Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Part 30

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 30

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which had called the town into existence, was not built, and for years there seemed to be but little hopes that it would be, the town came to a halt, and was of little sig- nificance in the history of the township. A few mechanics had invested all their means in property in the prospective town, and could not sell it again. The town was one of the one dry goods and grocery store combined, with perhaps the proprietor hold- ing the office of postmaster in order to hold his trade, with the addition of a blacksmith shop and wagon repair, and a saw-mill. For years it was a desperate struggle to keep life in the town-the same struggle that many other towns that make larger preten- tions to cosmopolitan airs today have also passed through.

Finally in 1872 the sleepy little village was awakened from its seventeen years' slumber by the whistle of the first locomo- tive on the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, and business sprung into life, real estate changed hands, buildings were put up, stores were opened, the buzz of machinery was heard, and all was bustle, business and speculation, and streets were opened up to accommodate prospective trade. Of course the keen edge of a miniature boom wore off, and the inhabitants gradually settled down to every day life, but there was still quite an amount of business carried on, and the business of the town is still gradually in- creasing. Additional lots were laid out by Fred. Keller in 1859, by Jacob Burket in 1873, by C. J. Keller and Benj. Stringfeller in 1874.

Rawson was incorporated as a village in 1885, the first mayor being Geo. W. Burket, he being succeeded by the following named

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persons : S. A. Griffin, B. M. Allion, T. B. Gilbert, George Dean, Frank C. Shank, L. M. Osborn and Ed. W. Burket, the present incumbent.

A post office was established here in 1863, and named Rawson, with James C. Benham as postmaster. Since that time the office has been held by Jackson Miller, James Woods, Nicolas Watson, T. E. Woods, J. D. Buss, O. C. Cramer, C. W. Fox, B. M. Allion, W. D. Cramer, John H. Ellis and J. W. Baker, the present official. The Com- mercial Bank of Bluffton has established a branch bank here for the convenience of stock buyers, merchants and farmers, which is doing a thriving business.

The Rawson High School was first organ- ized in 1892, W. N. Shank being the first teacher. In 1896 the course was revised by Prof. A. J. Nowlan, and two persons received their diplomas. In 1898, by the authority of the Board of Education, Prof. Nowlan wrote out a new course of study for the High School which was adopted, this being in existence until in 1902, when the course was changed and partly reorganized by Commissioner Bone- brake. In 1903 the courses were again strengthened by Superintendent Eby, and in December of that year the Elementary School Course was changed to eight years and the High School Course to four years.

In 1904 changes were again made by Su- perintendent Shilling, and Sept. 1, 1905, the first charter was issued by Commissioner E. A. Jones, recognizing the school as of the Third Grade.

were purchased, the library was strengthened by the addition of over 100 volumes and an as- sistant to the High School was employed. This new course of study was referred by Su- perintendent Steiner in January, 1908, to Com- missioner Jones, who on Feb. 5, 1908, issued a new charter for the High School recognizing it as of the Second Grade.

During the Summer of 1908 the fifth teacher for the school was employed as assistant prin- cipal, the schools being then in position to do much better work than they were able to do before these changes were made.

"The following years the school was again strengthened, a large supply of apparatus and a new encyclopedia and other books were pur- chased, and in the spring of 1910 a new course of study was adopted and a First Grade Char- ter received for the school, by Prof. Steiner."

Special efforts will also be made to strength- en the Normal work of the High School for those expecting to teach.

Instructors in the High School .- J. L. Steinner, superintendent and principal (Ohio Northern University, Goshen College) ; Liter- ature, Science, History and Geometry, J. W. Shank, assistant (Goshen College); Latin, English, Algebra and part of Eighth Grade.

The Methodist Episcopal and United Brethren denominations have handsome modern houses of worship, and are supplied with able ministers in the persons of the Revs. Holmes and Smith. Rawson has a good brick, four-room schoolhouse, and employs five teachers in the public school. Both the Bell and Mutual telephones have

At the opening of school in September, 1907, . exchanges in the town. Of societies, they the course of study was again revised and other have the Odd Fellows, Free and Accepted branches added. Also over 100 articles of Masons, Knights of Pythias, Maccabees, physical apparatus and a compound microscope Junior Order of American Mechanics and

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Rebeccas. The business of the town is done by one general store, three groceries, one hardware and implement store, kept by the veteran merchant, J. D. Buss and Co., one furniture store, one meat market, two barber shops, one bakery, one grist-mill, one elevator and mill, one saw-mill, two livery barns, one blacksmith shop, a good stock-yard and an electrical sub-station. Professionally there are three physicians, two ministers, and one undertaker.

