The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc, Part 35

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway
Number of Pages: 1072

USA > Ohio > Wyandot County > The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc > Part 35

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313

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

order of court, the electors assembled at the house of Henry Lish (who then operated a ferry over Tymochtee Creek in the present township of Tymoch- tee), on the 1st day of April, 1821. After the appointment of a Chairman, and the election viva voce of Ira Arnold and Seth Crocker as Clerks for the day, John Gordon, James Richards and James Whitehead as Judges, the legal voters present, thirteen in number, proceeded to elect by ballot the following named township officers: Ira Arnold, Clerk; John Gordon, James Richards and Ichabod Merriman, Trustees; Elijah Brayton and Rufus Mer- riman, Appraisers; Elijah Brayton, Listor; Thomas Leeper, Treasurer; Philip Peer and Henry Lish, Supervisors; Myron Merriman and James Whitehead, Fence Viewers; Isaac Walker, Constable, and Ciprian Stevens, Justice of the Peace.

The county of Crawford remained under the jurisdiction of Delaware until by the passage of a legislative act of date December 15, 1823, to take effect May 1, 1824, Marion County was organized and Crawford was ordered to be attached to it for judicial purposes. During the same session, how. ever, by an act approved February 17, 1824, it was further ordered "that so much of the county of Crawford as lies north of the Wyandot Reserva- tion, including one tier of townships lying east and west, be, and the same is hereby, from and after the passage of this act, attached to the county of Seneca for judicial purposes, until the county of Crawford shall be organ- ized." During subsequent years a few other changes in jurisdiction took place from time to time, but no alterations in boundary lines occurred (where Crawford, Marion, Hardin and Hancock Counties joined each other), until the erection of Wyandot County.

FORMATION, ORGANIZATION, ETC., OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

By the provisions of an act of the State Legislature approved February 3, 1845, entitled " An act to erect the new county of Wyandott,* and alter the boundaries of the county of Crawford," Wyandot was formed from parts of Crawford, Marion, Hardin and Hancock Counties. The sections of the act which have an especial reference to this (Wyandot) county read as fol- lows:

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That such parts of the counties of Crawford, Marion, Hardin and Hancock, as are em- braced within the boundaries hereinafter described, be, and the same are hereby erected into a separate and distinct county, which shall be known by the name of Wyandott, and the seat of justice within and for said county shall be and is hereby fixed and established at, or in the immediate vicinity of Upper Sandusky to wit: Be- ginning at the southeast corner of Section 10, in Township 4 south, in Range 15, of the public survey of lands, in Marion County, and running thence north on the sectional lines, through Crawford County, to the north line thereof, between Sections 2 and 3, in Township 1 south, in Range 15, aforesaid; which line shall form the east boundary of said county of Wyandott, and the west line of Crawford County; thence west on the base line to the northwest corner of Section 2, in Township 1 south, of Range 12, in Hancock County; thence south on the sectional line to the northeast corner of Section 22, in the township and range last aforesaid; thence west on the sectional line to the northwest corner of said Section 22; thence south on the sectional line to the south line of said township as originally surveyed, between Sections 33 and 34; thence west on said township line to the northwest corner of Section 5 in Township 2 south, of the range last aforesaid; thence south on the sectional line through said Township 2, to the south line thereof, at the northwest corner of Section 5, in Township 3 south, of the range last aforesaid, in the county of Hardin; thence east to the northeast corner

* Before the organization of Wyandot County and the adoption of a county seal, this term had been written and printed in various ways as Wyandot, Wyandott and Wyandotte. Therefore, soon after the or- ganization, the question of adopting a uniform style of spelling the county's title was considered by the first county officials, when at the suggestion of John D. Sears, Esq., the form of orthography still in use- WYANDOT-was approved and so entered upon the records.

