USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94
60
HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
meanor and so the matter ended. It cost the State $17,000 to repair the damage.
The reservoir is a beautiful inland lake and was a great place for fishing until the State officials, in a mistaken idea of economy. leased the lands for oil and thus for the sake of a penny destroyed a dollar. The parties respon- sible for the leasing should have been met by the jeers of all good citizens the State over. It was little, if any, less than a crime.
The population of the county, in 1830, then including St. Marys-now in Auglaize the most populous part of the county-was 1, 100. In 1900 it had a population of 28,021, includ- ing the following towns: Chickasaw, 310; Montezuma, 317; Mendon. 599: Cold Water, 627: Fort Recovery, 1,097: Rockford, 1,207; and Celina, 2,815.
.
PAULDING COUNTY.
This county was formed from the territory ceded by the Indians in the treaty signed in 1818. and was organized in 1820 and named for John Paulding, one of the captors of Major Andre, the British spy.
The greater part of the county was low, wet swampy land and very heavily timbered with oak, black ash, elm and cottonwood. From the date of the completion of the canals, it was visited every year by French Canadians after ship timber, which was rafted down the canal to Toledo, and shipped from there to England. They frequently entered the land and after taking off the ship timber would abandon the land as worthless. But little at- tempt was made to settle the county except along the Auglaize River, or by persons who dependled upon hunting and hauling hoop- poles for a living. until the advent of the stave factories. Then the elm and cottonwood, which had leen looked upon as worthless. became most
valuable. Stave factories were located along the railroads and the chopping of the axeman could be heard in every direction. The forests disappeared as if by magic. When the timber was gone, the land passed largely into new hands and farms were rapidly cleared. The land being level and wet, a system of ditching was necessary. In this the pioneers of Pauld- ing were in advance of all others. Ditches were located that were real canals; streams were ditched and in a few years the swamp was changed to a fertile field. With six rail- roads the improvement was most rapid. Land that a few years ago could be entered for $1.25 an acre is now selling for $100 an acre. The county also came to the front in the matter of roads. They built their roads at great expense and then kept them in good condition, and were almost among the first in Northwestern Ohio to commence piking. While Paulding County to appearance is almost perfectly level. yet it has good drainage, the Auglaize and Maumee being the largest streams, with numerous smaller ones that empty into them.
The first court was held in 1840 in Roches- ter Ly Judge Emory D. Potter. president judge. with Associate Judges Nathan Eaton. John Hudson and Gilman C. Mudgett. Rochester at that time contained about 20 families, but since has disappeared from the map. From there the county seat was moved to Charloe. in 1841, where it remained until it was moved to Paulding Center, now Paulding.
Charloe was formerly an Indian village of about 600 persons, under Chief Occanoxa. He was a powerful Indian and had in his time been a great warrior ; he was wont to boast of the women and children that he had scalped. Charloe was named for an Indian chief of that nome who acquired considerable fame as an orator and statesmon.
Paul-ling. the present county seat. was hi:l
Digitized by Google
61
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
out by a company composed of Aughenbaugh, Riley. Marsh and Hedges, but was not made the county seat for a number of years. The county was the favorite hunting grounds of the Indians, and also of the whites for many years after the Indians left. For many years cconskins were a legal tender, and frequently purchased marriage licenses. The first trading house in the county was opened by Thomas P. Quick-this was for the purpose of trading with the Indians. The next was opened by Horatio N. Curtis. The first white man that settled in the county was John Driver, a silver- smith, who had a profitable trade with the In- dians. Driver was quiet and could never be prevailed upon to reveal his early history or the place of his nativity.
Paulding, the county seat, is situated on the Cincinnati Northern Railroad and in 1900 had a population of 2.080. It is growing rap- idly. The following villages are situated in Paulding County and had the population set opposite their names in 1900:
Haviland 186
Broughton 226
Cecil
326
Oakwood 342
Melrose 383
Latty
444
Scott
547
Grover Hill
655
Antwerp 1,206
Payne
1,336
In 1864 Graft. Bennett & Company. of Pittsburg, established a furnace. for the pur- pose of making charcoal iron, between Cecil and Paulding on the banks of the Wabash and Erie Canal and built a railroad from Cecil to Paulding. The charcoal was burned in kilns built in the shape of the old-fashioned bee- hives. They were made of fire brick aand phs- tered with lime. These were fille:l with cord
wood and it took about four days to burn a kiln and a cord of wood would produce 50 bushels of charcoal. The furnace employed about 250 men in cutting cordwood and burn- ing charcoal. The ore was shipped from Lake Superior on the lakes to Toledo, and then on the canal and railroad to the furnace. They cleared annually about 1,000 acres of land, and used 120 cords of wood a day to make 45 tons of iron.
