History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 102

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Ohio > Sandusky County > History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 102

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PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Before there was any parish organiza- tion in Bellevue, the Rev. Ephraim Pun- derson officiated from the year 1842 to that of 1847; but not until April, 1851, was the parish duly organized by Rev. Dr. Bronson. Messrs. T. G. Amsden and

John Grimes were chosen wardens; Messrs. F. A. Chapman, G. Woodward, and G. W. Sheffield, vestrymen; and, on September 10, 1851, this parish. was received into connection with the Protestant Episcopal church.

In the spring of 1852 Rev. R. K. Nash was chosen rector, and the church build- ing was begun and enclosed. Mr. Nash having resigned in 1854, the building re- mained unfinished. In the spring of 1857 an effort was made to open the church, and a rector was called. Rev. M. Hamil- ton took charge of the church on the first Sunday in July, 1857.

Improvements were made in the old church building, and the old debt paid off, and the church was consecrated by Bishop Bedell, in January, 1861.

The lot and buildings cost about three thousand five hundred dollars. In July, 1869, the parish became self-supporting, and the following year repairs and im- provements were made, at a cost of one thousand four hundred dollars.

The first Sunday-school was organized by the Rev. M. Hamilton in 1857. In 1881 George A. Holbrook succeeded to the rectorate of the parish.

ST. PAUL'S REFORMED CHURCH.

The members of St. Paul's Reformed church originally worshiped at the Free Chapel, a few miles west of Bellevue. Some, a goodly number, were also mem- bers of the Zion's church, in Thompson township, Seneca county. In February, 1862, Rev. Eli Keller commenced to preach in Bellevue. Services were held in the old school building, owned by Mr. George Weikert, afterwards in the old Methodist Episcopal church, then again in the old school-house. At this time, a weekly prayer-meeting was well sustained, and a Sunday-school organized. August 16, 1862, at a meeting held at the chapel, it was resolved that a church should be

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built in, or near, Bellevue, and measures taken to select a site and procure building funds. The corner-stone of the church was laid on the 19th of June, 1864. On the 19th of June, 1865, the church was dedicated ; sermons by Rev. M. Kieffer, D. D., and Rev. H. Rust, D. D. The ceremonies of laying the corner-stone were performed by Rev. E. Keller, the pastor.

Some time in the fall of 1865, the St. Paul's Reformed congregation was organ- ized by the election of a consistory of elders and deacons. Since 1865 the fol- lowing persons served respectively as eld- ers, deacons, and trustees, viz: Jacob Bunn, Levi Korner, D. S. Arnold, John Hilbish, H. Kimmel, Isaac Kern, elders, John Bunn, David Hoch, Moses Miller, Joseph Zieber, John Bowman, Aaron Walters, William Knauss, John Deck, Benjamin Bunn, W. C. Smith, William Aigler, and J. Ferdinand Smith, deacons; David Hoch, Harrison Wilt, Elias Schmidt, Henry Stetler, John Deck, Aaron Walters, Jacob Aigler, and Frederick Smith, trus- tees. The Sunday-school was organized in the old Weiker school-house ; super- intendent, a Mr. Albert. Since 1865 Mr. John Hilbish has been the superintendent, with the exception of one year, when Rev. J. H. Derr officiated as head of the school.

In the year 1872, July 1, Rev. Eli Kel- ler resigned the pastorate, having served the people for a period of eleven years. He was succeeded by Rev. Joshua H. Derr, on the Ist of December, 1872. His pastorate continued for four and a half years, closing his services June 3, 1877. During this pastorate the congregation suffered serious damage to their church edifice by a severe storm, which took off about one-third of the roof and also broke down the gable end to the square. This much injured the ceiling and the interior in general. A cost of about one thousand

dollars restored and much improved the now beautiful and commodious church.

The congregation owns the cemetery adjoining the church, and a large and comfortable parsonage. The present pas- tor, Rev. N. H. Loose, took charge of the congregation August 1, 1877. The inter- ests of the church are prosperous and en- couraging.

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church was organized January 7, 1866, under the laws of the State of Ohio. The directors were Adam Zehner, Christian Engel, and Philip Biebricher. The trustees were Jacob Beiler, Charles Beiler, and John Weis. Rev. Jacob Dornberer was instru- mental in its organization, and remained its pastor three years, when he was suc- ceeded by Rev. C. Buechler, who has re- mained as pastor twelve years. At its or- ganization there were thisty-nine members. The present membership is about forty- five. They also have a prosperous Sun- day-school of some seventy members, under the superintendence of David Mey- ers. Soon after the organization of the church, the present building was pur- chased from the Methodist society for two thousand dollars. Since that time some six or seven hundred dollars have been expended in refitting and repairing it.

