USA > Ohio > Fulton County > The County of Fulton: A History of Fulton County, Ohio, from the Earliest Days, with Special Chapters on Various Subjects, Including Each of the Different Townships; Also a Biographical Department. > Part 23
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Enos C. Daniels was born in Madison county, New York, Decem- ber 22, 1814, and settled in Fulton county in March, 1840, where he built the first frame hotel, first church, brick building, dwelling house and block in Lyons, and the first grist-mill in Royalton town- ship.
Samuel Carpenter came to Lenawee county, Michigan, in 1828, and from there to Fulton county, in 1843, consequently he had more experience in pioneering than most of the persons named. He settled on sections 21 and 22, just sixteen miles south of Ad- rian. At or near the hamlet called Logan (now Adrian) Mr. Car- penter spent most of his boyhood days.
Michael Forester and Patrick Burroughs came to this county in 1840, and the former lived to be over one hundred years old. David Potes came in 1840, John Hinkle in 1838, and Nathaniel S. Ket- chum in 1835, the latter being from Orange county, New York. John, Erastus and James Welsh came in 1838, from Niagara county, New York. Many others came during the same period whose names have been lost or not definitely ascertained.
The early schools are spoken of in the chapter on "Educational Development," but it is perfectly germane to say here that the educational interests in Royalton township have kept pace with the onward march of civilization in other directions. The log structure of pioneer days soon gave place to the more pretentious buildings of the middle period, and these, in turn, to the modern and finely
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equipped buildings of the present day. Among the first teachers of the township were Miss Olive Green and Warren J. Hendrix.
Elder Hodge, a Baptist minister, was the first preacher in the township, and Colonel Lathrop .of Lucas county preached in the very early days to those of the Universalist faith. The first church built was the Universalist at Lyons, in 1862. There are now four churches in the township: one Universalist, one Disciples in Christ (both of these being in the village of Lyons), one Free Methodist and one Methodist Episcopal, the last two being on the eastern border of the township.
The first burial places in the township were usually private grounds, established on the farms as necessity required; but finally public cemeteries were laid out, and these "cities of the dead," of which there are several in Royalton township, receive the care and attention that is due them.
Almost all the early families obtained their flour at Tecumseh, Michigan, and those who did not were compelled to go further be- fore finding another mill. Probably the first saw mill constructed and operated in the township was built in 1850, by the Plank Road Company, and it was located on the west side of the present Lyons cemetery. James Baker of Gorham was the manager of the mill, which was used exclusively for sawing plank for the road. The mill, in later years, was moved to Gorham where it was owned and run by Thomas F. Baker.
There is but one small town in Royalton township - Lyons or Morey's Corners, the postoffice name being the former. From the early days of its existence it has been a popular trading point, and in late years it has progressed until it does quite a flourishing business, being sustained by an excellent farming country. In writing of churches, schools and other public enterprises, this vil- lage has been frequently mentioned. The various industries inci- dent to towns of this size, together with the social, religious, educa- tional and political functions, are all represented, while the mer- cantile and other business interests are quite extensive.
Rural postoffices for the accommodation of the people were early established, some of which were kept in the farm houses. They have been discontinued on the adoption of the admirable system of "rural free delivery," which brings almost every farmer in daily contact with the outside world, and his mail is left at his door. Add to this the convenience of the modern telephone, and the isola- tion of country life is reduced to the minimum.
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CHAPTER XIX
CLINTON TOWNSHIP
P REVIOUS to March 5, 1838, the territory of Clinton town- ship, excepting the two tiers of sections on the south, was attached to York township for the convenience of the peo- ple in the adjustment of local affairs. On the date above written, Clinton township was organized by taking from York township towns 7 and 8 north, ranges 5 and 6 east, and the first election therein was held on the first Monday of April, 1838.
Clinton township originally included in its domain what is now German township, and all of Dover which lies south of the Fulton line. This territory was taken from Clinton, of course, when the townships named were erected; and the last change in boundary, which gave Clinton its present size, was made under the provisions of the act erecting Fulton county, said act giving to the new county and Clinton township a strip of land two miles in width, taken from the northern border of Henry county. The adjoining townships to Clinton are York on the east, Dover on the north, German on the west, and Freedom township, in Henry county; on the south.
