USA > Ohio > Henry County > History of Henry and Fulton counties, Ohio : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 55
USA > Ohio > Fulton County > History of Henry and Fulton counties, Ohio : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 55
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
commenced to appear, wild animals and birds were early to gather their share ; the roads through the woods seemed to have no bottom, and long pieces had to be covered with logs, rails and brush, in order to make them passable. The streams had to be forded. They went to mill, to church, and to visit each other with ox teams and lumber wagons, and some of them of the rudest kind-which the pioneer well knows by his early experience in the wilds of Ohio. They did not, in that day, listen to the sweet sounds of the organ, or piano, but to the howls of the wolves, which could, in resemblance to the lis- tener, multiply himself until one would be ten, and ten one hundred ; also, to the hoot of the owl that always flew so noiselessly, that in the night they would not be aware of its presence till the hoot broke with startling effect near them. These were but a few of the vicissitudes of early pioneers. But through the indomitable courage and persevering efforts of the early pioneers this has .all been changed ; the woods have disappeared, the roads have become smooth and pleasant to travel, wild animals and destructive birds have left, the log ·cabin is gone and fine farm dwellings, large and productive orchards and small fruits of all kinds have taken their places. Many of these early pioneers have removed to that house not made with hands; the other few are waiting, with their armor on, for the command, and but a few short years and we have them with us no more.
Organisation .- It is found on examining the records of Lucas county that at a regular session of the county commissioners of said county, held at the city of Maumee, March 1, 1841, the township of Fulton was organized by taking from Amboy township fractional township number ten south, range four east, and from Swan Creek township fractional township eight north, range eight east, and the north tier of sections from township seven north, range eight east, and was. erected into a township and named Fulton and so existed until in the year 1846.
At a meeting of the board of commissioners of Lucas county, held at Mau- mee June 2, 1846, upon the petition of many residents of Fulton township, it was ordered that the south tier of sections in township nine south, range four east, be taken from Amboy township and attached to Fulton township, so that Fulton township at present contains thirty sections, including the six fractional sections of town ten south, range four east, north of the Fulton line. All of Fulton township prior to 1850, and after the little speck of the Mich- igan and Ohio war, belonged to and was included in Lucas county, and all that part south of the Fulton line was originally of Swan Creek township, and that part north of said line was Amboy township. It was the tenth township in its organization formed in Fulton county.
Topography .- Fulton township is an unusually level tract with, in the north part, clay and the south part sand slightly mixed with gravel, and the whole underlaid with a clay subsoil. It was covered in its primitive state with a
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heavy growth of timber consisting of white oak, some red oak, elm, ash and a large amount of cotton-wood interspersed with yellow poplar, or whitewood, and some basswood (known as linn), all valuable.
The average depth of the deposit upon this territory is about cighty feet, perhaps less in the southeast. Water is generally obtained from a gravel bed resting directly on the rock. From the northeastern part of the township, crossing from Amboy township is what in geology is termed a second beach, composed of a coarse sand and, in some places, gravel deposit good for roads. Its course is southwest passing through Ai, a small village, and out of the township just north of Delta on the Lake Shore Railroad in York township. Clay suitable for tile and brick making can be found in abundance in many parts of the township and under-drainage is here attended with best results. Endowed with no natural facilities for manufacture or commerce, but simply with a fertile soil, the township of Fulton is calculated alone for the produc- tion of food, and whatever will forward her agricultural interest is of vital con- sequence to her.
Water Courses .- The great water drainage of this township is to the south and southeast by the way of Swan Creek, which stream receives nearly all the tributary streams of the entire township, and are emptied by said creek into the Maumee at the city of Toledo.
Swan Creek has its rise from the low prairie lands in the extreme north- west corner of the township, and running an easterly by southeasterly course across the township, south some few rods west of Swanton, and at this place it becomes quite a stream of water, and in the days before steam, was utilized as the motive power for machinery.
Boundaries .- Fulton township lies in the extreme eastern part of the county of Fulton with Lucas county on the east, Swan Creek township on the south, Amboy on the north, and Pike on the west. It is about equally divided by the Fulton line running east and west.
