USA > Ohio > Seneca County > History of Seneca County, from the close of the revolutionary war to July, 1880 > Part 28
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In the summer following Mr. Hedges built a better bridge at the same place, and when it was done he employed a colored man to collect toll. This was the first and only toll bridge that Tiffin ever had. Early in the spring of 1836, James W. Hill published a notice to the effect that he had rented the toll bridge from Mr. Hedges for the term of three months, commencing on the Ist day of April, 1836, and called upon those who had bargains with Mr. Hedges to cross the bridge, to call on him, in order to renew their contracts, etc.
The bridge was a great convenience, but the idea of paying toll became annoying to farmers, as well as to the merchants in Tiffin, and a plan was put on foot to have a free bridge constructed over the river at the west end of Market street. A subscription list was circulated, and when the requisite amount was subscribed the contract was let. It was a wooden, truss bridge with a roof over it. Guy Stevens, Benjamin Biggs, John Park and Dr. James Fisher were the building committee; Andrew Lugenbeel was treasurer.
There was great rejoicing in Tiffin when, on the 18th day of Febru- ary, 1837, it was announced that the free bridge was opened to the public. It cost $2,200.00. Hedges' toll bridge became a free bridge also, as a matter of course.
This covered, free bridge was a fearfully dark place after night, and the women on either side of the river refused to cross it without pro- tection, after dark. Some time after, lanterns were put up at each end during dark nights. Peter Vaness established a large carriage shop where Loomis & Nyman's foundry now is, near the bridge, and when the carriage factory burned down, the bridge caught fire and burned.
The old toll bridge lasted for ten years after that, when, on New Year's night of 1847, it was swept away by a freshet. Then the county commissioners put up in its place one of the most wonderful contriv- ances for a bridge that was ever seen. The plan of it was simple enough, but the great quantity of material used in its construction . surprised everybody but the commissioners. The stringers that were laid from one bent to the other, and on which the plank were laid cross-wise, were of such ponderous size and weight that they absolutely broke the whole fabric down, very soon after it was finished.
When the people saw the danger of an accident, some one nailed boards across the ends of the bridge to keep teams from going on it,
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THE BRIDGES.
and in less than a week from that time, down it went. Then was con- structed the wire suspension bridge, in 1853, which answered a good purpose for some time, and which also in its order gave way to the present beautiful iron structure, being the fifth bridge built at that place since 1833.
The free bridge on Market street burned away in the night following the 26th day of January, 1854, and was succeeded by the present bridge, which was built by the county commissioners. The fire in Vaness' carriage factory was discovered at two o'clock in the morning, and the roof of the bridge took fire from it "within twenty minutes thereafter.
The morning of the 24th day of April, 1833, was cool and bracing; the sun shone brightly while the ebb of the Atlantic ocean set into the mouth of the Seine at Havre de Grace, France. To take advantage of the tide, several American packets in the harbor were making ready to leave the port. Sailors were running to and fro; some up in the rigging, others hoisting the anchor; some speaking English, some German, some French, some Spanish; some were singing, some swearing, and all were busy. Passengers crowding onto the boats with their goods, had their passes examined and their berths assigned to them. The ebb was up to high water mark, and the time had come to "let go." The few sails that were stretched swelled westward by the gentle breeze; the rudder groaned, and the old "Jefferson" began to move.
Two sailors pulled up a bunting at the foot of the rear mast, and when it got high enough to catch the breeze, it unfolded the "Stars and Stripes" of the United States of America for the first time to the eyes of the writer. The emotions that filled my heart at the sight I will not undertake to describe, for fear my kind readers might think me foolish. But think of a boy with a warm, hopeful nature, running away from his native land to escape its oppressions and military tyranny, leaving his native shore for the land of his hopes and desires, for the first time in his life standing under the "flag of the free," under which his future destiny is to be wrought out-and you can have an idea how the writer felt when leaving Havre de Grace.
On board of the Jefferson were one hundred and thirty-seven passen- gers, mostly from Bavaria and Baden. Of these, strange as it may seem, three families came to Tiffin without the least consort of action or understanding. When we landed at Baltimore every family had its own point of destination, and all scattered. The Lang family came here that same year, in August; the Hoffman family in the fall after, and the family of John G. Osteen came in 1840, I think.
