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 27
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The village of Swanton was laid out soon after the construction of the railroad through this section, but this was nearly twenty years after the first settlement on its site, and although it has never en- joyed or been cursed with a "boom," its growth has been steady, and the population should be judged by its quality rather than quan- tity. There are several well-stocked mercantile houses, hotels, liveries and mechanical shops. Swanton is a desirable trading point, and is sustained by an excellent farming community in Ful- ton and Lucas counties.
The first religious organization in Fulton township, which had more than a nominal existence, was of the Presbyterian denomination, and was organized at the schoolhouse in Ai, not far from 1842. Rev. Gideon Johnson was the officiating clergyman. He soon formed a circuit, holding religious services at the Ai and Dodge schoolhouses in this, and at the Bartlett schoolhouse in Amboy township, also at the Parcher school house in Pike township. Jonathan Wood organized the first Sabbath school, and for a num- ber of years superintended the same, at Ai.
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CHAPTER XXIV
PIKE TOWNSHIP
P REVIOUS to 1841, the territory of this township was a part of the townships of Royalton and York. It was then organized as a separate township in conformity with the prayer of certain petitioners. In 1846, another tier of sections was taken from Royalton and added to Pike, thus giving the latter the territory which it exercises jurisdiction over to- day. The township comprises thirty-six sections, but twelve of these are fractional, and the territory actually contained would probably measure about twenty-eight full sections. Bad creek flows through the central and southeastern portions of the town- ship, and bordering on it is a rich and valuable territory, the natural drainage enhancing the value of the lands traversed, and rendering them available for grazing purposes as well as farming.
Pike township has some evidences of the prehistoric race within her boundaries. Three large mounds are located on the land owned by the late D. W. H. Howard, near Bad creek, each cir- cular in form, some six or seven feet in height and fifty or sixty feet in diameter. On digging into them human skeletons were found, some large and others of ordinary size. But the mounds have doubtless been leveled considerably by the successive plow- ings of seventy years, aided by climatic erosion, and the casual observer would scarcely notice anything unusual in the conforma- tion of the land.
The soil of this township is decidedly varying. The extreme eastern and southern part is referable entirely to the drift de- posits and is what may be denominated clay and sand mixed. The center is largely modified from the western part by the overlap- ping of the finer sands of the second beach formation upon its western boundary. The whole township has a very gentle inclina- tion east, and with these sand spurs makes the surface gently un- dulating at various points. The township has a rich soil, suscep- tible of high cultivation, and some fine farms and excellent im- provements attest the truth of this statement. Part of the town- ship was originally covered with a heavy growth of excellent tim- ber, embracing the varieties usually found in this section of the State. These were white-oak, black-oak, hickory, walnut, wild cherry, beech, sugar maple, elm, ash, poplar, buckeye and syca- more. While some valuable timber is still preserved, by far the greater part of it was destroyed in fitting the land for cultiva- tion. That which survived the pioneer log heaps, has submitted to oft-repeated culling for market purposes, or the personal needs of
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the owners, until at this time the territory where it grew thickest, more resembles the treeless prairies of the west than the original home of a dense forest.
There are no villages in Pike township and no railway invades her confines, yet in times past there have been good trading points, notably Aetna, where considerable business was transacted. Ly- man Parcher was the first postmaster in the township. The terri- tory now embraced in the township was first occupied in 1833. Some time during that year, Valentine Winslow built a small log shanty on section three, town ten south, range three east, and continued to occupy it until 1835, when he located east about one mile, on the east side of the same section, where he died about 1858. The circumstances of his death led some people to believe that it came by foul play, but a coroner's examination resulted in but little information of how he came to his death. The second settler upon the soil of this township was David Hobart. He came with his family, near the end of the year 1833 or the beginning of 1834, and resided here until 1841, when he died and was buried in the Salsbury cemetery.
Early in 1834, other families began to appear in the township, and among them were the following: Arvetus Knight, Nathan Wilson, Daniel Knowles, John Sindel, George Wiers, and Whit- field Tappan, who was then a young man, and a few others whose time of settlement is uncertain. In fact, Mr. Tappan, who was born in New Jersey, in 1804, settled in Fulton county, in the latter part of 1833. In 1835, a larger accession of colonists was added than in the two former years, to-wit: Peter Lott, Sewall Gunn, Thomas Silsby, Robert A. Howard and Jack Hobart. Peter Lott, however, left the township in June, 1836, and settled in Dover township, near Spring Hill. Thomas Silsby located on section thirty-three, town seven north, range seven east.
