USA > Ohio > Hancock County > History of Hancock County, Ohio. Biographical and Statistical > Part 4
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From the east part of Marion township a flat marsh extends in a southeast- erly direction across Biglick township and into Seneca county. It covered about 2,000 acres, and from the fact that it bore no forest it became known as "The Prairie."
In the southwestern part of Union township, and the northwestern part of Orange township is a narrow strip of land, originally low and wet. A small portion of this tract was prairie, but the balance was covered with a dense growth of swamp willow which made it almost impenetrable. This entire tract was known as "Cranberry Marsh." "The Swamp" and the "Fallen Timbers," in Amanda township, were once covered by forest timbers, but probably from some great fire destroying the dense growth of vegetation the roots were so burned as to destroy the trees and caused them to fall, thus blocking the drainage and making it have the appearance of a "swamp."
A narrow sand ridge, upon which the Benton Ridge road is located, runs southwest from Findlay through the village of Benton Ridge to the Putnam county line. Two sand ridges enter the northeast corner of the county and pass- ing westward unite as one ridge on Section 5, Washington township, thence runs in a southwesterly direction across Cass, Allen, Portage and Pleasant town- ships, where it is known as Sugar Ridge, because of the large number of sugar trees that once grew upon it.
Fostoria, Van Buren and McComb are located on this ridge. Another of these narrow belts enters the northeast corner of Portage township from Wood
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
county and runs southwest, parallel with and about two miles north of Sugar Ridge. In the geological reports of the state these ridges are called "the ancient beaches of Lake Erie."
"Limestone Ridge" is an elevated belt of sand and clay underlaid with lime- stone, lying south of the prairie in Biglick township. It was so named on ac- count of the numerous flakes of limestone found scattered over its surface, prob- ably the result of a great natural upheaval during the first stages of the earth's formation. Good limestone is quarried in abundance along the streams, and in several other parts of the county away from the water courses. It is used prin- cipally in the manufacture of lime, foundations for buildings and the construc- tion of macadamized streets and roads.
The drainage of Hancock is not unlike the drainage of any other part of the country. The Blanchard river is the great vein carrying the powerful liquid from the smaller tributaries in the southern and middle portion of our county into the larger body, the Auglaize, and from thence into the Maumee, where it is emptied into Lake Erie.
The Blanchard river, according to Colonel Johnston's story, was called by the Wyandots "Quegh-tu-wa," or "Clans-in-the-water," while the Shawnees named it "Sha-po-qua-te sepi," or "Tailor's river." His story was that one Blanchard, a French tailor, settled among the Shawnees, married a squaw, reared a family of seven children, and lived and died upon this stream long prior to the cession of the territory, which it drains, to the United States. The early sur- veyors of Ohio named the stream Blanchard's fork of the Auglaize, and thus per- petuates the memory of Blanchard.
Others have spoken of Jean Jacques Blanchard as French by nationality, tailor by trade, adventurer by disposition and non-communicative about himself from choice. It is certain that he died in 1802, while evidence points to the belief that he died on the site of old Fort Findlay. He spoke Parisian French, is said to have had an intimate acquaintance with Greek and Latin, and had a liberal education. He was a man with all a Frenchman's culture and refinement and the wonder is what he was doing out in the forsaken wilds of the Northwest Territory, married to a Shawnee squaw, devoted to twelve little half-breed sons and daughters and plying his trade up and down the banks of the little river which soon became known as his especial property.
He came from Louisiana in 1770. Seven years before that is a blank. He never gave any account of his wanderings during this time so the historians have accredited him to a Spanish pirate ship which he is supposed to have tired of. No one seems to know how he got to the point east of Dayton, where he first joined the Shawnees in 1770. It is known, too, that he emigrated to Louisiana in 1760. and was there two years, but the seven years intervening is food for the building of historic theories. One theory is that he fled from his home in France for some offense which should not have been committed and in his wanderings landed in this, the new world. It is claimed that he was well skilled in carving
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SURFACE, SOIL, DRAINAGE.
and making various ornaments, and with his curiously wrought tools amused the Indians by his work in this art. He lived thirty years with his Shawnee wife, and when the Indians emigrated seven of his children were still living. In 1857 part of the tribe with which he identified himself moved to Iowa, Blanchard's son being chief of the division, and to this day there are Indians who trace their geneology back to the point where Blanchard appeared on the stage of Indian life.
