USA > Ohio > Sandusky County > History of Sandusky County Ohio with Illustrations 1882 > Part 116
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There is enough of danger connected with a bear hunt to give it a peculiar interest. Mr. Skinner was the discoverer of the track, and one of a party to pursue the last bear, so far as is known, to enter the marshes of Sandusky county. In the winter of 1834 Mr. Skinner discovered, one afternoon, the track of a large bear. The animal at that period was rare in this part of the State, and his track promised a fine day's sport. During the night a light snow fell, which obscured the former
track, but the following day a couple of young men of the neighborhood, while returning from an errand to Jackson township, on Muskallonge, saw the track in the snow. The discovery was reported, dogs collected, and on the following morning, at four o'clock, a party of four, consisting of Samuel Skinner, Robert McCulloch, Samuel Geeseman, and James Fisher, with their pack of dogs and well charged guns, were on the track. Patiently step after step was followed by the light of the moon. Daylight came, and the dogs, as the track became fresher, were more anxious and pushed ahead. About noon they bounded forward with fierce barks, and the sound soon came from far away in the thicket. The party hurried in eager pursuit of the pack, for the barking and shrill howls of the dogs, just audible, clearly indicated the progress of a battle. After the pursuit had continued for some time, Mr. Skinner, who was far in advance of his comrades, met two of the battle-scarred dogs returning from the fray. One had been severely wounded, the other considerably scratched. Suddenly the character of the barking changed from sharp yelps and long-drawn howls, which hunters recognize as the rapid advances and retreats of determined fighting, to the continuous noise of the chase. When the party came to the place of encounter, under a large tree, the snow tracks clearly indicated what had happened. The pack had overtaken their game at that place, and he backed himself against the tree, thus being securely fortified in the rear and prepared to give battle with both paws. The condition of the dogs and blood on the ground showed bruin's victory, and as the pack returned one by one from their futile pursuit, the failure of the chase was apparent. The party returned to Miller's tavern, near Woodville. The host was boastful of his
779
HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
dogs, and anxious to give them a trial. He offered to keep the party over night, but Messrs. Skinner and McCulloch returned to their homes. The next day's chase was more unsuccessful than the first. But a week later a bear, supposed to be the same one, was killed near Findlay, Hancock county.
Mr. Skinner retired from the farm in 1871, and has since been living in Fremont. He is a large, good-natured, full-hearted gentleman, on whom time and hard labor have had little effect. As remarked before, he has seen the growth of his township, and contributed his strong physical energies toward that growth. In reply to the question, "Do you feel repaid for your labor, and the hardships which nature and the times imposed upon the early pioneers of the Black Swamp?" he replied: "I would not like to say that I have not been repaid, but if I was again a young man, and could foresee the course of life I have followed, I would not sacrifice
society and improvement for what I have accumulated." When we remember that Mr. Skinner is among the most successful of the pioneers of this part of the county, and has certainly been peculiarly fortunate in respect to health, his remark has a deep meaning. If those of the early immigrants who became wealthy do not feel repaid for their toil, what sorrow and suffering must have prevailed among, the multitude less fortunate!
But if pecuniary gain has not been suf- ficient reward, Mr. Skinner and other pioneers of his class can look back over the busy and clouded past with a consciousness of having added to the world's wealth, of having completed nature's work and conferred an appreciated boon upon their descendants and humanity. No feeling of self approbation is stronger in an old man than the sense of having been useful. The life of such commands our admiration, and the memory of such is worthy of preservation.
WOODVILLE.
0 TTAWA county on the north, Wood on the west, Madison township on the south, and Washington township on the east with a fraction of Ottawa county, define Woodville township. In the original division of Sandusky county into town-ships the territory now comprised in Woodville was embraced in Madison and Clay townships. The records of the county commissioners show that the township, as it now stands, was organized pursuant to the following order:
At a special session of the county commissioners held April 1, 1840, it was ordered that so much of original surveyed township number six, range thirteen as is within the boundaries of Sandusky county, and all that part of original surveyed township number five, range thirteen north of the centre line, running east and west through the center of sections seven, eight, nine, ten and twelve be organized and constituted a new township by the name of Woodville, and that the first election for township officers be holden at the house of Amos E, Wood in said township on the 14th day of April next, between the hours required by law.
