USA > Ohio > Huron County > Norwalk > History of Norwalk township, Huron county, Ohio taken from Williams' History of Huron and Erie counties > Part 7
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FIRST POST OFFICE.
Up to August, 1816, the new settlers received aud sent their mail from the post office at Huren. This was so inconvenient that Maj. Underhill, meeting Judge Ruggles one day, represented to him the dirt- . culry and annoyance of carrying on correspondientes
.
136
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
with the east. Ruggles replied: "Find a postmaster, and I will write to the department and have the appointment made." Dr. Joseph Pearce was selected, Ruggles fulfilled his promise, and the appointment was, in due time, made, and received as a ray of light penetrating into an oppressive darkness. The follow- ing extract from a letter written by Harriet Underhill, ro her sister, Mrs. Horace Morse, in Herkimer, New York, refers to this appointment. The letter is dated "Ridgefield, Angust 6, 1816."
After referring to family matters, the writer says: "Ma wishes you to write and let us know when you are coming out here. Perhaps you think of taking us by surprise, but do not think of that, for we shall hear all the news that is stirring, for this day a post office has been established bere. and Dr. Pearee is postmaster. Please direet your letters to Norwalk Post Offiec."
This office was kept at the house of Levi Cole (Ben- jamin Neweomb's second bonse), on the present Miner Cole farm, until, in July, 1818, when Mr. Pearee resigned and his resignation was accepted.
The total business done by the office, while held by Dr. Pearee, is shown by the following statement of account made out at Washington, at that time, and foand among the papers of Platt Benedict, now in possession of the writer:
JOSEPH PEARCE, Esq., late Postmaster, Norwalk, Ohio. in account with the General Post office.
DR. CR.
To bai, due on his post office ac't. FRox
August 20 to October 1, 1816, 1.65
October 1 to Dec. 31, " 8.73
Jabnary 1 to April 1. 1817, 8.92
April 1 to July 1, ** 13.98 July 1 to October 1. " 11.61
1519
January 1. By Draft in favor David Abbott 72.00
October 1 to Dec. 31. 11.09
January 1 to April 1. 1818. 9€
April 1 to Joly 1, - 20.21
Balance 5.85
$73.00
FIRST VILLAGE POST OFFICE.
Dr. Pearce having tendered his resignation, the following letter was sent to him from the department. the original of which is now in the writer's possession:
GENERAL POST OFFICE, CITY OF WASHINGTON, 25 July. 18!S.
SIR:
Your letter resigning the office of postmaster at Norwalk, Ohio, has been received, and accepted. It has been concluded to appoint Mr. Platt B. mediet to fill the vacancy: a bonl for his signature is enclosed and you will oblige me by seeing it done with proper sorery, and then return it, with a certificate that he has taken the requisite oaths, to this office. When those papers are received here, a commission will be made out and forwarded to him, and you will then, or as soon as the bond is forwarded, if more convenient, hand over to bim all the articles of post office property in your possession. the moneys due to this office excepted.
Yours respectfully.
R. J. MEIGS. JR.
JOSEPH PEARCE, Esq.
At that time, Platt Benedict was living in a log house, which stood on the lot, and in the rear of where the present Gallup block now stands. That log house was built in September. 1817, upon the site of one built by Mr. Benedict in the spring 18it .-
but burned down early in September of that year, -- these two being the first honses erected within the present corporate limits of Norwalk.
The office was at once removed by Mr. Benedict to his residence, and the first post office in the village was there opened and kept until 1819: and the first mail brought only one letter and one newspaper. In that year Mr. Benedict creeted and moved into his "splendid new brick house," (the first brick structure ereeted within the present limits of Huron county), now forming part of the present Gallup block, in the rear. In the little room (back of store room number fourteen, East Main street, now used as a fitting room by S. C. Kinsley, fancy goods merehant, ) the post office was opened up "in state," and there kept, until Picket Latimer and Harvey G. Morse, some years afterwards, opened a general store, in a building standing about where Harley's grocery now is, (store room number nine, West Main street), when it was removed to that location, and put in charge of Jonas B. Benedict, (son of Platt Benedict, and father of Dr. D. D. Benediet), as deputy. There it was kept at the west front seven by nine glass window, until in 1827, when Latimer & Co. moved to the "Old Red Store." standing where the Norwalk National Bank now is, (Baker & Kimball succeeding Latimer & Co. in the old stand). The post office went with Latimer & Co., and remained there, in charge of D. A. Baker, (present president of the First Na- tional Bank), as deputy, until the early part of 1828. Asahel W. Howe, that year, leased of Horace Howard the tavern stand that is now the wooden building standing next west of Whittlesey block, so long known as the Mansion house, the sign of which is yet indis- tinctly visible on the east end of the old brick block next west.
