USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 26
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John A. Welch settled in section 25. Union township, about 1842. A short time after- ward, a tree that he was cutting down fell on him and injured his back severely. After lin- gering for several months, he died.
Jacob Speiler, a German, was unfortunate and felled trees on two horses, all he had. He did not have money enough to buy others.
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25
William Young
80
1839
25 Jacob B. Halier 40
1839
34
Elias Evers 160
1849
36 William Stripe
80
1836
36 Jacob Stripe Sr. 160
1838
1839 36 Henry Keiser 40
1838
36 Israel Keiser 80
1838
36 Jacob Haller 80
1839
36
William Peter 80
1839
36 George Helfest
40 1839
36 Henry Reiling 40 1839
36 Isaac Morse
40
1851
33
Jacob Haller 160
1839
33
Elizabeth Schraeder 120
1839
25 John Penn
120
1838
25 John & Catherine Ebert 80
1839
1839 35
John M. Franklin 160
1849
26 John Swanger 120
32 John Gilkinson
32 George Marsh 180
1842
32 Richard Williams 40
1840
31
1851
1836
1840
Stephen Barr 160
1843
222
HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
James G. Gilliland gave him a horse that was in the habit of throwing fences, but otherwise was a very good horse and very powerful. This animal did all his work for a good many years until he was able to buy another team. There was never anyone that appreciated a favor more than Mr. Speiler and his wife, and they wanted to work to pay for the horse, but Mr. Gilliland would never take any pay.
A DARING DEED.
At an early day two boys, Norman Fish and William Evans, were out hunting. Coming to a hollow log in what was called the Frisbie deadening (now know as the McMillen farm), they heard something in it and young Fish concluded he would crawl in and investigate. Taking his gun with him, he had gone some distance when he saw two bright eyes. He fired and then went forward and caught hold of some animal's foot and pulled it out, only to find it a full grown wolf. He went in again with the same result and the same the third time, bringing out a wolf each time-one black and two grays. This proved a good day's work for the boys-$4 for each scalp besides the pelt.
LOST. IN THE WOODS.
In the early days of the settlement of Union township, a Mrs. Holtrey and her little son Barney went in the evening to drive up the cows. Hearing the bell, she soon found her cows and started them in the direction of home. Then thinking she heard their horse bell, she told her son to drive the cows home and she would get the horses as they would want to work them the next day. Accordingly she started in the direction from which she thought she heard the sound of the bell, but after walk-
ing for some time she lost its sound and con- cluded she would start for home. She soon became bewildered and night coming on and it being cold added much to her discomfort. Then it began to rain, which soon turned to snow. She kept moving, for she knew that it was necessary for her to keep walking to keep from perishing.
The family became alarmed and collected! the few settlers around them with dinner horns and cow bells. They formed in two companies -one to go northeast, and the other north- west, making all the noise they could with bells, horns and guns. After an all-night hunt, they returned to the saddened home. After eating breakfast, they started out again and traveled all day, but returned with no tidings of the lost woman. The company, weary and discouraged, concluded that she had either per- ished . or wandered to some other settlement. The hunt was kept up, however, and a party taking a different direction finally found her. She said she had gone into a hollow tree, said her prayers and concluded to die there, but hearing some person "holler" she came out of the tree and started in the direction of the sound. She had been lost six days and seven nights.
A BEAR HUNT.
In the fall of 1858 bears were very plenty in Union and Tully townships, two or three be- ing killed a day. A young man by the name of Fred Coffin was extremely anxious to go bear hunting. He finally prevailed upon James Webster to go with him. They started out in the morning and about 10 o'clock, when north- west of C. P. Richey's place, they sat down on a log to rest. While sitting there a large black bear stopped within about a hundred feet of where they were sitting. Webster snapped his gun twice and then told Coffin to shoot.
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Webster said that he noticed that Coffin's gun was shaking when he shot. The bear shook his head and showed its teeth and then walked off into the woods. Webster after getting an- other cap on his gun followed the bear, trying to come up with it, thinking that Coffin would follow. After going some distance and not
seeing the bear and Coffin not coming up, he fired his gun off to let Coffin know his where- abouts, but not hearing any reply he continued to hunt until night. When he returned to town, he learned that Coffin had returned to town before noon, and no inducement could prevail on him to go bear hunting again.