SALEM EVANGELICAL CHURCH.

This church was organized in Bellevue under the ministration of Rev. L. W. Hankey, in the summer of 1875. The congregation purchased the building for- merly occupied by the Baptists, for three thousand dollars. They then expended six or eight hundred dollars in repairing and refitting it. At first, and until the spring of 1879, the church was a mission. At that time it was cut loose from mis- sionary aid, and is now self-supporting. The present membership is about seventy-

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five. Thirty-one accessions were made dur- ing the year 1878. The church has had five pastors: Revs. L. W. Hankey; S. B. Spreng, who remained eight months ; G. W. Meisee, who remained one year; Rev. D. C. Eckerman, was in charge a little more than two years, and W. F. McMil- len, who is the present pastor. There is connected with the church a Sunday-school of seventy-three members, of which the pastor is superintendent. Regular services of the church are held twice each Sunday. The church government is very similar to that of the Methodist Episcopal, but there are some differences on minor points.

CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION -ROMAN CATHOLIC.

About 1852 Rev. James Vincent Conlin, stationed at Sandusky, established a mis- sion at Bellevue, and held services some three or four years, when Rev. Punshell, of Norwalk, came, and then for a short time Father Boff officiated. Father Tighe, of Sandusky, came, and bought from J. B. Higbee the building they now occupy as a church, and perfected an organiza- tion. The first resident priest was Rev. James Monaghan, who remained some seven or eight years. While in charge he bought a house of Rev. Mr. Flagler for the use of the priest. Father Mahony came next, and remained some five years. He purchased ground for burial purposes, and built a school-house. Father Mears next came; he bought a house and lot on the corner of Centre and Broad streets, with the intention of building a church. He remained about three years, and was succeeded by Father Bowles, who also re- mained three years. The church was then attended by Father Rudolph, of Clyde. for about three months, when Father Molloy came, and officiated for three years. Father Cahill succeeded and officiated three years, to the entire satis- faction of the parish. The congregation

comprises about one hundred and ten families. The church still owns the lot bought by Father Mears, and at one time it owned the lot on which stands the pres- ent union school building.

BELLEVUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. *

It is greatly to be regretted that the records of the early history of the Bellevue schools have been lost. The data for the following article have been furnished by some of the older citizens, and are as cor- rect as can be ascertained outside of the school records. The first building that was used for school purposes was a little log-house that stood on the Herl property, just west of Mr. John Baker's residence. Here a school was opened in the fall of 1827, by a gentleman named Harris, from Milan. In the following year (1828), Miss Clemence A. Follett (now Mrs. Fred- erick Chapman) taught school in the same building. In those days the village was known as Amsden's Corners, and consist- ed of the Exchange hotel, a frame build- ing just east of it, a double log-house, where Mr. Greenslade's store stands, the houses now occupied by Dr. Harris and Mr. John Reis, and a few scattering log- huts. The scholars came to Miss Follett's school from the country for miles around, walking to school along the trails of the woods, and bringing their dinners' with them. In this school the girls spent half an hour each day in learning to sew. It was a pleasant little school, and Mrs. Chapman still recalls with delight the days she passed as teacher in the log school- house. In the following year, 1829, Miss Julia Follett taught in the same log school- house.

The next school of which we can find any record was taught in the old stone school-house that stood on West Main street, where the brick school-house now

* By J. M. Greenslade, superintendent.

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

stands. The land was donated by Chap- man & Amsden, and the building was probably built by the Chapmans-Nathan- iel and Frederick-Dr. L. G. Harkness and Mr. Thomas G. Amsden, as we find these names are closely associated with the early educational interests of the town as well as with its business and social in- terests. The stone school-house was built about 1832. In the fall of 1835 Mr. J. B. Higbee commenced to teach in this building, and taught two years. Mr. Hig- bee seems to have been a successful teacher; at least he was not carried out by the boys, which misfortune did happen to the gentleman who preceded him. We are unable to learn who succeeded Mr. Higbee, but the building still continued to be used for school purposes until the old brick school-house was built, after which the stone school-house was unoc- cupied for several years. For some years before the old brick was built, the increas- ing number of pupils compelled the direc- tors to rent rooms in different parts of the town to be used for school-rooms.