There were at that time a great many more electors than were necessary to effect the organization. The earliest township records have not been preserved so that the exact date of the first election cannot be given. However, it is known that during the summer of 1840 the voting for the first officers took place at the old Wood tavern which stood on the land now owned by members of the Price family, just east of the present village of Woodville. This was, perhaps, the first public gathering of the members of the new community, and as the election was merely of local interest with no political signifi-
cance, it was very harmonious, and everybody had a good time, such a time as only a pioneer tavern can furnish. The name of the township is in honor of Amos E. Wood, who was one of the leading citizens at the time of its organization. The election resulted as follows: David Dunham; Lester Allen, and Archibald. Rice, trustees; Ira Benedict and Jared Plumb, justices of the peace; Ira Benedict, clerk. These men, who were the most substantial citizens of the new their township, succeeded in honest endeavors to further the best interests of the people, and their merit was recognized by. frequent re-elections. Any one taking an interest in the local history of Woodville would be amused at some of the old records kept by the clerk, in which are carefully noted indentures, accounts of stray cattle, and the record of the marks by which hogs and sheep were recognized. Sometimes the unfortunate animal was branded, sometimes painted, but the most popular way was the rather sanguinary process of slitting and otherwise £ mutilating the auricular appendages of the poor animals. Happily, since the days of fences this barbarous custom is unnecessary, and the ears of the head are intact. The elections have always been held at Woodville village. The officers elected in 1881 are as follows: R. Hartman, J. H. Hurralbrink, and Henry Blausey, trustees; George Wehrung, justice of the peace; Dr. Henry Bush, treasurer; George Wehrung, clerk; Jonathan Faler and B. D. Enoch, constables.
780
781
HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
PHYSICAL FEATURES,
The productive territory of Woodville township has been redeemed from the famous Black Swamp, elsewhere described in this work. It lacks six sections in the northeast corner of being six miles square. This fractional piece was incorporated into Ottawa county at its organization in 1840. The surface is a monotonous plain, and was at one time covered by the waters of Lake Erie. The Portage River traverses the township in a northeasterly course, dividing it into almost equal parts. The Tousaint Creek in the northeast corner, and Sugar Creek in the southwest, run parallel with .the Portage through the township, thus making the gradual slope of the plain toward Sandusky Bay. These streams are separated by almost imperceptible limestone ridges, which are the out-crops of the underlying strata of Niagara stone, whose western boundary is marked by a line running south from section eight, leaving the township and county in section six. Beyond this line, on the west, may be seen the out-croppings of the water-lime stone, which is very valuable for building-stone, and bids fair to rival at no far distant day, the more celebrated building-stone of southern Ohio. The Niagara stone is extensively quarried in the vicinity of Woodville village, a number of lime-kilns being located in section twenty- one, near the cemetery. In the same locality there are several good sand-banks that were deposited here during the days of geological formation. The land along the line of these stony ridges is unproductive, and in most places is covered with a scant growth of grass, which affords pasturage to the numerous sheep and cattle annually raised in the township. The underlying strata are also apparent in the courses eroded by the streams, and in many places the exposures are many feet
in thickness. Between the ridges the soil is the ordinary clay characteristic of the Black Swamp. Where there is much fallen timber and decaying vegetable matter the earth is a black loam, which gives the soil a muckish character. There are considerable areas of swamp land which, however, is being redeemed by a thorough system of drainage. Experience has demonstrated that the farmer makes most by raising mixed crops. Wheat is always good, and its production is encouraged by the ready market afforded at Woodville.
The monotony of the view is constantly broken by extensive forests on every side. The most of the township was originally covered with low-land varieties of timber. Elm, hickory, cotton-wood, beech, ash, the varieties of oak, and the like, are found.
In the early days these forests teemed with game, small and great. Bear and wolves gave place to less savage game, such as wild turkeys with their gobble, gobble, gobble, and the mischievous, barking bunnies, so destructive to the corn. There was scarcely any bottom to the mud that covered the first roads, as those who tried them will testify.
THE FIRST ROAD
was the old mud pike, which was called the Maumee and Western Reserve turnpike. It gave way more than forty years ago to the present substantial stone pike. Bisecting the township, it was the path of the emigrants between Toledo and the far East. It was this road that opened the township to the settler, and along its course are strewn some of the pleasantest pioneer reminiscences. Imagine yourself in a road little wider than an ordinary narrow street, bordered by tall, gloomy-looking forest trees, converging east and west and shutting off the view of the country ahead and behind. The road which, from the beginning, was a thorough-
782
HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY
fare, is memorable because of numerous mud-holes extending from one tavern to another. It was not an unfrequent sight to see a mover's wagon stuck in the mud, and many a time were the people along the way called upon to pull the loads out of the mire. In those early days help was freely given, it being an unusual thing to charge anything for service.