On September 6, 1887, a fire swept out the heart of the town, including most of the business rooms, but this district was soon built up with good and substantial brick buildings. And what at that time seemed a great disaster afterwards proved a blessing to the town. Rawson has a good system of sewerage, and its streets, and all the roads leading out of town are well piked. The sidewalks are of the best, and well shaded by beautiful maple trees. The population is estimated at about six hundred. Besides having the Lake Erie and Western Rail- road, Rawson is an important station on the Western Ohio Electric road, running through cars from Toledo to Dayton, Ohio.

SHAWTOWN.

Shawtown was laid out by E. T. Cum- mins on the northeast part of the northwest quarter, and the north part of the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 30, Pleasant Township. The plat, embracing 74 inlots and 20 outlots, was acknowledged June 16, 1882, before Henry Brown, a no- tary public, and recorded October 16, 1882, by J. F. Gutzwiler, recorder.

VAN BUREN.

The town of Van Buren was laid out by George Ensminger and John Trout, in Decem- ber, 1833, and is beautifully situated on a high and dry location in a bend of the middle branch of the Portage River, on parts of Sections 12 and 13, in Range 10, and Sections 7 and 18 in Range II, and was originally composed of fifty- three lots. The town is laid out in the form of a cross, with an open square in the center, as is the order in many southern towns, and as is the style in Spanish towns where the open space is known as the "Plaza."

This space has been beautified during the last few years by rail fencing, sodding and the planting of shade trees, also a town pump oc- cupies a place in this little park. Aside from the business houses and residences on this square, there are but two streets in the village, and they cross one another at right angles. There were quite a number of large and sub- stantial buildings put up, and nearly all the lots on the public square were built upon, and for a time the place assumed considerable importance in trade, so much so as to be a serious competi- tor to Findlay. But as the country became set- tled up, and other towns sprang into existence that were fortunate enough to secure railroads, this place gradually lost its prestige, to the ex- tent that one could scarcely buy a spool of thread here.

But the coming of the Toledo and Ohio Cen- tral steam railroad, and Toledo, Bowling Green and Southern electric road, gave new life to the drowsy little village. The streets were im- . proved, new business blocks were put up and fine residences were erected and old ones newly painted. Now it is one of the pleasantest and busiest little towns in the county.

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Van Buren was incorporated in June, 1866, ship on the line of the Findlay Branch of the upon the petition of thirty of its citizens. Dan- iel Frick was its first mayor, and was succeeded by C. S. Wilkinson, J. H. Loehr, Dr. E. C. Wells, Dr. Edward George, A. Mumert, L. P. McCune, Jacob Loehr, James Huntington, Conaway, James Grubb, N. H. McGauchey, D. H. Heistand, W. M. Bowersock, and O. Rob- bins.

A postoffice was established here as early, perhaps, as 1836, and the following persons have been postmasters: Dr. George Springer, John Zarbaugh, S. M. Heller, C. S. Wilkinson, L. Michaels, Dr. E. C. Wells, D. Frick, L. J. Hissong, Sol. Zarbaugh, H. C. Hartman, John Lee, Mrs. E. C. Wells, John Cramer, Chas. Roberts, E. C. Showman, Cal. Hanna, W. H. Bolton, G. S. Brushead and Geo. F. VanEmon.

The following comprises the business direc- tory of the town : two general stores, one hard- ware store, one blacksmith shop, one barber shop and photographer combined, one shoe re- pair shop, one coal yard, one hotel, one livery barn, and one restaurant. Of schools they have one primary of one room and a fine brick school building of four rooms. Socially they have three churches, two resident ministers, two doctors, and Odd Fellows lodge, with Re- becca Sisters, Knights of Pythias and Pythian Sisters, Maccabees and Modern Woodmen of America. While there were but one hundred and thirty inhabitants here in 1880, there are now over four hundred.

VANLUE.

