USA > Ohio > Hancock County > History of Hancock county, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 16
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The township so remained until after the permanent or- ganization of the county, when in 1828, the townships of Amanda and Welfare-now Delaware-were organized from territory in the south-eastern portion of the township. In 1829 the township of Jackson was organized out of terri- tory then belonging to Findley township.
At the session of the Commissioners held on the 6th day of December, 1830, we find this entry in connection with the division of the townships of Findley and Amanda, and the formation of Marion township; 6 * * *
and likewise in the next place commencing at the south-east corner of section 32, thence north to the north-east corner
255
First Entries Opened.
of section 5, in township 1 north, range 11, thence west to the north-west corner of section 2, in range 10, thence south to the south-west corner of section 35, in township 1 north, thence east to the south-east corner of section 32, to the place of beginning, which shall be a body corporate and politic, and retaining the name of Findley." Thus by suc- cessive acts of the County Commissioners was the bound- aries of this township, once co-extensive with those of the county, reduced to less than those of an original township.
The first entry of land in this township was that of the east part of the south-east quarter of section 13, by Vance, Neil and Cory. In September of the same year John Brown entered the north-west quarter of section 19. The first mentioned tract is now that part of the town of Findley lying on the west side Main street, between the river and Sandusky street. The Brown entry is that part of the town south of Sandusky and east of Main, known as Byal's addi- tion. On the 4th of October, 1821, John P. Hamilton made entry of the west part of the south-west quarter of section 17, now owned by Aaron Baker. The south-west quarter of section 30 was entered by Job Chamberlain, on the 4th of October, 1821. This land has been known in connection with that adjoining it as Chamberlain's Hill. In the same month John Simpson entered the east half of the north-east quar- ter of section 25. This is now the Ross Bennett farm, ad- joining the County Fair Grounds. On the 14th of Novem- ber of the same year the east half of the north-east quarter of section 24 was entered by MeIllvain and Neil. This is now included in the town of Findley. Thomas Slight en- tered the land known as the old Johnny Patterson farm on the south side of the river. In 1822 Joshua Hedges en- tered about one half of the north-east quarter of section 11,
256
History of Hancock County.
.
and which has ever since been known as the Hedges' farm. It lies along the north bank of the Blanchard, from the late Judge Strother's farm, to the Liberty township line. George Hollenbeck in the same year took up the south-east quarter of section 12, the farm now owned by Samuel Howard, and Asa M. Lake entered the lands on which Maple Grove Cemetery is now located. Entries of the Didway farm by Rev. James Gilruth, and of the John Heck farm by Joseph Westenhaver, and of the Vance farm by Judge Strother, and of the Campbell Byal farm by his father, John Byal, and of the A. W. Strother farm, and of the lands on which North Findley in now located, and the Jacob Foster farm and the Jesse Whitney farm, and many others were made prior to the premanent organization of the county.
This township takes it name from the town, and is com- posed of sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 26, 35 and 36 in township 1 north, range 10 east, and sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 and 32 in township 1 north, range 11 east. This township is situated almost in the cen- ter of the county, and divided almost in the center east and west by the Blanchard River. It is bounded on the north by Allen township, on the east by Marion, on the south by Jackson and Eagle, and on the west by Liberty.
The soil of this township is generally of a rich quality, and varied in kind. Along the north line the soil is gener- ally clay, underlined with what is called a hard pan, and is adapted to growing of grass, and for grazing purposes .. Along the river and creek bottoms it is of the usual rich quality, sandy loam. On the south side of the river the. entire body of land is underlaid with limestone, and as a consequence the soil is of the most productive quality. As an agricultural region this township is not surpassed! by any
257
Timber and Water.
in the county. Being around the county seat, the improve- ments are perhaps more marked and more elaborate than in more distant portions of the county, and give to the sur- roundings of the town a most comfortable and cheerful look.
This whole township-except the water courses-was very heavily timbered with walnut of the very best quality, oak, ash, hickory, elm, beech, and a great abundance of the sugar maple. But at the time this timber had to be removed it was of no value, and it took no little amount of labor to remove it.
The Blanchard River passes through this township, fur- nishing an abundance of stock water, and also sufficient, a portion of the year, to run the mills on its banks within the boundary of the township; the Carlin Mill at Findley, and Byal's Mill, just over the line in Liberty township.