The Blanchard rises near Kenton, the county seat of Hardin county, on the north slope of the dividing ridge betwen the Ohio river and Lake Erie. Flowing northward it enters Hancock county and passing onward through the townships of Delaware, Jackson and Amanda, to the northeast corner of Section 23, Marion township, turns abruptly westward and with a slight northerly bearing reaches Findlay ; thence meandering in the same general direction across Findlay, Liberty and Blanchard townships into Putnam county forms a junction with the Auglaize river in the western part of the last mentioned county. The banks of the Blanchard, though in places somewhat hilly and broken, generally stretch away into level bottoms, which are subject to overflows during the spring freshets. The stream has furnished water power in the past for various grist mills and numer- ous sawmills in this county, and has been of great benefit to the country through which it flows. Its principal tributaries are, from the south, Eagle, Tawa, Riley and Lye creeks and from the north Howard Run and various other moderate streams, better know as ditches.
The north part of the county is drained northward by several branches of the Portage river and Beaver creek, and taken altogether the water privilege and natural drainage facilities of the county are ample and sufficient.
Every sort of crop indigenous to this part of Ohio is successfully cultivated in Hancock county. Wheat is perhaps the greatest crop raised here. Corn and oats are raised in large quantities, while barley, rye, buckwheat, flax, hay and clover are also cultivated to a considerable extent. Potatoes yield large crops and of recent years strawberries, onions, celery, and indeed, all sorts of fruits and vegetables grown in this latitude are raised in Hancock county. The apple, the pear, the peach, the plum and the cherry, together with the quince have their places in nearly all the orchards of any size in the county.
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
1
View of Central Part of Findlay 1846.
CHAPTER VII.
HANCOCK COUNTY IN THE MEXICAN WAR.
The disputed territory lying between the Nurces and Rio Grande rivers was the direct cause of the Mexican war. Texas, which, having already won its inde- pendence, and was afterwards admitted into the union, claimed the Rio Grande as the boundary line, while the Mexican authorities disputed this claim, asserting that it was the Nurces river. The United States government proposed to settle the controversy by peaceful negotiations, but Mexico scornfully refused, and made threats of occupying the territory in dispute.
The Americans in the meantime had been preparing for war, which from the actions of the Mexican authorities, seemed inevitable. In March, 1846, General Taylor was ordered to advance to the Rio Grande with a few thousand men, which he had organized at Corpus Christi, near the mouth of the River Nurces. He erected Fort Brown, opposite Matamoras, which was accepted by Mexico as a declaration of war, and on the 26th of April, 1846, General Arista, the Mexi- can commander on the Rio Grande, notified General Taylor that hostilities had begun.
On the same day a small force of American cavalry was attacked by the Mexicans on the east side of the Rio Grande, and here occurred the first blood- shed of the war. Hancock county was then very thinly settled, and when the call for troops reached this portion of Ohio the quota of the state was full. A company, however, was recruited from Hancock and Putnam counties and offered to the governor, who replied that their services were not needed. However, a dozen or more from this county went to the war, but the greater part of them en- listed in other outside companies and there being no enumeration returns to show just who went from this county, I am unable to give the list of names of parties from this county in full, but by diligent search and inquiry I determined the following named parties who, when they enlisted, were residents of this county : Allen Royce, Jeremiah Yates, Loami Farmer, and Dr. Wm. D. Carlin. Mr. Carlin was commissioned as assistant surgeon in the Fifteenth United States Regulars April 9, 1847, but the surgeon having other duties which required the most of his time, Mr. Carlin, though not in name, but by active service, filled the position of surgeon. His commission was signed by James K. Polk, then presi- dent of the United States.
The news was soon spread abroad that the victorious American army had reached the City of Mexico, which was hailed with patriotic enthusiasm all over the country.
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
Some of the Whig leaders saw or pretended to see a scheme for the ex- tension of slavery from the outcome of this conflict and bitterly denounced the war, but the patriotism of the nation was aroused to its full extent, and the gov- ernment of the people was nobly sustained by the people in its triumphant appeal to arms.
Orphans Home.
CHAPTER VIII.
RAILROADS.
