History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 15

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 15

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COMMITTEES OF MID-WINTER FAIR, VAUGHNSVILLE, DECEMBER, 1913.

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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

seat of justice of the county. For the first year the court of common pleas was held at the home of Abram Sarber.

The town was incorporated on February 16, 1839, by an act of the Legislature and the mayor and council were elected. In 1843 corporate powers seem to have been too heavy for the citizens to bear and on March 14 of that year they asked the Legislature to repeal the act of incorporation, retaining the council in office for one year, "to settle the business of the corporation," and at the expiration of their term of office they were again elected for three years longer, or until 1847. The next articles of incorpo- ration were not taken out until 1857.

Such prominent men as John Morris, Alonzo Skinner, John McClure, Levi Rice, T. E. Cunningham, William H. Ball, Benjamin F. Metcalf, James Mckenzie, attorneys; R. W. Thrift and C. M. Godfrey, physicians; C. H. Rice, merchant, settled in Kalida between 1843 and 1848. It would be hard to find an equal number of men starting together who have made a better record.

The first court house was built in 1835, and a second brick one was completed in 1840. A fire in the recorder's office about 1862 injured and destroyed many of the records and in the winter of 1864-65 the court house was entirely destroyed by fire. The old records were destroyed, but the new and transcribed ones were saved.

The town grew slowly until 1840, when the increase in the number of settlers in the county and the opening of many farms caused a marked in- crease in the population. Its growth was steady until 1866, when the county seat was removed to Ottawa. This was a great reverse for the prosperous little village and for a time it seemed to stagnate, but the Findlay, Ft. Wayne & Western and the Columbus, Lima & Milwaukee railroads were constructed and this later helped to offset the loss of the county seat.

At present Kalida has one of the Odenweller elevators, a bank, news- paper, modern high school and the business houses are modern in every re- spect. In 1910 the population was seven hundred and seventy. Situated in a good agricultural community, this town is sure to have a steady growth. The present officers are: Mayor, Guy R. Coit; clerk, Samuel Stevens; treasurer, Louis Kline; marshal, Homer Davidson; councilmen, L. Vonder Embse, Charles Veach, Ed Rower, A. G. Underwood, J. M. Rimer, Joseph Foltz; trustees of public affairs, Charles Veach and Guy R. Coit.

The township officials are: Justices of the peace, Frank Logan and J. F. Stauffer ; trustees, J. G. Crawford, J. J. Gerdeman and Joseph Siefker;

162

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

clerk, William Rambo; treasurer, Charles C. Borman; constables, Jefferson Row and Stanley Godwin; ditch superintendent, J. Price Jones.

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.

Van Buren township was not organized by the county commissioners until 1843, having been known as North Blanchard for ten years, or from the time Blanchard township was organized. It was slow in being settled, due to the extreme swampiness of much of the land, a fact which is set forth in a striking manner in the field notes of James Heaton, who surveyed it in 1821. He says: "While surveying this township, I dug five wells twenty feet deep, for water, the swamp water being unfit for use. At some future day this swamp will probably be drained, as it may be in four or five differ- ent directions. The soil in this township averages as good second rate; but at present the land is so wet and miry, and there are such masses of fallen timbers, that there appears to be nothing inviting to the agriculturist to set- tle in it." If this same surveyor could see the broad and well-tilled acres of today, he would doubtless be surprised at the changes which time has wrought. Practically all of the once swampy land has been reclaimed and now fields of waving grain may be seen, where formerly swamps and morasses reigned supreme.

The year 1835 saw the first permanent settler locate in the township and Abraham Baughman will go down in Van Buren township as the first man to brave the terrors of the malaria and ague within its limits. He was followed shortly afterward by Hiram Hull, John Broadsword, William Kill- patrick, Ludwig Hull, James Davis, Elvington Hull and James Reed. These sterling pioneers made several efforts to effect a township organization be- fore 1843, but failed each time, because they could not muster a sufficient number of voters. It was not until Abraham Baughman, the first settler, offered his personal bond, guaranteeing the county against any probable loss, that the commissioners granted the request of the petitioners. That the township was very sparsely settled is very evident from the report of the first election, on February 18, 1843. At that time only twelve votes were cast, and, so history records, only nine of these represented actual settlers, the other three being imported for the occasion. There were barely enough voters to fill all the offices and it will be noticed that some men held more than one office. The first officers included the following: Abraham Baugh- man, Elvington A. Hull and John Davis, trustees; Marcus Thrapp, clerk;

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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

Elvington A. Hull, treasurer; Jacob Nemire and Adam Krites, overseers of the poor; Abraham Baughman and David Tyner, fence viewers; Lemuel Hickerson, constable. At a subsequent election, May 20, 1843, Elvington A. Hull was elected the first justice of the peace.

