Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Part 5

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

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sort at Indian Green. In fact, some historians have gone so far as to assert that General Wayne gave the Indians at this place a start- ling surprise on his way to and from the Bat- tle of the Maumee in 1794. However, this is in very much doubt, as Wayne left Greenville and started north, where he established Fort Recovery; from thence he went to the junction of the Maumee and Auglaize Rivers and es- tablished Fort Defiance; thence down the Mau- mee to the rapids, where he defeated the In- dians and returned to Greenville. It is prob- able that either Wayne's entire army or some portion of it came far enough east on their march back from the "Battle of the Maumee" to reach "Indian Green" and may here have had an encounter with the red men, doubtless to the disadvantage of the latter.

There have been statements made to the ef- fect that an Indian village was located on the site of Mt. Blanchard, which may be con- sidered as probably true, as there were Indians in the vicinity of Mt. Blanchard as late as 1838. They were probably the remnants of some of the tribes who at different times and in differ- ent localities held sway over this vast wilder- ness. But with civilization's resistless march, fewer and fewer became the red men in this section of the country, until now there is no remaining vestige to mark their former habita- tions, except as some weapon or ornament has uncovered its form from a dark and lonely bed in Mother Earth, and fallen into the hands of the relic hunter of today.

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CHAPTER III.

FIRST ORGANIZATION OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

The County Organized-Findlay Township Organized-First Elections-First Officials-Erec- tion of the Townships.

On the 12th of February, 1820, the general assembly of Ohio passed an "Act for the Erection of Certain Counties Named Therein." In that act we find the following reference to Hancock County : *

* * "Fifth to include Townships One and Two, north of the forty- first degree of north latitude (base line) and One and Two south of the same line, in the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Ranges from east to west, and to be known by the name of Hancock County." Section Second of the same act provided, "That the counties of Hancock, Henry, Putnam, Paulding and Williams shall be attached to the county of Wood" with the seat of government at Perrysburg.

The following order was made by the commissioners of Wood County, March 4, 1822: "Ordered by the board, that the Township of Waynesfield, within the juris- diction of the county of Wood be co-exten- sive with the boundaries of Wood and Hancock, and to include the same." On May 18, 1823, the commissioners of Wood County ordered that, "So much of the township of Waynesfield as is included in the unorganized county of Hancock, be set

off and organized, and the same is hereby organized into a township by the name of Findlay, and that the election of township officers be held on the first day of July, A. D. 1823, at the house of Wilson Vance, in said township. Of this proceedings no record is known, but the first record of the township is that of the election of April 5, 1824, at which time there were 18 votes cast, and that Job Chamberlain, Wilson Vance and Jacob Poe were elected trustees; Matthew Reighly, clerk, and Wilson Vance assessor; Phillip McKinnis, constable; John Hunter and John Gardner, fence viewers; Robert McKinnis and William Moreland, overseers of the poor; and Job Chamberlain, Sr., treasurer. The treasur- er's office in those days was practically a sinecure, as the total amount of tax for 1826 was but $56.12. Of course the salary attached to it was small.

It was not long, however, owing to the rapidity with which the different townships were being settled, before a separate county organization became necessary, and ac- cordingly on the 21st day of January, 1828, the General Assembly of the State of Ohio

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY

passed an act entitled, "An Act to Organ- Godfrey Wolford, John Long and John P. ize the County of Hancock," of which the Hamilton, commissioners. following are some of its provisions :

"Sec. I. That the county of Hancock as heretofore laid off, and the same shall be and is hereby organized into a separate and dis- tinct county, and suits and prosecutions which shall be pending, and all crimes which shall have been committed within said county of Hancock previous to its organization, shall be prosecuted to final judgment and execution within the county of Wood, in the same man- ner they would have been had the county of Hancock not been organized; and the sheriff, coroner and constables of Wood County shall execute within the county of Hancock such process as shall be necessary to carry into effect such suits, prosecutions and judgments; and the treasurer of Wood County shall collect all such taxes as shall have been levied and im- posed within the county of Hancock previous to the taking effect of this act."

