Crawford County, Ohio - Chapter 22: Vernon Township, 1912

The Township Created - At First a Wilderness - Its Swampy Character in Early Days - Wild Game - Boundaries - Geologic Formation - Drainage - Indian Occupation - First Settlers - First Deaths - Early Mills - West Liberty - A Tentperance Crusade in 1838 - Postmasters - DeKalb - The DeKalb Seminary - A Row Over Postmaster - Decline of DeKalb - The Underground Railroad - Oil Specidation - Schools and Churches - Justices of the Peace.

Vernon township was surveyed by Maxfield Ludlow in 1807, and when the county of Richland was erected by the Legislature it was a part of Madison township, Richland county. After Richland county was organized the commissioners of that county in 1816 erected the township of Bloominggrove, from Madison, and in 181 8 divided this township creating the township of Sandusky, six miles wide and twelve deep, and finally in 1825, created the township of Vernon from the northern half of Sandusky township. In 1845 it became a part of Crawford county, and the commissioners carried it under its original name, which had been given it after the home of Washington, Mount Vernon. When it was surveyed by Maxfield Ludlow in 1807 it was an almost impassable wilderness, the congenial home of nearly every species of wild game common to this part of the world, including such fierce and predatory beasts as the wolf, bear, panther and catamount, and crossed only by a few Indian trails. In the southeastern part extensive swamps afforded an almost secure retreat for the wild animals from the Indian or pioneer hunter, who with difficulty and danger followed them into the treacherous bogs and tangled thickets and into an atmosphere impregnated with malarial vapors.

The township is bounded on the north by Auburn, on the east by Richland county and a part of Jackson, on the south by Jefferson and Jackson, and on the west by Sandusky township. Its geologic foundation consists of the Waverly group of rocks, which is overlaid by drift deposits of a depth of from ten to 50 feet. In the northwest corner, in the channel of Bear Marsh, where the drift deposits have been washed away, a slate or shale is exposed, which apparently forms a part of the Huron shale. West of De Kalb and in a few other places, the Berea grit outcrops and along the Bear Marsh run quarrying was done on the farms now owned by Ira O. Hilborn and J. B. Carrothers just west of De Kalb. The south and east portions of the township are flat, and the southern part was very wet and marshy in the early days, but modern drainage and the clearing away of the forests have brought the land into a condition to richly repay the labor of cultivation. In the southern part the soil is deep, rich and black, while in the northern and western parts it consists of a light sandy loam, mixed with clay.

Lying on the northern slope of the Ohio watershed, the township is drained by streams v,hich flow into Lake Erie. The principal one of these is known as Loss Creek, the name being a corruption of Lost Creek, it being thus denominated because of the difficulty in dis- covering its source among the many marshes. It originates, however, in the extensive flat lands in the southern part of the township, and after winding first in a northwesterly direction till it reaches the center of the township, it then turns toward the southwest and joins the Sandusky river. The northwestern corner is drained by Brokensword creek, while Honey Creek, a branch of the Huron river, drains the northeastern part.

An Indian trail passed through the township from the northeast to Wingenund's village on the Sandusky river, near Leesville. There was an Indian camp southwest the present site of Vernon Junction for many years after the War ofi8i2. It is stated that about a dozen Indians, under the lead of Johnnycake, maintained a camp there until 1828. Civilization has blotted out all external evidences of Indian occupation, but here and there Indian relics are often plowed up. Many of these relics may be of a pre-historical instead of an Indian period.

In 181 6 Andrew Dickson and David Cummins purchased land in the northern part of Vernon township. Cummins was born in Rockingham county, Va., Feb. 28, 1788, and was a soldier in the War of 1812. When they first came to look over this section they assisted William Green in erecting the first log house ever erected by a pioneer in this county, in the southeast part of what is now Auburn township. William Cummins located on his purchase in 1 81 8, and it is probable his companion, Andrew Dickson, came at the same time. The records show that on April 26, 1822, he bought of James Given a quarter section northwest of what is now West Liberty, and another quarter section near the same day. His nearest neighbor was Charles Morrow, whose heirs probably hold the oldest known deed of a transfer of property in the county. It was given by William Petti John, the hunter and trapper who roamed over Auburn and Vernon as early as 1814. The deed bears date of Aug. 25, 1819, and is for the northwest quarter of section 34, township 22, range 20 west; section 34 is the southeast section of Auburn. Another resident of this section was Jedediah Moorehead, a trapper and hunter, who like Pettijohn made his living by securing furs and game.

