USA > Ohio > Seneca County > History of Seneca County, from the close of the revolutionary war to July, 1880 > Part 50
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John Seitz, "Isaac Rohrer, Levi Neibel, Lyman Robinson, Jacob , Meyer, Rufus Kirshner, Henry Perkey, David Crapo, Truman King, James Wilson, Evan Dorsey, John Newman, Lewis Seitz, John Davis, Mr. Jeffries. Mr. Donald and J. C. Hampton are also honored names among the old pioneers.
Bloom was organized, as already stated, in June, 1824. In 1830 it already had a population of 389. Between 1830 and 1840 came also David Roop, John T. Reed, Simon Koller, Benj Huddle (Hottel), Philip Heilman, David Troxell, Adam Baker, John Fisher, Samuel Gross, Edward Cooley, Henry Andres, James Trail, and Greensberry and Notley Trail, William and Zeliphant Owen, John Valentine, Henry and Samuel Nestly, Jonas Hostler, D. T Lee, George Showman, Geo. King, Samuel Shaffer, Jacob Hossler, the esquire, and James Wilson, the lawyer. The census of 1840 showed a population of 1,168 souls. In 1870 it was 1,492; in 1880 it is 2,162. At this time (1840) the land in the township was nearly, if not quite all, taken up, and the light of day was rapidly let in upon the ground, while the fields increased in number and proportions.
Mr. James Steel, from Pennsylvania, built the first grist mill in the township, on the banks of Silver creek. The Hershbergers turned it into a sawmill sometime after the Koller mill and the Engle mill were put up. The first meeting house in the township was a Presbyterian church, erected in 1834. It was a small frame building. They held meetings in it before it was plastered; all that spring and summer and in the fall of that year, while it was being plastered. By some unknown cause, it took fire and burned down. Then a brick church was built on the same spot, which answered for many years, until finally it was torn down and the brick used in the construction of the brick church in Bloomville. The old church stood northwest of Bloomville. near the cemetery. The Methodists built a church soon after on the land owned .
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by J. W. Stinchcomb, but it was superceded by the stone church down the creek.
The tradition about the two young men naming Silver creek and Honey creek has no historic merit, and is therefore excluded. The name of Bloom is very appropriate.
BLOOMVILLE.
Philip J. Price, Julius Treat and Thomas T. Treat, in the summer of 1837, laid out a town upon the corners of sections nine, ten, fifteen and sixteen. and called it Bloomville. Simon Koller owned the land on the northwest corner, Edward Cooley on the southeast corner, Price and the Treat brothers on the southwest corner, and Edward Owen on the north- west corner. Mr. Cooley built the first house on the town site, which stood where the Record printing office now is. The Treat brothers built the next house, which was removed several times. and finally occupied by Thomas Treat as a store and postoffice. The Brown brothers bought out Price and Treat's store and continued it for a while. In 1850 the town contained a dozen buildings. Frederick Zimmerman, Conrad Klachr, William Hathaway, Ch. Keller, Jno. Hunsicker, Wm. Cooley, Dr. George Weeks. Jonathan Kastner, Jacob Estep, and Jacob Breiner, with their families, were the inhabitants. Hathaway and Kuntz were 'the pioneer shoemakers in the village. Webster had a blacksmith shop on the corner now occupied by the Hossler block. Dr. Weeks suc- ceeded Dr. Bellville, who, with Dr Peter J. Smith, were the pioneer physicians. Mr. Keller was the first tailor, and Mr. Klachr the first wagon and carriage makers. Soon after John Seitz, Jr., and William Dewitt opened a store on the corner now known by the name of the " burned district." Mr. Dewitt was afterwards elected county recorder, and died while in office. Mr. Seitz represented Seneca in both branches of the legislature. (See chapter XXVI.) Dr. Weeks entered the war against the rebellion, and became surgeon general in the department of Tennessee. Thomas Dysinger opened the first tavern. The Bloom House was built by Benj. Knopp in 1855 or 1856 Among the enter- prising citizens who have helped to build up Bloomville, may be men- tioned, Benj. Knopp, Henry Dittenhafer, John Hunsicker, E. P. Bliss. Mathias Teach and Henry Briner were the first men that enlisted from Bloomville for the war.
The location of the Mansfield and Coldwater railroad gave Bloom- ville a " fresh start in the world." Large brick edifices for business and dwelling houses, the general increase in the number of buildings and
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population, the warehouses and factories, show the healthy increase and prosperity of the town.
