Crawford County, Ohio - Chapter 9: Bucyrus Township, 1912

Creation of the Township - Location and Topography - Drainage - First Settlers - Indian Sugar Camp - Early Mills - The Notions - Zalmon Rowse - Colored Pioneers - Organization and Election in 1824 - Josiah Scott - A Township Treasurer's Responsibilities - Some Early Officials - Churches and Schools - A Traveling Schoolhouse - Miss Monnett's Donation - Early Taverns - Farming Operations - Indian Trails - Roads - An Ancient Sword - Cemeteries.

Bucyrus township was named after the town of Bucyrus, the town being named between Oct. 1st and Dec. 15, 182 1. It was created by the commissioners at Delaware in 1822, and consisted of territory 12 miles wide extending from the southern boundary of the present Bucyrus township to the present northern boundary of the county, the present Bucyrus, Holmes, Lykens, Chatfield, Liberty and part of Cranberry and Whetstone townships by surveyor's maps, township i, 2 and 3, range 16, east, and township i, 2 and 3, range 17 east. Later the commissioners of Delaware county created the township of Bucyrus as it at present exists, and on Dec. 7, 1824, the journal of the Marion county commissioners contains the following entry : "On application of citizens of surveyed fractional township three of range 16 an order was issued to organize the original fractional township 3 of range 16." While six miles square the township was called fractional as the western two and a third miles of the township was Indian reservation. Bucyrus township was then in the southeastern part of the county and when the charter was granted for the Columbus and Sandusky turnpike, the Legislature gave the company 31,360 acres of land, 49 sections, "along the western side of the Columbus and Sandusky turnpike, in the eastern part of Crawford, Marion and Seneca counties."

Before Bucyrus township was formed it was a part of Sandusky township, perhaps all of the present Crawford being that township, as on April 15, 1821, the Delaware commissioners appointed Joseph Young and Westell Ridgely as justices of the peace for Sandusky township. Young then lived near Bucyrus and Ridgely near Leesville, neither place being then in existence. These were the officials in Crawford county.

South of Bucyrus and east of the present Little Sandusky road the country was the Sandusky Plains, named by the Indians after the river. From the river north, the entire northwestern part of the township was forest. The township was well watered. The Sandusky river entering in the northeast quarter section of the township, and running southwesterly leaves the township two miles from the southwest corner. Small streams on both sides empty into this river. A mile and a half south of the Sandusky, the Little Scioto starts southwesterly through the township, entering Dallas township a mile and a half east of the western boundary of the township. This little stream has half a dozen smaller tributaries on both sides. In the northwestern part. Grass

Run with several branches covers that section, while in the southwest little streams go southward to the Whetstone. The extensive plains in the southern part of the county were nearly all swamp, and most of the year in the early day under water. In the summer season in the ages past, the land was covered with a tall coarse grass, as high as five and six feet ; each fall this decayed and in years following produced a rich, soft soil, so that the snows of winter and the rains of summer kept the section covered with marshes. While the land was almost level, there was occasionally some slightly rising ground, on which trees grew, small groves which were called "islands." The formation of the soil from its decaying vegetation made it some of the richest farming land in the county, yet its swampy condition, and the absence of trees for building" cabins and for fuel in winter made it a section which few of the early settlers desired to occupy, and as a result they preferred the woodland, with the labor of clearing the forest, and making their farms by the slow process of cutting down the trees, rather than the swampy land nature had already cleared. Also, the marshy land was unhealthy, and ague was frequent with the few early settlers who risked a location in this spot. Some who came braved it through; others, after a short trial, abandoned their land, and took up claims elsewhere; still others, too poor to move, had to remain, stand their siege of fever and ague yearly, and start graveyards for their unfortunate little ones. This was the Sandusky Plains, today spoken of and written of all over the state as the finest and most fertile section in Ohio.

The locations of the Sandusky and Scioto rivers as they traverse the township in the same southwesterly direction two miles apart, produce the interesting fact that between these streams are many buildings from which the water falling from the roofs, flow on the one side into the Sandusky and Lake Erie and to the Atlantic, and on the other into the Scioto, and through the Ohio and Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. The most noted of these buildings was the large barn built by Col. Wm. Monnett in the southeastern part of the present city of Bucyrus. It was on a knoll, several hundred feet southwest of the house, in his pasture field. An Indian trail once passed over this knoll, following along the higher ground through Bucyrus, and to Upper Sandusky, and near the barn a generation ago was to be seen an old Indian well, a hollow sycamore several feet in the earth where lizards made their home in the stagnant water; and men who are grandfathers now, remember their speculations as to the old well and as to who planted the wild cherry tree that shared with the barn and the well a position on the knoll.

The first settlers in Bucyrus township were Samuel Norton, with a party of eighteen. They were the first arrivals in what became Crawford county in 1820. Crawford county had not yet been created, the land known as the New Purchase, being the land purchased of the Indians by the treaty of 181 7. Later in the spring of 1819 they left their home in Luzerne (now Susquehanna) county, the extreme northeastern county of Pennsylvania, and in 'a big "schooner" wagon, with its curved canvas top, traveled through the entire length of Northern Pennsylvania, then half through Ohio, to near Galion, on the border of the New Purchase, where Norton had determined to locate. Here he left his family, and with his brother-in-law Albigence Bucklin, and Seth Holmes, the driver and guide of the expedition, who in the War of 1812 had passed through this section, they started on a prospecting expedition, visiting the settlers along the Whetstone; but having come so far, the pioneer fever was on them, and Holmes told of a better location on a bigger river farther to the west, so they wandered through the tall wild grass of the Sandusky plains, and finally reached the Sandusky river where Bucyrus now is. The clear stream running through the woods, the freshness of the air, after the dry heat of the plains, and the level country to the south of the river, all satisfied Norton that on the banks of the Sandusky was the land he wanted. The three returned to their families and again the march was taken up of a dozen miles, and in October, 1819, they reached the land selected, and for three days thev lived in an Indian wigwam, which was standing on the ground now occupied by the courthouse. The men went to work and erected a small log house ; there were but three of them so the logs were small, and it was erected on the banKS of the Sandusky, on the west side of the present Sandusky avenue bridge, on what is now the land owned and occupied by C. H. Shonert. Down the slight bluff Norton had his pretty river, with its clear pure water; around him were the forest trees, and he could shoot game from his door, and find fish in the stream. The "homestead" being built, a similar log structure was erected for his brother-in-law, on the land north of East Mansfield street, and west of the T. & O. C. road. Here Albigence Bucklin with his wife and six children and an adopted daughter Polly moved, the "homestead" being occupied by Norton and his wife and six children, Seth Holmes being sole proprietor and owner by right of discovery of the Indian wigwam. Here the pioneers passed their first winter, the woods furnishing them with an abundance of game, and the meal brought with them furnishing the bread; the game was the staple food, and the corn bread was the luxury. In the Norton cabin on the banks of the Sandusky, on Feb. i6, 1820, was born a daughter, who was named Sophronia, the first white child born in Bucyrus, and the first white child born in that part of Crawford west of Richland county.

