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 57
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 57
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FULTON COUNTY.
into the township of Franklin. In 1850, at the organization of Fulton county, by the Legislature of the State of Ohio, the area of German township was en- larged by taking a strip two miles wide off the north side of town six north, range five east, then Ridgeville township, Henry county. The Legislature at this same session took from Brady township, in Williams county, a strip of land two miles wide, embracing two tiers of sections upon the east side of Brady, excepting sections one and two, which were organized in Franklin, and at- tached the same to German township. These form its present boundaries. German township has fifty-two full sections of land, making an area of fifty-two square miles, or 33,280 acres. It is now composed of sections seven to thirty- six, inclusive, town seven north, range five east, and sections one to twelve, inclusive, town six north, range five east, and sections eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty- five, twenty-six and thirty-five, thirty-six town seven north, range four east, from Williams county.
Boundaries .- German township is bounded on the east by Clinton town- ship; on the north by Franklin ; on the west by Williams county, and on the south by Ridgeville township, Henry county. It lies in nearly a square, com- pact form, and is but one mile longer east and west, than north and south, and is composed of parts of three Congressional surveys, or townships.
Topography .- German township is very level in its surface appearance, and gives prominence to the lacustrine clay throughout its whole area. In the northeast part some few spurs of sand and gravel seem to put out from the openings and slightly overlap the clays, and are especially available for roads. These sand spurs cover but a small area of the township, and are limited to the northeast part, in patches, and the underlying clay may be reached in a few feet. These spurs are as heavily timbered as the more level clay land, and where they reach down upon the clays are generally richer in fertility. Clay, suitable for brick making, can be found in abundance, and in quality well adapted to the manufacture of tile, but as yet this industry is poorly de- veloped. The importance of thorough under-draining to the attainment of best results in agriculture in this township, is now generally recognized as of important value to farm industry. The exceeding flatness and consequent saturation of the soil was an evil of the early days, and nowhere was the town- ship reliable for good crops, and drainage in a large measure had to be made to obviate these apparent difficulties, and to secure reliable crops and easy tillage. German is endowed with no natural facilities for manufacture or commerce ; but simply with a fertile soil, she can only be considered as a producer of food, and whatever will forward this is of vital consequence to her. Viewed in this light it appears to be of leading importance, and the day can- not be far distant when tile manufacture will be conducted here on an exten- sive scale.
Timber and Supply .- The timber covering the virgin soil of German town-
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
ship was very dense throughout its whole area; it was tall and the whole of an extremely vigorous growth; the varieties include elm, in abundance, bass- wood, oak of several varieties, hickory, black-walnut, whitewood, butternut, sugar maple and a sprinkling of beech, in some parts, and in the lowest lands black ash, white ash prevails throughout the township, and an undergrowth of blue beech and hard hack.
Streams and Water Supply .- This township has but a small number of running or unfailing streams. The largest of note is Bean Creek, formerly known as Tiffin River ; it drains the northwest corner of the township, and in its course is very crooked and sluggish, and passes into Williams county in a southwesterly course to the Maumee River, by which all the waters of the en- tire township reach Lake Erie. Brush Creek has its rise near the center of Dover township, and is given some prominence from the springs of the sand area near Spring Hill. It runs in a southwesterly course, and receives a few streamlets, mostly upon its south side, made principally by drainage from the farm land, and traverses the township of German south and east of its center, and leaves the township south of Archbold; and thence makes its way to Bean Creek, into which it empties near Evansport, Springfield township, Williams county. In the western part of the township there are a few small branches that lead west to Bean Creek, but these are quite insignificant as to a water supply. Since drainage has been going on the declension of water in the wells, and other sources of supply, is alarming in case of extreme drouth ; the only permanent supply can be had by deep borings, which, in some places, afford an artesian supply.
Soil, etc .- The soil of this township is productive in everything that can be produced from the soil in any township of the county ; a rich clay loam, en- tirely stoneless, presents itself to the surface, and is entirely referable to the lacustrine deposit. It is retentive of vegetable manures, and gives a splendid return for their application. It has for its subsoil a more unmodified clay, approaching the Erie or blue clay, and is rather impervious to water proceed- ing from rain falls, which is soon evaporated in dry weather. The general slope of the surface is to the southwest. The lowest land in the township would, in all probability, lie in the southwest part. The average depth of the drift, taking Archbold for the basis of calculation, would be on an average 146 feet, or upon a level with the waters of Lake Erie.
