USA > Ohio > Hancock County > History of Hancock county, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 2
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MRS. EBERLEY'S NARRATIVE.
I am the daughter of Benjamin Cox, and was born in Green County, Ohio, in 1806, and when abont nine years old, my father removed with his family to Findley, in Han-
Mrs. Eberley's Narrative. · 19
cock County. Our family was the first white family to settle in that county. My sister Lydia, born in 1817, was the first white child born in that county. We lived in a hewed log house, located where the brick residence of the late Wilson Vance now stands, on the south bank of the river, and on the east side of Main street. When Mr. Vance came to the place, we had to move into a log cabin a little east of the hewed log house, into which Mr. Vance took his family.
My father was engaged in farming -- if the cultivation of a small tract of cleared land surrounding our cabin could be called farming-and keeping a public house. Shortly after we came to the place, Hamilton, Moreland and Slight came. Some other families came in, stayed a short time and then left. For to be candid about it, Findley was not then a very inviting place, whatever it may now be. There were two or three block-houses, and some pickets, the re- mains of Ft. Findley, standing when we came. The Ot- towa Indians made frequent visits to the place, as it was stated that they were in some way related to the Wyandotts.
Before we left Findley, the Morelands, Hamiltons, Slights, Chamberlains, Frakes, McKinnis, Simpsons, Vances and Rileys had moved to the county. Hamilton and some others had started a settlement above the town, and Frakes and the McKinnis' below the town. I was at that time too young and too busy to make the acquaintance of many of these persons. But I shall never forget Susy Frakes- as she was called-the wife of Nathan Frakes. Many a day did I spend with them in their cabin on the river side. and I thought Susy the best woman I ever knew, kind-hearted, almost to a fault, hospitable and intelligent.
History of Hancock County.
Mrs. Riley was perhaps the first white person who died in the county. She had been sick with the chills and fever, and had called in the services of a Mr. Smith, a Kentuck- ian, who pretended to be a druggist, and who gave her medicine which was so effective that she was soon a corpse. So sudden was her decease that it was suspected that a mistake had been made, either in the medicine or in its administering. It was said at the time that Smith had for- bidden her to drink water, but such was her intense thirst that she prevailed on two little girls who were left to watch with her, to bring her some, of which she drank freely. and very shortly afterwards was found dead. Of course her sudden death was attributed to the drink of water.
I was but a girl when Vance came to Findley. The first mill in the county was built whilst we were there. Mrs. Vance had gone to Urbana just previous to the birth of their first child, and Mr. Vance's sister, Bridget, came to keep house for him, but had been with him but a short time when she was attacked by the ague. I then went to live with them, and not only cooked for the men who were digging the mill race, and boarded at Vance's, but I even worked in the race. My mother, my sister and myself gathered the stalks of nettles which grew on the river bottoms below the town, from which we stripped fiber enough, that on being dressed like flax, was spun and woven into linen to the amount of forty yards, and was made into clothing for the family.
At one time We-ge-hah, or Tree-top-in-water, son of In- op-qua-nah, a Wyandott chief, became sick. and the Indians believed him to be bewitched by a bad spirit, and sent to Towa-town for Big Medicine to exorcise the spirit. My mother did not like the Indians very well, and never went
21
Mrs. Eberley's Narrative.
amongst them much. On this occasion, however, when the Indians sent out their invitations for the great pow-wow my mother received one. It was after much persuasion on the part of my father, and with the understanding that I should accompany her, that she finally consented to attend. When we arrived at the place of meeting, which was a log house a little west of where Judge Cory now lives, we found a few Indians assembled. The Big Medicine and his in- terpreter occupied the center of the room. The lights were extinguished. The tom-tom was beaten and a great noise and hub-bub was made. The lights were again set to burning, and after a short silence refreshments were passed around. During this time my mother and myself having been seated in the circle which was formed around the room, clung closely together, not a little frightened at the performance.
The sick man got no better. Big Medicine declared that the young chief was bewitched, and that the witch lived in Browntown, near Detroit, and that the sick man had a bunch of hair in his breast, blown there by the witch. and he must cut it out. He went into a tent alone with the young man, and afterwards produced and exhibited a knot of bloody hair which he pretended to have taken from the breast of the sick man. He said, however, that just as likely as not the old witch would find out that he had taken it out, and blow it back again, and if he did the young chief would die. The witch no doubt did so, for the young man died. The disease of which he died was no doubt the con- sumption.