Fortunately for these early settlers the winter of 1819-20 was very mild; the winter was put in clearing away the trees, and in February Mr. Norton planted his first crop, showing how mild the winter had been, and the virgin soil responded with gladness, for he stated in after years his first crop was the finest he ever raised. The nearest settlement was a dozen miles away on the banks of the Whetstone, where a few settlers had erected cabins; the nearest store double that distance, with no roads, only Indian trails through the forest: so, as with all early settlers, these pioneers had to depend on the resources at hand and their own ingenuity. The children must be clothed and fed ; the latter was easy owing to nature's prodigalitv, but the clothing was another matter. In the house the mother and daughters spun the flax and wove the cloth into the coarse garments, and made up the deer skin into breeches and jackets. Norton made a trip of about 20 miles to "Friendsborough," a Quaker settlement in what is now Morrow county, where he secured ten pounds of wool. They had brought with them spinning wheels and a loom and the wool was made into cloth, and the cloth into clothing. Norton started a little tannery adjoining his house, the first business industry in Bucyrus. He tanned the hides and then manufactured shoes for the family. He planted an orchard with seeds he had brought with him from Pennsylvania, and while waiting for the trees to grow gathered apples from an orchard across the river planted by Johnny Appleseed, on the lot now owned by Hon. E. B. Finley, where even to this date, a century after, some of the trees still exist, while of the orchard of Norton not a tree remains.

While the Nortons and the Bucklins were the only white i>eople for miles around, they were not the only inhabitants of the region, and it was only a few days until the Norton home was visited by a band of Indians from the Wyandot reservation. These savages were always peaceful and had been for years, but the pioneers had frequently heard in their eastern home of the cruelties and barbarities of the savages, and naturally at first they regarded these visits with anxiety. When the men folks were at home, the Indians lay on the floor of the cabin, with their blankets wrapped around them, thankful for any food given them. Occasionally they came when the men folks were absent, and the children in their fear would run to their mother, as scared as themselves. It was a great delight to the Indians to see the fear their presence created, and they would whoop, yell and dance, brandishing their knives, and adding to the terrors of the mother and children. Later, these visits were regarded as a matter of course, the custom of an Indian always being to drop into any cabin whenever he pleased and consider the house as his own. Not infrequently he entered a cabin at night, and without a word, perhaps with a guttural grunt, wrapped his blanket around him, and lay down in front of the fire, and promptly fell asleep, leaving in the morning without a word. It was soon found that the Indians were harmless; they were treated kindly and sometimes brought game to the family. They greatly enjoyed seeing people exhibit fear, age or sex being no bar, hence their wild yells and frantic ac- tions to frighten the women and children. The Norton girls state that once they were playing near the Bucklin home, about where the old Bucyrus Machine company building now stands; their game was hide-and-seek, concealing themselves behind the fallen logs. An Indian trail ran past this site, and while they were in hiding behind the logs, a band of Indians appeared along the trail. One of the Indians, Charley Elliott, caught a glimpse of one of the children and he raised a blood curdling yell, which very promptly raised three girls from behind as many different logs, who made up their minds home was the best place for them, and they started at top speed, the Indians accelerating their flight by all joining in a series of war cries. The Indians did not care to follow but evidenced their delight by wild whooping and howling.

In the spring of 1S20, the cool nights and the warm days made the best of maple sugar weather. Where the public square now is west of it was a grove of maple trees, and here the Indians established a camp, tapped the trees and gathered the sap, and boiled it down into sugar, and the Norton homestead was swarmed with visiting Indians while the season lasted. The squaws brought the kettles, some on horseback, and others traveling the sixteen miles from their Upper Sandusky village, carrying the heavy brass kettle and a pappoose or two besides. Mrs. Norton visited the camp and was kindly received by the Indians, especially by the women, who showed great friendship for the "palefaced squaw."

Norton had settled on his land, built his cabin, and in 1820, when the land was open to purchase he went to Delaware and entered 400 acres on the banks of the Sandusky, on 240 of which the central portion of Bucyrus now stands. The Norton daughters reported that their father told them that when he reached Delaware to secure the certificate from the government for his land, some Quakers endeavored to persuade him that the lands he intended entering did not correspond with the tract he wanted, but their father insisted he knew the land he wanted. The Quakers were partly right, as the final survey showed the Norton land did not extend to the river, but only to Perry street, and Norton found he had built his cabin just north of his land. The cabin was of no value, but Norton hated to leave his home on the bluff overlooking the pretty river. He built another cabin, however, on his own land on the lot that is now the southeast corner of Spring and Galen streets. It was a double cabin, had two large rooms on the lower floor, and was built of large logs, a cabin raising being held when the neighbors came, to place the heavy logs into position. The chimney was of stone for the first story, and above that it was made of sticks and mud. It had a large garret for the children to sleep in, and was for those days a commodious structure.

After the arrival of the Nortons and the B-ucklins, the next settler to arrive was a "squatter," a man who does not enter land; he "squats" down wherever he pleases, builds a little cabin, stays as long as he pleases, and then leaves. Mr. Norton's daughters state that "One Sunday morning we were awakened by the crowing of several roosters in the southwest, and our ears were saluted with the welcome ring of another pioneer's ax, which sounds seemed to us, who had so often listened to the barking and howling of the wolves, the sweetest music." After a hurried breakfast, Norton and his wife started out in search of the newcomers. It was a man named Sears, who with his wife and family had located on land just west of where Oakwood cemetery now is. They had arrived the evening before with a horse and wagon, and were glad to meet neighbors in the wilderness. The whole family returned to the Norton home for a meal, and the next day Norton, Bucklin and Holmes put in the day raising a small log cabin for the new arrivals, and after it was erected Sears plastered the cracks with mud, put on the roof, and moved in, the wagon having been their sleeping apartment until the family home was done. While Sears was at work on his cabin, Seth Holmes took over a deer and other small game; the Nortons and the Bucklins sent over honey and other provisions they could spare, and at odd hours assisted in makine the new home habitable. The Sears family did not stay long; the restless moving spirit of the "squatter" soon came on

But during the year 1820 other settlers, real settlers, did arrive. The Beadles were the first in the spring of that year, David Beadle, with two sons, Mishael and David, and a son-inlaw, John Ensley. Next came Daniel Mc- Michael and Joseph Young, and during the year several others. In his song of Bucyrus Col. Kilbourne thus gives them:

Poetry is not the best method of writing history, as to preserve the rhythm and meter much of the detail must be omitted, so two of the first pioneers, Bucklin and Holmes, get notice as "friends," the same with son-in-law Ensley. As to Sears, he was not a pioneer and Col. Kilbourne did well to omit him. Young and McMichael, although classed as men of fame, were not more distinguished than Norton and Beadle, but the necessity of a rhyme to "came," occurring in the line with their names, gave them the distinguished honor of being famous.