Besides the Blanchard River, we have its tributaries, Eagle Creek, Lye Creek, and Whitney's Run, all of them quite considerable streams, entering the river from the south. All of these creeks in common with the river, have lime- .stone beds. The stone is abundant, easily quarried, and suitable for building foundations for buildings, the stone work for bridges, and for making lime. On the north, Strother's Run and Hedges' Run, both moderately sized water courses, enter the river. These creeks and water courses, in connection with the river, furnish excellent drainage in abundance. There are no springs of any con- sequence in the township, but an excellent quality of water can be obtained easily by digging, in any part of the town- ship. In its primeval state, although situated so near the river, much of the land was very wet, not swampy, but low, deep vegetable soil, and in many places underlaid with a hard pan of clay, the water was prevented from sinking, and
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History of Hancock County.
having no channels opened, the surface was necessarily wet. But this has all disappeared under an intelligent sys- tem of drainage.
The town of Findley occupies so much of the township, and so much of the history of the two is inseparably con- nected, that not much can be said of the township, which may not as well be said of the town.
Of course the first settlement in the township was made within the limits of the town, and vet settlements were made at a very early day-almost as early as in town-by John P. Hamilton, only a short distance up the river from the town. Job Chamberlain, sr., began opening up a farm on Chamberlain Hill, almost at the same time that improve- ments began in the village. At almost as early a date, John Byal commenced on the river bank two miles west of town, to open up what is now one of the most beautiful and valu- able farms in the county, and even before this time Joshua Hedges had located on his lands on the north side of the river, next to the Liberty township line. Judge Strother began the making of his splendid farm just outside the cor- poration line. George Hollenbach, Jacob Foster, Benjamin Strother, Wm. Taylor, Robert Benham, Aaron Huff, and quite a number of others came into the township prior to 1830.
The first school house, and the first church in the town- ship were both inside the limits of the present town of Findley. There are now seven school houses in the town- ship-outside of the town-with an enumeration of four hundred and forty-four youth. There are two churches, one Methodist Episcopal, one Evangelical, one a brick, the other frame.
The first election, in 1823, was held by order of the Com-
259
Job Chamberlain, Sr.
missioners of Wood County for the purpose of electing two Justices of the Peace, and only thirteen votes were cast. Job Chamberlain, sr., William Moreland and Benjamin Chandler were the Judges, Wilson Vance and Mathew Reighly, Clerks, and Robert McKinnis and Wilson Vance were elected Justices of the Peace.
Of the men who were officers of that election, Job Cham- berlain, sr., and Wilson Vance were citizens of the county up to the time of their decease. Of Mr. Chamberlain, I have the following facts from his son Job, who is yet a resi- dent of Findley.
Mr. Chamberlain was born in the State of Connecticut, and was married there to a Miss Deborah Root, and with her removed to Cayuga Co., N. Y., where they lived for twenty-eight years. They then emigrated to the west, and settled at Lawrenceburg, Ind., where after a residence at that place of two years, they came to Urbana, Ohio, and after a year's residence, they in 1822, removed to this township, and settled on what is known as Chamberlain's Hill. At that time there were but six white families in the county, Benjamin Cox, Wilson Vance, William Moreland, Smith, John Simpson and George Lake, who lived at what is now Mt. Blanchard.
When Mr. Chamberlain arrived in the township, there were no buildings on his land, and he was compelled to un- load his goods on the ground, but what few settlers were here, assisted him in building a cabin, and such was their expedition that Mr. Chamberlain occupied his new house on the third day from the time the building was commenced.
Mrs. Chamberlain died on the 8th day of January, 1829, and about a year afterwards Mr. Chamberlain married a Miss Sarah Criner, and removed about six miles west of
260
History of Hancock County.
Findley, in Liberty township, dividing his old farm between his two sons, Norman and Job. Mr. Chamberlain died in 1848, and his wife in 1854.
William Moreland came to the county in 1822, and set- tled on the north side of the river, on what was afterwards known as the Taylor farm, and now a part of North Find- ley. Mr. Moreland entered eighty acres of this land, which he afterwards sold to William Taylor for $375, and removed to Van Buren township, and served as a Justice of the Peace for several years, when he sold out, and came back to Find- ley.
Mathew Riley-or Reighly-was long a resident of the county, and held several important offices in both township and county. He eventually removed to the west.