Peter Salsbury came in 1836, and located a large tract of land in the southeast part of the township, where a large number of his relatives reside today. He came from Harrison county, Ohio, with his patent deed signed by Andrew Jackson, president of the United States. Many others came that year, but the dates of their. several arrivals are not satisfactorily known.
The year 1837 was eventful to the earlier settlers by a larger immigration than usual to the township; and this soon brought a change, for instead of poverty and hard times, comfort and plenty came-another illustration of the fact that "in union there is strength," and the further fact that the soil in any com- munity is indebted for its commercial value to the extent of the population of the district in which it lies. The new arrivals :n 1837 were Alva Wilson, Henry Slaigle, Joseph Walters, John Wal- ters, Emery Wilson, Martin Wilson, Peola Allwood, Thomas Cole, George Megarah, Andrew Falor, George McQuillin, Jacob McQuillin, David Salsbury, Joseph Salsbury, James Viers. Adam Kline, William Cox, Samuel Allen, and two other families by the
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names of Graham and Thompson. All of the gentlemen named brought families with them, and as some were large in numbers the population was increased considerably. Joseph Walters lived in Pike until 1864, when he moved into Dover township, and some of his descendants are still residents there. He was born in Har- . rison county, Ohio, March 19, 1813. After coming to Fulton coun- ty, he cleared three farms, built four houses and as many barns, set three orchards and lived to eat fruit from each of them. James Viers died in Fulton county, in March, 1875. Ephraim K. and Joseph Allwood also came tiris year, bringing their families with them.
From 1837 to 1840 came still griater acquisitions to the prosper- ing colonists, and requiring more room they stepped further into the wilderness parts. Among the families who came to the town- ship about this time were David McQuillin, George Galligher, David Zimmerman, John W. Miller, Chester Herrick, William Fewlass, Thomas Hoxie, David Pelton, Boyd Dunbar, Robert Dunbar, and Michael Handy and family who came in January, 1840. Chester Herrick was a native of Massachusetts, but the date of his settlement in Fulton county was a little later than the years named above, the time of his arrival being 1843. Mr. Handy came here from the northern part of Michigan. Moses Tappan and Samuel Dennis were here about that time, but they drifted about and changed from other localities or townships in the county. In 1843, Dr. William Holland settled here, coming from New Hampshire, a physician with age and experience, who soon gained a prominent position in the county. Alfred R. Shute and his wife, who was a daughter of Dr. Holland, came at the same date and settled on section two, town ten south, range three east. Simon Elliott, a Protestant Methodist minister, William Mullen, James Dickason, Orrin Taylor, and family, Joshua Shaffer, John Whitaker, Sherman; Marshall and David Fairchilds with families, came at about this time. These make up the principal part of the early pioneers of Pike, who braved the dangers and hardships in- cident to the settlement of a wilderness, and carved out of it for themselves and their growing families a home, a comfortable home which they left as legacies to those who followed them on earth's stage of action.
Simon Elliott was born in Pennsylvania, January io, 1809, and the year of his location in Fulton county was 1855. William Mul- len settled here in 1849. James Dickason was a native of Pennsyl- vania:
Pike township was prolific in early industries, there being a number of saw-mills, grist-mills and asheries, constructed and operated at different times from the first settlement, according to the needs of the various communities which they served. These, for the most part were of brief existence, and, in fact, most of them were quickly and cheaply built with no idea of permanence, beyond the demands of the day. Among others was a saw-mill,
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built about 1835, in the southern part of the township, by Peter Salsbury, who conducted it for some time, furnishing lumber to the early settlers for miles around. It was afterwards owned and run by James Viers successfully for a number of years, as long as it could be furnished with water power, but it was abandoned nearly fifty years ago. Orrin Taylor built and run a steam saw- mill for three or four years, about 1876, and connected with it was a cider press. Mr. Taylor lost his life in this mill and it was soon after abandoned and moved to the southeast corner of Chesterfield and run by Peter Stukey.
