USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 25
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Hotels .- The first hotel, which was opened in the spring of 1845, was built by Morgan
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
Savage, and was named "Travelers' Rest;" it stood at the corner of Canal and Second streets. The second was built by James Graver, also in 1845, and was called the "Ohio House." The third was kept by a man named Butler opposite the City Hall; this also was established in 1845. In 1846 the American House was built ot the corner of Main and Fourth streets. Then came the Neil, at the corner of Main and Third streets, which was built in 1847. The Union or Hecker House was built in 1848; the Commercial House in 1847; the Pennsylvania House, in 1855, by Henry Brown; the Phelan House, in 1880; the Rose House, in 1881.
Postoffice .- The first postoffice was kept in a small room built on the platform of the lock between the gates, on the Van Wert side. Amos Clutter was postmaster in 1847. That was before the time of postage stamps. Let- ters were marked "Paid" or "Postage Due" as the case might be. You could send a let- ter and let the party receiving it pay the post- age. Lynn succeeded Clutter and held the office until 1853, when Winchton Risley was appointed and held it until his death in Septem- ber. 1854. Mrs. Mary Risley was then ap- pointed and held the office for 25 years. Then followed Cowdin, Shenk, Baxter, Washburn and Weger, the present incumbent.
Railroads .- The first railroad completed to Delphos was the Ohio & Indiana (now the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago) in 1854. Much of the iron for its construction was shipped on the canal from Toledo. Woolson & McCune took the contract for bringing the iron to Delphos. Captain Fisher bought a boat in Toledo named "Seneca Chief" and Mc- Cune owned a boat named "Damsel"-these two boats brought the iron to Delphos. The first railroad locomotive used on this line was named "Lima" and was brought from Toledo
to Delphos on a canal boat by Casper Smith and put on the track here for construction work. Captain Fisher took the contract to dig the basin just west of the Mills elevator for the purpose of anchoring these boats, while unloading the railroad iron and supplies.
The formal opening of the Delphos & In- dianapolis Railroad took place. July 4, 1875, when there were only six miles completed. In 1876 it was extended to Dupont and then in sections until it was connected with a road leading out from Toledo. In 1878 the Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas City Railroad was com- pleted. The Cleveland, Delphos & St. Louis (now the Northern Ohio) was built in 1881, and also the extension of the Cincinnati, Ham- ilton & Dayton from Delphos to where it in- tersects the Findlay & Fort Wayne. All ex- cept the last named were what was known as narrow-gauge roads and at one time consti- tuted a continuous line of over 700 miles of narrow-gauge roads, the longest in the world. It is safe to say that to Delphos they owed not only their origin but their final success. In operating these lines it was demonstrated that it was not profitable to operate the two systems in the same territory and the narrow-gauge roads gave way and were made standard al- most in a day.
Public Schools .- The schools in Delphos are worthy of notice. Until 1859 the schools had been operated separately in each county. On January 29, 1859, by a vote it was decided to organize the Delphos Union School District under the general law. The First Board of Edu- cation under the new arrangement consisted of Charles C. Marshal, F. J. Lye, H. Weible, Col. Lester Bliss, M. Brickner and S. F. Conklin. C. P. Washburn was placed in charge of the highest grade in the public school.
In April, 1868, the district voted to levy a tax and issue bonds for the erection of a new
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HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
C
Sempre.T. B. Cy CM.
CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, DELPHOS.
schoolhouse, which was completed in 1869, W. H. Wolfe was chosen superintendent, and the schools were organized and graded in the new building. In 1870 J. F. Jones was chosen superintendent and in 1871 W. H. Wolfe was again chosen. In 1873 E. W. Hastings was chosen and held the position until 1900, when he resigned. G. W. Lewis was then chosen and served for two years, when T. W. Shimp, the present superintendent, was chosen.
They have four school buildings-Jefferson Street Building, Franklin Street Building, German Building and South Delphos Build- ing,-and a corps of 22 teachers. The schools have attained a very high stand- ard.