Railroads being one of the important features toward internal improvements, I deem it proper to give a brief outline of the facts connected with the establish- ment of such roads through this county. In March, 1839, the general assembly passed an act "to authorize the commissioners of Wood and Hancock counties to subscribe to the capital stock of the Bellefontaine and Perrysburg Railroad com- pany and to borrow money." In accordance with this act the commissioners of Hancock county held a meeting April 26, 1839, and decided to subscribe 1,000 shares, amounting to $100,000, to the capital stock of said company, and chose Parlee Carlin as a special agent to negotiate a loan. The loan was never negoti- ated as the project went glimmering and vanished out of sight
On February 19, 1845, the legislature came to the rescue of another antici- pated project and passed "An act to authorize the commissioners of Hancock county to subscribe to the capital stock of the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad company the sum of $60,000, or such sums as shall be sufficient to construct a railway, or branch, from the main track of said railroad to the town of Findlay." The question was submitted to the voters of Hancock county at the following April election and carried by a vote of 1,055 to 764. On April 11, 1845, the board subscribed $60,000 to the capital stock of said railroad, and on April 22, $30,000 in county bonds were issued. Wilson Vance, William Taylor, John Pat- terson and William L. Henderson were appointed agents to represent the county interests in this project. In June, 1845, the commissioners added John Ewing and Jacob Barnd to the list of agents. September 11, 1845, the commis- sioners appointed Squire Carlin in place of Jacob Barnd (who died soon after his appointment), and the commissioners increased the subscription $15,000, making a total of $75,000.
On August 19, 1846, the railroad company met at Kenton and agreed to ac- cept the subscription, and to construct the road.
On September 22, 1846, the commissioners appointed John Patterson, John Ewing and Hiram Smith railroad agents, to transact all business in the building and completion of said proposed railroad. They were authorized to borrow money, obtain right-of way, put the work under contract and carry out all other business relative to the completion of the road.
In March, 1847, Hiram Smith resigned, and Charles W. O'Neal and William L. Henderson were appointed, and, with Messrs. Patterson and Ewing, served till March, 1851, when the office was terminated by order of the commissioners.
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
The road was completed in November, 1849 and trains began running before the close of that month. The railing was strips of strap iron five-eighths of an inch in thickness; the bed was made of sleepers laid lengthwise of the track, and resting upon these were the ties laid crosswise ; immediately over the sleepers were two strips of timber, to which were fastened the strap-iron rails. When all was finished the county had expended only $45,500, leaving $29,500 of the sub- scription yet unissued. In 1852-3 the subject of T-railway was much talked of, but nothing was done until October, 1868, when the attention of the commis- sioners was called to the unexpended balance, and they gladly issued the $12,000 in bonds, the amount needed for T-railing. The work of T-railing was com- menced in the spring of 1869 and was completed October 21, 1869. This road still remains as one of the landmarks, and although the name has at divers times been changed the road still continues to do a vast amount of business, and is the only entrance of the Big Four system into Findlay. Although this road was built and paid for by Hancock county, the road has probably many times paid for itself in accommodation to the early settlers and the helping hand it gave to as- sist in the development of the county. Thus was built the first railroad in the county.
The Lake Erie & Western was the second railroad built through this county. It was started, in the minds of a few of the early advocates, in 1853. In April, 1853, the voters of Hancock county voted to subscribe $100,000 to the capital stock of the Dayton & Michigan Railroad company.
In August, 1853. one hundred bonds of $1,000 each were signed and deliv- ered by the commissioners. The transfer was bitterly opposed and through a bitter fight, which resulted in the company returning $91,000 of the amount, and the county being sued and paying the remaining $9,000 the project fell flat. How- ever, in 1857, the proposed improvement gained headway by popular subscription and by January, 1859, the road was completed from Fremont to Fostoria. In March, 1860, trains were running to the Findlay depot on West Main Cross street. November 21, 1872, the last rail connecting Lima with Findlay was laid. Step by step, and consolidation after consolidation eventually ended in a through line from Sandusky, Ohio, to Bloomington, Illinois.
The Baltimore & Ohio railroad was built through the northeast corner of Hancock county in 1873 and opened for business January 1, 1874. Although a very small portion of this road lies in Hancock county it is worthy of mention as it is one of the greatest trunk lines of the United States. For want of time and space I will only make mention of the other railroads through this county.
