USA > Ohio > Seneca County > History of Seneca County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, school, churches, industries, etc., portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; history of the Northwest territory; history of Ohio; statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc., etc > Part 61
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Samuel Herin born in 1812, in Pensylvania, came to Ohio in 1828, with his parents, James and Mary (Smith) Herin, and settled near Tiffin, where his father. who died in 1833, had entered eighty acres of land. He afterward bought and moved to the farm where he now resides .... Micajah Heaton settled in Eden in 1829; died in 1866 .... Jonas and Martha Hershberger, parents of Mrs. William L. Reid, of Bloom Township, came from Virginia and settled in Eden Township in 1833. ... Dr. Daniel Hough came in 1822.
Richard Jaqua, born in New York in 1787, moved to Leeds County, On- tario. Canada, in 1790, with his parents; was married to Eliza Ouilsee in 1810. In 1812 he was drafted, but escaped service in the British army by crossing the St. Lawrence. He subsequently engaged in the dangerous work of assist- ing Americans, who, like himself, were drafted, but wished to serve their own country. His adventures and escapes in this service were numerous and thrill- ing: In 1814 he entered the United States regular service and worked ear- nestly and well for the young Union. In 1813 he brought his family to the United States, moved to Eden Township in 1822, and died here September 26, 1878. His wife died in May, 1877. in her eighty-seventh year. From 1872 till his death he was a pensioner of the war of 1812, this consideration being won for him through the exertion of Congressman Charles Foster .... John C. Jones who erected the first house at Melmore in 1824, died there in 1828.
Abraham and Elizabeth (Wrouff) Kagy, (parents of the widow Barbara Martin, late of Eden Township,) were among the pioneers .... John Kagy, one of the pioneers of Eden, died at Inka, Ill., in March, 1885, while visiting with his daughter Mrs. Huddle. He was about ninety years old. ... Isaac Kagy was appointed county treasurer in 1885, to succeed John Heabler. He served as auditor from 1862 to 1866; was elected representative in 1865, and was appointed auditor to fill vacancy in 1872 .... H. P. Kennedy, a native of Ohio, settled in Eden Township in 1845; Samuel Koch, a Pennsylvanian, came in 1853, and George W. Kishler in 1854. ... Col. James Kilbourne, one of the pioneer surveyors, laid out the town of Melmore for Case, Jolly and Ezra Brown in 1824. ... The Knights settled here about 1825. ... July 23, 1831, one Olive Knight is alleged to have burned the dwelling house of Joseph Trask, in Eden Township. She was brought to trial in March, 1832, when the jury declared her not guilty.
Dr. Henry Ladd, a native of New York State, settled in Eden, in 1839. .. . . Otho and Belinda (Street) Lease, parents of Lloyd Norris Lease, of Tiffin, were natives of Maryland; located in 1832 in Eden Township (where Lloyd Norris was born in 1838), and removed to Sandusky County in 1846. Eden Lease, born in Maryland in 1813, settled in Eden in 1835, and shortly after
George King
545
EDEN TOWNSHIP.
purchased his present farm .... Esau G. Leidy, born in Columbiana County, Penn., July 28, 1817, settled in Eden Township in 1834, died June 5, 1885. . .. Peter Lantz located in Wyandot County, in 1829, moved thence to Seneca County, and died in 1876. ... Clarence Linn, a native of Ohio, settled at Mel- more in 1841. ... Ruel Loomis settled on Section 16, Eden, 1822, with his wife Anna (Lyon) Loomis and son Wildman Loomis. He died in 1852, and his widow in 1857.