Early Settlers .- The first settlement in this township was made by German pioneers in August, 1834. They were Nicholas King, who afterwards returned to Wayne county, O., on account of an accident that befell him, but who soon returned ; Jacob Bender, wife and seven children ; Christian Lauber, wife and four children ; George Meister, wife and five children; Jacob Grunday, wife and five children ; Moses Kibbler, wife and six children, and Christian Rupp and family. Accompanying these families from the fatherland were Henry
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FULTON COUNTY.
and Jacob Roth, Christian Reigscker and Michael Figy, all young men and un- married. They were also accompanied by one John Gunday, who stayed but a short time and then returned to Wayne county, from whence he came. This colony was composed of forty-three persons, all told, and most of them were from Millhausen, a small town in Switzerland. Besides these were one or two families from the north of France, but nearly all fresh from the Old World. The first house put up by these colonists was erected by Christian Lauber very soon after his arrival, upon section ten, whereon the family resides at this day. The rest of the heads of families soon selected their land, and cabins were built in quick succession. When putting up the first cabin there came to them a man whom they ascertained to be Joseph Bates from near Bean Creek, who was hunting and who offered his assistance in helping the little colony to cabins. The only shelter they had at that time was the sunny side of large stumps, protected by putting up a few blankets. The next day Mr. Bates returned with his rifle and ax and three men, two of whom were Abner and William Ayers, who were boarders with Bates. They all " turned in" and helped these new- comers construct their cabins and saw them all comfortably housed. They then left for their own homes. A portion of these colonists were late arrivals, having landed in New York but a few weeks before. They came to Cleveland and then to Massilon, O., where they were met by friends who had heard of their coming. They liked this country. They had heard of the Maumee Val- ley and with the advice of their friends, concluded to emigrate thereto ; accord- ingly they purchased five yoke of cattle and the necessary wagons, and started about the first of August for German township, then an unorganized territory.
After several days travel they reached Napoleon and were much disap - pointed, for they supposed it to be a place of some magnitude, from the name it carried, a name so familiar to them in the old world. Here they found but one building and that occupied by a man named Hueston. Here they left their teams and families for three weeks, while all the men went forward with their axes and cut and cleaned out a track the distance of fifteen miles. Musquitoes were numerous and troublesome, and at times almost unendurable.
They were nine days in cutting their way to what is now called Lauber Hill, after which they returned to Napoleon, and after three days of prepara- tion, set out for German and established themselves on their selected lands, two miles east of the present village of Burlington. For a long time they had little to eat except corn bread, and they ground a large portion of this between two stones, one above and one below, and manipulated the same by hand. They had no place to get grinding done in the whole country, short of Mau- mee. This journey was long, expensive and tedious, and seldom undertaken. They had cows, but no enclosures. The range was extensive and often did they have to go to Napoleon and get them, and in the summer season a de- pendence on them for food was very uncertain. They made a dish which was
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
called by them "pumpkin pap," on which young and old fed with voracious ap- petites. Some time after they had got settled Grunday went to Maumee Mills for grist and the purchase of flour. He found a large quantity of mushrooms, of which he gathered three bags full and brought them home, and the settlers ate so freely of them that they were made sick, but all got well without any fatal results.
Soon after this colony was settled they found themselves nearly out of pro- vision, and flour at Maumee at that time, 1834, was worth fifteen dollars per barrel ; potatoes one dollar per bushel and corn the same. Some of the set- tlers went to Maumee for six barrels of flour and other provisions. This was about the last of August, 1834, and while absent there came to the settlement one Captain Williams with a party of chainmen and axmen ; also with them was Ambrose Rice, of Perrysburgh, as the surveyor, laying out the State road from Maumee through the Six Mile Woods, via Delta, through (now) York, Clinton and German to West Unity. They were weary and suffering for some- thing to eat, and seeing a fine baking of bread, clean and tempting, wanted to buy it, but the women would not sell it, as that was all they had. The teams were away at Maumee, and when they would return was uncertain. But this surveying party must have the bread ; they made the women all reasonable of- fers, still of no avail ; they then took all the bread that was necessary for a few days' use, leaving a generous compensation therefor, and went on with their work.
At this time the nearest settler was Joseph Bates, and the next was at least six miles away, in Williams county, so we understand they could not rely on borrowing.