The McComb, Deshler & Toledo Railroad company was incorporated June 2, 1879, by a number of McComb citizens, and on November 24, 1880, the first train came into McComb. Later, the branch was extended to Findlay and is now known as the C .. H. & D. branch.
The New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad company was incorporated in 1880 to construct a line from New York to Chicago. Findlay made an effort
59
RAILROADS.
to secure this road, but it was finally located over the old Continental bed in this county, from Arcadia westward, but runninng northeast from Arcadia to Fos- toria parallel with the L. E. & W. R. R. The road through this county was be- gun in the spring of 1881 and trains running by July, 1881.
The Cleveland, Delphos & St. Louis railroad was chartered March 9, 1881, and during the summer work was commenced. The road from Bluffton to Arlington was completed early in the fall of 1882, and in December the con- struction train reached Mt. Blanchard. Early in the spring of 1883 it run its trains to Carey. It is now known as the Northern Ohio.
The Toledo, Columbus & Southern railroad was chartered in May, 1881, and in the winter of 1881-2 the right-of-way was obtained between Toledo and Find- lay. Work was commenced in the summer of 1882. The first rail was laid De- cember 15, and the first locomotive ran into Bowling Green from Toledo on Christmas day. January 30, 1883, the connecting rail was laid some fifteen miles north of Findlay in Wood county, which connected Findlay with Toledo. The first through train came over the road from Toledo to Findlay February 7, 1883. The road was established through the southern part of the county in 1886. This road at present extends from Toledo to Columbus and is one of the busiest roads through this county. The road is now known as the Toledo & Ohio Cen- tral railroad.
The American Midland railroad was commenced and constructed through the western part of this county in 1888. Its eastern terminus is Findlay, O., and the western terminus Fort Wayne, Ind. The road has recently passed under the control of the C., H. & D. Railroad company. This comprises all the steam rail- roads now operating in this county, and the distribution of the same make the transportation and railroad communication in all this county about equally dis- tributed, and needless to say is one of the greatest assistants known to the civilized world in developing and revolutionizing trade industry.
CHAPTER IX.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
In 1854. or about seven years prior to the breaking out of the civil war, run- away negroes were harbored and taken care of by organizations, who furnished financial assistance to aid in the escapade of these runaway slaves to Canada. A line of stations existed at intervals of ten to thirty miles, and the travel over the line was entirely at night. "Conductors" were engaged to pilot the runaways in safety. while agents and sympathizers through the south enticed negroes from their masters, and furnished them with means to escape to the north, where they would be cared for and sent on into Canada. The method, organization, manner of concealment, etc., can best be related by the following article written by Mr. C. A. Croninger, of this city, who was one of the contributors to this institution and who has kindly furnished me with the following at my request : "Dear Sir and Friend :
"At your request I take pleasure in giving you a few items relating to what I know of what was termed the 'Grapevine Telegraph and Underground railway' through Hancock county. In May, 1854, as memory serves me, I arrived in Findlay, Ohio, and became actively engaged in the mercantile business on the corner of Main and Main Cross streets in this city, in the wooden block known as Headquarters. I soon made the acquaintance of many of the farmers of the county and quite a number who hailed from Richland and Ashland counties, some of whom I had met in those counties. Among others was our respected and worthy citizen. Uncle John King, who lived and owned the farm three and one- half miles north of town on the Perrysburg road (East Side). Our old acquaint- ance being renewed he sounded my sentiments on the slavery question. I frankly told him that I was somewhat pro-slavery in sentiment, yet I had a horror of many of the doings in southern slave-holding states, and while I had no intention nor a disposition to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it existed by law. yet I would not aid a slave owner in capturing a runaway. This was just what my friend wished to know and in the course of several talks with him and his reliance on my sentiments expressed. told me of an organization that was in existence styled the 'underground railroad' to aid refugees who were fleeing from slavery to Canada and freedom, and asked me to contribute what aid I felt like doing to keep up 'steam' and pay the 'engineer.' 'fireman' and "conductor' 'on the popular line, which I gladly assented to do. One regular station of some importance was near Williamstown, better known as 'Bill Town.' and a flag station a mile or two this side of Arlington. The refugees usually
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
came in squads of three, four, five or six. The agents at such stations would secrete the 'passengers' during the day and a train get away after dusk, ‘pas- sengers' carefully secreted under cover of a good bunch of loose hay, and from the 'Bill Town Station' to North Findlay, where they changed 'cars and con- ductors" to the next station in Wood county known as 'Slocums.' The North Findlay 'station agent' was the 'operator' of the 'Grapevine Telegraph Line,' and usually delivered the message verbally, about thus: 'Travel somewhat heavy this week, 6 and 4' -which meant 50 cents-or 'is somewhat light, 5' -which meant 25 cents from me. A nearby neighbor of mine, a very strong anti-slavery man (A. Bushon) also contributed his mite to the general expenses of the railroad.