Mrs. Elizabeth (Boyd) McClelland (widow of Hugh McClelland, who died in about 1823), mother of Samuel B. McClelland, of Bloom Township (who was born in 1818, in Pennsylvania), came to Eden Township with her young family in 1830. Samuel B. McClelland moved into Bloom Township in 1853, and there settled .... Samuel and Mary Martin, natives of Pennsylvania, par- ents of Robert M. C. Martin, late of Eden Township (born in 1822, in Perry County, Ohio, died in April, 1879), came to Seneca County in 1827, locating on land in Section 19, Eden Township, which land Samuel Martin held until his death in April, 1864. ... Hamilton McCollister was a justice of the peace of Eden Township in 1825, and for many years after was a well-known character in pioneer times. He it was who had Judge Matthew Clark brought before him for driving hogs on the Sabbath, and imposed a fine on Judge Lane's old associate. Clark appealed the case, and also entered suit for $3,000 against McCollister .... Josiah Meeker, a native of Ohio, settled here in 1831 . . .. John Mimm was among the pioneers, but little of him can be learned, and that little unauthentic .... Miles Mitten settled in Seneca in 1838; moved to Wyandot in 1843, died in 1865. ... Joshua D. Munsell, who died in 1833, owned lands in this township in Town 1 north, Range 15 east.
Lloyd Norris, who settled in Eden Township in 1828, is said to have served in the Mexican war. His death took place December 6, 1866, aged sixty-one years and six months.
John O'Connell, one of the early settlers of Eden, came from Stark County, Ohio .... Mrs. S. M. Ogden, died April 8, 1884, aged sixty-one years. ... Jesse S. Olmsted and David Olmsted were among the pioneers.
Jacob and Esther (Heisbaum) Price (both deceased), natives of Virginia, parents of Daniel Price, of Eden Township (who was born here in 1835), settled on Section 20, Eden Township, in 1823, where Jacob Price's father-in- law had entered land .... Philip J. Price, an early settler, is noticed in the history of Melmore.
E. Randall settled in Eden in 1831. ... Mrs. Eliza B. (Watson) Reid, wife of John T. Reid, of Bloomville, was born in Pennsylvania in 1810, and came to Eden Township with her widowed mother, Mrs. Elizabeth McClelland, in 1830 .... George Robertson, owner of the south part of the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 12, Town 1 north, Range 15 east, died about 1834 .... Barnabas Rogers, a native of Vermont, father of Lorenzo Rogers, of Eden Township (who was born in 1819, in Lake County, Ohio), when a young man, came to Ohio on foot, making shoes as he journeyed, He entered land in 1824, in Eden Township, and here died in 1879. His wife died in 1874.
Lewis Seitz (son of John Seitz, German immigrant, of 1767) entered lands in Bloom Township, in 1821. His son, Lewis Seitz, Jr., now eighty-three years old, is still living; while his grandson, John Seitz, born in Bloom Town- ship, in 1825, is a resident of Eden Township since 1865 .... Magdalene, wife of John Seitz, who came to this county in 1823, died February 26, 1862 .... Mrs. Ann Seitz, wife of Abram Seitz, died at San Francisco, Cal., June 6, 1883, aged sixty-seven years. She moved from Melmore to the Pacific Coast eighteen years prior to her death .... Samuel Saul, born in Pennsylvania in
29
546
HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
1801, settled in Eden Township in 1828. ... John Searles, a soldier of the war of 1812, located at Fort Ball in 1820; moved to Eden in 1821; settled there in 1825; died in May, 1844, and his widow, Jane (Dunken) Searles, in 1870. ... Hezekiah Searles, born in Fairfield County, Ohio, December 4, 1810, came, in September, 1820, to Fort Ball; moved with parents to Eden Township in 1821 . . . David and Nancy (Beery) Stalter were old residents of Eden Township, former one of the township's most enterprising farmers until 1863. . .. James M. Stevens, of Melmore, died in December, 1829, leaving five children, of whom Elizabeth Ann Stevens was the only one over fourteen years old. A. Coffinberry was their guardian ad litem. He settled here in 1827. and built the first grist- mill in the township. ... Thomas Stripe settled on the Vanatta farm in 1822; moved to Lower Sandusky in 1825. ... John Sweinhelm. now of Wyandot County, came here in 1840 .... J. W. Stewart settled in 1845, and R. C. Steele in 1830. ... Joseph and Susanna Swigart, natives of Maryland. were early set- tlers of the township.
