History of the city of Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio, Part 132

Author: Waggoner, Clark, 1820-1903
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: New York and Toledo : Munsell & Company
Number of Pages: 1408

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Cornelius G. Shaw was among the early set- tlers at Toledo, coming here in 1832, the year in which the two Towns (Port Lawrence and Vistula) began the bitter rivalry, which was soon measurably abated upon their corporate union as Toledo. He came from Western New York, having been married with Miss Sallie Starr in Cattaraugus County, in 1828. Three years thereafter, they started for the West, locating first at Stony Creek, near Monroe, Michigan, whence in 1832, they came to Tole- do, bringing their limited stock of household goods in a Row-boat. Reaching the mouth of' the Maumee River at night, they camped upon an Island, sleeping on the ground, notwith- standing Mrs. Shaw's sickness from the ague. . May 15th they arrived at the subsequent site of Manhattan, where they found many Indians, gathered to consider the proposed sale of their lands in that locality. Mr. Shaw was a Car- penter and Joiner by trade, and is said to have built the first frame house in what is now To- ledo. It was located near the corner of Sum- mit and Locust Streets, a portion yet remaining in that vicinity. Mr. Shaw built the first Jail for Lucas County, near the corner of Summit and Cherry Streets, being the log structure elsewhere mentioned as on Water Street, near Cherry. Mr. Shaw acted as Deputy under the first Sheriff of Lucas County (Munson HI. Daniels), in 1836, and was elected Sheriff in 1837 and in 1839. He was connected with a Copper Mining enterprise at Isle Royal, Lake Superior, in 1847-8, and returned to Toledo in 1849. In the Spring of 1850, he left for Cali- fornia, but not finding mining what he ex- pected, he took the first return Steamer for home, the Panama, on board which ho was taken with the cholera, and died about Septem-

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HISTORY OF TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY.

ber 4th. The disease was taken at Acapulco, Mexico, where the Steamer stopped, and about 40 passengers died before reaching the Isthmus. He was a man of much energy and force of character, and usually a leader in what engaged his attention. Mrs. Shaw continued to reside at Toledo from the time of their return from Lake Superior, in 1848, until her death, July 18, 1886, over 54 years from the time of her arrival bere. She was highly respected by a large circle of friends. They had three chil- dren-C. D. Shaw, now of Aurora, Illinois; Mrs. Jobn B. Marston and Mrs. John Turner, of Toledo.

The Ohio and Michigan Register and Emi- grant's Guide, was the title of a monthly peri- odical of 16 pages, 5x8 inches in size, started by the late Jessup W. Seott, at Florence, Huron (now Erie) County, in 1831. As indi- cated by its title, it was designed chiefly as a medium for communicating information in re- gard to the condition and advantages of North- ern Ohio and Michigan for settlement by Eastern people. In his introductory article, the editor said :

We enter upon the performance of our task with much pleasure, because the subject which will occupy the most prominent portion of this journal, is one to which we have directed much of our attention, and because we believe that, properly condueted, our sheet will be of great service to this whole section of country, and to the thousands of individuals at the East, to whom a correct knowledge of the Western country will be communicated.

A correspondent of that paper ("D. B."), writing from Perrysburg, in 1832, said that Town had an indifferent Court-House, two taverns, one store, and 40 or 50 dwellings and shops. Land could be had in the neighborhood at from $1.25 to $10.00 per acre. The ontlet of the Miami and Erie Canal was then sup- posed to lie between Perrysburg and Maumee City, the Towns below those points then being understood as " probably belonging to Michi- gan." Of the locality of the present City of Toledo, the correspondent said :

The new Town, " Vistula," just being born, and mentioned in your last, makes a great noise, and attracts much attention from the numerous immi- grants who are seeking the most eligible site for a Town on the Maumee. A considerable number of lots, according to the information obtained from Major B. F. Stickney, one of the proprietors, had been sold in the course of the Spring and Summer, and improvements of a permanent character and on a large scale engaged to be made. This nascent Vil- lage is bandsomely situated on the left bank of the Maumee River, about three miles from its mouth, and immediately below the site of Port Lawrence. These places will probably some day grow together and become one, provided my opinion shall turn out to be correct, that the great Town of the Maumee shall be situated there.