Roads .- The roads are remarkably smooth all over the township. The Toledo and Angola was the first road of any importance running near the center, east and west, through the township ; it was laid from Toledo to An- gola, Ind., about 1840, by the State of Ohio, and run without much regard to the United States survey divisions. Before the advent of railways this was a stage route, and an important thoroughfare westward toward the then frontier.
Railways .- The Lake Shore road crosses the southeast corner of this township diagonally upon section one, town seven north, range eight east, and the village of Swanton lays near the track and nearly all within Fulton town- ship.
Churches .- Fulton township, from its earliest settlement, has had ministerial services of various denominations, first the Christians and Presbyterians, and later the Methodist ; but still later in its township organization other denomi-
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
nations prevailed-Catholics, German Reformed, and United Brethren. The township contains three churches and the town hall, which is also used for church services.
Early Settlers .- From the best information obtainable, John W. Harter, his wife and three children, were the first white people settling in Fulton town- ship, on the west half of the northeast quarter of section thirty-five, town eight north, range eight east, in May, 1834. Mr. Harter came from Huron county, O., by the usual mode of transportation at that time-a canvas-covered wagon, drawn by two pair of oxen. His destination was the Six Mile Woods, as then known abroad. When some two miles from his land (having about four weeks before purchased the same of the United States, and which they intended for their future home), they came to the end of the road, and it be- came necessary for Harter to chop and clear a road the remainder of the way to his land. Clearing a road through the forests in those days, where brush and fallen timber was far too plenty, required considerable labor, and a fair amount of fortitude and perseverance. But these obstacles were easily over- come by these early pioneers. A vast amount of time and labor were allotted to the first settlers in clearing roads, which means to cut and remove brush, logs, and other obstructions, a sufficient width to admit the passage of a team and wagon between the trees.
These roads were very crooked, winding around wind falls and swampy places between trees and across creeks without bridges. It required the great- est care of the teamsters to get through this new country, on one of those roads, without getting stuck in mud holes, and fast against trees, stumps, and other obstructions, which were numerous.
Mr. Harter and family occupied their covered wagon, as the most of the first settlers were compelled to do, for a residence, which answered for their kitchen, dining-room, bed-room, and parlor for four weeks after their arrival, and until they could build a log cabin.
There is no person or family to-day more elated in moving into their new and commodious house, built after the best architectural designs, than were the Harter family in moving into that log cabin, surrounded by the dense forest, with wild flowers carpeting the earth, and the bright rays of the sun in stream- lets through the tree tops, and the fervent prayers offered in that lone cabin to Him, the guide and support of all earthly goodness-all these made the Har- ter family a happy, contented, and industrious community.
There was, at that time, an Indian resort near the cabin, on the west bank of Swan Creek, where the Indians would come in the fall of the year and remain until spring, hunting deer, turkey, and other game for food, as well as for their hides, which they would exchange at Maumee City, some sixteen miles distant, for such articles as they would select at those trading-places, and return to make maple sugar in the spring. They were always kind with their new neighbors, always willing to share with them their venison and sugar.
LA Bassett
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FULTON COUNTY.
In the fall of 1834 and spring of 1835, there was a large immigration to the Six Mile Woods, or now in Fulton township. Among those who came dur- ing that fall were John J. Teachworth and his family; Henry Lake and his family, a wife and five children ; Alexander Boyd, who died in 1837, and the very first person laid in the Ai Cemetery ; he left a widow, two sons, and one daughter. Charles Welch came with a wife and large family of boys, and the forest by them was soon converted into splendid wheat fields. Welch was successful ; he died in 1878, in Amboy township. Daniel Q. Berry settled here in 1834, with his wife and seven boys; he settled in town ten south, range four east, where he died in 1844, his widow surviving him some sixteen years only. Abraham Willcox came from the State of Connecticut in 1835, and settled in township ten south, range four east (Michigan survey), where he continued to reside until his death, in 1852. Ezra A. Willcox came about the same time as his brother; he was the first peddler in the township, supplying the early settlers with clocks made in Connecticut.