At one time a school was taught in a frame building that was built for a ware- house by James Bell. It was afterwards moved, and the upper rooms used for school-rooms during the week-days, and by the Methodist society for services on Sunday. About the same time Miss Town, now Mrs. Kent, of Toledo, taught a very successful private school for girls, on Monroe street, in the house now oc- cupied by Mr. James Purcell.

In 1845 the number of scholars had in- creased to such an extent that the school directors saw the necessity of providing better accommodations than those afford- ed by the stone school-house and rented rooms, so they purchased of Chapman, Amsden, and Harkness the lot on which, the same year, they built the old brick school-house. The contract for erecting

the building was let to Mr. A. Leiter. It was at first intended to build only a one- story building, but while in process of erection Mr. J. M. Lawrence offered to raise it to a two-story building, provided the upper rooms could be used for the Baptist society. His proposition was ac- cepted, the directors, at the same time, reserving the privilege of buying the up- per part when the growth of the school re- quired it. The building was used as a district school until 1851, when the present system of union schools was organized in accordance with the law of 1849.

The first superintendent of the union schools was Rev. Mr. Waldo, an eccentric old gentlemen. He wore a wig which, of course, furnished endless sport to his pu- pils. He was also in the habit of lectur- ing his scholars every morning before be- ginning the day's work.

During Waldo's administration, in the year 1851-52, Miss Gardner was assistant superintendent, and the two lower grades were taught by two sisters, Mrs. Covil and Miss Wilkinson. Mr. Waldo was suc- ceeded in the fall of 1852, by Mr. Har- vey Holton, who is well and favorably remembered by many of our citizens. Mr. Holton was superintendent several years and was a successful teacher. His assist- ant in the high school was Miss Celestia Gould, now Mrs. Spencer Boise. Mr. Holton was succeeded by Mr. Jerome Drury who taught two years, from the fall of 1855 to the spring of 1857. He was succeeded by Mr. Edward Brad- ley, who was superintendent for one year in 1857-58. In the fall of 1858, the Hubbard brothers came to Bellevue, and secured positions in our schools, Dwight Hubbard as superintendent, and E. B. Hubbard as teacher in the stone school house. Mr. Dwight Hubbard held his position one year and one term from the fall of 1858, to December, 1859. His

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place was supplied during the remainder of the school year by Mr. Henry Bram- well for the second term, and Dr. Cornell for the third term. The last superintend- ent in the old brick school-house was Mr. Ellis, who held the position from the fall of 1860 to the spring of 1862. After the high school building was built, the old brick school-house was sold, and has since been used as a tenement-house.

In 1850 the "old stone" school-house, which had been unoccupied for several years, was refitted, and continued to be used for school purposes until replaced by the present brick building. During these years several teachers were employed; among others was Mrs. Eliza Cook, who taught in the stone school-house two years, in 1856 and 1857, until her marriage with Mr. David Williams in the fall of 1857.

In the same building, Mr. E. B. Hub- bard, who is now a prominent druggist of Tiffin, taught three years, from the fall of 1858 to the spring of 1861. Mr. Hub- bard is remembered as a very successful teacher, and still keeps up his interest in educational matters, being at present pres- ident of the board of education of Tiffin, Ohio.

The German school was first started as a private enterprise in 1860, and was held in the house now used as a residence by Mr. John Warren. The first German teacher that taught here was Mr. Ludwick, who is considered as the best German teacher that we have ever had. The Ger- man school was partially united with the union schools in 1860, but received for a year or two only fifty dollars from the pub- lic funds. Mr. Ludwick was followed by Mr. Cobelli, who taught the German school after it was moved to the "old stone" school-house. Mr. Menges suc- ceeded Mr. Cobelli, and taught for several years, and was a successful teacher. Mr. Menges was followed by Mr. Rabe, and !

Mr. Rabe by Mr. Beck, who resigned in October, 1875. Mrs. Beck was employed as assistant in the German department at the same time. Her place is filled by Miss Bessie Radford, who has had charge of the English branches in the German department since October, 1875.