Jonathan and Susan (Beaty) Tittle, natives of Pennsylvania, parents of John Tittle, of Eden Township (who was born in Pennsylvania in 1820), came to this township in 1840 .... The Trasks were also early settlers. Joseph Trask's dwelling house was the first destroyed by fire in the township.
Henry Umstead, a native of Maryland, settled at Melmore in 1830.
Philip Von Blon settled in Eden in 1834; moved to Tiffin in later years, and died there some years ago.
Dr. T. J. West, born in the county in 1836. His father, Thomas West. settled in the county in 1820, and located lands in Eden in 1822. ... James B. Watson settled in Eden Township in 1831 . .. . Martin Welch, brother of Thomas Welch, settled in Eden in June, 1819; moved to Wyandot County; is deceased. ... John Welch, brother of Martin Welch. settled in Eden in June. 1819 (see Political History); is deceased .... Thomas Welch settled in Eden Township in February, 1819, and died there in 1821 .... Henry Welch settled here with his family, but moved to Tiffin in 1822, and build one of the first cabins there . Hugh Welch settled in Eden Township in February, 1819, and, with his brother, Thomas, made the first white settlement there. He is the second senior settler of the county.
There were others who could claim membership with pioneers, of whom little or nothing of an authentic character can be learned. In our researches we find following names of parties residing in Eden Township, outside of Mel- more, in 1847-48, as subscribers to Butterfield's History :
George Kennedy, Isaiah Kline, J. L. Downs, L. Chamberlin, J. Lawrence, Samuel Seitz, William Wing, John Crum. R. Jaqua, E. Trimer, J. Osen- braugh, Harry Blackman, John Wolf, R. Holmes, N. E. Merrill, John Zin- ger, M. C. Gibson, P. Springer. Joseph Hall, W. Dilley, Lloyd Morris, M. K. Kern, Samuel Herrin, Amos Nichols, John Kagy, E. S. Bellamy, Joel Wright, J. G. Patterson, R. W. Bellamy, George Swigert, Samuel Garber, Seneca C. Wing. W. B. Matthewson, H. W. Blackman, Ed Tollman, R. L. Speer, R. H. Squier, Samuel Grelle, Ben. Brundage, G. Cowles, D. W. Graves, Elizabeth Graves, J. B. Watson, W. Watson, W. Brown, Isaac Bretz and A. K. Bretz.
MELMORE VILLAGE.
The town of Melmore was projected and surveyed by James Kilbourne on Honey Creek, north of the islands known as Mill, Middle and Duck Islands, in 1826, and the plat accepted February 24, that year. The principal part of the town was laid out on the west half of southwest quarter of Section 23, Town 1, Range 15 east, and minor parts on the lands of Case, Jolly and Ezra
547
EDEN TOWNSHIP.
Brown. Price's addition to Melmore was surveyed by Seth Kline. April 4, 1536. for Philip J. Price.
The first dwelling house at Melmore was erected in 1824 by John C. Jones. who died there in 1828. Buckley Hutchins opened the first store at Melmore. September 28, 1824, and carried it on in connection with the postoffice for a number of years. Joshua D. Munsell kept the first tavern at Melmore. Sel- den Graves, the first resident and practicing physician of Seneca, settled in Eden Township, March 6. 1822. Dr. Daniel M. Bate was the first resident physician at Melmore. The physicians at Melmore, in 1547. were Robert McD. Gibson. Timothy M. Smith and Henry Ladd. Dr. West practiced here for some time prior to his removal to Tiffin. Dr. R. G. Steele is now one of the resident physicians.