Rev. John Shaw came in 1834, and settled on the east half of the north- east quarter of section ten, town ten south, range four east ; he however, left in the latter part of 1835. Mr. Maxfield made and burned the first brick in the township on this same place in 1837. George Black came in 1834. Mr. Black, in 1844, moved to Stone Ridge (now Whitehouse), Lucas county, O. Judge Thatcher settled here in the fall of 1834. He served several years as trustee, when he moved back to Connecticut in 1866, where he died a short time after.
Alexander Vaughn moved from Holmes county, O., in the spring of 1835, on section three, in town ten south, range four east. They lived in the cov- ered wagon while building a log house, and moved into it as soon as one-half of the floor was laid. Mr. Vaughn was trustee of the township a number of years. He died in 1847. His widow afterwards married Thomas C. Berry, and moved to Branch county, Mich., where she died in 1862. One of her daughters, Jane, is now the wife of Ozias Merrill, who lives upon and owns the old homestead. Another of the daughters married Isaac Springer, and resides near Wauseon, in this county. James C. Vaughn, a son, is one of the com- missioners of Fulton county, and resides at Swanton, this township. He filled the office of trustee a number of years, and also served as land appraiser in the township. Alexander, Vaughn had two sons in the late war, James C. and Caleb Vaughn. Jacob Hamp moved from Holmes county, O., in 1835, with a wife and five boys; two were soldiers in the late war- John and Eli Hamp.
Jacob Hamp died in 1850, his widow surviving him until she was one hun- dred and seven years old. She died at the home of her son, John Hamp, at Ai in 1879. She, while living, was a very useful old lady in the neighbor- hood. She was quite a good physician and nurse, and knew what pioneer life was. On many a night she has rode from two to six miles on horseback at
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
the calls of these pioneers, often through storms and muddy roads to render relief to the sick ; her whole life has been a busy one. She was born in 1772, before the Revolution, and hence her whole life was that of a pioneer.
Peter Broadsword settled here in 1834, on section ten, town ten south, range four east. He had two daughters ; one married Mr. Burchard and now resides at Waterville, Lucas county, and the other married a Mr. Almon, and resides at South Swanton, Lucas county.
Gideon W. Raymond settled on section thirty-two, town eight north, range eight east, in 1834. He was justice of the peace for several years, and taught school in the first school-house in the Clark district in 1837; afterwards taught the Ai school some four years. He now resides in Pike township, this county. Isaac Day was living in the city of Utica, State of New York, and having lost by death his wife and infant son, he determined on trying his for- tune in the wilds of Ohio. On September 14, 1834, leaving his only daughter with his deceased wife's most intimate friends, he started for Ohio, and on his arrival bought a piece of land on section fifteen, in the present Swan Creek. That fall he put up a log cabin, and with his hoe planted one-half acre of wheat. He remained there that winter, and in the spring of 1835 he planted out his garden and other crops, so that in August he was able to have ripe melons, green corn, cabbage and cucumbers. The 10th of the following Oc- tober John Nobbs with his wife and three children, started for Ohio, bringing with them Isaac Day's daughter ; also John Day, his wife and three sons and one daughter. They arrived at the cabin of Isaac Day October 20, 1835, a glad day for father and child. Isaac Day soon left the place he first settled upon and located on section thirty three, town nine south, range four east. John Nobbs and John Day settled upon the same section. John Day's family being the largest, they put up his cabin first, then the cabin of John Nobbs, but, in November death entered John Nobbs's family and claimed a son. There being no cemetery they laid him to rest on their new lot. On January 25, 1836, John Nobbs and family moved into their log house, Isaac Day and. daughter with them. In September, 1837, John Day sickened and died, and there being no undertaker at that time, kind neighbors united and made a coffin, and near and dear friends kindly laid him away. His widow, with three young boys, away from the home of her youth, on an unimproved piece of land, were left to battle alone in poverty, with all the difficulties of pioneer life. But with prudence, care and industry they succeeded in making a good living, and the boys acquired a fair common school education.
In November, 1837, the pioneers built a log school-house in the district. Isaac Day wishing his daughter to learn to write, put in a writing desk for her use. Gideon W. Raymond taught the district school that winter.