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
This Hoffman family was from Meisenheim, in the Palatinate, and consisted of Frederick Hoffman, his wife and three children, John, Fritz and Charlotte. Charlotte was a little blue-eyed beauty, with fair skin, cheerful face, and flaxen locks falling upon her shoulders. Her friendly, sweet nature, attracted the attention of the people on board, and she became one of the pets. Charlotte was then about three years old, and had for a playmate another little girl that looked very much like her. She was the youngest daughter of a Mr. Maurer, on board, and afterwards became the wife of the Hon. Charles Buesel, late senator from the Auglaize district, dliving in New Bremen.
Frederick Hoffman was then about forty years of age. He was a potter by trade; had traveled some; was very social and talkative- really attractive in conversation. . He was a man of striking personal appearance. His carriage was very straight; he was about five feet nine inches high; not fleshy, but muscular. He had very black hair, black eyes, and very long, black eye-lashes; a large nose, and rather ยท large, but well proportioned mouth; and deep, sonorous voice. His manners were easy and gentlemanly. The writer has but faint recol- lection of Mrs. Hoffman.
When the family came here in the fall of 1833, though late, Mr. Hoffman bought the lot now owned by the Henz family, next south to Dr. McFarland, and immediately erected a two-story hewed log house thereon. As soon as the house was done, the family occupied it and opened the first German tavern in Tiffin. The first German dance in Tif- fin was held there about Christmas that year, 1833. The oldest son, John, and the writer were comrades on board the Jefferson, and we renewed our friendship with great pleasure after we came together again here. In the spring of 1834 Mr. Hoffman put up a potter's-shop and an oven on his lot, and burnt several kilns of good pottery, the first in the county.
In 1832 the Asiatic cholera broke out in Canada, and, sweeping along the Hudson and the St. Lawrence, visited the large cities along the sea- coast. It raged with greater or less severity from Newfoundland to New Orleans in 1833. In 1834 cases occurred in many inland towns and cities. About the fore part of August in this year, news reached Tiffin that several cases had proved fatal in Sandusky City. People in Tiffin began to be apprehensive and expressed much concern on the subject. A constable, by the name of John Hubble, lived on Monroe street. His wife died on the 19th of August. The doctors refused to say much about the cause of her death, and it was rumored about that she had eaten green cucumbers that had caused her death. On the next day a small child of a German family that lived in the second story of Mr.
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ASIATIC CHOLERA.
Hoffman's house, died. In the afternoon of that day the writer took the coffin to the house and put the little corpse into it. The father was absent from home, and the mother wished to wait for his return before she would have the child buried. Coming down stairs, I found Mr. Hoffman at the front door, and after talking awhile we parted. He had just recovered from an attack of billious fever and looked very pale. His pale face, white shirt and white pants, forming a violent contrast with his very black eyes and hair, made his appearance more impressive than ever. This was about four o'clock P. M. The following night about three o'clock his son John called me out of bed and requested that I should come down to the house and said his father was dying. When I reached the house, Dr. Dresbach came out and told me Hoff- man had died of cholera. Now consternation and alarm spread like wild-fire over the town and country, and Tiffin changed its appearance very rapidly. Business stopped; people stood about the streets in groups. Some prepared to get away already. Several other cases occurred in the next twenty-four hours, and at the end of one week from the death of Mr. Hoffman there were only about seven families left in the place. Boss Phillips, and all the shop hands, were among the runaways, except a young man from Maryland, Mr. Wilson and myself. Mr. Campbell's cabinet shop was also shut up. Stores and all other public houses, except Sneath's hotel, were closed. Some movers, German, Scotch and Irish families, had stopped here on their way west. The Cronise family, the Seewalds, and the Lang families and part of Boyers staid. Father thought it was wrong to run away from each other in time of distress. Wilson and myself had the shop to our- selves, and made the coffins as fast as we could. Very often we made rough boxes answer. One Sunday we made seven. The town was very still and quiet during the day. Scarcely a man could be seen except the doctors running hither and thither. Boards were nailed across the doors of many houses. The nights were made hideous by the bawling of the cows and the howling of the dogs that had lost their masters and owners. When the disease began to abate Mr. Phillips called to see us once in a while. We made eighty-six coffins in our shop in five weeks from the time Mr. Hoffman died. One Sunday morning an ox-team came along Market street from the west, with a water-trough made out of a log, on the wagon, and a slab nailed over the top, going to the cemetery. Two men with pick and shovel fol- lowed. They buried a man that had died west of Fort Ball.