This colony were principally Aumish, a branch of the Menonites, which are a strong body of that faith in the township to-day. This generation of col- onists are fast passing away ; their trials and vicissitudes in endeavoring to es- tablish homes for themselves and families could only be overcome by that pa- tience, industry and fortitude which characterized all early pioneers.
These men have all made their mark on the calendar of time that well de- fines the type of a generation that is passing away ; whose record for good deeds is worthy of merit to history. They, we can say, brought beauty out of a wild forest; they changed weakness into strength ; they created means when there were none, and what these colonists were to German township in her in- fancy, will live for all time.
These were all the persons that came to this township during the year 1834, at least these are all can be found at this late day.
Again, in 1835, it is found that John Reynolds and his family came to the territory from Vermont, and settled on the east bank of Bean Creek, then within the territory. In the present limits the same year it is found that Augustus Hull and wife, Peter Wyse, wife, and children, Peter Leithy, Chris-
5II
FULTON COUNTY.
tian Funkhouser, Peter Rupp, W. Greiser and family, Christian Beck and family, George Ditto and family, and perhaps Mr. Kanipe, whose son now occupies the old homestead, and possibly others whose names cannot be re- called.
In the year 1837 one of the most prominent emigrants was Benjamin Brown, who settled on section five in the spring of that year, and who after- wards located on section seventeen. He came from Vermont. His wife was the daughter of John Reynolds. Both died many years ago, leaving three children-two boys and one girl.
In 1836 there came Henry Lutes and John Lutes, both doctors and preach- ers, Roswell Reynolds, son of John Reynolds, and Ira Eaton. The last named came from Seneca county, O., and afterwards laid out the town of Etonburgh, which had for its early beginning a few log huts. George and William John- son came in 1836 from England, and bought a large property on Bean Creek, on which they afterward built what was called Johnson's mills, a saw and grist-mill.
In the next year came Jonathan Barnes and Dorsey Barnes. Dorsey Barnes left soon after and settled in Gorham. They came to the township in 1837, from Virginia. Jonathan Barnes was a very prominent man, and be- came a leading citizen of German. He settled near where Nicholas King now resides. In 1837 also came Samuel Burkholder and family, Peter Noffsinger, John Rivnaugh, and Benjamin Lee, from England, Samuel Gibbons and family with Joseph Noffsinger, from France.
In 1838 and 1839 another influx of immigrants occurred, for which the township was further indebted for all that was to advance its agricultural and educational interests. Among the settlers in that year were Samuel B. Darby, Jacob G. Wilden and family, Jonathan Rogers and family, James F. Rogers and family, Michael Gish, the first hotel proprietor of the township at Eaton- burgh, James Smith, Joel Smith, a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church, John Reid, Henry Roth, John Wyse, Christian Recknor, Peter and Jacob Rupp, Jacob Depler, and their families, Joseph Sander, Hugh Fairchild, Augustus Clare and their families, and perhaps many others equally worthy of mention, but whose names are forgotten.
During the decade 1840 to 1850, when the county of Fulton was organized, the population began to increase with rapidity, which gave strength to the agricultural industry. The settlers of those years were as follows : Albert S. Fleet came with his family in 1840. He had been here the year before and bought his land on section nineteen. He was from Steuben county, N. Y. Jacob Lipe, Moses Stutesman, George Gasche, Peter Noffsinger, Joel Smucker, Samuel Ames, Christ Kloffenstein, William McCucheon, Peter Short, George Betts, John L. Betts, Joseph Clare, Anthony Moine, Peter Gull, Joseph Schad, Fred Crouse, Peter Weaver, Jacob Lininger, John Lininger, Jacob Vernier,
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
George Vernier, Peter Kloffenstein, Peter Grimm, J. A. Wolverton, J. P. Flora, Jacques Greiser, Samuel Wait, and William H. Dickason, perhaps other families.
It is well to remember the past and to recall the toil and privations and self-sacrifices of those who pushed forward in the wilderness of this township to hew out and provide pleasant homes for themselves and families, for to them it was no slight test of bravery to face a wilderness empty-handed, as were many of the first emigrants, and feared the treachery of the wily Indian of the forest. It was no small expenditure of physical strength which cleared away the majestic forest and brought the untold wealth of the land to the front, smiling with bountiful harvests; and yet, to these old pioneers it was a labor of love, as they looked forward to the time when their posterity, enjoy- ing the fruits of their improvements and dwelling amid plenty, with all the comforts and many of the luxuries of a grander age.