The topographical features of the township are not very striking, if to be so comprehends a great variety of natural scenery. The broad and fertile fields, rich and productive, are the principal sources of agricultural wealth. The first settlers of the township were of the class of the heroic pioneers who were identified with the settlement of all of this portion of Ohio. They were seeking homes on productive soil, and hence the lands of Clinton township were very generally occupied by actual settlers at an early date in the history of the present limits of the county.
In December, 1835, Elisha Williams removed from Seneca coun- ty, Ohio, with his wife and four grown-up children - John H. Williams, Jerry Williams, Burt Williams, and a daughter who became the wife of Thomas Lingle. Mr. Williams and his son, John H., came to what was called the "Six Mile Woods" in Octo- ber, 1835, and erected a cabin on the farm which was afterward owned by Elijah Burr; and then returning to their Seneca county home, they came on with the family in December, and established themselves in their new domicile. About this time, and perhaps a little later than the first visit of the Messrs. Williams, Thomas Lingle came into the township, He was a bachelor, and about two years afterward, on January 7, 1838, he was united in marriage 205
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to Miss Lucinda Williams, eldest daughter of the first settler. This was the first marriage contracted in the township.
In 1836, a large accession was made to the settlements of the year before, and among the number that came to the township were: Avery Lamb, who brought his family from Onondaga, New York, in June, and settled on section twenty-four, having come alone the previous winter and built his cabin; and John Losure and family came in the summer of 1836. In April, 1837, Isaac Tedrow and family and William Mikesell and wife came and set- tled, the former on section nine and the latter on section fourteen. In September of the same year, a large party arrived, consisting of George Mikesell, Sr., and his sons, George, Jr., Adam, Thomas, and James, and a daughter, Mrs. Mary Case, and her son, T. J. Case (then nine years old), who died in 1904; Thomas Bayes, Sr., and his sons, William and Meek, and their families. These all settled in one neighborhood. Elisha Huntington seems to have been the first man with his family to have entered Clinton township in 1836, March being the month of their arrival. He settled upon section twenty-five, and became one of the foremost men of the township in that early day, continuing an active life until his death in 1860.
William Fraker, who in later years was a prominent citizen of Clinton township, was also one of the pioneers of Fulton county. He was born in Ohio, January 19, 1822, and in boyhood came to Fulton county in 1835. He lived in York township for a number of years, and then moved to Clinton township, on section eighteen, and became a very successful farmer.
The first election in Clinton township was held at the home of John Losure, Sr., on the first Monday in April, 1838, at which time fifteen votes were polled, and the following persons were elected to the several offices: Elisha Williams, justice of the peace; Thomas Bayes and Jonathan Barnes, trustees; William Jones, Sr., clerk. It is impossible to give the names of those who voted at this first election, but the names of those who were residents of the town- ship at the time of its organization will suffice. The list may not be complete, but as near as can be ascertained the following set- tlers were then living within the limits of the township: Elisha Williams, Avery Lamb, Horace Pease, John Losure Sr., William Bayes, Elisha Huntington, Erastus Briggs, Sr., Cyrus Coy, William Jones, George and Thomas Mikesell, Thomas Mckibben, Jonathan Barnes, Asa Young, William Mikesell, Samuel Beck, Isaac Ted- row, William Dye, Henry Krontz, St. B. Geer, S. B. Willey, Isaac Dowel, Holmes Bishop, Thomas Lingle, Samuel Gould, Lewis and Samuel Eckhart, John Lillick, Jonathan Inman, Ebenezer Keizer, George Mikesell, Sr., Adam Mikesell, Thomas Bayes, Sr., Meek Bayes and Philip Krontz.
Among the old pioneers of Clinton township is William W. Bayes, who was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania. He was reared to manhood in Holmes county, Ohio, and in 1837 migrated to Ful- ton county and located in Clinton township. At that time Fulton
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county was in a state of nature, but Mr. Bayes took up a piece of land which he began farming. He became a prominent and influ- ential man, and was very active in all church affairs, services being held in his house until they could find larger quarters. The town elections were also held at his log house for several years, such was the public spirit manifested by him.
