History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 30

Author: Thaddeus S. Gilliland
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 870

USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 30

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In politics Mr. Gleason was always a Dem- ocrat, but he drew the line when disunion threatened, casting his vote for Stephen A. Douglas for President, and, when the Civil War came, giving his two elder sons to uphold the "Stars and Stripes." His religious con- victions were broad and liberal, and, although never affiliating with any church, he was a strong believer in the final salvation of the whole human race, or, in other words, was a Universalist, losing no opportunity to attend the preaching of that doctrine and to contribute of his means thereto. His favorite mottoes were "Love thy neighbor as thyself" and "Keep thyself unspotted from the world." With this simple creed for his guidance, he was con- tent to trust his future in the care of Him who doeth all things well. The approach of the

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grim reaper was gradual but sure for several years, the paralytic symptons affecting his walk and speech being first noticeable, yet his mental faculties were impaired but slightly up to his death, which occurred February 2, 1883, he having entered upon his 80th year. He was surrounded by all of his family in his last hours and was followed to his chosen resting place in beautiful Woodland by many surviving and loving friends, who will long revere the name of Joseph Gleason.

Harriet Brown Gleason, wife of Joseph Gleason, and eldest daughter of John and Elsie (Fish) Brown, was born February 26, 1811, at East Windsor, Connecticut, her family after- ward moving to Ontario County, New York, and thence to Lorain County, Ohio, where her parents resided until their death. While re- siding in New York she was united in mar- riage to Joseph Gleason, and afterward, with him and their three small children, emigrated to this county to help build a home in the al- most unbroken wilderness. Although many privations and dangers had to be endured, yet she never flinched from her duty, and was in later years rewarded by seeing the wilderness bud and blossom as the rose, and the virgin for- ests give way to fertile and fruitful farms. So great was the transformation that it was dif- ficult to realize that but a score of years had passed since she had nightly gathered her lit- tle ones about her to quiet their fears amid the howling of wolves in the surrounding forests. Mrs. Gleason never affiliated in membership with any church, and with her family was a Universalist in belief. She found her highest good in maintaining an upright character and striving to impart it to her children and grand- children, who "rise up and call her blessed." She survived her husband a little over five years, her death occurring July 26, 1888, at the family residence on West Main street, Van

Wert, whence her mortal remains were borne by tender hands to be laid beside her loved companion in Woodland Cemetery.

Sarah, eldest sister of Joseph Gleason, mar- ried William Pomeroy, with whom she re- moved to Canada, and, when mother of five children, died. Her husband, being unable to care for the children properly, wrote an appeal- ing letter to the Van Wert relatives in their behalf, which resulted in Stephen and Joseph Gleason undertaking to bring the orphans here to find homes, which was successfully accom- plished, and they all lived to become useful citizens, viz. : Francis C. Pomeroy, Mrs. John W. Clark, Carlos Pomeroy, Mrs. John T. Bow- ers and Mrs. Sarah J. Brittson, all of whom are now deceased. Their father followed them to Van Wert after a few years, and lived with his eldest son near Middlebury, up to the time of his death.

Phoebe N., second sister of Joseph Gleason. became the wife of Matson Warren, and with him settled first in Lorain County, and after- ward in Lake County, Ohio, whence with their family of seven children they removed to Van · Wert County in the '50's, living first in the Gleason settlement, thence removing to Willshire, in and near which town they con- tinued to reside until both parents were sum- moned to the better land. For a number of years previous to his death, Mr. Warren was totally blind. Mrs. Warren survived her hus- band some eight or ten years and lived to be the last surviving member of her father's fam- ily, her death occurring in December, 1894, at about the age of 90 years. Being a woman of great memory, to her Andrew J. Gleason is indebted for much of the family history here recorded, there being very few records existing in possession of Grandfather Gleason's descend- ants. Her children were : John B. Warren, of Mount Vernon, Ohio; the late Mrs. Abigail

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Langdon, of Liberty township. Van Wert County; Abram M. Warren, of Cleveland, Ohio; Mrs. Minerva Langdon, of Liberty town- ship, Van Wert County; Mrs. Elmira Rich- ards, of Van Wert; Hiram Warren (der ... sed) and Job A. Warren, of Pleasant township. Van Wert County.