I am now seventy-four years old. I have seen some very hard times, but I have never seen the time that I was not happy and contented.
22
History of Hancock County.
I have not visited Findley but once since I left there in 18.5, and that was about twenty years ago. There is but one person now residing in Findley that I remember to have been there during our stay, and that one is Job Chamberlain. When we first came to Wood County, I lived for some time in the family of Squire Carlin, who then resided there."
My visit to Mrs. Eberley was a very pleasant one, and she is a very pleasant old lady, having the appearance of a well preserved person of not more than sixty years.
23
Act Organizing County.
CHAPTER II.
FIRST ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.
0 N the 12th day of February, 1820, the General Assem- bly of Ohio, with Allen Trimble as President of the Senate, and Joseph Richardson as Speaker of the House, passed an "Act for the erection of certain counties named therein." In that Act we find the following reference to Hancock county, "* * * * fifth, to include townships, one and two, south, and one and two, north, in the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth ranges, and to be known by the name of Hancock County."
Section 2 of the same Act provides, "That the counties of Hancock, Henry, Putnam, Paulding and Williams shall be attached to the county of Wood."
The following order was made by the Commissioners of Wood County on the 4th of March, 1822: "Ordered by the Board that the township of Waynesfield, within the juris- diction of the county of Wood, be co-extensive with the boundaries of Wood and Hancock, and to include the same."
The territory thus included in one township, is now divided into two counties, which counties are sub-divided in- to thirty-six townships, any one of which perhaps to-day has a greater population than had the two counties of Hancock and Wood at the date of that order.
The following order was made by the Commissioners of Wood county on the 28th day of May, 1823:
24
History of Hancock County.
"Ordered further, that so much of the township of Waynesfield as is included in the unorganized county of Hancock, be set off and organized, and the same is hereby organized into a township by the name of Findley, and that the election for township officers be held on the first day of July, A. D., 1823, at the house of Wilson Vance, in the said township."
The first record of the township we have is that of the election of April 5th, 1824, at which election Job Chamber- lain, William Moreland and Jacob Poe were Judges, and Matthew Reighly and Wilson Vance clerks, who certify that there were eighteen votes cast, and that Job Chamberlain, Wilson Vance and Jacob Poe were elected Trustees, Mat- thew Reighly, Clerk; Wilson Vance, Lister (Assessor): Philip Me Kinnis, Constable; JJohn Hunter and John Gard- ner, Fence Viewers; Robert McKinnis and William More- land, Overseers of the Poor; and Job Chamberlain, senior, Treasurer.
A search of the records of Wood County for a duplicate of the taxable property of Hancock County fails to disclose any prior to the year 1826 .*
In the year 1826 there were twenty-six tax-payers in the county, and the value of taxable personal property was about two thousand dollars. The total tax was fifty-six dollars and twelve cents. In 1827 there were fourteen tax- 'payers, the largest of whom was Elnathan Cory, and the total tax was fifty dollars and twenty-nine cents.
Not much labor in auditing that duplicate, and not a very fat salary for collecting it. An Assessor might have some trouble in finding the property, but he would certainly not have much trouble in making his report to the Auditor.
#See Chapter VI for earlier duplicate, found since writing the above.
25
Dependence on Wood. County.
The people of the county, at that day were not rich, cer- tainly in this world's goods. Their capital was their strong arms and willing hands, and their wealth was their honesty, contentment and indomitable pluck.
During these years of dependence on the protection of Wood County, and the inconveniences of transacting public business, so remote from home, if it was counted an incon- venience by the pioneers, which we very much doubt, emi- gration was flowing into the county in a steady, if not a rushing stream. Settlements were being formed all. over the county, and farms were being opened in every direction. Neighbors were getting closer than a day's journey of each other. Ministers of the Gospel had already visited the locality, and had formed religious societies. So much had the population increased that the county had outgrown its township clothes, and now asked to be advanced to a sepa- rate county organization, and to be entitled to all the privi- Heges and conveniences incident thereto. Wood County had also increased in population, and so much territory was cumbersome to it, and the people of that county were willing to release their guardianship of Hancock, and allow her to try the experiment of taking care of herself. The General Assembly of Ohio said "Let it be done,"
During this transition state, as it were, from 1820 to 1828, the authorities had very little trouble in preserving the peace, and protecting the lives and property of the peo- ple, as all the early settlers were intent on building them- selves homes, and felt in all its force the necessity of each one living an orderly and peaceable life. This quietude was occasionally disturbed by some inroad of the red-man. but against these foes, the instinct of self-preservation did not
3
26
History of Hancock County.
ask the intervention of law and law officers to repel them. Each man considered himself in duty bound to aid in the general defense, without the formality of an election, as one of the public guardians.