Churches .- The Church of St. John the Evangelist at Delphos owes its origin to a Catholic priest-Rev. John Otto Bredeick. In Oc- tober, 1844, he came from his native Westphalia to the present site of Delphos, then a dense forest. He secured a 92-acre tract of land from the government immediately east of the canal. A part of this land, which Father Bredeick had platted into lots and streets, now com- prises the most valuable part of Delphos. He also set aside as a gift for the use of the Catholics of Section Ten (Delphos) a large tract, comprising many choice lots, as a site for the future church, school and pastoral residence. Even now the church at Delphos is not equalled in size and location by any other in the Diocese of Cleveland.
Shortly after his arrival, Father Bredeick had a log house, 18 by 24 feet, erected at his own expense to serve as a chapel for his faith- ful colony. It soon proved too small for their accommodation and in 1846 was enlarged by a frame addition 27 by 37 feet. The addition
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REV. ALOYSIUS I. HOEFFEL
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was intended only as a make-shift as Father Bredeick saw the necessity of at once provid- ing larger and much better church facilities. Part of the addition was used as a school and served as such for some years.
In the latter part of 1846 Father Bredeick began the erection of a new church. It was built of hewn timbers and was in size 60 by 107 feet. Considering the poverty of the people (only one family was possessed of means), it was a grave undertaking for the good pastor, who gave most liberally out of his own purse to meet the cost of the church. (Father Bredeick brought the organ for the first church with him from Germany, also a piano.) But the parishoners gave either of their limited means or gave generously of their time in the way of labor, teaming, etc.
The cutting and hauling of the heavy tim- bers took almost two years, as the work had to be done when labor and teams could be had. After this, the framing of the timbers and their erection also took considerable time. But the result was a firmly built church of hewn logs, the interstices being filled with mortar and the whole exterior covered with shingles. Solidity rather than architectural beauty was its chief mark.
Before beginning the work on the church, a meeting of the 36 members of the Catholic Church was held and a contract was drawn up by which every Catholic inhabitant of Section Ten was bound to work 25 days each year on the new church, or contribute $8 annually, until the completion of the building. The church was used for the first time on All Saints Day, 1853, when to the great joy of his faithful flock, by this time numbering 85 fam- ilies, Father Bredeick offered up the Holy Sacrifice within the unfinished church.
There being no practical builder in Delphos to direct the work, it was entrusted to J. M.
Heitz, a cabinetmaker, who never before or after built a house or even a stable. In 1855 the exterior of the church was finished and painted white. Between 1856 and 1857 the main altar and most of the pews were made and placed in position.
Father Bredeick labored incessantly for the welfare of his parish, which had doubled in size within less than ten years, notwithstanding the ravages of the cholera, in 1854 and 1855. In April, 1858, Father Bredeick became seriously ill, after preaching his first sermon in his new pulpit.
Rev. F. Westerholt, of Defiance, was in July, 1858, appointed to assist him, but about six weeks later, on August 19, 1858, Father Bredeick passed to his eternal reward.
Father Westerholt was now placed in full charge. His first effort, which was directed toward finishing the interior, secured a pipe organ. . In 1862 a spire 150 high was built, and two bells were placed in position. In Jan- uary, 1868, Father Westerholt was called by Bishop Rappe to take charge of St. Peter's parish in Cleveland.
His successor is the present incumbent, Rev. Aloysius I. Hoeffel, who was appointed at the same time that Father Westerholt received his appointment to Cleveland.
REV. ALOYSIUS I. HOEFFEL was born at Lutzelbourg, Lorraine, Diocese , of Nancy, France, May 14, 1832. In early life he en- joyed educational advantages. He made his preparatory and some of his more advanced studies at Courtrai, Belgium. Having spent five years in college, he devoted four years ad- ditional to studies in Fenetrange and at Pont- a-Mousson, France. On completion of his classical education, he emigrated to the United States in 1854 and immediately set about car- rying out his resolve to become a priest.
In January, 1855, he was received into St.