Clarissa, third sister of Joseph Gleason, be- gan teaching at an early age and was one of the pioneers of the profession in Van Wert County, numbering among her pupils many who are among the best known residents. She became the wife of John Edson, to whom she bore one daughter. In the year 1873, she was bereaved by the loss of both husband and daughter, who were stricken down by the de- stroyer within but a few weeks of each other. She afterward made her home in Van Wert, becoming an active promoter of Spiritualism, in which doctrine she sought consolation for her double bereavement. Her death occurred November 24, 1893, at the age of 80 years.

Mary, fourth sister, married Jacob Thorn, deceased, late a resident of Chicago, Illinois. She made her home at Delphos, Van Wert and Dixon at different periods, but while residing

at the latter place fell a victim to consumption. .August 3. 1856, aged 39 years. No children were born to her.

Eliza, fifth sister, was wedded to Matthew Flagg and resided near her mother's homestead in Pleasant township until about 1858. when she, with her children (two sons and a daugh- ter), took up her residence in Van Wert, where she lived until her death, which occured June 23, 1867, at the age of 48 years. Henry J. Flagg, her eldest son, is now residing at Xenia. Ohio, while Mrs. Albina Long, the daughter. and Joseph G. Flagg, the youngest son, re- sides in Whitley County, Indiana,

Benjamin H. Gleason, youngest son of Jo- seph Gleason, being a mere boy when the fam- ily came to Van Wert County, grew to man- hood and cared for his widowed mother until her death, after which he married Castara Ann Potts, and in a few years removed to Greenville, Michigan, where he resided until 1890, then coming to Van Wert County, where he made his home with his sister, Mrs. Edson, up to the time of his death, which occured De- cember 19, 1891, aged 68 years. He left no children.

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CHAPTER XIX

EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OF VAN WERT BY ANDREW J. GLEASON

Life Among the Pioneers-The Van Wert of 60 Years Ago Described-Stories and Inci- dents of the Early Days-General Muster-Indians as Frequent Visitors-Early Teach- ers, Doctors and Lawyers-The Early Industries-Schools and Churches-Camp Meet- ings-Odd and Notorious Characters.

My earliest impressions of Van Wert date back to the autumn of 1839, when about three years of age. A little more than two years before my parents had removed from Western New York to the unbroken wilds of south- west Pleasant township, where my father, Jo- seph Gleason, entered a quarter section of land, built a log cabin of sufficient size to shelter his family of five, of whom I was the youngest, and cleared a small farm of about 20 acres and enclosed it with rail and brush fences. The land being heavily timbered, the clearing of the giants of the forest to fit it for cultivation meant a great many sturdy blows of axe and maul, and when at the election held in October, 1839, my. father was chosen county recorder he was ready to exchange the axe and the plow- share for the pen. He at once entered upon the duties of his office, which at that time, "how- ever, were not onerous, and had to be com- bined with hotel-keeping and officiating as jus- tice of the peace to provide a sufficient income for the needs of a growing family. He was also appointed an associate judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Van Wert County for a term.

He bought for his new home a log cabin of a story and a half elevation with a stoop in front, on the site now occupied by the gler art gallery, a wing being extended back for a dining room and a kitchen, the latter room con- taining a huge fire-place, which served both as a heater and as a cooking place. While there was a cook stove set up in the dining room, the principal culinary work was done at the kitchen fire-place, which was built of logs and sticks with a covering of clay, the hearth being made solely of clay, dried and baked hard and smooth. An iron crane swung across over the fire, upon which the pots and kettles were hung by means of hooks, while baking was done on the hearth in a tin reflection oven, or in a Dutch oven, which was a flat-bottomed ket- tle standing on three legs over a bed of coals, the cover being flanged deeply to hold coals also. Modern chefs would laugh at these primitive utensils, but when I recall the ex- quisite flavors of the pumpkin pies, ginger- bread and custards turned out of those rude ovens, not forgetting the roasted wild turkeys and saddles of venison that were spitted and done brown over an ample bed of glowing hard-

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wood coals, comparisons become odious in- deed.

At that time the future city contained hard- ly a dozen cabins, which were mostly built of round, unhewn logs with most of the bark left on, two exceptions to this rule being a two- story, hewed-log tavern on the northeast cor- ner of Main and Washington streets, owned and kept by Samuel M. Clark ( father of Will- iam A. and the late John W. and James Clark) and to the east of this a one-story store build- ing about 16 by 20 feet, which was enclosed and covered with split clapboards, being the first frame house erected.