It was in that year (1832) that Mr. Scott made his first purchase of real estate at this

point. Of that investment, he thus wrote in a letter some years before his death, in 1874 :

The only possible ehanee (for purchase) that I found, was a very wild and rude piece of ground, then possessed by Dr. Sutphen, being the South west fractional quarter of Section 36, Township 9 South, Range 7 East, embracing a small piece of Section 35. Of this I bargained for 70 acres at $12 per acre. I also wrote to Major Oliver, who resided in Cincin- nati, offering to become part owner of his traets, and to become agent for their management. When my letter reached the Major, there was an applicant with him, having the same object in view-Dr. D. O. Comstoek-who bought one-fourth of tracts one and two, and with his brother, Stephen B. Comstock, be- came the agent of what was called the Port Law- rence Company, owning tracts one and two. At the time I bought the 70 acres, I could have bought the whole fractional quarter of 86 aeres, by giving $15 per acre for what remained ; but as I thought the part bought was worth more by the acre than what was left, I declined to buy.

Having, as I thought, got a fair chance to partici- pate in the advantage of the future rapid growth of the great City, I embarked with my horse on the Steamboat Pioneer for Sandusky City, elated with high hopes of future profits from my purchase. On the steamer I fell in with a man who had just come from the West Shore of Lake Michigan, where he had pre-empted (or rather bought the pre-emption of) an 80-acre lot at the mouth of the Milwaukee River. This was the first time I had heard that name. I think the land cost him $6 per acre; and as he could hardly spare so much money, he offered to let me in as joint purchaser, at, I think, the cost price. I declined, telling him he would do better to make the new Town of Vistula the theatre of speeu- lations, as it might, and probably would, become a considerable City before settlements to any extent would reach as far West as Milwaukee.

The purchase by Mr. Scott, above men- tioned, is referred to on page 509.

In 1877, the First Ward, Toledo, was repre- sented in the City Council by two pioneer Physicians, each of whom, at that time, had resided within the territory of the Ward for over 40 years. One of these was Dr. Jacob Clark, who was born near Plattsburgh, New York, June 8, 1807, afterward removing to Pottsdam, same County, where he studied medicine. In the Spring of 1834, he sat out for Toledo. His attention was first called to Toledo, then known as Port Lawrence, by an article from Captain Samuel Allen, and published in a Detroit paper, in which was set forth the pecu- liar advantages of the place as a market for Northern Ohio and Indiana, and Southern Michigan. An examination of a map gave Dr. Clark a highly favorable impression of the Town, and April 10, 1834, he left Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York, with the inten- tion of locating at Toledo. At Cleveland he was compelled to wait for 48 hours for an up- bound Steamer for Detroit-no Boat then run- ning direct to the Maumee River, for the reason as alleged at Cleveland, that there was not there sufficient water or trade to justify the connection, the Town being in the midst of a great marsh and its inhabitants Indians, musk-

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EVENTS AND PERSONS.

rats and frogs. Hence, he was compelled to reach his destination via Detroit. At that place he remained two days, being meantime regaled with the Cleveland description of Toledo, materially emphasized. Altogether, the prospect thus presented was anything but inviting to a stranger seeking a home. Yet, it did not prevent his coming to judge for him- self as to the facts of the case. About the 20th of April, in company with a Mr. Ward and an Attorney from New York on his way to Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Doctor took the small Steamer General Brady, Captain S. F. Atwood, the three constituting the passengers. His confidenee in Toledo had become so far affected by the representations made to bim, that he proposed, if Mr. Ward would wait for bim three days at Toledo (giving him time to visit a brother-in-law, Guy Carpenter, at Blissfield, Michigan), he would go on with him to Fort Wayne, an uninviting journey of 60 miles through the wilderness from Defiance, with nothing but an Indian trail by land, or with a canoe by water. Mr. Ward deelining such offer, from fears caused by the Cleveland and Detroit stories, Dr. Clark decided to stop at Toledo long enough for an inspection of the conditions.

On arriving at his destination, he found the situation essentially different, so far as topogra- phy was concerned. Both banks of the River were high, and well stocked with vigorous timber, and altogether bis hopes were mate- rially strengthened. The Steamer landed at the foot of Monroe Street. The only persons at the landing were John and Henry Goettell (two Germans). The warehouse there consisted of an old log-building of many years' standing (see page 466), and contained a few boxes and old ehairs, with a counter about eight feet in length, behind which were Andrew Palmer and a few shelves. Dr. Clark went to the Hotel of the place, at the corner of Summit and Perry Streets, then kept by Captain Ezra DodJ. He could be kept over night, though he might not be able to get a bed. Upon inquiry, he learned that that was the only Hotel in the place. Accepting the situation, he spent the night with a blanket between himself and the floor. There was a cot in the house, then occupied by Stephen Porter, to which Dr. Clark fortunately succeeded the next night.

