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 61
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 61
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The legislative council of Michigan on February 12, 1835, passed an act "to prevent the exercise of foreign jurisdiction within the territory of Michi- gan," making it a penal offense for any one to accept or exercise any public office in any part of the territory, except by commission from the United States or
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Michigan. On the 19th of the same month, acting Governor Mason ordered General Joseph W. Brown, then commanding a division of the Michigan mi- litia, saying, "under existing circumstances but one of two things is left for Michigan to pursue-if Ohio continues to persevere in the attempt to wrest from us our territory, as she now meditates, involuntary submission to en- croachments upon our rights, or firm and determined opposition to her; the latter though painful to us, is preferable to the former, and must be decided upon."
Major-General Joseph W. Brown was assigned to the command of the mili- tary force of Michigan, with "the control of the measures to be adopted to repel the Ohio idea." On the 23d of that month, the Ohio Legislature asserted the right of that State, and also declared that measures should be taken to establish it. Therefore, Governor Lucas placed a major-general in command, and ordered him to enroll the militia of the district in dispute for protection while running a boundary line, which Ohio insisted upon, being the original Harris line. On the 19th day of February, 1835, General Brown assumed com- mand, marched to the scene of action and halted near Toledo, of which action Governor Lucas was duly advised. General John Bell was assigned to the command of the Ohio army, to be enrolled of the militia on this disputed strip. General Brown interposed an army of Wolverines in position to prevent enroll- ment of the Ohio militia, and Governor Lucas had to seek elsewhere for troops, and obtained about three hundred from Wood county that felt willing to try a hand with General Brown's militia, and furthermore, was obliged to call upon Sandusky, Hancock and Seneca counties, which furnished three hundred men, making six hundred in all of Ohio forces to push the Ohio idea into the terri- tory in dispute, and run the Harris line. The troops went into camp at old Fort Miami, about eight miles above Toledo, to await the orders of Governor Lucas. "These proceedings on the part of Ohio exasperated the authorities of Michigan." They "dared" the Ohio militia to enter the disputed ground and " welcomed them to hospitable graves." At this juncture there appeared to be no escape from battle, both armies laying in camp on each side of the disputed strip. Just at this time, while Governor Lucas was giving thought to the whole situation, he discovered that Governor Mason was but an appointed subaltern of President Jackson ; that the Michigan territory was under the pa- ternal care of the government at Washington, and that Congress had exclusive control of the boundaries of the territory. The " Ohio idea" being weakened by the fates of war, and twelve hundred militia to oppose six hundred, it be- came clear to the governor at once, that the objective point of his campaign should be in Washington, and not at Toledo, and so he backed out and dis- banded his army, who returned to their several homes. He then called an extra session of the Legislature on the 8th of June, 1835. This Legislature passed an act "to prevent the forcible abduction of the citizens of Ohio," and
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
created the new county of Lucas out of part of Wood county and this disputed strip; made Toledo the seat of justice, and directed the Court of Common Pleas to be held on the first Monday in September, 1835, at any convenient house.
Early in April Governor Lucas sent a surveying party to run the Harris line. The commissioners had commenced their work at the northwest corner of the State. General Brown had sent scouts to watch their operations, and when running the line, to report immediately when the surveying party had reached the county of Lenawee. The under sheriff of that county, with a warrant and posse, made his appearance to arrest them. About ten miles east of Morenci, along the line, in Royalton township, he came upon the trail of the commissioners sent out by Governor Lucas, and arrested nine of the party, but the commissioners and Surveyor Dodge made a timely escape, and ran with all their might until they got off the disputed territory, reaching Perrysburgh next day, and they no doubt ran a much more direct line for Perrysburgh than that which they surveyed into Lenawee county. The line was not marked, and it is therefore lost to political geography. Those of the party arrested were held for a few days, and then discharged, some on parole, and others on bail, to answer in the district court.
