USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 23
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Elias Beamer came to Hoaglin townshi) in 1839, being the third family to settle in the township. He was married to Delilah Engy. They were very poor at first but industr ous and honest. He was never at a loss for friends or help in time of need. His word when g ven was as sacred as an oath. He cleared up a farm, raised a family and died at the ag : of 75, leaving a character without a stain.
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CHAPTER XIV
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP
Organization-First Settlers and First Events-Names of Electors in 1840-Some of the Original Land Entrics-Sketches of Some of the Pioneers-Wild Game in the Early Days-Interesting Pioneer Incidents-Railroads-Public Highways-The Ohio City Oil Field-Pipe Lines in Liberty Township-Churches-Towns in Liberty Township.
The commissioners at their March meeting in 1840 formed this township. The petitioners for the organization were: John Shaffer, John Schlater, William Reed, George Clouse, Daniel Riley, Peter Putman, Peter Brubaker, Eman- uel Cummings, Asahel Culver, Jeremiah Agler, John Rollins and Thomas Townsend.
The first election was held at the house of Peter Putman on the first Monday of April, 1840.
The officers elected at that election were as follows: Trustees-Peter Putman, . Asahel Culver and George Clouse; clerk, John Shaf- fer; treasurer, William Reed; constable, Thomas Redman. The first justice of the peace was Emanuel Cummings.
FIRST SETTLERS AND FIRST EVENTS.
The first settler in the township was James Hemphill from Richland County, Ohio, who settled in section 31 in the year 1837. There were no others till the spring of 1838 when Jeremiah Agler, Peter Putman, George Clouse, Madison White, John Shaffer, John Schlater
and George Shaffer came in. Daniel Riley and Graham Jewell came about the same time.
The first laid-out road in the township was known as the Mill road, running from the Rhodes Mill to Van Wert diagonally, and keep- ing on the highest ground, which was surveyed by John G. Morse in the fall of 1840. The viewers were William Thorn, William Priddy and William Davis. The first schoolhouse in the township was built in the fall of 1841 on the land of John Schlater. The first school was taught by Thomas Redman.
The first death was that of a child of John Shaffer named Cornelius. The first birth was that of Jacob Clouse, son of George Clouse, born November 19, 1838. The first marriage was that of Jacob Gates and Fanny Hemphill. They were married by Esquire Cummings. The first sermon preached was by Rev. Daniel Riley at the funeral of the wife of Peter Bru- baker, in July, 1840.
The first round-log house was built by James Hemphill in 1837, the first hewed-log house by William Reed; the first frame house by Peter Brubaker; the first brick house by William Rumbaugh.
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HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
SEC. NAME.
ACRES. YEAR.