"Sec. 2. That all justices of the peace and constables within the said county of Hancock shall continue to execute the duties of their re- spective offices in the same manner as if the county of Hancock had remained attached to the county of Wood."

"Sec. 3. That on the first Monday of April next the legal voters within the county of Han- cock shall assemble within their respective townships at the place of holding elections, and shall elect their several county officers, who shall hold their offices until the next annual election.

"This act shall take effect from and after the first day of March next."

In accordance with the provisions of this act, the voters of Hancock County met in Findlay and proceeded to hold an election. There were 74 votes cast, and officers were elected as follows: Don Alonzo Ham- lin, sheriff; Thomas Slight, coroner; Mat- thew Reighly, auditor; Joshua Hedges, treasurer; William Hackney, assessor;

ERECTION OF THE TOWNSHIPS.

In order to make correct surveys and locate lands prior to the settlement of the state or of the formation of counties or townships, or the subdivision of townships into sections, the general government found it necessary to have a certain and fixed point from which townships and ranges might be counted. The Ohio sur- vey was made in 1819 and 1820, after the fixing by the Government of the first prin- cipal meridian (as it was called), which meridian commences at the mouth of the Great Miami River, running from thence north on the line between Ohio and Indi- ana to the Michigan line. A line was also established running east and west on the 4Ist parallel of north latitude, and called the base line. This base line runs directly through the center of Hancock County, three miles south of Sandusky street, di- viding it into two parts, north and south. The townships are numbered north and south from the base line; those bordering on the line are called township number one, north and south-number two com- ing next, and so on. The ranges, which include an original township in width, or six miles, are numbered from the principal meridian, east, beginning with number one, at the Indiana line and numbering east. Hancock County is in Ranges Nine, Ten, Eleven and Twelve.

A search of the records has failed to re- veal the date or definite boundaries of the sub-divisions of Hancock County prior to 1829; however, the various entries on the

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY

commissioners' journal establish the fact to the southeast corner of Section 36, in Range that the county was divided into three IO; thence north to the southeast corner of Section 36, in Township I north; thence east to the place of beginning; which shall be a body corporate and politic, and retain the name of Findlay. townships, soon after the independent or- ganization, namely : Findlay, Amanda and Welfare, of which Findlay was much the largest.

In response to a petition from a large majority of the citizens of Welfare Town- ship, situated in the southeastern portion of the county, the name was changed from Welfare to that of Delaware.

December 7, 1829, the original surveyed township. No. I, south in Range II east, was set off into a body politic and corpo- rate and called Jackson, in honor of Andrew Jackson, this change reducing the dimen- sions of Findlay Township, which previ- ously occupied two-thirds or more of the county in the northern, western and south- western portions.

The next change was made December 6, 1830, when the county commissioners divided the township of Findlay in the following man- ner: Beginning at the southwest corner of Section 31, in Township I north, in Range 12; thence north to the northwest corner of Sec- tion 6, in Township 2, in Range 12; thence west to the northwest corner of Section 4 in Range II; thence south to the southwest cor- ner of Section 33 in Township I north, in Range II; thence east to the place of begin- ning; which bounds shall be a separate town- ship and shall be known and designated by the name of Marion. And in the next place, com- mencing at the southeast corner of Section 32, Township I north, Range II east; thence north to the northeast corner of Section 5, in Township 2 north, in Range II; thence west to the northwest corner of Section 2, in Range IO; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 35, in Township 2 south; thence east

And in the next place, commencing at the southeast corner of Section 34, in Township 2 south, in Range 10; thence north to the north- east corner of Section 3, Township 2 north; thence west to the northwest corner of Section 6, in Range 9; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 39, in Township 2 south; thence east to the place of beginning; in which bounds shall be made a separate township and be known and designated by the name of Lib- erty.

March 7, 1831, agreeable to a petition of sundry inhabitants of Hancock County, the original surveyed Townships Nos. 1 and 2 south, in Range 10 east, were set off to be known and designated as Van Buren Town- ship.