On January 10. 1828, Howe was sworn in as deputy, and the office was moved there. He proved to be unworthy of the trust; robbed the mails, was ar- rested, tried, convicted, sentenced to imprisonment for a term of years, and pardoned ont .in abont one year.
Daniel A. Baker was sworn in as deputy, on March 20, 1827, before Samuel Preston, justice of the peace, as appear by the official oath of office. now in posses- sion of the writer.
The first official draft by the department upon the Norwalk post office, was drawn against Joseph Pearce, January 1. 1819.
The second was drawn against Platt Benedict, and is as follows:
** Dols. 56 .- Cents. No 2 GENERAL POSTOFFICE. WASHINGTON CITY. April 1. 1919 7 SIR-At sight, pay David Abbott, or order, fifty six lollars -- cents and charge to account of this office. ABM. BRADLEY. JR ., Assistant Postmaster General."
To PLATT BENEDICT. Esquire. Postmaster at Norwalk, Ohio.
The official list of newspapers, pamphlets, and magazines received at this office from October 1, 1828. "o January 1. 1829, shows that seventy-three copies
1
€
1517 Janiary 29. By Cash. $ 5.00
1918 May 14, By Cash. 1.00
137
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
were received, upon which the postage was twelve dol- lars and twenty-four cents.
An official statement of account made out at Wash- ington. in 1829, shows the total business of the office from July 1, 1818, to September 1, 1829, (a period · of eleven years and two months, during which the office was held by Platt Benedict), as having amounted to one thousand four hundred and thirty-five dollars and fifty-seven cents, or an average of one hundred and thirty dollars and fifty cents per year, the last year, however, from July 1, 1828, to July 1. 1829. it was one hundred and ninety-seven dollars and thirteen cents.
The present postmaster, Frederick C. Wiekhani, . grandson of Samuel Preston, who administered the oath of office to D. A. Baker, in 1827, has kindly furnished the writer with the following statement of the business of the offlee, for the year ending March 31, 1879:
AMOUNT OF STAMPS, STAMPED ENVELOPES. NEWSPAPER WRAPPERS, AND POSTAL CARDS SOLD.
For the quarter ending June 30, 1878 $ 1.507 51
=
September 30, IST8 1,492 84
= :
December 31, 1878. 1.815 C:
March 31, 1879 1,793 86
Total for one year. $ 6,209 98
AMOUNT COLLECTED FOR BOX RENT.
For the quarter ending June 30, 1878. 226 25
4:
September 30. 1878 236 00
December 31, 1878. 26 45
March 31, 18.9. 229 10
Total for one year
RECEIVED FROM OTHER SOURCES.
For the quarter ending June 39, 1878
S 3 26
= ..
September 30, 1878 2 86
.. December 31, 1878 3 40
3 March 31, 1879 3 11
Total for one year.
14 €3
Grand total for year
$7,632 01
.MONEY ORDERS ISSUED.
Number of money orders issued during the year ending March 31, 1879. 3,:71
Amount issued for the year. $41.640 05
Amount of fees received for same. 460 55
Number of orders paid during the year.
3.100
Amount of orders paid during the year $41.168 97
Perhaps no single department of business in the town affords a better criterion by which to measure its growth and improvement.
In 1818-19 the office was a log dwelling house with one room .- parlor, sitting-room, bed-room, kitchen and post office in one ; its windows were set with greased paper instead of glass ; it was warmed from a huge stone-built fire-place, by burning logs, so large that a man could only put them in place by the "end over end" process : there was only one mail per week. The total receipts of the office from July 1, 1818 to July 1, 1819, were $112.68, and postage was then twenty-five cents for each half-omice letter.