Charcoal iron was far superior to that made with bituminous coal. Science has now over- come the difference in quality and a charcoal furnace is a back number. The fires were drawn in the furnace and the land made into farms.
Paulding was the headquarters of the hoop manufacturing business, as well as that of staves. Black ash hoops were made by split- ting out the timber in pices the width of a hoop and the depth of half a dozen hoops; these were then started at the end with the frow and then put in what was called a break; by bear- ing down on the piece the split that had been started at he end would follow on down to within 10 inches of the end-this was left to hold the hoops together. An expert hoop- maker would make from $4 to $6 a day. They were used for making slack barrels, nail kegs, etc. Then came the round hoops, made of hickory and oak poles. They were made by splitting the poles in halves and, if large, in quarters, and then shaving them. These were used for tight barrels, such as pork barrels. syrup and liquor barrels. Next came the elin hoops, which were made by machinery. The timber was first sawed into planks the proper thick ness. next steamed and cut by a machine something in the manner staves are cut. after which they were run through a planer, finally being coiled. eight hoops in a coil.
Slack barrel staves, made from elm and
Digitized by Google
62
HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
ted oak, were also cut by machinery. The tim- Ler was sawed into lengths for a barrel and split into bolts; these were steamed and then cut in a machine. The heading was made from ash, cottonwood and basswood, being sawed out and turned in a machine used for that pur- pose.
But all this is in the past. Where the dense forests once stood there are now immense corn fields.
In 1830 Paulding County had a population of 161; in 1840. 1,034; in 1850, 1.766; in 1860, 4,945; in 1870, 8,544; in 1890, 25.932; in 1900, 27, 528.
When the Wabash and Erie Canal was built, a reservoir was constructed by damming a small steam and building dykes. Thus about 2,000 acres were enclosed. When the State of Indiana abandoned the canal, the reservoir be- came worthless and a menace to health, and an effort was made to have the State abandon it, but the bill failed to pass. On the night of April 25. 1888, about 200 men proceeded to the lower end of the reservoir, blew up two locks and the bulk head at the lower end of the reservoir and burned the buildings. As there was no object in the State repairing the break, the Legislature passed the necessary act to com- plete the destruction and the land was ordered sold.
PUTNAM COUNTY
Was formed from the old Indian territory. April 1. 1820, and named for Gen. Israel Put- nam, who was born at Salem, Massachusetts. January 7, 1718, and died at Brooklyn. Con- necticut, May 29, 1790. The county was not organized until 1834, having been attached to Williams for judicial purposes.
The surface of the county is level. It was a part of the Black Swamp and was covered
with heavy timber-black ash, white elm, cot- tonwood, and burr oak. What is known as the Sugar Ridge passes entirely across the county and is much higher than the surrounding coun- try ; it has a sandy soil and was originally cov- ered with black walnut, butternut, gray ash, red elm, beech, red oak, and sweet oak. Much of the timber was of very large size and would have been quite valuable if it could have been . saved until there could have been transporta- tion facilities for properly marketing it. But as this timber was on the highest ground it was the first cleared, and many valuable trees were burned in log heaps. The western part of the county was largely settled by German Catho- lics. The more central part was settled with what are known as Mennonites. They have peculiar notions about dress, and, while of the best quality it must be made very plain. For many years they did not vote, except at school elections.
A few years ago a daughter of one of this sect with her husband. also a Mennonite, moved West and adopted the fashion in vogue in the neighborhood. After an absence of several years, wishing to visit her former home, she wrote to a friend in Delphos to procure a Mennonite bonnet for her. as she would not wound the feelings of her parents by wearing her hat. She secured her bonnet at Delphos. leaving her hat. and made her visit: when she returned West she stopped at Delphos, left her Mennonite bonnet and donned her hat.
There were two Indian towns in Putnam County, known as Upper and Lower Tawa towns. Fort Jennings was erected on the bank of Jennings Creek. during General Wayne's campaign against the Indians, for the purpose of keeping open his line of supplies. Howe. in his "Historical Collections of Ohio." gives a description and picture of the first house that was built in Putnam County, erected on the
Digitized by Google
Digitized by
15
14
13
9
2
8
6
7
3
18
10
17.