Of the earliest settlers in this township, we may be per- mitted to speak of Joshua Hedges, who was the first Treas- urer of the county, and who lived on the north-east quarter of section 11, about two miles west of the town of Findley, and on the north side of the river. Mr. Hedges was a tall, muscular man, a little stooped, of good constitution, ener- getic and of strict integrity. He was a native of Virginia ; hospitable in his feelings, he never allowed either white man or Indian to leave his house in want. Politically, he was a Democrat of the strictest sort. He was for many years a member of the Methodist Church, and was in his acts con- sistent with his profession. He died in 1845. He had a large family, only two of whom are now living-Mrs. Rachael Dulin, of Portage township, and Mrs. Elizabeth Huntwork, of Kansas.
John P. Hamilton was also one of the early settlers of the township. He entered and cleared up the farm just east of Lye Creek, now owned by Aaron Baker. Mr. Hamilton
261
First Election.
was a man of strong will, and determined in any matter he took in hand. He was one of the first Commissioners of the county, and in his official capacity took an active part in the public improvements of the county, in developing its resources, and in inaugurating those measures which have led to our present greatness. Mr. Hamilton died about the year 1860.
Robert Bonham came to the township at a very early day, and commenced clearing up a farm a little north-west of Findley, and upon which he resided up to the time of his death in May, 1877.
Mr. Bonham was an industrious, economical, and unas- suming man. As a neighbor, he was kind and accommdat- ing, as a citizen, he was true to the best interests of the people, as he understood them, as a Christian he was con- sistent. Purely domestic in his habits, he very seldom went farther from home than the village, and was never in a railroad car until less than a year before his death. He was a man of peculiar habits, but respected by all who knew him. Mr. Bonham was a native of Virginia, and was three times married.
The first election held in the township, as it is now con- stituted, was on the 4th day of April, 1831, when the fol- lowing officers were elected: Isaac Jameson, Thomas Slight, and Isaac Baker, Trustees; William L. Henderson, Clerk ; Squire Carlin, Treasurer; Supervisors, Bass Rawson and Jacob Foster, sr .; Fence Viewers, John Boyd and Leonard Tritch ; Overseers of the Poor, James B. Moore and John Smith ; Constable, John Bashore. The important offices of Fence Viewers and Overseers of the Poor, with all their honors and emoluments, have long since been abolished.
John Byal, one of the pioneers of the township, was born
262
History of Hancock County.
in the city of Baltimore, Md., on the 25th day of July, 1791, and was the second son of William Byal, who died in Find- ley, in 1840. The Byal family removed from Maryland to Pennsylvania, first to Huntington, and afterwards to West- moreland County. In 1809, the family came to Ohio, set- tling in Stark County, and here in 1816 Mr. Byal was mar- ried to Elizabeth Newstutter, and commenced life on a tract of land purchased of the General Government, in Sugar Creek township, in that county. In March, 1832, Mr. Byał sold his Stark County farm, and came to Hancock County, and settled on the Byal farm, just east of the Infirmary. At that time it was all woods, and only by the hardest of labor, and the most rigid economy, was it reclaimed, and converted into one of the handsomest and most desirable farms in the county.
In the same year-1832-Mr. Byal built a saw mill on the Blanchard, just east of the present bridge across the river at that place. In 1834 he built what is now known as the Teatsorth Mill, being the first frame building in the county for mill purposes. It was an old fashioned water mill, with monster water wheel, which went splashing in a lazy, continuous round, but with force and life enough to supply the neighborhood with flour and meal during the sea- son in which it was or could run.
Mr. Byal was the father of nine children, five of whom are living-Henry, the oldest, resides in Findley, and is quite wealthy, and for his honesty and business qualities commands the respect of his fellow citizens. He has filled a number of offices, having been Justice of the Peace for three terms. Catherine resides at Kalida, Ohio, William in Iowa, and Nancy and Rachael in Kansas.
Mr. Byal was elected County Commissioner in 1834. and
263
Barna Beardsley.
served two terms. He was one of the principal movers in the building of the present Court House. He also served as Justice of the Peace.
Mr. Byal died July 13th, 1853, and his widow survived him about six years.
