USA > Ohio > Erie County > History of the Fire lands, comprising Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers > Part 34
USA > Ohio > Huron County > History of the Fire lands, comprising Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers > Part 34
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The history of John Whyler, as a merchant of Nor- walk, is one of thrift and singular prosperity. The writer has heard Mr. Whyler relate that he came to Norwalk with all his worldly goods packed in a wheel- barrow. He commenced business here as a peddler of threads, laces, buttons, etc., in the latter part of 1827, or the early part of 1828, carrying from house to house his stock in trade in two tin boxes. His trade increased so that he soon opened a small store on the lot now occupied by Mrs. J. M. Farr, corner of Pleasant and Main streets. As announced in the above advertisement, he, in 1828, opened a tin shop adjoining the public square, which was put in charge of his son, George Whyler, (father of John G. Whyler, the present plumber of Norwalk). In 1830, the store was removed to the building occupied by the tin shop, and a general stock of merchandise opened up. The place of business was then known as "The Red Store." From this location he removed his busi- ness as a general merchant, some years afterwards, to the lot on the northwest corner of Main and Prospect streets, where, in company with his sons, John, Jr., and Edward, he for many years, and until about 1849, carried on a very extensive and general mer- cantile business.
This place of business was called "The Old For- tress, " and in the palmy days of the grain traffic at Milan, the streets of Norwalk were, year after year, in the grain season, filled and almost blockaded by
GEO. SHEFFIELD,
PHILO ADAMS,
Dated June 1, 1826
139
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
two, four, six, eight and ten horse teams attached to "Pennsylvania Schooners," (as those immense canvas covered grain wagons were called,) while their owners were making purchases to carry home. Those "teani- sters" came from all the territory south from here to Franklin county, and a very large proportion of them would buy their "store goods" of no one but "Ole Wyler."
He was a bluff, bow-legged, corpulent, jolly, wide- awake Englishman, and the hearty, "hail-fellow, well-met" manner of the man won the hearts and the trade of the "Pennsylvania Dutch" farmers of Central Ohio.
The successful opening of the Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark Rail Road and the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Rail Road killed Milan and "The Old Fortress."
Mr. Whyler was born in Lincolnshire, England, and there commenced business as a baker, in which he proved a failure; then he emigrated and settled in Cleveland, Ohio, but continued only a short time; from there he came to Norwalk, and remained until his death.
VILLAGE INCORPORATED.
Norwalk was incorporated by Act of Legislature, February 11, 1828. The following are the two first sections of the act of incorporation :
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That so much of the township of Norwalk, in the county of Huron, as lies within the following boundaries, to-wit: Commencing at the south east corner of the town plat of Norwalk, in the center of the road lead- ing to Medina, running along the south side of the back alley as far as it extends, from thence in the same direction to the center of the road passing Widow Tice's dwelling, a distance of two hundred and sixteen rods from the starting point; thence along the center of said road forty ; rods; thence northeastwardly and parallel with the first line to the center of the road passing Ebenezer Lane's dwelling to Milan, a distance of two hundred and sixteen rods; thence along the center of said road forty rods to the place of beginning, he and the same is hereby created a town corporate, and shall henceforth be known and distinguished by the name of the town of Norwalk,
SEC. 2. That it shall be lawful for the white male inhabitants of said town, having the qualifications of electors of members of the General Assembly, to meet at some convenient place in said town, on the first Monday of May next, and the first Monday of May annually thereafter, and then and there proceed, by a plurality of votes, to elect by ballot one mayor, one recorder and five trustees, who shall have the qualifica- tions of electors; and the persons so eiected shall hold their office for one year, and until their successors shall be chosen and qualified, and they shall constitute the town council.
FIRST CORPORATION ELECTION.
The following is taken from the first pages of the first book of record of the corporation of Norwalk, and comprises the poll-book and tally sheet of the first election held as an incorporated village:
Poll-book of the election held in the town of Norwalk, in the county of Huron, and State of Ohio, this fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight. Joseph C. Curtiss Benjamin Carmon and Wm. Gallup, judges, and Geo. T. Buckingham, clerk, of this election, were severally sworn as the law directs previous to their entering on the duties of their respective offices.
No. of Voter.
Names of Electors of Voter.
1. James Williams.
2. Wm H, Hunter.
3. Ichabod Marshall.
1. Eri Keeler.
5. Hallett Gallup.
No.
Namesof Electors.