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CHAPTER XVII
JACKSON TOWNSHIP
Organization-First Settlers and First Events-Names of Voters in 1859-Some of the Original Land Entries-Pioneer Incidents-The Anderson Murder-Sketches of Some of the Pioneers.
Jackson township was organized by the Board of County Commissioners on the 7th of March, 1855, and an election was ordered to be held at the schoolhouse on the first Mon- day in April, 1855. The election was held on the day appointed by the commissioners, and the following officers were elected: Israel P. Adams, Samuel Morris and George Longwell, trustees; George W. Holden, clerk; John H. Semer, treasurer.
FIRST SETTLERS AND FIRST EVENTS.
The first white settler in the township was George W. Payne, who came from Lorain County in 1851. Shortly afterward, in the same year, Jacob Thatcher, George Longwell and John Hatherell, an Englishman, moved into the township. Then came John H. Semer, in May, 1852, and Israel P. Adams in the fall of that year. Samuel Morris, George W. Holden and Alfred Neese came in 1853. George W. Payne erected the first house in the township-a frame building, the lumber for which was hauled from the canal. Jacob Thatcher built the first log house. Jacob Thatcher, Jr., was the first white child born in
the township. W. H. Deniston taught the first school in the township.
NAMES OF VOTERS IN 1859.
According to the poll book of an election held in Jackson township on the Ist of Octo- ber, 1859, there were eight voters, as follows: Josiah Keeler, Israel P. Adams, George W. Holden, George W. Payne, R. A. Law, George Longwell, John Hatherell and Samuel Morris.
SOME OF THE ORIGINAL LAND ENTRIES.
SEC. NAME.
ACRES.
YEAR.
I Lynn Starling
165
1836
I William Bebb
480
1839
4 M. H. Slygh
160
1851
4 George W. Payne
80
1851
4
Gordon Slygh
124
1851
4 Robert Stewart
41
1851
4 Dwight Gibbs 164
638
1839
7 Edward Bebb, Jr.
654
1839
8 Levi Wallace
160
1849
8 John W. Snider
320
1849
8 James Crawford
160
1849
9 Sarah J. Fox
80
1850
John & Jacob Thatcher
80
1851
9 Jane Thatcher 40
1854
9 Jonathan Preston
80
1855
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1853
6 William Bebb
225
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
SEC. NAME.
ACRES. YEAR.
9 William F. Preston
80 1855 31 Edward Bebb
342
1838
31 David Lloyd 80 1839
1857
31
Thomas R. Stiles
80
1842
32 Evan Evans 160 1839
12 Edward Bebb 640
1839
32 John Calhoun 160
1842
13 David Tolan 80
1839
13 Fred Ehernman
40
1851
13 Samuel Richards
80
1851
33
Thomas Bone 80
1852
13 William Shofe 160
1851
33 Julius C. Curtis 80
1852
33 Jacob Lutz 80
1852
33 W. F. Westerfield 40
1854
1836 33 William Thornell 80
1854
1839 33 Simon Fair
40
1854
33 David Friezner
40
1854
33 Horace Sessions
80
1855
18 John Conrad 86
19 Lynn Starling
327
19 Henry W. Margroff
43
19 William Bebb
80
19 Thomas G. Jones
174
19 Charles W. Parris
43
1851
20 Hardesty Walker
320
1839
20 Theo. Aldevader 160
1849
20 Henry Springer 160
21
Reuben Hine
40
21 Israel P. Adams 120
1853
21 George W. Woods 40
1853
Henry Springer 120
1855
24 John G. Long 160
1849
24 Philip Cating 120
1851 1851 1851
24 Hugh M. Wallace 80
1851
24 Samuel Poland
40
1851
24 May Shaw
40
1852
28 John Richards
160
1851
28 Samuel Morris
160
1851
28 John H. Semer
120
28 E. Boyer
40
28 Charles Long
80
28 Julius Wale
80
1851
29 William Palmer 160
1842
29 John P. Profit 160
1842 1849
29 George Denig 160
29 Henry Springer 160
1849
30 Lynn Starling 160
1836
30 Henry Baker 160
30 Henry W. Margroff 43
30 William Bebb 87
30 John F. Jones 175
30 Evan B. Jones 43
1838
31 Lynn Starling 160
1836
32 George Emerling 160
1849
32 Allen Haverfield 160
1849
13 John Conrad 80
13 George Ridenour 40
17 Lynn Starling
160
17 William Bebb
160
17 John Bates
320
1839
18 William Bebb
494
1839
18 Lynn Starling
80
1842
1854 1836 1838
PIONEER INCIDENTS.