Robert A. Howard kept the first public house in the township, opening his doors to the public not far from the year 1835.
Miss Caroline Trowbridge taught a school, in 1835, in an old log hut standing at a very early day upon the knob where the Salsbury cemetery is now located. Michael Handy was another early teacher. The iog house in which the first term was taught was afterwards removed to Thomas Silsby's corner, and Mr. Handy taught there the first winter he came, in 1840. This was the pioneer school district, from which has grown a most com- plete educational system, with six modern school houses, located at convenient distances from all of the pupils.
The first church built was on the farm of William Mullin, in 1846, and it was dedicated by the Presbyterians. It was burned about 1868 or 1869, and never rebuilt. The Poplar Grove church was built about 1848, and was dedicated to the United Brethren. Beulah Church, of the United Brethren faith, was built in 1881, under the labors of Henry Barclay, who afterwards removed to the State of Oregon and has since become quite prominent in political life there. He has served two terms in the Oregon State Senate. St. Paul's church, of the Evangelical faith, was built in 1881. A church of the Disciples was erected for purposes of wor- ship, in 1881, located in school district number five, called the Trowbridge district .: A church of the Seventh Day Adventists was built in 1881, upon lands in district number three, called the Whitcomb district, under the labors of A. Bigelow.
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CHAPTER XXV
DOVER TOWNSHIP
T HIS township was established by order of the county commissioners of Lucas county on the 5th day of June, 1843. Its boundaries are regular, on the north by Ches- terfield, on the east by the township of Pike, on the south by Clinton and on the west by Franklin. It was the last town- ship to be organized of the twelve that comprise Fulton county. The township was formed by taking from Chesterfield township all of the fractional township ten south, range two east, of the Michigan survey; and all of fractional township eight north, range six east, of Clinton township in the Ohio survey, added to which was also one tier of sections off the north side of town seven north, range six east. This is recognized as the center township in the county. The first election was held at the house of Mortimer D. Hibbard, on August 7, 1843, by order of the commissioners, and the officers chosen were Moses Ayers, Alonzo H. Butler and Wil- lard Church, trustees; Joseph Jewell, clerk; William Jewell, treasurer; Elijah Bennett and John G. Tiffany, constables; Elijah Ben- nett and Newell Newton, overseers of the poor.
Dover as a whole may be characterized as level and unbroken land. What valleys there are, are narrow and bounded by small hillsides. The soil is generally not of the greatest natural fertility, not as fertile as elsewhere in the county, but there are some fine farms in the township. All the inclinations of the township are very gentle, with whatever course the streamlets take, ruuning obliquely across the slopes of the country, generally denominated as "sand dunes." These sand dunes, or ridges, were formed by the action and force of winds and water at some ancient day. They form the summit of the township and are supposed by some to be the first outcroppings of land in the decline of water from an ancient lake here existing, anterior to the glacial period. But this supposition is not entirely correct. It is reasonable to sup- pose that the body of water mentioned was once a part of Lake Erie, draining westward into a branch of the Wabash which rises within a few miles of Fort Wayne, Indiana, where the St. Joseph and St. Mary's rivers unite to form the Maumee. At that time the land about western New York was higher than it is now; but it settled, and when low enough the water broke over into what is now Niagara river, and finally lowered the level of the lake to what it is at the present time. As to being previous to the glacial period, it could not have been, as all this tract is underlaid with the clay
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that was scooped out of where Lake Erie now is, and which was deposited here by the movement of the ice.
The streamlets in Dover, in the northwest part, flow west across the corner of the township of Franklin and empty into Bean Creek, sometimes called Tiffin river, while in the south and southwestern part they flow southwest, reaching the Maumee at Defiance. In like manner the waters of the east and northeast flow east by south- east into Bad creek and reach the Maumee river soon after passing the southeast corner of the county, near Whitehouse. Dover is as well adapted to grazing purposes as it is to farming, and the in- dustry receives careful attention with favorable results. Fruit cul- ture is also carried on very profitably, apples being the staple in that line, though all kinds of small fruits succeed admirably. The extreme west end of the township touches closely upon the timber lands of the Bean Creek valley, which is composed principally of oak and some elm, with here and there whitewood and hickory. From there eastward and over the remainder of the township, in the region of sand and sand dunes, a large part of the surface is denominated prairie, covered with a wild grass in summer.