On the 4th of July, 1874, the Rev, Robert Lockhart established the first newspaper here, the Enterprise. He published the paper about three months, when he turned it over to J. N. Lee, who, after a few weeks, sold it to D. W. Fisher, who issued the first paper January Ist, 1875-the Bloomville Banner. The Adams Brothers then became the owners next, and sold to Mr. Kaga, and he again to Mr Fisher, who, after one issue, sold to W. S. Hammaker, and he, after about eight months, stopped the publication, and sold the institution to the present enterprising and able editor of the Seneca County Record, O. M. Hol- comb, Esq., who is making the Record a success.
Bloomville was incorporated by a special act of the legislature in 1871. Jacob Hossler, Esq., was elected its first mayor. Several addi- tions have been made to Bloomville during the ten years last past, by Conrad Klachr, Mrs Melinda Lee, Eli Winters and John Krilly. The oar factory, established in 1874, by J D. . Wilsey, was quite an impor- tant event in the history of the town.
The Rev. George R. Brown, Universalist, preached here in 1840. Dr. Jones is the pastor of the M. E. Church, and Rev. J. W. Shaw of the Reformed Church.
In 1875 the public schools opened up, under the superintendence of Mr. J. K. Hamilton. The building is a fine two-story edifice, with four rooms, and cost about $7,000.
The grain depot of Einsel & Co. added much to the enterprise of the town.
(NOTE-I am under obligations to my friend Mr. Holcomb, for his kindness in furnishing me with meterial and dates.)
My reverend and esteemed friend, the venerable Elder Lewis Seitz, was so kind as to furnish the writer with a statement of his early recol- lections of Bloom township, and the reader will find pleasure in its perusal, I am very sure. It is given here as written, without a word of comment. May its moral lesson be heeded and cherished.
RECOLLECTIONS OF PIONEER DAYS IN BLOOM TOWNSHIP.
[By Elder Lewis Seitz.]'
In October. 1:25, at the age of twenty-three, with my wife and one child. I removed to my present home ton an adjoining farmi in Bloom township. The name of Bloom had been suggested by my brother John just one year before my arrival. and adopted in 1524 at the organization of the township. I came from my native county, Fairfield. into an almost unbroken wilder- ness of forest trees, with less than a score of settlers in advance of me.
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Nearly all who were here before me had settled along the rich valley of Honey creek. For two or three years before mine was reared, cabins had begun to appear in our wilderness. Among their occupants I remember Joseph MeClellan, James and Thomas Boyd, the Donalds, George Free, Roswell Munsel, Nehemiah Hadley, John Stroh, Lowell Robinson, my brothers John Seitz and Noah Seitz. J. C. Hampton (who came in 1822 with the Boyds and Donalds, from Ross county,) informs me that he aided in erecting the first cabin put up in the township. This was for my brother Noah. on Silver creek. Hampton made his home for a time with his com- panions from Ross. Their shelter at first was in a log pen covered with logs split in twain, the under tier being with flat side up, and the top tier cover- ing the cracks with the flat side down. The beds were for the women, on bedsteads, with one post. That is, in one corner of the " pen " two poles were entered in the logs, with the other end in this "post." Baswood bark furnished the. "cords." The men slept on the ground, with hickory bark spread down for sheets. Hampton says : "Our first supply of flour was brought by us on horseback from Mansfield, through the woods." I also helped cut ont the small timber west and south of Roop's Corners, to make a public road. But to continue with the names of the first settlers: Jacob Rodegeb, Abraham Kagy, John Davis, Edward Sutherland, Christopher Perkey, Bartholomew Stout, John Stincheomb and Richard Ridgely. With- in a very few years after my arrival came also Jacob Webster, the Bixlers, John Pennington, J. T. Reed, John Einsel, Edward Cooley, Samuel Gross, John Valentine, Gain Robinson, Zelaphel Owen, Joshua Watson, Samuel and Henry Nisley, Lewis and Jacob Spitler.