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HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
Mary's Theological Seminary, Cleveland, where after a three and a half years course he was elevated to the priesthood by Bishop Rappe in June, 1858. In July, 1858, he was ap- pointed to his first church and parish at De- fiance, Ohio, where he labored in Defiance, Henry and Fulton counties 10 years.
He was appointed pastor of the Church of St. John the Evangelist at Delphos, on Janu- ary 28. 1868. In 1870 he built a school de- voted to the German department of his educa- tional .system. The Sisters' house he erected in 1872. He purchased a new organ in 1875, at a cost of $2,800.
By this time the log church begun by Father Bredeick and completed by his successors had become not only antiquated but also much too small to accommodate the steadily increasing congregation.
When Father Hoeffel first proposed to his flock the subject of building another church adequate to their wants and in keeping with their means, he met with considerable opposi- tion, quite a number of his opponents insist- ing on a division of the parish, with the idea of building a second church in the west part of the town.
After considerable discussion and delay, the first proposition prevailed-to build a brick church on the site of the old one large enough to accommodate all.
The building project took form in 1878, when plans for the present edifice were adopted. The execution of the design was committed in September, 1878, to Francis Heitz, a practical builder, son of John M. Heitz, who had built the first church 32 years before.
This church has a seating capacity of 1,800 and stands on a plat of ground 280 feet square. It is 193 feet long, 100 feet across the transept and 78 feet wide in the nave. In architecture it is Romanesque. The spire is 222 feet high.
The tower clock cost $2,000. Including the labor and material that were given, the church cost fully $100,000.
After the completion of the church, Father Hoeffel, in 1887, commenced the erection of an additional school building, which was com- pleted in 1888 at at a cost of $12,000.
On January 3, 1889, St. John's parish was made a rectorate with Father Hoeffel as its first irremovable rector.
On September 12, 1894, the parish cele- brated with great eclat the 50th anniversity of its foundation by Father Bredeick. On this occasion Father Hoeffel informed his congre- gation that he had donated three bells in mem- ory of the three pastors of Delphos and paid for the recasting of the fourth bell in order to bring out its tone in harmony with the chime of five bells now belonging to the church. In 50 years a small log chapel had grown to t !. 's magnificent temple, while the membership of 36 persons had increased until upwards of 400 families make up the parish.
Ten years have now been added and Father Hoeffel, yet in vigorous manhood, looks after his flock with the same zealous care that he did in his early manhood.
While St. John's Church is situated in Al- len County, its history belongs as much to Van Wert County, and for many years much the largest part of the congregation were residents of Van Wert County.
The first services of the Methodists at Del- phos were held in the cabin of R. M. Petticord on the west side of the canal in 1846. There were five members present. Rev. John Gra- ham, a young man then on the Van Wert cir- cuit, was the minister officiating. A Sunday- school was organized and John Miller was elected superintendent. Services were con- tinued from time to time at the home of John
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Miller, corner of Third and Main streets, and later at the cooper shop owned by Amos Met- calf and located on the rear part of a lot on Third street.
In 1848 E. N. Martin moved to Section Ten from Piqua. He was an ordained minis- ter and with his means and liberality gave the organization quite a start. Steps were soon taken to build a church and until this was ac- complished services were held in the upper room of a building erected by Mr. Martin as a woolen mill. In 1848 Rev. Harmont was sent as a preacher in charge of the circuit. In 1850 the foundation was laid for a church on a lot donated by Samuel Pettit, of Piqua, and in 1851 the building was completed. The pres- ent church structure was completed in 1880. The congregation is united and prosperous, owing largely to the untiring efforts of their talented young pastor, Rev. Ascham, who was given leave of absence in September, 1905, to pursue advanced studies at Harvard. Rev. J. B. Gotschall was appointed to fill his pulpit. The church has a present membership of about 400.
