Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Part 23

Author: Jacob Anthony Kimmell
Publication date: 1910
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1189

USA > Ohio > Hancock County > Findlay > Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens > Part 23

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a few years later. The first church in the structures, and the enumeration of youths township was built on Mr. Newell's land, of school age, amounts to four hundred and ninety-six. and there has been a church, and a regular preaching-place there from that day to the In 1863 a post office was established on the road from Findlay to Mt. Blanchard, about six miles from Findlay, and called Ewing's Corners, with Jesse Ewing as post- master. The office was, however, discon- tinued after about eight years. Mr. Ewing was the only postmaster. present. Mr. Newell raised a large family and provided liberally for them. He won and retained the friendship of his neighbors and was an honest citizen, a warm friend and consistent Christian. The early min- isters, no matter to what denomination they belonged, always found a welcome at his North Liberty or Houktown, as it is gen- erally called, was laid out in April, 1853, on a part of Section 27, by J. F. Houk. house, and a cordial invitation to its hos- pitality.

George Treece was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, on January 9, 1827, and in November of the same year came to this county, his father's family locating in Jack- son Township. Mr. Treece was one of the largest farmers and land owners in the township. He followed farming strictly during his active life, but the last ten years of his life lived retired in Findlay. His neighbors had great confidence in all he did or said.

The first company muster of the town- ship was held at the house of Aquilla Gil- bert, and the company-about fifty men in all-was composed of men from Amanda, Richland and Jackson Townships under the command of Capt. Godfrey Wolford and Lieutenants R. M. Hamblin and Josiah Elder.

Wild game was plenty in all parts of the township; the hunting of it was a source of profit as well as pleasure, and the table of the backwoodsman was scarcely ever with- out a supply of venison or bear steak, or a squirrel pot pie.

There are now eight school buildings in the township, nearly all of which are brick

In 1867 John Doty and A. M. Houk made an addition of twenty-eight lots in addition to the original plat of fifteen by Mr. J. F. Houk, and in 1869, six more lots were added by Jacob Hoy.

The place never assumed very large pro- portions or very much importance. It never advanced beyond a cross-road village, and its business was entirely local, being con- fined to the trade of the immediate neigh- borhood. Its location is in a rich agricul- tural district, but remote from the railroad.

In 1856 a post office was established here, under the name of Houcktown, and some of the earlier postmasters were Robert Davidson, J. R. Babcock, John Garst, Israel Sampson, Eli Gorsuch, John Ebaugh, and David Beagle.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.

Liberty Township from the organization of the county in 1828, until December, 1830, was a part of the township of Findlay. At the ses- sion of the county commissioners, held in that month, present, Mordica Hammond, John P. Hamilton and Charles McKinnis, it was deter- mined that it was necessary to divide the town-

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ships of Marion and Liberty into three town- ships, by taking a strip two by six miles from the western side of Marion township and also a strip two by six miles from the eastern part of Liberty Township, and erecting a new town- ship, Findlay. This township has an area of 15,360 acres.

The first entry of land in this township was made July 3, 1821, by Vance, Neil and Cory, of the southwest quarter of the south- east quarter of Section 8.

Between this time and 1830, the following persons entered land in this township: De- cember 20, 1821, Robert and Charles McKin- nis, John Gardner, Jacob Poe, Thomas Wil- son, R. L. Strother, Alfred Hampton, John Hobbs, Richard Watson, Isaac Comer, and some others. The first settlement was made in the spring of 1821, by Jacob Poe, and in the fall by Robert McKinnis and his sons, Charles, James, Phillip and John. Some of the descend- ants of these pioneers still reside on the lands entered by their ancestors. These men were followed by Fishel and his sons, John, Michael and Daniel, and some grown up daughters; Johnson Bonham, John Boylan, Judge Eben- ezer Wilson, William Fountain; Richard, Will- iam and George Watson; Isaac Strother, Nathan Frakes, Povenmire, John Price; the Radabaughs, Solomon Lee, Abraham Bails and others.