Miscellaneous Items .- The first election in this township after its organiza- tion was held at the residence of Jonathan Barnes, when 13 votes were polled. This was in April, 1839; in 1850 74 votes were cast; 1860, 271 votes, while at the most recent election over 300 votes were polled.
Samuel B. Darby was the first justice of the peace. The first school in the township was taught in the winter of 1839 and 1840 by Samuel B. Darby. The first school-house built in the township was on the State road, one-half mile west of Burlington, and the pioneer teachers were Samuel B. Darby, Milton Zouver, Harriet Schnall, Miss Baker, Miss Shipman, Mary Ann Pretty- man, Miss Geesey, and Miss Darby. Wages of lady teachers at that period were all the way from one to two dollars per week and board; and for male teachers not less than $12 per month and board. The township has at present fifteen sub-school districts, and one graded school for the village of Archbold.
Church Growth .- Lilly Bridge was the first preacher of the United Breth- ren in Christ. His labor was missionary and occurred in 1838. The first traveling ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church were Austin Cole- man and McEnder Capp. The first quarterly meeting in the township was held by the Rev. John Jones, then presiding elder. The first preaching by the Aumish was at the house of Christian Lauber, in the fall of 1835, by Chris- tian Beck, and then organized a society that now numbers 265 members. Nicholas King is the present preacher in charge.
The M. E. Church at Burlington was the first organized body of that faith in the township with a membership of about thirty.
The Catholics built the first church of the township, at or near its center, and are quite numerous in membership.
Henry Lutes and his brother John were prominent local preachers of the M. E. Church in the early days of German.
The first English services held in the township was at the residence of Mr.
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FULTON COUNTY.
John Reynolds, Henry Lutes officiating. There are now seven churches in the township at large, supporting good frame or brick structures and named as follows : The New Baptist, New Menonite, German Baptist, Methodist Episcopal (at Burlington), Old Lutheran (brick), Aumish (frame), and the Eck- ley branch of the old Aumish (brick). Pettisville supports an Episcopal Church (frame), while the village of Archbold has five; one Catholic, one Lutheran, one German Reformed, one Episcopal Methodist, and one German Baptist. The whole township supports thirteen churches and two independent organizations, whose meetings are held at private residences.
Physicians .- L. K. Carpenter was the first resident physician ; he was of the old Thomsonian school, and was of some importance to the early settlers. The next in order was Dr. Blaker; the third was William Winterstein, who run for clerk of the court and was defeated, and who soon after left the town- ship ; the next were Drs. Schnetzler and Murback. The last two named are now in Archbold.
The first marriage ceremony was that of - Holt to Miss Irene Reynolds, in 1837.
The first child born in the township was Elizabeth Wyse, October, 1837.
The first death was the wife of Daniel Spade, 1838. Marriages and deaths were few up to the year 1850.
The first saw and grist-mill was put up in 1841 by George and William Johnson, on the State road, two miles west of Burlington. They were both water mills situated upon the bank of Bean Creek.
Henry Roth was the first shoemaker.
The first blacksmith was John Reid.
The first highway laid out was the State road, running east and west through Burlington to West Unity, sometime about the Ist of September, 1834.
Jacob G. Wilden was the first merchant in the limits of German township as it is to-day. He laid out the town of Burlington in 1839. Burlington was laid out in a very few years after the State road was opened, and was thought to be quite an important town ; but its business and population have latterly largely diminished. It now shows but little of the enterprise it had in 1850. It has but one store, one cabinet shop, one shoe shop, and one blacksmith shop. It has one school and church. It also contains one lawyer, who has been a resident of the burgh since 1858.
Jacob G. Wilden was the original mover in all the enterprises of the town ; he opened a store and run an ashery upon a large scale ; built a saw-mill, and in 1843, seeing the need of a better supply of water for his business, com- menced to dig for it, but when at a depth of forty feet left the well for the night. Before renewing their digging in the morning they tested the well by letting down a lighted candle ; it went down safely until very near the bottom when 65
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
the candle ignited what was supposed to be gas, but no explosion followed ; the flames gradually arose in the well until near the surface when a terrible explosion took place, which was heard seven or eight miles distant. Several persons were injured, among them Mr. Wilden himself, who, by the serious- ness of the accident, was obliged to retire from business. The well was allowed to fill up and was never completed for use. The emission of gas is noticeable to this time.