Dover township was settled a few years before the township was organized, the territory then being attached to other jurisdictions. During the summer or autumn of 1836, William Jones, known as "Long Bill," came with his family to the southwest part of the town- ship, where he began to prepare a home in the woods. The first cabin erected in the township was for Jones, and it is said that at this raising there were only two men, one boy and two Indians. William Jones sometimes preached for the Disciples, there then being a few of that faith in Clinton township on the south. Mr. Jones was a man of considerable ability, and unquestionably, the first religious exercises in the township were conducted by him, either at his own home or at the cabin of a neighbor. The early set- tlers often met during the severe winters for the purpose of worship, and to talk over the means of meeting successfully the difficult problems of pioneer life. Upon their arrival in the township the members of the Jones family at first lived in their wagon and under the shelter of rude temporary abodes, built of poles, brush and blankets, while the father went to work to construct a rough cabin of round logs. Pleasant was the task of removing to their cabin, humble though it was. These were probably the only persons re- siding in Dover during the year 1836.
In the spring of 1837, Alonzo H. Butler and wife settled upon sec- tion seven, town ten south, range two east, upon lands afterward owned by Charles B. Carter, just north of the "Fulton line." Dur- ing the summer and fall of the same year quite a large accession was made to the little band of settlers in the arrival of Peter Lott and wife and three children; Salathiel Bennett and family; Elijah Bennett and family; Michael Ferguson, James Gould and Pearl Smith, all with families.
Following thereafter, in the spring of 1838, were William Hoff-
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mire, John J. Schnall, Adam Poorman, Nathan Gay, Eben French, Mortimer D. Hibbard and family, with his father and mother, also Randolf Hibbard. John J. Schnall was born in Northampton coun- ty, Pennsylvania, January 24, 1805. He participated in the border war and was also a soldier in the Black Hawk war. He purchased land and commenced building in Fulton county, in 1837, and at that time there were but three white residents in what was then York township, and wild animals were abundant. Mr. Schnall filled the office of county surveyor for twenty-one years and also occupied other official positions.
From 1838 to 1846 came Moses Ayers and family, Joseph Shadle, Jacob Nolan, William Fuller, John G. Tiffany, Henry Herreman, William Jones, Jr., Oscar A. Cobb, Richard Marks, Alonzo Knapp, Warren W. Hodge and family, Comfort Marks and wife Betsy, Archie and Betsy Knapp, Elisha Cobb and mother, and John Atkin- son and family. A greater portion of these settled near Ottokee, at the east end of the township.
In the west end, William Waid, E. H. Patterson, Burdick Burtch, Jasper Dowell and mother, William Brierly, Joseph Jewell, William Jewell, James Wells, William J. Coss, Chandler Tiffany, George Tiffany and John Meader, the last three in the east.
William Waid was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, April 18, 1818, and settled in Dover township in September, 1845, on the farm which he improved and lived upon until his death, April 25, 1880. He was widely known as an enterprising, industrious, honest farmer.
Edwin H. Patterson was a pioneer farmer of Dover township, and settled in Chesterfield with his parents, in 1838. He was born in Allegheny county, New York, in 1823, and the family settled in Ful- ton county, in 1838, as stated above. Mr. Patterson attended the common schools when an opportunity favored him, but he was reared on a farm, chose farming for an occupation, and in 1844, be- came engaged in that pursuit.
William J. Coss settled in Fulton county, in 1841. He was born in Essex county, New Jersey, June 3, 1806, the son of William Coss, also of New Jersey, who was a sailor by occupation. When William J. was five years old his father went on a voyage and was never after heard from, undoubtedly being shipwrecked.
Later were Thomas Walters and Robert C. Shepherd, and so con- tinued the settlement until the "Congress lands" were nearly all taken up, and the frontier was no more. Robert C. Shepherd, who is mentioned here, was born in Berkeley county, Virginia, April 13, 1813, and was one of the early preachers in Fulton county, holding religious services among the pioneers, fifty years ago.