The total population of the the whole township was probably about two hundred, which would make the average contribution of each inhabitant, to the receipts of the office. abour fifty-six cents per year. or equal to about two and one-quarter letters sent by
-
each inhabitant during the year ; equal to about eighteen and two-thirds letters at the present three- cent rate of postage.
Sixty years have rolled by since then, and our fathers and mothers, who were then the actors upon the stage of life, are now sleeping in their quiet, silent graves ; a new and busy generation of men and women, mostly strangers to them, fill, according to their ability, the vacant plaees.
And to-day, that post office is housed in a commo- dions room, upon the same premises where it was first opened, nearly sixty-one years ago ; its windows are of plate glass, each light of which is five and a half by ten and a half feet square, and it is fitted up with most of the modern appliances for facilitating busi- ness, and ten or twelve mails per day, arrive and de- part.
The receipts of the office, aside from the money order department, from March 1, 1878. to March 31, 1819, having been 87,632.01, and estimating the. present population of the township at nine thousand. would average a contribution, by each inhabitant. to those receipts, of about eighty-five cents, or at three cents per half-ounce letter, would equal the annual sending of nearly sixty-five letters by each inhabitant now, as against the two and one-quarter letters sent in 1818-19.
. As a conclusion, based upon the foregoing figures, while the population has inereased in those sixty years, only abont forty-times, the annual receipts of the post office have increased nearly sixty-eight times, notwithstanding the faet that the rate of postage has been reduced from twenty-five, to three cents per half-ounce, or over eight times : taking that fact into consideration, the business of the office has inereased about five hundred and forty-four times.
The names and date of commission of each person who has held the office, from its establishment to the present time, have been furnished the writer by the Department at Washington, and are as follows :
Joseph Pearce commissioned October 1. 1915
Platt Benedict
October 23, 1918
Cyrus Butler July 20, 1829
John Buckingham. September 21. 1850
Obadiah Jenney.
May 20, 1841
Daniel Mallery. ..
May 1. 1844
A. S. Sutton
July 8, 1853
Amos Parks
April 30, 1557
John V. Vredenburgh December 15. 1858
Julius S. Coe
December 30, 1538
Hiram Ros-
October 14. 1571
Frederick C. Wickham
December 13, 1:75
FIRST MERCHANTS. .
TICE & FORSYTH (Peter Tice and Frederick For- syth), commenced business in 1818, in the " Red Store," on the corner of Main and Hester streets, where the Norwalk national bank now stands: dis- continued business about 1821.
CERCA BUTLER commenced business as successor of Tice & Forsythe, in the ... Red Store:" David 3 !. Benedict. clerk. In 1825 built the brick store hos
18
907 50
16
138
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
occupied by C. H. Wines & Co., grocers, on the Latimer property. Removed to Birmingham in 1821.
FREDERICK FORSYTH commenced business. about 1821, in a building which stood where Harley's groeery store, number nine, West Main street now is, and discontinued about 1823.
MORSE & LATIMER (Harvey G. Morse and Pieket Latimer,) commenced business about 1823. in the store vacated by Forsythe, and continued there until they removed to the " Red Store," to give place to Baker & Kimball, in 1827.
BAKER & KIMBALL (Timothy Baker and Moses Kimball,) commenced business about 1825, in the building so long used as a store by Shepard Patrick, standing where G. Jacobson's clothing store now is, store number seven, W. Main street, and in 182% re- moved to store vaeated by Morse & Latimer.
JOHN V. VREDENBURGH commeneed business about 1825, in the building built by him on the lot corner of Main street and Railroad avenne, where Cline's building now stands.
EARLY MERCHANTS.
A copy of the list of merchants trading in the county of Huron, on the first day of April, A. D. 1826, with the amount of capital.
Cyrus Butler, Norwalk,* .$5,000
Enos Gilbert 50
Joseph Strong, Jr., " 1.500
J. V. Vredenburgh, 3.000
I certify the above to be a true copy of the list of merchants in said county, doing business on the first day of April, A. D. 1826.