The Beadles came across the Plains from the Quaker settlement of Friendsborough in Morrow county, and Mishael Beadle had his cabin on West Mansfield street, where the late Silas Bowers' residence now is; this was on the north 40 acres of an 80-acre tract; on the south 40 acres David Beadle had his cabin, and with him was his son, David, a young man of 17; their cabin was near the corner of Charles and Spring streets. The Norton daughters and Mrs. Ichabod Rogers state the Beadles were very migratory, Mishael at one time living across the river at the northwest corner of the Tiffin road and North River street, the old man and young David moving into Mishael's former cabin on West Mansfield. John Ensley, with his wife, Ann Beadle, also lived over the river, near Mishael's second residence. Mishael was married, and in the summer of 1822, the first death occurred, a little son of Mishael Beadle, and Norton gave the ground for a burial site, at the junction of Walnut, Gallon and Middletown streets, and here the little boy was buried, the early pioneers all tendering what aid and sympathy they could to the afflicted family. That winter another daughter of David Beadle, named Clarinda, was married and later young David took himself a wife. Mishael Beadle tired of his residence over the river and entered a tract of land south of the present Oakwood cemetery, now the Magee farm, and here he was contented to remain several years, his brother-in-law entering the land just east of him, extending to what is now, the Marion road. The Beadles were as fond of hunting as they were opposed to work, and when about 1826, Samuel Myers bought the original 80-acre tract they had entered only eight or ten acres had been cleared. The price paid to the Beadles by Myers for the land was $6 an acre. About 1827 they moved west. Bucklin also . left the county, but the Nortons, the McMichaels and the Youngs are still here in the third and fourth generations. Joseph Young entered his first land in section 5, Whetstone township, nearly two miles east of Bucyrus ; he built a small flouring mill run by horse power, on the river a mile west of Bucyrus, where Sinn's dam was later built with a regular water-power mill; afterward known as Couts dam. The mill run by horse power meant with him that a man brings his grain, hitches his own horse to the mill, and grinds the grain. He kept no horses himself at the mill. Later he gave the mill to his sonin-law, George Black, and a dam was built, and the mill run by water power and it became an important mill for years to come. Young also gave each of his sons 160 acres, as the tax duplicate of 1830 shows that George, Jacob and John Young each had 160 acres along the river near the mill.

Daniel McMichael came to this section in the fall of 1819, and spent his first winter on the banks of the Whetstone, eight miles from Bucyrus. He was there with his family when Norton was making his trip looking up a location. He was in what is now Crawford county, but then it was a part of Richland county, in the neighborhood of the Sharrocks. Daniel McMichael then moved into Liberty township in the spring of 1820, the first settler in that township, built a grist mill on his land on the river one mile northeast of Bucyrus, the first mill in the county. Then he came to Bucyrus erecting a house on his 8o-acre tract north of the river, on the hill where the residence of Hon. E. B. Finley now stands. He also entered 80 acres east of Norton's land, and 80 acres south of the Norton land, this 80 being south of Middletown and east of Walnut streets. He started a small distillery on the banks of the Sandusky, where the electric works now are, but he only ran it a few months. He died in 1825, and for ten years the settlement of his estate occupied many entries in the court docket. The ruins of the old log house he built remained for many years, until in 1865 they were torn down and the present handsome building erected by .John Sims, who a year or two later sold it to Mr. Finley, the present occupant.

In 1 82 1 Zalmon Rowse came to Crawford county, and while he settled in Whetstone township came to Bucyrus the same year, settling on the land on the south side of the Gallon road, where for so many years Col. Wm. Monnett resided. He promptly took an active hand in the village and county affairs, and when in 1823, Crawford was attached to Marion for judicial purposes, Zalmon was the first justice of the peace, his territory including the present three townships in range 16 and 17, and in 1825 was elected county commissioner, a position he held at the time Crawford county was organized, when he was appointed assessor for the entire county. When courts were first held here, he was appointed the first clerk. At the time of the first court, David H. Beardsley came over from Marion as clerk to act until the new court could find a suitable man. They found him instantly and promptly appointed him in Zalmon Rowse. Courts up to 1851 appointed the clerk. Rowse served without any interruption for 14 years. He was also recorder during practically the same time; also justice of the peace, and frequently township clerk, and now, after nearly a century has passed, it is a pleasure for any searcher of the ancient records, to meet with those kept by Zalmon Rowse in any of his multitudinous offices. They are clear and concise, and above all exact; the writing neat, legible and correctly spelled. They show he was systematic and methodical. He was at the head of every movement for the building up of his village and county. Norton was the founder of Bucyrus, Kilbourne was the sponsor, Enoch Merriman was the capitalist, but Zalmon Rowse was the ceaseless, untiring worker, the fii'st and greatest booster the town ever had, and when some really important public improvement is made in the future it should be called Zalmon, in remembrance of the man who did more than any other one man for his town. A generation later Stephen, Horace, Quincy, William and Henry Rowse were all active business men in this community, Horace and William building the Rowse Block that still bears their name; Quincy owning the woolen mills, Stephen being a heavy stock-dealer and Henry a rising young attorney, mayor of the village, but called away in his early manhood. In his leisure moments Zalmon Rowse was a farmer, a contractor and builder, and shone resplendent once a year in a gorgeous uniform as colonel of the Ohio militia, having been commissioned lieutenant-colonel in 1825. His duties as clerk of the court in those days included those of recorder and probate judge, and for filling these three offices he received $60 a year, and never petitioned the legislature for an increase of salary. When the Columbus and Sandusky turnpike was incorporated, he was a director; when the Pennsylvania and Indiana road was built, he was for a time secretary, and when the Masons organized a lodge here, he was a charter member. He built the brick building still standing on the old Monnett farm, and he built the American House in 1831, which stood on the northwest corner of Sandusky and Warren streets. In 1835 he united with the M. E. church, and until his death was one of the pillars of that organization. The Rowses. once so prominent here, have all moved away, and the only ones now recalled are Edith Chesney, a greatgranddaughter, her mother being Cora Rowse, her grandfather William Rowse, and another great-granddaughter Lucille Lewis, daughter of Lily Rowse, who was a daughter of Stephen D. Rowse; a great-grandson, Allen Campbell, son of Eva R'owse, who was a daughter of Horace Rowse. Zalmon Rowse died in Bucyrus, Aug. 1=;. 1854.

tied in Whetstone township in 1822, and the following year moved to Bucyrus township, purchasing 80 acres on the pike just south of Bucyrus. He was killed while assisting at a house raising southwest of the village in 183 1.

Seth Holmes, who came with the Nortons, entered some land in Whetstone township, but lived in the town and died here about 1826. He never married. He was Bucyrus' first old bachelor. His brother, Truman came to Bucyrus township in 1823 or 1824, with four sons, Lyman, Henry, Elisha and Zalmon. One of the daughters of Truman Holmes married Rensselaer Norton.

Elisha, Thaddeus, David and John Kent came about 1821, Elisha entering the 80-acre tract on Plymouth street, which was the Kerr farm for so many years and later the Hall farm. Abel Gary came to the township in

Amos Glark settled on 80 acres southwest of Sandusky and Charles, his cabin being near the present residence of E. B. Monnett. He also owned 38 acres north of town and donated a portion of it for the burying ground on the Tiffin road.