The trustees were anxious to provide educational facilities for the few children, as is evidenced by their meeting, on March 6, 1843, for the purpose of dividing the township into two school districts, No. I being the east half of the township, and No. 2, the west half. At an election held on April 3, 1843, more officers were elected and the two townships divided into two road districts, with Burdett Hull and John Davis as supervisors. The road dis- tricts coincided with the school districts.

LEIPSIC.

Leipsic was laid out and platted by James E. Creighton, on January 26, 1857. The first ground platted into lots in the corporate limits of the present town was that lying east of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad, and both north and south of the Nickel Plate. This village first bore the name of Creighton, in honor of its founder, but it was incorporated under the name of Leipsic. On August 29, 1859, Joseph Swartz laid out a plat of land east of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton and called it Leipsic station. The following year Mr. Swartz laid out an addition to the same plat, these two plats being recorded under the name Leipsic.

The growth of this village began in the year 1859, when the first train run over the Dayton & Michigan railroad. The first train passing over this railroad signaled the denizens of an almost impenetrable forest. By the con- struction of this railroad, the outlet for the timber and other products of this country was assured, and settlers began to arrive, thus opening up one of the greatest sections in the state. The growth of this section is a marvel of progress and productiveness. One of the potent factors in the prosperity of this section and the impetus which stirred early settlers was the Buckeye Stave Company and too much praise cannot be given this company for their excellent work in making Leipsic one of the foremost towns of the county.

The early settlers in this village were J. B. Swartz, Wellington Hurd, David McClung, C. W. Askam and wife and Al Tingle. In 1860 S. and W. P. Young and D. G. Leffler settled here. The following year Mrs. John Foltz, G. D. Foltz, Jacob Werner and Absalom Foulk risked their fortunes with the progress of the new town. In 1863 A. F. Eastom and wife, T. J. Werner, Samuel Waters and wife, and in 1865 J. H. Askam, Andrew C.

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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

Askam and F. Leffler, completing the list of early settlers and pioneer resi- dents. These men of brawn and courage had placed on the map of the country a thriving little village with the strength to combat in the field of commerce.

Chief among the early industries which operated in Leipsic are: The Buckeye Stave Company; the Leipsic flouring-mill, which was erected in the year 1872 by W. C. Miller; the Leipsic planing-mill, which was owned and operated by Messrs. O. E. Townsend and John Zahrends, and the following companies : Leipsic machine works, A. F. Eastom & Son, the Leipsic brick yard, tile yard, creamery, and two good elevators.

The churches and schools of this village are ranked with the best and have been discussed to a fuller degree in another chapter.

This town has been visited by quite a few disastrous fires, but the citi- zens were undaunted by these reversals of fortune and immediately set to work replacing them with bettter and larger structures. The town stands as a monument to its owns prosperity and growth.

The different business enterprises at present are: The Leffler Hotel, which was erected at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars and is an emblem of architectural progress and a monument to his memory; the Bank of Leipsic, the Temco Company, R. T. Terry, tile manufacturer, and many other in- dustries. The stores cater to all the wants of the citizens of the town and also to the country trade.

The present officials are: Mayor, E. V. Burns; clerk, C. J. Erickson; treasurer, Earl Andrews; marshal, Charles McKeen; councilmen, W. T. Starling, W. D. Hickey, Dallas Kirk, J. B. Weber, L. D. Wendle, Joseph Faber ; trustees of public affairs, W. A. Bell, J. A. Parsons, C. W. Fogle.

THE TEMCO ELECTRIC MOTOR COMPANY.

The Temco Electric Motor Company, an Ohio corporation, with its main factory and office at Leipsic, was organized and chartered in the fall of 1911. The Temco Company was successor to the American Foundry Company, which had been doing a general foundry business up to that time.

The name, Temco, is derived from the first letters of the name "The Electric Motor Company." This company was organized for the purpose of manufacturing electric portable tools and small motors. The line orig- inally consisted of electric portable drills, grinders, buffers, polishers and small fractional-horse-power motors. Later, automobile accessories, such as shock absorbers, electric generators, ignitors and starters, were added to

AND.

LEIPSIC IN 1877.

