History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 11

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1744

USA > Ohio > Putnam County > History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions > Part 11

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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

W. Riley to survey in this part of Ohio, and he continued with the survey- or's gang until 1822. This representative old pioneer was killed in 1844 by a falling tree, at the time of the opening of the Ottawa and Defiance road through Putnam county. In 1820 Henry Leaf located his family in section IO, on the Blanchard river, and in 1824 David Murphy, with his family, came down the Blanchard river from Fort Findlay. His was one of the first permanent white families in the county and his wife was the first person buried in the cemetery at Kalida.

In 1832 came Isaac Owens and John Myers, followed, in the succeed- ing year, by Levi Grove, Nutter Powell, Frederick Brower and John F. Kahle. The latter was the first foreigner in the county to take out naturali- zation papers. The year 1834 brought in Abraham Crow, Christian Bear, Nicholas Prynne and Alexander Berryhill. In 1835 Joshua Powell, Will- iam Bell, James Crow, William Phillips and John Neill were added to the slowly-growing population.

That the township was of slow growth is shown by the fact that only eight votes were cast at the first election in April, 1835. These eight voters selected the following officials: William Bell, Abraham Crow and Joshua Powell, trustees; Frederick Brower, clerk; Nutter Powell, treasurer; Fred- erick Brower, justice of the peace.

Organized with an area of thirty-six square miles, the township was de- creased in 1848 by having the south tier of sections detached and added to Union township. In common with most of the townships of the county, the land in Greensburg was very swampy and it was many years after the township was organized before artificial drainage brought much of its area under cultivation. At the present time no township in the county can boast of better farms and the hundreds of contented and independent farmers of the township bespeak the prosperity which has come to this section of the county.

TOWNS.

Greensburg township has no equal in the county in the way of towns, there being four within her limits, namely: Avis, Cuba, Croswell and Dornington. If any of the four have ever been platted the officials failed to record the plats. Avis is located on the Findlay, Ft. Wayne & Western railroad. With a large stave mill to aid the growth of this village it bid fair to become a thriving town, but the mill being destroyed by fire and never replaced, the hopes for a larger village were shattered. Its business com- prises one elevator, a general store and stock yards. Cuba is situated in

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the northern part of the township, on the Blanchard river. Croswell is a railroad stop west of Avis on the same railroad. Dornington is located on the Ohio Electric and also the Findlay, Ft. Wayne & Western railroad.

TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.

The following are the present officers of Greensburg township: Jus- tice of the peace, A. F. Steiner; trustees, C. W. Beard, A. C. Korte, A. G. Verhoff; clerk, William Siebeneck; treasurer, H. C. Schroeder; constable, J. B. Fappe.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP.

Jackson township lies between Perry and Jennings townships, on the north and south, and Union and Monterey, on the east and west. It was originally laid out six miles square, although it was later decreased to twenty sections. In 1848 its area was increased to twenty-six sections by the ad- dition of six sections taken from Perry township. The Auglaize river runs through the township from south to north and affords ample natural drainage. Within the past few years extensive systems of artificial drain- age have been put into operation, with the result that now nearly all of the township has been brought under cultivation.

The records of the township covering the early years of its history were destroyed by fire many years ago and this renders it impossible to write the complete history of the township. The date of the first election and the first officers elected are unknown, but it is certain that the organization of the township dates from the first half of the thirties. The first officers of whom any record has been found are as follows: Thaddeus Harris, justice of the peace, and William H. Harris, constable.

Elias Wallen, who settled in the township in 1822, seems to have been the first permanent settler. Rufus Carey and John Harter came with their families the following year, entered land and started to make homes in the wilderness. Owing to the extreme swampiness of the township, the settlers came in very slowly for several years. Thaddeus Harris ( 1825) and Thomas Carder (1830) were all who came to the township before 1833. In the latter year, Phillip, Joseph and George Comer, Edward Ladd and John Heddrick located along the Auglaize river.

The following are the present officers of Jackson township: Justices

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of the peace, H. Frank Rower and George W. Roose; trustees, Philip Stirn, John Kehres, G. Kimmerle; clerk, Henry Biedenharn ; treasurer, F. J. Recker ; constable, Philip A. Rower.