In 1826 Gen. Samuel Myers came and purchased of the Beadles the 80 acres west of Spring street, and also entered a tract south of Bucyrus. Later he received the commission of general in the Ohio militia.

George and John Shroll came in 1830, George having 138 acres, a part of which is now Oakwood cemetery. John had 140 acres west of this, where later Judge Summers resided, and still later known as the William Magee farm. He was an elder in the Lutheran church. About July i, 1835, business called him to Sandusky City; he arrived to find cholera raging there. He hurriedly transacted his business and returned home, but he had exposed himself and he was stricken with the dread disease and died. His faithful brother Daniel hurried to his assistance and tended him to the last. Daniel was a deacon in the church of which his brother was elder, and his soul passed into the presence of his Maker, sustained and soothed by his faithful brother. But family loyalty and brotherly faithfulness must look for their reward in the world above, for in ministering to his brother, Daniel himself caught the fatal disease and died, and if ever a man received the grand words as he entered the pearly gates of "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joys of the Lord," that man was Daniel Shroll. The Crawford County History of 1870 says: "The Lutheran church met on July 12, 1835, and, after showing due respect to their memory, elected successors to fill the vacancy caused by their sad death."

It will be observed that these early settlers all chose the high ground within a mile of Bucyrus. Those now so rich and fertile plains were passed by. Nobody wanted them. As James Nail said he "doubted if this land would ever be occupied" - land now where every acre is held as high as a town lot in many of the additions to Bucyrus. But some were wise - not Crawford county people, but the outside investors. In the southern half of Bucyrus township, much of the land had been entered by speculators, buying it of the government at $1.25 an acre, believing the time would come when land already cleared would find ready sale. The heaviest of these investors was Henry W Delavin, who never lived in the county, but owned several sections in southern Bucyrus. One of these sections was 26, on the Pike, three miles south of Bucyrus, later the Ross farm and the G. H. Wright farm, now owned by John Ross, Lafayette Yeagley, David Rexroth, J. B. Steifel, and Mrs. D. M. Odaffer.

It was Nov. 12, 1829, when William Vance Marquis came to Bucyrus and settled on land two miles south of Bucyrus ; he had previously visited the county and entered several tracts of land, and in 1829 took possession of one of them. At that time there were just two families between him and the little village. William V. Marquis was a Virginian, who moved to Washington county, Pa., where he married Mary Page, whose father was killed by the Indians. The Marquis land was in section 24, the land later owned by David Marshal, then Benjamin Beal and later Benjamin Beal's children. Mr. Marquis was an early member of the Presbyterian church, and a prominent one. He died in 1834 and left ten children, one a daughter Ruth, who mar- ried James McCracken, who for two generations -was prominent in the affairs of this county, and whose children were also active and prominent in the history of Bucyrus.

About 1828 there came into southern Bucyrus Isaac, William, Thomas and Osborne Monnett. Isaac Monnett owned several farms on the plains prior to 1830. In 1835 Rev. Jeremiah Monnett removed to the township and purchased his land of John Barney, the Rev. Thomas Monnett farm, four miles south of Bucyrus, now occupied by William Monnett, son of Rev. Thomas Monnett. Rev. Jeremiah's house stood just south of the present large brick building. It was a cabin of hewed logs. Here he lived until a better house was erected on the east side of the pike. He had three children, Abraham, Thomas J. and Mary, the latter later marrying James Royce. There were several families of negroes settled on what afterward became the Gormly farm, two miles south of Bucyrus, later the Rexroth farm. This gave the name to the woods a quarter of a mile from the pike the "nigger woods." These first colored pioneers were from Virginia, and came in 1828. At that time, under Ohio laws, the poor overseers of each township had the right to demand bond of $500 of any new arrival that he would not become a public charge. The Virginia owner on his death had given them freedom but not enough cash, and thev were unable to put up the bond, so all left but one family, known as Old Solomon; he remained with his wife. He did not put up the .S^oo, but one family made no difference and he was allowed to remain. Among those living in the township in 1830, as shown by the tax duplicate, were Thomas Adams, John Black. John Bowman, Isaac Fickle, Joshua Lewis, John Miller, Joseph Pearce, Jane Stephenson and Gottlieb John Schultz. Thomas Adams had 48 acres in section 9, two miles west of Bucyrus, the Chris Wisman farm along the river ; John Black, 80 acres, section 13, a mile south, the Henry Flock farm on the T. & O. C. John Bowman had 80 acres in section 11, southwest of Bucyrus, the William Magee oroperty on the south side of the Little Sandusky road. Isaac Fickle had 160 acres in section 10. a Quarter of a mile west of Bowman's, the William Shroll farm, through which the Little Sandusky road passes; Joshua Lewis had 80 acres in section 15, south of Fickle, the George Gibson farm; John Miller, 80 acres, section 2, just northwest of Bucyrus, adjoining the Fourth ward, now F. W. Bittikoffer's. Joseph S. Morris, 80 acres, section 12, south of the fair ground, the John Wentz addition, Elizabeth Monnett, and the John Wentz land. Joseph Pearce, 80 acres, section 2, west of Miller's, owned by John Wentz. Gottleib John Schultz, 80 acres, south of Miller's, adjoining the corporation on the west, the Pennsylvania road passing through the northern portion of his tract. Jane Stephenson, 160 acres, section 4, two miles west of Bucyrus, now owned by L. W. Buck and P A. Beard; also a quarter section of the Wm. Caldwell farm on the Marion road, three miles south of Bvicyrus. Other residents in the township as indicated by their paying tax on personal property in 1830 were John Bowman, Jr. ; Thomas Bennet, J. Coulter, Isaac Didie, D. and I. Dinwiddle, William and Joshua Foreacre, William Fraley, Jacob Forney, Jesse Goodell, Jonas Gilson, Peter Hesser, George Hesser, William Hughey and son William, Lewis Heinlen, John Kent, Christopher Noacre, George Aumiller, George Sinn, Daniel Seal, David Tipton, George Welsh, Frederick \Visman.

Until 1835 Bucyrus was a fractional township, on account of the western third being an Indian reservation. The encroachment on the Indian land became so great, that early in the thirties pressure was brought to bear on the Indians to sell, but nothing came of it. Finally, in 1835, the government arranged to buy seven miles of their strip 12 miles deep. This was about two and a third miles of the western part of Bucyrus and Holmes townships, the two miles of northern Dallas, all of Tod, and southern Texas and extending nearly three miles into Wyandot county. The sale was set for Marion in 1837, but there were objections by the Indians after about onethird of the land was sold, and the sale was stopped. Later matters were arranged, and the entire seven-mile strip was sold, and all of the present Crawford county was. open to settlement. The land brousfht about $2 an acre. In the sale a syndicate bought up all the land around Osceola and laid it out into town lots, in the hopes that it being the geographical center of the county as it then existed, it might become the county seat. The southeastern part of the county, especially Bucyrus township, recognized this danger, and later acquiesced in the formation of Wyandot county, with Upper Sandusky as the county seat, losing a strip of land i8 miles deep and 1 6 miles wide, not very well populated, except around Tymochtee in the northern part, and around Little Sandusky in the southern part. They secured in return a strip two miles wide along the southern border of the county from Marion and four miles wide and 20 deep on the east from Richland, getting in that territory the towns of Galion, Leesville, West Liberty, Middletown and De Kalb, at that time the densest settled section of the county, except Bucyrus.