BARNA BEARDSLEY
Was the oldest of seven sons of Daniel Beardsley, and was born in Delaware County, New York, on the 9th day of March, 1797. His parents were from the State of Con- necticut, and of course were Yankees. In 1803 his father came to Ohio and settled near Newark, in Licking County. When about fifteen years of age, Mr. B. left his home and went to Columbus. O., or rather to Franklinton-as there was no Columbus then-and during the war of 1812-15, he served part of the time as a wagon-boy, and part of the time as clerk in the office of the Paymaster. He was sev- eral times sent out as the bearer of important dispatches, to the officers in command of the different posts in northern Ohio. Dispatches were sent by him to Gen. Cass at Zanes- ville, to Gen. Harrison at Fort Meigs, and to the commander at Fort Croghan at Fremont.
After the close of the war, he went to the mouth of the River Rasin, and engaged in the carpenter trade. He also assisted in the erection of the first frame buildings in San- dusky City. After several years absence he returned to Licking County, where on the 9th day of April, 1820, he married Mary Boylan, the eldest child of Aaron and Beulah Boylan. From that time until 1834, he followed his trade as carpenter, and operated Hollister's Distillery until Sep- tember, 1834, when he came to Hancock County, his father- in-law and one sister having preceded him, and took up his
264
History of Hancock County.
residence with his wife and seven children in a cabin on the present Infirmary farm. The country was then very new, and being almost without means, a struggle commenced for the support of himself and his young family.
Fortunately his services as a carpenter were in demand in the new settlement, and steady employment was had, at what was then deemed good wages. But as all materials for building had to be. wrought out by hand, not many build- ings could be erected in a year, and the work was of the most laborious kind.
In 1840, Mr. B. and his sons having farmed quite exten- sively in addition to his work as a mechanic, he purchased of Aaron Hough thirty acres of land in Findley township, and he and his family at once went to work clearing it up, and in the fall of 1841 had so far succeeded as to be able to move on it, in a cabin which had been erected.
Here his four sons, the eldest having obtained his major- ity, and went out to do for himself, carried on what farming was possible on so new a tract of land, and the father worked industriously at his trade, building many of the first frame buildings in the town, as well as in the country.
In September, 1847, the the wife of Mr. B. died, and soon after the family were dispersed, the oldest son going to Cal- ifornia in 1849, and dying there in 1850, the others begin- ning life for themselves at different places.
In 1856 he sold his farm, and went to Iowa, where he re- mained for about fifteen years, engaged most of the time in mercantile pursuits. He then returned to Ohio, and made his home with his children, in this and Putnam Counties, until the 4th day of April, 1881, when he died at Columbus Grove, O., in his eighty-fifth year.
Mr. Beardsley was a man below medium size, but pos-
265
Turnpikes.
sessed of uncommon physical endurance, and the most ro- bust health. No one perhaps in the whole settlement could perform so much hard labor with as little fatigue as he. An almost iron constitution enabled him to endure the greatest hardships and perform the greatest labor. Scarcely ever needing the assistance of medicine, he hardly knew what it was to be sick. Having been a frontiersman all his life, he was inured to all the privations incident thereto. His last years were years of great suffering, being afflicted with an incurable malady, yet they were endured without complaint.
Mr. Beardsley united with the Methodist Church when young, and was a member for more than sixty years. His house, in the early days of his residence here, was the home of the Methodist ministers, Conway, Hill, Allen. Heustiss, Wilson, Biggs, Tibballs, Seelay, Runnells, Breckenridge, Pope, and a host of other preachers have partaken of his hospitality.
He was the father of ten children, five boys and five girls, seven of whom are living. He lived long enough to see all his children married, and at his death had ten children, forty-five grand-children, and twenty great grand-children.
The citizens of this township had long felt the need of better roads. The roads were no worse than elsewhere, only to the extent that there was more travel over them, and of course they were more worn. An effort had been made to provide for the building of free turpikes throughout the en- tire county, and to this end an act had been passed by the Ohio Legislature, submitting to a vote of the electors of the county the proposition to levy a tax for that purpose. But the proposition was rejected by a large majority. This township thereupon petitioned the Legislature for the pass- age of a special act allowing a tax to be levied for the pur- 18
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History of Hancock County.
pose of macadamizing the roads within its limits. The act was passed with two provisions, one that the question should be first submitted to a vote of the people, the other that none of the money so raised for macadamizing should be expended within the corporate limits of the village of Find- lev.
