USA > Ohio > Hancock County > History of Hancock County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, history of the Northwest Territory, history of Ohio, statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc > Part 33
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On the 24th of February, 1848, a law was passed authorizing the estab- lishment of separate schools for colored children. This law was amended in 1849, and was thought by many to be contrary to the spirit of the con- stitution, but the supreme court declared it constitutional. Separate school districts were authorized to be organized and managed by directors chosen by the adult male colored tax-payers, whose property was alone chargeable for the support of said schools. Colored children were not really debarred under the constitution at that time from attending the schools provided for white children, but it amounted to about the same thing, as the objection of any parent or guardian whose children attended said school prevented the attendance of colored youth. Thus the law existed until 1853, when the schools for colored children were placed upon the same basis as those for white. By the law of 1853, boards of education were directed, whenever the colored youth in any school district numbered more than thirty, to estab- lish a school for them. This law was so amended in 1864 that two or more
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districts could unite for the same purpose. Much trouble has been caused in different towns by the colored people insisting on sending their children to the schools for whites. In some places little or no opposition has been manifested, while in others a bitter struggle resulted. In the country dis- tricts and smaller towns white and colored children usually attend the same schools, and, as far as the writer has investigated the plan, it seems to work harmoniously.
The school law of 1853 made ample provision for the education of every class and grade of youth within the State. We have seen in the preceding pages that those who participated in the organization of the Northwest Territory, and subsequently the State, recognized religion, morality and knowledge as necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind. We have also seen the gradual development of education from its earliest inception in the State up to its present permanent foundation through the law of 1853. Under the present law the State is divided into school dis- tricts as follows: City districts of the first class, city districts of the second class, village districts, special districts and township districts. To admin- ister the affairs of the districts, and to look after and promote the educa- tional interests therein, the law has provided for the establishment of boards of education in each district. These boards may acquire real or personal property for the use of their districts, and are required to establish schools for free education of the youth of school age, and may establish schools of a higher grade than the primary schools. They are to determine the studies to be pursued and the text-books to be used in the schools under their con- trol; to appoint superintendents of schools, teachers and other employes, and fix their salaries. They are authorized to make such rules and regu- lations as they may deem expedient and necessary for the government of the board, their appointees and pupils.
The State Commissioner of common schools is elected by the people, and his official term is three years. He is required to superintend and encour- age teachers' institutes, confer with boards of education or other school officers, counsel teachers, visit schools and deliver lectures calculated to promote popular education. He is to have a supervision over the school funds, and has power by law to require proper returns to be made by the officers who have duties to perform pertaining to schools or school funds. It is his duty to give instruction for the organization and government of schools, and to distribute the school laws and other documents for the use of school officers. He is required by law to appoint a board of State Ex- aminers, consisting of three persons, who hold their office for two years. This board is authorized to issue life certificates to such teachers as may be found, upon examination, to have attained "eminent professional ex- perience and ability." These certificates are valid in any school district in the State, and supersede the necessity of all other examinations by the county or local boards of examiners. Each applicant for a State certificate is required to pay a fee of $3.
There is in each county in the State a board of examiners appointed by the probate judge, their official term being three years. The law provides that "it shall be the duty of the examiners to fix upon the time of holding the meetings for the examination of teachers in such places in their respect- ive counties as will, in their opinion, best accommodate the greatest number of candidates for examination, notice of all such meetings being published
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in some newspaper of general circulation in their respective counties, and at such meetings any two of said board shall be competent to examine to applicants and grant certificates; and as a condition of examination each applicant for a certificate shall pay the board of examiners a fee of 50 cents." The fees thus received are set apart as a fund for the support of teachers' institutes.
In city districts of the first and second class, and village districts having a population of not less than 2,500, the. examiners are appointed by the boards of education. The fees charged are the same as those of the county boards, and are appropriated for the same purpose.
There are, in the different townships, subdistricts, in which the people elect, annually, a local director, whose term of office continues for three years. From this it will be seen that each subdistrict has a board consist- ing of three directors. These directors choose one of their number as clerk, who presides at the meetings of local directors, and keeps a record thereof. He also keeps a record of the proceedings of the annual school meetings of the subdistrict. The board of education of each township district consists of the township clerk and the local directors, who have been appointed clerks of the subdistricts.