At an early day two boys, sons of John H. Semer, aged 15 and 10 years, went out hunt- ing in the winter, when there was a deep snow. They became lost in the woods and wandered around until dark when they crawled into a hollow tree, remaining there until the moon came up so that they would know the direction home. When they started for home, they were so badly frozen that they could not travel; so they crawled into a hollow log where they were found the next day. Their feet were so badly frozen that they had to be amputated above the ankles. The neighbors had followed the boys' tracks in the snow all night with torches but did not come up with them until the next day. The oldest boy had taken off his coat to wrap around his little brother.
In 1850 James G. Gilliland and Davis Johnson were elected appraisers and divided the county betwen them, Johnson taking the west half and Gilliland the east half.
When Gilliland was in Jackson township he came across a den of wolves. He had noth- ing with him but an Indian tomahawk, with which he killed five of the young wolves, while two made their escape. They could run as fast as he could but were clumsy and if they ran
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9 John H. Maltz 160 1857
9 George W. Holden 40
a Eli Ridenour 80
1857
SEC. NAME. ACRES. YEAR.
24 John Hatherell 40
24 Luther Giddings 160
1838 1839
1849 1853
1852 1852 1852
1836 1838 1838
1838
226
HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
against a bush of sapling would fall over. The old wolf kept out of sight but would set up a howl every little while. That made a good day's wages, as the scalps were worth $4 apiece. He started for Enoch M. Hoaglin's place to stay over that night as he had been wading in water all day. While he was going through the woods he heard something climbing a tree and as it was on his way he kept on, but when he was within 15 or 20 feet of the tree there was an old she bear backed up against it, which gave a hoarse growl as much as to say "Halt!" She had heard him coming and was making the cubs climb out of danger. Mr. Gilliland concluded that she had the first claim and he went around. This was the first day he had gone without either his gun or dog and thereafter he took both.
John Semer, Jr., says there were no roads in the township at that time. "We had no horses. My brother and I had trained our oxen so we could ride them. We would take a sack of corn each on the back of our oxen and go to Delphos to mill."
At an early date there was a fall election. As all the votes were in before noon the trus- tees thought it was not necessary to keep the polls open any longer. They made up their returns and started for Van Wert, Samuel Morris, the trustee, had the returns with him. Morris kept out of the way for about an hour after closing time, when he walked into the Court House with the returns. Semer pre- tended to be surprised and said, "How did you get here so soon." He replied "I had a good horse." The facts were that they had walked in together.
THE ANDERSON MURDER.
In May, 1877, there was a family by the name of Anasser living in Jackson township
and a young man by the name of Anderson had been staying with them and he had caused con- siderable friction and Mrs. Anasser had left home. Anasser wanted Anderson to leave and trouble ensued. Anderson was killed and buried in the log stable and then the stable was burned. The friends and neighbors became suspicious and a party came over from Elida, where Anderson's friends lived, and accused Anasser of the crime. He acknowledged it and told where the body would be found. An- derson's friends felt like resorting to lynch law but one of the neighbors got Anasser in his buggy and drove away before the others knew what was being done and lodged him in jail. Anasser was tried and claimed self-defense; as there were no witnesses and Anderson had insisted on staying there after he had been for- bidden the house, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.
SKETCHES OF SOME OF THE PIONEERS.