On the same day the county commissioners also ordered that hereafter the township of Amanda shall consist of the original Town- ship I south, in Range 12 east, and Sections 34 and 35 in the original surveyed Township I north, Range 12 east; also that the original surveyed Township I north, in Range 12 east, except Sections 34 and 35, shall hereafter be known and organized by the name of Biglick; also the original surveyed Township I north, in Range 9 east, shall be known and organized by the name of Blanchard.

March 5, 1832, the county commissioners set off the original surveyed Township No. 2 north, in Range 12 east, into a body corporate and politic, and named it Washington Town- ship.

June 4, 1832, the county commissioners set

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY

off the original surveyed Township No. I hereby set off into a separate township, politic and corporate, and named Ridge.

south, in Range 9 east, into a body corporate and politic, and named the same Union Town- ship.

December 3, 1832, the county commissioners off the original surveyed township No. I south, in Range 10 east, into a body corporate and politic, and named the same Eagle Town- ship.

March 4, 1833, the county commissioners set off the original surveyed Township No. 2 north, Range II east, into a body corporate and politic and to be known by the name of Cass. On the same date it was also ordered that the original surveyed Township No. 2 north, Range 10 east, be set off into a separate township and named Portage.

June 3, 1833, the county commissioners or- dered that Biglick Township shall include all of the original surveyed Township No. I north, Range 12 east.

March 2, 1835, the county commissioners ordered that the original surveyed Township No. 2 north, in Range 9 east, be set off into a separate and distinct township and called Pleasant. Also that the original surveyed Township No. 2 south, Range 12 east, be set off into a separate and distinct township and called Richland.

December 5, 1836, the county commissioners ordered that the original surveyed Township. No. 2 south, Range 9 east, be set off into a separate and distinct township and called Orange.

June 5, 1838, on the petition of Andrew Thompson and others, it was ordered by the commissioners that Sections 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, Biglick Town- ship, and Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 and 14, Amanda Township, be and the same is

June 1, 1840, the county commissioners or- dered that Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 and 32, in Township No. 2 south, Range II east, and Sections numbered 1, 2, II, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 26, 35 and 36, in Town- ship No. 2 south, Range 10 east, be set off and created as a new township to be called Mad- ison.

February 3, 1845, the Legislature of Ohio passed an act organizing the county of Wyan- dot, and Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35 and 36, in Township I south, Range 12 east, and Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 in Township 2 south, Range 12 east, were taken from Hancock County and formed a portion of Wyandot County.

March 5, 1845, the county commissioners ordered that sections 6, 7, 18, 19, 30 and 31, in Township 2 south, Range 12 east, be at- tached to Delaware Township; also that Sec- tions 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, in Township I north, Range 12 east, be attached to Biglick Township; also that Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6, in Township I south, Range 12 east, and Sections 1, 12, 13, 24, 25 and 36, in Township I south, Range II east, be attached to Amanda Township.

June 3, 1850, the county commissioners or- dered that a new township be erected out of the following territory called Allen Township, the said Township of Allen to be comprised of Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 and 32, of Township No. 2 north, Range II east, and Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 26, 35 and 36, of Township No. 2 north, Range 10 east, thus forming the county as it appears at the present day.

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CHAPTER IV.

INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.

First White Settlers-Hull's March-Fort Findlay-Murder of the Thomases-A Pioneer's Letter-Observance of the Golden Rule Among the Pioneers-Mrs. Ebberly's Narrative- First Election Under Independent County Organization-Poll Book of Election and County Officers. .

According to the most authentic ac- field County and entered 160 acres of land count, the first white settlement in the in Section II, moved onto it and cleared it up. He was industrious, spending very little for luxuries and none too much for necessaries ; in fact he ate very simple food and wore scanty clothing. At about the time of the breaking out of the Civil War he bred and sold many fine cattle and sold them at a high price, and people thought him possessed of much gold, but after his death no money was found on his person or about the house, and it was believed at that time, and is to this day that he buried his treasure in the ground and never re- vealed its hiding-place. He was a very quiet man, discreet in his conversation but not discourteous in his manners. In his elderly days he was known as "Uncle Ned- die" or "Old Neddie." He never married. His scantily appointed cabin stood on the site of Dr. J. C. Trich's beautiful log cabin about four miles out on the Tiffin road. territory now embraced within the limits of Hancock County, was made at the pres- ent site of the town of Findlay, about the year 1815. We have a tradition to the effect, however, that a man by the name of Thorp or Tharp, came here with the sol- diers, who occupied Fort Findlay in the War of 1812-15, and remained here after its evacuation, either living alone or with the Indians, but not much is known of him. A young soldier who came to Fort Findlay, by the name of Edward Bright, tiring of the monotony of fort life often wandered through the unbroken forests then cover- ing the entire country, and especially did he take frequent strolls on the higher grounds of what is now Marion Township. Young Bright took a fancy to the land in Section II in that township because it was higher and not swampy, as was much of the ground at that time, and he marked the trees in that neighborhood for future selec- tion of a farm. Ten years after, or about 1824, he returned from his home in Fair-

