good health.
Thomas Elliott was born May 1, 1822, in Coshoc- ton County, Ohio, and attended school there. He came to Richland Township, Henry County, and settled on Section 8, where Charles Elliott now lives, in 1843. He now lives in Section 19, where he has 160 acres of land. He at one time had 1,140 acres of land, which he gave to his children, reserving but a homestead. He married Miss Mary Williams, daughter of Mathew Williams, of Holmes County, Ohio, February 20, 1842. His family consists of James, Mathew and Sarah (twins). Lany, Fanny, Hoster, George, Fanny, Thomas C., Hannah and Mary. Of these, Hester, George, Hannah and 'Mary are dead. Mathew and James live in Richland Township. They were in the war of 1861-65. Ma- thew served eight months, and was discharged in con- sequence of illness. James served over five years, and was discharged at Columbus, Ohio, having been detained one year over his time. Sarah married John W. Robinson, and lives in Hardin County. When Mr. E. settled in the township, in 1840, there were but few settlers. He remembers a few on the north part of the township. Among those that settled at first were Samuel Rohn, Arthur Dunbar, Benjamin Weidenhamer, Israel Braucher, Christian Brancher, Rinaldo Evans, Pierce Evans, John Whiting, Joshua Wilson, Hezekiah Wilson, John Wilson and their father, Thomas Wichel, Adam and Isaac Hiveley, Sylvester Blackman, Benjamin and Galen Evans. Dr. Gibbens Perry was at Independence at this time. At the time Mr. E. settled in Section 8, there was no one living between that place and " Bean Creek." His neighbors were all down the Maumee River. Mr. E. cleared up his many acres by hard work and con- stant toil. He is well-preserved in body and mind, and is quite active and vigorous
Benjamin Weidenhamer was born in Berks County, Penn., December 30, 1803, a son of Adam Weidenhamer. He was raised on the farm, and was married, March 31, 1833, to Elizabeth Kershner, a daughter of John and Christina Kershner, of Berks
County, Penn. July 11, 1834, they landed in this township, and settled on the site of the village of In- dependence; bought eighty acres of wild land, which he cleared up and improved. They kept a hotel in this place about six years, during the time the canal was built About eight years after the first settle- ment, he sold his farm, and moved a mile below where John Spangler now resides. In the latter years of his life, he located in Independence, where he died on the night of the 13th of April, 1880. His death was sudden, having passed away during the night, un- known to his aged wife, who occupied a bed in the same room. He was a member of the Lutheran Church, in which he had been raised. To Mr. and Mrs. W. were born six children, of whom only one is living-Ellen, wife of Mathew Elliott. The deceased are Albert, Frank, Mary, John and Emaline. John was a member of Company G. Thirty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry in September, 1861. Saw active service during three years. Exposure of camp life disabled him, and he died of rhenmatism in 1867. Mr. Weidenhamer was successful during his life, and always enjoyed good health. His aged wife is in good health and strength, with memory clear, and with ease she recounts the experiences that were in - cident to pioneer life. Mrs. Weidenhamer states that prior to the removal of the Ottawas, they often came to the hotel, but were quite peaceable in their inter- course with the whites, but were quite fond of " fire- water." The post office is now named Jewell. It. was removed from Independence in 1866, and named in 1878, and located at the cross roads that pass from the Wabash Railroad.
John Hill was born April 22, 1800, in Westmore- land County, Penn., four miles west of Mount Pleasant, of Scotch descent. Here he grew up and attended school. Upon reaching manhood, he learned the trade of carpenter and house-joiner. About 1822, he married Miss Catharine Grandstaff, of Marshall County, Va., and removed to Muskingum County, Ohio. Miss Grandstaff was of German de- scent, her people emigrating from Hamburg, Germany. about 1777. Mr. Hill resided in Richland Township, Muskingum County, until the fall of 1830, when he removed to near Brownsville, in Licking County. He remained there until the autumn of 1834, when he removed with his family to Hartford Township, in the same county, and settled on a new farm, where he remained until the spring of 1856, and then sold his land and removed to a farm at the foot of the Welch Hills, near Newark, and resided one sum- mer. Here his wife was taken sick with fever, and after some weeks of illness died September 26, 1834, aged about thirty-six years. Mr. Hill returned, with his children, to his old home in Muskingum County,
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
about 1838, and during the slack- water experiment on the Maumee, he engaged in trade at Independence, Defiance Co., Ohio. That region was very sickly at that time, and many were carried to their graves. Mr. Hill was much afflicted with pleurisy nearly the whole of the winters of 1839 and 1840; and finally died on the 26th of March, 1840. The disease was aggravated by malarial poison, no doubt. He was buried in the midstof strangers, with none to sympathize with him in his afflictions. Mr. Hill was a man of liberal education, and was a fine conversationalist, and took much pleasure in dwelling upon the border history of the Ohio tribes, of whom no man in the Northwest was better versed. He pos- sessed fine historical taste, and delighted to detail the adventures of captives and others during the war of 1812 and of the war of the Revolution, along the borders of Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Samuel Kepler, of Richland Township, was born in Bedford, Washington Co., Penn., March 3, 1793. At an early day, his father sold out and settled in Franklin County, Ohio, where he bought quite a large tract of land in and around where Columbus now stands. Soon after he died, their goods were swept away by a flood; their stoek sickened and died, and one calamity after another befel them until they became poor. "Then they removed to Delaware County, Ohio. Notwithstanding all their afflictions, the widow and her helpless orphans struggled on, enduring all the hardships of an early pioneer life. Mr. Kepler stayed and cared for his mother and fam. ily until he saw them comfortably situated. At the age of twenty eight years, he left the parental roof, penniless, to do for himself. In 1822, he came to the Maumee Valley, and entered 110 acres of land four miles east of Fort Defiance, on the south bank of the Maumee River, which is well known as the Kepler farm. Here Mr. Kepler, by the use of his gun-flint and tinder-box, built his camp fire at the foot of a large black walnut tree, and spent his first night in Defiance County. The stub of the old walnut is still standing, and is carefully protected by the family. December 2, 1825, he was united in marriage to Miss Rachel McKinnis, of Hancock County, Ohio, being the first white couple ever married in that county. Two weeks after their marriage, they moved' to their new home-a few scattering whites and the wild Indians of the forest their only neighbors. Their family consists of eight children, viz., Mary and Elizabeth (twins), Nancy, Robert, Josiah, Rachel, Sarah and Lucy. All are living except the youngest, Josiah M., who enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Eleventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry Angust, 1862, and was killed at Lovejoy Station, Ga .. September 5, 1864. Mr. Kepler served through the