A settler named George Byers was occupying a log cabin in section 17, (the section in which West Liberty now is) as early as 1820, and may have come there a year or two previously, as he had already several acres cleared. It is not unlikely, however, that he may have bought the land from some previous settler, as he was a man much fonder of roaming the forest in search of game and adventures than of performing hard manual labor. He was a most skilful hunter and trapper and is said to have caught more than a hundred mink in one winter, together with quite a number of racoon, beaver, otter and other animals. At that time a mink skin was worth $4, beaver $5, otter sometimes as high as $8, while a fox skin sold at from 75 cents to $3. It can be seen, therefore, that Mr. Byers was able to earn a pretty good income for those days. He resided in the township for many years and finally died and was buried there.

In 1 82 1 James Richards, a blacksmith, came to Vernon, and after erecting his cabin, built a small round-log shop. He was kept employed much of the time in repairing the wagons of the constantly arriving pioneers, which were seldom in good condition after making the long journey to the West. In addition to this he made cow bells, tempered axes, made iron points for the wooden plows and did considerable other work in keeping the settlers' tools in good condition. Two roads, if such they might be called, had already been cut through the township. One, running north and south, was the Columbus and Sandusky, road, known as the Portland road, and at this time was simply a blazed way through the forest, from which the fallen logs and underbrush had been removed. It connected the central part of the State with the cities on Lake Erie, and soon became one of the principal highways in the state. The other was the Bucvrus and De Kalb road, which had been started in 1821. These, as well as most of the other principal roads in the state, were at first only Indian trails through the forest, which had been adopted by the pioneer settlers as the most desirable routes, and afterwards improved until they became passable for the teams, farmers' wagons, and droves of cattle on their way to market, evidences of a rapidly increasing and enterprising population. They are in full use at this day, though the old Con- estoga wagon of the pioneer settler has been replaced by the swiftly-gliding automobile of the pleasure seeking tourist, and the cattle, instead of being driven lazily to market, are now drawn there over a steel highway at a rate of 20 to 30 miles an hour, behind a puffing locomotive - to witness which things would considerably surprise the pioneer settler, could he come back to earth and visit the wilderness where he first settled.

In 1822 George Dickson, a young unmarried man, arrived in the township and entered land. After clearing a few acres, he went back to Pennsylvania, married, and then brought his wife to their new home in the wilderness. He became one of Vernon's most prominent citizens and resided here many years, and died Aug. 23, 1880, and was buried in the graveyard at De Kalb. Conrad Walters, a cooper, came in 1824 and began work at his trade. He was an intelligent and well educated man, and his manners were superior to those of the ordinary pioneer. He was moreover of a manly and courageous disposition and became a skillful hunter and trapper, learning much from his associations with Byers and the Indians. On one occasion while out hunting, he was nearly killed by a wounded buck, which he had shot in a swamp in the southern part of the township. Thinking it dying, he was about to cut its throat, when the animal started up in a desperate struggle for existence. Mr. Walters seized it by the antlers to prevent it from goring him and clung to it until he was almost exhausted. He finally succeeded in forcing its head into the mud and water and held it there until it suffocated. His body was covered with wounds and bruises and his clothing was torn to shreds by the sharp horns and hoofs of the dying animal. He learned from this experience, however, to always avoid a hand-tohand struggle with a wounded deer.

Besides those mentioned, other early settlers were Jonathan Dickson in 1825 ; David Holstein and Samuel Tarr in 1828; Levi Arnold, Thomas Gill, James Dickson, and Charles Warner in 1829; David Anderson, Barnett Cole, Samuel Dean, Dennis Orton, Rev. Thompson and William Brown in 1830. These settlers were in the northern part of the township, and through their exertions the forests in this section began to disappear and give way to farming land. Levi Arnold, was a carpenter, and the first to work at his trade in the township, erecting many of the buildings for the late settlers. The first orchard was planted by James Richards in 1825. Jonathan Dickson had a large family of children, and after they were grown and had homes for themselves, there were thirteen settled around the family homestead, so close that when his dinner bell rang it could be heard by the entire thirteen, but this tradition handed down fails to state whether they responded to this *call for refreshments" at the family home. But on Thanksgiving Days they did repair to the old homestead year after year, until finally, in August, 1881, the children and the grandchildren and the great grandchildren paid their last tribute of respect to their ancestral pioneer, and he was laid to rest in the Hanna graveyard.

The first known birth in the township is disputed. There are two claimants, and it has always been given to Arthur Cleland, a son of William and Rachel Cleland, who was born on Feb. 6, 1826. The other claimant is Andrew Dickson, and his tombstone in the Hanna graveyard shows he was born Feb. 6, 1826, and died Dec. 9, 1893. As both birth-dates are the same there is abundant reason for the double claim.