It was Dec. 7, 1824, that the resolution was passed by the Marion commissioners for the organization of Bucyrus township as it exists today. Prior to that it had been a township, which included Holmes and Chatfield. In 1823 Zalmon Rowse was justice of the peace of these townships, his jurisdiction including Whetstone, Liberty and Cranberry.

There are no records to show who the first officers of the township were, but there are several reasons why the first clerk was Zalmon Rowse. First, he was a fine penman; second, he was the most competent man for the position; third, he had practically every other clerical position; fourth, the records were des'troyed, and the search for old records show that it was the records of the offices held by Zalmon Rowse that were destroyed when the jail burned in 1831; he kept all his records with the court records in the county jail.

In 1829 a young lawyer came to Bucyrus and opened an office. This lawyer was Josiah Scott, later supreme judge of the state and one of the most able lawyers the state ever produced, so able and so just that later, when supreme judge of the state, a grave question arose, he gave a decision adverse to the opinion of a majority of the people of his state, in opposition to the wishes of his political party and against his own personal views. He sacrificed popular opinion, party loyalty and private friendships in the interest of the law and legal right. The coming of Judge Scott was probably more advantageous to the village in those early days than it was to himself. He, too, was a fine penman, highly educated, and the result was that he was early pressed into the service and, at least as early as 1832, was township clerk.. He not only was Zalmon Rowse's ally in these matters, but he was also Zalmon's crony and friend, and these men, full of life, strong and healthy, were boon companions in many a village prank and the leaders in every amusement. The judge was a great friend of the Indians, their admiration starting on his fine physique and being continued on account of his sociability and love of athletic exercises, and many a time he headed a band of mounted Indians in a race down Main street, bare-headed and coatless, yelling equal to the loudest Indian. That they had confidence in him and that he retained that confidence is shown from the court records, for when Indians brought suit the books show that the attorney for the Indians was Josiah Scott. The minutes of the annual meeting of the township trustees held March 4, 1833, are signed by Josiah Scott, and show that a full board was present. They settled with Samuel Myers, supervisor of road district No. i, and found 14^2 days of road labor unperformed in his district; William Early, 3d district, all labor performed; James Coulter and John Marquis, district No. 4, all labor performed. Coulter was paid 75 cents and Marquis $1 for their services as road supervisors. George Hesser in the 5th district, showed all the labor had been performed. They settled with Abraham Hahn, the township treasurer, and found in the treasury a note of John and Jacob Staley for $14.56, payable March 12, 1833 ; a note of James Coulter and Henry St. John for 75 cents ; a note of Joseph S. Morris and Zalmon Rowse for $5.31, due June i, 1833, and $3.15 cash, making a total of $23.15. They issued an order to Hahn for 1.48 "for the percentage on moneys collected for the year 1832." They paid William Early 75 cents, his salary as road supervisor during the year 1832. Also order for $1.55 to James McLean "for advertising the township election in the spring of 1831, and notifying the officers of their election." They paid John S. George $3 for services as township trustee, and Henry Minich and Nicholas Failor $1.50 each for services as trustees; Josiah Scott $2.50 for services as clerk of the township, and the last order "in favor of R. W. Musgrave and Company, for 75 cents for a blank book for the use of the township," and thereupon adjourned.

This record shows that the trustees in 1832 were John S. George, Henry Minich and Nicholas Failor. Why George's services vi^ere worth the fabulous salary of $3 it is impossible to state. Henry Minich owned a tannery and Nicholas Failor a store, and yet they only received half that amount.

In those early days township elections were called by the constables, so James McLain must have been elected constable in 1830, and he held the office from that time until 1836. He was first a carpenter by trade and made shingles. In 1836 he took the government contract to carry mail. He came here in 1828, and his residence was a one-story frame house standing on the site of the present Rowse Block. To run a township election for $1.55, which included the posting or tacking of a written notice on three conspicuous trees, and then notifying the successful candidates afterward, at that price he could get the job today and hold it forever. And the treasurer, with $1.48 to squander annually, would be pointed out by the little children and stared at by small boys as the man who positively had in his possession $23.77 of public funds, of which $3.15 was actual cash! Mr. Hahn at that time owned what is now the Deal House, a brick hotel erected by him in 1.831. It will be observed the trustees issued orders for $14.53, with only $3.15 cash. It is probable that Mr. Hahn, being a shrewd business man, made his $1.48 first lien on the treasury and let the others wait. True, James McLean's bill for $1.55 was allowed in March, 1833, for work done two years previously; so people were used to waiting. But how McLean ever accumulated sufficient funds to buy a large flouring mill on a salary of $1.55 is a problem. There was certainly no chance for graft on a treasury that only carried $3.15 cash. And the notes! They were all good, as the trustees considered them the same as cash. The 75 cent note was abundantly secured, as James Coulter had 160 acres of land, and Henry St. John had the dry goods "emporium" of the village, and became so prominent and prosperous they later sent him to congress.

A month after this meefing the township election came on, being held April i, 1833, at the court house, and the high-priced trustee, Mr. George, was either not a candidate or was defeated. Failor was re-elected and with him John Magers and John McCullough. Josiah Scott was re-elected clerk and Jacob Hinman constable; John Nimmon and Enoch B. Merriman were elected overseers of the poor. George Shaffer, John Cronebaugh and Lewis Gary were elected fence viewers. Samuel Myers was re-elected road supervisor in his district, notwithstanding his showing of "fourteen and a half days of road labor unperformed;" the other supervisors were - second district, John Barney; third, Emanuel Deardorfif; fourth, George Welsh; fifth, George Hesser, re-elected.

The office of overseer of the poor was one of honor, as Enoch B. Merriman was a very prominent citizen, and John Nimmon had represented the county in the legislature in 1830. One of the first acts of the trustees was to appoint Mr. Hahn as treasurer, and they didn't forget the faithful James McLean, for they appointed him as constable. As far as can be seen by the salaries and the names, it was not a question of politics or of office in those days; it was only a question of who would take the position, and most of these men recognized it as an honor and served from a sense of duty and served faithfully, their highest reward being the consciousness of having performed their full duty as citizens by giving a part of their time for the public good. There is a lesson to be learned from our grandfathers.