36. Geo. Ganff
37. Henry Tice.
88 Platt Benedict.
39. Seth Jennings.
40 Geo. T. Buckingham.
6. Moses Kimball.
7. Pelatiah Strong.
8. Daniel Tilden.
9. John P. McArdle.
10. Wm. Haughton.
11. Sherlock A. Bronson.
12. Zachariah Marvin.
13. Sam B. Ames.
14. Levi Wilson.
15. Barton Sweet.
16. John V. Sharp.
17. John G. Taylor.
18. Henry Buckingham.
19. Isaac M. Wilson.
54. Aurelius Mason.
Joseph Wilson. 55. James Minshall.
. 21. Joseph H. Wilson.
56. Joseph Mason.
22. Denison Clark.
57. Frederick Forsythe.
24. Cira Collins.
25. Benjamin Junkins.
60. Wm. M. Newgent.
26. Henry Hurlbert.
61. Charles Slocum.
27. Nelson Haughton.
28. John Ebbert.
63. John Felton.
29. Nathan Sweet.
64. Lewis M. Howard.
30. Charles Lindsay.
65. Cyrus Butler.
31. Wm. Taylor.
66. Jonas B. Benedict.
32, John P. Savin.
67 John Ford.
33. Barney Carkhoof.
68. Jonas Denton
34 John Miller.
69. John Knott.
It is hereby certified that the number of electors at this election amounted to sixty-nine.
WILLIAM GALLUP, B. CARMON,
GEO. T. BUCKINGHAM, Judges of Election.
Clerk.
The following is a copy of the tally sheet of this election, with the certificate of the judges of the election :
Names of persons voted for and for what offices, containing the num- her of votes for each candidate.
MAYOR.
James Williams, 41 votes.
William H. Hunter, 26 votes.
RECORDER.
Leverett Bradley, 37 votes.
John V. Vredenburgh, 30 votes.
TRUSTEES.
Picket Latimer, 40 votes. Samuel Preston, 38 votes.
Frederick Forsythe, 39 votes. Henry Buckingham, 41 votes.
Daniel Tilden. 41 votes. Lewis M. Howard, 28 votes.
Cyrus Butler, 31 votes. Isaac M. Wilson, 26 votes.
Charles Lindsay, 29 votes. Daniel E. Raitt, 27 votes.
Jonas Benedict, 1 vote.
William Gallup, 1 vote.
L. M. Howard, 2 votes.
Isaac Wilson, 1 vote.
We do hereby certify that James Williams had forty-one votes, and William H. Hunter had twenty-six votes, for mayor; and that Leverett Bradley had thirty-seven votes, and John G. Vredenburgh hai thirty votes, for recorder; and that Picket Latimer had forty votes, Samuel Preston had thirty eight votes, Frederick Forsythe had thirty-nine votes, Henry Buckingham had forty-one votes Daniel Tilden had forty-one votes, Lewis M. Howard had twenty eight votes. Cyrus Butler had thirty- one votes, Isaac M. Wilson had twenty-six votes. Charles Lindsay had twenty-nine votes, Daniel G. Raitt had twenty-seven votes, Jonas Bene- dict had one vote, William Gallup had one vote, L. M. Howard had two votes, and Isaac Wilson had one vote, for trustees.
BENJ. CARMON. Wx. GALLUP, JOSEPA C. CURTISS, Judges of Election.
Attest :
GEO. T. BUCKINGHAM, Clerk.
The first meeting of the town council took place on May 8, 1828, at which time the members were duly qualified, after which Ichabod Marshall was appointed treasurer, and John Miller, marshal.
Council again met May 19. and appointed James Williams, Frederick Forsyth and Picket Latimer, a committee to draft a code of by-laws and report at the next meeting.
41 Samuel Preston.
12 Daniel G. Raitt.
43 Thadeus B. Sturges.
41. Jacob Wilson.
45. John V. Vredenburgh.
46. Leverett Bradley.
17. Ozias S. Baker.
18 William Gallup.
49. Joseph C. Curtiss.
50. Benjamin Carmon.
51 Josiah L. Bottsford.
52 Abraham Emmet.
53. Wm. C. Enos.
20.
23. John Ebbett, Jr.
58. Asahel W. Howe.
59. Michael F. Cisco.
62. Picket Latimer.
35. Enos Gilbert.
Attest:
140
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
On May 30, council met to receive the report of the committee on by-laws. At this meeting Eri Keeler was appointed pound-keeper, and authorized to build a publie pound. This meeting was adjourned to June 6, and from that date again to June 10.