The town was laid out by William Vanlue, Esq., in whose honor it was named, and is on the northwest part of the northeast quarter, and the northeast part of the northwest quarter of Section 9. It is located in Amanda Town-

C. C. C. & St. L. Railroad, ten miles southeast of Findlay. The town was laid out in May, 1847, and at that time consisted of forty-four lots. In November of the same year the pro- prietor laid an addition of fifty lots. In Octo- ber, 1853, S. N. Beach made an addition of fifty-seven lots, and in 1858, he, with others, laid out Beach's second addition of forty-nine lots. Charles Cross laid out an additional ten lots in 1870. From the sale of the first lots the town steadily improved, and was a very considerable grain market for a number of years after the completion of the railroad, but of no great importance otherwise.

There were many tasteful and comfortable dwellings, and the palatial residence of J. J. Harman, the hardware merchant, is an honor to any town, or even city. The streets have been improved by graveling and are shaded by thrifty trees, in all giving a home-like appear- ance as a residence village. After a few years of great prosperity, the town, as new towns often do, slacked up, and almost came to a standstill. Business seemed for a time to have forsaken the place. Enterprise too, seemed to have taken its leave. Progress had ceased and everything seemed to be "going to the dogs." But this state of affairs could not last long. The town could not stand still. It must go for- ward, or retreat, and it finally resumed its for- ward march.

In 1866, upon the petition of fifty of its in- habitants, the village was incorporated under the laws of the State. Pursuant to the Act of Incorporation, the first election for village of- ficers was held on the 13th of April, 1867, with Peter Shuck, C. H. Hatch and Jason Lee as judges, and Ira Plotts and John Dresbach, clerks. There were thirty-nine votes cast. The

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following officers were elected: Mayor, Elisha ant cashier, H. J. Morehart. Its responsibility Brown; councilmen, H. Pratt, Ira Plotts, B. A. of shareholders to depositors is stated at over half a million. Etherton, Charles Hatch, and A. S. Roberts; marshall, W. L. Plotts. The following per- sons have held the office of mayor: Elisha Brown, Aquilla Gilbert, Fred Shuler, J. H. Brown, B. F. Burnap, T. B. Gilbert, H. T. Lee, George Snooks, John Cross, L. C. Clark, Ira Plotts, H. G. Early, D. A. Eschbach, E. L. E. Mumma, Ralph E. Deihl, Charles H. Hatch, Harry A. Renshler, W. L. Daniels and D. D. Cole. George Snool is both the present mayor and postmaster.

But Vanlue has regained her former pres- tige in trade, and is at the present time a lively town, owing no doubt, largely, to the improved condition of the very productive farms sur- rounding it, for the great majority of the busi- ness done is with the farmers. All is in a flourishing condition, with good prospects for the future. The following is a list of the dif- ferent business interests of the town: Two general stores, two groceries, one hardware store, one bakery, two hotels, one livery barn, two blacksmiths, one barber shop, one saw- and planing-mill, one grain elevator, two hay deal- ers with steam hay-balers, one coal yard, one bank, three churches with two resident preach- ers, two doctors and Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias lodges in flourishing condition. The Odd Fellows are completing an addition to their property, which will give them one of the finest lodge rooms in the county, and the store will soon be occupied by J. J. Harmon as a hardware store.

The Vanlue Bank commenced business on April 24, 1909, and is doing a lively business, having already 138 regular patrons. The of- ficers are President, W. J. Frey, vice-president, Chas. H. Bigelow, cashier, C. J. Oller; assist-

A postoffice was established here in 1849, with Dr. W. P. Wilson as postmaster. The successive postmasters have been as follows : John Wescott, Ira Plotts, W. A. Sponsler, Daniel Gilbert, William Alspach, B. F. Burnap, Sherman Buckingham, Kib Burnap, Miss Rheba Burnap, Samuel LeMott, and the present incumbent, George Snook.

Owing to the great amount of farm products in the vicinity in the line of grain, hay and stock, there is much shipping done from this station on the railroad.

WEST INDEPENDENCE.

The proprietors of this town were George Wyant, Peter Wyant and Henry M. Grose. It is located in Big Lick Township, on the east part of the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 2, and at present has a population of about one hundred souls.

The United Brethren and Progressive Dun- kards both have church buildings in the village, and there is a good, comfortable schoolhouse in the town.

The business of the place consists of one hotel, one grocery and provision store, one saw mill, one shoe repair shop and one blacksmith and wagon-repair shop.