On April 8, N. Goodsell was arrested for serving as judge of election, and sent to Monroe jail, but after a time was admitted to bail. Others were arrested and placed behind the bars-the Andersonville of that bloodless war. The diplomacy of Governor Lucas with the Washington authorities, however, in the end succeeded, and the Congress of the United States, on the 15th day of June, 1836, admitted Michigan into the Union, with the Harris line for her southern boundary, and peace was fully restored. On the 25th day of June the settlement of this boundary question was celebrated in Toledo, and the day was ushered in by the firing of cannon. Emery D. Potter was the orator of the day. It was during this strife that Lucas county came into being, accord- ing to an act passed February 23, 1835, and a further act passed June 20, 1835, taking in the disputed strip, and fixing Toledo as the seat of justice.
Organization of the Township .- At a session of the board of commissioners held in the city of Toledo June 4, 1837, the township of Royalton was organ- ized by taking all of town nine south, range three east, south of the Harris line, and all of town ten south, range three east, extending to the Fulton line south. The first election under this organization was held at Phillips Corners. The officers then chosen assumed jurisdiction and so held the same to March I, 1841, when the south tier of sections of town nine south, range three east, and all of town ten south, range three east, were cut off and erected into the township of Pike.
The township of Royalton, as her boundaries mark at this day, contains about twenty-five sections of land, or an area of 15,773 acres, valued, personal
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and real, upon the present duplicate of the county at $301,870. This town- ship, with all its alteration, was made when this county was a part and parcel of Lucas county, several years prior to 1850, the date of the organization of Fulton county.
Boundaries .- This township is the second west of the northeast portion of the county, and is bounded on the east by Amboy township ; on the south by Pike; on the west by Chesterfield, and on the north by Fairfield township, Lenawee county, Mich., and lies wholly upon the disputed territory as settled by the Congress in December, 1836, and given to Ohio. It was the fourth township in its organization in this county. It is about fifteen miles north of Wauseon, the county seat, and contains one quite smart growing village, called Lyons. It has but one post-office named Lyons, also.
The first settlement in Royalton was made in the month of June, 1833, by Eli Phillips, his wife and children. It was the first section settled in the county, and from the date of Mr. Phillips's arrival to the present time it has grown in population, so that it now holds a population of over eleven hundred persons.
Soils, ctc .- The soil of this township, like Amboy, is referable to the drift deposits, and would, in the north and east parts, be classified as drift clays. The southwestern portion and south side are considered as openings, compris- ing nearly one-third of the area of the township, and is made up of sand and many sand dunes.
The surface geology in this, as in adjoining townships, is independent of the underlying rock; the northern and eastern portions, or about two-thirds of the area of the township, consists of unmodified Erie clay, and the soil with its heterogeneous deposit is rich, and has a very level surface. This clay is also rich in all the elements of vegetable growth. No bank gravel is found in this township, and there are but very few large bowlders to be found. The other one-third referred to is sandy in places, and, on the ridges, is objectionably light. The eastern and northern slope affords everywhere a rich and highly prized sandy-loam, which changes gradually into the clay-loam of the lower lands. It is easy of drainage and tillage, and now bears visibly the marks of prosperity in the whole of its domain, and under good management will be rich in agricultural possibilities, and will, at no far distant day, be the garden of the county. It may be said here that the Erie clay underlies the whole surface of the township, but where not covered with sand is largely modified by the lacustrine deposits. This Erie clay is very thick, reaching to the rock under- neath, and is supposed to be near one hundred and fifty feet in depth. The summit of this township is at least one hundred and fifty feet above the waters of Lake Erie.
Timber .- The clays of this township support a heavy forest growth of tim- ber, white and burr oak predominating, with, in some parts, sugar maple, white elm, white ash, basswood, whitewood and black walnut, with a slight
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
sprinkling of cottonwood. Much the same growth is found on the sand slope, but the higher sand land was originally covered, though sparsely, with dwarfed oaks of the white, yellow and burr oak species. But since the settlements have begun it is found covered with a dense undergrowth of the oak varieties, and now has the appearance of forming a good forest for the future, sufficient to supply the building purposes of the township for generations to come, if cared for as every prudent husbandman cares for the prosperity of his farm.
Water Supply and Course of Streams ..- The main water courses run through the center of the township, a northeasterly course, and are but a continuation of the waters of Ten Mile Creek, referred to in the history of Amboy town- ship. This stream has its rise in the adjoining township of Chesterfield, on the west. Another prominent water course comes from out of Michigan and runs south, just west of the village of Lyons, and empties into Ten Mile Creek. The waters of the greater part of this township empty into Ten Mile Creek, and flow with a gentle slope in their long run for an outlet. The streams upon the southern side find their way south to Swan Creek and Bad Creek, coursing their way to the Maumee River, and emptying therein, by two different outlets, i to Maumee Bay.