Liberty township was heavily timbered with walnut, ash, hickory, oak, sycamore, beech, sugar poplar and the ever present buckeye. No part of the land was without this heavy timber, and the immense forest trees of walnut, which was made into rails, or even burned up to make way for the plow, to say nothing of fine ash, oak or poplar, which would now be of incalculable value. Along the river, the soil is

a rich black, sandy loam and silt, and on the ridges, sandy with a mixture of gravel. Be- tween the ridge and the river, it is a rich vege- table loam, in places mixed with clay. On the north of the river, the prevailing soil is clay, and while not so good for the raising of corn, is excellent for wheat, grass and other crops, as well as fine grazing land. The principal crops are corn, wheat, oats and grass.

The Blanchard River crosses this township from east to west, furnishing an abundance of water for stock and affording a good outlet for under drainage. Formerly it also furnished water for two mills-known as Heck's and Croninger's-for a considerable part of the year, and at which the people got their wheat and corn ground into flour and meal. The river bottom lands are exceedingly rich and productive, but are subjected to occasional overflow, by which crops and fences are dam- aged more or less.

On the north side we have Watson's, Wil- son's, Grassy and Worden's Runs, small wet- weather streams, whose channels furnish good drainage for the adjacent lands. There are several springs along Watson's and Wilson's runs, which keep them supplied with water the year around. On the south side Comer's Run enters the river on the Dye farm, and is the only creek of any importance on that side. None of these creeks furnish waterpower now. There was for a number of years a sawmill on Comer's Run on the old Povenmire farm, just south of the Findlay and Kalida State road, but that has long since been abandoned. On the farm of Nelson Poe, and some forty or fifty feet from the river, is what the people in the neighborhood call a sink hole, that is the water disappears in the ground, and is not seen again until it is emptied into the river.

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The first church building in the township was the Blanchard Church on the Ewing farm, on Defiance road, which was built by the Pres- byterians in 1850. The congregation, however, previous to that time, held services in private houses, and in the schoolhouse in the neighbor- hood. The society was organized in 1832 by · Rev. Peter Monfort. The first state minister, the late Rev. George VanEmon was at the same time pastor of the church in Findlay. Of the first membership we find the names of Judge Wilson and wife, William Coen, wife and two daughters, Jacob Poe and wife, and Mrs. Judge McKinnis. The following story will illustrate the strictness of church rules, and their enforcement in years gone by :

In early days produce of various kinds was transported to market by being floated down the Blanchard, Auglaize and Maumee Rivers to Perrysburg or Toledo. Mr. William Tay- lor was in trade at Findlay, and desiring to make a trip, had his fleet of canoes loaded, waiting for a rise in the river, in order to set out on his voyage. After waiting a few days, the favorable time to start came on Sunday and Mr. Taylor being impatient by delays, shoved off his canoes, and silently, perhaps, floated down the peaceful Blanchard, never intending any disrespect to the day or the church. But the church dignitaries could not overlook so flagrant a breach of church regulations and Bible commands, and Mr. Taylor was cited to appear and answer, and to show cause why he should not be visited with penalties of his dis- obedience. Having presented himself, an- swered, and confessed, he was forgiven.

The first schoolhouse in the township was built in 1832 on the farm formerly owned by John Reed, Esq. Richard Wade was the first teacher. There are now eight school houses in

the township, the most of which are commo- dious buildings. There are one Evangelical, one United Brethren, one Christian Union, and one Presbyterian Church building, in the town- ship. Each of these churches has a flourishing Sunday school attached, under the charge of efficient and zealous superintendents.

John Byal at an early day built a flour and lumber mill near the present site of the infirm- ary, these being the first mills in the town- ship. The flour mill was run by water. The machinery was moved by a large overshot, wooden wheel, which kept splashing and creak- ing all day, and about which there was to the boys always a charming atmosphere of cool- ness and a capital place for fishing. The water pouring over the dam, not in a rush, but slowly, and at times almost noiselessly, the slow but continued movement of the old wooden wheel, the long drawn-out screech of the wooden ma- chinery of the mill, the quiet movements of the miller-all combined to produce a lazy feeling that affected the boys who sprawled out on the grassy bank of the river, near the old dam, so that it required something pretty exciting to fully arouse them. In about 1844 Miller John- son built a saw-mill at the site of the Holden Mill, and in about 1853 Amos Hartman, now of Iowa, built a flouring mill at the same place, both of which are gone.