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HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

of said Section 5; thence south on the sectional line to the southwest corner of Section 9. in Township 4 south, in the range last aforesaid; thence east, to the northwest cor- ner of Section 13, in the township and range last aforesaid; thence south to the south- west corner of said Section 13; thence east on the sectional line to the southeast corner of Section 13, in Township 4 south of Range 13; thence north to the northeast corner of said last-mentioned Section 13; thence east, on the sectional line to the place of be- ginning: Provided, That the passage of this act shall not prevent the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company from extending an arm from the main track of said rail- road to the town of Findlay in the county of Hancock, as was secured to said company in the original act of incorporation. * *

* * *

* * * *

- SEC. 4. That all Justices of the Peace, within those parts of the counties of Craw- ford, Marion, Hardin and Hancock, which by this act are erected into the county of Wyandott, and also within those parts of the counties of Richland and Marion, which by this act. are attached to the county of Crawford, shall continue to exercise the func- tions and discharge the duties of their respective offices, until their time of service shall expire, and their successors be elected and qualified, in the same manner as if they had been commissioned for the counties of Wyandott and Crawford respectively. * * *

SEC. 5. That the legal voters residing within the limits of the county of Wyandott, shall on the 1st Monday in April, in the year 1845, assemble in their respective town- ships. at the usual place of holding elections (where the usual places of holding elections are within the limits of the county of Wyandott, and in cases of fractional townships, where the usual places of holding elections are not included within the limits of the county aforesaid, the voters residing in each of such fractional townships, shall assem- ble in the township immediately adjoining such fractional township, and lying toward the center of said county), and proceed to elect the different county officers in the man- ner prescribed in the act to regulate elections, who shall hold their offices until the next annual election, and until their successors are chosen and qualified.

SEC. 6. It shall be the duty of the Commissioners of Wyandott County when elected and qualified, to make the most favorable contract or contracts with the Government of the United States, or with any person or persons for donations of land, town lots, moneys. or other property, for the erection of county buildings, either in the town of Upper Sandusky, or on land adjoining the same, as they may think most advantageous to the county of Wyandott: provided that the county buildings of Wyandott County shall not be erected at a greater distance than one-fourth of a mile from the State road leading from Columbus through Delaware, Marion and Upper Sandusky to Lower San-

* * * * * * * dusky. * * *

SEC. 8. The Commissioners of the respective counties from which territory is hereby taken, shall have power immediately upon the passage of this act, to attach fractionall townships to other townships in their respective counties, or to organize such fractiona townships into separate townships, as they may deem expedient, which power shall ex- tend to the counties of Crawford and Wyandott, for the purpose of disposing of frac- tions coming within the limits of said counties made by this act. *

* *

* * * * *

Thus, by a scrutiny of Section 1 of the act just quoted, it is ascertained that Wyandot County was formed from Townships No. 1, 2 and 3 south, in Ranges 13 and 14 east, and the fractional or western two-thirds of Town- ships 1, 2 and 3 south, in Range 15 east, of Crawford County; from frac- tional parts of Townships 1 and 2 south, in Range 12 east, of Hancock County; from fractional parts of Townships 3 and 4 south, in the range last mentioned, of Hardin County, and from fractional Townships 4 south, in Ranges 13, 14 and 15 east, of Marion County.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 5 of the act above quoted, on Monday, April 7, 1845, the legal voters of the county assembled in their respective townships, at the several places designated for holding elections, and proceeded to the exercise of their rights as American freemen by voting for the various persons nominated to fill the county offices. In the aggre- gate, 1,289 ballots were deposited, and as a result the following officers were in due time declared elected: William Griffith, Stephen Fowler and Ethan Terry, County Commissioners; Abner Jurey, Treasurer; Samuel M. Worth, Auditor; Lorin A. Pease, Sheriff; John A. Morrison, Recorder; Albert Bixby, Coroner; Azariah Root, Surveyor; and Chester R. Mott, Prosecuting Attorney.

Jus mCounsel

317

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

Concerning the political complexion of the officers first elected we learn that Griffith, Jurey, Pease and Root were Whigs, while Fowler, Terry, Worth, Morrison, Bixby and Mott were Democrats. These gentlemen at once attached their signatures to the required oath of office, filed their bonds uf indemnity, etc., and within two weeks after their election were prepared for the transaction of public business in such apartments in and about the new and straggling built-up town as were found most convenient. In describing the initial proceedings, which took place in their respective departments, we turn to the records for the following items.