7 Henry Springer
105
1837
7 Isaac Charles 80
1837
8 George Smith 80 1836
8 John Rowland 80 1836
8 William Jackson 80
1836
8 John Lilly 80
80
1838
8 Henry Springer
240
1839
9 Samuel Nicholas 80
1836
9 George Smith 80
1836
9 John Rowland 80
1837
9 Franklin Culver 40
1837
9 Samuel Sayers 80
1837
C. Gleason 80
1838
9 Brice Reed 80
1838
9 Asahel Culver 80
1838
9 Reuben Harp 40
1841
10 Daniel Richard
160
1836
10 Philip Yant
160
1836
10
Cummins Culver
40
1837
James Simms
80
1838
William Bebb
80
1838
Samuel Sayers
80
1838
Philip Yant
40
1836
2 Jacob Willower 400
1836
II
John W. Bowersock
40
1836
2 Abraham Willower 80
1836
II
Daniel Yant 160
1836
2 Abraham Hoghe
40
2 William Webber, Jr.
120
1849
3 Josiah Perigo
120
1835
3 James Adams
159
1836
II
William Hackett
40
1839
II Samuel Hipshire 40
1841
3 Jacob Willower
80
1836
12 George Smith 160
1840
3 Levi Rowland 80
1837
12 John Wood 40
1847
John Rowland 40
1840
12 John Young 80
1848
4 Brice Woodruff 157
1836
12 John Hipshire 40
1850
4 Martin Miller . 157
1836
12 Henry Reese 120
1850
4 John Jones
160
1836
12 John Catell 40
1851
4 Levi Rowland
80
1837
12 Israel Welch
40
1852
4 Brice Reed
40
1839
12 Charles McCusty 80
1852
4 Robert Wolf
40
1852
12 Graham Jewell
40
1852
5 Robert M. Fowler 154
1836
13 Philip Meese 160
1847
5 John Jones
160
1836
13 David Welch
40
1847
5 Thomas McLain
276
1837 13 Hiram Carroll
80
1847
5 Shaw & Frisbie
38
1857
13 William Hooks 80
1847
6 Samuel Springer
185
1837
13 John A. Smith 80
1847
6 John French
79
1837 13 David Casteel 180
1848
6 Thomas Morehead
52
1837
13 Jonas Harp
80
1849
6 Henry Springer 210
1837
14 Michael Wilson
240
1836
6 Isaac Charles 160
1837
14 Henry Bible 160
1836
6 Joseph Craig 52
1851
14 John Bowen 40 1838
7 Richard & Riley
450
1837
14 William Bowen 40 1838
7 Alex. Morehead
105
1837
14 Joseph Duncan 80
1839
SEC.
NAME.
ACRES. YEAR.
I Peter Zinn
321
1836
10
1836
10
Thorn. Worley 40
1838
I Madison Reynolds 160
1836
II
1847 II Samuel Biddle 120
1837
II Levi Rowland 160
1837
II Amos Duncan 40
1837
3 Joseph W. Burke
160
1836
3
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NAMES OF ELECTORS IN 1840.
At the election held in Liberty township on October 13, 1840, there were 16 qualified electors, whose names follow. Jeremiah Ag- ler, A. McClung, Peter Putman, John Shaffer, Samuel Hemphill, George Shaffer, George Schlater, Emanuel Cummings, George Clouse, John Frysinger, Peter Brubaker, Conrad Agler, John Temple, Graham Jewell, Ephraim Medaugh and Peter Dull. The officers in charge of the election were: Emanuel Cum- mings and John Schlater, judges, and John Shaffer and Peter Putman, clerks.
SOME OF THE ORIGINAL LAND ENTRIES.
10
I Lewis Slusser 160
1836
8 James Simms
197
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
SEC. NAME.
ACRES. YEAR.
SEC. NAME.
ACRES. YEAR.
14 John Gibbon
80 1839
25 David Welch
80
1848
15 Peter Swoveland
320
1836
25 Rebecca Ramsey 80 1848
15 Robert Platt 160
1837
25 William S. Overholt 80
1849
15 Isaac Charles
160
1837
25 George W. Wilcox 80
1849
16 Fletcher & Adams
320
1854
25 Alex. Myers 40
1849
16 Isaac Fording
160
1854
25 John Welch 40
1849
16 Philip & John Yant
160
1854
26 James McDermit 320
1836
17 John Jones
320
1836
26 James Patmon 160
1838
17 Henry Bryan
160
1838
26 John Moore 160
1849
17 George Speaker
80
1838
27
Isaac N. Skillman 80
1837
17
John B. Davidson
80
1839
27
A. Bailey 160
1837
18 Archibald Cluny 154
1837
27
Uriah Franks 240
1837
18 Adam H. Exline 157
1837
27
James McDermit 80
1839
18 Valentine Exline 212
1837
27
Reuben Williams 80
1841
18 Alfred Severs
160
28
Isaac N. Skillman 80
1837
18 Adam H. Exline
52
1838
28
David Byers 160
1837
19 George Smith
160
1836
28
John Vantilburg 160
1837
19 Julius Johnson
104
1837
28
Campbell S. Keating 80
1837
19 Daniel Tinney 80
1837 1837
28 William Dilborn 40
1838
19 John Harrow
80
1838