Early the following morning, the Doctor started out for a survey of the premises and the "Town." Climbing a steep bank of about 25 feet at the foot of Monroe Street, corner of Summit, he had a fine view of the River for miles up and down the stream. There was an open space for about 40 rods along the bank to the East, beyond which was nothing but an Indian trail until Lagrange Street was reached. The sun shone brightly, and the impression made by the fine shading oaks, with ample branches, was very pleasing, and confirmed his purpose to remain.

Dr. Clark learned that Toledo was divided into " Upper," " Middle " and " Lower " Towns. The first named consisted of that part extend- ing from Jefferson Street to Perry and up Swan Creek as far as the old City limits. At the corner of Jefferson and Summit stood an old Goverment block-house, between which and the River was old Fort Industry. Where Fort Industry boek now stands (Southeast corner of Summit and Monroe Streets), was a sharp point of land, about 25 feet high, formed by the River bank on one side and a eurve of a bank which ran baek to near to what is now the old Canal bed. At that point was an opening for 200 or 300 feet, the banks then continuing up to where the Canal aqueduct subsequently crossed Swan Creek, and forming nearly a semi- eirele. The low grounds from Monroe Street to Swan Creek, had the appearance of the bed of an old Bay, the waters from which passed through the opening referred to, to Mud Creek below, and thenee to the Bay and Lake. The topography of the route of Mud Creek yet strongly corroborated the view that it was at one time the bed of a considerable stream.

Beside the Ilotel already referred to, there were in " Upper Town" a frame house across Perry Street, where the Burnet House now stands, and occupied by Oliver Stevens (yet a resident of Toledo); a small brick building in the woods, almost under the bank and about 25 rods baek from Summit Street, and occupied by Clement Bodette; together with a few shanties, scattered along down the River. But one road led out of the "settlement." It was out Monroe Street, and passed the present resi- dence of Judge Fiteh, and on to Tremaines- ville. About halfway to that place lived Dr. J. V. D. Sutphen, who there kept the only Postoffice in this section.

" Middle Town" consisted of a log-house, located about 60 rods from Monroe Street, down the River, which was occupied by a washer-woman, by the name of Whitten, whose husband sailed some small eraft.

" Lower Town" extended from Oak to Mag- nolia Street. It contained one store-that of Theodore Bissell and Junius Flagg, at the cor- ner of Summit and Lagrange Streets, who also had a small frame Warehouse at the foot of Lagrange Street. On the corner opposite their Store, was a small one-story house, owned and occupied by Elkanah Briggs. On the West side of Lagrange lived Captain Samuel Allen, one of the proprietors of the Town, whose office was opposite. At the corner of Summit and Elm Streets, was a frame house occupied and owned by Ira Smith, who there kept a boarding-house for men employed in erecting a Steam Saw-Mill for Edward Bissell, at the cor- ner of Elm and Water Streets. About half- way between Locust and Lagrange, on Summit Street, lived Cornelius G. Shaw, who the fol- lowing Summer made an addition to his story-

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and-a-half house, and opened the second Hotel in Toledo, naming it the Mansion House, after- wards called the Franklin House. In Angust, Mr. Shaw turned the house over to M. G. Sweet, from Southern Ohio, who added a small Livery Stable to the establishment, the first of the kind in Toledo. The balance of that por- tion of the Town, consisted of shanties, as far down the River as Bush Street, where lived the old Indian Agent, Major B. F. Stiekney. About a half-mile below was Colonel Wilkison ; and below that, in the forest, was yet the settlement of the Ottawa Indians, where Man- hattan subsequently was built.

The first brick manufactured in Toledo, were made by Peter H. Shaw and E. L. Babeoek. The latter, in 1834, had a contract with the proprietors of the Town for 1,500,000 bricks, but he died in August of that year.

Among the settlers here in 1834, were the following :

Physicians-Dr. J. D. V. Sutphen, Dr. Baxter Bowman and Dr. Clark.

Mechanics-George Bennett, D. B. Mooney, R. W. Stowe, Clement Bodette, -- Long and -- Jenney, Carpenters and Joiners ; and Granville Jones, Mason.

Druggist -Luke Draper, from Lockport, New York.

Brickmakers-P. H. Shaw and E. L. Babcock.

A Saw-Mill, located on Summit Street, be- tween Elm and Chestnut (owned and run by Edward Bissell), commenced operations in July, 1834.

The first Foundry in Toledo, occupied the present site of the Lagrange Street School building. For such purpose the ground was cleared of a dense forest, the work of prepara- tion beginning in June, 1834. Samuel Mc- Dowell was the builder. The location then seemed a great way into the wilderness from the little settlement near the River.