During the time that Rev. E. N. Martin was preaching for this and other churches in the absence of the regular pastors, he gave a contract to a Mr. High and another man to chop off the timber on a piece of land just west of Delphos in close proximity to the town. They were to cut the timber into lengths for rolling and burn the brush. The men com- pleted their contract all except burning the brush. As the brush was green and it was in the rainy season, it was impossible to do that and they wanted Mr. Martin to pay them all but $1. He wanted to retain $10, which he did. The men told him they were going down the canal to work during the summer but would come back and finish up the job later in the sea- son. It happened that there was a long dry
spell that fall. When High and his partner were on their way home in the western part of the county, they stopped off from the boat at Delphos on a Sunday and thinking of their unfinished job they strolled out that way and, seeing that the brush was still there, set fire to it. As there was considerable wind, the fire swept over the entire clearing in a few hours and caused quite a commotion and not a little fear for the town. But all ended all and the next morning High and his partner demanded their $10. After inspecting the work and find- ing it complete and being an honorable man, Mr. Martin paid them. It had been one of Martin's preaching days and the congregation was very much disturbed by the conflagation and the preacher was indignant when he found it was his own clearing that was burning. This was not helped any when his neighbors com- menced telling him that the young men said that Mr. Martin had paid them $10 for setting the fire.
The Presbyterian Church at Delphos was organized in 1849 by Rev. Richard Graham. In the spring of 1852 Rev. Thomas Elcock took charge of the congregation as stated supply and continued his labors for three years. During 'this time the membership, which was very small in the beginning, increased to about 50. In the summer of 1855 Delphos was visited by cholera, which took to the grave many of the members of this church. Thus it was greatly weakened and for several years, down to the close of the Civil War in 1865, but little was accomplished toward the life and growth of the church. The good women all this time kept up their church socials and never lost faith in the ultimate erection of a church building, saving up their mites to that end. In 1805 Rev. Thomas Elcock, who had spent some years in a pastoral charge in Indiana, returned
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HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
to Van Wert and resumed his labors in Del- phos, preaching in the latter place one-fourth of his time. The church began to increase in strength and the number of it membership, and commenced the building of a church edifice.
Samuel Forrer, the surveyor of the canal, had presented the congregation with a lot. This lot and the one donated by Father Bredeick were sold and the proceeds applied to the purchase of another lot and the erection of a church building.
It looked like it was a herculean task at the time for the few members. But by the perseverance and energy of a few of the men, aided by the efforts of the devoted women, the church building was carried to completion at a cost of about $6,000. It was dedicated February 8, 1869.
Rev. W. M. Reed spent one year with this church. During the summer of 1870 Robert
Gilchrist, a licentiate of the Cincinnati Pres- bytery, commenced preaching in Delphos and in September of that year was taken under the care of the Lima Presbytery. In April, 1871, he received and accepted a call to become their pastor and at a later date was installed. He was a young man of great promise of useful- ness, but death took him December 5. 1871, in the 26th year of his age. He was followed by Rev. Edward S. Scott who came from the Day- ton Presbytery. In June, 1872, he received and accepted a call from the church and was ordained and installed. During Mr. Scott's pastorate the church grew to be self-sustaining. He resigned in 1882 and accepted a pastorate at Logansport, Indiana. In 1882 Rev. J. H. Sherrard took charge of the church. In 1883 he accepted a call and was regularly installed and enjoyed many evidences of success in his work. The present pastor is Rev. A. O. Raber.
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CHAPTER XVI
UNION TOWNSHIP
Organisation-Names of Voters in 1850-Some of the Original Land Entrics-Pioneer Incidents-A Daring Decd-Lost in the Woods-A Bear Hunt.
The following action was taken by the commissioners at a session held December I, 1845:
"A petition being presented signed by a number of citizens of Township I South, Range 2 East, praying for the organization of said township. Thereupon it is ordered that the aforesaid township be and is hereby struck off from Hoaglin and Tully townships, and is hereby constituted a civil township to be known by the name of Union. Ordered that the Auditor give notice to the qualified electors of said township to meet at the house of Samuel Nestric on the 20th day of this inst. for the purpose of electing officers for said township.'
The name of Union was suggested by Nestric.
The officers elected at the first election, December 20, 1845, were: Samuel Nestric and Samuel Murphy, trustees; O. H. Harvey, clerk; Robert Pollock, justice of the peace; John Murphy, constable; and William Harvey, assessor.