After 1830, among the settlers arriving were George Amspaugh, Jacob Klahn, and Andrew Dickson, Sr., in 183 1 ; Henry Bilsing, Richard Cahill, Dr. Peter Carlton, Conrad Ebner, Jacob Kemp and George Tempy in 1832; Philip Ackerman, John Baumgartner, J. J. Bauer, Leanderline Gosser, John Heimgartner, Samuel Hagarman, Christian Makerley, Andrew Miller, John J. Rubly, Jacob Reichlin, John B. Yetzer, Jacob Scheibly, Gottleib Schneider and John Weaver in 1833; in 1834; John Fulton, John Farrell, Thomas Mahan, Samuel Reed and Jefferson Walters in 1835; Dr. A. N. Bee, Charles Gowan and Samuel Wiggins in 1836.

A few of the above settled in the northern part of the township, but most of them were Germans who came with their families and erected cabins among the swamps and marshes in the southern part of the township. A worse place for settlement could hardly be imagined.

as the marshes were filled with venomous snakes and other reptiles, some of large size, the rattlesnakes being especially numerous and deadly, while the atmosphere was thickly charged with the germs of fever and ague. The Germans had selected this land, or rather had been obliged to take it, because of its cheapness, as their finances had been nearly exhausted by the long journey from their native land. They wasted no time in regrets, but set to work with courage and energy to improve the surrounding conditions. They drained the marshes, made clearings and erected cabins, and as the land became drier the air became better and the neighborhood more healthy. They also killed off the snakes and other noxious animals, so that in the course of a few years a great improvement was visible in the locality and the land became more valuable. The soil was naturally rich and when the water was drained off, yielded bountiful crops. The first of these settlers to arrive was Mr. Tempy, who came in 1 83 1. Leanderline Gosser was a shoemaker and cobbler and had a small shop in one end of his cabin, and he also tanned the leather he needed for his work. In 1832 he planted the first apple trees in the German settlement. Yetzer also planted a small orchard two years later. The latter was a man of excellent education and soon became a leader among the Germans, being active in all public enterprises and especially in promoting the cause of education. Beach was a carpenter and erected the first frame houses in the southern part of the township, beginning in 1835. Bauer worked at cabinet-making, and although he had never learned the trade, he contrived to manufacture rough articles of furniture, such as stands, chairs, tables, and also made coffins for the settlers. As these Germans could not speak English, they had for some time but little commuication with the English-speaking settlements, and were thus an almost independent colony. Most of the settlers obtained their supplies of flour, powder and shot, and other necessary articles at Mansfield, whisky being usually procured at Monroeville, where there were some extensive distilleries. This latter article was an absolute necessity in southern Vernon, as it was the only medicinal remedy for the poison of the rattlesnakes, and also a safeguard from the chills and ague which infected this miasmatic region. No record has been handed down of any deaths from the venomous rattlesnakes, and it is probable that none occurred. Neither is there any record handed down of the deaths of the little children, brought to this malarious region, with its impure water, and swampy marshy ground, where only the strongest constituiions CLiuld survive the unhealthy surroundings, yet these deaths of the little ones did occur, and it is probable that in southern Vernon, the same as in the southern part of Bucyms township, there are very few square miles where there are not one or more unknown graves, where the sorrowing parents laid to rest the little one whose death was due solely to a want of pure air and water. It is also safe to say that in the pioneer days these early graves were marked by some rudely carved stone, or wooden slab, but as time passed and the farms passed to other hands these markings decayed, and today no trace remains. Of fifty early graveyards in this county that are still cared for and every one established prior to 1850, the records of the ancient stones that are yet legible show that the first burial in twenty of them was a child, in twelve a woman, and in eighteen a man, showing again the survival of the strongest.

Charles and Catherine Warner came to Vernon township in 1829, settling near West Liberty. His son John helped his father to clear the land and later learned the carpenter's trade, and went into business for himself. He built a little shop, but soon after it was completed it took fire and was totally destroyed. He immediately rebuilt and was in the business a number of years.

David Anderson came to Vernon about 1830 and followed farming for awhile. He then became a merchant at DeKalb and was thus occupied for about fifteen years. Later he went to Mansfield and became a prominent banker. Henry and Christina Bilsing, with their son Adam, came to the township in 1832. He built the first house in that vicinity - the old Bilsing home, in the southern part of the township.

latter was a Lutheran minister, who, entering the ministry in 1793, preached for 56 years. J. G. Stough's maternal grandfather, Traurman, was born in Maryland and while very young, Indians killed his father and carried his three sisters into captivity. When Mr. Trautman grew older he came to Ohio and finding his sisters in an Indian camp on the Kilbuck, near the present city of Wooster, he rescued them and took them home. Mr. Stough after farming in Liberty for forty years, moved to northeastern Vernon.

