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 64
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 64
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These families named, as far as facts can be gathered, undoubtedly were all that located within the limits of York during the year 1834. The settlement was begun so near the present line of Swan Creek township that, for the pur- pose of York township history, correct information is impossible, but the chap- ter devoted to Swan Creek will show the names of early pioneers and pioneer items; yet, at a very early period, all this section was York township. It is here proper to state that William Meeker was the first settler within the pres- ent limits of Swan Creek township, being found here in the woods as early as 1833, and, for authority, we will refer to the reminiscences of the life of Peter Manor, the Frenchman of the Maumee.
Settlers from 1835 to 1840 .- John Murray and his wife, Mary Huffteller,
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
settled in York in the thirties; came from Pennsylvania and settled upon sec- tion twenty-six, cleared and improved a large farm, reared a family and died thereon.
Robert McClarren and his wife, Catharine Jones, came from Maryland and settled in York township, February 6, 1836; Catharine was a sister to William Jones the first settler.
Henry Fluhart located here in the very early days of the settlement of the township upon section seven. He was a zealous Christian and did noble work in aid of early missionary work. His latch string was always out to friend or foe. He, at a later period, moved to Missouri and has since died, but some of his family are residents of York; one son, James Fluhart, is editor and propri- etor of the Delta Avalanche, published at Delta.
Abram Cole and family came to York in January, 1835, and settled on sec- tion twenty-five, the east half of northeast quarter.
Peter Wise, Gillman Cheedle, William Fowler, David Childs, Avery Lamb, John Batdorf, Bethuel Gould, Jefferson Van Vleet, Martin Butler, - Don- aldson, Thomas Wardly, Charles Gray and William Fowler came in 1835. Gard- ner Tremain and his wife, Elizabeth, came to York in 1836, the former a na- tive of Cayuga county, and the latter from Dutchess county, N. Y. They set- tled on section twenty-five and thirty-six. He died many years ago.
John Jones came with his father, William Jones, and hence may be con- sidered among the settlers of 1834. He is still living, having attained a good old age.
John Batdorf settled upon section twenty-one, the same on which he now resides, and raised a large family. H. E. Whitney came at a very early date, and with his family settled upon section twenty-five.
James Trowbridge, wife and two children, left Saratoga, N. Y., July 4, 1837, and landed at Perrysburgh, in the Maumee Valley, July 17, 1837. His route of travel was from Albany to Buffalo, by freight boat on the Erie canal, and from there on Lake Erie to Toledo, O., on board of the boat, Commodore Per- ry. He found at Maumee an Indian camp, and government officers were gath- ering the Indians of the valley at this place, preparatory to moving them west.
The Indians were very peaceable and friendly. The same day, on arriv- ing at Perrysburgh, he found a man by the name of Elijah Herrick (now a res- ident of Fulton township), who took him and family to the "Six Mile Woods," near where Delta now stands. There were no roads and the way lay through what was called wet prairies and sand openings. That night they all stayed at Swanton, fourteen miles from Maumee. In the morning they started for their home eight miles further west. They met with many difficulties in get- ting across Swan Creek. After crossing and traveling a mile or two they came to a thick wooded country where they found a few inhabitants and before noon got to their future home. This was on July 20, 1837. He says that at that time
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FULTON COUNTY.
it was twenty miles to a postoffice, twenty miles to a doctor and the same dis- tance to a saw or grist-mill. The roads were nothing but Indian trails and cow paths. Some of the difficulties they had to encounter were amusing and many times dangerous. One very important undertaking at this time in pro- gress, was the building of the canal up the Maumee, which gave an impetus to immigration that reached this territory and had its influence for the ultimate benefit of all.
In the summer of 1838 a dreadful epidemic broke out among the canal dig- gers and reached all the isolated settlers in the woods, ten or twelve miles away. During this siege of sickness there were not well persons enough to care for the sick. Eight persons died that summer.