Hotels in 1834-The Port Lawrence (after- wards the Indiana) House, corner of Summit and Perry, kept by Captain E. S. Dodd; and the Mansion House, between Lagrange and Locust, by C. G. Shaw ; afterwards by M. G. Sweet.

During the Summer of 1834, the firm of Smith & Macy, of Buffalo, purebased or were given an interest in the Town. They con- trolled several Steamboats on the Lake, and the arrangement was that two of these should stop at Toledo each week. They usually car- ried good loads of passengers, but did not come as regularly as was expected.

By May, 1834, the arrivals had so far exceeded the accommodations of the Town, that board- ing-places were very searce. Under such state of things, Dr. Clark, J. Irvine Browne, J. Baron Davis and J. W. Fellows (the latter two from Troy, New York), united for the establishment of a " Bachelor's Hall," the object being mutnal protection and care in sickness, no less than in

the supply of food. For such purpose, they had to provide quarters. To do this, they were compelled, by the scarcity of lumber, to go to the only Saw-Mill in this section, located on Swan Creek, where the Maumee and Monroe Pike crossed that stream, about three miles dis- tant from Lagrange Street. Taking a Scow up Swan Creek to the mill, they were able to pick up boards and slabs sufficient for a shanty 12×12 feet in size, which were brought down the Creek in the Scow, the propelling force for which consisted of poles moved by hand-power. The Saw-Mill was run by a man named Good- ale, and driven at brief and very uncertain periods by a seanty supply of water from the Creek. With such materials the four partners proceeded to erect their home, about 150 feet North of Summit Street, and half-way between Locust and Walnut. That completed, they got a cook-stove ; bought a cow ; sent to Detroit for a stoek of provisions, consisting of hams, dried meat, crackers, flour, ete. Their bed- steads were made of round poles, and so con- structed that they could be leaned up against the sides of the shanty when not in use-an arrangement which was found to be very con- venient, not only during the day, but often at might also, when, in cases of rain, owing to the flow of water through their slab-roof, they found it necessary to vacate their beds, raise them up against the wall, and themselves stand up as straight as possible where the fall of water was the least. Their beds consisted of straw, the ticks being manufactured for them of cotton cloth by Mrs. Sam. Allen. To these were added a few blankets picked up at dif- ferent places. Their dishes and cooking uten- sils corresponded with the other appointments named. Thus provided, they applied to Mrs. Allen for instructions in the art of " house- keeping," and more especially in bread-mak- ing, in which art they came to be adepts, their bread being the envy of the neighborhood. Having little else to do, they spent most of their time in providing for and conducting their household affairs. They were enabled to obtain a good supply of game for their table, in which they were much assisted by a Mr. Crane, who afterwards kept a Hardware Store on Perry Street. In this shanty, the " Bach- elor" household remained for the balance of the Summer and into the Fall .*

Meantime, there was a great extent of mala- rial disease among the settlers of the Town,

*It was within the privacy of this rude shanty, and by the young men its inmates, that wasconcocted the plan (elsewhere referred to) for inducing the re- newed and more vigorous action taken by the Ohio authorities in the enforcement of the State's claim as to the boundary line between Ohio and Michigan. To what extent such obscure action may have ope- rated to control the important events of the follow- ing year, can never be definitely known; but the probability as to its influence in that connection, seems to be very clear.

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the larger portion of whom remained but a short time, and left to give room for sneceed- ing arrivals. Dr. Clark remained until Octo- ber, when, the " Fever and Ague" becoming too much for him, he returned to the East, re- maining there until the following April (1835), when he came back to make his permanent home in Toledo, and to live to see the ride scene of his early experiences on the Maumee become the site of a large and thriving City, active with every description of industry and trade.

Dr. Clark is able to settle one point in Toledo history, which has not been definitely under- stood, but which is important, to wit: The establishment of the first newspaper, at this point. Aselsewhere mentioned, he states that the first paper issued here was not the Gazette, as heretofore accepted, but the Toledo Herald. Dr. Clark and Mr. Browne, the conductor of the paper, were young adventurers together ; co-owners and co.occupants of the board shanty already described; warm friends, living to- gether and sick together. Mr. Browne after- wards returned to Pennsylvania, where he died.

Dr. Clark, though in his 82d year, is yet active and able to devote attention to his busi- ness affairs.

Mention is elsewhere made of Dr. Chase's residence and experiences in Lucas County.

Among the pioneers of the Toledo Bar, were John R. Osborn and Myron H. Tilden, who came to the City in April, 1838, as partners in the practice of the law, and remained such until 1839, when Mr. Osborn left Toledo and settled at Norwalk, remaining there until 1856, at which time he returned to Toledo as the Treas- urer of the Wabash Railway Company, which position he held for several years.