Among those who were in the village in 1848. were following patrons of Butterfield's work : Adeline and Laura Buskirk, Maria Coleman. Angelina and Amanda Arnold, Maria Ireland. Emily Butterfield. Robert McD. Gibson. John Lamberson. J. F. Newton. P. J. Price, Isaac Arnold. D. P. Edgar, John C. Kingner, T. M. Smith, N. N. Wright, W. Lightcap, Jacob C. High, W. C. Stevens. E. B. Kingner. F. W. Butterfield, H. J. Roberts. S. Chamberlain, Jacob Chamberlain, James Gray. Sylvester Arnold. H. Pratt, D. M. Bate, James M. Stephens, W. Melroy. George W. Chamberlin. H. Smith. H. Kline, E. Seitz, J. C. R. Eastman. J. Weeks. Moses King. H. K. Burg. G. A. Blackwell, J. M. Chanchey, H. Ladd. George R. Weeks. J. Cross. H. Arnold and E. J. Chamberlin.
Postmasters. Hugh Welch. the first postmaster appointed in the county. was the first in Eden Township, holding the office from August 4, 1825. and carrying it on at his home. Buckley Hutchins was the first postmaster ap- pointed at Melmore. He was succeeded by Philip J. Price, who held the office in 1847. In November, 1847, a meeting was held at Melmore, with Richard Jaqua, presiding. and J. M. Smith, secretary. to consider charges againt Post- master Philip J. Price. made by friends of Dr. D. M. Bate. Resolutions of confidence in Price were adopted. W. B. Matthewson, Levi Chamberlain and Isaac Arnold formed the committee on resolutions. Horace Arnold was suc- ceeded by G. A. Allen in September. 1885.
Mills and Millers .- The first grist-mill erected in this county was built in 1821 by Ezra Brown and Case Brown, above Melmore. Here George Free, of Bloom Township, brought the first grist and had it ground by the enterprising millers. John Kinger's grist-mill was erected on Honey Creek. below Melmore. in 1827. The Morris grist-mill on Vanmeter Creek. near Honey Creek, received its power from water drawn from the lake through a race. This mill was burned down some years ago. The Stonebreaker Mill on Honey Creek. was operated by George W. Cunningham in 1856. The Warner Flouring-mill at Melmore, and the Meyer's Saw-mill are thriving industries. The Loomis Mill on Section 20. the Huddle Mill on Section 9, the mill and race in the bend of Honey Creek, Section 27, the Grelle Mill, Stewart Mill and other industries mark the progress of the township.
The Business and Professional Circle in 1884-85, was made up as follows : H. Arnold. A. Benham, druggists; J. W. Holmes, H. Ladd, E. J. West (now of Tiffin), R. G. Steele, physicians; H. Beals, Levi Starkey. furniture; Cham- berlin & Seiple, J. & H. Melroy, died within last year; D. Melroy, wagon- maker; Joseph Coby. cooper; J. J. Crouse, H. C. Pittman, boots and shoes: S. Ireland, L. Lee, Samnel Myers, E. E. Coonrad. blacksmiths (Ireland moved to Kansas in 1884), Melroy, meat market; A. H. Myers. slate roofer: I. Myers (now L. C. Leidy), saloon; Samuel Myers saw-mill; B. F. Walters. B.
548
HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
W. Warner, flour-millers; H. H. Seiple, confectionery; L. Bowlus, dry goods and groceries; G. A. Allen, postmaster; H. H. Seiple, boarding-house; H. Beals, undertaker. The churches are the Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, United Brethren and Evangelical.
In 1836. when it was evident that Melmore was to lose the line of the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad the citizens joined together in an enterprise which promised to meet the loss of the pioneer railroad. The Melmore & Republic Railroad Company was organized, books were opened at Jacob Buskirk's Temperance Hotel (the pioneer temperance house of Ohio), Melmore, at the Miller Tavern, at Republic, and Bradley's Washington House, Tiffin, in July, 1836, while the following named citizens and directors worked day and night to obtain a railroad for the village: B. Hutchins, P. J. Price, Case Brown, M. Heaton. Selden Graves. T. J. Baker, W. Patterson, I. J. Halsey, William Cornell, T. P. Roberts, Samuel Waggoner, H. McCollister and Calvin Bradley.