In a log house at the southeast corner of Perry and Jefferson, lived a Scotch family by the name of Dalrymple. They had a boy, Johnny,
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
about thirteen years old, who, a few days before, was a picture of health as well as a picture of beauty. I loved him for his friendly nature. One day the mother came to the shop and requested me to come to the house and take his measure. He laid on his bed with a sheet over him, but looked as beautiful as ever. I ran to Dr. Dresbach and told him that I did not believe the boy was dead. The Doctor thought otherwise, but gave me a bottle of brandy, with orders to make it hot and rub it all over him with a flannel cloth. The mother assisted me, and in less than one half hour the poor fellow began to move and opened his eyes. Dr. Dresbach was called in and was much rejoiced at our success. He took him in charge and in about two weeks the boy was on the street again. The cases were getting less and people began to return. The weather was growing cooler and slight frosts were observable some mornings. People began to take courage with a hope that the cholera had left us. One morning Mrs. Dalrymple came to the shop crying and told us that her son was dead. His was the last case in Tiffin.
Towards the latter part of October all the stragglers had returned.
It is not true, as Mr. Butterfield would have it, that the disease was confined to the German and Irish emigrants exclusively. 'Squire'Plane, David Bretz, Andrew Fruitchy, Mr. Brookover, and many others that died, were citizens here and natives.
The cholera returned again to Tiffin in 1849, in 1852, and again in 1854, with less severity, however, except for a short time in 1854, when on one Sunday, sixteen corpses were counted on the Fort Ball side, where it raged with the greatest fury. On that day Dr. Hovey, with the assistance of Joe Smith, George W. Zigler, William Holt, Thomas W. Boyce, Mrs. Flahaff, Miss Julia Gear, laid out eleven dead at the hospital alone. It took some moral courage to stare death in the face in times like these, and the names of these heroes and heroines are re- corded here as worthy to be remembered. All the doctors did their duty, no doubt, but Dr. Hovey was, perhaps, the most active and indus- trious. For five weeks he was amongst his patients day and night without changing his clothes. The Rev. Mr. Sullivan, of St. Mary's Church, was amongst the fearless, and Dr. McCollum, until he himself was taken down. "There were giants in those days."
Strange as it may seem, the greatest mortality was on that side of the river, which may be partially accounted for from the fact that the pest-house was built there; but with all that there were fewer cases on the Tiffin side.
One thing more on this subject should be mentioned here. Mrs.
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THE RAILROADS.
Hoffman died within one week after her husband, leaving the children strangers in a strange land. The boys were more able to help them- selves. Little Charlotte found a good home in the family of Judge Ebert, who had no children. The good and kind Mrs. Ebert adopted Charlotte and raised and educated her with the love and tender care of a good mother. A young lawyer in Tiffin succeeded in winning her heart after she had grown up into womanhood, and little Charlotte is the happy wife of Governor Lee, of Toledo.
THE RAILROADS.
It is said that great events sometimes throw their shadows before.
The subject of a railroad to Tiffin from some place was talked about nearly ten years before a locomotive was seen in town. When the sub- ject of the Mad River and Lake Erie railroad began to be agitated, meetings were held in Tiffin from time to time, committees appointed to raise subscriptions, etc. In August, 1832, the Sandusky Clarion pub- ' lished an editorial in which it was said that the prospects of a road were good, and that $50,000 had already been subscribed.
In September, 1832, the following notice was published in the Seneca Patriot:
RAILROAD NOTICE.
The undersigned, Commissioners of Seneca county, for the Mad River and Erie R. R., will open books for subscription of stock for said road in Tiffin, Seneca county, on the fourth day of October, 1832, at the residence of Eli Norris.
HENRY CRONISE. JOSIAH HEDGES.
The first sod for this road was cut at the end of Water street, San- dusky, Ohio, on the 7th day of September, A. D., 1835, by General Harrison, of Cincinnati, assisted by Governor Vance. The occasion was one of rejoicing; banners were hoisted to the breeze, while music and song filled the air.