GEO. SHEFFIELD. County Assessor.
Dated June 1, 1825
* The list of the other towns Is omitted here, because not connected with the history of Norwalk.
The following are similar lists made by the county assessor for 1828, 1829, 1830 and 1831.
LIST FOR 1828.
Baker & Kiniball, Norwalk. $1,500
P. Latimer & Co., 2.500
John V. Vredenburgh, Norwalk. 1.500
June 3, 1828.
Assessor
NOTE-This year the name of Cyrus Butler appears in the list for Florence, capital $500.
LIST FOR 18:29.
John V. Vredenburgh, Norwalk .$1,000
Wm. C. Spolden. 750
Baker & Kimball. 1,500
Platt Benedict & Co., 1,500
Picket Latimer. 2,000
Tilden & Kittridge, 66
100
John Whyler. . 250
June 3, 1829.
PHILO ADAMS, County Assessor.
NOTE-Butler does not appear on the list this year.
LIST FOR 1:30.
Cyrus Butler & Co .. Norwalk .51,000
Baker & Kimball. 1,900
P. Latimer & Co., 1,509
Tilden & Kittridge, 1.50
John Whyler,
June 1, 18%.
GEO. SHEFFIELD. Assessor, Huron County.
Nors-The name of Jolin V. Vredenburgh appears in the list for Florener, capital :+00.
LIST FOR 1831.
Biker & Kimball, Norwalk $2,000
Buckingham & Sturges, Norwalk 1,5+0)
David H. Fitch,
since April 1 .. 1.500
P. Latimer & Co .. ..
2,30J
John Whyle:, ..
since April ! 1,200
Attest: GEO. SHEFFIELD. Assessor.
NOTE-This year the name of Cyrus Butler appears as a merchant in Florence, with a capital of $200, and J. V. Vredenburgh, with a capital of $70O.
No further lists-of this kind have been found, and it is probable that the practice of a general listing of merchants was abandoned after 1831, and the present mode of assessment adopted.
In addition to the list for 1828, S. A. Bronson advertised in the Norwalk Reporter of May 31, 1828: BOOKS! ROOKS!
CSEVERAL thousand volumes of Books are now received in Norwalk, among which are as follows. ( Here follows a descriptive list.) Sta- tionery, &c .. &c., all o which will be sold cheap for ready pay, either in cash or produce, at the market price. Enquire of S A. BRONSON immediately under the printing office.
Norwalk, May 27, 192%.
Also, in the issue of the Reporter of April 5, 1828, Aurelius Mason advertised:
JUST RECEIVED
AND for sale, by Anrelins Mason, Dried Peaches, of an excellent D- quality, and a quantity of Stoneware.
Norwalk, April 4, 1828.
In the issue of the Reporter of June 28, 1828, John Whyler announces that he "has just opened his shop in Norwalk, adjoining the public square, where he intends keeping at all times a general assortment of tin ware, which he will sell low for cash, or most kinds of country produce."
The history of John Whyler, as a merchant of Nor- walk, is one of thrift and singular prosperity. The writer has heard Mr. Whyler relate that he came to Norwalk with all his worldly goods packed in a wheel- barrow. He commenced business here as a peddler of threads, laces. buttons, etc., in the latter part of 1821, or the early part of 1828, carrying from house to house his stock in trade in two tin boxes. His trade inereased so that he soon opened a small -tore on the lot now occupied by Mrs. J. Mi. Farr, corner of Pleasant and Main streets. As announced in the above advertisement. he, in 1828. opened a tin shop adjoining the public square, which was put in charge of his son. George Whyler, (father of John G. Whyler, the present plumber of Norwalk). In 1830, the store was removed to the building occupied by the tin shop, and a general stock of merchandise opened up. The place of business was then known as "The Red Store." From this location he removed his bust- ness as a general merchant, some years afterwards, to the lot on the northwest corner of Main and Prospect streets, where, in company with his sons, Johu. Jr., and Edward, he for many years, and until about 1849, carried on a very extensive and general mer- cantile business.
This place of business was called "The Ohl For- tross," and in the party days of the grain tratte at Milan, the streets of Norwalk were, year after year. in the gram season, filled and almost blocka ind by
PHILO ADAM.A.