On the 16th day of April, 1845 (nine days after their election), Stephen Fowler, William Griffith and Ethan Terry, Commissioners-elect of the County of Wyandot (the same having taken the required oath of office before Abner Jurey, Esq.), first convened (the minutes fail to state where) for the transaction of business. Thereupon the bond of Samuel M. Worth, the Auditor-elect, was presented and approved, with Zuriel Fowler, Joseph Shorb and Guy C. Worth as his sureties. The Commissioners then author- ized Guy C. Worth (who was then officiating as Clerk of the courts, by ap- pointment) to contract for the purchase of the necessary books and station- ery for the use of the different county offices; also to purchase an "iron press" for the Clerk's office, "if, in his opinion, it be advisable to obtain the same." On the same day the following resolutions were considered and approved :

Resolved, That the proposition of Moses H. Kirby to transfer his possessory right to the Indian Council House at Upper Sandusky to the county of Wyandot be accepted, and the Auditor authorized to issue an order in favor of Col. Kirby for $30 in full pay- ment of his interest in said house.

Resolved, That the different officers of Wyandot County be authorized to obtain the necessary cheap furniture for the use of their respective offices, and present their bill to the Board of Commissioners at the June session.

Resolved, That the Auditor of Wyandot, County is hereby authorized to procure the necessary abstracts from the tax duplicates of Crawford, Marion, Hardin and Han- cock Counties, and that he procure, if need be, the services of the Auditors of the said counties respectively to assist him in obtaining the same.

Resolved, That the Auditor cause such repairs to be made upon the upper part of the Council House as will be required for the accommodation of the county officers."

The Commissioners then approved of the bond of Abner Jurey, Treas- urer-elect, with John Jurey, Benjamin S. Welch, Christian Hoover and Jacob S. Staley as his sureties, and adjourned to meet in special session on the 28th day of April following.

As determined, the Commissioners again met on Monday, April 28, 1845, when it was ordered that the area of Jackson Township be increased, and Marseilles Township be erected. On the following day, their proceed- ings were far more important, and as follows:

UPPER SANDUSKY, Wyandot County, Ohio, April 29, 1845.

The Commissioners of Wyandot County this day met, and after a due considera- tion of the proposition for the establishment of the seat of justice of Wyandot County at the town of Upper Sandusky, adopted the following preamble and resolutions:

WHEREAS the Congress of the United States by an act" approved the 26th day of

* COPY OF THE ACT OF CONGRESS.

CHAPTER 23 .- An act vesting in the County Commissioners of the county of Wyandot the right to cer- tain town lots and outlots in the town of Upper Sandusky in the State of Ohio.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the right to one-third part of the unsold town lots in the town of Upper San- dusky by the act entitled " An Act providing for the sale of certain lands in the States of Ohio and Mich- igan ceded by the Wyandot tribe of Indians, and for other purposes," passed March 3, 1843, directed to be laid out and surveyed, and to one-third part of the outlots of said town, be and hereby is vested in the County Commissioners of the county of Wyandot. in the said State of Ohio; on condition, nevertheless, that said Commissioners, or other competent authorities of said State of Ohio, shall permanently locate and fix the seat of justice of the county at said town, and that the net proceeds of the sales of said town and out-

318

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

February, A. D. 1845, have granted to the Commissioners of Wyandot County, one- third part of the inlots and outlots of the said town of Upper Sandusky, upon the con- dition that the said Commissioners should permanently locate and fix the seat of jus- tice of said county at the said town of Upper Sandusky.

Be it therefore Resolved, That the seat of justice of said county of Wyandot be and hereby is permanently located and fixed at the town of Upper Sandusky.

Resolved, That the Register and Receiver of the Land Office at Upper Sandusky be requested to advise the Board of Commissioners of Wyandot County what lot or lots in the town of Upper Sandusky embrace valuable improvements made by this Indian agency at Upper Sandusky.

(COPY.) LAND OFFICE UPPER SANDUSKY, April 29, 1845.

TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF WYANDOT COUNTY:

GENTLEMEN: The following resolutions passed by your board have this day been duly placed in our hands, to wit: "Resolved, that the Register and Receiver of the Land Office at Upper Sandusky be requested to advise the Board of Commissioners what lot or lots in the town of Upper Sandusky embrace valuable improvements made by the Indian Agency at Upper Sandusky." In reply to which we have to state that Outlot No. 49+, embraces all the valuable improvements made at Upper Sandusky for the use of the Indian Agency. Very respectfully,

ALBUR ROOT, Register, MOSES H. KIRBY, Receiver.

Thereupon the following communication was prepared by the Commis- sioners, and at once sent forward, by mail, to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States:

UPPER SANDUSKY, April 29, 1845.