The building of a stone pike was the making of Woodville township, and the pike lands rapidly rose in value. Today, with the railroad running. through the township, together with other facilities for travel, it is hard to realize the situation of travelers in the early days. In 1840 there were within the confines of the township ten pleasant carriages, valued at four hundred and seventy dollars, and forty-one horses worth one thousand six hundred and forty dollars, or forty-one dollars apiece. Much of the hauling was done with ox teams. In 1840 there were one hundred and eighty cattle, valued at one thousand four hundred and forty dollars. All the land in the township was worth but forty-one thousand five hundred and eighty-seven dollars, including houses and other property. Now the real estate is valued at four hundred and sixty- three thousand three hundred and twenty dollars, and chattel property at three hundred and seven thousand and seventy-eight dol- lars, making a total valuation of seven hundred and seventy thousand three hundred and ninety-eight dollars.
THE OLD TAVERNS.
There were at least three public taverns along the pike in Woodville township in the early days. The necessity for their proximity to one another is more apparent when we reflect that between each there was a continuous time-consuming, patience- exhausting mud hole, so bad, in fact, that it took all day to make a journey of a few miles.
The first tavern in the township was opened where Woodville village now is, in 1826, by Thomas Miller, the first settler. This hostelrie is described as a little log cabin, always full of comfort and good cheer. The old shell is still standing back of Cronnewett's drug store, in Woodville.
There was, a few years later, a tavern just across the river, which was kept by members of the Wood family. This was the place of the first election.
About the year 1840 the old trading post, that had been occupied by C. B. Collins, fell into the hands of Lewis Jennings, who turned it into a tavern, which, for a time, was a popular resort. In the spring of 1841 a peddler by the name of Smith stopped for several weeks at this place. He had a good wagon and a fine mare, and his goods were of the best quality. His stock of goods beginning to decrease the peddler one morning bid good bye to his host and started on foot to Sandusky, where he intended to take the boat for Buffalo. When the time for his return had passed he did not arrive. The country round about was searched but no trace was found. Foul play was suspected and Mr. Jennings was arrested and taken to Woodville. The preliminary trial failed to prove anything and he was released. The excitement did not abate for some time. The horse, wagon, and goods were kept by Mr. Jennings, who, shortly afterwards, moved away. Nothing was ever heard of the missing peddler.
LAND RECORD.
The names of many of the early settlers of Woodville township appear in the annexed record of land entries, which indicates the original owners: It will be observed that much of the land fell into the hands of speculators who never thought of locating on their purchases.
The first record was made, in 1826, by
783
HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
C. B. Collins; others quickly follow. The full list for 1826 is as follows:
ACRES.
C. B. Collins
section 26
180
C. B. Collins
section 35
143
C. B. Collins
section 35
Daniel Hubbel
section 21
Daniel Hubbel
section 28
312
Daniel Hubbel section 28
142
Joseph Wood
section 33
81
Joseph Wood
section 28
68
Joseph Wood
section 27
Joseph Wood
section 27
103
The record for 1827 is:
James Brooks
section 28
84
James Brooks sec. 20-29
79
Jacques Hulburd
section 29
79
John Hollister section 35
96
William James section 27
123
The following records of entries made as early as 1829:
ACRES.
James Brooks
section 28
James Brooks
section 28
85
James Brooks
section 29
James Brooks
section 20 143
Land was recorded in 1831 by:
ACRES.
James Brooks
section 28
James Brooks
section 28
85
James Brooks section 29
143
James Howell section 19
71
Ludwick Ridenour
tract 136
143
Clorinda Morrow tract 100
117
William James
tract 78
68
Recorded in 1833:
ACRES.
Jacob Bunce
section 26
80
Truman Wolf
tract 117
84
William Dunbar
tract 80
84
William James section 26
80
Dickinson & Birchard tract 94
102
Truman Wolf tract 113
117
Jacob Bunce section 26
80
Dickinson & Birchard tract 94
103
Recorded in 1834:
ACRES.