The early settlers suffered much from the wolves, which were very plentiful and also very destructive, killing sheep, hogs and even young cattle. Near where the Blanchard Church now stands Mr. Poe had some young cattle killed by the wolves. Numbers of wolves were killed for their scalps, for which the State paid a bounty.

Indian Green, Plum Orchard, and the Indian burying ground are familiar landmarks in this

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township. Of the Indian Green, it was said by early settlers, that quite a considerable tract of land on the north of the river had been par- tially cleared, on which the Indians had a bury- ing ground, and perhaps a village, and certainly some kind of fortifications or earth works. In addition to this there were several acres of lands along the river bottoms which had not only been cleared, but cultivated, as every in- dication plainly showed.

Whether the presence of so many plum trees was the work of the Indians or of that eccen- tric person already alluded to-Johnny Apple- seeds-will perhaps never be known. The fact remains, however, that they were here, and among them were also a number of good apple trees. The Indian burying ground was fre- quently visited by members of their tribe-the Ottawas-and at one time a white man by the name of Ellison with his family settled on this ground. Ellison dug up quite a number of skeletons and opened graves for such trinkets as were buried with the dead. This coming to the ears of the Indians, they visited the place and were so emphatic in their denunciation of the vandalism, that Ellison thought it prudent to quit the premises, which he did. This plum orchard and burying ground covered some twelve acres or more.

Among the earliest settlers of this township was also Jacob Poe, a hardy specimen of the backwoodsman. He was a relative of the cele- brated Indian fighters, Adam and Andrew Poe, and was possessed of the physical strength and courage attributed to those celebrated brothers. He lived to a good old age, respected and honored.

John Boylan, for more than forty years a resident here came from Newark, Licking County, Ohio, in 1832. He was one of the

first school teachers in the county. He was also a local preacher of the Methodist Church, and one of its earliest members in the county. As a minister he was fervent and touching in his appeals, and powerful in his exhortations. After his long residence here he went west, and became a resident of Iowa.

Richard Watson, another early settler, was a good neighbor, an enterprising citizen and honest in all his dealings. He died leaving to his children a fine farm, which he had reclaimed from the wilderness. Mr. Watson, though a strong partisan of the Democratic school of politics, did not attempt to impertinently in- trude his opinions on others. He held the office of coroner of the county for one or two terms.

Isaac Comer came to this township from Fairfield County and located on the farm now owned by J. B. Wagner, about four miles west of Findlay on the Benton Road. Mr. Comer was a large, jolly, good-natured man, frank in all his sayings, kind and generous in his acts, and honest and prompt in his dealings. He was universally liked and his death was sin- cerely regretted.

The Rev. Geo. Van Emon may well be claimed by this township, as nearly all his life in this county was spent here. As a minister he was sincere, and his words carried convic- tion with them. As a Christian he was blame- less; as a neighbor kind and hospitable. He was a citizen whose example might be safely followed.

William Fountain, or the "Old Man Foun- tain," as he was familiarly called, came to the county in 1830, and settled in this township, on lands on which he resided for nearly fifty years, and up to the time of his death. Of an unassuming and retired disposition, attentive to his own affairs, taking little part in public

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matters, his acquaintance was never very ex- county, were assigned to their original location tensive. But no man in his neighborhood was in Liberty Township, and in like manner those lying east of said road, which included Main Street in Findlay, were assigned to Marion Township. In this way fully two-thirds of the lands included in Findlay Township originally, and later to the corporation of Findlay, were returned to the two townships out of which Findlay Township was formed. more highly respected, or considered more trustworthy. Mr. Fountain came from Frank- lin County and lived to be almost a centena- rian. He was born in Caroline County, Md., January 6, 1784, of Irish descent, and was the second of three brothers. In 1809 he was mar- ried to Sarah Barton, by whom he had five children. Mrs. Fountain died in 1821 and Mr. Fountain married Mrs. Rebecca Smith, with whom he lived until the time of her death, a period of more than forty years. Mr. Foun- tain sold his farm in Franklin County and came to Hancock, taking up his residence on the farm on which he died. At the time of his death he was the oldest person in the county.