FLOUR &FEED

A LOSAND

LEIPSIC IN 1914.

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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

the original line of general machinery. The Temco Company has the dis- tinction of building the first and original shock absorber for the Ford cars.

In the beginning, the equipment consisted of six or eight machines, which furnished employment to a similar number of men. It covered about twenty-five hundred feet of floor space, all on the ground floor. With the rapid increase in the business, as their products became known, more ma- chinery and greater floor space were added, and the pay-roll was increased, also. At present it covers about thirty-two thousand square feet of floor space, in a two- and three-story brick plant, using electric motors aggregat- ing about two hundred and fifty horse power and furnishing employment for one hundred and fifty to two hundred men and women.

The power and light for the factory are furnished by electricity, each machine having an individual motor, with silent chain drive. No overhead line-shaft is used in any part of the plant. Every requirement of the state is adhered to in reducing the possibility of accidents to a minimum. The plant is steam-heated throughout, from its own boiler, placed in the plant for that purpose alone. Wash-rooms and coat-rooms are provided on the first and second floors. The plant has had a steady growth from the begin- ning, and, judging from the success which the sale of its products has met with, the Temco Electric Motor Company will soon be numbered among the leading manufacturing plants of northwestern Ohio. Their products .

are shipped to every part of the globe, the principal importing countries for their goods being South America, England, France, Australia, Russia, Asia and Africa.

BUCKEYE STAVE COMPANY.

The Buckeye Stave Company was one of the potent factors in the ad- vancement of Leipsic in a material way. This company has grown from a humble beginning in Leipsic to an enormous business, which extends from northern Michigan to the Gulf states and west to the Pacific coast states, and gives employment to a large force of men.

This company was organized in 1886, with the following stockholders : John Edwards, W. W Edwards, I. N. Bushong, J. S. Lenhart and D. L. Critten, all of whom were residents of Leipsic. At the time of its organiza- tion the company controlled twelve factories, located at Leipsic, Columbus Grove and Continental, and employed one hundred men.

In 1887 this company purchased the Bank of Leipsic and in 1890 they placed a stave factory in Pleasant Bend; in 1801 they built a factory at Kalida and also at Avis; in 1892 the Elm Center stave factory was pur-

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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

chased and placed under their control, and the same year a factory was lo- cated at Mancelona, Michigan, but this was removed to Gladstone, Michigan, in 1894. The Continental Bank was organized in 1891, and at present has responsibilities amounting to one million dollars.

The growth of this company has been very rapid, and in 1895, after 'only nine years' time, they employed one thousand men, with a yearly pay- roll of one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars and a paid-up capital stock of five hundred and thirty thousand dollars. Their holdings include extensive timber and farm lands in this and other states, and the growth of the business has far exceeded the hopes of the promoters. In 1888 the in- terests of Lenhart were purchased, and in 1893 Joseph H. Edwards pur- chased a one-fourth interest. The company has grown to be the largest of its kind in the world. It has always been liberal to its employees and fair in its dealings, and has contributed liberally to public and private improvement and all works for the betterment of the community. The company owns a large amount of farm land at the present time, which it has improved and placed under cultivation, after removing the timber. This company stands today with its many business enterprises in the full confidence of the busi- ness world.

BELMORE (MONTGOMERYVILLE).

Montgomeryville was laid out and platted in 1862 by Deputy County Surveyor John Shakely, for Wesley G. Montgomery, acting under the power of attorney for Benjamin and Mary Ann Plummer as proprietors. The village is situated in the northern part of Van Buren township, on the Dayton & Michigan railroad. The original plat of seventeen lots was laid on the eastern side of the railroad and the town took its name from the surveyor. About the year 1868 the name was changed to Belmore, as the postoffice had given that name and two names caused quite a little confusion.

Additions to the village were laid by the following proprietors: In 1869, the Dayton & Michigan railroad, Knox and Speaker; in 1874, John H. George and Alexander Williamson. Other additions followed later. The village was incorporated in 1882, with the following officers: O. Judson, mayor ; P. L. Baker, clerk; W. Winkler, treasurer; Theodore Ludwig, mar- shal; A. J. Showers, D. Ensminger, J. H. Ensminger, W. Mull, Nimrod Speaker and I. B. Hathaway, councilmen.

Although the town has had no large manufactures or any natural re- sources to aid in its growth, still it is a substantial country town and the stores do a good business. The farmers in this locality are accommodated

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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

with the stores which handle all the different commodities and cater to the farmers' trade.