David Miller
section 21
80
David Stahler
section 29
80
John H. Scott
section 26
80
James Scott
section 26
70
Mary Harding
section 30
79
Ignatius Rue
section 30
80
John Gassner
section 30 70
Samuel Matter
section 34 73
Samuel Matter section 21 80
I. G. Scharber and G. H. Sea- ber, section 33 N.E. 1/4
I. G. Scharber and G. H. Sea- ber
section 33 248
David Day
tract 95
121
George Welker
section 29
113
Levi Rice and C. Eno tract 81
122
Francis Lefever
section 29
82
Hiram Preston
section 27
S.E. 1/4
Hiram Preston
section 34
169
Cyrus Patridge section 34
126
Harriet Miller tract 97
102
Justice & Birchard section 34
128
Justice & Birchard
section 36
125
Justice & Birchard section 36
147
Justice & Birchard section 18
144
Justice & Birchard section 19
118
Justice & Birchard section 19
95 74
Sardis Birchard section 20
Sardis Birchard
section 29
128
Sardis Birchard
section 20
84
Sardis Birchard
section 20
80
John Bell tract 98
84 84
William Dunbar tract 80
Truman Wolfe tract 113
118
Truman Wolfe
tract 117
85
Dickinson & Justice
section 18
78
Dickinson & Justice
section 18 79
Jared Plumb section 2
85
Jared Plumb
section 2
158
Benjamin Morpher
section 2
135
Justice & Birchard
section 2
129
Justice & Birchard
section 1
116
Justice & Birchard section 1
94
Justice & Birchard section 1
154
Justice & Dickinson section 2
86
Justice & Dickinson section 2
71
Lewis A. Harris section 1
80
Daniel Seagar section 2
118
Daniel Seagar section 2
85
James H. Moore section 21
81
Abraham Baity
section 30
80
Frederick Baity section 30
80
Ignatius Rue
section 30
80
David Leighty section 30
137
David Leighty
section 19
69
In the year 1835 the record of land entries is :
ACRES
Henry G. Folger
section 3
80
Lewis A. Harris
section 18 126
Andrew Friesner tract 86 72
John Bell section 34 84
John Bell, section 34
79
ACRES.
Thomas McKnight section 27
ACRES.
James Brooks section 20
784
HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
ACRES.
John Kline
section 4 160
Abraham Van Tuyl section 8 80
The list of entries recorded in 1839 is as follows:
ACRES.
John Vanettan section 6 158
Ira Benedict
section 31 183
John Gassner
section 31 141
John McCormick
section 25 40
John Vanettan section 31
134
Moses Young section 25
80
Benjamin Yates section 28
80
In 1840's record we find more names of actual settlers than heretofore:
ACRES.
Daniel Bauer
section 5 40
D. B. Banks
section
6 78
Edward Down
section
3
80
Edward Down section 3 80
Peter Kratzer
section 6
80
Daniel Kratzer
section
6
80
David Neely
section 3
80
Henry Wevrich
section
6 160
William Wevrich
section
4
81
H. P. Russell
section 17
40
H. P. Russell
section 15
40
James A. ScovilIe
section 9
80
John Wheeland
section 17
40
Anthony Wommer
section 8 40
In 1836 the record was:
ACRES
Benjamin Moore
section
4
160
Benjamin Moore
section
4
80
George Orwig section
3
42
George Orwig
section 3
84
George Orwig
section
3
44
John Strohl
section
5 157
John Strohl
section
5
78
Jesse Stone
section 5
78
Abraham Tilton
section 4
40
John Decker
section 34
80
P. W. Benjamin
section 10
80
P. W. Benjamin
section 15
80
P. W. Benjamin
section 22
80
P. W. Benjamin
section 22
80
P. W. Benjamin
section 9
80
P. W. Benjamin
section 22
160
P. W. Benjamin
section 10
40
P. W. Benjamin
section 8
160
P. W. Benjamin
section 15
240
J. B. Larwill.
section 22
80
John Strohl
section 32
80
Jesse Stone
section 32
80
In 1837 there is an account of but two entries, viz .;
ACRES.
John H. Doane section 26
82
George F. Whittaker
section 36
163
George F. Whittaker section 33
85
John Decker
section 33
150
S. Birchard and William P.
Dixon
section 9
80
S. Birchard and William P.
Dixon
section 10
80
Philip Bigh
section 8
80
Charles S. Brown
section 17
80
P. W. Benjamin
section 15
160
P. W. Benjamin
section 15
80
P. W. Benjamin
section
8
80
P. W. Benjamin
section 17
40
P. W. Benjamin
section
8
40
Daniel Church
section
9
80
Daniel Church
section 8
80
Eli Church
section
8
80
R. Dickinson and John R.
Pease
section 25
40
Robert Fletcher section 25
40
Benjamin Hilligass
section 17
40
John Harris
section 9
40
Jonathan Kelery
section 17
80
Michael Miller
section 29
40
D. D. Ogden
section 9
160
William Wevrich
section
4
40
Newton G. Eno
section 17
80
Newton Eno section 17
80
Peter Korbal
section 25
80
Abijah Newman
section 10
80
Abijah Newman section 10
80
Abijah Newman
section 9
80
Abijah Newman
section 10
80
Abijah Newman
section 10
40
Samuel Pitcher
section 10
80
Erastus Pitcher
section 10
80
Austin H. Walker section 17
40
Austin H. Walker section 17
40
Amos E. Wood section 32
78
Amos E. Wood
section 32
66
David B. Banks
section 32
80
David B. Banks section 32
80
David B. Banks section 32
80
William Chambers
section 25
80
Davis Dunham
section 25
80
Davis Dunham section 25
80
Jacob Dobbs section 15
40
SETTLEMENT.