29 W. G. Smith 160
1836
I9 Andrew Putman
104
29 Michael Clouse
160
1837
20 George Smith
160
29 Christian Wyandt
160
1837
20 Philo S. Van Hauton 160
1836
30 W. G. Smith
160
1836
20 David Heitsman 160
1838
30 John Schlater
208
1837
20 Henry Miller
80
1838
30 Peter Putman 160
1837
20 Daniel Rhodes
80
1839
30 Samuel Fortney 206
1837
21 Morris Chapman
80
1837 31 Thomas McKee 160
1837
21 Moses Luther
320
1837
31 Madison H. White 264
1837
21 Lewis Parker 160
1837
31 James Hemphill 157
1837
21 William Stewart 80
1841 31 Benjamin Gates 52
1837
22 Jacob Swoveland 120
1836 31 Amos Beldon 104
1837
22 Isaac N. Skillman
80
1837
32 Isaac N. Skillman 80
1837
22 Philo P. Moses 320
1837
32 Emanuel Cummings 120
1837
22 Peter Swoveland 40
1838
32 Henry McKee 200
1837
22 Samuel Chester 80
1839
32 Thomas McKee 40
1837
23
Henry Newman 320
1836
32 Madison H. White 80
1837
23 John Free
160
1836
32 George Swalley
80
1837
23 Michhael Wilson
160
1836
32 John Harrow 40
1838
24 John Young
80
1848
33
Guy C. Kelsey
80
1836
1849 33 William Redman 80
1837
24 Charles Burke
40
1849 33 Jacob Gardman 80
1837
24 R. A. Welch 80
1849 33 John Fanger 160
1837
24 John A. Ross 40
1849
33 Alpheus White 80
1837
24 John A. Smith 40
1849 33 Daniel Hall 80
1837
1849 33 Henry Miller 80
1838
24 A. B. Welch
40
1849 34 Israel Gongway 160
1837
24 John Burke 40
1850
34 Jacob Snyder 160
1837
24 John Welch
40
1850
34 John Frysinger 40
1837
25 Dennis Welch
40
1848
34 Jacob Frysinger 40
1837
25 Collins Fox 80
1848
34 John Moler 80
1848
25 John Troup
80
1848
34 Jacob Kiser 80
1848
:
28 Joseph M. Keating 80
1837
19 Valentine Exline
104
19 Charlotte Spangenberg
104
1837
28 Swan & Gilliland 40
1852
1838 1836
1838
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24 Elijah Clifton
40
24 McFarland & Hunter 160
198
HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
SEC.
NAME.
ACRES.
YEAR.
34
George Shaffer
40
1848
34
Jacob Ort
40
1850
35
John G. Denman
160
1837
35 Joshua J. Strough
120
1850
35
Henry Meese
80
1850
35
Perry Handley
40
1850
35
J. Shindledecker
40
1850
35
Cyrus Avery
160
1847
35
Peison Geissler
200
1832
36
John Dilbone
120
1837
36
Lewis Higgins
80
1837
36
Joseph Denman
80
1837
36
Isaac Strong
160
1841
SKETCHES OF SOME OF THE PIONEERS.
Of the early settlers, Mathias Tombaugh Brewer who was born in January, 1813, in Pennsylvania, came to Ohio with his parents when three years old. The experience of the Brewer family was that of many others. As soon as the clothes that they brought with them were worn out, they were replaced by home- made ones made from flax or buckskin. He was dressed in that fashion, buckskin pants and moccasins, tow-linen shirt and foxskin cap and home-made jean wammus or round-about. He came to Van Wert County in 1853 and was well known and respected. He served 10 years as township clerk, seven years as assessor, two years as township treasurer, and 18 years jus- tice of the peace.
.
George Clouse was another of the early settlers of Liberty township. He and his wife came from Wayne County, Ohio, in Septem- ber, 1838. When they reached their land, they unloaded their goods under two oak trees and here put up a shelter for protection until they could build a cabin. When the logs were cut for the cabin, the neighbors helped to raise it and then Mr. Clouse and his wife split clap- boards for the roof and door and puncheons for the floor, these being hewn with a common axe.
They had brought a cow with them, but she died the next year and they sold their bureau so as to obtain money to buy another cow. They at one time were so hard pressed for food that Mrs. Clouse dug up seed potatoes that had been planted and roasted them but could not eat them. At one time her father came to visit them. Seeing their destitute condition he went to Shane's Crossing and bought 12 pounds of flour for which he paid $1.