The present officers are: Mayor, C. R. Blauvelt; clerk, Kenneth R. Casteel; treasurer, William Glaser ; marshal, Mathias Voglepohl ; councilmen, W E. Saul, Henry Rader, L. M. Hickerson, F. E. Critchet, I. E. Blauvelt and Lafe Fox.

The population in 1910 was two hundred and ninety-eight.

SPITZER (TOWNWOOD).

The village of Spitzer, located on the Nickel Plate railroad, four miles east of Leipsic, was platted by Aaron Overbech, county surveyor, in 1886. The town was laid out for Howard C. Tinkham, but was named in honor of the Spitzer Brothers, of Toledo, Ohio, who were largely interested in lands adjoining the village. Owing to the fact that there was another town of the same name in Ohio, it was changed to Townwood.

WARD.

Ward was the name given to a little town located on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad, but was never platted and at present is only a railroad siding.

The present officials of Van Buren township are: Justices of the peace, Jacob Leffler, T. J. Huffman, J. E. Fisher and Nimrod Speaker ; trustees, James Robinson, E. B. Limmonds and H. H. Montooth; clerk, Thomas J. Shuly ; treasurer, E. C. Kuntz; constables, Joseph Butler and Daniel Butler.

CHAPTER VII.

HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION.

Prior to the year 1820 the territory now embraced in Putnam county was inhabited by but few white people and by a limited number of Indians, a remnant of the Ottawa tribe, who made Tawa village their abode. A reser- vation of five miles square, consisting of nearly all of what is now Ottawa township, had been granted them, but not in perpetuity, as, by a treaty entered into in 1830, another reservation was given to them in Kansas and they were deported to that territory. However, a few of them remained in this locality and county for several years afterwards, not desiring to go to their new reservation. It was not until the years from 1831 to 1834 that emigration of any large number of people to this county occurred. During these years many settlers located along Blanchard river and other streams through the county.

In connection with the early navigation of Blanchard river it may be said that in the government surveys the Blanchard is designated as a navigable stream and that it is still so designated on all government charts, but no one has ever come across "the old citizen" who said that he was frequently dis- turbed by the blowing of the whistles of the steamboats passing up and down the river.

EARLY MARKETING FACILITIES.

The great problem of these early settlers was the method by which they could market their limited amount of farm products and thus secure needed articles necessary for their welfare. While their surplus products were not great, they were sufficient for their limited wants. As the roads at that time were but trails along the rivers, which could only be traveled at certain times of the year by teams drawing wagons, the "boy on horseback" was the chief master of transportation of what wheat and corn was taken to the "grinder" to be converted into flour and meal. When the trails were passable in the summer and fall, trips were made to Lower Sandusky, which at that time was an outlet to the lake, trails to Maumee or Perrysburg not then being opened.

Upon the completion of the canal in 1845, a new outlet was established

OTTOYLLE.MILLS. CASH PAID FOR GRAIN

IN THE PALMY DAYS OF THE OLD CANAL.

INTERURBAN BRIDGE AT OTTAWA.

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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

by way of the river to Defiance and thence by canal to Toledo. This opened navigation on the Blanchard river and a lively business was transacted by the conveyance of the surplus grain, pork, butter, eggs, etc., to Defiance. For this purpose .a small boat, called a pirogue, was used and those who possessed these crafts made the business quite profitable. A number of these pirougues were forty feet in length and three to four feet in breadth and would carry a great amount of grain and other products. The individuals who owned these small crafts were expert mariners and, notwithstanding the dangers lurking in the river at that time, which was filled with drift and hidden snags, comparatively few mishaps occurred to these early mariners of the Blanchard. However, now and then they "had troubles of their own," as the following incident shows, which we copy from the Defiance Democrat, of April, 1852, and which refers to one of our most prominent and most worthy former citizens :

"J. P. Simon, of Putnam county, recovered a judgment of ten dollars and costs against the canal boat 'Gold Digger,' before Squire Bouton, on Wednes- day, for damages done to his pirogue, through carelessness or inattention of the hands on the 'Gold Digger.' This settles the question that the Blanchard river boatmen and others with their pirougues, at our river docks, are entitled to some protection and that canal boatmen must be more cautious."

ADVENT OF THE RAILROADS.

The opening of the Mad River Railroad, the first in the state, from Dayton to Sandusky City, in 1849, and the subsequent construction of a strap-iron railroad from Findlay to Carey to connect with the Mad River Railroad, gave the people of the eastern part of this county another outlet to the lakes, and the public highways being made more passable, diverted trade to Findlay, nearly all surplus products being marketed at that place.