The water supply of Royalton is wholly unsatisfactory, as the first is only o. tined by surface drainage, and is wholly dependent upon the rains ; while th : next and better supply can only be obtained by the auger, in the clay de- posits, and raised by the wind-mill. The sand lands, however, are much bet- ter, holding water in the basins of quicksand, supported by the Erie clay ; a more bountiful supply, yet may be considered exhaustible in extreme drouths.
Topography .- This township has a very gentle inclination towards Lake Erie, and is supposed to be about one hundred and fifty feet above the water level of the lake. There is about fifteen feet of inclination to the east, across the township, with a slight dip southward. There are no out-croppings of rock, an 1 but few glacial bowlders in the soil. The overlying rock, under the drift, is irst, the Huron shale, then the Hamilton group, next the corniferous lime- stone.
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Early History .- From 1824 to 1832, the influx of population was very rapid in and around Adrian, and, as early as 1830, was moving south toward the State line, which then, and a few years later, was being run over by the emigrant, in search of a home. Scarcely beyond this line, south, had the emi- grant chosen to wander, possibly for this reason, if no other, that this northern land was in the Michigan survey, and the land office for the same was then lo- cated at the city of Monroe, at the head of Lake Erie.
Coming into the territory, as these early settlers did, from the East, by the lake, or the so-called "white prairie schooner," upon its southern shore, through Ohio, or from the North, through Canada, via Detroit, it was quite natural that these explorations should be solely confined to this territory. Not
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until 1832, did entries begin to be made. In this year Eli Phillips entered his land, and his charter right to it (a deed and seal), was signed by Andrew Jack- son, president of the United States. Early in the season of the following year Eli Phillips, with his young wife, started from the vicinity of Adrian for this disputed strip, and located where he had purchased the year before, upon sec- tions 10 and II, town 9 south, range 3 east, now in the township of Royalton, which was then an unbroken wilderness for at least seventy miles due west, and none nearer on the south than the Maumee River. Who, of to-day, would be willing to take such a step for a home, then of so little money value, and face the difficulties apparently insurmountable, to make one of greater value ? Accustomed, as he was, to the Berkshire hills of old Massachusetts, where he was born, in the land of the Puritans and of learning, with his young wife, Vesta (Arnold) Phillips, and children, we must realize that in that time the trial was a severe one; but through all these difficulties there was no repining. Mr. Phillips has kept that land, and he lives upon it to-day. It was fifty-four years ago that he erected the log cabin, the first of this township, and also the first upon the soil of Fulton county. Very soon after Eli Phillips settled in - this township, others followed, and came to stay. Butler Richardson, it is said : was the next to follow Eli Phillips. He came in May, 1834, from Niaga. county, N. Y., and settled upon section 15. He was born in Ontario coune4 N. Y., June 30, 1806. In later years he returned to Niagara county, where he was married to Elizabeth McCumber, on October 1, 1829, and came from there to Fulton county, and became one of the successful farmers of Royalton township. He had a family of three children. On the first of February, 1866, his son, Chapman, was supposed to have been murdered, while he was carin ; for the stock. On that fatal morning the barn was set on fire and consumed. His bones were found among the ruins, together with the remains of nineteen head of cattle. Prosecutions were made, but no convictions obtained. At tlve same time Mr. Richardson lost a large amount of hay and farm utensils.
George W. Welsh, another of the pioneers, was born in Montgomery county, N. Y., October 13, 1804. He was married in Niagara county to Mary Whitney. They had eleven children. The family"came from Niagara county to Royalton in 1834, and settled upon section 15, where they lived and where the pioneer raised his entire family.
Barney M. Robinson was another old pioneer of the township. He was born in Dutchess county, N. Y., March 5, 1812. He was married to Sallie E. Cole, of New York, in 1834. He, with his wife, came to this county in 1839. He was, at an earlier date, upon the border, for we find him in the Toledo war under the order of General Brown.