It was Mr. Osborn's practice to keep a diary, not only of his individual acts and experiences, but more or less of current events coming within his knowledge, which were noted with much care and detail. Such record is always valnable for the reliability of its facts. It is regretted that space can here be found for but a small portion of the historieal material with which Mr. Osborn's ample fund abounds.

The diary was commenced January 1, 1838, at which time Mr. Osborn was the Clerk of the Ohio Senate, and until the closo of the session the proceedings of the Legislature largely occu- pied his attention. The return to Norwalk, which had been his residence since 1835, was made by stage in 36 hours traveling time.

April 20th, he left Norwalk for Toledo to make his home here. His route was via Huron, where he was compelled to take a Detroit Steamer, which did not stop at Toledo on its upward trip. Leaving Detroit at 5 p. M., the boat reached Toledo at 4 the next morning, having grounded in the Maumee River be- low Toledo.

At that time the Whig party in this section were much divided in sentiment between Henry Clay and

Gen. Harrison, as their Presidential candidate for 1840. The latter had been the Whig candidate in Ohio and some other States in 1836. A meeting of 30 Whigs at Perrysburg April 26th, stood 16 for Clay and 14 for Harrison. The friends of Clay predomi- nated at Toledo.

May 3d B. F. Stickney was sued in a number of cases where he had forfeited his recognizance to ap- pear at Monroe, to answer for violations of the laws of the Territory of Michigan, committed during the "Toledo War" of 1835. His bail had been com- pelled to pay the amounts, for recovery of which they then brought suit, and judgments were rendered in their favor in all cases. He had asked the Ohio Leg- islature to remunerate him in these and other dam- ages sustained from the Michigan parties.

At Pierre M. Irving's suggestion, Mr. Osborn pre- pared an appeal to the people of Toledo for contri- butions for starting the Young Men's Association, for which a charter had been obtained, which appeal, over the signature of " Pliny," appeared in the Blade.

May t1th, is given a report of an interview with Adolphus Kramer, a resident of Manhattan, and since for 45 years a leading citizen of Hartford, alias Oak Harbor, Ottawa County. Mr. Kramer, himself a Ger- man, was a student at the University of Goettingen during the "three days' revolution" of France, in con- nection with which the overthrow of the Government of Hanover was proposed. In the spirit of the latter movement Mr. Kramer so largely participated, that upon its failure, he determined to seek his fortune in the United States. Coming to this country, he at first stopped at Lancaster, Ohio, where he devoted himself to peddling clocks, trading horses and making cigars-sefling for $75 clocks which cost him $15. He had a chancery suit at the time stated, involving the ownership of Hartford, and for services as counsel, was to give Tilden & Osborn one lot each, which then was worth five or six dollars, though during " the mania for Towns," in 1835-6, such were " held at. " one or two hundred dollars each.

May 12th. On the adjournment of the Court of Common Pleas, Judge Ozias Bowen presiding, there were 350 causes on the issue and 400 on the appear- ance docket, which (considered from the standpoint of litigants, probably) Mr. Osborn regarded as " a des- perate state of affairs." The opinion was recorded. that "this County cannot pay its debts in many years. No produce was raised, and the value of Town property, until the public improvements (the Canals) have progressed, will not be of one-tenth of what it has been rated."

May 22d is recorded the marriage of a mulatto, named Richardson, to a white girl from Norwalk, the first recorded case of the kind occurring in Toledo. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Isaac Flagler, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, and the affair caused an intense excitement, and no little feeling against the officiating clergyman. The groom was an industrious, respectable man, and the bride (sup- posed to be the chief promoter of the union) seemed to act upon clear convictions as to the propriety of such connection, she being of a respectable family, and having a brother, a student at Oberlin College. then the most pronounced Anti-Slavery School in the country. Mr. Flagler no doubt acted conscientiously in the matter, but evidently against the prevailing sentiment of the community and a large portion of his own Church. He was a conscientious Christian ; and although at that time in feeble health, he re- mained in Toledo until April, 1839, and lived till a few years since, dying at Bellevue, Ohio. It is cred- ibly stated, that during a severe malarial attack while in Toledo, his life was saved by the administration of 60 grains of quinine, that being 10 times a good dose for an invalid.

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History of the city of Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio, Part 132

Author: Waggoner, Clark, 1820-1903 Publication date: 1888 Publisher: New York and Toledo : Munsell & Company Number of Pages: 1408

Author: Waggoner, Clark, 1820-1903
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: New York and Toledo : Munsell & Company
Number of Pages: 1408