In 1859 the Dayton & Michigan Railroad was completed through the county, and a new artery of trade established which furnished an outlet for the greater part of the county and did more than any other thing toward the development and growth of the county. This road, now known as the Cin- cinnati, Hamilton & Dayton, ran its first train on July 4, 1859, from Lima to Toledo. The other steam roads commenced operation through the county on the following dates: Nickle Plate, July 4, 1881 ; Clover Leaf, September, 1877, from Delphos to Dupont; Northern Ohio, October, 1881; Findlay, Fort Wayne & Western, fall of 1888; Kalida & Defiance, 1899; Detroit, Toledo & Ironton.

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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

The following is a statement of the mileage and valuation of the steam and electric lines operating in Putnam county, as well as of the telegraph and telephone lines :

Railroad.

Mileage.

Valuation.

Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton (main line)

19. 8

$851,810

Findlay, Ft. Wayne & Western

24.II

408,590

Columbus, Lima & Milwaukee 1

11.23

149,470

Detroit, Toledo & Ironton

19.58

206,730

New York Central & St. Louis

24. 6

1,611,840

Ohio Electric (Toledo branch)

20. 3

Ohio Electric (Defiance branch)

22.4I

Northern Ohio

23.42

565,850

Toledo, St. Louis & Western

20.24

175,160

Total

185.69

$3,969,450

TELEPHONES AND TELEGRAPH (LONG DISTANCE).

Western Union-miles of wire.

1,027.55

$61,560

Ohio Telephone and Telegraph.

28.02

2,800

Ohio Postal Telegraph and Cable

1 233.30

11,450

TELEPHONES (LOCAL).

There are some thirty local telephone companies in Putnam county. Some of these are large companies, while a few of them have only a very short stretch of wire. The following is a complete list :

Miles

Valu-

Name of Company.

of Wire. ation.

Town or Twp.

Ottawa Farmers Mutual

I68

$10,390

Ottawa

Receivers, Central Union

I74

10,380

Ottawa

Putnam Telephone Company.

2,416

93,710

Putnam Co.

Miller City Farmers Mutual

II7

2,270

Miller City

Glandorf Mutual

2,600

Glandorf

Continental Farmers Mutual

7,000

Continental

Pandora Mutual

198

4,650

Pandora

Columbus Grove Mutual

323

8,150

Columbus Grove

Ft. Jennings Farmers Mutual

189

4,800

Ft. Jennings

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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

Miles

Valu-

Name of Company.

of Wire. ation.

Town or Twp.

Rimer Mutual

2,300

Rimer

Delphos Home Telephone

3IO

Jennings Tp.

Elida Mutual

410

Jen. & Sugar Cr.

Vaughnsville

2,630

Sugar Creek Tp.

Rushmore Mutual

800

Rushmore

Leipsic Farmers Mutual

7,500

Leipsic Tp.

Bluffton

1,440

Riley Tp.

New Bavaria Farmers Mutual

370

Liberty & Palmer

Deshler Farmers Mutual

150

Van Buren

Gilboa Farmers Mutual

3,400

Blanchard

Bluffton Farmers Mutual

540

Riley

Cloverdale

3,190

Cloverdale

Kalida Mutual

5,720

Kalida

Ottoville Telephone Company.

1,890

Ottoville

Citizens Exchange Telephone

Liberty

Farmers Mutual Telephone Company_

3,340

Belmore

Farmers Mutual Telephone Company_

2,100

North Creek

Farmers Mutual Telephone Company_

3,000

Dupont

Total

.4,III $184,120

CHAPTER VIII.

CHURCHES OF PUTNAM COUNTY.

COLUMBUS GROVE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

A Methodist class was organized two miles south of Columbus Grove, at the home of Philip Hopper, Sr., in October, 1839. His house continued to be a preaching place until 1853,when services were held in a school house, later a public hall, and in the United Brethren and Presbyterian churches in the town of Columbus Grove until 1869. Then a lot was given by Father Hooper and during the pastorates of Philip Lemasters, Harrison Maltbie and J. C. Clemons, a frame church was built. The congregation continued to worship in this building until 1891, when the present brick church was erected, under the pastorate of the Rev. Alexander Harmount.

Until 1868 Columbus Grove was an appointment with the St. John, Elida and Ottawa societies, but at that date it was made a separate charge. It so remained until 1903, when it was again made a station.

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History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 15

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