It was not until other parts of the county had been settled for a number of years that a permanent settlement was made in the territory of Woodville township. During the Indian occupation of the county the forests in the western part, being low and swampy, were only used as hunting
785
HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
grounds. The settlement was finally made by a number of American families, accom- panied by numerous German pioneers. The State of New York furnished Woodville with most of its American population, while nearly all of the Germans came from Hanover.
The line of immigration from New York was generally up the Erie Canal to Buffalo, thence by boat to Toledo, and then by wagon to the place of settlement. Nearly all of the first settlers made the first clearings on their new farms, and built with their own hands their log cabins, many of them being compelled to camp out during the first few days of their sojourn in the strange land. In 1825 it was ordered that the mud pike, which was little more than a corduroy road, be built, and that adjoining land be sold as pike lands. This was the signal for settlement.
Prior to this time there may have been here and there an occasional squatter. The first clearing was made on the present site of the village of Woodville, in 1825, at which time a little log cabin was erected, and in the fall of 1826 was occupied by Thomas and Harriet Miller. After Mr. Miller's death, in 1828, Mrs. Miller continued to keep tavern until 1837, when she married Charles Seager. Tradition has it that, at an early day, there was an old Indian beating-post at section thirty-five, on Sugar Creek, on the land now owned by G. H. Damschrader. It is known that this land was bought, in 1826, by C. B. Collins, of Sandusky, who, ten years later, superintended the grading of the road. However, it is probable he did not occupy the land until 1836.
In 1832 Ephraim Wood, a native of Vermont, and his son-in-law, George H. Price, of New York, bought land and built houses in sections twenty-eight and seven. Price's eighty acres adjoined and
embraced the south part of what is now the village of Woodville. Wood's farm consisted of one hundred and sixty acres of land in section twenty-seven, just across the Portage River from Price's. He put up a log-house which not long afterwards received a frame addition and became a popular tavern. Here it was that the first township election was held, in 1840. Mr. Wood was born in Vermont, in 1780. He married Hannah Doan, a native of Cape Cod. There were four children. Amos E. was born in 1811, and died in 1850, ten years before his father. Both were leading citizens and had much to do with the prosperity of the township. Mr. Price was a native of New York, having been born in Poughkeepsie, in 1783. He was married, in 1829, to Parthena, second child of Ephraim Wood. They had two children,- George E. and William W. The latter was born in Kent, Ohio, in 1831. By his wife, Louise B. Ladd, he has had three children,- Willie H., Nellie P., and Grace E.
One of the earliest settlements in the east part of the township, was that of Lester Allen who was one of the first township trustees.
In October, 1831, the Baldwin and Chaffa families settled in the Black Swamp, there being but five families in Woodville township at the time of their settlement. They came from Geauga county, having originally emigrated from Vermont. Ebenezer Baldwin died of cholera, in 1834. His son, N. J. Baldwin, married Catharine Boose, whose parents came from New York in 1850, and settled in Black Swamp.
Davis Dunham, who was born in Penn- sylvania in 1789, came to Woodville township in 1833, and settled in the south part of section twenty-five. By his wife, Anna Widener (born in Pennsylvania, in 1795, died in 1867), he had nine children, viz: Anna, Rebecca, Almon, Sarah, Phineas,
786
HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
Margaret, Lucy, Davis, and Samantha. Mr. Dunham is the only survivor of the earliest pioneers of his neighborhood. He has been a prominent man, having had much to do with the affairs of the township. His oldest son, Almon, was born in Erie county, Ohio, in 1824, and in 1849 married Mary Allen, who died in 1879. Two of their four children are living, viz: Oren and Mary E. In 1880 Mr. Dunham married Mary E. Miller, who was born in 1854. Mr. Dunham is at present a member of the Ohio Legislature.
John H. Scott and his brother James, who came from Southeastern Ohio in 1834, settled in the eastern part of the township, John locating on the line in section one, where the toll gate now is, and James settling on the road from Woodville to Elmore, on a farm adjoining that now owned by Michael McBride. They moved to Illinois about 1856.
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