Charles D. Smith, who came to this territory during the stormy contest for ownership of this disputed strip, was born in Orange county, N. Y., July 26, 1813, and was married to Jane B. Helms October 17, 1834. They came to Ful- 69
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
ton county in 1835 and they settled upon section 7. Mrs. Smith was born in Orange county, N. Y., July 24, 1811. Mr. Smith died at his home in Royal- ton October 21, 1858, in the prime of his manhood. He was a respected and highly honored citizen. He was thrice honored by the people of his county for the sheriff's office, which he filled with credit to himself and honor to the whole people of the county. He was always an unflinching Democrat. Two of his sons, Martin V. and Laton, served the Union cause in the late war. The father while living was always ready to lend a helping hand to the poor strug- gling pioneer of the early days, and was a very important actor in all the business relations of his day that looked to the advancement of his people. *
Amos Rathbun came to Fulton county in 1837. He was among the men of that time that came to make a home and was ever willing to endure the hard- ships incident to a pioneer life. He was born at Salem, Conn., January 20, 1812. He grew to manhood among the thrifty New Englanders and was pre- pared when he came to Fulton county as a man, to meet the Indian on equal ground, and subdue an almost unbroken wilderness. To-day only a few, very few of those old settlers are left to tell the story of that life in the cabin built of logs, where the deer bounded past the door, and the sweet sleep upon a couch of straw came after a hard day's work, and that to be often broken by the howling wolf. Mr. Rathbun built the first school-house of his neighbor- hood of logs, with a floor of split puncheons, hewed upon the face; the seats and desks were of the same material. It was built upon the corner of his farm, one mile south of Lyons. In later years he left the county and settled near Weston, Lenawee county, Mich., and there died August 18, 1887.
Jenks Morey came to this county in 1838, from Mentor, Lake county, O., and settled upon section 9, where a large part of the village of Lyons is now built. He kept the first hotel in the township in 1850 in a fine wooden struct- ure, and in which hotel accommodations are had to the present date. He died after many years of toil in the wilderness, November 15, 1871. Warren J. and George Morey are the only one of his children now living.
Elias Richardson and Lucinda (Dowd) Richardson came to Fulton county May 14, 1836, and settled upon section 9, first and afterwards bought an eighty acres adjoining, on section 10, upon which he built a frame house in which he resides up to date. Elias Richardson has made life a success, and he and his wife are now advanced to a ripe old age. He was one of the directors of the plank road which was built in 1850, from Toledo to Morenci, Mich. He built eleven miles of this road. Thomas Richardson came at the same time of his brother [Elias. Hiram Richardson came in 1837, a year later. They were all from Niagara county, N. Y. All are still living and highly respected. Elias Richardson was twice honored by the people of the county with the office of county commissioner, and served six years. He is now seventy-five years old and, has a bright memory.
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John Sturtevant came in 1835, Joseph H. Applegate in 1834, and Witt L. Windship in 1835.
Benjamin Davis and wife came here in 1838 from Dutchess county, N. Y., and has been very successful as a farmer and business man of the county.
Ansel M Henderson came in 1836. George B. Brown came in 1836. He was the first sheriff of Fulton county, and is still living at an advanced age. Ansel H. Henderson was married to Ruth A. Richardson in Niagara county July 6, 1836, and came directly to this county. He has had four children. He lost his first wife, and on January 30, 1851, he was married again to Eliz- abeth A. Hawley, daughter of Manly Hawley, of Chesterfield township, with whom he is still living.
In 1836 there came to this township many families who have been honored citizens. Amos H. Jordan and Henry Jordan came from Vermont ; A. C. Osborn, who settled on section 15, came from Montgomery county, N. Y .; Jared Hoadley, Daniel Bueler, Ebenezer S. Carpenter, Mordecai Carpenter, Willey Carpenter, John T. Carpenter and Snow Carpenter.
" Uncle " Billy Smith came to this county in 1833, with, or soon after Eli Phillips. Smith was a bachelor.
Warren Dodge and his wife Permelia (Church) Dodge settled in this town- ship in 1834. They had eleven children.
Joshua and Mary Youngs settled here in 1835. Dr. Youngs was the first and only physician in this locality for many years. At one time his practice was extensive. He settled upon section 26. He died in 1873, having pre- viously retired from practice.