Isarel P. Adams came to Jackson township in 1853, before its organization. There were then only three white families living in the township, those of Payne, Thatcher and Sem- er. He cleared a small piece of ground and built himself a cabin without any help. The nearest road was four miles away. The nearest place of worship was eight miles distance. With the help of his wife and one horse he rolled the logs and cleared 40 acres of land. Mr. Adams served continuously with the excep- tion of one year as township treasurer for 18 years.
George Longwell moved to Jackson town- ship in 1851 and located in the woods with his wife and children. His nearest neighbor was two miles distant. After he had built his cabin and cleared a few acres of land, he found he was the victim of a mistake and had located
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on another man's land. He then lost a year's labor and was compelled to commence anew again. There is a very fine sulphur spring near his house that at an early day was frequently visited for the benefit to be derived from its healing waters.
Israel Downing lived in Ridge township, where he first located, until the breaking out of the war in 1861, when he volunteered and left his family there. Upon his return at the close of the war, he moved to Jackson town- ship.
18
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CHAPTER XVIII
THE CITY OF VAN WERT
The Town Platted-Decd of Peter Aughenbaugh & Company to Van Wert County-First and Second Sales of Lots -- Building of the Gaol-Early Settlers-The First Store-Kccp- ers-Some Recollections of the Early Time-Early Taverns-First Sawmills and Tan- neries-Other Early Industries-First Schools and Schoolhouses-Some Pioncer Inci- dents and Stories-Some Notorious Characters-The Town Incorporated-Mayors- The Fire Department-Newspapers-Stave Factories-The Anderson Piano Company -The Union Mills-Warehouses and Elevators-Merchants-Banks-Light, Power and Telephone Companies-Natural Gas and Oil-The Brumback Library-The Gleason Family.
A plat of a part of Van Wert was made and filed in Mercer County, May 26, 1835, in which 78 lots were platted between Water street and Jackson street, and between Cherry street and Jefferson street. On May 23, 1837, an additional plat was completed, and filed on the 25th day of May, 1837, in Mercer county ; it is what is known as the "Original Plat of Van Wert" and comprised 246 lots. This is the plat that dedicated to the public the com- mons, out of which our beautiful parks have been made. The original proprietors little knew what a gift they were making to pos- terity. No greater monument could be erected to their memory. As there are three distinct parks, the author would suggest that they be named for the three donors and a tablet placed in each park with the name of the donors on each.
The contract by which the county seat was
located at Van Wert was completed by Augen- baugh, Riley and Marsh deeding to the commis- sioners of Van Wert County all the lots of odd numbers from No. I to No. 77. except lot No. 3, and other considerations which will appear in the following deed.
DEED OF PETER AUGHENBAUGH & COMPANY TO VAN WERT COUNTY.
Know all men that I, James Watson Riley, for and on my own account and as agent and attorney in fact for Peter Aughenbaugh and Elizabeth his wife, and George Marsh and Caroline, his wife, as proprietors of the town of Van Wert in the County of Van Wert and State of Ohio, under the name and firm of Peter Aughenbaugh & Co., in consideration of a contract heretofore made between said Peter Aughenbaugh & Co. and Louis Dille, James Fergus and Justin Hamil- ton, commissioners appointed by joint resolution of the General Assembly of the State of Ohio to locate the seat of Justice for the County of Van Wert. where- by the following described real estate was given as a
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
donation to the County of Van Wert upon condition that the seat of justice for said County should be fixed at the town of Van Wert, which condition was com- plied with by said commissioners, and accepted by the County through her constituted authorities, and by authority of regularly executed powers of attorney from said Peter and Elizabeth Aughenbaugh and George and Caroline Marsh duly recorded upon pages "three hundred and fifty-six (356) and three hundred and fifty-seven (357) and four hundred and ninety (490) of Book E, Mercer County, Ohio, Records" do by these presents release, convey and confirm unto Henry Reichard, William Purdy and Joseph Johnson as commissioners of the County of Van Wert in the State of Ohio, for the time being, and their successors in office, for the use of the County forever, all the lots of odd numbers in the original plat of said town of Van Wert from number one to number seventy-seven, inclusive, saving and excepting number three which is set apart as a school lot and so recorded, and all of the east half of the northwest quarter and the north- west quarter of the northwest quarter of section num- ber thirteen in township number two, south of range number two east, not laid out in lots, streets or alleys or appropriated as commons on the original Plat, sup- posed to be about one hundred acres, but be the same more or less according to legitimate subdivision of the section, to have and to hold the same unto the said commissioners and their successors for the use of the county of Van Wert forever. Hereby covenanting that the title hereby conveyed is clear, free and unincumbered, and that the said party of the first part will warrant and defend the same against all persons claiming or to claim by, from or under them, their heirs or assigns. In witness whereof the said James Watson Riley for and on his own account and as agent and attorney in fact, as aforesaid, together with Susan Q. Riley, the wife of the said James Watson Riley, who releases het right of dower in said premises, have hereunto set their hands and seals at St. Marys, the twelfth day of April, A. D. Eighteen hundred and thirty-eight.