TO THE HONORABLE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY OF THE UNITED STATES:

SIR: We herewith transmit to you official information of the permanent location of the seat of justice for Wyandot County at the town of Upper Sandusky; and we are advised by the acompanying communication from the Register and Receiver of the Land Office at Upper Sandusky that Outlot No. 49 is the only one contained in the said town which embraces valuable improvements made by the Indian Agency at Upper Sandusky. And as it appears that this lot would not fall to the county by a selection of every third lot in alternate and progressive numbers in pursuance of the second sec- tion of the act of Congress of the 26th of February, A. D. 1845, entitled " An act vest- ing in the County Commissioners of the county of Wyandot the right to certain town lots and outlots in the town of Upper Sandusky in the State of Ohio, no substitution will, therefore, have to be made.

We would respectfully request the Honorable Secretary of the Treasury to make the selection in pursuance to the said law as soon as practicable and transmit the same to us.

We remain very respectfully your obedient servants, STEPHEN FOWLER, WILLIAM GRIFFITH, ETHAN TERRY, Commissioners of Wyandot County.

Communication from the Commissioner of the General Land Office in reply to the fore- going:

GENERAL LAND OFFICE, July 28, 1845.

I, James Shields. # Commissioner of the General Land Office, do hereby certify, that the annexed is a true and literal exemplification of the original on file in this office, approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, on the 12th day of July, 1845.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto subscribed my name and caused the seal of this office to be affixed, at the city of Washington, on the day and year above written. JAMES SHIELDS, Commissioner of the General Land Office.

lots be applied by said County Commissioners, or other proper authorities, to the erection of public build- ings. and the improvement of public squares and public grounds in said town.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the town lots and outlots of said town of Upper Sandusky, so to be granted and applied, shall be selected by alternate and progressive numbers (every third town lot and every third outlot according to their numbers respectively, being granted and applied as aforesaid) under the direction and subject to the control of the Secretary of the Treasury; Provided, that nothing here- in contained shall be so construed as to grant to and vest in said County Commissioners any lot or lots heretofore appropriated to and used by the Indian agency at Upper Sandusky, and upon which there may remain any valuable buildings, orchard, or other valuable improvement belonging to the United States, and if any such town lot or outlot, so by its progressive number selected, should be found to comprise and include any such valuable building, orchard or other valuable improvement then the said Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to substitute some other lot or lots, of a fair and proportionate value.

Approved, February 26. 1845.

+The site of Fort Ferree.

#Afterward known (during the Mexican war, and the war of the rebellion) as Gen. Shields.

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HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

List of town lots and outlots in the town of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, selected under the provisions of the act of Congress entitled " An act vesting in the Commissioners of the county of Wyandot the right to certain town lots and outlots in the town of Upper Sandusky, in the State of Ohio, approved 26th of February, 1845."

Town Lots numbered 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39. 42, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66, 69, 72, 75, 78, 81, 84, 87, 90, 93, 96, 99, 103, 105, 108, 111, 114, 117, 120, 123, 126, 129, 132, 135, 138, 141, 144, 147, 150, 153, 156, 159, 162, 165, 168, 171, 174, 177, 180, 183, 186, 189, 192, 195, 198, 201, 204. 207, 210, 213, 216. 219, 222, 225, 228, 231, 234, 237, 240, 243, 246, 249, 252, 255, 258, 261, 264, 267, 270, 273, 276, 279. 282, 285, 288, 291, 294, 297, 300, 303, 306, 309, 312, 315, 318, 321. 324, 327, 330, 333, 336, 339, 342, 345, 348, 351, 354, 357, 360, 363, 366, 369, 372, 375, 378.

Out Lots numbered 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33. 36, 39, 42, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66, 69, 72, 75, 78, 81, 84, 87, 90, 93, 96. 99, 103, 105, 108. 111, 114, 117, 120, 123, 126, 129, 132, 135, 138, 141, 144, 147, 150, 153, 156, 159, 162, 165, 168, 171, 174, 177, 180, 183, 186, 189, 192, 195, 198, 201, 204, 207, 210, 213, 216.

At a subsequent meeting of the County Commissioners, held on the 2d day of June, 1845, the boundaries of Pit , Crane and Antrim Town- ships were defined, and Eden, Ridge, Richland and Sycamore Townships were organized as separate townships. During the same session, it was further ordered that a tax of $1 be assessed upon each lawyer and physician practicing in the county. That a tax of four and one half mills on a dollar be levied for county purposes, also a tax of one and one-half mills on a dollar be levied for road purposes, and that the Auditor " be authorized to serve a notice upon John Shrenk* to leave the council house forthwith."