In 1835 David Wood settled on section 9. Frasier Smalley came in 1834. In 1835 came William and Charles Blain, brothers, and settled in the East, on the line of Amboy and Royalton townships.
Alpheus Fenner was born in Berkshire county, Mass., July 29, 1813, and settled in Fulton county in 1838, on section 10.
Enos C. Daniels and Mary A. (Carroll) Daniels were married at Mentor, Lake county, O., May 4, 1837. He was born in Madison county, N. Y., December 22, 1814. He settled in Fulton county, this township, in March, 1840. He became an important acquisition to the people and a leader in agricultural and other industries. He built the first frame hotel which was occupied by Jenks Morey, also built the first brick church of the township, occupied by the Disciples in Christ; also the first frame house in the town- ship, and the first block in the village of Lyons. His son, Albert C. went into the service and served in the Sixty-seventh Regiment three years, and was promoted to sergeant.
Samuel Carpenter came to Lenawee county, Mich., in 1828, and from there to Fulton county in 1843, consequently he has more experience in pioneering than most of the persons named. He settled on sections 21 and 22, just six-
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teen miles south from Adrian, Mich. At or near the hamlet called Logan (now Adrian) Mr. Carpenter spent most of his boyhood days, and his recol- lection of the incidents connected with that period are clear. He married Susan Welsh, November 2, 1844. Mr. Carpenter has been a follower of the Jeffersonian school of politics since he was of age, and it may be said of him there has been no break in his political faith. He feels proud of it to-day.
Michael Forester and Patrick Burroughs came to this county in 1840. Michael Forester lived to be over one hundred years old. David Potes came in 1840. John Hinkle came in 1838. Nathaniel S. Ketchum and his wife Eme- line (Smith) Ketchum, came to this county in 1835. They were from Orange county, N. Y. John, Erastus and James Welsh came in 1838, from Niagara county, N. Y. Many others came during the same period whose names have been lost or cannot be definitely ascertained.
Miscellaneous .- Emeline Welsh was the first white female child born in the township, the event occurring November 1, 1834. William Smalley was the first male child born.
Whitfield Tappan and Amanda Woodford were the first parties married. Ebenezer Carpenter, a justice of the peace, performed the ceremony. The bride only lived in this township, and the bridegroom in Pike.
Jonas Dodge and Olive Green were the first residents married in the town- ship.
Mrs. Brown, mother of the wife of Henry Jordan, was the first person buried in the Jordan cemetery, and Cintha Cadwell, a sister of Alanson Briggs, of Chesterfield, was the first buried in Lyons cemetery, west of the village. Joshua Youngs was the first physician of the township. Elder Hodge was the first preacher ; he was a Baptist. Colonel Lathrop, of Lucas county, preached in the very early days to those of the Universalist faith.
The first school-house built was on section fifteen, in 1837, and the first teacher was Olive Green. The second school-house was on the farm of Amos Rathbun, who built the same.
The first goods sold in the township was at Phillips Corners, by Allen Wil- cox and Sanford L. Collins.
The first church built was the Universalist at Lyons, in 1862. There are now four churches in the township, one Universalist, one Disciples in Christ, (both of these are'in the village of Lyons), one Free Methodist and one Metho- dist Episcopal; the last two are on the eastern border of the township. In 1858 Warren J. Hendrix built and taught for a number of years thereafter, a high school at Lyons.
Royalton has now six sub-district schools and one special school.
Jenks Morey run the first hotel, and Eli Phillips the second in the very early days of the township.
The first saw-mill was built in 1850 by the Plank Road Company, and
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stood west side of Lyons cemetery. James Baker, of Gorham, was the man- ager of the mill, which was used exclusively for sawing plank for the road. The mill, in later years, was moved to Gorham where it is now owned and run by Thomas F. Baker.
The Eagle Cheese factory of this township was the first one erected in the county. It is now owned by Albert C. Daniels and is a very flourishing in- dustry as well as profitable to the farming community. Another cheese fac- tory in Amboy township just east of the Royalton line, called the Ben Davis factory, is, in at least fifty per cent. of its product, supported by the farmers of Royalton township.
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