Societies .- Eden Lodge No. 310, F. & A. M. was organized in October, 1858, and was chartered October 20. 1859, with the following members : Richard Jaqua, D. W. Eastman, A. H. Lee, F. D. Rodgers and E. Reynolds. James H. Stevens was first Master. Amos L. Westover, S. W., and E. J. Chamberlin, J. W. The Past Masters are J. H. Stevens, 1858; A. H. Lee, 1861. H. B. Martin, 1863. J. M. Stevens, 1864. J. W. Barrick, 1866; J. A. Gibson, 1867, Eleazer Shumaker, 1869; J. W. Barrick, 1871, J. F. Gregg. 1875; E. Shumaker. 1876; J. F. Gregg, 1880, who is now Master. H. C. Pittman has served as recorder for eight years, succeeding A. B. Stewart and Dr. T. J. West in 1874, and L. G. Cole in 1880.
The present officers are J. F. Gregg. W. M. : Cephas Bartleson, S. W .; J. W. Warner, J. W. : H. C. Pittman, R. S .; Silas Hottle, treasurer; James Chamberlin, Tyler; L. G. Coe, S. D. The present number of members is thirty-four. The old Masonic Hall, erected about sixteen years ago, is the property of the lodge. This lodge was incorporated July 9, 1866.
Melmore Lodge No. 174 I. O. O. F. was chartered July 18, 1850, and instituted in 1851, with the following members : Scudder Chamberlain, E. J. Chamberlin, Walter S. Burns, James M. Stevens, J. F. Krauss; and incor- porated April 2, 1851. The Past Grands of this lodge. E. J. Chamberlin, W. S. Burns, 1851; J. S. Chamberlin, W. C. Stevens, 1852; King, J. M.
Stevens, 1853: - Chamberlin, N. G. ; H. Arnold. N. G .. 1854; D. Richards. S. Chamberlin. 1855; Dr. H. B. Martin, E. R. Webb, 1856: E. J. Chamberlin, Isaac Cole, 1857: E. Reynolds, J. C. Rozegrant. 1858; J. J. Crouse, D. Driscoll, 1859; Abram Cox. E. Adams. 1860; A. G. Oder, J. H. Freese, 1861; S. Waller, W. C. Stevens, 1862; J. Crum, S. H. Treat, 1863; J. Dela- mater, Horace Arnold, 1864; L. M. Waller, J. Feighner, 1865; Charles Craw- ford, S. H. Treat, J. McLanghlin, 1866; Samuel Herrin. 1867; J. J. Cronse, Julius A. Wolf. 1868; J. C. Holt, 1869; N. Holt. A. B. Saltzer, 1870; J. A. Ransom, E. W. Seiple, 1871; B. F. Hudson. V. Underwood, 1872; S. D. Thompson, T. J. West, 1873; L. C. Leidy, J. W. Warner, 1874; R. A. Cole, S. Wisman, 1875; H. A. Bowlus, S. Brooks, 1876; H. C. Pittman, S. C. Fauber, 1877; W. P. Noel. L. G. Cole, 1878; A. P. Cooke, John Correll, 1879; W. S. Kline, E. W. Seiple, 1880; J. W. Warner. J. C. Kemp, 1881; T. J. West, J. W. Warner, 1882; G. W. Snyder, A. B. Cook, 1883; J. Correll, J. Orner, 1884; J. W. Warner, 1885. There are twenty-five members. They own the Hutchins brick building on Main Street.
Melmore Temple No. 103, I. O. G. T., was reorganized under State Law, December 8, 1868, with Edward Wing, W. C. T., Eliza Johnson, W. V. T., and James A. Gibson, P. W. C. T., trustees.