Thomas Mckibben came to America from Ireland, in which coun- try he was born in 1806. He came to Fulton county in the early part of 1838, and lived in Clinton township until his death in 1873.
Henry Krontz was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, and settled in Clinton township in 1836. He was born in 1800, and early in life took up his residence in Holmes county, Ohio, and from there removed to Fulton county, wher he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1874.
Thomas Lingle was born in 1807, and hence was twenty-nine years old when he came to Fulton county. He purchased 160 acres of land in Clinton township, paying therefor $1.25 per acre, and lived in the township until his death, March 23, 1886.
After the first two years of the advance guard in this wilderness home, there commenced a rapid influx of settlers to Clinton town- ship, to whom vantage ground was given by the assistance of the first dwellers and workers, but the newcomers soon became used to the toils of a frontiersman's life. Among those who came during the few years following the organization of the township were: Joseph Wells, James C. Cornell, Jacob First, Robert McClarren, John Newcomer, John A. Clark, Jacob Funk, James Pease, John Hartman, George Beal, Jacob Miley, Matthias Miley, Joseph L. Royce, L. T. Morris, James Dunbar, John J. Clark, Shipman Los- ure, John Linfoot, William Harrison, David Gorsuch, Nathaniel Gorsuch, William Hill, David Cantlebury, Jesse Pocock, Israel Pocock, Jonas Batdorf, Jerome Shaw, Ford Lyon, Henry B. Wil- liams, Anthony B. Robinson, and many others who came to the township to make for themselves and families a home.
Joseph Wells was born in Holmes county, Ohio, October 14, 1817, and settled in Clinton township in 1838.
James C. Cornell was a native of New Jersey, and settled in Clin- ton township in 1839, where he resided until his death in 1882, at the advanced age of seventy-six years. In early life he was engaged in the tailoring business, but later gave his entire attention to farming.
Jacob First was born in Wayne county, Ohio, April 18, 1818. It is not known definitely just when he came to Clinton township, but he was married here on November 29, 1842, so it is certain that he located here prior to that date. His wife was Miss Lucinda Geer, daughter of Smith and Orlinda Geer, who settled in Fulton county in 1840:
Robert McClarren was born in Maryland January 28, 1809, and settled in Fulton county, February 6, 1836. though it is not certain that Clinton township was the place of his first residence.
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John Newcomer was a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1807, and removed to Fulton county, in 1844-
John A. Clark was born in Allegheny county, Maryland, Septem- ber 19, 1829. He was a son of Ebenezer and Mary Clark, botlı natives of Maryland, and as a youth accompanied them to Fulton county, settling in Clinton township in 1841.
Jacob Funk was born in Wayne county, Ohio, February 13, 1818, and settled in Clinton township in 1843.
James Pease was born in New York, May 4, 1821, and settled in Clinton township in 1842. He was an earnest church worker, and gave freely to Christian enterprises, especially the erection of build= ings for public worship.
John Hartman, Sr., and John Hartman, Jr., father and son, set- tled in Clinton township in 1845. The younger man was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, in 1830, and one year later the family emigrated to America, first settling in Fairfield county, Ohio, and then, in 1845, removing to Fulton county. The father was born in 1800, and died in Clinton township in 1850.
Joseph L. Royce was born in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1809, and settled in Clinton township, in 1842, locating on section twenty-one.
L. T. Morris was born in Ontario county, New York, in 1821, and settled on section eleven, Clinton township, in 1848.
John J. Clark was a native of Pennsylvania and settled in Clin- ton township, in 1839.
Nathaniel Gorsuch was born in Wayne county, Ohio, July 1, 1824, and settled in Clinton township, on section seventeen, in 1848.
Jesse Pocock. was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, in 1828, and in 1842 came to Clinton township with his parents, Eli and Cath- erine Pocock, who were natives of Maryland. They settled on the northeast quarter of section twenty-six, paying therefor three dol- lars per acre.
Henry B. Williams was born in Lindley, Steuben county, New. York, in September, 1816, and was a son of Cornelius Williams. He spent his early life in Geneva, New York, and while quite young was thrown upon his own resources and compelled to take care of himself. He settled in Geauga county, Ohio, in 1833, and, in 1837, removed to Medina county, where he lived until 1853, when he set- tled at Lena, Fulton county, and in April, 1866, came to Wauseon and engaged in the saw and planing-mill business with his son, Henry Holmes Williams. He retired from active business in 1880, and died a few years ago.