16
12
5
4
RELICS OF FORT AMANDA AND PIONEER DAYS IN ALLEN COUNTY
PROPERTY OF DR. GEORGE HALL, LIMA
EXPLANATION .- No. 1, Section of Block House, Fort Amanda. showing port-hole: No. 2, Copper Kettles from Indian grave. Fort Amanda : No. 3. Shackles used on criminals in Allen County Jail, 1832: No. 4. Pht's Pistol. found in Council House after his death; No. 5, Indian Tomahawk, used as pipe of peace: No. 6. Indian Squaw Axe: No. 6. Indian Flint Arrow-Head: No. 8. Indian Scalp. taken by an early settler : No. 9. Antlers of Deer. killed by Daniel Snyder, 1840, on the site of the present (1906) High School Building : No. 10, Petrified Leaf, Coal Age. found near Fort Amanda : No 11, Flax Hackle of pioneer days : No. 12, Indian Saddle Bird : No. 13. Indian Bow, Quiver and Arrow used by the Shawnees. 1830; No. 14. Indian War Club: No. 15, Cane made from wood taken from the Allen County Jail, 1832; No. 16, Indian Hunting Knife with sheath : No. 17. Poisoned Indian Arrow : No. 18. Indian War Axe.
Digitized by
65
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
Auglaize by Sebastian Sroufe. It was a double log cabin with a space between, which was cov- ered by the same roof.
He also gives an amusing account of captur- ing a strange animal. He says that after kill- ing it, and thinking it a valuable specimen, he tied it on his horse behind the saddle. His horse began to dance up and down, especially the back part of him, and then trotted off. He had hard trouble to catch him, and was fearful he would have to pass the night in the Black Swamp. A quantity of quills were sticking in his back, gathered from the animal, which proved to be a porcupine. Kalida was orig- inally the county seat, but in 1866 the seat of government was moved to Ottawa, the Court House at Kalida having burned down, and Ot- tawa having been chosen by the vote of the people.
H. S. Knapp, who at an early day took charge of the Kalida Venture, says that he and his wife went to Columbus Grove to a camp meeting, and were dumped in a mudhole; that he tried to pull his wife out. but couldn't, so he backed his horse up and his wife took hold of its tail and was pulled out. William Galbraith tells that his neighbors, an Indian and his wife and their papoose, had a quarrel; the husband pulled out his knife and cut the papoose in two: each having half, this settled their quar- rel.
Stansbury tells of a novel way to punish a thief. Indian Tom was a bad Indian. In the spring of 1834 he stole a pony of one of the tribe. He was arrested, tried and convicted. They took him from the camp and divesting him of his clothing tied him to a tree and there left him to remain all night, subject to the tor- tures of the mosquitoes.
Among the men of note of Putnam County might be mentioned Benjamin Metcalf. James McKenzy. George Skinner. Abraham Sarler,
Dr. Godfrey and C. H. Rice. Gen. A. V. Rice, a son of C. H. Rice, was a gallant soldier dur- ing the War of the Rebellion, serving from the 27th of April, 1861, to the close of the war. He was wounded in the battle of Shiloh, where he commanded the 57th Ohio, as lieutenant colonel. He was actively engaged in all the movements of Sherman's army in the siege of Corinth in 1862; also, in the siege of Vicks- burg. and was recommended by General Sher- man for promotion to brigadier general. In the Atlanta campaign to took part in the bat- tles of Sugar Valley, Resaca, Dallas. New Hope, Big Shanty, and Little Kenesaw from the 5th of May to the 27th of June, 1864. When at the assault of Little Kenesaw he re- ceived three wounds simultaneously. one result- ing in the amputation of the right leg above the knee, one shattering the left foot. and the third wounding him in the head. For his action at Resaca, Georgia, May 14. 1864, he again re- ceived an impromptu recommendation from the general officers for promotion to brigadier gen- eral for gallant conduct on the field of battle under their personal observation. But the ap- pointment was not made until May, 1865. His wounds kept him out of service until April, 1865, when he rejoined his command at New Bern. North Carolina. After the review at Washington, he took his command to Louis- ville, Kentucky, where he was assigned to the command of the Third Brigade of the Second Division, 15th Army Corps, which he took to Little Rock, Arkansas, June 24. 1865, and which brigade was mustered out in August. 1865. General Rice was honorably discharged January 15, 1866. His wounded limb caused him great suffering and was mainly the cause of his death. He had one or two operations performed but to no avail.