549
EDEN TOWNSHIP.
The Eden Literary Club is an influential society, which has been carried on for some years most successfully.
Churches .- The Methodist Society of Eden Township was the first organ- ized in the county, about 1821 or 1822. In 1828, this society erected the first log-church building on Section 28, in the Shock neighborhood. Among the early preachers were James Wilson, W. Brock, Martin Welch, G. W. Breck- inridge, J. R. Jewett, Thomas Thompson and William Runneels, all of whom preached in Eden Township, prior to 1848. The first class at Melmore was organized by Rev. Thomas Thompson, in Levi Cunningham's shop, no church building being then in existence in the village. The members of this class were William Brown, Rachel Lucretia Arnold Brown, Nancy Cunningham, Maria Coleman, Harriet Hoyt. Martin Welch, Sarah Welch; Martin Welch was the first class leader. Samuel Baker has been recording steward since 1875.
The first Methodist Episcopal Church in Melmore was built and dedicated in 1836, by L. B. Gurley. Thomas. Thompson and Philip Wareham were circuit preachers. The present church (1885), was built in 1850, and dedi- cated winter of 1850-51. Amroy Butterfield, of Melmore, was killed July 16, 1836, while engaged in raising this Methodist meeting house. The preachers since 1848 are named as follows : Leonard Hill, 1848: Ralph Wilcox and C. Baylor, 1849; W. C. Huestis and N. B. Wilson, 1850; Henry Warner and George W. Collier, 1851; T. J. Monnett, 1852; L. S. Johnson and W. R. Kis- ler, 1853; W. M. Spafford, 1854; Uri Richards, 1855-56; Ralph Wilcox, 1855; John R. Jewett, 1857; Dennis Dreskell, 1857-58; Jesse Williams and Thomas Thompson, 1859; Newell J. Close and W. C. Huestis, 1861; George W. Dunu, 1862; John McKean, 1863; George McKillips and Orlando Pearce, 1865; A. P. Jones, 1867; Thomas Thompson, 1867-68: T. J. Gard, Thomas Thompson and S. D. Seymour, 1869; Luke S. Johnson, 1871; G. L. Hana- walt. 1872; W. C. Huestis and E. S. Thompkins, 1873; J. A. Kaull, 1874; Joshua Crawford, 1875: A. P. Jones, 1877: William Jones, 1878; Joseph Mattock. 1879; T. J. Gard, 1881; James A. Kellam, 1885-86.
In 1830 the Rev. John Robinson preached to the Presbyterians of the county, and about this time the first Presbyterian Church was founded at Mel- more. On the organization of the Presbyterian Church at Tiffin in July, 1831, a number of the original members withdrew to join that society, and in Sep- tember of the same year, the new society at Republic claimed another quota of the old church membership.
The Presbyterian congregation of Melmore, comprising the members of the first Presbyterian Church of Eden Township, was incorporated August 19, 1848, with Hugh McAllister. Levi Chamberlin and Benjamin M. Gibson, trus- tees, and R. McD. Gibson, clerk. Rev. A. D. Chapman was chairman of the meeting.
Throughout its early history the preachers named in the history of the Tiffin and Republic churches were identified with this church at Melmore. Rev. Mc- Cutchen followed Rev. Thompson: Revs. A. S. Dunton and John Whipple filled the pulpit from 1837 to 1852.
The United Brethren Church of Melmore, the first established in Seneca County, was organized at Melmore, May 12, 1834, at the home of Philip Bretz. There were present Samuel Hiestand. Jacob Bowlus, John Russell, John Eckert, Jacob Baer, Israel Herrington, D. Mechlin. Orange Strong, William Tracy, Nathan Smith, John Crum. John Alsap, Benjamin Moore, Henry Errett, John Smith. John Fry, Torence Esterly. Ludwick Cramer, James Track, H. Vreimberling. Jacob Crum, John Long, Philip Cramer, George
550
HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
Hiskey, Henry Huber; Israel Herrington was ordained elder. In 1846 the con- ference met in the stone church, known as Bretz's Meeting House, a mile up Honey Creek from Melmore. This was the first United Brethren Church in the county and continued in use until about 1858, when the present church at Melmore was erected.