At the time of the great gas boom in Find- lay, in 1887, and the town was building up rapidly and extending its boundaries, the City Council took into the corporation the entire ex- tent of Findlay Township, four by six miles. The city corporation tax being burdensome to the farmers included, one by one or in bunches they applied to be transferred from city to country. As Findlay Township had been dis- posed of by former enactment, the farms lying west of Main street, and what is known as the Bellefontaine and Perrysburg road through the

A large portion of this township has been very prolific in the production of petroleum, and the Standard Oil Company have very val- uable leases and property by way of tank farms, pumping stations, and pipe lines located in Liberty Township. Also a great many of the farmers have reaped substantial benefits from the royalty falling to their share of the for- tunate find, and a goodly number have retired to a quiet life on the proceeds, many of them moving to the town of Findlay, where as good citizens they are enjoying the evening of a well spent life.

There were no towns ever laid out in Liberty Township, and nothing of a public nature ex- cept the County Infirmary has been located therein. Almost all the roads in this township are well piked and in a good condition for travel the entire year.

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CHAPTER XVII.

MADISON, MARION AND ORANGE TOWNSHIPS.

MADISON TOWNSHIP.

This township had its origin in 1840, when at the June session of the county com- missioners, it was "ordered that Section Nos. 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 26, 35 and 36 in Township 2 south, Range 10 east, and Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 and 32 in Township 2 south, Range II east, to be set off and constituted as a new town- ship, called Madison." The twelve sections first mentioned were formerly a part of Van Buren Township, and the last twelve mentioned as being in Range II were taken from Delaware Township.

This township was named in honor of James Madison, fourth President of the United States. It lies on the south side of the county, and is bounded on the north by Eagle and Jackson Townships, on the east by Delaware, on the south by Hardin County, and on the west by Van Buren Township. Its area is 15,360 acres.

The soil for the most part consists of a compact clay subsoil, covered with a vege- table mold. Along the streams may be found small areas of alluvial land, which is very fertile. The soil in the wet lands con- sists of a deep black loam, which is very productive when properly drained. Gener-

ally speaking the lands of this township can be considered as only moderately fertile.

The timber in this part of the county was hard and soft maple, beech, hickory and ash. The different varieties of oak were abundant in all parts of the township. Black walnut, blue ash and red elm was found along the streams. On the wet lands were black ash and sycamore. This part of the county was very heavily timbered.

Although the township can all be well drained, there are but few streams of water, and they are not of much importance as water courses. Eagle Creek, which is formed by the junction of what is called the east and west branches, which unite about eighty rods northeast of the southwest cor- ner of Section 14, and thence take their course as one creek. Flat Branch is so called on account of the small amount of fall it has. It drains the southeastern part of the township, and is a tributary of the East Branch. Buck Run is in the northeast part, and empties into Eagle Creek, near the north line of the township. The West Branch of Eagle Creek rises in the Hog Creek Marsh in Hardin County, and the East Branch rises near the Hardin County Line.

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On the first day of June, 1829, Abel Tan- ner made entry of the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 23, and on the same day William Y. Woodruff entered the northeast quarter of Section 2. These were the first entries of land in the township.

Squire Carlin on the 9th day of July, 1829, entered the west half of the south- west quarter of Section 11. John Long- worth, of Pickaway County, entered the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 5, on the 5th of May, 1830, and in Septem- ber of the same year, Chancy Rickets en- tered the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 2. In November, 1832, the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 5, was entered by Alexander Grant, of Franklin County.

In October, 1834, Robert Hurd and Rob- ert Shaw, both of Portage County, made entries of land in Section 7, and Henry Im- hoof, of Stark County, entered the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 6. Other entries speedily followed, and settle- ments were made in many portions of the township.

According to the most authentic informa- tion, Simeon Ramsbottom was the first to settle in this township, though Abel Tanner and Abner Hill came the same year. Tan- ner came in February, 1825, from near Kenton, Ohio, where he had resided for three years previous. He and his wife were both natives of Rhode Island. He located on the banks of the West Branch of Eagle Creek, near where Gen. Hull camped as he passed through in 1813. Mr. Tanner died in 1833, aged forty-two years, and his wife died three years later. Simeon Ramsbot- tom settled on the west bank of Eagle

Creek, two miles below Tanner. He was a native of Virginia. His wife was born in Ireland. Mr. Ramsbottom died in 1851, his wife having died many years previously.