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
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two, four, six, eight and ten horse teams attached to "Pennsylvania Schooners," (as those immense canvas covered grain wagons were called. ) while their owners were making purchases to carry home. Those "team- sters" came from all the territory south from here to Franklin county, and a very large proportion of them would bay their "store goods" of no one but .Ole Wyler."
He was a bluff, bow-legged, corpulent, jolly, wide- awake Englishman, and the hearty. "hail-fellow, well-met" manner of the man won the hearts and the trade of the "Pennsylvania Dutch" fariners of Central Ohio.
The successful opening of the Sandusky. Mansfield & Newark Rail Road and the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Rail Road killed Milan and "The old Fortress. "
Mr. Whyler was born in Lincolnshire, England, and there commenced business as a baker, in which he prove ! a failure: then he emigrated and settled in Cleveland, Ohio. bat continued only a short time; from there he came to Norwalk, and remained umtil his death.
VILLAGE INCORPORATED.
Norwalk was incorporated by Act of Legislature, February 11, 1828. The following are the two first sections of the act of incorporation:
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Chin. That so much of the township of Norwalk in the county of Huron, as lies within the following boundaries, to-wit: Commencing at the south east corner of the town piat of Norwalk, in the center of the road lead- ing to Mednus, running along the south side of the back alley as far as it extends. from thence in the same direction to the center of the road passing Widow Tice's dwelling, a distance of two hundred and sixteen rods from the starting point; thence along the center of said road forty rods; thence northeastwardiy and parallel with the first line to the center of the road passing Ebenezer I ine's dwelling to Mitin, a distance of two hundred and sixteen rods; thence along the center ot said road forty rods to the place of beginning. be and the same is hereby created a town corporate, and shall henceforth be known and distinguished by the name of the town of Norwalk.
Sec. 2. That it shall be lawful for the v hite male inhabitants of said town. having the qualifications of electors of members of the General Assembly, to meet at some convenient place in said town. on the first Monday of May next, and the first Monday of May annually thereafter. and then and there proceed, by a plurality of votes, to elect by ballet one mayor, one recorder and five trustees, who shall have the quanfica- tions of electors: and the persons so elected shall hold their office for one year, and until their successors shall be chosen and qualified, and they shall constitute the town council.
FIRST CORPORATION ELECTION.
The following is taken from the first pages of the first book of record of the corporation of Norwalk. and comprises the poll-book and tally sheet of the first election held as an incorporated village:
Poll-hock of the election hell in the town of Norwalk, in the county of Huron, and State of Ohio, this fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight. Joseph C. Curtiss Benjamin Carmon and Wm. Gallup, judges, and Geo. T. Buckingham. cierk, of this election, were severally sworn as the law directs previous to their entering on the duties of their respective offices
No. of Names of Electors. of Names of Electors.
Inter.
1. James Williams. 36. Geo. Gauff
37. Henry Tice.
Ds. Platt E-hediet.
39. seth Jennings
W. Geo. T. Buckingham :.
ti. Moses Kimball.
Pelatiah Strong.
9. Daniel Tilden.
9. John P. Mcardle.
10. Win. Haughton.
11. Sherlock A. Bronson.
12. Zachariah Marvin.
13. Sam B. Ames.
11. Levi Wilson.
15. Barton Sweet.
50.
Benjamin Carmon.
51. Josiah L. Bottsford.
52. Abraham Emmet.
53. Wm. C. Enos.
54. Aurelius Mason.
55. James Minshall.
56. Joseph Mason.
3 Denison Clark. 57. Frederick Forsythe.
33. John Ebbett, Jr.
21 Cira Collins.
25. Benjamin Junkins.
26. Henry Hurlbert.
Nelson Haughton.
John Ebbert.
29. Nathan Sweet.
30. Charles Lindsay.
31. Wm. Taylor.
66. Jouns D. Benedict.
32. John P. Savin.
John Ford
33. Parney Carlhoof. 68 Tonas Denton.
_31. John Miller.
35. Enos Gilbert.
It is hereby certifed that the pumher of electors at this election amounted to sixty-nine.