Up to 1848 Honey Creek was a part of Seneca Circuit, but the conference 'held that year at Melmore set off the Honey Creek Circuit as a mission of Seneca Circuit, with D. Glancy, preacher. In 1865, the missions known as Seneca Union, Honey Creek Chapel and Liberty were detached from Seneca Circuit. Base Line from Benton Circuit, Berwick from Van Lue Circuit, and all formed into the Honey Creek Circuit, with Rev. Isaac Crouse, preacher. T. J. McKeen came in 1866; H. K. Berry, in 1867; B. Struble, in 1868, with William Mathers (Protestant Episcopal); W. Miller (Protestant Episcopal) in 1869; W. A. Keesy in 1870-71: C. Hepler, 1872; E. B. Maurer, 1873-74; H. C. Beving- ton, 1875; W. W. McCurdy, 1876-77; N. S. Long, 1878-79; M, E. Spahr, 1880-81; G. P. Macklin, 1882-83, and J. H. Arnold, 1884. The membership is 204.
The church of the Evangelical Association at Melmore, of which Rev. E. Wengard is pastor, is one of the old churches of this society in Seneca County.
Cemeteries .- The Buckeye Cemetery Association of Eden Township, com- posed of persons interested in the old cemetery on the farm of Solomon Brundage. was organized June 29, 1861, with Joseph Smith, Gamaliel Cowles and John Bigham, trustees. There are no less than five burial-grounds in the township. Of the Indian cemeteries not a vestige remains, if we except the mysterious mound and fortification referred to at page 195.
CONCLUSION.
This pastoral and picturesque division of Seneca was formed on founda- tions which promised teeming wealth and sunny prosperity, by the enterpris- ing pioneer farmers who came here to stay and develop. Few of the original builders are here. but they live again, not only in the brighter land beyond the "swift Borysthenes, " but also here in spirit among the generations for which they labored late and early. The drama, which they first placed upon the stage, goes on, each year adding an act and each actor widening the scene, promising the play to hold the stage until the firmament is rolled up, and time here ceases to be time. The hard hands which prepared the way for these pretentious homes, these orchards, gardens, fields of golden grain; for filling the cities with the habitations of men, building schools, churches and all substantial evidences of prosperity, are quietly resting in old mother earth. The historian, conscious of a duty, dwells among them for a time in study, and brings up a hundred names of those who commenced the work of civilization here, and blends them with present names. thus bringing history down to our own times, and cover- ing sixty-six years of the township's life under American laws. customs and manners.
551
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP.
CHAPTER XIX.
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP.
H OPEWELL, in the days of the earliest settlement, was known as Town- ship 2 north, Range 14 east. It was surveyed into sections and quarter sections in 1820 by J. T. Worthington, assisted by David Risdon and others, and one year later was opened to entry in common with all United States' lands in the county. In 1822 the first settlers looked in upon the scene, and staked their homes in the wilderness. Eight years later the population reached 549; eighteen years after settlement it increased to 913; twenty-eight years after to 1,288, and fifty-eight years after settlement to 1,632. The pop- ulation in 1885 is estimated at about 1,800, including Bascom Village. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad enters the township in the northwest cor- ner of Section 18, runs southeast across the township, and enters Tiffin in Section 24. The Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan Railroad was actually built and equipped, paralleling the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, but the ties and rails were taken up and sold when that enterprise collapsed. The Indiana, Bloomington & Western Railroad runs southwest from Tiffin through the south- east corner, and the Northwestern Ohio Railroad enters the township in the southeast quarter of Section 13 and enters Liberty Township at Section 1 of this township.
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