27
Act Organizing the County.
CHAPTER III.
INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.
0 N the 21st day of January, 1828, the General Assembly of Ohio, passed an Act entitled " An Act to organize the County of Hancock " of which Act the following are some of the provisions :
"SEC. 1. That the County of Hancock as heretofore laid off, and the same shall be, and is hereby organized into a separate and distinct County, and suits and prosecutions which shall be pending, and all crimes which shall have been committed within said County of Hancock previous to its organization, shall be prosecuted to final judgment and execution within the County of Wood, in the same manner they would have been, had the County of Hancock not been organized; and the Sheriff, Coroner and Constables of Wood County, shall execute within the County of Hancock, such process as shall be necessary to carry into effect such suits, prosecutions and judgments; and the Treasurer of Wood shall collect all such taxes as shall have been levied and imposed within the County of Hancock previous to the taking effect of this Act."
"SEC. 2. That all Justices of the Peace, and Constables within the said County of Hancock shall continue to execute the duties of their respective offices, in the same manner as if the County of Hancock had remained attached to the County of Wood."
28
History of Hancock County.
"SEC. 3. That on the First Monday of April next, the legal voters within the County of Hancock shall assemble within their respective Townships, at the place of holding elections, and shall elect their several County Officers, who shall hold their offices until the next annual election. This Act shall take effect from and after the First day of March next."
In accordance with the provisions of this Act, the voters of Hancock County met in Findley, (there being but one Township in the County) and proceeded to hold an election.
The following is a copy of the Poll Book, Tally Sheet and abstract of that election, verbatim:
" Pool book of the Election held in the township of finley county of hancock, on the seventh day of Aprile in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty eight. Abram Huff, Wilson Vance, Mordica Hammond, Judges. John C. Wickham, Edmun S. Jones, Clerks for county officers of this Election were severally sworn as the law directs, previous to their entering on the duties of their respec- tive offices. Of this election were severally sworn as the law directs previous to their entering on the duties of their respective offices.
Number and names of Electors.
Number and names of Electors.
1| Ephriam Elder
12
AAmos Beard
2 Asher Wickham
13 Mordica Hammond
3 Samuel Sargent
14 Bleuferd Hambleton
15 Don Alonzo Hamlin
4 Thomas Slight
5
William Hackney
16
John Elder
6 John P. Hamilton
17
Joseph Slight
7 Henry George
18 George W. Simkins
S Thomas Thompson
19 Miner T. Wickham
9 Joseph Sargent
20 Nathan Frakes
10 Abram Huff
21 Thomas Wingate
11 Peter George
22 Wilson Vance
29
First Electors.
Number and names of Electors.
Number and names of Electors.
23 Joseph Johnson
49
Chaples D. Smith
24 Thomas Chester
50 Robbert McKinnis
25 William Wade
51 John Shoemaker
26 John C. Wickham
52
John Boid
27 28
John Huff
54 James Hendricks
29 Jesse Hewitt
55 Abel Tanner
30 John Long
56 Jacob Moreland
31
Daniel Hamblin
57 George Shaw
32 Sampson Dildine
58
Asa Lake
33 Asa M. Lake
59 William Greear
34 Reuben W. Hamblin
60
Sqire Carlin
35 George Swagart
61 Simeon Ransbottom
36 John Jones
62 Benjamin Chandler
William Moreland, jr.
63
John Tullis
39 John Fishel
65
William Moreland
40 James Beard
66 David Gitchel
42 Edwin S. Jones
6S
John Travis
43 Selden Blodget
69 Joseph Dewitt
Job Chamberlin
70
Philip MeMinnis
71 Mathew Reighly
46 Robbert Macully
72 Joshua Hedges
47 Jacob Poe
73 Reuben Hale
48| Ebenezer Wilson
74 Isaac Johnson
37 38 John Taylor
61 James McKinnis
41 Godfrey Wolford
67 John Simpson
44 45 John Gardiner
Josiah Elder
53
Charles McKinnis
30
History of Hancock County.
TALLY SHEET.