Putnam County has the following cities and villages, with population in 1900 as follows :
Digitized by Google
.
66
HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
Miller City
163
Fort Jennings
322
Belmore
324
Gilboa
346
West Leipsic
346
Glandorf
349
Ottoville
30.9
Dupont
370
Pandora
409
Kalida
622
Continental
1,104
Leipsic
1.726
Columbus Grove
1,935
Ottawa
2.322
Putnam County in 1830 had a population of 230, and in 1900. 32.525.
WILLIAMS COUNTY
Was formed from the old Indian territory, April 1. 1820, and organized in April, 1824. It contains about 420 square miles.
The surface is mostly slightly rolling. In the western portion are oak openings with a light sandy soil, with portions of a clayey na- ture. and in the north a rich black soil.
David Williams, one of the three captors of Major Andre, after whom this county was named, was born in Tarrytown, New York, October 21, 1754, and died near Livingston- ville. New York. August 2, 1831. He enlisted in the Revolutionary Army in 1775, and served under General Montgomery at St. Johns and Quebec. During his service his feet were badly frozen. which partially disabled him for life. After the war he bought a farm near the Catskill Mountains.
Among the first settlers in Williams County were: James Guthrie, who settled in Spring- fieldl township in 1827; Samuel Holton, who came to St. Joseph township in the same year ; also John Zediker, John Perkins, Josiah Pack- ard, Rev. Thomas J. Prettyman, Mrs. Mary Leonard and her three sons-in-law. and James Overlease. Sebastian Frame, John Keckman and John Stubbs. The Indians that the whites
found in this county were of the Ottawa. Miami, Pottawattamie and Wyandot tribes. On the west bank of the St. Joseph River. be- low the site of the village of Denmark, is a tow piece of meadow land called "The Indian Meadows;" on which the Indians raised corn.
Bryan, the county seat, was laid out in 1840. and was named for Hon. John A. Bryan. When Defiance County was formed, there was considerable strife between Williams Center. Pulaski, and the present location for the seat of justice of Williams County, as the former county seat (Defiance) went with the new County. It was finally settled by John .1. Bryan donating the grounds for its location, on condition that it bear his name.
The first discovery of artesian water. now obtained in so many parts of the Maumee Val- ley. was made at Bryan in 1842. The mineral water discharged from the deep well at Stryker. struck at a depth of 230 feet below the surface. is of a different character. It does not over- flow in virtue of its own head, but is thrown out periodically by violent discharges of hydro- sulphuric-acid gas. This is constantly rising in some amount through the water and at in- tervals of about six hours finds vent in great volume from some subterranean reservoir, throwing out in a foaming torrent many bar- rels of water. The water possesses medicinal properties or high value.
Williams County has the following cities and villages within her borders, with popula- tion in 1900 as follows :
Blakeslee
239
Alvordton 482
Pioneer
603
Edon
740
West Unity
897
Edgerton
1,0.4.3
Stryker
1.306
Montpelier 1.869
Bryan
3.1.31
Digitized by Google
-
-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
67
Williams County had a population in 1830 of 387. and in 1900, 24.953.
WOOD COUNTY.
This county, a part of the Black Swamp. was early in the existence of the republic, the field of strife between government troops and the Indians and their scarcely less barbarous alies, the French and. English, which struggle was only finally terminated by Wayne's decis- ive victory. Previous to that no portion of the West was more loved by the Indians than the Maumee Valley and its tributaries. In the daily journal kept by George Will, under date of August 6. 1794, during Wayne's campaign, he says, when within six miles of the Auglaize River. "I expect to eat green corn to-morrow." On the 8th he says, "We have marched four or five miles in corn fields down the Auglaize and there is not less than a thousand acres around the town." This journal, kept from that time until the return of the army to Fort Greenville, is full of the descriptions of the im- mense corn fieldls, large vegetables patches and old apple trees along the banks of the Maumee. During the eight days while building Fort De- fiance. the army obtained their bread and vege- tables from the corn fields and potato patches surrounding the fort. In the march of the army from Fort Defiance to the foot of the rapids, the army passed through several Indian towns constructed of bark and skins, which in- dicated plainly that the forces that liad occupied them were composed not only of Indians, but of Canadian French and renegade Englishmen.