Church associations and schools were formed as soon as the set- tlement of Dover township began, as early as in 1836. It is a ques- tion which of the two societies, the Disciples or United Brethren, had the first organization in the township. The Disciples, however, furnish data from their church record of their organization, which
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was March 1, 1841, held at the residence of Moses Ayers, and that Benjamin Alton was the officiating minister. The society has main- tained an uninterrupted organization up to the present date. They have a fine brick church edifice, built in 1882, at Spring Hill, now their present place of worship, and the largest membership of any society. The United Brethren organization was made at a very early date, under the labors of John Bowser and Alonzo H. Butler. They were organized and have continued until the present time without an interruption. The society has a small chapel, built at Spring Hill in 1860, and have quite a large membership. A society of the United Brethren was organized at North Dover about 1882, by Rev. Bartlett, and built a small chapel for their meetings.
The Methodist Episcopal church has two classes-one organized at Spring Hill as early as 1842, under the labors of James Gay, with Samuel Warren and wife, Ebenezer Fuller and wife, Newell Newton and wife, Isaac Tedrow and wife, and Peter Lott and wife as leading members, and for a long time held their meetings in an old log schoolhouse, just east of Spring Hill. After holding their services in various places, in 1887, they built for themselves a very fine wooden chapel.
In the eastern part of the township, the Methodist Episcopal society was organized by W W. Winters, in 1857, and in 1876 they built a chapel for their use at Ottokee, and hold a fair mem- bership to this date.
In 1847, Elder Hosea Day organized a Christian Church at Otto- kee, with a fair membership, which in later years, for want of pas- toral service, lost their identity and finally consolidated with the Disciples, who were quite prominent over the whole township.
In 1858, the Disciples, under the labors of Elder L. L. Carpen- ter, formed an organization at Ottokee, which in after years, like the Christian denomination, became disintegrated and was merged into the Wauseon and Spring Hill societies.
Dover is an exclusively agricultural township. There are no towns or villages of importance, and no manufacturing industries, aside from a few shops. Ottokee is a little village in the eastern portion of the township, and Spring Hill is in the western. Each contains a store or two, a church, mechanical shops and a few residences. The population has remained stationary for many years since Wauseon, with her better market facilities, has cut off the trade.
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BIOGRAPHICAL
JOSEPH O. ALLEN, M. D., long numbered among the represent- ative physicians and business men of Fulton county, has maintained his home in Fayette for more than half a century and is one of the most honored citizens of the town. He was born in Clarkson, Monroe county, N. Y., September 20, 1830, and is a son of Isaac and Mary (Terry) Allen, both of whom were born in Connecticut. Dr. Allen passed his boyhood days in his native town, where he was afforded the advantages of the Clarkson Academy, later attending a seminary at Lima, N. Y., after which he took up the study of medicine under private preceptorship, in Clarkson, and finally entered the medical department of the Buffalo University, being graduated in February, 1851, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. In the same year he came to Fulton county and located in what is now the town of Fayette, though at that time there was no vestige of a town on the site. Here, under the disadvantages which attended the lot of the average pioneer physician, he labored with all of zeal and self-abnegation, ministering to those in affliction and devoting his entire attention to his professional work for fifteen years, in the meanwhile erecting the mill which he still owns and operates, the same being equipped for the manufacture of both flour and lumber. In the conducting of this enterprise the Doc- tor was associated with Renselaer S. Humphrey until the time of the latter's death. He continued in active practice of his profession until 1870, when he was employed as a representative by the Chicago and Canadian Southern Railroad Company to secure the right of way for their proposed line between this section and the city of Chicago. He devoted two years to this important work, and then took charge of the timber interests of the same road. When the company went into liquidation he resumed his active connection with his milling business and also with the practice of his profession. He is now practically retired, but gives his general supervision to his two fine farms and to his milling and other interests, and he has the affectionate regard of the people of this community, where he has labored so long and faithfully as a true friend of humanity. In politics Dr. Allen is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, he has held various local offices, including those of township trustee and treasurer, and he has also been the candidate of his party for sheriff and for representative in the State Legislature. He has twice served as Postmaster of Fayette, O. He is a member of various medical societies and is identified with the Masonic fraternity. In 1856, in Columbiana county, Dr. Allen was united in marriage to Miss Sarah A. McLean, and they became the parents of five children, namely : Rosa, who is deceased; Lillie, who is
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