The law provides that "in every district in the State there shall be taken, between the first Monday in September and the first Monday in October in each year, an enumeration of all unmarried youth, noting race and sex between six and twenty-one years of age, resident within the district and not temporarily there, designating also the number between six- een and twenty-one years of age, the number residing in the Western Re- erve, the Virginia Military District, the United States Military District, and in any original surveyed township or fractional township to which belongs Section 16, or other land in lieu thereof, or any other lands for the use of schools or any interest in the proceeds of such land: Provided, that in addition to the classified return of all the youth residing in the district that the aggregate number of youth in the district resident of any adjoin- ing county shall be separately given, if any such there be, and the name of the county in which they reside." The clerk of each board of education is required to transmit annually to the county auditor an abstract of the re- turns of enumeration made to him on or before the second Monday of Oc- tober.
The county auditor is required to transmit to the State Commissioner, on or before the 5th day of November, a duly certified abstract of the enumer- ation returns made to him by clerks of school districts. The law provides that "the Auditor of State shall, annually, apportion the common school funds among the different counties upon the enumeration and returns made to him by the State Commissioner of common schools, and certify the amount so apportioned to the county auditor of each county, stating from what sources the same is derived, which said sum the several county treas- urers shall retain in their respective treasuries from the State funds; and the county auditors shall, annually, and immediately after their annual settle- ment with the county treasurers, apportion the school funds for their respective counties according to the enumeration and returns in their respective offices."
The law provides that the school year shall begin on the 1st day of Sep- tember of each year, and close on the 31st of August of the succeeding
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year. A school week shall consist of five days, and a school month of four school weeks. £ The law also provides, in relation to common schools, that they shall be "free to all youth between six and twenty-one years of age who are children, wards or apprentices of actual residents of the school district, and no pupil shall be suspended therefrom except for such time as may be necessary to convene the board of education of the district, or local director of the subdistrict, nor be expelled unless by a vote of two-thirds of said board of local directors, after the parent or guardian of the offending pupil shall have been notified of the proposed expulsion, and permitted to be heard against the same; and no scholar shall be suspended or expelled from the privilege of schools beyond the current term: Provided, that each board of education shall have power to admit other persons, not under six years of age, upon such terms or upon the payment of such tuition as they prescribe; and boards of education of city, village or special districts shall also have power to admit, without charge or tuition, persons within the school age who are members of the family of any freeholder whose residence is not within such district, if any part of such freeholder's homestead is within such district; and Provided, further, that the several boards of education shall make such assignments of the youth of their respective districts to the schools established by them, as will, in their opinion, best promote the interests of education in their districts; and Provided, further, that nothing contained in this section shall supersede or modify the provisions of Section 31 of an act entitled 'an act for the reorganization, supervision and main- tenance of common schools, passed March 14, 1853, as amended March 18, 1864.'"'
Provision is made by law for the establishment and maintenance of teachers' institutes, which are established for the professional improvement of teachers. At each session competent instructors and lecturers are employed to assist the State Commissioner, who is required by law to super- intend and encourage such institutes. They are either county, city or joint institutes of two or more counties, and the examination fees paid by teachers to boards of examiners are devoted to the payment of the expenses incurred by these instructions.
Every youth in Ohio under twenty-one years of age may have the benefit of a public school education, and since the system of graded and high schools has been adopted, may obtain a general knowledge from the alpha- bet to the classics. The enumerated branches of study in the public schools of this State are about thirty-four, including mathematics and astronomy, French, German and the classics. Thus, Ohio, which was in the heart of the wilderness one hundred years ago, and has been a State only eighty- three years, now presents to the world not merely an unrivaled development of material prosperity, but a very good system of popular education.