The track was laid along Water street to the west end of the city. James Bell was the civil engineer for its construction, and W. Durlein his assistant. The first locomotive, called the "Sandusky," arrived there in 1838, and was used in the construction of the road. In the fall of 1838, the line was completed to Bellevue, fifteen miles, and the first train run there. Thomas Hogg, who afterwards moved to the island, was the engineer; John Paull, now dead, was fireman, and Charles Higgins, also dead, was conductor. The train consisted of the locomotive "Sandusky," a small passenger car, and a still smaller freight car, not exceeding twenty feet in length, which latter car re- mained for some time the only accommodation for carrying merchan- 'dise. It is said this locomotive was the first one in America that had a
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
steam whistle. In 1839 work was done from Bellevue to Republic. The first locomotive reached Tiffin in 1841. Conrad Poppenburg was the engineer when the first passenger train ran to Tiffin; Earnest Kir- rian was the fireman-both still living. Paul Klauer died in Urbana of cholera. He was also a hand on the train.
Since then, another route had been opened through Clyde and the old route entirely abandoned and taken up. The old charter bears date January 5, 1832. The company is now known by the name of Cincinnati, Sandusky and Cleveland railroad, and runs over one hun- dred and ninety miles of rails. Its main line is from Sandusky to Springfield, a distance of one hundred and thirty miles.
The Columbus division extends from Columbus to Springfield, forty- five miles, and the Findlay branch extends from Carey to Findlay, a distance of sixteen miles. This line of road is proverbial for its steady and safe traveling facilities, and is one of the best conducted roads in the country.
The Tiffin, Toledo and Eastern railroad .- On the first day of May, 1873, the first regular passenger train was run on this road. It traverses the county in a northwesterly direction. This road is now consolidated with the Mansfield, Coldwater and Lake Michigan, and is completed from Mansfield to Toledo, now under the control of the Pennsylvania company. Its depot in Tiffin is near the "tunnel," where the road crosses Washington street. The road is doing a large business.
The Baltimore, Pittsburg and Chicago railroad was completed to 'Tiffin in the early part of 1874. It is under the general management of the Baltimore and Ohio company, and crosses Seneca county nearly east and west. The bridge of this company across the Sandusky river is of iron, and decidedly the best railroad bridge in the county. The company is doing a very extensive business, but their present depot in Tiffin is a little board shanty, unworthy alike of the road and of Tiffin.
The Lake Erie and Louisville railroad runs through the northwestern part of the county to Fostoria, and the Columbus and Toledo railroad, running through Big Spring and Loudon townships, also touching at Fostoria, are in full operation.
The Pomeroy road (so-called), and hereafter to be known as the Atlantic and Lake Erie road, has been graded for some time, and is to be put into operation during the coming summer. It runs through Seneca and Loudon townships; also touching at Fostoria.
Thus Seneca county is cut by five railroads, in constant operation, with another in immediate prospect, and still another east and west road in embryo.
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HEIDELBERG COLLEGE.
The Tiffin and Fort Wayne road was surveyed and graded about twenty-five years ago. It is almost forgotten, together with its own sad history.
The Clinton Line Extension, that was to run from Tiffin eastward, and towards the construction of which Tiffin and the people along the line contributed so largely, was another of the many gigantic frauds and robberies that have contributed so largely to make people, who are not in the railroad ring, and belong not to the large fish, so extremely cautious and reluctant when they are now asked to subscribe towards the building of another railroad. The numerous subscribers of the Mansfield, Coldwater and Lake Michigan, who have been sued to pay . their subscription the second time, have some experience in the premises.
HISTORY OF HEIDELBERG COLLEGE AT TIFFIN.
The establishment of this college grew out of the desire of the " Re- formed Church of Ohio " to found institutions (namely, a college and a theological seminary) where its candidates for the ministry might obtain a full and complete classical and scientific education ; and where also all others fitting for the different professions, might have the benefit of that educational training so necessary for success in other ways.