During these early days a wilderness of forest trees covered the earth, and the first need of the settler was to clear away space enough for a cabin, and then it was "root, hog, or die." While I brought from Fairfield county enough flour to last two years, very few of my contemporaries were thus provided. One season, however, usually sufficed the industrious pioneer to clear a small field and grow bread to do. As for meat, everyone had his gun to supply him with wild turkey or venison, which were abundant. Often, too, as we lay upon our pillow at night, were we saluted with the howl of wolves, apparently at our cabin door. Not only did they make night vocal with their cries, but woe to the sheep or young pigs not well guarded. An occasional bear passed through, but I think none made their home in our township. There were some otter about the marsh near Bloomville. A wild cat was shot within one hundred rods of our cabin. Indians often visited us, generally of the Wyandot tribe, who then had their headquarters at Upper Sandusky. A few Senecas, from their reserve below Tiffin, straggled hither occasionally. Our red brother was uniformly friendly, and, as a rule, honest, but a tricky one appeared sometimes. Unlike his white brother of modern times, however, he had not the cheek to attempt a repeti- tion of his trick in the same vicinity. Shamed by that conscience which, as Shakespeare puts it, " makes cowards of us all," his victim seldom saw him again.
Mr. N. Hadley was admitted to be the boss hunter and trapper on Honey creek. Mr. Hadley, at a single hunt, brought down seven deer, six of them by torchlight, and the seventh by sunlight in the morning. So fond was 32
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Hadley of hunting, that, game getting scarce. he had J. C. Ilampton to hanl .
his family and goods (mostly steel traps) to the head of canoe navigation on the Scioto, in Hardin county. Here he dug ont two large .walnut canoes. lashed them side by side, and started for Cairo, on the Mississippi. With one boat wrecked on the raging Scioto. he nevertheless reached Portsmouth with the other, his family walking most of the way. At this point a captain of a steamer bound for lowa, whither Hadley was going, struck with admir- ation for a man who would venture his all in a canoe on the Ohio, offered to carry him without charge to his destination. Thus the boss pioneer hun- ter of Bloom township left Ohio for game in the far west.
An encounter of a Wyandot Indian with a pack of hungry wolves in South Bloom is worth recording. He had tracked a wounded deer some distance in the snow, when suddenly he came upon it surrounded by a pack of wolves, making of it a hasty meal. Intent upon having some of the meat himself, he tried to drive the wolves by shooting one of them. This enraged the rest. and they rushed upon him. Backing against a tree, he kept them at bay with his tomahawk, till hunger overcoming rage, they returned to finish their meal upon the deer. The Indian, convinced that " discretion was the better part of valor," was glad to escape. The pioneer who suceceded best in making a comfortable living, did not make a business of hunting, but chopping and logging and burning was the chief work. Much timber, which to-day would be valuable in market. was burned on the ground. No where could finer poplar, walunt. blue ash and butternut trees be found than in Bloom township.
The first saw mill was built by Roswell Munsel and the Donalds, on Honey creek, near the present Kaler mill. Soon after John Davis built another mill. a mile further down, where my first himber was made. A few years later Abraham Kagy put up a saw mill, and the Steeles a saw and grist mill on Silver creek. It may be well to remind the reader that in those days our water courses furnished power much more steadily and for a greater. part of the year. Through the clearing away of fallen timber and general drainage, our creeks gave short lived spirts of water, and then Steele's grist mill could be heard day and night for more than half the year. My first grinding was done at Hedges' mill, just below Tiffin. When we began to have wheat to sell our nearest public market was at Venice or Portland (Sandusky City.) This was so until the pioneer railroad in Ohio made us a market at Republic.
In those days neighbors were neighbors, indeed. Was a cabin to be " raised." logs to be "rolled." or assistance of any kind needed, a simple notice was enough. A " neighbor " could be found at a much greater dis- tance than now. The whisky of those days was not charged with " killing at forty rods " as now, but the "brown jug " or the " barrel " was found in nearly every home, and it was esteemed an indispensable "mechanical power " at " raisings " and " loggings," etc., etc.
Our public schools were held at first in cabins like our dwellings, with a huge fire place on one side, with a " stick and mud " chimney on the ont- side. Religions meetings were held in these "school houses," or in the cabins of the settlers. The Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists were the first to organize societies or churches in Bloom. James Robinson, a Pres-
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byterian clergyman, organized the first church of that name, about the year 1830.