A post office was established here in 1856, with Frederick Reamer as postmaster. Mr. Reamer was succeeded by J. L. Kenower, Jacob Ruth, William Blinn, John Wyancoop, Byron Leady, Westley Gibson, John Peters, White Lawhead, Jacob C. Hazen, A. J. Maurer, L. W. Gibson, J. L. Lenhart, and N. B. Hainer. The town has never been incorporated.

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WILLIAMSTOWN.

This town situated in Madison Township, was named in honor of John W. Williams, the proprietor. It is located on a part of the north- west quarter of the northwest quarter of Sec- tion 31, and the northeast quarter of Section 36. It originally contained forty-eight lots, and as remarked by a resident, "It commenced small, and has held its own exceedingly well." At the time the town was laid out, there was no family within three miles of it. Mr. Will- iams opened a store and tavern in the place, and travel commenced along the range line, now the Bellefontaine State road. In about 1837, Christian Welty also opened a store, and a Doctor Smith located here for a short time, being the first in the township. He was suc- ceeded by Dr. A. F. Burson, afterwards the first to locate in Mt. Blanchard, and who be- came quite famous for his success in the treat- ment of "Milk Sickness," then quite prevalent in this part of the county.

The town is located on the Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad fourteen miles directly south of Findlay and three miles north of the Hardin County line. The business of the place was never very great, and even the coming of the railroad did not increase it, but on the contrary, it has steadily declined, until at this time it has an appearance of forlorn lonesomeness. Ar- lington on one side, and the thriving town of Dunkirk on the other, have sapped its revenue, and investments here do not render an income. However, it still retains the usual blacksmith shop and convenient corner grocery.

A postoffice was established here in 1835 and Christian Welty was the first postmaster. The office was called Eagle until 1866, when it was changed to Williamstown.

STILL-BORN TOWNS OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

Capernicum, in Amanda Township, was laid out by Abraham Huff in March, 1831, on the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 3, and comprised sixteen lots. Aside from the fact that the town was laid out and recorded on a plat, the town has no farther record. The project was probably abandoned before any lots were sold. At least its history is less brief than that of the "city of the plain," after which it was named. It is exceedingly doubtful if any one at the present time is able to point out the site.

Frankford, in Cass Township. John Franks laid out the town of Frankford, on the north- west corner of Section 10. The town of seventy-two lots was regularly laid out, with a public square, or plaza, in the center. The prospective city, however, only existed in name, and no doubt would long since have been for- gotten had it not been a matter of record. There were, perhaps, no lots sold, and the pros- pective town returned to its original state- that of wheat and corn fields.

Freedom, in Big Lick Township. On the 26th day of October, 1836, Uriah E. Drake laid out a town of forty-eight lots on the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 19, and named it Freedom. So far as can be learned this is the complete history of the place, as a town.

LaFayette, in Portage Township. Jacob Andrew laid out a town on the north part of the east half of the northeast quarter of Sec- tion 15, on land now owned by Daniel Warner, and called it LaFayette. It comprised seventy- two lots, and had great expectations. But here ends its uneventful history.

Louisville, in Blanchard Township. This

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town was laid out in 1851, by William H. ting of the town closed up its existence, if in- Powell, Daniel Millham and Michael Shearer. deed it ever had any. The town plat was in the northwest corner of the east half of the northwest quarter of Sec- tion 14, and the northeast corner of the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 14, and was composed of forty lots, but were never all sold, and no buildings were constructed on the plat. The principal streets were Defiance (Main Road), running east and west, and East, Lima and West streets, running north and south.

The town, however, after a sickly existence of a few years, was finally vacated, and re- manded to the several owners. In its boom days, John Boylan kept a small general store in a small plank house where the staple articles of the market were kept in small quantities, but the trade not being profitable, he abandoned the business. The author taught school here in 1862, and at that time every vestige of a town had disappeared, except a tumble-down black- smith shop and the district schoolhouse which was not much better. Beardsley in his history, 1881, poetically comments: "Such is the his- tory of the birth, life and death and even de- cay of this town of 'great expectations,' and it does not now exist even in name, and scarcely in the memory of the neighborhood. How many hopes were blasted, and how many ex- pectations came to naught in the early demise and decay of this pre-prospective city?"

Olney, in Pleasant Township. In April, 1857, Isaac Fairchilds laid out the town of Ol- ney in Section 15, which comprised forty lots. The town never progressed farther than the platting, and it was only a town on paper, and its proposed site is now devoted to agricultural purposes.