To Benjamin Cox and his family belongs the honor of being the first white family to settle in this vicinity. Upon their arrival, naught but an unbroken forest, save in the

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY

immediate vicinity of the old fort, greeted covered, there would not have been the money them. Indians and wild beasts roamed the or facilities to have developed the discovery. woods, with no neighbors within many days' journey, perhaps. After making this HULL'S MARCH. solitude their home for a few years, the family removed to Wood County, where some of them were still living in 1882, though at present no trace of any of them can be discovered. One of the daughters had a knowledge of both the Ottawa and Wyandotte tongues and sometimes acted as interpreter between the whites and the Indians.

But the Coxes had not been here long when others, through a spirit of adventure, or restless desire for new scenes, came and formed settlements. Some were attracted by the richness of the soil, or perhaps a greater part by the abundance of game, hunting and trapping wild animals being their main occupation. Or perhaps with imaginations reaching out to the future, they pictured to themselves the exceeding loveliness, and fruitfulness of the land, when redeemed from the wilderness, and were hopefully constrained to make this their abiding place.

Thus, by whatever motive actuated, they came and formed settlements, cleared the forests, built themselves cabins, con- structed roads such as they were, and laid the foundation deep and permanent, for our present great prosperity and wealth, transmitting to their children a rich and beautiful inheritance. Little did they then think or even dream of the wealth of petro- leum and gas laying a quarter of a mile be- neath their feet, and which, in its development brought millions of wealth to Hancock and Wood Counties. But even if it had been dis-

An exciting event occurred about the middle of June, 1812, when the army, under Gen. Hull, left Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio, and passed north through the present counties of Logan, Hardin, Hancock and Wood, over what was known during, and after the war, as "Hull's Trail," into Michigan. This army cut a road through the unbroken wilderness, on their route building Fort McArthur, on the Sci- oto River in Hardin County, and Fort Findlay, on the Blanchard River in Han- cock County. In the same summer Gen- eral Edmund W. Tupper, of Gallia County, enlisted about 1,000 men for six months' service, mainly from Gallia, Lawrence and Jackson Counties, who, under orders of General Winchester, marched from Urbana north by "Hull's Trail" to the foot of the Maumee Rapids. The enemy attacked Tupper's forces, but were driven off with considerable loss. They returned to De- troit, and the Americans, under Tupper, marched back to Fort McArthur.

FORT FINDLAY.

The Fort at Findlay was erected by Col. James Findlay, under orders from General Hull, and was named in honor of the Col- onel. It was a stockade of about fifty yards square, with a blockhouse at each corner, and a ditch in front. tI stood on the south side of the Blanchard River, just west of the present iron bridge and was used as a depot for military stores. The Fort was garrisoned by a company under

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY

the command of Captain Arthur Thomas, who lived at King's Creek, three miles from Urbana. So far as known, there were no battles fought at Findlay, and the garri- son duty was, no doubt, monotonous and irksome. After the close of the war, Cap- tain Thomas' company returned to Ur- bana. On their journey home, the Captain and his son lost their horses, and separated from the rest of the company in search of them. They encamped at the Big Spring, near Solomonstown, about five miles from Bellefontaine, and the next morning were found murdered and scalped. Their bodies were taken to Urbana by a deputation of citizens. In connection with this account of the fate of Captain Thomas, the follow- ing letter to D. B. Beardsley, author of a former History of Hancock County (1881), and to which we have already acknowl- edged our obligations, will prove interest- ing :

MARION, IOWA, Dec. 6, 1875. D. B. Beardsley, Esq.