In the year 1850, Rev. Hiram Shaull, the pastor of the First Reformed Church in Tiffin, by prompt and energetic action, succeeded in obtain- ing subscriptions to the amount of $11,030 from the citizens of Tiffin and vicinity, to be donated to the proposed college, on the condition that it be located at Tiffin. The proposition was accepted by the synod, at Navarre, Ohio, in September, 1850, and two professors were at once elected to open the school. These two professors have been in connection with these institutions from the start, a period now of thirty years. They were Rev. J. H. Good, A. M., of Columbus, Ohio, elected as professor of mathematics, and Rev. Reuben Good, A. M., of Darke county, Ohio, elected as rector of the preparatory department. These gentlemen promptly removed to Tiffin, and by November of the same year, opened the school, in the third story of a business block called ." Commercial Row." Joel W. Wilson, Esq., and one of the professors, canvassed the city for scholars, and on the 18th of Novem- ber, the college was opened with seven pupils. By the 15th of Decem- ber the number had increased to eighty-two. During the first year one hundred and forty-nine (of whom twenty-five were in the classical de- partment) were enrolled. The college campus, valued at $2,000, and
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
containing five acres, was a donation from Josiah Hedges, Esq., the founder of Tiffin. The college was named " Heidelberg College," after the celebrated University of that name in Germany, and in honor of the only symbolical book of the Reformed church, namely, the " Heidel- . berg Catechism." The basement story of the college building was put up in the autumn of 1851. The corner stone (donated by Dr. Elias Heiner, of Baltimore, Maryland,) was laid on Thursday, the 13th of May, 1852, by Major Lewis Baltzell, President of the Board of Trus- tees; on which occasion an address on the "Dignity of Labor " was delivered by General S. F. Carey, of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the presence of a large audience. The campus was subsequently enlarged by the purchase of four acres from Hon. W. W. Armstrong, of Cleveland, Ohio. The college building was completed in the year 1852, at an expense of $15,000, and occupied for the first time in the autumn of that year. In 1871 a large house for the residence of the President was erected, at an expense of about $4,000. In 1873 a large three-story boarding hall was erected at an expense of about $8,000.
The following is a list of the professors and teachers who have been connected with the college since its establishment:
Rev. R. Good, A. M.
Rev. J. H. Good, D. D.
Rev. E. V. Gerhart, D. D., Pres.
Rev. M. Kieffer, D. D., Pres.
Rev. J. H. Rutenick, D. D.
Rev. E. E. Higbee, D. D.
J. B. Kieffer, A. M.
Rev. G.W. Aughinbaugh, D. D., Pres. Rev. G. W. Willard, D. D., Pres.
Rev. Joseph A. Keiller, A. M.
Rev. P. Greding, D. D.
Rev. H. Zimmerman.
C. S. A. Hursh, A. M.
Rev, A. S. Zerbee, A. M. Ph. D.
Rev. C. C. Knepper, A M.
Miss Sarah J. Thayer.
Miss O. U. Rutenick.
Miss Jane Hartsock.
Rev. J. J. Esher.
Rev. J. B. Kniest.
Rev. J. V. Lerch, A. M.
Rev. Edwin R Willard, A. M.
Rev. J P. Moore, A M.
Rev Eph. Epstein, M. D.
Rev. W. H. Fumeman.
Frederick Mayer, A. B.
Rev. Louis Grosenbaugh, A. M.
Wm. P. Cope, A. M.
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Charles Hornung, A. M.
Rev. C. H. G. Von Lutenan.
Mrs. A. M. Lee.
Mrs. Elizabeth Gerhart.
Miss M. A. Moritz.
N. L. Brewer, Esq.
Rev. H. Rust, A. M.
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HEIDELBERG COLLEGE.
The following table will give a list of the students that have been jn attendance :
COLLEGE YEAR.
IN COLLEGE.
IN PREPARATORY.
TOTAL.
1850-51
O
149
149
1851-52
26
148
174
1852-53
29
177
206
1853-54
47
175
226
1854-55
43
134
187
1855-56
22
125
147
1856-57
32
138
160
1857-58
29
104
133
1858-59
28
104
132
1859-60
21
84
105
1860-62
29
98
127
1 862-64
23
192
215
1864-67
41
137
178
1867-68
71
156
227
1868-69
72
110
182
1869-70
85
96
181
1870-71
65
117
182
1871-72
61
83
149
1872-73
61
78
139
1873-74
72
124
196
1874-75
102
106
221
1875-76
90
75
165
1876-77
88
70
158
1877-78
84
85
169
1878-79
80
88
168
The financial agents of the College have been Rev. M. Shaull, and Elder Henry Leonard, of Basil, Ohio. The invested funds of the Col- lege now amount to over $100,000. The total number of students who have received their education in whole or in part in Heidelberg College, is about 3,300. Probably a majority of the families of Seneca county have been represented here. These students are found in all the professions and ranks of life. Nearly two hundred ministers of the gospel have gone forth from these institutions, and are scattered over the northern states, from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Closely connected with Heidelberg College is
HEIDELBERG THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.
This is strictly and exclusively a Theological school, held in the College building, but separate and distinct as a corporation, and having separate endowments and professors. It was commenced at
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Tiffin about six months later than the College. The professors in this Seminary have been the following, the two last being still in office:
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