Mr. Jacob Frenz succeeded Mr. Beck in November, 1875, and retained his po- sition nearly three years. His successor, Mr. Henry Ebertshauser, is the present principal of the German department. The German schools occupy the two lower rooms of the school building on West Main street. The classes recite alternate- ly in English and German branches during the day.

The high school building was erected in 1861, although it was not ready for use until the fall of 1862. The contract was so poorly filled that the contractor was obliged to put on the second roof within a year, and before the board of education would accept the building. Mr. Edward Bradley was the superintendent at the opening of the high school building in the fall of 1862. Mrs. Bradley taught at the same time in a lower grade, and also dur- ing the following year. Mr. Bradley was superintendent one year in the high school building. After him came Mr. Highland, from September, 1863, to June, 1864; Mr. J. B. Loveland, from September, 1864, to June, 1867; Mr. Avery, from September, 1867, to June, 1868; Mr. Loveland, from September, 1868, to June, 1869; Mr. L. C. Laylin, from September, 1869, to June, 1875; Mr. E. E. Phillips, from September, 1875, to June, 1877; Mr. J. M. Green- slade, from September, 1877, to the pres- ent time. The Bellevue schools now oc- cupy two buildings-the high school build- ing and the brick school building on West Main street, which was built in 1871, and enlarged in 1875. These buildings are not large enough to accommodate the

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number of pupils, so that the board of education will enlarge the high school building, which will even then af- ford only temporary relief. The schools which started with four departments in 1852, now have nine, and most of these having two grades.

For several years previous to 1877 the course of study which had been prepared for the schools had been disregarded alto- gether, as not being suited to the wants of the schools. The result was that the teachers and scholars worked at a disad- vantage; and their efforts were ill-directed, or entirely wasted. The evil effects of this lack of system was especially noticea- ble in the high school, where the scholars pursued such studies as were agreeable, without any regard to previous training, or the relation of the different studies to each other. The board of education, recogniz- ing the value and necessity of systematic work in our schools, at a meeting held on the 29th of July, 1877, adopted the pres- ent course of study, and rules and regula- tions of the Bellevue public schools, and ordered them to be published. The schools are at present in excellent condi- tion. In the lower grades the aim is to give thorough instruction in the common branches. In the high school all of the studies are pursued that are commonly found in a good high school course. Es- pecial attention is paid to the languages and the natural sciences. Through the liberality of the board of education, the superintendent has been able to accumu- late considerable apparatus and supplies for the illustration of the natural sciences.

PHYSICIANS.

Among the oldest practitioners of med- icine in the township were Doctors Stevens, Otis, Boise, and Charles Smith, of Lyme. Contemporary with them, and earlier, were Doctors Kittredge, Sanders,

and Tilden, who visited the township oc- casionally.

Dr. L. G. Harkness was the first physi cian prominently identified with the histo- ry of Bellevue. He was born in Salem, Washington county, New York, April 1, 1801, educated for his profession in the State of his nativity, and came West in 1823. He located upon the ridge, in Lyme township, and became associated, professionally, with Dr. Stevens. He re- moved, afterward, to the village of Belle- vue, and not long after abandoned his practice. He continued to reside here.

In 1835 Dr. Daniel A. Lathrop came to Bellevue from his birthplace, Montrose, Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, and almost immediately became a very suc- cessful practitioner, taking up Dr. Hark- ness' ride, and having all of the business which that physician formerly attended to upon his hands. He not only took Dr. Harkness' place, but filled it, and enjoyed as extensive a practice, perhaps, as any physician who ever located in the village. It extended over a long term of years, too, and really did not terminate until a short time before the doctor's departure from town, in 1861, though he was not actively engaged in the pursuit of his profession for two or three years previous to this date. The doctor returned to Montrose, Pennsylvania, where he is now located. He is a graduate of a Philadelphia college.

The physicians who followed him were numerous. We shall only speak of those most prominently identified with the history of the town. Dr. Gray came in and remained a short time. Dr. W. W. Stilson was in practice for a number of years, and removed to Clyde, where he is at present in practice. Dr. Amos Wood- ward, a native of Lyme, began practice in 1846, and after six or seven years retired, though he continued to reside in the vil- lage, and has long been one of its leading

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citizens. Dr. Charles Richards, now of Binghamton, New York, came in soon after Dr. Woodward began practice, and read medicine with Dr. Lathrop, after- wards entering into practice.