Peter Linker came to Ohio in 1832. He settled on a farm in Vernon township and resided there until his death on Oct. 4, 1870. In the spring of 1827, George M. Keitch came to Crawford county, and built a cabin on land now owned by William and Albert Bilsing in Vernon. . He died Dec. 21, 1827, one of the earliest deaths in the southern part of the township, and was the first known burial in the Biddle graveyard, a mile east of his home.

The first known death in northern Vernon was that of David Holstein, which occurred in 1833. Mrs. Akerman died in the southern part of the township in the same year.

Like all the early settlers, at the start, the pioneers were compelled to go long distances to have their grain ground or do the work by hand. In 1833 Conrad Walters erected a frame grist-mill near West Liberty, and did a good business, but later in 1836 Samuel Reed built a better mill two miles east, and in this placed two sets of stones, one of roughly cut "nigger heads" for the corn, the other a pair of first-class French buhrs for grinding the wheat. After this mill started the Walters mill was discontinued. The Reed mill continued for about ten years and was then discontinued, for lack of custom. These were the only two grist-mills ever in the township. Samuel Reed also ran a small saw-mill in connection with his grist-mill. In 1837 Isaac Vanhorn had a large saw-mill on the bank of the Loss Creek, located at a very favorable point, for he had water sufficient to run it for nine months in the year. The mill later was run by a Mr. Kilgore who in turn sold it to Conrad Walters, and then it passed into the possession of Charles Warner, and was abandoned. In 1862 Nicholas Fetter built a steam saw-mill in the eastern part of the township. As early as 1834 Conrad Walters started an ashery, which he continued for several years, and in 1844 Dimmick & Gibbs began the manufacture of potash on a more extensive scale, reaching an output of seven to eight tons per annum. Jacob Kemp started a brick yard in 1838, and a few brick buildings were erected instead of frame.

In 1825 Levi Arnold entered 80 acres of government land in section No. 17 of what is now Vernon township. He was a carpenter and house-builder and erected his shop near his cabin in the woods on the site of where is now the village of West Liberty. Just south of him lived Conrad Walters, who had moved there two years previously, and opened a cooper shop following that occupation in connection with his farming and also started a tavern. Charles Warner, a cabinet-maker, located north of Arnold in 1829, and he also did business at his trade as well as farming.

By 183 1 the section had become so thickly settled that a schoolhouse was erected near Conrad Walter's tavern, and in 1833 a log church was erected one half mile south of Arnold. That same year Walters started a grist-mill, run by horse power, and in 1834 an ashery. About that time Thomas Dean bought Arnold's farm, and he saw that without doubt there was an opening for a town on his land. It was at the crossing of the Portland road and the road between Bucyrus and Shelby. The nearest town to the south was Gallon, about nine miles away, and to the northeast was Shelby, nearly the same distance. His scheme was to have all the different industries centralized at the one point, and it would form the nucleus of a town and be more convenient for the settlers and better for the mechanics themselves. So early in the spring of 1835 he had John Stewart, the county surveyor of Richland county, lay out a town on the site where the two roads crossed. The plat was filed in the office of the county recorder in Richland county on May 28, 1835, and gave the location as on "the north" central part of the south half of section No. 17, Vernon township, Richland county." There were only two streets on the plat, the Portland road was named Columbus street, and the other road was called Bucyrus street. After the settlement of West Liberty, the road

There were 28 lots in the plat of which 20 were on Columbus street, ten on each side, and eight on Bucyrus street. Some of the lots in the new town sold as high as $25. There were several buildings in the town, as early as 1830, Levi Arnold having erected a double log-cabin for James Gillespie. Jacob Kemp and Andrew Miller both built log cabins, but they were very small, as they had but one window each. After the town was laid out, Kemp built a larger building and ran a hotel; this was a two-story affair and was a frame structure, the first frame in the village. Charles Warner had started his little cabinet maker's shop in 1830, and continued in the business for 18 years when he sold out to Henry Balsor. Thomas Gill had a cooper shop, Jefferson Wallace a blacksmith shop, John Kaler a shoe shop and Hiram D. Cross a tailor shop.

In 1838, the town boasted of a few little shops, five or six houses, but it had no store. And the first store started at West Liberty was the first introduction into the county of the shrewd business man "gold bricking" the unsophisticated citizen. A young peddler who drove through the country with a horse and wagon, furnishing dry goods and other necessaries to the farmers in the small villages, happened to drop into Kemp's tavern. He spoke in glowing terms of the thrift and enterprise of the place, expanded the possibilities of the dinky little cooper shop, carpenter shop and shoe shop, and let his brilliant and vivid imagination wander into the future of what the town would be, situated as it was at the junction of the two most important roads in the state; regretted business would not allow him to remain or he would certainly start a store in the little village. All it needed was a store, and the man who started one was bound to make a fortune, and he wiped the tears from his eyes when he described the opportunity of which he was unable to take advantage. He only expected to unload his stock, about $600 worth, on one man, but he had three offers. It never phased the smooth young man. He dealt with the entire three in secret, and unloaded a third of his goods on each, and with his empty wagon quietly left the town, and Jacob Kemp, Andrew Miller and Samuel Dean learned with astonishment that each one of the three had purchased goods and intended to make a fortune in the dry goods business. Neither one would give way, so three stores were started, and to crowd out the others, each sent to Pittsburg and added largely to the stock. There was not sufficient business for one store, and all three discontinued, and just about that time young Bailey got in his "double cross" by returning to the village, buying all three stores at his own price, and he left the town a second time but this time with a loaded wagon instead of an empty one. The transaction broke up Samuel Dean.