On the 27th of May, 1827. the Baptist church, named " Honey Creek," was organized. The "council " was composed of Elders Thomas Snelson, of Highland county, and Benjamin Caves, of Pickaway, and Deacon John Hite, of Fairfield. In 1830 the undersigned was chosen pastor of this church and has sustained this relation ever since. As will be noticed, ministers in those early days traveled a great way in the pursuit of their calling. But not as now, cosily and swiftly in a railway coach, but invariably on horse- back, equipped with " saddle-bags," with Bible, hymn book. a few " dickeys" (a sort of shirt-front with collar attached ), and some provisions, perhaps. The messenger of " peace and good will," through the cross of Christ, traveled in all kinds of weather, over all sorts of roads (or no roads through the wilderness). Perhaps such experiences, if presented to many of our clerical brethren to-day. as a part of their labors, would lead to some more congenial calling. But it must be remembered that the privations and trials of pioneer life were shared by all classes, and hence borne the more cheer- fully. While we may freely admit that this generation is enjoying much that is good and desirable as the fruit of the labors and purposes of their pioneer fathers and mothers. it is a matter of profound regret that the rugged virtues and beautiful friendships could not have been transmitted with the improved culture, conveniences, comforts and Inxnries enjoyed by our children. They are enjoying the material blessings for which their fathers and mothers toiled and dared and suffered. Modern improvements have obviated the necessity for much of the personal effort and deprivation of pioneer life, but when we cease to practice their manly and womanly vir- thes, all our boasted progress cannot save ns from the penalties of violated moral law.
Of all my first neighbors, Abraham Kagy, J. C. Hampton, Mrs. Thomas West and John C. Martin alone remain. The rest have passed to that "bourne from whence no traveler returns." We, too, shall soon pass away, but may He who guides the destinies of men and of nations, bless our chil- dren and our country with civil and religions liberty, and every good result- ing from the reign of truth and righteousness is the prayer of
Yours truly LEWIS SEITZ.
WILLIAM DAVIS
Says: I am the oldest son of John Davis, who came to Bloom in November, 1824, and settled on section eight, near Honey creek, one and one-half miles west of Bloomville. We came from Perry county, Ohio, and were thirteen days on the road with two wagons, and drove our cows and hogs before us. We had all the meat, flour and whisky we needed for one year.
On the following fall father went back and also to Zanesville to get mill irons for a saw mill, with which he returned, and in company with Mr. Munsel, put up a saw mill on said section, which was the first saw mill in the township. He also built the first frame house in the township, now occupied by Rev. John Shauts. Our first grinding was done at Hunter's mill, carrying the grain and grist on horseback. Father was an old Metho- dist from Maryland and helped to build the first church of the township,
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took an active part in its welfare, and was the steward of it when he died. He died July 14. 1849, in his sixty-third year. Mother died November 4. 1810. There were six children of us, of whom five are still living. Father was a devoted christian and kind to all bis neighbors, and especially to the poor. He supplied all those that were needy, and he had plenty to do with.
The Boyds. Robinsons, Valentines, Martins, father, Blackmans, Treats. Donalds, Roops, Coolys, and others were the leading Whigs. The MeCkt- lands. Perkeys, Seits, Strohs, Ruchs, Kagys and Joseph Miller were the lead- ing Democrats of the township.
JACOB HOSSLER, ESQ.
Is one of the distinguished citizens in Bloom. He was born January 30, 1806, in Steuben township, Adams county, Pennsylvania, on a farm. When fourteen years old, in 1820, his father moved to Stark county, Ohio. Here, on the 23d of September, Mr. Hossler was married, and in 1834 he moved to Bloom township, where he still resides. For twenty years he ran a saw mill on Stoner creek. He moved right into the woods when he came, and opened up a fine farm. To show how Mr. Hossler stands in the estimation of his neighbors, it is only neces- sary to say that for thirty years he held the office of justice of the peace and was mayor of Bloomville four years. He is still in the enjoyment of excellent health.
. JOHN T. REID
Is also one of the pioneers of Bloom, who have imprinted their indi- vidualities upon the township. He was born in Frederick county. Maryland, on the first day of January, 1807. His father died when John was but six years old, and he was taken care of by his uncle, Paul Talbot, who moved to Fairfield county, Ohio, where he was married. There they settled in the woods and young John worked among the farmers and was finally set in to work on a carding machine on Indian creek, in Fairfield county, owned by one David Swasey. From there he came to Bloom in 1828, in the fall, and worked for his uncle, John Valentine, until the following Christmas. The Mohawks, Senecas and Wyandots were then "swarming through the woods." He became well acquainted with all the old settlers here, already named. He returned to Fairfield, and all his earnings in the following spring put together amounted only to the sum of $80, lacking $20, to buy eighty acres at government prices. A friend loaned him the $20 and he start- ed on foot for Delaware, in the fall of 1829, and entered the eighty adres that John Heilman now owns, near Honey creek. He returned to Fairfield and worked eighteen months longer on a farm until he had earned some more money. His uncle, John Valentine, then wrote to
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him that Mr. Bever had eighty acres, which he would sell, adjoining the other lot. Mr. Reid started on Christmas day and came to Bloom on foot, where he arrived and bought the Bever land on New Year's day, 1831.