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CHAPTER VIII.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS-HULL'S TRACE-OPENING OF THE PERRYSBURG & BELLEFONTAINE AND OTHER STATE ROADS THROUGH HANCOCK COUN- TY-PIONEER COUNTY ROADS-FIRST BRIDGE BUILT ACROSS THE BLANCHI- ARD AT FINDLAY, AND ITS SUCCESSORS-EARLY NAVIGATION ON THE BLANCH- ARD-FIRST MAIL ROUTE ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE COUNTY-JOSEPII GORDON, THE VETERAN MAIL CARRIER-HISTORY OF THE RAILROADS-THE PROPOSED BELLEFONTAINE & PERRYSBURG RAILROAD-FINDLAY BRANCH OF THE INDIANAPOLIS, BLOOMINGTON & WESTERN-LAKE ERIE & WESTERN -BALTIMORE & OHIO-MCCOMB, DESHLER & TOLEDO-NEW YORK, CHI- CAGO & ST. LOUIS-CLEVELAND, DELPHOS & ST. LOUIS NARROW GUAGE- TOLEDO, COLUMBUS & SOUTHERN-PROPOSED RAILROAD ENTERPRISES THAT HAVE FAILED DURING THE PAST FORTY-SEVEN YEARS.
D URING the earlier years of the county's history Hull's Trace was the principal highway through this portion of the State. It was opened in 1812 by the army of Gen. William Hull on its march from Urbana to the Maumee Rapids, and passed northward from the Scioto River through the cen- ter of Hancock County, traversing in its route what is now Madison, Eagle, Findlay and Allen Townships. Hull's Trace could scarcely be called a road, for only the underbrush and very small timber were cut out so as to allow the gun-carriages and baggage wagons of the army to pass between the larger trees; yet nearly all of the travel from Bellefontaine to the Maumee passed along this rude trace until after the organization of Wood County in 1820. Though the preliminary work of opening a highway from the Maumee southward via Fort Findlay to Bellefontaine was soon afterward commenced, it was nevertheless many years before anything that could be called a road was constructed through this county, and wagon paths blazed through the forest were the only means of communication between the scattered settle- ments.
Many, even of the oldest citizens of the county, are under the impression that the Perrysburg & Bellefontaine road is located on the site of Hull's Trace, but such is not the fact. The trace struck the south line of Hancock County, about half a mile west of this road, thence, passing northward, ran down the west side of Eagle Creek to Fort Findlay, where it crossed the Blanchard; thence in a northerly direction, about half a mile east of the Perrysburg road, until reaching the highlands on the middle branch of the Portage River, a short distance south of Van Buren; thence took a north- west course along the southwest side of that stream into Wood County, and thence onward to the Maumee. The vanguard of Hull's army followed the dryest ground it could find, and avoided, wherever possible, the swales which then abounded in this region.
Early in 1820 the General Assembly passed an act, ordering a State road to be laid out from the Maumee to Bellefontaine; and on the 27th of May, 1820, the commissioners of Wood County appointed Peter G. Oliver, "road commissioner for the county of Wood, to assist in laying out the State road from Bellefontaine to the foot of the rapids of the Miami of the Lake."
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This is familiarly known as the Perrysburg & Bellefontaine, but sometimes. called the Urbana, road, and is located on the range line between Ranges 10 and 11. Oliver entered into bond to lay out and let the contracts for open- ing said road from Fort Meigs to Fort Findlay, but it seems he did not ful- fill the conditions laid down by the board, and December 12, 1820, the com- missioners intimated that they would sue his bondsmen, but gave him till February 1, 1821, "to finish his road, provided that the logs should all be removed out of said road by the 1st of January, 1821." The road was cut out as far south as Fort Findlay by the time specified, and accepted by the com- missioners February 21, 1821. From Fort Findlay to Bellefontaine the road was partly opened by John Enochs, of Logan County, about the same time. Nothing further relating to the road in this county appears on the Wood County records till June 6, 1826, when the commissioners ordered "that the sum of $400 of the 3 per cent fund appropriated for Hancock County, be expended on the Urbana road in the said county." This road could not have been satisfactorily opened through to Bellefontaine under the act of 1820, for another act was passed by the Legislature February 22, 1830, " to locate and establish a State road from Bellefontaine, in Logan County, to Fort Findlay, in Hancock County; and thence on the range line be- tween Ranges 10 and 11, to the foot of the rapids of the Miami of Lake Erie." Thomas F. Johnston, Thomas R. McKnight and James M. Workman, were. appointed State Commissioners to lay out said road, and Walter Clement did the surveying. The survey was commenced at the public square in Belle- fontaine, May 20, 1830, and completed the following month, though the plat of the survey was not recorded in Wood County until about a year afterward. In August, 1830, the commissioners of Hancock County agreed that the tax levied for the several State roads in this county be expended on the Bellefontaine & Perrysburg, the Upper Sandusky, Findlay & Defi- ance, and the State roads from Marion to Findlay, each of which were ordered to be cut out thirty-two feet wide, and the ground cleared of all timber. Thus it will be seen that ten years after the Perrysburg & Belle- fontaine road was first surveyed, it still remained comparatively unopened, but through the passing years it has been gradually improved, until it is. to-day one of the best roads in the county.