Jackson township, although ranking among the best townships in the county, does not have any large towns within its limits. Muntana is situated on the Cloverleaf railroad, three miles south of Cloverdale. It was sur- veyed and platted in 1881 by George Skinner, surveyor for George H. Cal- kins. It bears the distinction of being the first town laid out in this town- ship. Huntstown is another town of about the same strength as Muntana and situated just two miles north of it. Huntstown was platted and laid out in 1883 by Samuel Starkey and also lies on the Clover Leaf railroad. Douglas is the third town in the township and finishes the list. This town was never platted, at least no record can be found in the plat book, and at present is the site for the Odenweller Milling Company. These towns, al- though small, draw from the rich farming community in this county and in time may prove quite important commercial centers.

JENNINGS TOWNSHIP.

Jennings township also suffered in the donation of land to Allen county, just as Sugar Creek did. The south half of the township was cut off and two tiers of sections were added on the north from Jackson township, but three sections were cut off the west side and added to Monterey, thus the township now embraces twenty-eight sections.

Samuel Washburn was the first settler to purchase land and locate here. Washburn came in 1825 or 1826 and purchased two farms, which he cleared and sold to Isaiah Clawson and William Cochran in 1827 or 1828. About the year 1828, James Thatcher and William Scott cast their lot with the other early settlers in this township. A few others came in about this time and settled on the banks of the Auglaize river.

The first white child born in Jennings township was Thomas Wash- burn, on August 9, 1828. John and James Cochran were the next.

In 1832 or 1833 the township took on a temporary organization. Will- iam Cochran served as the first justice of the peace. It is difficult to get the true history of the township or the date of the permanent organization, as the early records were destroyed. In 1833 several families came over from Germany and took up their permanent residence here; among these were John Disher, Henry Wellman, C. Raabe, Henry Raabe and John

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Raabe. In the following year H. J. Boehmer, V. D. Emse, George Calvage, Mrs. Calvage and several others settled here. The returns show that at the fall election in 1834 there were only seventeen votes cast in the township.

Colonel Jennings was the commandant at the fort, a small stockade built on the west bank of the Auglaize river, which served as a military post in the war of 1812. An incident concerning this post follows: Colonel Jennings sent out a detachment of troops under Capt. William D. Jones on a foraging expedition to the Indian towns of Upper and Lower Tawa on the Blanchard river. The detachment consisted of the Captain, Knowles Shaw, Aaron Howard, James Howard, Henry and Thomas Montgomery. They came in from the west and crossed the river near the Glandorf bridge. This was in August, 1813 or 1814. They found the towns deserted and, after feasting on roasting ears, chickens and fat hogs for a week, they burned the Indian towns and destroyed the growing crops before they returned to the fort. Colonel Jennings left his name as a monument to the township and also the town.

The Jennings township officials are as follows: Justices of the peace, J. H. Hunt and Cornelius Kortier; trustees, Barney Bruskotter, William Von Sassan and Charles Ricker ; clerk, Ferd Heising; treasurer, Charles H. Raabe; constable, Felix Calvelage ; ditch supervisor, James Brackman.

FT. JENNINGS.

Ft. Jennings is one of the oldest settlements in northern Ohio, where the white man made a permanent home in the wilderness. In 1812 Colonel Jennings erected a stockade, consisting of a line of posts set in the earth on a high and favorable bend of the Auglaize river, and it was from this stockade that the present village received its name. Settled at a time when there was no railroad, no canal, no stores, when by far the greater part of Ohio was one vast wilderness, the present generation can hardly realize the hardships and privations which these early settlers had to undergo:

The earliest industry was the manufacture of corn whiskey, but the construction of the canal drained the swamps and made this one of the rich- est corn-producing sections in northern Ohio.

The town of Ft. Jennings was platted in 1847 and incorporated in 1881. The Clover Leaf railroad was built through the town in 1876 and this gave the farmers a ready outlet for their products to the chief markets of the country.

In 1852 Christian Raabe founded the first general store and this was

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followed soon after by a saw-mill, elevator, a tile mill, a good music store, two hotels and stores representing all the different lines of merchandise.

The streets of the town are sewered and piked, and, with the industry and thrift of the farmers, she enjoys a proud place among the most progressive towns of the county.

The corporation officers of Ft. Jennings are as follows: Mayor, F. H. Geier; clerk, Ferd Heising; treasurer, Frank Geier; marshal, A. B. Miehls; councilmen, William Boehmer, Basney Wieging, Louis Brockman, Ferd Bertling, Frank Kohorst, Felix Calvelage.

The population of the town in 1910 was three hundred and thirty-six.

RUSHMORE.