Attest:
WILLIAM GALLUP. B. CARMON,
Judges of Election.
The following is a copy of the tally sheet of this election. with the certificate of the judges of the election :
Names of persons voted for and for what offices, containing the num- ber of votes for each candidate.
MAYOR.
William IT Hunter, 26 votes
RECORDER.
Leverett Bradley, 37 votes. John V Vredenburgh, 30 votes TRUSTEES.
Picker Latimer, 40 votes. Samuel Preston, 38 votes.
Frederick Forsythe. 39 votes. Henry Buckingham:, 4 votes.
Daniel Ti'den. 41 votes Lewis M. Howard. 28 votes.
Cyrus Butler, 31 vores. Isaac M. Wilson, 24 votes.
Charles Lindans, 20 votes Daniel S. Raitt, 27 votes.
Jonas Benedict, 1 vote.
Willem Gallup, 1 vote.
L. M. Howard, ? vores.
Isane Wilson, 1 vote
We do hereby certify that James Williams had forty one votes, and William H. Hanter had twenty-six votes, for mayor: and that Leverett Bradley had thirty-seven votes, and John O. Vredenburgh bal thirty vores, for recorder: and that Picket Lathner had forty votes. Sammuel Preston had thirty eight votes, Frederick Forsythe had thirty-nine votes. Henry Buckingham had fortv-one votes Daniel Tillen bad forty-one Fores, Lewis M. Howard had twenty eight votes. Cyrus Butier had thirty. one votes, Isone M. Wilson had trepty six votes, Charles Lindsay bad twenty -nine votes, Daniel G. Raitt had twenty seven votes, Jonas Bene- diet had one vote, William Gallup had one vote. L. M. Howard had Iwy votes, and Isage Wilson had one vote. for trustees.
FENG. CARMON. W.M. GALIUF. JOSEPA C. Croiss. Judges of Elation.
Attest: GEO. T. BUCKINGHAM. Dierk.
The first meeting of the town conneil took place on May 8, 1828, at which time the members were duly qualified. after which lehabod Marshall was appointed treasurer, and John Miller, marshal.
Council again met May 19. and appointed James Williams, Frederick Forsyth and Picket Latimer. : committee to draft a code of by-laws and report af the next meeting.
11 Samnel Preston.
42 Daniel G. Raitt
43. Thadeus B. Sturges.
11 Jacob Wilsonl.
45. John V. Vredenburgh
46. Leverett Bradley.
Ozias S. Baker.
48. William Galiup.
49. Joseph C. Curtiss.
16. John V. Sharp.
17. John G. Taylor.
15 Henry Buckingham.
19 Isaac M. Wilson.
20 Joseph Wilson.
21 Joseph H. Wilson.
58. Asahei W. Howe.
59. Michael F. Cisco.
60. Win. Bi. Newgent.
61. Charles Slocum.
62. Vicker Latimer.
63. John Felton.
64. Lewis M. Howard.
65. Cyrus Butler.
69. John Knott
139
Wia H. Hunter. Teuahod Marshall.
1 Et Kerler.
5. HaSett Gallup
No. Voter
GEO. T. BUCKINGHAM. Clerk.
James Williams, 41 vot-s.
140
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
On May 30, council met to receive the report of the committee on by-laws. At this meeting Eri Keeler was appointed pound-keeper, and authorized to build a public pound. This meeting was adjourned to June 6, and from that date again to June 10.
At the meeting of June 10, a long ordinance of five sections was adopted ; the substance of which was that "no hog or hogs, shoat or shoats, pig or pigs." should be allowed to run at large within the limits of the corporation. Thisordinance was repealed May 20, 1855, as appears in the record book, page 59.
No further record of meetings of the council is en- tered until that of April 6, 1829.
The poll book of the election held May 4, 1829, contains the names of twenty-eight cleetors. The officers for the ensuing year were, Frederick Forsyth, mayor : John Miller, recorder ; Mathew Callaway. Lewis MI. Howard, Thaddeus B. Sturges, Moses Kin- ball and William M. Newgent, trustees.
The first book of the records extends to the year 1840, the last meeting of the council, that is recorded. being held April 25, of that year.
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