The storekeepers were only a few years ahead of their time. In 1845 I- N. Frye and John Kaler started a store with $5,000 worth of goods, but the town had grown; it was now the centre of a well settled region, and was the second most important business centre of the county, doing then more business than Gallon. In 1850 the goods of Frye & Kaler invoiced $8,000, but then as now the invoice was not a perfect criterion, as later, Frye sold to C. G. Malic; and the business of Kaler & Malic demanded all the time of the proprietors and Dr. George Keller was employed to keep the books of the firm, and he stated their business reached, one year at least, $100,000. Besides a general store, they dealt in grain and stock. John Kaler came to Bucyrus as county treasurer, and C. G. Malic ran the business alone; after a few years he sold out to Brown & Guiss and came to Bucyrus, and went into the dry goods business with his old partner under the old name of Kaler & Malic. Their bookkeeper also came, but no longer to keep books, as his practice as a physician in Bucyrus required all his time. Guiss sold to James Gloyd, and they were compelled to make an assignment, J. J. Bauer securing the stock. William Brown went to Tiro and became one of the prominent men of that rising young town. The advent of railroads had made it impossible to pay the high charges for the handling of freight, and the interior towns could not compete with those more favorably located. Gallon in 1850, which was of less importance than West Liberty as a commercial centre, from the time of its rail- road had expanded by leaps and bounds until it became the largest place in the county; Crestline in 1850 was a wilderness, and in i860 an important town, and from the time of railroads West Liberty was on the. downward grade, its industries quit business and finally in 1902 its post office was discontinued and with it the little notion store gave up the ghost, while the last saloon made a feeble struggle to survive, gave up the hopeless fight and finally closed for lack of patronage, and what was once the most thriving village of Northeastern Crawford is today a short street with a few old frame houses fast crumbling to decay.

In its palmiest days several physicians located in the village, the first was Dr. J. C. Wood in 1842, but he died in 1847. Later Drs. H. B. Hutchinson, James Aikens, and George Keller and Joseph Bevier located there. At one time it also boasted of a distillery, Gibbs & Main starting a small one in 1844, with a capacity of about fifteen gallons a day. This output was consumed by the local trade in that section, but notwithstanding this the firm only continued in business about a year. About 1838 a temperance crusade was started in the northern part of the township and a Mr. Kile tried the experiment of having a barn raising without the necessary lubricant for the men, but the affair was a failure as there were not enough men present to do the work. The temperance movement was an equal failure, the time was not yet ripe to change the habits of the early pioneers.

The mail is now supplied by rural route. Commencing March 24, 1868, for over thirty years Peter Weller was the postmaster, and he lived in Bucyrus all that time his father running the office as deputy, with the last little store in the village. The postmasters of the village were as follows he was accompanied by his nephew, Richard W. Cahill, a young man 24 years of age. Mr. Nimmon started a store and his nephew was his assistant. One might think that in a little country store in those early days the principal job would be to "kill time." But in those days nearly all business was on. credit, little cash passed, and what the farmer bought he paid for in the products he raised. Extensive credit was given. And one of the duties of Mr. Cahill was the collecting. Starting on his rounds he made his trip through the surrounding country, being gone for days, and returning with very little cash, but with whatever farm products he could collect, driving in the hogs and even cattle. This stock was assembled at Bucyrus, and when a drove had been secured Cahill started on his long tramp to Pittsburg, where he sold the cattle and hogs, and in exchange brought back the goods needed in the store, the trip taking over a month. For three years Cahill was clerk, bookkeeper, collector, and driver for the store, and in 1831, his uncle was elected to the Legislature, became the Hon. John Nimmon, and disposed of his store. Young Cahill was tired of the store business so he purchased 160 acres of land in Vernon township, to which he removed. His father was Abram Cahill, who had been an officer in the militia in Westmoreland countv, Pa., and at one time had command of all the forces in western Pennsylvania. He came with his family to Wayne county in 181 7. Mr. R. W. Cahill after settling in Vernon in 1832, devoted his attention to farming, his land being south of the present village of Tiro. The region was becoming rapidly developed, and Mr. Cahill was easily the most influential man in Vernon township, and was the recognized leader of his party in western Richland county. Through his influence a post office was established in that section, and he was appointed postmaster by Andrew Jackson, the post office being in his house. It was named DeKalb, after Baron DeKalb, a general in the Revolutionary War. He continued to hold this office until the election of Gen. William Henry Harrison, when he forwarded his resignation, but received a letter from the postmaster general suggesting that there would be no change in the postmastership at DeKalb. Cahill was an old school