Rushmore is situated on the Northern Ohio railroad and the south- western part of Jennings township. It is surrounded by rich farming lands and bids fair to become a thriving little village. It has a church and school building for the convenience of its patrons.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.

Liberty township was organized in April, 1837. The first settler to locate here was Alexander Montooth, in 1835. Later in the same year, Charles Hofstetter, Nicholas and J. R. McConnell, Samuel James, James and John Irvin, John Krebbs and O. C. Pomeroy took up their permanent residence in this township. H. S. Ramsey, Jacob Sigler, Henry Knopp, James Woodell and Robert Lowry came a short time later and aided in the early settlement and township organization.

At the first election, Nicholas McConnell was chosen justice of the peace, and J. R. McConnell was elected constable. The early records have been lost and a full list of the first township officers cannot be given.

The land in Liberty township was originally very swampy and this made it unhealthy. The first settlements, for this reason, were made on what was then called the Ridge, which was a slightly elevated strip of land. The growth of this township was very slow at first, as a great part of the land was unfit for cultivation. The swamps and ponds of the township were drained in 1860 and the land has been tiled, and in this way brought under cultivation. After the swamps were drained the sickness of this locality was greatly decreased and it became a very desirable habitation.

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The first town was laid out in 1845 by the late Judge Palmer and was called Medary. Judge Palmer kept the first store in the town and erected a combination grist- and saw-mill, which was quite a curiosity to the early settlers. The building was a frame structure, with the grist-mill above and the saw-mill below. The site of this once thriving village is now covered with fields of waving corn.

The present officers of Liberty township are: Justices of the peace, John Farley, of Leipsic; Louis Lammers and Mack Shaffer, of West Leip- sic; trustees, B. I. Stechschulte, J. M. Smith and Peter Schey, of West Leipsic; clerk, Joseph Lammers, of West Leipsic; treasurer, P. H. Schey, of West Leipsic; constables, Jefferson Ladd and Herb Dukes, of West Leipsic.

WEST LEIPSIC.

West Leipsic was laid out and platted in 1852. In the year 1850 John W. Peckenpaugh purchased the land where the village of West Leipsic now stands and had the first survey of twenty lots made, by Samuel Parker, county surveyor. A second and third survey was made in the following years, 1853-54, and completed the platting of all the lands now included in the town lying north of the Nickel Plate railroad.

The first house built in the village was erected by John Shakely in 1850 and was known as the old Shakely house for a number of years. It was long used as a hotel and drug store.

From 1850 to 1855 the first settlers of the town came in, these in- cluding the following: J. J. Lowry, who kept the first store in the town and, later, was elected the first justice of the peace; John Dehnert was the first blacksmith; Joseph Faber, first wagon maker; George Haskell, first cooper, and Dr. Samuel Emery was the first physician. The first white child born in the town was Louisa M. Lowry, daughter of J. J. Lowry, born on September 29, 1852. Later, Miss Lowry became the wife of Doctor Emery, one of the leading physicians of the county.

The town was incorporated in 1882 with the following officials: R. Haskell, mayor; W. J. White, clerk; M. L. Pritchard, marshal; Thomas James, treasurer. The present officers are: Mayor, S. M. Tilbrook; clerk, Earl J. Shaffer; treasurer, M. L. Pritchard; marshal, Joseph E. Miller ; councilmen, F M. Bennett, J. I. Smith; W. J. Wooddell, Solomon Close ; J. A. Montooth, Mack Shaffer.

The population in 1910 was two hundred and fifty-three.

Elm Center is another small hamlet in this township, being but a rail-

CONTINENTAL TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO.

ENG FEST

CONTINENTAL IN 1914.

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road station on the Nickel Plate road. A similar village is Prentiss, a rail- road station on the Dayton, Toledo & Ironton road.

MONROE TOWNSHIP.

Monroe is next to the youngest township in the county, being second only to Palmer. Cut off from Perry township in 1852, it has had a slow, but steady, growth since it started on its independent career. Like many other townships, its settlement was retarded on account of the general swampiness of its soil, and it was not until 1849 that its first permanent settler, Adam Perrin, made his appearance here. He seemed to have the whole township to himself for two years, or at least there is no record of any others until 1851, when John Grant risked his fortunes in the malaria- ridden district. In the same and following years appeared John and Eli Fickle, Hiram Madden, William Moore, D. D. Barnes, James Early, Sam- uel Birge, D. D. Murphy and Solomon Mccullough.