The question was duly submitted, voted on, and agreed to by a large and almost unanimous vote. The township trustees, under whose direction the work was to be done, went to work at once, to build roads. In the absence of gravel, stone had to be used. The matter was vigorously pushed, and inside of the five years in which the levies were to be made, many miles of road were constructed. At the expiration of the operation of the law, there yet being . many roads not completed, another petition was sent up to the Legislature asking for a re-enactment of the law, to be in force for five years more. The prayer was granted and the trustees are collecting and expending the money so raised by taxation, and hope to be able to complete the macadamizing of all the principal roads from the corpora- tion line of the village to the township line.
There are many very fine farm residences in this town- ship. The residence of Campbell Byal, on the old John Byal farm, near the Infirmary, is a fine two-story brick structure, pleasantly located on the south bank of the river, and overlooking the rich bottom lands on the opposite side.
The residence of Edwin R. Hay, a short distance south- east of the town is one of the finest dwelling houses in the county. It, too, is a brick structure, tin roof. and of modern architecture.
A. P. Byal, on the Lima road, has built a very commodius
267
Justices of the Peace.
two-story brick, tastefully finished, with grounds well ar- ranged, and good substantial stone walks.
W. R. McKee, on the Tiffin road, just east of town, has quite an imposing brick dwelling, surrounded by ample grounds, and accommodated with fine farm buildings to match.
Just north of town, we have the fine frame residences of Samuel Howard on the west side, and that of Ancel E. Morvin on the east side of the road, both beautifully located and surrounded with fine orchards and ample out-buildings
The persons named below were elected Justices of the Peace at the dates given, all of which are subsequent to the permanent organization of the county, and all resided with- in the present limits of the township.
Joshua Hedges-1829.
William L. Henderson-1831, 1834.
Elias S. Bryan-1832.
John Byal-1833.
John Campbell-1836.
Price Blackford-1837, 1840, 1843, 1846, 1849.
A Daughenbaugh-1839.
Hugh Newell-1840.
John Patterson-1843.
Paul Sours-1846, 1851.
Geo. W. Galloway-1849.
Jesse Wheeler-1852, 1855.
Henry Byal-1854, 1857, 1860.
D. B. Beardsley-1858, 1861, 1864, 1867, 1870, 1873, 1876, 1879.
John H. Burket-1863.
Elijah T. Dunn-1866. Ezra Brown-1869.
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History of Hancock County.
A. P. Byal-1872.
Oren A. Ballard-1874, 1877, 1880.
Exhibit of the acreage and production of grain, and the number and value of domestic animals, as reported in 1881.
Wheat, 2,067 acres. 41,744 bushels.
Oats, 304
10,700
Corn, 2,026
84,245 66
Flax, 50
529
Hay, 800
976 tons.
Horses, 857 number.
$36,640, value.
Cattle, 1,018
13,993,
Sheep, 1,423
66
2,833,
Hogs, 1,563
4,011,
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Findley.
FINDLEY.
The town of Findley was first laid out in the year 1821, by Joseph Vance and Elnathan Cory, and in the autumn of the same year, Wilson Vance and family removed to the place. Mr. Vance was soon joined by Squire Carlin, William Taylor, John Patterson, W. L. Henderson, John Boyd, Reuben Hales and Parlee Carlin, with others, so that in a few years quite a village had sprung up.
In 1829 the town was replatted, and on the 26th day of September of that year, Joseph Vance and Elnathan Cory appeared before Judge McKinnis, one of the Associate Judges of the county, and acknowledged the platting of the town of Findley, consisting of one hundred and fifty-six lots. The town plat was located on section thirteen, in township one north, range ten east. The lands in this sec- tion-five hundred and ninety-eight acres in all-were en- tered in parcels of fifty-five acres by Vance, Neil and Cory, seventy-six acres by McIlvain and Neil, seventy-five acres by Asa M. Lake, eighty-eight acres by John Gardner, one hundred and twenty-seven acres by Elnathan Cory, seventy- nine acres by James Gilruth and eighty acres by Joseph Westenhover.
John Gardner received a patent for his, dated June 3d, 1822, signed by President James Monroe. He afterwards sold to Thomas and John Simpson, and they to Wilson Vance, March 14, 1828. This tract was the west part of the south-east quarter of section thirteen, and contained eighty-
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History of Hancock County.
eight acres. The consideration by Vance to the Simpsons was three hundred dollars.
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