At the meeting of June 10, a long ordinance of five sections was adopted ; the substance of which was that "no hog or hogs, shoat or shoats, pig or pigs," should be allowed to run at large within the limits of the corporation. This ordinance was repealed May 20, 1835, as appears in the record book, page 59.
No further record of meetings of the council is en- tered until that of April 6, 1829.
The poll book of the election held May 4, 1829, contains the names of twenty-eight electors. The officers for the ensuing year were, Frederick Forsyth, mayor : John Miller, recorder ; Mathew Callaway, Lewis M. Howard, Thaddeus B. Sturges, Moses Kim- ball and William MI. Newgent, trustees.
The first book of the records extends to the year 1840, the last meeting of the council, that is recorded, being held April 25, of that year.
At the election held the first Monday in May. of that year, Platt Benedict was elected mayor ; J. Sid- ney Skinner, recorder : F. Wickham, assessor ; Tim- othy Baker, John Kennan, John Beebe, Robert Mor- ton and John Cline, Trustees.
The elections in those days were held at the "Council House," which stood where "Whittlesey Block" now stands ; it was a one story frame building of about twenty-four by forty feet, with about twelve feet of the north part partitioned off for a council- room, the front part being used for the storage of the old rotary pump fire engine, a two-wheeled hose-cart and some massive hooks and ladders that required great strength to handle. The old, black, home- made hearse, for many years owned and driven by Eri Keeler, used to be kept there too. For a number of years previous to 1850, Benjamin Shipley used the council-room as a barber shop. The old building was moved away in 1854 to give place to Whittlesey Block.
At the corporation election held in April, 1879, there were one thousand and forty-eight votes polled.
The present (1879) corporation officers are : S. P. Hildreth, mayor; W. V. Watrous, clerk ; E. A. Pray, solicitor ; Wm. Suhr, treasurer ; Jefferson Barber, marshal ; H. P. Smith, street commissioner ; C. J. Baldwin, Ira T. Conclin, Col. J. A. Jones, J. B. Millen, J. A. Nichols, S. S. Wing, councilmen.
FUGITIVE SLAVES.
In October, 1842, five men, three women and four children, all but one members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and residents of Campbell county, Kentucky, concluded to emigrate to Canada. They crossed the Ohio river and took passage on the "Under Ground Railroad," the earliest, most economical and efficiently managed railroad in the State of Ohio, and had progressed on their jonrney so far as Fitchville. in this county,-a station on that road, R. Palmer, |
agent, - when they were arrested by virtue of a war- rant, issued by Samnel Pennewell, Esq., a justice of the peace, of Norwalk township, under what was then called the " Black Law," and brought to Norwalk, on November 2nd, charged with being fugitive slaves. Mr. Pennewell was not in sympathy with the "Black Law,"and had publicly stated that he should require the most conclusive evidence of not only ownership, but birth in slavery; and that, before he would issue an order for their rendition, the testimony would have to be so conclusive that it would suffice to estab- lish the legitimacy of a royal heir to his throne.
In consequence of Mr. Pennewell's expressed views, no doubt, a writ of habeas corpus was taken ont, and the examination removed from before Esquire Penne- well and brought before A. G. Sutton, then an Asso- ciate Judge of the Common Pleas Court, and resulted in five of the fugitives being remanded back to slavery; bnt. for technical insufficiency in the testi- mony, no order was given against the others, but they were held to await the procuring of further testimony from Kentucky.
Discouraged by the order against five of their party, the other seven then gave up the contest and con- sented to be taken back.
Two of them were claimed by one party, three by another and seven by a third.
The owners were represented here by an agent, or "slave hunter," who, it appears, was assisted by par- ties living in Ohio, of whom the citizens of Fitchville say, in one of many resolutions adopted by them November 9, 1842, and signed "Stephen Pomeroy. moderator, and E. A. Pray, secretary:"
"Be it therefore resolved * that a large * * majority of onr worthy citizens feel grieved that a Kentucky slaveholder, with a number of bought up (what is called here) Ohio blood hounds, or slave- catchers, should be secretly quartered among us, for the purpose of carrying their nefarious purposes into operation."
At that time Edward E. Husted was sheriff of Huron county, and he refused to have the fugitives confined in the jail. They were consequently kept at the old "Goff House," (which stood where the Congregational Church now is,) under an armed guard, for about one week, and until the close of the examination.
On Sunday morning, after the order of rendition had been given, they were ironed, loaded on to a four- horse stage and taken through Main street on their way back to-no one here knows what.