Names of persons voted for and for what office, containing the number of votes for each candidate.
- | Sheriff.
Reuben Hale, 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 1111 No. 34 Don Alonzo Hamlin, 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 No. 39
Isaac Johnson, 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 No. 34
Coroner.
Thomas Slight, 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11 No. 37
John Boid, Ill No. 3
Job Chamberlin, IIIII IIII1 11111 11111 11111 11111 1 No. 31
Charles McKinnis, 11111 11111 11111 11111 ]]]]]
No. 35
Commissioners.
Godfrey Wolford, 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111
John P. Hambleton, 1]]]] ]]]]] ]]]] 11111 11111
No. 41
1111 No. 39
11111 11111 1111 Godfrey Wolford continued No. 74 Mathew Reighly, IIIII 11111 11111 11111 1IIII IIII] No. 59
Aşşesser. | Treas. Auditor!
Joshua Hedges, 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11 No. 57 John Long, 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 IIIII No. 35 William Hackney, 11111 11111 11111 11111 111
No. 39
31
Certificate of Election.
We do hereby certify that Reubin Hale had votes for Sheriff, 34, and Don Alonzo Hamlin for Sheriff 39.
John Boid, for Coroner, had 3 votes.
Isaac Johnson, 34 votes.
Thomas Slight, 37 votes.
Job Chamberlain, had 31 votes for Commissioner.
Charles McKinnis had 35 votes.
Godfrey Wolford had 74 votes.
John P. Hambleton had 41 votes.
John Long had 39 votes.
Mathew Reighly, had 59 votes for Auditor.
Joshua Hedges, had 57 for Treasurer.
John Long had 35 votes for Assesser.
William Hackney had 39 votes.
ATTEST ABRAHAM HUFF, Judges
WILSON VANCE, of
MORDICA HAMMOND Election.
J. C. WICKHAM, Clerks.
E. S. JONES,
On examining the Poll Book of the Election for County Officers, we do find that the following candidates were elected :
DON ALONZO HAMLIN, Sheriff. THOMAS SLIGHT, Coroner.
GODFREY WOLFORD, JOHN LONG, Commissioners.
JOHN P. HAMBLETON.
MATHEW REIGHLY, Auditor.
JOSHUA HEDGES, Treasurer. WILLIAM HACKNEY, Assesser.
Clerk and Justices present,
WILSON VANCE, Clerk, pro tem. JOSHUA HEDGES, Justices of the WILLIAM HACKNEY, Peace.
32
History of Hancock County.
There were no Public Buildings in the county at that time; and we have no information as to where the offices were held, in what building or part of the town. Tradition has it, that the Treasurer's Office was in his hat, or at least that is where he carried the tax duplicate for convenience sake, as he resided in the country. He was thus ever ready with his duplicate to receive moneys of the unfortunate tax pay- ers, at any time or place they chanced to meet. Whether this legend be true or not, the fact that the tax duplicate could have been carried in the hat of the Treasurer without any inconvenience to the wearer will not admit of serious doubt.
We are not told as to where the other officers kept their books, but as they were not of any greater volume than those of the Treasurer, they might have been disposed of in the same way.
The county is now under an independent organization, and fully officered and prepared for business, in which happy condition we will leave it for the present, and turn our attention to some of the general characteristics of the country.
33
Location and Boundary of County.
CHAPTER IV.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTY. ITS SOIL AND PRODUCTS.
H ANCOCK County was named in honor of John Hancock of Revolutionary fame. It originally contained 368,640 acres of land, but upon the formation of Wyandotte County in 1845, 28,800 acres were struck off of Hancock and be- came a part of the new county.
This county is in the north-west part of Ohio, and in what is known as the Maumee Valley. It is bounded on the north by Wood County, on the east by Seneca and Wy- andotte, on the south by Hardin, and on the west by Put- nam. The soil is varied, mostly black loam, mixed with sand on a limestone base. There is scarcely a foot of soil in the county, but is susceptible of cultivation, and adapted to the production of almost any crop known in the temper- ate zone. The soil is not of that character which is adapted to and produces but one kind of cereal, but is just as pro- ductive of wheat as of corn, of grass as of vegetables. In most parts of the county the soil is deep and lasting, and does not require much assistance from fertilizers. The river and creek bottoms, though subject to occasional overflows, are especially productive, whilst the high lands yield scarce less bountiful crops.