1
war of 1812. He ran a ferry-boat across the Mau- mee, at Independence for a number of years, com- mencing shortly after the State dam was built across the Maumee, and continued until about 1849. Mr. Kepler died December 10, 1872, aged seventy-nine years nine months and seven days. Mrs. Kepler sur- vived her husband about eight years, and departed this life February 25, 1880, aged about seventy-six years
John Taylor, Jr., was born in Shenandoah County, Va., December 25, 1796. His parents, John and Barbara (Strucker) Taylor, immigrated to East Tennessee in 1799, and remained there until Octo- ber, 1807, when he removed with his family to Ohio and settled in Champaign County, Mad River Town- ship, being six weeks on the road. On their arrival at their new home, Mrs. Taylor, necessarily, had a large washing to get out, but found they had no clothes line. The boys having noticed some wild grape vines not far distant, in due time had their mother amply supplied with the necessary clothes lines, which were soon filled by Mrs. Taylor, as the result of a hard day's washing, and were left remain- ing on the lines over night; but in the morning she beheld the clothes-lines torn down and the clothes torn to shreds and mostly destroyed by a pack of wolves during the night. They had a family of ten children, four"boys and six girls. Here Mr. and Mrs. Taylor both died. Mr. Taylor, Jr., subject of this sketch, had no advantages for an early education, and, to use his own language, " he never had any." Mr. Taylor, before he was twenty-one years of age, chopped over three hundred acres ready for logging. At the age of twenty-one, he was elected Constable, and afterward was elected Justice of the Peace, and served two terms. November 6, 1817, Mr. Taylor was married to Miss Anna McAllister. They had seven children -- William, James, David, Benjamin, Polly, Nancy and Sarah. William enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Eleventh Regiment Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, August, 1862, and was discharged in A. D. 1864, and died at home from disease con- tracted in the service. Maj. David Taylor was also employed in the United States service, as Paymaster in the regular army. At the breaking-out of the late civil war of 1861-65, he was appointed to that posi- tion, which he held up to the time of his death, A. D. 1878. He died at. Leavenworth, Kan., February 21, 1878, at which place he was stationed as a Gov- ernment officer. Mr. Taylor, after serving two terms as Justice, was appointed by Gov. Lucas, Associate Judge to fill a vacancy. The Legislature then elected him for six years, making in all nine years' service in that capacity. He was appointed Assessor of damages caused by breaks on the Miami & Exten-
MRS. SAMUEL ROHN.
Samme Rohn
Ma
O.P. Woodward
N & Woodward
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HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTY.
sion Canal, and served three years, when he was ap- pointed Register of the United States Land Office at Defiance, Ohio. In 1851, he was elected to the Senate from the Thirty-second Senatorial District, composed of the counties of Van Wert, Auglaize, Allen, Paulding, Defiance and Williams, and re- elected as an independent candidate in 1852-53. He was then appointed a member of the Board of Direct- ors of the Ohio Penitentiary, and served in that capacity for three years, at the close of which he re tired from public life, and settled on his farm of 160 acres, situated about three and a half miles south of Defiance, which he had previously entered at $1.05 per acre; $1 being the Government price per acre for a homestead, and the half cent per acre to cover expenses at the land office. Mr. T. then proceeded to build a cabin and clear up his farm for a home, eighty acres of which he still owns, and! on which he lived until 1870, when he moved to Defiance on ac. count of ill health of his wife, who died December 21, 1875.
Henry Ort was a native of Germany, and was born in Linsengen Kur Hessen, Germany, November 29, 1813. When twenty-six years of age, he em- igrated to America, coming directly to Defiance. Mr. Ort, being a tailor by trade, made that his busi- ness while living in town. In 1841, he married Miss Anna M. Ott, who was also from Germany. Mr. Ort then bought forty acres of land in Richland Town- ship. on what is called the South Ridge, six miles east of Defiance, and immediately set about the work of hewing out for himself and family a home in the unbroken wilderness. His nearest neighbor was three milos distant. His first work was to cut a road to a suitable spot whereon to build a house. His first house was a small log cabin, where they lived for a number of years, working almost day and night to clear up the farm and surround themselves with some of the comforts of civilized life. From time to time, as they, through industry and frugality, earned the money, they added little by little to the former pur- chase, and finally built themselves a larger and more comfortable house. When Mr. Ort first moved into the woods, they received frequent visits from the Indians, who came around their cabin in search of their ponies, making themselves quite familiar with their new neighbors. Wolves, too, were numerous, and exceedingly neighborly, not unfrequently making thoir calls at what seemed, to the unsophisticated immigrants, nnseasonable hours, often arousing the family from their sweet slumbers in the dead hours of the night by their unearthly howls; making it necessary for Mr. Ort, in compliance with the rules of etiquette in such cases, to leave his bed, and, with his old flintlock, to salute them from the door of his
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