Democrat; he believed with his patron saint, Andrevsr Jackson, that "to the victor belongs the spoils," so he wrote a polite letter stating that he was a Democrat, and he declined to hold office under a Whig administration, and the office passed to David Anderson, the leading Whig, and when he left DeKalb it was consolidated with the post office at West Liberty. In the October election of 1841, Mr. Cahill was elected as a member of the Legislature for Richland county, serving two years, and in 1850 he was the member of the Constitutional Convention from Crawford county, which gave the state its present constitution, without the amendments adopted in 1912. He died Oct. 4, 1886, and was buried in the Hanna graveyard.

The immediate neighborhood of the DeKalb post office was thickly settled, and about three quarters of a mile north of the Cahill farm Samuel Hagarman had a blacksmith shop and there was a carpenter and cabinetmaker shop near it. David Anderson, who owned the land adjoining these two shops, concluded that it would be a profitable undertaking to lay out a town, with the two shops and the post office as a good starter. It was near the junction of a north and south road with the road from Bucyrus to Plymouth. He accordingly had Christian Wise, the Richland county surveyor, lay out and plat the town around the two shops. The plat was filed in the recorder's office in Richland county, on Nov. 20, 1835, and the location was given as "the southwest part of the northeast quarter of section No. 5, Vernon township, Richland county." The only street in the town was the old Bucyrus and Plymouth road, and it was given the name of Bucyrus street. There were sixteen lots in the town, eight on each side of the street. The town grew, and on Oct. 15, 1838, Anderson filed a plat for an addition to the original town. The new plat consisted of 12 more lots and two large outlots. This new addition was west of the original town, and brought -fhe village to the road running north from West Liberty into Auburn township, the new street on the west was called Columbus, as just north of West Liberty the north and south road joined the old Portland road running to Columbus.

and i860, attained a high state of commercial and industrial standing and was one of the successful of the many towns projected during the era of town building which had such a rage in the county from 1833 to 1840. During that period there were sixteen towns* laid out and platted and placed on the market in four hundred square miles of what is now the county of Crawford.

Immediately after DeKalb was started Dr. Peter Carlton opened a general store, with a stock of about $2,000, carrying a line of drugs. In 1840 David Anderson started a store, which he ran for five years and then sold to Gabriel and Cornelius Fox, who disposed of the goods and retired from business. George Cummins started a store in 1840, and in 1842, Elias Cramer started with a supply of groceries, with a bar attached, the only saloon ever in the village. A shoemaker's shop located in the village, and a wagon-maker's shop followed. In 1835 John Felton started a tannery with five vats and Charles Gowan also had a small tannery. In 1837 Thomas Mahan and Samuel Wiggins erected a large two story frame, and here they started a wool-carding and cloth-dressing mill, employing several hands, and for several years did a good business, but eventually it was discontinued. The DeKalb Seminary was started, a Presbyterian Institution of which the Rev. Mr. Thompson was president. It was locally known as the "Boys and Girls Seminary," as it was open to both sexes. At its height it reached an enrollment of over sixty pupils, but it gradually declined; in 1858 it had an enrollment of 48 pupils when the September term started. Mr, Thompson was then principal; Miss Emma Irwin, preceptress, and Dr. George Keller, secretary. When the war broke out, the membership was still less, and for lack of patronage it was discontinued.

The importance of Tiro was such that in 1847 the postoffice was re-established there in 1847, with the appointment of Charles Webb as postmaster on Feb. 23, 1847 he was succeeded by George Cummins on Jan. 28, 1848, the postoffice being in his store, and when he

* These sixteen towns were Annapolis, Chatfield, Deckertown, DeKalb, East Liberty, Galion, j'acksonville, Leesville, Middletown, New Washington, New Winchester, North Liberty, Olentangy, Waynesburg, Wingerfs Corners and West Liberty.

disposed of his store to the Fox brothers, Cornehus Fox was appointed postmaster July 31, 1849. On Sept. 6, 1854 Thomas A. Mitchell was appointed. During the incumbency of Postmaster Fox, DeKalb had a weekly mail; it started at Mt. Gilead, and went to Iberia, Gallon, West Liberty, DeKalb, Tiro and Plymouth.