"I called, on several occasions, at the station and on two occasions had inter- views with some of the passengers, many of whom were rather bright to be profitable slaves, and this station was on the edge of the highway and a good op- portunity for passengers to see the passer-by. On one occasion while two south- ern slave hunters stopped at the Reed house (now Phoenix Inn) in Findlay, on the track of fugitives, they were directed to the station where they were supposed to be and a telegraph by the 'grapevine' line (none other at this time than W. C. Cox and his spirited steed) was dispatched to the station in time so the passen- gers were secreted in a smoke house, the door locked, and key mislaid, and the owners were disappointed in catching any travelers they were after. The evening following, the train left the station, taking a roundabout route and succeeded in evading these southerners. As the train was well guarded and conductor and trainmen as well as the passengers were well armed, there would have been trou- ble had the train been held up; but fortunately they arrived near Perrysburg safely, while their pursuers were ahead of the line and having a good time in Toledo.
"The funds raised went to pay the expenses as before mentioned, at the rate of 100 to 200 (cents) for a team and driver that conveyed four passengers twelve to sixteen miles ; and occasionally a team would drive twenty-four miles and at other times thirty-four miles, returning home with a number of empty sacks lying loose in the bed of the wagon, so that inquisitors could see that the party had been to market and had made sale of their load.
"I was told that two slave-hunters from Kentucky followed some fugitives on the route so closely that the sheriff of Hancock county, Ohio, was called to their aid to help capture four passengers supposed to be in the station and be- fore the sheriff and his posse were ready to carry out the program became pretty well filled up with good spirits and having a good time, as the 'grapevine line' was ahead and the inmates of the station were in the wooded district, safely se- creted, and the officer and posse returned without the capture of the runaways. The passengers tarried a day or more to aid the station agent to cut and harvest a field of grain on the farm.
"The aid rendered the refugees was not a lucrative business to those engaged in it by any means, as it required time. patience and money to carry it on : also it
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THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
was well known that an attorney at (Portland) Sandusky City had been fined by court under the federal laws of the United States $1,000 for aiding runaway slaves, and that the law would await any others that were caught aiding or abetting these poor runaways.
"The station agent near 'Bill Town,' whose name is not remembered, was said to have been an indefatigable worker in this line, as was our friend King. The latter was up in years, so that he could not well spend the hours of night away from home, but had on hand or secured those that were quite as efficient as he would have been in his stead. I remember of being told that no less than twenty fugitives in one week went through Findlay, and often ten to twelve. The heavy runs were in 1856 to 1860, but the organization and route had been doing business years before."
John A. Woods.
It was later learned that the station agent at "Bill Town" was none other than John A. Woods, who lived one mile north of "Bill Town," and his son. James P. Woods, of this city, present sidewalk inspector, when but seventeen years of age was one of the parties who helped to convey the runaway slaves from the "Bill Town" station to Uncle John King's north of Findlay. Mr. J. P. Woods related to the writer that at one time just prior to the breaking out of the civil war in 1861 he conveyed a man, wife and child on horseback to the North Find- lay station, the husband riding one horse and carrying the child, while the mother rode behind him (Mr. Woods) on the other horse. On his way back he spent the balance of the night in Mr. Ballentine's stable on West Crawford street, and after himself and horses were fed started on a roundabout way home until he reached Chamberlin's hill, south of town. Here he was met by a party who in quired his business at Findlay at so early an hour. Mr. Woods replied: "It is none of your business." to which the inquisitor answered he would make it his
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