Dr. John W. Goodson, now in Sterling, Rice county, Kansas, began the study of medicine in Bellevue about 1840, and completed his professional education at Buffalo, there receiving his diploma. He immediately returned to Bellevue and en- tered into practice. He had a lucrative practice and accumulated a fine property. He was for a time assistant surgeon of the Seventy-second regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was with Grant's army before Vicksburg. The doctor was a native of England, and was born on the 4th of July, 1817. He came to this country when a lad thirteen years of age.

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Dr. Ralph A. Severance began practice in Bellevue in 1854. He was a native of Greenfield, Massachusetts, and read med- icine there with Dr. Brigham, who was afterwards in charge of one of the great asylums for the insane. He attended lectures in New York city, and graduated from Bowdoin college, Bowdoin, Maine, with the class of 1831. He first went in- to practice at Rockingham, Vermont, and remained there twenty-three years, coming directly from that place to Bellevue in 1 854.

Dr. J. J. Hartz, who came to Bellevue in 1852, was one of the most eminent men of the profession who have practiced in this part of the State. He was born in Versailles, France, in 1798, and received his medical educa- tion at the University of Heidelberg. Af- ter coming to this country he travelled through the South, was for a short time a resident of Charleston, and a transient resident of Texas. For a number of years before coming to this village he was lo- cated in Portage county, and at Upper

Sandusky, in both of which neighborhoods he had a very extensive practice. He ren- dered efficient service at Sandusky dur- ing the prevalence of the cholera there, going upon the request of some of the local physicians. Dur- ing the whole of his long service in the profession in Bellevue, he was regarded by all as a man of marked ability in his profession, and as a gentleman of rare worth in all of the affairs of life. He was a man of liberal culture outside of medi- cine, and was a remarkable linguist, speaking with fluency seven languages. He was ever the courteous, polished, digni- fied gentleman, and won the admiration and esteem of all. He died, in 1865, of consumption, such of his patients as were able coming to see him, whom he treated even up to the hour when he breathed his last-such was their confidence in his skill. He was a surgeon as well as a physician.

Dr. H. L. Harris, born June 30, 1819, in Oxfordshire, England, is a graduate of the Starling Medical College of Columbus, and received his diploma in 1858. Next to Dr. Severance he is the oldest practi- tioner in the place. He was in practice in South Bend, and in 1849 removed to Flat Rock, where he remained until 1859 when he came to Bellevue.

Quite a number of physicians have practiced in Bellevue for a short term of years and then removed to other points. Among the present physicians who have been in practice in Bellevue for some time are Dr. Severance, Dr. Harris, Dr. Robinson, Dr. Sandmeister, and Dr. Lan- terman.

BELLEVUE CEMETERY.

This cemetery was begun about the time of the first laying out of the village of Bellevue, in 1835, on land given for the purpose by Messrs. Chapman, Hark- ness and Amsden, who were the first pro- prietors of the land on which the town is

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now situated. The first burial in this ground was that of Rebecca Christopher, who died March 20, 1836. At the time of giving the land for this purpose, the owners fenced it.

In 1855 the village authorities pur- chased something more than five acres of land and made an addition to the ceme- tery, which now contains over seven acres. The old part was laid out in good form as far as practicable, with walks and paths between the lots, but no uniformity had been observed in first laying it out, and it was not possible to arrange it according to the best order; still it was much improved. The addition was laid out in good shape, and lots staked off, which have been dis- posed of from time to time. When the last purchase was made a board of trustees was elected, consisting of W. H. King, mayor of the village at the time, Barney York, Lowell Chandler, and D. Moore, for terms of one, two, and three years. One trustee is now elected yearly. Most of the religious denominations of the town bury their dead in this cemetery, as it is situated in a better location than any other ground in the vicinity. D. Moore is superintendent of the cemetery, and has acted in that capacity most of the time since its organization.

FIRE DEPARTMENT.

In June, 1870, the village council of Bellevue purchased a second-hand hand fire engine, a hose cart and several hun- dred feet of hose from the authorities of Tiffin, for the sum of about three hundred dollars. A fire company was organized with Dr. J. W. Goodson, foreman; Charles Nicolai, first assistant; B. Benn, second assistant, and J. H. Webber, secretary. In 1874 the council appointed as chief of the fire department A. B. Smith, who served in that capacity one year. In 1875 Wil- liam R. West succeeded him, he also re- maining one year. Charles Nicolai was

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History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 102

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams
Number of Pages: 1040