DEAR SIR :- I saw in a sketch of the early history of Hancock County, Ohio, as read by you at the Second Annual Picnic and Reunion of the Pioneers of your county, published in the Findlay Jeffersonian, an account of Cap- tain Arthur Thomas and son, that were killed by the Indians at the Big Springs, some five miles from Bellefontaine, and thinking I might furnish you an item or two, concluded to drop you a line. My father was stationed at a block house called Menary, about two miles north- west from Bellefontaine, there being a small company of soldiers, I think commanded by Lieut. John Kelley. The object seemed to be to guard and keep in bounds some pet Indians that the Government had in care, and was fur- nishing supplies to through an agent by the name of McPherson.

On the morning after the murder of Thomas and his son, the word was brought to the com- pany, and a deputation was sent out after them, among whom was my father (John Rathbun) and when they reached the spot, and found them in the broiling sun, being scalped, and the blood oozing from their heads, he thought it the most sickening sight he ever beheld; and made him declare vengeance against the tawny tribe, pet or no pet. He always said that it was the pets that did the deed, for as they were returning with the men to the block house, three of the half-breeds came in sight armed and painted, contrary to orders. The horsemen took after them, and succeeded in stopping them, but the Commander would not let the Post Guard come up in shooting dis- tance, for he knew there would have been three red-skins less in double quick.

The officers let them go with some good promises on their part, not to be found there thus arrayed again. After reaching the block house, they (the Thomases) were put into the hands of the citizens, that conveyed them to their homes and final resting place, as you have it recorded. At Roundhead there was a large village of those pets or friendly Indians, as they were called, and an order was sent out from the Post, to have them come in on a cer- tain day, but the day came and none made their appearance; the second day none. The third day a deputation started after them, but they met them in squads coming in. They were old men, women and children, all the warriors had gone to fight for the British, except a few young men that had charge of affairs. When they reached the village, all had left but one, and he dodged out of sight in a moment's time. About all that was accomplished, was to show that while we were taking care of their fami- lies, the warriors were fighting against us.

Time passes on, the war ended, and when I reached my fourteenth year, I went to visit an uncle that lived on what was called the Block- house farm. The house was in rather a dilapi- dated condition, the roof off and half the up- per story had been removed. It brought to

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FINDLAY HOSPITAL AND HOME. FINDLAY

HANCOCK COUNTY COURT HOUSE, FINDLAY

Findlap, Ohio.

POST OFFICE, FINDLAY

COUNTY JAIL. FINDLAY

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

mind many incidents that I had heard my by the Dukes brothers, John, Richard and father relate thirty-six years ago. I left the place of my nativity and settled in what was called the Black Hawk purchase, or Iowa. Had not been here long before I heard of the Thomas family having settled at Cascade, where the son of a brother of the Captain, and son alluded to, owned a fine mill property, and in the course of some three years I went to his mill, where I saw the whole family, the widow, her son and three or four daughters, all mar- ried except the widow. She never married, or at least not to that time. Thomas sold his mill and went further west, and I have lost sight of him. I always like to cherish in memory those who have suffered in their country's cause.

But I will close,

Yours in Pioneer Friendship, NELSON RATHBUN.

The Greers, Lakes, Elders and Hamlins formed a settlement at the present site of Mt. Blanchard, in one of the most beautiful and fertile portions of the county, while Wilson Vance, and Carlin, and Hamilton and John- ston and the Chamberlains, with others, formed the settlement of Findlay and vicinity, and, like the others, were not disappointed in the fertility of the soil or in the natural advantages of the location. The McKinnis, the Poes, the Fishels and other kindred spirits, formed a set- tlement down the river from Findlay, in a most beautiful part of the county, and it was not long until these families of hardy stalwart men and women were known for their hospitality and bravery. The Moreland, Helms and a few other families formed a settlement in the south part of the county, where they resided many years, generally respected for their honesty and fair dealing.

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Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Part 5

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

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