Hallet Gallup then lived next west of the old "Goff House," which had an upper and lower veranda across its whole front; the negroes were permitted frequently to exercise upon the upper one, and a son of Mr. Gallup, a little lad, took advantage of those occasions to throw apples up to them, and for such favors received as hearty thanks as have ever been tendered to him since, and by those acts probably won the confidence of the slaves; at all events, on the Sunday
HON. JOHN A. WILLIAMSON,
son of the late James Williamson and Phebe Williamson, and, on the maternal side, grandson of Abizah Griffin, one of the early settlers of Greenwich township, was born Sept. 25, 1842, in the township of New London, Huron Co., Ohio. His parents were natives of the Empire State, having been born and reared in Hunter, Greene Co., N. Y., and, removing to Ohio at a comparative early day, were here married in the year 1839. His father was a farmer by occupation, and the subject of this sketch was reared at the family homestead, the old farm still owned by him, upon which the Williamsons originally settled, and which lies in the townships of New London and Fitchville, into the latter of which the residence was transferred in 1852.
Mr. Williamson's youth was passed in a manner of life similar to that of many farmer boys, but, possessing a more than usually vigorous constitution, together with bright and acute intellectual qualities, he began early in life to manifest those traits of mind and character which, in their mature development, have rendered him eminent, professionally and politically. His was naturally an ambitious nature, and so it happened that he could not be satisfied with the education gained in the common schools, but when he had passed through their course of study, chose to avail himself of further opportunities and fit himself for the occupation of higher positions in life than he could attain to without so doing.
At the age of sixteen years he entered upon a course in the preparatory department of Oberlin College, and two years later he became a member of the Freshman class of that insti- tution of learning. He remained until the completion of the Sophomore year, 1862, when that one of many exciting war alarms, the news that the Confederate Gen. Kirby Smith was about to make a raid upon Cincinnati, was flashed through the loyal North, and a call was made for the minute-men of the State to rally to the protection of its chief city. Mr. Williamson, being a strong supporter of the Union sentiment, and feeling that he should do anything that lay within his means to assist the overthrow of the power which menaced our free soil, notwithstanding the reluctance of parental solicitude for the safety of an only child, went out as one of that hastily-summoned and quickly-prepared body of men, as did also many of his class.
After returning from the service of that brief campaign, which by no means, however, promised to be short, he asked for and received an honorable dismissal from Oberlin, and be- came a member of the Junior class at Yale, from which col- lege he graduated with honors in the year 1864. Immediately after finishing his academie course he entered upon the study of law in the Law School of the University of New York, at Albany, from which he graduated in 1865. The time inter- vening between this date and 1867 was spent in a law-office in Cincinnati, and in traveling and general reading.
On the 9th of February, 1867, he became deputy clerk of courts in Huron County, under A. B. Griffin, Esq., elerk, which position he held until his resignation, in 1868, for the purpose of entering into a partnership for the practice of law with Hon. W. S. Tennant, at East Saginaw, Mich. In 1869 he removed from East Saginaw to Toledo, where he resided until the spring of 1871, when he removed to Norwalk, in his native county. At this point he has since lived prominently in the eye of the publie, and in such manner as to have no cause to fear its watching. He engaged in the practice of his profession, and followed it assiduously and uninterruptedly until 1877, when he was elected to the Legislature as a mem- ber of the House of Representatives from Huron County.
Politically, Mr. Williamson is a Republican, and an earnest supporter of the men and measures of that party. He has been a worker for the success of principles and of the best men in the party, rather than a secker of political preferment for himself. He has not sought place, and in accepting it has only done so in response to the elearly expressed will of his friends and the suffrage of the people.
Mr. Williamson is a man of fine as well as forcible intel- lectual qualities, an extensive reader and close thinker, of a remarkably practical east of mind, and yet, withal, alive to whatever there is of beauty in the many refinements of sur- roundings and of being. He is cautious but firm in his judgments, and reliable. In manner he is social and friendly, and he possesses qualities that readily win admiration and respect, whether from his political compeers, or his private companions and acquaintances.
He was married to Miss Celestia N. Tennant, of Camden, Lorain Co., Ohio, Jan. 19, 1869.