JAMES WATSON RILEY, (Seal)
SUSAN Q. RILEY, (Seal)
PETER AUGHENBAUGH, (Seal)
ELIZABETH AUGHENBAUGH, (Seal) GEORGE MARSH, (Seal)
CAROLINE MARSH, (Seal)
Signed, sealed and acknowledged in the presence of
B. F. SCHROEDER. CALEB MAJOR.
By JAMES WATSON RILEY, Attorney-in-fact.
THE STATE OF OHIO,
MERCER COUNTY-SS :
On the 12th day of April, A. D., Eighteen hun-
dred and thirty-eight, came James Watson Riley be- fore me, the undersigned, and acknowledged the sign- ing and sealing of the above deed on his own account and as attorney for the purpose therein specified, and also Susan Q. Riley, the wife of said James Watson Riley, who upon a separate examination declared that she signed the same voluntarily, knowing the contents thereof and was still satisfied therewith. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.
CALEB MAJOR, J. P. (Seal) VAN WERT COUNTY, OHIO, RECORDER'S OFFICE, March 9th, 1839.
This deed was received and recorded the same day. Attest : CHARLES MOUNT, Recorder.
FIRST SALE OF LOTS.
The following is an account of the lots sold by the commissioners at the town of Van Wert, May 22, 1838: Horace L. Holcomb, Warren County, Ohio-lots 1, 77, 49, 31, 57, 11, 17, 61, 69 and 71 ; Jacob Stripe, Fairfield County, Ohio-lots 5 and 7; John P. Henderson, Perry County, Ohio-lot 37; William Stripe, Fair- field County, Ohio-lots 35 and 9; John Mc- Colly, Jr., Springfield, Clark County, Ohio- lot 41 ; John A. Colerick, Bucyrus, Crawford County, Ohio-lot 43; Adam Nimon, Bucyrus, Crawford County, Ohio-lot 51; Henry Con- over, Carrollton, Montgomery County, Ohio- lot 47; Samuel Buckman, per J. W. Riley. Mer- cer, Mercer County, Ohio-lot 53; James A. Hanson, Lima, Allen County, Ohio-lot 29; James W. Riley, St. Marys, Mercer County. Ohio-lots 55, 59 and 63; Samuel M. Clark, Allen County, Ohio-lot 25; Daniel Cook, Van Wert County, Ohio-lot 21 ; James W. Hend- erson, Perry County, Ohio-lot 23; William Parent, Van Wert County, Ohio-lots 15 and 73; Joseph Gleason Van Wert County, Ohio- lots 13 and 19; William B. Hedges, Shanes- ville, Mercer County, Ohio-George Marsh, Athens, Athens County, Ohio-lots 65 and 67.
It was told for many years afterwards that on the plats, by which they sold the lots they
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230
HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
had a boat landing marked near where the Penn lots are. Whether that is true or not, the writer cannot say, as he never saw one of the maps. But the creek was a very large stream at certain seasons of the year. The lo+ where Dunathan & Hard's implement store is located was under water most of the year. In 1854 James G. Gilliland, Thomas Gilliland, Adam Gilliland, Hugh Gilliland, Thomas Gilliland, Jr., and the writer, with a number of others, spent a day hauling earth from Market street to fill it up. There were two channels where the creek crossed Main street-the smaller one about 100 feet west of the Central Manufac- turers' Mutual Insurance Building and the larger or main channel where Edwards' grocery now stands.