Outside the city of Bucyrus there are three churches in the township. There was no call for any more. Bucyrus being a village with churches, people walked or drove from half a dozen miles around for family worship, while occasionally some traveling minister, on his missionary rounds, held services at the cabin where he was stopping. The first known of these gatherings for religious purposes was held prior to 1830, at the home of Isaac Monnett, in the extreme southeastern section of the township No. 36. Services were held in the various cabins at irregular intervals, but in 1835, when Rev. Jeremiah Monnett arrived, after he built his house on the east side of the pike, the old log cabin he had occupied on the west side was fitted up for a school and for school purposes. It was on the Bucyrus circuit, and services averaged perhaps once every two weeks. Rev. John Hazzard was the early minister, whose zeal and work built up the membership to such an extent that a better and larger church was needed. In 1840 the church was erected east of the pike, a short distance north of the Monnett home, on land donated by Rev. Jeremiah Monnett, who was also a large contributor to the building fund. The other contributors were Osborne, Abraham, William, Thomas, John and John Monnett, Jr., Rev. Samuel P. Ely, Charles W. and J. W. Shaw, Jeremiah Morris and David Sayler. The building was a neat frame and cost about $1,500. It was named Monnett Chapel after Rev. Jeremiah Monnett. Among the early ministers of half a century ago were Revs. Stephen Fant and George Moore, who were appointed to the Bucvrus circuit in 1853.

The church was dedicated by Rev. Adam Poe during the winter of 1840-T. In 1871, under the pastorate of Rev. D. M. Conaht, it was repaired and improved, the dedicatory services being conducted by Rev. Dr. A. A. Nelson. In 1853 the Monnett chapel Was assigned to the Caledonia circuit and regularly supplied. A graveyard was attached to the church on the east, and here many of the pioneers of southern Crawford sleep their last sleep.

The next church in the township was the Mt. Zion U. B. church on the banks of the Sandusky,, five miles southwest of Bucyrus. Services were held at the various homes in the neighborhood and later in the schoolhouse. The ground where the church now stands was purchased of Thomas Newell, and about 1868 the old . Wilson schoolhouse was removed to the lot, and the old frame building giving way to a brick, this served as a church for a fewyears. In 1871 the present building was erected at a cost of $1,300. The earlier preachers to the congregation were Revs. Mc- Downey and E. Berry. David Parcher built the church, and when it was dedicated. Rev. David Hart was the pastor. Preaching was generally held every other Sunday.

The third church is Scioto Chapel, on the Marion road, six miles southwest of Bucyrus, three miles west of the Monnett chapel, principally from whose membership the congregation was formed to have services more convenient in bad weather. The church was erected in 1874 and was built very quickly. In May of that year two meetings were held at the residence of E. B. Monnett; and at the second it was decided to build a church, and E. B. Monnett, F. A. Harvey and George Welsh were appointed a building committee. Christian W^alther was the architect, and in October of that year the church was completed at a cost of about $2,000 - a very neat and commodious one-story frame. It was dedicated by Elder Wilson, of Kenton, O., and when the church started the membership were E. B. Monnett and wife, M. J. Monnett and wife, Isaac Shearer and wife, J. P. Beall, wife and two daughters ; Oliver Monnett and wife, Benjamin Shearer and wife. E. Monnett and wife, G. H. Welsh and wife, Bishop Scott and wife. The church was attached to Claridon circuit, and the first pastor was Rev. Stephen Fant.

lived outside of walking distance from Bucyrus had very little school instruction. Many came to Bucyrus, some from as far as four or five miles distant, bringing their dinner, starting from home, after doing a fair morning's work, and returning to do the "chores" in the evening. Thomas Shawke came to Bucyrus in 1832, and was a noted hunter, traversing the entire country for miles around in every season of the year, and he is authority for the statement that, certainly prior to 1832, there was not a single school building in the township south of Bucyrus. In some neighborhoods a few families joined together and small private schools were occasionally held. The first township schoolhouse built outside the village was in district No. 2, just west of the corporation limits and stood on the northwest corner of Warren and Spring streets. It was built of logs in 1833, and was later replaced by a one-story frame, the old log schoolhouse being used as a woodshed for the schoolhouse proper.

Previous to 1834 there were but four school districts in the county: on March 12, of that year, the number was increased to five by the formation of the four southeastern sections into district 5;. On June S. 1838, the township was reorganized into eight districts, four of these practically the four northeastern sections of the township, now the city of Bucyrus - these were districts i, 6, 7 and 8; south of these the four square miles was district 2, and the southeastern four square miles was district 5 ; district 4 was north of the river, between the Indian reservation and the village of Bucyrus, a trifle over four square miles; district 3 was two miles wide and four miles deep, extending from the Indian reservation east to districts 2 and 5, what afterward became the Bell or Harvey and the Arbuckle districts.

When Ohio became a state, section 16 of every township was set aside for school purposes; this land could be held, leased or sold. On April 6. 1831^, the question of selling this school section was voted on and carried. The vote was light but practically unanimous - sixtv-two for the sale and only one against it. At this time small schoolhouses were being erected. Previous to this the old log cabin of some earlv sauatterwas fixed uo and used for school purposes. In Oct., 1838. an enumeration of the school children of the township was taken. The four Bucyrus districts had 315; No. I, 82; No. 6, 51; No. 7, 107; No. 8, 75; the other districts - No. 2, 70; No. 3, 72; No. 4, 31; No. 5, 41; or 214 in the country districts; 529 in the entire township.

After 1837 the Indian reservation became open to settlement and the township was again divided into school districts. There are today nine districts. In the southeastern district a schoolhouse was not erected until 1840, the people along the pike wanting it there, and those in the eastern part of the district wanting it in the center of the four sections. It was finally built on the pike, five miles south of Bucyrus. Prior to its erection schools were held in an old log house, which was unoccupied, just south of the Monnett brick residence now occupied by William Monnett. Susan Bovel and Harriet Huntley were the earlier teachers here. Later the old log church on the Monnett homestead was used, and here Eliza Chapman and a Mr. Canef taught, the latter being like Silas Wegg in "Our Mutual Friend," "a literary man with a wooden leg." The schoolhouse located in 1840 was a constant source of dispute to the residents of the district. It was originally built on the pike, half a mile west of the center of the district, the residents there predominating in numbers and influence. Later the eastern part of the district elected trustees favorable to their section, and the schoolhouse was hauled across the fields half a mile to the east to the center of the district. The pike residents wakened up and at the next election selected their own trustees, and the schoolhouse was hauled back to its original site. There A\as no east and west road at that time, so transportation of the building was across the fields. This was so inconvenient that a road was petitioned for and laid out, and the next time the eastern section secured control, the schoolhouse had a road to travel on. The little temole of learning became a much traveled building, and was known as the "movable schoolhouse." Its search for a final resting place might have continued to this day, but for the fact that many years ago the earlv residents along the pike had moved away, and the schoolhouse was finally placed in the center of the district, half a mile east of the pike, where it still remains with no one to ob- ject, as the entire four sections are now large farms, so that it would be considered a banner day in some terms when half a dozen scholars were present.