Jeremiah Agler and his wife Polly came to Liberty township in 1838 and commenced a farm in section 19. There were no roads laid out and it was difficult to reach places where supplies might be purchased if they had the means; even to procure water for cooking and drinking purposes, the women were required to go some distance to the spring, while the hus- band was clearing the ground for agricultural purposes. Mrs. Agler, as often as circum- stances required, would secure two of her chil- dren to the bedpost while she with a strap over her shoulders and a jug in each hand would go the spring and bring back the jugs filled with water. Such was pioneer life in this county. Often while attending to family af- fairs, Mr. Agler would go to Piqua-60 miles -to mill and be absent several days. Some- times for six months they did not see the face of a white person. They lived in a log cabin and it was necessary to keep the fire carefully, as matches were then unknown.
Silas Hardman was born in Virginia in the year 1844. William Hardman, his father, was a full-blood Cherokee Indian and was in the British Army in 1812. William Hardman's wife was a Spanish woman. They raised a family of nine children. William Hardman died at the age of 98 years. Silas Hardman was in the Union Army in the War of the Re- bellion for two years and was twice taken pris- oner; once he was recaptured by the Union
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40
1850
36 John Heath
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199
forces and once he escaped by jumping off a train while in motion and escaping in the dark- ness.
Philip Hertle was born in Germany in 1834 and came to America in 1852, locating soon afterward in Liberty township, Van Wert County, Ohio. His father, Jacob Hertle, was born in Germany in 1794; his mother, Eliza- beth Heltman, was born in 1801. They were married in 1820. Jacob Hertle died in 1836, his wife in 1844. Philip Hertle married Agatha Lehmann in 1857 and they had eight children. Four of their boys are still living, viz : Samuel, Joseph, Albert and James, who own good farms and are among the county's best farmers, having all the latest improved machinery, both for farming and for household convenience.
.
When Philip started from Germany, he had just $40 after paying his passage. This took him as far as Pittsburgh, where he found a friend who loaned him $5, which took him to Stark County, Ohio. He remained there for six months, working all the time, and then came on to Van Wert County in November, 1852. He then worked till January for $5, which he sent to his friend in Pittsburgh from whom he had borrowed. He now hired out for $40 a year, and worked by the year for five years. He then got married, bought 80 acres of land in the woods, put up a cabin and commenced life in earnest. He cleared his land himself and added one farm after another until he was able to give each of his children an 80-acre farm when he came of age.
In his prime he was a man of wonderful endurance. He says that he never knew what it was to be tired until he was 45 years old, not- withstanding he was working all day and often half the night for many years.
Adam Roeder was born in Germany in 1820 and came to Amercia when 28 years old. He remained in New Jersey one year, and then
removed to Stark County, Ohio, where he lived until 1852 when he came to Van Wert County. In 1854 he married Catherine Good. They commenced in the woods on an 80-acres tract of land. They were poor but industrious and energetic. Mr. Roeder would work for the neighbors during the day, while his wife would work in the clearing at home. Then at night they would burn brush and logs until near mid- night. The same thing was repeated from day to day. Selling his farm in Pleasant town- ship he commenced again in the woods in Lib- erty township on a 160-acre tract. This he cleared and put in a good state of cultivation. He was saving of his earnings and invested in land and at his death had furnished good farms for each of his children. He left them the heritage of a good name beyond reproach.
[For the valuable information contained in the succeeding portion of this chapter, the editor is indebted to Capt. W. T. Exline, of Liberty township.]
WILD GAME IN THE EARLY DAYS.
At the time of the first settlement of Lib- erty township, wild game was plentiful, such as deer, wolves, bears and fur-bearing animals of all kinds, such as opossums, raccoons, minks and skunks. The beaver had all disap- peared some years previous but traces of their work are still visible in section 8. Where they built the dams across the Twenty-seven Prairie their work can be traced, re- sembling lines of entrenchments constructed by an army for self-defense. The last wolf killed in the township was killed by Alexander Putman. He was calling wild turkeys by mimicking their call, when a wolf supposing he was a turkey approached him, expecting to fest on wild turkey. Putman saw him place
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HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
his fore feet on a log, listening to catch the sound of the supposed wild turkey's call, and shot him while in this position. This occurred late in the '50's. In the year 1856 Samuel Shafer found and secured a litter of oung wolves, in a hollow elm log near the northeast corner of the northwest quarter of section 17, land now owned by W. T. Exline. John Agler shot and killed the last lynx that was killed in the township.