Judge Burnet says that his yearly trips to Detroit, from 1796 to 1802 made it necessary to pass through some of their towns and con- venient to visit many of them. "Of course I had frequent opportunity of seeing thousands of them in their villages and hunting camps
and of forming a personal acquaintance with some of their distinguished chiefs. I have eaten and siept in their towns and partaken of their hospitality, which had no limit but that of their contracted means. In journeying more recently through the State, discharging my judicial duties. I sometimes pass over the ground on which I have seen towns filled with happy fam- ilies of that devoted race, without perceiving the smallest trace of what had once been there."
The first white settler on the Maumee was Col. John Anderson. He settled at Fort Miami in 1800. Peter Manor, a Frenchman, who was here previous to that, and was adopted by the chief. Tontogany. by the name of Sawende- bans, or "Yellow Hair," did not come here to reside until 1808. These were the only ones until May. 1810, when came Amos Spafford. . An- drew Race. Thomas Leaming. Halsey W. Leaming. James Carlin. William Carter. George Blalock. James Slason, Samuel H. Ewing, Jesse Skinner. David Hull, Thomas Dick, Wil- liam Peters. Ambrose Hickox and Richard Gif- ford, all of whom settled near the foot of the rapids.
When the War of 1812 broke out. there were 67 families residing at the foot of the rapids. Manor, the Frenchman, states that the first intimation the settlers had of Hull's surrended at Detroit manifested itself by the appearance of a party of British and Indians at the foot of the rapids a few days after it took place. The Indians plundered the settlers on both sides of the river and departed for De- troit. Manor won the confidence of a Delaware chief named Sac-a-manc by pretending friend- ship for the British, and was by him informed that in a few days a grand assemblage of the tril es of the Northwest was contemplateil at Malden, and that in about two days after that asseml:hige a large number of British and In- diers would be at the foot of the rapids on their
Digitized by Google
HISTORY OF VAN WERT COUNTY
march to relieve Fort Wayne, then under in- vestment by the American Army as was sup- posed. He also informed him that when they came again they would massacre every Yankee found in the valley. ,
Sac-a-manc left in a day or two for the interior of the State. The day after he left. Manor called upon Major Spafford and warned him of the evil intenions of the Indians as he had received them from Sac-a-manc. The Major placed no confidence in them, and ex- pressed his determination to remain until the army from the interior should reach this fron- tier. A few days after this. a man by the name of Gordon was seen approaching in great haste. He had been raised among the Indians. and Major Spafford had done him some small favor. Major Spafford met him in his corn- field and was informed that a party of about 50 Pottawattamies on their way to Malden had taken this route and that in less than two hours would be at the foot of the rapids. He also urged the Major to make good his escape im- niediately. Most of the families at the foot of the rapids had left the valley after receiving the news of Hull's surrender.
Majer Spafford assembled what remained. on the lonk of the river. where they put in tolerable sailing condition an old barge in which some officers had descended the river from Fort Wayne the previous year. They had barely time to get such of their effects as were portable on board and row down to the bend below town, when they heard the Indians' shouts above. Finding no Americans there. they passed on to Malden. The Major and his companions sailed their crazy craft down the lake to the Quaker settlement at Milon. where they remained until the close of the war.
On the breaking up of the ice in Lake Erie. General Proctor with all his disposable force. consisting of regulars and Canadian
militia from Malden, and a large body of In- dians under their celebrated chiei. Tecumseh. amounting in all to 2,000 men. laid seige to Fort Meigs. To encourage the Indians. Proc- tor had promised them an easy conquest. and assured them that General Harrison would be delivered up to Tecumseh.
On April 26th the British columns appeared on the opposite bank of the river. and estab- lished their principal batteries on an eminence opposite the fort. On the 27th the Indians crossed the river and established themselves in the rear of the American lines. The garrison not having completed their wells. had no water except what they obtained from the river under the fire of the enemy. On the ist. 2nd and 3rd of May their batteries kept up a constant fusillade of balls and shells on the fort. On the night of the 3rd the British erected a gun and mortar battery on the left bank of the river. within 250 yards of the American lines. The Indians climbed trees in the neighborhood of the fort and poured a galling fire upon the gar- rison. In this situation General Harrison re- ceived a summons from Proctor for a surren- dler of the garrison, greatly magnifying the latter's means of annoyance. This was an- swered by a prompt refusal assuring the Brit- ish general that if he obtained possession of the fort. it would not be by capitulation.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.