NAMES OF VOTERS IN 1850.
At an election held in Union township on October 8, 1850, there were 13 qualified elec- tors, whose names follow :
Samuel Murphy, Samuel Nestric, John Handley, William Murphy, James Murphy, Mathew Black, Jacob High, John Murphy, Jr., James Hattern, Michael Beck, David Sands, Henry Reece and John Murphy.
SOME OF THE ORIGINAL LAND ENTRIES.
SEC. NAME.
ACRES. YEAR.
I Mathew Black
40 1842
I Peter Swoveland 80
1844
I John Stock 160
1849
I John Brown 80
1849
I Daniel Loudenback 40
1851
I G. A. Briggs 80
1851
I George Faulk 40
1851
I
William McMullen
80
1851
I
John Ellis
40
1851
2
Samuel Marsh
241
1850
2 John McIlvain
160
1850
2
Franklin Halliday
160
1850
2
William H. Donald
80
1851
3
Franklin Halliday
159
1851
3 William Huff
159
1851
3 Samuel Ferguson
320
1851
4 Samuel Lisle
155
1851
4 Jonathan Hopper 77
1851
4 Jack Ward
80
1851
John Bales
40
1851
4 Abraham Lucas
40
1851
5
Benjamin B. Winans
155
1851
5
William Douglas
165
1851
5
Thomas Hall
80
1851
5 Nancy Dillon
40
1851
5 William Moore
40
1851
6 Mathew Black
40
1842
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HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
SEC. NAME.
ACRES. YEAR.
SEC. NAME.
ACRES. YEAK.
6 Peter Densel
160
1852 15 Adam Beamer
160
1848
6 Andrew L. Grimes
9I
1853
15 Adam Myers 160
1848
6 James Weldon 91
1853 15 James Coe 80
1849
6 William Summerville 40
1853
15 Mathew Black 160
1851
7 James Kirkendale
182
1839
15 Peter Arnd
40
1851
7 Alexander Caldwell
1839
16 John M. Keighner 160
1854
7 John Schiffale
80
1839
16 Joseph Chambers 80
1854
7 David Proudfit
80
1839
16 Daniel High
80
1854
7 John McPherson 80
1851
16 Henry Reece 160
1854
John C. Miller
45
1851
16 Joseph Livensparger
80
1854
7 John Miller
45
1851
16 Michael Beck 80
1854
7 George Foulk 80
1852
17 Henry Jordan
80
1837
8 Henry S. Beeson
80
1839
17 Peter Hartzill 80
1837
8 Dewalt Ritter
80
1839
17 Oliver Dial 160
1850
8 George Wolf
80
1839
17 James Hutchins 160
1851
8 Samuel Myers
160
1851
17 Daniel Elwell 160
1851
8 John C. Smith
80
1851
40
1850
8
Henry Foulk
80
1851
40
1850
8 William E. Gray
80
1852
9
Robert McConnell
80
1851
18 Robert Work
80
1851
9 William McFarland
160
1851
19 Valentine G. Hash
91
1847
9 David Baker
160
1851
IO
John C. Rundall
40
1851
19 Joseph Moore 160
1851
10 Charles Olevine
80
1851
19 V. D. Dille
91
1852
10 John Wersner 40
1851
19
R. H. Gibson
40
1854
10
John Ling
40
1851
20 Jacob Myers 80
1849
10 Ebenezer Stibben
40
1851
20 George West 40
1851
10 Henry Wallick
40
1851
20 Andrew Smith
80
1851
10 Abra Urang
40
1851
20 Samuel Philbie 80
1851
10 Thomas B. Tilton 160
1852
20 Reuben Frisbie 80
1851
IO John Hough
40
1853
20 Conrad Shaw
80
1851
20 Miles Conrad
40
1851
II Jesse Moore
160
1851
20 Abner Lyman 40
1852
II Ann Geslick
160
1851
20 James Huston 80
1852
II William Welch 160
1851
21 Michael Beck 120
1842
12 Isaac Hagerman 180
1840
21 Jacob Myers
80
1849
12 Henry Pomeroy
80
1841
21 John Neal
80
1849
12 Henry Keifer 80
1844
21 M. M. Rittenhouse 160
1849
12 Andrew L. Grimes 160
1849
21 Mathew Miller
40 .