On March 22, 1834, a number of the residents of school district No. 5 met at the home of David Dinwiddle, two miles south of Bucyrus and decided to erect a schoolhouse on the southwest corner of Silas Sweney's land; later the building on the farm then owned by Andrew Kerr, on the east side of the pike, two miles south of Bucyrus. It was a small log building, and among the first teachers were Casper Rowse, Harriet Robinson, Abraham Myers and Sarah Butler. In a few years it was replaced by a small frame building and this, in 1877, by the present brick structure. It was known for years as the Beal schoolhouse, and here many a young lawyer of Bucyrus and many a pupil .in the high school attended the debating societies and spelling schools held during the winter seasons. Other districts followed with log schoolhouses replaced by frame, and these gave way to the present brick buildings, the first brick being erected in district No. 8 in 1876.

In 1857 Miss Mary Monnett, a daughter of Abraham Monnett, who was attending the Wesleyan Female College at Delaware, made a donation to that college of $20,000. This liberal donation, occuring as it did, had a very great efifect in strengthening that seat of learning and was the first practical effort towards making the Ohio Wesleyan University what it is today. The money was used for the erection of a needed building, which was named Monnett Hall - a name it retains to this day, with the donor's picture occupying a prominent place in the building. Even before the donation Miss Monnett's relatives, being Methodists, attended the college; but in the last half century it is probable that a hundred of the Monnetts or their immediate relatives have obtained their instruction at that institution. One among them, the Hon. Frank S. Monnett, was a graduate of the class of '80; he was admitted to the bar and became one of the successful lawyers of Bucyrus and in this section, and in 1895 was elected by the Republicans as attorney general of the state. For some years the office of attorney general had drifted into minor importance. The new attorney-general was active, fearless and energetic, and early restored the office to its former position as second only to that of the governor. He was ten years in advance of the political parties on the subject of trusts and combinations, and drifted into the Democratic party, removing his home from Bucyrus to Columbus. He had a collegiate education, a strong voice, and became one of the national speakers for Mr. Bryan in 1908, and it was generally understood ithat he would be the attorney-general of the United States in Mr. Bryan's cabinet. Prior to 1830 several roads had been located in Bucyrus township, the Columbus and Sandusky pike entering the township two miles west of its eastern border and running northeast to Bucyrus. In laying out this road Heman Rowse, Nathaniel Plummer and Benjamin Parcher were appointed the viewers in 1824. The same year what is now the Wyandot, or Little Sandusky road, was ordered laid out, entering Bucyrus on its western boundary one mile north of the southwest corner of the township and northwest to Bucyrus. The next year, 1825, the Marion road was established, halfway between the pike and the Wyandot road and running northwest to Bucyrus. These roads, all being arteries from the southern and southwestern part of the state to Bucyrus and the north, were soon thronged with travellers, at first with a weekly line of stages, later triweekly, and eventually daily. As a result taverns were started all along these roads. Who kept the first it is impossible to state. But in 1836 a license was issued to Peter Hesser, on payment of $5, to keep a tavern; also one to Benjamin Warner for $7 ; his place was on the pike five miles south of Bucyrus and was known as the "Four-mile Tavern." He came to the county in 1826 from Pennsylvania and kept a tavern for about fifteen years. He was a Quaker, one of the Society of Friends, and his tavern was recognized as a S5monym for good cheer. He was hospitable and made all welcome, and many a poor and weary traveller, withoul; money, found rest and refreshment at Benjamin Warner's. Like a Quaker, he said little, but many a weary black, fleeing from slavery, arriving before daylight, found food and shelter during the day and left after

Joshua Bebout in 1838 took out a $5 license to keep a tavern in the township, and some years later it was taken out by John W. Bebout. Thompson Brown took out a license in 1840 for $7.50. There were taverns on the Marion road, three miles from Bucyrus, and another in Dallas township ; on the Little Sandusky road there was one about three miles from Bucyrus and another some six miles out. All did a good business.

Excepting Bucyrus there are no villages or even settlements in the township, and no store ever existed outside the city. A number of saw-mills were erected in the early days. Young ran a horse-power mill, later changed to waterpower on the Sandusky, a mile southwest of Bucyrus, later Sinn's mill, then the Couts mill, then abandoned, and of which only the ruins now remain, the dam being washed away.

Further down the stream was Danser's dam, where once stood a saw-mill run by waterpower ; and still farther was Athey's dam, with another saw-mill, both long since abandoned, the dams washed away and hardly enough ruins left at either place to mark where they once stood.

The plains from the start were almost entirely used for grazing. True, wheat and corn were raised, but the corn mainly for feeding purposes, although fine crops have been produced on the plains. As early as 1852, Linus H. Ross, father of John Ross and grandfather of Linus Ross, reported a yield of 126 bushels to the acre, and the next year E. Barrett reported three acres with an average yield of 129.2 per acre, and the same year Samuel S. Caldwell, three acres, with an average of 124.2 per acre, and in 1859 Joseph Kerr reported one acre yielding 128 bushels. But the bulk of the plains was devoted to cattle raising and cattle grazing, and some flocks of sheep. In 1834 there was a craze for shorthorn Durhams in this county, and Robert Kerr brought in some from Pickaway county, and John Ross some from Kentucky. Many farmers devoted their attention to cattle breeding, and also to the fattening and sale of cattle, a thousand head sometimes being held by one man. Abraham Monnett was the cattle king of southern Crawford and northern

Marion, and when but a young man E. B. Monnett made several trips to Illinois driving 100 to 300 head through for his father; also from intermediate points. The trip took weeks. Later followed their sale, the seller sending along a man the first day or two to get the cattle "started," for after one or two days' driving, the cattle had a leader and they followed without any trouble, these trips frequently extending as far as New York.

The plains being low and marshy in many places and overgrown with tall grass and weeds, decaying each season, it was easy to obliterate traces of the Indian trails. Yet Sylvester Bourne, in his field notes, made in 1817, finds many distinct traces of these Indian trails across the plains. Hulbert, the authority on Indian trails, gives as one of the most prominent a trail commencing west of the mouth of the Scioto, north on the west side of that river, until south of Columbus, where it crosses the river and continues north, passing through or near Bucyrus. This trail is distinctly traced by Bourne's notes, but west of where Hulbert's map would place it. It is marked in sections 35 and 36 in Dallas township, and enters Bucyrus township in section 30, going from section 30 northeast through sections 20, 21, 16, 15, 11 and i. In section 30, Bucyrus, northwest of the Harvey schoolhouse, perhaps half a mile, the notes show a trail going through the northeast corner of section 24, Dallas township, crossing the river between sections 24 and 2^, Dallas, and continuing on to the Indian village at Upper Sandusky. According to writers on ancient trails, this trail from Upper Sandusky continued through southwestern Bucyrus in a southeasterly direction through Dallas and toward Owl Creek (Knox Co.) and to the Tuscarawas region. Bourne's notes show it continued east, crossing the Little Scioto in the northwest quarter section of section 28 (farm of Daniel Rexroth) then northeast near the south side of the Little Scioto through the northwest quarter of section 27 (farm of W. H. Miller) the southwest quarter of section 22 (farm of Wm. Caldwell's heirs) and through sections 23 and 24 into Whetstone township, where one branch went toward Leesville and the other to the Whetstone and followed the north banks of that river into Polk. In the east half of sec- ton 28 Bucyrus (between the land of Daniel Rexroth and Jonathan Carmean), the trail it met leading northeast was a man trail, and that continued southwest crossing the little Scioto in the south half, section 26 (Carmean farm) and tollowing the Little Scioto through Dallas into Marion county and south to Columbus, 'ihe Bourne field notes show a trail from Bucyrus to Upper Sandusky crossed the river just abouf at the Mansfield street bridge and followed the present Oceola road one mile, then ran a little south of it, and following through sections 33, 32 and 31 in Holmes it entered Tod, in the northeast corner of section 36, half a mile south of the Oceola road, passing through sections 25 and 26 in Tod, crossed the Brokensword, half a mile southwest of Oceola, about on the farm of G. E. Sigler, then west to Upper Sandusky.