At the first election, on April 5, 1852, there were only twelve votes cast and six of these electors were chosen to various offices, as follows : William Moore, John and Eli Fickle, trustees; James Early, clerk; John Grant, treasurer ; Solomon Mccullough, supervisor. At that time the town- ship consisted of one road and one school district. The first teacher was George Krites, who taught in a small cabin on section 5.

The following are township officers at the present time: Justices of the peace, F. E. Treece, and E. L. Hartman; trustees, Frank Hall, J. W. Ernst and F. E. Treece, all of Continental; clerk, F. E. Moore, of Conti- nental; treasurer, R. W. Kissell, of Continental; constables, M. G. Pease and Daniel Noe, of Continental; ditch supervisor, J. L. Carroll, of North Creek.

HARTSBURG.

Continental is the chief town in Monroe township, but its history and growth will be dealt with in another chapter. Lying due west of Conti- nental three miles on the Nickel Plate railroad is a small hamlet which needs honorable mention. This aforesaid town is Hartsburg. The date of the platting of this village, if it was ever platted, cannot be ascertained. At present Hartsburg has one church and a school building. It is a stop on the Nickel Plate railroad.

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WISTERMAN.

Wisterman is also a small hamlet in this township. It was platted in 1883 by E. W. Dimock, for W. S. Daly, E. R. Eastman and Jane James, the proprietors. This town failed to materialize to any great extent and at present is merely a stop on the Toledo, St. Louis & Western railroad. Rice was once a postoffice for the convenience of country people, but at present is only an interurban stop.

Continental, first called Marice City, was laid out and platted on March 23, 1888, by George Skinner for Gen. A. V. Rice. It was named in honor of the General's daughter, Mary Rice. At the time when the Nickel Plate railroad was constructed through Putnam county the land in the south- eastern part of Monroe township was one vast body of unbroken wilderness and swamp. The Rice road improvements were constructed in 1865 through the present site of Marice City and made this land productive and, with the intersection of two railroads, a very desirable location for a town. In 1888 the Buckeye Stave Company erected their stave factory on their addition which they had laid out the same year (James Belford, surveyor). In the same year Dr. B. D. Sparling employed A. Overbeck to lay out and plat his first addition. In 1887 D. W. Seitz laid out and platted an addition for Gen. A. V. Rice, and the following year the same surveyor platted a second addi- tion for Dr. B. D. Sparling. Mr. Seitz also platted a second addition for the Buckeye Stave Company, in 1890, and the same year sub-divided outlot No. I of Rice's addition, for the district assessor, H. B. Pierce. In 1895 Mr. Seitz also platted a sub-division for W. H. Miller.

The first store was opened up in Marice City by James Sullivan. This was followed, soon afterward, by a general store by the Buckeye Stave Com- pany, but was later purchased by H. B. Rose and Alvin Poe. James Bell built his present store room and opened up a general store in 1887. Others followed soon afterward. The town was incorporated March 22, 1888, with the following officers : Polk Berbage, mayor; C. G. Ballman, clerk; James Bell, treasurer ; C. S. Parish, marshal; W. B. Miller, John Hutchison, Hiram Dellinger, George Hahn, Silas Colvin and John Shamberger, councilmen. At the time when the town was incorporated several of the citizens tried to get the name changed to Continental, but this was not accomplished until April 17. 1899, at the February term of court.

Continental has been settled by business men who are ever striving for the betterment of the town. New bank buildings and business houses have

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been constructed, which give the town its present prosperous and enterprising air. Its business interests consist of an elevator and milling company, the Continental and the Farmers bank, the Cloverleaf hotel, the Sanitary grocery, T. Hauck & Company's drug store, general stores, produce dealers, and mer- chants who cater to the wants of the town and country people.

The present population of the town is more than one thousand. The present officers are: Mayor, H. C. Parrett; clerk, S. N. Aller; treasurer, C. B. Shinabery ; marshal, M. G. Pease; councilmen, W. H. Wright, W. C. Veach, Alonzo Spitler, John Minch, B. A. Manor and D. F. Owens; trustees of public affairs, L. B. Guy, William Saegers and L. P. Crawfis.

MONTEREY TOWNSHIP.

The year 1848 witnessed some very marked changes in the territorial limits of Putnam county. In this year Auglaize county was organized by cutting off the southern part of Allen, which joins Putnam on the south. In order to equalize matters, a strip was detached from the southern part of Putnam and added to Allen-seven tiers of sections being detached from Riley township, six tiers from Pleasant (known as Monroe township), three tiers from Sugar Creek and a similar amount from Jennings. This took one hundred and fourteen sections from Putnam county, but the kind- hearted Legislature compensated Putnam by adding eighteen sections taken from Van Wert county. This strip, six by three miles, lies immediately west of Jackson township and was organized as Monterey township in 1849. At the same time, five sections were detached from Jackson township and added to Monterey.