Catharine Moyer, in her historical reminiscence says, "I landed at the mouth of Swan Creek, May 14, 1838, and, to get to land had to wade through water enough to sail quite a boat. But that was nothing to riding over cor- duroy roads, and the kind of bridges in use at time, with a six months old ba- by in my arms. The shaking and rocking did not soothe the child much. So I had to get out and walk when I came to a good place. We stopped on the route out at a cabin for water, and they had to strain it to get the 'wigglers' out of it before offering it to drink. I was thirsty and drank, regardless of the wigglers. I took my supper that night at the cabin of Gardner K. Tremain, and from there, the next morning went to the cabin of Abram Cole and stayed until we built a place of our own. After many trials incident to a pioneer be- ginning, we cleared our land, got a fair start on the road to a good and easy way of living, when my husband went to Delta and worked as a blacksmith. Again in 1849 he went to California and there died."
Mrs. Moyer, in her recollections of those early days, further says : " I do not understand architecture very well ; but our house had a shake roof, boards for floor below, and two boards for chamber floor ; we took one of them for a door in the fall; a two-legged bedstead, a chest for a table, a log sawed out for windows, a blanket for door, shakes for pantry, and one side of the house for a fire. People said we were quite well off. We lived in hope ; we had to wait until we could prepare ground. In the spring I hoed up some dirt around the house and planted twelve hills of corn. I never felt so rich in all my life, as I did when the corn came up. I have planted and raised bushels, since, yet nothing ever gave me the joy that I experienced in raising that twelve hills. It was my first, and on my own land. I taught school and took my pay in produce."
W. King says : "On the 21st of June, 1834, shortly after I was settled, we were visited by a terrible cyclone, which swept the woods from west to east. Its track was about two miles wide and thirty miles long. Its duration was about twenty minutes, and almost destroyed the forest ; everything was a wreck in its path. It came just at sun setting. The day had been calm and
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
sultry. When the storm came it was accompanied with wonderful electrical disturbances, heavy thunder, a great volume of rain and total darkness. The shanty was saved, amid the falling and crashing of timber." Mr. King thought it safer to plant himself at the foot of a patriarchal oak, which was twisted off, a few yards above his head, and carried away. The fallen timber was piled around the shanty, but none fell upon it. A horse that was tied near the shanty, was also saved. It required, of the settlers, eight days of steady work to cut their way out of this windfall.
William Fowler, sen., came originally from Cumberland county, Pa., in 1828, to Fairfield county, O .; and in August, 1835, with his family, came to Fulton county. With him were three sons, who may be considered pioneers of that age. They were William, Thomas and Robert. William Fowler, sen., located his farm in York township, where he died many years ago.
General Remarks .- Many of the old pioneers that first entered York town- ship were obliged to cut and clear away miles of timber, to get to their lands, and each gave to the public from twenty to thirty days hard work, for a few years, to clean and cut out roads. They conquered all obstacles, by their courage and ambition, and by their own steadfast purposes and personal exer- tions, have finally succeeded in owning a fair property.
One of the characteristics of these old-time settlers was, that they generally managed to have enough to eat and wear, such as it was. They liked to hear the trees fall, and see the light from the burning log heaps and brush piles, at night. This was one of their greatest enjoyments, and they always lived as though the life of a pioneer was a glorious one; and many of them, still living to-day, look back to the old times with longing, and would love to live them over again.
Other Settlers .- Stebbins R. Stebbins came to York, in 1844; George Wright came in 1847, and settled upon section 7 ; he was a native of England. William Markle and wife, from Pickaway county, came in 1844; Elija Smith and his wife, Eliza, came in 1849. Mr. Smith was from the State of New York, and his wife from Seneca county, O. They settled upon section 26. Alfred B. Gunn settled in York, in 1844. At that time he was in Henry county, and became a resident of Fulton county April 1, 1850, when that part of Henry was made a part of Fulton county. He was one of the delegates to the convention that established the boundary line of Fulton county. He set- tled upon section 12, town 6 north, range 7 east. He has been twice elected commissioner of this county, and served a period of six years ; was one of the commissioners in locating the court-house at the place where it now stands, in Wauseon. He has long since passed away, but his homestead remains in the family. He was a very influential man and a good neighbor. He lived a life worthy of imitation.
Samuel and Elizabeth Biddle settled in York township October 13, 1842.
FBriggs
LITTLE
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FULTON COUNTY.
They came from Pennsylvania, " the land of the Quakers." They raised a family of five girls and three boys. In his lifetime, Mr. Biddle was one of the foremost men of the township; he settled upon section 17, on lands that were entered and improved by Uriah Spencer, one of the first settlers. Mr. Biddle died February 17, 1867, and his wife in 1877. When Mr. Biddle set- tled in York, 1842, there were but three school-houses in the whole township, and log buildings at that. The township then was not as large as at present, yet children found their way to what few schools there were.