As to the military road, over which some of the Pennsylvania troops marched in 181 2 to Fort Ferree, Benjamin Sears, who came to Crawford county, in 1837, remembers no trace. At the time he arrived, the Mansfield and Bucyrus road had been laid out, and was in use; it had extended west toward Oceola a quarter of a mile past their home, and was in 1837 almost to the Indian reservation line, which was about a mile beyond his father's house. Mr. Sears hunted all over that region, and does not recall a trace of any road. At that time, 1837, he is certain no road was cut through the woods from Bucyrus to Upper Sandusky nor was there any trace of such a road. The road is given on all maps from 181 5 to 1825, so it seems it was only vised for military purposes; in the dozen years that elapsed from its use to the first coming of the pioneers, it became overgrown with bushes and grass and small trees, leaving no definite trace behind. It is difficult to figure how a road could be cut through the forest, and a generation later, and even less, leave no trace behind. That a body of Pennsylvania troops did pass from Crestline through Bucyrus and on to Upper Sandusky all records show there is no question. Another military road it appears also existed, entering the county north of Gabon, passing through southern Whetstone, and southern Bucyrus through Wyandot to Little Sandusky. Of this faint traces are seen in eastern and central Polk township, but all trace is lost for about three miles in western Polk and eastern Whetstone townships, just before it reaches the plains, where, of course, the open country and decaying vegetation and overfiowing swamps would obliterate everything in a very few seasons.

There was an Indian camp existed at an early day, about four miles west of Bucyrus. The Bucyrus Journal of June 10, 1853, contains the following item:

"We were shown the other day a sword, foun4 on May 29, by Jacob Kinsey, about four miles west of this place, at what is called 'Plumb Orchard,' or the 'Old Indian Camp.' The sword bears every appearance of having been made and used by some ancient race, unknown perhaps in this country. The blade is three feet, two inches in length, about one and a quarter inches wide at the hilt, tapering from both sides to the point, which is very sharp. The hilt is covered with a basket of steel, strongly made, and serves as a perfect safeguard to the hand and wrist. It is very much rusted but if there were letters on it, they could easily be seen ; there are, however, none. The following figures are found on the basket of the hilt:

"It is quite a curiosity and may lead to^ a more careful ex^imination of matters connected with it. It was found with the point in the ground, with a large root practically grown over the hilt. In the same place, we learn, a musket was found a few years ago, which had every appearance of being very old."

The early grave yards of Bucyrus were outside the original plat of the town but now inside the corporation limits. The very first A\as along Middletown street east of Walnut. Among those known to be buried there were Daniel. Beadle, the infant child of Mishael Beadle, who died Sept. i, 1822 ; the next burial was the five-year old child of Jacob Kellogg, died Dec. 30, 1822. The first adult was John Deardorff^, who died in 1823, and the same year his daughter Margaret was buried here, and in 1824 his son William. Rachel Kellogg was buried here in 1824, and her father, John Kellogg, in 182 1;.

Trinity cemetery. The tirst burial here was in 1824, Rachel Gary, wife of Lewis Gary, and that same year was buried Elizabeth Bucklin, the mother of Albigence Bucklin and Mrs. Samuel Norton. Daniel McMichael was buried here in 1825, and also Seth Holmes the same year; also Timothy Kirk and wife. In this yard was buried in 1827, Peter, the colored servant of Lewis Gary, the first colored man ever in Bucyrus.

The next burial ground was the Tiffin grave yard, located on land donated by Amos Glark,. and still in existence as a cemetery, but for many years unused as a burial site. The first burial was that of Samuel Yost, the infant son of Abraham Yost, who died May 12, 1827. In these grounds are the last resting place of Samuel Norton, who died April 18, 1856, and his wife Mary Norton, who died April 29, 1859, the first pioneers of Bucyrus. Two other graves there are Thomas Howey, died May 27, 1835, and Joseph Knott, died Nov. 5, 1826, both reported as soldiers who served in the Revolutionary war. Among others buried here of the early pioneers were Isaac H. Allen, the first prosecuting attorney of the county; Elias Gronebaugh who was killed accidentally at the building of the first court house on Dec. 4, 1830: Matthew and Elizabeth Free, Robert Foster. John Heinlen. Abraham, John and Daniel Halm, Elisha Kent, John Kanzleiter, Darius Langdon. Hugh and William Mc- Gtillough. Hugh iMcGracken. Matthew Mc- Michael, William V. Marquis, William Magers, John J. MoUenkopf, John Nimmons, Thomas Parks, William Robinson, Thomas Rogers, Gonrad Roth, Ghristian Sexauer, Henry and James Sell, William F. Schindler, John Stineman, Beniamin and Joseph Spahr, James and Matthew Tate, Jonathan Timberlin.

started, known as the Southern grave yard. It was outside the corporation, and was on the west side of Spring street, between Rensselaer and Warren. When it was abandoned all the bodies were removed to Oakwood cemetery. Among the pioneers originally buried there were George Aumiller, GhrLstopher Boyer, Isaac Ditty, Peter and George Lauck, Peter Miller, Abraham Myers.

There was a grave yard, two miles west of Bucyrus on the Wyandot road, where Joseph Young and many of his family were buried. The first known burial was that of William Young, who died Oct. 25, 1839, aged -jy years.

In the Monnett chapel grave yard the first burial was Margaret Slagle, who died Aug. 12, 1 84 1. John W. Shaw, colonel of the 34tli O. V. I., is buried here; also Abram Monnett, who died Aug. 12, 1854. Jeremiah Monnett, the founder of the church, died Sept. i, 1864, and is buried here.

One mile north of the Monnett chapel was the original Monnett grave yard, on the land of Isaac Monnett. The first known burial was John Monnett, who died Nov. 26, 1831, aged 26 years.

Mt. Zion church has a grave yard, and the first recorded interment is the Mcllwain twins, who died Sept. 25, 1866. Another grave there is Esther White, who died Oct. 22, 1884, in the 89th year of her age.

Five miles west of Bucyrus is the Streib grave yard, and the first known interment was Mary Zimmerman on Feb. 17, 1867. Many buried here are over seventy vears of age, J. G. Mellenkopp, who died Oct. 18, 1886, being then in his Q^d year, and Rev. Michael Streib, who died May 4, i8q7, being in his 86th year; Ghristooher Soieele, 84: John Steinhilber. 83, and Michael Snvder, 81.