Anthony B. Robinson was born in the valley of Salt Creek, Wayne county, Ohio, September 28, 1825. His father was a farmer, living in Salt Creek valley, and there Anthony B. spent the days of boyhood and youth, working on the farm and attending school. When he was eighteen years old, he attended Edinburgh Academy, in Wayne county, preparing himself for teaching and civil engineer- ing. After some four or five terms at the academy, he commenced
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teaching and so continued for twenty-eight terms, gradually tak- ing rank with the best and most successful instructors of the county. For four years he was one of the principals of the Fredericksburg school, which was a "summer and winter" school. Mr. Robinson followed teaching and working on a farm until 1862, devoting his leisure time to the study of civil engineering, with the intention to go to Iowa and follow surveying; but the unexpected death of his father materially changed his plans for the future, and he decided to remain in Ohio. During the year 1862, he came to Fulton county and took up his residence on a farm about one and one-half miles southwest of Wauseon. In 1871, he was elected county surveyor and held that office for twelve consecutive years; and in the office of justice of the peace of Clinton township, he served for an un- broken term of eighteen years.
Clinton township does not differ materially from the other town- ships of the county in regard to early industries. The pioneer mills, churches and schools had their existence, and with the exception of the latter, have mostly passed away, with the increasing promi- nence of Wauseon as a marketing and trading point, coupled with the superior advantages of the village in a religious and educational way. The principal grain crops are wheat and corn, for the produc- tion of which the soil is admirably adapted. Corn is the staple product, and this is largely fed to cattle and hogs, these being the source of a large income. Horses and sheep are also raised with profit, on the rich grazing fields afforded on the productive farms, and which are not used at the time for the cultivation of crops.
It will not be out of place here to mention a couple of seasons, of which there is no record excepting in the memory of the very oldest residents. The summer of 1838 was very dry, so that the ponds , were nearly all dried up and a large number of cattle died of bloody murrain. Again, during the long and very cold winter of 1842-3, I many of the later-coming settlers were short of feed for their cattle. To help out they cut elm and basswood trees and drove the cattle to them to browse, thus keeping them alive until grass started in the spring.
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There are twelve school districts in Clinton township, exclusive of the Wauseon public schools, and one special joint district at Pettisville. 'With a carefully graded course of study, these give the persisting students the advantages of a good common school education, and fit their graduates for the ordinary business of life. The work of the common schools should not be passed without mentioning two teachers who for years, during the 50's, taught in northeastern Clinton township, and left their impress on the youth of those days. These teachers were John McIninch and Roswell Raymond.
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In the year 1854, the Air Line division of the New York Central and Lake Shore system of railways, then known as the Southern Michigan & Northern Indiana (which it was always called in the early days), having been extended far enough west of the city of To-
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ledo, its initial point, to pierce the site of the present county seat of Fulton county, it was clearly apparent that somewhere in this vicin- ity a new village would be located. Epaphras L. Barber, at that time a young man and one of the civil engineers engaged in the survey and construction of the road, learned of the probability that a station would be established at the present site of Wauseon, and in conjunction with John H. Sargent, who was assistant chief en- gineer of the road, Nathaniel Leggett and William Hall, the latter being an attorney of Maumee City, bought of Thomas Bayes one hundred and sixty acres of land, which comprised what is known in the records of the county as the original plat of Wauseon. Mr. Hall was interested in the transaction only until the completion of the laying out of the lots in the original plat, and he then sold his interest to Mr. Leggett.
The residence of Mr. Bayes at that time, the only structure on the present village site, was a log building standing a few rods south and west of the court house. Thomas F. Wright was the surveyor employed to "lay out" the town and the plat was recorded in the County Recorder's office on April 11, 1854 Then the sale of lots began and the erection of buildings was commenced. Though a considerable settlement was made on the town site, during the few years following this action on the part of the proprietors and founders, the town was not formally incorporated until 1859. The original plat of the town contained one hundred and forty-eight in-lots with alleys between abutting lots, all being bounded by streets of proper width, Fulton street, the principal business thor- oughfare, being one hundred feet wide. It is easy to imagine that the course of the streets was marked by blazed trees, for the virgin forest was as yet undisturbed by the' ax of civilization, with a few exceptions only.