In the fall of 1828 the State road from Marion to Findlay was laid out by Don Alonzo Hamlin and George H. Busby, State Commissioners, and Samuel Holmes, surveyor. It unites with the Bellefontaine & Perrysburg road immediately south of the Eagle Creek bridge near the south line of Findlay Township, and passes southeastward through this county. In Au- gust, 1830, the county commissioners let the contract for cutting out this road thirty-two feet wide and removing the timber therefrom.
The Upper Sandusky, Findlay & Defiance State road was surveyed early in 1830, and the contract for opening it let in August of that year. The survey of the State road from Lower Sandusky (Fremont) to Findlay was commenced in November, 1830, by John Bell and Daniel Tindle, com- missioners, and David Camp, surveyor. Rome (now Fostoria), was after- ward laid out on this road. The Findlay & Port Clinton State road was surveyed in the fall of 1831 by David Camp, the State Commissioners being William L. Henderson, Joseph Hall and Ezekiel Price. This road runs in a northeast direction from Findlay to Port Clinton in Sandusky County. On the 6th of February, 1832, the Legislature passed an act to establish
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State roads through several counties, Hancock being one of those named in said act. Under this act, Squire Carlin, Samuel Jacobs and Picket Doughte, State Commissioners, with William L. Henderson as surveyor, laid out the Findlay, Lima & St. Mary's State road in the fall of 1832. The State road from Findlay to Tiffin was laid out the same year, but it was not opened as we find it re-established in 1842 from Findlay to the east line of Marion Township, by order of the county commissioners. The Findlay & New Haven State road was established in the spring of 1833, beginning at Sandusky Street in Findlay, and running due east to New Haven, Huron Co. Case Brown was the State Commissioner, and T. C. Sweney, surveyor of this road. The Tiffin and Defiance State road was also laid out in the spring of 1833, by Jacob Foster, James Gordon and Christopher Sharp, commis- sioners, and William L. Henderson, surveyor. It passed westward through Rome and Risdon (now Fostoria), thence continued in a southwest course on the county ridge road surveyed in March, 1832, from the site of Risdon to the site of Van Buren; thence in the same general direction to the east line of Pleasant Township; thence inclined northwestwardly to the Putnam County line. In the spring of 1834, a State road was established from Mccutchenville, via Big Spring, in Seneca County, to Findlay. Joseph C. Shannon, John C. De Witt and Frederick Waggoner were the commis- sioners in charge, and Thomas C. Sweney, surveyor. In 1835, a State road was laid out from Bucyrus toward Fort Wayne, Ind., passing through Williamstown in its route; and the same year the Findlay & Kalida State road was established; Charles W. O'Neal surveyed the latter road, and Parlee Carlin and James Taylor were the road commissioners. Some of these highways were afterward changed in places, and parts vacated to accommodate the people living along their respective routes, while several years elapsed before they were fully opened and fit for travel.
All of the earliest county roads, in Hancock County, were established under an act of the general assembly passed February 26, 1824, authorizing the opening and regulating of roads and highways within the State. The first road petition found on record, in this county, was presented to the commis- sioners June 1, 1829, for a public highway from the east line of the county to Findlay. The petitioners were John J. Hendricks, Justin Smith, Joseph Whiteman, James Beard, John Huff, John Beard, William Ebright, Sampson Dildine, John Williamson, Andrew Robb, Thomas Cole, David Hagerman, John Long, John Shoemaker and Mordecai Hammond. In September, 1829, the road was viewed by John Huff, John J. Hendricks and William More- land, Jr., with William Taylor as surveyor; Peter George, James Beard, Joshua Powell and John Boyd, chainmen; and John Long, Philip Ebright and Norman Chamberlain, markers. The road was established by the com- missioners September 16, 1829. It began at Jacob Smith's on the county line (now in Wyandot County), and is the present road running westward through Vanlue to the Blanchard; thence passing down the northeast side of the river a few miles, when it crosses to the west side, and thence follows the meanders of the Blanchard into Findlay.