One Night with Wolves .- As Isaac Day was on his way home from the land office, in 1835, following the road or trail, as best he could by the aid of
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FULTON COUNTY.
blazed trees, when arriving near what is now Delta, this county, darkness over- took him, in the old windfall south of that place. The howling of wolves soon admonished him to seek a place of safety. This he did by climbing the near- est tree where, standing with one foot at a time on a limb of the tree, all that night, with the howling of the disappointed wolves, he waited patiently for daylight, then cautiously descending from the upper room of that hotel, he re- sumed his journey homewards in safety.
William Stair settled on section 35, and continued to reside there till his death, 1850. He left two sons : Josiah Stair, who was for several years trus- tee of the township, and John Stair. Both were in the Union army. He had two daughters, one of whom married Joel Wilt, and the other, Eliza, married Mr. Kline.
Ami Richards came from the State of Connecticut, in 1836, and settled on section 9, town 10 south, range 4 east. He served as treasurer of the town- ship for many years. Mr. Richards was a lover of books, while living, and his library was always well supplied with the best of the age. He was denominated a Free-thinker. He had taken the Boston Investigator for fifty years. He died in 1883, at his homestead, and left a widow, two sons and four daughters ; one , of the latter is the wife of James Harrison, jr., of this township.
Shubal Nixon settled here in 1835. He is yet living, residing in the State of Michigan. Joseph Babcock came in 1835. He was a school teacher of the first class, and took great pleasure in the advancement of his school. He taught in the first school-house built in the township. He died 1868. His wife survived him two years, dying in 1870, leaving four sons and two daugh- ters. Robert J., one of the sons, was elected justice of the peace in 1881, and holds that office to-day.
Samuel Durgin, with his family, wife and two daughters, came from the State of New Hampshire, in 1837, and settled upon section 6, town 10 south, range 4 east. He was justice of the peace up to 1850, when he was appointed clerk of Fulton county at its organization (1850), and was afterwards elected by the people, for a term of three years. In 1853 he was elected to the Legis- lature of Ohio, and was a member of the lower house for two years, taking his seat January, 1854. He taught the Ai school for a series of years, and for many years was county school examiner. In 1863 he was elected clerk of the court, and at the end of a three years' term he moved to Wauseon, where he died, about 1873. His widow is yet living. In reference to the life of Samuel Durgin, who was known to the people for forty years, he was naturally of a re- ligious cast of mind, with strong convictions of duty to his fellow man. Hc had no sympathy with any mere formalism. He might have exhibited a species of roughness in manner, yet a man of more than ordinary education from the common school; blunt and plain in speech, a good debater, very severe and sarcastic at times, with his opponent. All the early settlers of the county will recollect Samuel Durgin.
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
Samuel Dowling came from Trumbull county, this State, formerly from Ireland, and settled on section 3, town 10 south, range 4 east, in 1838. He continued to reside there until his death, in 1883. He was a very public- spirited and industrious man, a good neighbor and fine farmer. One of his sons, Daniel, is now sheriff of Fulton county. Patrick Dowling, another son, in his early youth became a resident of Toledo; was in the war, and several times promoted for his bravery. He served two terms as sheriff of Lucas county, and afterwards, under the administration of President Arthur, was ap- pointed postmaster at Toledo, and held that position until 1886. There were two girls, Mary Ann and Katy, the former living in Lucas county, and Katy in Amboy township, this county.
Martin and Emery Wilson, brothers, settled in this township in 1843. Both were industrious and successful farmers.
Charles V. Merrill and family came from the State of Maine'in 1837, and settled on section four, town ten south, range four east. He was a minister of the Christian Church and the first in the township. He was zealous, holding meetings at the different cabins of the early settlers, and log school-houses. His work extended in the different townships and so continued until his death. His widow still resides on the homestead. He left three children surviving him, although twelve were born to them. John C., the youngest, worked the farm and caring for the mother. He was two years treasurer of the township, and was also engaged in mercantile business with John Nobbs at Ai until 1871, when he left for Nebraska.
Jonathan Wood with his family settled here in 1838. He was a great educator among the young pioneers and a strong adherent of the Presbyterian Church and a fine Sabbath school organizer.