141
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
before they were taken away, he was engaged in throwing them apples again, when one of them, a large and powerful man, stepped near the railing and threw something which sparkled and flashed in the sunlight as it came through the air and fell into the tall grass at the lad's feet. The guards were near, and a crowd of boisterous men were gathered on the lower porch. Fearing detection, the boy took no no- tice of what had been thrown him, but soon went and informed his father of what had occurred. That night Mr. Gallup went, and, searching through the grass, found a large silver - handled double -edged "bowie knife," with a silver-trimmed leather sheath. About one year afterwards, a constable of Norwalk called on Mr. Gallup and demanded the knife, saying he had a search warrant for it. Mr. Gallup stepped to the large old-fashioned " fire-place," and picking up an iron poker, turned and asked the constable if that wa'nt the knife he was .looking for; but the valiant officer at once became anxions to go back to the justice that issued the warrant so as to return it "not found." Suit was then commenced before a justice against Mr. Gallup for the value of the knife; but npon his demanding a jury trial, it was with- drawn, and nothing further was done about it. That crnel, blood-stained knife is now in possession of a son of Hallet Gallup.
In the volume on "Population and Social Statis- tics," United States Census of 1870, on page fifty-six, it is stated that the free colored population of Huron county, Ohio, was in 1820, seven; in 1830, fifty-six; in 1840, one hundred and six; in 1850, thirty-nine; in 1860, seventy-nine; and in 1870, two hundred. From this it will be seen, that in the decade from 1840 to 1850, the colored population of Huron county decreased from one hundred and six to thirty-nine, or nearly two-thirds-probably in consequence of the fear of being claimed and sent south as slaves-a fear engendered by this inhuman violation of personal liberty, which was sanctioned by law and submitted to by the freemen of the north in 1842. It will fur- ther be noticed, that after slavery had been abolished, and terror of the "black law" no longer hung as a sable pall over the land, in the decade from 1860 to 1870, the colored population increased from seventy- nine to two hundred, or more than two and a half times, and probably a greater part of this increase occurred after the close of the war in 1865. The people of Norwalk and of the whole North were never in sympathy with slavery nor the fugitive slave law, but they were law abiding, and submitted to the decrees of the courts. The question is pertinent: have the people of the old slave States ever, even to this day, shown a like submission to law?
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Norwalk having been incorporated in 1828, one of the first acts of its first council was to provide the newly organized village with some efficient method for extinguishing fires. Muscle then was paramount,
and the only machine accessible was the bucket; con- sequently the first organization was known as the "bucket brigade." The first ordinance required that each property owner on Main street should keep a certain number of leathern buckets, suitably num- bered, and lettered with the owner's name, and hung in the building as assessed, convenient for use, nsu- ally in the front hall. Some of these old buckets are still in existence, and might have been seen hanging up to a recent date in the hall entrance of Judge Stickney's office. The judge was an efficient and "leading engine" in that organization. One is now in possession of C. H. Gallup, Esq., marked " P. Benedict," who was one of the members of the brigade. This organization was well disciplined, and at the first "blowing of the horn," which was then the alarm, every man was on hand with his buckets, and two lines were formed from the burning building to the nearest water, and the "stream" passed from hand to hand, in these buckets, the second line returning the empty ones. Every man was then a fireman, and worked with a will and efficiency that might well be imitated with more modern appliances and by more elaborate organizations. But it formed the germ from which has sprung a company that stands at the head of its class and department in the United States, the " Rescue" hook and ladder company, now holding the championship belt and gold prizes won at Chicago in 1878, of which we will speak hereafter.
Following closely upon this first step was the con- struction of town wells, designed only for fire pur- poses, and mainly planked or timbered up, one of which may still be seen at the corner of Railroad ave- nue and Monroe street, but the first were located on Main street. As time passed and the village increased in population, it was thought best to purchase a ma- chine, but, as it could not be reached by taxation, a subscription was started for that purpose, and the project was successful. After doing years of service this old engine was passed over to the "boys," many of whom are now middle-aged business men, and remem- ber with much pride their first "playing firemen" with the old machine. Then the "Champion" was purchased, and the department more efficiently or- ganized; but as yet there was but one company, con- trolled by a chief engineer, one foreman with two assistants, etc. In 1854, the Whittlesey block was erected, and the corporation built in connection with the other owners of rooms the north room on the ground-floor of said building and dedicated it to the use of the department; and it was so used by them as their headquarters, in connection with a rented hall above, until June, 1877, when the new hall on Sem- inary street was taken possession of and dedicated, and the rented room given up.
Many years previous to this, however, the needs of the village had outgrown the "Champion," and the " Phonix" engine was purchased. As yet but one company existed, nearly all the members of which transferred their affections to the new engine. At
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