The second petition was presented June 7, 1830, for a road commenc- ing on the line between Hancock and Hardin Counties, near the section line dividing sections 35 and 36, Delaware Township, thence down the west side of the Blanchard to Godfrey Wolford's mill in section 11, where it crossed the river, and continued down the east side of the stream through
A. S. Byal
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the site of Mt. Blanchard until it intersected the county road to Findlay, laid out the previous fall, near the house of John J. Hendricks in Section 12, Amanda Township. The petition was signed by Aquilla Gilbert, Asa Lake, Jesse Gilbert, Chauncy Fuller, Reuben W. Hamlin, Godfrey Wolford, John Wolford, Josiah Elder, William J. Greer, William J. Greer, Jr., John Rose, Asa M. Lake, George W. Wolford, John Elder, Ephraim El- der, Absalom Elder, Andrew Robb, Justin Smith, Amos Beard, William Ebright, Nathan Williams, James Gibson, David Egbert and Joseph W. Egbert. The commissioners appointed Thomas Thompson, James Beard and Peter George, viewers, and Wilson Vance, surveyor, to lay out said road: Elijah Beard and Charles Gibson were employed as chain carriers, and Godfrey Wolford, marker. All of the foregoing were pioneers of Del- aware and Amanda Townships. The road was surveyed in July, 1830, and established as a public highway April 18, 1831.
In March, 1831, a county road was laid out, from the Perrysburg & . Bellefontaine State road, south of Chamberlin's Hill, up the west side of Eagle Creek to Section 14, Madison Township, where it crossed that stream, and upon reaching the center line of Section 23 turned southeastward and continued in that direction till it intersected the Perrysburg & Bellefon- taine road near the southern boundary of the county. This road followed Hull's Trace from Chamberlin's Hill to section 23, Madison Township, but the north part of it was afterward vacated. The petition, as presented to the commissioners March 7, 1831, was signed by the following well-remem- bered pioneers: Benjamin O. Whitman, Jacob, Joseph, John and Jacob Helms, Jr., John, Adam and Elijah Woodruff, Conrad Line, John Decker, Nathaniel Hill, Simeon and Thomas Ransbottom, John and Griffin Tullis, James West, Joshua Garrett, Abner Hill, Abel Tanner, Aaron Kinion, Alpheus Ralston, John Boyd, Leonard Tritch, Squire and Parlee Carlin, Henry Shaw, John C. Wickham, Major Bright, William Dulin and Isaac Johnson. Of these Squire Carlin and Alpheus Ralston are the only surviv- ors. The commissioners appointed William L. Henderson surveyor, and Jacob Foster, Peter George and John Bashore, viewers. John Tullis, Adam Woodruff and Elijah Woodruff acted as chainmen, and Abel Tanner, marker. The road was established June 6, 1831, and was a little over four- teen miles in length.
The Benton Ridge road was the next highway established by the com- missioners, in compliance with a petition laid before the board in the fall of 1831, and signed by Squire and Parlee Carlin, Thomas F. Johnston, Levi Williamson, James Taylor, John Boyd, Matthew Reighly, William Taylor, Wilson Vance, John Groves, Joseph A. Sargent, William Dulin, Joshua Jones, William Moreland, Samuel Gordon, Joseph Johnson, William Fow- ler, Henry Lamb, Isaac Baker, Thomas Cole, Minor T. Wickham, Richard Wade, Zebulon Lee, Philip Cramer, John Mullen, John Cramer, Jacob Powell, Solomon Foglesong, Jacob Fox, Simon Cramer, William Lytle and Philip Cramer, Jr. The viewers appointed to lay out said road were Peter George, Isaac Baker and Thomas F. Johnston; William L. Henderson, sur- veyor; Frederick Henderson, Jonathan Parker, Stephen Lee, Reuben Baker, John Cramer, Henry Smaltz and William Greenly, chainmen; Mi- nor T. Wickham, Henry Baker, Philip Cramer and Adam Cramer, markers. The survey was completed in December, 1831, and March 5, 1832, the road was established by the board of commissioners. It begins at the west end
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