A double one-story log cabin stood across the alley back of the Conant Block, which served the purpose of a Court House when session were held, and a school- house, shoe shop, etc., at other times, the late Edward R. Wells, then county clerk, teaching school in it when court was not in session and making and repairing boots and shoes at odd times. To him I went for my first winter schooling at a very tender age, but old enough to be a source of trouble- a plenty without doubt. One incident often re- called by old schoolmates naturally presents itself more prominently to my mind than oth- ers, as I was a central figure. There was a fam- ily living in the northern suburbs whose head was Lewis Shultz, whose children attended the school, the eldest being a stout, awkward, romping girl named Katie. I suspect Katie had a pretty good time at school, as her shrill laugh or giggle was heard frequently and almost in- variably made me laugh "out loud." One day the teacher called me up before the school and asked the cause of my mirth. With quiv- ering lips and watery eyes, I stammered forth, "I-I-fot I heered a chip-munk, b-but I guess it was K-Katie Stultz a squealin." This threw the whole school into convulsions, and it did

not help to restore order, when the teacher refusing to accept my excuse sentenced me to "rassel" with John Clark, who nearly a six- ivoter stood before the fire-place with slate in hend cyphering. He was so tall that I could easily put my arms around his leg without stooping, and in the "tug-of-war" that ensued it was hard to tell which pupil was punished the most. Notwithstanding these boyish indiscre- tions, I somehow managed to remain on good terms with my teacher, and when out of school I often loafed around his shoe bench plying him with questions until he would sometimes lose all patience and send me about my-business.

Mr. Wells being for some time one of our regular boarders, it is not strange that he should fall a victim to the charms of a young woman from Hardin County, Sally Thorn, who was my mother's most efficient helper and life- long friend, and who later became his wife. Two of Miss Thorn's brothers, Benjamin and Jacob, boarded with us, working at the carpen- ters' trade about the village most of the time and when not thus engaged would be cutting wood for the tavern. Many were the pranks these mischievous brothers would play on their sister and her beau, when they sat before the capacious kitchen fire on cold winter nights, trying to freeze them out in various ways. Once they provided a supply of wood out of a green, wild grape-vine and some green willow, which could not be induced to burn by any amount of coaxing. Another time when the lovers were basking before a moderately good fire, a door was suddenly opened and two wicked brothers rushed in, each with a bucket of water which they deposited on the fire, completely squelching it, which speedily put an end to the young couple's sparking bee for that night. Finally a wedding put an end to the mischief and the newly married couple built a home near the southwest corner of Jackson and Washing-

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ton streets, which they occupied until the pres- sure of business demands induced them to choose another site.

In addition to the buildings already men- tioned, at the time my father came to town a small, log blacksmith shop stood in the rear of the Clark tavern, which shop was kept by the late John Kesler (who of comparatively late years had a shop on the northeast corner of Main and Wayne streets), while near the northwest corner of Washington and Jackson streets stood a cabin owned by William Caton -also on the same corner was a log building used as a schoolhouse at different times.

On East Main street, where the Rump Building stands was a two-story double log building erected by Robert Gilliland, one end being used as a store and the other part for dwelling purposes. There was also a cabin on the east side of South Walnut street, which was for a time occupied by a Rev. Alderman, the same who, if I remember rightly, many years later occupied the Methodist Episcopal Church pulpit of Van Wert. Five or six roads (or trails) afforded avenues of travel into and through the village, chief among which was the Bucyrus and Fort Wayne State road, follow- ing a gravel ridge nearly all the way from one terminal to the other; others were the Green- ville, Jennings, Defiance, Willshire and Shanes- ville roads, which were mere wood paths wide enough for a wagon track. and usually follow- ing streams or ridges of the highest land, as being better adapted for natural highways. As settlers were coming in rapidly, these roads were surveyed and widened out, bridges built across streams, and corduroy or pole roads laid across low ground. Among the early surveyors, I remember John F. Dodds and Cy- renius Elliott well, both of whom I think were from Dayton. While a resident of Van Wert, Mr. Dodds was bereft of his wife, whose grave

was the first one opened in the old Van Wert Cemetery.