1851
12 Eli Taylor 80
1850
21 R. H. Gibson
180
1854
12 James Larmer
160
1851
22 James McDermit
160
1842
13 Joseph Hoover
80
1839
22 John Neal
80
1842
13 James Cameron
160
1839
22 William Neal
80
1843
13 Christopher Reece 240
1841
22 John Baker 160
1847
13 George W. Handley 160
1848 22 James B. McDermit 80
1848
14 William Harvey
80
1841 22 James Donaldson 80
1851
14 Joseph Kline
80
1850 23 Samuel Nestric 80
1841
14 Sanford Smith 160
1851
23 William Harvey 40
1841
15 Thomas Cantwell 40
1846
23 John Murphy 160
1842
80
1851
18 Mary Lang
80
1851
9 William Taylor
160
1851
19 David Repp
40
1847
19 Reuben Frisbie 262
1851
James Coe 80
1851
20 Miles Cowen
40
1851
10 John Garner 40
1851
18 Jesse George
80
1851
18 Robert Hawkins
182
1851
9 William McMullen
18 William Dial
18 Lewis Young
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II Daniel H. Haight 160
1851
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
221
SEC. NAME.
ACRES. YEAR.
SEC. NAME.
ACRES. YEAR.
23 John Murphy
40 1844 31 Thomas Kane
90 1836
23 William Collins
40
1848
23 Mark M. McDermit
160
1848
William Richard 125 1842
23 Fred Boyer
80
1851
31 Thomas High 45
1851
23 Benjamin Beach
40
1851
32 Emanuel Swineford 80
1840
24 Jacob Speiler
80
1839
24 John & Isaac Grubb
160
1839
32 Lemuel Lynch 160
1851
24 Joseph Hoover
80
1839
32 Jacob Mellon 160
1851
24 Charles Dally
80
1839
40
1851
24 Charles Hagan
80
1839
1851
24 Aaron Hoaglin
80
1841
24 Isaac Connell
40
1841
24
Christopher Reece 40
1841
33
John Burgholder 160
IS39
33
George Sanderson 160
1851
34 John Burgholder 320
1839
25 Adam Lutz 80
1839
35
Samuel A. Major 320
1839
35
Erastus Porter 160
1839
25 Jchn A. Welch
80
25 Jacob High
80
1841
25 Alfred Wright
80
1841
26 Alex. Ramsey
80
1839
26 William Young 80
1839
26 Enoch M. Hoaglin 40
1839
26 Michael Frantz 160
1839
26
George Elliott 80
1839
26 Jonathan Bales
40
1851
26 Jacob Brand 40
1851
27 H. Kean 160
1837
27 John Swanger 40
1839
27 A. Hayden 160
1839
27 27
John McDermit
80
1851
27
John Beeler 40
1851
28
Henry Daniels 160
1849
28 John Neal
80
1849
28 Reuben P. Mann
80
1851
28 John F. Dodds
160
1851
28 John Moore
160
1851
29 John F. Dodds 640
1851
30 John High
91
1839
30
Thomas A. Anderson
136
1839
30 John Sands 45
30 Jacob Shaffer 45
1840
30 David Repp 40
1842
30 Mathew Hughes 160
1851
30 James Anderson 40
1851
30 Reuben Frisbie 45
1851
30 John Anderson 40
31 John Fuller 160
31 Jonathan Smith 90
31 Mary Ramsey 90
1836
1836
31 Isaac Stuck 80
PIONEER INCIDENTS.
Hercules Kain was the first resident of Union township. He built the first log house, about 1837 or 1838. One very cold morning he was found sitting on a log frozen to death. The previous day, which was a rainy one, he had started home from the settlement. Leav- ing the Ridge road about where the Dix Church now is, he lost his way when darkness over- took him.
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