The county is well watered, (in fact at times too well. watered). The Blanchard fork of the Auglaize River passes through it. Having its source in Hardin County, it enters this county in the south-eastern part, at nearly the center of
34
History of Hancock County.
the south line of Delaware township, running nearly north through that and Jackson and Amanda, and to near the center of Marion, when from that point it runs in a west- erly course through Marion, Findley, Liberty and Blanchard townships, to the Putnam County line. The most northern curve of the river is in section seven, Liberty township.
The Shawnee name of this river was Sho-po-quo-to-kepe, or Tailor river. It was so called from the fact that Blanch- ard, after whom it was named, was by occupation a tailor.
This river formerly furnished sufficient water power for running mills, almost the entire year, but as the country has improved, lands became drained, creeks cleared of fallen timber and other obstructions, the supply of water is only sufficient for such purposes for a few months in the year.
The early settlers were enabled to supply themselves, from the river, with an abundance of choice fish, but now by reason of the many obstructions placed in the river in the shape of mill-dams, but few fish are caught, and they only of an inferior quality. Wild game was also very abundant, but since the settlement of the county it has al- most entirely disappeared. The wild honey bee, that ad- vance courier of civilization, led the settlements of the white man, and the pioneers were well supplied with its sweet labor.
There are but few springs of water in the county, but water of a good quality may be easily obtained, in most places, by sinking wells from six feet to thirty feet in depth. The water, in consequence of the almost universal presence of limestone, is highly impregnated with lime, and is what is called "hard water." The river and creeks furnish an abundance of good limestone, used only, however, for making lime, of which article a very fine quality is pro-
35
Timber and General Characteristics.
duced, and for building foundation and basement walls, not being of a quality suitable for other building purposes.
The timber consists of the different varieties of the oak, and ash, walnut, poplar, beech, elm, maple-both hard and soft-buckeye, linn, hackberry, honey locust, wild cherry and mulberry. There was- a very great quantity of wal- nut, ash and poplar, which woods are now most valuable, but which at the early settlement were of little or no value except for making rails for fencing, and aside from that they were regarded as a very nuisance. Now no timber grows but is of some value and in great demand, and at this day the timber on any ordinarily wooded tract of land is of more value than the land is after the timber is re- moved.
851227
At the time of the first settlement of the county, it was an unbroken wilderness, densely covered with rank vegeta- tion. A part of what is now Big Lick township was a wet prairie, covered with a luxuriant growth of grass, but the ground was so wet and soft that it was almost impassable.
The face of the country is generally level, and much of it is appropriately called "flat land." The borders of the river and creeks are in many places broken, but in no place can they be said to be hilly. Enough declination towards the water courses to make drainage easy and cheap. No hills, no swamps, no lakes, no deserts, but the entire county is adapted to agricultural purposes.
In the north part of the county there is a tract of land ranging from one mile to two miles in width, and about ten miles in length from east to west, known as "the wild-cat thicket." It has its beginning in the western part of Port- age township, and crosses Allen and Cass, terminating in the western part of Washington township. Prior to the
36
History of Hancock County.
settlement of that part of the county this tract of land was covered with a deuse undergrowth, the larger tim- ber having all been blown down by a hurricane, it is supposed, which passed over it, no one knows when. Indeed, from its then appearance, the entire body of tim- ber, both large and small, must have been prostrated by the violence of no ordinary storm, and the present growth of timber dates since that period. Many of the older inhabitants well remember the look of desolation which was here presented -- trunks of forest trees, de- cayed and decaying, an almost impenetrable thicket of bushes and wild vines, all believed to be, and possibly was inhabited by wild cats, and other dangerous ani- mals. Hence, the name of "Wild Cat Thicket."
The course of the storm must have been from west to east, as the trunks of the fallen trees lay in that direc- tion, with their tops to the east. The land in this thicket, in its wild state, is low and wet, but when re- claimed by proper drainage is very productive.
In the south-western part of the county, in Orange township, there was quite an extensive cranberry marsh, which for years after the settlement of the county, was considered valueless almost, and certainly entirely so for farming purposes. But as the country became settled, and farms were opened up on the borders of this marsh, making gradual encroachments upon it, the attention of the land owners in the vicinity was called to it, and now by a system of drainage under the supervision of the county officials, it has all been reclaimed, and is rich beyond measure. Thus demonstrating, as before ob- served, that all parts and all portions of the county are susceptible of remunerative cultivation.
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