SECOND SALE OF LOTS.
The second sale of lots by the commission- ers took place May 22, 1839, when the fol- lowing lots were sold: To William Layton, of Van Wert County, lot. 290; Smith Hill, Van Wert County, lot 281 ; Joseph Gleason, Van Wert County, lots 316, 305, 306, 299 and 300; William Hill, Allen County, lots 253, 287, 271, 272, 295, 315, 284, and 285; Elihu Ireland, Allen County, lots 275, 254, and 255; John Heath, Allen County, lots 247, 248, 296, 39 and 45; George Null, Allen County, lots 273 and 274; Smith Cremean, Allen County, lots 282, 283, 266 and 267; Asa Cook, Van Wert County, lots 303, 304 and 280; James G. . Gilliland, Van Wert County, lots 307, 308, 297. and 298; Michael Keefer, Van Wert County, lots 309 and 292; P. Jacob Hines, Van Wert County, lot 310; Peter Wills, Van Wert Coun- ty, lots 311 and 294; W. H. Keilholtz, Van Wert County, lot 312; William Davis, Van Wert County, lot 313; Adam Gilliland, Van Wert County, lots 314 and 291; Edward R.
Wells, Van Wert County, lots 288 and 33; S. M. Clark, Van Wert County, lots 286, 278, 279 and 270; Evan B. Jones, Van Wert County, lots 256 and 257; Isaac Daugherty, Van Wert County, lot 258; Cyrenius Elliott, Van Wert County, lots 259 and 260; O. C. Rude, St. Marys, Mercer County, lots 293 and 252; An- drew Todd, Van Wert County, lots 276 and 277; Samuel Buckman, Mercer, Mercer Coun- ty, lots 268 and 269; John S. Houston, St. Marys, Mercer County, lots 261, 262, 263 and 264; William Parent, Van Wert County, lot 265; Emanuel Morehead, Van Wert County, lots 250 and 251.
BUILDING OF THE GAOL.
On July 14, 1838, a contract was let to Jesse King, of Mercer County, to build a gaol (jail) at Van Wert for the sum of $483. The building was of hewed logs, hewed on all four sides and notched down so that they fit close together. The floor was of logs hewed on three sides and fitted close together. The ceil- ing was formed of linn logs hewed about 10 inches square and placed close together. The contract called for the completion of the gaol by the Ist day of November, 1838. On Oc- tober 25, 1838, the commissioners accepted the gaol with a deduction of $45.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Among the early settlers were John F. Dodds, William Parent, Daniel Cook, Joseph Gleason, Jacob Stripe, William Stripe, Samuel M. Clark, Adam Nimon, John F. Gabby, P. Jacob Hines, Isaac Daugherty, E. R. Wells, Cyrenius Elliott, Andrew Todd and Abraham Zimmerman. Thomas R. Mott was the first postmaster.
John F. Dodds, one of the first settlers in
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the town of Van Wert, came here in 1837 and lived in the first house erected in the town for a residence. His wife was a daughter of John McColly, of Springfield, Ohio. He was ap- pointed county auditor December 4, 1837, to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Dan- iel D. Cross. On May 22, 1838, he was ap- pointed a commissioner to locate a State road to commence at Greenville, Darke County ; to run from there through Montezuma, Celina, and Mercer, in Mercer County; thence to Van Wert; thence to Paulding, Paulding County, and from there to New Rochester on the Mau- mee River.
THE FIRST STORE-KEEPERS.
There has been some question as to who started the first general store in Van Wert. Ac- cording to the records, the commissioners on December 2, 1838, ordered the treasurer to col- lect three per cent. on the capital of Samuel M. Clark, employed in merchandising in Van Wert. On May 22, 1838, at the first sale of lots, Clark was registered as a resident of Al- len County, and Adam Nimon, who was the second to start a store was a resident of Bucy- rus, Crawford County. Samuel M. Clark also started the first blacksmith shop in Van Wert, in 1839. At one time he kept a tavern, which was located on the lot on which are now the Kauke buildings.
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