"From Shelby, by DeKalb, to Sulphur Springs, to Brokensword, to Bucyrus, 30 miles and back. Leave Shelby every Friday 6 a. m., reach Bucyrus at 6 p. m. ; Leave Bucyrus every Saturday at 6 a. m., reach Shelby 6 p. m.

"From Galion, by Leesville Cross Roads and DeKalb to Tyro and back, 16 miles, one time a week. Leave Galion every Tuesday at 6 a. m., arrive Tyro 12 m. Leave same date at 2 p. m., arrive Galion 7 p. m."

In June, 1858, the Dekalbians learned that H. S. Bevington had been appointed postmaster on June 10, 1858. The people had not asked for any change and wanted Mitchell, and they refused to accept the new postmaster, who was the choice of Congressman Hall. They raised such a protest that Bevington resigned, and the Government, to harmonize the matter, appointed Nancy Hanna. The people accepted this, but the leaders at Bucyrus insisted on Bevington. In those days a Congressman was all powerful, and as the people positively refused to accept Bevington, Congressman Hall had the office discontinued on March 17, 1859, and for two years the entire village was compelled to go nearly three miles to West Liberty for their mail, or five miles to Shelby. In 1 861, the administration at Washington changed and post offices passed into the hands of the new party, and on July 3, 1861, George Cummins was appointed, and on Oct. 2, 1865, he was succeeded by Thomas A. Mitchell, the man removed ten years previously. He served this time for seven years, and was succeeded on Nov. 13, 1872, by B. W. McKee, who held the office until the appointment of William Raudabaugh on July 23, 1873. On Dec. 15, 1882, the office was discontinued, being removed to Tiro.

in the neighborhood of 250 people. Somewhat later the business began to leave the place and go to the larger towns of Shelby and Plymouth, which had become better shipping points by reason of the Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark railroad. After i860 the town's retrogression was very marked, but it hung on, and finally was reduced to only a few houses with one small store and a blacksmith shop. Then the Mansfield and Coldwater road was built,' piassing less than a mile north and here the railroad established a depot, and in 1874 the village of Tiro was laid out on the land around the station. Stores and shops were started there; it became a centre for the shipment of grain, a mill was erected, a bank started, and DeKalb with its patriotic name was a town of the past. Today absolutely nothing remains to indicate that it was once an important business centre.

For thirty years prior to the Civil War, several stations on the Underground Railroad were established in Vernon township, and many runaway slaves were thus assisted on their way to Canada and freedom. David and Samuel Anderson were among those who took part in this work. As the laws of the United States made it a crime to thus assist black fugitives to escape from their masters, the work had to carried on with great caution. The negroes traveled only at night, and during the daytime were kept closely concealed in the so-called "stations," where they were provided with food and other necessaries.

The first speculation in oil was in Vernon township. As early as 1851, James Seanor, living in the northern part of Jefferson township wanted a well, and at a depth of 25 feet struck a stratum of rock; he went through this and found a powerful vein of water which filled the well; a few days later this water was covered with a thick oily substance. A short distance from his house was a spring from which oil flowed in large quantities. No one knew the nature of the oil, or its qualities, but a quack doctor from Sandusky City gathered it for several years and retailed it as a specific for burns, bruises, etc. The oil excitement in Pennsylvania started, and in 1 86 1 the Seanor well was recalled, the land was leased and work commenced and in two days without the aid of machinery about 120 gallons of oil were gathered, but machinery did no more ; it was not there in paying quantities. The swampy region of southern Vernon and Northern Jackson all showed symptoms of oil. Just south of the Vernon line on the farm of Hugh Oldfield, Pittsburg parties put in a well lOO feet deep from which they gathered a few buckets of oil a day. They put in pumps, believing the well would yield 15 barrels a day, but the investment was a failure. Other wells were dug but all proved failures. Finally in 1862 J. J. Bauer struck oil on his farm the northwest quarter of section 28, Vernon township, the land being today still in the possession of the Bauers. He had dug a well and discovered a few days later that the surface was covered with oil; as fast as he skimmed off the oil it gathered again, and the supply seemed inexhaustible. The excitement in Pennsylvania was at its height, and the citizens flocked to the farm to see the well, and congratulate the owner. A company was formed with a capital of $10,000 to develop the well, one enthusiast taking $500 in stock. Experts were sent for, and $2,000 of the stock was paid in and also paid out, the highest yield being a barrel and a half a day, and the enterprise was abandoned, but it was the most prolific well ever found in the county, a county too, which in the early days had more surface indications than any other county in the state, indications which later cost the people of this county approximately $100,000 for experimental wells with absolutely no returns.