INTERESTING PIONEER INCIDENTS.
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Early in the history of the first settlement of Liberty township, many events transpired in the experience of the early pioneers that would be very interesting reading at this time if they were remembered. The early pioneers have passed away and their unrecorded ex- periences as related by them have mostly been forgotten. One incident, out of many that occurred, happened to William Stewart, who was among the first to settle in the township. He had been one day at a raising of a cabin a mile or two from his home. The wolves followed him and to escape from them he climbed a tree. He was kept on the tree all night by the wolves, and as the weather was somewhat cold, he almost perished.
Another incident remembered occurred in the spring of 1852, while W. T. Exline and his father, Valentine Exline, were cultivating a field of corn on the Culver farm near the angling road known as the Van Wert and Rhodes Mill road, also near where said road crossed the Twenty-seventh Prairie. A couple of large wolves attacked a yearling heifer be- longing to John Rowland. It was dinner time and the animal was standing in the middle of the road, when the wolves made their attack. In less time almost that it would take to tell it, the wolves killed the animal and dragged ner
into the brush beside the road. Mr. Rowland who was going to his dinner, heard the animal bawl; suspecting that the wolves had attacked one of his young cattle, he quickly got his gun and dog and started for the place where the heifer was, but the wolves had dispatched her before he got there, as he had upwards of a half mile or more to go to reach the place. His dog, which was a large, powerful one, took after the wolves and attacked them but was killed by them.
RAILROADS.
Liberty township has three leading rail- road lines traversing its territory. These roads intersect and cross each other at Ohio City. The Toledo, St. Louis & Western Railroad, commonly called the "Clover Leaf Route," was the first line constructed. Dr. C. A. Evans, of Delphos, Ohio, was the leading spirit in what was called the Delphos & Kokomo Narrow- Gauge Railroad. A meeting was held in the Center schoolhouse in Liberty township in the summer of 1878, to discuss the building of this road from Delphos to Willshire by the farmers of Washington, Jennings. York, Liberty and Willshire townships. There was a general attendance of Liberty township's citizens at this meeting H. C. Williams was chosen chair- man and W. T. Exline, secretary, of the meet- ing. Among those from other townships who were present at this meeting were Dr. C. A. Evans, D. W. Evans, Morgan H. Morgan and Dr. Shaffner. Dr. C. A. Evans addressed the meeting, and discussed the propriety of build- ing a narrow-gauge railroad from Delphos to Willshire by the farmers along said line-the farmers to build, own and operate said line when constructed. This proposition was quite generally discussed. Every one present had the privilege of expressing their views on the
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201
AND REI RESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
subject. Suffice it to say that the proposition of building said line from Delphos to Willshire was favorable received. An organization was effected, capital stock subscribed and a charter secured. Among the farmers who subscribed to the capital stock were D. W. Evans, Mor- gan H. Morgan, John A. Smith, W. T. Ex- line and H. C. Mills. The first officers of the company were. Dr. C. A. Evans, of Delphos, president ; Morgan H. Morgan, secretary ; and D. W. Evans, treasurer. The directors of the company were Dr. C. A. Evans, Morgan H. Morgan, D. W. Evans, John A. Smith, H. C. ยท Mills and Dr. J. F. Shaffner. The organiza- tion having been effected, the first thing to be done was to secure the funds necessary for the construction and equipment of the proposed railroad. It was arranged by the officers of the company that they would take subscriptions from farmers and others interested in the con- struction of the road, for which notes were given, made payable on the first day of Janu- ary, 1879, at which time the road was to be completed or to be placed in such condition that a locomotive could pass over the line from Delphos to Willshire. This requirement had to be complied with in order to secure the validity of the obligations given by the farmers and others for the road's construction. In or- der to comply with this requirement, for the last mile or two near Willshire the ties were laid on a snow road-bed and the rails tem- porarily laid thereon. The amount secured from farmers and others for the construction of this line amounted to $68,000. The con- tract for the construction of the road was given to General McKee, of Norwalk, Ohio. The officers of the company purchased the rails for the road of General Thomas, of Columbus, Ohio, giving their joint dividend note for the same, and depositing the notes they had se- cured for the construction of the road with