Before he left Fairfield county he had taken a school to teach, and there were three weeks to teach before the term closed. He returned, finished his school, came back to Bloom in February, with an axe and a bundle of clothing, which he carried on the axe-handle. He built a cabin in his forest and commenced clearing it. His uncle, William Norris, came from Fairfield county, and lived in the cabin with him awhile, and until his uncle, Norris, bought the land on which Fostoria now stands. On the 25th of April, 1833, Mr. Reid was mar- ried to Eliza Boyd Watson. They had four children, of whom three are still living.
Mr. Reid is a tall, slender man, over six feet high, strong and mus-, cular and has always enjoyed good health. He and Mrs. Reid are both members of the Presbyterian church and highly esteemed. Poor as Mr. Reid was when he commenced, his career is a conclusive proof of what industry, honesty and economy will accomplish. He now counts . his wealth by many thousands, and lives at his ease.
Mention has already been made of the picnics the younger genera- tion prepare annually about the first of September, in Schoch's woods, to show their gratitude and esteem for their pioneer parents. . I desire to refer to the subject again, here, only to say that at one of these, after Father Thompson, the pioneer minister of the gospel, closed his re- marks on collecting the sheep that were lost in the woods, Mr. J. C. Hampton was called upon for a speech, in which, among other many interesting things, he described Judge Cornell, and spoke of him as a very excellent character and citizen. He related an affair that took place before some justice of the peace when a fellow got very angry at the justice and threatened to whip him and would do so if he was not a magistrate. The justice told the fellow to go out into the road and he should be relieved of his consciencious scruples. The fellow backed out.
Mr. Hampton also said:
When I came from Ross county in 1822, my uncle, Thomas Boyd, lived in a small cabin. Ten boys of us went there to work for him. We made out to live. Our bed was a very primitive affair. A half dozen of us slept to- gether. During the three months I staid there we had not a bit of bread. The little flour we had they stirred into boiling milk. That constituted the principal meal. We had a fish basket in Honey creek, close by, that furnished us all the fresh fish we.wanted.
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Sorry that no more of the speech could be preserved.
Dr. Gibson also spoke, relating his boyhood days and scenes of early life on Honey creek. His mother held the chair while her husband was sitting upon it, shaking with the ague His father got nearly crazy every time the fever came on. One time his father was at Sandusky for provisions. It always took a week to get back. The roads were bad and the horses poor. Judge Leath happened to be at Sandusky the same time with a load of water melons to sell. He and the Doc- tor's father started for home together. On the way the latter became crazy with the fever, and had it not been for the Judge he would never have found his way back. The Doctor also referred to Black Jona- than, who lived with the Mohawks on the Vanmeter place. Jonathan Pointer was half negro and half Indian. He was the interpretor for the preachers and gave the Indians the sermons by piece-meal as best he could, but whenever a subject or a point was a little difficult to transfer or comprehend, he would add: " I don't know, myself, whether that is so, or not."
Dr. Gibson when yet a boy was very attentive upon the sick in the neighborhood, and thus naturally became a doctor. He applied him- self to the books, and with hard study and his experience became a distinguished physician. He was, indeed, a gentleman and a valued friend. He was one of that class of thinkers who take nothing for granted because they cannot help it. We ought to have much charity for such people.
The venerable Noah Seitz must not be forgotten. He came here from Fairfield county and settled on the northwest quarter of section five on the 5th of April, 1822, and it is generally admitted that he was the first settler in Bloom. He sold out soon after to Edward Southerland and moved to Eden. Mrs. Southerland is still living in the third ward of Tiffin, and is known as the widow of Francis Bernard.
Mrs West, J. C. Martin and Abraham Kagy are among the few pioneers here that are still making "foot prints in the sands of time."
Who will not remember the tall slender form of Abraham Kagy, Esq., and his beautiful, pleasant home on Silver creek, where, for more than a half century, you were met with a hand of welcome and an open, honest, friendly countenance ? These honored land marks of time should ever be cherished by those who will occupy the places so rap- idly becoming vacant.
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