James Graves and Samuel M. Clark con- ducted the two taverns previous to our advent, and when court was in session both hostelries were crowded to their utmost limit. Another time for large patronage was training day or general muster, when the militia, comprising all the able-bodied men between 18 and 45 years of age in the county, would assemble to drill under Captain Marks, equipped generally with corn stalks or hoe handles in lieu of mus- kets. At general muster General Starbuck, mounted upon fiery charger and resplendent in b: ass buttons and epaulets, directed the evolu- tions, impressing us youthful beholders greatly and when the Kear Drum Corps from Will- shire beat the "long roll" or played "Nancy Dawson" for the march, we simply went wild with excitement and enthusiasm. Once in a while, too, some of the turbulent class, who never failed to attend such functions, got to fighting and shed gore, but the officers were usually on hand to suppress all disorders, and generally the time passed so pleasantly that all looked forward eagerly to the next training. Twenty years afterward many of us were to see the real thing on a much larger scale on Southern battle-fields, some to bleed and others to die for our country. Few went to the Mex- ican War from Van Wert, the quota for Ohio being filled from other localities and the Van Wert contingent only got as far as Cincinnati, where the volunteers learned they were not needed. Few of the noted "bruisers," however, showed any disposition to volunteer ; those who started for the war were generally of the law- abiding class, while the former class remained at home to the disgust of their well-disposed neighbors.

My father had been elected justice of the peace soon after he came to the county in 1837,

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and held the office continuously until he was succeeded by O. W. Rose about the year 1850. In 1840 he was elected associate judge for a term of seven years. Other associates judges that I recall were John Tumbleson, of Pleasant township, and Judges Baird and Tilden, of the eastern part of the county. Patrick G. Goode was presiding judge for many years, while the early pioneer lawyers were "Count" Coffin- berry, of Lima, James M. Barr and Richard C. Spears, of Van Wert, and other greater or les- ser lights of the law. Spears, who was the father of John R. Spears, of more or less fame as a press correspondent and writer, was no- toriously lazy, and was said to be mainly sup- ported by an aunt in the East, who was weal- thy. He, however, became a fairly good sur- veyor as well as an expert angler, taking his greatest enjoyment in the latter pastime, and was noted as the most successful fisherman that haunted the banks of Town Creek. His pole was the shiniest and straightest young hickory to be found in the surrounding forest, being selected in the spring-time when easily stripped of the bark and was the envy of all his rivals, as he was able to stand on the bank and cast a line far beyond his competitors' best efforts, and land the biggest catfish of any of them. In those days the numerous deep holes along the creek yielded fair specimens of the finny tribe, some weighing several pounds. The largest, however, were caught with seines. Spears, however, never was known to resort to seining, he being a genuine disciple of Izaak Walton; he could sit for hours in silence with never a nibble, occasionally withdrawing his tackle to renew the bait, and meditating upon the per- versity of fish-kind. He was said to be well read in law and to be a good adviser in legal complications, but failed sadly when attempt- ing to make a plea before judge or jury. Had he possessedl the stamina requisite for the bench,

he might have filled a judicial chair, but, as he was often heard to say, he was too much of a "damphool." He filled for a time the offices of prosecuting attorney and county surveyor, but abler men crowded him out. His family finally became separated and after a precarious struggle for a living as a book agent he finally ended his days in the County Infirmary, de- 'serted by all of his kindred.

When the county seat was removed from Willshire to Van Wert, each of the officers had little difficulty in transporting all his books and papers in a pair of saddle-bags at most, and I have heard my father say, that having no horse or saddle-bags, he easily carried on foot for the entire 16 miles the effects of the recorder's office, wrapped in a bandana handkerchief.

Until the building of the first frame Court House in 1840, the offices were scattered all over the village, and even later, while he held office, my father as a matter of convenience kept the county records at his home, where his elder children soon learned to help him materi- ally in the work.

E. R. Wells did not long enjoy the monop- oly of the cobbler's trade in the village, and probably did not have any regrets when Isaac Daugherty, a brother of Mrs. Samuel M. Clark, with his mother came to town and opened a shop near the Clark tavern. Being a skillful artisan, Mr. Daugherty soon got the most of the trade, although Jack Roach also worked some at the trade, dividing his time between that and shingle making. Daugherty built a cabin on Jackson street near where the Penn- sylvania Depot now is, where he lived with his mother until he married Lydia McDonald some years later. As shoe- making did not occupy his time fully, he was elected constable and filled that office ser- eral years satisfactorily. I remember one oc- casion, when he was worsted by Bill Myers.