This township was settled largely by Germans and is one of the strong- est Catholic township in the county. Henry Schroeder and Henry Upland, who came with their families in 1845, were the first permanent settlers. They were followed by Joseph Gruver (1846) and John Livingston, Jonas Dash, Conrad Henry and Bernard Esch (1847). Matthias Schroeder came in 1849.

The first election, on January 19, 1850, at the house of Joseph Gruver, resulted in the selection of the following officials: Bernard Esch, Henry Schroeder and Joseph Gruver, trustees; Jonas Dash, clerk. The scarcity of population may be understood when it is known that only eleven votes were cast at this first election. When the board of trustees met, on March 7, 1850, they proceeded to organize the township into two road and two school districts.

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The Monterey township officials at present are: Justices of the peace, George Altenberger and J. H. Wannemacher; trustees, Frank W. Ruen, Martin Miller, and James Weber; clerk, Frank Kromer; treasurer, Max Winkelman; constable, Jacob P. Studer.

OTTOVILLE.

There is only one town in Monterey township, Ottoville. The platting of Ottoville has had some marked and varied changes, as shown by the rec- ords for those acts. In 1845, Elias Everett, county surveyor, platted for John Otto Bredeick a parcel of land in the northeast corner of section 30. This survey was abandoned, however, and the land was again surveyed by Charles Wannemacher in 1873.

The present site of Ottoville, by way of explanation, is platted in the corner of four sections, namely, sections 24, 25, 19 and 30. The numbering is due to the fact that the township was changed since the original survey.

In 1863 Samuel Parker, county surveyor, laid out that part of the original town plot lying in section 19 for Christ Martin. This survey has been changed somewhat since that time. In 1865 F. J. Lye, with the serv- ices of George Skinner, surveyor, laid out an addition west of the canal in section 30. In 1874 Peter Wannemacher laid out an addition to Ottoville in section 25 and in 1883 Aaron Overbeck, surveyor, at the instance of Richard Gilmour, bishop of Cleveland, Ohio, resurveyed all that part of the town originally laid out in section 19. The same survey platted an ad- dition in section 19 for Max Winkleman during the year 1892. In 1894 Peter Wannemacher had another addition platted by D. W. Seitz, surveyor.

The town was incorporated in 1890, with Joseph Wannemacher, mayor; J. C. Wannemacher, clerk; John Branderhoff, marshal; Matt Schu- lien, treasurer; V. H. Otte, Peter Wannemacher, B. Wannemacher, J. B. Mersman, J. J. Miller and William Gasser, councilmen.

This village is the center of a very prosperous farming community; situated on all sides are the well-tilled farms of the sturdy, industrious Catholics who make up this settlement. This is the home of St. Mary's Immaculate Conception church, one of the most beautiful churches in this part of the state. The business interests of the town have always assisted in every material way for the growth of the town and unison among its early settlers was their strong characteristic.

Ottoville is accommodated with a good bank, an up-to-date flouring- mill, stores and merchants whose goods are the very best. The town also

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has paved streets and an excellent school system. The population in 1910 was four hundred and seventy-seven, but has increased since that time.

The officers at present are: Mayor, J. C. Wannemacher ; clerk, Frank Kromer; treasurer, Joseph P. Hurst; marshal, William Grenlich; council- men, George Wannemacher, James Otte, Alph Bertling, W. T. Geier, John Van Oss, Alex Odenweller; trustees of public affairs, George Miehls, Ed Odenweller and J. J. Miller.

ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER IN OTTOVILLE.

In the fall of 1914, the town of Ottoville completed arrangements with the Electric Light and Power Company, of Delphos, Ohio, whereby the latter company agreed to furnish electric current for Ottoville at a definite rate. Delphos brought the current to the corporation line of Ottoville and then the latter wired it to its consumers in the town. The town has spent five thousand dollars in wiring, poles, meters, transformers, etc., and, although the first year has not yet passed, Ottoville already has one hundred and one consumers of light service and two consumers of power. The town operates twenty-five incandescent street lights, ranging in power from one hundred to two hundred and fifty kilowatts.

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History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 11

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836- Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1744

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1744