The family of Abner Hill consisted of himself, his wife and step-daughter. He re- sided in the township for many years. He committed burglary by breaking into Car- lin's Mill at Findlay, for which exploit he was sent to the penitentiary, and was the first person consigned to that institution from this township, or perhaps from the county.

Settlements were very soon after made by Jacob Helms, Benjamin Sparr, Andrew Rickets, John Diller, N. B. Martz, J. W. Williams and others, and farms were opened up all over the township. When N. B. Martz came to this township in 1834, he found a man by the name of John Diller living in Section II, on lands which he had bought of a Mr. Moreland, who claimed he had purchased them from Simeon Ramsbot- tom. Mr. Martz said that it was his im- pression that Ramsbottom was the first set- tler within the present limits of Madison Township, and that John Tullis came with him. He said also that, from the appearance of the buildings, clearings, and fruit trees when he first saw the Diller's and other places, he was led to believe that the first settlement had taken place at least ten years before that visit.

The Methodists erected the first church building in the township at Arlington, in 1858. It must not be supposed that relig- ious worship was unknown prior to this time, or that no minister had visited this re- gion. Here as elsewhere the schoolhouses and private houses were used as places of

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worship. There are now four church build- ings in the township; two Methodist Epis- copal, one Protestant Methodist and one Disciple.

The first schoolhouse built in the town- ship was on the land now occupied as the German Lutheran Cemetery, at the west line of the township. It was of the usual style, of logs, with clapboard roof. There are now eight school buildings, all com- fortable and commodious. The first hotel, or tavern, as such places were then called, was kept by John Diller, and was located on the west bank of Eagle Creek, at the place now known as Waterloo. This tavern was called the Cross Keys.

The people of this township devote them- selves to agricultural pursuits, and are a peaceable, quiet and thrifty community. Education and respect for the law commands the attention of all. The first settlers were principally from the eastern part of the State and from Pennsylvania. There are, how- ever, quite a number of Germans and their descendants. John W. Williams, one of the early settlers, and proprietor of the village of Williamstown, who died about thirty years ago, at a ripe old age, was perhaps at the time of his death the oldest person in the township. Mr. Williams was postmaster for many years, and was ten times elected justice of the peace. He commanded the confidence and respect of his neighbors, and had many sincere friends.

Christian Welty, an early resident here, was one of those substantial men who sought a home in the then far west. He was a man of good judgment, sound mind and strict integ- rity.

Andrew Rickets, after a long and useful life,

died about 1878, leaving his family a goodly inheritage, accumulated by industry and fru- gality. His widow, a very estimable lady, and a fair specimen of the goodly dames of the early years of this county, resided and died in Findlay, respected by all who knew her. Mr. Rickets, besides holding several township of- fices, was for two terms, a commissioner of the county, and filled the office with both ability and fidelity. Robert Hurd, who came to this township in 1839, was born at East Haddam, Conn., March 16th, 1785, and emigrated to Portage County, Ohio, in 1820, and settled in Twinsburg Township, as agent for the brothers, Aaron and Moses Wilcox-twins- from whom the township derived its name. Mr. Hurd made extensive entries of land in and about the present site of the town of Ar- lington, in 1834, and his sons, William B. and Lorenzo, and son-in-law, Joseph Fitch, at once settled on part of these lands, then all in the wilderness. Mr. Hurd laid out the town of Arlington, and was active in the formation of the township of Madison. For a number of years Mr. Hurd held the office of justice of the peace. He frequently appeared in justice's courts as an attorney, conducting his case with great ability. He died at Arlington in the year 1861.

Napoleon B. Martz was the son of Michael Martz, and was born in Rockingham County, Va., in November, 1809. He came to Han- cock County in 1834, and settled on the farm afterwards owned by his son Dorillas. He was married in November, 1830, to Hannah Nicolls, who accompanied him through the journey of life. Mr. Martz was a resident of the county for forty-one years, when he went still farther west, settling in Douglas County. Ill., where he spent the remainder of his in-

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Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Part 23

Author: Jacob Anthony Kimmell Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1189

Author: Jacob Anthony Kimmell
Publication date: 1910
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1189