Mr. Wood was clerk of the township from its organization until 1854. He rendered good service as nurse in the 'hospitals of the army, carefully attending the sick and wounded. He died in 1879. One of his daughters, Frances, spent the most of her youth in teaching school, principally in Mem- phis, Tenn. She is now the wife of G. W. Fisher, of Memphis.
David Springer also came from the State of Maine to Maumee in 1836, and settled on section four, town ten south, four east, and died in 1866. His widow died in 1879 leaving five children. Stephen Springer, the oldest, who studied law with the late Henry S. Comager, of Toledo, was elected city mar- shal which position he held three years ; in 1854 he was elected sheriff of Lucas county and served two years, during which time he had to perform the unpleasant duty of hanging Ward, the wife murderer of Sylvania, that county. Soon after, in 1860, he died with the consumption at the old homestead. Isaac Springer, another son, was justice of the peace several years ; was twice elected and served as treasurer of Fulton county ; twice elected and served as auditor, and also served as school examiner. He followed the mercantile bus-
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iness at Ai from 1853 to 1858 and afterwards at Wauseon, from 1860 to 1876. He now resides near Wauseon.
Robert Pennel settled here in 1836, and is now living at Napoleon, Henry county. He, with three other of the boys, was in the Union Army and made good records.
Levi Merrill with his family came from the State of Maine in 1838, and settled on section four, town ten south, four east, and there lived until his death in 1881, his wife dying some nine years before. They had nine chil- dren. Naman Merrill, one of the children, was, in 1853, by the commissioners appointed clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Fulton county, upon the resignation of Samuel Durgin to become a member of the Legislature, to which he had been elected. Mr. Merrill was afterwards elected clerk, and served the county two successive terms. He was elected prosecutor in 1862, and served one term. He studied law under the instruction of the Hon. Amos Hill, and followed the profession until 1878 when he became associated with Col. E. L. Barber, in the Bank of Wauseon, from 1860 until his death in 1879. Ozias Merrill, another son, has followed farming the most of the time. He has held the office of clerk and treasurer for several years; in 1865 was elected auditor of Fulton county and served until 1871 ; was then elected and served as a mem- ber from this county in the constitutional convention in 1873-4. He was formerly engaged in the mercantile business at Ai, from 1856 to 1886, and postmaster at Ai from 1860 to 1872. He now resides on the farm his wife's father entered in 1835.
Clement Canfield settled here in 1838. His oldest boy, Albert B. Canfield, for a long time sold "yankee notions" from a wagon some eight or nine years. He was twice elected treasurer and served Fulton county from 1866 to 1870. He afterward moved to Nebraska.
Hartman Canfield and family settled here in 1838. He settled on section 33, in town eight north, range eight east. He was a very useful man in the community ; always a good nurse and caring for the wants of the sick. He died in 1871 and left four children, two boys and two girls. Both boys were in the Union service.
John Viers with his family settled on section five, town seven north, range eight east (Ohio survey) in 1834, and continued to reside there to his death in 1878. He left a widow and thirteen children, nine boys and four girls. Five of the boys served in the Union army. Elijah Herrick and family settled here in 1845, and still resides on the first one hundred acres he bought. He was land appraiser in 1853, when he appraised Fulton, Swan Creek and Amboy townships ; was again elected in 1859, and appraised again Fulton township. He was eight years assessor of the township, and held the office of justice of the peace several years. He came from Detroit in 1822 and settled in the Valley of the Maumee, near where the city proper now stands. He is an hon-
63
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
est and enterprising farmer, a good model for the young farmer of this day. He had a family of six children, two of whom died some years since.
Robert Watkins settled on section three, town seven north, range eight east, in 1836, where he died in 1876.
Isaac Fauble settled on section five, town seven north, range eight east, in 1842, where he died several years ago. He left two sons who reside in the township.
Joseph Dennis settled on section one, town ten south, range four east, in 1835, and died at his daughter's, Mrs. Russell Bartlett, in Amboy township in 1885. He left a family of nine children, six boys and three girls, all worthy citizens.
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