The first school taught in this part of York was by Miss Sophronia Flu- hart. She taught a winter term of six weeks and three days, at a cost of sixty- two and one-half cents per week, and boarded herself at home. This school was kept in a cabin owned by Samuel Biddle, near the York and Clinton line, east of Wauseon. Calvin Biddle, son of Samuel, settled in York in 1842. He came with his parents from Pennsylvania. He has been twice married ; his present wife was Margaret Todd.
Mark Berry, from Wooster, settled here in 1843. Stillman C. Biddle set- tled in York, 1842. He came with his parents when but a small boy, and, un- doubtedly, as a barefoot boy, of that period, is able to give a very characteris- tic description of pioneer days. He now resides upon section 17, and is one of the foremost men of York.
Abner P. Brainard settled in York, in 1846. John Harrison came in a very early day and settled upon section 17. The only crops of these days were wheat, oats, corn and potatoes, and in this township a crop of the finest quality was sure to follow. This was a wonderful encouragement to the early settlers. There was no trading point of any account except Maumee, where all business was done. The building of the Air Line Railroad, in 1854, seemed to change the very face of nature, and was the pivotal point in which pioneer life suddenly vanished, and a general traffic in every product that could be gleaned from the land, jumped into life.
The history of these and others, that might be given, serve as a type of a generation who will soon be gone. They are crossing over the river. Many of these old pioneers have lived to see the sunshine of a better Christian civili- zation ; the forest displaced by wide areas of improvements ; by towns and cit- ies filled with churches, and the whole country dotted over with school-houses ; and railroads, where was once the Indian trail. It was in these homes that many of the present generation received their early training, by the side and upon the lap of that mother, whose iufluence was felt and fully appreciated.
Roads .- The first road opened in and through York township was laid out by one, Captain Williams, with chainmen and axmen, and Judge Ambrose Rice, of Perrysburgh, as surveyor. The road extended from Maumee, by the way of where Delta now stands, west to West Unity, Williams county. It was surveyed in August and completed about the first of September, 1834, and is now called the State road. 72
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
Post Routes .- The first post route established was from Toledo via Delta, west to West Unity, in 1838, running upon the State road.
Post-Offices .- The first post-office in the township was York Center, two and one-half miles west and one mile south of Delta. In 1838 there was a post-office established on what is now the farm of the Hon. S. H. Cately, in Swan Creek, which answered well for York township. 3 William Meeker was the first postmaster, and in naming it, misapprehending its meaning, supposing it signified "fertile valley," gave it the name of Delta. It was in 1842 moved to the village of Delta, and became a post-office of York township, and so re- mains to this date. Beta, a post-office upon the south side of York, became as such in 1850, by the acquisition of territory from Henry county. Platts- town post office was established in 1886. This comprises the list of offices of the township. York Center was discontinued some years ago.
Physicians .- The first physician of the township was Erastus Lathrop, who settled near Delta and died very soon after the village was located. He was a member of the Baptist church and sometimes preached for the society.
The medical practitioners of the township have centered in the village of Delta, from which point they practice over a large area of the surrounding county, and are William Ramsey, S. P. Bishop, John Odell, John A. Wilkins, and O. P. Fletcher.
Educational .- The first school-house built in the township stood upon the farm of Willard Trowbridge, one mile west of Delta. There are, at the pre- sent time thirteen sub- districts and one graded school for Delta, all in a . very flourishing condition.
Churches .- The first church built in the township was by the Presbyterian society of Delta, and at date, the township, including Delta, has eight houses for public worship located as follows : Four in Delta, one each on sections eleven, twenty-nine, thirty-one and thirty-four, embodying in faith all the prin- cipal denominations of the county.
Steam Mills .- Outside of the village of Delta there are four steam saw- mills, employed for the use of the lumber-producing interest of the township. No grist-mills were ever run in the township ; the only one erected is at Delta, a roller process mill, doing a large and profitable business, both in home and foreign trade.