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HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, VAN WERT (Third Ward School Building)

FIRST WARD SCHOOL BUILDING, VAN WERT

HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, DELPHOS

WESTERN OHIO NORMAL SCHOOL, MIDDLEPOINT

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a thievish character, whom the constable had arrested some three miles south of Van Wert. When crossing the creek near the present City Hall, his prisoner caught him off his guard, dealt him a blow and "skedaddled" to parts unknown, although Daugherty's cries for help aroused the whole populace, who joined in a hot pursuit of the culprit. Bill was afterward apprehended and fined or imprisoned, which probably taught him that the way of the trans- gressor was a hard one, and he married and settled down to earn a living, dying at rather an early age and leaving a wife to support herself and four children at the wash tub.

A log jail was built the same year that the Court House was erected, the logs being squared to fit tightly together, while small, grated windows afforded ventilation and light. A few years later, a two-story frame was added for a sheriff's residence, and the jail served as calaboose also for the village, so that it was seldom without an occupant.

About the most notorious "bruiser" and all-round tough in the community was Sam Maddox, who lived west of town a few miles He never was known to neglect an opportun- ity to fill his hide with "bug juice" when mak- ing his periodical visits in town, and he sel- dom left without a fight or two. On one oc- casion he came to town singing some couplets he had composed reflecting upon a neighbor, who was accused of appropriating and slaugh- tering hogs with another man's mark on them. I recall this much

"Old Solomon Scissors' mouth didn't mean to stay, But he stole so many hogs, he couldn't get away." "Big Spencer. Pouchfoot, the young lazy whelp,

Had nothing to do but go to the woods and help."

Sam had a brother Peter, who was decid- edly the worst stammerer or stutterer I ever heard, and to witness the poor fellow's at- 15

tempts to make himself understood was both amusing and pathetic. He seldom was able to speak an intelligent word until he had nod- ded his head and stamped his foot awhile, meanwhile trying all the consonants of the alphabet one after the other before he could determine which one he wanted. When he finally blurted out a word, he had the same struggle to speak the next, so that only an ex- pert linguist could understand his gibberish at all.

Two strikingly familiar figures were the brothers Joshua and Isaiah Shaffer, of tempor- ary residence in early Van Wert, where they first worked at repairing wagons. Soon tiring of that, they took up wild land in Hoaglin township. They were twins, I think, or as near alike as twins, both being of the same build, of medium height, very dark, and each wearing a full beard, black as jet, as were their long, unkempt locks. I think they farmed in partnership, their team consisting of a yoke of black bulls, which were broken to ride; hence it was quite a common sight to see the Shaffer brothers ride into the village bullback, as unconcerned as you please, their slouch hats turned up fore and aft most comically. Like most of their class, the Shaffer brothers only remained a few years in the vicinity of Van Wert. Having cleared a few acres, thus making their holdings more desirable than wild land, they sold out for enough to take them and their families farther West, where the same routine was probably followed, they be- ing virtually members of the advance guard of the army of civilization which was gradu- ally taking the place of the aboriginal tribes of the forest.

In those days Indians of the Wyandot tribe frequently visited the village, bringing with them furs and pelts of wild animals se- cured in the deep forest everywhere sur-

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rounding the new county seat. Their peltries found a ready sale in the stores at fixed market prices, so that in the then prevailing scarcity of money furs became a medium of exchange to a considerable extent. The Wyandots. who came from the Sandusky Plains in Wyandot and Crawford counties, were as a rule civil and peaceable, but care had to be exercised in selling them intoxicants or trouble was sure to arise. At one of their camps a few miles east of town an Indian was killed in a drunken fight and his grave at the roadside enclosed with a rail pen was an object of curiosity for years. The murderer was brought to town and confined in the log jail for a lengthy period. As he became acquainted with the people, he became quite popular, was allowed consider- able liberty outside, often taking part in athle- tic games and never attempted to escape. When his tribe went westward, seeking bet- ter hunting grounds, the prisoner was allowed to go with his people to the far West and it is hoped became a good Indian eventually. In cold weather these Indians were wont to ask the privilege of sleeping in my father's kitchen, wrapped in their blankets before the large fireplace. These requests were usually granted. After disposing of their peltries, the Indians would invest the proceeds mostly in provisions and clothing but often bought knicknacks that struck their fancy, and one of my boyish impressions was that of two stalwart bucks, stalking along the village street, each with a boy's jew's-harp trying to their great delight to invoke melodious strains. Indian boys frequently accompanied the hunt- ing parties and with their bows and arrows would often shoot for coins placed on edge a rod or two distant, thus exciting us village lads until it became our highest ambition to possess a bow and arrow and emulate their

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History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 30

Author: Thaddeus S. Gilliland Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Number of Pages: 870

Author: Thaddeus S. Gilliland
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 870