The first school building in Vernon township was erected in 183 1 about half a mile south of West Liberty, and stood a short distance back from the Columbus and Sandusky road. It was built of round logs, was 16 feet square, and had a large conspicuous stone chimney. The first teacher was Thomas Gill, who was a very efficient instructor, anticipating many of the modern methods of imparting knowledge, and in connection with his teaching ran a cooper shop. Miss Richards, who in 1844, became Mrs. R. W. Cahill, and Mr. Orton, were also early teachers in this schoolhouse. In 1835 a hewed-log schoolhouse was built about a mile north of West Liberty. Maria Swan taught school here for 'three months during the summer of that year, while

John Farrell taught the following winter. Another cabin was built for educational purposes about a mile and a half east of West Liberty in 1838, and by 1845 there were as many as seven or eight school buildings in the northern part of the township. The schools in the southern part were started later, as that part was settled several years after the northern part, but when established they were well taught and well attended, the German language at first being given preference over the English, owing to the general mass of the settlers being of that nationality. A frame schoolhouse was built in DeKalb in 1 84 1, a Mr. Phillips being the first teacher. This building was afterwards supplanted by a more commodious one.

Vernon township has today six school houses, No. i being in the southwest quarter of section 6, on the farm of Mary and G. W. Johnson; No. 2, southwest quarter of section 17, the farm of F. P. Warner, a quarter of a mile south of West Liberty; No. 3 the southeast quarter of section 30, the farm of William G. Fisher; No. 4, the southeast quarter of section 28, the farm of Thomas McMahon ; No. 5, the southeast quarter of section 16, the farm of John Richlin ; No. 6, the southeast quarter of section 4, the farm of Hollister Doll.

The first religious services among the settlers were held in the cabins by those faithful missionaries of all denominations who wandered through the sparsely settled regions to preach to the people. Even before settlers were here, a young priest. Rev. J. M. Henni, made occasional trips through this region, making converts among the Indians. About 1824 he was in what is now known as the German settlement, in the eastern part of Vernon township. Here at this early date he found a few Roman Catholic families, and he organized them into a parish. He or others visited them occasionally, holding services in the cabins, and in 1836 they built a little log church, which was used until 1852, when it was replaced by a brick building on the same site, 40 by 80 feet in size. The church had secured a 40-acre tract on which to build the church and necessary buildings. This church was just east of the Vernon township line, in Richland county. Later in life the first priest, Rev. Mr. Henni, rose to high rank in the church and became Archbishop of Milwaukee. In 1890 to 1898 Rev. F. A. Schreiber was the priest in charge and under his administration the present church was built. The corner stone was laid by Right Rev. Bishop Horstman on May 29, 1892, and the building was dedicated by him on Sept. 25, 1895. It is called the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The building is 148 feet in length, with a width of 48 feet, with the handsomest of interior furnishings. It is of Berea cut stone, and of Gothic architecture, and when completed was the largest and handsomest church in the Cleveland diocese. Many in eastern Vernon are members of this church.

The Methodists organized a society in the northern part of the township in 1832, but they were not strong enough to build a church at that time. Meetings were held in the cabins and later in the schoolhouses, most of the early members belonging to the churches in Auburn township.

About 1830 a society of United Presbyterians was organized, with a membership of about 30, and after holding services for a few years in the cabins and schoolhouses, a church was erected near DeKalb. Rev. Mr. Thompson, a very zealous and highly educated man, was the first pastor. He it was who started the DeKalb seminary.

It was in the early thirties that there were a number of Germans settled in the southern part of Vernon, and by 1833 they were strong enough to build a church, the first church built in the township. The Germans were of two denominations, the German Lutherans and the German Reformers. The two congregations united in building a little log structure, a mile south of West Liberty; this was replaced later by a frame building, but for forty years the two sects jointly worshipped in the same building, when both organizations became strong enough to have a church of their own.

The German Lutheran church was built on the east side of the Portland road about two miles south of West Liberty, and the German Reformed is half a mile south of this, a short distance east of the road.

In 1850 Rev. William Adams organized a society called the Church of God in the northeastern part of the township. For ten years the meetings were held in the cabins and the schoolhouses, and then a little church was built at a cost of about $800. Long before the church was built, a Sunday school was started with Samuel Deam as superintendent.

Until Vernon was organized as a township it was under the care of Auburn township, and in 1823, when Adam Aumend of Auburn made the first tax returns, he found but three persons in Vernon township to assess for taxation, and in 1826 there were only ten votes cast in the township. In its earlier years the justices of Auburn had jurisdiction over Vernon, and as in Auburn, Jacob Coykendall was the first justice, commissioned in 1821; Isaac Hitchcock and George Dickson were the first justices in Vernon in 1825 ; Dennis Orton was elected in 1826, and again in 1828, with James Richards; William Cummins in 1830. Since Vernon has been a part of Crawford county the following men have held the office :