The Commissioners again met for the transaction of business on Satur- day, July 26, 1845, and as the result of their deliberations, the following orders, etc., were made a matter of record:

Ordered, That the lots vested in their hands by the act of Congress, approved February 26, 1845, be exposed at public sale on the 20th, 21st and 22d days of August, 1845.

Ordered, That 200 copies of sale bills be printed, and that the same be published in the Ohio Stutesman, Ohio State Journal and Wyandot Telegraph.

Ordered, That the Auditor procure a sufficient number of blank title bonds for such sale.

Ordered, That the lots be sold for one-fourth of the purchase money in hand, one-fourth in one year, one-fourth in two years, and the remaining one-fourth in three years; the payments to be secured with notes bearing interest.

Ordered, That Inlot No. 147 be reserved from sale, and that Lots No. 145 and 146 be procured for the use of the county to erect public buildings upon.

Ordered, That Mr. Joseph Mccutchen be authorized to engage the services of Mr. Bishop, of Seneca County, as crier on the days of sale.

Ordered, That Peter B. Beidler be employed to copy from the records of the counties from which Wyandot County was taken, such records, surveys and field notes as may be strictly necessary to have in this county, also to make a plat of the county of Wyandot.

The following is a copy of the " sale bill " above mentioned:

PUBLIC SALE OF TOWN LOTS AT UPPER SANDUSKY.

The Commissioners of Wyandot County will offer the following valuable town property for sale at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, upon the 20th, 21st and 22d days of August next, to wit: The in and out lots in the town of Upper Sandusky vested in the said Commissioners by act of Congress approved February 26, 1845, being every third of the in and out lots selected by alternate and progressive numbers, amounting to 126 inlots and seventy-two outlots.

Upper Sandusky, a town laid out by the General Government, is delightfully situ- ated on the Sandusky River, near the center of the Wyandot Reserve, and the seat of justice of the new county of Wyandot has been permanently fixed at said town.

Terms of Sale: One-fourth of the purchase money required in hand, the balance in three equal annual installments, secured by notes bearing interest.

STEPHEN FOWLER, WILLIAM GRIFFITH, ETHAN TERRY, Commissioners of Wyandot County.

[ATTEST] SAMUEL M. NORTH, Auditor.

* Shrenk was the publisher of the Wyandot Telegraph, the first newspaper published in the county, and had occupied the council house as his printing house, from the middle of February, 1845.

320

HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

The Commissioners then adjourned to the 11th of August following, for the purpose of appraising the lots. At the time designated, August 11, 1845, the members composing the Board of Commissioners met, and made an appraisement of the value of each lot, varying from $25 for the lowest, to $500 for the highest. They again met on the 19th day of August, 1845, and agreed upon the following terms of sale for the lots advertised to be sold:

One-fourth of the purchase money to be paid in hand, the residue in three equal annual payments, with interest, to be secured by promissory notes.

The terms of sale to be complied with on the day thereof. A title bond to be given, conditioned for the making of a deed to the purchaser upon the payment of the notes. Delinquent bidders to be held subject to the liabilities and restrictions usual in such cases.

Commissioners further order that Wyandot County orders and current bank papers of the Ohio banks be receivable in payment of the first installment.

That the crops growing upon the outlots be reserved to the occupants putting them in, who are required to remove them by the 10th day of October next.

Chester R. Mott, Esq., was employed as assistant clerk during the sales, and David Bishop, of Seneca County, as crier. The sale commenced at 10:30 o'clock A. M., on the 20th day of August, 1845, and continued three days. The following is a list of the lots sold, the names of purchasers, and the amount paid for each lot:

In Lot No. 3, Joseph Mccutchen. $ 26

In Lot No. 9, George Yenner. 30

In Lot No. 12, Joseph Chaffee 37

In Lot No. 15, James McConnell. 25

In Lot No. 21, Stephen H. Sherwood. 32

In Lot No. 24, James McConnell. 38

In Lot No. 30, Guy C. Worth. 26

In Lot No. 33. Guy C. Worth.

In Lot No. 36, John N. Reed. 25

In Lot No. 39, Jacob Sell. 55

In Lot No. 42, Lorin A. Pease 54

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The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc, Part 35

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway Number of Pages: 1072

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway
Number of Pages: 1072