General Thomas as collateral security for the note they had jointly signed. Here the offi- cers of the company got themselves in a dilemma. The notes given for the construc- tion of the road, the proceeds of which they expected to use in paying for the rails they had purchased, were held as collateral secur- ity. The obligations were good and collectable and were also due, but they were not presented for payment; and the joint note given by the officers became due also and was not paid, Gen- eral Thomas sent these notes to a Lima bank for collection. A scheme was concocted by which these notes were to be sold to the highest bid- der. Fortunately for the officers of the com- pany, they discovered the scheme for disposing of thes notes in time to frustrate it. Morgan H. Morgan went to Columbus, Ohio, to see General Thomas, armed with a letter from the county auditor' of Van Wert County, stating that these notes were all on responsible per- sons and were all collectable, and recommend- ing that General Thomas give Morgan H. Morgan an order ordering the bank to turn over these notes to him for col- lection, which he did. . The notes were collected without delay by Mr. Morgan and the proceeds applied to the purposes for which they were given. After the road was constructed, it soon became apparent to the off.cers of the road that it took railroad men, and not farmers, to operate a railroad success- fully. This line was soon extended north- eastward to Toledo, Ohio, and westward to Frankfort, Indiana, under the management of a new company and a consolidated line. The narrow-gauge system was changed to a stand- ard-gauge road. It was considered cheaper to change the gauge to a standard gauge than to build a narrow-gauge outlet to New York and other eastern cities on the Atlantic coast.
The Cincinnati Northern, a north and
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HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
south line, was the second railroad built through Liberty township. The citizens of Van Wert, immediately after the line from Del- phos to Willshire was established, constructed a narrow-gauge road from Van Wert to inter- sect the Delphos & Kokomo Narrow. - Gauge line, as it was first called. The point of inter- section was in the woods about seven miles south of Van Wert. No public road leading to it, the point of intersection was first called Van Wert Junction, and the postoffice was named Koogle. A short time after these roads were constructed, Butler, Patterson & Com- pany purchased the land where these roads in- tersected, of S. White, of Cleveland, Ohio, and established the town of Enterprise (now known as Ohio City), which is located very near the center of Liberty township. This road was extended north to Jackson, Michigan, and south to Cincinnati, Ohio, and was changed to a standard-gauge line. Local aid was voted by townships under a special law authorizing township trustees to build rail- roads. Bonds were issued by the township trustees of those townships that voted local aid by taxation, and placed on the market and sold, and the money obtained from their sale was used for the construction and equipment of the line. The law was afterward held by the Supreme court to be unconstitutional. The bonds were never redeemed. A great wrong was certainly done by not reimbursing the parties who put up the money for the bonds. They should have had their money returned or else they should have held an equivalent in- terest in the road.
Almost simultaneous with the building of these two lines through Liberty township, an- other east and west line was projected from Marion, Ohio, was the first president of the was originally named the Chicago & Atlantic Railroad. This line is now known as the Chi-
cago & Erie Railroad. General Robinson, of Marion, Ohio, was the first president of the Chicago & Atlantic Railroad Company. The right of way, 100 feet wide, was secured from Marion, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois. The next step taken was to bond this right of way for $25,000 per mile. The interest on these bonds was guaranteed to be paid by the Erie Rail- road Company in consideration of being al- lowed to use this line, when completed, for a Chicago outlet. The line was a standard- gauge road from the beginning. The bonds thus guaranteed were placed on the market and sold at par. The contract for the construc- tion and equipment of this line was awarded to Col. S. P. Smith, of New York. When the bonds became due, they were taken up by the -Erie Railroad Company and the Chicago & Atlantic Railroad was absorbed by the Erie and became a part of the Erie line. One re- markable feature about the construction of this line is not one cent of local aid was asked by the Company from citizens of Van Wert County. The company also paid for every foot of the right of way at a fair price per acre.
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