North Ridgeville was laid out by Thomas Pickins on the east part of the northwest quarter, and the west part of the northeast quarter of Section 18, Pleasant Township. The plat, consisting of twenty-four lots, was acknowledged May 29, 1850, before B. Todd, justice of the peace, and recorded on the same day by P. Sours, recorder. The plat was vacated February 16, 1880.

Ridgeville was laid out by Lemuel Rob- erts on the northwest quarter of the north- west quarter of Section 2, Amanda Town- ship. The plat, consisting of twenty-four lots, was acknowledged before W. L. Hen- derson, a justice of the peace, October 25, 1836, and recorded November 15, 1836, by Wilson Vance, recorder.

Silverwood was laid out by Addison J. and Nancy A. Silverwood and Anthony Huntington on the southwest part of the west half of the southwest quarter of Sec- tion 19, and the southeast part of the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 24, and the northeast part of the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 25. The plat, embracing fifty-eight lots, was ac- knowledged March 27, 1883, before Edwin Phifer, surveyor and recorder, April 9, 1883, by J. F. Gutzwiler, recorder.

Martinstown, in Eagle Township, was laid out on the southeast corner of Section 36, the entire corner of the township, by Martin Hol- lobaugh, in September, 1836. There were, per- haps, never any lots sold, or streets laid out, as the site was at the cross-roads, about one mile. West Union was laid out by Anson Shel- north of Arlington, and the records of the plat- ler on the southeast corner of Section 26,

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Van Buren Township. The plat, consisting of forty-eight lots, was acknowledged be- fore W. L. Henderson, justice of the peace, December 25, 1834, and recorded January 6, 1835, by W. Vance, recorder.

DISCONTINUED POST OFFICES.

Almost all of the townships have had post offices within their bounds at some time in the early part of the settlement of the county, but these have all been discon-

tinued as the country grew older, and at the present time the post offices in the vil- lages have their business greatly reduced by the system of rural delivery.

Perhaps one reason for establishing these country offices was that the roads were al- most impassable during a part of the year, so that it was easier to have one person carry the mail out to these places, than that every farmer should be obliged to travel the well nigh impassable roads after it.

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CHAPTER XX.

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

The Hancock Brick and Tile Co .- Buckeye Traction Ditcher Co .- U. S. Electric Porcelain Co. -Findlay Clay Pot Co .- Boss Manufacturing Co .- D. Kirk Sons & Co .- Findlay Table Manufacturing Co .- Hollerback Piano Co .- The H. H. Fassett Planing Mill-Tarbox and McCall-Findlay Casket Co .- Hayward & Young-Findlay Carriage Co.

The Hancock Brick & Tile Company is incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio with a capital stock of $100,000 and has been in operation seven years, manufac- turing brick, tile, hollow blocks and fire- proofing. The officers of the company are as follows: President, James M. Esler; vice president, D. Earl Child; secretary, A. G. Fuller; treasurer, J. A. Gibson; man- ager, D. E. Child. The works are located in the southern suburb of the city on the line of the Toledo and Ohio Central Rail- road and consist of a number of substantial brick buildings, nine kilns of 26 and 30 feet in diameter, ten tunnels of two hundred car capacity and 37,200 square feet of floor space for drying. The company employs sixty men, and besides what product is sold locally there is shipped annually from 550 to 750 car loads to outside points. The ma- terial for this large output is all near at hand, the company having about a mile of track to the clay fields, from which it is drawn in on small cars by horses, but ar- rangements are being made to use a light

locomotive to do this work. There are five elevators in the works. They have three high pressure, water tube boilers of one hundred and twenty-five horse power each, and the most modern and approved ma- chinery is installed in the' plant. Seeing that nothing by way of material is imported except the coal, the profits of the plant are largely a clear gain to our town and county.

The Buckeye Traction Ditcher Company was incorporated under the laws of the state of Ohio, February 3, 1903, with a cap- ital stock of $100,000. President, N. L. McLachlin; vice president, C. D. Hay- wood; secretary and treasurer, W. D. McCaughey; superintendent of construc- tion, C. S. Brown. The works are located on the main line of the T. & O. C. Railroad, corner of Crystal Avenue. The main build- ing is 100x300 feet; blacksmith shop and machine room, 80x160 feet ; pattern room, 60x24 feet, and office 28x34; all constructed of cement block. Besides, they have or- dered in addition a steel frame building 120x300 feet at a cost of $50,000 for build-

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Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Part 30

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

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