Some of the Present Inhabitants .- Some of the principal land owners, noted for enterprise, who are likely to lead in the industry of the township, are Frank T. Blair, Daniel Harmon, John McQuillen, William Ramsey, Norman Munger, Silas B. Skeels, Jacob Koos, Matthew Lutton, J. B. Fasbaugh, Daniel Eberly, Phillip Boyce, A. Berkebile, John Harrison, George Seible, Valentine Emer- ling, William Trowbridge, George Orndorf, Jacob P. Garman, Stillman C. Bid- dle, Calvin Biddle, Samuel G. Aumind, Frank Briggs, Jacob Huth, Cornelius Trowbridge, Richard E. Terwilliger, C. Harrison, J. Berkebile, John Batdorf,
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FULTON COUNTY.
A. E. Bradley, J. Pontius, Reuben Bond, Samuel McLain, William Struble, J. Leist, N. Biery, George W. Tabor, A. B. Thompson, Charles Cullen, Charles W. Hatton, and J. M. Longnecker.
Aside from the agricultural industry of the township, all the competitive industries that once existed therein have taken leave, and now only exist in the villages.
Delta, a large village of this township, is endowed with no natural facilities for manufacture or commerce, but simply has a good farming country around it, and is only good for the production of food, and whatever will forward her agricultural interest is of vital consequence to all. As Delta is a rival to the other towns of the county, and possibly the oldest of all, it is one of the very few that has come to us alive from the wrecks of city booms of early days.
This village was not planted by some shrewd speculator, nor were its ad- vantages heralded throughout the land by flaming hand bills; it was of spon- taneous growth and seemed indigenous to the soil, and grew apace with the improvements of the country. This site was trod over by the white man as early as in 1834, and up to 1838 the land hunters did not seem to have any idea that there would be a town where Delta now stands. Two families then were living on the bank of the creek : James McQuilling on the south side of the State road, and G. B. Lewis on the north side. Both were farmers. Mc- Quilling owned and run a saw-mill, a water-mill, and Lewis opened a temper- ance tavern. He kept a little tea and tobacco for sale, and on Sunday always had preaching in his house, so his was a dwelling, tavern, store and church. This was really the first beginning of business in Delta.
A Mr. Kenyon built the first house, a frame, and up to 1839 George Wood and wife composed one fourth of all the residents of the village. This house was afterward sold to Doctor Lathrop, who had just married his second wife, but in a few months from that time they both died. J. T. Gates and George Wood became the owners of the Lathrop property in 1841. In this year the village received an accession to its population in a very old fashioned way. All its previous increase had been through immigration, but this was by the birth, in October, of Mary Augusta Wood, who made her debut as an actor on the world's great stage, and on which she has continued to act for forty-six years; during this time she has visited the principal towns in Europe and America, and has given the former an opportunity of talking with a native American in their own language and on their own soil, and showing to the literary men and women of England, France, Germany and other countries, that a person may be born in the wilds of Ohio and be their equal.
The first church in Delta was the Presbyterian of the old school. It was built on Adrian street at a very early date. Since that time the society has built a new one on Main street a fine structure.
James Trowbridge kept the first store, but the pioneer store that prepared
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
the way for all the rest since, with no interruption, was opened by Eli Kitts, of the firm of Wisewell & Kitts, of Maumee city, in 1841. At this time Delta contained four families, James McQuilling, - McKaskey, the venerable Adam Zedaker and George Woods, and contained at that time only four log dwellings. Kitts lived here about one year and died. A man by the name of Griswold took up the stock in trade and had the whole oversight for a short time. After him came Dan Cummings. The first permanent structure built in Delta was by Dr. Allen White, for a residence, and is now the wing part of the residence of Dr. William Ramsey. The first printing press established in the county was at Delta, Louis Stumm was editor and proprietor. This was very soon after the organization of the county, and after the location of the county seat, the paper was moved to Ottokee. The Avalanche and the Delta Atlas seem to be established on a solid foundation and have passed through several years of life, and from their beginning to this day both are sending out, weekly, a large edition to subscribers. Delta is a very active live town for business ; with its bank, stores, mills and other industries it is a heavy market point for the products of the farm, and distributes as many goods, wares and merchandise to the farmer as any town in the county of its size. It, in 1880, had a population of eight hundred and fifty-eight, and an estimated popula- tion at the end of 1887 of twelve hundred. The village is situated upon the Lake Shore Railway, about twenty-three miles west from Toledo. It lies principally on sections twelve and thirteen, upon the east bank of Bad Creek, and in the northeast corner of York township. It has the best of railway ac- commodations for the traveling public. Surrounding is a rich country of farming lands, north, south, east and west, and it handles largely the products of that region.