It is not possible to produce a complete and accurate list of names of the first dwellers in the town; but the first house built on the site of Wauseon after it was laid out, was erected at the corner of Birch and Fulton streets by E. L. Hayes. It occupied the place where now stands the spacious three-story brick block, owned by the Masonic fraternity of Wauseon, F. R. Smallman and F. C. Bogart. The old structure was a two-story frame house, its first floor being utilized for a general or country store by Mr. Hayes, and his family lived up stairs. In 1871, for the purpose of making room for the brick building, it was removed to the farm just at the southeast edge of the village, now owned by Alfred F. Shaffer, and became the upright of a very comfortable and roomy farm dwelling.
Thus, E. L. Hayes was the first merchant to establish himself in business in Wauseon, and John Williams built the first tavern. It was a frame dwelling and stood on the corner of Beach and Ful- ton streets, being first known as the Estelle House. Its first land- lords and proprietors were W. E. and D. O. Livermore, who came to Wauseon from Utica, New York, their native city and State.
Gen. E. L. Hayes, who is now a resident of Glen Ridge, New
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Jersey, in a letter to Joel Brigham of Wauseon, gives the following historical incident in regard to the naming of the future county seat : "Now I may mention the way the name of the town was selected. In the spring of 1854, the proprietors of the land, Messrs. Leggett, Barber and Sargent, met at my store for the purpose of selecting a name. Litchfield, Hayesville, and several other names were men- tioned. While sitting at the dinner table Mr. Leggett said to my oldest daughter, 'Hortense, perhaps you can suggest a name.' She replied : 'Mr. D. W. H. Howard visited us a few days ago, and he remarked that he was pretty sure the hill west of the station was the ground upon which a tribe of Indians (the Maumees) were once camped and a council was held there for the purpose of purchasing the lands of that tribe. The name of the chief was Wauseon.' My daughter was so impressed with the recital by Mr. Howard that she stated it as above to the proprietors, and in a few days thereafter we received the word that Wauseon had been decided upon as the name for the town."
With an honorable record of more than fifty years of existence, Wauseon well sustains her long established reputation for solidity and the merited compliment of being a good town. The men who established the little hamlet in the woods, in 1854, founded that reputation, and their descendants and successors have well main- tained it.
The religious and educational affairs of the village also received early attention and liberal support. Merchants were aggressive and public spirited, their stocks often rivalling in value those ex- hibited by present day dealers. But if the reader will stop and reflect, he will observe that all the business of the earlier days, as well as at present, was closely related to agricultural supremacy. Fulton was then as now the center of one of the richest agricul- tural districts in the United States, a distinction which the locality has retained with creditable success. All business was directed towards handling the products of the farms and in supplying the farmers' needs.
The early settlers and business men of Clinton township were generally people with agricultural tendencies and traditions They were sons of farmers, and parental traditions and customs are strong within the human breast. These men purchased land, cul- tivated and improved it, erected dwelling houses and lived out their allotted days in the peace and harmony of the quiet community their industry had established.
Wauseon has a population of two thousand one hundred and forty-eight according to the census of 1900. It contains a number of handsome and expensive residences and public buildings, while the average homes evince the air of thrift and prosperity in their surroundings, in keeping with the industry and frugality of the occupants. The village contains fewer poor and squalid residences, indicative of poverty and misery, than most villages of its size.
The sanitary conditions are excellent and the drainage system as
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good as can be had. The board of health and sanitary officers are vigilant in the discharge of their official duties, and the streets and alleys are kept in the most perfect sanitary condition. A well organized and trained volunteer fire department is equipped with the latest and best apparatus for the purpose designed. The effi- ciency of the department has been demonstrated on many occasions. A police force, the guardians of the public peace and property. although few in number, are noted for their efficiency in the line of official duties, and the village marshal, Frank Yarnell, has received high commendation for successful detective work. He and his deputies are courteous and obliging men, to whose vigilance and alertness, the village boasts, is due the small percentage of unlawful acts.
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