Montgomery Hooker Fitch, a half breed Indian, sold the first goods in German.
Archbold is an important village on the Lake Shore Railway. It first sprung into existence in the summer of 1855, following the building of the rail- road. Haywood & Ditto laid out the first division of the village. Wentzler, Schnetzler and Depler have since laid out additions. Its business enterprise is second only to Wauseon, nine miles east. It now supports a large tile factory, and oar factory, wagon and blacksmith shop, two saw-mills, one grist-mill, one tannery, one tailor shop, and one meat market; it has four dry goods stores, two hardware stores, two furniture stores, two agricultural implement stores, two hotels, one drug store, two millinery stores, one newspaper, the Archbold Herald, proprietors Taylor Brothers, and one jewelry and toy store. One of the saw-mills has a very extensive planing attachment, and is also doing a large business in the manufacture of staves and heading. Archbold has four churches and a large and flourishing graded school. The estimated population of Arch- bold is 1,000 persons.
Pettisville, upon the eastern line of the township, and a part of the town lies in Clinton. It is a place of but little industry, and has a very unequal fight for existence, situated, as it is, with Wauseon on the east, and Archbold on the west. It is a place for small country trade.
Before 1840 the settlers went all the way to York Center to vote. Through the efforts of S. B. Darby, a post-office was established at Elmira, in May, 1839, and Darby was the first postmaster. At this time the township has three post- offices, Elmira, Archbold and Pettisville. In very early days men and women wore wooden shoes, and some may be now seen wearing them occasionally. Men wore buckskin breeches. Corn meal and water, and corn coffee, with hominy, were often the sole food of many families. Wooden forks and knives. were used to eat with, and often a log leveled upon the top was the table. Bed- steads were often constructed of poles with basswood bark for cords, while the ticks for the few first years, were filled with leaves from the forest. Such was the life in the first days of these pioneer adventurers. Money was scarce and hard to get. The markets and mills were very distant. Oxen were used, and it was worth half the load to get to mill and market. Cows were quite plenty, the range large and they would often stray away.
In 1886 the personal valuation of German township was $194,400, includ-
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FULTON COUNTY.
ing Archbold with its valuation, 23, 190 dollars. That year German produced from 4,864 acres sown 88,467 bushels of wheat ; from 2,854 acres she harvested 103,770 bushels of corn ; from 1,966 acres, 75,754 bushels of oats; 1,479 bush- els of clover seed, 2, 166 tons of hay ; 6,567 bushels of potatoes; the butter pro- duced was 62,407 pounds ; eggs, 27,951 dozen. German has 575 acres of orchard. The sole industry of this township is farming, and is pursued with good success. The Teutons make good farmers, full as successful as any of the Americans, and have and exhibit as much competitive pride in all their rela- tions, and in all industries.
Population .- In the beginning, 1834, the population was 43 souls all told ; in 1870, it was 2,323; in 1880, she had increased to 3,035, of which eighteen were clergymen, two were lawyers, two were doctors, and an unknown quantity were school teachers. In naming the present occupants of the soil mention will be made of some of those who have been especially prominent in township affairs and general enterprises for the public good. George Gasche, William Dickason, Jacob Zimmerman, Rev. Nicholas King, Benedict Meister, Jacob Bender, Fred Flory, Joel Smucker, John W. Roseborough, attorney, Martin C. Palmer, Rev. J. F. Cook, William Geesey, Daniel McLaughlin, Peter Gull, James F. Rodgers, Moses Stutesman, John Lininger, Frederic Crouse, Joseph Flory, Henry Grimm, Frank and Charles Grimm, Albert Betts, Fred Beuclerc, Charles Bourquin, Peter Short, Joseph Claire, Anthony Moyne, Daniel Seigle, Christian Shantz, Jacob Crouse, John Lininger, jr., Joseph Feathers, Andrew L. Markley, John Speice, Benjamin Ruffer, Henry Rice, George Diehlman, Nicho- las Ruffer, Christian Gibbs, Michael Weber, Henry Pike, John Gigax, Gotlieb Gegax, Moses Rupp, J. W. Funkhouser, J. D. Noffsinger, P. Klopenstine, Ja- cob Rupp, H. Yeager, and many others who are as worthy of note as repre- sentative men in the present various industries of the township.
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