About the year 1849 or 1850 a company was formed at Toledo, and by certificate of incorporation laid out a plank road from Toledo to West Unity, in Williams county, with the right of way upon the old State Road. The pro- jectors asked for from three to five thousand dollars aid of the township, for which all the townships along the route were bonded. Its construction was completed, or nearly so, as early as 1853, but it was continued only a few years when the worn out timber bed was removed. It was very expensive to the people and never made a good road.
The first marriage was William Spencer to Miss Donaldson.
The first death was that of a Mrs. Doolittle, who was laid away in the grave-yard used by the German Baptist society.
The first election was at York Center, on the 30th day of June, 1836, to select township officers, who then presided over a large territory south of the Fulton line.
Official Roll .- First, L. H. Upham, one term as representative in the Ohio Legislature ; second, L. H. Upham served one month as probate judge. (He
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
was elected but was displaced by the court, John M. Palmer, judge). George Taft was commissioner by appointment; Octavius Waters was elected repre- sentative in the State Legislature one term, two years. John A. Wilkins was elected and served one term as State Senator. Octavius Waters was prosecut- ing attorney two years; William H. Gavett prosecuting attorney four years, or two terms; Alfred B. Gunn served two terms, or six years, as commissioner of the county ; Frank T. Blair two terms, or four years, as sheriff; Thomas Kelley five years as county treasurer, and eight months as auditor, by appoint- ment ; Silas B. Skeels one term of three years as infirmary director ; Samuel G. Aumend one term of three years as infirmary director, and in the fall of 1887 was re-elected for a second term ; M. H. Butler was the first school ex- aminer; next, Holmes Smith, by appointment, served several years as school examiner of the county; A. B. Thompson also served as commissioner.
Population .- York has shown steady and a very healthy increase in pop- ulation. In 1840 it had 435 and the last census of the United States had, excluding Delta and corporation, a population of 1,714, but with Delta added it numbered 2,572.
CHAPTER LIV.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
A LLEN, HON. CHARLES L. The parents of the subject of this sketch were natives of New England, born in the State of Connecticut, but they, at a very early day, emigrated to Western New York, and were pioneers of Mon- roe county. The father was Isaac and the mother Mary (Terry) Allen They never became residents of Ohio, but passed their lives in New York State, where the father died in the year 1884, at the ripe old age of ninety-one, the mother having died in 1876, some eight years before her husband, and aged about seventy-eight.
Isaac Allen was a somewhat prominent figure in the early history of the Empire State, and he lived, moreover, in a region that was fruitful of important events during the first score of this century's years. He was an American soldier in the War of 1812, and fought therein to maintain that independence the American colonies had gained during the Revolutionary War; and in this connection it way it may be stated that during war of 1861-5 his loyalty and patriotism, and devotion to the Union arms were almost remarkable, and he even went so far as to go to the South in the hope that he, notwithstanding his years, might in some manner assist the Northern army.
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
In the family of Isaac Allen were ten children, and of them, all save one are still living. Three of the sons now reside in Gorham township, Fulton county, and are numbered among its highly respected and enterprising citizens. Isaac Allen died at his home in Clarkson, Monroe county, N. Y., in 1884, and at the funeral ceremony each of his living children was present, and six of the sons officiated as bearers of the pall.
Charles Luther Allen, one of the sons of Isaac Allen, and the subject of this sketch, was born in the town of Clarkson, N. Y,. on the 16th day of November, in the year 1838. Up to 1859 he lived at his father's home, but in that year he came to Fulton county and took up his abode in Gorham township, where his brother, Dr. Allen, was then a resident. Here Charles taught school for a time, but afterward accepted a position in the store of Thompson & Cadwell, where he remained until August, 1861. He then en- listed in Company K, Thirty-eighth O. I. V., and, upon the organization of the company, was elected second lieutenant. In this capacity he served for about six months, when, after the battle at Mill Springs, he was assigned to duty on the staff of General Shoeppf, commanding the Ohio Brigade. Some time later Lieutenant Allen was promoted to first lieutenant and made regi- mental quartermaster, serving as such nearly a year, when he was assigned to duty as regimental adjutant.
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